Moments of Gratitude
::walking around an antique village on Saturday
::carrying Leo in the Moby Wrap
{A lifesaver!}
::finding a statue of St Joseph and St Therese
::finding an old ‘new’ rocking chair for my living room
::meeting my sister, nieces and nephews out there
::vanilla ice cream back at her house to cool off
::yummy grilled bacon cheese burger {also at her house}
::sitting in her bedroom visiting with our daughters
::my girls making jewelry
::tomatoes from our garden on the window sill
::a chubby baby asleep in a sister’s arms
::oldest daughter making spicy artichoke dip
Beauty in the Ordinary
Empty laundry baskets are a thing of beauty aren’t they? I would have never thought something so ordinary could be so beautiful and rewarding. The same goes with the tomatoes sitting in the window sill. I”m sure my grandma must have admired her tomatoes sitting in the sun and I probably thought her silly. I don’t now.
From the Kitchen
Tonight we’re having catfish from my sister in law and her husband. The only way I know to cook catfish is fried, so: fried catfish, corn on the cob and peach cobbler. The rest of the week looks like this:
::BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, coleslaw & baked beans
::Grandma’s Mac-n-Cheese, salad & baked apples
::Tacos, guacamole, beans
::Sliced Ham, salad, cornbread
::Refried Beans w/chips and cheese
Praying
We’re still offering our family rosary up for baby Christopher. He has a long road ahead of him. I’m sending up many prayers as I prepare our next school year.
Meditating
Luke asked the other day if it was hard for me to see The Passion of the Christ
after he was born. I said of course it was hard, it’s a hard movie to watch and the first time I saw it he was only a month or so old so I was very hormonal. But as he explained, he wanted to know if it was hard to watch because I had a son and Jesus was Mary’s Son. That conversation has somewhat changed my short meditations on the 7 Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pondering
I’m pondering the differences between gossipping and venting, talking and talking too much. It seems to be a very fine line. One priest said if you ‘vent’ to your husband, it needs to be some time after the incident so your passions, your emotions have settled. But at that point, how much is ok? How much is ‘just the facts’ and how much is too much talking?
Reading
My Ideal – Jesus Son Of Mary
{The children and I have been reading this together in the morning. It is a nice follow up to 33 Days to Morning Glory
Speaking of reading to the kids, the younger ones and I really enjoy reading a story together from Clara Dillingham Pierson’s Complete Among the People Series
Parenting Teens With Love And Logic
Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenagers: Discover How to Pray God’s Will for Their Lives
Memorizing
How long have I been saying I’m going to memorize the Magnificat? Too long! I am not making this a priority and need to do so if I ever hope to have it memorized.
Pinned
Interesting: The Psychology of Color
To Make: Essential A lined skirt
Words: On comparison
Looks Yummy: Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler {homemade topping instead of Bisquick}
Web Wanderings
Fr Hardon Archives
Early Church Fathers on the Scriptures
Looking Ahead
This week will be in the 100′s. I plan on staying inside my home.
Captured
{cousins}
A new link up here at Suscipio! A Catholic Woman’s Almanac or CWA. Let’s get together each Monday and share where we are in this great big world, what we’re reading, cooking, pondering, praying, etc. Feel free to make this your own, add or subtract as necessary.
Add your link to our CWA link up so we can visit and get a peek into your life. If you do not have a blog, please share your CWA in the comments.
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by Fr Jacques Philippe.
Sometimes I have no filter. That is why it is so important to have other women in my life which has been a struggle. This site has meant something to me. I have other women around me once in a while but this is a place I can share my faith. My husband has taken on too much of my ‘vent’ at times.
Whats going on in your kitchen sounds yum!
You ladies are inspiring me to learn more sewing skills.
When I get my blog straightened up I will have to link up.
I never understood (I’m an almost convert hopefully doing RCIA this fall) peoples personal attachment to Mary/Jesus in relation to the crucifixion and other holidays until I had my son and realized that this was a real person that a real mother had to birth, raise and let go – some how I always assumed Mary had been prepared for it all and wouldn’t have experience the emotional turmoil that a “normal” mother could go thru (oh boy was I wrong). I know understand why so many of my friends have such a strong devotion to her – she had no “get out of jail free card” she was still a person, still a wife, still a daughter and still a mother until the end!
I actually cried a little during Easter Mass this year thinking of how astonishing it would be to see your son just one more time, alive and healthy after loosing him. It still makes me tear up at the thought. For the first time in 29 years I “get” Easter.
Welcome Molly, not only to Suscipio but also the Church! Meditation takes on very different meanings when you make it personal doesn’t it? I think if we were able to fully understand that Jesus was completely human, it would be overwhelming.
I look forward to adding Suscipio to my list of blogs and information as I begin my journey!
http://mollymakesdo.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-have-always-considered-myself.html (My Easter post)
I am well aware of the fine line between talking and talking too much and I really struggle with that. When I need to vent, I try to spend some time thinking about it myself to get some of the emotion out, but my husband wants me to vent to him so that he knows what is going on with me – passionate and emotional, or not. And I want him to vent to me for the same reasons.
My husband and I are the same way, we really are interested and want to know what is going on with each other. Venting, though, is just that for me. Venting. Letting off steam, releasing the anger and tossing the frustration aside so that when I DO have a conversation with a loved one, husband, child, friend, it can be passionate and emotional without being downright ugly. I’m incredibly ugly when I’m angry and frustrated.
Well, now I’m hungry!! Your posts are so inspiring and truthfully, shamefully speaking, make me feel a bit inadequate. I would love to hear about what you choose to leave undone or how you manage to get it all done. Maybe, in the future sometime, you can share some of your strategies and/or struggles. (aside from pure Grace)
This Saturday I finally went to confession. I sat in the little chapel with Jesus and read day 32 of 33 Days.. I am ready to make my consecration now, but I’m not sure of the day, since there are no feast days nearby. I’m contemplating the “First Saturday” of July with a renewal every future First Saturday.
I stated to the priest of my extreme exhaustion and many tasks at home. He asked me if I considered sending the kids back to school and I told him that I was sure God wanted me to homeschool and that if I felt He was calling me to something different, I would comply. He asked if it was stubborness on my part or lack of agreement on my husbands part and has me pondering this matter. I certainly have only managed to “stick to the basics” over the past attachment parenting years with one on the way, deployment, move, sickness for almost a year and have felt nagging guilt for “just getting by” with a nine year old who hasn’t even made her first communion yet!! ugh!!
I question the knowledge of the homeschool way of life within some of the clergy, and although I want to be open to God’s will at all times, I just can’t seem to agree that it is better to just “Send them to school.” like my husband might say to my occasional throwing up of my hands in frustration.
My prayer intentions have been an offering of physical discomfort and pain and prayers to “Our Lady of Sorrows” for my oldest son who is away from the church and a decline in faith for my oldest daughter.
For the Return of Our Children to the practice of the Catholic Faith.
Sorrowful Mother, you who understand the suffering of a parent, please hear my prayer. Mother, whose heart was torn as a world of hate crucified Your Son, have pity on me and mine. Extend your hand in love and guidance to my child, so that the path you walk together, will lead to a re-discovery of the fullness of faith found only in the Eucharist. Help me to continue to love unconditionally, no matter what the circumstances. Amen
Imprimatur: Most Rev. James P. Keleher, S.T.D.
One day at a time…..
Oh Michelle, I wish my sister or best friend would jump in here and tell you how ‘untogether’ I have it all! As for deciding what gets done and what doesn’t, that just seems to work itself out naturally.
My spiritual director said he thought this website was good idea as long as I kept it real. If he knew someone was feeling inadequate by looking at my life, I would have ALOT of explaining to do!
How old are your children? I know when mine were younger it was super hard, now it’s just hard lol! Older kids make a huge difference around the house; they can help cook and clean, they are great baby holders too.
I bet if you actually wrote down what your children have learned, the basics were covered plus some and I totally understand what you mean by these past years of attachment parenting, but without the deployment or move. But it all is what it is, you know. God gave you these kids because you are the right parent for them, and not just in the easy happy go lucky times, but especially in the tough times.
Your daughter must make her 1st Communion, you know that. Other things must be put aside, she needs to be physically united to our Lord. She needs those graces and those graces will overflow into your family.
I completely think ‘just getting by’ is a season full of grace. It is in this time when you act of love and obedience. Blessings to you dear Michelle and your children who are struggling with their faith.
From one mom to another I want you to know I am praying for you. I always have to remember that the clergy is human too… as a mom you will know the pullings of your heart on the school issue. You can always meet God in the middle and no matter what you decide neither is failure. He sees your great effort with your family.
Sometimes I read blogs from other moms and we tend to be hard on ourselves and think it’s perfect. But most ladies on here are real and thats why i flock here! lol….we don’t tend to post pics of our laundry pile, our kids leftover lunch that hit the floor or the husband that is having a hard day but it’s there for all of us Michelle. Trust me. Grab a sister here….you have vented and prayed in the right place in my opinion. I am lifting you up as I certainly identify! Each morn is new
Venting? Nope…not to the Husband unless it specifically involves him. He has enough worries of his own, right? My Mom is a good option, because she understands venting and just lets it run, no judgement, just a place to mind dump and she follows up with sound advice backed up withe the experience of fifty years of marriage. The absolute best venting place? Max, the dog. He’s partially deaf, so he thinks I’m just talking to him. He doesn’t judge either, never repeats what is shared in confidence, he doesn’t throw any verbal barbs back at me, and he forgets everything within thirty seconds of our conversation.
LOL! Angela…the dogs? Why didn’t I ever think of that? I am trying that next time : )
That’s so true about our husbands having enough worries. Thanks for reminding me.
Love, love, love your CWA…don’t know where to start. Would of loved to peruse the antique shop with you : )
“Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenagers?” Are you kidding me? I am getting that one! That was a nudge from the Spirit : )
I have had the same discussion with my spiritual director about *venting*…it is a fine line. Sometimes I observe the way I feel after as part of the discernment…do I feel a little guilty cause I went overboard? Did I say more than what was needed? Did I end on a positive note?
I will be linking up shortly…thanks for sharing this.
Good morning Theresa. The antique village was fun, hot but fun. They also had some live music, Bluegrass, which I love. It was a nice way to cool off in the air conditioned barn listening to good music. I’m sure my grandma would say the baby has a stuffy nose b/c he would get hot outside, then we’d stand next to the air conditioner in the inside stores, lol!