It is Labor Day weekend, and I am already a solid week into this new semester at Seminary. Getting here was an adventure, and I had to hit the ground running, but I'm beginning to finally feel settled.
I finished out CPE stongly, I believe, growing to love the job more and more every day. There were crazy days and easy days, and on my last day of actual work, I was given both the regular on-call pager and the trauma pager for a couple of hours during the Resident's graduation celebration, and of course that would be when two traumas, one death, and one family conflict would come in all at once. I loved it. I feel like I was really able to grow into my pastoral identity over the course of the summer, and I am so glad for how I spent it. I was excited by how much I felt that I could be a minister, and by how much I learned over the summer.
Outside of CPE, I had a minor hiccup just at the end of the summer. I was driving home from my last visit with Silas one Sunday evening, when my car started to make a funny clicking noise. I mentioned this to my parents, and my mom drove me to work in the morning so she could take my car into our mechanic and get it checked out. We assumed it wouldn't be a big deal, until the car died before it made the two mile trip to the mechanic. Something or other happened, which led to what was deemed by the people working on it "catastrophic engine failure." The good news was that my car was still under warranty and now she has a shiny new engine. The bad news is she wasn't going to be ready in time to get my mom and I back to Ohio so she could catch her flight out of town. So, we got the idea to take my dad's car and then trade halfway between after awhile. My mom and I made our long drive back to Ohio, and we'll be meeting somewhere in Tennessee later on in order to trade cars back. We're also hoping this is the end of my bad luck with cars.
When I got back to Ohio, I hit the ground running. I began my job as Sacristan by showing up and being asked to be a crucifer for the first service of the term. Then there were long meetings with Karen and Kristen, the worship life coordinator and my fellow sacristan to begin to figure out how we would work things over the upcoming year. I'm enjoying the job immensely already, and I've already begun to write a worship service for the upcoming week.
I've also already gotten started on classes, even before I was able to get all my school supplies organized for them. This semester I'm taking Systematic Theology, Old Testament 2, Preaching, Lutheran Confessions, and Christian Perspectives on Other Religions. I'm pretty excited about all of them already, especially Systematic Theology, which surprised me a little bit. I think that I am really beginning to get into the interesting stuff of seminary this year, and I think it will be a good year.
I'm glad to be back here, as much as I enjoyed being in Texas over the summer. I'm beginning to get to know the new people at the seminary, and reconnecting with my friends. I'm already feeling back into the swing of things and George is even well settled. He had an adventure his first day back by getting out when my mom and I were going to be gone awhile, but he got to stay in one of my friends apartments until we got back. Today George helped me to put together a bookcase, which I can't wait to fill up with my overflowing books. I'm still working on getting my apartment reorganized, and keeping up with my dishes (I already miss having a dishwasher again) but I've got one more holiday day of the weekend to get to it.
I'll be blogging more regularly now that I'm back on a normal schedule, so keep an eye here for updates on my Middler year at Trinity!
Showing posts with label Seminary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seminary. Show all posts
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Finals and Fun
I am moving swiftly into the end of this semester, and the end of my first year here, and I am keeping pretty busy as I finish up.
Last week was a good week filled with interesting lunches and keeping quite busy. On Monday we had a seminary lunch in which we discussed a book of stories about sexism in the church and talked about how it affects our lives too. It was a really powerful discussion, and it is interesting to consider the sexism that is still evident in the church in various forms as well as in our society as a whole. It also made for an interesting time for me just to watch and listen to everybody, because people encounter a subject like this in so many different ways.
Monday night I spent four hours researching four words in Psalms 121:3-4 for my Hebrew verse project. I loved every minute of it. It really is fascinating to see what a word in another language really means in ours and how idioms from the ancient world compare to ours. That was the prep work for one of my finals, and I also got all the research done for my Church History final last week. There I'll be writing about Quakers, Pentecostalism, and the Second Great Awakening in one paper, and John Bunyan, Reactions to Evolutionism in the church, and Vatican II in another. There are so many interesting subjects in my Church History class, so I am looking forward to writing about all of these, and I imagine I won't find it difficult.
My other two finals this semester are tests, and I took one on Tuesday. After that test, I was basically done with my Introduction to Worship class, which was a great feeling, since now I have one less thing I have to spend a lot of time on. My last test is my Old Testament final, and it won't be available until the last day of classes next week, so I'm studying, but not terribly worried. This week is for finishing up my Hebrew and Church History papers, and therefore being almost completely done with the semester.
My other insetting lunches this week included lunch with friends twice - once with Paul and once with Mary Ann. It's great to get to spend time with my friends outside of classes, where we see each other all the time but then never have a chance to chat. Then on Wednesday, my I-group did a lunch/creek clean-up for our service project for the semester. Alum Creek is just next to the seminary, and like many creeks in cities can experience a lot of litter. We had fantastic pizza out there and then went around cleaning up what we could find. We found quite a bit of trash, but the most interesting things were a very worn tent, and a Kroger shopping cart half buried in the creek. It was pretty gross when we got it out, but we rolled it back to Kroger across the street to dump or clean up as they wished. I felt a little gross as I went directly to my next class, but nobody said I smelled too bad!
It's been a good week, and I am definitely feeling the end of the semester coming up soon. I've had a meeting about the commencement worship, since I am one of two sacristans for that worship, and I am learning how to bake gluten free bread for communion. I had a fantastic counseling appointment last Friday, and with just two left before I leave for the summer, I think I'm going to be in a reasonably good place to go into the rigors of CPE. That will be a learning experience for me in so many ways! I start CPE in three weeks, and I get to see Silas in person for the first time since the beginning of this semester in just four. I'm looking forward to what the summer has in store for me. Except for the heat - I already miss Ohio winter.
This week I also started a really nice little sewing project, but I can't say anything more about it for a bit - it's a Mother's day gift, and I don't see mom until a week from Thursday. I will add pictures then, though - I am really excited about it!
Now I'm off for one more full week, and finishing all my finals.
Kathryn
Last week was a good week filled with interesting lunches and keeping quite busy. On Monday we had a seminary lunch in which we discussed a book of stories about sexism in the church and talked about how it affects our lives too. It was a really powerful discussion, and it is interesting to consider the sexism that is still evident in the church in various forms as well as in our society as a whole. It also made for an interesting time for me just to watch and listen to everybody, because people encounter a subject like this in so many different ways.
Monday night I spent four hours researching four words in Psalms 121:3-4 for my Hebrew verse project. I loved every minute of it. It really is fascinating to see what a word in another language really means in ours and how idioms from the ancient world compare to ours. That was the prep work for one of my finals, and I also got all the research done for my Church History final last week. There I'll be writing about Quakers, Pentecostalism, and the Second Great Awakening in one paper, and John Bunyan, Reactions to Evolutionism in the church, and Vatican II in another. There are so many interesting subjects in my Church History class, so I am looking forward to writing about all of these, and I imagine I won't find it difficult.
My other two finals this semester are tests, and I took one on Tuesday. After that test, I was basically done with my Introduction to Worship class, which was a great feeling, since now I have one less thing I have to spend a lot of time on. My last test is my Old Testament final, and it won't be available until the last day of classes next week, so I'm studying, but not terribly worried. This week is for finishing up my Hebrew and Church History papers, and therefore being almost completely done with the semester.
My other insetting lunches this week included lunch with friends twice - once with Paul and once with Mary Ann. It's great to get to spend time with my friends outside of classes, where we see each other all the time but then never have a chance to chat. Then on Wednesday, my I-group did a lunch/creek clean-up for our service project for the semester. Alum Creek is just next to the seminary, and like many creeks in cities can experience a lot of litter. We had fantastic pizza out there and then went around cleaning up what we could find. We found quite a bit of trash, but the most interesting things were a very worn tent, and a Kroger shopping cart half buried in the creek. It was pretty gross when we got it out, but we rolled it back to Kroger across the street to dump or clean up as they wished. I felt a little gross as I went directly to my next class, but nobody said I smelled too bad!
It's been a good week, and I am definitely feeling the end of the semester coming up soon. I've had a meeting about the commencement worship, since I am one of two sacristans for that worship, and I am learning how to bake gluten free bread for communion. I had a fantastic counseling appointment last Friday, and with just two left before I leave for the summer, I think I'm going to be in a reasonably good place to go into the rigors of CPE. That will be a learning experience for me in so many ways! I start CPE in three weeks, and I get to see Silas in person for the first time since the beginning of this semester in just four. I'm looking forward to what the summer has in store for me. Except for the heat - I already miss Ohio winter.
This week I also started a really nice little sewing project, but I can't say anything more about it for a bit - it's a Mother's day gift, and I don't see mom until a week from Thursday. I will add pictures then, though - I am really excited about it!
Now I'm off for one more full week, and finishing all my finals.
Kathryn
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Holy Week
Well it's been awhile since I've written - having break week/holy week last week threw me off pretty well. It has been a good couple of weeks, though, with some fun things scattered throughout.
I spent a large part of my holy week working on my crocheting. I am nearly done with my project, which is pretty exciting. Today I have been stitching it together, and I should have it finished by tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. It's turning out beautifully, but I don't think I'll take on a project quite this big mid-semester again. However, it has been fun to say that I am doing homework when I'm crocheting.
The one thing I did to make up for much sitting on a couch crocheting this week, was to to the Central Ohio AIDS Walk this Saturday. It was the first 5k I've ever participated in, and it was really fun. I was proud of myself that I could walk the 5k in just about an hour, because I have not been able to work out nearly as much as I might like while I'm in school. I've been doing better on my yoga lately, but I'm also glad to know I can walk 3 miles without much problem. Thanks to everyone who supported me in the AIDS Walk - the walk as a whole raised $250,000, which was really exciting.
I also spent awhile during my break creating the internship manuals for those who will be leaving for internship this year. It was a lot of collating, but it went well. I had a whole classroom to use for two days, and I was listening to a book on tape while I did it. It was fun work, and I was glad to help.
The other major work I did this week, I did for free. My sacristan training officially began, as I joined a team who was preparing Gloria Dei, our main sanctuary at Trinity, for Easter. It was funny to be decorating for Easter on Maundy Thursday, but that is what has to be done sometimes when you're actually working in a church. We hung five huge banners across the ceiling of the sanctuary, which was no small feat, and we did it all while the brass band was practicing for our Easter service on Wednesday. It meant a lot of use of sign language of sorts. I was pleased to be able to help and to help set the altar for this upcoming week. I am still really looking forward to my sacristan job beginning next year, and I hope I always find it this rewarding, even when it is a lot of work. (I was there on Tuesday for about three hours for this one job).
Holy week at All Saints, my MIC site, was wonderful. I assisted for the first time on Palm Sunday. I was wearing a mic that I had to control, which was an interesting new thing for me. I forgot it once, and it was pretty loud when I turned it back on after the prayer I was saying, but my next word was "Hosanna" and there are worse things to shout in church on Palm Sunday.
The Maundy Thursday service there was beautiful. It had both first communion for the children who would be beginning it, as well as a footwashing/handwashing service. I had never participated in a footwashing on Maundy Thursday before, and it was a really lovely thing to be a part of. Good Friday was equally beautiful, with a procession of the cross out into the narthex at the end of the service, and singing "Were You There," one of my favorite Good Friday hymns, acapella around the cross.
Finally, Easter was this morning. I woke up to George, my cat, cuddling me, the sun just beginning ot rise, and birds chirping outside my window. The services at All Saints were beautiful, as well as packed, and I was happy to help serve communion. I was one of the bread deacons, and it felt absolutely fantastic to be able to serve communion to so many people at such an important service.
This afternoon, a few of us had a cookout here in our courtyard, which was a nice way to do Easter lunch. It's getting warm, unfortunately, so I came home and actually turned my air conditioners on. I may be the only one around here who misses the cooler temperatures, but I will always prefer winter to summer.
I am off to another busy week, as I wrap up my semester in the next few weeks. I will be doing a lot with worship, this week as a sacristan in training, and next week with my I-group who will be putting on worship. I should be a lovely couple of weeks. And it is absolutely wonderful to be in the Easter season again.
Happy Easter to you all,
Kathryn
I spent a large part of my holy week working on my crocheting. I am nearly done with my project, which is pretty exciting. Today I have been stitching it together, and I should have it finished by tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. It's turning out beautifully, but I don't think I'll take on a project quite this big mid-semester again. However, it has been fun to say that I am doing homework when I'm crocheting.
The one thing I did to make up for much sitting on a couch crocheting this week, was to to the Central Ohio AIDS Walk this Saturday. It was the first 5k I've ever participated in, and it was really fun. I was proud of myself that I could walk the 5k in just about an hour, because I have not been able to work out nearly as much as I might like while I'm in school. I've been doing better on my yoga lately, but I'm also glad to know I can walk 3 miles without much problem. Thanks to everyone who supported me in the AIDS Walk - the walk as a whole raised $250,000, which was really exciting.
I also spent awhile during my break creating the internship manuals for those who will be leaving for internship this year. It was a lot of collating, but it went well. I had a whole classroom to use for two days, and I was listening to a book on tape while I did it. It was fun work, and I was glad to help.
The other major work I did this week, I did for free. My sacristan training officially began, as I joined a team who was preparing Gloria Dei, our main sanctuary at Trinity, for Easter. It was funny to be decorating for Easter on Maundy Thursday, but that is what has to be done sometimes when you're actually working in a church. We hung five huge banners across the ceiling of the sanctuary, which was no small feat, and we did it all while the brass band was practicing for our Easter service on Wednesday. It meant a lot of use of sign language of sorts. I was pleased to be able to help and to help set the altar for this upcoming week. I am still really looking forward to my sacristan job beginning next year, and I hope I always find it this rewarding, even when it is a lot of work. (I was there on Tuesday for about three hours for this one job).
Holy week at All Saints, my MIC site, was wonderful. I assisted for the first time on Palm Sunday. I was wearing a mic that I had to control, which was an interesting new thing for me. I forgot it once, and it was pretty loud when I turned it back on after the prayer I was saying, but my next word was "Hosanna" and there are worse things to shout in church on Palm Sunday.
The Maundy Thursday service there was beautiful. It had both first communion for the children who would be beginning it, as well as a footwashing/handwashing service. I had never participated in a footwashing on Maundy Thursday before, and it was a really lovely thing to be a part of. Good Friday was equally beautiful, with a procession of the cross out into the narthex at the end of the service, and singing "Were You There," one of my favorite Good Friday hymns, acapella around the cross.
Finally, Easter was this morning. I woke up to George, my cat, cuddling me, the sun just beginning ot rise, and birds chirping outside my window. The services at All Saints were beautiful, as well as packed, and I was happy to help serve communion. I was one of the bread deacons, and it felt absolutely fantastic to be able to serve communion to so many people at such an important service.
This afternoon, a few of us had a cookout here in our courtyard, which was a nice way to do Easter lunch. It's getting warm, unfortunately, so I came home and actually turned my air conditioners on. I may be the only one around here who misses the cooler temperatures, but I will always prefer winter to summer.
I am off to another busy week, as I wrap up my semester in the next few weeks. I will be doing a lot with worship, this week as a sacristan in training, and next week with my I-group who will be putting on worship. I should be a lovely couple of weeks. And it is absolutely wonderful to be in the Easter season again.
Happy Easter to you all,
Kathryn
Monday, April 7, 2014
Planning and More Planning
Yesterday was an absolutely wonderful Sunday, and the only thing I didn't get accomplished was finishing this blog. I went to church, went grocery shopping, cleaned my entire apartment, cooked my meals for the week, and had a lovely date with Silas to watch Cosmos, which has been our regular Sunday date for awhile. I was also able to practice yoga again, something I'm trying to do more regularly, as my body is very upset with the typical grad school lifestyle of sitting nearly constantly. It felt wonderful, and I am hoping I can actually make that a regular habit - it's good for both my body and my soul.
It's been a wonderful week, as well. I had my regular classes, although with one fewer, which makes my schedule so much easier, and they are all still going really well. We're moving right along and the end of the semester will be here before I know it. We only have one week left until our next break, since the seminary always takes Holy Week off.
This week I was also in a few processes in preparing for next year, which I think will be good. I am part of a small committee which is forming some structure for Life Together, our community organization, which will hopefully lead to more community activities and a generally more coherent community. I also attended a dinner of those who will still be on campus next year, and we talked a bit about that as well. The dinner was fun, it was nice to spend some fun time with people from my class and consider what life here might be like next year.
My I-group began worship planning for our week of worship, which is the second week after Easter, and I think it will be a good week. I and another woman are planning the Thursday service, and I think that it will be a really good service. I love planning worship and being involved in it here. On that same note, the first week after Easter I will be shadowing our current sacristan so that I can learn about the job for next year. I am still very excited about the role, and I am looking forward to learning what exactly the job will entail, so that I can understand how to plan my time next year. My shadowing has already begun, as I am included in all the emails about bulletins and worship assistants, so I can see how we plan for the worship in advance and what the time-table of planning typically is.
I have also been working steadily away on my Luther wall hanging, and I am almost halfway done now. It's been fun to learn a lot more about crocheting and to actually be able to consider crocheting homework. I'm hoping to have it done right around Easter. I meet with my craft group to work on it on Saturday and we watched the Mets v. Reds game. It was a good game, with a rather spectacular ending, and it was fun to watch and explain the workings of baseball to Sarah. I have only learned them since dating Silas, but it's an interesting game, and well suited to crafting.
I am now sitting at the Library planning on a rather productive day to start off my week. It's a beautiful spring day here, and it will probably rain soon. I am looking forward to this week, but even more I am looking forward to Holy Week and Easter. I love Easter, and everything that goes along with it, and I think this year will be no different. I'm looking forward to experiencing what Easter will be like at All Saints. I hope everyone is experiencing as beautiful a spring as I am, and keeping dry in the spring rains.
Kathryn
It's been a wonderful week, as well. I had my regular classes, although with one fewer, which makes my schedule so much easier, and they are all still going really well. We're moving right along and the end of the semester will be here before I know it. We only have one week left until our next break, since the seminary always takes Holy Week off.
This week I was also in a few processes in preparing for next year, which I think will be good. I am part of a small committee which is forming some structure for Life Together, our community organization, which will hopefully lead to more community activities and a generally more coherent community. I also attended a dinner of those who will still be on campus next year, and we talked a bit about that as well. The dinner was fun, it was nice to spend some fun time with people from my class and consider what life here might be like next year.
My I-group began worship planning for our week of worship, which is the second week after Easter, and I think it will be a good week. I and another woman are planning the Thursday service, and I think that it will be a really good service. I love planning worship and being involved in it here. On that same note, the first week after Easter I will be shadowing our current sacristan so that I can learn about the job for next year. I am still very excited about the role, and I am looking forward to learning what exactly the job will entail, so that I can understand how to plan my time next year. My shadowing has already begun, as I am included in all the emails about bulletins and worship assistants, so I can see how we plan for the worship in advance and what the time-table of planning typically is.
I have also been working steadily away on my Luther wall hanging, and I am almost halfway done now. It's been fun to learn a lot more about crocheting and to actually be able to consider crocheting homework. I'm hoping to have it done right around Easter. I meet with my craft group to work on it on Saturday and we watched the Mets v. Reds game. It was a good game, with a rather spectacular ending, and it was fun to watch and explain the workings of baseball to Sarah. I have only learned them since dating Silas, but it's an interesting game, and well suited to crafting.
I am now sitting at the Library planning on a rather productive day to start off my week. It's a beautiful spring day here, and it will probably rain soon. I am looking forward to this week, but even more I am looking forward to Holy Week and Easter. I love Easter, and everything that goes along with it, and I think this year will be no different. I'm looking forward to experiencing what Easter will be like at All Saints. I hope everyone is experiencing as beautiful a spring as I am, and keeping dry in the spring rains.
Kathryn
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Finally on Spring Break
Midterms are done. It feels like the whole campus has sighed deeply after a mad rush to last Thursday. And now we have a week long break!
My midterm week was busy too, and I noticed that all of us seemed to be cracking up just a little bit. Monday evening I was sitting at the library circulation desk doing my Hebrew homework and I just started laughing uncontrollably. The people at the computers nearby (luckily people I know well) began looking at me with concern. I was laughing because I had looked up a word I was translating, and it turned out to mean "exterminate" in English. This should not be funny, but anybody who watches Doctor Who might get it. That is the common call of a certain villain in the show, robots that look a bit like pepper grinders, and I was suddenly imagining Jewish Daleks. This was Monday and it was already clear that it was time for a break for me.
I made it through, though, writing a two essay midterm for church history, a one essay and questions midterm for Old Testament, finishing my performances for Music in the Contemporary Church, and generally attempting to keep up with the regular work of all my classes as well. I took Friday and Saturday completely off, and it was glorious.
Saturday was quite an interesting day too. I finally got my insurance settlement for my poor totaled car, and it was time to go get a new one. I took my friends Sarah and Kaeleigh with me, partly for a need for a ride, and also because they are good company in test driving cars, and tried out a pretty blue Subaru Forester. I decided I liked it, talked with my dad, he talked with the salesguy a bit, and by the end of the morning I wrote the biggest check I have ever written, paying for the car outright.
It is wonderful to be able to drive myself around again, and I love the car. I'm even going to try to keep this one for longer this time! Luckily we're at least done with snow until next winter. It's especially nice to have a car again, because it is a little easier for me to remain involved in my MIC site this way. I had a meeting with Bonnie on Sunday and yesterday evening I was able to attend a Justice Ministry meeting there. I love to see how this church is working on moving out into its community and helping in whatever ways they can. They are developing a close partnership with First English, an urban church, and it is beautiful to see that partnership growing and solidifying.
Being on break is lovely, because I am working plenty at a very quiet library, and then spending the rest of my time crocheting. That crocheting is actually homework, however, because I am making a wall hanging of Luther's life and theology for my final in Church History too. I'll add pictures as I complete it, because I think it's pretty darn nifty.
Finally, I have mentioned this on Facebook, but I'm going to say it here too: I am walking in the AIDS walk in Central Ohio this Holy Saturday, with a group from Trinity and Bexley Seminaries, and I am looking for sponsors. All of the money that is raised will go to help those both locally and globally whose lives are affected by AIDS and who cannot afford medicine or treatment. Please consider donating a few dollars to my 5K by going to www.tinyurl.com/KathrynWalks and clicking the Support Kathryn button. It's quite easy and all electronic.
Thank you,
Kathryn
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Snow Day
My long vacation was supposed to end today, so I got all ready to start the day with morning prayer at 7:30 and just before I left my apartment I discovered an email saying that campus was closed due to some pretty impressive snow we got last night. So, one more day of vacation, and a very productive one at that.
I have been spending my last few days getting my apartment organized and my school things in order to get ready for the semester. I've sorted through all my craft projects - I have more than I thought - and gotten them into a system in which I can actually find what I have going and maybe finish some of my projects. I bought yarn and fabric in the past month, and I won't let myself buy anymore until I get a few things done. One thing I started this week is a shawl that can be worn many different ways, and it's going quickly, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.
This Sunday I went to All Saints, my MIC site for all three services and I was introduced to the whole church as their new MIC student. It was quite a morning - I met a bunch of people, and mingled between services. By the time I got home, I was rather tired. I opted to only stay at the seminary Superbowl party for a bit, and then I came home and watched the rest of it with Silas on my computer and some knitting on my lap.
I was actually a tad bit disappointed in the snow day today, just because I am looking forward to getting started with my classes this semester. I spent a fair bit of time this morning putting my assignments for three of my classes into my calendar, which is one of my favorite beginning of the semester tasks.
Tomorrow though, after my morning classes, I should be picking Silas up at the airport for a visit here. I'm really looking forward to seeing him again, and that is why I'm writing this blog on a Wednesday. We'll be celebrating Valentines Day and my birthday this weekend.
Next week I'll start my classes in earnest, and I am looking forward to what this semester will bring. I'm moving into more interesting classes and I think I'll enjoy the semester. Then we'll just have to see how George deals with my being gone more often - he tends to demand immediate cuddles when I've been out of the apartment for a bit. That will be a nice thing to come home to.
Hoping everyone is staying warm!
I have been spending my last few days getting my apartment organized and my school things in order to get ready for the semester. I've sorted through all my craft projects - I have more than I thought - and gotten them into a system in which I can actually find what I have going and maybe finish some of my projects. I bought yarn and fabric in the past month, and I won't let myself buy anymore until I get a few things done. One thing I started this week is a shawl that can be worn many different ways, and it's going quickly, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.
This Sunday I went to All Saints, my MIC site for all three services and I was introduced to the whole church as their new MIC student. It was quite a morning - I met a bunch of people, and mingled between services. By the time I got home, I was rather tired. I opted to only stay at the seminary Superbowl party for a bit, and then I came home and watched the rest of it with Silas on my computer and some knitting on my lap.
I was actually a tad bit disappointed in the snow day today, just because I am looking forward to getting started with my classes this semester. I spent a fair bit of time this morning putting my assignments for three of my classes into my calendar, which is one of my favorite beginning of the semester tasks.
Tomorrow though, after my morning classes, I should be picking Silas up at the airport for a visit here. I'm really looking forward to seeing him again, and that is why I'm writing this blog on a Wednesday. We'll be celebrating Valentines Day and my birthday this weekend.
Next week I'll start my classes in earnest, and I am looking forward to what this semester will bring. I'm moving into more interesting classes and I think I'll enjoy the semester. Then we'll just have to see how George deals with my being gone more often - he tends to demand immediate cuddles when I've been out of the apartment for a bit. That will be a nice thing to come home to.
Hoping everyone is staying warm!
Monday, December 9, 2013
The End of the Semester
It is officially my last week of the semester.
I came back to Ohio last week to finish up my semester with just a week and a half left of school. It's been a relatively easy semester, especially compared to my classmates who are middlers or seniors, and I have appreciated the chance to get used to the seminary with a semester that is not awful. I'm already looking forward to my next semester, except for the fact that I have classes literally all day Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.!
On Monday last week, we had a yoga teacher come in and teach a restorative yoga class in our smaller chapel. It was absolutely wonderful, except for the fact that I had to go to class afterward. I am trying to add more yoga into my life, because as a graduate student I spend the vast amount of my time sitting, and I am nearly desperate for activity and some time to get out of my head. Yoga offers both of those, and I don't have to wear shoes to do it!
The rest of the week went perfectly smoothly, and it is interesting to be wrapping up each class. I am so excited that next semester my only evening class will be Spanish, which is not a traditional class. I have such a hard time engaging in evening classes, especially during winter when the sun is already set, and I am looking forward to that change next semester.
This weekend was full of snow and time with friends. At common meal on Thursday, those of us who were sitting around the table got into a lively conversation about the merits of various Doctor Who companions. The fact that this is the kind of conversation I can engage in here makes me very happy, this place is full of the best kinds of nerds, me included. Saturday, I went out to watch the OSU v. MSU game with a few people from the seminary. It was great fun, partially because I didn't really care about the game. I rooted for MSU with my table, of one actual MSU fan, and two people who cared even less than I did. We had a good time being one of the odd groups out in the bar, which was of course full of buckeyes.
It snowed quite a bit this weekend, which I have found probably much more exciting than most others here. It's beautiful, and has given me great reasons to wear my cloak. It's getting a lot more use up here than it did in Texas or Oklahoma. I went to work and a faculty meeting on Friday and had a great time watching the snow come down from the windows, and then I stayed inside most of the day Saturday. I have spent a large part of my weekend working on Christmas gifts, which have to remain secret for now, but maybe I'll post a picture later.
Sunday I also went to my official Ministry in Context site for the first time, which was really great. I like the church and I really like the pastor, so I think it'll be a good place to spend the next year and a half. It's a shame I got assigned so close to the end of the semester and I'm leaving town, but I'll get properly settled there as the MIC student in January.
Now as I finish my last two days of the semester, I am getting ready to go home and spend a lovely Christmas there. I can hardly wait to spend a bit longer at home and have a proper rest between semesters. My blog might be a bit more sporadic, but I'll try to check in. I hope everyone is staying warm!
I came back to Ohio last week to finish up my semester with just a week and a half left of school. It's been a relatively easy semester, especially compared to my classmates who are middlers or seniors, and I have appreciated the chance to get used to the seminary with a semester that is not awful. I'm already looking forward to my next semester, except for the fact that I have classes literally all day Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.!
On Monday last week, we had a yoga teacher come in and teach a restorative yoga class in our smaller chapel. It was absolutely wonderful, except for the fact that I had to go to class afterward. I am trying to add more yoga into my life, because as a graduate student I spend the vast amount of my time sitting, and I am nearly desperate for activity and some time to get out of my head. Yoga offers both of those, and I don't have to wear shoes to do it!
The rest of the week went perfectly smoothly, and it is interesting to be wrapping up each class. I am so excited that next semester my only evening class will be Spanish, which is not a traditional class. I have such a hard time engaging in evening classes, especially during winter when the sun is already set, and I am looking forward to that change next semester.
This weekend was full of snow and time with friends. At common meal on Thursday, those of us who were sitting around the table got into a lively conversation about the merits of various Doctor Who companions. The fact that this is the kind of conversation I can engage in here makes me very happy, this place is full of the best kinds of nerds, me included. Saturday, I went out to watch the OSU v. MSU game with a few people from the seminary. It was great fun, partially because I didn't really care about the game. I rooted for MSU with my table, of one actual MSU fan, and two people who cared even less than I did. We had a good time being one of the odd groups out in the bar, which was of course full of buckeyes.
It snowed quite a bit this weekend, which I have found probably much more exciting than most others here. It's beautiful, and has given me great reasons to wear my cloak. It's getting a lot more use up here than it did in Texas or Oklahoma. I went to work and a faculty meeting on Friday and had a great time watching the snow come down from the windows, and then I stayed inside most of the day Saturday. I have spent a large part of my weekend working on Christmas gifts, which have to remain secret for now, but maybe I'll post a picture later.
Sunday I also went to my official Ministry in Context site for the first time, which was really great. I like the church and I really like the pastor, so I think it'll be a good place to spend the next year and a half. It's a shame I got assigned so close to the end of the semester and I'm leaving town, but I'll get properly settled there as the MIC student in January.
Now as I finish my last two days of the semester, I am getting ready to go home and spend a lovely Christmas there. I can hardly wait to spend a bit longer at home and have a proper rest between semesters. My blog might be a bit more sporadic, but I'll try to check in. I hope everyone is staying warm!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Busy Week and Many Churches
So another successful week has past.
I'm still keeping quite busy, and this week I've been working on my Exegetical paper for New Testament. I'm studying the story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew, and it is fascinating what I've been able to learn so far. I like that in my New Testament class we will be studying each book individually, and we can better understand the picture each of the gospel writers were giving of Jesus. I am enjoying getting to know the Bible better in this way. In Church History I am also quite enjoying myself as we discuss Constantine and monasticism. I love history, and learning the history of our Church is like learning all the family stories. The class is wonderful and I'm always excited about going to it.
I'm still keeping busy with work and being out with my friends. I'm also still working on balancing all of that out, but it is nice to have the problem of too many social engagements rather than too few. I have successfully become a crocheter as well as a knitter, and I get together with several women on Sunday afternoons to craft and enjoy each other's company.
Some of my most interesting adventures lately have been in visiting churches as I search for my Ministry in Context site. As I visit several different churches, I am finding I can more easily say what kind of church I want to serve in, both now and in the future. Many churches are not very good at welcoming strangers in their midst, which is not to say they are bad churches, but it can get easy to stick with talking to the people you're comfortable with in a church and not notice the new faces passing you by. I also really would like to be involved with a church that is focused on outward ministry. A church that looks at the world at its doorstep and finds ways to work in their neighborhood and show God's love to all the people they encounter. I would like to work in a church like that now so that I can learn how to better lead a church like that in the future.
In other church adventures, I went to a Spanish service this evening. It was really interesting, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much Spanish I have retained since I took it last several years ago. I was even able to understand the majority of the sermon, which pleased me. I am going to eventually take a Spanish for ministry class here, and Trinity is building a bigger focus on it so that it will be more available. Learning Greek has made me realize that I actually do like languages, so I am looking forward to taking that another semester.
For now I have to get ready for a rather full and long Monday coming up.
Kathryn
I'm still keeping quite busy, and this week I've been working on my Exegetical paper for New Testament. I'm studying the story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew, and it is fascinating what I've been able to learn so far. I like that in my New Testament class we will be studying each book individually, and we can better understand the picture each of the gospel writers were giving of Jesus. I am enjoying getting to know the Bible better in this way. In Church History I am also quite enjoying myself as we discuss Constantine and monasticism. I love history, and learning the history of our Church is like learning all the family stories. The class is wonderful and I'm always excited about going to it.
I'm still keeping busy with work and being out with my friends. I'm also still working on balancing all of that out, but it is nice to have the problem of too many social engagements rather than too few. I have successfully become a crocheter as well as a knitter, and I get together with several women on Sunday afternoons to craft and enjoy each other's company.
Some of my most interesting adventures lately have been in visiting churches as I search for my Ministry in Context site. As I visit several different churches, I am finding I can more easily say what kind of church I want to serve in, both now and in the future. Many churches are not very good at welcoming strangers in their midst, which is not to say they are bad churches, but it can get easy to stick with talking to the people you're comfortable with in a church and not notice the new faces passing you by. I also really would like to be involved with a church that is focused on outward ministry. A church that looks at the world at its doorstep and finds ways to work in their neighborhood and show God's love to all the people they encounter. I would like to work in a church like that now so that I can learn how to better lead a church like that in the future.
In other church adventures, I went to a Spanish service this evening. It was really interesting, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much Spanish I have retained since I took it last several years ago. I was even able to understand the majority of the sermon, which pleased me. I am going to eventually take a Spanish for ministry class here, and Trinity is building a bigger focus on it so that it will be more available. Learning Greek has made me realize that I actually do like languages, so I am looking forward to taking that another semester.
For now I have to get ready for a rather full and long Monday coming up.
Kathryn
Monday, September 9, 2013
A quick update
I have had a good, but rather busy week, and I'm already well into my next.
Silas and I had a great time last weekend, going to German Village to explore food and books, going to the Columbus Art Museum, and going to a local Greek festival. We also cooked, had friends over and went out to a labor day cookout. It was a very full weekend.
Since then I have had my second week of class and I am getting settled in to a new routine. I'm not too worried about my schoolwork this semester because it seems to match pretty well with my last few semesters at my undergraduate. I am enjoying most of my classes this semester, and I think I'll be able to learn a lot from them. I'm deciding what other groups I want to be involved in, and that can be tough when it means starting with one group and then choosing to leave it.
Yesterday, I went to visit a church in town as I am beginning my visits to find a Ministry in Context site. This will be the church I work at for the next two years, and will hopefully be a good growing experience for me. I liked the church I visited, which was a large suburban church that seems very alive and relaxed. They also seem like they do a lot with community, and it actually reminded me of Abiding Grace a bit.
Now I have to get re-used to Mondays at seminary since we skipped last Monday. I've already worked and I came home to cook up my dinner - fish and spanakorizo (a Greek spinach and rice dish) - which should be delicious. Soon enough my classes actually start, and then I've got choir tonight. Should be a good day, and a good week, but I'm certainly keeping busy.
I'll write more next weekend.
Kathryn
Silas and I had a great time last weekend, going to German Village to explore food and books, going to the Columbus Art Museum, and going to a local Greek festival. We also cooked, had friends over and went out to a labor day cookout. It was a very full weekend.
Since then I have had my second week of class and I am getting settled in to a new routine. I'm not too worried about my schoolwork this semester because it seems to match pretty well with my last few semesters at my undergraduate. I am enjoying most of my classes this semester, and I think I'll be able to learn a lot from them. I'm deciding what other groups I want to be involved in, and that can be tough when it means starting with one group and then choosing to leave it.
Yesterday, I went to visit a church in town as I am beginning my visits to find a Ministry in Context site. This will be the church I work at for the next two years, and will hopefully be a good growing experience for me. I liked the church I visited, which was a large suburban church that seems very alive and relaxed. They also seem like they do a lot with community, and it actually reminded me of Abiding Grace a bit.
Now I have to get re-used to Mondays at seminary since we skipped last Monday. I've already worked and I came home to cook up my dinner - fish and spanakorizo (a Greek spinach and rice dish) - which should be delicious. Soon enough my classes actually start, and then I've got choir tonight. Should be a good day, and a good week, but I'm certainly keeping busy.
I'll write more next weekend.
Kathryn
Friday, August 30, 2013
First Full Week of Classes
So I'm writing this blog a little earlier than normal, because the reward for my first week of classes is a visit from Silas! Because of that I intend on being a bit busy this weekend.
I've officially finished my first week of classes here at Trinity, and it has been a bit of a roller-coaster. My Mondays are long, as I try to get here for morning prayer at 7:30, then I work, have class, and then choir, which ends at 8:15. My classes that day are Race Ethnicity and Religion and Person in Ministry. I think Race Ethnicity and Religion is going to be a fascinating class as we discuss what race and racism looks like in our world today and how religious institutions should respond to it. I still haven't decided as much about Person in Ministry. I think it will be a useful class in beginning to teach me basic skills I'll need as a pastor, and the reading should be interesting, but so far we've mainly only gone over the syllabus, so we haven't delved much into the actual subject.
On Tuesdays I have my two favorite classes - New Testament 1 and Church History 1. Both of my teachers are fantastic and I thoroughly enjoy the subjects. Our books for those classes are really interesting too, so I won't mind getting the reading done. The New Testament course will only cover the Gospels and Acts, and I'll learn the rest of the New Testament in the spring of my Middler year (quite a ways from now, it seems). Church History 1 covers the beginnings of the church to just before the Reformation, and while I know a fair bit about the first couple of centuries from a religion class I took at OSU, I'm looking forward to learning more about the rest of the intervening time.
My one other class this session is Faith Seeking Understanding, and I think it will be an interesting course that will have me better understand both my own faith and other views on faith. Then during Session 2 I will take teaching adults, because I think I could learn a lot from that class.
I'm now working regularly at the library (I'm writing this from the circulation desk computer) which is great because I have some time to work on my reading or homework, but I also love being around the books and roaming through the stacks. And it's a good place to meet people, because I see everyone who comes in while I'm working, and unlike my undergrad the library is a place nearly everybody goes and most people do not try to avoid.
Along with my school and work things, I have been working on bringing all the other aspects in my life into balance this week. That is not always easy, and I've had some emotional highs and lows, but I'm beginning to find time for what's important and not give too much time or energy to any one thing. I'm still finding time to hang out with friends, and also trying to find time to be active, which is one of the more difficult things. This afternoon I'm mixing the two - my friend Erica and I are going to do some yoga together, because we both love it. Then there are also plenty of opportunities to gather with the community, including the Common Meal at Bexley Hall on Thursday nights and a bonfire in the seminary courtyard on Friday nights.
All told, I am keeping plenty busy and I haven't even quite finished adding everything to my schedule. I am going to start doing some spiritual direction here. This is a good place for it because it's quite cheap and this is a good time in my life to do spiritual direction. I'm trying to find one more job to add just a few hours onto my work schedule and then I think I'll be busy enough. I also officially took out my year loan this week, and it ended up being less than I expected, which was nice. That was due in part to a Munderloh scholarship I just found out I received. I'm hoping to have even more scholarships next year, leading to fewer loans. The less debt I accumulate the better.
Now for the rest of the morning, I am going to start on my readings and assignments. I've made up my calendar for the semester, and the workload doesn't look too bad, but better to be ahead of things than behind.
Kathryn
I've officially finished my first week of classes here at Trinity, and it has been a bit of a roller-coaster. My Mondays are long, as I try to get here for morning prayer at 7:30, then I work, have class, and then choir, which ends at 8:15. My classes that day are Race Ethnicity and Religion and Person in Ministry. I think Race Ethnicity and Religion is going to be a fascinating class as we discuss what race and racism looks like in our world today and how religious institutions should respond to it. I still haven't decided as much about Person in Ministry. I think it will be a useful class in beginning to teach me basic skills I'll need as a pastor, and the reading should be interesting, but so far we've mainly only gone over the syllabus, so we haven't delved much into the actual subject.
On Tuesdays I have my two favorite classes - New Testament 1 and Church History 1. Both of my teachers are fantastic and I thoroughly enjoy the subjects. Our books for those classes are really interesting too, so I won't mind getting the reading done. The New Testament course will only cover the Gospels and Acts, and I'll learn the rest of the New Testament in the spring of my Middler year (quite a ways from now, it seems). Church History 1 covers the beginnings of the church to just before the Reformation, and while I know a fair bit about the first couple of centuries from a religion class I took at OSU, I'm looking forward to learning more about the rest of the intervening time.
My one other class this session is Faith Seeking Understanding, and I think it will be an interesting course that will have me better understand both my own faith and other views on faith. Then during Session 2 I will take teaching adults, because I think I could learn a lot from that class.
I'm now working regularly at the library (I'm writing this from the circulation desk computer) which is great because I have some time to work on my reading or homework, but I also love being around the books and roaming through the stacks. And it's a good place to meet people, because I see everyone who comes in while I'm working, and unlike my undergrad the library is a place nearly everybody goes and most people do not try to avoid.
Along with my school and work things, I have been working on bringing all the other aspects in my life into balance this week. That is not always easy, and I've had some emotional highs and lows, but I'm beginning to find time for what's important and not give too much time or energy to any one thing. I'm still finding time to hang out with friends, and also trying to find time to be active, which is one of the more difficult things. This afternoon I'm mixing the two - my friend Erica and I are going to do some yoga together, because we both love it. Then there are also plenty of opportunities to gather with the community, including the Common Meal at Bexley Hall on Thursday nights and a bonfire in the seminary courtyard on Friday nights.
All told, I am keeping plenty busy and I haven't even quite finished adding everything to my schedule. I am going to start doing some spiritual direction here. This is a good place for it because it's quite cheap and this is a good time in my life to do spiritual direction. I'm trying to find one more job to add just a few hours onto my work schedule and then I think I'll be busy enough. I also officially took out my year loan this week, and it ended up being less than I expected, which was nice. That was due in part to a Munderloh scholarship I just found out I received. I'm hoping to have even more scholarships next year, leading to fewer loans. The less debt I accumulate the better.
Now for the rest of the morning, I am going to start on my readings and assignments. I've made up my calendar for the semester, and the workload doesn't look too bad, but better to be ahead of things than behind.
Kathryn
Monday, August 26, 2013
Orientation Week
I've officially been orientated, and now I'm ready to begin my first week of the regular semester of classes here at seminary.
I had a slow start to the week, because orientation didn't begin until Wednesday. I spent my Monday and Tuesday working on cleaning and organizing my apartment. I am almost entirely unpacked now and I'm beginning to put up artwork. All I have left to do is organize my closet and I will be officially unpacked. About two months after I moved here. My dad was working in Cleveland this weekend, and he drove down Tuesday night just to take me out to dinner. We had a nice evening, but I did not envy him the drive.
Orientation was a busy and exhausting experience. On Wednesday, after a tour which was not much of a surprise, we were split up into groups to go out to different mission areas in the community. My group ended up at Saint John's Episcopal church in Franklinton, which is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. The pastor there, LeAnn, took us out into the community to show us more about it and what the church does there. They work with a community garden and an elementary school, and they have a street worship service every week to reach those who wouldn't be comfortable going into a church building for whatever reason. LeAnn also simply knows many of the people in the neighborhood and is friendly and welcoming to all of them. It was a really eye-opening experience.
The next day of orientation, we met in small groups to discuss what we'd done on Wednesday, and we had lunch with the Junior portion of our I-Groups. I think my I-Group will be interesting, and it'll be nice to meet the rest of them later this week. After orientation on Thursday, several of us from the Greek class went out for drinks and dinner and we had a great evening. Unfortunately by the time I got home, I was so exhausted I couldn't make myself do anything but lie on the couch.
Friday was one more busy day, as we received all the information we need to actually function as students at the Seminary, which meant near information overload. I learned about my contextual education, both working at a church here regularly, as well as my Clinical Pastoral Education, which I'll do this summer, working as a chaplain in a hospital. They both sound really interesting, and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from them. By the end of the day of taking in all that information, I just watched a movie with a friend and then crashed at home. Silas and I had a date that night, which was a good way to wind down. I've gotten him interested in Doctor Who, which is fun for me as I get to watch it all again.
This weekend was a lovely, and even restful time. I went out with my friend Erica and taught her to knit. It's nice that there are more people who knit up here, mainly because it actually gets cold in the winter. I also got started on an exciting new project, that I can't say anything more about until next weekend. On Sunday I visited my first potential ministry in context site, which was very nice, and after a bit of shopping and working in my apartment, I went out to dinner with a couple of friends. That's why this blog is late - I had a busier Sunday than I expected.
Today I start working at the library, and I start my classes. I will also put in the paperwork for my big loan for the year, which is a little scary. I think it will be a good day, though.
Wish me luck!
I had a slow start to the week, because orientation didn't begin until Wednesday. I spent my Monday and Tuesday working on cleaning and organizing my apartment. I am almost entirely unpacked now and I'm beginning to put up artwork. All I have left to do is organize my closet and I will be officially unpacked. About two months after I moved here. My dad was working in Cleveland this weekend, and he drove down Tuesday night just to take me out to dinner. We had a nice evening, but I did not envy him the drive.
Orientation was a busy and exhausting experience. On Wednesday, after a tour which was not much of a surprise, we were split up into groups to go out to different mission areas in the community. My group ended up at Saint John's Episcopal church in Franklinton, which is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. The pastor there, LeAnn, took us out into the community to show us more about it and what the church does there. They work with a community garden and an elementary school, and they have a street worship service every week to reach those who wouldn't be comfortable going into a church building for whatever reason. LeAnn also simply knows many of the people in the neighborhood and is friendly and welcoming to all of them. It was a really eye-opening experience.
The next day of orientation, we met in small groups to discuss what we'd done on Wednesday, and we had lunch with the Junior portion of our I-Groups. I think my I-Group will be interesting, and it'll be nice to meet the rest of them later this week. After orientation on Thursday, several of us from the Greek class went out for drinks and dinner and we had a great evening. Unfortunately by the time I got home, I was so exhausted I couldn't make myself do anything but lie on the couch.
Friday was one more busy day, as we received all the information we need to actually function as students at the Seminary, which meant near information overload. I learned about my contextual education, both working at a church here regularly, as well as my Clinical Pastoral Education, which I'll do this summer, working as a chaplain in a hospital. They both sound really interesting, and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from them. By the end of the day of taking in all that information, I just watched a movie with a friend and then crashed at home. Silas and I had a date that night, which was a good way to wind down. I've gotten him interested in Doctor Who, which is fun for me as I get to watch it all again.
This weekend was a lovely, and even restful time. I went out with my friend Erica and taught her to knit. It's nice that there are more people who knit up here, mainly because it actually gets cold in the winter. I also got started on an exciting new project, that I can't say anything more about until next weekend. On Sunday I visited my first potential ministry in context site, which was very nice, and after a bit of shopping and working in my apartment, I went out to dinner with a couple of friends. That's why this blog is late - I had a busier Sunday than I expected.
Today I start working at the library, and I start my classes. I will also put in the paperwork for my big loan for the year, which is a little scary. I think it will be a good day, though.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Ending and Beginning
This has been a productive week. I've successfully finished Greek as well as my open water scuba diving license.
The last week of Greek was interesting as we were all mainly working on our final projects. I spent a lot of time in the library, which made me remember how much I love looking up things in libraries. I explored all the reference books looking up the just two Greek words, and I had a great time doing so. It was also nice to get to know Hamma library, especially since I'll be spending a lot of time there both studying and working.
My project went really well. It really did help me come to terms with the Mary and Martha story which I've often struggled with, and it made me excited about other exegesis projects I'll have throughout my time here at seminary. It was also interesting to see everyone else's projects and see the different ways they would approach the same problem. We had several interesting discussions the last few days of class, and then ice cream at the end to celebrate.
Then this weekend I spent two full mornings at a nearby quarry completing my diving certification. This was the first time I was diving outside a pool, and it was really interesting. Visibility is not good in quarries, so as we would swim around the area we would come up on various interesting things rather suddenly. I saw a school bus, a Cesna plane, an ambulance, and several boats down there. Also tons of bluegill and one catfish. Along with simply practicing diving we had to do a few skills that we learn throughout the training which will come in handy if anything goes wrong whilst diving. I was pleased to realize that I'd improved on these, and other than taking a wrong heading on a compass everything went fine the first time around.
The rest of my long weekend (my orientation doesn't start until Wednesday) I'll be unpacking and organizing my apartment. I worked on my vanity area (which is the top of my dresser) all afternoon, and I even got some art up. I'll continue the next few days and hopefully I'll have my apartment looking reasonable.
I've enjoyed the last six weeks of Greek, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next two weeks when I get to start my regular schedule and get to take more than one class. Hopefully it will be an interesting semester. Another reason to look forward to the next two weeks is that Silas will be visiting over the next weekend! I'm looking forward to showing him around Columbus, and we have a lot of things planned already (my blog might show up at an odd time then).
Now I'm off to walk the adorable corgi I am dog sitting over the weekend.
I'll write again soon!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Busy Week
This has been such a busy week that I keep forgetting that today is Sunday and I have to go to class tomorrow.
In Greek we learned about participles this week. Since I didn't know what a participle was in English before we started, it was quite a bit to learn. But it went well enough, and we just have one more week before we've successfully completed the class.
This week I also began another job and spent quite a bit of time on my first. I have been trained for working at the library and I'll start working there regularly at the beginning of the semester. I love libraries, so I think I'll enjoy the job. Plus I have incredibly free Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, so I'll have plenty of time to work. I spent a lot of this weekend working on my job as part of the hospitality team for a retreat. They came in on Friday night and left this afternoon after lunch. I was there to help cook and serve three meals, as well as getting their rooms ready earlier. It was hard work and I am sore all over, but I still found it really rewarding. I love cooking, so cooking for people and being able to share that with them is lovely. Doing all the dishes by hand is less so, but necessary.
I am continuing to feel more at home here and more part of the Trinity community. I've also had the rather new problem of having to pay attention to my own social limits and making sure I take introverting time. Especially since I was busy much of this weekend, I've had to take extra evening times to sit alone and recharge. It's not a terrible problem to have, but I'm glad I know myself enough to be aware of those needs.
I'm really looking forward to the regular semester beginning, since I'll be taking several classes and more people will be here, including the whole of my class. I also might have slightly more free time, at least for the first week or so, than I do right now with near-constant Greek.
I'm also managing to keep up with Silas through judicious use of Skype dates. It's tough, but things like Skype are wonderful for staying close with people. It's interesting to see how I'm creating an extended family here while maintaining my close ties back home as well.
Finally, I finished cataloging all my yarn, and I have plenty to keep me busy for awhile. I'm still settling in, but as I work on organizing my hobbies and keeping them well stored and available I'm feeling more at home in my apartment. Cooking is good too, although I do have to work nearly constantly to keep my kitchen clean. Tonight my slow-cooker will be working all night turning a bunch of produce I've chopped up into a rather healthy potato soup. My apartment should smell delicious when I wake up.
Tomorrow I move on to verbs that are describing non-real action, so we'll see how that goes. I'm also finishing up my project on Jesus' rebuke of Martha, which is turning out quite interestingly. I'll present it on Thursday, and I think it, as well as all my classmates' presentations of their own verses, will be a very interesting end to the week and Greek class.
Well that's all for now, I'm off to turn my slow-cooker on!
In Greek we learned about participles this week. Since I didn't know what a participle was in English before we started, it was quite a bit to learn. But it went well enough, and we just have one more week before we've successfully completed the class.
This week I also began another job and spent quite a bit of time on my first. I have been trained for working at the library and I'll start working there regularly at the beginning of the semester. I love libraries, so I think I'll enjoy the job. Plus I have incredibly free Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, so I'll have plenty of time to work. I spent a lot of this weekend working on my job as part of the hospitality team for a retreat. They came in on Friday night and left this afternoon after lunch. I was there to help cook and serve three meals, as well as getting their rooms ready earlier. It was hard work and I am sore all over, but I still found it really rewarding. I love cooking, so cooking for people and being able to share that with them is lovely. Doing all the dishes by hand is less so, but necessary.
I am continuing to feel more at home here and more part of the Trinity community. I've also had the rather new problem of having to pay attention to my own social limits and making sure I take introverting time. Especially since I was busy much of this weekend, I've had to take extra evening times to sit alone and recharge. It's not a terrible problem to have, but I'm glad I know myself enough to be aware of those needs.
I'm really looking forward to the regular semester beginning, since I'll be taking several classes and more people will be here, including the whole of my class. I also might have slightly more free time, at least for the first week or so, than I do right now with near-constant Greek.
I'm also managing to keep up with Silas through judicious use of Skype dates. It's tough, but things like Skype are wonderful for staying close with people. It's interesting to see how I'm creating an extended family here while maintaining my close ties back home as well.
Finally, I finished cataloging all my yarn, and I have plenty to keep me busy for awhile. I'm still settling in, but as I work on organizing my hobbies and keeping them well stored and available I'm feeling more at home in my apartment. Cooking is good too, although I do have to work nearly constantly to keep my kitchen clean. Tonight my slow-cooker will be working all night turning a bunch of produce I've chopped up into a rather healthy potato soup. My apartment should smell delicious when I wake up.
Tomorrow I move on to verbs that are describing non-real action, so we'll see how that goes. I'm also finishing up my project on Jesus' rebuke of Martha, which is turning out quite interestingly. I'll present it on Thursday, and I think it, as well as all my classmates' presentations of their own verses, will be a very interesting end to the week and Greek class.
Well that's all for now, I'm off to turn my slow-cooker on!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
I Got a Job!
I can't believe I've been living in Ohio for a month now.
Time is going by fast, mainly still because of Greek. We only have two weeks left and I've begun my final, which is an in-depth analysis of Luke 10:41-42, Jesus' rebuke of Martha. I chose these verses to study mainly because they are the culmination of a story I always struggle with, due to my strong identification with Martha. We'll see if I turn up any new understanding in the next two weeks.
I also started my first job this week. We have several retreats come to Trinity throughout the year and I am on the hospitality team for a retreat this next weekend. This includes cleaning, but also cooking for the retreat and making the visitors feel welcome while they are here. It's really similar to my old job at the Canterbury Center in Stillwater, and I love hospitality, so I think I'll enjoy this job. And making some money I didn't expect to make this month doesn't hurt either.
I did a couple more things to feel settled in this weekend. On Friday I went to a dive shop to get fitted for a wetsuit and gear for my open water training scuba dive in a couple of weeks. I'm excited to be finishing up my certification finally. After the slight discomfort of getting myself into a wetsuit, I was able to spend about an hour in the pool at the dive shop working on a few of my skills and remembering how much I really do enjoy being able to breathe underwater. I'm really looking forward to finally getting to practice in an open body of water rather than a pool.
On Saturday I took a trip to the Book Loft in the German Village, which is a house absolutely crammed full of books, many of which are on sale. I ended up leaving with a mystery and a knitting book about organizing and using yarn stash. I got inspired and now my couch is covered with yarn as I sort and catalog all my yarn. Having it in a organized, well stored place rather than just floating around in walmart sacks will make me feel more moved in and help me to use what I have rather than just buying more. My knitting skills will come in handy this winter, I think.
I'm continuing to meet new people here and get to know better the people I've already met. The sense of community I got when I visited here last year was spot on, and I find that I would have to try hard to not spend time with these people. My quiet weekends are nice for my introverted self as they give me a chance to re-charge from spending a week almost constantly with people. The only downside to my social life combined with my schoolwork is that my apartment may not be completely unpacked and settled into until fall break when I have more time off.
In a final bit of exciting news, today was the first time I was able to walk down the stairs in a normal manner rather than stepping on each step with both feet. A major milestone in the healing of my ankles! I've been avoiding yoga to keep from hurting them worse, and I can't wait until I can start again - I think it will be an especially helpful practice in the midst of my busy seminary life. That and my back and hips get sore with all the sitting hunched over Greek translations.
Tomorrow I'm leading morning prayer, learning about participles, and getting paid to clean an apartment that isn't mine. Should be a good day.
Kathryn
Time is going by fast, mainly still because of Greek. We only have two weeks left and I've begun my final, which is an in-depth analysis of Luke 10:41-42, Jesus' rebuke of Martha. I chose these verses to study mainly because they are the culmination of a story I always struggle with, due to my strong identification with Martha. We'll see if I turn up any new understanding in the next two weeks.
I also started my first job this week. We have several retreats come to Trinity throughout the year and I am on the hospitality team for a retreat this next weekend. This includes cleaning, but also cooking for the retreat and making the visitors feel welcome while they are here. It's really similar to my old job at the Canterbury Center in Stillwater, and I love hospitality, so I think I'll enjoy this job. And making some money I didn't expect to make this month doesn't hurt either.
I did a couple more things to feel settled in this weekend. On Friday I went to a dive shop to get fitted for a wetsuit and gear for my open water training scuba dive in a couple of weeks. I'm excited to be finishing up my certification finally. After the slight discomfort of getting myself into a wetsuit, I was able to spend about an hour in the pool at the dive shop working on a few of my skills and remembering how much I really do enjoy being able to breathe underwater. I'm really looking forward to finally getting to practice in an open body of water rather than a pool.
On Saturday I took a trip to the Book Loft in the German Village, which is a house absolutely crammed full of books, many of which are on sale. I ended up leaving with a mystery and a knitting book about organizing and using yarn stash. I got inspired and now my couch is covered with yarn as I sort and catalog all my yarn. Having it in a organized, well stored place rather than just floating around in walmart sacks will make me feel more moved in and help me to use what I have rather than just buying more. My knitting skills will come in handy this winter, I think.
I'm continuing to meet new people here and get to know better the people I've already met. The sense of community I got when I visited here last year was spot on, and I find that I would have to try hard to not spend time with these people. My quiet weekends are nice for my introverted self as they give me a chance to re-charge from spending a week almost constantly with people. The only downside to my social life combined with my schoolwork is that my apartment may not be completely unpacked and settled into until fall break when I have more time off.
In a final bit of exciting news, today was the first time I was able to walk down the stairs in a normal manner rather than stepping on each step with both feet. A major milestone in the healing of my ankles! I've been avoiding yoga to keep from hurting them worse, and I can't wait until I can start again - I think it will be an especially helpful practice in the midst of my busy seminary life. That and my back and hips get sore with all the sitting hunched over Greek translations.
Tomorrow I'm leading morning prayer, learning about participles, and getting paid to clean an apartment that isn't mine. Should be a good day.
Kathryn
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Half-way Through Greek
I am officially half-way through Greek. This is amazing to me because it doesn't feel like three weeks have passed.
However, it's going well, and yesterday we learned how to use a software which we bought that allows you to really delve into the original language of the Bible as well as the many translations that have been made, in order to better understand it. I'm actually really excited about owning this software and I have realized that I and several of my fellow students are seminary nerds. We're okay with that though.
I have apparently decided that the whiskey bar next door is a good place to go at happy hour and a few of us ended up there twice this week. Mainly because we're working on verbs and verbs are hard. But we're also getting to know each other better, which is lovely. I had an instance of homesickness for the first time this week as I realized just how far away from Texas I am here. Being able to talk with new friends about it helped me accept that I'm creating a new family here and I will be okay. I do have to say, that for the most part, I prefer the weather here to the weather in Texas. We'll see if that changes come winter.
We had a group from Holden Village here this week with a program called Holden on the Road. We worshiped with them several times, and it was really lovely to learn a bit about Holden Village, and it made me want to go spend some time there one day. I also went to a compline service with the Episcopalians, which was also lovely, but ended up being my third worship service in one day on Monday. It was a long, but good day.
This was the Summer Samplarians' last week here, but I had dinner with a couple of them at the cookout in our apartment complex this Wednesday. They're good kids and I was pleased that I got to spend a bit of time with them this summer. I've seen the Summer Sampler program twice now, and I think it is a really great program for us to have here.
As we're getting closer to the end of Summer Greek, the seminary is beginning to get ready for the start of the regular year. I've received some information about orientation and I am learning form other students what my classes may be like. I'm looking forward to most of them and I'm looking forward to the experience of being here for the next few years. The one thing I'm not particularly looking forward to is the debt I am going to start accruing. I deposited my first loan check earlier this week, and it was an odd feeling to go into debt for the first time. I'm looking for work here, though, and working with Melissa, our financial aid director, makes me feel confident I will graduate with as little debt as possible.
I am spending my weekend working on my apartment as well as my Greek, so my apartment is still not fully unpacked or organized, but I am working on it a little at a time. Living, working, cooking, etc. in my apartment helps to make me feel at home here, and I think that working in my apartment helps me to feel settled.
Then next week I am off to learn more verbs, because Greek is practically the only thing I do right now.
Kathryn S.
However, it's going well, and yesterday we learned how to use a software which we bought that allows you to really delve into the original language of the Bible as well as the many translations that have been made, in order to better understand it. I'm actually really excited about owning this software and I have realized that I and several of my fellow students are seminary nerds. We're okay with that though.
I have apparently decided that the whiskey bar next door is a good place to go at happy hour and a few of us ended up there twice this week. Mainly because we're working on verbs and verbs are hard. But we're also getting to know each other better, which is lovely. I had an instance of homesickness for the first time this week as I realized just how far away from Texas I am here. Being able to talk with new friends about it helped me accept that I'm creating a new family here and I will be okay. I do have to say, that for the most part, I prefer the weather here to the weather in Texas. We'll see if that changes come winter.
We had a group from Holden Village here this week with a program called Holden on the Road. We worshiped with them several times, and it was really lovely to learn a bit about Holden Village, and it made me want to go spend some time there one day. I also went to a compline service with the Episcopalians, which was also lovely, but ended up being my third worship service in one day on Monday. It was a long, but good day.
This was the Summer Samplarians' last week here, but I had dinner with a couple of them at the cookout in our apartment complex this Wednesday. They're good kids and I was pleased that I got to spend a bit of time with them this summer. I've seen the Summer Sampler program twice now, and I think it is a really great program for us to have here.
As we're getting closer to the end of Summer Greek, the seminary is beginning to get ready for the start of the regular year. I've received some information about orientation and I am learning form other students what my classes may be like. I'm looking forward to most of them and I'm looking forward to the experience of being here for the next few years. The one thing I'm not particularly looking forward to is the debt I am going to start accruing. I deposited my first loan check earlier this week, and it was an odd feeling to go into debt for the first time. I'm looking for work here, though, and working with Melissa, our financial aid director, makes me feel confident I will graduate with as little debt as possible.
I am spending my weekend working on my apartment as well as my Greek, so my apartment is still not fully unpacked or organized, but I am working on it a little at a time. Living, working, cooking, etc. in my apartment helps to make me feel at home here, and I think that working in my apartment helps me to feel settled.
Then next week I am off to learn more verbs, because Greek is practically the only thing I do right now.
Kathryn S.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Continued Settling In
Another busy week is over, and apparently I know everything I need to know about Greek nouns.
This week has been good, as my classmates and I have been getting into the swing of Greek. Class every morning, studying every afternoon, and occasional trips to the whiskey bar across the street to do something together that doesn't involve Greek at all. I'm still enjoying the class most of the time, and as I learn more, what I'm able to translate seems more exciting. I'm working on a ten verse passage from 1 John this weekend, and as I work on it I am surprised by how much I have managed to learn in the time I've been here.
Earlier this week I volunteered to be a lector for chapel, but I was later than my classmates, so I wasn't needed as a lector. Instead I was invited to lead morning chapel on Monday. I was nervous to do something like that in front of so many new people, including professors, but I really enjoyed leading it and I'm looking forward to being involved in many more chapel services while I'm here.
I also finally got the internet in my apartment after several misadventures. Last week they sent my internet to the wrong apartment, and this week they were two days late because they had to fix some outside wiring before they could begin my service. I was so excited when a technician finally showed up on Wednesday, and now I am writing from the comfort of my own apartment.
I also ended up spending a bit more time with the Summer Sampler kids this week, which turned out quite nicely. We do a cookout in the apartment courtyard on Wednesday night and I ended up sitting and chatting with a couple of them. Then on Thursday night several of us went to their Gospel Slam, which was actually quite good. Several of these kids are really excited about their futures, many in ministry, and it's easy to see how good this program is for them.
I'm still settling into my apartment, and still rather hindered by the difficulty I have standing or walking for long periods of time. It's getting a bit better every day though, and soon I'll start putting up artwork and pictures, which will really help to make it feel like home. In fact, yesterday I took a whole day break from Greek, mainly for working in my apartment. Today, however, I have to get back to it so that I can finish my translation and take two quizzes before Monday. Then we'll start on verbs.
I'm really feeling settled here in the town and in the seminary, and I'm so happy that I chose to come here for this stage of my life. I like the people and the area, and I think I'll really enjoy several of my classes once I start the full semester in a few weeks.
That's all that's going on in my life now,
Kathryn
This week has been good, as my classmates and I have been getting into the swing of Greek. Class every morning, studying every afternoon, and occasional trips to the whiskey bar across the street to do something together that doesn't involve Greek at all. I'm still enjoying the class most of the time, and as I learn more, what I'm able to translate seems more exciting. I'm working on a ten verse passage from 1 John this weekend, and as I work on it I am surprised by how much I have managed to learn in the time I've been here.
Earlier this week I volunteered to be a lector for chapel, but I was later than my classmates, so I wasn't needed as a lector. Instead I was invited to lead morning chapel on Monday. I was nervous to do something like that in front of so many new people, including professors, but I really enjoyed leading it and I'm looking forward to being involved in many more chapel services while I'm here.
I also finally got the internet in my apartment after several misadventures. Last week they sent my internet to the wrong apartment, and this week they were two days late because they had to fix some outside wiring before they could begin my service. I was so excited when a technician finally showed up on Wednesday, and now I am writing from the comfort of my own apartment.
I also ended up spending a bit more time with the Summer Sampler kids this week, which turned out quite nicely. We do a cookout in the apartment courtyard on Wednesday night and I ended up sitting and chatting with a couple of them. Then on Thursday night several of us went to their Gospel Slam, which was actually quite good. Several of these kids are really excited about their futures, many in ministry, and it's easy to see how good this program is for them.
I'm still settling into my apartment, and still rather hindered by the difficulty I have standing or walking for long periods of time. It's getting a bit better every day though, and soon I'll start putting up artwork and pictures, which will really help to make it feel like home. In fact, yesterday I took a whole day break from Greek, mainly for working in my apartment. Today, however, I have to get back to it so that I can finish my translation and take two quizzes before Monday. Then we'll start on verbs.
I'm really feeling settled here in the town and in the seminary, and I'm so happy that I chose to come here for this stage of my life. I like the people and the area, and I think I'll really enjoy several of my classes once I start the full semester in a few weeks.
That's all that's going on in my life now,
Kathryn
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Getting Settled and Learning Greek
My first week of Greek ended yesterday, and I have to say I've learned a lot already.
It turns out that I really rather enjoy Greek, I think mainly because I love learning and this is something entirely new to me, but also within my capabilities. Every day we have class from 9 to 12:30, with a break for chapel, then several of us take a half hour break for lunch and get together to work on our homework together, which usually ends up taking around three hours. So, almost my entire life is Greek right now.
Luckily, I rather like my classmates, and I am enjoying getting to know them between translations. Spending so much time working on Greek with these other people this week is forcing me to settle in, which is a good thing, I think. I'm already feeling more comfortable at the seminary and my apartment and I'm getting used to living here.
Things have been made slightly more difficult for me this week through a large act of clumsiness on my part. I have a storage unit in the basement, and I am keeping my moving boxes there (I know I'll need them again). So as I unpack boxes, I take them down three flights of stairs. Well on Sunday afternoon I was carrying a rather large box and I couldn't see my feet. This became a problem when I missed the very last step I needed to take and fell, rolling both of my ankles.
Luckily, a man who lives on the first floor heard me fall and my moans of pain and came to offer assistance. I managed to get myself back on my feet and hauled myself back upstairs where I stayed off them and iced them for the rest of the evening. The next morning I was rather pleased that I did not have to walk too far to get to class, as I still was in a lot of pain and my ankles were both considerably larger than they should be. I usually only roll one ankle if I do that, and it's been an adjustment dealing with pain in both of them.
I'm healing rather well, however, and every morning I wake up feeling a little better. In a week or two they should be entirely back to normal again. I might start practicing some ankle strengthening exercises though, when I can, because this kind of thing happens to me more often than I'd like.
One thing I'm really enjoying here is the fact that my faith is really part of my daily life at seminary. It's different to pray together before every class and to go to chapel every day, but I really love it. And another reason Greek is fascinating to me is the way it brings insight into the reading of the Bible. My class had a discussion about the translation of Ephesians 2:10 yesterday that hinged on one simple preposition, and could have very different meanings for our understanding of faith and good works. While in some ways, understanding the intricacies of the language the Bible was written in just bring up more things to disagree about, it also provides a deeper understanding of the writers who were helping to form our religion and understanding the intricacies gives me a lot of respect for translators as well as a better understanding of the mysteries of our faith. And it makes me excited for the learning ahead of me while I'm here.
I did do one thing this week that had nothing to do with Greek, at least. Last night, when I was taking a decided break from any Greek at all, I was invited to dinner and the Clippers game with the Summer Samplarians. The Seminary Sampler program is one they do here every summer which introduces high school students to the seminary and allows them to explore their own faith, and I met last year's group when I was visiting last summer. We went out to dinner and then to the game and I had a lovely time getting to know the students, as well as several of the counselors who are students of the seminary. It was a nice break and it was a great evening to spend outside, because the rain finally stopped and it was just beautiful weather.
This weekend I will still be working, although I'll have a fair bit of time for rest as well. I have to do a translation of I John 4:1-6 for a review of all the Greek I've already learned, and I have to finish making myself a budget so I know how much money I need to borrow to get myself through the Greek session. I'm about to make my first step into debt and paying for school myself, which is a little scary, but I've got some people here who can advise me well and I think I'll be able to do well with it.
Then I just have five more weeks of Greek and I am curious to see how they go. Dr. Bryant, our teacher, is very good trying to make sure everyone has a way of learning that will work for them as well as making it exciting to see what every translation has in store.
Wish me luck and send up prayers,
Kathryn
It turns out that I really rather enjoy Greek, I think mainly because I love learning and this is something entirely new to me, but also within my capabilities. Every day we have class from 9 to 12:30, with a break for chapel, then several of us take a half hour break for lunch and get together to work on our homework together, which usually ends up taking around three hours. So, almost my entire life is Greek right now.
Luckily, I rather like my classmates, and I am enjoying getting to know them between translations. Spending so much time working on Greek with these other people this week is forcing me to settle in, which is a good thing, I think. I'm already feeling more comfortable at the seminary and my apartment and I'm getting used to living here.
Things have been made slightly more difficult for me this week through a large act of clumsiness on my part. I have a storage unit in the basement, and I am keeping my moving boxes there (I know I'll need them again). So as I unpack boxes, I take them down three flights of stairs. Well on Sunday afternoon I was carrying a rather large box and I couldn't see my feet. This became a problem when I missed the very last step I needed to take and fell, rolling both of my ankles.
Luckily, a man who lives on the first floor heard me fall and my moans of pain and came to offer assistance. I managed to get myself back on my feet and hauled myself back upstairs where I stayed off them and iced them for the rest of the evening. The next morning I was rather pleased that I did not have to walk too far to get to class, as I still was in a lot of pain and my ankles were both considerably larger than they should be. I usually only roll one ankle if I do that, and it's been an adjustment dealing with pain in both of them.
I'm healing rather well, however, and every morning I wake up feeling a little better. In a week or two they should be entirely back to normal again. I might start practicing some ankle strengthening exercises though, when I can, because this kind of thing happens to me more often than I'd like.
One thing I'm really enjoying here is the fact that my faith is really part of my daily life at seminary. It's different to pray together before every class and to go to chapel every day, but I really love it. And another reason Greek is fascinating to me is the way it brings insight into the reading of the Bible. My class had a discussion about the translation of Ephesians 2:10 yesterday that hinged on one simple preposition, and could have very different meanings for our understanding of faith and good works. While in some ways, understanding the intricacies of the language the Bible was written in just bring up more things to disagree about, it also provides a deeper understanding of the writers who were helping to form our religion and understanding the intricacies gives me a lot of respect for translators as well as a better understanding of the mysteries of our faith. And it makes me excited for the learning ahead of me while I'm here.
I did do one thing this week that had nothing to do with Greek, at least. Last night, when I was taking a decided break from any Greek at all, I was invited to dinner and the Clippers game with the Summer Samplarians. The Seminary Sampler program is one they do here every summer which introduces high school students to the seminary and allows them to explore their own faith, and I met last year's group when I was visiting last summer. We went out to dinner and then to the game and I had a lovely time getting to know the students, as well as several of the counselors who are students of the seminary. It was a nice break and it was a great evening to spend outside, because the rain finally stopped and it was just beautiful weather.
This weekend I will still be working, although I'll have a fair bit of time for rest as well. I have to do a translation of I John 4:1-6 for a review of all the Greek I've already learned, and I have to finish making myself a budget so I know how much money I need to borrow to get myself through the Greek session. I'm about to make my first step into debt and paying for school myself, which is a little scary, but I've got some people here who can advise me well and I think I'll be able to do well with it.
Then I just have five more weeks of Greek and I am curious to see how they go. Dr. Bryant, our teacher, is very good trying to make sure everyone has a way of learning that will work for them as well as making it exciting to see what every translation has in store.
Wish me luck and send up prayers,
Kathryn
Friday, July 5, 2013
The Beginning of this Leg of the Journey
So, I have been in Columbus Ohio, my current stopping place, since Monday now. This week has been a good one as my parents and I got me settled and explored Columbus a bit. It may seem weird, coming from someone who grew up in the middle of the metroplex, but for some reason living just a stone's throw away from downtown of a major city feels very different to me. It's especially different from Stillwater, where I spent most of my past four years. I'm also having to get used to being in a different time zone. I've learned to just do a quick calculation if I'm texting or calling anyone back in Central time, which is still most of the people I text or call right now.
My apartment is still in a bit of a state, but it's quite livable already. I have a lovely bed and I saved my favorite chair from my Stillwater apartment, so my parents and I put that together already. I won't have the internet or the rest of my furniture until Tuesday afternoon, but I'm trying to spend the weekend unpacking my boxes. Not a fun activity, by any means, but I have a ton of DVDs I can watch without the internet, so I'm using those to keep me entertained.
I've also met most of my neighbors already, although I did not meet one of them here in Ohio. The current intern at Calvary Lutheran, Ethan, is one of my neighbors as well as three other nice guys. I'm sure I'll be meeting some more people on Monday as my first class starts - and they will likely be as lost and confused as I am!
It's always weird moving and starting something new, and I am in the age where that happens more often than not. New classes every semester, a move every year for me, relationships beginning and ending, and it looks like I'm still up for a few more years of it. There's a big part of me that really just wants to feel settled, rather than in constant transition. It would feel like a miracle to me if I moved somewhere and stayed for five years. However, I do my best to settle as much as I can in each new place and I'm getting better at it. I'm also beginning to form at least a few relationships which I intend on keeping despite distance, which makes me very grateful for the many forms of communication we have handy now.
My first step of settling here, other than hauling all my stuff up three flights of stairs (thanks for the help Mom and Dad!), is to spend a bit of time at the sandwich/coffee shop just next door to my apartment. They have great sandwiches and free wifi, which is rather handy at the moment. This place might see a lot more of me in the future. Today has involved a couple of naps, due to odd bed and waking times, but tomorrow I expect to have more energy and I'm going to go check out some yarn shops and maybe some yoga studios. Because these are two of my favorite hobbies, it will make me feel more at home if I have places around here. There's also a fabric shop just down the street, which I'll probably have to stop in to as well. There are a couple of presents I need to sew in July.
I'm sure once my classwork starts I'll have to make dedicated time for my hobbies, but they are worth it. Also, I have already begun studying Greek a bit, and I have a good handle on the alphabet and the first chapter's vocabulary, which I think is a good place to begin. And I have an offer of help from one of my neighbors who was a Greek major in college and likes to help to keep himself sharp.
So, despite the initial loneliness and small amount of fear that usually accompanies a move and a new start, I have high hopes for the next few weeks and the next few years. I'm already looking forward to being done with school as I start a new four-year program, but the end goals are all worth the temporary unsettledness. I'm sure these four years will pass quickly, and I'll try to keep up this blog while I can go through them, so I can share my experiences with whomever might be reading.
Wish me luck and send up prayers,
Kat
P.S. This is a blog I've started and stopped several times before, so posts before this one will be rather different in nature.
My apartment is still in a bit of a state, but it's quite livable already. I have a lovely bed and I saved my favorite chair from my Stillwater apartment, so my parents and I put that together already. I won't have the internet or the rest of my furniture until Tuesday afternoon, but I'm trying to spend the weekend unpacking my boxes. Not a fun activity, by any means, but I have a ton of DVDs I can watch without the internet, so I'm using those to keep me entertained.
I've also met most of my neighbors already, although I did not meet one of them here in Ohio. The current intern at Calvary Lutheran, Ethan, is one of my neighbors as well as three other nice guys. I'm sure I'll be meeting some more people on Monday as my first class starts - and they will likely be as lost and confused as I am!
It's always weird moving and starting something new, and I am in the age where that happens more often than not. New classes every semester, a move every year for me, relationships beginning and ending, and it looks like I'm still up for a few more years of it. There's a big part of me that really just wants to feel settled, rather than in constant transition. It would feel like a miracle to me if I moved somewhere and stayed for five years. However, I do my best to settle as much as I can in each new place and I'm getting better at it. I'm also beginning to form at least a few relationships which I intend on keeping despite distance, which makes me very grateful for the many forms of communication we have handy now.
My first step of settling here, other than hauling all my stuff up three flights of stairs (thanks for the help Mom and Dad!), is to spend a bit of time at the sandwich/coffee shop just next door to my apartment. They have great sandwiches and free wifi, which is rather handy at the moment. This place might see a lot more of me in the future. Today has involved a couple of naps, due to odd bed and waking times, but tomorrow I expect to have more energy and I'm going to go check out some yarn shops and maybe some yoga studios. Because these are two of my favorite hobbies, it will make me feel more at home if I have places around here. There's also a fabric shop just down the street, which I'll probably have to stop in to as well. There are a couple of presents I need to sew in July.
I'm sure once my classwork starts I'll have to make dedicated time for my hobbies, but they are worth it. Also, I have already begun studying Greek a bit, and I have a good handle on the alphabet and the first chapter's vocabulary, which I think is a good place to begin. And I have an offer of help from one of my neighbors who was a Greek major in college and likes to help to keep himself sharp.
So, despite the initial loneliness and small amount of fear that usually accompanies a move and a new start, I have high hopes for the next few weeks and the next few years. I'm already looking forward to being done with school as I start a new four-year program, but the end goals are all worth the temporary unsettledness. I'm sure these four years will pass quickly, and I'll try to keep up this blog while I can go through them, so I can share my experiences with whomever might be reading.
Wish me luck and send up prayers,
Kat
P.S. This is a blog I've started and stopped several times before, so posts before this one will be rather different in nature.
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