Next Event? Taking my youngest son to college!

This is the summer to beat all mothering summers for me.

First, Liz, my youngest, graduated from the grade school where I've spent half my time for the last 13 years or so.

Then Jim graduated from high school. And how exactly did that happen while I was looking the other way?

Then my oldest daughter was married to a wonderful young man.

Now my new son-in-law and she will be moving to the Atlanta area for the next few years!

And tomorrow I must start the drive across the country to take Jim to college.

Within a a ten day period two of my children who have never lived in another town will be living more than ten hours away. One of them will be more like 20 hours away.

September may be my month of emotional meltdown. Prayers appreciated.

Wedding Planning Advice :-)

First of all, let me just say that it's a lot of fun wearing a hat like the one below (bought it at Michael's). You don't get to be in that role for very long. I got a kick out of it. LOL

But what you see below is the assigning of tables for the reception. Just in front of my hat is a map of the Union Ballroom with tables in place and numbered.

We numbered each paper plate too and placed it on the table according to the map. Then we placed a post it note with each guest's name on it and fixed it on the plate. You have to rearrange these things a LOT of times. Every change brings about maybe 7 or 8 other changes. Anne read this suggestion somewhere. Moving the post-its is a lot easier than crossing out names on lists!! And if you can't leave them out you can always stack the plates up and spread them out again the next day. Oh, and don't try to stick them around the edge like I first started to do. They stay put much better if you just stick them on the center of the plate.
And leave a lot of time to do this. It takes hours and hours! These are your guests. You want them seated with people they like. Everyone should be with at least some people they know, if at all possible. Proximity to the head table needs to be considered and relatives placed as close to you as you can. You might want dancers near the dance floor. Coffee drinkers near the coffee bar. Relatives you rarely see get placed at or near your table! And don't put together people who don't get along! I left these plates like this for days and each day I usually made a few changes.

Hopefully, the final assignments were the best we could do. I hope so. But you never know how things may change. Four people, for various reasons, could not come even though they had RSVP'd. Would you believe all four were at the same table?? That left one table with only five or six people. Oh well. I hope they enjoyed the company they had. :-)

This was actually a fun part of the planning process that I thought was really important. And with this technique (paper plates and post-its) that Anne had read about, I thought it went quite well.

Now for my brother, or "Rich and the Haunted Lighthouse"

During our vacations in northern Michigan each summer we often visit the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse.

It's an interesting old lighthouse, built in 1840.

There are fun things to do on the grounds like pumping water from a still functioning hand pump. (Liz in the picture)
Or ringing this bell on the back patio... (Monique and Mary here)

Here is my brother Rich with his two children Mitch and Monique...

As it turns our, the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is believed by many to be haunted. Well, that's all my brother needed to hear. I don't like heights so I didn't climb up to the top. I stood at the bottom ready to take pictures as my family arrived at the top.

Soon I could see Rich in the window.

He was right next to the light here. Suddenly he jerks himself backward as though he was being pulled from behind. His own hand is pulling his face back as he opens in mouth in a feigned scream. His frame slowly starts to disappear from view as he pretends he is being pulled downward. (I am already dying from laughter.) As his face is almost gone from view he silently and desperately mouths "help!" (Now I'm looking around hoping no one is calling the police.)

His hand slowly slides down the glass, palm flattened tight against it. The hand goes up, then down, as though he is struggling. His face appears one more time, wide eyed and terrified, and then slowly and jerkily disappears from view. (I can hardly breathe I am laughing so hard.)
When he finally exits the lighthouse at the bottom he comes out staggering as though completely exhausted from this struggle. Moaning, he falls to the ground, face first and then turns over.
I don't know if you can see it in this picture but he even managed to get grass in his mouth as he lay there as though unconscious.
I was completely in tears and looking for the restroom. No one. NO ONE can make me laugh like my brother can.

If you read among the ghost stories of the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse a story about a man mysteriously attacked and dragged down the stairs.......well....you know what really happened. LOL You gotta love brothers.

Sisters-- You gotta love 'em

You know what I love about my sister? I love many things about my sister. But one thing I love about her is that she can make me laugh until I cry.

Someone took the picture below of the two of us. I posted it two days ago here. I thought it was a pretty good picture and said so as I looked at the screen right after it was taken.

My sister looked at it and said, "I look like I'm pregnant and you look like you're nursing,"

At which point we both dissolved into uncontrollable laughter that ended in tears....also caught on camera.
She had a point there. She can make me laugh till I cry. I love it.

It all started in Northern Michigan over a decade ago...

Two weeks before the wedding date, Zach's family and our family went up north to a favorite set of cabins in Alpena, Michigan. There was one other time when both of our extended families had been there at the same time. It was about 13 or 14 years ago. It was then that Zach and Anne met for the first time. AND they each developed a crush on the other. It was 8 or 9 years after that that they started dating.



While there they practiced their dance for the wedding on the tennis court. They danced to the tune of "Lucky," a popular song that has in the refrain the delightful line, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend..."

And here they are at the wedding dancing to their song...

OK. Suzanne has asked for a picture of me so here it is. On the left is my sister.

There's nothing like a party celebrated for a joyous occasion at which all of your favorite people are present. We had such a good time.

wedding dancing

We have a lot of people among our family and friends who enjoy dancing, especially my children (with the exception of one). So it was very important to us that the reception site have a large dance floor. This is the Union Ballroom at the University of Michigan. The entire floor was built to be a dance floor. The only limitation is how many tables you also want to have. We had a lot of dancers....Great fun. My oldest son is the one who starts on the stage leading the group.

I'm back!!

The wedding!!!!

Oh my goodness, the wedding date was coming at us like a freight train. We worked all day on it, nearly every day for weeks!!! And what fun it was! I am so grateful to be a stay-at-home mom. I don't know how working mothers can plan a wedding. I guess they just can't be as involved in the details. Above: My oldest daughter Anne exchanging rings with my now son-in-law Zach!

Tomorrow I will post more pictures. The wedding was just beautiful. I didn't get everything done but all the important items were accomplished.

A veil missing in the mail until a few days before the wedding took a lot of time.... We shopped for a different veil, I tried to stay calm and reassure my daughter that it was OK, that I didn't care how much we might have to spend on a veil. There was no time to look for a good buy, etc. All I wanted was for her to have a veil she loved. It was her wedding day, for heaven's sakes. It there ever was a day to indulge your daughter this was it. We went shopping for two days. THEN... the original veil arrived and she loved it. Phew. We added a blusher that worked with it and she was all set.

More pix tomorrow. I will be catching up with all my blogging friends now. I hope you are all well. You have been in my prayers.

Less than 4 weeks now...

Woke up way too early today with a headache. Motrin and coffee have finally done the trick.

Today's to-do list will include the following:

Finish (hopefully) cleaning the globes for the centerpieces and wrapping them up. Apply the velcro to steady them for the stands.

Finding (hopefully) shoes for the girl to wear as bridesmaids, ones that they will like and that do not have ridiculously high heels.

Call the banquet manager to ask my 18 million questions. Hope he's having a good day :-)

Check the mailbox five times for RSVP returns before the mail actually comes.

Get the heirloom wedding handkerchief in the sun to see if we can naturally bleach out a little more of the aging spots. And ideas?

Continue to obsess about how to wear my hair...

From what country did the U.S. gain its independence?

Did you hear about this poll???!!!???

An average of one in four Americans did not know from which country the United States won its independence. Say what???

I could not believe it. What on Earth is being taught in our American History and Government classes?

How could you know anything about U.S. History and not know this? Is the answer to my question that, indeed, nothing is being taught to our children about American History?

With all the money we spend on public education.....is anything being learned? It's really kind of scary.

		USA Residents
		On July 4th we celebrate Independence Day. From which country did the United States win its independence?
		Great Britain	Unsure	Other countries mentioned
		Row %	Row %	Row %
USA Residents		74%	20%	6%
Region	Northeast	84%	10%	6%
	Midwest	74%	21%	5%
	South	68%	26%	6%
	West	75%	18%	7%
Household Income	Less than $50,000	63%	30%	7%
	$50,000 or more	86%	9%	5%
Race	White	82%	13%	5%
	Non-white	56%	35%	9%
Age	18 to 29	60%	33%	7%
	30 to 44	75%	15%	10%
	45 to 59	79%	17%	4%
	60 or older	76%	19%	4%
Age	Under 45	67%	24%	9%
	45 or older	78%	18%	4%
Gender	Men	81%	12%	7%
	Women	67%	28%	5%
July 2010 Marist Poll National Residents "N=1004 MOE +/- 3%" Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding.

A New Driver

I'm hoping that....

A student driver who notices herself that she has forgotten to put on her seatbelt and looks a little startled by the realization,

One who carefully adjusts the seat and all the mirrors before she starts the engine,

One who is hesitant to take opportunities to drive,

One who, when she is told to slow down a little because there may be children in this area playing, actually slows down to about 1 mph,

I'm hoping that such a new driver may actually turn out to be an extremely careful driver who understands the dangers of driving....

Here's hoping....and praying.

Today I had the very energizing and fun experience of attending the Ypsilanti fourth of July parade and passing out literature supporting Jack Lynch's campaign for Congress.

I've known Jack and his dear wife Lisa for many years. Our sons played together when they were little and he is a member of our church.

Unequivocally pro-life, Jack is a staunch conservative across the board. It's easy to get excited about his campaign. He's a strong and devout Catholic. Here's what Jack has said about the unborn.

As Americans there are few things closer to our hearts than “choice” and all it implies, since it lies at the heart of so much of what we mean by the word “freedom”. We live in a country where we are free to choose many things – where we live, where we work, how we dress, who we marry, and a thousand and one other things. But we have always agreed that some choices are not legitimate choices – and that one of those choices not within our concept of freedom is the choice to kill an innocent, defenseless human being. In our magnanimity we have always looked upon aggression by larger, more powerful persons or nations as intrinsically wrong - and the more so the smaller and more defenseless the victim of the attack. And so it is that – in accepting the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding abortion – we have turned our back on one of our deepest and most cherished ideals – “sticking up for the little guy”. For there is no member of the human family “littler” than an unborn child – no one more innocent, no one more voiceless, no one more defenseless. An unborn child cannot hire a lawyer. An unborn child cannot vote. An unborn child cannot in any way raise their voice to protest the violence done to them in abortion.

Do you see why Jack is easy to campaign for? If you'd like to donate to Jack's campaign you can do so here.

Peaceful Moments

There's nothing like a quiet prayer time in bed, a cup of coffee beside me.

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.....

May Crowning!

On May 8, we had our parish May Crowning.

Please indulge me while I take my notes here for next year.

The weather was windy and chilly. We might have had more people come had it been sunny. Still, I think there were probably about 100 people there. We did it right after the 9:00 Mass on Saturday. I purchased probably 160 or more flowers for the procession. 100 probably would have been enough. Some people did bring flowers from home as we had suggested in the bulletin announcement.

We distributed flowers to those who needed them in the back, by the baptismal font. When people had their flowers they lined up in the center aisle. Three people were helping to pass out the flowers and that seemed a good number.

An acolyte led the processions with a crucifix followed by two candle bearers. They stood in front at the center aisle. Two banner carriers were behind them.

Deacon Dan and Deacon Lou came in from the side aisle and then stopped in the center to say the opening prayers. The crown carrier (a First Communicant girl) the First Communicant boy, and the Crowner (Confirmand girl) were sitting in the front row. They came forward with the crown on a pillow for the crown to be blessed. They then stepped to the side to let the procession begin. These three then brought up the end of the procession and Deacons Dan and Lou followed at the end.

We started singing several verses of Immaculate Mary and then sang Bring Flowers of the Rarest (the traditional may Crowning song). After she was crowned we said the Litany of Mary and concluded with Hail Holy Queen.

Several women assisted with the placing of the flowers in the vases which had been set out and filled with water the night before. Seemed to go well.

We crowned the large statue of the Blessed Mother which stands on a tall pedestal in our church. We used a metal portable stairway which Angie H. (mother of the crowner) did a fabulous job decorating with blue satin and white tulle.

We again ordered the crown from a florist in Hawaii, graciously arranged by Mary O. Is this not a gorgeous crown?

It's actually what is called a hakulei and is strung on a cord like a lei, only smaller. The flowers were exquisite and I love the way it lays so nicely on her head. Half the cost was for the Fed Ex shipping. But she is so worth it! The crowner went to near the top of the steps. The First Communicant boy went up a few steps. The crown carrier then lifted the pillow for Luke to take the crown and hand to the Confirmand who placed it on Mary's head as we sang the words, "Oh Mary we crown thee with blossoms today."

We had refreshments in the JPII room afterwards, planned by Maria F. who did a fabulous job. Cheese and crackers, brownies, cookies, lemonade, coffee, and tea. Lisa M. donated a beautiful full sheet cake all decorated for Our Lady. She also brought in her own lovely large statue of the Blessed Mother complete with real eyelashes. Lisa placed this statue on the table in the narthex with the programs and then moved it afterwards to grace us in the room with the refreshments.

The participants stayed for some time, having refreshments. Kids gathered together in little circles sitting on the floor. There was an occasional crushed cookie and a plant that was knocked over spilling a little soil on the floor. Why do I mention this? Because it warmed my heart that this was a family-friendly event and I felt it was just as our Blessed Mother would want it.

We had lots of help afterwards cleaning up (Dell, Mike, Ken, Maria, Lisa, and some of our kids) We vacuumed, etc.

It all went quite smoothly. Seemed to be a lot of spiritual warfare beforehand, but the crowning itself was without glitch, I thought. At the moment Hail Holy Queen ended the power went out in the church. I mean exactly at the moment it ended. It felt like some little powerless demon just wanted to stick his tongue out, not having been able to spoil any of our efforts to honor the Queen. It came back on within minutes. teehee.

I may write more about the planning in another post. Mary, Queen of Peace, we love you. Please help us always to "do whatever He tells us," as you always did.

Cedar Point!!

Wooohooo, Cedar Point has wifi! Well, at least in the little donut shop by the entrance.

Drove here with the the members of the GR physics classes who are no doubt all out defying gravity already.

For those of you not from the Midwest of USA, Cedar Point is a crazy amusement park producing more rides all the time, each one looking more and more like something you couldn't possibly ride without causing brain damage. I don't even like to watch them, partly because it scares me to see my own children thrown through space and partly because even just seeing them makes me dizzy.

Cedar Point has the world's largest collection of roller coasters. Yup. 17 roller coasters. Count 'em.

You might be able to tell that I have real lack of enthusiasm for thrill rides. I don't understand the appeal of scaring oneself. There's enough in my life to trigger adrenaline without taking myself to the edge. But there are clearly lots of people who do enjoy the whole experience.

It's rainy here. A lot of the coasters are closed at the moment. The kids are probably a little disappointed.

But I'm happy. I'm dry and with wifi. Good stuff. Think I may find Jim now though and buy him lunch.

No time!!!

For once in my blogging life I have LOTS to write about.....but no time to write it. Every single day there is something extra I need to do or somewhere I need to go that takes a few hours. And you know what that can do to a mom's schedule. I'm struggling to keep up on the laundry. I often have no time to make dinner. I have not been to Curves in several weeks. And you know how seldom I've been posting on this blog!

For example, this week I met with my daughter and the Banquet Manager at the Michigan Union to finalize details for the reception. This was a two hour meeting and then we met John and had lunch while talking about the plans.....lots of fun. LOTS of fun!

We also had a parish-wide baccalaureate Mass and dinner for this year's graduating seniors and their parents. Parents were asked to speak for a few minutes honoring their graduating son or daughter. This is a really nice parish tradition that means a lot to the seniors. It's an opportunity to publicly affirm them and bless them. I love it.

Tomorrow I will meet with my daughter's future mother-in-law to go over some pictures she's putting in a video for the shower she's giving.

Today I drove my son's madrigal's group to the University of Michigan hospital where they were giving a concert. Then we stopped at McDonald's on the way back to school. It's really a nice experience to drive for a high school field trip--- at least with this group of kids. You don't have to keep track of them. They know where they're supposed to be and they're there. They don't do stupid things or misbehave. They know how to be polite.

There was also an investiture Mass at the school this morning where the graduating seniors received their graduation gowns and NHS stoles.

Tomorrow Lizzie's play will open at her school.

Last night was my monthly night to feed my dear friend Deanna who is suffering from ALS.

You get the picture. A mom's schedule is full even without special events. In a week like this something has to give.

Hope you're all doing well. Hope to catch up soon.

Woohoo! Big Day for Mary

It's been almost two years....

She diligently followed Dr. Kim's instructions.....

If Dr. Kim said wear the rubber bands all the time, she wore them all the time.

Once she forgot them and called to ask if I could bring them to school for her...

Why was she so conscientious about this? Well, she's conscientious about everything, but in this case, she really wanted to get those braces off!!!

She has been literally counting the days for a long time....

Yesterday she went in like this...

And she came out like this....
Congratulations, Mary!!! How about those teeth?