What were you doing Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.?

I was watching the whole world change, right before my eyes. None of the rest of you knew it was happening, but I was there, so I got to see it. Every single one of us lives in a totally different world now than the one we all lived in at 9:29. Because at 9:30, Annalise Justine Miranda-Borrero joined us out here in the big bad world, and the world became bigger and less bad and totally new as a result.

Sure, babies get born every day. And it changes the world every time.

It's a sacrament, even if it happens in a hospital (or birthing center or home or heck, taxi cab for the unlucky ones) and not a church, with a doctor (or midwife or taxi cab driver) and not a priest. It's a sacrament because it's a moment where the distracting details of human existence as we've constructed it get swept away as the divine rushes in, that moment where a brand-new life becomes a part of human existence as it really is, underneath and behind and all through the distracting details. That first cry reminds us what our voices are really for. That first glance reminds us who we really are. That first grasp of the fingers makes the rest of our lives make sense in a way they never did before.

So...announcing the arrival of a whole new world, for all of you who weren't there to see it.

AAAAAAAAH!

Oh, I love being done with something. I love scratching an item off my to-do list. I love, love, love it.

So if there are those curious about my p.o.v. on the veil thing, feel free to inquire (or just wait and read the article in Leaven). I have now read more articles on those verses than any person ever should, and my own more or less idiosyncratic interpretation to throw into the mix. I don't think it's the last word on the subject or anything, and I have no clue whether Paul would recognize it as his intent. But I wasn't trying to mindread the dead guy, so that doesn't bug me too much.

So on to The Next Thing. Just one more thing to go until The Big Thing. Yup, The Dissertation. Wow, the day rapidly approaches when I shall find myself at the computer, coffee at hand, Word and Endnote open, and a blank screen will confront me with the state of my unreadiness to begin.

I'm hoping someday soon that we will have some pics of our new abode, especially Clare's room with the super-cool blue and yellow flags courtesy of Priscilla, to post as well as some views of the neighborhood and the Close (where Clare and I will be hanging out a lot--it is lovely!)

But for now, my first fun city anecdote: yesterday I went to the local grocery, Gristedes, to get the supplies for making Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream so that we could celebrate Brent's birthday properly. As I was walking back home, there was a guy outside a shop handing out free condoms. "Condoms?" he asked me. No thank you, I said--very nonchalantly given the fact that I was actually quite startled--and smiled at him because, you know, I am despite myself a Southern woman and we smile at everyone. He smiled back and gave me a quick up-and-down glance that left me thinking, now why did I think he was gay...just because this is Chelsea...

not quite done, done, done

Favorite things about the new place so far:

kitchen storage is awesome
can hear the church bells ringing this morning
sleeping in our own bed again at last
it's bigger than I thought
the bathroom isn't pink tile from floor to ceiling

Things that suck about moving:

where the hell is that thing I wanted a minute ago but can't remember what it is now?
Clare doesn't sleep well in her new space (yet)
I'm handicapped in the furniture arranging department
having to search in boxes for clean underwear
no more dishwasher (sigh)

Miraculous things about moving:

where did all these people come from? oh yeah, CCfB rocks!
nothing got broken
nothing got left (that we wanted to bring...)
cat's calming down even though Clare's still not napping
we're in New York City!

Joe, Tom, Gilda, Hilary & Jeremiah, & Lucas--you are all marvelous people with an amazing capacity for carrying way too many heavy boxes of books. I am so humbled and grateful that you would spend your day working so hard just to help us out!

Monday, 8/13:
*7:00 pm Mom and Dad arrive at Newark

Tuesday, 8/14:
*pack, pack, pack and clean, clean, clean

Wednesday, 8/15:
*load the truck, turn in keys
*stay at K & D's apt across the street because, now, we're homeless for 2 days

Thursday, 8/16:
*hang out in Princeton because we're suddenly not allowed to move in yet and do...what???
*maybe get the car cleaned and ready to sell?
*get Mom and Dad to NWK to fly to Nashville

Friday, 8/17:
*Brent drives truck into city, get a parking spot right after the street sweeper comes by (10:30am)
*I come later with Clare and the cat??? Or go with and someone hang out with Clare while we move? Or???

moving

Ah, moving. Something I've done at least every 4 years of my entire life, and usually more often than that. And yet, it never gets any easier. In fact, the older I get the harder it is. More stuff. More worries. More work. More anxiety about leaving the old place and wondering about the new.

I'm sad to be leaving Princeton, although I truly do look forward to having a bedroom and sleeping in our own bed again.

Expect more blog inactivity for the next couple of weeks as I'll be doing things like attempting to create order out of chaos...

veils, anyone?

So, would anyone like to tell me just how they make sense of 1 Corinthians 11:1-16?

Just wondering.