reverendjaneausten

Today was one of those ministry days where I was starry eyed and joyful to be doing what I am doing. It was nothing particularly amazing, but somehow a really blessed day with lots of little things that went right. Just maybe , I am getting the hang of some of this!!

Mittens the cat has complained that the blog is all dogs all the time. "What about meow?" she whined pitifully. To correct that omission, Here is Mittens at her best, keeping Graff warm as he engineers the Bears to yet another X-Box win. You might notice that at first she is not watching the game and then she is. Just like a cat.

But for here it is a pretty wintry landscape. The ice beads on the cherry trees were particularly exquisite- a diadem of sorts. No travel to Eastern Kentucky today but lots of tedious financial stuff and feeding the 'Tween every twenty minutes! (Well, he did go sledding!)

For those of you keeping up with General / Roger/ Dodger/ Hampton, his new and final name, selected by his parents as soon as they are able, is RALEIGH. He answered to it immediately and got along with them famously. They met over pizza Tuesday night and he bonded immediately. So Seabury and Raleigh get play time until sometime this summer when Mom and Dad get married and new houseing is arranged. In the meantime, we get lots of respite care as he goes off hiking and for play dates. A happy ending to a pretty scary story for the young fellow!

I have been remiss in rushing back to Ash Wednesday and not writing about Lauren's Ordination. I think I did not want to let go of such a wonderful experience! Shannon and I made a quick trip out thanks to Teresa and Jacob, who kept Graff and got him nicely attired to Mock Trial Competition. (His Defense team won but the School team did not.) We had an amazing time just talking to each other for the ten hour drive each way! Being back in Williamsburg and part of a service at Bruton Parish was really fun too. Lauren's terrific family treated us like long lost cousins and took us to both dinner the night before and lunch after the Ordination. Seeing Lauren with her parents made me miss my mother even more. They were so proud of her! It was also awesome to see Court and Laurel and to have a Seabury time with all of the requisite humor. As for Lauren, she absolutely glowed-- and the service itself was wonderfully simple despite 120 clergy in the procession. I was so glad to be t

I have received a beautiful gift; the United Methodist Minister who made Lauren's stole made one for me of the same material. Like the two of us, you might not even know that because they are so different. I think it may need a border collie after my Ordination sermon but we know there is one lurking somewhere! I know the children of all ages at St. Mark's may enjoy seeing this. The Seabury Cross is especially beautiful. Thank you Carol! I cannot wait to be "Green" again!