12.27.18 an update

Hey friends,

It's been a while since I last wrote.. mostly because the next two weeks after I last wrote got really crazy..so here is a big update...
Its been an especially busy/stressful month, 2-3 weeks in particular, so although I still did some writing, I haven't opened this website in weeks, and have barely had any time for any blog reading.
I have finished my first semester of classes at UW Superior. I am glad to have the semester over with & behind me! Just a few weeks before classes start again....
November 30th-December 2nd I had a steer show, the Badger Kickoff Classic. This was my third year doing the show, and my first time bringing a Gelbvieh steer (AOB class). I had a really stressful two weeks before the show, I was feeling very unprepared leading up to it and was hesitant if I should even go, but am really glad I powered through and did the show!
Last weekend we got more hay and in a few weeks we weigh the steers again + move them into another pen.

Listening to lately:
I've been through many song listening kicks in the last few weeks with many new additions to my Spotify and YouTube playlists.... King Tut by Steve martin, Pachabel's Canon in D, Hello Dolly, Jump Around, Safe & Sound by Taylor Swift, Istanbul....
We were at a wrestling meet and "Long way to the top" by AC/DC played, and I've been obsessed ever since.
I'm conviced that I have the greatest spotify playlist ever with the latest additions of Andrea Boccelli covers, Sonata 14 in C Sharp Minor, The River Kwai March, some Bing Crosby and some Frank Sinatra.
I am still very much enjoying the Punch Bowl Podcast and the SSPX podcast.

Reading:
I haven't been keeping pace on my reading, but have been keeping up with some "themes": bible history, catechesis of the good Shepard & the liturgical year.
Currently Reading: Art Through Faith, the pictures are beautiful!

Watching:
lots of Parks & Recreation (way too much of it) while babysitting; I have decided that Tom is my favorite character
My siblings and I went and saw The Grinch at the theater. We saw ads for the new Mary Poppins at the theater and I'm not much into Mary Poppins (like at all!) but I saw that Dick van Dyke is in the new one (everyone in my circles thinks he's dead!) so I would consider going to see the new Mary Poppins because he is in it...
For Christmas my uncle, my Grandpa and I all got 2 Sebastian Maniscalco DVDs!

Liturgical Year:
In December, I went to a mass said by Cardinal Burke at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have no pictures, but it was a cool experience. I really wanted to ask him about his shoes...
It's always hard that the show weekend is always right before the end of the semester and the first weekend of Advent, so my advent doesn't always get off to an amazing start.  My Advent has not been as robust as I had planned; I have done some reading, did the O antiphons, did a Jesse Tree variation, some writing & I think that is about it. I haven't gone to daily mass in 20 days, but made it today (!!) for the Feast of Saint John. It was so good to be back on this rainy morning!
As many of you may know, back in November, Our beloved Bishop Morlino died quite unexpectedly. That was a big shock. I ended up going to his funeral mass, as well vespers/a visitation the night before. I have a lot more to say about him/his death, to be written later. I now have a painted peg doll of him on my desk, and a funeral holy card of him in my missal. It still feel very surreal...
My Instagram has suddenly become a little more lively with liturgical living updates. I might make an account just for the liturgical year.
For the feast of saint Stephen I found some fun versions of Good King Wenceslaus--Here and Here
We had a very routine Christmas with my mom's immediate family -- lots of cooking & visitors throughout the day, a trip to the cemetery, dinner, movies, looking at Christmas lights, opening gifts & the Midnight mass. This year, for the first time, some of my siblings played their instruments in the choir. I realized that the Nativity scene at the church is the biggest, most magnificent nativity set I have ever seen in a church.
I turn 21 in just a few days, so there are more liturgical celebrations ahead of us. Speaking of the year 1998, I had a moment the other day where I was reading my new Sebastian Maniscalco autobiography and I asked out loud if Frank Sinatra was still alive, and I was answered with "he died May 14 1998!" and I answered right away "so many greats died that year...Father Kunz, Frank Sinatra, and the last season of Seinfeld!" So many things happened the year I was born!!
I'm also diving head first into some liturgical year projects. I hope to share more at their completion.

Memory Work:
So there are these two songs--"who did swallow Jonah?" and "little David" that the teachers at Catholic Schoolhouse taught the kids, and sadly, I too memorized these songs...
I still have the Creed and the Beverly Hillbillies theme song in my "Memory Work" YouTube playlist. I think that I have the Beverly Hillbillies theme song memorized enough, but the creed is still slowly coming a long.
And, yes, memorizing AC/DC songs as well.

Today I have to run to the post office (returning some defective beats that I got) and have a dress rehearsal tonight. It's been a  rainy day here and my brother and I lit the burn barrel. We took around the yard and discovered that the big steer pen is in total disarray, so that has to be fixed before we put the steers in there (!).

Happy Christmastide, everyone! I hope to do some more writing in just a few days! 

Nov 2017-Nov 2018

I was recently inspired by this post to write a little reflection on the last year. Like Emma, I too have experienced a wide range of changes and I thought it would be fun to highlight some. Many of these were "surprises" like who would have expected this? but mostly the end of age 19 and age 20 has been great for me! I have learned, among MANY other things, that God's plans are ALWAYS better than mine. I say things like "I never knew...." or "who would have thought....?" a lot.  I have learned a lot this year and have had many new experiences.
In no particular order....

Some time last fall, I watched My Cousin Vinny for the first time. That was life changing. I am not sure why I did not think of watching that any sooner? This has now become my all time favorite movie ever. I also discovered Seinfeld to be actually funny, and my favorite is "Is Any One here a Marine Biologist?". my comedy side has really come out strong in the last year!

We went to Italy!! I do need to write more about Italy here but there is some written under this label. Italy was great! (I met someone recently who told me that she didn't like Italy/being in Italy. I do not understand how this is possible. How can you not like Italy?)

I finished my third year of raising steers and have started my fourth year. Last year we had a Simmental and this year we are back to Gelbviehs. Last year I showed a beef heifer for the first time. This was our first year in 3, maybe 4 years, of raising pigs where we didn't have any deaths. So our year with pigs was a complete success. Through our kittens, and our vet, I discovered the cuterebra parasite and I had the delight (at the time, misfortune) of pulling one out of a kitten myself. Go me!

I have really discovered the Latin Mass this year through books, daily low mass, my missal, the SSPX, Fr. Peter Lee's first mass.... Ever since my early/mid teens I have wanted to "get more into" the Latin Mass especially with more exposure and this year I think I have really done it! On the same note, my attitude towards the SSPX has made a full turn around and has really grown.
And, in the spring/summer I did my "quest for recent church history" through priests, books and talking to other people.

Jerry Coniker died. I really truly thought that I would be able to spend more time with him  before he died. My Grandpa Bruno turned 80! To my mom's chagrin I am turning more and more into her dad. I usually go to bed at 8:30pm now. I went to Door County for the first time as well as the shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. Very nice places each, I'll be back. My art knowledge/interest has blossomed. This Devotion  has blossomed in my life. Liturgical Living continues to make a climb in my life. I bought my first 2 cars this year. My book collection has exploded. I've been using Spotify. I bought my first iPhone and I love it. I have met many different people and become involved in many different families. I kind of feel like I know everyone now. I still dream of India and adopting Indian Children. I still babysit. a lot. I still read. a lot. I still write. a lot. I discovered Catholic Schoolhouse, and the importance of memory work.  I still love Charlotte Mason and Maria Montessori.

I started "more official" teaching in the Spring for some weeks and in the Fall for some weeks. Good times!

I met this lovely Mrs KBL on 2/25/18. I have written about her some already. I have entered a whole new world with her that I never knew I would, but I am so glad that I have. This world includes constant in-home caregivers, Hoyer lifts, catheters, so much confusion,  MS, dementia and just a whole mess of things. These would be the "negative" things. But knowing her, has also included learning many great lessons (as well as practical lessons I didn't think I'd learn like steering a power wheelchair, putting  a jacket on her & such)  , Fiji, (who would have thought?) constant adventures, and lots of fun moments to savor. So many great experiences! I can't really explain it. I'm living the life, that's for sure! Life is good. (This was an unplanned relationship that has now become the best thing in my life)

There is still so much to reflect on.

10/22/18 Daybook

Amidst lots of babysitting, teaching (2nd & 3rd grade), my own family life, and spending time with/taking of Mrs KBL (all things I LOVE doing & am very grateful for), here is a bigger picture update of sorts...

Thinking about--- With another birthday in the family today I am wondering how is it possible that 3 of us kids are adults?!?! When we reached the 5 teenages milestone, that felt like a midlife crisis or something. But, this...I don't really know what it feels like. Sometimes its hard to imagine siblings getting older....
Recently our family was invited over for dinner at our brother's wrestling coach's house. We were all there. And to be honest, besides Sunday dinners, I don't remember the last meal we were all at together, or the last thing we all rode in the van together to.
Times have changed from our youth!

Listening to lately--- I'm still loving Spotify and I'm still LOVING my brother's beats. I added a bunch of classics to my playlist this weekend such as, "It's Tricky",  "Take Me back to Tulsa, I'm too young to marry", "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" and "Jump Around". Still enjoying all of my old favorites as well! My YouTube playlist continues to get lots of use during the school day.

Currently Reading--- The Catholic All Year Compendium! It's really good! (I bought it at the Holy Family Bookstore in Kenosha Wi. I also bought a handful of medals and Holy cards). Last week, read "Off the Hook" by Tim O'Malley. He recently spoke at UW Madison's "Newman Center" so I bought his book there. I found the beginning to be a little vulgar, but the middle was really good. I picked up some inspiring and thought provoking quotes on love (in the general sense) so I am glad that I read it. I am also reading How Now Shall We Live? I am about 60 pages in. I am not sure if I will finish this one. Next, I hope to read "Loss and Gain".

Excited about--- I put in a request to the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison (diocesan Latin masses) for a Mass to be said on the night of 11/28 (the feast of St Catherine Laboure). (this is the saint who Mrs KBL is named after/her patron Saint. I was thinking and thinking of how we can celebrate this day with her. Innovative me came up with a spectacular idea!)  My wish has been granted! (This is so crazy exciting!! This is going to be such a treat!) A Low Mass will be said at 6:30pm on that night (I can see it now--her and I sitting in the very front on the left). I couldn't be happier! I am extremely excited for this event on so many levels! It's going to be AMAZING!
My car is still working out very well!
Having steers again! These are the most gentle, calmest steers ever. And they LOVE grain! They are so eager!! I've got HIGH HOPES for these two to hit 1500lbs!! but, really, I'm happily back to feeding steers. We got hay yesterday, so that is also exciting.

I am wearing--- I went to 7AM low mass today, so this is the outfit I picked out last night: black shirt and long black skirt--nothing extravagant in this department. Also, I am wearing a miraculous medal.

Clipboard picture on my desk: Still savoring my "Sophie's squash" inspired image. 

The Liturgical Year--- I printed off some more calendars (I have 5 liturgical calendars now). As I have already stated, I am excited for the feast of St Catherine Laboure. I am also looking forward to the upcoming feast of St Raphael. I am still super impressed with the Restored Traditions art prints. I really want to make some purchases from this website, but to be completely honest, I don't fully "get" how this website works...
Today, on the new calendar, it is the feast of Pope John Paul II. Last year on this day we had a family funeral in Kenosha and I did some nice copywork on the way down. Today I don't have anything special planned for this feast but may come up with something of some sort before the day ends. We'll see what happens between now and then.

Charlotte Mason---I've had a renewed eagerness for memory work. I am still keeping with copywork/commonplacing, lots of reading and lots of notetaking.

Today I went to 7am Low Mass, have been working on school, made a quick trek to Mrs KBL's, and am now back to doing school work. It's a rare day that I am not babysitting or teaching, so for excitement I am trying arm & hammer deodorant again. In about an hour it will be time to feed steers and on deck for tonight: a trip to Mrs KBL's (I hope it will be better than earlier today!) Life is good!

Year 4 Steers!

Yesterday, I rushed home from teaching and visiting, just in time for our two new steers to arrive. (I didn't exactly make it on time as the truck/trailer was already backed down the driveway).

They're here and they're plenty big! (625lbs and 700lbs) They are both percentage Gelbvieh. (and I think percentage Angus as well).  It feels pretty good to be ripping open grain bags and using my red bucket again. :)

We have this little pen that we built for the first steers we had 2 years ago. This pen was basically destroyed by those steers with their big escape. Since then  we have used the pasture, but I thought we should try this pen again. 

Mostly, I'm hoping for no escapes this year. 

This guy has to get better at taking pictures with me. ;)

We haven't named them yet and I still need to memorize their ear tags to remember which is which.

This is now my 4th year raising beef steers, so we'll see what these guys will teach me. :) Wish me luck!