Did Anything Happen This Week?

 As I began pondering what would be in this week’s blog, the thought crossed my mind - nothing happened this week. Today it just seemed like any other week which has hurried by without any outstanding events.  Then, when you really stop and think…

Calvary Cathedral held “in person” services this past Sunday and our bishop was present as celebrant and preacher.  It is good to be in church even if there are only a handful of people there.  It is also good to see and hear the bishop. The diocesan office was moved to Pierre a few years ago, and this bishop, ordained just eleven months ago, chose to keep it there. When the office was in Sioux Falls it was not an unusual thing to see the bishop several times each month.  Obviously, the sighting of the bishop is now a rarity.  

"What do you mean, 'You are not 
being helpful?'"

Expecting to spend Sunday afternoon watching other services and critiquing sermons (that’s what retired clergy do!), the plan was up-ended when a call came from a friend who was obviously desperate. He needed to get to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Friends do things for friends so off three of us went eastward.  Wisely I asked another friend to go along because I wasn’t sure how tired I would be on the return trip. We made it there and back by midnight.  My friend is doing better, for which I am grateful.

Monday became a recuperation day. Not being a particularly exciting day, weather-wise it turned out to be a fairly good nap day. I had a few things to do to get ready for Tuesday and spent the rest of the time in a vegetative state.

Tuesday was the feast of St. Michael and All Angels. That feast is my anniversary of ordination both to the diaconate and the priesthood. Our Benedictine group planned to celebrate the Eucharist that evening, pray Evensong and visit with our friends from far and near who join us each week via Zoom.  We had not “broadcast” from our Oratory before so this was a new technical challenge.  It worked out well to all reports. The viewers could see and hear, a minor miracle.  We will try it again this month and perhaps move to doing it every week.  

Lovely flowers from a dear friend
for the anniversary celebration.

The next days were fairly quiet. I do attend the Eucharist at Good Shepherd Church on Thursday afternoon and meet with the postulant of our Benedictine community following.

Friday is my morning volunteer opportunity at the Pavilion of Arts and Science.  It is good to return to working there. It is a “safe” position in which I am not in contact with a lot of people.  Let’s face it, there are not a lot of people.  The Pavilion was closed for several months so now the populace has to be reintroduced to the offerings we have.  If the COVID situation would improve, attendance will pick up, I’m sure.

I am forsaking the opportunity to attend the first SD Symphony concert this evening. I’m a little nervous about being in an auditorium with a lot of other people right now.  Maybe next time.

Friend Lou Buquor loaned me one of the jigsaw puzzles she acquired so she would have something to do whilst recuperating from back surgery.  I love puzzles. They do drive me crazy until I finish them.  This particular puzzle looked fairly easy, and it is not bad.  Nasty puzzle-makers who do evil tricks are not nice.  The picture and box cover both had the title as part of the puzzle, “A Floral Fantasy In An Old English Garden.” The puzzle itself reads, “A Floral Fantasy In An English Garden.” Do you have any idea how much time can be wasted looking for the pieces to spell “Old” when it is not included in the puzzle? Grrrr.  

There are not a lot of plans for next week, just the usual. That’s what I thought last week and it turned out to be fairly busy in a good way. I’ll work on the puzzle. My CT scan is Friday morning and I’ll see the doctor in the afternoon.

Thanks for reading, for thoughts, for prayers, for messages, for all you do. I do depend on all of those things.  Hopefully you are all well.  God bless.

What is on the puzzle.

What is on the box.

There Is a Certain Something

 You can feel it in the air.  As soon as the sun begins its decent the air becomes more cool. The humid heat of summer is gone.  The week’s weather has been superb with warm days and cool evenings. The last two days have been rather hazy. There is no rain forecast although we really need it. The lawns are showing the results of little rain.  I haven’t mowed for three weeks and I could, but I keep thinking I’ll go another week.

The first blush of autumn.

The week of chemotherapy went well.  My blood work is all good.  Most of the infusions were swiftly accomplished.  I felt some nausea on Thursday evening and today. One of those handy, dandy pills seems to take care of that in a short time. My port is doing well. I think the problem has been the alcohol based cleaner the staff has used. The port area has to be thoroughly cleansed each time before the needle is inserted.  Infection has to be avoided at all costs because of the catheter that goes straight to my heart. This week the staff has used betadine for the cleansing and I’ve not had a problem with dry skin and inflammation. CT scans are on order before the next round of chemo.  We shall see what they reveal. I’m optimistic.

There are some things that are beyond my comprehension. South Dakota seems to be the state at the forefront of the COVID-19 invasion.  We have a continual increase in cases and deaths. Yet the governor and our mayor will not mandate the wearing of masks or limit the size of crowds. The deciding factor in all this nonsense seems to be the fact that we have plenty of hospital beds.  As long as we have plenty of beds we don’t need to worry about the number of cases or deaths. One wonders…

The daily paper on this day included a picture to accompany the article on the COVID epidemic and the lack of government action. The picture was of the governor and the mayor observing the damage to a local jewelry store after one of the demonstrations earlier this summer. They are both standing there smiling.  Is there any look of shock or dismay on their faces. No. Just big grins adorning the visage of each.  I, personally, found it disgusting that these two would be surveying damage to a local merchant’s store and stand there grinning like they had just been awarded some awesome prize.  

One of the chapters of the Rule of Saint Benedict that continually disturbs the conscience of a monastic who is faced with reading this three times each year is Chapter 7, Of Humility.  It has to do with overcoming the sin of pride.  Dom Hubert Van Zeller says this: “It is the unwillingness to climb down and be like everyone else in subjection that constitutes pride, whether spiritual or human; so it is the willingness to stay small, and even look small, that gives its value to the performance of ordinary actions.”  The great fault in many politicians, even most, today is that “unwillingness to climb down and be like everyone else.”

My friend and co-worker was laid to rest on Tuesday.  It was difficult for her daughter to plan the funeral because music was her mother’s life. I know that an alumni choir of her former students would have come together to sing at the funeral.  That’s not possible given the pandemic.  A small group of excellent voices sang two selections and recordings were played of two others.  When we worked with the Singing Boys, the last number on every spring concert was “An Irish Blessing,” by Katie Moran Bart. That recording of the Boys was played at the end of the service. It was a fitting end. “Until we meet again, my friends, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

Sophia found a bit of sun to enjoy 
this afternoon.

The leaves are beginning to show the beautiful colors of autumn.  It is a beautiful time of year. Give thanks for the beauty that surrounds you. I give thanks always for your constant support and prayers.  You are all part of that beauty. Although I spend a considerable amount of time alone, I can feel your presence holding me up.  

The Last…

 

Tuesday is the autumnal equinox. The first day of fall is very near and the last days of summer are waning.  

My long-time primary physician, who promised that he would not retire, did just that last July. To prevent further shoulder shrugs when asked who my primary physician is I paid a visit to my new one. He would not promise that he would not retire. He just laughed when I asked him to swear on a stack of lab reports. Since he is several decades younger than I there is no need to worry about retirement. A friend and I went to the same dentist we referred to as our “seventh grade dentist.” He seemed so young being fresh out of school. I think my “new” primary physician qualifies as my “second year medical school doctor.” He couldn’t find anything wrong with me except for the obvious malady on my record. Let’s hope he will be my last primary physician.

I made it to the last park on the list. The Elmen Trailhead Park is the starting point, sort of, for the bike trail the encircles the city. One can get on the trail at any point but this appears the be the “official” beginning. This was the last of my park visitations so my summer project is complete. Yeah! That makes 83 parks visited in the last year.

Next week is chemo week once again so I’ll be visiting the Prairie Center daily for my infusions.  It all begins on Monday with blood work, a visit to the doctor and the first
infusion and ends on Friday with the last infusion. I know all will go well.  I might get a little tired but if that’s all that happens, so be it.

This past week was marked by the last days on earth for two great ladies. Glenyta Stalheim Hanson departed this life on Thursday after her struggle with cancer. I know she was comforted to have her daughter at her side. Thinking back on her career I can’t believe all the students she inspired as she taught music to youngsters in elementary school and pre-teens and high school students as her career progressed. She has made an impact on so many lives and was loved by her students and her friends. Those who do not know might easily dismiss the life work of a teacher. They are wrong. Touching young minds and hearts with the gift of music and helping them love it was Glenyta’s gift to thousands. It has been my honor to know her and work beside her since our days in college.  May she now join in singing with all those who have gone before. 

Friday the battle against cancer was ended for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As a justice on the Supreme Court she was a beacon for those who were neglected and/or despised by the government and society. Throughout her career she argued that this phrase in the Declaration of Independence applies to everyone: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Please understand that the noun “men” as written here is used in the sense of “humanity” referring not to gender but to all people. Citizens of this country who had been considered “less” than others for a variety of reasons have made great strides in being recognized as equal citizens of this country. Ruth Bader Ginsburg helped to make that possible in many ways. She had to stand firm as she faced prejudices and she did so with every fiber of her being and fought for others in like manner. Rest in peace and rise in glory Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You have fought the good fight.

Most of the sedum in my garden are fall bloomers. When they begin to flower I know that the last days of summer are a reality. They are beautiful. Autumn is beautiful. Nature does her very best to cloak the world with beauty as the last days of warmth and light begin to fade. May you enjoy the coming colors of fall.

"What do you mean this is not my bed!"

Thank you for reading, praying, hoping, and being.

I’m Not Ready

 I’m not ready for summer to be over. It’s still a few days until the autumnal equinox, the “official” end of summer. The two days this week when the high temperature was 45º did portend the arrival of autumn.  The fireplace roaring felt really good on those chilly nights when I just could not get warm.  

The week has sped along with no medical problems. I’ve felt good except mood-wise when the sun is virtually invisible. There were no memorable events occurring. I seem to have been busy nearly all day most days. Sleeping has been good. I’ve done some of that but not nearly as much as Sophia.  

I think she and I both suffer from SADS. On rainy, cloudy days she sleeps and sleeps and sleeps some more. She then releases all the energy she’s built up mostly by running full speed to the basement to the second floor to the basement to the second floor ad infinitum. My friend and I refer to this activity as zooming even though “zooming” has another meaning in this time of physical distancing. Sophia, by the way, makes regular appearances on Zoom meetings. She can be sound asleep in some far corner of the house but somehow intuits the beginning of a meeting at which time she makes herself present.

Sophia's way to spend a cloudy day.

I include prayers for the faithful departed at the conclusion of Morning Prayer. Today as I interceded for the members of the Guild of All Souls the name of my good friend and former college roommate was amongst those listed. He departed this life seven years ago today.  I vividly remember sitting by his bed in the Dougherty Hospice House all day reading the Gospels to him. He left this life in the evening. 

Today I went to the same facility to visit another college friend and next door neighbor who is preparing to enter the church triumphant. We were in the same college class, both taught in the Sioux Falls school system and both worked with the Singing Boys of Sioux Falls for years and years. She has touched so many lives through her work with students at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. Nearly one hundred of her students have put together a virtual tribute for her which I am eager to view.  

I’ve said farewell to so many classmates in the last few years. I still think of myself as fairly young, but I’m not. Being “young at heart” makes a difference. It doesn’t change the fact that we are all mortal and at some point in time, determined not by us, we will return to the earth from whence we came.

I love the words of the Russian Contakion for the Departed which is included in the Burial Office of the Book of

How much longer will the front garden
look like this?

Common Prayer: “Give rest, O Christ to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more,  neither sighing, but life everlasting. You only are immortal, the creator and maker of all mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and to earth shall we return. For so did you ordain when you created me, saying, ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

I’m told that I really can drive to the single park I’ve missed so far, so I will try to accomplish that visit this coming week. Then my summer project will be complete!

Thank you for your prayers, your thoughts, your comments, and your presence.

Angry Before

I have to admit that I was angry before and even more angry now.  Having just read the daily Argus Leader I was informed that our governor spent $815,000 on a television commercial to air on FOX news in conjunction with her appearance at the Republican National Convention. I also was informed that the National Independence Day fireworks show which she put on for POTUS was $1.5 million not the $350,000 previously reported. This is in addition to the $130,000 TV studio she had installed in the state capitol so she could be interviewed by FOX news. Needless to say she envisions South Dakota as a one party state. Whatever happened to the “loyal opposition?” Whatever happened to government by the people for the people?

This all happened while the state was sending the message that teachers who wanted protective equipment for their

"In my opinion I make a very nice
decoration."

classrooms would have to pay for it themselves. Then, after her expenditures have become known, she is giving each school district $500 per pupil from the government funds that have been held hostage in the capitol since distributed by the Feds. School has already started in most places so initial exposure is already a thing accomplished.

And to add insult to injury, as the saying goes, the motorcycle rally which she encouraged because of the tax income has already made South Dakota number one in COVID-19 infection rate. In addition, the state fair is now in progress which also delights her, I’m sure. One wonders if she will find someway to use the rest of those federal funds to further her agenda in some way,

Well, I’ve got that off my chest. Now on to more pleasant things.  

The summer project has been accomplished! I have visited all the parks in Sioux Falls, 82 out of 83.  One of them can’t be visited because one needs a bicycle to do that. Some parks that I frequently visit I didn’t feel necessary to visit again. There are a couple that one can’t get to from here due to massive construction which necessitates signs that proclaim “Park Closed.” However I’ve visited those before, so they count, don’t they?

The eagle sculpture at
Veterans' Park

Today I visited Veterans' Park which is a lovely place with many memorials in honor of the brave women and men who have given so much for their country. It is near the place where the armed forces “radio” school was constructed during WW II.  Sioux Falls provided the needed land and the government constructed hundreds of buildings so that those who were training to be radio operators would come here to learn their tasks. My visit today gave me an opportunity to pray for all veterans.

Still today one can spot buildings that used to be barracks scattered throughout the older parts of the city.  Even though they may have been covered with bricks or stucco they still betray their origin.  In my time in college there were two barracks used as dormitories and the science building was fashioned out of three barracks hooked together in an “H” formation. The cafeteria was a barracks and that later became the art building. The music annex was a two story barracks. It was used for practice rooms and band and orchestra. The interior walls were mighty thin so one had to really concentrate on what one was practicing rather than correcting the mistakes of one’s neighbor.  Thank goodness the organ practice facilities were located elsewhere.  I was mighty grateful when I was hired by a church. It was a peaceful and quiet place to practice.

That radio school brought thousands to Sioux Falls who would never have thought to come here.  The community made all those soldiers welcome, inviting them into their homes for meals and providing what they could for them.  Several of those trainees returned to Sioux Falls after the war and made their homes here having found it a great place to live.  

The last park on my list was Sertoma Park, established by the Parks and Rec department and the Sertoma clubs.  It is a very nice park with interesting science activities and a pavilion that can only be described as huge. This being a holiday weekend and a very nice day, there were several families enjoying the park.

I finished my “chemo” week in good form. My port was used throughout the week. All concerned concluded that the

The pavilion at Sertoma Park

cleaning agent usually used was the cause of my distress. When it was accessed the last two times this week an alternate was used and my skin was fine.  

I was able to do my volunteer “thing” at the Pavilion because my infusions were all afternoon events.  Business is still slow but I did have a few customers.  One interesting lady showed me her work on display.  She is a potter and has a work in our permanent collection. She explained how her raku piece was made.

Thanks for reading, putting up with my rant, for your prayers and thoughts and constant support. 

Writing

 I once thought that writing was a painful process.  When the first day of school came around and I was old enough to realize that the first assignment of the year would be the inevitable “What I Did This Summer,” I would dread it. I just didn’t like to write about what the teacher assigned.  If I had to go through the process of writing I wanted to choose my own topic. Mostly I didn’t want to go through the process of writing. I didn’t want to do it especially if we had to go back and edit the outcome of this painful process. That would mean one had to actually read what one had written! Ugh!

I have no idea what it was that made this so painful. When I could write about what I wanted to write about I found it to be pretty interesting.  I especially liked research and writing. 

Then I became a teacher and received my certification which boldly stated that I could teach Music K-12, Foreign Language, and Language Arts. Language Arts! Please, I pray you, any administrator that sees this don’t see the part about Language Arts. Then came the assignment, this year you will be teaching Advanced Language Arts! Well it was only one class per day. I could probably live through it. After all,

Mrs. Robert Brydon in full bloom

gifted kids who would be in the class (because I had an additional endorsement for the education of the gifted and talented) are pretty verbal, naturally. However, the pretty verbal kids, it turned out, didn’t like writing any better than I did at that age. They also really didn’t like editing. Many of them who had not attended the Challenge Center (Sioux Falls elementary school for highly gifted kids) had sort of coasted through school and editing was work. Middle school students seem to have some sort of aversion to work for the most part.

What to do?  I thought back to my days in what was then junior high school and to my own thoughts about writing at that age. So, my first assignment was not to write about “What I Did Last Summer,” but to write about something.  What came forth was very interesting. Fantasy pieces, favorite pop artists, time with grandparents, the variety was incredible. And the writing was really quite good. When told that there was a possibility of having their worked published they didn’t seem to mind editing.  In other words, and it’s about time I got to that point, as long as the writing was theirs it meant something. I learned a lot about the students and they hopefully learned to enjoy writing.

In my email this week was this meditation from Henri Nouwen:

“Writing is a process in which we discover what lives in us. The writing itself reveals to us what is alive in us. The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know. Thus, writing requires a real act of trust. We have to say to ourselves: ‘I do not yet know what I carry in my heart, but I trust that it will emerge as I write.’ Writing is like giving away the few loaves and fishes one has, trusting that they will multiply in the giving. Once we dare to “give away” on paper the few thoughts that come to us, we start discovering how much is hidden underneath these thoughts and gradually come in touch with our own riches.”

It has been a good week. I’ve felt really well and have met my exercise goals. I’m ready for another week of chemo.

It turns out that the Parks and Rec department doesn’t know how to count! There are actually 83 parks on their list and as of today I have visited 78! 

The Spray Park

I discovered I’d missed a park in the “north end” of Sioux Falls in the area called Riverside. It is an area of small houses, may of them rentals, and the school in that area has been known as a “tough” school.  Those who teach there, on the other hand, love the children and would do anything for them including buying clothes, seeing to it that they have food to eat. They wouldn’t teach any other place. Just a few blocks from the school there is a park with a rather curious name of Monsor-Pioneer Park.  More intrigued by the name than anything else I went to see it.  It was more heavily populated than any park I’ve visited. There were lots of children and their parents enjoying the day.  Why? There is a spray park. Since all the public pools are closed for the summer due to Covid 19, the spray park was a great attraction on a 90+º day.

The historical marker satisfied my curiosity over the name.  Monsor was a Lebanese immigrant who set up a grocery business in Sioux Falls.  It was what we might refer to as a Mom and Pop store.  It was in the Riverside neighborhood which most businesses would choose to ignore. Near the beginning of the 20th century there was a wind storm which totally destroyed Mr. Monsor’s little store and scattered groceries hither and yon. Mr. Monsor was known as a very kind person, buying birthday presents for children who would come to his store, providing food for families in need, often selling groceries on a hand shake. The neighborhood got together and rebuilt his store with donated labor and scrounged supplies. He continued in business and when he died he left what he had to the neighborhood. So, this park which was christened Pioneer Park had his name added to the title at the request of the neighborhood.  Nice!

Late August and Mrs. Robert Brydon has come into her own full glory. She is a bush clematis that is bent on taking over the neighborhood. She has to be kept in tow through the growing season.  This time of year she is in full bloom with a mountain of tiny blue flowers adored by the bees and butterflies. It’s a sight to see.

Thanks for reading, and your thoughts and prayers.

I’ll write to you next week, I promise.

Some days it's too hot to even roll over!

Tomorrow is Sunday!

That we have schools in the Harrisburg District within the Sioux Falls city limits is one of the results of the growth of the city. School district boundaries and city limits seldom coincide.  School districts receive the bulk of their operating funds from property taxes in South Dakota. The result of the city growth is that the districts surrounding Sioux Falls are doing quite well. As new developments are being built, they are generally (not always) involving larger houses on larger lots and in many cases are more costly. Hence, the tax base rises. Harrisburg is the fastest growing school district in the state and that is because Sioux Falls is the fastest growing city in the state. Sioux Falls can annex property but they can’t change the school district boundaries. So it happens that there are seven different school districts within the city limits of Sioux Falls.

 I think I’ve mentioned before that my Sunday’s have become a marathon of how many church services I can attend and how many sermons I can critique in one day. There is a kind of limit my mind has and it goes into shut-down mode after so many. I do think it’s wonderful that so many churches are streaming their services. Not only can one usually find their “home” church and tune in to stay in touch. We can also go to far off places and experience how others worship. Rather than being “quarantined” we have a whole new world opened up for us. Yes, we miss our own community and the sight and touch of the people there but our world has opened up to us so much more. So there is good and there is bad all in the same pandemic.

Beautiful morning sky

The week has gone well.  The antibiotic that was prescribed has done its job and the skin around the port is no longer inflamed.  Hopefully it will stay that way and can be used again in a week’s time. 

Friend Marty came over to weed on Monday while I was out and when I returned I got to announce triumphantly that I had done battle with Aflac and prevailed!  That victory was affirmed today by the arrival of a check!  I send in quite a pile of papers every few months so I can be reimbursed through my cancer insurance. I know it’s a lot to go through so I check carefully to make sure nothing was missed. I did find that I was reimbursed for one infusion in May but not the other four. I resubmitted that bill and received a notice that my appeal was denied because Aflac had already paid. So, papers in hand, I went to the Aflac office here and spoke with a real, live person. She agreed with me, called some main office and assured me I would receive a check and I did!

The amaryllis have faded and are just lonely stalks with drooping, dry, brown flower petals atop.  It’s sad to see them go.  They are here so briefly but bring such beauty for the short time they are in bloom. Their coming and going is like so many of our relatives, friends, acquaintances that are no longer here. Many brought such beauty into our lives it would have been lovely if they could have stayed forever. Alas, it is not to be.

The “visiting the parks” project has gone well.  I am now up to 71 out of 80. That means I visited 15 parks in the last week.  Some I’ve known about forever. Some are totally new to me.  One park visited today was Platinum Valley Park. I had no clue whatsoever that we had a Platinum Valley in Sioux Falls, but we do and I now know where it is. The park is rather nice with some extensive walking paths all lit artificially.  I do believe there are more lights on that path than there are street lights in three square blocks in my neighborhood. The park is adjacent to one of the elementary schools in the Harrisburg District. They have already started school. The Sioux Falls District will begin next week. There have been COVID cases already reported which involve members of football teams already practicing. I pray that the children and teachers will be safe, somehow.

"If I recline under the glass-topped 
table, I can rest while my beauty is
being admired."

Aside from victory over Aflac the rest of the week has been mostly uneventful. I’ve been busy but I’m not at all sure what the busyness was all about. The days have been warm, some really hot, but the evenings have cooled off. It is such a pleasure to be able to sleep with the windows open. It is a pleasure, that is, until the train passes through!

Thank you for reading, for your thoughts and prayers and good wishes and for being. Without you none of us is complete.