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Archive for the ‘Spiritual Life’ Category

Sacred Threads in Seattle

Sunday, June 29th, 2014

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Mr C and I spent a nice couple of days in Seattle, enjoying some art and good food. I feel creatively and spiritually fulfilled. We went to two museums, I will post about them tomorrow. Tonight, I will share some photos from the Sacred Threads show. The above pieces are by Vikki Pignatelli. She founded  the Sacred Threads exhibit. Her work is exquisite with loads of curved piecing and beautiful quilting. Here is a tree.

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A detail shot shows the beautiful workmanship.

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Here is my Aspen Quilt, looking dwarfed next to the wedding of Adam and Eve.

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Here is some other interesting work. I thought I took photos of the names, but can’t find them.

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This piece is by Wen Redmond.

 

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And this piece was by Ginny Greaves.

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A added benefit for Mr C and I was getting to see two volumes of the St. John’s Bible.

The Saint John’s Bible is the first completely handwritten and illuminated Bible to have been commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey since the invention of the printing press.

Beginning in 1970, master calligrapher Donald Jackson expressed in media interviews his lifelong dream of creating an illuminated Bible. Following a Saint John’s-sponsored calligraphy presentation at the Newberry Library in Chicago in 1995, Jackson discussed a handwritten Bible with Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB, former executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Between 1996 and 1997, Saint John’s explored the feasibility of the Bible project, Jackson created first samples, and theologians developed the illumination schema. The Saint John’s Bible was officially commissioned in 1998 and funding opportunities were launched. The public was introduced to the project in 1999 and production was completed in 2011, with the final word penned in May 2011 and touch-up work completed by December 2011.

The Epiphany Parish, where the Sacred Threads exhibit was held has two copies of two of the volumes: The Gospel and Acts and The Prophets. I love the art work in these books. The actual pages are kept at St John’s and copies of the pages were printed so that they could be shared around the world. There are also coffee table size reprints. I came home and ordered the Psalms edition.

Here are some photos of some of the pages:

 

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Some of you may know that I have a soft place in my heart for religious art. So this was a real treat.

We so enjoyed meeting the women at Epiphany Parish. They were so lovely and fun to hang out with for the time we were there. Many thanks to them for hosting this exhibit.

 

What I’ve Been Up To

Monday, November 18th, 2013

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Here is your bit of cuteness. Paige making a salad for her aunties. Can’t wait to see her next week.

I have been plugging along with the cleaning/sorting/purging. It has been slow going for the last few days because I have had so many commitments taking up my time. My goal is to finish the downstairs before we leave for California next week.

On Friday, Mr C and I drove to Eugene for the Oregon Diocese Episcopal Convention. I did a meet and greet at the Trinity Arts table and passed out the prospectus for our next show. We were sitting next to the Episcopal Integrity table. They are a group that supports the GBLT community.

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On Saturday, I should have gotten more done, but I took time out to make some Tibetan dessert for the reception to open our annual Trinity Arts holiday exhibit which features artisans from around the world. This year we have handmade items from Tibet.

So, I was up early and off to church to help set up and sell the lovely things. All proceeds will go to a school in Tibet.

These silk hangings are gorgeous and all hand made. Both of them sold right away.

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I loved this bag and if it is still there next week, it may come home with me.

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I did come home with this beautiful scarf – totally my colors.

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I forgot to mention that on Saturday night, I got to hear and meet one of my heroines,Sister Simone who started the Nuns on the Bus. It was such an inspiring talk and then she had a long question and answer session. She is really sharp with the answers and quite the sense of humor.

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Today, I didn’t get down stairs until the afternoon because I had 3 Constant Contact newsletters to format and send for SDA state reps. Tonight, we took a break and went to the symphony. It was wonderful. It was our first concert of the year as we missed the first one in our series.

So, there you have it. Tomorrow, I hope to get in a full day of purging. I shall persevere. And you know, it is cathartic.

Restrained Frenzy

Sunday, May 26th, 2013

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Yes, I am really trying to stay calm in the face of all I have to get done by Tuesday afternoon. I just realized that I had neglected to gather my supplies for Kerr Grabowski’s design workshop. I think I have most of the stuff I need, but she said to bring as many paint chips as we could so I need to make a little trip to take care of that.

I had looked in vain for the right jewelry to wear with my dress to the wedding. Today, we took a trip to downtown Portland as I wanted to look in the Everything Silver shop in Pioneer Square. They didn’t have just what I wanted and we wandered into a funky little shop called, Katmandu, run by a young hippy couple – so adorable were they. I got this necklace, which was made in Afghanistan. Love it. I also got these earrings which were made in Nepal.

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The colors in the photos are not quite true, but they look great with my dress.

On Saturday, we went to the AT&T store and upgraded our phones. I now have and iPhone 5, which I love. Mr C had a 4s. We have been having fun with Siri. I got a wild Otter case for mine.

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I spent yesterday and this afternoon, designing and printing name badges for the conference. I will get them shipped to San Antonio on Tuesday morning before we leave Portland. I had to have pre and post conference workshop badges, conference badges, vendor badges and day passes. I still have to finish stuffing them into the plastic cases.

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This morning, I had my last Sunday School participation. We had an end of the year party and celebrated Trinity Sunday. The kids got to decorate Trinity cookies.

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I probably won’t post much over the next week. I am getting so excited to see the family from near and far, my little Paige, all of Lisa’s friends, Clay’s family and then I get to head to San Antonio for a fantastic fiber week. I am so blessed.

I have to end with this bit. The young Moms I work with in Sunday School could not believe my age and wondered my secret. I told them it is sun screen, hair dye and good attitude.

Busy, Busy

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

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I am busy, busy getting ready for Christmas. I have phone calls, e-mails and text  messages going back and forth with the California peeps so that I know what to have around for the vegans and the baby. I have been finishing my Christmas shopping. Tomorrow, I am going to personalize and decorate brown bags for gifts that every one will be getting from us. I am looking forward to getting messy with some paint.

I thought I would share this poem that was written by a member of Trinity and was read at Lessons and Carols last week-end. I love all the artsy references.

God Uses Everything

On the stout slanted trunk of a great tree
God is painting with shadows and light,
with dry and damp, moss and bark,
falling needles and swaying boughs
set against dark poles and slivers of sky.
Beside the trunks low bend,
half-naked shrubs with slender stems
lift their few tattered red leaves –
remains of autumn glory
still useful to God the artist.

It’s been rumored that God’s an Impressionist
who savors iridescence, a Colorist
charging blue into shadows and gold into sunsets,
a master of rainbow reflections
enamored of shimmer,
glazing with dazzle and sparkle.
That’s true as far as it goes,
but actually God’s the founder
of the Ashcan School.

God sees the beauty in everything:
rusted iron and peeling paint,
faded cotton and wrinkled silk,
curdled milk and spilled ink.
Everything’s grist for God’s mill,
everything’s paint for God’s brush:
galaxies and electrons,
horses, seahorses, and horseflies,
wheat and chaff,
the blazing and the burnt,
trees like poles and trees that are bent.

It’s easy to brighten a canvas
with scarlet and crimson and ultramarine,
but God creates color and splendor
from smudges and stains, streaks and spatters
that I’d leave out or scrape off or cover up.
God omits nothing.

I’m one of the pigments God chooses;
I’m a patch in the pattern God paints.
I contribute my all to the vast composition –
my very few talents and many mistakes.
Although I can’t see the Big Picture
and frequently salt my small corner with tears,
God cheerfully scumbles in even my fears.
God-uses-everything.

— Ames Dee, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, OR

Hopeful

Sunday, December 16th, 2012

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A week-end of mixed feelings. So much sadness in my heart for those children and their teachers. I have cried many tears. They won’t stop, but after a nice week-end with Mr C, they are coming less often and I have a feeling of hope creeping back into my soul. I have tried to understand my deep sorrow and it helps that I know I am not alone. Our church was filled to capacity today. There were many people not normally there on a Sunday. Facebook has been rather quiet except for the outrage over what happened and the call for stronger gun control.

After too much TV time yesterday, Mr C and I went out to buy some Christmas cards and wrapping and then we went out to dinner at a new restaurant. Today, at church, I helped with the Sunday School art class. It was such a joy to be with these children. This afternoon we went to the annual Lessons and Carols at Trinity. It was a beautiful service. Tonight, we watched a rebroadcast of the interfaith service with Obama. I was happy to hear him say that he will use the full power of his office to do something to end the horror that keeps plaguing us with one mass shooting after another.

I am hopeful that this horrible event will be the turning point for our country. I don’t want to be a Pollyanna so I admit that it is going to be tough, but if you don’t have hope, what do you have?

On another note, I saw the Physical Therapist on Friday. I have no knee problems and no hip problems. My pain is due to a nerve in my left hip that gets pinched when I am in a forward flex position such as sitting, walking up stairs or up hill, or carrying something heavy. The fix is to bend my spine the other way. I am doing gentle stretches on the floor or standing, when I am away from home and can’t get in a prone position. I do ten reps twice each time, repeated every 2 – 3 hours. It is working! I have to go back in a couple of weeks to see what comes next.

Here is proof that I have always been sort of crafty. My cousin’s wife sent me this photo and wondered if I had made the two angels that are on the left and right of the photo.

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Well, yes I did – way back in the early 70’s, before we moved to California. She has kept them all these years and gets them out every year. I love how I worked with that paisley fabric!!

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Tomorrow is Mia’s 13th birthday – hard to believe. Miles is coming to spend some time with us while Steph takes Mia out for some girl time. Then, we will go out to dinner.

Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.~ William Sloan Coffin