Dancing Ladies

Someone has asked about the picture from Pentecost and about the picture in my "About Me" section. These dancing ladies are kind of a trademark for me. Many years ago, there was a mail order catalog called "Seasons" (I believe they are no longer in business) and they had things that were to my taste. From them I bought a pair of earrings that had five dancing ladies like these on them. The accompanying description said that the design had come from a cave painting in Spain. I loved those dancing ladies so much, that I asked Joe to draw them for me; he did, and then he drew four or five more ladies in slightly different poses. I have appliqued them on a few things; the first was a vest for my friend Kathy. People have sometimes asked me to share the pattern and I have always declined. I suppose it is selfish of me, but I just don't want to see them in other places.
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Now, about the photo from yesterday and the photo to the left. When I was working on my Master of Sacred Theology degree a few years back, the last class that I took was outside of my area of concentration, which was pastoral care. The class was called "Liturgy and Time" and for my major paper/project, I wanted to find a way to bring Sunday into the rest of the week; that is, a way to tangibly bring the seasons of the church year into my home. I studied and researched the colors of the liturgical year and the symbols associated with those seasons, symbols we sometimes see on paraments and vestments. I created a series of wall hangings and Joe made this wonderful frame out of cherry wood that he had. The frame hangs in the entryway of our home as a visible reminder to us (and to guests) of who and whose we are. The photo from yesterday was for Pentecost, the birth of the church. The color for Pentecost is red. The dove and the flames symbolize the Holy Spirit descending on the gathered people. It will stay up for a few weeks of the early part of the season of Pentecost and then we will switch to a green hanging, as green is the color for the long season of Ordinary Time, the weeks following Pentecost.
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The Easter hanging is the dancing ladies and the verse that you really can't see embroidered above them says, "You have turned my mourning into dancing," from the Psalm appointed for Easter. I was particularly happy that these ladies who are so special to me, were able to be part of my series of liturgical hangings.
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When we get to the green season, there is an amazing story connected with the hanging I will use, and I'll tell that story then.