7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 108)

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Covenant Players The dear friend of ours who will be entering a cloistered monastery this August to begin her postulancy with the Carmelite Sisters by the Sea did one last performance in Richmond of the original play "Teresita" she wrote about St. Teresa of Avila’s vocation discernment.  Friends of hers who she’d met when traveling the world with Covenant Players and some of her classmates from Union Seminary came to the final show and the reception afterwards.  Michele was overjoyed that they’d come.  How perfect that her farewell to her theater friends from Covenant Players occurred after they’d watched the one-woman play she wrote and directed that involves faith.

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Out of Africa I’m very grateful that my youngest sister has returned safely from her time studying West African dance (and culture) in Burkina Faso.  She attended a dance school called ÉDIT (École de Danse Internationale Irѐne Tassembedo.  Here’s one of the video’s made of the dance they do there. 

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Up on the Altar One neat thing about Mass, other than the most obvious ones, at St. Peter's (in Richmond) is that you never know how you'll be "called" to serve that day. On Tuesday, Fr. Bob pointed to me and mimed opening a book to ask me do the Readings before Mass and he has faith in the attendees that three will come up without being asked to help serve the Eucharist. "Eternal Father, I offer You, the Body and the Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Your dearly Beloved Son in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” from The Divine Mercy Chaplet

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Bring On the Bling This week Livie has been having fun playing with the scarf I gave Vivi for her birthday.  All of them love accessories, of course.  The girls have always been interested in shoes.  Beads, bracelets, ponytail holders, and whatever necklace I happen to be wearing are popular.  It cracks me up that the twins spend so much of their day trying to put their pajamas and any other articles of clothing they find over their heads.  Even after I dressed Livie this morning, she grabbed her sister's matching skirt and attempted to pull it over her head.

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You’re a bum! It’s fun hearing Vivi’s random rambling.  While coloring with markers, she mentioned The Paper Bag Princess book, and started singing: “You are a bum!” which is the apt description of the prince in the book who is rescued by the princess.  I’m often amused by the little chants and declarations: “The lamb is sure to go” and “Knuffle Bunny: A cautionary tale by Mo Willems.”  It reminds me of when she was on a Green Eggs and Ham kick, and while working on some art project suddenly looked up and stated emphatically: “You let me be!” I was thoroughly amused, because no one was bothering her at that time.  Her sisters hadn’t even been born, yet, so I knew for sure she was just processing lines from the book I'd read dramatically twenty or more times that day.

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How versatile it is I read children’s picture books with a dramatic flair.  The kids love it, and adults within earshot are generally entertained as well.  Once when I was speed-reading a Dr. Seuss book, Kevin looked at me wide-eyed and asked: “What was that?!”  To which I responded: “It’s my face.  Haven’t you noticed it and how versatile it is?”

     

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Truth never changes In a time when our culture and world are praising certain court decisions, scientific finds, and medical practices as being progressive and signs of advancement, I’m grateful for faith in the Lord, the One who is Truth and Love itself.  The best response to these many signs of the culture of death becoming even more widespread and the Father of Lie’s influence expanding is to pray that the Lord will open our hearts and minds to the One Truth which is everlasting.   

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 107)

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Leaving a Legacy The Last Lecture was one of the books my dad read and had hung onto.  I put it on my bookshelf figuring I’d get around to it eventually.  I’ve been thinking of my dad James Niermeyer a lot lately because of Father’s Day and the time I’ve spent sorting through boxes of photos and memorabilia of his that I brought to our place after he passed away.  Another thing that’s brought my dad to mind is that I’ve been praying for a couple different families whose fathers recently passed away leaving their wives and young children behind.  I know why my dad enjoyed this book: it’s about reaching your childhood dreams, making a difference in people’s lives, and leaving your mark on your family, friends, and colleagues…Read more of this reflection here. 

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One Last Lecture from Dad I’m not sure of everything my father would have thought most important to share, but I know that faith would definitely have played a big role in his talk.  I am positive he would have told some of the hilarious stories about how he and his brothers got into trouble over the years.  He would probably have mentioned how much he looked up to each of them a great deal. 

     I’m not sure of all of the messages he would have included for his three daughters, though.  I guess one of the biggest questions I have is: what would my dad’s talk have included after he’d retired from being one of the top executives at a major corporation, when he had long since lost his football player physique, and when he was faced with the certitude of an early death?  I know from our many talks and visits in the last few years of his life that he saw many things differently from the way he once did.  I know some of what mattered most to him, he wrote about in his Footprints in the Sand Prayer journal.

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What’s Up and Coming Kevin and I have been getting our place in order and even doing some more decorating (I feel rather ridiculous saying that considering one of my sister’s has a perfectly decorated house that could be in magazines, but at least we’re making some effort.)  We’ve been inspired to make a Rochester, New York wall, since that’s where Kevin and I first met, where we became good friends, spent lots of time together over the years, and where we return to each summer for some time on the Lake.  The first thing on the wall is a framed chart of Lake Ontario.  The next thing we’ll likely put up are a select

sampling of the bazillion photos I’ve taken of sunsets, Ontario Beach Park, and some of our other favorite hang-outs.  We’re waiting to get back the cross-stitch I gave Kevin at our wedding reception and make that another focal point of the wall. 

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Free Giveaway I have some really special friends who have such unusual experiences which make for absolutely hilarious stories. This week my friend Michele stopped by and told me a great one.  She’s been getting rid of, giving away, selling, donating…most of her earthly possessions in anticipation of entering a cloistered monastery this August 6, but she was a little too hasty in one of her giveaways.  She made herself dinner one evening, opened the cupboard and realized she’d given away the only two plates she owned to a neighbor who liked them.  She bashfully knocked on the friend’s door and told her the dilemma, which made for a great laugh all around.  Michele, I'm really going to miss you popping over to say hi, share a funny story, have a deep discussion, watch a great movie, take a nap, have some juice, a meal or a snack, you know, whatever you feel like when upon entering our place.  :) 

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Is it naptime, yet? Thursday was one of those long, very trying days taking care of three little girls who have been acting crankier, more tired, and volatile than is normal for them due to a number of factors ranging from developmental milestones, to interrupted sleep, teething, and varying calorie consumption. Lord, thanks for being patient, gentle, and loving with all of us even when we're grumpy and attitudinal to You!

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The Paper Bag Princess This week I brought over a bunch of paper bags I could use to organize and sort things (I learned this method from my mom who used to have dozens of paper bags from the local grocery store in closets and in the attic as her ‘filing system.’)

  When Vivi saw the bags, she asked me if I was going to cut one for her to wear.  Let it never be said that kids aren’t little sponges with frighteningly good memories.  It had to be at least a couple months ago that I brought a paper bag, cut a hole in it for her head and her arms, so she, too, could be a paper bag princess.  She wore it for about two seconds then lost interest in the “costume.”  I can’t blame her.  No pretty colors or fancy frills, but I’m impressed she remembered that activity several weeks after the fact.  I highly recommend The Paper Bag Princess, by the way.  She’s my kind of princess: practical, clever, resourceful, and brutally honest!

    

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Bring Others Closer I wonder what my “last lecture” would include, what main themes and messages from my life I’d insist on having in it.  Perhaps, that’s one of the reasons why I felt this was the right time to read The Last Lecture: I’d like to sit down sooner than later and figure out what’s most important and live in a way that’s evident in my relationships, work, how I spend my time and money. 

     For me, discerning God’s will, carrying it out, glorifying Him, and bringing others closer to Him are what I want and try to build my life around.  One of the main prayers I have prayed over the years, I was inspired to write a while back: “Lord, please plant Your will in my heart and make it my deepest desire and most fervent longing,” along with: You, Lord, are ALL I have and You give me ALL I need.  My future is in Your Hands.  Lord, I pray for Your Will.    

     Since we don’t always know when we’ll give our “last lecture,” we’re best off living today in a way that would embody the legacy we hope to leave for our loved ones and the generations to come.

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

Leaving a Legacy & One Last Lecture

The Last Lecture was one of the books my dad read and had hung onto.  I put it on my bookshelf figuring I’d get around to it eventually.  I’ve been thinking of my dad James Niermeyer a lot lately because of Father’s Day and the time I’ve spent sorting through boxes of photos and memorabilia of his that I brought to our place after he passed away.  Another thing that’s brought my dad to mind is that I’ve been praying for a couple different families whose fathers recently passed away leaving their wives and young children behind. 

    
I know why my dad enjoyed this book: it’s about reaching your childhood dreams, making a difference in people’s lives, and leaving your mark on your family, friends, and colleagues.  Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he did everything he could to really live the months he had left with his family and friends.  One of the things he worked on during his illness was a last lecture with tons of pictures and some of the main themes in his life and work.  He included the highlights and wisdom he would have shared with his children when they got a little older. 

It’s a fun look at how imagination and determination, a strong work ethic, and persistence can really pay off.  The stories and anecdotes he shares are amusing.  The Last Lecture definitely has the feel of a motivational speech, though with more personal details and universal values incorporated.  Here's a quick 10-minute reprise of The Last Lecture which he appeared on Oprah to give:
   
There are a few things to note that are vastly different from Randy Pausch’s life and my dad’s: not only was my father not a computer science guru, but he barely knew how to use a PC.  Electronics were not his thing at all.  My dad was the youngest (by 15 years) with three older brothers, so his childhood was a direct contrast in many ways to that of Pausch’s.  Sports and physical strength, then later on success in business were emphasized more than imagination and ingenuity the likes of which would land him working at Walt Disney as an Imagineer.         

    
Some of the clichés he uses remind me of those my dad would always say.  In reading The Last Lecture, I wondered what my dad’s main messages from his life would have been.  What would he have included if he gave one last talk before he passed away? 

    
I’m not sure of everything my father would have thought most important to share, but I know that faith would definitely have played a bigger role in his talk than it did in Pausch’s.  I am positive he would have told some of the hilarious stories about he and his brothers getting into trouble over the years.  He would probably have mentioned how much he looked up to each of them. 

    
I’m not sure of all of the messages he would have included for his three daughters, though.  I guess one of the biggest questions I have is: what would my dad’s talk have included after he’d retired from being one of the top executives at a major corporation, when he had long since lost his football player physique, and when he was faced with the certitude of an early death?  I know from our many talks and visits in the last few years of his life that he saw many things differently from the way he once did. 

    
It also makes me wonder what my “last lecture” would include, what main themes and messages from my life I’d insist on having in it.  Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I felt this was the right time to read this book: I’d like to sit down sooner than later and figure out what’s most important and live in a way that’s evident in my relationships, work, how I spend my time and money. 

    
For me, discerning God’s will, carrying it out, glorifying Him, and bringing others closer to Him are what I want and try to build my life around.  One of the main prayers I have prayed over the years, I was inspired to write a while back: “Lord, please plant Your will in my heart and make it my deepest desire and most fervent longing,” along with: You, Lord, are ALL I have and You give me ALL I need.  My future is in Your Hands.  Lord, I pray for Your Will.     

   
Since we don’t always know when we’ll give our “last lecture,” we’re best off living today in a way that would embody the legacy we hope to leave for our loved ones and the generations to come.
   
This post is linked to the July 2013 edition of New Evangelists Monthly.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 106)

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Remembering My Dad I’ve been going through hundreds of thousands of photos, letters, cards, and many things have reminded me of years gone by.  One of the best examples of reconciliation and redemption has come through my relationship with my father, James Lester Niermeyer.       

     Only God could have brought about the necessary transformation in both of us, so that we could be there for each other in the last few years of his life.  It’s been hard to me to have a box of his things from high school football and college which I don’t personally want to keep, but which I don’t want thrown away.  I’ve been in tears a number of times when I see symbols of what he worked so hard for and wonder if all of the pain and suffering he went through in life was worth it. 

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A Man of Faith One blessing of having a blog is that people who knew my dad years ago have contacted me and told me what impact he had on their lives.  I know that my dad’s true worth had little to do with his successful career, large homes, luxurious vacations, expensive cars, or corporate accolades.  I have some measure of peace knowing that he is finally where he knows he is appreciated and loved for who he is, not what he does. 

     Lord, thank You for our fathers.  Please give us the courage to learn from their wisdom as well as their mistakes.  Guide us in seeking Your will above all else, so that we may one day join those in Heaven.        

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What’s Left I guess it makes sense since it’s been less than six months since my grandmother passed away and still under a year since my mom sold the family home that I’m sorting through many boxes, yet again.  The things I’m hanging onto (though there are lots of them) are: photos, letters, cards, and journals.  I have boxes and boxes of pictures, journals, cards, and letters from high school, college, my time studying abroad in France, dating Kevin, as well as recent years.  I know that others in my family would have gotten rid of many such things, but I’m grateful I rescued them.  I firmly believe that God can make something beautiful from the scraps, pieces, and fragments of our lives, and I trust He will help me use what memories I have and lessons I’ve learned to bring others closer to Him. 

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Girls Day Out Last Sunday was an answeredprayer for a dear friend of mine who won’t be with us much longer.  She wanted a day out with her closest girlfriends to pick out a dress, find the perfect shoes, relax, have fun, and enjoy quality time before she goes.  We had a blast, and she was given her requested a day out with the girls, something she had hoped for a while ago when she discerned her vocation and knew she’d be a different kind of bride.  It’s hard for me to think that my dear friend and sister in Christ will be leaving and not coming back.  Michele Morris, the director/actress who wrote the original play “Teresita” based on the life of St. Teresa of Avila and her own discernment process, is performing one last time in Richmond, then she’s moving on to a new life in a cloistered monasteryin Carmel, California.   

   

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Final Performance If you are nearby and able, I hope that you will join us for the final performance of “Teresita” on Sunday June 23, 2013 at 3:00pm in the sanctuary of St. Benedict’s Church.  The one woman play written and performed by local actress and prayer warrior Michele Morris is quite an inspiration to Christians.  There is no fee or reservation necessary.  A love offering will be taken up to assist Michele with her dowry, the remaining things she needs for her entry into the Carmelite Sisters by the Sea on August 6, 2013.  I have seen the play many times, and I guarantee you will be entertained, edified, intrigued, and given hope by this performance and this woman of God.

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Les Misérables I finished reading Les Misérables this week.  Yes, it’s another classic that I’ve only just read in its entirety for the first time.  I loved it!  I’ve read a lot by Victor Hugo in French (as it was one of my majors in college), but I thoroughly enjoyed the masterpiece in English or in some parts franglais, as we say.  It brought back memories of my time in Paris to read the book and watch the movie. 

     More than anything else, the chef d’oeuvre has reminded me that Our God is God of many chances.  We are given so many opportunities to redeem ourselves and others in this life.  Actually, the first two relationships I thought of after watching the movie were with my two sisters.  I’ve felt awful that I wasn’t the big sister that I thought I should have been for them, but God’s shown me, in part through the book and the movie, that there’s still time to make amends.  Just as was the case with my dad, there’s room for reconciliation, vulnerability, honesty, healing, and closeness deeper than has been there before.

    

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The Good We Do This week a friend got in touch with me to tell me how work that God prepared her to do last fall has been coming to fruition.  I find it so easy to see the Holy Spirit at work in this woman’s life.  I am grateful that the Lord has seen fit to give her a glimpse of the impact she has on others because she is so hard-working, compassionate, and caring.  It’s encouraging to know that when we are open to God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, He works in mysterious,powerful ways often without us even realizing it. 

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

The Pirates Who Get into Everything (My Nanny Diary)

Sometimes Vivi calls me Captain Trisha, and I’m fine with that.  “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” is a wonderful Veggie Tales song and hilarious full-length movie which Kevin and I have counted among our favorites for quite some time.  I’ve made up a dance to the song that I do with the five and under crowd at school, particularly on rainy days when we can’t go out on the playground.  It’s one of the classic Veggie Tales songs on the CD Vivi requests we listen to daily, sometimes multiple times a day. 

    
The three girls have had a blast playing with their new water table, which is a pirate ship complete with a mast.  (Hopefully, it won’t confuse them later on that it’s best not to let your boat fill up with water).  I’ve decided that the girls are the pirates who get into everything, but who act as if they haven’t done anything.  It is amazing all of the things they manage to get into while inside, outside, even upside down.  For further details about our pirate-y adventures, check out Treasure Chest Surprises (My Nanny Diary).

Yesterday, when there were a plethora of water toys available, Livie decided to pull the pinwheel out of the planter.  I let her carry it around.  She even tried to blow on it to get it to spin.  As soon as she put the dirty wooden part in her mouth, I took it and showed her how to blow the pinwheel.  She took it back and was walking around the deck trying at random to get it to spin around. 

   
 At one point, Sophie got the pinwheel.  She was playing with it for less than 60 seconds before she put the dirt-covered wooden part in her mouth.  This occurred after she disassembled the pinwheel and tossed part of it into the garden.  I took the pinwheel and the dirt-encrusted stick to the trash only to turn around, and find Sophie sucking on the wooden pin that had been holding the toy together.  I thought it was lost forever in the garden, but apparently not.  In her defense, it looked a lot like a lollipop made of wood.    

    
I find it amusing that Vivi and the girls are so into Jake and the Never Land Pirates.  Her grandma got her purple sweatpants, a pink shirt, a little pouch, a pink bandanna, and brown boots so she can dress up as Izzy.  I lost count how many times we read the book The Croc Takes the Cake today.   

    
I can still vividly remember the two children (a 5-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother) I babysat regularly when I was in high school.  The two of them absolutely loved Disney’s animated Peter Pan.  They were thrilled dressing up and pretending they were the characters, reading the books, watching the movie, and singing the songs. 

    
When I nannied for “my two little guys,” both of their parents got some books in French for me to read to the boys.  I was quite tickled that the two French books the boys requested that I read the most often both involved pirates.  In one, a grandmother is kidnapped by pirates, and her grandchildren have to go rescue her.  In the other, the main character of the book is the daughter of the most famous pirate in the world; she has to travel with a crew of pirates to different places around the globe on a scavenger hunt that leads her to the best treasure of all.  

    
Both books are actually pretty hilarious, so I was happy to read them over and over and over again.  I had to change the words at the end of one book after the first time I shouted them out before realizing exactly what was being said.  When we reached the end of Grandmère et Les Pirates which said “Mon dieu, ou est passé le bateau?!” I replaced it with a new beginning of oh  là  là! followed by the French equivalent of (where’s the ship gone?!).

I was given most of the books in French after taking care of the boys since neither set of parents spoke the language, but they hung onto the favorite ones.  I’d like to get those two books again to have as part of the collection I have at home to bring to work and/or school to share with kids.

Taste Testers of the Most Determined, Undiscriminating Sort (My Nanny Diary)

Toddlers Taste Testing Trials and Errors

Sophie pulled up and had her hands flat against the bathroom door while her sister was in there.  (The twins tend to make a bee-line for the bathroom whenever the door opens and Vivi is in there.)  Sophie glanced at the wall next to the door, then gingerly made her way over and after a brief pause, licked the wall.  It must not taste as delectable as my shoelaces because I haven’t seen her do it a second time.  It made me think of the wallpaper in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

My shoelaces are such a big hit that I kind of wonder what they taste like.  Not enough to put them in my own mouth and suck on them, mind you.  I don’t have a problem eating things the girls leave behind on their trays that are meant to be eaten and still resemble somewhat the original food form they had when they were first served to them, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere.  I’m pretty sure I read in a book or some article that the calories from leftover food on the kids trays don’t count.  Or was it that eating a cookie or piece of cake a child gives you won’t add excess calories to your diet?  Maybe both.    

   
Disney stickers, dehydrated vegetables that fell from their trays or sticky fingers the last meal or the day before, any paper products, free-ranging goldfish or Cheerios, pretty much anything they can find and get into their mouths is fair game.  If it seems they’ve been on the same piece of whatever for a couple minutes, then I check to make sure that what they have popped in for their between snacks and meals snack is edible and digestible.

Potluck Lunches 

Packing my lunch and snacks for the day always means considering what the girls will want of what I bring.  Apples, bananas, clementines, melon, pretty much any kind of fresh fruit is always of interest.  Cinnamon graham crackers are a big crumbly hit.  Veggie sticks have been well-received, though, not with as much enthusiasm.  I’ve even been able to get Vivi, who has had something against bread for a long time, to eat some bread when I break pieces off and give some to the girls.  Don’t get me wrong, their house is already well-stocked with a variety of healthy foods, but for whatever reason they always seem more interested in eating something that I’m having as well.    

I’m very grateful for plastic plates that their mom’s cool with me using as cutting boards.  The girls eat almost all of their meals in the living room, unless I move their high chairs into the kitchen or outside on the deck, so it’s nice to have something easily portable on which to cut fruit, veggies, and such into smaller pieces.

    
Vivi is the only one with whom I have shared pretty much everything in my lunch since she doesn’t seem to have any food allergies and is able to chew her food properly.  It’s also been sort of fun to see if I can entice her to eat a red velvet cupcake, a piece of pastry, or a cookie, since at one time she had an aversion to all things that resembled bread.  She’s come around.  I’m sure that having cake with frosting at birthday parties has helped ease her into such delicious desserts and higher calorie treats.   

An Affinity for Small Appliances

Livie has tried very hard to climb into the Dora the Explorer refrigerator part of their kitchen playset.  The only thing stopping her is that there are a couple shelves in there.  Sophie has been on a mission to fit herself inside the play microwave while it is on the floor, on its side, and usually when the door has been removed.  (Yes, it is indeed the same one in which Vivi used to put her plastic Dalmation puppy dog.)  Sophie’s most frequent method of entry is putting one of her bare feet in.  Let no one say that little ones are hopeless.  She tries several times a day to fit her cute little self into that play microwave, each time approaching it with the same level of care and anticipation of possible success.  All of them have gotten very good at removing the plastic door from the hinges of the microwave.  They walk around carrying it like an iPad, tablet, or Kindle.      

Got Milk?

The way that milk goes flying around, it’s clear that the girls have a very unique form of lactose intolerance which comes not from a sensitivity to lactose, but a desire to share the milk with everyone, spreading a little everywhere, a puddle here, a few drops there, an occasional squirt in the eye.  The twins are transitioning from breast milk to whole milk, and we’ve been experimenting with mixtures of both in bottles and sippy cups this week. 

    
I got a few strange looks when I gave them the mixes, but they gulped them down without a problem, especially from the bottle.  The nuances of the sippy cup are still intriguing to them, so they aren’t quite as likely to consume everything that they are served in it.  A portion ends up down the front of their Onesies, some in their high chair, a bit over the side on the floor, some in their hair from waving it around upside down…you get the idea. 

    
I prefer they not waste what I refer to as “Mommy’s special milk,” but at this stage they insist upon experimenting with the sippy cups in ways that make it downright impossible.  I’d put my foot down when they’d squirt me with their bottle or turn their sippy cups over and shake the milk onto their trays or the carpet, but let’s be realistic; this trial-and-error process is going to be messy.  

Girls Day Out - Blessings Abound

     God knows the deepest desires of our hearts and delights in granting them to show us His unconditional, limitless love.  Yesterday was a perfect example of that.  My dear friend Michele Morris is fast-approaching her August 6, 2013, entry date into the cloistered convent in Carmel, California, The Sisters by the Sea.  Her vocation discernment and her faith journey have taken some very interesting twists and turns, but God has made clear to her what the next step is in her walk with Him, and she’s joyful, peaceful, anxious, and excited to take it. 

     Over the past year, Michele felt kind of disappointed that she wouldn’t get to have a “bridal shower” to celebrate her vocation, rejoice with loved ones, and receive affirmation and encouragement for this momentous undertaking.  Some who are close to her haven’t been as supportive or as enthusiastic about her news, which has been difficult and discouraging at times.  People generally know enough to congratulate someone who’s gotten engaged and is getting married, but not as many are sure of what to do when someone, especially a female, has announced that God has called her to the religious life.

     After attending a wedding shower and serving as a bridesmaid last summer, Michele felt a twinge of sorrow and regret that she wouldn’t have the same sort of joyful gathering in anticipation of her upcoming lifelong commitment.  It wasn’t the gifts or anything like that she wanted.  Her heart really longed for the camaraderie and support from loved ones coming together and giving her a send-off filled with love, prayers, and encouragement. 

     The Lord gave her a beautiful bridal shower which was totally unexpected while she was on a special women’s weekend.  God loves us extravagantly, and knows the longings in our hearts, because the truest, longest-lasting ones are those He puts there.  He takes great joy in blessing us abundantly, often in totally unexpected ways, by granting those desires.  The circumstances of a women’s weekend Michele attended included an elegant formal feast with gorgeous decorations, soft music, flowers, candles, and a personal invitation at each spot.  When she entered, she was in awe and heard someone remark that the ambiance and décor were that of a wedding feast. 

     When Michele read the invitation placed at her spot, one line in it really struck her: “and Christ is the host.”  At the moment she read those words, it dawned on her that evening, the beauty around her, the women of faith,the atmosphere of love and joy was God’s bridal shower for her.  Few people there knew she had been accepted at a cloistered monastery and within a year or so would be entering a Carmelite community on the West Coast. 

     When she told the person next to her about her realization that this was her bridal shower, she was encouraged to share this with the entire group.  Michele felt reluctant to do so, because she didn’t want the special dinner to be about her, but the Holy Spirit practically pushed her to her feet, and she made the announcement that she’s going to become a cloistered Carmelite nun.  She spoke briefly of the sadness she experienced thinking she wouldn’t have such a celebration and her subsequent surprise and joy that God had seen fit to give her the delight of her heart at an unexpected time and place.  The formal, elegant, and initially rather solemn feast turned into a time of true rejoicing.  Someone put on a CD by Danielle Rose with a song that was perfect for the occasion called, "Your Bride."  These are the lyrics of the refrain:

"I am your bride.

I am one with my Beloved Crucified.

As you offer me your Body, I offer you my life.

Now and always, I am yours

I am your bride."

     Everyone stood in line to dance with Michele and wish her well.  There was a great deal of laughter, feasting, and celebrating with women of faith who enthusiastically embraced Michele’s call and share her deep desire to glorify God. 

     Yesterday was another desire Michele had in her heart, a day out with some close girlfriends, women of faith, to come together and help her find a special dress and shoes to wear the day she enters the monastery.  (They’re making her a postulant dress to wear once she enters, but she wanted to arrive in something special that she can wear a few times before she leaves Richmond.)  She’d found a dress she really liked at a shop just around the corner from where she lives.  It was the first dress she tried on, and as soon as she stepped out of the dressing room, the woman at the shop told her that she didn’t need to try on any of the other dresses, that was the one. 

     As is her custom, she didn’t buy the dress right away.  She decided she’d come back in a week, on the day when she and a few of her friends were free to go shopping and spend the afternoon and evening together.  If it was still there, then she’d know she should get it.  The store she went to is a secondhand shop with only one of what they have there of anything, so she was very excited to find out whether or not they’d sold the dress. 

     She went directly to the rack where she’d found it, but it wasn’t there.  The salesclerk was the same person who’d been working the day she found the dress, so she asked if it had been sold.  The woman pointed up to the top corner of the wall above the dressing rooms where there was a stunning purple dress and matching shawl hanging.  It was the dress she’d picked out the week before.  She tried it on, and we all knew immediately she’d found the dress. 

     This freed up the rest of our day to hang out, look for shoes in a number of children’s departments since Michele has such small feet.  We didn’t end up finding the perfect pair for her to wear with the perfect dress, but the four of us still had a really wonderful day together. 

     When Michele had run up to her apartment to put her dress there, her friends Betty, Carrie, and I were sitting in my car.  We were wondering if Michele would be interested in doing something like getting a pedicure.  We figured we’d walk by a place and pretend one of us was interested and see how she responded.  It ended up we didn’t have to do.  We walked by a nail salon on our way to Nordstrom’s, and she lit up and said it would be really fun to “have our feet done” (as she put it).  The three of us laughed and told her about the earlier conversation we’d had and our plan to deduce if it was something she’d like to do.

     We visited Michele’s friend Crystal who works in the make-up department in Nordstrom’s and who did Michele’s make-up for the début performance of the original one woman play she wrote, directed, and performs called “Teresita.”  Her student debt, theater background, and the story of her own vocational discernment inspired her to write a one act play based on the life of St. Teresa of Avila, particularly her life leading up to her entry into a Carmelite convent.  “Teresita” very closely mirrors the journey of the saint and has some amazing similarities to Michele’s own walk with the Lord. 

     While getting our spa pedicures, Michele and Betty were singing their hearts out to the music playing.  Occasionally, Michele even remembered the lyrics.  

     It was a fun, relaxing, joyful day out with the girls.  We had a delectable dinner at Strawberry Street Café, then we went to a place in Carytown called Bev’s that makes homemade ice cream for dessert. 

     Lord, thank You for the gift of Michele, for women of faith who inspire, support, encourage, and lift us up on our journey, and help us rejoice in the many blessings You shower up on us!

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 105)

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Thank You, God! I'm very grateful to the Lord for getting my sister Theresa safely to Burkina Faso, and for the really amazing, uplifting, wonderful people He's used to show me His love this week. Thanks Laura, Kevin, and Gwen for being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and willing to share your gifts and just be who you are!

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Fun with French I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have some fun with French.  Since I took French from fifth grade through college, and I spent an academic school year my junior year at Hollins studying in Paris, France, I offered to have some conversations in French with my sister before she went back to Burkina Faso (where she’s studying West African dance this month).  She wanted to brush up on the basics and learn some key phrases that wouldn’t likely be in a textbook.

     I began with one of the few things Kevin learned to say in French before he came over to visit me:

Est-ce que tu m’épouseras?   Will you marry me?

This was not my response when he asked, but is one I suggested for my sister to use if it turns out to be a more appropriate answer in her circumstances.

Non, ma mѐre va me tuer.    No, my mother will kill me.

     Actually, when Kevin said, “Je t’taime du fond de mon coeur Patricia Niermeyer.  Est-ce que tu m épouseras?”  To read the whole story and the entire French phrase post, click here.

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Heartbreaking News One of our recently ordained permanent deacons, Joe Marotta, died suddenly and unexpectedly this week. He was married and the father of five young children.

     Another gentleman who went to be with the Lord this week was in his thirties, had cancer, and has left his wife and two young children behind.

     Please keep of these gentleman, their families, and friends in prayer. 

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Tuesdays with Memories I watched my nephew Ezra for a bit Tuesday morning, went to Mass at St.Peter's, and got some organizational things done at home, along with some writing, and work on the YA novel that's next in the John Paul II High Series. I've gone through scores of pictures this week.  As anyone who knows me, knows I have a bazillion, especially from high school on. Kevin and I are thinking of doing a wall of photos of the two of us throughout our relationship, our favorite places, and such. I'm putting the mass quantity of pics into categories and in photo boxes. The next photo phase will likely involve mailing people prints of themselves and friends that I have that would make them smile, laugh, and remember when...

   

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Daily Prayer Lately, I have had pretty much the same prayer routine in terms of what I read/do in the morning and evening.  I usually do the morning prayer included in the Magnificat, the daily readings and reflection before I leave for work, the evening prayer once I get home, and sometimes also do the night time prayer, but not always.  Of course, I pray spontaneously throughout the day, too.  I've found it helps me to have some regular things I do or I am not as grounded in prayer as is wise and helpful in getting through the day with the right focus.

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Home Tonight I finished reading Home Tonight: Further Reflections on theParable of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen on Pentecost Sunday.  It gave me a great deal to think, pray, and write about as well as meditate on. 

     As is often the case with Nouwen’s books, I am again very aware that I’m being challenged through these heartfelt personal reflections to accept the love, forgiveness, and mercy of the Lord on a deeper level than I ever have before.  This task is rather daunting because it’s really difficult for me to accept love, especially unconditional love and forgiveness when I know (to some extent) how little I deserve it… To read the full review, click here.
     

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Push It Real Good! This week the girls were extremely excited about having the opportunity to play in a laundry basket big enough for them to fit inside of.  It was funny watching them climb in and out, as the twins are not quite tall enough to step over the sides and get in without stumbling.  Vivi, who is quite a fan of pillows and blankets, snuggled up in the laundry basket as well.

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

Parlez-vous français? Mais, oui!

I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have some fun with French.  Since I took French from fifth grade through college, and I spent an academic school year my junior year at Hollins studying in Paris, France, I offered to have some conversations in French with my sister before she went back to Burkina Faso (where she’s studying West African dance this month).  She wanted to brush up on the basics and learn some key phrases that wouldn’t likely be in a textbook.

    
I began with one of the few things Kevin learned to say in French before he came over to visit me:

Est-ce que tu m’épouseras?          Will you marry me?

   
This was not my response when he asked, but is one I suggested for my sister to use if it turns out to be a more appropriate answer in her circumstances.

Non, ma mѐre va me tuer.    No, my mother will kill me.

    
Actually, when Kevin said, “Je t’aime du fond de mon coeur Patricia Niermeyer.  Est-ce que tu m'épouseras?” He was down on one knee with a ring box in his hand which by itself got me crying so hard I hadn’t heard him.  He looked at me, waiting for my answer, and I looked at him not having heard the question.  He asked quietly, “Did I say it wrong?”  I told him, “I didn’t hear you.”  He laughed and asked again.  I said yes and gave him a big hug and a kiss.  I was thrilled!! 

This phrase I thought of because it’s a pretty cool French song that we learned when I took a French music course in college.  I still listen to the CD sometimes.
“Je crois que ça va pas être possible."    I believe that will not be possible.

These I included because they'd probably be useful: 

Dégage-toi!      Free me!  Let me go!

Aidez-moi!        Help me!

Je dois allez aux toilettes.       I need to use the toilet/go to the restroom.

Où se trouvent les toilettes?  Where is the restroom?

J’ai mal (à + le, la, or, les, l’) _____________                        My   _________________ hurts.

Combined becomes (au, à la, aux, à l’)                                           (part of the body)

    

J’ai soif.                I’m thirsty.

J’ai faim.               I’m hungry.

J’ai assez mangé.     I’ve had enough to eat/have eaten enough.

Never say: Je suis pleine.  (word for word translates to I’m full, but in French means I’m pregnant unless, of course, that’s what you mean to say.)

Je suis fatigué.        I’m tired.

J’ai chaud.              I’m feeling warm/hot.

J’ai froid.                I’m feeling cold/cool.

J’ai perdu…mon billet, ma carte de crédit…                I lost…my ticket, my credit card…

     I hope this has been a fun learning experience for you.