The Swandive

Friday 5 - A holiday edition

Awwww... this is cute. Sally is doing the 5 this week. And she is our good friend from across the pond. *waves* Hi Sally!

Anyway, here we go, a Friday 5: 4th of July edition. She says...

I have to admit that I am chuckling to myself a little; how strange it seems for me a Brit to be posting the Friday Five on 4th July! I realise that most of our revgals will be celebrating in some way today, but I hope that you can make a little room for Friday Five! From my short stay in Texas my memories of the celebrations are of fireworks and picnics, one year we went in to central Houston to watch the fireworks and hear the Symphony Orchestra play, we were welcomed and included, and that meant a lot! So lets have a bit of fun:

1. Barbeque's or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?)

They CAN be the same thing, or totally different. Sweetie and I will be headed to the annual barbeque at a friends house, with a new rice salad as our offering. The party is always: outside, fun, potluck, ridiculous, hilarious, and a fantastic reminder of how blessed we are with such great friends. 

2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being?

I am just not a girl of tradition (other than going to the bbq). This year, we're at Sweeties cabin, on a lake, enjoying the pure bliss of it all.

3. Fireworks- love 'em or hate 'em?
The big ones that go boom in the sky, I really like them. Ooohhhs and ahhhhs = good times. The little ones that my neighbors light all night every night for the last week and the month to come, no thanks. I could do without those.

4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory...

Not a 4th of July parade, just the parade that happens the weekend before. The big QUEER one. Oh how I love a parade though!

5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be?

Random un-Saturday thoughts (on a Thursday)

I have been going back, and forth, and back and forth about my email lately. Yeah, I know, real killer stuff I think about. Anyway, I have, upon the recommendation of friends, decided to stay with gmail. I even deleted an email account that I had kept since email was first invented (not really, just since 1993). It feels good to finally be done with that account. I have never deleted an email account, just left behind all of those old emails. Notes from former lovers, friends, good times, bad times.

DELETED.

(crazy)

So it has led me to cleaning up my gmail inbox, and doing a whole bunch of archiving emails. I found this. It made me giggle all over again. An oldie but goodie from http://www.toothpastefordinner.com.

I am so avoiding weeding the garden. 

And I just can't put it off any longer. 

Leaving you with a fabulous catchy tune... if only you would click here.

p.s.

No this post is not a cry for help, or some sort of strange way of me reaching out in a crisis of faith. I am just feeling a bit silly and happy. Ok, now I really have to go and play in the garden.

Finish this sentence - Part 2

Inspired by last weekends festivities, and the upcoming weekends celebrating yet to be, please finish this sentence:

I know I am having a good time when ...

See you in the comments!

(For more pride pics - go here.)

5 Things I learned from Disney

Sweetie and I had date night last night. I love date night. 

We went to see the new Disney/Pixar flick WALL-E. Now, I don't think I can say that it is my favorite of the Pixar bunch (but a close second/third to Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo), but it sure has many many thought provoking pieces. Add it to your must see summer flicks. Or if you have seen it - chat me up in the comments, please!

Top 5 things I can't stop thinking about from WALL-E

1. You can say so much, without actually saying much at all.
2. Love stories are beautiful, in any language, setting, or world. 
3. Fear, as a motivating force, powerful, but unsettling. 
4. The choices of characters, each element, who they are, what they are, the meanings, the social understanding or norm of what they represent, its all so sweet, silly, simple and yet brilliantly deep. Its small and huge all at the same time.
5. I can't stop hearing the way that WALL-E and EVE said each others 'names'. With such little dialog, these little ways make the intention behind the language so starkly beautiful. 

I love going to the movies, sitting in air conditioning, listening to laughter - my own, my sweeties and mine. 

Finish this sentence - Part 1

Inspired by a story I heard on MPR on my way to work today, I'm inviting you (Yes you: friend, regular, random stop by-er. Step right up I say, and lend your voice.) to finish this sentence.

Right this moment, right here and now, I am grateful for:

See you in the comments.

attitude of gratitude

No, this is not the beginning of a really hokey sermon. 

What it IS is a reminder to myself. The last few days I have started and stopped a few attempts at a post. Each one started with the best of intentions. They would start by trying to justify my irritation, by masking my outrage with a joke.  I would start to tell a story, about work or about GAFCON or about my health, and found that the only thing I wanted to do was bitch. 

Each time I would get most of the way through my post, I would stop and listen. I did not like how I sounded. So, just like ma used to say, if you don't have anything good to say, better to not say anything at all. Well, now I think I understand why.

Verbalizing, or putting energy to negative feelings, experiences, thoughts only makes them more real, more present, more MORE. So, I have stopped myself mid-post, thought better of it and have not posted (for a few days now).

I think my note from the Universe really sums up the best advice that I have been repeating to myself over and over and over again. Maybe you might find it helpful too?

Always keep in mind, Rachel, that no matter what has happened, you did the very best you could. And so did those who may have let you down.

Thanks for helpin' me to keep it real God. I love you, and am glad you love me too. Amen.

Word Association F5

Singing Owl says:

I am feeling like playing hooky, (me too!) and I'm putting off sermon prep till tomorrow (this is not a part of what I do, write sermons that is, and glad cause this weeks lectionary looks like a doozy!). It is a beautiful, sunny day at my place (here as well). So come on outside and let's play a summer Friday Five! Think summer......are you there? Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:

1. rooftop

The roofers will hopefully, please oh please oh please oh PUH-leeeze be done at my house today. We just got a new metal roof for the house. Standing seam, fully recycle-able, and the kind of roof you ONLY DO ONCE. I love it. And can't wait to just stand back and bask in its awesomeness and say good bye to my roofers.

2. gritty

The inside of my garage, from a whole winter of non-cleaning. My fave project of the spring / summer - clean and organize the garage. And when the roofers are gone, I can start!

3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words)

Minneapolis. Minneapolis is I think one of the most under appreciated places in the country. I love it here. Its beautiful, the air is clean, the restaurants are great, great trails and places to walk. The art and theater scene is awesome. Lots of summer festivals. I could go on. I live in a very HOT town.

4. night

 

5. dance
This post. So good, so fun, so gonna happen.

Happy solstice, summer, and weekend everyone!