Grace is… sharing a meal with another person of faith who
serves as such a tremendous inspiration just by being who he/she is that you
leave feeling more joyful and hopeful than when you arrived, a full-house for
the Charismatic Mass held at a nearby parish, people who never cease to amaze
or amuse you, unexpected answers to prayer, the Holy Spirit working in and
through people in ways they don’t even begin to realize the significance of at
the time…
-2-
All We Have There have been a number of
things that have happened over the course of this week during which the Lord
has reminded Kevin and I in no uncertain terms that He is ALL we have and that
He gives us ALL we need. For now,
suffice it to say that we are blessed to serve an amazing God who has placed
some really awesome people in our lives from which we can learn and grow!
Grace is… having a family dinner with some of our
favorite little cuties, faith-inspired discussions, remembering to turn to God again when you realize you’ve
been trying to do things on your own, having talents and abilities which can be
used to help others, finding young adult novels at the library that are
interesting, entertaining, well-written, and touch on topics of faith and
religion, knowing for certain others are praying for you, the healing power of certain songs…
-2-
LOVE
KNOW LIVE This is a reflection I wrote on
the theme “Love Know Live” which is dedicated to the participants of the 463rd
Men's Cursillo taking place at Shalom House
from Thursday evening through Sunday. This article first appeared in the
February issue of The Rooster Review.
Grace is… a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, being
reminded that some of the kids you took care of ten or more years ago are
growing up to be really neat people, seeing cute pics of kids playing in the
snow all bundled up, hanging out with my sister and nephew one afternoon, an
hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament…
-2-
Snowmageddon 2014 Kevin and I have occasionally had a few moments of enjoying snow days. My husband has a more legitimate than usual reason for watching several hours of The Weather Channel. It's kind of cool to watch the Winter Olympics with snow falling in the background (out your window) while you're sitting warm inside drinking hot chocolate in the cute matching mugs your mom got your for Christmas a while ago.
-3-
Another Snow Day Home with the Kids If
you’re dreading another late school opening or snow day home with the kids,
then I think you will
appreciate this video.
I
think my mom was one of the few parents who actually enjoyed having us home
from school on snow days—at least most of the time. She’d make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. We’d play in the snow and, if possible, go
sledding. We’d have fun doing arts and
crafts, watching movies, reading books...
-4-
Stuff my husband says: I am a voracious reader, and
Kevin prefers magazines to books and isn’t much into reading as an obsession or
even a hobby. A while back, I was
reading some of the books by Christian preacher Joel Osteen. Kevin came up with a great alternative title
for one of his books: How to Become a Better Ewe (as opposed to a better you). I know some of his jokes are pretty baaaaad,
but at least he tries. Now I laugh anytime I see something by Joel Osteen
thinking of what would actually be a fun title for a book about Christian
living. I know I could stand to learn how to be a better sheep.
-5-
Valentine’s Day Yeah, so this post is a day late, because Kevin and I have
been having a pretty awful week, few months...
Multiple things going wrong all at once, and the hits just keep on coming. I was in such an awful mood yesterday and was
so overwhelmed by all of the different things we’re dealing with that I simply
couldn’t sit around here any longer.
The needle that
pierced the camel’s eye (how’s that for a mixed metaphor) was that before 3pm
on Friday our kitchen cabinets had to be completely emptied, because our
ceiling was leaking again, though they’ve just put a new roof on our building. I got up on the counter to find out exactly
where the water was coming from to discover it’s running right down the wall
behind our cupboards.
That’s not
all. Oh no, that’s not all! Our kitchen cupboards which we have been
concerned about possibly falling are very, very likely to do so sooner than
later since there are several screws not just loose, but no longer touching the
wall that should be holding them up. So
yes, a few screws loose was part of the problem, but not everything.
-6-
It Could Be Worse I went to Mass at St. Benedict’s
by myself, then went to our parish to wait for my friend who I thought was
having a prayer meeting at church which finished at 8pm. I parked by the Columbarium where my dad’s
remains have been interred and ended up sobbing for a while alone in my car on
a cold wet night.
My friend, who’s
usually very dependable, never called me back, so I eventually left and went to
Martin’s, the one where I used to take my dad shopping when he was too sick to
do it on his own and later when he was too sick to go to the store at all. Of course, this brought back more
memories.
I wandered around aimlessly, noticed they
didn’t have any soup in the prepared foods section, and that’s what I’d really
been hoping for. I bought 3 boxes of Puffs
tissues, because I’d used up the box and the extra napkins in my car while sitting and crying outside of church, then I got some fruit and a cup of Krispy Kreme chocolate
donut holes which I ate in my car.
Next, I decided to swing by my mom’s and see if I could come by for
a cup of tea. She didn’t respond when I
texted her, and I knew she was home, so I thought maybe she didn’t want
company. No, that wasn't it. It turns out she didn’t get my
texts because she was on the phone with a friend, so she didn’t see them until
after I'd left.
I ended up going to Denny’s
since they’re open all night, and it was one of the places my dad and I went
for breakfast way back when. I sat in a
corner booth facing the window, and that’s where I was for the next few
hours: just me, a root beer, water, an
English muffin, and some hash browns with a pen and my journal. (I know many mommy bloggers reading this are likely jealous that I got time away and could spend it alone writing, but under the circumstances, it was not the best of times). I texted Kevin to let him know I was there
and invited him to join me. He said he
had a headache and was going to bed. There's more, but that's enough for now.
The sad thing about yesterday is that I
can’t honestly say it was the absolute worst Valentine’s Day I’ve ever
had. There have been others that in the
grand scheme of things were far worse for our family as a whole.
-7-
Prayers Pul-lease! This has been a very
rough week, actually it’s been a rough several months for both of us. Many of the things we’ve been dealing with have
not been resolved and/or fixed, yet, so we could definitely use some extra
prayers right now. The leaking kitchen ceiling
and cabinets about to fall down are actually the least of our worries at this
point, but they’re certainly the easiest to mention as an example of stuff
going down.
Grace is…people from countries around the world coming
together for the Olympic games, realizing that if you’ve impressed upon
children the important lesson that they need to wash their hands with soap and
water you have taught them a skill and health tip with immeasurable worth,
especially in the midst of flu season, a delicious meal at a family-owned
restaurant, going to daily Mass with your spouse, learning to be gentle with
yourself…
-2-
My Reflection on the Little Way How often in our lives are we
challenged by the seemingly small things in our day or on our to-do list?
How attentive are we when doing those many mundane chores that don’t seem
very significant? For me, there are many times I really have to slow
down and be aware of being present if I am to do even the most menial daily
tasks with great love.
Most often we are sanctified by looking to the Lord for love and living each
moment, doing each minor task set before us as if we were carrying it out for
Jesus Christ Himself. Does that include washing another load of laundry,
preparing another meal, doing more dishes, paying the bills, being the
chauffeur, holding the door for someone, smiling to cheer someone else up, and
being friendly even when you don’t feel like it? Yes, it includes all of
those things and many more…Read more here.
-3-
Three Gifts of Thérѐse of LisieuxAs someone with a special affection for Thérѐse
of Lisieux (as well as some other well-known St. Teresas), I knew I’d enjoy
reading about how a bishop who considered The Little Flower as a sister to him
from the time he was in seminary. He was
inspired to serve the Lord and live out the prescribed “Little Way” she wrote
about in her autobiography The Story of a
Soul. Patrick Ahern cherished
Thérѐse’s writing and example so much that he went to the trouble of learning
French when he was 70 for the sole purpose of being able to read the original
manuscript and other works written by scholars in her native tongue. That to me shows a profound respect for the
written word and the desire for an even deeper understanding of a saint he
loved dearly…Read the entire book review here. (Since I already know French, I do believe I'll have to read the book in the original language it was written. I know much can be lost in translation or gained in reading more than one version.)
Kevin said: “Did Grandma
forget to take her meds?” and later on: “I think they’re psyching out the competition. If you look at those sweaters long enough it
may create convulsions, possible black-outs.”
-5-
Saving Mr. Banks My mom, Kevin, and I went to see Saving Mr.
Banks in the theater last Friday night.
I had to laugh every single time someone in the movie said: “You’re
perfectly capable of...” I find myself
saying that all the time, especially to young children who are just discovering
the many things they can do on their own if only they’re given a chance or
expected to take care of such tasks.
When Sunshine is old enough to see the making of the Disney movie Mary
Poppins from the book by the same name, I have a feeling it might make her
think of me, hopefully with a smile.
-6-
New
Winter Weather Faves There are some children’s books that quickly make it
on to my list of favorites to read and share with little ones, and here are two
of them I love for winter weather: If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws which is quite entertaining
and can be sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and Ten on the Sledwhich can be
read/chanted to the tune of “There Were Ten in the Bed…”
-7-
Creative Outlets Often I’m inspired by
what the kids I am taking care of and/or teaching are interested in doing. Watercolors were something Sunshine and I
enjoyed doing together often when her twin sisters were sleeping. I’ve pulled my paints out at home a number of
times for a quick creative outlet. This
is one of the pieces that I added additional embellishments to with Sharpie
markers once the paint dried.
Grace is…having two grandmothers who were strong women of faith as examples when I was growing up,
two parents who always pray for me (one still on earth and one in Heaven), a merciful Lord, reaching out to those who are struggling to survive, living examples of people who do the right thing even when nobody's looking, actually believing God has great things planned for your life beyond your wildest dreams…
Top 10 Mommy Blog Epic Fails I’ve finally accepted that I don’t have what it takes to have a hugely successful, widely read, and dutifully followed mommy blog. I know exactly why that’s the case, and since many of these things aren’t likely to change anytime soon, we might as well be transparent about these drawbacks. Here are the top 10 reasons why my own blog is not a super-colossal mommy blog at the top of everyone’s blogroll and whose notification of new posts pop up in inboxes everywhere and some links to cool successful mommy blogs.
-4-
Stuff my husband says: After I admitted to Kevin that it’s a good thing I looked up the directions before going to pick up my friend and take her to her infusion, because I’d written down an incorrect street name: Coswell as opposed to what it’s supposed to be which is Cogbill (Apparently the closest Coswell St. is in Alabama.), he says to me in a very patronizing, aww, how cute tone: “I love you.”
I responded: “Don’t! It’s not a good idea!”
He said: “No, following your directions is not a good idea.”
-5-
King George & the Ducky In honor of the Mass readings for today, I thought I’d direct your attention to one of the most brilliant pieces family friendly filming that takes actual Bible stories and puts them into an animated form that will have your whole family LOL and educated about morality. Yes, of course, I’m speaking of Veggie Tales King George & the Ducky.
-6-
Gimme Shelter I haven’t seen it yet, but I plan on seeing it soon and have only heard amazing things about it. I couldn’t even make it through watching the trailer without tearing up:
-7-
Day of the Little Way On Feb. 4, Catholics everywhere are invited to join an unprecedented movement on Twitter and Vine called the Day of the Little Way. Inspired by St. Therese of Lisieux, the Day of the Little Way asks Catholics to embrace the New Evangelization by living out your faith in 140 little - but powerful - characters all day long!
The Day of the Little Way encourages Catholics to use the hashtag #LittleWay all day long on Twitter and Vine as a way to share their small stories of faith, prayers, quotes, inspiration and encouragement online. By uniting under one hashtag, Catholics not only demonstrate solidarity in their faith, they also open the door for dialog with people online in a new way. As Pope Francis stated in his recent Communications Day message, “A culture of encounter demands that we be ready not only to give, but also to receive…Let our communication be a balm which relieves pain and a fine wine which gladdens hearts.”
Ironically enough, I don’t have a Twitter account, but I did read the book that inspired this movement, and I’ll be posting the review of it on February 4th. Check back, then you can tweet it for me ;)
Grace is… having food, clean water, shelter, and skills you can use to help others who don't have those basic necessities, something I’m much better about remembering to pray
before meals when I'm not juggling, running, and attempting to prepare food and serve it to young
children who at every meal and snack act as if they haven’t eaten in a week…
-2-
A Man for All Seasons Kevin and I
finally got around to watching this award-winning film this evening. I hope and pray that at the end of my life I
will be able to say that I have remained true to God, above all. I highly recommend A Man for All Seasons and
any others that help us learn more about those who said yes to God and Truth,
no matter how difficult the circumstances.
Grace is…witnessing
the power of prayer, guardian angels keeping your loved ones safe, little ones full-out
running into your arms for a hug, laughter in the midst of life’s messiness,
seeing strength, courage, and beauty in others who struggle to see it in
themselves, a good night’s sleep…
-2-
Have Trouble Being in the Moment? Why
yes, sometimes I do. It drives me crazy
that I can sometimes be like all but one of the people in this video. I’d rather not admit that I, too, can be so plugged in to electronic devices that I’m not really present to and with the people right before me. I have and will
continue to shut down the computer, turn my cellphone off, and request the TV
be turned off so that I can have what is actual quality time with my loved ones,
but I still have to be mindful of such things or else. The irony of it all is that I
found this video clip link on Facebook, and I was distracted from watching it
because my phone beeped. I’d gotten a
text from my mom. I responded to it
immediately letting her know that I’m home for the evening if she wants to call
and have someone listen as she’s had a lot of tough stuff to deal with this
week.
I don’t have a smartphone or an
iPhone. My mobile is minimally
intelligent and the camera in it’s just about useless, which is why I try to
interact and associate with people who are smart and am still carrying around
my good old faithful 10 megapixel Panasonic Lumix camera.
One day when we can afford to
upgrade our phones and calling plan, I may have to resist the temptation to
spend too much time on my smartphone, but right now I’m too busy juggling
different devices when trying to remain reasonably connected and turning all of them off
when ready for some actual quality time with people in the flesh.
Grace is…being around people with a great sense of humor and very active imaginations, a large
cup of hot tea on a cold winter’s night, heading home when a neighbor calls and
needs something though you aren’t sure what, because her phone cuts out after
about ten seconds, the ability to appreciate and smile at children who are too
clever and intelligent for their own good, Mom’s homemade family recipe chili
with mashed potatoes, noticing the variety of crayon colors used on the wall
and the bathroom door, having people be really excited and relieved to have you
back…
-2-
Happy New Year Kevin and I want to start this year off right,
so we went to the vigil Mass at St. Benedict's New Year’s Eve. I couldn't think
of a better way to ring in the new year than to kick things off with a focus on
Christ and a tribute to Theotokos, the God-bearer. In the morning, we went to Mass at our usual
parish for the Solemnity of the Blessed Mother.
It was great to see the church so packed for a middle of the week feast
day Mass! Click here to find out what's so special about Mary.
Grace is…getting to attend Mass and sit with some of your
favorite people, praying the Rosary as a family, celebrating the presence of
love and new life, the little old lady in her 90s who is almost blind praying
in the pew ahead of you, catching up with dear friends who are more like
siblings, seeing more ways in which the Lord has worked in your life and the
lives of loved ones to draw you ever closer to Him…
-2-
Best Christmas Gifts by Far Our family's favorite Christmas
gifts were: 1.) the surprise that my youngest sister got a flight home from
Zambia and South Africa a week early for the holidays and 2.) getting to spend
the day with our nine month old nephew who is super-cute and often jolly!
Grace is…seeing people and situations in a new light, loving
more and judging less, having enough faith to let go of what you value in favor
of whom you value, an unexpected call from a loved one, a spontaneous visit
when you most need it, good books that change your perspective and expand your
mind, the little things that make such a big difference…
-2-
Triage for Christmas Correspondence
If you’ve sent us a card wishing us a Merry
Christmas, Happy Holidays, thanks, you rock! If you haven’t, we totally and
completely understand! If you’re waiting for a card from
us, please see the below qualifications for this year’s version of triage for Christmas
Correspondence.
7 Qualifications for Receiving Christmas
Correspondence via Snail Mail in 2013 from the Potters’(Let’s be realistic now: this means a card or letter from
Trisha that Kevin has heard or read and signs, too) If there was a period of thirty days or more over
the past calendar year during which:
You and I talked to and/or texted each other
daily.
We hung out a few times a week.
Regularly sat together at Mass together and other
church-related activities.
You have eaten several meals at our place.
You have at any time received an actual text
message from my husband.
You have been in a cloistered monastery.
You are only allowed to receive mail at Christmas and
Easter due to being a postulant in a cloistered monastery.
Grace is… a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, being
reminded that some of the kids you took care of ten or more years ago are
growing up to be really neat people, seeing cute pics of kids playing in the
snow all bundled up, hanging out with my sister and nephew one afternoon, an
hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament…
Valentine’s Day Yeah, so this post is a day late, because Kevin and I have
been having a pretty awful week, few months...
Multiple things going wrong all at once, and the hits just keep on coming. I was in such an awful mood yesterday and was
so overwhelmed by all of the different things we’re dealing with that I simply
couldn’t sit around here any longer. 
It Could Be Worse I went to Mass at St. Benedict’s
by myself, then went to our parish to wait for my friend who I thought was
having a prayer meeting at church which finished at 8pm. I parked by the Columbarium where my dad’s
remains have been interred and ended up sobbing for a while alone in my car on
a cold wet night.
My Reflection on the Little Way How often in our lives are we
challenged by the seemingly small things in our day or on our to-do list?
How attentive are we when doing those many mundane chores that don’t seem
very significant? For me, there are many times I really have to slow
down and be aware of being present if I am to do even the most menial daily
tasks with great love. 
New
Winter Weather Faves There are some children’s books that quickly make it
on to my list of favorites to read and share with little ones, and here are two
of them I love for winter weather: If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws which is quite entertaining
and can be sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and Ten on the Sled which can be
read/chanted to the tune of “There Were Ten in the Bed…”
Stuff my husband says: After I admitted to Kevin that it’s a good thing I looked up the directions before going to pick up my friend and take her to her infusion, because I’d written down an incorrect street name: Coswell as opposed to what it’s supposed to be which is Cogbill (Apparently the closest Coswell St. is in Alabama.), he says to me in a very patronizing, aww, how cute tone: “I love you.”
The irony of it all is that I
found this video clip link on Facebook, and I was distracted from watching it
because my phone beeped. I’d gotten a
text from my mom. I responded to it
immediately letting her know that I’m home for the evening if she wants to call
and have someone listen as she’s had a lot of tough stuff to deal with this
week. 
Grace is…being around people with a great sense of humor and very active imaginations, a large
cup of hot tea on a cold winter’s night, heading home when a neighbor calls and
needs something though you aren’t sure what, because her phone cuts out after
about ten seconds, the ability to appreciate and smile at children who are too
clever and intelligent for their own good, Mom’s homemade family recipe chili
with mashed potatoes, noticing the variety of crayon colors used on the wall
and the bathroom door, having people be really excited and relieved to have you
back… 
Grace is…seeing people and situations in a new light, loving
more and judging less, having enough faith to let go of what you value in favor
of whom you value, an unexpected call from a loved one, a spontaneous visit
when you most need it, good books that change your perspective and expand your
mind, the little things that make such a big difference… 
