Greetings from Santa Fe, New Mexico! The first few days we spent in recovery mode: recovery from sickness, financial stress, the long lists of things we have to do, plus the long months of soggy coldness that have pervaded Seattle (though the last week of school was quite warm). We've gone to a birthday party and a potluck. Sunday, we went to Mass at the beautiful St. Francis Cathedral, which so far is the only Catholic church I've visited that rings bells during the Consecration of the Eucharist. (Last year, I had to ask Lucia not to sing along with the bells.) Yesterday, we visited with two of my mom's colleagues and worked with clay. I created a small fairy house with a removable roof, which I had been planning ever since I found out that we were going to have Clay Day. I'll post a photo after we return to Seattle.
Today, we walked two miles in a nature conservancy and tomorrow we're going to Canyon Road to look at art galleries and visit the Tea House. For Canyon Road, Bede and I are planning to leave Lucia with her grandma while we explore.
I've worked on some dolls while I'm here. I finished the Night Queen with her Star Child, and made a Cloud Child for the Day King. I've also stitched my first saint doll: St. Rose of Lima, patron of embroiderers, needleworkers and gardeners. In the St. Francis Cathedral, I noted that Rose of Lima was depicted holding a guitar. It turns out that in addition to her other talents, she was noted for composing mystical poetry and playing it on her guitar. Take a look at this photo, and you'll see the icon. It's second from the left on the top row.
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7 comments:
What a beautiful cathedral - and the perfect saint to start with :D
Wombat's favourite part of the mass is when the altar boy rings the little bell. I have real trouble explaining why he can't have a go too.
I'm glad you are having a lovely holiday! Enjoy every moment - and twice for me!
But why CAN'T Lucia sing along??
Man, she'd get a kick out of Italy. Bells every half an hour or so, and she can sing in a piazza to her heart's content.
Have fun. It's amazingly windy/rainy/chilly here, and at home in the SF Bay Area, too. Don't know what happened to summer, but at least you found some!
Tanita: I know! Lucia can sing to the same pitch quite easily. It's just not apprpriate to sing at that moment. I think she would enjoy Italy too, and hope she gets there long before I ever did. Currently, she wants to live in Japan when she's a woman.
Schelle: Thanks! I will. I'm wistful that you have bells in your parish. I appreciate the strong commitment to social justice and the welcoming attitude my parish has, but I do wish that they would have more of the "smells and bells" of a traditional Catholic church. If I'd wanted simplicity, I would have stayed in the Mennonite church. ;)
I'm glad to hear you're all recovering and having fun. Will look forward to photos.
Hi Farida - the tradition in Australia is to have a medium sized handbell - three bells in one really - called an altar bell, that is kept under the altar boy's seat and 'tinkled' during the moment of consecration. That is what Wombat aspires to (though I think he wants to run around the church clanging it!) I dream of attending a church with a real bell tower!
Sounds like you may have a new matron saint! The Catholic Church I went to the longest as a child had the altar boys ring bells, too. They even had altar girls, after awhile. The nuns who taught at the school I attended were quite pleased when that happened. They had opinions!
I'm so glad you're having a good time.
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