Treasurer

My church has been soliciting the congregation to fill the position of Treasurer for several months now. This is the first time in my memory that no one on the Board of Trustees stepped up for it. Every week, there has been an (increasingly desperate) announcement that we need a volunteer for this position, that no experience is necessary, that Steve (our outgoing treasurer) will walk you through the first month or so.

I knew about this position back in June, when Steve's 2-year term was supposed to end. All summer I have been thinking about it. My first reaction was that it would be too much for me to take on, with two hard classes plus additional music work this fall.

But last week, I was talking to Paul about whether I should take on the volunteer tax clinic for a second year, which would entail taking the training class again (6 Saturdays in the fall, 4.5 hours per class) and doing people's taxes for 10 Saturdays (5 hours a day) in the spring. Would it really add that much to a resumé to say that I did it for two seasons instead of one? Or would it be better to get some experience with some bookkeeping-related work, since that's what I hope to do with this degree?

Internships are hard to come by in Cleveland, in this economy. Finding a part-time one that I can work into my strange schedule during the school year seemed well nigh impossible. As we were talking about it, I realized: here is a chance to get some experience that can work around my schedule! Here's a description of the Treasurer's responsibilities from the Beacon (monthly newsletter):

The Board is seeking a Member to fill the position of Treasurer. This is a 2-year position to begin as soon as possible.

The Treasurer tasks include:

• Receiving and processing donations, pledges, offering and other income
• Working with the Bookkeeper to compile monthly reports
• Attend Board meeting to present monthly reports
• Maintain Account of Finances
• Submit Fiscal Year End Report
• Pledge Receipts Reporting to Individual Members

This work is done with the assistance of the Society’s Bookkeeper and Office Administrator. Steve Doell the previous Treasurer will work with the new Treasurer to provide guidance and assistance during the first month to help the volunteer to become familiar with the tasks and duties of the position.

It's almost like the universe was saving this opportunity for me to take on, as no one else has expressed any interest in it for the past 3 months.

What a Difference 2 Weeks Makes

Lots of exciting things are happening lately. Our church has just called a new full-time minister (the vote, unanimous with 1 abstention, just happened this afternoon)! Our ministerial candidate, Colin Bossen, has spent a week with us, preaching 2 Sundays and sharing potlucks, sitting in on committee meetings, etc. so we could get to know each other. Our search committee has spent two years of hard work to get to the point of selecting him, and I can't imagine anybody else being a better fit for our congregation. So happy it worked out.

It certainly didn't hurt that it was a beautiful, sunny, 78-degree day. I was able to wear some summery clothes and I painted my toenails for the first time since last September. For most of the year, my feet get so cold I wear two pairs of socks everywhere except to shower and sleep, so why bother doing my toenails--even I don't get to see them anyway! It's a mood lifter and a ritual to welcome the warm part of the year.

My biggest news: Tomorrow I drive to Pittsburgh for the week to accompany at the Regional Dance America National Festival. 2,000 or so youth ballet company members from small towns across America, 12 pianists, 5 adjudicators and 24 instructors will be converging for days jam-packed with master classes and performances. I will be playing for 21 classes over 5 days (Tues-Sat). There will be a 3-hour performance every night (I won't be playing, just have the option of attending) in the historic theater district. We're staying in the hotel connected to the Convention Center, which happens to include an 8,000-square-foot gym and a pool. Lodging, meals, mileage/plane fare, and tickets to all performances are included in addition to our pay. I'm actually going to come out ahead financially!

I looked at the hotel web site, and evidently, my room will have a fridge. So today I went to Target and bought some snax for my stay, including a 2-liter bottle of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, my current favorite soft drink. We're getting a flat reimbursement for breakfasts and incidental snacks, so why not try gaming the system a little and save some money up front?

I won't have internet access the entire time I'm there, unless I'm willing to pony up 30 cents a minute in the 24-hour business center. I may do that once or twice, but mainly just to check email and clean out my spam box. I'll have my cell phone with me, and it will be on 24/7 the whole time, as that is the only way anyone, including Festival staff, will be able to get in touch with me. I'll fill you in on the deets when I get back.

Music: Connecting With the Spirit

Tomorrow's church service is about connecting to the spirit through music and art. I've volunteered to speak for a few minutes about my experience. Of course, I've spent the whole week procrastinating writing out my thoughts. So here it is, almost 1:30 in the morning the night before, but I finally finished. Here it is.

Music: Connecting With the Spirit

My earliest experiences in life, before I can even remember, had music. My parents had a very small record collection, maybe half a dozen, and played them over and over while I was in utero. My mother sang and played the autoharp and a little piano. One of my earliest memories was wildly dancing around the living room to whatever was playing on the stereo. I was maybe 3 or 4 years old, still at that pre-self-concious age when it is effortless to live fully in the moment, totally connected to the spirit. When I was upset and nothing else would calm me down, my mom would play one of our records and it always worked. There is something about rhythm (like a heartbeat) and melody (like a breath) that can take us back to the time in the womb. It is profoundly comforting and centering, and surprisingly powerful and universal.

Starting in my childhood, and to this day, if I listen to the noisiness of my brain, there is always a constant musical soundtrack. It can be anything from a simple rhythm to a song from my childhood, to a symphony I heard on the radio yesterday, to a repeating phrase caught in an endless loop. Sometimes, when I'm really paying attention, I notice what thought in my mind triggered that particular music. When the song "Somebody Done Sombody Wrong" enters the playlist, for instance, maybe I've unintentionally upset someone by something I've said or done and this is the spirit's way of calling it to my attention.

Certain pieces of music get tied to certain memories or experiences for me. Hearing a top-40 song from junior high will take me right back to 7th grade. I can practically smell the raspberry lip gloss and feel the heart palpitations as I pass by my first crush opening his locker, both hoping and fearing he'll look up and notice I'm alive. 1812 Overture? A muggy July night, fireflies twinkling, the smell of suphur as the fireworks boom. Silent Night? Echoes of every Christmas in my memory, especially singing by candlelight with my church community on Christmas Eve. These musical memories I have in common with others in my age group, culture, or religious community help me feel easily connected with them.

I've used music to get me through a hard time. Sometimes when I'm too upset to cry, a song or a sonata will open the floodgates. If I need to wallow in misery for a while, the perfect piece of music is just what I need. If I don't have the luxury of falling apart, or I need a break from the misery, another piece of music will provide me a lifeline, a much needed distraction, or a beacon of hope that things will get better. When I'm feeling apathetic or unmotivated, listening or playing some music usually helps me feel engaged and interested again.

Besides all of these things, I also use music as my main spiritual practice, much as someone else would use yoga, prayer or meditiation. When I hear certain pitches, I see certain colors associated with those pitches. I've had this my whole life, since before I knew notes had names. So when I hear music, it's like an impressionistic kaleidescope. If I'm listening or learning with the analytical part of my brain, splashes of color might be superimposed over images of notes on the page. Or my brain will come up with an architectural pattern or shape of the structure of the whole piece, with big sections, subsections, phrases, and individual notes all color-coded. This makes it really easy to memorize things--it's like having the answer book in front of you! I've had a third of a century of experience since I started learning to play the piano, so a lot of things that used to be awkward and labored are now effortless and second nature.

When you're just starting out, you're just worried about getting through what comes next without making a mistake. When you have to conciously think about every little thing, you're so preoccupied with that that there is no room for the big picture. Once you get the notes, then you can think about expression. I have been through this cycle countless times. In fact, I go through a miniature version of it to this day every time I learn a new piece. It's like a spiral of details-expression-communication, getting to an ever higher level every time I go around the circle. Technical refinement and perspective from life experience over the years has gotten me away from getting stuck in the details and closer to focusing on the pure expression and the big picture.

Sometimes I even have moments of transcendence, where nothing exists but the music and I am engrossed by all the pretty colors resolving themselves. Most days I have at least a few seconds of this. This is as close as I can get to feeling oneness with everything. For me, music is a metaphor for my life. It's full of little details. It's so easy to get bogged down in the minutae, constantly trying not to mess up. But this life has something larger. Maybe my music practice can help me see it.

Spring Has Sprung

Our "spring foliage" season, like the fall foliage season, is really short--about 6 weeks. Well, maybe eight. Last year, I did a spring photo project to capture the beauty of the flowers that grow along my walk to work and in our neighborhood. It helped me feel like I didn't blink and miss it, like I usually did in the past. I haven't taken a lot of pictures lately, but on Friday I took a few of flowers that I missed last time.

Today, Easter, was one of those rare occasions when Paul & I both are off work during the daytime. This won't happen again until Memorial Day (not the weekend, the actual day). It's like a harmonic convergence. We always savor this kind of time because it's so rare.

I played for church this morning. Even though Easter at the Unitarian Universalist Society is just another Sunday, I still felt the urge to wear something springy and dressy with no black in it, so we were a little extra dressed up. I'm glad I kept one of my old skirts that I love and couldn't bear to give away even though now it's 3 sizes too big for me. I have a new coral pink shell (that fits) that I wore over it, not tucked in of course, and just gathered the skirt's waistline together with a paperclip because I couldn't find a safety pin. I like how I feel in this pretty outfit and it helped make the day feel special.

After church, a group of us decided to go out for lunch on Coventry. All the restaurants were closed for Easter, so we ended up carpooling for a short drive to the diner on Lee Road. I'd never been before, and it was great! We had turkey burgers and sweet potato fries (delicious!) and, as always with this group, thoughtful and fun conversation.

Then Paul and I stopped at the Lakeview Cemetery on our way home to take the Flower Tour. It's daffodil season here and the flowers are in their prime. There's one hill there that reputedly has 10,000 daffodils growing on it:

Here's one of both of us in our Easter finery:

We went to the Garfield Memorial and took in the view from the observation balcony. You can see Case Western Reserve University with downtown and the lake in the background.

When we got home, we enjoyed a nap, followed by a little egg decorating and enjoyment of Dove dark chocolate foil-wrapped Easter eggs (highly recommended) and listening to some chamber music we'd like to learn this summer. All in all, a very enjoyable day!

"Rate My Life" Quiz

Just for fun, I took this online quiz. Some of these quizzes are off-the-wall ("What Kind of Fruit Are You?") but this one asks questions that actually make sense. My results were pretty much what I expected, except "Friends & Family" was lower than I would have thought:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.3
Mind:	7.9
Body:	8.2
Spirit:	7
Friends/Family:	5.6
Love:	9.1
Finance:	8.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

I guess that's because I answered "1 or 2" when it asked how many good friends I have. (Hi, Darce!) I guess it depends on your definition of "good." I have a lot of church friends who I really connect with, but we don't invest a ton of energy in getting closer. Some energy, yes--we go out to lunch, invite each other to our parties, are involved in covenant groups and church activities together, and have occasionally provided support for each other during hard times. But it's not like we call each other or hang out on a regular basis.

I've always been one to invest most of my relationship energy into my significant other. I think I've gotten better but that's still my default setting. Is that so terrible?

That Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, one of them, anyway! Yesterday, Darcy came by to visit for a few hours. We spent the whole time just yakking, catching up on all the topics we miss in our phone conversations, exchanging fun presents, and indulging in our annual photo session--this is the third Christmas Eve we've done this. It was so good to see her. It meant a lot to me.

We thought we'd shoot some obligatory Cute Couple pics while we were at it. One of them might make our Christmas cards next year.


At about 6, we had to kick Darcy out because I had to get up to church to rehearse with Amy and Sharon for the service, which started at 7 pm. It as a lovely service--carols interspersed with readings, some humorous and some touching, and ending with several verses of Silent Night by candlelight. We hung around for another half hour socializing over cookies.

We had minestrone soup and a few more cookies for dinner while we watched our DVD of It's a Wonderful Life, a tradition that Dad started maybe 10-15 years ago (not from my childhood). Paul & I have watched it every Christmas Eve we've been together--this is our fourth--and I love this tradition. This time we didn't have to cram packing into our schedule because we didn't have to fly anywhere today, or leave the house at all, for that matter.

We slept in as late as Mouchie would let us (about 8:30) and then enjoyed our stockings filled with clementines, shelled mixed nuts and dark Malley's chocolate foil-wrapped bells. We had a few fun little gifts from mostly family, and laughed at Mouchie as he played with the wrapping paper.

We roasted a 10-lb ham (my first ever). Wow, was that ever good. We got it yesterday morning at the West side market. It was a bone-in, non-precooked one, and super high quality. We coated it with a sugar rub with ginger, cloves, mustard and lime zest with pecan halves all over it--delicious, and not that hard. I managed to fit in a workout and we did our Christmas cards together while listening to David Sedaris's Santaland Diaries, one of our "sentimental" holiday favorites. We got to talk to Dad, Becky & Hannah, Eric, and Mom on the phone.

The rest of the evening's plans include watching A Christmas Story and packing for our trip to Houston tomorrow. Paul's family is having a huge reunion there from the 26-29th. I checked the weather and it's supposed to be in the 70s the whole time we're there! Whoo hoo!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Articulating my UU Faith

The Faith Articulation Covenant Group that I'm in is leading the service at church tomorrow, and I am one of the people who will talk about my faith for a couple of minutes. It's always been sort of nebulous for me (that's why I joined the group!) so the assignment was a little daunting, but I've finally written it out. Here's what I'm going to say, and afterwards I'll play a piece of music that means a lot to me.

Articulating My UU Faith

I didn't grow up Unitarian Universalist. When I was a child, my family were active members of the Episcopal, then the Lutheran church. We would follow a liturgy, reciting our prayers, creed, and confession of sin from the book. There were Bible readings and communion with homemade bread and real wine. My favorite parts of the service were the Passing of the Peace, a time to greet your neighbor that involved lots of hand-shaking and hugging, and of course, the music. By 5th grade I was singing alto in the adult choir and in the Folk Group. I always felt enriched by the community aspects of church; the fellowship hour, the church camps, the church musicals, the early morning trips to the birthday girl or boy's home where we would serenade them and throw fresh flowers on their bed.

My parents always encouraged us to think and ask questions about anything, including religion. As I became an adolescent, everthing in life seemed to be about hating being told what to do or losing the Power Game in any way. The idea of humility before God seemed so off-putting to me. The prayers we recited didn't make me feel connected to anything, they were just the same words we repeated over and over every week. The 2000-year-old, Middle Eastern, agrarian frame of reference just had no relevance to my life.

Our whole family dropped out when I was about 17, and for the next 15 years the only time I went to church I was getting paid to play the piano. I spent a lot of time out in nature, at the piano, or nurturing a relationship. Sometimes I would have brief moments of feeling fully present and connected to the universe doing these things. But I still felt kind of isolated and missed that sense of community I got from church as a kid. I felt really at home here when I joined this church. Here was a place I could have real conversations and feel part of a group of like-minded people.

For me, my spiritual path is something that grows organically from my experience, as opposed to an external creed or ritual. Nature, love and especially music are my ways of being connected to the universe. Ask me to pray or meditate and I'm not very good at it, but sit me down at a piano and I can reach that "flow state" right away.