Good Friday Five

The Typist here; this Friday Five isn't really up Cub's alley, so I'm playing it solo.
From RevHRod over at RevGalBlogPals:

1. Our prayer concerns are as varied as we are this day. For whom would you like us to pray?
   Continued prayers for Cub, as we have her checkup at the vet in an hour. Her Aunt Cathy of marvelous dogsitting fame is coming, too, because while Cub will be just fine, I'm not so sure about me. So, I guess that means prayers for me, too. And prayers for all who are struggling with depression and related problems, as I'm always becoming aware of more people dealing with such.
   
2. Are there things you have done or will do today to help the young ones understand this important day in our lives?
   Don't have any young ones myself, but it was cool watching the youngest worshiper at last night's Maundy Thursday service being guided through the song lyrics by her mom, especially "Were You There (when they crucified my Lord)."
   
3. Music plays an important part in sharing the story of this day. Is there a hymn or piece of music that you have found particularly meaningful to your celebrations of Good Friday?
   "What Wondrous Love Is This" has long been a song I lean on this time of year.
   
4. As you hear the passion narrative, is there a character that you particularly resonate with?
   Peter, and his denial of Jesus after his insistence that such a thing could never happen.
   
5. Where have you seen the gracious God of love at work lately?
   In a fellow church member who is answering a calling to begin an adult special needs ministry, and in watching her establish a connection with a visiting family in need of that ministry last night after worship.
   

A Heavenly Friday Five

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Singing Owl writes:

I am in Seattle assisting with family stuff and preparing to attend a memorial service (Saturday) for my sister who died of complications of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

I am not grieving much, since the shock and tears and goodbyes and losses have been many and have occurred for a long time now. I am mostly relieved that my wonderful sister and best friend is free from pain and confusion, and I am thinking of eternity. That sounds somber, but I don't mean it to be. I decided to have a little fun with the idea. So how about we share five "heavenly" things? These can me serious or funny or a combination of the two.

First, prayers for Singing Owl, who has been through a very long goodbye because of her sister's Alzheimer's disease. And thankfulness that Darlaine is now free from it.

Now, we haven't played Friday Five in a while, so we're doing a tandem play!

What is your idea of a heavenly (i.e. wonderful and perfect):

1. Family get-together
The Typist: Vacations with The Alpha. Time with Super-Niece, made more precious now that she's even further away for grad school. Little moments that pass by so quickly you barely recognize them.
Cub: Everybody on the couch! Sometimes The Boy will climb on The Alpha's or The Typist's lap (or both) and let me stretch out a bit, which is nice.

2. Song or musical piece The Typist: Oh, this is too difficult! I really loved the last concert I attended, though, so I'll say something by Terri Hendrix.
Cub: I'm not that big on specific music, but I think it's heavenly when the band The Typist is in gets together at my house.

3. Gift
The Typist: Our trip to Alaska was a gift The Alpha and I gave each other for our 10th anniversary. Amazing and wonderful.
Cub: SQUIRRELY! The Boy and I each got another one for Christmas.

4. You choose whatever you like-food, pair of shoes, vacation, house, or something else. Just tell us what it is and what a heavenly version of it would be. The Typist: Back to Alaska, please. But we can skip Fairbanks this time and go inside the Arctic Circle instead. And I really missed my dogs for those 10 days, so it'd be heavenly if they could come, too.
Cub: You know, things are pretty good around here. I'll just leave it at that.

5. And for a serious moment, or what would you like your entrance into the next life to be like?

What, from your vantage point now, would make Heaven "heavenly?" The Typist: It's a very small piece of it that I'm sharing... my mom there to greet me, no longer allergic to anything, especially not animals, many of which she loved but couldn't be around. She would've loved Cub, but probably wouldn't have been able to spend more than a few minutes in a house where a dog lived.
Cub: All my favorite thumb-havers, of course, which is a lot of them, and my friends who have gone on... especially Lady.

New year resolutions Friday 5

Sally over at RevGalBlogPals writes: Well it had to be didn't it, love them or hate them I bet you've been asked about New Year resolutions. So with no more fuss here is this week's Friday Five:

(It'll be a tandem play for us this week -- good thing, because it's been a while since either of us played!)

1. Do you make New Year resolutions?
The Typist: I used to, but I've been trying to stay away from them.
Cub: I have made and kept resolutions in the past, but I don't feel the need to be so formal this year. My fellow RevGalDogPal Scout says it well: "Silly! Dogs don’t have New Year’s resolutions! We live in the moment. We don’t regret the past. We don’t hope to do better. We know we are always doing our best."

2. Is this something you take seriously, or is it a bit of fun?
The Typist: Well, if I make a resolution it can be any time of year, and yes, I'd take it seriously. But for New Year stuff, nothing special. For a bit of fun, though, Questing Parson has a nice set of resolutions this year.
Cub: As a dog, there's not much that I take too seriously.

3. Share one goal for 2008.
The Typist: To behave at General Conference in a manner that honors God and my fellow delegates.
Cub: To be the best girl I can be.

4. Money is no barrier, share one wild/ impossible dream for 2008.
The Typist: Using about twice the vacation time I have available so I could not only go to the RGBP Big Event and GC2008, but also to things I've had to skip this year, like Perkins Theological School for the Laity, various locations in Alaska, and a visit to my niece in graduate school. And, while we're dreaming, have Cub with me at all of those things.
Cub: Frosty Paws every single day!!!!

5. Someone wants to publish a story of your year in 2008, what will the title of that book be?
The Typist: Confessions of a Church Nerd: Admitting That Following My Instructions Wouldn't Fix Everything
Cub: Bad Liver, Good Life: One Dog's Journey With the Thumb-Havers Who Would Do Anything For Her

Friday Five: Seasonal Edition

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Will Smama writes a Friday Five that The Typist will enjoy (I'm sitting this one out):

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....

1) dessert/cookie/family food: I'm tempted to go with Will Smama and say ribbon candy (see her reasoning). But I think for me, it's probably.... no, wait, I'm going with ribbon candy after all. It's pretty, but not really what I'd call edible. Which is so not nice.

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...): Hmm. I actually like most holiday beverages... cider, wassail, Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash (mainly because of the Holiday Hawk)... but I will say egg nog has to be just right for me to enjoy it, which usually involves mixing some of the dairy store version in with the liquor store version.

3) tradition (church, family, other): It used to be that my hometown church insisted upon doing Christmas Eve Communion the slow way -- everybody come kneel, use your Jesus shot glass, wait for a dismissal -- which, thanks to the size of the crowd gathered, kept the service running at nearly two hours. Far too long for an 8-year-old nephew who knows he gets to open presents as soon as this thing is over. Also far too long for the adults to avoid giggling over a gassy stranger seated nearby. Now, though, they have mercifully switched to intinction -- rip it 'n' dip it, y'all! Body/blood combo! Keep it moving, thanks very much!

4) decoration: Santa Claus, Father Christmas, whatever you want to call him. Hairy old men everywhere, even on top of some Christmas trees (yeah, I know, they're from the Druids anyway, so there's no real reason to put a star up there, but still...)

5) gift (received or given): I'm thankful that the Big Mouth Billy Bass appears to have run its course in our family. I still haven't actually touched one myself.

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it:
"Santa Baby." EWWWWwwww. Ew, eww, ewwwwww.

Friday Five: Homage to the Top Chef

This week's play from RevGalBlogPals:
We're more Alton Brown fans around here -- never have seen Top Chef -- but regardless of our television preferences, Food = YES!

If you were a food, what would you be?
The Typist: I've struggled with this one! I'm still not sure. Maybe the Everlasting Gobstopper, what with all the different-colored layers and the occasional surprise.
Cub: I don't want to be food! I hear some thumb-havers eat dogs! No, no, no!
The Typist: Relax, Cub. (Dogs aren't always good at metaphorical stuff.)

What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where?
The Typist: I'm not the spicy food fan of the family, but for The Shed I make an exception. If food brings tears to my eyes, I normally stop eating it. Except when I'm there. It was at least as much fun to watch The Alpha's surprise as it was to actually have the meal.
Cub: Once I was at my friend Sophie's house and saw a dish of little candies on the coffee table. Everybody else was in the kitchen, and I could reach them myself, so I ate them. They were good! When the thumb-havers noticed what I'd eaten, they all got kind of worried because dogs aren't supposed to eat M&Ms, but I was fine.

What is your favorite comfort food from childhood?
The Typist: My mom's beer bread. She never liked beer, and hardly ever drank so much as a glass of wine, but for beer bread she'd go to a liquor store that would sell her just one can of beer. And the result was always wonderful.
Cub: When I was a puppy I'd sometimes get cereal in milk as a special treat. Hey, I should ask for that again!

When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit?
The Typist: Anything The Alpha makes. The youth always want to know what he's brought. (It usually involves a Jell-O mold.)
Cub: I'm not allowed to go to potlucks. I would always be underfoot, looking for what thumb-havers might have dropped!

What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate?
The Typist: Well, separately they're no big deal, but together they make an unusual appetizer: prosciutto ham over cantaloupe was our starter item for an anniversary dinner several years back. Delightful!
Cub: When I was a puppy I had a towel that I liked to shake around. I ate a piece of it once, and it didn't come out so well, if you know what I mean. The Typist keeps my towel on a high shelf now.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal?
The Typist: A margarita or a nice glass of pinot grigio. Or, for a non-alcoholic option, sweet tea.
Cub: Milk. I really like milk! I have a little bit of white fur around my mouth, so it always looks like I've been in the milk, even though I haven't.

Friday Five: Thankfulness List

Mary Beth over at RevGalBlogPals writes: Welcome to the Friday Five!

This one is going to be veeeery simple: List at least five things (people, places, graces, miracles...) for which you are thankful. You may elaborate as you wish, or keep it simple.

Hat tip to Princess Mindy for the idea. Oh...and if you know The Veggie Tales' hit "Thankfulness Song," please hum it as you post.
****
Okay, we aren't up on our VeggieTales, so we'll hum "For the Beauty of the Earth." Here we go with our tandem play on thankfulness:

Typist: For the beings of my household, one two-footed, two four-footed -- The Alpha, Cub, and The Boy.
Cub: For my two thumb-havers who keep me happy and healthy.

Typist: That I have the ability to stay so busy and do things that I both need and want to do.
Cub: For my sunny, grassy back yard where I like to relax!

Typist: No thankfulness list that may be read by Mindy is complete without clean panties!
Cub: Okay, as a dog, those really aren't something I'm aware of a need to be thankful for... but I'm thankful that I have a nice collection of bandannas for accessorizing.

Typist: For RevGalBlogPals!
Cub: For RevGalDogPals (oh, and CatPals too, I suppose...)!

Typist: For music.
Cub: For belly rubs.

Friday Five: Meetings

As the dog of this blog is highly fortunate to be excused from meetings for life, The Typist is playing this one alone today.

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Reverendmother writes:

In honor of a couple of marathon meetings I attended this week:

1. What's your view of meetings? Choose one or more, or make up your own:

a) When they're good, they're good. I love the feeling of people working well together on a common goal.
b) I don't seek them out, but I recognize them as a necessary part of life.
c) The only good meeting is a canceled meeting.

I'm pretty much in the camp of b). I do a lot of sitting on my butt for the Lord (or, more often, for the church), and I confess freely that I do get impatient with them. I'd rather just DO stuff!

2. Do you like some amount of community building or conversation, or are you all business?

It's great for a newly-gathered group to have those elements, but for those where we already know each other and interact regularly, I prefer limiting the community building to prayer requests and move on with the agenda as quickly as possible. Of course, informal conversation before and/or after the meeting are great... let's just not tie up everyone's time with it.

3. How do you feel about leading meetings? Share any particular strengths or weaknesses you have in this area.

Ooh, I can't stand to lead meetings... I run, quickly, from chairing anything. I'm better at filling the role of snarky commentator and comic relief.

4. Have you ever participated in a virtual meeting? (conference call, IM, chat, etc.) What do you think of this format?

Tons of times. I really like a certain brand of webconferencing, but don't really want to give it an advertisement here. Conference calls are effective as long as all participants actually talk, and also remember to identify themselves (I've totally mixed up identities of male voices before, and directed comments in follow-up emails to the wrong people -- but nothing embarrassing, thankfully).

5. Share a story of a memorable meeting you attended.

A leadership meeting in our congregation years ago, when someone who is now no longer a member stated that he wasn't getting his ROI out of the church. I was new on church staff and intimidated enough by that fact that I bit my tongue the rest of the evening and let someone else say, much more gently than I would have, that it helps to SHOW UP at church instead of going to your lake house every weekend.

Oh, and Reverendmother, thanks for the ever-so-appropriate graphic! I use that line all the time.

Image from despair.com, a wicked and funny site.

Friday Five: Seasons Change...

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Reverendmother writes:
It's Labor Day weekend here in the United States, also known as Summer's Last Hurrah. So let's say goodbye to summer and hello to the autumn. (People in other climes, feel free to adapt as needed.)

It's another tandem play for me and The Typist today!

1. Share a highlight from this summer. (If you please, don't just say "our vacation to the Canadian Rockies." Give us a little detail or image. Help us live vicariously through you!)
Typist: Hmm. I'm not feeling into imagery this morning. Dare I say something as small as having a lovely 11th anniversary dinner with The Alpha? Because that was very nice, indeed. Our real summer hurrah is coming up tomorrow -- we had to put it off until September because of church-nerd obligations.
Cub: I've had a pretty good summer all around. It was nice to go for a swim a few weeks back.

2. Are you glad to see this summer end? Why or why not?
Typist: Indifferent on this one. I don't think I'll get any less busy, but summer hasn't been as scorchingly hot as it could've been this year. Still, I'll be more inclined to spend time outside when it cools off a bit more.
Cub: I'm pretty much with The Typist. Although I haven't been nearly as busy as she has.

3. Name one or two things you're looking forward to this fall.
Typist: Going to northwest corner of Home State. Technically, the trip is for a church-nerd meeting, but there should still be some wonderful time outside at the retreat center.
Cub: My fur really looks even more beautiful in the fall. I'm an autumn dog.

4. Do you have any special preparations or activities to mark the transition from one season to another? (Cleaning of house, putting away summer clothes, one last trip to the beach)
Typist: A trip to the northwest corner of Home State, particularly to town of The Alpha's alma mater (coincidentally, the same town as retreat center mentioned above). We try to have a weekend up there every autumn, but it doesn't always happen.
Cub: I start to grow in some more fur. I have plenty, but I want to be extra-sure about it.

5. I'll know that fall is really here when...
Typist: ... I step outside and smell freshly-mown grass mixed with falling leaves. Smells like high-school football season. Keep in mind that fall only hangs around here for about a week, though, so I have to be really attentive to catch it. It was easier in Home State.
Cub: ... the backyard grass dries out and The Alpha doesn't have to mow it for a while. And when I roll around in it, some of it will hang onto my fur and The Typist will pick it off when I come inside.

Cultural Friday Five

As a RevGalDogPal, I play the RevGals' Friday Five as much as a dog can play it. Today it's about Culture, though, and I'm not very big on Culture. So, I'm letting The Typist play on her own this time:

Sally writes: I have spent the week at Summer School studying the Gospel and Western culture, we have looked at art, literature, music, film and popular culture in their myriad expressions. With that in mind I bring you the cultural Friday 5.

Name a

1. Book The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (does this one count? because it's not exactly secular culture. In case it doesn't, my backup would be Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird).

2. Piece of music: Too many to list! But the one that comes to mind right now is "Angry Young Man" by Billy Joel (despite the fact that I have more hope than the speaker in the song).

3. Work of art: Pieces painted by my sister. Her situation in life hasn't been the greatest for a while now (The Alpha rode the MS 150 in her honor earlier this year), but when she feels up to it, she can paint beautifully, and it's a gift from God (and sometimes results in a material gift to us).

4. Film: Big Fish

5. Unusual engagement with popular culture: Being married to a comic-book/sci-fi geek, I know far more about some of genres than I realize until it surfaces (did you know, for example, that The Thing is Jewish? Any time someone brings up the Fantastic Four, I can't help but blurt that out. Also, Superman: Methodist!).

That have helped/challenged you on your spiritual journey.

Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith, how and why? This is a "well, duh" one for me. I have a much harder time relating to non-churchy people if I don't at least attempt to keep up with what's going on in pop culture. Still, with the sheer volume of variety in this world, it's often hard to maintain a broad awareness!

Friday Five: Word Association, Redux

ReverendMother over at RevGalBlogPals writes...
This one is patterned off an old Friday Five written by Songbird, our Friday Five Creator Emerita:

Below you will find five words. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem or a story.

1. vineyard
Typist: A winery in Home State.
Cub: What's a vineyard? Is it like a backyard? Because I like my backyard.

2. root
Typist: Big, gnarled tree roots.
Cub: Rooting for milk spouts when I first came to live here. Turns out The Typist doesn't have a bunch of milk spouts on her belly like mama dogs do.

3. rescue
Typist: Both Cub and Angus were rescues -- one turned in as a stray in a nearby apartment complex, the other dognapped from Home State, where someone wasn't taking good care of him.
Cub: I'd like to be a dog that wears an important-looking vest and help with rescues. But it might interfere with naptime and be a little rough on my hip.

4. perseverance
Typist: Hebrews 12:1-2.
Cub: The people at the vet persevere at sticking needles in me!

5. divided
Typist: United Methodists (ironic, no?).
Cub: Our morning "good dogs go out" treat, which The Boy and I have to share.

(Each of these appears in one of the readings from this Sunday's lectionary.)

Friday Five: Stress busting edition

Sally over at RevGalBlogPals writes: I am off to spend a few days at the beach chilling out after a hectic few weeks and before I head off for Summer School...

So with that in mind this week's questions are looking at how you deal with the stress monster!!!???

The Typist and I haven't had time to play Friday Five in a while, so we're glad to be back with another team effort!

1. First, and before we start busting stress, what causes you the most stress, is it big things or the small stuff?
The Typist: The big things cause the most stress, but the small things are what usually trigger the meltdown over the big things!
Cub: What's stress? I'm a dog! But seriously... The main thing that gets me worried is small-sized thumb-havers -- the kind who might grab my tail or try to pet me where I had hip surgery. Also, "pet" and "slap" are much the same thing with little thumb-havers.

2. Exercise or chocolate for stress busting ( or maybe something else) ?
The Typist: Chocolate! (And this is Texas, so the something else, by default, is a margarita.)
Cub: Exercise! (Chocolate is Not For Poppies.) I love a good walk, or a good round of chasing The Boy.

3.What is your favourite music to chill out to?
The Typist: Ooh, the British spelling of favourite! Does this mean I need to answer with a British artist? Eh, not feeling it at the moment... Lately I've had Billy Joel back in my car's CD player after a too-long break. The Eagles are also great chillin' music. And so is John Lee Hooker, but I can't listen to him without developing a serious craving for ribs. Blues and bbq, you know...
Cub: Anything soft and mellow soothes this savage beast.

4. Where do you go to chill?
The Typist: This is a harder question than it should be. I guess my place differs depending on the situation. A restaurant, a massage clinic, a comfy spot at home, New Mexico, Alaska...
Cub: If I'm outside it's the tile walkway in the backyard; if I'm inside, the tile by the front door. Tile is more chilly than carpet or a couch.

5. Extrovert or introvert, do you relax at a party, or do you prefer a solitary walk?
The Typist: A small, casual party of good friends.
Cub: A walk! I like walks!

Bonus- share your favourite stress busting tip!
The Typist: Always have at least one friend who can listen without trying to solve your problems. Venting serves a purpose.
Cub: There's nothing like a good post-breakfast waller on the carpet to get your day off to a nice start!

Friday Five: Hasty Edition

Reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals writes: Whoops! I have been in a family-induced haze these few days, with the July 4 holiday and taking time off while relatives are visiting. So I literally lost track of what day it was!

So rather than make you guys wait even one minute longer for the five, I'll dig up an oldie:

Today, what are you:

1. Wearing

Cub: My usual... oh, wait, here comes a bandanna! - with suns and moons and stars on it to sort-of coordinate with my collar.

Typist: Summery lime-green and white striped sweater I got for $15 at the closeout store; khakis (had to go into the office this morning), and my tan Skechers. Oh, and sunglasses on my head -- it's my outward sign of an inward optimism that maybe it'll stop raining soon (and I actually needed them while driving today!).

2. Reading:

Cub: Expressions on faces. Also, various signs that we might be having people come over.

Typist: Still trying to finish The Irresistible Revolution (help Shane and the community recover from the fire by donating here); lots o' blogs; articles in the paper where I work.

3. Eating:

Cub: Chow, peanut butter with medicine hidden in it (don't think I don't notice!), and a Good Dogs Go Out treat so far today. Hoping for more watermelon in my future.

Typist: Too many sweets already today (snacks for and with the group we hosted at work), but keeping other areas in check. We shall see if that gets blown at dinner.

4. Doing

Cub: Stretching out on the cool tile in the entryway.

Typist: Making sure I haven't forgotten any errands.

5. Pondering

Cub: Whether anyone is actually coming over. The Typist just messed with the thermostat, so I'm pretty sure the answer is yes.

Typist: Where we will go for dinner with the four out-of-towners before we see Spamalot tonight.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Friday Five: Gifts and Talents

Sally over at RevGalBlogPals writes: Our Circuit (Methodist) is having a "Gifts and talents day" tomorrow- we have a minister visiting from another circuit who has modified the Myers Briggs personality test and added a few things of his own to run a day where we get to look at ourselves in the light of giftings and of the whole church. The idea is to encourage everyone with the news that there is room for you in the ministry of the church- and perhaps to discover where that ministry might be.....

It should be an interesting day, and one where I hope people will leave feeling encouraged and challenged...

So with gifts and talents in mind here is todays Friday 5:

1. Personality tests; love them or hate them?
The Typist: I'm one of those geeks who finds them fascinating. I first took Myers-Briggs when I was 15, and it's been interesting to see some things shift over the years.
Cub: Well, I guess I don't really like them because dogs only usually take them if they might be in trouble (I remember hearing the phrase "fear biter" when I was little).

2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture?
The Typist: Definitely a mixture. It all depends on the situation. And if math is involved, I'm none of those things.
Cub: Probably practical. I know what needs to happen all around me, and I try to keep everyone in line.

3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had yours yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?
The Typist: I may be having mine right now. It feels odd to get elected to something. Also, I've been doing more writing for the national publication where I work, something that wasn't in my job description until just a few months ago.
Cub: Well, I have a blog, don't I? I'm very famous, as dogs go. But I would still like my own calendar. And maybe I should look into writing a children's book.

4. If you were given a 2 year sabbatical (oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...
The Typist: I don't know how creative I'd be, because I'd probably focus on travel first. I've had a hankering for Alaska ever since we got back from there last August. But I guess it would probably be literature or music (though with music I'd need a lot of help, as the only instrument I play with any confidence is my own voice).
Cub: I'm with Molly on #4... my whole life is a sabbatical!

5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.
The Typist: If I could have the patience to learn to play guitar or piano... I'm pitiful in that I learn a bare minimum of a musical instrument and then flit on to something else. (Currently, my guitar doesn't even have strings.) Instead, I surround myself with musicians I admire. I'm the least technically skilled person in the band, but they still let me sing.
Cub: I would like to be able to let my right ear flop over just at the very tip, like it did until I was about four years old. It only happens now when I'm really, really tired, but I know the thumb-havers think it's adorable.

Bonus question: Back to the church - what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement?
The Typist: It means what it says. Trouble is, many people have never internalized it, and it's an idea that takes a lot of work -- something many of us just aren't used to if we're not getting paid for it. I love Diane's comparison to a bluegrass festival!
Cub: What do I know? I'm a dog. My ministry is to be the best girl I can be and love everybody, even if they're scared of me or they think I don't belong in the house.

Friday Five: Big Event Edition

From Songbird over at RevGals:
Did you know that the major purpose for forming a non-profit, RevGalBlogPals, Inc., was to be able to attract grant support for a large scale RevGalBlogPal meetup? My dream from the beginning has been attracting financial support that would allow as many of our bloggers to be together as possible.
RGBP, Inc. now has a planning committee, and we are in the early stages of planning the RevGalBlogPal Big Event. What, When, Where and Who are all on the table at the moment. In that spirit, I bring you the Big Event Friday Five.

The Typist here, playing alone today, as Cub likely wouldn't be making such a trip:

1. What would the meeting be like? (Continuing Ed? Retreat? Outside Speakers? Interest Groups? Workshops? Hot Stone Massages? Pedicures? Glorified Slumber Party?) Somewhere between retreat and glorified slumber party. Outside speaker sounds interesting, but what outside speaker would "get" RGBP?

2. When in 2008 might you be able to attend? January? Shortly after Easter? Summer? Fall? Some other time? January and Fall are the most likely. (Late May and early June would be impossible for most of the United Methodists...plus there's General Conference in April...I'm just sayin'...)

3. Where would your dream meeting location be? (Urban Hotel? Rural Retreat Center? New England Camp? Southwestern Fantasy Hotel? Far away from civilization? Nearby Outlets or Really Great Thrift Stores?) Always, always looking for an excuse to go to New Mexico. But whatever the location, as long as we have free wi-fi, I'm not picky. UPDATE: It would be great if Southwest flies there, too.

4. Who would make a great keynote speaker? (That's if #1 leads us in that direction.) Hmmm... again, who'd "get" us enough to make it worthwhile? Maybe Real Live Preacher?

5. Did I leave out something you want to suggest? Can't think of anything, but it's early here.

Friday Five: Potato, Po-tah-to Edition

From Reverendmother over at RevGalBlogPals:

There are two types of people in the world, morning people and night owls. Or Red Sox fans and Yankees fans. Or boxers and briefs. Or people who divide the world into two types of people and those who don't. Let your preferences be known here. And if you're feeling verbose, defend your choices!

We're continuing our tandem play tradition today. This one should be interesting...

1. Mac? or PC?
Typist: Because of equipment available to me through college and jobs over the years, I've demonstrated an ability to straddle the fence on this one... and those Mac commercials are really cute... but when it gets down to actually spending my own money, it's a PC all the way.
Cub: Does Mac mean macaroni? Because I like macaroni. Does PC mean PoppyCub? Because I get called that quite a bit. How 'bout if someone said, "Hey, PoppyCub, come here! There's some macaroni on the floor!" I'd like that.

2. Pizza: Chicago style luscious hearty goodness, or New York floppy and flaccid?
Typist: Chicago style. Haven't been there in years, and Real Live Preacher just reported on his trip, so now I'm craving me some Giordano's.
Cub: There are reasons I'm named Cub, and one of them has to do with Chicago. So I should probably say Chicago. But the truth is, any pizza = good, if it gets within my reach at all. (Which almost never happens.)

3. Brownies/fudge containing nuts:
a) Good. I like the variation in texture.
b) An abomination unto the Lord. The nuts take up valuable chocolate space.
[or a response of your choosing]
Typist: I don't use the phrase "abomination unto the Lord" very often (even though it's fun to say!), but this may well be one of the cases. Nothing against nuts, mind you -- they're tasty on their own, and they won't stop me from eating a homemade brownie -- but when I make 'em myself, nuts don't enter the picture.
Cub: Brownies are Not For Poppies. So I sit this one out.

4. Do you hang your toilet paper so that the "tail" hangs flush with the wall, or over the top of the roll like normal people do?
Typist: This is one of the few ways in which I could be classified as "normal."
Cub: I'm pleading "no thumbs" on this one. (Besides, on the rare occasions I have a need for toilet paper, it usually means I haven't done something quite right on my own, so I'm generally not fond of it.)

5. Toothpaste: Do you squeeze the tube wantonly in the middle, or squeeze from the bottom and flatten as you go just like the tube instructs?
Typist: Back in the Days of Metal Tubes, I was diligent about squeezing from the bottom. But now it doesn't so much matter, does it?
Cub: This is another "no thumbs" one. But I just want to say that I don't like having my teef brushed. Even if the toothpaste tastes like beef. The Boy loves having his teef brushed because of that, but I know it's just a trick.

Bonus: Share your favorite either/or.
Typist: The Alpha and I will forever disagree on whether the syncopation in the last line of "Ode to Joy" is really supposed to be there. I got my way for our wedding postlude, but only because our organist was my friend and a fellow Beethoven purist. As a hymn at church, we do it his way because it's more singable. And I reserve the right to not like it.
Cub: Back when I did crate training, I maintained that "crate" meant "go to that corner of the living room." Then the thumb-havers moved the black wire thing I sat in when I went to that corner, and they expected me to go to the new place where it was when they said "crate!" Silliness. But I eventually started doing it just to make them happy.

Friday Five: It's My Party

Over at RevGalBlogPals, because it's Songbird's birthday, she says: I hate to say it, but over the years I've been to too many parties where I, or the birthday child, has felt much like the chorus of Lesley Gore's old tune. I am therefore not the biggest fan of birthday parties. For this Friday, tell us these five things about parties, birthday or otherwise.

Tandem play again from Cub and the Typist:

1) Would you rather be the host or the guest?
Typist: Guest, because I have some friends who can't come to my house because of two four-footed furries who own the place.
Cub: Guest, because it means I get to go for a RIDE!

2) When you are hosting, do you clean everything up the minute the guests go home? Will you accept help with the dishes?
Typist: I do a cursory clean-up, handling the things that I wouldn't want to wake up and face the next morning.
Cub: I lick my bowl clean every day; party days are no different.

3) If you had the wherewithal, and I guess I mean more than money, to throw a great theme party, what would the theme be?
Typist: This one's easy. It would be College Girls' Weekend. I'd fly all three of the Girls in to somewhere nifty, maybe Santa Fe, stay in a posh B&B, and we'd do whatever we pleased the whole time!
Cub: Theme party? How about the standard Everybody Loves Cub theme?

4) What's the worst time you ever had at a party?
Typist: There are any number of extended family gatherings from my childhood that involve teasing by cousins that I'd just as soon forget (and probably have succeeded in forgetting some of them).
Cub: A couple of occasions involving toddler-sized thumb-havers have been less than pleasant. Some of those little rugrats have no idea how to respect a dog. Now that The Boy's around, we curl up on the couch together for our mutual protection any time one comes over.

5) And to end on a brighter note, what was the best?
Typist: New Year's Eve 1999/2000. R & K hosted at their new house, hooked up the disco ball to the ceiling fan, turned up the music, The Alpha and I gave tango lessons to the Eagles' Hell Freezes Over version of Hotel California, and everybody had a blast!
Cub: Any occasion where I get to wear a bandana and greet thumb-havers as they come in the front door to pet me!

Friday Five: What Are You...

A quick-and-simple Friday Five from Reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals. The Typist and I are doing a tandem play again, since y'all seem to like that!

What Are You...

1. Wearing
Typist: It's casual Friday, so my favorite jeans and red t-shirt. Still barefoot 'cause I haven't left the house yet.
Cub: My usual collar with the sun-moon-stars pattern woven into it. (The Boy and I recommend Bison Designs for the stylish hound who wants something a little more special than your average collar. My pattern appears to be discontinued, but The Boy wears Black Thorn.)

2. Pondering
T: Whether I'm ready to submit my answers to the questions asked of those willing to be considered for our General Conference delegation.
C: What's going on in the front yard. I am monitoring the perimeter via the dining room and guest room windows, alternately.

3. Reading
T: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (hmm, potential future RevGals book discussion?).
C: RevGalPetPals blogs from Molly, Littlemankitty, Whistle (although he hasn't blogged in a long time, so I've been keeping up with Fish's broken leg at St. Casserole's place), and Tiria.

4. Dreaming
T: Nothing in particular, but I'm reminded of this great story, song, and slideshow from TFIA.
C: Chasing bunnies. Chasing squirrels. Chasing The Boy.

5. Eating
T: Nothing so far this morning, but I am drinking some nifty coffee I got as a thank-you gift for leading a blogging workshop!
C: Had my chow, and one of my peanut-butter-covered pills, and I think the other one's coming soon.

Friday Five: Surprised by Joy

Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. (John 21:5-7)

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)

From Songbird over at RevGalBlogPals:
This week I've been watching parents of the young people slain at Virginia Tech trying to make meaning out of the lives of their lost children, and each one seems to begin by focusing on something joyful about that child. It's a gift that most humans have brains wired to respond in that way. For some of us it can be harder to work our way out of dark places, but I believe joy remains the key. It is the spirit of resurrection.
Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life.

It's another tandem play this week from The Typist and The Best Dog Ever:

Typist: Gotta say The Alpha right off the bat! He stuck with me through four years of dating while at separate colleges, and freshman year was definitely no picnic. He still brings joy every day.
Cub: I agree. He's lots of fun and knows how to wrassle like a dog.

T: Music, of course. Some Wednesday nights when I head to church, I'm already completely drained. But when I get home at bedtime after back-to-back rehearsals, I just can't calm down and go to sleep right away because the music lingers within me.
C: The Boy. Yes, it's surprising, because I didn't want him to stay when he first showed up, and he can still sometimes be a nuisance, but he keeps me playful.

T: Both dogs! They are gifts from God. Cub came into my life at an especially rough time, and raising her from a pup was exactly what I needed to do that summer.
C: Aw, thanks... You give me joy, too, because even though you make me go to the vet a whole lot, you do take really good care of me. Sometimes you think I've forgotten the whole being abandoned thing, but I haven't. I know I've got a great thing going here!

T: BlogPals. I know some of them in person, and knew some of them before blogging. But there are also those I've never actually met that have blossomed into very real friendships all the same. Case in point: Zorra has provided great support via email as we've dealt with some of Cub's recent mystery maladies.
C: Hip surgery. It was really, really horrible and I was really, really angry afterwards. But then after a few weeks, I realized I could roll over on my back again without it hurting! It brought me a lot of joy that day, and still does.

T: Our amazing and wonderful niece M, who was recently accepted to her first-choice graduate school. I love that she's become more like a sister to me as we've both grown up (I was nine when she was born - yes, I'm the baby of my family, closer in age to much of the next generation than to my own siblings).
C: People coming over. Jessica came last night, and that was fun! Who's next?

Friday Five: Dental Edition

Well, at first we weren't going to play, but then I remembered I have a hole where my toof used to be, so The Typist and I are playing together this week. From Cheesehead and Reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals:

1. Are you a regular patron of dentists' offices? Or, do you go
a) faithfully, as long as you have insurance, or
b) every few years or so, whether you need it or not, or
c) dentist? what is this "dentist" thing you speak of?

Typist: a) and I'm due to go this month but haven't made the appointment.
Cub: well, it's rolled in with my vet trips, so I guess I should answer c).

2. Whatever became of your wisdom teeth?

T: Cut out when I was 15, before they could move around and mess with my newly-straightened other teeth. Plus: I got to live off milkshakes for a week. Minus: I couldn't open my mouth as wide as I wanted to when I hollered for the football and basketball teams the following year of high school (this, for a cheerleader, was a stumbling block. Yes, I was a cheerleader. You got a problem with that? There's a "most spirited" trophy from that year somewhere in the attic.).
C: I have no idea what she just said.

3. Favorite thing to eat that's BAAAAAD for your teeth.

T: Probably caramels. Or maybe vanilla taffy from the state fair. (But most certainly NOT Oreos. They look like instant cavity when you're finished chewing them, which creeps me out so much that I don't eat them at all.)
C: Bones. Real bones. And they don't let me have them any more.

4. Ever had oral surgery? Commiserate with me.

T: Nothing beyond the wisdom teeth experience.
C: Oh, that's what it was called when I took a nap at the vet and woke up with a hole where my toof used to be!

5. "I'd rather have a root canal than _________________."

T: Um, go to my high school class reunion, I think.
C: Have my temperature taken. From what I understand, they would let me take another nap at the vet for the root canal. They take my temperature when I'm awake, and in a very impolite way.

Bonus: Does your dentist recommend Trident?

T: Hmm, I've never checked to see.
C: Dogs aren't very good at the whole concept of chewing gum.

Friday Five: Rivers in the Desert

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19, NRSV

From Songbird over at RevGalBlogPals:
As we near the end of the long journey toward Easter, a busy time for pastors and layfolk alike, I ponder the words of Isaiah and the relief and refreshment of a river in the desert.

For this Friday Five, name five practices, activities, people or _____ (feel free to fill in something I may be forgetting) that for you are rivers in the desert.

The Typist here, playing alone today. (Unless Cub's at the vet, she pretty much lives in the "river..." and I pray her desert days are few and far between!)

So, my rivers in the desert:

1. The Alpha. I can hardly believe I've known him for half my life now. And been married to him for a third of my life. He's such a blessing.

2. Both dogs. Cub and Angus (aka The Boy) are basically comfort and happiness covered in fur (which they shed all over the house with reckless abandon, but that's beside the point).

3. RevGals. There's something precious about clicking on any of our huge list of blogs and enjoying a pleasant distraction (Mindy, her Weinermobile sighting, and the hilarious lead-in story), finding a need for prayer (a round of diagnostic tests for Elastigirl's the worrier), or receiving a prompt for spiritual reflection (Cheesehead's meditation on John 12:1-8)... and honestly, it doesn't matter which one of those it is. The connection is what matters.

4. Going out to eat. It's a frivolity, yes, but one that can feed me in multiple ways... allows a little break from the ordinary and the opportunity for face-to-face conversation. And it's less of a frivolity when viewed in the context of "table fellowship." I've taken a dip in this river more often than usual this week.

5. Yoga. In January, a dear church friend who is a newly-certified instructor began offering yoga sessions. Sometimes it's difficult to mentally take "this hour just for you," as she says, but even if I'm not totally into it, it helps me get a sense of renewal. (An example of not being totally into it: this week, during the meditation that ends the hour, she was leading us through a scene at a lake. In the scene, a flock of geese landed among tree stumps sticking up out of the water. One of the members of my imagined flock was he who we know as our Goose... The Boy, Angus. Our Australian Cattle Dog, who in real life occasionally does think he can fly, descended with the Canada Geese and perched uncertainly on a tree stump, giving his little honk-like whine that led to us adding Goose to his list of nicknames. It was difficult to not burst out laughing in the midst of my relaxing meditation, but at the same time, the visual was so perfect!)