Going back to school. University of Virginia, that is.

My psychiatrist invited me back to school. I agreed, of course, and this coming Monday, March 31st, I'll be there to be interviewed by her for the class. The focus will be on mental illness and recovery. We'll meet in the round building pictured here. She insists that I bring Sophie! What a doctor.

First Day of Spring

Today, the first official day of spring, is a very beautiful day here at the little red bungalow. It's spring-like in many respects: blue sky; bright sun; high, white clouds floating by; daffodils boldly sticking their heads above ground trying to keep up with the crocus – which they can't. The tulip bulbs are being the least courageous as they send their curled, variegated foliage into the sun, trailing all the others. Soon, bulb flowers around the world will be showing up en masse, by the 10s of millions. The snow mountains of yesterday are now only inches high and a dim memory.

I’m chilly here on the porch. Sitting in the sun would be warmer but I couldn’t read my screen which is not very helpful. The wind’s blowing steadily so I have on my hoodie, Sophie’s wearing her jacket, and the wind chimes have gone from Zen-like to a clanging cymbal. There are crows cackling in a distant tree, some brave birds visit the feeder even though we’re here. I saw my first black-capped chickadee since early winter.

Spring comes in many ways: sunshine; warm temperatures; air that caresses us. Spring arrives more slowly measured by the temperature of the soil. My neighbor was out today planting white and sweet potatoes and some other early plants. One benefit of gardening here are our raised beds. They drain water more quickly than flat beds and they warm up sooner.

I’ve heard a number of people who figure today as the end of winter. I’m not sure it works that way. Indeed, the weather people have already worked out that some kind of winter storm will be here next Wednesday. So much for first day of spring.

 I’m not sure things in life work that way, that winter was here until yesterday and spring is here today. I think we humans like the idea of things being predictable and on schedule. As kids weren’t we all impatient for the day on which we would be grown up? In high school didn’t we want to get away from home and wouldn’t that be a time of total independence? The next raise will take us to the place of comfort we seek. The new job will be the job where we’re happy and satisfied.

In winter don’t we wait for spring, in spring for summer, in summer for autumn and in autumn for winter – at least the skiers among us and people like me.

Wanting to be in the future and not in the now. I know it well.

I wait for some side work to have a little financial buffer. I wait for a partner because I don’t always like being on my own. I want to be more spiritually advanced because I don’t think I’m in the right spot. I’m waiting for something or someone to take away the difficulties of living in bi-polar disorder.

Wanting to be in the future and not in the now. I know it well.

SON of GOD: Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Maunday Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter

What a title! I'll work to keep the rest of this short.

My sister, Penny, and I went to see SON of GOD the other day. I was suspicious that it was a right-wing version of the story but I went because I wanted to spend time with her.

 

I liked it in spite of my original thoughts. It was a good movie, the story was well told and the actors good, especially Diogo Morgado who was Jesus. In this Holy season of Lent I saw the entire story from Palm Sunday through the Passion and on to Easter and the Ascension. The powerful story well told.

The movie opens with the disciple John on the Island of Patmos. He speaks the opening words of his Gospel: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. Amazing language for a concept too large for words.

The 40 days of Lent started last week on Ash Wednesday, the day the priest smudged ashes on my forehead and reminded me that I came from dust and I shall return to dust. Serious stuff! It happened that I got my picture in the paper for the first time ever. I enjoyed it and I’m glad to think that it might have brought Lent to the mind of someone who had forgotten, didn’t know, or had fallen away from their church.

  

I love that Lent brings an increased solemnity to our corporate worship and to my own prayer and spiritual life. On Ash Wednesday I went to St. Paul’s to set up for the 5:30 service. When I went into the nave and saw the veiled cross I felt that everything had changed. Throughout Lent our crosses are veiled in purple, signifying that the true purpose of the cross is veiled from our eyes. At the end of Maundy Thursday (the name comes from Jesus’ mandate to go and do likewise) the altar is stripped, candles and all decorations removed, and the cross veiled in black. We leave the service in silence, without a dismissal.

All this ritual, repeated every year, is rich in meaning for me. I’ve seen it a hundred times and more and it is still very powerful. It’s not tired liturgy repeated again and again. At the movie I watched the events on screen; in church I see the events through ritual. Now I’m a member of the Acolyte, Altar, and Bread Baking Guilds I am an very active participant, taking me ever deeper.

Unlike the disciples, I know what’s going to happen; I know how this story ends; I know about Easter. So, in this Holy Lent, the liturgy of my church helps me stay grounded through penance, prayer, growth, and community. Sure, we make plans for the future, who’s bringing bread, when, who’s setting up for services, when, yet I am helped to stay in Lent, to ponder the great mysteries of the sacrifice of Good Friday and the great victory of the Resurrection.

Sophie and I saw Mr. Peabody and Sherman. What a bunch of fun with an ending that made me cry. Can't get better than that. Only problem was that Sophie barked at Mr. Peabody everytime he came on the screen. Just kidding. If you don't know, Mr. Peabody is a dog and Sherman is his boy.

Paper, Ink is going away. On the downtown mall, they were my 'go to' place for arts and crafts supplies and instructions. Oh, how I already miss them. Change never stops and I'm not always OK with it.

My picture was in The Daily Progress here in C'ville. I had been to Ashes on the Go on the mall and was ashed up. Later I went to my church, St. Paul's Memorial Church, to set up for the 5:30 Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes and I got to talking with a photographer from the Progress. He asked if he could make some pictures and I agreed. I think he did a great job though I wonder how I might PaintShop the cross off my head!

On the 28th of March I'm heading to Annapolis, MD for an organ recital at the Naval Academy Chapel. The picture here was made the First Sunday in Advent when I had the delight and privilege to play a Sunday morning service. I had played early crypt services that summer and knew the organist, Jim Dale, from my work at Dale Music Co. Last summer I emailed the current music director trying to find out what had happened to Jim. I believed he had died; I was right. Looking around for a good organ recital to go to I found the March 28 recital at the Academy. Not long now.

Following Atticus

I've been reading Following Atticus by Tom Ryan, the story of a man and his 20-pound . They have climbed the 4000' mountains of New Hampshire hundreds of times.

I was inspired to change my relationship with my own 14-pound Miniature Schnauzer. I realized she deserved more outside time and more exercise that she's been getting. So we headed out. When Lent came I was inspired again to have a 40-day Wilderness Experience and we're doing mostly pretty well with it.

We had two late-season snow storms that were beautiful. The first was 14.5" and the second about 8". As part of our Wilderness Adventure Sophie and I spent a lot of time in the snow, 2½ hours in the freshest and deepest of it. I let Sophie off-leash and she ran and played like a mad woman. It was so good!

And now we have 4 baby goats in the neighborhood with 4 more expected on Sunday. Talk about cute.