la familia

a little costume project

This is the goal:

There are 9 convicts in the play including Valjean.

and this is his costume from the movie.

and this is what we are 

starting with today:

It was a standard button down collared 100% cotton men's XL shirt.

After removing the cuffs, collar and button placket,  it is beginning to look more like a smock.

Believe it or not,

this shirt has been heavily bleached and gone over 

with a wire brush used to remove paint

and it still looks too nice.

What dastardly deeds need to be 

inflicted on this shirt

 to make it look good---

in other words,

as bad as it possibly can?

If the directors like how it looks this week, there will be 8 more to go!

What forms of shirt torture do you recommend?

Thank you for any suggestions!

ordination day

Today Teresa, Kateri, Anne, Ken and I were blessed to attend

Fr. Peter Martyr's ordination Mass.

He was ordained with 6 other priests at St. Dominic's Church in Washington D.C.

We arrived and parked and were off to St. Dominic's---about a quarter of a mile away!

Anne joked, "How ready is Teresa to deliver this baby?

she even brings an empty stroller with her...

JUST IN CASE ANYTHING HAPPENS!!!!

We arrived with 5 minutes to spare, to beautiful St. Dominic's Church.

Mass was 2 hours long,

so Kateri and I explored the back and outside of beautiful St. Dominic's Church.

And we found a vegetable garden!

Tomatoes....

flowers....

even grapes!

and peach trees!

and lettuce.

all along the border between St. Dominic's and the freeway, and all hidden behind a little hedge 

of boxwood.

it was a charming surprise, but it was the fennel by the front door of the church that 

piqued my curiosity!

this gives you an idea of the beauty of the church.

the seven new priests!

a stained glass window in the back 

with the inscription: 

Gift of Little Girls

how true!

We were soon back outside enjoying the loveliness of the day...

and goldfish crackers.

St. Dominic's reflected.

peek

a boo!

typical view of Kbear. :-)

 

After Mass Tee and Anne met up with Danielle and her family.

Also, Anne found out yesterday that she is carrying a girl!

first blessing!

next first blessing!

We also met a couple of Dominican Sisters who know Libby,
and it was a joy
to see how much they love her,
and how they are praying for her this week.



What a blessed day!!!

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;

people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

unusual sights

the new neighbors in peggy's house?

jeanne was blessed to get the part of cosette in les mis.

and john was blessed with the part of grantaire.

please remember them in your daily prayers,

that they will grow closer to Jesus and give glory to Him!

....performances will be in mid july,

and practices begin tomorrow.

Baby Boy Grenier Shower

        Today family and friends gathered to welcome baby boy Grenier with a baseball themed party.  Many of the guests wore baseball jerseys and baseball hats, and we all enjoyed hot dogs, potato salad, watermelon, chips and root beer floats.   And I shouldn't forget to mention the peanuts and Cracker Jacks, too.  The following pictures are all I took, but  we may get more from other guests later.

          It was a blessed time, thanks be to God, and now we are hoping and praying for an easy labor and delivery and healthy baby!  Can't wait to meet the little man!!!!

just a couple weeks to go :-)

Please remember this intention your prayers!

Thank you so much!

tee, laura and mary, and their littles.

It was a coed party with husbands and brothers

 playing corn hole in the backyard and watching baseball 

in the front room.

so, wonderfully, 

no baby shower games,

such as guessing the mother's circumference,

or trying to balance as many cotton balls on your head as possible.  

Yay!

Teresa, of course!

Kateri on her quest to remove all hair ties :-)

Don't you like her little Cubs jersey?

Kateri had a very lovely time, and enjoyed everyone and all the excitement

over her baby brother,

and especially the baby-boy blue and white sixlet candies.

Kateri also very much delighted 

in feeding Papa Myers one Cracker Jack popcorn at a time.....

more, Papa, eat more!

Several people hung out on the back deck,

including these three.

and it was a blessing to get a couple pictures of the Hillearys,

but  darn it,

i forgot to get one of Pat, Tee and Katie bird.

honestly, where was my head at!

Next Time!

Make a wish, Charlotte!

Today Laura and Mikey had a little family get together for Charlotte's birthday.

I didn't take very many pictures, but here are the few! (too few)

Charlotte was sharing a joke with

Jeanne and Kateri.

It was cold today, but that didn't stop Charlotte from playing as long as she could in the pool.

Happy Birthday,

sweet Charlotte,

and 

May God bless you!

garden news

Yesterday we had about 4 inches of rain overnight,

and the softening of the soil proved too much for the apple tree.

Yesterday morning it had tipped over 

into the neighbor's yard.

John and Mimi were amazing!

They dragged the branches back into our yard and started bagging everything.

There is still a little bit left,

but the tree was almost 20 feet tall---

it was a big job!

The salvia from Walmart that we planted last year is exuberant!

Betty spotted this lovely tray at Nonie's store,

to use as a bird bath.

Thank you Betty!

Cisco in a sprawl and crawl :-)