The Mosher Pit

It’s GLOBAL WARMING themed, too.

1. What’s the high temperature today where you are?

93˚, give or take some muggy points.

2. Favorite way(s) to beat the heat.
Screened porch, chilled vodka martinis, and a good book. Alternatively, a dunk in the pool. (Wonder if we can put “screened porch” on the wedding registry.)

3. “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” Evaluate this statement. True of climate, not so much of cooking.

4. Discuss one or more of the following: sauna, hot tub, sweat lodge, warm-stone massage. I can’t afford any of these things, sadly, but recently in the locker room at the gym they had to swap out the mens locker room with the women’s so that men could work on the women’s sauna. This led to much much much confusion, in spite of the fact that there were 50 million signs in every language of the rainbow. Yes, I’m mixing metaphors, isn’t it fun?

5. Hottest you’ve ever been in your life
Oh, probably in this picture. That was a one-time fluke that I’ve never lived down, so I might as well live up. Barring that, I one time decided to walk barefoot through the parking lot of my community college on a July afternoon, resulting in third degree burns. For two weeks, I had no skin on the soles of my feet, and I’ve never walked barefoot on pavement since. It did give me a better appreciation of people with disabilities–not that I needed the lesson per se, having a very disabled father, but the perspective was enlightening nonetheless.

Non-temperature related bonus: In your opinion… who’s hot?
I have a crazy thing for George Clooney and people who resemble him–including the mechanic who inspected my car this morning. But fortunately, I’m totally goo-goo over my future mister.

And then there’s this guy, whom I knitted for my favorite co-worker’s baby shower earlier this week: Hot or not?

Posted in Random by: Helen
No Comments

Well, I’m delighted to say that I’ve been asked to help fire up a blog for some of our articulate thinkers and writers at St. Anne’s, of which we have a bunch (some of whom I’m sure we don’t know about). More on this once we get our feet underneath us.

And, I’m also delighted to say that DS asked me if we were going there this weekend because if we were, he wanted to go. I don’t know if anyone else was late-coming to faith and had to explain this to their teenager and hope they might join you for the ride, but it seems to be happening.

Alas, we’re not going there this weekend, however. Instead, I’m returning to my childhood parish for the first time in more than 20 years. With my parents. And DS is coming with me for that, too, but requiring a little more persuasion (i.e. milkshakes).

In the meantime, off to shine up the resume. (Let it shine, let it shine.) Occupation, meet vocation…

Posted in Random by: Helen
3 Comments

Rumor has it that Geez magazine’s issue #3 is out, with a precis on faith, hope and the subway from yours truly. I love this magazine. They are supported by believers (in the magazine, that is) who subscribe, rather than advertising, so please please please check them out.

And if you’re stopping by here after reading said precis, welcome aboard and say hi.

As a sequel to the essay, let me note that shortly after I submitted the story, WMATA re-recorded all its boarding announcements with a new voice, and changed all the chimes as well. Given how much I associate mass transit with ritual, it was almost as if they had supplanted my weekly host with fast-food french fries.

Posted in Random by: Helen
1 Comment

Okay, I had this set up to be the test thingie for the revgals, but given that Geez readers are stopping by I put my map on here soon. Revgals, check the main site tomorrow for the link to the revgal map!

Posted in Random by: Helen
2 Comments

1) What is your first memory of the RevGalBlogPals?

Discovering what looked to be a fabulous support group for discerning women opened my eyes to a wider community of amazing women that I would not have experienced without this ring. And my first documented memory of revgals was another Friday Five, back when I was faithblogging at LJ, here. I find it interesting that the revgals ring is having its first anniversary this week; it also happens to be around the first anniversary of when I joined St. Annes, as evidences by my subscription to Day by Day expiring today.

2) Have you met any of the other ring members in real life?
I’ve met so far is Anna at All Manner of Thing and Dylan of SarahLaughed. Although it seems like I might meet more soon; I have matriarchal neighbors!

3) Of those you haven’t met, name a few you would love to know in person.
Off the top of my head, I owe Theresa and Songbird so much for allowing me to contribute to one book and help edit the second–and for their patience with me as I hit a fairly twisted personal complication during the months we were putting the second together–that I really do hope I can meet them someday. I’d definitely love a revgal gathering. I mean, I’m not in a focused ministry ordained or otherwise other than helping people learn to blog, but I get inspired every time I cruise the ring, and love our roundups.

I’ve got an initiative in the works that may help those of us who are near to each other connect. Stay tuned!

4) What has Ring Membership added to your life?
A sense of community with other women in ministry, interesting new acquaintances, a better understanding of how to connect Scripture with our inner and external lives, a definite sense that I’m not alone, a publishing credit or two…

5) Describe a hope for the future of the WebRing.
That it inspires other women to live out their lives in service and witness. Ya’ll make it look so *cool,* you see.

Posted in Random by: Helen
2 Comments

I’ve been attending two churches of late, St. Alban’s, which is close to my new home, and St. Anne’s, which is my home parish but now almost 20 miles away. It’s been interesting. A year ago, I was a stranger at St. Anne’s, and now, going there feels like homecoming, because when I go there I have a group of people to sit with whom I adore–my EFM companions.

But, as I just observed to some of my fellow revgals, I have a third church home: this blogring. YOU ALL ROCK!

In my ongoing quest to merge my vocation with my occupation, I have made a decision. I don’t see myself going into ministry at this time. I would love to get my MDiv, but at this point in my life and career, I can’t see settling into parish life, and I’m not sure what other options I might have as a priest in the Episcopal Church at this time (though I know there are many). I think I will wait until my son is older–I am lucky in that he will be 18 when I’m 40, and I’ll still have 25+ years before me without childrearing to worry about. (But how I really feel about that is another inner struggle.) Instead, I’m inclined to get my Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration on nonprofit management. My intent is to work in advocacy communications for the broader causes that we share as Christians concerned about the world we live in: environmental stewardship, ending hunger and poverty, peace, and social justice for all human beings. If I can get there without the degree, fine, but I think the degree will go a long way toward helping me do what I feel called to do: Be the change I want to see in the world.

The good news is that most recently I’ve been asked to help my home parish start a blog, and help other parishioners start their blogs. And I am hoping to write a series of “tech tips” articles for them that may be of interest to all the revgals as well. So I will, ahem, keep you all posted!

I still haven’t heard anything from the UMC-GBCS folks about the digital communications director position, but the application window closes Friday, so I hope to hear next week.

Posted in Random by: Helen
2 Comments

Today I went lapswimming! I LOVED it! That’s going to be my new fitness kick. I live about a mile and a half from one of Fairfax County’s RecCenters, which have these amazing pools that can accomodate lapswimmers, kids at play and diving aficionados all at once. I got really into rock climbing when I moved to Virginia, but it didn’t last because, well, let’s face it, finding new things that are hard on your skeletal system aren’t so ideal when you’re 20 years behind on physical fitness in a body that’s not so young anymore.

So having crossed the threshold that the life insurance companies, many doctors and Prevention magazine call “obese” (my BMI is 32), I’m on my way back to overweight. Rowr. Hear me roar. If anyone else is trying to make these kinds of changes in their life, please let me know–I’d love to be part of a support group!

Posted in Random by: Helen
3 Comments