Quick Takes

1. Lots of comings and goings around here. Kevin drove Jon and Dominic back to school Sunday, stayed for a few days, and is on his way back tonight. On Monday, my youngest brother, Dave, headed down to Georgia, where he is relocating. And, our oldest son, Paul, and his fiancee, Nicole are making their way over the mountains tomorrow to spend some of their spring break with us.

St. Christopher knows he's on call. Everyone's trips so far have been safe and successful. Except that Kevvy called today to tell us that our minivan (which he took to ferry the boys back to Omaha) is acting up.

Oh joy.

2. Our car's apparent ailments notwithstanding, there is good news on the automotive front in our immediate circles. In an economy where the car industry is covering its ears to muffle the rumor of death knells, both my sister and son, Paul, have just gotten loans for new cars. (Who was it that said that couldn't be done?) Nina drove her new Buick over here the other day to show off all its bells and whistles, and Paul is now on the look-out for just the right car. So we sent Paul to call on the gentleman pictured on the right.

We've had a custom in our family for many years of asking help from St. Thomas Aquinas in finding new vehicles, or when faced with any kind of car crisis, and he's always come through extraordinarily quickly. It seems that automobile requests perk up his ears. We've come to the conclusion that if he lived in our day, St. Thomas would have been the consumate car guy. Surely, his methodical and logical mind would have easily grasped car mechanics. Can't you just picture him leaning under the hood of a car in his monk's habit and tonsure, wrench in hand?

We're thinking Paul will at least have a good lead by the weekend.

We always pray St. Thomas' Prayer to Know God's Will, btw, when looking for a car (you can find it in the side bar), but there's a really good one here, too. St. Thomas' feast day is Saturday, so teachers and students (over whom he has special patronage) especially take note! His heavenly influence is powerful on his day.

3. We've been hearing about all the snowy weather in many parts of the United States, and even rumors that some people are starting to doubt the nonfiction status of global warming. (Ahem.) So, I hesitate to mention it, because I don't want to sound like we're bragging, but.... Gee, guys, our weather has been glorious here in Colorado! It's been in the high 60s and low 70s for over a week now. The sun has been shining, white fluffy clouds drifting across an azure sky. The children spend all afternoon outdoors and come in at dinnertime filthy and sweating. The puppies are romping in the yard. Our daffodils are sprouting -- and I'm watching the tree buds nervously. Our poor Colorado trees have taken a beating in the last few years with droughts and blizzards alternatively. Our poor old cottonwoods are shadows of their former selves; the last thing we need is an early budding, followed by a hard freeze. But, it's been nice to have an unexpected "airing out," regardless... And we've had plenty of wind to do it, I might add!

I fully expect there's a blizzard on its way,though, to keep us honest.

4. Seriously, though, we've had more important things to worry about around here than global warming: A) Theresa and Michelle are both out of books to read. (You would laugh at this if you saw how many books we have...) B) Anna is frustrated because she can't get her bangs to part on the side like mine and Cathy's (They just don't stay!). C) Gabriel thinks there are "woof-coyotes" sneaking around the trees when he's in bed at night. (It's just Bella, Gabe!) And, D) William tells us that trains burp. And if a train is burping... well, what has it been eating? Hmmm... (Not sure how to answer that one.

5. We were so sad to hear about the passing of Paul Harvey this past week. Personally, Mr. Harvey, a man I never met, has been a part of my life since I was a small girl. I distinctly remember a fascinating family discussion about spontaneous combustion sparked by a Paul Harvey story when I couldn't have been more than ten years old. And only two and a half weeks ago, coming home in the car, Kevin and I were riveted by a tribute to the human heart read by Paul Harvey on St. Valentine's Day. We liked it so much, we looked it up on the internet for the whole family to listen to when we got home. (I'm looking for the transcript for that and'll share it if I find it...)

Paul Harvey's daily newscasts and his Rest of the Story editorials have always been a bright spot in the world of the mass media. His news selections were always fairly and completely given, wholesomely presented, and eloquently written, and I wish I had a collection of all his Rest of the Story gems to use as a supplement to history lessons, and as an example of good writing for our English classes. He was the consumate craftsman of his trade. But, the best thing about Paul Harvey was that, by all accounts, he was a good man. We'll miss him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

6. Have you ever felt the hand of God on you? I mean, we always know that He is intimately connected to us and involved in our lives, but, have you ever, almost literally, felt His hand on your shoulder turning you in the direction He wants you to go? Our spiritual lives have been like that lately. I've been interested in St. Louis de Montfort's Total Consecration to the Blessed Mother for a few years now, but have just not been able to pull the trigger on the devotion. I think I've just been a little overwhelmed by the commitment of it. But, the idea has always stayed somewhere just below surface. In fact, I recently found that I've managed to inadvertently buy two copies of the Total Consecration book at some time during my ponderings. And those two books have both somehow resurfaced and found their way into my dining room bookcase. On Ash Wednesday, Dan and I were talking about what Lenten reading we should start, and the image of those two books rose to my mind, so I suggested that maybe we ought to both read them and decide how we feel about the notion of the Consecration to Mary. So, on Wednesday night, we both read the introductions to the book.

Then last Saturday, we had the blessing of getting to attend a Day of Recollection given by a visiting priest at our parish, and what do you suppose his talk was on? You guessed it: Total Consecration to Our Lady. And this wonderful, engaging priest based a thread of his talks on G.K.Chesterton, to boot.You know how I love GKC, don't you? The Blessed Mother couldn't have hooked me better than if she'd orchestrated the whole day just for my benefit. Which, of course, we all know she didn't. But, it's uncanny how things happen sometimes, isn't it?

7. And, finally, I just wanted to share what my sweet husband brought home for me yesterday.

I think I'll keep him.

(No, it wasn't a peace offering! Sheesh! )