We got the kids up early so we could go to mass at saint Monica's. Regina told me she thought some kids didn't sleep at all. Several noises were heard at 2 and 4. Sigh.
After mass I caught up with a few of my old fellow parishioners. Polish Teresa, who prayed so hard for our family while Jedidiah was with us, Lisa, who lost her husband so suddenly to a heart attack about a year ago, and Patrick, who has experienced loss too many times but now is expecting his 3rd miracle.
Regina watched the kids while I had the extreme pleasure of experiencing the new adoration chapel. It is so beautiful. Richly decorated and not in a distracting way but in a way that always pointed the mind's eye towards heaven. I thanked God for our continued safety and health and I asked for his Mercy for father Joseph.
We left saint Monica's and stopped by pinecrest to visit Denise. She was moving around very confidently on a sort of mini trike that had a knee rest instead of a seat. The ankle she had reconstructive surgery on was booted behind her as she knelt and rolled, pedaling with the healthy foot. Pedaling here meaning what skateboarders do to propel forward. Yep- that is called pedaling.
Denise had a free period so the kids all took a desk and she commenced giving them a spelling test. David was off for lunch so he joined in on the fun. After the spelling test she gave them all tootsie pops and we took a peek in on the girls chapel. It was very dark and our eyes took a few seconds to adjust. The altar was completely hidden, the ceiling and walls as well. Chairs and the carpet were probably the only features original to the existing chapel that remained visible. All else was covered. The ceiling in dark paper or fabric. The walls as well. The altar was covered in crumpled brown paper so as to look like a cave. Moss and pine boughs were in various places around the top and sides of the cave. Candles flickered, casting light on a beautiful nativity scene that sat at the entrance of the cave. It was breathtaking. Alice and john crowded close on the floor at the foot of the altar. Alice pointed. John sat quietly, sucking on his lollipop. We said a few rounds of the Christmas novena and left the hush and mystery of the cave, returning to the noise and bustle of kids changing classes.
Denise, Regina, and I talked about father Joseph. Denise had taken pictures of his wounds- all of them- the last time he was about to sit in his bleach bath in his swim suit. His body was hunched, scleroderma pulling the skin tight. The wound on his back that received the transplant quite a few months ago was mostly healed. But the wounds elsewhere looked horrific. I imagined trying to sleep with those. Open and big. Red and raw. One on his hip that just looked angry and stubborn. His legs looked rough but she said he was pleased with them and considered them "healed".
She said he hides the pain well- but when she asked him to close his eyes so she could take a picture of his face it was easy to tell he was in pain. "He looks like death" she said.
I imagined the veil of Veronica. Like death. I thought of dad. Would he survive if this horrible thing took joe? Grief is so utterly physical and dad is already so swamped with ailments.
It would be a lot to bear.
We said goodbye to Denise and drove on to Fowler Park to meet up with friends. Summer-a friend from ican, Joyce- a friend from our sugar hill days, and Jacquie and Lisa from torch.
We parked the RV right at the curb and it served as a clubhouse all day. Kids coming and going. Eating tuna fish sandwiches from the kitchenette. Laying on the bed. A place to change wet pants.
The day was beautiful. The sun was so bright and the breezes had died down enough for me to slip my fleece jacket off and just be wearing a tshirt. Within the RV the sun had baked it up to a comfortable warm nest feel. Alice fell asleep and I laid her down in the back.
We left the park at 3 or 4 heading back to Regina's. Christina and mike were coming to join us for dinner. Regina made fish tacos and I roasted more veggies. It was beautiful chaos.
Mike watched a weightlifting contest over the virginia reel dancers' heads in the living room. Big wheels making their plasticky rounds on the hardwood, laminate, hardwood, laminate and on. A quiet moment then praying in unison to bless the food.
It swirled on and on until soon after Christina's family left Alice began making her "let's lay down" signals. I'm not even sure I could describe what hey are. A look. A particular cry. A "would you hold me?" hand reach. But part of me "hears" all of what she is saying without words and we so we made our way to the RV. She cuddled under the covers with me, began to nurse, and soon we were asleep.
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