Sunday, September 25, 2011
we make you kindly welcome...
... even ye googly-eyed folks!
It was a really nice morning. Wearing my sunglasses turned out to be just fine with everyone. They gave all the new members these lovely yellow roses right before the service. I added my son's goofy eyeball glasses to the pic to make me smile once I got them home. I told my mishap story enough this morning to sweet friends that I am finally beginning to be able to laugh about it. Turns out, other people have had similarly klutzy experiences, too.
This afternoon I am remembering all the many churches in my life's history: my kindergarten/confirmation/marriage church, my husband's growing-up church, our couple-first-beginning-to- grow-together-in-faith/Disciple/bible study/service/UMW/new baby/Companions in Christ/labyrinth/spiritual formation/always our Circle of Friends church, our Florida labyrinth church, and now our newest church home.
Our family is truly blessed with the memories of all our treasured friends we have met along this Spiritual Journey of Many Churches. And I think what I have come to understand is that it maybe matters not so much where you worship, but rather that you do so with humble people that you love who are simply seeking and sharing life together as they attempt to grow in their Faith as well.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
the cruelest month...
...is April as T.S. Eliot reminds me in the first line of The Waste Land.
However, for me, September is historically turning out to be pretty darn crappy.
On Wednesday, I managed to severely scratch my left cornea in a freak accident here in the house that I could likely never recreate in a million, gazillion years (though I will never try).
Essentially, it happened like this:
One hurried and harried and stressed-out "me" not paying attention as we were five minutes from needing to leave for car line + One crazy, over-scheduled morning of routine doctor's appointments + One school backpack on floor + One mom (me again) being super-controlling and deciding to rearrange contents of said backpack for one teenage son who never needed my help to rearrange anything at all in his backpack as it is his backpack (and not mine) + One very sharp and ominous corner of a tall dining room chair lurking right beside the backpack = A very dramatic and depressing morning/afternoon spent at the Eye Institute (via a brief stop at the OBGYN office, but seriously, that is TOTALLY a story for another day - you don't even want to know - and I am only now just able to laugh about it the tiniest bit. "Um, Mrs. Hansel, we all greatly appreciate that you take your annual exam and mammogram so seriously, but actually, Mrs. Hansel, we all really think that you need to go to the ER (or anywhere other than here) just as soon as possible. Yes, right now. Yes, please go. Now. Go.")
An older lady, also a patient, on her way out of the Eye Institute later that morning told us that I was very lucky.
"Do you know how lucky you are, young lady? Do you have any idea?"
She told my husband and me that the very same thing had happened to friend of hers, and they had to take her entire eyeball out. Took it right out, she said. Thanks nice lady. That was a super helpful thing to say to me at that very moment. I will always remember you for your compassionate choice of words and your impeccable sense of timing...
The Good News - my eyesight will most likely eventually be just fine. I am deeply, incredibly grateful beyond words at this news, and I am already better today. Now it just feels like sandpaper rolling around in my eyeball and not like a searing, hot knife anymore. This is very good.
The Bad News - I am a truly lousy, wimpy, whiny, and pitiful patient as those of you know who read all about my journey with my broken ankle at very nearly the same time last September...I can only work at my computer for tiny little bits of time due to my blurry vision which is making me VERY GRUMPY.
I look only slightly better than Rocky did when he pleaded in movie #1 during his fight with Apollo, "Cut me Mick," and tomorrow morning we are finally joining the church we have been visiting for nearly three years. I will be looking very mysterious and "Hollywood" in my dark sunglasses standing up in front of the entire congregation. I suppose people might whisper to each other - "You see that one, yes, that one, the one up there in the dark sunglasses? Boy, she really needs to be here in church. God love her."
And they are exactly right. I do.
However, for me, September is historically turning out to be pretty darn crappy.
On Wednesday, I managed to severely scratch my left cornea in a freak accident here in the house that I could likely never recreate in a million, gazillion years (though I will never try).
Essentially, it happened like this:
One hurried and harried and stressed-out "me" not paying attention as we were five minutes from needing to leave for car line + One crazy, over-scheduled morning of routine doctor's appointments + One school backpack on floor + One mom (me again) being super-controlling and deciding to rearrange contents of said backpack for one teenage son who never needed my help to rearrange anything at all in his backpack as it is his backpack (and not mine) + One very sharp and ominous corner of a tall dining room chair lurking right beside the backpack = A very dramatic and depressing morning/afternoon spent at the Eye Institute (via a brief stop at the OBGYN office, but seriously, that is TOTALLY a story for another day - you don't even want to know - and I am only now just able to laugh about it the tiniest bit. "Um, Mrs. Hansel, we all greatly appreciate that you take your annual exam and mammogram so seriously, but actually, Mrs. Hansel, we all really think that you need to go to the ER (or anywhere other than here) just as soon as possible. Yes, right now. Yes, please go. Now. Go.")
An older lady, also a patient, on her way out of the Eye Institute later that morning told us that I was very lucky.
"Do you know how lucky you are, young lady? Do you have any idea?"
She told my husband and me that the very same thing had happened to friend of hers, and they had to take her entire eyeball out. Took it right out, she said. Thanks nice lady. That was a super helpful thing to say to me at that very moment. I will always remember you for your compassionate choice of words and your impeccable sense of timing...
The Good News - my eyesight will most likely eventually be just fine. I am deeply, incredibly grateful beyond words at this news, and I am already better today. Now it just feels like sandpaper rolling around in my eyeball and not like a searing, hot knife anymore. This is very good.
The Bad News - I am a truly lousy, wimpy, whiny, and pitiful patient as those of you know who read all about my journey with my broken ankle at very nearly the same time last September...I can only work at my computer for tiny little bits of time due to my blurry vision which is making me VERY GRUMPY.
I look only slightly better than Rocky did when he pleaded in movie #1 during his fight with Apollo, "Cut me Mick," and tomorrow morning we are finally joining the church we have been visiting for nearly three years. I will be looking very mysterious and "Hollywood" in my dark sunglasses standing up in front of the entire congregation. I suppose people might whisper to each other - "You see that one, yes, that one, the one up there in the dark sunglasses? Boy, she really needs to be here in church. God love her."
And they are exactly right. I do.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
remembering a treasured friend
I love you, my sweet old boy,
me
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
words too beautiful to miss today...
http://www.scholaministries.org/scholaministries/mailings/911-Care-Giver.php
Here is Sister Kathleen's complete blog posting if you'd like to read it. It is a completely incredible account from a person who was there in NYC serving in ministry in the days and weeks immediately following the event. This just arrived in my email box, and I am speechless with its utter beauty...Love, Robin
Saturday, September 10, 2011
a prayer to share for this weekend
Words to the prayer and music both written (and performed) by our treasured friend, Kathleen Deignan, CND of Schola Ministries:
Here is the link: http://www.scholaministries.org/911/
You can also share this link as an e-card if you wish
To read Sister Kathleen's entire (and simply wonderful) article on Huffington Post, please visit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-deignan/decade-911-a-prayer_b_956600.html?ref=tw
Peace for your Path,
Robin
Here is the link: http://www.scholaministries.org/911/
You can also share this link as an e-card if you wish
To read Sister Kathleen's entire (and simply wonderful) article on Huffington Post, please visit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-deignan/decade-911-a-prayer_b_956600.html?ref=tw
Peace for your Path,
Robin
Thursday, September 8, 2011
the birthday of a marriage
Twenty-one years young today.
Happy Anniversary, Scott Hansel.
I love you,
Robin Hansel
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Robin's "Spiraling Back to Center" article just published in ADVANCE for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine
Sort of an exciting day for me :)
My latest article, "Spiraling Back to Center" just came out today. It is also available online on pages 15-18 if you'd like to read it via the direct link above. It will remain in the archives on www.advanceweb.com, too.
As always, thanks SO MUCH for all your support,
Robin
(And a special thanks to Brian Ferrie, Managing Editor of ADVANCE for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
FL Gov. Scott open to Glades drilling
FL Gov. Scott open to Glades drilling
no, No, NO!!!
Completely, utterly, TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE in absolutely EVERY WAY!!!!
life's a HOOT!
My brain is mush as I (once again) try to get it to learn something new...
Tonight? HootSuite.
(But it is pretty darn S-W-E-E-T)
Tonight? HootSuite.
(But it is pretty darn S-W-E-E-T)
Friday, September 2, 2011
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
I have never once listened to this song without getting goosebumps - not ever.
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