Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6-7



Friday, March 14, 2014

Friday Daybook




It's Friday. No one blogs on Friday, and no one comments on Friday, so I must be a glutton for punishment. It's Lent. Why not? 


Outdoors...it was gloriously sunny this morning, but clouds and wind are moving in. I checked weather.com for the temp (rather than getting up to look at the thermostat) and it says 9°C. Ever since I watched Downton through UK TV, my weather.com gives me London weather, and if I look up weather in my area it gives me the temp in degrees Celsius. I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to change it back.


I am thinking about...prayer. For Lent I decided to start praying the Liturgy of the Hours, at least once a day. I started with morning prayer, and then yesterday I realized my morning prayer time (7 a.m.) is not morning prayer time for an order, so I twitched to midmorning prayer, but I'm still not sure I'm doing it right. I know if I do it long enough, I'll get used to it, but I don't feel I'm really getting anything out of it right now. I used the Divine Office app, and use the audio to participate as if I were praying in community, but it feels empty. Fake it till you make it? I am hopeful that Leila Lawler's new book will help when it arrives. The thing that prompted me to want to pray the Divine Hours was Call the Midwife. I love listening to the sisters sing the Hours, and wish I had a daily recording of an order singing their Hours. I think singing it would be so much more meaningful. Anyone have thoughts to share on that topic?


I am wearing...a denim skirt, black v-neck, a scarf, and gray leggings. I am anxious to start wearing cotton skirts again, that's for certain.


I am reading...Shirt of Flame, Bringing Lent Home with St. Therese, and The Day You Found Me occasionally. Anima Christi just arrived in the mail, so I'm adding that to my stack.


I am creating...I have been a machine lately, mostly creating rosaries (see my giveaway if you need a First Eucharist rosary), and scapulars, and working on a baby quilt. If I use up most of the supplies I have recently ordered, it might take several months, but I will have a stocked shop. I have decided not to take on many commissions, due to the incident I wrote about a few weeks ago, but I enjoy creating what I want so it should be more fun. This is my latest...an inexpensive rosary in honor of St. Patrick's Day, but featuring Our Lady of Knock. It's a fascinating apparition. 





As I was reading about the apparition and shrine, I thought that if I won a big lottery (I don't play, so I can't win, right?) I'd visit the site of every Marian apparition in the world. What an incredible joy that would be!

I also have a box of fabric in my car to start the "Coats of Many Colors" for the dance studio. My goal is to make a prototype this weekend to take to the studio on Tuesday.



At the school table...a normal school day. "All subjects?" Faith asks as she gets her books out. "All subjects," I reply. She sighs. On Fridays I am reading to her from The Joyful Mysteries of Life, a book for pre-teens about growing up. Ya know...the facts of life, but presented in a beautiful way. I predict it will be much more difficult for me to watch my daughter mature (partly because girls mature in a more visual way, and earlier) than my sons. I think this book is helping me as much as it is educating my daughter. I need a patron saint of puberty. Any suggestions?


On the table...I am half embarrassed to say I am contemplating serving fish sticks for dinner. They are in the freezer, and all I have to do it put them in the oven. Pretty tempting. I'll make some good macaroni and cheese to go with, and a green salad. Have a favorite brand of fish sticks?


A few of my favorite things...
...a fire in the fireplace. I am clinging to the last few days of winter for this pleasure. 
...beads and beads and beads
....clean, scented sheets. I added some scent to my dryer balls and my clean sheets smelled so nice last night when I got in bed. 


Prayers sent heavenward for...
...my husband and children
...all those who are sick and alone
...my son, to learn his chemistry this semester
...our priests and religious, especially our parish priests, and Fr. Howe
...all the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week, for a change of heart

  
A picture thought...




I spy:

a newly-finished commissioned rosary -- a different one with clover Paters, honoring Our Lady of Knock

my grandma's funeral card; the funeral home printed the wrong date of death and so my mom asked for new ones and they just arrived

two beautifully embroidered pillowcases found among my grandma's things that my mom rescued for me; my grandma embroidered them many years ago, and I can't wait to put them on my bed {joy}

a new medication for joint pain, and I am very hopeful it works for me without serious side effects

a new scapular (in my shop)

Anima Christi , just arrived

the parts for the next rosary in line; beautiful gold Swarovski pearls and fire opal crystals





There are some Amazon affiliate links in this post.



10 comments:

  1. 7 AM is TOTALLY prayer time for an order! I know several Dominican monasteries that say Lauds around 6:30/7 AM; sometimes it's said after morning Mass. Lauds and Vespers are the "hinges" (ie, most important offices) of the day, so really, those are the ones to try to get in, anytime. As the former adviser to my Lay Dominican chapter used to say, "It's morning/evening SOMEWHERE!"

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    1. Thank you, Emily. That's good to know. It felt odd skipping morning and going right to midmorning. It also feels odd to use an app -- the feel of book and ribbons is missing, but I'm trying to detach from the worldly aspect of it. Especially since I don't know what I'm doing with a book.

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  2. I second Emily's thought. 7AM at your house is morning prayer time somewhere! And morning and evening prayer are more... robust, I guess, than the midday prayers. :-)

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    1. I noticed that, Jennie. The midday prayers are more like a snack.
      ;-)

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  3. I always enjoy your daybooks and "I Spy" photos! I put fish sticks in the over more often than not during Lent! I have one child who LOVES them, and they are easy, which is what I need most nights at about 5 p.m. Have a wonderful weekend! God bless you, Barbara!

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  4. The main hours are Morning and Evening prayer, and Office of Readings. Only those who live in the monastery usually pray the other hours.

    And at least for me, Morning lasts until noon and evening starts after 3:00. I fit the Divine Office to work for me.

    I love that rosary, and your grandmother's pillowcases. Just gorgeous.

    And I just love anything by Mother Mary Francis.

    How did the MRI go? I'm praying the new meds will work.

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  5. I don't care for the audio of the Divine Office app either, it's actually distracting for me. I chant the prayers on my own, going at my own pace is so much better contemplating it all. Here's a good link to chanted vespers (in English) if you are ever interested in chanting the Divine Office - http://www.westminsterabbey.ca/chants.html#top

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  6. Me again. I don't LOVE the app, but I use it regularly. I'm not crazy about the voices, but I do like to have the pace. I get distracted easily. But I also use it as background, not necessarily sit down and pray with it, if that makes sense.

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  7. Hello, Barbara! Those pillowcases are wonderful treasures!
    We know of two monasteries that post recordings of the Office each day. They are monks chanting the monastic Office in Latin, so not sure if that's what you're looking for. But it is beautiful to listen to!
    http://osbnorcia.org/blog from Italy
    http://barrouxchant.com/# from France
    The text of the Monastic Office can be found here: http://www.ccwatershed.org/blog/2013/dec/4/1934-antiphonale-monasticum-free-pdf-download/ if you actually wanted to sit and follow along. But it is beautiful just to listen and meditate quietly.
    God bless!

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  8. I had to laugh when I read you were embarrased to serve fish sticks! I really like fish sticks - on a bun with cheese & tartar sauce - and we normally have it as lunch or supper quite often during Lent. But, one of my children, when putting away the bulk bag of frozen fish sticks the first week of Lent, didn't realize they were frozen and put them in the frig. I wasn't too happy when I saw them in the frig the following week. So, that silly bag of fish sticks has become a source of penance instead! I'm not going to replace it...and I'm craving fish sticks!!

    The rosaries are beautiful.

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I appreciate your comments -- sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself!