Posted by Brian March 19, 2008
While it’s slowed down a little bit lately, I’ve been doing some knitting. Here are my recent(ish) Finished Knitted Objects:
1. Toe Socks for David
David has a big list of “stuff Brian is supposed to knit for me.” Toe socks were the first thing on his list, so I made them for Christmas. The first socks I ever knit, and they had to have toes! Turned out to not be that hard, really. There was one freak-out moment when it came time to make the first toe, but a nice lady at the Yarn Mart sorted me out. David likes them, and I must say, I was really pleased with how they turned out. I can’t imagine wanting to wear them, though.
2. Regular Socks for me
No weird toe-gloves for me! These were fun to do, except that they took too long, because I had to cast on so many stitches to get around my stupidly wide feet. I like wearing them, though they fall down. All my socks do that, however. I blame my stupidly wide calves. But these seem to fall down a little more than most of my socks. Perhaps just a tad smaller next time. The toe looks really pointy in the picture, but it’s not pointy while being worn.
3. Baby Hat for I.H.
Baby hat made for a friend’s new baby. This one was actually kind of frustrating to knit. I blame the yarn. It was cotton, not nearly as stretchy as wool. Plus, it was my first time with color pattern knitting. Still, it turned out pretty cute, even with that wonkiness you can see in the right side of the picture. Please ignore the wonky diamonds. Thanks.
My current project is a jacket for David. You can see the prototype at Brooklyn Tweed, though I’m sure mine won’t be as beautiful as that one.
That is all.
Posted by Brian February 06, 2008
Recently, the Hillcrest Residents’ Association made me feel annoyed and guilty all at once.
A while ago, they left a letter in my mailbox. Basically, it said that they had some money and were going to plant some trees in the neighborhood. If I didn’t want a tree in my front yard (in the “public right of way” in between the road and the sidewalk), then I should give them a call and tell them. Otherwise, “enjoy your new tree!”
Well, I forgot to call them. So I walk out of my house on Saturday, and there are TWO trees out there.
I didn’t really want them. In my opinion, their placement did not add to the beauty of my house. So (with encouragement from David), I called the dude up.
He was not pleased. At all. But at least he didn’t fight me on it. He just sighed and said it would take a few days before they could come and get them.
Ugh. This whole episode made me feel icky inside. First of all, it is very annoying that they did this in an “opt-out” manner, instead of “opt-in”. Isn’t it their own fault for planting stuff in my yard without getting my permission first? On the other hand, I felt guilty for not calling them before they planted the trees, thus causing them the extra effort of coming back to get them out. Also, I feel guilty in another way: Am I wrong for not wanting those trees? Maybe I should want them.
Blah.
Anyway, I’m sure I’ve made an enemy of the HRA now. But the trees are gone. 
Posted by Brian January 11, 2008
David was wonderful enough to get me a Wii for Christmas.
Love it.
I’m about 1/4 of the way through Super Mario Galaxy, about 5% through Metroid 3, and am prepared to beat any of you at Tennis or Boxing, should you wish to come over and be defeated.
Wii would like to play.
Posted by Brian October 31, 2007
In the light, this Grim Reaper looks pretty terrible. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to use him. But not bad in the dark with a candle, eh?
While we were carving these, David said he thought this year’s pumpkins seemed different from last years. A different texture or something. I couldn’t tell a difference, but he insisted that it was due to last year’s pumpkins being “wild” (we got them from a farm, in a field with grass and vines), whereas this year’s came from a cardboard box at Kroger.
Last year
2005
Posted by Brian August 26, 2007
David and I have started geocaching. My friends Jeanette and Michael got me interested in it. Geocaching is a game in which you use a GPS receiver device to find caches that other people have hidden - throughout the world. There are lots of caches hidden in Little Rock, and so far, we’ve found 4 of them. Jeanette has found 681, and Michael has found 841!
It’s fun, and I can already tell that I’m in danger of becoming obsessed with it. David says it’s fun, too, but he also says, “It’s hot. And I’m all sweaty. Let’s go home.” At least, he said that while we were out searching for a well-hidden cache today. But then we kept looking for another half-hour.
Posted by Brian June 21, 2007
Prudence uses the litter box.
But she also uses the corner in the living room.
And the quilt lying piled up in the floor.
But then she will lie on my stomach and stretch out and meow and look so cute.
I must destroy her.
Later, maybe.
Posted by Brian June 19, 2007
I was eliminated in the first round on Saturday from the first annual Central Arkansas Adult Spelling Bee.
I could spell all the words which the other spellers were given, even into the third or fourth round. (Examples include “leisure” and “fajita”.) But I couldn’t spell the one they gave me.
I was robbed!
Posted by Brian June 14, 2007
So, Wilhelmina is a pretty, fuzzy yellow-orange charmer, who often won’t sit still for very long, because she wants to go bite or swat something.
Prudence was apparently the runt of the litter. She’s a dark tortoise-shell, shorter-haired cutey (ugly-but-cute) who mostly just likes to sit on your lap or shoulder.
Posted by Brian June 05, 2007
During the Eucharist on Pentecost, in the silence after the bishop said, “The gifts of God for the people of God,” a little girl in the back shouted “YAY!”
Everybody laughed.
Posted by Brian May 10, 2007
A long time ago (like a month), JTB asked Episcopalians who are former members of the Church of Christ to answer these questions:
- Why the Episcopal Church? Why not something closer to home–like Disciples of Christ, for instance? - Well, the first church I was a member of after the CofC was not an Episcopal one, but a Metropolitan Community Church. After I left there, I limited my options to churches which (a) celebrated Holy Communion every Sunday and (b) were gay friendly. It just doesn’t seem like I’ve been to church if there was no Eucharist. In Little Rock, this pretty much meant my options were Episcopal churches, and one of the Disciples congregations. I visited the Disciples church. They were nice, but they were also tiny. And I’d gotten a taste of liturgy in MCC. I visited Episcopal churches and fell in love with the liturgy.
- How many other churches did you check out before choosing the Episcopal Church as home? - After MCC, I actually did also visit an ELCA congregation. In another town, I totally could have ended up in the ELCA. But the Sunday I happened to visit this particular congregation, the sermon was a rant against the bishop for being too soft on the gays. My four or five gay friends and I who were visiting that day decided not to come back.
- What continuities do you see between the Episcopal Church and Churches of Christ? - Both churches emphasize baptism heavily (in different ways, obviously). Both churches tend to be really proud of themselves and a bit arrogant sometimes. Both churches have lots of great people in them who really want to follow Jesus.
- What was the last theological/doctrinal “hurdle” to overcome in joining the Episcopal Church? - I’m kind of freaked out by the Bishop Spong wing of the church. Though I don’t think that wing is as big as the detractors of the Episcopal Church make it out to be. It was weird at the beginning to go from being liberal-amongst-conservatives to conservative-amongst-liberals. I also occasionally have a twinge of uneasiness about infant baptism, though that really wasn’t a hurdle to joining.
- Aren’t vestments cool? - Totally. Love them! (Though not the ones KJS wore at her consecration. I hated those. I hope that doesn’t make me a bad person…) Also cool - incense. Though we never use it at St. Michael’s.
- How long have you been Episcopalian? Do you still maintain any CofC ties? Does your family pray for your salvation or are they cool with your Episcopalian-ness? - David and I were confirmed at Easter 3 years ago, I think. I don’t really have any CofC ties any more. I do still have friends who are CofC members. When I was growing up, my immediate family were not the sort of CofCers who fear for anyone’s salvation just because they aren’t members of the CofC. If they’re worried about my salvation, it’s probably for other reasons, not my Episcopalianism. Though I think my Dad is flirting with Christian universalism, anyway. I’m sure my family prays for my salvation in the wholeness/holiness/healthiness sense of the word, if not the get-out-of-hell sense of the word. Which is a good thing. Mom and Dad have come to church with me several times (both at St. Michael’s and at the MCC). I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my extended family does pray for my get-out-of-hell salvation.
- Have you met many other former CofCers? Why do you think so many turn to the Episcopal Church when they leave the CofC? - Yes, there are lots of them at St. Michael’s. I think a lot of people leave the CofC in despair of the legalism/New-Testament-as-rulebook and we’re-the-only-Christians attitudes they found there (not that all CofC congregations display those attitudes). If you just go by those two characteristics, the the Episcopal Church is pretty much the opposite of the Church of Christ. (Again, realizing that there are some ecumenical-minded CofC congregations. And some legalistic Episcopalians - though most of them are leaving for Nigeria, I think. (OK, yes, there are legalistic “liberal” Episcopalians, too.))
- Give us your vote–do we baptize Clare as an infant or not? (Not that sacraments are a matter of majority rule or anything…) - this one is tough for me. I think infant baptism is right in that it implies unconditional grace. But I think adult baptism is right in that it implies a definite commitment to be a disciple of Jesus. I can’t vote. I’ll probably still be struggling with this question if I ever have any kids.
