The Seven Year Old List

In 2007 I made a list of things to get done around the house--our current house. In its entirety, the list had six items on it, as follows:

1. fix stucco
2. fix brick in front
3. paint foyer
4. clean carpets and rugs
5. remove mildew and paint basement
6. clean attic

Six years later, I have crossed off one item, number four. We have paid someone else to clean the carpets and rugs (a few times). Either this is a list of herculean proportions that no one in their right mind could finish in six years or I am the laziest home owner in Red Wing.

I've met people that accomplish this much stuff in a weekend and still do laundry and cook their own food. You might be tempted to think that I've accomplished other things that have put me off the above list--perhaps another more global list:

1. achieve inner peace
2. achieve world peace

But, clearly, I haven't done that either.

So what have I been doing these past six years? Well, in my defense, I think a person shouldn't hurry up their laundry and their cooking all in one weekend--life is too short, spread it out over two weekends, heck, take a month. Then there's the kitchen clean up, the reading of the paper, putting gas in the car and work. All in all, the time has flown. Oh yeah, and throw in a heck of a lot of good times with family and friends, so many good books and music and a bit of dancing and traveling.

The house is still standing and who knows, we'll probably knock another thing off the list in the next six years

this country and praying, hmmm?

One morning, at our Bible Study group--we are five women who've been getting together at some un-godly time of the morning for more than fifteen years--when talking about prayer requests, someone said, "Pray for our country." And it struck me that I didn't know what that meant, what were we praying for.

The five women in this particular group had different political views and we were coming up to an election--so were we going to be praying for a Republican view or a Democrat's view, in effect canceling out each others prayers like we would each others votes. Were we praying that the United States would be richer than, stronger than, mightier than, smarter than other countries.

Were we praying that our country would believe as we did- middle class, middle aged, midwestern women who believed fairly simply but strongly in the overwhelmingly predominant faith of our families and communities.

Are we reminding ourselves to pray that God's will be done? How do we know it's not being done now, how will we know what it is when it is done--how is my discernment of God's will better than your discernment?

Sometimes the simplest of things can just set me going for quite a while.

I don't know what to pray for...for our country. And while I've spent probably far too much time thinking about this, I keep thinking about the Bible verse that says

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Romans 8:26

Commonplacing

Thomas Jefferson liked to spend time alone, reading and taking notes on what he read. He called it "commonplacing". I had never heard the term before so when I looked it up saw that it referred to copying passages or quotes from things you're reading and a commonplace book would be a notebook that you wrote them in.

I've been doing this for years but didn't know it had a name other than "oh, I better write this down so I don't forget it". As I've been cleaning the attic this weekend I've found some old notebooks and folders with bits and pieces of commonplacing in them. I definately tended toward the religious and absolute when I was younger. I'm not sure how I would characterize what I copy down now.

The Ipad and computers keep teasing with apps and programs that will lift and save the quote or text for you but I haven't really been able to do more than hightlight text yet. Regardless, I think the act of writing it down, copying the words and the author of the words, putting it side by side with the other jottings in my current commonplace book, is more satisfying, more real. It just feels good to write it down.

Now, Thomas Jefferson, when he was copying a passage, if he thought he could improve it, he would copy it with his changes included. I think you have to be Thomas Jefferson to get away with that.

Morale Booster.

I have a good job. Great supervisor, good co-workers, an employer that tries to do the right thing most often and clean, well lit, OSHA safe work conditions.

HOWEVER sometimes, I don't like my job so much and have to think of ways to make it tolerable.

I found a site on the internet that counts down the days to whatever you want so I have it counting down the days to retirement--5,390 as of today. I think that's only about fifteen years to go so you can see why that excites me.

We have a dead pool at work--nine of us have bet money ($5) on which famous people will die this year. It keeps us tuned in to the national news and puts a positive spin on cold and flu season.

And now I'm starting a new program to boost morale. Its called the Buck a F**k program. Everytime one of our clients or contacts swears at us we collect a buck. One day last week I earned four bucks. I haven't talked the powers that be into funding the program with real dollars yet but I just feel better knowing that I'm geting a little bonus for being cussed at.

Ok, enough whining. In 5390 days, all the people on my dead pool list might die and I'll be $45 richer from that and with my sunny personality, I will undoubtedly make a boatload of money on the Buck a F**k program--so I'll probably get to retire a month or two early. Hooray for me!!!!

Funerals--theirs and mine

Another visit to the funeral home tonight. I must be getting to that age. Its getting to be a regular thing. I'm not being flippant, its just something that I've noticed--especially when my daughter noted that she hadn't been to a funeral since her grandpa died a few years ago. It used to be something I could measure in years,, then months, now its every other month or so, and in a few years it will be monthly and then a few times a month and then who knows...

I've thought about my own funeral or memorial service--on my good days, I can even go along with calling it a celebration of life. Mostly I want good music, fun stories, and a few tears. But then, is it just me, or does everyone want to know that they are going to be missed.

That egotistical part of me wants wailing and keening and fighting over the ashes to alternate with laughing and vodka shots and pictures of all the fun my life has been. My kids can tell you all the lies I told them, John can tell you all the silly things I've been afraid of, friends can go on and on about how I always thought I was right no matter what the topic.

Living, dying, heaven, hell, other possibilities? Iris Dement, in her song, "Let the Mystery Be" says:

Everybody's wondering what and where they all come from
Everybody's worrying 'bout where they're gonna go
When the whole thing's done
Nobody knows for certain
And so it's all the same to me
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Last night, at the bi-weekly Discussion on the Deck, which was mercifully moved inside due to the heat, the topic was heaven and hell. There were about 12-14 people present. I am fascinated by the variety of opinions. We were a pretty homogeneous group, all middle class, Midwesterners, all belonged to the same ELCA Lutheran church, all white, yet our thoughts on heaven and hell were different enough to keep us talking for a couple of hours.

Of course, we went off on a few tangents. People shared personal experiences, people listened, people encouraged each other and we laughed together. All in all, it was a good night. And it is exactly what will strengthen the faith community of First Lutheran. The topic was almost irrelevant.

I believe that worship is necessary, prayer essential and the churches that get their members interacting in small groups for whatever purpose--discussions, cooking, service projects, craft, study, softball etc., will find that those members will see their church as an integral part of their life--not just a Sunday morning obligation. It is the relationships.

oops!

I finished a posting that I had started in October of 2010 and clicked Publish Post--and the magic happened but the date stayed October--so look in October for the Ship of Fools for my most recent posting.