Busy weekend

The Grand Rapids Women's Chorus, here shown on stage doing a mike check beforehand, had our Spring Concert Saturday night. We had a good audience, who appeared to enjoy our music. I am anticipating hearing the concert for the first time when we get the CD recording in a couple of weeks. Because I am in the backrow, extreme right corner, surrounded by other tenors, I have trouble knowing what any part but my own is singing. And then when soloists step forward to sing toward the audience, I don't always hear them very well either. Just have to follow our director and hope for the best.

Got home about 11 pm, and found this basket of flowers on the kitchen counter. They are from DD Martha and her husband in St, Louis. Tried to finish my sermon, but went to bed with matters hanging in the air. Managed to finish it up after breakfast.

Lots of RED clothing in the congregation this morning in honor of Pentecost, and lots of hymns about the Holy Spirit. The gospel was from John, with Jesus breathing the Spirit on the disciples, then immediately saying, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven." This has always seemed a little peculiar to me, but I came to understand that he himself had just then enacted forgiveness by coming to the friends who had abandoned him. Rather than chastizing them, he said,"Peace be with you." So forgiveness must have been on all their minds.

The outdoor pennants were flying gaily in the face of clouds and drizzle, and drew another man into the church to ask about them!

I have managed to sew a couple of Orange Crush blocks for Step 4 of Orange Crush together. Bonnie is having us make HSTs of yardage fabric (not scraps) and combining them with the previously made 4-patches into this block, which she calls Spinning Stars. That's not a lot of contrast between the black and teal triangles, but Bonnie doesn't have a alot of contrast in her yardage either. So I assume this is going to do something wonderful with the blocks that are yet to come.

Peter cooked at our house, making lovely Cornish hens with wild rice and cranberry dressing. What a treat!

Sara

Gratitudes:

A pressurized week completed

Charlie's Pentecost pants can be retired!

Gentle rain all day for the garden

Pentecost preparation

Last fall Holy Cross Church placed three pennant/banners on the front lawn to attract attention. Getting additional different colors is more expensive than I could imagine, so I looked into making the RED ones for Pentecost myself. Naturally this got put off until the last week before Pentecost, and after buying the "flag nylon" --FIVE yards for the length needed-- I couldn't find the grommets that were big enough, nor the woven tape in the right width to mimic the purchased pennants. I went to an awning company for the pieces, and at that point I was ready to admit that their "hot knife" and expertise were worth the extra cost. Especially since on Tuesday they could get all three made by by Friday!

Since the Pentecost imagry includes FLAMES, I bought enough orange fabric to make one of the pennants. Then realizing that there would be extra fabric the whole length purchased, I asked them to add a second, narrower, opposite color panel to two of the pennants.

Now we have an array of three for Pentecost:

1- solid red with an orange narrower streamer

2- solid red

3- solid orange with a red narrower streamer.

Ken, our Junior Warden, knew how to change the pennants, so here he is doing all the work while I took pictures.

Here is the view from the driveway entrance, street to your right, church roof on the left.

[Charlie said that a woman called the church on the phone because she saw the "flags" and was entranced. She wanted to know where to get some. Well, there goes our special-ness if everyone is going to have them!]

On the quilting front:

Here is the OTHER lap-sized quilt top made with leftovers from Carolina Crossroads. I received some fabric from a chorus member and the tan paisley was in it. Seemed to be the perfect way to finish off as a wide border.

Now to think about the quilting on this one! It will be more to manipulate through the Pfaaf, and since it is so busy. . . .maybe I'll just take this one to the LA-quilter and have a pantograph all over.

Bonnie has put out the next clue for Mystery #2, Orange Crush, so I am cutting triangles and building blocks. Only two done so far.

This is a hectic 48 hours with getting the pennants up, baking bread, reviewing all the words and notes for the GRWC concert tonight, and finishing my sermon for tomorrow, then delivering it twice.
Oh, well, by 1:00 tomorrow afternoon I can take a nap and let DS Peter cook dinner for Mother's Day!

Sara

Gratitudes:

Ken's help

Lynne's assurance the concert will be FUN

Trilliums (trillia?) in the woods

My 100th blog entry!

Easter Sunday

Here's a glimpse of the Easter liturgy this AM at Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Kentwood, MI.

We rang bells at every "Alleluia", and sang lots of familiar Easter hymns.

My contribution was making cascarones for the congregation and putting them in coat pockets during the sermon. I made many fewer than in normal years becasue of having this virus for the last two weeks. So I found that I had to go back a take the second egg away from some coats so that I would have at least one for each of the remaining. This is a Mexican custom I learned ini California years ago. A blown out eggshell is filled with confetti and a piece of tissue paper glued over the opening. People crack them over one another's heads while saying "Alleluia! Christ is risen!" I always tell people to do this OUTSIDE the church (after demonstrating with Charlie during announcements inside the church). However, a lot of kids can't wait!

I missed the Easter Vigil on Satruday night because of a commitment to the Grand Rapids Women's Chorus.

Sara