Category Archives: travel

Jul4

Two Transylvanias

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Back from a month of travel and books!

My last blogs placed me in Brevard and Asheville, NC, visiting friends. Beautiful people, beautiful forests, waterfalls, and cool air. On Sunday morning of our visit, Jon and I walked about 4 blocks to the Unitarian Universalist church in Brevard. It’s called Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, a very descriptive name (trans + sylvania = through a wooded land).

In May of 1999 Jon and I made a more distant journey to Transylvania, formerly part of Hungary and now part of Romania.  Many of the people are historically Unitarian. They experienced a great deal of persecution for their religion and language. The irony is that the Unitarian King John Sigismund issued an Edict of Religious Toleration in 1568 – “The Edict of Torda (or Turda), also known as the Patent of Toleration (Act of Religious Tolerance and Freedom of Conscience), was an attempt by King John II Sigismund of Hungary to guarantee religious freedom in his realm. Specifically, it broadened previous grants (to Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists) to include the Unitarian Church, and allowed toleration (not legal guarantees) for other faiths” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Toleration)

Public schools do not teach Hungarian and no Hungarian is allowed in the public square on signs or in speech. Therefore the Unitarian churches keep Hungarian culture and language alive. Their motto, counter to Trinitarianism, is very simple: “God Is One.” In Hungarian it’s spelled Egy Az Isten and pronounced Edge Oz Eeshten. That simple yet profound declaration is posted over every church gate and in the sanctuary.

Our host in the city of Brassó (“Brasov” in Romanian) was the Rev. Sándor Máthé and his wife Sindike. They live next door to the magnificent church in a parsonage from which we could go directly down to the church in a driving rainstorm. Twelve children participated in catechism and Confirmation that day (11 boys and 1 girl!) and received as adult members in the faith. [Fun fact: they used Jon’s pen to sign the Membership Book.] The Unitarian Church in Eastern Europe is far different from this country’s. Its depths of history and tradition are inspirational.

A memory trip indeed! I’ll get back to my intended topic by and by . . . Happy Independence Day, wherever you live!

Jun4

Asheville, NC

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On the road from Brevard, NC, Jon and I drove about 30 miles and stopped again for a visit. Our friend Janelle moved to Asheville about a year ago and has been busily remodeling a lovely home in a historic district.

The city is much bigger than Brevard and has some bigger city problems like a lot of intersecting highways with signage that works perfectly if you already know which lane you should occupy!

Janelle lives within walking distance of downtown, but since it was raining we drove up the hill several blocks and walked from there. Lots of beautiful churches along with new development–restaurants, bars, an art museum. It was a Tuesday when the historic one-screen theater has movies at half price! After a quick snack of white asparagus we bought tickets to see Monsieur Lazhar. I had seen it at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin and was glad to have a chance to see it again!

This old theater still uses reels of film. Near the end, snap!

We waited for a while until the technician admitted defeat. The film was damaged beyond simple splicing. Too much of it would have been lost. After folks got passes for a free flick (and we gave ours to Janelle) a bunch of us went back in so I could give them a summary of the ending and answer questions! It’s a good movie, so see it if you can.

We spent the night, had some homemade granola and fruit for breakfast, and went on our way a little further toward home. Thanks, Janelle, for your gracious hospitality!

Here are some pictures, mostly of the house, but a few from downtown Asheville. In the store window you can see that not all North Carolinians voted to ban same sex marriage. In her front yard she has special plant protectors that are filled with water to keep the temperature stable as plants are taking root and to keep pests out–they crawl up the side and fall into the bladders filled with water. I had never seen them before.

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May22

Rockbrook Camp Memories

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Jon and I enjoyed a wonderful road trip to Brevard, North Carolina, to see our long-time friends Gayle and Gordon. Every day we stepped outside or drove a short distance and found beautiful places to walk and appreciate new trees and flowers.

Marco Trattoria, Brevard, NC

A long, long time ago I was a camp counselor at Rockbrook Camp for Girls, near Brevard. In fact, it is just 4 miles from Gordon and Gayle. When I browsed through Rockbrook’s website, I discovered that the 1921 founder Nancy Carrier was the great-granddaughter of the famous P.T. Barnum.

What a walk back in time!

I remember looking through job opportunities in a publication of some sort at Stephens College. It was near the end of my Freshman year. Since I had been a Girl Scout, a camper, and a counselor, it looked like a great way to spend a summer. Besides, I wouldn’t have to spend it at home! My parents drove me there

I was hired as a hiking counselor, so I took groups of girls on hikes every day and on 3-day or longer trips as well. One of the best destinations was Lake Toxaway, where we swam at the base of Toxaway Falls. So much fun!

Although there have been changes over the years, I could still remember various places–the dining hall, of course (we were there 3x/day) and the layout of the cabins.  It’s hard to believe that I still have the red sweater that was part of the uniform on Sundays and Spirit Nights (last night of camp). It was fun to rediscover lots of memories.

Rockbrook still offers crafts, horseback riding, archery, swimming, hiking, riflery, etc., on 200 acres. When I was there I got a sharpshooter certification during days off (in prone, kneeling, and standing positions). Girls under my supervision came for either 4 or 6 week sessions and a few of my campers stayed for multiple sessions. The girls are 6-16 years old, divided into Junior, Middler, and Senior Camps. They get to choose their activities and change them up every few days. A very rich experience.

I remember the time my boyfriend came for a visit on his motorcycle. I didn’t leave the camp, but I did persuade my hikers that they really wanted to do something else. (They were happy to cover for me.) Burton and I went hiking on our own and found a field of raspberries that were quite delicious. It was a wonderful afternoon–except that we were spotted on Castle Rock by the Camp Director. Oops! Not a huge amount of trouble, as I recall.

One girl named Denise gave me the honor of naming her donkey Trichel, my last name at the time. (“Trichel” rhymes with “Michelle”). She thought it was a pretty name and it was a way to remember each other. How many of YOU have had a donkey named for you?

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Apr27

Kairos / Chronos

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The close of my ministry with Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church is coming quickly. It boils down to a pastoral visit, a parable for the children, a sermon for the grownups, a farewell to and from all, and a walk through the building and through the labyrinth before turning in my keys.

I am a fortunate woman to have served this congregation for nearly nine years. That is a substantial chunk of time since my ordination nineteen years ago.

Chronos refers to time in ordinary terms, as in past, present, and future. It is measurable in nanoseconds and in geological eras. Events happen and recede into the past. We plan for the future and it’s here so quickly I often say, “The dates in your calendar are closer than they appear.”

In Greek mythology, Chronos is the personification of Time. Kairos has a different Greek meaning for time: the opportune moment. Typically something special happens at just that “right” moment in time.

In chronos terms, April 30 is my last day at Live Oak. I can look back over my time there and the history before then, and I can estimate with increasing certitude how the next few days will play out.

In terms of kairos, this is an opportune moment for nearly anything to transpire. Whenever there is a change in leadership the entire system shifts. Transitions begin with an ending, then go through a neutral zone of flux and possibility, and end with a beginning: something new and not entirely predictable. T.S. Eliot said it this way in The Four Quartets:

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.

I don’t think he meant that in absolute terms. “Where we start from” changes and if we land there again we land with different experiences, wisdom, and insight (or a new chance to learn the same lessons again).

My immediate plans are to travel. My husband Jon and I will take a road trip to see friends in North Carolina. We have both been working so hard that a break will be most welcome. Yesterday was our 15th (!) anniversary. Time on the road will give us a chance truly to catch up while leaving ordinary responsibilities behind. A second honeymoon! We’ll be back in time for me to preach in San Antonio–perhaps an antidote to the temptation to “run away from home.”

June will find me on a journey to Tokyo to visit my son Rob, his wife Lin, and Lin’s extended family. The only other time I visited Rob in Tokyo was in 2003, I believe, the first year he moved there. Who knew he would stay so long, teaching English, working as a messenger, and now computer programming? Who knew he would meet his Taiwanese wife because she wanted someone to climb Mt. Fuji with her? He has been back to the States a few times; I’m excited about my return trip.

Returning June 14 I’ll have just barely enough time to reset my biological clock, do some laundry, and repack to fly to Phoenix on the 17th. This trip will be for the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. We’re calling this one a “Justice General Assembly” to draw attention to our witness on comprehensive immigration reform. Where better than Arizona to raise our voices?

Those are chronos events, to be sure. The kairos comes in the possibility–no, the certainty–that my life will spin into a direction unknown. It won’t be Kansas any more, Toto! My ministry will form and reform as the months and moments occur. I am open to new possibilities.

I have such high hopes for Live Oak as well. Spinning a congregation in a new direction will also be inevitable, but it will likely be a little longer in duration. Have any of you noticed the speed of church? This transition will be rapid in congregational terms but terribly slow for the “early adopters.” I am so excited for their future. Since change is inevitable, let’s all make the best of it!

Be blessed, companions, as I have been blessed.

Feb19

Spiraling through Time and Space

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It’s weird. I am “hurtling” north on Interstate 35 yet it seems as though I’m going back in time.

Memory triggers for me included Bruceville-Eddy, home of Greene Family Camp where I studied world religions with students from 4 different seminaries; Lorena, where a friend used to live and we studied together; Waco, where I lived and worked for 3 1/2 years and have gone back as a Board workshop facilitator and as a consultant; Elm Mott, where a pair of sisters grew up and each became UU; Lake Whitney, where I know someone who used to be UU in membership but is still UU in practice.

I approached Dallas where I attended Perkins School of Theology and taught classes at First Unitarian-Dallas, then veered off toward Ft. Worth and Arlington, where I was a student minister. These were all places where I taught and served and learned ever so much. Memories of those I married, those I buried, those I blessed, and those I left behind.

Back in time. All these thoughts were mixed with the knowledge of leave-taking from my current ministry and with the personal growth and setbacks and losses and gains I’ve experienced over these years. Oh, the places I’ve been!

So I was moving forward and backward in time and space, watching 20-25 years pass before my eyes–not in a flash as is told regarding near-death experiences, but in slow motion. Visions included spirals up and down through multiple experiences and lessons I’ve had to learn more than once.

Weird, but wonderful to drive alone in a car listening over and over to Terri Hendrix, who sings, “Moon on the water, help me to rise.” In so-called “ordinary time” (if we’re lucky) there sometimes comes an unusual confluence of ideas and insights, opportunities and options. Oh, the places I’ll go!

All this has contributed to who I am today, for good or ill. I have gifts as well as blind spots. There have been times of trauma, challenge, conflict, and betrayal. There have been dreams come true, successes, triumphs, and joy. I am reminded of Bruce Findlow’s lyrics in hymn #128, Singing the Living Tradition:

“For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise; for all life is a gift which we are called to use to build the common good and make our own days glad.”

Dec22

Rob! Lin!

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Tonight’s the night Rob and Lin arrive! Decorating and cleaning are done, groceries are stowed, and there’s still time to chill before Jet Blue brings them from San Francisco to Austin. It has been very nice to be able to talk to them at will on the phone. Lin’s uncle had a prepaid phone for them to use. Yesterday they were at Alcatraz.

Plans are pretty loose so we’ll all just go with some kind of holiday / wedding flow. Second son Fred went shopping with me today to Costco and HEB. Plus, he donated a few things from his own refrigerator.

For Rob’s sentimental reasons, lunch on the day of the wedding will be at Golden Corral! Back during his high school days it was the only decent restaurant around. Not exactly as elegant as I would wish, but it’s not my party. I suppose when you live so far away, old memories trump usual preferences. We’ll have other chances to take them to restaurants of our choice.

Lin’s dress arrived about a week ago and it’s quite beautiful. Shoes, tiara, and veil accompany the whole lacy dress with its petticoats and medium length train. The lace, including lace straps, makes the most lasting impression. (No, she won’t wear it to Golden Corral–there will be plenty of time to change at the church.)

Question: if you were in Austin for just a few days, what would you do?

Jon and Fred and I will all troop out to the airport to meet them. Can’t wait!

Dec9

21 days and counting . . .

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Wedding 3 weeks from today! I reserved the sanctuary, kitchen, and two rooms for the bride and groom to get ready. This will be in Rob’s home church, Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church in The Woodlands, TX, on Dec. 30. His long-time friend Christina Branum-Martin will officiate. The church will still be decorated for Christmas, a lovely background for a wedding. My sister and her husband also married on Dec. 30 and I remember how pretty everything looked.

I called Bob Nugen, Rob’s dad this morning, and asked him to arrange lunch for about 15 close friends and family and to get some flowers–corsage, boutonniere, and bouquet. We marveled together that Rob would actually get married. We speculated on the chances of a grandchild someday.

Lunch before the wedding will substitute for a rehearsal dinner the night before. In the afternoon, guests will bring their own tasty beverages and snacks for noshing and remembering old times we’ve shared. The ceremony is planned for 5pm, followed by a reception. The movable party will then travel to Austin for New Year’s Eve weekend. Just a simple, happy occasion!

I put the Christmas tree up today and will continue with the decorating prior to Rob’s and Lin’s arrival on the 22nd. Rob is likely to remember many of the ornaments, including some made by his grandmother. Decorating will be more fun than it has been for years! Gifts will have to be small and packable  if they will make it back to Tokyo.

In just four weeks they will already have come and gone! 😦

Ten days can go by in a big hurry, especially when the time is divided between Houston and Austin. A lot of Rob’s friends will travel some distance to catch him when they can even if they can’t make it to the wedding. Memories will last much longer, so I’m making a point to remember this preparation time.

Nov22

Mother of the Groom

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My older son Rob has been living in Tokyo for almost 9 years. I visited him the first year, thinking I should hurry over there before he came back. But he stayed. He taught English at first; now he is a computer programmer.

The big news is that he married Rinko Hayashi (known as “Lin”) last summer. I have met Lin only through Skype. Her father is Brazilian and her mother Taiwanese. She and her siblings grew up in Rio until she was 10 and her parents divorced. Mom decided to relocate to Tokyo, where her sister was living. So Lin has a rather international perspective simply from life experience.

Lin wanted to climb Mt. Fuji and was looking for a companion to go with her. A mutual friend knew that Rob had made the climb and was the adventurous sort who would gladly go again. That’s how they met. He has always preferred adventure to security. He has been a risk-taker on numerous occasions–on skateboards, roller blades, bicycles, barefoot, etc., and has the scars to prove it!

Lin and Rob are coming to the States for Christmas and New Year’s! They want to have a “real” wedding ceremony and celebration so we’re trying to work out details among all the interested parties. Rob is so laid back he thinks everything will just fall into place. But he proposed New Year’s Eve for the wedding, when it’s hard to find reservations for anything and there are multiple competing interests. Should the wedding be in The Woodlands at his home church? Or should it be in Austin, where there are places to stay? Can we manage two places even though they’re 3 hours apart?

Questions, questions! Many couples take over a year to plan a wedding. I have officiated many, many weddings, but I’ve never been the mother of the groom. A colleague of mine and long-time friend of Rob’s will take care of the ceremony. I have to balance practical concerns with the dreams of simple elegance on a major holiday weekend. How much motherly advice is too much?

Lin wants to buy a dress after they get here–between Dec. 22 and 30–because they are so expensive in Japan. I will advise her to wear whatever makes her feel beautiful. Most of all I want her to feel welcome in this strange country of ours. Welcome to the family, Lin!

Oct6

Amtrak to Seattle

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Sept. 26, 2011

An early morning start in Vancouver, AB, to begin our journey home via Amtrak to Seattle. It saved some time that we had picked up our tickets the day prior when there was less of a crowd. The seats on the train are as comfy as first class on a plane and the scenery along the way is spectacular! So moist and green, unlike Austin where apparently temps are back to 100+ degrees. Sheesh!

Imagine a virtual tunnel of forest and lush undergrowth. We have crossed the wide Frasier River in Westminster and now we’re on an exclusive train path through the woods on a rainy day. Ah! And now suddenly a golf course. Even the paths look a bit like water hazards today. Trains are a great and cheap way to travel if they happen to connect to where you want to go. Free wifi, snacks available for purchase, and plenty of room to walk around.

On one such walk a young girl stood in the aisle. She showed me a small sign that says “Maggie is 3!” I stopped to congratulate her and wish her a Happy Birthday. Three years is a great accomplishment if you ask me! Children have learned so very much by that age (and so have their parents/guardians!)

Hmm, we are crossing a marsh and river, now forest and towns on one side and ocean on the other. There really is abundant water in some parts of the world. Here’s to the fishers, farmers and ranchers everywhere dependent on the uncertainties of weather.

Stopped for a while near the border. A Border Patrol agent will board the train and check passports and customs forms–actually I see 3 of them. No fruits or vegetables, please! A fast check, though, and we’re on our way.

Next stop, Bellingham, WA. About 20 people boarded and 1 debarked–gradually filling seats as we traveled south. It was nice to view sailboats in the harbor and a shipyard where a ship is under construction. Binoculars were handy for that sighting! We have stopped for a couple of passing trains as we switched tracks.

Brief stops at Mount Vernon and Stanwood stations. Along here we see a lot of farmland. Skies are overcast but the rain has lifted. Fall colors provide a beautiful background as we travel past farm houses, barns, crops, livestock, and orchards. Hay bales are wrapped in plastic and ready for winter storage.

We have crossed a drawbridge and under a highway bridge as we approach Everett. There’s a lumberyard with huge piles of wood chips, some reddish, others brown. Basic ingredients for plywood, I suspect. Next door are piles of granite in various sizes and a recycling center.

On to Edmonds then Seattle. We’ll take SeaTac light rail to our hotel near the airport, then try to connect with Jon’s daughter Alicia. All this plus some of my favorite iPod selections ranging from Andrea Bocelli, operatic tenor/baritone; to Iris DeMent, country western singer; to k.d.lang, blues singer. A delicious day indeed!

Next postings will be about towns and cities we visited. Stay tuned!

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Oct4

Captain Lars

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Sept. 24, 2011

We enjoyed an entertaining presentation by our esteemed Swedish captain, Lars Bengtsson,  who showed slides of the bridge, various crew members, and the most important piece of equipment: a coffee pot. He said if that machine malfunctions the crew takes it out on the passengers. He also surmised this was why 2-3 other ships’ captains bypassed Ketchikan, AK.

(Our Norwegian Pearl was the only one to dock in Ketchikan yesterday. Nice for us to have the town to ourselves. Shop keepers offered discounts up to 50% before closing for the season. The Ketichikan residents were probably relieved when the ship’s horn sounded at 6PM and the last ship of the season sailed away.)

Back to Captain Lars . . . The Pearl was built in Germany and launched in 2006. It took 4 weeks to load all the furnishings, linens, cutlery, pots, pans, dishes, etc etc. We saw pictures of the cockpit with all  the dials and gauges. He assured us they had figured out how to use at least 75% of them. A couple of large red buttons prepare the anchors to be dropped or raised. These have been encased with transparent covers ever since a cruise director leaned back against one by mistake, he claimed.

The enormous Pearl has diesel engines that can travel up to 25 knots/hour. It features “azipods” in which the propellers can rotate 360 degrees. That means it has the ability to maneuver in any direction including sideways–handy when going through the Panama Canal with just 1.5 feet of clearance on each side. The ship needs only 1 meter of depth below the keel for docking in places like Skagway at low tide. Some ports such as Cabo San Lucas are so deep that anchors can’t be used. Instead, tillers are set to hold steady automatically. Stabilizers extend on the sides when necessary, but normally they are housed within the hull–especially when docking!

Passenger capacity is 2394 based on double occupancy (an 1197-room hotel!). There are 12 restaurants, 11 bars, and a 2-lane bowling alley, a first among cruise ships. The whole beast weighs 93,000 pounds–38.8 pounds per passenger–or divided out, our average weight gain by the end of the week. . . . (actually, we were told that 8 pounds is an average weight gain…hmm, the weight of a good-sized newborn).

We saw photos of the laundry rooms with their huge washers, dryers, and pressing machines; the kitchens, including dishwashing area; trash all sorted, recycled, or incinerated; water desalinization and sewage treatment. The ship has the best water and sewage processing in the world: Water generally boils at 100 degrees Celsius but in a vacuum it boils at 60 and saves fuel; solid waste is dried and incinerated; liquids are purified and distilled to drinking level (and here we saw a photo of bottles of Evian water when he joked that they sold it back to us.) Even at this pure a state, U.S. law requires the addition of chlorine and minerals.

After Captain Lars, cruise director Julie Valeriote (from Canada) spoke about additional areas behind the scenes–crews’ quarters (single, double, or up to 6 crew members in a room with bunk beds, storage, desk space, and bath); dining areas, classrooms, and a pool in the bow for crew members only. Not many people used any of the pools this trip–too cold–but the hot tubs were popular. When the swells were high water sloshed out of the pools then back out the other side–very dramatic to watch.

On this last day at sea we will be traveling the Inside Passage all the way to Vancouver. Until about 3pm there will be large swells and most of us look slightly drunk as we walk around the ship. Because of weather conditions (hmm, or maybe a malfunctioning coffee pot) the captain made an executive decision  to skip Victoria. That was a bit disappointing, but overall this has been a wonderful journey. It was a luxury on many levels, including being “off the grid” for an entire week without cell phone or internet. (We could have purchased internet minutes but chose not to indulge. Retreat time!)

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