Three Weird Things and Three Saints

I promised to tackle the Meme challenges mentioned in the previous post, but I'm only doing half, because we're off to the movies soon to see Amazing Grace.

Weird Things:

1. Orange foods worry me, but only if they're hot: squash, sweet potatoes, carrots (raw carrots are fine). But in the fruit category, cantaloupe is likewise scary. If this "orange food" aversion points toward a serious personal flaw, please don't tell my bishop.
2. I have never, ever learned to snap my fingers. They simply won't snap.
3. I once imagined baptizing a duck. The duck was waiting at the front doors of the church where I worked when I arrived one morning, and was still there when I retrieved the mail a few hours later. I thought that the duck must be hungry, and wanted to feed it some bread, but all we had was communion bread. I didn't know from the bread's location if it were left over from Sunday's service (hope not, but it happens). It occurred to me that I might be giving communion bread to the unbaptized, so I began to imagine... (this time, really don't tell my bishop).

Favorite Saints:

1. Julian of Norwich ("All shall be well...")
2. Hildegard of Bingen (her music, her poetry, her knowledge of medicine)
3. Catherine of Siena (find out more in chapel on Monday)

Turtle

I'm slow as a turtle. Heidi and Ryan each recently tagged me for a Meme, but I need more time to figure out six weird things about myself and the identity of my four favorite saints.

But perhaps one of those weird things is that I cannot imagine limiting my favorite saints to just four! Paging through Lesser Feasts and Fasts, I marked one, then another, and then another, and then...

Cats and Dogs

Since last Friday, we've been house sitting for a friend in Highland Park. The house is fabulous, with lots of wonderful art, and set into a woodsy area, so it's really quiet. But we're also cat sitting for two cats that run the household and express great need for attention. In the middle of the night, one or both cats jump onto the bed, or onto my stomach, and the needier one has lots to say--right in my face! The problem, though, is that I don't speak cat, and I can't figure out what he wishes me to do at 3 a.m. With our dog (who has worn herself out chasing the cats), I understand what her needs are. We're there for another 9 days...I need someone to teach me cat language!

Joyful Noise

After agonizing over several fine choices, Noah has accepted an offer to attend the graduate program in organ here. The instruments are among the finest on which to make a joyful noise to God, the faculty superb, and the tuition...FREE (!!) to the six students they selected this year. Alleluia!

SPLAT!

After rising at 4 a.m. and, with many bleary-eyed friends, ushering in Easter with all the good cheer we could muster, I was grateful that I had finished singing and had not set anything on fire. All was well till I had to take the Paschal Candle out of its stand to process to the baptismal font. Just when I concentrated on walking gracefully in what felt like the middle of the night, a substantial amount of candle wax dripped down from the Paschal Candle and went SPLAT! onto my hair, glued my eyelashes together, and stuck to the bridge of my nose. I walked down the aisle trying not to display any emotion whatsoever....but boy oh boy it was tough!

Tip of the day: fresh candle wax does wash out of hair with very hot water and vigorous combing.

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Happy Easter.

Wedding Invitation

Yes, it's true -- John & I are getting married. You're all invited to our wedding in the Seabury Chapel on Thursday, April 19 at 2 p.m. Admittedly, it's an odd day and time, but that's when the Most Rev. Susan O-M (presider) and the Rt. Rev. Fetz (preacher) could make it.

Having seen our son in the halls of this blessed institution last week, our friends pointed out that it's about time we got hitched.

Y'all come.