At least it's sunny today, although cold, so I have more energy.
Happily, Lyra is blogging now. I've missed her writing online. She is very busy, so it won't be easy for her to keep up, but I'm glad she is trying.
I've mentioned before that I've been a bit depressed all this winter. I was bummed out that Daylight Savings Time came so early this year, because that means I get up in the dark, again. However, yesterday was such a wonderful day that dark or not, even with a sleepless night before, the blues were chased away.
It started out normally for a Thursday. I always leave the house around 6 a.m., to set up the altar, choose the readings, and vest to celebrate Eucharist at our healing service. Yesterday I was so sleepy I couldn't stop yawning the whole time I was getting ready at church. I had an especially difficult time planning what to say about the Gospel reading for my little 5-minute homily.
Every Thursday my acolyte/lector is a wonderful guy with a quirky and somewhat irreverent sense of humor. He teased me about being so sleepy and eventually had me laughing instead of yawning. The service went well, and our little Taize'-type hymn that we sing at the end was particularly beautiful, for some reason.
After the service, this small group has coffee together, then the rest go off to the Women's Bible Study, Brian goes to work, and I set up for the 4th Street Cafe'. The Cafe' was fun, as usual, and I was antsy, because I had a surprise up my sleeve. I had arranged this surprise with the two parishioners who generously drive those who otherwise couldn't get to 4th Street Cafe'.
One of our original members, who used to live right downtown but was now in a nursing home and had to be picked up by Ron every week, is in the hospital with emphysema and pneumonia. He is 81, an old sailor with many WWII stories. The clergy, all four of us, have tried to see him every week, and Ron, his faithful driver has also visited frequently. To all of us, Ray has mourned for the 4th Street Cafe'. He misses everyone.
So! In three groups, trying not to overlap so that we wouldn't overwhelm Ray or the nurses, we took the Cafe' to him! Ron brought Gracie, also 81 years of age and an original member; then I arrived about 15 minutes later as they were leaving, with Margaret, another original member; and as we were leaving, Jim arrived with Robert and Joseph. Ron and Gracie had brought Ray's favorite doughnut along with them.
It was a wonderful reunion. Ray was glad to see Gracie and Margaret, but when the men arrived he was overcome, tearing up. Everybody was excited and we all felt great when we left. Gracie and Margaret were very appreciative, thanking us over and over.
I went from there to my monthly Eucharist service at an Assisted Living facility. We have 5 elderly women in residence there (Gracie is one of them), and they love to have the service brought to them. It is always an upbeat time for me.
And if all that wasn't enough to chase away the blues, in the evening, our granddaughter, Lyra's daughter, Skyped us from Chile'! DB and I had a wonderful half hour talking, and seeing, her. She is very happy there. She has settled into her life and her job and loves Chile'.
Goodbye blues; hello contentment. Life is good. Thanks be to God.
I just typed this entire post and forgot to save it, so I have to begin all over again. Blech!
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