Eating Slowly, Transitioning to Word Press

I've gone and done it, folks; I've set up my new-and-hopefully-improved blog over on Word Press.  For now I'm calling it "Eating Slowly"  --which is kind of a misleading title given the fact that my boys wolf down their food as if they were going to a fire, as my grandmother used to say.  (And just now I realized the title already sounds lame.  So be it; it is what it is).  For a little while I'll be publishing my posts on both blogs while I'm tweaking my new one, and hopefully establishing a little bit of readership over there.  So pay me a visit, tell your friends and neighbors, and follow me!  Meanwhile, may I present my first post on Eating Slowly, "Musings of a Catholic Mom, Volume Two."

I've had a blog for four years.  I started Musings of a Catholic Mom on Blogger New Year's Day 2009, with a fairly unimpressive post about New Year's Resolutions.  Since then I've published over 200 posts (the official number is 221, but I've deleted a few now and then so I've actually posted a few more), and my blogging style has evolved over the years--for better or worse, I couldn't say.  For a while now I've been contemplating switching over to Word Press, and when I realized I'd run out of space for photos in Google's free photo sharing site, I thought, heck--now's the time.  I've wanted to find a more "catchy" title, too; after much pondering, Eating Slowly is what I've (finally!) come up with.

(Yellowstone, 2009)

Why Eating Slowly, you ask?  I wanted to have an underlying theme for my blog, but the problem is, I like to blog about all kinds of things.  Food, my faith journey, the joys and struggles of raising two teenage and one almost-teenage boys, being Catholic, books, places we visit, and the everyday ins and outs of life.  Not long ago I was thinking about the book Eat, Pray, Love; remember that one?  Elizabeth Gilbert writes about leaving her husband to go on a worldwide journey to find herself.  The way I figure, I don't need to go on some epic quest to find myself; I'm doing that every day just by living my life.  And I realized that "Eat, Pray, Love" can be a theme for my own life.  Here's what I mean:

1.  Eat Slowly.   I love cooking, and good food always makes life just a little bit better.  I try to minimize the processed food and cook things from scratch whenever I can.  I even started a whole other blog called Cooking Nick's Books--dedicated to food, and my favorite writer, Nicholas Sparks. (Although, I'm thinking Dean Koontz might soon become my new favorite writer.  But I digress.)   I'm a big believer in Slow Food (meaning, minimizing fast and processed food and serving home-cooked, locally-grown, organic, and nutritious meals instead--although I don't always practice this), and I love having a meal with my family around the table; even though sometimes one or all of the boys have someplace to rush off to right after dinner.

(Corolla, NC, 2010)

2.  Pray (insert your favorite adjective here:  Hard, Fervently, Often, Always...)  Something that we all need to do a little bit more of.  I love my Catholic faith, and I want to learn more about it and grow closer to Jesus every day.

  3.  Love Deeply.  Starting with my family.  I want to treat others the way I would want to be treated.  I want to always be reminded that every person I come in contact with is made in the image of God.  I want to think of others before I think of myself.

(Shenandoah National Park, 2011)

I hope you'll join me on this journey.  If you already follow me on Musings of a Catholic Mom, you might not notice too much of a change in the way I write or the things I write about or the photos that I publish.  Most likely I'll put my posts in both places at first, and I'm still planning to keep Cooking Nick's Books going (even though I haven't been posting there much lately), at least until I've exhausted Nicholas Sparks' novels.  I'm getting pretty close.

(Denali, Alaska, 2012)

This blog won't be just about eating, of course; although I expect there will be quite a bit about food.  I'm excited about sharing what I'm learning in my faith journey, our adventures as a family, my wonder at the beautiful world around us, and my love of God and all things Catholic.  (Perhaps "Living Slowly" would be a more apt title...something to ponder for the future, I suppose.)  And I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, so I'll mostly keep things light.  I'll leave the heavy-duty stuff for the more "serious" bloggers.  So welcome and hello!  And Happy New Year!

The Immaculate Misconception

(I was hoping to get this post up in time for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, but it was not to be.  This has been a crazy-busy week, the most important event being the birth of my new nephew, "Baby E!"  Many blessings  to my brother and sister-in-law as they start the journey of parenthood.  They live an hour away and we haven't had a chance to meet the little one yet; we'll see him next weekend for sure, Lord willing! 

Oh, and the statue in the photo above adorns the lovely Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks, Alaska.  For more photos of this beautiful little church, click here.)

I remember when Joe and I were dating and I was still a Baptist, we had many in-depth conversations about Mary.  I had always known that Catholics gave Mary special honor, even naming churches after her and reciting prayers to her.  I never really understood why this was.  Joe explained to me that Catholics honor and venerate Mary because she is the mother of Our Lord, and the Church teaches that Mary was preserved from sin--and never sinned-- so that Christ would have a pure vessel to enter this world through. In fact, he was surprised to learn that other Christian faiths did not teach this.   I dismissed this concept at first, saying that I did not believe that at all; Mary was no different from you and me, and she was a sinner just like everyone else.  I figured God must have chosen her because she was particularly faithful and holy--after all, some sinners are more faithful than holy than others. 

One night during a get-together with some of Joe's high school friends, many of whom were Catholic, someone brought up the subject of the Immaculate Conception.  I had heard this term before, and never thought much of it; I assumed it referred to Christ's conception by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb.  That was one thing all Christian faiths taught, and I could wrap my head around it.  Someone asked the group if they knew what the Immaculate Conception referred to.  Several people said, "why, it's Jesus' conception in the womb of Mary, of course."  The person then explained that even though many Catholics have this notion, it actually means that Mary was preserved from original sin at the moment of her conception.  (I'm pretty sure Joe knew the right answer, by the way.)  This REALLY confused me, because now I'm like, "WHAT??  The Church teaches that Mary was conceived in her mother's womb in the same way that Jesus was?  Like without sex??"  Well, no, I was assured; Mary was conceived in the usual manner, but God protected her from the sin of Adam and Eve.  (I later learned that many Protestants hold the mistaken view that Catholic Church teaches a virginal conception of Mary.  This is not the case.)  Surprisingly, this made perfect sense to me, even though I had earlier pooh-poohed the idea of a sinless Mary.  Why, after all, would God not want a pure vessel for His Son?  Why wouldn't he make a sinless mother to bear Him?  Over the years, since becoming Catholic, I have come to a better understanding of it.  Some ask, "Why does Mary refer to God as her savior in the Magnificat?  That proves she's a sinner."  Remember, Christ is beyond space and time.  Mary was saved by the merits of her divine Son on the Cross at the moment of her conception.  I sometimes think of it as if Mary was baptized at the moment she was conceived--thus having the stain of original sin removed--but an even more powerful one because she lived a completely sinless life. 

I found this wonderful video by Scott Hahn, who explains beautifully why Catholics celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception.

I have no idea when you'll hear from me again, on this blog anyway (although I expect I'll be around on Facebook and Twitter).  This week, with what little free time I have, I'm hoping to get a good chunk of Christmas shopping done, start sending out Christmas cards, and spend some quality time with little E. and his mommy and daddy.  I might try to see what I can do about moving my blog over to Wordpress, or at least clean up my web albums to make room for more photos to post here, although that might not happen for a while.  Have a great week, and happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Here's Moe when he dressed up as Saint Juan Diego for the All Saints Day parade at school last year.

Get Thee To the Church: St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlottesville, Virginia

It was a spur-of-the moment decision to attend Mass here that Saturday evening.

We were in town that day for the Penn State vs. University of Virginia football game (our annual trek to a Penn State game--this year we didn't need to go far).  On our way to the stadium we saw this sign:

Sitting in a chair on the sidewalk were two Dominican friars--one of whom had a sign next to him identifying himself as "Friar 'Hoo"--smiling and waving at the fans going by.  "Hmmm,"  we said to each other; "Maybe we can go to Mass here after the game."  I was already committed to attend Sunday Mass at our home parish the next day though, to sign the Profession of Faith that the teachers and catechists in the Arlington diocese were asked to do this year.  (You may remember hearing about a few catechists at St. Ann's Parish who made such a stink a few months back about being asked to--gasp--believe and teach and live the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Oh, horrors.)  We figured we would just wait and go on Sunday.

After the game (which the Nittany Lions lost to the Virginia Cavaliers by ONE POINT, darn it), as we were walking back to the car, ominous dark clouds rolled in.  The wind picked up, and it began spitting rain.  Just as we were walking past St. Thomas Church, it began to rain harder.  We looked at each other and said, "Hey!  Let's go to church!"  We ran inside looking like a bunch of drowned rats, but it was dry inside, and beautiful, and the Mass was lovely.  (Then again, Mass is always lovely.  Jesus is there.)

As I was walking around after Mass snapping photos, a young friar told me there was a lovely chapel across the hall, and I should be sure to check that out.  That was not to be, however, because Joe and the boys balked at having to wait even longer for me.  There were sandwiches back at the car after all, waiting to be eaten.

(I think this was the chapel the young friar was referring to--from the outside.)

Before we left home that morning, Joe warned the boys that since this was the first Penn State game we've been to since the abuse scandal broke, we might see some protesters and we might have some unkind things said to us because we were wearing our Penn State clothing.  I am happy to report that the atmosphere during the tailgating and at the game was happy and festive, and the Penn State fans--and there were a lot of us--were made to feel welcome.  We even saw people from both sides tailgating together.  At Mass, Father (Friar 'Hoo) asked for a couple of volunteers to bring up the gifts.  One was wearing a Penn State jersey, and the other had on a UVA t-shirt.  Father remarked at how fitting that was.  And by the time we left the church, the rain had stopped.   It was a great way to wrap up a fantastic Saturday, don't you think?

And I did go to church the next day, and signed the Profession of Faith.  I hope Father R. didn't notice me sneaking out early...

Happy Sunday everyone, and get the to church!  (And no leaving early.)

Get Thee To the Church: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Fairbanks, Alaska

It's the northernmost cathedral in the United States.  We had passed it several time as we tootled around Fairbanks in our rented monster SUV.  On the day of our departure, a Saturday, we found ourselves at Pioneer Park, which happens to be right across the street from Sacred Heart Cathedral.  Our flight didn't leave until 9 pm, so we had plenty of time to go to the Saturday Vigil Mass, have dinner, and get to the airport.

I wasn't sure what to expect to see inside the cathedral  given how ordinary-looking it seems from the outside (Did you know the Diocese of Fairbanks is the largest in the U.S. in geographical area?  And it's the only mission diocese in the nation, and one of the poorest?). I even wondered if the building might have housed a church of some other denomination and the diocese had purchased it, but that is not the case; it has always served as the cathedral for the Fairbanks Diocese.

Inside it was simple, elegant, holy, and undeniably Catholic.

We arrived about a half hour early (the boys were eager to leave the touristy Pioneer Park; they were bored out of their minds.  I wanted to stay a little longer and check out the Indian Village section of the park but was met with resistance) and I snapped a few photos before Mass.  I didn't get very many; there were already a number of people there quietly praying, and I got several strange looks as I walked around with my camera. 

After a lovely Mass we headed to The Cookie Jar for our last meal in Alaska; then to the airport for the long flight home.  Next summer I expect we'll vacation someplace a little bit closer, like the beach.

Happy Sunday, and Happy Fall!  Now get thee to church!

(If you want to see the church where we attended Mass on our first morning in Alaska, click here.  And for some highlights from our amazing Alaska vacation, go here.  Thanks for visiting!)

7 Quick Takes, Volume 45

Sometimes the life of a "hobby blogger" get so busy that suddenly you realize it's been a month since you've posted anything. 

--1--

 I have a friend whose name is Kathryn, who sadly I don't see very often anymore since our kids no longer attend school together. Her youngest daughter, Beth, suffered from a rare disorder called Pearson's Syndrome, and last Friday Beth went to Heaven. She was four years old. Please, please, keep Kathryn and her family in your prayers.

--2--

My camera has been in the shop for three weeks.  I had taken some photos at work of a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd lesson, as well as some artsy shots in the alley behind the school that is a popular location for photo shoots since it's quite urban-looking.  (One employee at the church called it "ghetto," and I suppose that could describe it, although I don't like using that term because of its negative connotations.) 

--3--

You may think they look just fine, except here's the real story:

I don't know where that ugly black line comes from; and sure, I can edit it out, but the worst part is that even when the flash goes off the indoor shots are way too dark.  I took it to the camera store and the guy behind the counter was baffled.  He told me he'd have co-worker who according to him knew more about this type of camera take a look at it, and if she couldn't pinpoint the problem they'd send it off to be repaired.  Needless to say they sent it to the great unknown, and I still don't have it back.  

--4--

Around this time of year I often have a bit of an identity crisis, pondering and questioning what God wants me to do with the rest of my life.  Do I continue working, eventually going back full time?  Do I go back to be a stay-at-home Mom and plunge myself into housework and school volunteering, and maybe some serious pro-life work?  Do I take another route entirely, maybe looking into selling some of my photography, or becoming a consultant for Pampered Chef or Southern Living at Home or some such business?

Well, yesterday I officially decided to keep working as an assistant at the Montessori preschool for at least another year.  I will be working more hours, which means less free time; and it also means I'll really need to come up with a good time-management system so I'll be able to keep doing all those "extra" things I need and want to do, like blogging and cleaning the house and grocery shopping and cooking and volunteering and being involved in the kids' school activities.  And I need to exercise regularly and eat better so I'll have the energy to do all those things.  Will this lead me to eventually getting my Montessori and/or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd certification?  Perhaps, perhaps not.  Pray for me!

--5--

Last weekend was dubbed "Weekend of Drama," because the boys were all involved in plays at their schools.  Curly and Moe performed in Sleeping Beauty, acting as the Evil Queen's Goons.  They and two of their friends served as the comic relief of the show, and they got to wear crazy makeup and run around and wave inflatable clubs and act goofy.  Moe developed a fever last Thursday and ended up missing one of the shows, but by Friday night he was good to go.  With my camera still out of commission I only took a few photos with my phone.  Here are Curly and Moe with their Goon faces.

--6--

Larry's big Shakespeare debut was this past weekend as well.  He was brilliant as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream.  It had a '50s theme; the kids wore 1950's style clothing and they played '50s music.  Larry got to be the greaser type, a la Danny Zuko and The Fonz.  My parents came to see the show on Saturday:

Maybe he'll get to do Grease someday.

--7--

My blogging goal for this weekend is to put up another post for my "Get Thee to the Church" series, and update my other blog, Cooking Nick's Books.  Fortunately I already have the photos for them, taken before my camera went belly-up.  And I might just contact the camera store again to see if they can call the place they sent it off to, maybe get them to hurry up already and fix the darn thing.  (And my other goal?  Some serious housecleaning; especially a certain two bathrooms that are badly in need of attention.  And to give my dog a long-overdue bath.)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and visit Hallie Lord's blog for more Quick Takes!  (And keep this young man and his family in your prayers as well.  Jenn Fulwiler is taking a blogging break after witnessing his fatal motorcycle accident.  Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.)

--8--

OH, and I almost forgot!  Our diocesan newspaper published a great article this week about Catholic Montessori schools and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Check it out!

Good Friday

One of my New Year's resolutions was to go to confession once a month. I went in January and February, and then I did not go at all during Lent. I resolved to go to at least one "extra" Mass every month besides Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and so far I've been able to do that, but then again it's still only April. (I don't know about you but when I'm at Mass, there isn't anywhere else I want to be. Even on days when I'm distracted, not paying attention, nodding off during the homily, thinking about all of the things that need to get done--at Mass I'm truly home.) I even told myself I'd go to Holy Thursday Mass, but as usual, that did not happen. We (I) treated Holy Thursday just like any other ordinary day. I dropped the kids off at school and went to work and ran errands and gossiped and worried and made mistakes and took the boys to tae kwon do and did laundry and plopped my lazy self down on the couch when there was work to be done. And every Holy Thursday night, after the Eucharist--which we Catholics believe to be the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ--is taken from the church and brought to our parish hall until midnight when it's (He's) taken away (laid in the tomb) until Easter Vigil, I always, always, make an effort to go and spend a few minutes with Him, no matter how tired I am from the day. Last night I didn't even do that.

Often I have a hard time sleeping, fussing over things to be done, things I wish I hadn't done, things I wish I had or hadn't hadn't said, things that I've been putting off that should have been done yesterday. I think, if the world ends today all of our troubles will be over. When we all get to Heaven everyone will love each other and nobody will see anyone's faults or past mistakes, only the beauty that God made in each one of us. At times I've even found myself wishing God would speed things up a bit already. But I realize that there is still much work to be done. God wants us to face challenges and learn from our mistakes and love each other and stand up for the weak and feed the poor and clothe the hungry and encourage those who need encouragement.

It's almost Easter. I'm ready. (And I can get on Facebook again. Oh, and I can get on Twitter and tell all my followers to PLEASE vote for Gavin on Dancing With the Stars, 'cuz he's hanging on by the skin of his teeth and I REALLY don't want him to be eliminated this week. The number is 1-800-868-3404.)

All silliness aside, I hope you all have a blessed Easter. Today, Good Friday, may we all be filled with the hope that Christ's resurrection brings. He's alive. He's prepared a place for us. We are His.

Take a walk down this Broken Path

When I got the email from Lisa Kyle at American Life League, asking if I would be interested in receiving a copy of Judie Brown's new book, The Broken Path to review, I eagerly agreed. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Ms. Brown and the tireless work she has done for the unborn over the years at American Life League. I wondered what the book would be about; perhaps her own spiritual journey? Or maybe the flawed feminist movement, or the struggles pro-lifers face day in and day out?

It wasn't until I received the book in the mail that I noticed the subtitle: The Broken Path, it said; How Catholic Bishops Got Lost in the Weeds of American Politics. Oh crap, I thought; politics. My least favorite subject. Not something I would have chosen to read on my own, and I wasn't sure how I would feel about reviewing a book that might be critical of Catholic bishops. I was determined to hold up my end of the bargain, though, so read it I did. And I found it hard to put down. (As you can see from the photo, my copy is well-worn already.)

Ms. Brown explains how right around the beginning of the twentieth century, the Catholic Church in America started to drift from its roots as a solid institution built on faith and tradition, to an organization willing to adapt to the whims of society. People, including Church leaders, began to ignore or misrepresent teachings that were inconvenient for them or caused any amount of persecution or ridicule from others. Then came Vatican II, which was so badly misinterpreted by some that many of its core principles were lost in the nonsense and confusion. Contraception became widely available, and Pope Paul VI was alarmed enough to write his prophetic encyclical, Humanae Vitae.

Today in America, it is legal to kill an unborn baby for any reason. We expect mothers to abort children who are diagnosed with disabilities. Homosexuality is widely accepted and even encouraged. One by one, states are redefining marriage so that men can marry other men, and women can marry other women. Pornography is a major problem, and half of all marriages end in divorce. Politicians who profess to be Catholic openly support abortion and gay marriage, and even try to mandate contraception coverage in health insurance plans. And according to Judie Brown, too many Catholic bishops in America are looking the other way.

In The Broken Path, Judie Brown outlines the many different ways some bishops and Church leaders have given Catholic teachings a back seat in favor of public approval or personal power. While there are plenty of great bishops and priests who stand up for the truths of the Catholic Church and preach faithfully and unashamedly to their flocks amid ridicule by the secular world, there are more than a few who keep silent when they should be speaking out, and even seem to go against certain Church teachings altogether. Judie discusses the bureaucracy within the USCCB; and while there are many faithful bishops within that organization--first and foremost its new president, Cardinal Timothy Dolan--some of its programs do not necessarily support Church teachings (remember the hoo-ha a couple of years back surrounding the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and its support for ACORN?) She talks about Catholic colleges and universities, and the way some of them seem to have turned away from the Church and have become secular institutions with Catholic names. (Like the way the University of Notre Dame's president Father John Jenkins showed his public support for abortion by inviting President Obama to speak at commencement and gave him an honorary doctoral degree, and subsequently ignored and defied pleas from the public to withdraw his invitation. Ms. Brown praises Bishop John D'Arcy for his public statements denouncing this move, and his decision not to attend the ceremonies.) She discusses the widespread use of contraception, and how some bishops and priests seem to have resigned themselves to the idea that folks are going to use it anyway, so there's no reason to say anything about it. She wonders why they fail to teach their faithful why the Church condemns contraception, and how its pervasive use has led to so many social problems we see today--abortion, pornography, and high divorce rates, just to name a few. (She even proposes that our shortage of priests can be partly blamed on contraception because families are getting smaller--fewer potential candidates for the priesthood--and if parents are unwilling to be open to God's calling to have children, why should their sons be willing to answer God's call to the priesthood? Very interesting.) She discusses how some Catholic hospitals regularly commit abortion, distribute contraception, and perform sterilizations without so much as a peep of protest from Church leadership. She points out the silence from bishops on gay marriage, on personhood bills, on the blatant disregard (and even defiance) by Catholic politicians for the teachings of their own Church. And she talks about the way some bishops made the problem of sexual abuse by priests much worse by ignoring and covering it up for so long.

I would recommend this eye-opening book to every faithful Catholic. Even if you don't agree with Ms. Brown on every point she makes (like, should priests and bishops refuse the Eucharist to Catholics who publicly support abortion and homosexuality? Ms. Brown would say yes; I know many who would say not so fast, that's a matter between them and God), you will certainly be made more aware of the Church's role in society today. Since I started reading The Broken Path, I've found myself paying more attention to what bishops are saying--or not saying--about certain issues that are at the forefront of America. Recently homosexual marriage became legal in Maryland; and in Virginia, a personhood bill was defeated and one requiring women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion passed and was signed into law. What have the bishops in Maryland and Virginia had to say about these developments? If they've said anything, I sure haven't been able to find it. (If you know of any statements these bishops have made recently about these, please let me know!) Of course, it's been wonderful to see all of the United States bishops standing together against the Obama Administration's HHS contraception mandate, and I'm sure Judie would agree.

Read The Broken Path. Pray for all of our priests and bishops. Thank the ones who consistently and faithfully teach the truth, and encourage the rest to bravely stand with them.

7 Quick Takes: Volume 41

--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!

November Blessings

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!