And Now a Word From Dorie Ann

Jack asked if I would write something for his sabbatical blog so here goes.

I spent the early days while Jack was getting the basement set up for his study and prayer area working in my sewing room upstairs. It hasn’t functioned as a sewing room for many years now. In December 2007 when a burst pipe in the basement caused a flood 2 large bookcases and an armoire full of assorted papers and things were lugged upstairs to “my domain” where they sat practically undisturbed until last week. I had a lot of time for reflection as I began sorting through things from the past.

We bought this house 28 years ago in 1989. And 14 years ago this week we moved to Greeley. That was a revelation – that half of our Colorado lives have been spent in Greeley. Some of the things I found in the armoire were things that had disappeared from my life. There was a sketchbook that I had purchased shortly after Jack and I were married in 1979. I found a detailed drawing of the living room in the vicarage in Morehead, Kentucky, that included the living room window showing the large tree that dominated the front yard. (And I drew that? Hmmm.) I saw a drawing of the small cabin where we occasionally went on retreat. And lots of sketches of Jack (sitting in his lounge chair smoking a pipe; sprawling on the sofa with a cat on his lap; sitting at his desk, writing; lots of attempts just to capture the expression of his eyes.) And lots of attempts to depict Frisbee and Squeak, my 2 cats. Some weren’t bad at all and I wondered why I had left that behind. (There are lots of pages left so who knows.)

Another thing I had left behind was my sewing machine but I do have plans for that item. For some months now I’ve had the idea for a Christmas banner to go along with the other 6 banners that we hang from the choir loft at Trinity. I’d never made one for Christmas because the season is so short and we usually hang wreaths. Still it has been on my mind for quite a while. I’ve known what the message will be since last Spring but it was only this week that I saw the design and the colors in my mind. Thursday we drove down to Lakewood and I purchased the fabric. Yesterday I began cutting out the letters.

So there is a snapshot for you. And blessings from Evergreen.

Dorie Ann

Author: Jack Stapleton

Episcopal priest (retired); Wild Animal Sanctuary volunteer (also retired); blogger (cautiously coming out of retirement) View all posts by Jack Stapleton