Random Dots of Friday

• Strong Opinions left the Windy City earlier this afternoon, headed for Youngstown, where she and her driving galpal will stay at a motel, and then drive directly to the Big Apple (the last leg of the trip). With the exception of a missed connection in Des Moines, this has been a blessedly uneventful journey. May the last leg of it be so as well. She will then drive to her dad's in Little Rhody for Christmas, and will be with me on the 27th for a couple of days, before starting at the Ivy League University in the Big Apple. I signed the guarantee papers for her lease today (gulp!).

• Litigator and StoneMason will not be down for Christmas because it is their busy season. The plan is for them to come to me in late January, and for StrongOpinions to come down from the Big Apple - it will be fun to have them all here at the same time, post General Ordination Exams and post-surgery, so I can really enjoy their company before the new semester starts.

• Vestry meeting at Saint Middle School tomorrow morning at 8 am (too early, darn it, since I have to drive 40 miles to get out there), since the one we were supposed to have on Tuesday night got cancelled due to an ice storm. This week, I will have made the drive four times, since on Tuesday I was nearly all the way out there before the roads turned treacherous and I turned for home. They have grand plans for my work there come January, and my challenge is to make those expectations realistic given that I am doing this for free as part of my contextual education. There are only so many hours in a day.

• I went to tea at the Ritz-Carlton with a bunch of my dear lady seminary friends who are adults - you get my drift - and it was a delight. Got to know a new seminarian with whom I hadn't had a chance to really talk, got a free glass of champagne since our table wasn't ready when we got there, got to talk about things other than papers and exams (mostly), and my good buddy LL gave out little prezzies to each of us. What a gift these women are in my life! And what a perfect way to mark the end of another semester!

• Pray that the library at Big Old Seminary doesn't go up in flames over the holidays, since most of my library is over in my study carrel there in anticipation of the aforementioned GOEs. My tongue is only slightly planted in my cheek here...

• PH will go to Windy City to visit his family after New Years' for a couple of days, coming home right before GOEs. I will have a stay-at-home silent retreat, praying and reading and writing (and maybe doing a little walking by the stream near the house). To me, that will be the best way to prepare for those exams. Center myself, remind myself why I am doing this, offer it to God.