The Leftover Turkey Daybook

Outside my window: The sun is trying to infuse the day, but there is gray all around. The sunrise was amazing though, and no less because it came after a hot breakfast of farm eggs and bacon, family and coffee, laughter and cuddling.

Around the house: A sleeping baby and evidence of said breakfast still lingering in the dishes I haven’t done yet.

What I’ve been writing:

The new translation of the Mass is here! This weekend! And hey…there’s an app for that! AND IT ROCKS! My review of the iMassExplained app is over at CatholicMom.com.
I promised a full review of Weightless, and here it is. Bottom line: you should not only own Weightless, read Weightless, and share Weightless, you should also buy a copy for every woman in your life. Yes, all of them. And probably most of the men too.
For Thanksgiving, Mary was in the kitchen over at Catholic Foodie. (Audio also available for this one.)
Earlier this week, at the Catholic Writers Guild blog, I defined some common blogging terms and left the comments open for questions. If you are a newbie writer-blogger, join in!

In my thoughts: Christmas. Presents. The battling-down of bah-humbug.

In my plans: Some writing, a shower, and…I dunno. We’ll see.

In thanksgiving: For a fun family visit. For children’s giggles. For the hilarity that a group of children inevitably bring.

In my prayers: For a grieving family. For the constant battle of fear and anxiety. For a peace-filled Advent.

Nose inserted: I have been neglecting all sorts of things for The Father’s Tale: A Novel, Michael O’Brien’s latest. It’s thick and weighty and wonderful. It is the very epitome of what I love in a novel, of how I can learn so much from a good story, and of where I like to wander in my imagination.

Recent reads:

Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, by James Martin, SJ – This was a delightful read, punctuated by stories in a way that reminded me of the way my own Irish priest speaks. I know just who I’m sharing it with next, after I write my full review, and I’m quite sure that person will laugh and enjoy it as much as I did.

Links I like:

Occupy Advent – I have an interest in Advent beyond promoting my book, I promise, and I am going to be following and using this site this year. In their own words: “Reclaiming the holy season of waiting and watching for the Lord. Slow down. Simplify.” They also have a hashtag on Twitter: #occupyadvent
Mass with a Difficult Child – Michelle shares wisdom, experience, and, most of all, a virtual hug for everyone in the trenches. Stay strong, Mom! You need those graces, and so does Jr Difficult! And all of us could do with a dose of reading this post, I think. Don’t miss it.
7 Ways to Pray…7 Problems in Prayer…14 Ways to Pray (with a tip of the hat to the lovely Pat Gohn at Among Women for pointing me to this) – We all struggle with prayer. And here is a post I think I could read daily for about a month to internalize all I should from it. So read it. Your Advent deserves it.

A favorite thing: Cranberry Sierra Mist, followed closely by pumpkin spice lattes (which I will indulge in sometime soon, I hope!)

Food for thought: Courtesy of Benedict XVI:

With immense gratitude, let us ask Mary, Mother of the Word Incarnate and our Mother, to protect every earthly mother: those who, together with their husband, raise their children in a harmonious family context, and those who, for many reasons, find themselves alone to face a very difficult duty. May they carry out with dedication and loyalty their daily service within the family, the Church and society. May the Blessed Mother be for all a support, comfort and hope!

Worth a thousand words: This is the lovely, the incomparable, the awesome Mrs. Darwin. She is really that cool, folks. And I have met her. In person. And she let me get a picture with her after I ran into her (quite a pleasant surprise!) at a recent speaking engagement I had.