And God said, Let there be science!

(inspired by reading a morning meditation on how mathematics is an example of God's creation)

In the beginning there was nothing, and the universe was formless and void. Then God said, “Let there be mathematics. Integers and fractions, positive and negative numbers and the all-important zero, and irrational numbers just to spice things up and to permit circles to be round.”
And God saw that mathematics was good.

Next God created physics: gravity, the three laws of thermodynamics, the speed of light and of sound, and other wondrous and beautiful laws.
And God saw that physics was good.

Then God said, let there be chemicals, acids and bases to interact and create stars and planets and primordial soup.
And God saw that the chemistry was good.

And then God created biology: chromosomes and mitochondria, photosynthesis, circulatory systems, digestion, and a really interesting and fun way for most of the animals to make new animals. Some of the animals could even figure out bits of the creation, usually starting with gravity and usually learning the hard way.
And God saw that biology was good.

One type of animal, the humans, began to explore all these wondrous things: mathematics, physics, chemistry, and even biology. They fiddled with plants and let them ferment into chemicals of intoxicating properties, they ignored zero for hundreds of years until Arabs finally discovered it, and they came up with all sorts of uses for the second law of thermodynamics, some of it involving that fascinating biological reproduction process.

And some humans persecuted people for the non-geocentric theory of astronomy, and mixed acids and bases together to make explosions, and told their children they were delivered by the stork, and insisted all this creation was done in seven days of twenty-four hours each without so much as cooling-off period for the surface of the earth, let alone for God’s profound annoyance.

And God grew wroth over the persecutions and lies, and brought forth stubborn scientists who insisted on Her truths even unto death, and journalists and playwrights and other writers who refuted and even made fun of the liars, and science fiction novelists using (okay, and occasionally abusing) the beautiful mathematics and physics and chemistry and biology to create their own worlds and universes.

God observed the brave scientists, read the articles and plays and stories, laughed Her head off, and saw that it was all very, very good.

(this bit of writing is dedicated to my best friend, Tom, for reasons he and anyone who knows him well will understand. Love you, frickin' friend!)

bumper stickers

I love bumper stickers. Here are some I especially like:

Drowning in the Mainstream
(saw this one yesterday in the Shoppers/K-mart parking lot, in a town where one could surely drown in about 5 min. My reaction was, "well, get the heck out!"

You laugh because I'm different; I laugh because you're all the same
(the antidote to the previous bumper sticker)

I do whatever my Rice Crispies tell me to
(I first saw this one in New Brunswick, NJ. College towns are excellent for bumper- sticker browsing)

If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention
(So true it hurts)

Outraged; paying attention
(see previous comment)

Bad cop. Bad, Bad cop. No donut.
(also first seen in New Brunswick. Very funny, but traffic ticket waiting to happen, IMHO)

It will be a great day when schools have all the money they need and the air force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.
(This is an old one but I still like it, though I think the real issue is where the money's *going* in education. I also came up with a parallel one several years ago that I'd like to see: "It will be a great day when parochial-school teachers and pastoral ministers earn a just wage and bishops have to do their own laundry.")


Bumper stickers I'm planning on getting:

My other vehicle is a catbus
(reference to My Neighbor Totoro, a movie you must rent/get from your library/buy if you haven't seen it. My favorite movie of all time. I"ve seen this sticker three years running at Otakon and if it's there this year I am finally breaking down and getting it!)

Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words --Francis of Assisi
(my philosophy on evangelization in one sentence. St. Francis is one of the greatest Christians of all time!)


Bumper stickers actually on my car (top to bottom, right to left)

Peace also takes courage

Geeks are hot!

AAA sticker

Broadside Electric: folk music with teeth
(one of my favorite bands)

a fading Amnesty International sticker

Are you a Foothead? www.tanglefootmusic.com
(another band bumper sticker. Tanglefoot is the best Canadian import of all time. With the possible exceptions of Leonard Cohen's music and Charles de Lint's books. Much better than Labatt's, even the Gold Label)

(Dave, my October Circle sticker peeled off. I need a new one.)


coming soon at this blog: summary of Kawaii-Con Pasadena, with photos!

I rule, I'm clueless

Wednesday I did another Babies in Bloom "storytime." Usually we do just songs, rhymes and fingerplays (such as "The Itsy Bitsy Spider). This time I also read, well actually *sang* a book, Over in the Meadow, as a celebration of spring.

We often have a person attending from Totsline, a county program that helps parents with parenting questions (discipline, development--the "is my baby/toddler/preschooler normal? type of questions you don't always have the time or nerve to ask your pediatrician). This time Estee, the head of the program came. Estee was surprised to hear that this was only my third time doing Babies in Bloom because I was so good at it. Among other things, I didn't get phased when the little ones got up in the middle and stood right in front of me, I just kept on going. I was really pleased especially as I love doing Babies in Bloom and have wanted to for years but it never fit in my work schedule before!

The next day, Thursday, I went for a walk. It was a beautiful clear morning, with trees in full flower, and even violets by the side of the road! I was admiring the sky. "I've never seen a daytime sky so dark a blue," I thought. "This is amazing. What's up?"

I didn't realize till I was nearly back at the apartment that the sky was so dark because *I had my sunglasses on.* Talk about clueless!

this year's liturgical marathon

Through most of my 30s I was in one music ministry or another and did what I referred to as "the liturgical marathon"--Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and usually Easter Day as well. Lots of music, often things we hadn't done all year. It's wonderful though.

Last year, my first Easter as a Quaker, I went to meeting on Easter Sunday, sat in worship, and had a message to quote from and reflect on the last verse of "Lord of the Dance:"
"They cut me down and I leapt on high.
I am the light that will never never die.
I'll live in you if you live in me.
I am the Lord of the Dance said He."
I didn't even sing it (I still felt too awkward to sing a message. Next time I hope I'll have the guts).

This year, though, was another story. We were invited to a seder at friends' and celebrated (don't know if that's the proper Jewish term) "Sarah's Singing Seder," comprised mostly of music from the seder traditions. (Yes, Stasa, we had an orange on the Seder plate!) It was wonderful, including my vegetarian hostess' substitute for a shank bone: a picture of a sheep downloaded from the Internet.

Then three of us went to the church I recommended for a "cool Easter Vigil." It was indeed: a huge bonfire and wonderful music from the choir, cantors, pianist, organist, and assorted other musicians. The songs included some I've done in the past and loved: Christ, Be our Light; Halle, Halle (the best Alleluia ever written, IMHO), My Lord will Come Again, and We Come to Your Feast. It was wonderful in many ways, I felt comfortable there, but I realized "I don't belong here anymore." I love the music and liturgy, but I'm finding more and more that I'm a Quaker now.

Sunday, we went to our Quaker meeting. I opened and closed meeting again. "You seem to be divinely led" one of my fellow Quakers said to me. My instinctive emotional and verbal response was, "I guess my vocation to the priesthood has finally come to fruition." An amazing and beloved fulfillment of something I've felt called to since childhood. (As my husband likes to say, "Quakers didn't eliminate the clergy, they got rid of the laity.)

Happy Easter, a blessed Passover, and a wondrous spring to all!

A Passover treat (guaranteed unleavened)

Driving home from Grand Jury duty Tuesday I caught a most excellent segment on one of my favorite radio programs, Fresh Air with Terry Gross--a song (well, part of one) and interview with the musical duo That's What I Like About Jew. The song, "They Tried to Kill Us, We Survived, Let's Eat" was simply a howl and an example of everything I like about what I know of Jewish culture and people--humor, intelligence, and that incredible determination to survive and blow raspberries at one's foes. And very cool music.

The interview that follows the song portion is also worth listening to. I was exceedingly amused to hear that at least one Jewish family has the same approach to the Passover questions and readings as my family does to saying the traditional Catholic grace at holiday meals--race through at top speed.

We've been invited to a Seder celebration on Saturday, which is to include singing. Shall we include this song, Amy (possibly with accordion accompaniment)?

One reason why I love my best friend, and life in libraryland

I got this in an email from Tom the other day. He's trying to become a volunteer at the local library and had an entertaining commentary on the process...

"My library volunteering thing is slowly moving forward. Friday I had
my drug screen. Yes, they drug-screen library volunteers. Because it's
*so* hard to fire us once we're in, you know. And also of course, the
risk that we may show up stoned, get the munchies, and eat a book."

Incidentally, we don't drug-screen in our system. We do interview to make sure people aren't irresponsible or sociopathic, and are willing to do the weird array of volunteer tasks. (Cut out dozens of bunny ears for storytime? Pull all the Harlequin romances more than 6 months old? Sure! Love to!) People who do this are incredible. And the wonderfully feisty lady who logs in all our magazines each week even brings us in homemade cookies (chocolate chip this week)!

I kick unliturgical butt!

The title is a paraphrase from one of my former Catholic-music-ministry leaders. Sometimes at the end of rehearsal, before Mass, Roger would say, "Let's go out there and kick liturgical butt." Very post-Vatican II!

Having been seriously into liturgy and ritual (the aforementioned Roger and his partner in crime Carol were well-trained liturgists and kicked serious liturgical butt regularly) I like to call Quaker Meeting for Worship "unliturgy". There's definite ritual to it (as my F/friend Stasa once pointed out.)

Well, I got onto the Ministry and Worship committee (ideal for someone who seriously considered careers as a priest, pastoral minister, and theology professor) and one of our rotating tasks is to open and close weekly Meeting for Worship.

Today was my second day "opening and closing." Bascially, before meeting I greet people (accompanied by someone from the Pastoral Care Committee), close the door at 11 when we're supposed to begin and guard it--I mean, periodically let latecomers in quietly. (No, I did not go into obvious "Holy Grail" Three Questions routine).

Then I decide when to close meeting--around noon, but it's a matter of sensing when the meeting is over. There's all kinds of after-stuff: standing in a circle holding hands, speaking names of people to hold in the Light, mentioning joys or events we'd like to share with the group, and attempting to keep some level of decorum in a group of independent-minded adults (and kids and teens who hang out till about announcement time), most of whom have been silent for an hour and have business/comments/greetings galore swimming around in their heads.

Anyway, after about a dozen announcements (typical), I asked if there were any others. One of the co-clerks of our Ministry and Worship committee mentioned "the box" and pointed toward our donation box. I explained, concluding, "we take cash, checks, unlimited lines of credit, whatever you have."
"That's it, everyone, have a good week!"

At least three people came up to me and thanked me for doing well, including the abovementioned co-clerk, who especially liked the "unlimited lines of credit" part.

Spring is here!

This morning I left for the chiropractor's (Thursday is my evening-shift day) and the pot of Johnny-jump-ups at the front door had at least ten blooms! (I can't recommend Johnny-jump-ups strongly enough. All they need is partial sun, water when it's really dry, and room to seed themselves and come back again each year. They look like a cross between miniature pansies and violets and handle the cold well.)
The daffodils are blooming, the dandelions are in full flower, and my bok choy has sprouted in profusion.

Speaking of dandelions, Marion Tripp, at the end of a retreat, once wrote the poem,

I have lost my smile,
but don't worry.
The dandelion has it.

I'd been feeling a bit depressed this week from lots of little, medium and big things--undone housework, coworkers going through family health crises, patrons and staff at work coming to poor busy introverted me with question after question during and after SAM installation for the better part of three work days (no sit-at-my-desk-and-bury-my-head-in-work time!), and, I think, random biochemical depression. The blossoming trees, wonderful artwork and good conversation from some of our teenage anime/manga club members, my wonderful husband's support, starting to write fiction again, and, yes, the dandelions in the grass, have helped me find my smile again.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."
- Julian of Norwich, late-medieval anchoress and Christian mystic

more on my technological life

My email is operational again. Hooray! Last night Ken did his techie thing (including speaking with customer service) and found I could get in through Eudora, which lets spam in and doesn't have my full address book but let me read my mail.

Tonight all is well, and I can use my beloved webmail with my full mailing list, no spam (amazingly!) and other nice things.

In the meantime, we had day two of our new computer management software. Still only minor glitches. The complaints from patrons who don't like the changes are more annoying. And it's almost always the adults who complains. Today the computer froze up on one teen who lost some of the essay he'd typed in, then he couldn't log back in because the computer thought he was already on. The young guy was simply grateful the nice library lady (my colleague) finally got him back into a computer again.

Our "new" secondhand staff photocopier (we don't rate new ones, not on the budget the county gives us) is flashing "low toner" even though I gave the darn thing a new toner cartridge last week (it came to us with a nearly-spent toner cartridge, of course)and it's spitting out perfectly fine, appropriately dark copies. So I called the vendor and put up a note:
"The staff copier "low toner" symbol is flashing. It is lying. "

I hate when equipment lies to me.

Got more art for our very own anime and manga mini-con, and had a wonderful conversation with one of our club members, who draws, writes, and sews. She had a wonderful tote bag she'd made herself with very cool star-printed fabric. All this creativity is excellent!

To end on a technological note, I read it's not a good idea to be on the computer much past 9 pm if one wants to relax and wind down for a good night's sleep. A couple of weeks ago I made a resolve to get off the darn computer for any reason by 9 pm each night. It is now 10:58 pm. I guess I should sign off.

technologically stranded!

My email has been inoperable since Sunday. The sad thing about it is that Ken's, from the same provider, is fine. Actually, I can get into any of my folders except the inbox. So I can't read my mail 8-P

My blogs work fine, the Internet is fine, but I feel cut off without being able so send or receive email.

In other technological news, we got SAM (computer-use management software) today at work. I've been setting up signs, testing, learning, and other fun stuff. As well as doing everything else this morning since everyone was sick or at a meeting.

More later!