Friday Five

1) Do you observe Advent in your church? Yes, observing Advent is a big deal in my church because I love it. We change all the vestments to a deep blue (dark night) and use no flowers. In order to enhance the idea of simplicity we put away our silver and use blue ceramic chalices, paten, and cruets. And we hang a large Advent wreath with three blue and one pink candle.

2) How about at home?When our kids were young we observed Advent at home with the lighting of an Advent wreath and some prayers at dinner time, plus we used an Advent calendar to mark the days until Christmas. This year, because I have been very ill with an infection (and hospitalized for 11 days) I feel that I have been in Advent for three weeks already...dark, anticipation, waiting...and now I mark my days around the doses of IV antibiotic I have to give myself 4 times daily. I have decided to ritualize these IV treatments with music (usually Mozart Sonatas) and praying the daily office. Also three of the four times I give these treatments it is dark outside, enhancing the sense of true Advent.

3) Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn? O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

4) Why is one of the candles in the Advent wreath pink? (You may tell the truth, but I'll like your answer better if it's funny.) Although I use the pink candle I really don't get why? Mostly I just like the color, it breaks up the monotony of blue...but also it adds a little sense of the feminine in all blue season...a sense of new life emerging.

5) What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen? I don't know, I don't pay much attention to them anymore...

Also, let me just add, it soooooo good to feel well enough to play again. I'm back and slowly healing.