Everyone's Doing It

Blogging about last year and this year.

The best laid plans of mice and (wo)men aft gang aglay. (Assuming I've spelt the Scots correctly.)

Plans for 2009: scuba diving in Bonaire. In two days woohoo! I'll be with the fishes (God willing) swimming around in the coral reefs.

Western China (really western China), Tibet, a total solar eclipse, northern Japan (or southern Japan)

Somewhere at Thanksgiving: Guatemala and Mayan ruins? Scuba in Oman? Lazing around Penang? Or what I did this year--recover from surgery?

Church: Just doing what needs to be done. They don't want to reach out, to change, to do anything that will help them be more inviting to others. I had lunch with clergywomen yesterday and they began a discussion of Presbyemergents what ever that is. I realized how totally post-modern I am. I would love to be in a church willing to experiment with liturgy, with space, that was interested in studying scripture, in growing in faith. But that is not where I am and I don't have the energy to move. It is a good place for me to wait my time until I can retire. Or until the church decides it's time to die.

Personal life: A friend, a retired clergywoman, and I have decided that we are both "grass is greener" people and that we want to make the most of where we are. We swim twice a week (or will when the pool gets repaired). We are going to try to cook together once a week (we both need to eat better and to exercise more). We are going to do little trips together maybe every other month. Nashville, the Natchez trace, Arkansas, all await our explorations. I want to be disciplined about photography. I would like to either shoot the equivalent of a roll a week or a picture a day. I haven't decided which.

I am trying to eat better. I've been doing this for about 10 days and am finding it realitively easy, though I need to find some more easy entrees that are low calories and full of nuitrients. I'm trying to lose weight, too. Losing weight is a long, slow slog. I still have my goal of competing in a sprint triathlon in September. But I will need to start running seriously. (I could probably finish a sprint right now, were it not for the pain I still have from the hernia repair. It wouldn't be pretty (walking the 5K for example) but I think I could do it.)

What I learned this year. I love nature and need to be outside. I love to hike and be near the ocean. And the big one which I am in semi-denial about: I am mortal.