Not Feeling Like an Easter Person

During the session last night at our weekly RCIA class, we were asked to write how activities of the past week had affected us in terms of our spirituality.  Here were my thoughts:

Several times over the past week I have said that Passion Week was difficult for me.  Instead of being one of the Risen People, I have felt inadequate, shamed by my lack of compassion with Julie.  Yes, I have spent time with her, but that root feeling of impatience in doing things for her has come over me too many times.  Too often I have felt anger, pity, judgment and frustration.  Instead of acting out of love, I have been quick to jump into areas not within my realm of understanding.

That written, I was caught again by one of Richard Rohr's meditations.  Just today, I read these thoughts found here.

We Christians are such a strange religion! We worship this naked, bleeding loser, crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem, but we always want to be winners, powerful, and on top ourselves . . . at least until we learn to love the little things and the so-called little people, and then we often see they are not little at all, but better images of the soul. 

Yes, those with mental and physical disabilities, minority groups, LGBTQ folks, refugees, prisoners, those with addictions--anyone who's "failed" in our nicely constructed social or economic success system--can be our best teachers in the ways of the Gospel. They represent what we are most afraid of and what we most deny within ourselves. That's why we must learn to love what first seems like our "enemy"; we absolutely must or we will never know how to love our own soul, or the soul of anything. Please think about that until it makes sense to you. It eventually will, by the grace of God.

I simply need to shut my mouth.  And listen.  And act from love. And learn to accept my enemy, my own unworthy soul.  And just maybe I will learn the lesson, by the grace of God.

The most important lesson is this:

God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

--1 Corinthians 1:27

Happenings at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church last week:

Abbreviated Rosary (called a decade rosary, made of ten repetitions) hand made by my sponsor, Ramana. She made this and gave it to me at Easter Vigil late Saturday evening.  The cross she made is that of St. Brigid of Ireland, my chosen patron saint. I think it is beautiful.

Ramana is shown in photo below, right, when she sponsored me at my confirmation into the Catholic Church on December 19, 2015.

Saturday Update: March 19-26

Best Recipe made this week: Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Sauce, easy, tasty!  These are worth a try, even if you are a half heart-ed cook like me.

Favorite Lenten Service during the week at Immaculate Heart of Mary: the Tenebrae Service on Wednesday evening.  It was a lengthy service, with the Passion scriptures and excerpts from Psalms read, candles extinguished, and reverence abounding.  We exited the sanctuary after conclusion of the service in silence and semi-darkness.  That was Wednesday.

Pictures taken during the week: baptismal pictures that cannot be downloaded because of privacy responsibilities.  And kid pictures of the Easter Egg hunt today at the manor.  Many critters showed up for the goodies, littles were mostly family of residential members.  Again, no waivers were signed for picture permission. A good time was had by all.

Sewing: Liberty of London yardage purchased to be sewn up in one of those 70's style A-line comfy dresses.  Have had that pattern for a while, purchased from a vintage pattern online store.

Liberty of London

Reading Update: Almost through with C.S. Lewis' Letters to an American Lady (thank you, Elizabeth, for the suggestion).  Started A Pain in the Tuchis two days ago: it is about a murder in a Jewish retirement home with lots of references to Jewish slang, foods, synagogues, life in general.  Julie seems to like listening to it, especially when I get the elderly, screechy Jewish female voice right.

Ollie the Owl Update: He is still here! (same picture as previously) Mice population in the back area must be decreasing as he seems to be getting fluffier.

Art Update:  Gave one of Juliet's nurses one of my aspen paintings that I worked on during our Wednesday Painting Days at the Manor (failed to take a picture of it before it left the premises).  I really liked it and wanted to keep it, but that nurse was very kind to Julie, and I felt rather obligated.  Now the staff keeps asking when I will paint one for them ... no winning there.

And more art update:  purchased a dozen 5" x 7" canvas boards and another dozen white mattes for smaller art projects that I'll paint and contribute to the fall Fine Arts Show here in town to benefit Brush & Palette club.  Pinterest has lots of good ideas to follow.

Knitting Update: Finished another Piper's Journey Shawl in Ginny's poke berry dyed yarn and Berocco Chunky Vintage.  I ran out of the pink dyed yarn so had to complete the ends with the purple yarn, and had to deconstruct, then reconstruct the lace edging. That re knitting was quite the feat, and a more accomplished textile artist could have made it look more finished, but a shawl pin might just do the trick in covering over that dodgy row of Kitchener stitch.  Details here.

Julie Update: she is getting up for about 3-4 hours/day and into her wheelchair.  Pressure wounds?  No idea.  Headaches? None.  Low salt diet and diuretics and fluid restriction are working. Disposition: not the greatest on either her or my part.  I am trying to be more patient.  Which leads me into another topic of frustration: electronics.

Electronic Update:  Last week it was the iPad that had to be replaced because it happened to fly off Julie's bedside table. Then yesterday it was her phone that would not charge.  After an hour at the AT&T store, it was replaced, but now all those numbers that Uncle John put in on her device regarding speed dialing are lost. And she does not remember her password for email.  I tried several days to get it back, but now am on to another tact.

Come back, Uncle John, because my limited tech savvy is exhausted and her telephone directory is lost.

Art Blom and Updates

March 17, the day aka St. Patrick's Day, saw Art Blom as the featured artist providing a demonstration to the Brush and Palette Club.  Blom's art medium is painting with a palette knife and oils. From the Brush and Palette website where Elise wrote: 

Art has successfully made the transition from the three dimensions and tactile quality of sculpture to painting. 

Art grew up up in Idaho and received an MFA from Ohio State University. He was the head of the sculpture program at Grand Valley State College in Michigan, and taught classes at the Community College of Denver, in high schools and private classes. He has given demonstrations of his two and three-dimensional art techniques throughout the country and has shown extensively in one and two-man shows, juried shows and invitational exhibitions throughout the U.S. He moved to Colorado in the 1980’s, and quickly became enamored with landscape painting. He switched from acrylic to oil paint, and then discovered the textural possibilities of painting with a palette knife.

Art begins with a covering of oils on his canvas and primarily wields only one palette knife when he paints 

Applying a base coat of oils

Brooks Powell and Art

One of Blom's landscapes on display

...another Blom landscape

...and another Blom landscape

Captive Audience Attending Blom's demonstration

Trudy Ungaro won the March mini show!

And on to other news:

Yesterday, I received an illustrated letter from PomPom!  You really need to check out her blog for lovely pictures and her wonderful family.   She sent off Mr. Badger for a trip to the UK where he went to Downton Abbey, a cathedral, had tea in many places and lots of exciting adventures; did he have tales to tell!  (*She always make me smile.*)

I don't think she will mind my showing you a picture of Mr. Badger from her website.

Yesterday, Saturday, was the first day that Julie allowed herself to be transferred from the bed and into her wheelchair for a spin around the manor.  She is afraid that if she gets out of bed, her pressure sores will take longer to heal.  Oh, contraire'...but she must have heard someone say that while she was in Denver, so it stuck in her head.