And in other news...

It is snowing here, not East Coast kind of snow but significant non-the-less.  That is hardly news, for though winter limped into the state, it is been aggressively trying to catch up--we have missed the last two Mondays to snow days,  so the semester is already behind, and we are all getting tired of shoveling and the near-constant whine of snowmobiles.

I do suppose it is news that I was able to take a photo at all at 5:45 PM.  We are "blessed" with snow, but we are really blessed with longer days.  It is joyful (almost) to arrive at work in daylight and to be home before nightfall.  It isn't a complete victory over winter, but it does signal, however slightly, that we will overcome winter, even if that victory is months and months away.

Speaking of work, there have been some changes.  I am officially on the job market.  I have had a pretty good idea that this place was not my forever home, but it was decided that in its budget crisis, the College could better spend the salary of an Arts and Sciences dean on a manager and sales person (or two) for short term certificates and more immediate job training or something like that.  How was that for a nice passive sentence?  The College's president wants to focus on areas other than the general ed classes which I supervise.  So, as of July 1 there will no longer be a dean of Arts and Sciences.  WHo needs it, I guess-- one might imagine my stress levels of late.  Times are tough, and I do sort of understand the decision to focus on vocational programming in a state like Michigan and an area like ours, but I do not fully agree with all this.  It is pretty much diametrically opposed to what I believe in as it seems to focus on training over a more complete education.  No doubt I am biased but geez...  Oh well, it isn't debateable, but it is disappointing, for me and I think even more so for the College.

It seems I have done this before, so I am not too worried.  But as I mentioned it is stressful at times.  I am applying for jobs but I am in a position to also think of other options.  While I know some of you think that I am old, I am not old enough to retire so that is out.  I might try a sabbatical for a few months and build that little house in the woods that I am always dreaming about.  I do know that I do not have to be a dean to be happy and fulfilled which was hard fought knowledge for me.  I would like not to wear a hairnet in my next career, but one option is to pick a place where I might like to live, say a place with a coffee shop or a grocery store, and just move there.  I can't imagine I couldn't find something to feed myself and my soul.  You know, somewhere other than Northern Michigan or Bangladesh with a college or a Home Depot where I might land. 

On to new adventures!!!

Winter, give or take a few inches

After skating through a long fall and an almost non-existent early winter, we were greeted with winter as light came to my slice of Michigan.  At least 8 inches of the white fluffy stuff coated trees and piled on any still surface.  While pretty enough, shoveling was a chore that I didn't enjoy.  I was blessed with a nice passing person with a pick-up with a snow plow who blasted through the pile of concrete snow and ice at the end of the driveway.  In Michigan, they do that and then just drive away with a wave.  That was nice.  Now Mother Nature is just playing with us with more snow and a wind that is  filling in the already shoveled spots.  Another 2-4 inches are expected in the next day or two.

The pictures are of snow.  And trees.  And the Cut and AuSable Rivers.  Note there are three of the same scene, though all are different because of the amount of snow and wind.  If you sit still long enough, everything changes.

Grace

I have been thinking a lot about grace and the challenges that surround it.  It seems that attaining it isn't the only challenge, but there is also the challenges of accepting it when it either smacks you upside the head or when you see it, and even when it is offered to you on a silver platter.

By definition it is a state of mind, and like happiness or joy or fulfillment, it suggests that it is something that you should strive for.  It is acceptance, it is a sense of comfort in your place in the world and it seems to be an absolute willingness and ability to put the needs of others in front of your own needs.  I am sure theologians and philosophers and others have better definitions and examples and probably even tests so that you might know you are approaching anything near grace.

I have thought about this for several reasons.  First, a daughter of perhaps my best friends passed away after a 5 1/2 year fight with cancer.  Her thoughts were centered not on herself, but of fighting so that she could share every little bit of time with her seven year-old daughter.  That seems  to me like grace, as does the continuing ministry of her parents, who no doubt grieve deeply but also have to, in their roles as clergy, minister to their flocks and family.  That seems like grace, for no parent should have to bury their children.  Let's work on that so it doesn't happen as often as it does.  My heart aches for them.

I think that when I see this thing called grace it does smack me upside the head because I am usually so so far away from it.  For example, I have been blessed to travel these past frew weeks to London.  What an amazing privilege, and truly travel like this is just that, a privilege.  But there I was, surrounded by old pubs, good pints, great food, good people and a million other positives and great things and I know that I didn't  fully embrace all of it because a part of me was focused on such petty things such as work.  What is wrong with me that I couldn't set that aside for nine damn days and just accept all that blessed me while away?  Instead, it was a reserve that sometimes kept me up at night and sometimes distracted during the day.  How do I center myself, become more accepting, etc?  Those work challenges didn't go away during my absence--how do I continue to strive towards grace when there are challenges and more challenges every day? 

It is a journey, isn't it?  Perhaps that is my New Year's resolution or goal, to continue to strive towards grace.  I suspect that there will be good days/weeks/moments and there will be some when it will be obvious to all that I am nowhere near attaining anything.  Perhaps that is it, though.  It may be that the trying is what is important even when attaining this state seems so elusive.  I think I can manage trying.  Who knows?  I might get lucky.

As I said, London for awhile.  Fun.  I took but 80 or so digital pictures though I did take more black and white photos that that might populate these pages in the next few weeks.  Even the digital photos that I did take are limited because I only brought at small point and shoot--apologies in advance.   English trees are a theme--they are remarkable.    The weather was great except for the day of the Smithfield meat auction.  I have been to London quite often, and I don't think that I have ever seen anything quite so quirky.  The others are mostly self-explanatory.