Nylons, Pantyhose, Tights…

…whatever you call them, do you wear them?

I used to, religiously, don  nylons each time I put on a skirt or a dress.  Then I started wearing longer skirts and the rule became “if the skirt is below my knees, I won’t wear nylons”. (I think this drove my mother crazy when learned that I didn’t wear nylons.) I didn’t  even wear nylons on my wedding day.

Later cotton tights became popular and I actually liked wearing those. In time, my skirts got longer and knee socks covered everything that needed covering, so I quit wearing nylons all together. I did try to return to wearing nylons, but I think pregnancy has removed any desired to have something tight against my belly ever again.

Now my skirts and dresses go well below my knees, I wear strappy sandal-y shoes most of the time and totally forgo nylons or tights. I think the not wearing of nylons may be something that many woman my age are in to. Am I right?  Do my northern friends wear them in the winter? I notice that women at church wear them in the winter down here,  (but then again, quite a few women down here wear boots when it is 60 degrees).

Filed under: General Stuff

Monday Musings – Pre-Lent

Right now…1020 am. The two older kids are bundled up and playing outside, it is a chilly 48 degrees today. Benedict is sleeping and Caecilia is pretending to talk on the phone.
This weekend…we did the weekend errands on Friday night. I drove Joshua to work after lunch, then went to the bank and the gas station. ($3.45 for the record) We picked Joshua up from work then went to the produce market for our weekly buys, then to Big Lots to look at a few things. Big Lots, why don’t I think of you more often? I bought my first sofa from there, many years ago and loved it. It was sturdy and comfy. We only got rid of it because we didn’t have room for it in our place in Illinois. We looked a sofa and their mattress selection to see what they had , then headed to the grocery store, then home.

On Saturday we were up and at-em early as we were having company over around 1230. We had invited the couple that we met after confession a few weeks ago over. We had a great time! I am glad, so glad, that we met them!

Sunday the kid woke up with runny noses. We headed to Mass and had sneezers all the way there. The kids were not very well behaved during Mass. C had an excuse, she wasn’t feeling well. Margaret however, would not turn around and face the altar and when I told her to do so, so said “Nuh, uh”. She also has lost the concept of whisper during Mass and was sassing in a not so quiet voice.  I should have taken her out and disciplined her, as she was that bad. I didn’t mainly because it had been so long since she has had to be taken out that I didn’t even think about it! Karol was mostly okay and Benedict won a gold star for being the BEST BABY EVER! during mass. During the homily, he did not take his eyes off of father. When Joshua was cantoring, he watched Papa with wide eyes.

For the Communion meditation hymn, “O Lord I am Not Worthy” was sung. Sigh. What a beautiful hymn and what a great hymn for mamas and papas who are trying to keep their kids corralled and not able to deeply reflect the gift they had just received.

After Mass, Margaret fell and skinned both knees! She cried and cried and cried because she was going to need to have a band aid. My kids hate band aids and well any sort of first aid for any real ailment. We headed home and just hung around for the day. We all took naps in the afternoon, then made dinner. We folded quite a bit of laundry and our room is presentable again. 🙂

Some plans for the week ahead: Make the covers for the couch cushions, to protect them from little kids. We also have Mass on  Ash Wednesday. I hope to go out to our little parish for Mass and hit the seafood market out there, but I am not sure if Joshua will have the day off. If he doesn’t, we will go to Mass here then. I also plan on making it Stations of the Cross during the whole of Lent with our family. The local parish has them at 730 on Fridays, so that would work perfectly for us!

If I find some time for myself, I want to…I don’t really expect any time. I am hoping to do some more spiritual reading this Lent and getting myself to bed by 9 to do it.

Prayer intentions for this week: For our clergy, that they may fully and faithfully live the duties of their vocations, even when it is hard and/or unpopular.
Something that makes me smile: Yesterday, before Mass, Karol asked to write a letter to Pope Benedict, when we we got back from Mass. Last night he told me what he wanted to say, and I wrote it down. (I convinced him to take out the part telling the Holy Father that; “you have been good and deserve a surprise, so I am writing this letter.) Joshua helped Karol write the it out in his own handwriting.

For more musings check here!

Filed under: Monday Musings

A Homeschooling Mother’s Journal

The Homeschool Mother's Journal
In my life this week…
Was a nice week. We watched a friend’s son two times this week, so she could go to the Chiro. She visited before and after and we talked quite a bit. She is an Air Force wife and a transplant to South Georgia, as are we, so we have that in common. She is also interested in starting a co-op too, and I am excited about that.
In our homeschool this week…
We pulled out the math book again and guess who figured out odd and even numbers? Yep, Karol. I think the key to it was, first not pushing the issue but I also wrote down odd and even numbers on two sheets of paper and hung them up on the wall. He was able to look at those during meal time and when doing things at the table, so it sunk in a bit.
We also worked on months and days of the week this week. Karol and Margaret are both very interested in “Days that Papa goes to work”, so we talked about those days a bit and spent a lot of time talking about Sunday and what we do on Sundays.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
This past week was full of visiting and seeing people. This coming week starts Lent, so on Wednesday, we will be attending Mass and receiving our ashes. I hope to be able to attend stations of the cross too this week.
My favorite thing this week was…
Honestly? Getting the vacuum back from the repair shop. We have all hardwood, with some tile thrown in, but I vacuumed like a fool today!

What’s working/not working for us…
The not rushing things, getting a little bit done each day, taking random moments and making them teaching moments.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…
I am thankful that my husband and I are on the same page about homeschooling and have been since the first moment we talked about it (before being engaged).
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Notice her big fish in the background! Also, notice her expression “Take the darn picture”.
For more journals, check here!
Filed under: Home Schooling

Thursday Chats

*Today, Benedict rolled over from his back to his front. He did it like he has been doing it every day for his entire life. He has been army crawling for a while, but now he is attacking toys. The Lego box, Lincoln Log box and plastic animal box are all fair game as far as he is concerned. He grabs a hold of the top and pulls it over, then empties the contents. His older brother and sister are not amused when they have to clean it up.

*I am continuing to experiment with Quinoa. My second recipe was a major hit for both a meatless meal and with meat, using the leftovers.  Check for the recipe at Family Hearth.

*Our Steam-vac arrived today. I am looking forward to cleaning the sofas. Our vacuum cleaner was also ready to be picked up from the shop, so Joshua did that on his way home from work. It is nice to have it back, I missed it, no really, I did.

*Back to the Quinoa, I paid quite a bit for it at the local organic store so I checked around the ‘net to see if there was a cheaper way to get it and thankfully, I have. I also discovered that there is pasta made out of Quinoa and Quiooa flour. I have been reading about grains and how the grains we have available to us these days are not very good for us. I am not thinking about cutting out all of our grain intake, but maybe not eating so much. (Quite honestly, we do use a lot of flour around here, lots.)

*We are making the Pork Explosion this weekend and I cannot wait. Southerners do like their pork and I am trying to assimilate, don’t you know. Okay, not really, I will not drink sweet tea, ever.

*Did you know that it is Florida strawberry season? I have been buying some of the best strawberries I have ever had at the Farmers Market. The kids love them, I love them, we all love them, they are soooooooooo good.

*Since Margaret caught her big fish, she has been saying things like “I can do this because I am a big girl and I caught a big fish”. I turned it around on her today when she was not eating her lunch. I told her “Big girls who catch big fish eat all their food” and she started eating. Is this a bad thing?

*How does one keep clothes on her two year old? Caecilia will start out dressed then take her clothes off and run around, then fights when it is time to get dressed again.

*Did I tell you that on Sunday, when after Margaret caught her fish and we were walking back to our friends’ house, Karol ran in to clothesline? He had a nice looking bruise on his neck for a few days, thankfully it went away.

*Last but certainly not least, we purchased a Berkey Water Filtration System a while back. Our water has no tastes and now I drink more than the recommended eight glasses a day. Come the next baby, my midwife won’t have to nag me to drink my water!

*Speaking of Midwives, my midwife with Benedict moved to Atlanta. She was the only midwife in South Georgia who attended homebirths…the day she packed the u-haul to move north to be with her husband, she let her clients know that there was a person to take her place! Prayers have been answered.

*No, I am not pregnant again, not that I would have a problem with that.

Officially done now.

Filed under: General Stuff

Three Hundred!

This is post three hundred and in celebration of taking five years to get to this point I share this with you (something completely unrelated ;))

“Throw yourself into the arms of God and if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the task and give you the strength.” St. Philip Neri.

Filed under: Quotes

Bad Mass = Weak Faith

No, this isn’t just my opinion (though it has been for years), this is also the opinion of Adam Cardinal Burke, head of the Vatican’s Supreme Court. He was speaking at the launch of a book written by Father Nicola Bux. Below I have pasted a copy of the article for your viewing:

Cardinal Raymond Burke: ‘Liturgical abuses lead to serious damage to the faith of Catholics.’

by CINDY WOODEN (CNS) 03/03/2011ROME (CNS) — A weakening of faith in God, a rise in selfishness and a drop in the number of people going to Mass in many parts of the world can be traced to Masses that are not reverent and don’t follow Church rules, said two Vatican officials and a consultant.

“If we err by thinking we are the center of the liturgy, the Mass will lead to a loss of faith,” said U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, head of the Vatican’s Supreme Court.  Cardinal Burke and Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, spoke March 2 at a book launch in Rome.

The book, published only in Italian, was written by Father Nicola Bux, who serves as a consultant to the Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Saints’ Causes and to the office in charge of papal liturgies.

The English translation of Father Bux’s book title would be: How to Go to Mass and Not Lose Your Faith.

Cardinal Burke told those gathered for the book presentation that he agreed with Father Bux: that “liturgical abuses lead to serious damage to the faith of Catholics.”

Unfortunately, he said, too many priests and bishops treat violations of liturgical norms as something that is unimportant when, in fact, they are “serious abuses.”

Cardinal Canizares said that while the book’s title is provocative, it demonstrates a belief he shares: “Participating in the Eucharist can make us weaken or lose our faith if we do not enter into it properly” and if the liturgy is not celebrated according to the Church’s norms.

“This is true whether one is speaking of the ordinary or extraordinary form of the one Roman rite,” the cardinal said, referring to Masses in the form established after the Second Vatican Council as well as the Mass often referred to as the Tridentine rite.

Cardinal Canizares said that at a time when so many people are living as if God did not exist, they need a true Eucharistic celebration to remind them that only God is to be adored and that true meaning in human life comes only from the fact that Jesus gave his life to save the world.

Father Bux said that too many modern Catholics think the Mass is something that the priest and the congregation do together, when, in fact, it is something that Jesus does: “If you go to a Mass in one place and then go to Mass in another, you will not find the same Mass. This means that it is not the Mass of the Catholic Church, which people have a right to, but it is just the Mass of this parish or that priest.”


Filed under: Church Laws

Two New Links

I added two new links to my sidebar today. Let me tell you about both of them.

The first is for andwtihyourspirit.com. There you will find pew cards with the New Translation of the Roman Missal. These cards are awesome, so if you are someone or know someone who is in charge of purchasing items as such for your parish, school or religious order, contact them at 877-585-1551 or Publisher @ AndWithYourSpirit.com. (take out the spaces).

The other link is for the book “To Save A Thousand Souls“. Written by a former Diocese of Savannah (GA) Vocation Director and current Vice-Rector at Mount Saint Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Fr. Brett Brannen this book is a must have for any man discerning the priesthood, parents and families of young men who are discerning, or for anyone who want to know more about what discerning a priestly vocation is all about. This book would be a great addition to a home or parish library, so add it today!

Filed under: General Stuff

Monday Musings – Last Day of February


Right now:  It is currently 4:18 pm. I am sitting in the living room, with my feet up on the coffee table. Benedict is playing next to me, Karol is having computer time and one of the girls is stirring from her nap. The windows are open and the breeze is blowing in. It is 82 and sunny. The smell of dinner is coming from the kitchen, cabbage, potatoes and smoked sausage.
This weekend...I did my usual Saturday morning errands. I took Karol with me this time. I picked up some fabric to make a cover for the couches as they are looking kinda rough. We ordered a steamVac and hope to get it this week and will clean the sofa and loveseat, then put the new covers on. I went to the local fabric store and found a nice fabric to use. Karol had a fun time pointing out all sorts of crazy fabrics. We to lunch, just the two of us, because he had been so very good all week, saying OK instead of fighting on things. After picking up produce, I was done and we came back home.

We had a birthday party that evening and had a good time. We met a few more families and talked with people. Our kids ran around, playing on the trampoline and being crazy as kids are supposed to be!

Sunday found us at Mass, of course. The Gospel struck me and the kids were actually so well behaved, I was able to hear the whole Homily!

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

I need that printed and taped to every surface of my house. With the price of gas going up, food prices are sure to go up too and that makes me nervous, but I must remember to trust in God, He will provide.

After Mass, we headed out to the house of some new friends. They treated us to a yummy lunch, then we went fishing in their pond. Margaret caught a fish, a 21 inch catfish. Now she walks around talking about what a good catcher she is! We had so much fun too. The kids keep asking to go back. We got back home and crashed for about an hour. Joshua then cleaned the fish while I talked with my long lost friend, Jaime, on the phone. It was a wonderful conversation, ah.

Oh and all weekend, I avoided the sorting of the too small kids clothes that needed to be done, so I did it this morning. Blah.
Some plans for this week: Tonight  there is a  prolife rosary at the K of C hall and we are all going. Tomorrow I am watching Cassie’s son while she goes for an appointment. Saturday our other new friends will be coming over, so I need to get things cleaned up a bit. Oh, pollen season has hit here. There is a fine layer of green stuff all over everything, even inside the house, so I need to stay on top of that. Plus I need to sew together the fabric I bought for the couch covers.

If I find some time for myself, I want to: sew the couch covers!

Some prayer intentions for this week: For an increase in vocations to priesthood and religious life. For peace in Africa and the Middle East. For the soul of my friend’s aunt, who passed away this morning and for the Vincent family, that they find a buyer for their house and farm.

Something that makes me smile: Benedict.

For more Musings, check out Patch O’ Dirt.

Filed under: Monday Musings

Faith of Our Fathers…

…holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

We are all familiar with that song, right? Do you know the history of the song? It was written by convert and priest, Fr. Frederick William Faber in 1849 as a tribute to English Catholic Martyrs who died during the reign of King Henry VIII. The four verses — yes, four, did you know there were four? No? Well, you should! The fourth verse is obviously Catholic and a prayerful plead by the author for the return of England to the Catholic Church.

Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whenever we hear that glorious Word!

Refrain:

Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto Thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
We all shall then be truly free.

Refrain

Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach Thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.

Refrain

Faith of our fathers, Mary’s prayers
Shall win our country back to Thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
England shall then indeed be free.

Source: cyberhymbal.org

Filed under: General Stuff

Margaret caught a fish…

…or as she would tell you: “I cectched a fish”.

From the top.

Twenty one inches!

Now that’s just creepy.

Boiled hot dogs, duh!
(When asked why kind of bait she used.)

Filed under: General Stuff