For Whom The Bell Tolls

Q has volunteered at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. for fifty years. As a child. Q attended the girl's school at the cathedral and took up the rare art of bell ringing. I am not talking the small, hand held bells many church choirs use at Christmas time. I am talking about the 3,000 pound peal bells that reside in the central tower of a major national cathedral. Ten of these bells are in the central tower of the National Cathedral.

The peal bells at National Cathedral. The bells weigh between 1,000 and 3,200 pounds. They are rung by pulling ropes from the floor below the bells.

Unlike many of the women appearing in this blog, Q is not bisexual. Quite the contrary. She is a classic spinster - unmarried her entire life. Had Q been born Catholic, I am sure she would have become a nun.

Q in the blue blouse is the Master Bell Ringer at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. These are the ropes that are pulled to make the bells ring. Because each bell has a different tone, knowledgeable bell ringers can play songs and hymns on the bells

In her youth, Q was into computers. She started a data base storage company and eventually went to work for the Federal Government. There is, apparently, a strong connection between bell ringing and mathematics. Rather than reading sheet music, bell ringers read sheets of music with numbers on them.

Q at the ripe old age of 28. She worked for Amdahl computing at the time

About ten years ago, Q broke her leg. She was walking in her backyard when her tibia snapped in half for no apparent reason. Quilla lay in her backyard for 4 hours before a neighbor heard her screams and called for an ambulance.

Still under the influence of drugs, Q shows no hint of anger or disappointment at her broken leg. The newly applied cast is pearly white.

Q endured a horribly painful ambulance ride. X-Rays revealed a spiral fracture of the tibia which was set in the Emergency Room of George Washington University Hospital - the same hospital where Ronald Reagan was treated after he was shot. Q stayed in the hospital for three days. Tests indicated bone density issues as the cause of the fracture. She has fully recovered from the injury.

Fortunately, the bell ringing community is tight knit. A fellow bell ringer has painted Q's adorable toes on the first day of her injury

Q has overseen bell ringing for many significant events. These include Presidential burials and inaugurations. She is recognized as a world leader in the bell ringing world.

Q earlier this year with her bell ringing group. She is second from the left in the front row.