Seven Quick Takes

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Yesterday I took College boy to school. He is living in an apartment this year (I hope we don't regret that move) and after I moved him in, unpacked his clothes, and made up his bed I came home, took a Benadryl, and a shower and made a gin and tonic, in that order. Why do all college apartments have to be smelly, poorly lit, and dirty? Is there no college student that lives like his mother raised him? I'm trying not to think about it. My husband reminded me that he lived in the basement of a bug-infested, dirty apartment in college and he lived. Now I start my nine month vigil -- lighting a seven-day candle once a week and spending all my spare time on my knees. Lord help me. And His sorrowful mother.

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Speaking of students, today is the Feast of St. Joseph Cupertino. Do you know him? I think I may be bothering him a little this year for my students. He is the patron of studying. It is said that he was such a poor student, he once prayed before an exam that he only be asked the questions to which he knew the answers and his prayers were answered.

O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino
who while on earth did obtain from God
the grace to be asked at your examination
only the questions you knew,
obtain for (me or student's name) a like favour
in the examinations for which (I or student's name) am now taking.
In return I promise to make you known
and cause you to be invoked.
Through Christ our Lord.

St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us. Amen.

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My high school boy Joshua has an awful cold. His nose is running like a faucet and he has a sore throat. He feels miserable, but can't afford to miss a class. Which is why all of the boys at his school are sick, thus infecting each other -- their curriculum is just too stringent to stay home. For two days I have compulsively checked his forehead for fever, with the H1N1 in the back (or front maybe) of my mind. Peach asks me, "Mom, does Josh have the Hini flu?" (The boys call it the Hini flu -- pronounced hinee because the ones look like i's). I wonder how many times I will worry about this dumb flu this year.

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The puppy is doing pretty well. A handful of accidents, but mostly we get her outside. Of course, I've been standing on the front lawn since we got her -- she can hardly miss. But on the few occasions when she's had an accident, Peach says "She has a sad face right before she's going to go on the floor, mom." If we can just all learn what that sad face is, we'll be in good shape. Of course, yesterday when she peed on the floor Peach said, "I don't know mom, she had a happy face right before she peed. I don't know why she did it." So much for that theory.

She chews everything in sight, so if you have suggestions for chewing, I'd appreciate it. We've never given our dogs rawhide, but we have broken down for this one. This morning she tried to chew the brick fireplace. And she eats everything that's on the ground outside -- leaves, moths, hickory nuts, crab apples, deer poop. Disgusting.

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Tonight is our high school's homecoming football game, so we'll all go. High school football is just so American, isn't it? What's not to love? The weather is just right -- cool, but not cold, breezy with the smell of leaves in the air. We'll eat lukewarm hot dogs and too salty popcorn and get tears in our eyes when the boys get down on their knees for a prayer before the game.

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I took this picture this morning. It's really the only beautiful spot left in the garden. Everything else is dead by now, and as soon as it frosts, these will be too. But they have done well. I told you my Mary flowers never do well -- too much shade and competition for water. But these Petunias did beautifully. I think Mary enjoyed her bath and I guess we'll have to do that every year.

The Red Maples in the front yard are starting to turn and the sound of scratchy leaves blowing across the sidewalk reminds me of fall. Just a few more days now and it's official. I think we'll celebrate with an end-of-summer fire this weekend. Bring some marshmallows if you're coming.

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And speaking of fall, I'm planning to take a little break here until then. My motor is running on overdrive and I'm wearing down (you know it's bad when the first thing you think of when you open your eyes in the morning is a nap). I need to recharge and reorganize. I need to tear down college boy's room and do some fall cleaning. The younger boys want to split up and Noah wants to move into Geoff's old room. I was against it at first, enjoying having an untouched guest room. But I suppose there's no sense in having an unused room. They have slept together for eight years, I guess they earned some solitude. So I'll be busy switching them also.


Pray for me, will you? I will also pray for you. Until then...


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