peace

 "What is the peace of the world? Perhaps we would call it security or safety; the sense that physical walls and human strength, burgeoning bank accounts and spending capacity, or healthy bodies and modern medicine make us powerful enough to enact and ensure peace for ourselves. When those things fail, when we ourselves crumble in illness or crisis, when a pandemic unravels society, the peace of the world is no longer something we may acquire because it was always something to be bought. And sooner or later, we will all find ourselves impoverished by suffering.

The peace given by Jesus is entirely a gift."

 

                                                                          -   Sarah Clarkson,  Reclaiming Quiet 

 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.

-  Jesus  

thinking cool

My brother just brought up the smaller air conditioner for the spare room. We used to bring it up in time for July 4th, but it's been 90 for two days, and will be up near a hundred for the next two - I'm living on ice tea. Meanwhile, parts of Wyoming are having twenty inches of snow.

daffodils all over

I cut out some quilting cotton for another sleeveless dress - of course, the heat wave will be gone by the time I complete it, but while this weather lasts, I can't think of anything but sleeveless. Meanwhile, because it's not August, the nights are cooler, at least. And the window fans come to the rescue.

I don't put them in "properly." I just stick the fan on the sill in front of the screen; it pulls the cooler air in just fine without all the fuss and fitting. 

waiting for the Holy Spirit

 May the Lord send forth the Spirit
and renew the face of the earth!
Amen.

Ascension Day

I dreamed about Dolly last night. She was outside, exploring; she was well! She was Dolly.

It was so good to see her. Make of that what you will.

We went to mass this morning - it is the Ascension of Jesus. forty days after Easter. I thought I'd make a nice dinner. I baked a small cake, coffee flavor with walnuts, no frosting. I then made a crustless quiche, with mushrooms and spinach - a little cheese. A romaine salad with blood oranges and a bit of yellow bell pepper, oil and vinegar dressing, and some chicken tenders marinated in a yogurt lemon herb mixture and baked.

In the afternoon, I sliced up the cake, which would have looked better cut up, and decided to have a piece. It was made with dates, and a little brown sugar. Well, it was so sweet - frankly, I couldn't stand it. I threw out the rest. I felt bad there was no dessert, not that my brother would notice, or mind. 

Meanwhile, I was catching up on some of Huw Richards' videos. He is focusing lately on perennial vegetables and he mentioned rhubarb; I have thought of rhubarb before, and would like to grow it, so I wrote it down. 

I no sooner wrote the word when my phone rang. It was a neighbor, Sally. I just baked a strawberry rhubarb pie, and wonder if you'd like some. Ah, ah!! I told her the story of my dessert disappointment, AND that I'd just written the word "rhubarb". Of all things! She brought it over and said she had put in less than half of the sugar in the recipe - it was just right. Thank you, dear Sally! 

Loving Father,

because of the Ascension of your Son
our human nature is now at home with you in heaven.
May this truth be our lasting encouragement and hope.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Ascension, by Rembrandt

little neighbors

 I went to Mass this morning in the city. The cathedral choir sang "If Ye Love Me" by Thomas Tallis. Just beautiful. 

This morning I opened the kitchen window - maybe it was seven? From the corner of my eye I saw something run into the drain pipe. I thought it was a bird, and waited for it to come out, but it didn't. I don't know why I thought of a bird - why would a bird go into a pipe? Anyway, I came back soon after, and there was a chipmunk.

Can you tell that he's sitting up inside the cracked opening of the pipe, his little skeletal hands holding the edge? These photos were all taken through the screen, by the way. That "stuff'" near him is debris that always seems near the opening. 

He would sit very still, no movement; if I made a noise or if he saw me, he'd scoot back inside the pipe. But not for long. A few times he came out to forage.

For a short while; he was being very cautious. When I left to go to church, Daisy was laying in the windowsill, watching him, tail flicking. And he seemed to be watching her, also.

It really seemed that he was looking up at her. So, contrary to what we usually do, I left the window open even thought I was going out. This was about ten fifteen. I was home at quarter to one, and he was still there!  But after the shadows lengthened, I noticed he was gone. Not a good place to live full-time, but we'll see if he comes back another morning.

Meanwhile, last weekend I finally saw a catbird. I didn't hear anything the first day, but surely the trip must be exhausting. It wasn't long before I heard their warbling. They always hang out in the forsythia outside my window, but I've never seen a nest in there, so I'm not sure what they're doing, but they always come back. How amazing the bird journeys are! These apparently fly down to Florida or Cuba.

If ye love me,
keep my commandments,
and I will pray the Father,
And he shall give you another comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever:
Even the spirit of truth.

John 14: 15-18

real life

 "The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own', or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life - the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's 'real life' is a phantom of one's own imagination."

                                                       -  C.S. Lewis

with the light burning at the back of my eyes

 We've had a lot of windy days lately, and today was one of them, but bright blue and clear. The temperatures are up and down, like they always are in spring. Too chilly for window-washing.

I have a piece of fabric for the dress bodice lining, but it's been put aside for a blouse I'm working on. What I would really like is to make something, to finish it! To wear it! 

Daisy turned four the other day, and I totally didn't notice it. No worries, neither did she. 

I'm re-reading Sarah Clarkson's Reclaiming Quiet:

"I hungered for quiet, not just the cessation of noise but that deep inward hush in which the kindness of God is the light burning at the back of our eyes so that we look upon the world in the brightness of his companionship."

blossoms everywhere

Perfect days like this make you forget the ones that went before - it was wonderful. Sunny, temperate, very breezy. I went out and wished I'd brought a camera because the pink cherry blossoms would flutter around in the wind, even into the back yard.

They are everywhere in the front, and all the way down the edges of the driveway - it looks like we've had a wedding here.

Meanwhile, the crabapple is fantastic - filled with white blossoms.

Once again, the birds never ate the fruit over the fall and winter, and I wasn't able to pick it with snow all around the tree, but that didn't get in the way of the blooming at all. I've always been partial to crabapple trees. When the cherry blooms, the leaves are there, too; the flowers are rosette-like - well, I've taken enough pictures of them over the years. But the crab blossoms take over the whole tree; there are leaves, but they're dwarfed by all the flowers. I also love the spreading habit of apple and crabapple trees. But don't tell the cherry - she's a brave one, and well-loved. 

the October storm of 2011 - she's never been the same since

kneaded long, to give you life

 Refrain:

I received the living God,
and my heart is full of joy.
I received the living God,
and my heart is full of joy.

1 Jesus said: "I am the Bread
Kneaded long to give you life;
You who will partake of me
Need not ever fear to die." [Refrain]

2 Jesus said: "I am the Way,
And my Father longs for you;
So I come to bring you home
To be one with him anew." [Refrain]

3 Jesus said: "I am the Truth;
If you follow close to me,
You will know me in your heart,
And my word shall make you free." [Refrain]

4 Jesus said: "I am the Life
Far from whom no thing can grow,
But receive this living bread,
And my Spirit you shall know." [Refrain]