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Topics - Rev. Elizabeth
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346
« on: June 19, 2009, 01:24:05 PM »
I have never been much of a collector of things. Oh, I have a few stray pieces of depression glass, mostly because I originally had 4 gold pudding cups that my mother acquired as a gift for going to the movies during the depression, and I wanted a few more. For similar reasons I have some hammered aluminum--somehow my mother acquire a lovely --for hammered aluminum--hammered aluminum tray. When I was about 4 I had a shoe box filled with all sorts of treasures, and the only reason why I know this is because there is a photo of me next to my father, with this box of treasures beside me.
So, I'm not much of a collector of objects. One object I treasure though, is Sandino the Cricket. I had lost track of him, but while looking for something else, I came upon Sandino the Cricket. He is dry now; the green of the palm fronds has turned a dusty brown, but his cricketness is still apparant. His antennae are perky, and his cricket legs are still ready to spring. Sandino is 7 years old and is somewhat of a world traveller.
On one of my early visits to Nicaragua, the leader of the project I was visiting had taken us to a park built on the remains of Somoza's palace in Managua; the palace wherein he kept wild animals to feed prisoners to. Anyway. Atop this gruesome foundation stands an immense metal silhouette of Agusto Sandino, a revered leader in Nicaraguan history. As we stood around and Michael, the leader, spoke to us, a bouyand little boy dressed in worn, ill-fitting clothes shredded flipflops came dancing over to us. With an engaging smile he spoke to Michael in energetic Spanish. In his hands he held several crickets and rosettes intricately made from palm fronds, a bundle of which he had with him. The little boy wanted us to purchase the crickets. He and Michael chatted amiably and soon Sue Wright, Patti Smith, and I were the proud owners of palm frond crickets. In honor of the location, I named mine Sandino.
It is a treasure, and I would be saddened if I lost it. I can still see that little boy's upturned face; I can still see Michael smiling down at him; talking kindly to him. I am quite aware of the circumstances of his life: a home of two rooms, perhaps, with a metal roof and a dirt floor; a mother who struggles everyday to put rice and beans on the table; little opportunity to be educated ( it costs money to go to public school, and one must wear a uniform); a future with little hope.
This little boy with the winning ways, who couldn't have been more than 11, was selling crickets he had made in order to earn a few pesos for himself, or perhaps his family. Did he dance off and buy an ice cream from a street vendor? Did he bring the money home to his mother, who would have probably sent him out to buy a few corn tortillas from someone who made them in her home? I will never know, just like I will never know how this child's life will turn out. I hope his spirit isn't beaten down by the circumstances of his life. I hope someone, somewhere, is taken by his spirit and helps him to a better life.
Sandino the Cricket is a reminder. It reminds me that around the corner and the world there are children filled with the glee and delight that all children have, but not all those children have the opportunity to grow up with enough food, enough education, enough peace to live meaningful and purposeful lives. It reminds me that all children, everywhere, are the future of our world.
The prayer of the Breton fishermen, (which M. W. Edelman uses for the Children's Defense Fund) says."O, God Thy Sea Is So Great And My Boat Is So Small. " All of us, in some way, large or small, need to help all our children, everywhere, navigate that great sea of life, so their small boats bring them to maturity in healthy and meaningful ways.
347
« on: June 16, 2009, 06:03:50 AM »
I lay still and listened. It was 4:30. Two chickadees, their voices high and thin and wistful, called, teech--ur, teech--ur. Sometimes their voices carolled together; sometimes one voice was two or three measures behind the other. On and on they went, singing, calling, filling the still, cool air with the plaintive sounds of their voices. Morning was breaking. Fog was lifting off the river, and sunlight was breaking through the clouds sitting atop the mountain and slanting through the windows.
"What is so rare as a day in June?" the poet ( James Russell Lowell) wrote. Indeed, this day is promising to be a day of great beauty and delight. A day we, who have weathered late frosts and torrential rains, have yearned for.
My good friend Ralph Ellsworth, who would bring me the fruits of the season: maple syrup in March, strawberries in late June, apples in early October, used to tell me," life is uncertain,"-- and he said this with wisdom, rather than cynicism. That is not a sentiment I would have paid much heed to when I was 20, but now I think about it considerably, with neither despair nor resignation. Life is uncertain, indeed. But, each day is a gift, regardless of what we might encounter through its course. As the psalmist wrote, This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
348
« on: June 14, 2009, 07:20:53 PM »
Well, today I have decided to enter the 21st century and write an occasional blog on matters of heart and soul. Please be patient with me as I learn how to navigate my way through all this.
349
« on: June 10, 2009, 11:33:32 AM »
For a recent event, the 6th grade classes at BFA charged 'a nonperishable food item' as admission. All they collected was donated to our local food shelf!
Thank you to every single person who participated and contributed to the food shelf!
We appreciate your support and your thoughtfulness.
Rev. Elizabeth and Dot Root.
350
« on: June 05, 2009, 07:34:32 AM »
Many thanks to all vendors who participated in the Flea Market at the Morins and generously contributed to our local Fairfax food shelf , which is open the first two Wednesdays of the month from 9-12 at the united church We appreciate your support!
Rev. Elizabeth and Dot Root.
351
« on: May 30, 2009, 12:20:27 PM »
Yes, Tuesday is the first Tuesday of the month so there will be a luncheon at the FireStation at noon. If you are not techinically a 'senior' you are welcome to join the feast of course, but the meal will cost $5 instead of $4. And it is still a bargain....
352
« on: May 27, 2009, 05:52:54 PM »
Bruce Meserve, formerly of Fairfax, who taught mathematics at UVM for 19 years, and wrote many textbooks on mathematics, died November 14 2008.
He was active in the Fairfax community, having been a member of the Masons and Eastern Star. He had many fond memories of his Fairfax home and friends
Interment will take place on June 7 at 2 PM in Sandersons Corners Cemetery on Fletcher Road in Fairfax.
His second wife, Dorothy Meserve, predeceased him in 2004 and he will be buried alongside her. Friends are welcome to attend the service.
353
« on: May 23, 2009, 11:33:10 AM »
Could anyone explain what makes a creemee a creemee and not just regular soft-serve ice cream? Or are they the same thing and 'cremee' is just a good old Vermont name?
354
« on: March 06, 2009, 08:42:37 AM »
It was an extraordinary day . Endless sunshine, temperaturess that rose steadily during the day to 30 degrees, well-groomed challenging courses, much of which were open to spectators, and the best field of young skiers the state of Vermont can provide.
It was an excellent day for Fairfax skiers as well. Our boys team regrouped impressively from Monday's disappointing showing at the first half of the state meet. We had four skiers in the top 25, but more importantly, found some much-needed confidence. This time around, we skied aggressively, looking to make positive things happen rather than hoping something good would fall our way. Once again Kyle Bochanski led the men's team with an impressive 4th, and looked good doing it. Dustin Hayes came in 10th, followed closely by Zach Bochanski. Simon Mann-Gow rebounded from a poor race on Monday with much-improved effort, and as a team, we were on our way.
I could sense from watching the boys test wax and talk prior to the relay that they were focused and ready to perform. At time like this the best a coach can do is do nothing-- smile, give words of encouragement and take a step back. They took charge of their fate, had a sensational relay, leaping past the five of the seven teams they trailed after Monday to finish second in the D-2 relay. Their effort boosted them two places to fifth-- not where we saw ourselves ending up prior to the State Meets-- but nonetheless making statement. Our boys team knows now they can be a force next year.
I could not be more proud of our girl's team. We came into today's races knowing that we had possibly over-achieved at Trapps in Monday's race. No one, including their coach, thought they would be in second place after the skate races. Instead of folding the girls took a narrow lead over Harwood and expanded it. They were dialed in beautifully on what they had to do. Shannon Kane and Mattie Hayes kept their heads up and skis pointed down the trail. They had strong, determined races, and Michelle Ambrisco was in her element skiing classical. Captains Larisa Marco and Katie Wells tucked in behind Michelle and we extended our lead. Their relay was a thing of beauty. Each girls went all out and built on our lead over other D-2 schools. By the end of the day we showed Monday was no fluke. These girls earned their Finalist trophy!
We return all scoring State Meet skiers next season. I'm inclined to think that Thursday's races were not an ending but a beginning. The BFA Fairfax Nordic Ski Team is coached by Fred Griffin, Cheri Audet, and Tom Pfeiffer.
355
« on: February 16, 2009, 05:07:18 PM »
Quite by chance, I have come upon a very pretty site that might be of interest to anyone who loves elegant, hand made collectible stuffed bears. It is www.heartseasebears.com. And, the owner/creator of these beautiful bears lives right here in Fairfax! A great chance discovery.
356
« on: February 02, 2009, 06:18:53 PM »
On Feb 2, 2009, at 6:10 PM, Fred Griffin wrote:
Th BFA Fairfax Nordic Team held its third annual Skiathon at Craftsbury Nordic Center on Sunday 2/1.The weather paved the way for the Fairfax squad to push to themselves to their limits, as the day started out in the single numbers but gradually warmed to the low twenties by midday.
"I can't thanks the folks at Craftsbury enough for letting us ski at no charge-- and for grooming over a 100 kilometers for us to play on."
The Fairfax team was on the snow from 8:45 until 3:00 with a half hour lunch to re-group.
"The kids were excited. No motivational talks were required. They were focused on exhausting themselves in the process of skiing as many kilometers as they could. It has become a matter of pride."
. The event is a fundraiser for the Fairfax team but much more. Coach Fred Griffin said, "Over the past three years the Skiathon has been vital to our program in providing money for a matching equipment grant we secured from NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association), buying waxing tables for our growing program, and filling in with waxes we need over the long season. But the real value of the Skiathon is that it brings our team together for a single goal: to ski as far as we can in one day."
"Every good team develops traditions and this has become central to us. We want to thank everyone who contributed to this year's event. It is a good cause, and we appreciate your support
KILOMETERS
Zach Bochanski
58
Kyle Bochanski
. 58
Dustin Hayes
. 52
Simon Mann-Gow
. 43
Grayson Crounse
... 53
Kody White
... 43
Brad Stanley
.. 43
Eric Newbury
55
Chris Hogan
.. 44
Ethan Farmer
52
Daniel Lawrence
.. 50
Anders Newbury
.. 55
Joseph Gregoire
40
Daniel Ross
.. 40
Patrick Bigelow
43
Rory McLaren
... 38
Shannon Kane
. 49
Michelle Ambrisco
.. 43
Mattie Hayes
40
Larisa Marco
43
Jenn Chamberlin
.. 43
Kate Wells
43
Hannah Filiberti
35
Heather Peatman
.. 48
Molly Hogan
.................................................... 35
Sheilagh Smith
. 38
Brooke Benoit
.. 40
Anne Guerin
. 35
Emily Woodward
. 33
Marie Aja
.. 38
Jordan King
.. 40
Liz Adams
35
Ellen Fitzgerald
38
Alyssa Benoit
35
Leah Stanley
.. 25
Naomi Cunningham
. 31
Emily Filiberti
.. 25
Lyla OBrien
25
Margaret Fitzgerald
. 25
Austin Glover
... 33
Oakley Crounse
35
Fred Griffin
. 51
Cheri Audet
. 52
Tom Pfieffer
50
357
« on: January 08, 2009, 06:57:57 PM »
As the first semester at BFA Fairfax comes to an end, some English classes participated in the annual Poetry Out Loud competition. This is the third year that these competitions have been held at BFA. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest involving over 300,000 students. Students are required to memorize 2 poems from a collection of over 500 provided by Poetry Out Loud foundation. They then present these poems in a way that is both meaningful and evocative and conveys both the ideas and emotions of the poem.
Winners of the classroom competitions at Fairfax will meet in the first week in February to select a school champion who will compete in March against other school winners from across Vermont for the state title. Winners from fifty states match up in Washington in early May to vie for the national championship.
Classroom winners in Fairfax were sophomores Dylan Santor and Thomas Tabor, juniors, Elizabeth Underwood and Megan Kane, and senior Mare Aja and Sheleigh Smith.
For the two previous years Sheleigh Smith represented BFA at the state competition. Last year she was a finalist.
Rev. Elizabeth
I have had the privilege of judging these competitions and it is a delight to watch the young people present their poems. The hard work is evident in how they communicate the spirit of the poem through theirrecititation.
358
« on: December 24, 2008, 04:01:38 PM »
This was the first cross-country ski race ever held at Fairfax! This was also our first race of the year and we are encouraged. One the women's side we were without junior Megan Kane, our #1 skier, and the only athlete we have capable of contesting Savannah Kittel- Mitchell, but our depth paid off with her sister Shannon Kane finishing 2nd, freshman Mattie Hayes taking third and juniors Michelle Ambrisco and Larisa Marco in 4th and 5th places.
The duel on the boy's wide went into skiing's equivalent of overtime when BFA st Albans and Fairfax were tied after four skiers for each team were in. Ben Pearce was dominating in first place for St albans, but juniors Kyle Bochanski and Dustin Hayes finished next to each other for second and third. St Albans placed skiers Nick Smart and John Lavoie in places 4 and 5 but Fairfax followed with juniors Zach Bochanski and Simon Mann-Gow. At teh 2.5k mark Fairfax's Kody White trailed BFa's Alex Venuti by 40 seconds but somehow managed to overtake him on the second half of the course to secure the victory for Fairfax by one point.
The race was hosted on the new trail system built in Fairfax over the summer and fall by community volunteers. It was a difficult but fair course that held up well to the traffic. The numbers on Fairfax nordic squad took a quantum leap from 34 to 47 this year, with 19 of them never-evers when the season started. We've begun to gel as a team, but from a coaches standpoint moving the sheer number of skiers and equipment from point A to point B remans a challenge.
While we have some talented younger skier the strength of both the men's and women's team lies with our junior veterans. It is far too early to make any predections but if we continue to work hard and develop our technique while improving our conditioning, we can be competitive in D-2
Many volunteers from among the skiers' parents and community volunteers helped coordinate the race.
Background:
Classical Ski Race
12/23/08
Fairfax, VT
5K course
Results Team
Girls:
BFA Fairfax: 14 points
BFA St Albans: 28 points
Inc: Lamoille, Oxbow
Boys:
BFA Fairfax: 27
BFA St Albans: 28
Results:
Girls
1. Savannah Kitell-Mitchell BFA 22:48
2. Shannon Kane, Fairfax 24:51
3. Mattie Hayes, Fairfax 25:44
4. Michelle Ambrisco, Fairfax 26:03
5. Larisa Marco, Fairfax 26:37
6. Andrea, Canzano, BFA 26:44
7. Emma Scneidmuller, Oxbow 27:43
8. Kate wells, Fairfax 27:48
9. Heather Peatman, Fairfax 28:08
10. Madeline Larrow, BFA 28:27
Boys
1. Ben Pearce, BFA
2. Kyle Bochanski, Fairfax
3. Dustin Hayes, Fairfax
4. Nick Smart, BFA, 19:29
5. John Lavoie, BFA, 20:35
6. Zach Bochanski, Fairfax, 21:10
7. Simon Mann-Gow, BFA, 21:38
8. Robbie Morril, BFA, 22:08
9. Kody White, Fairfax, 23:01
10. Alex Venuti, BFA, 23:26
Rev. Elizabeth and Fred Griffin
359
« on: December 16, 2008, 07:55:53 AM »
On behalf of Dot Root, who is my devoted partner, and all the participants in the Fairfax Food Shelf, I would like to thank everyone in the community for their thoughtful generosity. The news may be filled with the gloom of an economic recession, but the hearts and minds of many are filled with the desire to lend a helping hand to others. And that kindness dispels any gloom because it reminds us of the strength of the human spirit. What a great community we have!
Blessings to all. Rev Elizabeth and Dot!
360
« on: November 29, 2008, 08:04:42 AM »
I just read the article in the Weekend Messenger about Operation Happiness, and there is a correction that needs to be made, please pass this on. Anyone from Fletcher or Fairfax who receives an Operation Happiness food box should pick it up at the Baptist Church Building in Fairfax on December 13 from 8:30-10:30. Recipients should not go to St. Albans and the armory for these baskets.
Thank you.
Rev. Elizabeth
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