Spy Wednesday

John 12:1-8 1


Jesus therefore, six days before the pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there: and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein.
Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you; but me you have not always.

Immediately after this, Judas met with the chief priests to betray Our Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Lisa and Mark with the two dogs

Lisa with Cobi and Yoshi

No uniform day

Mark had a No Uniform day in school today. Doesn't he look smart.

Walking Pictures

I have to get in training for Camino and the best way for me to do that is to walk as part of my day so I walk part of the way home from work. Tuesday I walked from Green Lane in Leixlip and today from Intel approx 10 km. hard work and sore knees but it was easier than Tuesday. Next week I will start walking from Maynooth. It is all because I am brave as a bear as my name suggests and the native american year of the bear in which I was born.

Walking

This evening I walked home from Green Lane in Leixlip. 47 days to Camino and I need to get some walking in. it wasnt so bad really, took me 1 hour and 3 quarters, a year ago I would not have contemplated walking such a distance, it is was bit of an achievement for me. I just need to build on it.
I took the 67 bus to Maynooth this morning. At the Orchard Nurseries a group of handicapped young people got on, mostly Downes Syndrome. They were full of fun and devilment and they made you feel good about yourself whether you liked it or not. On a later bus a young man gets on in the same spot, he has Downes and always sits on the seat in the middle of the bus facing backwards. He has an ipod and an i phone, wears large headphones and sings along with the music with great gusto. He has awful work between the phone and the ipod and when he catches your eye he gives you a huge big smile, his whole face lights up.

My desk

Fr. Gearoid calls it my shrine. Joan stands shoulder to shoulder with my guardian angel picture. There are medals and all sorts on front of them.
Maybe a bit much for some but it makes me feel safe like my mums prayer book.

Buns for the armed man sat 20th March

Hope

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Mothers Day

Its amazing what a little password error can cause and all along it was the email address that was wrong, just a space where there should not have been a space.

Today was great. Spent the morning down at the church selling shamrock for St Patrick's Day and making a buck for Justice and Peace in the process. We sold about 650 shamrocks and got frozen solid into the bargain.

Home for lunch and back to the Parish Centre - rehearsal for The Armed Man. WOW what a sound, 80ish voices singing at their best, and still 10 more to join us, it will be awesome. Eithne and I met then with the IMAM who is going to sing the Call to Prayer for us. There were 3 of them, they were very gracious and perfectly polite. Then I went home, house cleaned and kitchen shining and had dinner and cracked open a bottle of wine, a rare treat at the moment. Lisa and I watched Julia and Julie with Meryl Streep it was really a lovely film and you get totally immersed in the whole thing. Its bedtime for me now, much too late of course but it was a good day and everything looks promising for the Armed Man. The sound was really amazing though.

I have an idea born out of Julia and Julie which I will expand on later.

• Top Image is of the little cottage I was born into, sunny in the image and my memories of life there are sunny, (It does not make sense to put it in here but I like the pic)
  
• Middle image is some of the Chorale settling in for rehearsal.
• Bottom image is our Shamrock stall.
  

Bedtime

My bedtime routine. Novena to St Therese and a read from my favourite book Mary Oliver Volume Two. I will write a poem called 'What the Old Tree in the Churchyard Saw' but not tonight.

Maybe the Smallest Hotel in the World

My mother's prayer book.

This little folder is full of novenas, holy pictures, handwritten prayers, articles cut from religious magazines and papers. This book is her constant companion and though it is difficult for her to read now she will know most of the prayers off by heart.
Lord, enfold in your loving embrace
My family and friends and all
Who have revealed the face of Jesus
Your son in my life.
May the blessing of the King of Peace
Be ever with them. Amen

Lough Corrib

This morning dawned bright and sunny. No matter where you looked there was a beautiful scene bathed in sunlight. After a tasty breakfast in the George V restaurant we took a cruise on the Lough Corrib. The lake was calm as you can see from the picture and there was a cold breeze but it did not take away from the beauty all around us.
We went back to the hotel and had a cup of coffee and took off again for a walk around the grounds. We walked from one garden to another following paths through the trees climbing steps and getting lost. We walked for about three and a half hours through woodland, along by the lake and ended up at the oblisk built to the memory of Arthur Guinness where we stopped for a break and soaked up the beautiful sunshine. Late in the afternoon we drove all around Lough Mask and had something to eat. Back to the hotel at 7.30.


When we returned to the room this evening our bed was turned down, lights were on and the tv was switched to a relaxation channel with beautiful relaxing music playing.

View from our window.