Message Board

Inauguration Watch Party

JamesAlexander — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:53:04 GMT

Inauguration Watch Party!

Dear Paint Branchers!

Still waiting for your invitation to the inauguration? Dont want to stand in the cold or get caught in a broken-down Metro train? Squeamish about porta-potties? Then, come on over to the Alexander-Kearns Inauguration Watch Party!

When: Tuesday, January 20, 11 a.m. 3ish (swearing in at noon)

Where: 3304 Chatham Rd, Adelphi, MD 20783

Victuals and Drink: Pizza, Veggie Tray courtesy of Costco, Beer and Wine, Juice and Soft Drinks, Obama Cookies, and whatever you choose to bring (not required)

Bible for swearing in ceremony not included

Please let us know if coming! Wed like to be able to plan accordingly!

Contact Information:

Phone: 301-277-3211

E-mail: kkearns@hotmail.com, jtalexander40@yahoo.com

Happy new year...

Mike — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:54:03 GMT

...it's got to beat the old year, except for the Obama election.

2009 will also see the last of my little kid students (Erin and Anastasia) graduating from high school, and deployments willing my nephew getting married. In fact, he's probably already done the civil marriage so that his fiancee's move is paid for and she can into base housing. But the church ceremony and party will be in the fall.

Parking Lot: Listening to our talented choir is so inspiring...

JamesAlexander — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:08:48 GMT

... or would have been, if I could have stayed in the sanctuary to listen to it.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the meeting house to stand out in the overly-full parking lot to re-direct cars to other locations. While I parked on Bornedale with about seven or eight other cars shortly after 10 a.m., other late arrivers came to a parking lot that was jammed full. Some went across Powder Mill to park and risk the walk across that busy street. Others were directed toward the back. This option was off the table, however, for the disabled, who needed a spot in the lot. And there was more than one who fell into this category.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had such a traffic problem. And, it is not the first (or second, or third, or fourth) time that we have had this problem on a choir Sunday. On days when the full choir sings, we have a huge parking situation. Choir members arrive early to fill up 1/3 or more of the lot. Family members of the choir come trailing in later and fill in a number of additional spots. By the time the service starts, we are chock full!

This is a problem that has but one simple short-term solution: able-bodied choir members should endeavor to park in the back along Bornedale when they arrive early, at a time that leaves spaces open for those who come to hear them sing, that leaves spaces for visitors (i.e. potential members) who have never come before to enjoy the holidays at PBUUC, that leaves spaces for the disabled who cannot park in other locations, and that simply makes it possible for us all to enjoy the limited space that we have.

If we think of ourselves as a team working for the common good, maybe, just maybe, Ill be able to enjoy the choir performance some time in the future.

Note: This is not the first time this issue has come up. This is not the first time I have brought this up. There is a whole long blog thread from earlier this year. Tired and frustrated I am.

Green the Internet / Blackle

Tish — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:21:01 GMT

I recently set my browser's home page to Blackle - a black-background search engine powered by Google. What I am told is that a black screen uses a tiny bit less energy than a bright screen. There are so many people using Google all the time that the tiny savings from the black screens can add up to big energy if enough of us participate.

Here's Blackle's information page: http://www.blackle.com/about/

Where are the pot-lucks?

Tish — Thur, 11 Dec 2008 15:09:15 GMT

Patty Daukantas was at my house a few weeks ago with her crock pot full of her now-famous creamed corn. After dinner she asked, whatever happened to Paint Branch's Potlucks? I think that I came to the church about the time the Ingathering and June (end of the year) pot-lucks were fading out. I have been told that those two meals were traditionally held in the glen and that they moved to the deck to accommodate a growing number of older members who could not get to the glen. Was it the move to the deck what done 'em in?

Looking around I see a fair number of our small-group ministries sharing pot-luck meals. The simplicity circle has them regularly, the Nature Spirituality circle often shares pot luck meals before or after rituals, I've heard rumors of protein-heavy men's group pot-luck dinners. Are small-group pot-lucks easier to handle?

I am curious to know if others are missing big pot-luck dinners at church.

ISO reputable stamp dealers

Julie — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:12:49 GMT

I know this is not a PBUUC topic, but I could really use any recommendations I can get for stamp dealers. My cousin, who lives near Frederick, MD, needs to sell her father's stamp collection but doesn't know where to go wiht the collection. Do any of you know of **reputable** stamp dealers whose names I could pass along?

If you must have details, I can tell you why my cousin needs to sell the stamps. And when I say "my cousin," think sister. We grew up together, and I have a total of 2--count-'em, 2--cousins. A very small family. (Only one brother as well. Thank goodness I have my huge PBUUC family!!!! and I do mean that).

Julie

Debra Flowers

Patoodle — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:06:10 GMT

Two weekends ago Jan Montville mentioned in Children's Chapel that she had seen a death notice in the Post for Debra Flowers, who used to serve as our congregational treasurer some years back. Here's a fuller obituary for her (scroll down a bit):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/23/AR2008112302184_2.html

My condolences to her family.

Patty

Christmas Revels, Anyone?

AJWilcox — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:49:18 GMT

Ottilie, a friend of ours and I have tix to see the 13Dec08 2pm Christmas Revels show at Lisner Auditorium.

Ticket prices may be found on the web at http://www.revelsdc.org/.

You are welcome to join us.

Thank you, P Daukantas for introducing me to the Revels many Christmases ago.

Adeline.

awilcox1 at mindspring dot com

Last Chance Auction Vacation

Tish — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:47:23 GMT

One very enticing vacation remains unclaimed from our 2008 Auction:

V02 Bed and Breakfast in Florida with Ed Kobee and Al Usack

Want to get away from those cold winter days? This winter, come join Al and Ed for up to a week at their home in Palmetto, Florida. We will provide bed and breakfast and the usual Usack-Kobee hospitality and you will provide your own transportation. Palmetto is a short drive from Sarasota and St. Petersburg, about 45 minutes from Tampa and about two hours from Orlando and Disney World so there is much to do and see. Time to be arranged. Limit of two people.

Minimum Bid $200.00

The Auction Family is offering this vacation for closed bids via email. If you want to bid on this vacation , please send your bid to <auction@PBUUC.org>. The highest bid will win the vacation. If there are two or more high bids, the one with the earliest send date and time will be selected. On Friday evening (November 14) we will announce the winner.

This vacation is available to members of PBUUC and is not open to the public.

Who "Cleaned My Clock"?

Patoodle — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:31:14 GMT

OK, nobody actually punched me out (which I think is what "clean my clock" actually means), but I thought I'd say something provocative to get everybody to read this thread.

Seriously ... I was the winning bidder on only one tangible item at Saturday's Auction. It was a small pewter clock with Roman numerals on its face. Nobody else bid on it, so I got it for the minimum price of $15.

HOWEVER, after I sat through all the live auction items and enjoyed a fine concert by some of PBUUC's great talents, I settled my account with the Auction staff and went to pick up my item. IT WAS NOT THERE. Kathi said she put it and a bunch of other purchased items in a box when moving them from Rooms 2-3 to the Kelley Room. However, we found that the box was empty.

This isn't the first time that someone else has walked away with an item on which I was the winning bidder, and I don't think I am the only person to whom this happened this year, either. I believe someone is planning to post a list of "missing" items to the "paintbranch" listserv.

Please check your Auction gains against your bid sheets and if you have the clock or anything else that isn't yours, please return it to the church office. Or something.

Thanks,
Patty Daukantas

Response to Letter from the Ministers

SBender — Thur, 06 Nov 2008 19:19:51 GMT

I too am dismayed by the results of the Voter referenda in California, Arizona and Florida.

Somehow, I cannot wrap my radically Liberal mind around the concept that those among us who believe they were endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights imagine that he then asked them to vote on whom else he might endow with those rights.

If we had a truly mature democracy, perhaps our courts would rule that it is unconstitutional to enshrine fear, bigotry and hatred in our federal and state constitutions. Perhaps they would decide that equal protection under the law really means something in this country, no matter whom you love. Isn't that a radically liberal thought? I don't have faith that our conservative courts would agree that the constitutions trump religious interpretation, though.

I know in my soul that hate is not a family value, and I just cannot comprehend those among us whose own souls are so cold as to prefer relegating children to being raised in our horrific foster care system rather than being raised in loving homes by gay or lesbian parents.

I am truly in mourning.

Spirit of Life, Come Unto Me.

In Faith,

Sue

The Holidays at Paint Branch

Tish — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:51:45 GMT

No apologies for using the word "Holidays" instead of "Christmas." At PBUUC we honor Thanksgiving, the season of Advent, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.

I am involved in a couple of our holiday activities. I hope others will use this thread to provide information about additional Holiday activities.

1. The Poinsettia Sale has begun. Poinsettia order forms are in the Meeting House in the poinsettia-covered box in the Lobby windowsill. Orders must be pre-paid and turned in on or before November 16. This annual fundraiser does not bring in a lot of money, but it is a bountiful source of beauty and cheer so I hope lots of people will participate.

2. The Holiday Warm-up will be on Friday, December 5th in the evening. this all-family event kicks off the Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice portion of the season with dinner, tree decoration, Meeting House decoration and cookies. Once again I am the cookie organizer and I am looking for a few cookies.

I'd like to do things a little bit differently this year, with fewer shaped cookies to decorate. We save the decorated cookies in the freezer and serve them after the two Christmas Eve services and have had too many in the past few years. So I am asking this - Can some families bring either undecorated shaped cookies to be decorated for Christmas, OR some other type of cookie or brownies to be eaten as our desserts that night? I think that many families are a little put off by the extra work of making shaped sugar cookies, when brownies and drop cookies are so much easier. So, as your cookie lady for the Holiday warm-up, I welcome all kinds of cookies.

Thanks!

Generation We at PBUUC

Mike — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:46:09 GMT

Through our RE program

Carrie & Emma Scott, Rachel Andrex, Jenn Most, April & Vernon Roberts, Eric Jewett, Derek Dahmer, Nicole Most, Cara & Nathaniel Snyder, Jossie Dowling, Sarah Citrin, Ben Farrow, Matt Summers, Erin & Sam Washburn, Anastasia O'Neal, Carissa & Ryan Dorson, Colin & Aengus McCoy, Liam & Conor Brennan, Claire Boston, Alex Ahearn, Zach Bernheisel, Mary & Abby Wester, DJ Thomas, Keara, Nealon & Eva Miller, Andrew Valliere.

Joining as adults:

I think Peter and Criss Kovac qualify as either tail-end Xers or leading edge generation We.

Yes, there are many Generation We folk at Paint Branch. But if we want to attract young adults, we need to do some hard thinking and maybe make some changes.

Leftover Halloween Candy

kenmontville — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:57:54 GMT

Jan and I got a boatload of candy ("fun size" candy bars) that we didn't use up because only one set of kids came by our house. I took what we had left and put it on the counter in the Meeting House kitchen....in case anyone wants to put it through some security filter to check for LSD or some other nefarious thing.

Spread the word.

Giant Gift Cards Also Affected by Church Robbery--PLEASE READ!!

JohnyBGud — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:23:15 GMT

As you know, the entire gift card stash of unsold cards was stolen from the church office sometime early Tuesday morning. I've written previously about what to do if you currently hold Shoppers Food Warehouse cards sold by the church. Please read that previous post in addition to this one.

I have also called to cancel all outstanding Giant gift cards from the last batch bought. Giant Food gift cards with the following serial numbers:

$50 cards: 6043-1285-2241 through 6043-1285-2250
$100 cards: 6043-1282-6491 through 6043-1282-6530

have been DEACTIVATED. They will no longer work. Please keep these cards, making note of any partially used ones. I will trade them for active cards in the next few weeks when I get the next batch from Giant Food.

If your card's serial number is not within the ranges listed above, it is still good. If you have a $25 or even a $10 gift card from Giant, they are also still good.

In the meantime, if not being able to use these gift cards imposes a financial burden for you or your family, call me at 301-441-2516 or e-mail me at john.bartoli@verizon.net or jbartoli@gpo.gov.

I apologize once again for the inconvenience, but I thought it necessary to do this so that we could avoid any cash flow problems and get the scrip program up and running again.

Thanks,

John Bartoli