Recovering from camp

Was too busy to post last week. I didn't go to camp, but most of the rest of the staff did, and many of the residents. It wasn't as though I was actually doing that much more than usual, though I was doing more supervising of cooking and housekeeping than usual. And I was getting out the Events Flyer and Calendar without the usual supports. But you know that sense of extra responsibility, being the senior person in the house, definitely was a weight that I felt.

Still, everything went okay, and people are recovering nicely. The weather has been absolutely perfect, which is always pleasant. This evening is a Strategic Planning meeting. Tomorrow night is our regular Wednesday program, and Thursday evening is Dharma Council meeting. Friday night I'm not going to prison for the first time in a while, which is good, because it will give me a little time to pack for a trip to the coast with dharma sisters this weekend. I'll miss out on a bunch of things happening here, but I suppose once in a while it's good to get out and go somewhere fun.

So, nothing profound to report right now, though there's a parrot in the office at this moment making cawing sounds like a crow -- now she's reverted back to chattering like her owner. She's kind of fun to have around, though I mostly don't let her land on my head any more. She tries to get my glasses, and has been known to poop on my head. Ah, well, she's just being herself.

Need to go iron my robe for tomorrow morning. Mended it this morning, and need to iron it.

doing the next thing

Last night we had a really great discussion about the fundamental koan "Who Am I?" There were 24 people there, including 4 new people.  Lively, thoughtful discussion from many perspectives.

Got the Events Flyer out yesterday morning, and spent the afternoon doing things like sewing, shopping. I feel a bit like a housewife. Spent much of this morning in similar pursuits, especially making this incredible sourdough challah bread -- didn't braid it, just put it into regular bread pans. Wow, is it tasty. This warm weather makes breadmaking easy. Finally, this afternoon getting to putting the Events up on the web site, only a volunteer came in to do treasury stuff on the computer I need to work on the web site. That's okay, there's plenty I can do on the other computer to get ready for web work.

Today it's finally feeling quiet with everyone gone. There's been so much work to do just to keep up that it hasn't felt all that quiet to me. A couple more residents have gone out of town, in addition to the 6 at camp and 1 back east at a conference. I think that leaves (doing quick mental count) uh, 5. Between the 2 houses. I'll be cooking dinner tonight (others have been doing it so far), and I think there's only 2 of us signed in.

Anyway. I just keep doing the next thing, and time just keeps passing. In a couple of days people will be back from camp, and everything will change again.

Prison work blips

The woman in charge of our prison program is in the hospital. She has been on chemo, and now has had surgery for a bowel obstruction. She's doing well, but it throws a monkey wrench into our schedule. We're all working with it the best we can. She's due to go home in the next few days, but she is obviously not going to OSP in Salem on Tuesday evening, no matter how well she is recovering. So that means either I will go or another guy will take it. Once she gets home, she will take charge of reorganizing the schedule to fit with her chemo, which of course has been disrupted by all of this.

Tonight, another woman who was scheduled to go in to Coffee Creek with me is not coming because she's been asked to assist with an end of life vigil at Providence. So I'll be doing this class by myself. It's the second class of a series on a book that I've not read before, Sharon Salzberg's Lovingkindness.

I figured we'd have the book in our Center library, but it turns out we don't. So I began to cast about for a place to pick up the book, and went through a bunch of rigamarole to get one this morning from Powell's. I had to go to the Burnside store downtown, always a dangerous proposition. It's very difficult to just go in there and get the one book you need, after coming all that way. I mean, might as well check out the Gold Room (mysteries and SF) while I'm there, right?

Well, I found the book I wanted at a very good price, and then also got a few more, most also at very good prices. I got a bag full of books for under $40, and they'll keep me going for a while. Two of the books were ones I've already read, and want to add to my stash of places I like to revisit, and one of those was only 75 cents!

Anyway, I've now reserved my Zipcar for tonight, and have read and copied and highlighted the chapter for tonight, so I'm probably as ready as I'll ever be. And pretty soon I need to check the bread in the oven -- should be just about done. Then dinner, and then I'll head out to Coffee Creek. Should be fun.