Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Preparations - Final

I have really been enjoying a thread over at the 4 Real Learning Forums about how to "celebrate" Lent in the home. (Can you say celebrate and Lent in the same sentence?) I am so excited about adding the new tradition of saying *goodbye to the Alleluia. I also loved Elizabeth's purple ribbons. This will be another "new tradition". What an excellent reminder and yet also a "decoration" for this beautiful season.

*Confession time: I never even realized until I was in college that it went away during Lent. I guess there were so many additions (and subtractions) to the Mass of my youth that I didn't even notice.

I bought some white muslin at the craft store and decorated it with a golden "Alleluia" and some flowers. Fabric paint and markers (Not when they are all dried out!) did the best job.This picture was taken while it was drying on our bed (queen size) so that gives you an idea of how big it is. I sewed rings at the top that will slide onto a wooden dowel. The children helped color in the flowers while the Morning Alleluia from the Sound of Music played in the background. Well...not really, but it was a nice fantasy. In reality, the fabric was hard to paint on and the sponge brushes were tricky to load for kids who are use to water colors and brushes. I ended up having them do a decent "fill in" while I came back and did the detail work. I think I will save a final picture for Easter Sunday.

Well, now it is time to turn my gaze inward. I have my own specific plans to practice prayer, penance and alms giving starting tomorrow which will not eliminate blogging but will cut down on my computer time in general. I would like to write something deep and moving here. Something to inspire or maybe encourage. But I am not a deep thinker. I am a common sense kind of girl whose practical side tends to overshadow the profound.

Any similarity to actual inspirational thinkers, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

2 comments:

  1. Matilda, you are my kind of common sense girl. :) Your craft is beautiful! We are making our Alleluia this afternoon and will bury it after Mass tomorrow. This time of year is just so special.

    And thank you for the link!

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  2. Matilda -
    I don't know that I even realized the Alleluia went away until last year!

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