Simple (Or Is It?)

Once upon a time, back in the halcyon days of the internet, when blogging was more a thing,  a lot of of us Catholic blogging Moms shared one another's links on hostess blogs with fun weekly themes... Remember those days, imaginary Blogging Public? There was a haiku day when we all shared links; there was clearinghouse day for household tricks and tips; there were homeschool link days; and there was Simple Woman Monday that gave us blogger Moms a little podium to share our random  Life Experiences of the Moment.  Just the simple little things. Which, as it turns out, are they most important things. We didn't know it then, but these Simple Woman posts were like little bookmarks, marking seasons of our lives. When I have occasion to use the search engine on this old blog to find a photo or a recipe (which happens more often than I would ever have imagined!), I invariably turn up old Simple Woman posts -- because pretty much everything could and did come up on these weekly logs. And I read and remember what life felt like two, five, ten years ago...  Who I was, who we were, what we were doing, who my friends were, what they were doing... How we were building our homes, nurturing our families hearts and souls and bodies -- and therefore constructing solid building blocks in the foundation of society. No less.  It was good to document it, it was that important.

I'm pretty sure the original hostess of these posts has moved on, though I haven't actually looked. The special little community I loved, where women from all over the world connected over the coffee table of faith and family, no longer exists as I knew it -- and my own focus has shifted from child-raising, anyway, now that I'm in my late fifties (how weird is that?!) and have 15 (No Kidding: FIFTEEN!) granchildren, so I would no longer fit into that old world of bloggers, anyway, at this stage of my life. I'm grateful for all those years, though. This internet log served as a diary during some of the busiest and most important times of my life. It's a treasury of reminiscences now. And recipes.  

How crazy is it that now that I am retired from that most important and most busy time of my life and actually have the time to write -- I find I don't have much to write about. At least, nothing that is as important as what I used to write about. I devote my days now to other things and other media. But I think I will try to periodically add to the Daybooks, even if do nothing else on here.

Anyway, to that end. Here's the Simple Woman Daybook for Monday, October 24th, the Feast of St. Raphael.

Outside my window... It's a gray drizzly day. Not all, but most of the leaves that so recently dressed the big cottonwood tree outside my window, now lay around its feet thanks to the big wind that blew in the chilly wet weather we are enjoying today. There's almost no color out there any more, green or otherwise. It was not a vibrant autumn this year -- I'm guessing because the weather conditions just didn't cooperate; we went -- in one weekend basically -- from summer straight into the depths of autumn, with 20 degree overnight temps. The leaves still hanging onto the trees for dear life are a limp beige color and the ground is covered with the less tenacious leaf bretheren -- also limp and beige. Funny thing, though, is that the raspberry and blackberry bushes are still a deep green. Wonder why that is?

What I'm wearing... a black-back ground A-line skirt with pink and blue flowers scattered all over it; blue socks; blue sweater, pink polo shirt, and blue reading glasses on top of my head. Even if I don't see a soul all day, it just pleases me to color coordinate.

What I'm doing... I've been working on entering recipes for the Davis Family Cookbook I'm trying to get together for Christmas presents for everyone this year. (This is a full-cooperation endeavor; the kids are adding, too!) Also working on a podcast on Saints Simon and Jude for Friday and a podcast on the history of Processions in the Church. Also, just starting preliminary work on a study guide for the book If All the Swords in England, by Barbara Willard. And have been babysitting for various grandchildren at very times for various reasons, usually about once a week. Which is the greatest pleasure. This morning, when I got to watch Clara and Margaret, we talked a lot about ducks (because today was a good day for ducks!), made sculptures out of pipe cleaners, read books together, drew, played with stickers, and -- because it was a day for ducks, we watched some Donald and Daisy Duck cartoons. (Life is hard, huh?)

What's up in the kitchen... A sausage stir fry for dinner. I've got a bunch of eggs set aside from the henhouse to make some mayonnaise. Hopefully tomorrow! 

What I'm reading... I recently started What's Wrong with the World, by GK Chesterton -- and it's too complicated to put it in a nutshell, but his diagnosis just what you would imagine he'd have figured out a century ago -- and is just as pertinent to our own time as you would think. I've also got The Diary of a Hunted Priest waiting in the queue! I want a couple uninterrupted days to just dive in to that one and enjoy it! If I get a jump on Saints Simon and Jude tomorrow, maybe I can devote Thursday and Friday afternoons to enjoying that one! (And then maybe line it up for a study guide if it lends itself to one!)

What I'm planning... coming up in the next month, we'll be helping my sister, Linda, move into what we hope is her "forever home," the nicest little house you can imagine in a much safer neighborhood than the one she's in now! Hopefully, we'll be able to help her fix up her old trailer for a good turnover profit, too! Other than that, more immediately,  I'm hoping to go spend the afternoon with Cathy and her two littles, Chloe and Max, on Wednesday and incidentally, drop off my wedding ring to have a bent prong fixed before I lose my diamond! 😬). Also, there will be a baby shower for Dominic and Monica's newest little cherub, Killian Pius, over at Michelle's house on Saturday -- and we'll also say goodbye to two wonderful families, cousins of Monica's (Thomas and Ben), who are moving to Idaho shortly. We're going to miss them! (But know they're doing what's best for their families!)

Big Projects on the Hopeful List... Dan and Dominic started the frame for a small shed to park up against the back of the Rv (Otherwise known as "The Tiny House"), so that we can add a proper water softener to the plumbing -- also some electrical improvements and space for storage. We're still hoping to get a good shelter built to cover all. And the long term hope is to expand into a bigger tiny house at some point -- with more space for entertaining and work space for both me and Dan, but that's a prayerful one for the future... maybe there are more important things for us to concentrate upon. Deus Vult. We have nothing to complain about right where we are. 

Incidentally... We've had the expected season-change influx of rodents in the tiny house -- and have discovered that our little dog, Dawsey, bless his little heart, is not just a beta dog -- he's more like a zeta dog. He's afraid of the mice. No kidding. Crazy dog. We need to bring one of the cats in. But Dawsey is afraid of them, too....

Picture thoughts for catching up...

The Most Recent Big Event

The Baptism of Killian Pius Davis

Birthday, October 10th

Dominic and Monica's first son, third child;

Our Fifteenth grandchild, fifth grandson;

 William and Philomena, Godparents!

Killian shown here with Mom n Dad,
Fr. Carlos Borja, Clara, and Margaret

Philomena, Killian's aunt, Monica's sister
with Killian and Fr. Borja

And here's our handsome little man!
(BIG little man; 9lbs, 6oz at birth!)

And More Family, in No Particular Order

Fr. Philip and William, who sat with
us at the banquet during the Fatima
Conference we were finally able to 
attend this year! (It was awesome!)

Gabriel is a postulant in the Minor Seminary
in Western Colorado this year! There he is,
third from the left.

The Sister Sisters, Sr. Antonia (L), and Sr. Evangeline (R)
with Margaret Mary during their visitation -- always too short!

This is a "Remember When" photo --
taken c. 2000 in Byers, CO, when Cathy was a baby.

Celebrating Dominic's birthday at the restaurant
attached to "Thunder Bowl" in Council Bluffs at
the end of September. All the Local Gang present and
accounted for: Shelly's family, Cathy's family, Dominic's
family, Dan and me. (Gabe and William already back
to school and seminary, as this was the end of September.)

Kevin with Sebasian (Basti) and Sophia -- still

in Germany -- but coming for a good visit in December!

Cathy with Louis, Chloe, and Max

Paul with Nicole, Lillian, Evelyn, and Gavin
on their summer vacation

Gabe had an epic summer, in that, he got his driver's license...

He graduated from high school... 
(Wish they'd made some attempt to smile in this photo --
it's actually pretty funny how awful they all look! LOL!)

And, Gabe, together with his entire senior class from St. Joseph Minor Seminary -- as well as 
William (who could have graduated and opted not to) and Fr. Philip were able to raise enough
funds to go to Germany for their senior class trip. (And, of course, stayed with Kevin in Bavaria!)

There's Kevvy with his beautiful wife, Ina.

And here you see Dan and me (below and above),
just this past weekend, at The Surfside on the Missouri
River, just a few miles from our house.

And Michelle with her littlest, Anya - number 5! -- a couple 
months back...

Enjoying some time together during the Visitation of the Religious in June. So much fun having
almost everyone together!

Simple. Am I Simple?

Simple Woman Monday on a Tuesday...

This morning... The sun is shining bright and hot. The daylilies outside the RV window are so tall and spindly, they reach the bottom of the window. I love day lilies; they are the perfect flower for an existentialist, living big and beautiful for today -- and only today.

What I'm wearing... ankle length, very comfy, A-line black skirt, light pink polo, black apron.

What I'm listening to... a comedian on a news talk show. One is not sure whether to laugh or not. (I generally laugh. You probably guessed that.)😊

Breakfast... Burnt boiled eggs. Yes, you read that right... I put a half dozen on to boil then completely forgot about them! But they're actually just a little bit burnt, where they touched the bottom of the pot -- and peeled surprisingly easily. 🙂

What I'm reading... actually nothing right at the moment, though I was just talking yesterday with William about rereading the Don Camillo stories. I just finished rereading Outlaws of Ravenhurst -- and doing a study guide for it -- which makes for very close reading. A good exercise for an old brain! (Gosh, that's a good book!)

What I'm making... I have a recipe for gluten-free crackers that I've been wanting to make, but didn't have the correct flour. Now I have the correct flour - but not sure I want to heat up the tiny house by turning on the oven today... 

What I'm planning... A day with our little grandson, Quinn (not quite two). His Momma, Michelle, is taking his four sisters to hang out at Catholic Girls' Camp for the day. So Quinn's uncles and I get to spoil him today. I expect there will be UTV rides involved -- as little Quinn is a total car dude.

Picture Thoughts for the day:
 

Smile, Basti and Sophie! (in Bavaria)

Smile, William! (Here, with the armour he's making!)

Can we get a little smile, Quinn? (poolside, Iowa)

Smile, Gabe! (Homestead)

Smile, Raspberry Girl, Margaret! (Homestead -'scuse my thumb.)

Smile, Paul, Nicole, Lilly, Evie, and Gavin! (Minnesota)

Clara? Nope. Ain't happenin'.

(Need some more photos of Shelly's youngin's and Cathy's! But I'm having a terrible time syncing my new laptop with my new phone, so downloading photos at all is a chore! Hopefully one of the boys can help me figure it out...)

How We Bless Our Property on the Feast of St. Mark

I posted this in 2015 when we lived in Nebraska, but, for a re-share,  this was the best and 
easiest round-up of the prayers we've said for years on the feast of St. Mark. 

If it's at all possible, it's a good thing to do these blessings after attending Mass and the Greater Litany Processions. But it's not necessary. (But the more blessings, the better, right?)  There is an alternative Feast Day on which to do blessings (The Feast of the Holy Cross, September 14th). You can make special, substantial crosses  (rustic or fancy, it's up to you), to have blessed on this day (a traditional custom in some times and places) and then place them around your property in September  --  then, come March 25th, add small vials of holy water and fresh palms and decorations as you go about doing the blessings on the Feast of St. Mark -- which is the Church's Day for Blessing farms and crops. Alternatively, you can make new crosses every year, using branches and twigs -- you can have them blessed if you like (but it's not a necessity) -- and then take them out with you when you do the blessings on St. Mark's Day. You can perhaps have four different children hold each of the crosses until each is staked into its corner. 

Or, honestly -- keep in mind, you can choose another day to do these blessings if you are doing them strictly as a family pious exercise. It's nice to make a 
Our Busy priests: hard to catch sometimes.
tradition out of a particular day that the children can look forward to, though. And being in sync with the Church is a wonderful thing in every way. In addition, if you have a priest who has the time to do these property blessings for your family, that is top-notch, and the best possible scenario. But it's hard to do. Most of our priests are so pinched for time and have so many parishioners that something so time consuming is much more easily accomplished by the Father of the Family -- or a big brother if Dad is unavailable.

Also, you certainly don't need to have a farm or property to do these blessings! Any yard will do. Just eliminate the blessing prayers that aren't needed.

(N.B. I tried to find the original link to these prayers and had no luck. It's a little weird how hard it is to find these things these days. It used to be no problem! If anyone else can find them, please share in the comments! I will try to type them out on a pdf and make it available in the next few days, if possible.)



We started here:

Blessing of a Farm

(This prayer may be said to obtain God's blessing on a farm with its buildings or for the farmhouse alone.)

Bless, O Lord, Almighty God, this house (or this farm). May health and purity, goodness and meekness, and every virtue reign here.  May all those who dwell here be filled with faithfulness to Thy law and with thanksgiving to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. May this blessing remain on this house (or this farm) and all who dwell here. Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Here we have Dan leading a gang of children out for the St. Mark's Day (Rogation Day) blessings.  Theresa took pictures since I didn't get to be there (bless her), but some of the girls' bffs were on hand to take my place, All the children made the hike with Dan around the four corners and did us the favor of helping pray our property safe.  Thanks, girls! 

On to the Animals

Blessing of the livestock.  Right now all we've got is chickens.  And cats.  And one big sweet St. Bernard.

Blessing of All Domestic Animals


Lord God, King of heaven and earth, Thou the Word of the Father by whom all creatures were 

given us for our support; look down, we beseech Thee, on our lowliness. As Thou hast given us

these animals to assist us in our labors and needs, so mayest Thou in thy great goodness and

mercy bless them from above, guard and preserve them; and, while Thou givest thy servants

temporal benefits, mayest Thou grant us Thy continual grace so that we may praise Thy holy 

name with thanksgiving.  Amen.

Blessing of the well.  (Need to have someone pick up all those wood scraps over there!)

Blessing of a Water Supply
O Lord, Almighty God, who hast given us an ample supply of water, led off by pipes from this source, grant that, by Thy assistance and blessing and our cooperation, every diabolical attack and confusion may be kept off and that this water supply may always be pure and uncontaminated.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing of a Spring or Well
We cry without ceasing, O Lord, to Thy Fatherly goodness that Thou wouldst sanctify this fountain of water with Thy heavenly blessing and make it suitable for every use.  Drive from it every influence of the devil so that whoever draws from it or drinks this water may enjoy good health and full vigor, and give praise and thanks to Thee, the Preserver and
Sanctifier of all things.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Processing around the north side of the property, heading along the cornfields toward the northwest corner.

It was pretty wet and muddy I'm told.

Blessing of Pasture, Meadows, and Fields


(This solemn blessing may be said at any time before cattle are put on the pasture for 

summer.)


O God, through whom every good thing has its beginning, and through whom it is improved 

and increased; grant, we beseech Thee, to us who cry to Thee, that this work, which we are

beginning for the praise of Thy name, may be happily brought to completion through the never

failing gift of Thy fatherly wisdom.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Almighty, eternal God, Thou hast given to Thy priests a special grace so that we may be sure 

that whatever is worthily done by them in Thy name is done also by Thee.  We beseech Thy

clemency that Thou wouldst visit what we now vist, that Thou wouldst bless what we now bless,

and that Thou would'st stretch forth Thy mighty right arm over that which we now do, and that

by the merits and intercession of Thy saints and this entrance of our humble persons, the

demons may be put to flight and the angel of peace may enter in.  Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

The Litany of the Saints  is prayed next, followed by:
Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created; And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.  For the Lord will give goodness; and our earth shall yield her fruit.
We humbly beseech Thy clemency O Lord, that Thou wouldst render these fields (pastures, meadows) fertile with rains in due season, that Thou wousdst fill them with Thy blessing, and so grant that Thy people may be ever thankful for Thy gifts.  Take infertility from the earth and fill the hungry with Thy gifts which the fruitful earth will yield in fullness that the poor and needy may raise the name of Thy glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Coming around the southwest corner... The horse stalls, to the right, the back of the chicken house and the woodshed. 

That you 'Squatch?

The Solemn Exorcism of Harmful Animals

I call upon you mice (worms, sails, snakes, spiders, lice, ticks, etc.) in the name of 

God, the Almighty Father, of Jesus Christ, His only Son, and of the Holy Spirit who

proceeds from both, that you go out from these fields and pastures and remain no

more in them, but depart for places where you can harm no one.  In the name of God,

the Almighty, of the whole heavenly court, and of God's holy Church, I declare you

accursed wherever you go so that you will become fewer day by day.  May no part of 

you be found again, unless it be for man's welfare.  May He graciously grant this, who

will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

* Note: Any prayer that is called an "exorcism" must be performed by a specially authorized priest in order to 

truly exorcise.  

You could pray this prayer, of course, and it would be heard by God as all prayers are, but not to the same effect.

Through the jungle...

Under the pear tree..

Blessing of Orchards and Vineyards

We beseech Thee, Almighty God, in Thy goodness, to pour down Thy blessings on these

young shoots and sprouts which Thou wouldst grow into mature fruit.  Grant to Thy people

that they may always be permitted to grow, with due sunshine and rain, and make them gifts which the fruitful earth produces in fullness so that the poor and needy may praise Thy glory.  Amen.

WOOT!  Are we ever blessed now!

I love this shot of Monica. Who would ever have guessed at this time that she would marry our son, Dominic, and be the mother of our granddaughters, Margaret and Clara -- with baby #3 due in September?

Simple Woman Scribblings

Monday, February 21st

Outside my window... It's a little overcast, but in the 50s -- warm enough that our granddaughters' voices arrested my attention first thing this morning when I was putting on a pot of tea -- and I had to go from window to window of the tiny house to figure out where they were. They were out back on the trampoline with Monica. 😊 It's supposed to be cold and possibly snowy the rest of the week, so theywere out enjoying the nice weather while they can! (The question is: what am I doing inside?)

What I'm wearing... midcalf, a-line, black jersey skirt (so comfortable!) over black leggins (cold this morning!); a short-sleeved, cranberry mock turtleneck, under a white, black and cranberry plaid, flannel over shirt. Reading glasses on my head.

What I'm reading... I'm on a little walk through the literature of my younger years, re-reading the Mary Roberts Rinehart mysteries I enjoyed as a teenager. I'm almost finished with 'The Man in Lower Ten,' and just received in the mail a collection of Mary Roberts Rinehart's "romances." From Abebooks, for less than $9: copyright 1918, superb condition, with its original book jacket! Do I enjoy the stories as much as I did 40 years ago? YES!

In the Kitchen... Chicken noodle soup on the stove. Just did a bunch of juicing to help with the ongoing endeavor of lowering my chronic high blood pressure naturally. We're doing a homeopathic regimen that has helped tremendously, and added to our usual juicing routine (cukes, celery, lemons, and ginger) a root crop I have avoided most of my life: beets. Cutting them up and processing them looked like a murder scene 😅, but the beets lent almost no taste -- just color! (which is still under my fingernails...)

In the Garden... Nothing coming up yet, of course --  but something is going up: a greenhouse! Inexpensive, but a trial run. If it turns out to be something we actually use, we may replace it with something more substantial. Hoping to get some early seeds going before mid-March! 

Here's Dominic and his little helper, putting it together.

Me. But not me.

How I'm spending my days these days... Dan and I have been trying to support our son, Kevin (he's the one who lives in Bavaria, with his wife, Ina, and our granddaughter, Sophia) in growing his Catholic Podcast station, with the aim of developing and sharing traditional Catholic content -- in a somewhat folksy and informal way, but one that is approachable and accessible and which might serve to help those Catholics, especially, who are seeking the faith in the midst of the chaos in Rome -- and those Catholics who, for so many reasons, feel isolated in this worldly world. 

Part of my informal duties have been in researching content, helping boost viewership (for instance, making ads! Which is fun!), being a somewhat reluctant live participant in some podcast discussions and interviews -- but more recently, in developing my own little corner of the station, where I share my own observations, opinions, tips, tricks, and lives of the saints. Much of this information, I glean from this blog. There's almost nothing I haven't written about on here! Momcasts are my territory, as are the Lives of the Saints and Mysteries of the Catholic Church. If you've been a long term visitor here at AWTY, you may recognize some of the content of these podcasts! Let me know if there's anything you think would make a good show! As soon as I get over this laryngitis I've picked up, I'll be recording again. Find The Catholic Family Podcasts here.

In the Spiritual Life... I just love this prayer (following). I found it in WWII era prayer book that turned up in the flotsam and jetsam of my upturned household recently. 😊 There is no imprimatur, but it's obviously pious and edifying -- and covers, well, just everything! Great for after Mass -- or any time.

Petitions After Mass

May these infinite graces of Mass and Communion extend throughout all the world, wherever Thy grace and help are needed.

May they extend to all the souls in Purgatory; especially to the souls of those who were dear to me in this life. (Here mention those deceased for whom you wish especially to pray.)

May these graces extend to all Thy Church on earth; to Pope, Bishops, priests and Religious, all who are striving for their own salvation and perfection, and who are trying to win souls to Thee. Give strength and efficacy to their words and their works that they may be the instruments of salvation to many.

May these graces extend to all who are persecuted for their Faith throughout the world; grant that peace may come to them, that they may have the consolations of Thy Church.

May these graces extend to all the souls outside Thy Church, especially to those in whom I am personally interested. May they extend to all poor sinners who have neglected, forgotten and abandoned Thee.

May these graces extend to all those who will die today. St. Joseph, Foster Father of the Son of God, and earthly Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us, and for all those who will die today.

May these graces extend to all the sick, all who are in pain and suffering; lay Thy healing Hand upon them, dear Lord, give them relief and comfort, patience and courage, strength and resignation.

May these graces extend to all the tempted, all the sad and sorrowful, all who are distressed, disheartened and discouraged -- and there are so many in these days of hardship who know not where to turn for help but to Thee. Do Thou help them, O Lord, and give them relief.

May these graces extend to all who have the destiny of nations in their hands, turn their minds to thoughts of God, that we may have a true and lasting peace.

May these graces extend to the members of my family, to all my relatives, friends and benefactors, to all who have asked my prayers and commended themselves to my prayers.

May these graces go with me this day and keep me safe in temptations and preserve me in Thy love and friendship. Amen.

A picture thought for the day...

Dan and I got to babysit six of the eleven grandchildren -- Michelle and Bens four and Dominic and Monica's two -- while they went to a ballroom dance class offered by a church member. (How cool is that? Both the dance class and that Dan and I can still drum up the skills! 😉) Pictured: with me, Clara; then Margaret, Quinn, Daria, Claudia, and Ella's knees. All under six!

Of All Modern Notions

 

Of all modern notions, the worst is this: that domesticity is dull. Inside the home, they say, is dead decorum and routine; outside is adventure and variety. But the truth is that the home is the only place of liberty, the only spot on earth where a man can alter arrangements suddenly, make an experiment or indulge in a whim. The home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks.

~ G.K. Chesterton

Simple Woman Scribblings, January 27th

 

A Settling Worries Journal 

Looking out my window...

Me. Snuggled and scribbling. No rats.

There's a watercolor gray sky and snow still patching the ground in mysterious patterns (like: why did the snow melt over in that corner of the volleyball field, while the ground is completely bare in this corner of the volleyball field?). I haven't been out the door yet this morning, but it looks cold out there. I think I'll just stay in here. It's nice and snug in my little corner of the "tiny house!" (I like to call the RV the "Tiny House" nowadays -- in contrast to "the Big House" next door. It sounds homier than "the RV.") 

I am thinking... 

Worrying, actually, that the idea that we "gave up" the Big House to Dominic's family is causing a worry for some of our loved ones who think we are getting the raw end of the deal. Dan and I have talked to several of the children, one on one about it, but I want to set it down officially here, too. For the record: We love living in a smaller house with a smaller footprint! Less fuss, less muss, less to clean -- while still living on the "forever home" property where everyone can gather. How can you beat that? 

We thought it through -- and decided
to downsize -- sorta.

 Now that pretty much all of the children have moved on (with the two youngest only home in summer), all those rooms in the Big House were wasted space and more time and work than we want to deal with in our retirement. Two aging people don't need a four bedroom house or three acres of lawn and gardens to take care of. By themselves, 😬 and, though we were reconciled to the possibility, it was sad to think of selling our little paradise in the hills. We put the idea out to the children to take it over and were thrilled when Dominic and Monica decided to jump in on the adventure of a multigeneration cooperative! It's seemed to be the answer to everyone's prayers. Dominic and Monica were at a crossroads, ready for a move to a rural environment, safer and more economically feasible than where they started out (Denver). and Dominic almost immediately found a job that he loves and that pays well here in rural Iowa. I probably don't need to mention that we love having them and the little girls as our close neighbors! And we love their enthusiasm and energy for revitalizing the old homestead. My goodness, they are hard workers! The old place has needed some hammer and nails kind of love! And we love not having to be the ones to have to do it! 😉 (Heaven knows, we've BTDT enough times over the last 37 years!)

The Big House, winter. ❅

And here's the other win-win of the equation: the Big House fits the children's needs, providing space for their growing family, while the financial settlement we've arranged with them allows us to build a shelter for the RV that will have plenty of extra space for us.  We really like the coziness and simplicity of the tiny house and no longer having to yell across all that square footage at each other: "What?!" 😅 And with some extra living space behind the RV, we'll get to stretch out a bit and bring over the old familiar statues and pictures and pieces of furniture that will feel like "Mom and Dad and Home" to everyone  -- and will provide more space to entertain. Plus, we

Summer. (sigh) The view from the Little House

get an amazing view of the countryside from this side of the property, as we're further up on the hill. 

Summing up: we've been able to work out a financial plan that we can build the small efficient living space that we've always wanted that will wind up leaving us with almost no financial liabilities into our retirement - with the security of having family literally right at our elbows. How can you beat that? It's a very good thing!

I am thankful...

That God ignored all our prayers eight years ago to move to those other places that we now know, in hindsight, would have lacked the many blessings we have found here in Iowa. We wound up close to three of our children's families (and one a fairly short drive away in MN) -- and are so grateful to belong to a thriving and dependable church, with so many priests and Sisters and like-minded Catholics -- who we know will have our backs, no matter what. Being here at the hub of CMRI guarantees that we'll not only see our Religious children at least once a year (at holidays, vows, ordinations, and priests' meetings), but we get to see practically everyone we know periodically for those same reasons -- and have a network of friends who can fill pretty much every need you can think of in practically any emergency. In this world, there is absolutely no greater blessing and privilege. Proof positive that God knows best. Deo Gratias!

I am creating...  

Nothing much new right now, though I'm wanting to get out my needle-felting again to have another try at it! I've been slowly (very slowly) editing the old novel that I may never be satisfied enough to hand over to my beta-readers waiting in the wings. More than anything, I've been trying to organize and weed out the flotsam and jetsam of thirty-seven years of collecting... What is good to save in case of possible need -- should inflation continue to rise or the market crash or whatever? What might someone else see as useful, even if it's not something I might need -- and what is really just junk? Not always an easy distinction!

I am wearing... 

Long navy skirt, patterned with little shell pink flowers; matching pink cardigan; navy turtleneck, leggin's, and socks. 

I am reading...  

Three Religious Rebels, by M. Raymond, O.C.S.O

One more picture thought for the day...

Cathy last week with Chloe at her first birthday party.
(The Mother of all mothers looking on.)