I have been thinking quite a bit today about Twelfth Night 2013, when my crazy idea of hosting a dance party came to fruition. I remain incredibly grateful to the friends who came and danced and celebrated with us. It was filled with magic and rejoicing and is now a treasured memory.
I planned to make it an annual event, but last year we had to cancel the dance because of my torn up ankle. And this year we are away out here. But I am already scheming/planning for an Epiphany dance next year…
Other schemes of mine have come and gone. While some remain ideas filed away for later consideration, others have become beautiful, better-than-technicolor reality.
Hosting a house concert for Lowland Hum last March is certainly one of the delights that has come of dreaming and planning while being a part of a community that both encourages and supports the dreaming and planning.
The 2014 Thanksgiving Lip Sync (contest? smackdown? extravaganza?) is another real highlight of the year and one that would have never happened without the exuberant participation of others. Here's some of the music performed:
That night was the high-water mark of a particular type of hysterical fun. As with the 2013 dance party, I was sore for days afterward. Shenanigans. I highly recommend it with a group of people you know and love. [A gag order is in effect on photos and videos…unless someone wants to give me permission...].
While the fellowship in Princeton has meant that we didn't move to Georgia for a semester, J has worked hard to make good on the plan to spend more time with my family this year. Besides a quick visit on the way to New Jersey in August, we drove down for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's about a thousand miles of driving in each direction, each time, and given how late Thanksgiving was this year it meant a season of suitcases, Happy Meals and MapsWithMe; slumber parties and pool tournaments and counting mileage across states by exit numbers. I hope to share some of those stories in more detail. Precious times.
With all of that feasting, it's a bit of an adjustment to come back to real life, and a bit jarring to go from being around people all of the time to being back in our lighthouse, echoing off one another. Today was J's first day back at work.
The season between Epiphany and Lent is referred to as "ordinary time" in some traditions. Thinking about all of these wonderful memories--many of which came in ordinary time--reminds me that while life isn't always feasting and holy days, God has plans and purposes for the times in between as well. While this year in Princeton is in many ways extraordinary, there is also an ordinariness and limitedness to life here. Also, though, we are mostly alone--a stark contrast to the other experiences I'm mindful of tonight. I'll need to keep my eyes open, and hope to catch sight/grab hold of the plans He has for me, and for us, here and now.
For the (first and) last time this year, Merry Christmas! Tomorrow we celebrate among other things the throwing open of God's family to the outsiders--us.
That night was the high-water mark of a particular type of hysterical fun. As with the 2013 dance party, I was sore for days afterward. Shenanigans. I highly recommend it with a group of people you know and love. [A gag order is in effect on photos and videos…unless someone wants to give me permission...].
While the fellowship in Princeton has meant that we didn't move to Georgia for a semester, J has worked hard to make good on the plan to spend more time with my family this year. Besides a quick visit on the way to New Jersey in August, we drove down for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's about a thousand miles of driving in each direction, each time, and given how late Thanksgiving was this year it meant a season of suitcases, Happy Meals and MapsWithMe; slumber parties and pool tournaments and counting mileage across states by exit numbers. I hope to share some of those stories in more detail. Precious times.
With all of that feasting, it's a bit of an adjustment to come back to real life, and a bit jarring to go from being around people all of the time to being back in our lighthouse, echoing off one another. Today was J's first day back at work.
The season between Epiphany and Lent is referred to as "ordinary time" in some traditions. Thinking about all of these wonderful memories--many of which came in ordinary time--reminds me that while life isn't always feasting and holy days, God has plans and purposes for the times in between as well. While this year in Princeton is in many ways extraordinary, there is also an ordinariness and limitedness to life here. Also, though, we are mostly alone--a stark contrast to the other experiences I'm mindful of tonight. I'll need to keep my eyes open, and hope to catch sight/grab hold of the plans He has for me, and for us, here and now.
For the (first and) last time this year, Merry Christmas! Tomorrow we celebrate among other things the throwing open of God's family to the outsiders--us.
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