Lucas, Cassie and I took a quick trip to St. Louis on Tuesday. We saw my parents and oldest brother and enjoyed wonderful food, endless conversation and Christmas cheer. Today, I took the kids on my nostalgia-tour of the places in my childhood neighborhood.
"Here's the house where I lived the first 21 years of my life."
"There's my Grandma's house."
"That used to be a liquor store which also sold candy, soft drinks and ice cream. My friends and I stopped often on the way home from school."
The highlight for them was lunch at one of my favorite Italian restaurants in St. Louis: Talayna's. I took Luke and a friend there two years ago and Luke has never forgotten the manicotti. (The kid lives in New York and wanted to eat Italian food in St. Louis??) We ate salad, toasted ravioli (a St. Louis-only appetizer: lightly breaded, deep-fried ravioli served with meat sauce for dipping), manicotti and St. Louis-style pizza. The waitress was amused by us eating every.single.bite.
St. Louis Italian cuisine is special. The pizza is extremely thin crust with Provel cheese (a mixture of mozzarella and provolone) which melts very well. The house salad dressing was a creamy Italian with sweet onions and parmesan cheese. The manicotti was freshly made noodles stuffed with ricotta cheese, topped with tomato sauce, white sauce and lots of melty Provel. Mmmmmm.
Sound track for the trip:
Straight No Chaser Holiday Spirits. Wonderful. Creative. Made me cry.
Listen here to Indiana Christmas.
Watch Carol of the Bells here.
Speaking of wonderful food, I'm joining Barbara Curtis and others on Fat Flush starting Monday. More on that subject later. Per Barbara's advice, I'm preparing myself and trying to rid myself of self-pity for the deprivation to come. You all know how I love to indulge in self-pity while dieting. Ugh.
Our town is having a Watermelon Drop for New Year's Eve. Seriously! They built a giant foam watermelon and will hoist it by crane above the city's gathering spot. At midnight, they will drop real watermelons from inside the fake giant watermelon. Cassie went to see the sight and we are anxiously awaiting her report on this phenomenon.
To come: the year in review, thoughts on 2009, more thoughts on losing weight once.and.for.all.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
St. Louis Abbey
The Anchoress linked to the story of a Rhodes Scholar and Abbott. I followed the link and read the entire pdf file without seeing the letterhead at the top of either page. At bottom of the second page, I saw the line "Copyright 2006 Saint Louis Abbey." What? I quickly rescanned both pages, saw the letterhead I'd missed the first time through and confirmed, "Yep, this is the same St. Louis Abbey our family visited about five years ago and I wrote about briefly here.
I'll try to put the whole visit in perspective and tell the story in greater detail. We knew at the time the visit was God-ordained. I only recently realized what an important part the visit has played in my journey toward Catholicism, which I'll explain at the end of my story.
Luke's journey toward Catholicism preceded my own by a few years. His journey began with Rob Bell's teaching at a youth convention Luke attended with our evangelical church in 2002. Rob Bell interested Luke in the Emerging Church movement and he began reading the blog of an emergent thinker (who has since become Catholic). That blogger mentioned Thomas Merton's book "Seven Storey Mountain" and Luke read it in 2003. Later that year, he began reading a lot about monasticism and especially the Benedictines. Terry, Luke and I stopped at St. Meinrad monestary in southern Indiana on our way home from a trip to Kentucky. We wandered around the beautiful campus and spent time in the chapel, including one of the midday prayer services. We didn't speak to anyone there but all felt an overwhelming sense of peace throughout the visit.
Late in 2003, we were in St. Louis visiting my parents and Luke asked if we could stop at another Benedictine monastery there, the St. Louis Abbey. We agreed and drove to the address in West St. Louis County. I was so surprised to find the campus of a Benedictine Monastery hiding just off a main thoroughfare I'd traveled many times. I had never heard of the St. Louis Abbey but I'd heard of the high school run by the Abbey, formerly named Priory. We pulled into the parking lot and quickly found the chapel/church building where a service was scheduled to begin in a few minutes. We walked into the modern building (so different from the Gothic church at St. Meinrad) and found our seats. The monks drifted in and a handful of other visitors joined us in our section. One forty-something lady walked in just before the service started. She was dressed in casual workout clothes and seemed very comfortable with the church, the monks and the prayer service. At some point early in the service, she approached us with a breviary turned to the correct page and handed it to us. She was very friendly and we smiled our thanks.
The brief homily during the service was about one of the readings, that of "entertaining angels unawares."
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
At the end of the service, the nice-lady-in-workout-clothes introduced herself to us. (Forgive me for not remembering her first name, which was all she shared.) She inquired how we came to visit the Abbey that day and we briefly told her we'd visited another Benedictine monastery and that our son was very interested. We told her we had hoped to walk around the grounds a bit if that was allowed. She said it certainly was, hesitated for just a moment, and then asked if she could be our guide? She said she'd intended to go to an exercise class (hence the workout clothes) but she would prefer to get her exercise accompanying us, if we wouldn't mind the intrusion? Mind? We were thrilled to have her gracious offer.
Over the next fifteen minutes, nice-lady-in-workout-clothes showed us all over the campus, which is mostly comprised of the 7th-12th grade boy's school located there. She introduced us to several of the monks we met and all greeted us very warmly. As we neared the shool library, she paused a bit awkwardly. "Um. We are going into the library where I'll show you a painting done by some of the students here at the school, but I need to explain something first. Um. Well, you see, I have four sons. Two of them are students here, as I told you earlier. One of them graduated from here a few years ago. Um. My fourth son was also a student here. Two years ago, when he was a senior, he and a classmate were killed in a car accident. The painting I will show you was done by their classmates in reaction to their deaths." Stunned, I didn't know what to say.
We all mumbled shocked sympathies and one of us finally said, "Oh, this must be so difficult for you. You don't have to be our tour guide. We can continue on our own."
"Oh, no," she protested. That's not why I told you this. I am enjoying this tour tremendously. Even though my sons are students here, I don't take the time to go walk around much. This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I hope you will let me continue."
We told her we'd love for her to do so. The rest of the tour we walked in a bit of awe, understanding the hallowed ground upon which we walked. She showed us a shelter that her son had built for the geese on a lake at the back of the school grounds. It was his Eagle Scout project and she said it was the first time she'd been back there in awhile.
On the way back to the church, we walked past the dormitory where the monks lived. We ran into a young priest named Father Tom who apologized for their lack of a formal hospitality program. (Most Benedictine monasteries have rooms for visitors and established protocol for visitors wishing to make retreats there.) He invited us to come again and stay with them in their meager accomodations. We assured him we appreciated the invitation but we had nearby family and wouldn't need to stay overnight. He insisted, then, that we at least come next time "for tea." His warmth was palpable and refreshing.
When we got back to the church and our car in the parking lot, our nice-lady-in-workout-clothes-turned-tour-guide thanked us for letting her show us around the campus. We thanked her and told her we knew God had ordained for her to be there to show us around that day. She said, "you know, I come here many days for this prayer service because I feel closer to my son here than anywhere else. When I heard the homily on 'angels unawares' I thought of you all and after spending this time with you, I am certain that you all were my angels today."
The reason this visit was pivotal, in retrospect, in my journey toward Catholicism is the commonality of the peace I felt at St. Meinrad and St. Louis Abbey. I assumed that peace was due to the prayers of the monks at both places. Until. Until I began attending Eucharistic Adoration and left each time with that same deep sense of peace. It took several months for me to realize where I'd felt that peace before. It was at St. Meinrad and the St. Louis Abbey, places where the Eucharist is worshiped daily and where the priests pray and give praise nearly round the clock. It must be as close to heaven as we on earth can get?
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Blessings,
Sandy
I'll try to put the whole visit in perspective and tell the story in greater detail. We knew at the time the visit was God-ordained. I only recently realized what an important part the visit has played in my journey toward Catholicism, which I'll explain at the end of my story.
Luke's journey toward Catholicism preceded my own by a few years. His journey began with Rob Bell's teaching at a youth convention Luke attended with our evangelical church in 2002. Rob Bell interested Luke in the Emerging Church movement and he began reading the blog of an emergent thinker (who has since become Catholic). That blogger mentioned Thomas Merton's book "Seven Storey Mountain" and Luke read it in 2003. Later that year, he began reading a lot about monasticism and especially the Benedictines. Terry, Luke and I stopped at St. Meinrad monestary in southern Indiana on our way home from a trip to Kentucky. We wandered around the beautiful campus and spent time in the chapel, including one of the midday prayer services. We didn't speak to anyone there but all felt an overwhelming sense of peace throughout the visit.
Late in 2003, we were in St. Louis visiting my parents and Luke asked if we could stop at another Benedictine monastery there, the St. Louis Abbey. We agreed and drove to the address in West St. Louis County. I was so surprised to find the campus of a Benedictine Monastery hiding just off a main thoroughfare I'd traveled many times. I had never heard of the St. Louis Abbey but I'd heard of the high school run by the Abbey, formerly named Priory. We pulled into the parking lot and quickly found the chapel/church building where a service was scheduled to begin in a few minutes. We walked into the modern building (so different from the Gothic church at St. Meinrad) and found our seats. The monks drifted in and a handful of other visitors joined us in our section. One forty-something lady walked in just before the service started. She was dressed in casual workout clothes and seemed very comfortable with the church, the monks and the prayer service. At some point early in the service, she approached us with a breviary turned to the correct page and handed it to us. She was very friendly and we smiled our thanks.
The brief homily during the service was about one of the readings, that of "entertaining angels unawares."
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
At the end of the service, the nice-lady-in-workout-clothes introduced herself to us. (Forgive me for not remembering her first name, which was all she shared.) She inquired how we came to visit the Abbey that day and we briefly told her we'd visited another Benedictine monastery and that our son was very interested. We told her we had hoped to walk around the grounds a bit if that was allowed. She said it certainly was, hesitated for just a moment, and then asked if she could be our guide? She said she'd intended to go to an exercise class (hence the workout clothes) but she would prefer to get her exercise accompanying us, if we wouldn't mind the intrusion? Mind? We were thrilled to have her gracious offer.
Over the next fifteen minutes, nice-lady-in-workout-clothes showed us all over the campus, which is mostly comprised of the 7th-12th grade boy's school located there. She introduced us to several of the monks we met and all greeted us very warmly. As we neared the shool library, she paused a bit awkwardly. "Um. We are going into the library where I'll show you a painting done by some of the students here at the school, but I need to explain something first. Um. Well, you see, I have four sons. Two of them are students here, as I told you earlier. One of them graduated from here a few years ago. Um. My fourth son was also a student here. Two years ago, when he was a senior, he and a classmate were killed in a car accident. The painting I will show you was done by their classmates in reaction to their deaths." Stunned, I didn't know what to say.
We all mumbled shocked sympathies and one of us finally said, "Oh, this must be so difficult for you. You don't have to be our tour guide. We can continue on our own."
"Oh, no," she protested. That's not why I told you this. I am enjoying this tour tremendously. Even though my sons are students here, I don't take the time to go walk around much. This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I hope you will let me continue."
We told her we'd love for her to do so. The rest of the tour we walked in a bit of awe, understanding the hallowed ground upon which we walked. She showed us a shelter that her son had built for the geese on a lake at the back of the school grounds. It was his Eagle Scout project and she said it was the first time she'd been back there in awhile.
On the way back to the church, we walked past the dormitory where the monks lived. We ran into a young priest named Father Tom who apologized for their lack of a formal hospitality program. (Most Benedictine monasteries have rooms for visitors and established protocol for visitors wishing to make retreats there.) He invited us to come again and stay with them in their meager accomodations. We assured him we appreciated the invitation but we had nearby family and wouldn't need to stay overnight. He insisted, then, that we at least come next time "for tea." His warmth was palpable and refreshing.
When we got back to the church and our car in the parking lot, our nice-lady-in-workout-clothes-turned-tour-guide thanked us for letting her show us around the campus. We thanked her and told her we knew God had ordained for her to be there to show us around that day. She said, "you know, I come here many days for this prayer service because I feel closer to my son here than anywhere else. When I heard the homily on 'angels unawares' I thought of you all and after spending this time with you, I am certain that you all were my angels today."
The reason this visit was pivotal, in retrospect, in my journey toward Catholicism is the commonality of the peace I felt at St. Meinrad and St. Louis Abbey. I assumed that peace was due to the prayers of the monks at both places. Until. Until I began attending Eucharistic Adoration and left each time with that same deep sense of peace. It took several months for me to realize where I'd felt that peace before. It was at St. Meinrad and the St. Louis Abbey, places where the Eucharist is worshiped daily and where the priests pray and give praise nearly round the clock. It must be as close to heaven as we on earth can get?
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Blessings,
Sandy
Stomach flu ruins holiday plans
Ugh. A stomach virus invaded our area the past few weeks. It spread so quickly through the nursing home where Terry's dad is a patient that they shut down the dining room and took all the patients' meals to their rooms to minimize contact. Terry's dad and his roommate both had it and we, of course, continued to go in and out but were careful to wash our hands upon leaving. Terry got a bit of the bug last Monday and had it for three days.
We planned to go to St. Louis for Christmas with my family on Saturday. At 2:00 a.m. on Saturday I woke up sick. My symptoms proved worse but more short-lived than Terry's. I'm 90% better this morning. We had to cancel the trip, though, because I couldn't have made the three hour car trip and because I didn't want to carry the virus to my elderly parents. (They thanked me profusely for that!)
I spent 32 hours in bed!!! Can you imagine how wonderful I feel this morning? Heh heh. I'm so thankful to be better. The family pampered me quite a bit but I don't think it was worth being sick to get that treatment.
Hoping you all have a HEALTHY holiday.
UPDATE: My niece came down with the same bug on Saturday night. When I called my sister-in-law this afternoon and mentioned the two medicines that helped me get over it so quickly, she admitted she had neither one in the house. ALERT: You should all have these two over-the-counter remedies in your household medicine cabinet. Imodium A-D (or generic equivalents) and Emetrol (no known substitute). Both are inexpensive and trust me, when you are suffering from the conditions requiring them, you'd pay ten times the price for them to work their magic. I'll assume you all know what Imodium treats. If not, look it up here. I don't wanna talk about it. Emetrol, on the other hand, is used to treat nauseau and vomiting. IT WORKS!! I first learned of it about twenty years ago when Luke was a very active baby and I had a stomach flu that kept me up all night. When a friend called and I told her what I had, she said, "Have you taken Emetrol?" Huh? She ran right out, bought a bottle and brought it to me. An hour later, I was no longer sick. I've kept a bottle in my house ever since. Thankfully, my family members are all blessed with iron stomachs and are rarely ill but when we need it, Emetrol to the rescue! I buy it at Walgreens and always have to ask the pharmacist where it is located. It's on the shelf but I can never find it.
Blessings,
Sandy
We planned to go to St. Louis for Christmas with my family on Saturday. At 2:00 a.m. on Saturday I woke up sick. My symptoms proved worse but more short-lived than Terry's. I'm 90% better this morning. We had to cancel the trip, though, because I couldn't have made the three hour car trip and because I didn't want to carry the virus to my elderly parents. (They thanked me profusely for that!)
I spent 32 hours in bed!!! Can you imagine how wonderful I feel this morning? Heh heh. I'm so thankful to be better. The family pampered me quite a bit but I don't think it was worth being sick to get that treatment.
Hoping you all have a HEALTHY holiday.
UPDATE: My niece came down with the same bug on Saturday night. When I called my sister-in-law this afternoon and mentioned the two medicines that helped me get over it so quickly, she admitted she had neither one in the house. ALERT: You should all have these two over-the-counter remedies in your household medicine cabinet. Imodium A-D (or generic equivalents) and Emetrol (no known substitute). Both are inexpensive and trust me, when you are suffering from the conditions requiring them, you'd pay ten times the price for them to work their magic. I'll assume you all know what Imodium treats. If not, look it up here. I don't wanna talk about it. Emetrol, on the other hand, is used to treat nauseau and vomiting. IT WORKS!! I first learned of it about twenty years ago when Luke was a very active baby and I had a stomach flu that kept me up all night. When a friend called and I told her what I had, she said, "Have you taken Emetrol?" Huh? She ran right out, bought a bottle and brought it to me. An hour later, I was no longer sick. I've kept a bottle in my house ever since. Thankfully, my family members are all blessed with iron stomachs and are rarely ill but when we need it, Emetrol to the rescue! I buy it at Walgreens and always have to ask the pharmacist where it is located. It's on the shelf but I can never find it.
Blessings,
Sandy
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas
Christmas Eve was a nice day spent at home with family. I prepared a small feast for the four of us (ham, boxed cheese potatoes, green bean casserole, seven-layer salad, five-cup fruit salad, Christmas cookies for dessert) and we ate about 7:00 p.m. We had a leisurely dinner and plenty of time to prepare for mass at 9:00. Our quasi-traditional Christmas Eve mass is at the nearest Catholic church. This beautiful church is less than five miles from our house, in the closest little village that is our address. We rarely go to town so our annual Christmas Eve trek is special.
The church was candlelit and Christmas carols were being sung by a choir when we arrived. I settled in and prepared my heart for worship. It is a rare blessing for the four of us to worship together and my kneeling prayer focused on thankfulness for this. As mass began, I reveled in the liturgy of the baby Jesus being brought in by a child and placed with care in the manger of the creche at the front of the church. The opening song was Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. The small congregation sang with enthusiasm as we all joined the ritual. The first three readings were of the great light come into the darkness. My heart took comfort in the well-known scripture from Isaiah that I'd heard earlier in the day when we listened to The Messiah. "And He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Prince of Peace." When Father stood for the Gospel reading of the Christmas story from Luke, my eyes instantly filled with tears which overflowed down my cheeks. The old, familiar words rang through the years of my life and my heart rejoiced anew with the news of the birth of my Savior. "And lo, there were shepherds abiding in the fields. And suddenly, a great light shone round about them and a heavenly chorus appeared singing Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace and goodwill to men."
Why celebrate the liturgy and the rituals of the church calendar? Because we were created to worship and to live in the rhythm of God's creation. Something about liturgy speaks more deeply to our souls and allows us to share in the wonders of what God has done among us. I am thankful, so thankful, for these lessons in my life.
Merry Christmas to all!
Sandy
The church was candlelit and Christmas carols were being sung by a choir when we arrived. I settled in and prepared my heart for worship. It is a rare blessing for the four of us to worship together and my kneeling prayer focused on thankfulness for this. As mass began, I reveled in the liturgy of the baby Jesus being brought in by a child and placed with care in the manger of the creche at the front of the church. The opening song was Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. The small congregation sang with enthusiasm as we all joined the ritual. The first three readings were of the great light come into the darkness. My heart took comfort in the well-known scripture from Isaiah that I'd heard earlier in the day when we listened to The Messiah. "And He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Prince of Peace." When Father stood for the Gospel reading of the Christmas story from Luke, my eyes instantly filled with tears which overflowed down my cheeks. The old, familiar words rang through the years of my life and my heart rejoiced anew with the news of the birth of my Savior. "And lo, there were shepherds abiding in the fields. And suddenly, a great light shone round about them and a heavenly chorus appeared singing Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace and goodwill to men."
Why celebrate the liturgy and the rituals of the church calendar? Because we were created to worship and to live in the rhythm of God's creation. Something about liturgy speaks more deeply to our souls and allows us to share in the wonders of what God has done among us. I am thankful, so thankful, for these lessons in my life.
Merry Christmas to all!
Sandy
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
All shall be well
This Advent season I'm finding special peace. The challenges of life swirl unabated around me yet my soul finds rest. God is exceedingly gracious and I am so thankful. I read of others suffering grief, illness, pain, economic loss, fear and heartache. My heart goes out to them yet remains calm and at peace. What-ifs and what-will-we-do-whens creep in daily for brief moments and are shuttered quietly away by peace that passes understanding. My prayers are fervent, my mind is not idly blind or in customary (for me) denial. I see, yet I fear not.
This morning I pondered this and a quote I read in something by Elisabeth Elliot tickled my distant memory. "It shall be well with thee." When I googled the quote, I found it actually go likes this:
The quote originated with Julian of Norwich, a medieval British mystic and anchoress. She suffered disease and at the worst of it was given several visions. She wrote about them in a book titled Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (ca. 1393). It is important to note that the time she lived was the time of the Black Death, the Plague that killed one third of all Europeans. She wasn't writing a pithy, Pollyanna statement of optimism. She was writing from the depth of suffering of the truth she knew: God is in control and therefore, all shall be well.
Elisabeth Elliot quoted Julian of Norwich in the midst of a passage in Through Gates of Splendor, the book chronicling the death of her husband Jim Elliot and four other missionaries at the hands of the Ecuadoran natives they were seeking with the Gospel. In the midst of questioning why and how the men were killed, Elisabeth quotes from Job and then quotes Julian of Norwich:
This Advent, while preparing my heart for the coming Messiah, I'm also resting on His promises. He has been faithful to me and I trust Him.
Blessings,
Sandy
This morning I pondered this and a quote I read in something by Elisabeth Elliot tickled my distant memory. "It shall be well with thee." When I googled the quote, I found it actually go likes this:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
The quote originated with Julian of Norwich, a medieval British mystic and anchoress. She suffered disease and at the worst of it was given several visions. She wrote about them in a book titled Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (ca. 1393). It is important to note that the time she lived was the time of the Black Death, the Plague that killed one third of all Europeans. She wasn't writing a pithy, Pollyanna statement of optimism. She was writing from the depth of suffering of the truth she knew: God is in control and therefore, all shall be well.
Elisabeth Elliot quoted Julian of Norwich in the midst of a passage in Through Gates of Splendor, the book chronicling the death of her husband Jim Elliot and four other missionaries at the hands of the Ecuadoran natives they were seeking with the Gospel. In the midst of questioning why and how the men were killed, Elisabeth quotes from Job and then quotes Julian of Norwich:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
This Advent, while preparing my heart for the coming Messiah, I'm also resting on His promises. He has been faithful to me and I trust Him.
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
O Come, O Come, Immanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God Appear
Blessings,
Sandy
Monday, December 22, 2008
Three Quick Takes
1. It's cold here, 2.8 degrees on my kitchen window thermometer this morning. There's no snow or ice here, though, like many other places in the U.S. My sister in Portland has seen more snow this year than we have. Lucas got out of New York just before the biggest snowstorm of the year there on Saturday. My parents in St. Louis have seen two or three snows and an equal number of ices. I will try very hard not to complain about how.cold.it.is.
2. My wonky oven may have quit completely. I baked my cranberry nut bread mini loaves last night and two large loaves (out of seven planned). Toward the end, the oven got stuck on 225 degrees and would.not.move. I turned it off and will try again today. Terry may break down and buy a new oven immediately if Christmas dinner is threatened. Heh heh. Actually, since I never use my oven during the summer, I've learned to bake most things in the crockpot and would be able to do my part of the family Christmas dinner without an oven, I think. Shhh. We won't tell Terry that, though, cause I want an oven that works!
UPDATE: The oven is working! Hallelujah. I baked two loaves of cranberry bread, two more are baking now, four more to go! I think I can. I think I can. I think I can......
3. At mass yesterday, the homily was about fear. Mary was undoubtedly fearful when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would bear the son of God. The 30-year-old priest shared the story of how fearful he was when was asked, a year ago, to leave the parish where he was happily serving as assistant pastor to pastor the two parishes here. Over the next several days, the scripture readings at mass all included the words, "Be not afraid." After the fourth or fifth day, Father Jason said he got the message: He was not being asked to take this challenging assignment alone. God would be going with him. What do we fear today? Have we forgotten that God is with us? (At this point, Terry and I shared a knowing glance.) Be not afraid. I've never really liked a song we sing at the end of Walk to Emmaus weekends titled, "Be Not Afraid", but that song rung loudly in my head throughout the homily.
2. My wonky oven may have quit completely. I baked my cranberry nut bread mini loaves last night and two large loaves (out of seven planned). Toward the end, the oven got stuck on 225 degrees and would.not.move. I turned it off and will try again today. Terry may break down and buy a new oven immediately if Christmas dinner is threatened. Heh heh. Actually, since I never use my oven during the summer, I've learned to bake most things in the crockpot and would be able to do my part of the family Christmas dinner without an oven, I think. Shhh. We won't tell Terry that, though, cause I want an oven that works!
UPDATE: The oven is working! Hallelujah. I baked two loaves of cranberry bread, two more are baking now, four more to go! I think I can. I think I can. I think I can......
3. At mass yesterday, the homily was about fear. Mary was undoubtedly fearful when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would bear the son of God. The 30-year-old priest shared the story of how fearful he was when was asked, a year ago, to leave the parish where he was happily serving as assistant pastor to pastor the two parishes here. Over the next several days, the scripture readings at mass all included the words, "Be not afraid." After the fourth or fifth day, Father Jason said he got the message: He was not being asked to take this challenging assignment alone. God would be going with him. What do we fear today? Have we forgotten that God is with us? (At this point, Terry and I shared a knowing glance.) Be not afraid. I've never really liked a song we sing at the end of Walk to Emmaus weekends titled, "Be Not Afraid", but that song rung loudly in my head throughout the homily.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Fourth Sunday of Advent
I am thankful, so thankful, for my family being all together for Christmas. We're going to mass this morning and then to lunch with other family. Two weeks of togetherness stretch blissfully ahead.
This picture says it all.
Luke and Cassie in the back seat of the car on the way home from the train station in Indianapolis. Ahhhh. I am content.
Blessings,
This picture says it all.
Luke and Cassie in the back seat of the car on the way home from the train station in Indianapolis. Ahhhh. I am content.
Blessings,
Friday, December 19, 2008
7 Quick Takes
1. Cassie is home from her first semester of college! She feels good about the work she did and plans to fully enjoy three weeks with no academic assignments. It's so nice to have her smiling face around the house.
2. Luke is on an Amtrak train bound for home. He boarded at Penn Station this morning and texted that he has plenty of room and a plug-in for his laptop so he's a happy traveler. The trip will take 22 hours if the train is on time. We are excited to see him. He wanted to try the train because he doesn't enjoy flying and the hassles of getting to and through NYC airports.
3. I substituted just a few hours yesterday for three special ed teachers while they had evaluation meetings. One 8th grade autistic boy really touched me. Literally. He followed me closely around the classroom for about ten minutes and then reached out to hold my hand. I held his hand for a minute or so and then pulled away to do something and he insistently reached for my hand again. I've been in the adult world too long and am still adjusting to the sudden hugs of first graders. This boy's need to hold my hand, to connect with me on a level he understood, impacted me deeply and I instinctively prayed silently and fervently for him. Lord have mercy.
4. My oven is conking out and my Christmas baking lags. The thermostat or the electronic temperature controls are wonky and the oven vacillates widely around the set temperature. I must watch everything carefully and can't do anything else while baking. A new oven/range is next on our list of major purchases but we were hoping to defer that purchase awhile longer. As I bake, I wonder how the pioneer women managed to bake their own bread, pies and meals in wood stoves that couldn't have been much more regular than my failing gas oven.
5. For those who missed the first one, here's another shameless plug for Luke's new student magazine, the Gadfly. I find myself refreshing the blog page every few minutes waiting for new posts and/or comments. The level of the intellectual discussion is refreshing. I only understand about half of what they're talking about in the philosophy posts, but I'm learning and loving it.
6. The last item I plan to bake for Terry's co-worker's Christmas baskets: cranberry bread. This recipe looks good. I bought cute little ceramic mini-loaf pans and will bake the bread in them.
7. Do you have special holiday foods that remind you of someone? At Curves yesterday, a lady told me about a special bread she bakes every year that her sister-in-law dearly loved. The sister-in-law died a few years ago and the bread always brings her memory to all at the table. These cookies remind me of my Grandma H. Grandma loved Christmas and hosted our large family gathering every Christmas Eve. I was no more than six years old when I began helping her bake these cookies by unwrapping the Hershey kisses and quickly putting them on the fresh-from-the-oven peanut butter cookies. I even had a method for eating the cookie which involved nibbling the cookie all around the kiss and then popping the whole kiss in my mouth. I'll struggle with my oven long enough to make a batch of these.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Madrigal memories
After two days of DISH channel 982, the Christmas music seemed to be repeating itself. I switched to Sirius channel 6079, Holiday Pop Classics. I'm now listening to "carols you know sung by the greatest classical musicians of all time" (per info on the DISH channel guide). I don't know a lot of these carols but I'm really enjoying them. One of them, Coventry Carol, reminded me of my nearly-forgotten stint as a performer at the first University of Missouri Madrigal Dinner season.
Starving college student that I was, the mention of pay for performances inspired me to audition for the Madrigal Dinner choir. Most of the performers were music or theater majors. Rehearsals and performances provided much-welcome relief from my staid business school days. The costumes were a hoot. The choir sat at the head table and ate along with the guests. Madrigal fare included whole roast pigs with apples in mouth, some kind of soup that sounded awful but tasted good, authentic side dishes, and flaming plum pudding dessert. For me, starving college student that I was, it was three full free meals. We sang before dinner, between courses and after the meal was finished. I vaguely recall a few awkward dance steps.
Best of all, I learned some wonderful old carols. This one was my favorite:
Fum, fum, fum
This is such a haunting melody:
Coventry Carol
I've sung this one again in a few church musicals over the years:
In Dulci Jubilo
Who knew my first exposure to Latin lyrics would serve so well twenty years later as I studied the language with my children?
What's your favorite rare Christmas carol?
Starving college student that I was, the mention of pay for performances inspired me to audition for the Madrigal Dinner choir. Most of the performers were music or theater majors. Rehearsals and performances provided much-welcome relief from my staid business school days. The costumes were a hoot. The choir sat at the head table and ate along with the guests. Madrigal fare included whole roast pigs with apples in mouth, some kind of soup that sounded awful but tasted good, authentic side dishes, and flaming plum pudding dessert. For me, starving college student that I was, it was three full free meals. We sang before dinner, between courses and after the meal was finished. I vaguely recall a few awkward dance steps.
Best of all, I learned some wonderful old carols. This one was my favorite:
Fum, fum, fum
This is such a haunting melody:
Coventry Carol
I've sung this one again in a few church musicals over the years:
In Dulci Jubilo
Who knew my first exposure to Latin lyrics would serve so well twenty years later as I studied the language with my children?
What's your favorite rare Christmas carol?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Oldest Christmas decoration
Donna asked for pics of our oldest Christmas ornament. Rebel that I am, I'm posting my oldest Christmas decoration which is not an ornament.
These angelic candle holders belonged to my Grandma H. She probably bought them in the 1940s. Every year, she displayed them on her dining room hutch. I loved them as a child and I love them still.
They survived thirteen moves, countless active children's curious hands, and my haphazard Christmas decoration storage methods, with just a few scars.
Don't you love that little face?
Merry Christmas!
Sandy
These angelic candle holders belonged to my Grandma H. She probably bought them in the 1940s. Every year, she displayed them on her dining room hutch. I loved them as a child and I love them still.
They survived thirteen moves, countless active children's curious hands, and my haphazard Christmas decoration storage methods, with just a few scars.
Don't you love that little face?
Merry Christmas!
Sandy
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Bing and Bowie
I've been listening to Christmas music on our satellite TV the past two days. Twice now, I've heard this song sung by Bing Crosby and David Bowie.
It's one of my favorite scenes from old Christmas TV shows. According to Wikipedia, TV Guide dubbed this the 25th most popular moment in 20th Century TV.
Bing Crosby died in October 1977, shortly after this was filmed. It aired during the Christmas season and I remember crying when I watched it. That was the Christmas season of my Mom's live tree request.
I love hearing the wide variety of Christmas music available on the satellite. If you have DISH, it's channel 982.
Blessings,
Sandy
It's one of my favorite scenes from old Christmas TV shows. According to Wikipedia, TV Guide dubbed this the 25th most popular moment in 20th Century TV.
Bing Crosby died in October 1977, shortly after this was filmed. It aired during the Christmas season and I remember crying when I watched it. That was the Christmas season of my Mom's live tree request.
I love hearing the wide variety of Christmas music available on the satellite. If you have DISH, it's channel 982.
Blessings,
Sandy
Monday, December 15, 2008
Blessing others with patience
In the hustle-bustle of the season, I catch myself losing patience in lines and busy store aisles. Usually, I remember in time to be patient and smile and think of the true meaning of the season. OK, I admit sometimes I force the smile while grumbling inside my head. At one checkout on Friday, the clerk apologized for a delay and I said, "that's OK, I'm not in a hurry."
"You must be the only person who isn't," she ruefully responded.
This post at A Circle of Quiet reminded me once again to be patient. It also reminded me of an unhappy shopping experience near the end of my Mom's life.
Mom and I stood in the checkout line at Kresge's. Mom held three or four items in her hand and I was behind her with a couple of things. Mom's gait was quite unsteady and she inadvertently bumped into the lady in front of her in line. The lady ungraciously whipped around with a rude comment and a look to kill. Mom was so embarassed and mumbled a quiet apology. I, however, was furious. I seriously considered leaving my things behind and walking with this woman to her car to explain things to her:
"My Mom is dying of cancer and she didn't mean to bump you! Can't you cut her some slack, you idiot?"
Instead, I stood silently fuming behind Mom. Later, as we walked to the car together, I told her how upset I was with the woman and how I wanted to give her a piece of my mind. Mom didn't say a word but gave me a look that told me she was both quietly pleased to see me jump to her defense and also sad that her 18 year old daughter felt the need to do that for her.
We have no idea the trials and heartaches those in line around us carry. Be Christ to someone today and simply take the time to wait patiently while an older person fumbles for change or walks too slowly down the store aisle.
Blessings,
Sandy
"You must be the only person who isn't," she ruefully responded.
This post at A Circle of Quiet reminded me once again to be patient. It also reminded me of an unhappy shopping experience near the end of my Mom's life.
Mom and I stood in the checkout line at Kresge's. Mom held three or four items in her hand and I was behind her with a couple of things. Mom's gait was quite unsteady and she inadvertently bumped into the lady in front of her in line. The lady ungraciously whipped around with a rude comment and a look to kill. Mom was so embarassed and mumbled a quiet apology. I, however, was furious. I seriously considered leaving my things behind and walking with this woman to her car to explain things to her:
"My Mom is dying of cancer and she didn't mean to bump you! Can't you cut her some slack, you idiot?"
Instead, I stood silently fuming behind Mom. Later, as we walked to the car together, I told her how upset I was with the woman and how I wanted to give her a piece of my mind. Mom didn't say a word but gave me a look that told me she was both quietly pleased to see me jump to her defense and also sad that her 18 year old daughter felt the need to do that for her.
We have no idea the trials and heartaches those in line around us carry. Be Christ to someone today and simply take the time to wait patiently while an older person fumbles for change or walks too slowly down the store aisle.
Blessings,
Sandy
The Gadfly
Lucas has been working on a big project for the past couple of months. I'm delighted to share the results with you. Lucas and four other students at The King's College published the first issue of a new magazine, the Gadfly. They have an online version here. My faithful readers know how hard it is for me not to brag about my kids. I'll refrain here except to encourage you all to take a look at the Gadfly. The writing is excellent, the issues provocative, the intellectual fervor among these college students definitely refreshing. I am quite proud to present to you the Gadfly.
An excerpt of the mission statement, from the first issue:
An excerpt of the mission statement, from the first issue:
The Gadfly is an independent magazine of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at The King’s College, New York City. Through a combination of elevated discourse and incisive journalism, we hope to inspire, and, when necessary, goad, the students and faculty of the College to insightful scholarship. To that end, we are committed toward critical engagement, journalistic integrity, academic excellence, and Socratic inquiry.....
Academic excellence. We are zealous for excellence in our education, and that means we advocate rigor within and without the classroom. We love a challenge, and we love anyone who shares that passion. Academic seriousness should be the foundation of our common identity, and it is the focal point of much of the Gadfly’s commentary. We take theology seriously and allow the Gospel to inform our political and economic thought.
Socratic inquiry. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In the tradition of Socrates, we will follow the facts where they lead. In our constant examination of our community life, we will be a gadfly to The King’s College even as Socrates was to Athens—though, we hope, with better results.
Friday, December 12, 2008
7 Quick Takes
1. I'm sick. Ugh. Terry has been sniffling around all week and blaming it on my contact with kids at school. I wasn't sick, though, until I drank from his bedside glass on Wednesday night. He was out of town and I was taking an Excedrin PM and forgot till I'd taken the fateful sip from his tainted cup. My throat is killing me but I'm thankful it doesn't seem to be too serious.
2. Days 13 and 14 as a substitute teacher this week. I taught an afternoon of 7th grade math and a full day of first grade at L school. The afternoon was a piece of cake because I only had three classes, a lunch hour and a planning period. It is hard to teach coordinate geometry to a class of 20, but I did my best. I'll sub for this same teacher all day next Wednesday. The first grade day was challenging. More on this in a separate post.
3. Terry's 80-year-old uncle died Thursday morning. He had a heart attack the day after Thanksgiving and waited eight hours until morning to drive himself to a hospital over an hour away. The damage to his heart in that delay couldn't be undone. He spent his last day in the rehab center where Terry's dad has been for the past few weeks. They had three meals together and shared their physical therapy session. Uncle Norman was of the "tough guy" generation. He lied about his age to enlist in WWII. He was a life-long hunter of elk, deer, and other big game. On Thanksgiving morning, he went deer hunting, shot a deer and dragged it over 100 feet to his pickup truck. We will miss his conversation, his wisdom about herbal medicine and his plaid shirts. We pray for his wife of almost 58 years. She doesn't drive and had heart surgery this spring. Lord have mercy.
4. One week! My countdown to Christmas has been to the day the kids come home. Next Friday we will pick Cassie up at college and drive to Indianapolis to spend the night in a hotel near the Amtrak station where Luke's train is scheduled to arrive at 5:00 a.m. Saturday. Yippee!!!
5. I have done NO Christmas baking yet. I think I'll be more motivated next week as the kids' arrival nears. Part of my hesitation, I think, is that I don't need to have a bunch of cookies sitting around with just me and Terry to eat them.
6. Tomorrow is Terry's company Christmas party. With the economic news worsening all the time, we don't feel much like celebrating. I'm more excited to be getting my hair done today. In April, Terry surprised me by arranging an appointment for me with the best stylist in town. Cathy is a Christian friend and I love visiting with her but had resisted going to her because her prices are high and I didn't want to get hooked. Heh heh. Well, you get what you pay for because my hair has never looked better. (Well, there was Donnie, my hairstylist in Long Beach. I always felt like a movie star when I left his chair. That was 22 years and 70 pounds ago, though, so he had an easier job!) Cathy is a color wizard and the haircuts are so good I rarely do much except blow it dry and touch it up a bit with a straightener.
7. The deaths and dying of older relatives reminds me of the truly important things in life. None of the stuff we tend to spend our lives accumulating and worrying about matters one bit when we die. Aside from a few sentimental possessions, most of the stuff passed on to others means little or nothing. The bank accounts and other assets can't make up for the loss of the person who earned them. Jesus said it best, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." Matthew 6:19, KJV. I'm oddly at peace with the current economic situation and the ever-increasing likelihood that Terry could lose his job. God has seen us through tough times before and I trust Him.
2. Days 13 and 14 as a substitute teacher this week. I taught an afternoon of 7th grade math and a full day of first grade at L school. The afternoon was a piece of cake because I only had three classes, a lunch hour and a planning period. It is hard to teach coordinate geometry to a class of 20, but I did my best. I'll sub for this same teacher all day next Wednesday. The first grade day was challenging. More on this in a separate post.
3. Terry's 80-year-old uncle died Thursday morning. He had a heart attack the day after Thanksgiving and waited eight hours until morning to drive himself to a hospital over an hour away. The damage to his heart in that delay couldn't be undone. He spent his last day in the rehab center where Terry's dad has been for the past few weeks. They had three meals together and shared their physical therapy session. Uncle Norman was of the "tough guy" generation. He lied about his age to enlist in WWII. He was a life-long hunter of elk, deer, and other big game. On Thanksgiving morning, he went deer hunting, shot a deer and dragged it over 100 feet to his pickup truck. We will miss his conversation, his wisdom about herbal medicine and his plaid shirts. We pray for his wife of almost 58 years. She doesn't drive and had heart surgery this spring. Lord have mercy.
4. One week! My countdown to Christmas has been to the day the kids come home. Next Friday we will pick Cassie up at college and drive to Indianapolis to spend the night in a hotel near the Amtrak station where Luke's train is scheduled to arrive at 5:00 a.m. Saturday. Yippee!!!
5. I have done NO Christmas baking yet. I think I'll be more motivated next week as the kids' arrival nears. Part of my hesitation, I think, is that I don't need to have a bunch of cookies sitting around with just me and Terry to eat them.
6. Tomorrow is Terry's company Christmas party. With the economic news worsening all the time, we don't feel much like celebrating. I'm more excited to be getting my hair done today. In April, Terry surprised me by arranging an appointment for me with the best stylist in town. Cathy is a Christian friend and I love visiting with her but had resisted going to her because her prices are high and I didn't want to get hooked. Heh heh. Well, you get what you pay for because my hair has never looked better. (Well, there was Donnie, my hairstylist in Long Beach. I always felt like a movie star when I left his chair. That was 22 years and 70 pounds ago, though, so he had an easier job!) Cathy is a color wizard and the haircuts are so good I rarely do much except blow it dry and touch it up a bit with a straightener.
7. The deaths and dying of older relatives reminds me of the truly important things in life. None of the stuff we tend to spend our lives accumulating and worrying about matters one bit when we die. Aside from a few sentimental possessions, most of the stuff passed on to others means little or nothing. The bank accounts and other assets can't make up for the loss of the person who earned them. Jesus said it best, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." Matthew 6:19, KJV. I'm oddly at peace with the current economic situation and the ever-increasing likelihood that Terry could lose his job. God has seen us through tough times before and I trust Him.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Journal of a Substitute Teacher, Day 12
Day 12 I subbed for two teachers at S School. In the morning, I was the Title I Reading teacher and in the afternoon, I was the special ed teacher. I've subbed for the special ed teacher three or four times now so I'm very comfortable with her routine. I've been in the classroom with the Reading teacher before and was able to follow her instructions. The day went very quickly as I was in and out of classes roughly every hour. I was in 1st through 4th grades throughout the day. I served my first recess duty, but it was raining so recess was indoors. The 4th graders were playing games and I played checkers with one of the students I know from special ed. It was a very nice day.
Journal of a Substitute Teacher, Day 11
Day 10 I had a class of 23 first-graders at S School. Day 11 I had one first-grade student serving an in-school suspension at P School. What a wonderful opportunity to contrast group dynamics vs. one-on-one instruction.
When I accepted this assignment, I was surprised they have in-school suspensions in grade school. I guessed the student would surely be in fourth grade. What could a first-grader have done to warrant suspension?
Steven (not his real name) arrived late that morning because he'd missed the bus. His teacher brought me his assigned work for the day, several worksheets he hadn't completed in the past week, extra books to read and extra worksheets to do if he got everything else done. How on earth was I going to keep a six year old busy doing worksheets for SIX HOURS???
Steven was an average first grader in size and appearance. He was fidgety in his chair but not overly so. When we read his assigned story in his reading book, he read it perfectly the first time. I wondered if he was reading from memory, but soon learned he wasn't as he read everything I put in front of him with relative ease. Likewise, when he filled out worksheets, his handwriting was clear and quite acceptable for first grade. In doing math, he added numbers readily. Nothing in his academic work was deficient.
I asked Steven what he had done to warrant suspension and he "couldn't remember". Later when the principal asked, he remembered he had "flipped off some other first-graders and fought with them." He had behaved this way while his teacher was off for several days and the class had a retired teacher as their substitute.
Throughout the day, Steven and I talked while he worked. I encouraged him and told him how well he was doing. He said, "maybe I'll get smart by being up here today" and I told him he already was smart. He replied, "what if my Dad doesn't think so?"
Steven told wild stories throughout the day. Anytime we read a book about a particular pet, Steven told me all about his similar pet: hamsters, fish, lizard, snake. I eventually figured out Steven has a problem with telling the truth. I'm no child psychologist, but I know smart kids have wild imaginations and sometimes younger kids have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. I tried to talk to him about the difference but he insisted he was telling the truth. I could see signs of anti-social thinking and feelings of inferiority. It made me so sad to think of a bright kid who was failing because of behavior issues.
How did I keep him busy? I tried to alternate activities. I let him choose what to do next. We made several trips downstairs to the bathroom and drinking fountain and to eat lunch. He wasn't allowed to attend recess, p.e., or music class. In the afternoon, the music classes were singing right below us and Steven was sad to be missing music. We listened to the Christmas songs and talked about how Steven needed to behave so he wouldn't miss music class again. I enjoyed the day more than I imagined.
When I accepted this assignment, I was surprised they have in-school suspensions in grade school. I guessed the student would surely be in fourth grade. What could a first-grader have done to warrant suspension?
Steven (not his real name) arrived late that morning because he'd missed the bus. His teacher brought me his assigned work for the day, several worksheets he hadn't completed in the past week, extra books to read and extra worksheets to do if he got everything else done. How on earth was I going to keep a six year old busy doing worksheets for SIX HOURS???
Steven was an average first grader in size and appearance. He was fidgety in his chair but not overly so. When we read his assigned story in his reading book, he read it perfectly the first time. I wondered if he was reading from memory, but soon learned he wasn't as he read everything I put in front of him with relative ease. Likewise, when he filled out worksheets, his handwriting was clear and quite acceptable for first grade. In doing math, he added numbers readily. Nothing in his academic work was deficient.
I asked Steven what he had done to warrant suspension and he "couldn't remember". Later when the principal asked, he remembered he had "flipped off some other first-graders and fought with them." He had behaved this way while his teacher was off for several days and the class had a retired teacher as their substitute.
Throughout the day, Steven and I talked while he worked. I encouraged him and told him how well he was doing. He said, "maybe I'll get smart by being up here today" and I told him he already was smart. He replied, "what if my Dad doesn't think so?"
Steven told wild stories throughout the day. Anytime we read a book about a particular pet, Steven told me all about his similar pet: hamsters, fish, lizard, snake. I eventually figured out Steven has a problem with telling the truth. I'm no child psychologist, but I know smart kids have wild imaginations and sometimes younger kids have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. I tried to talk to him about the difference but he insisted he was telling the truth. I could see signs of anti-social thinking and feelings of inferiority. It made me so sad to think of a bright kid who was failing because of behavior issues.
How did I keep him busy? I tried to alternate activities. I let him choose what to do next. We made several trips downstairs to the bathroom and drinking fountain and to eat lunch. He wasn't allowed to attend recess, p.e., or music class. In the afternoon, the music classes were singing right below us and Steven was sad to be missing music. We listened to the Christmas songs and talked about how Steven needed to behave so he wouldn't miss music class again. I enjoyed the day more than I imagined.
Journal of a Substitute Teacher, Day 10
Substituted for the first grade teacher at S School. I've been in and out of this classroom several times when subbing for the special ed teacher, so I felt fairly comfortable with the students and the routine. Structure is so important for the younger students and it helps to know their normal schedule. The day went fairly well although the students were quite talkative. It rained so recess was held inside and the kids didn't get to run off energy so in the afternoon they were quite restless. My admiration for teachers with good classroom control grows every day I substitute.
Highlights: One little boy hugged me near the end of the day and I told me I reminded him of Miss M., his teacher at P School (the little country school) where he used to attend.
Highlights: One little boy hugged me near the end of the day and I told me I reminded him of Miss M., his teacher at P School (the little country school) where he used to attend.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Monday reprieve
I was called to substitute for a 7th grade math class today. I said yes and was looking forward to my first math class of the year. We had freezing rain overnight and the school was on a one-hour delay schedule. Mentally, I prepared for my day and set about preparing for school. Ten minutes after Terry left for work, the phone rang again and the principal said school had been cancelled. Disappointed yet relieved, my mental and physical preparations suspended. Ahhh. Another cup of coffee. Another blog to read. A trip to J.C. Penney to buy a gift.
One of the best things about substitute teaching, this time around, is it's teaching me flexibility. That's a good thing.
I made it to mass yesterday and loved the Advent liturgy. I also finally visited the Perpetual Adoration chapel in a nearby town on Friday. There were five people praying in the small chapel at one point during the hour I spent there. It was so peaceful.
Advent: the season of light. The season of hope. The season of expectant waiting.
Advent Blessings,
Sandy
One of the best things about substitute teaching, this time around, is it's teaching me flexibility. That's a good thing.
I made it to mass yesterday and loved the Advent liturgy. I also finally visited the Perpetual Adoration chapel in a nearby town on Friday. There were five people praying in the small chapel at one point during the hour I spent there. It was so peaceful.
Advent: the season of light. The season of hope. The season of expectant waiting.
Advent Blessings,
Sandy
Friday, December 05, 2008
7 Quick Takes
1. Our kitchen thermometer read 13 degrees this morning. Reflecting on the chores I need to do (take out the trash and bring in firewood), I ruefully realized I mark the seasons by the chores I dread doing. In the summer, I dread mowing four hours each week. In the winter, I dread bringing in firewood. Bringing in wood is a lot less time-consuming, but I dislike cold more than I dislike heat. This is the first winter I've had the primary wood-bringing-in responsibility as Luke and Cassie both did it until they grew up and left me. Heh heh. Terry helped me bring in a weeks' worth last week but we've now burned all that and I must brace myself for the task.
2. I finally finished Thomas Merton's "Seven Storey Mountain". It took almost a year to read because of the depth of the writing. Near the end of the book Merton entered the Gethsemani Cistercian monastery where the monks are silent. His observations of life inside such a place are wonderful, as in this snippet:
3. Two days of substitute teaching this week: one with a class of 23 first-graders and one in a small room with a first grade boy serving an in-school suspension. What a marvelous way to contrast the dynamics of the classroom and one-on-one instruction. More later in a separate post.
4. We continue our long goodbye with Terry's dad. He went back to the hospital this week and talked seriously for the first time of knowing he is near the end. God's grace continues to astonish me as this whole process seems to be moving in slow motion. We are thankful for each chance to spend time being serious with a man who rarely stopped in life to contemplate the deeper things.
5. My Christmas countdown has begun. Luke and Cassie will be home in two weeks! My shopping is almost done. My baking will be greatly simplified and I hope to start with some cookies for the freezer today. I like to bake a batch, put them neatly in a 9x9 foil cake pan, wrap twice with foil and seal with tape. They stay fresh as can be and thaw quickly in an hour or two before serving.
6. Here's a good list of Christmas movies and specials on TV. I've been taping the ones I want to see on our Dish DVR and we can watch them when it's convenient for us. We've also been enjoying some great old movies lately. We watched John Wayne in "The Comancheros" and Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings Twice." No doubt about it, they don't make movies like they used to.
7. I'm hoping to go to Adoration in nearby town today. They have a perpetual Adoration chapel and I've wanted to visit for some time. November's monthly Adoration fell on Thanksgiving week and I missed it. This devotional practice has done more to keep me close to Jesus than anything I've ever done. I need His peace, all the time, don't you? In this season of Advent, I long for His coming.
2. I finally finished Thomas Merton's "Seven Storey Mountain". It took almost a year to read because of the depth of the writing. Near the end of the book Merton entered the Gethsemani Cistercian monastery where the monks are silent. His observations of life inside such a place are wonderful, as in this snippet:
The imperfections are much smaller and more trivial than the defects and vices of people outside in the world: and yet somehow you tend to notice them more and feel them more, because they get to be so greatly magnified by the responsibilities and ideals of the religious state, through which you cannot help looking at them. People even lose their vocations because they find out that a man can spend forty or fifty or sixty years in a monastery and still have a bad temper.
3. Two days of substitute teaching this week: one with a class of 23 first-graders and one in a small room with a first grade boy serving an in-school suspension. What a marvelous way to contrast the dynamics of the classroom and one-on-one instruction. More later in a separate post.
4. We continue our long goodbye with Terry's dad. He went back to the hospital this week and talked seriously for the first time of knowing he is near the end. God's grace continues to astonish me as this whole process seems to be moving in slow motion. We are thankful for each chance to spend time being serious with a man who rarely stopped in life to contemplate the deeper things.
5. My Christmas countdown has begun. Luke and Cassie will be home in two weeks! My shopping is almost done. My baking will be greatly simplified and I hope to start with some cookies for the freezer today. I like to bake a batch, put them neatly in a 9x9 foil cake pan, wrap twice with foil and seal with tape. They stay fresh as can be and thaw quickly in an hour or two before serving.
6. Here's a good list of Christmas movies and specials on TV. I've been taping the ones I want to see on our Dish DVR and we can watch them when it's convenient for us. We've also been enjoying some great old movies lately. We watched John Wayne in "The Comancheros" and Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings Twice." No doubt about it, they don't make movies like they used to.
7. I'm hoping to go to Adoration in nearby town today. They have a perpetual Adoration chapel and I've wanted to visit for some time. November's monthly Adoration fell on Thanksgiving week and I missed it. This devotional practice has done more to keep me close to Jesus than anything I've ever done. I need His peace, all the time, don't you? In this season of Advent, I long for His coming.
Monday, December 01, 2008
ESFP?
Typealyzer will analyze your blog writing style and assign a Myers-Briggs personality type to it. I was surprised to find Maple Grove an ESFP.
My Myers-Briggs has varied a bit, depending on when I've taken it. Several years ago, I was an ENFJ, the teacher. Just now I took the test and was an ISTP, the engineer (my second choice in careers before starting college). Most interesting to me is the change from extrovert to introvert. Over the past few years, I'm more aware of my preference for introverted activity. Staying home, reading, walking alone, being with one or two friends or family members are all activities I prefer to large gatherings and parties. Even my choice of worship follows this preference, doesn't it? To me, Catholic mass is a much more introverted activity than attending a Protestant worship service.
Interesting stuff. Thanks to Julie at Happy Catholic.
Blessings,
Sandy
The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.
They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.
My Myers-Briggs has varied a bit, depending on when I've taken it. Several years ago, I was an ENFJ, the teacher. Just now I took the test and was an ISTP, the engineer (my second choice in careers before starting college). Most interesting to me is the change from extrovert to introvert. Over the past few years, I'm more aware of my preference for introverted activity. Staying home, reading, walking alone, being with one or two friends or family members are all activities I prefer to large gatherings and parties. Even my choice of worship follows this preference, doesn't it? To me, Catholic mass is a much more introverted activity than attending a Protestant worship service.
Interesting stuff. Thanks to Julie at Happy Catholic.
Blessings,
Sandy
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