Quick Takes #258: Where Art Thou O Spring?

1. I must start by stating last weekend was glorious; warm breezes, bright sun! Perfect porch reading weather.  And despite how much I reminded myself that it wasn't going to last; that it is not suppose to be in the 70's in April, the return to the rainy 40's has been bumpy.  What has a girl gotta do to get some sun and 60's? 
2. The other thing making last weekend so much fun was a visit from my mom. Winter weather and house issues had kept postponing her visit since New Year so we all really enjoyed having her here for the weekend.  Dr Daddy cooked delicious food and ran point on the kids giving us time to catch-up.
3. Other excitement: Caitlin lost her first tooth becoming the earliest to such a milestone by several months over her siblings. Great excitement ensued and the Tooth Fairy made a visit!
4. Great mail week; Ponder, and One Beautiful Dream arrived!! I'm currently reading Spiritual Canticle of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross; and having recently finished The Interior Castle by Saint Theresa of Avila has left me wondering if the writing feels so similar because they were friends or if that was simply the approach to spiritual writing at the time.
5. Was sorry to learn of the death of Former First Lady Barbara Bush; though by all accounts it was peaceful and after a very long life. I'm of a generation to remember her wonderful example of compassion in her insistence that children battling AIDS (and indeed everyone battling that awful disease) needed to be touched and held.
6. Royal Baby Watch: I'm thinking Boy but otherwise just very excited to see who is joining the Cambridge household and when.
7. Dr Daddy is unfortunately working but am otherwise hoping for a good weekend. Whatever yours holds; have a  good one!

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Quick Takes #257 Happy Easter and April!!

1. Hi ~ Happy April! Happy Easter!!
2. How was your Lent? Mine was good overall; I really enjoyed the Take Up and Read devotional and felt it helped me dig deep this Lent and revealed areas of ongoing items for my prayer life. I finished the two books I had planned to read and started a third.  I also managed not to 'cheat' on my commitment to not read fiction except on Sunday (and than only my sister's latest).  What did not go as well was almsgiving; we participated in different opportunities the kids school offered but I'm left feeling that aspect was a bit lacking. 
3. Having finished my sister's book Fix My Fall earlier this week I then spent a couple of days like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what to read next; reread a favorite or try something new??  I've decided to split the difference and am reading a story I've never read by a favorite author.  
4. Tridium went well with me attending with the kids Mass of the Lord's Supper, Good Friday Service and Mass Easter morning.  Mass Thursday evening was late for the kids but I loved being able to hear the Panga Linga sung again by Dr Daddy and the rest of wonderful choir he sings with as well as introducing the kids to the custom of Eucharistic Procession and Adoration. 
5. Easter morning was wonderful as the kids explored and enjoyed what the Easter Bunny left in their baskets and we attended Mass together as a family before digging in for the last minute preparation for Easter Dinner where we host the Tridium choir Dr Daddy sings with.  Dr Daddy's annual colcannon was delicious and the dessert table groaning as a friend now living in MD made the trip and brought with her her amazing butter creams.
6. April is locally off to a gray and rainy start but with enough sunshine to convince my daffodils to bloom and forsythia to blossom.  Yes there is snow in the forecast but as Mr Carson often said "We must always travel in Hope."
7. Have a wonderful weekend and please head to Kelly's for more 7QTs!

Poetry Pause: Ready for Silence

Ready for Silence

Madeleine L’Engle

Then hear now the silence
He comes in the silence
in silence he enters
the womb of the bearer
in silence he goes to
the realm of the shadows
redeeming and shriving
in silence he moves from
the grave cloths, the dark tomb
in silence he rises
ascends to the glory
leaving his promise
leaving his comfort
leaving his silence

So come now, Lord Jesus
Come in your silence
breaking our noising
laughter of panic
breaking this earth’s time
breaking us breaking us
quickly Lord Jesus
make no long tarrying

When will you come
and how will you come
and will we be ready
for silence
your silence

Quick Takes #256: Is Journalling for Me?

Disclaimer: Despite all the links, this is not a sponsored post and the links are not affiliated. Just what I've tried and liked or not.

1. For all that I'm (according to this study) squarely a member of Generation X and spend much of my time typing on my keyboard as well as on my phone/tablet there is something very special to me about putting pen to paper. Especially when those papers are together in a bound book with the idea writing on this topic over time.  Below are some of the ways journaling has and has not worked for me.
2. Prayer ~ Yes! Starting in college I have on and off kept a prayer journal and while not currently I am planning on starting again after Lent when I've finished the devotional I'm using. I find it a useful way to concretely lift up those people and things I want to bring before God and for recording blessings. A useful idea that I found in the Take Up & Read devotional I'm using this Lent is acknowledging past hurts and leaving them at the foot of the cross.  I may also continue this practice of asking Jesus help in letting go of past hurts.
3. Book ~ Yes! Inspired and encouraged by MMD, and with a TBR (to be read) list growing beyond easy recall I started book journaling a few years ago with this journal and then later started free handing one using this kit.  I really like having a book to keep track of what of I've read, categories in reading challenges I'm doing, and books or authors I want to read.  I also use Goodreads as a tracker and useful way of 'bookmarking' books I hear about online.  
4. Bullet ~ No! Or rather not yet...I love seeing others and am intrigued by the idea but my first attempt was a bust.  The book I ordered was too big for me to use easily; and I think until I have better sense of how I want to lay things out lined paper will work better than dot grids.  I also need to figure out if I prefer spiral books or if it is just what I know and feel more comfortable with.
5. Gratitude ~Yes! Inspired by Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts a couple years ago also tried to record 1000 blessing in a year.  I succeeded and enjoyed the experience so have decided to try again this year and have a journal where every few days I record blessings and moments of grace not to be missed amidst the chaos.  This certainly could be part of a prayer journal and may get folded into mine at some future point.
6. Pens and Markers: I have found along the way that I really like the Staedtier triplus fineliner, and these black pens and these markers.  Separate shout-out but on the topic of pens; this year Elisabeth is only suppose to write in ink for schoolwork other than math and we have these to be a great erasable pen. They write very smoothly and erase cleanly!
7. What about you? What are some of your favorite types of journaling? Pens and other accessories?

Please now head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's!

Open Book: March '18

   Mrs Mike is the story of Katherine Flannigan an American who married a Canadian Mountie and followed him into the Northwest Territory by Benedict and Nancy Freedman.  This was a reread for me and it was as good as I remembered. While not sugarcoating the realities of living in such a remote location as far as wild animals, and disease; the book is not too graphic but rather focuses on their marriage, growing family and the strength of community.  I first read the book as a teenager but may have appreciated it more now having been married myself.

The Interior Castle by St Teresa of Avila (translated by Rev. John Dalton) is a book written by the Saint for her fellow Carmelite sisters about the state of the soul and its progression towards closeness to God using the metaphor of traveling through seven rooms or mansions moving nearer and nearer to God.  I've not yet finished the book but am currently reading about the 6th mansion.  While she loses me occasionally overall I'm learning so much about clearing out the debris or noise of the world to better hear God's voice; and can clearly understand why this is a classic of Catholic literature.

Please head over to Carolyn's for more Open Book.

Elisabeth at 10!

    While I'll admit to a fair amount of disbelief at the thought that Elisabeth is ten and that it has been a decade since that amazing little person was placed in my arms; but all of this is true and so herein find my sense of Lisbeth at ten.

  A person of big emotions, she is the most strong willed of the three but also the most concerned about what others think of her.   She has since she was very little processed out-loud and while she no longer speaks every thought; does still give me the fullest report of the day and want to discuss every nuance of plans.  Very creative; be it cooking, building, drawing or sculpting.  I often find her many ideas exhausting but love seeing all that she creates.  Prime example being the loft bed she designed and built with her dad last year.

  On the go much of the day prefers to leave reading for night up in her loft bed.  Most likely to be reading about animals especially mythical ones like dragons and sea serpents though wolves, and orcas interest her too. Sports wise gymnastics is top, but also enjoys swimming, playing basketball with her friends and backyard volleyball with me.

  Pokemon, Minecraft, and How to Train Your Dragon are the games of choice and what she is mostly likely playing/watching during screen time.  I've enjoyed watching Pokemon and Minecraft posters claim space on her bedroom walls, though a few Hello Kitty and Transformer wall stickers remain.  Her love of stuffies lives on ~ though leans more towards Squishmallows and Emoji-pillows currently.  And as of her birthday trip to Build-a-Bear she now has 3 Toothless (night fury from How to Train Your Dragon) stuffies!

 The rest of her birthday celebration included a trip to Friendly's, a Black Forest cake, and last night dinner at a favorite Chinese restaurant.  Still not an adventurous eater she has in the last year discovered a love for Chinese food, fried clams, and making desserts with shredded coconut.

Creating the perfect birthday sundae!

Happy Birthday Elisabeth! 

Thank you for all the light and laughter you bring!!

Quick Takes #255: Happy March!

1. Happy March!! How'd that happen?  February is often a tough month for me; however this year while we definitely had our share of grey weather I'm ending the month ready for spring but not as stressed as I've been in the past.
2. The Olympics definitely helped. Having something fun to watch night after night as well as introducing the kids to new sports to watch such as ski jump and skeleton gave a big upside to the last couple of weeks.
3. Lent is presenting challenges as it ought; but I'm really liking both the Take Up & Read devotional and reading St Teresa's Interior Castle.  So far I've managed to stick to my reading plan or non-reading plan as it were.  I'm way behind on 40 bag/40 days but hope to catch-up next week.  
4. Speaking of books; Modern Mrs Darby compiled a couple lists of most recommended books. I really enjoy reading these lists even if they include books from genre I don't usually read.
5. It is an often quoted cliche "The days are long, but the years are short." Given that tomorrow Elisabeth will be ten years old and I recently enrolled Caitlin for Kindergarten it feels like my mantra.  It is true that one doesn't love every moment but thank heavens for the pictures and blog posts that record the moments I haven't always soaked in as I was managing to get from wake-up to tuck-in with everyone feed, clean and not fighting.
6. A full birthday post forthcoming but simply put I am grateful beyond words the beautiful, spirited girl who brought with her the gift of motherhood to me and the decade I've gotten to spend watching her grow and change up-close.
7. Praying for everyone here in the East in the storm's path; may you stay dry, keep your power and may it not mess with weekend plans too much!!

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15 months

5 years old

Showing off the loft bed she built with her dad.