Blessed Easter, everyone, and a happy holy Eastertide!
What I've been meditating on this Easter week: as crazy busy as everything has been at our house recently, the most important fact of the last week-- though it threatened to be lost in the uproar, I admit -- is the Feast of the Resurrection. One of the beauties of Lent is the spirit of longing for Easter that's unavoidable if you're following the fasting rules... But, honestly, I've appreciated more than ever the whole cycle of the liturgical year, so unavoidable during the paschal season. In these times when everything is so unstable, the predictability, the truth, and the meaning of it all is a tonic. The world has just gone completely cracker-dog, hasn't it?
The older I get the more I realize that there's only one thing in this world we can truly depend on: that our Heavenly Father loves us, and He wants us to be with Him in heaven. Baltimore Catechism 101. He wants more than anything for us to take advantage of the salvation offered to us by Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, but -- and here's the thing: He's not going to twist our arms and force us to pick up our crosses and head toward the Gates of Heaven. And no matter what else is going on in the world or how tired we are or how heavy our cross, we're not going to make it to heaven by trying to get out of the work. And attitude matters. (Dang it all anyway.)
All the hard work and squeezing out of resources and planning for the future, all the sacrifice of time and money and minor inconvenience at this juncture of Dan's and my life -- no matter what we say it's all for -- has to be nailed to the foundations of our love for God first or it's wasted. We're not getting any younger and can't put off thinking about these things. The wood glue of our salvation has got to be real true unselfish love that connects our thoughts and deeds to the cross. A thing easier said than done, but necessary.
Something I've noticed, maybe you have, too: it's easier to congratulate ourselves that we're showing all the signs of agape when we make big sacrifices -- the extraordinary charitable expenditures or the the big blocks of time nursing the sick or helping at the church or carrying off the really tough Lenten sacrifices -- but it's a whole 'nother thing to squeeze out the Godly unselfish love when I've cleaned off the counter for the umpteenth time in one afternoon (and know full well that nobody even notices but God), or when I've given up buying something I'd like personally for something that the kids need (and nobody notices but God), or when I've been so busy cooking and cleaning and baby tending that I don't have time to blog (and nobody notices but God) -- and when I notice that I'm whining internally about all these sacrifices instead of whole-heartedly unselfishly giving (and God notices that!). Wince.
"Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily." ~ Saint Francis de Sales
It's true that even the most sincere kind of love whines internally sometimes, but, let me just say out loud what most of us know but don't want to admit: too much held-in angst leaks out the corners of our mouths, sometimes when we least expect it, and causes trouble for everybody. Like an infection, it spreads, too, if it's not cured or at least held in check. Snarkasm and kibbitzing are both contagious!
Now you know there is a school of thought (pop-psych -type thought) that suggests we shouldn't be holding back our frustrations about our lot in life -- and we might be tempted to want to believe that school of thought, but I think as Catholics we know that grousing and whining isn't the solution to anything - whether it's something we can control or not. In fact, it ruins our merit like cream in citrus tea. Begs the question, though: if holding it in is out and spewing it out is out, what then? Simple, but not easy: Improve what you can; that's just common sense. But when you can't, eradicate the bad attitude by surrendering to the will of God. If we truly accept the crosses that come with our station -- and are grateful for its joys, we have no reason to complain and no whining to hold in. In God's perfect wisdom and justice, we only suffer what He knows we need; it's medicine for our souls. By the time we're adults, we should know not to whine about taking our medicine, right? (Theoretically?) God knows what we need, where, when, and with whom, right? -- and so it's all good. We just have to remember that when we're shutting all the cabinet doors in the kitchen after our husband -- again.) Total Surrender to His will -- when we really accomplish it -- cures whining -- and keeps us out of trouble. (I'm recommending it to myself. Listen up, Lisa.) It's a learning curve for all of us. Good thing God knows that.
"Don't sow your desires in someone else's garden; just cultivate your own as best you can; don't long to be other than what you are, but desire to be thoroughly what you are. Direct your thoughts to being very good at that and to bearing the crosses, little or great, that you will find there. Believe me, this is the most important and least understood point to the spiritual life. We all love according to what is our taste; few people like what is according to their duty or to God's liking. What is the use of building castles in Spain when we have to live in France?" ~ Saint Francis de Sales
Anyway... I'm rambling. (i.e., thinking in print and lecturing myself) No more rambling. Here's some fun stuff. For posterity a few photos documenting why it's taken me until Easter Wednesday to post anything.
Easter Doings
Lots of visiting -- lots of cooking -- lots of eating -- lots of cleaning up -- in between all of the Holy Week ceremonies <3 -- as well as setting up a new (to us) RV on the property -- and installing a new little family (Dominic's) in a newly renovated upstairs apartment here at the old homestead.
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| Ella and Margaret egg hunting with Gerome on Easter Sunday. |
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| Our Lady's first little vase of flowers this season. |
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Claudia wants to know what the big deal is a-
bout these things. You can't even eat them! |
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Our egg hunting team: Ella, Daria, Margaret,
and Ben holding Claudia. |
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Quinn checking out this little cutie.
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Crashing in Mommom's room with seven of our eleven grand-
children, Monica and Cathy. (There's Chloe with Cathy; Monica
has her hand on Margaret and Quinn and Clara are right in
front of her. Daria is front and center, leaning on the pillow,
with Claudia closest to the window and Ella closest to the wall.) |
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Dapper Dawsey, Easter afternoon.
Not bored; exhausted. |
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| Dominic helping Margaret decorate eggs. |
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| Clara, our resident cutie patootie highchair sitter. |
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| Margaret Mary, coloring eggs on Holy Saturday. |
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Two of our chief chefs on Spy Wednesday. Cathy and helper(R)
made the pretzels; Michelle and helper (L) worked on brats and
gravy and what-all; Monica (not pictured) made the spaetzle. |
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| The kids' table! |
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Holy Thursday Hot Cross "buns" --
a savory here. (Note: this is the last
pan -- and for once, I did not forget
about it and burn it. ) |
New Digs -- Outside |
Big Day when this finally arrived! We now have a
"spare room" -- and the plan right now, anyway,
is that this will eventually be our retirement home.
(With an RV shelter with lots of storage, an office,
and a bonus room.) |
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In place.
It wasn't easy, though -- the Ford truck
(ugh) they sent up with the RV had trouble
(go figure), and the driver (bless him)
was young and inexperienced.... |
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Gerome standing guard. This view
from the back door of the house. |
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With the "fencing" Dominic found in the brush
at the edge of the property. It's seriously heavy --
cast iron or something. We think it might have
been part of the old old decommissioned trestle
bridge, the skeleton of which still spans Pigeon Creek. |
And InsideI guess I don't need to say this is the most fun prospect we've had for a long time, for a quiet hangout to work in -- and for decorating, though it doesn't require much, we don't think. We will eventually replace the carpeting and vinyl with laminate interlock -- and will replace the "camper valances" and the furniture -- especially the uncomfortable pull-out bed. But that's for later. Maybe do a new backsplash behind the kitchen sink... But no hurry on any of it. It's in great shape for a 2009; its former owners took especially good care of it! but because of its age and the fact that the lot was full and more campers were coming, we got a deal we couldn't resist. We don't take for granted what a blessing it is to be able to take advantage! It's a kind of comfort knowing that we have a little house to call our own, regardless of what the future holds. And the "big house" can be used (if God wills it) by one of our growing families who needs the space more than Dan and I do!
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| One of the things we love best: the island! |
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The TV came with the unit -- and the
propane "fireplace." How fun is that? |
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A three-burner stove with exhaust
and a little microwave. With teapot
and coffeepot, all the comforts of home! |
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The sink has these "covers" that make
for extra work space. Kinda neat! |
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There's a crazy amount of storage in
this RV. Some of my favorite is this
slide out pantry! |
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Since it's a 5th wheel, there are two
levels to the RV, a step up to the bath
and bedroom, and way more head room
then typical |
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A big shower for an RV! And
we like the neutral palette of the
whole RV. |
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The queen-size bed fits neatly into this little slide-out
alcove. Lots of canned lights throughout, and though
there isn't as much closet space as we're used to, this
RV has more closet space than most -- plus the bed
lifts up with a space beneath for yet more storage. |
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The closet space on the left is fairly adequate -- but
to the right there is plumbing and electric for a
washer/dryer -- though we'll use it for closet space
and keep using the house appliances for our laundry
as long as we're here. |
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The bedroom also came with a built-in
dresser (lots don't!) and another TV!
(Funny how so many "campers" are
built with the assumption that there's
going to be a lot of TV watching going
on in them!) |
And New Digs at the House: Upstairs.
This requires its own post! But I want to wait until Dominic and Monica get a little more moved in up there. I have almost no "before" pictures, either, unfortunately, so you just have to imagine formerly white carpets, and formerly white walls and ceilings, and really ugly plastic trim -- turned into a bright, airy modern farmhouse living space. What was three bedrooms and an oversize bath is now two bedrooms, a living room, and an oversize bath, all new laminate flooring and every surface painted, trimmed, and improved. It's lovely! Stay tuned for photos!
