Well, lots is happening here in my life, though I have no beautiful pictures this time.
I have made a detailed plan for the remaining requirements for my Spiritual Direction program (thanks to Will, my coach), and am hustling even to stay slightly behind that plan. There are heavy books to read and lovely papers to write. And I need to have it all done by January. I've committed, covenanted with others to complete this. So the reading is (and soon, the writing will be) hot and heavy. Karen Armstrong (The Battle for God) isn't easy reading. I find if I break it down to number of pages per day, I do best. I can read 15 pages per day, but half the book is a lot to contemplate, all at once. So I go for pages per day. But there are at least 9 other books.
I'm also trying to write a grant for my sabbatical -- which has to be done TOMORROW. I've got the biggest piece to write, but I'll get it done, despite myriad commitments. Have I said that I want to spend 3 months in Italy studying 25 significant black madonna sites? Have I said that could cost beaucoup bucks? The grant deadline is actually the 17th, but I will be out of town. So it must be mailed on the morning of September 13th. I'm working, I'm working.
Thursday morning I leave for Kanuga (Hendersonville, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains), for my next-to-last spiritual direction intensive training (focus this time mainly on Jung). I finally do have a supply priest (only a few are willing to drive for at least an hour to get here -- we are an outpost). Now all I have to do is complete this grant, write up a case study, and confirm previously made reservations with the dog lady. Oh, yeah, and all my regular Wednesday commitments to the parish, including the dinner at 5:30 pm after Evening Prayer at 5 pm)
Send up a little prayer for me, for lots of work in limited time, will you?
Success with the grant writing? I hope so!
God bless!
Nancy
Posted by: Nancy | September 12, 2007 at 04:37 PM
Good golly! You are a busy girl! Best of luck as you wade through all this! I know you'll come out on top!
Posted by: Kay Dennison | September 12, 2007 at 11:41 PM
You are one busy lady....have a great trip. Take care...
Posted by: Joy | September 13, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Your program sounds like it is more rigorous than the 3 year program I took. More reading for you, I think.
Have a great time at Kanuga and I hope you got your grant written.
Thinking of you this weekend.
Posted by: Fran aka Redondowriter | September 14, 2007 at 12:44 AM