Mother's Day and a visit with our sisters

We sang in the choir at Guilford Church this morning in a militant celebration of Mother's Day. Pastor Elisa talked quite a bit about Julia Ward Howe's initiation of a Mother's Day commemeration that was really a protest against war - a response to the terrible death toll of the Civil War. We sang three pretty militant songs: The White Goddess, which was inroduced to the church decades ago by Tony and Margaret Dale Barrand. It celebrates woman as a trinity of "Maiden, Mother and Crone," birth, life and death. Then we sang Bread and Roses, which celebrates working women, or more accurately, affirms a woman's right to be paid well for her work (Bread) and to have beauty in her life (Roses). And finally, we sang Mark Miller's innocuously titled Prayer Chant, which reads "We resist, we refuse to let hatred in; we rise up, we won't back down; we're in this to the end." So - we threw down the gauntlet!

Mark Miller, composer of "Prayer Chant." Mark Miller currently serves on the faculty at both the Drew Theological School and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University where he teaches music and worship. He also is Director of the Gospel and Youth Choirs at the Marble Collegiate Church, in New York City. From 1999 to 2001 he was Music Associate and Assistant Organist of The Riverside Church in New York City.*************************************** After church, we drove down to Shutesbury to celebrate Katie's 73rd birthdsy and spend some time with our sisters. Ellen had made a lovely lunch, including a yummy carrot cake! Ellen and Katie took a long walk while I took a shorter one and then spent time with Savanna. Brendon had fun reading Katie and Savanna's palms - he's been reading a book on it. We left the house this morning in a bit of a rush to be on time for choir and forgot to bring either cell phone, and then went directly to K&S's after church, so I have no photos of the cake or anything. It's sort of odd, because I used "Photo Booth" (which is on the computer) to take a picture of the spring flowers outside the church this morning. Why didn't I remember I could use it at the birthdsy party? That's my poor brain these days! But on the way home, I did remember it again, and I experimented using it out the car window as we drove along, and got more spring pictures. My only excuse for not using it earlier is that it is awkward using the computer to take pictures with people around, so maybe I was subconsciously rejecting that idea at the birthday lunch.

The GCC church garden

Down the road from K&S's house

A house down the hill

One of our favorite houses on the route to K&S's house. These Photo Booth photos turned out pretty well, considering.