Steeple Bells

Can you see the twinkle lights twisted
around the upper & lower porch railings?

I was planning all along to photograph the railing lights
-- which have been up since Christmas --
and then the Easter snowfall was an added bonus!

A Surprising Easter Evening Snowfall!
(Photos added April 1st ~
Nature's idea of an April Fools prank?)

"Shall we be a people who live in the darkness of denial and / or impotent rage? Or are we willing to step out and take the risk of believing, however humbly and lowly, in Christmas [and Easter] and that the little twinkling lights we see everywhere represent a great light?"

The Rev. Nancy C. Tiederman,
friend, teacher, priest & spiritual advisor
A couple of years ago, I was regretting the misplacement of some long forgotten Easter poems (something about a steeple against an April sky "and I grew small again"; and another one about hearing church bells and the voice of God). Would I ever remember where I had filed them?

Amazingly yes! All three losses were restored to me, along with a bit of hope.

"When I heard
the church bells ring
I thought I heard
the voice of God."

Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)
French-German Theologian & Renaissance Man
quotation found in
Quiet Thoughts: Reflections on the Meaning of Life
by Weaver & Whitley

"He was a rationalist,
but he had to confess that
he liked the ringing of
church bells."

Anton Chekhov (1860 – 1904)
Russian playwright and short-story writer
quotation found in
Women, Heroes, and a Frog
by Nina Leen (1909 - 1995)

St. John's Church ~ Lafayette Square ~ Washington DC
Photo from my visit ~ October 2017

No Greater Heights

Eagerly,
I scanned the canvasses
of ancient masters -- drew forth
each hidden secret of their craft,
each principle of line, and form, and hue.

And I grew wise in Art.

Fervently,
I studied works
of great composers -- delved deep in melody
and mood, probed structure and technique.

And I grew wise in Music.

Avidly,
I thumbed through yellowed
manuscripts -- through ragged volumes, thick
with dust, and plied my mind with formulas
and rules.

And I grew wise in Science.

Philosophers and men of wit, I read --
plundered every single source
of knowledge, made captive all the learning
of all time until, I though
I towered in Wisdom over all.

And then I saw a steeple,
against an Easter dawn.

And I was small again.

Bernard S. Patrick (Copyright, 1954, John Deere)
poem found in Easter Ideals, 1964 (Vol 21, No 2)

Steeple of St. Peter's Church ~ Philadelphia
Photograph taken by Ben McCartney ~ February 2018

Cathedral Cherry Blossoms ~ Washington, DC
Photograph taken by Ben McCartney ~ March 2004

Making a List, Checking it Twice

It's definitely the season for lists -- presents to buy, cards to send, movies to watch, parties to attend, menus to organize, groceries to pick - up, chores to complete. In the course of my general, random reading over the weekend, I came across several lists that went way beyond the usual "ten ways to prepare for the holidays" or "ten tips for winterizing your beauty routine."

These insightful, memorable lists are more about winterizing (or summer - izing) your heart and soul. Allow me to summarize:

My friend Meta suggested:

Eight things cultured people do differently, according to Chekhov

and

Six Life Lessons from Tolstoy

Liz posted

a Three - point formula for happiness

and

Five tips for emotional wellness

thanks to Ann Dibble for this helpful list of

why not to criticize

and to Patricia Henley for

"Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid"

Lots of excellent advice here for the upcoming New Year!

Ring Without End

"We shall find peace. We shall hear the angels,
we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds."
~ Anton Chekhov ~


free wallpaper

" . . . rings pass from hand to hand, from age to age;
begged, borrowed, stolen, belonging to no one,
rolling through time into eternity, taking our lives with them."
~ Erica Jong ~

Go the sidebar at right ~> ~>
and scroll down for more
"Magical Thoughts from Erica Jong"
I haven't lost any memorable rings so far in my lifetime, but I have managed to lose a couple of diamonds -- both times in airports -- what's the odds? As far as I know, they are still there somewhere waiting to be found:

1. The first was a small stud, embedded in the carpet at O'Hare, where my little Ben (age 1 1/2 at the time, now almost 23) clutched my earlobe in a moment of excitement. When he let go, the diamond was not in my ear, nor in his hand, nor anywhere on the chair or floor as far as we could see. We shook out my hair and clothing to no avail. I treasured these earrings because they had been my first ever Christmas present from Gerry (another good story!) but suddenly it was time for boarding, and I had to walk away -- like Lot's wife, I looked over my shoulder! I don't think Ben really understood what had transpired, but he knew that it was something we had not expected. For months afterward, he would reach out to pat my ear and say, "More Mummy earring?" Ah, what's a lost diamond compared to that kind of sweetness? Besides, Gerry soon surprised me with a new set -- not yet lost! -- so I still have a pair and a spare.

[Lost AND Found: Diamond Studs Are Forever]

2. The second loss occurred eight years ago, in a ladies room at the Nashville airport where I inadvertently banged my hand against the metal paper towel dispenser and dislodged a tiny diamond from my wedding ring. Aarrgghh! I tried my best, searching a mile a minute and muttering to myself. Although this was well after 9/11, I can tell you that no one seemed to find it odd to see a crazy woman tearing through all the used paper towels and down on all fours, combing every inch of floor space. I figured I might be asked to explain myself when an airport custodian came in to tidy up; but, no, she just went calmly about her business, while I went frantically about mine. One kind stranger did say, "Have you lost something? I will help you find it!" and joined in the search until we heard my flight number being called. Upon both occasions -- in person at O'Hare and via cell phone in Nashville -- my dear husband pointed out to me that if I missed my flight, a new airline ticket was going to cost more than replacing the diamonds (luckily, the replacements were not too costly, the individual stones not too large).


Last Halloween ~ showing off my orange tips
. . . and also my ring!
Jong's lovely prediction for the lost ring "rolling through time into eternity" makes me think of the ancient riddle song that we all know and love:

I Gave My Love A Cherry

(click to hear lovely rendition by Jade Maris)

I gave my love a cherry without a stone
I gave my love a chicken without a bone
I gave my love a ring that had no end
I gave my love a baby with no crying

How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there be a chicken that has no bone?
How can there be a ring that has no end?
How can there be a baby with no crying?

A cherry when it's blooming it has no stone
A chicken when it's pipping, it has no bone
A ring when it's rolling, it has no end
A baby when it's sleeping, has no crying

Yes it's true that "a ring when it's rolling . . . has no end." But, think about it: a ring -- even when it's not rolling -- has no end!

Second Sunday of Advent

Second Week of Advent: the Peace of Bethlehem
Each year, I hope for the peace and presence of mind to celebrate a true Advent, always searching for that calm at the center of the holiday storm. Yet, despite my best intentions, my guest room is currently a disaster area of half-begun Christmas projects! When will they ever be finished? Help! Well, at least Christmas music is playing in the background as I write these frantic words!

As my friend Cate, a charming gardener of the soul, wrote in this morning's e-mail: "Second Sunday already? Eeek! Must do, must do . . . Hope to finish the tree today (or close to it)."

We all know in our hearts that these should not be the watch words of the day; yet it seems so: Must do, must do . . .

Instead, how about: Let us find peace . . .

Week Two, the Candle of Peace
Leading the Way:

"We shall find peace. We shall hear the angels,
we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds."
~Anton Chekhov~

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
~Marcel Proust~