Catholic Woman's Almanac

Thankful For:

* Snow...ha ha just kidding.  I am not excited about the snow.  I believe that last year traumatized me and I cannot see the joy in even this first snowfall.  I suppose though, that I should be thankful for ALL of the things God gives me, right?

* Our driving and carpooling plans working out even amidst changing plans and crazy schedules.  Somehow, God's always got them covered for us.
* A great semester of Earth Science and writing classes for my two high schoolers.  Both classes were taught by others and what a joy it has been for all of us!
* Family 

Praying For:

*A friend of ours that just died last night after a short bout with cancer.  Please pray for the soul of Jim and for his wife and two daughters as they grieve.
* For our country as they announce the Ferguson verdict.

In The Kitchen:

Yesterday was a motivated day for me in the kitchen; which doesn't happen often enough!  I made up a big batch of hot chocolate mix, made some brownies for the feast day, cooked some whole chickens, eggplant pizzas and some almond flour biscuits.  It was a good dinner!

Our contribution for Thanksgiving will be some breakfast foods and coffee for a possible visit with my mil and a pumpkin pie to add to the other two my uncle will be bringing for dinner.  Not bad at all!

This Week:

Monday (today) was a crazy day, as will tomorrow be.  Lot's of things, people everywhere, driving, appointments.  Final oral presentations will be given tomorrow by the students of the writing class.  Parents are encouraged to stay and listen mwahhhahahhah.  I love making them squirm.  The weekend outlook is...busy.  Oh well, what else is new?

In the Schoolroom:

Trying to at least get the basics done this week.  I find it interesting that Ms 18 yo's college has a full week off this week (something about fall break, even though the semester ends in two weeks), while the other two girls only have Wed thru Friday off (something about fall break there, too).  I guess if they all have Wednesday off, we might as well, too, because I doubt anything productive will be accomplished.

Reading:

Slowly but surely I have been reading "Rediscovering Catholicism" by Matthew Kelly.  I got it for free from a Free 4 All a few years ago and am finally getting around to reading it.  I'll say that it is better than I thought it would be and am finding parts of it quite timely.

For Advent, I picked up the Kindle version of "Meditations for Advent" from Sophia Institute Press.  I'm really looking forward to reading one each morning of Advent and throughout the Christmas Octave as there are a total of 40 meditations.

Listening To:

Ms 16 yo cooking dinner (yay!!) and quiet.  One is reading, the other is playing Legos (so shortly I should hear the sound of things exploding) and one is wandering around trying to procrastinate.  He should be practicing his presentation for tomorrow!  The rest of the gang is at work.

Captured:

I meant to take a picture of the snow that was pelting us, but I just couldn't do it.  You'll just have to imagine it.

God Bless!
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Summer Daybook

Thankful For:

* A busy weekend, for sure!  On Saturday, the girls and I readied the house to host a bridal shower for a friend's son and his fiance.  It was very providential that we did this because a few weeks ago, their front yard got hit by a tornado and there are still tree parts all over the yard.  A great time was had by all.

* While we were partying, the boys were out splitting more logs.  I am so thankful for the stash we have right now.  Hopefully it will be burnable by this winter, but that remains to be seen as it is all still very wet wood.

* In between all of this activity, we had my mom and dad over for lunch to celebrate my mom's birthday earlier this week.  She had that nasty upper respiratory infection that's been going around and was finally feeling better, so we fired up the grill and had some burgers and sang our lovely rendition of "Happy Birthday" around a pineapple upside down cake.

In the Rehab Department:

I realized I never put up pics of the desk Ms 15 yo and I painted last week.  Here are the before:

We realized that my hubby built this for me 21 years ago.  That was the last time it was painted, too!  Bye bye 21 years of grime and grit!  Here are the after:

We haven't had time to straighten out the drawers, and realistically, it's probably something we'll never get around too.  We're happy with them in spite of their crookedness (notice the Tardis blue accents)!

Next up:
 

An end table we found at a garage sale this past week!  This will be the last piece in "the new room"! 

This Week:

We have our homeschool conference next weekend so my goal is to have my used books ready to bring to the used book sale as well as to have an idea of what direction we're headed for the school year.  My biggest dilemma is math for my two high schoolers.  One doesn't get along with Fred and the other did the  Fred's Beginning Algebra but isn't quite ready for Advanced Algebra so I'm on the lookout for something that will work for the both of them.

Reading:

I finally finished the Fulton Sheen autobiography and just purchased "Praying to God as a Friend" by St. Alphonsus Liguori.  Looks like a good one!  And really, it was $.99 for my Kindle!  How can you beat that?  Well, I suppose free would beat that, but this was pretty close.

I also picked up my book by Dr. Robert DeMaria called "Dr. Bob's Drugless Guide to Balancing Female Hormones" because, well let's just say, we have a lot of female hormones around here that could use some balancing. :)

Praying For:

* Discernment in a lot of issues, nothing too major though.

* For conversion of hearts so there might be peace in our world.

* For Grace, Anna, Courtney and Baby Chiara.

Outside my Window:

The sun is starting to set and it's not too hot so it should be another great night of sleeping.  Hope you have a great evening!

God Bless!

 

A Summer Daybook

Thankful For:

* A great time with fellow homeschooling moms on Saturday.  There were two talks (myself and the pastor of the church we were at), yummy food, good conversations, door prizes and even a massage and manicure if you wanted one.  What a great way to spend a rainy day.

* A very low-key Sunday. Mass and, well, that's about it.  It was Ms 11 yo's Baptismal feast day so we built a fire in the pit outside and had smores while it drizzled.

* Just enough money saved up to fix the a/c and a few other problems on our van.  It really is just too hard to drive a 15 passenger van without air conditioning.  The poor people two rows back come out with a red face even after a 5 minute drive.  Glad we finally found a good mechanic who is very reasonable.

* A busy, but fun, day on Friday.  The kids performed a short version of the "Prince and the Pauper" with their theater group for us in the afternoon.  It was very good improv theater :).  Then I hightailed it over to my cousin's bridal shower where I spent a nice evening outdoors with my aunts and cousins and had a few good laughs.

Outside My Window:

It is dark and my neighbor is burning his garbage.  Every Sunday night, just like clockwork.  Ah, the smell of burning plastic in the evening!

This Week:

* Ms 15 yo and I are tackling another project this week.  This time we will be repainting a big desk that my husband built for me back when our first daughter was still a toddler.  This desk is SOLID, but it has a big desk top and hold lots of stuff.  All it needs is a fresh coat of paint.  We just have to have it done and back in place before the weekend because I'm hosting a shower here on Saturday!  

* Of course that means that besides painting, there's cleaning to be done. Yippee!!

* Ms 22 yo comes back from her trip to see her boyfriend.  Happy for us, sad for them.

*  Will there be swimming in the forecast?  I sure hope so!

What I'm Reading:

I am almost done with that Fulton Sheen autobiography.  I'll have to work on finishing that up this week.

Last week I purchased "Praying to God as a Friend" by St. Alphonsus Liguori for a whopping $.99 for my Kindle.  I'm looking forward to getting started on that one.

Praying for:

My niece, the niece of a friend, the unborn baby of a friend of mine who really needs a miracle to survive.  Please pray through the intercession Blessed Chiara for her healing.

Promoting:

Shameless self promotion throne in here :)  Don't forget that "A Plan for Joy in the Home" is on sale this week through Friday!

Captured:

 God Bless!

affiliate links included :)

A Summer Daybook

Outside My Window:

It is gray and very humid, although not too hot just yet.  It's been raining often here, so everything is growing quite green and big.  The few plants in my "garden" are doing quite well, too (well, except for that basil plant; not quite sure what's up with that).

These bins work well for us.  They aren't too big (obviously) so I can manage the weeding and I can keep them close to the house so that I actually remember to water them and harvest whatever grows.  I'm a pathetic gardener, I know.

Inside my house:

The children are slowly waking up as I type this.  Two of them are still asleep and it's 9:30!  We don't usually do this, but we had such a crazy weekend, I let everyone sleep in and then we'll go to noon Mass.  Thank you, Lord, for that option!

We're also hoping to move in our new furniture that we got last week.  Oops, I still haven't told you about that!  Hopefully that will be tomorrows adventure.

Moments of Gratitude:

* We had an entire weekend of visiting with wonderful people.  On Saturday we went to a family reunion and I got to spend the whole day talking to family members, sitting in the sun, swimming and eating a ton of good food.  On Sunday we went to a friend's graduation party and I got to spend a few hours talking with lovely people that I haven't seen in a while.  God is good.

* My husband was on his annual Miles Christi retreat this weekend and he said that it was very fruitful.  These retreats are awesome, people, so if you ever have a chance to go to one...run to it!

* Ms 15 yo spent the weekend at one of the Steubenville Youth Conferences.  It was her first time going, and while she was a bit nervous being away, she said she had a great time.

* Mr 13 yo is on his way, as I type, to the Miles Christi boys summer camp.  He loves this camp (see a pattern here??) and is very happy to be away with 50 or so other boys, Fr. Paul, Brother Andrew and a host of great dads, doing all kinds of boy things, like sports and such, and then getting their fill of good Catholic things, like Mass, adoration, confession and good spiritual talks.  What a blessing these priests are!

* Before Mr 13 yo left, he wanted me to buzz his hair.  "Really?," I asked.  "If I mess it up, you can't get mad at me."  He laughed.  I am grateful that he took it all in stride.  This was phase one.  He decided he didn't want me to leave it like this.

And don't ask how I did this.  His hair grows fast, so he shouldn't have to deal with it for too long!

Praying for:

As usual, so many urgent prayers!

* For my niece as she continues to progress in the healing process, that she will have a complete healing from her asthma.

* For a friend's niece who is 11 and has a rare genetic disorder.  Last I heard, her kidneys were failing and she is on dialysis.

* For a dear friend who is pregnant and is going in for an MRI today because they think one of the baby's kidneys isn't functioning and they couldn't see a stomach on the baby.  Please pray for a miracle for them!

* For a friend of ours who will be delivering her first baby soon; that all goes well for them both.

Reading:

I've actually been reading quite a bit lately.  It's amazing how much free time one has when one is not teaching four children!  Some of the books have been good.  Some have been bad.  But that is all for another day.

I am still working my way through "Treasures in Clay:  The Autobiography of Fulton John Sheen".  The man was amazing and deserves to be canonized!

In the Schoolroom:

The kids are still keeping up with their summer work (Alleluia!!) and slowly, ever so slowly, I'm beginning to piece together ideas as to what our next year will look like.  I'm still gathering information so that I can make the right choices on our limited budget, but I'm happy that it is moving along.

This Week:

Working for the older girls, summer camp for the boy.  The rest of us will keep up with daily things that need to be done.  Hopefully we can start work on one of the pieces of furniture we bought and I'd like to get in some swimming and sunning this week, too.

Now, off to get started on all that daily stuff that needs to be done.

God Bless!

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Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* For safety for all of us as we navigated the storms that hit our area today.

* For staying home for a whole day this weekend and getting a lot accomplished.

* For the wonderful friends we were with to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday.

Outside my window:

It is pitch black (because it's nighttime :)) and the wind is howling away.  Thankfully the rain has stopped.

Around the House:

Since free time has been at a premium lately, I have really taken to heart the "do small things here and there" principal.  I might have a big project in mind, like clean the whole house from top to bottom and clean the carpets and fix the paint in the bathroom, but I realize that that isn't going to all happen right now so instead I've been tackling small jobs whenever I can.  While I cook, I clean in the kitchen.  While I'm waiting for my curling iron to heat up, I fold laundry.  While the coffee is brewing (which takes up to 1/2 an hour sometimes!) I pick up a room or two.  It might not be how I like it, but at least I'm chipping away at things bit by bit.

The Upcoming Week:

Our last IEW writing class is this week.  The kids in the class (eight in total) all wrote a five paragraph essay on a topic of their choosing and this week they have to give an oral presentation to the moms.  Should be fun - for us moms at least.  Mr 13 yo has threatened to lock me out so I can't watch him give his.  This is also the last week of regular classes for the Performing Arts Center and then begins the week of dress rehearsals.

At the end of the week our parish is hosting a fundraising gourmet dinner to raise money for a St. Gianna Molla Shrine they are going to be building.  For you Relevant Radio listeners, Drew Mariani will be speaking and yours truly will be the official photographer!  If you get a chance, you should check out the link and if you're ever in the area, sometime after next summer of course, you should visit.  It promises to be a place of peace and healing for those who need it.

Praying:

* For many of my family members who are suffering emotionally and physically.

* For our upcoming performance and for the rehearsals that all will go smoothly.

Pondering:

How I can stop myself from loading up December with stuff to do since we'll be done with the play and there will be no extra classes for the WHOLE month.  I am so looking forward to that, but I fear I might get carried away with making up for lost time.

Captured:

Isn't this such an adorably happy baby?  I love baby shots, so here's a few for those of you who do, too.

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've done this so it feels good to be back joining in with the gals over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* There have been so many prayers for us over the past two weeks and I am eternally grateful for each and every one of them.
* Sunshine and fall weather 
* A day at home - finally
* A patio and yard that are winter ready
* The end to the pain in my neck and head that were with me most of the last two weeks
* An incredible chiropractic adjustment
* Relatives who like to upgrade their televisions and pass on their "old" one.  In fact, the kids asked if we have ever had to buy a tv and we're pretty sure the answer is no.

The Upcoming Week:

Is quite busy with stuff.  Two big holy days on top of our usual school work and  performing arts classes will make for a lot to do.  I really should do a drive by the local pumpkin farm before Thursday so we can pick up some pumpkins (I'm SOO bad at this Halloween stuff).  We will be helping out at our parish's All Hallow's Eve party on Thursday.  I get to direct a skit about St. Faustina while the other kids are helping out or acting in various ways.  It sounds like a good program again this year so I'll try to bring along my camera so I can share some ideas.

In the Kitchen:

We made us some beef stew and dumplings on Sunday.  We love this dish but I've found that it is hard to make the dumplings on the electric stove without burning the stew.  Our grill has an attached burner that runs on propane so we tried that out for the dumpling cooking and it worked.  Good dumplings and not burned stew.  A great dish on this chilly October day.

Pondering:

It hit me last night that I am now the only one in my husband's immediate family, as well as among many of my friends, whose father is still alive.  Everyone's mother is still here, but they've all lost their father's and that is just weird...and a bit disconcerting.  It is making me think a lot about my dad and just being grateful that he is still a part of our lives.  I think we will all cherish our time together a bit more now.

Praying:

* For the peace that will come in time after losing someone so close to you. 
* For this crazy world we live in.
* That I will not be consumed with fear over the fact that someone can come down with a virus and die in two days.
* For all those suffering with sick family members.

Captured:

I finally downloaded the pictures I took when my hubby and I went away a few weeks ago.  It was such a beautiful day and here are some of the shots I took.   These were all taken at a county park along Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

This is a picture of our shadows in pond scum.  Isn't it lovely? :)
 

 God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* Finally we have some cooler weather which will make it much easier to breathe (I hope).  Our allergies have been HORRIBLE this past week so anything to make them better I will be grateful for.
* Rain.  We had a few days of it, and even a bit of thunder!  
* A break from a lot of things last week.
* A great deal on a used car for Ms 21 yo.
* Tasty chili and an awesome dessert

The Upcoming Week:

Hopefully this week will be a bit better than last since we don't have as many additional activities on the calendar.  Hopefully we will be able to spend some extra time catching up on school activities and wouldn't it be nice to even find  a bit of extra time in there to do something productive even!  I have three full bags of apples in my hallway just waiting for me to do something with them.

In the Kitchen:

Sunday's fare takes the prize for this week's meal excitement.  I had been discussing chili recipes with some friends a week or so ago and boy did that put a taste in my mouth for some good chili with all the fixins.  We got home from Mass on Sunday, put on our aprons

and in the span of two hours some of the girls and I made a pot of chili, a pan of corn bread, apple almond bars for dessert

some apple puree to try out for fruit leather and a nice, decorative fall candle for out table.  I know, it isn't food, but Ms 19 yo was creating our candle while we were cooking and baking.

 The rest of the week is rather mundane in the kitchen department.

Pondering:

I haven't really had time to ponder anything other than the current state of our country and the fact that nothing seems to surprise me anymore.  I was struck by a line from the first reading on Sunday that said, "For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late."  I won't deny it, my first thought upon hearing that was the line from the Lord of the Rings when Gandolf says, "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he early.  He arrives precisely when he means to."  Since then, I've been thinking, "Ok, Lord, anytime now would be good for you to arrive."

Praying:

* For the wisdom to discern God's will and the grace to do it, as we all know that the safest place to be is in God's will.
* For Courtney and Fulton.
* For our Pastor and all priests, that they always can do the will of the Lord.

Reading:

Haven't done much of that, but I thought I'd mention that we are reading (slowly but surely) a book about St. Isaac Jogues to go along with our CCM studies.  I wish we could get through it faster, but alas, it hasn't happened yet.  

Captured:

 Here's a sample of the candles that Ms 19 yo has been making.  These are so neat to look at.  We haven't burned one yet, but they sure do look pretty.  When she got the wax, she bought organic soy wax so I'm very excited about that, too.

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

 Joining in over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

This week there are many.  
* We had a wonderful evening at a surprise 30th Anniversary dinner for friends.  Their daughters did an incredible job of setting up a lovely candlelight dining experience for everyone.  There was great food, a lot of laughter and dancing.
* I am incredibly grateful for all the people who gave my daughters rides on Sunday to their events.  It meant one day of us not having to drive, other than to church.
* We might have gotten stuck in stand-still traffic for 1 hr 20 minutes making us late to Mass on Friday night, but we made it in time for the Consecration and two very good talks, as well as Adoration and confession.  Beautiful!
* My mom took me to lunch at the tea room this past week and it was as good as ever.
* For the class Ms 19 yo is taking and the book she got.  It is fun to brush up on your photography knowledge and learn a few new tricks.
* Cool weather and even some rain :)

The Upcoming Week:

Haircuts for me and the boys.  YIPPEEE!!  They are long overdue and I can't wait till we all don't look like ragamuffins anymore.  Other than that, it seems like it will just be the usual fare - school, driving, dancing, theater, music and soccer.

In the Kitchen:

There is a roast cooking in my crockpot as I type this and boy does it smell good.  Add some pierogis to that and a nice salad and we're in for a good feast.  I'm hoping to be able to can some applesauce sometime very soon, but we'll see how that plays out.  Otherwise it's just the usual for meals this week; pork, turkey, beef and chicken!

Pondering:

Seems I keep hearing priests talk about how we need to be courageous Catholics, ones who are not afraid to speak to others about Christ and the faith.  How we need to go out now and reach others and bring them back to Christ - without fear of the consequences.  This is a lot to ponder.  The fear factor usually wins out.

Praying for:

* Peace in our world and in our families.
* A priest friend of ours who is having many migraines and, not having insurance, can't go for further testing right now.
* The wisdom to discern God's will and the grace to do it in a couple of situations in our lives.

Reading:

Still working my way through that awesomeness called "Introduction to the Devout Life", as well as a few photography books.

Captured:

This past Friday we didn't have to rush out of the house in the morning as Mass was in the evening.  This meant sleeping in (till 6:45 for me!!), two cups of coffee and some peace and quiet while everyone else slept in a bit later.  Can I just say that it was glorious to sit and eat my breakfast and sip my coffee and contemplate the day ahead without the pressure of the ticking clock.  This is the view from my seat at the table.  Some mornings it is a blur and on others it is the backdrop for my ponderings.

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* Getting some good sun time this weekend.

* Time to chat with girlfriends

* Good talks with the kids

* A successful birthday party for 12 teen and pre-teen boys - no one did any damage to themselves or anything else - although some of them actually tried throwing pears at the hornets nest to see if they could knock it down and then run like crazy - even though they were told not to!!!

* Thankful the boys had bad aim :)

* Time to work on my website!!

The Week Ahead:

Well school started today and in a somewhat limited format as we are not starting writing class and spelling until next week.  It didn't go too bad. This week the big girls start at the community college, too, so we'll be adjusting to all of the changes that that will bring - new chores for the younger ones, more driving coordinating, varying dinner times for everyone.  The only other exciting thing for the week will be our back to school trip to the chiropractor so everyone can get their attitude spinal adjustment!

In the Kitchen:

I think I'm going to drop this entry as I never am very excited about what is getting cooked.  Oh well, thankful we have food to feed everyone.  Though I must say that we just picked a gob full of red grapes and I will be figuring out how to fit in some jelly making time this week.  I guess that makes it worth keeping the entry for this week!

Pondering:

Nothing, my brain is too filled with making sure that everyone gets where they need to be this week.  

Praying:

* For all of us that we can have the grace and fortitude to correct our flaws.

* For Ms 17 yo that she can get the on-campus job that she is interviewing for this week and that Ms 21 yo can find an on-campus job, too.

* For peace in our hearts, in our families and in our world.

Reading:

Man my life is boring.  I'm still plugging away at St. Francis de Sales and it is wonderful but I have not have time to read anything else.  I might change this entry to "Driving" and then I can tell you all about the many trips I've taken in my car this week.   I can tell you about how we got in the car Saturday morning to leave for soccer practice and the battery that we thought was running out of juice actually ran out of juice.  Thank the Lord for my daughter's new car as it was the only other one left at home and without that we would have missed the first soccer game.  Really, I won't do that to you :)  I really need to read more.

Captured:

Let's do another dance photo, shall we?  This time friends of ours who started a Mexican dancing troupe danced at our parish's picnic. This is a very physical activity and you could see the sweat on their brows by the 2nd dance.  They did a wonderful job!

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* A surprise chance to sit and visit with some lovely ladies I haven't seen in awhile.
* Good friends and their willingness to help.
* A performance on Saturday by the dance troupe Ms 17 yo is in that surely must have been pleasing to God.
* A lovely plaque of St. Therese sent to me by Ms 21 yo's boyfriend's mother.  I can't wait to hang it in my room.
* The absolutely phenomenal weather we have been having lately.

The Week Ahead:

This is the last week before school starts for everyone.  Ms 14 yo is wanting to start her school work this week, but everyone else, young and old, will be starting next week.  How to make the most of this last week?  Hmmm, the weather is supposed to be hot so hopefully we can fit in some water time somehow.  Otherwise it is another week of theater and dance classes as well as the beginning of choir practice for three of the kids and Mr 13 yo's first soccer game.

In the Kitchen:

I still have to figure out what to make for our Friday dinner as it will be meatless, has to be made before noon and will have to travel well since we won't be eating it till about 5:30 as we await soccer practice.  That one is still stumping me.  Otherwise I believe we have some beer braised beef, scalloped ham and potatoes, turkey tetrazzini and American spaghetti (a great-grandma recipe :) on the menu.  

Pondering:

This blog post by Birgit.  She is spot on about this topic that so many people deal with.  Also pondering a talk on prayer that I listened to as well as how to carry my crosses better. 

Praying:

* For our new school year, that we can learn and have it be interesting and that we can do it with a minimal amount of fighting :).
* For all those starting college - that they will stay safe, learn a lot from good teachers, and will preserve their faith.
* That the man behind us would stop burning his toxic garbage every Sunday night.  

Reading:

It was a lazy Sunday, and a beautiful one at that.  I took my copy of "Rapunzel Let Down" out to the hammock and started re-reading it again.  The perfect type of story to pass a Sunday afternoon.  Other than that, I've been reading "Introduction to the Devout Life" one chapter each night and really trying to meditate on his wonderful words.

Captured:

As I mentioned above, Ms 17 yo participated in a performance of "The Prodigal Son" at our parish this weekend and here are a two of the many photos I took:

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Moments of Gratitude:



* The beginnings of the grapes ripening (see that one dark one right in the middle of the picture??)

* Our first (and only this year) batch of potatoes.  They aren't big, but they look healthy and I can't wait to eat them this week with the meatloaf we're having one night!
 

* The peaches I managed to salvage of the leaning peach tree that my son clipped with the top of the lawn mower.  Pulled the whole thing down.  I'm just hoping now that these little babies will ripen and we'll at least get to try some.

* Said son who turned 13 this past weekend.  He really is a great kid and I'm enjoying watching him grow up.





The Week Ahead:

Well, our classes start this week for the Performing Arts Center (LFPAC) so that takes care of three days this week.  We're also trying to get out to see my great aunt before school starts.  Ms 21 yo comes home from her trip out east to see the boyfriend and then the usual work and planning and regular life stuff on top of that.  I'm glad we're not ready to start school yet, as I think one major thing this week is enough.

In the Kitchen:

With the beginning of college for two girls, work for two (hopefully three) of them, LFPAC for us, soccer and what not, dinners are going to become tricky.  What is easy for whoever is home to cook, but still healthy?  What can be eaten on the run by those that have to run out in the evening?  I'm looking for simple but good, portable but healthy and dinners that can still work with my budget!  Any suggestions?

Pondering:

* How I can put talks and our new CCM (see below) work on my ipod so we can listen to them in the car.  (I know, pretty deep stuff)
* How gracious our God is who continues to love us even when we fail to love Him as we should.
* What to cook (I know, I told you - there's a lot of depth to my thoughts right now :)

Praying:

* In thanksgiving for Ms 19 yo finding what appears to be a good car that fit her budget (and her height as she's on the short side so she's limited to cars in which she can see out over the steering wheel!)
* For many special intentions - as always

Reading:

I'm so excited that this arrived this weekend.  It is the Gamma year of Classically Catholic Memory.  We're doing it by ourselves to try it out but I can see how this would make for a great co-op experience. 

I'm hoping to use this to guide our learning by jumping off of the topics they are memorizing and making a bunch of unit studies to fit.  We'll see how that goes.  

Captured:

This one isn't the clearest because I was taking it with just the flash for light, but I love the way the other boys are "helping" him blow out the candles.  At least they kept it to themselves!

God Bless!

Check out more over at Sucipio!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* A wonderful week of Catholic Kids' Camp.  It was hectic, but the kids had a blast!
* The opportunity to take photos of said camp.  It is always an honor to photograph things that bring glory to God.
* Seeing my son perform as St. Dominic Savio one day during skit time and do an amazing job.  
* A beautiful wedding and a fun reception for the daughter of my oldest friend!  (oldest as in "I've known her the longest" not in age!)
* Stir fry with vegies from our garden

The Week Ahead:

I am so excited that we have a week off between last week's camp and next week's start of classes at the Performing Arts Center.  The last time I had a week "off", it was so stinking hot and we had no a/c that I didn't get anything done.  Hopefully this week will not have any surprises like that in store for me.  The to-do list is quite long!!

In the Kitchen:

Totally uninspiring because I picked easy meals since many of my cooks will not be able to cook this week and that means I have to cook multiple nights!  Can you believe it?  I mean, really, the nerve of these kids to have a life other than cooking dinner!  Oh well, it's food and we'll eat it and that's about all I can say.

Pondering:

As I sat at the wedding this weekend, the priest talked about how the parents (my friends) had raised such good and faith-filled kids.  I thought how weird it was that he was talking about my friends being the parents who raised those great kids - like, how are we old enough to be having kids that are getting married?  It just seems so surreal.  I've been to other weddings of the children of friends, but this is my life-long friend; I met her when I was 4!  I grew up with her family and here she is having one of HER kids get married.  It really is just too much to handle.  Thus, I shall ponder this and come to terms with it before it is my turn to be in that situation :)

Praying:

* Still praying about that car situation.
* For our upcoming school year
* For many, many other special intentions and people

Reading:

Last week I only got to one chapter in my "Introduction to the Devout Life" book, but boy was it a good one.  It was the chapter about anxiety and St. Francis really put things into perspective.  If I could remember it all, I'd tell you about it, but it's late and I can't recall exactly what he said.  I just remember thinking that I'll have to keep coming back to that chapter!

Captured:

Some scenes from last week's camp.  Here's part of the crowd - I think there were about 170 kids signed up, 70 of which were between the ages of 4 and 6! 

 

This is one of the snacks the kids got to assemble and then eat.  The theme for the week revolved around being princes and princesses for the King and so this was a castle.
 

One of our friends, a juggling minstrel.
 

 God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

 Joining in with the ladies at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

* A good homeschooling conference
* Finally getting a handle on the IEW program.  Looking forward to doing it this year.
* A chance to sit and chat with a family we don't usually get to spend a lot of time chatting with.
* Time spent with friends that I don't see near enough.  They're homeschooling again so maybe that will help :)
* Sunny, cool weather - makes it feel like fall.
* Smores!!!!

The Week Ahead:

This coming week is essentially full of Catholic Kids' Camp.  The camp is run by two very talented sisters and a whole host of volunteers.  The kids go from 9 - 1 and this year I have two that are participating, three that are helping and I get to take pictures.  It is always a fun time for everyone, albeit very tiring.

In the Kitchen:

Some friends gave us some zucchini two weeks ago and I just now got around to doing something with it.  I made two zucchini breads that we ate for breakfast, and a chocolate zucchini cake, 2/3 of which I'm giving to a family that just had a baby and the rest that we get to split amongst ourselves.  We love this zucchini cake!  The rest of the week is nowhere near as exciting as that as far as food is concerned.

Pondering:

I finally finished "When the Well Runs Dry" and one of my favorite paragraphs was right at the end:

"Peace, as Augustine has said, is not the absence of activity or effort, but the tranquility of order.  Where there is order there is peace, even in the midst of strenuous activity.  Where there is one will - God's Will - there is order.  It is only where there are two wills - God's and mine - that tension and disorder prevail."

 Wow.  That is a lot to ponder and keep in the forefront of your mind.  God's will alone should direct my life.  The dark night is what purifies us of our own will and if we can float through it, we will arrive at this place.

Praying:

* For a car for our daughter so that we can all get to where we need to be this fall.  Good, reliable car, low cost - that's the prayer.
* For direction in a number of areas in our lives.
* For us to desire only God's Will and not our own.
* For a potential new photography project.

Reading:

At the conference, I picked up Ginny Seuffert's new book "It Doesn't Have to be This Way!".  I love to listen to Ginny so I'm sure her book is bound to be good.  It's a short read so I'm looking forward to diving in.

After that I fully intend to start St. Francis De Sales' "Introduction to the Devout Life".

Captured:

A picture of our last 10 year old Tea Party.  Fun was had by all!

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in over at Sucipio!

Moments of Gratitude:

There have been so many things to be grateful for these past two weeks.  We had a wonderful, relaxing vacation with beautiful weather.  I went on my yearly silent retreat last week and it was amazing as usual.  There will be more specific posts about these in the coming weeks.  

I am also grateful that at this moment  there is a man outside fixing our 6 month old air conditioner that shouldn't have broken, but did.  He will hopefully get it running before this week of 90 degree temps and high humidity really get going!   UPDATE:  He did NOT get it going and doesn't know when he will be able to.  Ugh.  I know it is a small trial compared to some, but it is one I am not too good at dealing with.

I am also grateful that the next two weeks don't have any huge commitments; maybe I'll get caught up :)  And finally, on this day, I am grateful for the wonderful gift of my mother, whose birthday it is today.  Happy Birthday, MOM!!  (Okay, so she doesn't read my blog, but who cares, right?)

In the Kitchen:

Getting back into the swing of routine meals again.  I think this week is a chicken recipe in the crock pot for tonight, Turkey Tetrazzini, broiled and marinated pork chops and peaches and Shepherd's pie.  As much as I've enjoyed the good food of the past two weeks, I'm looking forward to getting back to our usual eating routine and not so much junk (okay, fine, not so many desserts, and pop, and really good sugary snacks and chocolate...)

The Week Ahead:

Lunch with my mom for her birthday at this adorable little tea shop my daughter found.  It is so cute and has some wonderful food.  Other than that, I plan on tackling that To-Do list with a vengeance.  Oh, and I'll probably get back to exercising again.  I think.

Reading:

I am bound and determined to keep up with reading now.  Spiritual reading, especially, is so important.  The goal is 15 minutes a day, but I know once I just sit down and get started I'll get more time in than that.  Right now I'm finishing up "When the Well Runs Dry" by Thomas H Green.  I have been trying to finish it up for awhile, but I picked it up again on retreat and God's timing, of course, was perfect.

Praying:

For my son who is at camp this week that they will have a safe, holy and fun time.  For the many graces I need each day to keep to my resolutions :)  For this crazy world we live in, that peace will reign some day soon.

Captured:

I have so many pictures to share but haven't had the chance to weed through them yet, so I'll just share our family photo that we took from atop the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan.  Behind us you can see Lake in the Clouds.  This was an amazing place to be.  I love to admire God in the beauty of His creation! By far, one of the high points (pun intended) of our vacation.

God Bless!