happy birthday, <lj user

Title: Menage à Mollusk (et...)
Because:
(1) It's V's birthday! Have a great time at Hollygrove, sweetie!
(2) catrinella and pixychelle just had to rabbit on about the actual logistics of squid sex. With links and all. How the hell was proposal-drafting going to compete with that?
Words: 100
Rating: R, I guess? I mean, I mention a penis, but it's the squid's. That's worksafe, innit?
Pairings: Squid/Snape, Willow/Snape, hint of Lupin/Snape
Warnings: Er, crack. Avec bestiality, swinging (so to speak), and hint of mpreg.
P.S. I'm singing in two Water Communion services 4.5 hours from now. Ah, timing.

( bliss and agony )

FIC: Reasons for Defying Reason (now complete)

Title: Reasons for Defying Reason
Author: bronze_ribbons
Pairings: Snape/Lupin; ref. to past Lupin/Tonks & Lupin/Black
Rating: PG-13
Words: 3800 4100
Warnings: infidelity and ref. to character deaths
A/N - 1: Part One was originally posted to lupin_snape in response to the community's "Remus Lupin's Birthday" challenge; I've reposted it below with assorted edits. I finished Part Two this morning, and the marvelous aunty_marion beta'd it. What infelicities remain are all my fault, alas.
A/N - 2: catrinella's birthday is coming up, and Part Two was originally meant to be her present (hence its specific date, and the presence of Sinistra and Giulio Cesare), but it ended up not very birthday-ey, so it's an Unbirthday Present instead.
A/N - 3: revised 8/30 after jedirita confirmed a certain plot detail could use clarification. Thanks again to aunty_marion for superb spot-beta-ing.
Inspiration: Vienna Teng’s Eric’s Song, for which I thank nsmom and gramarye1971.

( Part One - 10 March 2000 )

( Part Two - 11 September 2000 )

"In This Sanctuary": a litany

This litany was written by my minister, the Reverend Gail Seavey. It was read at our water communion services this morning in place of our usual "Joys and Concerns" ritual, with the minister and the Religious Education director alternating lines, and adding several more specific to our community ("In this sanctuary sits a man who sees the flowers in memory of his father...").

One of the lay ministers lit a candle for each line, and the pianist played throughout. The refrain was a Taize tune sung by the congregation ("De Noche," #1034 in Singing the Journey). This is posted here with her permission.

( In this sanctuary... )

The congregation murmured dozens of names as the lay minister lit the final candle, and then sang the refrain once more. The minister concluded with the following "pastoral prayer and affirmation":

Let us tenderly care for each person we meet as though they carry the inarticulate cries of the greatest joy and most profound sorrow in their heart, for indeed, they do. Blessed be and amen.

"while I don't expect you to save the world..."

This morning's services at my church featured our annual Water Communion ritual, which also functions as the traditional "ingathering" of the congregation as families and students return from summer vacations and tours, and church leaders gear up for fall activities. This morning was spectacular -- funny, moving, and vibrant. The choir and staff all made a point of wearing blues and greens, and the chalice table was covered with a turquoise cloth arranged to look like a wave in mid-crest. The lay leader was one of the senior high school students, and a drummer and bassist added color to some of the songs.

( some of the highlights and joys )

The coffee hour between the two services was good as well -- after the first benediction, a retired UU minister (whom the youth have cast as Dumbledore in their upcoming Hogwarts' Ball -- he has the twinkliest eyes) and I lingered outside, discussing our projects and our ongoing attempts to harmonize theology, practice, and logic. I then chatted with the RE director about programming/culture/activism/education (for the two of us, all four topics are intimately interwoven) and a fellow artist about the activities of our respective guilds, purchased a banana and a Rice Krispies treat from the food table (a fundraiser for Mountain camp scholarships), listened in on a couple of moms talk about the transition from parenting high-schoolers to enjoying empty-nesting, relayed a compliment to the fundraising chair (and was encouraged to think about selling my cards at this year's harvest fair), checked in with the lay leader with whom I'm switching shifts next month, checked in with the new coordinator of grocery certificate sales, and hugged various folks.

Next time I'm feeling morose about whatever, I need to remember this.