Joy Followed by Sadness

How does one deal with a shock and deep sadness that follows on the heels of great joy?

Earlier this evening members of the family celebrated my daughter`s birthday as guests of her boyfriend.   It was a beautiful evening.  She was taken by complete surprise  and I will share how in the coming days. During the celebration, news arrived of an addition to the family by way of an 8lbs 2.ozs baby girl. So all was wonderful in the world.

At home,   much later I learned via a Face Book post appearing in my News Feed that a friend of the last 20 years is longer with us.   To say I am in shock is an understatement.

Life is unpredictable as is death. A lesson for us all.  Carp Diem.

RIP Cathy Busst, lovely lady and dear friend.

Our House. A Week of Birthdays!

It's my daughter's birthday today. A whole 29!  She's panicking because she's going to be 30 next year!

It was my son's birthday last Sunday. A whole 37! He's panicking because he's going to be 40 in three years!

My son with his wife

Brother and sister on son's wedding day, December 2010.

Happy Birthday to them both with much love and many blessings. xxxx

A Birthday Remembered.

On the 1 July 1921 John Joseph Gerrard came into the world and went on to do great things in his life.  Gone unexpectedly too soon, 13 Saturday 13 December 1986.

You loved life and today Daddy, I raise a glass to you in celebration of your life and the contributions you made to the world whilst you were here.    A mentor to many, you are still remembered with love and affection by those whose lives you touched in some way or another.

I know you are resting in peace - even if you do occasionally give the odd order to the other inmates of heaven!

http://www.expatbeesblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-father.html

Wishful Thinking

MAGPIE 270

                                                        

                                                                     Artwork by Ulrike Bolenz

Courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales on blogspot.com

Of course I can fly
Anytime I want to
Look at my wings
What
You can't see them?

I can fly absolutely
Take off anytime
I choose to
Believe
Whatever you want 

It is very hard
To make that first
Flight on my own
Away
From what I know

It is fine for you
To sit and judge
You don't know
Glue
Holds me together.





Barbara M Lake  ©
Trinidad, WI
May 2015

Hail Mary

MAGPIE 269

Photograph courtesy Tess Kinkaid

http//magpietales.blogspot.com/

Hail Mary

Full of grace

They likened you

To a bubblehead

Hail Mary

The Lord is 

With thee, blessed

Those who understand

Holy Mary

Mother of God

Pray  for those

Who are blind

Mother Mary

Pray, forgive them

They know not

What they do 

Oh tender Mary

Those begging intercession

Were never left

Unaided and bereft

Lady of Nations

Queen of Heaven

I beg you

Ignore the headset

Filled with confidence

I approach you

To pray for

Them, me, Amen.

Barbara M Lake ©

May 2015 

Trinidad WI

My God, But You're Lovely!

MAGPIE 268

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY TESS KINKAID

Magpie Tales:http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2015/05/mag-268.html

Oh my God

You're bloody gorgeous

So handsome

Even though stoned!

Oh my Lord
What chiselled features
Highly polished
Smooth and suave!

Oh sweet Jesus

Mirror doesn't lie

Cannot look

At me anymore!

Oh hell fire

World must see

Let me snap

A pretentious selfie!

After thought!

I don't have

A better side

I'm Greek

Get over it!

Peter Sellers in 'There's A Girl In My Soup'  British Comedy 1970

Barbara M Lake ©

May 2015

Trinidad, WI

Reflection on Palm Sunday 2015

Tomorrow Sunday 29 March is Palm Sunday.  It is the day when Christians throughout the world commemorate Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  According to the Gospels Jesus rode a donkey into the city.  Some say an ass, others a colt and the scene has been depicted in hundreds of illustrations since that time. The donkey may have been a representative of an animal of peace as opposed to a horse which was seen as an animal of war.  It is written that those in the path of Jesus laid garments and branches in the path of the procession.  John in his Gospel, specifies fronds of palm which I would think of as being right given the part of the world in which this took place.  The palm branch in ancient times  was not only a symbol of triumph but that of goodness.  In the Roman Catholic Church the feast of Palm Sunday coincides with Passion Sunday  which is what it was called when I was growing up.

Palm Sunday precedes Holy Week.  Its significance is that is shows how people can be. Jesus was given this grand welcome into Jerusalem and within days was the target of hostility by a few who were against him and succeeded in winning because of their trumped up charges.  If we are to learn a lesson from this it is about how circumstances can change so very quickly.

The people as we have read, expected the Messiah to come in great glory - with power as a king but he came in very humble way. People didn't understand.  Even though they must have heard about him and known about him, they didn't understand the simplicity and the humility of Jesus.  

As we go into Palm Sunday and then Holy Week, it's a time for those of us who believe, to reflect if we haven't already done so during the Lenten season, on how we live our lives and where we can improve.  Not one of us is perfect and we can all improve  in some way or other - our behaviour, our outlooks, the way we treat others, our selfishness and a host of other things that I am sure, if we dig deep and don't flinch, we can find!