“Creative geniuses redefine the desired solution. They don’t just push the envelope; they create a whole new courier system.” ― Puneet Bhatnagar
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When my good friends Theresa Johnston and Blynda Christian asked me if I’d be interested in helping out with the first ever McKinney Dia de Los Muertos Celebration, I was ecstatic. The Latino tradition of celebrating and honoring our ancestors who have passed away is a wonderful age old tradition in most Latin American countries.
If you are in the McKinney area on Saturday, you should come check it out. I have the honor of being one of the judges of the costume contest that begins a 4pm-6pm and winners announced at 6:30.
I volunteered to work on decorating some crowns for the winners. Blynda found some amazing metal crowns for the Catrin (male) winners that I could jazz up, and I found some headbands to decorate for the Catrina (female) winner.
This is how creative people work… they take out ever possible object known to mankind, grab a glue gun, scissors, wire cutters, and various strange tools and just start playing. I had a great time playing and inventing ideas to make these crowns.
This is just the table. You would see the floor. 🤦♀️
The Catrin Crowns.The Catrina Crowns. (I made some extra because I want one too.)
I’m looking forward to a fun day and celebration. You know there will be photos Saturday. ❤️
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
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A lovely Sunday morning. The alarm was set for 7 am. I went across the street to feed Miss Kathy’s cats before church. They were happy to see me.
“Hurry up! Where’s the food.”
When I arrived at church, I was walking through the parking lot when I saw the Chateau bus driving towards the back entrance. I literally scurried through the long corridors to meet the bus on the far end. I’d call it a run, but it was more like a turtle troggle joggle.
There was also a baptism during Mass. A beautiful baby boy, Benjamin Joseph. I cried. I always cry at baptisms, weddings, funerals, the National Anthem, and pretty much every ceremony there is.
Today’s Gospel was the story of a wealthy man asking Jesus how he could earn eternal life. Jesus said to follow the commandments. The wealthy man said that he already did those things...
21 Jesus looked steadily at him and he was filled with love for him, and he said, ‘You need to do one thing more. Go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’22 But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.24 The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesusinsisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them, ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God.’26 They were more astonished than ever, saying to one another, ‘In that case, who can be saved?’27 Jesus gazed at them and said, ‘By human resources it is impossible, but not for God: because for God everything is possible.’28 Peter took this up. ‘Look,’ he said to him, ‘we have left everything and followed you.’29 Jesus said, ‘In truth I tell you, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel30 who will not receive a hundred times as much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land — and persecutions too — now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.
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Wow! My take on this… I can see where this Gospel reading can be difficult to understand. But, I do believe that if you have been blessed with wealth, that it is your obligation to share your blessings with others. There are so many people have so much wealth and are not satisfied, and they always want more and more. They would never dream of sharing with the less fortunate. Then, there are so many who have very little, yet they are the first to share with the less fortunate. They feel blessed and satisfied, so they feel obliged to share their blessings.
I like the analogy of a camel and the eye of a needle. A big ol’ fat lumpy camel is like a stingy greedy rich person, just storing up more and more, and trying to get into heaven. Good luck with that. I know quite a few people who have been blessed with a comfortable life and would be considered wealthy, and they are some of the most generous people I know. I don’t think they literally need to give everything away in order to get into heaven. And, it seems the more they share, the more they are blessed. Love God, love your fellow man, and share your blessings. Amen. Awomen…equal opportunity.
*****After Mass, we stopped for coffee at McD. And yes, I waited till 11 am to get another Happy Meal and toy for my girls. 🤦♀️
Later in the afternoon, I went over to Miss Sherry’s to see if I could help with her estate sale. I’m glad I went. She had a very sweet Mexican Family with two children come by, and they didn’t speak any English. I got to use my very rusty Spanish, and they bought a LOT of stuff. They just moved to Texas and didn’t have many things. They were there for nearly three hours. Miss Sherry was very generous and practically gave things away. (Again, with the Gospel theme…share with the less fortunate.)
It was a very good Sunday. I do feel very blessed. Happy Sunday, my friends.
“They say practice makes perfect, but sometimes it just means you need more practice.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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Thursday, I spent a couple of hours sketching in the Sanctuary at St. Gabriel. I just spent a few hours trying g to finish it up. I discovered that I still need a LOT MORE practice with faces. Thank goodness for the cool Artisto app on my phone, because this one needed a lot of help.
Today was a fine day for friends. My good friend Sherry is having a garage sale tomorrow, so her friend Julie and I went for a few hours to help her price things. She is selling the entire contents of her entire home. Yikes! There was still so much to do. I felt bad leaving. (I brought home some treasures.)
My little furry friends across the street like to greet me when I come home or go for a walk or water my yard or just open my door. They are so cute.
Then let’s not forget my fantastic firemen friends. Yes, life is good, my friends!
“The most awesome scenes, sights, and sounds are often found just around the corner. Just open your eyes.”
~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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I’m ALWAYS in awe of the awesome sunsets just around the corner on my evening walks. The colors are so vibrant. I always imagine God up there in the sky, wearing a big black beret, splashing the sky with a huge paint brush dripping with fun fuchsia, awesome orange, radiant red, and gorgeous gold. (I love colorful alliteration.) I love my sunsets.
Totally unfiltered, just pick and click. My pretty pond… also unfiltered. Just how God painted it tonight.
Now, here’s an added attraction. On the other side of the road across from the pond, there’s a lovely house set back from Wilmeth Road that has horses. I haven’t seen them out by the fence for a while, but tonight, this beautiful brown horse sauntered by. I walked across the road to say hello and take a few photos. I felt bad that I didn’t have any carrots or apples for him. He was very friendly.
I was trying to get a little glimpse of sunset behind him.“Hello! Did you bring me anything?”
“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” ~Osho
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As promised yesterday, I thought I’d share a few more of my paintings and drawings on my very busy walls. You may have seen some of them before, maybe not. I’m proud of each and every one. I love art, music, poetry, and dancing. Hopefully, that means I’m creative and in love with life.
Of course, this is my favorite. An oil painting portrait of my angel mother. Her high school graduation. Another favorite. In my entry hall, I have these watercolor paintings and the photograph reference I used. My Baby Grand Piano.A few other walls.My wall of horses.Cities and other pretties.
“These are a few of my favorite things.” I feel a song coming on…. 🎶
“Surround yourself with people and things you love.”
-Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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Today, I finally got around to framing and hanging my two drawings I did of my granddaughters. It was just a simple drawing with a white pencil on black paper. But, I loved it. I have this thing about procrastination and I put things off. Today was the day to get out the hammer.
My little angels.
I have so many of my paintings hanging in my house that I had trouble finding a wall to hang them.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” — Maya Angelou
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Another beautiful Sunday. I woke up around 7 to start my day. When I looked out the window, I said, “Oh no! Another beautiful sunny day! Not again!” It hasn’t rained in SO long and my sprinkler system is broken. I was hoping God would water my yard, BUT NO! I’ll have to water by hand again.🤦♀️
I arrived at church by 8:30, lit my candle and waited for the Chateau bus of senior ladies to arrive. Hugs for all, then I escorted Miss Vi in, walking arm in arm. She doesn’t like to bring her walker.
Today’s Gospel hit a little too close to home. The topic was divorce. I cringed when I read the intro. Let’s see what Jesus has to say. Apparently, Jesus wasn’t a strong proponent of divorce. Old Moses said it was OK, just draw up a paper of dismissal. Jesus didn’t agree, saying that “What God has United, human beings must not divide.” Here’s today’s Gospel. Read for yourself. What do you think?…
Gospel, Mark 10:2-16
2 Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were putting him to the test.3 He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’4They replied, ‘Moses allowed us to draw up a writ of dismissal in cases of divorce.’5 Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so hard hearted that he wrote this commandment for you.6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female.7 This is why a man leaves his father and mother,8 and the two become one flesh. They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh.9 So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.’10 Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this,11 and he said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her.12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’13 People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples scolded them,14 but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.15 In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’16 Then he embraced them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
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Here’s my take on it… marriage is a commitment. It means that you give your word of honor not only to your partner, but to God. Unfortunately, not everyone has honor or honors their vows or commitments. They have NO trouble lying, cheating, stealing, killing, or disobeying any man-made laws, much less the laws handed down from God. They have NO honor. So, I had trouble understanding what Jesus would say about divorce in today’s society where people just say, “I’m just not happy. It’s not fun anymore. Those 43 years mean nothing. This other person means nothing to me. I just want to have fun, be happy and get divorce. Sign this paper and be on your way.” Yah, that hit a little too close to home.
Now, I consider a marriage certificate just a sheet of paper that doesn’t mean anything unless both parties honor their word to each other and to God. Why the paper? Difficult to find honor these days. Sad. 😔 But, life goes on, and if you have a good heart and a strong faith, life can be even better than you thought possible. Amen.
After Mass, Jerry and I stopped for a quick coffee. He had to get home to get ready for the Cowboy game. Football? I don’t get that either. What would Jesus say about a bunch of grown men chasing a strange oblong ball and throwing each other down to the ground, just for fun and profit? 🤦♀️ Next, I grabbed a Happy Meal at McD before I left because I’m collecting the toys for the grandkids.
The rest of my day was great, with errands, visiting ❤️, a little nap, and a nice evening walk. Of course, a sunset and FaceTime with the granddaughters. Life is good.
A fine way to end a fine day. Happy Sunday, my friends.
