Picture first: From a sidewalk in Victoria, BC. Something that made me smile.

Middle-sister sounded much better after adjusting to first week of chemo about a month ago. Have spoken with middle-sister regularly, and she is still active in her life, still creative (making beautiful, thoughtful, whimsical fine art), and fully expecting to come visit me for Christmas or New Year! It's a wonderful thing to work for, to live for, and to hope for. Hubby is working hard to make the house a welcoming home for a guest. I am so grateful for his support and his labor. If darling middle-sister is not able to fly here, I will visit her early in the new year. At least that is our plan for now. My nature loves having a plan.

It's been a God-wrestling kind of year for me. Finally, at the end of September, I felt ready to return to church. I just needed to worship with other beings. I need the Sabbath morning experience of stopping my usual routine, raising my voice in song, corporate confession, communion, and a short time of fellowship. Make no mistake--my wrestling continues, yet I am glad to be back to worship.

This week I read an interesting and well-written novel Blasphemy by Douglas J. Preston. I would say that one basic theme is God's next visit to earth—through a super computer—maybe. Though this God is all the usual omnis (omnipresent, omniscient ...), this God does not know deep into the future. It was a tantalizing blend of heresy and truth. Heresy for me: believing that science could replace (or should replace, or is it has replaced?) religion as the human place of worship. Truth for me: divisive categories keep us separate from the wholeness of creation. Connection is Godly--at least in my own experience.

This morning I realized I don't believe religion is so much about explaining the unexplainable, but religion is one place to learn to connect, to live in community, to drop expectations of perfection of self and others, to accept that we are not in control of our lives (though we can and should work to influence), to stop and appreciate, and to stop and consider. It is, when used rightly, a place to grow to full humble humanity.

[I say this carefully. Because growth and full humble humanity does not necessarily happen often. We have so many examples of bad religion. And I have seen so many examples of those who refuse to grow past their elementary level Sunday school teachings. Finally, I know many atheists that seem fully humbly human, and I can't see why they need religion.]

Now, the real reason for CalorieKing: doing fine with activity, not doing great with quality of food, but am doing okay with calorie counts. Weight is slowly creeping down. Which is fine. So maybe someday I will read my goal weight.

Peace and good connections to all who kindly visit here. -Otter