4 days and counting...

I can hardly believe my trip to Ireland is coming up so fast! Time flies when you're having fun I guess... and too busy to think :)

Last week was one of those weeks I felt like I barely saw my home and my pooches (and i definitely never located my head)... it was great, but not enough home time. The CTK parish mission was amazing, all about living in the power of the resurrection- wow. Good good stuff, a great shot in the arm and inspiration to live even more sold out for Christ... so that was Sun-Wed evenings, on top of Pentecost planning team stuff (thanks to LAM for a beautiful brochure), work, Thurs was the HSC play, Fiddler on the roof- which was awesome!! Teens and cousins in it, so that was a blast. Then Friday, our first softball games (yes, they killed us, but we had fun anyway), a bunch of people at my house, bulletin stuffing, hanging out, watching Maverick, great time. Saturday i was finally home and did lots of yard work, then Rosie Love's baptism and party, and finally hanging out at the Bradstard pad with the college kids after that until much too late. Sunday, family brunch to celebrate birthdays, good time with the fam, and a nice opporunity for the BOC to run like wild and wear off some energy!! then some putzing in the yard, Life Teen, and just like another week is off and running.

Last night was great because it was the first night in about 3 weeks i didn't have anywhere to be... so i played with the BOC, weeded my garden bed (it was such a beautiful evening!!), watered plants, swept the floors, actually made a real dinner... it was perfect and so good to have an evening at home! For the rest of the week, somehow i have to figure out how to run a dozen errands, do some cleaning, practice softball, play softball (friday), laundry, pack... ahhhh... all before i leave Sat morning! Like I said, I'm excited, but a bit overwhelmed.

So... pray i dont die driving on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car... or hiking alone in the remote hills of Ireland although frankly, i'm more nervous about the driving. God bless you!

love this kid

Sunday was great. It was a beautiful day and I went to the Corner Brewery with one of my favorite kids (and her parents, who are also pretty cool :)

This is how Maria feels about solid food.











... and this is how Maria feels about beer :)

The gardening bug

Have i mentioned how ready i am for spring? Those few days of 70 degree weather and sunshine have made the last few weeks seem sooooo much longer! I'm ready to be back out in the yard. There is something very theraputic about working in the garden (for me anyway). Now at work I've got a lot happening most of the time, trying to keep projects sorted out, staying on top of the paperwork (or at least attempting to), lots of phone calls, co-worker stuff, etc. By the end of the day, i can feel the knots tightening in my back and neck and i'm ready to just get home and attempt to unwind. I will be the first to admit that i'm not that great at unwinding, there are usually dozens of on going projects calling my name, laundry, house cleaning, dogs to play with, friends to catch up with, etc. ahhhh... I can't keep up!! And yet, somehow, working in the yard and garden helps me truly unwind. I'm not necessarily less busy, in that there is always something to be done, preparing the soil, watering, fertilizing, mulching, weeding, checking for ripe vegetables, deadheading spent flowers, getting rid of those disgusting japanese beetles, transplanting, pruning, ... the list goes on and on. I sometimes wonder why it is so theraputic for me? Maybe its that i can do little things and God is really the one doing the work, and somehow my participating in that and enjoying the beautiful things He does gives me peace and a sense of His presence. Maybe its that I can spend a long work day wanting to dig through the papers and find my desk, only to get more paper by the end of the day... and yet I can spend 20 minutes weeding a flower bed and see the improvement it makes. Maybe its a reminder that God who clothes the lilies of the valley with such splendor is certainly going to take care of me.

Spring is such a time of life and celebration and renewal. so tied to my own life. Winter is a long grueling season for me- its hard to be indoors, lacking sunshine, exercise (yes, i know its my own fault), and i just long for the warmer days and sunlight! Then spring comes... yes, the rain makes for some gray days, but the plants start poking their heads through the soil, new leaves begin to form, the grass gets greener by the day... the crocuses welcome spring even in the snow at times.. there is hope and color and sunshine!! I was realizing this year how similiar lent is to the coming of spring. As spring approached, i spent one of those nice days outside pulling all the leaves out of my flower beds, breaking off the old dead foliage, cleaning out the junk from last year, and in doing so, i found the crocuses and the other plants beginning to poke through and see the sun. Lent is a time of cleaning up the junk... of getting rid of the stuff in the way so that we can see the Light, and that Light is the Life of Men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. Lord, may this Easter season be one of life and hope and rejoicing, that in the penance and sacrifices we made in lent allow us to see you more clearly.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter (and I hope you're all praying for a return of the sunshine as well! I could use it right about now ;)

a couple pictures

Geno


Lucy and Ellie at my grandparents house

Funny Priest Story

Okay, he's not really a priest (yet anyway). Geno, age 3.5, who does think he's a priest sometimes. Anyhoo, he and Lu came over for our monthly (ish) dinner and a haircut night. After cutting Geno's hair, naturally his shirt was hairy and itchy. So i went upstiars and got a men's small white t-shirt, which goes nearly to the floor on him. At first he was confused and not sure how he felt about this big shirt, till i explained it was like an alb that Fr. and the altar servers wear. He told me, "Fr wears a purple alb in lent, but I just have green for ordinary time."

Knowing I had several tableclothes of many different colors, including purple, (thanks to someone's wedding) I offered to make him a purple alb. His eyes got very wide and he excitedly said, "Yeah, cuz Father has a purple alb!" So, I got the material, measured him, and in very short order had a new purple alb on Fr Geno. Not only was he thrilled to have a seasonally appropriate color on, but he was distracted and awed by how amazingly authentic the white sleeves of the alb underneath the purple chasable looked. He was so distracted, in fact, that while saying Mass, everytime he'd raise his hands "let us pray" or see his reflection in the fireplace, he'd pause for a long look at his amazing new look... Donal and I were dying of laughter- on the inside of course :) Seriously, it was the longest Mass I've been to in a long time- and I go to Christ the King!!

Donal commented when I was fitting G for his purple chasable, that Palm Sunday was red and that G was bound to notice. I laughed it off... and sure enough, Hannah calls on Sunday afternoon, "Um, Reenie, Geno asked me to call you... He noticed that Father is wearing red vestments and he only has green and purple..." Yeah, Geno notices everything at Mass, no surprise there. Diplomatic Aunt Reenie was able to convince him that if I made him a white chasable he'd be able to wear it more, especially with Easter and the whole Easter season in front of us. He seemed pleased with that option... so no red vestments have been made... yet...

Holy Week

Good morning friends, Happy Holy Week! I am seriously like a kid waiting for Santa on Christmas when it comes to Holy Week, its definitely my favorite week of the year! What a blessed and rich time. Holy week is one of those times i am incredibly grateful to the Catholic- what richness and depth we have, especially during this season. Wow. All week the readings at daily Mass have been leading us up to the Triduum... today the Gospel (http://www.usccb.org/nab/040407.shtml) was about Judas betraying Jesus. Somehow it really hits home. Sure, most of the time i like to think that I live a faithful life, try to avoid serious sin, etc., and yet, when it comes down to it, that could have been me. How often do I let pride or greed or selfishness get in the way of what God is doing?

In yesterday's Gospel (http://www.usccb.org/nab/040307.shtml), Peter, the first pope, a man that walked with Jesus also betrayed the Lord, though not in the same way as Judas, just as real. After Judas leaves the upper room to betray Jesus, Jesus is telling His apostles that He will be leaving soon.

Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?”
Jesus answered him,“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,though you will follow later.”
Peter said to him,“Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

How often I have said to Jesus, "Take my life, Lord. I will follow you, lay down my life for you, live for you." And yet, like Peter, when the rubber hits the road, how often have I also denied even knowing Him by my words or actions or inactions? Lord, continue to reveal yourself to me in this holy season, convicting me of my sin so that i may truly rejoice in your saving death and resurrection!

As usual, I am working with the teens to put on the living Stations of the Cross for the parish on Good Friday. St Alphonsus Ligori's Stations are so deep and moving... and this line always strikes a chord in my heart: "I love You, beloved Jesus; I love You more than I love myself. With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will." Lord, may we love you more than ourselves in all things, big and small. May we enter more deeply into your heart during this Triduum, so that by meditating on your passion and death, we may come to know the true joy of the Resurrection!

Happy Holy Week my friends. May you be blessed abundantly in these holiest of days!!