'Tis the season for Christmas parties, and birthday parties, and baby
showers, and we had all three on Friday night The teen group came to
the Manor for their annual Christmas bash complete with Yankee Swap.
We didn't see any of it though but only discovered the "casualties"
around the house later.  Some people think we're crazy to leave a
houseful of teenagers and their chaperones in the house without
supervising the event ourselves, but a few minor broken things is
often figured into the cost of ministry.  We had bigger fish to fry
Friday night.

Dennis Scott turned 50 last Friday and a gaggle of guests gathered at
his sprawling villa in Windham, New Hampshire to usher him into the
AARP.  I've been so fortunate to have people around me who can soften
my own emergence into a more mature age next Tuesday.  In fact, Dick
Wallace turns 50 this Sunday (12/12)!  For one more week, I am married
to a woman in her forties while she is married to a man in his
thirties.  I am taking the approach to 40 well, I think, despite what
some may think about my being 3000 miles from home on the big event.
I am not running away; but then again, most of you wouldn't have used
the word "mature" in reference to me, either.

We left Dennis' birthday bash in full swing, after swigging down his
Coke and picking at his candy dishes.  (Joy should not have made such
a wonderful dinner that evening with two parties to go to and
leftovers from a third just a few hours away!)  We then headed to the
home of Chris and Nina Chronopolous, where Joe and Heidi Farris were
showering their month-old daughter, Isabella.  Now, I thought this
baby shower was a mixed event; I thought our Sunday School was
supposed to be there.  However, when we walked in, Chris and Joe had
earlier removed themselves and I walked into an entire room of women
and girls. It was your regular, nearly-run-of-the-mill, ladies-only
("oh, isn't that adorable?") baby shower; the estrogen was almost
overpowering. After the shock and embarrasment subsided, I considered
how many men would have loved to be exactly where I was in the midst
of all those lovely women... not many, but *I* enjoyed myself.

On Saturday, Emily had a district teen council meeting in Nashua and I
dropped her off there before heading to my moonlighting job. I help
out Bill Rogers (not the famous runner, an old college chum of mine)
with a little documentation.  (I've squared it with my company and put
in a little time when I can, as I can.)  I planned on spending much of
Saturday writing an installation guide but had to interrupt my day and
return to pick up Emily at 12:15.  As luck would have it, I found her
at the buffet table and the leader of the event invited me to have
some (Boston Chicken) because there was plenty.  I was in the right
place at the right time... again!  Yes!

That evening all of us but Andrew had Cantata rehearsal.  Even Miranda
made the trip from college to do her part.  I got a little lost with
extra instructions; sometimes my brain buffer can only hold so much in
cache memory.  That's geek talk for "it didn't stick."  I also threw
in a few extra words into my part.  That surprised some choir members
who were following along in their books, and their surprise drew my
concentration away, so I know that I need to practice more this week.

                                *****
The Cantata is this Friday night 7:30 and Sunday evening 6:00 are the
Cantata time for those of you in the general vicinity.
                                *****

On Sunday, we spent a nice afternoon with Mark and Joyce Hamlin over
lasagna and some sort of death-by-chocolate pie.  It was great to put
our feet up, see Dave and Heather's wedding pictures, and enjoy each
other's company.  That evening after church, my family headed over to
the new residence of the Pape family. I had helped them pack their
moving van last Tuesday and Eric had asked if I'd come over and bless
their new home later on.  That was a honor I could not and would not
refuse.  We stood in a circle in their living room, held hands, and
asked God to bless all those who came through their door, those who
lived there and would minister to others, and the house itself as an
instrument of God's respite.

I arose earlier than usual on Monday because the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts had issued me a summons to appear in Cambridge court for
jury duty.  I took the North Billerica train to North Station,
neglecting to pay for my parking for the day; (an envelope was affixed
to my driver side window, awaiting my return).  Several government
employees tried valiantly to convince the assembled body that jury
service was a very rewarding experience.  But they could only say that
people would feel that way AFTER they'd served, not before.  

I was part of Panel 5, seat 16.  They usher you into a courtroom and
start calling your numbers from Panel 1, Seat 1 and progressing
sequentially until the jury box is full of approved members.  Often,
jurors are invited to leave the box (disqualified for one reason or
another), and the next number is read.  At the first empanelment, they
reached a full jury at Panel 5, seat 13 and my entire row, but for me
had emptied out.  That was a civil case against Amtrak about some
woman who died as the result of walking along train tracks because a
train hit her and threw her off a bridge to her death....at North
Billerica Station in 1992.  I don't know how impartial I could be
about someone walking along a commuter rail line, especially on a
bridge.

The second empanelment worried me more because the first empanelment
was estimated at taking the rest of the week, but the second
(involving a malpractice allegation against a doctor) was going to
finish on the following Monday - when I am scheduled to fly to
California).  I wasn't sure that my business flight plans would be
enough to be consider "substantial hardship" (and I have some friends
whose care under a physician I doubted) so I raised my hand with about
another 15% of the juror pool, intending to plead my case with the
judge.  

Time and numbers were on our side, though, because we were moving into
the lunch hour (1-2PM), so the judge and clerks decided to empanel
those who had NOT indicated a hardship, rather than listen to so many
whiners.  At the close of empanelment, the judge made some scolding
comments about the number of people who indicated hardship and that
she doubted so many of us would have qualified out of jury service.  I
was ready for a plea bargain for another date (and venue) for my civic
duty, if my several reasons were insufficient, but never got the
chance.  However, I was sincerely glad to have been passed over.  I'm
done for three years, at least, unless the judge has some kind of idea
of ordering the hardship cases back (but I doubt that will happen);
she seemed, well, unhappy with us.

I think all the Christmas shopping is done in the family, except for
me!!  And since Joy does all the kid shopping for me (remember, kids,
my name is on that present, too!), the pressure is on for me to find
that one or two special items for that One Special Woman in my life.
(Yes, Mom, you're special to me, too.)  I see that they sell live
lobsters at Logan airport... nah, she doesn't eat big bugs.  If you
want to help me with some real ideas, send them along!

Party hearty, folks, but get everything done before December 23, so
you can come to our Christmas at the Manor bash, which begins at 6:30.
Supervised children are welcome to come, too!  Hope to enjoy your
presence!

Mark