Happy Valentine's Day

"Today is the day that we give our hearts to Jesus!"  Poor Clare nun to Nonie.

Falcon's Visit today

Today we celebrated St. Valentine's day with the 'greats'.

Teresa was able to come, and we enjoyed anticipating the upcoming (week or two) arrival of her little 'whozit'.

nonie showed us some items from the store: a beautiful mohair throw, 

as well as this amazing sterling pin of a DC 3.

Nonie and Nano gave Peter a bag of grapefruit (his absolute favorite) for his birthday.

Beside the front door:

On the drive up, tee was telling peter that it is legal to own giraffes here in the United States.

They do cost $40,000, though.

Peter replied, "For $40,000, I'd like to have a pet Audi."  

We had a great time discussing all of the cars that mom and dad have owned, and i will be putting up posts on them.  It is very interesting!

Heard around the family this week

can you guess who said what?

"I'm not either a morning person, or a night person.  I'm more like a 'Hit me about 11 o'clock in the morning person.'."

"The sun was the first to congratulate Mary and Grant."

"ba ba ba ba ba"

"If you die, could I go to live with Nicholas and Isaac?  At least there'd be an upside."




answers:  mimi, nonie, charlotte, pete

Lent begins

this pic taken after a lovely visit with aunt betty, who graciously

gave tee a pep talk about labor and delivery.  tee has just about 

2 weeks to go...

before Gabrielle Gretchen Grenier 

hits the scene!

1 rutabaga "also known as a Swede"

found this recipe online, did you know the other name for rutabaga?  does this mean betty and i are half rutabaga?  that  nano might be all rutabaga?

Roasted Rutabaga

• 1 rutabaga (also known as a Swede) about 6 inches in diameter
• 2 - 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. dried Italian Herb mix
• 2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. sugar

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel rutabaga and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Place rutabaga cubes in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Cover bowl with a plate and shake to coat rutabaga with oil.(You may need a bit more oil.)
5. Sprinkle rutabaga with remaining ingredients and shake again distribute.
6. Transfer rutabaga to a parchment-lined or non-stick baking sheet.
7. Roast in center of the oven until edges brown and rutabaga is tender - 30 to 40 minutes - stirring about halfway through to minimize sticking.

A beautiful prayer for this Lent

In  Meet John XXIII, by Patricia Treece,  is a prayer that Don Roncalli (10 years a priest at that time), said while assisting his dying Bishop.  At that time, in 1914, Pope Pius X was also dying, so the prayer included petition for the new Pope...

"Oh Jesus Crucified, I willingly offer you the sacrifice of my life,

in union with Yours on the Cross, 

in atonement for my sins and the sins of my people,

for the Church, for the new pontiff,

my priests, my seminary, my country.

The F37 Charger Mustang

Quotes on prayer

My daughter...why do you not tell me about everything that concerns you, even the smallest details? Tell Me about everything, and know that this will give Me great joy. I answered, But You know about everything, Lord." And Jesus replied to me, "Yes I do know; but you should not excuse yourself with the fact that I know, but with childlike simplicity talk to Me about everything, for my ears and heart are inclined towards you, and your words are dear to Me.(2; 921)
--St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in my Soul


Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.
--Saint John Vianney


I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice. My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. I claim veneration for My mercy from every creature, but above all from you, since it is to you that I have given the most profound understanding of this mystery. (1572)
--St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in my Soul

Without Prayer nothing good is done. God's works are done with our hands joined, and on our knees. Even when we run, we must remain spiritually kneeling before Him.
--Blessed Luigi Orione

We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success; nor on sciences that cloud the intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus alone.
--St Frances Xavier Cabrini

Read some chapter of a devout book....It is very easy and most necessary, for just as you speak to God when at prayer, God speaks to you when you read.
--St. Vincent de Paul

Are you making no progress in prayer? Then you need only offer God the prayers which the Savior has poured out for us in the sacrament of the altar. Offer God His fervent love in reparation for your sluggishness.
--Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, from a letter

A Mardi Gras dance move for you

Our Lady of Lourdes

Today is the beautiful feast of our Lady of Lourdes!  Praying for healing, and in Thanksgiving for the Holy Mother of Jesus.

Robert Hugh Benson wrote an interesting account of his three day visit to Lourdes about 100 years ago.  It is available on Project Gutenberg and well worth the reading.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18729


Today, Pope Benedict announced that he will be stepping down from the Pontificate by February 28.

Prayers, prayers, prayers!!!!

Charlotte in N.C.

 a wee señorita named Carlotta

 left her wheels parked at the car lotta.

she can't go wrong

while singing her song

she sings all the way to the watta. 

(water...you know, beach)  :-)

Such a Cute Photo, thanks Laura and Mikey!

pics from tee's ninth month, taken by laura

nine months later

Happy Day!

Yesterday, Mary and Grant were engaged!

Congratulations!

May God bless you abundantly as you begin this happy time of 

prayer, planning and preparation!

To Plant a Garden for Daily Living (found in a magazine)

To plant a garden for daily living,

Plant three rows of peas:

Peace of mind

Peace of heart 

Peace of soul.

Add four rows of squash:

Squash gossip

Squash indifference

Squash grumbling

Squash selfishness.

Add four rows of lettuce:

Let us be faithful

Let us be kind

Let us be patient

Let us really love one another.

And no garden is complete without turnips:

Turn up for meetings

Turn up for service

Turn up to help those in need.

Finally, a garden requires thyme:

Time for God

Time for family

Time for others.

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love.

You'll have much fruit in your garden, because you reap what you sow.

All Saints Cabaret

Johnny opened the show with "Putting on the Ritz"--and he was also in several other numbers.

Jeanne sang a duet and was in several other numbers.

we saw the Hillearys and some other families.

i enjoyed being in the kitchen salting 6 dozen precooked frozen pretzels, and baking them at 400 degrees for 3 minutes a pan.  talent all over the place!  haha

Smocking a Diaper Shirt in 500 easy steps!

The process of making a little smocked bishop's diaper shirt begins with sewing the right back to the right sleeve to the front to the left sleeve to the left back.  hahaha!  so simple! so easy!

So there it is, a size 12 month diaper shirt, not intuitively obvious at this stage.

At this point, you mark the back of the material at regular intervals for the pleating:  500 spots!

Now it is time to pleat the material--taking a little "bite" of the material at each bite, quilting thread is nice and strong, but regular thread works well too.

At this point gather the material...

how are we going to fit this over Charlotte's head? hmmm....did i miss something?

then unfurl the little shirt into a circle.

done at last!  now you tie the thread securely, some distance away from the pleating, to give yourself some breathing room.

fold over and there is the shirt at last!

the initial smocking:

praise God!

(note to self: next time lay the front and back of the pattern with the lower edge on the selvage to avoid needing to put in a hem)