Spring--for one day

Rainy and chill today. Yesterday (April 2) it snowed 2-3 inches!

But Easter was a one day taste of Spring.

We sat out on the deck talking for the first time since September. A sweater helped, but it was warm in the generous sun.

There actually wasn't room for all 14 of us on the deck but the girls were more interested in the back yard where Bern continues to keep their 'fairy houses' in shape in spite of the winter woes.

It's amazing to be surrounded by both our children and spouses and the 4 grand-daughters and four long-time and deeply loved friends.

Maybe that's what 'new life' is all about.

I'm just really glad to live in the Northern Hemisphere when it comes to the Christian year. Christmas in the summer and Easter as fall comes on would be hard for me.

In my Easter sermon I pointed out that the only two constant features of the 4 gospel stories of Easter is the presence of Mary Magdalene at the tomb (different women in each account--but always Magdalene) and an 'empty tomb'.

My friend John, who is a Ph.D. psychologist, once said the only two things people in therapy really needed to hear are: "you're a good person" and "everything is going to be alright."

I quoted him in my sermon and pointed to Magdalene and the empty tomb speaking those words to us. God loves us enough to live as one of us and die for us. So, we must be good persons!

And the empty tomb, in the midst of all the confusion and anxiety and depressing events of life points to the Reality that, in fact, 'everything will be alright'.

I am as sure of that as I am anything--God loves us and makes us 'good' if we accept that love AND in God's heart, everything will be alright....

Happy Eastertide....

Maundy Thursday

Today is my favorite holy day of the year--Maundy Thursday.

You probably know that 'Maundy' is derived from the Latin 'mandatum' which is translated 'commandment--also is root of English word 'mandate'.

This is the night Jesus gave the disciples "a new commandment" (in John's Gospel which has three chapters of 'table talk'!) "Love one another as I have loved you." That commandment would be enough reason to love Maundy Thursday, but for me it's more.

It is the night we celebrate Jesus' Passover meal (In Matthew, Mark and Luke) and Jesus' last meal with the disciples (in John).

The timing is different because John's Gospel has Jesus die on the day of Preparation for the Passover so 'the lamb of God' would die as the Passover lambs were being slaughtered.

Anyway, in all four, they are around a table eating. In John, Jesus washes his friends' feet. In the Synoptic gospels he blesses the bread for Passover and the cup of Elijah.

So, the Christian Eucharist is born. 'Eucharist' from the Greek 'eucharistia', which means 'thanksgiving'. Jesus takes the bread and 'gives thanks' and 'gives thanks' for the wine, sharing both. Which is what we do in the Communion service.

(Just to make it clear: Episcopalians believe in 'the Real Presence' of Jesus' Body and Blood in the bread and wine. We don't have--most of us--any belief in 'transubstantiation' or 'consubstantiation'. We draw our theology from no less a theologian than Queen Elizabeth the First who, queried by someone trying to make her into a Papist, "what do you believe about the bread and wine?" answered, "As Christ spake it and the priest brake it, I take it."

I love theology that rhymes!

At the end of the Maundy Thursday Liturgy, which begins around a table with an Agape Meal the altar is stripped for Good Friday. ('Agape' is the third Greek word we translate 'love'--after 'Eros' and 'Philios'...erotic and brotherly/sisterly love.) Agape is the word Jesus uses for his love and his Father's love and the love we are called to--selfless and self-giving. I wash the altar with consecrated wine and water and leave the bread and wine for communion from the reserved sacrament of Good Friday that I blessed tonight. Good Friday and Holy Saturday are the two days that bread and wine may not be blessed.


But the feast of Maundy Thursday is a precursor of the great feast of Easter.

Love around a table full of food is for me the best love of all.

Around our table this year will be both our children (Josh and Mimi) and their mates (Cathy and Tim) and our four granddaughters--Emma, Morgan and Tegan Bradley and Eleanor McCarthy--along with 4 of our oldest friends--John (West Virginia, knew him from WVU) Jack (Virginia) and Sherry (South Carolina) Ellis and their son Robbie, a few years older than Josh. What an amazing gathering for us!

Our children grew up with Robbie Ellis so we've know them all for nearly 40 years and John for 45 or more.

Such joy sitting at a table with such 'family'.

This will be the Easter Event I need after Bela's death.

Alleluia!!!

why have I never worndered before?

You probably have wondered and probably already know.

But before just a while ago, I have never in my 70+ years of life, wondered what a.m. and p.m. stand for.

A.m. is ante meridem--before noon. And p.m. is "post..."--after noon.

At least I'm still pondering stuff I've never pondered before.

That's something.

Right?

I hope so.

11 days into our new life

It's been 11 days since our Puli, Bela, was euthanized. I'm not used to him being gone by a long shot--but I can think out him without tearing up.

Mostly my thoughts are nostalgic for the life he had with Bern and me.

Taking him out for three walks a day and a night pit stop in the back yard. Making his food and feeding him twice a day--we literally 'made' half his food with vegetables and different meats and rice to mix with top of the line dry food. Putting up with his barking and limiting who could visit us because he could be aggressive toward strangers. Keeping all his water bowls fresh. Giving treats for good (and, let's face it, 'not so good') behavior. Having to find a way to be home for any and all of the above.

In other words, all the things that used to mildly annoy me about having him are now nostalgic.

At three p.m. every day, I say to myself: "time to feed the Puli...."

I even miss the helping him up and down steps of the last two months of his life.

I miss him so.

Difference is that now I can 'miss him' with a lump in my throat rather than tears in my eyes.

Progress, I guess you could call it.

I'm more able to be thankful for our years with him than distraught by his not being here anymore...

It's better than it was. But I won't forget him, I promise you that.

Our Good Friday came a week early.

I'm ready for an Easter event....

Beyond all believing...

The single most outrageous, stupid, wrong-minded, insulting, insensitive, (did I say stupid already?), embarrassing, backward, wrong-assed thing anyone said or could have said about the protest on Saturday against gun violence against students.


"How about kids, instead of looking to someone else to solve their problems, do something about maybe taking CPR classes or trying to deal with situations where is a violent shooter."
                                         --RICK SANTORUM


Just to begin with--isn't it the role of adults to 'solve' the problems of kids?

And shouldn't we try to do that?

And there is still a constitution and a role of adults, don't the kids have a God given right to ask us to keep them safe?

And why should they have to deal with more school shootings--with Santorum implies they will?

What the hell is not wrong and crazy about what he said on TV?

And I quoted him accurately.

Holy S***, how nuts is he???????

(I have never put that may question marks after a question before.)

Rick, get a therapist--you are really out of touch with reality....

Beyond all believing, that was....

 

"Stormy weather...."

Just watched the interview of Stormy Daniels by Anderson Cooper.

She is calm, cool, collected and profoundly believable.

And if I ever need a lawyer, I want her guy. He is wonderful.

Go to This Week Tonight and watch John Oliver's 20+ minute examination of Mike Pence.

Here's the problem: as much as I want Trump gone, we'd have Pence for two years!

I wish I'd wake up tomorrow in 'No Drama Obama's" world instead of this unreality we call Trump world.

I just was peace and calm. I just want the government to grind on without anything other than boring competence.

I don't like it here.

I want out.

Just put it all together

I got out of bed at 10:15 this morning.

I wasn't hungry but forced myself to eat some cereal.

I tried to read and couldn't focus.

Then I read yesterday's dismal post.

I just put it all together--I'm a bit depressed about losing Bela.

I've never really been depressed much, so I didn't recognize it until now.

Now that I'm aware of it, I'll start managing it instead of it managing me....