[Magdalen] Updates it is!

[Jay Weigel]

I'm still here in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, to which I
relocated in 2010 after an interesting career as a travel nurse following
separation and divorce from my late ex, who died in 2013. I'm retired, but
busy now as a volunteer for the Rockingham County SPCA. Normally I clean
the stray cat jail every Tuesday and Friday morning. Currently I'm on
hiatus as my foster kitten, Bridget, is suspected of having ringworm so I'm
not allowed near healthy cats until her test gets back. Bridget is my third
foster and a very easy baby, about 4 months old and a bundle of purrs and
friskiness.
I became a convert to the Orthodox faith in 2016, initially in an Old Rite
Russian church. After the death of our priest in 2019 we were at loose ends
and our congregation splintered in a number of different directions,
partially depending on where we lived. I'm currently attending a Coptic
Orthodox church but not wholly satisfied with it as I find the language
barrier a bit difficult. However, it's the nearest one to me.
I got married in 3019 but for complicated reasons didn't bother changing my
name. My husband is still working full-time but works from home, mostly, as
a computer systems architect. We also travel when we can, either as part of
his work, as part of our side hustle (gem and jewelry shows). or sometimes
just for fun. Looking forward to a trip to the Virgin Islands in March!

On Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 6:49 PM Marilyn Cepeda <mcepeda514 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Retirement is wonderful!  I am totally in favor of enjoying retirement!  I
> am so glad that we did the travel we did while we were healthy and
> physically able to do it!  Congrats!
>
> Marilyn (Owens, Palmero) Cepeda
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 5:19 PM Suzie Buchanan <buchanan.suzie at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > As someone who has also missed this list, and who is getting more leary
> of
> > Facebook by the day . . .
> >
> > My husband Rick and I live in the foothills of western North Carolina,
> > where he is retired (first from the Navy, and then as IT staff of Union
> > Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond and then in Charlotte NC) and I
> continue
> > to work.  I'm in my 8th year as the Rector of St. James in Lenoir, and
> have
> > loved every minute in this parish.  It's not large, but it is healthy and
> > kind and known around the community as "you're that church that helps
> > people!" There is a breadth of spiritual journeys and people are gentle
> > with each other's faith.  But I'm also now past the 30 year mark in
> > ordained ministry (thus eligible for full retirement) and am pondering
> it.
> > My ideal might be to spend a few years in part-time ministry so I can
> also
> > spend a little more time with Rick before we get much older.  Our Canon
> to
> > the Ordinary has talked with me about one part-time spot open that
> actually
> > might be a fit, so I am beginning to explore that as a real option.
> >
> > Hurricane Helene spared us the worst here in our area - we got a lot of
> > wind and rain, (and about a week or so without power) but none of the
> life
> > altering flooding that hit so much of the more western mountain area.
>  But
> > it has been hard as a diocese and we continue the work of recovery.  I'm
> on
> > the Standing Committee and there has been a need for a lot of flexibility
> > in diocesan plans and where/how we spend money.  There has been a
> > remarkable influx of donations, however, from other places and the
> diocese
> > has been able to respond in creative and very helpful ways.  I found
> myself
> > the hub of donations of handmade quilts (don't ask about the single
> > facebook post I put out, that went viral!).  I've been able to distribute
> > about 400 quilts already to hurricane victims and still have about 100
> more
> > on hand to get out the door.  That's not counting the overflow of
> baby/crib
> > quilts.  Seems like many many people wanted to donate those, but there
> > really wasn't as much need for them as for bed sized ones!
> >
> > My son and his wife and their two kids moved to Hawaii a number of years
> > back, so I head out there once a year.  Fortunately I'm able to do supply
> > work for two weeks there which helps pay for the plane fare - and that
> > church usually has a place for me to stay, and they now have a car for me
> > to borrow.  For those on the list from VA (Susan, Michael, Grace  . . .
> > others?) I supply for Dwight Brown there in Hawaii, who had spent so many
> > years in Berryville just down the road from my first parish work in
> > Winchester, lo so many years ago.
> >
> > My daughter is still in New Hampshire, so I also get up there once a
> year.
> > And my three step-kids are all in the Boston area.
> >
> > We're getting ready for our first snow here in three years.  My prayers
> are
> > focused on our unhoused population here (we've been going around the last
> > few days with lots of extra cold weather gear to hand out) and with
> > everyone in the Los Angeles area.  What devastation is occuring there
> now!
> > It is heartbreaking.
> >
> > Now - I need to start taking the Christmas tree down!
> >
> > blessings
> > Suzie
> >
>