oooohhhh....

A couple days ago I had a very thrilling conversation with a very dear friend. This friend is also an avid blogger. While "blogging" was not one of the many topics up for discussion there was a moment when blogs came up, in particular my very ill-used one, and for a moment I understood, or at least I think I did. The epiphany went something like "ooohhh...so, some people might actually care, or at the very least be interested, in what's happening in my life and it would be easiest for them to find said information out if I would simply update my blog. I get it."

This, I believe for the moment, I can do.

So, what's been happening since the last time Good Rocky had a taste of Revival? (i.e. what's happened since 23 November, 2009?) Leet meee tell you...

1. Christmas. Oh my so very favourite time of year. It is absolutely my favourite liturgical season. (whenever I say or type that I immediately feel guilty...as if the bells and lights of Holy Saturday are peering over my shoulder whispering "tsk, tsk, tsk...you should really like Easter more," they say.) The thing is, I do love Easter. I get sucked right into that drama and can hardly find myself once I'm in it. But I kind of love it in a different way. I experience Lent pretty intensely; in the same way, I weep on Maundy Thursday, I stand in shock on Good Friday, I exult and dance and choke myself with joy on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, but man, do I ever come alive at Christmas.

The thing is, Advent & Christmas is, (I'm having the guilt again) enchanting in a different way than Easter. The long waiting through Advent is so punctuated by excitement and the imaginative potential of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning seem limitless. This year, on Good Friday, the sky was dark and it rained all day, as if nature herself were participating in the drama and worship. In the same way all seems mystically united when it snows at midnight on Christmas Eve while the bread is broken and the cup is served. Also, I could sing carols forever. Also, I could listen to Sufjan's Christmas album forever.

2. (oh my, this is getting long) Caleb and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary in February. Both the anniversary itself and the year were fantastic. I'd been telling Caleb before we got married that I was anticipating that we'd have a pretty difficult first year. I have been proven wrong. It's been great. top 5 words to describe it? Laughter, wine, friends, Winnipeg...hmmm...there's something else...I just can't put my finger on it...

3. Holy Week. Holy Week extends from Palm Sunday morning to Easter Sunday evening, and culminates in The Great Triduum (The Great Three Days) from sundown on Maundy Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday. I'm not sure, though I made a small attempt above, I can adequately describe how I feel and what I love about Holy Week. This year, like last, orchestrating the many services at St. Margaret's became my life for the few weeks preceding Holy Week and obviously during. The liturgies are breathtaking, the preaching this year was phenomenal (I didn't do much which probably helped) and to experience it all as a whole simply seems to be part of me - part of my fabric. I can't not be at church that week.

This need of mine (to wish I could live at the church during this time) does certainly have its problems though...for one thing, it's difficult to try to describe to one's family (particularly after another is added) how and why I have little time for anything else, including family gatherings. Friends usually seem to understand a little better, though I still often enough feel lonely and alien as I encounter friends who don't seem to understand how much a part of who I am is wrapped up in church and consequently I spend all my time here. Nevertheless, as the candles are lit, the bells are rung and the lights turned on at Midnight during the Great Easter Vigil, all my anxiety of being a bad friend, sister, daughter, wife is penetrated by the insurmountable mystery at foot and all is well.

4. School. Blech. Exams were nuts. I wrote 3 in one week, and immediately following the last one Caleb and I left town to attend a St. Margaret's Vestry retreat (which was great). I have 1 more course left to do. Finally.

5. Work. Always great. Never without challenge, particularly the feeling that I could always do more and could certainly do everything better. I love it though, I wouldn't want to do anything else. At the moment I'm busy preparing for an ordination service that's happening at St. Margaret's (which is unusual, usually ordinations are done at the cathedral) as well as a Missions Weekend (which we're not supposed to call a "missions weekend") focused on personal evangelism. Both very exciting and challenging projects.


6. Family. Caleb and I became an Uncle and an Aunt to two veeerrrry cute young boys. Both of Caleb's older siblings each had their first child in the last year.

Troy & Connor. They are stinking cute. I get choked up with excitement when I start to imagine them walking and talking. So long have I been waiting for an excuse to (re-)visit Tinker-Town.

We head to Winkler about once a month and hang out with Bill and Heath and Pete & Marilyn and love every minute. We are lucky. (Said the girl who was listening to two drunken lovers scream at each other outside her living room window.)


7. Rest. I went through a pretty serious spurt of reading children's literature. In particular the works of Kate DiCamillo. I haven't read them all but I highly recommend The Tale of Despereaux (for those looking for a delightful story, beautifully told in terms of light and dark.) I also read The Wind in the Willows for the first time since I was 7. Better than I remember it. Currently I'm reading a book called Nikolski. It's on the Canada Reads list. It's pretty great. Blog post dedicated to it coming soon.

Otherwise, I've been trying to learn how to stay at home on occasion and really rest. (I've felt on the edge of burn-out a couple times this year, so this skill is something of a necessity.) Also, Caleb and I have taken to watching the playoffs while playing Scrabble. (I've been kicking his butt, too.)

Ok. That's that. I think I can do this more frequently, particularly since I left out #8: Dreaming. Next time...