week of grace 02

A few years ago a therapist reminded me try to notice, appreciate and celebrate micro joys such as gently falling powder, a freshly picked berry. Related to noticing and observing, this past week at Vacation Bible School we talked about "God sightings" with the kids―needless to say, those would include aspects of nature such as flowers, trees, beaches, mountains, along with human interactions. Part of me says "but God's presence is hidden and paradoxical, as in the sacraments," yet there still remains a sense in which we can recognize in retrospect how God was there at that time! Here's a short second blog post of the past week's graces in review; for sure I need to do lots better about noticing and recording those small pleasures.

1. Five mornings of Vacation Bible School at Church Around the Corner!

2. A clean place to stay with two kittehs and one doggeh while the guys detoxed the mold in the house (along with tearing up floors and part of a bathroom).

3. Yummy Belgian waffles four mornings in a row!

4. Serving as organist for Wednesday evening's brief eucharist for the second take this (calendar and liturgical) year of the Feast of the Transfiguration.

5. Returning "home" to a house still not put back together, but with a fair amount of progress and tolerable air that doesn't smell too too bad.

6. Fresh, hot pizza from the Towne Square store after the VBS set strike party early Friday afternoon.

VBS 2014 day 5

Pictures from the final day of Vacation Bible School at Church Around the Corner, "CAC." These open full-size in a new browser tab or window, "depending on your settings." I've done my best to format these with non-traditional (not laptop, not desktop) devices in mind.

VBS 2014 day 4

Pictures from the fourth, next to last day of Vacation Bible School at Church Around the Corner, "CAC." These open full-size in a new browser tab or window, "depending on your settings."

VBS 2014 day 3

Pictures from the third day of Vacation Bible School at Church Around the Corner, "CAC." These open full-size in a new browser tab or window, "depending on your settings."

VBS 2014 day 2

Pictures from the second day of Vacation Bible School at Church Around the Corner, "CAC." These open full-size in a new browser tab or window, "depending on your settings."

VBS 2014 day 1

Pictures from the first day of Vacation Bible School at Church Around the Corner, "CAC." These open full-size in a new browser tab or window, "depending on your settings."

week of grace 01

Thanks to Tara of Praying on the Prairie, who inspired me to blog a summary of blessings highlights from the past week. Finally I’m picking up her idea—for now I've decided on the word "grace." Just as Tara does, this is a simple list without explanation or commentary. And as she usually adds, every week includes blessings too numerous and abundant to count, so here's more than a dozen highlights in more or less chronological order—with pics, too, at least this time!

1. Santa Fe Amtrak depot San Diego / Pacific Surfliner

2. Union Station Amtrak depot Los Angeles

3. Seventh and Hope!

4. Chapel of Peace



5. Vacation Bible School Songs & Scripture



6. portrait project



7. handprints project



8. check out this major bubble!



9. rice and beans service project



10. street view past piano and font

4

11. drum circle



12. a clear view of Summer Pops Friday fireworks over The Big [San Diego] Bay

13. short and light Saturday afternoon rain

14. beginning another new week of grace

what's in a name friday 5

what's in a name 5 on the revgals site

1. There's no real story behind my name, but my first name originally was my middle name, and a couple of people bestowed my unofficial, non-legal middle name "Sophia" on me because they perceived me as wise. Yay, me!!!

2. Currently I have two kittehs. Alley Malibu arrived as "Alley," because my neighbors found him as a kitten in a nearby alley. At that time I had Pumpkin Marigold or "PM," so decided to give Alley a middle name starting with M so he could be AM. There's a famous Malibu beach on the west coast where we live, and when I was on the east coast, we had a small urban Malibu strip beach.

3. I've never ever named vehicles or household items, but I've known of a few folks that have; it could be a fun thing.

4. Do I daydream about a name for a boat, novel, business? My curren design business is suntreeriver design! Sun and tree and and river are persistent biblical themes. I also have a funkier, more casual, second line for my graphic design: citysafari. I love cities, I love the safari concept, so brought both together. In the past I've designed as City Lights, City Delights, and simply as myself when I just did casual now and then freelance gigs.

5. Although I've had an idea and starting bibliography for a book related to ecological theology for about ten years, I probably wouldn't publish under a pseudonym because I love attention too much to do that! However, I've carefully chosen my shekinah jubilee email (don't use that one every day any more), as well as my river song tag on youtube and elsewhere. I wanted either sundayriver or riversong in gmail, but with both taken, I use sundayriversong for my main address. I also have suntreeriverdesign on gmail, and, of course, for my facebook page and my non-fb site.