7-Quick Takes

  Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.

1. I have thoroughly enjoyed having two weeks with no homeschooling! Especially this week when I also didn't have any rehearsals or performances! I really needed this break!

2. I got the last of my Christmas Cards out last night- don't laugh- it is only the 6th day of Christmas! I actually find it very freeing not to have to try to get all of those out before Christmas Day. I really got to give some attention on it!

3. I watched Easy A  from Red Box the other night.  It wasn't actually too bad (as teen flicks go) and actually was pretty good at illustrating how peer pressure and gossip works.  My homeschooled kids are a little naive about that.

4. This is ironic. A facebook friend blocked me - not for anything I did or said, but because I think she was embarrassed about what she was writing in front of me! 

5.  Rosie has learned how to click off windows.  She is quite adept at it. If I am working or typing, or goofing off online she can easily sneek up behind me, grab the mouse and.. CLICK!!

6.  The nice thing is, I can now have her turn off the computers in the house and I don't have to worry about it.  It's a job she likes doing.

7.  I heard this exchange between Izzy and her friend Tamera in the car last week after the kids' bell choir played for Christmas Eve Mass.  This was only their second performance and although they did a good job, parts were a little rocky.

Izzy - "Tamera, you really messed up that song."

Tamera - "Izzy, how could I mess it up.  I didn't even know where I was!"


Priceless!




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2010 resolutions and some reflections on 2009

I had to look back at my posts from 2010 because I honestly couldn't remember much outstanding about it! This was the year I got use to being without Mom. I still think about her every day but it isn't as much, as long, or as painful as it was last year. This year was actually about
SLO and watching her get through rigorous cancer treatments with courage, strength and even style! It was a very rough year for her, but if you passed her on the street you would not know that anything had been amiss. She looks fab!!

So I guess this was the year I kept my head down and focused on the tasks in front of me. It probably wasn't my best blogging year, but that's okay too. No one got mad at me which was refreshing and I even made amends in a way with one blogger. And the anti-Catholic blog that I worked against with Visits to Candyland, closed. I'm taking a little credit for that although I had lots of help!

I did find a place to discuss and debate but I am reluctant to post it here because in the past when I have done that it has turned around to hurt me. But we'll see. Maybe later. It has been nice to get those debate juices flowing again with people who actually want to debate and discuss.

My oldest so moved out in February. I thought my heart would be ripped out but honestly - it was okay. It was better than okay! It was great! In a way it was like the end of a pregnancy - I was ready for him go move out. And he has impressed me by being able to take care of himself and his finances with very little help from us. If one of the goals of parenthood is to raise responsible offspring, we have succeeded with one. Ane with him being gone the time he spends here is better. He spends more time with his siblings and even brings his girlfriend here once in a while. It was a win-win for all of us.

I did more things I never thought I'd do before. I had a tree auction and I sold hunting permits. I watched two of my sons form their own band and perform in public - three times! Which was great for us because I was so ticked off at e-Bay I barely used them this year.


So let's see how I did on last year's resolutions!

1. To try to get more ORGANIZED prayer time into my day, especially with my husband.
Did pretty good on this one!  Started really digging into the Divine Office and Mr. Pete and I did it together a lot during the summer months. I hope to continue and be even more consistent in 2011.


2. To get more scripture study in too. I am using this tool this year. It's my goal to have Sam do this with me before his 18th birthday.

Not so good on this one although did mange to read the mass readings most days.

3. To be more organized in my household, but particularly with my homeschool. To that end I am going to make myself write in my homeschool blog more to keep a more accurate picture of what we are accomplishing.

Did okay with that one.  I was more organized but totally forgot I even had a homeschool blog!  I need to improve on that in 2010.

4. To read more to the little ones AND keep track of it on my Library Thing - also in my homeschool blog.

Did great with the older kids, but not so much with Rosie again although we did read a lot at Christmas time. Will have to redouble those efforts in 2011.

5. 5. More prayer time with the kids including the Angelus, First Fridays, and Divine Mercy.

We totally did the Divine Mercy last year!  Have to be more consistent with the Angelus and First Fridays as well as Rosary time.


6. Understand more about money this coming year and to find ways to continue to grow our income in a down economy.

Score!  Might even get back into e-bay this year!


7. 9. To hit my new weight loss goal before my BIG BIRTHDAY IN JUNE!
Totally didn't hit my weight loss goal but did lose weight and exercised much more regularly.  This week so far I have four workouts in!  Hope to keep that up into the new year and might even video blog it.  We'll see!


8. To practice my instrument at least 3 times a week.
I did more than that the last half of the year.  I want to continue and I want to perform more.

9. Keep up with my medical transcription business.
Did it.  Kind or looking to try something different in the future though.
10. Make a concerted effort to let the people in my life who are important to me - KNOW THAT!  

On going.  In addition I am going to try to just think the best of people and not be so critical in real life.

And a new resolution for this year-
11.  Become more proficient with my DSLR camera!

















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Of mothers and sons and daughter's in law.

Having been a wedding coordinator at our church for the last eight years, I have witnessed a lot of weddings. Most of the time, the focus and attention is on the young bride and her mother. The groom, though center stage, is frequently a supporting member of the cast. The parents of the groom aren't usually even on the radar. They get to walk up the aisle and get seated in the second pew, but that's pretty much the end of their contribution to the festivities.

Once in a while though, I will come upon an extraordinary family where the bride is very concerned about the thoughts and feelings of her new inlaws, and where both mothers are held in a very honored position. One of my favorite weddings had both mothers walking down the aisle together, holding hands, and supporting each other. I could just picture them years later, eating lunch together while watching their grandchildren play. I thought that they were so lucky to be related by marriage AND good friends.

At that same wedding, the bride seemed to work overtime to be sure that her groom's family was as honored and respected as her own parents.

In my own marriage, Mr. Pete and I tried to include both sides of the family as much as possible. Although my father-in-law died during our first year of marriage, we always continued to help my mother-in-law and to visit her whenever we had a chance and to send gifts and cards for mother's day and her birthday. I have wonderful pictures of her with my children when we visited her in the nursing home.

I'm so glad that we did this. For one, my children have some memory of their paternal grandmother. They know a little bit about her and they have nice memories of visiting her. But they also learned the importance of honoring the older WOMEN in the family and that especially our older grandmother's have much to share. Hopefully they also learned from my example, of a daughter-in-law showing love to her husband by trying to please her mother-in-law.

All of this has been on my mind lately because a couple of friends of mine, of my vintage and state of life, are starting to have problems with the women their sons have married. It's as if there is a competition between the young wife for her husband's attention from his own mother! And as a result, the young men have chosen, at least for now, to follow the lead of their wives and keep their own families at arms length. This has been truly heartbreaking for my friends, but it is even worse when there is a grandchild involved.

Since I have never experienced anything like this, my only advice to my friends has been to continue to try to be gracious and kind and that maybe with time and patience, their daughters-in-law will come to see them as friends and blessings and the entire family can be united and whole. Try to be Naomi to her Ruth and pray for her. In addition to that, I think it's important to maybe keep a little journal of sorts. Write down the gifts given to the little family and the grandchildren, maybe even write letters to the grandchildren and keep a copy, so that one day they will always know that their grandmother really did love and care for them.

I don't know any of the young women involved well enough to say anything, but I will say that in general - what goes around, comes around. Children see how the paternal grandmother is treated in their growing up experience, and they will model that in their own marriages. Hopefully the example given will be one of love and respect. But if it is one of bitterness and petty arguments, they can model that too - and that's bad news particularly for the mothers of BOYS! A generation passes quickly; in a little more than 20 years they may very well find themselves in the position of the pushed-aside mother-in-law.

For a father's blessing gives a family firm roots, but a mother's curse uproots the growing plant.   Sirach 3:9

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My Daily Domestic Clips 12/30/2010 (a.m.)

• Thomas Becket - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  tags: stthomasbecket saints catholic christmas

• Thomas Beckett

  tags: stthomasbecket

• Edward Grim�s Account of the Murder of Thomas Becket

  tags: stthomasbecket

• The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170

  tags: stthomasbecket

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

A Baby's Christmas Funeral

Today I attended the funeral for a little 2-month old baby girl. Sadly this is the second time in my life that I have attended a funeral for a little baby girl during Christmas, and while I wouldn't wish that kind of experience on any parent ever, there is something rather charming about a Christmas Funeral for a little girl. Maybe I feel this way because of my own two daughters. Moreso than their brothers, the girls have always really delighted in the lights and colors of Christmas. They "OOO" and "AHHH" at the lighted Christmas trees, and even as babies they had a fascination with all that glittered and gleamed at Christmas time. So although it is heartbreaking for the parents, I think it must be something quite wonderful for the little feminine soul that travels to heaven during the Christmas Season and have her funeral mass amidst the sights and sounds of Christ's birth.

A few years ago, when the parish was trying to get people to volunteer for the different ministries, I volunteered to attend masses for children and babies. I felt as a mother of 6 I had a special perspective for it; having buried one child gives me some empathy. So the funeral lady calls me every time there is a baby. She is always apologetic, as if she is afraid she will hurt me somehow by telling me about another baby's passing. I always thank her profusely for letting me know and reassure her that I WANT her to call me. And so I go and sit with the "funeral ladies;" the ladies there representing the parish and singing the hymns and saying all of the responses.

But it's never easy. I see the grieving mother and I want to tell her the pain will go away in time. I want to tell her that if she keeps her heart open and her eyes alert, she'll see the goodness that can come out of her tragedy. But I don't. I think it's something that you just have to live through to see for yourself. No one can tell you, although I think there might be a time areassurance can be given that a broken heart heals itself in due course.

The parents today were so young. They reminded me a lot of my Calvin and Sarah. And what do they know of mourning? A black dress is for parties and special events! Not for saying goodbye to your baby. They had a hard time saying good bye too. I'm sure they couldn't fathom closing the lid on that tiny casket for the last time. Learning to grieve should come in concentric circles from the outside in - by watching your parents grieve for their parents, and perhaps as friends slowly lose their parents. This couple today was learning one of life's hardest lessons in one of the most difficult ways. That made it all the sadder.

As of today I have given away all of my copies of Mothers' Manual . I will have to buy some more and then carefully turn back the corner of page 89 so that each grieving mom can find this prayer:

Mary, my mother, obtain for me, I beg you, the grace of a holy resignation. Obtain for me the grace to understand this trial which is so hard for me to bear. I know that God in his all-wise providence has seen that it is for the best. Yet it is hard for me to bear the grief I feel. I come too you,dear mother, comforter of the afflicted and constant aid of those who trust in you. I know that you can obtain for me the peace and resignation that I seek. I confide in you entirely in this my tribulation and sorrow. You know the meaning of a mother's love, and can understand the dept of my affliction. Be to me a tender and protecting mother. For now, dear Mother Mary, I feel more than ever the need of your motherly love and sweet consolation.

Mary sorrowing, Mary of all Christians, pray for us!

If I buy five more, I hope that I can end the year with all five of them.







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St. Thomas Becket

St. Thomas Becket




Here are two interesting sites about the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket.

http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/THOMBECK.htm

From Catholic Culture: "Given the tempo of the liturgical season with its feasts it is easy to overlook that one saint who for many centuries was, after Mary and Joseph, the most venerated person in European Christendom.
St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury was assassinated in his cathedral on December 29, 1170 because of his opposition to his former friend, King Henry II of England, who was encroaching on the liberties of the English Church.
Devotion to him spread like wildfire. He was enshrined in the hearts of men, and in their arts. In statues and stained glass, in song and story this good bishop was everywhere to be found: France, Italy, Spain, Sweden. Many miracles were attributed to his heavenly advocacy. — Excerpted from Days of the Lord"


From St. Thomas Becket's last Christmas Homily.

Consider also one thing of which you have probably never thought. Not only do we at the feast of Christmas celebrate at once Our Lord's Birth and His Death: but on the next day we celebrate the martyrdom of His First martyr: the blessed Stephen. Is it an accident, do you think, that the day of the first martyr follows immediately the date of the Birth of Christ? By no means. Just as we rejoice and mourn at once, in the Birth and in the Passion of Our Lord; so also, in a smaller figure, we both rejoice and mourn in the death of martyrs. We mourn, for the sins of the world that has martyred them; we rejoice, that another soul is numbered among the Saints in Heaven for the glory of God and for the salvation of men.

Beloved, we do not think of a martyr simply as a good Christian who has been killed because he is a Christian: for that would be solely to mourn. We do not think of him simply as a good Christian who has been elevated to the company of the Saints: for that would be simply to rejoice: and neither our mourning nor our rejoicing is as the world's is. A Christian martyrdom is no accident. Saints are not made by accident. Still less is a Christian martyrdom the effect of a man's will to become a Saint, as a man by willing and contriving may become a ruler of men. Ambition fortifies the will of man to become ruler over other men: it operates with deception, cajolery, and violence; it is the action of impurity upon impurity. Not so in Heaven. A martyr, a saint, is always made by the design of God, for His love of men, to warn them and to lead them, to bring them back to His ways. A martyrdom is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of martyrdom. So thus as on earth the Church mourns and rejoices at once, in a fashion that the world cannot understand; so in Heaven the Saints are most high, having made themselves most low, seeing themselves not as we see them, but in the light of the Godhead from which they draw their being.

I have spoken to you today, dear children of God, of the martyrs of the past, asking you to remember especially our martyr of Canterbury, the blessed Archbishop Elphege;* because it is fitting, on Christ's birth day, to remember what is that Peace which He brought; and because, dear children, I do not think I shall ever preach to you again; and because it is possible that in a short time you may have yet another martyr, and that one perhaps not the last. I would have you keep in your hearts these words that I say, and think of them at another time. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.





The movie about St. Thomas Beckett (starring Richard Burton ) is available on YouTube and on VHS via Amazon.

St. Thomas Becket links on Diigo.


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My Daily Domestic Clips 12/29/2010 (a.m.)

• 8 Ways We Sabotage Weight Loss | Gaiam Life

  tags: fitness

• Mom defies doctor, has baby her way - CNN.com

  tags: csection VBAC homebirth birth childbirth

• Taking Control of the Health Care Debate: Avoiding the Mistakes of the 1990s | The Heritage Foundation

  tags: areyousorryyet? currentevents obama healthcare history

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

The Holy Innocents

The Liturgical Year by Adolf Adam:

Even the oldest liturgical calendars already have a series of saints' feasts directly following on Christmas. The Middle Ages saw these saints as a crotege of honor accompanying the Christ-child, and gave them the name Comites Christi ("Companions of Christ"). In the Roman liturgy these companions are Stephen the first martyr on December 26, John the Apostle and Evangelist on December 27, and the children whom Herod slew in Bethlehem on December 28 (cf. Mt 2.13-18). These three were regarded as representing the three possible forms of martyrdom: voluntary and executed (Stephen), voluntary but not executed (John), and executed but not voluntary (Holy Innocents).

HT Jenn of Feast and Feria









Today is the commemoration of the Holy Innocents


When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under,in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:


A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping:
Rachel Weeping for Her Children
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more.
Jeremiah 31:15






************


Another sad day during the Christmas Season.


I think in every Catholic Household, throughout the rich liturgical year, you should choose to celebrate the feasts and commemorations that have meaning for your household. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is one of those for my household since I lost my own baby in 2002. It speaks to me as a mother in grief over the loss of my child in "lamentation and bitter weeping, refusing to be comforted for my child because he was no more."




But more than that over the years, it reminds me to pray for the mothers and children who are victims of abortion, children lost to miscarriage and stillbirth, and other disasters. It is a day to remember the children, lives cut short, and to remember them and ask for their prayers too. Today in a special way, I remember Dana at Roscommon Acres whose little boy died in a home accident just before Christmas.

For me it will be a special day. It is true that the home in a mother's heart will always be there after the loss of a child. But I think it is also true that a new baby is the salve that makes the pain from that injury bearable. I didn't realize how much I still hurt until I compared my Christmases from 2002, 2003, and 2004 to the Christmases since Rosie was born. Certainly time and distance has helped, but the deep ache and emptiness I felt previously is not as severe. It's like remembering what it was like to be very hungry compared to being very hungry. It's that different. But going to mass today always helps me to heal some more. Tomorrow I will be attending a funeral mass for a little baby from our parish, and I hope I can bring some comfort there.




If you have lost a child, a son or daughter, sibling, little friend, today would be a good day to remember him or her. Join your prayers with the ones at mass today and ask your little friend in heaven to be your intercessor with the Father.





Today is also a special day to remember all of the little children who have died through abortion.
A Prayer for the Victims of Abortion.

Grave site of Baby John - found dead and alone at a construction site. Given a grave and Christian burial in 2005.

Blessing of Children on Feast of Holy Innocents:

Leader (Mother and/or Father): Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, because of a dream, you escaped being killed with the other babies of Bethlehem. As an adult, you embraced and blessed the little children who came to you. You wanted them to come to you and used them as examples in your teaching. Look now on the beauty and innocence of these children. Bless them, their parents and all who care for them.

The leader signs the forehead of each child with the sign of the cross.

In Your grace and goodness let these children advance in age and wisdom, aware of your love for them and desiring to love others in your name. Help them to be faithful to the gospel and to live lives of compassion. Then they will surely come to their heavenly home where they will live in perfect happiness forever. We ask this in confidence in your holy name.

All answer: "Amen."

Leader to the children: "May God bless you and keep you. May your heart and mind be open. May you live a life of love and caring for all of God’s people and all of creation. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

All answer: "Amen."

The Leader then sprinkles the children with holy water.


Today is also a good day to make a donation to theChurch of the Holy Innocents in New York.
The Shrine is a great source of comfort to mothers who have lost babies to miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death and abortion.


Mr. Pete, putting the finishing holiday touches on the grave of our son, Raphael.






Other links for the Feast of the Holy Innocents in my del.icio.us links.







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Sing Joy!

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Feast of the Holy Family

The first Sunday after Christmas, on the liturgical calendar, celebrates the Holy Family. Pope Leo XIII instituted this feast in 1892, encouraging societies honoring the Holy Family to be established everywhere. He established this feast day to remind families of the sacredness of the family and to provide the laity with a model upon which to structure their own families. In 1974 Pope Paul VI wrote, in his Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus (For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary):


On the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (the Sunday within the octave of Christmas) the Church meditates with profound reverence upon the holy life led in the house at Nazareth by Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man, Mary His Mother, and Joseph the just man (cf. Mt. 1:19).

HT Living Catholicism

This was the first reading we had at mass today; emphasis mine!

Reading 1
Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1Sm 1:20-22, 24-28


God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.


My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.

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Santa's Helpers!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

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O Emanuel

O Emmanuel: O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their Savior: Come, and save us, O Lord our God.

O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

(7:14). Remember “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”




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My Daily Domestic Clips 12/23/2010 (a.m.)

• FCC Approves Plan to Regulate Internet | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?

  The comments here say it all!

  tags: obama currentevents areyousorryyet?

• FCC Approves Plan to Regulate Internet - FoxNews.com

  "his administration has already nationalized health care, banks and student loans."The hope and change we were promised - scary!!

  tags: obama currentevents areyousorryyet?

  • WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved a plan to regulate the Internet despite warnings that it could strangle industry investment and damage an economy that is still struggling to recover.

    The 3-2 vote fell along partisan lines with Democrats capitalizing on their numerical advantage.

  • But the move raises concern that the FCC could soon have its regulatory foot in the door of the wild wild West of the Internet -- with an eye toward eventually exerting tighter control over content at a time when sites like WikiLeaks openly snub the government. 

    Republicans warn that the new rules would impose unnecessary regulations on an industry that is one of the few bright spots in the current economy, with phone and cable companies spending billions to upgrade their networks for broadband.

  • Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told President Obama on Tuesday to leave the Internet alone, arguing that his administration has already nationalized health care, banks and student loans.

    "That's why I and GOP senators have urged the FCC chairman to back off," he said on the Senate floor.

• Creative Catechist | Articles

  tags: christmas Catholic advent antiphons

• Baby Jesus Bread Buns | Recipe | Cut Out + Keep

  These are so cute!!!

  tags: christmas Catholic cooking artsandcrafts

• What are the O Antiphons

  tags: christmas antiphons Catholic advent

• Waltzing Matilda: O Antiphon Activities

  tags: christmas antiphons Catholic advent

• Catholic Icing: O Antiphons Craft Ideas- Beginning Dec 17

  tags: christmas antiphons Catholic advent

• Catholic Icing: O Atiphons Ideas

  tags: christmas antiphons Catholic advent

• Vultus Christi: Advent Liturgy Archives

  tags: advent christmas antiphons Catholic

• O Rex Gentium - Vultus Christi

  tags: advent christmas antiphons

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

O Rex Gentium

An excellent discussion of today's (and all the antiphons!) by Father Mark found here.


O Rex Gentium,et desideratus earum,lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem,quem de limo formasti.


O King of the Gentiles or Nations (O Rex Gentium): O King of the Gentiles, Desired of all, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save poor man whom you fashion out of clay.


O Rex Gentium: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) .


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