like beaches

 

only not sad.

yes. this pen pal thing is quite sweet. i so enjoy the banter between these 2 little girls.

neither of them have a sister. so this could be a very rewarding experience!

on a different note:

i just picked this up from the library and my mouth is watering on every. single. page.

i have a feeling i’ll be in the kitchen more than i intended these next few days….

happy weekending friends!

you can put your white shoes on this weekend! hooray!

petit what?

so we are having guests over for tea tomorrow and my daughter, with a gleam in her eye says to me, “can you make petit fours?” and i said, “petite what?”  there is a link here if you want a good laugh. and laugh i did when i saw what making those little goodies entails. perhaps one of these fall days when i have 10 extra hours to spare. i will traipse into my gourmet kitchen-where i have all the ingredients on hand- and make them. i hear they freeze pretty well too.

ha! who am i kidding? those kinds of things never last around here. my boys are worse than ants when it comes to sniffing out sweets. besides i am ready to take it down a notch. i am ready to reveal a part of myself to this guest that i’ve yet to do. i hope it doesn’t ruin our friendship. it is still in the new-ish stage and i am so nervous. but i just. can’t handle anything extra right now. God is giving me the grace to be humble enough to say i can’t make petit fours. not now. maybe not ever. and my piano is dusty.

i find it so ridiculous that i never judge people when i go to their houses but for some reason i do the oddest things when people are coming here. things that don’t normally bother me suddenly bother me. like we celebrate halloween. do they? what if they are offended? should i wipe down the washer and dryer? they are dusty too. but they are in an enclosed porch…should the boys do school? does the house look Catholic enough? wait a minute…are we catholic enough? it’s crazy, i know. but it’s really not me. it’s mrs. hyde. she thinks that way.

but we are going to forgive her. because remember she didn’t have coffee today. so she’s tired. and the last thing she wants to do is stay up all nite talking about making petit fours…..they sound so delicious.

and now if you’ll excuse me, i am going to go and watch the soloist. i love robert downey jr. my husband looks so much like him. (in my mind). it’s about battling demons. and i’ve been doing a bit of that lately myself.

toodles.

for the mamas

marilyn  is having a virtual baby shower for nadja and has invited me to join in. i feel rather honored and not the slightest bit jealous of the abundance of baby girls being born to these ladies. i am going to include my friend m, pictured here with her baby belly, sitting comfy, on her sofa, while we visited the other day. we even knitted a bit. i am also showing you this picture because her project is much more “accomplished” than mine. and because i imagine that this is probably what it would be like if i were to have a visit with nadja, her baby tummy and a little knitting. so this little post is for the mamas………

for safe deliveries~

Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of The Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. ~amen

prayer after having a baby~

To You, Lord, I consecrate the body and soul of my newborn child, whom You have allowed me to bring into the world. I pray that my child may grow up in Your love, may be faithful to his/her baptismal promises, and may be a source of happiness and holiness to others.

I give thanks for the privilege of being able to cooperate in Your creative act. That I should have been chosen to provide material for this new life in the world is something so dazzling in its magnificence that I can never really give adequate thanks. Help me to show my gratitude by living up to the pattern of motherhood revealed in Mary. I pray that  You will accept the labors I suffered in bringing this infant to birth as part of the price of his  future well-being. How small a price it is-especially in view of the blessed peace I now enjoy. ~amen.

God bless you ladies. and all mothers everywhere. even the ones like me, who look at a newborn, like i did in mass today and while oohing and ahhing, can’t help but think of only one thing…….the teen age years……. so for those mamas……….

Dear God the Father, grant Your Fatherly protection to each of our children that they may be faithful to the teachings we have given them in Your grace. Let each child enter through the gate of Mary Your Immaculate daughter, that together with her prayers and intercession Your children and ours may come to peace and a true understanding of Your love. Grant that each may share your protection, and may Your aid be their strength. Preserve them from evils and misfortune, enlighten each with a fullness of love for their neighbors. And by that charity which is the greatest of virtues, may each know Your will and be free of all danger and be sanctified unto life everlasting. ~amen.