Invitations Are Out

In the midst of preparing for Jim's party another big job was completed....We finished the mailing of the wedding invitations. My sister, my daughter the bride, and I all worked on them together. On the table you also see examples of the table centerpieces, except that at the wedding we will have white candles. We lit them with the candles we had just to get in the mood of the wedding. It was fun.

A lot of envelopes, ribbons, tags, cards, reply envelopes, numbered lists, stamps....

But now they have all been mailed and the replies are coming in. I can't believe it's less than six weeks until the wedding.

Coming up For Air

Jim's graduation party was this past Saturday. It was a lot of work. We did some major sprucing up of the yard, cleaning of the house, rearranging of furniture, a LOT of cooking and baking. I can't tell you how tired I am.

I think it went well. A lot of people came. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. The house and yard looked, well, good enough.

God was so good. All week long thunderstorms were predicted for Saturday. For our last four grad. parties we have not rented a tent with tables, as most people around here do. It's expensive! And it just has always seemed to me that high school graduations do not quite merit that much hoopla.

BUT....we do not have a house large enough to accommodate the normal sized graduation parties in our home. If it had rained we would have been sunk. The guests would not have been able to fit inside.

All week long we prayed that the weather would be nice. My daughter Mary chose St. Scholastica as her Confirmation saint. St. Scholastica is the patron saint of weather, so we especially asked Mary to ask her patron for her intercession.

The forecast never changed, not even by Saturday morning. It sprinkled just a little Saturday morning and that was it. We had tables in the backyard. The pastor of the church which backs up to our backyard gave permission to use his churchyard for soccer, frisbee, etc. And the weather stayed great! I don't think I even saw a grey cloud. God was, as always, so gracious to us.

I hope all is well with each of you, dear e-friends.

Mr. President, what were you thinking?

On the Today show on June 7 President Obama said that "expert input he was getting about the oil spill would help him decide "whose ____ to kick."

You know what? I don't want the president kicking anybody's body part for any reason. That kind of behavior AND that kind of language belongs to thugs and schoolyard bullies.

How are we to teach our children how to behave properly and how to speak in a civilized manner in all circumstances when the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES talks like this. And this was not some off hand remark accidentally said in front of a microphone presumed to be off. (which would be bad enough). This was said intentionally and with full knowledge.

Does the president always talk like this? Does he allow his daughters to talk like this?

It strikes me as supreme self-indulgence and an alarming lack of self-control. Is he desperate to please his base? And does the base resonate with this kind of language?

I'm sorry. I don't know what he was thinking. It just seems to be one more example of Mr. Obama not really understanding what it takes to be president--- or to be the chief executive of anything for that matter.

Yikes! This schedule must slow down....

Want to know where the heck I've been? I've been racing through life with barely a chance to catch my breath. Major event following major event. Mother mission upon mother mission, in addition to the normal busy SAHM routine.

Liz in the Spring play at her school... "Larceny and Old Lace," written by skilled language arts teacher Van Vandagriff....Liz is in the purple.

Mary was in the chorus of the Spring musical at her school....."Guys and Dolls"

Lots of fun. Mary is on the far right in the middle group.

And Jim played the lead role of Sky Masterson...

Dear godson Mitch was confirmed....

Year-end Spring concerts, honors convocations, and baccalaureate Mass. Below is Jim with a final photo with his well-loved madrigals director and drama coach.

Jim graduates from high school. Here he is with my oldest son Mike and our dear pastor Father Ed Fride.

There have been two bridal showers. Below are some of the favors made by Anne's friends. cookies cut from "bridal" cookie cutters and expertly decorated.
Terrifically fun shower with Anne's friends and mine. I could not stop smiling at a room full of some of my very favorite people.

Liz graduates from grade school. Here she is with one of her very favorite teachers.

All my children were at both graduations. I just love having all my children together. You know? It's a mom thing.

Jim with his diploma.
And these are just some of the main events. Jim's graduation party is what I'm working on now together with the ongoing plans for the wedding in August.

I hope to catch up on some of my blog reading soon. I really do want to know what's going on with everyone else. I hope you are all well.....