Reredos in Postcards 4

Time seems to be getting away from me these days. If things aren’t right in front of me, I forget them. I can even write things down, and I forget that I have written about it. I have a vague memory of something, and when I look it up the reality doesn’t match.

I thought I would write a little something about reredos this morning. I’ve been picking a picture and writing about it these 30 NoJoMo days. My memory told me that when we had an AIDS Quilt blessing at the San Diego Mission de la Alacala, we walked through the Mission and gardens before we had the blessing in the St. Francis Chapel. I always had a camera in my hand. This morning, I looked at every single picture from those AIDS quilt years, and I discovered that I didn’t take the pictures I remembered.

It was a sad joy to see those friends from just fifteen years ago. Some are dead. Some have worse memories than I. Some of us had lunches, dinners, or picnics together over the next few years. But in the end, no one stayed in touch.

By the Way, a Reredo is a screen or decorative wall behind the altar in a church. The reredo at the San Diego Mission is a much simpler object. For a few moments, I let sadness sit awhile with me. Now I am better and determined to go photograph more missions.

• Himself: I stirred him away from his chair and computer to the gym where he got in the hot tub. He’s doing much better.
• Herself: I felt shakey yesterday. Dentist residuals, I’m sure. Dinner out at the soup plantation helped cure me. Writing today.
• Reading: VI Warshawski.
• Gratitudes: I’m grateful for everything today. It’s a beautiful day out there.