— 1 —

You know what makes me happy? This conversation from Facebook and the subsequent picture I have in my head because of it.

Anyone know where I can find a statue of Mary on a HORSE? Huh? I think I need one.

Well, come to think of it, I probably need two. My four-year-old is sure to claim one to play with. (You know, like she did with the Holy Family.)

— 2 —

If you’re reading this in a feed reader, I’ll spare you the necessary click-through and just show you how the window view at the top of my blog has changed, thanks to Dorian and her amazingness.

— 3 —

In case you have an interest in my latest obsessions, it has involved dirt, flowers, and mulch, transforming my front view to this:

— 4 —

That streak of motivation also led to this:

— 5 —

In other news, I just confirmed, this week, that I’ll be in Dallas at the end of August. For this:

and this:

I’m a weeeeeeee bit excited, especially as I’m going to be stuck like glue to her:

(and a few other people too, but Julie and I have a special plan, mwahaha)

— 6 —

This week, my phone (which is not “smart,” and that’s part of the reason I love it so), has been spending a lot of time in rice:

It had an unfortunate meeting with some coffee and then, as I was watering my hanging baskets, I leaned over to water some of the planted stuff and forgot all about the Truth of Watering Hanging Baskets: They will drip on you if you are under them.

To this I say: I’m glad I have rice in the house!

— 7 —

And here’s something pretty I just wanted to share, and which the artist, Michelle Paine, gave me permission to share (it’s copyrighted):

Used with permission; copyright Michelle Arnold Paine

She shares about her painting of this “transciption” of Fra Angelico’s original and the story behind it on her blog. She’s doing a whole series on the Annunciation and I’m moved by them.

It reminds me of how I used to love going to the Museum of Art in Toledo with my mother, and how she would stand beneath the panel of Monet’s Water Lilies and just gaze. I never understood that stopping and looking, that pausing to savor, that slowing down.

But maybe I do, just a bit, now.

Michelle Paine is doing some amazing work. Her figurative paintings on Mary just make my heart beat harder and tears well up in my eyes…and I have no ability to explain why.

Quick Takes can be found this week at Betty Beguiles. Please pray for Jen from Conversion Diary.

— 1 —

My favorite Nativity Set is part of my decor.

— 2 —

Since Christmas, my four-year-old has had an interest in arranging them. And rearranging them.

And now…they play hide-and-seek.

— 3 —

It took me a week or so to realize they were missing from their usual shelf.

Turns out, Mama Mary, Joseph, and the shepherd were with the Holy Family statue on an upper shelf (let’s not think about how she GOT to that taller shelf, ok?).

— 4 —

The donkey, being quite creative, hid in the printer.

— 5 —

The goat was tucked in between the tissues and my recipe box.

— 6 —

And the oxen? I missed him COMPLETELY in front of the fishing lodge.

I found him days after I thought I had everything reassembled on the correct shelf.

— 7 —

What all this says about my decorating and my ability to ignore things that are under my nose, I don’t know. OK, I DO know. There is room for humor ALL. THE. TIME.

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

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

Look what was waiting at the post office yesterday:

We’re a weeeee bit excited.

Both girls asked for their own copies, and seven-year-old expressed her delight and approval that one of the activities is horseback riding.

I’d be failing if I didn’t also remind you:

• Have you entered to win a Snoring Scholar SurPrize Pack yet?
• And what’s your biggest meal-time challenge?

Lest you think it’s giveaways all the time around here…well, I have something up my sleeve for later this week, March Madness style.

Here we have the awesome Elizabeth Duffy and Mrs. Darwin, who let me tag along with them. It was great road trippin’ fun, I tell ya!

Kate Wicker and her cutie patootie, Thomas

Danielle Bean was as lovely as ever. And her shoes? Incomparable (and terrifyingly high).

Lisa Schmidt and baby Jude. Lisa gained my respect as someone who can appreciate coffee.

Arwen Mosher (sans twins, who were with her!) and Hallie Lord, who, as you can see, have an effect on me…

Jen Fulwiler, who really is as tall as she says she is (and twice as hilarious)

The conference was good, inspirational, and all of that. How could it not be? They had incredible speakers and the team put in a tremendous effort on every aspect of things.

The real highlight for me, though, was the one-on-one time I had with these and some other ladies over the course of the day-and-a-half I spent there.

It comes back to why face-time is so important for all of us, why we show up at these events in the end.

It’s not for the speakers. It’s not even for the bag of goodies.

It’s for the people. Period.

— 1 —

As you read this, I’m probably on my way over to the Behold Conference.

Not to brag, mind you, but I am a LOT excited.

I’m going to be spending a LOT of time with Elizabeth Duffy and Mrs. Darwin. I also plan to harass pursue follow around like a puppy dog see Danielle Bean, Jennifer Fulwiler, Hallie Lord, Arwen Mosher, Kate Wicker, and many, many more of my favorite online friends.

Hoo boy!

— 2 —

In the latest Catholic Foodie, Jeff’s talking fishy Fridays, and I’m sharing a Mary in the Kitchen that reflects on just why Lenten failures are good for me, every single year.

On the newest iPadre, Fr. Jay Finelli is awesome, as usual, and I’m on with a Mary Moment that’s B16-inspired.

— 3 —

Got a new iPod, iPad, or iPhone? I share my 13 Essential Catholic Apps in this week’s Tech Talk at CatholicMom.com.

Got a few minutes to talk New Evangelization with me? Over at New Evangelizers, I’m talking about how we’re all in this together.

— 4 —

You’ve probably long suspected there’s something “not quite right” about someone who names the voices in her head. But did you know I have multiple personalities online too? I talk about my dilemma over at the Catholic Writers Guild blog this week. If you have ideas for how I can reconcile myself…well, I’m all ears/eyes.

— 5 —

“Would you review my new book, Getting #Married: Using Social Media to Celebrate the Sacred?”

I was too curious to say no when the request came into my inbox.

For one thing, I think very highly of Meredith Gould, who is an author, a blogger, and one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter.

For another, when you put both “social media” and “sacred” in the subtitle, it makes for irresistibility as far as I’m concerned.

Read my review over at CatholicMom.com.

— 6 —

I’ve been tempted to start posting links to our priest’s homilies here on my blog. He’s such a talented homilist–he can say more in seven minutes than I can say in a half-hour. Last weekend, his homily inspired a whole column idea for me, among other things. (I need to listen to it a third time to get all my notes down so I can bug him with my uber-nerdy theology questions.)

— 7 —

This is a classic case of saving the best for last, don’t you think?

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

Here’s where I write:

It’s the far end of my kitchen counter, the dividing bar between our family room and kitchen.

To my left is my kitchen sink, with the great window view that’s the header of my blog:

Often, one of my girls will color or play horses while I laptop away. Here’s the view from the family room facing in:

Behind me is our table:

Sometimes, I turn my laptop so that I’m sitting at the bar, instead of standing at the bar. It really depends on the time of day and what I’m working on.

I tried to use an office set-up, but it just didn’t work. My kids would follow me, and locking the door didn’t really work either. They totally ignore me if I’m out here working in the middle of the action. That room’s being repurposed as a study, where we’ll go for quiet time or prayer or things that need to not be in the middle of the action. (Math homework comes right to mind.)

Here’s the in-progress peek at that room:

I have a friend who has promised to help me decorate the white walls. I have some great horse stuff, some religious art ideas, some favorite “stuff,” and some family pictures I want to hang. We’ll be including a table in this room, and in the corner, I have a favorite rocking chair and plan to move my morning prayer to this room as well.

Now, pardon me while I go explore the other writing spaces!

— 1 —

Less than a month until we can all have our hands on this:

Join me in a happy dance, will you?

It’s not available yet for pre-order, but just as soon as it is, I’ll be sure to let you know!

— 2 —

Have you seen the great work Greg and Jennifer Willits are doing over at New Evangelizers? I have meant to mention it, and I never have. (Bad me.)

As it turns out, I’m now writing there weekly, about the New Evangelization. I’m finding this to be a topic that, like so many other topics I’ve started writing about, turns out to be FAR BIGGER than I imagined in the beginning.

My first post, “In the Silence of the Internet,” starts with a plug for the Pope’s message for World Communications Day and then a few words about how the internet inspires silence in me.

The Pope’s Message for the 46th World Communications Day has struck a deep chord with me and it speaks to each of us who are involved in spreading our Catholic faith.

For one thing, there’s the title: “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization.”

In my years of interacting on the interwebs, there is silence of a sort, at least when I’m not yelling at my screen or ranting about what some fool (whose name may or may not be Sarah Reinhard) has said or done.

Continue reading at New Evangelizers –>

— 3 —

In my Mary Moment on iPadre this week, I share how Mary Poppins inspired me to think about Mama Mary.

In case you want to hum along with me, here you go:

— 4 —

At CatholicMom.com this week, I’m talking tech with an idea I have for an app that would take off like wildfire. Or not. Anyway, if you’re curious, you can read it and let me know what you think.

I also share a detailed review of the collection of Chesterton essays I mentioned on earlier this week.

— 5 —

I don’t really have a good entry at the Catholic Writers Guild blog this week, though I do open it up for questions (no takers so far). If you head over there, check out the other good stuff…I really liked Ebeth Weidner’s piece on tending the garden and learned quite a bit about developing theme from a writer’s standpoint from Leslie Lynch. (I may write nonfiction, but wow! I learn so much from my fiction writing friends!)

Those are just the things that went up THIS week. If you have an interest in writing, I highly recommend at least following that blog…and why not consider a membership to CWG?

Hoping to see you at the Catholic Writers Conference Online later this month, too! (Registration is closed now. And wow, it’s going to be a great and intimate group this year!)

— 6 —

I found this bit of awesomeness via Danielle Bean. I have shown it to everyone I can think of, but whether you have seen it yet or not, I MUST post it on my blog. MUST.

See why?

— 7 —

I’m pretty sure this is one of my all-time favorite pictures of my girls:

Yes, my four-year-old is now riding by herself unassisted! She takes lessons, too. A year sooner than her sister. By our calculations, that means the mancub (who is 16-months-old!) will be riding at age three.

I took this picture to show how tall my seven-year-old’s horse was next to the pony my four-year-old rides.

Have a good weekend!

Be sure to stop by Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes and lots of goodness!

— 1 (Be Proud of Me) —

Yeah, I know. It’s not Friday. The temptation was strong to do two posts yesterday, but aren’t you proud of me? I resisted!

So here I am on Saturday with some Quickish Takes…

— 2 (Book Giveaway Winners) —

If you entered my book giveaway this month, I announced winners the other day and also sent emails (though I have a good hearty appreciation for spam filters, indeed I do).

Be sure you contact me if you won!

— 3 (Papa Rocks!) —

Have you read the pope’s message for Lent 2012 yet? How’d I not find it until now? Here’s a sampling:

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters.

Go read the whole thing.

— 4 (Hearts to Celeste) —

Here’s a great Lenten resource, courtesy of Celeste Behe: 40 for 12.

Throughout the 40 days of Lent, the 40 for 12 Menu Plan will offer a weekly shopping list and menu of meatless meals, along with easy recipes and fun commentary. Each of the recipes is designed to serve 12, in order to suit big happy families with many mouths to feed, small happy families with voracious teens, and prudent wives who know the value of a good leftover.

Here’s the bottom line of this 40 for 12 Menu Plan brilliance:

• Living out the Lenten discipline of abstinence as a family
• Free Mom from undue stress
• Keep kids from being sullen
• Recipes serve big families OR have plenty of leftovers
• Plans can be modified easily
• There aren’t expensive convenience foods
• Shopping lists included!
• Do I really need to go on? Aren’t you SOLD?

Something to help me spend less time in the kitchen? Well, Celeste, let me hug you!

— 5 (My Other Blatherings) —

Total excitement: my interview made the podcast version of The Catholics Next Door. So if, like me, you don’t listen to Sirius/XM (but you long to, if only to hear the awesomeness that is Greg and Jennifer Willits), then you can hear my recent interview.

More excitement: I’m now a contributor over at the Integrated Catholic Life. My first column, “My Reckless Experiment with Fridays” went live yesterday.

Lenten failures: I’m on iPadre this week with a Mary Moment about my Lenten failures.

I love pizza, need I say more? On Catholic Foodie, Mary in the Kitchen is pizza-oriented (after a fun-filled parade-induced show).

Did you know there’s a great new app for Total Consecration? It gets my rave review over in my Tech Talk column this week at CatholicMom.com.

Lent’s on my mind: I’m talking Lent and blogging at the Catholic Writers Guild this week.

— 6 (Share Your Story) —

Do you have a Lenten story about how you’ve grown? Is there a faith story you’d be willing to share with others?

Karina Fabian is collecting them at the Why God Matters website. Here’s the scoop:

In 1996, Karina Fabian, mother of toddlers, made a Lenten vow that launched her career as a writer.  Years later, it led her to share that joy of writing with her father, as they collaborated on an award-winning devotional, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life.  This year, she hopes to share the joy of Lent through her book and the Why God Matters website.

This year, Fabian and Tribute Books are opening the Why God Matters website to faith stories by others, especially Lenten faith stories.  “I believe that Lent, and Lenten vows, can change lives,” Fabian said.  “I’d like to share that hope with others, and the best way is through sharing our stories.”

“God continues to bless me through that Lenten vow,” Fabian said.  “Not only will I cherish having worked with my father, but the book itself has touched so many lives.  People have written to us that it’s helped them understand their faith better , brought them closer to God, or touched them when they really needed it.  I hope this Lent, through the website, we can do this some more.”

— 7 (Picture, As Promised) —

When she got her hair cut earlier this week, my seven-year-old asked the beautician to do her hair up. This is my glimpse at how quickly time passes…

Conversion Diary has more Quick Takes…though most people do them on Fridays…