My cousin Dana sent me this old photo she found of my parents and my grandmother. My parents are the two on the left and the woman on the far right is my grandmother, my father's mother. The picture must be thirty years or more old. My mother looks so good. The camera must have caught her by surprise because she always smiled for pictures. I can't remember seeing a serious picture like this. She's been gone for three years and was ravaged by Alzheimer's Disease for 10 or 15 years before that. But she sure looks good here, doesn't she?

My dad just looks a little younger than he did before he died. I still just can't believe they're both gone.

In Prayer Primer Thomas Dubay writes:

"Thoughtful man and women, even those reflecting a secular point of view, are well aware of the detrimental effects a continuing din has on our psyches. In his best seller, Future Shock, Alvin Toffler wrote about "the overstimulated individual. . .the bombardment of the senses. . . information overload. . . decision stress." Thomas Merton observed that "We live in a society whose whole policy is to excite every nerve of the human body and keep it at the highest pitch of artificial tension, to strain every human desire to the limit and to create as many new desires and synthetic passions as possible, in order to cater to them with the products of our factories and printing presses and movie studios and all the rest." This, he explained, is why he had chosen to "live in the woods."

Pictured above is Thomas Merton's hermitage on the property of Gethsemane Abbey.

Dubay goes on to say that "We need mental and emotional rest, rest from overstimulation, if we are to be normal and healthy."

The life of a mother is always very stimulating, joyous, and yet often loud and with limited rest. I must always guard against taking on too much and yet still be willing to work hard in the service of my Lord in the raising of my children. I find it hard to know just where is the right balance.

Labels: overstimulation, rest, solitude, Thomas Merton

Today during my prayer time I was reminded of a recommended prayer, "Oh Lord, incline my heart to do your will.

For me, I think I would rephrase it to: Oh Lord, help me to do your will even when, and especially when, I am not so inclined.

The will is an interesting idea. Are there layers of the will? Why do I do things I don't want to do? Or is it that I change my mind at the moment of decision? Or is there a deep intent and a superficial one? Who's at the wheel?

I'm thinking too much :)

Yesterday was a tough day. There was just too much coming at me. We had three grade issues with kids at school, one critical tuition issue with a college student, one IRS issue, and one senior picture issue, all in the same evening. It was a little more than I could take in such a short period of time. A fine opportunity to acknowledge that without the Lord I can do nothing.

So nothing got posted yesterday which is too bad because posting releases tension for me. I was just too exhausted by 11:00, while discussions were still continuing. I just had to go to bed. I hope I can write something later.....

I am starting a list on my sidebar of "Blogs I Like." It took me this long to figure out how to do it. I have a long list!!! I'm probably only going to get 4 or 5 on a day and I'm selecting them from my feed list in no particular order. If you don't see yours yet, it's probably coming!!

My son, MY SON!, actually asked me yesterday how to do something on his blog! And a friend of mine who had just seen my blog actually described me as someone who knows a lot about computers!!! (ROFL) Perhaps, I really am very slowly starting to gain some knowledge. Yes, perhaps it's time to stop the self-deprecating humor about my ignorance. I know a lot more than I knew ten months ago. And I had no idea that blogging was going to be so fun, so interesting, so stimulating. Thank you to all my new online friends.

Today my daughter Elizabeth was in her school's talent show. First, she and a group of her friends did a very impressive double dutch jump rope routine. Everybody loved it.

Towards the end, Liz played her cello. She did a great job. I was so proud of her. She played right on pitch and with very nice tone. The kids really liked seeing the "big violin."

I borrowed my daughter's digital camera to take pictures and had planned to post them here. My recollection was that I had brought the camera into the school, then stopped in the foyer and put my things down in order to give my girls their pizza money. I thought I even remembered seeing the camera on the floor next to my purse and making a mental note to remember to pick it up. I then went to the room where our Moms in Prayer group meets. As I got up to leave that room I realized I didn't have the camera. I went back to the foyer and it wasn't where I thought I had left it. I asked in the office. No one had turned it in. I started to worry. I called on my dear friend, Saint Anthony. I asked him to please let it be found.

So there I sat during the talent show watching my daughter doing this great job and no camera to record it. I also started thinking about how I would tell my older daughter that I had lost her camera and how much would it cost to replace it. I pleaded with Saint Anthony. After the show I talked to him again. I checked in the office again. No camera. I asked myself how certain was I that I had left my camera in the foyer. I remember thinking I was about 99% sure it was there. I continued to talk to Saint Anthony.

When I got to my car I didn't even look for the camera. I was sure I had left it in the hall. About half-way home I thought, well, I guess I should look around just in case. I looked on the floor and right next to my seat was the camera. It was one of those Saint Anthony moments. How did he do that??!! I thought, did he actually transport it??!! I don't know. I was so certain I had brought it in and Saint Anthony does do these things. He has done them before for me.

So, thank you , Saint Anthony, once again for finding the camera and for all the many, many things you have helped me find over the years. You are such a good friend and such an amazing saint.

Labels: Saint Anthony

The Abbey of Gethsemane

This is my 21 year old daughter at the top of a mountain we climbed on the property of the Abbey of Gethsemane. We have such a peaceful, enjoyable time each year we come here. I remember the first time I climbed this mountain with her. I was all out of breath and hurt my back somehow. Now that I've been going to Curves for several years it was not a big deal. Made me feel pretty good. Getting older doesn't have to mean getting weaker. Praise God.

Labels: Gethsemane

Labels: Saint Anthony

Labels: Mary

Today I did something really stupid. I was trying to unclog a slow drain in the bathroom by pouring boiling water down it. I had already poured two big panfuls and it seemed to be working. I decided to pour down one more. (This was a big pot I use for boiling spaghetti, etc.)

While waiting for it to boil I called my friend Jeanne. As we were talking the water started to boil. So....always the multi-tasker, I put the phone on my shoulder, picked up the pot and headed to the bathroom. The pot was very full. The phone started to slip and I guess I jerked to hold it, thus spilling scalding hot water all over my upper leg. Fortunately, I was able to get a cold washcloth on it quickly. I was so in shock that I lay down and just kept cooling the washcloth and applying it to my leg. I rested like that for about an hour. It was amazing. It went from a huge area of very red, painful skin to just a few small spots. I was really lucky.

Boiling water requires a person's entire attention. I would never have let one of my children hold a phone and also carry boiling water. Live and learn. I definitely learned my lesson.

"Stripped on Holy Thursday to wash the apostles' feet, stripped on Good Friday to hang upon the cross, Jesus risen and triumphant is clothed in the light of glory, before which no enemy can stand, not even the roaring waters of chaos and death."

from "Magnificat"

Perhaps I shouldn't be blogging yet. I just wrote in the comments section of someone's post the words, "Merry Christmas." ROFL I'm not kidding. I really did. Fortunately, I noticed before I published it. I was almost dismissed from everyone's blogroll as a true nut case. LOL May I always respond with kindness to people in every situation who may just "say the wrong thing."

I had a peaceful Easter Sunday. It seemed a grace-filled day. My brother, no longer a practicing Catholic, came to the Easter vigil with us and so did my daughter's Protestant boyfriend. There was an additional sweetness for us because of their presence. The vigil itself is always a taste of heaven. You know what I mean. Heartfelt congratulations to Amber and Angie on their entry into the church!!!!

For the first time on Easter Sunday our family served dinner at a nearby soup kitchen. We had an early dinner in the afternoon ourselves. It was simple but tasty and very peaceful. Then we went to feed Jesus in the "distressing disguise of the poor." It was a-- I'm searching for a good word to describe it (this not being the best day for me to come up with the right words. :-)
None of my children complained. My high schoolers had to complete some service hours and we had been thinking of doing this for some time anyway.

What a feeling it was as I worked on the table of drinks on the other side of the room to look over and see five of my children at the food line, serving heaping helpings of food on the plates of really hungry people. They were smiling, talking, and laughing. They looked just beautiful as they reached out respectfully and kindly to these very vulnerable children of God.

There was just a wonderful sweetness to this experience. I don't think any of us felt deprived by spending a few hours on Easter in this way. The sense of peace that followed was so gentle. There was no bickering, no stress, on the way home. There was a presence of love and of unity in our family. I think we will do this again.

Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you.

No words can express how awesome is this miracle. Jesus Himself, body, blood, soul, and divinity. The First Eucharist-- my favorite mystery of the rosary, I think, along with the coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven. Have a Blessed Triduum.

May God's grace be upon all who are about to enter the Church, especially those among our blogging friends....

Labels: organization, sins

OK. While I'm going on and on about being a stay-at-home mom I have a confession to make. I actually do work outside the home part time. But I work at my own children's school three hours a day. When one of my young children are sick, I just call the office and they find me a sub. (I also occasionally substitute teach.)

And today I do have a sick child home. He's 15 so he stayed home this morning while I went in to school. (I actually don't even like to do that.) I came home and took his temperature and it's almost 102! Mothering takes a lot of time and requires a lot of scheduling flexibility. I feel for those moms who have to go to work all day and need to leave even a teen home all day alone with a fever. It's hard enough to do it for a half day.

I know there are some who would say, for heaven's sake he's 15. He doesn't need for you to be home. I suppose that's true. But I know from experience that sick people, even adults, really appreciate nurturing. And when of my children needs nurturing, regardless of their age, I am grateful when I can be the one to provide it.

Labels: mothering, nurturing, working moms

Above you see the reasons I have spent the last twenty-two years raising children at home.

Labels: child care, mothering

Thank you, Lord, that through the intercession of Saint Joseph, my husband, in the midst of a depressed Michigan economy together with a limping automotive industry, has actually secured an engineering job with an automotive supplier!! Who would have thought? God is so good. Thank you to all who have prayed that my husband would find a job.

Labels: Saint Joseph