What a joy it is to have another generation of people in our family. It's not just that my three grandsons are adorable, exceptional, brilliant and funny. (Of course they are, right?)

It's that they enrich our lives so much. At each birthday party Blaise is very helpful in blowing out the candles on the happy-cake, as he calls it. Their perspective, their joy, their humor are sources of great delight for all of us.

Here is Blaise, almost three, learning from Grandpa how to make french toast. Everything is new to the very young, their minds soaking up information like magnificent sponges. They're interested in everything!

The love we have for our children is somehow distinct from the love we have for our grandchildren.. The delight is differently magnified, the devotion intensified, the forbearance increased many fold. The love becomes even more unconditional because, let's face it, raising them is not our responsibility, not our problem.

My job is to love them with all my heart, leaving the hard stuff to their parents.

Only love, no responsibility. It doesn't get much better.

Memorial of Saint Gertrude the Great

Today is the feast of Saint Gertrude of Helfta. Also known as Saint Gertrude the Great, she was a 13th century German Benedictine.

In this month of All Souls it is particularly appropriate that we remember Saint Gertrude. She was a mystic and experienced many visions. In one such vision she saw souls freed from purgatory ascending to heaven like sparks of light.

In another, Jesus told her, "I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to me for the poor souls, for I long inexpressibly to have near me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer." From: Mission to Empty Purgatory

Saint Gertrude was also given the prayer recited below that Our Lord said would release 1,000 souls every time it is said with love and devotion.

From Our Catholic Prayers:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Saint Gertrude the Great, pray for us and for all our departed family members and loved ones!

Halloween Fun

 Ok, I know many people object to the "celebration" of Halloween and I respect that. For me, the day has always been about family fun, embracing our neighborhood community, indulging children with something they love (CANDY!) and having fun.

I  had the privilege of attending the Halloween festivities at the Ann Arbor Public Library with my daughter and two of my grandsons. Blaise (above) was a train engineer...

And Jude was a cowboy! Are they not adorable? Sorry, can't help myself. It's a grandma thing.

I'm sure I had this silly grin on my face the whole time. Grandchildren are just such a joy!

My daughter-in-law is a youth librarian at Ann Arbor District Library and is she ever good at what she does. The youth librarians put on several skits based on children's books--- SO well done. Then the kids could wander around collecting candy from the library employees. Wonderful family event. The AADL Does a great job on community events like this.

I realized the morning of Halloween that we hadn't even purchased a pumpkin. So I bought one of the few remaining pumpkins at Busch's, which happened to be a pretty large one, and prayed I wouldn't hurt my newly fixed back getting it into and out of the car. (Shoutout to my chiropractic son-in-law Zach Simkins and Foundation Chiropractic) Got it into the house successfully, googled pumpkin stencils and managed to carve this with an hour or two to spare before trick-or-treating. Go blue! Felt pretty proud of myself-- and I DID NOT re-injure my back, thanks be to God!

Happy All Saint Day! All you holy men and women, pray for us!