Meet-ups and Knitting and Palms, Oh My!

It was a busy weekend. We traveled to see #1 Son in a marvelous, if abstract, play, based on the stories of Jorge Luis Borges. He was wonderful, but we are not unbiased critics. I will say that there was a disturbing amount of product in his hair, and that The Princess was disappointed that he had shaved off his burgeoning beard.

Before the play, we took the boy out to dinner, and he brought along a friend. (I don't think we're allowed to call her anything else, but you get the picture.) I thought she was incredibly brave to meet nearly the whole family right before a performance, or at all, for that matter. We lacked only Pure Luck, who had to get a secondhand report. (Latest estimate: he will be home on Good Friday!!!) We found her to be funny and smart and pretty and agreed that she has #1 Son's, well, number. It was mildly disturbing to see their characters act out a waltz that ended in a neck-snapping death for her, but that's theatre.

After much fretting, I did manage to put together an outfit that included my clapotis, completed late Wednesday night. If I can figure out where I so carefully put away our digital camera, I will post a picture of it. And while we on the trip, I managed to start the first sock of my SockapalOOOza pair. It is now nearly six inches long, and I hope to get to the heel flap tomorrow night. I am using the instructions in the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules! and followed her advice to cast on over two needles, which seems to have worked well.

On Saturday morning, I had my long-awaited blogger meet-up with Peripatetic Polar Bear!!! Since she has informed the world that I am not purple, I'm afraid I must tell you something that is sad, but true, and deeply disappointing: she is not a polar bear. In fact, she's not even a bear!!! Due to the missing nature of my camera, there is no photographic evidence of our meeting, but I do have witnesses. PPB did her best to make conversation with my two younger and at that time semi-comatose children. We'll have to try this again at a more humane hour of the day (or without them).

I arrived home looking forward to a peaceful Saturday afternoon and evening, as I was not preaching this morning. Of course the peaceful afternoon didn't really happen, as I arrived home to a number of church-related crises. The parsonage tenant called to say the furnace was not working, and a church member had gone into the hospital. These things required attention.

As has become the custom, we had a dramatic program instead of a sermon today. I used four monologues (which I wrote three years ago) based on Mark's Passion texts, interspersed with scripture and music, and I wrote some new material for three children to elaborate on the entry into Jerusalem. The Princess was one of the young readers, and #2 Son played "Wayfaring Stranger" on his clarinet as part of the Passion drama.

The service went very well, and it was followed by a very convivial pancake brunch. I passed out papers to my Maundy Thursday readers and had pancakes with a new couple who are seeking an accepting church in which to raise their young son. We had enough palms for ten times the people in worship, I would guess. Do you think it's possible I will be able to remember where the extra ones are come next Ash Wednesday? Right after church, I was off to make hospital calls.

To those who gave words of encouragement about exercise, I later went back to Posh Neighboring Town Nature Preserve today with #2 Son and the dogs, and we took on the most athletic of the trails, and I enjoyed it and was only moderately out of breath at the hardest parts (for me, that is). Molly ran about wildly, proving that her lie-down strikes at the dog park are a personal decision and not exercise intolerance. She did lie down in some smelly water, but that was to cool down. Sam, as always, was a good boy.

Today, at church and at the hospital, I wrote things down on little Post-its and put them in my pocket. We need reminders when our minds are busy and overfull. My penmanship is not suited to writing small, tidy words on little pieces of paper, but here is what I would love to have on a card in my pocket, for those moments when I am sitting in harsh judgement of my imperfections or my mistakes, or wondering if I am actually doing anything right.

I love my life, with these children, and this church, and those dogs and that husband and even the aging and sometimes difficult cats. I love the laughter at dinner, the deep voice on the phone speaking words of love, the young man and woman dancing on the stage, the younger man making wistful music, the girl who is growing taller than I am already, the opportunities to be creative in my work and in this realm of bloggery, the friends who straighten me out and build me up, and the duty and privilege to share my faith with people who need to hear that they are loved.

I wish I didn't need help to remember all those things, but there are times I do.

Comments

[juniper68]

whew - I'm plum wore out just HEARING about this day - glad Palm Sunday went well. One down, three to go....
:) Jennifer

[Kathryn]

Can we just reiterate that reminder of love from your bloggy community...As one who fights an ongoing, losing battle with post-its there is always one crucial thing that falls off the filing cabinet beside my desk, which is where I stick them. This might be yours...
We love and appreciate you, Songbird. Take a deep breath and go gently into Holy Week xx

[cheesehead]

Amen.

[Mindy]

I love this entry! And I love your zest!!

[Quotidian Grace]

Ditto Mindy--send some of that excess energy down here. I wish I could hear your monologues.

Loved your reminder--maybe I can put a personal version on a business card in teeny weeny type to carry with me.

[Songbird]

The monologues I wrote for three children about the entry into Jerusalem are on the church blog (link in the right sidebar). If you're really interested in reading the Passion portion, I'll be happy to send it to you in a Word document. It was a little long for blog-posting.

[mibi52]

Whoa, what a day! So much good stuff packed into a small space.

Is Son#1's use of hair product related to the production or to the friend? Or is this his own new thing? My son #1 suddenly developed a goatee that was friend-related, but now she is history and the goatee remains....there's a sermon in there, I think.

BTW, they've been showing the UCC ejection seat ad in this market (Your Nation's Capital) and it was the subject of much discussion at our little Emmaus spiritual formation group last night, mostly along the lines of "Why can't we Episcopalians do something wonderful like that?" Would that some of the whack jobs up on Capitol Hill could see it and learn something from (and some of the whack jobs in the Church as well).

Don't get too exhausted this week, and know that you are loved out here in the blogosphere.

[Lisa V]

Our priest's mother died Friday night (unexpectedly) so I spent all of the reading of the passion yesterday just thinking how painful everyword was to him. I am hoping Easter will hold some consulation for him.

[Sally]

What a weekend, hope you're not too worn out.

[Sue]

What a weekend! I could use a bit of your energy.

Happy news about Pure Luck -- Friday is only 4 more sleeps away :)

[StCasserole]

What a sweet blog for this busy week. Reading this post reminds me to tell you WRITE A BOOK! You are wonderful being you.

[Jane Dark]

What?! You're not purple? And PPB isn't a bear? Man, talk about shaking the foundations of my world...

Even in Rome, I'm jealous of both of you.

[Lorna]

I'm with ST C ... write a book!

[will smama]

nice.