Ramblings

Somehow it has been hard to return to the ol' blog. It would be wrong to refer to the following as "highlights"--they are ordinary events--but that's about all that has been going on the last few weeks.

• Remember the plants that I grew from seeds I found in Australia? The seeds were in pods on the ground under this bush with wonderfully perfumed flowers. I asked my son to find out the name of the plant, if he could. Yesterday he told me it was jasmine. Hmm. OK, jasmine grows like a vine and does not produce seed pods. So this seedling of which I have five iterations apparently came from the seeds of a tree above the jasmine shrub. I still don't know what it is. One pot is in my study; the plant is doing well. One pot is in the sun room and it is doing fairly well. One pot is outside and the stripling endured last night's snow very well. Whatever it is, it's hardy. Here is a close-up of the top of the plant. The leaves grow in pairs which close at night and pop open in the morning. Strange.


• We didn't leave town for Thanksgiving. My sister had invited us for dinner at her house (outskirts of Austin) and my brother said we could stay overnight at his house (San Antonio). Very kind of them, but the weather here threatened snow and the idea of driving down there at night in the snow (and returning in similar weather) was sufficiently offputting that we declined. Cat would not have been able to get off on Wednesday anyway (to make the 6-hour drive). When some friends from church invited us to eat at their house, we agreed. On Tuesday evening I got a message that the cabin near Santa Fe NM which had our name on the wait list (since summer) was suddenly available. No, we did not change all our plans and drive into the teeth of the storm just to get to a cabin in the snowy woods all to ourselves. How would I explain that to my siblings?


• I got out the Christmas tree and added lights. Now it will be time for Cat to hang the ornaments. Sometimes she lets me help with that. We bought some 12" long glass "icicles" from a company that was going out of business; they should be a nice addition. I am taking the chili pod lights to my office to decorate. I like to keep it interesting.


• Now I have to go finish grading papers and projects from my church history class. They give me a headache. Do American high school students learn how to read (with understanding)? I am beginning to doubt it. How I long to discover a student who really understands research and analysis. OK, enough whining--now for grading.

It's a mystery

First of all, the papers got graded and grades turned in. I have notes for tomorrow's Old Testament, Biblical Interpretation, and Latter Prophets classes. I will have to write up notes for the Church History class, but I can get up early in the morning and get that done. The set for the Christmas play should be fairly easy to build and I will have help from some experienced people. So I am stressing less. But that's not what I want to talk about.

In Sunday school we are working through Ephesians. It has been a good study; we are taking about half a chapter a week. Here's what struck me out of this week's study. When Christians choose to actually submit to God's direction and wind up suffering for the sake of others (as did Jesus), it not only binds us closer together as believers and strengthens our connection with and dependence on God, it serves as the evidence of "the manifold wisdom of God . . . to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 3:10) that God's sovereign plan is working. When we Christians put aside our differences and act as "one body" (verse 6), we affect not just the members of our local church or the city in which we live, not just the denomination we claim, not just the visible Church around the globe, we--you and I--are the "theater of God's work" (J. A. Bengel) for the spiritual powers of the universe to observe. Everyone talks about trusting God, but just imagine how much God trusts us! Amazing.

After a long hiatus

Here's the list:

• Research papers and projects to grade before Monday


• Old Testament summaries to grade before Monday


• Final grades to turn in on Monday


• Christmas drama to produce in four weeks (had our first meeting today!)


• Hybrid class to prepare (starts next week); meets in Big Flat City 45 miles south of here for eleven weeks


• New online class to teach; I have no lecture notes ready; starts next week


• Projects from church history class to grade

And a month from now are the auditions for Proof. Do I dare even show up for that? The part (same one Anthony Hopkins had in the movie version) is very juicy. And of course there are the holidays which will require travel for us--once to central Texas and once to California. I may be scarce(r) around here for a while.

After a short hiatus

It's just been busy, that's all. I thought after the play was finished, the pace would slow down, but not so. Anyway, it is Fall Break here on the campus and at least I do not have class to teach today. Most of the teachers in my office decided to stay home, but I think that since the university pays me to work full-time, I ought to be here. And it's not like I have nothing to do. The new online term starts in a little over three weeks and I have MUCH preparation to do. If I wasn't working here at the office, I would be working at home. Just thought that I would take a break and post something so you wouldn't think I abandoned blogland. Have a good weekend.

Four things meme

Rachel tagged me for this meme. Hope you like it.

Four Jobs I’ve Held:
Cabinetmaker
ESL teacher for foreign military personnel
Student minister
Professor

Four Films I Could Watch Over and Over:
Chocolat
Wait Until Dark
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Princess Bride

Four TV Shows I Watch:
Boston Legal
Mythbusters
Grey's Anatomy
Almost anything on HGTV

Four Places I’ve Lived:
Austin Texas
Nice, France
Aiea, Hawaii
La Jolla, california

Four Favorite Foods:
Homemade green chili enchiladas (with mushrooms and spinach)
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, yams, etc.)
Any kind of fruit pie
Almost any French food like an herbed Brie cheese with crusty bread, um, yummy!

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
My institution's Blackboard site
Various blogsites
Gmail.com
[That's it for DAILY viewing. Every other website view is on a need-to-know basis. Really.]

Four Favorite Colors:
Sky blue

Red

Black

Soldier blue



Four Places I Would Love to be Right Now:
In my workshop at home
Any of the places I have lived before
Wales/Scotland/Ireland
Sydney, Australia (where it is turning spring)

Four Names You Love, But Could/Would Not Use for Your Children:
Nopadol Wongsaengarunsri (this is the name of a student that I had at UT Austin)
Margo
Palo Alto (OK, it's the name of a town, but I like saying it all run together)
Epaphroditus (name of the oldest ancestor I have tracked down)

OK, I now tag Phyllis, Songbird, Patti, and Carolanne. Write up your four memes now.

Another photo of the actors

Here is a shot for the newspaper. The idea is that Einstein is explaining his theory to Sagot, Germaine the barmaid, and Freddy the bar owner. This scene does not appear in the play, but there were only four of us available for photos yesterday. The painting behind Germaine's head is a copy of a 1906 Matisse that I did. Made the frame, too.

We will have a warm-up rehearsal tomorrow and then finish out the run Friday and Saturday nights. I am eager to present the play a couple more times, but even more anxious to shave off this little mustache and goatee.

This is my 200th post but it is not exactly earth-shattering. Glad you stopped by.