TrulyGrace

New Year's Day. D and I watched the Tournament of Roses Parade from television (ABC and NBC). The NBC coverage was by Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. The cameras were stationed close to the Norton Simon Museum; fond memories there with ELH of the stone sculptures there by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Also fond memories of touring the flowered floats with CD.

A relaxing day with lots of noodles and Chinese food (from Bloomfield).

Accompanied M to her appointment. We refueled the car, went to the pan-Asian grocery and to the Chinese grocery stores in the Strip District, went grocery shopping in Bloomfield, then went to the neighborhood store for M's prescriptions. I had a small lunch, then went to my appointment in Oakland. M and I chatted with K this afternoon.

Fish sinigang with green beans, daikon radish, and other veggies soup over rice for dinner. Will enjoy M's homemade boiled peanuts for snacks this week.  

Almost time for Jeopardy!

Called health insurance company.

Did 3 loads of laundry before 9AM; Did a load in the afternoon. Choir rehearsal in the evening. Chatted with DaDe.

Put away loads of laundry; gel weekend plans with my friends. Chatted on the phone with k, chatted in person with And..Le. Manok atsaka upo sopas for dinner; leftover adobong pusit, as well.

Up early to do an hour of online foreign language learning (D..L). Then, set up my computer for the Zoom yoga session facitilated by SCN.

...a Recorded session today. First time since I have started yoga Zoom with SCN.

Snow is falling heavily at 12.30; it's starting to accumulate. Getting ready to join up with my friends, at my work. We gelled the weekend plans for this afternoon around the weather.

Wonderful visit by ElHu and family (S, and E), AnWa and Ch, and BG to the Presepio in the Scaife Galleries; the trees decorated by the Women's Committee in the Hall of Architecture; E's favorite, Gems and Minerals; through Dinosaurs to Base Camp; various animal halls, Life in One Cubic Foot, where we parted; and the group re-met in Dinosaurs, where we found our way outside. A fine time was spent by all at UG, where I chilled with all; and made it back in time for dinner with D and M.

Today we celebrated the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Fr Kris Stubna celebrated the choral Mass. JeS was the lector.

Music and Readings included

Prelude d'Orgue- Prelude sure l'Introit de l'Epiphanie- Maurice Durufle'

Entrance Hymn- As With Gladness Men of Old- Wm C DIX, arr from Conrad Kocher

Kyrie Eleison- Kyrie from Mass VIII, Missa de Angelis, Gregorian Missal, Mode V

Gloria- Gloria in Alternatum- Missa de Angelis, plainsong mode V- Polyphony arr by Donald K Fellows

Reading 1- Isaiah 60:1-6

Responsorial Psalm 72

Reading 2- Eph 3:2-3a,5-6

Alleluia- Festival Alleluia- James J Chepponis

Gospel Reading- Matthew 2:1-12

Homily

Preparation of the Gifts- All Bells in Paradise- John Rutter, text by John Rutter

After Mass, I had a quick lunch and hurried home for K"T"MP's DC Zoom class. She is inspiring and energizing, and extremely patient with us. I weeded my CD collection; some of us stayed for Q and A afterwards; we stayed ~2hrs after the end of the workshop. I can thank k and K for gifting me this month of classes! It helps to do these tasks whilst others in the class/workshop are doing similar projects. 

Late afternoon it was time for Family Google Meet/ Zoomish. 

As per TiMaPi's suggestion, I made up a "To Do" List of microprojects in the Living Room. Also started the week by starting microprojects around the home. Went grocery shopping in Bloomfield right before an early evening dinner.

Did not go to group class; the weather was cold, wet, and snowy.

Biked early this morning for ~ half an hour. Worked more on my list of LR projects.

10.00 contacted Office Depot for help.

12.00 Zoomed with PITT H'n Library

Called health insurance company (again).

Dinner of Fish and Cheese sandwiches from Shadyside.

Medical check up this morning. Seems all is on the up and up. Went to Palenkeng de Malaking Aguila in Shadyside. Walked to drop off a book (chatted with CoWa and ChrMil) at CLP Main and picked up 2 more books I had reserved earlier. At 14.00, had an accountability telephone appointment with MVK. Accomplished---Weeding my front closet. 

Biked ~ half an hour this morning. Walked to M and D's late this morning with AndLe, who did a mitzvah for M. 

About 5 attendees plus SCN, our fearless Zoom yoga facilitator, this morning. Her voice sounded better; practically dulcet tones! ("I can't talk much faster than this; otherwise I cough," she intoned in response.)

Earned 5394XP in DuoLingo this past week.

Went grocery shopping at Palenkeng de Malaking Aguila in Shadyside. My full elevator had a discussion about the postponement of the Steelers-Bills game... ("They did it to protect the fans {from blizzard weather conditions}," I intoned to our full elevator). Lots of good buys. Then, it was time for lunch with pritong manok at kanin at ensalada. 

Catching up with blogging.

On this very frozen day of the year, where the easternmost street to the Cathedral (Craig Street) was like an ice rink, I decided to "pinch hit" in the eleventh hour to lector for a colleague who couldn't make it (FrGl). I read for the 2nd SUN in Ordinary Time at the mid-morning Mass. Fr Peter Gruber celebrated the Mass with Deacon Tom Berna. The 2 servers were Luke and Juliette. Our cantatrice was Debbie Z; the tag-team organists were Brian Gurley and Ken Danchik. Readings at the Mass were:

Reading 1- 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19

Rx Psalm (sung)- Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

Reading 2- 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Alleluia- Jn 1:41, 17b

Gospel Reading- Jn 1:35-42

After choir rehearsal, we all headed up to the loft for the noon Mass. 

The noon Mass was celebrated by Fr Kris Stubna and Fr Carmen D'Amico with Deacon Tom Berna, 2 servers, and lectored by AlDiC. Music included:

Entrance Hymn- The Baptist Bore Witness- Foundation; Funk's Compilation of Genuine Church Music; harmony by Richard Proulx

Spoken Kyrie/ Lord Have Mercy

Gloria- English Translation- Peter J Latona

Rx Psalm, sung

Alleluia- English Translation- Peter J Latona; Text- John 1:41; 17b

Preparation of the Gifts-  Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee- Rt Rev J E Ronan 

Sanctus- Peter J Latona- Mass of the Immaculate Conception; Text- English Translation of the Roman Missal

Mystery of Faith- Peter J Latona- Mass of the Immaculate Conception; Text- English Translation of the Roman Missal

Amen- Peter J Latona- Mass of the Immaculate Conception; Text- English Translation of the Roman Missal

Agnus Dei-- Peter J Latona- Mass of the Immaculate Conception; Text- English Translation of the Roman Missal

Communion Antiphon- (T, B)- Chant; Text- John 1: 41, 42

Communion Hymn- Gift of Finest Wheat- Robert Kreutz

Communion Meditation- O Sacrum Convivium- Giovanni Croce; Text- Magnificat Antiphon, Corpus Christi, attributed to St Thomas Aquinas

Recessional Hymn- O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts- L M Wareham; Text- Jesu, ulcedo cordium, attributed to St Bernard of Clairvaux, paraphrased by Ray Palmer

Chatted about planning for the drive for our new neighbors after Mass.

Delicious leftover pritong manok, kanin, atsaka ensalada for lunch at D and M's. Sweet potato pie for dessert. A long afternoon nap ensued for the whole household, followed by family Zoom with WA and MM; J O and GMcS with A; and with Lolo/la, and myself, of course.

Chill day in more ways than one! Stay-inside day; only went out to pick up M's eyedrops at the neighborhood drugstore---I never left the car, went through the drive-through window. The pharmacy technician liberally used the phone; she did not want to risk getting cold!

D, M, and I enjoyed M's adobong manok for dinner with kanin at ensalada.

Woke early for Es language online practice and breakfast. I braved the cold, snow, wind, and ice to retrieve my supplies for the work and TiMaPi Zoom meetings this morning and early afternoon.

Gretchen Anderson and Mosafa Sherif discussed the temporary exhibit "The Stories We Keep." I asked some questions re: physicochemical analyses of museum materials, and possible placement of museum display lights such that certain wavelengths are filtered.