Mambo Taxi

My weekend was much more social than usual, possibly to make up for the bitterly cold outdoor temps (I didn't keep track, but I think it didn't go above -10 all weekend, plus wind chill.)

Friday night d. and I hung out with J. and L. at an Elora pub, with musician-friends of theirs. The conversations were fun. And in the end, the music and folky music conversations made me nostalgic for Bound for Glory, the Ithaca live-to-air folk show I briefly volunteered with as sound guy in the mid 90s. It's the closest I've come to being involved with professional live music, and you never knew whether the artists would be transcendently beautiful-sounding or maybe just middle-of-the-road.

Saturday afternoon d. felt like staying home, but I went out to increase my pub quotient and meet up with J. and L. uptown, along with J. and P., a gay couple who we *might* actually see more of, since P. lives in town.

And d. made us a very tasty leek/potato soup and roast chicken and roast beets mmmmmmm. I feel incredibly lucky that when my sweetie feels antisocial he prefers to shut himself away in the kitchen! :)

Sunday was a pileup of Quakerness: regular Meeting, then Business Meeting (extra-long because December's was snowed out), then potluck lunch, and finally after a break I chaired a Wedding Clearness Committee. (I could talk more about the Quaker weddings process, but for now I'll just say there's a committee struck to meet with the couple before the Meeting will agree to undertake holding the wedding under its care). I feel grateful to have been part of this- it was a totally new experience for me, and we had one very experienced Friend who made things easier, though it wasn't at all what I would consider easy.

Then I went home, said hi to my sweetie, then shut myself away and played DDR for an hour.

Yup, here we have life with a pair of social introverts. :)

Sure our tenth year together was worth celebrating, but I think our eleventh is just as deserving- and more. I'll say it again:

Happy anniversary, sweetie. I love you.

This morning in Quaker Meeting, two people spoke about grief and grieving. In the silence, my mind was transported back five or so years, to a particular Meeting for Worship, held by Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns. Someone who was beloved by that community, and who has since died of cancer, sang out of the silence, Morning Has Broken.

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the Word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where her feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day.