I should be fixing dinner but I'm tired. We had talked about some of us possibly going out to dinner but I'm glad we didn't. The end of Spring Break looms----PE clothes, showers, laundry, to-do lists. My day though? Absolutely incredible. I send waves of love to Bob Rasmus for bringing David Olney to his church...absolutely amazing day....
I was glad to see a good crowd at the Palm Sunday service....Ann said it included a lot of new faces. Watching Bob in his element is a joy. He welcomed new folks and explained what was happening. He did a reading and then David began Jerusalem Tomorrow. That song can give one chills any time but in this setting? Yes. The service continued with readings and then David performing the songs. I have listened to The Stone, as well as many of the individual songs, so many times...but hearing it within the context of the readings was literally mind blowing. Even though I had known the context when I had listened to it before...this was powerful, powerful stuff.
I snapped one furtive shot while Bob was welcoming people....it didn't feel right to photograph once the service started....

David came and sat with us for the end of the service. I couldn't help but think of all those years that I was such a fan and never managed to go see him live....never could have imagined sitting in church with him and feeling that he was a friend. The paths life leads us on are so unexpected.
A couple of his songs made me almost cry but they weren't really sad tears, just the power of the song's emotions, but as we got close to communion I did get very teary missing my father. Somehow communion brings back those last few years of his to me. For those of you that didn't know me then, from about 2006, until he died in 2008, I took my father to church, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Urbana, every week. It was when he wasn't able to drive anymore because of his Alzheimer's and I'm grateful beyond words that I did it, but it was sometimes very, very, very hard. Somehow Ernie and I only got one bulletin for the service this morning, and when I held it open for him to see, I automatically started pointing out where we were....because my Dad would get confused and I had to do that for him. When I first started taking my father to church, we would both get up to take communion, but as the months passed, we eventually moved to the front pew where all we had to do was stand...and Dad insisted on standing no matter how hard and slow it was for him to get up. It was the best gift I could give him at that point, just bringing him there and sitting with him....but the memories are hard and I did cry a bit...missing him, and missing the him of earlier years.
Powerful, powerful stuff. All of it.
Driving home Ernie suggested lunch so we picked up the boys and had a quick lunch at Fries and Peanuts. We got home and I realized I had left virtually no time to cook for the potluck so I threw together a salad with my favorite Asian dressing...luckily we had pretty greens from Farmer Greg.
I was thrilled to see a good crowd when we returned for the 3:00 performance...with many familiar AND unfamiliar faces! I gotta say David sounded wonderful.....his voice sounded so beautifully expressive. I realized that this is the first time I'd ever seen him without Sergio. While we of course missed our beloved Sergio, it was interesting to hear the differences....I don't know if it was differences in his performance or just differences in the way I listened...but either way he was great. Truly great. That's my boy.
Owen and Sophie did a great job at the merch table and he sold a fair amount of stuff I think which pleased me as well. After chatting with friends we eventually tumbled home and here I sit. Owen just ate leftover pizza for dinner---I'm such a great Mom....and God knows what Ernie and I are having. I think I'm still full....from lunch and from the experiences of the whole day.
Thanks and love to Ann and Bob Rasmus, David Olney, and everyone that shared this and felt the same way.




I bet David and Bob could talk for hours. My mother always said Bob was a complicated man....and there's no doubt David is too! Ha!


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