Zombie Elf

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seasons change

Only one week into September, I have already pulled out the gloves, scarves, and hats. There was frost on the ground as I walked to the bus this morning, and the flashing light above the old Molson Brewery across the street showed the temperature "1" degree. I still haven't gotten the hang of the the Celsius-Fahrenheit conversion, but I know what's freezing and I know what is hovering just above that freezing point.

Today is my first official day as a Pastoral Care Fellow at one of the Edmonton hospitals. Now that my work permit has come through (and been picked up at the border, which entailed a sudden 14-hour round trip drive to Montana), I can begin visiting patients and getting paid to provide spiritual care.

It's been a long journey to this point. The road trip to Edmonton was only a step along the way. And the adventure continues. And we are settling in and making friends, bracing ourselves for the cold and looking forward to the warm snuggles.

Waiting

It's been a lonely season. It seems as if the whole city is on holiday during the month of August. The Unversity has been abandoned. Craig goes to work and some days does not talk to another soul. I stay home and unpack and do not talk to another soul. We call to various organizations we'd liek to join only to hear the message "We'll be meeting again in September".

I am glad we had our year in Virginia, for it has given me hope that we WILL make friends for I know that we DO build community. It will get better. But man, oh man, the waiting is tough.

Labels

Recently, these words have been attached to me (in some cases literally stamped into my passport): immigrant, settler, dependent, wife, unemployed...

And I am still trying to figure out how these labels relate to ones I have previously taken upon myself: citizen, activist, feminist, independent, pastor, partner...

I'll let you know what, if anything, I come up with.

excuses and such

Life is very full. "Overwhelming" would be one way to describe it. "Brimming with wonder, joy, and love" would be another. I think my reality has been both.

Overwhelming... This is my life. I am under a lot of stress, yes. I am working an average of 50 hours a week as a chaplain resident(I am working 87 this week!), looking for a job for next year, getting ready for an international move, and planning my upcomign covenant ceremony with my Beloved. Most of the invitations have gone out. Hurrah!

Brimming with wonder, joy, and love... I am embarking on a life journey with Craig. It doesn't get much better than that. We are creating a service that is uniquely our own, doing things our own way (including putting Yoda stamps on the invites and encouraging people to RSVP online and use the stamp to write to their elected officials!). In doing so, we are stepping into our life together on our own terms. And I get to do meaningful work in and through it all. It's good.

But between life being "overwhelming" and "brimming", I cannot find much time for blogging. This little piece of internet space has been much neglected these past few months. And will most likely be so for the next several months. Perhaps once I am settled in Canada I can return and tend to this blog. We'll see...

Where Have All the Doubters Gone?

Just when I am thinking about chucking this whole churchy deal for good, you know, finally calling off my on-again-off-again love affair with the institutional religion, it seems as if all the cool agnostics are finding god or at least finding their way into the pews of some worshipping community. What's up with that?

Best Valentines Quote Ever

"You know, I feel gypped. I mean, we didn't have a primary today. We didn't have one yesterday. And we aren't going to have one tomorrow. Or the next day. When is Barrack going to get out there and kick some more butt?" - My Beloved, another political junky (though not exactly politically correct, using the term "gyp"), after our romantic Valentine's Day dinner.

What does it say about us when politics turns us both on?



P.S. Craig wants me to mention that he is also tipsy. I guess that explains the slur.