It took the whole team

3/5

The day after. 

Anna and puppy come by. She’s been sick. And so missed worship and Bible study, which I tell her was postponed. As always she is spreading her mother hen wings out wide, with particular concern for Cara. Even if she may get some details wrong, the compassion, the feeling, the intention and most of the action is right. 

I’m very tense trying to figure out if I can leave for a meeting in Phoenix or not. A phone call tells me that the cost of changing a ticket is prohibitive. 

Jamie is hungry and ready for lunch. So we go to Popover’s, reviewing last night. We did well. We have a vision. We have a plan. We have a budget that seems to work. Survival, but it works. And a way to fund it. Even if not perfect, even if not what we want, it can work. We did well.

The point is, the hard work paid off. The point is it took the whole team, every person, had to do their own part. Mim, Jamie, Marsha, Ted, Arcadia, Hugo, Stephen. All. The advance work with decision makers, individual Presbytery trustees, key people, paid off. In the actual meeting, they became our advocates. And all that’s left is a run by presbytery’s chosen real estate people, which Jamie can handle, and the actual negotiation. We have reversed a narrative, opened a path. A big step. 

Preparation, presentation, practice....is everything.

Jamie and I meet with Martin. Go through the church. Thinking about options. Long term options. Can it work? We all clearly want to be partners in this  enterprise. We must  make it work.

RL sees things beginning to turn around. Piece by piece. Winning at least one battle. I tell him Zeljko would like to film some archives...video, pictures...RL's also got old posters. 

Shelley, one of those who have been a part of Dzieci, part of the healing circle comes in. His several projects she would like to do. Including a bamboo jacket dinner. It’s all about timing. And space.

Three visitors from Italy come in  to see the sanctuary. Bella, bella, they say. I give them the architectural/social history rap. The man of the trio translates. Stephen says we’ve got to get Zeljko to do a film of the tour so that we can out it online. And train docents. 

Jamie thinks it just might be possible for me to get away. Talk with Stephen about what needs to happen while I’m gone. Sandy relief. Zeljko’s film. Stephen too feels good about the meeting. I feel a combination of conflicting feelings. I almost cry when i see the patially revealed word on the chapel wall, ...blood....Will I ever see it all? But I’ll stay with feeling good about how we came off in the meeting. What we learned about team work and what it might mean for the future. 

David Michalek comes in to pick up his Fourteen Stations photos from our pigeon room. He's got a hazmat suit and a mask.  The Stations are headed for an exhibition at Yale. Jamie’s on her way back to talk with David.  What would it take to get David in the house, too?

Just enough time to race home and pack. Is there enough time to make the plane?