Makes My Monday

I have the dearest husband  He gave me the keys to his car Friday and a pass to stay as long as I want in Denver visiting my sister, Nina, for her birthday. 

So I got to Nina's house Friday night.  Stayed up talking  'til around midnight.

Went to Nina's birthday breakfast Saturday morning with my Mom and my other sister, Donna, and some of our dearest friends in the world -- where we closed down the breakfast crowd catching up with one another -- talking and talking and talking.

Then went back to Nina's and spent a good chunk of the afternoon visiting with Nina and my Mom -- drinking tea and mocha -- and talking.

After which my strong son, Kevvy came over and helped us rearrange Nina's living room.  Which took about 45 minutes -- but then, Kevvy stayed another couple hours and joined in some more talking. 

Which Nina and I continued doing -- talking, that is -- and watching old episodes of Ghost Hunters until 10:30, when we called it a night, because we had to get up early for Mass on Sunday.

After which, I got to catch up with some of the best friends in the world at our old parish.  And did just a little more talking.

Then, went back to Nina's, changed clothes, grabbed lunch at Chipoltle's and went to the cemetery to pray for the Souls in Purgatory -- which we did, in the midst of some (certainly!) uplifting and moderate conversation, in which she and I were the only ones talking.  (Thank goodness!)

Got home in time to freshen up and head out to dinner with Kevvy at 5:30.  Had some great food and less than an Irishman's portion of porter and red ale, and talked until 9:30.

And now it's late Sunday evening and I'm sitting here at Nina's computer typing in my pjs.  I still haven't had a chance to catch up with the rest of my brothers and sisters here in Denver -- and I haven't hardly seen my Dad yet. But, I have until Wednesday to finish up my visiting before I'll be heading home.

And you're probably wondering why I'm killing you with all these details on a Makes My Monday post.  Why don't I just say I'm so happy I got to make this trip and to spend time with my sister for her birthday weekend?  And I'm so blessed that I have a husband who would think to suggest I do it and to spend as much time as I like! And I love my friends and my family!  Why am I dragging this on?

Well, it's because I thank God for all those things.  But they aren't what make my Monday. And the details were necessary to drive home the point that...

...what really, really makes my Monday is that...

...after suffering five days last week with laryngitis...


 I got my voice back!

"Woot!" as the boys would say.


(But, I think there's a good chance I may lose it again before I get home...)

*Definitely run over and see Cheryl for more Makes My Monday posts!

Sorta Quick Takes

1.  I'm back -- Well, mostly so, anyway. We're all mostly back.   Everyone's technically fit to go to school but we're still tuning up every morning with a symphony of sniffs and coughs. Don't you hate that?   It's always a judgment call, deciding when it's both wise and acceptable to send  the troops out into public... but we figured, since:

1.  most of the school already had or has the same flu bug,
2.  nobody has a fever,
3. everyone seems reasonably able to keep their heads up off their desks,

                        and

4.  they felt well enough yesterday when they were still home that I was forced to repeatedly remind them to: 

          a)  Calm down!
          b)  Stop running in the house! 

                         and

          c)  For crying out loud, chill out or I'm taking you all over to the school! 

Well, I figured with a little coaching, they were ready to get out of my face back on the school wagon.  Except for Cathy and William, my homeschoolers, who are still here with me doing schoolwork and coughing and sniffing in a caucophonous duet, with their Dad and me chiming in with occasional jazz coughing riffs.

 But we're definitely on the mend, anyway.  Thank-you so much for the well-wishes and prayers!  Hope everyone out there is staying (or getting) well!

2.  Heard our first meadowlark of the season the other day.  And the school children came home with spring bulb sales forms to order from -- hyacinths, crocuses, bluebells, tulips, daffodils....  Be still my heart!  So, though we're expecting another snowstorm this weekend, we can console ourselves that, yes, indeed, snow and cold notwithstanding, nothing can keep spring from its appointed rounds.  Shew!  (Thank-you, God!)

3.  Came in yesterday from dropping Cathy off at her Thursday art class -- mind you, it's not a very long distance: twenty minutes there, ten minute stop at the grocery story, twenty minutes back.  Left Dan home to babysit.  And, honestly, I knew that leaving my husband and youngest child home alone together was not going to get the lunch dishes cleaned or the clothes folded.  I knew that.  But, still, really...  I couldn't help the involuntary reaction when I got home, opened the door and looked into the turned-upside-down living room, "Holy Cow, you guys!" I shrieked exclaimed.  "I was only gone an hour!"

To which William replied with a little shrug and a sigh, "Yeah.  We're a mess, aren't we?"

There was a little smirk there, too, pulling at the corners of that toothless little mouth of his, the little snot.
(gglggl)
I guess it's a healthy little man who knows what he is and accepts it.

And makes his mother laugh about it.


4.  Part of the mess: 

Above you see part of the contents of the little box of animals we inherited from my Uncle Art.  Over a lifetime, he collected many things, including  millions of these little plastic figures.  Birds and fish and lions and elephants and rhinos and buffalo and mountain goats and snakes and walruses and kangaroos and little plastic fences, etc., etc., etc...  William spent much of the day Thursday organizing and categorizing and talking about them nonstop. Made a mess.  But C'est la vie!   C'est si bon!

5.  Cathy, Theresa, and I had a girls' night out last night, went shopping first, then, gift card in hand, stopped by Chipoltle's for dinner.  Tried the new Chicken Pozole Soup.

It's a keeper.  We give it three thumbs up.  Just spicy enough, thick and nourishing.  Yum!  We love giving a Colorado native franchise our business and prefer their natural ingredients over fast food any day.  And, can't beat the price for the quantity and quality: under $20 for the three of us. 

6.  Update on Dominic, our sickly seminarian:  The agreement between three different medical professionals is that he is having some malfunction of his thyroid and adrenal glands, that have caused the blood pressure spikes, followed by fatigue.  We're not sure why there is a malfunction at this point, but it's being treated with meds and a careful attention to diet -- mostly to keep his blood sugars even.  He seems to be doing better, by any accounts I get -- but then I'm not really sure because Dominic lost his phone charger and the best I can do is try to get messages to him through our friend and Dominic's fellow seminarian, Carlos, or through son, Jon who is in Omaha now looking for a job.  A new phone charger is in the mail to him, as well as his Nikes and the sunglasses he left at home.  (They never depart without leaving us a few souvenires, doncha know...)

7.  And, last but not least, a gratuitous picture of my grandson:



Gavin James, two and a half months old



Here's where to go for lots of Quick Takes!

Guess What's Hanging Out at Our House.

Good news depending on who you are:  I've had laryngitis since last Thursday.

Bad news:  The kids have been too sick to enjoy it.

Everyone in the house is sniffing and coughing with fevers and headaches and various symptoms of stomach distress (not vomiting, though, thank Goodness...).  I'll be back when everyone's better. 

Stay well out there!

Open to Walkers

How About Slip-and-Sliders?

Photo by Dominic;

Stunts by yours-truly;

Landscaping by God.

Check this out...

A little gem from Aubrey over at Laughing All The Way: 

Dear Anti-Catholic people,

We're happy to share our saints' feast days. After all, they're not ours, but are for all mankind to celebrate. Please remember, when you decide to hate Catholicism because we worship saints (we don't), to avoid celebrating those saints' feast days and other holy days ...

Read the rest here.

Makes My Valentine Monday

St. Valentine Sunday Brunch!

We celebrated the day early because we had a limited time to have some very special Valentine's Day cooks at our disposal!  See... Seminarian son, Dominic, had a doc appointment up here, and his sibs, Jon and Michelle, drove west with him for the trip home,  so we've had a delightfully unexpected full house -- and a busy schedule the last couple of days.  First we had the great pleasure and honor of having our three wonderful school Sisters, as well as their order's visiting much-beloved Reverend Mother over for dinner Saturday night.  (Which was one of the reasons the big kids were so excited to come home for the weekend!  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the evening!  But I was busy either cooking, or talking, or listening, so, well, ya know....)  But, then Sunday, we Davis girls were treated to our family St. Valentine's boys-cooking-for-the-girls tradition.  Everything was as yummy as ever!  And the service and company were fabulous.  What more could a mom ask?

(She could ask that the children could stay longer, I guess...  But, ah well...  Fiat.sigh.)

Anyway, here's a little taste of my sweet day:



The cooks

 

The waiters

 

 

A little of the silliness:



The heart of the meal!

                                                           Happy St. Valentine's Day!

You can find a retro post with links for the feast day right here -- and my favorite retro St. Valentine's post, here.  Plus, Catholic Icing, as always, has some lovely ideas for the day, as does Catholic Cusine.  There is one coloring page here, and another, here, at Waltzing Matilda.

Plus, here's a fun and easy idea if you have a blank wall and an image of the Blessed Mother -- our perfect Valentine.  We did this in art class at school for the lunchroom wall:

The children each made a valentine in honor of one of the titles of Our Lady, as they're found in the Litany of the Blessed Mother.  The cards are simple and one-sided, made with contruction paper hearts and pink, red, and white doilies, lightly rubbed with pastel chalk (Which makes for a cool effect!  Thanks, Sr. Corinne Marie for that idea!) The quote that we chose for beneath the print of our Valentine is:

If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart

it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.

-- St. Louis de Montfort

Run over to Cheryl's for more sweetheart Makes My Monday posts!

For Friends of Fr. Jurado

Safe and sound at Holy Guardian Angels!

God is good!

The Feast of Our Lady at Lourdes

The only known photograph of St. Bernadette actually kneeling
at the grotto. This was taken some years after the apparitions.

I've been running around like the proverbial headless chicken the last couple of days, up to my chin with dentist appointments  (William -- He had four cavities!  Youch!) , doctor appointments (Cathy -- to figure out what it was she ate last week that gave her hives...) and chiropractor (Me --  Imagine. I have a pain in my neck...), as well as doing all the preparation and long distance organizing of my children's trip from Omaha to Denver to here.  But more on that later -- as I have a million things to do this morning, too, to get ready for a day of art classes over at the children's school...

  But, I couldn't let the day go without honoring the feast of the Apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes.  Because Bernadette is my middle name, I have a particular fondness for anything relating to St. Bernadette, but it's more than affection for my patron saint that draws me to the story of Lourdes.  Everything about Lourdes is beautiful and magical and tingling with the music of heaven to me -- reason alone to meditate upon it: the beauty of the image of Our Lady of Lourdes; the roses under her feet, the miracle of the rectory's roses in winter; and, last but not least, Our Lady's message that she is -- and always has been - the Immaculate Conception.  That she was conceived without the stain of sin.  That she remained always perfect and pure, as the Mother of God must be and is.  The thought transports my soul. 

But, then there's the other side of this story that literally grounds it in reality:  the abject poverty of Bernadette's family; the derision she received for being the recipient of such a divine gift, an ignorant, backward, and unhealthy child of no obvious merit; the lowly place the Queen of Heaven chose to be seen -- literally the town dump.  Such contradictions: the glory of heaven, the grittiness of earth. The whole thing reminds me of Bethlehem and the lowly stable where the King of Heaven chose to be born...  It's a wondrous thing to know, isn't it?  That God can appear anywhere -- in the most unlikely of places.  That He even seems to seek these places out -- like the Good Shepherd climbing down the cliff, hunting out His stray lambs.  He comes and dwells in the hearts that are prepared and beautiful in their love for Him, but He also comes into the poorest and most unprepared of hearts, seeking a place for Himself.

So much to meditate upon.  But I better get going this morning. Happy, Happy Feast of Our Lady at Lourdes!

I've posted a couple of times on this feast day before, with a plethora of links and photos.  You can go here or here, if you like to learn more about this feast day.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us!
St. Bernadette, pray for us!

Here Comes February

a little girl with her first valentine,

 a red bow in her windblown hair,

a kiss waiting on her lips,

 a tantrum just back of her laughter.

~ Hal Borland, Sundial of the Seasons (1964)

Bike Hospital Day

(Two Saturdays ago before the snow flew.)

Some people worked hard.

 Some people...

...not so much.

Spitwads

Have you heard about the fourteen-year-old honor student in Virginia who was caught red-handed and charged with criminal assault -- for shooting spitwads?  No kidding. It happened this past December.  Apparently, the powers-that-be at this child's school are recommending  felony charges against him for possessing a deadly weapon. Ummm.... Huh?  A deadly weapon?  We're talking about tiny bits of styrofoam blown through the emptied-out barrel of a ball point pen here.  Stupid.  Childish.  But not deadly.

When I was a fourth-grader I threw a concrete block on the foot of a boy who got too close to me playing tag.  Having been caught red-handed by the Sister on playground duty, I was sent to sit outside the principal's office for the rest of recess that day and got a stern -- but distracted -- lecture from the secretary sitting behind the desk -- who, after I'd sat there about a half hour asked me what on earth I wanted.  I told her my crime.  But what I wanted was to not be sitting there in ignomy.  What I wanted was to sink into the orange plastic of my chair and disappear so that everyone passing by wouldn't look at me so suspiciously.  And what I really wanted was for my Mom not to find out I'd gotten into so much trouble I'd had to sit outside the principal's office. It was a disgrace and I knew that I would be grounded forever if she heard about it.

  But my Mom didn't find out. In fact, I believe the playground Sister forgot to mention the concrete block incident to my teacher, because I sat there outside the principal's office for what seemed an eternity, kicking my feet, and looking guilty -- a forgotten criminal in exile.  It wasn't until the middle of science class, the last subject of the day, that my teacher finally noticed I was missing and sent a hall monitor out to find me.

And go figure.  The monitor was the kid whose foot I'd dropped the concrete block on.  But, by the time he came and got me, I  don't think he had a clue why I was sitting outside the principal's office.  He didn't say a word or even make a face at me,  just crooked his finger and pointed down the hall toward my classroom. Where I high-tailed it, gratefully.

I was a pipsqueak nine-year-old with a curly mop of hair hanging in my face; he was a linebacker disguised as a fifth grade Catholic grade school student.  (It seems I recall he even had a hint of a mustache...)  But I deserved the punishment I got, and it was more than sufficient.  I can honestly say that from that day to this, I have never purposely dropped anything on anyone's foot -- especially around teaching Sisters.

  But, seriously...  though I  really should not have dropped that concrete block on that boy's foot, I expect the playground Sister saw what was going on, and knew that what I did was...

             stupid.
                     And childish.
                                But not deadly.

And no charges were pressed.

Thank goodness.

Common sense still reigned.

When did we lose that?

Question:  Have you ever shot a spitwad?  Homeschoolers can answer this one, too...

"Every Mile Is Two In Winter"

~ George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum (1651)

Though my relatives in Denver say they're getting socked,

it's not snowing here on the Western slope.  It is cold, though.  And has been for a while.

Which is extremely significant to us, because with this

cold, our outdoor hydrant froze a few weeks ago

 and we were having to water the cows

 by filling their trough

 with buckets filled in our bathtub. 

Picture that.

Six to eight five-gallon buckets, bathtub to barn.

Every day.

(Ugh)

But all is well now, thank God and our good friend, Carl,

who is letting us put the cows on his lovely pasture,

complete with running water and super dooper fences.

The cows are happy now.

But we're happier.

Unfortunately, though, 

that hasn't been the only problem.

The snow and cold have caused some other hitches in our git-along recently that are even more vexxing and have not quite been solved yet.  Our son, Dominic, the seminarian, has been having some health problems of a mysterious nature that have caused him to have periodic dizzy spells and shortness of breath.  Because we've eliminated all the harmless and passing maladies that might be causing this, and because his blood pressure has also been elevated, we decided we need to get him home to see the medical professionals we know and trust in Colorado.  So I made appointments for this past week, and the boys (Jon was going to drive over with him) planned to head to Denver last week. 

 But, of course there was a gigantic snowstorm across the whole United States last week. 



Dominic with
nephew, Gavin.

So I rescheduled the appointments for this upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday... And, of course it's snowing again.  It' snowing everywhere, isn't it?  It's like a song we can't get out of our heads this winter.  But, well, anyway...  The weather reports don't look as bad this time around so the boys are planning to make the trip tomorrow morning.  And I think Michelle might be coming with them.  They plan to leave around 8 a.m. Nebraska time.  So, I'm begging for prayers for their safe journey. And for a solution to Dominic's health issues quickly so he can head back to his studies.  I thank-you ahead of time from the bottom of my heart for any words you can send heavenward!  

 These are the youngins pictured below that will be making the drive: (l-r) Dominic, Jon, Michelley.  Just add about fifteen years to each of those little faces. 

Weren't they cute?  They still are, of course!  But, my, how time flies! 

Sepia Saturday

Somewhere in my travels (I couldn't tell you where or even when) I found and saved to my files this WWII advertisement -- and only recently re-found it and pulled it up to read.  Isn't this fascinating?  Who'd ever have thought that the bacon grease we throw out on big-breakfast-Sundays could be turned into gun powder if the need arose!?

 I love WWII history, especially as it pertains to life on the homefront.  Living in a time when it's considered a sacrifice to miss American Idol or run out of coffee creamer, it's hard to imagine the voluntary (and involuntary) sacrifices made by my grandparents' generation.  The courage, work ethic, and discipline of the people who won the Second World War is legendary and humbling.   They are aptly called the Greatest Generation.

  I once saw a photo of my grandmother, hair tied up in a bandana, working on her victory garden in the early 1940s. I think my grandfather was in the Coast Guard at the time, protecting our American shores.  It's part of our family lore how he won a medal of honor for saving sailors in a burning ship in New York harbor around this time. My grandmother and her friends and neighbors, though, performed a less flashy but an equally important job, supporting the war effort at home.   Everyone who possibly could grew their own vegetables back then.  Because our American farmers were not only feeding the folks at home but were shipping tons of food overseas to the boys fighting on the front,  victory gardens were not just considered a patriotic effort, but were often the only way a housewife could get greens for her family when supplies were scanty and unpredictable.  Among other food staples, that the US government began rationing in 1942, folks were limited in their purchases of sugar, coffee, meat, fish, butter, eggs and cheese.  Housewives just had to learn to make or raise their own, do without, or find substitutes for things.    Imagine the challenge a woman had making up her weekly menu.  I have no right to complain about the easy job I have, that's for sure!

It's fascinating too, though, the other kinds of things that were in short supply in the '40s because they were needed for war production.  Since silk and nylon, for instance, were used in parachute manufacturing, women around the world made do without stockings -- which up to that time were a fashion staple. It was a common practice for girls in those days to shave their legs closely and -- very, very carefully (probably with the help of a friend or sister!) draw a line on the back of their legs to look like the seams of stockings -- the way they were made at that time.  (The things we girls do for beauty!)

Shellac, which was produced in India, was used for (among other things) making phonograph records, but because of the war in Asia, trade with India was disrupted, and new records became a hot commodity.  Also, due to the interruption in trade, things like shoes, rubber and gasoline became hard to get. In their part for the war effort, children at this time would go door-to-door and scour junk yards collecting things like rubber, aluminum.   

Many of the things we take for granted in daily life were changed.    Families didn 't go on unnecessary rides in the car, not only because they had a limited amount of gasoline to use, but because they didn't want to waste the precious rubber of their tires.  Vacations were spent at home -- if there were vacations.  The work force had been so depleted by the enlistment of so many American men that most everyone worked overtime.  Out of necessity, women joined the workforce for the first time-- in droves.  Many of those that stayed home babysat for those out working.  And, if I know women -- and being one, I think I do -- those women of the forties, especially the Moms, were all using every ounce of their creative energy to  make things as normal as they could at home.    Working, praying, playing -- and saving their bacon grease for the war effort.  Times were hard, but they were tough women.

I think, if times became so troubled again, Americans would rise to the challenge.  At least I hope so.

But I hope we never have to find out.

Ration Blues

(A song from the 1940s era)

Baby, baby, baby,

What's wrong with Uncle Sam?

He's cut down on my sugar,

Now he's messing with my ham.

I got the ration blues.

Blue as I can be.

Oh, oh, me,

I got those ration blues.

I got to live on 40 ounces

Of any kind of meat,

Those 40 little ounces

Got to last me all the week.

I got to cut down on my jelly,

It takes sugar to make it sweet,

I'm going to steal all your jelly, baby,

And rob you of your meat.

(Listen to it here.)

Make a trip through time and visiti  more Sepia Saturday posts, found here!

 

Why We Watch the Super Bowl

Gabriel giggled and giggled over this and aked me if we could watch it every day. 

I expect everyone else in the world already seen this commercial, but we don't have a TV feed so this stuff is new to us. Not that we really feel deprived, mind you. But, we do get a huge kick out of the clever ads like this.    Dan's got the TV rigged with some old-fashioned rabbit ears and something digital -- Who knows what? I don't understand it... But, anyway, we'll be getting the Super Bowl here this Sunday. Dan and my brother will be rooting for Pittsburgh.

But most of us here will watch for the commercials.

And the guacamole.

Heads Up: Great Friday Meal

YA GOTTA TRY THIS SANDWICH!

Really.  This is so good! It includes the most unlikely ingredients -- asparagus and roasted red bell peppers, of all things,  so we were skeptical at first...  But we're really glad we gave it a go, because this meatless meal is a total keeper!  Even the kids loved it. Perfect for Friday, but super delicious any time!  It's on our permanent rotating menu now. :)

* A couple tips: You might want to compare prices between roasted red peppers in a jar and buying fresh red peppers to roast yourself.  The day we went, it was cheaper to buy them jarred.  Most any cheese would work with this sandwich, too, we think.  Some of our gang don't care for Swiss, so we used cheddar instead and it worked great.  Also, when we used the Swiss, we didn't shred it, which saved a step and tasted the same.  Oh! And the simple mayo-mix spread is so easy and goo-ood!  We've filed its easy ingredients away in the back of our minds to try on other sandwiches, too!

Awesome Asparagus Sandwich




Yummy with cracked-pepper and tomato basil
flavored chips and  New Belgium Brewery's
"1554"--  or Root Beer for the younger crowd.

 

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 hoagie rolls

6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

1 ripe tomato, sliced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.  Toss asparagus and red pepper with olive oil. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until tender, about 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin from the pepper and slice into strips.

3.  Cut hoagie rolls in half, place on a baking sheet, and toast lightly in the oven. Remove rolls from the oven and sprinkle each half with cheese. Place 4 to 5 asparagus spears and a few strips of pepper on one side. Place slices of tomato on the other side of the roll. Place the hoagies back in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic together. Spread the dressing on one side of the roll and close sandwich.

* We found this at All-recipes!

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

If you like asparagus and roasted peppers, you've got to try this!

Blessed Candlemas Day!

Empathize with me please, friends, you who have ever:

 * Winced watching an altar boy (especially if he was related to you) trying to set the church afire while lighting the high Mass candles.

Let us say it together: Look out there! Child, playing with fire!

 * Leaped over several children during Holy Saturday ceremonies to  reach the kid at the end of the pew who is about to catch on fire the chapel veil of the woman in front of him .

I Say Again:  Look out there, child, playing with fire!

 * Sent up heartfelt prayers for the Holy Ghost's intercession as the smell of burnt hair wafted past with the First Communicants carrying their lighted candles as they processed up the aisle.

Say it, friends:  Look out there!  Child playing with fire!

 * Watched helplessly from the back pew while a young person, uninitiated in the ways of fire and physics, tried to re-light a half-burned seven-day candle by putting her hand in the jar with a short paper match.

I Say:  Look out there, child, playing with fire!

And let us have peace among us, because we do have one consolation:
WE KNOW THAT AT LEAST THEY WERE ALL BLESSED CANDLES!