Praying for Grace

(1/27)...streaming

2012-01-27T10:33:00.008-05:00

I went to bed last night to pouring down rain. Woke up to snow. That made an interesting rush hour drive to get Noah to school. I am fond of neither driving in the dark nor driving in the snow.

~~~~~

I made the trek into town this morning for school drop-off because my husband is sick with a stomach bug. Nothing like a stomach bug to get the bathrooms cleaned. All three were in use last night. Sheesh. Did you ever notice that stomach bugs always hit in the middle of the night? What's up with that?

~~~~~

I picked up my new occlusal device (night time bite plate) yesterday. Between the occlusal guard and people getting sick in the night I can't say it was exactly a decent night's sleep. Nope. Wouldn't say that at all. I am wondering how long it will take to get used to it. Any readers use one?

~~~~~

On the way to school this morning, Noah read to me a letter written by our bishop which is to be read during the homily of all Masses in our diocese this Sunday. It is in regard to last week's HHS mandate. I imagine many of my readers will hear similar letters read at Mass on Sunday. I hope so anyway.

My husband works for a Catholic hospital system and so this mandate affects me very directly. The Catholic Church will never provide coverage (not to mention complete coverage) of birth control, sterilization procedures, and abortion pills, and surgical abortion. If nothing changes in the next year, as a result of this mandate, we will either lose our medical insurance coverage completely, or Catholics hospitals will close. Frankly, if you take away medical insurance from hospital employees, I can't see that they will stay open. Who would work for an employer that offers no medical benefits? Catholic schools and universities are in the same boat. If Catholic schools and hospitals close, imagine the impact on the schools and hospitals which are left. Catholic hospitals provide 25% of the medical care in this country. Private schools account for 25% of the nations school and over half of those are Catholic schools. Hmmm...interesting. Intentional? Makes you wonder.

But, even if you don't work for a Catholic employer, and even if you don't care if all Americans are forced to pay for contraception and sterilization for everyone, you should care that the president has violated the First Amendment of the Constitution, and the separation of Church and State. What will be next, I wonder?

I could get really fired up about this issue, because at the forefront of this debate are a lot of so-called "Catholics," like the secretary of HHS, so-called "Catholic" politicians, and heads of so-called "Catholic" organizations that favor this ruling. This fact infuriates me.

But I am trying to replace worry with action. I am committed to calling my politicians, especially those who I know favor the mandate, at least a couple times a week. I'll also write letters. I hope that you will, too. As well as take the opportunity to educate anyone who does not know about or understand the ramifications of this mandate.

Yarning along...

2012-01-25T16:30:00.005-05:00

...with Ginny at Small Things

Knitting, and reading about knitting. Total immersion here. If you can't go whole hog, don't go at all, I say.

I finished Faith's vest and she has worn it twice, but now it is being laundered so I can't show you. But, I will, I promise -- the next time she wears it.

I cast on this wimple, which I intend to use when it snows, but I am rather disenchanted with it at the moment. It feels like I have been working on it for a long time, and as you can see, I have not much to show for my effort. The yarn is KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in smoke heather, and I am thinking it might be too lightweight for this project, even though the pattern calls for lace weight. I think it would be better for a wrap to use with a dressy dress. I am just not sure I am going to ever be able to see the beautiful pattern in this wimple when I am finished. My mother taught me never to quit mid-way, however, and that, paired with my stubborn nature means I will finish it no matter what.

I am reading Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, and it is a rather humorous look at knitting from an non-knitter's perspective (paired with some cool tricks -- like burning mystery yarn to see what it really is. Cool.) I can see that it would be handy to have a copy in the reference section of my bookshelves.

My kindle is pictured because I keep my patterns downloaded on it. Very handy. And I am a lot less likely to lose it than a sheet of paper.

That's it for today. Be sure to stop by Ginny's to see what everyone else is busy with.

Daybook

2012-01-23T13:46:00.001-05:00

Outside my window...

...a balmy 55 degrees F. There is a strong wind blowing, and the sky is grey, but it feels wonderful. January? Who said it's January?

I am thinking...

...about wonderful Chinese dinner we had last night. Doug frequently eats lunch at a little Chinese restaurant near his office. A few weeks ago, in anticipation of the Chinese New Year, the hostess said to him, "You come. You bring family." I said, "that's Chinese for, 'You come. Ring up big bill.'"

Irregardless, we had fun. Josh's girlfriend came, we picked up my college boy, and my mom joined us. There were dancing dragons in the dining room, loud drums and cymbals (just when the dragons danced), for a short while, and Faith hid under the table. She said the dragons "freak me out." We fed them dollar bills, as is apparently "good luck." Not that we believe in good luck, but it was all fun. Dinner was good, too! We rarely do that kind of thing -- I mean very rarely -- which makes it more special when we do.

I am thankful for....

...yarn and bead stash

...prayers

...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...maybe a day away from the house this week, but with books. Last week we went to my in-laws' house. They were away and it was very quiet, but Faith was rather distracted. Faith is rather distracted no matter what we do, so I have to do what offers the least number of distractions, while not losing our minds in the house alone.

From the kitchen...

...I had leftover Chinese green beans and chicken or lunch. Yum. Beans and wieners for dinner with Moist Cornbread. Oh, and Custard Pie for dessert. Just because.

I am wearing...

...Khaki trousers, and a black v-neck sweater with a light blue tee underneath

I am creating...

...a blue, red, white and green baby quilt -- cute, cute, a black onxy rosary for an online friend's recently deployed husband, a grey wimple for myself.

I am reading...

... Knitting Rules! and When Horses Had Wings on the kindle.

I am hoping...

...for an end to abortion

I am hearing...

...Faith talking to herself while she is (supposed to be) drying dishes

Around the house...

...clutter from the weekend. It was a busy weekend, so not very much cleaning was done.

...laundry catchup.

I am going...

...I have an appointment to pick up my occlusal device on Thursday, but that's my only commitment all week. Yea!

One of my favorite things...

...warm January days

...planning trips (shhh! don't tell but I'm planning a birthday getaway for Faith to the Chicago American Girl store. It probably won't be until March -- her birthday is in February -- but I am having fun just thinking about it.)

I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband.

...two soldiers just deployed, both to Afghanistan

...our priests and all religious

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...

...school and home -- my vocation

...knitting, sewing, rosary-making

A picture thought...

more girl and her dog

"Doggy love...

2012-01-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

... is the #1 reason why school at home is better than school at school" -- Faith

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yarn along

2012-01-18T17:08:00.001-05:00

Linking up with Ginny at Small Things.

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Sorry about the iPhone Instagram, but today has been a busy day. We always pay for those lovely holidays in one way or another and now we have a shortened week in which to get a week's worth of work done. Oh well, fewer days until the weekend, eh? I snapped this shot while we schooled in the sometimes sunny living room today.

I am still working on Faith's vest. I didn't get quite as far as I hoped over the weekend, but I'm about 2/3 finished. Faith is tall so I need to make sure it's long enough. Hopefully it's not too big around because she is also pretty skinny.

I am still reading The American Frugal Housewife and am amazed at how pertinent the information is today (since it was written in 1832). The author particularly brings up, repeatedly, how important it is to prepare children for the work they will have to do to maintain a household when they move out of the home. If she thought children in 1836 were unprepared for the challenges of keeping house, I can't imagine what she would think of children today.

I have a stack of knitting books (pictured) which I picked up from the library yesterday. I am anxious to get to them.

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silly husband

2012-01-17T21:20:00.000-05:00

Last evening, my husband and I were sitting amicably in the living room, he on his iPad listening to a podcast, I believe, and a I working on a rosary. After Faith went to bed I got up and said I was going in the family room to watch Downton Abbey, dvr'd the previous evening.

I got myself settled with my knitting and a cup of hot cocoa and it wasn't even the end of the pre-show credits before he came and settled himself in the chair next to me. Too funny. He didn't watch season 1, so he had some questions about a few characters, but mostly he watched and seemed to really enjoy it.

Afterward, he went out to the garage to get a newspaper he had placed in the recycling. He wanted to show me this article from the Wall Street Journal about a book that was inspiration for the creator of Downtown Abbey. Apparently the class difference illustrated in Downtown Abbey is really just the tip of the iceberg. Apparently so is the amount of work the servants are actually seen doing at Downton Abbey. The book is titled Below Stairs by Margaret Powell, and looks like a worthy read. I wonder if I could get my husband to read it to me. (wink)

Daybook

2012-01-16T19:37:00.000-05:00

Outside my window...

...cold, gray, and rainy. Glad I'm indoors.

I am thinking...

...about a week shortened by a school holiday, and how many projects I might get started and finished.

I am also thinking about finding my oldest an apartment somewhere I'd like him to live on campus. Or at least a happy compromise.

I am thankful for....

...clean surfaces, at least in most of the rooms

...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...maybe a day away from the house this week, but with books. The library is too noisy (isn't that insane?) and it's hard to focus at a coffee shop. I need to make certain, however, that the four walls don't close in on the two of us girls.

From the kitchen...

...Best Beef Enchiladas for dinner. We had Jets deep dish pizza -- yea for holidays! (oh my gosh, I love their crust!)

I am wearing...

...grey velour slacks and a French blue turtleneck, Haflinger wool clogs and my "chains" (not a bit of makeup)

I am creating...

...I am a little over half through with this sweater vest in pink for Faith. I am midway through a pink First Holy Communion rosary, and have a purple one to start. I have another rosary to work on for Doug's aunt. I also have a skirt to sew, a jumper to sew, and two baby quilts. No shortage of projects.

I am reading...

...The American Frugal Housewife, and Knitting Rules! is on deck.

I am hoping...

...for a quiet, peaceful and productive January

I am hearing...

...Faith is making a cup of tea. She has become quite the tea drinker lately.

Around the house...

...Christmas decorations down (check)

...bedrooms tidied up (check, but not perfect)

...laundry done (and most of the ironing, check, check)

I am going...

...no appointments this week, yeh for me! (except holy hour on Friday for the unborn)

One of my favorite things...

...free days

I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband.

...two soldiers just deployed, both to Afghanistan

...our priests and all religious

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...

...school and home -- my vocation

...as many projects as I can possibly finish

A picture thought...

feeding the blue jays barefoot early last week...and then it snowed

saturday night fire

2012-01-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

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The kids said the burning hollow log looks like the devil's chimney.

seven quick takes

2012-01-13T11:29:00.001-05:00

-1-

It snowed last night...first real snow of the winter, though it was only an inch or so. It's cold, so it will stay. The temps went from 40s and drizzly yesterday to low 20s and snow around 8 o'clock. I always think of that film Day After Tomorrow when that happens. Brrr. It is really cold out right now. And windy. My college boy will attest to that. He called around 9 and he wasn't very happy. He's not a fan of cold and wind and snow. He needs to move to San Diego (when they were little boys they called it "sandy lego," and we still call it that).

-2-

And because he is getting a degree in Environmental Policy he will tell me extreme weather is brought on by anthropogenic heat/emissions. I am still not entirely convinced that "global warming" is creating abrupt climate change, but I do admit I have noticed some unusual weather lately.

Going from mid 45 to 19 degrees in 24 hours is rather extreme.

My new thermostat tells me how cold it is outside. Brrr.

I don't need it to tell me how windy it is because I can hear it in the trees. Brrr.

-3-

Noah was praying for a snow day today. He had three tests and a paper due. He said he was going to flush ice down the toilet and wear his pajamas backwards. Those are the things you apparently do to create a snow day. Ha. I had to tell him he can't be a good Catholic and be superstitious.

-4-

This weekend we have some cleaning up to do. I think I need to get to an almost Amish motif to feel like it's clean around here. I am having a real problem with my kids' bedrooms. I go back and forth between thinking that their rooms can be messy if that's the way they want to live, and wanting to pitch all their crap out the window and burn it in the yard. The problem is there is no medium messy for them. It's 20 articles of clothes on the floor and dirty dishes on the furniture. I'm mostly referring to the teenage boys here, Faith is messy, but she doesn't take dishes to her room. I tell them not to take dishes to their rooms, but I can't stand guard in the kitchen 24/7, so they do. Yes, I should punish them, but what's an appropriate punishment for leaving dishes in your room? If I tell them to clean their rooms, it gets done half-assed. Ugh. Suggestions?

-5-

Another issue I am battling is Faith's clothes. I hate to say this but my daughter has the fashion taste of a hooker. I buy her nice, basic clothes, but I have a few hand-me-downs from a friend and they are just too tacky for my taste. I have to get rid of all the junk and leave her with just the stuff I like. But even then she will mix outfits in a way that leaves me cringing. I am a Garanimals kind of mom. I like everything to match and I try to make sure all her clothes for one season can be mixed, but she inevitably finds the one shirt that clashes with the one skirt. Open for suggestions. Should I just leave her alone and not look?

-6-

I had a dream last night that I had a new baby. Sigh. He was a lovely little baby (we named him Simon, which does not at all go with our last name, but it is a lovely name), but the disturbing thing about my new baby dreams is that in the dream I always forget to feed the baby. Now none of my babies ever allowed me to forget to feed them, but in my dreams the baby just sleeps and sleeps, and eventually I realize I forgot to feed the baby for like a whole day. It doesn't take a Freud to figure out I'm feeling like I'm neglecting someone or something in my life. Hmmm.

-7-

We're off school on Monday, and Doug took the day off, so we have a long, relaxing weekend with nothing on the calendar. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? I plan to take full advantage and maybe I'll have Faith's vest knitted by Monday. And a few movies watched. What's on your weekend's agenda?

Join Jen at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes

yarn along...

2012-01-11T10:58:00.001-05:00

I have expressed here before my love of grey days. Not just because bright glares trigger my migraine headaches, but I just think grey days are cozy. I am a homebody and grey days encourage hominess. Of course they are not great for taking photos. The last four days have been cloudless. Today I want to take a picture and there is not a peep of sun anywhere. It's as grey as it can be. Go figure.

The furnace installers have been here since 7:30 am yesterday (of course they went home to sleep). I am anxious for them to be done. Besides having strangers in my house, they are back and forth from the back yard where they are installing a/c, and my floor is filthy. I just want to sweep and steam. The dog came in muddy too, which didn't help matters. One of those days where you just offer it up.

The other day I cast on this sweet little vest in Knitpicks Brava Worsted in rouge for Faith. I call this bright pink and Faith absolutely says it's dark pink. I call pastels "light" and she calls them "bright." It makes for some confusing moments picking out clothes some days. (Trying to pick out clothes for a nine-year-old girl is most definitely another post entirely.) The yarn is a little scratchy -- feels more like a wool -- but I wanted something a little more durable for Faith to wear. She's not a sitting pretty kind of girl. My fingers and thumbs, however, are rather beat up and I think the rough texture of the yarn might be to blame. My thumb has an actual hole in it, which is not entirely unusual for me this time of year.

I haven't been reading much lately. A few pages of this on my Kindle and a few pages of that, which I need to finish up because it's a library book. Mostly while I knit, at least in the evening, I've been watching Bramwell, an older Masterpiece Theater series, on my Kindle Fire. I am on the fourth and last year, so I'm savoring the last few episodes. Last night I watched the dvr'd premiere of Downton Abbey. I watched the whole first season just before Christmas while I frantically knitted my son's balaclava. Are you watching Downton Abbey, too? It's funny that so many Americans are hooked on this British series. If you are hooked on Downton Abbey, I bet you would enjoy Bramwell, also.

Join Ginny to check out some other lovely knitters and readers.

New Year's Eve Illusions

2012-01-10T19:53:00.002-05:00

Joining the ladies (and men) at Snapshots Around the World.

We always host a big family New Year's Eve party. Yummy food, cold drinks, fireworks, loud chatter and sometimes games fill the night. As I prepared for our company this past holiday, I noticed Doug outside preparing a fire on the deck (yes, on the deck). He had also taken the Christmas lights off the tree (three strands went out just after Christmas and so the tree came down prematurely) and wrapped them around the deck rails. I wanted to get a picture of him out there fooling around, with the lights and the fire, but no matter how hard I tried I kept capturing the reflection of the indoors, candles and shiny ornaments, drinking glasses and ice bucket ready, the warm glow from lamps, and a pair of mittens left on the table. I love the combination -- the outside and the inside -- the full picture as we rang in the New Year.

central Ohio

daybook...first of 2012

2012-01-09T16:56:00.001-05:00

Outside my window...

...moderately cold and sunny. I am grateful for the mild temperatures when I think about the heating bill, but it doesn't seem a bit like January in Ohio.

I am thinking...

...about some tough love I think we need around here. Faith in particular has gotten rather sassy lately, and is just plain miserable to be around some days, mostly in regard to school work and keeping a decent schedule. I think we have a harder time after Christmas because we don't have the beginning of the year excitement to motivate her. I had to resort to the timer to get her moving today and ignore her comments about "hating school." Part of me wants to help her, and find fun things to do, and part of me wants to give her a good thrashing. In the end I know she just needs time and a strict schedule, as do the boys. They have stretched bedtimes to the very limits, and one weekends think they should be free to do whatever they want. Huh.

I am thankful for....

...prayer, renewed

...sticking to some new year goals

...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...the timer, mostly, and good old-fashioned lessons

From the kitchen...

...tonight blt benedict with avocado and tomato relish, and leftover Epiphany Cake.

I am wearing...

...khaki trousers, a heavy, brown, cotton turtleneck and brown patent leather clogs, with my new bronze wrist chain

I am creating...

...I just cast on this sweater vest in pink for Faith. I repaired several rosaries in the past week so it's nice to do some knitting for a change.

I am reading...

...The American Frugal Housewife, and The National Catholic Register in the few moments I have for reading. Not much time for reading these days. I've been spending a lot of time watching the four seasons of Bramwell.

I am hoping...

...for a quiet, peaceful January

I am hearing...

...two of the menfolk arrived home a bit ago and they are busting into a bucket of popcorn Doug received from a colleague.

Around the house...

...Christmas decorations coming down, but maybe not today

I am going...

...to the dentist tomorrow to be fitted for an occlusal devise, to help with my nighttime clenching. The furnace is being installed tomorrow and Wednesday so mostly I'll be home this week.

One of my favorite things...

...new beginnings

I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband.

...our priests and all religious

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...
...school and home -- my vocation

A few picture thoughts....

New Year's Eve pretties

A pj school day, last week

My honey making a big Epiphany fire

My oldest (right) and his roommates. They came home for dinner last night, and enjoyed the fire, and Wicked Kebobs, and Epiphany Cake.

My Joshua on the way home from a doctor's appt today. He's a cutie. And yes I was photographing and driving. My bad. But just with my phone so I didn't even have to look.

Eleventh day yarn along

2012-01-04T10:50:00.002-05:00

On the eleventh day I'll crochet, and read, with Ginny and friends.

Yesterday I was browsing through the Kindle library for something on organizing. Not that I need to read how to organize, because I do just fine on my own, but I needed some inspiration. As soon as I saw the title of this book (The American Frugal Housewife, free here), I knew it would be good, and it was free. Free inspiration! The first paragraph of the introduction is:

"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of the family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money."

I love that mentality. Of course, the author of the book, written in 1832, goes on to say that knitting socks is much less expensive than buying, which is obviously not true, obvious to anyone who has bought yarn or socks today. But, I love the idea of using every little thing, and every bit of time. I have always said my time is free.

I'm sure there are many parts of the book that are outdated, but I'm just as sure that much of the book will be inspirational to me. I think there is much to be said for teaching children how to be frugal. American children today think nothing of breaking and dirtying things, and wearing out their clothes. There's always more, right? I think it's good to teach them why we should take care of what we have.

Ironically, just last week I started a scarf using scraps of yarn left from other projects. I didn't have enough black to make the scarf, so I pulled it apart and started over, making a blanket for my Joshua's bed. I ordered some more black, but will also use up all my colored scraps on the rows in between. Cotton and wool, it's all good and will be warm when it's done. It's all single chain, every other row will be black.

I'm waiting on my knit picks shipment of yarn, so I'll just work on my scraps in the meantime. And think about frugality.

Join Ginny for some more knitting and reading.

On the tenth day...

2012-01-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

...I wish I could say I had slept ten hours. Haha. Not likely. Though Faith has and she's not yet awake. She often sleeps 12 and is almost there right now. Lucky girl.

The duct cleaning man is coming today. We've been in this house for 13 years and it's not been done by us. The house is almost 30 years old and I don't know if it's ever been done. Could be a really big job. I don't know what to expect, but I keep hoping he won't make a mess.

School started back today for Noah, and the big boys at Ohio State (and will for Faith when her sleepy head wakes up). I don't wish to be them walking in the snow from building to building. Brrrr. I love winter but mostly because I stay home, a lot. My little chick and I will be tucked away, snug and warm in our house. In the winter, I find myself thanking God frequently for a roof, and furnace, and warm clothes.

Speaking of furnace, that's the reason we are having the ducts cleaned...we are getting a new furnace and air conditioner installed very soon. Though I admit I hate spending money on stuff like that -- a new roof, new tires -- I am grateful we can do it. Unlike last year's list of home improvement projects, I truly hope this is the only thing we do this year. I'd like a year off projects. No ten projects this year.

I'm running out of numbered topics (at least those that are readily available in my head) but I thought I'd talk about food goals this year. I feel like by Christmas every year I have absolutely no energy left for 1) cooking and 2) setting limits for the kids in regard to food, and by New Year's Eve we are all about eating junk, something I hate. But besides eating healthier this year (at least until December when it all falls apart) I have some other food goals, and we'll see if I can come up with ten.

1) bake more bread. I did already mention that as part of my "resolutions" but I'd like to try more kinds of bread and really make an effort to buy a lot less bread. A lot less. I'd like to work my way through the Five Minute Artisan Bread book because I think it's a great resource for truly good bread. I'd also like to get my self a sandwich bread pan and try to perfect the old-fashioned white bread my kids love, while also encouraging them to eat more whole grains.

2) Try to really limit ingredients to whole foods -- less purchased sauce and condiments and more cooking with herbs, lemon and lime juice, extra virgin olive oil. Really just more simple. Simple but better.

3) Try my hand at Indian food. I've never been a big fan of curry, but it could be something that needs more trying. There is also more to Indian food than curry. My college boy (who used to be the pickiest kid) encouraged me to try some Indian food, and I am on the hunt for some good recipes.

4) More ethnic food in general. My family loves to be adventurous with food and so I'd like to work on some truly ethnic dishes -- more than Mexican/American and Italian/American.

5) More grains less wheat. I need to experiment with some grains other than what we normally eat, rice, oat and wheat. I like corn but don't use it a lot in baking, and I'd like to try some grains we've never tried. Our G/I doctor told us earlier last year that less wheat is good for everyone, but wheat, like soy, is rather pervasive. I always say "everything in moderation," but sometimes you have to cut in order to even be moderate.

6) in the same ilk but not food, I am trying to cut plastic from our food use. Not that we eat plastic, but then, maybe we do. Did you ever notice how much food is stored in plastic? Yuk. I read some articles recently (dangerous, I know) that really creeped me out about how much plastic we ingest. I switched to all glass storage containers, and even bought wax papers lunch bags (how's that for a blast from the past?) and now I'm keeping an eye out on the products I purchase. If I can buy plastic-free I will. I need to find a way to store bread that's not in plastic -- any suggestions?

7) more fruit, different fruit. It's hard to get away from just apples, oranges and grapes, but I'd like to have more fruit every day and not just the same-old same-old. It's expensive though, isn't it? Geoffrey wanted to try a pomegranate while he was home and one pomegranate was $1.50. And all he got was a handful of seeds. Not a big bang for our buck. A lot of canned fruit is made in China, so that's not a good route either. I think making smoothies might be a good route, because I can buy frozen berries when they are out of season or pricey. Hmmm, need to experiment.

8) the same goes for veggies, but I am hopeful that branching out into different ethnic dishes will help us consume different veggies. And maybe I can start throwing some spinach into a smoothie.

9) less dessert. My family will be so sad if I tell them they are getting less dessert, so I'll have to just stop buying as many treats and make the ones they have healthier.

10) less time spent cooking. That seems rather contrary to the above goals, but I think, with the right recipes and state of mind, and simple ingredients, I can spend less time in the kitchen. That's a good thing.

On the ninth day...

2012-01-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

...I have a migraine. Second in four days. There must be a correlation, but what? I'm just now having the characteristic (for me) blind spot (makes typing interesting), so the headache hasn't started.

It snowed a little last night. Just a smidge more than a dusting. But it's very windy so it looks like more than it is when big gusts blow large patches of the roofs. It looks quiet and pretty even with the wind.

Not much going on today. Shooting for nine loads of laundry. I am setting my timer on my phone for the exact time the washer takes. We'll see if the washer, and I can make it. Last day of vacation (sad face).

On the seventh and eighth days...

2012-01-01T16:10:00.003-05:00

...because I had to catch up -- today is the Octave of Christmas.

On the seventh day we partied, and on the eighth day we quietly celebrate, Our Blessed Mother. I'm sitting here under a throw (the house is very chilly as the temperature drops outside) with a cup of hot toddy (a strong cup of tea, a generous spoon of honey, a squirt of lime juice, and a glug - or two - of spiced rum). I know it's only three in the afternoon, but it's a holiday. We are having a simple dinner of homemade pasta, but because we have so many goodies left from Christmas, I can't justify baking a dessert for the Holy Day. We'll light a white candle with dinner and keep it lit through the evening (supervised, of course). We are anticipating snow tonight, so the solemn, quiet atmosphere will be just the thing...

There's some bread dough rising on the counter and a batch of granola just came from the oven, in an effort to work on one of my "resolutions." I say "resolutions" (in quotes) because I always say I don't make resolutions. But the new year is such a wonderful time for second chances, for getting things right again. It's a hard thing to pass up -- the opportunity for getting things right. So, though they may be "resolutions" for some, they are things on which I need to work, to me. I am calling it my More/Less list. Eight things to do more and less of:

1) more random acts of kindness. Whether taking an empty cart from the grocery store lot to save some soul from pushing one more in, or putting a love note in someone's lunch box or coat pocket, I need to do more.

2) less worry. Worry doesn't solve problems, but action and prayer does.

3) more good food. Too many cookies and shacks always prompts me to seek healthier food by the new year. I would also like to simplify what we eat, which sounds contrary to "more good food" but I really want better, but not more. Home baked breads, granola and yogurt once a day, more vegetables, less cheese, you know what I mean.

4) less stuff. I plan to purge quite a bit this year. No big plans just have less overall.

5) in line with less stuff, but not specifically related to, spend less money. Have you noticed how expensive even groceries have gotten? I hope between simplifying meals and striving to have less stuff, I will also spend less money.

6) more cleaning. It seems contrary to what most people want, and it may have more to do with clutter than anything, but I need a cleaner house. Need it for my sanity.

7) more crafting. All work and no play... I'd like to fill my Etsy shop with rosaries and jewelry, and knit more just for the pleasure it brings me.

8) more prayer. This goes without saying.. More Divine Intimacy, The Imitation of Christ, the rosary, True Devotion to Mary, all need to be a regular part of my prayer time, every day, several times a day.

Do you make resolutions?

Just a little friendly warning

2011-12-31T15:42:00.006-05:00

Updated with some additional warnings:

I noticed a lot of folks bought Kindle Fires for Christmas. If you let the kids use it, please note that they can purchase apps without any password or warning. You can turn off in-app purchases through parental controls (apps>store>settings>parental controls) but you can't disable first-time purchases, no way, no how (unless you completely disable the Kindle from amazon), even if you have already disabled 1-click purchases on your account.

(I find the threat of bodily harm, however, usually does the trick.)

I think it stinks, but my son says it's fair game. These dadgum young, whipper snappers.

(you can remove all credit card information if you don't find adding them for each purchase rather tedious.)

PS I don't mean to be a killjoy if you are loving your new toy, because I am enjoying mine as well, but better you hear it from a friend than to find out the hard way...the Kindle has no parental controls for surfing the Internet which is pretty scary if your kids are free to take it a quiet corner. There are also many pornographic style books available for free (no credit card number or password necessary), and if you are a Prime member, there are lots of free movies, many of which you really don't want the kids to view.

The bottom line is, use with great care and supervision.

On the sixth day...

2011-12-31T11:18:00.001-05:00

...we planned our New Year's Eve party (just a little last minute). It will just be family...brothers and their families, my mom, and aunt and uncle, but, hey, if you're in the neighborhood, stop by. You'll know our house by the fireworks being set off all night -- that's Doug's fun.

There is a variety of beer and wine in the fridge, and Brandy Slushes in the freezer (yum). The lineup for eats is all appetizers, which sounds rather paltry, but by 8 or 9 p.m. we'll need to bundle up for a walk. Every year we stand around and nibble until we can't nibble another bite.

The lineup is:

My favorite antipasto platter. Every year it's a little different, but always delicious. Tonight it will be heavy on the mushrooms, green olives and fresh mozzarella, but we'll have meats and artichokes as well.

Skyline chili dip. Maybe you know my family has a thing for Skyline Chili. It can only get better with more cheese and chips.

Sauerkraut Meatballs (shhhh...don't tell the kids they have sauerkraut in them). My mom is bringing these and she assures me that they do not taste like sauerkraut.

Angie's brand kettle corn. Everything doesn't have to be homemade. This is a nice light treat, slightly sweet. Yum.

Market District Red Pepper Hummus with pita chips -- another cheat, found in the deli at Giant Eagle. It's so yummy there's no need to go homemade on this one.

Chipped beef cheeseball served with good quality crackers. My aunt brings this to every event and it goes like wild fire. Weird I know, but I think it has something to do with the dried beef. Men love it.

And one bonus (it was supposed to be six for the sixth day), because it's so good, my brother's Spinach, Artichoke, Crab and Bacon Dip. Mmmmm.

So, I'm off, to clean and decorate, and a quick run to the store (of course). Happy, happy New Year, my friends.

On the fifth day...

2011-12-30T15:15:00.002-05:00

This morning Doug still has Christmas tunes playing on his iPad. I love the Christmas season, but I admit I'm pretty much done with Jingle Bells style Christmas songs. I just asked him to change channels. There is a Gregorian Holiday station on Pandora that plays lovely religious Christmas songs. "Once in Royal David's City" by King's Choir College is my current favorite.

On this fifth day (which is actually the sixth day but I started the day after) we need to clean up the house for tomorrow's party and put the tree away. We normally keep the tree lit until the Epiphany but this year there are three strands of lights that have gone out. It's pretty dark and rather looks ridiculous (sad face).

As we clean up I like to look again at my Christmas gifts. Though we don't exchange gifts with many, I do have a few favorites (I always have favorites).

Not in any particular order:

My Kindle Fire from my beloved. Love it. I watched Masterpiece Theater junk on it almost every night this break. Hopefully when we get back to school that won't be a habit, but it feels wonderfully indulgent right now. I need to investigate some apps for school.

This pen, given to me by my techy son, Geoffrey. It's not an ink pen but a screen pen. It works wonderfully on my Kindle and my iPhone. Way better than fingertips. the tip is soft and smooshy, not hard like a stylus. Cool. Except I really will have to tie it around my neck like a geek because I keep losing it.

The Imitation of Christ, leather bound with a zipper. A truly good Catholic gift that lasts a lifetime. From my mother-in-law.

I showed you the bracelet I was working on the other day that arrived in my stocking as a kit. Unfortunately when I finished it, the loops were too large for my arm, and so my mother-in-law got another gift. I have a new kit on the way, bronze and silver, and I'll attach a bronze Miraculous Medal. I am anxious to wear my chains for Our Blessed Mother as a reminder that I am her slave.

I have bad feet. Nothing specific just all-around bad feet. They hurt all the time, but my mom knows and she buys me really good shoes. These feel wonderful, and they are rather jazzy, as long as I don't wear white socks with them.

Well, now you know a little about what floats my boat. What was your favorite gift this year?

On the fourth day...

2011-12-29T17:46:00.001-05:00

This morning I was up bright and early to take Geoffrey for an eye doctor appointment and then back to campus (sad face). All four of the kids and I had some good lunch on the way. That was fun.

He recovered incredibly well from surgery, and I thank you for your abundant prayers. To think we had been putting this off for years... thinking it would be so terribly hard for him. I had heard nightmarish stories of adult tonsillectomies. Luckily his doctor was persistent (insistent). Now that it's over, he is very pleased to have done it. I'll tell you a little secret -- he truly believes (as do I to some degree) that his rapid recovery is due partly to a "magic" oil I discovered called Tamanu. It is primarily used for skin ailments, but after reading that it had been known to help sore throats (applied to the neck), I bought a small bottle (not inexpensive) and we used it religiously. We both admitted it could have been due to some placibo affect, but it did lessen the pain and I think his scabs healed faster than Faith's. That and prayer...

On the afternoon of this fourth day, I spent a ridiculous amount of time (truly ridiculous) toggling back and forth between the KnitPicks and Ravelry websites. I spent so much time these past two months knitting Christmas gifts, I almost don't know what to do with myself. I eyeballed a few patterns, and ordered a little yarn, and now I have four projects that I can start soon (tomorrow).

First up is a Wimple (dontcha love that word?) that I'm going to knit in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in Smoke Heather (I already have the yarn so I don't have to wait). It matches my hair (wink) and I thought it would be nice to wear on snowy days. The yarn is light enough I could also wear it to Latin Mass instead of a veil.

Then, when my yarn arrives, I'm going to knit Faith another Tiny Teaves Cardi in KnitPick's Brava Worsted Rouge. I have became somewhat of a yarn snob, but have confident that if KnitPick's sells it, I'll like it (fingers crossed). Fortunately Faith is not a yarn snob, so even if the knitting experience isn't all I dream of she'll love it because it's pink!

#3-- I started a scarf a couple days ago and didn't have enough black yarn to finish it so I guess it will become something else, namely an afghan for Joshua's bed. I plan to use up scraps of color, crocheted between single rows of black. I can't decide if the rows of color with be single or multiple. Hmmm? Thoughts? Maybe I'll ask Joshua. Nah..... I'll work on this in between other projects or maybe a row a day.

The fourth project I have on the docket is a shawl/wrap for myself. I have one I use in the house but it's rather skimpy (just enough when you have on a flannel nightgown and a quilt on your lap), and I'd like something to throw around myself when I'm running to get Noah from school or just running quick errands in the cold. I hate winter coats, but in Ohio you really can't just go without. Some days are coat, scarf and glove weather, but some you can get away with just a throw. I spent a ridiculous amount of time (I told you) on Ravelry but never found just what I was looking for. I want something rectangular and thick, but no froufrou -- no ruffles and lace. I would like a little texture, however. If you have any ideas, leave me a tip, would ya?

So that's what's up on the fourth day. Are you busy? Planning future projects?

The third day...

2011-12-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

I went to bed last night feeling fine (as fine as my 49 year-old body allows) and woke up around 5 a.m. with sharp pains in my left shoulder and side of my neck -- the kind you get when you sleep on your arm wrong, except so much worse that I woke up every 15 minutes or so until I finally got out of bed, fetched the heating pad, and headed downstairs. Don't you hate it when stuff like that happens? I have no idea what I did (in order to avoid doing it again). And I have much to do today to get ready for more company tonight. Sigh...

I also have several projects in the works, which will have to wait until I can move my left arm.

This wire-wrapped rosary has been in the queue on and off since November. Now that all the knitted gifts are finished, I can finally finish it. A woman from New Zealand contacted me yesterday to make an Our Lady of Sorrows chaplet, so I have to order parts today, and finish this one up so I can work on that one when the parts arrive.

I started this project as a scarf but ran out of black yarn already. I wanted to use up some scraps, but I guess I didn't have quite enough scraps, since I want to make every other row black. I think I'll get some more black and remake it into a blanket for Joshua's bed.

This little bracelet kit made its way into my stocking at Christmas. When I consecrated myself to the Blessed Mother, Fr. Adam suggested that "we wear chains, because we are her slaves." I usually wear a Miraculous Medal on a chain around my neck, or Miraculous Medal earrings, but unless I look in the mirror, I forget I have them on. The bronze links of the bracelet are large, and reminiscent of chains of bondage. And since I'll have it around my wrist, I'll see it all the time. I'm adding a tiny bronze Miraculous Medal.

On the second day...

2011-12-27T15:31:00.002-05:00

The dishwasher is humming, the washer and drier are spinning, and the oven is baking two kinds of brownies. The two younger boys are downstairs on Xbox, Geoff is parked in his spot on the sofa (he's been in the same spot since surgery 8 days ago, but he's much better today), Faith is playing in her room, and Doug is working on his iPad in the dining room (no such thing as a vacation day with all these electronic devices).

I need to tidy up just a little before more company at 5, but I'm taking just a minute to give you two of my favorite new Christmas decorations -- just simple little things -- on Day 2.

Just two days before Christmas I pulled this statue of the Holy Family from the mantel, wired together some white pine and re-appropriated some silver balls. I love making a special place for the new Holy Family, and this statue of St. Joseph is one of my favorites.

Faith made this wreath from a coat hanger, a ring of plastic ribbon, and a jumbo bag of Brach's peppermints. I added a pretty cloth bow and it's such a cheery indoor wreath. I remembered fondly making a butterscotch version myself waaaaay back in Girl Scouts, and Faith so enjoyed working on it she did it all in one sitting.

Merry second day of Christmas.

The first day...

2011-12-26T10:09:00.002-05:00

I had not decided if I would do the Twelve days of Christmas this year. With Geoffrey still recovering from his tonsillectomy, and not feeling altogether in the spirit of the season, I thought it might be better to just stay silent (if you can't something nice...).

And then yesterday whizzed by with a great deal of excitement, one quick blaze, I thought I must start, albeit a day late.

Yesterday, in the middle of a peaceful afternoon, we had a fire. Not the kind in the fireplace, mind you. This one was in the middle of the kitchen table, the flames curling up around the chandelier.

At breakfast, I had lit the Advent wreath, the last two candles that were left and the white candle in the center. And then after breakfast, a late one, we all went to other areas of the house (um...never leave lit candles unattended). At around 3 in the afternoon, Faith and I were in the living room, I was showing her how to use her new knitting loom, when Geoff peeked his head around the corner and calmly asked, "Do we have a fire extinguisher?"

"Um...yes, why?"

"The wreath is on fire."

Up I jumped, I thought he meant the one up on the family room mantel, and when I turned the corner into the kitchen I saw a ball of fire on the table, engulfing the entire Advent wreath, the flames leaping up around the kitchen chandelier. My first instinct was to grab a big mixing bowl full of soapy water from the dishwater in the sink and dump it on the fire. A second dowsing got it all the way out, just as Doug ran in from the backyard where he had been sitting with his outdoor fire. He had looked up to the house and saw flames on the inside, and ran in just in time to see the last flame sputter out. The smoke was awful, lung-burning stuff, so we threw open the windows and ran to the front porch.

Faith was upset, crying from fear as well as relief, and moments later my in-laws pulled up, at the time they had planned to visit.

Unfortunately we had quite a mess to clean up, with water everywhere, and a big black scar on the kitchen table. The glass candlestick that held the white candle had shattered when I threw the water on it and shards of glass were everywhere, luckily no one got hit with it. Fortunately I had not used a table cloth or we would have had a bigger disaster, and probably would have had to call the fire department. As it is, the table might be saved, but I think the burn is probably more than skin deep. The chandelier was blackened, but not ruined, and, thank God, no one was hurt.

I learned my lesson about burning candles, especially those not in glass jars. Next year's Advent wreath will not have loose candles, and I will never light another candle not safely tucked down inside glass. As I lie in bed last night I imagined other scenarios, those that didn't happen, but just as easily could have. With all of us preoccupied with other activities, if the boys had not been in the family room, the entire kitchen could have been in flames before we noticed.

I hope you will learn a lesson from me, as well, and not light candles unattended (that warning is most definitely placed on candles for a reason).

And I hope that we have, from this day on, eleven calm days of Christmas.

On the morning of the Eve...

2011-12-24T12:50:00.014-05:00

Here I sit with cinnamon toast and coffee, I have a long list of things to do and no energy, no desire to do any of them. I had hoped that making many of the gifts we give would put the spirit in my heart, but it ended up just making things crazy in a different way. The gifts, the gifts, it's all about the gifts and that makes me grinchy.

Yesterday I took the three younger children shopping for their dad. They just wanted to get him a tool, something practical. It should have been a quick trip but because it was two days before Christmas it was chaotic, traffic at a standstill, drivers honking angrily at others with the audacity to be in the way. If we could lose the gift-giving, I thought, Christmas would be perfect. But would it? What is a perfect Christmas? The first Christmas wasn't perfect, the Blessed Mother lying in a barn, among the sheep and cows, placing her new infant in a trough. In all our sin-filled humanness we are certainly a lot less likely to get it perfect than the Blessed Mother and her baby God. We grouse at each other, angry at little time and less money to create the perfect Christmas.

Last night Faith and I watched The Nativity Story, a must see for me each year. The film has a lot of foreshadowing and last night I noticed an instance I had not noticed before. When Joseph and Mary are traveling through Jerusalem and notice the selling of sacrificial animals and changing of money outside the temple, Joseph says, "it should be a place of worship" foreshadowing Our Lord's show of temper written about in the Gospels. Also foreshadowing our own greed for the material goods we find necessary to celebrate His birth. Christmas makes us greedy for time and stuff. In the search for the perfect Christmas with worldly things we always come up short.

On the way home from shopping yesterday I pointed out to Joshua and Noah the numerous yard signs advertising various Protestant Christmas services. I commented that Catholic churches would never advertise as we always have our fill on Christmas, and don't those twice-a-year Catholics make us a little crazy? Taking up room in our pews? I was talking to my mother-in-law this morning about the yard signs we noticed and she said that she read that the advertising done by Fellowship churches is a nationwide "phenomenon." Apparently, and I hadn't noticed this, the churches are advertising their Christmas Eve services because there are no Christmas day services. Preachers have said "Christmas is for families" and that's apparently where they will be Christmas morning. It's not about the Holy Family, or Our Lord and Savior, it's about families and the altar under the tree.

No matter how badly we behave, however, Our Lord will come. As a tiny infant, in a dirty stable. He comes because He loves us, no matter how badly we behave and how imperfectly we celebrate. Whether our spirit is in the right place or not, He will come. He comes for the lowly shepherds and the glorious Magi.

In the scene in The Nativity Story when the shepherds arrive at the stable, an old shepherd approaches the Blessed Mother and baby God, and he hesitates, knowing how lowly he is. And Mary says to him, "He comes for all mankind." And so He does. Praise be to God.

Santa's workshop

2011-12-22T17:31:00.001-05:00

Besides nursing my needy patient, I had several projects to finish up (start) this week that were supposed to be wrapped and under the tree by Saturday. There were more projects than were both practical and smart under the circumstances, but thank goodness they are all finished (all except one but it's not needed until next week). There are a few that are for recipients who are readers (so I can't share all), but I can share several Instagram pics I took today.

Stella and Stewart owl, created for my son's girlfriend. Cute, cute and easy pattern to follow.

Grandma birthstone bracelet for my mom (they call her Mimi). I got the stamped disc here, but made the rest. The dangling ruby bead is the great grand.

Blue and silver shaggy earrings -- kit from here. I love, love these kits. My niece loves the Dallas Cowboys and these earrings just screamed "Dallas Cowboys."

Bracelets from here as well for more pretty girls. These are fun to make.

This hat, knit twice (for one hat) and stuffed with some cash, turned out well. Finally.

This hat, knit for my nephew and also stuffed with cash, was not so easy and I'm not recommending the pattern. But it turned out well.

This one, a balaclava for my son Geoff, was just blocked, in the knick of time. It, too, was an awful pattern and I won't link to it. The hat turned out great but the pattern needed an awful lot of filling in the blanks.

And now, it's time for Mrs. Claus to bake cookies.

Thanks for the prayers

2011-12-20T20:46:00.001-05:00

Peach here, updating my mom's blog for her.

My mom says her blog friends are great. You're always praying for us.

My brother Geoffrey's surgery yesterday went pretty well (he had his tonsils out). My mom said the surgeon came out after 20 minutes and said there was not a drop of blood. He must be really good (the doctor, that is).

Too bad my brother doesn't think it was so great. He says it hurts a lot. I remember when I had my tonsils out and it hurt really bad and I'm a girl (my mom says girls are tough). My mom keeps asking my brother what he wants to eat, and she tells him "drink, drink, drink" about a hundred times a day.

Last night my brother's uvula swelled up really bad (that's the ding dong thing that hangs down in your throat). The doctor prescribed some steroids to help the swelling (and my mom says they make my brother grumpy).

So I'm just trying to stay out of the way. I helped my dad stack wood, and then I moved a bunch of rocks and got real muddy. Then I let Maggie out and she got muddy too. Then my mom got real grumpy.

So keep praying for us. My mom says "this is terrible timing" and I'm not sure what that means, but I know your prayers help.

(12/18)...streaming

2011-12-18T11:24:00.001-05:00

The last candle is lit today. Of course, you know that. I love Advent and I am sad to see this candle lit. It always makes me a little nervous, too, about those things I am making for Christmas which are not yet finished (started). About wrapping, baking, cleaning. I saw New Year's Eve noise makers at the store and had a little heart palpitation.

~~~~~

Tomorrow morning my oldest is having surgery to remove his tonsils. It was not an easy surgery for Faith, who is nine, so I know that it will not be easy for Geoff, who is 22. Sadly the week before Christmas is the only time he can do it, now that he is of the age where he has a job, goes to school and does not get paid for sick time. When faced with all the facts (he's still on our insurance, he can take two weeks off school without losing his job, he will be at home where his mother will nurse him around the clock) he finally conceded to the surgery, which he has known that he has needed for several years. I wish that we had done it when he was 10. Our pediatrician is very conservative, and while that's normally a good thing in my book, this is one case when we should have acted more urgently. If you have a child who possibly needs his or her tonsils out, do it now and don't wait. They (the tonsils) won't get better.

~~~~~

In light of tomorrow's scheduled event, I (hopefully) got all my Christmas shopping and errand running finished and I can stay home and finish (start) a few gifts, bake cookies, and watch Christmas movies. Sounds idyllic? I'll also be nursing a grumpy young adult with a sore throat. Thanks goodness for pain medicine. For me. (wink)

~~~~~

Speaking of baking, I have not yet thought about what cookies I will bake next week. I used to ask my children, but after Thanksgiving (I asked and was sorry that I had) I decided to make what I want to make, which will definitely include the cookies I like (pizzelles, springerle, biscotti). Have you started baking? What do you bake?

~~~~~

I also have not started thinking about the Christmas Eve and Day menus (well, I started but didn't get very far). I need to sit down with paper and pencil and plan. All my family comes on Christmas Eve and I tell what I'd really like to make...reservations.

Normally my brothers (et al) and mother come after they attend early Christmas Eve Mass. My own family normally goes to Mass on Christmas Day because I like waking up knowing that at least part of my day with be focused on the Lord. My husband and teenage children are trying to talk me into 10 p.m. Mass this year. Which means I will cook, serve and clean up dinner, have gift exchange with my family, clean up and leave for Mass, come home and probably clean up again before I put my own children's gifts out. Sound exhausting? I'm not sure I'm going to win the battle though. I may sleep through Mass this year.

What do you do? I admit that my teens tend to gum up my plans every time.

Take care of you

2011-12-16T10:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening, after a day of running around for last minute gifts and extra skeins of yarn (yes, still knitting for Christmas), a ballet lesson (not mine), a run to Joann's for a silver clasp, some cookie tins, I thought, "If I don't stop I'm going to fall over." And so I got a shower and put on my nightgown and sat with a cup of tea for just a few minutes (before I packed a lunch and ironed some shirts). Sigh. It's a never ending treadmill, isn't it? We say we should slow down, but someone always gets gypped when mama slows down.

I think the key is to stop a few times during the day and recharge. This little jar of goo is the perfect pit stop. If you are crafting like I am (oh, my poor fingertips) -- knitting or sewing, making jewelry, your fingers need a little TLC. Take a tiny jar like this jelly jar, and pour in some good oil, olive, almond or apricot kernel (I used olive, hence the greenish tint), and add some sugar (or coarse salt), just enough to make a sludgy mixture. Then add about 10 drops of essential oil. I used lemon eucalyptus and peppermint, but clove and orange would be good, or lemon and orange, lavendar and vanilla, any combination you like. If you don't have essential oils, I highly recommend you keep a few bottles around the house. You can get them at any natural food store. They can be used for lots of things, from cleaning to personal hygiene.

Put the lid on your "sludge" and give it a good shake. Now keep it by the kitchen sink and when you need a pit stop, shake it up, scoop a wee bit out in your hands -- less than a half tablespoon, and rub it all over your hands like you would sudsy soap except keep on rubbing for a good solid minute. Rub between your fingers and give them each a tug. Rub up to wrist on the backs, rub the thumbs good with your palms. Turn on the hot water and rinse it off, but don't use soap. After you gently dry them they will be so soft, and hopefully you'll feel just a little bit recharged.

If you have five minutes (plan ahead because your hands will be a little messy) dampen a hand towel and microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds until it's nice and steamy. After you get your hands all gooey, sit (yes, sit) and slip them between the layers of the towel and just let the heat soak in. When the towel loses its heat, rinse your hands and dry gently.

This is also a nice treat for a friend, so if you have a visitor, make some tea and be sure you both "get the treatment."

New bumper sticker

2011-12-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (patron of the unborn) or the coming of the Feast of the Nativity...the celebration of Our Lord as a helpless baby...that makes my pro-life hairs stand on end.

Maybe it's just politics in this country, or our fellow Catholic politicians creating policy and voting for policy that does nothing to protect the unborn, despite their religious "claims."

At any rate, I created a new bumper sticker and soon it will be on the back of my mini van along with my "pray the rosary for the unborn" sticker. It takes the sticker I created a few years ago, Peace in the Womb, and adds the caveat "before all peace." It was inspired by several discussions with my children about the hypocrisy of a country which believes in peace (at all cost), but also believes that it's fine for a mother and her doctor to kill the life within her -- the ultimate war.

You can see my other bumper stickers here -- just in case you are in the market.

My little drummer boy

2011-12-13T10:08:00.019-05:00

Noah's band concert was last night. Unlike many schools, at St. C, band is a class, not an extracurricular activity. Unfortunately, that means a lot of kids don't participate because giving up one period in a school day is more than they can manage (you must give up study hall, PE or an extra language) and the band is small (the poor choir this year has only eight boys). They didn't sound too bad though, especially the percussion section, in which Noah plays. In this song he is in the back left at the drum set. The song is titled "Gettysburg" (from the motion picture soundtrack) but this is just a small bit. The loud sharp drums are him.

Mama has to brag just a little, ya know.

43-49/52

2011-12-12T16:24:00.000-05:00

52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations,

the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.

Wow, I skipped a few weeks. I don't think I'll try this little project again next year. I overestimated the exciting activity that goes on in my house. Or possibly I just didn't want to bore you to death. Or maybe I just didn't pick up my camera as much as I hoped.

Anyway, last one before Christmas. Hopefully I'll have a few more during Christmas week before the end of the year. Can you believe that? The end of the year just around the corner.

Back in mid-fall, Noah and Faith were goofing in the back yard. Faith pretended all day to be a Native American. I love this picture because even the dog looks goofy.

Doug spent one Saturday cutting down a few trees (he also felled the fence, not pictured). I love how it looks with all the moss that had grown on the shady side of the tree.

A log ring for the swing set, at Faith's request.

The two felled trees.

Two new chairs for the family room. I went shopping with the intent to buy black or brown fabric -- never red, and never leather. But I love them. We all do. What possessed me?

Faith doing her reading from one.

Twenty six years on November 16, and a dozen pretty reds.

The annual St. Elizabeth of Hungary Crown Cake.

The three Thanksgiving Day tables -- the best part.

Doug putting up the Christmas lights -- the boys promised they would do it but Doug wouldn't let them up on the ladder. When he got his big ladder out he noticed that the cushions for the ends (whatever those things are called) were missing. Hmmm. Anyway, here's a close up so you can see how he improvised:

Looks like a real fireman's ladder!

(no, he's not a real fireman)

A treat for the church office on St. Nicholas day. The ladies at the church office are some of the most appreciative people.

My own St. Nicholas tea -- Twining Christmas tea and Speculatius cookies.

O Sanctissima

2011-12-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

I need to put up my last 52 weeks post before Christmas, but while we school today, you can enjoy this beautiful song about Our Lady, as we celebrate her feast of Guadalupe today.

I watched The Bells of St. Mary's last night, so I admit that in my head I have Bing Crosby crooning this song rather than this beautiful choral version, but it's all beautiful when it's for Our Lady.

Just two observations on this...

2011-12-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

...Saturday before Gaudete Sunday (I'm saving my joy for tomorrow).

1) If God gave us children as sassy nine-year-olds, or sluggish, lazy teens, instead of sweet, cuddly infants, the human race would have died out thousands of years ago. Duh.

2) The only thing worse than putting the lights on the Christmas tree is a stomach virus.

Both of these observations were made while I was putting the lights on the Christmas tree. All the other members of my family were: in time out; playing on an electrical toy/device; or outdoors making the dog bark, utterly ruining my Christmas music, and hence mood indoors.

So...what are you doing on this pre-Gaudete Sunday?

(12/9)...streaming

2011-12-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

AKA: Confessions of an impatient, stubborn, German woman

First things first. The doctor did not come to any frightening conclusions at Joshua's appointment today, thank goodness. He wanted to touch base after Joshua experienced what seemed to be an authentic migraine this week, this following 10 days or so of consistent headache.

Backing up, on Monday the doctor told us that he thought Joshua's ten-day headache was from analgesic rebound. He told Joshua that once finals were over he wanted him to stop taking any pain medication and tough it out for two weeks. Then the next day he had his first migraine. And so the doctor wanted to see him again. Long story short (or maybe short story long) he gave him a prescription for any future migraines and told him to stick out with no Advil/Tylenol, etc. I sort of squealed on Joshua and told the doctor that he is really worried about the headache (because he has been surfing WebMD, duh), and the doctor asked Joshua if he's worried that he has a tumor. Of course he is. Isn't that what any one would think after having a ten-day headache that no medication will touch? Yes, according to the doctor that is what normal people think. So he put his mind at ease that he has no neurological symptoms indicating a brain tumor.

Sorry, that was totally a short story long.

~~~~~

Now for true confessions of an impatient knitter. That hat I featured in this week's Yarn Along is gone -- as in, in the trash.

I finished it this morning after we came home from the doctor, while my daughter was doing math and I was halfheartedly listening to her pleas for help (she pleas for help all the time so don't think I was being completely heartless).

I was down to two or so rows until I was finished and I really wanted to be finished -- too many other things to do (or maybe too much black coffee). Anyway, I finished, tied off the top from the inside and then decided to look a little more closely at one spot that I noticed was not a good weave. From the last black row to the gray the yarn had come loose and there was a gap. The problem was, no matter how I pulled on the loose end, nothing tightened.

You know where this is going, right?

I fiddled and fiddled and then I fiddled a little more roughly. Then I decided it had to come apart and I had to rip down to that spot and re-knit the top of the hat.

But I had finished it off so securely it would not come apart. So then I grabbed the scissors.

Yes, I did.

And I snipped and then I slashed and then I threw it in the trash and took the trash bag out to the cans.

True confessions.

The moral of this story is, if you have knitting envy and you just want to recreate the image of the peaceful, contented knitter, sitting by the picturesque window, sipping her tea and wondering how life could ever be this good, you can now give that image over to the slasher. Yes, that's me. The stubborn, impatient, German knitting slasher.

Not a pretty picture. Let's just hope she has enough yarn to knit that hat again. Tonight. One fell swoop, whadya say?

(12/8)...streaming

2011-12-08T20:32:00.003-05:00

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I love this feast, not only because it's Mary's day (and I consecrated myself to her last year on this day!), but because today is all about salvation. Mary was saved from hell the same as all of us, except she was saved before she was even conceived. What a beautiful and complex mystery. On days like today I think there is just nothing like being Catholic. Oh, and the music...happy sigh.

~~~~~

Advent is just flying by, don't you think? I mean, my goodness, three days to Gaudete Sunday. Makes me quiver in my boots. Well...if I had boots. Must start wrapping and finish shopping. ASAP.

~~~~~

And speaking of gifts, for the first time in our 26-year marriage, my sweetheart and I exchanged Christmas gifts on St. Nicholas Day. My sweetheart suggested that we do it, and I'm not certain if it was because he was excited for what he bought me or excited to get what he asked for. Frankly, the gift exchange between the two of us on Christmas Day is often very "squished in" between the children opening gifts and a meal of some sort after Mass. It always feels like an after thought, so I am really glad he suggested it.

And so you ask, what did I get?

got

one

these:

It's awesome. I bought Doug an iPad for his birthday a few weeks ago, and so we now, essentially, have two pads. We almost never, ever buy these kinds of things, so I don't imagine we'll do it again for like 26 years. I was a real hold-out on the Kindle, didn't want to read any book on an electronic device, but my son Geoffrey bought one with his birthday money as soon as they came out and over Thanksgiving he sold me. The only thing that still bugs me about it is that when I buy an e-book, I can't share it. I always pass my books on -- it justifies me spending the money. But being Amazon Prime members, I can borrow books, and there are quite a number of free titles available.

~~~~~~

Last night I was browsing through apps on the Kindle and came across Words With Friends. Oh my. We are all addicted and even the kids have games going with various people, including their grandma. How fun to play Scrabble with grandma, whenever you want.

Do you play? Are you addicted? I am hoping it wears off, but not for a month or so, because it's so fun. And I really stink at Scrabble. If you play, find me -- I'm scmom4. I'd love to play!

I'm off to work on some rosaries, and knitting, and rosaries, and to check my Words W/ Friends!

PS (like 12 hours post): Please remember my Joshua in prayer, if you would. We are off to the doctor again this morning. A migraine broke the normal pattern of his headaches and, I think, changed the doc's thinking in regard to what is causing them.

Yarning Along...

2011-12-07T14:26:00.014-05:00

...with Ginny at Small Things.

Today I am working on a hat for my nephew. It's my second hat in a week, though a different pattern than the other. The teenage boys (other than my own) are getting hats and cash for Christmas this year. That seems to be all teenage boys want these days, besides teenage girls.

I have never knit this hat pattern before but I like it -- other than the changing colors, but then that's what makes it fun (to wear), right? Speaking of changing colors, I wonder, do you weave your loose ends in as you knit or do it at the end? There was so much changing of colors in this pattern that I finally stopped and untangled all the ends and wove them in. The patterns always tell you to do it at the end, but sometimes I can't stand looking at the mess anymore.

My colors are Knitpicks Shine Worsted in Robot, Black and Serrano. In my house, and with my nephews, those colors are scarlet and gray (and black).

My read is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Black by Rebecca Skloot. I am only a few chapters in but it is fascinating reading. Just a little hint, Henrietta Black is the donor of (unbeknownst to her) the first immortal human cells grown outside the human body. The story is hers and her family's and that of medical science since 1951. It is amazing to me that it has only been 60 years since science first began growing cells outside of the body. Her cells are still alive today, though she has been dead for 60 years.

Faith and I are feeling a little under the weather today, so we are having tea and Cinnamon toast. Faith likes Candy Cane, but I am really enjoying Twinings Christmas Tea. They had me at the cloves. Mmmmm.

Join Ginny for more knits and yarns.

Come to me

2011-12-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

Jesus said to the crowds:

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for yourselves.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Mt 11:28-30

December Daybook

2011-12-05T16:40:00.006-05:00

Outside my window...

...rain, rain rain. It's been raining for a good 24 hours now without stopping. The creek is way up. It's a good thing it wasn't very cold or we would be snowed in!

I am thinking...

...about so much my head could explode:

college kids' finals this week

St. Nicholas Day tomorrow -- I usually try to take treats to the church office but I am not very well prepared this year

How many, many Christmas gifts I have yet to buy (order). I joined Amazon Prime to save on shipping -- these kids all want some sort of electronic or electronic game, so I am hopeful I will quickly recoup my costs. I have also obtained many gifts on Etsy -- and some really great and really unusual gifts. The shipping is really reasonable for most shops.

How many Christmas gifts I have yet to craft. Oh my.

I am thankful for....

...that Joshua's doctor thinks his headaches are most likely rebound headaches. Two weeks without any pain medication is the treatment. Praying that at the end of two weeks he is headache free.

...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...back to the grindstone. We stray, we come back, we stray, we come back...finishing up our "unit" on the Pilgrims and moving forward with Colonial America. If I didn't already say so "I love Our Pioneers and Patriots." Love it (I'm pretty sure I already said that). Taking a wee break from science right now and bulking up on Advent/Christmas reading. Carpe diem.

From the kitchen...

...tonight Oven Baked BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes, sliced fresh pears. I need to bake Speculatius Cookies tonight, too.

I am wearing...

...khaki trousers, a heavy, brown, cotton turtleneck and brown patent leather clogs, bronze Our Lady of Guadalupe earrings.

I am creating...

...this hat for my nephew Bobby (in Buckeye stripes). Last night I finished this hat (in Buckeye stripes) for my nephew Sean (I had a heck of a time with that hat and do not recommend the pattern -- email me if you want the nasty details). Hats and cash they get this year. I have 13 knotted Seven Sorrows chaplets in the works, eight wired tenners, two bracelets, one pair of earrings, and a bronze Seven Sorrows chaplet in the works in the line-up, too. Sounds like a song there.

Yesterday I made Faith's new stocking that she just had to have before tonight (we use stockings for St. Nicholas day and Christmas).

Your eyes are not deceiving you -- it is pink and green

the stockings were hung...

I am reading...

...The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It's a library book so I need to put it ahead of some others. I started it last night in bed (by flashlight app on my phone) and had a hard time putting it down. Good stuff.

I am hoping...

...that Joshua's headaches go away.

I am hearing...

...Faith in the kitchen humming to herself. She wants to clean the kitchen floor, on her hands and knees. I have no idea what has come over her, unless she is playing a role (Cinderella) and that's my guess.

Around the house...

...Laundry and laundry. No Christmas decorations save the outdoors lights the boys put up on Saturday (before the deluge began). We used blue and white lights outdoors for the first time in our married life and I love them. We always used blue when I was a kid, and they remind me of the Blessed Mother. Totus Tuus, Maria.

I am going...

...to Mass on Thursday and maybe one store for Christmas items. I have pretty much vowed not to step foot into store, but I can't get cheap shipping on everything. I think UPS should have a membership plan so one could get "free" UPS shipping all year. Shall I write them a letter?

One of my favorite things...

...hot cocoa (real hot cocoa) with whipped cream on cold, rainy days.

I am praying for...

...my children, especially Noah, Joshua and Geoffrey.

...our priests and all religious

...several soldiers

...my father-in-law

...Uncle Walt

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...
...school and home -- my vocation

Quote of the Day...read today in Faith's religion book, so beautiful

"Wherever you go I will go,

wherever you lodge I will lodge.

Your people shall be my people

and your God, my God.

Where you die I will die,

and there be buried.

May the LORD do thus to me, and more, if even death separates me from you!” Ruth 1:16-17

Quiet Advent

2011-12-04T10:20:00.001-05:00

I've been quiet here, busy knitting and beading (and ordering online), and praying (Hail and blessed be the hour...). We are observing Advent (torturing my children by not allowing Christmas decorations, movies, songs yet) and today I am sharing our Advent table blessing, which replaces our standard "Bless us O Lord."

Leader (dad):

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation;

in the darkness and in the light.

Blessed are You

in this food and in this sharing.

Blessed are You as we wait in joyful hope

for the coming of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

All respond:

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and forever.

Leader:

Come, Lord Jesus!

All:

Come, quickly!

Source: Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers

Yarning along...

2011-11-30T17:29:00.001-05:00

...with Ginny @ Small Things.

Happy feast of St. Andrew, dear friends. The Scottish shortbread just came out of the oven and shortly the Tuna Noodle Casserole will go in. Today was grocery shopping day, so I'm getting a late start on Yarn Along, as you might be able to tell by the evening light on my photo.

I finished Faith's Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan yesterday and blocked it last night. I was a little disappointed yesterday with the way it looked before I blocked it. I always underestimate the magic of blocking. It softened up beautifully and all the stitches (well, most) evened out wonderfully. The yarn is KnitPicks Swish worsted in cornmeal. I have to find two buttons in my button stash and then it will be all done. I'll try to get a shot of her wearing it before next week. I already cast on a hat for my nephew for Christmas, because it's the mad season of trying to knit fast enough to give homemade gifts.

I am still reading Those Who Saw Her, only because my bedtime reading has been drastically cut by my late night knitting. I am enjoying it and it is a good companion for me to our homeschooling studies of Marian apparitions with the coloring book series by Mary Fabyan Windeatt.

I have to tell you, however, that I will always associate this sweater with the British mini-series Wives and Daughters. I watched the whole series one day last week before Thanksgiving (it felt beautifully indulgent to do so, since I should have been cleaning!) and knit the whole while. I loved the series, and if you like Jane Austen-esque films (this film's writing was not quite as lyrical as a Jane Austen, but similar in many ways) you will love it, and especially if you like this Pride and Prejudice you will find many of the same actors.

Off to enjoy a feast day dinner...join Ginny for more knits and yarns.

A chaplet winner

2011-11-30T10:28:00.002-05:00

The winner of the St. Andrew chaplet is Dessi from Life with Small Blessings. Let me know just where to send your little chaplet, Dessi, and I'll get it in the mail.

For those who did not win, but would like a chaplet, I have two styles available in my Etsy shop.

PS For a printable copy of the prayer, you can go to Joyfilled Family, or Under Her Starry Mantle. Lovely.

St. Andrew Chaplet: a giveaway

2011-11-28T16:21:00.004-05:00

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment

in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,

at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!

to hear my prayer and grant my desires,

through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,

and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Beautiful prayer, isn't it? Prayed fifteen times a day, from November 30 -- the feast of St. Andrew -- until Christmas, it is longer than the nine-hour/day novena, but I imagine it makes it much more likely that your prayers will be heard. I'll be praying. Join me?

This little chaplet makes it easier to keep track of your prayers, and I move a little hook each time I pray. I'll give this little chaplet away on Wednesday -- November 30, and you can pray on your fingers until it arrives in the mail. Just leave your name and contact info in the comment box (please make sure I can access an email address or I won't put your name in the hat -- I will check).

A new day

2011-11-27T10:27:00.005-05:00

I don't remember being so excited to get to Mass.

I know that some Catholics will come to Mass today with a closed spiritual mind, but mine is wide open and anxious for the changes, new words, new prayers. It feels like a wedding or a baptism -- all fresh and new.

How are you feeling? Have you already experienced it?

And may I ask for prayers for our family's favorite priest, our friend, Fr. Mike? His father had a heart attack this morning (or late last night) and I am certain he is torn between his vocation as a son and one of the biggest days of his vocation as a man of God.

Updated to add: It was wonderful. It was so beautiful. It was like a step back in time, but such a good step. We sang the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei and saw changes beyond the Missal changes, but they were all so beautiful. As Sarah said in the comments -- I am so grateful to be a Catholic today.

Is there such a thing as a random question?

2011-11-26T10:51:00.001-05:00

Last week my second son texted me a question. It started with "random question, mom."

Hmm.
(Remember this is the son with the girlfriend. They have been together for a year and a few months.)

The question: "Do we (we?) have a ring that I would give to my wife, when I ask her to marry me?"

Answer: No.

Next question: Our family doesn't have an heirloom ring?

Answer: No, your ancestors were poor. Sorry.

~~~~

Two days later he came home and said, "This is really random mom (uh oh), but did you know that the baby boomer generation really was not a result of soldiers coming home from the war? I learned in history class today that it was actually the result of a lot of young women being promiscuous and getting pregnant out of wedlock. Of course, they got married right away so most people didn't know.

(I had started to become a little concerned at that time but decided just to eat it, or let it eat me as the case may be.)

~~~~~

The next evening at dinner he said, "Hey mom, I learned in psych class today that babies who were put up for adoption years ago would develop an attachment disorder because they were placed in beds and there was no one to hold them. Isn't that sad? Those poor babies."

(We subsequently had a discussion about attachment disorders, and how psychology professors don't always teach complete information. Pft.)

~~~~~

Now, following those three random conversations, to what conclusion would you have come (jumped)? The same one I came (jumped) to?

I let it eat me for two days before I finally just asked. And, thank God, the answer was, "No."

Quick Takes

2011-11-25T13:41:00.001-05:00

Joining Jen for Quick Takes today.

-1-

I am going to be really awful and say I am thankful that Thanksgiving is over. Last night I was thinking that paper plates and tables set in the garage is not such a bad idea.

-2-

This morning I am not have any sugar-coated memories of yesterday. I felt like a chef at a Thanksgiving buffet. Or possibly the mat on which the chef stands.

I have no illusions that the holiday is about me, but my own brother said neither hello, goodbye, nor thanks-for-dinner-sis. Hmmm.

-3-

By the time we said grace I fear I had none left. I prayed to God, "I don't care if the turkey is dry, just let me be nice." Is this the curse of every hostess of the large Thanksgiving feast?

-4-

My youngest son, a teenage boy, saved me by saying "Mom, the tables look beautiful." Today he is my favorite son. Not really but he definitely is getting extra gravy on his leftover stuffing.

-5-

No shopping for me today, unless you count armchair shopping -- my favorite kind. I ordered some stocking stuffers this morning. Eleven days until the feast of St. Nicolas.

-6-

And since we're talking about gifts, my oldest son brought home his Kindle Fire and I think I might need Santa to bring me one this year. It's very cool and I have overcome my dislike of reading on an electronic screen -- you can curl up in a chair with it just like a book. It's pretty dang expensive, and my husband is not known to really ask for suggestions, but I'm a wishin' and hopin'.

-7-

And speaking of books, here's a tip for you: Treasure Chest for Tweens is great resource for choosing super awesome and safe books for your favorite young people (they call them "tweens").

The best part

2011-11-23T21:42:00.002-05:00

the day before Thanksgiving, table not yet set

I had to run into the pharmacy today to pick up a prescription and the pharmacy tech who was on duty is a woman my husband knows (so she is very friendly to me). She asked if I am cooking tomorrow and we shared numbers of guests, who's cooking and all that jazz. She said it's so much work, and now her family just has a potluck and she roasts a turkey. I mentioned to her that it's really not all the cooking that takes so much time for me, but the getting the house ready, making sure all the best linens, china, silver, crystal are ready to go. She replied that her family just uses paper plates, and they eat in the garage so they can squirt it off later. She's a really nice woman, and I really am not judging her. We all do it differently and no way is more "right" than another.

But for me, for me, it's my mother's china, and my mother-in-law's stemware, the best linens, the candles in glass, the cornucopia, and turkey water pitcher that make this holiday so wonderful. I just wouldn't do it if I limited myself to paper plates and tables set up in the garage.

All I can say is, if you're not using something special for tomorrow's dinner...glasses that used to be on another woman's Thanksgiving table, china that someone else used to load with their huge Thanksgiving meal, linens that you washed and ironed for a loved one to wipe his mouth, a butter dish that you polished and shined just so someone else would feel that you went out of your way to make Thanksgiving special, I urge you to change the way you do it. It's the best part.

Double trouble

2011-11-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

...on this busy day before Thanksgiving.

Faith fooling with daddy's new iPad.

Just a little tip...

2011-11-22T18:53:00.001-05:00

...if you have college-age lovies coming home for Thanksgiving. Send them back with a care package for when they get sick with a cold this winter: Puffs Vicks tissues (what did we do without them?), Vick's rub, cherry Luden's, Dayquil/Nyquil, lemon drops, tea bags...all the things that make them comfy when they are sick at home.

Ok, you asked for it

2011-11-22T09:49:00.020-05:00

Well, a few of you did: we have here one silly girl and one crazy dog. Poor quality, but you get the idea. Now you understand why I confiscated the harmonica.

Thankful on Monday

2011-11-21T11:41:00.001-05:00

Blogger is being a big butt to me. It keeps kicking me off mid-post. Don't know what's up with that. I switched back to the old format, so we'll see how this works.

Just checking in on this busy pre-Thanksgiving Monday to tell you a few things I am thankful for.

I am thankful that, unlike some people, I don't have to kill a turkey this week to eat a turkey this week (not that Jennie has to kill a turkey, but that's kind of the point behind raising them, right?).

I am thankful that my family likes the same dishes for Thanksgiving every year. This year I don't have to use any recipes. Yeah!

And I don't think I ever realized before how inexpensive Thanksgiving dinner is, even if you have to buy a turkey (which I got for 9 cents if you take off my Giant Eagle food perks). Thankful for cheap dinner.

Now, Faith and the dog are having a good time this morning with a harmonica. Faith plays and the dog sings. She really does. And I'm going to go now and confiscate the harmonica. And do some laundry. And go grocery shopping for cranberries and potatoes and butter. Yum.

Happy Thankful Monday.

Yarning Along...

2011-11-16T20:21:00.001-05:00

...with Ginny at Small Things.

I am a little late to the Yarn Along today but I am excited to share about this little sweater. It's my 26th wedding anniversary today and my beloved has been home all to celebrate (cramping my blogging style).

I cast on a Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan for Faith on Saturday morning before I left for a road trip to see my grandma in Cincinnati. She's 95 years old and Faith and I love to see her every chance we get. My mom was going, so Faith and I road along -- four generations of German women together. Good stuff. And since my mom was driving I was free to knit for two hours each way. Yea!

I got a lot accomplished on my little sweater but then on the way back I realized I had skipped two rows completely and had to rip it back. Ugh. Since then I made quite a bit of headway and only had to rip a small section back because I forgot what I was doing halfway through a row. I was doing k1fb and halfway through the row I started knits. Tell me you do that, too.

When I ordered the yarn I really thought it would be a lighter yellow (KnitPicks Swish worsted in cornmeal). It's not quite as dark as it looks in the picture (it was really gray here today, especially this morning when I took the photo), but it is more gold than yellow. And the yoke is very bumpy, even though my stitches are pretty even. I hope it evens out after blocking and isn't a result of the yarn. I wanted something a little less delicate than the Madelintosh, but I can see there will be another one of these in my future knit with the Madelintosh yarn. Maybe blue? It's a fun pattern to knit and relatively easy (though does require actual reading of each line in the pattern. ah hem).

My read is still Those Who Saw Her, a book about Marian apparitions, though I am a bit (just a bit) farther along.

Join Ginny for more reads and knits.

(11/14)...streaming

2011-11-14T17:28:00.001-05:00

I just came home from being in the car for an hour or so and my head isready to explode. I have so many projects going on I don't know what to do atany moment and when I can’t work on anything (like when I am in the car) itmakes me nuts. I came home, threw in a load of laundry and sat down to thinkabout something else.

~~~~~

I have Christmas gifts on the brain, but Thanksgiving is next week and Ihave not really planned anything. Eighteen people for dinner, but no plan.Anything wrong there? The only thing I have done is order thesecute little favor containers to hold candies. I don't think my guests would be too happy, however, if all I serve iscandies.

And I ordered some yarn and some needles to knit some hats before Christmas.I no longer can think of anything to buy the teenagers in my extended family,so they get a knit hat and cash (or scarves for the girls). I just need someextended time to sit and knit. I have the last three inches of asweater for Doug's nephew to finish, and then over the weekend I caston a TinyTea Leaves Cardigan for Faith. Lots ofknitting ahead of me.

I have four out of eight St. Michael chaplets to finish for a man who isgiving them to his children --- very sweet. I don’t mind the job, but feelsomewhat like a manufacturer making eight of the same. And I think I am losingmoney on them, but hopefully will gain some Divine graces for the favor. In thecar I remembered that I want to make a tenner rosary for all of Noah’steachers, too. The list is growing and growing. I hope my family doesn’t wantmeals before Christmas.

~~~~~

Is anyone else having trouble with blogger? I start a blog post and then apop-up window tells me Blogger logged out, and I can’t save or publish oranything. Pft. Makes me feel like I should maybe be doing something else. I amnow composing on a Word document. Hopefully it will all transfer with thelinks.

~~~~~

If you don’t read JennieCooper’s blog I highly recommend youread her story of Conversion. It starts here, and the second installment is here.And while you’re there, remind her that weare waiting (patiently) for the next installment. Good stuff.

~~~~~

I have been feeling very unsettled about school lately, We’ve had day afterday of fitting school in around life and I need to get back to a structuredday. Every one who homeschools does it differently, and many mothers feel thatlife is school, but I have a need for orderly school – extended periods of timespent with books. Maybe it’s my own inadequacy, but it’s real nevertheless. Ineed several days in a row when I know my daughter has learned somethingbesides life skills. It’s time to rethink the schedule we have been maintaininglately and start putting books before anything else. Between now and Christmasthings could get real nuts otherwise.

~~~~~

Every night when we say our grace at dinner we ask for prayers for ourfamily and special intentions we may temporarily have. This month I have addedthe prayer “May the souls of the faithful departed, with the mercy of God, restin peace” and it feels really nice to remember those who have gone before usevery day. At night I always ask for any souls who have been released frompurgatory as a result of our prayers, to remember us in prayer. Can we everhave enough prayer?

~~~~~

Alright, my head is still ready to explode, so I’m going to prepare dinner.Hamburgers with blue cheese and bacon. Mmmm. We are currently under a tornadowatch and Doug is going shopping after dinner for a snow blower. It’s a weird timeof year.

A Big Movie Review Post

2011-11-11T16:19:00.001-05:00

How's that for a catchy title? (wink)

Ever since Netflix made its big switch to separate the fees for DVD rentals and streaming, and I made the unilateral decision to keep both (Doug does not usually watch movies and has no interest either way), I decided we better use the heck out of both choices to really get our money's worth. Well, you know Hollywood and most of what comes out in movie form is just garbage, so it's often hard to find enough worthwhile movies to really make it work. Fortunately lately I hit the jackpot and so I'm here to share my picks.

First up is Amish Grace. This is a little bit like a Hallmark movie -- not a huge budget film, but a great story of forgiveness with the grace of God. The film is based on the book which is based on the true story of the October 2006 shooting in an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. I don't know the details of the shooting to know if the details of the film are authentic, but the reality of modern day culture encroaching on the lifestyle of the Amish is very real, and very believable. I like the young woman, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who stars as a young victim's mother. Some parts are inappropriate for children due to the nature of the story.

Next up is one of the best films I have seen in years: Of Gods and Men. This is the incredible true story of a small group of Trappist monks living in Algeria, in a Muslim community, who are faced with Muslim extremists in the community and are eventually kidnapped by them. The photography is beautiful, and the acting is very touching, sensitively showing the courage and love of God among the nine monks -- their doubts and ultimate sacrifice. Great, great film Again not appropriate for children to to subject matter (subtitled from French).

The Music Never Stopped. This is totally a movie I would not have watched if I had known what it was really about (I think the synopsis I read was not very accurate). Oddly enough, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a true story, based in the eighties, about a middle-aged (slightly older) couple living alone who learn that their son, who ran away years ago, was found with a brain tumor and no recent memories. Julia Ormand plays a therapist who helps reach him with music he loved from the sixties. As I am not a music buff, that aspect of the film was lost on me, but the story was a really good one -- about forgiveness and unconditional acceptance.

The Conspirator. Based on the story of the men who conspired to kill President Lincoln and the only woman to take the fall. A great historical film that tells the story of the woman, Mary Surratt, who gave her life to protect her family. Remarkably the film depicted her faith in God in a positive light. I really like the young man who plays Frederick Aiken, the man who defended Surratt.

The Grace Card. This is another sort of Hallmark-style movie, but I really liked it. A lot. And I talked my family into watching it, which they did with very little criticism (which is saying a lot) and they all said it was a "good movie."It's a story about a rough police officer, who has given up on God, partnered with a preacher/cop. They learn that God gives us what (who) we need, even if we don't want it. I won't give away the ending, but you will be glad you watched this one. Probably not for children younger than ten and there is some language if your teens are watching, but the message outweighs the language. Watch it first if you have any doubts, and you'll gladly watch again with the kids.

Mars Needs Moms. I am not a big animated film fan and will really only watch them under duress (girls' night with my daughter), but this one was not bad at all. The animation was like that in Polar Express and Joan Cusack was the voice of the mom, so that was a good start. It delivered a good message about obedience, and love, and appreciation for mom's hard work.

Mrs. Brown. This is not a new film, but I was so glad to have stumbled across it. It's the story of Queen Victoria after the death of her husband Prince Albert, for whom she mourned deeply. Mr. Brown, a member of the household staff at Balmoral Castle, supposedly brought the Queen out of her mourning and back to public life. The two became very close (hence the name Mrs. Brown) and he risked his life for hers on several occasions. It was very touching film, in the romantic style of a Jane Eyre style film, and I really enjoyed Judi Dench as the queen.

A Shine of Rainbows. Another film I stumbled across -- it is the very sweet story of a young Irish orphan adopted by a beautiful young wife. A shy young boy, he comes out of his shell and quickly learns to love his new mother. The story takes a tragic turn with her illness, but ends very well. Aidan Quinn, whom I like immensely, plays the reluctant father. It was sad with the mother's illness, but other than that not objectionable for children.

Yarning Along

2011-11-09T15:00:00.001-05:00

Joining Ginny at Small Things for reads and knits.

I wanted to post the pictures of the little bonnets I made (found here on my ravelry page) -- I am finally almost finished with the second bonnet. I did something I have never done before -- made an I-cord to thread through the eyelet holes for the ties. I have a few inches left to knit on the second I-cord and then I can deliver the bonnets to my two little neighbors. Cute, cute.

My read is Those Who Saw Her, a book about Marian apparitions. I am not far into it, as there hasn't been much reading time lately.

Go see Ginny for more fun knits and reads.

Not Reader

2011-11-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

Well, if you use Google Reader I guess you have figured out by now that "they" made some changes. I really just started using Reader this past summer. I used to just use my own list on my sidebar and click over to each blog. When I'm sitting at the computer it's not a big deal -- our internet service is fast and it's as quick as scrolling down in reader (and I am much more inclined to comment -- always a good thing). But when I'm on my phone, it's not so fast -- many more steps involved, now that my blog is set for mobile use and so are many others.

I really used Reader, however, because I like the "share" button and when you wanted to save something, it was oh-so-easy to do. I curse Google for deleting the "share" button. Like the grocery store manager who says he is being more efficient by moving things around, I know it's because they think I will buy more trying to find my way around the store again. I absolutely never pick up anything else, just to spite them. Google has some incentive, I'm certain, but I'm not buying whatever it is.

I (hopefully) moved all my favorites back to my sidebar and now I'll read blogs the way I did before. And I started a new blog to save my favorite stuff. It's just as easy as some of the other methods and ya know what they say -- "there's more than one way to skin a cat." Poo on you Google.

Daybook

2011-11-07T09:37:00.001-05:00

Outside my window...

...mostly gray with a few blue patches, cool and still. The birds are busy, I heard their busy sounds when I let Maggie in. She was down in the creek again -- I don't guess I'm ever going to break her habit of drinking from the creek. Blech. Oddly she won't drink from her water bowl unless the water was just placed in it. She will drink from the toilet, however.

I am thinking...

...about the homily our young priest gave yesterday. It was about the True Presence and receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. He related the two, as they are inseparable, and the connection that he made was that receiving Holy Communion on the hand has led many Catholics to stop believing in the True Presence. He said this was a fear when Vatican II gave permission for Communion to be received in the hand. He also made the connection between the percentage of Catholics who believe in the True Presence (30%) and the low numbers of men and women choosing the religious life. Of course, the two would go hand-in-hand. Why would a man become a priest if he did not even believe in the True Presence? I could go on and on about this subject. Doug and I "came back" to receiving Communion on the tongue about seven years ago and Faith received her First Holy Communion on the tongue. It's a serious discussion that needs to be ongoing with our sons. It's something we believe strongly in, but the boys are old enough that it should be their choice to come to Jesus in the Eucharist "as a child."

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” How better to become a child than to humble oneself and allow the precious Body of Christ to be placed in one’s mouth?

I am thankful for....

...cool, gray autumn days

...a washing machine and dryer -- I have a lot of loads to do today
...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...back to the grindstone. We had a busy week last week with three feast days -- Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and they were all good learning days, but not in the book-learning sort of way. Back to the books.

From the kitchen...

...ah, a real problem these days. I wrote here about how my family has, at late, rejected most of my home-cooked meals. Even last evening, I made a wonderful Creamy Italian Chicken Noodle Soup and Rosemary Focaccia and, with the exception of Joshua's girlfriend (living in a dorm gives a child a new view of home-cooked food for certain), they barely ate. I ate two bowls, and it was delicious, but they were, "meh." Doug actually said he would rather eat scrambled eggs every night. And them there is fightin' words. Guess what he's getting tonight (and it was actually on the menu, but he doesn't know that)? I really don't know what to do. Readers of my food blog suggested getting their input, but when I suggested that at dinner they really didn't care to offer input. Any suggestions? Personally I don't want scrambled eggs every night.

I am wearing...

...a black skirt, red and white blouse and black crocs. I never thought I would wear crocs but they really are so comfortable.

I am creating...

...a corduroy jumper, finishing up the last sleeve of a Christmas sweater, and some car rosaries for Doug's aunt

I am reading...

...Those Who Saw Her, a book about Marian apparitions

I am hoping...

...for a working solutions to my meal problem. Maybe I really need a new family? ;-)

I am hearing...

...the birds outdoors.

Around the house...

...lots of laundry and a pile of ironing that never seems to get small.

I am going...

...no big plans this week. To vote tomorrow for certain.

One of my favorite things...

...the smell of an outdoor fire on a cool fall day

I am praying for...

...my children, especially Noah who is still having some adjustment issues.

...our priests and all religious

...several soldiers

...Uncle Walt

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...
...school and home -- my vocation

Quote of the Day...

"It is You, O Lord, who in an instant so enlighten the humble mind that it comprehends more of eternal truth than could be learned by ten years in the schools, You who teach without noise of words or clash of opinions, without contention of arguments." (Imitation of Christ, III, 43:2,3)

43-44/52

2011-11-04T08:58:00.000-04:00

52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations,

the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.
Join me if you like.

Faith started ballet lessons. Very exciting. Her first real ballet shoes.

all the kids (and the girlfriend) carving their pumpkins

intense work -- they are creating a cat

I think this is the first year I did not even touch the pumpkins -- they did everything (including the cleaning out) themselves. Of course, I cleaned up the mess. ;-)

it was fun to see the kids-who-think-they-are-not-kids act like little kids

our flower fairy trick-or-treater

The Columbus Dispatch did a story on the neighborhood where Faith trick-or-treated with her cousins. She was "featured" in the article:

"Thethin, delicate princess strode confidently past dueling skeletons and scorpions in the Westervillefront yard, oblivious to the tongues of fire shooting from 23 tiki torches.

After 9-year-old Faith S---- had gathered her Beggars Night candy yesterday at 1110 Bryan Dr.,however, the garage door suddenly opened to reveal a man in black with white makeup.

Music blared as he “played” a fake scythe to the Emerson Lake & Palmer song Karn Evil No. 9.

Come inside; the show’s about to start — guaranteed to blow your head apart.

Behind him in the garage stood his backing band: three skeletal figures, two holding guitars andthe other seated at a keyboard.

Faith shrieked and dashed away."

End of "feature." I guess the writer didn't notice the wings on her back, or maybe didn't think about the fact that princesses don't wear wings. Faith was quite offended that he didn't get her costume right.

When I lit the candles in the jack-o-lanterns I placed a vigil in front of the Blessed Mother and asked for her prayers for the night.

The funny thing is the first trick-or-treaters who came to my door (I was sitting on the porch) were several young boys -- about 12 years old. As they walked up to the porch I heard one say to his buddies, "It's about religion."

Me: What's about religion?

Boy: Halloween

Me: Oh, you mean because it's All Hallow's Eve?

Boy: Yeeeaaahh -- our religion teacher taught us that today in religion class

Me: Well, God bless your religion teacher for teaching religion in religion class
(never one to let a faith-teachable-moment pass)
The reason it is called All Hallow's Eve is because tomorrow is the Feast of All Saint's Day.

Boy: Yeeeaaahh -- that's what she said... something about a vigil

Me: That's right, it's the vigil of All Saints Day and Hallowed means Holy -- all the saints are holy

And then I gave them their candy and let them go, but chuckled at how Our Lady must have been tickled at that wonderful exchange between perfect strangers about our faith

Maggie loves trick-or-treat -- can you see how's she has smudged up the door? Unfortunately she didn't get any sniffs in. She just had to watch.

Faith decorated the house -- I didn't get one decoration out. Of course, I'll have to put them all away. It's funny, the boys would never have decorated -- it's such a girlie thing.

The ghosts and the pumpkins just slid in around all the regular things. I need to teach my daughter about cleaning up before we decorate. Or not.

You probably already saw these, but for the record, our All Saint's Day vigil.

And All Soul's Day with the funeral cards from our loved ones.

If you want to join me in 52 Weeks of Photos, just leave a comment in the com box and I'll come and visit. Thanks.

For all the souls...

2011-11-02T09:48:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we rejoiced with the saints. Today we pray with the souls. Yesterday was play. Today is work. We pray today...for all the souls we hope to see in heaven. Tonight we eat Soul Cakes.

Early this morning I lit the vigil candles and remembered all the souls we lost on this earth and pray we will see again one day. We especially remember: our grandparents, and my father; and some of our more recent losses: our brother Tim, our beloved Jill, our Uncle Ed, young Jimmy, Uncle Tom Basti.

Saints of God, come to their aid!
Hasten to meet them, angels of the Lord!
Receive their souls and present them to God the Most High.

May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.
Receive their souls and present them to God the Most High.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Receive their souls and present them to God the Most High.

For All the Saints

2011-11-01T20:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Solemnity, dear friends! A glorious feast 'tis.

a few of our favorite named saints

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

I Spy...Life (2)

2011-10-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

All things at hand, works in progress, pieces of life.

I spy:

(1) red maple leaves
(2) a flower fairy wreath
(3) pumpkin knife
(4) jack-o-lantern illuminator (aka candle)
(5) candy corn
(6) a box of cough drops
(7) a pretty rose-colored St. Anne chaplet, freshly fabricated
(8) a bonnet on sticks -- almost complete
(9) owls on feather wale -- the brightest fall fabric my daughter could find
(10) a great flick (in all fairness to you I cut off the Netflix logo) -- The Grace Card
(11) pumpkin seeds -- the snack du jour
(12) a pattern for a jumper -- for cutting into the owl featherwale
(13) Colonial Times reading for elementary school
(14) yarn ball
(15) yucky-tasting cough syrup

A great evil and its consequences

2011-10-28T18:47:00.001-04:00

Just a little thinking today, sparked by a homeschool lesson.

After I wrote yesterday's post, Faith and I got down to business and finished up her schoolwork for the day, which included a history lesson. I am using Our Pioneers and Patriots this year, as just a part of her history curriculum, and it is one of my favorite history texts for young people (although I have probably said that about all of Fr. Furlong's history texts).

Faith is currently learning about Colonial times and, in our reading, we came across the subject of slavery. From the text:

"The bringing of slaves to Virginia was a great evil. Later, this evil caused great sorrow not only to slaves and plantation owners but to the nation."

That second sentence gave me pause. Clearly the great sorrow was the Civil War. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I find the period of the Civil War to be the most frightening period of this country's history. Yes, it was a fascinating period to historians and such, and it has been glamorized to some degree by movie makers. But when you think about the reality of the Civil War, it is chilling. Americans killed Americans by the hundreds of thousands. Imagine your husbands, sons, and brothers fighting a war against husbands, sons and brothers from a neighboring state. War today is not limited to cannons, rifles, and bayonets. It's a gruesome thought.

But then realize how great an evil abortion is -- infinitely more evil than slavery. Slaves were treated inhumanely, but they were permitted to live and breathe and love one another. And eventually many of them were free -- those who lived to see "the end."

The number of slaves prior to the Civil War is estimated by the American Civil War Census Data to be almost 4 million. The number of babies aborted in the United States (according to NRL) since 1973 is over 53 million. The numbers of babies killed by abortion is 13 times the number of slaves who were kept. Our country went to war over slavery (there were some other issues, but most of them came down to the issue of slavery as well), and I wonder when the war will come over abortion.

I wonder if it's possible to abolish abortion without a war. Just as southerners justified the use of slaves, believing it to be right, pro-choicers will never admit that abortion is wrong. Over 53 million women have aborted their infants in this country. If even half of the fathers were a party to it, then almost 80 million people have a vested interested in keeping abortion legal, if only to justify their own actions. Add to that even one parent for half of those women and the number goes over 100 million. Then add those who are parties because their job depends upon it. And then add in those who support the right to abort because their ideology depends upon it. It's not hard to see how half of Americans today believe that abortion should continue to be a right afforded to those who are presently alive.

Sorry to be a downer on a Friday evening, but I've been thinking hard on this subject. Maybe you find this to be extreme thinking, bit I think it's horrifying to imagine what could happen.

Five things homeschooling has taught me

2011-10-27T12:42:00.000-04:00

Jen at Forever, For Always shared Five Things that Homeschooling Taught Me at The Homeschool Classroom this morning. I think most homeschooling mothers would agree that in teaching our children, we learn as much as they do. Maybe not about Math (although I have certainly learned my share) and Spelling, but certainly plenty of academics, as well as about parenting and our children's personalities.

I am sharing the five things that I learned (although, admittedly there are about 5 hundred).

1. The Civil War was the scariest time in our nation's history. Each time I teach my children about the Civil War, whether at home or by helping one of my high schoolers take book notes or study for a test, it frightens me to my core. Foreign terrorists have nothing on Americans vs. Americans. More men were killed in the Civil War than in all wars America has been involved in combined. That's American vs American. North vs South. Pick any cause in this country and find it's opposite cause and you could have a new Civil War. Democrats vs Republicans. Christians vs non-Christians. Poor vs middle class. It's a very scary thought and not enough Americans know their history to see how easily it could happen.

2. One can never be taught too much English. I have been around enough high school students (and read enough FB) to know that children today, including homeschooled children, don't learn enough English (no offense to any of my English teacher friends -- you are only one woman!). Grammar among adults in this country is deplorable. I hope that if my children don't get enough of every other subject, they get more than enough English. I know my own English is not perfect -- I have my share of dangling participles and split infinitives -- but, by and large, I pay attention to my grammar.

3. There are not enough pencils, pens, crayons and erasers in the world for one homeschooling family. Where do they go?

4. Each child learns differently. That fact really should not surprise me, but it does. I always thought (and still do, to some degree) that any number of children born of the same two people and raised by the same two people in the same house, would be fairly similar in personality and learning style. I should know, having four children, ages 22 to nine, that they don't, but yet it always surprises me. Yesterday Faith was working from a Seton Reading Book, which I ordered for her because I always enjoyed the variation in exercises it offered. Yesterday's exercise was to find a matching analogy from a word bank. "Hymn is to him as piece is to _________________; Brook is to river as shower is to __________________." My boys -- both of them -- did not get this type of exercise at all. They didn't see the analogies -- it was just not within them. And they both reacted exactly the same way to this exercise. They hated it; it frustrated them. Faith, on the other hand, loved it. She was giggling in delight as she found the answer to each "riddle."

5. Our faith is so deep there is not enough time in one's entire life to learn it all. I don't think anyone on earth, including our beloved pontiff (no disrespect intended) knows it all. I appreciate homeschooling my children if for no other reason than the time it has given me to learn about my faith. Every saint, every sacrament, every scripture verse -- they are all wonderful and deep and, hopefully, will save my soul. Through wonderful Catholic textbooks (if only our Catholic grade schools would use Catholic textbooks!) I have deepened my faith in God and my love for our Church.

Praying the rosary with reverence

2011-10-26T11:49:00.002-04:00

I have heard one particular episode of Women of Grace Live on the radio twice now and I feel like I am meant to share something I heard which struck me, and has changed the way I pray the rosary.

I heard Fr. Ed (Fr. Edward Sylvia) say that when we pray the Hail Mary during the rosary, we should slow down and pause before the name of Jesus, and even give a bow of the head. Fr. Ed says the name of Jesus should be a speed bump in the Hail Mary, in which we slow down and give the proper reverence to Our Lord.

It really changes the way I pray the rosary -- and it feels good.

40-42/52

2011-10-24T20:24:00.000-04:00

52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations,

the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.
Join me if you like.

The feast of St. Therese and some lovely mini roses.

Cream Puffs (French dessert) to celebrate St. Therese of Lisieux.

My little drummer boy. Whenever I go downstairs he stops playing, so I had to hold the camera just around the corner on the steps to get a shot of him playing.

A rosary cake (pan of brownies) to celebrate the feast of the Holy Rosary.

My view for a few days after vein surgery -- and that lovely compression stocking. A far as surgeries go, it wasn't too bad -- a good reason to have to sit with one's feet up.

The view from the living room sofa with my feet up -- a gorgeous October sky out there.

My little student has been a little goosey these days -- playing with a pink slinky during a spelling quiz.

Faith and I are reading and coloring this book about Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. I shared with Faith that I have a medal on my rosary that touched the chair that Our Blessed Mother sat in when she appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure.

Noah and his Homecoming date -- this past Saturday evening. Her name is Melissa, and she is my height, which shows how much taller my son is than I.

The infamous limo ride. ;-)

My almost-22-year-old son, Geoffrey, came home for his birthday dinner yesterday. He turns 22 on Wednesday. Impossible to believe!

If you want to join me in 52 Weeks of Photos, just leave a comment in the com box and I'll come and visit. Thanks.

(10/18)...streaming

2011-10-19T12:40:00.005-04:00

Today is the first day of the St. Jude Novena -- surely you have a hopeless cause. Don't we all? I love this Pray More Novenas website -- just enter your email address and they send you a reminder with the novena prayers every day. All you have to do is pray.

Even I can do that.

~~~~~

I think I am beginning to sound like an old lady with a daily update on my ailments, but it is an ever-changing saga! I am still recovering from surgery. I went to the doctor the other day to make sure my "cold" wasn't strep throat (it wasn't) and he "took a look at my leg" and noticed a hard knot in the vein that the surgeon closed. He didn't really say too much, but his concern alarmed me and got me wondering as to whether it was normal and I called the surgeon's nurse. It's apparently not terrifically abnormal, but they wouldn't say it was normal either. To help resolve it, I have to peel the compression hose off four times a day and sit with a wet, hot washcloth on the spot for 15 minutes. Sure, that's doable, right? At least I have to sit down for 15 minutes four times a day.

~~~~~

Speaking of compression hose, have you ever worn them? They.are.so.awful. Fortunately I only have to wear them until I see the surgeon for follow-up next week. Prior to my surgery I had to have a short physical to make certain my body was sound for surgery. I went to the hospital and saw a doctor who does only pre-surgery physicals. I think he must be frustrated by his position because he questioned my surgeon's decision to operate on my leg a number of times. He asked me if I had already tried compression hose as an alternative to surgery. I politely replied that I had, but I really wanted to say, "Look pal, did you ever put on compression hose? I'm 49 years old and I don't want to wear compression hose for the rest of my life." Frankly, if I had one year to live I wouldn't wear compression hose for the rest of my life. They are awful, uncomfortable, hot, and binding. My poor grandma is 95 and wears them because she had bypass surgery twenty-plus years ago. Hers are so tight that she has to put them on with rubber gloves. Really looking forward to that day...

~~~~~

I can't wait until Halloween is over, or as my husband calls it "the culture of death" holiday. I remember Halloween fondly from when I was a kid, but I don't remember all this death and darkness. It was fun when I was younger, dressing up in fun costumes and trick-or-treating, and I feel badly for all the little kids growing up in this culture. This culture that embraces CSI and other graphic "death" media, and that, of course, encompasses abortion -- a woman's-choice-for-death-culture. This love of all that is Halloween in our culture is either a result of abortion acceptance or abortion acceptance is a result of the culture, I can't decide which. Death is just no big deal any more. We see it all around.

My little trick-or-treater is going to be a fairy this year -- a sweet pink-and-green-dancing-with-wings fairy. We're embracing sweet and cute and innocent.

~~~~~

This weekend is my frosh's Homecoming Dance. He says he is going, but as is typical in today's culture -- I am told, he has not actually spoken to his date, asked her in a message on FB and has only messaged her or texted her with my phone since. I tried to force him to call her -- on the phone -- but Doug backed me off saying "it's the way they do things today." I still disagree with it being right. Noah (the frosh) informed me last night that he and his "date" might be riding with another boy and his date in a limo. Doug and I agree that a limo to freshman year Homecoming is way over the top, but I have been told that girls today spend as much on a Homecoming dress as I did on my wedding dress. And considering that my wedding was the first time I rode in a limo (for fun and not a funeral) I guess that is how much life has changed. "Over the top" is my motto here. I truly don't want to know what young people do for the wedding these days. I am planning to call the date's mother and the limo's mother -- I do think I have a right and responsibility there. Right?

(Apparently in my effort to be sarcastic, I was just confusing. I plan to call the mother of my son's date, and the mother of his friend who hired the limo driver. I did not hire the limo driver.)

Giveaway winner

2011-10-19T10:22:00.003-04:00

Faith picked a name from a basket this morning and the winner is...

Catharina de Bononia

Congratulations, Catharina! Send me a note and let me know where to send your tenner!

If you did not win, but are interested in having a tenner made, please send me a note or leave a comment. All my rosaries are created at cost, so you can get a nice tenner for little money. Or check my rosary blog for a rosary available now.

Protect and Pardon...a rosary giveaway

2011-10-16T13:01:00.000-04:00

This month of October is the month of the rosary. If you do not have a regular devotion to praying the rosary -- now is the perfect time to start. The prayers of the rosary and the mysteries are filled with scripture and as such, are a perfect bible study for busy mothers with little time to sit and study Sacred Scripture. There are many forms of scriptural rosary (I have posted before about them here, here, and here), but even without the scripture passages, the rosary teaches us about Christ Jesus, and the prayers, through God and Our Blessed Mother, lead us to Our Lord.

It often seems impossible for busy mothers to have enough quiet time to pray five decades of the rosary each day. Though it is a wonderful gift to make the time for all five decades at once, and scripture if you have extra time, it is often more doable to pray one decade at a time. By keeping a tenner rosary -- a string of beads -- ten Aves and one Pater -- in ones pocket or handbag, the time for a rosary a day can usually be found -- sitting in the car waiting for children, rocking a baby to sleep, or even waiting for a load of laundry to finish spinning in the dryer.

Today I am hosting a giveaway of one tenner rosary. I made this rosary with 20 gauge non-tarnishing silver wire -- it's very durable. The Aves are 6mm brown Czech glass beads and the Pater is a beautiful, iridescent brown, opaque, glass bead. The medal is a silver St. Michael the Archangel medal -- St. Michael, protect us -- and the crucifix is a Pardon crucifix. See the information below about St. Michael and the Pardon crucifix.

For a chance to win the rosary, leave your name and a way to contact you (please be sure to do this so I can find you later -- the internet is a huge place!) in the comment box by Tuesday at midnight and I'll announce a winner on Wednesday. Alternately, you can email me -- my address is in the sidebar.

~~~~~

St. Michael:

On Sunday April 24th 1994, Pope John Paul II recommended this prayer be usedby all Catholics as a prayer for the Church when he said:

'"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: 'Draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power' (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."'

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

~~~~~

Pardon Crucifix:

The Front of the Crucifix: Above the cruciform figure, the familiar I.N.R.I. has been inscribed with the words "Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum. "" Latin uses I instead of the English J, and V instead of U (Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm). The English translation is "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." . The Reverse of the Crucifix: On the transverse arms are the words, "Father, forgive them.". On the vertical beam of the Cross are the words, "Behold this heart which has so loved men.". An image of The Sacred Heart of Jesus is shown in the center.

These indulgences have been declared upon the Pardon Crucifix by Pope St. Pius X in 1905, and have been approved in the pardon of the living and the souls in Purgatory in 1907. The lengths of the indulgences were repealed in the new Enchiridion, and the indulgences were granted to remit the guilt of the sin committed:

1. Whoever carries on his person the Pardon Crucifix, may thereby gain an indulgence.

2. For devoutly kissing the Crucifix, an indulgence is gained.

3. Whoever says one of the following invocations before this crucifix may gain each time an indulgence: "Our Father who art in heaven, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." "I beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray to the Lord our God for me."

4. Whoever, habitually devout to this Crucifix, will fulfill the necessary conditions of Confession and Holy Communion, may gain a Plenary Indulgence on the following feasts: On the feasts of the Five Wounds of our Lord, the Invention of the Holy Cross, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Immaculate Conception, and the Seven Sorrows (Dolors) of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

5. Whoever, at the moment of death, fortified with the Sacraments of the Church, or contrite of heart, in the supposition of being unable to receive them, will kiss this Crucifix and ask pardon of God for his sins, and pardon his neighbor, will gain a Plenary Indulgence.

(10/15)...streaming

2011-10-15T16:33:00.001-04:00

Oh boy...here we are halfway through October. How did that happen??

I recovered pretty well from my surgery...thanks so much for your prayers. I was feeling pretty well, had been dressed and out and about on Wednesday and Thursday, and Faith and I had a little field trip scheduled for Friday (we won't dwell on the fact that the field trip was scheduled around paying Joshua's speeding ticket in person). We were going to take a road trip to a sweet little neighboring village, do some school at the their library and have lunch as a local diner. With the peak color around here, and the little village located in the "hills" (as hilly as it gets around Columbus, Ohio), it would have been a memorable trip.

In the wee hours of Friday morning I woke up shivering under the covers. Felt like fever. I hunted down a thermometer and some advil and took my temp -- 101.6. With nothing else to think about in the wee hours of the morning waiting for sleep to find me again, I, of course, determined that I probably had sepsis, obtained after having a doctor shove a catheter up the veins of my leg.

Logically I knew it was probably the same virus the kids passed around, paired with a flu shot obtained the day before, but you know middle of night thoughts are rarely logical.

I called my surgeon's office when daylight broke and after several conversations with the nurse and several conversations between the nurse and the doctor we decided that I probably, unknowingly, compromised my immune system a bit too much. I woke up today with a raging sore throat, and no voice, which just confirms the fact that I have a virus.

Today is the second day in a row that I took a shower and put a clean nightgown on, so I'm laying low (actually I think I am lying low, right?).

~~~~~~

I had the opportunity to do some reading and found a book on iBooks that looked interesting. I had read this author before and liked the book I had read. About 25 pages into the book, I realized that I probably should stop reading because the author and I had very different beliefs in regard to gay marriage. Yet, I kept reading because I hoped that it would not be a significant issue in the book. About a quarter of the way through the book I realized it was going to be a significant issue in the book, but I kept reading because I thought the other issues would make the book worth reading. I am now over halfway through the book and I deleted it from iBooks so I wouldn't be tempted to read another word. I'm not even going to mention the title here because I don't want this blog and this book to be associated with each other ever. I'm so very tired of liberals trying to normalize same- s*x attraction. They will not admit the fact that if everyone in the world chose that particular lifestyle, our world would end. So, how can that ever, ever be a good thing? I am not a gay basher, and I believe that people with same-s*x attraction are God's creatures (though I do not believe their attraction was created by God) and need love. But same-s*x marriage is wrong and defies natural law. No matter how much one tries to sell it, it doesn't change the truth.

~~~~~~

On another completely different topic, it's halfway through the month of the rosary and I have hardly even mentioned it. I will rectify that tomorrow when I post a giveaway for a lovely, little tenner rosary that I made while I was "lying low." See ya then...

Daybook...post surgery

2011-10-11T15:55:00.001-04:00

Outside my window...

...partly cloudy and warm. I would call this Indian Summer season, but my mother told me that Indian Summer is, officially, the warm spell after the first frost and we've had no frost yet. But it looks, feels and smells like Indian Summer.

I am thinking...

...not perfectly clearly. I have fuzzy post anesthesia/pain med head. Yesterday I had radiofrequency vein ablation to help resolve the vein problems I've had in my left leg since I had all that clotting three years ago. I had hoped to have the procedure done under light sedation, but the anesthesiologist informed me that the procedure is too painful, and they (anesthesiology) would end up giving me more drugs to keep me "in twilight" than if they used a general anesthesia. So today I have a sore throat and sore leg but hopefully tomorrow after they remove the dressing (it's wrapped tightly from ankle to groin -- think "mummy mommy") I'll feel like a new woman. Or something like that.

I am thankful for....

...modern medical procedures -- years ago I would have had vein stripping. Sounds awful.

...family and friends

...prayers

...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...Faith had fever last Thursday and Friday, and thus no school, and no school yesterday or today. I think tomorrow we had better get some school done.

From the kitchen...

...lasagna from the freezer for dinner. I'm glad I doubled a batch.

I am wearing...

...a white nightgown and cotton sweater. The wrapping on my leg makes it too hot to wear clothes.

I am creating...

...many things...a sweater, a Seven Sorrows chaplet, a baby quilt, some corduroy jumpers...and now Faith informs me she needs a Halloween costume.

I am reading...

...nothing at the moment. Just finished The Year of Pleasures, and mostly enjoyed it.

I am hoping...

...for a quick recovery.

I am hearing...

...Faith playing outdoors with Maggie.

Around the house...

...I'm pretty caught up on cleaning and laundry for at least a day or two.

I am going...

...no where until tomorrow. I have an appointment for an ultrasound to see of the veins closed.

One of my favorite things...

...candy corn

I am praying for...

...my children, especially Noah and Josh who are adjusting to school, new subjects and big tests.

...our next door neighbors' little baby girl who finally came home.

...our priests and all religious

...several soldiers

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...
...taking it easy for the most part.

Picture thought of the day...

yum

I Spy...Life (1)

2011-10-06T09:10:00.000-04:00

Life lately has been disconnected, erratic. I like life to run smoothly, like a fine automobile. Don't we all? Lately I go from one thing to another and each activity has nothing to do with the other -- except they all need to be done -- by me. The other day I thought about my those I Spy books and thought my life looked a lot like a page from those books. All the parts were there, together, but really all they had in common was the fact that they are part of my life. Somehow that image helped me not feel life was so chaotic.

Then, an inspiration for a still life. I grabbed many pieces that I had sitting around -- all parts from my week, one seeming to have nothing to do with another, except me, and took a picture. A few things I missed -- like the digital thermometer, because the kids are passing a bug around, but lots of parts are there. Some fun, too.

I spy:

(1) a rose -- from St. Therese, even if I had to buy a little bush myself from the grocery store ;-)
(2) a book, about Faith's favorite saint
(3) a bonnet, on needles
(4) a wire-wrapped rosary, in the works, leopardskin jasper, amber crystal, brass wire; five decades and four Paters, disconnected from the center, like me!
(5) my audio rosary -- love it
(6) a review sheet for a big history test, not mine but I sure have been learning, Noah and I have spent four or five nights studying for one test: 144 questions, over 400 years of history. Absurd.
(7) a new, blue spatula: for making pumpkin bread and pumpkin squares and apple butter cake
(8) the cutest little dollies I have ever seen; I have bought a few Christmas gifts in the past week and these little dollies I bought for Doug's niece Olivia arrived. I bought eight and pictured are just a few, but they are all absolutely darling. It's a handmade Christmas but I didn't say I had to make everything myself! I'm going to make a sweet little carry bag for her to stash them away.
(9) a baby quilt, almost finished
(10) an ironing board cover -- from my dear friend Cheryl -- and iron. My ironing board broke (I push too hard) and I went without for about a week. Ironing backed up and now I'm catching up -- with a pretty new cover too enjoy.

Did you ever...

2011-10-04T19:26:00.002-04:00

...dip a snack size Caramel Twix candy bar in a jar of Smucker's chunky peanut butter?

Just sayin' -- oh my!

Pray, pray, pray the rosary

2011-10-03T14:31:00.003-04:00

By now you probably have noticed that I have a devotion to the rosary. Getting to this devotion has been the work of the Blessed Mother, without a doubt. I did not grow up with the rosary at home, just the infrequent occasion at Catholic day school. Praying the rosary never occurred to me in college or early in my marriage. In fact, it was after we had started homeschooling (my faith has grown by leaps and bounds since starting homeschooling) that a very dear friend asked me if I was I interested in learning how to make a rosary, and I answered "yes." Because my faith was depening more and more each day, a devotion to praying the rosary came hand-in-hand with making them. The Blessed Mother came to me through my hands because it was a sure way to get me!

I now depend on the rosary -- not just in time of extreme need, but when is there not a need in one way or another? As long as we are on this earth there will be a need. But every day does not offer a perfect time for quiet, prayerful contemplation with beads in-hand. Throughout most of the day, when we are not schooling, I have something I am trying to accomplish, whether cleaning, ironing, or working on a knitting or sewing project (usually a gift or necessary item like children's clothes). It's a rare moment that is completely free and all to myself.

My lap with knitting and iPhone this morning.

I recently discovered how wonderful the iPhone (or iPod/iPad) is for helping me pray. I can knit, sew, iron -- any quiet activity-- while praying the rosary with my iPhone nearby. I dislike using earphones but my iPhone has small speakers, so as long as it is fairly quiet, I have no trouble hearing it.

I thought I'd share this concept, in this month of the rosary, because it may not have occurred to you that you can use modern technology for this ancient devotion. You can use an app for this purpose, but there are plenty of online audio rosaries as well -- you can use them on an iPod/Pad/Phone or on the computer.

The apps might cost a few bucks (but this free one is very nice) but you don't need a data plan (or use data) to use it. Alternately if you have wifi, the online versions are free and some take no space on your device. I like a scriptural rosary and found this one to be very nice. I dislike scripture read with drama, but maybe that's not your preference. Just google "audio rosary online" or "audio scriptural rosary online" and you'll find a lot of choices. Some require you to download an mp3 file and some stream. Or if you like an app, search iTunes and find the multitude of apps out there.

Though technology can be so disruptive to our lives, it's a good thing when we use it to become closer to God.

Don't you just love it when...

2011-10-01T13:24:00.001-04:00

...you find someone online who you were just apparently meant to find. Yesterday morning during my coffee and blog-reading time, I noticed the giveaway at Elizabeth Foss' blog. For the second time (I think I took note the day before) I noticed the vendor who sponsored the giveaway and I clicked over to her shop. She has beautiful things -- so feminine, so shiny and sparkly. Lovely. I have a bracelet planned for my mother's Christmas gift, something with all the grandchildren's birthstone colors, but I thought a little disc with "Mimi" on it would be such a perfect addition. (My children and their cousins all call my mother Mimi. And my mother does not read my blog.) I didn't see a disc all by itself to purchase, but I decided it was worth an ask to see if the shop owner would sell me just a stamped disc.

The owner, Carol, emailed me back right away and said that she sure could make me a disc, and told me a very reasonable price. I emailed her back right away and said I would love to have her make the disc and would definitely mention her name on my blog because she offered such pretty things and if I didn't already make my own I would buy lots more (and as it is I am thinking about buying more anyway).

Anyway...long story sort of short, because my signature on my iPhone includes my blog address, Carol popped over and saw my rosaries, and decided she just really needed a Seven Sorrows Chaplet, as she had been praying and meditating without the beads. We emailed back and forth over the course of the day and of course realized the Holy Spirit was involved and I just love it when that happens.

...when you warn your kid about something and he learns the lesson right in front of you. The other day Noah and I were sitting at the kitchen table working on history -- reading and outlining the book. (I am working with him until he gets the jist of it.) He had a black pen in his hand and he was chewing the bejeebers out of the end of it. I said (quote), "Don't chew on the end of the pen like that because you'll end up with a mouthful of ink." He gave me the standard "you have no idea what you are talking about" roll of the eyes and kept right on chewing. It wasn't two minutes later he pulled the pen out of his mouth and ran to bathroom with, not quite a mouthful, but quite a bit of ink in his mouth. I just love it when that happens.

...when you have an evening to yourself and a really good movie. Last night the boys went to the usual Friday night football game, I tucked Faith in bed and grabbed the portable DVD player and some rosary makings and headed to my own bed. My movie happened to be "Saving Sarah Cain" and I really enjoyed it. It was not exactly a children's movie, but I could see that some teens would benefit from watching it. If all movies could be so good/clean/meaningful. I just love it when that happens.

...when a great feast day and a great month fall on the same day. Happy Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux and Happy October! This wonderful film about St. Therese is available to watch instantly.

Happy day!

Weeks 37-39/52

2011-09-30T09:21:00.001-04:00

52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations,

the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.
Join me if you like.

The weeks in pictures got out of hand (way behind) due to technical difficulties. I mentioned a few weeks ago that iPhoto was importing new photos and replacing the old photos with the new. I lost a ton of photos. Well, not a ton, but, a lot and for most I can't even remember what they were because I have a lousy memory.

One day I was on the phone with AppleCare for another issue (If you ever buy a Mac, bite the bullet and get AppleCare. Those guys -- and so far I have only talked to men so they are guys -- know Macs like I know....nothin'. I know Apple calls them "geniuses" at the store, but to me, they really are.) and I mentioned my problem, just sort of, "Oh by the way I have this other problem -- any idea?" and he knew right away that the date on my camera was turned off and so iPhoto was reading each photo like it was from the same date -- it just reads the series of numbers identifying each photo, but since the date was turned off the numbers were essentially the same each time and iPhoto replaced the old with the new. Sure enough, I checked the camera and the date was turned off. Doug fixed it and hopefully now it will all be better. I actually only tell you this in case you ever have that problem, and now you'll know just what it is. I wish I was smarter about technology but I would have never, ever figured that one out. Actually, most of the time, I wish technology just wasn't so complicated.

Anyway, photos from the last few weeks. They appear sort of random, and they are.

The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross -- annual Cross brownie.

My niece Rachel's birthday song/cake. She was in town (they live in Maryland) to bring her brother to college (he's a frosh at Ohio State) on her actual birthday so I baked her a cake -- for lunch. She asked for butter cake with lemon frosting, and of course she needed pink sugar sprinkles. If you remember, Rachel had thyroid cancer earlier this year and she is doing very well. As you can see. ;-)

I received a huge box of beads from a lovely woman who bought a rosary from me. She used to make rosaries herself, but now struggles with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and can no longer make them. There are hundreds, if not thousands of beads here. When the box arrived, Doug and I discussed what to do with all the beads and he asked if I would supply our Catholic hospital chapels with rosaries (he works for the Foundation of the hospital). I said, "great idea." The very next week, Father Ryan asked for volunteers to supply him with rosaries to bless and offer. Divine Providence? I'd say so. Now all I need is time...

A necklace for Joshua's girlfriend. They've been dating for a year. Can you believe it? Sigh... He has always loved owls, hence the owls on the tile (which I obtained from Etsy, but made the rest).

Random potato pancakes. They were delish.

Science class -- Faith is loving this human model.

Reading class -- she reads on the treadmill sometimes. Too much energy.

First day of class for this frosh. Yes, college students get schultutes, too.

Doug's aunt from Florida, asked me for eight car rosaries, all in blue. I was busy for a while.

Faith, reading, for pleasure. A rarety indeed. Thank you, Mrs. B for the recommendation (although you didn't tell me there were magic spells!)

Faith and I made dog cookies. I truly have gone over the edge. I plan to share the recipe on my food blog.

Sewing chapel veils. Thanks, Kimberlee, for the easy instructions.

Latin Mass -- new to Faith, a reintroduction for me.

If you want to join me in 52 Weeks of Photos, just leave a comment in the com box and I'll come and visit. Thanks.

Late Yarn Along

2011-09-29T09:38:00.001-04:00

Yarning Along with Ginny...a day late.

I am still making progress on the sweater I'm knitting for Doug's nephew. I am knitting the hood now. The pattern can be found here -- it's a very simple knit, and I like the sweater, though I do lose momentum on the long knitting parts. That's kind of where I am now on the hood. I have to make myself pick it up. The yarn is Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in Jalapeno with the stripe in Silver Sage (the stripe is not in the pattern). I mentioned before that I am disappointed in the yarn -- it's so lightweight, but I have confidence in Knit Picks so I am hoping (beyond hope) that when I wash and block it, it will fluff up a little. If not, my aunt reminded me that little boys have their own built-in furnaces and probably don't need such big heavy sweaters anyway.

My book I am not disappointed in one bit and is really the reason I decided to go ahead and post this Yarn Along even though I am late. It will be due back at the library next week, so I won't have it in my post. I am fortunate that our library has a link to dozens of libraries in Ohio and I got this book from the Franciscan University in Steubenville. The title is Why Catholics are Right, by Michael Coren. I'm not big on the title -- I think it sounds pompous, and should say Why the Catholic Church is the Truth. But it is a very good book and I think Coren is spot-on (to steal one of his native British terms) in most of his points. I would not exactly call it an apologetics book, because it doesn't necessarily defend doctrine (although I shouldn't say it absolutely doesn't) as much as the Church in today's culture and in history. I have skipped over parts (frankly I don't ever plan to defend the Crusades or the Inquisition because I'm not a history buff nor could I ever hold my own in an argument over such topics) but all in all it's an excellent read and I think all Catholics should read it.

(9/27)...streaming

2011-09-27T08:47:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a busy day, busier than I anticipated, and I never got back to the computer after 9 a.m., at least not for blogging.

Latin Mass at 9:45 a.m. was a big reason. If we go to daily Mass it's at 8:30 a.m., finished by 9, home after pastries and coffee by 10. We often don't start school until 9:30 or 10 so we're not far off on a Mass day. We didn't start school before we left yesterday because we have to leave by 9:15, and we arrived home at 11:30. And then there was that little power nap at about 1:30 while Faith ate lunch (why was I so tired?). And retrieving Noah from school from 3:15 to 4:15, and dinner, homework, blah, blah, blah. A mother's day never really belongs to mother, does it?

~~~~

Speaking of Latin Mass...wow, was I surprised.

Veiling was not as big a deal as I thought it would be. I thought we would both be uncomfortable covering our heads, self-conscious, but I thought the Mass would be no big deal. Not that Mass is not a big deal, because it definitely is, always, in every form, but I didn't think it would be soooo different. I guess I thought it would be very much the N.O. Mass in Latin. I thought it would be like the Mass on EWTN radio -- N.O Mass with Latin prayers. I was wrong on all counts.

Well, like I said, veiling was not a big deal. Every other woman had her head covered, so I didn't feel odd at all and neither did Faith (except when my veil fell back and Faith whispered in my ear).

But the Mass was sooo different. I came away a little stunned (not in a bad way at all, just surprised at how very different Mass could be). I can't imagine how Catholics felt when the Church went from the Traditional Mass to the N.O. Mass. I was young, and so I don't really remember being stunned, but older Catholics must have thought "what is all this talking?" The Latin Mass, for those who do not attend (and this was a Low Latin Mass, so no chanting or incense), is very, very quiet. With the exception of a few Latin responses, like after the reading and the Gospel, there are no responses. And with the exception of the readings, the homily and the Hail Marys, Hail Holy Queen and prayer to St. Michael before the recession, it was all Latin, and often not in audible tones. As one who has not been to Latin Mass since I was a young school girl (and we went every morning before school, so I was familiar with it at a time) it felt very passive, and it felt very private. It could have been just Father and me in the church.

(Well, except for that little altar server who never missed a beat. He was about 10 years old and I'll tell you it was second nature to him -- most impressive. He knew every prayer response and every move, which is a lot.)

I did not have a missal, which was my mistake. Like I said, I thought it would be more like the N.O. Mass in Latin and I had the prayers in Latin in my Magnificat. But it was not the N.O. Mass at all. The readings were different (different calendar) and there were many prayers, which I did not know, and many motions, of which I did not know the significance. Of course Holy Communion was on the knees and on the tongue, but I was prepared for that, and prepared Faith ahead of time.

I'm certain I could have asked any one of my readers here what to expect (you are probably snickering at me now), but I just never thought, and that is my fault. Mea culpa. But no harm done. I think Faith is open-minded enough that though she didn't understand a word of it, essentially we knew what was going on (and that little altar boy kept her very entertained) and we will go back. Our young associate pastor intends to offer the Low Mass twice a week when possible. That gives us a great many opportunities, once we get a missal. And if anyone has a suggestion for a reasonably-priced Latin missal, I'm all ears.

~~~~~~

Another busy day today, a lunch date, grocery shopping, pick up, blah, blah, blah. Have a good one.

.

Dawn's Early Light

2011-09-26T09:09:00.001-04:00

Actually, it's past dawn by a few hours, but it's very dark and rainy here and it looks like the wee hours of the morning outside.

Faith and I are headed out into the weather (I can hear it raining and blowing very hard right now which figures because we need to run out to the car in the driveway) to attend her first Latin Mass and my first in a very, very long time. Our new associate pastor has started having Low Latin Masses a few times a week, and it's within my comfort zone, in my own little parish, so we are going. I scrappled together some veils yesterday (thanks Kimberlee!), so we are stepping out in some new territory -- or old territory, as the case may be. ;-)

I'll pray for you, of course, and I'll be sure to touch base later with all the latest news, though not much is going on here, so don't get too excited.

Our school year...continued

2011-09-23T21:30:00.001-04:00

I suppose that I should have titled yesterday's post "Homeschool in Years Past" because it was really the story of how we got started and what we did in the past.

This year is a very different year for me, not just because I have one student -- one young student (which means the material is not challenging for me and really not terribly challenging for her because even when the boys were in school-school I found fourth grade to be a plateau year, meaning they practice what they have learned but there is not a lot of new material) -- but also because I have really come as close to creating my own curricula than I ever have before.

I told you that in years past we used Seton, almost exactly as the lesson plans were written. One year I disliked the history for both boys and created my own world geography plan. That was fun, because I love geography. But mostly I did what someone else planned out for me. I was a beginner, and not at all comfortable stepping out of the box. That's just my personality -- firstborn, safe, perfectionist.

I also told you that when Faith finished second grade I knew that she could not do Seton again, for a while any way. Maybe I was burned out, but I think Faith just needed something "kinder and gentler" to steal a phrase from a former president. And that is what I have found in CHC. I used the term "sweet" once to describe CHC's curricula to a friend and she looked at me crossways as though "sweet" was not a term that should describe school. But it is old-fashioned, as well as innocent, and appropriately young, which all say "sweet" to me. Does that make sense? So much of what children get today is pushing, pushing them beyond their age and innocence. CHC, as do many homeschool programs, allows them to stay innocent and sweet and while I do find the work to be grade-appropriate, it is not hard. Some children need challenge, but Faith is not that child. She is not challenged by difficult, she is frustrated. She likes to master material without a lot of work. Maybe she won't be the brightest bulb on the tree, but she is who she is. I don't believe that pushing her will make her smarter.

So, that said, what we are doing this year is:

Teaching Textbooks for math. In the past, we have used MCP, Saxon and last year, as I mentioned, mishmash, for math. Saxon is great for some kids. In fact, I find that Teaching Textbooks is very similar to Saxon, but waaayy more fun. Here is what I like about Saxon -- you learn a new concept and you practice all the previously-learned concepts every single day. Some kids hate that -- they want new and challenging. My kids, especially Joshua, who came home from Catholic school after fourth grade and was seriously behind in math, needs the constant reinforcement of practicing every concept he has already learned. In school the program taught a new concept and practiced only that concept for about a week. Then they left that concept completely and went on to something entirely different. Poor Joshua was just about "getting it" on the last day and then his head was spinning when they moved on. Saxon was perfect for him. But Saxon was just a little bit too dry for Faith. I told you she is a creative little spirit and pages of math problems was pure torture. I don't believe that school should always be fun, but I also don't think it does anyone any good to be tortured and cry over school every day. There's no learning in that. Teaching Textbooks teaches a new concept (or the next step in yesterday's concept) and then practices all the old concepts. But the really fun part is immediate feedback (and for me the fact that someone else is teaching besides mom). The teacher says things like "That's exactly right" or "good job" when you get the right answer, and "Well, that not exactly right" when you are wrong. The feedback varies from problem to problem. It's a computer-based program, but I'm pretty sure you need to be connected to the internet. You can go to the website at the above link and watch a couple sample lessons from each grade. Actually they are real lessons, but you can only see a few from each grade.

English: Language of God. This is a CHC published book. I like it and so does Faith. We used the third grade Language of God last year. This book is a cross between a secular English book and Seton's religion books. Most of the time I liked Seton's religion books, but I often found them difficult in a way that was completely unnecessary. Because Seton was so very Catholic, sometimes the language was over my kids' heads. Lessons included information about foreign saints and Catholic vocabulary that they didn't know. If you are not familiar with all the words in a sentence, how can you determine if the words are verbs, nouns, whatever? Language of God is simple, straightforward and easy to understand. Next year I'll probably use some Voyages in English as well Language of God, because I like those books and they are already on our shelves.

Spelling: My Catholic Speller. Another CHC book, this speller is much like the English book, simple and straightforward. Faith is a good speller so she doesn't need a lot of practice. This speller offers a variety of exercises -- different each week, but only two pages so it's not too much. On the other two days of the week she takes an oral quiz and writes 3x the words she misses, and then a written quiz. It takes her less than 15 minutes a day to do spelling and because she's a good speller that's the way I think it should be. Faith could probably just do the quizzes until she gets to a level that is difficult for her, but right now I'm fine with spelling being easy.

Phonics: MCP Phonics. Surprisingly CHC does not include phonics in its curricula, but I feel strongly about a phonics-based language arts program. My kids all enjoyed the MCP Phonics books, Faith included. It's a secular book, but simple and straightforward, and almost fun. Faith can usually do this all by herself. It's a workbook, but not just busy work.

Reading: Last year I found that CHC's reading was too hard for Faith. She is not a reader by nature. She's much rather be doing something active. Just the other day she was doing her reading while she walked on the treadmill. I'd much rather curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea, but she is who she is. This year I am using the Faith and Family readers for fourth grade, the Seton Reading 4 Thinking Skills, The Father Brown Reader, as well as a slew of library books, and the Little House Series on our own shelves.

Science: Behold and See. I hate to keep comparing CHC to Seton, but really that's all I know. I was never happy with Seton's science. It always seemed subpar, like there was nothing better to use, so that's what they used. CHC's science is beautiful. You may think that's a strong word for a science book, but it is. It is complete, and challenging (almost too much for Faith), and completely Catholic. Yeah! I didn't like it quite as much last year -- there were a lot of experiments and we just didn't do a whole lot, but this year the book is about the human body and I love it. I already bought a human body model, which Faith loves, and yesterday she made a lung model that really works and is a great visual aid (and was very easy to make).

Social Studies: CHC's lesson plans for fourth grade are for a state study using the Catholic Geography Bee. The plans are perfectly fine for state study, but I think it's time to start doing a little history too, so I added Pioneers and Patriots to our plans. Mostly I just read it out loud to her and she answers the questions at the end of the chapter. It's a nice history book, written in an easy-to read manner. I'm not a huge history buff, but I find it interesting. I became a fan of the Father Furlong history books through Seton and will definitely use them again through the years.

Latin: Prima Latina. I approached my sons' French and German teacher (she taught two of the boys, one French and German, and the other French) about teaching Faith in the future. She told me that Faith needs to learn Latin first -- "it's the necessary evil" is actually what she said. All the other languages are based on Latin, and German is very much like Latin in the sentence structure, so we will learn Latin. Prima Latina is probably young for most fourth graders, but Latina Christiana is probably too advanced for Faith. Like spelling, I'm ok with it being easy. I did Latina Christiana with the boys, so I will eventually get there with Faith.

I don't do a formal art program, but I we use the Art Pac books -- I have three and four -- which are nice if you feel you need a formal lesson.

I also don't do a formal music program, but Faith will probably start piano and/or voice lessons this year to cover that.

Our home school this year

2011-09-22T16:06:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned a couple of times in the past month how enjoyable it is home schooling one child. I want you to know that I truly, truly am not trying to rub it in if you are struggling to home school several children at once, and I also want to say that truly it's not all roses every day. One is a lonely number, remember (I think I was in second or third grade when that song was popular and I remember our after-school babysitter playing it on the Hi-Fi-- boy am I old!), and for as fast as our day gets finished with one little student, there are many hours to fill when there is no one but mom around. Sometimes there is a friend (the family up the street home schools) but sometimes there is not.

But, all-in-all this is a good year so far. No one to bicker with, and mom's attention (mostly -- there is laundry and knitting) all to herself.

Of course, the curricula can make or break a year and this year I think we have a winner.

When I first began homeschooling nine years ago, I had an eighth grader in Catholic day school, and a fifth grader and first grader at home, as well as a teeny toddler girl. I never set out to home school, ever, but the Holy Spirit showed me the way and I followed (being a stubborn German woman I can tell you I rarely follow so that is one powerful Holy Spirit!). I started my first year, and many subsequent years, with Seton.

Seton was the education that I remembered from Catholic grade school before our Catholic grade schools lost so much of their Catholicity. It is Catholic, old-fashioned and very complete. For my boys, it was good. They did well. They were task-oriented for the most part (like their mama) and enjoyed workbooks. They liked to be able to see the task and know that it was doable. I know all boys are not like that, but mine were.

With the boys, we enrolled in Seton and, for the most part, used the lesson plans almost exactly as written. Because I had not set out to be a home schooler, I was, essentially, just doing institutional school at home. I know that many true-blue homeschoolers will tell you that's not the way it should be done, but I say horse poo. It should be done the way you want it to be done -- you are the teacher, principal and board of education (of course, with dad)! Maybe it can be better, but not if that's not who you are. I am not a creative-follow-the-whims-of-my-children homeschooler. I often wish I was, but that's not just me. I am giving them an education in the safety and security of our loving home, and I am giving them a Catholic education, which they would not get at any local Catholic school (that's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day).

When Faith got to be in grade two, however, I realized that Seton did not work for her. She is extraordinarily creative, and while she didn't balk at workbooks, the Seton workbooks were not right for her. I looked around and when she started third grade, last year, I decided to use mostly Catholic Heritage Curricula. For the most part it was a perfect fit. MCP math was not a good match and we fiddled around with some other things, ending up with a mishmash year (third grade is not a good year to mishmash math, I'll tell you from experience). CHC reading was also not a perfect fit, but reading can be done with a library filled with books and that's just what we did. I had her retell stories and answer questions just to know she was comprehending. After doing that last year I firmly believe no formal reading curriculum is necessary. Just find good books and read. The CHC workbooks for spelling, English, handwriting, and science were perfect, as were the Faith and Life religion books (I can't say enough great things about those religion books and that's saying a lot because I love the old St. Joseph's Baltimore Catechism books a whole lot), MCP Phonics, and the Map Skills books by Continental Press. The CHC lesson plans are great, but very flexible and I spread my wings more last year in terms of doing my own thing more than I ever did before. I did what I wanted to and it felt really good.

Because CHC worked so well for Faith last year, I decided to go back to their catalog to start planning for this year, and I will continue to tell you that tomorrow. Stay tuned...

Fortitude & Patience

2011-09-22T08:26:00.001-04:00

I don't usually share the entire daily Divine Intimacy reading, usually just part of the meditation or the prayer, but today the entire reading was like a much-needed medication, and I thought you might need the whole thing, too.

Teach me, O Lord, to bear my sufferings with fortitude and patience.

Although courage is needed to face or to undertake hard tasks, it is even more necessary in order to persevere in them, above all when they are unpleasant and of long duration, and it is impossible to avoid or change them. In this sense, St Thomas teaches that the principal act of fortitude is not to attack but to stand firm in the midst of dangers, and to endure struggles, opposition, privations and persecutions with a virile spirit.

In the spiritual life we meet not only difficulties which can be surmounted and overcome once and for all by a strong act of courage, but we encounter — and this much more frequently — difficult, painful situations from which it is impossible to escape, and which willingly or unwillingly we must face. These are physical ailments which exhaust us, and prevent us from extending our activity as we would wish; there are moral sufferings caused by our own temperamental deficiencies or by contact with persons who are opposed to us or do not understand us; or again, there is the pain of seeing our loved ones suffer without our being able to relieve them; there is the experience of separation from our friends, and loneliness of heart. There are also spiritual troubles due to aridity, interior darkness, weariness of mind, temptations and scruples. In addition to these, there are all the problems, fatigue and difficulties inherent in our everyday duties. We know that all these things are planned by God for our sanctification and our good; nevertheless, that does not prevent us from feeling the weight of them; suffering is never pleasant, and though we will to accept all for the love of God, we are sometimes tempted to react, to give up, to shake off the yoke, or we are weighed down by sadness and discouragement. What remedy is there? There is the one which Jesus suggested to the Apostles after telling them of the persecutions they would have to endure: "In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras," in your patience you shall possess your souls (Luke 21:19). Patience is the virtue which permits us to live in a state of suffering, hardship and privation without losing our serenity. It enables us to remain firm amid storms, contradictions and dangers, without becoming irritated or despondent, without being deterred by them.

Christian patience is not the forced resignation of the fatalist or the philosopher who submits to suffering because he cannot escape it, nor is it the attitude of one who submits because he is not able to react through lack of strength and resources; it is the voluntary acceptance of suffering in view of God and eternal happiness, an acceptance sustained by the knowledge that suffering is absolutely necessary to purify us from sin, to atone for our faults, and to prepare us to meet God. Christian patience incites us to accept suffering serenely, and gradually to esteem and love it, not because we see it as an end in life, but rather as a necessary means for attaining the end, which is love of God and union with Him. If Jesus willed to live a life of martyrdom and to die on the Cross in order to kindle the fire of charity in us and restore us to friendship with God, how can we expect to attain the plenitude of love and intimacy with God if we do not follow in His footsteps? "Christ, therefore, having suffered in the flesh, be you also armed with the same thought," cries St Peter (1 Peter 4:1). Let us embrace suffering, then, with the same sentiments which Jesus had: to do the heavenly Father's will, to atone for sin, and to give Him proof our love.

Christian patience is not merely a passive attitude in the face of suffering; it is also active and voluntary. The latter is the more important because it is this which makes suffering meritorious. A patient man is passive because he wills to be passive, because he uses his free will to submit to all the sufferings which he meets on his way, because he voluntarily bows his shoulders under the yoke of suffering, just as Jesus bowed His under the weight of the Cross, because He willed to do so, "quia ipse voluit" (Isaias 53:7). A Christian is not a forced Cyrenean, but a willing one, not in the sense that he goes spontaneously in search of suffering — this would not be feasible for all, and sometimes would be imprudent — but in the more modest sense whereby he accepts willingly all the suffering which he encounters on his way, recognizing in this the Cross offered him by God for his sanctification.

"O Jesus, the duty of souls admitted to Your intimacy is to suffer with You, to raise the Cross on high, not to allow it to leave their hands, whatever the perils in which they find themselves, and not to let themselves be found wanting in suffering.

"Now that You have shown me what a signal blessing it is to suffer trials and persecutions for Your sake, I find I cannot cease from desiring trials; for those who follow You must take the way which You took, unless they want to be lost. Blessed are their labours which, even here in this life, have such abundant recompense!

"O Jesus, what greater proof of Your love could You give me than to choose for me all that You willed for Yourself? To die or to suffer: this is what I should desire." (St Teresa of Jesus, Way of Perfection, 18 — Life, 33 - 11)

"O Christ crucified, You are sufficient for me; with You I wish to suffer and to take my rest! Grant that I may be crucified with You inwardly and outwardly, and may live in this life in the fullness and satisfaction of my soul, possessing it in patience.

"Teach me to love trials and repute them of small account to attain Your favour, O Lord, who hesitated not to die for me. O my Beloved, all that is rough and toilsome I desire for myself, and all that is sweet and delectable I desire for You." (St John of the Cross, Spiritual Maxims II, 13,8,15,52).

Today is the first day of the Novena to St. Therese. If you would like to get an email each day with the prayers, go here.

Daybook...end of summer

2011-09-20T09:02:00.003-04:00

Outside my window...

...gloriously gray and cool. I think a high of 74 is expected today. When I woke up this morning I thought that today was the last day of summer. But then I checked and saw that the first day of autumn is actually September 23. I am certain there is a reason why the first day of each season moves from year to year, but really, must it?

I am thinking...

...about my parish and how my gifts can be used. On Sunday our parish held Stewardship Sunday in an effort to get parishioners more involved in parish activities. I noticed a display created by our new young priest requesting help to make rosaries, and sew scapulars and vestments. I was so happy to know that my gifts can be used! I have been on the funeral lunch committee and the Stone Soup committee (they deliver meals to families experiencing a temporary need in meals -- for illness or death), but they almost never call me. Our young priest saw me sign my name and came right over to thank me. We spoke for a little bit and when the subject of Latin came up he told me he is celebrating Low Latin Mass once or twice a week and asked if I am interested. Oh my, yes I am, even though I have not been to a Latin Mass since I was a young girl. Now I am investigating head coverings for Faith and I, and I am excited to make Latin Mass part of our weekly schedule.

I am thankful for....

...young, enthusiastic clergy

...healthy children

...prayers

...hot, (strong) black coffee, always

From the lesson plans...

...speaking of Latin, Faith had her first lesson yesterday in Prima Latina. I spoke with a dear high school teacher (she taught both older boys) about having her teach Faith German and French in a few years and she said Latin is necessary first!

From the kitchen...

...I need to make a trip to the grocery store, but I think I have everything I need for some roast chicken, potato pancakes and green beans for dinner.

I am wearing...

...khaki pants and a white blouse (actually it's a men's shirt but I am keeping it).

I am creating...

...a sweater for Doug's nephew and baby bonnets for the little girls next door.
I am also working on a baby quilt in the evenings and I have to make one more car rosary to make seven for Doug's aunt.

I am reading...

... Rescue by Anita Shreve.

I am hoping...

...that Noah does well on his history test today. He really needs to do well. He and I studied for hours last night. The teacher sent home a ridiculously long list of topics from the Townshend Acts to General Cornwallis to federalism. It covered a huge period of time spanning colonial America to the Revolutionary War and after that was all covered (though not in any depth) in one history book chapter.

I am hearing...

...the television. Ugh. Faith woke really early and she is watching cartoons with commercials. I just had to remind her to mute the commercials.

Around the house...

...laundry to do and ironing. Josh moved to the downstairs bedroom and now I need to really clean his former bedroom and wash all the linens and drapes.

Still no new furniture in the family room. Doug wants to wait until he knows if he is getting a bonus this fall. In the meantime we really can't sit in the family room together.

I am going...

...to the grocery store today, maybe, and that's it.

One of my favorite things...

...gray, rainy days.

I am praying for...

...my children, especially Noah for his test today, and for Geoff and Josh who start classes tomorrow, and for my husband

...for Kim at Starry Sky Ranch

...our next door neighbors' little baby girl. She is having surgery to place a G-tube today. Hopefully she will come home soon after. It's been two months now since she was born and has never been home.

...our priests and all religious

...several soldiers

...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week

Plans for the rest of the week...
...school tomorrow for the two older boys, so a new schedule to adjust to. Coffee with a friend tomorrow evening. I was supposed to have vein ablation surgery yesterday but it was cancelled at the last minute. I was very upset because I was mentally prepared, but now it's scheduled for next month and I have a few weeks to adjust to the idea again.

Quote of the day...

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."
George Smith Patton

A friend in need

2011-09-19T19:22:00.001-04:00

Since I started blogging several years ago I have learned the power of the internet when it comes to prayers. Through the internet, prayer need is spread far and wide and that is a beautiful, powerful thing.

Today a lovely woman needs your prayers. Through word of the web, I learned that Kim at Starry Sky Ranch is very, very ill. I don't know much except that it is an infection of or near the pancreas.

Please send your prayers heavenward. Kim is such a lovely, God-filled woman. She needs to get better soon and your prayers can help that to happen. I am calling on St. Padre Pio, whose feast happens to be Friday, as he himself suffered from poor digestive health.

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant,
   St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.
   You marked his body with the five wounds
   of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness
   to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son.
   Endowed with the gift of discernment,
   St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional
   for the salvation of souls.
   With reverence and intense devotion
   in the celebration of Mass,
   he invited countless men and women
   to a greater union with Jesus Christ
   in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
   I confidently beseech You to grant me
   the grace of (here state your petition).    Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen (Say three times)

A new mantra

2011-09-18T18:28:00.001-04:00

My oldest son is employed by the IT department at the university he attends. He's a "troubleshooter" of sorts for the faculty and staff. Sometimes he troubleshoots on the phone and sometimes he gets requests to troubleshoot in person. For the most part he likes his job, and he laughs when he tells me stories of how this person or that called him to his or her office to change the printer cartridge. As you can imagine people, and for some reason especially in academia, are very clueless about computer technology.

He is fortunate, he is gifted that way.

One day he called me after work to tell me about a woman who had yelled at him over the phone. She was frustrated beyond reason about her problem and she took it out on him. He told her she would have to call back when she could be reasonable. Good for him. I told him that his department needs to adopt to mantra "please state your problem without emotion."

After I got off the phone I realized we all do that, don't we? How often my daughter or son comes to me with a problem, and they whine or talk through clenched teeth (wonder where they got that?)? How often do I tell Faith to clean up her craft supplies, or toys, with barely concealed (or not concealed) anger at having to tell her again, and again. Or I rant and rave while picking up the dirty clothes from my son's bedroom floor.

This past week I realized that even my son's school teacher uses emotion by his red pen. How different this admonishment would have been without the emotion it carried?

We all do it to some degree.

"If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also." James 3: 2

Sometimes it's good emotion. How often have you told a loved one a message with tears in your eyes? Or while laughing until your belly hurt?

But when we state our problem with anger, it is hurtful, without exception.

"In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna." Jame 3:5-6

Since having that conversation with my son, I have found that when I remove the emotion from the spoken word, my spoken word, my children respond differently. I may not sound "happy" when I ask Faith to make her bed and clean up the stuffed animals from the floor, but she is more likely to do it with a happy heart if I at least use a neutral tone.

"For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers." James 3: 7-10

Do you remember this story I told you a few months ago? How different that exchange would have been without the frothy anger that bubbled over onto my family?

God calls us to charity, and charity in the spoken word is sometimes the hardest form. We are all impulsive with our words -- speaking before we stop and think. Jesus calls us to try harder, the Gospel says we will be judged on our words.

"A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12: 35-37

But we are also called to forgive harsh words used against us.

"[And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ." Ephesians 4:32

As human beings it is difficult to forgive words harshly spoken. Our Lord forgave all, but then He is God. As humans we tend to hold unkind words closely, remembering them often, like the tongue remembers a sore tooth, poking and prodding and often keeping it sore.

Our mouths can be used to hurt and to heal. It is wise to remember to think before one speaks, and acts.

And "state your problem without emotion."

Please join me while I rant

2011-09-16T16:50:00.002-04:00

Each day my youngest son comes home from school is quite an experience. (He's a high school freshman -- all-boys Catholic high school -- first year at school-school since kindergarten.) I always ask how his day was, and then I ask if he received any homeworks, tests, papers back with grades -- it's a constant accounting of the grades at this point. Some teachers send weekly progress reports, and the school sends bi-weekly interim grade reports, but no parent likes surprises, so I like to keep track as we go.

Because Noah was homeschooled for all of grade school, there has been more of a learning curve for him, and in ways I could not have anticipated.

I already mentioned in a previous post the problem with homework. There is none at home and there is a lot at school. He needed to have homework in his final few years at home. Just to prepare for working on his own and the longer day.

Deadlines have been an issue, because at home I told him what he did and he did it. He didn't have to plan ahead, no long term deadlines.

He also didn't have to be particularly neat. I know I should have demanded it, but if I could read it, I let it go. If you have a child who will eventually go to school, you might learn a lesson here. Noah's religion teacher says "if it looks like trash it goes in the trash." That includes spelling errors, too (they don't get trashed, but if the answer to the question is "catechumen" and you spell it "catechuman" it's just the wrong answer, no credit for knowing). If, however, your handwriting is messy or the paper is dog-eared, it goes right in the garbage. No credit.

Today I actually laughed at loud at the ridiculousness of school in general. I'm not anti-education, but I have seen both sides and I know that a lot of what is wrong with education is intolerance and ignorance of what is important in life.

Exhibit A:

Noah has not gotten the art of "headings" down. At home he didn't have to write his name on the paper or the date. He handed his papers right to me and I graded them. So here's another lesson to learn if you will be dealing with school at some point: teach them how to head a paper. Noah's English teacher is a lot less tolerant of his mistakes than some other teachers. So far, out of five or six homework papers he hasn't gotten the heading right yet. And instead of bringing him up to his desk and showing him the right way, the teacher uses his passive-aggressive red pen and scribbles all over the paper. The homework that came home today was the last straw. I could not believe that he even originally scored the paper 16/20 but then decided to take off three additional points for the wrong heading and actually changed the grade. Heavy sigh. I raged for ten or fifteen minutes before I just decided to sit down and rant to you, dear friend.

Tell me what is the point in writing something like this? Is he just an angry, frustrated man and this is the only way for him to vent? Because you and I both know that this does not teach. This belittles. It shames. It sickens me.

Fortunately Noah shrugged and said "I know how to head the paper now, mom," but I don't know if he really does, and I don't know if he felt just stupid and worthless after reading that remark.

I know that there are much better ways to teach, and the system of education in this country rarely gets it right.

Yarning Along

2011-09-14T19:38:00.001-04:00

...with Ginny at Small Things.

I'm late to this party today, but I spent the day in the car -- first to the orthodontist, then to the dentist (for my crown, ugh), then to pick up Noah from school and then to run him to the orthodontist for an emergency appointment. Enough of teeth for the day!

Last week I made a bonnet for one of the little twin girls next door. I told you that I had something in mind and I thought I could pull it off by just winging it, but I ended up pulling out all 3/4 quarters of the bonnet I made because it just wasn't right. I searched and search and finally found this pattern (on ravelry here), which is really exactly what I had in mind. The picture doesn't do it justice, it is just darling.

I love a baby with a bonnet. I think they should all wear bonnets -- every baby every where. ;-)

This one pictured needs a ribbon run through the eyelet edge there on the bottom, but before I did that I washed and blocked it and then ran next door to see just how far off I was on size. I had a feeling. I knit it on size 4 needles, but it was pretty darn big. They were preemies and are just now up to normal newborn weight, six weeks later.

So, I'm casting on again, I'll remove three ridges and really tighten up the knitting. Hopefully it will fit by the time cool weather arrives. I can't say enough nice things about this pattern, it's quick to knit and it so pretty. I have a feeling these girls are going to get bonnets until they are old enough to say "no more bonnets!" This yarn is Caron off white (it's really a soft butter yellow), but I think it would be sweet in almost any yarn.

Speaking of the little girls next door, because I was posting about them regularly in my Daybook prayers, the hole in little Annabell's heart has almost closed and the cardiologist has said he does not think she will need surgery. It really is a miracle because that hole was big! Now she is being treated for reflux and they need to try to get her to eat more on her own. But they are hoping, hoping she'll be home in a week or so. She is over six weeks old and has been in the NICU since birth. I just know she misses her sister!

My read is Rescue by Anita Shreve. I just started it yesterday but I am a big Anita Shreve fan, so I think I'll like it.

Patron Saint meme

2011-09-13T08:24:00.001-04:00

Sarah at Harbor of Aloha tagged me for this meme and it took me a long time to decide what my answer would be.

The rules are as follows:

"Assuming you are a saint, and your cause has been executed, your miracles confirmed, your date on the calendar established, all that is required is to select that of which Holy Mother Church will name you Patron (ess) of.

For this meme, you must name your patronage
and then tag 5 other people who would like to play along.

Because I have three very large teenage/young adult boys, I thought I might be the patron saint of testosterone. Between the boys and my husband, there's a lot of it around. Some days I think the house will explode from it (I found out yesterday that one of the beds broke last week from it). I don't think, however, that testosterone will ever have a patron saint. So this past week while I had several rosaries in the works, trying to get seven finished for Doug's aunt and one finished that I had been working on for a while, several in the mail, I decided I would patron of rosary makers. I don't know that there is one yet. What better way to get to heaven than through devotion to the Blessed Mother and lots of prayers?!

I don't normally do these sorts of things because I hate picking just five people (or picking any one at all) but I'm going to tag Elisa, Sara, Allison, Aimee, and Kim. No obligation gals, just for fun.

35-36/52

2011-09-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations,

the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.
Join me if you like.

Technical difficulties prevented me from posting the latest editions of 52 Weeks. iPhoto has decided to get all weird on me and each time I was downloading photos, it was deleting the most recent batch of downloaded photos. I lost several batches before I noticed. That just makes me sick because I always delete the photos from my camera when I download them to the computer. Sigh.

If anyone out there knows why iPhoto started doing this, I'd appreciate your advice.

Fortunately I took some pics on my phone, which are just awful quality, but at least they are something.

A really awful iPhone pic of the basement carpet tiles. I wanted to show you that the floor is done, however. In fact, almost all of it is done. Last weekend the boys hauled a sofa down and this weekend Doug sanded down the table top (on the left of the photo) and we refinished it and painted the legs black. I think the only thing left to do it put doors on the bedroom and hang some art.

First day of school for Faith, August 29 -- fourth grade. I already mentioned how pleasant it is to have one little fourth grader at home, but I'll tell you again -- it's really nice. I can't believe how fast we can get school done (when we are both focused, that is).

I am using Teaching Textbooks this year for Faith's math. She is very much enjoying the computer-based program and the feedback she receives during the lesson. I am enjoying having "someone else" teach math. I have noticed I have to sit right next to her, however, and focus on her lesson, or I don't know which problems she gets and doesn't get. I can see how this program would fail if I just sent her to the computer by herself and didn't stay on top of it.

Labor Day -- a gorgeous sunset. Noah said it looked like the gates of hell because the sky was the color of fire, but I deny the gates of hell could be so beautiful.

Our Blessed Mother's birthday last week. I was very much under the weather, but we had to drive past the bakery and the car just stopped automatically so I could go in a buy a cake.
;-)

More skies -- this time very dark and scary.
Noah took this shot on our way home from school.

September 11 apple pie. Comfort food.

Old Glory on 9/11.

Faith's bean experiment. After studying Jack and the Beanstalk during the first week, we used a bag of dry mixed bean soup to see which beans were magic. Well, none were magic, obviously, but the kidney bean grew tallest so far.

If you want to join me in 52 Weeks of Photos, just leave a comment in the com box and I'll come and visit. Thanks.