Pool time

I've mentioned in earlier blogs the new swimming pool at the Colonial Inn and promised photos. I try to go at least a couple of times a week. Last time I remembered to take the iPod and got some photos.

The new pool. It has a uniform depth and wider lanes than the old pool. Dedicated lap swimmers like it, but I do not particularly like it, and prefer to swim in the old pool. 

The new hot tub. The old one was outside under a cupola, and was more pleasant. The old one was made of wood. You could see the sky and enjoy the contrast between cold air and hot water. This is sort of sterile. But the water is hot.

The fitness room. I haven't been using this equipment but I keep thinking I should.

The old pool. The big advantage of having the new pool is that this one is less used now. I have often had it to myself. I prefer the ambiance. Plus, you can step down into it, which you cannot do in the new pool, and it is graduated in depth, so you can do warm-up walking in the shallow end before swimming. I like that. 

Cranberries and fajitas

Saturday, we went to the Cranberry Fair at the First Congregational church in Amherst, MA. It is essentially a very large rummage sale, but not just clothes, but everything. Katie, Savanna and Brendon were all involved in it as volunteer helpers. Also, a friend, Alice, who used to be a member at First church, and is now a member at the Guilford church, was in charge of the "higher end white elephant room," and wanted help packing things up at the end of the day to bring back to Guilford for its Christmas Bazaar, which includes a huge white elephant table and is held on Dec. 4th. So we hung out for a few hours, had lunch there, helped pack up and brought back select items for Guilford.

At the entrance to the Cranberry Fair, you were met by this booth where Dusty and Dorothy were serving free cranberry punch. 

Then at 4 pm, we met Julie and Jerry to see the movie Spotlight, which is quite a gripping movie about the Boston Globe's revelation of widespread, systemic child abuse by priests, and its coverup, in the Diocese of Boston, with the knowledge of Cardinal Law. It held us riveted for a couple of hours. While we were doing that, Mimi and Tamar we watching Peanuts. Then afterward we all went to Mi Tierra, a Mexican restaurant, where we had a good meal. 

                      Supper with the Feinlands at Mi Tierra. 

                                   Mi Tierra interior

We got home close to 11 pm, and then I still had to make sure all the music was ready for choir Sunday morning. So it was pretty late by the time I got to bed. But then I didn't sleep that well.

Today we had a really good choir at Dummerston. We started with I want to thank you, Lord, by Moses Hogan as an Introit, and our anthem was a shape note hymn, Gratitude, which is really rousing.

After church, Ellen scooted down to Guilford to rehearse recorders for a Sunday in Advent, while I hung out with John and Cynthia at the church coffee hour, and then we met Ellen at Panda for a good dinner together. I was pretty tired by then, not having slept well, so I came home and took a nap while Ellen did some grocery shopping, and then we had a good supper and I went off to a Carmina Burana rehearsal. 

Meanwhile, Betsey, Rob & Katie left today on a two-week journey to several National Parks and other scenic areas in WY, OR, CA, NV, UT, and AZ. It should be a wonderful trip and it is amazing that Betsey feels able to do it. We look forward to seeing pictures and hearing all about it. 

A catholic experience

Yesterday Ellen and I sang with Hallowell at a memorial Mass for children who had died during the past year, held at St. Michael's RC Church - always a poignant service which we have participated in, in past years. The new, young priest who led the service was very personable and earnest, but he seemed to be to be more traditional than his predecessors. He gave a great deal of attention to ritual acts  -  e.g., he spent an extraordinary amount of time using the censor around the altar. He also used bells a lot during the Eucharist. (My somewhat irreverent seminary mates would refer to all this as "bells and smells.")  Nonetheless it was a lovely service and our singing was very much appreciated. I didn't take pictures during the service, of course, but took one afterward, which has our beloved Tony Barrand in the foreground - he was able to sing with us on this occasion.

                                 The chancel at St. Michael's RC Church

Today (Thursday) it has been raining all day. I was up very early around 6am, photographing old sermons for the digital archive, but then came back to bed and slept until noon!  Meanwhile, Ellen had gotten up and made herself cozy, knitting a scarf by the fireplace. Robin Davis came by unexpectedly at about 1pm and  found both of us in our PJ's! We had a good visit with her. She left after three and Ellen had to prepare a little supper for another Hallowell gathering - we sang for someone at 5pm with a small group and then had our little supper with them before the full, monthly Hallowell rehearsal at 6:15pm, which was attended by about 26 people. Our rehearsals are always wonderful experiences, and often quite moving, and this one was no exception. One of our members shared with us his experiences around the recent death of his dad, and the tears flowed. It's wonderful and perhaps a bit uncommon to be part of a group where that kind of sharing takes place so often and so naturally. 

Flour, Wood and Soup

Today, Ellen went with Eliza and Robin to the King Arthur Flour store in Norwich, VT, about an hour's drive. They had a great time. All interested in cooking and baking. The KA store is incredibly well/stocked with all kinds of things relating to baking - special mixes, equipment, etc., plus a very nice cafe.

I stayed home, brought in yet another cart-load of wood, fixed my lunch (Eggie-rice- which was a Tolles family fav., and I love it -  brown rice, finely chopped veggies, and two eggs, beaten up and fried like a pancake), and then worked on printing out word sheets for River Singers. (Mary Cay likes getting us "off our music.") Then I went to the soup supper the church is now putting on before rehearsal-convenient for us and a money-maker for them. I had cauliflower/cheese soup. It was good. 

                       "...out cuttin' more wood."

                           Soup at Westminster-West church

Day of music

Today has been music-filled and continues to be. Our service at Guilford Church this morning was filled with spirited singing. The choir sang two anthems, and there were more than the usual hymns because Lise incorporated several additional hymns into her sermon, as a way of responding to the violence which had taken place in recent days . .. "if you can't pray, sing."  (Thomas Merton). The Annual Meeting of the church was held after the service, and the good news there was that the budget for 2016 of $100,000 income from pledges had already been met and more, which may be a first!  Then we went to the chant workshop for the afternoon session, and this time a very spirited and witty rabbi, Rabbi Moshe, led us in Hebrew chants. Now I'm at the Putney School, waiting for a rehearsal of the Carmina Burana. Ellen dropped me here and has done on to the movies to see Grandma. It is her birthday today, and she's giving herself a little birthday treat.

Yesterday, Ellen had a birthday party with several other women who share her birth date, plus a few who have November birthdays close to the 15th. It is a very nice group, and she had a good time.

Ellen at her women's birthday lunch

Robin Davis, also a Nov 15th birthday woman

Patrice, Robin and Mary Alice at the birthday lunch

While Ellen was at her party, John came over to the house and we had a chance to talk, keeping warm by the woodstove. It has turned chilly, and it was too cold for him to work on the Hermitage without getting very cold hands, so he had a free afternoon.

I am gradually transforming an archive of sermons on paper into an archive I can store on the computer. What a space-saver!  Here's one from about 7-8 years ago you might find interesting (be sure to click on it to get the full page). It should be readable:

 

"Honor Your Father and Mother" sermon

 

Page 2

Chanting

Yesterday, Ellen and I went to a chanting workshop at the local Episcopal church. It was attended by a remarkably large number of people who are interested in chanting! The morning session was led by Amer Latif, a local college prof who is a Sufi Muslim, so our chanting was in that tradition. There was also a presentation by Leslie Fischelman on how chanting affects the brain. We weren't able to attend yesterday's afternoon session, but we will go this afternoon after church.

                   Waiting for the chanting workshop to begin

A rainy day

Today was a rare rainy day - a good day to work indoors. I was inspired by my friend Luther Durgin, who has cleaned out all his old sermon files, to begin to do likewise. I took hundreds of pages to the recycle bin, but not before taking photos of some. Many more to go. It has been very interesting to revisit what I was preaching about back in the 1960's and '70's!

I also got in a swim today. The new pool and hot tub are now open. The new hot tub is quite a contrast to the old one which, alas, was destroyed by the building project. The old one was outside, which I liked, made of wood, dimly lit, and quite relaxing. The new one is inside, white fiberglass and brightly lit. Not relaxing in ambiance at all; very sterile environment. It feels like a hospital therapy pool. Oh well, the water is wet and warm anyway.