Holy Week

Sunday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. We were doing a dramatic reading in church that morning, and I was thinking about the movie "The Passion of the Christ". Those scenes play in my head now when I hear or read the related scripture. I'm not sure if that is good or not. It is someone else's visualization rather than my own. And yet, it helps in some ways to make it more "real". I dunno...

I watched "The Passion" last year on Good Friday. Still gut-wrenchingly emotional. I hadn't seen it since the year before when it came out, and I went opening week in the theatre. That was interesting. I went by myself, but at the same time as a long-distance friend, and then we discussed it later that night. It was very good, an interesting discussion.

We have 3 services this week -- Maundy Thursday, including the foot-washing (we never have very many people out for that service, and it looks like there will be even less this year, possibly only a handful), the ecumenical Good Friday service (this year at the Pentecostal church), and the Saturday Easter Vigil. One of my favorites (that one and Christmas Eve). We have two churches in our parish, and our congregation has the Easter Vigil, the other congregation has the Easter morning service.

Robbie and I might drive down to see my grandma on Friday, since we have the day off. We've been trying to find a weekend when he's not working/not away. It hasn't been working out so well. I could go down by myself, but she really wants to see Robbie, she hasn't seen him for years, so I'd like us to go together. Sheldon and his dad went this past weekend.

My mom called me yesterday morning to let me know that my grandma has made the decision that she is not comfortable living on her own anymore. Between the cancer and the possibility of her bad hip giving out at any time, she feels she needs to be somewhere where she can be taken care of. She has her name on a waiting list for a palliative care bed in a nursing home.

She got pain and anti-nausea meds less than two weeks ago, and is already having to up the dosage on both of them.... She is able to eat now, at least, but is still losing weight. As much as I hate to lose her, I also don't want this to drag on for a long time if she is in pain..... :-(

Chantelle's plans for Australia are coming together. She should be able to book her flight soon. She's planning to come home for a visit in August, and then leave forAustralia in Sept. Man, I am going to miss her. I already miss her, being 7 hours away, but at least now we can talk on the phone any time (thank goodness for a great long distance plan!). Oh well... I know that she is going to have an amazing time, and I am very happy for her. :-)

I'm going to a meeting at the school tonight. There is a young woman who moved to town recently who will be speaking -- she's a recovering crystal meth addict. The local school board has put on a number of drug information presentations in the past few years, but I think that hearing it straight from someone who has been there and lived it is very powerful. Her mom and an addictions counsellor will be there for support. I hope that there is a good turnout.

Okay, back to work. I started this update on Sunday but got interrupted and didn't finish it.... lol. I decided I should get it posted today.