An Epiphany Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Happy New Year!

Blessed Feast of the Epiphany!

Happy birthday to my 4th child who turns 20 today!

I feel as if I have been in a cave----a Christmassy cave, but a cave, nonetheless---since December 25! Visiting with family, celebrating, unwinding from all the activity and stress before Christmas (and during Christmas) has been great, but I have been avoiding most responsibilities, email, and the outside world, in general. I have this tendency to turn inward and let everything else go in order to focus on family or the holiday.

Annnd, now we are back to the real world! All the decorations are still up and I love it. Saturday afternoon we will probably take down the sad-looking, needle-dropping tree, but everything else will likely wait until I have spare moments here and there. I like to linger over the process, if I can.

Oh, but you stopped in for a Yarn Along, didn't you! I started (and restarted) (and restarted) this Age of Brass and Steam kerchief with a skein that I got for Christmas. It's Madelinetosh tosh dk in the Steam Age colorway---which I thought very appropriate for the Brass and Steam kerchief. What's funny is that I got a skein of sock yarn from Malabrigo in almost the exact same colors! That one is wound up into 2 balls ready to start a pair of socks for moi.

Lately, I've mostly been reading magazines at night since we just got a subscription to InStyle magazine. Over Christmas I listened to The Girl on the Train which was a very good mystery. Rachel, the girl on the train, has a miserable commute to and from London every day and makes up a story about a couple who lives near the tracks at one of the stops. She sees them often enough that when the woman of the house disappears, Rachel has some help to offer the police. I would be interested to see it made into a movie if someone could do justice to the voyeuristic perspective offered and keep the mystery going. I was pretty surprised by the outcome!

Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

I'm sorry I bailed on the "O Antiphons" at the end of Advent; it got too busy around here----something I am sure you can identify with! I often wonder how bloggers with busy lives manage to post as much as they do, but I am not one of those. Busy, yes, likely to blog through it all, no.

After midnight Mass and opening gifts in the middle of the night, we spent the day eating and sleeping, eating and sleeping some more! A shockingly early Christmas dinner---at 11:30 a.m.---was actually a nice idea. It meant we didn't need to fix breakfast, and, in fact, needed to wake up people to so they could eat. We did that so our oldest son could get to work at 2:00. Then we just pulled everything back out (truth: my daughter did) to munch on later. It has been a very restful day!

I hope that your Christmas was filled with the joy of Christ's coming and family. Praying for the best of blessings on all my readers in 2016

xo,

Sara

Thoughts on Holy Saturday

Recently, I had the occasion to read a beautiful quotation from Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Christ came to be Father’s compassion to the world. Be kind in your actions. Do not think that you are the only one who can do efficient work, work worth showing. This makes you harsh in your judgment of others who may not have the same talents. Do your best and trust that others do their best. And be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
― Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers

This morning it hit me square in the face as I contemplate which Easter Mass to go to.  I generally try to be non-judgmental in most areas of my life, but I had not extended that courtesy to the people who put together the Mass at our local parishes. :-(

As I recall, we have gone to the Easter vigil almost every year since I entered the Catholic Church in 1996. Our 4th baby was baptized at that Mass, and we had 2 more after that, so we have always dragged 6 small, whiny, sleepy children to this longest Mass of the year! Why? Because it's the most beautiful, and we love seeing new Catholics born into the faith on this night.

But this morning, I found myself suggesting that we go to the earliest Mass of the day---because there is less opportunity for frustration at a shorter Mass. I get so tired of the deviations from the missal where there aren't supposed to be deviations. I get tired of the performance atmosphere that makes the congregation applaud anytime children (even teens) are singing. I get tired of priests not being reverent. Frankly, I get tired of of myself, of judging every Mass and decided what the priests, deacons, and musicians did well and what they didn't.

We have a priest friend, a convert like me, who is of the same mind and celebrates Mass exactly the way I would like it, but his assignment is much too far away for us to attend. He says I'll never be happy. And he's probably right, but I hold my breath and say a prayer every year when new priest assignments come out, hoping he'll be transferred to our parish or one nearby!

Reading this conversion story this morning made me realize that while it would be nice for the Mass to be as heavenly as I hope every time I attend, I don't go for that. I'm Catholic because I believe that Jesus Christ is present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist and that the priest brings Him to me despite his own personal sins or failings. We all have different spiritual gifts and I really do appreciate the special joyfulness that some priests have (even though they tend not to follow the rules as closely!), and I need to stop being so judgmental. After all, they have given their lives for the Church, and maybe those sanguine priests are better at nurturing their parishioners than some of their fellow-priests.

Maybe my time in Mass (and out of Mass) is better spent praying for our priests than griping about their failings. I'm doing my best in my vocation, and I have to trust that they are also doing their best.

I hope you have had a prayerful Lent and that you are looking forward to the joy of Easter as much as I am.

Not Quite Weekly Rambles!

::Weekly Rambles::

What’s really on my mind and heart?

This past weekend I was on a leadership retreat with our Pioneer and Patriots girls from AHG. I was one of the presenters, and I may have gotten more out of the retreat than they did! It was so fun to be with those beautiful girls and help them to grow in their faith. 

What am I thankful for?

I'm thankful for the unexpected opportunity to participate in that retreat during Lent. I hope it was beneficial for everyone.

What’s going on in school?

It's the last day of school! Meg is already on spring break because she doesn't have standardized testing this year, so she has a full 2 weeks off. Pip's last day is today, and then he has a week and a half. Unfortunately, his online AP World History class doesn't have break, so he will still be working. Our college senior has his "exit show" for his photography major coming up. That's very exciting---he's almost done. Well, there's that and a May-mester class. Then he's done.

What’s cooking?

Nothing? I awoke this morning to the realization that it is time to plan meals for Holy Week and Easter. What do you have planned? I'd love to know!

What’s on the needles?

On the needles is a simple, drapey cowl that is taking longer than it should, I think. I haven't really had much knitting time in the past week, so that's probably the reason.

What’s special about this week?

Holy Week. My favorite week of the year! If you haven't had a very good Lent (meaning you slacked off on your penances), the liturgies on Thursday and Friday are a wonderful opportunity to make up some ground and really enter into the mysteries and suffer with Christ.

What am I reading?

Ida Elisabeth by Sigrid Undset. Its good, as I expected, since I'm a fan of Kristin Lavransdatter, but it's really long and the print is really small, so it's kind of slow-going. I need to renew it for the 2nd time, but I'm not sure. Maybe I want to get another, more readable edition.

What am I praying about?

Lots of things, my uncle's declining health, AHG, Fr. Joseph who is expected to die within the year, all of my family, but especially Elizabeth DeHority. I've had her socks on my sidebar for years, almost since I started blogging in '07. She's had breast cancer all that time, and now it has metastasized everywhere. Most of her blog posts over the years have been about knitting and helping others, not about complaining about her cancer. Even as her condition has steadily worsened and treatments have gotten more difficult, she has been working to help others. I don't know her personally, but she's one of the most inspiring people I've ever encountered, and I know that her friends and strangers from all over the blogosphere will be praying her into heaven in the coming months.

What’s on my ipod?/

The best Way of the Cross ever. Produced by the Archdiocese of Denver and read by Greg Willits, it's beautiful. I haven't been able to use it as much as I would like, but I'm going to keep it on my phone to use this week and throughout the year. 

What projects are happening at home?

So many things. Cleaning, decluttering for spring cleaning and Easter. AHG projects. School projects. Looking into getting hardwood floors and maybe a little bathroom remodeling.

And I have furniture on the deck that needs a coat of spray paint. That I bought last year. And didn't use. Do you do that? I can't believe it has been a full year and I never found the time or the energy to do it! Praying that I will find both the time AND the energy to do it this spring----after the massive amounts of yellow pine tree pollen have been washed away.

11th Day of Christmas Rambles

::Weekly Rambles::

What’s really on my mind and heart?

We had a pretty nice Christmas despite several of us being in various stages of illness. Namely me, so meals were simpler than usual, and the house was messier than I would have liked, but probably no one noticed except me. 

I love celebrating Christmas and I sometimes wish it weren't a gift-giving event so that we could focus on the Real Meaning. All my Christmas decorations are still up, and I'll probably start slowly working on putting them away this week while Meg and Pip are at school, but I'm in no rush. I am looking forward to being back in somewhat of a routine.

What am I thankful for?

I am very, very thankful for the success of the procedure I had done last Monday, and even more thankful for the news on New Year's Eve that all the tissues biopsied were benign. I'm really thankful for general anesthesia, too! This was my first experience being put to sleep and it was like magic. What a beautiful thing to be completely unaware of what they're doing to you! Of course, they could do anything,  and that's a little creepy, but I just keep pushing that thought away. ;-) I'm also thankful for my doctor's skill since I have had no issues and no real pain which seems to be unusual.

What’s going on in school?

School starts tomorrow for Meg and Pip. They're looking forward to seeing their friends. Schoolwork? Notsomuch. Pete and Tom started classes at their respective universities today. It's Pete's last semester! Another graduation to start planning for in May!

What’s on the needles?

The very beginnings of a Settler Shawl. The gorgeous, purple Tosh Merino Light was a Christmas present for me, so the shawl is also for me. I'm loving it already because the pattern, the color, the yarn. All of it. Yum!

Also, a simple cowl that is intended for the shop. The yarn is Elspeth Lasvold's Silky Wool, a random skein from the stash. I love the denim colorway and the rustic feel!

What’s special about this week?

So much specialness! The Church celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany on Sunday. Tom's birthday is tomorrow on the actual Twelfth Day of Christmas, and then Pip's 16th birthday is Saturday! There are too many birthdays and celebrations in January to even think about starting a diet on Jan. 1!

What am I reading?

I am reading The Martian as recommended by Mac Baron of Catholic in a Smalltown podcast. I got it for Christmas and am finding it fascinating. Astronaut Mark Watney is a member of the Ares 3 Mars expedition and when a huge sandstorm came up, he was injured and left for dead while the rest of the crew had to leave the surface. He wasn't dead, and now he has to figure out how to stay alive, all alone, for 4 years (and only 1 year of food supplies) when the next manned mission is scheduled for.

What am I praying about?

Other people are coming up with words to live by during 2015, and I'm praying to know God's will. It might come in the form of one word, but I don't know yet. I spent a lot of prayer time asking for grace while expecting to deal with a cancer diagnosis this year, so I'm happy to be able to move on to something different that the Lord wants me to focus on!

I'm also praying for all my children, others with cancer, my sister-in-law, and myriad other loved ones and friends.

What projects are happening at home?

Not quite into project mode, yet. Between Christmas, the flu, and recovery from my little surgery, we're just in day-to-day mode. The first big project will be Christmas clean-up, and then I'll let you know. ;-)

Weight loss should be a big project. I guess it is, and it sort of started today with a 3-mile walk. It will take a while to get the food back under control because we are totally addicted to sugar around here, and, again, it's Birthday Month. So....yeah.

I am looking forward to getting back into the habit of blogging more than 2x per month! I'll never make a living from my blogging, but I enjoy chatting with folks, so stop in the combox and say Hi!

xo,
Sara

Merry Christmas!

Charming doodle by Meg.

It has been a busy couple of weeks around here! It seems I didn't sit still for the 2 weeks since my last post. If I was sitting, I was working on those socks, but most of the time I was shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking, or running some type of errand!

Best gift ever: to have them all at Mass with us!

I have some health issues that have been taking up any extra brain-space I have, so that accounts for some of the blog-silence. God willing, and with your prayers, those will be resolved Monday morning with a little procedure that takes care of the problems for good. 

I hope you are enjoying a blessed Christmas with your loved ones! My children can't be here all the time (Brendan had to leave Christmas day!), but I am grateful for every moment of their presence. I'm also grateful for a little respite, however brief, from the daily schedules and pressures. Mostly, I'm grateful for a God who humbled himself and came down from heaven to be one with us.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas! 

A Monday in Advent

Today a little, gingerbread tree sits in the center of our Advent wreath---which sits in the middle of the school table!

The tree kit mysteriously appeared in the latest decorating box. A happy surprise since I had forgotten that I bought it at 90% off after Christmas.

I'm thrilled that Meg decided to decorate it on her own and did the whole thing herself---even the cleanup!

Children DO grow up---which is both good and bad.  Isn't it?

7 Quick Takes

Thanks to Kelly for taking over QuickTakes hosting duties for Superwoman Jen...

1. Tomorrow is St. Nicholas day! It's always one of our favorite days of the year when St. Nicholas fills our Christmas stockings with way too much candy and little goodies!

For breakfast we will have coffee, candy, and a Kringle which I found at Trader Joe's and saved for this occasion! That's appropriate, don't you think?

2. Did you know that you have one more day to use the coupon code holiday20 at my Etsy shop at Etsy.com/shop/NestEggKnits ? You can get one of a kind book blankeys for the favorite little child in your life!

3. Did you know you have one more day to use the coupon code holiday20 at my Etsy shop at Etsy.com/shop/RosyKnits ? If you look at the sidebar on the right you can see that there are some yummy Cowls and ear warmers and scarves in the shop!

4. Our school set up this amazing little room for Advent. They put lights up and then covered all the walls and ceiling with wrinkled craft paper and set the holy family in a little niche. It has chairs and Gregorian chant playing, and you can go in and sit and have a few quiet moments in prayer. The students have had the opportunity to go in during the school day and listen to a little meditation. It's really beautiful! I took the opportunity to sit and pray the St. Andrew novena yesterday morning----that particular prayer in that particular setting was just a perfect way to start my day!

5. Getting a pair of hand knit socks from me for Christmas means that I love you. Not that I don't love the people that I don't make socks for, but you know what I mean!

This year there are two people that I want to make socks for, and I'm getting a very. late. start. so say a prayer for me!

6. Meg has been watching far too many DIY decorating gurus on YouTube lately. But it has had the beneficial effect of getting her to clean her room! She has decluttered most of the room and gotten rid of a lot of junk, and now she wants to do some DIY decorating.

She found some pictures online that she really liked, so we bought a couple of frames to supplement the ones we already had, did some spray painting and now she has this awesome little collage of pictures to put on her wall! I think it is super cute!

She also did a little washi tape design on her dresser to jazz it up:

 How cool is that?!

7.  Gratuitous arty jellybean photo. Just because. #MeggieSnaps

Quick Takes on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

1:: Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It our family feast day since we consecrated our home to the Sacred and the Immaculate Hearts about ten years ago. Tomorrow is the Blessed Mother's feast day.  I got roses for both of them.

2:: I'm making extremely slow progress on our Little Oratory. Here is what it has looked like for a while where we pray our nightly decade, or rosary, and consecration prayer.

3::  I'm gathering other things from the room and around the house to add to it. The corner is very plain with that large blank space on the wall. The table used to be under the large painting but I scootched everything around so we would have a better view of the Two Hearts instead of the spring---though that can inspire thoughts of living water!

4:: Here's our picture of the Two Hearts that we should be focusing on when we renew our consecration at night.

Love those dried palms from a couple of years ago? I always forget to burn them on Ash Wednesday!

5:: This is our icon wall to the right of the window. I have a couple more to add.

6:: Our home altar as it has been for a few years. The basket holds rosaries, and we have the set of rosary images that we change for each mystery. We never light the candle, but we are going to start!

The cloth reverses to white. I remove it for Holy Week, but I've never gotten around to making a purple/rose one for Advent and Lent. Maybe this year! 

7:: Lastly, the table rotates to reveal a selection of our religious and prayer books.

God willing, someday soon I'll show you the updates! Subscribe to posts so you can see it! 

::Linking up with Jen at ConversionDiary.com

Pentecost Dessert

This year we celebrated Pentecost with a coconut cake topped with raspberries and whipped cream. 

I used Bob's Red Mill Coconut flour, since that's what they carry at my grocery store, and it's much more yellow than the brand I usually use. The recipe called for maple syrup as a sweetener, but I used honey this time, so we had a lovely yellow, instead of white, cake that was reminiscent of a honey-soaked baklava! Yellow-ness aside, I thought it was wonderful.

I also sweetened the whipped cream with Stevia liquid instead of sugar. My kids sometimes complain about unsweetened whipped cream, so I compromised. I didn't hear any complaints----probably because they know it's futile, not because they were content. ;-)

Happy birthday to the Church!

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

Let us pray.

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

What I Did During Holy Week

I would like to say that I baked pretzels, and prayed the Stations of the Cross every day, and prepared meaningful, symbolic meals every day while my children built awesome Lego depictions of Biblical events, but that's not what happened.

Oh, Meg and I did post pictures of the Stations all around the house---which we prayed together exactly once.  And we did go to Stations at church on Friday.  And attended the Mass of the Last Supper on Thursday, and the Celebration of the Lord's Passion on Friday.

We got adventurous and went to the Easter Vigil Saturday night at the cathedral with the Archbishop celebrating.  It was very moving with many, many young people being received into the Church.  Even walking to and from the church, from my daughter's apartment, in the rain, couldn't dampen our spirits and the joy of Easter.

But the real highlight of Holy Week is the redecorating we did around the house!  (And you know I'm being all tongue-in-cheek when I say that, because JESUS is the highlight.  We just had to get some work done while I had a helper here to do it.)

Katie was on spring break, so she offered to come help paint the bedrooms of Meg and Pip, which would have taken me forever to do what with all the furniture moving, and the decluttering, and the reorganizing.  And she loves that stuff, so we pulled off an amazing feat of emptying and painting 2 rooms in 2 days!

Sanding off the Boy Scout Law

Amazon Stone by Behr.  Love.

Excited much?

Stripes left over from Katie.

Jamaica Bay by Behr.

 The previous picture is the only one that shows the true color.  I think it's Easter Egg blue. :-)  Katie gave her the stick on chandelier for her birthday in January, and I gave her the Dream sign. Her two favorite parts of the room.  The chandy even has stick-on jewels!

Ack!  Blurry!  But note the pretty rosary.

Jamaica Bay is really pretty.  But not on the carpet. :-(

That's a big stain.  Maybe you can tell by my foot.  I know you love my shoes!  And did you know that rubbing alcohol takes paint out of carpet??? Yep.  That stain is 99% gone. And we were just too tired of it (and when I say We, I mean Katie) to go the rest of the way.  It takes a lot of alcohol, a lot of paper towels, a lot of pouring and blotting (not rubbing!), but it does come out.  And let me tell you, alcohol and paper towels are a lot cheaper than replacing the carpeting.

This is Pip's dresser that I painted with "granite" spray paint years and years ago.  He has been working very hard to remove the granite particles.  Bless his heart.  It's a big, slow job.  I think he's about finished and we can stain it.  I'll show you when it's done!

What did you do during Holy Week?

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

We walked from Katie's apartment to and from the Cathedral last night, in the rain.  It was a stunning Mass celebrated by the Archbishop, and I was so excited to see the 30 or so new members of the Church.

This morning, the kids are sleeping in because we were up way too late.  When they get up, they have to answer a couple of Catholic doctrine questions (from the Catholic Doctrine Playing Cards, of course!) to get clues to the location of their Easter baskets.

I think we're going to eat sugar, drink coffee, eat more sugar, and then eat ham and fall asleep, resting in the knowledge that our Lord is risen indeed.

Happy Easter!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

But the pain which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation hath procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He's king, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia!
Praise Him, all you heavenly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!

Failing at Lent

Have you failed at Lent, yet?  

I think we all do, and I'm not going to call myself names because of it.  Some sacrifices are harder than others---like remembering not to say anything bad about anyone, or swear, because those things are such thoughtless habits that they come out before you know it.  

Aside from Ash Wednesday when I ate corn because it was masquerading as a vegetable and not a grain (tricksy, tricksy!), I seriously failed yesterday.  I started out making Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (because we are trying to quit cereal, and I make the cookies with very little sugar, unlike real oatmeal cookies) for my kids, thinking that oats are gluten-free, and I didn't use anything to sweeten besides maple syrup, nor put any wheat flour in them.  Pretty soon, I had a chocolate-chip cookie that was nowhere near a Breakfast Cookie, or anything that my kids would care to eat!  But I enjoyed them!

It was much, much later when I realized what I had done---making something sweet for my kids, eating it, grain (albeit gluten-free!), sugar, and all, myself!  

Failing at our New Year's Resolutions every January makes us call ourselves names and then give up those resolutions.  Lenten penances, however, serve to remind us that we 

a.   make these sacrifices  in order to grow closer to God, and 

b. that we need His help to succeed.

I think of it as a call to deeper prayer.  Lots of people choose not to "give up" anything for Lent in favor of "doing" something like add prayer time, and that's fine, but I think the constant reminder, through our failures, that we can only sacrifice things for Him and with Him is good.

What Do You Do for Lent?

Ash Wednesday is tomorrow!  Did you know that?  I'm always surprised by the number of people who look at my ashes and say, "Oh, is today Ash Wednesday?  I need to go get my ashes!"  Not to be uncharitable or judgmental (which means I'm totally going to be), but why do you want ashes if you don't go to Mass often enough to know that Ash Wednesday is coming?  I really just don't understand.  I'm not judging their hearts; I can't; I just don't get it.  I'm actually happy they want to go, and maybe the priest giving the homily will be the messenger of the Holy Spirit.

I've been talking with my youngest two about what they're planning.  I guess they're growing up, and all the things we've done in the past they're getting too big for.  Sad.  They just want to make their own sacrifices without my telling them what to do.  

I have made a couple of strong suggestions, like:

• Immediate Obedience (because I forget what I told them to do and it doesn't get done!)
• Walking the Dog when he asks to go out, instead of waiting until he's whining and I'm mad.
• No fighting with each other.
• No TV until after dinner.
• Reading Saint books.

They are going to have a couple of sacrifices that they didn't choose, though:  

We're going to go to Mass a lot more.

No sweets---I'm not buying or making any, even on Sundays.

Here are a few other ideas:

• Crown of Thorns (we will do this because it's a good centerpiece reminder and the kids still like pulling out the thorns)
• Jesus Tree /Lenten Readings
• Catholic Family Bootcamp

So, what am I doing, you ask?  

• Daily Mass as much as possible.
• 33 Days to Morning Glory Marian consecration retreats every Saturday a.m. to prepare for consecration on April 8 (the date of the Annunciation this year).  I've put together a small group of ladies to do this with, and I'm so excited!
• I'm giving up all grains and sugar.  And yes, there is an ulterior motive here (or two):  weight loss and health.  For years, I've been reluctant to give up foods for Lent because it comes with those ulterior motives, so I thought those sacrifices weren't "worthy".  Even if I did give something up, initially, I would cave in at some point during Lent because "it wasn't a good enough sacrifice!" But after reading Simcha Fischer's post the other day, I realized that it's really the devil who doesn't want me to make these sacrifices.  He doesn't care about my health, and he certainly doesn't want me to make a difficult sacrifice and attach prayer to it!  These sacrifices are extremely difficult for me because of the addiction to sugar and wheat, and because I hate, hate, hate being different from everyone else and having other people notice what I'm eating or not eating.  So, there, I said it.  I may not say it again, but you heard it.  ;-)
• And, sometime in the next 12 hours, I'll choose a spiritual book to read.  Most likely, Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth:  Holy Week.  (I think I just picked it. ;-)

So there you have it.  My Plan for Lent.  What's your's?  

{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.

Last Day of 2012 Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...
The sky is full of those adorable, cottonball clouds.  I think they're stratocumulus---because it's a "layer" of "cumulus" clouds.

I am thinking...
About the new year and all that it may bring.  I'm really trying NOT to think of the Fiscal Cliff, however it's unavoidable, and managing the household better factors into the "resolutions" I'm making.

I used Jen Fulwiler's tips  this morning as a starting point for resolutions which I wholeheartedly resolve not to make. ;) It is good to spend a little time thinking about what can be improved in your life.  Let me rephrase that:  thinking about how you can improve.  But really, that's something we should be doing daily.  In the Catholic world, that's called an Examination of Conscience which is, ideally, done nightly, and then you get up and try to do better the next day.  Making New Year's Resolutions seems a lot like starting a new diet (and don't we all do that on January 1?), and then when we cheat, we go ahead and say the whole day is shot, might as well keep cheating and start again tomorrow, or next Monday.  (Don't even try to tell me I'm the only one!) Or worse, we give up for the whole year until we gain another 5-7 pounds over The Holidays, and yada yada yada...it's time to make more resolutions.  :)

So...instead of Resolutions, I have a list of 8 things I can work on to improve certain areas of my life.  And the nice thing is that I'm not a failure if I don't accomplish any one of them in a day.  They're things to work on every day.

What are you working on this year?

I am thankful...
For the new (used) car that DH got.  Now he's got a nicer ride to and from work, and there's another car for a young man who needs it.

From the learning rooms...
We are still on vacation until the 7th.  I'm yearning for some more structure to our days, so we'll have to institute that this week, or I'll just send them all back to school!  Or, more likely, I'll give them reading assignments and get them to help me strip wallpaper or clean out closets!

In the kitchen...
I have been absolutely l.o.v.i.n.g. the perpetual broth in the crockpot.  My turkey carcass went straight into the pot after dinner, so we we've had turkey broth all week.  Yesterday, I used some in the amazing gumbo that we had for dinner (totally new to us!), bottled the rest, and freed up the crockpot for tonight's pulled pork.  We'll have another chicken in a couple of days, or I'll roast some beef bones for the next batch of broth.  I know, you think it's weird, but it is so nice to have a cup of hot broth whenever.  If there are any Jewish mothers reading my blog, I'm sure they'd approve!

I am wearing...
New jeans that make me happy.  A new red cardigan that makes me smile, and some big, festive earrings that belonged to my mom and are perfect for New Year's Eve.  Even if we are staying home. :)

I am knitting...
An infinity scarf that I've started twice.  Today, I think I'll start it a third time on larger needles, otherwise it will take me an infinite amount of time to finish it!

I'm also crocheting a sparkly red shawl that I saw on the Drops Advent Calendar.  December 5.  I had the perfect yarn that I wouldn't use otherwise, so I'm making it.  One of my goals for the year should be to use all my yarn, or at least a lot of the scraps, because all my bins are full.

I am going...
Nowhere!

I am reading...
I'm supposed to be reading 1776 for this month's book club.  I haven't started, but then I've listened to it before.  Maybe I'll pull out the discs and listen again.

I am hoping and praying...
For an answer to my Christmas novena that gives me peace!
For my friend who was rear-ended and got her car totalled the other day.  I have a good idea how she feels physically and emotionally, and it's not good.
For baby Dominic Pio and his continued recovery.
For baby Simeon.

I am looking forward to...
Birthday month!  Three birthdays for the 3 youngest this year, starting on the feast of the Epiphany.  Pippo wants a Settlers of Catan themed party---has anyone done one of those?

I am hearing on my ipod...
Two new podcasts that I'm listening to:  The Catholics Next Door (who used to do a podcast, then moved to Sirius XM radio where I couldn't listen, and now they're back and better than ever!)

And something completely different:  Econ Talk with Russ Roberts.  It's fascinating and educational. 

Around the house...
I am making a list of projects that I'd like to accomplish this year. (You know I mean next year, right?  The one that starts tomorrow?)  I'll probably share those with you shortly!

One of my favorite things...
The lights on my my Christmas and Jesse trees that stay lit constantly from Christmas day onward.  (Note to self:  buy new lights before Thanksgiving---as soon as they show up in stores!)

A few plans for the rest of the week...
One meeting.

Here is picture  thought I am sharing...

Paperwhites:  Soon to be a motion picture!

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

3rd Day of Christmas {PHFR}

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

3 French Hens...and another day to relax and enjoy the season.

{pretty}

My boys are so handsome in their Christmas duds.   The other 2 were just as handsome, but they didn't feel the need to get their pictures taken. {happy} Meg has been asking for this bike. for. months.  Every time we went to a Target she went to "visit" it.  One time, they were all gone.  First at one store, then another (we frequent 3 different Targets in our travels!), they disappeared.  You should have seen the tears!  So Santa and I got off our duffs and worked a little magic to be sure "Lulu" was here for Christmas.
{funny} She couldn't believe that we actually got it since she never saw us come home with it.  Children are so funny!  I'm just happy no one found out where it was hidden.
Brothers photo-bombing the bike portrait!
{real}

I got a pic of my favorite gift---all my children together---before leaving the church, while everyone was still dressed up.
~~~ Are you still enjoying the Christmas season?