Birthday boy

Tomorrow is my 74th birthday.

In my youth I couldn't imagine living this long.

How did the song go?

    "Live fast/ Love Hard, Die young and leave a beautiful memory." 

My mother died at 63, when I was in my early 20's. Our children are both over 40 and I'm still here!

My dad made it to 83--though he mourned my mother greatly from her death until his. He was always a worrier and it got worse every year he lived.

I've tried to live 'in the moment' for most of my life--longing neither for the past or the future.

I've had a beautiful life, really. Ups and downs for sure--but in the main, really lovely.

Every morning when I wake I thank God for one more day of living.

I love living and thinking and pondering and loving and being loved.

Bern has been in my life since she was 14 and I was 17. Last year was our 50th anniversary. Not bad, all considered--in fact, like my life--'beautiful'.

I have had more joy and wonder than I perhaps deserved. Two incredible children and 4 wonderful granddaughter. And I'm thankful for every moment I've lived.

But I'm at an age where I will ponder things even more--which means, I suppose, I'll keep writing 'Under the Castor Oil Tree' for as long as I can.

I still--elderly as I am--have lots more to share with you.

 

Rain

It has rained the whole day.

I haven't left the house.

The temperature is down below 40 and we could get snow tonight.

Bern reminded me today that "April is the cruelest month".

The President is going to end the longest war by September 11 by bringing home the troops from Afghanistan. The former President was going to bring the troops home as well. It's the only policy from that Administration that I'm glad Biden is going to follow through with.

It all began on 9/ll 20 years ago.

Both Josh and Mimi were in New York City when it happened.

We were terrified until  we heard from them.

Josh was in Brooklyn but his then girlfriend, now wife--Cathy Chen--had taken the subway to Manhattan. She got off at the Towers station just before the first plane arrived. She had to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to get back to Josh.

Mimi was coming out of the subway 4 blocks away and saw the first plane hit.

She had to walk home too.

But they were all safe. We rejoiced but mourned those who weren't safe.

Here's another thing I don't understand about the Republican Congress and Senate folks--when the previous President wanted to leave Afghanistan, they were all for it.

Now they are criticizing Biden for it.

Go figure.

Yet another thing most Americans are in favor of (like the Infrastructure bill) that Republicans are against.

"Doing the right thing" doesn't seem to set well with them.

Alas.

They are like the rain. They just keep falling....

  

Since I've been writing about spring...

 (thought I'd share this from several years ago...)

 YOU ARE MY SPRING

 

Walking on the Canal today, Bela and I

were serenaded by dozens of birds.

 

Bela stopped twice to cock his head and listen.

I could not escape their songs.

My soul leaned toward Spring.

 

Perhaps they are back too soon

and will freeze in the February night.

But they were there this morning,

trying out their voices,

making music that sounded like April,

when we both were born.

 

Some winters, here in the Northeast,

test the will and Hope, itself.

Others, like this one,

tease us with their mildness.

Either way—Winter Comes.

 

And it is the Spring I lean toward, always,

no matter which winter rolls in.

 

Today, walking with a Puli dog,

listening to the misplaced choruses of birds,

I realized that I lean toward you

the way I lean toward Spring.

 

In all the Winter-times of my life,

I lean toward you.

You are my Spring,

my Hope, my Love.

                              VALENTINE'S DAY 2012 to Bern

Doing my taxes

Much of today was consumed by beginning to do my taxes.

We have a large container where all tax related things go. I should go through it monthly so the separation of stuff wouldn't take so long this time of year.

That's what I did--separate stuff.

I had, I think, 12 piles when I was done--credit card receipts, bank statements, utilities, medical stuff, on and on.

One thing you need to know that will make you wish you were ordained in some church or another: clergy get to deduct housing expenses. Go figure.

That used to apply to military and school teachers but both those were eventually removed but the power of the church (such as it is) kept clergy exempt from paying taxes on utilities, home improvements, home loans and stuff like that.

Pretty amazing isn't it.

Sorry I have that advantage over you.

We hardly pay any federal tax and no state tax after I get it all together and on paper and to H&R Block and the guy who knows about clergy taxes.

It's a real rip-off for all who aren't ordained but a heavenly blessing to those who are.

So, I've got it all separated and now is just adding stuff up.

I hope to be done by Friday and take it in.

I've been lazy since they set tax day back, but soon I'll be done.

Good luck with yours.

 

Here's your chance, beloved....

 I just found out today that the State of West Virginia is paying people $12,000 to move to the state.

That applies to everyone who moves in, but they are especially appealing to people who may be working from home in the long-run from DC, Maryland, Ohio, Northern Virginia and PA.

That would mean most of them would move to the eastern panhandle or the northern panhandle--look at a map of the state--or to the Morgantown area. All those places have done better over hard times than the rest of the state.

But if you decided to move further south in the state, $12,000 might mostly pay for a house.

McDowell Country, where I grew up, in the southern most of the 55 counties.

When I was a senior in high school McDowell's population was 100,000. Now it is 27,000.

Coal is dead and so are the coal mining areas of the state--once WV's major industry.

Planning a move?

Sell a normal house in CT and buy a mansion in WV.

The Mountain state is waiting for you!

 

What I got today

 Virginia Theological Seminary sent me a face mask today with their name on the front. I'll wear it gladly. It fits really well and is three ply.

It made me remember my post-graduate education.

Two years at Harvard Divinity School--the first fully funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. I got that because two of my college professors nominated me for 'a trial year in seminary' for people college professors think should be ordained but weren't going in that direction.

I guess they were right.

A few years later, two years at VTS for my M.Div.

Several years after that two years at Hartford Seminary for my Doctor of Ministry.

Six years of theological training and I haven't picked up a book on theology for 15 years or so!

I guess I either had too much or it wore off.

I don't know which.

I have a thought

 Today I went to Trinity Church, Milton to celebrate and preach.

It is a great little church in the Wilderness. Nothing much around it--a church across the field that I found out today had been a church, then and school and is now a private home.

I have a thought about living in a church.

Some folks about to be deported have done that--lived in a church.

Most Episcopal Churches have red doors, which historically meant that government officers could not enter without permission.

Separation of Church and State and all that.

I'm not sure that's true anymore.

Evangelical churches have allied themselves with the Right Wing in a way that is disturbing to me.

But living in what used to be a church would be a blessing.

Surrounded by holy walls would be a feeling of safety.

I envy the person who lives in that Church across a field from Trinity. Bill told me it was a Trinity parishioner.

Good for them.

Living in what used to be a church--what a joy.

But no wi-fi there or at Trinity.

That's how deep in the country Trinity is.