Hasta Los Huesos

The immediate inspiration for Josh's post on the Day of the Dead comes from a Mexican claymation short entitled, Hasta Los Huesos.

I tried to incorporate this link into Josh's post, but it did not work. So, here it is on it's own.

Enjoy!

Approaching the Day of the Dead

In about a week one the best holidays in North America takes place: Dia de los Muertos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead ). A pre-colonial holiday that survived the Conquistadors, the spiritual conquests of the Church Militant and the concomitant collapse of Mesoamerica's indigenous civilizations --a fitting history for a holiday whose central purpose is honoring the spirits of those who have come before.

An industrialized culture whose members must show up for their shift or incur the wrath of "The Man" has no time, no space to spend a few days reflecting on deceased love ones or the continuity of memory with the past. Memory preserves the dead from oblivion, enlarges the community and the world that we move through, connecting us to people and spaces beyond ourselves.

The celebration of memory is the admission of mortality. Taking time to remember what has passed confronts us with the threat of our own passing. In our culture, Christianity is often applied as an anaesthetic to this fact. Death is made illusory by the promise of paradise, or even worse, life is. Memory holds life and death in tension. A culture of memory sustains the living with the promise that death will not cause them to lose their place in the community.

This trait is uniquely isolated from much of the rest of the Christian ethos in the Eucharist. Jesus remains continually embodied and relatable in the quotidian human need to eat. As much as his followers may cast their cares at his feet, Jesus remains human: He weeps. He gets angry. He gets tired. He loves. He eats. He dies.

Dia de los Muertos also preserves the humanity of those who have died. Favorite candies are laid out for the dead or pillows for spirits that have traveled far. A spiritual world no longer touched by human concerns is nihilistic, an escapist fantasy. Subjected to a pristine heaven the Saints join the pantheon as demigods in God’s feudal service while the more mundane among us disappear into the celestial ether.

Celebration of the Day of the Dead is neither morbid nor gloomy. It is in fact a celebration of life, an affirmation of this life. The best thing is to be remembered within the context of a community by those who loved you not to deny death by acquiescing to a wish for a painless immortality. The “bliss” of a world beyond this one has no meaning except to express a this-worldly desire for a cessation of struggle and suffering or for a perfect, unchanging happiness.

The problem is that a posthumous return to Eden is a relevant idea only in binary relation to the concerns of this world, and only as a desire originating from this world. It is an exemplification of the Jewish and Christian idea that Death is an evil. It is not an evil when it is held in tension with the fact that life is pregnant with its own finitude. It is the unbearable lightness that underlines the length of our days and so lends our days their gravity.

Conversely, the denial of death’s reality is also the denial of this life’s richness. It is a discontented hope that longs for a cup where no bitter is intermingled with the sweet. It fails to understand that the sweet contains within itself its own bitterness. A celebration of memory such as the Day of the Dead wholistically encompasses this dynamic. Remembering ancestors in this way recognizes the cycle of life and death. It honors the embedded-ness of human concerns and celebrates a community whose past stretches into the depths of time and forward to an unknown horizon. --jga

Measuring Life's Moments

I shamelessly stole this off Mary Beth's website...it was easier than replying in her comment section. The list includes 100 things to do in life. The ones I have done are in red. The ones Josh has done are in blue. If we have both done it, then, you guessed it...purple.

What have you done?

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink

02. Swam with wild dolphins

03. Climbed a mountain

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid

06. Held a tarantula

07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone

08. Said “I love you’ and meant it!

09. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped

11. Visited Paris

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise

14. Seen the Northern Lights

15. Gone to a huge sports game

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

18. Touched an iceberg

19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby’s diaper

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne

24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

27. Had a food fight

28. Bet on a winning horse

29. Asked out a stranger

30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb

33. Seen a total eclipse

34. Ridden a roller coaster

35. Hit a home run

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment

39. Visited all 50 states

40. Taken care of someone who was drunk

41. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country

42. Watched wild whales

43. Stolen a sign

44. Backpacked in Europe

45. Taken a road-trip

46. Gone rock climbing

48. Midnight walk on the beach

49. Gone sky diving

50. Taken a train through Europe

51. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love

52. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table, and had a meal with them

53. Milked a cow

54. Alphabetized your CDs

55. Sung karaoke

56. Lounged around in bed all day

57. Gone scuba diving

58. Kissed in the rain

59. Gone to a drive-in theatre

60. Started a business

61. Taken a martial arts class

62. Been in a movie

63. Crashed a party

64. Gone without food for 5 days (fasting for SOAW)

65. Gotten a tattoo

66. Got flowers for no reason

67. Performed on stage

68. Been to Las Vegas

69. Recorded music (this is stunning for those of you who have heard me in church!)

70. Eaten shark

71. Buried one/both of your parents

72. Been on a cruise ship

73. Spoken more than one language fluently

74. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

75. Been to the Statue of Liberty

76. Had plastic surgery

77. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived

78. Wrote articles for a large publication

77. Lost over 20 pounds

79. Piloted an airplane

80. Petted a stingray

81. Broken someone’s heart

82. Broken a bone

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Parasailed

86. Skipped all your school reunions

87. Shaved your head

88. Caused a car accident

89. Pretended to be "sick"

90. Surfed in the ocean

91. Saved someone's life

92. Fainted

93. Been in the room while someone is giving birth

94. Hitchhiked

95. Adopted a child (foster kid)

96. Been caught daydreaming

97. Been to the Grand Canyon

98. Called off a wedding engagement

99. Donated your blood

100. Become a follower of Jesus Christ

Yummy!

Pumpkin Spice creamer is the best!

I could subsist on coffee alone for days on end with this delightful product!!!

Why Marriage Matters

This is why marriage matters.

Off to Tenants Harbor

I'm off to Tenant's Harbor today! For the past 8 years I have been going to Tenants Harbor in October and January with the Wild Women, my clergywomen's group. Originally designed for Advent and Lent planning, we meet under the auspice of the Women's Inspirational Liturgical Delegation.

In the past few years, we have not been able to arrange schedules/family/traveling etc. to meet. It wasn't until I started getting ready for this trip that I realized how very much I miss our annual gatherings in Maine. This year I can only go for a day, not even 24 hours, but it is worth the drive!!

As I packed this morning, I became aware of how much ritual surrounds that time and space for me. I made sure to pack my Tenants Harbor sweater, a big wool monster of a cardigan that adds about 10 pounds and 20 inches to the wearer. It is a sweater I bought when I was a senior in high school and visiting Boston for the Harvard Model UN. I bought it at the kiosk that still exists in the Harvard Square T-stop. At first, I brought the sweater because it was warm, but now I can't imagine being there without it!

Also included in the ritual clothing are my favorite sweat pants. Given to me by an ex-boyfriend, they are not pretty. "Guilford Lacrosse" is written down the leg and motled by stains here and there. Yet, they are the most comfortable and cozy sweat pants I have ever worn. Perfect for a chilly Maine cottage!

Food rituals also abound. I had to make sure I had the seasame sticks and dried fruit from Wild Harvest before I left.

It is good to have space like this!

What Would You Do With $100 Million Dollars?

What would you do with $100 million dollars?

Focus on the Family, the National Family Research Council and other right-wing religious groups have amassed just this much money.

Now, as Christian organizations, you might suppose they would follow Jesus' instructions to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless (see Matthew 25). Imagine all the work they could do to alleviate poverty, provide adequate healthcare, build affordable housing. Just think how many soup kitchens, shelters, clinics, schools, and training centers they could support with all that money!

But, no, they are not using the money for any of those needs.

Instead of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless, this conservative Christian coalition has decided to use all that money for "Ground Zero." Before you think this is related to 9-11, they mean "Ground Zero" for marriage, my home state, Massachusetts.

One hundred million dollars is currrently set aside to run an advertising campaign in Massachusetts maligning same-sex families and their children. If the constitutional convention on November 9th passes the anti-gay ballot initiative, this coalition plans to spend the already collected $100 million dollars on a campaign of hate.

Hmmm, feed the hungry? Propagate hate? Decisions are hard for some christians!

Knitting Nirvana

Last year I discovered the joy of knitting and have once again, as the weather has grown colder, re-discovered the nirvana of knitting.

While my life is mostly characterized my insane busi-ness, knitting allows me to zone out. The repetitive motion is soothing, calming, relaxing. My mind is allowed to wander as my fingers move back and forth. And the best part is I can knit wherever and whenever...in front of the TV, in the car, at get-togethers, in waiting rooms...the possibilities are endless.

There is something indeed spiritual about the practice of knitting. No other activity can settle me as knitting. There is a peace that I find in the rhythm of the stitch that soothes and comforts me, allowing me to move beyond the chaos of my life and find focus, clarity and a sense of being firmly grounded.

Pictured are just my projects from this past month...five scarves. Josh believes since I can whip out the scarves so quickly, I ought to move on to a more complicated project...namely a sweater for him. But, he is missing the point. For me it is not what I produce (though it saves money come Christmas gift-giving time!), but rather the process. To do something more complicated would mean I would actually have to pay attention to what I was doing and that would defeat the whole relaxing aspect of knitting. I knit to slow down, not to stress about the stitches.

Best Boston Movie Evah!

Last night Josh and I went to see the Scorsese film, The Departed, with Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Leonardo Di Caprio. We had heard the hype while they were filming in Boston a few years back and I must confess it lived up to its reputation as being a true Boston movie.

Despite my distaste for violence, bloodshed and mayhem in movies, I have to confess I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The dialogue and banter was just right, the shots of the city were perfect, the allusions to Boston life were right on (including a North Shore/South Shore tension and the reputation of the Fenway), and they even had a beautiful shot of the Big Dig's finished bridge and Storrow drive exit.

I don't think I have ever laughed that hard at a violent film! There is something about seeing a Boston film in Boston in a jaded urbanite culture that somehow makes you lose sight of actually what is being depicted on the screen (i.e. violence, bloodshed and mayhem). As urban Bostonians we got all the side jokes and could relate to the life they depicted (well, except perhaps for the violence, bloodshed and mayhem...after all, we saw it in Somerville, not Southie!)

While Josh said he needs to see it again to make his final rating of it as a film, we both recommend this movie, particularly to ex-Bostonians...but be warned it is not for the faint hearted.

Another Fall Meal

I really do need to work on plating my dishes. I watch Hell's Kitchen and the Iron Chef and still my plates look less than appetizing!!!

The menu for last night was squash casserole (one of Josh's favorite southern concoctions of butter with vegetables that I had never eaten before, let alone made!), red cabbage with apples and onion, mashed sweet potatoes and sweet potato pie. I cooked way too many sweet potatoes and so ended up with three pies and mashed potatoes!!!

The fried things are fried mushrooms that Josh brought back from Red's Eats. While I worked hard on my prospectus (sigh), Josh went with friends to Wiscasset, ME where they have the absolute best lobster rolls! Since lobster does not travel well, I got the equally yummy fried mushrooms.

I also found today the mother load of pumpkin recipes. We still have three pumpkins from our farm waiting to be cooked! So, look for more fall meals to come!

Not Really A Christian After All

I found out today that I am actually not a Christian.

Who knew? Following Jesus, going to seminary, being ordained...apparently none of that mattered because my faith claims don't fit the definition set by certain others.

Blog comments I made have been posted on someone else's blog (you probably all know who I mean) as an example of Christians who aren't really Christians. I guess I join the ranks of "non-christians" and "god-haters." Excellent!

You'd think I might be a little agitated, but quite frankly, I'm glad I didn't make their cut!

A Very Fall Meal

The photo does not look as appetizing as the smells were last night.

I felt very "fall" as I made a vegetarian meal of fresh sauteed pumpkin, potato pancakes, and fresh greens. The pancakes were even garnished with homemade applasauce.

Yum!

Poor Cletus

Poor Cletus! Our pooch is once again sick. He has chronic ear infections, stomach problems and severe allergies. The vet thinks he is just sensitive. Josh thinks he has issues.

This week it has been uncontrollable poo...we lost a rug in the process and our house has that awful stench of rose-scented candles, barely masking the nasty leftovers of his illness. Lovely.

And we have a house guest for the weekend! Sorry.

The War on Error

This is crazy!

I Think I Found It!

So, I think I found a new TV addiction. While I received many suggestions for new shows, I think it is going to come down to Monday nights...not football (particularly after the Bengals' crushing defeat), but rather HEROES.

It is a new show on NBC about ordinary people around the globe who begin to discover extraordinary powers. The cast of characters is great! There is the cheerleader whose body cannot be hurt...broken, burnt and mangled she re-generates time and time again; the nerdy Japanese man, Hiro, who likens his ability to bend time and space to his favorite show, Star Trek; the druggee artist who paints the future; the pair of brothers, one a politician, the other a slacker, who discover they can fly; Weiss, from Alias, who is now a policeofficer who can hear people's thoughts; and my personal favorite, who definately gets the vote of most intriguing, the stripper who turns Hulk-like when she is angry. She blacks out each time only to wake up and find a mass of dead people around her.

It is suspenseful, interesting and completely out of touch with reality. The perfect show in which to lose myself.

The Buddha Says

Lately it seems my life is full of struggles, whether it is struggling in the Church for a place at the table, struggling in the state to protect marriage equality or struggling in the academy to pass my prospectus. It has all left me angry and tired. So, I decided I needed something else spiritually that was more restful than the constant chrsitian/methodist journey toward perfection (sanctification).

I chose Buddhism.

Josh studied Buddhism for years in undergrad and gradute school and has often hinted that it might be helpful for me. So, I am reading Thich Nhat Hanh's "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching."

I have found the buddhist process of identifying, analyzing and understanding our suffering particularly helpful in managing my own craziness of late. It is a helpful structure for reflecting on what we feel, why we feel it and how we might change it. The idea is that if we understand the source of our suffering (the ignoble ways of life that lead to our suffering) then we can begin to seek our freedom and liberation by cutting off the source (ceasing to behave in ignoble ways).

This is a VERY simplistic summary.

In my short two weeks of pseudo-buddhist practice, I have found this a great frame for dealing with some of the things that drive me the craziset. If the bishop makes me mad, then don't listen to him. Sounds easy.

Yet, I still struggle with what that means for the larger picture. If my suffering comes because of what I perceive to be unjust systems of prejudice/oppression in the church and the world, does my ceasing to participate in them lead to their end or only to my avoidance of them? What about the sources of suffering over which indivuals have no control like poverty, oppression, war, violence, discrimination, etc.? How does communal liberation come if it is only through individual patterns of noble living that we can end suffering?

Josh has convinced me buddhism has answers for all these questions and more and has told me I just need to read on.

And so I will.