Dalan Chiut: May 2009

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sunday’s Freebies

Tomorrow is a national holiday in Germany and Damien is at his grandma’s this evening, so we get to sleep in. This evening Chris and I are just enjoying our alone time, listening to some music, and now I’m getting ready to watch the MTV movie awards. This is the first time in years that can watch it live. Due to the different time zones it starts at 2:30am and there is no way I could pull that off on a work day at my age ;-)
Have fun
Cheers, Angie aka IkeaGoddess
Templates:

http://www.scrapandrea.com/
http://www.christinabrowndesigns.com/
http://jennck.blogspot.com/
http://www.moriginalsblog.com/ P365
http://rusaanes.no/marit/blogg/
http://misscutiepiegoes80s.blogspot.com/

http://thepaperiris.blogspot.com/ 2-page
http://annabrettj.blogspot.com/

Quickpages:

http://arminadesigns.com/blog/
http://scrappingmum.blogspot.com/
http://standstrong4god.blogspot.com/
http://little-miss-shazbutt.com/
http://sansans-paradise.blogspot.com/
http://shabbyprincess.typepad.com/shabby_princess/

Alphas & Wordart:

http://myemmadoodle.blogspot.com/
http://sweetblossomdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/ideas/showphoto.php?photo=99727
http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/ideas/showphoto.php?photo=99708

Kits & more:

http://arminadesigns.com/blog/
http://bonscrapatitdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://graphicjamdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://familylambert.canalblog.com/
http://trixiescraps.blogspot.com/
http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/ideas/showphoto.php?photo=99709

THE POVERTY OF THEOCRACY and ARCHITECTURE

Before I get started, I want to assure everyone reading this blog entry that I do not regard any one religion as any better, or worse than any other. I am an atheist and proud of it.

Yesterday I visited the Los Angeles Cathedral for the first time. It is also known locally as the "Rog Mahal" or the "Taj Mahoney" after the local cardinal, Roger Mahoney, who oversaw its construction.

I really, really wanted to hate it. Here's why:

The estimated final cost of its construction was $190 million. That doesn't even include the land or the furnishings, such as the main altar that cost five million bucks. The front doors that cost three million. The lectern that cost two. The bishop's chair cost one million dollars, the president's and deacons' chairs cost $250 thousand each. Every single one of the numerous chandelier/speakers cost $150 thousand each.

And the exterior is hideous. It looks like it's sheathed in plywood. It has no character.

But, meanwhile, in the year that the cathedral was opened, 2002, the L.A. Archdiocese, facing a budget shortfall of $4.3 million (about 14 of those magnificent chairs), closed its ministries for students, the disabled, minorities, and gays and lesbians.

In 2006, faced with court settlements from child molestation cases that Cardinal Mahoney had attempted to sweep under the carpet, that might amount to a portion of forty million dollars, the church plead poverty.

The real estate portfolio of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, more than 1,600 properties, is estimated at over four billion dollars in value. Only $175 million of that is not exempt from property taxes. (If the Archdiocese had to pay property taxes, it would owe about $50 million per year to the County of Los Angeles. That would pay for a school or two.)

(By the way, I don't want to single out the Catholic church. If you took all the tax-exempt property holdings of all the religious institutions in Los Angeles County, and taxed them at the standard rates, the county's budget would be in surplus rather than deficit.)

In 1976 a very rough, low estimate of tax-exempt church property nationwide, was about $120 billion in value. If you only adjust that for inflation since, not even taking the general rise in property values, or further purchases by religious institutions into consideration, the 2008 figure would be about $450 billion. That was a low estimate.

So, like I said, I wanted to hate the place.

And though I do hate the idea of it, on the inside, architecturally, artistically, I liked it a lot. I think it ought to be taken away from the church for back taxes or whatever excuse the government can come up with, and turned into a public performing arts center. Maybe the furnishings can be sold to give the operating budget a kick start.

This picture doesn't come close to doing it justice: (This is the only picture in this blog entry that I took.)

Now this is coming from someone who generally loathes church architecture. I think Notre Dame is an abomination. Westminster Abbey ought to be leveled, the Vatican crushed under the feet of some giant reptile risen out of the Tiber.

Why I detest church architecture is best summed up by one building, a primary example of architecture as the expression of an ideal. (Please keep in mind that I'm speaking aesthetically here. Ideologically, I find equal fault with all religions.)

The Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain was once a mosque. It is now a cathedral. This picture gives you a rough sense of what it was like when it was a mosque:

It was in a garden setting, largely open to the sky, a series of graceful arches with very little internal decoration. A place where people were encouraged to come, sit on the floor, read, think, discuss. From an architectural perspective, it was built to enhance the senses and thoughts of the people who came to it.

Now here's what it looks like after the Catholic architects got to it:

They stuck a huge, vaulted, ornate ceiling over all of it. They filled in a great many of the arches with heavy, dark sculptures and paintings and altars. What little natural light finds its way into the building, does so through thick, dirty stained glass high up. It has been built to render the people entering into it awestruck, dumbstruck more like it, it suppresses the senses by overwhelming them.

What I like, architecturally, about the Los Angeles Cathedral is that it is relatively simple. Sure, it's got high vaulted ceilings, but it has enormous skylights and surfaces and colors that make use of all that natural light. The art is not oppressive, heavy-handed, it is in soft, organic colors and in spite of its religious nature, does to an extent reflect the community. It is beautiful, but not overwhelming. A place in which a person can reflect upon things, rather than be beat over the head with them.

It would be a great addition to Los Angeles, if only it could be wrested away from the control of the tax-dodging charlatans that run the place. And there's a whole lot of other buildings around town that I could say the same thing about.

In the course of researching this blog entry, I came across a quote from Ben Franklin that should appeal to my readers who believe in free markets and who believe that churches should be no more tax-exempt than you or me.

"When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obligated to call for help of the civil power, it's a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one." -- Benjamin Franklin

Wonder and light

It's the Feast of Pentecost!

Mexican Icon of Pentecost.

I think this is some cool feast. This is the day the apostles experienced the fire of the Holy Spirit in a great rush of wind and light. With a mind blowing arrival of Grace Himself, they could stop grieving in the upper room, hiding in uncertainty and worry and fear. It had been a wild ride for seven weeks, Christ was crucified, rose, appeared, cooked them fish, noshed with them, instructed them, chided them, comforted them, hung out..and then left. He promised to go prepare a better place for them and to send a Comforter and Counselor.

How confusing! So they huddled together, to wait, to pray. Were they confused about just what that meant...a comforter? Waiting is extra hard when you don't know exactly what you're waiting for...think any of those in that room maybe had control issues? Ok, well, I like to think so...(no, I'm not projecting, whatever do you mean?? Ahem.) I love imagining the scene of it, the rush of wind, the light, the understanding, the terror, the amazement, the joy. Were they knocked down, covering their heads and eyes in shock and maybe some primal fear? Ecstatic with, finally, full understanding, crying and laughing with joy? Wide eyed, holding on to each other?
I don't know, but you gotta admit, it's a great visual, very Cecil B. DeMille, don't ya think?

I love Pentecost.
To think that the Holy Spirit, that ineffable Grace, is there for the asking, or begging and pleading (ok, me again). And what amazes me, every time, is that it really IS!
That just blows me away.

Sometimes things are hard. Sometimes things are utterly confusing or just deep down scary. Thankfully, enough, not too often. But. When I get to the point of being unable to even construct proper sentences and word phrasings, when my prayers of deep fear and worry are the most primal and I've lost proper adult speech patterns but still have the deep need urge push compulsion to pray - somehow ....I know that I am still heard. I know, that God knows my deepest longing and fear and can move past my babbling blathering gabble and the Holy Spirit can intercede on my behalf in prayer.

And He does.

That's pure gift.
That's Grace: the Holy Spirit, Comfort, Counsel.
And, why, yes, in the past six weeks I've been relying on that Grace a fair lot.
And for that I am grateful.
And that is joy, the deepest most wondrous kind.
To borrow a word from a dear blog friend, it's wonderment.

That sums it up for me: Pentecost is Wonderment.

So today I like to think of that wonderment of the apostles at Pentecost. I love a feast day. I imagine the apostles were filled with sheer wonderment, and in that amazing ecstatic electric event, they were then sent out to face the world....but not alone.
In my self absorbed microcosm of life here, I'm not thinking anyone is gonna be able to see any flames above my head {unless it's my temper having gotten the best of me, again}. But for me the Holy Spirit is such a gift and I am so grateful for being able to call on that Grace when I need it {And to rely on it in my typically thoughtless way for the rest of the the time}. I don't know what I'd do without it. And really, who wants to face life alone anyhow???
So, here is the prayer of the day, for me:

Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful,
and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love.
Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created,
and You shall renew the face of the earth.
Oh God,
Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful,
Grant, that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Saturday’s Freebies

Friday, May 29, 2009

Freebie Friday

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Thursday’s Freebies

I do, too. Every day.

May is the month of Mary, and the rosary.
I would challenge you to try it if you don't already.

It's probably the best thing I do every day, even when I don't do the best one ever.
Doing this makes every day just a little better, on all levels. Period.
So. Yeah.
I pray the rosary.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

New Moon Update

My heart just missed a beat…wanna see Edward shirtless and kissing Bella on the set in Italy?…click here and here & enjoy ;-)

Wednesday’s Freebies

This week the kindergarten teacher’s strike has been expanded to 2 days. Yesterday Leo’s (Damien’s best friend) mom watched the boys and today was my turn. It’s really astounding what you can get done around the house when you don’t have to go to work. We started off with making jello and baked a lemon pound cake. Then the boys accompanied me to the grocery store. After that they played in Damien’s room for a while and I started to cook. The boys were a big help cutting the green beans, which resulted in them actually eating green beans too ;-) Ice-cream for dessert and the first half of Bolt. Then we went outside and caught some Roman snails in our garden and put them in a jar. We walked 5 min to my MIL, gave her the snails (she doesn’t have any in her garden, however plenty of slugs. So now we hope the snails will reduce the slug population by eating the young) and brought her some cake. We then continued to the playground, where they played for two hours. Afterwards we walked home, ate cake and the jello, the guys played some more and I cleaned up the kitchen – entirely. That is something that we usually only do on the weekend, because we are too tired after work. Then the boys took a long bath, Leo decided to stay overnight, and we ate strawberry pancakes for dinner. After brushing their teeth, they got to watch the rest of Bolt, I read a story and now they are listening to an audio book over which they will hopefully fall asleep. Astounding what you can pack into a day, isn’t it? And I’m not even dead on my feet :-)

Templates:

http://mandagirl.com/ 2x
http://midnightscrapping.blogspot.com/
http://misstyscrap.blogspot.com/
http://libeingcrafty.blogspot.com/
http://dihickman.blogspot.com/

http://thepaperiris.blogspot.com/
http://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28361

Quickpages:

http://biancka.webflat.nl/
http://tracireed.com/teamblog/
http://melslightbulbmoments.blogspot.com/
http://ninascraps-rockinggirls.blogspot.com/
http://scrapsangels.free.fr/
http://nanymalone-scrap.over-blog.com/

Alphas & Wordart:

http://bonscrapatitdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://elegantwordart2.blogspot.com/
http://lynettesphotoart.blogspot.com/
http://paschiche.blogspot.com/
http://rainbowskydesigns.wordpress.com/
http://tempusfug.blogspot.com/

http://thedailydigi.com/

Kits & more:

http://charliesdigiscraps.blogspot.com/
http://www.happy-scrap.com/
http://www.digiscrapbooking.ch/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=1069
http://lolodendesigns.com/blog/
http://seebeesfreebies.blogspot.com/
http://lathamscrap.blogspot.com/

http://lathamscrap.blogspot.com/
http://www.storeide.se/gunhild/index.htm click on Friday freebie

First Garden

This is what we did last weekend: finished my veggie garden, a kitchen garden!

Coffeedoc made the lovely raised beds from found wood (by which I mean, free! yay!).

My brother and the boys and Coffeedoc all worked hard to put in the edging and fence and pea gravel, in between downpours.

I got to do the fun part: planting and placing my Mary statue to "watch" over the veggies.
(Right then, just to clarify: I don't think the statue is real, it just makes me happy to have and see this little statue in my garden with my veggies and flowers, ok? Good then, happy to clarify further if needed, just email please.)

It's my first 'real' garden, instead of only pots.
It makes me ridiculously happy.
Thanks guys!

{And yeah, I know, Michelle Obama has one now too....
so hey, Michelle, give me a call, just one more thing we can chat about...
kids, TB protocols, organic gardening...it'll be fun!}

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tuesday’s Freebies

Dalan Chiut