Jobs that need attention

Luke looking for fish in the pond

Sarah helping Grandpop fix the tire swing

Overnighting at The Homestead can be hard work

Morven and some memories courtesy a time capsule

So it's Thursday again. That means I get to spend my afternoon in Princeton. After last week's entry I received notes from a few friends I grew up with expressing how much fun it was to see pictures of the nice side of Jersey. So, I decided to show you what the two sphinx stationed behind the Princeton Monument actually guard. It is Morven, one of the most historic homes in New Jersey. The house was built in 1701, the original home of Richard Stockton whose son, (also named) Richard, signed the Declaration of Independence. Morven was used as headquarters by British General Cornwallis during the Battle of Princeton for a few days. As the war drew to a close, Morven was where members of the Continental Congress gathered to celebrate the signing of the peace treaty ending the war. (New Jersey has always known how to host a party!) After the war, Morven became the official executive residence of the New Jersey Governor until 1982.

How do I know all this? Well, for one thing, the info is available on plaques around the grounds. For another thing, I had a brochure stashed away in a box of memories labeled "Girl Scouts" that I rushed home to open this evening. (My evening student canceled so I came home a little on the early side and went almost straight to the cellar to get this box and see what I could find within)
The evidence reveals I first visited Morven 30 years ago yesterday! That's right, on May 5, 1980, I, along with several girls from my Girl Scout troop, including Ursula Urbielewicz, Kelli Johnson, and Lori LeVecchi were at Morven to be honored for earning our First Class Award. Also there that day (or at least listed in the booklet) was Lisa Correria, a high school classmate representing her troop from different middle school and (as the case was at the time) another council that was a part of our home town in Piscataway. In my memory, there were several other girls there, but obviously even though the event occurred on May 5th, the years that elapsed means it wasn't yesterday! I also found a black and white photograph of the girls from my troop who attended that day along with one of our troop leaders (Mrs. Serpico) but since we were in 8th grade at the time, I am not going to worry about scanning it and getting it posted to the blog this very minute.

I do remember walking around Princeton that day mostly because I wore a pair of pretty sandals I liked. The sandals were white and I wanted to wear them because they were as comfortable as they were pretty. But it was before Memorial Day and there were rules about wearing white shoes in those days. Actually, it is a rule I still abide by because of what happened that day. I defied my mother who reminded me of the rule and wore the sandals anyway, running out of the house and jumping in the backseat of the car to hide my feet before she got in the driver's seat to pull around the corner and pick up Lori. As planned, she didn't see my white shoes till we got lined up to board the charter bus that was pulling into the parking lot to pick up our troop. That's when it happened. I received one of those "mother looks" that said more than could be said if she used words. As I stepped off the curb and onto the bus, my ankle twisted, I fell, and my sandal strap broke! Mom shrugged and took some pity on me and during the ride down to P'ton, she tried to tie a knot into the sandal strap that could hold so I could manage to wear the sandal. I spent the day on a walking tour of Princeton limping along trying to favor that foot and sandal. While I cognitively know that my sandal just happened to break at that untimely moment, to this day, I can't wear white shoes or sandals before Memorial Day for fear of falling and doing something horrible to both my limbs and shoes! Taupe, bone and cream are all fine colored footwear for me from Sept-June, but white is o-u-t!

Also in the time capsule is a roster for Senior Troop 199. My mother and Mrs. Serpico are listed as the leaders that year....I am guessing our first or second year in high school. Beyond the girls listed above are my friends I associate with that day and the reason I can only wear white shoes between Memorial and Labor Day (as the fashion gods have deigned it to be so). They include Denise Hanus, Kyra Longshore, Lynne Perioli, and Cathy O'Hare (who had moved to Wycoff by that time). Tracey Byrne and Christine Dieckmann were also members of our Cadette troop a few years earlier. It's been fun to reconnect with you on facebook and see most of you over the last year or so as well as have the fond memories to help inspire this blog entry this evening!

Just enjoying what Mother Nature offers

Unless I was living in Kentucky,
I never had irises bloom before my birthday

But since I won't get lilies of the valley or lilacs this year,
I'll take Mother Nature's bouquet of irises instead!

Dinner with a theological celebrity

Tonight I had dinner with Margaret Miles. She's something of a theological celebrity and had lots of interesting things to share about revisioning historical theology during the Sprunt Lectures at Union-PSCE. Dinner was hosted by the seminary president for faculty, staff, and students which made for an intimate setting compared to the crowded sanctuary she commanded for her formal lectures. She took questions and comments from the audience and asked questions of her own to the seminary community and she challenged everyone in the process.

I've had dinner with other celebrities in the theological world before - but that was long before I started this blog - and many of those celebrities I consider to be friends and mentors beyond the professorial role through which I met them. Still, it was good to be at this dinner and be able to hear Margaret speak in person after reading some of her books for my comprehensive exams. It is nice to realize that theologians are first and foremost human - despite the celebrity status that many of them achieve within the church and/or the academy.

From Crossroads to Capital of Confederacy

Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia is an intriguing boulevard. Along both cobblestone and paved roads divided by a wide grass median, it invites persons to walk their dogs as they stroll or run along tree lined sidewalks past stately homes and impressive churches of historic architecture.

But what makes Monument Avenue, monumental is its statues dedicated to Richmond's favorite sons, whether native born or adopted. The majority of the statues commemorate Civil War generals and leaders who dedicated themselves to the Southern cause. Since Richmond was the Capital of the Confederacy, it is the logical place for a statue to Jefferson Davis, president of the short lived Confederacy. Despite its status as former capital during what can still be referred to as The War of Northern Aggression, many of my friends from states in the Deep South consider Virginia to be a "border state". Some of you think I am joking, but there are many of you that know different: since it is not a guarantee that you will automatically be served sweet tea in Richmond restaurants, you really aren't in The South.

The statue of General Lee faces south, which is code for the fact that Lee survived the war. Statues of men that face north were killed in battle or injuries sustained in battle. Since I took pictures from both the east and the west, I'll let you in on what each person's fate was.

Stonewall Jackson died from injuries sustained at Chancellorsville.

J.E.B. Stuart died in Richmond during battle

Maury is credited as being the Navigator of the Seas. He secured sea trade and harbor safety during the war between the states. His statue faces east towards the coast. Despite the fact that there is a statue dedicated to him, I've been told the Sons of the Confederacy do not march as far as his statue on what is known as Lee-Jackson-King Day, celebrated in January. Yes, the King I mention is Martin Luther King, slain Civil Rights leader of the 1960s. The federal holiday on the third Monday in January that is dedicated to MLK across the country is known locally as Lee-Jackson-King Day. Richmond may not be in the Deep South, but it still is the Capital of the Confederacy. But the irony does not end there.....

Just past the Maury statue to the west is the most incredible and inspirational statue dedicated to tennis great Arthur Ashe; a favorite, native son of Richmond. Both ironic and hopeful, Ashe's statue stands as testimony to what is possible, even in a city that celebrates its history as hotbed of the most divisive moment in American history. Ashe's statue was planned but not unveiled till after his death, and he understood the magnitude of its inclusion along an boulevard dedicated to Civil War leaders. He is depicted as inspiring city children to train and exercise both their mind and body. His statue faces west, significantly turning his back on the other statues stretched out behind him. He requested a biblical verse be inscribed in the bast of his statue. It speaks volumes, so I will end with the verse he selected:

Since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of witnesses
let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares us
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1

my bags aren't quite packed....

but I'll be ready to go in the morning. I'm not leaving on a jet plane, there's no worries about taxis blowing their horns. Unfortunately, I have an incredible headache from the heat, so there's a lack of ability on my part to get these verses right.

My Old Kentucky Home

I might be Jersey proud, but I confess to feeling a little homesick for Kentucky right now. I would just love to be there this weekend in particular. Not only is it Derby Day today, but last evening my friend Matt was ordained into the Anglican Church and on Monday my friend Josh has a milestone birthday. I talked with my friend Esther on the phone earlier today and I just wished I could have apperated or had a Tardis at my disposal to make a quick trip there and back all in one day to spend time with Mattie and Maria and Anthony and Alfred and...(I think you get the idea)

Actually, New Jersey and Kentucky have loads of similarities. While I lived in Kentucky, when people would find out I was from New Jersey they'd ask, "Have you ever seen country like this?" thinking I was from the concrete jungle. Then, swallowing every bit of Jersey attitude to keep from offending the folks, I'd say, "It is pretty, but not only is Jersey home to more thoroughbreds AND the Olympic Equestrian Training Ground (which is near my home church where Jacklyn Kennedy Onasis would ride her horse) but our horse fences are white". Honestly, I think the biggest shock I had driving into horse country in 1998 was discovering that most of the horse fences were coated in creosote making them appear almost black against the fields of Kentucky bluegrass.
Don't get me wrong, Central Kentucky IS gorgeous to drive through and soak up the landscape. And there are other subtle differences too - compared to Kentucky's thousands and thousands of acres of horse country, New Jersey's real estate dedicated to horse farms amounts to a postage stamp! You can literally drive for hours in the Kentucky country side on roads that rival the wildest roller coasters and see nothing but horse farms. If you drive that long in New Jersey seeing nothing but horse farms, you are probably driving your car to the mechanic's station.

The funny thing about the white rail fences here around The Homestead is that they are more likely to be enclosures for llamas, alpacas, and goats. No fooling. However, none of those animals wanted to be out in the ninety degree heat we are experiencing here today. But the two therapy horses down the road were out in their pasture (with their naturally weathered fence) and ready to pose for me when I drove by. I needed to go get some more necessary sugar for the Mint Juleps mom and I are fixing to have come post time. I'm including the recipe she and her sister got at Churchill Downs for Mint Juleps below if you want to mix one up before post time at 6:24 EST. And with a few notes from Andy (one of my adopted younger brothers) I've posted the recipe for the best cornbread ever from deSha's a great restaurant in downtown Lexington - so you can have it ready for next year's run for the roses - or any other meal you want to enjoy it with between now and then!

Kentucky Mint Julep

2 C granulated sugar
2 C sugar
handful freshly packed mint
crushed ice
Kentucky Bourbon

Bring sugar and water to a roiling boil. Cool and refrigerate in jar with a lid (submerse jar in an ice bath if you are determined to make them in the next hour) Take a sprig of mint, place in bottom of julep cup. Add crushed ice to top of glass and bruised mint leaves. Pour in syrup - leaving space to add 1 oz. of Kentucky bourbon. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a straw. ENJOY!

deSha's Cornbread
(with honey butter)

3 C self-rising cornbread
1/3 C sugar
6 eggs
1 1/2 C vegetable oil
3 C sour cream
2 2/3 C cream style corn

Combine first 6 ingredients in order listed and mix well. Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes (Andy's sidenote: always takes longer than that for me, like 50 minutes). Makes 12 squares of cornbread. (Another sidenote: at the restaurant, they always bring it out in a smaller, deeper pan, like a loaf of bread)
Honey butter:
Mix 1 1/4 cups softened butter with 1/2 cup honey and serve with warm cornbread