Like a Good Neighbor, My Husband is There

I find it tremendously ironic that I was selected to give the Action/Evangelization talk on the Women’s Cursillo Weekend held April 24-27, 2014.  Not only was I on team with a number of people who have a great deal more experience in performing the corporal works of mercy than I do, but I’m also married to someone who is naturally not just a good neighbor to the many people who live in our building, but who is often a very Christ-like one. 

   
He goes above and beyond the usual, signing for a package if someone has asked you to hold it for them until they get back or letting someone know they’ve left their headlights on.  I can’t tell you how many times

he has helped the people who live in our building. 

He’s done work on their vehicles or assisted them with repairs, given individuals who are handicapped rides to the store, taken care of cats while their owners are out of town, provided bags of groceries when people were struggling to put food on the table, helped people network who were looking for a new job, let someone borrow his bicycle for several months so they wouldn’t have to buy one to train for a competition, changed light bulbs and did various other household chores too challenging for those who are elderly and/or have disabilities, reported suspicious activity to the police, listened while people tell them about their day or about their whole life story, provided encouragement and support to those who have been struggling in mind, body, or spirit…

He’s the one who knows everyone’s name and asks them how things are going then actually listens to the response.  We saw one of our neighbors in a wheelchair, and Kevin found out after a few different attempts (because my husband doesn’t speak Spanish) what had happened to him. 

The husband and father of two girls fell 20 feet off of a ladder, breaking both of his ankles.  Kevin noticed that the front tire of their car had been slashed.  It was completely flat and would need to be replaced, so he offered to go and get a new tire and put it on for them.  They agreed to this.  When he went to return the car keys, they wanted to pay him, but he refused any compensation for the new tire or the labor.  We agreed it was a very practical way that we could offer them assistance during a difficult time.

    
Kevin is preparing to give the Laity talk on the upcoming Men’s Cursillo Weekend being held July 24-27, 2014, at Sacred Heart, New Bohemia.  He’s got a number of wonderful descriptions of the roles of laypeople in the Church.  What amuses me is that he hasn’t yet included any of the number of day-to-day things that come naturally to him and count as ways to minister to others.  Isn’t that often the way, though?  The people who are best at doing something are the ones who question their aptitude, downplay their abilities, or doubt the validity of what they have to offer. 

When I see so much everywhere I look that I feel I could or should be doing, it’s refreshing to look at my husband.  He reminds me just by being who he is and where he is he’s glorifying the Lord.      

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 143) Love is Fully Present, Always Miraculous

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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…

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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!

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Being Fully Present I had to give my Cursillo talk during team formation last Sunday, and after doing several versions and really stressing over it, I just did it.  I received some really positive feedback and some helpful constructive criticism.  I now know some of what the Lord inspired me to write in one of the versions in my talk that I didn't present to the team is meant to be shared elsewhere, perhaps on my blog, maybe in our memoir, definitely in our daily lives.  

Here’s a taste: Being fully present to others is one of the most important aspects of Apostolic Action.  Check back for a more in-depth look at this concept, as I’ve experienced it in my own life and seen it played out in the lives of others. 

                                                   

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Stuff my husband says: “Sometimes I’m so far beyond irresistible it’s mindboggling, isn’t it?”

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A Lenten Journey I enjoyed reading A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Thomas Aquinas with its single serving size insights from St. Thomas Aquinas to go with the Gospel readings for each day of Lent and Holy Week.  Dominican author Fr. Paul Jerome Keller has done a magnificent job of incorporating brief passages from one of the most well-known and widely read members of the Order of Preachers, Thomas Aquinas, into daily meditations that are perfect for the season of Lent.  Fr. Keller has selected poignant passages from Aquinas’s vast works as the precursor to his own short reflections and original prayers written on the Gospel for each day. ..Read more here.

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Preparing for Lent Lord Jesus Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  These practices are intended to bring us closer to Jesus not only as we prepare for the upcoming Easter season, but also as we move beyond it and live out our call to apostolic action.  Here is one of my favorite Lenten practices that was definitely the Holy Spirit inspiring my husband.

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40 Days for Life The Lord has repeatedly asked His servants to devote time to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for a huge mission He intends to give them. Would you like to know what part of your mission is over the next 40 days?  Watch this video.  It’s under 5 minutes long and is about miracles.  

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

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 142) The First Things Left

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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…

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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.

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Lifted Up in Prayer This past Monday evening we could actually feel the prayers lifting us up. Thank you all for your prayers! Merci mille fois! Muchas gracias! I know that your thoughts and love helped us handle some more tough stuff, sickness, along with yet another day of health care related trauma. God is good and in His great mercy, He will prevent us from losing our minds over the mess, inconsistencies, and outright lies we've had to deal with because of policies and programs dictated by Obamacare and Aetna!

                                                    

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Stuff my husband says: After being the only guy present who figured out how to release and unlatch a car’s hood and attach jumper cables properly to jumpstart a vehicle in the parking lot after Mass: “See, I am good for something!”
Me: “You’re good for many things.”

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The Gang’s Back Together At least for a couple days this week, Kevin, our beloved brother in Christ John, and I were able to go to Mass at St. Benedict’s and pray the Rosary together while he was home on a break.  

     Michele's mom sent me this photo of her which made us all smile and be glad that she is so joyful living out God's will for her life:  

  With John at seminary in Baltimore and our friend Michele at a cloistered monastery in Carmel, Kevin and I haven’t been getting to daily Mass as often as we used to when all of us were in one city.  

     Fortunately, every time we are at Mass, regardless of the time or location around the globe, we can always see each other in the Eucharist.

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The Loss of Loved Ones I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad and praying quite a bit for a friend and her family who are mourning the very unexpected loss of a loved one.  Please pray for the repose of the soul of the young man in his twenties as well as his family and friends.
    Wonderful Counselor, Perfect Physician, Holy Comforter, be close to those who are mourning the loss of loved ones and contemplating their own lives.  Help us to be a compassionate presence for those who are suffering in mind, body, and spirit, so others can see and sense the power of your love. Amen.

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Just Do It! For the past couple weeks, I have been working on my talk for the Women’s Cursillo, because I have to present it to the team this Sunday afternoon.  This process has made me aware that I am still a recovering perfectionist with the debilitating awareness that I will never come close to doing something even remotely close to perfect the first time or anytime that it won’t need more work, significant critique, and a lot more prayer than I gave it when worrying about it came easier than the writing and editing.   

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

Why Can’t You Just Be Grateful?

That’s a very good question!  One I have struggled with quite a bit.  When someone (usually my husband) asks me this very same thing, I feel even more overwhelmed, frustrated, and discouraged that I can never seem to just do it: be grateful without any other sentiments muddying the waters. 

  
Kevin has developed an uncanny ability to speak out loud what I most fear and am worried about. When he does this, I often feel that he’s also asking what’s wrong with you and why can’t you figure this thing out.  Part of the issue is that I have a tendency to think others are upset with me and/or blaming me for whatever problems exist even when they are simply stating the issue or conflict is there. 

  
As you can imagine, my response to Kevin pinpointing what’s bothering me and even the implications of inquiring as to why I haven’t made sense of it, yet, more often makes me exasperated than grateful that someone gets what I’m fretting over.    

So Many Blessings

I know I have a number of blessings for which to be grateful.  I think of them and thank God for them regularly.  I’m usually pretty good about saying thank you to people.  For example, I always thank Kevin each and every time he does the grocery shopping, makes dinner, does the laundry, washes the dishes, or does any of the daily grind sorts of tasks.  He thanks me each time for taking care of the same sort of necessary chores. 

 
A while ago I wrote a post called Cop an Attitude of Gratitude because appreciation is so important and powerful.  When I hear, see, and read about the devastation in the Philippines and/or the poverty nearby, I feel embarrassed that I am ever anything but grateful.  The question returns to me time and again: why can’t you just be grateful for having clean water, food, shelter, clothes, people who love you and whom you love, faith in God, and a desire to do His Will…?  There’s a part of me that says if I feel any longing, sense of something missing, sorrow or loss, that I’m being an ungrateful wretch when I have so much that others are literally dying because they’re without.

Running on Empty

I’m reminded of the last few years of my dad’s life, when his health declined rapidly.  Suddenly, he needed help with things.  It got to the point at which it was too exhausting for him to do his own grocery shopping, so I’d usually take care of it.  Just walking around his little apartment, he’d get out of breath, though, he wore oxygen all the time. 

Sometimes when I’d come home feeling tired after running errands for him, I felt guilty.  I wanted to feel only privileged and grateful to have that time with him and be able to do things for him he could no longer take care of himself, but I couldn’t always manage to keep that attitude of gratitude.

  
When worn down and exhausted from other things Kevin and I were dealing with in addition to having two family members in hospice at the same time, I would get bogged down by all that I wasn’t doing or ways I was lacking.  It’s so easy to focus on the negatives when fatigue sets in.  Other days, I would rejoice and be glad for blessings I had often taken for granted: the ability to breathe without difficulty, to walk, run errands, help those suffering to smile and laugh, and affirm the Presence of God in others.

We're Only Human

Maybe it just means that we’re still human when we feel hurt, pain, and sorrow mixed in with our gratitude and/or perhaps it indicates that we aren’t as close to the Lord as we could be.  I don’t know.  I know some very strong, courageous, grateful people who have felt discouraged, downtrodden, and frustrated.  What if it’s not an either/or but a both/and?   We can be both grateful for what we do have and still have a tug in our heart for an area of our lives that is missing, lost, or painful. 

  
Longings and hopes can often be part of God nudging us towards other blessings He wants to give us or make more obvious in our lives.  It actually makes sense that we continue to want more in this life, because we aren’t really whole and one with God until we enter into eternal life.  There’s a big difference between greed and an awareness from the Holy Spirit of an area in our lives where we aren’t fulfilled.  Part of gratitude, I believe, is being generous with what we have.  No matter what happens, we always have something to offer others, even when we feel that we are at our lowest and most useless.  Fortunately, God can and often does work in and through people who are certain they have nothing left to give. 

Thank God in Advance

A dear family friend of ours from Kenya who came here with her children many years ago is one person who really impressed upon me the importance of thanking God in advance for what we have asked Him to do in our lives. 

I admire a faith so strong and sure of the Lord it hopes when it seems all reason for hope has gone.  I still marvel at the ways the Lord has walked in and through this powerful prayer warrior to demonstrate that hope in Jesus Christ is never a mistake.  Nothing is impossible with God.  Nothing at all.

     
In the midst of the deepest desires and most fervent longings God places on our hearts and guides us to work and hope for, we can be grateful for the prayers, blessings, and graces He gives us this day.  Though knowing we are lacking, we can share what we do have with open arms and hearts, confident that the Lord loves and rewards a cheerful giver.

Empty Nest Errs

     It feels a little bit strange going to St. Benedict’s for daily Mass now that the two people (besides each other) Kevin and I most often attended Mass with at that church have moved to new places as they continue on their faith and vocation journeys.  I won’t hear from Michele until Christmas and that’s if she sends me a letter via snail mail since she's now in a cloistered Carmelite community in Carmel, California.  

     Fortunately, we keep in touch pretty much daily with John in one way or another, even though he’s been on summer assignment in Hampton, Virginia, and is heading back to St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, very soon for his second year of seminary.  

There's not a straight wall or floor in our place,
but the picture frames are level,
though this photo seems like it's not.

     In a sense, Kevin and I have felt like we’ve had two leave the nest over the past year.  What’s funny is that this summer, we’ve started actually spent some time decorating our place.  We now have our dining area devoted to a Rochester, Lake Ontario, beginning of Kevin and me becoming friends and dating theme. 

     We have a new shower curtain and matching towels in the bathroom.  I’m still working on what I’ve been referring to as my “inspiration wall” which is the space above my desk.  This past weekend, I figured out how I’m going to display some cards Kevin and I sent each other over the years in a collage so they can be opened and read while hanging up.  

     I try to remind myself of the major progress I’ve made in the past in the past nine months.  It is rather significant considering I’d brought several boxes over here when my mom sold the family home last fall, and then another bunch of things to sort through when my grandmother passed away, plus I still had some items from my dad that I didn’t want to throw out, but I hadn’t gotten around to mailing to family members or friends who would appreciate the items that my dad had collected over the years.

     It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if when Kevin and I finally get our place looking halfway decent (as far as we are concerned—not according to what anyone else thinks) and to a point where we could comfortably have more than our usual one person over at a time, then we’d decide to move.  After being dragged from one location to the next while I was growing up and hating it every time.  I do not like the prospect of moving, but at least I can be fairly certain we’ll be staying in Richmond.  God would have to make it blatantly obvious and more than abundantly clear to both Kevin and me that it was His Will before I’d even consider another out of state move.     

     There is a part of me wondering who God might bring into our lives next to walk with on their vocational discernment journey.  Another part of me is wondering if this will be a time for Kevin to focus more our own relationships with the Lord and one another.  Perhaps that would be partly expressed through us getting back to work on our spiritual memoir.  I know, I for one, could certainly stand to be reminded of the myriad of ways the Lord has worked in and through our lives over the past 15+ years. 

Man to Man Dad to Dad: Catholic Faith and Fatherhood

My father’s birthday has just passed, and the anniversary of his death is coming up soon.  I just read a book written by and for Catholic men called Man to Man, Dad to Dad: Catholic Faith and Fatherhood edited by Brian Caulfield, so I’ve been thinking about my own father and the role of fathers in general.  The funeral I attended recently for William Barrett Sr. reaffirmed that the best gift a father can give to his children are a dedication to the Lord that comes before all else, and a commitment to family that remains strong, loving, tried, and true.

     
Man to Man, Dad to Dad: Catholic Faith and Fatherhood addresses some of the concerns many parents, particularly fathers, have about passing on the faith to their children.  Honestly, it is a God-incident that I even received this book as it wasn't the one I selected from Catholic Company to review.  

    
The book arrived near Father's Day, which as you might imagine can be a rough day for me and others who have lost their fathers.  I didn't know why I'd received the book, but I felt that maybe I was supposed to read it, anyway. For a while, I couldn't bring myself to get that far in it as my dad's birthday approached (it was July 25) and while thinking about the upcoming anniversary of his death (August 10).

    
Over a weekend last month, I decided to pick it up again and finish it.  I'm glad I did.  I found it to be encouraging and uplifting to read the stories by various Catholic male authors about what it means to live out the Catholic faith.  I also think it might help you to see that parents who raise their children in the faith have done a lot more than they might think in building a strong foundation for the faith in their children, whether they embrace Catholic beliefs and God right now or in the way you envisioned or hoped for at this time or not.

 
One of the many reasons I believe the Holy Spirit nudged me to the Northside for the funeral Mass of a gentleman who I’d never met is because a woman from St. Michael’s parish recently told me that my dad had been part of the inspiration for the Rosary Prayer Group she started.  At my father’s funeral, which this woman attended, it was mentioned that my dad always prayed the Rosary.

    
I now have the blue bead Rosary he prayed with all the time, and I use it regularly.  One gift for which I am very grateful for from my parents and grandmothers in particular is the gift of the desire to put God first in life and as part of that having a strong devotion to the person who knew Jesus most intimately, the Blessed Mother.

In some ways, we get to choose what legacy we will leave.  Man to Man, Dad to Dad: Catholic Faith and Fatherhood addresses the hot topics and challenges Catholic men, husbands, and fathers face on a daily basis.  The authors provide realistic goals and specific steps to help men become the best they can be.  I highly recommend this book for anyone and everyone interested in reading about what really makes the man, husband, and father more like Christ.  I received a free copy of this book from Catholic Company, for reasons perhaps only the Holy Spirit can explain, and though hesitant to read it and write a review since I didn’t order it and knew it would be a tough topic for me, I did read it, and this is my review.  

I am part of Catholic Company’s reviewer program for which I receive free product samples in exchange for an honest review.  

Big Birthday Celebration Postponed

     So there wasn’t a big celebration planned, but today is a big birthday for Kevin, so he had hoped to enjoy the day.  He took off of work with the intention of getting some time out on his motorcycle, visiting me and the girls, then later having some barbecue at Famous Dave’s and chilling for a bit at the pool at my mom’s with some dessert and (as per his request) a very small gathering of family and a couple friends, but most of that didn’t even happen.  He felt sick yesterday morning, but he went to work anyway.  Mid-afternoon, he left early to come home and crawl into bed.  He wasn’t feeling well this morning, but I knew that he was awake before I left for work and shaving, because he intended to go somewhere, likely on his motorcycle. 

     I was very tempted to get him to promise me not to go anywhere on his motorcycle when he was already feeling crummy and the day was going to be really hot, but I resisted.  I gave him his birthday card.  His main gift is sitting in our living room, all 50 inches of flat-screen TV he’s wanted for years, and I finally consented to in celebration of his monumental birthday this July. 

     I know him all too well.  He did go out on his motorcycle, but he wasn’t out for very long, before he started feeling even worse.  Thankfully, he had the good sense to come home rather than push his luck and head out of town for a long ride.  Poor thing.  He’s spent most of the afternoon and evening curled up in bed.  We’re not sure if it’s a cold or what, but the timing of it has not been appreciated. 

     On one hand, I’m grateful that for months, he’s been saying that he didn’t want to make a big deal out of his birthday, so I decided not to plan a big surprise party or even a he-knows-about-it-already big party.  I respected his wishes and asked a couple people to meet us for dinner and a couple to join us for dessert.  Now, I’m very glad that he wanted to keep things on the down low, because I am certain he would be even more bummed than he already is if we had lots of people, food, and preparation invested in a big bash that he couldn’t enjoy. 

     We’re hoping he’ll feel better, so we can try a low-key celebration this weekend, and a bigger (but just as if not more) informal family/friend party in August when we’re in Rochester.  Sixteen years ago, the summer my mom, sisters, and I first met Kevin and his father, we were there over his birthday and remembered the date for the following year.  For his next birthday we were also staying at the cottage and decorated his front door. 

     Now that Kevin and I are decorating what has become “our Rochester wall,” we have the original card we gave him framed, a whole wooden box of “Shhhh” with his name on it, and a bar of soap with a tugboat in it placed on our new corner shelves.  Kevin’s kept basically all of the letters and gifts I’ve made or bought and given to him over the years, but there is at least one little one that I haven’t seen in years.  We got him a keychain and wrote “Coast Guard” and underneath put the phone number for the local Dunkin Donuts.  We all got a big kick out of that. 

     Lord, thank You for the gift of my husband, who has been an integral part of my life for the past sixteen years.  Back then, he never thought he’d make it to this birthday.  Neither of us ever thought we'd  be approaching our ninth year of marriage to each other.  I’m grateful God always knows better.  I hope and pray we will have lots more than sixteen years of birthdays to celebrate together in the future.  Lord, may Your Will be done!

Need a Screw or an Adjustment?

Kevin came to visit me and the girls.
Here he's holding Sophie, his Goddaughter.

My husband has a screw loose.  He admitted this openly and scoured about the floor on his hands and knees in the hallway looking for it with a large magnet.  The screw that popped out of his glasses was very small, so it wouldn’t have been easy to see, especially for someone whose spectacles had just come apart. 

This is not the first incident my husband has had with these particular glasses, and chances are better than average, it won’t be the last.  Kevin’s had all sorts of strange things happen with his prescription eyeglasses.  The lenses have popped out at random intervals.  One occurrence that was particularly exasperating happened while he was walking through the parking lot at work on a snowy day.  Fortunately, since they’re transition lenses, the lens turned black on the snow, so he was able to find it. 

Kevin and I thought it admirable that his eye doctor refuses to carry any frames made in China.  Our admiration has dwindled a bit when my husband has had to resort to removing screws from Dollar Tree reading glasses he has (which were definitely made in China) to replace the screw from his Made in Italy frames with transition lenses, a supposedly top-of-the-line pair. 

His assumption is that these glasses were made for people who don’t do anything other than sit at a desk or something equally as innocuous.  When I pointed out that walking through a parking lot that’s not under construction or in an empty hallway are not really high-danger-to-glasses activities, he made some offhand comment about how walking through a snowy parking lot or doing laundry counts doing something.

I still can’t figure out how it is that Kevin walked into the hallway outside of our place on one of the trips to the basement in our building to do laundry, and one of the screws just suddenly popped right out of his glasses.  The irony of it all is that this particular combo of frames and lenses has caused a whole lot more trouble than they're worth.  I've worn glasses and/or contacts since the summer after I was in third grade, and I've never had so many issues with a flippin' pair of glasses.  Perhaps athletes who play full-contact sports have such frequent problems with their eyewear, but this seems a bit much. 

Another thing that amuses me considerably regarding Kevin and his glasses are how often he cleans them.  I’ve worn glasses for long enough that there has to be a glob of strawberry jam or something equally noticeable on my glasses for me to bother cleaning them properly with a soft cloth and maybe even a little soap and water.  Most of the time, if there are some fingerprints, smears, or smudges detectable on my glasses while I’m wearing them, then I wipe the lenses off on the softest material handy and get on with my day.  Kevin stops whatever he’s doing, and he makes a production out of wiping his lenses thoroughly to remove the offending spots with a small cloth specifically designed for such a purpose. 

I read Kevin this piece before posting it.  His response: "Is that it?"  I said yes. To which he said:

 "I see."

For further musings on vision, glasses, and impressions (and Impressionists) when things aren’t in focus, you might enjoy reading I Can Almost See You.   

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 97)

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Miss You Much I must admit, there is a part of me that has been sad to see friends move several hours away, even if they're leaving for something bigger to which God's called them.  Truth be told, no goodbye to friends (or rather see ya next time) has been nearly as painful as parting with Kevin was, especially when we didn't know the next time we'd get to see each other.  It's been really sweet hearing Kevin tell me how much he's going to miss me.  I know he means it.  I know I'll miss him, too.  It makes me think of when he made his Cursillo weekend back in September 2006.  At the end of it, he gave me a big hug and a kiss in front of everyone.  His excuse: "It's been three whole days!" was met with someone shouting "get a room!"  What Kevin meant by his comment was that it was really nice to hug and kiss me after three days of being apart with no contact of any kind.  

    

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Cloistered Carmelite or Bust! Last November our dear friend Michele Morris submitted her application for Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations after discerning God would like her to enter the Carmelite Sisters by the Sea in California.  Last July, she held her debut of the original play “Teresita” which she wrote based on the life of St. Teresa of Avila. 

     Since then she has performed her one act play up and down the East Coast as her primary fundraiser to pay off her student debt.  Early this March she received an email stating, that although she did not receive the grant, the board voted her first runner-up.  This meant that if one of the recipients backed out for whatever reason, that the grant then would go to her. 

     Divine Mercy weekend (last Saturday and Sunday) was when she got a call from Mater Ecclesiae offering her the grant.  Her response was an immediate, and no doubt enthusiastic: “I ACCEPT!”   

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Pizza Party!  Of course, we had to do something fun to celebrate the great news that Michele received the grant and will, therefore, be entering Carmel sooner than later.  I asked what she was in the mood for, and she said pizza or some type of Italian, so Kevin and I picked her up and took her to a wonderful local restaurant that makes a melt-in your mouth Sicilian pizza.  I asked my mom to come and join us for the celebration.  She's seen Michele's play and was very excited to congratulate her on the grant.  

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Can you spare a square? At this point, my main potty training goal for the three year old is to get her to pee in the potty instead of on the carpet in the living room, the bathroom floor…so I’m not quite as concerned about her toilet paper consumption provided the toilet flushes without a problem.  (She’s been doing really great using the potty and keeping her princess panties dry over the past couple weeks, but she still enjoys the woohooo! and good job! affirmations each time she takes a leak, and I’m happy to oblige.)

     I’ve often seen her take a single square of toilet paper to wipe off.  I’m not sure what has led her to believe that this will be sufficient; it could be that when she has used flushable wipes, we have her use one, but I’m not sure.  Naturally, I’m led to think of the Seinfeld episode where a woman is asked if she can “spare a square?”  Here's the infamous clip.  To read more about adventures in potty training (and nannying), click here.

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Happy Birthday!  Yesterday was John's birthday, so Kevin and I called and sang to him.  John went on vacation with his parents and his brother Matt this past week.  I'd asked him to send us pics.  I was laughing hysterically when he texted me a picture of a bear in a field with: "That's a real bear!" as the only caption and explanation for the photo.  For all I knew, he pulled the photo up on his Smartphone and sent it.  After being hassled (and once I'd e-mailed him a photo of a tiger with the message "That's a real tiger!"), he let us know that he'd actually seen the bear at Bearizona.     

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DONE! There are many days that I am for all intents and purposes spent by the time one of the girls' parents gets home.  That is most often the case when I have not had so much as 2 minutes to myself for the past 9+ hours.  No overlapping naps.  Only one meal that everyone eats the same thing at the same time.  One or more peepee-not-in-the-potty accidents to clean up while keeping two very mobile little ones out of the bathroom.  
     Thank God, I have such a wonderful husband.  Not only does he support me being a nanny because I love kids, but he's tremendously understanding those evenings when I come home and I need some silent time alone before anything else.  
     I can think of few things that express the readiness to collapse as this picture of Sophie.  She was so insistent on practicing sitting up that she eventually just stuck her thumb in her mouth, keeled over, and fell asleep just like that.
             

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Dance like you mean it! My mom and I will be halfway to Ohio by the time you read this.  We’re going to see my sister Theresa and be there for The Ohio State University Spring Dance Festival. It's been far too long since I've seen my youngest sister perform onstage (maybe as long as three years now), after having gone to basically all of her dance recitals, showcases, and musical revues when she was growing up. I was also quite spoiled when I could attend a number of truly amazing dance performances on campus or a short drive away when I was attending at Hollins University. Praying for a safe trip and a relaxing/super-fun girls weekend!

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.  Also, please pray for her son, born on the Feast of the Annunciation, as well as the Fulwiler family.  Joseph Thomas has had some breathing difficulties.  Due to these complications, 7 Quick Takes Friday this week is being hosted at Camp Patton.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 79)

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Catholic, Reluctantly is the intriguing first book in the John Paul 2 High Series.  Of the John Paul 2 High characters, some actually try to live out their Catholic faith while others are Catholic in name only.  The different personalities and varying levels of understanding the Catholic faith intellectually and spiritually create a considerable amount of tension and challenge those involved to figure out where they stand and why.  The highly controversial struggle over whether it’s most important to keep the letter of the law and/or to live by the spirit of the law comes out in a slew of tricky circumstances…Read full review.

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Prayers Please There are a number of people who have been on my heart and therefore in my prayers this week.  I ask that you would join me in praying for (Emeritus) Bishop Walter Sullivan who has been diagnosed with cancer and has gone into hospice care, a single mom with no family in this country who just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, a friend who lost her husband last year and in a couple weeks will be helping to put on a Rachel's Vineyard retreat for the first time without her beloved spouse.  I'ts also been on my mind and in prayer often that God will be close to those who are mourning the loss of loved ones, especially around the holidays.  

           

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Captian Vivi to the Rescue!  Thursday, Vivi informed me that we needed to “go rescue Princess Mommy in Trisha's car." I let Jess know, and she didn't seem to be in harm's way. I love when kids use their imaginations (as long as Vivi doesn't actually head out the door without adult supervision while wearing only a short sleeve shirt, a pull-up, shoes on the wrong feet and carrying her purse with the little monkeys on it.)

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For Faith & My Babe  This week I'm grateful for faith that remains no matter how down things get or hopeless they feel, and for a husband who manages to love me despite how selfish and gloomy I can be at times. I pray for all who don't know God is always with them and loves them unconditionally no matter what.

  

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Visits with Grandma Kevin and I went to visit Grandma and take her outside on such a beautiful Tuesday. Since I still have the scar from my last adventure with Gram when Mom was out-of-town, I wisely waited for my husband to help me with the ridiculously heavy, strangely-rigged wheelchair this time.  For the record, if I ever live long enough to be in a nursing home, I hope that I’m as appreciative as my grandmother is for visitors.  I know she misses my mom, who’s been in Australia for the past couple weeks, but she thanked me every single day for coming to spend time with her in between asking me when I thought Mom might be coming back.       

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Don’t Dump Grandma! When I attempted to take Gram outside on my own and we hit a pothole of sorts on the pathway out the main entrance, she slipped out of her wheelchair.  I was horrified then and for the rest of the evening, even though she had so much padding on her heavy recliner-like wheelchair that the extra padding slid down to the ground before she reached it.  She wasn’t hurt (not even a scratch on her) or even alarmed.  She just told me matter-of-factly that she thought she’d need help getting back up.  When Mother Paul came out to check on things, Gram also calmly told her she thought she would need help getting back up.  I loved Mother Paul’s response: “Ya think?!”  I felt awful and was a wreck from the time I left Gram pretty much for the rest of that night, but fortunately Gram was perfectly fine.

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Advent: What are we waiting for? Here is a great short video on the true meaning of Advent set to a cool beat along with seven solutions for a successful Advent. 

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 67)

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My Own Parable of O’s and Fishes I still find it hard to believe that it was eight years ago Sept. 13 that I began nannying for "my two little guys." Hank and Jack, you will always have a special place in my heart. Here's a parable I wrote way back when taking care of the "bare piggy brigade" and “toddler tagteam” called A Parable of O’s and Fishes.

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Why my husband rocks! Okay, there are a whole lot of reason why I am beyond blessed to have Kevin as my husband.  I was reminded of many of those last Saturday when Kevin helped me take care of Vivi, Livi, and Sophie so their parents could go out for a bit.  It cracked me up that he met me over there on his motorcycle in full riding gear looking hot in a badass kind of way.  Before long he was helping with babies, bottles, burping, and toddler entertaining (I changed any and all dirty diapers).  Kevin's comment later that evening: "You look at those two little ones--absolute miracles in every possible sense!" This is one of the many reasons I love my husband indubitably. He gets that each child is a miracle created and loved by the Lord.

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My Nanny Diary This week Vivi had a tea party on the deck (with no political implications whatsoever), Livi rolled across the room and won the award for most prolific pooper of the week, and Sophie kept up her Big Gulp bottle drinking tendency.  As their mom Jessica observed, it seems that Livi has gotten chunkier though Sophie’s been drinking more milk this week.  I’m sure this will cause for quite a few disagreements if the same is true in their teen years. 

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Hollins Paris Abroad Program Project One of my favorite professors, who is also a very dear friend, Jean Fallon, is undertaking an exciting project gathering information, stories and pictures from the over 1300 students who have participated in the Hollins Paris Abroad program since it began.  I’ve taken this as another sign that I’m supposed to be working on the spiritual memoir since the part I’ve reached and started writing about is my time in France.  Fortunately, I kept a regular journal, wrote lots of poetry, and kept a prayer journal while I was over there in addition to writing a number of letters and e-mails, so I’ll have lots to jog my memory and glean from for the memoir and to serve as a jumping for Jean Fallon’s awesome book project. 

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Our Beloved Brother in Christ/Seminarian Update This is John Baab's second week of classes, and he's getting into the swing of things.  Last Wednesday was his first time going to the place where he will be doing his pastoral time this year, a nursing home for retired nuns, and he said it went well.  When I went to visit my grandma today, Sister Joseph Mary was very joyful to hear that John's at seminary in Baltimore and asked me to tell him that they're praying for him.        

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Oh my goodness! This past Tuesday was a busy but good day watching the girls followed by a hectic, stressful evening dealing with my poor husband who'd had an awful day and the evening's ensuing motorcycle mayhem. I knew it wouldn't be pretty when he had to jump the battery three times before leaving the parking lot at work. Fortunately, I insisted on following him in my car, because the thing stalled out and wouldn't restart on a rather busy road. Apparently our AAA Plus membership doesn't cover motorcycles. That requires a RV policy which we added that evening on our second call to them, then found out it takes seven days before it's activated, meaning we still had to pay $75 out of pocket to have the thing towed after we added the policy rider. At least the second person Kevin spoke with transferred us to a towing company once we finished speaking. When he'd called information in between AAA calls to get the number of a very well-known local towing company, they said they didn't have the number on file. Yes, there was more to the story than that, but suffice it to say we made it through the evening together and were very grateful when we finally were able to get dinner and go home. 

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   A Perfect Picnic with my Grandma I had a nice picnic lunch outside with my grandma on Wednesday. In the event that I live several more years, I hope and pray that I will maintain the attitude of gratitude that woman has, the depth of faith, and the delight in nature that she still has in her late 80s. Read more here.

     This week's 7 Quick Takes Friday is being hosted by over at Camp Patton.  Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday.