AKMA’s Random Thoughts

Is it already in September? I remember thinking September was weeks away. Could I have been that wrong?

I had a very good run this morning after having not run yesterday; I had the 8:00 service, and didn’t have enough time (I estimated) to run, cool down, shower, get to St Nic’s, etc. before the service. As things went, the service was fine, and I joined Margaret, David, and Marlies for the 10:30 at St Helen’s. We then decamped to the town square for a leisurely and tasty brunch, then home for David and Marlies to pack and head in to Oxford. So when morning came today, I was well-rested; I limbered up quickly in the 18°, 100% humidity air, and ran to a comfortable, somewhat ambitious pace. Coffee, fruit, shower, Morning Prayer (in church again, yay!), and I’m about to tackle some correspondence after writing a squib for this week’s newsletter. Then I’ll begin work on a homily for Wednesday Mass, and presumably some further tasks and errands to keep me from loitering on a street corner and causing a public disturbance. Yesterday’s homily below… Continue reading “Pardon Me, Friend”

A really solid run this morning: not my fastest, but a good, limber, steady run, just the way it should be. Coffee, cleaned the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher, said Morning Prayer, showered and dressed for morning. We’re expecting to take David and Marlies to breakfast when everyone wakes up; then I’ll represent the parish at the Welcome service for Abingdon’s new Methodist pastor, then home again before dining out with David and Marlies.

It seems as though I’ve fallen into the habit of blogging on alternate days; it’s not deliberate, and I’ll try to get back on the daily routine, even though it’s mostly tedious descriptions of my running routine. Speaking of which, I took a very leisurely day this morning after a good day at a good pace yesterday. After Morning Prayer, fruit breakfast, and cleaning up I put in a productive writing morning (I may actually finish this essay before September’s over!). Then Margaret and I took a dog-free evening in Oxford, where we dined at Majliss on the eleventh anniversary of our arrival in Oxford, 2013. There we were joined by Seabury alum the Revd Russ Bohner, who in in Oxford for a week; we reminisced and caught up and solved the problems of the world all through dinner.

This morning ran (as I said above), I had my coffee and fruit breakfast, showered, and had a meeting with my pastoral care co-chair. I’ll try to write this afternoon as we prepare for a visit from former Seabury colleague and long-time friend David Cunningham and his wife Marlies. Scarcely a dull moment around Enock House!

Yesterday morning I had a really good run: nice and steady, some bounce to my stride, good pace, satisfying kick at the home end. I spent time working on liturgical ordos for St Helen’s, and did some reading. This morning I took my miles slow. In fact, slower than what you’re imagining right now. The sinews in my joints felt loose and slightly sore, and I didn’t want to force them; I walked, jogged, ran, and slowed to a walk, then went through the cycle again. In the end, nothing hurt or was tweaked, but it was a verrrry slow two miles.

Then I made coffee, said Morning Prayer, showered, ate a hot breakfast, prepared a Wednesday morning ordo for St Helen’s (made a big difference, as compared to working from the same laminated single sheet that the congregation uses), said the Wednesday Low Mass, lingered to talk over coffee with the gang, then home with Margaret and the ladies who had come to meet me en route.

Two good miles this morning, slow to warm up but satisfyingly springy once I got limber; cup of coffee, Morning Prayer, and shower; now, coffee in town, editing service booklets, and beginning work toward Wednesday’s homily. I got tired of using my Church of England comprehensive liturgical-year planner as a diary (too bulky and heavy by far); I’ll buy one for my desk, I suppose, but for next year I’ll carry a Leuchtturm1917 A5 Weekly Diary to keep track of my appointments. It’s a bit of a relief to have taken that step; the big CoE one was a real anchor.

No holidays till late November, by which time the rector will have well and truly retired. (I do have a retreat timetabled for early October, a bit late for my yearly obligation but still within the window). But from now, summer is effectively over and work will define the shape of my days…

I’m heading back to Abingdon — I have tomorrow morning’s service at St Helen’s, and I want to be home in good time to work on my homily and get some sleep — and it was a pure joy to revisit my favourite city. I had the chance to see and catch up with friends, to visit old haunts, to hear some good research papers, and to update my recollections of places that figure prominently in my memories of four wonderful years.

I wish I could have seen everyone, but that will have to wait. I expect there’ll be an opportunity to return (heaven permitting). In the meantime, bless you, Glasgow!

I arrived safely and comfortably at Central station yesterday afternoon, in typically dreich Glasgow weather. No matter! I love this city, and am happy to have a day before the conference kicks into gear, so I’ve already met a former student (Una), I’m staying at Doug’s gaff (nominally house-sitting while he goes to Greenbelt), and meeting Charlotte for lunch. And taking photies like a giddy tourist, ’cause I cherish every glimpse of this dear place.

Glasgow, f***ing love you, mate —

My best morning run in a long time: good, steady pace with hardly a slowdown. Prompt shower, then to the Ladybank Paddock stop to catch the X2 to Didcot Parkway, thence to Paddington, to Euston, and now aboard the Pendolino to Glasgow. I should be disembarking at dear Central Station at about 15:00.

My pace this morning never rose to ‘strong’, nor my stride to ‘limber’, but in my own stiff, sluggish way I made a steady two-mile run, and that’s fine with me. (I don’t usually encounter other runners going the same directions as I, but this morning I was passed by two young, vigorous serious runners, so you may detect a slightly defensive note in my observation. Well, so it goes.)

I had a long meeting toward midday with the wardens. Since the Team Rector is retiring, and the Team Vicar already works [more than] full time, and the other Associate Priest has a very strictly limited Working Agreement, it seems as if I’m the point of most flexibility. We talked over what functions I might serve during the interregnum, which tasks I might pick up, how my time for things I already do might be constricted, and so on. There will be much learned, I think — I hope — and it will be more interesting than I had hoped my part-time gig would be, but here’s where I am and this is what I do, so I’ll just buckle my seat belt and steer as steady a course as I can, and see what the end of this particular road looks like.

Ran my miles, a good run but at a slower pace — my legs didn’t get limber as fast, nor even as limber, as yesterday. Spending the working part of the day on finances, on business for St Helen’s (mostly), and if I have time and energy left, for my overdue essay.

Had a really good steady run, albeit at a moderate pace. Church in the morning, home to watch the ladies while Margaret was in Oxford at the baptism of a friend; I may have napped a little. Gave the ladies a long walk through the Ock Valley Park. Margaret had a good time at the baptism, we dined together, and it’s evening and we’re together.