Weekly post

May 5, 2008

Dear friends,

I have gotten word that I should find out about financial aid from LTSS by the end of this week. The financial aid person said that the school had been implementing a new computer system, necessitating training. I expect there's never a good time for that. I hope that next week's post will be able to lede with good news!

On Friday evening, we enjoyed the div school's end-of-year banquet, which is always a treat. The entertainment was a parody of an emergent church worship service, with many guitars, video screen, entreaties from the lead guitarist, etc. The songs cleverly parodied faculty and graduates, and we laughed so hard my throat was raw the next day.

I got off lightly! One of the songs began with the lead guitarist riffing and singing, "Bare feet are so spiritual, yeah, they are so spiritual..." A line later in the song revealed, "Morning on First Street, Kevin lights a cigarette that smells like Woodard's feet...." Classmates were waving cell phones (the modern equivalent of waving lighters at concerts), taking pictures of the words on the screen, and we all hope that the group will release a bootleg CD soon.

Around the table we swapped denominational jokes, most unrepeatable, and enjoyed the food and fellowship. At the end of the evening, seniors presented "pass-downs." The student president passed down the gavel, the premier party-giver passed down his title, that sort of thing. I passed down a turtle necklace to a classmate who started with us but who is not at the finish line yet because of some personal issues and lately an illness that has kept her housebound much of the semester. I also passed down a pair of flip-flops to a student for the purpose of taking on the honorable tradition of thinking better while barefoot, and a dollhouse couch to another student, representing my official seat in the student lounge.

Our daughter received her first communion yesterday. It was a very special morning. The girls were all wearing white dresses and the boys were almost uniformly in navy blazers. Our son will be confirmed next month, so an exciting and proud time for both children and for us, of course.

Primary election day tomorrow. I will vote early, though not often, and bite my nails staying up way past my bedtime watching for results from North Carolina and Indiana. What an interesting primary season it's proving to be.

We had a scare last week. My mother had a dizzy spell and briefly passed out. She had an overnight stay in the hospital and many, many tests, which fortunately found not much. She's okay and has been given instructions on what to do if it happens again.

As of Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at 9 p.m., I have completed! my academic obligations! to Wake Forest University Divinity School! (That, folks, is how you bury the lede.) Exiting, I think, in decent style, I expect to finish with straight A's for this semester and am very pleased with how my senior project turned out. Graduation! Monday, May 19. Directions and instructions in the mail.

Grace and peace,
Beth
Beth