A phone call and the Science Center

Yesterday was a full day. I had some blood work done to get a baseline for our new doctor. An especially nice feature of that was that it only took a half hour from the time I left the house till when I returned home. Then with that out of the way we had a nice breakfast (where I really did "break" the "fast".)

After that I got a phone call from a church about interviewing for an interim position. The caller gave me some background about the church and the previous pastor's experiences there. We talked about the church's strengths and weaknesses and what he thought they wanted from an interim. It was the church we visited last Sunday (It seems the person they went to hear didn't work out.)I'm familiar with the church a little but it was interesting to hear some of their "journey" these last few years. I agreed to meet with them this Monday night (Well there goes my barbershop chorus practice for this week.). Later in the day I began to write down questions I'll have for their committee at that meeting. The caller asked if I have a taped sermon I could send the committee and I told him that my last two years of sermons are online as podcasts at http://www.seaviewpodcasts.blogspot.com/ . It was a good and encouraging conversation and I look forward to meeting with the committee with my questions and the possibility of doing some preaching again.

After lunch we decided to look for curtains for the bedrooms. Dee spots these sales in the newspaper for buy one get one free plus 20% off. Fortunately we took a sample of the bed cover with us and so could match colors in the stores. We finally settled on ones for two or our three bedrooms. When we got home and tried them one pair was perfect, and the other was too heavy for the kind of "no tools needed" curtain rods we decided to use. (They are the coolest curtain rods I've ever seen - they have a twist for tension feature and press on the inside of the window frame, but the rod actually sticks out into the room and past the window frame.)

We also began to work on our new puzzle completing the frame of this 1,000 piece challenge. Later last night we went to the Carnegie Science Center to watch two programs in the OMNIMAX Theater. One was called "Stomp" which showed peoples from abound the world taping out various rhythms on drums, stringed instruments, bells, horns and various homemade percussion items. Most of them danced while they stomped out the beat. Fascinating. I could only thing how different this show was and that my mother would probably have enjoyed it too since she is into dancing so much. The other program was "The Lewis and Clark Journey to the Pacific". It chronicled their experiences back in 1804-1806. It took them 28 months in all. Only one person died on the trip through horrendous conditions. It noted to then tremendous value a Native American woman, Sacajawea, was for the trip. With our new membership to the Carnegie Museums trips to the Science Center are a real treat. They were having a sleep-over there for kids and about 500 of them showed up with sleeping bags and chaperones. I guess they had the run of the place for the evening (although they didn't affect our experience at the theater section).

A Quiet Day

Yesterday was a quiet day. While Dee went to Contours, I did my treadmill and watched a program on the "beltways" around Pittsburgh. Roads I've grown up with and traveled most of my life. Fascinating program of what's actually along each of them and where they go. Then we went to Lowes to check out furnace filters, material for curtains, and to get some "afresh" for the washing machine. (It seems with these new HE washers, you need to cleanse the machine itself every month or so to keep things pure and healthy.) At the Hobby Shop, Dee picked out our next jugsaw puzzle. This one is a 1,000 piece puzzle. (photo to come later when it's done.) Later, we stopped at Starbucks for a relaxing coffee/ frapiccino.

As I say, it was a quiet day. I had a nice chat with my mother on the phone. She's altering some shirts and slacks for me. She said she hasn't used her sewimg machine since my dad died. She hopes to start tomorrow. Then, in the evening, I recieved a call from one of the guys from the Barbershoop Harmony Society. He was following up my visit to their open house and wanted to encourage me to come to their practice on Monday night. I told him I plan to be there.

Then, I practiced my Qchord. I thought I'd put a few songs together and weave them into a sermon sometime. So, I really want to be comfortable with the chord progressions so they come automatically when I need them as I play in front of people. Nice - truly a day to renew and relax.

Taa-Daa!

Well, yesterday we put to use the things we'd purchased the day before. Dee took care of the hardwood floors and made them shine, and I installed the shelf in the laundry area. Now, that might not sound like much to you, but it was an awesome accomplishment for me. The guy at Home Depot explained how to do it. I'm not thrilled with the idea of putting holes in these new walls, but we live here now and we want it to reflect our lives making our new house a home. So with a power drill, a couple of screwdrivers, a level, a stud finder and some wall anchors I gave it my best shot. An hour or so later... taa-daa! It is finished! Now that wasn't so hard was it? Not really.

I think that sometimes when we haven't done something before, then we make the task harder in our minds than it really is. I guess the key to get over this is to believe in yourself, give it a try and see how it turns out. Here's a picture of the end result. Now we have a place to hang clothes when they come out of the washer/dryer. Dee says I filled her "love tank" by completing this first of many such projects.

The rest of the day went well too. I went to Rotary and turned in my application for membership. I was asked to offer the opening prayer. (This was the first official "clergy thing" I've done since retiring. It was good to put words to thoughts and heart felt concerns again in public.)I guy I sat next too attends a local church. He said he attends an adult Sunday school class there and that he often speaks up. I asked him what they're studying and he said "the Holy Spirit." That led us into a nice conversation about what we believe about it and how difficult it is for most people to grasp the concept of God as Holy Spirit. And as it turns out, he went to high school with Dee and her friend Kathy (but they couldn't recall him).

Later in the day we went for our 8th dance class with Kathy and Russ. We were introduced to a new dance, The West Cost Swing." It's quite different from the other dances we've learned so we really have to concentrate on the basic step first. Both Dee and I seemed to catch on more quickly to it than we did to the "hustle". I enjoy the times after class too when we just sit and visit. Dee seems so happy in her element when she's with Kathy. They always seem to have lots to talk about. (Russ said he thinks they probably spent a lot of time "in the corner" when they were in school together.) LOL

Here's another pic of the progress on the building behind our home. It is so cool to be able to monitor their progress day by day. Click on the picture if you'd like to see it up close.

I received a phone call from the local "Area Minister" in charge of the baptist churches in the Pittsburgh area. We talked about interim work, and he mentioned that he'd given my name to some people and therefore I might be getting a phone call from them. I have no idea where or whether it will lead to anything, but I look to God for His leading as I look to the future.

As I continue in theis experience called "retirement", I am realizing that it's important to have plans, to have places to go and things to do. In the past, others set my agenda as I ministered to their needs. Now I can pick and choose what those "things and places" are, so I want to be more deliberate about what I commit to. Fascinating process.

The Kean Theater

Yesterday we did some much needed shopping for home care stuff. I'm hoping to install a shelf this week in the laundry room but I needed some wall screws to get the job done, and Dee wanted something that cleans and shines for the hardwood floors. Home Depot was helpful in both areas.

But the highlight of the day was seeing the inside of the Kean Theater where we saw the free movie, Michael Clayton, with George Clooney. It was a good story, but the language was unnecessarily coarse in my opinion. There were about 275 people there and we were among the youngest in the audience. Buses and minivans kept dropping off loads of senior citizens, some with walkers. I can't imagine my mother or Dee's mom ever sitting through a movie like that. Nonetheless, the place was beautiful and we'd go back again.

The unseasonably warm day (mid 60s) allowed for a nice long walk with Bonz. Dee got to talk with her sister Donna on the phone for a long time.

A Day of Laughter

Yesterday was another 10,000 step day. PTL! While Dee went to Contours, I did the tradmill and watched "How They Do It". I learned how they make wool rugs all the way from the rams and ews to the carpets on floors. Amazing how that industry has changed over the years. Good program. These programs I've been watching are recorded using DVR so that I don't have to suffer through the ads. In fact most of what we watch now are things we've recorded and fast-forwarding through the ads is commonplace at our house.

Then in the afternoon we went to Costco to pick up some groceries and try a few samples a few of the goodies from they were handing out. It was a relaxing afternoon and we laughed a lot. We've been laughing about the program we saw on tv called "I Dan Make You thin" with Paul McKenna. On one program he had a technique for diverting our attention from emotional overeating. It's a tapping technique that changes the focus of your mind from eating because you're angry, or depressed or lonely etc. Then, he had another show on ways to reduce cravings. It included associating some food you disgust and imagining it with worms or hair in it with something you crave. Thinking about that for a minute or so, and then squeezing your left hand thumb with your middle finger; then thinking of a happy time or something that was very satisfying and squeezing your right thumb and middle finger. Supposedly, this "happy thought" replaces the revulsion you feel with the image of the craved food with satisfying feels from the "happy place" thoughts. Anyway, we've been doing it through the day and then laughing ourselves silly.

He did one experiment that was intriguing. He took week old stale popcorn and tried to get people to eat it. No one ate more than a couple of kernals. They said it was aweful. Then he took that same popcorn, put it in a movie theater and sold it to people going in to watch a movie. Everyone of the people ate it all. (Hence, his advice about not watching tv while eating.) He then told the people what they'd done, let them have a container of fresh popcorn, and then realized the difference right away. Hummm. He also, suggested that having been taught to "clean your plate" adds to our over eating. That is, we eat till it's gone, not 'till we're full.

It was a soggy morning, but eventually the temps went into the mid 60s late in the day. Bonz enjoyed the long walk around the block. And after dinner I went to a meeting of the SPEBSQSA - barbershop chorus openhouse. The local group in Cranberry calls itself the BOGMEISTERS. It's the local version of what is now called the Barbershop Harmony Society. They spoke about the organization, their hopes and goals, their structure and we sang a lot. I found it interesting that you don't have to be able to read music to do it. (although it certainly helps) It's a men's organization and there were about 25 guys there. (12 were members and the rest we either guests like me, or visiting singers from other groups supporting the open house.) There was a lot of harmony and laughter in the room, a brief video on the history of the organization that also showed the many kinds of groups there are. It was a lot of fun, and I think I'll give it a try. They practice each week on Monday nights in Mars. It couldn't be any closer and it will satisfy my singing needs.

Visiting with Old Friends

Yesterday we went to yet a third church in three weeks. Interestingly, I noticed that I was addressed threee different ways at them. At the first one, I'm becoming known as Paul, at the one last week when we attended with my mother at the church I grew up in, everyone who spoke with me addressed me as Casey. Then, yesterday we visited a church where there were people who knew me as Pastor.

It was good to see the Dursts and Hills again after such a long time (almost 13 years). Their children are growing up. Dee recognized them even before she heard their names, I was clueless. It was a happy time of getting caught up with their lives both before and after worship. We have a lot of fond memories of those families when they were in our Wilkinsburg church.

The church is without a pastor right now and so the worship service somewhat reflected that. It lacked flow. The speaker was a guest speaker. The choir was "off duty" for the day, and so a solo was sung by the organist as he played the piano. He did a nice job and brought some energy to the service. Very worshipful although the congregation applauded after he finished. (That seems to be a western Pennsylvania thing - applauding after special music in worship.) I did notice there there were quite a few teenagers in the worship service. Evidently the church has a strong youth program and that's encouraging. It was good to sing the old hymns from the hymnal where I could see the base notes. After worship, we went out to lunch with the Campbells who rode with us to the church. (It was their home church before they moved to the Mars area. They enjoyed seeing old friends. Marilyn said, "I got more hugs today than I have since I moved.") It was nice to be there and re-connect with people we cared about and ministered to many years ago. They're doing well and have become leaders in that congregation. That makes me feel good.

Later, I was able to take Bonz for a nice long walk. We enjoyed the sun and the lack of wind. Temps reached a high of 53... spring can't be far away. During the evening we worked on the jigsaw puzzle (#4) and completed it. The Bible verse on the puzzle reads, "I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken for He is right beside me." - Psalm 16:8. Here is a photo of it... - there was a piece missing. We don't know if it just got lost, was never there in the first place, or whether the dog found the piece on the floor and decided it was a snack for him. Nonetheless, we enjoyed building it.