Sunday, May 30, 2010

Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches needs your help

Pride in Chicago is coming soon. Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches (CCWC) could sure use some help both with planning our parade entry, organizing for the entry, and in running the entry on the day of the parade. If you can help, please comment here or get in touch with me at annmarie@chicagowelcomingchurches.org

Here's an announcement for a work day from Brent. Again, you can reply here or email at the above address. Thanks all.

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Pride is quickly approaching and there are things to be organized for the parade to be a success. Next Saturday, June 5th at 2pm (advise if a later time is better) we will meet at the Coalition's storage locker,

Public Storage
5733 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660

We will be doing the following:
-Inventory of congregation signs for the parade
-Identifying any church that needs a sign and communicating directly with them
-Inventory of other materials for the parade
(to include nuts & bolts for signs, magnets for banners on van)
-Checklist review of items needed for parade day
-Planning who to invite to help with particular tasks
-Brainstorming additional ways to make our entry in the parade more effective (music? chants? vehicle?)

Monday, May 24, 2010

Angie

Today my mother would have turned 72 years old. In honour of her birthday, I drank lots of coffee. Yes, I was fully caffeinated all day. Coffee was her beverage of choice until she last went to the hospital. She liked it with powder creamer because it didn't cool the coffee. Only burning hot coffee would do. As much as I love my mother, today was an ice coffee day for me. Sorry Mom. I think she'd be okay with that. She would think me crazy ... but she'd be okay with that too.

Here are a few things my mom taught me.

If you can make something fun, do it. For instance, polishing a newly waxed floor is hard work. Instead, have the kids polish the floor by donning their feet with old socks and letting them skate their hearts out.

It isn't cheaper to use a coupon if you spend more money in gas going to that special story than the worth of the coupon.

Cheap jewelry needs more special care than expensive jewelry. This was her dying lesson to me. I didn't understand her very well at first. It might have been the morphine that she was on, but it was probably my ignorance of jewelry. Finally I understood ... don't wash your hands while wearing your costume jewelry.

Take naps

Read fun books

Continue to be amazed at wonderful things, even if they grow ordinary. Be amazed for your whole life. Have you seen hundreds of deer in the backyard? Has that grown ordinary? It shouldn't. Having deer roam about in your backyard is nothing short of amazing.

Be kind as often as you can. Avoid gossip.

Sniff out a garage sale. Buy from second hand stores.

Trust God.

******* Happy Birthday, Mom!