DAY 124- St. Louis, MO...

My hotel was situated right near the base of the St. Louis Arch which was rather neat to be so close to, but my room happened to be facing the downtown area.  It was a very nice view especially at night with the lights of the city.  I woke up to the same basic view only with the sun starting to reflect on some of the buildings and I could see a bit of the shadow of the arch falling on some of the buildings.  I walked across the street from my hotel in the morning to get a good photo of the arch.   Then, I walked a bit of the park area around it but the wind had picked up overnight and it was very chilly out.

Photos- St. Louis from my hotel window at night and in the morning.

Photo- The St. Louis Arch.

Next, I found myself on my way to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on the west side of downtown.  I had been told that I had to visit this Basilica if I ever went through St. Louis.  It looked HUGE from the outside but I was not prepared for how amazing it was on the inside.  I walked in the door and was greeting by a gentleman at the visitor’s stand just inside the front foyer.  I was told that I could take pictures, where the gift shop was, and that there was a museum downstairs. 

Photo- The outside of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

Walking down the main aisle of the church I was in awe as the music from the choir floated down around me in the surrounding beauty of the Basilica.   The choir was practicing for the Christmas midnight mass.  I could almost feel like I was in the presence of God amid all of this beauty and sounds of harmony floating around the HUGE open areas of the Basilica.  I sat at a pew to just take it all in and I was almost to the point of tears.  I felt full of emotions.  It was just all so much beauty to take in at once.  Wow! 

Photos- The wonderful interior of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

The interior was full of marbled columns, arches with mosaic tiles, and painted frescos.  At the center above the alter there was a large dome area that went at least 30 ft. above the main floor area.  Everywhere I turned was a new beauty that I took my breathe away.  Off of the main pew church seating area there’s several hallways where there are chapel areas with smaller statues of Mary and a baby Jesus, and among others.  Off on onside there was a row of Christmas trees along with a smaller Christmas manger which almost seemed out of place in a majestic place such as this Basilica.

Photo- Forest Park in St. Louis, MO.

Next on my way to find the Interstate heading west then north out of St. Louis, I wandered into Forrest Park.  Forest Park is a large city park in St. Louis that has a city zoo in one corner of the area and surrounds the St. Louis Art Museum.  There’s a large pond like area in the middle of it.  Out on the pond there are several fountains sprouting up and out.  There were walking/running trail paths.  People were out on them; some of them even with their dogs.  I imagine on a warmer day this park would have been packed.  There also was a large statue of Saint Louis riding on a horse.  I got out and walked around for a short bit around the park.  The whole park took up what would have been several city blocks.  It was a very large space with trees and grassy areas.  Right now, it was mostly barren trees and yellowed grassy areas but in the height of the late Spring time I would guess that this would be an amazing place to just come spend some time.

Next, I was off on the interstate heading north towards eastern Iowa.  The plan was to spend the holidays in Iowa with family.  That is something I will admit that I have not done in years.  Quite often, the driving conditions between Salt Lake City and eastern Iowa are not ideal in the winter time.  This year so far had been a mild winter and I thought it would be an easy ride into Iowa coming from the south.  I didn’t see a hint of snow until I reached the northern portion of Missouri. 

Photo- The Iowa scene as I drove north towards my hometown of Cedar Rapids, IA.

The roads were still clear with a bit of snow of new snow off to the side as I got into Iowa.  There was a bit of patches of ice under the over passes here and there but for the most part it was wonderfully clear sailing on the interstate.  The only real touchy driving conditions came when I ventured off of the main roads and onto side roads as I got close to my old neighborhood in Cedar Rapids; slow and steady was the key here.  But my front wheel drive always makes it easier to drive in these conditions.  But there is also the added benefit that I learned to drive in Iowa’s winter.  I feel very comfortable on winter roads driving but please don’t ever ask me to parallel park.  I made such good time I was there about 40 minutes earlier than what Mom was expecting me.   She didn’t complain about my showing up early.  She was very happy to see me.

DAY 42- Golden Gate Park, Cliff House, & Sutro Baths...

I decided to commute into San Francisco city with Mona and spend the day sightseeing the HUGE Golden Gate Park.  The park is situated near the downtown area.  The edge of it starts in downtown and then spans all the way to the Ocean Beach on the other side.  It’s about half mile wide (north to south) and a little over 3 miles long (east to west).  It’s touted as being 20% larger than Central Park in New York and it consists of 1,017 acres.  The park started out as nothing but “outside lands” in the 1860’s which consisted mostly of unwanted sand dunes.  The park was started under the guise of recreation; it was really the hopes that if they could stabilize the sand dunes that they could eventually develop it and expand housing to the area. Check out Wikipedia for more info, but it really had a somewhat checkered past.  But with all of this going for it, you could easily see that visiting this park could be an all-day affair.

At about 9am, I started into the south east corner of the park near the Haight-Ashbury section.  You may recognize the Haight-Ashbury as the site of the “Human Be-In” of 1967 preceding the Summer of Love which led to Free Love.  I was hoping to explore this section of San Francisco if I had time later on in the day.  But I really was interested in exploring the Golden Gate Park today. 

I was told to start a little later in the morning because there are a great deal of homeless people that sleep in the east section of the park and some of the younger homeless can get a little rowdy.   By 9am most of the homeless people are awake and packed up for the day.  But as I entered in you could see people walking out of the park with full shopping carts.  Most of them returned my good mornings.

Photo- The Children's Playground area look like a fun area for kids to play.

It was rather amazing walking into the park because within moments you are enveloped in trees and paths; you almost lose the noise of city traffic.  People are running and walking; getting their exercise for the day.  One of the first interesting sections of the park that I came across was the Children’s Playground.  I skirted around the edge of this because it said no adults allowed without a minor.  I just took a couple of pictures of it but I could imagine that this playground area would be filled up later in the day.  There was a wonderful sandstone like building that was surrounded by potted red blossomed plants called Sharon Art Studio that wasn’t opened yet but appeared to be an area where kids could experiment with art.

Photo- The entrance to the wonderful little Shakespeare's Garden.

Photo- Inside the Shakespeare's Garden, a lovely walk under trees
with a sundial in the middle.

I walked by an area that had two large baseball diamonds with stands.  There were signs for an AIDS Memorial Grove which looked like a forest from the outside area as I walked by.  I continued on and discovered a Shakespeare’s Garden.  I walked into a wonderfully arranged mature garden area where there were nice benched sitting areas, a walk arched by trees with a sundial in the middle, and a little cement patio area where three men appeared to be working on rehearsing some kind of play while I was there.

Photo- The Bandshell on the Music Concourse.

Photo- The Scott F. Fitzgerald Statue with a dedication to the Star Spangled Banner.

My favorite section was the Music Concourse, where there was a music Bandshell which is called Spreckles Temple of Music which was built in 1894 for a California Mid-Winter International Exposition.  The area also has several statues of various musical geniuses scattered about like; Verdi, Scott F. Fitzgerald, and Beethoven- just to name a few.  There are also 4 fountains and a gridded array of pollarded trees with benches sitting among them.  I sat down and had a little snack and watched a group of people doing their Tai Chi exercises.  It was very peaceful watching them and hearing the fountains in the background.

Photo- Groups of people doing their Tai Chi exercising.  I've been told that this is
a common sight in San Fran where over 45% of the population is Oriental.

Not far from the Music Concourse is the California Academy of Sciences which is touted as one of the largest natural history museum in the world.  It was not open yet and I chose not to wait.  Their current exhibition was called “Earthquakes” and being in the area that I was the thought of going in an exhibit about earthquakes just made me think too much about the possibilities of something happening while I was in the area.  I was very much playing with the idea that ignorance is bliss.

Photo- The very modern De Young Museum.

Immediately to the north of the Music Concourse is the DeYoung Museum which is a fine arts museum originally opened in 1921 but was totally rebuilt in 2005 after the earthquake of 1989 had severely damaged the building.  Now can you understand my ignorance is bliss attitude?  I’m right in the center of earthquake territory.  Of course, this Art Museum did get the memo that I would be in town and was of course, closed for the day.  Go figure!  But I did very much enjoy walking around the very modern building and its unique landscaping.

Photo- Stowe Lake the largest of the lakes in Golden Gate Park.

Next I came upon Stowe Lake which is one of the larger lake areas in the Golden Gate Park.  You can rent a pedalboat or a rowboat to go out on the lake.  There’s a large island in the middle which is called Strawberry Hill.  I took the hike that goes around and up to the top of the hill.  You can see above the trees and into the city area; some amazing views.  To the north of the Stowe Lake there’s the Japanese Tea Gardens which is touted as the oldest public Japanese garden in the U.S.  There’s an entrance fee to get in and I was still only halfway through the park.  I felt like there was still enough free stuff to see.

Photo- The view from Strawberry Hill of the downtown. 
You can just see the tops of the downtown buildings.

I continued westward in the Park.  I walked by a waterfall just off a street area I was walking on.  I walked by the soccer/polo fields.  There was a paddocks area where buffalo were resting.  My feet and legs were really starting to feel all the walking.  There were picnic areas and barbeque pits.  I walked by a couple more small lakes.  Then as I got closer to the west side I saw a HUGE Dutch windmill. 

Photo- People lounging on the beach and surfers catching the waves.

Then, I saw the “Great Highway” which is a main road that goes along the beach area.  I walked across the street with a stoplight.  I walked along the ocean beach where there were all kinds of activity.  People were resting, sunning, and playing on the beach.  There were even a few surfers catching the waves.  I sat on a bench and watched.

After a while, I decided to walk back across the street to the Beach Chalet which has a couple of restaurants and holds a visitor’s center for the Golden Gate Park.  I looked at both of the menus for the restaurants and looked over the restaurants interiors too.  I felt more at ease with the back patio area of the Park Chalet restaurant.  It was a much more casual atmosphere.

Photo- Wonderful views from the back patio area of the Cliff House.

After I ate and had a beer, I headed north along the beach and over to the Cliff House which is about ½ mile and a walk up a hill.  It was a wonderful view from the back of the Cliff house.  I then climbed a back walled area and hiked into the Sutro Baths ruins.  At one time the Sutro Baths were the height of public swimming pools; featuring 7 different swimming pools- one of which was fresh water and 6 others of salt water with various temperatures.  All of these pools were enclosed under a steel and glass ceiling that was inset into the lower beach area next to the Cliff House.  The pools were directly filled with water from the ocean at high tides and at low tides there were turbine powered pumps; keeping the water consistently moving.  There used to be a railroad that dropped off visitor’s to the Baths.  Eventually, the Baths became too costly to operate and closed.  Shortly, after that in 1966 there was a fire that destroyed the Baths.  But it was interesting imagining the place by the remains of what was left.

Photo- The Sutro Baths ruins with the Cliff House in the background.

Next, I walked down the hill from the Cliff House and over to Fulton Street to catch the 5 Fulton Bus back to near where I started the morning.  My feet were very tired by this time and I was ready for a bit of riding in the bus.  While waiting for the bus, an older man was smoking pot and offering it to the teenagers that were also waiting for the bus.  I stood on the other side farthest away from them.  He probably had a medical pass to have the marijuana which is becoming more and more common in the state.  It’s almost a joke how they get these passes that they might as well legalize it in the state.  I was told that even I could go in and get one in a few hours no problem if I wanted it.  I will admit that it was bit of a cultural shock for me coming from Utah.

Photo- The outside of the beautiful St. Ignatius Church.

The bus finally came and I rode it back into the downtown city area.  I still had a bit more time before I needed to meet Mona.  So I stopped by the University of San Francisco campus for a bit.  The University of San Francisco is a Roman Catholic Jesuit school and is the second oldest institution of higher learning in California.  The nickname for the University’s 50 acre campus is called the “Hilltop” because the campus is located at one of the peaks of the San Francisco’s hills.     I visited inside of the beautiful Saint Ignatius church which some people have said reminded them of the cathedrals in Europe.  It was very beautiful inside I will admit but I have never been to Europe so I can't say how it rates.  But I also have never felt comfortable taking pictures inside a Catholic church, a silly Catholic thing with me, so I didn’t take one except for the atrium area just inside the doors.

Photo- Just inside the doors area of Ignatius Church.

I quickly walked by and admired the outside of the Gleeson Library and a large open campus area where students were camped out on the lawn area reading their books and catching some sun.  It looked like a wonderful place to be learning.  But it was time to meet Mona and get started on the commute back to Walnut Creek which can be rather grueling at times.  I teased Mona that I must have brought her luck because it only took about an hour when she says it usually will take her an hour and a half.

DAY 24- On My Way to Bend...

I loaded up my gear and took my last look around Timberline Lodge.  It was a fun place to stay and the staff was just wonderful and very helpful.  I also really liked the idea of staying at a National Historical Site.  It was all worth the little bit of splurge.  I headed down the curvy 6 miles down to Hwy 26 and headed east.  The end goal for the day was Bend, OR.

Photo- One last look at Timberline Lodge while I got in the car.

It was quickly that I got over the mountain range that the landscape changed to a very dry arid area.  It looked like kindling for a fire; with tall grass that looked the color of wheat intermixed with juniper trees.  There was an abundance of dark lava rock croppings here and there.  There were a couple of sections where I drove through that looked like a fire had occurred within the last couple of years.  Tall tree stumps stood charred like lone soldiers on the horizon while others lay fallen.  There were an abundance of signs prohibiting fires or throwing cigarettes out of vehicles.

Photo- The amazing scenic viewpoint with a 300ft. drop
located just off a rest stop on HWY 20.

I had been told by a couple of people at Timberline Lodge to look out for Smith Rock State Park.  It’s a rock climbing mecca in the area.  While looking for that park, I stumbled upon the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint.  It was a lava rock gorge area that went down for at least 300ft.  There was an older bridge that was part of a memorial highway and had a closed bridge that you could walk out on and look down.  I was getting dizzy from looking straight down.  But it was an amazing view and then there also was an old railway bridge that went over parallel to the other bridge.  Then, off on the other side was the bridge that the now Hwy 97 took over the gorge area.  It’s all part of a rest stop area for Hwy 97 and well worth the short walk to the overlook area.

Photo- Smith Rock State Park-- A mecca for rock climbers.

I finally found the turn off for Smith Rock State Park.  The road to it took you through a pretty valley area with horse ranches and farms with plenty of cows.  I saw a strange new sign I had never seen which looked like a person chasing a bike; strange.  I got to the park which was maybe 2 miles off the Hwy 20 and was kind of reminded of some rock areas down in southern Utah.  Some of these shear rock faces were about 200ft. tall.  I went down to the overlook area and asked where I could watch some of the rock climbers.  The lady said that it was too late in the day and that the rocks get too hot for the climbers to be on.  That was a bit of a disappointment.

Photo- Peacocks at the Peterson Rock Garden. 

Photo- Another peacock and the American flag done in rocks.

Photo- A wonderful bridge done in rocks.

Photo- A castle with its own moat at the rock garden.

The bar tender at Timberline’s Ram Head told me about a rock garden that was a bit off the beaten track and it was a bit run down but it might be a neat place to swing by and visit.  I stopped at the Peterson Rock Garden just south and out a bit from Redmond, OR.  A man did it as a little lifetime hobby of forming different sculptural pieces and putting gem stones on the outside of the pieces.  It kind of reminded me of a rock grotto that I had been to years ago in West Bend, IA.  I thought that it was a nice little place to stop and visit; all be it, maybe a little bit corny but still I enjoyed it.  Besides, the rock gardens there were about 6 to 7 live peacocks roaming the garden.

Next, it was finally on to Bend.  There was a great deal of hazy smoke as I got nearer.  I guess that there was a fire up by the Sisters area, a local mountain rec. area.  I wandered around the town and kind of totally got lost and turned around in their several round-a-bouts.  I think they have at least 10 of them in the city area and it makes it interesting finding your way around.  I just happened upon the Central Oregon Visitors center when I was looking through the Old Mill shopping Center; which is a cute new updated shopping center.  There was a bridge area and access to walking paths and bridges.  It was a very scenic little area with a great deal of people out enjoying it.  I got directions from the Visitor’s Center and went to the hotel.

Oooopps! I made the mistake and showed up a day early for my reservation.  I think I need to get a calendar!  The hotel was fully booked for the night but was nice enough to call a couple of other hotels in the area to find room for me.  I cancelled the next night’s reservation and followed a new set of directions to a La Quinta Inn in the south area of Bend.  Yep! I did it again and thank you Laura for pointing out that at least I’m consistent! J 

Photo- Bend's main street area.

Once I settled into the room, I was off to find some of the brew pubs I had gotten a map at the visitor’s center for.  I was off and back amid the round-a-bouts and really thinking I’ll be in need of a couple of beers after all of this. I was amazed that for a town the size of Bend (80,000) that it has 10 breweries.  I ended up McMenamin’s Old St. Francis for Happy Hour.  They have a Happy Hour?  Wow, that’s not something that you would find in Utah; course, you can’t get a pitcher of beer in most places in Utah.  McMenamin's is a 1936 Catholic schoolhouse in Bend that’s been retro-fitted to be not just a brewery, but also a pub, a bakery, a movie theater, an event space, and a hotel.  I guess that McMenamin’s is a chain that have done this with several other properties in the Oregon area but was told that this was the largest and best of them in the state. 

While enjoying my “Happy Hour”, I was listening (okay- eavesdropping) in on a couple at a different table.  It was a man and woman who had been friends for years and she was asking advice on what to serve a new boyfriend.  She described a dish and I was only half listening until he loudly said,” …with a side of bacon grease!”  I started chuckling and he told me he was sorry and that he would try that again when I was taking a swig of a drink.  I laughed and held up my empty beer glass and said hold on while I order another one!  We started chatting a bit after that while I finished my 2^nd happy hour beer. 

After that I walked around in the main street and was basically blowing some time until a free band event was going to be playing there at McMenamin’s.  They advertise free concerts for all ages where you can purchase all kinds of beverages and even bring in food from the restaurant part.  The group that was playing was a wonderful folksy group mix with a female vocalist that had a voice that reminded me a little of Nora Jones.  It was just a wonderful group.  I ordered a beer and sat down in a chair along the wall.  The place started to fill up. 

I ended up striking up a conversation with a woman that sat next to me.  When the band took a break, Erie, yes like the Lake, showed me around and through to the back where there were fire pits where you could take your drinks and sit outside next to these fire pits.  It was wonderful. 

On the way, she even pointed out a 1937 picture of the Catholic school cheerleaders lined up holding stuff deer heads.  I asked if their mascot was a deer she said she didn’t know but she thought it was terribly creepy.  She and I talked for a while and finally it was time to go home for the night.  Erie, she was SO nice and walked me back to my car and told me an easier way to get back to my hotel.  Thank you gal.  I made it safely thanks to you!

Belated Happy Fat Tuesday & Somber Ash Wednesday?

Yesterday was the Happy Fat Tuesday; or as it’s probably better know as Mardi Gras.  In the US, Mardi Gras brings up images of wild parties in New Orleans, masks, beads, and women baring their breasts. It’s the day before Ash Wednesday when you do a last bit of splurging before giving up something for Lent.  Then it’s forty days of going without or limiting or whatever deal you’ve made with yourself and God.  Quite often in years pass I’ve given up coffee, chocolate, and caffeine or I’ve limited my sweets, or tried to be nicer to other people.  Sometimes, I’m successful at these things and at others I’m a total failure.  The total failures I knock up to “pie in the sky” ideals when my feet are firmly planted in the clay of the earth. 

Today is Ash Wednesday.  It’s that time of year when us silly Catholics get ashes put on our foreheads.  More than almost anytime of year, the church will be filled to almost overflowing and all of these Catholics even the “cafeteria” Catholics like me want ashes on their forehead.  There’s just something with the symbolism of smeared ashes on your face.  It certainly makes you stand out in the crowd when you go to the grocery store afterwards; especially in Utah.

I remember in years past purposely going to the grocery store after the evening Ash Wednesday Mass.  I wanted to stand out and try to be different from most of the LDS culture.  It was like I was trying to be a thorn in the side.  I would go down the aisles and just wait for someone to say that I had dirt on my forehead.  But nope!  No one said anything.  If anything at times it seemed that everyone was avoiding me.  Talk about clearing out an aisle at the grocery store!  There was no eye contact with from the girl at check out.  It seemed as though I was ignored or worse avoided like I was demon spawn.  It took all the fun out of it.  So after a few years, I stopped running errands afterwards.  I would go straight home and wash off the ashes just before bedtime.

Then I changed to going to a noon Ash Wednesday Mass at the Salt Lake City Cathedral.  I would take a longer lunch to go.  It would piss off a fellow co-worker who I am convinced has never liked me since she found out I was Catholic.  Talk about being the demon spawn in this case I might as well have been.  I would come back from my long lunch hour with the smudged ashes on my forehead and she would glare at me every time she went by desk during the afternoon.  Talk about how to lose friends and alienate people, I was on that path!  Well, after a few years even attempting to piss off a co-worker got a bit old, and I felt it just wasn’t at all in the spirit of the Lent season.

So this year, I’ve kind of opted out of the whole Ash Wednesday.  I’m not sure if I’m going to be giving up or doing anything for Lent.  It just seems like after years of trying to be a thorn in the side; I need a year of backing off and getting some space.  I guess that’s one of the benefits of being a “cafeteria” Catholic.

Zoom! Zoom!

Coffee on Monday-- SO much easier!

Oh, how I had missed my cup of joe during the Lenten season! (I'm pretty sure that ALL of you have figured that I LOVE my coffee!) Yesterday was SO much easier and more manageable. Mondays always seem to be the busiest day of the week for me at work; especially the phones in the morning. Yesterday was no exception but it's always amazing what a few cups of joe can do to speed the day along--Zoom! Zoom!

I managed to get up at 5AM and catch a 11 mile bike ride before work. Then, I had enough energy to do a 30 mile bike ride after work. BOY, did I ever sleep well last night!! Now the question is: was it because I had the energy to the ride because of the coffee? -- or was it because I was "zooming" because of the coffee all day long that I was able to do the rides?

Aw, such circuitous thinking kind of like... did the chicken or the egg come first? Rather reminds me of a philosophy class that I took in college. I never figured out how I ended up with a "C" in the class. I thought I was as good at "B.S.-ing" as any of the other students but maybe I wasn't brown-nosing the nimrod professor as much as I should have. Who knows? But that's a whole tangent of thought, hmmm?

It was interesting because my co-workers, a majority of whom are LDS, did not understand why I just didn't give up coffee all together. One can't stand the smell of coffee. It makes her nauseous. She currently has a cold and allergies; so right now she can't smell anything. Thus, I'm lucky so far not to hear her complaints. Another co-worker said to me," Come on you gave it up for 40 days. Why don't you just give it up for good?" I just had to laugh.

Let me explain. I'm a definite minority at my work. The lone Catholic. Not that that is a bad thing, and most the part I've been accepted. In fact, quite often I get asked as to what my view in discussions concerning religion and politics. But my place of work purchased a coffee maker for me. I will go out on a regular basis to pick up coffee and turn in the receipts to be reimbursed. Before me, there was no coffee maker which is mind boggling for me.

So, I asked the co-worker what their favorite beverage was. "Diet Coke", they answered. I asked them to imagine giving up Diet Coke for 40 days, and then because they had managed 40 days to give it up for good. I think they understood a little more, maybe? Then came the argument that coffee isn't good for you. Which I countered, neither is Diet Coke, really. I also stated that unlike Diet Coke, at least coffee had some antioxidants. Besides which my Catholic faith doesn't have anything that asks me to not consume coffee. I told them that to sacrifice something I love and enjoy is to show my love and faith to God.

I hope I explained myself well, and I apologise if this is a little too religious for you who are reading this. I do not believe that it is my "job" to preach religion to others. It's each person's choice as to what they want to believe or not to believe as may be the case. It's a free world out there, and God gave us free will. All I can do is show my respect for others and accept them for who they are. I choose to accept the individual human. What they believe, or not believe, is secondary and not my place to judge. So there, I think that's enough said.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

This Catholic Survived!!

Hello and Happy Easter to everyone!

Well, I survived the Catholic Lenten Season with only a few minor bumps and abrasions!! I had a couple of minor relapses with the chocolate, and a few incidents of partaking some caffeinated items. It always amazes me how many items have caffeine in them that you wouldn't think would have caffeine in them. Protein bars, and even herbal teas that had added caffeine to them.

BUT coffee was the hardest feat of all. In fact, I had a couple of grocery store runs that turned into 15 min. inhalation sessions down the coffee aisle. And yes, I will admit that I did inhale, unlike a former President. Actually, I was rather surprised that I wasn't asked to leave the grocery store because I was getting some nervous looks from the clerks. Last night after the Easter Vigil Mass, I rushed over to the parish hall to partake of coffee and chocolate. Yes! It was time to enjoy the taste and pleasure of coffee and chocolate cake at the reception of the newbies into the church. But I'm sure that I was probably considered rude because I barely really noticed the newbies. I'm not sure how I wasn't zooming around my apartment last night when I came home at midnight after 1 piece of chocolate cake and three cups of coffee. Yes, three cups!

One of the most wonderful times of year; Easter. There's something about Spring, Easter egg hunts, and wearing a new outfit to Mass on a beautiful Sunday morning. The combination holds so many good memories for me. This year will be full of new memories for me. Only these memories will be of "last times". Last night's Easter Vigil service will be a last Easter Vigil Service in the old church; as well the last time that I will be the church choir director. They will be tearing down the church sometime this summer to build a new one, and after a little over four years of leading the church choir I am stepping down. I figured it was a good time to do this, but it's with a bit of sadness that I do find myself doing it. But I'm leaving the choir in the capable hands of Not-So-Good.

Last night, the Easter Vigil Service was beautiful. For those of you out there that are not familiar with the Catholic church. The Easter Vigil Service is a Mass that has all of what's good in a Catholic Mass. If you were ever to just choose one Mass a year to go to in a year, it would be the Easter Vigil Service. The Mass has Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmations, and often, the most beautiful music that you'll ever hear in a church. My favorite part is the
Mass of Light Service. The church lights are turned off, and you are consumed into total and engulfing blackness which is to signify the world without Christ. Then a small fire is started from which a large candle is lighted. The priest, then holds up the candle and sings that this candle is the light of Christ. Then he moves half way up the aisle of the church and sings it again. Upon this time, other candles are started to be lite from the one candle. This is to symbolize the spreading of the word. Then as this is done the priest heads to the front of the church where all of the candles are lite and the lights are turned on after he sings it again. I think that it's beautiful to see the church and every one's faces in the candle light. It's also the pure concept that it all starts from one candle that I found so wonderful.

Last night, my wonderful choir out did themselves, and did so beautifully that I found my heart swelling with pride and happiness. I was getting goosebumps during the duets and the solos. I couldn't help but smile as you preformed. Thank you to all of you for making my last night as the choir director so amazing, and thank you for making it a wonderful run as the choir director. It was a pleasure to sing with you all, and I will miss you.