Themes on a Meme

H/T:  Darla from Wendy's Wellness Warriors

A Little Vacation:  Taking the night "off" for a night "in" with Dan this evening.  The kids are planning to watch Revenge of the Sith, and once you've seen that movie, well... eh.  You've seen it.   So, Dan and I have made other plans.  I'm going to bake some brie to have with some crudites, and we're going snuggle in and watch a nice boring British period drama. I figured now would be a good time to  subject treat my dear long-suffering husband to a little gentle (ahem) culture.  Something he can snooze to.  The perfect antidote to a recuperating spouse and his tired out wife.

The Gift of Friend(s):  I've been very grateful for the 500+  close personal friends I've recently made on a Catholic women's dieting site, sponsored by Wendy of the Cukierski Apostolate.  Not only have I been able to adopt a healthier eating regimen (which I think helped me get through our recent family emergency without crashing!), but the ladies on the site have been amazingly encouraging, prayerful -- and so funny!  I find  "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me..."  especially when He sends me a few hundred hilarious friends to keep my spirits up!

The wisdom and spiritual grounding of this diverse group of women has been a true gift!  But, dear old friends have been especially golden to me lately, too.  It's been so wonderful to have heard from our Sister friends recently, sending prayers and uplifting thoughts.  My friend, Holly, prayed a novena for us ((Hugs, Holly!)), and my sweet sister (my oldest and dearest friend) sent flowers and chocolate. (You know just what I like, Nina!)  But, I need to send a special shout out to my friend, Ann K., whose wisdom, understanding and kindness get me through some days.  God bless all Faith-Filled Friends!

But now, last of all  I have to say...  In light of recent events, wherein all of us here really did learn what our priorities are, I probably have no business bringing up personal irritations.  But, the fact is that life - bumps in the road, bug guts on the windshield -- really does still go on -- and after two weeks where I spent every waking hour cooped up in the hospital with Dan, removed from normal life, I'm quite ready (just for normalcy's sake, if nothing else) to share...

Things that Get my Knickers in a Knot:

1)  That living in a house with five women and two small boys, all-told, I have to explain to my husband why we're always running out of toilet paper.

2)  Puzzles that sit 3/4 finished with lots of promises but no progress.  (I'm seriously considering seeing if anyone even notices if I just put it away.  Hmmm...  I'll get back with you on this.)

3) That the lint filter on my dryer has suddenly gone missing... (What the heck?)

4)  That the lid to our cookie jar is broken and nobody has any idea how it happened.  (Really?   Somebody knows; just come clean and get it over with before you go to Confession and Father has to tell you to do it!  Sheesh!)

5) That there are only four days left until the Feast of the Purification, and we have no excuse to leave the Nativity scene up -- or little baby Jesus at the feet of the Blessed Mother.  It's my responsibility as a mom to explain to the children that it won't be special at Christmas if we leave it up all year...  But, I think I may miss it all more than anybody.  ==sigh==  Only ten more months to plan a new Nativity scene... 

6) That this life I live right now, this blessed life, with my big kids safely started in fruitful lives, my youngest children around me and my husband by my side, will necessarily change.  That the children will grow up and move on, as they should, and Dan and I will grow older and eventually be separated from one another by the Hand of God, and these days in our little country house will be a memory, a blog post that we reminisce upon. I know it's inevitable.  And God is so good to give us every single moment -- toward a better eternity, but I wish I could just keep this time right now forever, it is so engraved on my heart as precious.

These days will pass, though. Fiat! We  know we can look forward to meeting one another again, all together (God willing!) before the Face of God in heaven -- where all the joys of today will seem ridiculous in comparison.  But, I still think that, even in Heaven, I would look back on the bit of heaven we have here right now as part of the happiness of my eternity. The wholesome laughter, the mundane but vital work of every  day, the sacrifices of the harder times will go with us to our salvation.  So, you see, these days really are a bit of heaven. I'll miss them.