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After the Gnostic Mass Sunday, I had time to come home and rest. Hub and I decided to have marital relations, and it was one of those times when you feel like you are filled with brilliant light that shines through you like you're a pane of glass. That is, until the decorative 6 inch calcite sphere sitting on your headboard decides to roll off and bonk you on the head. Right when he's crossing the finish line, so to speak. His expression was the very definition of conflict.
Then some lazing around, and Cathy and Dave invited me to Complines at St.David's. It's a service they have every Sunday evening at 9pm where their 'Navy Seal choir' as Dave calls them- the best of the best- sings 30 or so minutes of songs, and the priest sings out blessings of protection against all the nastiness of the night, including 'the Devil who goes forth like a roaring lion' or somesuch. I had been having pretty severe allergy problems and took a couple of Benadryl (which I hadn't ever taken before- I usually take Claritin, but it's a time-release that goes for 12 hours and makes me jittery. I have enough problems sleeping without needing jittery drugs in me 'til 6am, thanks) right before I left. That made me a lot loopier than I expected, and I actually dozed off during part of the service. But it was so comforting!
It was held in the 'historical' part of the church- the one with all the gorgeous stained glass. You found a pew and sat in it and the church was mostly dark except for a few candles, and a bit of light up at the altar. Bells rung at 9, and 8 singers in robes silently filed in and walked to the altar area. They bowed to the cross, and turned around and (after a couple of quiet honks on a pitch pipe) just started singing. Some of it was typically classical, some of it was more like what you think of when you imagine monks singing. In the middle, there was the sung blessings for all to be held safe in the night, and the Lord's Prayer was sung in monk-style. Then it wrapped up, they filed out, and people left or sat meditating as they saw fit.
It was very peaceful. I'd like to go again some night when I'm not drugged. :P
We went to Katz' after, an all-night diner that serves matzo ball soup and blintzes to die for. I hadn't had a meal there in years and was all set to get the blintzes, but ended up getting a mushroom-Swiss burger instead. You could tell they didn't use no canned mushrooms, either. And on the side- a patty made of mashed potatoes and cheese, fried. Damn, it was good. And they are open now. Erg! No no, must be good and stay put.
Then some lazing around, and Cathy and Dave invited me to Complines at St.David's. It's a service they have every Sunday evening at 9pm where their 'Navy Seal choir' as Dave calls them- the best of the best- sings 30 or so minutes of songs, and the priest sings out blessings of protection against all the nastiness of the night, including 'the Devil who goes forth like a roaring lion' or somesuch. I had been having pretty severe allergy problems and took a couple of Benadryl (which I hadn't ever taken before- I usually take Claritin, but it's a time-release that goes for 12 hours and makes me jittery. I have enough problems sleeping without needing jittery drugs in me 'til 6am, thanks) right before I left. That made me a lot loopier than I expected, and I actually dozed off during part of the service. But it was so comforting!
It was held in the 'historical' part of the church- the one with all the gorgeous stained glass. You found a pew and sat in it and the church was mostly dark except for a few candles, and a bit of light up at the altar. Bells rung at 9, and 8 singers in robes silently filed in and walked to the altar area. They bowed to the cross, and turned around and (after a couple of quiet honks on a pitch pipe) just started singing. Some of it was typically classical, some of it was more like what you think of when you imagine monks singing. In the middle, there was the sung blessings for all to be held safe in the night, and the Lord's Prayer was sung in monk-style. Then it wrapped up, they filed out, and people left or sat meditating as they saw fit.
It was very peaceful. I'd like to go again some night when I'm not drugged. :P
We went to Katz' after, an all-night diner that serves matzo ball soup and blintzes to die for. I hadn't had a meal there in years and was all set to get the blintzes, but ended up getting a mushroom-Swiss burger instead. You could tell they didn't use no canned mushrooms, either. And on the side- a patty made of mashed potatoes and cheese, fried. Damn, it was good. And they are open now. Erg! No no, must be good and stay put.
