Visit www.snoringscholar.com for Catholic Pondering!

Time for a Move

2009-08-08T12:29:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm moving.

Yes, that's right.

Today's the day.

Every so often, I look at my life and think, "Self, what could we do to shake things up?" :)

From now on, you'll find me at my new site, www.snoringscholar.com. I'm importing all the posts from here and trying to tap into the other little things and stuff that need to be moved too.

If you read this in a feed reader, you'll need to change your feed to the new website. If you get this through email, then you need to update by clicking here.

It's very much a work-in-progress and it's going to be at least another, oh, lifetime before I have it looking the way I want to. Many thanks to the help I've gotten from Austin (through chat and Twitter, the man has been very patient with me!) and to whichever angel is helping me tap into my inner patient person...

Quick Takes on How It's Going

2009-08-07T00:39:00.003-04:00

I've been asked how it's going. I've been told my blog doesn't really relate how it might really be going. And so, as a "here's where I'm at" with my sabbatical, this week's quick takes will try to tackle that question...

--1--

The book. The first question after "How's it going?" is "How's your book coming along?" The answer: "Ummmmm." I just don't know how to answer that. You see, I've realized that, when it comes to this project, not only is it in God's hands, but it's a week-at-a-time sort of thing. Have I mentioned that I don't do well with that? Oh yeah, I have. It has been an ongoing challenge to let go and let God.

Photo from this is your brain on lithium

--2--

The peace. I have to say, taking two months off my day job for discernment has been peaceful. I didn't expect that. When I first shared about this sabbatical with my family, I was surprised at the reaction of some of them. My husband asked me when I've ever taken time off that wasn't vacation. My answer: never. Oh, I've been working, don't get me wrong. I have two little kids and there's writing to do and a house and...and...and... This peace, though, is confirmation of a few things, one of which is that God did want me to take this time off to rest.

--3--

The writing. That's the other other thing everyone wants to know when they find out I am ostensibly writing this summer. It's going OK. I've realized, having been asked this question quite a bit lately, that I have a tendency to be negative about anything related to writing; it feels so close, so tender, so dear...it's hard to trumpet my abilities when I am trying to remain realistic and I'm also naturally cynical. I had a feature piece over at Faith and Family Live earlier this week and I have plans to submit more for them. I also plan to do some submitting elsewhere. So it's going OK. And OK is good.

--4--

The kids. They're not driving me crazy. Well, not too much. And, honestly, I'm a little surprised by that. Shocked, in fact. You might say that I'm looking in the mirror and asking just who that is, that lady who's been home with her kids most of the summer...

--5--

The garden. Yielding plenty of yummy stuff. We're having tons of fun harvesting and freezing and sharing. The time of the Produce Martyrs is fast approaching, with only weeks until tomatoes and grapes are ready for our ministrations.

--6--

The weedscaping. I meant to deal with it. I haven't. Call me Scarlett O'Hara. Fall is coming, and my husband and I will (hopefully) attack it together, chemicals and sharp mechanical tools at hand.

--7--

The summer and the school year. It's flying by. I feel like school's going to start in a few weeks -- and it is. I'm working with a friend on a fun preschool homeschooling plan, and we'll see how that goes. I'm glad to have a partner in the adventure, gladder still to have the freedom to pursue it. Will we continue with homeschooling beyond this year? Well, I have thoughts on that, but I still need to form them some more.

7 Quick Takes is hosted each week at Conversion Diary, where you'll find some of the best writing on the web and plenty of laughs to get you through your week.

Mary, Mary, and a Priest

2009-08-06T21:07:00.002-04:00

Do I have your attention?

Good, because this week's Catholic Moments is just the thing for you. Deacon Tom (who, by the way, has a brand-new podcast of his own coming out very soon!) talks about the mysterious August snowfall that outlined Saint Mary Major in Rome (Sound like Our Lady of the Snows? Ah-ha! You've been paying attention this week!).

In my Mary Moment segment, I reflect on Mary and prayer...not praying to Mary, mind you, but using Mary as a guide to a better prayer life.

Then there's the interview Lisa did with Father Robert Barron. Wow. What a guy! What a concept! What a blessing!

What are you waiting for? Get on over and check it out!

Love Equals Sacrifice

2009-08-06T12:18:00.002-04:00

Love Equals Sacrifice, by Michael Stidham, is less than 100 pages, proof that it doesn’t take a thick tome to inspire thought and reflection.

Stidham shares his journey away from the Catholic Church, into the world of business and success, and about the losses he suffered, beginning with his mother and his older brother, in mid-life. Without using fancy language or wasting any breath, he then goes on to tell the story of how he sold his business and became his father’s full-time caregiver.

“Things were pretty hard for both my father and me. I remember asking God on a few occasions to please take one of us, I don’t care which one. Obviously, I was under enormous pressure during this period. Running my business was a piece of cake to being a caretaker.”

Though it’s short -- almost too short, I felt -- Love Equals Sacrifice made me think about how Alzheimer’s could touch me, has already touched me, might touch my children. He doesn’t come right out and talk about the commitment he felt toward his father and how that love manifested itself at the end of his father’s life, though he hints at it. I was touched, and couldn’t help wondering what more there was to this story.

Stidham mentions coming back to the Catholic Church and I can’t help but think about how the sacraments -- especially the Mass -- must have fed him and supported him through this difficult time. He writes about barely remembering the words to the Our Father and Hail Mary, and I imagine that the struggle through that embarrassment was as challenging, on a different level, as the care of his father.

I recommend this book and hope to interview the author soon to get more (which I’ll be sure to share here).

Three Cheers!

2009-08-06T06:37:00.000-04:00

Every week, there's something worth celebrating. Sometimes, I look down my nose about it. Other times, I shrug about how small my "successes" are, especially when I think about what I could have done, or should have done, or would have done.

But you know what?

There's a temptation in my demand for perfection, one that makes me blind to the forest for all the trees (or vice versa).

So, every Thursday, along with the fine folks at Faith & Family Live, I sit down and think about what my small successes are. Feel free to join in. It's a great practice in humility and a wonderful way to encourage each other.

1. I completed the library's summer reading program. Every year, I struggle. Ten books? No problem! I'll confidently think as I fill out the form. And then I'll get enchanted with a 600-page book of some sort that will take longer than three days to read and put me behind. But this year, somehow, I read my ten books before the deadline (which, by the way, is long before when I consider the end of the summer to be!).

2. I wrote my representatives and senators about the proposed health care reform that's in the House right now.

3. Last Friday, when my mother-in-law asked me if I wanted to spend the day freezing sweet corn, I said yes. We might not eat corn again this summer after spending all day with the intricacies of 24 dozen ears, but when the snow's flying, I'll savor those kernels of summer sunshine!

What are you cheering about this week? Go on over to Faith & Family Live and share!

The Best Kind of Vitamins

2009-08-05T17:46:00.003-04:00

In my inbox, just today, was an announcement that has me as excited as any news I've received this week...my favorite online deacon is going to start a podcast! Here's the scoop:

Has there been a seeming lack of vitality in your faith practice recently? Are you wondering where God is? We understand. It’s okay and it happens to most everyone from time to time. It’s even happened with some of the saints.
BUT – you don’t have to accept this as something you can’t do anything about. We have a suggestion. Why not try listening to a refreshing new Catholic podcast called CATHOLIC VITAMINS. It’s coming this fall – with a familiar voice right in your earbuds. The host is Deacon Tom – you know him. He’s been around areas of new media evangelization for a couple years, now. And, Dee his lovely bride will join with him on this podcast.
What are Catholic Vitamins? And do you have to buy anything? Is there selling involved? The answers are:
To find out, just tune in to the new podcast. A place to try a few ‘vitamins’ that may just add vitality and a bit of zest to your wonderful Catholic faith.
Buy anything? Nope. As a matter of fact, the aim of the show is to help convince you that you don’t have to buy into a mundane, Sunday for an hour Catholic faith.
Well – as for selling – not really. I mean we are all called to evangelization. And to do it with love and God’s grace. So maybe that’s a form of selling. But there’s no knocking on doors or making ‘cold calls’ with this podcast.
Catholic Vitamins* – for eternal good health!
*Coming soon on Itunes and right to your earbuds!
Our voice feedback # is 206-350-3789.

What if...

2009-08-05T10:28:00.005-04:00

...more people took this approach to the mid-life "I don't love you" crisis that seems inevitable?

I'm inspired. I'm heartened. I'm touched. Divorce and love are topics that are dear to my heart, close in a way that few things are. I was never going to marry, you know. I was pretty sure it was an outdated, useless institution for religious types, and I was not a religious type, thankyouverymuch.

I'm married now, and I often battle with a demon in my mind, one that whispers about the greener grass, the impossible things I deal with (though I am married to a saint!), the crazy responsibilities getting in the way of what I'd rather be doing.

The question becomes, then, one of getting past my own selfishness. I once read a book by Ayn Rand called The Virtue of Selfishness. I can't remember what was in that book, but I remember lending it to my dad and insisting that he would see the errors of his silly faith once he read it.

Right now, Dad's having a hearty chuckle. And that's OK with me.

The thing is, reading this article about one woman's way of dealing with the words "I don't love you anymore," I see myself. Not in the woman...in the husband.

I'm just the type of person who could so easily just chuck it all out the window. Maybe it would be a result of a battle with depression, with a need to martyr myself and make the pain worse, with a desire to try something, well, easier.

Go on over and read this article, "Those Aren't Fighting Words, Dear." See if it doesn't make you shake your head and maybe look at things a little differently.

I enjoyed Danielle Bean's comments earlier, and I am heartened to see this article linked, well, all over the blogosphere this morning.

Is this for real?

2009-08-04T17:17:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend I came across some information about the proposed health care reform bill. I wasn't going to blog it, because I usually stay away from politics and the like.

But this is important.

I can't help but feel like the next step, if this passes, will be even scarier.

I have quite a few elderly people in my life. I hope to someday be an elderly person. I hope to raise people who will one day be elderly people.

This bill will affect everyone. Don't be fooled by the pretty language you might be hearing, by the way the word "change" might appeal to your inner sensibility, especially when you look at what you perceive to be the sorry state of health care in this country.

Because it could be worse.

And I think it will be worse if this bill passes.

As I usually do when we might disagree, I encourage you to read this for yourself. Here's the link to the full text of the proposed bill that's in the House right now (H.R. 3200), if you have time and inclination to read it (and you should, if you live in this country and plan to grow old in this country, though it's 400 pages). I found a helpful summary via Jean at Catholic Fire.

Second, here's a YouTube video about a rather scary proposition at Cars.gov (um, don't go there -- watch the video first).

Is this for real? I mean, really. Is this for real? Or am I just having a bad day? (I wasn't, not really, though I've been working up a letter for my representatives and senators and will be sending that tomorrow.)

All's Fair in Sheep and Rides

2009-08-04T08:16:00.003-04:00

Within one week, our sheep-showing family had both the county and the state fairs. We weren't able to make it to the county fair, but we made it to the open show yesterday at the state fair.

I didn't take as many pictures as in the past, and I left my camera in the barn when we ventured to the Midway. But I think I captured the essence of what the state fair means to me: family and fun.

Here are a few highlights of the day, and if you're inclined to see the rest of the pictures, they're here.

Chaos in the ring...all the kids, some helpers, and smiles all 'round. It was a good day.

Ribbons and banners and smiles, oh my! Here Little D is showing Uncle Bob the ribbons and banners from the junior show over the weekend (which we didn't attend). His lecture included nuances such as the lineage of the sheep that won and plans for future shows. He's been paying attention for years now, and he's my go-to guy when I have a sheep question at the show.

Nothing like a morning of running around a barn to wear a girl out. All the baa-ing in the barn couldn't keep her awake!

Snow and Mary

2009-08-03T16:52:00.003-04:00

I remember it as one of the most special Christmases ever. It was the Christmas my youngest baby was in my arms and my oldest child was a sibling...both for the first time. It was the Christmas family came visiting from 1500 miles away. It was the Christmas we took a niece to her first midnight Mass and I found myself transported beyond the magic of Santa into the wonder of something so much more beautiful.

Christmas is special for so many reasons. I've hated it for years, for various reasons, but I embrace it now, for so many other, better reasons. I think of that Baby in the manger, not so different from the babies I've held. I smell the incense, see the church transformed, feel myself...nudged, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

And then there's that certain special Christmas snow, the snow that is prayed for earnestly, with innocence and wonder and faith. The snow that, against all forecasts, comes.

Makes me think of Mary. [Yeah, I know, by now you know that everything makes me think of Mary, but with a weekly assignment to write about her, I have to be a bit open-minded. :)]

As it turns out, there's a title of Mary, Our Lady of the Snows, that has to do with...snow.

I'm pretty sure she's the patron of a niece of mine who shares her name. I'm pretty sure when my niece hears about this title, she'll have the holy card in her possession. I'm pretty sure that I'll be thinking of Mary in a few months when it snows here in Ohio.

If you want to learn more about our special Christmas and about Our Lady of the Snows, stop by Today's Catholic Woman and read my column.

Getting it All Done

2009-08-03T16:20:00.001-04:00

It's just not possible.

Or is it?

Well, it's the topic of my feature article today at Faith and Family Live, "A Thing or Three." Enjoy!

Columns - Kids at Mass and Quiet vs. Busy

2009-07-31T14:50:00.003-04:00

Do you ever struggle with taking your young -- or not-so-young -- kids to Mass?

Me too.

I share some anecdotes and (hopefully) helpful advice in my latest column at CatholicMom.com, "Yeah, that's my kid."

Then there's a column that ran in our diocesan paper this week -- one that I didn't expect them to use as I submitted it back in September -- called "Blessing of a Bad Day" (scroll down past the first column on the page).

I've had some bad days recently, and this particular column ran in the same issue as my mother-in-law's sister's death announcement. She was a big fan of my writing, so I like to think of this piece, one I had forgotten all about, as a sort of message from her.

I'm going to try to remember that when I have a rough day.

Memories in the Making

2009-07-31T07:20:00.005-04:00

--1--

Is there anything better than the sound of a toddler giggling? She giggles with abandon, throwing her head back, and asking for "more" if the giggling was inspired by tickling. We can make faces, we can make silly noises, we can chase her...she'll laugh. And it's music to my ears.

--2--

On the other hand, few things are as frustrating as the word "fine" said in just the right tone of voice. My four-year-old has discovered that tone of voice. I'm fine-tuning the strategies for dealing with it. Putting my fingers in my ears and singing "la, la, la, I can't hear you," while appealing, doesn't seem like quite the right approach...

--3--

Last week, when we were at my brother's, I discovered his old Picture Bible. And, being the great guy he is, he gave it to us! ~~I can't find it online, but it's published by David Cook Publishing and this looks a lot like it.~~ I remember my dad reading it to me when I was very young, and my four-year-old has been begging for it every night at story time (and through the day too).

Updated: after some more extensive searching, here it is. The same one, I think. Anyone know if there's a Catholic version that includes the great Old Testament stories of Tobit and Maccabees? I'd love to see one!

--4--

In Toddlerspeak, swing is "whee." In Toddlerworld, we can't do enough wheeing.

--5--

Know any good "Knock, Knock" jokes? My four-year-old has been amusing me with them for quite a while, but now that my toddler is adding words daily, she's picked up "Knock, Knock." She says them with a demanding air and will increase her volume until someone responds. We usually can't understand what she says next, but it always cracks her up. See #1.

--6--

My four-year-old's favorite game, replacing "House," is "School." In this game, I am Mrs. Reinhard and she is a variety of students. She changes her voice and everything. Oh, and she tells me what we're doing next. She thinks it's great fun.

--7--

In a conversation about homeschooling this week, one of the friends who inspired me to learn more about it many moons ago shared this link to The Latin-Centered Curriculum with me. Anyone out there using it? I haven't had a chance to do thorough research on this program, but my friend is as excited as I have ever seen her. I'm intrigued.

For the Quick Takes round-up, head to Conversion Diary.

The Actor and the Housewife

2009-07-30T13:30:00.002-04:00

I’ve never read Shannon Hale before. Hadn’t even heard of her, as a matter of fact.

When Lissa mentioned Hale’s new book, The Actor and the Housewife, causing a booknapping in her house, though, I was intrigued. Just out of curiosity, I checked our library’s catalog. There it was, and a few days later, it was in my hot little hands.

It’s been a few months since I’ve read a novel I couldn’t put down. Oh, I’ve read some good ones, don’t get me wrong. But to read a book with a story that captured my imagination, with characters I enjoy, a plot that keeps me laughing even after I’ve turned the page, that inspires me to cart it around (even to places with no possible chance of reading)...this is a rare combination.

This was just such a book.

I laughed. I cried. I almost reread it.

No, really. (And I don’t usually reread just any old book, much less right after I’ve finished it.)

The book ended, and I just...sat there.

I mean, what else could I do? My husband’s not the sort of reader who will pick it up to keep me company and give me conversation company. (Lissa, however, after posting her review, kindly obliged with an open thread for discussion.)

Here’s the short one paragraph summary: Becky, a Mormon housewife seven months pregnant with #4, is in LA selling a screenplay, quite by a stroke of luck. Who should stumble in but the heartthrob actor, Felix Callahan? Instead of swooning, Becky begins with a parlay of sarcasm and wit that pretty much seals their friendship and continues for years. Becky and Felix are both happily married, in the “very happy, not interested even in a dreamily handsome man/woman” way, but are able to remain friends. There are tragedies and triumphs, but it’s all very down-to-earth.

Becky is just the sort of person I’d like to be friends with. For one thing, I think she could teach me a thing or two about making a pie crust. :) For another, she’s the original supermom. You’d like her. I know you would. Even if you wouldn’t, you’d like Hale’s descriptions and dialogues with her.

Though it read as fast as a “popcorn book,” that distant cousin to the “popcorn movie” that’s worth entertainment though not enrichment, Actor and Housewife had some interesting themes, some intriguing mind benders.

Can men and women really be friends in the platonic sense? Can they? Becky and Felix pull it off, and I concluded that it must have something to do with their specific personalities as much as with their circumstances. The friendship goes on hiatus at least twice due to spousal discomfort, thus reinforcing the primacy of each of their marriages.

What does it mean to be best friends? Can you be best friends with someone in addition to your spouse? If you’re not married, maybe this doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but I’ve known people who have felt that some of their spouse’s extracurricular activities have been a sort of mistress in the marriage. (I suspect, early in my own marriage, my involvement in parish activities probably had my husband feeling that way.)

There’s so much more to say about this book, but I’m going to stop here and send you off to your library or bookstore to buy your own copy. I have some yakking to do over at Lissa’s. :)

Sweet Success

2009-07-30T05:33:00.004-04:00

1. Last week, I took the kids and went to my brother's.

2. During this, the Week of Vacation Detox, I haven't had a meltdown. In fact, I'd like to think I've been pleasant to my family.

3. We snapped all those beans. The same day we picked them.

How about you? What successes -- small or otherwise -- have you celebrated this week? Share them at Faith & Family Live!

Finding Mary in the Baby in My Arms

2009-07-29T13:39:00.001-04:00

On my Mary Moment segment on this week's Catholic Moments, I share about how my newest nephew inspired me last week to think about Mary in a new way.

As the oldest of the five kids in my family, I’m new to the business of being an aunt. My husband was an old pro at uncle-ing by the time we met, courted, and married, so I’ve been an aunt for a number of years. But it’s not the same. Not at all.

Holding my brother’s child -- my nephew -- I found that, despite my inclinations, I am a baby person. I soothe him, I admire him, I all but drool on him. How did this happen?

Well, you can find out, and you can also enjoy the first of Deacon Tom's monthly reflections on the Year of the Priest and Lisa's interview with Woodeene Koenig-Bricker, in Catholic Moments 112.

Pondering Harry Potter

2009-07-29T11:53:00.004-04:00

We’ve long been fans of Harry Potter. I have a cousin to thank for that. She raved on and on and ON, and so I picked up the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

It wasn’t bad.

In fact, it was good.

That led to me picking up the second book, and the third.

And that led to the series of middle-of-the-night adventures relating to Harry Potter that found me at a movie theater, instead of in my bed, a few weeks ago when the ~~fifth~~ sixth* movie, Half-Blood Prince, was released.

Sometime before the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, came out, I took Bob with me on a long plane ride and stuck Sorcerer’s Stone in a convenient place.

I wasn’t surprised that he loved it. I was surprised at how fast he read it. We had to pick up Chamber of Secrets, the second book, during our layover.

We’ve been to three midnight book parties and four midnight movie screenings. We've stayed up late into the night, reading the books, and we've listened to the audio versions enough to wear some of the CDs out. Though sleep has become more precious than money during the years of our Harry Potter mania, we willingly forsake it for the sake of the story.

Because it is such a story.

If you have only seen the movies, you’re missing it. Read the books! If you have only read the books, well, I can’t say that I blame you, though the first two movies, and the fifth, Order of the Phoenix, are worth your time (my review of Order of the Phoenix is here). But how can you only see some of them? How do you know for yourself that the movies are or aren't good?

This last movie, Half-Blood Prince, didn’t quite do what I expected, what I wanted. I know they have to change the story to fit it in the longer-than-usual movie time. I know they take some liberties and all of that. I’m even willing to forgive them.

But this movie, this movie, should have left me devastated.

I should have been sobbing. Even though I knew the ending, even though I knew the surprise, I should have been changed at the end, moved emotionally. The story is good enough, the details are there.

But I wasn’t.

It wasn’t because of the gaggles of kids around me, cheering and clapping and acting, in general, as though this was a Jonas Brothers concert and not a movie. I understand their enthusiasm. I like to think I share it (if expressed a little bit differently).

No, the movie is missing something. I haven’t blogged a review because I have been hoping to discover that “something.”

Maybe what this movie needs is simply a second viewing.

We will, of course, be viewing it a second time. That probably won’t happen until after we buy the DVD, though I do think, this winter, a rereading of the series is in order. Ooo, I’m getting all excited as I think about that...

*Thanks to my brother for correcting my numbering in the combox. I'll have to noogie him soon for calling me a goober on Facebook, though!

Guess what's for dinner?

2009-07-28T13:12:00.002-04:00

Mary of the Ponderosa

2009-07-27T16:36:00.002-04:00

You've probably gathered that we're horse people. Or, more accurately, that we're horse-crazy people.

This week, in my column on Our Lady of Consolation, I reflect on what Padre calls "Mary of the ponderosa," how I find myself inspired by Mary when we're at the horse farm.

Pictured here is Bailey, an equine friend we made last year. After we ride, we brush them. No, we don't have to. But Wrangler Matt lets us, and Daddy insists that the fun comes with work. I suspect there is as much joy for Daddy in the brushing as there is work for the rider...

Wish I Woulda Thought of That

2009-07-27T07:52:00.002-04:00

...though I can't dance...

HT Ouiz

Dandelions as Something Other than Pesky

2009-07-27T07:18:00.002-04:00

While I was mowing, I couldn’t help but reflect on the success of dandelions in my yard. I mean, they’re EVERYWHERE! A few weeks ago, they were bright yellow punctuation marks to the lush green of our nothing-fancy lawn. Babs would point to them and sniff her “flower” sign, and we rediscovered the joy of bright yellow dandelions. We would pick her one, and she would consider it and then carry it around with nothing less than pure and utter joy. She would point to another one, and another one, and another.

Read the rest at CatholicMom.com.

Benefits of Vacationing in Vree-gin-ee-ya

2009-07-24T04:57:00.002-04:00

We have spent this week visiting family in "Vree-gin-ee-ya," cuddling the newest nephew. It has been quite a visit, one we'll be talking about for quite a while to come. Here are my top seven reasons to "vacation" in Virginia:

Trying new recipes for an appreciative crowd. When I told my brother I would cook while I was here, I had no idea that I was setting myself up for success. Of course, it's no secret that Saving Dinner saves the day for me all the time. But being told that I'm an awesome cook is a temptation, let me tell you. My pride just inflates and I start to believe it. ;)

Baby feet. Nestled in blankets, admired by little girls, snuggled in the car seat. I just can't get enough. I'm enjoying them and savoring them and snapping pictures and pictures of them.

Pool time. That pool in my brother's back yard is awesome. The weather's cooler than normal, from what I understand, but we've made good use of it. It seems that every time I turn around, my four-year-old is asking to go swimming.

Friends near enough to visit. Today I'm going to visit with a dear, dear friend. She's going quite a bit out of her way, offering me hospitality, and cooking for us. Well, that's no surprise. She's The Saint, after all. I'm excited, lemme tell ya.

A mom's work may never be done, but changing it is good for her mental health sometimes. I was hesitant to take this week "off" from my summer work of writing and sabbatical-ing. It felt extravagant. It seemed unnecessary. It was a bit of a risk. But I'm so glad I did, giving myself permission to not doing any serious writing, to enjoy my family, to help in the little ways I can.

My girls with their boy. I'm not sure how, exactly, my girls are such baby people. They didn't get it from me, though I'm finding myself a Baby Person with this baby. I snuggle him and soothe him and snatch him away from those others who get to admire him everyday. And then I take more pictures of his feet as I admit that my four-year-old should, in fact, have a chance to hold him. I wonder if the toddler thinks his name is Careful?

The consequent sugar high. Grandma-who-lives-with-Uncle-Sailor (which is what we call her, though it is cumbersome) works at a candy store. Need I say more?

The official Quick Takes round-up can be found at Conversion Diary, hosted by the lovely Jen.

Epic and Suffering

2009-07-23T07:08:00.003-04:00

This week, during my Mary Moment, I share some thoughts on suffering. What's ironic about this is that I recorded it last week. Last week, we had some suffering with Poppa Gene's hospital stay. But, listening to myself again, I had to smile at the wisdom in the quote I shared, because there's been a bit of suffering this week with a death in the family. Suffering is just part of life, on the one hand, but I still seem to struggle with it anew, every time I'm faced with a new flavor of it.

But my Mary Moment is a very small part of this week's Catholic Moments. My favorite part is the Deacon Moment with the very dear, very wise Deacon Tom, and after hearing the interview about Epic, I'm pretty sure that I'm sold!

Wordless Wednesday: Cute as a Button

2009-07-22T04:53:00.001-04:00

We're having a very, very hard time restraining ourselves from that nephew of mine...

More on La Negrita

2009-07-21T18:40:00.002-04:00

Erin M. shared some comments on my post from yesterday, the one where I linked to my column on Our Lady of Angels, who's also fondly called La Negrita by the Costa Ricans. I wanted to share them with you, because they're so fascinating.

She started by writing:

I visited La Negrita on her feast day when I lived in Costa Rica a few years ago. This is the first time I have seen an American talking about her - the story isn't very well known in the United States.

I asked her to share more, and bless her heart, she did!

What is amazing about La Negrita is how unassuming she is - she is so tiny! But the people of Costa Rica (and of Central America in general) love her so dearly. Ticos (Costa Ricans) are so proud to call her their own.

When people make a pilgrimage to The Basilica of Los Angeles in Cartago they come from all over Central America. You see them on the highways walking, on bikes, riding horses, traveling sometimes hundreds of miles to visit her and make their petition. There is a small museum under the Basilica chronicling her miracles.

When I got to the Basilica, there were two ways to enter - either through the doors to the far left and right of the front entrance or through the center aisle, where people approached the altar on their knees, shuffling slowly.

I went with my host family, who drives there every year as a family. All my host mother's children are grown, married and live elsewhere, but they come together to visit La Negrita together. I think this is true of many Costa Rican families.

It is a neat thing to experience - and her feast day is approaching [on August 2].

If you want to learn more, you can, of course, read my column :) and here are some of the resources I used for my column:

Marian Titles in Latin America (scroll down to the bottom)
SQPN's Patron Saint Index on Our Lady of Angels

Thanks, Erin M., for sharing your experience and for your enthusiasm for this dear title of Mary.

Eternal Rest

2009-07-21T16:31:00.002-04:00

Thank you, thank you to everyone who kindly left comments for me offering support and prayers for Bob's aunt, who, I found out, did pass away earlier today.

I used to hesitate to ask for prayers through my blog or my Twitter and Facebook feeds. But today was proof as to why I have stopped hesitated and just started asking. Those comments saying that people were praying, expressing support, sending encouragement...those comments buoyed me on a day when I couldn't be where my heart was, on a day when all I could do was join you in praying.

And to think, my plan for blogging today was to review that new Harry Potter movie -- you know, the one we stayed up all night to watch. Well, another day for that. Prayers for today...and gratitude for the friends and readers and pray-ers who join us in that.

Requesting Your Prayers [Updated]

2009-07-21T10:22:00.003-04:00

Update: I have posted the latest information in a new post.

One of my husband's aunts was just found on the floor of her house without a pulse. Please pray, both for God's will and peace from the grief this will surely cause for my mother-in-law, who was very close to this sister.

Thanks, my friends.

Image from Kortright Presbyterian Church

Mary and Angels

2009-07-20T06:38:00.003-04:00

This week, I'm talking angels and Mary at my column at Today's Catholic Woman.

I have a pretty good running commentary going with my guardian angel on any given day (just as I do with the Blessed Mother, thankyouverymuch, so no, I'm not just mumbling to myself!). It's comforting, knowing that I have my own special angel. It's also comforting thinking about the people I love having angels of their own, of using a sort of angel communication system when I'm worried about them.

As comforting as it is to think of the gift a guardian angel is to each of us, it becomes that much more comforting to think about Mary as Our Lady of Angels. I found an apparition with this title, quite by accident (though was it really an accident?), and it was such a delightful story. Where will you meet Mary -- or your angel -- today?

Image source

My Soul as an Old Farmhouse

2009-07-19T16:21:00.002-04:00

Living in an old farmhouse takes care of my free time. There’s always something, and whatever you have to do always leads to two other problems. Putting in windows? Ah, well, lookee here, we have a joint problem. Need a new tub? Not before that floor gets jacked up and reworked. I’ve lived here enough years to have adopted an attitude of reluctant humor about the whole thing, but I’m still not used to the fawning “oh, an old farmhouse, you must love it there” responses of people who don’t have any idea what they’re talking about. Love it? Well, yes, the location is ideal, although we’d tear the bleeping thing down if we could afford it.

Nothing’s level, nothing’s finished, and we keep finding more junk. Just when you think it’s whipped and taken care of, there’s something else. All that needs done is larger than my mind can embrace, so I think of it in terms of bite-sized chunks, knowing that I may well be retired with great-grandchildren before the larger goals are accomplished.

Read the rest at CatholicMom.com.

Trusting Surrender and Mother Mary books

2009-07-16T19:26:00.003-04:00

During this week's Mary Moment on Catholic Moments, I'm reflecting some more on that passage from last week, the one about Mary's selective hearing, though this time I'm rambling down a different path, the path of trust and surrender.

Deacon Tom has a couple of book recommendations (which is what I always need!) and Lisa's interview is going to probably cost me a lot of money. Check it out!

Still Kickin

2009-07-16T18:12:00.003-04:00

Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers for Poppa Gene. He's doing well after his second heart cath and there's a chance he'll be home tomorrow afternoon. While the stint (or is it stent?) didn't work, and surgical fixes aren't an option for him, the meds are doing their job and the doctor sounded cautiously optimistic.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. We've been so very blessed by Poppa Gene, from the day he married my mother-in-law, to the many adventures he instigates and makes possible. I'm glad, for one, to have some more time with him. I mean, where else will they get their chocolate mustaches if not from Poppa's not-so-secret chocolate stash?

Cheering and Praying

2009-07-16T06:51:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday, and I'm not feeling like much of a success. My to-do list has been hijacked for a version of going with the flow that has me praying.

This morning, Poppa Gene has his second heart cath this week. He had a heart attack on Monday and we have reason to be praying hard during the procedure this morning. If you have prayers to spare, we appreciate them.

Now, for my successes:

1. Laundry...done in a spurt of sunshine the other day, utilizing the kitchen timer for two hour increments and the clothesline. (Don't you dare go looking in my laundry room, though. For some reason, the people around here keep wearing clothes and creating more laundry...I really have to look into that!)

2. I haven't worked out this morning, or any morning this week. I've opted for sleep instead. And that, my friends, is a success. (I guess I should call this one "prioritizing," huh?)

3. I have exhibited some pretty awesome constraint this week in order to keep our budget in line. I'm glad tomorrow's payday though. :)

Join in the cheering over at Faith & Family Live today, where, as always, they're hosting the small success round-up.

Rambling Thoughts

2009-07-15T08:57:00.004-04:00

7:21 AM comes early when you get to bed after 4. Yes, I should know that already. It was worth it, though. A date with my husband in the middle of the night and a movie I'll see again (minus the screaming teenagers and crowded parking lot, thankyouverymuch)...a recipe for either adding or subtracting a year or two from my life.

Poppa Gene will be in the hospital for the rest of the week. He went in on Monday with a heart attack; yesterday morning things looked cautiously fine. Then he had his heart cath. My prayers are for acceptance of God's will. If you can spare some prayers, we would all appreciate them.

Today, we're taking the girls to see Poppa Gene, which will either insert joy into the gloom of the hospital, give the hospital staff something to do, or make me appreciate how much a full night of sleep would have helped me with it. I'm quite sure it will give me plenty of bloggable material.

It's the summer of meet-ups. Over the weekend, we were blessed to meet Sean "the Ductape Guy" McGaughey and his lovely wife Nancy and his sensational daughter Sarah of Catholic Roundup fame. They drove something like 500 miles out of their way, circumnavigating around Lake Erie and making a special stop in a, ahem, very rural campground. I am still touched by this, and by the sight of Sean strumming away and singing to a captivated audience that included our daughters and a little neighbor girl from the campsite next door.

It was a tie with my adventure earlier this summer meeting Deacon Tom, his wife Dee, and their two adorable pooches. My oldest daughter is still asking when we'll see them again.

There's a chance I might see Michelle sometime soon (to deliver a big hug in person), though that's a little up in the air. In a few weeks, I'll get to meet with the lovely Pat, but before that, I think I'm going to get to see my good friend of road trip extravaganzas. Who needs the CNMC? (Kidding on that last part. I really wanted to be in Texas. Boy did I! But I'll take summer meet-ups, however they come to me!)

*No, that's not me in the picture. I found it here. And I'm not feeling that bad...yet.

Things That Make Us Go WOOHOO

2009-07-14T08:51:00.003-04:00

On the home front, Poppa Gene is doing well. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Keep 'em comin' -- he's still in the hospital for testing and, well, just keep on prayin'.

Also on the home front, tonight is the opening of the new Harry Potter movie. Yes, we are the sort of fans who have lined up an unsuspecting ~~victim~~ sitter for our kids so that we can go to the midnight opening. Our love affair with the Harry Potter series started when the third or fourth book came out, many years ago when we were but beaus. We went to at least three of the book parties and all of the midnight movie parties (or have we? Ah, the dead brain cells won't tell me). We hated the third movie, but loved the ~~fourth~~ fifth one. I'm pretty sure my husband was up most of at least one night over the weekend, watching the marathon on TV (along with the interviews and the sneak peeks). He's like a little kid, even left me a note this morning that

And on the cool stuff front, check out this clickable Periodic Table, which I found after hearing about it on episode 2 of the Catholic Laboratory. I was going to get some stuff done today, but I think, instead, that I'll just see what Mo is...and then I'll send this link to my husband and he won't get a thing done once he's home from work...

The Dreaded Call (Updated)

2009-07-13T08:45:00.005-04:00

I was going along, having a rough-ish sort of Monday morning, and then the phone rang.

It was very cliche, how this one phone call turned everything upside down and made me go all cold inside.

Yesterday, everything was normal.

Yesterday, my biggest gripe was pretty stinkin' small.

Yesterday, we were tooling along and planning and puttering.

Funny how one phone call can change all that.

So, without going into a lot of detail (because, to be honest, there isn't a lot of detail to be had right now), I ask for your prayers for Poppa Gene.

Updated to add: It's been confirmed that he had a heart attack, and he's being transferred to another hospital in the big city. Please keep praying, and thank you!

A Book in the Mail

2009-07-13T08:13:00.002-04:00

I've been part of The Catholic Company's Review Program long enough to know what the envelopes look like in my mailbox.

So, on Friday, when I saw that familiar white envelope waiting for me, I was pretty excited. I was supposed to be getting the brand-new Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love, by Carl Anderson and Eduardo Chavez. And oh! was I excited about that!

But, instead of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the envelope contained...the July Magnificat.

I looked at the packing slip.

Sure enough, it said Our Lady of Guadalupe, review copy.

But there in my hand was the July Magnificat. No Guadalupe in sight.

I couldn't help but feel like maybe this package was a little bit intentional.

Oh, not by the folks at The Catholic Company. By Someone Else.

I used to subscribe to Magnificat. I used to enjoy it and rave about it and really benefit from it.

And then I bought The Christian Prayer Book, which is the lay version of the Liturgy of the Hours. No need to subscribe to Magnificat when I had one volume for the whole year.

Or so I thought.

Then I received the July issue, and I flipped through it.

My heart leaped a little. There were the articles, there were the short prayers, there was the daily saint. Oh, how I had missed Magnificat.

That's nothing against the other prayer options. It's just a reunion of old friends, of a sort. And my prayer time, for the rest of this month, will be delightful enough for me to start saving my money to start another subscription, I think...

The image is the July 2009 cover. Did I mention that every month there's a different beautiful painting on the cover? They're lovely enough to warrant saving them (if you can keep them away from a certain four-year-old who tends to collect interesting things in her desk...).

Finding Mary in the Dirt

2009-07-13T07:56:00.002-04:00

I love my flower gardens, but I've been struggling with them lately.

You see, there aren't enough hours in the day, or maybe the problem is that I don't have enough motivation. By the end of the day, I look out and see the weeds still out in the flower beds.

I had been beating myself up pretty badly about this when I read about Our Lady of Mount Carmel. My brother-in-law kindly redid my landscaping a couple of years ago, inserting beauty into the chaos that had been around my house. It was so organized and amazing...for one whole summer.

And then, between pregnancy and nursing, between work and juggling, between other priorities and no small amount of slacking, I noticed the landscaping changing into...weedscaping.

If you're inclined, you can read about Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and a hearty dose of insight relating to gardening, over at Today's Catholic Woman.

Only Say the Word

2009-07-10T17:17:00.003-04:00

My latest column at CatholicMom.com, "Only Say the Word," reflects on my favorite part of Mass, the part that usually leads to reflection, no matter how distracted I might be.

Here's a tidbit:

I am kneeling. There’s a squirming child somewhere nearby. If she’s not on my lap, she’s sitting right beside me. Her sister is whispering to me, or looking through my purse, or reaching for something on the other side of me. And yet, in spite of the distractions in the pew with me, I feel the familiar lump in my throat.
C’mon! I shout in my mind. No crying!

And then it happens.

As I start to respond with the congregation, the lump lets loose.
“Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

To read the rest, go to CatholicMom.com.

Image from zunal.com

Catching Up in Seven

2009-07-10T15:22:00.005-04:00

--1--

It's the first full week of my sabbatical, and I'm sitting here, on Friday afternoon, feeling pretty stinkin' awesome about my book. Yes, I know I'll hit Earth again, and the bump will likely hurt. But the writing's going well, and I'm enjoying this time off (and, surprisingly, I'm doing OK with the adjusted finances too). Thank you to all of you who have offered prayers, encouragement, and general (and specific!) support.

--2--

What do you get when you have two brothers, one backhoe, a tractor, and a four-year-old? My house, last weekend. The long holiday weekend meant the continuation of Termite Warfare. We're in year two of our battle with termites, and two stumps in our front yard just had to go.
Looks kind of cool, don't you think? I suspect the brothers (who my four-year-old started calling "the boys," much to my amusement) had a little bit of fun with all the big equipment. I mean, it was sort of like the ultimate sandbox adventure! If you, like my brother, need more pictures of holes and equipment, you can find them here.

--3--

Remember Raspberry? We first met her almost two years ago, and last weekend, when Elizabeth asked to go to the horse farm, we met her daughter, Angel. The trip deserves its own post, but I think every trip to the horse farm does. There's just something about the intoxication of that barn-horseflesh-dirt-summer smell...

--4--

On Sunday, my little sister turned 15 (though by my calculations, she's only 14). On Saturday, early in the morning, I baked a cake for her and then we drove two-plus hours to deliver it to the campground where my family was staying.

Cake mix: $4 (give or take)
Decorations: $10 (give or take)
Smiles as aunt and niece blew out the candles together: Priceless

--5--

I just discovered the Catholic Laboratory website and podcast. I've only listened to the first episode (so far, there are only five), and WOW. WOW! Science + Catholic = AWESOME!

--6--

Something to think about this weekend, from Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady, by Joseph Langford, MC:

Remembering at least five blessings every day, seeing with eyes of faith the presence and goodness of God in everything, we begin to understand the heart of God. We begin to be just like Mother Teresa: full of wonder, spontaneously full of joy and energy, because of the realization that everything is gift; all is grace.

--7--

This picture is for me.
Because I can't help it. :)

Mary's Selective Hearing on Catholic Moments

2009-07-09T13:18:00.003-04:00

In my Mary Moment segment of this week's Catholic Moments podcast, I share an excerpt from Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady and some thoughts about how Mary listened to just one voice. I'm not so great at ignoring the voices in my head, but I'm inspired by Mary to try.

Don't miss the rest of this week's episode, where Deacon Tom shares reflections on vocation and Lisa interviews a pediatrician who's a musician in his spare time (and his music sounds awesome!).

ELBs and Success

2009-07-09T13:05:00.004-04:00

In this week's Monday Morning Memo, Roy Williams reran a memo from a few years ago and talked about the magic of ELBs, Exponential Little Bits. When I listened to it, I immediately had an "ah-HA!" moment.

"Why, he's talking about small successes!" I thought.

And then it all clicked.

Every week, I try to come up with small successes. I try not to make them too big (though, really, I'm doing good to find three successes of any kind most weeks) and I try not to focus on the "not done" stuff. It's important to have success.

And Williams explains why:

Funny thing... When daily progress meets with progress, it doesn't add, it multiplies. To harness the magic of Exponential Little Bits you must learn to ask yourself, "What difference have I made today?" And never go to sleep until you have done a Little Bit to move yourself closer to your goal. But you must do a Little Bit every day, no matter how tiny the thing might be.

So, here are my small successes -- or Exponential Little Bits -- from this week:

1. That backseat floor of my car? You know, the one that was covered with crumbs and unidentified gross stuff? Well, it's swept. And clean. For five more minutes.

2. The toilets? In my bathrooms? No longer gross. For two more days.

3. The bags of recycling and the big bin of paper? You won't find them here, no sir. I took them to the recycling place. (Which is the down side of recycling in the rural area we're in, but I still say recycling is worth it, every bit of the trouble.)

What are your Exponential Little Bits from this week? Share them at Faith & Family Live, where you'll get a round of applause and a pat on the back and even called awesome. :)

Diagnosis Critical in Review

2009-07-08T12:35:00.002-04:00

The story of how I came to find myself reading Diagnosis Critical: The Urgent Threats Confronting Catholic Healthcare, by Leonard J. Nelson, III, started long ago, when I signed up to be part of The Catholic Company’s Reviewer Program. It’s a great program, and I’ll admit that I love getting free books. I’ve never had a book I didn’t enjoy, but I’ve never really taken a risk with my picks before either.

So when Chris, also fondly called The Free Book Dude, suggested I take a gander at Diagnosis Critical, I thought, “Hmm, sounds interesting.” I should note that I just trusted him on this. I didn’t even bother to really look at the book, aside from the big red letters on the title.

Then it showed up in my mailbox. And I noticed the subheading.

Let’s just say I had something a little, um, lighter in mind for my next book. Diagnosis gathered a bit of dust, peering out from my library pile on my to-read shelf.

After whipping through a novel or two and a couple of other books, I decided not to allow myself to read anything else until I finished Diagnosis. Now, for those of you who have any inkling of what kind of reader I am (you need only keep your eye on my Nose Inserted list in the sidebar), that was like demanding that I start a workout regime during my reading time. (I'm not such a fan of working out.) For one thing, I usually have a couple of books going at any given time: something spiritual, something fun, and something else. To buckle down with a book I hadn’t even opened, before I even opened it...well, that was some kind of reading smackdown on myself.

Now, for the full disclosure: I found myself enjoying Diagnosis once I got over the fact that I hadn’t really wanted to read it. I’ve done a fair bit of reading on the Church’s teaching on sexuality, and Nelson’s treatment and application of this is very good. I didn’t think I cared about healthcare, much less Catholic healthcare -- I’m not saying this is a good attitude, but I tend to be pretty anti-newsy and though I am opinionated, I don’t often want to have someone else’s opinion shoved at me to change my mind. (But, then again, aren’t many of us that way?) So what I expected from Diagnosis Critical was a boring discussion of what’s wrong, how the world is ending, why we’ll all go to hell or, at the very least, purgatory.

There was no basis for my expectation. None at all. I had heard the book was controversial, and maybe that’s true.

What I enjoyed, and what I found, was that I learned a lot about how healthcare works, about the compromises that are being made, about the little steps that are being made, here and there and everywhere, to inch healthcare in a different direction.

I never once felt like Leonard Nelson was trying to change my mind. I never once felt like he was persuading me. He presented the facts and materials, first with a history of Catholic healthcare and then with more specific chapters.

This book left me bothered, and I think that’s probably what’s supposed to happen when you find your head pulled from the sand and facing the storm all around you. I found that, after reading Diagnosis Critical, that I do care about healthcare. It reminded me of the book that changed my mind about history.

Now I’m back to a fun novel in my reading line-up, but I’m changed from my encounter with Diagnosis Critical. And for that, I am thankful.

Father Elijah in Brief

2009-07-07T09:53:00.003-04:00

Have you ever read a book that made such an impact that reading it became a defining moment? The summer I read Gone with the Wind, for example, or the fall I dusted off the Lord the the Rings set I had gotten the Christmas before. I remember being in odd corners, those paperbacks getting a workout as I snuck a page or a chapter on the bus, by the pool, between classes, in the car. There were the steamy summer days curled in a chair with a fan blowing on me and the frigid winter evenings, homework done, cuddled under a blanket.

With many of my favorite books, I can tell you where I was for the major passages and, sometimes, on rereading them, I think of where I was on the first reading (though, admittedly, I’ve only just discovered the adventures of rereading old favorites).

When I first read Father Elijah: An Apocalypse, by Michael O’Brian, I was on the couch, in my blue wingback, in the car, whereever I was witha minute or an hour to read. Karen said it was one of her favorite books, and I’m glad she did, or I might not have found this gem of a book!

It’s a hefty novel, the perfect kind of book for summer reading -- or fall, or winter, or spring. :) It’s the kind of fiction that turns a story into something more than entertainment, that explores those things that can be so dry and dull and non-summer-reading material and makes them come to life with a relevance that makes you look over your shoulder to make sure that it is a novel and not a transcription of what’s happening now.

It’s disturbing, but that’s the nature of an apocalyptic novel, I suppose. I tend to roll my eyes at the idea of apocalypse, but here it is without the very things that make me roll my eyes, the drama that feels human instead of divinely inspired.

Ah, but I’m botching things up here. Father Elijah is good, good in a way that few books are, engaging without being over-the-top, descriptive without overdoing things, real without being dull.

It paints a picture of our world in many ways, even as it offers something I so need when I start to think too much about our world: hope. Yes, that’s right, a book with “apocalypse” in the title and it offers hope.

I won’t say too much more, aside from the fact that I’ll be getting my own copy in the hopes that I’ll be revisiting it again in the future. I also harbor a secret hope that someday, one of my girls will find it there, on our shelf, and find herself curled up with it, her brain zimming and thrumming along. I’m also planning to explore more books by O’Brien, because this one was really just that good!

For the Love of History

2009-07-06T07:29:00.004-04:00

I never used to like history. Then one of my best friends introduced my husband to a book that was more story than history book. My husband read it in record time, which was remarkable given his limited reading time and his tendency not to read for pleasure. I, on the other hand, am a bookworm of addictive proportions. My nose is happy as long as there’s a book attached to it, and I’ll try just about anything. When I call reading a hobby, I’m understating the case: I have reordered my life more than once when reading time has gotten too low to sustain my love and -- dare I say it? -- need for it.

To find out what book changed my mind about history and to read the rest of this week's column on Our Lady of Covadonga, head on over to Today's Catholic Woman.

Photo by hksnapp

Amber Waves of Grain

2009-07-04T06:20:00.002-04:00

We're busy celebrating Independence Day with family today, but I can't help reflecting on the fields of wheat all around us, as I did when this post was originally published in 2007.

Summer holidays often coincide with important farm activities. The Fourth of July is often second cutting of hay and wheat harvest. Though we raise neither, we’re surrounded by both, and in the days of late June, I always find myself wishing I had taken pictures, longing to capture the vivid gold as the wheat fields transform.

This year happened to be the year when the farmer of the field next door planted wheat, and so I have had my fill of gazing out at the rippling green-then-gold. And yesterday, just before our blogging buddies came to visit and fill our yard with laughter, the combine came and started cutting the wheat.

It’s not the harvest itself that makes me ponder and think about what the Fourth of July is all about, though. It’s the field itself, filled with a color that Crayola has never quite been able to capture to my satisfaction. I remember Grandma mentioning it once, one summer when there was wheat across from her old farmhouse and we kids were visiting for a week or two. There’s a point, she said, when the wheat fields are just that certain shade of yellow-gold, and it just makes you feel…something different than you felt before. Seeing that expanse of rippling wheat still makes me think about all we have here, in the United States. It epitomizes the great abundance of resources we ignore, and the many blessings all around us. That amber field also reminds me of the importance of togetherness, of just how critical it is that our many different opinions remain true to who we are and who we were founded to be. One weed ruins the picture, but you don’t often see wheat fields with weeds, thanks to the wonders of modern chemicals.

As it ripples with the wind’s gentle breath, I see how something that seems insignificant can have an enormous impact. It reminds me, that golden ripple, of how I’m here “just” to do what God put me here to do – if I’m “just” a mother, or “just” a wife, or “just” a faithful friend, then I could be making a big difference, though I may not see it from where I stand, a single stalk of wheat in the field of life.

4 Books Makes 7 Takes

2009-07-03T07:12:00.013-04:00

This week, I have four books to share, and three something elses (or would it be else's?). Enjoy!

Damosel, by Stephanie Spinner
I've been recommending this book to anyone I can get to stand still and listen to me rave about it ever since I ripped through it about a month ago. My niece Rebecca is probably sick of hearing me talk about it. I knew it would be good after reading Melissa Wiley's interview with the author, so why was I so delighted when it turned out to be even better than I expected?

It's an Arthurian tale told from the point of view of the Lady of the Lake. I'm a great lover of twists on point of view. Couple that with Spinner's fantastic writing, and it doesn't matter one bit that this is classified as young adult. No sirree. This is a great story, well told. Can you ask for anything more in a book? (Wellllll...it could be longer....) :) Five stars and highly recommended.

A Long Overdue Movie Mention: Wall*E
I've been meaning to mention Wall*E for some time now. We were waaaaay behind the curve on watching it, and only happened to have it at our house because my young friend Violet received it for Christmas and generously offered to lend it to us (read more about her in #6 of this post). I had read such wonderful reviews of it, had heard such amazing stories, that I was curious and excited to be able to watch it.

I didn't think Bob was such a fan of it until I happened to come into the living room on a weekend afternoon, when the youngest was down for a nap and the oldest was curled up with him, and there it was on the screen. For the second time. Then, a couple of days later, it was on again. I'm pretty sure it wasn't because the four-year-old was having a bout of obsessive watching.

It's the kind of movie that made me want to own it and want to watch it again (and again...and again). It was right up there with Incredibles for me, though I wish it had more quotables in it. (Because quoting movies is almost as much fun as watching them, don'tcha think?)

Chronicles of Xan, Book 1 (Shadow in the Dark) and Book 2 (The Haunted Cathedral), by Antony Barone
I happened on these books quite by luck of the draw. I wasn't sure I would enjoy them and certainly wasn't going to mention them here. Then I read them.

And, you know what? I liked them. So much that I passed them along to a young reader in my life.

Adventure and suspense and a bit of Church history (though not so Catholic that you would have to be Catholic to like them), written with color and some pizzazz.

A Favorite Podcast: StarShipSofa
I've been discovering science fiction over the last couple of years, though I'm doing it in a rather meandering and rambling way. I think of it as a walk with a friend, where there are plenty of pleasant rabbit trails in the conversation. I've tried out a number of science fiction podcasts, but the one I've stuck with, and, in fact, been very vigilant in listening to every week, has been StarShipSofa. It had to be Julie who raved about it first and tipped me off to it, and she is a narrator for them -- you get a sense of their good taste through her involvement, don't you?

It bills itself as an "audio science fiction magazine," though I didn't realize that equalled "delightful series of small segments, with different flavors and lengths of fiction, reviews, and fact articles" until I listened to a couple of episodes.

I love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything else on my playlist. Highly recommended for quality content and professional editing.

Heaven Has Blue Carpet: A Sheep Story by a Suburban Housewife, by Sharon Niedzinski
Y'all know I like sheep, right? We have them in our barn and our pasture and we follow them at fairs. So when I heard that Heaven Has Blue Carpet was about a suburban family who jumped ship, bought an old farmhouse and the accompanying acres and then, on a whim of fancy, purchased an entire flock of sheep, with no clue as to what to do with them, I was hooked.

On the one hand, it's a hilarious tale, and Niedzinski does a good job of telling it. I was laughing and my nose was firmly inserted for all of the three days it took me to meander through this. I had plenty of opportunity for reflection throughout the book and it made me look in my own back pasture with a whole new set of eyes.

Those sheep in my pasture, though, aren't mine. Easy for me to blog and pontificate about them, but I never forget that they're more of a pretty picture, in my case, than a responsibility. They're part of my brother-in-law's show sheep and breeding operation. There's a big difference between the show sheep world and the "we just have sheep around to breed" world, I think, though I didn't appreciate that as much as I do now until I read this book.

I recommend this book, if only for the hilarity of the anecdotes. It's a relatively light read that might catch you by surprise and give you that little boost you need in your faith life. I'd tout it to the beach or read it in the A/C, if I were you. Then go down the road to the local farm and get some good country perfume in your nose to make it all come full circle. :)

Something Fun: The True Heart Award
I've been "bad" about these little bloggy awards and memes in the last few months, and that's probably why I haven't been a part of many of them. I used to love them back in the day, though. You know, the days before I, um, had more, ahem, serious blogging. :) Anyway, today's a good day to send a shout out to the lovely and wonderful Jean Heimann at Catholic Fire, who kindly awarded me the "True Heart Award." I'm touched, and I give it right back, along with sharing it with y'all. I'm not at a point where I can name names (other than the ones I name all the time anyway), so I'm just gonna say thanks, with a hug. :)

Saving Dinner Basics: How to Cook Even If You Don't Know How, by Leanne Ely
I mentioned this book when I was in progress with it (in #2 of this post). Remember how I ranted about my (lack of) cooking skills (see #4 of this post)? Well, this book is the answer I needed. It's probably not the only book I should ever read about cooking, but since I've been plowing through Saving Dinner, Ely's awesome cookbook, this book was the perfect companion. If you're like me and you're cooking because:
(a) you live too far out to get carryout every night,
(b) your family is hungry, and/or
(c) your budget won't support restaurants every night and your kids won't either,
you might check out one or both of these books. I highly recommend them both. (Did I mention they're awesome?)

More Quick Takes are over at Conversion Diary, as they always are. Be sure to stop over and toss a wink and a smile at our lovely hostess!

Time for a Success or Three

2009-07-02T07:21:00.003-04:00

It's time to salute the small successes of my week and yours too -- join in over at Faith & Family Live.

1. I have continued reading the difficult book I started a while back (see #7 on this post). I haven't given in to the temptation to let it gather dust. I haven't picked up anything else. I'm plugging away. It's not that it's a badly written book, mind you, just not what I would have picked for summer reading if I had been, um, paying attention.

2. Yesterday, I did what I said I was going to do. I didn't goof off or cheat on my to-do list.

3. This week, I only missed one day of working out. :)

Just the Thought I Needed Today

2009-07-01T09:49:00.003-04:00

Today I began the Little Flower Novena. It's also the first day of my two month sabbatical from work.

I'm a little...uncomfortable...about this whole sabbatical thing. Oh, it's nice (though expensive). It's a grand opportunity. It's my chance to put my money (literally) where my mouth is...to show God that I do trust Him.

All the same, it's scary. I feel like I have closed my eyes and jumped off the cliff, sans parachute or rope. I know God is there. I know God will take care of me and my family and everything that needs done. I know this is the right thing.

But, even in knowing, I have that tingly nervous feeling. Even in the peace of having made the decision, I have that curiosity about how it will all work out.

Today's thought for the day for the novena was confidence in God.

We can never have too much confidence in the good God who is so powerful and so merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for.

Think God's trying to tell me something?

I'm so glad he is. He must really love me.

Image from Sabbatical.com

Jumpin’ July (2009, One Month at a Time)

2009-07-01T07:44:00.002-04:00

This is part of my adventure in giving my monthly resolutions focus a yearly focus. You can read all of my resolution posts here (scroll down for older posts).

Mental Focus: Clearing the clutter through home organization
At the beginning of the year, I made a plan for which part of my house I would focus on each month. Well, that flopped. Or rather, it changed. Because life is not static, is it? I had to adapt a bit.

July marks the beginning of my two month sabbatical from work. I’m going to be working on my book, yes, but I also plan to attack some of the little hidden areas in the house. The porch is long overdue for a cleansing, and the playroom is looking haggard too. And how about the living room? We spend our evenings there, but it could use some attention.

This month, I’m going to spend at least five minutes a day clearing out clutter. Though I’m cringing at how small that commitment is, I also know myself: I’ll abandon ship if it looks un-doable. So, five minutes a day on clutter control.

Physical Focus: Getting off my duff
Last month, I had no sooner written that I needed the humility to ask for help in this area than a friend of mine offered to let me borrow a couple of DVDs. I was hesitant, because I’m always hesitant about working out. But it’s been great! I did a one mile workout throughout June, and just this morning, I started the two mile workout. I put it on mute and listen to my iPod (the audio rosary fits in well for me). I have missed a day or two, but I’ve been averaging five days a week. I plan to keep that going this month, and then the habit should be routine.

Spiritual Focus: Staying focused in my prayer life
I’ll be continuing on the Holy Cloak of St. Joseph novena which I started in honor of Father’s Day and today, I’m beginning the Little Flower Novena at the suggestion of a friend. (You’re welcome to join me for either or both -- and don’t worry about whether you don’t read this on the first day; jump in the middle and do it, time is less important than the praying.)

When I was wringing my hands about my sabbatical (this is a scary thing for me), my husband suggested I spend an extra hour in Adoration. And you know what? That’s just what I’m going to do. I’m going to take my wringing hands and piles of worries, and I’m going to lay them at His feet.

Do you have plans for July? Are there areas that you’re going to focus on improving?

All I can think of...

2009-06-30T07:54:00.002-04:00

...is dinner:

Do you garden? My husband is quite the agriculturist; this time of year he's more Farmer Bob than Prince Charming (because Prince Farmer Charming Bob just seems, well, clunky, don't you think?). Every night after dinner, he and the girls go out to the garden to measure the height of the corn, pull the weeds, and, last night, harvest the lettuce.

There's irony here. We're not exactly salad people around here. But when we grow the lettuce ourselves, from seed, watching it get a little bigger, and then a lot bigger...

Well, that just changes everything, doesn't it?

Our Lady of Copacabana

2009-06-29T07:14:00.002-04:00

Don't you just love the kitchen table? I've loved mine for years. I inherited it, because I have the only house that fits it. The nook in our kitchen (perhaps called a dining room by fancier sorts, though nothing divides it, really, from the kitchen) that houses our six-foot-long table seems made for it. It's often my favorite writing place, maybe because I have lovely memories of different kitchen tables.

Our kitchen table is home to art projects and dinner parties, folding fests and dumping messes, scattered papers and packed bags. Depending on the day and the plan, our kitchen table can be launching pad or landing pad. When I work at home and the kids are underfoot, I often make it Mission Central and cozy up to it.

You might wonder why I'm talking about my kitchen table when the title of this post has to do with a title of Mary. What does my kitchen table have to do with a title of Mary that makes you think of a resort? Well, you'll have to go over to Today's Catholic Woman to read my latest column to find out. :)

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pullen, who portrays a Vermont country kitchen that looks pretty much nothing like mine, but it IS a lovely picture, don't you think?
(I would have liked to share a picture of MY table, but it just wasn't working out this morning.)

Slice of Life and Discussion Starters

2009-06-26T07:32:00.004-04:00

It's Friday and I don't have a cute little theme this week, so I'll do these quick takes the random way, with discussion questions thrown in for good measure. :)

--1--

I have a sunburn, and I'm happy about it. Yes, you read that right. I spent three hours with my nieces, nephew, and oldest daughter at a fabulous local swimming hole yesterday, and I have a sunburn to remind me of my younger days growing up at a camp. Where did you grow up, and did you get sunburned?

--2--

Last week, my husband bought me a nifty new (bigger) memory card for my camera. This week, on one particularly poetic evening, I went outside to capture my day lilies and the barn in all of their end-of-day glory. When I came inside, I found that the card needed formatted to work with my Mac. I've tried formatting it via Disk Utility at least five times. It won't work. Can anyone offer advice?

(I don't want to hear the suggestion about getting rid of the Mac, OK? Don't even offer it. I'm just sayin.)

--3--

I am having a taste of something related to my writing this week, and I think it's writer's block. Maybe it's writer's avoidance. I'm bringing it up because I have experienced, just in the last few weeks, the wonder of the praying community online. Will you pray for me?

--4--

Looking for a good read for the summer? Well, sit down and grab a big glass of lemonade. I have a new favorite book, and I won't have time to review it until next week. But, for now, you can go to your library or favorite bookstore and find it: Father Elijah, by Michael D. O'Brian. I'm so grateful for Karen for recommending it. (I am completely hopeless when someone says they have a new favorite book. I simply must get my hands on it and read it!) What's your favorite book of late?

--5--

So You Think You Can Dance is getting me through the summer. That, and Operation Repo. We don't watch much TV around here, but we got hooked on Dance during its first season, and it impresses us every year. Yeah, there are parts I cringe about, but I must say that this year especially, I've been struck by the class the judges have, as opposed to how I felt during American Idol. What's your favorite summer TV show?

(And no, I don't let my dancing-obsessed four-year-old watch it.)

--6--

I've been thinking about starting my own weekly round-up, called Mary Monday. It would be a chance to share weekly thoughts on the Blessed Mother. I've been toying around with it for some time, but what stops me is the hesitation I perceive in others. I know, I know. Silly me. But...would you participate?

--7--

Last night, after I read a paragraph from my current read, Diagnosis Critical, four times, I looked at my husband and said, "I'm not smart enough to read this book!" I'm going to keep trying, though. After all, The Catholic Company sent it to me as part of their reviewer program, and I have to write a review. It got better (or I got better?) on the next page. This is not a book for reading while exhausted, though. What's keeping me going isn't just the obligation to write a review, though. There's good stuff in it. (I just have to be awake to get it...) Have you struggled with a book lately?

Jennifer at Conversion Diary is the hostess with the mostest, so go on over and chime in with your own quick takes and take a gander at the round-up.

Holding Mary's Hand

2009-06-25T09:02:00.002-04:00

You might have gathered that I enjoyed Joseph Langford's Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady. (As if the daily quotes and reflections didn't tip you off!) It won't surprise you, then, to find out that my Mary Moment on this week's Catholic Moments podcast has to do with an image from the book, that of holding Mary's hand throughout my day.

While you're at it, listen to the entire episode -- Deacon Tom has the last in this month's series of Deacon Moments about marriage and Lisa has a great conversation with Jim Weber, not to mention one of my favorite Sarah Bauer songs!

Oh, and all that talk about the Catholic New Media Celebration? Well, I won't be in San Antonio with all my blogging and podding heroes. I'll be tuning in from my laptop. Let's not dwell on the "wish I was there" side of things. I will be there...thanks to the wonder of uStream. :)

Image from Objets D'artagnan

Ever So Small

2009-06-25T06:40:00.004-04:00

It has been an important exercise for me to look at what I've done right each week -- however small or seemingly insignificant. Those small successes add up, after all!

Here's my list for the week:

1. I went to the dentist (first time in two years or so). Yay for no cavities! (There is an abscessed tooth, though...) Yay for getting off my duff! (or getting on my duff, as the case may be)

2. Over the weekend, I used the scheduler feature to line up some posts. Then this week hit, and I have had no time to blog in the mornings. Yay for the scheduler feature!

3. I'm taking two months off of work, starting July 1. It was only decided two weeks ago, so there was a bit of stress associated with preparing for it. But I haven't yet pulled out all my hair, and I think it will be OK -- in my head and in the office. Yay for a sabbatical!

Share your small successes over at Faith & Family Live today.

Kept in Mary's Heart

2009-06-25T04:03:00.001-04:00

Mother Teresa taught her Sisters and co-workers that Our Lady’s was a presence that helps us to see through the darkness, a presence that consoles and sustains us when we are weak, a presence that reminds us of the cry of her Son when we are forgetting him or following the voice of ego. Reflecting on the strength she found in this Marian milieu, Mother Teresa coined a short prayer that she taught her Sisters: “Keep us in your most pure heart.” She was convinced that in this sacred place, all God wanted for her and from her would be realized.
Joseph Langford, MC, in his book Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady

What do you suppose it's like in Mary's heart? I think there are certainly freshly picked flowers, probably handed to her by grubby hands. I'll bet the little girl or boy who gave them to her skipped in, all proud and excited, and had a smile the size of Texas. I'll bet there was a hug involved, and perhaps a tear in the corner of someone's eye.

The thing is, I'll bet there are a lot of humble vases, plastic cups, and wet paper towels of flowers in Mary's heart. I don't think she minds the fancy vases of store-bought roses, but I think there are probably just more of the others. I can think of many times that I've gone running to her, just like my young daughters come running to me, with violets and daisies and dandelions falling out of my arms.

I'd like to be in Mary's heart. I'd like to cooperate with God's grace, to accomplish all He wants for me. Just what does He want for me? Well, I guess I know where to go: straight to Mary's heart!

Photo by Basta Cosi

Give Her an Inch

2009-06-24T04:56:00.003-04:00

Without this commitment, without the gift of our willing permission, Mary is not free to act. But once we take even the first halting steps of consecration, Our Lady begins to enter our lives in a perceptible way. Her goal is to fashion our soul after the pattern God first established in her own, to see us transformed into a living temple of the Lord, an Ark of the Covenant, that we might carry Christ to the world. This is who Our Lady was. This is who Mother Teresa was. This is who we can be, with her help.
Joseph Langford, MC, in his book Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady

God is the ultimate gentleman and Mary is, thus, the ultimate lady. She won't pry or interfere. Oh, she'll nudge. (It's a mom thing, I think.) But she won't overstep. Give her permission, though, ask her help, and watch out!

What would it be like to be a living temple of the Lord? I know I'm not worthy of that, but what if He came anyway? What if someone (like His mom) convinced Him to just stop by, just say Hi, just pop in?

With her help, I can carry Christ to the world.

Will I ask? Or will I be too busy with something else?

Photo from Never Was an Arrow II

Meet Author Gail Graham

2009-06-24T00:00:00.003-04:00

I'm excited to share a conversation I had with Gail Graham, author of, among other things, Sea Changes, which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

I see that you have some extensive experience with writing, Gail. Tell us a little about how you got started publishing books.
I began writing when I was in kindergarten, and sold my first short story when I was 16 years old. I’ve been writing ever since. At one point, I was supporting myself by writing true confessions – I was a (fictitious) unwed mother 27 times before I ever even had sex! I’ve published six other books, here and in Australia, where I lived for 32 years. And I’ve also won a number of literary awards, including the German Buxtehude Bulle.

What led you or inspired you to write Sea Changes? Partly, I was inspired by my own experience of widowhood. I lost my husband 20 years ago and I was totally unprepared for the way a woman “disappears” once she’s a widow. People see you differently; actually, many people don’t see you at all. The person you were ceases to exist. You have to recreate yourself. This doesn’t happen to men, but it does happen to women. It occurred to me that nobody had ever written about it, that there were no heroic widows in contemporary fiction. Sarah Andrews is a widow, but she’s not pathetic and she’s not invisible. She’s strong. She’s powerful.

My other inspiration came from a documentary I saw about people who believed they’d been abducted by aliens. I was struck by how ordinary these people were – they weren’t lunatics, they weren’t publicity seekers, they were just everyday people who’d had an extraordinary experience and believed in that experience, despite what others said. I wondered how that would feel, to hold two contradictory ideas about “reality” in your mind at once; to live with the contradiction, to live in two worlds. And of course, that’s exactly what happens to Sarah Andrews.

You cover the tension between an American perspective and an Australian perspective so beautifully in Sea Changes. I know you lived and worked in Australia for 32 years. Tell us about your personal experience as an American in Australia and how that influenced or inspired your writing.
Australia is very different from America. Australians are very different from Americans. Americans are inspirational, whereas Australians pride themselves on what they call their “weary cynicism.” Americans strive, struggle and succeed. Australians shrug, and go to the beach. These are very different attitudes towards life, and I found it very difficult to adapt to the negativity that pervades every aspect of Australian life. Americans care passionately about all sorts of things, but Australians don’t care about anything. I think part of this comes from the political set-up. They have elections and politicians, but the Queen still has the last word. In 1972, the Queen literally sacked the government, and put the other party in power. Australians don’t expect to control their lives, and they don’t. They hate authority, but they never really challenge it. And they’re much more violent than Americans, and they drink a lot.

What was the greatest challenge in writing Sea Changes?
The challenge wasn’t so much in the writing as it was in getting it published. I wasn’t really aware of how much the publishing industry had changed in the United States. Everything had to be genre – and Sea Changes is not genre fiction. That was the whole idea. I didn’t want to write genre fiction. I wanted to write a novel that was different, and unique. When I left America in 1970, being “different” was a good thing. But not now. So the fact that I hadn’t written a genre novel was a big disadvantage.

The second big challenge was finding an agent. Writers used to be able to approach publishers directly, but not any more. You have to have an agent. The agents have become the new “gate-keepers” – it’s the agents who decide which novels will see the light of day and which won’t. And since agents work on commission, they favor genre fiction, because it’s easy to market genre fiction. All of this is having a profound influence on what Americans read.

I did eventually find an agent, and a publisher. But even for a writer with my background and track record, it was incredibly difficult.

Were there any unexpected developments as you wrote Sea Changes? I've read about authors who say the characters take on a life of their own; did you experience that in your writing? How? Yes, absolutely. Bantryd (the young girl who follows Sarah home) came unexpectedly to life and took the story in an entirely different direction than I had originally intended. It’s great when that happens, but it’s also a little bit scary. You sit there thinking, Where is this going? Where can this possibly go? It’s wonderful. And I don’t think it happens in genre fiction, because there’s not enough room for it to happen. Genre fiction is formula fiction. That’s why some readers like it; they know what’s going to happen, there aren’t any surprises. But Sea Changes is full of surprises. It even surprised me.

Which character did you or do you most relate with? Was there a character that gave you more difficulty than the others?
I relate mostly to Sarah, who – like me – is an American widow living in Australia. So Sarah was easy. I think the character who gave me the most difficulty was Kahn, the psychoanalyst. He’s Australian, and I had to try to get inside the head of someone whose basic beliefs were very different from my own. And psychoanalysts can be a bit of a cliché, because they work so hard at obliterating their personalities. The whole technique requires them to be non-persons. But I wanted Kahn to be a real person, and that was difficult. I’m rather eager to hear the reaction of a psychoanalyst who’s read the novel, because that’s the only way I’ll know if I succeeded or not.

Anything else you'd like to add? Sea Changes is very much a book discussion group sort of novel. I’ve belonged to several book groups, and our biggest challenge is always finding something “different” to read. I guess this is one of the paradoxes of publishing today – book groups are an important market, but book groups usually don’t want to read genre fiction (unless they’re genre book groups). Two of the book groups I belong to have completely given up on contemporary fiction, and are re-reading the classics. I think that’s sad. Today’s novels are tomorrow’s classics. But before they can become classics, they have to be written, and published and – most important of all – read. I’m happy to meet “electronically” with book groups and talk about Sea Changes, and – for any groups within 300 miles of Tucson – visit in person. Contact me through the website at www.gailgraham.net.

Thanks so much, Gail! Sea Changes would make great summer reading, so you be sure to check it out.

What do you talk about at dinner?

2009-06-23T10:16:00.002-04:00

Today at CatholicMom.com, Lisa Hendey is hosting the creators of The Meal Box.

I've heard about The Meal Box from a couple of different places, and it's made my list of Things I Want Someday. I can just imagine what my four-year-old (who says the darndest things!) would say in answer to some of the questions, and I'm sure it would give us something new and interesting to talk about at dinner...but why not also on long car rides and with the extended family?

Today at CatholicMom.com, they're giving one away to everyone who leaves a comment and they're also taking questions.

If nothing else, why not stop over and tell them what your perfect backyard would look like?

A Mother with Arms Outstretched

2009-06-23T07:01:00.004-04:00

On my 30th birthday, I broke my arm. It's all documented, because on my 30th birthday I was also blogging. As I read back through the posts, I see how I struggled to stay positive, how I finally asked for help, how I battled PoorMe. It's pretty interesting to see God at work -- who would have thought a broken arm was a blessing?

I laughed then and I laugh now, because all I wanted that year for my birthday was lunch with my husband. I didn't dive down the stairs to get it, but I did get lunch with my husband. :)

Somehow, the story of my broken arm seemed appropriate for this week's column on Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help. There's a lot of story that goes along with this title, full of drama and miracles, but that's not what struck me.

In Mary's gaze, I see a sister-in-arms and a mother-who's-waiting. Jesus' feet are curled and He just jumped into Mary's arms, giving me an example of what I should do when I'm scared or worried.

The column is up at Today's Catholic Woman. Enjoy!

Broken arm image from The Soft Landing
Mother of Perpetual Help image from The Church of St. John the Baptist

Letting Mom Do What Moms Do

2009-06-23T04:30:00.002-04:00

If we want to understand Mother Teresa, to imitate her, and to follow in her footsteps on the path to holiness, intimacy with Our Lady is not something peripheral or secondary. As Mother Teresa herself experienced, Our Lady will begin to arrange the events and details of our life as soon as we give her permission. Our life then increasingly becomes an adventure of grace as she takes the reins of our existence and begins to exercise her spiritual maternity. When we live this daily encounter with Our Lady, trusting her in everything, she gradually integrates every aspect of our life, building it around the grace and mystery of her Son.
Joseph Langford, MC, in his book Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady

This quote makes me think of how I always have to plan and organize and put things together. My husband feels no such compunction. Oh, don't get me wrong: he likes his ducks in a row. But he never has to have it all spelled out the way I do.

I've gotten more flexible since I've had children, but there's still room for growth. Ahem.

Reading this made me picture Mary in the kitchen, with her hair pulled back and an apron (one with plenty of pockets). She's busy doing what we moms do in the kitchen -- dishes and cooking and setting the table and ten other things.

My life is one of those things, isn't it?

So all I need to do is just sit back, huh? She'll arrange it. She's done this before. And she has a great Spouse.

How will that encounter of trusting Mary to organize things change my daily approach to life?

Well, let me make a list...

Photo by arellis49

Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady

2009-06-22T05:23:00.003-04:00

Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady, by Joseph Langford, MC, is not a large book, with only 116 pages. It’s not hard to read and it’s not so deep you feel drowned in theology. Unlike the last book I read about Mother Teresa, I didn’t find myself unable to read quickly, but I did try to savor (as much as I could with a looming library due date), and I did make notes. Reading it convinced me that I do, in fact, need my own copy. I’d need my own copy for the appendices if nothing else, though I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of it too.

I feel as though this book has made a profound impact on me in the week I’ve been tucking it in my purse and carrying it with me.

A specific image in the book, that of holding Mary’s hand, really struck me. But it wasn’t the only image that stayed with me after I put the book down. Have you ever thought of Mary as your “life coach”?

One way of entering into intimacy with her [Mary], of allowing her to play an active role in our lives, is to listen to her -- to give her the chance to speak in our soul and to guide us, to become our “life coach” in the ways of the Lord, as she did for Juan Diego and for Mother Teresa.

And how about this image, where Jesus is compared to an emergency room? I know that the point of this passage is that Jesus is not an emergency room, but it’s an image that stuck with me, made me turn it over in my mind, made me grasp deeper into the idea of the book.

For Jesus, the Resurrection, was not an emergency room where the Father took away all the signs of the Passion. Jesus rose with his wounds, wounds now transformed from darkness to light, dug into his hands in time and in pain and now become eternal fonts of light and blessing and glory.

It isn’t because it’s full of great images or seeping great writing that this book -- and this idea of holding Mary’s hand, of having Mary as my life coach, of Jesus the ER -- touches me so deeply. It is well-written, mind you, but it’s also full of real life examples, things that made me say, completely not tongue-in-cheek, “You know, I could try that.”

I was inspired, but not inspired the way I am when I see someone who’s so holy that I can’t get too close. I wasn’t inspired the way I am when I hear about someone who survives a situation I can’t properly fathom. And it wasn’t inspired the way I am when I look skyward at night or seaward at sunrise and see God’s creation.

No, this book inspired me in a nitty-gritty sort of way. I realize this is probably just where I am in my life right now, up to my elbows in weeds and little kids and work that needs done. It made me wrinkle my eyebrows a bit and see, once again, the abundance in my life, the many graces and the blessings.

The more we discover the magnitude and abundance of God’s gifts, the more we will find ourselves in what Mother Teresa experienced in Our Lady. We begin to expect good things from God. We expect him to bless us in a special way, today. We find ourselves looking forward to each day, like a child on Christmas Eve. What surprise of love has the Father prepared for me today? What gifts has he prepared for my family? We enter into a state of faith. This was the attitude and life breath of Our Lady.

Doesn’t it seem a little counterintuitive at first, expecting good things from God? Well, it did for me, until I sat down and wondered why. Why do I expect the bad? Why are the termites no surprise, but the jackpot of time is? What made me look at things so upside down, when all God ever tells us is that he loves us? That doesn’t mean it will be easy, but if I’m striving for his will, if I’m accepting his grace, if I’m walking in his shadow...well then, I should be OK.

Right?

Until I get good at that, though, I’m going to be turning this book over in my mind. Unfortunately, this copy was the local library’s. I’m going to have to get my own copy soon. The appendices include the biblical foundation for devotion to Mary, some great scriptural passages that point to Mary, and a translation of the Nican Mopohua, the story of Juan Diego written in the Aztec language by the Indian scholar Antonio Valeriano in the mid-16th century.

My goal, using the fabulous imagery I now have implanted in my mind thanks to this book, is to be in Mary’s shadow in a deliberate way. I’m certain she’ll lead me where she always does...back to her Son.

For the Fathers in My Life

2009-06-21T21:42:00.001-04:00

This year, I didn't spend any money on cards. I couldn't think of anything to buy. (Well, scratch that, I couldn't afford what I knew they'd want.) So, instead, I'm doing something that's extravagant in a different way.

I'm praying.

I'm not sharing it here to brag (though I know you wouldn't have thought that). It is the sort of thing that I thought you might want to join in on. It's a 30 day prayer to St. Joseph called the Holy Cloak of St. Joseph, who is the patron of fathers (and a special friend of mine) and workers and all sorts of other things.

You see, these special men in my life -- my husband, my dad, my father-in-law, my other father-in-law, my brothers who are newly fathers, my uncles, my children's godparents, my favorite Padre -- they all have what they need. I'd have to spend a lot of money to get them anything that would make them blink twice. Oh, pictures of the kids, yeah, that's always a good thing. But...well, it just didn't seem right this year.

I think maybe I was nudged by Someone Upstairs.

In any event, here's praying the next 30 days (and beyond!) bring graces and blessings to the fathers in my life.

To My Little Brothers

2009-06-21T19:39:00.003-04:00

Dear Little Brother,

This year, you celebrate your first Father’s Day. You’re pretty new at it too. But it’s still YOUR day, for the first time. As your big sister, with quite a few years on you (as you never fail to remind me), I can’t help but stand back and smile at you.

I’m proud of you, you know. You’re a daddy now, one of the special society of parents. You are now part of an elite group of individuals who are changing the world by bringing life into it. You have become a member of that part of society which embraces the very best kind of change.

It’s scary, I know. But isn’t it great? Don’t you look down at your son’s face and just...marvel? Do you ever find yourself holding him and forgetting what life was ever like before he cannonballed into it?

I remember when Elizabeth was born. All of a sudden, though I had known it before, I gained an appreciation for what a great guy I had been married. How did I end up with him? And how, exactly, did we get the chance to be involved in this new life?

I’ve never lost that feeling. With each passing day, with each new child, I only get a better glimpse, a more complete picture, a finer zoom on just how extravagantly I am blessed.

You are now married to the world’s most beautiful woman. She is the mother of your children and that changed body of hers was home to that bundle of joy in your arms. Isn’t it amazing? I once heard a father exclaim that there was nothing more perfect than his wife’s body, with its scars from childbirth. That statement made me cry.

I’m married to a man who agrees with it, you see.

And I suspect you know just what makes him say it with such passion.

Enjoy these moments, and don’t dwell too long on the short nights, the crazy schedules, the sacrifices you are making and will continue to make. On Father’s Day, remember to look heavenward and thank your Father for all that you have, holding them close as you do.

I’m so proud of you, brother. You’ve taken a big step and your life will never be the same. Yeah, you’ve heard that before, but now you’re living the reality...and it’s not so bad, is it? (If it is, then grab a beer and pick up the phone. Let me remind you why it’s not.)

I love you, brother. Happy Father’s Day!

Love,
Sarah

In Celebration of the Year of the Priest

2009-06-20T06:45:00.002-04:00

Check out this video contest to celebrate the Year of the Priest:

The Catholic Company is giving away over $6,000 in prizes, including a trip to Rome to one lucky priest. All you have to do is make a video about an incredible priest in your life, and you could win a $500 shopping spree....and he could be on his way for an 8 day get-a-way in Rome. There are also 20 $100 shopping sprees for the runners up, so there are lots of opportunities to win. What better way to say thank you to your favorite servant of God?

Please visit www.incrediblepriests.com for more info, and please pass on the news. If you are not into doing video, then spread the word around your parish, Knights group, homeschool group, bible study, or any other group at your parish. You could even set up a camera and let everyone in your group record a video to nominate your priest. Only one video per person, but a priest can be nominated many times by different fans.

Well, now, I think I'm going to have to get busy with this! How about you?

Mothers as Super Heroes in Seven Quick Takes

2009-06-19T05:09:00.003-04:00

Faster than a speeding bullet...
...Whether she's running across the room to rescue a toddler or on her way to visit a grown child in the hospital, Mom always gets there in record time.

Able to leap buildings in a single bound...
...Despite the heavy bag she carries (full of secret weapons and odds-n-ends); nothing will stand between Mom and what needs done!

More powerful than a locomotive...
...Laughing in the face of sleepless nights, immune to the effects of loud noise by small people, able to go hours without ingesting anything more nourishing than coffee.

Transforming an apron into a cape and more...
...Though you may think it is just a piece of old-fashioned cloth, think again. Spaghetti on the white shirt? Dangerous situation? Moral dilemma? Never fear, Mom is here!

Armed for any battle...
..Even if you have scoffed your entire life at that bag of hers, filled with what you think is unnecessary stuff, you never know when you'll need a tissue or a pair of glasses or, more importantly, a rosary or a book!

Master of disguise...
...One minute she's a cook; next thing you know, she's a gymnast chasing a toddler or a chauffeur to young celebrities. It's hard telling when she'll be in her herding duds or wearing her coach or catechist or collaborator hats.

Unwavering in her faith...
...In spite of the fact that she's as human as the rest of us, that doesn't stop her from turning her eyes heavenward, beginning her day with prayer, living an example her children will cherish.

Be sure to visit Conversion Diary for the full round-up of Quick Takes.

Image from Organized Chaos

Catholic Moments and Mary's Heart

2009-06-18T18:19:00.003-04:00

This week, on my Mary Moment segment of Catholic Moments, I share about the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There's a feast for that coming up on the 20th, which is in a day (or two, depending on when you read this). That was the topic of my column this week at Today's Catholic Woman too, as you might recall.

Lisa has a great line-up in this episode, so be sure to listen (you can listen online, or you can download it (right-clicking, I believe, lets you download the file to your computer) or subscribe through iTunes). Of course, I'm saying that before I've listened. :) I just saw it download as I was wrapping up my online stuff for the night.

Enjoy!

Worth a Pat on the Back

2009-06-18T07:39:00.003-04:00

I was going to skip this post this week. Yeah, it's Thursday, and there's that weekly thing about small successes. "So what?" the little voice whined (I think it was Evil Little Voice, but maybe I'm being too harsh). "You don't have to do that every week!!!"

That's true. I don't have to. But, as I've shared before, this exercise in digging out the small successes from my week really

1. I have worked out every day since I started this commitment last week. It's nothing much, but it's an accomplishment of monumental proportions for me. Every day! Me!

2. In a move of either monumental stupidity or great grace, I shared about my book. The success of that is not mine, necessarily; it's that now I have the help of the prayers of an overwhelming number of people. Thanks, everyone!

3. The sweeper is out of the closet. Tonight, before the kids go down for bed, I will sweep. Oh yes. I will. Those dead termites at the foot of the stairs (to be properly dealt with this weekend by the Husband Bug Exterminator) are just too much, even for me.

What are your small (or not so small) successes this week? Share them over at Faith & Family Live!

Wordless Wednesday: Look What She Found

2009-06-17T07:29:00.004-04:00

(But, if you want words, go here and prepare to laugh (and think).)

Leap of Faith

2009-06-16T17:53:00.001-04:00

There are some big changes coming in my life (no, I’m not pregnant), and I have been silent, for the most part, here on my blog, in part because that seemed the right way to approach it.

But after Father announced this weekend at Masses about one of the major changes and one of the terrifying potentials in my life, it felt like the time had come to spill the beans.

“Might as well come out with it,” the voice in my head that sounds an awful lot like Padre said. “Might as well just tell the world.”

Yeah. Well. Here goes...

The big change for this summer is my sabbatical. I’ll be taking a break from my parish work, and one of the biggest reasons for it is because of my book.

There. I’ve said it.

My book.

And now that I’ve said it, I feel all...well...just the way I felt when I heard Padre announce it after Masses. I feel as unsure and tickly and nervous as it’s possible to feel.

The thing is, I feel at peace. This is a gigantic leap of faith for me, a jump into the deep waters of God’s will, and I have to just trust -- me! trust! -- that God’s arms are right there to catch me.

So, in July and August, I’m going to try to keep myself disciplined and do something whatever it is you do when you finish a book that’s been started. (Presumably that involves writing. I suspect it also involves something else. Just a hunch.)

When I told my grandma about my sabbatical, ever-so-casually, she called me back the next day, rather alarmed.

“Is everything OK?” she asked, worried.

Guess I should have told her about the book, huh?

Guess I probably should have told all of you about the book too, huh?

Well, now I have. Prior to this weekend, a whopping three or four people knew about the book, including my husband. (I did not want Father to announce the book; had not exactly asked him not to, but certainly didn’t expect him to!)

Can I ask for your prayers? If you can spare a Hail Mary or a petition to Mary, she has a special interest in this...

You’re not surprised to hear she’s the topic of it, are you?

The plan is for the book to include 52 reflections on Mary. That said, my plans never amount to much and I’m trying to be open to God’s will in all of this.

Given my own inclinations, I’d keep working the way I have since age whatever-it-was and just burn myself out and ignore the urges and little voices and the opportunities for grace. I’d pass up the chance to be His instrument and keep plugging along in whatever I thought was best (which would not be to take a big unpaid chunk of time off!). I would ignore the embrace of the Possible and run to the arms of the Mundane. I would trust myself instead of the still, silent Voice.

But instead of going with my own inclinations, I'm leaping and bounding and jumping, with joy and terror colliding, and faith weaving it together.

Leaping girl photo by Fred Dawson
Pen and ink photo by churl

Rally!

2009-06-15T08:10:00.002-04:00

The top five have been posted for the Catholic New Media Awards, and while there are some very predictable results, I find myself wishing I could vote again. Some of my favorite blogs are not winning...CatholicMom.com, for instance! That said, I'm glad to see the good showing Faith & Family Live is making and I'm hoping Conversion Diary pulls through in one of the categories. The podcast section is going to be a nail-biter too...many of my favorites made it to the top five in quite a few categories. I'm sad, though, that one of my most loved podcasts didn't make it. Julie, you're top five with me!

So, if you haven't voted, then get on over there! You have a couple more weeks, and there's still time to get Julie back in the running (I mean, this is only the top five right now).

A Daybook in the Midst of Termites

2009-06-15T06:51:00.002-04:00

Outside my window:
Sunshine and the promise of a long summer day

Kitchen meanderings:
We had some pork chops yesterday that we wanted to grill. And what to my wandering Google should appear but...a website called Cooking for Engineers? Ah. I am no engineer, but my husband is and the pork chop rub was yummy.

Nose inserted:
The first of the two books of the Chronicles of Xan, which arrived and interrupted my reading of Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady, by Joseph Langford, and The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan.

In my ears:
Finishing the latest episode of Forgotten Classics (where Uncle Tom's Cabin is the order of the day) and then I'm on to continue the rest of the podcast playlist.

Around the house:
We were up at 5 (do we get the worm?). The almost-two-year-old is back in bed (though not asleep, judging from the thunk-fest) and the four-year-old is vegging in front of TV (though not asleep I'm sure). I remembered, just this morning, that though I took the day off to meet up with a deacon friend, I need to go in and open the place up for the volunteers. Oops. So here I am, daybooking instead of writing.

Food for thought:
"I am a mother of eight, but it's not because I am Super Mom. It's not because I was born with some rare gift that makes me capable of mothering a large family. It's because this family God has seen fit to give me has shaped and changed me into the person I am today. It's because God sends challenges and then follows up those challenges with the graces you need to get through them. Always."

Danielle Bean in another excellent column, "I'm No Super Mom"

Worth a thousand words:

Sacred or Immaculate?

2009-06-15T06:27:00.003-04:00

I remember my first Easter Mass clearly. It was in the little church where my husband's family used to go to the early Mass, in a teeny tiny town. It was a wood-framed building with polished wood floors, squeaky pews, and magnificent stained glass windows.

Though the name of the church was Sacred Heart, through some sort of mix-up, there was a beautiful window up in the highest part of the roof that was the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

All these hearts were pretty strange to me when I was exploring the Catholic Church. The images are a little gruesome and weird, though there's something compelling too, something that draws me to them.

Read my reflections and some of the history of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in my column at Today's Catholic Woman.

Tim Warneka on Writing

2009-06-13T12:56:00.003-04:00

I'm excited to welcome author, coach, husband, father, counselor, and consultant Tim Warneka back for today's interview.

Tim, welcome back, and thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Last time, we spoke quite a bit about Catholic Servant Leadership and your work. This time, I'd like to focus on your work as a writer. What inspired you to start writing?

Ah … writing. God really dragged me kicking and screaming into writing. (Laughs.)

I began writing right after 9/11. I was working as a clinical counselor treating children and adolescents. After 9/11, many parents of kids I was working with (as well as parents at my church) came up to me, wanting to know how to talk to their kids about it.

I sat down and wrote “Ten Tips for Talking to Children About Terrorism” (available on my web page here). As my first public writing, I found this piece very difficult to write. But, with God’s help, I finished the article and emailed it out to some of the parents I was working with.

The tip sheet really took off. I heard from parents and professionals from all around the world who found my world helpful … which was a deeply humbling experience for me. A few months later, I was contacted by a psychologist who was putting together a series of books on terrorism. The psychologist had read my article and thought I was a good writer … which, frankly, surprised me. (Laughs.)

About a year later, the four-volume set The Psychology of Terrorism was published, containing my chapter, "Everyday Terrorism – The Long Shadow of Our Hidden Dragon: Shared Factors of Terrorism and Juvenile Violence." I got a lot of positive feedback on that chapter, and so I began to accept God’s calling for me to become a writer. And here I am years later with four books under my belt. (Laughs.)

What's the greatest challenge you face as a Catholic writer?

Self-doubt.

When I think about the fantastic writers from our Catholic tradition … a tradition that spans almost 2,000 year … it becomes easy to ask the questions, “Who am I? Do I really have something to offer?”

For me, I struggled with my self-doubt and the path that God was calling me toward. In the bible, Jonah was swallowed by the great fish because he was running away from God’s calling. There were many days early in my writing career when I could very much relate to Jonah!

Do you consider writing a primary part of your work or is it a consequence, a way you get the word out about your ministry?

Writing is absolutely a core part of my ministry. For me, writing is an integral part of the ministry God has called me to with Catholic Servant Leadership.

What have been your greatest helps in the work of writing?

Community and relationships. As I mentioned in our first interview, during my undergraduate years, I learned about the importance of community and relationship in the Catholic faith from the Marianists at the University of Dayton.

I strongly believe that “No writer is an island.” As best I can, I make sure I have a good community of people I can have read my writing and give me feedback. That way, writing becomes much more of a dialog for me than a lecture.

What advice would you give other Catholic writers?

My advice to other Catholic writers would be simply: “Write. The world needs your voice.”

Thanks, Tim! If you want to learn more about Tim, or if you find yourself wondering what a wood burning soapstone stove and a 1930's guitar have in common, you'll find that and more in his bio. You can also download chapters from his books, tip sheets, and essays.

Seven Thoughts on The Philosophy of Jesus

2009-06-12T05:18:00.003-04:00

Once again, a book in seven takes. :) (This will probably become a habit, though there are worse habits to have, don’t you agree?) Jen has the full collection of Quick Takes over at her place, so be sure to check it out.

“Christ’s outstretched arms on the Cross are God’s answer to our childlike question: ‘How much do you love me?’ ‘This much!’ How big is that stretch? It’s the distance between Heaven and earth that was bridged by the Incarnation, and it was the distance between Heaven and Hell that was bridged by our salvation.”

I’ve heard good things about Peter Kreeft, and he’s been on my “authors to read” list for quite some time. What inspired me to actually find a book of his was more than just the rave reviews and insightful excerpts I’d seen around. It was because I listened to him (courtesy of the free audio (at his website or through iTunes) which I found out about because Rebecca Teti posted a link as part of a thought-provoking reflection some time back).

“God is not our Answer Man, our servant, the means to our end. To think that is pagan anthropomorphism. No, God is the End. He is the Absolute; He is not relative to us, but we to Him. He is the First, the Creator, the Initiator. He is the Wooer, and we the wooed; He is the Impregnator, and we are the impregnated; He is the Bridegroom; we are the bride.”
Maybe you think The Philosophy of Jesus sounds heavy-duty and perhaps even narcoleptic. Think again! It’s less than 150 pages and is written in a style that felt conversational. Maybe it’s because I’ve listened to quite a few of Kreeft’s lectures, and I could actually hear his voice in my head. The Philosophy of Jesus reads more like a discussion, like a friendly over-dinner talk, than like a treatise on what Jesus believed and taught, and, really, that’s what it is.

“But like Nicodemus, many of us still just don’t get it. We miss the very center and essence of this whole religion business. We think it’s about thinking differently, believing differently, evaluating differently, acting differently, and forget that the root of all of these things is being differently. Christ came to give us not just new thoughts and values but new being.”

This is one of the best books on theology and philosophy I’ve read, in part because its writing is so approachable. Never once did I feel that Kreeft had dumbed things down for me, and yet I also felt (perhaps mistakenly) that I understood. What I so enjoy about Kreeft (and I’m no expert on him, mind you) is how he makes philosophy something that’s applicable to everyday life in terms that we all use. He takes images from the muddle of my life and he uses them to illustrate a point that would have otherwise sailed over my head.

“That’s the best thing we can do: look at Jesus. That’s what Mary did and Martha didn’t. And when we look to Him for help because we have real or apparent needs, whether big or little, whether falling World Trade Centers or falling ice cream cones, the best thing He can tell us is what He told Job: ‘Just trust Me, child. Know yourself and know Me. I am the giver of “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17), and you are only a child who cannot understand My designs. Your wisdom is trust, my wisdom is providence. For you are only you, and I am I. I am not man and you are not God. Why is it so hard for you to remember that elementary fact? Let me help you remember: tell me, “where were you when I designed your world?”’(Job 38:4)”

Thankful for the Small Things

2009-06-11T06:24:00.003-04:00

Last week, I couldn't think of any successes. That was a large dose of laziness, and I'll be the first to admit it. This week, all week, I've been contemplating what a small success really is. Does hanging out a load of laundry count, if I was going to do that anyway? Is not doing that thing which would make me a Bad Mother a small success? Could I count the really pathetic things?

And you know what? That's not what it's all about at all. This weekly exercise isn't about injecting my ego, but instead, it's a way of sifting through the thousands of little things, finding those that really are successes, though they are often overlooked.

You'd think I'd know that by now.

1. In a huge step, I started a workout plan this morning. Now, let's see if I can stick with it.

2. I'm an early riser (which is not the same as a morning person, thankyouverymuch!), but this week, listening to the needs of my body, I slept in a few times. Funny thing...I still had all the time I needed, and I felt better too!

3. In case you missed it yesterday (how could you?), I'm an aunt again. You might say this is not my success. You're right, I suppose. But I'm counting it anyway. :)

Do you have small successes to share? Go over to Faith & Family Live and join the celebration!

Just Perfect

2009-06-10T11:10:00.002-04:00

This is my newest nephew. Isn't he perfect? (More pictures, as I get them, will be here.)

Welcome, Little Blessing!

2009-06-10T10:18:00.002-04:00

He's here! My new nephew is here...well, not here in the sense that I can hold him or anything like that, but here in the sense that there are proud parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and, most importantly of all, parents.

Here are the stats for all of y'all who can't get enough of this sort of thing:

Benjamin Philip
born at 7:48 AM this morning
7 pounds, 3 ounces
21 inches long

I have much, much, much more to say about this first son of my younger brother. I have thoughts brewing and rising up, along with the tears. Oh, and I'll post pictures. How could I not? :) But for now, the stats will have to get us through. (If only I could figure out how to get those pictures off my phone...)

1000 Words: Beautiful Blooms

2009-06-10T07:46:00.005-04:00

In case you didn't hear, I have another nephew on the way. Any minute now. So I won't call this a Wordless Wednesday post...there will be words, plenty of them. (And tears. I'm sure there will be tears.) But Wednesday mornings mean pictures for certain grandparents and, if I'm honest, for me too.

I love capturing these moments in time, whether it's the "HELLO!" of the dianthus blooming in my garden or the burst of sunshine in those yellow day lilies my brother-in-law planted for me last year. They're among my favorites, those day lilies. I think of him every time I see them, and then the fancy ones bloom, and I think of my friend from college's mom, and then the red ones bloom, and I think of my brother-in-law again, and...well, you see how it is. My garden is really a scrapbook, reminding me of the people I love, taking me back in time to that garden of Grandma's and then rabbit trailing me a thousand different ways.

Then there are the moments with my children, those fleeting spots of time when I see that I've caught that Pebbles ponytail Ree, one of the visiting nieces, insists my youngest must have. I'll look back and see my four-year-old's head tossed back like that, and I'll hear the song she and her eight-year-old cousin Junie were singing for us. It was a backyard concert, and I'm sorry we couldn't invite you (you might say it was just thrown together after dinner), because it was grand.

And then...then there are the pictures with smiles and streams and cameras held while the other-one-who's-always-behind-the-camera pauses to be a part of the memory captured.

And when did Ree and Mabel and June and Rebecca get so big? When? Ah, well, they're captured now, in a picture that will speak 1000 words to me every time I see it.

Soon enough, there will be a new baby. And another, probably. And another. But I'm glad to have this little corner to remember the first babies. I'm grateful for the technology to allow me to combine my blooms with my blooms. :)

Want more free stuff?

2009-06-09T16:52:00.002-04:00

Well, by now you know I'm an enthusiastic supporter of The Catholic Company's Reviewer program. (What? You didn't? Well, now you do!)

Just recently, I got wind of this other program, sponsored by Aquinas & More Catholic Goods. It's called Tiber River (an enthusiastic nod from me for their marketing team), and here's the good news:

Up to six products sent to you each year for review if you are an approved blogger reviewer.
Faithful Shopper points towards free gift certificates for every approved review you write.
Credit for sales that come from your blog, if you are an affiliate of Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
Your review posted on the Tiber River site with a link to your blog in every review you write.
The ability to write as many reviews as you want for Faithful Shopper points, redeemable at Aquinas and More.
Customer referrals tracked for a year if you are exlusively an Aquinas and More affiliate and reviewer.

So, if you're interested, mosey on over and check it out. (And if you're not already hooked up with that other reviewer program, well, go there too.) I remember, not so long ago, when I wondered just how people ended up with so much free stuff. How do I get free books? I wondered. Well. Don't say I didn't share the information with you, and if you want free stuff, go and get it!

Today on Among Women...

2009-06-09T13:20:00.002-04:00

...is none other than...ME. Yes, that's right. Pat Gohn interviewed me and now, my friends, it's out there in the big bad podcasting world. We talked about all sorts of things, and though I haven't listened to the final version (just saw it download to iTunes as I was plugging along, actually), I wanted to be sure to share it with you.

You can listen to our talk (it was less of an interview and more of a conversation of friends -- which is just how things are at Among Women) here. If this is your first visit to Among Women, don't make it your last.

Anyway, for those of you who aren't my family members and might be interested...well then, off you go to discover a great new podcast!

Our Lady of the Everyday

2009-06-08T07:51:00.001-04:00

My devotion to Mary has really blossomed this year as I've explored her different titles. I've come to see her in so many different ways, and I've been inspired by how different people in different cultures have embraced Mary, made her their own mother, their own sister, their own companion.

But if I had to name a favorite title, I think this week's title would be in the top five: Our Lady of Combermere.

It's a little-known title, one that probably has mostly regional devotion. I had never heard of it, and I'll bet you hadn't either (unless you're from Canada).

Our Lady of Combermere is extraordinary in her normality, in her littleness, in her obscurity. She started as just an expression, really. There was no apparition, no spinning sun, no fireworks display. There was only a small group of people who lived their hidden lives and asked for her help quite conversationally, the way you would ask your friend down the road to lend you a bit of milk so you don't have to run to the store.

Only.

How many things in life do I say "only" this or "only" that? How many little incidents -- everyday miracles -- pass without notice because of that four-letter word?

My reflections on Our Lady of Combermere are over at Today's Catholic Woman. If you're interested, you can also do some exploring of your own at the Madonna House website.

June Bugs (2009, One Month at a Time)

2009-06-08T06:47:00.001-04:00

This is part of my adventure in giving my monthly resolutions focus a yearly focus. You can read all of my resolution posts here (scroll down for older posts).

Mental Focus: Clearing the clutter through home organization
Last month, I was supposed to clean out the porch. I didn’t.

This month, according to my master plan, I’m supposed to work on the living room. We’ll see.

It’s not that I don’t want to continue this journey of junking the unneeded, it’s that my motivation lately is...nonexistent. So in June, I’m going to focus on that bad attitude that’s lurking underneath nearly everything lately and I’m going to pray...a lot. I think I’ll probably also fast. Fasting is powerful.

Physical Focus: Getting off my duff
I’ve been slacking on this, but as I shared a while back, I’ve given myself permission to put this away for the time being. Recently, though, something came to light that made me think this needs to be a priority. This month, I’m going to do some research, make a plan, and hopefully implement it. It’s going to require that I ask for help, so I’m going to pray for the humility to do that.

Spiritual Focus: Staying focused in my prayer life
One thing I don’t do well is evening prayer. This month, I’m going to focus on saying one small prayer before bed. My intent will be to thank God, but the focus is going to stay small and achievable. Did I mention that I’m going to rely heavily on God’s help to accomplish this? (I’m not an evening person. Not at all. I fall asleep early, and usually I just nod off...sometimes as early as 8:00!)

Kids at Mass

2009-06-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Kids belong at Mass. I'm a firm believer in that, even though it means I have to walk the walk with my own little ones. Everything I would say about it, Kate has said here, in her column at Inside Catholic. Thanks, Kate, for saying it, and saying it so well!

Sea Changes

2009-06-05T00:12:00.000-04:00

When I first saw Sea Changes, by Gail Graham, sitting on my table, I had a moment of terror mingled with anticipation. If this book is any good, I thought, then it’s going to be a great one to share. But if not...that’s 400 pages of reading I just won’t get back!

Yeah, I know, it wasn’t really a great attitude. But my reading time is a precious commodity lately. Reading is an outlet for me, and one of my favorite hobbies. That said, my life is pretty, ahem, full right now.

Silly me. My worry was needless.

For one thing, the main character’s name is Sarah. How could I not love her?

OK, seriously, one thing I enjoyed about this book, immensely, was the character development. Some pretty far-fetched things happen in Sea Changes, but it all works in the context. Graham paints a world of despair, and then...and then she inserts hope. Her characters are so real I found myself dreaming about them. (I think, in one of the dreams, I was throttling Felicity, but we won’t go into that.) At the end of the book, I found myself wondering if there would be a sequel...and I hate sequels. (But, in the present climate of series of books, some of the series very well-written, I’m getting more accepting of them.)

Sea Changes is the kind of book that would make for excellent summer reading. In it, I got a glimpse of life in Australia from an American’s point of view, and I enjoyed it. It was the sort of glimpse that comes from spying, from a hidden camera, and not from being told. For example, have you considered lately just how ingrained, in your American sensibilities, the philosophy of “innocent until proven guilty” is, how it forms a foundation for how we approach our lives? That makes it sound unentertaining, I suppose, but it wasn’t, not in the least.

If you’re looking for a good novel (or even if you’re not), let me recommend Sea Changes. You can learn more about Gail Graham at her website and you can read the first chapter of Sea Changes here. Enjoy!

Always with Mary

2009-06-04T06:36:00.002-04:00

Does it count as a small success that I clicked through on a YouTube link that a dear friend sent me? Does it count as a small success that I'm sharing it here? Because those are the only successes I can think of this morning...

Thanks to Pat for sending this along.

Catholic Summer Reading Fun

2009-06-03T19:53:00.002-04:00

Few things beat a free book, at least in my world. Imagine my delight, then, to find out that I could win one just by leaving a comment on this post at Catholic Mommy Brain!

And that brings up an excellent program that's coming our way again...the Catholic Summer Reading Program sponsored by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

They're voting on the picks right now, and I'll admit, right here and now, that I only recognized two of the titles. What better time than summer to immerse myself in a new world, though? What better opportunity to use the long days to learn something useful, about my faith and probably about myself too? (I'm ignoring the overflowing reading shelf in the living room as I write that.)

Go on over and check it out.

Wordless Wednesday: Natural Baby Person

2009-06-03T06:20:00.001-04:00

More of the Lovely Pat Gohn (Part 2)

2009-06-02T21:50:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, I shared the first part of my interview with Pat Gohn. Today, I'm delighted to share some of Pat's wisdom -- written just for YOU -- and more about her. Enjoy!

Of your pursuits -- writing, speaking, and now podcasting -- what’s your favorite? Or, if you can’t pick a favorite, what’s fulfilling about each of them?
Hmmm.... tough to pick a fav.... Writing is great when it's going well, y'know? In my early years, before my children came, I wrote for broadcast radio and advertising agencies. Nobody knows who the writers are for those things, so there is a lot of anonymity except in your close professional circles. My writing now isn't advertising, it's evangelization and catechesis in the Catholic Church.... So, you could say, I went from selling Chevys and fast food to trying to make Jesus a household name! The other difference is that now my work is in the public eye on websites, or in print, and it usually has a byline that is publicly traceable to moi. So, I'm not used to the attention that comes with that. But what is fulfilling about writing is not seeing the byline. It's that I'm using one of the gifts God gave me, in his service.

Public speaking is fine, when I have the opportunity. Mostly, I just love sharing about our Catholic faith, and that can happen anywhere. Any time. Whether it is sharing a cup of coffee with a friend and praying with them over a problem, or being renewed in our faith while on retreat or at a conference together.

I really like engaging the questions people have about the spiritual life and Church teaching, and having the opportunity to celebrate the riches of our Faith. Let me sum this up with this quote from Bishop Fulton Sheen: "Most people don't hate what the Catholic Church teaches... they hate what they think the Catholic Church teaches." I keep that taped to the wall in my office.

Podcasting is just a fun new media that I think has real growth potential for all phases of Catholic ministry. My particular niche, with Among Women, is delving into Catholic spirituality for women. In a culture where the Oprahs and Ellens of the world dominate women's media, I'd like to see Catholic women bring their giftedness to the fore. Oprah and Ellen, while entertaining in the short term, are selling a lifestyle, and, a path to happiness that is fleeting, at best. Christians have joy, life-giving love, and purpose -- that touches every aspect of life. The call to holiness is the ULTIMATE lifestyle! And it leads to eternal life!

What's fulfilling about podcasting is not the podcasting, but sharing the content, that hopefully, is a source of encouragement and nourishment for daily life. And to help women have the confidence to be a blessing among the women they know, and among the men and children they know, too.

Pat, if you were to give me advice, as a young mom, what would it be?
1. Stay close to Jesus. Nurture that faith. If you are not growing, you are dying. Pray. Pray. Pray. Look to the Blessed Mother as a guide and helper for mothering. (I know for some of you reading this, Mary seems way too remote, or a tough act to follow. Ask Jesus to help you get better acquainted with her. He helped me -- a hard-headed stubborn fiercely independent feministic woman. And I learned, and continue to learn a whole new way of life... of loving service, and surrendering to loving, by generously saying "yes" to life.

2. Love your husband. Laying your life down for him will be the hardest thing you ever do. But it is the closest thing to God-as-love you will ever do. There's an old saying that the best thing parents can do for her children is to love their spouse. I believe that. (If your marriage needs help, get it. Saving your marriage will save the life of your children. If you're a single parent, look to Christ as your partner, and find support from your church and wherever you can get it.)

3. Be a responsible parent. Stay involved in the lives of your children. Don't leave their religious upbringing to others. Do it yourself. If that means you have to learn more about your faith, so be it. While I'm always praising my children when they bring home a good grade or some other special achievement, it’s more important for me to catch them in the act of doing good, and telling them that I see the good in them. Sometimes we are so busy disciplining our children, that we forget that the opposite is equally, if not more important.

4. Sometimes life is hard. There will be sadness, and cancer, and unemployment, and hardship, and difficult inlaws and outlaws, and crabby babies, and dog puke on the rug. Find ways to celebrate and delight in the ordinary.

We celebrated the days kids learned how to pump on the swing, or swim across the pool, or put a worm on a hook, or pass the driving exam. We also celebrated baptismal days as well as birthdays, saints days as well as holy days.

And every now and then: do something unexpected. I once took all three of my kids out of school after first period, because they had appointments with Dr. Slopes -- the ski slopes that is! Another time, we picked them up after school and drove straight to the airport to say "goodbye" to their often-traveling father -- and surprised them with all our bags in the trunk -- and we all got on the plane with him! (Not work, a surprise trip.) Some night, it can even be as easy as having dessert first.

But delight, delight, delight, in all that you can.

Psalm 37:3-5: Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Thanks, Pat, for sharing so much of yourself and your wisdom here and in the first segment of the interview!

Have you voted?

2009-06-02T08:16:00.003-04:00

Voting for the Catholic New Media Awards is OPEN!

Go on over and vote once for your favorite blogs, podcasts, and websites. They include everything under the sun (or on the internet) and maybe you'll find that, like me, the real temptation will be to not double your daily reading and listening list... :)

Updated: As it turns out, you can only vote ONCE. So make it count! (I updated the paragraph above.)

And no, I didn't get nominated this year, which means I can actually enjoy the process, I suppose...(and start beating the bushes for next year's nominations?)

Joys of Mothering

2009-06-02T07:38:00.002-04:00

One of my friends sent this to me in an email, and I can't help but share a link here.

My own nodding was especially vigorous in this paragraph:

“Being your mother has been the single greatest joy and privilege of my life: not a burden, not a perennial unrelenting source of emotional and physical agony, not the ‘hardest job in the world’, not the knee-capping blow to my ‘adult individuality’ nor has it been the thankless, under-appreciated, most overlooked profession these mothers would have you believe. In fact, my sense of personhood, identity and self-knowledge have grown more through mothering than any business I’ve started, any degree I’ve earned, any relationship I’ve pursued. I thank YOU for being the best people to ever happen to me.”

Don't miss the whole thing.

Long ago, I wrote 40 Reasons to Have Kids, in response to a woman who had written 40 Reasons Not to Have Kids (and because Karen tipped me off to it). I'm pretty sure I could write a new list of 40, and another one tomorrow, and another one. Yeah, some of it would be tongue-in-cheek, but most of it would be filled with the little things I'd like to remember, the moments of joy even in the midst of the trial.

Motherhood isn't easy. In the mainstream, motherhood is held as a sort of crutch we can choose, as a necessary evil, as something that is only negative. I can't agree with that, though I've had my fair share of bad days and tough nights. What do we miss when we only focus on the smell of spit-up and the stain of leaky diapers? How do we cheat ourselves -- and our children -- when we see the sleepless nights instead of the daytime naps? When will they ever be little again? Or big, for that matter?

Yes, we have to be realistic. But calling our kids the biggest burden, forgetting that they are, in fact, gifts of the highest order, is one of the greatest injustices we do to all of society. Turning motherhood into a prison, whether we do it only in our own minds or in the protected company of a talk show, is a lie.

It's not easy. But I remember being told as a kid that nothing worth having was easy.

Without those little people in our lives, there's really no hope in the world. That seems to be the direction the world is going, but it doesn't have to be that way. We have a choice every day: we can see our vocation as mothers as a hindrance to our "real" lives, or we can embrace it, with all its smelly gooey ickiness, and pray for the strength to be more the way God wants us to be. It's our choice. Every single day.

Flowers from Mary

2009-06-01T07:48:00.002-04:00

Anything that blooms is fair game on my property. The little girls in my house can't help it...they are drawn like bees to the colors and the scents, whether they're picking dandelions or peonies. Their first reaction, after picking whatever treasure they've found, is to give it to me, always with a smile, usually with an exclamation.

And I take them, always with a smile, usually with an exclamation. How can I not?

Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, is the title I'm exploring over at Today's Catholic Woman today. It's a title that reminds me of the many times my girls bring me flowers. It's a title that makes me want to pick a bouquet for Mary, my friend and sister, a companion who prays for me like a mother, a mother who smiles at my small victories. Maybe you'll enjoy my reflections and add some of your own to the discussion.

So often, in my reflections about Mary, I think about how my prayers are like the blooms my daughters bring me throughout the spring and summer. I pray, and sometimes the bouquet I offer is full of wilted dandelions and tulips with not enough stem. Mary takes those prayers just as I take the flowers from my children, with a beaming smile and an exclamation of thanks. She doesn’t care that I’m bringing her regular old prayers, things she’s heard hundreds of times. She doesn’t mind that I’m distracted and struggling. In fact, I think she might cherish them more, knowing the effort it takes me on those days. I imagine her putting my prayers in a special vase, where her Son can smell them.

Read the entire column.

Beginning of the Month Daybook

2009-06-01T07:11:00.002-04:00

Outside my window:
The sun is shining and the leaves on the trees out front are waving. It promises to be a lovely day.

Rambling thoughts:
This week, I'm catching my breath, though there's a lot in my mind and on my schedule. I'm going to try to battle the pressure to run-run-run and focus, instead, on making the best with the quiet and putting into practice a sort of discipline for myself. We'll see how that goes. It will be an ongoing practice.

In thanksgiving:
For out-of-town family, visiting this week (and next!)
For fat baby cheeks and

Nose inserted:
Over the weekend, I zipped through Damosel, by Stephanie Spinner, which I picked up after reading an interview with the author. What a delightful book! I'm going to recommend it to my nieces and I'm also going to have to explore the author some more.

Still working on Saving Dinner Basics: How to Cook Even If You Don't Know How, by Leanne Ely, and new late last week on my currently reading pile is a gem: The Philosophy of Jesus, by Peter Kreeft.

Folded hands, bowed head:
I'm praying for three special intentions, all of them close to my heart. One of them inspired me to start a novena last week, and the other two just break my heart. Sometimes I just feel called to pray, and I don't know, at times, if my prayer does anything more than make me feel comforted. (I mean I don't have proof, I suppose, not that I doubt the effectiveness of prayer.) That's OK, though. We don't pray for evidence.

In my ears:
Silence.

Around the house:
It's quiet in a strange way. Usually by this time Babs is awake and we're doing our Early Riser thing (which means we don't talk for at least an hour) in separate rooms. Today, though, she's waking up at Nanny's house with visiting cousins, and I'm here in the silence. I miss her.

A favorite thing:
Evenings with my husband.

For the rest of the week:
There's the looming possibility that it will be a week of CRAZINESS. I dread the possibility that I will slack in very important areas, and I know I need to impose some sort of order on my frenzied mind before the week even starts. To that end, I'll be praying Hail Marys to punctuate my day, and I trust that the Mary will guide me.

Food for thought:
I want to be here, waiting where my arms can be a place of peace and rest, and a shelter from injury, doubt, and fear that my children can always, always return to.

Kate Wicker, from her post "I Want to Be Here" on her blog

Worth a thousand words:
See that mouth full of chocolate cake? See that elbow of the obliging uncle? Hear the giggles that accompanied this exchange?

Mary, Mary, and More Mary

2009-05-31T21:11:00.008-04:00

Over at Faith & Family Live last week, there were a lot of book recommendations in the comments of my guest posts, and though I was going to do a resources post there, I really wanted to do a wrap-up, sharing some of the gems from the comments (you can read that wrap-up here, if you'd like).

But since I have my own blog, I'm going to do a round-up of my favorite Marian resources (of the "learning more about Mary" type). If you have any to add, feel free to mention them in the combox and I'll update this post with them. I'm not linking all the books as I trust we all have a favorite shopping or library outlet and know how to use them. ;)

Books recommended last week at Faith & Family Live:

The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics, by Raphael Brown
The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich
Refuting the Attack on Mary: A Defense of Marian Doctrines, by Father Mateo
Saint Joseph, by Louise Bourassa Perrotta

Books and resources I've loved for learning about Mary and Marian devotions:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (completely online and fully searchable here)
Dictionary of Mary, published by the Catholic Book Publishing Company
The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary, by Karen Edmisten (which I reviewed here)
Rosary Meditations for Real Life, by James Hahn (my quick review is here)
Hail Holy Queen, by Scott Hahn
The Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonsus Liguori
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, by St. Louis de Montfort (which I reviewed here)
Mary and Me, by Ginny Moyers (my review's here)
Behold Your Mother, by Heidi Hess Saxton (here are my review and an interview with the author)

Some items from the deposit of faith and Church tradition:

The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary
The Protoevangelium of James (The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God and Very Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ)

Church documents worth the read (encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, etc.) - and please note, these are a very small sampling of what's available...I have many more printed out and ready to be read...sometime soon:

Ad Caeli Reginam (On Proclaiming the Queenship of Mary), by Pius XII
Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum (On the Immaculate Conception), by Pius X
Ineffabilis Deus (The Immaculate Conception), by Pius IX
Le Pelerinage de Lourdes (Warning against Materialism on the Centenary of the Apparitions at Lourdes), by Pius XII
Marialis Cultus (For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary), by Paul VI
Redemptoris Mater (On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church), by John Paul II
The Message of Fatima (Document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith)

Great places to learn Marian devotions:

Your recommendations (from the combox):

The Imitation of Mary, by Fr. Alexander de Rouville (Recommended by Elena)

A New Category for Mary

2009-05-31T09:33:00.003-04:00

In an effort that can only be described as "typical Sarah" and because I seem to have enough posts to justify it, I have a new category of posts, "Inspired by Mary."

And this brings me, once again, to the overwhelming feeling..."Who am I to write about her?"

But they're there. I can't guarantee that the older ones are completely accurate (a near sin in the Reinhard Household, lemme tell ya), but if I don't stop sometime, I won't stop at all...

Image from The Splendor of the Church

Small for Just a Moment

2009-05-31T08:17:00.003-04:00

I'm often struck by how fast my kids grow. Yeah, I know. It's not exactly a new thought, but it is one that I turn around in my mind, much the way I jiggle with a hard piece of candy, tucking it into the side of my cheek, then coming back to it after a while and sucking vigorously.

It seems like just a few days ago that this picture of my blond bombshell was taken. But when I look at her toddling around this morning, trying (and failing) to wear her sister's shoes, getting into everything, calling to me from the other room with a discovery, I realize it has, in fact, been 20 months. Twenty months!

I know where the time has gone. I do. I joke with my friends and family that if they stayed little any longer they might not make it, and I'm only half joking.

But I'm only half serious. I know these days of small children will pass quickly. I know it as a reality. I'm watching it happen.

I hear the advice from the older moms I know, the ones who have moved along to teenagers and grandkids, and I take it to heart. I know I'll miss these days, and I hope I don't stand there, on the other side of mothering small children, and wish I had spent more time nuzzling soft necks, brushing unmanageable tangles, giggling over preschool silliness.

Therein lies the premise for my latest column at CatholicMom.com, Temporarily Small.

Mary in My Home

2009-05-30T15:13:00.003-04:00

It's my second-to-last post at Faith & Family Live today, and the topic is one that's dear to my heart. Oh wait, they're all dear to my heart! Well, today the topic is Mary in the home. Will you come over and join us?

Here's a taste of what you'll find there:

I imagine my soul as a house that Mary makes into a home for her Son. It’s drafty and dirty and in need of a fresh coat of paint. Sometimes there’s a recurring sin that gnaws away like termites, slow and steady, almost invisible. Sometimes there’s a dilemma that requires a huge investment of money and lots of time to repair. Sometimes there’s a strange smell that means something died under the floorboards.

In this house of my soul, Mary’s the one bringing in daisies and peonies. Since I don’t have any fancy vases, she puts them in plastic cups, but the humble cups are transformed by the simple act of putting flowers in them. They’re changed into something beautiful.

She inspires me, with that little act of beauty. She gives me the courage to look past the dust bunnies and piles of junk, to see the beauty that’s possible, even in me.

Come on over!

Meet the Lovely Pat Gohn (Part 1)

2009-05-30T10:04:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm thrilled -- just THRILLED -- to share the first part of a conversation I had recently with Pat Gohn. Pat is an inspiration to me for many reasons. But maybe what most touches me about the example Pat sets for me, and for other women, is her smile. Before you go thinking that I'm superficial, I want you to listen to her podcast and see if you don't hear her smile in it. I want you to listen to her words of wisdom -- which are also the foundation for her columns at both CatholicMom.com and Catholic Exchange's Today's Catholic Woman -- and see if you don't walk away changed, even just a bit. See if you don't find yourself smiling.

Tell us a little about yourself, Pat. Greetings, fellow Catholic Ponderers! Thanks to Sarah for letting me visit here on the blog! I'm married to Bob now for almost 27 years now... we have three children together, Bobby, 21, Katie, 19, and Peter, 16. That equals two college tuitions and one Catholic high school. I've long been a stay-at-home mom, but in recent years have worked part-time in church ministry as well as going to graduate school to earn my Masters in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. (Too bad I didn't know Sarah back when I was studying out there in the summers! We woulda had some fun!) Anyway, I'm just out of school one year.

I'm also a writer, and a podcaster, and have designs on getting back into teaching adult religious education fulltime as soon as the economy improves and I can find a new job! For more about me and my work, go to www.patgohn.com. Other tidbits: I grew up in New York, mostly on Long Island, but have been living in Massachusetts since 1994. I love to read, walk, play guitar, write music, travel to new places, and go out to dinner! My favorite foods are coffee, wine, ice cream, and dark chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.

In one of your recent podcasts, you mentioned that you went back for your master’s degree in theology after your children were grown. That struck home with me, as I have young children now but also have the desire for more education/learning. Can you tell us a little about what inspired that move?
Well, that's a long story, but I'll try to give you the "Reader's Digest" version. Back in my 20s I started a Masters but never completed it... call it 'life interuptus.' So, the idea of going back danced around in the back of my brain off and on. I was a voracious reader on all things Catholic, and learned quite a bit on my own in the years before The Catechism of the Catholic Church came out in English in 1994. However, it 1996, I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer... (booo hiss...) and so, I never really made any future plans for my life after that.... but then my cancer was treated, (Yah God!!! and those great docs! Woo hoo!) and I'm still here, so I guess God had some kind of plan he wanted me to follow.

Some time after the cancer experience, in 1998, I was given the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. It was there that the dream to go back to school was born in me again. It took me a few years to discern which program was best for me as a mother who still had lots of mothering to do, as well as a part-time job. Plus, affording it is another question! Eventually I slowly starting taking a distance-learning course here and there while my kiddos little. At the time, I earned 21 credits of undergrad theology to get accepted to the FUS graduate program... since my previous undergrad work had been in Communications. The last three years (2005-2008), was when I did the graduate program, my children were teens. So when they were in school -- so was I. (It was great -- nobody ever had the excuse about not doing their homework because Mom was right alongside doing hers!!!!)

In your various commitments, Pat, what do you find is your greatest challenge? How do you face and/or conquer that challenge?
Discipline has always been my greatest challenge. The word disciple has the same root as discipline. To be a good disciple, I need to keep to a regular schedule of prayer, and writing/journaling, and being in the Word (Bible). All of this helps me love others as I ought. I really do have to fight distractions that would derail me. And there are many. Now, bear in mind, my children are older now, and most of my time is my own for these pursuits. It was even more of a struggle when my children were small. Sometimes, my husband would spell me for breaks to pray or go to church by myself, just so I could focus. I used nap times for rosaries, and playtime outside to talk to the Lord. Going for a walk and praying as I did so was helpful too -- again, my husband taking the children so I could do that.

More from Pat on Tuesday, y'all. Now go enjoy the sun (or curl up with a book if it's raining in your corner of the world)!

Will YOU be there?

2009-05-30T07:34:00.002-04:00

(Video link if you don't see the embed.)

Maybe, if you go, you can tell me all about it. Or, better yet, figure out a way to uStream it...

Mary's My Teacher...

2009-05-29T11:03:00.001-04:00

...how 'bout you?

Mary’s role as teacher didn’t stop when Jesus grew up, or even when he had ascended back to heaven. The disciples must have consulted with her frequently and I’m sure the other women must have turned to her. Can you see her at the village well or at the stream during washing day, sharing her quiet faith and deep humility, offering to help the young mother with a toddler and one on the way? Do you think she started a new mom dinner program in Nazareth? Could she have founded the first ever women’s prayer group in her kitchen, performed while kneading the next day’s bread?

Join the discussion today at Faith & Family.

Visit www.snoringscholar.com for Catholic Pondering!

Time for a Move

Quick Takes on How It's Going

Mary, Mary, and a Priest

Love Equals Sacrifice

Three Cheers!

The Best Kind of Vitamins

What if...

More Links Worth Checking (updated)

Is this for real?

All's Fair in Sheep and Rides

Snow and Mary

Getting it All Done

Columns - Kids at Mass and Quiet vs. Busy

Memories in the Making

The Actor and the Housewife

Sweet Success

Finding Mary in the Baby in My Arms

Pondering Harry Potter

Guess what's for dinner?

Mary of the Ponderosa

Wish I Woulda Thought of That

Dandelions as Something Other than Pesky

Benefits of Vacationing in Vree-gin-ee-ya

Epic and Suffering

Wordless Wednesday: Cute as a Button

More on La Negrita

Eternal Rest

Requesting Your Prayers [Updated]

Mary and Angels

My Soul as an Old Farmhouse

Trusting Surrender and Mother Mary books

Still Kickin

Cheering and Praying

Rambling Thoughts

Things That Make Us Go WOOHOO

The Dreaded Call (Updated)

A Book in the Mail

Finding Mary in the Dirt

Only Say the Word

Catching Up in Seven

Mary's Selective Hearing on Catholic Moments

ELBs and Success

Diagnosis Critical in Review

Father Elijah in Brief

For the Love of History

Amber Waves of Grain

4 Books Makes 7 Takes

Time for a Success or Three

Just the Thought I Needed Today

Jumpin’ July (2009, One Month at a Time)

All I can think of...

Our Lady of Copacabana

Slice of Life and Discussion Starters

Holding Mary's Hand

Ever So Small

Kept in Mary's Heart

Give Her an Inch

Meet Author Gail Graham

What do you talk about at dinner?

A Mother with Arms Outstretched

Letting Mom Do What Moms Do

Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady

For the Fathers in My Life

To My Little Brothers

In Celebration of the Year of the Priest

Mothers as Super Heroes in Seven Quick Takes

Catholic Moments and Mary's Heart

Worth a Pat on the Back

Wordless Wednesday: Look What She Found

Leap of Faith

Rally!

A Daybook in the Midst of Termites

Sacred or Immaculate?

Tim Warneka on Writing

Seven Thoughts on The Philosophy of Jesus

Thankful for the Small Things

Just Perfect

Welcome, Little Blessing!

1000 Words: Beautiful Blooms