(extremely spontaneous!) new turkeys!

We were at the vet getting some horse forms signed and they accidentally got 2 turkey chicks in their order of pullets, and, I ended up going home with 2 turkey chicks! and I am pretty excited about them!

an excerpt from a new writing project--- "its a long way to the top"

“This is my story, my giving of thanks.”-Hannah Coulter by Wendell, page 5

I’d spend all day thinking of her. When I woke up, I’d tell myself when I could visit her. At mass, I’d pray for her, and add in “I can’t wait to be with her today!!” to my prayer. Mrs. B or Mrs. McD might ask how she is--- “How is K doing?” they’d say. “Oh she’s great! We had a great time last night.” I’d say. If I was babysitting, and it was time to go, I’d get asked where I was off to next, “Oh Mrs. L’s!!” I’d say.  Those who knew me and my love for her well, knew I either came from her house before getting to their house, or I was motivated and eager to leave their house to get to her. I’d take off driving just so excited to see her I could hardly contain myself. When things got tough babysitting, I’d tell myself when I could see her next. As I got closer to Oregon, all those troubles would melt away—I was going to go see Mrs L!! My excitement would gather as I turned onto County Road CC, it didn’t matter how exhausted I was from whatever I was coming home from, I still gathered up fresh excitement. I really never knew before I walked in the door if we’d have a good day, or a great day, or a bad day, or a good day gone terrible. There was never any way of knowing before I got there. So, I always hoped for a good day for us. I’d park, grab my books, and basically run to the door. I’d knock, “Oh, It’s Frannie, Frannie’s here” W or M would say and open the door to me. I’d bounce right over to her, sometimes she’d be watching TV or “organizing” in her room, I’d bounce over and say “Hi Mrs. L! I missed you!” she’d look at me, smile, and say “Oh Its you” or “oh Hi there”. She would be so excited to see me. And then we’d go about our day. If she was already in bed, I’d sit with her on her bed, or sit on her bed with my legs on the window. If she was in her wheel chair, she’d make a dash wheeling over to her room, and I’d follow after her. We mostly had good or great days together, I learned that an average day is a good day, we had a few bad days, but just a few. We’d read from A Character Calendar, or Butler’s Lives of the Saints, or the Catholic All Year monthly booklets, or, our favorite, the 40 Dreams of Saint John Bosco; we’d say our rosary on our black knotted cord rosaries that I had my friend make especially for us, and she’d correct me when I stumbled on the Apostle’s Creed; I’d tell her the feast day of today; I’d dump all of the contents of my day on her---what babysitting was like, feeding steers, going to daily Low Mass in Paoli and whatever else I’d have going on—she’d take it all in like such a champ; I’d ask her what she did that day …. Sometimes we’d flick through the SmugMug pictures on her iPad, or she’d have me rearrange the mantle, or I’d take down her reliquaries and we’d bless ourselves with them. Once she even had me reorganize her closet for her. If I had a question during our visit, I’d text E. Sometimes J would come over on his way from work, or W and A with some kind of desert, or E and the girls on their way home from Piano. I was there one time when she got a haircut and it felt like the good old days of watching my Grandma cut hair. I was there a few times when T the nurse came, and I really liked P, who came by to wash her hair. We’d go at it for a half hour or so most days, more than that as often if I could, and less if I couldn’t stay long. But, really, it didn’t matter what I had going on that day, I sorted my whole day out making sure I could visit her. I knew the hours she would most likely be awake—about 11am to about 9pm most days, I’d have M text me when she was awake, or bug her by me texting her asking when she was awake. If I was on my way home from babysitting in Verona or Fitchburg at night and I thought she might still be awake, I’d text M saying, “Is Mrs. L still awake???” A few days I visited her twice in one day, and twice we got to see each other three times in one day. It was my lucky day every day I got to see her, and a sad day when I didn’t get to visit her, but every night, I thanked God for her, and I’d pray to see her tomorrow. Life was good. When I would leave, she didn’t like it at all. “Why do your steers have to eat twice a day?!” and “why do you always have to feed your steers?!” she’d say. She’d thank me for coming, ask when I’d come next and tell me to come again. I’d hug her (as best as one could hug her), say “bye, Mrs. L. I love you” and kiss her soft cheek, and she’d do the same to me. If it was warm out, she’d want to wave to me from the side walk, if she was still inside, I’d have to raise the blinds half way (and ONLY half way), show her where my car is, and she’d wave to me from there. I’d leave feeling loved, encouraged and on such an upbeat. I took the same familiar roads back home—Bergemont Boulevard, Lincoln Road, Union Road, and Rome Corners road. I’d play songs from Spotify that reminded me of her. Those nine minutes always seemed to fly by fast when we had a good time together, and when we didn’t, they were definitely not enough minutes to regroup!!  I’d smile and remember with joy the great time we had. I’d even get excited to see her again. At home, I’d text E saying what a great time we had and what things we did together. If she said anything especially funny, I’d text a friend or two what she said. If it was later in the afternoon, I’d feed the steers, and then sit down at my desk and write about our glorious day together. And, the next day, I’d do it again, and it was the most amazing thing ever.

May 2019 Liturgical Living

I had a not so great start to this month, and took 3 trips...
so.... my liturgical year things were not like some of the other months this year.

I have been trying to find a flow/routine of:
-reading (The Catholic all Year Compendium, A Character Calendar, Butler's Lives of the Saints (which I got wet one night, but now it dried out nicely), With the Church volume 1, Sunday Morning Storyland....)
-the Catholic All May booklet (its lovely, of course)
-Calendar work (Tan books calendar)
-Daily Low Mass (aside from being gone, I've been doing pretty good in this area)
-notes on sermons
-notes from Father Z's blog (sometimes)
-my own writing attempts
....
I think that is about it. It's been a  bit of an odd month for the liturgical year -- and quite lethargic, too, and I, I've been having to get used to things differently after April.
Lets hope June is a bit of an uneventful month for me.
I don't really have plans for June. I did buy the Catholic All June booklet, of course, but even that booklet will be different for me. I haven't even looked at the feast days I really want to pay attention to this month, so guess I'll just be "winging it".....
Ordinations are this month, and some first masses too, and we get a new Bishop this month, so that is exciting, but not really "liturgical" exactly.
Stay tuned for what happens in June!

Palm Sunday, 4/14/19, 4/15/19, 4/16/19 & Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday & the end of April

4/14/19: Palm Sunday
-Read from: a time of renewal, lent for children
-Mass + parish palm Sunday brunch
-listening to Jesus of Nazareth on Librvox
-went to a Polish festival
-Father Oak: Red
-Calendar work

4/15/19 Monday of Holy Week
-Calendar work
-Read from: Lent for Children, a time of renewal
-listened to Jesus of Nazareth on Librivox



(the rest, written May 29 2019)

It was after 4/15/19 that my life began to fall apart, so, that made my Holy Week fall apart and not go as planned, but I wouldn't have it any other way, terrible Holy week and all....

4/16/19
-Low Mass
-Calendar work
-Read from: a time of renewal, lent for children, with the church volume 1
-Chrism Mass

4/17/19 Spy Wednesday
-Mass
-Tenembrae
-Read from A character calendar, lent for children, a time of renewal, the catholic all April booklet

Holy Thursday
-Read from the Catholic All April booklet and A Character calendar
-Holy Thursday Mass

Good Friday:
-Caught up on Calendar work and readings from Lent for Children, a time of renewal, and with the church volume 1
-Good Friday Service

Holy Saturday
-Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday
-High Mass

4/24/19
-Low Mass


4/25/19 St Mark
-Low Mass
-Calendar Work
-Catholic All April booklet
-A New bishop appointed for Madison
-Sunday Morning Storyland catch up, with the church volume 1
-Read from: Butlers Live's of the Saints, The Catholic All Year Compendium
-Bishop Hying Mass

4/26/19
-Read from a character calendar

4/27/19
-Calendar work
-Read from: a character calendar, Butler's Lives of the Saints, Sunday morning storyland,
-Mass

4/28/19
-Mass
-Calendar Work
-Read from: a character calendar, butler's lives of the saints, Catholic all april booklet

4/29/19
-Low Mass
-read from: a character calendar
-Calendar work

4/30/19
-Low Mass
-Read from a character calendar

April & May books read + new books

April:

How to get to "I do": a dating guide for Women by Amy Bonacorsso
A Love that Multiplies by Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar
Somebody I Used to Know by Wendy Mitchell
Mother Teresa of Calcutta: a personal portrait




Myrtle Beach trip:

Fabiola by Cardinal Wiseman

Re-reads:
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
Leo the Lion by Jennifer Montemurro
Each Little Bird that Sings

Haven't finished yet:
National Catholic Reader book six


New books:
the Catholic All May booklet
The Catholic all June Booklet
(what else were you expecting for new books???)



Also,
I have now started to get Homeschool Magazines and Catalogs to ME and in MY name. (Yes  I am very dorky)
so far I have received things from....
Memoria press
Mother of Divine Grace School
Seton
Catholic heritage Curricula

first ever My Holy Cards order!

{I've been wanting to buy from this company for some time now, and frequently admired its website. My Holy Cards has quickly become a new favorite company of mine!!}

I have now had these treasures for a few weeks, I really have been enjoying my new Immaculata prayer book during mass. I haven't had a chance to use the booklet yet. I will definitely be buying more from this company!!!

a new direction/update

Hi everyone---

It's been awhile. My last post was like 6 weeks ago. The end of April, and May this far, have flow by. And its almost June...
OK, so it has been a while. I have been doing some writing, but am just now, in the last week or so, getting back into the swing of typing my writing.
I've fallen out of several routines---including my treasured "liturgical year keeping", but it has come back, but in a different way now. My reading regime has kind of fallen apart, and only made a return when we went to Myrtle Beach. And, its been weeks, for sure most of this month, since I last said a rosary, so I fell out of that habit too....
Many exciting things have happened in my life, and, I hope to get back to a regular "liturgical year sharing" schedule--I have new booklets and other new discoveries to share!! But, because of tragic happenings, this blog may be taking a bit of a different direction. I know that sounds vague but, I don't feel like saying what exactly happened. but, for now, expect to maybe see things a little bit differently here. I'm not really sure what that will be, or if things will even end up being different at all, but I felt it was necessary to give a bit of a (admittedly vague) update, after an unplanned lapse in regular posting here.
I have a few drafts that I plan to finish and hit publish for, and then a couple of new things, but other than that, we'll see. Like I said, I hope to get back into my regular "liturgical year sharing" routine.

In other news...
 In March and April, I volunteered at a Memory Care place (as apart of a school assignment), and from the first day, I liked it there and felt like I "fit" there. (Yes, I know how weird that sounds!!) The employees really liked me all along, and on my last day I took an application. I just sent it in yesterday, so wish me luck with that!! (2 years ago, or really anytime previous to the last 15 months of my life I would have never imagined myself eagerly wanting a job at a memory care place, enjoying being there, or cheerfully telling others that I'm applying to work at a memory care place---but, God ALWAYS has other---and better!!! plans!! I do hope to get the job there!!

My family and I went to Myrtle Beach May 12-18...it is probably our last "family vacation" as my sister has been engaged since March, and is set to get married May 23rd of next year. It was an interesting trip in that sense.

Well, this is all for now,
Stay tuned to see what happens!! (I'm sure you are all holding on with suspense!!)