memory, move, magic

-Drinking coffee in the morning out of my new cup and saucer and enjoying the familiar clink that reminds me so much of home. I think the noise of a cup meeting a saucer might just be my earliest memory--it certainly was the first thing I heard in the morning for years and years. I remember the grown-up luxury of getting to drink my own wee cup of coffee (properly doctored with lots of milk and sugar, of course) in my Grandparents' bed as a child.

-Being given a lovely little white sofa by a family in the church who are moving to Scotland. Ours was in desperate shape, and they were desperate to be rid of theirs so they could move. So, a win-win situation it was! I've brightened it up a bit with some pillows and a blanket, and really love it. I fell asleep watching a movie on it last night, which is a sign of true sofa love.

-(An aptly prophesied glimpse by Tom...) While driving home from Sunday lunch, Tom, Pete and I noticed smoke coming up in great plumes from behind some buildings. Alarm turned to awe as we realized that it was actually an old-fashioned steam train emitting hot steam that billowed grey-white against the cold winter sky. I don't think I've ever seen a steam train in real life, so it was as bewildering as seeing a unicorn or leprechaun (which I'm still looking for, by the way).

eggaroos, a tale or two, and hot brew

-Going to the grocery store and trying to decide what to get and make for dinner. All of a sudden, the memory of scrambled eggs with cream cheese and herbs from a diner in Decatur flooded into my memory and I craved it. Inspired by the memory, I made scrambled eggs with creamy Philadelphia and fresh basil for dinner. It was delicious--and tasted just like Georgia.

-At staff meeting this morning, Denis talked about leadership by telling a story from when he was the head of his traveling choir a long time ago. While making their way through a German airport after getting off of a place, one of the choir members came to him and said, "Where is the bathroom?" Denis told him to read the signs, and made the point that, when in a leadership role, people expect you to know everything. We all laughed. At lunch later, I made a point of asking Denis where the bathroom was and we all laughed again at his story.

-My housemates know that I like whole milk and have just quietly (and kindly) adopted the practice of buying it instead of skim. Mixed with my dark chocolate Cadbury's cocoa powder, it makes the richest hot chocolate.

special

-Going to see Duke Special, a favorite Belfast musician of mine, play at St. George's Market. It was certainly a quirky evening, but fun and entertaining too. His voice has even improved in the past few years, and he sounds as great as ever with his rich, Rufus Wainwright-style voice.

-Finding out that one of the children I teach in Religious Education classes is from Mexico. His face lit up when I mentioned that I had been there, and that my family loves having tamales for dinner on Christmas Eve. He said, "ooh, yes, I love tamales...and tacos and enchiladas..."

-Going Christmas shopping and finding things that I think my family will really like.

sunday happy sunday

-Being invited to the church welcome lunch at the Williamson's (we have them once every month), and sitting around a table with Northern Irish folks, a Columbian woman, a Mexican woman and a Rwandan man. The man from Rwanda began talking about his PhD work studying conflicts and reconciliation, South Africa and Northern Ireland in particular. It sparked a great conversation on the road to peace for both places, and how humor has played such a role in healing here. I learned a great deal.

-Arriving at the Blake's house for our Lord of the Rings fest and being greeted by the always friendly Goldie (the dog) and being handed a fleecy blanket and given a space on the couch. Curled up in front of a coal fire (which kept reminding me of Harry Potter--thought Sirius Black might just poke his head up in it), warm and welcomed, watching one of my favorite movies was just the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

-Leading the evening service and feeling really comfortable. We had a great turn out, and met in a smaller room of the church, which gave the whole service an intimate, friendly feel. I was really relaxed during my sermon, and even brought out some of my natural nerdiness, and people really responded to it. It's a great thing to feel like you can get a message across while being completely yourself.

whim, washing up, white

-I've been on the look out for the movie Love Actually for weeks now because, well, it's British and Christmassy and Love Actually. After buying some groceries yesterday afternoon, on a whim, I decided to brave the cold a bit longer and check the charity shop across the street for it. I ran in, groceries in tow, and immediately saw Love Actually on the shelf. I grabbed it, paid (50 pence) and left all in about 30 seconds. I watched it last night, and it was as lovely as ever.

-Cooking broccoli, cheese and potato soup (which is so very good with white Irish cheddar and Irish potatoes taken from the ground that morning) and sharing some with my housemate Jonee. After devouring large bowls of it and sitting back contentedly watching the movie mentioned above, he jumped up and said, "You cooked. I'll do the dishes." Those might be my favorite words ever.

-Looking out of the window to see a blanket of frost covering the roofs this morning.

relax at home

-Having a table quiz to raise money for the youth program and enjoying the banter, relaxed atmosphere and decadent desserts. There were dozens of yummy treats to chose from: I had a raspberry cake roll and the always-tasty banoffee pie. The whole night felt really comfortable and entertaining.

-Going with several friends to see my friend Kellie's band play and having fun all hanging out together. Back in Decatur, I would often drag friends to little shows, and so I felt really at home and myself to be doing it here.

-Waking up to a really cold morning and indulging in a second steaming cup of tea.

An addition--I don't want to forget this:
-Yesterday I went to visit an immigrant family who live in the area to learn more of their story about how they came here, how life is here for them and what their needs are. As I left, 5 of the children gave me hugs, and 3 said, "I love you" with the joy of genuine affection and the pride of being able to speak English to me. It was a humbling experience for me: here I am, fluent in the language of the place I live, and yet how often do I use it to express love? I have much to learn from these children.

sunny thoughts

-The hiss of piping-hot buttery popcorn. I'm a little popcorn obsessed...I think it's my family's fault. We always had popcorn in the afternoon, and I crave it several times a week. It tasted just as good as it smelled.

-Sunlight shining on a big leaf in the middle of my path through the park to work this morning.

-Getting an email from my parents with pictures of our house all decorated for Thanksgiving. Everything looks so festive. I can't wait to be there in a few weeks! I've also received other texts and emails wishing me a happy Thanksgiving, which were so thoughtful.

uncommon ground

-Getting a thoughtful thanksgiving card from my parents--and in it a leaf from our front yard. It's funny how the card and leaf just smelled like home. It's said that smell is the strongest sense of memory, and I think it's true.

-Preaching my first sermon as an ordained minister. Sermons are never really easy to gauge--you're invested in what you say, but once your words leave your mouth, they go where they will. I think I was a bit more nervous than normal preaching as an official minister for the first time and being in a place where I haven't preached before, so to have that hurdle jumped is great.

-Volunteering at Common Grounds, my favorite non-profit fair-trade coffee shop. I have a Tuesday night free, and thought it would be a great way to get to know people and spend time contributing to a place I love. I already met another volunteer there who's an American phd student in creative writing and the girl who works there full time, and they are both quirky, friendly and laid-back. I'm really going to enjoy the conversation, company and free coffee!

shine

-Putting Christmas lights up in our living room around our big picture. I normally wouldn't go all Christmassy quite this early, but I figure I don't really get Thanksgiving over here, so bring on Christmas! It reminds me of my old apartment to have lights around a picture, and creates the warmest glow in the room. The new cinnamon and spice candle also adds a Christmas feel to the room.

-Watching rain fall lightly and sparkle in the sunlight, making the trees glisten and shine.

-Having a teenage girl in the youth group say (when she heard I was preaching Sunday night), "So, you're ordained as a minister and all?" "Yep I am." "That's sooo cool!"

this hour and that one

-Receiving the most amazing package from Jessi. (THANK YOU!) She sent me a great top, a cd of music we both love and a copy of The Writing Life by Annie Dillard, complete with her own personal notes to me in it. Her inscription to me in the book was so thoughtful it brought me to tears. Feeling that she was right there with me, I read the entire book last night and this morning. I found myself emotional when I read a sentence about dancing next to the band and saw that beside it Jessi had written "I thought of you immediately." It's a wonderful thing to be so deeply known and loved.

-Annie Dillard's wisdom and truth. I was particularly shocked into new awareness and profound simplicity when she said, "What then shall I do this morning? How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing."

-I've decided to volunteer on Tuesday evenings at my favorite coffee shop, and have already noticed the people working there treating me as more than just another visitor. Their friendly smiles, helpful information and enthusiasm ("The girls working are so excited you're helping! I'll leave a t-shirt out for you.") make me already feel like an insider.

pure poetry

-Going to a poetry book launch with Jonee and Jason. The author was one of Jonee's poet friends, and the launch--with traditional singing, heartfelt readings, free red wine and quirky attendees--was charming.

-The fun of Northern Irish sarcasm.

-Instead of drinking my morning coffee while blogging & checking emails, I opted to sit in bed and read another chapter of my Jane Austen book while surrounded by warm blankets and pillows.

a wee dander

I awoke last Saturday to find the weather unusually mild, with bright sunshine. I decided that sunshine in Belfast is a terrible thing to waste, and so I walked up Cavehill, the hill that overlooks the city and ocean. It was so relaxing to meander my way up, slowly taking in the fluffy green grass, sights of the ocean and regal hills. I wanted to share it with you, so grab a cuppa tea (the closest you have to the English/Irish variety), sit back, and walk the hills of Northern Ireland with me.

(Belfast Castle)

(view of Belfast and the sea)

(When my cousins Lee and Adele came to visit once, Lee sat on a rock on Cavehill and claimed it as her own. I think this is it.)

(Hey! Thanks for coming.)

purple broccoli and little ears

-Walking to work on an unusually warm day and seeing Maureen sweeping her front porch. I stopped to say hello, was invited in for coffee, and decided that I should always make time for this sort of thing. I had a really encouraging chat with Chris and Maureen, delicious coffee and cinnamon raisin bread. I left the Blake's feeling, like I always do, lighter and more at home.

-After teaching the Flipside (youth club) kids about God's goodness in creation, on a whim, I asked if any of them wanted to pray. One boy did, and he thanked God for "making everything and calling it good," asking, "help us to treat other people as God's good creation." It was awesome.

-Going on a late night Tesco run with a couple of the youth leaders after clubs on Friday. It's become a bit of a tradition to venture out together at 11PM to the open-all-night massive grocery store, and it's always an adventure. I love finding interesting foods I can't find in my tiny branch of Tesco near me. This time it was purple sprouting broccoli and oreccheitte pasta (which means "little ears"). Throw in some bacon, cream and onion and I've got one creative (and colorful) dinner!

dream, delicious and dad

-A great chat with Chris about where we think Fitzroy will be this time next year, and the year after... I'm really thankful to be a part of it.

-Going to Common Grounds (as usual) for lunch and asking Stephen what soup they had today. He replied, "Butternut squash, and it's really lovely. I've changed the recipe a bit--a little more nutmeg and some cloves--please let me know what you think!"

-Reading my Dad's blog and being amazed at the way he weaves stories together with subtle grace and finds hidden in them a deep, lasting meaning. What a gift.

go lightly

-Spending my day off curled up on the sofa watching Breakfast at Tiffany's and having lots of popcorn. It really is one of the most remarkable movies. (Remember how much I like it?)

-Discovering an amazing song and listening to it over and over: "The Writer" by Ellie Goulding. She's not very well known, and so isn't on iTunes and I can't find her chords anywhere. I'll just have to to make it to London to a show at some point!

-Seeing pictures from Clay's birthday and knowing that he had such a great time. My sister organized a suprise dinner at an Italian restaurant owned by another Patranella--Clay's third cousin. It sounds like they had an experience worthy of the Godfather (minus the violence of course!) as they ate delicious food and were then escorted to the private bar, which was of course named the "Corleone Bar."

there and back again

-Lunch with lots of Fitzroy folks that included great conversation, amazing food and time to relax. It was also great to catch up with some parents of youth I work with and hear from one that her daughter was really excited when she heard I was returning. It was another of those great hobbitish Northern Irish Sunday lunches, where you leave when it's dark outside after several hours together.

-A deep discussion on election (God's, not ours) with one of the youth--initiated by her.

-An hour-long Skype conversation with my parents, where we finally caught up with each other on everything. I can't wait to see my family at Christmas.

got any change?

-Bright orange and yellow leaves crunching under my feet as I walk. My life is full of change right now, and it's comforting to know that the seasons are changing with me.

-Hanging out with Veronika at St. George's Market and greeting each other with "it's so great to see you!" and "we have lots to talk about." It's amazing that, knowing her only a few weeks, I feel like I can really confide in her, and her in me. This is a real gift from God.

-Eating Cadbury's dark chocolate fingers that, (try to follow me) I used to buy at home in Texas to remind me of here, and that ended up instead reminding me of home tonight. How funny.

no really, escape, awake

-Having a student at Nightreach look at us with suspicion when we said that we were giving them bacon sandwiches, soup and tea into the wee hours of the morning just to show them kindness and that we (Fitzroy) want to be a presence in the community. I think some of the students, who are mostly Catholic, are used to Protestants trying to challenge or convert them and after explaining to him that that's really not what we're about, he smiled and said, "thank you." I could actually see in his face the moment suspicion turned to gratitude.

-Having a really long day and Jonee my housemate noticing my weariness and saying, "Wanna go to the cinema?" It was the perfect way to relax and recharge.

-After sleeping like it's going out of style (because of a night out til 3am with Nightreach) I wake and groggily make my way downstairs, make coffee, take the first sweet and rich sip and smile as it coaxes me awake.

if there's two things you can't talk about...

...they're politics and religion. Well, I always talk about religion, so I've already blown that one. Today, I'm going to go ahead and talk about politics too. This is a massive glimpse of grace for me personally, so there's just one for today:

-Seeing Barack Obama become the first African American president (which is something we can all be proud of) and feeling hopeful, determined and inspired at the direction our country is headed and the person who will serve as our leader. I genuinely believe he's going to do great things for our country. Put in Northern Irish terms...I'm chuffed! Oh, so chuffed.

life as an ocean

-If "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills" from Out of Africa is the best opening sentence of a book (which I think it is), then I may have found the most perfect conclusion in Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Speaking of his son-in-law joining the abolitionist cause, a man says,
"You'll be spat on, shot at, lynched, pacified with medals, spurned by backwoodsmen! Crucified! Naive, dreaming Adam. He who would do battle with the many-headed hydra of human nature must pay a world of pain & his family must pay it along with him! & only as you gasp your dying breath shall you understand, your life amounted to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean!"

Adam responds, "Yet what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?"

It's a deeply complex, multilayered book. I recommend it!

-From the first second outside my door this morning to when I arrived at work after a half-hour walk through the park, I was bombarded by cheery, "good morning's". What a great way to start the day.

-An old man who talked to his little dog lovingly in a strong Belfast accent, saying "Ackkkk, Ackkk houw are ye?"