7QT: Romance, Lent, Music, and More

1. Valentine's Day -- Here are the cards we shared with one another. Bill's is on the left and mine is on the right.

2. We decided rather than go out to eat in.  Here is what I prepared for our Valentine's Day meal: shrimp cocktail,  keta salmon with a tasty rub, asparagus, and baked potatoes. It is so easy to prepare and super healthy as well as delicious.

3.  Here is my Valentine's Day gift from Bill -- a diffuser which is so relaxing at bedtime. I combine lavender essential oils with absolute rose and it produces a heavenly scent!

4. What have you been reading this Lent? Here is what has been on my night stand: The Autobiography of Dina Belanger (a French-Canadian Blessed), The Lenten Magnificat, Magnificat Year of Mercy Companion, and The Word Among Us -- Lent 2016. I am really enjoying reading about Blessed Dina, but am taking my time reading this volume, as there is much to savor here.

5. Lenten music -- For Lent, I tend to listen to Gregorian chants; however, I received a new album recently which is a little different than my typical Lenten music repertoire. Mystic Chapel by the Project  contains nine songs written by Michael Glenn Bell and Duane W. H. Arnold. It consists of guitar instrumentals and vocals, which I would categorize as praise and worship music. The music is clear,  intense, and upbeat, each piece containing a meaningful faith-filled message. Phil Keaggy plays the acoustic and electric guitar and sings on some of the vocals. It reminds me of the music of the Beattles -- '60s music, but with a Catholic flare. The album begins with a Prelude -- a single guitar playing a in meditative manner, which leads up to a lively praise song that makes you want to dance and clap your hands. While this music is different than my usual Lenten fare, I enjoyed all the songs on this album. Some of the music is slow, meditative, and prayerful, while other songs are more joyful, lively, and upbeat. The nine songs include: Prelude (Journey's End),  Journey to a Mystic Chapel, Come Let us Worship, Joyous Light, Hypachoi, Death is Destroyed, We Sing with Angels, From on High, Holy Father, and Postlude (Journey's End). You can find the songs on iTunes.

6.  Saints -  Some of the saints we honored this past week include: St. Claude de la Colombiere: Apostle of Love and Mercy,  the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites, and Blessed Fra Angelico: Patron of Artists.

7. This weekend we will be celebrating our marriage at the Diocesan Night of Romance.

Have a beautiful and blessed weekend!
Jean

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