Out Like A Lamb

The days fly by so quickly! It's hard to believe March is nearly gone. Although we had some rain and hail last night, today has been gorgeous. March is definitely going out like a lamb.

I took Mom to the lab today for her blood work, and we stopped to visit Josh, Cyrise and the kids for a little while. The little ones were excited to have visitors. Reece insisted that his Great Gran go into his bedroom to play with cars, and Aubrey has a new little thing she does where she ducks her head and looks up at us shyly. It's so cute! Josh was home for lunch, so we got to see him for a few minutes, too.

After our visit, we had lunch at Biff Buzby's before heading back to Mom's place. It's a fun place to eat--wonderful hamburgers, steak fries, old aircraft decor, twinkly lights and oldies music in the background. On Friday nights the parking lot there is filled with all kinds of cool cars. People from all around bring their cars to show them off, and people from all around come to see them. Josh sometimes takes Reece. I'm sure my car-obsessed little grandson loves it! :o)

Back at Mom's, I took Teddy for a walk and visited with a couple of her neighbors. Everyone loves Teddy already--he's a charmer. He does great when we leave him alone, although today when we got back Mom's back scrubber from her shower was lying in the hallway. :o) He's very playful, and will sometimes go tearing around her apartment as fast as he can, making us laugh. He loves his toys, and enjoys being on the patio.

Mom's next door neighbor brought Teddy a present today, with a note that said, "Welcome to the neighborhood, Teddy." Inside were doggie treats. I thought that was so sweet. Mom is blessed to have really nice neighbors all around her. Her neighbor on the other side brought her some brownies yesterday.

Reece will be here tonight and I can hardly wait. We are going to do a lesson about springtime.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

March 30, 2009

Outside my window...
a warm, sunny day. The grass has turned pale green in the field across the street, and the new live oak leaves are pushing off the old ones, making a big mess on the ground. It's Spring!

I am thinking...
that I'm glad to be home after spending the entire afternoon at a diabetes class at BAMC. What a wasted day. There are 3 classes, and I've already taken the first 2, so today was really a review for me. I started out doing so well, taking control of my diabetes, but over the past 2 years I've slipped back into some old habits, so the class was probably a good reminder for me about how important it is to stay healthy. Okay, I guess it wasn't a total waste.

I am thankful...
for nagging diabetes counselors. ;o)

From the kitchen...
a glass of peach iced tea the minute I walked in the door.

I am wearing...
jeans, a fitted black shirt with 3/4 sleeves, barefoot because I took my shoes and socks off as soon as I got home, zircon earrings.

I am creating...
still nothing shaking in the creativity department.

I am going...
to the grocery store later this evening. We need stuff and so does Mom.

I am hoping...
Ron won't mind going out for dinner tonight.

I am hearing...
I'm listening to my playlist on the pop-out player. Right now I'm hearing the last song on the list, Seal's version of Change Gonna Come. Not as good as the original, but still nice.

Around the house...
the pool looks like a frog pond. Ron brushed it yesterday, but we need to put in some chemicals. It won't be long until we'll be using it a lot.

One of my favorite things...
little bouquets of wild flowers. Mom and I took Teddy for a walk this morning, and I picked some to put in Mom's crystal bud vase--they looked so pretty on her kitchen counter--larkspur, primrose, black-eyed susans and some others.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
drive Cyrise to her doctor appointment tomorrow, I'll probably have Reece tomorrow night, I have a doctor appointment on Thursday with the orthopedist to see if they can figure out what these weird hard lumps are in the palms of my hands. It's probably nothing, but who knows? I'm falling apart in my old age. :o)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
















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Peter Is Home!

His dad posted that they are home and thanks everyone for their prayers and support.

God is so good.



*edited to add:
Peter was all smiles as we left the hospital. A smile was a rare treat while we were there. He smiled and laughed all the way home and when we got home, he walked! He was weak and unsteady, but he got down and tried to walk so confidently that it was a good thing we were close by to hold his hand. He went straight for his tricycle and scooted around the driveway on it a bit. This has to be the most wonderful day of our lives!

Passion Sunday

Today, the Fifth Sunday of Lent is Passion Sunday in the Traditional Roman Liturgy.

"If he who is of God hears the word of God, and he who is not of God cannot hear His words, then let each one ask himself: "Do I take the words of God to heart?" (St. Gregory the Great, Hom. 18)

From This day until Maundy Thursday, in Masses of the Season the Psalm, Judica me..., is omitted on Sundays and Ferias, as also the Gloria Patri at the Introit and at the Lavabo; but on Feasts they are said as usual.
The Roman Missal, 1962

The Gospel for today is St. John 8. 46-59, in which Jesus, speaking to a multitude of the Jews, declares to them that "...before Abraham was made, I am." They were ready to stone him, but he hid himself and went out of the temple.

Since last Sunday, when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes, the Gospel readings for each day of the week have shown Him performing miracles and proclaiming to the Jews who He is, but they do not believe Him.

In last Monday's Gospel, He drives the moneychangers from the temple and speaks of His body as the Temple which He would raise up again in three days.

On Tuesday, He teaches in the temple with authority, but is unable to convince them that God the Father has sent Him; He has to slip away when they try to apprehend Him.

On Wednesday the Gospel tells of how Jesus healed the man blind from birth, and Thursday's Gospel shows Him in Naim, bringing a young man back to life.

Friday's Gospel tells of how Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead.

In yesterday's Gospel, Jesus tells the Jews that He is the Light of the world, and again they disbelieve. He tells them, "Neither Me do you know, nor My Father; if you did know Me, perhaps you would know My Father also." And again they cannot lay hands on Him because His hour was not yet come.

Let us pray the Judica me, Psalm 42, today, that we may be among the holy ones, those who know Jesus, and because we know Him, know God.

Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man; for Thou art God my strength.

(Ps. ibid. 3.) Send forth Thy light, and Thy truth; they have conducted me, and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles.

Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man: for Thou art God my strength.

Amen

Update On Peter

Just a quick update on Peter.

This was posted Saturday morning by his dad:
Peter ran a mild fever last night which may keep us in the hospital longer. He is improving. We hope that taking him off the vanc continues to allow improvement.
(The "vanc" is shorthand for one of the antibiotics Peter was taking).

And this Saturday evening from his mom:
Please pray for us. Peter has now been fever free for 24 hours and he's been leaps and bounds better, but they're making us stay one more night. We hope they really mean it this time.

Please pray that Peter does well overnight and is able to go home tomorrow! Thank you for your prayers.

Teddy The Escape Artist

Ron put a chicken wire barrier on Mom's patio today, to keep Teddy from slipping through the bars and escaping. When it was finished, Teddy came out and looked all around for a way to get out. :o)

Yesterday Mom's neighbor gave me some lovely window boxes, and I was carrying them from Mom's apartment to my car. Mom wanted to help, and while she was trying to take some out her front door, Teddy ran out. He was off down the hallway like a shot. He can really run fast for such a little dog! I put down the boxes I was carrying and tore out after him. You have never seen an old lady run so fast. :o) When he reached the far end of Mom's apartment building, he paused to smell the grass, and I grabbed him. I scolded him as I carried him back. I took him inside and sat down, and told him to never do that again. Then I put him down and he immediately hid behind Mom's legs. :o)

I put a note on Mom's door the first day we brought him home, saying DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR UNLESS TEDDY IS ON HIS LEASH because I could see that he likes to run away. Of course she forgets. Mom would never be able to catch him if he runs out like he did yesterday. He is too quick. That's probably why he was a stray.

I was so excited for Reece to meet Teddy, but the meeting went wrong from the start. I told Reece that Gran had a new dog, that his name was Teddy and he was very cute, so Reece was looking forward to seeing him. When we got there, Teddy was so excited that he jumped up on Reece the second he walked through the door. It surprised Reece, and he shrieked and tried to get away, and Teddy thought it was play time and chased him. The whole time we were there, Reece was wary of the dog and tried to stay away from him. I'm sure he will get used to him and stop being afraid (I hope).

I didn't sleep well last night, so after dropping Reece at his house, we came home and I took a long nap.

This and That

(I started this post Friday afternoon but got sidetracked. Am finishing it in the wee hours, Saturday morning).

Ron is home, Mom had a good doctor visit, Reece is here and all is right with the world at the moment.

Ron was able to get a flight out of Colorado Springs today (Friday) without a problem. He arrived at our airport a bit after 2 PM. He is glad to be home, but complained that "it's hot here," as soon as he got in the car. :o)

I took Mom for her bi-annual checkup Friday morning, and her doctor was pleased that Mom's good physical health continues. Her prescriptions have been refilled, and we'll go to the lab for blood work on Monday. I don't expect any surprises there.

Reece is here tonight. He will go with us to see his Great-Gran tomorrow morning, and will see Teddy for the first time. That should be fun. :o) Ron is going along to install the fencing on Mom's patio, and to put up some hanging baskets for her next door neighbor.

Reece was happy to see his Papa tonight. He would tell him, "Ready?" and then throw a little toy or something for Papa to catch. He got so excited! Then he had fun bouncing around on my bed and making Maggie, who was lying at the end of the bed, bounce up and down. He thought that was hilarious and did it until she finally walked off in a huff. He was keyed up, even while we were reading bedtime stories, but when I turned out the light he was asleep in minutes.

And now I'm off to bed, too.

Blizzards, Floods, Tornados and Hail

Ron is stuck in Colorado Springs. They have blizzard conditions, and planes are not flying in or out, so he will be there at least until tomorrow. He said they were not accepting reservations for tomorrow. The earliest confirmed reservation he could get was on Saturday, but maybe if the weather improves he will be able to leave tomorrow. He sounded so disappointed on the phone. He was ready to come home today! He was able to get a room at the hotel where the conference was held, so that is good.

Goodness, there is bad weather all over the country. The river in North Dakota is flooding, tornadoes hit Mississippi, and we had golf ball sized hail in the county south of us. It must be spring. We had some thunder and lightening here, and a little rain, but nothing severe.

I spent some time with Mom and Teddy earlier today, then ran a couple of errands and went shopping this afternoon. I was shopping for some new tops, but wound up with a pair of white jeans and no tops.

I went by Josh's to have him air up my tire that seems to have a slow leak. He has the air compressor at his house. Last night I discovered that one of my headlights is out, so I need to get that taken care of, too. I don't like messing with cars.

I stopped and got a patty melt, fries and a diet cola for my dinner. Not very healthy, but easy and fast. I was hungry.

Notre Dame: Prestige Over Truth

Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend has issued a statement regarding Notre Dames's invitation to Barack Obama to speak at commencement, and the university's plan to honor Obama with an honorary degree. He said that March 21 was the first time that he had been informed that Notre Dame had issued the invitation, and that he will not attend the graduation ceremony.

The Bishop said:

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.

He also stated:

Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame. Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth. (My highlight).

Way to go Bishop D'Arcy! What a great example for the rest of our Bishops and the Catholic faithful. Read the rest of his awesome statement here.

The Lollipop Kid

Reece spent the night with me last night. We had fun playing, watching the movie Cars on DVD and baking another cake.

He is crazy about Tootsie Pops, and asks for them every time I see him. He has a new blue flavor here.

In the picture, he is watching a Barney show about feelings--happy, sad, angry--and his face mirrors what he sees on TV. This must have been "sad." :o)

This morning I got up to go into the bathroom, and when I came back to bed he rolled over, put his hand on my cheek and went back to sleep. So sweet.

Meet Teddy!

Here he is, Mom's new little buddy. He's a lhasa apso. I love his fu manchu! :o)

We brought him home from the shelter today. He was neutered this morning, and got his rabies vaccination. He was a little bit subdued when we picked him up, but when we got to Mom's place, he explored everywhere.

The people at the shelter told us that they believe he is about 2 years old. He's very sweet, likes to snuggle next to Mom, hardly ever barks. He seems to be a very laid-back little guy.

Teddy is the answer to our prayers. In another post I wrote:

...we are looking for a small, healthy, furry, cuddly dog to rescue. Mom can't have an animal over 25 lbs. in her apartment. It can be male or female, but needs to be an adult dog, already housebroken and without special needs. It has to be gentle and good with children, because her great-grandchildren often visit. Mom lives in an apartment, so there is no yard, but there are walking paths and other little dogs to meet.

Most of the dogs we saw at the shelters were either big dogs or puppies that would grow into big dogs. We found Teddy the first day he was put up for adoption. They keep the dogs five days before putting them up for adoption. Until then, they are kept in another part of the building. You can see them from the outside, if they are out, but most of them are inside the building. So we would not have seen Teddy on Thursday, even if the shelter had been open when we were there. If we had waited another day, he would probably have already been adopted, because he is so cute and cuddly. He is exactly what Mom wanted, and the timing was perfect for her to adopt him. Thank you, thank you for praying with us!

These pictures were taken yesterday at the shelter, before Mom brought him home. He had been bathed and groomed that morning. While we were with him, a lady brought him a treat, and here he is looking it over. Isn't he a cutie?

We have discovered that he can slip through the railing on Mom's patio, so I'll be going to Home Depot tomorrow morning to get something to fence him in. I suspect that he's a little escape artist and that's why he was a stray for so long. We think he was on his own for quite awhile. His fur was very matted, and the paw pads are extremely worn and rough.




Mom already loves him so much. I think that God has blessed them both.

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This is the great Festival of the Incarnation, commemorating the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to our Lady that the Divine Son of God, the Word, would take human nature upon Him in her virginal womb. Its date is determined by that of Christmas Day, and as the day which marked the beginning of the Christian dispensation it was for many centuries regarded as the first day of the civil year.

On this day the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, uniting for evermore our human nature to the Divine nature. The Mystery of the Incarnation brings vividly before us the boundless condescension and humility of God the Son in stooping to our condition in order to be our Saviour. Equally it proclaims the glory and greatness of Mary, who was chosen to give to the Divine Word human flesh and human birth, and so to cooperate with God in the restoration of mankind. Hence her most glorious title of "Mother of God," which explains all her glories, her sanctity and her honour.
The Roman Missal, 1962

Luke 1. 26-35

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. 33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? 35 And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Please pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen

Another Update On Peter

The plan was for Peter to go home on Sunday, but he developed a very high fever. The doctors are trying to find out what is causing it. His temperature had gone down this morning, but went up again later in the day.

Please continue to pray. Thank you!

Maggie And The Missal

Maggie and I are the only ones home, and she must be lonely. She insists on lying on my desk in front of the monitor.

I was reading from my 1962 Roman Missal, and left it open. I went downstairs to get a glass of tea, and when I came back this is what I saw.

:o)

PS: No, I don't smoke cigars. Ron gives me the empty boxes for crafts when he is finished with them. :o)

Happy Birthday, Kismette!

I hope you're having a wonderful day.

May Joy and peace surround you,
contentment latch your door,
May happiness be with you now,
and God bless you evermore.



We love you!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Monday, March 23, 2009

Outside my window...
big gray clouds are sliding past, and it's windy. It's supposed to get to 83° today, and 86° tomorrow with the possibility of rain. I pray they are right about the rain!

I am thinking...
all kinds of thoughts. How shall I spend the days while Ron is away this week? I love going to Mass at Atonement. That Teddy has already found his place in Mom's heart, even though he's not home yet (will be on Wednesday). About my sister and nephew who were here over the weekend. About another nephew's wedding in September. How are those for wandering thoughts? :o)

I am thankful...
for Jennifer at Mom's dentist's office, who is so sweet and kind to Mom.

From the kitchen...
a lone sweet potato is waiting in the pantry to be my dinner tonight. (I'll have my big meal at lunch with Mom today).

I am wearing...
dark blue jeans, a burgundy colored tee, barefoot.

I am creating...
I should delete this category, as I never seem to be creative any more.

I am going...
to pick up Mom for Adoration, out to lunch, then I'll take her to visit Teddy at the shelter.

I am hoping...
that Ahlyssa got an A on her poster and David sculpture last week. :o)

I am hearing...
the radio in my bedroom, very faintly. I think it's Glen Beck.

Around the house...
I need to mop the tile floors, vacuum the stairs and upstairs, and pick up some clutter.

One of my favorite things...
the sound of thunder.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Pick up Teddy on Wednesday, take Mom to the doctor on Friday, Stations of the Cross on Friday.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Well, I did tell her to smile. :o)













Read the daybooks of other bloggers at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Cruising Around SA

It was fun to spend time with my sister and nephew this weekend.

Today we went to Twin Sisters in Alamo Heights for breakfast, then to the Japanese Tea Garden. Mom had never been there, either, and they all thought it was pretty. My sister said she has a painting of the Tea Garden that she got from a friend's estate sale. Now that she has seen the real place, the painting will have even more meaning for her.

After that, we drove downtown to look at the Grand Hyatt hotel because my sister's daughter (my extremely talented niece) was the designer. That's the lobby in the picture above. We thought it was beautiful. I especially liked the lighting, but the furniture and wall decor was wonderful, too.

We drove by the Alamo as we left downtown, and got back to Mom's around 2PM. I came on home, but saw my sister and nephew one more time when they stopped on the way out of town.

Mom and I will go to Mass this evening. I hope we didn't tire her out too much, walking around at the Japanese Garden, and again at the hotel. She has a couple of hours to rest before Mass.

Saturday Summary

My sister and her son arrived early Saturday afternoon. They were eager to meet Mom's new little companion, so we went to the animal shelter to visit him straightaway. They thought he was wonderful. :o) We enjoyed spending some time with him. Mom even took him out on a leash for a short walk, which Teddy loved. She is so excited about bringing him home on Wednesday.

After our visit with Teddy, we had hamburgers and fries at Chester's, then went to see Reece, Aubrey and Josh at their house. Cyrise was napping, not feeling very well, but we had fun playing with the kids and talking with Josh.

Since Ron is going out of town tomorrow, I came home around 5PM to spend some time with him. My sister called about 7PM to say that they had eaten the chicken Mom had in the crock pot for dinner, and would stop by for awhile if that was okay. They were wondering what to have for dessert. I told her that I was making another raisin bread pudding, and they were welcome to come have some.

We spent a pleasant evening in my kitchen. They sat at the kitchen counter while I made the pudding, talking and laughing and reading through a copy of the cookbook I made for my daughter and daughters-in-law for Christmas. We enjoyed the bread pudding with cups of coffee laced with sweetened condensed milk, a tip from my internet friend, Karen. Thanks, Faux. :o)

Ron showed them the cabinet he is making, and they were duly impressed. :o) It is coming along and looks beautiful. The woodworking keeps getting interrupted by these out of town trips, though.

Sleepy. Time for bed.

Fourth Sunday In Lent

Today is Laetare Sunday. Vestments will be pink or rose.

From The Roman Missal, 1962:
"Laetare, Rejoice," says the Introit. Laetare Sunday offers us a break in the midst of Lenten observance. We are soon to rise again with Jesus through confession and Easter Communion.






Introit
Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.

(Ps. 121. 1) I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and forever.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.

The Gospel reading is from St. John 6. 1-15, in which Jesus feeds the multitudes by multiplying the loaves and fishes (symbols of Holy Communion).

Notre Dame Scandal

Notre Dame University, a Catholic institution named after Our Lady, has chosen Barack Obama as the speaker for commencement on May 17, 2009.

Because Mr. Obama's policies on life and marriage are in direct opposition to the Church's views on these issues, I feel that he is a very poor choice as commencement speaker. In fact, this choice is an outrage and a scandal to the Catholic faithful.

If you agree, please sign the petition (shown below), or write your own letter to Father John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame University. You will find the email address, snail mail address and phone numbers on the site at the link.

Dear Father Jenkins:

It has come to our attention that the University of Notre Dame will honor President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17.

It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.

This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services, and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor from the University of Notre Dame.

Instead Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos.

The honor also comes amid great concern among Catholics nationwide about President Obama’s future impact on American society, the family, and the Catholic Church on issues such as traditional marriage, conscience protections for Catholic doctors and nurses, and expansion of abortion “rights.”

This honor is clearly a direct violation of the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate in “Catholics in Political Life”: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

We prayerfully implore you to halt this travesty immediately. We do so with the hope that Catholics nationwide will likewise call on you to uphold the sacred mission of your Catholic university. May God grant you the courage and wisdom to do what is right.

Doing The Snoopy Happy Dance!

We found my mom a dog! He still has to be neutered and get his microchip before he can come home with her. His surgery will be on Wednesday.

Mom and I went to two shelters. The first one had only one small dog, a sweet little chihuahua. The others were all big boys (and girls).

The second shelter was the one we went to Thursday that had just closed as we arrived. In cage number 2 was a little black lhasa apso mix. You could almost feel the instant connection between them. Mom got down low to see him, and he licked her fingers and pressed against the bars trying to get closer to her. We looked at the other dogs there, but returned to the lhasa. One of the shelter employees took us into a little room where we could get to know him.

Mom sat on the little couch in the room and I picked the dog up and put it beside her. He immediately lay down as close to her as he could get, and she was petting him and talking to them as if they were already old friends. In about 10 minutes she had looked over every inch of him. His hair is badly matted in some places, and she could feel his ribs and backbone. He had been a stray, picked up by the dog catcher. They kept him for 5 days, making sure he wasn't ill and that no one was looking for him, before putting him up for adoption.

We put him on the floor and watched him walk and explore. He's about 2 years old and has no obvious health problems. They had already given him his shots and treatments. He needs to be groomed, but we can have that done when Mom gets him home.

I finally said to Mom, "What do you think?" and she looked up at me and said, "I want him." I went to the desk to take care of the paperwork, and when I came back she was sitting on the floor with him, and he was snuggled close to her. When I came in and petted him, he rolled over onto his back to have his tummy scratched. :o)

Mom was a bit disappointed that we couldn't take him home right then, but understood that he can't go until everything has been done. They told her to pick out a collar, leash and toy for him, gave us his shot records, some food and other goodies.

We are going back to see him in the morning (Saturday), and will take my sister, who should be here by then. They told Mom that she could bring a towel, tee shirt, or something with her scent on it if she liked, and they would let him have it in his bed to get used to her scent. On the way home she said, "I think he is going to be just perfect."

For the first time since Chuy died, Mom didn't say "I don't even want to go in" as we unlocked her apartment door. Just knowing that she will have another little companion soon has lifted her spirits and eased some of the pain.

All of us have been praying about the situation. Friday was the first day the little lhasa has been available for adoption. If the shelter had been open Thursday when we were there, he wouldn't have been in the area for adoptable pets yet, and we probably would not have seen him. As my sister said, "It was meant to be." :o)

I'll post a picture soon. They were calling him "Grover" at the shelter, but Mom didn't care for that name. She said she may call him "Teddy," but I don't think that's set in stone yet, either. :o)

I thank all of you and St. Francis for your intercession. If you don't mind sending up just a couple more prayers, that things go smoothly and work out as we believe they will, I'd so appreciate it.

God is good.

On A Dog Hunt

I spent the afternoon with Mom. We picked up her "flipper" at the dentist, and then stopped at a pet shelter to look at dogs, but they closed at 4 PM, minutes before we got there.

Mom keeps saying that she needs another little dog.




She realizes that a new dog won't take Chuy's place and that she will still miss him and grieve for him, but she feels lonely by herself in her apartment.

So we are looking for a small, healthy, furry, cuddly dog to rescue. She can't have an animal over 25 lbs. in her apartment. It can be male or female, but needs to be an adult dog, already housebroken and without special needs. It has to be gentle and good with children, because her great-grandchildren often visit. Mom lives in an apartment, so there is no yard, but there are walking paths and other little dogs to meet. If anyone knows of a dog she might adopt in the San Antonio or Central Texas area, please let me know. Thanks!

We will be checking the shelters tomorrow and Saturday.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Roman Missal, 1962 says of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

To be convinced how much the intercession of St. Joseph prevails with Jesus Christ, we have only to consider these words of the Evangelist: And He was subject to them. The Son of God employed thirty years assiduously obeying Joseph and Mary!

It was sufficient for Joseph, by the least word or sign, to show that he wished Him to do anything; Jesus immediately obeyed. This humble obedience of Jesus teaches us that the dignity of Joseph is above that of all the other Saints, except that of the Queen of Saints.

Let us hear what St. Teresa says of the confidence which all should place in the protection of St. Joseph: "To the other Saints," she says, "it appears that the Lord may have granted power to succour us on particular occasions; but to this Saint, as experience proves, He has granted power to help us on all occasions. Our Lord would teach us, that, as He was pleased to be subject to Joseph upon the earth, so He is now pleased to grant whatever this Saint asks for in heaven. Others whom I have recommended to have recourse to Joseph, have known this experience. I never knew anyone who was particularly devout to him, that did not continually advance more and more in virtue. For the love of God, let him who believes not this make his own trial. And I do not know how any one can think of the Queen of Angels, at the time when she laboured so much in the infancy and childhood of Jesus, and not return thanks to Joseph for the assistance which he rendered both to the Mother and to the Son."

We should be particularly devout to Saint Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death.

Vespers Hymn

Joseph, pure Spouse of that immortal Bride
Who shines in every-virgin glory bright,
Through all the Christian climes thy praise be sung,
Through all the realms of light.

Thee, when amazed concern for thy betrothed
Had filled thy righteous spirit with dismay,
An angel visited, and, with blest words,
Scattered thy fears away.

Thine arms embraced thy Maker newly born;
With Him to Egypt's desert didst thou flee;
Him in Jerusalem didst seek and find;
Oh grief, oh joy for thee!

Not until after death their blissful crown
Others obtain; but unto thee was given
In thine own lifetime to enjoy thy God,
As do the blest in heaven.

Grant us, great Trinity, for Joseph's sake,
Unto the starry mansions to attain;
There, with glad tongues,
Thy praise to celebrate
In one eternal strain.
Amen

Saint Joseph, please pray for us. †

Happy News!

Here is the latest news about Peter, from Karen at Nine+Texans.

Peter has been moved out of the PICU and barring any setbacks should be home within a week!!

How wonderful! God is good, and prayers are answered. Please continue to pray for this little guy and his family. Thank you!

One Of Those Days

It's been a pleasant day here (sort of). Our weather is gorgeous. Reece stayed overnight and was so sweet and funny. Mom seems to be coping with Chuy's absence a little better. And I got all my filing done this afternoon.

Do you get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of paper that comes into your house? I can't believe how much we get, and how it piles up, or the time it takes to deal with it all. Even if I do some every day (which I usually don't), it still seems like way too much!

Today there was a letter and a bill from Mom's pharmacy in the mail, saying her insurance had refused to pay for one of her prescriptions because it was filled too soon. Either the pharmacy made an error, or I called in the wrong medicine in November. I knew I had two bottles of one kind, but I didn't think about it causing a problem until now. I remember calling the prescription in, and when I picked it up, it wasn't what I thought I'd ordered. But since Mom would need it eventually, I wasn't worried about it. The next day I just called in the correct prescription. She still has the extra pills. I've been trying all afternoon to get it straightened out, calling the pharmacy, their headquarters, her insurance company and the social security office, and no one has helped. It's very frustrating.

And I found out we are overdrawn at the bank. :o( I should have been watching it more closely, because I knew we had spent way more than usual because of Chuy's hospitalization and my car repair. When it rains, it pours.

Reece kept a smile on my face this morning, though. He kept calling me "baby," and when I would suggest something to him, he would say, "okie okie." :o) (Okie Dokie). In the car on the way to Mom's, he wanted me to sing "Little red 'boose." I sang kiddie songs all the way there, and sometimes he sang along. :o) He is so much fun. He had Mom laughing, too.

The Miracle of Life

This is a beautiful video. Please watch it.



H/T to Jean at Catholic Fire.

Lorica of Saint Patrick

Lorica of Saint Patrick

(also known as St. Patrick's Breastplate)

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, Scotland in 387 and died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, March 17, 461. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britain, in charge of the colonies.

He is a beloved saint, even in the secular world.

When he was about 14 years old, Patrick was captured by a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. He was a shepherd there. Living in a land of pagans and druids, Patrick learned their customs and language, but always turned to God in prayer.

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

When he was twenty, Patrick dreamed that God told him to leave Ireland by going to the coast. Some sailors there took him home to Britain and he was reunited with his family.

In another dream, he heard the Irish people calling to him, "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

He studied for the priesthood and was ordained by the Bishop of Auxerre, who had been his mentor. Later he was ordained a bishop and sent back to Ireland in 433 to preach the gospel.

Legend says that a chieftain of one of the tribes tried to kill Patrick, but that Patrick converted the chieftain by making him unable to move his arm until he was friendly.

Patrick and his disciples preached and converted thousands. They built churches all over Ireland. Entire kingdoms converted to Christianity upon hearing Patrick's message, along with the kings and their families.

Patrick preached the gospel all over Ireland for 40 years, converting many, working miracles and writing of his love for God. He died March 17, 461 in poverty, after constant traveling and much suffering. He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.

Patrick is said to have used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people.

He had a total love and devotion to God. He accomplished his mission in Ireland in complete obedience, humbly, gently, piously. He feared nothing, but only wanted to do the will of God.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Monday, March 16, 2009

Outside my window...
the sun is setting. The trees look dark against an orange glow.

I am thinking...
of going to the store to get Mom a new coffee pot. Hers is not making coffee quickly, despite two rounds of vinegar to clean it out.



I am thankful...
for the past week with our grandchildren. It was so good to spend time with them.

From the kitchen...
there is a loaf of raisin bread waiting to be made into bread pudding. I have an easy recipe that is made in the microwave.

I am wearing...
jeans, a blue and gray print tee, barefoot.

I am creating...
not a darn thing.

I have been...
I spent nearly 3 hours at Mom's today, ran to the store to get her some coffee, sat on her patio drinking iced tea. Two of her neighbors stopped by to chat. It was very pleasant.

I am hoping...
that Ron feels better tomorrow. He has caught a bad cold and feels awful. Sore throat, achy muscles, coughing. He missed work today, which is very rare for him. I just wiped the mouse and keyboard down with alcohol swabs, hoping that I won't get it, too.

I am hearing...
the hum of traffic outside.

Around the house...
lots to do after having the grands here. I've not cleaned much since they left. Been resting. :o)

One of my favorite things...
hearing my grandkids laugh.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
tomorrow I'll do a thorough cleaning, some laundry, and grocery shopping. My sister is planning to come for a visit later in the week. Mom has a dentist appointment tomorrow.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
















Scary. :o)

For more daybooks, go here.

Update On Peter

Update on Peter, from Karen at Nine+Texans:
Peter is having more surgery today. A recent MRI showed swelling. The surgeons are removing two nickel sized pieces of skull to help relieve the pressure. Sadly, the doctors are predicting a stay of weeks or possibly even MONTHS until this clot in his sagittal sinus resolves.

Please continue your prayers for this sweet little guy and his family. Thanks!

Third Sunday In Lent

I'm a day late in posting this.

We see Jesus today in open conflict with Satan and his works. So also during Lent, which is a time when the struggle against the old man is more intense, should we "live as children of the light," performing actions good, just and true. (The Roman Missal, 1962)

Sunday's gospel reading is from St. Luke 11. 14-28, which tells how Jesus casts out a demon from a dumb (unable to speak) man and how Jesus responds to the crowd who either believe he does it through Beelzebub or who need a sign from Heaven to prove it. Jesus tells them that they either believe that the Kingdom of God has come upon them, or they are against Him.

Before Mass yesterday, as I was kneeling in prayer, the server came out to light the candles, people were gathering, and I felt so at home. It was nice. Later, reading the Communion Psalm, it seemed to be just for me.

Psalm 83. 4,5
The sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtle a nest, where she may lay her young ones: Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God: blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, they shall praise Thee for ever and ever.

Last night as I was googling the TLM, I found a website about the Latin Mass in San Antonio, and pictures of our church and priests. That is Fr. Kloster in the picture above.

I'd Like You To Meet Someone

Friends from the Defenders of the Catholic Faith board have posted about Peter on their blogs. Peter is the son of one of our DCF members. I have copied their posts here so that my readers can also pray for this sweet little boy.

This is Peter. Peter is 2 years old. His parents are friends of mine I met through the internet.
Peter had brain surgery last week to remove a golf ball sized tumor.
The surgery went well and he will need no further treatment as long as the tumor does not come back.
Unfortunately, his recovery has been two steps forward and one step back. He now has a fever and a blood clot in his brain and is having trouble eating. He is being treated by wonderful doctors and they are doing everything they can to get him well and home with his family ASAP.

Please pray for Peter and his family.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

St. Peter, pray for us.

Random Granddaughter Pics

Lovely Miss Lily. She is a sweet little pixie.








And she never wants to be left out of anything that is going on, including eyelash pictures. :o)

The other granddaughter pics of Lyssa are in the other posts. (Don't want you to think I left you out, Lys).

Random Grandson Pics

Jacob's eyelashes are beautiful.












So is his smile. :o)












Caelen, doing what he likes best. Playing video games. (Check out his thumbs).
















I love this kid. (And yeah, he hardly ever wears a shirt). :o)

The Grands And David Went Home

Ron took the sleepy-eyed grands to Schulenburg this morning to meet their daddy. We sure enjoyed their visit.

They got all of their clothes packed last night and had them in the hallway by the front door. I told them to leave out clothes to wear today, and they did. Except that Caelen and Lyssa, who packed Jacob's things, forgot to leave out a pair of pants for him. So he went home wearing a jacket, an orange Wall-E t-shirt, shoes, socks and a tiny pair of red shorts. :o) Papa had already tied all of their suitcases and bags into giant trash bags in the back of the pickup so that they wouldn't get wet if it rained. He didn't want to have to go through all of them to find Jake's things.

Here's Lys with her David sculpture. We laughed and laughed while she was making it. David sometimes had googly eyes or a nose that fell off. When we figured out how to put the hair on, Lys said it looked like a sombrero and that set us laughing again. He finally wound up with curly hair, ears, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth and chin, so it's all good. :o) I hope it got home in one piece.

Our Little Art Student

Ahlyssa worked hard to get her poster finished on Saturday. It is about Michelangelo. She chose to feature his sculpture of David and a famous portion of his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel on the poster.






I think she did a great job, don't you? Hands are very hard to draw, and for a nine year old, I think these look very good.

She also made a small sculpture of David's head. I'll try to remember to take a picture of her with it tomorrow. She thought it was difficult, but she had fun working on it.

Although she wanted to draw and sculpt David, she did not want to include "the parts," so we told her that his head was famous enough. She was relieved. :o)

Girls Day Out

I got my car back this morning, repairs all done and running great.

Ahlyssa and Lily went with me to Gran's. We had planned to do some thrift store shopping, so we asked Gran if she would like to go with us, and she did.

We stopped at two thrift stores and enjoyed browsing for "treasures." We didn't find much, but it was fun. The girls got a little ceramic animal at each store, Mom got Aubrey a sweet little outfit, I got a Mother Goose book, a couple of little dresses for Aubrey, and a funky tin enameled plate with a lobster on it (or it could be a large crawfish).

After shopping. I let the girls decide where to have lunch, and they wanted Whataburger. There is one not far from Mom's place, so we went there. Mom loves Whataburger's hamburgers. :o) She enjoyed the girls' chatter during lunch.

When we drove into the parking lot at the apartments, Mom said that she didn't want to go home. I asked if she wanted to come home with us, but she said no, that she would have to get used to coming home and Chuy not being there. Once inside, she said that she would have to get another little dog. My sister will be here next week, so maybe we can go looking then. I hate to see Mom feeling so lonely, but I don't want her to rush into anything, either.

Lys and I went to Hobby Lobby this afternoon for colored pencils to finish the poster she has been working on for school. She is almost finished with it. We also got some air dry clay so that she can try making a sculpture of Michelangelo's David (just his head) for extra credit.

Ron is going to drive the kids to meet their dad halfway tomorrow. It's been so much fun having them here. The time always goes too quickly.

Jake Loves To Hike!

The kids and I met Kelly and her dogs at our favorite hiking park this afternoon, in spite of chilly temps and misty rain. I wasn't sure if Kelly would still want to go since the weather is not so nice, but she said she did. She brought cookies and Koolaid for after the hike. :o)

We all bundled up in jackets and gloves. Jacob was not sure he wanted to go hiking. He asked me whether there were snakes and animals where we were going. :o) I told him that we would stay on the paved paths, and probably would see only birds. Banzai alerted to a deer along the trail, though, and some of us saw it run through the trees. Jacob missed it, though. He had run ahead a little way.

I was so glad that we went. Jacob has been quiet and subdued after his parents left, hardly smiling and acting grumpy. I saw a different boy on the hike, smiling, excited and animated. He was interested in everything. Caelen was making up stories to tell him along the way, about storm troopers and Batman. We hiked to the top of the hill where there is a small lookout tower, and they enjoyed being able to see all around.

On the way back we were all cold and ready for a snack. Jakie's little short legs got tired and Caelen carried him on his shoulders for a little way. I was so sad that I had forgotten my camera to get a picture of that.

We said good-bye to Kelly, Darcy and Banzai, and came home to have hot chocolate and read the book we bought yesterday. Caelen recommended Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. He has already read it, but thought it would be a good chapter book to share. We are enjoying it. So I read aloud while they bundled in fleece blankets.

I came in here to check my email while they were playing hide and seek, but had to stop an argument when someone was cheating. They are playing with the Wii now. Papa has gone to pick up catfish from Popeyes and we'll have dinner soon. I'm going to let them make apple dumplings after dinner.

Reece spent the night last night, and woke up this morning happy to be here with the other kids. He went with us to their Great-Gran's this morning, but we dropped him off at home on the way back. I figured I'd have enough to handle on the hike without another little one. :o) He sure loves his cousins!

It was good to see the smile on Mom's face when five little kids trooped into her apartment this morning. I hope it eased her heartache a little.

Crank Pulleys, Timing Belts and Seals, Oh My!

When are they going to invent an indestructible car?

The car repair guy called this morning to give us the bad news. He will have to order parts, so the car won't be repaired until tomorrow, but at least it can be fixed. He said when he first saw it yesterday, he wasn't sure it could be repaired. But for a 'mere' $950 (eek), they can work their magic. I hope he doesn't find anything else wrong with it!

It is still lightly raining, and more is forecast for the next couple of days. That's an answered prayer. Thank you, Lord.

The grands are still asleep, but will be up soon, probably asking for chocolate chip pancakes.

And that's all I have to say.