A week later

This is a piece of artwork that I did for the Good Friday service at the church I've been attending. I think it broke when someone tried to hang it on the wall. Oh well.

However, I think I like it. I told my friend who organized the art that he could toss it since it fell apart but he wanted to keep it. I guess he liked it too.

So the pieces were supposed to based on the stations of the cross, a modified version. The station I chose was where Jesus dies, the curtain in the temple tears, and some people are resurrected. My initial thought was that I wanted to do something dark and black.

The death of Jesus for the folks that followed him must have been devastating. I mean, here's this guy who has been doing all these awesome things and saying "This is how you should live" and then he gets killed. Particularly for the disciples waiting with him in his death, including his mother, I think it was a really, really dark time. But then, if the gospel accounts are to be believed, there is the miraculous that happens when Jesus died. Maybe there was a speck of hope in the midst of that deep despair. So that's what I was trying to do with this piece, darkness with a tiny spot of light in the midst of it all.

This is layers of cardboard, cut to give some depth and painted black. The last panel has a tiny crystal to catch the light. Simple and abstract. But I like it.

Sunday I hosted a few folks for Easter dinner. I figured I had a nice table and pretty dishes and it would be nice to use them and spend time with friends. Here's my beautiful table all set. Table and chairs courtesy of my parents, dishes and glasses courtesy of my maternal grandmother.

One of these things is not like the other...

Morning Oatmeal

I do love me some groggy baby and bedhead.

wordless

random thoughts

• I missed the palm branch or frond waving on Sunday. I didn't even think about the fact that it was Palm Sunday until I spied a friend and wished her a happy one. The service I'm attending isn't all that kid friendly. Child care-takers are in short supply and few folks have children. I don't know if this correlates at all. It may. But I missed them a few days ago.
• I'm tired of death. Recently three of my co-workers have lost parents. My second cousin once removed and his wife lost her mother. And a professor of mine lost his battle with cancer. That's quite enough now, thank you.
• However, a friend from work has made sure that if I want anything from her MIL's house that isn't spoken for by family, I can have it. She was the provider of my awesome chairs and I think there will be a few small side tables and I just got two bags of kitchen goodness, Pyrex bowls and a roasting pan and the like. I also received a toaster, blender and stand mixer earlier. I'm well and truly stocked.
• I don't know that I'll be able to handle the leadership transition in my house group. I'm not sure what that says about me. But it's where I'm at.
• I read a poorly written book this weekend that I spent a good chunk of money on. That was disappointing but not unexpected. It was the last book in the series started with The Clan of the Cave Bear. I enjoyed the first four books. Five and six (the new one) not so much. I just needed to read it to get through the series. Do you ever feel that way?
• My least favorite person at work is leaving. At the end of May. I break out into a wide grin every time I think about it. I've been waiting for this to happen for ten years. Yes, ten years. It is hard to not break out in song.
  

Wordless Wednesday

Process

Back in September there was a baby born. His mom and I have known each other since 1994. For people to whom I am not related that's a pretty long time. He doesn't have a baby quilt from me yet. I've been working to remedy that.


I just need to finish hand-sewing on the binding and wash it before it can be gifted.

good words

At church lately we've been going through Jesus' last words. It's been a good series. Yesterday I was having a hard time moving beyond some of my judgey academic issues. But at the end there were some things that I appreciated.
1) Don't call bad things good
2) Don't stay in agreement too long with your suffering

It's important to recognize when things are hard. It's also important to not wallow.

Wordless Wednesday

Setting a Gracious Table

My mom has several sets of dishes. And by several I mean more than 5. I only have two. And a half. Really that half is a full set of randomness that makes a happy everyday table. One of the things she does for special occasions is set a really beautiful table. She has tablecloths in various colors and decorative serving dishes and matching glasses. She layers on crocheted toppers and beaded chargers. And her tables are gorgeous. When I was in high school and we were trying to sell our house she kept the tables set with china and crystal. I'm sure it helped.

Setting her table is a way that my mother shows love. The attention to detail and desire to create a beautiful place to sit and relax. I'm not as fastidious as my mother. I don't have tablecloths for each season or to match each set of dishes. But I do try to set a gracious table. To me this means fun dishes (that may or may not match), napkins that make a person smile, and fresh flowers. Oh, and good food; leftovers sent home with my guests of course.

I had a friend over for dinner Saturday. She gave me the best compliment saying that she feels spoiled when she leaves my place. I can't ask for more than that.