Kaylee wishes you a Happy Easter! She's perched on my lap, looking up and me and wondering why my hands are on that silly clicky contraption instead of rubbing her face. So she rubs her head against my chin and tries to upset me by sniffing with her cold, wet nose. I can't believe she stayed in bed with us as I tossed and turned between every dream in the last four hours of my sleep.
I didn't go to church at all this season. My great-grandmother's viewing was on Ash Wednesday, so there was a lot of reflection to be had on that day. And I did sing my heart out with my sister on Thursday during her funeral Mass. Since then, I've been watching the weather and its analogies, watching plants think about growing, waiting muted and hushed for some great Savior to bring the spring. The world and its people are my church. I went to a couple of Artist's Way meetings, too, and we have the best religious conversations there, too.
I didn't go to church this last week. I was going to be part of the school's choir, but I never got word about when practice would be held, so I dropped the ball. Instead, this weekend I've chatted with various levels of recovering Catholics. Some are pagans, some are mystics, and some are just off-kilter Catholics, loving the tradition even if they do see through most of it.
At my parents' home, we celebrated Easter with candy and a really yummy meal. Mama made two chickens, asparagus, mashed potatoes, French onion soup (really good for a first attempt), spinach, and a divine angel hair pasta with tomatoes and basil. I lust after pesto now, thank you very much. My sister and her boy were there to bring our party to six. We ate and laughed and carried on half a dozen different conversations at once, as usual.
I had some strange and vivid dreams last night but didn't start writing them down until they were almost gone from my conscious memory. The overlap of details in my dreams, they way they all take place in the same universe, and how my dreams remember each other, are really cool phenomena.
I'm still reading this book, between others and when the mood strikes me. It's evocative and challenging and has some great quotations. I should break out my tiny post-its that my best college friend got for me as part of a fun set of birthday presents when I turned 19 and start essaying every quotation and idea that come to me. Oh, and I love how the word "essay" is like the French verb "to try." Writing essays, for me, is trying to engage, explore, and express the truth. It's an iterative process, and I hope I get closer with every loop.
"Spiral out, keep going," say Jung, mandalas, Tool, and my favorite mystics.
Peace and love to you this Easter season. Remember, if you celebrate it, Easter is seven weeks long!!
Comments (17)
good food + family = great time! I'm glad u had it! have an even greater week! take care
ds
Mmm, Easter dinner. Still got some. Uh oh.
RYC: Yeah, birch IS pretty hot. I should have thought of that before I bought my bookcase a few months ago. OOPS.
Your dreams must be interesting! Glad you are keeping a journal. It will be full of ideas.
I like the quote as long as I don't have to spiral back in, I am all set!
Oh, and affectionate kittens are cool.
i love that you say the world and it's people are your church. i rather agree, although i really got away from the term church a long time ago. i find some wonderful teachings in the buddhist writings, and i think we can free ourselves to not need a vessel, such as a church, to need to feel at peace. i encourage you to keep searching, and keep talking to others about their ides, till you find what really feels perfect in your heart. it's great to feel at peace with your "religion". good luck!
I wrote a long comment here, too long, so I put it on soapoperatics, my rant site. I might not be right!