Sermons and Reflections from an Episcopal Priest
I watched a squirrel
groom her fluffy tail
then scratch
hyperspeed, her hind leg
thwack-thwack-thwack
against her side
We were alone
by the monument, two
mammals feeling the sun
on our faces
in February
Holding our breaths
that the winter had
fled for good
– for now
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. – Romans 13: 11-14
I had a hard time getting inspired to accomplish much of anything this week. My new work schedule has totally shifted the way my week runs, so I’ve been fighting physical and emotional fatigue to acclimate to the change.
Pinterest was created for times like these. It’s a sensory escape. I’ve been drawn to girls in glasses, all things mod, spring-colored shoes, art, and quirky home decor.
I’ve glanced at The Lovers by Rene Magritte over and over again in the past few days. The image is startling, eerie, romantic, and insightful. In a sense, we must approach interpersonal relationships with bags over our heads; we never see a person objectively and we never fully know them. But we take the plunge anyway. It’s a harsh truth that while we long and seek to be fully understood – fully known – we can never achieve it. It’s a testament to our will to thrive that we continue to seek it out anyway, that we devote so much of our lives trying to get to the core, the essence, of ourselves and our loved ones. We sense that if we could just see into people’s souls, if we could whisper their true names*, we’d have arrived at a place of peace. Of perfection.
Madewell styles clothing in such a cool, effortless way. Their catalogs are inspirational – you don’t need to buy expensive garments to pull off the Madewell look. It’s all about mixing trends and being confident.
The weather was blindingly cold today (that will make sense to you if you had to walk outside facing the wind for any length of time), so I felt no desire to venture out once my shift at work ended. Instead, I’m sipping my second cup of Oolong tea and enjoying some quality time with pinterest while Daniel reads excerpts of his school reading to me.
Winter hasn’t quite hit Charlottesville, but I’m already excited for spring fashion. I know fall is the season for fashion, but I’ve always preferred the bright, floral, bare-legged styles of spring over the drab, monotone glamour of fall. Fall is too serious for my taste.
I’ve been flipping through old Google catalogs for inspiration. Here are some of my favorite looks (including some fall looks that easily transition into spring):
Clockwise from top:
(based on a misreading of A Beautiful Mess blog’s challenge)
2013 goals:
I did my best to establish achievable goals that I really want to pursue. 2013 will be a good year as long as I stay motivated and don’t overwhelm myself. One thing at a time.
– from “Solitude”
This outfit is a bit crazy. But this room is a bit crazy, in a good way. Who would have thought to mix a tangerine, oriental rug with graphic, modern art and über contemporary accents (apparently Elle Decor)?
I tried to pick up not only the color scheme but also the sense of texture and playfulness of the room in my outfit, accenting a gray chiffon dress with a patterned cardigan, carpet bag, and statement wedges. I’d like to lounge on that couch and peruse an art book for the afternoon. But I’m not sure I’d like to live here full time. Super modern isn’t really my thing.
While doing some “research” for this post (aka, looking up words to get some context for my thoughts), I stumbled upon this Wikipedia article on hypermodernity/supermodernity. So long, post modernism? Even fashion can be intellectual.
It’s almost time to write a four months in Charlottesville post. Isn’t it weird that it’s practically December?
We’re having a nice time visiting with family and friends-who-are-like-family this week. We made delicious turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pecan pie, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for our Thanksgiving feast.
This was my first time hosting – although I helped with the past two years’ meal preparations – and it was a bit overwhelming. I (mostly) forget that I’m an introvert until I’m surrounded by a handful of people for days on end. I become agitated and feel the need to flee, but I have to push through it, resist the urge to snap at people, and drink more coffee.
We’re likely spending tomorrow basking in glow of the coming Christmas season with local festivities instead of braving the ravenous crowds at retail chains. I’m morally opposed to Black Thursday/Friday in-store sales, but I love to peruse online sales (although I guess it may be just as bad for warehouse employees this weekend as it is for store employees). But as I always say, there’s no harm in window shopping. I am particularly drawn to the preppy basics American Eagle offers. All items are 40% off until November 25!
(click collage to view links)
I do not like pants. I’d much prefer to wear a skirt or dress every day. There are a few reasons why I turned my back on pants: 1. my hips (ahem, and behind) grew disproportionate to my waist during my growing-up years (but really, who’s to say what’s disproportionate?); 2. the search for proper fitting jeans is endless, mind-numbing, and degrading; 3. skinny jeans with too little stretch are rather constricting; 4. I lived in Florida, so I didn’t really need to wear pants.
But now I live in a clime where fall and winter are real events, not just markers of time. The weather has been mild for the most part, but I’m beginning to regret walking from my car to work in a dress and knee high socks. My thighs are numb by the time I arrive. I need to suck it up and wear some pants (that sounds like a sexist metaphor, but if it weren’t sexist, I’d say that I just created a pretty great double meaning in that sentence).
I forced myself to brainstorm outfits that aren’t atrocious to get myself excited about jeans-wearing.
Do you like jeans? How do you dress for cold weather?
Mathijs Delva‘s work is difficult to describe in non-cliche terms. It’s breathtaking, ethereal, harmonious, nostalgic. His landscape work makes you want to fling your arms wide in exaltation and go live in the photograph.
Images via Mathijs Delva on flickr; individual links above. To purchase images, visit the photographer’s website.
Leah Wise 