April 10

thighs and time, thighs and time, thighs and time

1965

What a Palm Sunday Service! I used to be a Lutheran - I used to believe that to be a Christian was a wonderful, joyful thing! But no!! Now I'm an Episcopalian and, when in Anglicanism, Bah! Today we had a Palm Sunday Service to end all - sad songs, processions - everything except undertakers.. Poo Bah.

Comment 2006

I guess the "smells and bells" of St. John's Episcopal Church didn't float my boat all the time. I wonder how much of that came from whatever after church discussion the family had in the car? My father was a very reluctant Episcopalian, and regularly criticized its Anglican trappings -- the plush kneelers, the sonorous chants by our rector, referring to the ministers as "father". My mother liked it all immensely, despite her upbringing as a Lutheran preacher's kid.

The funny thing is that now, I see my memories of my girlhood in Lutherland as very much being tinted by childhood's rosy glasses. Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Cherub Choir were fun; struggling with my beliefs and church doctrine in confirmation class was not. But the organist at St. John's did play the hymns w-a-y too slowly.

1973

Tomorrow I’m off on my Big Trip. I’m really up and down at once. I’m really going to miss Jim, being away for so long. And Mom isn’t all that much fun to hang around. She tends to complain a lot about her pain and discomfort. Anyway, it should be an interesting trip. It’s too bad Jim didn’t make it home early like he said he would, especially since I got out early myself. Ah well. He’ll be home soon. I hope.

1980

The key is not to dwell on the problem, or to seek one answer, but to consider many alternative solutions. For example:

Problem: Seminar coming up. Data not ready yet. The data will be ready. I hope this weekend, but not necessarily so. In the meantime… I can think of the rest of the presentation. What done how, background, why.

If the data is not done: can still do seminar, but can suggest what I am looking for. (Not as good, but will have to do!)

If the data is No Good: explain judging problems. Can ever solve them in situations like this?

The main problem is time, and my own habitual inertia.

1995

Ah - -  spring break! This is the real one. The kids are off and Jim’s taken the week off, too. The University open, but that’s fine. This gives them time together and lets me leave for work when I’m ready and come home when I’m done. Great!

I’ve devised yet another plan for the kids’ chores. I wrote chores on cards, with a price for each. When they do a chore, they initial a card and put it in the “done” envelope. At the end of the week, they get “chore bonuses” in addition to they allowances. They were fighting over the chores last night.

Comment 2024

Well, that didn’t last.

1997

A very frigid spring day! I am chipping away at the big tasks and little naggies. I did 20 minutes of exercise, and checked my e-mail. Life is busy, but good.

2003

My goodness, how did the time slip away! The Lily Conference was last weekend, and went very well. I have a possible destination for my article on questions, and made a lot of good professional contacts. There were also some great teaching ideas. Next week is Popular Culture Association and some good writing time on the train. 

On the home front, we all got mobile phones and I feel pretty stupid about them. But I will figure it out.

2023

I used to grumble that my journaling was too shallow. Always the same grumbling about time management and the same wistful attempts at exercise. For what it’s worth, I am still at it. Even as “e-mail” became “email” and data moved from punch cards to the cloud, it’s still thighs and time, thighs and time, thighs and time.

And in the background, there’s the wondering. The searching for meaning. From Lutherland to Episcopalia to solo searching to the Independent Republic of Unitarian Universalism, with side trips to the outskirts of neopaganism and Buddhism. Being the very bad former Lutheran that I am, I didn’t even know when Easter was this year until a couple of weeks ago. I was dimly aware of Passover, thanks to my Jewish friends and family members. Some of the African and Indian servers in our restaurants are fasting as we eat, so I was aware of Ramadan. 

So this year I sat at my desk, with the Easter service from my church Zooming on my phone as I typed on my laptop. Spring is here, again. If there was ever a time when the world needed rebirth, we’re living it. Hallelujah and amen.