Labor Day

Song of the Builders

On a summer morning
I sat down
on a hillside
to think about God -

a worthy pastime.
Near me, I saw
a single cricket;
it was moving the grains of the hillside

this way and that way.
How great was its energy,
how humble its effort.
Let us hope

it will always be like this,
each of us going on
in our inexplicable ways
building the universe.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(Why I Wake Early)

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Christ Holding the Law

Vatican Museum

Rome, Italy

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46331

Fragment from the Vatican Museum.

The figure of Christ is separated by winged figures as he wields the scroll of the law.


 

It is not only what we do,
but also what we do not do,
for which we are accountable.
~ Moliere

 

 

Work isn't to make money; you work to justify life. 
~ Marc Chagall

 

 

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Tom Ware at the Center for the Arts Evergreen

Kicking off his Money Lisa fund raiser.

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Our Chew and Chat group had another delicious lunch at Taste of Thai.
Karla ordered this tasty dish.

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A sunlight speckled young elk at the lake.

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Chico Basin Ranch, operated by Duke and Janet Phillips, holds an annual art show at the ranch.

The ranch is south of Colorado Springs, north of Pueblo … where the antelope roam.

http://www.chicobasinranch.com/index.cfm?id=67c8f9db-d1c8-4c6b-8562e3094336bbd0

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The artists are by invitation only and Trish and I accompanied Laura Mehmert

with her three paintings of scenes from their Zapata ranch.

http://www.zranch.org/

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It was a gorgeous (and hot!) afternoon and refreshments were very welcome.

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Trish having a big art discussion.

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A unique outdoor art gallery!

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Janet, in the center

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Duke, holding a painting that just sold.

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This young man was more interested in a lizard he found.

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Carolyn enjoying some shade!

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Laura

 

 

If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end,
it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.
 
~ Doug Larson

 

 

September 5, 2010     Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Previous OPQs may be found at:      

     http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."

Luke 14:25-33

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

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Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

Carol Patterson

Jan. 29, 1930 – Aug. 28, 2010

My very first Memories in the Making artist at Life Care.

Carol has been at Life Care Nursing Home for thirteen years.

 

Losses

by Carol Patterson 
(written, we think, when she first felt the onset of Alzheimer’s)

                  Today I read about a man who slashed his wrists
                        because he lost his hat.
                He was old, and of course, they say he was crazy.
                I think not.
                I think he's just had all the losses he could take.
                He said as much.
                His last words were, "O God, now I've lost my hat,
                        too."
                I know how he felt.
                Every time you turn around, time - with a little help
                        from your friends - grabs off something else.
                        Something precious.  At least to you.
                Hearing. Sight. Beauty. Job. House. Even the corner
                        grocery turns into a parking lot and is lost.
                Finally, you lose the thing you can't do without - hope
                        (that it can get better).
                Dear God, when he gets to heaven, let that man find
                        his hat on the gatepost. 

Our Memories in the Making painting sessions played SUCH an important part of her life at Life Care.  Several years ago, when Carol was still physically active, I met a woman who used to walk around Evergreen Lake with Carol.  She told me that Carol just stopped one day and was staring intently.  The woman asked if something were wrong and Carol responded, “No, I was just wondering what colors I would use to capture this in a painting.”

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Jeremiah 18:1-11

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

Philemon 1-21

Luke 14:25-33