The Paper That Won't Die

is about the intersections and conflicts of the women's movement and the abolition movement in the mid to late 1800s, especially the role of the church.

It is supposed to be 10-12 pages.
I'm up to almost 8.
I don't know if I have addressed (or even clearly articulated) my thesis yet, though.

Alas.
At least the power is back on.
Writing by maglite is no good.

Spring Banquet, aka Candler Prom

Spuggles and Petey













Roomates and the J who frequents our couch













Craig was really excited to see his friend Dave













Lane and me in pretty dresses
Austin, Sara, me, Rachel, Candace, Leslie -- looking fly

I just wanted to say

that it's 4:30am and I am up writing papers.

I just finished my 7 page exegesis paper.
I think it might suck.

I have my 2-3 page colloquy paper halfway done
at 3/4 of a page. =)

Tomorrow, I will have to write my sociology paper
which is to be 10-12 pages.
I have at least one page of it done.

I am tired.
I am awake.

Alas.

For the Rest of Your Life...

Okay, so we have this thing going. You can read about it on Dana's blog. Basically, my friends fought over what 5 albums they'd want to have for the rest of their lives. Like these would be the ONLY albums you could have forever. They (Dana, Russell, J, Sara, and John) came up with a collective list, which I think kind of sucks. Check out my lists, and then feel free to post yours in the comments.

Top 5:
Magazine (Jump Little Children)
Tuesday Night Music Club (Sheryl Crow)
Back Home Again (John Denver)
White Blood Cells (The White Stripes)
Rock Steady (No Doubt)

Greatest Hits Albums*:
One (The Beatles)
James Taylor: Greatest Hits (James Taylor)
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (The Eagles)
Sounds of Summer (Beach Boys)
Films About Ghosts (Counting Crows)

*This list goes against Russell's original premise that no greatest hits, live albums or compilation/various artist albums could be included.
But whatever. I like greatest hits. I'm old, and it's easier. Sue me.

Damn these procrastination tools... I have papers to write!

It's called "Procrastinate With Me" for a reason...

I wrote this at about 12:30pm today. It did not post. Here's another try.


Here's what I have done in the 4 hours I've been awake:

• Filled out my FAFSA
• Checked email repeatedly, all four accounts
• Scheduled a meeting and decided on a lunch menu
• Ordered books for my summer classes
• Called for appointments regarding my candidacy for ministry process
• Took a shower
• Located a book I had loaned out
• Started a load of laundry
• Ate a banana and drank a glass of milk
• Wrote this blog

*I have been quite productive in 4 hours.

**Note that none of these accomplishments involve cracking an actual book or writing any papers despite my aforementioned assignments that are due this week.

All Dressed Up, No Place To Go

Spring Banquet (aka Candler Prom) is on Friday.
I have been itching to go buy a dress.
All day, I have been trying to figure out when I will have time to go shop.
Alas, I have no time until Friday, the day of the event.

So, I was bemoaning this fact to Dana,
who was also supposed to be writing a paper,
and she suggested that we look at the dresses she has
since we were just standing around anyway.
Then, I remembered a little dress I wore to Ali's wedding rehearsal.
So, we started trying things on.
Then we "did" our hair -- more silly than cute...

We made John put on a jacket with his tshirt and workout pants,
and the result is this picture:

One Down... Three To Go!

Okay, folks, it's that time again --
the end of the semester, when everything is due.

I have finished one paper.
It was the easiest one;
it was already half done;
and it was due a week and a half ago.
It's a narrative for ConEd about my imaginary ministerial hero.

Her name's Amelia, and she is the minister of outreach at a mid-sized UM church. For her, outreach encompasses the church's programs that interact with the community (like a subsidized childcare program, and a job training culinary arts program the products of which go to meals on wheels, a local homeless shelter, and the Wednesday night supper), as well as visitation, missions, and supporting the rest of the staff. It's insanely hokey.

Now, I just have three to go.
1) Global Feminisms presentation on Tuesday night. (12-15 page paper due in May, so we're not stressing about it yet...)
2) NT exegesis paper 7-8 pages, due Thurs. 8am
3) Sociology of Rel. paper 10-12 pages, due Thurs. 1pm

Come on big money, no whammies!

Okay, I'm going to take a shower.

Resurrection

I appreciate Easter. This Lent was long, and I was glad for it to end. Perhaps that is a sign that I am in seminary, and we take liturgical seasons very seriously. Regardless, it was hard and sad and frustrating. Mingled in with the Lenten season, my New Orleans trip and the death of one of my favorite ministers sparked those emotions. I didn't feel a lot of hope while I was in New Orleans during Spring Break. I was overwhelmed and sad and frustrated and angry. I was tired. I got home and I was tired.

New Orleans was really difficult. The work on the house was like a taking the first half of a Salkehatchie (or ASP) week -- the tearing out -- and doing only that for a week. There was no rebuilding, and really what was left of the house after we tore out the moldy drywall was not necessarily rebuildable. Many of the remaining wall studs were termite damaged or moldy. The first work day, I encountered a man in the hardware store at the end of our street. We had gone to get some tools, and I said hello brightly and asked where we could find the Wonderbars. After pointing us in the right direction, the man said, "Where are ya'll from? You're too happy to be from here."

Lots of elements of the trip reminded me of Salkehatchie. We stayed in a church and worshipped and processed together as a group. I feel strong bonds with the people who shared the experience with me. We ate, laughed, prayed, worked and cried together.
The tour we took of the city is not something that I will soon forget, as much as I subconsiously tried to push it out of my mind. And it's also not something I can adequately verbalize yet. We did a presentation for Candler last week, and I was forced to reconsider and remember the experience. I have not come near fully processing it, and I don't know when that will all happen.

At the end of our week in New Orleans, our last devotion included thinking of a phrase that summarized or epitomized the experience for us. Mine was "exhaustingly aware."

I pray that New Orleans and its citizens (since not all are currently residents) will find elements of resurrection. It is a continuous process of rebirth and renewal, filled with struggles and death but also full of hope and mystery.

Another powerful, yet exhausting, element of this Lent came in the form of some amazing discussions with close friends and near strangers. We talked openly about experiences of difference, racism, religious misunderstanding and manipulation...

And then there's Patty's death. I hadn't seen or talked to her in several years. She was the first female minister I was close to but not related to. She was strong, intelligent, compassionate, amazing. She was truly called to ministry. I attended her wedding in a pink ruffled dress in the 7th grade. I was the acolyte at her ordination. And on Palm Sunday, I sat in the third row from the back at her funeral. But Palm Sunday was fitting for Patty -- rejoicing in God -- as was the final hymn of the service, "All Things Bright and Beautiful." I feel a huge loss. I am sad.

But yesterday, I sat in University Worship and heard an amazing woman preach a powerful resurrection sermon. I sat across from the four robed female ministers, and something in me jumped. I was glad to be there.

A professor at our school pointed out that different people dwell in, or are most comfortable in particular liturgical events. I am Easter People. Give me new life and rebirth anyday.
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

Happy Shannon Day!

Today, my little brother turned 24.
Happy Birthday, Shannon!

HAPPY EASTER!!

for at least another 35 minutes!

I've had a good Easter.
- cinnamon rolls
- University Worship (I was the "gospel bearer" and I collected the offering, so I wore an alb, which was so long I kept stepping on it and I almost fell on my head going up the stairs at the front of the chapel during the offering.)
- University Worship Easter dinner from Agnes and Muriel's (I sat with a rockin' professor and Barbara Brown Taylor, who preached a rockin' sermon)
- Easter dinner #2 at Beth and Kevin's, with lots of friends and good stories and food
- Easter dinner #3 at Narcie's (I was still so full from my other two dinners, I didn't actually eat anything at Narcie's but it was fun to hang with the Wesley kids.)

And now I have to write up some info for a presentation.
And I have to read a book about postcolonial feminist Biblical interpretation for a meeting-outside-of-class tomorrow morning.
Yes, it's that time of the semester when everything piles up and is due all at once.
Rock on.

At least it's not Lent anymore.
I was sick of Lent.
Resurrection is way better.
I am Easter People.