weekend-o-music

-Going to two gigs at the Grand Opera House with Ruth this weekend. The first was Martha Wainwright, which was pretty good, but the second was the Swell Season aka Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from "Once." They were absolutely brilliant. I love the old-world feel of the Grand Opera House.

-Hearing Glen Hansard sing to a massive audience without a microphone, just belting out his song with passion. It felt so personal, even thought I was waaay up high and far away. The acoustics were amazing--I understood how it would have functioned so well (and still does) as an Opera House.

-Glen also sang a song called "People Get Ready" that's all about making things right and bearing light in the world. He spoke of the how the outcome of the American election impacts the whole world, and then sang that song. It was so relevant and powerful.

cocoa, snow, joy and color

Hi everyone!
I finally have internet at home, but there are still a few kinks that need to be worked out. I'm having some trouble getting pictures to upload, so I'll add those soon.

-A warm, soothing cup of cocoa after a day out in the cold rain.

-Ten minutes of snow one cold morning. I stared out the window confused at the wierd-looking rain and then realized there were huge, fluffy snowflakes swirling down. I opened the front door and just stood there, staring skywards in amazement.

-Walking past two old men in the park on my way to work and hearing one say to the other, "I'm happy for each new morning."

-Leaves of gold and orange littering the ground and decorating trees.

i'm baaack

Sorry I've been away so long! I've had a not-so-fun chest infection and have been at home all week (sadly without internet). I'm feeling much better, so back at work and back to blogging!

-Really thoughtful people helping me feel better: Jonee came home with a get well card and some hot chocolate, and the Blake's donated homemade soup, an extra-warm fleece blanket and Jo's favorite hoodie.

-Lunch with Roberta and Lois where we laughed a lot and enjoyed talking in fake accents (all prompted by my improper pronunciation of "croissant").

-Being back at work and enjoying sarcastic banter with my co-worker. I love (and sometimes tire of...but mostly love) Northern Irish sarcasm.

tumble, whistle, sneak

-Watching children clad in warm winter hats and gloves rolling awkwardly down a golden-leaf-covered hill. They looked like colorful skeins of yarn tumbling down with tiny hands and feet poking out.

-A man who literally whistled while he worked.

-Arriving at Common Grounds to while away my morning off by reading and drinking coffee and having the server ask me, "are you Whitney?" I said yes, and she explained that my drink had been paid for by an "anonymous" person who came in earlier. Knowing it was my good friend Maureen who lives across the street, I texted her and thanked her for her sneaky thoughtfulness. She wrote back one word: "enjoy."

i got soul

-Walking outside my door to run to the grocery store and being blinded by the large, bright sun. Living here really makes you appreciate the sun. I just stopped and stared at it, basking in its warm glow for a minute.

-Watching a college student playfully shuffle through the golden autumn leaves on the ground.

-Having a local Belfast newspaper write a little article introducing me to the community. Well, really I just sent them my responses to some questions, but it's nice to be asked all the same. You can see the text of it here. It made me a little self-conscious, but also feel welcome. My favorite part was that they had asked me what music "always makes me dance" and I said the Killers, and then they quoted a Killers song (pretty much) in the headline: "She's got soul, but she's not a soldier."

stopping to smell the roses (again)

-Meeting up with some American college students who are visiting Belfast for a week and taking them to Botanic Gardens to see the roses. It was such a lovely day. I really enjoyed walking among the roses and instantly being surrounded by their sweet smell. I also loved the light shining brilliantly through leaves and the autumn-colored trees.

-A deep, carefree laugh.

-The little clink-clink-clink of the radiator letting me know it's working to make me warm.

a rose by any other name

-Picking a little rose in the park (I know, it's probably not allowed) and smelling its rainy, sweet fragrance. It instantly took me from the cold rain of Belfast to sunny afternoons at my Grandparents' ranch (the Ol' Magnolia) spent playing and smelling the roses outside when I was young.

-Working from Common Grounds and enjoying the busyness and crowd of people swirling all around me as I slowly sipped my tea and read my book (and argued with it in my mind and along the margins the whole time). Certain parts of it reminded me of friends far away and I thought of all of the theological discussion we would have over the author's use of scripture.

-Committing to only buying clothes at charity shops and starting off with great success: a silky, deep purple blouse with fun round buttons and a funky butter-yellow belt.

warmth & quirks

-Adding a blanket on top of my duvet and feeling the extra warmth.

-Looking out of the upstairs window of the office while my copies were being made to see the church steeple and rooftops in front of it. Watching the rain softly dot the surface of the slate-tiled roofs was calming and relaxing.

-Entering into an unknown local bookstore and discovering the quirks of artsy flyers adorning the walls, bookmarks for sale surreptitiously hidden among the books and a well-loved chair accompanied by an empty coffee mug.

once upon a time...

-A really encouraging text from my co-worker.

-An unhurried walk through the park to work. Dandering along at a slow pace, I was able to notice the golden leaves falling from the trees, the gathering of old men chatting and catching up, the faithful enthusiasm of dogs running around their owners and the way a canopy of trees above me shielded me from the gentle rain.

-Being asked to give a talk to the 4 S Club (an older women's club at church: Soup, Sandwiches and Something Special) about my life and what has led me to this place. I think that it's only in being asked to tell our story to others that we become aware and thankful for it ourselves.

danke shoen, darling danke shoen

I am back from a whirlwind weekend trip to Berlin for my good friend Andrea's wedding. It's crazy that it's easier (and cheaper) to travel to Germany from here on a 2-hour flight than it was to get from Atlanta to Houston in the states! I took Joanna, one of the young people from Fitzroy who is also close to Andrea, and we had a fantastic time. I went a little crazy taking pictures--I hope you enjoy them!

-Experiencing the joy of a German wedding as Andrea and Tilman got married. The reception lasted for hours and hours and was comprised of speeches, food every couple of hours, skits by friends of Andrea and Tilman, live music, a video made by the bride and groom and lots and lots of dancing. People take time celebrating in Germany, and instead of rushing through it, take the time to really honor the couple and what they have together.

-Andrea and I were good friends in Belfast when we both last lived here, and seeing her again was surreal and wonderful. It was so great to be a part of such a special day and to slip into our old patterns of humor after such a long time apart.

-Seeing Larissa again, who was also in Belfast when I was last here. Her, Joanna and I had the most fun exploring the city together, eating Haagen Dazs ice cream and dancing at the wedding.

-Rainbow-colored light splashing the walls with vibrant hues.

-A tiny Villeroy & Boch logo on the tiles of the subway. I have no idea why it was there, but think it might mean the tiles are made by them. I immediately thought of my Mother and Grandmother, who love Villeroy & Boch china. If they were with me, they might have tried to take a tile home with them! :)


-Walking the streets and playing on a huge water pump (which was thankfully dry).

-Going to Checkpoint Charlie and seeing remnants of the Berlin wall and art, stories and acts of bravery inspired by resistance against it.

-Reading amazing stories about courageous everyday people who resisted the division of Germany. One story was written above this bag explaining that a woman whose child was not permitted on her side of the wall smuggled him across in this actual bag covered with a cloth. The picture of the two of them smiling once they reached the other side taught me of how resisting division is a joyful act. Every picture of families using homemade hot air balloons, tunnels and crates to cross the wall showed people smiling brightly and facing daunting odds bravely because they were driven by love and family.

-The lovely sights of Berlin sweeping past me as I rode the train.

-Lovely domed buildings with warm sunlight shining on them.

-I always find that trees look differently in each country I've been to, and German trees have really dark, smooth trunks with shimmery sage green leaves. So beautiful.

-The ceiling of a church entrance covered in intricate and holy carvings.

-Seeing the famous gate of Berlin that used to be such a symbol of oppression and now has people freely flowing through it.

-Fall is in full bloom already in Berlin, and everywhere walls were adorned with bright leafy vines.
-A swirly and whimsical staircase with beautiful daffodils (I think) decorating it.

-It's wierd, but buildings actually seem taller in Berlin than anywhere I've been. I loved the layered walls with narrow paths between them.

-Going to a tiny Anne Frank museum that was hidden away down a graffiti-covered alley. It was painful to see the images and hear the stories, but so important.

-Seeing the first baby picture of Anne Frank.

-Looking at what I think is a facsimile of Anne Frank's diary. There is such power in words--especially hers.

-Reading old newspapers proclaiming the end of the Nazi regime and trying to understand the feeling they captured and the hugeness of that moment.

-Walking through bricked pathways with Joanna and looking at all of the lovely scarves and what is called "bric a brac" in Ireland. I ended up bartering with a man selling all sorts of random things in the street for a lovely little bright green wind-up clock. It's exactly what I was looking for, keeps perfect time, ticks soothingly and even says "made in Germany" in tiny print on the face.



-Shopping in a bead shop with Joanna and finding a gorgeous large sunflower bead which I had attached to a clasp to make it a pin for my coat. I also found a couple of beautiful beads for my friend Jessi who makes jewelry (you'll get them in a couple of weeks, Jessi!).

I'm off to Berlin for the weekend for my friend Andrea's wedding, so I'll be sure to blog when I'm back on Monday with pics from Berlin. Have a great week! Whit

my wee house

Hello! Here are a few pictures of my house in Belfast. I really love it. Miss you all. :) Whitney

Front door

My little reading area in my room :)

Dressers/closety-thing

My bed/table

The bathroom

The kitchen (where all the magic happens)

look after

-Edward in the charity shop asking about my call (female ministers are a new thing for him) and listening respectfully as I shared my story. Then, when we finally got around to why I was in the shop, he found two lamps that were exactly what I was looking for and gave them to me for only 5 pounds, saying "we have to look after each other in ministry."

-An ice-cream cone from a 105-year-old ice cream shop.

-The thrill of receiving a call from Ash and Clay on Skype (while I had brief internet) and hearing their voices and Natalie's enthusiastic musings in the background.

hands on

-Having hands layed on me and hearing the whole congregation singing "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" behind me as I was commissioned for my work at Fitzroy.

-How leading youth in a discussion or activity just makes me feel like myself.

-Being greeted as I left the church by Gemma, a girl I worked with at Mornington years ago. She came up and said, "Aren't you called Whitney? Didn't you used to work at Mornington?"

-Mom saying she missed and loved me.

old and new

-The sights, smells, sounds and tastes of St. George's Market. It was also nice to be there with a good friend and run into old ones.

-Having a barbecue with Jonee and Jason and including our neighbors and some of their friends. Everything from buying a grill for 5 pounds to eating was full of laughter, banter and "good craic."

-Watching the Romanian children dance at Frenzy (the children's club on a Friday) and thinking that this was part of why I was called here. I even saw three of them on the street the next day and they were so excited to see me and asked when they could come back to Fitzroy.

and so it begins...

-Enjoying my first day of work, especially the part where Chris and I went for coffee to discuss Bible studies and the youth.

-Going to the Queen's Film Theatre with Jonee to see The Duchess. I love British period films because they often remind me of buildings and scenery here. It was a great feeling to recognize a building style and know that as soon as I left the theater I would see it in the buildings of Belfast. I also really enjoyed coming out of the cold into cozy, oversized red theater chairs with a warm cup of creamy hot chocolate in my hand.

-Being given a fantastic little portable bike by a member of the church so I can make my way around town quicker. It's really fun and quirky.