Catholic Woman's Almanac

First of all, I apologize for the long distance between postings.... there has been so much to say and yet, well, sometimes I am unable to simply because of the fear and joy and hurt that fills my heart. I will be better, I promise, and this new link-up is a great place to start to begin to trust my feelings again......

Moments of Gratitude

~ dear Carol, her sweet friendship, and time to just BE (And recognizing that someone traveled across 3 states with 3 girls to come and visit me?!?! Humbled.)

~ tears of cleansing and prayers for humility and grace

~ conversations with Kristie who is like 8 states away, and for the instant love and understanding that comes across the miles

~ life seen through the eyes of a 10 year old boy who wants there to really be a Star Wars world "in real life"... 

~ giggling 2 year old who thinks that a sock puppet with no eyes (literally, just a sock from the laundry basket) is the most wonderfully funny thing in the world

Beauty in the Ordinary

Lucy meeting Charlie ~ Family

From the kitchen

Lovely zucchini and cherry tomatoes from the garden. We fried some and grilled some and ate some right off of the vine. It has been so miserably humidly hot here so there has been lots of watermelon and cold cucumber salads too.

Praying

for continued guidance on this path of motherhood.... and for the grace to accept the trials that come. Oh how I need to just need to learn to not let the things that people say or rolled eyes that they send my son's way or the "what's wrong with him, exactly?" questions that are so rudely asked. As 40 approaches, I still have my heart on my sleeve and thin skin, and the firm belief that yes, the world is a beautiful place. While I do love that about myself, it has also caused me the most grief, for it is hard for this extrovert to not allow what others say become truth. 

Meditating

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." 

~ St. Augustine

Pondering

How have I been so lucky to have the powerful friendships that I do?! Such love and trust and heart are so precious to me, and when women can form such bonds, I believe that it is one of the strongest things on the planet. We need to to build each other up, pull each other up, and continue to share our hearts, our stories, and our lives. Why haven't I been better at this?!

Reading

Queen of the Summer Stars ~ a fun summer read about the Arthurian legend from Guinevere's perspective. This is the 2nd in a trilogy.

The Willoughbys ~ with Joe. Such a funny story with heart.

Magnificat 
Time For Bed ~ with Max... "A-den A-den!" (Again, Again!) Precious bedtime reading...

Pinned

Damage = Beauty (I am touched by brokenness. And the beauty that results.)

Smoky chili bison black bean burgers (this sounds so yummy. i have bison meat from our CSA...)

Sea = Remedy (Always yearning for that ocean. The salt air pulls at my heart.)

Introverts (Still learning about my darling son, Joe.)

Looking ahead

The boys and I are finally going to have an almost completely unstructured week next week. We can visit friends, sleep in, nap, use our zoo passes, and just play. Schedules are great, but.... I feel the need to be free. Two boys help will help me to catch that feeling.

Captured

Max (almost 2)

Hoping to share at Suscipio every Monday (not Wednesday like this week...)

Swing Time of Life

Is it just me? Do you find that swinging makes you feel dizzy?

  And does it then make your heart feel just a little bit sad? 

One of my very favorite past times was to "go swinging" with my sisters. We would try to go as high as we could and touch the very clouds. (For me, I secretly hoped that I could get Grandpa to reach down and say hello....maybe just ONCE.) 

I remember the metal swing set that my dad put in with the help of friends. It was PAINFUL to wait for the concrete to set up! It came complete with rings and a trapeze, because, well, we WERE going to be gymnasts like Mary Lou Retton after all. (I am sure that in today's world, it would be considered entirely too dangerous, just like merry-go-rounds and slides.... SIGH. Really?)

Lance wanting to "ride a horse".

And then. Well. Then we would lay back and come swooshing toward the ground and yet somehow be stopped from banging our heads at the very last moment. Laughing and giggling and feeling the wind on our faces remains one of my favorite memories. Lying on our stomachs, then, and hanging our heads down until we were so dizzy that we collapsed on the ground.

As I looked at the pictures that I took over the Thanksgiving weekend, I realized that almost three quarters of them are of kids in swings. The laughing-silly-rush-of-life smiles just make my heart melt. 

Lucy said, "WOW. I really am a little big!"

So why is it that I was drawn to this? 
Was it the feeling of freedom that comes with it? 
The memory of easier times? 
The sheer look of joy on their faces. 
Maybe that and so much more.... because then there was this:

As I was fitting Max into his seat, I look over, and there is Lucy and my mom, Nana, swinging together. Attempting to get comfortable on a small piece of rubber swing... My heart swelled to see my niece and my mom being so silly. It made me remember doing the same thing with her when I was a kid. 


And then it hit me. It really wasn't about being comfortable on that swing. 

It was about just being together. Just being. Being together.

So that's it! Swinging in and of itself was fun. Yes. But not just that. It was because I never really went swinging by myself. 
I was with my sisters. 
...with Carol and her sisters
...Liz
...Tina. 
Or.... mom or dad. Someone shared the experience. They made it richer by being present.

As I walk on this crazy-twisted journey of life, and occasionally hit the pitfalls and dizzy spells, I realize how lucky I am to have some very special companions on the journey. 


Companions who help me to look toward heaven in new and exciting ways. Who help me recognize that life, and indeed my very faith, with its ups and downs and sideways moves is so much better....together. 


(So who wants to go swing?)

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