Author: Allegra

Born when atmospheric carbon was 316 PPM. Settled on MST country since 1997. Parent, grandparent.

An anniversary of sorts

Twenty-nine years ago today I left my then legal husband, Phil, and moved in with Paul on Springhurst Avenue in Toronto.  It was during the CNE, and with the casual rain of coincidence that marks every part of my life, there were fireworks every night; we’d sit on the third floor balcony overlooking Lake Ontario and watch them.

Three years ago this past spring I moved out.  Our friendship is now more solid – and more civil – than it ever was.  But we had to go through a lot of dross burning off first.

Is Margot in the well, Eddie?

Eddie was screeching up a storm last night.  Jeff realized that something was amiss and got up.  He started following Eddie around, and Eddie went straight out the back door and to the garage, where Margot had been locked since Jeff had worked on his bike.  Eddie got many scritchings and “Good boy”.  (I locked Margot in my room all day last week, so you’d think she’d learn about doors…..)

Sorry, Eddie, we’re on to you.  You just PRETEND to hate Margot; like the rest of us, you haz succumded.

HOT, so hot

Between the heat and the hormones I had a very truncated night’s sleep last night.

I am very slowly getting organized around various church activities.  I requested a key (yes, if you have a joke about a church key, or redneck wrench, please insert here), dug into the website and confirmed commitments with those of the church who don’t have email.  I also commiserated with a sibling congregant about how married couples using the same email address is creepy (and f^ckyeah it IS creepy, especially when it means one of two things, that one spouse can read private correspondence to do with church matters or that one spouse is controlling the information spigot, and either way, EW!), and her response started with “Dude!” which just goes to show you which side of the digital divide I fall on.  I am attempting to get instructions and training for the sound system, if you can call that giant nexus of crap a sound system (and I don’t mean to beat up on the volunteer technicians because there are serious technical issues which will be neither easy nor cheap to resolve).

I rejoiced in learning (there had been hints, but now we know) that church start time has moved back to 10:30 am which is a) mostly the doing of the minister, who never gets any credit for having either brains or the welfare of the whole church in mind, which is bloody annoying for me as I find she has both and b) REALLY good news for the people who live in the hinterlands of our catchment area. Getting up at 8 to get to church is just plain horrid and you have to get up even earlier if you’re doing set up, so booyeah Rev Katie.

I have also, as of the last board meeting, gotten the okay to revive Chalice circles.  Go Allegra.  I really like small group ministry, especially when it consists of:

Meeting – checking in – lighting candles for joys and concerns – meditating – closing song – eating – socializing!

Now to consult Jeff about dates.

Church is going to eat my brain for the next two years; I know it.  Now I have to pace myself.

It’s true we’ve had a lot of departures in the last six months but sometimes the big trees gotta come down to let the little shrubs closer to the light.

New gal started at work yesterday – I think I’m going to like her.  Her uptake curve on new technology is impressive.

Mark October 16 on the calendar, we’re going to have a Social Justice Open Mic at church.

Church board

The board retreat today (I’m a trustee again at Beacon Unitarian Church) was AWESOME.  I think we really gelled as a board, but time will tell.

We’ve had some heavy, heavy losses in the church this year, some natural attrition, some resignations due to differences with either the board or the minister, and some people have retained their membership but largely withdrawn from church life.

lovely visit

Lexi had me, Jeff, Darci, Jasmine, and Paul over for chicken dinner last night and it was excellent in all ways.  After dinner I suggested we go for a walk – it was a lot cooler by the seawall – and Jasmine and Darwin and I kicked around a soccer ball on the beach.  Lexi gave me a frowning after I let Darwin walk through a bunch of puddles, upon which I learned that all of his shoes were now wet (give your head a shake Allegra, your kids never had more than two pairs of shoes when they were little).  Anyway, I gave up on that when I made the mistake of trying to use Mr. Darwin as a croquet mallet (head first).

Lexi got complimented on Darwin’s hat (again) – it happens every time I see her, it seems.  Chill Monkeys is doing awesome.  I have added it to the blogroll.

It was lovely to see Darci and Jasmine, who is the most preternaturally polite, well spoken, intelligent and compassionate 4.5 year old I ever met, bar none, and cute as the dickens, besides, in her pig tails.  If my dad doesn’t turn into a gibbering ball of mush upon interacting with her I’ll be surprised.

No meteors, too much skyglow.

ps Katie and Keith did not attend.  Keith had a date and Katie wasn’t up for a family gathering.  I’ll leave my own feelings out of it.