{the spring of things}

Lent must be over. i am laying in bed with a laptop, well, on my lap, a plate of strawberries and some of this at my right side and to my left my ipod sits, should i get any moves on words with friends, my newest obsession.  {and it only became an obsession-i must add-while i was sick for over a month with a nasty upper respiratory infection-which left me pretty much with zero energy-stranded in the crook of the couch-which oddly, is not where i really like to be….}

what would we do without our little indulgences, eh?

i wish i could say i’ve been up to a whole slew of interesting things. but i come to this space empty….

winter was long. cold. and harsh to me. mentally. physically. and emotionally.

my body and soul deeply experienced winter like never before.

maybe it’s because my big boy turned 18 and the baby turned 8.

the baby who just asked me not to call him “moomie” or “baby” anymore.

but alas! spring is here. and like the sweet budding, blossoming trees, i feel a change coming….

i’ve got some sewing projects that are almost ready to be shared.

yes, i think i like this getting into the spring of things….even if it’s bit by bit….

there is a storm outside {literally}. april is so unpredictable. like me.

but it’s my month! my birthday is in 2 days! this mama will be 36 years young!

my girl took this picture of me on easter. i don’t know why my eyeliner looks cleopatra-ish. she did some funky editing thing i’m sure.

and i might’ve requested some light airbrushing on my “age spots”. have you noticed when you are young they are called “freckles” but when you get older suddenly they are “age spots”?

ew. i don’ t like that.

i do like this mama hummingbird though. she has a nest in our big elm tree. we are keeping our eye out for signs of babies, but with the crazy weather i’m not sure how well those babies are faring. only time will tell….

i’m reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally looking forward to finding my niche here again. i’ve missed it so.

but only time will tell that too….

happy easter-ing, friends.

xo.

it is finished

“the fact is that purification & austerity are even more necessary for the appreciation of life & laughter than for anything else. to let no bird fly past unnoticed, to spell patiently the stones and weeds, to have the mind a storehouse of sunsets, requires a discipline in pleasure & an education in gratitude.” ~g.k. chesterton

alleluia, friends!!!

He is risen.

 happiest Easter wishes!

 wishing you joy. and life.

“that death is no more king

happy tumult of the slowly brightening spring

that death is life

and God is good

and all things shall be well

that bitter days shall cease in warmth and light and  peace

that winter yields to spring…

sing! little children…sing!”

exclamation points and moving in fast forward

i just realized that many of these pictures have exclamation points in their captions. perhaps it is my way of trying to put a voice into these snapshots.

snapshots of things that mean so much to me.

a me who seems to be moving in fast forward these days.

nevertheless. a me who still wants to press pause long enough to make sure the camera has charged batteries and enough memory to cram lives overflowing with blessings into snaphots such as these.

i am the memory keeper of this family. and it is a job i take very seriously.

it’s too bad that i am also the chief sock wash-er. easter grass cleaner-up-per. baseball game chauff-er. birthday cake mak-er. movie screen-er and tak-er. because sometimes i feel that i am not doing a very good job at keeping the memories. or even making sure that the socks get washed for that matter.

but as i approach my 34th birthday. i can’t help but ponder my role in the lives of all of these people whose lives are enmeshed with mine.

i read something from the easter meditation in the magnificat, written by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, about being refreshing as spring water to those we meet.

in short we must radiate the Living Water of Christ to a parched world.

i hope you’ll find something of that here.

and just know that it’s all HIM.

for you. and for me.

ALLELUIA!

HE is risen as HE said!

ps. did i mention that the baby is reading?

a little break

taking some time off to meditate on the Passion. Death. and Suffering of Our Lord.

praying for all of you.

“i have many distractions, but as soon as i am aware of them, i pray for those people the thought of whom is diverting my attention. in this way, they reap the benefit of my distractions.” ~st. therese of lisieux

saddened by all of the purple.

“our joy depends on the Cross, and our Lord would not enter into His glory save by the way of bitterness. He leads you by the same path as the Saints.” ~st. vincent de paul

longing to hear that alleluia again.

“if we endure all things patiently and with gladness, thinking on the sufferings of our Blessed Lord, and bearing all for the love of Him: herein is our perfect joy.” ~st. francis of assisi

hoping to taste some of that joy on sunday.

“the Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord’s Passion, since it contains Christ Himself .” ~st. thomas aquinas

wondering where these 40 days went and perhaps being too scrupulous about all of my miserable failures.

“but since all your satisfactions and penances are too small and deficient to atone for so many sins, unite them to those of your Saviour Jesus lifted upon the Cross, receive His Divine Blood as it flows from His wounds, and offer It up to appease Divine Justice.” ~st. peter julian eymard

and wishing you a very blessed Easter in advance.

“remember not former things and look not on things of old. behold I do new things and now they shall spring forth. (43:18)

I am He that blot out thy iniquities.  for My own sake I will not remember them. (43:25)

but He was wounded for our iniquities: He was bruised for our sins.

the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

and by His bruises. we are healed (53:5)” ~isaias.

 AMEN!

“prayer ascends and mercy descends. high as are the heavens and low as is the earth, God hears the voice of man.” ~st. augustine.