Life and stuff

Having the weight of my sister's court appearances out of the way, hubby and I got to actually ENJOY each other for a change. This past weekend was busy busy busy!

On Saturday, we attended a training session for teaching Religious Education, AKA Sunday School, at our church this fall. We have the 1st and 2nd graders, which should be fun. :) Our church has a "Safe Congregation Policy" which means that there are always, without exception, to be two adults together when there's a child present, so hubby and I will teach together. We also have two other folks with whom we'll rotate teaching duties, and he and I will also rotate who is the Lead and who is the Assistant. Hopefully, this will keep everyone from reaching burnout.

Saturday night was just a quiet evening at home, which, again, was a very welcome respite.

Sunday, though, was a day-long funfest! First there was the leisurely breakfast of actual breakfast foods -- toast, bacon, eggs -- yum! Then church -- the annual Water Communion service. This involves everyone bringing with them water they've collected on their travels this year. We brought a bottle we filled up in Illinois when we were with Sis. We all pour our water into a large bowl and say aloud the name of from where this water was brought. Then, after singing, blessing the waters, and basically feeling very much at one with the other folks in the sanctuary, we go outside to the Columbarium (place for scattering ashes) and pour the water around and inside the boundaries of this area, again saying a blessing. It's surprising how refreshing and healing this exercise is. It's something I look forward to each year. Here's the info from the Unitarian Universalist Association explaining the Water Service:

The Water Ceremony, also sometimes called Water Communion, was first used at a UU worship service in the 1980s. Many UU congregations now hold a Water Service once a year, often at the beginning of the new church year (September). The service usually goes like this:

* people bring small amounts of water from places special to them (a lake they swim in, their own well, a place they vacation, their bathtub, you name it).
* during the appointed time in the service, people one by one pour their water together into a large bowl.
* as each water is added, the person who brought it tells why this water is special to them.
* the combined water is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many different sources. It is often then blessed by the congregation, and later boiled and used as the congregation's "holy water" in child dedication ceremonies and other such events.

There are examples of the text of water ceremonies at www.uuintergenerational.org


After service, we joined friends at a new gay-owned cafe for lunch and had a marvelous time. From there we hit Borders to buy some gifts for hubby's late wife's parents, whom we will visit this weekend. They're both in the same room at the nursing home now, so we want to be sure to visit when we can.

From there, we drove around town to some areas we weren't familiar with and really enjoyed seeing where the roads took us.

The big event, though, was Sunday night. We were very privileged to attend the Bruce Cockburn concert at 3rd & Lindsley, one of the great Nashville venues for live music. It was awesome in the extreme! His lyrics speak to our conscience, which is sometimes disturbing because they are so true and right. I'm going to copy/paste an example below for those of you who are not familiar. If you haven't heard him, I highly recommend you check him out.

It was so good to feel normal and do normal things! Sunday was the first full day that I felt "good" and like myself. I had a great time, all day, with no periods of stress or distress, for that matter. I have to follow up with my doc this week, which will be good, because there are some things we need to set up for the future, like more PT. But now that the big events (Marriage Equality Summit, Sis's court dates) are out of the way, I think things will improve all the way around, I hope, including physically.

I will be updating my blogroll soon -- I am waaaaaaaaay behind on that. If you haven't seen this in my previous posts, be sure to check out Suburban Turmoil, written by a fellow Nashvillian (?). Those of you who are moms will definitely discover a kindred spirit; those who are women will discover a kindred spirit; those who love to laugh will discover a kindred spirit; those who.... You get the picture. I am so glad I discovered Lindsay through our local alternative paper, The Nashville Scene.

Peace, out, yo -- y'all take care!
WIP

TELL THE UNIVERSE
http://cockburnproject.net/songs&music/ttu.html

Tell the universe what you've done
Out in the desert with your smoking gun
Looks like you've been having too much fun
Tell the universe what you've done

Tell the universe what you took
While the heavens trembled and the mountains shook
All those lives not worth a second look
Tell the universe what you took

You've been projecting your shit at the world
Self-hatred tarted up as payback time
You can self destruct-that's your right
But keep it to yourself if you don't mind

Tell the universe where you've been
With your bloodstained shoes and your dunce's grin
Got to identify next of kin
Tell the universe where you've been



Editors Note: This song, Tell the Universe, was first played in front of humans on 30 November 2003, at Hamilton Palace in Hamilton, Ontario. It was played again on 5 December 2003 at the Empire Theatre in Belleville, Ontario. Tell the Universe, is played on the charango.

DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO YOU
http://www.cockburnproject.net/songs&music/dwicty.html

Lyrics:

She said she wanted me
I had to let her know
It was never meant to be
And she had to let it go
She was pissed and hurting
But what was I supposed to do
I did not love her, but it's
Different when it comes to you

Lamentations everywhere
All the colours turned to blue
Desperation laid her bare
She told me everything I could do
She told herself a story
That flat out wasn't true
She made me feel sorry
But it's different when it comes to you

I don't want to go home tonight
I want to turn loose my lust
I want you to squeeze me tight
Do the things that we discussed
I bring you my broken self
With zero hidden from your view
I don't usually do that but it's
Different when it comes to you
I didn't know I could do that, but it's
Different when it comes to you