this and that...

For those of you that know me, you know there is little I like less than having my picture taken. But I will make an exception now and then. This one is of my daughter (who hates this picture, but let me post it anyway) and I at Rockefeller Center in NYC last Saturday. It is always a good day when I get to spend some quality time with one of my children individually. We met my brothers, for coffee in the morning, they were working in Manhattan that day. We then walked over to St. Patrick's Cathedral for noon Mass. We found this gentleman playing some really wonderful, loud music on some very random found objects such as a piece of sheet metal, a wire shelf, an empty 5 gallon bucket, an old vegetable bin taken from a refrigerator and a few other things. To me this seemed like such a profound metaphor for life. I too like to create things out of discarded materials - to make something out of nothing.
In a way, it reminds me of how God uses us in many different ways to bring blessing to others. He can take our nothingness and turn into something beautiful.

Here is a look at hubby's little workshop. These are a bunch of wreaths in varying stages of completion. He makes hand tied fresh wreaths. They really are lovely. He is filling orders for about 30 so far and we will participate in our parish's artisan fair in a couple of weeks.

My least favorite plant would probably be the cactus. We have two Christmas Cacti that just sit around looking ugly all year (in my opinion-hubby likes them), that is until now when they bloom in radiant color. We have this fuchsia plant and another coral one. I think there is probably another metaphor for life in this somewhere, but I think I'll spare you. I stuffed some boxwood around the edges to make it festive. A friend from church let us at her boxwood and holly bushes yesterday, and let us trim to our hearts content. I want to put together some greenery arrangements for that artisan fair.

Hope you are having a great day!