Fifteen Minute Power Blog
I haven’t posted for awhile. Every other week I have the draft of a chapter due at my writers group. That means I write like mad about four days before my submission is due. I’m finding that I don’t have enough writing energy to do a chapter and blog posts in the same week. This makes for spotting posting, but I guess it is what it is.
“How do you know it’s someone’s first time to the Chapman’s house?”
“They pet the cat.”
Shelby as a purr addict. Pet her once and she’s purring (and drooling) by your side forever. She wasn’t an especially lovely cat. In fact her coat was usually a mess, she shed all over the place, and she had enough dander to throw the most mild allergy sufferer into an asthma attack. Because most of our pals are allergic, Shelby was relegated to living in the basement playroom and the backyard. Beattie, making us feel REAl good about the job we were doing as pet owners, called her “the cat in the iron mask.” I had to euthanize Shelby yesterday. We adopted Shelby from the animal shelter about twelve years ago. She was about eight then, so she lived to the ripe old age of 20. Her kidney’s started failing over the weekend and yesterday we called it. She went peacefully and didn’t even wince when the vet had to give her the injection. I sat with her and looked into her eyes, petted her head and told her what a good kitty she was. I thanked her for being such a patient kitty to all the small children who have tried to sit on her (there have been many) and that I was glad she chose us. Typically, Shelby died purring.
The last chapter I wrote was about Dia des los Muertos, Day of the Dead. My writing group thought I should talk a lot more about life and death in general and how our culture handles it. I feel ill equipped for that task, having spent very little time with the dying. I think I’d be good at it though and someday I’d like to take a hospice doula course. There’s one in New York I’ve been reading up on. Paul says he doesn’t think he could deal with me being a hospice doula and maybe he’s right because just putting the cat down wiped me out.
And more on dying…I stopped by St. Mark’s Cathedral yesterday for a little centering prayer. There was beautiful photo exhibit up by Lynne Huffman Johnson. She takes photographs of children with life threatening illnesses, especially babies who don’t have long to live. She doesn’t charge the families anything and the photos are truly artful and memorable. She manages to capture the beauty of each child, even through massive of breathing tubes and IVs. I’d read about Lynne’s work before, and seeing it at the Cathedral, I was was once again touched by her ministry.
Today I’m going to my follow up appointment for my nose ring. The piercing was almost healed but has suddenly flared up so I want to check it out. All the piercers at Slave to the Needle are very into having high quality jewelry and each piece is adjusted to the wearer, so I need to go get mine refitted now that the swelling is down.
Eden has a stomach ache every day lately. I think it has to do with best friend stress as she is not getting on well with hers. Our housemate, Sharon, has an amazing healing gift and I’ve suggested to Eden that she let Sharon pray for her but Eden refuses. For a couple of days she let me do a sort of visualization prayer with her, but now she’s decided it’s “too Jesusy.” That freaks me out. The other night when we were saying bedtime prayers I was expressing thanks that it was almost Jesus’ birthday. When we were done Catie said, “What do you mean it’s Jesus’ birthday, huh?” In spite of the eight nativity story books and the felt advent calendar, she still hadn’t understood that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. Methinks we’ve hit a bump in the indoctrinate-your-kids-at-home plan. Maybe we’ll start going to Godly Play at the Cathedral.
Times’ up.
Rachelle,
I dont think you’ve hit a bump in the indoctrinate-your-kids-at-home-plan. Truely. God gives children to familes, not churches. Parents are the main source through which children learn about God - through implicit and explict means. The church is there to support parents. That’s her job. Perhaps you’ve not hit a bump in the road as much as you’ve just come to a time when you need support from the extended Christian family. That’s not faliure on your part. That’s how it’s supposed to work - the church supporting the parents in their job of instilling faith. When you’re home *is* the church, there’s nothing wrong with looking to the wider Christian community for support.
Thanks for posting whenever you can. Great that you’re getting on with your book!
Maybe Eden is trying out some boundaries. My 18 yo daughter is, right now. Painful for parents when their child refuses good, even when they’re not “going off any deep ends”. God is with you in this too.
I am sorry for the loss of your dear Shelby.
I know where St. Mark’s is. I was driving around Seattle with a new friend on a Sunday afternoon in August 1974, the summer I spent there with my aunt & uncle. We saw this castle-thing up on the hill, and I wanted to find out what it was. We got there just in time for Evensong. After the service, the organist gave us the most amazing demonstration of their organ, including telling its history, and how organs make music. It is a vivid and very wonderful memory.
Dana
Slave to the Needle does FANTASTIC tattoo work. When I finally figure out which design I need on my body, if it’s a tricky one Aaron @ SttN will do it
Anybody who’s interested should go check out http://www.slavetotheneedle.com/tattoos/aaron.asp for Aaron’s work. Most of it looks like paintwork on canvas.
Thanks for the heads-up about Lynne’s show. Sounds fantastic.
I’m so sorry to hear about Shelby. We’ve had to euthanize two cats in recent years, and it’s so utterly painful. I’m glad you were with her, and I love that she went on as she had lived…purring.
i hugged my little layla cat last night, and thought of shelby. purrr in peace, shelby.
Eden’s just stretching, I think…normal developmental stuff for her age. And even though you are a wonderful mother and nurturer of her soul, she is still going to be what she is…a kid. Growing and reaching for independence. Yikes.
Catie sounds like my younger (5) who for the longest time believed in fairies in lieu of Jesus (despite our best efforts on our 2 year hiatus from church). She needed her peers telling her, not us…now she prays out loud in church every week “Jesus loves us…God loves me” and saves seeing fairies for the ride home. “Course she still hits her sister during singing.
I don’t think the benefit of Sunday School is so much from the programming (altho’ I’m not familiar w/ Godly play, and things do seem improved slightly from flannelgraph days) but more from kids being in community with each other, building relationships, seeing that they are not the only ones who believe in Jesus. OF COURSE that must be balanced w/ being elitist…but you know that!
Re: caring for the dying…I’ve done both hospice and labor & delivery nursing and you’d be amazed how similar they are from an emotional/ spiritual perspective. Both times you are helping families through major life transitions, that has components of physical pain which can be alleviated, fear of the unknown, and often unresolved relationship issues causing increased pain and tension. In both of these times of transition, if you can facilitate healing at all in any of the non-physical areas, it so eases the rest of the process. You cry with the family, but the reward is so great, that it is easy to move on. They are so grateful.
Lengthy comment, hope it’s not intrusive. Take care.
i meme’d you today