* Going out to go home early this afternoon, I saw something lying in the parking lot. At first I thought it was a bit of trim off a car, but as I got closer, I saw it was a wallet. Picked it up, could see there was a driver's license in it - so I figured I could either find the person or leave it with the secretary as lost and found. Turns out it was one of our grad students, whom I know slightly, and so as I headed in to ask the secretary if she knew where she was, I heard the student's voice and went down the hall - she was on the phone - I held out the wallet and said "is this yours?"
It was. She was apparently on the phone, I couldn't tell whether asking her husband to look for it or what. But she was relieved to get it back, I guess she didn't notice it falling out of her backpack or purseSo at least I helped someone today.
*Tonight was CWF. I made the "cowboy caviar" for it (basically: marinated black beans, ripe olives and onions chopped up and served on top of cream cheese with a chopped hard boiled egg on top). I guess people liked it - I know I like it but it makes too much for just me.
*But just before I left home, I sound something LOUD that I first feared was a branch coming down on my car (no) then I wondered if it was a car wreck (but I didn't hear sirens then). As I got down to the church I got a voicemail and text from the city: a train had derailed on the tracks about a half-mile east of me, and so several crossings were blocked. (I fretted a but, but there was no follow up "if you live in this radius, leave" and I'm not sure what I would have done had I not been able to get a hotel room)
Turns out it was the best possible outcome - none of the train employees (A couple engineers, I guess, I don't even know if freights have brakemen on them any more) were hurt, and it was "dry goods" on the train that were non-hazardous (so I don't know if it was like animal feed or what, but apparently if it spilled it wasn't an environmental hazard)
* At church, one of my fellow elders came up to me and pulled me aside and said "I want to ask you something" and I got nervous; we're all wondering when we run out of money and out of potential pulpit fillers and if we may have to shut down in the next year and I thought "oh no, here it comes, the 'do you think we should discuss this at Board Meeting'"
I was massively relieved to find out her worry was: the retired Episcopalian rector is filling the pulpit BUT his bishop did not give him permission to preside at the table, would I do it?
I mean, it's funny to me, as a lifelong Disciple of Christ - here I am, an unordained person with essentially no formal theological training (And a woman to boot, but I doubt that would matter to today's Episcopalians) and I can do this but apparently the ordained minister isn't permitted to. (Doctrinal differences can be a heck of a thing)
But of course I could do it. I've done it before. I've filled the pulpit before. I get that some people are uncomfortable with public speaking but man, this was the least of least things she could ask me to do. And like I said, relieved; sounds like they've got the pulpit filled for the rest of the year and into January.
I know the retired rector very slightly which probably increases my comfort at doing it. But yeah, I'm fine with it.
So anyway, I passed the rest of the evening in better cheer than I might have otherwise.
* Got my first syllabus written today; I plan to do the other two tomorrow. I had a lot of make up exam people today and had to get them graded.
* My frivolous Christmas gift to myself came today. Yes, it is another stuffed animal. I ordered from Stuffed Safari, who I've had good service from in the past.
A large (like, a foot and a half tall, seated) Fennec fox:
He was sold as "weighted," but it's not quite the "weighted for anxiety therapy" - more like plastic beads in the butt and feet so he sits upright.
His hangtag - he's from Aurora, the Snuggluv line -is in four languages and tonight I realized I had never known that "Zorro" meant "Fox" in Spanish. And I decided to take that as his name. He doesn't LOOK much like a "Zorro" but I like it for him.
* I also did get down to Denison Saturday, despite it being very foggy (and at one point I wondered if I should turn back, but at that point I was almost halfway there, and I would have had to have pulled off at an unfamiliar exit). I was seeking yarn for the Jollity shawl pattern I bought (A Louise Tilbrook pattern). I had thought that if Quixotic Fibers still had two skeins of their 2025 Christmas sockyarn - called "Mulled Wine," that would be a perfect colorway for it.
I was fortunate, they did:
I also got to see the (artificial, I'm quite sure it's hollow and on a frame) tree that they put up over the fountain at the Katy Depot:
I still have half a plan to drive to Farmersville on Friday and go to Yarn and You again.
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