This Week:: More New Things!

This has been a busy week and I am taking some time today to catch up on projects at home. So far I have organized all the books under my desk (not an easy feat!), organized my notebooks by date (a little bit easier), and threw a load in the laundry of my sheets/blankets + new things I bought at a garage sale today (a super easy task!).

This week I (finally!!) bought a new car! This is an extremely exciting feat!

 I learned to drive on a 2012 Toyota Toyota (which I LOVE), my first/other car was a 2002 Ford Tourus (I didn't love it), I have also driven my brother's 1994 Buick Grand Regal Sport, our family's Chevy Express, I drove someone Else's truck, and Mrs KBL's car is a Dodge Grand Caravan (its not like driving a regular mini van because it carries weight funny). I am learning to drive stick shift on a Ford Focus and drove a 1994 Saturn once. i am getting better at stick, although I haven't practiced in about a month. I've also driven a 1952 ford jubilee a few times, so I have some experience. I like driving our truck best, our van second, Mrs KBL's van third, and my brother's Buick fourth. My new car is a 1999 Toyota Camry. It drives like a Toyota (what more can I say?). I don't love it but I like it better than my Ford Tourus.

So that's that.

My Desk This Week:

See anything new? Your eyes don't deceive you! I have an echo dot. I was at this garage sale today and there was an echo dot for $25 so I got it rather impulsively because it felt like a deal I couldn't pass up. I'm not really into echo dots or whatever, and I don't think I ever "wanted" one but, I couldn't walk away from such a deal. So I now have an Echo Dot!

It's beginning to feel like fall around here and have chillier temperatures! I am not particularly excited about fall coming (I do not like fall) but....fall means NEW STEERS!!!! and I am plenty excited about that. This past week we went to look at our new ones. They were cute and solid looking. Also, at the farm there were 4 calves that were 2 weeks old and we got to bottle feed them!!!! They were so adorable! It was so exciting to bottle feed them. As for our new steers, they won't come until no sooner than October 8th. I have already ordered feed and hay (I hope I am not jumping the gun on that!) so, the Hay is coming to our house soon!

This week I enjoyed a week off of Catholic Schoolhouse, but that meant more babysitting elsewhere. I picked up some more free books. I will spare everyone my complete dorkiness and not share which books I got and which ones are now my current reads. I started using my new Erin Condren Notebook as mentioned/pictured in a previous post. It is a dot grid notebook. I don't love it or anything. It's okay but I don't know if I would ever use this specific notebook again...

As for today's feast, I found this post from Fr Z interesting and I plan on taking some notes on it later. Other than that I don't really have my liturgical act together for today.

This week: Wedding Extravaganza

Listening to a lot: I am still loving having Spotify again. One way or another from Blondie. Fox on the Run. The Parting Glass sung by the High Kings. You're nobody until somebody  loves you by Dean Martin. Brick House. Mud Digger from the Mud Digger CD. still on a Norman and Nancy Blake kick. My spotify and I spent a lot of time together this weekend.

Reading: yesterday I read The Story of a Soul by St Therese. Friday I read a booklet on Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother from Tan books. I got inspired to read the catholic hearth magazines with Mrs KBL and that's been going well. Does blog reading and reading texts count?

Comedy: I re-watched Sebastian Maniscalco's "aren't you embarrassed?" this week. it was good, as always. I am due for another round of watching My Cousin Vinny.

New things: I now have the Marco Polo app. I was inspired by someone who uses it with her brothers so I wanted my siblings and I to have it/use it.

Last Saturday was "a wedding". We went to Mass at St Rita's in Racine. At this wedding there was a table with a candle with pictures of all the family members who have died. I was glad to see that my Grandma was remembered.

This weekend was "THE wedding". Mass was at St Robert's parish in Shorewood.
 

 The church looked/felt very Roman.

It was super cool! Milwaukee is cool! This was probably the most time I have spent  in Milwaukee. I don't remember the last time I was actually in Milwaukee... Most of what I know of Milwaukee is from the "Caroline Ingalls" books. ;) The reception was in Turner Hall. we got an AMAZING! parking spot (we were in Milwaukee, after all) We were right near the Bradley Center and the UWM arena. we went and checked out the new additions to the Bucks Pro shop and whatever the name of that entire building is...

 
the cocktail hour was in the balcony of the ballroom in Turner Hall and the dinner/everything else was in the ballroom. It was so spectacular! The speeches were good. The grand march was great!

At this wedding, there was a big "remembrance table" that everyone went to pay their respects to. Its sad to see all the pictures, but I was glad to see it there.

My Grandma and the groom

The Bride and her dad. In the middle of the head table they left an empty chair for her dad. The first toast of the night was for her dad and a beer was left in its place. 

8:30 hit and I went and sat with my Great Aunt. 9:30 came and I went to sit with my Grandpa. He and I sat in chairs and slept off and on for the next two hours. There was a polka and the tarantella dancing was the worst I've ever seen. It was a great wedding feast!
________________________________________________________________________________
I saw this "catholic tag" and I thought it would be fun to participate in.
What is your rite? Mostly TLM, but somewhere between the NO and the TLM.
Cradle Catholic/ Convert? Born Catholic.
Year You were baptized? 1998 (at Holy Rosary with Fr John Molnar)
Year you received your First Communion? 2005 or 2006 (I think '06) (at St Paul's Evansville)
Confirmation Saint? St Brigid of Ireland.
Name of Current Parish? The Cathedral Parish, Madison/St Patricks & St Mary's Pine Bluff for weekend Masses. St Williams Paoli for Daily Mass.
Parish groups you belong to? None.
Prayers you say everyday? Angelus, Magnificat, "Now I lay me down to sleep", The Creed, Act of Faith, act of Hope, Act of Charity, Archbishop Brady's Prayer for Vocations, Night Prayers, Eternal Rest, Litany of Our Lady of Loretto, St Joseph Litany
Religous Items you travel with? Missal + bag with: Veil, Pieta Book, Jesus Make Me Worthy book, Rosary & a booklet.
Do you go to adoration? Yes!
Last time you went to Confession?  In Italy.
Color of your favorite rosary? white.
Convert that helped your faith? I think Fr Z is a convert from Lutheranism...
Cradle Catholics that helped your faith? My Great Grandma's, my parents & SO many others!
Weirdest thing about being Catholic? um. I'm not sure.
Best Thing About Being Catholic? Traditions. The Bible. The Latin Mass.The Liturgical Year.
Your patron saints? (& favorite saints) I wrote about that here.
Favorite Parable? the cure of 10 lepers, emphasis on the one who went back to say Thank you to Jesus
Favorite Psalm? I don't have one.
Favorite religious order? Franciscan Sisters of St Joseph!
Favorite Catholic Singer/Band? I don't have one.
Favorite Spiritual Author?  St John Bosco. Cardinal Dolan. Gwen/Jerry Coniker. Fr Lovasik. Mother Mary Loyola.
Favorite Marian Devotion? The Rosary. The Magnificat. The Angelus.
Favorite Pope? St Pope Pius X! (Peter takes a close second, with Benedict XVI in third!)
Favorite Biblical Character: Raphael. Elizabeth. Peter.
Favorite Catholic Movie? The Reluctant Saint. The Song of Bernadette. 
Favorite Catholic Song? The Ave Maria?
Favorite Encyclical? Humane Vitae, I guess. or Fides et Ratio. I am not much of an encyclicals reader...
Favorite Marian Hymn? Oh Queen of the Holy Rosary & Immaculate Mary
Favorite book written by a Saint? The 40 Dreams of St John Bosco.
Favorite Catholic Meme? I'm not much of a meme person.
Favorite Liturgical Season? Easter.
Favorite Feast Day? the days of my favorite saints. Christmas Eve.
Favorite part of Mass? The Last Gospel or the Sermon.
Favorite Sacred Hymn? Tantum Ergo or Oh God Beyond all Praising.
Favorite Gospel? anything with Peter in his good moments in it. or the "Bread of life discourses"
Favorite Martyr? Max. Kolbe!
Favorite Titles of Mary? Of the Rosary of Pompeii, Mount Carmel & Lourdes.
Favorite Bible Translation? Douay Rhiems.
Religious Life or Married? Marriage!
Homeschooling or Catholic School? Homeschool!
GK Chesterton or CS Lewis? Neither.
St Peter or St Paul? Peter!
St Thomas Aquinas or st Augustine? Hmmm....Aquinas!

And that's a wrap on this past week!

Nearly 7 Months ago:: relflections

I wrote this on the way home from Kenosha tonight. we have finished a weekend full of wedding and family extravaganza. The sun was setting brightly. I had some beats on and my spotify playlist playing. My thoughts were lost in writing reflections...

"nearly 7 months ago, I entered the world of catheters, depends, Hoyer lifts & pill strips. I have learned how to use & steer her wheel chair. She has ran over my feet countless times. I have learned how to get her in & out of a car and have learned to pull the ramp in & out. I can put a zip up jacket on her. It's a process. I know the work and the sacrifice to take care of someone with so many needs.I have entered the world of live-in caregivers and very bad caregivers. I have learned to lie my way through things (the night of 7/4/18 I did a lot of lying) I know the burden of these things. I know how much of a grand event social events can be. I think that quetiapine works amazing wonders. I know that oxycodon really knocks a person out.I think UTIs are terrible. I have learned how to give someone pills. I have seen her tear off parts of the Island counter from the sheer force of her pushing with her wheel chair. I've lost count of the times I've dove to catch a lamp she was whacking into.I can push stools and chairs into place so fast before she hits their path.I can make her a plate of food. And make it look like I didn't cut up the food. When taking her in and out of the church I can open 2 doors at once.
Nearly 7 months ago, I could have never imagined that our relationship would/could be this amazing. I didn't know we would/could get along so well. Or that she would say "I love you" to me every time I leave her. I didn't know she would fall asleep holding my hand.
I've been yelled at by her lots of times. She's been very difficult. I've been so discouraged because of how a day has gone with her. we've had some disastrous adventures. I showed my complete incompetence at the dr's office with her. we've had hard days together. I've taken her bad behavior too personally. I've been so discouraged & wonder why I do good things. "get this strange woman out of my house" she said.
Nearly 7 months ago, I met someone who has taught me many lessons. practical lessons. lessons in charity, and joy. lessons that I can't express in words. lessons of encouragement & triumph.
Nearly 7 months ago, I didn't know where Life would take us, or how she and I would become suite inseparable. we are "the dynamic duo" I said the other night.
"...it is in giving that we receive..." St Francis of Assisi says. "..I discovered that service is joy..."a picture frame in our house says.
God is so good! Life is such a great gift! She is such a great gift to me!"
-9/23/18

WE DID IT AGAIN!

Yesterday we had a great day together! We did it again! We saw each other 3X in one day! What a feat!

Since the day that we saw each other twice in one day, I have wanted to make it so we see each other 3X in one day. On July 4th (2018) we saw each other twice in one day. I don't know if that day counts because in the afternoon she was asleep the whole time and I don't know if she ever even knew if I was there. And at night, I stayed with her so everyone could go to the fireworks. She was in bed already and asleep, but she woke up for awhile and was very confused. Since then we have seen each other twice in one day lots of times. And since then I keep telling her how cool it would be if we could see each other three times in one day.

On September 8th, we were able to see each other 3X in one day! Once I knew it was within reach for me, I just kept making it so I could go over there.  On visit #1, she wanted me to take her to Briman's Jewlery in Topeka Kansas. On visit #2, I didn't stay for long but she was in a better mood. On visit #3, we said a rosary and Litany of Loreto  in honor of the feast that day (Nativity of Mary). I was eating a banana and she wanted one. when I opened it for her I said,"you want to be just like me right? is your life goal to be just like me?" and she said "oh yes".

Then, life continued, one day last week, Wednesday, we saw each other twice in one hour (That was pretty wild). I keep telling her she might get tired of seeing me and she says she won't. I keep telling the caregivers they might get tired of seeing me and they say "come anytime. we'll be here" (I sometimes tell the caregiver to text me when she is awake so I know how early I can come over). This weekend she had 2 substitute caregivers, and when I met them on Friday afternoon I told them they'd see me over at the house plenty. "We've been warned!" they told me. It was interesting to have different caregivers this past weekend, and to explain to them that I visit her a lot without them knowing me that well. I think after seeing me twice on Friday, and seeing my shrine up at the house, they believed me. When the regular caregiver came back, they told her all about how much I can over and what I did with her.

Yesterday, I didn't plan to see her that many times, but it worked out that way, and I am so glad that it did! from my notebook:
"Trip #1: 12:45-1:15
me: why are you just sitting in the middle of the sidewalk?
her: I'm letting the sun hit my back.

Trip #2: 4-4:30
.....
"I always hate it when you leave"-she said to me.

Trip #3: 6:30-7:30
me: do you know how many times we've seen each other today?
her: no
me: (hold up 3 fingers)
her: oh, I thought it was 4 times.
It was after that we decided that 4X in one day will be our next goal.
The bugs were bad. we sat outside and watched the sunset and talked."

We had a GREAT day yesterday! and I am so glad! It is very encouraging to have great days like yesterday. We did all the usual things too, like me driving past slowly and waving and saying bye. and her sitting on the sidewalk doing the same. Yesterday, It was good to do some writing about our great day together.  And a bonus reason why the day was so good, she didn't run over my feet at all! Life is good! I've been feeling on an upbeat with my days with her. ("feeling on an upbeat" is a phrase I have seen in my Grandma's writing, and I like to use that phrase)

Today, I don't know think I'll be able to go over there, and that is sad. So, I'll pray for her, and read through my notebooks about all of the adventures we've had. Maybe, I'll do some writing too. And then, I will be eager, excited and anxious to see her again.

St Catherine Laboure, pray for us!

This Week:: New Things!

So, I've been in like a 3 week funk of car problems and struggling with scheduling changes/having a consistent schedule, and basically just being thrown off routine. So, that called for some Amazon purchases on my part. :) I bought another Latin Mass book (It hasn't come yet), an Erin Condren weekly desk pad in  hopes of sorting out my schedule in a weekly format, this book because I saw it at a parish and wanted it, and lastly, the main reason for this big purchase- pens! (I'm left handed and these are the pens that I have found to work the best!) I ran out so pens were an urgent need for me!  I have also borrowed these books to read: In my own words by Pope John Paul II (its a quote book) and the Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur. I am excited for both of these books!

Today I came home from a cross country meet to find that this box came in the mail! Everything was generously gifted to my by Jennifer Mackintosh and I couldn't be more excited! (and this isn't the first time she has gifted me with some planning things!). Here are some pictures of what I got + I received LOTS of stickers. The sticker sheets are half used or ones she didn't want anymore. :) Everything is from the Erin Condren company but the stickers are from an assortment of places.

I am thinking of using the deluxe monthly planner for the liturgical year, a desk pad (I got another one today) for babysitting dates, and I'm not sure what else....the possibilities are kind of endless. good thing I bought new pens! I love the Erin Condren snap in dashboards too! Just a super exciting day!

My planners came with out covers because they had her kids name on them, so I pulled out my covers from the EC Horizontal planner that she gifted me with 2 years ago (she chose the cover design), here it is:
Isn't it pretty? It's not exactly what I would choose but I like it, and sometimes I flip them around and use the inside facing out (my notes from a fair two years ago were still on them today!) It's nice having interchangeable covers. I could always buy more/new ones, but I can be kind of cheap, so I bet I will just keep these. :)

Stay tuned for what I end up doing with this all!

Daybook:: 9/11/18

For about 3 weeks now, my babysitting schedules have made lots of changes, school has started, my daily routine has been thrown off quite a bit (I wrecked 2 cars in one day 1.5 weeks ago, I haven't been able to go to daily low mass in like 2 weeks, I have barely been able to visit Mrs KBL in like 2 weeks, ...), Catholic Schoolhouse has started...  I am so wanting to back into my routines that I worked for all summer to make (Can I have a car already?!) So I decided to make a daybook today-

Thinking about: CGS- materials, getting trained, reading, research.... getting new steers-can they come soon?!. the liturgical year. Catholic Schoolhouse.

Listening to lately: I got Spotify again. I've been listening to "On & On & On", "Thunderstruck", "Freedom" , "sweet heaven", "Last train from Poor valley", "blinded by the light"...Ok, so I'm on a Norman and Nancy Blake kick.

Currently Reading: nothing good! I've had to "quit" a few books lately. I've decided life's too short to read books I don't like/don't want to. I don't know what it is but, I feel like Italian memoirs were better when I was younger....still, I'm going to have to write my own...
I am thinking of buying more books off of Amazon sometime soon....
Technically I am still reading (slowly) the Introduction to the Devout Life. It's not the best read aloud book, so I have been skipping some. I think the Story of the Soul will be my next read aloud.
I did read When I stop Talking, You'll Know I'm dead. It was pretty good, but not amazing or anything.
Up next to read: books written by Mother Teresa, St Therese's autobiography, Love and Respect,

Excited about: New steers coming! I didn't wreck a car this week! Visiting Mrs KBL again!

I am wearing: Black shirt with a black/gray/white/green striped skirt. Today I had Catholic Schoolhouse.

Clipboard picture on my desk: St Andrew the Apostle colored in coloring page from Catholic Playground.

The Liturgical Year: lots of thinking/planning ahead. I want to make my own calendar, my own advent booklet, and my own litany of saints printout.
I Have decided that I want a Tan books calendar again for next year.
looking forward to these upcoming feast days: the most Holy Name of Mary, Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Our Lady of Sorrows/7 Sorrows of Mary and St Joseph of Cupertino.

Organizing: I have Trello again. I made a board for my Liturgical year to-dos.
I have lots of prints to make! (as always)

Memory Work: The Creed in Latin (I can't find a version/voice on YouTube that I like, so this isn't going super successfully). The Beverly Hillbillies theme song.

Eating a lot of: strawberry kefir. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Loving: my classes at UW Superior. my new iPhone.

preparing for all saints day:: favorite saints

I've been doing lots of liturgical planning/preparing lately and, with All Saints Day ahead of us, I've been thinking of my favorite saints. Most of these saints I pray to during mass and at night, some I pray to for "special occasions". I hope to make a litany of my favorites and print it out....

Titles of Mary:
-Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Pompeii. our home parish in Kenosha.
-Our Lady of Lourdes. My favorite nun gave me a necklace with our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernadette on it.
-Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Name Saints:
I am not named after a particular saint, but the Confirmation Saint Name I chose was St Brigid of Ireland. I chose her one night rather spontaneous during a talk on her in February of 2014 at DTS. and that is how she became my confirmation saint.  (I suppose it could be argued that I am named after St Francis of Assisi although that is technically not accurate.)

Popes:
-St Pope Pius X.
-St Peter
-St John Paul II

Vocational Patrons:
-St Mother Teresa of Calcutta
-St Raphael
-St Anne
-St Joseph
-St Veronica
-St Andrew the Apostle
-St Therese (a recent addition)

These are the saints who inspire me in my own vocation now and who I pray for to/about my future vocation.

Academic Patrons:
-St Joseph of Cupertino 
-St Maximilian Kolbe
-St Bernadette 
-St Elizabeth Ann Seton

Priests:
-St John Bosco 

The 40 dreams of St John Bosco has got to be my favorite spiritual reading book!

Family Patrons:
-St Lucy
-St Philomena
-St Faustina
-Fulton Sheen
-St Francis of Assisi
-Bl Elena Aiello 
-St Bruno
-St Anthony

Not officially saints but I add them to my litany anyway:
-Jerry Coniker. the man, the myth, the legend.
-Gwen Coniker. I don't think I've ever met her (if we were ever at the same event, I don't remember it) through her husband, her writings and her daughter I have come to ask for her intercession.)
-Sr RoseAnne. my favorite nun.
-Del Latham. we've never met but I take care of his wife, and I basically feel like I know him.

some on these lists I've met, some tombs I've visited, all have managed to and keep impacting my life :)

Feast of St Pope Pius X

Pope Pius X has been my favorite Pope (with Benedict XVI, and John Paul II in second and third) for as long as I can remember. I don't really know/remember why. I was first introduced to him through the Vision book on him and have been fascinated with him ever since. I don't know why I liked him...maybe it was because he was Italian, or a farm boy, or...I don't even know what but when I was younger I declared him my favorite pope and that has stuck. When I was 17, I nicknamed my calf "Pius" because I didn't like the calf's actual name. Then, two years ago came my discovery of the Society of Pope Pius X (I was extremely confused then, but my understanding has been greatly cleared up in the last 6 months). anyways, life clipped along. St Pope Pius X was added to my daily litany of saints.  Earlier this spring Mrs KBL and I would go through her relics and one of them is of Pope Pius X, so of course I feel like a complete rock star having that experience. Then, my family and I were in Italy. We're walking around through our tour of St Peter's and I was taking notes. When all of a sudden, after just a quick glance, I see the tomb of Pope Pius X! I was so excited! I couldn't believe it! (clearly, I don't know that much about him, or I would have know where he is buried). My notebooks state this, "POPE PIUS X CHAPEL!!!!!!! in corrupt!! AND HIS BODY!!!!! St. Pope Pius X, pray for us!!!! w/picture of the presentation of Mary in/at the temple.
a side altar....I'm so excited!!! I can't believe it!!!" We only stayed at that spot for a few minutes, as there is just so much to see (its really overwhelming). As we had concluded our whole tour, and all I wanted to do was rush back to the tomb of Pope Pius X for some time in prayer there. There I prayed for my vocation, for strong faith and for endurance and I wrote about my excitement to be there. (I was probably glowing the whole time...) I then, went into a physical description of the scenery there, "He has a mask on his face & hands...He is wearing red, white & gold. with red & gold slippers. laying horizontal with a ring on his finger. and white lace." and that was it, then we left. That was my most exciting experience of being at the tomb of Pope Pius X. When we were home from Italy and I was asked my favorite things of Italy I said being at the tomb of St Pope Pius X!

Since then, I now have an Angelus Press missal and  have been to 2 masses at St Therese Chapel (SSPX) so, I guess that is my other connection to him (sort of). Today, to celebrate I wanted to go to mass (I usually go to a 7am daily low mass) but we have zero cars that I can drive (last week was BAD!) so I am not going to mass today, but I read through the propers and such in my missal. Hopefully (very!) soon, I will go to visit Mrs KBL's and she and I will bless ourselves with his relic (I don't think that will happen today). I have also been doing some readings on him/his life from the SSPX website, and Crisis Magazine and such. Nothing terribly exciting. I guess that is about all I've got for liturgical living. I still get so excited thing about the day that I was at his tomb!

Saint Pope Pius X, pray for us!

from my notebooks// some thoughts lately

This was written when we were on our trip to Italy. I wanted to share this because I've been thinking a lot about priests & me praying more for priests lately. I don't know if its because of the recent scandals outbreak (every time I go on Facebook or Instagram I just have articles and such of all kinds coming constantly through my feed about that), or because my seminarian pals are going back to school, or because I saw a seminarian pal the other day (he and I had two different "first week of school" experiences!) or what but this has been on my mind a lot lately, so, I wanted to share this as a letter of encouragement, I guess.

"we are on the train now and our theme for writing is going to be Rome, Assisi & Vocations. I have begun to think that the necessary place (&tool!!) for vocational discernment (for me & women) is here. Its a whole different feel & vibe here. Nuns/sisters, priests & seminarians of all colors, kinds & ages are here and they are everywhere, just going about their life. And there are all of these powerhouse churches & places filled with richness & great history. nuns & priests walking with a rosary in hand, wearing different kinds of garb. the clerical collar. familiarity. Beauty. example. a sense of  'they are just like us' learning and exploring. seeing them all inspires and challenges me to pray for current & future vocations even more. those living out religious vocations here are a sight to be seen. it really is beautiful. vocations are alive here. what an honor for seminarians to study here. what a great blessing. what a gift. what a gift, joy, blessing & service to the church this place is. .....I need to pray for familiar priests more frequently. I need to make a schedule/habit of the spiritual motherhood for priests & seminarians. like mass, Holy Hour & archbishop Brady's prayer for vocations. I need renewed dedication to/for this habit."
-May 2018 (I don't have the exact date)

"...the devil does not want us to succeed, but Christ has already won the victory!"-in a card to me from a new priest in our diocese.