St. George's

I love this building. It looks kind of out-of-place in Charleston, right next to the uber-boring architecture of the shopping mall.

I'm home sick... feeling horrible. I had just kicked the upper-respiratory funkiness that everyone in my home was passing around, and now I've got the sinus funkiness that everyone else is passing around. My head feels like it's encased in a thick block of Jello. I would really like to go take a nap, maybe watch a good movie or do something that involves a minimal amount of standing upright... but it doesn't seem likely. *sigh* Moms aren't allowed to have sick-time.

Laundry calls...

Another ghost sign ... and a pigeon

Pieta

This is the Pieta sculpture at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Charleston, WV. I am not Catholic, but I work at the High School associated with this church and attend student masses there, so I feel very comfortable in this church. I stopped by a couple days ago to say a prayer and light a candle for my Grandma who is isn't doing so well, and was so captivated by the color in this shot that I had to snap a photo.

I know that a lot of people find religious imagery to be divisive, but when I see this sculpture, I think about the way this type of art can communicate the most fundimental ways we are all alike. We all suffer losses. We all grieve. We all love someone so much that losing them is like dying, ourselves. Whether we worship God or not, we are connected by the human condition.

I think too often we find ourselves bickering over our religous differences and refuse to acknowledge that we're really all pretty much the same. Who can't look at this sculpture and not identify with Mary (or anyone else who is suffering) on some level, regardless of religious beliefs? Empathy doesn't require a religious conversion.

Primary Colors

Reflections

Now THAT'S a funeral procession!

(More on the Lyell Clay funeral)

What a fitting tribute for someone who has done so much to share his love of the arts (especially music) with the citizens of West Virginia! It was an awesome sight. The sounds weren't too bad, either! How could anyone not love the sound of a really good New Orleans jazz brass band?

This guy plays a MEAN horn! Wow!

Students from neighboring Charleston Catholic High School checking out the scene.

Ghost Sign

Winter's moving in.

Shoo! Shoo! Go away, winter!

Ugh. I am not a winter person. I think I was meant to live where it's at least 60 degrees out every day and sunny. I can take all the sweaty 90 degree-plus weather you can throw at me, but give me a few cold days and I'm toast. I wish I could box Charleston up and move it right next to Savannah, GA -- another favorite city of mine.

Today is chaos. I'm supposed to be at school for 1/2 day, then parent conferences until 9, and somewhere in there I've got to find time to help build theater sets for the school play... and grade papers ... and clean my classroom before the parents get there. Instead, I'm home with a sick baby who sounds like a barking seal. I just spent a while sitting with him in the bathroom with the shower running, and that worked wonders. Soon, we're off to the doctor's office, then I'll tag off with Daddy and hope I can get to school before conferences start.

Do they sell clones on Ebay?

Oh, well. I might take this route to school because I like the view. I ♥ Charleston -- winter and all.

Cemetary Angel