Theresa's House

Chris and I are in Oakland at Theresa's home. We'll be joined by Mary later tonight. We're all here to celebrate Theresa's confirmation at the Easter Vigil :)
Right now T is at work and we're waiting for our oatmeal to cool. I love her apartment, it's very peaceful, warm, and...Theresa. Tonight one of Theresa's good friends will be hosting a passover meal as a Noble tradition. We brought our seder prayer books, and our Holy Thursday cup and plate (garage sale finds - both with the Last Supper on them, each at a different sale). Later today Chris and I are going to take a walk to T's church to see if it's open for prayer and then for a walk by the lake.
Love you all! Have a Blessed Holy Week!

A Wonderful Day

What a wonderful day. Actually even work was great. Then after work I met Chris and Sarah at Mass. Afterwards the three of us met our dear friends Skip and Frances Whitehurst for dinner (at Caz's Chowhouse - only in OK!). Intellectual stimulation for the whole evening. Beginning with dinner and talk about grammar, kids, education, and, well, um, TV shows . Then Sarah left for work and the four of us went to the Tulsa Gridiron. I had never gone before and neither had the Whitehursts, but we decided then and there to meet every year at the same place (but go to a better place for dinner!). It was absolutely hilarious, as good or better than the best Saturday Night Live skits. It consisted of musical mostly political parodies set to popular songs.
Some of my favorites...five people walking out onto a dark stage wrapped in blankets with flashlights lighting their faces and then singing to the tune of California's dreamin, "All the limbs are down, and the candles glow. I've been in the dark thanks to PSO. I'd be safe and warm if I weren't in OK. Power's for the dreamin' on such a wintry day."
Another favorite sung to the tune of "It's Not Easy Being Green - Kermit's song", called Ode to Obama. "It's not easy being green. Having to spend each day the resident rookie. When I think it could be so much nicer being white, a woman, or old, or something much more electable like that."
Then I came home to find that Sarah had cleaned the downstairs and had beautiful spiritual instrumentals playing. And I have most of tomorrow off. Sigh.

Pink Bikes!

Sarah is home for Spring Break. When she comes home activity begins. We usually exercise by "dancing like no one's watching" in the living room. That's fun. But yesterday she had another idea. Let's go bicycling at Riverside Park with the Free Pink Bikes. So cool and unlike Tulsa (I love Tulsa but I swear they can be frustrating when it comes to being...well, anything like Denver!).
We just used our credit card to release the bikes and there was no charge. There were plenty to choose from and they're well maintained so the bikes were a breeze (literally!) to ride. It was close to 70 degrees yesterday and sunny. We rode FOUR MILES! What a beautiful way to end the day!!! Thank you, Sar Bear!!

What should the Pope say?

Halleluia! The question I've been waiting for was asked by a Catholic publication - America. What should the Pope say when he visits America? Here is the answer I submitted:

I would find it difficult to accept if the Pope did not speak DIRECTLY about the sex abuse crisis. As a faithful Catholic I need to hear him say, on behalf of the Church,

"To those Catholics who have been devastated by the sins of those who claimed to represent Christ, an apology from me as your Shepherd is required by justice and charity, but seems to be wholly inadequate. Nothing I say will remove the grievous harm that was caused to those of you who trusted in your priests and whose innocence was ravaged. I pray, though, that my profound mourning and heart felt sorrow on behalf of Mother Church, by the grace of God will settle upon each of you as a soothing balm for your grieving souls."

No Country for Old Men

Well, we did actually see No Country for Old Men after all. Very interesting. As I expected from the Coen Brothers - extremely well crafted. But if I had it to do over again I wouldn't go see it.

The Coens and Javier Bardem, who played the serial killer, portrayed evil in such a masterful way it was unsettling. And the message was that evil is powerful and unstoppable. Also unsettling. Despairing, too, but for the very last sequence where Tommy Lee Jones recounts a dream. That's where the hope was - but only hope in a heavenly way. Earth was left to evil.

So. Needless to say, you wouldn't want to bring the kiddos, but it wasn't as bad as Gone Baby Gone - Chris and I were trying to figure out if that movie was more or less depressing than Deer Hunter!