Moved by Art

Dave and his friend of many years had an opening last Saturday night at a small art gallery here in Minneapolis. Their paintings (each has about a dozen ) will hang for a month. At the opening we saw a lot of Dave's old friends, many of whom had no idea that he did art. Dave and his friend's paintings are cheerful and fun. Their title for this show is "Mr. Loose and Mr. Tight."

We had a really nice evening.

At the same gallery, in another room, a young artist is showing his work for the same amount of time. He participated in the opening.

This guy is amazing!

It was exciting to see people walk into the room and gasp at his work. When I walked in it took my breath a way. His canvases are large, most around 4 ft. x 4 ft. His work is very dark in content and color.

The artist is Luke Hillestad. His showing is called "Phantom Limb."

In these paintings (he) explores themes of loss and healing from war. Phantom Limb Syndrome as a metaphor for the memory, sensation and longing that we are left with after a loss...

We all can relate to the memory and sensation we're left with after a loss. My "phantom limb" experiences have made themselves known in many terrible and bizarre ways. I thought of them and others when I saw the painting above. At first glance I thought it could be Mary comforting Jesus but then it could be any one of us comforting any one of us at a time of great loss.

As you can tell, I was greatly moved by Luke Hillestad's work.

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Steg Larsson's Women

Along with 20 million others who've bought the books, I'm a fan of the three long, complex, convoluted, imaginative Swedish mysteries by Steg Larsson:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

As you other fans know, Larsson meant to write a volume of ten, but, after writing and delivering three and a half manuscripts, he died.

All of us fans known a lot about Lizabeth Salander, his complex heroine. But Larsson gave us many strong women characters. More than I can remember from a series of three books

In just "Hornet's Nest" alone:

Monica Figuerola - the super fit, attractive inspector with the Swedish Police Department.

Sussan Linder - the snuff-dipping former policewoman, current investigator for Milton Security who gives us a very satisfying solution to the problem Eric Berger has with a stalker.

Annika Giannina - the sister of Blomkvist and domestic violence attorney who defends Salander in one of the most exciting and satisfying trials ever.

Erica Berger - Blomkvist's boss/off and on lover.

All of these women are Katy Bar the Door, Take No Prisoners, Super Smart gals. It's pretty clear that Larsson had huge respect for women. Period.

Not just Salander.

***

Fat Fingers

One day several weeks ago the stock market lost hundreds of points in an instant. They think that some trader with "fat fingers" made a big mistake and dumped millions when he meant to dump thousands.

A few days later, as the DOW continued to sink, I used my own "fat fingers" to take a significant chunk of money (for me) out of the market.

That was stupid.

Why am I sharing this? Because I believe that all of us need to be responsible with the resources God's entrusted to us. It's darned scary sometimes. And, of course, we do some dumb things when we're scared.

So, when I finished being angry with myself, I started the slow, cumbersome, difficult process of getting back in. This required much research and consultation with a professional who has no personal stake in what or if I buy.

But I had to listen to him tell me about 1,000 times, "You can't time the market!"

"Yes, I know. What I did was stupid. Let's move on."

I had to restate my priorities. They're very clear:

1. I want enough money to live simply the rest of my life but, more importantly, to take care of end of life illness and issues. This required an assessment of how much longer I will live. Sobering.
2. I want to be able to give money to the causes that I feel led to support. (By the way, these have already been chosen.)
3. I want to leave a little something to my children even though they don't need it and have never expressed the slightest interest in it.

Next, I had to take yet another test to assess my risk tolerance. Like most everybody else, it's high when the market's high and nil when the market's low. But the test did give me a guiding number.

Then to the scary picking of funds and doing the actual investing.

So I no longer have the money under my pillow or buried in the back yard. I've done the responsible thing. Hopefully.

I just hope I don't get nervous and develop Fat Fingers again.


***

Problem Solving

I, like you, can hardly stand to hear the daily news about the oil spill. We're all waiting and praying for a solution. Meanwhile we feel helpless and angry.

But the thing is, anger doesn't solve problems. I used to lead seminars on "Problem Solving." What we like to do when we have problems is to:

1. Identify the people who caused the problem.

2. Punish them.

This might make us feel better but it doesn't solve the problem.

Nor will the president expressing anger solve the problem.

Now we have, of all people, touchy, feely actor, Kevin Coster coming up with some solutions. At first he was discounted, but now B/P has purchased 32 of Kevin's Anti Oil machines.

Kevin says that these machines, which he's spent 25 million dollars perfecting, can clean oil from more than 200,000 gallons of water a day.

A number of commentators have been making fun of Kevin Costner. I don't think he should be taken seriously because he's a movie star but that's not a good reason to discount him either.

I hope and pray that his Anti Oil machines work - and they help solve the problem.

***

The Razor's Edge

Arise, awake and learn by approaching the exalted ones, for the path is sharp as a razor's edge... Katha Upanishads



Most of the important things I've learned in my life have come from stretching my mind with good books. Early on they opened up a world of possibilities I never knew existed.




Last night I read an article about the great writer, Somerset Maugham. One of his late novels, written in 1944 was "The Razor's Edge."



I must have read it in the late 50s when I was an impressionable young teenager. It blew me away.



It's about this guy named Larry who is engaged to be married but then goes off to war, gets traumatized, comes home and, instead of taking a good job, wants to read and think.



His fiance, Isabel, gets really worried when she finds a Greek dictionary in his bedroom.



"What's this going to lead to?"



She has a right to worry because Larry embarks upon a life long spiritual quest.



"I want to make up my mind whether God is or God is not," he tells Isabel.



"I want to find out why evil exists. I want to know whether when I die it's the end." In other words, he's looking for the meaning of life. Or more specifically, the meaning of his life.



He invites Isabel to come along but she has other plans.



The fact that Larry spent his entire life on a spiritual quest was monumental to me. It helped me to know that you don't believe things just because somebody tells you you have to. It's a lot more complicated.


The Razor's Edge was made into a movie in 1946 staring Tyrone Power and again in 1986 staring Bill Murray ( who was excellent as Larry.) I'm thinking I might watch it again this summer.

***

God is Like A Hen Gathering Her Chicks

In the Bible, there are many feminine images of God. Of course, we demean our concept of God when we try to limit God to gender or in any other way.



Last week a woman whom I greatly admire received full ordination in the United Methodist Church. This is a big deal. But she's a big deal. She has great gifts and skills and, most importantly, the calling.



I remember when our denomination did not entertain the idea of women in the pulpit. I remember when the bishop told us ministers wives that our husbands were NEVER to babysit their kids. The idea was that their work was too important for everyday parenting.



That was a shame because most all of us profit from experiencing the earthy messiness of families and children.



We women have come a long way in sharing world wide leadership. Although it's a small percentage, women have rolls as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, as generals in the Army and we comprise 19% of the senior faculty at the Harvard Business School.



But we have a long way to go - especially in religious communities around the world.



We look at women in Saudi Arabia, especially professional women, and wonder how they can quietly acquiesce to their subordination in that religious culture.



But writer Maureen Down, a Roman Catholic, says that her church, as well, took it's moral codes to extremes not outlined by Jesus. She reminds us, "In the New Testament Jesus is surrounded by strong women."



Why should this matter to anybody but us gals?



Dowd goes on to say that "Negating women is at the heart of the church's hideous indifference to the welfare of boys and girls in its priests' care."



We males and females need each other. We humanize each other and occasionally we help bring forth the Divine in each other.



By the way, my talented female clergy friend is married to a gifted clergyman. They have beautiful, well raised clergy children.

We're moving along.


***

We're Goin' Up and You're Not

The other day we were in heavy traffic and moving fast. The car ahead of us had a bumper sticker that said something like "When the Rapture Comes this Car Will Be Driverless."



"I hope it doesn't happen while we're moving so fast," says I.



Of course, Dave has no idea what I'm talking about. That prompted a discussion of the meaning of "Rapture."



As far as I know it's a belief that Christ will come in the clouds and all of the "Christians," both dead and alive will bodily leave and go up to be with Christ in the clouds. This is based primarily on 1st Thessalonians 4:15-17.



...then the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."



I have quotes around the word Christian because most of the folks who believe this have very specific rules for who qualifies. And they're different for various Rapture believing groups.



I'm all for groups interrupting their faith in whatever way they like. My problem with most of these Rapture folks is that they're pretty braggy about the fact that they're goin' up - and you're not!



The wildly popular "Left Behind" series of fiction books was all about this.



As you know, as a Christian who embraces the mystery of my faith, my answer to many theological questions is: I don't know.



I don't think that cuts it with the Rapture groups.



I like what Elaine said to her boyfriend, Puddy, in an old Seinfield episode when he was mad at her for stealing his Jesus fish and told her she was going to hell.



Elaine: "...the worst place in the world? With devils and those caves and the ragged clothes. And the heat...!"



Puddy: "Gonna be rough."



Elaine: "Then you should be trying to save me."



Puddy: "Don't boss me! This is why you're going to hell."





***

Raccoons Are Not Cute

Over the years Dave's had trouble with raccoons. They've chewed into his chimney and under the house.

A few nights ago we looked out the glass doors and saw the biggest raccoon you can imagine just sauntering by.

Then we looked out another window and saw a bunch of babies.

Yikes!

Animal control folks were called.

They came out with 4 cages. The first night they caught the neighbor's cat and no raccoons. The second night they caught the neighbor's cat and one baby raccoon. The third night - nothing.

The neighbor's cat and the raccoons are not falling for it anymore.

David is paying for all of this - plus taking the raccoons back into the woods safe and sound. The cat gets home on her own.

Later he has to find somebody to repair the damage in the foundation from the raccoons trying to chew their way into the house.

At least the big mom didn't get in and have her babies on the bed while we were in Florida.

***

An Attitude of Indifference And The Absurdity of Carelessness

Dave and I took dance lessons on the cruise. We thought we knew how to waltz, but apparently, no.

The instructor said that it's all about attitude. The woman has an attitude of indifference. She barely touches the man and looks off into the distance. Who knew?

Also on the cruise I read a book on the tragedy at Chernobyl called "The Absurdity of Carelessness."

Now I'm thinking about the the attitude of indifference and the absurdity of carelessness with our planet.

Of course, the oil mess in the Gulf comes to mind.

And did you know that the earth just experienced the warmest January-April period on record? It was the warmest April ever observed.

Our planet's in trouble. It's really scary and I'd like to just sit on the porch and cultivate an attitude of indifference - and I do sometimes - but not for long.

Here's something to think about in reference to our world wide water supply:

Planet health is primary
Human health is derivative
No Blue = No Green


***




...

I Don't Make Mistakes

I still pride myself on being in control. I'm very careful.



Well, OK, I mess things up occasionally. It used to be normal but now I wonder "Did this happen because I'm losing it?"



I'm not sure what the signs are. It might be the difference between burning your finger on the stove or catching the kitchen on fire. (Once when I was a young wife I actually did catch the kitchen on fire but it wasn't due to brain deterioration.)



So yesterday when Dave told me about some little mistake he made I said "You tell me about all the mistakes you made today and I'll top you."



Here's what happened:



I was coming out of the shopping center. It was cold and raining like crazy. I ran to the car, got in and then struggled to put down the umbrella and get it in beside me. Then put my stuff on the seat and put the key in the ignition. But it wouldn't start. So I turned the key over. Nothing. Then opened the compartment next to the seat to find a Kleenex to wipe my glasses.



Only no Kleenex box. It was full of CDs. "What the hey!"



Yes, I was in the wrong car.



In my defense it was the same make and model.



But, of course, I asked myself on the way home:



"Am I making more mistakes? Am I losing it?"





***

Pretzels

Last week I flew on Airtran. No problems, except I always have a very hard time opening their pretzels bag. There are instructions on the bag about how to eat the pretzels but no clues for opening the bag.

I, many times, like to chat up my seatmates if they seem agreeable. It's a good thing about being older. Nobody thinks I'm hitting on them, just being friendly - or a nuisance.

But this time the man sitting next to me appeared unfriendly - even sinister. He was a young African American, wearing a hoodie with the hood up. Dreadlocks poking out. He wasn't sleeping. He looked straight ahead.

So I left him alone.

But then I was struggling with the pretzels.

He reached over and gently took the bag from my hands. Then said, "I'll open it for you."

He handed it back. Our palms touched. I said, "Thanks."

It was a tender moment.


***

Moms and Babies

Two articles in the same paper having to do with moms, babies and hospitals named St. Joe:

Story # 1

Sister Margaret McBride was a senior administrator of St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. Last year a 27 year old mother of four was admitted. She was 11 weeks pregnant and very ill. Lifesaving treatment required terminating the pregnancy. Along with Sister McBride a team consisting of the patient, her family, her doctors and the Ethics committee made the decision to save the mother's life.

Sister McBride was excommunicated.

The bishop's office said, "The mother's life cannot be preferred over the child's."

Story # 2

As we all know, there are way too many C-sections in the country. St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul has the lowest C-section rate in the country. Just one in 10 babies is delivered surgically. This wasn't always the case.

St. Joe's executives attribute the low use of C-sections to - women turning back to midwives.

"Midwives are trained to see labor as (a natural process)."

"We OBs are trained to see labor as a disaster waiting to happen."

Both of the stories above have to do with Catholic Church/Hospitals. To me, the difference in the decision making has to do with who made them.

Moms decided to take charge of their bodies and go back to midwives and natural birth when possible.

The decision to excommunicate the nun was made by old men who've chosen to separate themselves from real life.

***