I'll have the double Espresso IV drip, please...

Bret fell off a ladder while putting up gutters last week and sprained his ankle, so he has had to slow down for a few days, which is good for Gemma, who keeps handing Papa books to read (the boys crowd around, too, as you can see).  Me?  I'm having another action-packed week.  I say that knowing that most weeks are like that and every Friday I rub my eyes and say, "Huh?  What happened?  You mean it's not Tuesday?"

On Sunday we had a lovely Mass with a wonderful homily.  We get seriously spoiled by the homilies we get from the Fathers of Mercy, as they are mission priests and preaching is what they do.  Of course, their homilies are not for those who are impatient, have short attention spans or really wiggly toddlers, as they run no less than 30 minutes.  Anyway, it was very good, and you can listen to their homilies on their website.

We had one of the Fathers over on Sunday for dinner, and it was very pleasant and relaxed. We made chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips for dessert (he'd liked our homemade chocolate ice cream last time he visited), and then he sheepishly told us that he's given up chocolate for a year as a sacrifice!  We were going to pick up something else, but he wouldn't allow it...

We have started easing back into a school day again, although this week is full of interruptions, and I am still lacking some of our books.  No bother--I used to be hyper-organized, and after years of being a stickler for schedules and charts,  I find that as I approach age 50 this year, I am rebelling against all of it.  I do need to come up with at least a menu plan, though, as I really hate never knowing what I'm doing for dinner!

Anyway, tomorrow and Thursday are appointments, and tomorrow Bret's cousin is passing through with his wife and will stop for a visit.  So we'll squeeze in what school we can.

I have been trying as well to keep up with my own pursuits, but I think it will be difficult.  I may be able to stick with the online French and squeeze in a little writing now and then, but I think some of my reading and other things will have to be dropped in deference to the education of the kids.  And I need to make time, at least in the van, for knitting again, as Christmas is only a few months away!  Isn't that a scary thought?

I couldn't resist posting a photo of my friend Debbie's little girl, Celeste.  Isn't she precious?  She is having a fourth eye surgery tomorrow, so if you could kindly say a prayer that all goes well for her, I would appreciate it and so would her mom, dad and 8 siblings!

Monday Musings--20 August 2012

I know that I have neglected the blog a bit lately.  It really couldn't be helped, as I dislike to griping about the various challenges we are dealing with right now, and the temptation to do so is very great. And so I have been pretty much avoiding the blog, the phone and the email.  The things going on are Big Things.  We are still awaiting word on Bret's biopsy results (yes, we have been waiting a full week), and due to the slow economy (thank you, President Obama), Bret is out of work again.  There just wasn't enough work coming in to keep Bret on.  So we are looking at it as an opportunity for Bret to get some work done on the house in KY, but it also means that things are financially impossibly tight right now, and likely will continue so for a while.  I could count off several more items that have made me feel like I need a Vodka-Valium Tonic, but I would rather just ask you to say a prayer for Bret's health and employment.  May God reward you.

Right now...it is 6:00, and I am finally feeling somewhat awake after sitting here for an hour with my coffee and my volume of In Conversation with God.  Gemma customarily awakens a few times per night, and I customarily feel very tired...

This weekend...was really quite beautiful.  On Friday afternoon Bret repaired my washing machine after it had stopped dead in the middle of a cycle.  I really didn't enjoy rinsing a load by hand in the sink and hand-wringing each piece, but I am grateful that there were no jeans in the load (or bed sheets!), and that the weather was fine enough to hang it all out.

Saturday was wonderful.  It was Bret's birthday, but we put off celebrating and went to the Chapel of Divine Mercy for Family Vocation Day.  There were representatives from various religious orders there giving conferences, and there were vendors, and there were activities and games for the kids.  The weather was perfect, and there was an incredible turn-out, somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 people.  I have never seen the chapel so full, not even at ordination Masses.

The highlight of the day was really the talent show.  We are able to brag that our (yes, I claim the Fathers of Mercy as "our" priests) Fr. Joseph Aytona is likely the first Filipino break dancing Catholic priest in history.  That would make his brother, Fr. Jewel Aytona, the second.  And Fr. Jewel gave a pretty impressive demonstration of beat boxing as well. We came home completely exhausted, but all feeling very blessed.

Sunday we decided to take in a later Mass so that we could enjoy a more leisurely breakfast.  We picked up groceries on our way home, and I made a nice dinner and an almond cake for dessert.  Sweet, buttery--neither healthy nor low-cal, but very easy and quick, and man, is it ever good!  I'll try to get the recipe up here later.  In the evening we watched disc one of The Blue and the Gray.

Some plans for this week: I have a few Etsy orders to send out this morning (yay!), as well as a custom order for a watercolor journal to work on; I have cream that needs to become butter; I want to make a batch of granola.  I need to do a thorough sorting of the school room and start getting things ready for the start of school after Labor Day.  I still haven't many of the things we need for the coming year, but I have enough on hand to get a good start.  And I really need to do some cleaning.  The place is fairly orderly, but it needs to be cleaned.

If I find some time for myself, I would like to...finally finish Una's skirt and work on some knitting.  I am getting only a little done on my February Lady Sweater because I am starting a series of hats and fingerless mitts and so forth for Christmas.  And speaking of Christmas, I think I really need to start thinking about it, especially since it will be, once again, on a tight budget.

I am grateful for...cooler temperatures; having my education plan for each of the children done for our umbrella school; being about 90% over the colds we recently had.

Some prayer intentions for this week:  yes, I would like Bret to have work, but the only thing I feel inclined to pray for right now is a good result for Bret's biopsy.

Something that makes me smile:  The multi-talented Fr. Jewel Aytona, CPM, a very devout and holy priest (and a great dancer!).  I am so pleased to have seen him and his brother journey from the novitiate to the priesthood.

Have a blessed week!

Four-wheeling fun on the farm

It has been crazy-busy around here lately, and between working a job that often runs into overtime, keeping up with things around here, and trying to build a house in KY, Bret doesn't get a lot of time to unwind; often it is only a little time between rosary and bedtime spent watching a movie or browsing about on the computer.  Things are constantly in need of his attention.  Sometimes it is not things, but little people who require it.    No matter how much one has piling up, it is a good thing to be able to ditch it all for a little while so as to relax and connect with people, especially those people who need us most.

What a guy!

And he builds beautiful stuff, too!

New in the shop

We are really loving these guys...

In our Etsy shop now!

Bret's Prie Dieu

Another project completed by my talented husband, this one for a blog reader who saw my posts about his work on the altars he has done for the Father's of Mercy and inquired about having a kneeler--a prie dieu--made.  Bret designed and built this from mahogany.  Isn't it lovely?  If anyone else out there has something unique in mind, send me an email!

Yesterday was Bret's birthday

I know, I know...I am supposed to be on a break, but how could I not mention the birthday of the most important person in my life?

Bret turned 51 yesterday.  God bless him for putting up with me for 25 years, 23 of them married.  And God bless him for being dad to six kids ages 1 to 11 at a time in his life when most men are done with diapers and wives who are still nursing at night.  God bless him for going grocery shopping with me and all the kids every single week and never griping about it; in fact, God bless him for never griping about anything other than when the kids are over-the-top noisy or turning the house into a disaster area.  He is not one to complain or worry--at least not outwardly.  God bless him for being a very manly man, who has never had a problem with our sticking to traditional role models.  He not only works to pay the bills, he milks the cow and does all the yard and farm work, and does all the household repairs and improvements.  But he is not adverse to changing diapers, cleaning my cook-top or washing floors when he sees that I am snowed under with household chores.

I admire the man and feel really blessed.  Every morning in my prayers I ask the Lord to grant him a long and healthy life, that we may grow old together and live to see our children's children.

We celebrated together with a nice steak dinner last night (benefits of raising your own beef--we can be cash-poor and still eat really, really well!) and this ultra-rich chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.  Next time I will leave out the fudge and chopped peanut butter cup layer, as it was definitely overkill.

There.  Now I will resume my previously scheduled blog-break.  Until something else comes up!

Another altar by my talented husband...

...and our good friend and neighbor, Steve.  This is the most elaborate of the three altars Bret has done for the Fathers of Mercy, and so he did well to employ the persnickety Mr. Cain.  This altar is in their private chapel at their Generalate in Auburn, KY, the other two being at St. Helen's Catholic Church in Glasgow, KY and Our Lady of the Caves in Horse Cave, KY.

I am told that the Fathers are delighted, and I am very happy that it has been installed just in time for their annual retreat, so that all the Fathers of Mercy will be able to see it.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam!  

Wow, where did the years go?

Bret and I have been married 23 years today.  When we first met in Munich, Germany, he was in the army and I was working on the base after returning home from six months in Bristol, England.  He was nice--much nicer than most of the guys I'd dated.  Therefore I gave the relationship three months at most.  After three months, Bret reminded my of my prophecy.  "Okay," I said, "Six months.  Six months at most."

Well, a year went by, and he was getting out of the army.  He said he'd like me to go back to the USA with him.  Very difficult decision.  I loved living in Europe.  I never wanted to leave.  But I had come to love this guy who was practically my opposite (I loved literature and history; he read only motorcycle magazines.  I was a sedentary, indoor type; he was the camping/hunting/fishing/hiking type.  I love to dance; he didn't.  And so forth).  So I told him I would give the USA a try.  "If I don't like it, I won't stay."

So, I hated the states (well, I hated Tucson and the desert), but I really loved Bret.  What's more, he loved me and was able to tolerate all my neuroses without too much difficulty.  I figured I'd best marry him, because I didn't think anyone else could put up with me for too long.

And so I raise my glass of cheap red wine to you, honey.  You are truly The One.  Thanks for twenty-three years, three homes in three states and half a dozen kids.  I love you...

Una's gift from her Papa--a pioneer dollhouse

Una received several nice gifts:  a couple of books she had requested, this Egyptians game, nice soaps and body sprays, a gorgeous dress from her Oma...but only one gift was made with love this birthday.

Papa made a log cabin for the dolls Una got last year.  Now all we have to do is furnish it (eeek!).  I am also thinking about re-dressing the dolls to make them look a little more pioneer-ish.

A walnut cradle

Bret just made this walnut cradle to raise money for a pro-life cause.  Isn't it lovely?  If anyone out there would like something similar, Bret would be happy to make another.  Just email me with your inquiry.

Look what Papa brought home!

The little guys were so excited to see an icicle taller than they are!

Seven Quick Takes Friday--volume 64

One.
I lost a day this week. I sat down at the computer this morning all ready to wrack my head to do a Small Successes post, and lo and behold, it is Friday! How on earth did I get here? Maybe it was the egg salad we had for lunch yesterday that threw me off--it's normally a Friday lunch for us...

Two.
I wonder if I will ever spend a night in my own bed again. Normally I wind up on the sofa at some point because my beloved husband snores and Gemma will only sleep in my spot on our full-sized bed, which, by the way, used to seem a lot bigger when Bret and I were not parents and slept spooning together and didn't have a third person in the bed with us. For some reason, Gemma will nap in the co-sleeper, but will not sleep in it at night. And that's another thing: how on earth can a six-month old differentiate between nap-time and night time? Last night she and I slept on the pullout sofa because she is so congested and fusses pretty much throughout the night because of her inability to nurse or suck her fingers. She also screams like a siren when I drip saline up her nose and suction her nostrils with the aspirator. Terribly ungrateful, don't you think...?

Three.
On the subject of colds, I am trying to be patient with them, although this is our second cold in less than a month. I ought not complain, as we've only had two colds per winter for the last two years, and the year prior to that we had only one cold, but it lasted the entire winter...plus, this is supposed to be The Winter of the Great Swine Flu Pandemic, isn't it? So I ought to be happy that so far we are just doing battle with snotty noses.

Four.
I want to thank my friend Marilyn for posting this quote from St. Francis de Sales. I am emailing it to several people in my address book who need to keep it in mind as much as I do:

"Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Commend all to God, and then lie still and be at rest in His bosom. Whatever happens, abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God, trusting to His eternal love for you; and if you find that you have wandered forth from this shelter, recall your heart quietly and simply. Maintain a holy simplicity of mind and do not smother yourself with a host of cares, wishes or longings, under any pretext."

Five.
Every male in this family is in need of a haircut. Again. I hate giving the boys haircuts almost as much as I hate cleaning the oven, but I only clean the oven about once a year (I know, I'm really bad--I'm the reason self-cleaning ovens were invented), and the guys seem to need haircuts every time I turn around. This was another reason I was so delighted to finally have another girl...

Six.
The older piggy went to the butcher on Wednesday and we are getting back mucho pork today. Because the bacon we've had cured and smoked by the Mennonites is frequently way too salty (their lack of refrigeration makes them a bit heavy-handed with the salt), Bret wants to try his hand at it this time around. As for me, I like pork well enough, but I want beef! Pigs grow so fast, we raise two a year (not that we need to; but we hate not having a garbage disposal that converts food scraps to meat), but a calf takes 18 months to a year to grow to a decent size. And I am down to a few packages of ground beef in the freezer. I don't like to buy beef from the grocery store.

We also need to put a meat grinder and sausage stuffer on the homestead shopping list this year. City Wife has inspired me to want to try homemade Boudin! I want to make sure that we have these kitchen items by the time our small piggy is ready to butcher.

Seven.
My big success for the week (since I missed out on Small Successes yesterday) was not sweating too much about our schedule. I will indeed come up with a workable schedule this month--or so I hope--because having a schedule reduces chaos, and no one can live or work or learn or pray in an atmosphere of chaos, but what Christ said about the Sabbath being made for man and not man for the Sabbath can be applied to the schedule as well. I don't want to overdose on the medicine, so to speak.

Okay, it is time to go. Dominic is charging through the house in his brother's knight outfit, brandishing a sword and hollering loud enough to wake the dead (and maybe even Bret). and I need to have another cup of coffee.

Now go and visit Jennifer's Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes, and maybe add your own!

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Volume 57

One.
Bret has a few weeks' work lined up, about an hour away. The upside is, of course, money and the ability to pay our bills without depleting our unimpressive savings account. The downside is that he is working today, and we were hoping to go to Mass for the first Friday. Oh well--maybe we will renew our attempts to do the nine first Fridays in the spring, as there's a good chance that one of the upcoming ones would be thwarted by icy roads anyway. C'est la vie.

Two.
The altar Bret just finished for the tiny mission church of Our Lady of the Caves in Horse Cave, KY is great. I think there are still a few little details to be finalized by the couple who did the wonderful pelican plucking its breast in the center of the altar, but Bret's part in it is done. Pretty nice, don't you think?Three.
It looks like it is going to be a beautiful weekend--mild and fairly sunny. If you are anywhere in our area (north-central TN or south-central KY), do think about coming to tomorrow's conference at the Fathers of Mercy in South Union, KY on the life of Mother Teresa. Information is on my sidebar (just click the image of the Come and See poster). The Chapel of Divine Mercy is beautiful, and worth a visit in any case. We will be there. To find me, just listen for the loudest three year old, and follow him...

Four.
Geography is fun, but would be more so if we lived in a city. I love rural life, but when it comes to cultural stuff, forget it. We have been studying India this week, and our little library has nothing--I mean, like two kids' books on India! I've been hunting our shelves for folk tales and other resources, and found a thing or two from Netflix, but I'd love to have access to an Asian foods market (Nashville is a bit far to go for a few Indian items) or deli. We have also listened to some Ravi Shankar sitar music (I remember my mom had LPs of his when I was a kid) and it was lovely to hear it again after so many years.

Five.
Gemma, happy sweet, little thing that she is, is killing me. She naps in her co-sleeper by day, but will not go into it at night. She screams if I put her in it. And she will no longer take a pacifier, nor will she sleep without nursing. She is pretty much attached to me all night long, with the result being that I am tired, sore and Bret and I forever have a baby between us! I tried letting her "cry it out" before Bret and I turned in, and she did finally pass out, exhausted. but within an hour she was up again. I'm not sure what I can do about it until we get her out of our room and into a crib, which Dominic is still using and reluctant to give up. Because of her slow weight gain, I am willing to put up with it for a couple more months (until I start her on solids), but Bret is less than pleased at the thought of having her in our full-sized bed for much longer. It is a tad tight in there for the three of us...

Six.
Speaking of slow weight gains, I have been too nervous to weigh her. I'm afraid of her having gained so little that I will be a nervous wreck. I can't imagine that she is starving, however, as she doesn't seem terribly hungry during the day and is quite happy to grasp at her toys and coo at us from her bouncy seat for long periods of time. Still, I look at photos of babies like Grace's Fiona, who just started solids recently at 8 months and who is fat and gorgeous just on mama's milk, and I feel a twinge of envy! My kids are all pretty lanky as toddlers (Gabe was the exception), but by four months have always been delightfully chubby.

Seven.
I am already plotting to figure out if there is some way I can spend Sunday afternoon just knitting and sipping tea. When I am nursing, I am often on Ravelry, browsing through patterns for baby knits.

Well, that's it for today's Quick Takes from Patch O' Dirt Farm. Join Jennifer at Conversion Diary to see more Quick Takes on Friday or post your own. Have a blessed weekend!

Look what my husband built!

A threshold between Heaven and Earth. The altar where mere bread and wine become the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of our Lord (click on the pictures to see them enlarged).He also did the arch above the sanctuary last year (I did the little "In Hoc Signo Vinces" banner). If you are ever visiting Glasgow, KY, stop by St. Helen's Catholic Church. It is a little jewel.

Sunday Silence

Well, not quite silent. I found this beautiful image of St. Aloysius Gonzaga and had to put it up on his feast day.

And I received a "Cyber Baby Shower" gift from Allison this morning that I have to acknowledge and insist you watch--it's so beautiful, if it doesn't make you well up with tears, there must be something wrong with you!

Lastly, Happy Father's Day, Bret (and all you other daddies, too)!

A new house for the bunnies...

Bret spent the better part of the afternoon making a hutch for the rabbits, and once Sebastian finished school he went out to help.

My husband's solution to mowing the lawn

Yep, he lets the bovines--and the goat--graze in the front and back yards. It does indeed keep the grass down, but creates a secondary problem: I have cow poop in my yard. But the Great Solver of Problems has a way around this, too: spread cracked corn on the cow pies and the chickens will come through and scratch it up, spreading it out to fertilize the grass.

So, I'm waiting to see how he plans to deal with the chicken poop all over the porch and driveway...

Yes, son, it's baby hunting season...

Bret was cleaning the BB gun, which wasn't working due to the fact that Sebastian had dropped it and mud had jammed things up. Dominic, 2 1/2, was watching.

"Dat gun, Papa? Dat gun shoot bullets?"
"No, Dom, it's a BB gun; it shoots BBs."
Pause.
"Dat gun shoot me? I baby..."
Parents' subdued laughter.
"No, hon, it's a BB gun, not a baby gun.

Good Lord, I can't even imagine what passed through that dear little head in that moment...

Feels like Lent...

Well, Lent got off to a good start for us this year. The good news: we actually got to go to the early Mass for the Ash Wednesday service. The bad news: we were able to do this because Bret has joined the great (and growing) ranks of the unemployed.

We sort of knew this was coming. His hours at the cabinet shop had been dwindling down for the last few weeks.

Guess we'll have to announce to the kids at dinner time that due to hard economic times, we are going to have to let a few of them go [hee hee...Bret and I do like to mess with the kids. What's the fun in parenthood if you can't have a little fun now and then, eh?]

God has only recently--in the last few months--given me the gift of trust. It was hard-won for a late convert to religion like myself. I feel pretty peaceful, which isn't to say that I am not harassing St. Joseph with my constant petitions, but that is more for the sake of Bret than for myself. God has a plan, and it is for our good, whether in this world or the next. I'm okay with that.

Still, put in a good word for us when you talk to St. Joseph, eh?