I've been going to church now for over a month. It's a long story as to how I got started again, at this time I'll just say that I'm enjoying the experience. Our church in Tivoli is St. Sylvia's. It is a lot different since the time I went with the kids back in the 70's and 80's. Oh, it's the same beautiful small church, and like so many churches has the feeling of another world, another country to it. Oh, the church is the same, but attendance is way down; today there were many 20 people at the most - all older, no kids at all. When I used to take the kids, the church was full, and there were all ages, and all sizes. Today I sat in the same pew as I did so many years ago with the kids. I remember how it was always a challenge then, to get everybody ready, in the car and seated in that pew for Mass.

And then, it was the challenge of keeping them behaved, not laughing, not wriggling or poking each other. That's when the term "the church face" was given to me, apparently my face turned into something completely abnormal, that demanded certain behavior to change. The kids would sneak in toys, anything to keep them amused. One time I looked over at Sabra and she had pulled Chatty Cathy out of her pocket and right before my cringing eyes, pulled the string way out. Now if you remember Chatty Cathy was a small doll that would talk when the string was pulled, saying things like "I want a hamburger" "I think I'm pretty", etc. I grabbed Cathy out of her hands before the string could start down. Holding the sting taunt, now I had to figure out what to do with it. I couldn't hold it the whole Mass....carefully, everytime the congregation would stand I would release a little string, the noisy standing covering most of Cathy's comment. It took careful concentration and I was sweating bullets while my kids were grinning from ear to ear at my dilemma. Finally, Cathy was quiet and put away in my purse. That's how church was then, nerve wracking.

Today was quiet, no church drama, not even much to look at. The sermon was about 9/11 and especially Father Judge, the Fire Department Chaplain who is listed as the first casualty of that event. The priest returned to his usual theme of you never know when you will be called, a common thread he has included every week for the last month and which always makes me think of Maria. Anyway, he quoted Father Judge as having said, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans for tomorrow." That's basically all I remember of the sermon, but that is plenty.