Thanksgiving Weekend 2014

Kevin has recently gotten a full-time job after being out of work for over a year, so we are both thankful and relieved about that blessing.  Since he’s back in retail, he was working on Thanksgiving Day as well as at the crack of dawn for Black Friday.  He’s got a cold, so he chose to stay home and rest up until the time he had to go into work on Thanksgiving. 

     
I told him before I left for Mass Thursday morning that people would ask where he was, possibly before greeting me.  I can understand that.  Kevin’s very friendly and can be lots of fun to chat with.  

     
I sat with some of my Christ Renews His Parish sisters and the patriarch of our adopted family at Mass.  I went over to our adopted family/close friends’ house for the holiday feast solo.  

     
I was warmly welcomed and treated as family.  I spent some time with some of my favorite people, including the three silly sisters and their two cute cousins.  I have missed seeing the girls, but I’ve had to sub whenever I can at school so we can make ends meet while Kevin gets into a groove at work, so I haven't had much energy left to visit after hours.  I finally made it over there last Friday to hang with the girls, and I got a chance to catch up with their parents as well, which was wonderful!       We had some interesting faith-based conversations about saints, particularly married women who were also mothers while we ate at the dinner table in the kitchen amidst little ones who occasionally burst in running and screaming around us.  Eventually, the twins crawled up on their mom and started grabbing food from her plate.  No surprise there.  The three silly sisters and their two cute cousins were served first, but the girls weren't nearly as enthralled by the food on their own plates.  There's something about mom sitting down to eat that tends to turn up the appetites of the little ones.  

     
I forgot to bring my camera, so I don’t have a single picture of this Thanksgiving.  Other people took a few, though, I might be able to rustle one up eventually. 

     
I really missed having Kevin there a lot!  It's been over a decade since we weren't together for all of Thanksgiving.  I’ve had him at my side for so many holidays over the years both when we were dating as well as since we’ve been married that I sometimes forget how out of place I tend to feel when he’s not there.  I did bring him some turkey, a plate of sides, and a slice of chocolate pie which he thoroughly enjoyed later on.

I didn’t see any of my biological family at all on Thanksgiving which made me feel kind of sad, but hopefully I’ll be able to get together with them on Sunday.  I have been away from Kevin and my family on Thanksgiving, but it was over ten years ago when I was studying abroad in Paris.  All of us in the study abroad program went out to dinner together.  It was fun, but I really missed my family and our normal fare.        

I had lots of memories come back of Thanksgivings over the years.  I thought back to some of the ones when we were little and we’d go to Uncle Rich and Aunt Linda’s house in Houston.  There were a couple years when my aunt and four cousins came to spend the holiday with us.  Our visits usually consisted of lots of yummy food and various card games we had all learned from Grandma.  One year was particularly memorable, because we all were having so much fun wearing the slippers Grandma had knitted us and sliding on the hardwood floors in our house in Barrington.  Click here to read about some of our other Thanksgiving festivities across the years.

Christmas Merry-Making Mishaps Series Entry # 2 Cookie Decorating

Cutting and Decorating

 

A friend with a wacky sense of humor joined us when my mom, sisters, and I were making Christmas cookies one year.  We had the usual snowflakes, snowmen, trees, angels, gingerbread men, bells, and stars to decorate, but that was not all, oh no that was not all.  Among the most unique cookie creations carved free-hand were a potato and a dreidel.  I have a picture of the friend with blue frosting on her face using the microwave as a mirror and pretending to shave it off with a butter knife.

For Art’s Sake

Most of the time, my mom, sisters, and I will go to great lengths to decorate cookies that are particularly pretty, ornate, and intricate, but a month and a half after my youngest sister was born, we were having fun putting all sorts of decorations, in copious amounts, on the baked goodies.  We got so into it that we ran out of traditional cookie decorations, and for the sake of peace and a few more minutes of us being happily occupied doing something harmless together, my mom let my sister and I use Breathsavers and other such unlikely and unsavory pieces of candy and trim. 

    
I doubt anyone made it through a cookie with sugar-free breath mints on top, but it gave my mom a few more minutes of rocking my baby sister while watching The Sound of Music in the family room to allow my other sister and I to have a fabulous time making a royal and fully-sanctioned mess of the kitchen.

A Note about my Christmas Merrymaking Mishaps Series I’m not sure about you, but my family and friends have had some rather amusing and entertaining incidents that have occurred when engaging in some very popular holiday traditions such as: Christmas Caroling, Cookie Decorating, Christmas Tree selection, and Nativity set-up.

Sharing is Caring (My Nanny Diary)

This morning I came out of the kitchen with Wheat Thins on a plate.  Sunshine asked me for one right away and once she said please, I immediately gave her one.  Her sisters were playing on the other side of the room and hadn’t spotted me, yet, which made it all the more impressive when big sis broke two small pieces off of her already little cracker to give to each of her sisters.  Wait, it gets even better.  She did this without me asking her to and before her sisters even realized there were Wheat Thins to be had. 

    
I praised Sunshine up, down, and sideways for being so thoughtful and sharing right away with her sisters without even being asked (more like begged or nagged) to do so.  It’s moments like those you have to treasure and keep in your heart, especially for those days when the oldest is racking up time-outs like it’s her job.  Fortunately, she only required one time-out today, and interestingly enough, it was not too long before her shining moment of sharing.    

    
This reminded me of an incident with “my little guys” that was heartwarming then harrowing while I was at the kitchen sink washing baby bottles.  I looked down and saw one of them offer a cup to his buddy.  I said something about how nice it was that he was sharing with his friend.  I looked at the bottles I was washing for a few seconds then back and the one who had kindly been sharing his cup was now bonking his buddy over the head with it.  A similar food incident that occurred more than once when I was nannying for the boys inspired me to write “A Parable of O’s and Fishes.”

    
The girls enjoy both Cheerios and Goldfish crackers as well as pretty much whatever I’m eating.  I typically bring enough of everything I eat while I’m there to feed all three of the girls.  Their parents have a well-stocked refrigerator, cupboards, and freezer, but the girls always want whatever I’m having whenever I’m having it, so Kevin and I have learned to shop for the two of us and the three of them.  When I pack my lunch and snacks in the morning, I do so with them in mind.  Lately, I’ve been bringing two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which has made lunchtime significantly smoother because they love some PB and J!  They’re also amused by both versions of the Peanut Butter and Jelly song that I sing to them.  This is the one I was taught growing up: 

The second version is the one which Kevin found on Youtube to which I changed the lyrics in order to let Sunshine know when it was time to high-tail it in and use the potty.  You can find this gem at this link (It’s #3 of the 7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 84) along with the Youtube video of Peanut Butter Jelly Time).  Warning: The song itself and my modified version can become quite annoying if you’re asked to sing them a bazillion times a day, but you probably already figured that out, as the most popular kids songs are often those that make you want to poke your eyeballs out after a while. For a more complete picture of our potty training adventures, you might want to check out “Once Upon A Potty Training.” 

   
I’ve discovered that graham crackers are a persuasive bargaining chip with the girls, so I bring a whole stack to ration out over the days I’m taking care of them each week.  They are very fond of fresh fruit, so I try to bring a good variety of that, especially on days when I’m particularly worn-out and exhausted before I even arrive at their place.  Yeah, I know it’s a form of bribery for better behavior, but at least it’s with healthy foods.  Now that the two youngest are taking every possible opportunity to climb to greater heights, I’m willing to pull out a few stops at mealtimes to keep them strapped in a little longer. 

I figure the best way I can teach them about the importance of sharing is the best way to teach them about anything else: show them by doing it consistently myself.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 117)

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Flashback Fridays Kevin and I have made a point of going to the traditional Friday night Fish Fry.  The Long Pond Family Restaurant has been our Fish Fry place of choice.  They have a yummy beer-battered fish fry on Fridays that comes with soup, salad, French fries, and the proper fixings (which I practically never use).  The broiled fish with a baked potato is also available and was much to my liking.

 

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Are You New Here? Kevin and I have made a habit of going to daily Mass at Holy Cross, a church near Charlotte Beach, on many weekdays.  We’ve made a friend or two there over the years.  It was hilarious to see the look on one woman’s face who was setting up the altar and happened to glance in our direction.  She was positively shocked and utterly delighted to see us.  She thought maybe that she’d missed our visit since she hadn’t yet seen us this summer.  The gentleman who has been sitting behind us pretty much every day we’ve gone to Mass there introduced himself to us yesterday and asked if we are new at the parish.  We explained we come up here every year on vacation, but that we don’t live here.  He seemed a bit disappointed we weren’t here to stay.  It’s so nice to feel wanted and welcomed!

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Grandfathers in the Faith One of the many reasons Kevin and I look forward to going to Mass at Holy Cross is that they have a couple elderly priests who are really remarkable men of faith.  They are both very friendly, genuinely enthusiastic about their love for Christ and dedication to inspire others to live the Gospel.  I wonder if these two men know how dear they are to our Lord and their faith community.  How could you not love such endearing, devout elderly priests who are giving their all at the altar well into their 70s and 80s?!  Wow!

 

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Flea Market Finds So perhaps a two week car trip when we don’t pack light isn’t exactly the best time for me to come across some inexpensive breakable items to put on the display shelf on the half wall of our apartment, but I did, so we will find a way to pack them so they make it back to Richmond in their purchased-forms.  (I’d like to experiment doing some art projects with broken glass, but these aren’t the pieces I plan to use). 

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Can I go, yet? It is really quite entertaining to play Mexican Train Dominoes with Kevin’s family.  Our after-dinner game last Sunday was no exception.  There were a number of times that we were absolutely in hysterics between Kevin, his sisters, and brothers-in-law it is hard to keep a straight face even if you end up coming in dead last (that would be me).   

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Must Have Chocolate My sisters-in-law are women after my own heart when it comes to chocolate.  All of them love it!  Kevin’s sister Chari made a beeline for the chocolate candy bag in the kitchen cupboard the second she and her husband arrived at the cottage though there were a number of things they had to bring in from their vehicle.  Throughout the evening, she would reach in her pocket and pull-out yet another Tootsie Roll.  It was quite amusing.  Glad I’m not the only one who’s serious about wanting chocolate.
    

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The Badminton Debacle I can’t really think of any other way to describe it.  Kevin and I have been using badminton rackets and birdies, but I don’t think anyone would deign to refer to what we do as actually “playing badminton.”  Suffice it to say that we have fun using badminton equipment (minus the net) to get exercise, and we inadvertently end up entertaining the neighbors and anyone else who happens by while we’re out on the lawn.

     
Don’t tell my mom this, but we actually have had more fun doing our version of badminton than we have in spending time splashing around in the lake.  My mother spends every minute she can in the lake when she’s here.  Kevin and I have been in swimming all of two times while we’ve been here, and that doesn’t really bother us.  There's more than one way to enjoy Rochester, and this is how we roll! :)

                  

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

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 112)

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Get well soon! Kevin is finally on the mend after being sick and miserable with some sort of bronchial infection.  This morning when Sunshine was playing with one of their many toy cell phones, she informed me that she was calling Kevin to tell him that he’s feeling better.  Yesterday when she coughed a couple times, she said she was sick like Kevin.  I explained that sometimes we cough without being sick and that she wouldn’t want what Kevin has.

We still haven’t celebrated his 50th birthday with family or friends, yet, but hopefully that will happen this weekend!  At least Kevin was well enough we could have dinner at my sister and brother-in-law's house this evening.  We didn't exactly make it to dessert or singing happy birthday, but just having Kevin present for the family gathering was a major step after this past couple weeks.   

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A Moroccan Feast The evening before my mom’s birthday, which was this week, a dear family friend who is originally from Morocco had us over to her place for a delicious homemade meal.  It was so nice to catch up with her and her two kids.  The food was every bit as amazing as my mom and sisters had described.  There were three candles on the birthday cake my sister brought in, so our hostess’s son asked Mom how old she was.  He got quiet and looked at Mom very confused when she told him she’s turning three years old.  I was reminded of what a wonderful gift it is to invite people over and make them a delectable meal. 
Perhaps this weekend, we’ll finish hanging the photos on our Rochester wall, and I’ll finally clean off the dining room table, perchance to have people over for dinner, or at least have a clean flat surface on which to beat my husband at dominoes.        

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Ask, Seek, Knock The Lord knows the deepest desires we have into our hearts, because He put them there.  He knows what we long for and delights in giving what it is we want and need to fulfill those yearnings.  Far better than a genie in a lamp, our Lord wants to shower us with blessings which He knows will help us grow in love, compassion, and mercy towards others as well as ourselves.  Just as we take great joy in doing things for the people we love, the Lord trembles with jubilation as He satisfies the desires of our hearts, the ones He put there to bring us closer to Him…Click here to read the rest of this reflection I wrote on and in honor of the participants of the Men’s Cursillo Weekend taking place July 25-28, 2013.  Please also remember to pray for the participants of the weekend as they take time out of their busy schedules to grow closer to the Lord.   

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Remembering My Dad Yesterday was my father James Niermeyer’s birthday.  
He would have been 58 this year.  He passed away only 16 days after he turned 54 once my mom, sisters, and I all came to his side to say our goodbyes.  A woman named Marie who’s very active at St. Michael parish said this about my dad after saying that he was one of the ones who inspired her to start a Rosary Prayer Group: “At his funeral people spoke of his love and dedication to the Rosary. I was touched by that and I started praying it on a more regular basis. Then when Mo was ill, a group of us crammed in a class room before Mass and prayed it together. It was so moving and I knew I wanted to do that again. The homily Fr. Dan gave inspired me to ask if I could start a group. The rest is history!”  The blue beaded Rosary I carry with me every day is the one my dad used all the time.

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High Drama Ensues Scooter looks an awful lots like an Oompa Loompa when she smothers herself in Chef Boyardee spaghetti sauce.  I texted the girls’ mom that maybe we can work on a low-budget spin-off of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory using at least two Veggie Tales songs: one about working in a chocolate factory and another about eating too many chocolate bunnies and idol worship leading to trouble.  Skippy makes a very convincing bunny face.  Sunshine knows most of the words to both of the songs and is an avid fan of chocolate as well as Veggie Tales.  I think we could swing it.     

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Book-It! It does my heart good to see the girls sitting down engrossed in books like my sister and I did when we were little.  Both of their parents love to read, and I’m a book-lover, so the girls are picking up on some of those literary leanings. 

     You may recall the Book-It program that was such a hit when we were kids.  You read a certain number of books and get a special certificate for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut.  I looked into it, and the Book-It program is alive and well.  To check it out, click here.  Perhaps they’d be willing to do some sort of program for adults at our favorite pizza place in town.  You never know.

    

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You probably need a nap...when you fail to do the three steps to make microwave mac ’n’ cheese in the proper order, you leave a dirty diaper under the couch, you put someone’s Onesie on backwards, you take one little one upstairs while another little one is downstairs unsupervised and free-ranging with the kitchen

gate and the bathroom door open, two young ones are in the stroller ready to go on a walk and the older one decides to take forever and a day going potty and putting her shoes on before having a full-out meltdown the second you step outside, you spend five minutes when all the kids are in bed making a cool train track since they never let you finish one when they’re awake, you recall that though the water table on the deck is in the shade before noon that the sandbox in the yard is not only later in the evening when noticing you're sunburned, you resort to using favorite foods as bargaining tools for good behavior…you can fill in the rest of the blanks, I need a nap.

                  

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

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 110)

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Road of Hope Last week some exciting news came out about a man I definitely feel will one day be canonized as a saint: Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.  It has been announced that this amazing priest is being considered for sainthood.  I first read about this man in A Priest Forever: Nine Signs of Hope and Renewal.  Later, I read the book he wrote to his people during his 13 years in prison, nine of which he spent in solitary confinement, The Road of Hope: A Gospel from Prison and watched the DVD about his life also called Road of Hope.  I am still blown away by his tremendous faith, hope, and joy in the midst of terrible conditions and awful treatment.   

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Men of Courage There are a number of male family members and friends I have seen suffer terribly as a result of varying illnesses, injuries, and life-threatening conditions.  I hope and pray that if ever faced with any of the challenges they have faced, I may have the grace to be as brave, courageous, determined, good humored, and full of faith that the men (and women) in my life have exhibited.  I’m praying especially for my Godfather and his family as he goes through more cancer treatment, as well as my uncle whose health is declining.

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French, Fun, & Photos Speaking French, funny stories, rollercoasters, West African music and dance, an assortment of photos, video clips, and discussions made Wednesday evening quite enjoyable.  My youngest sister is in town for a couple weeks, and I hadn’t seen her since my mom and I went up to Ohio back in April to see her performances. 

     Since then she’s been to Burkina Faso for the second time and loved it.  I was excited to hear about her trip and looking forward to speaking with her in French, which she’d really like to keep up.  We hung out at my mom’s.  Kevin came over after work and grocery shopping and cut up fruit for us all to eat while we were talking.

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Take a Bite Outta Crime The girls have been very interested in paper products.  There wasn’t actually enough left of the newspaper article Sophie took a bite out of left to determine what section it came from, but I’m guessing that she would crack down hard on crimes such as robbery, assault, and battery if given the chance after being in the company of her two very assertive sisters.   

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Keeping it Fresh Opening a package of crackers that were starting to go stale, my sister said she didn’t mind them.  I told her that she should have known they were stale since there wasn’t FRESH written on the side in black permanent marker.  Writing FRESH in black marker was a trick a household member had for identifying the cereal purchased most recently that was least likely to be stale.  Rather than throw the stale cereal out, this individual helpfully marked the new box as FRESH.

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Toe-Up The girls have a special affection for dairy products, as is often the case with little ones their ages.  Yesterday, after eating some of the shredded cheese I gave them at lunchtime, Sophie was walking around.  I looked over at one point, and she’d plopped down on the floor to pick out a tiny clump of cheese that had gotten caught between her toes.  Naturally, her first inclination was to pop it in her mouth.  She certainly gives new meaning to the term toe-cheese.  I remember when “my little guys” were pre-verbal (still members of the bare piggy brigade), and one of them had this unique laugh he did specifically when he saw and wanted something made with milk.  To read more about adventures in nanny land, check out My Nanny Diary.      
    

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Carmel or Bust! It still hasn’t completely sunken in that one of my very close friends, a dear sister in Christ is leaving Richmond this Sunday and doesn’t plan to return ever again.  This evening we’re having a farewell/adieu pizza party for Michele Morris before she leaves.  Soon she’ll be flying to the West Coast to enter a cloistered monastery called Sisters by the Sea in Carmel, California.  Please pray for Michele, her family, and the many who love and will miss her dearly during this time of transition.  Michele has always had a fondness for Harley Davidson motorcycles, so this graphic of a nun on a motorcycle is the one she asked me to put on her business cards when she was traveling around performing her play “Teresita.”    

                  

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

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.  

Glimpses of Grandma

Hanging in there

In an ongoing effort to clean out, organize, and clean up our apartment, I dropped several donations off at various places today.  I started by dropping a load of things off at Goodwill.  I’ve made a number of trips over there and hope to make many more in the days and weeks to come.  It helps me to sort through things and part with them knowing that something I haven’t touched in months might be exactly what someone else is looking for and would use daily. 

    
After all, in some ways, I’m definitely my grandma’s girl.  She rarely tossed stuff out if it could be recycled or reused by her or by someone else.  I am absolutely certain she’s quite tickled that Kevin and I currently have hanging in our bathroom a turquoise (her favorite color) shower curtain that my grandma must have had for 30 some years.  When I found it and realized it had never been used and was still in its original box from a department store that went out of business awhile ago, I couldn’t bring myself to toss it, knowing my grandma would have wanted someone to use it. 

Re-Gifting         

I swung by the Pastoral Center to see my mom and gave her back a couple of the framed pieces of handmade artwork I’d done for her years ago.  I have a number of things back in my possession that I originally made, wrote, and gifted to different family members over the years.  I’m not sure how many of the items would ultimately have been trashed or donated when my sister and her husband bought a house, when my dad passed away, my youngest sister went off to college, my mom moved out of her house into an apartment, then my grandma passed away, but it was easier for me to box these things up and bring them to our place rather than wonder and worry if something I’d spent so much time and energy on would just end up in the garbage.

     
I’m not sure if it’s out of plain old nostalgia, sadness, regret, or hope that I hold onto gifts from me that were left behind.  I don’t know what would have become of the letters I wrote and gifts I made for my mom, dad, sisters, and/or grandparents.  My mom assures me that many of the things I’d made for her over the years she’d had no intention of getting rid of when she moved into her apartment.  I believe her, so when I unearth such things again, I offer them to her. 

Life-long Learning

I swung by school with a bag of assorted books and arts and craft supplies well before the insanity of after-school carpool began.  I always end up using a vast hodgepodge of materials from home and from school when I teach summer camps there, so some of the things I came across I figured they would make use of at school before I’d do something with them at home.  Others were books and things that had gotten grouped in with the children’s books I have, ones my mom kept from when we were little, in addition to some French ones and favorites I’ve added so I can share them with the kids at school and when I nanny.  I got a few minutes to catch up with the program director, who’s been a good friend and supervisor for the five years since we both started working there.  Even though I came in during the post-rest story-time, I still got a couple of spontaneous hugs from kids who remembered me.      

Good Food, Nice Weather, Many Thanks

Next, I stopped by Cook-Out for a grilled chicken sandwich, fries, and a Heath Toffee milkshake too thick to drink through a straw—good thing they included a spoon.  I drove to Little Sisters of the Poor, a stop I wasn’t really looking forward to, as I hadn’t been back there since going to collect my grandmother’s things after she passed this January.  It went fine, though. 

I sat in my car and ate my lunch, remembering one beautiful day when I’d picked up a chocolate shake and fries from Cook-Out to share with my grandma.  I’d brought her outside in her wheelchair over by the swing in front of the entrance walkway to the building and angled her so she could see the garden while we visited.  I’d gotten an extra cup so I could give her some of the milkshake, which I deftly spilled spots of on the swing and my pants.  (Getting spots on clothing while eating is another trait I picked up from my grandma, truth be told.)    

    
This afternoon, while eating, I thought about what my grandma would say on a day like today if she were sitting out there with me.  She’d make mention of the lovely garden and the beautiful colors all around.  She’d comment on the trees, the landscaping, and the gentle breeze.  She’d be grateful for a visitor, for time outside, for fun foods she can’t remember having tasted before…

    
When I finished eating, I took in the body lotions, a wide assortment of handmade jewelry, plastic organizers, and a large supply of beads to make more jewelry.  I left them with the receptionist, who I am certain recognized me.

    
I still have a number of things from my grandma’s, mom's, and my dad’s I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with, yet.  They’re here with lots of memories I haven’t sorted through, but I’ll get around to them sometime, possibly soon.

Thank You, God, for a beautiful day, for the opportunity to share with others, to remember loved ones lost, to be thankful for little pleasures, and be reminded of the many ways that You are able to use what others cast aside to create a masterpiece of each of our lives.  Amen.            

Note: This post is linked to New Evangelist Blog's June Issue of Catholic Bloggers Best Posts from the month of May.

Road Trip & Spring Dance Festival

Road Trip Destination: Columbus, Ohio

   This past weekend I was often fondly reminded of my college friends and the amazing dancers I saw and got to know while attending Hollins University (way back when).  My mom and I went up to Columbus, Ohio, to visit my youngest sister and be there for The Ohio State University Spring Dance Festival.

 
I’d felt bad it’d been almost three years since I’d seen my sister in a performance, especially after going to each one of her dance recitals, many of her dress rehearsals, dance competitions, musical revue’s, and such when she was growing up.  Granted, it wasn’t usually an eight hour commute to get to the other shows she was in from Pre-K through high school, but still.  Being in the audience has been one of the ways that I’ve shown her my love and support.

     
The Ohio State University Spring Dance Festival gave me the perfect opportunity to see some of the OSU campus, witness some of what the dance department’s been up to, watch my sister perform, and see a site-specific piece she directed with her friend. 

All in Good Taste

   I got a taste for the dance department and community at OSU, and I must say I’m very impressed.  I figured I would be and have been looking forward to seeing some awe-inspiring choreography and performance art. 

 
I spent time with Mom and sister, met her apartment mates, three gorgeous women who are also dance majors and fun people to hang out with (like my sister).  I finally got to see some of the OSU campus, some of her preferred stomping grounds, and hot spots in Columbus. 

             
              On Friday, Mom and I checked into our hotel, then we picked my sister up from a rehearsal on campus and headed back to their apartment for a bit.  That evening, we went to the 8pm performance made up of five pieces choreographed by the seniors in the dance department for their mixing dance and media projects.  My sister was in a piece entitled “Staring at the Sun” choreographed by Quentin Burley and Madeline Irmen. 

 
After the Friday night performance at the EMMA Lab at ACCAD, my sister, three of her close friends, Mom, and I went to Spagiō’s for dinner and dessert.  My mom and I shared a tomato basil pizza that was absolutely delectable.  The gourmet dessert with a chocolate-coated exterior, toffee, mocha pudding, and yummy squiggles of chocolate and raspberry sauces for added zest is one I do believe I’ll have to order again.   

Not a School for the Directionally Challenged (like I am!)

   I can say with absolute certainty that I would get undeniably lost trying to find my way around such a sprawling campus.  My mom’s been there a number of times, and she got turned around occasionally.  I remained perpetually in a state of not knowing where the heck I was in relation to any other building, Theresa’s apartment, or our hotel.  Fortunately, Mom did all of the driving when we were up there, so we may have taken the longest possible route back to our hotel a couple times, but we never ended up in the ghetto of another state (which is all-too-likely to happen when I’m driving). 

Being there affirmed once again that a small liberal arts college with a strong sense of community and a beautiful rural campus were the best fit for me.  I would have felt incredibly lost, lonely, and insignificant going to school on one of the biggest college campuses in the country.  Hollins was the right place for me.  My sister has thoroughly enjoyed going to OSU.  I’m grateful we both found places of higher education to fit our personalities, tastes, and to help us grow in the intellectual and artistic passions we have.   

Christ Has Risen, Alleluia! The Easter Triduum Revisited

Holy Thursday

The Mass was one of my grandma’s favorites of the year.  The last time she joined us at St. Michael’s was for a Mass on Holy Thursday.  It was quite moving when someone went and brought my grandma down to have her feet washed without any of us asking. 

Being involved in Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP), Cursillo, and an Easter Triduum veteran, I’ve participated in the washing of the feet a number of times.  One of the most meaningful experiences I had was at Richmond Hill when I was on a Cursillo team overnight retreat.  The “rectora” ahead of the weekend and her “archangel” came and washed the feet of each team member, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.  Both women are very loving, compassionate—true Christian servants—and we were all overwhelmed by the incredible love they expressed through such a seemingly simple act.

    
This year is the thirteenth Easter Triduum Kevin and I have celebrated since our first one together in Roanoke back in 2000 when Kevin drove over 500 miles to spend four days going to church with me, and after the Triduum plus, was named by Fr. Remi Sojka “the patron saint of boyfriends.”  It was during that weekend Kevin began participating in the Sacraments and going to Mass on his own back in Rochester. 

    
My mom, Kevin, and I sat together for Mass, and all of us loved the sermon that Fr. Dan Brady gave about the importance of service to others as being the basis of what each and every one of us is called to.  He was inspired by Pope Francis’ visit to a juvenile detention center where he celebrated Holy Thursday.    

It has become my tradition to attend the Holy Thursday Mass each year, and for the past few years, I have stayed afterward in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as part of my observance of the Triduum.  At our parish, they hold Adoration from the end of the Holy Thursday service when they process in with the ciborium filled with the Eucharist that will be used for the Good Friday service into the chapel until midnight that evening.  Lately, I haven’t been as good about doing Adoration regularly or setting aside adequate time for prayer, so I was looking forward to my time in “the classroom of silence” as Matthew Kelly refers to it.

    
“Stay with Me” is a song that I often associate with my time in Adoration, especially on Holy Thursday as I think of Jesus’ disciples falling asleep when He was praying so hard He sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane knowing the suffering He was about to undertake for our sins. 

    
In the past, sometimes our beloved brother-in-Christ John Baab, the woman who is the go-to person for all things liturgical at our parish, Alison Eichler, and I would be the only three left at church come midnight.  I was really excited that there were a number of people who stayed the entire time keeping vigil with the Blessed Sacrament this Holy Thursday.         

  

Good Friday

I had a special role to play in the Good Friday service this year.  Our brother John and another seminarian from our parish Henry were serving throughout the Triduum since they were in town for Holy Week.  Knowing that Kevin and I are very supportive of religious vocations and have been close with John on his journey, Alison asked that I would be the third cross-bearer when we brought in a wooden cross for all to venerate.  Interestingly enough, I was worried about it being too heavy for me as those at some parishes are quite heavy and require a number of strong people, usually males, to move from one location to another.  Fortunately this cross was relatively light, and I felt quite comfortable in my role of following after the priest guiding us and the two seminarians holding the cross beams.  Kevin and I have been quite grateful that John has helped us carry our crosses, and we are eager to support him however we can, so my role seemed quite appropriate.

Kevin, me, and John Baab

It was beautiful to watch people come up and venerate the cross.  I think my favorite was when someone would come up carrying a small child, and the child would reach out and want to touch the cross and some even kissed it. 

The Easter Vigil

The past couple years, Kevin, John, and I have watched the movie The Passion some time between Holy Thursday and the Easter Vigil.  Saturday we watched it just before getting ready to go to church for the vigil.  I was deeply struck by the suffering Christ willingly accepted in order to reconcile us with God the Father.  I found myself praying throughout for those who are currently in agony in mind, body, and/or spirit, especially those who are tempted to lose hope in the Lord, in eternal life, in God’s mercy…

    
Kevin volunteered to serve as a Eucharistic Minister, as he often does whenever we attend Mass at our home parish, which reminded us of the first time he ever served which was on Easter Sunday at Church of the Epiphany where we were married.        

   
The vigil was quite beautiful, as it always is.  The many Old Testament readings that map out the beginning of Creation in the Bible and hit the highlights of our journey of trusting in God, the wonderful choir, music selections, and impressive instrument section were all glorious.  I’m always struck by the power and majesty of the Easter Vigil Mass, which is the pinnacle of all Masses.  Several people were Baptized, received their First Holy Communion and were Confirmed during the liturgy.

     
Witnessing so many of the Sacraments in one Mass with Kevin on the thirteenth anniversary of our first Triduum together and his return to the Catholic faith in which he was raised serves as a poignant reminder of the power of prayer and the Truth that nothing is impossible with God.     

    

Easter Sunday

Kevin and I didn’t have anything planned for today except a homemade family dinner this evening.  My mom set a very joyful table, made a delicious meal, and helped us really celebrate Easter this evening.  John joined us, and we had a really nice evening breaking bread together and discussing the Catholic faith and what we enjoyed most about this particular Triduum.

    
My mom’s always made holidays fun and festive.  This one was no exception.  She even had put together an Easter basket of goodies for Kevin and me. 

Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son, who by His Passion, death, and resurrection, reconciled us with You, so that we might bask in Your love and spend eternity in Your Presence.  Amen.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 94)

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Mass Effect Had some really good prayer time Tuesday. Kevin and I enjoyed that evening’s Mass at St. Benedict's for the Feast of St. Joseph and the Installation of Pope Francis. I got to have dinner with a dear friend/sister/spiritual diva, then our fave brother in Christ called to catch up for a bit. Lord, thank You for lovelines family!

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Lucky for Laughter Me: “I have a leprechaun in my pocket.  A girl at school colored it in, cut it out and gave it to me.”  A little later, after his third failed attempt to toss something into the recycling, Kevin says: “I didn’t have anybody give me a leprechaun today, so I’m fresh outta luck.”  Lord, thank You for my husband and his sense of humor!

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Thank Heavens for Sisters in Christ  Was just going through all of my Christ Renews His Parish photos. Everything from retreat planning meetings, Halloween and Christmas parties, book studies, and prayer sessions to being there for community outreach projects.  Wow! It's hard to believe that I first met this amazing group of women back in February 2010.  We've had some really fun times CRHP sistas! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again very soon.  One of our sisters who had a little baby girl in December will be coming to this gathering.  I'm looking forward to meeting her for the first time and taking part in a send-off party for her mom. 

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Goes Hard Even at Home Had a wicked headache that started Thursday afternoon when Livie “the livewire” as I like to call her launched herself at my face for the millionth time in a nine hour period, and that time smashed into my nose with the part of her skull that is already formed and freakin' hard. Ouch!  My head was still hurting when I went to bed.  Watch out for the head-banger!  

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Tell-tale Poop I have learned many things over my twenty plus years of taking care of children.  One of those things is that the proof is in the poop.  When little ones aren't able to mash up their food due to lack of teeth or additional need for chewing practice once teeth have come in, the things they are unable to mash on their own and therefore can't digest (or get nutritional value from) end up basically whole in their diapers.  
     Seemingly small finger foods easy to make and grab can be deceptively enticing, though not the best of ideas.  Peas, corn, peppers, pretty much any veggies with skin on them, need to be pureed or mashed, otherwise, they go in one end and come undigested out the other.  Blueberries are another one, and of course grapes.  The other drawback to finger foods with skin they can't chew through is that they make for really messy poopy diapers and a higher chance of diaper rash.  

     Good rule of tongue: if you can't mash it or mush it up with your tongue and the roof of your mouth, then your little one isn't likely to be able to mash it with anywhere from 2-4 teeth enough to digest it.

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Give Me a Beat Vivi, Livie, and Sophie absolutely love music.  Singing, dancing, playing instruments (actual or make-shift) are high on their list of favorites.  Since I really like the music from Step Up 4, I've been playing the final mob dance scene on Youtube so we can dance to it.  I pull up a blank screen so they aren't watching the video (which certainly isn't meant for kids), but it's been fun to see how they dance and move to different beats and how they respond to me doing various types of dance.  Vivi's had lots of fun with the baby cello Holly gave me to pass along to her.              
     

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Fringe Benefits It never ceases to amaze me how much the things we use daily can quickly become a source of joy, fascination, and no small amount of giggling for small children and those taking care of them.  The girls love one of the blankets in the living room.  It's one of those you can make fairly easily by cutting one inch strips of material and knotting two panels together.  Vivi is always inviting everyone to "go hiding" with her.  Regardless of what else has been going on, playing with the blanket usually gets everyone in a better mood.     

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