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Friday 19 June 2009

Friday Five... Life is a verb

This week's Friday challenge from RevGalBlogPals site : Life is a verb...
From the book of that name.

1. What awakens you to the present moment?
The dulcet tones of Sarah Kennedy on Radio 2, Mon- Fri. The not-as-dulcet tones of DIY from my upstairs neighbour on weekends - although he is wonderful, I hasten to add!!

2. What are 5 things you see out your window right now?
I'm in the research lab, at my desk and the window to the outside world is never, ever cleaned by the university. 5 things perhaps a wee bit ambitious:

sunlight hitting the dust on the window;
styrofoam coffee cup on the window sill;
a smoking, mobile-phone using postgrad - owner of said coffee cup;
more smokers - kitchen staff from the Witchery across the road who use the wynd as a place for fag-breaks;
a tour bus on it's way back down the Royal Mile from having deposited tourists at the Castle [lab is tucked out of site about 50 yards from the Castle entrance];

Hmmm, it's not really inspiring, is it? We do get tour groups coming into the wynd to be told a story about the Covenanters and some random woman sings 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross' - this at about 3pm. It is rather odd to see tourists so excitedly taking photos in what is, essentially a dead end, small car park filled with cigarette butts....

3. Which verbs describe your experience of God? forget, remember, wonder, listen, chat, puzzle, [repeat cycle ad nauseum]

4.
From the book on p. 197:
Who were you when you were 13? Where did that kid go?
Grotty but nice junior high school kid who danced in her bedroom to ABBA and played copious amounts of tennis. She's in there somewhere, having travelled from Australia to Scotland with me... and ABBA is still occasionally danced to!

5.
From the book on p. 88:
If your work were the answer to a question, what would the question be?
What processes of restitution and reconcilation are found in Knox's Order of Excommunication, 1569, and am I losing the will to live and even care?

8 comments:

Joanna said...

Sounds like that 13 y/o is not far away!

Jan said...

I'm that much older than you that I never cared for ABBA, but like the picture of you still dancing to them. I could do that with the Stones or the Beatles.

I would not be living that question!!

Sue said...

Loved ABBA - we may have been 13 at the same time.

#5 made me laugh. I'm sure there is someone, somewhere who actually cares about Knox's Whatchamacallit. :)

altar ego said...

Ah, you're in Edinburgh, one of my favorite places on earth. (Any chance Clarinda's Tea Room is further down the Mile, near the Palace? I frequented it a loooong time ago!). It does sound like the 13 year-old did better than survive the cusp of the teen years. Kudos to you, and keep on dancing!

Muthah+ said...

Seminarian, get thee behind me! John Knox can't be THAT interesting!

Mary Beth said...

Great to read you, and I love your description of outside the window!

Jane said...

I love that question. thanks for this and great to meet you I'll come back and visit.

mid-life rookie said...

Thanks for the view from the other side of the pond even if it is through a dusty window. I was too insecure to dance, even in my room. Glad you still do.