i just got my driver's permit! woohoo!

i can legally drive now.

Oh, and the song that everyone processed in to was the tune to the hymn "Thine is the Glory." While I realize that Handel wrote the piece a good long while before someone came up with the lyrics to the hymn, I don't think it will stop me from belting out next year as I process (because it's one of those songs that can only be belted):

Thine is the gloooory
Risen conq'ring Son
Endless is the Viiiict'ryyyyy
Thou o'er death hast woooon!

It's been a rather eventful weekend. Saturday evening, I attended a benefit concert featuring Oberlin students singing Broadway songs. I left at intermission, partially because I was tired and partially because a butchered rendition of The I Love You Song from Spelling Bee, a song near to my heart, left me disinclined to return.

On the way out to the show, I thought I saw what may have been alumni painting a rock. It said "Fear this!" and had "war" written in the middle. I thought that was pretty awesome if they were alumni. Then on the way back I saw that they hadn't been painting that, they'd been painting over it and it said "Many died for our freedom."

On Sunday, I got to sit on the stage in Warner Concert Hall for the entire Baccalaureate service in order to read four verses from Philippians. I felt a little silly. I read Philippians 1:3-5, and I was sad because I didn't get to read verse 6, which is something like "I am confident that the one who started a good work in you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ." I asked the Catholic chaplain why the reading didn't include verse 6, and she said "Let me see it and I bet I can figure out why." And then I realized it's because it drops the J-bomb (which, when dropped, by the way, does not explode but bursts into a puff of little flowers).

It seemed kind of silly to me that we were trying not to use the name Jesus when the service was so very clearly Christian. Rashid did read from the Qur'an to offer wisdom from a Muslim perspective on environmental issues, but that alone cannot make a service interfaith. The music was entirely jazz gospel hymns. Muslims never sing to worship God. They think it's a distraction. And have you ever been to a shabbat that picked out Christian gospel songs that didn't mention Jesus to use in their worship? It just seems like a bit of a useless pretense to avoid the name of Jesus.

Anyway, the music was great. Andy wrote some songs for it, but I honestly can't tell you how good they were because the performers and the guest vocalist could have made the Sesame Street theme sound great as jazz. In the excitement of the music, I think we totally skipped over Fred Lassen's closing prayer. He made up for it by doing a nice long invocation at commencement this morning.

After a two-hour nap following Baccalaureate, I proceeded to Steve and Mary's open house, where Heather KirkConnell told us about her work on Tent Watch. It was actually her job to sit in Wilder Bowl from midnight until 8 in the morning to make sure no one tried to steal the tent or, you know, light it on fire.

Sunday night was Illumination, which according to Steve Broadwell is the climax of the year for the town of Oberlin. They string up Japanese lanterns all over Tappan Square, and everyone comes out to mill around and listen to an orchestra and eat pie. He told me that it was the time when he gets to see all the people from high school that he really hoped he would never see again. It was pretty amazing, though I only made it through about twenty minutes before my body announced that it was time for bed. I've never seen my professors, classmates, and town friends all in the same place before. It never occurred to me that they all dwell in the same plane of existence, to be honest.

Sunday morning, I executed the plan that I'd plotted all week. At 8:00 in the morning, I tapped lightly on Stephen's door, then ran in and started jumping on his bed, shouting "STEPHEN! Wake up you silly sleepyhead! We're going to Candy Mountain. Candy Mountain, Stephen! It's a land of sweets, and joy...and joyness!"

I think he was really glad I did it. I then asked him if he enjoyed Illumination. He said he did, and he didn't see nearly as many people that he didn't want to see. He sounded disappointed.

I then went to the beginning of commencement, mostly to see everyone all dressed up, and especially the professors, in their academic regalia. I can only hope that I one day assume a profession that will allow me to wear a big, fancy, ridiculous robe. I saw one student who had a duck hat on underneath his motorboard. A professor I didn't recognize wore a pirate hat along with her academic robe. There were lots of pretty colors and fancy hats. I approved.

And then I drove back to Madison with my dad. I passed the time by reading him stories from David Sedaris' book, Me Talk Pretty One Day. I had to censor it a little. Some of the stories just aren't appropriate for parental ears.

And now I'm home. THE END.

happy pentecost!

besides christmas, i think pentecost is one of my favorite days at church. partly because we get to wear all red! and it's like a birthday party for the church! awesome!

what have i been doing lately? let's see.
there are some pictures on facebook documenting some of my activities, if you're interested.
i've been spending a lot of time in san francisco in various capacities. mostly eating, buying things and walking around. i've been to three different goodwills. i also got my cpr recertification which was long and tedious, but fortunately my friend hannah came to the same class so it was not as bad as it could have been. plus we found this palce with tasty organic and vegan soups for lunch. yesterday esther and i went to a park near her house and made a chalk mural celebrating the summer and some kids came over and helped us. i'll probably put pictures of that up soon too. that was way fun but i'm still getting sunburned despite liberal application of sunscreen. dumb skin.

in knitting news, the purple sweater is FINALLy officially finished, zipper and everything. i've finished the front pieces of the tmnt sweater, and am now starting the sleeves. i'm also hoping to make some hats for the camp staff auction before i head up there. but that's not for a while.

also, i'm getting my drivers permit on wednesday! (provided i pass the test). woo hoo!

~linden

I've been getting a healthy amount of sleep lately - I can tell because I've been having dreams. And I actually remembered one, somewhat, or at least part of it:

I was in Oberlin, still, and it was during reading period. I was in this building that was supposed to be Peters (it looked an awful lot like it and had languagey things in it), standing in an entryway, by some stairs, next to this person who in "real life" I knew was in 2nd year Russian (I don't know if this person actually exists), but was somehow in the other section of 102. Anyway, we saw our teacher, who had foofy curly hair, slightly Trelawney-ish (not a real Russian Dept. faculty member). She started talking to us. Then, (one of those weird dream transitions where I'm instantly somewhere else - kind of like electrons?) the three of us were in this computer lab that was on the east side of Peters, not actually in a separate room, but just a bunch of macs and desks over by a wall. And some potted plants. There were several rows of two computers each, and I think there were Russian students at all of them. The teacher was walking around them explaining things to us. I was in the computer in the back corner, next to the wall, and she came over and stood behind me. And all of a sudden - this is the exciting part - Linden came in and walked over, smiling, with her arms out, carrying my stuffed pig. Everything paused for a moment, and she handed Piggy to me, and I probably smiled. Then I woke up.

Hm.

On an entirely different note, this article was on the front page of the St. Paul Pioneer Press today. I think the swap registration is closed. Dang. Here is what it said:
KNIT IF YOU LOVE HARRY POTTER
The boy magician's tales inspire a community of tribute knitters
BY MOLLY MILLETT

Harry Potter fan Catherine Mandle is sure glad she's a knitter: Her knitting needles are helping her pass the time until "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is released July 21.

The Minneapolis Muggle has joined an online Hogwarts Sock Swap, in which knitters from around the world are knitting socks for each other that are inspired by author J.K. Rowling's magical series. They're part of a growing community of Harry Potter tribute knitters.

"We're knitting socks in preparation for Book 7," Mandle said. "Everyone is so excited. It's something to keep our hands busy while we wait."

Right about now, you might be thinking: Harry Potter? Knitting? Huh? But knitting references are woven throughout the series:

Molly Weasley, the mother of Harry's friend, Ron, gives hand-knit sweaters as Christmas gifts.

Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore enjoys reading Muggle knitting patterns.

Harry's friend, Hermione, knits hats for house elves.

In the movies, the characters wear lovely, hand-knit scarves, sweaters, socks and hats.

"Knitting is an ancient craft, and if you go back to a magical, historical environment like Hogwarts, it makes sense that you would find knitting and hand-knit things around," said Mandle, a 33-year-old stay-at-home mom.

The Harry Potter knitting niche began building slowly and has only recently exploded, thanks to the growing online knitting community. In the early years, knitters had to search hard to find published patterns. Some of the more dedicated crafters began designing Harry Potter tribute knits, especially the striped scarves and the oversized monogrammed sweaters featured in the movies.

"I was a knitter before I was a Harry Potter fan," said Alison Hansel, a popular knitting blogger and author of the new book, "Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter" (Wiley Publishing Co., $14.99). "But then I just happened to see the first two Harry Potter movies on cable TV. As a knitter, I really wanted to make those letter sweaters that Molly Weasley makes.

"I found a small site on the Internet that had posted images from the films and made suggestions about how certain sweaters were constructed. Then I found that one of the large yarn companies had published an 'official' pattern for the sweater. I bought it, and then that pattern went out of print, which is I why I wrote my version and put it on my Web site."

Hansel began to develop a reputation as a Harry Potter tribute knitter, especially because of her Harry Potter knit-alongs, in which knitters work on Harry Potter projects at the same time and share their patterns, progress and finished garments online. Her book, which was published May 7 and includes a number of projects from contributors, is already in its second printing.

"I went through all the Harry Potter books again and looked for knitting references, like the socks Dobby the house elf gave Harry for Christmas - one is green with broomsticks and the other is red with snitches," Hansel said. "From there, you have to come up with the details. I also searched the movies. For a Harry Potter fan, any excuse to reread the books or watch the movies is good."

Knitters don't just watch the movies - they study them.

"The knit items in the movie are really nicely made, and knitters will go back and pause scenes to see how the items are constructed," Hansel said.

Still, they're apparently hungry for more information. Locally, knitters asked about Hansel's book at yarn supply shops long before it was released. Yarn suppliers have been answering Harry Potter queries and stocking Harry Potter colors for years.

"When the first movie came out, it took yarn stores by surprise," said Karen Rumpza, owner of Needlework Unlimited of Linden Hills. "People would come in and say, 'I'm making a scarf like in Harry Potter - do you have this color or that color?'

"Now, they make a lot of other things, too. We just had a group of younger, college-age girls come in who were looking to make some sort of hat they saw Ron wear in the trailer for 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.' They want to wear it to the premiere."

The tribute knitters also make socks - there are Quidditch socks as well as different socks for the four Houses within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Wizardry - House sweaters, House mittens and more ornate projects, like the frilly housecoat that Molly Weasley wears.

Harry Potter projects and knitalongs are heating up along with the buzz for the July 13 opening of the fifth movie, "Order of the Phoenix," and the release of the seventh and final book a week later.

"The knitalongs all start cropping up when a book is about to be released or a new movie is coming out," Hansel said. "Folks want to wear their items to the premieres and parties. It's a way to show they are excited about the books ... It's this secret world that you can be a part of, even though you look like any other Muggle."

Randi Arnar, 36, of Excelsior, had been making Harry Potter-inspired clothing for her three kids when she recently discovered the Hogwarts Sock Swap while searching online for Harry Potter knitting patterns. In the swap, members are organized into Houses and then knit socks for an assigned pal, sending along their creations with other small gifts, such as knitting needles.

"I thought it was hilarious that there were other people out there who would think that this was fun," said Arnar. "I am now knitting the ugliest pair of black-and-yellow Hufflepuff socks for my pal, and I need to get them to her before the book comes out on July 21, because we all want to dress up in our geeky socks when we pick up our books."

Molly Millett can be reached at mollymillett@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5505.

It's currently pouring and sunny outside. I love Oberlin

Team Kamitsuka has expressed concern for my capacity to take care of myself (buy groceries, do laundry, etc) in my present condition. After talking it over with my parents, I've decided to go home for awhile. I'm sad to leave Oberlin. I feel much more isolated in Madison because my community there is so spread out. I like being able to walk over to people's houses when I'm in the mood for a visit.

I really hope I can be back in Oberlin in time to carpool to the Peace Conference, because Rita Nakashima Brock, a leading feminist theologian, is going to be there, and she's agreed to meet with me to discuss her work. Linden, she's the one I was talking to you about in the hospital, remember? My seminar papers both draw heavily on her work. It's an opportunity I really don't want to miss.

So I've decided to use this time to rest, recover, and become more Emo. Let me know if you have any advice.

I just received my new Oberlin College Religion Department T-shirt. Because of a minor puffy paint mishap, I have to add a phrase to the front of the T-shirt. It currently says "Oberlin College Religion", and underneath there's a row of various religious symbols. I need to put something underneath that. My current ideas are as follows:

Oberlin College Religion: It takes all kinds.
Oberlin College Religion: Hedge your bets. [or "Hedge your eternal bets."]
Oberlin College Religion: Glory be to Jeebus [kind of leaning against that one, as no one will understand]
Oberlin College Religion: Keeping your eternal bases covered.
Oberlin College Religion: Get your ya-yas any way you can get them.

I think I'm leaning towards "Hedge your bets."

Just for context, on the back of the T-shirt it says "Eff the ineffable." I plan to cross out the "in" to make it "Eff the effable," and then add a little addendum that says "Because if it can be expressed with words, it's probably not worth expressing at all."

I also made it home safely, though I guess I'm lucky: I had two days in the car to transition between Ohio and Minnesota, a much shorter distance than Ohio-California. I got home about 6 pm (central) on Saturday, got up in time for church on Sunday. It was lovely. I watched Borat and Shrek, and started a couple of books and a new knitting project.

Blaine has a lot of new developments these days. Every time I come home there are all sorts of new buildings. The best of all of the changes though, is the addition of a new restaurant on Highway 65:

Space Aliens Grill & Bar.

Apparently there's six of them, three in MN and three in ND. I hear the music isn't as sci-fi-y as one might expect. There was a complaint that, like many other bar & grill joints, they had baseball on. But, of course, we know that baseball has quite a bit to do with aliens. Perhaps they've done more research than the populace expects? I shall (hopefully) venture within and find the truth. Or at least a tasty meal. (They're well-known for their ribs?)

grace and peace,
Bethany

Hi friends!
Happy summer!
WOOOOOOOOO!

well, i made it home safely. i made it to the lct just in time, and was the only person on it, aside fromt the driver. and i made it to the plane somehow, dragging my overflowing carryons, including a plastic bag filled entirely with yarn. then i fell asleep. hooray for direct flights! pretty much i slept the whole time, just waking up when we started the descent. it was so relieving to see bay area city lights as the plane landed. i think told kathryn this yesterday, but it's so weird and disorienting to know that in a matter of a few hours i can travel most-way across the country and be in an entirely different place with entirely different people. in some ways, it's convenient, but in some ways i wish there was more time to transition. plane trips are a pretty lame way to transition.

so yeah. my larger checked bag exploded on the plane, but they were kind enough to duct tape it up for me. literally, the seams split. everything was poking out of the sides when it came down onto the baggage carousel. but whatever! i made it home! my brother is a crazy nutcase. we watched charlie the unicorn together and recited most of the lines. and woke up really early because i'm still on east coast type time. now i'm bumming around and listening to the new tori amos album and unpacking and reading and it's really great to have nothing to do.

love!
linden