Walk Journal ~ November 25 Ramblings

Finally outside again and so glad! The sunset was spectacular.

Hello; my name is Katherine and it's been two weeks since my last walk.  

Two weeks.  That's the longest time between walks or workouts that I've experienced since getting back on the road to healthy.  Part of  becoming fit was the realization that as much as I'd like to, I'm not able to actually do everything I want to do.  There are simply not enough hours in the day or days in the week.  So when I started making better choices for myself in the food and exercise departments, I also started making better decisions for my after-work schedule.  I've tried hard not to overbook myself so that there is plenty of time to shop, prep dinners and lunches and walk, either outside or inside (with Leslie).  But I lost control of the calendar last week and the previous one as well and wound up having 8 evening obligations in 11 days.  Add in several long days into evenings at work and my life quickly became a flashback to drive-through dinners, sleepless nights with no decompressing time and no time to work out.

Despite the cold, it was a relief to get out.  I did my usual dusk/dark route--one with sidewalks and streetlights.  But it was still pretty light when I started out and made my way down to the river.  Knowing it would be dark by the time I reached my usual picture place at McCarter Park, I paused at the river's edge at the park several blocks from my house.  The empty, still swings said as much about the cold as the thermometer.  So did the ice on the very shallow water.  I'm grateful for the shallowness, though, as the 2 - 4 inches of rain predicted for this week could really do a lot of damage otherwise.

A couple of hundred feet more and I'm saddened to see yet another house is gone.  So strange to see these empty lots.  There is really nothing that says a home was once there except for the emergency fencing and a small bit of rubble.  It's almost as though a giant crane dipped out of the sky and plucked them up.  It's only about a dozen houses that will ultimately be razed in the wake of 2011's Irene.  A small number compared to the houses that were lost elsewhere in New Jersey last year during Sandy and the whole towns that were destroyed this month in the Philippines.  I can't help but think of how powerless people are in the face of these natural disasters and how strong the communities are that overcome them.  My mind wanders back to the days just after the hurricane (or tropical storm) and how amazing this town, my friends, colleagues and neighbors, and my family were in the days and weeks after it.

No time to look back though.  Knee is feeling not awful so I try running a little--emphasis on "a little."  But it's more running than I've done in months and shortly I'm enjoying a gorgeous sunset at the pond.  The purple aura of the setting sun isn't as vivid in this picture as it was while I paused to admire it.  It was pretty dramatic.  I headed off to the back of the park as the light quickly began to fade but then thought better of completing the circle around the pond.  The other side is wooded with rocky, rutted paths, hostile roots and wicked stray branches.  And I know the bears aren't all asleep yet--we've had a lot of evidence of their bulking up at school lately and had to order more "bear-proofing" on our dumpsters.  Probably not a good idea to wander alone in the dark in the woods.  The Girl Scout leader in me prevails.

It's about two miles to the pond from my house and another mile and a quarter to get back downtown.  No running on the way back.  It's weird but when I run I look ahead, watching for each little milestone and enduring the dialog in my head (go as far as the orphanage, run to the church, you can make it to the spring ....).  But on the darkened streets and sidewalks, I'm mostly looking down, trying not to trip on broken concrete or miss a curb.  The last thing I need to do is fall.

Turning onto Broadway, I walk along the river to the bridge and then turn for home.  The snowflakes are up on light poles and glitter and glow so warmly and our homespun candy canes line the sidewalks of the retail district.  This is such a special time of year in this town and this weekend coming up will be a lot of fun with a downtown open house and holiday parade.  These local traditions make living here such a sweet experience--they create a certain rhythm of promise and comfort and spell "home" to me.  

Oddly, as I took this last picture, my trusty walking companion (known as iPhone) powered down for no good reason that I could tell.  Forced to walk the last half mile without music, my thoughts seemed to grow louder in the silence.  Of course, there's always music in downtown Denville.  There are speakers all throughout downtown and by this weekend, there will be Christmas music all day, every day.  Tonight there are familiar old standards.  I don't know of any other town that does this (although I'm sure there must be some).  You just have to smile when you're here.  There's music in the air plus coffee on three corners.  And much, much more.   

So good to get back out.  I hereby promise myself not to sabotage my schedule, whether by accident or by my inability to say no.  Three nights out of five is the limit.  I can't afford for it not to be.

~~~

Soundtrack for a Monday night--members of Team Katherine, those who helped me so much last year.  Perfect for getting back on track.

Colbie Caillat's new single, Hold On
Andy Grammer's EP, Crazy Beautiful.  
Chris Wallace's record, Push Rewind.  Listen to Keep Me Crazy--fun song.
Tyler Hilton's record, Forget the Storm.  Loaded Gun: best running song.

Team Captain Gavin DeGraw was not on this walk (iPhone #fail) but his new album, Make A Move is in my head almost all the time.  

3.88 Charity Miles for Nothing But Nets.  Malaria still robs a child of his or her life every minute.

On Volunteering

 My twitter name is @GSKath.  I created my twitter account when I found out that both the national and my regional Girl Scout organizations were beginning to communicate important information in tweets.  I've since branched out and follow all sorts of interesting people and organizations but I'll always be @GSKath first and foremost.

I always knew I'd be a Girl Scout volunteer.  Well, actually when I was a girl, I thought I'd be a Girl Guide volunteer.  I was born in Canada and was a Girl Guide growing up, not a Girl Scout.  I had dedicated leaders who really made an impression on me.  We moved to "The States" when I was in 9th grade.  I did join a troop in my hometown in high school and volunteered with a Brownie troop but didn't last very long as these troops didn't do real camping. They did hotel camping.  I'm pretty old school.

My volunteer career began in grade school, continued in high school with student council, prom committee, the school consortium, and Sing Out Morris and then in college with dorm committees, music sorority events and helping out in an administrative office.  I was a Campus Girl Scout too.  In most of these efforts, there were adults at the helm who nurtured all of us young volunteers, helped to bring out the leader or teacher in each of us or helped us figure out our skill sets and passions.  Being able to give time and talent to groups and causes I believed in became a little addictive.

Although my time at church is more limited now,
maintaining the Godly Play worship space is one small
way I've found I can help.  I adore this room.

Fast forward quite a few years.  When my son was about a year old my priest called and asked if I would teach Church School.  It's so hard to say no to the priest, you know.  Thus began my volunteer career.  Teaching third graders on Sundays led to running the program which led to a part-time job, then a full-time job.  Volunteering led me to the most rewarding opportunities in the church.  If I hadn't started as a volunteer, I'd never have known the deep satisfaction of working for a community that has meant the world to me.

By the time my son was in school, I had picked up some other volunteer gigs.  I was the PTA "ice cream lady" for a lot of years at my kids' school, I typed in the school's publishing center (every child created an illustrated book every year), at some point I typed, edited and distributed the monthly newsletter for a couple of schools and I was an officer on the executive board for a little while.  When my daughter arrived in kindergarten, I added being a Girl Scout leader to my volunteer resume.

And that's when things really got going.

Seriously, these girls (all out of college now and
making their own way in the world) gave me so much
joy.  We began with 10, ended with 7 and in the 13 years
we spent together, about 20 young ladies floated in
and out of this group.

Watching my ten little 5-year-olds (including one with physical challenges) grow up that first year was a joy.  Each year brought new adventures and memories that were often touching, often hysterical and always rewarding.  Having been bitten by the bug, I couldn't just leave it at leading my troop.  Troops are organized into communities called Service Units (in my area, service units are most often your actual community too).  These "SU's" are run by volunteers trained in specific tasks by the local Girl Scout Council.  I started my career with the service unit as the troop organizer for my school, recruiting other leaders to start up new or take over existing troops and organizing the girls into these troops.  I ran or helped to run local events like our annual International Night.  Eventually I became a co-leader of the service unit which had, at the time, more than 50 troops of hundreds of girls.  Helping other leaders help girls find their passions and begin to realize their potential was tremendously satisfying.

My Girl Scout resume increased to include Trainer (my favorite thing to do), delegate to Council meetings, delegate to National Council Sessions and various and sundry other odd jobs that it has been my joy to do over the years--18 years I think.

What do I get out of all this time spent?  I'm privileged to watch some really cool young ladies grow up.  I'm there to see the kernels of their ideas become big successful projects and watch them realize they can tackle just about anything from planning a trip and budgeting to educating their peers on issues that are important to them.  I've met so many adults along the way who've inspired and taught me a thing or twenty.  Some of these folks I now count among my dearest friends.  I've been able to travel on behalf of my Council, something for which I'm very grateful.  I've become accustomed to public speaking (and I'm not terrible at it).  I get to exercise my creativity muscles and practice my outdoor skills.  I try to stay organized (never batting 1000 there).

Spending time with young people keeps me young.  I've learned to like a lot of what they like--things I'd never have given a chance without their enthusiastic chatter (like Taylor Swift and One Direction) and admit to not totally appreciating other things (the Twilight and Hunger Games series).  The small bits of time I give to my church these days feed my soul and renew my spirit.

I've learned that even when I've had a long day at work and it seems like going home and slipping into yoga pants and a hoodie feels right and driving somewhere for a meeting feels like a chore, there is much more satisfaction in making the drive, keeping the appointment and lending some help if I can.  Yes, I get grumpy sometimes--the last two weeks, for example, have been overloaded with obligations.  Years ago I learned that balance is key to preventing burn out and I try to limit the number of nights I spend in volunteer work.  Every so often, my schedule gets out of control (8 Girl Scout meetings of every variety in 10 days was a bit much even for me) but I just have to regroup, pay attention and look in the mirror and practice saying, "I'm terribly sorry but my schedule is already overcrowded this week."

I wish everyone could enjoy this feeling--it can be a real high knowing that you're making a difference in your community.  And the truth is--everyone can.  There are thousands of organizations that need our help and everyone has something to offer.  I promise:  you'll get way more out of than you'll realize at the time.  You are needed.

Soul Satisfying Sunday ~ Grateful List #2

1. Genuine help.
2. Good television.
3. Great music.

Coming to the finish line of a wonderful weekend.  I really wish it didn't have end.  Such a satisfying two+ days and there is much for which to be grateful.

Friday night was Parents' Night Out at my church.  When I worked there (during my second tour of duty as Christian Ed Director) we started having Parents' Night Out once a month.  For a couple of dollars parents could leave their kids with me and teenagers and go out.  We did it from 5:30 until 9:30 when I worked there so that folks could do dinner and a movie if they'd like.  After I "retired again", PNO carried on.  It's a bit shorter of an evening now but still very popular.  And now, after a couple of years off, I'm back, hanging out with our kids once a month on a Friday night.  It's an important thing to me.  I know how precious time is to moms and dads and it's hard to get away together or alone to decompress or have grown-up conversations sometimes.  I'm thankful for the teenagers in my parish who help with childcare for these evenings.  They genuinely like being with little children and are so helpful and kind.  They know just what to do for each one and truly enjoy one another's company on these evenings as well.  It's a joy to be there--a privilege really.  Really, really young ones and young almost-adults coming together and parents getting some well-deserved time to themselves.

I played "hooky" from church today.  Or as my neighbor puts it, I was a heathen today.  After all, I'd been there all night Friday night and then again yesterday morning for the celebration of the life of a woman who was filled with grace and an example of a life well lived for all.  I'm so grateful to have known her.

Instead of church I went to Super Soul Sunday.  That's Oprah's Sunday morning show that exposes all different types of spiritual living, spiritual authors, directors, people who have found a level of peace in their lives and have the ability to talk about it.  The first hour is a rebroadcast of the previous week's interview.  That happened to be Rob Bell today.  It was followed by an hour with Mark Nepo.  Rob Bell has been a favorite author of mine for several years.  I used his radical teaching videos, Noomas, in my work with teens, and sometimes adults, at church.  I love his way of thinking about God.  Read Love Wins.  It will change your life.  I've had a couple of Mark Nepo's books in my house for a few months now.  I've been reading the entries from The Book of Awakening, a daybook with the subtitle, Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have.  Here's a bit from today's reading:

...we shed our many ways of seeing the world, not that any are false, but that each serves its purpose for a time until we grow and they no longer serve us." 

Thoughts about continuing to grow, whatever your age and stage.  His latest book is called Reduced to Joy.  Can you imagine?  What if we were all reduced to joy.

This program, Super Soul Sunday, is amazing television.  Oprah and her guests live tweet during the broadcast.  It's like being in a discussion group at the same time and really enhances the experience of watching.  During the commercial breaks there is a lot to read and remark on.  I think this is what television and twitter were really created for--to gather groups of people together to learn and share with one another.

From the sublime to the fangirl.  The GACTV network produced a show that chronicled Garth Brooks' amazing 3-year run in concert in Las Vegas a few years' back.  Garth Brooks was my first adult singer-songwriter crush.  I've never seen him perform live because he hasn't really been performing since I came out from under the baggage pile.  This show, Garth Brooks:  Blame It All On My Roots brought me back to my twenties. He was the first singer-songwriter whose music made me cry.  And laugh.  And dance when no one was looking.  I'd have given a lot to have seen his Vegas act I think.  I hope there is film of it somewhere that eventually makes it to market.  During this solo, acoustic performance he took the audience through a list of the folks who influenced him from his mom and dad to "the Georges" (Jones and Strait) to James Taylor.  It was said there will be a boxed set of these covers and his songs.  I really hope so.  He's an incredible human being with so much love and talent to share.  I'm grateful to have stumbled on this show.

Original artwork by my twitter friends
@Lindsay_Gal and @CourtSusanne.
Lindsay (Lindsay Gal Designs) did the lyric
graphic and Courtney (Painting A Memory--look
for her on Etsy) did the portraits.  The top one is
autographed by the musician.  Two autographed
CD covers complete this fangirl corner.

While spending too much time with my television today, I straightened out a year's worth of piled up paperwork in my office and hung some pictures that mean a lot to me in "my room." It's the room where I listen to music, write, try to keep up with bill-paying (not overly successful with that) and do my girl scout thing.  It's the room that sort of makes a sort of statement about me.  The books, the girl scout stuff, the pictures, the CD's, my music box collection .. all here with comfy chairs, computers for working and keeping in touch and eight, count them, eight windows.  I love this space a lot.  Tonight I'm watching Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel (confessions about that in another post some day soon).  I'm grateful for the time spent nesting in here a bit today.  I'm grateful for this space.

I'll probably stay up too late in an effort to keep a little more of this weekend to myself.  There's a busy week ahead but for tonight I'm grateful for teens who genuinely care about helping, television that makes me think and music that moves me.

My cup runneth over.

Concert Diaries Chapter 18 ~ Leading Man

I'm rather impatiently waiting for December holiday concerts and acutely aware of how lucky I am because I have two concerts in December on top of the several times I've seen Gavin DeGraw already this year.  I have no business being impatient.  I should just enjoy this time of anticipation.

And there is much to enjoy while waiting for the next round of concerts.  There's been lots of promotion of the new album, Make A Move, so there've been glimpses of our Leading Man here and there and everywhere since the summer tour ended.

There have been some fun interviews like this one that was live on Cambio:  Room Temperature Cheese.  I love his recent observations about how supportive the mainstream music community has become and how there is less competition and more collaboration lately.  It was so evident during the Train tour this summer and at the WPLJ summer blastoff where Gavin and Ed Sheeran got together for the first time.  And I like cheese at room temperature best too.

The interviews from the brief trip to Europe were good.  It seemed like a different place every day and the performances and talks with radio and other media personnel made each day of that week a little special.  I liked this one:  I Failed Algebra.  "If it doesn't rhyme, it's not a song.  So  .... at the end of the day it's this version of sociology and psychology.  It sort of an uneducated version. And that's songwriting."

This interview with CBS where he talks more about the songwriting process sheds light on all the cowriting he decided to do for this album despite the weirdly worded questions from the interviewer--"Was it hard to relinquish the creative process?"  What artist relinquishes the creative process?  He's good though--he answers her with details about what it's like in the give and take of writing with another person.  He also explains, I think to those fans who were disappointed that this record wasn't in the vein of Chariot or Free, why an artist needs to grow and try new approaches.  

There have been lots of US television performances with more to come.  The day the record was released Gavin was on the Today Show.  I love how they played "We Belong Together" during the introduction.  Somebody on Kathie Lee and Hoda's staff is pretty familiar with his discography.  I'm kind of sorry I didn't go into the City and hang out that day.  I also loved the amount of camera time James Cruz had on this stop.

Then there was his ill-fated co-hosting appearance on The View when the hosts wouldn't let him get a word in.  Charming as ever, though, Gavin just rode with it and allowed those five women to cut him off and talk over him.  Frustrating for the rest of us who had thought this would be an hour-long opportunity for everyone else to get to know him.  The cooking segment with his friend Sheri Shepherd was funny though and he sang Best I Ever Had Again and kissed Barbara Walters.

Last week he appeared on the Rachel Ray Show, with an acoustic performance of Best I Ever Had.  His parents were in the audience that day.  Hearing him speak about his close knit family is one of my favorite topics of his.  I admire how he wears his heart on his sleeve where they are concerned.

I've decided that one thing that really irritates me is the rather fake way that TV hosts clap along to guest musicians.  It just looks odd.  Their "enthusiasm," I think, achieves the opposite of what they're intending.  Rather than appearing to be fans, they appear clueless.  They should just be more natural. That over-the-top flamboyant act is embarrassing.

With paralympic alpine skier Alana Nichols.

How about this...  Gavin performing in Times Square 100 days out in front of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.  There was literally no notice of this appearance or I'd definitely have take the day off and headed into New York.  His gorgeous anthem, Everything Will Change, has been selected as the US Olympic Team's song--a completely fitting choice.

Hey, before it gets too late,

Before the night is over, before the world's awake,

Everything will change.

Hey, I feel it coming on

Starting like a fire, tonight you lit the flame

Everything will change.

Last night there was this appearance on the Conan O'Brien Show.  I think this must have been the television debut of the new single Make A Move.  And by the time I hit the "publish" button on this post, he'll have reprised the performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  Earlier tonight Direct TV broadcasted an episode of Guitar Center Sessions featuring Gavin and the band.  Beautiful direction and sound in this and I loved the Behind the Scenes interview.  And he's not terrible on the guitar.  He has to stop saying that.  He's really pretty good.

More to look forward to:  Riding on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  He's participated in the parade in the past.  2004, actually. A friend and I were chatting on twitter this week and concluded he must really hate lip syncing in these situations--he's such a consummate live performer.  Then in early December an appearance on the hysterical NBC game show, Hollywood Game Night, hosted by Jane Lynch.  It's a perfect show for him and I think he'll have a blast doing it.

So ... no concerts on the East Coast right now ... but lots to tide me and my fellow fangirls/guys over until we find our way to live events.  I feel my patience returning.

~~~

A fan made this video montage for Leading Man, the last song on the new album.

A few of weeks ago I had a fun twitter exchange with Jim Shearer, the host of the Saturday morning show VH1 Top 20.  The video for Best I Ever had been entering that chart at the time and our back and forth tweets resulted in this:  A little fun with Jim Shearer . Oh, and for the record, I did not "yell" at him like that ... Bottom line:  I've now had both my quasi radio and television debuts thanks to Gavin DeGraw.  Loosely speaking, of course.  Really loosely speaking.

Earlier this afternoon, I felt
the need to straighten out
the racks at Walmart.

Pretty happy when he shows
up in my living room.

Liturgically Conflicted

I'm a church-going person.  I'm a retired Christian Education professional too.  I worked for the church--sometimes full time; sometimes part-time--for 11-12 years.  I worked mostly for my parish but spent a little time at another Episcopal church up the road for a little while too.

My own church is incredibly beautiful.  Both the building and the spirit of the place (and the place is really the people).  We have a lot of talent and experience there.  Really gifted people--leaders, preachers, teachers, musicians, authors.  

I have always loved being an Episcopalian.  It's allowed me to really grow my faith in a dynamic way--free to question and draw my own conclusions; free to find my own path to truth, knowing that there are many paths to the same truth.

We worship in a way that is deeply rooted in the past and steeped in Anglican tradition.  We have an amazing choir with a long history of musical excellence.  Both my children grew up in what were then the Boys' Choir and the Girls' Choir.  The boys also sang with the men forming the Choir of Men and Boys, a real English tradition.  My son traveled to England with this choir when he was 11, singing at Lambeth Palace among other historical places of importance.  We have three services every Sunday and one on Saturday evening.

I love our old ways, a lot of our old music, our 126-year-old neo-Gothic building.  But I wonder ... do people who wander in off the street get it?  I mean, do they understand the ancient words, the old music?  I know everyone is drawn to the beautiful architecture.  But do we still translate to people who are looking for a church home?

Two weeks ago we used the Morning Prayer service.  It's a liturgy that focuses on the Word and prayer and has no Eucharist.  I don't love it.  Especially the way we do it now.  I grew up with Morning Prayer.  It was the most commonly used service when I was a child.  I can remember all the prayers and sung canticles still.  To this day.  That's the problem.  We don't get to sing the canticles any more.  Well, maybe one of them.  Morning Prayer has turned into a concert featuring our lovely choir.  That's where I'm conflicted.  I love them.  The choirs of my church are among my favorite musical groups and I like a lot of music.  But if I want to hear them in concert, I'll come to a concert (I wish they did more in concert).  But when I come to worship, I want to be actively involved.  I want to sing and pray corporately.  I don't want to just sit back and appreciate someone else's work and worship.  I feel left out.

This past Sunday we had a sung mass.  It was beautiful and very special.  I'm pretty sure it won't become a regular thing.  But I'm nervous.  It was the celebration of the Feast of All Saints.  Are we going to have a sung mass setting for every feast day?  Will my participation be limited on those days?  Will I feel like Christmas Eve and Easter are just concerts to be appreciated.  And I do, believe me, I do.  The quality of our choirs, our spectacular Skinner organ, talented organist ... I think they're all marvelous.  I just don't want to be left out.

And I don't want people who wander in to feel lost in these ancient rituals.  I want us to find a way to appreciate our past but acknowledge that times have, and will continue to change.  I think we need to consider modernizing a bit.  We could start by investing in and using some of the more up-to-date hymnals.  That would be easy. I can't help but wonder why we're only using one hymnal when we have more than one.  If we are truly interested in growing and reaching more people, we need to have a service that accessible to more people.  Okay, I'm conflicted about that too.  I don't want us to become plain vanilla.  I love all that makes us unique.  It's just that I think what makes us unique can be hard for people who didn't grow up with these traditions.

We had incense this past Sunday.  Another ancient touch, incense.  I love incense.  I wouldn't be sorry if we had it every week.  See what I mean?  Totally in conflict with myself.  There's nothing modern about incense at all.  At the same time we've begun ringing some sort of sanctus bell to start the service.  To get our attention?  That's what those bells are for, right?  To call attention to important parts of the service.  I really dislike sanctus bells.  How is that I don't like the bells but do like the incense (which is meant to do sort of the same thing while invoking Spirit at the same time).

Okay so these are not exactly earth-shattering problems and my internal liturgical wrestling is purely my own issue.  But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one thinking these thoughts (although I may be the only one at St. Peter's) and if institutional churches are to survive, we need to figure out this cosmic dilemma:  How can we hold on to the past, live in the present and embrace the future with grace and integrity?  I hope we figure it out.  I think the future church depends on it.

~~~

As usual, these are only my opinions ...

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Morristown

Beautiful stuff happens at St. Peter's like this memorial concert for a dear young person.  My favorite local band performing in my one of my favorite places:
Blaire Reinhard Band at St. Peter's

Rice Krispie Treats ~ Grateful List #1

1. a great job
2. a zombie band
3. a couple of rice krispie treats

I am not really a Halloween person.  I don't recall liking Halloween even when I was a child.  I can only remember two costumes, put on over heavy winter coats, that I wore until I outgrew them.  When I could no longer fit into the fortune teller skirt, I was done with Halloween.

Have I ever mentioned that I really enjoy my job?  I really do.  One of the things I'm grateful for is working in an elementary school.  Seeing every day through the eyes of children is an opportunity to stay young--or at least young-thinking ....

See--it's orange and the lettering is kind of drippy.
I think it's pretty good for Halloween--for me. And you
really can't beat the earrings.

So yesterday I donned my 23-year-old skeleton earrings (my "costume" since my son was in preschool) and a grey and orange t-shirt that said Halloween to me in the nicest possible way to me and headed off to a busy day at the office, thinking I'd be glad when it was all over.  Special holidays are always busy at a school.  Extra heavy parent traffic, drop offs of party food, forgotten costume parts or concert attire, people arriving early for events just to be able to park on site and not have to walk up from a half a mile away--it seems as though all we do is screen people through the security system and scrutinize visitors in the monitor.  It was also (through a series of scheduling snafus, author day in the upper grades) so an assembly and writing workshops and Home and School Association representatives added to the festivities and general air of "there's stuff going on today."  

Lunchtime is when things really got busy.  Lots of moms arrived to help get kids into costumes and set up for classroom parties in Prek through 4th grades.  The 6th-8th grade band started gearing up to play for the costume parade--they were a zombie band this year.  Ten minutes before go time, the sky opened up to rain on our parade, so we shifted to Plan B:  the dreaded indoor parade.  Congested hallways and gyms and general mayhem but no one tripped on her princess or his Scream costume (and assorted other gorgeous or ghoulish getups), the band's Thriller was thrilling and it was over all too fast.  It was lovely and fun and very sweet and I'm grateful that I was there to enjoy it.

I was most grateful for the two giant homemade rice krispie treats that were left on my desk by two different thoughtful moms.  I'm in my 14th year at the school--I've worked there longer than anywhere else.  Homemade rice krispie treats are my favorite school party food and the only one I allow myself to indulge in now (most of the time).  I guess the word is out.  There's a certain feeling of security and belonging in having people indulge your not-so-secret cravings.  I'm grateful for that.  I ate them both, one in the morning, one after the parade.  No Weight Watchers guilt, either.  

Other highlights that prompted a profoundly grateful feeling that I'm definitely in the right place right now:

~ two very excited young ladies skipping up to 1st grade--is there anything more innocent and joyful than children skipping hand in hand?

~ Dorothy ... complete with gingham and braids.  Plus Uggs--and not red ones.  You just have to smile.

So I'm grateful for the big things tonight ... the blessing that is working every day at something that gives enormous joy and satisfaction ... and the little things ... like zombie trombone players, 6-year-olds skipping and rice krispie treats.

My cup runneth over.