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

Around the house: There’s a pile of people–Daddy and girls–on my couch, watching a movie. The boy is dragging a stool around the kitchen counters, seeing what fun he can find.

What I’ve been writing: I’ve been treading water and keeping up with my weekly commitments. I have plans for a book proposal, though, and need to work on that soon. The idea is THERE, even sort of fleshed out, so it’s time to ACT.

In my thoughts: The HHS Mandate and the “compromise” that’s really a bait-and-switch. And Rick Santorum. And changing my blogging frequency.

In my plans: I have to get my PSR lesson done for next week. We have a few weeks off soon, and I’m hoping to get ahead, but no guarantees. There’s also rumor of a date sometime soon, and hey! Ministry scheduling next week should take some major time off my purgatory…

In thanksgiving: For the cuddles of children. For laughs with friends. For nieces who text me. For online games with extended family.

In my prayers: For a woman who’s expecting to deliver her encephalitic baby soon. For a woman whose five-month-old baby recently died. For some special intentions.

Nose inserted: I’m finishing Unbridled Grace: A True Story about the Power of Choice, by Michael Norman, this weekend. I’m debating which book is next. I’m trying valiantly to also read The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II–The Struggle for Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy, by George Weigel, but I’m not doing so well. I’m still in the first chapter. I need to set a goal of one chapter every couple of days, I think.

Links I like: (You can find more in the sidebar or on my FriendFeed)

• Canterbury Tales has a post that I used for an upcoming parish bulletin explaining the rules of fasting and abstinence. Now’s the time to brush up and get ready!
• Suscipio is doing a “Moments of Grace” link-up every Friday, and I’m so inspired by it! I’m hoping to join in next week.
• Karina Fabian shares five things writers shouldn’t do. Great advice and good reminders.
• Melissa Wiley cracks me up…and so does her husband.
• Brandon Vogt shares a video and considers what the most powerful tool for evangelization really is.
• Darwin looks at the fallacy food stamps as living poor.

Pick of the week: Pat Gohn’s “A God with Toes” at Patheos this week.

Food for thought: In my inbox this morning, courtesy of BenedictEveryday.com:

It is certainly not by chance that people are nowadays turning again to Mary, in whom Christianity becomes loveable again and close to us, and we really do find the door again through the Mother.

–Pope Benedict XVI

Worth a thousand words: From Jon Fitz

Courtesy of Jon Fitz

Around the house: The dishwasher and washing machine are busy doing their work, the four-year-old is beside me making a deck of horse cards into a quite hilarious drama, and the mancub is “sleeping” (he stopped singing, and I’m going to blog in that small window of time).

In my thoughts: I’m thinking of the blessing of another year, the joy of Christmas, and the lovely smell of the Dutch apple pie candle that’s burning on the counter nearby.

In my plans: I surely have plans, I just can’t think of what they are. Today, I’m going to figure out what’s for dinner this week and I’m going to start in on the recurring to-do list. There are some twists and turns ahead this week, but we’ll take those one at a time.

In thanksgiving: For peace, despite mental chaos. For the kids in my life. For the friends who won’t let me forget what this week is, despite my own attempts to play it down. For my husband.

Nose inserted: I am reading the first of the Young Chesterton Chronicles, The Tripods Attack!, by John McNichol. I’m also reading an advance copy of the tenth edition of Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach, by Kathryn Hermes. Last week, I started Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic Approach to Holiness at Home, by Marge Fenelon.

Recent reads: 

• Who’s There?, by Seth Godin - Read in part because I’m a nerd and in part because I blog each week about blogging over at the Catholic Writers Guild blog, and I thought this would be a good resource. It was free and quick and I was okay with it. Not a bad introduction to blogging and things online, even if it was written long enough ago to be a touch out-of-date. I’m always looking for resources to share with writers who want to blog but aren’t sure how to start, and this is pretty decent for that end.
• Darkling Fields of Arvon, by James Anderson and Mark Sebanc – I enjoyed reading the first book in this series, and I enjoyed this one as well. In fact, my reading it (which was long overdue–it’s been on my shelf for far too long!) inspired me to share the series with my husband. I found the names a bit difficult (but I always do with these fantasy types of books), but enjoyed the story immensely. It moves pretty well, has an underlying tone that’s intriguing, and is, all in all, a good read.

Food for thought: No wise man ever wished to be younger. (From CoolNSmart.com)

Worth a thousand words: On either side of my kitchen sink and the window above it (because, though I didn’t muster together a whole Marian post, I can at least share some lovely images, right?):

Around the house: Kids in the front room, scuffling around on the last day of vacation. Husband, on the couch behind me, snoozing on the last day of vacation. Me, at the kitchen table, pecking away at a keyboard and sipping coffee.

What I’ve been writing: Nothing. Not a thing.

In my thoughts: Ringing in the New Year with Mary, the Mother of God, and what our very wise priest had to say about it in this weekend’s homily.

In my plans: A whole list of things, from taking in the mountains of recycling to picking up the house to getting back in the work groove.

In thanksgiving: For family. For a newly-minted seven-year-old. For a week offline.

In my prayers: Those who grieve in a special way right now and who feel the pain and the blessing at the same time.

Nose inserted: Oh joy: Darkling Fields of Arvon, by James Anderson and Marc Sebanc. It’s the second in the Legacy of the Stone Harp series, and I’m SO enjoying it. I reviewed the first book, The Stoneholding, a while back.

Recent reads: I’m going to do a post this week with summaries of my recent reading, but here are some short excerpted thoughts from last week’s binge of reading:

• Mind Over Mind, by Karina Fabian – Wow. Wow. WOW. So good I suspect I’ll be rereading it when the sequel comes out. Not because I’ll need to, but because I’ll want to.
• Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson – Read at the behest of young people in my life. Bottom line: I didn’t like it.
• Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott – I started this because it was on my list for 2012 and because I was disliking the aforementioned Patterson book so much. It was just as wonderful as I remembered from the four or five times I read it in my youth.
• Women, Sex, and the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching, Edited by Erika Bachiochi – A book I’d love for every Catholic to read. It will get its own post, either here or at CatholicMom.com.

Links I like: 

• Putting Mary Away – Elizabeth Esther writes beautifully, as usual, and shares why she won’t be putting her Mary away after Christmas.
• A Dad at Christmas – A great reflection on Joseph and fathers by Elizabeth Foss. (Hat tip to Pat Gohn at Among Women.)
• Merry Christmas, Baby – Gina Loehr writes about how Jesus as a baby helps her relate with a faith that is sometimes crusty and dusty.
• Whose Name Is Written on Your Foot? – Mike Hays uses one of my favorite movies to point out that we should all remember whose we are.

A favorite thing: New-fallen snow.

Food for thought: “Christmas helps us understand that God never abandons us and always comes to meet our needs. He protects us and is concerned with each one.” – Benedict XVI, January 4, 2008 (via BenedictEveryday.com)

Around the house: Girls, pounding and playing and happy in the other room; boy, pounding and playing and happy across the room; husband, showering and feeling better (he was sick yesterday).

In my kitchen: We’re ready for Christmas feasting, I tell ya. I might even make a pie. From scratch. But we’ll see.

In my thoughts: Boy, do I some rambling thoughts today, most centering on my bad attitude and struggle through Advent.

In thanksgiving: For prayers and novenas and blessings.

Nose inserted: Women, Sex, and the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching, edited by Erika Bachiochi and two–TWO!–manuscripts (one by Meredith Gould).

Links I like:

• If the Infant Christ was God, Why Couldn’t He Speak? – I am never disappointed by Marc Barnes’s writing. Though the whole thing is well worth reading (a must-read, I daresay), here’s my favorite part: “So in the last few weeks of Advent, embrace your weakness. Kneel before the manger and worship the Christ-child by imitation of the Christ-child. And never forget that if Christ’s humility is incomprehensible in his humanity, how much more must it be in his body and blood in the form of bread and wine. There, there is the ultimate helplessness. There the Christ deigns not only to be silent, but to be food. Sacrificed for our sake, his ultimate act of weakness is our ultimate source of strength.”
• The Pope’s 3 Wishes for Christmas – I find myself, once again, just in awe–and in love–with our dear Papa. What great wishes! And…well, it makes me rethink what I should be aiming for at Christmas.
• Tired Benedict Needs Our Prayers – I’m glad I caught this. I do pray for the pope, but this just strikes me heart in a special way.
• Gene and Alice and the Luminous Mysteries – A lovely piece by Deacon Tom Fox that captures so much of what’s important about marriage…and about prayer.

A favorite thing: Mass.

Food for thought: “Every time we say the Our Father our voices mingle with the voice of the Church; for those who pray are never alone.” – Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, July 25, 2010 (via BenedictEverday.com)

Worth a thousand words: With thanks to my photo-happy sister-in-law:

Around the house: It’s me and the boy. I finished doing the bills (which should have been done yesterday, but…weren’t, and I had a delightful reason why, too!) and nothing says “procrastinate folding and let the dishes sit a bit longer” like doing a weekend daybook, wouldn’t you agree?

In my thoughts: I have Mary on my mind. I’m struggling in an extra-special way today, and though I’m doing my best to put a good face on Advent, I’m sort of failing, and, well, Mary’s in my thoughts.

In my plans: Ah yes, my plans. They seem to be upended by a series of circumstances that could have me laughing or crying. I’m holding on to the reality that I can choose my response.

In thanksgiving: For work. For family. For chocolate.

In my prayers: Those who grieve, those who hurt, those who struggle with forgiveness.

Nose inserted: I’m juggling two books, though I have hopes of finishing one of them today: Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues, by Robert J. Spitzer, and Fatima for Today: The Urgent Marian Message of Hope, by Fr. Andrew Apostoli.

Recent reads: Michael O’Brien’s The Father’s Tale. I’m planning to write a review yet this week about it. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year (though it is, admittedly, VERY long).

Links I like:

• Advent History: The Nativity Fast – Now here’s something I didn’t know about the history of Advent. What would it be like, I wonder, to go through a Nativity Fast of 40 days, a “Lent” before Christmas?
• Feel the joy! – This picture of Mary and Elizabeth is one of my favorites. I almost made it the background on my desktop, it moved me so much. I love the Visitation, and this image is now the one I’ll be using and reflecting on when I’m praying.
• Mary’s Last Words – This column considers the depth and meaning in Mary’s last recorded words in Scripture, “Do whatever he tells you.” There was a lot I hadn’t considered before and, as usual with Dr. Ted Sri, a thorough examination of Scripture in a way that, I think, will change my prayer and approach to it. Amazing stuff.
• Gay, Catholic, and Doing Fine – I just came across this link this week, though it’s from a while back. Who says you can’t be gay and Christian? My experience (in other matters) has been very similar as what’s recorded here. Our pastor has worked with Courage, and I was shocked–SHOCKED!–when, as a new Catholic, I found out that the Catholic Church has an apostolate to help those who have homosexual tendencies. I consider this a must-read.

A favorite thing: Bare baby feet.

Food for thought: “Particularly in our faith, we do not stand alone; we are links in the great chain of believers. Nobody can believe unless he is supported by the faith of others, and conversely, through my faith, I help to strengthen others in their faith.” Benedict XVI

Worth a thousand words: The Birthday Boy

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.

Around the house: Girls and husband, snuggled on couch. Boy, asleep in crib. Me, perched at bar-counter with laptop. Let’s not talk about the state of the house beyond that, okay?

What I’ve been writing: Great book apps for kids for Tech Tuesday and reasons for using the Youcat at CatholicMom.com and the start of a new series on blogging at the Catholic Writers Guild blog

In my thoughts: Advent, of course. And remember how I prattled on about my office? Well, I’ve been thinking and trying to involve other smart people in a possible reutilization of that space. I’m also thinking of Christmas shopping (and, to that end, I just made a spreadsheet this morning and shared it with my husband). And also rattling around in my sleep-deprived mind is budgeting and the shared calendar we’ve been using and whether I truly understand how Mint works (why am I still confused? and frustrated?).

In my plans: Sleep. And reading, followed by a steamy time in the shower to clear my sinuses, with a nap on top, a snuggle with a kid or two, maybe Mass (or maybe not), and meatloaf. Because nothing says “take THAT ye nasty sinus virus” like a good ole batch of meatloaf.

In thanksgiving: For Saturday sick bay hours and an unplanned weekend (we’d be breaking plans if we had ‘em).

In my prayers: Friends and family who have asked for my special prayers, a project that’s been rattling around in my brain, and the ability to keep smiling through the trials of everyday life.

Nose inserted: Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, by James Martin, SJ

Recent reads:

• Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, by Robert Barron, which I reviewed earlier this week.
  
• Rediscover Advent, by Matthew Kelly – I read this in one day, in part so that I could review it at length. I received a review copy a while back, and it caught my eye because Kelly’s Rediscovering Catholicism was one of my favorite books from my 2008 reading. It’s not bad, and I’ll be reviewing it at length later this week.

Links I like:

• Exploring the Youcat – a free online course (which I will be using!)
• Cheating Death, Growing in Gratitude - a great reflection by Pat Gohn
• Does Facebook cause more shallow relationships? - Matthew Warner cites reasons why it may not. I was intrigued.
• How will you make room? – an Advent reflection that I needed to read
• Sacraments 101 at Busted Halo, found via Marc Cardonella

If you want more links from me: I’ve been trying to use FriendFeed to keep track of links I like…we’ll see how long I keep it up. So far, it’s fairly easy to post when I’m reading and surfing around. I’m also experimenting with Diigo, but I haven’t hit the learning curve that makes it worth sharing a link to that here.

A favorite thing: Hot coffee with a splash of cream, though with these cold days and sinus-infected season on me, my favorite peppermint tea is a close second.

Food for thought: “The closer a person is to God, the closer he is to people. We see this in Mary. The fact that she is totally with God is the reason why she is so close to human beings. For this reason she can be the Mother of every consolation and every help, a Mother whom anyone can dare to address in any kind of need in weakness and in sin, for she has understanding for everything and is for everyone the open power of creative goodness.” – Benedict XVI in his homily for the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 2005, via BenedictEverday.com

Worth a thousand words: In my inbox this morning:

Around the house: We’re a-bustle with a galloping four-year-old and an into-everything-he-can-reach 11-month-old. There are baskets of laundry waiting to be folded and dishes waiting to be done. And a fresh pot of coffee.

What I’ve been writing: I’m working on a talk this week.

In my thoughts: With trick-or-treating on Monday and Mass last night, silence is on my mind. I have been thinking of how I create moments of silence for myself and how it seems more complete when I’m outside. And then I read this quote from Blessed Mother Teresa at Julie’s place and it all seemed to click.

In my plans: We have religious education and dentist appointments yet this week, and, of course, horse riding! I have some work to do for the parish website (we’re revamping and redesigning and rewriting) and I’ve been really contemplating the great suggestions and ideas in the comments on my post about parish bulletins.

In thanksgiving: For the saints. For good books. For friends who love me anyway.

In my prayers: Ashley, a friend and her daughter, and my niece who gets confirmed this weekend.

Nose inserted: Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, by Fr. Robert Barron, which I can already say with confidence is probably one of the best (if not the best) books I’ve read this year (and I don’t say that lightly).

Links I like: Google Reader’s sharing is nil (though my sidebars seem to still be working, which I credit with the fact that I had “public tags” instead of just shared items. I don’t know how long they’ll keep working, though, so I’ll share some here periodically.)

• How NOT to pitch a guest post – I thought about reposting this in its entirety! Could the people who approach me about guest posts (and who seem to be spammers) please read that first?
• SBA’s pro-life jack-o-lantern - very cool…wonder if they have printable versions of this for those of us who are non-artsy but wouldn’t mind carving up a pumpkin like that next year?
• 12 tips to overcoming difficulties in prayer - I took notes!

A favorite thing: The sound of my kids playing together.

Food for thought: We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence … We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Blessed Mother Teresa, via Julie at Happy Catholic

Worth a thousand words: From that sister-in-law who loves the sky (and knows that I do, too)

Around the house: It’s silent, but that’s about to end as we begin our day.

What I’ve been writing: This week, I’m putting the finishing touches on my pregnancy book manuscript. Yesterday, I made some surprising progress and I have hopes for today.

In my kitchen: The light is on above the counters, and that’s the only light on right now. It makes me feel hidden and silent: just me and my coffee.

In my thoughts: What is my most important work? I am trying to accept that there is only one set of things I do that’s important, and I had a savage reminder late last night of just how passing the rest of the work I do really is.

In my plans: Editing and writing and the dentist, and that’s just today. I’m taking it one day at a time, lest I get overwhelmed with all that needs done (which includes, but is not limited to, the fact that Christmas! is! coming! (and I always flirt with hating Christmas)).

In thanksgiving: For the big hug of a small person.

In my prayers: A friend’s family and their grief.

Nose inserted: Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps, by Richard Rohr

Recent reads:

• Seven from Heaven: How the Sacraments Can Heal, Nurture, and Protect Your Family Today, by Elizabeth Ficocelli - I received an advance copy, and feel no compunction telling you it’s worth pre-ordering. Well put together and full of many useful and good ideas for hands-on integration of the sacraments in family life.
  
• The Soul Reader, by Gerard Webster - I enjoyed In-Sight, which is the first book Jerry wrote, and Soul Reader was fast-moving and compelling as it continued the story (though you could read it without reading In-Sight first, I think).
• Poor Banished Children, by Fiorella de Maria – Wow. Here’s a book that caught me by surprise…this isn’t just a novel, it’s literature. I’m going to save my full comments for a longer review, but it ranks up there as one of the best books of the year for me.
  

A favorite thing: The color of my coffee with a splash of half-and-half in it.

Food for thought: Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called. -Ephesians 4:1

Worth a thousand words: Courtesy of an aunt who loves pictures almost as much as she loves the subjects of said pictures