A quick trip to Pittsburgh

On Thursday afternoon I was able to break free of the task of preparing to move in order to drive to Pittsburgh. I wanted to make the trip because Kathleen Norris was lecturing at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, but that's only part of the reason. I also wanted to see Nathan. Nathan is a great friend of mine who helps me in ways too many to mention. He suffers through the first reading of almost all of my sermons, listening for problems, heresies, and anything else that might prove disastrous to the sermon itself (and me by extension!). He also has the task of knowing me well enough to ask me hard questions about who I am and where I spend my energy in life.

Nathan and his wife, Fara, proved to be gracious hosts. Thanks to Taylor for giving his bed away to the invader from the south!

On Friday morning I worked on my sermon at Affogato's, a coffee shop near Nathan's house. That place is a favorite of mine everytime I visit. It's the building with the "a" on it.

Then, on Friday afternoon, Nathan, Fara, and I went to hear Kathleen Norris. I wasn't sure what to expect from her. I've never been good at poetry. The truth is that sometimes I find it kind of pretentious and I was afraid that Norris would seem too "poetic" for me to appreciate.

Quite the opposite. Norris selected and read some fantastic poems and had a way of being down-to-earth and ethereal all at once. It's wonderful to watch and listen to someone who loves her craft and has the ability to share that love with those of us who are on the margins.

I said goodbye to Pittsburgh on Saturday morning and was home in Johnson City by 2:30. I immediately went to work on the house, trying to support all the work that had been done in my absence. Cindy and M had worked to make the house look great in preparation for the first showing for selling the house (that took place on Sunday). We put things in storage. We put down fresh mulch. We moved the firewood around the yard. You get the idea.

All-in-all, a great weekend: best friends, great poets, and 14 hours alone in a car to think (or not think), followed by a good day at Grandview on Sunday. Thanks to Cindy for managing the house and the move while I sped to and from Pittsburgh.