Thursday of Holy Week

My very good friend John had a lump on his breast bone.  he went to the Dr. to find out what it was.  He was trying to remain upbeat and to leave the concern in God's hands.  A week later he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma,  It was a devastating diagnosis.  What was the first thing he and his wife did after hearing the diagnosis?  They went on vacation.  They would deal with treatments and drugs and surgeries later, but first they would enjoy each other's company.

My friend John died a few weeks ago.  I miss him so much.

To me,  Holy Thursday reminds me of my friend John.   Jesus knew what was coming on Friday,  but on Thursday he had a dinner with his Apostles and enjoyed their friendship one last time.  He took Peter, James and John to the Garden with him.  He wanted his friends around him as much as he could. 

Holy Thursday is our time to revel in those moments of Christ and the Apostles together.  The calm before the storm if you will.  The music is so beautiful during the Holy Thursday Liturgy (and I am not just saying that because I sing in our Church Choir).    Pange Lingua has to be one of my very favorite hymns and we are singing Durufle's  Ubi Caritas as well.  

And tonight at Liturgy, I can be with John at Mass,  because the Mass is the one place where all people who have ever been to Mass and all those who will ever go to Mass are there in that moment of Kairos (God's time).    

I love The Triduum.  Holy Thursday is the celebration of that first Liturgy.  Enter into it with all of your senses.

Pax

When I Feel as Though I Should Be Doing Something . . .

why is it that prayer never seems to be enough?

I am sitting here just having heard some very devastating news about one of my dear friends; someone as close to me as one of my brothers, who is clinging to life and may not last the night.  I was told that no action is expected of me at this point, I needn't rush to his bedside in another state because he is surrounded by family.  Someone else is taking the responsibility of calling our little circle of friends, so I have no one to call.

I have nothing for my hands and mind to do that will help my friend in his time of great need.  I know that he is not fearing this last journey but I regret that I didn't find the time to see him one last time before the end.  We were supposed to all get together next weekend for our semi-annual weekend gathering.

So, I am sitting here, with nothing to do but pray, which in truth is so much that I can do for my friend, but somehow in the darkness of this night it seems like my words are so small.

God, be with my dear friend tonight as he comes to you.  Help him to let go of this mortal world and enter into his final rest.  Be with his family as they deal with his loss and absence in their lives.

Amen

Pax

De Profundis

For those of you who don't read Latin,  the title of this post is the first two lines of a psalm that is read during the Office of the dead: Psalm 130:

Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
  Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
   to my cry for mercy.

    (v 1-2)

It is one of my "go to" psalms when I am in the Dark Night,  feeling cut off from God and wondering if the Infinite Threeness  is even taking notice of little old me.    It has become even more meaningful now in my present darkness.  With the death of my mother not only am I cut off from God, but I am untethered from a connection to that grounding sense that I belong to someone here on earth.  Today I feel utterly orphaned, and it makes me profoundly sad in a de profundis way.

I used to wonder if it was something I had done that sent God away from me.  Had I been so obstinate and selfish that God had just given up on me and turned away from me as a lost cause.  Was I just too proud of my own will to be worth anything to God?

 If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
   Lord, who could stand?
 But with you there is forgiveness,
   so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

(v 3-4)

I realize that I have a connection to other people, like my husband and my children,  and that they need me and I need them, but, as Fr. Bill put it this morning when he talked with me a bit after Mass,  You just don't  belong to anyone the way you belong to your parents.  

I am beginning to wonder though if my sense of longing isn't more profound because I entered the dark night long before my mother died.  I was already trying to find a way to pray that brought me consolation.  I had been. for over a year in a spiritual land where the scenery was unfamiliar.   God was trying to communicate with me, but I was struggling to decipher the new language that was now flowing in my direction.  

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
   and in his word I put my hope.
 I wait for the Lord
   more than watchmen wait for the morning,
   more than watchmen wait for the morning.

(v 5-6)

And then mom died, who hadn't said anything meaningful to me since 2007 really, because of the prison in which she had been trapped by her disease.  But I loved her and I know that in her way she loved me.  I could go and sit with her, ore even just know that she was there and it made me feel connected.  

Not so now,  that connection has been severed.  I hear a song on the radio, or see a movie on television that she used to love, or something happens in my life and I would love to tell her about it,  but then I remember that she isn't there.  The only analogy that comes close is what it feels like when you lose a tooth,  there is a physical space that you can feel where the tooth used to be.  I can feel that space in my life where my mother used to be.  It is gaping and empty -- de profundis .

The one thing I know, in all of this is that I may be orphaned, but I am not alone.  All those other people in my life; my family and Fr. Bill and my parish family, and my friends are there because God doesn't want me to have to go through this alone.  So while I may not understand God's language in prayer, I do feel God's presence in others.  Everyone who brightens my day, or brings me comfort, is sent from God.   And while they can't take the place of my mom,  they can help me past the bad spots.  God will do the rest,  all I have to do is have faith and hope.

(Israel), put your hope in the LORD, 

   for with the LORD is unfailing love 

   and with him is full redemption. 

 He himself will redeem Israel 

   from all their sins.

(v7-8)

PAX

Grief Support Just When I Need It

So, I though I was doing pretty well.  I was finding the time to get things done, and don't feel as though I am living underwater most of the time anymore (swimmers might understand that reference but it is the best metaphor for how I felt the first two or three weeks after mom died -- as though I were totally submerged in water and the rest of the world was somewhere on dry land.  I could see it and hear it but only in a diffuse, muffled way.) 

I am still taking naps every day, but to be honest I enjoy my nap time and they aren't interfering with my other commitments so I think I will continue them.

I was at a really low point one day.  It suddenly hit me that I am an orphan now, because both of my parents are dead.  Why at fifty years old that should even be a thought that would cause me any concern seemed to make my sorrow even more deep.  As I was sitting in my grief that day, I received a letter from a beautiful woman in her early 70's who was part of my Spiritual Direction Internship Cohort Group.  In the letter she reminded me that we had decided that she was my adopted mother, and while she could never take mom's place, she would gladly step in and send me the love, and motherly concern that she knew I was missing.  How carefully God orders our steps.  Her letter came that day because she had been traveling when mom died and had only that week had the time to sit down and write.  

Just this week, I have been reading a book called Availability by Robert Wicks.  I got to church a little early on Wednesday morning so I was reading in Church.  As I read a section on allowing one's self to be open to God's love, it occurred to me that I had been experiencing a really dry spell during my prayer time --a long stretch of withdrawn consolation in prayer.  It hadn't stopped me from spending my time in contemplation, I just come away feeling empty rather than refreshed or restored.  As that realization swept over me I could feel my eyes filling up with tears.  Then, Mass began and it was announced that it was the Feast of the Archangels (Michael, Raphael and Gabriel).  This day happens to be my father's feast day.  The tears really began to flow. 

Fr. Bill, our pastor must have noticed, because when I ran into him going into the parish office the next day he made a point of asking me if I was okay.  He has a way of drawing the truth out of me, (I wonder if that is so for everyone he talks with) so instead of saying "things are just fine"  I actually told him that I was still struggling a bit.  He gave me a few really great pearls of wisdom about grieving.  The most important for me at least being that walking through grief is like entering a valley.  You walk along the valley floor for a long time before you begin to climb back out of the valley on the other side. 

Another piece of wisdom came on an unrelated subject from friends in my supervision group .  When I am done crying, I will move on.  The crying has a purpose.  I have known the grace of tears,  but somehow was hard pressed to offer that grace to myself in this situation.

So, the valley may be long, and deep, and filled with suddenly flowing tears, but I know that with friends like these surrounding me I will make it to the other side and my joy will return. 

Pax

Young Adult Spirituality: Help Is On the Way!!!!

I am so excited to announce that my friend Fr. Mark Mossa SJ has a book on spirituality for young adults that he has been working on for a long time that is available for pre-order from Amazon.   I can assure you that this book will be worth the cost, and a great help to any young adult and anyone who works with young adults. I read a few of the chapters very early in the process and was very impressed.

Please consider placing your pre-order now for delivery in August for all the young adults and young adults ministers you know.

While you are waiting for the book to arrive, Fr. Mark has a website set up:

Spoiler Alert  filled with fun posts and extra links that you can use while you are waiting.  btw: I added the website to my blogroll on my sidebar.

Pax

Update:

We spoke with Sally, the wife of our friend who died and Jim, his brother. They still haven't found their dad, but he has been spotted in El Paso TX. There is a full blown Silver Alert out on him, and they are very hopeful that he will be found. They have even contacted the police in the town here in Indiana where they lived before they moved to New Mexico, in case somehow he gets all the way here.



Please keep them in your prayers. As soon as I know something I will let you all know. Hopefully it will all end well, this family can't take much more bad news.

Pax

Reconnecting

Yesterday I went to the farewell luncheon for the Pastoral Associate, Sr. Joan Luerman OSF with whom I had worked for the entire six years that I was in Parish Ministry. She is retiring from active ministry to return to her Mother House (She is an Oldenburg Franciscan ). I was a bit intimidated about going back to the parish after so long.

There are some parishioners who were happy to see me leave I would venture to say that that is true of anyone in ministry. Someone once told me when I was having a particularly difficult time with one parishioner, that if you aren't making someone mad, you just aren't doing your job.

It really was a nice day though, in general everyone was pleasant, and there were so many people that I was happy to see again. Some that I hadn't realized how much I missed until I did see them. One woman, Sharon, had been my assistant in the School of Religion program the entire time was a particularly poignant reconnection with a promise of a lunch sometime really soon.

Another couple, are the Confirmation sponsors of my two middle daughters, whom they occasionally get cards from but we no longer talk to or see regularly. The husband has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and is in the early stages. Knowing that I am dealing with it with my mother, the wife thinks of me. He seems to be coping pretty well for now. My prayers are redoubled and very focused for them now.

Another woman, Amy whom I used to chat with often in the last year or so I worked there wasn't a Catholic yet when I was still there. At the time she was a Buddhist, and was being awakened to life as a mystic. I sought her out because in her I saw someone who might understand and be able to put words to my awakening avenue of prayer. We talked about our understanding of prayer as a mystical, often wordless connection to the Transcendent Other. We also talked about Eucharist and Trinity and other theological matters during our discussions. At the time I felt that she was on the road to the Church and some day, when the time was right would join her husband and son at the Table. Just last year I saw her name in the Archdiocesan paper in the list of those who were being welcomed into the Church at the Vigil Mass and my heart sang for joy. Each Monday when I sit down to write my Mystic Monday post I think of Amy, because she helped me to understand that being a mystic was one way God speaks to our hearts, and we can embrace that way and be totally open to it. We promised to get together this week for lunch. I can't wait to have another chat.

The Parish Deacon was on his yearly retreat, but his wife, Kathy, who had been the parish secretary while I was working there was in attendance, and we got to chat. I also got to see her daughter, April who spent a lot of time in the office, and whose wedding I attended while I was working at the parish. They both looked wonderful. And made me really sad that I haven't kept better in touch with them.

A young woman, Elizabeth, whose brother is a seminarian at my Gradual School was there. I have been trying to encourage her to attend St. Meinrad as a lay student every since she graduated from Steubenville. I think it would be an awesome fit for her and she would be an awesome addition to the Lay Degree program. Now that her brother Joshua is there as a seminarian I encouraged her to go down for a visit and get in touch with the Director of the Lay Degree program and have a look around. I may have been a bit of a hard sell, but hey, it was one of the best things I did, and something that good has to be shared.

All in all the reception I got was really great. I did have really sort of sour note, and both of the priests I had worked for were there and between them I didn't get a full sentence of recognition that I was even in attendance, but it wasn't my day, so whatever.

I loved Sr. Joan and I hope her retirement is as wonderful as her ministry was.

Pax

A Picture of Solitude

Do you have a sanctuary? A place where you find rest? Is it a physical place or a mental place? For me, no matter where I am I have such a place.

When I was growing up we lived just across the street from a really great old estate that was like our private playground. It had been deeded to the city as a public park. The house and gardens at the top of the hill were used as meeting space and for events; but the property leading up to the house was left pretty much undeveloped.

That part of the property includes the brick paved carriage path that begins just across the street from my old house and winds through the woods ending at the mansion and carriage house at the top of the hill. In the middle of the woods there is a small bridge over a ravine where the rainwater would runoff during heavy rains storms. This bridge is my sanctuary. When I was growing up I used to spend a lot of time there playing, reading, sometimes just sitting and thinking.

No matter where I am now, I can seek sanctuary by remembering back to that bridge. The picture in this post is a photograph of a painting of that exact bridge . It was painted by my childhood friend Mark. The painting looks exactly like the bridge of my memory. When I mentioned on his blog that that bridge was my mental sanctuary he offered to send me the painting. He posted the picture to his facebook page so that I could get a preview of what he was sending me.

I am so excited even to think about where I might hang this painting in my house. Now I will have a visual image of a place that I so love. Words can't express how happy this makes me.

Life is so good.

Pax

Good News On Tap

Each year my good friend from Gradual School, Diane does a lenten reflection series as a part of her own lenten journey. Each year she has shared them with us. This year she has gone way High Tech and posted them via video on the web so that a wider audience can benefit from her wisdom.

I have added the RSS feed to my sidebar so that you can link to it if you wish

It is the one called Good News on Tap--------------->




Check it out. You won't be disappopinted.

Pax

The Sadness of the First Day

Today the angelbaby begins her first day of her last year in elementary school. She is both excited and sad. She doesn't get to have the teacher she wanted, and her best friend in the whole world (you know how those things are with twelve-year olds is in another class altogether. In fact, none of her friends are in her class, or so she said after we took a look at the class lists yesterday.

And to make things worse, there is the whole thing about not getting to have the teacher she really wanted. Who she got was a teacher that has been at the school, not one of the two new teachers they brought in to replace the two they transferred. She has somehow built up in her mind that she isn't going to like this teacher, and she doesn't even really know her.

So, on the way back from school yesterday I talked to her about expectations, and how our world usually lives up to what we expect of it. If we expect that we are going to have a great year; meet new friends, love our teacher, and in general enjoy school that usually happens. If we expect that we are going to hate school, hate our teacher and have no friends in class, that might happen too. I also taught her about what we can and cannot control and how to say The Serenity Prayer I wanted her to know that I wasn't about to go in and make them change her class just because she needed to be with her best friend. I think she needs to give this teacher a chance because I know this teacher, and I personally think this teacher might be a good fit.

This parenting stuff is never a picnic.

I will be praying a few of my own prayers today as I drop her off for her first day. How did my baby get to be in sixth grade? It seems like yesterday I was taking her to her first day of pre-school.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change . . .

Pax

Fun with Facebook

So my 30th High School Reunion was last weekend, only sadly because of our exile to paradise I had to miss it. Happily though because of Facebook in the last three days I have reconnected with at least ten of the guys and girls I went to high school with because of the friend of a friend process.

It is really great. One of our classmates lives in New Zealand, another is in Rome on holiday, and the rest of the ones I have caught up with all were lucky enough to actually go to the reunion. Unhappily for me, I didn't get to go this time around although I had a great time five years ago at my 25th.

Maybe five years from now I will make it to my 35th. Maybe due to facebook we will all stay connected.

Pax

Friends are Awesome!!!

A week ago I told the front desk that the coffee maker in our suite was no longer functioning correctly. They said they would bring another one up here as soon as possible. I have gone a whole week without being able to make coffee in the mornings.

For a few days I went down to the little Starbucks stand in the lobby for a shot of the good stuff, but the girl who works there doesn't quite understand how to pull an Americano. The last time I asked for a triple shot Americano and ended up with three shots of espresso in a cup, no hot water at all. Now I loves me some espresso, but I also loves me the inside lining of my stomach. I took the cup back to our suite and watered it down and got three cups of coffee out of it.

Anyway, yesterday the wife of one of the other guys who is down here working with mrangelmeg met the angelbaby in the hallway and the angelbaby was telling her about our coffeemaker woes. This lovely woman said that neither she nor her devoted spouse were coffee drinkers, and if we wanted she would gladly loan us the coffee maker in her room until the management came to their senses and brought us a working coffee maker. The angelbaby accepted (I think she was tired of living with a coffee-less mama) and brought the machine down to our suite.

This morning I have coffee!!! (cue music) I am so happy I could cry.

Friends are great.

Pax

Pictures from a Graduation

This is a picture outside Abbey Church just after Graduation Mass

Processing in with the Candle (that is me on the right and Susan on the left)

The only person in front of us was the Crucifer John Hopewell a Seminarian friend

Behind us was a very very long line of priests, deacons an Archabbot and a Bishop

My kids waiting to watch me receive my diploma

I am so proud of the fact that there isn't one MP3 player

or Gameboy in sight.

I'm smiling because I looked inside the folder and know that my diploma is official, signed off on and everything who wouldn't be happy. A few seconds after this picture was when we walked through the hallway lined by our professors.

Perpetua (Diane on the left) and Thekla (me on the right) with Deacon John in the middle. He had these Icons painted for us as graduation gifts. So much more meaningful because of the special meaning of the names themselves. But that is another story for another day.

Pax

Happy Birthday My Dear Felicity

Today is the Birthday of a dear friend of mine from Gradual School. A while back in a Women in the Early Church we all got the names of Women Saints and hers is Felicity, (mine is Thecla by the way, there is a story there but that is for another day).

She also happens to be an Organic Dairy Farmer from Ohio and has posted a
"Day in the Life" video on YouTube.

The song in the video is one of our personal favorites Shaking the Tree by Peter Gabriel, listen to the words they are awesomely powerful as a women's song of empowerment. (Nota: the book; Creation of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner; that she is reading is from our Women in the Old Testament class last fall.)



Enjoy the video and send up a prayer of blessing on my sister Felicity on this her birthday.




Pax

It is So On!

So mrangelmeg and I went to Louisville last night to spend a wonderful Jazz Filled evening with friends of mine from Gradual School. We all met up at the Jazz Factory for an amazingly fun evening with Harry Pickens. Even mrangelmeg, who isn't much of a Jazz fan had fun, with this concert at which Harry wove great tunes into a creative story that involved Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and Snoopy, The Grinch and the Girl from Ipanema. We laughed, we cried, it moved us all.

Part of the tears were because we were there with Deacon John and his wife Claudette. John had his first round of Chemotherapy that day to battle Poindexter (the name he has given to the tumor on his sternum). Hence the title of this post. John and Claudette gave us all St. Peregrine medals which in Claudette's words "John did his Deacon thing over," by blessing for us, so that we can wear or carry them (as we choose). I put mine on right then and there, on the necklace that also has my Madonna and child pendant which I never take off. We are now in the anti-Poindexter forces -- prayer warriors against the growth on John's chest.

We were all offering him pledges of support last night, for anything he might need, any time, day or night. We are all in this to win this. As John said about his reason for naming it Poindexter, "If I can't beat a thing called Poindexter. . ." With our help, Poindexter doesn't have a chance. We are all looking out for him in our own way. One of our friends has a PhD and is doing all of the Internet research on therapies and new treatments and making sure that they understand exactly what the Dr. is telling them. One of our friends is offering to be personal assistant; shopping, cooking anything they might need.

I, being the person that I am, offered to be the comic relief. I gave John the complete Ernest collection on DVD. Because I know the healing power of laughter. I also told him that whenever he needed something to laugh about all he had to do was call me, because heaven knows my life is pretty comical to just about everyone.

He will be losing his hair in the next few weeks. When I asked if Claudette could send me some he laughed and said only if it didn't become a first class relic. We both feel the same about saints relics (ick). I just love his hair and wanted a reminder about how beautiful it was. Maybe not. I think he will make a very striking bald man.

He promises that he will be starting a Chemo-related blog to go with his Speakin' Deacon blog. I hope he does, because I know that his thoughts on the spirituality of this journey will help a whole lot of people -- those who have cancer or some other illness, and those who are just struggling to find God in the tangle of their every day lives.

I will keep you updated, if you all promise to keep praying for my friend as he continues his fight. As another of our friends said last night, it has nothing to do with statistics, I am just being selfish, I haven't known him near long enough to have something as stupid as Poindexter take him away from me. I will do everything within my power, which is ask everyone I know to pray for him, and storm heaven myself to prove to God that John is still very much needed down here.

Pax

Simple Pleasures

Last night was one of the best, most relaxing nights I have spent in a very long time. We invited our friends Suzanne and Danny and their children over to a late dinner (because our husbands both have late work schedules). I threw together a very simple meal, and we then sat around our newest innovation in our yard, the fire pit listening to music and talking and enjoying the beautiful evening. I can't imagine a better way to have spent a Friday evening.

I opened a bottle of wine for Suzanne and I to savor. It was a rather expensive bottle of wine that mrangelmeg had gotten me as a gift and it turned out to be quite good (By the way mrangelmeg, Suzanne and I approve of your skill at guessing quality wine selections.)

It was so great to spend time with friends. I am not sure what the kids did, I think they were playing pool or video games. They did wander out to the fire to make S'mores, but then left again pretty quickly, leaving the adults and Teresa, Suzanne's older daughter to chat in peace.

All in all it was a very nice night. I would love to have a repeat of it very soon. Especially while I am so burdened with studying. Last night the last thing on my mind was all the stinking philosophy reading I have to do, which felt really good for a change.

Pax

Favorite Catholic Blogs Meme

The Ironic Catholic has honored me with a tag as one of her favorite Catholic Blogs. I am humbled. Especially because of the company in which I find myself.

I am now supposed to tag a few other people whose blogs I find inspire my Catholic faith.

I will do that by pointing you to a few friends you might not know. And one I am sure you do, but must not go unheralded.

God'sbody is one of my favorite places to find a literate take on what is going on in the world. Not to mention "Today in porn".

The Speakin' Deacon is the creation of my pal from Gradual School, Deacon John Simmons of the Diocese of Louisville. This is where he posts his homilies. The only thing more awesome than this would be if he were to make audio files of his homilies and create a podcast of them because they are great to read but I tell you, the man can preach!!!

God Spede ye Plough is the blog of another alum from my gradual school. He has an interesting view of the church. I may not always agree with his position, but it reminds me that our faith tradition is big enough for all of us.

Sincerely My Thoughts is the creation of one of my dearest soul friends. She is as close as a sister to me and in fact our sons are adopted brothers (it is a long story and involves the fact that neither of them has a natural living brother in a sea of seven girl siblings between them, so out of desperation they have chosen each other) Suzanne's blog is a mix of the simple joy of daily Catholic life and the beauty of being other centered. I don't miss a day of checking in to see what is going on in her world.

I think I will leave it at that. So to those I have tagged consider yourself part of my "daily devotion".

If you want to play, you just have to create a post and let the blogosphere know which blogs you find to be your Favorite Catholic Blogs.

Pax

I Meet the Nicest People In Gradual School

I have two young men in particular that I would love to tell you all about. They are both future seminarians and they are both in my philosophy classes.

One is named Tim and he is going to be a monk in a very small order dedicated to Our Lady, I wish I could remember the name of the order but I can't. He is so wonderfully excited about learning.

The other is Aaron. He has been living as a Glenmary Missionary and is in the process of preparing for the Seminary (he needs to get 30 hours of Philosophy Courses before he can enter Major Seminary somewhere, so he is taking courses not only at Saint Meinrad, but also will be taking courses at another school closer to his mission post in Kentucky in the fall, then he will be back at Saint Meinrad next Summer. Hopefully he will be ready to begin Seminary training in the Fall of 2008.

I am sure that both of these young men would appreciate your prayers as they follow God's call to the priesthood on the path He has chosen for them. Aaron in particular has been and will continue to work for most of his career in under served areas of the United States where he may be the only Catholic presence for miles. When he talks about the work he does it is very stirring and you can see the Spirit welling up inside him.

I know they will be in my prayers. Won't you join me in praying for them.

Pax

Celebrate!

Mrangelmeg and I are leaving in just a few hours to drive to the secret celebration of the 75th birthday and 50th ordination anniversary of one of my favorite professors from my gradual school, Fr. Damien, or Damo as we all affectionately call him. I have written about him before, and would do just about anything for this man, and apparently am since I am going to take his seminar on Women in the Old Testament along with my final in the fall (even though I am not taking it for Credit I must be crazy, there are five books that we will be reading just for this one class).

A friend and I decided to put together a little PowerPoint project to display at the dinner tonight that we hope will get a few laughs and show Damo how much we love him. With mrangelmeg's considerable help we have pasted Damo's face into pictures of historical events going all the way back to creation with the theme "How Old is Damo". We wrote a little commentary to go along with it and my friend and I are going to present it to the group after the dinner.

She is the one who is taking the bigger risk, she is taking his class in the fall for credit!

Anyway, I just wanted to take the time to say Happy Birthday Damo, and Happy Anniversary as well. My life has been greatly enriched by knowing you.

Pax

Survivor:Parents Edition

So we had two parties this weekend at our place:


Oldest Daughter turned 21 and we allowed her to invite her friends over for a night of fun on Saturday evening. The only hitch was none of them got off work until after 11:30, so the party didn't actually get going till well after midnight. When the last guest left and mrangelmeg went up to the mailbox to retrieve the sign he brought in the Sunday Morning Paper! They had a wonderful time, though and were very respectful and very grateful for the food we provided. They especially loved my "knock you naked - turtle brownies.)


Middle Daughter graduated from high school last weekend, but since I was out of town at class we decided to have her graduation celebration on Sunday this weekend. We invited friends and relatives to come over for a cookout and had a nice time. Daughter was pretty happy, and the food was great if I do say so myself. Mrangelmeg cooks a mean hamburger.

After two days of parties I am totally exhausted, but the house isn't all that torn up, which is nice. One of the biggest benefits of the entire experience is that mrangelmeg carved out a nice little fire pit area in the front sink hole, and oldest daughter placed Tiki Torches to light the way down to it, past the fish pond. It turned out really nice. We will definitely be using that a lot more often this summer. Even if it does look a bit like the Tribal Council Circle from Survivor. (at least that is what oldest daughter and her friends kept calling it all evening on Saturday.)

Pax