More beauty! Today was a foggy Sunday in Vancouver. We attended Catholic mass at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in downtown Van., because my cousin Marcus was playing trumpet at the services today. He is a world-class trumpeter and whenever I hear him perform, whether with the Vancouver Symphony, solo, or in a setting like this with organ accompanist, I cry big tears. He just slays me with his gorgeous sounds and elegant, honest musical playing. He is a wonderful human being and you can HEAR that in his playing, truly. So we went to Mass, the whole family (I am not a Catholic, by the way). It turned out to be quite a moving service. The Gospel was about how we treat others, not just the people in our immediate family and circle and church, but how we treat other people in our daily lives, how we treat the needy, the homeless, the poor, the ill, the elderly, our neighbors in the literal and larger sense: not about how we treat them on Sunday through the collection plate, but how we treat them as a regular way of our being. According to this Gospel and this priest, that is what will determine who gets in to heaven. After the service, we lit candles for special people. I lit a candle for Barry Cowsill, who is still missing after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Barry hasn't been heard from since September 1st and his family and Cowsill fans (I am one) have been waging a campaign to find him or to find out what's happened since his last phone calls out of New Orleans. Their website is www.cowsill.com if you'd like to read about Barry and perhaps help in some way. So I lit a candle for Barry today. This afternoon, my aunt and I went to see a ballroom dancing demonstration. I can still see the beautiful dancers gliding by us! We were so close to them, it was something to see. They did the fox trot, quick step, waltz, rumba, samba, and of course the tango, and the jive. The youngest dancer of the six couples was 13 and most were in college at UBC. One couple has competed internationally. Truly awesome to watch them. We walked a bit more in the fog, and tonight we drove out to the suburbs to have dinner with my cousin and his family. More music there, lots of good stories and laughter. After a drive home in thick, thick fog, we are all sleepy and ready for bed. No before-bed swims tonight, we are all too drowsy for that. I feel so content. I'm completely caught up on my sleep (was truly sleep-deprived in recent weeks) and the stress level is almost nil. I just don't feel it. My recent heartbreak situation has been healing, with a resulting peacefulness in my heart. I'll be home in four days. I miss my son and my dog and my Minnesota life, but I am so happy to have this Vancouver time. Good night! Write if you read this. Love, Brina in the foggy city About Me Name: Bri Location: Plymouth, Minnesota, United States I am a mermaid living in Minnesota, but I am moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2008. I'm an energetic, happy girl who forgets she's a grown-up sometimes. I'm raising a terrific teenager and have a busy, joyful life. I'm in my last year of grad. school, getting a master's in counseling psych. I work part-time from home as a proofreader and editor, and I perform as a classical pianist. I also work as a Pure Romance consultant (ask me more if you are a woman over the age of 18 and if you like to pamper yourself). I have a special man in my life and count myself lucky to love someone who also makes me laugh like nobody else. View my complete profile Previous Posts Beautiful Here in Vancouver, we ventured into a fu... Happy in Vancouver with my family here. It's such ... http://s23.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=13LAOW28EDIAY2B... A present for you today:this one is pretty enough ... Book Club ladies with cats!And you thought we act... "A Night Piece" by Arthur Foote,performed by Sarab... Two songs whose lyrics are right for today:"Into M... My hiking buddy and me in the woods this week. Lov... Here's a musical link for you, only good for a cer... Pete T. made a little movie, just talking to the c...