It was a good day 39 years ago when our first child was born in Dubuque in the very early morning! Truly a holy experience when a new life arrives. Greg and I were in awe and cried and even phoned friends & family at 2:00 am to announce our good news and new joy. Elizabeth Joy to be exact.
And now she is a beautiful and talented young woman. We toured the Waterloo Center for the Arts where 3 delightful exhibits waited to be discovered. Molly D Wallace, née Munns, created Pandema’s Box, a fascinating look at what Covid did to our lives, in a collection of creative boxes containing miniature stories. The textiles exhibit from the WCA was my favorite, probably because I never knew they had all these items! Woven garments, mats, baskets, quilts, hats and so many other art forms made the loop around the small lecture space a continual discovery. And then the permanent Haitian collection, which always teaches me something new. Yesterday the word I learned better was syncretism, which is the combination of different beliefs and practices. Haitian art reveals the combination of African, Voodoo, and Christian beliefs. Or as Elizabeth explained: Haiti is 99% Christian and 100% Voodoo. That is why Jesus and Mary appear in transforming magical animal & nature scenes. All of these powerful beliefs combine.
Walking in France from Le Puy en Velay 