Is it Spring?

{pretty} {happy}

That's not the prettiest picture, but we are very {happy} to see the redbud trees in bloom!  They just burst into bloom when the temps got up to 70 for a couple of days.  I saw daffodils, too!  It looks like spring here, even if we're still having cooler temps.  I can almost believe that winter is over, even though folks farther north can't say the same thing.

{funny}

 Do you see those green shoots coming up?  That's garlic that I asked one of my sons (who shall remain nameless) to plant in the fall.

Right now, there are just bare sticks next to it, but do you notice what's funny about it?  They are behind (as in between the bush and the house) the Knock-Out Roses.  If you click that link, you'll see that in the summer, my garlic won't get any sun!  

Why did we plant it there, you ask?  Well, we didn't...although I guess I have to take the blame for it.  I asked him to plant the bulbs "behind the rose bush."  See that empty space down there, where the barrel is?  That's where I wanted them to go.

Oh, you want to know about the plywood barrel?  It's a leftover prop from a long-ago escape from Mirkwood forest when our homeschool group performed The Hobbit.  Don't ask why it's outside; I don't even know anymore.

 I was imagining that he would stand here ^, in front of the house, and plant the garlic on the other side of the roses.  I never dreamed that he would, yes, wonder why I wanted them behind a bush where they won't get sun, and still proceed to plant them there!
(Eventually, all those sticks will be roses and hydrangeas.)
{real} My heart aches this morning for a little boy who was struck by a car as he crossed a very busy intersection on his way to school.  He was on his motorized scooter when he was hit by a car turning left.  I have no doubt that the sun was in the driver's eyes, but, praise God, the boy was able to get up on his own and stagger to the median where good Samaritans were already there to help him.   I don't know yet if he's one of our students or one that attends the school we share space with.  Not that it matters; I've been praying for him all morning, and for all the children who have to be out on these dangerous streets.  I hope you'll join me.

Simplicity and Holiness

Yesterday, I said we'd talk about how to accomplish your to-do list and be holy at the same time.  I don't know what I was thinking, because I'm pretty sure I don't know the first thing about being holy, except that I'm not, and I have a long way to go.  I can probably give you a few tips on what NOT to do.

When I went to Confession last week, the priest asked if I were a homeschooling mother (I don't know how he could tell).  When I said yes, he said that I should not take on any extra responsibilities, but that my duty is to be holy for my children.  Be the excellent example that they need because that is the task that God has given me.  I tried to explain that life is much easier now with only 2 homeschooling, and they're doing that out of the house 3 days per week, but he wasn't interested in that!  He insisted that I do everything I can to bring peace to the home and be the kind and loving wife and mother I'm meant to be.

My "penance" was to ask the Blessed Mother to help me in my task (every task!) before I begin, whether it's cooking dinner, doing laundry, teaching school.  For one week I was to do this.  Since I've managed to ask for her help only once or twice, I think I have to continue trying.

Here are some of the tips that I've gleaned over the years, and that I think are helping me (or would have been awesome when I had 6 children at home!).

1. Begin and end your day with prayer.  I have my Morning Consecration prayer and my Renewal of Consecration sandwiching my day.  I also have an alert on my phone for the Angelus and the 3:00 hour.  The Angelus is super short, and if I'm not praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (which is most of the time), I say a short prayer remembering Christ's passion. I also try to get in a rosary during one of the dog's walks.  
2. Spiritual Reading and meditation.  Try for 15 minutes in the morning.  If you want to pray the Divine Office, you can do that.  At the end of this session, you make your short, 3-4 item to-do list for the day, because, hopefully, you are in the presence of God and he's guiding your thoughts.
3. Keeping your To-Do list short goes along well with this post from Jennifer Fulwiler.  Take a hard look at the daily schedule of the Missionaries of Charity and see how much time they give themselves for the ordinary events of the day!  Life is always much more peaceful when we allow ourselves ample time to eat and clean up.  If we don't allot enough time, either we don't do it, or we do it ourselves because it's faster, when it is a perfect opportunity to do it slowly, with the children, teaching and talking as we go.
4. Eat a Saint Diet.  Jen talks about that (and scheduling!) here.  Y'all, can I just tell you how much calmer, more peaceful, and, yes, happier I am since I cut everything out of my diet?  (Scroll down to Physical goals for the year.) Oh, and that list doesn't even include dairy which is gone now, too.  Now, if I could just get rid of PMS.....

There it is, folks.  My short list of helpful tips so that we may all grow in holiness.  I don't do any of these things all the time, but I keep trying, and that's the goal:  to get up and start again each day.  Better yet, just like when you've blown your diet, you shouldn't wait for tomorrow or Monday to try again, start again NOW.

Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Prayer Tips

A friend said the most amazing thing to me the other day---that she admired how I was so good about praying novenas and the rosary and sticking with it!  If that's what it looks like, I'm happy, but I know that is not at all the reality.  Any stick-to-itivitness that I've shown in recent months is purely grace that I would have to associate with having completed the 33 Days to Morning Glory and Consoling the Heart of Jesus retreats.

The other key to any progress in my prayer life is ROUTINE.  Without a routine, my prayer life goes exactly where you expect it to:  nowhere.  When I'm on vacation, or even having a busy weekend, I'm not usually saying any extra prayers beyond a morning offering and consecration renewal at bedtime.

I have completed several novenas in recent weeks, and that surprises me to no end.  Again, Grace. But I have done a couple of things differently.

These days I'm trying, really trying, to sit somewhere besides the computer when I first get up and I don't feel like interacting with "live" people.  It doesn't always work, but it's better, and it helps that the morning prayer books are in the same room as the computer, so I can just take my habitual direction and just go 2 steps to the left, instead of the right!  There are mornings when I really long to talk to Jesus, and I don't, and it shows.  :-(

Fives days a week, I have to get in the car to take people to school, or pick someone up, so I've gotten into a pretty good habit of making that first trip out Rosary Time.  I know myself well enough to know that if I don't do it on the first trip, I probably won't get to it.  Sometimes I pray it with the kids, but not always.  The rosary should be the priority, but I also like to give them time to talk to me.

I also try to pray the rosary when I walk the dog around the neighborhood.  For various reasons (like I'm a lazy slob!) that hasn't been happening much lately, but I've been driving, so it works.

The dog always needs a shorter walk in the late morning which has become the time that I pray novenas.  Yes, I walk and keep my nose in the prayer book!  I prefer a book to praying at the computer, but Pray More Novenas is a great resource if you don't mind praying at the computer or don't have the particular novena booklet at home.

Basically, tying certain activities to prayer has been the greatest help.  Weekly adoration has helped a lot, too.  There are times (ha!  every week, almost!) that I don't want to get up and go, but on the days I give in to my laziness, I invariably lie awake feeling guilty.  So, just do it.  God is good enough to make everything else work out during the day.

~~~

Another mom who was part of this conversation, lamented that they can't consecrate their home to the Two Hearts because they won't be able to follow through with the subsequent requirements: 

Frequent Holy Communion

Daily Family Rosary

Monthly Holy Hour

Daily Renewal of Consecration

(These are the requirements listed on our family certificate)

I can't keep the 10 Commandments perfectly, but I haven't give up trying!  I think the most important thing is to make the consecration and keep working at perfect fulfillment of the rules.   It is my fervent hope that the graces we've received will make up for the inevitable gaps in my parenting skills and prayer life!

I'm not surrounded by little ones anymore, so maybe this is all due to my age (urgh!), but that doesn't mean we didn't try when they were little.  There's never a perfect time that makes it easy to pray!  I have a good friend who used to pray more than one rosary per day as she did it while lying in bed with small children who wanted her with them as they went to sleep!

Think over your day and find those routine moments that lend themselves to prayer.  Keep track of Hail Mary's on paper throughout the day.  I sometimes pray Memorares for individuals, one at a time, while I'm pumping gas.  I'll pray for family members as I fold their laundry.  And no matter what your age, whenever you're awake in the middle of the night, pray.  Someone needs it.

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

You know, I love my "days off" on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the children are at school and I'm alone for 7 hours.  Not to mention car time, but we don't really count that.  ;-)  I'm rarely relaxing and eating bonbons during that time.  The best I can say is that I work hard on the laundry and then fold 3-4 loads while watching something on Netflix.  (oh!  They emailed me to let me know that Season 2 of Call the Midwife is now available.  yay!)

Anyhooo....Today has not been one of those "productive" days.  It's 11:45 a.m. and I haven't done a lick of work.

It's been better than that.

I took the children to school, and sat in the car for 30 minutes praying the rosary along with the Mary Undoer of Knots novena.  Then we were treated to a meditation given by one of priests of the Archdiocese that I really like.  He's so gentle, warm, and loving.  And gives great advice.  I thought I would share what I got from his talk this morning in hopes that you might benefit from it as well.  I'm sure it's not exactly as he gave it, because I took only a few notes, but it's what I heard as translated by the Holy Spirit.

First, he said he was given a gift last night and this morning of understanding mothers, because he spent time he didn't really have cleaning up minor disasters that occurred, and he pointed out that it is still possible to be holy during trying circumstances or phases of life.  God has his cloistered nuns who spend their time praying, not distracted by the needs of children, but that's not who we are called to be.  In fact, we can actually sin by putting God before the real needs of a child!  His example was abandoning a sick child to go to Mass on a holy day of obligation.

~Jesus spent 30 years living a hidden, small life, and that's what we're called to.  If it had value for Him, it certainly has value for us!

~Don't judge other people.  You don't know where someone else is in their walk with Christ, and you really don't know what's in their heart.  Leave that for God.

~Here's the BIG takeaway from today:  We are not solely responsible for our children getting to heaven!!  There are many other people and circumstances in their lives along with (cue: Jaws music)....Free Will.  So, relax, do your best, and trust in the Lord.

~Prayers may be answered in ways you don't expect because God still respects the free will of each of us.  It's very likely that you won't ever find out your prayers were answered, but trust that they will be.  Finding out is like a second miracle.

~Make sure you spend time with Jesus.  If you can, schedule that morning prayer time; if you can't, take advantage of times when you can squeeze it in.  Especially those times you're awake in the middle of the night and can't sleep!

~Again, trust in Providence.  God loves you and wants everyone with Him in paradise.  Keep praying.

~Don't focus on the negative or things that steal your peace.

In the end, it was a reiteration of the same message I have been getting for the past couple of years (God must think I'm not getting the message or acting on it properly!):

We can't change other people, or the world, all we can do is focus on our own holiness (and I don't mean by ignoring everything and praying constantly [you know, to the detriment of your family], but by praying and doing God's will in each moment.)  It's His job, through the Holy Spirit, to convert hearts, but by living out our faith the best we can, we can be that light in the world that spreads and vanquishes the darkness.

~~~~

I hope you get something out of that.  I think I'll go see what work I can accomplish in the next couple of hours.  Hugs!

What's On My Heart and Mind QT

---1---

Thomas Peters, the American Papist, and his ongoing recovery from a spinal cord injury.  I'm praying that he'll walk again, and I'm very sad that I don't see any mention of the possibility in the updates.  But I'm also very happy that he's doing as well as he is.

---2---

Go watch Ep. 1 of Ordinary, produced, filmed, and directed by Michele Quigley's family.  30 minutes that you won't regret.  I laughed until I cried.  Tell me if you do, too!

---3---

Extra prayers for Elizabeth DeHority who had surgery this week.  Update at the end of this post.

---4---

Prayers for my Dad and step-mom, and FIL  who all have worrisome health issues happening. 

---5---

I am enjoying Taylor Marshall's new podcast which has practical life and spiritual tips.  They're nice and short at only 30 minutes.  Give one a try!

---6---

It's increasingly difficult to wake up for 4:00 a.m. adoration, and my mind wanders like crazy!  Today, I had the foresight to bring a journal which keeps my mind focused on the Lord instead of my to-do list!  I also whipped out my phone to use the iBreviary app by Pro Terra Sancta.  There were lots of prayers and litanies in there to keep me focused!

---7---

Break's over.  Back to lessons.

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

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

Graces from Mary QT's

Today's Quick Takes brought to you by our Blessed Mother and the School of Life!

---1---

That awkward moment when you discover that despite your best intentions, fighting against your Personality and Whims, and attempts to Do The Right Thing, people still persist in thinking the worst of you.  And maybe they don't think the worst of you; they just don't think much of you.

---2---

Now's the time for that Litany of Humility:

Litany of Humility Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.From the desire of being loved... From the desire of being extolled ... From the desire of being honored ... From the desire of being praised ... From the desire of being preferred to others... From the desire of being consulted ... From the desire of being approved ... From the fear of being humiliated ... From the fear of being despised... From the fear of suffering rebukes ... From the fear of being calumniated ... From the fear of being forgotten ... From the fear of being ridiculed ... From the fear of being wronged ... From the fear of being suspected ... That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I ... That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease ... That others may be chosen and I set aside ... That others may be praised and I unnoticed ... That others may be preferred to me in everything... That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

---3---

Make the extra effort to get the kids up early and off to school earlier than usual to hear a meditation on the Blessed Mother.  It was short, and just the message I needed to hear---that trust in her will bear fruit.  She is Grace personified as the bearer of the ultimate Grace, our Creator come to earth in human form to save us.

---4---

Pray the rosary for that Special Intention in addition to all the usual intentions.  (It also fits in nicely with the 33 Day Rosary Challenge.  Are you in?)

---5---

Then, for good measure, because you really are a pathetic soul who needs a great deal of help, pray Mother Teresa's ('scuse me:  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) Flying Novena, or 9 Memorare's for your intention.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary
that never was it known that anyone
who fled to thy protection, implored thy help
or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins.
My mother; to thee do I come.
Before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful,
O Mother of the Word Incarnate.
Despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy,
hear and answer me.
Amen.

---6---

Now, go ahead and do That Thing that you're supposed to do, that you dread, that forces you to humble yourself.  You've hemmed and hawed enough, and the fact that you haven't done it yet is verging ever closer to being Disobedience to the Lord's will.

---7---

And it will all be okay, because Mary was there (will always be there) to hold your hand through the difficult moments.  Now we can move on with lightened hearts.  

How about you?  Is there something you're dreading?  Something you need to do?  Share, or just ask for prayers.  I'll pray for you, if you'll pray for me!

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

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

Two of My Favorite Things

I was thinking about joining Ginny's Yarn Along today, but nothing much has changed since my last post on Friday.  I'm still crocheting and reading the same things.  The thing that has changed is my mood----I'm really grumpy.  So I thought I would share with you.  ;-)

Not my grumpy mood...but 2 of my favorite things.  I don't think I'm quite up to 5 Favorites today, but you can visit Hallie to see who is.

1. My mother's fudge.  It's the perfect cure...okay, not perfect...for a bad mood.  Anyway, it cheers me to think of her and whip up a batch for a pick-me up.  So, today I'll share the extremely complex recipe with you!

1/2 c butter, melted & removed from heat

1 tsp (or capful) of vanilla extract

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 lb. powdered sugar

Whisk all ingredients together, adding up to

1/2 c hot water

to make it smooth and spreadable.  Pour onto a buttered platter and let cool.  If you can wait.  I never knew anyone who could.

Today I added chopped walnuts for extra nutrition.  hahaha.  A couple of notes:  I always add water because I like my chocolate on the darker side.  You can use milk if you prefer a milkier chocolate.  We also use this recipe for frosting cakes---just add a little more liquid to make it the consistency you want!

2.  Praying the Regina Caeli during the Easter season.  A while back, I set the noon alarm on my phone to remind me to pray the Angelus every day.  Now that it is Easter, we pray the Regina Caeli every day---most days, not every day.  And when I'm grumpy, it reminds me that I have a very good reason to rejoice and be glad!

Queen of Heaven

V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R. For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~~~

I'd love to know what your favorites are for changing your mood!  Help a girl out!

Odds and Ends

We are praying for all those who were impacted by the bombs in Boston, yesterday.  That seems to be pretty much everyone---the injured, the onlookers, the workers, the first-responders, the people of Boston and Massachusetts, the whole country.  Thank God all the bombs didn't go off!

~~~~~

I asked you all to send up a prayer for my MRI last week.   Thanks for that!  I'm happy to say that  it was clean and the old brain looks good!  I'm just a leetle bit hard of hearing!

Eh? What's that you say?

~~~~

My friend Pat Gohn released a gorgeous, blue book recently, and there's a 10-day blog tour that started yesterday.  You can still hop on and join the tour, especially if you missed out on spring break!  It's a podcast-style tour where you get to hear Pat's lovely voice reading excerpts from her book Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious.  This book really speaks to me, not just because Pat reads excerpts ;-), but because she sounds like she's sharing, over a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine on the back deck, about what it means to be created as a woman, and therefore a gift of God to all mankind, especially her family.  Go listen to those excerpts and read what the other bloggers have to say; I'm sure you'll be hooked!

Here’s the schedule for the blog tour — Ten Bodacious Basics… Ten Minutes at a Time!

Mon Apr 15:   Lisa Hendey’s Catholic Mom

Tue Apr 16:   Sarah Vabulas’ The Catholic Drinkie

Wed Apr 17: Lisa and Joel Schmidt’s The Practicing Catholic

Thu Apr 18:  Sarah Reinhard’s Snoring Scholar

Fri Apr 19:  Leticia Velasquez’ Cause of Our Joy

Mon Apr 22: Maria Johnson’s Another Cup of Coffee

Tue Apr 23: Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s Embracing Motherhood

Wed Apr 24: Lisa Mladinich’s Amazing Catechists

Thu Apr 25: Elizabeth Foss’ In the Heart of My Home

Fri Apr 26: Julie Davis’ The Happy Catholic

(scheduled shamelessly lifted from Pat's webpage)

~~~~

I'll be back tomorrow with pictures of the kids finished bedrooms!  They look so nice!

I Should Be Packing Quick Takes

---1---

First up, stop by Elizabeth DeHority's for an urgent prayer request for unborn-baby Martin!  Then pray.  Thank you!

---2---

Next up, stop by our hostess's place Conversion Diary.  She is coming down to the wire (haha, literally) in this pregnancy.  Induction scheduled for Monday, and they want to put screens in her veins to prevent blood clots from reaching her heart and lungs before then.  Unfortunately, the doctors and hospitals don't play well together and it's getting a little urgent.  I can only imagine how she's feeling.  I'd be a complete and total wreck.  So, lets pray for a quick resolution, painfree insertion of sharp, metal objects, and safe delivery of that baby!

---3---

Going on a Camporee today with my little girl.  Praying for a very minor thing---that the rain will stop before we have to set up the tent.  But we'll be in South Carolina, and it will be gorgeous and sunny tomorrow!

---4---

I thought we would be so productive this week and get Pip's dresser finished, but no.  We've basically spent the week recovering from the intensity of last week's painting and Triduum, and getting ready for this camporee.  Yep, pretty much worthless this week.  A lazy, lazy week for everyone.  The most fun we had was when Tom's girlfriend came over one afternoon to play Settlers of Catan.  Only the best game ever.

---5---

I love spring.  Just so you know.  The trees blooming in succession against the clear, blue sky (it's consistently gray this year, but generally speaking...) make me so happy.  I adore this little turn onto my street where there are cherry trees everywhere you look.  But my family is miserable.  They all have such terrible allergies.  God knows I'm a complete wimp because I could not stand it, if it were me!  

So, a photo of a cherry tree, or two, for me, and a link to natural allergy remedies for the rest of you.  Oh, and Honey, I got some of that local honey for you.  :-)

---6---

Hmmm, I see by the clock that I should be packing....

---7---

And the dog is mysteriously limping and sitting with his leg stuck out awkwardly.  Poor little Ewok.  Time to investigate....

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

Have a great weekend!  Don't forget those prayer requests---and I could use one, too, for a special intention.  Thanks.

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

{PHFR}Hairs and Prayers!

{pretty}

Or Funny?  Meg has learned (with the help of YouTube, I think) to put her hair in a bow.  She has been doing it every day, and it's cute, but I am Not. a. Fan. of the bun on top of the the head!
{happy} I have gathered my candles for Candlemas on Saturday, assuming I can make it there.  I got some from Trader Joes, found a couple of new votives, and also found my emergency stash of Advent candles that I had lost!
{funny}

Curling my hair with the "headband method" that I learned from Pinterest.  It's pretty easy to do, and it keeps it out of my face in the mornings at the school table, and then it has nice, big curls when I take it out later.  For my hair, which is "straight as a stick" (Thanks, Mom+), this is awesome.  It takes a while for it to dry (I start with it damp), but it beats standing around with a curling iron!  I could even answer the door, or walk the dog, with it up.  I'd rather not, but I could....
{real}

Lots of prayers going up for too many friends in need!  But our Blessed Mother can handle it, if anyone can.

PHFR - Birthday Edition

{pretty} Pretty Tired here, today.  Yesterday was a long, extremely productive day.  I can't remember when I had a day like that where I didn't take any kind of break to read blogs!  Every change of activity was to another kind of work.  
Part of our work was doing 2 days of schoolwork so we could take today off to celebrate Pipster's birthday.  Naturally, they're sleeping in.
But it was a GOOD day.  Maybe that's what happens when you start your day with God and not email?
{happy} I had a difficult conversation on the phone with a lovely lady for over an hour.  It was a conversation that has been hanging over my head for...no lie...a whole year.  I didn't want to have the conversation, but I had to.  And I had lots of people praying for me.  
Thank God for praying friends.  And thank God for people who are truly beautiful, inside and out, and live their faith wholeheartedly and generously.  I wish I could be like that!
{funny} Is it funny when your son jumps off a 5-foot wall and hurts his leg so that he's crying and limping?  No.  But it's a little funny that he has enough experience with broken bones to reassure Mom that it is NOT broken this time!
{real}

They grow up.  From adorable, chunky babies to 14 year old young men who alternate between being little boys who jump off walls, to guys who want to look grown up at Mass.  The Pipster makes me laugh, makes me sigh, freaks me out, and gives me so much joy!

Happy Birthday, Pip!  I love you!

Was that what you call a fender-bender?

It didn't feel like a fender bender when we were hit from behind yesterday, but I guess it was.  We're all essentially fine----but we were rear-ended while leaving TMax's school.  I was turning right onto a heavily traveled 6-lane road (3 lanes each direction), and I stopped to check for oncoming traffic, of which there was plenty, traveling at 45+ miles per hour.  The woman behind me stopped briefly, she said, and then  "just went."  Why she "went" I don't know, because from what I saw there were lots of cars coming and our street had a red light!  When I lifted my head from the steering wheel, I vaguely realized there was traffic whizzing by and we were partially in their lane.

Praise be to God that we weren't hit by any of that oncoming traffic and all the kids were buckled in!  Meg and I whacked our heads the worst, and I know I'll be spending too many weeks at the chiropractor (again) since my head was twisted to the left and I hit both sides of it on the seat and steering wheel.   It doesn't hurt much, but I can't turn it properly.   Still, it's not as bad as last time:

The car is not totalled, and

There were no scary trips to the ER

The woman who hit us was very apologetic, but I'm ashamed to admit that I couldn't just brush off the accident and be very forgiving.  I was much nicer to the young man who hit us before----maybe because he was so concerned for our welfare, and I completely understand why he hit us---because accidents happen there all the time.  She, on the other hand, was on the phone, had a red light, and was entering a very busy road.  So, as you can see, I'm still not very forgiving.  Just very annoyed. 

The absolute worst part about it is the paranoia that follows.  It's been 3 years since that last event, and I'm still freaked out when I have to stop suddenly, terrified that someone behind me is going to hit me.

I think I'll be praying a lot more rosaries in the car from now on.  And saying my Guardian Angel prayer before I hit the road.

Angel sent by God to guide me,

be my light and walk beside me,

be my Guardian and protect me,

On the paths of light direct me.

Or:

Angel of God, my Guardian dear,

to whom God's love commits me here,

Ever this day be at my side, 

to light and guard, to rule and guide.

Thank you, Dear Friend, for being there for us yesterday!

A Meditation on the Resurrection

When I meditate on the mysteries of the rosary, I often use images from The Passion of the Christ to help me stay focused.  There's not a lot to choose from when it comes to the Resurrection, but it is one of my favorites from the movie.  I see Jesus's beautiful face, as he sits up in the tomb, with Peace written on his features.  His wounds from the horrific tortures He endured and the crucifixion, with the exception of the nail holes in His hands, have healed.  He breathes a sigh of relief and resignation as He rises to begin the next and final phase of His earthly mission.

Yesterday, when I prayed these mysteries, I was struck anew by that sigh that He gives.  It suddenly occurred to me that maybe it wasn't in preparation for the work ahead, but a sigh of relief that His physical suffering was over.  He had "run the race and kept the faith" just as we must.  That thought, of torture and death, brought my thoughts to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East these days.  The deaths at the American Embassy in Libya.

The world is a crazy, sometimes very scary, place these days.  I wondered why so many people react with such violence and hatred to those who disagree with them, when I realized it's the devil.  Does the venom you see in the news, on Twitter, on Facebook, ever remind you of the curses spouted by Linda Blair in The Exorcist?  So many have forgotten God, either mindlessly letting Him slip from their hearts, or actively pushing Him away from a desire for a different idol, or no idol at all save Self.

It was quite a digression from the subject of the mystery, the resurrection of Christ, but with tears streaming, I heaped more prayer intentions on Mary's comforting shoulders, and forged on with my prayers, because that is just about all I have to offer the world at large.  In my little bubble here, my task is to raise faithful, Catholic, children in a world that needs faith desperately, and to serve in the other ways that God calls me.  And pray, ceaselessly, for all those on the front lines, so to speak, for those whose very lives (and, sometimes, souls)  are in danger.  That same image, which reminds me of the torture He endured and that others still endure, gives me great hope that on the other side of the suffering is great joy and peace.

In a Routine!

I'm really so happy to be back in a daily routine--- I operate so much better with structure to my day!  We're into our third week of school, even though some people just started and others haven't started at all yet.  I guess it's my personality.  I'm a  lazy Phlegmatic, frequently Melancholic, and a wishy-washy Choleric.  That doesn't sound very cheerful, does it?  But my husband seems to like me, and so do a few other people.  ;-)

It's the lazy side of me that loves summer vacation---who doesn't love relaxing in the A/C with a book, or relaxing by the side of the pool with a cold beverage and a book, or going on vacations, playing in the waves and sleeping on the beach?  I think I used to get to enjoy those things when my kids were little and summer rolled around.  Oh, honey, while you're slaving away at the office, I'll be at the pool chasing the kids around.  Don't envy me. ;-)  But it's not like that anymore with summertime activities and swim team.  The "schedule," if it exists, is chaotic at best.

The phlegmatic side of me really wants to be using all that free time during the summer to get some big projects accomplished, while my choleric-ness is happy to boss the kids around engage my young helpers in the tasks.  Somehow, the summer passes, the essential things get done, but not very cheerfully.  Ahem...Hello, Madame Melancholic.

Now that school, drama rehearsals, piano lessons, homeschool co-op, Boy Scouts,  and American Heritage Girls are in full swing, I can relax.  Not with bon-bons and a book, except on rare days, but I can function better because I know what the days hold.  Some days are pretty crazy, and others flow pretty smoothly because I don't have back-to-back appointments, or worse, have to bi-locate, but the basic structure is there.

Part of the problem with summer is that everyone is doing their own thing.  We all fall in to that trap of doing nothing, except for my dear husband who continues his routine of long days at the office without fail, and one of the things that falls by the wayside is family prayer time.  We're fairly sporadic about our evening prayer during the summer, and I'm sad to say we almost never pray on vacations.

In my heart, I know that there is a certain structure that would solve all of this:  prayer.  It's really past time (ha!) for me to set my alarm on my phone to remind me to prayers.  All these years with the kids I've tried to get in the habit of praying the Angelus, or the Divine Mercy chaplet, daily, but have failed. I tend to structure my days around school, appointments, and dinner, but I'm pretty sure there is a better way.

For me, I know that making my home like the proverbial Domestic Monastery would help.  What about you?

Do you structure your prayer life?  What makes your days run smoothly?  I'd love to know what tools others use to get through the days!

God is Enough!

We came home yesterday from a week at St. Augustine beach, which I will tell you about in due time, and to a lot of unpacking.  Fortunately, I had done 99% of the laundry at the beach house so I would not be overwhelmed by that today!

Katie was home from her European tour and we sat down to watch her lovely slide show of all the beautiful places she had visited.  She and her friend had simply absorbed the culture wherever they were for almost a month.  She had thoughtfully brought gifts for each of us, and mine was a St. Teresa of Avila medal with a prayer card.  Written in Spanish, which I don't speak, the contents were somewhat of a mystery for the moment.

Having finished the slide show, I took the dog for a long walk around the neighborhood, where I proceeded to have a mini go-to-pieces (as my mother+ used to call it).  Overwhelmed and melancholy, little tears were dripping as I walked, though I wasn't even sure why, so I started a rosary.

As I walked and prayed, I wondered what good it was doing.  Yes, I know I'm supposed to meditate on the mysteries, but sometimes that doesn't happen as it ought!  I knew in my head that all the same tensions would be present when I got home:  unpacking, repacking Meg for summer camp, house cleaning and decluttering, getting ready for school, AHG, feeding my family...Yet I doggedly persisted in my prayer, reaching the last glorious mystery, The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, as I came up the hill toward home.

All through the walk there had been this niggling little urge to find the translation of the St. Teresa prayer card, and as I started that last decade, I knew in my heart that it held the answer I needed.  If you know what it's like to be a mom, you know that for a myriad of reasons, I wasn't able to look it up until this morning!  This is what I found, and yes, it is the answer to my problems:

May nothing disturb you!

(St. Teresa of Avila had these verses written in herbreviary**)

May nothing disturb you.

May nothing astonish you.

Everything passes.

God does not go away.

Patience

can attain anything.

He who has God within,

does not lack anything.

God is everything!*

(Translation by Jorge W. Suazo)

(*This last verse may be interpreted as "God is enough.")

I'm still a little overwhelmed and melancholy, and I still have lots of work to do, but I know it will be okay.

Baby Yarn Along

I haven't been participating in Ginny's Yarn Along for a while since I've been working on a secret project that I wasn't ready to share.  I can share it now because it has finally been revealed to the giftee.  Notice, I said "revealed to" and not "given"----because it's still not finished!

Behold the Mirbeau Slip Stitch baby blanket for my bff who had Baby #10 a couple of weeks ago.  I started the blanket a little late, maybe a month or so before she delivered, not realizing how long it would take to knit, but I don't mind the lengthy project as it's sort of a "prayer blanket."  As I knit, I say lots of Hail Mary's and Memorares.  Occasionally, a whole rosary, but that's difficult with so many interruptions and no beads to help me keep my place!  I wanted to knit something that would keep me praying for them through the end of a difficult pregnancy.  As they both had a close call at delivery, and a difficult couple of weeks since then, I'm glad it's not finished because Mom and the family still need the prayers!  If you wouldn't mind sending up an extra prayer two for them, I know it would be appreciated.

My book this week is James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small which I just got from the library yesterday for our book club.  We've been on hiatus for the month of May which is great because I couldn't have stood the pressure of one more thing on my to-do list!  I'm looking forward to this because everyone else says it's awesome, funny, and uplifting.  Have you read it or any of his others?

---1---

After my whiny post the other day, I got some great feedback from my 2 friends, Barbara and Barb (LOL), who said that I'm "just" experiencing spiritual warfare.  I think I knew that, but since it was in a slightly different form than I'm used to, I didn't recognize it.  The evil one certainly knows how to exploit our weaknesses!  Reading Barbara's post that she reminded me of was very helpful.

Somehow, just knowing what's going on diminishes Satan's power and enables me to keep going.

---2---

Yesterday morning as I was walking the dog and listening to a podcast, I had a half-formed thought that it would be nice if the Total Consecration prayers and readings were in an audio format.  I immediately dismissed it as unlikely.  God is so good, though!  Later that day, one of my dearest friends called (she's such a treasure!), and during our conversation she told me that the Rosary Army had done the Total Consecration prayers in podcast format!  Greg and Jennifer Willits are delightful to listen to; they do a great job with the readings, and the litanies go faster with their team praying together.  I wish I had found this earlier, but I guess it came when I really needed it!  Anyhoo, I'll get through the next couple of days, and I've downloaded them all for renewing the Consecration again next year.

---3---

Yesterday was a good day.  Maybe I needed to get that whining off my chest, but maybe I just got a few graces I sorely needed.    Had a nice talk with my friend.  My AHG meeting went well, and I think we have all the leaders we need for the coming year!!!!  That's a huge burden lifted!  Some special and important people are transferring to a new troop, which is a huge loss, but I am excited about the leadership team we're putting together.  Maybe I can manage to hang in there another year!

---4---

I took a little break from reality last night and took the youngest 3 to see the midnight showing of The Hunger Games.  We arrived at 11 p.m. which was a little late, I guess.  By the time we got into the theater, it was packed.  Meg and Pip sat in the last row in the far corner while Tom and I braved the front row.  I don't know if it was this particular movie, but I couldn't handle it.  I was nauseated within 5 minutes!  I think it was a combination of the camera work and the action and being so close.  I don't like movies filmed that way, anyway, but to be so close was a misery!  (I know, I'm lame.)  After a little while, I moved back 6 feet to the last seat I saw:  a handicapped seat.  It was just enough distance to make it bearable, but I was sick through the whole movie!  I'd like to try it again sitting in the back where I might catch all the stuff I missed!  I had to close my eyes alot when the camera was panning quickly across the action.

---5---

In spite of my lamity, I enjoyed the movie (as much as you can enjoy a movie about a fight to the death between 24 teenagers).  I read the book a couple of years ago, so I didn't catch all the stuff they changed or left out, but I thought it was an excellent retelling of the story.  It did, however, leave out a lot of the effects of the oppression of the people by the government which I thought would be interesting in light of today's political situation.

Have you seen it or read it?

---6---

I know you're probably wondering how on earth I could take my 10 year old daughter to that movie.  (See 5 & 6 about being lame.)  After buying the tickets weeks ago, I had lots of buyer's remorse and second thoughts.  And then she ended up sitting in the back with Pip and not me, but he had thoroughly devoured the book, again, recently, and made her close her eyes all the time.  Evidently, she was so diligent about closing them that she missed long stretches unnecessarily.  lol.  

---7---

So, so, so ready for the weekend!  Maybe I'll get the rest of this clutter cleared out and we can start afresh on Monday:  clean house, clean soul, and newly re-consecrated.  (Sounds to me like a recipe for a challenging Monday!)  

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