Dear Diary,

I’m feeling glum these days. I’m looking forward to chatting with my therapist this Friday. I had a good talk with Rev Jen today. We are both at our wits end what with the stuff that’s been happening at Hope College to our friends and loved ones (see the linked article below). Jen, wise woman, is leaving with her partner for a beach far, far away on Friday and will be gone the next two Sundays. This past Sunday she was nursing a dying cat and had Jim Steen, her assistant, take the service. I think it is excellent that she gets away and can take off time like that when she needs to.

I’m not leaving soon, but Jen just emailed me that she has confirmed that I have the entire month of July off this year. We have also talked about adding a few weeks in late June and early August to this. That sounds good right now.

It looks like I’m not going to have to cancel choir rehearsal this evening. Much of Western Michigan is suffering from freezing rain, but here in Holland it’s only damp and cool.  On
Wednesday afternoons I try to lie down for an hour or two and rest up for the evening rehearsal.  I always read through the New Yorker if it has come in the mail yet (this means mostly look at the cartoons).

Division, investigations, faculty departures… What is going on in Hope College’s music department?