Musings of a Catholic Mom

7 Quick Takes: Volume 41

2012-01-27T18:38:00.012-05:00

--1--

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on my last post! It's your words of encouragement that keep me blogging. I don't write about life issues as often as I would like, and knowing that these stories have touched you all reminds me how important it is to speak up for the defenseless. Katie asked why stories like Chrisin's aren't being told, and I often wonder the same thing. I first stumbled across Christin's story on Christina Dunigan's blog, Real Choice. Each day, Christina posts stories about real women who have died at the hands of abortionists. She includes links to each one so readers can read more about them if they wish. I don't read every post (if I did I think it would depress me), but Christin's story really touched my heart. Roe v. Wade MUST be overturned. Abortion MUST be stopped.

And about the Obama administration's recent mandate for ALL employers to cover contraception and sterilization in their insurance plans, including Catholic institutions...that one was a complete jaw-dropper. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we have a President and HHS secretary who are, well, tyrants. You WILL do as we say or else. We don't care if you have religious objections. We're in charge and we make the rules so screw you. More on that later when I'm thinking more clearly.

--2--

You may or may not know this, but I have a second blog, Cooking Nick's Books. It's a food blog, based (mostly) on the bestselling novels by Nicholas Sparks. I've been neglecting that one lately (I tend to go back and forth, posting a lot on one blog and ignoring the other; recently I've been focusing more on this one), but the other day I updated it with some recipes and photos of some of the yummy delights we prepared on New Year's Eve (also Nicholas Sparks' birthday). I'd love for you to check it out! (I have three followers there, and eight through Networked Blogs, including myself. I'd love to have more...) My next post on that blog will be the lamb chop dinner I made that was, if I may say so, restaurant worthy. You don't want to miss that one. Tell your friends!

--3--

The landscaping project is finally done!

(The plants will grow bigger, of course!)

(Can you see Moe peeking at me?)

This week, they put the finishing touches on, like river rock by the steps to control the erosion, and a little natural stone wall by the lake.

--4--

I made a rather long list of New Year's resolutions this year. I am hoping to keep most if not all of them, and I want to try and to focus on certain ones every month, develop those good habits gradually so that by the end of the year I'll have accomplished most--or at least some--of those goals. In January, I've been focusing on my spiritual habits; for me this seems to be the easiest one to fulfill--getting up earlier, praying more, going to Mass more, etc. On most weekdays, I've been setting my alarm for 4:30 am(!)--on the weekends I get up only slightly later since the dog doesn't let me sleep in anyway--and spending more time in prayer and even taking the time to journal a little bit. (Although, much of that prayer is in front of my computer and with my phone in my hand--I need to move away from using technology to help me pray back to a good old-fashioned quiet corner, a Bible, and a Rosary.) I'm finding that my journaling (mostly typing my thoughts into a Word document--I do have a notebook for journaling too but I don't use it much) is giving me ideas for this blog. I have gone to some extra Masses this month, including for the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which was a nice way to end the Christmas season. I went to confession early in January, and I hope to go once a month--which means I'll need to go sometime this week. I had hoped to read more--one spiritual and one secular book per month--and I have not met that goal, although I have been doing a little bit more reading.

In February I'm hoping to focus on my physical health--specifically to develop a consistent exercise routine--and more consistent housecleaning. We've started with a new system for doing household chores, and I'm hoping in February to really get into getting chores done so we can always be proud to open the door to people and not have to say, "sorry about the mess..." And Lent starts in February. I'm planning on giving up social networking, especially Twitter and Facebook. We'll see how that goes. I might pop in on Sundays to read a few blogs and check my Facebook news feed...and I might still tweet the daily updates from 40 Days for Life...maybe I'll temporarily delete the Twitter app from my iPad.

--5--

As a catechist, I'm supposed to make sure the kids memorize certain traditional Catholic prayers. Each year, they are given a booklet of prayers and ideally, they say these prayers regularly at home with their families, and a volunteer at church tests their knowledge of them by hearing the students recite them. (They are also expected to learn the ten commandments and the seven sacraments in second grade; and in third grade, the Rosary--all the mysteries, prayers, and the structure of the prayer.) For the last couple of years I haven't had a teaching assistant or a "prayer aide", so it's left up to me to assess the kids. I don't have time in class to test each child individually, so often I will give them a written fill-in-the-blank test. I gave them the Ten Commandments test last week, and laughed so hard reading some of them my children thought I was losing it:

"You shall not witness your neighbor's wife."

"You shall not hate your neighbor's wife."

"You shall not commit Murdery."

"You shall not covet your neighbor's husband."

"You shall not dare."

And my favorite: "Honor your mom and your dad."

I can tell that boy honors his.

--6--

I have some mixed feelings about requiring kids to memorize traditional prayers. As a convert, I have grown to love them, and certainly we need to encourage our children to learn them and pray them regularly, but sometimes I wonder if we might put too much pressure on some kids to memorize them. One year when I was an assistant catechist, it was my job to test the kids. One little girl was really struggling to learn them, and I knew that her parents spoke little English and that they went to Mass regularly. I asked the religious education director at the time if perhaps someone who was fluent in Spanish might be able to test her, because I suspected she did know some of those prayers--in Spanish. I was told that the kids needed to learn them in English, because that's the language we speak here. (That director has retired--she was and is a wonderful lady and I am in no way trying to criticize her; I honestly don't know if that was her rule, or the pastor's, or the diocese's, but I must admit I was a little disappointed for that little girl's sake.) I remember years ago in my pre-blogging, pre-social networking days having a conversation on a discussion forum with a woman who left the Catholic church because her sister, who had Down Syndrome, was denied confirmation because she hadn't memorized all the prayers. I responded to that as best I could, trying to assure her that the decision to deny confirmation to her sister was a bad one made my an unwise pastor, and that I think--I hope--most church leaders would show compassion and allow her sister to be confirmed, assuming she at least had a basic understanding of the Catholic faith and the love of Christ for her.

When I was growing up, my Sunday School teachers at my Baptist church used to encourage us to memorize certain Bible verses and passages, but I honestly don't think we were ever required to learn them. Perhaps this is why I'm not always so strict as a Catechist about memorizing the Hail Mary or the Act of Contrition or the Guardian Angel Prayer. If we pray them often enough, the kids will learn them. And some parents won't teach them the prayers whether it's on the report card or not.

What do you think, readers? How important is it, really, for the kids to memorize prayers in CCD? Should certain prayers be required before receiving First Communion, for example? Thoughts?

--7--

Last week I got an email from a writer for our diocesan newspaper. She explained that she was working on an article about moms in our diocese who have blogs, and she stumbled across mine and noticed pictures of my own church and wondered if she could call me. I emailed her my number and a link to Ginny's blog, Small Things (because Ginny has the best blog EVER--and I know many would agree, why else would she have over a thousand followers?), and said sure, but it makes me nervous! She did call me and we chatted for a little while (and then Ginny emailed me to give me a friendly scolding for calling out her blog--tee hee!), and to make a long story short, the article will hopefully be printed in next week's edition. I'm kind of excited and nervous about it at the same time; there are many people in my parish who know me but don't know I blog--and they read the diocesan paper. EEK!

I'll post a link to that article when it comes out.

Be sure to visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

7 Takes, 7 Choices, The 2012 Edition

2012-01-20T06:01:00.008-05:00

Sunday, Janurary 22, is the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, that legalized abortion in the United States. Once again, (click here to read my post from last year) the prolife activist Jill Stanek is encouraging bloggers, in response to NARAL's "Blog For Choice Day" campaign, to ask our prochoice friends: "What exactly do you mean by 'choice?' "

--1--

Once upon a time there was a girl named Christin Gilbert. She was a beautiful girl, full of smiles and laughter; and she had Down Syndrome. One day when Christin was nineteen years old, an evil man decided to have his way with her, and she became pregnant. We don't know why Christin's mother and father decided that her baby must not be born. Perhaps they perceived that Christin was frightened of having a baby. Perhaps they felt embarrassed and ashamed. Or perhaps the child would be born with Down's, like their daughter. Whatever the case, they took Christin on a road trip to Kansas, to a place called Women's Health Care Services. There were two nice doctors there named Dr. Tiller and Dr. Carhart who promised to take good care of Christin. It will take us a couple of days to kill your grandchild and make your daughter unpregnant, they said, so why don't you check into this nice hotel down the street and make yourselves at home? So they gave Christin some "medicine" and told her mother and father to call them in the morning.

Christin became sick; very sick indeed. Even though Christin was vomiting and bleeding heavily and passing out, her parents decided not to take her to the hospital; instead they trusted the nice doctor who told them Christin would be just fine. When Christin became unconscious and stopped breathing at the abortion clinic, Dr. Carhart and his minions--oh, sorry...nurses--shuffled Christin's parents into another room (we'll take care of her, don't you worry, it's all under control, nothing to see here), called 911, told the dispatchers a vague story about a patient who needed to go to the hospital, and asked them to please tell the ambulance driver not to turn on the lights or the siren. There is no need to make a big fuss over this.

Three days after her first visit to the clinic, Christin died of systemic organ failure. She had been bleeding from every orifice in her body.

Read the horrific details of Christin's death from a safe, legal abortion, and then tell me: Is this what you mean by "choice?"

--2--

Today in Corpus Christi, Texas, there is a fourteen-year-old girl who is pregnant. She lives (correction: used to live) with her grandmother and two of her cousins. Grandma & Co. want this girl to have an abortion, but she wants to give birth to her child. They made an appointment for her at an abortion mill, and when the young mother refused to go, they slapped her around and threatened her to get her to change her mind. She got a temporary restraining order against her oh-so-loving family, and has filed a lawsuit to try to prevent them from forcing her to kill her unborn baby.

These kinds of things are happening every day, all over these United States. Parents, family members, boyfriends, husbands, all telling their loved ones: Abort or else; you don't have a choice.

Is this what you mean by "choice?"

(CNN reports that the girl's case has now been "resolved." I would assume this means she will carry her baby to term. Let's keep this girl, her family, and her baby in our prayers!)

--3--

Last Friday, Planned Parenthood posted this on their official Twitter page:

RT [re-tweet] if you think being #prochoice is #sexy!

Telling, that. Go ahead, kids, have at it. Have as much sex as you want with whoever you want, with as many people as you want. The more the better. More sex, more unplanned pregnancies, more abortions, more money in our pockets. (Woo-Hoo!)

At least we know what Planned Parenthood means by "choice," now, don't we?

--4--

How cute is this little boy?

His name is Noah, and his parents couldn't be prouder of him. He is one of only ten percent of children with Down Syndrome to make it out of the womb alive. The other 90 percent are aborted, and we all--not just their parents--are deprived of the chance to know and love them.

When you say "choice," do you mean Noah? Or Ryan, or Melissa, or Matt? Would the world be a better place if they had been killed?

Noah's dad has a fabulous blog, where he shares adorable videos and photos, and the joys and challenges of raising a Down Syndrome baby. Check it out! (Warning: Extremely addictive!)

--5--

Thanks to the courageous efforts of people like Abby Johnson and Lila Rose, we are learning more and more about Planned Parenthood and their diabolical motives. Not long ago, Abby exposed a secret that Planned Parenthood has been guarding since 1969--a little one-page document they put out called the Jaffe Memo. Our friends at Planned Parenthood came up with a list of brilliant ideas they thought might take care of a little problem called "overpopulation." Some of their "Proposed Measures to Reduce U.S. Fertility" include (emphasis mine):

"Social Constraints," like "Restructure Family...alter image of ideal family size." "Encourage increased homosexuality." "Fertility Agents in Water Supply."

"Economic Deterrents," such as "Tax married more than single." "Reduce/Eliminate paid maternity leave or benefits." "Require women to work and provide few child care facilities." "Limit/eliminate public financed medical care, scholarships, housing loans, and subsidies to families with more than N children."

"Social Controls:" (This may be the scariest section) "Compulsory abortion for out-of-wedlock pregnancies." "Compulsory sterilization of all who have two children except for a few who would be allowed three." "Confine childbearing to only a limited number of adults."

And do these sound familiar?

"Abortion and sterilization on demand." "Allow certain contraceptives to be distributed non-medically." "Make contraception truly available to all."

There are just too many people cluttering this Earth of ours, and Planned Parenthood is willing to destroy humanity by any means necessary. (Don't believe me? See for yourself.)

Is this what you mean by "choice?"

--6--

There is an abortion facility in Richmond, Virginia called "A Capital Women's Health Clinic." They have a nice pretty website, with pictures of flowers and smiling women on every page. They use words like "caring," "safe," "confidential," and "dedicated to the health care of women."

"Great News! Low income women can now receive funding for abortion...Give us a call..." (We fight poverty by aborting the poor!)

On one page, you're given descriptions of the gentle and caring abortion services they provide, like how they use a vacuum to "empty the contents of your uterus" and things like that. They also tell you about the safe and convenient RU-486 abortion pills they hand out. Check out this wise piece of advice: "You should not choose the pill if you live with a loved one who doesn't know you are doing the abortion by pill. The symptoms you will have at home will not be ones you can hide."

In other words, if your parents don't know you're pregnant, don't have a medical abortion because they'll find out.

Would you want your daughter to have an abortion without your knowledge? Is that what you mean by "choice?"

--7--

I've saved the best for last.

LaSondra knows what Planned Parenthood means by "choice." Bravo to her for speaking the truth.

-------------------------------------------------------

To all of you who will be participating in the March for Life on Monday, as well as the many marches for the unborn across the United States in the next few days, my prayers are with you. I'm unable to attend this year, but I'll be recording the footage of the Washington, DC March and the San Francisco Walk for Life, and cheering you on from home.

Safe travels to all, and thank you for standing up for the preciousness of life.

(And be sure to visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!)

Today

2012-01-16T18:43:00.008-05:00

When we woke up this morning, we found ice on our little lake, for the first time this winter. (Can you see our new patio? They're almost finished with our landscaping project. I can't wait to share more pictures of that.)

To celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday, we took a day trip to Washington, D.C. First we visited the Air and Space Museum.

We played with their Google Earth display in one of the space exhibits.

Can you tell which one is me?

Did I ever tell you where we were when the infamous Earthquake of 2011 hit? We were in the car on our way to the boys' music lessons. We didn't even know there had been an earthquake until we arrived at the church where the lessons were held and noticed that the teacher, Mr. D, was nowhere to be found; and there were little bits of plaster scattered all over the chairs and the floor. Soon Mr. D came back and told us he was canceling our lessons because he didn't know if the building was safe. During the earthquake he thought the church was going to fall on top of him, it was that bad. We were clueless.

It cracked the Washington Monument, and we didn't even feel it.

The World War II Memorial was quite moving.

Each gold star represents 100 United States servicemen who died in World War II.

We took lots of pictures here.

Not quite the view Martin Luther King had that day he gave his "I Have A Dream" speech.

Curly is "planking," as you can see...

This fat little squirrel at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was begging people for food. He looked like plenty of tourists have been feeding him.

One week from today, Lord willing, this place will be packed with thousands of people, all to stand up for the rights of the unborn.

And one year from today? Might we be preparing to swear in our next President of the United States, Rick Santorum? (I have a dream...)

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Epiphany Sunday!

2012-01-07T21:20:00.005-05:00

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Matthew 2: 1-12

The 7 Quick Takes That Wasn't

2012-01-05T18:18:00.013-05:00

1. I really wanted to publish a 7 Quick Takes post tonight. I have all kinds of thoughts in various word documents on my computer, waiting for me to organize and compile them into a summary of seven ways that technology has enhanced my spiritual life in one way or another. I want to tell you about certain apps I have on my phone and my iPad, some I use all the time, and some that I want to learn how to make better use of. I want to tell you about some websites with fancy interactive prayers and scriptural Rosaries. I want to share some of the Catholic books that I've downloaded and read on my iPad Kindle app. And I want to ponder the question, am I relying on technology too much, and is it really bringing me closer to God? And how I miss the days when I would just sit quietly with a cup of coffee, my Bible, and a Rosary.

Instead I'm giving you a few random takes about other various things and hope that post will materialize between now and next Friday.

2. I'm actually kind of excited about my New Year's Resolutions, even though I've made way too many. Last year I made only one: To go on a gluten free diet sometime during 2011. Right before the beginning of Lent, I took the plunge and I've never looked back. (Well, maybe I have looked back just a little: all the times I've opened a gluten free beer for myself and a Fat Tire for Larry, wishing I could have one of those instead; making chocolate-chip cookies for everyone else, and wishing I could have just one; when the server in a restaurant brings out steaming hot bread, and darn it, I wish I could have some...) I've also decided that if I'm going to keep any of my resolutions, I'd better not push myself to try and implement all of them at once. Like that exercising 20 minutes thee-times-a-day thing? Hasn't happened yet.

3. I went to confession last night. I'm hoping--it isn't really a New Year's Resolution, but almost--to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation more often--once a month, ideally. I'm thinking maybe on the Wednesday before First Friday...we'll see if I can keep that one. For the first time I took my phone into the confessional with me, with my list of sins I generated with the help of the confession app. In the confessional I told Father I was trying out the app for the first time and I'm not sure if I liked it or not. Young Twenty-something Father B laughed and said he prefers the manual version, but if I wanted to use the app that was fine with him.

My take on the confession app: I have it on both my iPad and my Android phone. It's a great tool for my examination of conscience, but I think I'd have to agree with Father: I'd rather write down my sins and bring that with me rather than trying to fumble with my mobile device.

I wrote this in my journal last week:

After receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I feel more grateful to God for His gift of forgiveness, and I'm overwhelmed at how much He loves me even though I don't deserve it. I'm kinder to everyone around me.

Boy, is that the truth! Each time I go I feel just a little bit closer to Christ. I didn't want to leave the church afterward; I just wanted to sit with Jesus. And I have been kinder to everyone today, I think, including myself.

4. I wanted, in my 7 Quick Takes Post That Wasn't, tell you about my new efforts with a prayer journal and how I'm using technology (Microsoft Word and the Internet) to do that as well. A few thoughts I wrote--er, typed--down last week:

Do people know I'm a follower of Christ? They hear me talk the talk and say nice words but what do they see? Too often they don't see much of anything, I fear.

What star guides me toward the Lord? My family. My gift? My willingness to do whatever I need to in order to help them on their journey toward Him, so that they will reach Heaven.

Jesus is the Bread of Life. My Sunday School teachers used to tell me that I received the Bread of Life by reading the Bible. I know it's more than that, of course, but those times when I used to read the Bible every day (or nearly) I felt closer to God and much more at peace.

And this:

Years ago when I rationed coffee to myself (and only drank wine on the weekends, and exercised regularly) I used to pray, "Hey, Mary, I'm tired and I still have a lot to do before retiring. Could I get some extra energy to get through the rest of the day, like a second wind? Thanks." It always worked.

This week I've been saying this prayer almost every evening. And it does work, just like before.

5. Guess What!

It's still Christmas!

Happy Epiphany, and have a wonderful weekend!

And please visit Jennifer's Conversion Diary blog for more Quick Takes.

Ramblings and Resolutions

2012-01-02T22:33:00.007-05:00

The weather has been so warm this week that Moe decided to make a "mud man" since he won't be making any snowmen in the near future. It's expected to turn colder in the next couple of days; I know it's wishful thinking to hope for some snow. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. For me, Christmas break was just the right balance between celebration and relaxation, and now I'm ready to get back into our normal hectic routine.

I don't usually make New Years' Resolutions, because I'm not very good at keeping them. I was looking the other day at my very first post, and the resolutions I listed there. I actually kept some of them, at least for a while. I started writing out some new ones for this year, and my list kept getting longer and longer. I probably made too many:

Exercise 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week, minimum.

Expect more chores from kids. And maybe call that housecleaning lady.

Read 2 books a month: One spiritual and one fluff.

MAKE time for prayer EVERY DAY, even if it's only five minutes. Maybe ten.

Put Jesus first, others second, myself third.

A relatively nonspecific career-related resolution, basically telling myself to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life--and do it already.

Quit sleeping in on the weekends.

Go to at least one additional Mass every month, besides Sundays. Holy Days of Obligation don't count. Or maybe they do. Baby steps.

Limit my online time and stick with it. This includes Twitter, blogging, Facebook...Spend some of that time reading a BOOK. Spend my time online carefully. This may mean less blogging. Get over it.

Invite people to my house more often. This includes priests, friends I don't get to see as often as I'd like, people I don't want to lose touch with. And relatives.

Support my favorite charities actively and consistently. Make a plan and stick with it.

Don't rely on Facebook to keep in touch with people I love. Pick up the phone and call them. Make time to visit them.

Plant a garden. (This is the one I'm least likely to keep, but there it is.)

(Hah! I've gone and done it. This is Moe. He took advantage of the warm weather to feed the goose and the ducks.)

I woke up this morning with some nagging thoughts about how I spend my time, and whether or not I should spend less time blogging or just quit altogether. Just this past year, between my two blogs, I put up 92 posts. If I spend an average of two hours on each one (let's be realistic, shall we?), that's 184 hours I spent here, and 184 hours that I wasn't doing laundry, cleaning, reading, exercising, or just having a conversation with someone in my life.

Sometime late yesterday afternoon I decided to put together a post for Cooking Nick's Books. I figured Christmas vacation was almost over and we're having leftovers anyway, so I sat down and started writing and going through pictures. Right around 6:30, I asked, "Is anyone hungry?" We had eaten a late lunch, and I figured we'd have a light supper. My husband said, "Not really, but I will be." OK, I thought, I'll sit here for a few more minutes and then go heat up the chili from the other night. Suddenly I heard my husband say, "Are we going to eat?" I looked down at the little clock at the bottom of my computer screen and realized an hour had passed. Moe said, "Mom, you were sitting at your computer for like three hours." Now, I had spent some time printing out work for my Religious Education class and browsing Catholic education sites for ideas I could use (and I adamantly pointed out this fact) but I wondered, Is this really how I need to be spending my time? Granted, my husband was watching a football game I wasn't the least bit interested in, and Moe was working on some homework, and the other boys were playing their new video games they got for Christmas, but still.... And then after dinner I wanted to finish the post while the boys headed into the living room to watch an episode of Star Trek. Joe asked me if I wanted to join them, and I declined.

So this morning as I tossed and turned in bed trying in vain to go back to sleep, I was thinking, maybe I should seriously just quit this fruitless endeavor and spend those hours doing something more tangible. I asked God to help me figure out a way to either a) use my love of blogging to enhance my relationship with Him, bring others closer to Him--and to genuinely touch the lives of others (including friends, loved ones, and strangers); or b). give me a sign, a thumbs up ("Keep it up!") or a thumbs down ("It's time to move on.")

On my last post, I received five comments. Five! That may be a record. Usually I get none. Which is OK, because I'm not looking for recognition, but when people say nice things about what I've posted it gives me the encouragement I need to keep going. Just listen to Gardenia's comment:

"Sharon, that is indeed a beautiful olive wood carving. you have a thoughtful husband I can tell! I love Mary so much and will be checking out your posts on the Blessed Mother. Happy Blessed New Year! "

Every time I seriously consider quitting my blogging habit (I wonder if it's an addiction, kind of like people getting addicted to video games or gambling?) I get a message like this. People do read my posts and enjoy them. Does this mean God wants me to keep blogging? Maybe, but I also know that I do need to spend more time nurturing my relationships with friends and family ("face-to-face people") and doing more tangible and practical things, too. (As for my other blog, Cooking Nick's Books-- that's a whole other dilemma. I don't want to quit that one, but am I spending too much time with it? Dear Lord, send me a sign...)

Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to sharing many more musings, memories, and photos with you in 2012, and to reading many more of yours, too!

7 (Okay, 10) Quick Takes: My Favorite Posts of 2011

2011-12-29T07:36:00.019-05:00

(I just wanted to show you the beautiful olive wood carving of Mary and Jesus from Bethlehem that Joe gave me for Christmas. I'm still deciding on a permanent spot in our home for her.)

On this fifth day of Christmas, the kids are still out of school, and today we've invited a few of their friends over to hang out, play video games, or whatever. I made some chocolate-chip cookies already, and in a little while I'm going to make a big pot of chili. Right now, I'm going to toot my own horn a bit (bear with me). As I've shared before, I love blogging, even though it takes up time during the day that I could be spending doing more "important" things (even sleeping--I can't tell you how many nights I've spent at the computer during the wee hours working on a post to make it just right). I try to put some thought and planning into each post, and sometimes the results are better than other times.

In 2011 I posted 54 times on Musings of a Catholic Mom (not including this one), which is the lowest number of posts in a year since I started in 2009. On Cooking Nick's Books, I posted 38 times, and if you add them together that's a total of 92 posts. (Not too shabby. Maybe I should put some ads up and start making a little cash.)

For your reading enjoyment, I've selected ten of my favorite posts from this past year. I had planned to choose only 7, but even narrowing it down to 10 wasn't easy. Here they are in chronological order (click on the title of each post to view them):

--1--

Every Day is a Gift

How the death of my cousin reminded me of how precious each day is, and how easy it is to take our time on Earth for granted.

--2--

It's a Beautiful Springtime in Our Neck of the Woods

Pictures of pretty flowers.

--3--

The Wedding: The Cake is Key

From Cooking Nick's Books. In which I share photos and memories from our wedding, and share a wonderful vanilla cake recipe.

--4--

I Thirst

Some meditations on the crucifixion, and things I ponder when I look at images in my church.

--5--

Get Thee To the Church: St. Mary of the Assumption, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Our little "pilgrimage" to the church where I learned the Catholic faith, where I was confirmed, and where our oldest was baptized.

--6--

7 Quick Takes: Mary's Birthday Edition

Images of Our Lady.

--7--

Seven Sorrows of Mary for Life.

My own pro-life reflections on the Seven Sorrows.

--8--

Dear John: Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage, and Grandma B's Amazing Sauce.

From Cooking Nick's Books. In which I share my mother-in-law's wonderful and authentically Italian pasta sauce recipe. I've never had anything better.

--9--

How I Became a Racing Fan, and Why I'm So Sad

My thoughts following the death of racing driver Dan Wheldon. And some photos, too.

--10--

Post-Christmas Update: Adventures with Beef, Roasted Tomatoes, and My Oyster Stew

From Cooking Nick's Books. My adventures in the kitchen on Christmas Day. I think I'm getting better at taking pictures of food.

Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me through these three years since I started this blog. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I'm looking forward to sharing many more memories with you in 2012!

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen's Conversion Diary!

Merry Christmas From Our Family

2011-12-24T08:12:00.004-05:00

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. ...And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

(Luke 2: 1, 4-20)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

7 Not-So-Quick Takes: ADVENT-ures 2011, Part 2

2011-12-22T15:00:00.010-05:00

Take #1. I have this great app on my Ipad called "Home Routines" that helps me organize my daily and weekly tasks. It follows the guidelines of The Fly Lady, and you can adjust it to your own needs. You have a "morning" list, an "evening" list, a "weekly tasks" list; these generally stay the same all the time. Then you have several other To-Do lists: "Today," "This Week," and "Later." These are constantly changing. You can check off each task as you complete it, and it's an easy way to keep track of what needs to be done. It also gives you a place to list chores for each "zone" in your home--a room or area that you try to do little extra cleaning and organizing in each week. (Theoretically. Don't ask me when I last dusted my ceiling fans or cleaned the baseboards.) This Advent I've made a kind of new (liturgical) year's resolution to make better use of it because frankly I'm never been good at organizing my time or my home. (Ginny recommends a book called Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder. I don't know if I actually have ADD or not, but it sounds like something that might help me. We'll see; I still have Peter Walsh's book Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read.)

Anyhow, one of the tasks I listed (quite a while ago) in the "Morning" category is, "Prayer and Journaling." Most days I leave that unchecked. I'm working on a solution to that, especially the "prayer" part., and I'll tell you about that in a future post. (I'm also working out a system to help me get more "weekly" tasks done. I don't even look at the "zone" lists. Baby steps.)

The wise men are starting on their journey to visit the Baby Jesus. This is Moe's little project.

Take #2. I almost skipped praying one morning this week. I had made beef stew the night before, and had left it on the stove to cool before putting it in the fridge for the next day; when I got up in the morning I discovered I had left it out all night and had to throw it out. I wanted to cry. I cursed myself and of course the first thoughts that came to my head were harsh words of reproach about how stupid I could be sometimes and that I'm a loser, a failure, etc. Being angry at myself (or at anyone, for that matter) doesn't exactly put me in the right frame of mind for prayer. But I also realized that even spending a few minutes talking and listening to God would calm my spirit and I would have a better day overall. God certainly isn't angry at me for being forgetful. After praying a decade of the Rosary--trying not to scold myself for not praying the whole thing--I felt much better and was able to put that mistake behind me and focus on the tasks of the day.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart. Amen.

Take #3. Recently our nephew in Atlanta turned four, and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law threw him a birthday party last Sunday. We talked to him on the phone that night, and he was excited to tell everyone about his party. When I got on the phone, he said, "Hi, Auntie Sharon! I had my birthday party! But why couldn't you come?" I told him I wished I could have been there but we live too far away. "But you could go fast!!"

We spent last Christmas at their house in Atlanta, and this year we miss them more than ever.

This is the creche at the church in Atlanta where we went to Christmas Eve Mass last year.

Take #4. In Art class, Moe and his classmates were given a plain, silver-colored Christmas ball and instructed to draw what they saw in the reflection. The teacher had four or five kids sit around a small table with the ball in the middle, and gave each of them Shrinky Dink paper and colored pencils (or whatever you use for Shrinky Dinks--I haven't seen those since I was a kid!) Here's how his turned out:

Take #5. In Technology class--here I go bragging about my kids' school work again--Moe used Power Point Auto Shapes (whatever that is) to make this:

(He says the manger looks like a flying saucer. Curly said it looks like a bobsled. Personally I think Joseph's mustache is way cool.)

And just for kicks, here's the one Curly made two years ago when he was in fifth grade:

(I love Mary's big hair in this one.)

Take #6. My paternal grandmother used to collect all kinds of whimsical things, including salt-and-pepper shakers. She had a whole china cabinet full of them. One of her most memorable sets was made in the image of a large-breasted mermaid. They sat on a tray shaped like the lounging mermaid, and the shakers were her, um, girls. Over the last couple of years I have started a collection of my own (although I don't think I'll ever have any that resemble body parts), much to the amusement--annoyance?--of my family.

The most ordinary-looking ones are what we use from day to day. The blue and white ones in the back match our wedding china, and I'm pretty sure we've had those the longest. The little redbirds and the peppermints are ones I found at Cracker Barrel just a few weeks ago. (I used to have more than these, but since I insist on actually USING them, some have gotten broken. And I did get just one more set this week that isn't in this photo; a little Christmas present for myself.)

I fell in love with these a while back at an antique show:

I didn't buy them, though, because the lady selling them was asking $90 for them. I almost wish I had, though; maybe I could have talked her down in price.

Take #7. In my last 7 Quick Takes post, I included this picture:

I received several comments about how beautiful my wreath is. It's actually my mother-in-law's wreath that she had out on Thanksgiving weekend. Here's the one she had on her door.

(The other day I found one in our attic like this one that I forgot that I had. I'm pretty sure my mother-in-law made it. I'll put that one up after Christmas.)

I'm sure she has put out some more Christmas-y ones by now (although these are pretty Christmas-y already); she has a whole collection of them hanging in a row in her attic. I sometimes jokingly call her Martha because her decorating and cooking often rival Martha Stewart's.

Here's the wreath I have on my door.

I picked it up at the Farmers' market, made by a nice lady who sells pies and cakes and things. The Santa was given to me a few years back by a friend and fellow teacher I was working with at the time. I'm sure Martha Stewart wouldn't have this on HER door, but we like our little holly-who wreath.

Bonus take, #8: My friend Lynda wrote this beautiful piece for Christmas and posted it on her blog, Conversations With My Soul. Head on over and check it out!

And be sure to check out Jen Fulwiler's blog, Conversion Diary, for more Quick Takes!

Post #200: And the winner is...

2011-12-10T20:24:00.004-05:00

We just returned from Mass. I'm enjoying a mug of spiked eggnog in a Rudy Reindeer mug, just like the one I've put the names in for my giveaway. Joe and the boys just turned on the TV to watch "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." (Wasn't that on already?) I've asked Joe to draw a name from my cup.

Drumroll...

Congratulations, Katie! You're the winner! Email me your address so I can get that book to ya.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and happy Gaudete Sunday!

One more day...

2011-12-09T07:47:00.004-05:00

...to enter my giveaway! Don't forget:

1. Leave me a comment;

2. Follow me, and/or;

3. Share this post with your friends.

If you already follow me, that doesn't necessarily mean you're entered; you need to let me know you want me to add your name.

Good luck; I'm hoping to announce the winner tomorrow. Happy Friday!

p.s. The book is signed by Immaculee'. It makes a great gift!

I Know You Want This...

2011-12-06T21:07:00.003-05:00

I love my little blog (and my even littler one, Cooking Nick's Books). Not many people read it, and I don't have many followers; I rarely get comments in my comment box. I've never put any ads in my sidebar, and I generate zero income from this hobby of mine. Occasionally I find myself wondering if I shouldn't just quit and find something more useful to do with my time--like folding laundry, vacuuming, or mailing Christmas cards. But I love blogging; it's a way for me to connect with people and share my faith and put some of my thoughts into words. It's my way of journaling, I guess. And when I see that someone in Brazil or somewhere has looked at my post about The Seven Sorrows of Mary, or when someone leaves a comment about how much they like a photo I've taken, I know my time is not wasted. That's why, as a thank-you gift to my readers, I'm offering my copy of Our Lady of Kibeho, signed by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

Lots of other bloggers have giveaways. They're usually the bloggers with LOTS of readers, ads in their sidebars, and sponsors (is that the same thing?) Maybe they're really good at knitting or crafting, and they'll give away something they've made. Many have Etsy shops where they sell their creations. Or, if it's a book that's the prize, it's one they've written, and maybe even self-published. I don't do any of those things, and when I decided to host this giveaway, I think the devil started whispering in my ear, telling me that I'm a fool for doing so. Nobody will enter your stupid drawing; what's the point? And you spent good money on that book; isn't there someone you'd rather give it to than some random person you may never meet? I'll bet you can make some dough if you sell it on ebay. (Heaven forbid. I've bought signed books on ebay before, but I don't think I would EVER sell one.)

Well, this is MY blog, dang it, and if I want to spend a few bucks every year or two for a prize for my fabulous readers, by golly I will. So take a look at my last post, leave a comment, and share it with your friends. (Heck, I'll even take comments on THIS post.) And don't forget to follow my blog if you aren't already! I've got a cute little reindeer mug (actually, it's pretty hefty, more like a tankard) full of green slips of paper, and I'd love to add your name to it. I'll keep the drawing open until midnight on Friday, an announce the winner over the weekend.

Can you tell I took these photos with my phone? I do get lazy on occasion. I know you don't mind, because I'm sure you're all as busy (or busier) than me. So thank you, my friends, for taking time to read my little labor of love. You rock.

7 Quick Takes: ADVENTures, 2011 Part One, and My Second Ever Giveaway

2011-12-02T06:07:00.009-05:00

--1--

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We spent a glorious few days with Joe's parents in Williamsburg. The weather was beautiful. Joe enjoyed a round of golf with his dad, and we all had some much-needed R&R--watching football, walking the dog, reading, video games, and we took in the new Muppet Movie. (If you haven't seen it, go. It's most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational...) It was even warm enough on Saturday to enjoy an alfresco breakfast at Aromas Cafe' in Colonial Williamsburg.

--2--

Sunday Mass with the New Translation went swimmingly! (For my non-Catholic friends, this past Sunday the Church introduced an new edition to the Roman Missal for masses in English. The new version is a more literal translation from the original Latin, and many of the prayers and responses are slightly different. The language is richer and more eloquent, and we're now using wonderful words like "incarnate" and "consubstantial.") Our choir director led the congregation in a practice round of the prayers and responses before Mass, and that was helpful. Father R reminded us throughout the Mass to say "And with your spirit," and everyone was given a cheat sheet when we arrived. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new Eucharistic prayers! I mean, "you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name." Awesome!

--3--

When we arrived home on Saturday, I decided to reorganize my kitchen cabinets. I spent a good-sized chunk of time on Saturday and Sunday taking things out, packing things I don't use into a box to send to Goodwill, and moving items from one place to another. I found about twenty or thirty brown paper bags of various sizes stuffed into a couple of drawers--I can't imagine why on Earth I wanted to save them. I had bread pans in three different places (I mean, who keeps bread pans in three different places? Joe is delighted because now he knows where to find things), and I dug out two serving trays I completely forgot I had. I was able to clear away some of the clutter that had built up on the countertops over the summer. This weekend I hope take some time and tackle the study shelves, and find places for all my Religious Education stuff, which is mostly in cardboard boxes at the moment.

--4--

I've been going over the changes in the Mass these last couple of months with my third graders in CCD. Recently I found this Mass response booklet over at The Catholic Toolbox blog. I printed it out and made black-and-white copies, and gave them out to the kids to color and take home. A few weeks ago I wrote the words to the new penitential rite on the white board, and covered up the words one by one and had the kids fill in the blanks. They loved that one, since they were competing for prizes. We only have one more class before the Christmas holidays (classes are cancelled Wednesday and Thursday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), and they'll be having treats, listening to Christmas music, and decorating their own personal Jesse Trees. (I'm just using the one that's printed in their textbooks, and I printed off some symbols I found at Our Sunday Visitor for them to color, cut out, and glue to their trees. One of these days I'll plan far enough ahead to make a real Jesse tree, and have the kids make the ornaments. I want to do that at home too--maybe next year!

--5--

Now for the part you've all been waiting for--the giveaway!! I'm fast approaching my 200th post, and my three-year blog-aversary is not far behind. With Christmas coming soon I thought it might be a good time for a giveaway (And I'd better do it now before I change my mind. More on that in my next post.) What's the prize? A signed copy of Our Lady of Kibeho by Immaculee' Ilibagiza! Last spring I had the privilege of meeting Immaculee', and I bought several books that she signed for me: one I gave to my mother (Left to Tell), one is for me (Led By Faith, Immaculee's story of her faith journey, which I still haven't read), and one to share with you! We just celebrated the feast day of Our Lady of Kibeho on the 28th of November, too; had I known beforehand I would have had this giveaway earlier. Ah, well...

--6--

To enter the drawing, all you have to do is:

1. Follow my blog. If you already follow me, leave a comment letting me know you want to be in the running.

2. Leave a comment here.

3. Share this post with your friends, either via social networking or by email. Let me know in the comment box (or by Facebook, Twitter, or email) that you've done this. I operate under the honor system! :-)

You don't have to do all three to get your name into the cup (the last time I had a giveaway, I used a Dave and Buster's mug that we acquired on a visit to Atlanta; this time I'll probably use a Southern Living At Home Rudy Reindeer Mug. They're my favorite, and dang it, they've been discontinued.) If you do all three, your name will be entered three times; if you do two, I'll enter you twice, etc. You get the idea.

--7--

You have until ONE WEEK from today to enter--Friday, December 9. I will announce the winner on the 10th or the 11th. My goal is to get the book in the mail on Monday the 12th so you'll have it before Christmas!

Let the ADVENTures begin, and be sure to visit Jen Fulwiler's Conversion Diary blog for more Quick Takes!

November Blessings

2011-11-22T18:53:00.007-05:00

Now that the fall colors are fading, and Thanksgiving is approaching, I often find myself in a bit of a funk. During the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas I always worry and fret and stress myself out. What are we going to get our kids/parents/brothers/sisters-in-law/niece/nephew? What am I going to cook? How am I ever going to get my house clean AND buy presents AND send Christmas cards AND get presents wrapped and shipped, etc. etc. etc. I'm always envious of people who get all their Christmas shopping done and their presents wrapped before Thanksgiving, and are able to relax and enjoy Advent, and really prepare their hearts for the coming of the baby Jesus. I've mentioned this to Joe on occasion, but he doesn't like to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving; although today he reminded me that there is no reason why I can't start thinking about it sooner. But this year at least, as always, we'll spend time with family for Thanksgiving (which is always a relaxing and enjoyable time for us) and in the weeks ahead, try not to stress too much about Christmas.

This year I want to focus on the many blessings that we have. Why do I worry so much about what gifts to buy friends and family? Many people are unable to buy gifts for anyone. Is it really necessary that my children get the latest electronic gadget they're begging for?

We have so much to be thankful for. We have a home to live in and plenty of food to eat and clothes to wear. My husband has a decent paying job that keeps the heat on in the winter, the refrigerator stocked, and allows us to save money so the kids can go to college. Right now our parents are all alive and well, and they love our children more than they imagine. They have aunts and uncles and cousins who miss them and pray for them every day. The boys are all doing well in school, and are forming lifelong friendships.

I want to share some highlights of the last month; on All Saints Day, Moe dressed up as St. Juan Diego. He had an old shepherds' tunic left over from one Christmas when the boys were in our church's Christmas pageant, and he painted an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the front. At school his class led the annual All Saints Day parade, and he was one of a few students selected to read his essay about his saint in front of the whole school. His teacher complimented him on how well he read. I was so proud of him!

(He's covering his face because he doesn't want me to take his picture. I'm seriously thinking of abandoning my own blogging rule about not showing my kids' faces here, especially now that they're getting older. The picture of Moe with the hat on top of his head is much better, and you should see his sweet smile!)

This is Curly, getting wrapped up like a mummy this past Sunday by the boys in his confirmation team. I am really looking forward to his confirmation preparation this year! My friend Lesley, whose twin daughters are also preparing for the sacrament, and I are leading the team together. (That's the other thing. I'm tired of referring to my friends as "L" and "J" and "B", etc. I want to use their real names from now on. I hope they don't mind.) Anyway, on Sunday we got the team together for our first official meeting, fed them ice cream, and as an ice breaker we had them wrap each other up in toilet paper.

At our parish, kids preparing for confirmation are required to complete three spiritual works of mercy and three corporal works of mercy with their assigned teams. A spiritual work might be attending Stations of the Cross during Lent, or a holy hour at church--something to help them grow closer to God. A corporal work is serving someone's physical needs--feeding the homeless, collecting clothing for the Salvation Army, raking leaves for an elderly parishioner. We decided (and this was Lesley's idea, as was the toilet paper icebreaker; I am extremely blessed to be working with my friend I've known since the sixth grade--plus she's super-organized AND creative!) for our first corporal work we would pack boxes for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project. We packed boxes with small toys, school supplies, toiletries, even socks and t-shirts, and they each wrote a note to the child who would be receiving his or her box. Lesley delivered the boxes to the distribution center where they were packed into crates and loaded onto a truck to be shipped, eventually, to needy children overseas.

Ever since we moved into our house nearly fourteen years ago, we've been talking about landscaping the front and back yards. We've had a lot of other things done--remodeled our kitchen and two of our bathrooms, had a deck built, painted and re-carpeted various rooms--and now we've finally hired a landscaping company to hopefully make our yard more attractive and (hopefully) less muddy. On Saturday there was a crew here drawing lines and digging holes and planting bushes and ferns and things and spreading topsoil. These last few days have been rainy, so unfortunately they haven't been back; but Lord willing, we'll have a perfectly landscaped yard before Christmas, and if we're lucky, it will stay that way for years to come.

This will eventually become a stone pathway.

Oh, and one more miracle happened: Curly was able to snap a picture of Holly our neurotic yellow Lab before she jumped up and started barking and letting us know in no uncertain terms that she does NOT like cameras.

I want to wish you all a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

UPDATE: There is one more November blessing I did not mention; check out my latest post over on Cooking Nick's Books to see what it is!

It's a Beautiful Autumn in Our Neck of the Woods (2011 edition)

2011-11-18T18:14:00.010-05:00

Joe spent all of last weekend blowing leaves. And the weekend before that, and the weekend before that. A couple of years ago he invested in a heavy-duty gas-powered backpack monster blower, and the first time he used it he threw his back out. Now he's got the hang of it, but Monday morning, after the three-day weekend, he was sore and stiff. One Saturday recently, Moe built quite an impressive fort with the piles Joe had made.

It rained this week. As Joe left the house one morning, I heard him exclaim, "I HATE LEAVES!" No doubt he was dreading this weekend, which would surely mean more leaf-blowing. That afternoon, we returned home to find more leaf piles in the yard, as if someone had come and blown them for us. We were somewhat perplexed, but grateful. The next day we found little yellow flags in the ground leading from the house to the street, marking the buried gas line. That was when we remembered that last weekend we had signed a contract with a landscaping company, and they were eager to get started.

Today I came home to find all of this.

They start planting tomorrow.

7 Quick Takes, The Hodgepodge Edition

2011-10-28T22:16:00.007-04:00

1. October has been a crazy month. We've had almost no time to sit down and relax--but we don't mind because it's all been good. Larry has been involved in two plays--one children's production called Still Life with Iris, and a one-act radio-style version of The Thirty-nine Steps for school. The performances of Iris were last weekend, and next weekend he'll be performing in 39 Steps both at school and for a one-act play competition three counties away. Some days he's literally had to go straight from one rehearsal to the next while wolfing down a Big Mac in the car. But he loves it; do you know what he said the other night? "Acting is the most fun thing to do, EVER. Except for skiing."

2. After Saturday's performance, Larry took the girl who played the lead to their school's Homecoming dance. They had missed about half of the dance; after the show they quickly changed into their nice clothes, and I snapped a quick photo of the two of them before I whisked them off to their school. I was very proud of Larry for remembering to open the car door for her. The next day I asked him if he pulled the chair out for her once they got there, and he replied, "Mom, we didn't sit down." I think they had a good time.

3. A couple of weeks ago our parish introduced the Gloria and Holy, Holy, Holy from the new translation, and do you know what? I LOVE them. The music our pastor and music director chose for them is fabulous. I'm looking forward to Advent, when it goes into full swing.

4. I know I promised to share with you some things I've been doing with my third grade Religious Education class, so here's a brief summary of some of the things we've done so far. We're using the Christ Our Life series from Loyola Press, and this year I've been trying to use the textbook more as a resource and guide, rather than having the kids take turns reading it word-for-word during class. Most days this has worked out great, and it gives me time to use other resources and plan other activities (although this past week I felt like I was rushing through the material, and wished we had taken the time to read more of the text). The kids particularly enjoy acting out the Bible stories as we read them. In the coming weeks I hope to share more details with you, including some photos; as well as some NEAT things I'm learning about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the new Montessori preschool where I work.

5. I was surprised in the week or so that followed the death of Indy Car driver Dan Wheldon at how much I really grieved for him and his family. I can only imagine the anguish his wife Susie must be going through right now. Seeing the photos of his brothers and fellow drivers carrying his casket, and parts of the heartbreaking letter Susie Wheldon wrote to her husband in the days following his death, as well as the fond memories and photos that his friends have shared have touched me more than I thought they would. I almost feel as though I've lost a friend, even though he wasn't someone I really thought much about except when he was racing. (Click here for the thoughts I shared the night after he was killed.) I changed my Facebook and Twitter avatars to a photo of Dan, and for a few days last week I wore the Dan Wheldon hat that Larry got at a race in Richmond a few years back (which, ironically, was signed by two other drivers--Will Power and Graham Rahal--but not by Dan). Little things have made me think of him; like the orange, yellow, and white flowers I bought because they reminded me of the colors he--and his car--were sporting the day he won the 2011 Indianapolis 500, or the young man I saw last weekend who looked a little bit like him.

Some say that people will quit watching Indy Car Racing because of the horrible crash that killed Dan (which had been struggling already, and was only just starting to make a comeback) but not me. Next year the cars will be safer; they've got a brand-new model they've been testing (Dan Wheldon spent quite a lot of time driving them and was very excited about them), and rumor has it that they're going to name the new car after him.

6. My next few blog posts--hopefully I can pound out a couple this week--will be for my other blog, Cooking Nick's Books. For that one I've made beef stew, jalapeno burgers, and shrimp kebobs, and have not had a chance to share them yet. I even picked up a copy of Nicholas Sparks' new book, The Best of Me, but I haven't had a chance to read much of it. I hear it's getting good reviews, and it's number one on several different bestseller lists. And I can't wait to see what we'll be cooking!

7. We're blessed to have my parents are for the weekend. Curly and Moe had a day off from school today, and they took a trip to Washington's Birthplace National Monument. Tomorrow my brother and his wife will be here to celebrate Bro's fortieth birthday, and on Sunday we're having Moe's eleventh birthday party. My house isn't very clean; I'm sure the mostly fifth-grade boys who are here won't care, or even notice. I'll try and make sure it gets a good scrubbing before Christmas...hopefully.

Have a great weekend, and be sure to check out Jen's Conversion Diary blog for more Quick Takes!

Oh, and I almost forgot: There is just over a week left of this fall's 40 Days for Life campaign! I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to think about planning a trip to Richmond to pray at the Planned Parenthood clinic there. My friend J. and I were talking the other day about it, and we're hoping to go one afternoon next week. Click here to find a 40 Days for Life campaign near you!

Have fun trick-or-treating--if you do that sort of thing; we do--and don't forget to go to Mass on Tuesday!

How I Became a Racing Fan, and Why I'm So Sad

2011-10-17T22:57:00.009-04:00

(The first photo I ever took of Dan Wheldon, in Richmond, 2005)

Joe has been a fan of open-wheel racing all his life. Me? I never paid any attention to any of it. Every Sunday during the warmer months, Joe spent many hours watching Formula One, Indy, and Kart races. Even though I really wasn't interested and didn't watch them with him, it wasn't long before I could distinguish between a Formula One and an Indy Car race just by the sounds the cars made.

Then the Indy Racing League came to Richmond. You have no idea how excited this made Joe. He went to the race there every June with a friend who is even more of a die-hard racing fan than Joe. One year Joe decided that Larry was old enough to go with them to the track to see the qualifying, meet the drivers, and maybe watch one of the minor races that are usually held the day before the main event. They had so much fun that the next year, Joe wanted to bring all of us to the festivities. Reluctantly I went along, and it wasn't nearly as awful as I thought it would be; in fact, it was kind of fun. The race was the next evening, and Joe and his friend went together as usual; I stayed home with the kids, having no desire to watch it on television.

Fast-forward to the following year, Memorial Day Weekend 2005. I decided to watch the Indy 500 with Joe, since the previous summer I had seen some of the drivers and their cars, and was somewhat familiar with who most of them were. That was the first auto race I watched from start to finish, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was exciting to see Danica Patrick come so close to be the first woman to win that race, and equally exciting to see Dan Wheldon finish first, since I remembered seeing him in Richmond the previous summer. After that, I watched every race for the rest of the season. When it was time to go to Richmond for the qualifying and (my favorite part) the autograph session, I was actually looking forward to it. Imagine my delight when, after the qualifying runs, we were lining up to enter the building where the drivers were signing autographs, I looked over and saw Dan Wheldon standing quietly to one side, with a set of headphones and a mic, and a cameraman nearby. He looked like he was waiting to be interviewed or something. I quickly snapped his photo, and went inside only slightly disappointed that we wouldn't be getting his autograph that day.

(At first I wasn't going to post this photo, because it's such a goofy picture. There's a little story behind it: It was June 23, 2006, the day after Dan Wheldon's 28th birthday. At the autograph session in Richmond, when it was our turn to greet Dan, I wished him good luck, held up my little pocket digital camera and asked, "Did you have a nice birthday, Dan?" "Yes," he replied, "It was very nice, thank you." I made the mistake of snapping the photo while he was still speaking and I think I caught him just as he was forming the word "Thank." It's not the best picture of Dan, but it makes me laugh.)

When Joe went to the race the next night I decided to watch it on TV this time around. Mostly I was trying to spot Joe in the crowd, but I found myself paying attention to the race and was actually interested in what was happening on the track. The race winner that night was Helio Castroneves; he's known (besides winning three Indy 500's AND Dancing With the Stars) for climbing the track fence every time he wins a race. As I watched him climb that fence in Richmond, and saw how much crazy-fun everyone there was having, I decided right then and there that I was darn well going to the race with Joe next time, come hell or high water.

(Getting this picture of Helio in '08 was the highlight of our racing weekend that year, at least for me!)

The rest is history. We went to every race in Richmond after that, watched a lot of qualifying and practice sessions, and collected many autographs from many more drivers, including some from Dan Wheldon. Moe's first red hat is graced with his signature, as well as a flag with the Indy Racing League's logo that we have hanging in our rec room. When the race in Richmond was dropped from the schedule, we sought out others attend; a couple of years ago we took a trip with friends--the one Joe used to go to the Richmond races with and his family--to the Finger Lakes region of New York for the Watkins Glen race. (The series dropped that one from their schedule, too, unfortunately). We've been to the race at Mid-Ohio in 2010, as well as this year's Baltimore Grand Prix. We're hoping--someday--to take a trip to Indianapolis for the Indy 500.

(Dan Wheldon on a qualifying run at Mid-Ohio, 2010)

Last night we cranked up the DVR to enjoy the last race of the season (and in Vegas! What a fun place to go for a race!), which we had recorded earlier in the day. We speculated about who would win the championship, and remarked how great it would be to see Danica Patrick win once more before racing full time in NASCAR next year. We were pulling for Dan Wheldon, too, who was starting from the back of the field; and for his friend Tony Kanaan, who had pole position and hadn't won a race in a while.

(Here's Dan and Tony signing stuff for the boys in 2009. We took Curly's picture with Tony; that was the highlight of his weekend.)

After that horrible crash that halted the race and left everyone in shock, we watched with increasing dread as little by little, it became clear that Dan Wheldon was hurt very, very badly. As we heard accounts of the accident from other drivers and saw team owners, crew members, and drivers alike praying, pacing, and even crying as they waited for news about Dan, we began to fear the worst. Part of me wanted to run and turn on the computer for a real-time update, but then there was the part of me that wanted to believe that all this hadn't already happened hours before, and that I still had time to hope and pray that Dan would be OK. If we pretended that this wasn't prerecorded and was in fact happening at that very moment, then there was still hope. If Dan was dead, I didn't want to know that yet. I could still pray, please, Dear God, let him be all right.

When the horrific news that Dan had been killed finally reached our ears, I cried. I cried again this morning when I saw a photo on TV of Dan with his wife and two little boys. I mean, really little. They will never remember their Dad.

I wondered aloud today why I keep watching this sport where a person straps himself into a rocket ship on wheels and drives around and around at unprecedented speeds. Sooner or later, what happened in Vegas is bound to take place, and someone is going to die. We've seen plenty of crashes, and even a few injuries, (and one driver, Paul Dana, died a few years back when he crashed during a practice session) but never one as grisly as that one yesterday. It's hard to fathom that a young, energetic guy, with two Indy 500 wins under his belt, a lovely family and his entire life ahead of him, can one minute be smiling and joking with reporters, gushing about how excited he is about this race; and in a second he's gone.

Dan was the first driver I was really excited about. (Joe once teased that I had a "thing" for him. Not true.) I'll keep watching races, that much is certain, but it won't be the same without Dan.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Random Nuttiness Regarding Birthdays and Persons of Interest

2011-10-16T15:36:00.003-04:00

I don't like to reveal too many details about myself and my family on my public site, so I apologize for the vagueness in this post.

I was thinking about something this morning.

I have a strange knack for remembering the birthdays of famous (and even not-so-famous) people. They're not hard to remember, actually, because often times they correspond to birthdays of people I know, or important dates in history (I'll always remember that Harry Connick, Jr.'s birthday is September 11) and such like. For instance, if someone in my family was born the same day as Sandra Bullock (which is true), then I'll easily remember her birthday. I have another family member born the same day as Wynona Ryder; another shares a birth date with Julia Roberts. There is even one celebrity whose date of birth is the same as the date of my parents' wedding. I get a kick out of things like that for some reason.

Yesterday I ran across this video of Lino Rulli, the host of the Catholic Guy Show on Sirius/XM's The Catholic Channel. (By the way, have you read his memoir, Sinner, yet? You should.) I noticed that Lino's hair is turning gray, and fast. Which, by the way, is quite becoming on Lino; the gray around his temples (not to mention the hairline that is starting to recede) gives the boyishly handsome radio host a dignified, mature look. Now, Lino is only a few days older than a certain younger relative of mine who is about to turn forty. This relative's hair isn't turning gray yet, but it's only a matter of time until it does, and then I'll REALLY feel old.

And then last night we were catching up on our new favorite TV show, Person of Interest, starring Jim Caviezel. You know, the one who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ a few years back. Anyway, I noticed that Jim's hair is the same color as Lino's. Great, I thought; someone else who is younger than me with graying hair. (I should talk. Every time I look in the mirror I'm reminded that it's time to make another appointment to have my hair colored.)

This morning I realized something else. I was born (and I'll admit I'm a little reluctant to even share this much about myself) sometime around Christmas of 1967, give or take. Mid to late December-ish. Jim Caviezel was born on the 26th of September, 1968, roughly nine months later. So, theoretically, Caviezel could have been conceived the day I was born. Which has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but the thought makes me smile.

And by the way, I don't know of any celebrities who were born the exact same day as I was; but Cuba Gooding, Jr. is the one--as far as I know--who is the closest in age as me. Another bit of useless trivia you didn't need to know.

I'm thinking of changing the title of my blog to "Ramblings of a Catholic Fruitcake," or something along those lines.

Get Thee To the Church: Our Lady of Victory, State College, Pennsylvania

2011-10-08T20:55:00.007-04:00

I've been here once before, the last time we made a pilgrimage to Joe's alma mater for a football game. Actually, it was Joe and his buddies who went to the game; I stayed behind at our friends' house where we were staying to entertain two-year-old Larry, and baby Curly. Moe wasn't even a gleam in our eyes yet. When we arrived at church on Sunday, it was crowded, and the priest invited families with young children to visit the "children's chapel" upstairs, a glassed-in balcony of sorts where there were comfortable seats, a changing table, and an unobstructed view of the goings-on in the church. Well, this would have been fabulous were it not for the families who let their kids use it as a playroom. One family in particular had two boys who clearly were old enough to know how to sit still in church, and they were crawling around on the floor playing with toy trucks, making loud truck noises. Every so often the unhappy-looking mother handed them MORE trucks. I didn't hear any of the Mass, and left church that day frustrated and annoyed.

That was twelve years ago.

It was much better this time around!

A very unusual sanctuary, but I didn't find it unattractive. I wonder if it's supposed to represent a grotto, like at Lourdes or someplace like that? (See all those organ pipes? We went to the folk Mass, so we didn't get to hear them. They played the guitar instead.)

I wasn't one hundred per cent certain that this was the tabernacle at first, to be honest, until one of the eucharistic ministers opened it up after communion. I've never seen one that looks like a golden egg.

I *think* this is their baptismal font. They've got it in an alcove in the back of the church.

I finally found the Stations of the Cross along one wall in the same area as the baptismal font.

Mass was crowded this day, too, and we ended up sitting in the front row. At this Mass, they were already singing the new translations of the Gloria and the Holy, Holy, Holy. I heard later that some parishes were already doing this, since the new translation begins in Advent when we don't sing the Gloria. I asked one of our priests about this the other day, and he said he hoped we would start using the new Gloria soon; otherwise we'll all show up on Christmas Day and be hit with something we've never seen or heard before.

(By the way, what's your take on the new translation? Personally, I love it, but at the same time I find myself feeling a little sad every time we say "and also with you," or some other phrase we won't get to say anymore. In Religious Ed, we're working with the kids to teach them the new translation, and I'm hoping to start sharing more here about the things I'm doing with my CCD class; maybe even starting this week--stay tuned for that!)

On any given weekend, Mass is the most important thing we do. Of course, it's also fun to visit other holy sites, like the Cathedral of Saint JoePa;

...or wait in an hour-long line at the Creamery Chapel;

...and, of course, to stop by the Shrine of the Nittany Lion.

We Heart Racing

2011-09-26T19:39:00.012-04:00

I've been trying to convince my friend L. and her family to come with us to an Indy Car race.

You'll love it, I tell her. I was a reluctant race attendee at first, after all, and now I'm a huge fan. It's one of the highlights of our summer, going to the track; watching practices and qualifying runs and other races leading up to the main event.

Sometimes we get to meet and talk to the drivers,

or watch the mechanics working on the cars.

The races are fun and exhilarating, I assured my friend.

L. is a football fan. We go as much to socialize as we do to watch the games.

"Isn't racing loud?" she asks.

Yes, you need ear protection.

"So when do you talk to each other?"

You don't.

"But, doesn't it...smell? Like fumes?" she says, wrinkling her nose.

Yes.

It smells like exhaust and fuel and motor oil and rubber.

We love it.

But it also smells like popcorn and funnel cakes and French fries and pizza.

You get to meet all kinds of people, too; NASCAR fans, open-wheel fans, and folks who show up knowing nothing about racing but just want to have a good time.

There's always at least one fellow sitting near you who, every time Danica Patrick drives past, stands up and pumps his fist and yells, "WOO-HOO!"

I'm told that the Indy Car crowds are more subdued and laid back than NASCAR crowds.

Someday I'll go to a NASCAR race and find out for myself.

Soon racing season will be over. We'll be planning our next trip to a race.

Perhaps the Indy 500? We'll see.

(All photos taken by yours truly at Mid-Ohio in August 2010, and Baltimore in September 2011.)

Get Thee to the Church: St. Jude Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland

2011-09-18T15:43:00.006-04:00

Every summer we attend at least one Indy Car race, and this year it was the first ever Baltimore Grand Prix on Labor Day Weekend. I was hoping to get something up on this blog about that before now, and I hope to post a few photos and thoughts about it sometime this week. Anyhow, since this was the first Indy Car race in Baltimore, and the first street race we've ever attended, we decided to splurge and get a hotel right beside the track. When we went down to the lobby for the continental breakfast, we could hear the race cars on the course.

There were several churches withing walking distance (including the Basilica of the Assumption; I hope to visit that one the next time we're in town); and the closest was the Shrine of St. Jude.

The morning Masses were back-to-back, and we arrived just before the first Mass ended. You can see the priest blessing folks on the left.

My favorite Station of the Cross.

One of the lovely stained-glass windows

A close-up

Mary Queen of Apostles

There was a lovely side chapel dedicated to St. Jude, but I didn't get any photos because there was a steady stream of people going in there to pray and I didn't want to disturb them. During Mass, Larry and Joe got to bring up the gifts!

After Mass we headed downstairs to their gift shop. While we were there a lady asked Joe if we were here for the Grand Prix. Yes, we were, he told her. The woman then asked, "Are you one of the drivers?" Joe (laughing inwardly) said, no, we were just here to watch the race. The nice lady told him that if he was a driver, she would say a prayer for him.

Someone must have been praying for the drivers that day; take a look at this:

This crash happened on Sunday morning during practice, right in front of the grandstands where we sat during the race. We weren't here for this because, well, we were at church. Tony ended up finishing in third place.

And look what we stumbled across on our walk back:

Pretty cool.

Seven Sorrows of Mary for LIfe

2011-09-15T18:28:00.007-04:00

Since today (September 15) is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, for my Seven Quick Takes this week I want to share something I've been working on for a while now. Last spring after meeting Immaculee' Ilibagiza and reading her book, Our Lady of Kibeho, I started praying the Our Lady of Sorrows Rosary. (Mind you, I don't pray this on a regular basis like I should--Our Lady recommends every Tuesday in addition to the daily Rosary which I don't always say either--but it is a devotion I turn to every so often. Actually, I think it was when my cousin Greg died that I first started exploring the Seven Sorrows of Mary devotion as a way to pray for my Aunt A. who had lost her only son.)

Then last spring during 40 Days for Life I went over to Priests for Life's website to see if there was a pro-life meditation on the Seven Sorrows of Mary. When my friends and I pray in front of the abortion clinic in Richmond, we pray using Father Frank's pro-life mysteries; and I've seen his Stations of the Cross for life as well. I wanted some pro-life reflections on the Seven Sorrows of Mary; and when I couldn't find any of those, I decided to write some. How hard could it be?

Harder than you think. It took forever. I'll probably tweak them a few times. (And I was hoping to get them out in time for the Seven Sorrows Novena, which ended today. Or maybe yesterday, I'm not quite sure.)

PRO-LIFE MEDITATIONS ON THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY

(To pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary, start with the Act of Contrition, and after announcing each sorrow, pray the Our Father and seven Hail Marys.)

First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon

Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and blessed him. He told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart because of the sufferings of this child, and Mary was deeply troubled by this.

Mothers are often told that their unborn children will cause much suffering for them. They are told that their babies should die because they will be forced to quit school, because they will cause shame in their families, because the child will be poor, because the father is a criminal, because the child has an abnormality.

Pray that mothers facing pregnancy and difficult circumstances will be given the grace and courage to choose life for their babies. A sword may one day pierce her heart, but abortion forever pierces the hearts of both the mother and the baby.