- We had our final choir rehearsal last night before our participation in the Rosary Procession and Eucharistic adoration at the Marian Shrine of Gratitude this Sunday. We were in a different church hall with rather poor lighting (not to mention a very musty smell). I had to take my glasses off to see my music, and so could not see Joseph, our conductor, very well. But it's all coming together I think. The chant bits are a bit robotic, but I think it'll be a great evening.
- Zouheir gets home tomorrow evening and I need to get the house in order. Things tend to slip a little when he's away, so today will be a big clean-up. I also want to get the curtains in our bedroom hemmed (and by hemmed, I mean ironing on the hemming tape that came with the panels. I've already done the sheers, so it's not a big job. Just six panels. I don't even take them off the rods, but just pull them up onto the ironing board and away we go.
- A couple of times a day, I get hit with the memory that Josephine is no longer with us. Because she lived in Europe, we didn't see her that often. But we spoke to her at least once a week, and she was always available to chat, especially for Zouheir. There will be a mass said for her at St. Ephrem Syrian Catholic Church in Montreal next weekend, so we will be there to sort of host it. The former parish priest, who is now the Bishop of Jerusalem for that rite, is in Montreal and he will say the mass. He knew her well and we are grateful that he will be celebrating that day.
- I got a very nice email from Michael's bass trombone teacher regarding his progress and dedication. Michael picked up this instrument last fall so that he could join the Stage Band at school and had a few lessons from his tuba teacher. But he's heading to music camp at the end of the month and wanted to get some solid teaching in before that, so he's had five weekly lessons so far this summer and he's really improving. (Trust me, I can hear the practicing.) I'm thrilled that he's so keen about music, both playing and listening. He's also started to teach himself piano this summer which is wonderful.
- I am listening to Peter Carey's Parrot and Olivier in America, a wonderful novel with terrific narration by Humphrey Bower. It's set in the 19th century, after the French Revolution, and concerns the son of French aristocrats and the motherless son of an itinerant English printer, who are linked through a series of events and end up travelling to America together. Incredibly rich in period detail and funny as heck, I am enjoying this book immensely. I'm not usually an audio-book reader, but Bower is wonderful at capturing not only the two voices in the novel (one French, one English) but the minor characters as well (women, Americans, a Jewish impresario, etc). I'm a little over halfway through and highly recommend it!
- I met with Sister Bernadette Reis last night of the Daughters of St. Paul. She's doing a retreat in our parish in September and it's going to be dynamite! I'm helping put it together with another Catholic Women's League exec and we're both very excited about it. We're opening it up beyond the parish and hope to get a good crowd out.
- I have stalled on both my quilt and my genealogical studies. I have been preoccupied this week, and while I haven't been particularly busy, I guess I just don't feel like working on either of those things. Bereavement is a funny thing....I thought that these activities would relax and distract me, but I just can't seem to get enough focus to work on them. While I've got the ironing board out to do my curtains, I'll press the squares I've sewn to date and maybe that will get me back on track on the quilt at least. I am scheduled to start two new genealogy courses in September, so I've really got to get the one I'm doing finished soon.
Normally hosted by Jennifer at Conversion Diary, this week's Seven Quick Takes is being guest-hosted at Betty Beguiles. Drop by to read more Quick Takes!
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