I Should Probably Explain (Choir)

I realized that I never did explain how I ended up back in the church choir.  You may remember past posts here and here.  I had had simply a terrible experience with a former choir director.  He has since moved on to apparently greener pastures, and a new director was hired, one who had worked off and on there previously.  I was not planning to rejoin the choir, but God intervened in a most fascinating way.

There was this one Sunday in the summer of 2013, after the other director left, when I went back to my church.  We had been away for almost six months.  Somehow, we ended up at the 9:00 Mass, which we never go to (we are not early birds).  It just so happened that another former choir member ended up sitting right behind us.  After Mass, we walked out and ran into yet another choir member, one who was/is still an active member.  He asked us both if we would come back.  It became one of those situations, "I'll come back if you'll come back!"  And we both did.

I am very glad to be back.  It is not a perfect choir; every choir and director has its idiosyncrasies.  But in general I am happy there and glad to be singing again.  I have not offered to play harp there yet.  I don't know that I will; I was so traumatized by my previous experience.  But at least I am making music for the Lord again.  And that is a good thing.

The View from the Choir Loft - Lovely!

Grandson's First Holy Communion

Tyler celebrated his First Holy Communion last Saturday.  How nice it is for him!  He has been waiting for this day anxiously, lately asking us each Sunday if it was time for him to receive.  It was a lovely ceremony.  The day after we had a big family party.  Lots of fun with family!

Before the ceremony, all spiffed up.

His banner for the pew.  Da and I helped him with the shapes, and then I stitched them to the banner.

We gave Tyler a small cross to wear.  

Mama and Ty at the church after the ceremony.

Up Late Studying

For work, I have to train and be tested for Neonatal Resuscitation.  There is a 300 page book to review, and online tests for each of nine chapters.  Next week I will go in and need to demonstrate the techniques, and then be evaluated.  I finished the book and tests tonight.  What a relief.  It was a very good review however, and some things have changed from 10 years ago when I previously worked in the NICU.

A Blessing From The Pope

Paul and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this past Monday.  The day before, I wanted to find our wedding album, not remembering where it was (it turned out to be up in the attic).  While looking, Paul found a box of wedding memorabilia.  How fun!  One of the things we found was a parchment sent to us by Bishop Vladimir Tarasevitch, who married us.  He had brought it from Rome, a blessing signed by then Pope John Paul II.  The funny thing was this: the day we found it again was the same day of the canonization of Pope John Paul II.  Anyway here it is.  I feel this blessing has been a special gift these past thirty years!

Easter Table

A long, but beautiful weekend: the Triduum, tons of choir music to sing each day of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Saturday Vigil Mass, working a day shift Easter Sunday morning, and then coming home and cooking and baking with family for our meal.  I am grateful for Christ's sacrifice and Resurrection, for family, music, and good food.

Breakfast for Dinner

Ty's go-to meal, made more interesting and fun 

once Nana remembered the pancake molds hidden in a cupboard 

Losing a Friend and a Fellow Nurse

I received very sad news the other day.  A friend of mine died unexpectedly.  She was only 57.  She leaves behind her husband and three children, all of whom are still so young, late teens and early 20's.  Her name was Norine.  I met her when we were both attending St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing.  We had a lot of laughs during school.  Later, we met up again when I first began homeschooling Robert and Kristin.  She was a wealth of information, gave me lots of ideas and some books.  After our kids grew up we still kept in touch, sometimes for "tea lady" events, and most recently when I called her for advice on a situation with my grandson in the fall, and then more recently when we just called to chat.  We had a good long talk that I am very grateful to have had.

I went to the Shen Yun dance performance today (stunningly beautiful performance).  The themes of many of the dances dealt with the divine and the struggles of life.  I found this to be great comfort.  In particular, one of the songs sung made me think of my grief at the loss of Norine.  Although this song comes from a different faith practice than mine, the sentiments are universal, and I was particularly touched by this:

Life's True Meaning
by D. F.

Human life is ever changing
Joy and happiness always go hand-in-hand with worry and grief
Happiness is paved with hardship
When wishes don't come true I often wonder
What is human life after all?
Dafa helped me to understand the truth
Most people come from various heavenly paradises
When the heavens faced disaster we came to earth
To wait for the Creator to purify our lives
I have no more sorrow and am no longer lost
Because I waited, and now the Creator,
King of the Fa (Great Way of the Universe), has arrived
Because I am on a god's path to home