sing with me

Tonight, I shall sleep soundly. Driving home, with the blistering sound on my stereo and the window rolled down. I am happy. Yes, happy. I stayed a long time at the party, listening to Czech fly back and forth. Craig made his third year class perform some of this Ivan Klima story. He licked the cheek of one grad student, who threw a glass of red wine on him. Of course, he threw his beer right back, and we all gasped for breath, laughing so hard. It's all on video somewhere, thanks to Mike and the camera. Craig said, "say something tragic for the camera." I shoke my head, and made an eloquent hand gesture.

I have not had so much fun in a while! ahh. Lots of beer drinking and playing with Skippy (Craig's cat). Someone stole his car, so Craig had to walk through the drive-through liquor store for his keg of Live Oak. I drank wine, just for the warm feeling in my head. Danced with Keith and Craig and Hana. Learned I got an excellent fellowship from the department for Prague. Talked about books, papers and the education system in America. Craig played guitar for us. Songs like Stairway to Heaven and Blister in the Sun, Used to Love Her and Angie. Random Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones. I sang Dead Flowers with him. Great fun. This is what I love about my department. The fun and closeness, that our professors are not afraid to play with us and laugh and sing us songs drunkenly in the backyard at midnight.

God, I can not wait to go to Prague. I want to study and stay up all night, I want to have this feeling in me always. I know what I want to be now. This happiness and completeness and wonderous sense of beauty, this endless night. This, this, this and always this.

I know, we are the lucky ones

I spoke to the RCIA group today, told them a little of my first year in the Church. I barely remember what I said, as it all sort of came right off the cuff. People later commented on my eloquence, a surprising thing. I felt like I had babbled and just burst into tears while thanking the many people who helped me make my faith journey, and who continue to help me.

Mostly I spoke of community, of how wonderous the community of our parish and the Church is. Without it, I might have been lost. Every time I go to church, someone greets me, gives me a hug. There is always a hand to shake and someone who says "Peace be with you." It happens with sincerity. In some ways, I feel like I'm coming home every time I walk into that building.

These people amaze me. People who don't know you, or barely know you, people who might never have seen you ever before are willing to do so much for you. At the same time, I feel like I would do anything for them in return. I held a woman today who cried as she talked about her grandfather's heart failure and about how hard it is to watch such a strong man be rendered so weak. After I spoke, Steve came up to me and held me so tightly with tears in his eyes and thanked me for just being there this morning. This incredible human connection, this generosity of spirit is so precious. I truly never thought I would ever experience anything like this in my life.

Days like these I half expect Christ to step off the crucifix above the altar and walk down into the pews to hug us all.

tornado country

Siren sounds, and rain. It's storming here and I shouldn't be on the computer but I lack sense sometimes. Tornado season is here again. I watched the trees from the balcony this afternoon, making sure that the wind kept blowing. The stillness is when I get nervous, when the air stops and you start to smell the storm gathering force.

X-Files was interesting. I liked the creepy reptile. Oh, Mulder's so cute when he's being a bastard. The end was hilarious and danced neatly around the question of just how did Mulder and Scully get back... Hah.