snow the 28th

How far is it from Harleysville to Souderton. Well, it's as far as from rain to snow. This is the same weather that postponed the World Series game in Philadelphia last night. Rain on Sumneytown Pike. Half snow in Franconia. Snow in Souderton.

I don't believe this--two inches of snow! What's the meaning? Were the Phillies doing too well? Is this to give us the motivation to get on with our Christmas planning? Is this to say Mother Nature will do what Mother Nature will do? Is this to get us in the spirit of All Souls Sunday this Sunday?

Where are the clues? Let's see--Souderton spelled backwards is "not red uos." Hmmm...not red us? A neighbor has a lawn sign up--if you're seeing red, vote blue. Nah. Nature is not political.

Sunday school not closed

Due to the delayed school opening in Souderton, we've got some children spending time now and then in the church office. So some of their toys get strewn about, such as these airplanes on the front counter. A lot of us in the Zion office have school-age children--Jenn, Scott, Hunter.

As a 4/7th non-resident of Souderton (I work here 3 days a week) I'm allowed to not take sides in the teacher/board negociations. Instead I can make observations.

--When you had children, who promised you there'd be a public school for them?

--What makes you think a few extra days at home wouldn't be good for your children?

--When your schedule is upset, what do your children see you do?

--You are your child's most effective teacher.

--Could Sunday schools see this as an opportunity to run 7 days a week?

--what is this compared to the Hurricane Ike and Katrina interruption of schedules?

changing wheels

People at Zion really care about how I'm getting along. They often ask about my drive--the 54 miles between Souderton and Leola.

So far, that Neon on the left has carried me without problems. Takes a lot of gas. Today I sold the Neon, thanks to a classified ad in the paper.

Enter--the Mazda on the right. That's my work horse now. It gets me 35.5 mpg.

This pic was taken right before I drove the Neon away for the sale at AAA. If you step outside my door, this is the sight you see. It's "rush hour" in Amish country and two cars are on the road just between me and my neighbor, Aaron and Sarah.

Got the Mazda from my son, Joel. He walks to work. Now that he's married, he and Stephanie are going to save money and do it with one car.

pineapple filling

My work is music and worship, granted. But such heavenly pursuits don't exempt me from eating.

Month after month marches by. The table surprises never let up. I'm talking here about the Table of Plenty (Zion's 3 times a week meal for the meal-less, marginalized) Easter meal/feast last Thursday. What a gastronomical highlight!

Specifically, I'm talking about pineapple filling. Everyone around the talke with me is like, yeah, that's pineapple filling. I'm like, you gotta be kidding! This recipe must have come from heaven by direct revelation.

Souderton is a very special culinary island of secret dishes.

10 or 15 mph?

The drive to work gives me a nice block of audio book time. I've gotten through Jimmy Carter's Christmas at Plains, and I'm mostly through a book about writing and the creative process.

The drive also helps me see America, at least one tiny slice of Pennsylvania. If I think there are so many ambiquities in church music and worship styles, the sharp turn on Ott Road, not far south after Gravel Pike, makes me chuckle.

Going south, approaching the carriage-narrow, tree-tight ninety degree turn, the sign warns me--15 miles an hour. I wouldn't surpass that by much. Yet on my way to Souderton, the sign on the other approach to the turn gives me a sour warning to not exceed 10 mph. I think that would be right, too.

How can they both be right? Maybe one way was determined by the township guy, the other by the PennDot experts. Maybe because the road is not level at that point. A descent would call for a slower turn.

What's this have to do with music after 4 p.m. after a hard day's work already, and an instrumental rehearsal at 5:30 and choir at 7:00?

It's kind of like hymns look different depending on which direction you're coming to them. Contemporary songs, same thing.