Happy Monday to all of you. Do you realize that just in three days, it will be May 1, 2014? It seems like just a few weeks ago it was January and now it's almost May. Time passes so quickly for me. Do any of you feel that way, also? I always thought that when I got old, time would pass very slowly, but it seems to go faster than when I was younger. What's up with that?
Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday. It's the day that we Catholics praise God for His Divine Mercy, which He bestows very freely on each and every one of us. The Catholic television station, EWTN, broadcast a special service yesterday, from twelve noon until three thirty in the afternoon, from Stockbridge, Mass. It was simply beautiful. I so enjoyed watching both the pre-broadcast and the broadcast of the Divine Mercy Mass, which followed. They ended the service by singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet in song.
What truly humbled me was the fact that the weather there was quite chilly and it was drizzling rain most of the time. The thousands of people who gathered were wearing winter coats, scarves, gloves and most of them had umbrellas. I mean to tell you there were thousands of people who journed for this special service. Most of them had a chair to sit in, but there were many who had to stand the entire time.
When I turned on the television at 12 noon, everyone was already there, so I'm assuming that they started gathering as early as ten or eleven o'clock in the morning, just to be able to have a seat. It was a truly amazing service and it humbled me to see all those Catholics out there on such an ugly, rainy and cold day. The celebrant was a Monsignor from New York State. I can't remember his name or what parish he was from, but he was truly amazing. He spoke to those gathered and who were tuning in on EWTN, as though he was personally familiar with each of us. It was wonderful to behold, that's for sure.
My husband, who's not even a Catholic, sat watching most of it with me. I thought perhaps he'd go upstairs and watch something on our other television, but he choose to listen to the service with me. It's been in the last eight years, that I've come to realize just how much Divine Mercy God has bestowed upon me. I have been so very blessed and I give Him all my love and thanks for that.
So, what have you all been up to lately? I have decided that I'm going to start another writing project soon. Perhaps it will be publishing my memoirs. I'll let you all know soon. I'm still working on my hand embroidery work. Currently I'm creating hand embroidered homemade Christmas ornaments for my family and friends.
I've been thinking seriously about starting work on a pencil drawing, but I haven't figured out what I want to draw as of yet. I love how you can use just a pencil and still have all the different shades, textures, shadows and beauty that you do with paints or colored chalks. Did you know that when you draw, using any medium, you should not use any lines. Instead use shades to show the beginning and ending of an object, scenery, etc? A year or two ago, I created a pencil drawing of our travel trailer. I was very pleased with the way it turned out.
Here are three pencil drawings I did back in the 80's, as well as one from the early 90's in chalks (the deer).
If you will notice the baskets, in the second one, there are no lines used, just different shades of darkness. It's particularly noticeable in that drawing, because of the weaving of the baskets. The chalk picture of the deer, was done as a gift to my husband, who's a hunter. Below is a pencil art that I did a few years ago while in Ocean City, MD. It's of the fishing pier where my husband fishes from when we are there.
It is done all in pencil, but it looks like it has a tint to it from the lights.
So tell me, have you had a chance to get out in those flower beds as of yet? I was outside on Saturday and took a few photos of my tulips. They are so beautiful and yet so simple. It always amazes me, the beauty I see in the least little thing. How about you? Do you stop and see all the amazing and beautiful natural things God has bestowed upon this earth? I surely hope so, and if you don't, please take ten minutes out of each day to walk outside and look all around you. Look up and see the amazing patterns God puts up there for us. It doesn't matter where you live, in town or out in the country, God's beauty is all around us. We just need to stop and notice it.
Well, that's all for now. Please take some time for yourself before this day is done. It's so important to your family's happiness as well as your own. God bless you and stay safe.
Susan
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