Notes for week ending 25-1-18

Picture is of an adorable kitten - white and gray - sitting on a pile of towels with his head cocked slightly.

The kitten is Baby, who we are trying to find a home for. You can read about him here.

My week was largely dominated by a trip for the Day Job. (I’ll start writing about the Day Job as I get one last piece of the puzzle in place – perhaps in February). I was gone Tuesday through Thursday, which killed any hope of a routine or streak. I always tell myself I will have so much time to be productive when I’m on the road, but instead, I go into full on chaos-Muppet-mode and nothing happens and I always feel bad that I let such a time squander.

I have no idea how Maya Angelou wrote in those hotel rooms she rented for the purpose. My brain can’t handle the novelty of it.

Anyway. As I said in Monday’s newsletter, I need to give myself a break.

Worth remembering

Painted the kitchen walls on Sunday afternoon, and still need another coat in spots. This kitchen renovation is death by 1,000 cuts.

Wrote and sent two recommendation letters for a person I know trying to get into grad school. I love it when I’m asked to do that, especially because it generally means I played a part in their story.

Saturday (yesterday) I spent much of the day in Meridian for church related work, but still managed to swap out the light in our bathroom for the same lights I hung last week in the kitchen.

Because I am preaching at the MLK Day service at Safe Harbor Church Sunday night, in addition to my regular gig at Open Door Mennonite on Sunday morning, I wrote two sermons.

Reading

I spent a lot of time on the road and in hotels this week, so I got a lot of reading done.

Finished The Writing Life by Annie Dillard. So much I could say about this, but she’s just good for my soul. I’d read bits and bobs of this in various classes over the years, but this was my first time reading the whole thing, which is weird, because it’s less than 100 pages.

Finished My Mississippi by Willie Morris. It was his last book, and is primarily a memory or legacy project. It wasn’t finished – not really – but it reads like a love letter to the state. It has a section with a lot of stats that are now 25 years old, so that part doesn’t hold up, but I still loved it – probably mostly because I love the state in a similar way to the way Willie did.

Finished A Taste for Death by PD James. A double murder, in a church. I like much about this book, including that it opens on the murder (many of her books don’t) and the character development. Probably my last reread of James for a while.

Began The Queen City Detective Agency. It takes place in Meridian, about 100 miles from where I live, and I’m a sucker for fiction that takes place in Mississippi. It’s a bit weird right now (I just started), but I have hopes.

Cooked:

Because I was out of town for work from Tuesday on, I only cooked Monday night, and then only fixed chili dogs and tater tots, because I had zero spoons of energy. But Renee cooked chocolate chip cookies Monday night, and they were amazeballs.

I ate a lot of food on the road this week, some of it good, and some of it sad, but little of it memorable.

Writing & shipping

Wrote and published Monday’s newsletter. Relapse, habits, and being kind to yourself.

Wrote and published the 19th essay for Members – this one on the naming of things.

Two sermons as noted above.


Be kind to yourself this week.