TERRY AND I ARE RAMPING UP THE REHEARSALS FOR MIDNIGHT MASS. WE HAVE SO MUCH BEAUTIFUL MUSIC THAT IT IS ACTUALLY DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE WHICH SONGS WE WILL DO THAT EVENING.
I HEARD TERRY PRACTICING A SONG I HADN’T HEARD BEFORE AND SURE ENOUGH HE SOMEHOW FOUND TIME TO CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL, NEW SONG FOR CHRISTMAS.
I’M A TERRIBLE VIDEOGRAPHER ( AND TRYING TO SING AND WALK AND AND HOLDING MIC TOO CLOSE TO MYSELF) BUT HERE IS A PREVIEW OF THIS BRAND NEW SONG….
SEVERAL YEARS BACK I PERFORMED AT ARTSPACE, A HOME FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING , WITH MY SISTER, PAULA.
A FEW DAYS LATER I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM A JASON HOMYSHIN WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE CONCERT AND THAT HE WAS A QUADRIPLEGIC SONGWRITER WHO NEEDED HELP PUTTING MUSIC TO HIS WORDS.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT IT MUST BE FOR HIM TO TYPE HIS LYRICS. JASON’S RIGHT ARM CAN MOVE AROUND A BIT AND HE SOMEHOW ‘LANDS’ THE KNUCKLE OF HIS THUMB ON HIS LETTER/WORD BOARD THAT BALANCES ON HIS WHEELCHAIR AND HE CAN SEND THIS TO HIS COMPUTER.
I AGREED TO TRY TO ADD MUSIC TO A FEW OF HIS SONGS OVER THE YEARS AND HE SEEMED HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. I ONLY HAD TO TWEEK SOME OF HIS LYRICS/RHYMES TOO !
JASON IS A HUGE ELVIS FAN . SO UNDERSTANDABLY ONE OF HIS SONGS WAS A TRIBUTE TO ‘ THE KING ‘ .
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO HEAR ” THE KING LIVES ON ” .
THIS PROFESSIONAL RECORDING WAS A SURPRISE FOR JASON . WE BOOKED A LOCAL ELVIS IMPERSONATOR ( ROBBIN) TO COME IN AND RECORD JASON’S SONG AT TWO BODIES OF WATER STUDIOS. WE INVITED HIM TO ATTEND THE SESSION AND I JOKED WITH JASON THAT WHEN HE GETS EXCITED HE SOUNDS LIKE CHEWBACCA FROM STAR WARS. JASON MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ‘SPEAK’ BUT HE HAS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR.
SO TODAY WAS MY ANNUAL CHRISTMAS VISIT . I WAS JOINED BY JASON’S FULL TIME CAREGIVER, CARLO, FR. MIKE McCAFFERY ( WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE A SMALL ‘SERVICE’ WITH HIM TOO!) AND OUR FRIEND, JOANNE. JASON ( AKA HIS MOTHER, JOSIE) ALWAYS SPOILS US WITH UNNECESSARY BUT THOUGHTFUL CHRISTMAS GIFTS. JASON IS ONE OF THE MOST POSITIVE PEOPLE I KNOW. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN I GET FRUSTRATED WITH MY CHRONIC PAIN. WHAT A GREAT PERSON !
” PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD ” . THESE ARE WORDS HEARD OFTEN IN ADVENT, THE WORD ADVENT ORIGINATING FROM THE LATIN WORD ” ADVENIO ” WHICH MEANS ‘COMING TO’ .
SO WE PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST. THIS WEEK WE LIT OUR PINK CANDLE IN OUR ADVENT WREATH. THIS CANDLE SYMBOLIZES JOY. WE ARE TOLD ( 1ST THESSALONIANS 5:16) TO BE JOYFUL ALWAYS.
ONE WAY THAT I FIND JOY IN THIS BUSY SEASON IS TO BE STILL. I TRY AND FIND A TIME EVERYDAY TO BE WITH GOD . THIS COULD BE IN PRAYER THROUGH MY DAILY ROSARY OR JUST IN MY THOUGHTS AS I DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY DOING MY ERRANDS . WHEN I AM ‘ STILL’ IN MY MIND OR IN MY BODY I CAN MAKE ROOM FOR THOUGHTS OF GOD AND ALL HE HAS DONE FOR ME …AND I AM INDEED JOY-FILLED.
( PRESS ‘ PLAY ‘ ABOVE AND HEAR MY SONG… ” BE STILL ” )
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT VERSION OF THIS OLD SONG…. ENJOY !
IT WAS A NON-STOP ‘KINDA’ DAY TODAY BUT LOVELY ALL THE SAME :
MASS, BREAKFAST WITH OUR DEAR FRIEND, JAZZ ( FINALLY STARTING TO LOOK A BIT PREGNANT…YAY!) , THEN OFF TO SCHONSEE PLACE TO PLAY OUR SPIRITLINE SHOW FOR THE DEMENTIA PATIENTS THERE AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WE HAD SUCH A NICE CROWD ( CLOSE TO 30 PEOPLE?) OF SMILING, APPRECIATIVE GUESTS AND SOME OF OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS DROVE THE LONG DRIVE NORTH EAST TO HEAR US PLAY TOO. WE EVEN HAD A COUPLE GET UP AND DANCE TO MY SONG, ” EPIPHANY ” .
THAT WAS SO COOL.
LOTS OF LAUGHS FOR SOME OF TERRY’S HUMOROUS SONGS AND JUST A FUN AFTERNOON OF MUSIC FOR US AND HOPEFULLY FOR ALL.
THEN , NO SOONER HAD WE PACKED UP THE GEAR AND BROUGHT IT OUT TO THE VAN ( THANKS TO ALL WHO HELP HAUL) , THEN WE WERE DRIVING AN HOUR WEST TO GO TO OUR ANNUAL KRAMER FARM CHRISTMAS PARTY.
I ADMIRE THIS FAMILY SO MUCH ! DOUG AND JUDY HAVE DEVOTED THEIR LIVES TO BRING OTHERS TO CHRIST AND THEY LIVE THEIR OWN LIFE TOGETHER AS A FAMILY THAT ‘WALKS THE TALK ‘ WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING SIMPLY AND SHARING THEIR FAITH BY LIVING IT.
THEY USED TO RUN THE ‘CAMP ENCOUNTER’ CAMP ( WHERE 3 OF OUR CHILDREN ONCE ATTENDED AND LOVED IT) AND NOW THEY LIVE ON AN ACREAGE WHERE THEY GROW THEIR OWN VEGETABLES, HUNT FOR FOOD, GATHER EGGS FROM THEIR OWN CHICKENS AND EVEN CHOP THEIR OWN WOOD TO KEEP WARM ALL YEAR LONG. THEY ARE TRULY GENEROUS AND KIND. YOU WOULD BE BLESSED TO KNOW THEM …AS WE ARE.
WE SHARED A DELICIOUS POT LUCK MEAL AND GREAT CONVERSATIONS.
A FULL DAY AND A BEAUTIFUL START TO OUR 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT.
WE HAD A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THE OILERS’ HALL OF FAME AT THE ARENA TONIGHT BEFORE THE GAME.
IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE ALL THE MEMORABILIA THAT WAS COLLECTED AND THE HISTORY WRITTEN ABOUT THE EDMONTON ‘LEGENDS’ .
AND ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT WAYNE GRETZKY IS THE WORLD’S BEST HOCKEY PLAYER OF ALL TIME, HE ACTUALLY WON LESS STANLEY CUPS THAN SOME OF THE OTHER ‘LEGENDS’.
WE WERE CHEERING FOR THE FLAMES WHEN WE LIVED IN CALGARY AND WAYNE WAS HAVING HIS ‘HEYDAY’ IN EDMONTON. BUT NOW THAT I LIVE HERE I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN MY OILERS WILL FINALLY GET BACK INTO THE PLAYOFFS .
WE LOST AGAIN TONIGHT. DANG.
THE PIZZA SLICE WAS GOOD.
I LOVE FRIDAYS. I USUALLY START OFF WITH MY AQUAFIT AND END WITH ‘DATE NIGHT’. BUT IN THE MORNING I AM ALREADY THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE AFTERNOON HOLDS. YOU SEE I HAVE BEEN WELCOMED INTO THE PRIVATE SPACE IN THE UPPER ‘CRAFT ROOM’ AT THE MARIAN CENTRE , EDMONTON , TO PAINT AND I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS MOST FRIDAYS FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS THANKS TO A MAN NAMED PATRICK STEWART , THE FORMER DIRECTOR AND FELLOW ARTIST.
TODAY, I BUNDLED UP FOR OUR -15 WEATHER ( WHICH CERTAINLY FELT A LOT COLDER WITH THE WIND CHILL) AND MADE A PIT STOP AT TIM HORTONS FOR A NICE , HOT COFFEE.
THEN I DROVE DOWNTOWN AND FOUND MY PARKING SPACE AT THE MARIAN CENTRE, A WONDERFUL HOME THAT FEEDS AND CLOTHES THE POOR OF EDMONTON. THE ‘FAMILY’ ( A LAY APOSTOLATE )OF MADONNA HOUSE ( THERE ARE MANY MANY HOMES AROUND THE WORLD ) WAS STARTED BY CATHERINE DOHERTY AND PART OF HER MANDATE WAS TO BECOME A ‘WHOLE’ PERSON…BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT …AND SHE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED FOLKS TO CREATE.
SO ON THIS FRIDAY I CAME TO START A NEW PAINTING. AND SINCE BEING ON TOUR THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN BACK TO PAINT IN OVER TWO MONTHS. THERE IS SUCH A COMFORT TO ENTERING THIS WONDERFUL SPACE, TO BE SURROUNDED BY EASLES AND POTTERS’ WHEELS, LOOMS, AND ALL MANNER OF ART SUPPLIES TO ENCOURAGE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.
THEY LET ME KEEP MY EASLE AND SUPPLIES HERE AND ALTHOUGH I ACTUALLY HAVE MY OWN HOME STUDIO NOW I STILL COME HERE AS IT’S THE PEOPLE, THE FAMILY HERE THAT I MISS SO MUCH WHEN I’M AWAY.
AS YOU CAN SEE I HAVE STARTED A NEW PAINTING BUT IT HAS A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE I CAN CALL IT FINISHED. I AM REALLY ENJOYING WORKING ON THESE BLACK CANVASSES.
I PUT A C.D. ON , (SOMETIMES I LIGHT UP THE POT-BELLIED STOVE), APPLY MY APRON, FILL UP MY WATER , CHOOSE MY PAINTS , AND GET TO WORK. I HAD A CHANCE TODAY TO VISIT WITH THE WHOLE MARIAN CENTRE GROUP AS I WAS INVITED TO ATTEND MASS AT THE END OF THE DAY. BEAUTIFUL.
STAY TUNED FOR A PEEK AT THE FINISHED PAINTING SOMETIME….
I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT A BLESSING IT IS TO HAVE MADE SO MANY FRIENDS FROM A SWIMMING CLASS !
FOR MANY YEARS NOW I’VE BEEN WORKING OUT 3 TIMES A WEEK IN AN AQUAFIT CLASS NEAR MY HOME. BUT FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY THAT I ENTERED THAT POOL I WAS APPROACHED BY A FRIENDLY WOMAN WHO SAID, ” I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND …WELCOME ! ”
I MUST ADMIT I WAS A BIT UNNERVED BY THIS UNUSUAL WELCOME BUT MY ( NOW ) FRIEND, ELIZABETH TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE HAD GIVEN HER TERRY’S BOOK ” ORDINARY GUY- EXTRAORDINARY MARRIAGE ” AND THAT’S HOW SHE KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT US!
WE NOT ONLY WORK OUT BODIES IN THIS POOL BUT OUR MOUTHS GET A PRETTY GOOD WORKOUT TOO…HA HA. MOST OF THE GROUP ARE SENIORS AND A LOT OF THEM CAN MOVE BETTER THAN ME !
FOR MANY OF US THIS IS THE ONE PLACE THAT WE CAN MEET UP WITH FRIENDS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IN A NON-WORK ENVIRONMENT. WIDOWS, WIDOWERS , SINGLE FOLKS, COUPLES, FOLKS WITH MOBILITY ISSUES ( LIKE MYSELF) AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE FOUND FRIENDSHIPS WITHIN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND THEN THE FRIENDSHIPS ARE NURTURED WITH A GOOD OLD CUP O’ COFFEE AT ONE OF THE MANY ESTABLISHMENTS NEAR TO THE POOL AFTER CLASS.
I HAVE BEEN TAKING AQUAFIT CLASSES FOR YEARS STARTING BACK IN CALGARY AND I HAVE BEEN IN MANY DIFFERENT POOLS. BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE COME TOGETHER TO WORK OUT AND CARE FOR EACH OTHER. IF SOMEONE ISN’T THERE FOR EVEN ONE DAY …PEOPLE MIGHT WORRY AND EVEN MAKE A PHONE CALL TO MAKE SURE ALL IS WELL.
I MYSELF HAD MANY VISITORS FROM OUR POOL FRIENDS WHEN I WAS LAID UP AT HOME AFTER MY FOOT/ANKLE OPERATION. I HAVE NEVER MET A GROUP OF KINDER FOLKS. I GO OUT TO BREAKFAST SOMETIMES WITH MY ( NOW) VERY CLOSE FRIEND, BOB, WHO IS 88. OTHER FRIENDS MEET UP REGULARLY TOO FOR MEALS OR TO VISIT A FRIEND IN THE HOSPITAL PERHAPS.
AND WHAT I ALSO LOVE IS OUR INSTRUCTOR, SIMONE, ENCOURAGES US TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO. SHE SAYS THAT SOMETIMES OUR SOULS NEED THE COMPANIONSHIP MORE THAN THE BODY NEEDS THE STRENUOUS EXERCISE.
I AM GLAD I HAVE BOTH AND SO LAST NIGHT WE OPENED UP OUR HOME TO SOME OF OUR GANG ( WE DON’T KNOW EVERYONE IN THE POOL …AND SOME WERE SICK) FOR THE 3RD TIME ( I THINK ) AND HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL , POTLUCK , FESTIVE PARTY. I COOKED A DELICIOUS HONEY HAM AND MADE SOME SCALLOPED POTATOES AND THESE THINGS WERE AUGMENTED BY THE GREAT APPETIZERS, SALADS, VEGGIES, FRESH BREADS…AND DESSERTS OUR FRIENDS BROUGHT WITH THEM ! THE WINE AND LAUGHTER WERE FLOWING AND MY HEART…IS OVER-FLOWING TOO!
WE’VE HAD A BIT OF A REPRIEVE FROM MUSIC FOR A WEEK SO IT’S TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK !
AND A LOT OF MUSIC TO GET READY FOR TOO : WE ARE PERFORMING A WEE CONCERT FOR A FRIEND OF OURS WHO IS IN A CARE HOME IN NORTH EDMONTON. JUDY IS STRUGGLING WITH DEMENTIA AND WE HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT HER YET SO I OFFERED TO DO A CONCERT FOR THE RESIDENTS THERE SOMEDAY….AND THAT ‘SOMEDAY’ IS NOW THIS SUNDAY ! WE ARE GOING TO ADD SOME CHRISTMAS CAROLS INTO THE MIX THIS TIME AS WELL AS OUR OWN TUNES.
WE WILL ALSO BE LEADING THE MUSIC FOR ONE OF THE MASSES FOR THE FILIPINO ” SIMBANG GABI ” TRADITION AT OUR CHURCH AND OF COURSE OUR REGULAR 4TH SUNDAY MASS TOO.
AND THIS YEAR WE WILL BE LEADING THE MUSIC FOR OUR VERY FIRST MIDNIGHT MASS. WE HAVE SO MANY GORGEOUS SONGS THAT IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO LIMIT THEM . TERRY IS PLAYING PIANO FOR OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL SONGS SO I AM EXCITED ABOUT THAT TOO.
SO MANY SONGS TO CHOOSE, TO REHEARSE , AND TO SING. I’M ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING ALL THIS WONDERFUL MUSIC AS WE CONTINUE TO JOURNEY THROUGH ADVENT AND TOWARD THE CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE. IT REALLY GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT.
LOOK AT THE THINGS IN THIS PHOTO CAREFULLY. LOOK AT THE STILL, CLASSIC LINES OF THE 3 OBJECTS ON THE TABLE AND THEN THE BUSY-NESS OF ALL THE MARKINGS ON THE WALL.
THE TABLE , FOR ME, BECOMES A METAPHOR FOR SLOWING DOWN ( TO SMELL …THE COFFEE !)
WE ARE CALLED TO SHARE OUR FAITH AND OUR LOVE WITH OTHERS IN OUR LIVES. WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE OTHERS AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. BUT WHO IS ‘ OUR NEIGHBOUR ‘ ? OUR FAMILY IS OUR NEIGHBOUR. A FRIEND IS OUR NEIGHBOUR. THE HOMELESS PERSON WE PASS ON THE STREET IS OUR NEIGHBOUR. THIS IS HOW WE CAN SEE CHRIST…IN THE EYES OF OUR NEIGHBOUR .
LET’S TAKE THE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND JUST TAKE A BREAK FROM ALL OUR RUNNING AROUND. LET’S FIND TIME TO PRAY. LET’S MAKE TIME FOR OTHERS TOO.
BUT WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE CUP ON THE TABLE? PERHAPS YOU ARE HOLDING THE OTHER CUP. PERHAPS YOU PURCHASED THAT CUP FOR SOMEONE ELSE .
I ALSO SEE A BOTTLE OF WATER AND A PRETTY PLANT ON THE TABLE.
WATER IS A SYMBOL FOR LIFE AND SO IS THE PLANT. WITHOUT WATER WE CANNOT LIVE. HOW CAN I NURTURE LOVE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND ME ? HOW CAN I HELP LOVE TO GROW …JUST AS WATER HELPS THE PLANT TO GROW ?
PERHAPS I CAN PLANT SEEDS OF KINDNESS ALONG MY PATH THIS WEEK.
LET’S LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL WALL. I LOVE THE MANY COLOURS AND THE MARKINGS MADE BY MANY OTHERS BEFORE I TOOK MY PLACE AT THE TABLE. THIS MAKES ME THINK OF THE MANY COLOURS OF OUR COMMUNITIES , NOT JUST SKIN COLOURS, BUT PERSONALITIES AND LIVES COLOURED BY JOY ….AND TOO OFTEN -SADNESS…….(PARTICULARLY TOUGH AT THIS TIME OF YEAR).
HOW CAN I MAKE MY MARK ? CAN I CHOOSE TO BE KIND WHEN I’M FRUSTRATED AND WOULD RATHER LASH OUT ? CAN I DO A HIDDEN ACT OF KINDNESS THAT ONLY MYSELF , THE RECIPIENT, AND GOD KNOWS ABOUT ? MAYBE I CAN JUST SMILE AT SOMEONE AS I PASS THEM ON THE STREET .
I SEE FAMILY NAMES ON THE WALL. I SEE THE NAMES OF FRIENDS CARVED INTO THIS WALL. AND I SEE A HEART . I’M GOING TO TRY TO BE MORE LOVING WITH THOSE AROUND ME THIS WEEK. LET MY MARK BE A HEART TOO. I WANT TO BE ‘THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF ” ( AS MICHAEL KELLY WOULD SAY .)
HOW ABOUT YOU? HOW WILL YOU MAKE YOUR MARK THIS WEEK?
