It's Easter...

...and I hope everyone has a very happy day.



Oh, and, Offsprings #1&2,
Rumor has it the Easter Bunny (pictured above) visited your apartments. Let me know how well the ol' bunny did at hiding your baskets.


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vintage bunny from crafts.lovetoknow.com

Dr. J?

I didn't have a chance to do the Friday Five this morning. (And that's probably a good thing because I didn't have anything profound to contribute.) I was up early taking Marble to his vet appointment. He's an "old man" now with some kidney issues and arthritis, but holding steady.

Then Hubby and I drove to a neighboring small city for an afternoon of continuing education classes. It was held at a clinic/surgical center, and I noticed this painting in the hallway: (I couldn't stop myself from snapping a picture when nobody was looking!)



I suppose they chose this particular work to reassure their patients that they "partner with the Lord". However, if I were their patient, I think I would find it disconcerting.

I mean, if I'm stumped by a difficult or unique case, I consult with a here-on-earth colleague or refer to a specialist. Sitting in my office with a perplexed look waiting for divine inspiration doesn't strike me as the best course of action for the patient (and not likely the best use of my clinic time either).

Of course one could say this is 'art' and it shouldn't be taken so literally. But I think one could also say this is more kitsch than art -- not unlike dogs playing poker.

yet another sign of spring...

Garbage Puff begged us to take him to the Woodland Tulip Festival this past weekend.



Actually about 95% of the tulips had not yet opened, so it was a bit more like the Woodland Stem Festival... but the ones that were in bloom were very pretty.

lunch with latifah!

You may recall on my post this past Saturday, I reviewed the movie The Secret Life of Bees and extended a lunch invitation for this coming Tuesday to Queen Latifah (because I think she would be great "BFF" material).

As it turns out, she reads my blog! Who knew?! And Latifah said "Why wait until Tuesday, Girl?!" So yesterday, Queen Latifah joined Presbyterian Gal (we couldn't leave her out!) and me at the local Sizzler. I know what you're thinking -- that place is certainly not classy enough for the three of us (and indeed we were overdressed). But Latifah is partial to their salad bar.



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Thanks to Katie Holmes and Diane Keaton for the use of their bodies...

I think spring is actually here now...

The weather has been beautiful this weekend. Yesterday morning I rode my bike down to the lake. I saw Harry McHeron, who let me get fairly close:



But then I crossed the line and he took off (as usual).



My old pal Nutty McSquirrel was much more friendly, coming right up to pose with his Easter bonnet. (I told him it was a bit early to be donning it, but he didn't seem to care.)

to bee or not to bee...

Last night Hubby and I netflixed The Secret Life of Bees. He 'owed' me a chick flick after his 10,000 B.C. debacle. :)

The film is based, of course, on Sue Monk Kidd's best-selling novel of the same name. Set in South Carolina in 1964, it's the tale of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning), a 14-year-old girl who is haunted by the blurred memory of the day her mother was killed. To escape her troubled life with her jerk of a father, Lily flees with her caregiver and only friend Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson) to Tiburon, South Carolina -- a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. She meets up with the independent and intelligent Boatwright sisters (Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alician Keys), and finds solace and meaning in their world of bee-keeping and the Black Madonna.

The Black Madonna, central to both the novel and the film, served several functions. It symbolized both mothers and divine female power. It spoke to the importance of faith, of believing in something larger than oneself. And, it underscored the importance of telling our stories.

I preferred the novel, which seemed 'deeper' and somehow more real than the film, but The Secret Life of Bees was definitely good Netflix fare. Plus I rarely miss an opportunity to see a film that features Queen Latifah. She strikes me as very good "BFF" material, and Queen, if you are reading this, how about lunch next Tuesday?

Friday Five: Time Out Edition

Sally writes: Holy Week is almost upon us, I suspect that ordained or not, other revgal/pals calendars look a bit like mine, FULL, FULL, FULL ... So faced with a busy week:

1. What restores you physically?
A nap always works, although a hot shower is good too. For some reason, I tend to get my neck in weird positions at work with eye exams, so a trip to the chiropractor does the trick there.

2. What strengthens you emotionally/ mentally?
Spending time and sharing my thoughts and feelings with family and friends.

3. What encourages you spiritually?
Getting out in nature. (For me, the best part of skiing--although I haven't been in a while--is getting to the very top, breathing in the crisp air, and taking in the panoramic view.)

(Mt Hood photo from ski-bums.org)

The other thing that "encourages me spiritually" (and I can't quite articulate why) is attending a well done theatre performance.

4. Share a favourite poem or piece of music from the coming week.
There is a piece called Search Me, O God that has a really lovely part for the oboe (which I played when our choir sang it).

5.There may be many services for you to attend/lead over the next week, which one are you most looking forward to and why? If there aren't do you have a favourite day in Holy week if so which one is it?
I'm still not connected with a church, but the last Maundy Thursday service I attended back in the days of RevSS was meaningful.