In the Heart of my Home

needle & thREAD

 

Hello, sewing friends!

I welcome you to needle and thREAD. What have you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and theREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and theREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr. Do visit the Flickr page. There's some amazing needlework there.

       Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us! Feel free to grab a button here (in one of several colors) so that you can use the button to link:-).

 

 

I've read two Grace Livingston Hill books in the last week (much reading between soccer games--bliss out in the sunshine, on a blanket, under an umbrella). The first, The Mystery of Mary, was like a novella you'd expect to find in a women's magazine. There was very little plot or character development and it was fairly implausible. It didn't take long to read it, though, so I'm none the worse for the wear. The second, A Voice in the Wilderness, was far better. The storyline was more believable than The Enchanted Barn, the first GLH I read. Set in the Arizona desert, the cast of characters was well developed and the plot was strong. There were lots of little nuggets I enjoyed.

 

Grace Livingston Hill has a definite "formula." Young women of strong Christian character and independent spirit bring dashing young men to the Lord and the young men, in turn, protect and defend them in the moment and forever. It's wholesome entertainment, I suppose, but this week, I'm going to take a little GLH break and look at some of your other suggestions from previous weeks.

 

After I finish putting my house in order.  :-)

 

Incidentally, I think that GLH does inspire attention to homemaking and that's a very fine thing. There's also a wonderful inspiration to feminine loveliness. 

 

I'm also powering through Hail, Holy Queen because I promised myself that I'd read it this May. And I only have a few hours left. 

 

I haven't gotten much sewing done--actually no sewing at all. I have managed to wash fabric and trace patterns and cut out one of the six jumpers I have planned. I promised the little girls two sundresses each by mid-June. So, beginning tomorrow, sewing binge:-) 

Hold me to it, friends. Next week's post should have much sewing and perhaps a wee bit less reading.

When the world seems dark and your soul feels cold

The day shone brightly upon us, sun glinting off the lake, all a promise of summer’s dawn. Still, she shivered in the warmth and pulled a gray, hooded sweat jacket tightly around her.

“I just don’t feel it. I don’t feel God. I don’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. I feel bone dry. And, well, cold.” Another shiver and a tug on her zipper. Please read the rest here.

 

Sometimes I have to stop and take a day or two (or three)

to gather my thoughts and order my environment. To change seasons and adapt my rhythm with grace and dignity. Or, to just order my kids around and clean and de-clutter in a frantic frenzy until I can stop hyperventilating.

Some notes on that:

Blessed the husband of a good wife,
    twice-lengthened are his days;
A worthy wife brings joy to her husband,
    peaceful and full is his life.
A good wife is a generous gift
    bestowed upon him who fears the LORD;
Be he rich or poor, his heart is content,
    and a smile is ever on his face.

A gracious wife delights her husband,
    her thoughtfulness puts flesh on his bones;
A gift from the LORD is her governed speech,
    and her firm virtue is of surpassing worth.
Choicest of blessings is a modest wife,
    priceless her chaste soul.
A holy and decent woman adds grace upon grace;
    indeed, no price is worthy of her temperate soul. 
Like the sun rising in the LORD's heavens,
    the beauty of a virtuous wife in her well-ordered home.
-from the Book of Sirach

A Homemaker's Prayer
 May I have the strength and the will to do the humble tasks, that make a house a fit abode for my loved ones. Clean floors, shining china, dainty curtains, clean sheets, good food, a cheery fire-may my willing hands make these things possible.
But Father, let me remember that man does not live by bread alone, that material things but make a proper setting for life's real treasures of mind and spirit. Give me patience and understanding and kindness and humor and love in abundance, and charity for all. May the spirit of happiness, of joys and sorrows shared, of unity, of the peace that passeth understanding linger here! Help me to keep the path to Thee open and easy to find for the little ones in my keeping. And let there be laughter here.
And last, dear Lord, help me to remember the stranger without the door. May there be warmth enough on our hearth to share with him.
Is this too much for one so weak, so full of faults as I, to ask? At least it can be a goal toward which to strive, and to Thee all things are possible. Amen

-Mrs. Howard Peet 

Prayer to St. Anne for Homemakers
Dear St. Anne, we know nothing about you except your name. But you gave us the Mother of God who called herself handmaid of the Lord. In your home you raised the Queen of Heaven and are rightly the model of homemakers. In your womb came to dwell the new Eve uniquely conceived without sin. Intercede for us that we too may remain free from sin. Amen.

More Links to inspire your  clean-sweeping:

Cocooning and Flying Free

My Not So Simple Life 

More on simplicity

Rhythm and Prayer

On Being Intentional and Making Lists

Why Bother with Cleaning? (But then, be sure to read this one and this one, too;-)

Laundry, Linens and Love

Homemaking Companion Notebook (with lots of forms to use, if you like)

More Home Management Notebook Links  

 

The entire homemaking archives in the Heart of my Home. 

 

Here's some chatting about Cleaning and Simplifying  at the Faith and Family Livecast!

Podcast Notes:

Simplicity Parenting. A very thoughtful parenting book. I It's not Catholic, but it's just good, plain common sense. Combine it with Lifeline, for a simple parenting library. Very simple;-).

CrazyBusy, Overstretched, Overbooked and About to Snap! This is lifestyle simplification for adults.

Simplifying Your Domestic Church a beautiful, thoroughly Catholic guide to bringing simplification principles to your environment.

Keep it Simple: The Busy Catholic's guide to growing closer to God. This is simplicity for your prayer life.

Homemaking Prayers

A Homemaking Library:

Join Me for Tea
Home-Making
Open Heart, Open Home
Martha to the Max: Balanced Living for Perfectionists
Splendor in the Ordinary
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
Holiness for Housewives
Mothers and Daughters at Home

I'll be back here on Thursday for needle & thREAD! 

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

The internet is a formidable force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith for one another.

How about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

{And please, do return and let us know how prayer is bearing fruit.}

{iPhone image from early morning prayer walk yesterday.}

Gospel 

Jn 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."

Or Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."

Think

“Our works are in no way comparable in greatness to the tree of glory they produce. Still they have the vigor and virtue to produce it because they proceed from the Holy Spirit. By a wondrous infusion of His grace into our hearts He makes our works become His and yet at the same time lets them remain our own, since we are members of a Head of which he is the Spirit and since we are engrafted on a tree of which He is the divine sap.”

~ ~ ~

“When the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, wishes to make our soul docile, tractable and obedient to his divine movements and heavenly inspirations, which are the laws of his love, he gives us seven properties and perfections . They are called the gifts of the Holy Spirit...These gifts are inseparable from charity. Charity is made up of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as of so many sacred steps. They are: wisdom, understanding, science, counsel, fortitude, piety, fear."

-St. Francis de Sales

Pray

 Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. 

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Act

It's a big deal feast day! Have a party! 

A salad with seven fruits is a good beginning...

Family Recipes: Roasted Beets in Balsamic Vinaigrette

This one is for Kristin.

Beets “bleed,” so to keep the juices in while they cook, leave on the skins, the roots on the bottom, and at least an inch of the green stems. It’s especially pretty to cook both red and yellow beets. You don’t want the colors to bleed on to each other, so you may want to cook and handle them separately. After they’re cooked, peel the beets over a bowl, since beet juice stains are nearly impossible to remove from wood or plastic surfaces. Expect that your hands will be stained. (Never, ever let a child help while wearing white without an apron. Just sayin'. I found these pictures on my computer. They're fairly old. I have no idea what I was thinking that day.)

This makes enough for a summer side dish for 4 people. Toss with toasted pecans and crumbled goat cheese.

OR

Roasted beets are really good in a salad of mixed greens; the marinade makes a salad dressing.

8 medium beets (about 2 pounds total)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Trim the beets, leaving on the skin, an inch of the stem, and the tail on the bottom of each, then scrub and drain. Place the beets in a small casserole dish just big enough to hold them. Pour the water and olive oil over the beets then cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake until tender and easily pierced with a sharp paring knife, about 1 ½ hours.  (Honest disclaimer: I often do this in a disposable pan. The beet juice carmelizes, which is delicious, and incredibly hard to clean off the pan.)

3. Remove the casserole from the oven and uncover the beets carefully, keeping your face and hands away from the steam. Let them cool completely in the dish.

4. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl and whisk to blend. Taste and add more olive oil, if desired.

5. Peel the cooled beets with the back of a paring knife and cut into ½-inch slices. Add to the dressing in the bowl and toss gently but thoroughly to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator, for up to 24 hours.

{Please pretend there is a picture of beautiful beets here. There isn't. We ate them. The beets, not the pictures.}

 

needle & thREAD

Hello, sewing friends!

I welcome you to needle and thREAD. What have you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and theREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and theREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr.

       Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us! Feel free to grab a button here (in one of several colors) so that you can use the button to link:-).

~ ~

I don't have much to report this week. I finished that hand sewing on the Painted Portrait Blouse and Mary Beth clicked this very squinty picture. When I saw how squinty I was, I thought about a re-do. But I am reminded that I squint all. the. time.  why even waste another minute trying?

My Kindle coordinates nicely with the blouse, I think.  I told you earlier about one of my reads this week. (Go back and be sure you're entered in the giveaway.) The other was The Enchanted Barn by Grace Livingston Hill. As I mentioned, Kim enthusiastically endorsed these books ages ago. I'm definitely late to the party. This one lived up to her general summation of GHL books. It is a very nice, story, if a wee bit farfetched. Especially appealing is the attention to domestic details. For me, the biggest criticism of this volume was the baby talk of the youngest child. She is a four-year-old little girl and all her dialgue is in tedious, overly-sweet baby talk. Throughout my reading, I kept reminding myself that I was so enjoying the story that the baby talk could be overlooked. But the last lines of the story were spoken by the four-year-old. Huge bummer. 

There are lots of Grace Livingston Hill books in the Kindle store. I'm definitely going to read another.

So, what about you? What have you been up to this week? Reading, sewing, embroidering? Do share.

Let the Recovery Begin

Thank you all so much for your prayers and your kind notes. 

A few seconds after this photo was taken, Patrick tore his MCL. He was very, very fortunate to come away with his meniscus and his ACL intact. He asks me to point out how well muscled and fit that leg is;-).

Thankfully, he does not appear to require surgery. He is looking with hope towards a summer of healing and plans to be back on the pitch before the fall.

We are all so appreciative of your kindness and concern. 

to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God

{Note: This piece originally ran in the Arlington Catholic Herald. I rarely re-print columns in their entirety here, but I'm especially fond of this one and I wanted to be sure it's tucked into my archives here.}

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”

(Mi 6:8).

What does the Lord require of you?

I love this verse. Love it. To commit it to memory is to have a life’s mission statement always before you. God shows us what is good. And then, He tells what He requires of us to act in His image. Because He is the teacher, He gives us a concise instruction in how to live. What do we know about what He requires?

He demands we act justly, with mercy. St. Therese also writes about justice and mercy together. Mercy is the lens through which she views justice and mercy is the perfection that graces her contemplation of all other virtues.

“To me (God) has granted His infinite Mercy, and through it I contemplate and adore the other divine perfections! All of these perfections appear to be resplendent with love; even His Justice (and perhaps this even more so than the others) seems to me clothed in love. What a sweet joy it is to think that God is Just, i.e., that He takes into account our weakness, that He is perfectly aware of our fragile nature. What should I fear then?” (Story of a Soul)

Is this how we live justice? Are we just in such a way that the people to whom we dispense justice have nothing to fear? When we point out another’s shortcomings do we do it in a way that takes into account her weaknesses and is aware of her frailties? This is the justice that we are called to live. Not an iron fist of fear, but a level-headed, even kindhearted, mercy.

Speaking of kindhearted mercy, this verse also is translated, “to act justly and to love kindness” (Revised Standard Version of the Bible) and “to act justly and love goodness” (New American Bible). Which is it: mercy, kindness or goodness? It’s all of them, rolled together. To be merciful is to be kind and to act with genuine goodness.

It’s an emotional response, to be sure, a sense of empathy, but we are required to offer so much more than empathy. We are required to make a decision to care, to be compassionate, to love with self-sacrifice. Then we are required to do something. We must act on that compassion. We have to respond with genuine effort. It’s a simple thing to call a wrong a wrong. It’s a simple thing to point out someone’s faults or failings. We are a people who have been shown God’s goodness; we are required to do more. We are called to act justly and love mercy.

Remember: Every person’s shortcoming causes her suffering. It is a wound. Jesus came to tenderly dress the wounds and to heal the suffering of the sinner.

“Mercy is love when it encounters suffering. More specifically, it is two movements that take place within us when we see someone (or something) suffer. The first is an emotional movement, a movement of compassion that we feel in our hearts or even, when the suffering is particularly intense, deep in our guts. The second is a movement of action. In other words, as we see someone suffering and feel compassion for him, we soon find ourselves reaching out to alleviate his suffering. In sum: Mercy is love that feels compassion for those who suffer (heart) and reaches to help them (arm)” (Consoling the Heart of Jesus, by Father Michael Gaitley).

Merciful justice requires us to feel and to alleviate someone’s suffering. That’s a very different concept from the one of judging, scolding, punishing and humiliating. Finally, we are called to walk humbly with our God. In our humility, we are not quick to condemn our neighbor. We recognize our own sinfulness. We recognize that we are nothing without Him and that we are limited in our own capacity to understand another person. We respond with genuine humility when we are gentle, allow ourselves to be infused with the kindness, goodness and mercy of Our Lord, and become ministers of that mercy to everyone we meet.

 

Winner of Simplicities of Life Rosary

Simplicities of Life is offering readers here a chance to win A Natural Men's Rosary.Here's how it's described:

In a word: holy. This hardy, masculine rosary is one meant to be used in prayer for his family or the woman he loves. Its rich, deep 10mm Buri seed aves and 12mm Bone seed antique paters exude strength and power from above. It’s perfected by the solid bronze Holy Eucharist medal and the solid bronze Holy Family crucifix which amplify its clean and manly tone. This rosary would suit a grandfather, father, son, nephew, son-in-law, or any other special man in your life.

The Winner Is:

Barbara  who said...

I'd love to win a rosary for my soon to be son-in-law. The men's rosaries are beautiful and masculine. I especially like the Natural (I & II), Garden of Gethsemane, and (my favorite today) the brown/cream/tan one made with Tiger Jasper stone and buffalo bone.

Congratulations, Barbara, I'll send your email information along to Kessie:-).

 

Joy in the Ordinary

Yesterday, I mentioned that until very recently, I hadn't read a fiction-for-Mama book in over twenty years. I used to inhale fiction until, inexplicably, when I had cancer, I no longer had any inclination to crack a volume that wasn't a non-fiction book, unless I was previewing for or reading with a child.

Someone suggested yesterday that fiction requires an emotional investment. Indeed. And I'm just so emotionally invested so many places that investing in fictional books (or even movies, for that matter, much to my husband's chagrin) doesn't come easily for me. 

I sort of got hoodwinked into this one.

Theresa Fisher approached me and asked if she could run an ad for her new book. All of the sponsors on my blog offer something I think will benefit my readers. I don't offer sponsorship unless I think I'm passing along information you can use. In order to have Theresa as a sponsor, I had to read her book. The whole thing. No way around it. I was going to have to immerse myself in the lives of these characters until the very end. 

I read the introduction standing in my kitchen, stirring dinner. Without reading further, I emailed Theresa and told her I'd love to have her! Then, I got up early one morning and read the rest. Children awakened. I waved them in the direction of the kitchen. I may or may not have finally caved and let them watch Doc McStuffins. I finished before our 10:00 rosary walk. 

It was a sweet, gentle story of Joyce Barrett, who spends a year as a postulant, thinking that God was calling her to become a nun. When she discerns that she's not called to the convent, she leaves and goes back to the ordinary world. She is plunked down in rural Indiana in a big, Irish Catholic homeschooling family. I felt myself pulled into the comfortable familiarity of a wholesome Catholic story as her life was woven together with threads of parish life, family life, and life at the family-run pub. 

The book is lovely and easily one I can hand to my teenaged daughter. It's a simple story, but the themes resonated long after I finished it and the characters were ones I found myself caring to know. Honestly, I fought the urge to call Theresa and beg her to just tell me the story she's planning for a sequel. 

I know this book isn't destined to be the next great classic. I also know that it had all the elements of a lovely, Christian novel that I noted in the Grace Livingston Hill book I read next. For me, the fact that its characters are earnestly, wholeheartedly Catholic made it all the better. Furthermore, Joy in the Ordinary is a story that's entirely plausible. It didn't require the same stretch of willful suspension of disbelief that the GLH book required. And the children in Joy in the Ordinary were entirely believable. I felt like these were folks who could easily live next door.  I wish they did:-).

The paperback is available at Amazon. The Kindle version is a well-worth-it bargain. It's only 99 cents! For 99 cents, you can have a three -cups -of-tea-morning, where you let the children watch a cartoon or two, and click your Kindle closed with a happy sigh. Go ahead, do it!

~ ~ ~Giveaway Details~ ~ ~

Theresa Fisher  is a happily married wife and homeschooling mother.  With six children at home, she and her husband enjoy an extraordinary ordinary life of lovable chaos.   Mrs. Fisher enjoys writing and knitting, keeping up with the family blog, and drinking coffee.  She dreams of owning a self-sustaining hobby farm someday.  Meanwhile, she's trying to keep a tomato plant alive.  Joy in the Ordinary is her first novel.

Go visit her blook blog or her family blog. Leave her a comment and let her know you were there. Come back here and let me know you "met" her. You'll be eligible to win an autographed copy of Joy in the Ordinary.

Monday Moments

{These Monday moments? Jotted down on Sunday. Full of prom pictures. There's a Grandma in Florida who wants to see them all. Please indulge her, y'all.}

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

Morning walks are full of signs of new life. Little buds, new leaves, berries not yet ripe. There are ducklings and goslings in the lake and I think some new bunnies under the hedges. The weather was absolutely glorious this weekend.

 

::listening to 

Sarah and Karoline playing "Prom." Kristin came over as the pre-prom bustle started bustling. She spirited the little girls upstairs for hairdos and makeup and manicures and pedicures. Then they put on dress up clothes. This is the (new) game that will never end.

 

::clothing myself in 

Cropped jeans, my favorite gray shirt and a big apron with strawberries on a field of black. This apron best hides beet stains and roasted beets are on the menu for dinner tonight.

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from our family's choices. 

Mary Beth and I are digging into the free Grace Livingston Hill downloads on Kindle. She didn't get terribly excited about hers but I read mine cover-to-cover over the weekend. Happy sigh. This is remarkable because it is only the second fiction book outside of books for my children's education that I've finished since 1990. It's also the second book I finished last week:-).

 I used to read fiction voraciously. Then I got cancer. I never finished a fiction book on my own again. I'm not sure why and I haven't spent much time analyzing it. Partly, it's because I hate conflict and every good book has some conflict. But that's not the all of it.

Whatever it was, I'm cured! I've begun my second Grace Livingston Hill book and I'll also be back tomorrow to share with you the very first fiction-for-mama book I've read in the last two decades.

::thinking and thinking

On Saturday, Patrick hurt his knee. We don't yet know how big a deal it is, but our hearts stood still in the moment, for sure. I was dispatched to drop in on Hilary and let her know that plans for prom would most definitely change. I interrupted the merry afternoon she had planned to ready herself for the big dance to tell her that Patrick was going to go on crutches. He wasn't to drive and he'd have to be really careful. What's more, he might be a little preoccupied, because knees are rather important to boys who plan on soccer careers. 

She responded with nothing but concern for him, with absolute certainty that they'd change whatever plans necessary, and the assurance that if it was in his best interest, they didn't have to go at all.

For his part, he determined not to show any sign of pain, not to take any pictures with crutches, and to dedicate the evening to making her smile. 

And smile she did.

They went to dinner at the home of friends and then, after dinner and before the dance, paid a visit to Mike's parents so that Patrick's grandparents could take in the glorious sight they were. 

It was an early evening as proms go, but the memory will linger happily a long, long time.

::giving thanks for

a sweet girl whose blue eyes brim, not because she's sad for herself, but because she cares so much about my boy.

::pondering prayerfully

When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" She answered "Go home and love your family."

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Hah! A few weeks ago, I ordered a big box of curriculum kinds of things. I explained to a friend that my thought was that I wanted an underpinning of things that would happen everyday--a little grammar, a little math, a little handwriting, a little spelling, some foreign language. I prefer more creative endeavors, and many days we do those, but I wanted something that would be there whatever came.

My words to my friend were, "I just want to be sure we hit the rhythm of learning even on the Mondays when I get up and say, 'Nicky hurt himself in Sunday's match. I'm off the doctor-xray-doctor. Just do the regular and keep things going.'"

We're going to test that this morning. Insert Paddy instead of Nicky and Saturday instead of Sunday. Here we go.

::creating by hand

We shall see. I've been known to accomplish quite a lot in medical waiting rooms. 

::learning lessons in

trust.

::encouraging learning 

I'm endeavoring to make sure that one day a week is dedicated to learning out of doors. From now until it's way too cold. Every week. Promising myself.

 

::begging prayers

for all the people who have joined our weekend prayer community. I carried your requests with me to Mass and I will keep a candle lit for you throughout the week. Elizabeth DeHority has left an update in last weekend's combox, for those of you who are continuing to hold her in prayer.

for lonely missionaries.

for Patrick.

for the repose of the soul of my Aunt Christina, who died this morning.

for baby Truman, who drowned in a few inches of water in a bucket this weekend, but was revived. Won't you watch and wait with us, keeping Truman, his doctors, and his beautiful family in your unceasingly prayers?

 

:keeping house

Patrick is going to re-write the chore chart. Mine is not working.

::crafting in the kitchen 

I ended up not going to the dance competition. Mary Beth's Saturday dances were shifted to Sunday and she went with Hilary and her mom. I stayed home with Patrick, changed out ice packs, and tried to be positive and cheerful. I gathered the first herbs from our kitchen garden to make roast chicken. We're having carmelized rosemary sweet potatoes and a spinach salad with beets and bacon dressing. Sunday dinners are wonderful, aren't they?.

::loving the moments

when I wonder if my heart could be any fuller.

::living the liturgy

We are using  33 Days to Morning Glory  in preparation for Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Visitation. Soon!

We'll celebrate Pentecost Sunday this coming weekend. My plans are just taking shape, but I know that Saturday's soccer will take us to Poolesville and that means we'll pick strawberries to be a part of a 7-fruit salad. I love the feast of Pentecost, but I admit to being a little sad this year to see the Easter season end.

 

::planning for the week ahead

When a week begins with an 8 AM appointment to the team doctor, followed by an MRI, I hesitate to make plans.

{Photo credit? Who knows? Some are mine; some are Hilary's mom's. Some might even be Stephen on my iPhone.}

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

The internet is a formidable force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith for one another.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

{And please, do return and let us know how prayer is bearing fruit.}

 

In our diocese, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated this Sunday, so that is the Gospel I share below. To read the Gospel for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, please click here.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Mark 16:15-20

~ Think~

"To this end, it is more necessary than ever for all the faithful to move from a faith of habit, sustained perhaps by social context alone, to a faith which is conscious and personally lived. The renewal of faith will always be the best way to lead others to the Truth that is Christ" (Bl. John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, no. 73).

~ Pray ~

Prayer to Jesus Christ for the families of America
(From John Paul II’s Ecclesia in America)

We thank you, Lord Jesus,
because the Gospel of the Father's love,
with which you came to save the world,
has been proclaimed far and wide in America
as a gift of the Holy Spirit
that fills us with gladness.
We thank you for the gift of your Life,
which you have given us by loving us to the end:
your Life makes us children of God,
brothers and sisters to each other.
Increase, O Lord, our faith and our love for you,
present in all the tabernacles of the continent.
Grant us to be faithful witnesses
to your Resurrection
for the younger generation of Americans,
so that, in knowing you, they may follow you
and find in you their peace and joy.
Only then will they know that they
are brothers and sisters
of all God's children scattered
throughout the world.
You who, in becoming man,
chose to belong to a human family,
teach families the virtues which filled with light
the family home of Nazareth.
May families always be united,
as you and the Father are one,
and may they be living witnesses
to love, justice and solidarity;
make them schools of respect,
forgiveness and mutual help,
so that the world may believe;
help them to be the source of vocations
to the priesthood and the consecrated life,
and all the other forms
of firm Christian commitment.
Protect your Church and the Successor of Peter,
to whom you, Good Shepherd, have entrusted
the task of feeding your flock.
Grant that the Church in America may flourish
and grow richer in the fruits of holiness.
Teach us to love your Mother, Mary,
as you loved her.
Give us strength to proclaim
your word with courage
in the work of the new evangelization,
so that the world may know new hope.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America,
pray for us!

 

~ Act ~

Take some time this week to talk with a child about Jesus. Really talk. Really listen. ice cream is good, too.  

~ ~ ~

How can we pray for each other this week?

Cool Kickstart:-)

So, I might be thinking that all fulltime Catholic missionaries are named Colleen. Chances are, you know my friend Colleen who is in Costa Rica. May I introduce you another Colleen? Colleen Nixon and her husband, Titus, go around doing speaking and music engagements in various parts of the country. You can read about their ministry here. Colleen writes her own music, and has a bee-yoo-tee-ful voice. (I have that on very good authority.) 

Like every good missionary, Colleen is looking for a little help from her friends. Let me let her explain:

 

So give to a good cause and good music!! Here are some of the rewards and their links:

•  Pledge $10 or more:  a digital download of the album before it’s released
• Pledge $30 or more:  a signed hard copy of the album plus a digital download before it’s released
• Pledge $40 or more:  a signed hard copy of new cd and “love is in the details” (my 1st project with mitch dane) plus the digital download
• Pledge $50 or more:  special designed t-shirt just for THIS kickstarter campaign, a signed copy of the cd and digital download

AND THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS!! Go to the kickstarter website to see more videos and more donation options!!

So let's help her just do this! 

Only $3,000 to go!

 

Family Recipes: Fettuccine Gazpacho Salad

A couple weeks ago, I asked for favorite vegetarian recipes on Facebook. This one is my absolute favorite recipe of all. I found a version of this recipe at Whole Foods, way back when it was Fresh Fields and I took three little boys there nearly every day. Over time, we've tinkered with it to make it our cherished summertime fare.To me, this is the summer farmer's market in a bowl.

To make a gluten free version, these noodles are a must. (Note: it looks like small quantities at Amazon with free shpping are limited. Maybe wait a day or two? I've had trouble finding it locally. But it is so worth the hunt!)

Happy weekend, my friends! I hope your farmer's market is full of treasures for your table.

Fettuccine Gazpacho Salad

Serves 8 to 10

2 cans (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes (do not drain) or use 10-12 whole fresh tomatoes, about 2 pounds. You can peel the fresh tomatoes, if you like. I don’t—it all gets chopped fine in the blender and peeling tomatoes in a hot kitchen isn’t my favorite thing to do.

3 medium cloves garlic

½- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (more or less, according to taste)

¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

sea salt

1 pound fettuccine (fresh fettuccine takes it to a whole new level)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 medium red bell pepper , chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper , chopped

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes , halved

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (Alternatively, cilantro is a different flavor, but also really good. And then again, fresh basil is another good choice. Go with what looks best at the market.)
3 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup pitted black olives , quartered

Directions:

1. Puree diced tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon salt in blender until smooth. Transfer to bowl (don’t use metal), cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
3. Place cucumber, red and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, scallions, and oil in large serving bowl and toss well to combine.
4. Add pasta and pureed dressing and toss again.

Salad should be allowed to sit in the refrigerator at least two hours and can be refrigerated overnight. This is a great do-ahead dish for a summer party. Scatter olives over top. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

needle & thREAD

Hello, sewing friends!

I welcome you to needle and thREAD. What have you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and theREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and theREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr.

       Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us! Feel free to grab a button here (in one of several colors) so that you can use the button to link:-).

~ ~

I finished up the machine sewing on last week's tunic. All that remains now is the handsewing of the facing all the way around the front and back yoke. Um. As soon as I learn what a whipstitch is. Alrighty then.

When we read (and read and read and reread) Crafty Chloe, I promised my girls that we would make doll dresses just like Chloe did. I planned to do all three on one day, letting each of them help with their own, but  I only finished Karoline's. It's amazing how much more slowly this project goes with help;-) Katie does have one from the fall. Sarah Annie doesn't have an 18 inch doll. She's got some lovely baby dolls, though. I need to find a pattern for a baby doll outfit. Anyone have one of those?

It turns out that Karoline's doll will match two of her outfits: both her twirly skirt and her Easter dress were made from Ruby by Bonnie and Camille. Since Karoline chooses that fabric every time she has a choice, I think it's safe to say she's a big fan. And she's got excellent taste. I probably would have chosen a different color thread for the ric-rac, but hey, can't argue with "that's my favorite color ever" and "it matches my eyes." I did, however, deny her request for a matching sundress, even though the pattern for girls is free, too.

I loved working with this free pattern so much. May I just pause here and tell you how much I appreciate Oliver + S and Liesl Gibson's patterns? I've made the Lazy Days Skirts, the capes in Oliver + S: Little Things to Sew, those wonderful Easter dresses, and two of these doll Popover Sundresses. In the context of working with the patterns, I've learned so much. There is just such attention to detail. It seems that every project I've tried has taught me a skill I've carried into projects that aren't Liesl Gibson patterns. I've got to think that's the mark of a good designer, a good teacher, and a good writer. I'm so grateful.

In the reading department, I'm trying to read quickly through a substantial stack of gardening, small plot farming books:

The BackYard Berry Book

The Backyard Orchardist  

The Family Kitchen Garden

The Edible Front Yard

The Essential Urban Farmer

Ooh, and I see The Paper Garden snuck into the picture, too. I saw that at Beth's during a needle & thREAD visit. Tucking away to little read a little of that gem, here and there;-)

So, what about you? What have you been up to this week? Reading, sewing, embroidering? Do share.

 

Degas and the Little Dancer

One of the pointe pieces Mary Beth and her company danced in the competition a couple of weeks ago and will dance again this weekend, begins with the girls posing inside a larger than life picture frame. They are set as if they were dancers in a painting by Degas. It's a beautiful piece that captivated my little girls. Because they'd heard the piece referred to by its stage name, "Degas," they've been tossing the artist's name around quite freely in the past few days. I decided it was time to pay a little more careful attention to who Degas was and how that real life dance number got its inspiration from an entirely different medium

I read to everyone younger than 15, boys and girls alike, the story of Degas and the Little Dancer. It's a based-on-true tale of a poor young girl named Marie who aspired to be the "most famous dancer in the world." She is enrolled in the ballet school where the famous artist frequently comes to paint. When she doesn't have enough money to continue classes, he asks her to pose. His eyes are failing and he's moved from oils, to pastels, and finally to wax sculptures. And the little dancer does indeed become quite famous, though not in the way she expected.

My children are pretty tuned in to art and the book captivated them. We played ballet music for a few hours while they let their imaginations run a little wild. They drew dancers and then chose to color in pastels or colored pencils. In the spirit of the statue, they wanted to "dress" their art in "real" clothes. So, we sewed some tiny tutus and glued them in place. Very sweet. 

Now, I'm looking forward to watching them watch their sister dance this piece again. And I'm going to try to get a picture to add here because I just so love that tableau.

 

~ Favorite Ballet Stories~

Angelina Ballerina

Ballet Shoes

Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet

Ballet of the Elephants

Tallulah's Tutu

Do you have a favorite? I'll add it to the list:-)

 

For more about our Storybook Year, please visit here.

the face of attachment parenting

{All the pieces of my heart--Mother's Day 2012. Rose Creek Cottage.}

I was standing at my kitchen counter when I read the email asking me to consider flying with my toddler to New York for a Time Magazine cover story on attachment parenting. It took about a second to remember how exhausting (and frustrating) it was when The New York Times scrutinized our family for a piece on homeschooling. It wasn't terrible, but it was intrusive and in the end, I didn't feel like our message was conveyed well at all. In the next second, I thought of my nursling. Clearly, she's an "older toddler." She and I talk about nursing. And her nursing is limited to bedtime, in the dark and quiet of her bed. It's her snuggle time. It's our snuggle time. It was inconceivable for me to imagine nursing and posing. How would I even begin to explain that to her? This isn't photo op. It's a real life relationship. A relationship I would not exploit for anything in the world. Anything.

I declined.

It wouldn't have worked out anyway. Clearly, they were looking for a perky body. Mine is a body that has nurtured in this ancient fashion for so long that I, too, am ancient. Nothing is perky. It's all soft and squishy and well-worn. It's a real body. And I'm a real mother.

I was standing at the same spot in the kitchen when I first saw the cover. I felt physically ill. Literally. I felt the blood drain from my body and I gagged. Then, in the next second, I thought of what will happen when that cover child is 15 and a kid in his school finds that picture in cyberspace and posts it to his 2024 version of a Facebook wall. Attachment parenting is all about building trust. I think this young mother was shortsighted in selling out the trust of her son several years hence.

I commented on the post where I first saw the picture. I felt the adrenaline rushing. I felt all the sputtering arguments tingling in my fingers. 

I closed the computer. Physically removed it from the kitchen. Chopped a lot of vegetables. With my three-year-old. I knew I had to in order to survive.

The next day, there it was, all over everywhere. Everyone had something to say about it. Everyone was rushing to defend, redefine, articulate, refute, explain. Again, that physically ill feeling. I didn't revisit my Facebook or Twitter or Google Reader news feeds for the next three days.

I recalled a promise I had made to myself, after an extended period of thought and prayer: 

In part, I wrote: 

I need to start the day (after the prayer and exercise start) with a shower, clothing and lipgloss, and then some quiet time with the Bible. I want my children to find me in that room, with a candle lit and the Bible on my lap when they first wake up. I don't want them to find me staring into my laptop.

I need to refrain from internet drama, even a little bit.

This was internet drama. I knew I needed to stay far away from it. I had been thinking for a few weeks about attachment parenting anyway, and about social media, and about surviving cancer and living life knowing that it all can change with a single phone call. All these thoughts had been pressing upon me. 

I got an iPhone a few weeks ago. Suddenly, I was connected everywhere I went. I immediately made sure it would not chirp at me everytime I got an email, or someone posted to Facebook, or someone tweeted. The only notifications I left on were phone calls and text messages. Still, I heard the call of social media from anywhere, anytime. The weekend before last, I took my phone to a full day of dance competition. My daughter danced 3 times. We were there twelve hours. Nonstop dance, nonstop music, in an auditorium. I thoroughly drained the fully-charged battery on my iPhone. I was connected! I could post cute things about the day. Chronicle life's happenings on Instagram. Do something. Read something. Anything. Everything. And at the end of the day, I felt that sick feeling. 

I resolved the next day never to engage in social media chit chat and news feeds on my phone at a kids' event or any time at all over the weekend.  Nobody out there really cares that Johnny is up to bat more than Johnny-- and he would truly appreciate the full attention of his mother. (I use Johnny and baseball because I don't have a Johnny and no one here plays baseball. It's a universal sentiment for all the children in my family.)

Then there was the Time piece. Right there, just before Mother's Day weekend. I could almost hear an audible whisper: You have long lived this lifestyle. Surely you will step out and join the conversation.

No. No, I won't. Not now. Not this weekend. I won't read what everyone has to say. I won't keep responding here, there, and everywhere. Chasing conversation loses sight of the mission of this blog: encouragement to other women, yes, but mostly to leave a legacy for my daughters. 

My best writing isn't that which engages in up-to-the-minute dialogue. My best writing takes its time. Says its prayers. I'm not a news chasing vehicle and I'm not about promoting myself while fighting for a cause. And this "cause"? It changed my life forever long before it was a cause at all. Attachment parenting matters to me.

I wish that women of the digital age could have learned this parenting style the way I did. 

It first took written form in an old La Leche League publication of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding that my roommate in the hospital loaned to me when I could not console a screaming newborn Michael, nearly 24 years ago. She was an experienced mom. She stayed up all night, her own newborn at her breast, mentoring me, voice-to-voice, shoulder-to-shoulder. She was Catholic, open to life. It was all grace.  I still look back with astonishment at the provision of it all. I have no pictures of our time. No journal of words. I don't even remember her name, but her legacy lives forever in my family.

That was an old version of the book, written in the voice of the women who founded La Leche League. It read like wisdom from moms at a church picnic. Did you know that La Leche League was founded on the grounds of a Catholic Church at a parish picnic?

Ten years later, I met Mary White, one of the founding mothers. That formerly crying baby was the altar server at a very poorly attended Mass at a La Leche League conference. It was just Mary, her husband, and my family. After Mass, she spent a leisurely time talking to me about big families and raising children in the church, all while my fourth child, Mary Beth, nursed in a sling. Tears still spring to my eyes when I think of the meaning that encounter held for me. She autographed for me a new edition of the book. I treasure the the inscription, but the book remains on my shelf, largely untouched. I still reach for my tattered, older version, the one written before "attachment parenting" was a cause. The one in the voice of wise Catholic mothers.

Mary White told me after Mass how mothering is a beautiful way to live the works of mercy every day, how mothers are especially blessed to extend the mercy of God to others. It was never about being "mom enough," but about being humble enough. Attachment parenting--and so, extended breastfeeding--is about the least of these. 

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

All day, every day, serving the little ones with the mercy of Jesus. That's attachment parenting at its essence.

Attachment parenting grows up. And that doesn't mean nursing while standing on a stool. It means that mother and child grow together. It means that when it's not so simple anymore and all their needs can't be met by stopping to nurse, we still listen. And listen. And listen. We watch over three hundred dances because somewhere in there, our teenager is in three of them and she cares about the other 297.

If we are at our best, we do it with our full attention.

The face of attachment parenting? It doesn't reflect a computer screen. We can't let ourselves care more about the cause than about the children who compelled us to learn about the cause in the first place. We can't let ourselves be lured to spend our days chasing philosophies online, no matter how noble those philosophies are. We can't endlessly chase decorating ideas or knitting patterns or news feeds, either. 

I learned attachment parenting in a different age. And I'm very glad of that. I never cultivated a habit of nursing while scrolling my cell phone. I never took a laptop into a child's room at night to keep me company while I kept him company. There were no smart phones or laptops. I was blessed to learn a lifestyle before the distraction of technology and then to live long enough in that stage of life that I could take the early lessons and keep practicing those habits when technology started fighting them. 

It's astonishing how techonology fights them. Truly, if we let it, techonology can destroy parenting as God intended it. A tool for the good can be used for ill to the detriment of generations.

I feel sorry for the young mothers (perkiness aside). It must be so much harder to discern the wisdom of the church picnic from the hip, happening, cool of the attachment parenting "movement." It's not sexy. It's not hip. It's hard work and humble servitude. It likely will make you soft and saggy.

The key to being truly attached, even as they grow, is spending days looking into the eyes of a child, truly knowing our own children intimately and well and helping them to become the person God created them to be.

Attachment parenting requires incredible sacrifice on the part of fathers, when the chldren are infants and when they are older. When they are infants, fathers wait for wives who are nursing mothers. They wait, too, for the time when a child will want them as much or more than they want Mama. I see that so clearly now that I have lots of older children. My kids almost line up to wait for Mike to listen to them at night. I've been with them all day. I'm all childrened out. And all I want is his undivided, quiet attention. But there they are, one by one, asking for him. I can't help but think of all the nights he waited while I nursed them to sleep.

Attachment parenting is thoughtful, careful that we are attached, while still not fostering an entitlement attitude. Just because you can nurse on demand as a baby, doesn't mean you can demand anything you want and expect to get it forever. Actually, the contrary is true. When you are nursed on demand as a baby, you grow up with the sense that sometimes adults are called to sacrifice themselves--their wants, their immediate needs, even their bodies--for the least of these. Good attachment parenting means that we teach our children this same ideal of laying down one's life.

This is where my challenges in social media keep popping up. It's a repeated decision to set aside the pressing online conversation, relinquish the opportunity to join the opinionfest. Attachment parenting is about keeping my eyes steadfastly fixed on my own work--the most important work I'll ever be called to do.  Social media is most definitely about keeping my eyes on everyone else's work. It's fairly benign for me in very small doses, lethal in anything bigger.

I have thoughtful ideas on childhood. I've worked hard to live those principles. I see social media as the most insidious threat to living a life of grace-filled, purposeful moments of joy with my children. This is How to Miss a Childhood and this is The Best Part of a Child's Education. I mean to live those messages and I have to close the computer to do so.

Mother Teresa, upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize, was asked "What can we do to promote world peace?" She answered "Go home and love your family."

What can I do to promote attachment parenting? Go home and love my family. With my full attention. When I do, I will bear authentic witness and change the world.

{Comments are  closed. Prayers are always welcome.}

Giveaway winner: Catholic Child Pillowcases

The winner of the prayer pillowcases at Catholic Child is 

Kim, who said...

+JMJ
I usually like to give children receiving their First Holy Communion a Miraculous Medal along with the Saint Story of St. Catherine of Laboure of The Miraculous Medal by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. The Pillow cases are lovely and my Lily will be receiving her First Holy Communion soon. I think I would love for her to rest her head on one before then:) My, you know all the secret spots Elizabeth:)

May 09, 2012 at 05:13 PM

Kim, I will forward your email information to the good folks at Catholic Child. You should expect to hear from them soon.

:-)

{Sponsor Introduction & Giveaway: Simplicities of Life}

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The Thomases are committed to bringing families closer together through prayer, and especially the prayer Our Lady has taught us and requested that we continue to offer to her daily: the rosary.

 

 

 

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~ ~ ~ Giveaway Details~ ~ ~

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In a word: holy. This hardy, masculine rosary is one meant to be used in prayer for his family or the woman he loves. Its rich, deep 10mm Buri seed aves and 12mm Bone seed antique paters exude strength and power from above. It’s perfected by the solid bronze Holy Eucharist medal and the solid bronze Holy Family crucifix which amplify its clean and manly tone. This rosary would suit a grandfather, father, son, nephew, son-in-law, or any other special man in your life.

To qualify to win, visit the website and come back and tell us what strikes your fancy.

And don't forget to  check the blog frequently for updates. 

 

Rainy Monday Moments

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

Is it too late to plant blueberries? Blackberries? Christian really wants a berry garden. He was too sick to do anything with it last week, but I think we're good to go this week. Should we go for it? I've got a little Mason bee condo all ready for my pollination efforts. (Mason bees are my consolation while I continue to plot and persuade towards next spring's honeybees.)

 

::listening to 

various children downstairs. It's a rainy day here and we are all so tired from a very busy weekend. I'm grateful for the cool and the clouds and a chance to re-group a bit. No soccer practice today means no hard, fast deadline at 2:30. We have a little longer to get the routine things finished and start the week well

 

::clothing myself in 

Yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I'm trying hard to figure a way to avoid the grocery store and not having to change into "real" clothes all day.

 

::giving thanks for

a very nice Mother's Day. Yesterday took us to three soccer games in two states. All three were far from each other. But, in the end, we wound up in the town where Mike and I met in high school, the town where we were married and spent the first nine years of family life together. We did a little "nostalgia drive." We didn't tell the children where we were going. When he pulled into the parking lot of the church where we were married without any explanation, Karoline squealed in sheer delight! She recognized the exterior from photos in our wedding album. They were thrilled to go inside and pay a visit. And Karoline, when she thought no one was looking, did her own little walk down the aisle. Pretty adorable. 

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from our family's choices. 

Mary Beth and I are digging into the free Grace Livingston Hill downloads on Kindle. But first, I'm reading a new Catholic novel, Joy in the Ordinary. I plan a proper post all of its own as soo as I'm finished. For now, just know it's one of those books that had me standing at the kitchen counter reading when I should have been housekeeping.

::I am thinking

• about the brouhaha over the Time cover 
• about How to Miss a Childhood
• about The Best Part of a Child's Education
• about an early edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and conversation I was privileged to have with Mary White after Mass one day
• about The Velveteen Me

I promise they all are interconnected. At least they are in my brain. And maybe I'll sort them all out here, too. 

::pondering prayerfully

When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" She answered "Go home and love your family."

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Nothing knocks me out of rhythm like fatigue. I do so much better when I go to bed early and get up early and start the day with prayer and exercise. This week: every day. That's the goal.

::creating by hand

I know I need to force myself to finish that blouse and not to be so discouraged that it didn't go according to plan that I let become an unfinished object. The thing about crafting of all kinds is that our enthusiasm is fed by our successes. As we see something start to actually work the way it should, we're motivated to keep going. When we hit a bump? Well, then it takes more than the momentum of enthusiasm to finish well. 

::learning lessons in

my own limitations.

::encouraging learning 

It's always fun to show the basket of new books to a five-year-old. I sure wish my teenagers responded similarly.

 

::begging prayers

for all the people who have joined our weekend prayer community. I carried your requests with me to Mass and I will keep a candle lit for you throughout the week.

for lonely missionaries.

for distracted mamas; that they may see before it's too late what gives real purpose and meaning to life.

 

:keeping house

Last week, someone suggested taking away the phones of people who don't do chores. I think she's on to something. Phones, iPods... good idea, that one.

::crafting in the kitchen 

I asked for vegetarian recipes on Facebook. I got a whole bunch of responses. Now, to organize them and start making my way through the list. I can always add some grilled meat to it to keep the carnivores happy, right?.

::loving the moments

when your kids are just so happy because they know they've presented you with the perfect Mother's Day gift. I promise to share it later this week.

::living the liturgy

We are using  33 Days to Morning Glory  in preparation for Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Visitation. 

 

::planning for the week ahead

I'm hoping for a lowkey, nesting kind of week this week, before a weekend girl's getaway for a dance competition. Patrick has prom this weekend, too. I'm having to relinquish that photo op to someone else's camera. It's killing me...

random instagram photos from yesterday. wish i'd taken more...