Get Thee To the Woods, Vol. 21: Mary, Mud, and Mist

Last week our parish school held a fundraiser, the "Race for Education." The kids all wore their gym clothes to school, and spent an hour running and walking in a loop around the school grounds. I had some time before work that day to come and cheer the 3rd-5th graders on during their "race." It was a beautiful day, and warmer than expected.

They even had an official mascot.

It had rained the day before, and the path through the woods was quite muddy.


Mary seemed to bless the children as they ran by.


Someone else showed up to cheer everyone on as well. Can you guess who?

Father B. joined in the fun, too!

Moe reaches the finish line!

The state of Moe's pants at the end of the day. It could have been worse; I saw kids covered in slimy, dark mud. They must have rolled in it. The grass stains came later in the day when he played soccer at recess. I Spray & Washed and Oxi-Cleaned them thoroughly, and guess what? When I picked him up from school today the knees were covered in dirt and grass stains again.

We've had some lovely misty mornings this week.

The birds seem to be enjoying the weather. Today I heard an old-timer call it "The In-Between." Not cold, but not warm either; and you can't decide whether or not to put on a sweater.

I probably won't blog again until after Thanksgiving. My next post might be a review of the film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, which we went to see on Friday night. Or I might tell you all about the re-dedication Mass at our church last night, and post some before-and-after photos. I'm sure I'll share some thoughts and photos from the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Until then, have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

One more thing: Pope Benedict is asking Catholics all over the world to pray the Rosary this Saturday, November 27, for an end to abortion. I'm sorry to say we've never prayed the Rosary as a family before, but I think this Saturday would be a great time for us to start. Will you join us?

How have you and your family celebrated God's creation this week? (Praying for the unborn counts, because God created people, too!)