The Joys of Lent

Planning is one of my joys in life. I suspect if someone asked me to plan my death I'd get right to work not noticing the punch line. I'd lie back in the bed--"Put the lilies over there"-- then I'd graciously expire. It'd be the next thing on my list. Then again there's Jimmy's birth, maybe I wouldn't be so calm after all.
I've got to watch my planning for Lent. I'm a recent convert and I don't have the blessing of practiced discipline. The first year I gave up Starbucks hot chocolate. This sounds small, but only if you are unaware of the scope of my addiction. Last year I gave up sweets in general making a planned exception for a birthday cake. This year I'm.banking on those experiences to help me through a broader program including non-food fasting. I still intend to fast from sweets, but I also want to lessen my use of ready-made food. I may even take a stab at baking my own whole wheat bread. I'm also giving up cable tv. Masterpiece, Ugly Betty, Cake Boss, Project Runway, Eureka, Dr. Who, they will all be replaced with books or The Teaching Company videos. I might make an exception for PBS. If I can get my hands on a St. Joseph's Guide for my breviary I'll do thatfor prayer. I really enjoy it. If the guide is hard to get I might give the rosary another go. Almsgiving the kids and I have found to be a good time to get rid of the unnecessary stuff in our lives. Donating to the food pantry at church is another good thing we do.
It's going to be a great Lent. Less is more.

Precious

I have loved this mosaic since my first visit to St. Mary's. Nowadays when I think of Jesus, this is the image that comes to mind. My oldest made a video of the church and its grounds because she felt it was one of the most beautiful places in Spring Lake. I can't get it to upload, so everyone can see for themselves. One of the saddest parts of Lent is that we give up our mosaic and have to wait for Easter to enjoy it again. I'm so slow at learning all the traditions and procedures, but each one gives me joy. Churches ought to be inspiring.

Big Fat Flirt

Was that you, winking from the flannelgraph?

Yeah, that was me.

Were you the one making every word in that book live for me?

Yeah, didn't think you caught that one.

Did you really make that sunset so lovely that every feeling, every thought begged for you and you alone?

Me alone, eh. Yeah, that was me.

Then where were you when a Horror of darkness came, when the Way contracted squeezing my last breath, when the Water was over my head?
Where were you then!

Knees to my ears, pushing and screaming.

Book Reports

After 7 months of dragging the poor thing everywhere and filling it with rather hideous lime green drylighter notations, I can cross The Philosophy of History off my list. I will probably reread the introduction, but I have read the whole thing with much pleasure. I was swept away with the Grand Idea trying to manifest throughout history. I still like the general idea, but as I read through the specifics I quite disagreed and the case Hegel was making rapidly lost credence. He was too eager to back up his own pet definitions and causes. I may read The Phenomenology of the Spirit in order to consider if a more objective pair of eyes were to examine the evidence if better evidence might not be found. There is also the question of whether or not the Grand Idea is a good one. I'd like to think some more on that too. All and all I recommend it.




As if to reassure myself that I can read a book in less than 7 months I blasted through Tunnels in three days. Tunnels drags the reader into a completely unique sub-world with vivid characters and settings. The delicious grittiness is occasionally broken by flowery, floating language, and there are moments when everything feels like a non-sequitur. There is no real story arc or resolution unless you narrow your focus to Will and Chester. Will's commitment to rescue Chester is the only thing that gives the story continence. Not that it needs it. I really didn't care about flaws as I explored such a thrilling world. It was a great return to casual fiction.



Coming Attractions

The day I converted Jane, my sponsor, gave me this book as a gift. I love it too much to read it. I start it over and over, always quitting because it is too delicious. It's time to give in and read it. Hopefully it won't take 7 months.

An Arm Around My Children

This year we put our oldest in school. Schools here are highly respected having been placed in the top 2% of the country by US News and World Report. Putting one into school opened the door to putting the rest in school. Every teacher has impressed us and the resources available are unusually good for such a small school district. There are also two excellent charter schools one offering a Montessori approach and the other an emphasis on the arts. The Protestant schools are not highly regarded, but the Catholic schools have students in Ivy League and other excellent institutions. If we could do whatever we wanted I'd put them all in Catholic schools, but that's not fair to the Protestant half of the family and it's very expensive.
Homeschooling means that my house is always a bit messy. There is always a shortage of clean laundry, and I seldom have time to read something more serious than our history lesson for the day. Sometimes the messy house and lack of personal time become very discouraging. Sending everyone to school is a tempting solution to those problems. I finally just put it on my prayer list where all my most difficult challenges end up. Waiting to hear what God wanted, I kept looking around for what we as a family need.
And the thing we need most? To love and demonstrate love. We can live without clean laundry; we've been doing it for years. The kitchen floor can be a mosaic of spills; it's more interesting that way. But my children can't feel my arm around their shoulders unless I put it there, and as the Lord answered my prayers I became more comfortable with our life and the blessed imperfections it sustains. School is a great idea. I'm all for it, but it isn't the right fit for my younger ones, not yet.

Don't Plath Out

Have the A pox o' lisps narrowed your options to f or F?
Been dancing the Bee Gee Zus too long?
Tired of negotiating foe heaven?
To Ur is human.
Come Hope with me.

Highlights

Pardon the neck bends. I thought I'd fixed them all last night. Facebook won't let me post anymore, so here is a digest version of the last two days.
Christmas is here and the windows are amazing!
This clocktower is sort of a giant cuckoo clock reenacting scenes from Munich's history
The is the Theatenkirche. I didn't get to see inside, but the outside is lovely.
This pillar was raised to praise God for delivering the city from invaders and the plague.
Here's where I ate my lunch.
Giant scuplture supporting authority and right doing and all that jazz. It sits just outside a tunnel entrance into the Residenz, the home of the Bavarian royalty.
At the other end of the tunnel sit two fawns, human scale and ready to play.
This is the Antiquarium. Sculpture from the Greek and Roman period as well as pieces inspired by that time are amassed in an overwhelming display of the right to rule. Each niche represents the territory loyal to the Bavarian crown and the effect can be a tad overwhelming.
At this point I'd been through a good chunk of the house and I realized that very costly decorations were everywhere. This is ornamentation on a scale I can't quite process.
This is the Frauenkirche. It is the seat of the Archbishop. I dropped in for Mass, which was an amazing multicultural experience. Some kneeled, some bowed, some curtseyed, some genuflected, and it was all good.
The devil's footprint. He was angry because the architect had built a church without windows. It's an illusion most clearly visible at this point.
Yesterday I devoted to the Neue Pinakothek. I skipped most the art that dated from the same period as the Resdenz as I was still a bit overwhelmed.
This was painting of Christ that has me intrigued. I may have found a new painter I'd like to study. My notes are buried in my bag, or I'd add the details.