Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.

And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

This week flew by.  It may have been because Eddie and I went to DMV 4 times.  The first 2x, we did not have the right paper work.  I have no idea how I messed that up after having done this 3 other times.  I did though.  The third time, he did not pass the permit test.  He had been studying, so I think he pretty much just psyched himself out.  We went the next day - today and he passed.  Later, we went over to an industrial park so he could practice a bit.  There are very few places abandoned enough to practice with a brand new driver.  The industrial park wasn't quite as empty as I had thought it would be, but he did quite well.  When we got back into our neighborhood, I let him drive again.  He's really doing pretty well. 

The rest of the week was pretty much work and errands.  Colleen and I went out to get her film, then 2 other stops.  We have been putting together "remember when" collages of pictures of all of us growing up at work.  So, I got mine put together last night.  After that we stopped at Target for a few things we needed -  like feminine products and toilet paper.... it became a prom stuff adventure.  The only thing we walked out with for that was undergarments & make up.  That leaves shoes and accessories.  ugh. 

When I was looking for childhood pictures, I ended up finding really neat stuff from my mom and dad's high school & college days, their courtship and marriage.  What a great treasure to find.  There is so much in the cedar chest upstairs it is fantastic.  The only things that would make it better would be if I knew who all of the people in the pics were and where all the overseas shots were taken.  I want to copy all of the pics or put them on CDs, and send the pictures of my brothers and sister to them. There is a huge portrait taken when Ron was in the Navy and he and his family should have had it long ago.  I'm not quite sure what to do with the pictures where we are all together.  Who gets those?  What about my parents' pictures.... do I just make 4 equal piles?????  Oy. 

Jerry is away for a college reunion thing.  I miss him already.  I don't necessarily see him that often, but I guess I feel better when I know he is only 20 minutes away.  Wah.  I'm a whiner.  Tomorrow will be errands, cleaning and shopping.  Sunday is a barbershop type group performance at Jamie's school, plus I will be bringing back as much as I can to lessen all the stuff that will be moved by probably just Jamie and I on Friday.  Still haven't figured where all that junk is going to go.  

But... it has been gorgeous out and that is to continue through the weekend - hooray!  Have a good one!