The Last Saturday of March Daybook
March 31, 2012 By 2 Comments
Outside my window: It’s looking like it’s going to be a gray day, but I’m okay with that.
Around the house: The girls are up and watching some early morning TV curled under blankets. My boys are sleeping. The washer’s at work across the room and I’m thinking of what I need to do this morning.
In other places:
- A column I wrote for Pauline’s e-newsletter, “A How-To Guide for Catholic Family Fun” just went live.
- Steven McEvoy’s interview of me is up at Catholic Dads Online. It includes my answers to questions such as “When did you know you wanted to be a writer?” and “What does your typical day or week look like?” and an assortment of other questions about writing and reading and life.
- This week, I had some of the most fun I’ve had ever on a podcast. The folks at The FlagShip Galley Table invited me on and wow! I hope they invite me back! Listen to the great conversation about faith in fiction and you’ll find out what NOT to EVER put on a pizza.
In my kitchen: The floor is clean. And now the formerly quiet kids are demanding I make them breakfast. (They know about the stash of new flavors of Pop Tarts.)
In my thoughts: I’m thinking about a fun weekend visit, all I need to do in the coming week, and a host of things I’m grateful for.
In thanksgiving: For the support and encouragement of my family, for the weekly renewal of things horsey, for the weekend ahead.
In my prayers: A very special intention for someone I love dearly and a friend who’s mourning.
Nose inserted: Oh, these are goooood; it was all I could do to go to bed last night!
- Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (fiction, YA)
- Wish You Were Here: Travels through Loss and Hope, by Amy Welborn
- Walking with God: A Journey through the Bible, by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins – which I’m using for morning devotional time
Recent reads: I’ll be reviewing a number of these very soon in various places.
- The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (fiction, YA) – I read this because my sister-in-law asked me to, and I was rather surprised that I enjoyed it and even wanted to read the next book in the trilogy. My nieces have started reading it, and one of them told me that the movie is the BEST MOVIE EVER (she’s seen it twice and offered to go with me). I haven’t put my thoughts together coherently, but my early thoughts are that it’s almost like Lord of the Flies meets 1984.
- Style, Sex, and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter, Edited by Hallie Lord – Fun and informative, lovely and hilarious, this is sure to warrant the hype it’s gotten and earn it’s spot as a best-selling Catholic book. I’m reviewing it in length at CatholicMom.com next Friday AND giving a copy away. Stay tuned!
- The Catholic Girl’s Survival Guide for the Single Years: The Nuts and Bolts of Staying Sane and Happy While Waiting for Mr. Right, by Emily Stimpson – I met the author at the Behold Conference, and I’ve enjoyed her writing online in various places, so I thought that, although the book didn’t appear to be anything relevant to me, I’d give it a shot. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Not only was it speaking to ME in many ways, but I marked passages and will be sharing more thoughts about it at length. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and I don’t say that lightly! I couldn’t put it down!
- The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ, by Mark Shea – I thought this book would be a drag, but I love Mark Shea’s writing and I thought I’d make it through it. What a delight to find that this book is the sort of thing I encourage our pastor to use for his Bible study, that I pass on to a good friend, and that I plan to reference and reread many times. Shea made the works of mercy so clear and so relevant that I found myself moved in ways I just never have been. It was touching, even as it was informative. In other words, I loved it.
- Fatherless, by Brian Gail – I picked this up reading all the acclaim and rave reviews about it and was really looking forward to it. After all, it’s Catholic fiction. However, I gave it three stars and found myself a bit disappointed. The story does keep moving and there are many parts that are compelling and thought-provoking. I had the sensation of being a bit preached to throughout, and I felt like it could have been about half as long and twice as effective. Nevertheless, I’ll be reading the other two books in the series (Motherless and Childless), so don’t think I didn’t enjoy reading it enough to continue. Three stars doesn’t make it a must-read in my categorizing, but it is worthwhile and better than drivel.
- Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck, by Kevin Lowry – This is a great book, hands down. Kevin Lowry is approachable and I found that, though he wrote what is undoubtedly a business book, it’s applicable to all of us who work, whether we work at home or in an office or on the road. Lowry taps into his experience and his wisdom, shares his faith and his insight, and tops it all off with a bit of humor and perspective. I really enjoyed reading it and I will be encouraging others to read it as well.
Plea for advice: Anyone have suggestions for sharing links that isn’t FriendFeed? I thought it was going to be a great way to share in my sidebar, but I’ve caught that it’s been dropping the ball. If you have suggestions, I’m all ears!
A favorite thing: My seven-year-old’s penchant for coloring and the many beautiful drawings she is always making.
Food for thought: “Fasting, which can have various motivations, takes on a profoundly religious significance for the Christian: by rendering our table poorer, we learn to overcome selfishness in order to live in the logic of gift and love; by bearing some form of deprivation – and not just what is in excess – we learn to look away from our “ego”, to discover Someone close to us and to recognize God in the face of so many brothers and sisters. For Christians, fasting, far from being depressing, opens us ever more to God and to the needs of others, thus allowing love of God to become also love of our neighbor (cf. Mk 12: 31).” – Pope Benedict XVI, from his 2011 Lenten message
Worth a thousand words: My boy, who spent at least a half-hour a few mornings ago on the front porch, watching the traffic and pointing to all the trucks
Quick Takes Halfway through Advent
December 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
Not only did I find my Advent wreath this week, but I set it up.
AND we have USED it.
In case I’m not the only person just getting started on Advent halfway through, I thought I’d host something fun next week…a link-up (or “carnival” to those of us who remember the days of such bloggy fun) of Advent wreaths.
This is inspired, in part, by the people who keep sending me messages with pictures of their Advent wreaths and my book.
For example, I received this from Larissa Hoffman this week:
Know what that book at the end of the table is?
Welcome Baby Jesus, by yours truly.
Talk about humbled.
So I was inspired: let’s have an Advent Wreath Carnival! We’ll exchange links, post pictures, and have all sorts of fun.
Let’s CELEBRATE Advent, shall we? Hope you can participate!
Part of what inspired me to actually find my wreath (which involved a special trip to the attic of our old house) was the encouragement of Greg and Jennifer Willits.
I had a chance to talk to them on Tuesday afternoon during their radio show, The Catholics Next Door.
It was great fun and yes, I’m feeling a lot like this about it (still):
Speaking of things that excite me, check THIS out:
That’s my newest book, Welcome Risen Jesus: Lent and Easter Reflections for Families. I don’t even have blurbs for it yet, but I have my author copies in hand. (The marketing of pamphlets/booklets is far different than what’s done for “real” books, I’m finding.)
Best place to buy it? Your local Catholic retailer. If you don’t have one, consider Liguori (the publisher), Aquinas and More, or The Catholic Company (though, admittedly, they don’t have it for pre-order). Or, yes, Amazon. But let’s keep our Catholic friends in business first, shall we?
Want a free book? OF COURSE you do!
And it’s not just any book…it’s Ellen Gable’s new book, Stealing Jenny, one that should come with a warning label. You still have today to enter to win one of the five Kindle copies we’re giving away at CatholicMom.com.
But wait…there’s more! Over at Amazing Catechists, the amazing Lisa Mladinich has organized a giveaway that lasts for ten days, and we’re only halfway through. Be sure to enter each day!
Speaking of Amazing Catechists, my latest column is up: Immacu-what?
I was standing at the front of the class, fresh out of Mass. I’d like to say it was a room of fresh-faced fifth graders, but the truth was, we were all tired.
I asked them who had been at Mass.
A few hands went up.
“And why were you at Mass? What were we celebrating?”
“Advent!” They were triumphant. They were confident. They were sure.
And they were WRONG.
Read the rest at Amazing Catechists.
And this post wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory mancub picture:
He’s trying to walk and he’s almost succeeding (with or without something to push). Maybe I should quit pushing him down every time he stands up: it’s just making him stronger and more determined (and goodness, we don’t need any more strong wills in this house!).
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A Double Celebration
November 29, 2011 By 6 Comments
Eight years ago, we planned a big party.
Eight years ago, he waited for me at the end of an aisle.
Eight years ago, we knelt beneath the Cross and sealed our happiness with a Sacrament.
Eight years ago, we exchanged rings.
Eight years ago, we sealed it with a kiss.
Eight years ago, we shared the first of many knives, the first of many cakes, the first of many great desserts.
Eight years ago, he looked at me, I laughed, and we began a lifetime together.
Eight years ago, we danced a moonlight serenade and I started practicing letting him lead.
Eight years ago, I took his hand, for better or for worse.
And one year ago, we celebrated our anniversary with the best gift we could imagine.
November 29th is one of my favorite days of the year.
Our Lady of Beauraing, pray for us.
Quick Takes on Costumes, Books, & Advent
November 4, 2011 By 8 Comments
—1—
The Angel, the Horse, and the Cutie Patootie
My camera is broken. It’s been broken for a while, but I only just figured out that there’s no fixing the blurry pictures. Good thing for my sister-in-law, huh?
— 2 —
Put this on your to-read list.
I am trying my best to whip through Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, by Fr. Robert Barron, but I’m not having much success. That’s not because it’s not a terrific, fabulous, amazing book. In fact, I stand behind what I said the other day: it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. So if you haven’t already put it on your to-read, to-buy, to-own-and-share list, do it!
All of a sudden, I’m seeing SANTAS in the store.
How can this be?
Christmas is MONTHS away, right?
Right?
RIGHT?
And…isn’t ADVENT first?
— 4 —
Advent preparation: easier said than done
Seeing as how I have a book designed to help you with your Advent, you would think I’d be prepared.
Especially since it’s newly available and I have some talks, interviews, and other Advent-preparation-themed things coming up in the next couple of weeks. You’d be WRONG.
— 5 —
My approach for pre-Advent
I’m taking my own Advent advice from last year, especially as it relates to doing only one thing, not comparing myself to others, and smiling.
— 6 —
Novenas, novenas, novenas
Pray More Novenas is a site after my own heart. You don’t have to rely on your RSS reader or even your ability to check the website: novenas can be delivered straight to your inbox. I hear rumor that there’s an app in the works too, and I am ALL OVER THAT, lemme tell ya!
I discovered this site last year, and though I don’t get the emails (inbox overload, anyone?), I have a good friend who has been praying along since I first mentioned it.
So there you go. Good stuff.
I shared this on Facebook and Twitter, but I nearly forgot to give myself credit for my “first” pie crust.
Apple filling, of course.
My mother-in-law did the work, and though I “helped” (especially with the eating part) and though she counts it as my first pie, I am itching to try my hand at this in my own kitchen.
(By “itching,” I mean “in a few weeks when I have to” and by “in my own kitchen” I mean to imply that I plan to have my mother-in-law standing nearby to rescue me!)
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The Unthemed Takes
October 7, 2011 By 14 Comments
It makes me happy to have a theme for my Quick Takes posts. I know that’s not the point of them. All the same, I like a theme. It helps me write them.
But this week, no theme. Not even something related to Mary. (But hey! Today’s the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary!)
I just finished an amazing book, by the mom of a high school friend. How cool is that?
The book, which I’ll be reviewing in depth at CatholicMom.com sometime soon, was Strategies for the Tech-Savvy Classroom, by Diane Witt.
It’s a book I’m glad I discovered, however accidentally. I have a tendency to geek out about education and technology, and to be able to combine them: bliss! Diane writes from experience as an educator and as a mom, and she speaks to some concerns I think we all have when we face the onslaught of technology and the need to educate.
I came away with some great ideas for myself–and for my kids! I plan to apply some of her ideas and concepts to my religious education classroom and to my home.
Last Friday night, I was not at the CNMC. I was, however, a panelist on Catholic Weekend. (They let anyone on, I tell ya.)
I mentioned that I had just started Sinner, by Lino Rulli.
And now that I’ve finished it, I gotta tell ya: one of the best Catholic books I’ve read.
Yeah, I know. Everyone is saying that. (Or not. I really don’t know.)
Lino keeps it real, but he does it in a way that had me laughing and snorting and nodding the whole book through.
I find myself inspired by how Lino is so honest, and I want to share this book with everyone I know, especially those people who may struggle with how perfect they’re not. Because, after reading this book, I’m struck by the fact that hey, it’s not just me.
Highly recommended. And maybe I’ll even get my husband to read it.
As I type, the baby is crawling around and pulling himself up underneath the table.
He’s also growling.
I find myself continually struck by how, well, growly he is. Oh, and grunty. He’s grunty too.
In a way that my girls just weren’t.
Anyone else have this experience?
Next week, I start teaching a fifth grade religious education class in our parish (aka PSR). I had these grand plans to build a website and everything, but…yeah. So far, I haven’t.
I’m a little nervous, to be honest. The last time I taught PSR, it was called CCD. I was single and a brand-new Catholic.
Now, eight years and three kids later, I’m just hoping that the “call” I thought I heard this summer, the one I thought I said yes to, wasn’t actually for something far different. You know?
I’m slowly getting back into blog-reading (and I hope this lasts a while, but we’ll see). In my email the other day, I had a link to Catholic Sistas.
I went and poked around and liked what I saw.
I especially liked this:
It’s a Catholic pro-life symbol! Go read about it, and especially about Erika’s journey with a breast cancer diagnosis during her pregnancy.
They make my feed reader, and I salute their fine work! Check em out!
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Here at Snoring Scholar, you'll find marriage and motherhood, book talk and rambling remarks, observations and distractions, in the midst of life in rural Ohio on a farm, with kids, critters, and Catholic flair.
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