7/16/2009

Breath in, breath out: Odds and Ends from Anaheim.

OK, a breather just before going off to wrestle with the numbers, C056, a day in the pit and all.

I met the famous Grandmère Mimi who is wonderfully wicked, amazingly delightful and a lady to the core. Of course that is before two drinks. She did not stay long in Anaheim feeling that going to a second rate movie was an improvement.

Wandering around trying to find the General Convention Secretariat I stopped in to the Newsroom and found David Virtue whose birthday was on Tuesday. In this odd screwball Episcopal Church world 65th birthdays even get acknowledged across the barriers of the great divide. David said quite a number of people had checked in to say congratulations. For some reason that made me feel good.

While there I also finally met Mary Ailes, aka BabyBlue. We had just a moment to say hello but I was glad to have finally met her. She and David drive me nuts, of course, but this is not about where we stand on matters great and small, but how we stand at all, which is by the grace of God (which by the way is what makes any relationship work) and occasional hospitality.

Yesterday, just before heading off to the morning sessions I was delighted to find a cartoon on Pluralist Speaks, the blog of
Relationship Faithfulness, Ministry and TEC. Susan Russell and Elizabeth Kaeton are both amazing women and I was delighted to be drawn with them, as of course I am also drawn to them as friends. Adrian didn't quite capture the smile on my face, but then again, perhaps I am the Walrus in this mix.

Today is Thursday. Who will I meet out there in General Convention Land? We'll see.

4 comments:

  1. Mark! There goes my reputation. It was my pleasure to finally meet the great Mark Harris, the blogger who is an example to us all of how to get this blogging thing right. I hear that the next new thing, beyond Facebook (Twitter, but who knows for how long?) may ring the death knell for blogs. Who knows? The future rushes so quickly towards us nowadays that it's the past before I realize it came by.

    What a wonderful drawing by Pluralist! I have a secret desire to have him draw me, but I'd never say, shrinking southern violet that I am.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The cartoon shows your puzzlement and neutrality to all this attraction you draw to yourself. The one on the left is very eager, the one on the right happy, and the one in the centre doesn't get it perhaps.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Convention was a great experience! I went there to present information about the service dog program at St. Francis in Fair Oaks CA, and ended up meeting many wonderful people who were interested in greeting Emily, my black lab who is ready for placement as a mobility assistance dog with an injured veteran. We even got to meet and have our photo taken with the ABC and the other deacons serving at the various communion stations. We stood in the House of Deputies with Gene Robinson, and hugged when the vote on D025 was announced. My only regret was that I wasn't able to meet you or "Jake"!

    Thanks for all you do keeping us informed and in the know!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Now how is it that you get a fabulous woman on each arm? I, of course, have the singular blessing of having the most fabulous woman on earth waiting for me at home, but I still want to know your secret. :)

    ReplyDelete

OK... Comments, gripes, etc welcomed, but with some cautions and one rule:
Cautions: Calling people fools, idiots, etc, will be reason to bounce your comment. Keeping in mind that in the struggles it is difficult enough to try to respect opponents, we should at least try.

Rule: PLEASE DO NOT SIGN OFF AS ANONYMOUS: BEGIN OR END THE MESSAGE WITH A NAME - ANY NAME. ANONYMOUS commentary will be cut.