Easter People

 

We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery - the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!”. We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the “fundamental duty of love of neighbour, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy”. We realize that joy is demanding; it demands unselfishness; it demands a readiness to say with Mary: “Be it done unto me according to thy word”.  

- ANGELUS St. JP II

 

Wishing you and yours a blessed and joyous Easter!

AMDG

Lent, huh?

I think we go into Lent with all sorts of plans.  We want to make it a time of penance and spiritual growth.  We might try to give up something, maybe candy, or alcohol, computer time, TV,  or breakfast runs at Mickey D’s.  Or, we think to do something extra – daily rosaries, Eucharistic adoration, good deeds, spiritual reading.  

But, invariably we fail.  Okay, maybe you don’t, but I do, miserably.

Lent, huh?

I attended our parish mission with the hope of gaining some peace and new insights into our faith.  Miserable failure.  Really.  Miserable.

Lent, huh?

I need a beer.  Well, I want a beer.  Out goes that sacrifice.

Maybe I'll do something else instead.  Or try harder.  Or give up giving up.

This Lent has made me think that this is a time when God laughs.  You had plans?

Perhaps what we were doing wasn't what we were supposed to be doing.  This seems to be a time meant to be open to opportunities as they present themselves.

• Dealing with heath issues or helping another with theirs.
• Letting go of long held desires or goals.
• Being available and open to someone who needs an ear to listen. 

Lent, huh?

Not what we plan, but definitely what we need. 
 

AMDG

TToT (14): A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

It's been entirely too long since I've done one of these.  There's a lot of catching up to do.

- one-

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we decided one day that we were bored and the best time to start a new project was right before the holidays and right before I was to leave town for a work trip.  We decided to paint one of the bedrooms that we use as a sitting room.  I think this falls into the category of "We've done dumber things."  Just a couple of weeks ago, we finally finished (mostly) the painting and started getting the room back in order.

- two-

We replaced the ugly ceiling fan.  Thanks to Himself's good taste, we sent back the not so pretty light fixture I had picked out and installed this one.  Holy cow!  I didn't realize just how overwhelming the fan was in the room until it was gone.  The room feels so light and airy now.

- three-

I am very, VERY thankful for drop clothes when painting.  Ask me how I know.  Go on.  Ask me.  See that corner in the left of the picture?  When I was painting there I kinda tipped the paint tray over.  Thankfully, that green sheet on the floor in the right corner was moved over to the left corner when I did it.  No carpeting was harmed in this project. (Another "dumber thing" perhaps?)

- four-

I gave the hairy beast his annual haircut.  Over the winter he gets rather matted and starts to look like a Rastafarian pooch with all his dreadlocks.  He is quite patient with me, but needed a water break halfway through. 

- five -

We have had some tremendously awesome weather here for the beginning of March.  Sunshine and temps in the sixties and seventies just revive my spirit and make me smile. 

.

- six -

I've go my sewing "mojo" back.  I started on a quilt for my niece maybe a year ago.  Nothing difficult, but somehow I just kept avoiding it.  With some inspiration from this dear blogger (check out her Irish chain quilt about halfway down the post) I got back at it.  I finished piecing the top and will be bringing it to a local shop to be quilted.  More to come on that.

- seven -

That sewing mojo?  It continues on.  I started and am making great progress on a quilt for the sitting room.  We had collected fabric with which I had intended on making a "raggedy" quilt, but decided to just do a "regular" one.  Good decision.

- eight -

 Have I ever mentioned just how much I love Amazon Prime?  I found a print I forgot I had and decided to frame it for the sitting room.  It's an odd size and I wanted a frame it without a matt, but wanted some color around it.  After looking at all the craft stores in the area for an unfinished wood frame, I searched Amazon and found just what I wanted.  Two days later it was in my hands and ready  for the dark green stain that we had leftover from another project.  It turned out better than I hoped.

- nine -

We celebrated Himself's birthday at Sis's house last weekend.  At her bedtime, my niece cannot possibly go to bed without a story or two.  Aunt Donna and Uncle Himself were more than happy to oblige.  It melts heart to see these two together!

- ten -

I took a vacation day on Monday and we celebrated the aforementioned birthday by going to the market and then out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  It is in an old bank building, built when banks were grand and majestic.  Thankfully they kept all the beautiful architecture.  And, the food is as good as the ambiance!

Check out more goodness at  A Fly on Our (Chicken Coop) Wall.

AMDG

First Photo: March 2016

The view of the garden this month is not all that much different than the one at the beginning of February.  The garden is still brown and the grass a dormant green.  It looks the same, and, if you didn't know any better, nothing happened this past month.  

In those in between days, though, we saw snow come and go, several times over.

I think people are sometimes like that, too.  On all outwards appearances, they seem the same, but we are never privy to all that goes on.  

Life happens when we're not looking.

AMDG

Watch Your Language . . .You Never Know Who’s Listening

Last Monday, Himself asked me how my drive home from work was.  I grumbled something about getting behind every stupid, moronic, idiot driver that was out there on the roads.

I’m sure you handled it well, he responded.

I didn’t, unfortunately.  I said a whole lot of bad words.

He was surprised.  When someone is in the car with me, I usually keep calm and watch my language.  Not when I’m alone.  All bets are off.

Your mom is there with you.

Huh?

Pennies from heaven.  

My mom seemed to find money laying around wherever she went, sometimes in the oddest of places.  Most of the times it was coins, but on occasion it was paper money as well.  She and my dad started keeping a jar of “found money” and every July would tally it up and go spend it all.  One year it was well over a hundred dollars.

Now when I find coins, I look up, and say ‘hi’ to mom.  I keep a couple of those “pennies from heaven” in the cup holder in the car.  Mom rides along with me.

It must be something about Mondays that makes people exceptionally bad drivers.  I met a few more of them on the road today.  And, I didn’t say any of those “uck” words that she so disliked.


AMDG

Lenten Prayer Buddies

In just one week we will be starting Lent.  I don't know about you, but I haven't given a whole lot of thought yet about what I want to do.  The one thing, I do know, is that I am looking forward to increased, focused prayer for my Prayer Buddy.

During Lent, you can say prayers, novenas, and rosaries, light candles, and offer up suffering for your secret Prayer Buddy and whatever intentions he or she specifies.  On Easter, or shortly thereafter, you will let your assigned person who you are and how you remembered them.

Those interested in participating, please email me at:

prayerbuddy@roadrunner.com

I will need from you is:

Your first name or first initial
Your blog address (or email address if you are not a blogger)
Your intentions

Optional:

Your full name
Your address
(Address can be provided if your Prayer Buddy plans to send you a small remembrance at Easter)

DEADLINE FOR SIGN-UPS IS: Tuesday, February 9th

AMDG  

First Photo: February 2016

Ahh!  We made it out of January fairly unscathed.  Very little snow has fallen in these parts and I don't think you will hear anybody complaining.  And, if you do, we'll ignore them!

Hopefully February goes the same way.  If not, we'll get through it.  We always do.


AMDG

Adult Coloring Books?

Back in the Fall I read a number of articles touting adult coloring books.  Supposedly these provide a new way to relax and de-stress.  I had a couple of sets of almost-never-used colored pencils sitting around, so I decided to give it a try.  After all, who couldn't use a new way to unwind?

 

I got on Amazon and did a search.  There are over twenty pages of these coloring books from which to choose and there seems to be something for everyone.  Nature appears to be good inspiration for those who create these.  I saw owls and oceans, plenty of trees, leaves, and flowers, dogs, cats, elephants and birds.  Did you know Unicorns Are Jerks? 

 

I learned quickly that I need to be cautious when perusing the selections.  There are those that have very "adult" themes, if you know what I mean.  I'm afraid to see what was in those!

 

I stumbled upon a bunch of faith themed books.  I finally found one that looked promising.  Two days later, my very own coloring book arrived. 

 

Before I could possibly color, I had to have something to organize my pencils.  So out came an old salad dressing jar and my glass etching compound.  I created a simple design with masking tape and slathered on the goop.  Five minutes later, I had a new-to-me pencil holder.

 

I chose a picture, tore it out of the book and started coloring.  What color to start with?  Do I shade or color in solid?

 

I found, for me, coloring ranks right up there (or is it down there) with paint by numbers.  It was frustrating and tedious.  I didn't relax at all.  I enjoyed making the jar so much more.

 

What am I missing?

 

AMDG

Jonas who?

I am old enough to remember the blizzard of 1978 that hit Ohio over a two day period.  It was a horrible, horrid storm that left over fifty people dead and many houses and buildings either damaged or destroyed.  People still talk about it.  But, it has never been called anything but the blizzard of '78.

 

By all accounts the storm that hit the east coast this weekend was brutal.  Large amounts of snow paralyzed cities and millions of people were impacted.  "Jonas" will talked about for days, weeks and years to come.

 

How is it that storms are anthropomorphized and given names but babies in the womb are dehumanized, ripped apart and tossed out? 

 

That this storm happened the weekend of the Roe v. Wade anniversary is not lost on me.

 

It's a weird, weird world we live in.

 

 

AMDG

A Ten Dollar Dream

If you are anything like me, last week you did something you normally don’t do – you bought a lottery ticket.  The chance at one point four billion dollars seemed kind of hard to pass up.

 

I think once the ticket was purchased the day dreaming and planning began.  What to do with all that money?  Perhaps pay off the mortgage or do a little remodeling.  Buy a car or take a trip.  How soon before I would quit my job?  Whom would I tell?  What charities did I want to fund and friends and family would I help?  Decisions, decisions.

 

I read an article in which businessman and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban gave advice to a potential lottery winner.

 

If you weren't happy yesterday, you won't be happy tomorrow.  It's money.  It's not happiness.

 

If you were happy yesterday, you are going to be a lot happier tomorrow.  It's money.  Life gets easier when you don't have to worry about the bills.

 

I splurged and bought five chances.  Ten bucks.  Instead of telling the cashier to give me a winner, which I am sure she hears that one all day, I told her to give me some losers.  And you know what?  She listened.

 

It was fun to think of all the possibilities, even if it was just for a day or two.  And, I’m still as happy as I was before I bought the ticket.  Just ten dollars poorer.

 

 

AMDG