Falling

I love fall.  We've even got a "fall" here in the Carolina's.

Days are warm and comfortable.  Nights are fall-chilly.  Leaves change color.  There is a definite sense of transition between summer and winter.  It's wonderful.  One thing I've noticed about myself is that I get colder easier.  For someone who spent at least 25 years enduring snowy winters it's odd to admit, but I think there's a combination of age and tolerance involved.  Regardless, I can start to shiver on a cool evening....

A certain someone and I spent yesterday enjoying fall.  We drove to a pretty, quaint city on the coast about an hour or so south of here.  Along the way we stopped for a walk at a county park in the middle of nowhere, and found it to be a hidden gem.  It was a wonderful day if for no other reason than it was just so comfortable.  I hate for my weekends to end but they always do.  Ironically, that fact provides an opportunity to look forward to something.  The next weekend.

I went to the gym on Saturday.  I haven't done legs in several weeks, and in typical fashion I did some squats and probably overdid it. I knew by the end of the day that I was gonna be a hurtin' cookie, and today was probably the hardest day.  Compared, to previous overdone days it wasn't too bad.

I mentioned last week that I was feeling like I'm on the edge of a cold.  I still am.  I can't afford to get slowed down right now but getting a cold doesn't seem to take that kind of stuff into consideration.  I can't even remember the last time I had a fever, and I'm hoping that string continues for a long time to come.

Something that's happening locally, but has larger implications, is another "secession" here in South Carolina.  It's sort of a long, messy, story, but the short of it is that this past week the entire Diocese of South Carolina disassociated itself from the Episcopal Church, largely over the church's progressive views on LGBT issues (story here, and here).  I feel that this particular bishop has problems with progressive views in general (women, contraception, etc.) and "gay" peeps are simply convenient scapegoats but that's a larger discussion...

This squabble, which has been simmering for quite a while and has been slowly headed to this showdown, is far from over.  The fight over the church's property is just beginning.  But even more significantly and personally - fair-minded Episcopalians are now faced with the reality that they need to change denominations to celebrate their faith in the state of South Carolina.

A person' faith is their own business.  But frankly I find this sad, maddening, and unfortunate that a governing body can make these kinds of decisions that affect ALL people of similar faith in the entire state.  This kind of morality-based justification for exclusion is the same justification used for bullying, violence, discrimination, and worse.

Anyway - I'm not about to start preaching about this (sorry about the pun) too much.  But I wouldn't be surprised if it makes a bigger splash over the next few weeks, and gets messier before it get's clearer.

The last debate is tonight.  I hope I'm in bed by 9.  I've got a long way to drive at oh-dark-thirty in the morning.  As in....I'll be leaving by 4:30.  Yuck.