Random Thoughts on a Summer Solstice Morning

I've been trying to catch up with my grading, which means I'm feeling a bit more fragmented, for some reason.  Let me write a collection of thoughts, which may or may not be connected.

--Once each quarter, I need to get faculty contracts to HR, which is a much more complex process than you would expect.  It involves getting faculty to sign the contracts, scanning them, saving them to my file, uploading them to an HR site, and updating a log with some of the same information that's on the contract.  Last quarter, the copy machine that does the easiest scanning wasn't working, so this quarter, I got that scanning done early.  Yesterday, the HR site was down.

--While I was waiting for the site to be operational again, I submitted my full-length book manuscript to Sundress Publications.  I've admired that press for years, but never been able to figure out how to submit.  Yesterday, I didn't wait, even though the reading period lasts until August 15.  I just went ahead and sent the manuscript.  Here's information about submitting, if you're interested.

--It's one of those submissions that require a book purchase, which I prefer to a contest fee.

--As Wednesday night moved to Thursday morning, I woke up with a vision of a traveling arts person who would go from church to church creating interesting opportunities for parishes.  I woke up thinking about a bookmobile for churches, a van full of art supplies.  That vision kept returning to me yesterday.

--I think that many churches are open to creative experiences beyond the usual ones that involve music, but many of them don't have lay leadership (or staff leadership) with ideas about how to involve more of our creative capacities.

--Or maybe I just had that idea because I went to a Tuesday night meeting about the future of our church.  We have had an offer for some of our land, which would mean we'd build a new building in the back.  But what kind of building?  We had a brief discussion about the possibility of a food truck.

--I've been exhausted all week, sleeping a bit longer than is usual for me.  But this morning, I woke up as I was about to fall out of bed.  I never really got back to my apocalyptic dreams.

--Here we are at the longest day of the world:  summer solstice!  I don't have any pagan celebrations planned, but I do remember past solstice parties.  This year will be a bit more subdued with my spouse teaching his last meeting of his Friday class tonight.  But there will be burgers at work--time to empty the freezers where we've stored the 33 hamburger patties from a past open house.  And tonight, there will be some time with an old friend this evening while my spouse teaches.  If I make time for some reading, my day will contain some of the best elements of summer:  reading, cook outs, reconnecting!