Days to go: 969 -- Pieces to go: 10

Day 31: Only 3 lines to go on the Bach, and these are manuals only. I have been playing the lines in context, so practice time has increased exponentially, but it is so pleasant and peaceful. "Soothing music," Richard called it this morning.

Tibor and Richard and another guy were building a big cupboard to house all the gear belonging to the Contemporary Choir. The equipment had previously all been crammed into the left confessional, as I recall.

Well, doesn't Tibor send Reg out for coffee and donuts for us all, and we all sat down and had a coffee break together, even the teen who is working off his community service by straightening out all the hymnbooks in the pews. (Great idea, that -- someone's a genius!)

Then Elaine (Tibor's wife, who sings in the Senior Choir) came in with lunch for the work crew: BBQ chicken sandwiches and beer. I tell you, it must have been just like this back in the days of building the old medieval cathedrals -- the good wife (the "wench?") bringing in "fyne fayr" for all the hardworking craftsmen.

It was so good to see them all -- it has been a very long time. All in all, a productive, enjoyable practice session with lots of social time thrown in. Also, I was able to identify which aspect of the church job I want to focus in on first: the skill I have always admired so much in others -- improvisation.

No, the angel wasn't there today...but the peace she brought remains.

Days to go: 970 -- Pieces to go: 10

Day 30: My apologies for being such an emo kid yesterday. And, further on in that vein: this morning I woke up and the Sword of Damocles was still there -- that Sword that suddenly appeared over my head as I was wheeling out of the church parking lot after the meeting with TPTB at St. Leo's last night.

Suz was such a great help as we tried to sort out my craziness at T&T's over coffee. Then I went over to the church: another line of Bach learned. Only FOUR lines of the fugue to go. While at the church I took time to brainstorm my anxiety about the church job on a mindmap.

It was an EPIC mindmap. No wonder I am scared to death. It is as if my hidden self (evil twin?) is saying: "All those things you said you'd do in a church job if you ever had time? Well, guess what? You are out of time. THIS IS IT! You have to do it all NOW!"

Thanks be to God, a Holy One came over and told me to start playing again. She said, "it is like the angels talking."

This sweet lady had kissed the new picture of the Sacred Heart over by the Tabernacle as she was leaving and stopped by to tell me that she follows Mass on tv every morning. "Mass is too early at St. Pat's," she says.

Then she comes over to visit the Blessed Sacrament for a while, where she prays for peace, especially peace for the sick and dying. Wow.

C.S. Lewis's Screwtape would say that this woman fairly reeks of holiness. I personally think she was an angel herself. Wonder if I'll ever see her again?

Honestly, you can't make stuff like this up!!!

If Rosemary were not so busy with the Miller Family Golf Tournament I would go over to her place and talk about all this. "Obi-wan," I would say...