I survived!

My midterms went well! The last 2+ weeks have been... rough... but I made it! (And with grades I'd be happy to write on my blog about! hehe) It didn't help that I got a touch of the flu or something, there was a World Series, I have a boyfriend with needs, and am working at the Bookstore.

I don't know WHAT they were thinking scheduling the World Series during mid-terms, but living in the Boston area, it was hard to ignore. Now, don't get me wrong, I have not turned into a baseball fan. I do like Mike Lowell, who is the 3rd baseman for the Red Sox, though I often confuse him for the first baseman who has a similar goatee. Anyway, it was exciting to be surrounded by the buzz! Seth is into NE sports in a big way. (There is a victory dance involved in Patriot touchdowns that one really must experience to fully appreciate.) So, being a better girlfriend than student, we headed to a local sports bar for game 4 (and final) of the series. Unfortunately, I had a midterm in History of Christianity the next day. It all worked out though, I sat with my back to the TV with my papers, and Seth watched the game among his people!

I'm still working on the balance of being a student and a functioning part of society. There are lots of fun things to do (see pictures!), but even more pages to read! Since my last post I guess I have done some fun things... like attended a private event at Ellis Island for my alma mater Wagner College, played with French Bull Dog Puppies, and gone ice skating! Side note on ice skating: it was PAIN FREE! Thanks to my new ankle, this is the first time I can remember that ice skating didn't involve recovery! Hooray! It was also great to be at a Wagner event and see my peeps. I have good people in my life who I don't get to spend enough time with.

Oh! And Seth won the "Wicked" lottery so we got $25 orchestra seats for the show. It was a great show! It's the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, essentially, and her relationship with Glinda. I've known the music (which I would recommend) but loved seeing the show.

Classes continue to enlighten and get my brain working. We've just covered the creation (corruption into being?) of the Papacy. Interesting thing learned there: it is not til 11th century that Popes (etc.) are celibate, and a motivating factor was so that they couldn't have children who would inherit the position. In Hebrew Bible I learned all about the angry, jealous God who orders wars, and of the foreign women who cause the plagues. (Numbers 25. Check it out.)

In my Religious Education class I did 2 groups participations which I really enjoyed. The first was leading a worship, into which we incorporated drawing, writing, singing, body prayer, and others to have something meaningful for everyone. The second was to lead the class in an meaningful "art" project. We chose to make maps of our spiritual journeys. We started by a short walk around campus for reflection, then returned to make our own maps. It was really cool to think about where you've come from, where you're going, where you got lost, what you didn't expect, forks in the roads, etc. I'm still working on mine, I guess we are always working on ours.

My Ethics of Peacemaking class is really interesting. We've been talking about Just Peace theory, which my prof is writing on. The link is to her website. There is a lot of important work for us to do before peace becomes a reality. Sometimes when we talk about the conflicts, and the political and ideological forces behind people's/nation's decisions, I feel overwhelmed a the task before us. But I am encouraged by the work and stories that we read, like the Just Peace movement in the UCC and the work of individuals worldwide - from Northern Ireland to Central America - making it happen. And it will happen. I guess my charge as a minister is to preach it and live it and help others find their path to doing it. Bring it on!

Still reading

It's funny because I'm so busy, but I don't feel like I have all that much to report!

I spend a lot of time reading and/or referencing what I'm reading. I'm working on a paper for my UU Religious Education class, critiqing a current curriculum being used. I found a fun one for preschoolers, and the assignment is to take what we've been reading about child development and multiple intelligences to critique the curriculum.

The other paper I'm working on currently is on the Rule of Benedict, which set up "rules" for monks (really much more about organization...) in the 6th century. This is for my History of Christianity class, in case you couldn't guess. I've been enjoying reading the early Christian texts as well as learning the historical context for their creation, though it's pretty dense and takes some time and much re-reading to fully understand. Then it seems for any document (or indeed, Bible verse as I'm learning in my Old Testament class) there are at least 100 books and countless scholarly articles, journals, etc written on it!

There are other papers/texts/tests looming around the corner. The next 2 weeks are going to be stressful. I can't believe it's mid-term already!

The weather is changing. I think I've seen the last of the 70's or above for a while, although I did manage to make it for a walk on the beach this weekend. Seth and I drove a bit (as in to Philly and back for a wedding, moving, family, etc.) and encountered beautiful fall colors. Another 2 weeks and the trees will be at peak viewing. We took a little detour to avoid construction in Connecticut and happened about the most quaint New England towns I've ever seen - stone walls, water wheels, and churches on every corner!

I've also made significant progress in the order of my apartment. After a quick trip to Ikea and an area rug, it's about 90% done. I'll post pictures as soon as everything is in order. I've definitely got too many books and not enough shelves... but it's starting to feel even more like home.

I have lots to read...

... and I haven't quite figured out how to do it all! I am in 4 classes: History of Christianity I, Intro to Hebrew Bible, Spirituality and the Arts in Contemporary UU Religious Education, and Ethics of Peacemaking. All of my professors are women this semester, and each of them is entirely different and interesting.

I am enjoying the reading I have to do. (Amber, Seth's cat, of course, would rather sit on my book than have me read it, but last weekend she was happy for the company!) In the history and bible classes it's a lot of church documents, criticism, THE BIBLE, etc. I'd say most nights these days I fall asleep reading the Bible. Exciting stuff ;) The RE class has reading, too, on approaches and theory, and in class we do more hands-on projects exploring the different modalities of the arts. The ethics class is interesting, calling a bit to my International Affairs major as an undergrad, but putting a theological spin when addressing peace ethically. The intro course have about 35+ people in them. The other two have only 5, allowing for good discussion. Each class meets once a week for 3 hours.

I finally found bookshelves for an awkward space in my room, so I can unpack the boxes! Including the three boxes of books my dad sent for the "seminary shelf." The living quarter is shaping up, but definitely taking a back burner to everything else... like the weekend in NYC I've just returned from!

My final wedding of 2007, my good college friend Meryl got married Sunday! And I had the honor to be a bridesmaid. It was a dream NYC wedding complete with pictures in Central Park, a limo ride down 5th Ave, and fabulous food from Chef Daniel Boulud. The weather was perfect so the ceremony proceeded on the rooftop overlooking the city on 31st and 10th. My feet are still recovering from the dancing (you'll notice in one pic that the other bridesmaid and I gave up on our heels eventually) and my brain/stomach is refusing to go back to EasyMac!

Meryl was a perfect bride - she didn't stress and just enjoyed her day. The groom, Arnaud, is French, so there was lots of French speaking which was fun! He is also the cutest thing alive - a right ball of sunshine, I'd say! It was so fun to see the pure excitement and unstoppable energy coming from both of them. I really do enjoy sharing weddings with people. It's such a special time and everyone is so happy. It was also wonderful to connect with old friends and meet new ones!

First temptation to jump ship

Orientation took place over Friday and Saturday. There we times I felt overwhelmed and ready to go home, but mostly I felt excited and anxious to get the show on the road!

On Friday night I just kept thinking "oh man, is this really what I want to be doing?" After meeting so many people, and talking so much about spirituality and callings and paths, I just needed a breather! So I took it - and I vowed that I will continue to be very aware of my need/the importance for regular breathers - and cleared my head. It boiled down to the same concern I always have, I guess... the temptation of a "normal" life. But then again, who wants to be normal?! So I entered Saturday with a commitment to join the community and openly participate. And it felt good.

Most of the faculty were here to introduce themselves or speak on panels, but also to join in the events. Many live nearby and returned in the evenings for the shared meals. It is nice to see the dedication and support here, and I am more at ease knowing I am part of it!

My fellow students come from all over the spectrum. Most seem to be United Church of Christ (UCC), Unitarian Universalist (UU), American Baptist Church (ABC), and Episcolpalian (I don't know the acronym!). Our common denominator, our open and accepting liberal leanings, is what I see our greatest strength: we are male, female, and transgendered; GLBT and straight; black, white, Asian, Latino; and run the socio-economic spectrum. I have been pleasantly surprised by this diversity and am quite excited to enter into this path with such interesting and challenging discussion partners!

The picture on this post is of the new chapel on campus, which is an interesting design. It strikes me as industry meets sacred space. But I like it. My first class (of 4) is tomorrow. Eek! Oh, and I have 21 books to buy/read overall so far... I try not to think about that too much, because it sorta' makes me want to cry! Plus, I really don't have shelf space for 20+ books per semester.

HERE IT GOES!

Crazy little thing called love

I apologize, faithful blog readers, for my absence. Since my last post I have attended version 2 of my bro's wedding in Wisconsin, celebrated another wedding in North Carolina, and moved to Massachusetts!

Version 2 was very nice. My mom put lots of work into planning a very nice ceremony and throwing a good party. It was nice to see lots of family and life-long family friends that only weddings bring together. Mom asked me to speak at the wedding and it felt really good to stand up in my home church next to my minister, Tony, and do the ministerial thing! Seth also came along for the madness, and was ushered into the Rayala-Ruxton-McLean-Schissel-Grande family in style. Amazingly enough, he survived!

The following weekend I flew into Atlanta and drove 2 hours to the mountains of North Carolina to spend a beautiful weekend with my good friends, Katy & Ben, for their wedding. I have been talking with them for a year about wedding plans, and it was lovely to see it all come together. The weather cooperated and they got their outdoor wedding at The Mountain, where they met! It was awesome to have their closest friends and family together for a weekend hiking and swimming and having an overall fun time at camp! It is really a special thing to share someone's wedding day with them. I am really looking forward to doing this more often ;)

And now I'm in Massachusetts in my 205 sq foot studio on campus. In an unexpected but very welcome turn of events, Seth has decided to move here! (Not in with me or anything crazy... yet...) So, my ever "always there" KP joined Seth and I for a moving party. With the help of roommate Embo, we loaded the Uhaul Tuesday morning in under 2 hours and I said my final goodbye to DC. We then stopped in Philly at Seth's place to load most of his possessions. Though he'll be there one more month, we wanted to take an opportunity to share a truck. Plus, I needed a bed, dresser, bookcases, and table... so my new place is now completely furnished! We made it on campus Wednesday late afternoon and unpacked the many, many boxes and all the furniture into my new domicile.

I still have yet to unpack most of the boxes. I've set up my entertainment center, the small kitchenette as well as the bathroom, and am nearly done organizing the clothes. My goal is 2 boxes a day til finished. After living out of my suitcase for so long, it's strange to have things in drawers again!

The Honeymoon

While I don't exactly know what my bro and Reyna are up to for their honeymoon, Seth and I enjoyed a nice trip to Niagara Falls (minus the "marriage" part.) After flying into Philly to celebrate his birthday, we drove up with a 3-day pit stop in Mass to visit Seth's family. Then we journeyed 6 hours to cross the border to the Canadian side of the falls and lots of fun! (The trip almost included a trip to the hospital to enjoy free health coverage, but the strange pain in my arm stopped... but my coratid artery still bubbles occasionaly. It's odd. I'll go to a doc once I have health ins again!)

Knowing how much it would amuse me, Seth begrudgingly agreed to a room with a heart-shaped jacuzzi (yah! I said it!!), but only after finding out it had a view of the falls. The view was a bit distant and under a bridge, but the jacuzzi was just as corny/wonderful as one would imagine! The hotel was just 2 blocks to the falls and to the crazy Clifton Hill area which is a lot like Disney with bright lights, and a wax museum and ice cream stand on every (of the 4) corners! We skipped the wax museum(s) but did enjoy a tour on the huge ferris wheel, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, and a fresh waffle cone.

Oh, and we saw the falls, too. I was there for the first time 2 years ago in a cold and overcast October. This time the weather was absolutely perfect and the falls even more magnificent because I could really enjoy them without freezing. There are two sets of falls, the American Falls and the Horseshoe or Canadian Falls. The American falls have more rocks and character, but the Horseshoe falls create whirlpools directly in the river, and get you wet! We could see the mist rising off the falls for miles while driving towards them, and the view at night (especially from the ferris wheel) was amazing.

The day I married my brother

The wedding was great! Yes, the preparation before hand was a bit stressful, but everything came together for a beautiful night.

I was a little nervous as my brother and I, and the best man, were preparing to walk to the altar/gazebo. Just some butterflies, hoping it would all go smoothly. Perhaps if we had had a rehearsal I would have felt better, but alas, that didn't happen. I managed to communicate to the mariachi band about when to play during the ceremony, then collected the groom and best man to start the show. Cory said he wasn't nervous at all, so I straightened my stole and we walked out...

I had gone through most of the ceremony and things I was planning to say with Cory and Reyna beforehand. We spent a lot of time working on their vows, prompted out of questions I asked them about their relationship. Cory got a bit misty-eyed when Reyna was reading hers, which was the only point where I thought I might cry. I made a joke about marrying my brother, and had already planted people in the audience to laugh, so that worked! The "I do's" were said, rings exchanged, unity candle lit, and it was really great fun to say "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride!"

It felt really good to be up there as a "minister." I knew I would be able to provide a meaningful experience for Cory and Reyna, and loved the challenge of finding the right words to not only reflect their personalities, but also to include all the family and friends that had gathered for the event. I wore a simple suit and thin stole, so I think I even looked the part. After the ceremony I got lots of encouragement and good feedback. My bro suggested I might think about doing it professionally (thanks), and now my mom's ready for her own online ordination. One of the wedding guests asked me where my church was because she'd be interested in coming ("I'm not quite there yet") and another asked how long I had been a minister. Bring it on!

Wedding Prep!

I have been in Cali enjoying time with my very charming (energetic) nephew and planning the wedding! My brother and soon-to-be sister in law win the award for the most relaxed bride and groom... ever. My to do list keeps growing, even though the wedding is now only 3 days away. The dress is at the cleaners and the tux is at the tailors - I don't know why I'm worried about these things if they aren't, but I guess that's why I came a week early to help get everything ready!

The ceremony is nearly ready. I'm still playing with some wording to find the right sentiment that fit their personalities. The three of us spent a few hours laughing pretty hard while skimming through some potential readings. Cory has suggested a passage from Taxi Driver and I'm a fan of a little Bon Jovi. Reyna's hoping for Cory to sing his vows, or just "Lady in Red." I'm fairly confident the 3 of us are NOT keeping straight faces during the wedding, so if you're attending, be prepared to laugh with us!

The reception is going to basically be a big Mexican Fiesta. The theme of my week of shopping and preparing with Reyna is her asking "Is that too much?" and me answering, simply, "yes." It's going to be colorful and fun! (And, no, it doesn't need any more bows or decorations...)

Oh, and in touring we managed to come across a Kwik-E-Mart for some Simpson's style convenience. It was fun, even if I'm not the biggest fan ever created. And even if I did feel quite ill after my over-processed donut and blue Slushee drink. (Thanks Seth for being the life line...)