And now for the "It's-a-nice-place-to-visit-but-I-wouldn't-want-to-live-there" part of our show.

Yea, well, maybe visiting some of these places is only for the more adventurous and stout hearted of our group. These places were abandoned, some of them in a hurry.  Some are so decayed they are dangerous to try to walk into.  I see two lessons when I look at these pictures.   First, look at the beauty and design, there is no excuse for plain or ugly anything.  Second, there is a profound lesson on detachment here.  Things are just things and, as they say, you can't take them with you.  Just follow the link below the photo to the photographer's web site. 

(Notice the 1 of 18 at the top of the picture, that is 1 of 18 groups of pictures,  206 pictures total)

Brillance vs. Warmth - Curriculum Can Only Do So Much

Perhaps not my favorite author, but he makes a great point here.   In your homeschool year do not be just the taskmaster-schoolmarm-authority figure, remember, you are first the Mommy.  The warmth of maternity makes your presence the perfect growing (and learning) medium for your children.

Oh, Phooey!

I had a lovely morning.  Things seemed to be going my way.  I had mustered up the courage to tackle a meeting that I was worrying about.

It is all for the good of the kingdom and it came off with flying colors.

Everything we ate today
 is in this picture. Cool, huh?
Can you guess what we ate?

 We went out to Panera for a celebratory breakfast. Then home for a piano lesson and a lovely chat with my girls, all very nice.

  Just as Bonny's Piano lesson was beginning, I saw a hummingbird hovering near a red pot on the deck.  The pot was empty, so it was a disappointment to the hummingbird.
      I, in my kindness and good will toward all God's creatures, resolved to bring up onto the deck some flowers that were supposed to be hummingbird favorites, and went out to do just that, when I noticed that the plants needed a little water. Naturally, my good will extended to even the plant kingdom, and I went to fetch the hose and turn on the water.  Having finished that small work of mercy for my plants, I went to shut off the water, as all good girls should.  Suddenly, just as my foot hit the wet step of the deck, it slipped off the step.   My other foot came down on the same slippery step and followed its companion off the step!  I swiveled as I went down, trying to catch myself, but landed, sprawled out on the steps, the right side of my face striking the slippery step's edge.

I think the "slippery when wet" sign
 depicts the action of swiveling very well.

     No bones or glasses were broken, no blood visible, just a wounded pride , a dirty knee, and the potential for a serious facial bruise.  One ice pack later all I wanted was a nap.  Bonny was very consoling, "It"s O.K... it's hardly noticeable, Mom,  it just looks like you ran into a door."

Mortification of vanity... this too, is all for the good of the kingdom.

Everything is a Grace!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

This week I had chance to hear a talk by Patrick Madrid that is distributed by Lighthouse Catholic Media.  The talk was called "Why I am Catholic when I could be anything else".

It has been a long time since I heard him speak and I enjoyed his engaging manner of talking and the anecdotes and exercises he described but I think I enjoyed most his Mission statement, which he read out at the end of the talk and I have to say it has lit a new fire under me to start making a difference where I am.  Below is a copy of that Mission statement.

Smooth knees...a real prayer warrior does not have smooth knees!
T.K.

Holy Spirit Novena- It's time to start again!

      Yesterday, during confession, my esteemed confessor told me two things, it is the Ascension, and so we must have our heads in the clouds, so to speak.  Lifting up our minds, our attitudes, our composure, our demeanor, our outlook, to be in heaven with Jesus.  But not just today, everyday!  We must live our lives as citizens of the heavenly kingdom stretched up to heaven but still impacting, for good, those here on earth with our lives and work.  (Bonny added that then we would be giving God that much more chance to fill us with Grace and make us conduits of his grace to those around us.)  He also said this is the time to push the reset button on your spiritual life.

 What better time to Reset than that time when we call down onto ourselves the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit Novena by St. Alphonsus Liguori

If you haven't started it yet, do it today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bslmmrs/5700183747/

The Perfect Storm

Lessons for all of us!

 Hear Father Dufner talk about "The Perfect Storm"

More from the good Father (and others)

     What has our culture drawn us into?  Why are we not fighting for a better life for ourselves and our children?  Listen to this clear voice give instruction on how to cut off the head of the monster that is trying to swallow us whole.

On the First Day of Holy week...

Here is one way to observe Holy week that can be continued all year long

Come Pray the Rosary at comepraytherosary.org

     Come Pray the Rosary is an online rosary that is very easy to follow and is used by many people around the world.  You can choose to do your rosary individually or join in the rosary that others are praying.  On the bottom of this intro screen they tell how many others are praying with you. It is going on 24 hours /day and has a page where you can write in an intention and read the other intentions that have been written so you can pray for others' needs specifically. 

      Click the link under the picture and let Mary lead you through this Holy week.

A personal Exodus

        A few weeks ago Dashman and I decided that commuting to Wacko Alley to deliver papers every morning was getting too taxing on our sleep schedules, work schedules and gas tanks. So, we handed in our two weeks notice (causing much chagrin in the paper depot, as we had one of the largest routes) and contacted the paper depot in our own neck of the woods. This time it was I who signed the papers, officially taking the new route as my own. We spent some time over the next two weeks trying to train in our clueless replacement- but I'll let Dashman explain the painful details.
        We then started our new route, delivering PP papers. (NOT to the driveways! What do we look like- Barbarians!?) Anyway, so far it has been fairly pleasant, the people friendly and helpful, and the depot clean and neat. The route also covers the same area where we live, so the commute home is non-existent, instead of the half-hour drive we used to take.
        Last week, as we were finishing up the route, I mentioned to Dashman that we had two houses on Caramel that we had to deliver to. Dashman replied, "Caramel? I can't drive on caramel!"
       I rolled my eyes. "If the Israelites could wade through milk and honey, you can drive on a bit of caramel!"

To Know, Love and ...?

Yesterday I was babysitting again, a family of 3 little girls and 1 boy ranging in age from ten to three.  When we started to make supper, Miss America and Princess helped take the taco fixings out of the fridge, but the youngest, Captain America, began to cry that he didn't like tacos and ran out of the room.

"I like tacos" carolled five-year-old Madame President as she twirled around the kitchen, "I love tacos".  Then she pulled herself up conscientiously.  "No, no I don't love tacos.  I like them very, very, very much."

Ah, I thought, she's had that conversation, the one about loving people and liking things that all little kids get eventually.
"Do you know why you can't love tacos?" she continued rhetorically.
"Why?"
"You can't love tacos because you can't squeeze them!" she concluded with triumph, and returned to her twirling, leaving me speechless.

Honestly though, she's got a point.  Have you ever tried to squeeze a taco?