Mid February catch up
Well, we are back from the hundred and 193rd Annual Mississippi Episcopal Diocesan Council. It was a boring, eventful and fun weekend… and not always in that order. . Essentially it is a weekend-long business meeting. This year it was held in Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis.
We pulled out with our camper in the dark wee hours of Friday morning on our way to Tombigbee State Park in northern MS, about an hour south of Tennessee. Friday night after the 6pm kick-off service there was a wine and cheese event with some other finger foods available. That was a nice chance to sit and catch up with folks as we got to our campsite about 4:30pm and set up before heading into the fray. We were a tad hungry by the time the food showed up. We socialized for a bit then headed back to Camp to turn in for the night as we were due back at 8:30am Saturday.
Our mid-morning business session Saturday was interrupted by one of our alternate delegates having a cardiac issue at our table. After calling 911 and sending her via ambulance to the nearest hospital the business meeting resumed. I drove her husband to the hospital and sat until she was stabilized and he could join her in the room. She has since been discharged and returned home with medication changes and a slew of doctors appointments.
Shortly after I returned the meeting took a lunch break. We went into the Historic Downtown area to lunch at Kermit's Outlaw Kitchen. Service was a little slow, but we decided since the lunch break was late to begin with that. We could be late getting back to the meeting. Food was definitely worth the wait. A lively discussion ensued the second half and time flew by. . Finally, we wrapped up all the business until 2021 and called it an evening. We'd planned on stopping at the neon Pig due to rave reviews. But the last we were outvoted and ended up at the Amsterdam Deli & Beer. It did not disappoint even though it was not our first choice.
Sunday was actually church service with the bishop delivering the sermon. Pomp and all... I call it “smells and bells” since they use the thurible (old French from medieval Latin turibulum). That is the metal sensor suspended from chains that the lead altar person swings around with frankincense burning in it as everyone processes to the altar. I love that smell!
We didn't get to any of the Elvis related attractions. Monday was forecasted to be wet wet wet with training thunderstorms. We decided to return to the campsite during daylight hours to get everything packed up and the camper hitched and ready to pull out at OMG Monday morning. That left us what was left of Sunday afternoon to roam around. We decided to skip Elvis and headed for the Natchez Trace instead. We’d been on it previously (at the beginning) during a council a few years back when it was in the far Southwestern corner of Mississippi. Our goal is to eventually do all 444 miles of it.
Made the 7-hour (ish) trek back south in the aforementioned pouring rain. We even made it to our shopping spot in Hattiesburg then had lunch before continuing homeward. I haven't stopped since returning. All of my Monday things got bumped to Wednesday as I had to return to work on Tuesday. So Wednesday I was slammed… started my day at 7:30am and ended at 5pm. But all the errands and tasks for both days that were on the list have been completed. I feel pretty darn good about that.
Now I am due at the dentist in less than an hour. Argh. Have a blessed day!
We pulled out with our camper in the dark wee hours of Friday morning on our way to Tombigbee State Park in northern MS, about an hour south of Tennessee. Friday night after the 6pm kick-off service there was a wine and cheese event with some other finger foods available. That was a nice chance to sit and catch up with folks as we got to our campsite about 4:30pm and set up before heading into the fray. We were a tad hungry by the time the food showed up. We socialized for a bit then headed back to Camp to turn in for the night as we were due back at 8:30am Saturday.
Our mid-morning business session Saturday was interrupted by one of our alternate delegates having a cardiac issue at our table. After calling 911 and sending her via ambulance to the nearest hospital the business meeting resumed. I drove her husband to the hospital and sat until she was stabilized and he could join her in the room. She has since been discharged and returned home with medication changes and a slew of doctors appointments.
Shortly after I returned the meeting took a lunch break. We went into the Historic Downtown area to lunch at Kermit's Outlaw Kitchen. Service was a little slow, but we decided since the lunch break was late to begin with that. We could be late getting back to the meeting. Food was definitely worth the wait. A lively discussion ensued the second half and time flew by. . Finally, we wrapped up all the business until 2021 and called it an evening. We'd planned on stopping at the neon Pig due to rave reviews. But the last we were outvoted and ended up at the Amsterdam Deli & Beer. It did not disappoint even though it was not our first choice.
Sunday was actually church service with the bishop delivering the sermon. Pomp and all... I call it “smells and bells” since they use the thurible (old French from medieval Latin turibulum). That is the metal sensor suspended from chains that the lead altar person swings around with frankincense burning in it as everyone processes to the altar. I love that smell!
We didn't get to any of the Elvis related attractions. Monday was forecasted to be wet wet wet with training thunderstorms. We decided to return to the campsite during daylight hours to get everything packed up and the camper hitched and ready to pull out at OMG Monday morning. That left us what was left of Sunday afternoon to roam around. We decided to skip Elvis and headed for the Natchez Trace instead. We’d been on it previously (at the beginning) during a council a few years back when it was in the far Southwestern corner of Mississippi. Our goal is to eventually do all 444 miles of it.
Made the 7-hour (ish) trek back south in the aforementioned pouring rain. We even made it to our shopping spot in Hattiesburg then had lunch before continuing homeward. I haven't stopped since returning. All of my Monday things got bumped to Wednesday as I had to return to work on Tuesday. So Wednesday I was slammed… started my day at 7:30am and ended at 5pm. But all the errands and tasks for both days that were on the list have been completed. I feel pretty darn good about that.
Now I am due at the dentist in less than an hour. Argh. Have a blessed day!
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