CoodeIndigo

This time next week I'll be boarding a Turkish Airlines flight to Tel Aviv. Mild travel anxiety is starting to seep in. I haven't done much thinking about the things we'll see or do; I figure it'll all be good, plus we're generally at the mercy of the guides, so I'll just go along. Being with Johnny and Joe N and Judith, Jean and Gigi is the best thing -- what a great gift to share this time with them. I've been asked to participate in a panel on women peacemakers during the Pax Christi gathering, so I need to do some work to prepare for that.

It's rainy and chilly this evening, so I'm glad to be under my roof without a reason to venture outside again. Today was some face-stuffing: R & J's "cookie" party, though none of the delicious offerings were technically cookies, as far as I'm concerned. Squares of fudge are not cookies, for instance. But I ate plenty. MCL had a New Year's open house which was pleasant -- got to see some folks I rarely run into -- and the sweets were plentiful there too. NOW, NOW I start the sugar fast ...

Nothing like taking the first workday of the new year off. And I was so productive! Checked in at the YMCA about my swimming lessons (yes), deposited a check at the bank, picked up my fake synthroid, bought stamps and mailed cards and bills, and wrote a chatty letter to an old friend who is far away, and serendipitously ran into another acquaintance and made tentative plans for lunch in the near future. Bought some containers for my Christmas stuff, put said Christmas stuff away, and finished off the last three episodes of "Broadchurch." (Don't get me started.) AND made some good headway in Book of Ages. That is a Friday well spent, I'd say.

Nothing like starting off a year listening to Julie Andrews narrate "Great Performances" on PBS: "The Vienna Philharmonic, under the direction of Zubin Mehta, and the Vienna State Ballet celebrate the New Year at Vienna's Musikverein with a concert that features selections by the Strauss family." I've tossed the Christmas tree on the sidewalk, and dumped the ornaments on the futon for future sorting. I've finished off the last of the milk for cocoa, and have laundered towels and the tree "skirt." Upcoming events for this year: a trip to Haiti, swimming lessons!, lots of work for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, a pilgrimage to Palestine, and my 30th high school reunion. That only gets me through the beginning of June. I expect the second half of 2015 to be equally busy -- one thing will be the publication of Kimberly's book. Something to consider: Drawing classes? [Update as of Jan. 3: Drawing classes through the Smithsonian are SOLD OUT. ...

The Bruzzeze-Correa familia is here tonight; they will be here until Friday morning. These girls are just wonderful -- so adorable and funny and smart. Their parents are pretty great guests, too. Helene O'S spoke today at the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking; I wish everyone had the chance to hear her. It's just heartbreaking, terrible stuff -- the horrible things that poverty forces people to do. How can so many people believe that women are that expendable? How are we still stuck with this? ("We." As if I share these women's agony.) I gave Helene a ride from the USCCB to some State Department building on G Street, and tried to impress on her the critical situation of staffing in our office, though there's not much she can do about it.  I guess I just wanted to get it out of my system to someone in Maryknoll who might recognize the position that we are in: short staffed in a dire way. This afternoon I had this phone call wit...

Nora Ephron died today. I wasn't her biggest fan though I greatly appreciated her writing and her wit. What's up with the dearth of funny female screenwriters? Bizarre. Molly and I wrapped up some of her Polish pottery tonight -- man, I will really miss some of those bowls and cups. So pretty. So distinct. I hope they all make it to their final destination in good shape. Aaron from David G's campaign called me about petitions, and damn, I hadn't had Nicola sign her sheet yet. I called her, and she was at the pool with Susan. (Mmmph. Wish I'd been at the pool -- today was gorgeous. Truly lovely weather. Hotter than necessary but it was all just fine because there was very little humidity, so it felt like Los Angeles or something. So lovely.) Anywhoo, I told Nicola she needed to sign the sheet, and she said, "Oh, can't you just sign my name?" I said, "After all the crap going on with the DC council, it is not going to be MY fault if anything hap...

Well, I'm sure glad I wrote to Cathy D about the Bolivia visa before I went through the hoops to get one here. She told me I don't need to apply early for one since I won't be there more than 90 days, and she told me to indicate that I am a tourist when I arrive. Whew. That's a relief. One small task to not worry about anymore. One week left for Molly. She's prepped the boxes, gone through the closets, taken things out of the cupboard. It's possible that I am in denial. Not sure what this will feel like, though of course, soon after she's gone, I'll be in Bolivia for six weeks, so it probably won't sink in until the fall, and by then a lot of time will have passed. I regret how much time I've wasted -- well, I feel that about most of my life -- in the past few weeks. There is so much work to do at the office; the stupid new website is an evil thing and will mock me forever. I have to plow through NewsNotes ... I should see if I can figure...