(no subject)

[violachic]

So, uh, what's been going on with Amy?

Yeah.

I know I've been really MIA for a bunch of people lately. I apologize for that, deeply and heartily. But here, let me tell you what's been going on.

1) For some reason, the last few weeks, I haven't been sleeping well. I don't know what the deal is, but my sleep has been for shit. This means when I get home from work at night, I am wiped out, and if I remember that I have to do something, like call someone back, I am often too tired to do so. I am hoping to figure out how to fix this soon.

Okay, that's a negative. Here's some positives.

2) I actually have been fairly busy. I'm still watching Habibi full time- another reason why I'm not very good at getting back in touch with people, this isn't exactly a job where I have the free time to use the phone and/or internet- which is lovely most of the time, and challenging some of the time. He is, after all, a toddler. He's 19 months now, and adding words to his vocabulary pretty much daily. We're all trying to watch our language around him in the hopes that he only picks up appropriate vocabulary daily; so far we've succeeded. He has a regular play-group he goes to on Tuesday mornings, and now we've added a toddler music class on Wednesday mornings, at a local music store. We had our first meeting of the class yesterday, and I think it will be lots of fun, as long as he doesn't hit the OMG MUST NAP NOW stage in the middle of it. So yeah, this wears me out too, but so far, the ribcage pain is kept mostly in check- by "in check" I mean, "not crippling".




Exploring Lake Huron, in Northern Michigan last month


On the ferry ride over to Mackinac Island- warning, excessive cuteness!



2) I started a course through the Metro-Chicago synod of the ELCA called Diakonia. It is a program set up to help strengthen lay leadership in churches. I've already preached several times, and somehow- even though really don't feel I have a natural gift for leadership- end up in some kind of leadership position at whatever church I attend. There is no way I am going to make it to seminary any time soon, so I figured this program would at least be a band-aid to getting towards being educated in theology. I mean, just growing up with my mother I have a pretty decent background, but it is nice to get some kind of organized classes or something behind me.

The class meets each Tuesday night, at a church not too far from me, on the North side of the city. First and second year students meet together, on a rotating class schedule. This year is Series B, which means we're starting out with Old Testament. Each class is five weeks long, and at the end of five weeks each instructor expects a short paper on a subject touched on in class. It isn't exactly intensive, but it seems like a good intro to things. I don't know, maybe I already know everything they're teaching, but I doubt it.

Also, one interesting thing is, the instructor for my April/May class, which is Christian Ethics (and therefore one that will be of HUGE interest to me) is the man who baptized me 32 years ago. I saw him once in high school, but that's it, since I was a baby.

At the very least, I'm just happy to be doing again that requires even the slightest use of my brain.

3) I've been getting increasingly involved with the Arabic-speaking congregation that meets here at the Elmdale Compound campus ("Campus" being the building that houses three different congregations, plus The 'Nidge, where I live- newcomers may be confused, and I'm happy answer questions later. I'm not really allowed to use the word "compound", because we don't stockpile weapons.), on Sunday afternoons. They're really struggling right now, between pastors, and some internal bickering, the issues of which I currently know nothing, and think I should continue to care to know nothing. But I've done some music leadership with them, and preached there last month, preaching the same sermon I did for Immanuel. I'm currently helping them write a grant to the ELCA (see link in section 2) for some funding to help start programs. The program that is a priority for them right now, that they seek funding for, for the 2009-2010 year, is to have an Arabic program for children. All the families are immigrant families, but many have children who either were born in the US, or have been here so long that English is their only language. They'd like to help keep their children in touch with their background and heritage by having classes that introduce them to speaking, reading, and writing Arabic. The hope is to have the class open as well to children in the community who are not of Arabic/Middle Eastern background.

I feel a bit of a fraud, though, working with them. There are some people that seem to really see me as a leader, while I actually feel like quite a flake. We will see how the two reconcile with each other.

4) Choir has started. There's not much else to say about this, really, except that I'm glad, and I missed it over the summer. As church choirs go, ours is quite good. Very competent singers in all sections- and yes, we miraculously have men!- and our director is absolutely excellent. He also happens to be THE music director for the whole ELCA, and works at the headquarters here in Chicago. So that's a huge plus.

5) I went to two weddings two weekends in a row! So congratulation definitely go out to Clove and Daniel, and Spencer and Lisa! Both weddings were incredibly gorgeous, and among some of the most moving ceremonies I've ever been to (and I used to play weddings- I've seen a LOT of ceremonies!), even though they were -very- different. For some reason, at Clove and Daniel's wedding dancing hurt, but at Spencer and Lisa's, the next weekend, it was okay- and wasn't even too sore the next day. I attribute this to the 2 1/2 glasses of champagne I had before the dancing started.

6) I went to spend three and a half days with my mom in Indiana. My relationship with her gets better the older I get, but its mostly because I'm learning how to draw and hold my boundaries- which does mean my visits with her, while interesting and fun, aren't exactly restful and relaxing. But this time, my mother sat me down at the dining room table with ALL of her boxes of photos, and told me to take what I wanted. So I have a TON of childhood photos, which I am currently sorting into a couple albums. I do want to find someone with a good scanner, though, so I can get some scanned in and share them with The Internets. I even set some aside for my sister, if she ever wants them.

7) We have our first ever Community of the Holy Trinity retreat coming up in a little over a week. I'm really looking forward to that. The five of us are renting a vehicle, and going up to St. Gregory's Monastery, which is near the Michigan dunes, for Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. St. Gregory's is an Episcopalian monastery that lives under The Rule of St. Benedict, which is what our community rule is based on (someday we will have a copy of our rule online somewhere, so I can link to it). I doubt it will be a super intensive retreat; mostly it is to set aside a time for us to really come together without time constraints or other obligation, to make sure we're all on the same page, and stuff like that. Plus, retreats are always good, getting away from the bustle and stuff.

Our community is currently Kate (subdermalglow), Larry (priestlygoth), Benjamin (sabacthani), Sunday (the artists formerly known as _narcissis_), and myself (if you need a link to my LJ, you've got bigger problems...). Lauryn left for Philadelphia yesterday morning, and I really, really hope she finds happiness there- she really deserves it!

Okay, this entry is way beyond long enough. But I think I've covered most of my bases.

If you have been trying to get me to call you, I am so, so sorry. I will try valiantly to do so this weekend. Otherwise, you can email me, you might get me faster that way.

'K. Bye.

Comments

[violachic.livejournal.com]

Hey, my Old Testament instructor is Paul Koch! He's really good, I like him quite a bit.

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

cool! say hi for me.