Good Friday

Luke 23:44-49

⁴⁴ It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵ for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”^[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last.

⁴⁷ The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. ⁴⁹ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Holy Thursday

Luke 22:7-20

[14] When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. [15] And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. [16] For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

[17] After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. [18] For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

[19] And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

[20] In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Happy Patriots Day...

3:30 AM. Wake up, get in uniform with fleece on top, depart for reenactment.
4:20 AM. Meet up with friends, wind up with an eight-year-old sitting on me (keeping me warm and her happy, it's a win-win situation).
5:30 AM. Watch reenactment (including watching my awesome first fife instructor die at his wife's feet from a Regular musket ball).
7:00 AM. Meet up with rest of corps, make sure our teensy little newest fifer gets to play songs he knows at warm-up.
7:30 AM. Step off for parade #1, about 0.75 miles. Really short. Then ceremonies.
8:15 AM. Go eat pancakes at a Patriots Day Pancake Breakfast at a nearby Baptist church.
9:30 AM. Naptime.(Hallelujah!)
10:30 AM. Stroll through historic cemetery then through downtown.
12:30 PM. REALLY quick lunch, catch bus to parade start.
(1:45 PM. Secret Performance, senior corps and alternates. Very short.)
2:00 PM. Step off for parade #2, just more than 2 miles. (It's been almost twelve hours...)
3:00 PM. SURVIVED PARADE #2!!! Hot dogs with Minute Men and corps, congratulate new corps members.
4:00 PM. Set out for home.
4:45 PM. Take care of all the stuff we had to bring.
6:24 PM. Blog about a long day that's not quite over but is no longer quite as strenuous. (We did a lot of walking in between parades, so yeah. Long day.)

Happy Patriots Day everyone...

Isn't it a bit early for this kind of drama?

I posted a few days ago about a the little exchange at kindergarten in which a particular little girl was especially adorable. Well, this is typical behavior on her part, so here's another.
Yesterday shortly after class started, I spotted another little girl stalking away from her, leaving her looking miserable. She turned and looked at me, and said, "She just won't let go. It was a few days ago and she still won't let go!"
O-kay. "What happened?"
"I told her that whatever it was I said to hurt her, I wish I could take it back. But she still won't let go!"
Any of the others would have said, "I said I'm sorry, but she's still being mean to me!" The way she talks is still far different than any of the others (including the other two classes I've worked with).
I tried to slightly upgrade the usual kindergartener comprehension response for her benefit, completely thrown off by a response I would expect from a high schooler - like, a really mature high schooler - and NOT from a six-year-old, and told her that other girl would certainly come around. She nodded wisely and said, still sounding sad but still wisely, "I know that deep down, she really wants to be my friend."
Six years old. And the way she says it...
This one will go far, if the drama doesn't drag her down along the way.

Irrelevancy at one of its peaks

This article about Paul Ryan's fiscal plan was advertised on the America On Line email site. It's all about statistics, giving a financial description of what would happen if the plan passed, etc.

Paul Ryan's Budget Proposal: Analysis of the Numbers

Why do I bring it up under irrelevance? Because of the descriptor that America On Line gave the article.
"Budget Takes Aim at Elderly, Poor"

The things I get from weird friends...

"From the lips of children and infants"

Yesterday morning at kindergarten I was sitting at a table where four children were playing with Play-Doh and there happened to be an extra mat on the table. This became a topic of conversation when others came who also wanted to play and were turned away with the reminder that the rule was four children to a table.
Little Boy #1: But there are five mats...
Little Boy #2: One of them is for parents here.
Little Boy #3: Yeah, like Miss Lisa.
Little Girl: Miss Lisa isn't a parent.
Little Boy #2: Oh yeah?
Me: No, I'm not.
Little Girl: Yep, because she's young.
Me: Not compared to you I'm not.
Little Girl (Sounding knowing, like sharing a romantic in-joke, and yet matter-of-fact like that's-the-way-it-works): When you find the love of your life, then you'll be a parent.

It was one of the funniest things I'd ever heard.
Once in a while I wonder why I still get up in the morning and slog through the slush to go work with six-year-olds who scream, fight, and occasionally swear.
Then one of them reminds me.