Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The Giant List of What I Was Into: 2015




We've almost completed the first month of 2016. Rather than a blank slate, turning the calendar page this year felt more like riding a boomerang than relishing a blank page.  It's this crazy season of fortunate events, with all the rest of the ordinary joys and sorrows mixed in between the celebrations. 

 With one last glimpse backward, here's a sampling of what I was into and experienced in 2015.  (It's not too late to share your 2015 favorites with me, and it's always the right time to share recommendations.  Feel free to list away in the comments section!)

favorite art experiences

Oddly, this area of my life is a bit stale right now.  Here I am living in the middle of one of the artsiest cities in the country, with entire world-class museums digitized so I can see their exhibit online and when I think about this category for 2015, I can barely muster a memory.  But there were some good experiences, and I guess that's why this annual documentation is important to me.  The power of recalling a year's worth of impressions and experiences helps me sift through time, and, hopefully gives me direction for the coming year.  The following art experiences made an impact on me last year:

favorite movies

For a whole bunch of reasons Brian and I watched more movies in the theater this year than we've ever done before in our lives.  I was far less discriminating in what I'd normally see for the sheer joy of getting caught up in a story together.  These 5 movies rose to the top of my mind when I thought back over the year.

favorite television experiences

First, The Viral Video Clip That Wrecked Me: Church Shooting Victims' Families Cry, Forgive at Court Hearing

I say "experiences" because most of what I watch is not current TV.  I'm horribly illiterate when it comes to current programming.  Still, I've enjoyed some great moments watching television. Here's what comes to mind at the end of the year.
Seriously considering naming Call the Midwife my favorite television series of all time.  The seasons following the original three which were taken from Jennifer Worth's memoir trilogy are not my favorite of the series. I miss Nurse Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine), but it's still beautiful, power television.  The reboot of Partners In Crime, starring Jessica Raine (and her a-MAZ-ing, mid-century, London wardrobe) makes up for missing Nurse Jenny a bit.  Rectify is powerful, still.  It's hard to watch at times, but so well written and cast and filmed.  The Waltons was a total nostalgia binge, but I was surprised how well (the first few seasons, at least) stands up to the test of time -- and even comes across as quite current in many of its themes.  Grantchester really is a placemarker for all I love about British murder mysteries (Endeavour, Inspector Lewis, Sherlock, Foyle's War, etc.).  This series, though, has the special quality of a young, Anglican priest/war veteran who wants very much to serve his Cambridge-area parish well, but suffers from doubt and loneliness. Sort of a post-modern portrayal Father Brown, but set in the same general era. (both also start as novels)  I'm looking forward to another season.

art of homemaking 


With the cold temps and the sinus suffering last January, I started out 2015 with great recipes in liquid form!  Our dear Rebekah made us the homemade Spiced Pear-Infused Vodka (after soaking pears for like 2 weeks!) which made perfect hot toddys. I also decided that raw garlic and lemon really does heal.  Try it.  The trick is to pretend you're eating an Italian appetizer. 
The late spring introduced us to the wonderful adventure of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and neighbors sharing vegetables on Fridays. In our first month, we've tried about 7 varieties of vegetables for the first time:  pattypan squash, Lebanese zucchini, cured German red garlic, Swiss chard, fresh fennel, French Sorrel (blushing to confess we've never cooked with some of these ingredients). 
Spring also brought some good, old-fashioned housekeeping:
  • Make the Bed Remodel | My first week transitioning from a forty hour workweek to 20 hours made me feel so full of new life I sprang into spring cleaning.  Well, I least cleaned all of our bedding, air-fluffed our pillows in the dryer, rotated our mattress and took the comforter to the laundromat.  Ahhh....a fresh bed is a beautiful way to celebrate new life.
  • How to have hanging ferns that are the envy of the neighborhood | I'm on a quest to keep our Boston Fern alive all summer.  It seems the secret lies in repotting the plant into a coir-lined wire basket.  I swear the fern thanked me audibly after giving her a new home.

As always, the first day of school pumpkin chip cookies & milk party. It was the biggest year yet.



favorite reads

I listed my favorite reads in a post last week:  My top 10 reads in 2015.
You can see all I've read in years past at the following links (I know only people like me would even want to see these lists, but since a lot of people like me also like to read and write blog posts I think it's fairly safe to included these links for you.)
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • before I started lists and then after I made lists with shorter summaries, I try my hand at writing reviews for some of the books I read each year and you can find them here:  Book Reviews, 2008-2014
  • For my top 15 life-changing books since I started writing this blog in 2008, click here 
This year, I'm using a reading challenge checklist with a Facebook group of friends (and sisters).  You can find the 2016 checklist here:  Take Our Ultimate Reading Challenge.  Our group is also using this list as part of the challenge: A Year Of Reading the World (196 countries, countless stories)  

I'm also looking forward to another great year reading with this group: Liturgy of Life Reading Group 2016

favorite listening experiences

Audio streaming anything makes the daily mundane of my life better:  albums, playlists, podcasts, sermons, live concerts, your kids saying cute stuff on Facebook. On rare occasions (rarer than I'd like) the sound comes alive in a concert or house show or public reading. Here's some of what I heard and enjoyed in the past few months.

favorite journeys

a whole bunch of neighbors and friends



On the blog
WALKING EPIPHANY through all the neighborhoods [a guest post wrap up]  the blog series was a complete and surprising joy for me. Here's my thank you to the gracious guests who shared their neighborhoods and stories with us each week of Epiphany 2015.
Lent daybook series. Look, Read, Pray, Listen and Do for the 40 days of prayer.
Retrieve Lament: 7 mourning stories during Holy Week. Each year during Holy Week I ask friends to share a mourning story from their own life as a way to help us see Christ in the midst of suffering. Each story reflects on one phrase of Jesus' dying words and gives me a real-time glimpse into the suffering of Christ.

 Easter daybook, 2015. Look, Read, Pray, Listen, Do for the 7 weeks of Hallelujah!

Practice Resurrection: your photo stories for 2015. One of my favorite blog series ever.  Simple, beautiful, joyous mini-stories of the ways you practice life every day.  Thank you, friends!
16 thoughts for 16 stanzas about practicing resurrection & regretting that hashtag | Holding the Mad Farmer's poetry in one hand and the newspaper in the other.
This is an opportunity to repent. In the outpouring of response to the evil event in a Charleston church, the quietness and strength of the family member's forgiving words cut through my own questions: How should I pray? How should I respond? What does it look like to be a Christian right here, right now? 
Instead of Facebook, a book of faces [sharing at Think Christian] | If these folks filled your Facebook news feed with selfies, you’d probably be tempted to click the “hide” option.
Monday morning thoughts: dancing bear acts, crash helmets, and a Doxology | a hopefully undramatized stream of consciousness meditation about Sunday worship

 Anyone want to read stories about staying married? (I'm asking for a friend) | perhaps the most commented-on post from this year, and to which I have not yet been able to formulate a response

A polite disagreement with Jayber Crow and the Mad Farmer [sharing at ArtHouse America] | Publishing at one of my favorite blogs was a dream come true.  I hope Mr. Berry didn't mind.

My friend A (also M & L) |an homage to an imperfect, long-lasting friendship with good women

This is why I broke a promise to myself on Facebook | In which my best made plans for civil and gracious social interchange got waylaid by the subject of providing refuge within our borders for Syrian & Iraqui refugees fleeing persecution. 
I mean this question sincerely: When Jesus said love your enemies, did He mean Muslims too? | The follow-up post in which I lost more friends than anything else I've ever written (at least, that I'm aware!) 
Advent daybook, 2015 | Look, Listen, Pray, Do for the 24+ days of waiting
Christmastide daybook, 2015 | Look, Listen, Pray, Do for the 12 days of celebrating

What were you into in 2015?
What are you hoping, dreaming, planning, wishing, pinning and making for 2016?

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Monday, January 25, 2016

Epiphany, week 3: he has anointed me to bring good news

My Epiphany daybook for these 5 weeks of witness. Join me, won't you? 


(Read here for a brief description of the liturgical season of Epiphany. See previous Epiphany daybook 2016 posts here)
.....
look


Christ Preaching In the Temple
Jan Polack, 1500
source

.....
read

Nehemiah 8:5-6 / Luke 4:16-19:  And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. / When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

all readings for the day: 
  • Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10  •  
  • Psalm 19  • 
    • 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a  • Luke 4:14-21

    .....
    pray
    Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (source)

    .....
    listen

    Arise, Shine For Your Light Has Come
    Jered McKenna (via Canticles from Cardiphonia)




    (Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Epiphany playlist.)

    .....
    do


    This week walk your neighborhood, the neighborhood where you live, work or worship of your workplace or your church, and pray. Pray the collect for this week (above) and ask God to open your eyes to the people and places He's asking you to "proclaim the Good News of His salvation". Ask a friend to pray for you to "answer readily" to what the Spirit reveals to you during your prayer.

    ......


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    Saturday, January 23, 2016

    {pretty, happy, funny, real} next in the Series of Fortunate Events, the Rehearsal Dinner!

    | a weekly capturing of contentment in everyday life | 


    I'm almost finished with the Series of Fortunate Events (wish I'd thought of that title earlier!).  Today I'm sharing the pretty, happy, funny and real photos from the Rehearsal Dinner we hosted for Alex & Rebekah's wedding party and families on New Year's Day.  Next week, I'll share some about the wedding itself.  And, then, we'll go back to plain old, boring life moments for a little while.  Until a festive blip of birthdays and Easter holidays in March and then a Grand Finale of celebrations in May with Alex's college graduation, Brian's ordination to the Anglican priesthood and Natalie's high school graduation. (Yes, all of those things will happen within three weeks of each other.  As my sister said "Nothing ever happens one at a time with the Murphy family.") 
    (Here's part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5 recapping this season of milestone celebrations for our family.)



    | pretty, happy, funny, real |

    Before the photos, here's a few bits of story regarding the planning of the Rehearsal Dinner.  I find myself still at a loss for words in the deep gratitude Brian and I felt about the entire affair, so a bullet list will have to do until better words form themselves in my brain.
    • This is our first time to be the parents of a bride or groom
    • By Austin standards, we are not well-off in terms of cash. By any standards, we are filthy rich in terms of friends.
    • Even though we didn't have a savings account all prepared for the day our kids get married, we did have plenty of dreams and ideals of what celebrating with them would look and feel like.
    • There is no place I would rather have celebrated Alex & Rebekah's rehearsal dinner than FoodHeads Cafe -- even with every resource at my fingertips.  The atmosphere is delightful during every season, and the food is spot-on yummy. Always.





    photo credit: FoodHeads website

    As it turns out, we are fortunate enough to call FoodHeads owners Chip & Candi Wendt our friends.  When we asked to reserve their venue and hire them as caterers for New Year's Day, we knew we were asking a lot.  When we told them the number of people we were hoping to feed and the budget we'd set aside, we hoped they would still consider us friends!

    The day of the rehearsal, we stopped by to drop off a few items.  Chip, Candi, and their beautiful daughter Lily were bustling around adding finishing touches.  The kitchen was warm with delicious aromas.  I stood in the middle of the room and held back tears.  

    Later on, in the privacy of our car, I actually broke down in sobs. Not only had Chip & Candi welcomed our ideas and our budget, they made my dream of a lovely, warm, charming rehearsal dinner come to vibrant life.  All that before I even tasted the heavenly, perfectly-prepared food!

    Here's Chip! (Unfortunately, we didn't catch Candi in time for a photo.)

    So there's the background to the story.  And here's a couple more points of "dreams coming true" this evening.
    | the space |

    While we could have managed the evening had the pouring rain forecasted all week actually happened, it was so much better that we didn't have to worry about it.  With the help of Chip's kerosene heaters, some wind-protective tarp and a toasty fire pit, the guests were able to mingle both indoors and out throughout the evening.

    | the music |

    What's an Austin party venue without live music?  One of the first people we talked to after Alex & Bekah set their wedding date was our precious friend Scott. Not all of the world's best guitarists live in Austin, and we have missed hearing him play for all of these years.
     

    | the parents |

    How many parents of the bride and groom actually WANT to sit together at the rehearsal dinner?  We couldn't wait for a few quiet moments to spend with Bekah's parents.  Bernie and Jodi have become some of our dearest friends (so much so, that we told the kids years ago that no matter what happened to their relationship we planned on being friends with the Cummins family for life!) 

    Joy beyond joy, fortune upon fortune.

    | the food |

    The photos might speak for themselves:  pulled pork sliders, home fried chicken strips (with the zippy honeydill ranch dipping sauce), a-mazing baked salmon, delicious spicy slaw, homemade macaroni & cheese (a huge hit with Brian!), savory roasted brussel sprouts (another favorite) FoodHeads famous homemade icebox pickles, cheese platter (Vermont cheddar, brie & peppered goat cheese), creamy, comfy butternut squash soup, all rounded off by sweet jars of tartlets (chocolate cake, peach cobbler and succulent key lime).  With all the scurry of wedding prep and travel -- this felt like a moment we got to hit "pause" and pay attention to the delicious food and friendships.  It may go down as one of my favorite meals of all time. (although the reception BBQ we'd be feasting on the next day is a sturdy contender!)

    | the toasts & blessings |
    Another first decision we made about the rehearsal dinner was to ask my Dad (Alex's grandfather) to open our time in prayer.  He has loved his grandchildren so well, and his blessing was another one of those "dreamed about since my kids were babies" moment.  Add to that the few words I prepared, and it was all a bit surreal. And, it may sound over the top, but I promise you it felt fitting in the moment:  Brian and I concluded my toast by singing the lullaby we sang over our kids during the years we were the ones putting them to bed: Barocha by Michael Card.  In those days we could have never known that we'd be singing the same words of blessing over a new daughter-in-law belonging to the very people who gave us the Christ of the Aaronic Blessing.  (and, how I wish I could share a video of her uncle singing the blessing in its original Hebrew during the ceremony the next day!)

    After our toast we opened the floor for anyone who wanted to give blessing.  It's one of those moments every mother remembers again, and give thanks for the tribe that surrounds her children, broods over them, prays for them, and walks with them through life.  May God be praised for this wonderful gift of community who have loved Alex and Rebekah so well all these years.

     

    | the friendship & conversation |

     
      
     
     


    | the finale |
    While the rehearsal dinner is truly for the Bride & Groom and their wedding party to relax and refresh before the big day, we chose a couple of moments to be about our own little wish dreams.  For example, a week or two before the dinner (probably on Christmas Eve when we think about this memory the most), I blurted to Brian "You and Scott should sing Silent Night at the rehearsal dinner!"  
    If you knew us in New York, this was the tradition: at the close of our Christmas Eve services every year our church -- like many other churches -- would sing Silent Night during a closing candlelighting service.  For the years that Brian and I were on the worship team at the church, Brian and Scott would lead out on the song.  It's just one of those sweet things you don't really think about too much until you've moved across the country and it's Christmas Eve and you're lighting candles with a different church singing the same song.  
    I didn't actually expect Brian to follow up on the idea, assuming it was just one of many last minute sappy, over-the-top ideas I tried to pull off in the days leading up to the wedding (most were, thankfully, vetoed).  To my delight, as the evening was winding down and the kids were leaving and it was just a few of us left lingering around the porch, this happened: (and may my husband be forever blessed)
       




    Have YOU captured any contentment this week? 
     I'd love to hear about it!



    | Join in at P,H,F,R to see other wonderful people practicing contentment. |


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