My 2016 Word

Last year I went along with the crowd and picked a word for the year.  The word was "purposeful" and my intention in living this word was to be much more purposeful in what I did with my time and my attention.  Looking back over the year, I would say that I did much better at that.  There were a lot of things that required my attention and I was able to walk away from my distractions (mainly this lovely computer) and get down to the business of doing what needed to be done.

Now, that's not to say I always did that.  No sirree, not in the least.  And, when I did do it, it certainly wasn't always easy.  Releasing ourselves from our mindless distractions is a difficult thing.  That is why, for example, I don't want to have HGTV available in my home.  I know, at least for awhile, that I would be addicted to sitting in front of show after show watching others do exciting decorating things instead of doing them myself.

This year's word is "wisdom":  

wis·dom

noun

the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

 

 

It isn't a new word to me as it began popping up on my radar last year.  I kept reading or hearing in various places how good it is to pray for wisdom.  When Solomon asked God for wisdom he asked for "a discerning heart" to govern God's people and "to distinguish between right and wrong". And God was very pleased by his request.  I figure a mom like me can't go wrong in asking for a discerning heart to govern the people in my charge and it can definitely help me in distinguishing between right and wrong; especially when trying to sift through the myriad of disagreements that go on here every day!

So this will be my prayer, and hopefully my guiding principle, as I go through this year.  Given the events of the world, having some extra wisdom might just not be a bad thing!

God Bless!

When Your Brain Feels like Molasses

Today I'm starting to finalize the plans for the high school kids' school year, which, incidentally, begins on Monday.  I've been mulling it all around in my brain for awhile, now I'm just pulling the books and putting it all on paper.

It has taken me all morning and into the afternoon to do one child.  My brain feels like it is moving at the speed of molasses, making me feel like I'm trudging my way through a thick swamp.

This used to happen because of lack of sleep due to small children and infants.  Now I'm thinking that it might be because I'm approaching menopause.  Or is it something I ate that is dragging me down?  What about all the stressful situations in my life right now?  Could that be slowing me down?  Maybe it is a combination of some of them.  Or even all of them!

I took a walk to the mailbox (which is actually a bit farther than it sounds) only to find that the mail was outside my front door.  That's okay, the short walk in the cool temperatures and sunshine felt nice.

I feel like gorging on chocolate and just vegging out rather than sitting down to tackle the next student who is eagerly awaiting their school schedule (haha, I know you laughed, too!).  

Some days when I get like this, I forge ahead with what needs to be done, and other days I give in and quit thinking.  This day, after analyzing the situation to the best of my ability, I think I must forge ahead and at least get that next student underway.  Then it's cooking dinner and meal planning for next week; both of which should thoroughly utilize any existing brain cells I have left.

What do you do on days like this?  Go for the chocolate or push through it?  I'd love to hear your insight.

God Bless!

A New Venture

Recently I did some cleaning up on my blog.  I removed and reassigned my labels so that there were fewer of them.  This, of course, meant that I had to skim through all of my almost 2000 posts and made me realize that I've been at this blogging thing for a very long time.

I'm also about to turn 50.  I'm not really bothered by it because I've always felt that age is more about how you feel about it than what the number says you are.  I still feel a lot younger than that, so turning the numbers up one digit higher doesn't really bother me.  Now my youngest son, it bothers him.  He says it kind of "creeps him out" to think about me and his dad being 50.  

So, after much pondering about this space here, I've decided that I'm old enough now to be more of a mentor, so I'm looking to have the posts in this ole blog be more in line with my organizing book "A Plan for Joy in the Home"; which is why I reassigned all of my labels.  I'm hoping to help people more than just keep them up to date on our doings.  Of course, that will all still find its way in here, but maybe with more of a purpose.

I hope you'll join me on this new venture and share this space with your friends and homeschooling groups.  It's so much more fun when we can interact and share, so I'm hoping you'll be game to do that.

Hopefully, God willing, this will also mean more consistent posting.  I won't be surprised, however, if there is still some sporadic moments!  Overall, I'm looking forward to see what comes of this space in the future.

God Bless!

It's A Cricket Chirping Kind of Day

I wonder why some days (or days in-a-row) have to be so chock-full of stuff that you can't even see straight and then other days you just hear the crickets chirping?

Today is a cricket-chirping kind of day and, don't get me wrong, I am absolutely loving not having to be anywhere or do anything in a time-crunch.  What worries me about these days is that I'm forgetting something.

I am so used to being TOO busy that when I have a day that I am not, I spend most of the day wracking my brain to make sure that I'm not forgetting anything.

I have checked my list.
I have checked my goals.
I have checked all three of my calendars (yes, three...I really need to work on that).

It does not appear that I am missing anything, but yet that feeling persists.

Instead of fretting, I will enjoy the lack of activity, sit on the couch near the sunny window and work on a project or read a book and revel in the calm until the next tidal wave hits.

God Bless!

Are You a Bed Maker?

Last night I finished reading "Living Well Spending Less" and there was a section where the author was discussing making her bed everyday.  She made the comment that that statement got more discussion than any other item she had on her list of things she does each day.

It got me thinking about my bed; not sleeping in it, at least not at that moment anyhow.  I got to thinking about how long I've been making my bed every day and why I do it.  I'm sure as a child I didn't make it every day, but I'm thinking that around college, when your bed becomes an integral part of your furniture, I began to see the benefits of making it every day.

So I ask:  Are there really that many people out there who do not make their bed every day?  Other than most of my children, that is.  And if so, why not?  If you think about it, the benefits far outweigh the cost.

Benefits
1.  A neat looking room
2.  Comfortable sheets to slide into at night
3.  A neat looking room

Cost
1.  A few minutes of your time each morning

I think a lot of my motivation over the years has been because the majority of our homes have been ranches and, well, everyone can walk by your room and see your messy bed in a ranch.  On those occasions when we lived in a two-story house, I may have not been as consistent.

I've also tried to instill this in my kids over the years.  For some it has worked (well, okay, for one it has worked) and for most, they could care less who sees their messy beds/rooms.  I have learned to pick my battles and hope that some day, when they are out on their own, they will see the many benefits (listed above) of making their bed everyday.

So, anyhow, that is what jumped out at me last night while I was reading.  I'm sure there were other important things there, too, but maybe I focused on that because I was so tired. 

I will leave you with my hot tip of the day:  Make Your Bed Every Morning and You Will Be a Happier Person.

There you have it.  Let me know if you agree!

God Bless!
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Saint and Word of 2015

A few days ago I headed over to Conversion Diary's Saint Name Generator to find out which Saint I would get for 2015.  My first attempt at it got me St. Benno of Meissen patron of anglers, fishermen and weavers.  Now normally I would just take this Saint without question, but really?  At first glance, I just can't find anything I can relate to here.  I tried again.  The second time I got St. Bernard of Clairvaux whose feast day is August 20th.  I'll take it.  I love praying the Memorare and he is the Saint to whom that prayer is attributed.  I look forward to seeing how often the two of us cross paths this year.

Now, on to the word of the year.  Last year it was "positive".  I struggle with being positive at times.  Often I slip into my "realist" mode, which really isn't all  that positive.  I think I will still have to continue to work on that one.

Alas, a new year requires a new word and so this one popped into my mind:  purposeful. What does purposeful mean, you ask?


adjective
 Having or showing determination or resolve.  Having a useful purpose.  Intentional.

I like that.  Showing determination. Being useful and intentional.  So many times this past year I felt like I was just going along from one thing to the next, just trying to keep up.  I'd like to for things to feel more intentional this year.  My thoughts, my words, my actions.  Purposeful...not just automatic.

Do you have a Saint and/or a word for the year?

God Bless!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise Part III

So where was I?  With the long weekend and all the outside stuff that we needed to get done, we've been out more than in, thus the longer break than I had anticipated.

It was about the time when my thyroid medicine was trying to get itself regulated that my husband stumbled across a nutritional supplement (Reliv) that friends of ours had been taking for awhile, so he decided we should give it a go.  We were both feeling rather low and had a hard time staying awake every evening after 8:00.  We started taking the Reliv and noticed that we started feeling much better and more alive; by that I mean that we could actually stay up past 10:00 and feel good about it!

I truly believe that if you don't feel right, as much as you might want to you aren't going to be able to keep up a consistent exercise program for very long.  We needed more energy in order to even function, so there was no way we were going to be able to exercise without it.  Once we started feeling better, my husband rediscovered his inner, fit, self - or at least the desire for it!

We started out with DVD exercise routines going from Supreme 90 to P90X. I think these covered about a year of exercise for us and then my hubby went back to what he really enjoyed doing - free weights.  He studied about it and accumulated some bars and weights and really started to see results in his body and his stamina.  I can be stubborn about new things, so it took me awhile to get on board with this new routine.  

Sometime around this past Christmas I decided I wanted in and I'm so glad I did.  Other than a few setbacks with a stubborn muscle spasm, I haven't felt this great in years.  I can walk without sciatic problems, I have energy and stamina and I actually feel strong.  After an initial weight loss of 15 pounds, I haven't been able to lose any more, but I like to think I'm just gaining it in muscle :)

I am at a point in my life where I can spend an hour in the basement exercising without anyone needing me, so that makes this very doable.  Exercising is definitely something that has its season.  It is hard to be consistent when you have babies and are sleep deprived.  It can be done, for sure, but you really have to be dedicated.  There comes a day, however, when you will be able to find the time to do it.  Finding the will power to stick with it might be another thing, but keep at it and you'll be so happy you did.

If you don't feel like you can lift a pencil let alone a weight, look into boosting your nutrition.  Feed your body good things and it will help you do more.  Find a good nutritional supplement to help you along the way.  Go to a chiropractor to help keep your body functioning like it is supposed to.  Our chiropractor says that chiropractic care and weight training are a great combination!  Whatever you do, pray for the will power to see it through.  If you fail for awhile, get back up and try again.  Get your kids involved!  Right now we have most of the kids doing weight training, even if they are just doing body-weight squats.

I hope that we can always have the health and stamina to continue to build our strength.  It is just so much easier to get through the day this way!  Tomorrow's a new day...what are you waiting for...make a plan and get going!

God Bless!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise Part II

It took three years of trying, but we finally had our first daughter.  For the next 13 years I was either pregnant, postpartum or nursing.  Free time, as you can imagine, was non-existent, and so was any desire to exert anything more than the basic level of energy.

In retrospect, I think the biggest lessons I learned during this time about exercise are that 1. You really should try to do some form of exercise, even if it is minimal, whenever you physically can (meaning you aren't some sleep-deprived zombie and getting on a bike would endanger you) because you really will feel better and 2.  Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't happen for days, or even weeks, at a time.  You will go through spells where you won't be able to even move let alone exercise, but the next time the opportunity presents itself, JUST DO IT!

I remember when I turned 40 I went and bought myself a nice Schwinn bike.  I think I rode it once a year for the first 5 years.  I also remember vowing to commit to exercise a million times and then a million times failing for some reason or another.  You know, you start out and then get sick, or one of the kids gets sick and then you get no sleep, or you hurt yourself and by the time you recuperate you've lost your resolve.

Or, you develop an umbilical hernia that resurfaces every time you're pregnant.  Then one time, when you aren't even pregnant, it decides to resurface because you've been doing stomach crunches and then it gets infected and you have to have emergency surgery.  And then you find out you're pregnant again.  By the time I delivered that 11 lb 10 oz baby boy, I had ruptured the original hernia and gotten a new one!  This is the point at which I wished I had really gotten myself into shape somewhere along the line.

After recovering from all that, I had decided, along with my doctor, that it was time to switch my thyroid medicine to a more natural kind.  Unfortunately, it took a few years and a bunch of setbacks to get it right, so by then I had packed on quite a few pounds in addition to the weight I never lost after my last baby. 

At the height of my postpartum and thyroid debacle weight gain!

It was now time to do something!   Problem was, I didn't feel well enough to even try... 

God Bless!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise Part I

The other day I was pondering my life-long love/hate relationship with exercise.  Growing up I can't say that I was particularly in-active, mainly because I grew up before the internet and video games and we played outside no matter what.  We swam all summer long because everyone had a pool.  We rode bikes up and down the block.  We went to the park at the end of the street.  In the winter, we played outside the best we could.

I wasn't, however, particularly athletic.  Never played organized sports and didn't really do anything that caused me to sweat much until I joined the pom-pom squad in high school.  I had the skinny "genes" so weight was never an issue, until I started having kids that is.

Once I entered college and I had to walk from my dorm to my classes multiple times in a day, I realized how out of shape I was.  That's when the man who was to eventually become my husband entered the picture.  We met in college and he was a 6' 4" mass of muscles because he had spent his high school years lifting weights and not pom-poms (thankfully!). 

Truth be told, I would go to the weight room with him because I liked him and wanted to, you know, impress him with my enthusiasm if nothing else.  Must have worked, because we got married after college and continued to go to the gym to work out, even though I never really embraced it.

On our honeymoon - man did we look like little kids!

Time moved on, as time will do, and we started to think about having a family.  Little did I know what was in store for me...or for my weak abs.  Wishing I would have focused more on them then so that I had less problems during...(insert dramatic music) The Childbearing Years!

God Bless!

What Are You Looking For?

We had a visiting priest at Mass this morning and he had a wonderful homily about how we can not see things because we aren't looking for them or we expect them to be a certain way, much like Mary didn't see Jesus in today's Gospel because she still expected Him to be dead.

I had one of those moments when something jumps out at you and smacks you upside the head during his homily.  Father said something to the effect that what you are looking for is what you will find.  If you are looking for Jesus in the day, you will most certainly find Him.  If you are looking for good in the day, you will most certainly find it.  Conversely, if you are looking for all the bad things that happen in the day, those will be easy to find.  "What you are looking for, you will find."  Just a great reminder to me about how important it is to look for the good things because doing that will just make the day so much better.  It might even make the bad things not seem so monumental.

So what was I looking for today?  Motivation.  We are on Easter break this week and so I wanted to get a whole bunch of things done.  Yesterday was a running around day so I got done what needed to get done.

Today I wanted to get some cleaning done.  You'll remember before Holy Week I tackled our monster basement.  Today it was to be the back hall, that room where we all go in and out and deposit all of our socks, shoes, coats, books, papers, cups, pens, pencils, toys...well, you get the picture.  I wanted to get the winter crud out of that back hall and off the walls and out of the closet.

We got home from Mass this morning and I sat down to catch up on my checkbook, check and answer emails, make some phone calls, check in on facebook, remembered I had to put dinner in the crockpot...time was slipping away and I was losing my motivation to do the actual physical work that I had planned on.  

After lunch, however, I forced myself to start and you know what?  Starting was the hardest part.  Once I got into it I was wishing I had the time and energy to just keep moving on to other rooms.  I got the back dump hall, coat closet, small bathroom and the kitchen pantry (all those areas are connected off of the kitchen) all deep cleaned and ready for Spring.  Why don't I remember that getting started is what is hard?  Why don't I push myself more often?  Well, now that it's in "print" maybe I'll remember.  Somehow I'll have to refer to this on those days when the motivation is low so that when I'm looking for it, I will find it.

God Bless!

A Tale Of Two Projects

This week I need to complete two rather large projects that have the same deadline.

Project A:

I have been putting this monster off for a little over a month now.  

This is an accumulation of mess from a long winter, made even more of a mess by a sudden thawing of a lot of snow and the possibility of a flooding basement, made even more of a mess by a sudden deluge of rain last week that also threatened to bring water into the basement.  Thus the haphazard throwing of things on top of other things.  

Project B:

Processing the first batch of pictures from this past weekend's performance of "The Seven Last Words of Christ".  I got it down to just under 300 pictures and I'd like to get them done and uploaded before we do the second performance on Sunday and I take more pictures.  

My usual method would be to become obsessed about one project and work on it till it is done.  I decided to try something different this time.  I'm setting a time limit every day that I can work on each of the projects in the hope that they will both get done on time.

Today I worked on this part of the basement for 1 1/2 hours.  A small portion, but it's a start.

 I then moved back upstairs and, in between making dinner, I worked for about 2 hours on photos and got through about 1/3 of them.  (The lighting was challenging at this church, but I love how the shadows played out in this photo.)

So we'll see how this goes.  I have tomorrow and Thursday afternoon/evening to complete these two tasks.  Any bets on whether or not I'll do it?

God Bless!

Spring Cleaning and Pre-Menopause

O Spring cleaning, thou doth callest me.  I have made my list of things I want to clean.  I have pictured it in my mind, but alas, it has yet to get started.  I'm pretty sure that the best time for me to start any kind of project is first thing in the morning.  If I leave it till later in the day, too many things come by and snatch my mind, and even my body in some cases, from ever getting started.

I've been getting very frustrated with myself lately because I can't seem to get started on anything.  By afternoon I'm usually toast; not physically, but mentally.  By afternoon my brain can't seem to focus on any one thing and I can't seem to think clearly most days.  Very frustrating to say the least.

Algebra...don't ask me in the afternoon
Paper revisions...don't ask me in the afternoon
Phone calls...can't seem to make them in the afternoon
Coffee...oh sure, I'd love a cup. That I can manage :)

Like I said, I've been thinking it is some kind of sloth or laziness problem on my part (and to some extent it probably is)...until this morning when I read a facebook post from my gynecologist that, are you ready for this:


Some changes that might start in the years around menopause include:
• Irregular periods.
• Hot flashes.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Vaginal and urinary problems.
• Mood changes.
• Changing feelings about sex.
• Osteoporosis
• Other changes. You might become forgetful or have trouble focusing. Your waist could become larger. You could lose muscle and gain fat. Your joints and muscles also could feel stiff and achy.

Do you see that?  Right there buried amongst other issues that I may or may not be having, is the one I struggle with every day, "You might become forgetful or have trouble focusing".  Finally I can come to terms with this.  Some days I may have control over it because of laziness or slothfulness, but other days it happens because I am aging and my hormones are crazy and, well, that's just the way it is.

I'm not sure what this means for my Spring cleaning.  Maybe the week after Easter when we're off school and I can start the jobs first thing in the morning there might be some hope.  In the meantime, I will continue to come to terms with my aging body and rejoice when my head is clear and my mind is focused.  God is good!  Even when He created this thing called menopause :)

God Bless!

And The Winner Is.....

Clare Dick ·

Spring is my favorite season. Spring starts out like winter in my part of the world and ends like summer. I love the fresh air in spring and the days getting longer makes me feel more energetic. I know summer is a great time of year and spring allows me to know that summer is not here yet, but it will soon be on its way. 

Congratulations, Clare!  I'll mail your CD and soap out this week!  

So, I know I had quite a lot of problems with the whole comment thing and to say I'm frustrated is beyond the truth.  I switched to a new comment program so I wouldn't keep having problems, but many people said they couldn't leave a comment, which is why you see them copied in under my name.  Ugh.  If anyone has any insight into this, I sure would appreciate it.

Anyhow, despite the problems, it was fun and I know Clare is going to love that CD and the soap!  Thank you to everyone who participated!

God Bless!

This is for You, Jesus

Well, my yearly weekend of silence is over and I've been thrust head-long back into the real world.  The retreat was wonderful, as usual, and chock-full of great things to ponder for quite some time.

I've been thinking for awhile about how busy I am doing things that take up time but which do not seem very productive to me, thus making it hard for me to accomplish things that I think are productive.  This has been happening for quite some time now and it gets very frustrating day after day to not get done all those things on "my list".

During the retreat I had a chance to speak to Father about this and he said that he could relate to me; that even though we have different vocations, he has this same problem in his life.  He suggested that the key is just to do whatever we can during the day, but to do it with love and not worry about the stuff that we just couldn't get to.  "Every time you do something," he said, "tell Jesus that what you are doing you are doing for Him so that when you meet Him at your particular judgement and He asks you what you did for Him, you can say, 'Well, I drove you everywhere, I fed you, I cleaned your clothing...'"  I like that.  I just have to remember to do it!

In just the day that I've been home I've run across this same strain of thought a number of times in different things I've read.  I'll take that as a sign that I'm on the right track.  What peace it brings to remind myself that I'm not just doing things because they need to be done, I'm doing them all for Jesus.  I guess deep down I always knew that, but making a statement about it throughout the day really does help.

Thank you, Lord, for a fruitful weekend and the wonderful priests who made it possible!

God Bless!

Lesson in Gratitude #4,256

Being grateful to God for the many gifts and blessings in your life takes time to develop, but once you get the hang of it, it does become easier to spot the little things of every day that God has blessed you with.

Every once in awhile, however, God shows me that there is an area of gratitude that I don't always consider:  things that haven't happened to me.

For example, the other day I was reading a blog post about the most ridiculous thing a doctor has ever said to you.  Wow, some of them were truly idiotic; some were down right dangerous; others were so insulting I don't know what I would have done.  That made me offer up a quick thank you to God for not having ever placed me in a situation like that.  Okay, well once I had a chiropractor insult me because I was pregnant with #4 but that was tame compared to some of the comments I read.

Facebook is always a good ground for remembering the things that God has sheltered me from so far:  terminally ill family members, jaw-dropping liturgical abuses, and relatives that are practicing witches to name just a few.

I don't think that this type of gratitude is something I need to delve into on a daily basis, but when it is brought to my attention, I make sure to offer up a hearty thank you for the small crosses that God has seen fit to bless me with.  We have our fair share of them, and maybe other people might look at them and be grateful they don't have them; I don't know.  What I do know is that God gives us sufficient graces to carry our crosses and I'm grateful for the ones He has given me and the ones He hasn't.

God Bless!

A Happy Addition to My Life

I must admit that it is very hard to surprise me.  I'm pretty sure that people have only been able to successfully surprise me (in a good way) twice in my life.  That is, until this past Christmas.

One day while walking through Best Buy, I had casually mentioned to my husband that I would love to have a Kindle.  We stopped briefly to look at one but the price tag was too high and the display model wasn't working right so we moved on.  After that, I put it out of my mind as impractical and highly improbable.

Well, imagine my surprise when I opened up the box on Christmas morning!  My very own Kindle Fire HD.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  Of course, being somewhat technologically inept, it took me awhile (with the help of my kids and husband) to figure it all out but I am totally in love.  I really didn't know if I would like reading books on it, but I was surprised again there, too.  It is so incredibly handy to slip in my purse and take out when I have a few minutes.  I've actually read a few books on it since Christmas and I'm wishing that the books I have already waiting to be read were on there, too.

I did discover one pitfall to the whole thing, however.  One day I had some time on my hands and I remembered that I wanted read Cari Donaldson's book "Pope Awesome and Other Stories" so I clicked over to Amazon and saw that the Kindle version was $4.99.  Not sure what to expect, I clicked on the "buy now" button and before I knew it, the book was on my Kindle.  Wow, that was WAY TOO EASY!!!  I realized how addictive that could be and have made a mental note not to fall for that again any time soon.

We interrupt this blog post for a timely book review.  The book was "awesome".  I really enjoy conversion stories and Cari's was quite interesting.  She has a wonderful sense of humor that carried through the story and she wrote in such a way that I kept wanting to find out what happened next.  The only thing I want to know is, where did they go?  At the end of the book, Cari, where did you go in your van?  Did you drive your son to Rome?  What great idea did you and your husband come up with to make him happy?  Tell me, please! 

Anyhow, it is a great read and I'd encourage y'all to read it.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, the Kindle.  Well, in the last few weeks I've gotten quite comfortable with it and how it works. My kids have, too, as they've downloaded Minion Rush and put it to good use.  As much as I love Minions, I have refrained from playing it as I am sure my addictive qualities will rear their ugly head and I will get nothing done.  This is the same reason that I have not downloaded Candy Crush, as I hear it sucks you in and there is nothing you can do to stop it.  Let's see how long I can hold out.

I've also downloaded the Laudate app and am really excited for this year's St. Louis de Montfort Consecration because I just downloaded the preparation book.  How much easier it will be to keep up with it now because I have my own copy that I can take wherever I go.  I'm thinking this really is a great addition to my life, one that I can hopefully always use to enhance it and not detract from it.  If anyone has any great ideas for apps or books to download, feel free to let me know.

God Bless!

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Naming the Year

It's January 2nd, which means I'm not too late to participate in the name your year link up over at Sucipio!  At first I wasn't going to do it because I really couldn't come up with one word that I wanted to work on throughout 2014.  I mean "TRUST" is always on my plate, as I think it has been for the past number of years.  Outside of that, nothing came to mind.

That is, not until I actually prayed about it.  Last night while doing my night-time prayers, a word jumped out at me.  It is something I realized a few months ago I needed to work on so it seems the perfect thing to focus on for the new year:

Positive, not in the sense that I am going to be optimistic about everything, as I truly believe that I am a realist and not capable of being an optimist (although that was sort of a pessimist statement, wasn't it?).  Posistive in the sense that I am working towards having my first reaction to people, situations and information be positive.

You see, my knee-jerk reaction is to think the negative. Oh the kids did this (or didn't do it) because they're lazy.  My neighbor said this because she doesn't like me.  The world is in chaos because people are horrible.  This coffee is bad because it's just the way my life is.  This kind of immediate negative reaction can be so poisonous.  It also is VERY hard to get rid of; you actually have to stop and think before reacting.  Can I say that I'm not very good at that?  My brain, and sometimes my mouth, often engage before I can even think to stop them.  Slowing down enough to think and really look at a situation before forming a judgement is a very difficult, but prudent habit to develop.

I think this type of positive thinking goes hand-in-hand with gratitude.  If we can develop a grateful heart, then that means we are looking for the good in all things.  If we can take the time to reflect back and see the good, then can you imagine how enjoyable life would be if we saw the good while it was happening?  Sometimes searching for the good in that moment can change everything; even shape the near future by having things go in a different direction than if we had seen the negative instead.

I've even been working on how to form questions in a more positive light.  Instead of asking, "How come these dishes haven't been washed yet?"  in that irritated, motherly tone, maybe something like, "Calling all dishwashers to the kitchen.  Dishwashers take your stations" might get more attention...and action!

This will take a lot of effort and grace, I am sure.  I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit brought this to my attention and now that I have publicly proclaimed it, I am held accountable to it.  May God give us all the grace we need to each work on our "word" for the year.

God Bless!

Gift Giving Ideas!

As you contemplate your Christmas lists this Black Friday (and beyond) I'd like to remind you of some great items for the people on your list.  It is so hard sometimes to come up with something nice, but useful, for friends and family.  I know I am not good at coming up with ideas for gifts for people, so I appreciate a good list of ideas to help me out.

The first thing I'd like to draw your attention to is The Goat Milk Soap Shop!  

Our all-natural soaps smell great and people really love the fact that they are all-natural and feel and smell so good when you use them.  This time around, however, buying our soap isn't just good for you and the people you're giving it to, but your purchase can help us to make a donation to the Saint Gianna Molla Shrine fund that our parish has.  We are building a pro-life, national shrine dedicated to St. Gianna as a place for people to come and pray and find peace and healing, especially those suffering from the effects of abortion.  We will be donating the proceeds from all sales between now and January 1, 2014 to the Shrine.  Won't you please consider helping out?

Next, is there a homeschooling mom on your list that is struggling with being organized?  Is she wanting a better prayer life or a more organized meal or chore schedule?  Why not get her a copy of "A Plan for Joy in the Home"?  It is a gift that benefits everyone :)

Don't forget that you can order Mystic Monk coffee from the image on my sidebar. That coffee is good all year long, but a definite treat for Christmas time!

Have any music lovers on your list?

Friends of ours put out this CD not too long ago and it would be a great gift for the people in your life who like peaceful, beautiful music.  You can order it from their website!

And finally, don't forget our friends over at Holy Heroes!  They have so many great gifts for kids this Christmas season.  We've loved what we've gotten so far, so why not check them out here.  

Hope this helps you in your Christmas gift-giving discernment.  Just for disclosure purposes, there is one affiliate link, two items that are my own and two that I just want to promote because I like them!  

God Bless!

Coffee Woes

Oh coffee, how does thou frustrateth me?  Let me counteth the ways.

I never used to like coffee.  It took my husband most of our 25 years of marriage to even get me to drink it.  Now, however, I look forward to that cuppa in the morning and then again around 4:00 pm.  I can't drink fully caffeinated coffee because then I get all jittery so I usually brew about 50/50, or sometimes 60/40 if I feel like living on the wild side.

Lately, however, I have had a HORRIBLE time finding decaf coffee.  Our usual brand seems to be no more.  I've looked at other brands and if they have decaf at all it is usually hazelnut (gag!!).

Oh, but I forgot one important thing.  My husband has always preferred to grind his own beans instead of buying ground coffee and ever since my daughter told us this story, I can't even stomach the thought of ground coffee.

Apparently a patient at the office she works at has a brother-in-law that kept having a reaction to something he was either eating or drinking.  He went through extensive food and allergy testing and they didn't discover anything that jumped out at them, but after even further testing, discovered he was allergic to cockroaches.  After even further digging and questioning, they discovered that it was his coffee that was causing him problems and that since he was drinking ground coffee, and apparently it is a known fact that coffee beans sit around on the warehouse floor and get scooped up and ground up without picking out the cockroaches, that it was the cockroach pieces in his coffee grounds that were causing his allergic reaction.

Okay, so I go to the store and look for my decaf and all I see are ground coffee options and my stomach turns.  I know, the same thing goes for coffee ordered out, but there's something about grabbing for that bag first thing in the morning to measure out the grounds and wondering just how many insect parts per tablespoon you are consuming.

Therefore, I will continue my quest for whole bean decaf coffee, even if it means I have to order it online and have it delivered to my house; or maybe drive far to find it.  Maybe it isn't even a true story and we don't need to worry about it at all. Sorry if I've grossed you out.

Time to go grind my beans for that afternoon cup - where I can guarantee you that no bug parts will be included.

God Bless!

Excuse Me While My Head Blows Up

Can I hear ya' say it??  Life is Hard!  Yep, it is.  I'm hearing people around me say it. I'm reading it all over the facebook groups I'm in.  A lot of times, though, it takes on the form of a question, "Why is life so hard?"  The eternal question that has no answer, I'm afraid.

Let's face it.  Relationships are hard.  Family life is hard.  Managing the meager finances is hard.  Keeping your old cars running is hard.  Managing the activities of a lot of people is hard.  Friendships are hard.

I'm not trying to be a downer here, but it just seems as if at every turn, you have to expect the difficult and not the easy.  I think part of it is that the world really needs the sacrifices right now, so the key is to be able to take all this hardness and put it to good use.

In a homily the other day, Father talked about just that.  He said that we are all going to suffer, and while some people he knew could actually suffer with joy, he didn't expect that most people, himself included, could do that.  "So how do we suffer," he asked.  Well, if we can't suffer joyfully, then we at least have to accept our sufferings.  He asked us to really think about how we accept our sufferings.

This ties in with an excellent post that Jennifer Fulwiler wrote over at Conversion Diary.  She described me to a tee!  My mind, right now, is in chaos and the tiniest little thing can tip me over the edge.  What I need to figure out is, are the things that are making my mind in chaos things that are here to stay and I just need to learn how to deal with them?  Or, is it that those things truly need to go (if, in fact, they can go)?  If they are just things I need to deal with, then what kinds of things can I do, as Jen pondered, to bring order to my mind again so that I am a little more stable and not always ready to explode?  

Lots to think and pray about.  Lots to figure out how to offer up so as to be of some benefit to someone.  If I'm more absent than usual, it is because I am trying to figure out how to bring order to the chaos in my mind.  Please pray for me, and so many others in this same situation, that we can make it happen!

God Bless!