six months

it’s astounding how much or little can change in six months. for me, there’s been alot of change. so much so in fact, that sometimes I don’t recognize myself. it’s only for a moment of course, but it’s true. I was so afraid, so anxious all the time. not so much now. after my grandmother died I finally forgave myself for some things. I’d asked God for forgiveness, asked other people for their forgiveness, but never considered forgiving myself. then one night I finally did. and then I changed a little bit. just a shift, which wouldn’t seem like much, but sometimes that half-step changes the entire piece.

(thud)

is the sound of my bag hitting the floor.

it’s been busy this week! busy is good . . . busy means that time goes quickly . . . busy also means that I have a list of people I need to call back in my free time.

it’s funny to think that this time last year I was working on my Exit show, trying NOT to have a nervous breakdown. that weekend was insane.

I’m trying to get little things ready for the Craft Fix this weekend at COTN . . . hopefully it will be the start of some new things for the women at the church. if enough people are interested, we can start offering some topical Art classes or workshops. this summer I want to try out a more open study format for Radiant Women. one of the books that I would love to offer doesn’t seem like it would work as well for a weekly study as it would for a monthly or three-week study. but it’s a great book, and I think it would be really helpful for some of the younger women. plus, it’s summer . . . who wants to have your weeks booked solid in the summer?? summer in Georgia usually leaves me inclined to find the coolest cave possible and stay there until it’s over . . .

tired

yesterday was the funeral for someone I used to know. she was this wonderful, beautiful woman named Kari who was married to a friend who I’ve know for about as long as I can remember. her death was sudden, and during sleep. she took with her their unborn child as well. as sad and horrible as this might seem to some, she is Home. Kari had these awful seizures, and it was one of those that sent her spirit to Heaven last week. we were all together at the Women’s conference the night before, and it wasn’t until noon the following day that most of us found out. not everyone took it well, or at least at first. I’m not going to go into some of what happened later that day . . . I’m still trying to understand it myself. the leadership of the conference dedicated the last service to her. it was beautiful, full of dancing and worship, just like her.

life keeps going. we said goodbye to two women over the last seven days . . . my aunt and my friend are with the Father.

it’s been a long week, and I’m so tired . . .

the conference

last thursday I left my house a little before 5am (yeah) to head up to Fort Mill, SC for the MorningStar “Women in the Kingdom” conference. it was wonderful. truly awesome. and, as I found out later, it was put together by women who “don’t really like women’s ministries and don’t even really like women.” which makes total sense to me. until recently, most of my friends were guys. I didn’t grow up with any sisters, so I just don’t get that whole thing. and the “typical” female behaviors used to drive me up the wall. all this makes it seem strange I guess that I volunteered to lead a women’s group, right? yeah, I wasn’t asked, I asked them. but I guess maybe that’s why it works, because some of us are tired of the cute (nothing wrong with cute), and want something that’s different. something where we can dig in and say “that snake is MINE, hand me my hoe” and hack the thing to pieces.

anyway, it was a great conference and I feel like I learned alot. not to mention faced some things that I had allowed to stop me from go after things in my life. still it makes me wonder . . . why havn’t some of the others who have been going up there for other conferences brought back the knowledge and skills to pour back into the church here. that baffles me.

trying it out

I'm moving the blog (maybe temporarily, maybe not) here.

-Meredith

(ouch)

it's monday and my head is throbbing . . . probably because of the 9.2 pollen count? I love spring around here, but we need a nice rain shower.

yesterday I went to a dirt bike race . . . it was awesome. this one was an endurance race, so it was about finishing, not finishing first. a couple of my friends' husbands race, so we girls would drive around and meet the guys at the fuel and reset stops. it was so much fun. it was also cool to see the guys being guys . . . reminded me of when I read Wild at Heart.

eeek!

Pastor Rick linked me on his blog . . . at least Jessi is sharing this boat . . .

ok, so I've never been one of those people who was excited about exercising. for one thing, it takes nothing for me to break a sweat. so who knew I'd be one of those people who gets hooked on the post-workout endorphin kick? I've started walking with a friend of mine after work. we're both not to the running point yet, so we go at least half an hour and then do other things on the days when we can't meet. it's GREAT! the mornings after the workouts I feel fantastic - all bright and shiny.

Radiant Women is also great. we're taking it easy in March, which has become the new June, if all of the weddings and baby showers are any indication. the events will kick back into gear in April after Easter. oh, and that reminds me . . . this whole (rather poorly done) "documentary" thing that James Cameron did . . . really. is that all he's got? if you're going to spend all of that time and money trying to debunk a faith then you should at least pick something that might actually possibly work. seriously.

at work we're reading A Celebration of Discipline right now. it's pretty good so far topically. there are some (mostly contemporary) authors that drive me a little crazy with their writing styles, and right now this author is one of them. it's a personal thing . . . I'm one of those oddballs who reads things like Mere Christianity as much for fun as study of the faith. his content is wonderful, it's just the written delivery that I'm trying to sort through. maybe the later chapters will be better . . .

RELEVANT has been having this HUGE moving sale, so I bought a bunch of books that I've been wanting to read. now that I've ordered it, I keep seeing references to G.K. Chesterfield's Orthodoxy everywhere! I really hope that order arrives soon . . .

fun with iPods . . .

this is the soundtrack of your life game:

Opening Credits: "Sin Ella"- The Gipsy Kings
Waking Up: "Time That Bald Sexton" - Danielson
First Day At School: "Beneath Still Waters" - Emmylou Harris
Falling In Love: "Out of the Woods" - Nickel Creek
First Kiss: "Chant" - The Katinas
Fight Song: "Cold" - The Cure
Breaking Up: "This Love" - Stavesacre
Prom: "In a Graveyard" - Rufus Wainwright
Life: "Jenny was a friend of mine" - The Killers
Mental Breakdown: "Butterflyz" - Alicia Keys
Driving: "Baby Sister" - Damien Rice
Flashback: "Fields Of Gold" - Sting
Getting Back Together: "Feeling Good" - Nina Simone
Wedding: "So Simple" - Alicia Keys
Birth of Child: "Ice Cream" - Sarah McLachlan
Final Battle: "Rivers Underneath" - Stavesacre
Death Scene: "It'll All Work Out" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Elizabethtown)
Funeral Song: "Oh! Sweet Nothin'" - The Velvet Underground (High Fidelity)
End Credits: "It Is Well With My Soul" - Jennifer Knapp

wow, it's been over a month since that last post . . . oops.

ok, so here go the updates . . . .

my new job? fabulous. I like them, they like me, and I get to be creative. (insert happy dance) and, OK, I figured working in a church office would be busy, but I didn't know it would be as busy as it is. crazy.

my social life is sorta on hold. not entirely mind you, but I've been working on all of the catch-up, fix-up, and straighten-up details in my life, and that takes a while. being an artist I tend to collect things, even when I don't have a place for them. so I've been making places and getting rid of the unnecessary, which is coming along great, although not in a weekend.

I'm leading/coordinating a women's ministry in my church for the 20s & 30s age ladies. I kept missing the community we used to have, and we needed one at COTN, so with the time I have now that I have this new job . . . voila. if you can't find it, make it. right?

anyway, I have more boxes to go through . . .

wait a minute

I'm hoping that this week goes by quickly. it's my last one before I start my new job on the 2nd (nice way to start the new year, huh?), and I'm really glad because I'm not sure that I could take much more of this one. but God knew that. going postal on the few hippies and and New-Agies that come into the shop wouldn't be a good thing. for that matter glaring at the older men who think that it is necessary to explain to me the plot of Jurassic park wouldn't be good either. (hey, I saw that move WHEN IT CAME OUT!) I just have to put up with this until saturday, and then I'm done. DONE!

all I need . . .

some really great things have been happening, and I'll be sharing more shortly, but for now enjoy this video I found on YouTube. it's an old friend and one of my favorites of his songs . . .

interlude

well, the instructions from a recently completed project are on their way, but not quite ready yet. for now I'll just say that I'm exhausted. I'm also waiting to hear back about a job. from all appearances it looks like it could be really great. it would also be a reason to stick around Athens for a while yet. and give me more flexibility to travel.

glory glory to ol' georgia

ok, so you won't hear that much about football on here from me. HOWEVER, I have to say that a certain play this afternoon was quite impressive. one of our linebackers reached into a PILE of players and snatched out the fumble made by Tech, and then proceded straight to the goal line. ok, so he dove in and got himself called out for it, but still. even better though is that Tony Taylor is an Oconee boy. Warriors make great Bulldogs.

give em all a big fat lip

so I guess I'll explain the previous post first. I went up to Nashville for a few days two weekends ago. which seems crazy that it was that long ago and that I'm writing about it NOW, but whatever. the YouTube video is of the in-store MuteMath did at Grimey's saturday evening. it was great, especially considering that I was standing on the back porch with the other fans who didn't show up an hour early. but I got the cd signed, so it's all good. the next day we went back to Grimey's to see another in-store. this time it was a band called the Black Keys. rather Hendrix-esque, but don't let the music fool you - it's a couple (yes, two!) of white guys (as in, not even TAN) from Ohio. they're really good. later that night we headed over to City Hall. which is a cool venue b-t-w, but why call it that? crazy. anyway, the main event was the MuteMath show, which opened with Club of Suns. Club of Suns is a glam-rock band, which is fine if you know that. however, for the unprepared it's just bizarre . . . and they throw glittery confetti at the audience. next up was Jonezetta, who won me over immediately back in Athens, so dancing to their set was a blast. plus lead-singer Robert had a little fan posse in the front, so that was cute. following them and preceding MuteMath was The Whigs, who performed wonderfully, despite most of the audience not knowing any of their songs. actually, they had managed to win most of the crowd over by the end of the set. and then came MuteMath . . . incredible. this had to have been the best show I've been to. I tend to rate these things on the total package, the atmosphere in the crowd, etc. it was fantastic. unbelievable. and I was at the 40watt show! so if you get a chance, go see this band. seriously.

monday I finally got to see Rachel, and we all went out to lunch before we headed back down to Athens. it was really great, but now I keep thinking about moving back to Nashville. but not for a year or so. AT LEAST.

peculiar people

what I did this weekend:

crazy

I love the holidays, I can't help it. I grew up watching my grandmother decorating for every holiday that had a theme. she had rotating art collections for each one and the seasons for crying out loud! and Christmas is my favorite - the history & meaning, the events, the look, food.

I'm already planning dishes for Thanksgiving and pulling out books for Christmas. I can't help it.

my grandmother

Biography of Gretta Moll Dewald

Gretta was born October 26, 1929 at Kutztown, PA of Dr. Lloyd A. Moll and Olga Wuchter Moll.

Early in World War II they moved to Atlanta where her father was assigned, as a Naval Officer, to assist the Commandant of the Navy's V12 program at Georgia Tech. After the war, he organized and developed what is now Southern Polytechnic State University (then, Southern Tech, a remedial program to prepare returning veterans to enter Tech). He later served as President of Middle Georgia College in Cochran, then Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, where he retired from the Georgia University System. Subsequently, he retired from the Navy Reserve as a Captain.

Gretta graduated from Atlanta Girls High in 1946, then Agnes Scott College in 1950. She taught 4th/5th grade Geography and History at Eastman, GA in 1950/51, then 10th grade English at Atlanta Bass High in 1951/52.

She married Charles Dewald at St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta December 20, 1951. They now have five children and seven grandchildren. They were very active in the North Decatur Presbyterian Church during the late ‘50's, through the ‘60's and ‘70's while their children were growing. Gretta was a teacher, Superintendent of the Sunday School, organized the Children's Choirs, an occasional soloist in the Adult Choir, and the 2nd woman chosen by the congregation to be an Elder. She was active in Decatur's Winona Park Elementary School's PTA and library; Indian Guides; Scoutmaster of a Girl Scout Troop – all while raising five children and getting involved in Politics.

Gretta's first involvement was Ray Cunningham's (a family friend) campaign for Decatur City Councilman in the early/mid ‘60's – he lost. After that, she was one of the organizers of the Democratic Women of DeKalb. She became active in the Democratic Party of DeKalb; then became its President. In the late ‘60's, she, along with Marge Thurman and others, re-wrote the State Party's by- laws.

During the late ‘60's and through the ‘70's, the Dewald house on Kodiak Drive in Sagamore Hills was the largest house available to the Democratic Women of DeKalb, so it was used for a number of their functions. When Shirley Chisholm, Congresswoman from New York City, ran for President in 1972 (the first black woman to do so), the group decided to put on a reception for her when she came through Atlanta since no other group offered. They chose our 5-level house. No one anticipated the result. Well over (300) people signed the guest book, some from as far away as Miami. An estimated (250) were still waiting when she arrived late. Charles was concerned about the strength of the structure. The lowest level is a 17' x 42' playroom. It was packed. She was a small person, so she took off her shoes and stood on top of our pool table to address the crowd. Meanwhile, traffic on Kodiak Drive, a suburban cul-de-sac street about 1/4 mile long, was completely blocked. Neighbors could not get to or out of their drives. Police arrived twice to get it cleared, but were not successful.

Gretta's involvement with Jimmy Carter started in 1970. Her father, Dr. Lloyd Moll - President of Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, called and suggested that she consider working in Carter's gubernatorial campaign ( the opposition called him "Jimmy WHO?" ). Dr. Moll had been an education resource/mentor to state Senator Carter who had been assigned to the Senate Education Committee of Georgia's legislature. Gretta became very active in the DeKalb County campaign. Subsequently, the large DeKalb voter turnout for Carter was a notable factor in his victory.

In 1972, Governor Carter nominated a slate of Georgia Delegates for the Democratic National Convention in Miami. Gretta was not among them, so she chose to run against one of Carter's nominees (Horace Tate) and won – the only successful challenge to Carter's nominees.

Gretta actively campaigned to establish MARTA, and then served on the MARTA Board as a representative of DeKalb County from 1975 into 1977. One of the original MARTA cars carried a brass plate honoring ‘Gretta M. Dewald' as a MARTA Board Member.

During the run-up to the 1976 Presidential Campaign preliminaries, Gretta arranged to have Senator "Scoop" Jackson of Washington, Representative Paul Simon of Illinois – both prominent potential presidential candidates – along with Governor Jimmy Carter and Senator Herman Talmadge of Georgia at the same head table in the Plantation Restaurant on Memorial Drive for a Democratic Party of DeKalb function. The state party was very frustrated because they were "scooped".

When Carter started his Presidential Campaign for the 1976 Democratic Nomination, he organized the Peanut Brigade. Gretta became a team leader who would fly into a city, rent a car and take a team into an assigned neighborhood to canvass door-to-door for votes. She visited, among others, Tallahassee, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, and three New England states. She was Co- Chairperson of the DeKalb County campaign. Jimmy's mother, Lillian Carter, was the key ‘draw' for a reception at our house.

Our family attended Jimmy's January 1977 inauguration. Gretta was told by Rosalyn that she was on several ‘interesting lists'. Later that year, Rosalyn called and asked her to come to Washington and be the Chairperson - Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee. The male-oriented DNC provided very little funding for the Women's Division, so Gretta spent her own money on a program of seminars she planned and conducted around the country to train women to run for office. Also, she often worked with or for Rosalyn, traveling with her or sometimes filling in for her at speaking engagements.

After Carter lost re-election in 1980, and Manuel Maloof was elected Chairman of the DeKalb County Commission, Gretta was asked by Manuel to return to Atlanta and become his Executive Assistant. Manuel utilized her as his ‘chief of staff', having all department heads report in through her to him. Normally, she implemented his plans and orders. She served from January 1981 until early in 1989 – the longest serving, and only woman Executive Assistant in DeKalb's history.

In 1988(?), she was one of those named and honored as ‘Women of Achievement' by the Metropolitan Atlanta YWCA. There were numerous other awards and recognitions.

In 1989, Gretta was asked by DeKalb's judges to organize and manage the ‘Pre-Trial Release Program' for the DeKalb Court System, reporting to the judges. She did so until retiring at the end of 1994.

In 2004, Georgia State University Library requested and received Gretta's records and papers – some (195) file boxes. In 2005, they staged an event honoring Gretta and thanking her for the gift to their Women's Collection.


written by Charles F. Dewald

My grandmother passed away early this morning. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's for a while now, and over the last few months it had grown progressively worse. Some of the family had gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday this last Saturday evening. I don't know whether she knew we were there, but we were able to see her. She was an incredible woman.

popularity

MUTEMATH keeps getting better every time I see them. the first time I saw them wasn't really on purpose, even though they were headlining. I went because a friend of mine was opening for them. last night though was off . . . the . . . HOOK! The Whigs performed wonderfully as local boys should, and the surprise was the first of the opening acts - Jonezetta. I'm sure if I go through my old issues of RELEVANT there will be a article about them somewhere, because I know I've heard of the name prior to this tour, but I can't remember when or where exactly.

as this is the third time MUTEMATH has played Athens in less than two year, I'm sure that they'll be back again soon. there seems to be a mutual affinity between the band and the town. go figure. interesting too that a band who sounds the way they do came from New Orleans. very cool.