Work is going pretty well. I'm feeling much more comfortable with everyone. I'm a little disappointed that I don't have more independence yet. I come to work each morning with only a vague idea of what I'm going to be doing. Usually I have to wait for some more specific instructions before I can get any work done. It's frustrating, but I'm sure it will get better as I get to know the lab and how things work here. My network is expanding a lot. This lab tends to collaborate a lot more with other labs. I've met lots of other PIs and researchers in the pathology department and in cancer research in general. We also attend a lot more lectures and seminars with exposes us to other peoples' ideas and research. Tomorrow I'm going to a talk by a famous stem cell biologist. I think stem cells are so interesting, so I'm excited to see what I learn there.
Wedding planning is exhausting. All the fun stuff is done, and what's left is just work. We finally finished the ceremony and thank goodness Daniel and I are both very happy with it. Last time we worked on it we ended up setting it aside because we couldn't agree on things, but for some reason this time we were on the same page and it was quick and easy. We have asked Evan's girlfriend Kristy to recite a poem or scripture reading. I'm happy that we're including her in the wedding. She is definitely a part of the family already. There are only a few things left: seating once we get all the RSVPs back, designing and printing the programs, and a few other details. It's less than 6 weeks away!
Last Sunday Daniel and I attended a new church. It's a Methodist church, like the one I grew up attending in Phoenix. It's actually right across the street from DU. There was a time when Daniel and I were trying out new churches in the area, but we never went to this one. Daniel went to a Sunday morning service when he visited campus during his senior year of high school and he didn't like it. He felt that the young adult group was very separated from the rest of the congregation. They met at a different time and had their own service. This time we went not because we're looking for a church, but because one of Daniel's music students was performing in the service. He wanted to be there to support his student. It happened to be the "Children's Sabbath" which means that the kids do everything in the service that the adults normally do. My first impression was that the church was stunning. It's in an old red brick building with stained glass all around. It's a very old-fashioned feeling church. It probably is very old, since DU was founded in 1864. My second impression was how friendly and welcoming the people are. Many people approached us and asked about us. They recognized us as visitors. The director of Christian Education came up and introduced himself and told us that we were in for a very special treat because it's Children's Sabbath. Daniel explained that we were there to see Matthew play and he knew exactly who we were talking about. When the service started, I started to notice familiar faces. A few of the people in the choir are DU students in the music school. The choir director and organist is the accompanist for the choirs at DU. I was in Women's Choir and I substituted for her when she was sick a few times. After the service, Daniel and I went up to the front to congratulate his student on playing well. Daniel introduced me to his Mom (a professor in the music school at DU). Then right away the choir director approached me and said that she recognized me. I reminded her of my name and that I was in the Women's Choir 3 years ago. I couldn't believe she remembered me! Right then she invited me to join their church choir. That was very bold of her, and I surprised myself by being really excited about that idea. I told her that I was interested, but that I'm busy on Wednesday evenings through the end of the year, for our pre-marital counseling. She encouraged me to reconsider in January.
Daniel and I spent the rest of the day discussing the church and comparing it to the church I've been attending and playing handbells with. It's a very large Presbyterian church with FOUR ordained pastors (2 that preach, 1 for congregational care, and 1 for youth), 3 of them with PhD degrees as well. Their choir director has a PhD in music, as does their organist. And you can tell because their choir is incredible. They could substitute for any professional symphony choir in a second. It took my breath away when they had a brass quintet come and play with them. It was some of the most beautiful sacred music I've ever heard. So it's a very successful and wealthy church. It's also very progressive and community-involved. They just put solar panels on the roof, and regularly host homeless people right in the church. The sermons are very intellectually stimulating, which is important to me. I like to be challenged in my beliefs and not just told the same old bible stories. Unfortunately, this church is not very welcoming. We have been there many times and not once has anyone approached us. I walk around the church in my bell choir uniform, and nobody says one word to me. I have never spoken with the pastors or any other church staff. The only people I know are in the bell choir. And it seems that they don't know a lot of people in the church either.
This new church has Daniel very interested. And that is HUGE. Daniel has never been interested in attending church, except when I ask him to. He has agreed to attend church with our family, but only as a family activity- not for his own enjoyment or benefit. He sees it as a social club, a way to meet other families in the community. So the Methodist church fits that for him. And I feel that if this is a church that he actually wants to go to, then I should jump on it fast. But their choir had maybe 20 people at best, and it was pretty pitiful sounding. Compare that to the professional quality choir at the Presbyterian church. I would much rather sing with a really good choir, but if everyone said that then bad choirs would never get better. Plus the Methodist church doesn't have a handbell choir at all. That could change, since they just got a set of hand chimes. And I've heard rumors that DU has a set of handbells. I'm completely torn about this. Daniel and I will have to talk about it and see where it goes.
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