snow and then

-Snow! Snow makes the cold somehow gratifying, and seems to warm it up a bit, too.

-Meeting Catherine at St. George's with the other die-hard-market-goers who didn't let the snow stop them and catching up with Mr. Hazelnut Latte Creator at Javaman, talking about our Christmases and the cold weather, until he threw in a "the usual, then?" and made my coffee. Delicious, as always. I bought the last tiny butternut squash from Bespeckled Produce Man and he took my 90p and then said, "See you next week."

-A great walk through the market, to the city centre and even to TK Maxx with Catherine spent snapping photos and catching up along the way. What a wonderful friend.

-Speaking of wonderful friends, a great conversation (nearly 2 hours!) with my dear friend Jessi last night. New Year's resolution: get better at keeping in touch.

baby, it's cold outside

Well, it's freezing (literally). I seem to have some rare seasonal condition called "Winter Amnesia" because when January rolls around and it inevitably gets colder than it has been, I become indignant like it's some bizarre fluke of nature. Sadly, it is not, it's simply winter in Belfast. So, last night, after a catch-up with the Kuhlas and a brave (I think) jaunt into the snowy cold to catch my two buses home, I came into my house determined to create some warmth. Andrea had loaned me her amazing microwaveable-aromatic-houseshoes while she's away on holiday, so I warmed em' up, put 'em on and then got a hot water bottle and nice big cup of chamomile tea in the awesome mug Jessi sent me and curled into bed with a copy of Vogue (also a gift from Jessi). So, my glimpses of grace from yesterday are:

-Combatting the cold with the following: warm slippers, tea in a thoughtful mug (it somehow tastes better when there's love in it coming to you), a hot water bottle, several blankets and dark chocolate (helps everything).

-The crunch of snow under my feet and the way it somehow makes the world quieter, stiller.

-Teaching Andrea & Tilmann my very limited knowledge of Italian for their trip to Italy and reveling in saying all those "rrrr's." "Buon giorrrrrrrrrrrno!"

Wishing you warmth today!

birthday bliss (and blunders)

Oh, what a birthday. I decided that it's a rare thing to be flying on one's birthday and that I should just push my luck and ask about possibly getting a free upgrade on my international flight. Now, this isn't my normal style, and I was actually a little nervous doing it. But as I came into the airport, I noticed that "Moon River" was playing over the speakers (always a good sign), and so I took a deep breath and apologetically said to the check-in woman at British Airways, "Um, I'm sure it probably can't happen, but it's my birthday and I was wondering if there's any possibility of an upgrade. (dramatic pause) It's just me travelling." Now, I'm someone who doesn't mind a bit travelling on my own, in fact it's some of my best reading & people watching time. But, I figured being solo certainly helped my chances. The very friendly woman at check-in stopped smiling, said very seriously, "Wait here a minute." and left me trying to look normal while wishing with everything that this would work. She came back, tagged my bag and smiled saying, "Well, we have you in business class. You have a 6 foot bed! Be sure to enjoy the executive lounge near your gate before you fly. Now that's a birthday present!" It sure was! I told her thank you (I think my exact words were, "You're amazing!") and off I went feeling like I'd just won the lottery. I enjoyed a lovely posh Pellegrino with cheese and crackers in the lounge while I read and the same woman came in asking if I was enjoying myself. So nice.

On the plane, they offered us champagne immediately, which I declined, because I was going to have a nice red wine later. I sat back in my reclining chair with a footstool, curled up with a cloth-covered pillow and quilted blanket and thought I could really get used to this. They brought me a menu, I had my choice of 6 wines, and sat back watching Harry Potter and enjoying that first sip of quality red wine. And then the ol' Wilkinson Coordination Curse set in. You see, my family's having some issues lately in this area. A few days ago, my niece poured an entire mug of hot coffee all over our antique coffee table. Then, my Dad managed to (no joke) accidentally pour boiling water on his foot while carrying a pot and then later got hit in the face with a backseat in the car when it was released, hurting his nose and knocking off a piece of his glasses. Then, on my last day for lunch, my sister had freezing ice water spilled all over her jeans. So, it really was only a matter of time until my number was up. After that first decadent sip of wine, it somehow leapt out of my hands and all over my jeans, blanket and (gulp) library book. You can take the girl out of coach, but you can't take coach out of the girl. :) The attendants were all too friendly though, and brought me towels, a new blanket and even pajamas from first class I could wear while they hung up my jeans to dry. Oh, and they very carefully handed me a fresh glass of wine. At one point the attendant was walking through with a bottle of wine offering people refills and she asked if I wanted one and wasn't even able to keep a straight face. I laughed and shook my head. The rest of the flight was amazing: 3 course meal with china, linen napkins and actual cutlery. I had this amazing seared peppered tuna, followed by mahi mahi with potatoes and then a trifle that was a dead ringer for strawberry shortcake. Then I layed my seat all the way flat into a bed and slept soundly (for the first time ever on a flight) for a blissful 5 hours. It was wonderful. Once in London, I had lots of time to kill, so I even treated myself to a little birthday gift of an on-sale top. It looks just like stained glass windows to me, a fitting and chic little thing for a minister to wear!

All in all, maybe the best birthday ever. I even met a fascinating Hindu man on the bus to Belfast who invited me to visit his temple and whose wife is a women's community worker I'd like to get in touch with.

Today's my mom's birthday and so I wish you a "first class" day, Momma! Hope it's perfect. Love you :)

So, that's my birthday story friends. Lessons learned: never underestimate the power of Moon River and a question, show respect for red wine and always talk to people you wind up next to.

Whitney

oh happy day

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words."
-Plautus

Well, dear blog friends, it's my 28th birthday (which means according to my parents that I've already had 28 years, which is of course, true)!

Yesterday was celebration time, because today's my day to travel those 6000 miles back across the pond. What a great day: I preached at First Pres in their double service marathon, where I preached at the progressive service with Marie and Ted and then rushed into a robe and into the simultaneous traditional service to preach there too. I served communion and even had a fun Yoda moment, where I said "When we eat this bread and drink this wine, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again, and come again he will!" It was great. I saw lots of friendly faces, including the wonderful Bob Leslie, who baptized me, helped with my ordination service and was smiling at me as I walked down the aisle at the end of the service in his jaunty Irishy green tweed coat and Book of Kells tie. He and his wife Candace are the epitome of wisdom and grace. I had amazing Mexican food with family and my good friend Angelina. I caught up with my dear friend Pierce enjoying her wonderful encouragement and energy. And, yes, I did celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words with my family.

auld lang syne

Well, I had a lovely morning at home. We woke up early...

let the sun pour in...

read the paper...

drank some coffee, and thought over the fun glimpses of grace in the past few days:

Lighting my great-grandmother's votives...

ringing in 2010 with champagne...

taking pretty Christmas pictures...

...and lots more: curling up in my dad's big leather recliner with a cuppa chamomile tea and a book, reading until my head starts to droop, the energy and excitement that comes with imagining the future, more of those amazing pancakes, good conversations and, yes, still that coffee. It's been a whirlwind two weeks at home, and I can't believe it's almost over. I'm off to see my First Pres Bryan family tomorrow to be with them in worship, and am really looking forward to it. So far, 2010, you're not too shabby!

12 days of Christmas

Oh, I'm having fun at home.
There's playing with Natalie, aka, "Bigfoot"...

There's that constant happy smile on Gianna's face...

There's the serenity of precious sleeping children...

There's cuddles and little hands holding mine... There's a welcome mat ready for wherever my feet take me next...

There's hysterical playing in the amazing circus tent Natalie got for Christmas...

Did I mention the cuddles?

There's Natalie glamming it up with the jewelry I gave her that's just like some I had as a child...

There's those amazing, fiery Texas sunsets...

There's the food...wow...

And there's so much more: reading my book with fresh coffee and Hayden (the dog) cuddled up next to me, rainy days spent by a roaring fire, a wee bit of sermonating, visiting grandmothers (who are now great-grandmothers), rocking Natalie to sleep as she asks me what every single object in the room is (including my eyes), having a good long conversation with my dear friend Rob and feeling glad I'm in Texas at this particular time, going to a movie with my sista and spending some time just be-ing.

i'll be home for Christmas

I'm home! Family, coffee, golden light, red flannel pj's, all being in the kitchen baking cookies, making hot sauce and venison chili, festive decorations abounding, seeing Avatar in 3d (the most amazing & timely movie I've seen in a long time), those deep conversations on the couch and, did I mention coffee? Wonderful.

cup overflowing

I'm headed to Texas tomorrow for Christmas with my family and my FPC Bryan family and am so excited! Grace has abounded these days, and I've been so busy with it all, I haven't had time to record it. There was a night out with my dance girls where we ended up hearing live country (using that term loosely) music while I taught them to two-step and pretzel, there was a meeting with two of my good friends (who didn't previously know each other) of course at st. george's market, there was the always friendly and not-a-little-bit-sassy woman at the clothing stall who gave me a beautiful tapestry bracelet for free as a Christmas gift since I'm such a "regular", there were gatherings around soup and german bread, there were poignant, thoughtful prayers in worship led by 10-year-olds, there was fragrant, hot mulled wine in irish pottery goblets, there were christmas presents exchanged in living rooms and through letter boxes and there was fresh snow and a silver sliver of moon and a cozy warm bed. See what I mean?

Wishing you all a grace-full Christmas,

Whitney

good morning, sunshine.

-Waking up to see fluffy cotton-candy-pink clouds against a vibrant blue sky as the day began with a beautiful flourish.

-Going to see The Nativity, a funny and surprisingly heart-warming movie, with Ruth and enjoying coming into a warm theater, sitting in a comfy seat, taking off layers and munching on salty popcorn and sweet coke. I love going to the movies. :)

-Having communion with other Presbyterian Church in Ireland youth workers to prepare for the inbreaking of God into the world that is Christmas.

(star)tling

-Standing outside the church and seeing, shockingly with only a handful of stars in the sky, a shooting star. I yelped and hopped a little, pointing to the sky. A few seconds later, Chris did the same because he saw one too. What are the chances?

-A perfect iPod shuffle on my walk to work. First, songs from The Mission* by Ennio Morricone, which are heartbreakingly beautiful. Then, Viva la Vida by Coldplay came on, with a line about "missionaries in a foreign field" that always made me smile. Finally, a song by Duke Special, my favorite Belfast musician came on.

-Coming home at 8:30 absolutely exhausted ("knackered" as they'd say here) and starving from Christmas shopping. I was craving spaghetti and find cooking so therapeutic, so as I cooked onions, bacon, garlic and mushrooms mingled with wine, tomatoes and basil, I relaxed. Sitting down with a big bowl of fragrant, delicious spaghetti was wonderful.
------------------
*If you haven't seen The Mission, you really should. It's a haunting story of colonial mission in Paraguay and portrays the terrible things people have done in the name of God and mission, like slavery and genocide. But, it also portrays the power of redemption and the human spirit. The soundtrack is by Ennio Morricone and makes the film what it is.

timely tune

-Opening a very old book of poetry and hymns by Frances Havergil I have on my bookshelf and landing upon this hymn. What a timely tune. I also notices that Frances had certain parts in italics (I have them in bold): the words as, when and where. These words are very significant to me right now.

Lord, speak to me that I may speak

In living echoes of Thy tone;

As Thou has sought, so let me seek

Thine erring children lost and lone.

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead

The wandering and the wavering feet;

O feed me, Lord, that I may feed

Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

O strengthen me, that while I stand

Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,

I may stretch out a loving hand

To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach

The precious things Thou dost impart;

And wing my words, that they may reach

The hidden depths of many a heart.

O give Thine own sweet rest to me,

That I may speak with soothing power

A word in season, as from Thee,

To weary ones in needful hour.

O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,

Until my very heart overflow

In kindling thought and glowing word,

Thy love to tell,

Thy praise to show.

O use me, Lord, use even me,

Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,

Until Thy blessèd face I see,

Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

-Being given not only delicious Peruvian coffee beans by Richard from church, but also a grinder to grind them with as well. There's just nothing like a freshly ground, french pressed cup of coffee.

-Lighting a candle to pray for a family who lost a dearly loved one yesterday.

niceties from neils

-Neil bringing me wonderful gifts: his extended versions of Lord of the Rings and a Mumford & Sons cd. Another shout out to ya, buddy! Thanks! :)

-A kind email from another Neil saying he was glad God called me to Fitzroy. What a wonderful thing to say.

-Engaging in my one of my favorite Saturday activities: cooking. I made a yummy pot of beans and jalapeno-cheddar cornbread muffins, and then later, festive Christmas cookies.

what goes around swirls around

-Going to see my friend Geoff launch his debut album, Ten Year Road, that chronicles his life during the last ten years. The highlight of the decade for him must be meeting his fiance Camel (fascinating name, huh?), because she sang with him on stage in her retro bright red dress, tights and shoes with a shy smile on her face. Their affection for each other was palpable and you could tell by their words and body language that they are both head over heels in love. It really was infectious--Geoff's songs were heartfelt, whimsical and soothing and his ukelele (yep!) playing was brilliant, but the star of the night was their relationship, without a doubt.

-The swirly handle of the church gate.

-Dancing with my carnival girls and looking over to see Denise dancing to the drum beats with a big smile on her face. We both agreed that meeting together to dance is essential to our wellbeing, especially on these cold, dark nights.

now that's festive

-A couple of weeks ago, there was news of a bit of trouble in the city centre of Belfast during the Christmas Tree Lighting, where teenagers from Protestant & Catholic communities threw things at each other and generally caused a mess. This type of activity very rarely happens in the centre of Belfast--it's usually confined to "flashpoint areas," where two different, usually poorer communities are next to each other. It made me really angry that this had happened, and so in religious education with primary students that week, I talked all about peace. I explained that every place has a history of people being divided, and how in my country this was often in the form of racism. I said that the most important lesson they could ever learn in religious education was that God loves everyone, and wants everyone to love everyone else. I had them draw or write ways they could show God's love to people who are different than them, and they came up with some inspiring and courageous ideas. I have many of them taped up behind my desk at work, and they remind me of the power of children to shape a new reality in this place and beyond. Looking at them today brought me joy and hope and peace.

-A cozy night in spent drinking hot chocolate and painting my nails Christmas red while watching The Holiday. So festive and relaxing.

-Seeing a "Laura Ashley" store sign and thinking of my sista and getting excited because I'll see her in less than two weeks!

drifting together

-A child turning a snowglobe over and staring with awe at its simple wonder.

-The little old man next to me in the Linenhall Library. I was there reading in the utter quiet and could hear his rhythmic deep breathing as he drifted in and out of sleep in his chair. I think he was as content as I was.

-Coming to a brief stop on the bus and looking up to see a man typing diligently through his office window, which was decorated with cheery, blinking Christmas lights. Sometimes I like to imagine what total strangers' lives are like (ala Amelie) and so as we drove on, I felt somehow connected to this person I don't know and will probably never meet.

walk on

-Getting a hilarious, very Belfast t-shirt from Tee & Toast, the quirky designer at St. George's Market. When I came to pick it up today in the middle of a crazed Christmas market, she held up the bag eagerly and said, "Oh here, Whitney!" It's of the famous Belfast landmarks the shipyard cranes lovingly called "Samson" and "Goliath," but with a bit of a rock-n-roll edge. She recommending making one for me in red, which I just love. A hug, encouraging words and a smile also came along with it, and were very welcome additions.

-Going Christmas shopping with Andrea and finding things that (hopefully) really suit loved ones.

-Singing "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" at the evening service and feeling an inexplicable but tangible closeness to my Granddaddy.

heaven is a chocolate biscuit

-Going into the church during Nightreach to find some bags of clothes for Roma families and walking back out to see a crowd of community wardens (who passed word via their radios that there were bacon sandwiches to be found and all came) and Roma women all huddled together against the middle-of-the-night cold being served warm soup, sandwiches and biscuits. Something about the image of it all made me pause for half a second and smile before returning to the table.

-Being on the phone with my mom at the exact moment that it started snowing in Texas. She suddenly drew in a breath and said, "Oh, wow. It's snowing!"

-My first day off in ten days made perfect by a good sleep-in after Nightreach, red flannel pj's, old Friends episodes, a warm cuppa tea and dark chocolate digestive biscuits. Heavenly.

song and dance

-The fun of decorating for Christmas. There was a slight argument and need for reconciliation over the fact that Jonee thinks Christmas trees should always have tinsel (which I don't) and I think they should always have white lights (he prefers colored). We met in the middle and have a lovely little white-lit, tinsel-adorned tree. Jonee's silly musical encouragement (in one fantastic outfit, I might add) in the background also added a lot.

-Dance class where there were only a handful of us, providing ample space and lively conversation.

-Wearing comfy brown leggings.