Fashioning a Fabric

Make Merry Gift Swap

2009-12-02T07:34:00.003-06:00

I'm taking part in the Make Merry Gift Swap being hosted by Mama at Kingdom Twindom this year. My contribution is a couple of these four-sided placemats.

New Floors

2009-11-05T21:31:00.002-06:00

On Monday of this week, our old floors (carpet and linoleum) started coming up and on Tuesday, our new wooden floors started going down. The crew that did the project (four different rooms) worked efficiently and very well - even aside from the fact that they're related to my brother-in-law. ;)

Our main floors rooms have really gotten a face-lift. So exciting! And here soon, our new counter tops will be installed in the kitchen. Hopefully, we'll be able to get all the household projects finished before Lindsey and Joe's move (which is very likely now)!

BEFORE:
DURING:
AFTER:

Yesterday's BBQ

2009-11-01T16:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we had approximately 50 people over for a BBQ get-together. Thankfully, we were blessed with unbelievably beautiful weather! I had such a good time! It was a phenomenal group of friends, which made for a simply marvelous day.

Guests started showing up around 3 PM and the party broke up around 12:15 AM (11:15 PM after falling back). We consumed almost seven whole chickens, eleven of the twelve racks of ribs that were cooked, all of the three types of cole slaw, about half of the baked beans, almost seven pounds of corn (not on the cob), and close to 100 5-inch cookies!
We haven't had a big get-together like that in years and it was long overdue! We decided to do it this weekend, because Lindsey and Joe were going to be in town, Dad had promised some buddies that he'd have them over for ribs, and Joey had wanted to have some friends over. The time change was a bonus!
We're hoping to do this kind of thing again before too long.

I am so grateful for such a fantastic group of friends (and family)! Good times...

Chloe Visits

2009-09-26T01:00:00.002-05:00

Chloe is fast approaching 19-months-old and we are truly enjoying every bit of her and her mommy's visit!

Cuteness Personified

2009-09-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

Does it get any cuter than this?! :)

Apple Pie and Rainbows

2009-08-07T11:00:00.002-05:00

visiting friends near Denver, Colorado ~ August 6, 2009

Seven Quick Takes (vol 5)

2009-07-10T23:55:00.001-05:00

~one~I've been a little scarce around the Blogosphere lately... I've been really busy! To delve into the nitty gritty, although I'm slated for 20 hours a week, I've been able to pick up a few extra hours here and there and have worked closer to 50 than to 40 hours this pay period. Additionally, I've been working in my spare time on tying up loose ends for the old clinic. And I've started taking Spanish two nights a week. (And there's my Holy Hour once a week as well.) It seems like all I can do just to stay on top of routine chores, much less additional demands... I've been a little overwhelmed this week, to say the least. Thankfully, I'm feeling a little more sane now.

~two~Independence Day was lots of fun for me! It was a day devoted almost entirely to relaxation and socializing - an occurrence that is entirely too rare. :) In the morning, we went to 9 o'clock Mass and ate a late breakfast. I made Jell-O and did some ironing, but all in a casual, I've-got-all-the-time-in-the-world manner. (I feel like I'm always running, running, running, so that was great. No pressure!) After lunch, we watched four episodes of a really silly, but funny, TV show.
That evening, AB and I went party-hopping. We spent two hours at the first place, visiting with good friends and eating dinner. About an hour passed at the second get-together was there was live music and I got to visit with old friends that I hadn't talked to in quite a while. Our last stop of the evening was a three hour stay at a family's house, where we did lots of great fireworks and got a kick out of their kids. :) We tumbled, exhausted, into bed about midnight.
~three~Our garden is coming along really well so far. I'm generally QUITE happy with it. Our tomatoes haven't really started to turn red yet, but hopefully that will happen here soon. Our strawberries continue to produce steadily. And our peach trees are bearing a few small fruits... the likes of which I have never tasted. They are the sweetest, most flavorful peaches EVER!! Our okra plants have begun to produce as well. The green bean bushes are fairly prolific and our beets are so yummy! I can't wait 'til the leeks are ready to harvest in October. And I hope to get a fall crop of carrots, radishes, and maybe more beets in the ground here pretty soon.
~four~In my previous post, I mentioned that they would be demolishing the bell tower today. That is scheduled for 2 PM. I doubt that I need to reassure you that I'll be there, camera in hand! ;)

~five~I was recently directed to Johnson Farms' website. They are located in far western Missouri and currently offer pick-your-own green beans for $1 a pound. That sounds like a great opportunity and I hope to go sometime this summer! It sounds reminiscent of Gary's Berries which is another place I'd really like to visit.

~six~Monday will mark one year since my first date with AB! "Happy Anniversary" to us! :)

~seven~Well, I started this post late Thursday night and now that it is 11:50 on Friday night, I'd better wrap it up! Since I began drafting it, they have attempted again to fell the bell tower of the Immaculata... without success! They tried twice this afternoon (after MUCH effort to get the cables in place) to pull the tower down, or at least the top of it as a start. On the second attempt, the $1500, 1.5" cable that they were using snapped! I don't know what their next step from here will be... But it's safe to say that we're all very well impressed by the prowess of the Jesuits' architecture skills 100 years ago!
An action shot... (Note the falling debris visible in the opening of the belfry.)

Out with the Old

2009-07-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

July 5, 2009
At noon today, we got a call that the demolition of our decrepit, but historic, church (which burned in 1978 and hasn't been used since) had reached the point where they were going to be taking down the steeple. The steeple/belfry was put on in the early '90's when restorations efforts were begun (without lasting success). It has been a focal point and a well-known, much-beloved monument in our town for years. So it caused a stir when we heard that this was the day it was going to come down.

I grabbed my camera and ran out the door with AB and Dad. A small crowd had gathered and there were reporters and cameras from channels 13 and 49 present. After 30 or 40 minutes, word came that they weren't going to take the steeple down today after all! I'm not sure exactly why, but it will be coming down tomorrow instead.

Oh well! It was still exciting and I got some pictures of the demolition action. Hopefully, I will be free to return tomorrow when they do take down the tower...!

I found it fascinating to watch such a giant machine doing a job that is both forceful and delicate, large-scale and precise! If you'd like to watch too, don't miss the web cam which gives you a great real-time view of the proceedings.

It's a long road to a new church, but it's morale-boosting to see the process getting underway.

Hope You All Had a Happy 4th!

2009-07-06T07:41:00.000-05:00

Mine was filled with relaxing, socializing, good food, good friends, lots of fun, and lots of explosives! :)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2009-07-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, Aaron and I went to our first ballgame of the season. (It seemed a long time in coming!) The Twins played at "the K" - and won 2-1. Very enjoyable and the weather was perfect!

A Call to Arms

2009-06-17T07:42:00.001-05:00

Jewels in the Garden

2009-06-14T21:48:00.000-05:00

I discovered our first strawberries of the season (and ever!) in the garden yesterday morning. Hiding beneath the broad green leaves, they were like little sparkling red gems. They're really little for some reason, but it's awesome to get a few little strawberries fresh from the garden!

Fostering Life

2009-06-12T22:04:00.000-05:00

For one reason or another, the topic of foster care, orphanages, and adoption has come to my attention several times recently.

First, awhile back, there was this article on the Conversion Diary about how Jennifer went from pro-choice to completely pro-life. It is long, but excellent reading!

Then there was Mary's article at Owlhaven about the gradual development of her and her husband's desire to adopt.
This was followed very shortly by her post about how they afforded the adoptions of six children from foreign countries.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Jennifer published a superb blog post about her and her husband's burgeoning interest in foster care, in spite of the fact that her oldest is four and her fourth was born in March of this year. Coming from someone who had once been in the position of not planning to have any children at all, this is clearly a glorious, grace-filled progression!

This past Monday, Jennifer posted a question-and-answer session with the parents of a severely handicapped child, addressing the issue of whether or not it is a mercy to deny them life as pro-choice proponents claim. Interesting reading.

On Wednesday, she issued a very thought-provoking and eye-opening post, even for a "cradle Catholic" like myself, with the excellent (and, I think, very accurate) observation that Christians are open to life in a way that atheists and agnostics are not. They are willing to surrender control of their lives to God and demonstrate this in a willingness to accept the less-than-perfect aspects of human life.

Finally, yesterday, I received a couple of e-mails about two guys from the west coast who have set out to bicycle around the world as a fund-raiser for an orphanage in India! They have a website set up - The Orphan Ride - where you can follow their progress and make a pledge to donate. (Their application for non-profit status has been submitted and is pending.)
These two brothers - 21 and 29 years old - have worked for two years to save the money to cover all of their own expenses! That means that every single penny donated will go to the support of an Indian orphanage - 100% of the proceeds! Wow!
To read more on their gutsy undertaking, you can go to their website or read this article.
Rumor has it that they'll be traveling through our town this weekend!

I'm not sure why there has been such a convergence of articles on the subject of adoption and life lately, but it has definitely gotten my attention and I've been doing some thinking about it.

It seems to me that a course like adoption should not be entered upon lightly, with too little consideration. And it's clear to me that there are an almost infinite number of circumstances that play into such a decision... and every family works with a unique combination of circumstances, which influence their decisions. It is also seems to me that it really needs to be God's Will that one adopt, if it is going to go as smoothly as possible (with the financial requirements, with the timing, and with the transition and integration for all persons involved). Above all, there needs to be plenty of God's grace and a lot of generosity, understanding, and selflessness (as well as an accurate grasp on the possible speed bumps inherent to the process) on the part of the prospective parents!

If any of you out there are considering adoption, you have my heartfelt support and admiration. God bless you!

This Day Last Year

2009-06-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

One year ago today, Dad and I were in the Utah desert, soaking up the sun and loving the dry heat and the deep blueness of the sky. I wouldn't enjoy living there, but I sure enjoyed visiting!

Thought for the Day

2009-06-08T07:32:00.002-05:00

The present day is given to you in order to gain the future day of eternity... Make a firm purpose to employ the day well for this intention.

~St. Francis de Sales

The Blogosphere's Got Talent

2009-06-06T10:10:00.001-05:00

There's a talent show going on over at Kingdom Twindom! The deadline for entries was yesterday and I was too busy to get my blog post about it up in time, but Sarah was kind enough to include my YouTube link anyway. (Thank you, Sarah!)

I'd like to present my sister as a contestant. She has a naturally beautiful singing voice and nurtured it with a couple of years of singing lessons in high school. She's 21 now, but at the time of this video - in which she sings Se Tu M'Ami - she was 17. (I'm sorry that the video quality is poor - it is an mpeg from an old digital camera.)

So, what do you think? Is she a winner? :)

Good luck to the other contestants. Based on the entries I've seen, it's not going to easy for the judges to decide!

Seven Quick Takes (vol 4)

2009-05-29T06:35:00.001-05:00

~one~Merger complete, we started seeing patients at the new-to-us facility this past Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day. That first day on the job was a three-ring circus! A very, very busy day for us in times past (with two providers) would have been 40-45 patients. That would have kept everyone on their toes and exhausted us all by the end of the day.
On Tuesday, we saw 67 patients. Granted, this was spread over three providers - not two - but it was compounded by the fact that their office had been closed for three days (Memorial Day Weekend, of course) and ours had been closed for five to effect the move. (The phones rang off the hook!) This was doubly compounded by the fact that two of the three providers available, one of the nurses, and two of the business office personnel (myself included) were still very much in training and not yet up to speed.
Additionally, the x-ray tech who normally worked there (Mike, aged 62) passed away suddenly of heart failure on Monday afternoon - and a sub was in his place. (God rest his soul.) The final straw to the craziness was the fact that approximately two-thirds of the patients seen on Tuesday were new patients to the practice, requiring much additional paperwork to complete the check-in process. Miraculously, we still got out of there by 5:30 PM! Exhausted and overwhelmed might have been an understatement. :)

~twoFortunately, on Wednesday, we had only two providers at a time in the morning and afternoon. (Julia and Dad switched off morning and afternoon clinic, because Dad had a hospital delivery in the afternoon. Another nurse practitioner worked a full day.) This reduced the patient volume per force.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, I worked at home on accounts receivable for the "old clinic."

~three~Yesterday, we had two providers in the morning and three in the afternoon. I only worked a half-day, but when I left at lunch time, we had seen 15 patients in the morning and 30 were scheduled for the afternoon! Today we will have three providers all day, so I expect the pace to increase again somewhat. I get the impression that the "incumbent" staff with whom we have begun working are completely overwhelmed with the patient load. They keep hoping that it will slow back down, but I'm not sure it will... at least, not in the near future.

~four~I am very thankful that it's the weekend! I'm tired!!
~five~Don't miss this brief movie clip! Bob Hope's great. :)

~six~Ordinations in Winona, MN are three weeks from today! There will be 13 ordinands!! Ten for the Society, two for the Benedictines in Silver City, NM, and one Dominican priest for France. What a day that will be! Will any of my readers be there? (Please chime in!)

~seven~We have tens of thousands of honey bees in our backyard. On purpose. ;) They're primarily my dad's project and I admit that I was very skeptical and wary of them at first, as I have a horror of all flying, stinging insects... But they've been extremely peaceable and they're fascinating to watch. I don't know too much about them, but we have an acquaintance who has 30+ years experience as a beekeeper. He came and checked on them on Memorial Day and was impressed by the vigor of the hive. I'm looking forward to the honey!

Have a good weekend, all!! Don't miss the other 7 Quick Takes participants at this fantastic blog.

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset over the School

2009-05-27T20:38:00.002-05:00

our picturesque campus at sundown: the view from our deck ~ May 25, 2009

More Wordless Wednesdays here!

Garden Update

2009-05-25T16:45:00.000-05:00

Twenty-five days ago, we transplanted the plants that we had begun from seed indoors: bell peppers, tomatoes, and leeks. We also planted 100 bare-root strawberries that we bought from a local nursery.
Twenty-four days ago, we direct-sowed more seeds into our raised garden beds: lettuce, carrots, green beans, shell peas, beats, and more leeks.
A few days later, Mom planted 13 bare-root asparagus plants.
On May 9, we planted seven tomato plants that I bought in case our started-from-seed bushes didn't hang on.
About ten days ago, I planted more carrots and Mom planted okra, as well as some marigold seeds around the tomato plants.
This past Saturday, I planted another 1/2 row of "heatwave-proof" lettuce and another 1/2 row of carrots (by staggering the plantings, we hope to have a fairly steady harvest over several weeks).

Everything is coming along so well! It's too early still to know how good the harvest is going to be, but it looks pretty promising... I hope I'm not "jinxing" myself, but saying so. ;)

Allow me give you a tour about the place... :)

Asparagus poking through the ground...
Our carrots are still really little, but starting to get the characteristic "frilly" leaves.
Our bush beans are growing like crazy! They're bigger every day!
Leeks are very slow growers. They take about 5 months from planting to harvest...
I'm so excited about our lettuce! It's still relatively tiny, but also beginning to get the characteristic look for lettuce leaves. Ah... salads fresh from the garden. Yum!!
Our okra plants are doing splendidly as well. We'll need to thin them out a little bit soon.
My lovely lavender... I really like it. The fragrance is unbelievably strong and I'm looking forward to making a couple of sachets with the blooms this summer.
Our irises are at their peak. :)
Our tomato plants are looking healthy and growing pretty well. We need to get tomato cages soon!
Our strawberry bed is thriving. We've been pinching the flowers off the plants so far, to allow the plants' energy to go into getting bigger instead of producing fruit... but fresh strawberries are definitely a treat we're all looking forward to!
Beets (left) and peas (right)... The beets are about ready to be thinned and I thinned out the peas a little bit a couple of days ago.
Thank you so much for taking a virtual stroll through the garden with me. :) With a little luck, in a couple of months, I'll be able to post pictures of the fruits of our labors!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... No... It's a Sky-Diver!

2009-05-24T19:56:00.002-05:00

On Friday night, Dad and Joey left a little after 5 PM for Manhattan, where they and twenty or so other guys from here were going to attend a class to learn a little about sky-diving. The class lasted four hours... They arrived home pretty stoked about jumping from a plane the next day. The mortality rate is, apparently, tiny: they had one death in 1992; none since. Those are pretty good odds! (I might add that they did ask a priest about the ethics and morality of jumping from a plane and got the okay from him, given the safety measures that are taken.)They start out with what's called a static line jump: the parachute is triggered at the time that you leave the plane. It's not up to you and it's pretty much fool-proof. They also start with a jump from about 3500 feet elevation and it takes about 3 1/2 minutes to reach the ground. There's a walkie-talkie type contraption attached to the helmets and the jumper gets talked through the maneuvers that will land him safely on the ground.Saturday morning came and they left the house by 7:30, convoying back to K-State for the second part of the preparatory class and then their virgin jumps. Two or three guys who had attended the Friday night class didn't show up Saturday morning, so the class consisted of 19 students. They were divided into flight groups of three - with one "group" of one. At 11:30, the first group took off and made their jumps. The very first guy to go made a near perfect landing - and, as it turned out, the best landing of the day. Joey got to go up with a couple of his compatriots :) - and was the second of the three to jump.That's he with the orange and black parachute...Dad went up in the group after Joey.There he is!They were pretty pumped about it when they got home and the stories were great! They wanted to go and jump again today, but there was only one instructor available at the jump site and for beginners, two instructors are required. Upon hearing their glowing reports about the rush you get from jumping, I'm half-convinced to try it myself...!! :-O

What do you think? Would you do it?

The Simple Woman's Daybook (May 2009 edition)

2009-05-23T08:15:00.007-05:00

Outside my window... a beautiful May morning - sunny, mid-60's, and the birds are chirping.

I am thinking... about what I want to try my hand at in the kitchen today: a new kind of bread? pasta? muffins? Or maybe I'll just work in the garden today. :)

I am thankful for... the fact that this week is over. The move of the clinic seemed like a long time in coming and, eventually, just like a wedding, it got to the point where everyone would just be glad when it was over! It's not completely over yet, but the majority is done and I'm glad!

From the kitchen... a tall glass of fresh-brewed peach iced sun-tea.

I am wearing... a jean skirt and a bright, turquoise-type polo shirt with some multi-colored stripes as an accent. It feels very summery!

I am reading... my favorite blogs.

I am hoping... that Dad and Joey have a lot of fun (but stay safe) while sky-diving this morning!

I am hearing... the birds chirping and Charlie Rich on my iTunes. :)

Around the house... laundry to do, tons of stuff (from the move) to find places for, tidying, organizing, and cleaning to be done.

One of my favorite things... snail mail letters!

And here's a picture for the day... sweet corn straight from the grill. Doesn't that just scream "summertime"? :) Yummmm!

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend, everybody!

Cleared Out and Cleaned Up

2009-05-22T15:45:00.000-05:00

This morning, three of us returned to the clinic and dusted, swept, and mopped almost every room. We cleaned out each and every one of the cabinets and "polished" things off. It looks so different!

It's Kind of Sad

2009-05-20T23:06:00.001-05:00

We boxed everything up at the clinic today. All the cabinets are empty. All the shelves are clear. And after seven years in this building (which, because it was built to taste, suited us all so well), it's a little hard to say goodbye and see it go.

Today was the last day we'll all work together, since some of us will be parting ways after this. Today was the last day that my dad was the boss to whom we looked and to whom we answered. *sniff*

over 50 boxes were necessary to hold the charts that are going over in the move

We saw 39 patients (two providers) yesterday and 22 patients (one provider) today... while trying to get packed up and start moving. The results were sometimes rather comical: Julia and I made a trip over to the SM Clinic with all of our treatment room supplies. When we returned, we found out that while we were delivering those things (which included suture materials), a boy with a chin laceration had walked in! Without the things needed to stitch it up (and it being small enough), my dad steri-stripped it... after having to search for a couple of minutes to find the scissors...!
Just a short while later, we learned that someone was coming in to get a cast removed. This called for a quick trip back over to the other clinic to retrieve the necessary implements which had also been transferred earlier this morning!

After that, we laid off on the actual moving and tried to confine our efforts to organizing what we could in order to box it up and move it out after our last patient of the day left a little before 5. We were pretty efficient, thankfully, with a lot of help from all sides, and managed to box and mark and sort just about everything in about 2 1/2 hours.

the "baby boards" removed from the walls of the lobby

I've worked over 33 hours in the past three days... and I'm very thankful that tomorrow is the feast of the Ascension and a holy day of obligation! ;)

Hope you all have a very happy feast day!

Wordless Wednesday: Geranium

2009-05-20T06:35:00.003-05:00

May 14, 2009

You can find other participants' photos listed here.

Monday Again? So Soon?!

2009-05-18T06:23:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was not really one of the restful variety, unfortunately. A number of things combined to make Saturday and Sunday a wearying couple of days - both physically and emotionally.

I so do not feel up to starting another week.

But, ready or not, here it comes!
This week is the clinic's long-anticipated moving week. We have a lot to do before the major move takes place! Today, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we'll be continuing to see patients (that includes a colonoscopy and an induction in addition to the usual full days of office visits), while we do our best to pack up - and in the evenings, those of us on the clerical side of things have orientation. (Makes me tired just thinking about it!) The moving crew will be hauling stuff to the other facility on Thursday.
This Friday through Memorial Day, we will be unpacking and setting up in the new (to us) building, hoping to be ready to begin clinic as usual at 8 AM on Tuesday, May 26.

It looks like the best that we can do right now is put a shoulder to the grindstone and plow ahead. When we look up, the week will be gone and so will another weekend. And - my goodness! - we'll be staring June in the face!

Better grab another cup of java...

In the House of the Rising ... Dough

2009-05-16T13:45:00.002-05:00

**Updated with Pictures**

I was reading through a couple of articles on The Fresh Loaf a couple of days ago and the thought occurred to me to see how difficult ciabatta bread might be to make. I found a recipe that looked quite straightforward and thought I'd try my hand at it!

My breads (I've made white, honey wheat, and rye) tend to turn out with a crumb that's too dense for my tastes. I'm hoping that the ciabatta bread will be a completely different story.

I started out this morning about 10 AM. So far, it's been incredibly easy: you mostly just let the dough sit and do its thing. :)

As I type, four little ciabatta loaves are on their final rise. I'll slide them into the oven in about 15 minutes and ... time will tell!!

~~I'll add pictures in a little while, when my experiment is complete. And I'll let you know the results.~~

The results, for my first try, were quite good! I was really happy with the way the bread turned out. The "holes" in the loaves could have been bigger, but the consistency was pretty good and the crust was classic! Yum! The loaves were little-ish, but one of them is already gone (within five hours of completion). Two others are stashed in the freezer for a little later on. The whole thing was really so easy and so very rewarding, I'll definitely be doing it again!

Have you ever made ciabatta bread? Bread of any kind?

Loose Ends

2009-05-11T23:25:00.003-05:00

Our garden is coming along well. I am quite excited about it! :) It's still very much in its 'baby' stages at this point, but if the start is any indication of what the finish is going to be like, we'll have a successful garden this year.
This evening, Mom and I planted okra, a second batch of carrots, marigolds, and calendula. Our shell peas popped through the ground today and the bush beans started to poke through. The beets look fantastic and healthy and our little lettuce plants are off to a good start. Mom planted seven tomato plants yesterday. There are only a couple of leeks up so far; and it looks like our bell peppers are struggling just a little. The strawberries, however, look awesome! Our fruit trees are holding their own.

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This article on taking things (particularly fear) one day at a time is fabulous food for thought and inspiration for action!!! I highly recommend it (and the whole blog)!

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The merger and move are nearing extremely rapidly and this means a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time! I can't believe we only have seven more business days as JLFP. We haven't really started packing anything up yet... We definitely have our work cut out for us, with packing, moving, unpacking, and orientation to accomplish in the next ten days or so.

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This is just a really fun little video. :) Enjoy! (HT to Linds. :))

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T20:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there! (Especially those of you for whom this is your first Mother's Day!) My mom is celebrating her 24th (qualifying :)) Mother's Day and my sister is celebrating her 2nd.

The Birds and the Bees

2009-05-08T23:23:00.000-05:00

R.A.I.N.

2009-04-30T18:30:00.004-05:00

April showers bring... May ~~flowers~~ showers?
Check out how much rain we got for the month of April! (The column on the left is this month's numbers; the column on the right shows the averages for April.) Over twice as much as average, and a full half of that amount has fallen in the last five days. The ground is so saturated, it has no place to go; not to mention that the rain falls in such torrential downpours that there'd be no soaking it up even if the ground was dry... The fields look like lakes and the creeks look like rivers. And as the forecast shows, there's more rain still to come!

At least the lightning and thunder have been impressive. :)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-04-29T12:24:00.002-05:00

Outside my window... Rain, rain, and more rain!! (But with it, comes such luscious greenery!!)

I am thinking... that I must be getting old, because this weather makes my bones achey. :-/ And I'm thinking about the swine flu, thinking that there's way too much hype about it, but also wondering how bad it truly will get.

I am thankful for... last week's trip to Minnesota and for all the benefits and good things in my life. (And I'm trying to be grateful even for the crosses and unpleasant things. :))

From the kitchen... grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

I am wearing... a black skirt and a colorful, plaid top that has kind of big fuschia buttons. :)

I am reading... In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms... so far, it's really good!

I am hoping... that the things pertaining to the pending merger and move will fall into place and go smoothly.

I am hearing... the sound of the clock and of Mom setting the table and of the gas burner on the stove.

Around the house... ironing to do, pictures to be uploaded to the internet :), errands to run, cookies to make. :)

One of my favorite things... summer evenings.

Chloe @ (almost) 14 months

2009-04-25T16:00:00.004-05:00

She's Getting So Big

2009-04-25T15:56:00.001-05:00

4 days shy of 14 months, yesterday (when this picture was taken)... She uses lots of sounds that are very similar to the syllables she hears; no real words yet, but decipherable sounds for "please", "dog", and "kitty" ("plea/tlee/eee", "ado", "and "kie" respectively)... and lots of others. When she smiles, the sheer delight on her face is enough to melt your heart.

Morning Light

2009-04-16T11:44:00.002-05:00

April 14, 2009; 7:44 AM

A Merger

2009-04-08T09:42:00.002-05:00

The news is out now, at least to all those who need to know... So I can (finally :)) say something about it publicly.

My dad's private practice (as a family physician) will be merging with the little local hospital. The merger itself will take place over Memorial Day weekend. It's going to mean quite a few changes, but hopefully, in the long run, it will be better for everyone. My dad and his ARNP Julia will still be available in town to see patients, much the same as before. It will just be in a different location and under a different practice name.

It's a big change, but a necessary one. My dad is tired and he's not getting any younger. Why run himself into the ground? What good is a doctor dead?
Of course, that's not the ONLY reason that the two health care facilities are merging, but it is probably the main one.

Update

2009-04-04T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't been "in the mood" to blog lately... evidenced by the dearth of recent posts. :) But I thought I'd swing by and update everyone, at least briefly.

First of all, I can't believe it's April!! And I can't believe Palm Sunday is tomorrow. This Lent has really flown.
My mom and I had had plans to go out to Illinois to visit AB and then drive with him from there to Georgia, where his parents live. He and I have been dating for over 8 months now and I still hadn't met his parents, so we decided that his Spring Break would be a good time for that. :) We were supposed to leave for Illinois on St. Joseph's Day, but on St. Patrick's Day got a call that one of AB's aunts had passed away suddenly and the funeral would be in Minnesota. Sudden change in plans! His parents were going to fly from Georgia to Minnesota in short order and AB himself left the school the evening of the 17th to drive up to Wisconsin, spend the night with his sister, and continue on to Minnesota the next day. First, Mom and I were going to drive up to Minnesota. Then, we weren't. Then, we were. The final verdict was that we went and, as a bonus, got to visit with my sister, brother-in-law and niece. :D Another bonus to this sudden change in plans was that instead of just meeting AB's parents, I also met all of his dad's side of the family and more than half of his mom's side of the family!
I spent Thursday night (March 19) at Joe and Lindsey's. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, I spent at AB's Aunt Mary's house. (Very kind of her to let me stay there, sight-unseen! :)) Friday afternoon and evening was the wake... exhausting, but really good. Saturday morning was the funeral; Saturday afternoon was spent at AB's paternal grandparents' with an assortment of relatives :); Saturday evening, we all drove out to the boonies (to a town with a population of 107) to listen to his uncle's band Corridor play - lots of fun! :) Sunday morning, we went to Mass at the SSPX chapel and AB and I had breakfast at Perkins with his parents. After a couple of hours at his maternal grandfather's, we went over to his aunt and uncle's house for a birthday party/impromptu family reunion, which lasted the rest of the day. On Monday, after breakfast at AB's paternal grandparents', we drove back to the Twin Cities. Spent the afternoon and evening hanging out with my mom, sister, brother-in-law and niece... and their 85-pound German Shepherd puppy! :) Tuesday morning, we headed out to return to St. M. The rest of AB's Spring Break was spent here - the fastest five days ever! That was enjoyable, complete with some legwork for educational possibilities, a roller-skating outing, mid-morning coffee, and late-night socializing with friends. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

In meteorological news, it's about 70 degrees here today, with 30-mph winds gusting to 40-mph. Tomorrow, there's a chance of snow. Even for Kansas, this is pretty crazy Spring weather!!
~~~~~~~~~~~

My younger sister is in London! She flew out of MSP yesterday evening and called from London this morning to let us know she'd arrived safely. She'll spend four days there, with friends, and then will somehow get to Ireland (whether by plane or train and ferry hasn't been decided yet) where she will spend Easter and the following week, before returning to the States. Last night was her ninth overseas flight (that is, this will be her fifth round trip), but this is her first time to England and Ireland. I hope she has a good time! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

We got sixteen tons of top soil put in our raised garden beds this morning. (Thank Heaven for 17-year-old boys! :D We had six or eight of them working here all morning for a fundraiser.) So we're moving closer to putting our garden in... exciting! :) Now if it would just quit snowing! Didn't anybody tell the clouds that it's April?!! ;)
At any rate, I think we'll be planting lettuce seeds first... and then we'll probably start hardening off our little tomato plants and our bell pepper and leek seedlings. Wish us luck! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh yes! I almost forgot to mention that my dad's 2000 Chevy Silverado "got assaulted" by a white-tailed doe on March 31, when he was driving home from delivering a baby. It was right at twilight and he saw one deer standing by the side of the road, braked, let it pass, and kept going - only to have a second deer jump out in front of the truck! Quite unusual in March, but probably due to the very mild winter we (have) had. The truck is now in the shop and we're waiting to hear the verdict on whether it is considered totaled or not.

So there's a brief synopsis of some recent events. I'll have more news come Monday or Tuesday... but for the time being, it's still under wraps. (It won't affect any of my long-distance readers, but it will affect my local readers. Stay tuned.)

As always, thanks for dropping by and reading! :) God bless~

2009-03-31T07:44:00.001-05:00

I came across this idea on another blog and thought I'd give it a shot here, for lack of something more cohesive. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, so I hope this will prove a good stand-in for a post. :)

Take care and God bless!

For Today...

Outside my window... day breaking; chilly, but fresh, Spring air.

I am thinking... about what I'll be doing at work today and about last night's Parish Mission, the topic of which was Palm Sunday.

From the learning rooms... I'm looking into more information about a degree in radiologic technology and about some local and regional CNA classes.

I am thankful for... a Providential trip to Minnesota and the remainder of a Spring Break spent here in SM.

From the kitchen... buttered toast and hot black tea for breakfast.

I am wearing... black and white.

I am reading... last night, I read an excellent excerpt from Three to Get Married by Bishop Fulton Sheen.

I am hoping... for happiness, at least ultimately.

I am creating... hmm.... well, I'm HOPING to create some new clothes this Spring, when I get the time.

I am hearing... My Immortal. Strangely, almost eerily, apropos. (Not to yours truly.)

Around the house... laundry to do, gardening to be undertaken in a bigger way.

One of my favorite things... meaningful conversations.

A few plans for the rest of the week... a lot more work than usual, the continuation of the Parish Mission, some letter-writing, more research on educational options.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...Windy, WINDY weather - the herald of Spring! (This particular day, March 23, a local weather station recorded 91 mph gusts!)

Blogging Break

2009-03-16T14:15:00.001-05:00

I have been taking an unscheduled hiatus from blogging this week. I just haven't had anything to talk about. (Imagine that! LOL!) Rather, I haven't had anything that I CAN talk about which would be interesting. I haven't felt inspired.

But I'll be back after a bit, I'm sure... Probably sooner than I think - now that I've said something about. :D

Until then, God bless and I hope your Lent is going well!
(Oh, and aren't you glad that Spring is almost here to stay?? :) Our seedlings are coming along!)

Wordless Wednesday: I Want a Bite, Too

2009-03-11T11:22:00.003-05:00

My 7-month-old niece was anxious to get in on the sharing that Gramma was doing! :) ~ October 3, 2008

Don't miss other great WW entries at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Second Sunday in Lent ~ the Gradual

2009-03-09T15:57:00.001-05:00

I was going to blog briefly about this yesterday, but that didn't happen... So today, I just wanted to share with you the Gradual from yesterday's Mass. For some reason, as I read it during Mass yesterday, it jumped out at me as ever so appropriate. That is the beautiful thing about Scripture. It's absolutely timeless. It transcends the ages.

The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities, O Lord. See my abjection and my labor, and forgive me all my sins. (Psalms 24:17,18)

It applied to myself personally, because Saturday night had been a little bit rough and I was feeling overwhelmed by the troubles and worries of our age in general and of my life in particular. These troubles seem so interminable sometimes and I feel so helpless against them. (Indeed, on my own, I am utterly helpless in the face of them.) But I think that it also applies to our day and age very well.
For every one good thing you hear on the news, there are six or eight or ten bad things you can't help but hear as well. Every day seems to bring renewed abominations and an-ever-greater breach of our freedoms by the government. When will it end??

The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities, O Lord.

It seems almost as though the harder we fight against this force of evil, the further it advances. But struggle we must - and fight the good fight, no matter how futile it may seem to human eyes. And the first place that this fight needs to begin is within our own hearts. We cannot hope to win over the world if we cannot win ourselves over, by staying faithful in the little things. May God grant us the strength necessary to stay faithful to His cause.

See my abjection and my labor, and forgive me all my sins.

...This, in a rough nutshell, was the series of thoughts that occurred to me when I read yesterday's gradual. Did you have any reflections on this passage? I hope that each of you is having a good Lent - doing a little but doing it well. God bless!

Nine Months Ago Today

2009-03-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

Getting gas in Utah (or maybe it was far SE Colorado?) on June 8, 2008. Ouch!

Rhetoric... and Its Tropes and Figures

2009-03-07T17:30:00.000-06:00

My paternal grandmother completed, several years ago and after a lot of work, her doctorate in Rhetoric. She currently teaches Rhetoric (among other things) at Texas Wesleyan University. When I was down in Texas visiting her almost six weeks ago, she was showing me some of the tropes and figures of Rhetoric. Apparently, the dozen that she gave me as examples was but a small sampling of the approximately 500 that make up the complete list!
Nonetheless, they were quite fascinating to someone like me, who finds language endlessly fascinating and marvelous. We use some of them frequently even in our spoken language without even knowing that we're doing so!

Take, for example, synonymy. I use this one very often in the hopes of conveying more clearly what I'm saying and to avoid misunderstandings... though in my case, it probably comes across a lot more like mindless reiteration than like spoken literature. LOL!
Synonymy — literally means the same name. The rhetor uses words that are similar in meaning as a means of repeating an important point: “Call it treason, betrayal, sedition, or villainy — it is one.” Another example: “You have overturned the laws of the land on their head; you have demolished order of the state at its foundation.”

Some of them coincide with the figures of speech commonly employed in composition:
Simile and hyperbole are two that you are more familiar with. Hyperbole can be defined as a gentle straining of the truth, or exaggeration. For example, Cicero wrote about a skinny man that he had legs like parsley. I heard this once during a summer heat wave: “hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell.” Simile, on the other hand is a metaphor but it uses "like" or "as" in its comparison.

And this is one of my favorites:
Antanaclasis — occurs with the repetition of a word or phrase whose meaning changes in the second instance. For example, “I would leave this place, should the state give me leave.” Or Ben Franklin’s famous statement: “Your argument is sound...all sound.”

Aren't those cool? :) Although these figures are Greek in origin and can be used in any language, I think that English probably has the greatest variety in its presentation than any other western language, simply because it is a combination of several other languages. This gives it the ability to be extremely diverse in its powers of description.

So awesome... :)

Seven Quick Takes (vol 3)

2009-03-06T19:46:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone's Lent is going well (and yes, I understand that that typically translates as wishing crosses on you all :D - but it means that I'm wishing many graces on you as well!). Mine is moving right along... Friday in the first week of Lent is already here, and with it volume 3 of my "Seven Quick Takes" - a weekly special over at Jennifer's fantastic Conversion Diary. (Be sure to stop by there and congratulate her on her baby girl, born on Monday of this week!)

~one~
Yesterday was a GLORIOUS day, matching 1956's record high of 84 degrees! It was more than mild - it was really warm; the kind of warmth that soaks into your bones. :) In the evening, I went out on our deck to relish the beautiful air. I only stayed a few minutes, because it was time for dinner. In that amount of time, I got a mosquito bite! We also found a fly in the house after leaving the door propped open for about 45 minutes...! :O Can't we have just one single day in early March without bugs?!? It was 11 degrees on Sunday and 15 on Monday... How did they survive?? :-/
(Speaking of yesterday, it also marked the 21st anniversary of my sister's Baptism and it would have been my granddad's 84th birthday. He passed away 14 years ago this month.)

~two~
Have you seen the real estate prices in Detroit recently??! Oh. My. GOSH. They're practically paying people to live there - evidently without much success! (For those of you who don't visit the hyperlinks, the median price on a home in Detroit right now is $7,500. Not $75,000. Seven thousand, five hundred dollars for the average house that's on the market.)

~three~
How about a flashback photo for Friday? (I have no idea what Friday has to do with looking at old pictures. I just liked the alliteration.) Yours truly in October of 2004. I was 18.

~four~
I love Garfield. :D

This one might be more appropriate if half the precipitation-frames were snow instead of rain! :)

~five~
My younger sister got her Minnesota driver's license today! That's been a rather drawn-out process due to missing paperwork, but the story is complete now. :) All my sibs live in Minnesota... I guess I missed the memo! (Sure don't miss having those winters though!)

~six~
Speaking of winters - or the lack thereof - our tulips are pushing through the ground. They stand about 3 inches high now! Our daffodils are a couple of inches high and our irises are starting to peek through as well. Considering we're supposed to be dipping back down into the 20's next week, it looks like we'll need to get out there and cover them. (How many teasers can we have before the real Spring arrives?? We've been blessed with a very mild winter, but I'm still more than ready for Spring! :))

~seven~
This week, I have picked up again one of my favorite books, The Song of the Rosary by Fr. Daniel Lord, S.J. If you have not read it, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's a 399-page poem, chock full of fantastic images and oh-so-human depictions of the events in the mysteries of the Rosary. It's excellent material for meditating on the Rosary. That being said, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite passages, taken from the end of the chapter on the Second Sorrowful Mystery, the Scourging at the Pillar. Remember - as with all poetry - to read according to the punctuation marks and not as much according to where the lines begin and end...
If Jesus at the end, flung to the floor
Partly by almost death,
Partly by soldiers' pity as they grant
Rest after torture,
Partly by cruelty that laid
Raw flesh upon cold stone...
If then He lifted agonizing eyes to see
Close to the cellar casement, through the bars,
Her [editor's note: His Mother's] watching face...
Or if in vision, as the saints have thought,
She stood close to the pillar
Where they beat Him down,
A writhing worm, no longer quite a man...
Was there for Him a solace in her woe?
Or was it doubled agony that she should share
However willingly
These scourging blows
Rained by lustful men
In penalty
For all the lustful deeds of those
Who loved the flesh too sadly and too well?

Who knows
Save only He who bore the blows
Of our offences
And the lovely she
Whose guiltless body knew, proxy perhaps,
The scourges that His guiltless body bore
For all the guilty bodies of the world
And all our guilty flesh.

Ah, if perhaps, his bloody business done,
One soldier dropped his scourge and cried,
"Forgive!"...
If but one callous guard,
Seeing the bits of flesh
Upon the whip within his grip
Or, catching a glimpse of Mary's tortured eyes
There at the casement,
Flung to the farthest wall
The ugly thing that beat his God...
If that had been...

Or if today somewhere
Lust knows itself as lust and cries the shame
Which pampered flesh
The while it tortured His and hers,
Mary is glad, and Jesus smiles
Up from the column where they whittled Him
To writhing pain.
Mary is glad, and Jesus with joy
Forgives.

Wordless Wednesday: Overlooking the Kingdom

2009-03-04T06:41:00.002-06:00

The little prince surveys his mighty kingdom. ;) ~ June 19, 2008; Yellowstone National Park

Don't miss today's other entries at 5 Minutes for Mom!

Getting Our Garden Underway

2009-03-03T13:03:00.001-06:00

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.
~May Sarton

A week ago yesterday, Mom planted marigold seeds and I planted tomato seeds. Yesterday, I planted bell pepper seeds. Yesterday or the day before, some of Mom's marigolds sprouted... and this morning, a couple of my tomatoes are pushing their way through the soil!! Our geranium is getting on the act with a couple blooms of its own. The container herbs have withstood the winter months. Even the "worm farm" we started in the late fall is going great guns. :)

It was 17 degrees yesterday morning, but now it is 41 and sunny (and Thursday is forecast to be 75!)... and with all these lovely green things coming to life, it does feel like Spring is just around the corner!

I'm not sure what we'll plant next - maybe onions - but it's very exciting to get this underway! ...Hopefully I'll still be thrilled about it even when "mosquito season" has arrived and the heat and humidity have settled like a blanket around us. ;)

God is good.

There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder.
~Alfred Austin

Amazing Little Pianist

2009-03-02T21:15:00.001-06:00

This kid's incredible! He's amazingly articulate for a six-year-old, but still very much a six-year-old in other regards.

He starts playing about 4:40, but it's worth watching the whole thing. Enjoy!

Happy 1st Birthday, Chloe!

2009-02-28T07:10:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's been a year since you were born, little one! :)Happy Birthday!

Seven Quick Takes (vol 2)

2009-02-27T17:00:00.002-06:00

I'm participating in the "Seven Quick Takes Friday" carnival over at Conversion Diary... So here goes! ;)

~one~

Yesterday, a team of workers put a big dent in dismantling one of the old water towers
here in town. It was visible from our house, but on our way to do something else, we
pulled over and watched them work for a little bit. They were cutting the sheets of metal apart with a welding-type tool (I don't know the name for it when it's used to cut apart instead of weld together). It was really cool! And I just so happened to have my 300 mm lens with me... :)

~two~

Speaking of dismantling old stuff around town, work is continuing on the demolition of the old brick building(s) by the CoOp. The "city skyline" is changing! ;)

~three~
The only friends for whom I've ever taken wedding pictures got married May 31, 2008.
My family has known both of their families since they were two years old... And they were in my sister's and brother's classes. So we go way back. ;) The happy news is that they had their first baby - a girl - this past Wednesday at 8:15 in the morning! My dad delivered her... and my parents were asked to be her godparents! The baby was baptized Rita Marie yesterday evening. She's a BEAUTIFUL baby!! (I don't know too many newborns who really "earn" that adjective just as soon as they enter the world, but it takes very little prejudice indeed to see the "pretty" in this little girl. :) There has been quite a variety of opinions expressed regarding who she resembles most... but I'm sure that will become more evident as she gets bigger. :) (She's almost 36 hours old in the picture.)

~four~
Speaking of babies, my niece and goddaughter will turn one tomorrow! But technically, she is 365 days old today. :) That's what happens when you're born before Leap Day in a Leap Year. :D (She missed being born on February 29 by just 20 hours!) At one year old, she's been walking unassisted for two months, has a couple of her own words she uses for various things, LOVES dogs and books, and has distinct likes and dislikes. She's pretty even-keeled personality-wise and a virtual clone of her daddy. I can't imagine life without her now, though I sure wish our families lived a little closer than the 8-hour drive that currently separates us!

~five~
Have you ever noticed that you don't really want something until you give it up? We're barely three days into Lent and already ice cream sounds sooo good. It's 27 degrees outside! A week ago, when it was warmer, I was offered ice cream and it didn't sound very good, so I turned it down. Last night, all I could think about was how good a bowl of ice cream sounded. Terrible! It's the Friday-meat phenomenon in a different form. ;)

~six~
The stock market is flirting with dipping below 7000 points and gold is playing with the idea of crossing the $1000/ounce mark.I think this ~~recession~~ depression is here to stay. Everyone has a different opinion. That's mine. We're heading for painful times. :( No one can say that we didn't have it coming, though. The tragic part about it is the crazy spending being done by our government, which will surely be the death blow to a once powerful economy.

~seven~
Speaking of which, my sister introduced me to a unique YouTube channel a few weeks ago: Depression Cooking, recounted by 93-year-old Clara, complete with recipes and first-hand accounts of the (first) Great Depression. It's interesting to see with what simple things they were contented... and Clara is so sweet! She represents to me a quality of character that has become extremely rare. Definitely worth the watch...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

....Don't miss the other entries for this week's "7 Quick Takes Friday"!

I hope your Lent is going well and encourage you if you have already "fallen off the horse" in some regard to get back on it. And if you haven't really started anything for Lent, it's not too late! :)

À plus tard!

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T06:22:00.002-06:00

Today marks the beginning of Lent, the most penitential season of the year. Today's liturgy turns our thoughts toward death (and the beginning of eternal life). What state will our soul be in at the hour of our death? We've probably all heard the saying, "As you live, so shall you die." With this in mind, I'd like to quote chapter 23 of Book I in The Imitation of Christ:

How happy and prudent is he who strives to be such now in this life as he desires to be found at his death.
For it will give a man a great confidence of dying happily if he has a perfect contempt of the world, a fervent desire of advancing in virtue, a love for discipline, the spirit of penance, a ready obedience, self-denial, and patience in bearing all adversities for the love of God.

I hope you all have a fruitful Lent - doing a little, but doing it well. God bless!

Take Up Thy Cross and Follow Me

2009-02-22T14:22:00.001-06:00

A quote from chapter 12 of Book II in The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis:

To many this seems a hard saying: "Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow Jesus." (Matthew 16:24) But it will be much harder to hear that last word: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." (Matthew 25:41)

In the cross is salvation; in the cross is life; in the cross is protection from thy enemies.
In the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the cross is strength of mind; in the cross is joy of spirit.
In the cross is the height of virtue; in the cross is the perfection of sanctity.
There is no health of soul nor hope of eternal life but in the cross.

Seven Quick Takes

2009-02-20T23:56:00.001-06:00

(I saw this idea on Conversion Diary and decided to try to participate this week!)

~one~
I went to the chiropractor for the first time in my life on Wednesday. Spent over an hour there and learned a great deal. It was really interesting! I went in for a neck problem, but wound up spending half of my visit discussing and dealing with my tilted pelvis. I knew I was twisted that way ;), but that wasn't the reason for my visit. Apparently, though, something CAN be done about it and yes, it is just that important. Good to know.

~two~
My one and only niece (who doubles as my one and only goddaughter) will turn one a week from tomorrow! I can't believe we've had this wonderful little person in our family for a full year! It feels like only a year since her mommy and daddy got married. (But trust me, it's been longer than that! ;))

~three~
I worked all day today (unusual for me). The receptionist had laryngitis, so she went home at lunch. The doctor (my dad) was sick, too, so he stayed home all day to try to get some rest (after being up nearly all night). I believe this is considered very poor form - to have a third of the staff at a doctor's office out sick. LOL! (One of the job hazards, you know...)

~four~
I haven't tried it out yet, nor have I had the chance to read up on it completely, but Jennifer over at the Conversion Diary recently talked about how much she has benefited from staying away from processed foods and trying to eat fresh. I can well imagine how great that would be! I can't wait until the summer time, when more things are readily available in fresh form!!

~five~
Speaking of summer, we're going to try to have a garden this year... for the first time in twelve years! I'm really looking forward to it. And I'm a little nervous about it, since it's a pretty big undertaking and mostly new to me (now that I'm old enough to grasp what goes into it :)). But mostly, I'm excited about the prospect.

~six~
I realized only recently that my boyfriend and I met (one of the times that we met anyway :)) on the very day that his first (and so far, only) nephew was born! At least, that is my understanding of the matter. Just an interesting factoid. :)

~seven~
I can't believe how long it's taken me to get these seven things together. So much for it being seven quick takes! ;) I've been interrupted numerous times and had lots of things require my attention more urgently than this, so now, 24 hours or more after beginning to draft this, I'm going to publish it... and come in JUST under the wire for Friday. :)

The Real Poverty in America

2009-02-18T10:17:00.004-06:00

Kim, over at Life in a Shoe, mother of nine, has brought up an interesting topic...

If you thought your income was modest but sufficient, the truth is you could be teetering on the brink of poverty. Let's put an end to your blissful ignorance, because nobody should be forced to choose between gasoline and a gym membership. It's just un-American.

Be sure to read her whole post here.

Did you go read it and come back? Go ahead. I'll wait.

The first thought that came to my mind was how ironic it is that Americans will go into debt so as not to be "poor".
What greater poverty could there be?
Isn't poverty a fairly absolute term? Why should it be a measurement of how we compare to our neighbors? If one cannot afford to take their family to Disneyland every year, does that make them poor and the children deprived?

This all ties in with a conversation that I had with my mom yesterday. We were on a toll road and the vehicle pulling through beside us was a gorgeous, new SUV. I wondered to myself how anyone would be able to afford a vehicle like that (unless they had exceptional employment)... this mental query was quickly followed up by the realization that many people can't actually afford the lifestyle that they've bought into it.
A quick look at CreditCards.com revealed that, "The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortages, according to Experian." Another statistic quoted on The Sensible Steward says this: "Looked at another way, consumer debt today equals 132% of the average household's annual disposable income."

It is up to speculation to consider how many of these individuals and households might not have any debt if they had stopped and thought. It seems to me that there is a deficit in this country in more than just monetary funds. There appears to be just as severe a shortage in both common sense and critical thinking.
Dictionary.com defines common sense as "sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence." It defines critical thinking as "the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion."
We've all heard the saying, "Common sense isn't as common as it used to be." Unfortunately, that has caused more than a little harm (not reserved to monetary poverty alone); the consequences of which won't be pretty...

What is the best way to avoid this in the future then? My answer would be good, solid education. This is not limited to a child's formal education (although that is certainly a part of it), but includes the mindset their parents impart to them, the expectations they are to live up to (read: responsibility for their actions), and the ability to think for themselves. If more people were to think on their own and make decisions independent of pressure from advertisers, the media, and peers, maybe our country wouldn't be facing the (economic/political/social/religious) crisis that is staring it in the face.

Ultimately, I think that it boils down to just a couple of things:
- People (society) need God. They need morality and that Someone to whom they must answer for their actions and to whom they can turn for help.
- Parents need to raise the children that they bear. Broken homes, day care, excessive extra-curricular activities all contribute to children being left to "raise themselves."
Unless and until these poverties are amended, we will search in vain for the solution to the current crisis.

**Addendum... One of the gravest poverties in our country is that millions of children are being denied life, but that's opening an entirely new can of worms and I'm not going there today.**

Wordless Wednesday: It Wasn't Me!!

2009-02-18T07:41:00.000-06:00

OOPS!

Check out the other entries at 5 Minutes for Mom! :)

Corona Mariae

2009-02-15T17:19:00.003-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, the Corona Mariae took place. Latin for "Mary's Crown," this is the name given to the annual basketball match(es) between St. Mary's Academy and La Salette Boys' Academy. This was the fourth year that it has been held... and, sadly, for my alma mater, the fourth year in which La Salette has won the cup. (For the record, although I am dating the coach for La Salette's junior varsity, I did root for St. Mary's. :))

Nonetheless, the games were extremely enjoyable to watch. Something about the unadulterated masculinity on the courts... not to mention in the stands! :) I know that St. Mary's got a lot of flack and (at least local) media coverage for not accepting a female referee at one of their basketball games a couple of years ago, but at the risk of being controversial myself, I agree with their position. There's something so inappropriate about a female being intimately involved in a contact sport. (I'm not dissing on soccer moms or female spectators. I'm speaking, rather, of cheerleaders and the like.) Anyway, that could be an entire post in itself and it's not my point here, so... moving on :) ...St. Mary's won the junior-varsity game 33 to 21. La Salette won the varsity match 44 to 35. The varsity game was surprisingly intense and, to my untrained-eyes at least, very well played. We were ahead at the end of the third quarter and it was only in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter that the La Salette Lions pulled ahead! Very exciting... and exhausting! It's amazing how exhausting it can be to sit on the bleachers and watch! LOL!

Afterwards, there was a banquet for the teams and then more games/other competitions followed. I'm hopeful that this went a long way to further the camaraderie between the two schools.
...So it was a fun day - and a happy St. Valentine's Day, since the games' falling on February 14 allowed me to spend just a little time with Mr. Borg while he was in town. :)

Happy 21st Birthday, Rose!!

2009-02-14T06:54:00.001-06:00

My little sister turns 21 today! :O Hope you have a very happy birthday, Rosie! Now you're completely "legal." ;) Have one for me, won't you?

These pictures are from Rose's 18th birthday, when she became "partially" legal. :)

I Guess I Don't Talk American, But Rather Speak English

2009-02-12T06:11:00.000-06:00

Most people who know me would probably guess that I like English a lot... not only the grammar aspect of it, but also composition. So, just for fun, I thought I'd take Hello Quizzy's "Commonly Confused Words Test" to see how I'd do. Honestly, I surprised myself! :) Heh. Wow.

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test...
English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 100% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

Care to try your hand at it? Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy

Just be sure to come back and let us know how you did!

Lourdes

2009-02-11T20:20:00.001-06:00

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes! I went to Mass this morning and among my other intentions, I prayed for all my blog readers. So if you are here reading this, I offered Mass for you and your intentions this morning. :)

Mom and I were fortunate enough to visit Lourdes this past August, 150 years after Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette. I had seen pictures of Lourdes, heard about what it was like, and had my own expectations... but somehow, seeing the place of the apparitions for myself was more moving than I had anticipated it would be.
The 150th anniversary (coupled with THE vacation month in Europe) meant that there was a lot of hoopla throughout the entire town of Lourdes and crowds of people at the Grotto. Nonetheless, standing before the statue of Our Lady in the rock and surrounded by people who were devout believers and others who were simply curious, I felt an almost palpable calm, a tangible peace. It was as though Our Lady was reiterating, "I am your Mother. You have nothing to fear. Come to me." I did not get that impression anywhere else... In fact, on occasion, it was quite the opposite. What they have done to St. Bernadette's former parish church and the place where she received her First Holy Communion is revolting. Yet, no matter the time of day, regardless of the crowds of pilgrims and tourists, in rain or in sunshine, every visit that we made to the Grotto (4 times in all, if I remember rightly) was marked by the same sense of the sacred.
And my impression of Lourdes was changed forever.

Wordless Wednesday: Looking forward to Spring

2009-02-11T00:59:00.000-06:00

The weather's been beautiful lately, but it's not supposed to last... I can't wait 'til Spring/Summer is here for real!
June 30, 2008

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, be sure to stop by today's edition at 5 Minutes for Mom.

I'm a ... what??

2009-02-09T14:52:00.000-06:00

So I went and took the personality test about which "Borg" blogged. (haha! That's kind of catchy. ;))
This is certainly not the first time I've done a personality questionnaire, but it's always interesting to see how the results come out. I've posted them below. If you want to try it yourself, you can find the test here.

You perceive the world with particular attention to humanity. You focus on what's in front of you (the foreground) and how that is affected by the details of life. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on humanity, you tend to seek out other people and get energized by being around others. You like to deal directly with whatever comes your way without dealing with speculating possibilities or outcomes you can't control. You are highly focused on specific goals or tasks and find meaning in life by pursuing those goals. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Not sure I agree with all of that, with regard to myself... but by and large, it seems accurate! (Those of you who know me in real life, what do you think?)

Here's a table to show how the different possibilities compare:
It might be fun, actually, to try to pick out which one you think you are before taking the test. ;)

If you do it for yourself and care to share your results, be sure to leave them (or the link to a post about them) in the comments!

Taking of the Cassock

2009-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

A week ago today, on the Feast of the Purification, my brother took the cassock in Winona, MN. It was a splendid day (thankfully mild for the area - it made it up to 28 degrees that afternoon) and a beautiful ceremony. I just wanted to share a few... *ahem* ... a lot of pictures.

Please keep my bubba in your prayers!! Thank you!

Global Warming??

2009-02-08T07:10:00.003-06:00

Tonight's forecast: Darkness and weather after 10 PM. Tomorrow, there's a 100% chance of daylight and continuing weather. ;)

Yesterday and the day before, we had lovely, beautiful weather! We lifted the windows and propped open the doors. The fresh air was... just that! a breath of fresh air! :) The sunshine was invigorating and the warmth revivifying. It never fails to amaze me the effect that weather - good or bad - can have on one's morale! I felt more motivated yesterday than I have since Christmas.
Come to find out, we set a new record high. 71 degrees! No wonder it didn't feel like February 7!
I seized the mood and set about making cinnamon rolls for this morning's breakfast.
While those were rising, I whipped up several dozen chocolate chip cookies.

And while those baked, I snatched the chance to go sit outside and soak up a few rays. The light was sooo pretty, albeit the grass is still brown.
Later, as I was browsing through some old blog posts, I came across three previous ones related to weather... All of them talked about unseasonably warm weather. I have not, in four years, written a single post about unseasonably cold weather. Maybe there's something to that global warming after all?!? :P

Finding a Balance

2009-02-07T21:21:00.001-06:00

As I loaded the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher this morning and started the machine, I found myself wondering how such a mundane thing like the dishes could find itself side-by-side with discussions about weighty, worldwide events. The dichotomy between something as personal and human as cleaning plates - or making cinnamon rolls, which I started after that - and keeping abreast of current affairs, good and bad, appeared huge.

It seems to me that in times past, most people were probably able to live their lives more-or-less in their own little worlds. They took care of their families, socialized with their friends and neighbors, participated in local events, and only on occasion received news on a national or worldwide level. They could trust their civil and religious leaders to really take care of and look out for them. They did not need to know what was brewing on another continent... They concentrated their energy on getting their crops planted and their children clothed, fed, and educated. (That is not to say that they were ignorant - simply that their focus was more localized.)
Then came the advent of the telephone, the airplane... the internet and the cell phone. Information now travels extremely quickly, making the world seem smaller than ever. It is now necessary to keep up with global events - to bear part of the weight of the world on your own shoulders.

And so I wondered, as I paused for a cup of tea this morning, how best to strike a balance between day-to-day life and the worldwide political, economic, and religious crises whose effects we will not be able to escape. It occurred to me that the situation is a bit like being in the midst of a battlefield while not actually being a soldier. I pictured a group of civilians huddled beneath arrows that were flying overhead in all directions. And so I think it is for the average person today: it is impossible - indeed, dangerous - to ignore the battle that's going on all around us, but it is of the utmost importance at the same time to keep guard of the family unit and to keep living one's daily life.

The only unifying factor I can think of is God.
In God and with faith, we will see that by doing our duty of state to the best of our ability, we can simultaneously (if vicariously) take part in the battles that are being waged on a larger scale. All baptized Catholics are a part of the Communion of Saints, members of the Church Militant. Thus, every action done for love of God goes toward the common good.
We are therefore able to balance the vast affairs of nations and doing our laundry... on the battlefield of Life.

Little Miracles of Grace

2009-02-06T21:15:00.000-06:00

They were calling it a miracle before a mere 24 hours had elapsed. The plane crash/landing in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, that is... When Captain Sullenberger skilfully and adeptly guided his failing aircraft into an emergency landing without losing a single life. This may have been a miracle, at best; it must have required great skill and presence of mind, at least.

This evening, I came across a beautiful article (hat tip to Joe) that relates one passenger's account - and the unmistakable role of Providence in the events of that day and his life. It is remarkable...

The Divine Mercy and the Hudson River Landing

While it may never be proven that the safe landing of flight 1549 was miraculous in the strict sense of the word, I have no doubt that this is just one of many little, unseen instances in which God works a miracle of grace.

Who Needs Words...

2009-02-05T06:42:00.002-06:00

...with a picture like this?? :)

That says it all.

Hilarious!! :D

Wordless Wednesday: Room to Grow

2009-02-04T10:40:00.001-06:00

My 11-month-old niece was undaunted by her inches-too-long jammies! :) January 31, 2009

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, be sure to visit today's edition at 5 Minutes for Mom!

Scatterbrain

2009-02-02T17:13:00.001-06:00

There's been so much going on lately that I've hardly been able to think!! This time last week, I was in Texas. Now I'm in Minnesota. Tomorrow night, I'll be back in Kansas.

It's good to travel and to see family members and friends again... I'm especially happy to be here in Minnesota, where my siblings live. But it will be nice to settle down at home again too.

I've been so constantly occupied with people lately, that although much is said and much is done, I don't get much of a chance to think (i.e. reflect). At home, normally, I can think while I do things, but lately when there IS a quiet and still moment (like this one while everyone is napping), I realize that I have little on which to ruminate. It's almost disconcerting! :)
That's partly why the recent posts have just been pictures.

Regardless... Today, my brother took the cassock - the visible, tangible sign that he's on the path toward the priesthood. I am so happy for him and so proud of him!! It's great to be around him and I love visiting with his fellow seminarians and the priests - there's just something about them that makes me wish I could stay with them always! LOL! :)
Virtuous lives/the sanctified are always so attractive... even disarming.

...Anyway, enough rambling from the Scatterbrain. Please keep my brother in your prayers as he casts off the old man and puts on the new! (And while you're at it, say a prayer for me too, would you? :))

Thanks and God bless!

Poor, Sick Baby

2009-01-30T07:22:00.002-06:00

Wednesday, January 27, 2009; Grand Prairie, TX

Wordless Wednesday: Agility and Speed

2009-01-28T06:54:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 ~ Atlanta Thrashers @ Dallas Stars

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, check out today's edition at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Out to Eat at Riscky's

2009-01-26T10:15:00.001-06:00

January 25, 2009; Fort Worth, TX

Some Pictures of Late

2009-01-25T07:01:00.001-06:00

A pictorial summary of some recent events...

They are apparently tearing down (at least a part of) this old building adjacent to the silos and across from the Co-op!
Mom and I got our hair cut the other day - January 21 to be exact.
Lovin' the feel of freshly-cut and styled hair!! :)
~~~~~~

Yesterday afternoon, Mom and I went to the hockey game and family skate at the Expo Center. It was a fund-raiser for the new church building project and was well-attended! The hockey game was the Old-Timers (and Priests) vs. the Young-uns...
The Old-Timers won, 5 to 3!
Then ensued the family skate hour. I would've skated if I'd had somebody to skate with... AND if it hadn't been quite so crowded. I was glad to see it so well-attended though!
(I was practicing pan-blurring.)
Lots of little kids... :)
I'm out of town this week (and part of next), but I'll have more pictures to share either during or after my trip for sure. (Off to visit relatives and get a five-generation portrait made... and then my brother will take the cassock!)

The Excommunications Have Been Remitted

2009-01-24T09:23:00.001-06:00

Statement from the Congregation for Bishops

By way of a letter of December 15, 2008 addressed to His Eminence Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Mons. Bernard Fellay, also in the name of the other three Bishops consecrated on June 30, 1988, requested anew the removal of the latae sententiae excommunication formally declared with the Decree of the Prefect of this Congregation on July 1, 1988. In the aforementioned letter, Mons. Fellay affirms, among other things: "We are always firmly determined in our will to remain Catholic and to place all our efforts at the service of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church. We accept its teachings with filial disposition. We believe firmly in the Primacy of Peter and in its prerogatives, and for this the current situation makes us suffer so much."

His Holiness Benedict XVI - paternally sensitive to the spiritual unease manifested by the interested party due to the sanction of excommunication and trusting in the effort expressed by them in the aforementioned letter of not sparing any effort to deepen the necessary discussions with the Authority of the Holy See in the still open matters, so as to achieve shortly a full and satisfactory solution of the problem posed in the origin - decided to reconsider the canonical situation of Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta, arisen with their episcopal consecration.

With this act, it is desired to consolidate the reciprocal relations of confidence and to intensify and grant stability to the relationship of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X with this Apostolic See. This gift of peace, at the end of the Christmas celebrations, is also intended to be a sign to promote unity in the charity of the universal Church and to try to vanquish the scandal of division.

It is hoped that this step be followed by the prompt accomplishment of full communion with the Church of the entire Fraternity of Saint Pius X, thus testifying true fidelity and true recognition of the Magisterium and of the authority of the Pope with the proof of visible unity.

Based in the faculty expressly granted to me by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, in virtue of the present Decree, I remit of Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta the censure of latae sententiae excommunication declared by this Congregation on July 1, 1988, while I declare deprived of any juridical effect, from the present date, the Decree emanated at that time.

Rome, from the Congregation for Bishops, January 21, 2009.

Card. Giovanni Battista Re
Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Press Release from the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

The excommunication of the bishops consecrated by His Grace Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, on June 30, 1988, which had been declared by the Congregation for Bishops in a decree dated July 1, 1988, and which we had always contested, has been withdrawn by another decree mandated by Benedict XVI and issued by the same Congregation on January 21, 2009.

We express our filial gratitude to the Holy Father for this gesture which, beyond the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, will benefit the whole Church. Our Society wishes to be always more able to help the pope to remedy the unprecedented crisis which presently shakes the Catholic world, and which Pope John Paul II had designated as a state of "silent apostasy."

Besides our gratitude towards the Holy Father and towards all those who helped him to make this courageous act, we are pleased that the decree of January 21 considers as necessary "talks" with the Holy See, talks which will enable the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X to explain the fundamental doctrinal reasons which it believes to be at the origin of the present difficulties of the Church.

In this new atmosphere, we have the firm hope to obtain soon the recognition of the rights of Catholic Tradition

Menzingen, January 24, 2009

+Bernard Fellay

Prayer Intentions

2009-01-23T06:20:00.002-06:00

Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?

~excerpt from The Passing of Arthur by Alfred Lord Tennyson

I'd like to ask all my readers to please keep several intentions in their prayers.

* A friend of mine had her first-born baby (a son) on Tuesday, January 20. He was born five weeks early and had some trouble breathing, so he was transferred from one hospital to another, where they have a NICU with good care. It should only be a matter of time before his lungs are mature enough to support him on their own, but that's a pretty rough situation, so please keep his mommy and daddy in your prayers.

* Another friend of mine lost her father to spinal cancer a year ago today. They've had a rough week of it, with two other deaths close to home - one this past Monday and one just yesterday. I'm sure a couple of prayers would do them well.

* I found out yesterday that a traditional priest (a friend of the SSPX) was brutally murdered in South Africa. Nothing was stolen from the priory. He was 83 years old and it looks like the primary intent was his death. How horrible! (You can read more here.) Please pray for the repose of his soul.

* My best friend's mom was admitted to the hospital Wednesday, when it was discovered that her lungs were infected and (literally) filled with pus! Her lungs were drained Wednesday night and a chest tube was put in, but one of her daughters informed me that she was going to have surgery yesterday morning. I haven't heard any further details, but it was a scary and life-threatening situation for a little while on Wednesday and we're hoping she'll make it through alright.

* Last but not least, I've got a few friends whose husbands are either without work entirely (having been laid off) or pretty close to having no work. A prayer to St. Joseph on their behalf would be much appreciated.
Plus, there is a very special financial intention on my behalf that I'd love to have prayers for as well. :)

(Oh, and of course!!, prayers please for the revoking of the decree of excommunication by the Vatican!)

Thank you sooo much!

Lifting of the So-Called "Excommunication"?!

2009-01-22T12:46:00.001-06:00

Breaking news!! The Vatican apparently has plans to make an official announcement tomorrow that they are lifting the decree of excommunication that they had placed on the SSPX bishops, consecrated by His Excellency Archbishop Lefebrve in 1988.

The SSPX faithful completed 1.7 million 5-decade Rosaries for this intention. As opposed to this very thing as the Vatican has been lately, this can only be by virtue of divine intervention! Thanks be to God and His holy Mother. I have to run to work, but wanted to mention this elating news! Stay tuned!

You can read more here.

Wordless Wednesday: Hunter in Training

2009-01-21T09:09:00.003-06:00

My niece, sporting her duds from Grandpa (who loves to hunt)! :)
7 months old at the time of the picture...

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, see today's edition at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Beauty... and Gratitude

2009-01-17T23:51:00.001-06:00

Goodness, truth, and beauty... three facets of philosophy, three of God's myriad of attributes. Intimately linked, yet distinct: goodness is true and beautiful; truth is good and beautiful; beauty is true and good.

Beauty is not solely in the eye of the beholder, as the idiom would have you believe. In that which is beautiful to the eye, there are objective realities and guidelines that would have it defined as beautiful. Symmetry is beautiful, for example. It may be trendy to favor the asymmetrical, but symmetry has an undeniable and classic beauty.

Beauty, however, is not limited to that which is visible in the created physical world. There is beautiful music, fascinating in its elusive harmony. There are enchanting sentiments, capturing our attention with their nobility and idealism. There is beauty in self-discipline and self-sacrifice.

...Yours truly has a certain inclination toward cynicism and sarcasm, both by nature and by nurture. In my early teenage years, almost nothing gave me greater satisfaction than that derived from a "clever" sarcastic remark. I have been blessed or cursed (depending on how you look at it) with a quick wit and a tongue that has difficulty repressing some of the "perfect!" comebacks. I soon discovered, though, that while some sarcasm, under the right circumstances, was humorous indeed, an overindulgence in such a "pastime" quickly led to a too-bitter outlook on life. The same thing was true of cynicism. At first, it is great fun to see things through a cynic's eyes, but after awhile, it begins to detract from the vibrant beauty of life. Pointing out life's little ironies is one thing, but to become utterly unable to see anything for which to be grateful is quite another. I think that one element of child-likeness is to be able to keep one's eye on the silver lining and to be grateful for all the little things. We mustn't take the beautiful things in life for granted. There are so many beautiful things to see, if we will just open our eyes... And oftentimes, they are the littlest things.

The other day, I was thinking about how much I have for which to be grateful. The Faith, for one thing. That's huge. My family. Also a very big thing! And silly though it may sound, it also occurred to me to be grateful for the nice big deck that we have and enjoy so much... for a relatively spacious yard, for a house/roof over our heads, for our health, for the community in which we live (there's no place on earth I'd rather be in times like these!)... for the grace to see these things and the opportunity to be grateful for them!

Life is beautiful. And it's worth living. Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment; but there will always be something beautiful to see and to be grateful for, as long as we try to know and do God's Will!

God IS goodness, truth, and beauty. Wherever we see these, we see also a dim reflection of Him.

No Rest for the Wicked

2009-01-15T21:21:00.002-06:00

Well, hello!

It's a quarter to 9 PM, as I begin to write this and I can finally sit down and unwind. I haven't had a day quite this packed (with multiple obligations) in a long time. It actually reminded me very much of my college days, when I was taking 20 credit hours and working 10-15 hours a week and was attending rehearsals for a play we were putting on...!

My day started at 6 AM. I got up and showered and went to 7:30 Mass. Dad had planned on going with me, but hadn't slept well at all so he tried to sleep a bit longer than usual to make up for it. I had just a bit after Mass to visit with Mom before Dad and I left for Topeka a little after 9.

We went to Dillon's and completed a mega shopping trip for the "pantry" downstairs. That took until about 11:30.
We got gas and then sat down for lunch at Boss Hawg's, while we went over what was priority for the afternoon.
After lunch, we went to Burlington Coat Factory in the mall and I looked for a new dress coat (mine is six years old and is getting pretty worn)... Not having had any luck, we went to Macy's where Dad picked up some new brown slacks for 40% off. We looked for their women's winter coats, but couldn't even find them!
From the Mall, then, we went to Dick's, where we looked for a face mask for Rose (who is living in the Minnesotan tundra :)) - once again without luck! We also looked for sweats for Joey, but weren't sure exactly of what he wanted, so didn't get those either. I did, however, luck out in the way of a new casual/everyday type coat (which I also need, in order to give my dress coat a break and make it last longer). Joey has been so happy with the Columbia jacket(s) he has had that I decided to try one for myself. It's a really pretty blue, and it was on sale, so I'm happy about it! :)
Our final stop in Topeka was Swims and Sweeps downtown, where we got new fire irons, a trivet, a steamer/humidifier, and a thermometer.

We got home about 2:30 in the afternoon. I was toast by that point, so I sat down for a quick recharge by way of a cup of coffee.
By 3 o'clock, I was on my way to work... to help a new employee/trainee wrap up the day there. I thought that would take until 4:30, or maybe 5. I got home about 6:40. And, even at that, we left a lot undone that will have to be finished tomorrow. There was simply more to do than we expected and it took quite a bit longer than it really should have, complicated by a number of interruptions and unexpected things. Bummer.
I got home to a homemade bread bowl with homemade soup in it, waiting for me. (Thank you, Mom!!) I ate quickly, still in the must-get-this-done-efficiently mode. :) In an attempt to slow down a little and in the hopes of acquiring a third wind, I made myself a cup of black tea and had some m&m's. :)

A few minutes later, I was out the door again to my 7:30 Holy Hour. I had only been back a few minutes when I sat down to write this update, so that brings you up to speed! :)

It's nice to be busy... it's somehow fulfilling. But for some reason, today was a little stressful all around. Not any one thing... just mentally fatiguing and rather trying. (Oh well - I've had worse days! :) Not to complain...!)

.....Have I mentioned being mentally drained? ;) My apologies for a most unimaginative post. That's just all there is for the time being.

Until the next time~
God bless and good night!

Nostalgia

2009-01-14T09:45:00.004-06:00

I'm "only" 22 years old, but I'm beginning to realize that I like to reminisce, which seems to me more typical of older people. I suppose that's a melancholic thing. (It's probably also a melancholic thing to classify and categorize people according to their traits. LOL!)

Point in case:
Night before last, I wrote a post about "ten months ago today." This morning, unrelated to that, I decided to look back and see what had been going on in my life this time three years ago (I picked three years ago, just because I hadn't quite yet started blogging this time four years ago). Lo and behold! Three years ago today, I was taking a trip down Memory Lane! :)

I guess some things never change...

Chloe, 10 Months Ago Today! :)

2009-01-12T23:35:00.001-06:00

Chloe is six weeks away from one year old!! Just for grins (and gasps ["wow! was she ever really THAT tiny?!?"]), I'm sharing a few pictures that I took of her on March 12, 2008, when she was two weeks old.

*y-a-a-a-a-w-n!*
"Life's rough!" *growl* ;)
modeling her Easter dress... and that's a preemie size! (She wasn't preemie at birth and in the picture she's two weeks old. A tiny 6+ pounds.)
Look at those chicken legs...! And that sweet and precious baby girl!!! :)

And just recently, at 10 months old...!
Love her to pieces!! :)

Hard Times

2009-01-11T17:39:00.004-06:00

Reading His Excellency's recent words is sobering, in the healthiest of ways. Nonetheless, these words of insight and wisdom, which are so timely, lead one such as I (a relatively deep-thinker and relatively young in age) to wonder just what the future holds. It would be easy to give in to fear, but that is without benefit as well as opposed to the theological virtue of Hope. Yet human prudence still begs to know what to do in such a situation. Being without a great deal of experience, I don't know. (I would imagine that even those with a great deal of experience are somewhat at a "wait and see" junction themselves.)
The bottom line is that there is no guarantee of any kind, no surefire way to hold onto security. There's no field of work that will be left untouched. It would be prudent to have a backup plan for one's profession, life work, or job. Should things go sour (and they will), it would be reassuring to be able to switch, say, from being a store manager to plumbing. It would be wise to have something (different) to fall back on, should your field of specialty fail. That way, you'd still have an income, a means of support, something! But it's impossible to tell which fields will be the most promising in times to come. What will be indispensable? What skill would be useful, to trade for goods and other services? Doctoring, undoubtedly, is one. But beyond that? I wish I knew with more certainty.
I don't, however. Therefore, this is a prime opportunity to rely on God to see us through!

I wonder how long these necessary trials will last? Five years? Thirty?
Oh well! As long as we have the Faith (and the freedom to practice, which isn't guaranteed either!) and our family (and preferably something to eat and a place to sleep :)), we'll be okay. It is at a time such as this that I'm especially and unspeakably glad to be living where I am. Deo gratias!

Let's hope and pray that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart will come sooner than later...! And in the meantime, let's do the best we can in every aspect of our lives, with the intention of restoring the Kingship of Christ to society!

Updated to add: I found one concept in particular from His Excellency extremely fascinating and very well put. That is, "People are overfed, yet undernourished." Wow. Exactly.

Goodbye, Joey

2009-01-09T22:35:00.001-06:00

My bubba left this morning. He set out with three other seminarians to drive back to Winona... When we see him next, it will be for the occasion of the taking of the cassock in less than a month! I'm still in denial that this was essentially the last time (God willing) he would be hanging around the house in lay clothes.

I said goodbye to him before I left for work this morning, necessitating a somewhat matter-of-fact departure, which is just as well. Poor Mom saw him off to the last minute and parting was painful indeed.
Anyway, after I said goodbye, Mom gave me a ride to work in the Blazer (the white van is still in the shop and I haven't been behind the wheel in almost three weeks!)... I worked until 12:30, when she picked me up again. From 2 to 3, I went over to a friend's house to do some macro photography for her (to use on Etsy). Then, this evening, I had another friend over and we watched Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

Without further ado, here's a picture from this morning...

And, for good measure, one from last night. :)

Sick

2009-01-06T23:33:00.001-06:00

How appropriate to my life that I should spend the first days of a new year sick! Every time I reach a certain level of sleep deprivation - bam! - I get a sinus infection. It hasn't failed yet... And although the past couple of weeks were great, I'm paying for them now. Bleck. :(

I've been taking some Mucinex and some Trimox every morning, but I learned this afternoon that I was only taking about 1/4 of the dose of Trimox that I need to get well... and about 1/2 the dose of Mucinex that would be therapeutic. Good to know! (Better late than never, I guess.)

Am I one to learn from experience? In many cases, yes. In this case, for some reason, decidedly no. Case in point: Sleep deprivation caused this very bug and yet, here I am, at 11:30 PM, blogging about sleep deprivation!

I'm just too much of a night owl.

My headache and I are going to bed now.

(Graphic courtesy of John Rydholm, Jr.)

A New Year!

2009-01-05T14:30:00.000-06:00

Five days into the year of Our Lord, 2009!! Almost a decade into this new millenium. It goes so fast!!

Life finds me working only a few hours per week for Dad, living in a small town that gradually grows more beloved to me all the time, courting a very good man that I never dreamed I'd be courting, trying to hold my own in a society that is daily less Godly and hourly more evil...

I had a wonderful two-week stretch over the Christmas holidays! We had a full house, with five house guests (all family) and a couple of big dogs. There was lots of noise, lots of laughter, lots of love... and a little of the frustration that is bound to come of too many nights with too little sleep. But it was lovely and well-worth it. The house is quiet now, but the residual companionship and joy still hovers. It's sunny and just at freezing today, and even though I am very tired and battling a head cold/sinus infection, I'm in good spirits.

Hopefully this year will be a good one!! :) Everyone seems to have been slammed with crosses right at the start, but that's - in some ways - such a consolation!

At the moment, as I look ahead, these are what come to mind:
In three weeks, I'll be flying with Dad to Texas to meet Lindsey and Chloe there, for a five generation reunion!
In four weeks, I'll be flying with Dad to Minnesota from Texas to spend a couple of days with the DeLallos and a couple of days in Winona, for the taking of the cassock.
In mid-February, the St. Mary's vs. La Salette basketball match will take place here in St. Mary's. I may even attend. :)
Unconfirmed as of yet, but possibly in the works, in late March, Mom and I may go with AB to visit his family in Georgia.
Sometime thereafter, a possible professional "adjustment" may occur for Dad. Also unconfirmed as of yet.
In June, I plan to attend the Ordinations of several deacons in Winona...

Thereafter, it's fairly "hazy" as to what I'll be up to... And with so much economic uncertainty and the probability of social and possibly political unrest, any and all of these things are subject to change. But such is life! It's in God's hands... And hopefully, someday, with 20/20 hindsight, we will see the picture that He has woven with the events in our lives.

Here's to 2009! :) Best wishes and God bless!

Dominic Gerard - my new godson

2008-12-17T22:29:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning, in a flurry of unforgettable activity, I helped with the post-delivery hours of a friend of mine at the clinic. Her total labor time was about one hour!!! Things happened extremely quickly, but all's well that ends well... Her second-born child was her first-born son. He was born at 5:05 AM, 3 1/2 weeks early, and weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces. They asked me to be his godmother and I accepted with pleasure.

So little Dominic Gerard was baptized by Fr. Sulzen this evening, 36 hours after birth... He is my second godchild and first godson.

Fabulous Quote from C.S. Lewis' "Four Loves"

2008-12-03T22:00:00.000-06:00

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.

(Emphasis added.)

Chloe's Genetics :)

2008-11-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Genalogy - Familytree

Blogging

2008-10-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

[Courtesy of despair.com! :)]

A France Encore

2008-07-26T10:08:00.000-05:00

Mom and I leave this Wednesday (July 30) for France!!
We're going over for the taking of the habit ceremony in Fanjeaux. My best friend will be taking the habit in the Dominican order on August 4. It'll be so good to see her again!

While we're over there for that, Mom and I are going to take advantage to visit some of the other towns in France. We're hoping to make a day trip out to Avignon one day before the ceremony. I'd also like to see a bit of Toulouse and/or Carcassone while we're in the area. After the Dominican ceremony, we're going over to Lourdes (especially meaningful since it's the 150th anniversary of the apparitions). We'll be able to spend two or three days there. Then it'll be back to Fanjeaux to spend the weekend with Brittany. Sunday, the 10th, I think we'll be driving up to Tours and spending the night there. After that, we'll be on to Mont St-Michel, Chartres, and then Paris. We will fly home from Paris on Saturday, the 16th.

I'm not looking forward to the traveling part and I'm sure I'll miss home, but the trip itself should be well-worth the pains required. It'll be wonderful to be back in Europe one more time! I promise to take pictures. :)

Chloe: 3 Months, 3 Weeks

2008-07-02T15:45:00.000-05:00

I Got My Hair Cut Today!

2008-05-20T16:04:00.000-05:00

And this was the result. Whaddya think?

Before:

After:

(I don't know how obvious the difference is. I got more obvious, higher-up layers around my faces and took just a little off the ends in the back.)

Chloe Update

2008-05-14T10:07:00.001-05:00

Two months, one week old (at the time of the pictures)...

Spring is Springing Creeping In

2008-05-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

It's May 7 and it feels like Spring has been FOREVER in coming!! We dipped down to 35 degrees a couple of nights ago. It would seem that winter would rather hang around a little longer, much to ~~most people's~~ everyone's disgust. ;) I remember May mornings that were 70 degrees at dawn and 90 or so by 3 PM. Not that I'm anxious for those hot days. All I'm asking for is a little Spring weather... you know, the beautiful days, sunny and about 70 degrees, with stormy nights. THAT's Spring. :)

But I must be fair and admit that Spring is crawling in, slowly but surely. And that's nice! Nothing like a long winter to make one appreciate the sunshine!

Visit from His Excellency

2008-04-26T10:46:00.001-05:00

His Excellency Bishop Williamson is in town this weekend for Confirmations. Yesterday evening, he came by the house for nearly an hour. It was a great visit and such a privilege! We were able to kiss his ring twice (arriving and departing) and got his episcopal blessing. In addition, we were honored to be able to sit around the kitchen table with him, just visiting. (He even wrote a poem for my mom, since she could not be there with us. :))

Wow.

May God bless this incredible man for all that he is doing!!

Florality

2008-04-23T21:48:00.001-05:00

This Spring, we have flowers in the yard! Thanks to embedding bulbs in God's green earth last Fall, we have - with minimal effort - beautiful blooms... which delight the females of this household to no end. :)

The daffodils had a cheerful season, but are now - so soon :( - past their prime. The tulips are now at their glorious peak. The bleeding hearts are prolific. The irises show great promise by their rapid growth. And the tiger lilies shouldn't be long after that.

Yay!! :)
So, of course, to complete this tale, I will share some pictures.

A sprig of bleeding hearts
This tulip seemed to be looking out curiously from where it was rooted in the garden bed to the great, green world beyond.
(Isn't it amazing the way the sunlight from beyond the flower makes it look almost as though the flower is illuminated from within?)
And this pretty little tulip brought the phrase "the belle of the ball" to my mind, because it was the only pink tulip among a company of several purple tulips, which were gathered 'round it in such a way as to suggest that they were so many admiring suitors.
(Please see the following picture.)
The "beaux" of the "belle" fade into the background.
(Maybe you just would have had to have been there! :))

Laughing

2008-04-20T18:03:00.001-05:00

I can't wait to see my favorite niece :) again - in just ten days! She's changing so quickly!

Too Cute Not to Share

2008-04-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Six-and-a-half weeks old... Going on six months. ;)

Just Over One Month Old

2008-04-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Chloe's mommy for the picture! ;)

Cleaning, Cooking, and Company

2008-04-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, Rose and Joey and I cleaned house! Friday morning, I worked at the clinic. That night, Mom and I watched The Pelican Brief with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.

On Saturday morning, we had nine seminarians (ten, counting my brother) over for breakfast after 7:30 Mass. Rose and I cooked almost all morning! We went through four dozen eggs, two loaves of bread, two packages of sausage, two packages of bacon (no doubt it would've been more if we had had more :)), three cans of orange juice concentrate, a can of apple juice, five pots of coffee, four jars of peach slices, and a quantity of chocolate.

I don't think they had eaten at all during Lent.
Suffice it to say, Mom thought it would be a good idea to write Fr. Le Roux a condolence letter on account of his food bill. :D We are not used to such a quantity of food here!! Especially since right now, there are only four people living here - three of us female and none of us growing! :)

Saturday afternoon, we cleaned up a bit again - swept the floors, put together a kind of guest room, prepared the chapel for Mass, etc.
Joey brought Fr. Abbet home with him after Compline that night.

Sunday morning, we had Mass at 8 am in our little chapel. Words cannot express how great that was!! We visited over coffee and then Father and Joey left for the 10 am Mass at the Auditorium (for Good Shepherd Sunday, all the seminarians were in town). Mom went up for the sermon and went to Confession. Shortly after she got home, she and Rose and I went up to the parish picnic.

It was a very enjoyable afternoon and we were blessed with beautiful weather. Five hours later, we returned home with mild sunburns to start dinner... We visited with Fr. Abbet over dinner and dessert.

This morning, Father said Mass for us at 7:15. We had waffles, eggs, and bacon for breakfast and then bid him and Joey adieu and au revoir as they left for Minnesota.

It was a very nice weekend.

More Than Words

2008-04-07T12:49:00.001-05:00

Good Shepherd Sunday, April 6, 2008

Fr. Abbet stayed with us over the weekend and celebrated Mass for us in our oratory both Sunday and Monday. What a privilege to have the Blessed Sacrament in our home!!

Hand Shadows

2008-04-04T14:00:00.002-05:00

This is great! How incredible! (And what a lot of practice it must have taken!)

What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

Chloe in Action

2008-03-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

One of my favorites from the Chloe Archives. ;) Chloe will be four weeks old tomorrow and a month old the day after that!

This video was when she was just under 3 weeks old.

And here's the most recent edition... :D