50th Birthday "unplugged"

I had the best birthday gathering ever. Old friends and new friends alike were there. We held it at Cessna and Elizabeth Decosimo's beautiful studio in Chattanooga. Matt and Lewis Oehmig backed me up on drums and bass as I attempted to play the Nirvana Unplugged set. Could have done better. Could have done worse. Great friends, great gifts, great cards, and a great time.

Ash Wednesday

This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. I was at church at 6 pm to participate in this solemn service and receive ashes. "Remember, Oh man, that you are dust and unto dust you shall return". Mid service it became apparent that something was wrong. The priest and the deacon were quietly talking to each other, then the deacon left the altar and disappeared. You could hear cabinet doors opening and closing and when the deacon returned it was announced, the ashes could not be found. The ashes which are made from the burning of last years palms from Palm Sunday were missing. The service continued without the application of the ashes to the foreheads of the parishioners.The scripture readings dealt with not showing your Christianity by praying loudly in the street or giving money so all can see what you have done. Your rewards on earth are from man and your reward in heaven is for your "quiet" Christianity. Those who attended Ash Wednesday with me had no outward sign of their annual remembrance of the realization of where they came from and where they shall return. Quite appropriate.

Valentines Day

As you know Valentines Day was on Saturday. I spent the day building a bookcase for my daughter Esme', which I had promised months ago to have for her by Valentines Day. Esme' had a party and in order to declutter her office/work room she needed the bookcase. It was delivered an hour before the party just as her mother had predicted. It would have been delivered earlier but I fell asleep and Esme' was frantically calling me knowing I was comatose.
In the meantime my wife Sue, part owner of a flower shop, Making Arrangements, was filling the last of her Valentine orders. She did most of the work herself because her partner Gloria was down with pneumonia.
The flowers were delivered, the bookcase filled and the party was a success. All in a days work.

Burning Man Post Card

My son Bradford received a letter yesterday from Vancouver WA. We don't know anyone in Vancouver. When Bradford opened the envelope out dropped a postcard I had sent to him while at Burning Man in September. The attached letter explained the postcard was unsendable through the US Postal Service because of the glitter I applied to the watercolor card. Mari Stephenson of Vancouver had worked at the Black Rock City Post Office and volunteered to repackage and send out all unsendables from her home. In true Burning Man form this burner took it upon herself to spend the time and money to get it done for others. I am forever grateful she did and hope all the other postcards that were mailed will eventually find their homes.

Bloody Tuesday!

Tuesday started with me searching for my keys. Not a totally unusual situation. I eventually found them locked in my Landcruiser. Baffling, since the doors won't lock if the keys are in the ignition, which the were. After 2 hours of cramming coat hangers and other objects into my car window , I finally got it open. The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful until I moved a 10 foot step ladder and felt the crowbar that had been sitting on top of the ladder hit me on the nose. The nose ceased bleeding in 15 minutes. What a gusher. I just went home and went to bed. As the good Presbyterian said after falling down the steps,"I'm glad that's over with."

Nine Lessons and Carols, All Saints Chapel, Sewanee, TN

For the last 5 years our family has driven up to Sewanee,TN to enjoy Lessons and Carols at All Saints on the campus of The University of the South. It is always bitter cold and you must get there an hour and a half early and wait outside to get a good seat for the service. Lessons and Carols were started in England in the 1880's, and is an annual event in many Anglican, Lutheran and Roman churches. Through nine readings (Lessons) of scripture from Genesis to the Gospels and Carols which correspond to the scripture the story of the advent of Christ is told. All Saints is an ancient looking cathedral, although it is not much more than 50 years old. The Sewanee choir sing the carols, many in Latin or German and the audience can sing some also. You can probably hear The Kings Choir perform this service from England on a Public radio station on Christmas Eve. Our Advent Season would not be complete without this tradition.

Florida Christmas Decorations

For the last two years I have had Thanksgiving at my in-laws in Florida. There is something so wrong about eating turkey then sitting on the beach. No icy rain as in Chattanooga. No hot chocolate by the fireplace. No regrets about not raking the leaves off the steps before guests arrive to eat. Both years I've been taken by the Christmas decorations in South Florida. Somehow reindeer on still green grass, wreaths on the front of yachts, lights wrapped around the trunks of palm trees are bizarrely incongruous. This year I sat by the pool as my daughter swam and watched the condo association decorate the pool area. If a Santa went by on a jet ski it would have been a nice touch.