A Visit from The Reverend: Gone Sabbaticalin'

Brian Marsh came to visit while on the kick-off to his Sabbatical.  He tries to visit an Oregon monastery about once a year, anyway, so we usually get to see him when he's on his way out there.  This year, his trip to the monastery is just a tiny part of his time away from his pastoral position in Missoula.  He received a grant that is allowing he and his family to take some well-deserved time away.  Brian is taking some good quality alone time throughout his summer off, as well as having some incredible family trips in Europe, Africa, and the California beaches.




So, needless to say, we were grateful to get some time with him, as he embarks on this incredibly transformative time in his life/career.  We talked about everything from faith to Will Ferrel, we ate pizza and ice cream, we drank beer, and of course laughed and shared hugs.

"So what I'm sayin' is this..."

Oh how the Brians have missed one another...

"Strike a Pose": Inspired by the mural on the side of the Bier Stein, Eugene's infamous bottle shop.

 Can you hear the polka music in the background?

Hooray for Eggs!

Every Sunday is a great day.  Why?  Because we get a new batch of eggs delivered to our door, that's why!

If the hens lay smaller eggs that week, Paul gives us 18 instead of 12

A couple years ago Brian won 12 weeks of free eggs delivered to his door by a local farmer, at an event at our church called "That's My Farmer".  Our church is well-connected to the local farming community, and holds this event each year to help round up support for CSA sign-ups.  (CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture)  The premise is for people to pay money up front to a local farmer, and each week during the season supporters receive a box of produce straight from the farm.  If it happens to be a not-so-good harvest season, the farmer is still supported.

After Brian won this egg prize, he asked the farmer, Paul Fleck, to see if he'd continue it for a reasonable price, and Paul agreed.  So, every Sunday, we open our door to find a dozen farm-fresh eggs for cheaper than the "farm-fresh" eggs in the grocery store.

Confirmation

For the past 8 months, Anne was Confirmation mentor to a sweet 12 year-old girl named Gabi (pronounced Ga-BEE).  For the Confirmation process at our church, they do a really cool thing; each youth is given a mentor to join them in monthly classes, and to spend time getting to know them and talking with them about life, faith, etc.  Gabi & Anne had a good time together throughout the whole process, and the friendship will definitely continue beyond Confirmation.

Last weekend was the Confirmation banquet on Saturday, and Confirmation Sunday for the morning church service.  All of it was meant to celebrate each youth for the unique gifts they each bring to life.  

Gabi, with her mom Julia (who happens to be the church organist).

For the Sunday service, Anne got to get up in front of the congregation to share about Gabi, and how she is incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, outgoing, adventurous (was born in Brazil and continues to love travel), she's nearly fluent in French, runs track, is involved in drama at school, is an older sister & a younger sister, sings Soprano in the choir, and plays piano like a champ!  What stands out most about Gabi is her perceptive eye...for both people and creative outlets.  She's very good at seeing the good in people and situations (she's always positive and likes to make others smile) and she also has a creative flair with crafting together anything with color (art, clothes, beads, stickers, etc).  

Gabi's maturity stood out during the conversations she had with Anne, especially during Confirmation class.  We talked about things like whether or not it's OK to question if God exists, what would God look like, why do bad things happen to good people, did Osama Bin Laden really deserve to die?, what is the Rapture and why do people take it literally, should the Bible be read literally or not?, what kind of social justice issues are important to you, how to pray, and lots more...  

Anne was a very serious mentor, as you can see.

Each Confirmand was given a patch for the Confirmation banner on display.

It eventually became obvious that Anne was Gabi's mentor not just for Gabi, but also to open the door for her little brother, Alex, to meet Brian.  Her family had us over for dinner one night, and Alex immediately took a liking to Brian and they have become fast buds.  Alex's mom said that normally Alex is quiet and serious, but when he met Brian, he lit up and was goofy and filled with laughter like she hadn't seen in a while.

Alex & Brian have become fast buddies.

Brian is a popular guy with the kids (and adults, for that matter) at church.  Whenever Anne walks in alone, someone (a child or an adult) is bound to come up to her and say with enthusiasm, "Where's Brian?!?!"  Wherever he goes, he attracts people!

This weekend we took Gabi & Alex bowling, and they obviously had a boring time.

Then we took them out for waffles, and Gabi obviously didn't like her's.

 It's so neat to be a part of a church that emphasizes the celebration of each youth for the individuals they are.  It's been such a gift for Anne to be a mentor, and for both Brian and Anne to get to know some really cool kids in our church family!

Wednesday Night Walks

At the beginning of this term, it became apparent within the first two weeks that the busy schedule was going to take some adjusting for both of us.  Brian was nearing the deadline for his Prospectus defense (BTW, he got the email of approval for candidacy today.  Yippee!), and Anne was working and taking three classes (the most she's ever taken in one term).

After basically "passing in the night" for a couple weeks, and getting snippy with each other without knowing why, we decided to make a change.  Rather than listen to the constant call to do school work during the evenings, we enacted "Wednesday Night Walks".  Sure, it might sound cheesy, but it made a world of difference in our relationship in the midst of a busier-than-normal schedule.

So, here's a little glimpse into our Wednesday night walk:

This is Brian, outside our front door, all ready to go!  

 It turns out, we live near some really cool places within walking distance.  Our apartment complex is in a great location: right next door to a track, a park, a mulch running trail, ...and Willamette Street, which is packed with fun spots.  Restaurants, bars, our grocery store, etc.  It's so nice to be able to walk around and access our neighborhood so easily.

This is one of our new favorite places.  Love the name, the food is awesome (local, organic, etc.), and they have super yummy kombucha.

My favorite part is the wall mural with the cool rural mountain scene... cow included :)

And here we are, drinking kombucha, and enjoying some one-on-one time AWAY from our apartment which is full of "work" to do.  

How To Write Right Now

I haven't written in a long time, partly due to a busier-than-usual schedule this term with three classes (the most I've taken along with working).  Another reason I haven't written is that I'm not sure I want to continue writing this way.  It's been fun for me to have this space to "play" with my words and find more of my own voice.  I think it's a step in my process that doesn't need to continue, though.  I want my writing to continue, and yet this blogging thing feels a bit self-centered now...I think because I've been able to hear my own voice enough now :)  Now I want to channel my energy into letting my words be more thoughtfully crafted and time consuming than a blog entry.  I want my words to take shape into something that others will want to read...in some form that isn't this blog.  I imagine this is going to take me years and a lot of ups and downs, so wish me luck, and thanks for reading during this phase of my exploration.  Maybe in my 40's we'll have a publishing party?

I think I will start a blog that is purely for updating you on the life of Anne & Brian, and let my writing take a backseat for now in this blogosphere :)

Love,
Anne

All Aboard!

Portland City Skyline with Mt. Hood

Brian and I were in need of a weekend get-away at the end of last term, so we decided to take advantage of the fact that Eugene has an Amtrak station and hop on the rail to Portland!  We got a sweet deal on a downtown hotel room, and had a list of spots we wanted to hit, snacks were packed, and no computers allowed.  In the words of Flight of the Concords (insert lovely Kiwi accent), "the conditions were perfect."

So, when our train was initially an hour late arriving to Eugene to pick us up, we weren't phased!  When we sat in front of a group of people who were loud and crude, that didn't throw us off, we just put on some headphones!  When there was a derailment that caused us to be delayed at the Albany, OR train station for three more hours, we still didn't break down.  And when the train was ready to leave again, but was delayed further by a medical emergency (a man two rows in front of us had a heart attack and the ambulance came!) we still were able to laugh at the absurdity of all of it!  That's right!  We VanderYost's just roll with it...easy breezy...that's us!

But then we finally got to Portland and when we walked outside the station, 4 1/2 hours later than expected, looking to see which way we needed to walk, holding hands, Brian tugged on mine to lead us in a direction....and that was what finally did it.

This is part of the wall decor at the new Jimmy John's in Eugene,
where we ate the following weekend...very apropo! 

Me: "Hey!  Don't just pull me like a dog on a leash!"
Brian:  "What?  I always do this.  You never know which way we're going."
Me: "Well, maybe I want to know before you just yank me around!"
Brian: "How am I supposed to know when I can take charge and when I can't?!?"
Me: "I'm not an idiot, you know!  I can read a map, believe it or not!"
Brian: "Ok, fine.  Sorry.  But we need to go this way."
Me: "Fine."

Walking in silence.  No longer holding hands.

And there you have it, folks!  Proof that little things might be little, but they do in fact eventually add up.  The final result of tiny cumulative stressors.  Seemingly innocuous tiny pokes that eventually morph into a tiff.  They sneaked their way in...like those six extra cookies at a holiday party.  But who's counting.

Don't worry.  We worked out our grumpy moment and lived happily ever after for the rest of the weekend...eating and drinking our way through Portland, with a little NCAA basketball on the side :)

These little stressors, though, blow my mind every time I finally have the privilege of hindsight.  I'll think "I'm fine!  Thwart away, plans!  Can't rattle this one!"  And then they do.  And then I do.

And every time this happens, I am so thankful for the benediction we chose for our wedding that Brian Marsh so eloquently recited:  May all your expectations be frustrated.  May all your plans be thwarted.  And may you come to know the powerlessness and peaceful contentment of a child.  What can I say, it ain't always pretty, but it's a work in progress :)

Ripped Jeans & Ethereal Thoughts On A Cellist

For the past couple months I've become hyper-curious about the uniqueness of the people around me...moreso than my usual interest.

It all started when Brian and I joined our friend Shelly to go to the Eugene Symphony. Yes, Eugene has a symphony. Potheads AND culture, all in one! The best part about going to the Eugene symphony is that you can wear jeans, possibly even ripped jeans, and no one cares.

Anyway, besides my husband's affinity for classical music, which I accompany with a smile, but not near the level of enthusiasm, we also went to this particular performance because of a hot, young female cellist, Alisa Weilerstein. I had never heard of this girl (and I say girl, because she's younger than I am), and both Brian and Shelly were excited to see her play, so I went along with an agreeable shoulder shrug.

And the music was amazing.   

But I was struck more by the transformation of Alisa Weilerstein that anyone who was paying attention had to have noticed.  When she walked out onto the stage, carrying her cello, she looked like a young, beautiful, dressed-up musician.  Put the right dress on me, and I could've done the same thing...walk, don't trip over dress, carry large stringed instrument.  Check. 

But then, her bow hit the strings, and she asserted her uniqueness boldly - and in an instant.

I had been sitting in my usual posture at a symphony event...comfy, but also teetering on having to start holding back my yawns over the next hour if nothing changed. (Don't get me wrong, the Eugene Symphony is actually really good...this girl can only take a rationed amount of unrecognizable classical music at a time.)

But thankfully something did change!  Alisa happened.

She made me sit up, learn forward...and just watch.

In the moment that Alisa began playing, it was like she became someone else.  Or, she became herself.  I felt like I saw with my eyes and my heart, a woman who had come to know her God-given gift and was sharing it wholeheartedly in exactly the right space at exactly the right time.  

And all this makes me think...

...if it's not professional cello playing, what is it that arouses this transformation in the rest of us?  What is it that makes God sit up in Her chair and smile?

I know we can't all be professional cello players.  Or professional anythings, for that matter.  But I'd like to believe that God's got big plans for all of us crazy humans.  And that at some point in my own life, and in the lives of those around me, I might get to experience and witness what I saw in Alisa Weilerstein that night.  Whatever "it" was, made me say to Brian on the way to the car afterward, "Damn.  That girl was made to play the cello."

What is it inside you and me that could cause someone to stop and say, "Damn.  YOU are clearly made to do THAT."?  And how can we support others in the same quest?