On Monday Afternoon {in Florida}

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

Outside my window right now, the Atlantic Ocean stretches beyond my sight's end. The day is sparkingling clear, a bit cold and brightly beautiful. Definitely the way to begin a vacation.

::listening to 

the music coming from a wonderful tabletop carousel that has Sarah utterly enchanted. Sounds of The Nutcracker fill the air as my girlies make donut holes with my Aunt Diane. Happy morning!

::clothing myself in 

I've been thinking and think about Kelle Hampton's wise words. She said,  "I like dressing up. It makes me happy. Skirts, cute heels, red lipstick, hats. It's art to me, and I do it because I like it. I used to make crap up like "I had an appointment" as if I had to have a reason to wear a cute blouse. You know what? Sometimes I wear them in my house. On Saturdays. When I have no place to go. Because it makes me happy." Getting dressed in the morning can be a matter of pulling on whatever clothes or it can be our first opportunity of the day to express creativity and maybe make a little art. Dressing as art? I think I can see it that way. I'm wearing new jeans--ones that fit--and a long sleeved shirt with a blue batik print. Mike noticed the shirt first thing this morning and commented on how much he likes it. See? Art? Works for me.

::giving thanks for

Safe travels. Thirteen hours in the car. Mike drove the whole way and it was really a good trip. Really.

 

::pondering prayerfully

It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.-- St. Thomas Aquinas 

::clicking around these links

No clicks this week. I'm on vacation :-)

::turning the pages of this book

Nikon D40 for Dummies. I plan to read this tonight. The whole thing. 

::thinking thoughts as I go about my daily round

I'm flitting from my mother's house to my aunts' houses. My family knows how to rock interior design. It's crazy how beautiful these homes are. So, so much to see and absorb and love. Art, furntiture, cabinetry, fabric. Sigh. Truly beautiful here.

::creating by hand

I stitched a pillow cover all the way down here, just sweet square from Loulouthi Needleworks. It makes me happy just to look at it. The very first part of my grand bedroom renovation. Yay!

::learning lessons in

vacationing. 

 

::encouraging learning 

it's art history all the time here. We are blessed by beauty.

::carefully cultivating rhythm

after we leave here, I'm going to adjust the schedules offering by this awesome website to every one of our Disney's days.

::begging prayers

for peace, patience, and safety.

::keeping house

it's all about keeping the van organized

::crafting in the kitchen 

No cooking for me. We did have a Trader Joe's treat at every state border crossing. The girlies gathered Meyer lemons from the tree in my mom's yard this morning. Then, they squeezed them to get plenty of juice for lemonade.

::loving the moments

of being together in the sand and the sea under a bright blue sky.  

::planning for the week ahead

Did I mention that we're going to Disney World?

On Monday Morning

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

I saw the most beautiful sunrise on my way to the airport with Mike yesterday morning--a warm glow of pink that bloomed into a sunny winter day.

::listening to 

quiet. for now.

 

::clothing myself in 

I'm going to pull on jeans and voile shirt with a sweater pretty soon. What I really wish is that it could be a pajama day.

::giving thanks for

your prayers. I asked you to pray for two big things. There you have it: 1 big thing and another big thing. Thanks for praying!

::pondering prayerfully

Mother Teresa: Take our congregation for example, we have very little, so we have nothing to be preoccupied with. The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is not a mortification, a penance. It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. This is the only fan in the whole house. It doesn't matter how hot it is, and it is for the guests. But we are perfectly happy...

I find the rich much poorer. Sometimes they are more lonely inside. They are never satisfied. They always need something more. I don't say all of them are like that. Everybody is not the same. I find that poverty hard to remove. The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

Time: What is the saddest place you've ever visited?

Mother Teresa: I don't know. I can't remember. It's a sad thing to see people suffer., especially the broken family, unloved, uncared for. It's a big sadness; it's always the children who suffer most when there is no love in the family. That's a terrible suffering. Very difficult because you can do nothing. That is the great poverty. You feel helpless. But if you pick up a person dying of hunger, you give him food and it is finished.

 

::clicking around these links

Not too much clicking this week. Just this one, that made me cry. And this one, that made me cry, too. And this one, because I totally think organized fabric is awesome.

::turning the pages of this book

I'm listening to Ann read to me on audible. The sound of the voice of a dear friend whenever I have a moment alone makes me ever so grateful for technology. It's really rather amazing.

::thinking thoughts as I go about my daily round

I can't tell you how many people have pointed out to me in the last 48 hours that I'm going to be a mother-in-law. Of course, I've long thought that one day I would, indeed, be a mother-in-law, so this  comes as no startling revelation. I really want to be a good mother-in-law. Raise your hand if you have a good mother-in-law. Tell me about her? {please don't tell me about the not good ones.}

::creating by hand

Yesterday, more aprons and more jam. Today, some projects to take with us to Florida. Hopefully, later in the week I can finish my quilt. I'm waiting for invisible quilting thread to arrive.

::learning lessons in

mother-in-law-ing. Remember the Kimberly Hahn book binge of several weeks ago? I started there. 

::encouraging learning 

Just do math, people. Just do math!

::carefully cultivating rhythm

I have a list. I've carefully considered what needs to be accomplished when. I'm counting on no more huge life decisions from my children this week. And no more quick trips out of town. Let's just stick to the list, guys.

::begging prayers

Christian finished his first semester in college with a 4.0. We're both struggling a bit with the guidance department and the brick walls when we ask about help hurdling some obstacles. It seems beyond sad that he went in to talk about his future full of confidence that his hard work this semester had paid off and proven he was capable and he emerged defeated and sad. I'm so praying for a good mentor. And a math tutor.

::keeping house

Mary Beth, Stephen, and Nicky really helped me pull off a very pretty setting for The Proposal. And Nick warned everybody not to mess it up between now and Christmas. Oh, but that he could enforce that!

::crafting in the kitchen 

It's the last seven days before the feast. I'm up for a bit of fasting. You?

::loving the moments

when I fall asleep snuggling with Sarah.  

::living the liturgy

::planning for the week ahead

Stephen and Nicky get braces today at noon. Patrick gets his on Friday. Mary Beth's are being engineered. Apparently last week's appointment was just a warm-up. I still have shopping to do--the kind I have to do in person. Tuesday maybe I'll shop, after the plumber comes to talk about renovations. Katie has a basketball game Tuesday night. Nicky's birthday is Wednesday and we're all looking forward to a favorite visitor. Mike should be back in town then, too.Thursday is a Christmas Tea with my dear friend, Megan. There's a surprise in store for Katie on Friday. Then, it's Christmas...

On Monday Morning

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

It's cold. It's finally feeling a bit like winter. I love the look of frost on the ground while I'm inside under a quilt sipping something hot.

::listening to 

L'Angelus O Night Divine. I love, love, love this music. What a great family, great ministry and truly great music.

::clothing myself in 

Jeans and a sweater, but not a Christmas sweater. I pulled some old Christmas sweaters out of the storage room yesterday. Mary Beth was supposed to wear a tacky Christmas sweater to a party. They don't have sequins or bells or anything on them, but they're decidedly Christmas sweaters. She said they weren't tacky; they were just old lady sweaters. Either way, we'll not be wearing those again.

::giving thanks for

a good night's sleep. It's been awhile, but last night was solid and I'm grateful.

::pondering prayerfully

Listen: First ,have peace in thy own breast, then thou wilt be qualified to restore peace to others. Peacefulness is a more useful acquisition than learning. 
-- Thomas a Kempis (The Imitation of Christ) 

Pray: Jesus, you had such a heart for the littlest child. Help me to remember today that the frenzy preceding Christmas can be stressful for a small child. Open my heart to your grace and your peace so that I can bring that peace to my children. 

Act: Take your time with the bedtime wind-down tonight. Before you even begin, pray for your own peace of heart. Then, take time with baths and bedtime stories and prayers and pillow talk. If your children are all older, share a cup of something hot and give them your undivided attention before bedtime. Bring peacefulness into their dreams--and yours. 

from Small Steps, December 10. I love it when I talk to myself and say just what I needed to hear;-)

::clicking around these links

Here are some of the places I've visited recently:

some lovely reminiscing about growing up in a large family

13 ornaments to sew

Little lights for dark days (simple, beautiful craft with children)

Danielle and Rachel bubbling over with excitement about their new TV show

Important thoughts on the peril of too many toys.

::turning the pages of this book

Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman. Still. Again. What can I say? I've got a lot of reprogramming to do. It doesn't come on the first read.

::thinking thoughts as I go about my daily round

I struggle between wanting to throw open my doors and welcome people in anytime and the very deliberately taught notion that my house must be perfect for visitors.  I  struggle between fully embracing the lifestyle that comes with openness to life and hating the inevitable messes that ensue. I struggle between being embarrassed by mismatched dining room chairs and not enough storage space for anything and wanting to angrily explain to people who are clearly critical that they have no idea the sacrifice that daily goes into the order and beauty we do have. I struggle with the whole Good Girl thing and I have long held that having nine children will either cure me of it (because, really, it's impossible to wear those masks when you live with so many people) or kill me (because, really, it's impossible to wear those masks when you live with so many people). I'd rather be cured.

::creating by hand

Finish the quilt or make nightgowns for the girls? I can't decide.

::learning lessons in

I'm learning lots of lessons, but I can't write about them just yet. 

 

::encouraging learning 

The troops have been informed that Christmas vacation doesn't begin until December 21st. Noses to grindstones. Seriously.

::carefully cultivating rhythm

I am determined to take those words of Thomas a Kempis to heart and let my spirit be at peace. With Jesus, where it wants to be.

 

::begging prayers

Gosh, would y'all just whisper a real quick prayer for real big deal I can't write about right now? I promise to fill you in later. Promise. Still asking prayers for this one (actually it's two, but God already knew that). December looks to be very exciting this year.

::keeping house

I have told my children that not one new thing is going to be brought into this house unless all messes of old things are completely obliterated. We'll see how that goes.

::crafting in the kitchen 

Today, for dinner, we'll have a Mexican feast to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe. Oh, and we've begun to talk a bit about some points raised in the comments of this post. While feasting is certainly an integral part to rhythm of the liturgical year, Advent isn't really a season of feasting and celebration; it's a season of preparation. So often, we come away from Advent blogs with the idea the it's all a huge sugar-fest. Actually, it's not supposed to be. The Eastern Catholics (in communion with Rome) observe this season this way: 

The pre-Nativity fast is often called "Phillip's Fast" because it begins on the day after the feast of St. Phillip.  The fast was introduced to prepare the Church for a worthy celebration of the great and holy day of the Birth of Christ. The regulations for the fast were far more lenient than the Great Fast before Pascha.  Only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were days of strict fasting without meat, dairy products or oil (in Slavic countries).  On Sundays fish was permitted.  Laymen were at first permitted to eat fish on other days, too, until the monastic rigoristic influence prevailed.  It is interesting to observe that the famous 12th century Byzantine canonist Balsamon expressed the opinion that it would be enough if laymen fasted only one week before Christmas.  In 1958 a modern Greek author, Christos M. Enislides, welcomes Balsamon's suggestion and believes that the best solution would be for the Church at large to abstain from meat and dairy products for 33 days.  During the last seven days of the fast everybody should observe the strict fast.

To worthily meet our Lord and Savior, we should sanctify this pre-Nativity season of the Phillipian Fast.  Sanctifying means spending our time in faith and in the service of God and in kindness towards our neighbor, especially those who are in need of our assistance.  And we should think of what we would have been had Christ not come to our lowliness and poverty.  Together with the whole of the Byzantine Church we should try to meet Christ as he deserves to be met and as it will, in His mercy, best serve our spiritual benefit! (Read more here)

In the Roman Catholic tradition, we need to guard not to lose sight of these days as a time for spiritual preparation and strengthening. Perhaps we have fallen prey to our own bit of religion-sprinkled secularism when we outdo ourselves with festive baking and crafting and present advent to cyberspace as one feast day after another. It's true; there are lots of meaningful December feasts, but in the words of my five-year-old "It's a purple season, Mama." How can we best ensure that the season does indeed remain purple?

  

::loving the moments

when he says, "I'm here. Don't worry. It's going to be fine." And I believe him. 

::living the liturgy

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (tacos for dinner)

Tomorrow, it's St. Lucy's day (cinnamon rolls in the morning and a drive around to look at lights in the evening). Great bread recipe here, but I cheat and do it this way.

The O Antiphons begin on December 17th

::planning for the week ahead

Tomorrow, after cinnamon rolls and before we drive around and look at lights, I'm taking four children for their initial braces appointments. Did I mention that I was looking for ways to focus on the penitential?

There are basketball and soccer this weekend.

Pretty sure we're going to Charlottesville some time this week, but I also know Mike is traveling to Florida this week. And I'm sort of waiting for someone to tell me the plan. 

So, I guess I can't really speak intelligently at all about planning for the week ahead.

::capturing the images of my days

On Monday Morning

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

I planted sweet blue pansies a few weeks ago and they look at me--all cheerful little faces turned to the sun-- and promise me that they are hardy fellows and will do just fine when the weather isn't so kind. Some people are roses; I think it would be fine to be a pansy.

::listening to 

Crazy Girl by the Eli Young Band. I'm pretty sure that if this song were required listening for marriage prep and every guy understood its message, the length of the average married argument would be cut by more than half. (But I don't like the video at all. I hate it when a video nearly ruins a song.)

::clothing myself in 

three quarter length sleeves. I like my sweaters to have three-quarter length sleeves. They don't get in the way of frequent washing up or cooking or paints or such.

::giving thanks for

a very quiet weekend past, particularly when I look to the very not-quiet weekend ahead.

::pondering prayerfully

November 3:
Think: "When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." ~Chesterton 

Pray:
God, remind me (gently?) not to take anything for granted. Give to me the gift of sensitivity. Make me ever aware of the many blessings you have bestowed for which I am truly grateful.

Act: 
People who are survivors--who have survived accidents or illnesses--are often graced with an enhanced appreciation for life. They have learned, through pain and suffering, not to take a moment for granted. They know the fear that comes with having life threatened and so they have an acute awareness of the hope and joy that comes with having the threat subside. They might awaken in the morning after the crisis has passed with the sense that with the sun dawns a new life. And, despite the lingering pain, they feel the joy that comes with knowing that they will live to do His work. All the simple things that "regular" people take for granted are so sweet to the survivor that they bring tears to her eyes. That is the gift, the great reward on earth, that comes with suffering. The gift is there for each and every one of us. Unwrap the gift in all its wonder. Enjoy your time, your life. Don't take a moment for granted. Take them all with gratitude.

From Small Steps 

::clicking around these links

Here are some of the places I've visited recently:

Thoughts on how hurried we are and how being like a child means slowing down.

A wonderful anecdotal post from Kimberlee, who fosters creativity so beautifully in the heart of her home.

Andy Rooney on Women over Forty (wise man, that one).

The heart of the Penn State tragedy

Beautiful thoughts as a daughter comes of age.

And this one brings tears to my eyes every time I re-read it.

::turning the pages of this book

Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman. So, that's what you call the demon I've been fighting all my life. Good to name it. God bless Emily, for giving voice.

 

::thinking thoughts as I go about my daily round

I have so very much to do between now and January first. My mind is spinning.

::creating by hand

A new quilt! I have four squares finished now and I'm just so very pleased. I love, love, love this art.. 

::learning lessons in

quilting. I can't get enough of this ecourse at Whipstitch. I'm so glad I jumped in.

::encouraging learning 

Despite herself, I think Mary Beth is finally seeing the merits of her anatomy class. I got quite the lecture the other day on how we're all woefully calcium deficient. And she's probably right.

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Ugh. We've been without our big van for a couple of weeks now. And then Mike's car broke down. Oh, and Mike has been in France for a week. And mary Beth has had dance rehearsals that don't follow the class scheudle at all. When the driving routine gets rocked, rhythm is seriously disrupted and it makes me a little crazy. He's home now and I think we'll get the car thing solved immediately. All will be well.

It's the morning after a homecoming; I always feel like all will be well on the morning after a homecoming.

::begging prayers

for two people very close to me who had big medical deals last week and will learn results this week. Praying for stength and grace and courage for all of us. 

::keeping house

I had so hoped to have painted and finished a few dozen of my renovation tasks before decorating for Christmas, but details got ensnared and we delayed beginning. Now, I'm thinking we'll just wait until January? I don't know...

::crafting in the kitchen 

with pomegranates. I love them and my kids know they are special and share a short season with peppermint shakes at Chick-Fil-A. Did you know that pomegranates have long been held to be a fertility fruit? I have six babies born nine months after pomegranate season. I'm a believer in that there myth.

::loving the moments

 when the big boys' girlfriends play with my little girls. A big family bonus, for sure.

::planning for the week ahead

lots of car details today.

Patrick plays in Columbus tomorrow. He had a pretty amazing game last week. Every day is an adventure with that child.

a very intense week of rehearsals.

Kingdom of Sweets and Holiday Rhythms on Saturday and Sunday.

Patrick has two soccer games this weekend.

Nicky has at least three games and Stephen has at least four. 

I will spend the week making sure we're ready for the weekend:-)

::capturing the images of my days

 

Monday Musings

In the world outside my front door

We've had several hard frosts and it's time to pull out the frost-bitten plants and admit that summer has, indeed completely slipped away.

I am Listening to

a soccer game on television and an enthusiastic gang of teenagers downstairs (I'm starting this post Sunday night, knowing full well it will be Monday before I post).

I am Wearing

a sweatshirt and jeans and warm socks and three blankets. I cannot retain heat. At all.

I am so Grateful for

As I pondered and prayed about this post (for months, maybe years), I knew that it would take a leap of faith, a stretch of courage to publish it and my dearest hope was that it would bless. Thank you for your warm response. Even more, though, thank you for your honesty and your courage in the comments.

I'm Pondering

God has been very good to me, for I never dwell upon anything wrong which a person has done, so as to remember it afterwards. If I do remember it, I always see some other virtue in that person.

 ~St. Teresa of Avila

I am Reading

Not Google Reader. Prior to the "new, improved Google Reader," I was probably Reader's best fan and most frequent visitor. I had hundreds of blogs organized there. I had a reading schedule. I shared my reading and my notes. Not any more. I can't even scroll through a single blog to read a post now because the whole thing doesn't fit on my screen and when I scroll only part of the print scrolls with me. In its infinite wisdom and eagerness to drive everyone to Google +, they've eliminated the Share feature, thereby shooting a near fatal hole in the blogging community they helped to create and nurture. I'm on Google +, but I very rarely check in there. It would take me hours now to organize myself over there and frankly, those hours aren't going to happen because my kids are on Facebook and Twitter. And therein is the entire social media philosophy in this household. If the kids are there, so am I. Friendfeed.com has allowed me to continue to share interesting reads with sidebar links. Not quite the same, but I do hope you'll keep clicking there--it's nice to be able to pass things along. Facebook and Twitter buttons (and an RSS feed to take you to your Reader of choice) are still up there at the top of the sidebar. 

I am Thinking

that sometimes the only thing we know for sure is that we don't know. And it's very liberating to just admit it.

I am Creating

A new quilt! One square finished. I'm resisting perfectionistic urges to do the whole thing again. Actually, that's not true. I would TOTALLY do the whole thing again if I could, but the fabric would not survive that kind of seam ripping and I don't have enough new fabric to indulge my perfectionism. So, either I'm going to learn to get over myself or quilting is going to kill me. We shall see. 

I am learning

what a gift genuine friends are.

To live the liturgy:

It occurred to me today that I can count on one hand the number of times I'm likely to hear Mass said the only way I've ever known it. Soon--very, very soon--it will be different.  

Towards a Real Education

We're all about weighing college options and making big decisions with Patrick. 

Towards Rhythm and Beauty

I definitely love to Fall Back. I enoyed the extra hour yesterday. All my little ones were snug and sound asleep early. By the time they get here, I honestly enjoy embracing the shorter days. Nestle in; it's all good.

I am Hoping and Praying

for two people very close to me who have big medical deals today. Praying for stength and grace and courage for all of us. 

Around the House

In an unexpected twist, this post has me thinking that I need to freshen up the household oganizer. When we talk about the long journey that motherhood is and how homemaking is intertwined, I recognize that just as our diligence and perseverance with our children is not only about the children's growth in the Lord, but as much about ours, I see that homemaking isn't only about serving our families, but about our own growth in faithfulness and industriousness and genuine stewardship. As we work to cooperate with the Creator and mirror His order and beauty in our own small corner of the universe, we bless our families and we grow closer to God personally. I'm looking at my house with fresh eyes.

From the Kitchen 

a meal plan. I'll share it later, along with some recipes as the week unfolds.

On my iPod:

the Divine Office. As Mike prepares to fly overseas and as I talk with a dear friend about the new life she's about to embark in a missionary land, I am renewed in my appreciation that these prayers are prayed all over the world, every day, at every hour--praying without ceasing. And I'm comforted by knowing that no matter how far away they are, we share a faith. And God goes with us.

One of My Favorite Things

children--big and small- who know they can throw themselves on my bed and have my full attention. One of the things I missed most when Patrick was with the National Team was the way he'd hurl himself at my bed and then just tell me everyitng inside his head. They all do that in some form or fashion. Karoline does it in the middle of the night and talks to us in her sleep. I could probably go for a reschedule with her.

On the Calendar for the Week

A tense day today, awaiting news.

Shortened soccer practices, as even soccer bows to the forces of nature and the loss of daylight.

Long ballet days, as the Nutcracker performance times draw near.

Girls' Club on Friday.

We absolutely have to buy a new-to-us vehicle this week. Our great big van sighed its last sigh, after nearly eleven years of carrying precious cargo everywhere. I admit to being sort of sad. I hated driving that van. It was definitely not designed with petite women in mind. But it was a gift from Mike, all those years ago, just after our sixth baby was born. It was a tangible gesture from him that expressed even better than words that this big family lifestyle was what we were about and that he intended to provide for it well. Good van, that one.

Worth a Thousand Words

On Saturday morning, just after I dropped Mary Beth at ballet, I opened the door to find Bobby Convey standing there. He was in for the weekend and decided to drop by and surprise me. Mike and the kids were all in on it and everyone was pretty tickled to see me genuinely delighted by my breakfast guest. The boys all sat and watch English soccer on TV while Bobby offered advice on everything from professional soccer to college choices to high school dating (hilarious since none of them, including Bobby, has gone to high school) to marriage. I couldn't get a camera in this house to work for me, so this picture is the best (and only) I have. Still, I'm glad to have it.