Dear family,

Love to you. I haven't put a word on this blog until now. Just too too busy DOING.

I want to be a human being, not a human doing. Sometimes I do stop and center myself, often on a solitary walk through the woods or up and down the ridge in our neighborhood.

Otherwise, I keep doing, wake up by watching Morning Joe on MSNBC, get to the train by 6:33, think about the students in upcoming classes, give the class to GOD, talk to friends on the phone, relate to my household, prepare for sermons, etc and look forward to the next thing. What's next, what's next? As you can tell, on today, I feel a little less like "centered."

I am jazzed about the election and about the good prospect for Obama to be president elect come tomorrow. I appreciate his pragmatism, steadiness and intelligence. I pray tht there won't be a sense that anyone "stole" the election this time.

Yesterday I took off from work and went with a group from Chicago to Indianapolis where we stumped for Obama. We knocked on doors and urged people to vote, making sure they knew where their polling place was. There were young people there from other countries working on the campaign, as well as Americans of different ages and races. I enjoyed meeting the people I rode and worked with. One man had been a cameraman for ABC news before he retired, another was a counselor with mentally ill people, one had been an outstanding skier before she had a stroke (she now walks with a cane). We had fun. And I was happy to feel more invested in this historic election.

I am part of a six week seminar about Prison reform sponsored by the Diocese of Joliet. we are reading a very good book titled The Church of the Second Chance. It is written from a faith viewpoint and by a man in prison. It includes a lot of good facts and arguments about how our US system works and doesn't work. I'll write you a better review of the book later.

Really great to hear from all of you, see pictures of Lisa's car and Trale's and Miles' houses and happy times. Really great. Please keep it up.

I'm planning to go to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving and Laurie's 60th birthday bash. She and her family were happy to come to our celebration of my 60th. Her kids realized tht at an experiential level, they never thought about my coming from a close family with nieces and cousins like theirs. They always just saw me by myself! Thanks for making them feel "at home."
(Laurie comes from a family of six children, her four children have 12 - 13 cousins.)

Linda and Ensign plan to travel over Thanksgiving, I will let them tell you about that.

Of course all the eloquent phrases I rehearsed before I sat down to write have flown out of my mind. Waah! I am very blessed in my life, my work, my friends and my family !!! Thank you for being part of my life. I am grateful you are blessed as well. Glad to say I suspect even if I didn't have so many external blessings, I could still give thanks for the peace and joy of God's presence.

Well, if I think of any thing more I just have to tell you or ask you, I'll post again. LOVE to each,

CONNIE