My brief political life

In spite of illness, I really have had an amazing year. Among the great moments - my husband's 40th birthday, Baby Dent getting potty trained, having the kitchen redone, seeing a Drive By Truckers show, Katrina rebuilding in Mississippi... big year so far.

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but another lovely moment was being invited to give the invocation at the special session of the Virginia General Assembly. A big hoo-ha was made over me, which is very flattering. My parents, hsband, son, and friends came to cheer me on. And no one threw rotten produce at me. A successful day in Virginia politics.

I like this picture because although I am but a white blur in the middle, you can see my sweet mama watching on.

Unfortunately, the prayer didn't work. I prayed for good will and insight, but the legislators began yelling at each other before I made it back to my seat. I had a faux prayer I had threatened to pray. It went something along these lines...

Dear Lord, we thank you for joining us today, but if you have more pressing matters feel free to attend to them because there are enough people in this room who think they are you.

Maybe I should have used that one.

Quilting

I have been remiss in posting some quilting pics for my dear reader in Maine. I'm always flattered by the question, "How do you have time to quilt?!?" I don't. I believe that this quilt was begun before Baby Dent was born. It did not cooperate and had to be re-visioned at numerous stages. Lucky for me, Little Man is into cowboys again. It started out as a lap quilt but was too busy. So the sashing was added. Then it wasn't big enough. So the FIVE borders were added. I gritted my teeth at every additional border. As I gritted, I also waited... months. It was only at the end that I asked how on earth this was less busy.
The one part of this process I greatly enjoyed was the free-hand machine quilting. Five years ago my mother and I invested in a Bernina. There is a long story about my mother and my interest in sewing. The short version is that she supports my habit in spite of thinking I am mildly crazy. By supporting my habit, she enabled me to get the Bernina and with that purchase I became a VERY HAPPY quilter. I've long admired creative and organic folk art style quilting. The Bernina allows me to do that to some degree and to have the quilt finished before the child enters college.
There are a variety of designs quilted on but what you see above is an arrow and a target. I was incredibly happy designing and sewing this. I was able to zone out for thirty or forty minutes at a time. I seem to recall that this part was done after Baby Dent was weaned so I was feeling superhuman at the time.

When I began quilting at 19 I could only focus on a finished product and was constantly frustrated and aggravated by the process. What redeemed all that frustration was hanging out with my quilting mentor, Kate. As I've gotten older and mommy-fied, I care much less about finishing. I've stopped giving quilts to everyone for holidays and special occasions. Although there has been grumbling, the removal of the pressure of time constraints has helped me to enjoy the process much more.

Now I quilt primarily to have some time that is not focused on family or work. The whirring of the machine, the methodical and repetitive movements, the hypnotic effects of the fabric colors all combine to give me a little escape from my active mind. And from short people who yell in my house. So what was about social connections and completion has become a solo, meditative, meandering process. That pretty much sums up my experience of aging, too.

To my readers in Maine - hope retirement is treating you well. Remember, the plan was to CHILL OUT!

Rockin' Hob Nobbin

YouTube - The Baseball Project
This is my first attempt at blogging a video. I think I've just linked it instead of getting the cool screen look. Well, what did you expect from a Luddite at 2:30AM?

The drummer and the center guy were joined in holy matrimony by yours truly in the Spring. They are charming and darling, talented and delightful, even if they didn't tell their minister they were going to be on Letterman. Check 'em out on myspace, too.

Other blogs update

Insomnia ain't so bad. I've been catching up with my blogging pals. Over at the Journey, Lizard Eater's daughter's cancer appears to be back on the ropes. (I'll never sleep now. Just too dablurn exciting! Check her out through my links to your right. Leave her a supportive comment and tell her I sent you.)

My buddies over at Dogwalk RVA appear to have gone to a Rancid show (Sweeeeeeeet!) and gave me a shoutout. Check out the Tuesday June 24 post for that.

And check out Rev. Ricky's extremely fine biker mustache! I LOVE biker mustaches, fu-manchus, mutton chops, soul patches, and other out there facial hair patterns. You go, Rev. Ricky! I'm forever trying to talk friends into living on the edge with their beards. I just think it looks like fun. If the steroids make me get hairy and mannish I am SO coiffing it up on my face.

Did I just say that? Dear heavens, I need to go back to the religious books and stay off the internet past 10 PM. (Repeat to self - What would the Dalai Lama do? What would Thomas Merton do? What would Kermit the Frog do? And no more Diet Coke!)

Riding High and Incoherent

Back from the national convention of UUs in Fort Lauderdale. Hmmm. Very little to report on that.

Seeing Forrester Church for the last time was the biggest event of the week for me. I am reading his last book now. He was sweetly autographing copies in spite of his weakness and terminal cancer side effects. I managed not to burst into tears while talking to him. I am incredibly grateful that he has written so many good books, and told him so. He has gained a Buddha smile as he has lost a whole person of weight. I do not expect to cross his path again, and he made a special effort to be kind and friendly. It is a wonderful memory to carry with me.

As for the new meds in my system, for once the side effects are exactly as advertised: dizziness and nausea twice daily. I rest. It goes away. The beauty of those side effects is that I have no desire for a beer. The "no drinking allowed" edict is thus, a non-event. The weight gain from the steroids is another story...

Baby Dent has been a pistol as she approaches her third birthday. I don't recall her being so LOUD last week. Little Man has taken to making lists of birthday wishes (all super-hero costumes) and muttering under his breath. Is he turning six or fourteen? Like an idiot, I let him watch Rush Hour 3 in Florida. What WAS I thinking? Jackie Chan and kungfu is what. I forgot about the mouth on Chris Tucker. Little Man has not forgotten a moment of Chris Tucker.

Glad to be home with the super-spouse. Handling those kids without him was distinctly unpleasant. He is calm, smiling, and relaxed. I let him know that he should not look so happy after a week without us. I caught him putting a bumper sticker on his car tonight: Middle-class white guys for Barack Obama. I think he was giggling.

I'm in the middle of the summer ministerial reading. Thank goodness for Goodreads. (For those who have not heard - Goodreads is a site that helps you keep track of your reading and discover books that may interest you.) I find such better variety by doing Goodreads searches than I do wandering the box bookstore or the library. I've got half a dozen books going at the moment, but the goals for the summer are hefty so I need to keep cranking through.

As for today's blogging, if I don't sound like myself it is because I'm hopped up on Diet Coke. Again - WHAT... WAS... I... Thinking?!?! Before I do this stuff I really need to think about my spiritual mentors: what would the Dalai Lama do? Or Thomas Merton? Or Kermit the Frog? Or Earth, Wind and Fire? Or Louise Brooks? (Possible side effects of over-caffeination include jitters, incomplete sentences, and overstating examples. Or talking too much. Or blogging at 2 AM. Or... ACK!!!)