LOST ITEMS

Today was a day of trying to locate all those items that got lost in the quick transition from our house on Monday. We looked for hubby's medicine, the box with the recent electric bill so we could get the electricity turned off, our underwear, and my box of earrings. We have located all but my earrings. I may be relegated to wearing the same earrings for the next five months--OR, buying some new ones??

Much progress was made on the house today as they moved inside with the demolition needed there. It was sad to watch my tiny, snug, cozy bathroom disappear to make room for a larger master bath. I just could not stay there very long today for two reasons: first, it was sad and second, it was DIRTY, DUSTY and HOT! We had our first 90+ day with humidity and LOTS of mosquitoes. Not pleasant.

I have been taking lots of pictures and I will add them to my remodeling saga soon but am still borrowing computers and do not have my own access to the internet yet.

REMODELING--FINALLY!

Monday morning our builder arrived at our door and told us that the demolition team was on its way and wanted to know how soon we could be out of our house. We called the mover and he came late Monday night to get our furniture and remaining boxes. During the day a procession of neighbors were in and out helping with the packing, organizing and feeding of our very busy day!

Many, many thanks to good neighbor, Cheryl, who masterminded much of the organizing and packing that happened so quickly that day--amidst all the banging and jack-hammering outside.

Yesterday was amazing. As the sidewalks, patio and brick disappeared from the outside of our house, the forms went up for our new addition. There were swarms of workers, Bobcats, dump trucks and diesel pickups there all day!

Meanwhile, Hubby and I are still looking for all those lost articles that may or may not surface in the next few weeks. Ah, the joys of remodeling.

SON #2'S BIKE RIDE (PART 2)

You can read more about Son #2's bike ride on his wife, Kara's, blog. He did not have time to tell us all about it in the short time he was here, so it is very interesting for me to read what he is writing and to see his wonderful pictures!

SON #2'S BIKE RIDE

Son #2 rode in the BP MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin last weekend. He posted a "guest post" on his wife, Kara's, blog. if interested you can read Part I of his story about the bike ride by clicking on her name highlighted above.

A GATHERING OF THE COUSINS

Our Son #2 rode in the MS 150 Bike Ride from Houston to Austin this weekend. Son #4 and family met us and we all gathered to cheer him on. The ride stopped midway the first night and we went to eat together along with the five cousins. Son #2 looked a bit weary, but was eager for the next day to begin the second half of his ride.

All five cousins with Son #2 at the restaurant.

The second day we all gathered at our half-empty house to eat and let the children play. I had already packed all the toys and books but the children managed to find enough to entertain themselves in the living room and in our backyard.

And, of course, we had the usual art session. The exhibit on our mantle includes one of my latest pictures--not quite finished.

And still no word on when we will actually have to move out of our house for remodeling. We are waiting for the building permits and the builder says that it should be next week. I am learning to live with less and less STUFF each week. I think there must be a lesson for me in that statement!

EASTER WEEKEND

Last weekend we decided to take a break from our packing since our builder told us that we will probably have another 2-3 week wait for the building permits to be issued. We headed off for the coast where two of our boys live and had a great time catching up with them and our grandchildren.

Although the weather was foggy and drizzling part of the weekend, there was enough sunlight to enjoy the perfusion of wildflowers everywhere. I took a zillion pictures and have lots of ideas for paintings. The bluebonnets are especially gorgeous this year. I also saw the newly developed Aggie "Bluebonnet" which is maroon. You can see a few peeking out of the bluebonnet picture on the right below.

We went out for Mexican Food with Son #1 and his family. His children are growing up way too fast. We enjoyed our food and the Mariachi band that played while we were eating.

On Easter Sunday we joined Son #4 and his family at our daughter-in-law's family gathering and enjoyed watching Miss Ella Bella and Mr. Colt run around and play. Miss Ella Bella is really into posing for pictures.

And in a nearby town I found another PAT'S PLACE (bookstore), but it had recently closed.

It was a wonderful weekend away, and we came back to our half empty house all refreshed and ready to do more packing and preparing to leave our home whenever it is time.

HOLY SATURDAY

The following meditation from Richard Rohr says a few important things about this Holy Saturday:

After a day or two Yahweh will bring us back to life; on the third day God will raise us up, and we shall live in his presence. ~ Hosea 6:2

Limen is the Latin word for threshold. A “liminal space” is the crucial in-between time when everything actually happens and yet nothing appears to be happening. It is the waiting period when the cake bakes, the actual movement is made, the real transformation takes place. One cannot just jump from Friday to Sunday in this case, there must be a Saturday! It is the liminal waiting time, which is of course not a negative waiting at all, but a making of inner space so there will be room and desire for Much Greater Things.

The Sabbath rest was the pivotal day for the Jews, and even the dead body of Jesus rests on Saturday, waiting for God to do whatever God plans to do. A sacred pause precedes the New Presence. A new creatio ex nihilo (“something out of nothing”) is about to take place, but first it must be desired, opened to, and longed for. If God gratuitously created me once out of pure love, why not again and again? That is Jesus’ faith, and we are trying to make it our own every day of our lives.

The tomb becomes a womb today, waiting for rebirth.

Tonight the church will celebrate its central liturgy of the entire church year. All of Christianity pivots around this night and this necessary transformation process of the soul. Yes, Jesus is the one who walks it visibly and consciously first, but it is so that we can follow him toward the same and identical outcome. The Gospel is an eternal promise from God that tomorrow will be different than today.