Things that I've lost track of...

~ Half of half the pairs of socks of this entire household
(Here's a haiku on that subject)

~ About a thousand little girls' ponytail holders

~ How many times I've stepped on a little plastic army guy

~ What's in that Cool Whip container at the back of the fridge

~ My best friend in high school (sadly)

~ The states and capitols (I used to have them all memorized....)

~ The number of toddlers' wet kisses I've rubbed in...

~ The number of times I've yelled, "WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE!?"

~ Which child it is who hates jello and which one hates whipped topping (Can you imagine?)

~ Whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher

~ Where the instruction booklet and program cd to my camera is, so I can figure out why my computer all-of-a-sudden doesn't recognize the software to download my pictures

~ The basket that goes on the front of my bike

~ The poetry I wrote and saved in a composition book through my adolescent and early college years

~ The only two baby books I actually filled out (our first two babies, of course)

~ How many times I've gotten thoughtful text messages from my oldest son's sweet girlfriend

~ Whether or not I remembered to answer the latest text from my next-oldest son's sweet girlfriend

~ Whether it's 1 or 2 tbs of sugar in my old standby biscuit recipe (used to know it by heart...)

~ The correct addresses that should have been on the 5 Christmas cards that came back to me

~ How many chocolate covered cherries I snuck off the Christmas candy trays

~ How much weight I gained over Christmas (Don't tell me; I don't want to know...)

~ The blade to my Cuisinart (that I put someplace "safe")

~ How many times the saints and angels have intervened to help us


Dear St. Anthony, please come 'round;
Something's lost that can't be found!



Unfailing Prayer to Saint Anthony


Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.


O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me (request). The answer to my prayer may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of Miracles.


O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
Amen. (Say 13 Paters, Aves, and Glorias)

Things that scare me...

~ The devil
~ Phone calls in the middle of the night.
~ Truckers who drive 75 mph on snowy mountain roads, backsplashing my windshield.
~ My son who has his wisdom teeth pulled on Wednesday and tells me he is going snowboarding on Thursday.
~ Knowing how easy it is for my children to be lost in this world (physically and/or spiritually).
~ Starting a necessary conversation with an old friend who, for some unknown reason, thinks I'm mad at her.
~ Thai food.
~ Having to fix a sentence with a dangling preposition without making it sound stilted.
~ Pantry moths.
~ Checking through two baskets full of groceries at the supermarket and having a snaffoo with my debit card.
~ Making a joke that nobody laughs at.
~ My son Jon's hot sauce super tonic.
~ Giving bad advice.
~ Red sock/load of whites.
~ This bumper sticker:

Lists, Lists, Lists

I just got a new notebook.
And a package of cute little pens to go with it.

Life is Good.

I like to get the little notebooks that look like this. -->

They're cheap at W-mart, they're just the right size, they come in neato patterns, and they have a little double pocket inside the front cover that comes in very handy for coupons and stamps and things like that.

If I don't sit down every night before bedtime and write my remember-to-do-tomorrow list in my little notebook, my life moves along just like...

I have a mind like a seive, you know.

It's really a necessity that I write everything down.

Everything.

Like: "Take Your Ginkgo Biloba!"

(Talking to myself here, of course)

And these notes, from today's notebook page ~ the Schooling Section:

+Write Tooth Get Well cards for Paul

(Paul just had two wisdom teeth pulled...)

+Make sure Cathy doesn't slip out of reading to me today

+Where is Theresa's Reading Comp book?

+Creative Writing ~ Make-a-Monster project.

+Find winter poetry for memorizing

+Work on history timeline

+ Dig up The Last Battle to start tonight

+ Get some Amarilys bulbs to start

+Look on Crafty Crow for art ideas

And, from the Miscellaneous and Meals section for today:

+breakfast: Boiled eggs? and toast

+lunch: those crudites (from last week), cheese, apples, raisins, muffins

+dinner: broc/rice/cheese/ham casserole (have enough ham left?)

+Clean Little Green Room!

+Work on files and seasonal notebooks

(Dawn's organizational ideas rock!)

Which leads me to a few other lists I've been compiling in my head lately. Here's the first one:

Things that tickle me

* The Littles playing hide-and-seek.

William has it all figured out; he can find Gabe every time they play, easy-peasy. It cracks me up that a three-year-old can use what he knows about his four-year-old brother's temperament to suit his own purposes. You see, William knows that Gabriel laughs at everything. Life is a joke to him. So, when he wants to find him, all Yuyum has to do is make Gabe laugh. He goes around the house, peeking his head around corners saying things like, "Where are you, Booboo Bunny? Booboo Gabey? Booboo Chicken?" And, his brother giggles, of course, and is found every time.

* This dumpster outside of Ouray, CO.

Where the bears put their trash.

* Small people coming into their own, um, so to speak.

William has never had trouble asserting himself, but having developed the gift of communication, he's learning to explain what used to be crying fits we couldn't translate or calm. Here's an example:

I had thought it was a good thing, considering that our two youngest boys are completely surrounded by girls all day, to insert some "boy" programming into their lives. So, I've made a point of turning on the cartoon Handy Manny for them for some time now. It's about tools and fixing things, harmless, and not too annoying. But, William recently told me: Mommy, I HATE Handy Manny. I like MOVERS better! "Movers" is a show called "Imagination Movers," a real person kid-show with lots of music, also harmless and not too annoying. So. Go figure. William is another musical guy. Hopefully he'll get with the tool thing, too, later on, like his big brothers. But, I now consider myself duly corrected. Three-year-olds have a right to their likes and dislikes, too.

* Faces like this:

* The shoe store down the street from our Church

with the huge sign, proudly displayed over its door:

SHOE SALE

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE

* What you don't see here...

In spite of the heavy tool belt.

Paul is the king of decorum!

(Tomorrow, another list: Things that Scare Me)

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Find the lyrics here.

Miscellaneous Tidbits and Trivia on the Day:

* Have you heard of the The shrine of the Three Kings in Germany?

* Did you know about this Italian folktale for the Epiphany?

Here's a read-aloud book to look for that tells the story.

* If you have clear skies where you are, you can look into the southern sky tonight and see the Three Kings.

* You are supposed to drink "Lambs Wool" on the Epiphany!

* When you bless your house on the Epiphany, adding the initials of the Magi's names over your doorways, the the "C" stands for the first Wise Man, Caspar, the "M" standing for Melchior, and the "B" standing for Balthasar, but these initals also do double-duty, standing for "Christus mansionem benedicat" ("Christ bless this house").

May He, indeed, bless all your homes on this Feast of the Epiphany!

(The beautiful print above, by Liz Lemon Swindle, can be purchased here.)

The Vacation Slideshow

So last week, Thursday through Saturday, I got to take my dear husband to Western Colorado on a mini vacation to celebrate his 43rd birthday. The big kids offered to babysit, all the children took up a collection so that we could go without guilt (aren't they the sweetest?), Dan's parents supervised, and I... Well, I provided directions to all the Starbucks enroute and snapped lots of pictures to document the occasion.

But, I don't want to bore you with too much build up. Let's get this show on the road! Hang onto your hats, here we go!

(Lights click off. Hear the humm of the projector. And with a wave of my arm...)
These first two are in the Ridgway area (Where True Grit was filmed).

These next few were taken in and around Ouray, except for the sheep you see there that we ran across on a mesa top ranch west of Montrose. We rolled down our window to take a picture of those sheep and were amazed at just how much they did not care that we were taking a picture of them. And baah-ing at them. And making snide comments about their apathy. They wouldn't be baited and wouldn't laugh at our jokes. Sheep really are rather dull, bless them. Serene, but dull.

This is the house overlooking Ouray that I would buy if I had a million dollars. (You see the picture in the header? That's the view this house has from its front porch!)

Always have to get a picture of a black crow on a red barn when I see one...


This next series of shots we took at the Ouray Ice Park. Next week is the Ice Festival in Ouray, which draws ice climbers from all over the world. You see the picture of the nice young ice climber taking a picture of his buddy climbing? We got to talking to him and he told us that the "clamp ons" that they wear on their feet start at $500 and the ice picks they use are about $200 a piece. I guess if you're climbing up ice waterfalls, you spare no expense on the best equipment. I don't blame them.

He also told us that the ice climbers spend so much time hanging from their picks in their ascents that the blood drains from their arms and their joints and muscles become extremely stressed, so that when they finally get to the top and put their arms down, the pain is so intense, the climbers call it the "screaming pukies."

Isn't that nice.

I had one question for him: Does your mother know you're doing this?

You can't see them from this high angle on top of the bridge, but there are ice climbers lined up all along this chasm, climbing down into the river bed below.

--straight down--

--and then back up again--

And here's the birthday boy...

The father of ten children,

who could teach these guys

a thing or two

about courage and daring!

Happy birthday again, love of my life!

Here's looking at you, kid!

Preparing for Tuesday, January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany

Do you have your blessed chalk yet?

I'm hoping that when our son, Kevin, drops his brothers off in Omaha for the semester he can bring us back some chalk (which has undoubtedly been prepared by the Bishop) in exchange. I don't know that it's a fair trade, but it'll be better than nothing ~ and will facilitate our Epiphany celebration on Tuesday.

*

*

*

The Formalities

When we get our chalk, Dan will lead a procession of youngins around the house, blessing the house as he goes with Holy Water. Then, he will write the initials of the three kings above the chief doorways of our house, with the year upon each side, like so:

20 G+M+B O9

You can find the entirety of the The Epiphany Blessing at Fish eaters. If you haven't got blessed chalk, plain old chalk will do just fine, and it isn't necessary to go to the extreme of procuring incense. Remember to go through the blessed doorways for the first time on your right foot, though!

The Feast

After the blessing, we'll have a Mediterranean-inspired meal to commemorate the land of Jesus' birth. We imagine that Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthesar may have found the fare of the lands through which they traveled quite unusual ~ and so, I expect will we, though the recipes we have planned are not too wild. Here's what I have in mind:

Layered Mediterranean Salad with homemade Foccacia Bread and hummus.

Then we'll have the traditional Epiphany Cake or the Magi Bread we found on (our constant favorite) Catholic Cuisine. In light of certain New Year's Resolutions, though, we may take the Magi Bread idea and alter it by using the recipe for Stevia Sweet Bread we just ran across.

Regardless of which recipe we end up using though, a foil-wrapped ring will be hidden and baked inside. Rumor has it that the the lucky recipient will be particularly blessed in the New Year. But, I think I may add my own caution to the tradition: the ring-finder will also be responsible for spreading blessings throughout the coming year in honor of the Three Kings.

The Fun

Part of the fun of celebrating the Epiphany is the decorating. To honor the day, we like to build a tablescape. First, we'll put a gold-colored tablecloth on the old farm table and sprinkle it with glitter and gold stars. Then we'll pull out our "treasure chest" for a center piece. this is just a small wooden box that looks like it may have started out in a miniature pirate ship.

To represent the Gold, we'll fill the chest with all the fake gold jewelry the little girls can find lying around in their secret, little girl stashes. And because there has to be chocolate involved somehow, we'll throw in some chocolate gold pieces. Then, to get little brains working in good directions, early in the day the children will write down all the spiritual treasures they can come up with ~ things like the virtues, the fruits and gifts of the Holy Ghost, etc. ~ and they'll write them on small scrolls to put in and around the treasure chest.

For the myrrh, we'll find a small glass vial and let the little girls go to town finding good-smelling things to fill it with. Myrrh was used at the time of Christ for medicinal, as well as ceremonial purposes, and is distinguished by its pungent aroma. It is associated with Jesus' Kingship along with gold because of its great expense (more valuable than gold in Christ's day) and as a portent of Jesus' mortality, suffering and sorrow, because of its use in funerals.

Frankincense was also a valuable substance like myrrh and gold, so also praised the Christ Child's Kingship. It was a sweet smelling incense, signifying prayer, sacrifice, and Jesus' divinity. To symbolize Frankincense, we'll add a sweet smelling candle to our Epiphany tablescape.

Other Fun Things To Do:

* We'll read about the symbolism of the gifts and then we'll read our copy of The Story of the Three Kings. And if I can get it at the library, we'll watch The Fourth Wise Man (which is also a wonderful short story to read aloud!)

* Make crowns to wear in honor of the Three Kings, fancy , fancydancy, or simple, depending on how much time we have.

* Color a Gold, Frankinsense and Myrrh coloring page

* Make Potpourri Sachets in honor of the Gifts of the Magi

This requires a little bit of preparation, and we haven't been quite on-the-ball enough (Not Even.) to get the supplies in time this year. But, I'm making a note to myself for next year.

You can purchase Frankinsense "tears" from herbal suppliers (like Mountain Rose herbals) and in apothecary supply stores that can be found in most moderate-size cities (This is one we have in the Denver area, for instance).

(From Do It Yourself)

"The three wise men, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, kneeled at the crib of the baby Jesus bearing gifts. Recreate the gifts of the Magi in a potpourri filled with simple symbolism. You’ll need to make or purchase small sachet bags. The Magi were elegant and wealthy, so make the sachet bags of fine satin, rich brocade or tapestry in regal colors. Tie closed with gold cord. The potpourri follows:

1. Frankincense tears – a resin that flows in drops from trees in Yemen, East Africa, and the Red Sea Countries. Balthazar offered his gift of frankincense, often used in religious ceremonies and symbolized prayer and sacrifice.
2. Myrrh – an aromatic gum, myrrh was believed to strengthen children. The wise man, Melchior brought the baby Jesus the gift of myrrh.
3. Gold – use gold glitter stars to represent the gift of gold that Caspar offered to the babe in the manger as well as the star of Bethlehem that they followed to find the manger.

Place the gold, frankincense, and myrrh in the beautiful sachet bags, and offer as gifts to holiday visitors. Open to release the luxurious fragrances of exotic lands. "

The Finish

Now the Christmas season is almost over. Almost.

We still have until the octave of the Epiphany for the official closing of the Christmas chapter for this year. And the Church continues to observe Jesus' Holy Childhood until the Feast of the Purification ~ Candlemas Day ~ on February 2nd. Since we worked up to Christmas day, building our Nativity and decorating our house bit by bit, we'll take it all down gradually, too. The day after the Epiphany is when that fun begins for us. Doing it a bit at a time makes it a little less daunting a task. We'll likely take down our felt Christmas village first and all the outer trappings, ending up with the dismantling of the the Nativity Scene. Lots more fun putting that up than taking it down! But, we'll serve hot chocolate on the last day and choose a movie to watch to brighten the melancholy.

And, then we'll start thinking of Lent and Easter.

The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"

Though January 1st commemorated the actual day of the Jewish ceremony which named Our Lord, today is the official day set aside for us to honor the Holy Name. Someone new to the mysterious feast day choices of the Church may wonder a little at this one ~ maybe not so much as at the concept of the Feast of the Circumcision, maybe, but it might seem like a bit of hyperbole over an insignificant thing at first glance, all this to-do about a name. But, goodness, what a Name!

There never has been and never will be another gift more important than the Incarnation of God, made man for our salvation. And this gift to us, the "Word made Flesh" is known to us by the letters of His name ~ Jesus.

Jesus.

The sound should be music to our ears and the pronunciation sweet to our tongues, not only because of His promise to us, but because of the eternity of the love for us that lies within the syllables of His name.

We know that "... in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth." (Philippians 2:10)

And Christ, Himself, assured us that "... if you ask the Father any thing in My Name, He will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in My Name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full." (John 16:23-25)

How can we not love this Name as we love Him? He has promised so much to us by it. It is the Name of our most truly beloved.

Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus, now and forever.

Notes on the Day:

How can we revere the Holy Name of Jesus?

* Catholic men remove their hats any time and anywhere it is heard or spoken by them, and all Catholics bow their heads when speaking it or hearing it.

The custom of bowing the head at the mention of His Name was formally written into law at the Second Council of Lyons, A.D. 1274, convened by Pope Gregory X: "Those who assemble in church should extol with an act of special reverence that Name which is above every Name, than which no other under Heaven has been given to people, in which believers must be saved, the Name, that is, of Jesus Christ, Who will save His people from their sins. Each should fulfil in himself that which is written for all, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious Name is recalled, especially during the sacred Mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head."

* when His Name is taken in vain, the Catholic in the room will (or at least should) make reparation by praying "Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum!" ("Blessed be the Name of the Lord!"), to which another Catholic who might be in the room replies, "Ex hoc nunc, et usque in sæculum!" ("from this time forth for evermore!") or "per ómnia saecula saeculórum" ("unto ages of ages").

* inspired by the example and words of St. Bernardine of Siena (see below), we place the monogram of His Name ("IHS") over our doors for protection, in the same way that the Israelites in Egypt used lamb's blood during the first Passover:
(The three points above quoted from here.)

* take the time to research movies before viewing in order to avoid any films which use the Lord's Name in vain excessively (three is our limit) and turn off television or taped movies in the home, likewise, that offend heaven in this way. (This last point, the goal of our family.)

Craft for the Day: Make sure and run over to see Charlotte, at Waltzing Matilda! She has created some more wonderful coloring pages for us for today's feast day.

As suggested above, it would be a fun and significant project to chalk in (or even paint!) the monogram of Our Lord above the entryway of our homes today!

Music for the Day: The Gardner-Webb choir (not our guys) singing Jesus Dulcis Memoria:

Prayers for the Day:

* The Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

* The Prayer to the Holy Name by St. Bernard of Clairvaux

The Feast of the Circumcision

For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names. That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

Philippians 2:9-10

Today's feast, though seemingly a strange one to commemorate, has deep roots in the Church. Not only do we remember today the Holy Family's obedience to the laws of their Jewish religion, and rejoice with Simeon at the coming of our Savior, but the Heavens and Earth resonated on this day ~ and through eternity ~ with the syllables of The Holy Name of Jesus. According to Jewish custom, the Christ Child was officially named on this day, the eighth day after His birth!

PRAYER TO THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

(By Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.)

Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills the breast!

Yet sweeter far Thy face to see And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,

Nor can the memory find,

A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,

The Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!

O joy of all the meek!

To those who fall, how kind Thou art!

How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find?

Ah! this Nor tongue nor pen can show

The love of Jesus, what it is,

None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,

As Thou our prize shalt be;

In Thee be all our glory now,

And through eternity.

Amen.