Monday Musings--28 February 2011

Right now:  It is 1:00 p.m.  I am ready to fall asleep, due to another bout of insomnia last night.  I fall asleep easily enough, but when my sleep is interrupted--as it invariably is--I sometimes lay awake for hours until I get back to sleep.  In spite of a chaplet of Divine Mercy and a dose of sublingual melatonin, I was still up from one until well after two a.m.  Gemma is sleeping, and I am contemplating a nap myself, only I have a dozen things to do and this "quiet time" is tempting.  I want to read to the kids, but that might really knock me out!

Dominic is off to the ENT again.  Yesterday he finished his second course of antibiotics in just over a month (oh how I dislike using them!), and he is still messing with his ears incessantly.  When I ask him if they hurt, he says no, "they tickle".  I want to be certain he doesn't flare up again, hence the appointment today.

This weekend...was very pleasant in spite of all the rain and mud.  Una was delighted to be invited to be penpals with someone she really wanted to be penpals with, so it was like an answered prayer for her.  I received a box of yarn from a friend whose mom frequents yard sales, and I now have enough cotton yarn to keep us in dishcloths for the rest of my life!

Yesterday I received the grace of a wonderful confessor and a real feeling of peace.  Fr. Bill Casey, CPM was the celebrant at Mass and had a wonderful homily on trust in God, which is so timely now with all that is going on in the world and in our country.  Gas and food prices are making me very nervous, and I am ever more grateful for our dear cow, our chickens and our annual hogs.  We want to add meat chickens to our production this year. And our resolve is strengthened by seeing Food, Inc. from Netflix last night.  It is very, very good without being terrifying (I was afraid I would be compelled to throw out everything in my pantry after seeing it, but it is informative in a not-aggressive way).  I also met the lovely author of the blog, Wellness Mama, after Mass, and I never knew of her blog until yesterday, but I am so delighted that she lives [relatively] nearby!  Her blog is really full of great nutritional information and recipes.  We ended the evening with me knitting and all of us watching Lark Rise to Candleford, which we are all kind of hooked on.

Some plans for this week:  Right now I am so tired, I don't even want to think about doing anything at all.  I want to photograph a few things for the Etsy shop and paint a few more.  I have birthday presents to wrap for my nephew and niece.  I need to make some granola.  And yogurt.  And butter.  I really need to sit down and  get some sort of a menu plan in place.  I have had that particular thing on my "To Do" list for the last 5 or 6 months, I think.  And I need to start bracing myself for the dreaded "Changing of the Wardrobe" with the milder weather.  And I want to make plans this week for some Lenten activities.  Reading that list make me want to crawl into bed.

If I find some time for myself, I want to:  sleep.

Some prayer intentions for this week:  First and foremost, for my dad, whose 67th birthday is today.  For my nephew, whose birthday is on Wednesday, and for his mom, my sister, who hasn't made it to Mass in three weeks because of illness in the family.  For Marilyn, who is feeling stressed and anxious lately, that God may grant her strength and peace, and for her son Michael, who has been suffering from mysterious and alarming allergies as of late.  For Cindy and Dale, that God sends them a buyer for their farm, and for God to send some jobs Bret's way as well.  And for Dominic--that all this trouble with his ears comes to an end.  Quite a list, isn't it?

Something that makes me smile:  My daughter's wit.  One of the many Fathers of Mercy who has known us since our children were toddlers was joking with Una after Mass, saying something to the effect of her Mama having picked her up "on special at Wal-Mart."  Hardly missing a beat, she responded, "I'm not Chinese."

If you are interested in joining in with your own musings, go ahead and grab the header image, and then leave me a link to your post in the comments here.  Have a blessed week!

Creative Friday and the new Etsy shop--Frost Lane

I am joining in Linda's Creative Friday this week, for the first time in a few weeks.

And what a week it has been!  We have been trying to get things made and listed in the new Etsy shop all week (link to it on my sidebar), and I am afraid that there is still much to do.  We have labels to design and things to make, other things to paint and more things to photograph and list.  But it's a start, anyway!

This week I finally finished the watercolor sketchbooks,

made lavender sachets,

and needle felted lady bugs.

Please stop by!  Bret has some of his woodworking art listed, not to mention wooden swords and shields,  and Una has made wonderful woven potholders and the sweetest pincushions ever.  We have a long list of things we want to add--wooden baby toys and figures, other needle-felted items, note cards and so forth, and we hope to involve all the kids and make it a real family endeavor.

And don't forget to swing by Natural Suburbia to see what creative things every one else is doing!

{this moment} he can't sleep for the thunder

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

Yarn Along--Looking for spring

Joining Ginny for her Yarn Along again this week and am hoping I will have time to stop in and see what everyone is knitting, although it may take me the rest of the week!

The above is some of what I received in the mail last week.  I didn't photograph the dark merino I purchased for a boy's pullover for next fall.  It didn't fit with all my spring colors.

  In the same vein, I finished the main body of Gemma's Tiny Tea Leaves, which I am knitting for fall (if it won't be too small by then--I am famous for too-small-knits) and put it aside to jump into my new stash.  I am using the Noro Silk Garden to knit a spring shawl.  I've never knit a shawl or knit with Noro, and I think I am hooked on both.  No wonder everyone raves--the Noro is really quite delightful to knit with, and is interesting enough to keep the somewhat monotonous shawl pattern I'm using (this one--a real beginner's pattern) from being dull to knit.

I am still working through Frank Sheed's Theology and Sanity (I will be reading it through Lent, I take it, as I tend to doze off after a couple of pages.  It is not dull--I'm just old and tired!), and reading The Bronze Bow to the kids.

I'll be by later to see what's on your needles!

Monday Musings--21 February 2011

Right now...It is 5:45 a.m., dark and quiet.  The temperature is in the low 60's already!  Una is up and doing her chores, having dressed and done her prayers.  She takes after me, loving the quiet and solitude of the early morning hours.

This weekend...was very restful.  I did very little housework (oh, I will regret not having washed my floors one it is light and I see the kitchen and dining room!), and instead hung out with Bret for a couple of hours, working on plans for the house we hope to build.  I also finished five pocket-sized watercolor sketchbooks for the Etsy shop we hope to open by the end of this week and photographed some of the items--the sketchbooks, Una's potholders and pincushions, the wooden swords, shields and knives.  We have a number of ideas, but we have to squeeze production in between school, housekeeping and other occupations.  I also finished the body of Gemma's fall cardigan (just sleeves left to do) and started a shawl.

Some plans for the week ahead:  I think I am going to hyperventilate!  I have to pay our property taxes.  I need to list all our Etsy items and figure out how to mail Una's little pincushions, as they are breakable and not to be placed in a mere padded mailer.  I need to start looking for an Easter dress and shoes, new or used,  for Una, who has outgrown everything from last year.  I need to start ordering for April and May birthdays, and for Gabe's First Holy Communion.  I need to write a letter to someone.  I need to prepare the kids and myself for Lent.

If I find some time for myself, I want to...work on my knitting and on some spring things for the Etsy shop.

Prayer intentions for this week:  first and foremost, for the father of Br. Ken Geraci, CPM, who is having some risky heart surgery this morning in Houston at 10 a.m.  Apparently, there is a very great chance of rupture, as they are operating on a blockage in an artery that already has a stint.  I am also praying for my friends, Cindy and Dale, that their farm will sell soon.  And we are praying for work for Bret; some jobs to keep the bills paid.

Something that makes me smile:

{this moment}: praying

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama

[I am posting this on Thursday night, and hope to link to SouleMama in the morning, if I have time.  We are off to see a specialist for this little guy, to check into the possibility of mastoiditis.  He went to the doctor this afternoon and they made an 8:00 a.m. appointment for him with an ENT specialist and gave him a shot of antibiotics in the rear.  Your prayers are appreciated.]


UPDATE:  Many, many thanks for all you prayers!  The ENT specialist said that although Dominic has another walloping infection, it is not mastoiditis.  He has a follow-up appointment in 3 weeks.  Thanks again!

Gabriel in morning gold

Yarn Along--knitting on cruise control

Back again for Ginny's Yarn Along.  I confess that I do look forward to it each week, and work to make progress on my knitting and reading, only so that I don't have the same old books and projects each week.

As you can see, I am still working on the Tiny Tea Leaves cardigan for Gemma.  I have made some progress in the last week, but not so much as I'd have liked.  In the past two evenings, I have only knit 3 or 4 rows before my eyes began to close and I had to call it a night.  But it is the main body of the cardi, now, meaning that it is mindless knitting--I like mindless knitting, as it permits me to wool-gather (pun not intended, but appreciated) as I knit.

I had hoped to have something else on the needles as well this week, but my order from WEBS hasn't shipped yet.  I am so excited!  My mom gave me a generous birthday check back in November and another for Christmas, telling me that she hoped I could use it to buy "a little wool".  Well, with the budget tight, the money was spent on other things--like food and gas.  So I have been waiting for our tax return to come in, that I might pick out "a little wool."  And I have.  Enough for about 4 projects, all of it beautiful and on sale!

I am still making my way through Frank Sheed's Theology and Sanity.  It is excellent reading, and I love Sheed's style, very casual and down-to-earth, even though illustrating abstract concepts and truths, but I find that since I am so worn out in the evenings, I must read slowly to digest it, and frequently re-read a sentence or two to make sure I got it.

I have picked out our next read-aloud, The Bronze Bow.  Una, who has read every book in this house and most of the youth section at our local library, said it is very good, and that the boys should enjoy it.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is doing this week!

A breath of fresh air...

We are having a mild spell, and thank God for that.  My kids are outside, romping around, leaving me time to do my work in peace and quiet.

Poor Gemma--because of the cold and then the mud, she hasn't been out in ages.  She has absolutely no right to look as healthy as she does.

The older kids are getting a bit muddy out there, but do I care?  After weeks of having them indoors 24/7?  Not a chance.

It is amazing how silence and a glass of wine can make even washing dishes and folding laundry seem like a holiday in Waikiki.  Off to cook dinner now, only I will pretend I am at a spa in the Swiss Alps...

Monday Musings--14 February 2011

Right now...it is 5:52 a.m.  It is a mild 46 degrees this morning, and I am just seeing a bit of light on the eastern horizon.  The house is quiet.

This weekend...was wonderful, but incredibly full.   Friday and Saturday were full of cooking and baking, laundry and bathing, trimming fingernails and toenails, cleaning ears, cutting hair, ironing clothes and so forth, in preparation for Una and Sebastian's Confirmation.  Dominic, on Saturday, began to complain of another earache, and it may be that in a few hours I call to make an appointment for him.  He needed to be given acetaminophen during Mass yesterday, although he went through the evening and night without needing any.  I was so wiped out by Saturday evening that I kept dozing off during our rosary.

Yesterday was just lovely; sunny, mild, breezy.  No matter how early we rise, is seems that we are always rushing in the last 45 minutes.  One child puts on pants that are too short, another can't find one of his shoes.  We send another back to the bathroom to brush his hair.  We did manage, amidst a lot of shouting and chaos, to get out the door in time. We had an hour's drive to Our Lady of the Caves, and Father wanted the Confirmandi there to be confessed at 10:30.  We were the first to arrive.

After all the Confirmandi were confessed, there was a rehearsal with the sponsors, followed by time for a snack, since the little ones would have to get through the Mass and the Confirmations.  Mass was lovely, although my concern for Dominic--who fell asleep on my lap after taking the acetaminophen for his earache--kept me somewhat distracted.

The Sacrament of Confirmation was beautiful in the Extraordinary Rite, and really very simple.  Afterwards, there was a marvelous pot-luck reception for the thirteen Confirmandi in the recently built parish hall.

We didn't get home until just after 5.

Some plans for this week:  I guess I need to determine whether to take Dominic in.  I am hoping that he will have no pain today, but I am doubtful.  It doesn't help that the little guy is really sensitive to pain--a pin-prick or bumped head makes him shriek in agony, so I really can't gauge his pain.

I know today is Valentine's Day, but it was totally superseded by the Confirmations.  I have nothing at all prepared.  I was thinking that perhaps we can at least do a batch of cupcakes for this afternoon.  I never held much to Valentine's Day in the first place; for me--cynic that I was--it always seemed a day made up by card, candy and flower merchants to boost sales.  I still, after reading about St. Valentine, don't get the hearts, flowers and candy, but I don't mind having a day for the kids to show their fondness for friends and family with handmade cards and the like.

Other plans include making some jam with some frozen strawberries and rhubarb, trying to work out a bit of a lesson plan for history (we are studying the Romans, and I just don't know if we can do it in a mere five months--it is a huge topic!--and finding time to wash my floors.  Likely after the jam-making, as I am not a very tidy cook.  I also need to create some kind of a banner for our Etsy-shop-to-be and design some shipping labels and tags.

If I find some time for myself, I hope to...finish the watercolor sketchbooks that have been sitting on my worktable nearly finished for two weeks, and start thinking about things to make for the kids' Easter baskets. I also home to find time to work on my knitting a bit.

Some prayer intentions for the week:  I am praying that Dominic's ear trouble will not become a chronic problem for him; praying to Our Lady of Good Counsel for aid in putting my life in order.  Everything seems so wild and chaotic right now.  I have so much on my mind that I feel very scattered, and there are not enough hours in the day to get things done.  I am also praying to St. Philomena for my friends who are desperately trying to sell their farm right now.

Something that makes me smile:  The newly-confirmed (standing before the altar their Papa built!)

If  you would like to join in with your own musings, feel free to grab the header image, and then link to your post in the comments.  Have a great week!

Can I trouble you for a prayer...?

It is Saturday morning.  Today will be busy with preparations for Una and Sebastian's Confirmation tomorrow.  Gabriel is a little sniffly and Dominic complained of a sore throat yesterday.  So--extra vitamin C for him and the thought that we may be in for another round of colds.

At 4 a.m. this morning he wakes me, whining that his ear hurts.  The same one that ruptured last month, was treated with oral and ear-drop antibiotics and was declared fine at a follow-up appointment.  I am panicking a bit, worrying about chronic infections and more--unwanted--prescriptions for antibiotics.  I myself have an immunity to a number of antibiotics because of frequent ear infections as a child.  None of my kids so far have been prone to ear infections (I think we have had one or two before Dominic in the last 11 years).  It may just be that because the eardrum was perforated, it will be sensitive for a long time and he will feel it in his ear whenever he gets a cold.

I put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the ear, and later, if he will permit, I will use garlic infused oil.  I will also give him echinacea, vitamin C and Sambucol.  Maybe we can get through the Confimation without a hitch!

In any case, I would appreciate a quick prayer for Dominic, that his ear trouble is no more than a little sensitivity caused by a cold, and that it will pass quickly.  For his sake and mine!

Say a quick one for Una and Sebastian, too, while you're at it.  Thanks!

Our Lady of Lourdes

A Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

Oh ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfortess of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look upon me with mercy. When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favors, and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. My loving Mother, obtain my request. I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share your company and bless you in eternity. Amen.

{this moment}: snow, sunrise, silence

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama

Yarn Along--Knitting for Sanity's Sake

Yep, it's either knitting or taking up heavy drinking as a hobby, folks!

I'm sorry...it's just that time of year, y'know?  The weather has been either too cold or too wet for the kids to romp outdoors (I forced them out anyway yesterday, in many layers, but they came in after 30 minutes), they are feeling hateful about school and hateful toward one another, more snow is expected today, and the kids have taken whining and sulking to a new level.  The best thing I have done in the last week is to make a fresh batch of KoolAid-colored play dough.  We cut school a bit short yesterday, and the boys played with this stuff for four hours!!!

I'm joining Ginny again this week for her Yarn Along, looking forward to seeing what everyone is knitting and reading this week.

I am knitting a Tiny Tea Leaves for Gemma in Knit Picks Swish Indigo Heather.  It is really beautiful in the light--a deep blue with violet tones.  As I am lazy about testing out my gauge and becoming famous for knitting everything too small for Gemma, I decided to go ahead and knit a 4T size, although she isn't yet two.  She can use it next fall, and it will give me some idea of gauge for the one I want to knit her for the spring in a more springlike color, maybe in cotton.

My read-aloud for the kids is The Winter Room.  It is a very good, quiet sort of a book, but not to the point of being too much so for the boys.

For myself, I picked out Theology and Sanity.  It was on the giveaway table at the Fathers of Mercy after Mass on Sunday, and City Wife is reading it for her book club, so I decided I would read along from the sidelines.

And that's it for now.  Ginny has a giveaway on Yarn Along today, so check it out!

Waldorf doll cleaning tips, anyone...?

"Baby" is looking decidedly grungy, which isn't surprising in the least, seeing as "Baby" is carried around and cherished by a 19 month-old throughout much of each day.

Aside from the monumental difficulty in prying "Baby" away from Gemma long enough to clean her, I am at a loss for the best method of doing so.  She is stuffed with wool, so that pretty much limits me to a surface cleaning I think.  Has anyone out there had much success with the cleaning of these babies?

Monday Musings--7 February 2011

Right now...it is 6:00 a.m., and I slept like a rock last night.  I guess that 3 weeks of insomnia finally caught up with me.  Now I have the challenge of waking Bret without waking the two little boys who are sleeping on our bedroom floor!

This weekend...was pretty busy.  We ran errands in Bowling Green on Friday; grocery shopping at Aldi and Wal-Mart, looking for shoes for Una.  We left the house by about 10, and before we left, I baked Adrian's cake, did two loads of laundry, made the beds and cast on a cardigan so that I would have something to knit in the van.  We were gone the better part of the day, as usual, but with gas prices being what they are, one must combine errands as much as possible.

Saturday was Adrian's birthday, of course, and I had to wrap his gifts and finish his cake.  I made ham, egg and cheese biscuits for breakfast, per the birthday boy's request.  The cake had a whipped cream filling and buttercream frosting, so that was a little bit of a to-do early in the day.  We sort of broke his birthday into two parts: after breakfast he was allowed to open his gifts, and we had the cake mid-afternoon.  This allowed him to spend some time playing with his new things, which included a Nerf gun, a handmade spear, shield and tunic, a flashlight and a couple of Lego items.  He loved all of his gifts, and ate two slices of cake, so I guess it was a success.  In the evening, we watched Season 2, Episode 1 of Larkrise to Candleford from Netflix, which even the younger kids really love.

Yesterday we went to Mass at the Fathers of Mercy.  It was a really lovely Mass and a great homily.  After Mass, the Fathers had a table set up with used books to take home, and we got a few good ones--Frank Sheed and Pope John Paul II and Fr. Hardon and the like.

The evening was fairly relaxing, I caught up on a few favorite blogs and worked on my knitting.  The kids watched some episodes of Green Acres on DVD, and then we watched the rest of the Larkrise Netflix.

Some plans for the week:  In school we will be focusing on religion, and in particular on the Sacrament of Confirmation and what relates to it.  I have phone calls to make, and Sebastian's hair to cut, food to make ahead and loads of piled-up ironing and mending to attend to.  I need to look for a birthday gift for nephew, whose birthday is in a few weeks.

If I finds some time for myself, I would like to...order some yarn for a couple of projects, work on my knitting  and do a freezer paper stencil on Adrian's tunic, so that it will match the image on his shield.

Prayer intentions for the week:  First and foremost, I am praying for Una and Sebastian, as they approach their Confirmation this coming Sunday.  I pray that they will receive all that the Sacrament confers in great abundance.  I am praying for several people who have asked my prayers, and for the repose of the soul of Fr. David Wilton, CPM's aunt Phyllis, who was also his Godmother.

Something that makes me smile:  This chubby girl.  Every day, and throughout the day.

Feel free to join in, if you'd like.  You can grab the header image and just link your post back here in the comments.  Have a great week!

Happy 6th birthday, Adrian Benedict!

Happy birthday, you amazing boy.  At age six, he is finally able to wear 5T clothes.  He was 5lbs. 15 oz. at birth, full term, and has always been small on the outside and big on the inside, so much so that his 8 and nearly 10 year old brothers treat him as an equal, allowing him to come into their room and play Legos with them. Most people are fairly impressed with his maturity, and I am frequently taken aback with the thoughtful observations he makes and questions he asks.  He also has always had this "whiskey and cigar" voice that is almost comic coming from such a little guy.

We had a rough start, he and I.  His was my longest labor, and by the time I finally went to sleep after his birth, I had been up for 48 hours straight, and it threw me into post-partum depression, which lasted for a couple of months.  So our bonding was delayed.

                            

                            Song for Adrian

My tiny infant son,

Smooth, elliptical head resting in my palm

Like a sun-warmed river-stone,

Scented with the musky odor of God’s own anointing.

Minute in size, you uncontainable mystery;

I cannot think of any answer,

I can barely formulate a question beyond, “How…?”

Little mite of a person, you have been known by God

For all eternity,

You, your ancestors, your descendants,

All visible to Him in His eternal Now,

All sharing you without knowing you, and none of us

Understanding really what role we play.

We stand on a darkened stage, blinded by the footlights,

Cradling a single puzzle-piece in our arms,

Knowing not how it all fits together,

Just hoping, praying, believing or not, that somehow

It does.

Has God brought you into a good world?

Not as good, perhaps, as mothers would have it.

My little one, you are not the fruit of my youth

But of my approaching middle age,

And I mourn the time I will not have with you,

But as long as I have you and you me,

I will try to make your world one bright with God’s beauty,

Banishing to the shadows the monsters born of our sin.

I will love away the darkness and bathe you in love,

I bequeath to you a shield of Love and with it a sword of Faith.

Know this, God’s bottom line:

That in all of life’s moments, those that appear to make sense

And those that do not,

In triumph, in trials, in the trivia of a thousand lifetimes,

In our ecstasies and agonies, our joys and sufferings

Only Love matters.

It is the only gift I can give you

That cannot be taken, lost or destroyed.

This is my lullaby, my prayer, my birthday gift to you,

My tiny infant son.

(written within the week of his birth)

Bright spot...

...in an otherwise dreary week:  I won a giveaway last week on a blog I only just discovered through Ginny's Yarn Along.  Dana was giving away a copy of this book and I won it!  It arrived in the mail today, just as we are expecting more cold and more snow.

It looks fantastic, and I am looking forward to trying some of the great projects out.

Thanks, Dana!

{this moment}: sweet oblivion

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

Oh, yuck...

This weather is getting more disgusting by the minute.  It's just gross.  And it is affecting everyone's mood here, too, making it very hard to motivate everyone to get school done, and I include myself in that statement.  Everyone is half-mad with cabin fever, and it is getting increasingly difficult to keep blood from being shed, as the kids spar and bicker.  

Speaking of blood,  Dominic and Adrian were playing Star Wars with their light sabers in the living room, when Dominic tumbled backward and banged his head on the old wardrobe.  He nicked his scalp and, naturally, bled profusely all over the carpet, his sweatshirt and his hand.  He recovered quickly, squeezing in between his siblings to watch the blood stains on the carpet fizz up as I poured hydrogen peroxide on them.

We decided to call that science today.