We Have a Pope...Oh Goodie!

So, we have a Pope again. The smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel was white and a dark horse, a cardinal from Argentina had been chosen. Not only is he a non-European pope, he chose a name that has never been picked before - Francis.

Pope Francis. I wish I felt better about his policies.

Now, I love St Francis of Assisi. What's not to like? The statues and pictures show a humble man in a cassock surrounded by happy birds and baby animals. St Francis was cool with the fur and feather bunch. Hopefully the new Pope, who is no youngling at age 76, can become popular with the human contingent while discussions about the two seagulls perched on the smokestack top have me laughing this morning.

Saint Francis was a friend to the feathered and furred. Now...will Pope
Francis be a friend to the people?

He inherits a church deeply scarred by pedophilia and other abuses, as well as divided by issues like the ordination of women and homosexual marriage. He has a long platform behind him of denial of homosexual marriage rights and I doubt he will change that. So once more, while trying to discuss the issue with my DH (something that I really should know better than to ever talk about with him) we argued. He is dogmatic and firm in his denial of marriage rights for non-heterosexual couples, I am adamant that Gay Rights are Civil Rights and that religious marriage is up to the individual church/denomination but that the legal rights should not be withheld.

So after ranting about how the government is taking away his choices he barricaded himself in the upstairs bedroom watching on-demand stuff for the night while I watched my ghost shows downstairs in the computer room. He's like a stone - firm and hard, but the world is like a river and eventually the water will turn the stone into mud.

Eventually opposition will be worn away, but it's uncomfortable
while the battles are being fought.

Yesterday was my day off and I toured one of the local health clubs - actually very nice but I don't think I can do anything about joining and getting my money's worth until after I have retired, so that's back burner. After groceries and errands I pulled out my pastels and while doing laundry, continued colorizing the inks I had already prepared for CB's Big Bang. I had so much fun! Three more panels have now been colored with one more to go, then a photo montage and finally a pencil/charcoal piece that I will start later this week. Oh...and chapter headings, but I already have an idea for that. It's all coming together and it's so much fun!

LA Fitness is a nationwide company with a large location
very near my home. I'm so tempted...I really miss belonging
to a health club.

Have fun today. Choose something that you love doing and allow yourself at least 30 minutes to do it. We all need something positive in our lives....