Grumbles and Mutters

We were unhappily surprised to arrive at church almost half an hour early this morning (which we are supposed to do every Sunday, to allow T. plenty of time to get his robes on, but never manage) and find that the windows were darkened and there was a giant television set in the Sanctuary. Father Blanck told us that T.'s services would not be required because there was going to be an abbreviated service to fit in a movie on alcoholism and drug abuse as part of the service. We almost turned right around and went home, but we didn't make it to church last Sunday ('cause we were Camping), and I wanted to stay (and the kids wanted to go to Sunday School and eat cookies afterwards!). We weren't the only ones muttering in the pews as we read the bulletin about the movie (which a member of the congregation, I think only a summer resident, produced to be used in seminaries). We are Episcopalians, for goodness sake, and the most liberal church I've ever been to at that. We love everyone, cross-dressing gay alcoholic junkies included! Aside from a very audible remark about "a judgement from God" when there were some difficulties getting the tv to work, Ed mostly behaved himself during the very long and completely pointless movie (we learned that alcoholics and drug addicts just can't help themselves because they have a disease, and they need love, and it's not their fault -- for at least 40 minutes). Fortunately, the kids had a good time in Sunday School, and we got to chat with friends during coffee hour. At first, I ungenerously thought that Father Blanck was simply showing the film to butter up a rich congregant, but he later mentioned having an alcoholic brother, so I suppose it is a subject that he feels so strongly about that his judgement regarding what is appropriate during a worship service is impaired. Oh well.

We had a lovely afternoon. T. and K. played, and Ed and I hooked up both printers to my desktop in the back room (can I start calling it the school room before we start schooling in there?). My school planning program, Edu-track, is on the desktop, and I wanted to be able to print out daily schedules for next week. The ink in the color printer, which has been in a box for the past year, is totally dried up and we need new cartridges. There might have been some good way to store the cartridges to save them, if I had realized in advance how long it would be before the printer was unpacked, but of course I had no idea we would be so pokey. Anyway, things are hooked up, even if they don't all work, and now I am all organized for school tomorrow. My schedule looks so nice on paper (with darling little boxes to check off when assignments are complete!), but I can see that there is no way T. is going to get all that done. That's okay, I'll have fun re-doing the schedule!