1. For the second day in a row, I buckled down, didn't procrastinate, and finished the eulogy for Everett. I wrote a welcome, an announcement, an opening prayer, and a benediction. I also selected and typed out three passages of reasonable length from the Bible to read. Now all I have to do is review it all and print it out and put it in the binder.
Because I was getting this project finished with plenty of time to spare, I enjoyed my work today, especially as I read different passages from the Bible and as I sought assistance from the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer and the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer. The only Episcopalian/Anglican worship service I've been to in the last year and a half was Ellie's baptism last Sunday. I'm looking forward to once again driving over to St. Luke's on Sunday mornings and worshiping there again. I won't do it this Sunday, but possibly I'll be able to on June 27th.
2. Today, Pam Dane posted a group picture on Facebook of many of the people who attended the party for Michael McDonald and Lynn Tullis' retirement in Pam and Mike's back yard on June 15, 2018. That was a momentous party. I am still beaming from the joy of being back together with people I taught with at LCC from 1989-2014. I can't think of a party I've enjoyed more. I love seeing Jerome Garger standing tall in the back row of this picture. I love remembering how invigorating it was to see him that day and to share our mutual love for each other. It's also grievous to see him in this picture. He died on May 7 at home at the age of 83. Memories of our many great times together have been returning to me every day since I read the news on May 8th. If you'd like to read about Jerome's full and vibrant life, his obituary is here.
June 15th was a doubly momentous day. While I was at the LCC retirement party, Debbie joined teachers she had taught with at Charlemagne and found out that during the 2018-19 school year, the school would be needing a long term substitute teacher to work in place of a faculty member who would be on maternity leave. The teachers at that party urged Debbie to consider applying for the position and the prospect fired up Debbie. Debbie and I returned to Eugene in August. Debbie interviewed for the position and landed it. She moved to Eugene late in October and so began this phase of our marriage we are still in of being mostly separated from one another. The teaching job and living in Eugene worked out splendidly for Debbie and, she confirmed in a phone call we had last night, she is definitely done teaching (I'd made a joke about her returning to the classroom in Prince George's County).
It's actually mind boggling to read back through this blog and look at all that has happened since that gorgeous evening in Eugene on June 15, 2018 with Debbie's work in Eugene as a teacher, Josh and Adrienne getting married, Ellie being born, frequent trips to Spokane to play trivia, Debbie moving to Valley Cottage, the way I filled my days while lying low before I was vaccinated, getting Gibbs, losing Everett, bringing Copper and Luna into my life, and much much more.
That picture in Pam and Mike's back yard represents a seismic joy to me. It's also a turning point as Debbie and I were about to move into another phase of our uncommon married life.
3. I needed to pick up a few things at Yoke's this evening. I had a fleeting thought before I buzzed over there that if they had any rotisserie chickens for sale, I'd buy one. One was left. I brought it home, cooked up some rice and corn and made a simple chicken, rice, and corn bowl topped with teriyaki sauce and, even though the chicken was much saltier than I prefer, I enjoyed my meal and drank a lot of sparkling water to compensate for the chicken's high sodium level!
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