7 quick takes

one

We've been trying to finish watching Ben Hur for nearly a whole month. And we had to re-rent it each time. And every time the internet caused Matt to resort to frantic profanity, except the one section when a friend happened by unexpectedly and providentially and showed us how to make the internet go farther, as it were. And every time we turned it on, all the children would start shouting at the screen. One of the loudest, most fraught movies I've ever had to endure.

The thing that impressed me most, besides Charleston Heston, was how an ordinary American of today, excepting everybody at Good Shepherd because even the youngest among us are biblically literate, would not be able to follow the plot of the movie. Jesus is alluded to all the time, but only at the end does he come into focus. And you have to know about the regulations surrounding leprosy to know what the problem is there. So much knowledge is assumed to make the movie go forward that we in the church today don't assume any more because so few people have any of it.

Of course, there were varying levels of interest in our own small family attention abilities. Romulous felt like there should have been some actual fighting. Elphine couldn't handle even the illusion to the crucifixion and had to leave the room. Gladys and Alouicious just chattered away all the time.

Marigold and Fatty Lumpkin raged with excitement at the end, screaming and shouting and jumping, 'JESUS IS DYING ON THE CWOSS. JESUS IS DYING ON THR CWOSS.'

two

Last Sunday I did the Sign of the Cross in Catechesis and Marigold in particular wrestled profoundly with the wonderment that Jesus isn't any longer on the cross. At first she thought I was kidding, but then she went back over it and over it. Last year it was Gladys who surprised me. In the simple sign--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--she gathered up the two natures of Christ, the Trinity and the Atonement and said them all very simply to me as she made the sign. As an idiot adult, up to that point, I hadn't really gotten the point of this particular presentation because, well, who knows, I'm a Protestant, I only do it on Sunday morning, I don't think carefully about everything I do, and also I hadn't been in with the three to six year olds before so I hadn't had a chance to see what all the fuss was about. As Marigold made the sign again and again on Sunday the waves of foolishness washed up once more against my shadow shore. 

three

I think it's time for The Baby to have a proper blog name. I believe I'm ready to retire Fatty Lumpkin, much as I have loved it. She's just not Fat any more.

 

But nor does she fit under the Lady Elaine I had played with previous. Right now I'm leading towards Edna of CinderEdna, the neighbor of Cinderella. CinderEdna, or Edna for short, tried sitting in the cinders but got bored and so went about earning some extra pocket money cleaning bird cages and mowing people's lawns so that when it was time to go to the ball, she had already put a dress on layaway and had the presence of mind to take the bus. We'll see. I'm going to try it out for a bit, reserving the right to change my mind as she grows and changes.

four

The past many weeks I and a few others have been doing odd little jobs to "beautify" the Parish Hall at Good Shepherd in light of the the glorious new wall and Children's Area or Department or whatever it is we might end up calling it. I say Odd Jobs only to refer to the work that I myself have done. The work of others is much weightier and involved. The people painting all the trim, for example, and the lovely Lady who worked from 10 in the morning, last Saturday, to 10 at night covering these bulletin boards to make them all go together. 

And then a very kind and wonderful person drilled through the concrete wall so that they could be beautifully hung. None of these things was I even a tiny bit equipped or talented enough to undertake and I'm so grateful for all the care and vision and interest and hard work of everyone who does anything in the church. Its extraordinary how many people you can find at any given hour, in the church, doing something interesting and clever.

five 

Speaking of the opposite of that, interesting and clever I mean, today I'm just going to be cleaning my house. As is so often the way, while I have been over fussing at church, my own house has vomited out the contents of all it's cupboards and everything has to be put away or we will all be buried and die. The children won't enjoy this, tragically, but they will have to help a little, as breaks from the toil-some labor of learning stuff out of their school books. What a miserable existence they enjoy, they will tell me, how they suffer. 

six

But, as I said before. The Bishop is Coming! The Bishop is Coming! Should I make a pumpkin pie or have Elphine make an Apple Cake? If only the garden hadn't frozen over and all the flowers died. I will say nothing more of the weather, so great is my bitterness and despair. 

seven

Here is Gladys' rendition of me sad about the weather.

Have a great weekend (if you want to, if you like that sort of thing, don't let me tell you what to do) and go check out Jen.