Cometsgirl

Before I left home a few days ago, I had a number of concerns. It may surprise you to know that I’m pretty good at angst.

— the cancellation of my flight due to severe weather around the country didn’t happen.

— my two-hour delayed flight was actually on time.

— snow and ice on all the roads was at home, not in Texas where I was going.

— by changing our appointment by a day, my granddaughter and I did get tattoos!

— the Rice WBB game wasn’t cancelled, it was just played an hour earlier. They won! An aside: Valerie and I have been to a game each of the four years she’s been at Rice!

— Beth and I did get to church, however due to icy roads, Holy Family Episcopal church, was on Zoom.

— due to icy roads, the Houston Symphony was canceled on Sunday afternoon. However, we were provided a recording of the concert from the previous night. It was like a personal concert in her home!

— due to icing at home, there was no power, the possibility of no water, and 55° in the bedroom. So I stayed another day in Houston with my best friend. This gave us time to plan another trip in the summer.

Today is a new day. Traveling mercies.

…Winter Storm to Bring Heavy Snow and Ice”.

Why not travel today? After all, I made plans for this trip a good while ago.

My flight was delayed a couple of hours, but while I enjoyed the Delta club, the incoming flight made up almost enough time for my flight to be only slightly delayed.

My granddaughter and I are going to the Rice University women’s basketball game. The time of the game has been moved up an hour. We are really looking forward to this game. Four years at Rice; a game each year.

A planned activity with my granddaughter is scheduled very close to the storm onset tomorrow night.

My best friend and I have tickets Sunday afternoon for the Houston Symphony with Marin Alsop as conductor!

Stay tuned for how this all turns out.

Traveling mercies.

I lost one of my dearest friends two nights ago.

He was a gentle man. A wise man.

A man devoted to his God. An Episcopal priest.

A man devoted to his husband.

A man devoted to his children and to his grandchildren.

A man devoted to his friends.

A man devoted to the art of flower arranging and the art of presenting flower festivals.

A lover of Edisto Beach.

A lover of dogs.

A man who loved riding in my Miata. Top down. We marveled that each of us could still get in and out of that car.

Oh how I will miss John T

The wintry weather was to began sometime in the night. Below freezing temps. 1” snow. Some snow flurries expected.

Instead, it was closer to 4” of snow. And many snow flurries!

How to begin this day? Well, a warm fire was a good place to start.

The many windows in the casa where I’m staying here in Taos, offered wonderful snow views.

One of the llamas down the road looked so cool in their garb.

Several hours after the snow storm began, it felt like it was time to take a drive.

But first I needed to remove the snow off the car. It was loaded.

I found a broom to knock down snow, and to sweep the 12” of snow off the ground around the car.

Then I headed north.

Lots of white joy!

Then my friend called; she wanted to have a look-see of all the snow beauty.

Off we went.

“Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness,” Mary Oliver

 “the act of doing good or promoting the well-being of others …”. I’ll come back to this.

But first…

Driving north from Albuquerque to Taos takes two hours or so. Unless you stop for lunch,

and coffee. This Starbucks was fairly new, and I’d not noticed it on previous travels. It was a good stop not only for my Cortado, but the conversation about the words at the entrance. It’s a Tewa phrase referring to the Pueblo of Pojoaque in northern New Mexico, meaning “Water Drinking Place Village”. Isn’t that wonderful?

It was a beautiful drive, culminating with a stop at the Friendship Tree at sunset.

As it was Feast Day of the Epiphany, we decided to go to church. St. James, Taos, had a 7:00 evening service.

It was a beautiful service. One thing in particular was the choosing of a word for the coming year. I had only recently heard of this practice.

Epiphany star words are guiding words which are often chosen during Epiphany church services. The word is then used to focus on one’s spiritual journey for the new year, inspired by the star that led the Magi.

The chosen word serves as a spiritual prompt for the year, encouraging deeper meaning and connection with faith.

We were invited to take a star without looking at the word on the backside. I chose a star, then turned it over.

My word. GOODNESS

For me, I see goodness as showing love, mercy, generosity, fairness and kindness to others. All others.

Here’s some goodness for me this afternoon.

I’m headed to Taos, New Mexico, on this day of Ephiphany.

“Epiphany commemorates the day the Magi (Three Wise Men) arrived in Bethlehem to visit baby Jesus, completing the journey that began on Christmas Day, marking the “revelation” (meaning of epiphany) of Jesus to the world.”

I think Taos is a natural for my Epiphany journey. Beauty, wonder, joy. Hope, promise.

I’ve found that traveling to the high country of New Mexico in January can be very quieting, opening opportunity to listen, to hear.

I’m really looking forward to Epiphany in this special place.

Come along. Traveling mercies.

I intended to write a blog on my flight home last week, or soon after I was home.

After I arrived home, Christmas took hold of me for a time. This blog is meant to wrap up my recent travel to Houston, which was my last trip in 2025.

I’m sitting in front of a beautiful evening fire as I write. A blue-northern blew in yesterday, taking us down to the twenties.

There is beauty in a warming fire.

Looking back on my last day in Houston…

I found beautiful worship at Holy Family Episcopal Church. Worship is intentional, beautiful, and fills my soul.

My friend worships here. She also serves as a priest when needed. I love worshipping at Holy Family. I’m so glad it’s her church.

This Sunday was the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Holy Family has such beauty in its spaces. It’s hard to believe the building was a former meat packing facility.

Lunch was at a favorite restaurant. I’d not been there for a good while; my return was really delicious.

Later we attended a concert at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Cypress, northwest of Houston. It’s where my friend was rector for over seventeen years. I loved being in this beautiful space once again. This was my sixth, and final, concert in 2025.

Before we drove home, we stopped at a long-ago favorite.

Best ever!

There’s a new dawn just ahead.

Come along. Traveling mercies.

A year ago I came to Houston for the December concert at the Bayou Bend cistern.

I was determined to return this December.

We entered a cool and darkish space

Ars Lyrica presented Ring in the Peace, a musical journey from the ninth century onward.

The cistern experience was curated by Mexican-born mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and a percussionist.

It’s so moving to hear voice and percussion as you stand silent and gaze downward, watching the colors change.

One could hear the soloist slowly coming toward us. Then passing by.

Continuing along the path, her reflection seen below.

Just like the Taize music from the evening before, it was memorizing.

I had a chance to speak with Cecilia as we exited. A beautiful young woman, with the gift of beauty of voice.

The season of Advent is a time for us to silence ourselves to allow us to prepare for the coming of Jesus. For me this means times of quiet. Both the service of Taize and the cistern sights and sounds, gave me the needed quiet.

Driving home had its own quiet ways.

Several hours after I arrived in Houston, my friend and I attended a church service in the chapel of The Church of St. John the Divine.

A Taize service of Comfort & Joy.

As we entered, we took a lighted votive and placed it near the altar. As I set my candle down, I remembered those I see no longer.

The service consisted of readings and Taize chants. These chants are short and repeated over and over for a time. It’s mesmerizing and quieting.

Driving home afterwards, there was a sea of lights

A Night Prayer (from A New Zealand Prayer Book)

Lord, it is night.

The night is for stillness.
        Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.
        What has been done has been done;
        what has not been done has not been done; 
        let it be.

The night is dark.
        Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of
        our own lives rest in you.

The night is quiet.
        Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
        all dear to us,
        and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.
        Let us look expectantly to a new day,
        new joys,
        new possibilities.

In your name we pray.  Amen.

Now quieted, we stopped for ice cream on the way home.

Today I take another seat in my chair in the sky. This will be my 16th trip in 2025. Wow!

I’m headed to Houston. A year ago my best friend and I attended a concert in the old cistern in downtown Houston. The cistern had been restored to a level where tours could be given. And concerts featuring a small group of singers. With awesome lighting to accompany the voices. We vowed to return.

Cistern Illumnated

“Take a luminous journey through light and sound this holiday season with Cistern Illuminated. This multi-sensory art experience transforms the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern into a transcendent spectacle of color, echo, and optical illusion.”

Ah, a luminous journey….I’m in!

Since the cistern was planned, other opportunities have presented themselves. It’s going to be Advent season-related experiences the next few days; art, music, worship, meals, and the cistern. Such riches!

Oh, and Texmex dining.

Travel well.