Ode to the Smart Phone

Smart phones are everywhere; well, except for here.  They were supposed to be here earlier this week to launch us into the 21st century, but we won't talk about that right now.  I especially noticed that they are everywhere when we were in Nashville.  People on the streets, people in the bars (or honkey-tonks as they're properly called), people in the resort and restaurants.  Everyone is looking at their phone...all the time...even when conversing with others.  

I know this isn't news to anyone; not even me.  I found myself more than once reaching for my husband's phone to look something up while we were having a conversation.  It is an annoying habit and I really think that people should start being more conscious of being on their phones when they are with other people.

However, that being said, I am eternally grateful that we had his smart phone because it helped us immensely when it came to finding the best route home through snow-laden Kentucky.  We got up-to-the-minute posts from people trying to avoid the same interstate.  We got an excellent recommendation on a detour that saved us from getting stuck in a backup.  It even helped us on our trip down because the weather was bad then, too, and we were able to find a suitable detour when the traffic was stopped on the highway.

We looked up restaurant ideas when we were stuck in our hotel.  We checked out Mass times and locations when we were downtown.  We even found parking garages that were close to the restaurant we wanted so we could get pelted by the least amount of rain as possible.

As we finished up our trip, I got to thinking how it was ever possible to take a road trip and have to use a map to get your information.  You were subject to so many unknowns.  Does it even seem possible???  I mean, how did you know what to expect?  How did you know where to eat or park or what time anything was?  How did you find all of that out?  I honestly can't remember what it felt like.

Or, because we didn't know any better, we just didn't care, right?  When you don't know any different, you don't know what you are missing, so you can't miss it.  Can you imagine, though, having to go back to the way it was?  I envision an entire country going through all of the physical symptoms of withdrawal.  It would be a horrible experience, but I'm wondering if, once we all got used to it again, would we like it better?  Hard to say, isn't it?

I don't see us going back any time soon, do you?  Until then, I'm going to (try to) wait patiently until my smart phone arrives and then try very hard not to let it take over my life, or at least my every waking moment.  Like a lot of things, I hope to enjoy the good and not get sucked into the "bad".  Here's to hoping :)

God Bless!

On Getting Away and Being Disappointed

Last week my husband and I took a trip to Nashville for a few days.  It was my birthday present to him for the big 5-0.  This trip, besides celebrating his birthday, was meant to be kind of a cathartic one for us.  The last time we tried to go away for a few days we had to come back early because my father-in-law went into the hospital and died the next day.  Come to think of it, we've never really had much luck with vacations.  For years we were on a streak where every time we went on a vacation, someone (usually me) was sick and/or running a high fever or throwing up all over everyone else.  

Anyhow, while this trip was not the one we had hoped it would be, it did fall into the "usual" for us.  Of course we had some nice moments, and it really was good to be away, but unfortunately the weather had a big impact in a variety of ways on our time in Nashville:  torrential rains, ice, snow.  Yep, they don't do well with snow and ice in the south.

I know it will sound silly, given the huge amounts of suffering in the world, but one of the biggest disappointments was when we went to the Opry to see Trace Adkins and Trace was sick and didn't show up.  Inconsequential, I know.  But it was at the end of a long and stressful trip down there and it was to be one of the highlights of the trip.

I've thought a lot about my reaction that night.  I know that I have so many things to be grateful for.  And I am; believe me.  Our sufferings are minute compared to others I know.  But at that moment, the moment when the announcer quickly told us that Trace was not going to be there that night, I was...human.  I was tired and stressed about a variety of things and I  just couldn't believe that this one thing that we had wanted so much was not happening.  I didn't rant or rave or yell at anyone.  That would have been wrong.  But I was upset and tried not to cry because I felt so let down.  In that moment, I was upset; upset at God that this one small request wouldn't be granted. 

Since then, I've put it all in perspective (although I'm still pretty disappointed).  Of course, many people would tell me how foolish it was to feel so upset by something so minor.  The problem is, sometimes, at that moment, whatever is happening is important; so much so that we are upset and angry and frustrated.  I'm pretty sure we've all been there before.  The key is in how we deal with it.  Sometimes we might get verbal about the situation.  Sometimes we might let it fester way too long (I'm trying not to, really!).  It might take time to let it go, but we have to realize that our feelings at that moment were real and do have merit.  To push them away as foolish is wrong.  We need to acknowledge our feelings, make reparation if we've dealt with them the wrong way, and then move on without feeling guilty for them.

There were a lot of little tidbits I've gleaned from those few days away.  Maybe that was part of the point of it.  I'm not sure what I was thinking, trying to plan a get-away during Lent.  That lesson I will remember.  I'm also rethinking our summer vacation plans.  Maybe we'll just stay home....

God Bless!

Death and Taxes...

...as you know, are the only two certainties in this world.  We dealt with the tax part yesterday.  I am happy to report that it wasn't too bad.  We've been using the same accountant for the past 8 years or so and even though our taxes are far less complicated than they used to be, we still enjoy meeting with her every year to discuss life and, of course, taxes.  She even helped me by telling me how to fix all of the problems I had with the three oldest girls' taxes.  Yay!!

Afterwards, as is our usual custom, my husband and I went out to grab a bite to eat.  We went for the first time to Chipotle.  While I thoroughly enjoyed my burrito in a bowl, my mouth is very wimpy and so my eyes were watering by the time I was done.  I think it might be worth the pain, however.

After that, we took a much needed trip to our local mattress store.  We've been trying to save up for a new mattress for the past year.  We finally have enough (that tax return helping to throw us over the top).  My poor husband has been sleeping in the Marianas Trench for the past year.  I keep thinking he can't sink any lower and yet he does.  We agreed on a mattress (he likes firm, my hips need soft) and we're on our way to him sleeping in a much more elevated position.

Anyhow, the real reason why I started writing this post about taxes was to encourage you to do one VERY important thing with your tax return (assuming you are getting one).  Every year we set aside the amount we need for each of us to go on our yearly retreat.  We are fortunate to attend a Miles Christi silent retreat.  If you live near one, we strongly recommend attending one.  If you don't, search the area for another good retreat for you and your spouse to attend sometime this year.  When your tax return gets deposited, set the necessary money aside and DON'T TOUCH IT!  No emergency or anything.  God will honor your desire to go on retreat and make it all work out, don't worry.  By doing this, you will be using your money for a great cause.  I can't recommend a yearly retreat enough.  Life is hard.  You deserve the spiritual benefits that a good retreat brings, so set your money aside now and reap the benefits later this year!

God Bless!

Turning 50

Last week my husband turned 50.  Typically he doesn't like too much fuss made about his birthday, but we decided that this was a milestone and deserved some fuss.  We, of course, being the extroverted people in our family who are old enough to keep secrets.

Speaking of secrets, I am glad that I do not make a habit of keeping them.  It takes a lot of emotional and mental energy to keep them.  My biggest problem is NOT saying things.  I'll be talking to my husband and as the next thought in my head is about to roll out onto my tongue and out of my mouth, my Guardian Angel slams that mouth shut so as not to give anything away.  I don't know how people keep secrets for the long term and stay sane!

The day of his birthday was the coldest day of this winter season.  Blistering wind chills and whipping snow did not stop us from going bowling.  Normally we are too competitive of a family to enjoy things like bowling or board games, but the rule of the day was that no one was allowed to get a rotten attitude because they weren't winning or doing well.  Fortunately, I beat my husband in two games of pool and one game of bowling.  This insured that the day was good!  Good thing he's such a good sport and understands my primal desire to beat him in things like this.

After the bowling fest, we bundled up again and went for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  We've only gone there twice, but mmmmm mmmm, it is good.  At the end of dinner I was able to let go of one secret in the form of his gift.  He was surprised and pleased and I was relieved to have one thing off my brain.

In addition to the actual day, we had planned a surprise party for that weekend.  The last time I surprised him for his birthday (25 years ago) he just about knocked his brother out because he was so startled.  We decided to be a bit more subdued this time.  In fact, I labeled the party as a "somewhat surprise party" because I didn't know how far I would actually carry the surprise.

Well, that day things were falling nicely into place and so we kept up with the surprise part.  We were pretty certain he didn't have a clue.  Guests were due to arrive at 7:00, at which point he was going to be down in the basement working out.  I was planning on waiting until a group of people arrived and then calling him up from the basement.  Did you catch the important part??  "I was planning".  Turns out it didn't matter what I was planning because at 6:30, the end of a pipe sticking out into our laundry room, which is right off of the kitchen, burst open and started spraying water everywhere!  We panicked, but the girls talked me out of telling him about the party, even though we had to turn off all of the water.  We were expecting over 30 people in less than 1/2 an hour and we had no water.  The dirty dishes hadn't even gotten done yet.

My husband assessed the situation and decided he could go to Menard's and find the part he needed to fix it so off he went - 5 minutes before people started showing up.

By the time he got back, there were many cars parked in our driveway, so at that point the surprise was up.  He came in, handed the part to Mr 14 yo so he could fix the pipe, donned his party hat and commenced having a good time.
 

So now we are post birthday and all the secrets are out, the pipe is fixed, and a good time was had by all.  Phew, I'm exhausted. 

It doesn't matter, though, because today we started planning for my daughter's book signing party at the end of the month.  At least this one isn't a secret.

God Bless!

A Bit of Weekend Fun

Of course the weekend we planned a big bonfire and party for friends in our homeschool group it decides to rain.  Being as it hasn't rained really all summer and most of the area corn crops are worthless, one isn't allowed to complain about the rain that came...and we didn't.  We just kept changing our plans all day long based on the current amount of precipitation:

Raining- it will be an indoor party
not raining - well, still don't want to take the chance
raining - definitely indoor
sunshine -  part indoor part outdoor party, fire in the fire pit on the patio, where should the music go?
drizzle - food inside, possible fire on the patio, music in the garage
no rain but windy - food inside, fire in the pit on the driveway, music in the garage

and so it went all day long until we ended up with the final scenario as the first guests were arriving.  As my husband predicted, with the fire and the music in the garage area and the food in the house...the women stayed inside and the men stayed outside tending the blaze.

Part of the fun of the evening was the 80s music that we played.  It is amazing that grown people who cannot remember the names of their children can sing all the words to every song that came on.   Maybe if they sang their requests and questions to me I might remember them :)

Another fun thing about the music was seeing who liked which type.  My kids always get a kick out of thinking of Mr and Mrs so-and-so (who they usually see at a religious type function) rocking to some loud, upbeat music. As one of our friends put it, "I will never think of you all in the same way again!"

All in all it was a very fun evening.  What is nice about events like this it gives us all a chance to let our hair hang down, relax, talk, sing, dance even.  We are all called to be saints...we are all called to pick up our cross and follow the Lord, but that doesn't mean that we can't kick it up once in awhile.  I'm glad I have a bunch of friends who agree with me :)

God Bless!

24 Years!

On this day, 24 years ago, two people who looked like little kids got married :)  Whenever I look at this picture, I am always amazed at how YOUNG we looked.  I guess by today's standards we were young...we were 22 and 23.  Hard to believe that we are working towards another marriage milestone of 25 years!!

It has been an incredible journey thus far.  Like all married people, we've had our ups and downs but I am convinced that because we allowed God to enter into our marriage 18 years ago, we are far stronger now than we would have been.  Thank you, God, for the wonderful, incredible man you gave me all those years ago :)  

I love you, dear!

 

My First Hunt

I surprised both myself and my husband this afternoon by telling him that I wanted to go out hunting with him.  

 

There was truly a momentary look of shock on his face.  Why?  Because first, I'm not fond of sitting in the cold and 2nd, I'm not fond of sitting...still that is, especially for 2 1/2 hours. 

So off we went to sit in our humble abode, my hubby and me.  I with my Canon, he with his gun.

We sat, and we sat, and we whispered a bit, and I got cold and he got sleepy.  I decided to use my weapon to fire a few shots.  Here is what I got...the view from my room....

Here is my husband checking out the scenery for any signs of life...this is before he got sleepy.  He wondered aloud, "I wonder how many deer get to live because of sleeping hunters?"  Good question.

And then it happened, I spotted a doe in the field up ahead.  We watched her for awhile, then we saw two others come to join her.  Well, darkness was closing in on us, so I suggested that my husband crawl through the field to see if he could get closer before he ran out of light (you know, me being the experienced hunter that I am).

 

 That's him, inching his way up the field.  He got pretty far before he lifted up his bright orange cap at the wrong time.  Ms. Doe spotted him and let out her cry of alarm.  They didn't run too far away, but then darkness set in and we had to leave.  It was pretty exciting and, even though my toes were numb, I'm sure glad I went.  It's good to do things like that with your husband every once in awhile :)

The Importance of a Clean Bedroom

Before you run and get your children to read this post, let me just tell you that I am talking to YOU!  I am talking about the important reasons of why you should keep YOUR room clean - the first of which is, if you don't keep your room clean, why should your child(ren)?

"Really?", you ask.  "There are important reasons why I should keep my room clean?  What exactly do you mean by 'clean'?"

Let's tackle the whys first.  I will never forget a friend of mine who has 7 daughters tell me that one of her top priorities was to keep her bedroom clean and neat so that her husband had a "haven" (a.k.a. a place of rest and peace) to go to when he needed to escape all of the hormones.

I realized what wisdom there was in that.  I started thinking about it, not just in regards to my husband, but myself, too.  Quite honestly, my husband walks into the bedroom, changes, lies down, falls instantly asleep, gets up and leaves the room.  That is the extent of his time in the bedroom.  If he needs to escape, he finds a tree stand.

If you have a husband, however, who enjoys retreating to a room in the house, or can't stand to walk over piles to get to his bed, then maybe you should consider tidying up that bedroom.  You don't even need to spend money on it to decorate or change things if you don't want to.  Simply having a neat and tidy resting place is all that is necessary.

I believe the rules concerning bedroom neatness should be:

1.  No piles of papers, boxes, bins etc. unless they serve a useful purpose (i.e. you have no dresser and your clothing is stored in a bin).

2.  No clothing lying around on the floors; dirty or clean.  Hang it up, put it away or throw it in the dirty clothes (which, by the way, should be contained somewhere where it doesn't have to be looked at all the time).

3.  Bed made every day.  It really only takes about 5 minutes and it really makes the room look so much more pleasant.  Do it within the first 15 minutes of getting up and you don't have to think about it again!

4.  Try to keep the room as clean as possible.  There is a difference between neat and clean.  Neat is good on a daily basis; clean should be taken care of on a relatively regular schedule.

I have this thing about waking up to a mess.  If my room was messy and I had to wake up to that every day, it would surely set the day off on the wrong foot.  I suppose there are people who don't notice messes, but I am not one of them.  If the last thing I saw before I fell asleep and the first thing I saw when I woke up was a messy room, I would not feel very peaceful and certainly not joyful.  

A prayer corner somewhere in your bedroom is a nice idea, too.  It can be a simple collection of books on your headboard or nightstand (only if it is a neat collection, though) or it can be a chair and table or kneeler in a corner.  I have a friend who has a lot of children who turned a small walk-in closet in her room into a prayer haven.  No matter what it looks like, a place where you and/or your husband can retreat to to be with the Lord for some peace and quiet is a good thing.

If you are prone to a messy room, take some time to ponder the positive effect a nice, clean, orderly room  might have on the dispositions of you and/or your husband.  It is a simple and inexpensive thing to do to bring some added peace to your lives.

Happy Father's Day!

In today's bulletin, our pastor put the following message:

We should all be grateful for fathers who have these qualities:  respect and love for their wives, putting her needs before his, teaching his kids how to be faithful Catholics, leading by example, by being primarily their father and not their friend, trying to be a man of virtue and getting rid of vices, seeking and living the truth in all things especially at work, and having joy and hope in all things - even in difficult moments.

How blessed I am to be married to a man like this!  Thank you, God, for giving me such a wonderful husband and father to our children.  

Happy Father's Day!