Haven't posted for a few days, so here's what's happening at the Bear's den.
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Younger's destination imagination team competed in the regionals last weekend and they came in second despite the fact that they were the only grade six team in their grouping of fourteen. All the other teams were grades sevens and eights. Well done younger, and on to the provincials.
Had another Mom day, wherein I take her out to some place that she wants to go. Or, more accurately, some place I think she wants to go. It's always hard getting a straight answer from her. But for a while she had been saying that she wanted me to take her back to a church we had visited last year: Immaculate Conception out in Formosa. She had loved the pieta they had at the church (she actually loved everything about the church, but especially that) and regretted that we hadn't a camera and that she hadn't brought her art books with her for that one. She loved the look on Mary's face, she said.
So I decided to surprise her with a return trip to Formosa, this time with my camera so she could get another and permanent look at the Pieta. So after a two hour drive we arrived and went into the church. I lead her down to the side to see the statue. She looked at it for several moments before saying: "Hmmm, this may not be the pieta I was thinking of."
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I took some photos of the pieta and other parts of the church while we were there. Here are a few.
It was while I was taking photos at Formosa that I figured out why I am such a rotten photographer: It's my camera. Yeah, I know, it's a poor workman who blames his tools, but hear me out. When I am taking photos indoors, I see something that I would think make a lovely picture. I look at the screen at the back of my camera and say to myself: "Yes! that is exactly the shot I want." If I could just capture that screen image, it would be perfect.
But no. I get another picture. Why? Because the flash goes off and ruins everything. At the church I saw what I thought would be a lovely shot: a statue of an angel with the side altar behind it to the left, softly lit by light from the setting sun coming through the stained glass windows. What happens? The blasted flash ruins the light, brings the angel out in stark, hideous light, and shoves the altar into shadow. Not in the least like the shot I saw in the viewfinder. Shot ruined. I tried putting my finger over the flash to blot it out, and what I got was a dark screen. Why can't the camera simply capture the image on the screen? After all, it has already captured that image, because it is right there, on the screen. Why won't it allow me to simply say: "There! That's the shot! That's what I want! Freeze that!"? Stupid camera.
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I am singing again for the next two weeks. As I said, it is enjoyable for me to sing again, although I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm singing pretty much the music I like to sing, I have added the proper communion antiphon, and no one has tried to stop me yet. I have been singing more chant as the Church requires, but I have to admit that my voice is not suited to chant, at least not to the way one usually hears it sung. I am planning next week to do the 'real' proper antiphon, "Scapulis Suis". I have used the English versions up until now because I thought it important for the congregation to understand the texts, but I also think it important to hear the texts sung the way the Church wants it to be sung as well. Plus, this is a special season, and I believe the music should reflect the changes of the seasons. So Latin proper chant, here I come!
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And now, a question. A couple of the men at church have hinted rather broadly that they would like me to join the Knights of Columbus. Their ranks at my church are very thin and they are desperate for new members. The problems are, 1. I live a fair distance from the church and it would be hard to attend meetings. 2. I am not a great team player. In fact, I am pretty much the opposite of a team player. Remind me to tell you the story of my time playing hockey and the year I scored three goals in my own net sometime. 3. If I did join, I would only want to progress in the organisation up until I reached the point where I could wear the cool hat and sword outfit. I don't much care for the higher up outfits. 4. My experience with organisations in general has been, on the whole, bad. Organisations tend to work to defend the organisation, and people tend to judge all members of organisations by the worst members. Plus, as I said, I am not much of a team player. I don't like to be constrained from speaking my mind. The few times I have tried to belong with groups or movements or organisations, I have either been forced out before long, or I walked away. There doesn't seem to be room for someone like me in a group. And yet, I am considering signing up. So my question is this: do others have experience with the Knights, either positive or negative? My own experience has been minimal.
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