Holy Cross

We're on a roll today.

Just half an hour ago BP and I watched a hawk fly low over our back yard next to the church. Then I looked at the cross on the top of the church steeple and saw the hawk, I thought, but now, there was the hawk we saw coming toward the hawk on the cross from the left. And then, we saw them start mating.

Both of us ran for cameras but of course we were not in time. By the time we got back to the yard only one hawk was there. She remained for about 5 minutes and then flew away.

BP asked if hawks mating on the top of a church steeple cross was some kind of immaculate conception. I don't think so, but who knows.

snow day redux

Well, things are improving in the basement mi casa. Beloved Partner has rigged up a rube goldberg contraption to funnel the water pumped up to the driveway spout to the other side of the driveway from the house and out to the street. The level of water is finally going down, probably due to us no longer recycling the water from outside to basement, up the spout, to the outside and back into the basement. Yea!!!!!!!!

It's still snowing. Yea!!!!!!!!

Snow Day!!!!

It's snowing!!! Yea!!

The rain yesterday flooded the rectory basement. Booooooo!

Newlin has today off because the snow! Yea!!!!!

He has spent last night and most of today in the basement dealing with the water. Booooo!

The sump pump was working. Yea!!!!!

It quit this morning and another inch of water collected. Boooooo!

Newlin got the pump to work again. Yea!!!!!!

He's still in the basement, dealing with wet things and sweeping the five different streams of water that keep coming in toward the hole in which the sump pump is placed. Booooooo!!!!

There is a sump pump. Yea!

It is not located at the lowest spot in the basement. Boooo. And it drips out into the driveway. Boooo. And then rolls down the driveway to re-enter the basement at one of the leak points in the foundation. Boooooo. Boooo booooo booooooo!

But it's snowing!!!!!!!!!!
Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meditation Wednesday after Lent 1

Blog Notice

I regret I have had to reinstate comment moderation. I will try to check in at least once a day. We've had a nice long run of not having to enable this safeguard, and with luck those days will return again. For now, please bear with me. God bless you all.

Meditation Tuesday after Lent 1

Today at Starbucks one of the young women at the counter asked me what I'm giving up for Lent. I said, "I'm giving up doing nothing in the morning!"

Once again, this Lent I have taken on a particular discipline, which I hope will become a discipline for life. It never has yet done that, but I try anyway. Maybe this year it will happen...

Meditation for Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Meditation for Ash Wednesday

Last Sunday we had a Valentine service, to celebrate love in all its diversity. There were decorations - hearts of all sorts - all over the building, including six hanging hearts in the coffee room and the hall entrance to the church itself.

I took down all the paper hearts, but I left up the hanging hearts and the window cling hearts for Lent. We closed out Epiphany celebrating God's love for us, our love for God, our love for others, God's love for others and I want to carry that recollection of love through all of Lent.

God sent Jesus for love of us; God sent Jesus to love us. Jesus went to the cross for love of us. God raised him from the dead as a ratification of the Triune God's unconditional, universal love. We keep Lent because we love God, and Jesus, because they first loved us. We keep Lent in thanksgiving for, and remembrance and celebration of their love for us. We keep Lent to remember to love others because we first were loved. Lent is all about Love.

And so, the Valentine's day hearts will stay up at Grace Episcopal Church, at the corner of Mott Avenue and Union Park, in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Blog a Dog by Xena, Warrior Princess of all Norwalk Connecticut

It's snowing!!!!

I love the snow.

I run and push my face in it and my nose comes up all white.

But even more than snow, I love huge chunks of ice!!!!

I finally dug out these huge chunks last night and one of my human companions had to stay out with me until I was exhausted, pushing them, throwing the smallest one up in the air and pouncing on it, chewing on it - ice is wonderful! I can play all by myself with it and don't have to depend on the humans. (If you look at the picture real hard, between my two front feet you can see one of my chunks of ice - yeah!!!)

Of course, they think they have to supervise me. And they're right, if I'm out nosing around the yard, because I just love to cheek some old, empty hazlenut shell and chew on it in secret. The MOM is always saying, "Leave it. Drop it." errrrrrrr.

But the ice is no danger, is it? So this morning, DAD went inside and made his coffee. I could see the two of them watching me through the windows and laughing. I pretended that I suddenly realized they weren't there and then ran like heck for the porch. Then when the MOM opened the door to let me in, I stood there and looked at her, and then I ran back to my ice! She was supposed to follow but she didn't. Too bad for her if she doesn't know how to play!

But I have to say, I probably would've stayed out there playing until my heart burst, so it guess it was a good thing the DAD came out with the leash and took me in. Now I think I shall sleep all day, then keep them up all night trying to get them to go outside with me again and PLAY!!!!!!!!!

P.S. This is Xena, in case you didn't know. I still haven't put up my own blog, but why should I, since the MOM doesn't seem to mind my sneaking in and using her blog to post my stuff. YAY!!!!