I'm Baaaack.....

I keep telling myself that Fall is just around the bend - I think, it has actually turned the corner - look at how beautiful our yard is.

It was a rough couple of weeks - computer problems are never "fun" but when they happen at the time that you need your computer the most - whew - it sure makes you grumpy. Mine started with an innocent notion that I should change anti-virus programs (this was recommended by my office computer guru) from one that had worked fine (beginning with a Mc) to one that totally took over my computer (& my life - beginning with a "N") Well as they said in the play "The Music Man" - I'm a sadder but wiser girl - pocket book is much lighter too (try $227.00 to get the whole thing fixed) Anyhow I ditched the "N" antivirus, upgraded my RAM & put the "Mc" antivirus back on. All is right with the world.

So, I thought I'd branch out here and add a little religion to my blog... As you may, or may not know, John & I are Unitarian Universalists. We go to church in Blaine at a little church that was established over 75 years ago by the Icelanders who had become convinced that "the Lutherans were dangerous people" They hired themselves a traveling Unitarian minister, and Free Church Unitarian was born. Fast forward to today - John leads the choir (I am one of three alto's), we actually have More Basses than Sopranos - actually last night we didn't have ANY sopranos - and I am the newsletter editor.

Being the newsletter editor is kind of like writing a blog by committee - and thankfully it only happens once a month. It is fun, but I've been trying to inspire other members to contribute. Just asking hasn't been very successful, so I'm hoping that my October "From the Editor" column will encourage some to get out pen and paper. Here it is - let me know what you think - (after all, it is my blog, and I can write about anything I want, right?)

"From the Editor"
I was intrigued by a “forwarded” letter that I recently received from Becky & Larry T. It was a note to them from a new friend in Panama, where they are now living. The fellow was a retired Anglican minister and he was reflecting on how the hardest thing he had experienced during his years as a minister was not the writing of a sermon every week, but trying to find a topic that would be relevant to the everyday life of the time and place. He went on to say that faith is of little value to people if it cannot be shown to be totally applicable to their life experiences.

Like George M., I came upon the UU “faith” via my mother & the Church of the Larger Fellowship when I was about 12 or 13. I think I always had an “inkling” that there was “something else” out there for me, though, because I can remember, even at a very young age, having sincere doubts about the stories that the ministers were telling us. Perhaps even then I suspected that “Standing in a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” I think that too often, we overlook the value of our Unitarian Universalist faith and the roots that it has given to our country. (And how far our country has moved away from those important UU roots?)

I am very grateful that I am able to walk down the street, dressed as I wish to dress - read what I want to read and go where I want to go. But, most of all, I am grateful for the freedom to believe the way I want to believe, and, like Nan says, “and that’s the truth”

So what do you think? Will I inspire them?

BTW - this is a picture of our beautiful Mt. Baker taken from the docks at the Port of Blaine -

Hope you enjoyed today's installment - coming up next? Why it's Weekend Cat Blogging and Sinda & Neelix are going to show off their tricks! Later, T.