Nothing Was the Same
I just finished this week Kay Redfield Jamison's memoir, Nothing Was the Same. She is currently Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University.
Her book addressed her life with and without her now-deceased husband and the joyous times they had together, as well as their battle with his cancer, and her ensuing throes of grief and despair from the loss. Definitely an interesting read. She contrasts her grief with the moods of the depression she has experienced.
~ ~ ~
I found some quotes from the book particularly interesting to share:
from "Mourning and Melancholia":
Hope can find a place in a mind missing love. It cannot find a place in a mind taken over by depression. In grief, one finds the absence of a life, not life itself. In depression, it is otherwise: one cannot access the beat of life.
from "Fugitive Dyes":
I had often said to my patients who were struggling in the wake of mania or suicidal despair: We are each an island. It is your task to bring to your own island what you need to live long and well: love, beauty, diversion, friends; work that sustains; a meaningful life. Look at Maui, I would say: everything was brought in by man, insect, bird, or wind. It is your life; it is short. Treat your island with regard. Do not let it go to weed; do not give it over to anyone else. Understand the possibilities. Know the dangers. Keep away the ungenerous and unkind.
~ ~ ~
I have had two students who have lost family members this past week. I found myself listening to their stories, then quietly saying, "He's at peace now," or "She's at peace now" to them, as well as reminding them to tell their lab partners of their loss (they may be surprised to find that their lab partners are accepting, accomodating, and human about their situation).
Labels: accessibility, color, encyclopedia, farewell, flowers, friends, health, meditate, moving, read, sleep, work
News: Racial Profiling?
Is this a case of racial profiling from yesterday's news?
~~~
14.00 24 July 2009
Video of the parties involved...
Labels: American history, color, international culture
Baptism of Our Lord--Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2009
A special Mass to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was said today at noon at St. Paul Cathedral. Bishop David A. Zubik was the main celebrant. The St. Paul Cathedral, St. Charles Lwanga, and St. Benedict the Moor combined choirs provided the music ministry, led by our choir directors Don Fellows, James Avant, and Toni Long, respectively. We practiced together for an hour and a half before Mass, and all attending were spiritually moved by the music...I saw Carol B, whom I had invited from last night.
The entrance hymn was "We Have Come This Far By Faith" (A. Goodson)
Freedom Gloria
Psalm 29 (R. Kreutz)
Christmastime Alleluia (J. Chepponis)
Preparation of Gifts: Medley of "Certainly, Lord"
Acclamations from the Mass of Creation by Marty Haugen
Amen (R. Smallwood)
Lamb of God (R. Ray)
Communion, instrumental: "Wade in the Water" Spiritual "Fix Me Jesus" (V. Nix)
Post-Communion Hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing," J&S Johnson
We ended the Mass with a rendition of "We Shall Overcome."
~~~
Bishop Zubic called for courage, compassion, and constancy in living our lives in his homily. A small disturbance by one man caused the Bishop to say, "We are celebrating the Eucharist," and various ushers leapt to get the man aid.
~~~~~
After retrieving our jackets, my friends Gloria, Alroy, Jennifer H., Nancy C., Alice S., and I headed downstairs to enjoy lunch, fellowship, and the program. The Central boys chamber singers welcomed us to the Social Hall space, there was an invocation, a liturgical dance of the Pater Noster by Evelyn Kitchen-Stevens and her friend, and all of us in attendance performed the dance with them, too. Greta Stokes-Tucker welcomed the students who won the essay awards, "What Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Means to Me," one at a time to the podium to read their essays.
Neal Huguley (music director of Northview United Presbyterian Church) led us in various songs, including: "We Shall Overcome," "Certainly, Lord," and "This Little Light."
The Rev. Dr. Ronald Edward Peters (director, Metro-Urban Institute, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) delivered the keynote address. After closing, we sang "We Shall Overcome," and a benediction was given.
Afterwards, I noted that singing "We Shall Overcome" should be a requirement for US citizenship (along with the "Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful,") Jennifer noted that someone told her today that people would lock their arms, arms across their chests, as they sang "We Shall Overcome." I told her the only times I had sung the song (before at Church) were at protests; and locking arms created solidarity.
~~~~~
The next day, Lisa sent an email around noting that we made the first page of the Local News section of the Post-Gazette.
Labels: American history, Choir, Church, color, dining, diocese of Pittsburgh, international culture, Mass, music, St. Paul Cathedral, Zubik
Russet and Gold...
The landscape of trees about Pittsburgh consists of russet and gold tones, primarily. There is still that verdant tree across my building at work, on the north side of the Cathedral of Learning---same as last year.
~~~~~
Spoke with my friend, C, this afternoon/tonight, who teaches French near Paris to 16-year-olds. It was refreshing to talk with her.
Labels: biology, color, science, seasons, surprise
Weather, First Half of October 2008
Last Thursday after morning Mass Maureen and I had breakfast and chatted. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed the sunshine and clear-as-a-bell skies.
This first half of October has shown to be beautiful weather, with daytime highs in the mid-60s to low-80s Fahrenheit: Sunshine, clear skies, unbelievably beauteous weather. Somehow, slowly, the leaves on the trees in my neighborhood have been slowly changing. Time for a "Leaf Trip."
Labels: Church, color, Faith, friends, seasons, St. Paul Cathedral, weather
The Illusion of Race
Pastoral council viewed the movie The Illusion of Race (1/2 hour version) before our meeting last night. Very interesting and informative. I prepared the prayers for the month, with the daily reading, thankfulness prayers, and closing with a Marian prayer. We also celebrated Fr. Andrew's birthday, with a lemon Bundt cake baked by Carmella. It was a particularly productive meeting last night, and we finished up in the corridor with a lively discussion about the relatively highly active spiritual life of Americans as compared to other developed nations.
Labels: Church, cinema, color, pastoral council, thankfulness, volunteering, work
Physical Therapy, Chez Mimi's Renaissance
This morning I gained an additional exercise at physical therapy: five minutes on the stationary bicycle without resistance. My stationary exercises in the pool were done in a pool empty save me...I spoke with two PT aides. Kevin told me when the arthritis classes were held, and I mentioned seeing birds run into the large windows by the waiting room.
"Is that a question for physical plant or facilities management?"
The car needed jumping by AAA before Dad could leave the public library to pick me up.
After lunch, Mom and I spent about two hours cleaning the living room and bathroom, and I put away some of my clean laundry.
William, Marissa, Beatrice, and Solomon joined us to celebrate the Renaissance chez Mimi's and for dinner of seafood pizza and plain cheese pizza with soda.
Auntie Mimi: Beatrice, what color is Auntie Mimi's living room?
Beatrice: Green!
Beatrice (enjoying her pizza and water): Tea!
Auntie Mimi: Yes, you can have tea when Miranda comes to visit, too.
After dinner, Beatrice enjoyed rocking in the century-old child's rocking chair, in the big rocking chair, and going to and fro in the swivel chair. She liked the butterflies on her placemat and in the painting I made; and she appreciated the art in my home. She called the Australian aboriginal sand painting a "flower," and identified the tree and saw the panda bear in my watercolors on the wall. She saw the bees and hive in the crewel work wall hanging Mom made. She enjoyed running back and forth down the hallway, toward the floor-length mirror on the bathroom door. She also walked slowly down the hall when requested to do so. Finally, she enjoyed a fresh batch of dried banana from William's student and listened to wind-up musical bear right before she called it a night.
Mom and I watched Muppets from Space at the end of our evening.
Labels: art, BAD, Beatrice, celebration, cinema, cleaning, color, dining, dolls, excited, exercise, family, health, home, light, niece and nephew, organizing, surgery, tea, water exercise
Just for Fun
I received an email from Laura, in which the point is to complete abbreviated lists. Here are mine:
4 jobs I have had in my life
1) Biology Lab Instructional Faculty, Univ of Pittsburgh
2) one of the last staff at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Science and Tech Dept.
3) NASA research fellow: Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA; Univ of CA, and remote locales
4) Jewish Community Center, nursery and Kindergarten aide, Pittsburgh
4 movies I would watch over and over:
1) The Lake House
2) Dead Again (the lead character is a "Grace")
3) ----
4) ----
4 places I have lived
1) by Yankee Stadium and Joyce Kilmer Park, Bronx, NY
2) in a beautiful home on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers
3) in a gothic dorm, in a room overlooking the green and the lake, Wellesley College
4) within 2 miles of the San Francisco Bay, Berkeley, CA
4 TV Shows that I watch:
1) Monk
2) Curb Your Enthusiasm
3) Keeping Up Appearances
4) Dancing with the Stars
4 Places I have been:
1) the Philippines
2) the "Continent"
3) S. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales
4) Baja California, Mexico
4 people who e-mail me regularly
1) Mom (at least once daily, when she's not away from the computer)
2) Joyce
3) My students
4) My girlfriends--Lisa, Laura, my choirfriends, Marva, etc.
4 of my favorite foods:
1)Mom's home cooking
2) Anything I don't have to prepare
3) Thai/Filipino
4) Irish/Scottish salmon
5 places I would rather be right now:
1) At home, in bed, asleep (Just came from choir practice, Mass, and a 3-hr. mtg...boy, I'm tired).
2) In a warm bubble bath
3) Lying down, with my legs up.
4) Visiting with my family, either distant or not-so
5) In the kitchen, drinking good grape juice...
4 Things I am looking forward to:
1) tomorrow
2) and tomorrow....and tomorrow (a great Vonnegut title).
3) I agree with Laura: A Liberal in the White House
4) whatever the next thing brings!
~~~~
This email Laura sent me today reminds me of one I received on March 16th 2006: Tag, You're It! from Marissa. That email asked for fave hobbies, and I listed "exercise: Dance and swimming" as favorites. My current condition makes dance unable to be done. My, how fast things change....
~~~~
10 March 2008
I thought of a great movie to add to my "list" of two--Sliding Doors...
...and another, The Rock.
Labels: career, Carnegie, children, color, dance, health, list, love, Monk, New York, Philippines, Pittsburgh, pool, science, soils, teaching, travel, TV, Wellesley, work
The Real Reasons III
I just read Carissa's mid-February blog post, entitled "Will You Marry You?" I think her point is well-made, asking questions such as "Would you hire you?" and "Will you marry you?"
I think a big reason I have not "settled" down yet is I am
too independent
too independent
too independent-minded (long story)
and
AM I ready for a metamorphosis into another life?
Thoughts on being ready to metamorphose: In the past I have never shied away from choosing the path less taken--in fact, that is a big reason why I never married, why I chose my second go at graduate school back in the 1990's on a project of my own devising, and why I live in Pittsburgh currently. I LIKE the challenge of the "path less taken," and to quote Frost, "it HAS made all the difference"!
I guess part of it is my attitude toward new projects in general--"I'm going to do this project, and you're welcome to come along; but if you don't, I'm STILL going to do this project on my own." I guess I've just been lucky to share my projects with my close friends and family. Some people have a partner/spouse they share their travels through life. I haven't chosen that path.
~~~
9pm
Nancy and I discuss someone, who may have a very different political leaning than I. I don't think I could pull that off.
Labels: color, family, friends, list, love, NASA, philosophical, research, science, teaching, travel, work
Baptism of Our Lord--Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Life
A special Mass to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was said today at noon at St. Paul Cathedral. Auxiliary Bishop Paul Bradley was the main celebrant. The St. Paul, St. Charles Lwanga, and St. Benedict the Moor combined choirs provided the music ministry, led by our choir directors Don Fellows, James Avant, and Toni Long. We practiced together for an hour and a half before Mass, and all attending were spiritually moved by the music.
The entrance hymn was "We Have Come This Far By Faith" (A. Goodson)
Freedom Gloria
Psalm 29 (M. Guimont)
Christmastime Alleluia (J. Chepponis)
Preparation of Gifts: Medley of "Glory Hallelujah," "Hush, Somebody's Calling," "This Little Light"
Acclamations from the Mass of Creation by Marty Haugen
Amen (R. Smallwood)
Lamb of God (R. Ray)
Communion, "Wade in the Water" Spiritual
Post-Communion Hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing," J&S Johnson
We ended the Mass with a rendition of "We Shall Overcome."
~~~
After a brunch at a Chinese buffet on the north side, Mom, Dad, and I retired at home for a nap.
~~~
Beatrice came to visit then, after a visit to get her bronchiolitis checked out. We had fun playing, learning how the (carpeted) dining room is UP and the (tiled) kitchen is DOWN. We read some books, walked around, looked at the slideshow picture frame from her cousins, played the piano, and rested for a bit. All while her mommy and two friends from Chicago went to the incline. What a great time!
Labels: American history, Beatrice, Choir, Church, color, dining, diocese of Pittsburgh, international culture, Mass, music, niece and nephew, St. Paul Cathedral
Winter Vacation Days 2007-2008
Yesterday I bought tickets to the Cathedral of Learning Holiday tours after lectoring at Mass (celebrated by Fr. Brian, served by John, and music ministry by Don). The tickets were for the last tour of the day, at 2:30. We all had breakfast, and then went to the Waterfront for shopping. After a quick bite to eat, Uncle Sonny and I attended the tour led by Michael of the first floor of Cathedral of Learning classrooms decorated for the holiday season. The tour went smoothly and was very informative. We visited the future Philippine Nationality Room, and I read my poem for him. We walked home and stopped by St. Paul Cathedral on the way back. Dinner was delicious, delivered by Dee Dee: Pancit luglug at pandan Jello and everything else mom has been cooking for the past half week. We watched Jeopardy; William and Beatrice arrived with presents, which we all opened; and then we finished our game of Celebrity after. We played "karaoke roulette," Kelly, Unka Sahnee, and I; well until midnight.
The "Green Tree" had disrobed sometime between the last time I had viewed it and yesterday.
~~~
Today I went for my yearly check-up at the doctor's office. Upon returning, we all enjoyed lunch together. Then Dad, Unka Sahnee, and I went for a whirlwind tour of the city---the belen, a replica of the creche at Vatican City, ice skating at PPG place, and the lookout near one of the inclines (it was raining steadily by this time). We plan to go out to dinner this evening.
~~~
Sushi Kim was great. Unagi-don for dinner, with five side dishes. Then we returned to play with Beatrice at Lolo and Lola's place. Then, after their departure, Mom, Unka Sahnee, Kelly, and I played a Taboo-fest in which we went through one whole side of a pack of cards....
Labels: biology, cold, color, dining, games, international culture, Philippines, Pilipino culture, Pittsburgh, PNR, poetry, seasons, singing, St. Paul Cathedral
Twelve Days of Christmas
Yesterday, as I rode the bus home, I noticed the one GREEN (deciduous) tree on the north side of the Cathedral of Learning once more, in its vainglorious self. Some of its leaves were gone, but it stands there in the 20-degree-Fahrenheit weather, with the snow blowing and falling horizontally. ?Perhaps it is a pear tree? (This link provided by my friend Lloyd).
Labels: Christmas, color, seasons, singing
the Green (deciduous) Tree
When I rode the bus to the South Side this afternoon, I saw on the north side of the Cathedral of Learning "the" green (deciduous) tree that has decided to stay green through the cold up to this point in winter.
I do not know if it is due to warm soil below, but it is gaily adorned amidst its kindred (deciduous) trees that have gone leafless.
Labels: biology, color, global warming, seasons, soils, weather, work
Enchanting Autumn
This morning I read at morning Mass, the Memorial for Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude. Fr. Tom celebrated the Mass, with John serving and Don supplying the music ministry. I received calls from the campus Emergency Notification Service (E.N.S.) about a threat to my work building complex, so delayed going there for a while.
Later, mid-morning, as I was dropping off graded papers at my work building, and after sitting in on a colleague's soil class in the geology building at midday; I noticed the diversity of trees once again. On the north side of the academic quad: Scarlet, orange-rust, and green; each tree bedecked in its own color. In front of the SRCC the trees were green with golden yellow and red tips, as paintbrushes. Most every tree still had all its full layers of glory. The sparse but thick flakes falling and blowing from the sky added an additional layer on my own bright red coat, which further enchanted me.
As there was no work in-service meeting this week, I took a well-deserved nap.
We are enjoying an enchanting Autumn, albeit late.
Labels: biology, color, geology, Mass, Pittsburgh, read, science, seasons, sleep, soils, St. Paul Cathedral, weather, work
Two Oaks on either side of the path...Welcome Fall
There are two oaks on either side of a path that ends on a sidewalk on the north side of the academic quad. The easternmost oak is dark green, and glorious. The oak on the west side of the path (within 10m of the other oak) is vaingloriously golden yellow and orange rust in color. The similarities and stark differences are striking. Both have most all their leaves, and I have been observing them both for about a month now.
O it's Fall.
~~~
18:20 Tuesday 13 November 2007
So, it was in the low 60's Fahrenheit today. The trees around town are a patchwork of colors, of fade-ins and fade-outs, and of degrees of bareness. What strikes me this year is how much the hillslopes that face the Monongahela River are still largely green, with yellow. I saw that today as I headed to RIS and then back home before dark.
The trees around town tell the story of scarlet, orange, yellow, rust, with some stalwarts which are still largely green, with leaves tipped in yellow.
Labels: biology, color, science, seasons, weather
