When I turned 16, I lived in Holland, Michigan. Even though I spent the winter in Mississippi last year, I maintained my residency in Michigan. This past week, I got a Tennessee drivers license and car registration. It feels weird, especially since I still don't really feel rooted here. Perhaps I will never feel rooted again, having let go of the necessity of producing that feeling.
My music directing experience at Holston Valley meanders along. I say it that way because the church year and the organization of music heretofore has no trajectory. It's always been a week-to-week thing, and it still is. Any choir groups meet for a few weeks prior to a specific performance, rather than on a weekly, year-'round (or September through mid-June) basis. I'm feeling my way, trying to determine what will best serve the people who are here, as well as help new people to feel welcome and comfortable. Trying to get a sense whether this is working or not. Too soon to tell? I started August 14, but it feels like longer.
I joined a "covenant group" organized around photography. This means that, each meeting we have an assignment to photograph something that goes with a theme. Next time, it's about "reflections." I know what I want photographed, but I'll have to get someone else to do it, because it's a shot of me reflected in the front board of the piano. I noticed this reflection last Sunday, amazed to see my mother's face looking back at me. I have many thoughts to share with the group about this particular reflection.
First, I looked grim. My mom used to look like that when she was just sitting and reading or knitting, and I always thought she was mad at me. I don't think I look like that very often, but it gave me pause. Next, I thought that I looked old. But subsequently I've thought that there is no definition for that except what I hold in my heart, so I'm letting it go. This is why I prefer the reflections of myself in other people's and creatures' faces to the ones in the mirror or the piano. There I see someone bright and young and vital. In the mirror, I see grey hair and wrinkles, and I'm not usually smiling at myself!
Archie and I get pretty bored sometimes. I visited a local ballet studio to see about playing for classes. Of course, like so many studios nowadays, they don't have a piano or keyboard, but they were interested in pursuing the idea, or so they said. That was at least a month ago. I offered to bring my keyboard in, if I could be scheduled a couple of days in a row and then bring it back home with me. I need to contact them again. I would like to have some additional work, and a little bit of ballet would be fun.
I painted Nancy's kissing Dutch figures, as well as the gnome that sits outside of One Acre Cafe. I've been knitting: a scarf for friend Jess in LA, a cowl that will be auctioned at the church fundraiser on 11/11, and I'm working on my very first sweater! I just ordered some fabric (the Joann's here is quite small and doesn't have much that interests me.), and I'll bring my sewing machine(s) back to Johnson City after I visit Grand Rapids for Thanksgiving.
I'm preaching my Dark in the Lightness sermon at HVUUC on 11/26. I'm looking forward to having that service come together, and to speaking to the congregation, rather than just sitting behind the piano. I need to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before I leave for GR on 11/19, though.
I miss being around people who know me, and who have known me for a long time -- those people who forgive the things I do wrong because they know that I am basically a person who tries to do right by everyone. I miss having access to more work, whether sporadic or steady. And I miss knowing where I can buy a certain item and how long it will take me to get there. I have made calls to local martial arts studios, but I haven't gone yet; and I checked out a clay painting studio, but I haven't produced anything yet.
I guess I feel kind of bogged down.
I'm one of those people who is most productive when I have too much on my plate. When I hardly have anything, I can get stuck knitting and watching procedurals for hours each day.
I guess the upshot is that, while I really find this area beautiful and inspiring, I am lonely and bored -- not all the time, but enough of the time for it to color my overall feeling about being here. I have committed to HVUUC for this church year, so that gives me a lot more time to feel at home, to make some real friends, and to potentially settle in.
Thought I should bring you up to date, in case you're still reading.
My music directing experience at Holston Valley meanders along. I say it that way because the church year and the organization of music heretofore has no trajectory. It's always been a week-to-week thing, and it still is. Any choir groups meet for a few weeks prior to a specific performance, rather than on a weekly, year-'round (or September through mid-June) basis. I'm feeling my way, trying to determine what will best serve the people who are here, as well as help new people to feel welcome and comfortable. Trying to get a sense whether this is working or not. Too soon to tell? I started August 14, but it feels like longer.
I joined a "covenant group" organized around photography. This means that, each meeting we have an assignment to photograph something that goes with a theme. Next time, it's about "reflections." I know what I want photographed, but I'll have to get someone else to do it, because it's a shot of me reflected in the front board of the piano. I noticed this reflection last Sunday, amazed to see my mother's face looking back at me. I have many thoughts to share with the group about this particular reflection.
First, I looked grim. My mom used to look like that when she was just sitting and reading or knitting, and I always thought she was mad at me. I don't think I look like that very often, but it gave me pause. Next, I thought that I looked old. But subsequently I've thought that there is no definition for that except what I hold in my heart, so I'm letting it go. This is why I prefer the reflections of myself in other people's and creatures' faces to the ones in the mirror or the piano. There I see someone bright and young and vital. In the mirror, I see grey hair and wrinkles, and I'm not usually smiling at myself!
Archie and I get pretty bored sometimes. I visited a local ballet studio to see about playing for classes. Of course, like so many studios nowadays, they don't have a piano or keyboard, but they were interested in pursuing the idea, or so they said. That was at least a month ago. I offered to bring my keyboard in, if I could be scheduled a couple of days in a row and then bring it back home with me. I need to contact them again. I would like to have some additional work, and a little bit of ballet would be fun.
I painted Nancy's kissing Dutch figures, as well as the gnome that sits outside of One Acre Cafe. I've been knitting: a scarf for friend Jess in LA, a cowl that will be auctioned at the church fundraiser on 11/11, and I'm working on my very first sweater! I just ordered some fabric (the Joann's here is quite small and doesn't have much that interests me.), and I'll bring my sewing machine(s) back to Johnson City after I visit Grand Rapids for Thanksgiving.
I'm preaching my Dark in the Lightness sermon at HVUUC on 11/26. I'm looking forward to having that service come together, and to speaking to the congregation, rather than just sitting behind the piano. I need to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before I leave for GR on 11/19, though.
I miss being around people who know me, and who have known me for a long time -- those people who forgive the things I do wrong because they know that I am basically a person who tries to do right by everyone. I miss having access to more work, whether sporadic or steady. And I miss knowing where I can buy a certain item and how long it will take me to get there. I have made calls to local martial arts studios, but I haven't gone yet; and I checked out a clay painting studio, but I haven't produced anything yet.
I guess I feel kind of bogged down.
I'm one of those people who is most productive when I have too much on my plate. When I hardly have anything, I can get stuck knitting and watching procedurals for hours each day.
I guess the upshot is that, while I really find this area beautiful and inspiring, I am lonely and bored -- not all the time, but enough of the time for it to color my overall feeling about being here. I have committed to HVUUC for this church year, so that gives me a lot more time to feel at home, to make some real friends, and to potentially settle in.
Thought I should bring you up to date, in case you're still reading.
