Wed. March 26

A lot has happened since the last blog. Easter Sunday was a very special time at church. Lots of people, the visuals were very good and the hospitality hr. didn't run out of food. The sermon was outstanding and the Widor was out of this world. Martin, the organist is such a gift to us using his gifts to glorify God. Good music is just so important to me. I took my usual Easter nap, and just sat and enjoyed the rest of the day. I did do some sewing for the Michigan grandbabies that was tons of fun. That's where we're heading next weekend. That will be another special weekend playing with Jacob and Adam, seeing the chicks which brings back lots of childhood memories as well. Monday I started working on renewing a Good Friday banner that has past the prime of it's life. I took it all apart, stablized the front to eliminate sagging and put it back together with new fabric to last another 20 years, I hope. I've started on another one that will be new to the congregation using some fabrics we painted with the children years ago. It's bright and bold and I think will work for the Sunday we celebrate taking care of the earth...April 22nd. I'm off to the dentist this afternoon to begin work on a crown. I just detest sitting in that chair. It's a captive environment. No handbells tonight. Tomorrow is soup kitchen morning, tomorrow evening is choir practice and then FRIDAY. Yahoo. Off to Michigan around noon I hope.

Showtime!

Now don't take me wrong...It's Easter at North and tomorrow is the big day with the big big day after that. We've had wonderful church services. Last Sunday was Palm/Passion Sunday with incredible Rutter music. You could hear a pin drop at the end of the postlude. Kevin wove the passion story all through the music. It was like lessons and carols at Christmas. God was there. Then...Thurs. eve communion and tonight Good Friday...Sat. is a children's retreat and folks will be at church to get things ready for Easter. The music has been so good and the preaching outstanding. I'm hanging in there but this has been a long week of long days at church making sure the preachers get what they need for services and then keeping myself a float. I'm enjoying the nights of rest. I really need them. This morning one of the men from church and I planted two flats of purple and yellow pansies. Wooo...that makes me smile just looking at all those happy flowers. There are rewards that come with the work. Tomorrow, I'm ready to go gather the forces and change the mood. This afternoon was my time. Yahoo. So...guess what...I finished the third stole made from Kenyan Lesso fabric. Now looking at them brings back such fantastic memories of the trip to Kenya. Some of the Kenya travelers saw them and are just about as excited as I am with the prospects of seeing them worn by the preachers in the pulpit.
I'm lovin' the grandbaby blogs. Such fun little boys to hear about.

Obsessing.

Yes...obsessing with sewing. Is it called obsessing when it's really fun? In the past two weeks I made Janet Wanner two stoles, one for Easter/Eastertide (gold and white)and one for the green ordinary time that follows Eastertide. I used many batik fabrics and gold ribbon floss. Janet is delighted and I really had fun designing them and sewing. I call it coloring with fabric. Now I am on to thinking decorating at church for Easter. My dear Patty Hefner friend who usually does this, with me being the gopher is in Arizona until April. So...it's my head spinning at this point. We are hanging some great spring colorful banners with ribbons and I've put together two processional butterfly poles the children will follow into church. I also just finished something new for the large cross on the lawn at the corner of 38th and Meridian. It's an 8 sided frame made from pcv ? pipe about 30 inches wide with white kite fabric stretched across and sewn to the frame. On the white fabric is a very large butterfly with many colorful streamers attached to the frame. It should be very noticable. It's something I saw in a book. Today I covered some grapevine crosses with silk dogwood and ivy for the west entrance doors. I think I'm ready for the put up crew Sat. before Easter. The next big event I need to think about is purchasing about 30 potted flowers for the altar Easter Sunday. This will be interesting to see what is in the stores so early in the year. The flowers go to shut in folks after the service. Tonight I finished a new banner that will be hung NEXT year. Crazy isn't it. It's a great three kings banner with Middle Eastern hats instead of crowns. Makes me laugh when I look at it. I told Doug... All my begun projects are finished. I'll think of something, that's for sure. I've got to keep the fingers flying. I could start a quilting project. Now it's time for coffee and a basket ball game and then to bed. What a great day.

Tuesday

We are having ucky weather today. It's wind, and now an ice storm. The trees are getting loaded and the branches are decending. And...with no power lines below ground we usually get hit pretty hard with the number of trees breaking leading to power outages. Extra water is in the refrigerator, Doug knows where the flashlights are and I've got a candle ready to do. Hope we don't need to use these. I made another short trip to the fabric store and I have plenty to do. The brain was on overdrive with sketching this morning and the ideas are on paper. Banners and Stoles can have so many little parts that make up the big part. At least that's the way I construct things. Our Bible study is tonight but I think it's best to stay home. I just feel really good about not having the need to keep small children warm. Watching TV MSNBC. This election stuff just goes on and on. Amazing how long it can be drug out. Grandchildren are in the recovery mode. Andrew gets tubes tomorrow if nothing else pops up. Andrew started having real troubles I think before Christmas, first with flu and then ear infections. The Michigan kids are on the mend. It seems like they have been sick for weeks. I think they all are moving on to better health.

Woo...time flies

The biggest event of the week is hearing that Kenya seems to have turned the corner. That news will benifit so many people and the Kenyans are celebrating right along with us. What a pressure cooker they have been in since the election. Not good for one's health.

Much of this week was spent at the sewing machine. Woo. Woo. One of my favorite places. I designed and sewed a stole for Janet Wanner to wear. She now is on the staff at church . Wonderful ministry is happening for children. Janet is from the Church of God and is needing liturgical vestments. This stole will be her first. It's made out of batik fabrics most of them but not all green, with many, many different stiched in gold crosses all over the stole. I really, really, enjoy doing this kind of work. Creates time for lots of thinking. Usually I'm way to busy doing.

I need to finish a tractor pillow for Jacob and get it on it's way. He's a CARS and JOHN DEERE tractor boy.

Made a trip to the skin doctor yesterday. I had some spots on my face that kept reminding me that I needed to check them out. Well, yesterday was the day and she cut two out and sent them on to the lab. Something tells me that the spots are nothing to worry about. It's just good to take precautions. In the 60's I was out sunning almost every day and now I'm outside in the garden every day. No sun screen for me but that may need to change.

Sister Mary K. (not a nun) continues to recuperate from back surgery that happened two days after arriving home from Mexico. It's a slow recovery but she really is doing fine. I'm taking her Mexican pastries from time to time. Yum, yum. I'm discribing the memory. She's doing the eating.

Hip , Hip, Hooray...the snow is leaving and the sun is out. And. I've put my winter coat back in the closet. I'm sure to get it out again but I just don't like to be bundled up when not needed.

In the next post I hope will announce that all the grandbabies and JB are well again. Way to much flu and ear problems in the family. Kimmy...wash your hands.

One week later

Another week. Wow...this one went very quickly. Snow still here but much less. That's very good. I've been doing lots of sewing. Keeps me happy. The first part of two projects is finished. I'm waiting for a sale to start the second part. Hospitality Rm at church was stuffed with people. It's such a fun place to see people on any Sunday morning. In the afternoon the highschool kids sponsored a showing of Invisible Children. It's a documentary made by three college age men who went to Uganda to film the story about children who had been kidnapped from their homes to serve/kill in the rebel army that is found in a large area around Lake Victoria. Thousands of the children run away from home to escape being kidnapped and now are found in the cities, sleeping in the streets, basements and just anywhere they can. It's a very sad event happening in Africa. If you get a chance to see this film please do. You will see another place in the world where things have gone wrong and is in great need.

This afternoon I am going to a meeting with a friend at Sec. Presbyterian Church to hear about the planning part of a carnival that highschool kids are sponsoring as a May event that includes other church youth in the Indy area. The carnival will benifit the Umoja (Unity) project in western Kenya. This project supports children with school uniforms to attend school as well as some cottage industries where people can find work making the uniforms. These central Indiana students are amazing in their Kenya committment. North and Sec. Presby youth have spent some time in Eldoret Kenya. Go Kids.

Monday morning

It was a very good weekend. Didn't do much and that was one reason. Back to church. It's interesting how I feel about the place after missing a week of services. The music once again was just great. Martin played the organ with the music going clear through to my bones. That might sound crazy but I know what I mean. Sitting in the choir loft right under the pipes is the best place in the church. It never can be to loud there. Hospitality time was fun. We decorated for Pres. day with little toothpick flags stuck in the pastries, red and white and blue table coverings. That just gives those coming a little surprise. Going slow this morning. Later today I need to talk to the finance sect. at church so I'll make a short trip there. And...the overflowing garbage cans are being pulled to the street. That's very good. Greenspace gardening meeting tonight and I'll call Mary K to see if she wants me to pick her up. I think I'll go to the Mexican Grocery to get some pastries before I see Dolores at church. She's from Mexico and needs a Mexican treat.