{7QT: Tweets to My Sister and Other Exciting Things}

1.    I have decided that if I had Twitter, it would pretty much be exactly like reading my texts to my sister. SO...either incredibly boring for everyone else, or WAY over-share, I'm thinking. Like so:

-"I've decided I don't have the energy to write a post about Frozen"
-"Leo almost had a stomach at dinner"

-"you could be like Har-ry Pot-tah"

-"came outside smelling like he had been hitting the mouthwash"

-"maybe your tummy wants to watch a show"

On second thought, maybe @TheHopefulStarfish would be a fun Twitter read? Meh. I still say "pound" instead of "hashtag"; I'm too old for Twitter.

2.    We did watch Frozen with the boyos on Wednesday night. I thought about blessing you (ha!) with my thoughts on it in a post, but lucky you (srsly, folks), it was too much work. It was a fun movie, with fun songs and characters, and the main couple (::gasp!::) didn't even get married during the movie. One kiss only. Redemptive, even, I'd say (which, as you know, is one of my main criteria for winning as a story). 

source

3.    IT'S DANIEL's SECOND BIRTHDAY TODAY!

He is pretty much awesome. I think he is growing up to be a really cool little brother. He is funny, fun, very very mischievous, curious, smart, and daring. Just the other day he told me "I so clever", which I do tell him quite often...because it's true. Two. That kid is two. Not even lying. 

4.    I am very excited about Black Sheep Farm (and garden)'s upcoming SPRING and SUMMER. This excitement will surely fade in approximately...however many days/weeks it takes to become over-run by weeds and sweat and bugs and tangled-up goats, but for now, from my 3 days of Spring seat, things are looking grand. Also in the works is another post for Real Housekeeping on Starting Out w/ Chickens. (It will look kind of like this, but maybe *slightly* more helpful. Slightly.) Because I am an expert, that's why. An expert who has sold 8 dozen eggs total, and who has lost 6 (at least) fowl to wild creatures thus far this year. 

I've already said I don't want any of these this year.
I probably lied.

5.    Speaking of Black Sheep Farm, it's been a completely epic few weeks, wherein we (Steven) caught and dispatched two (o?)possums and two raccoons (one of which I happened upon IN THE FLIPPING CHICKEN COOP whilst gathering eggs), the sheep has gotten off his rope TWICE, a stray little black lab mix puppy has appeared (anyone want a dog!?) and I have been charting non-stop from a deluge of nurse visits since about the time that my Mom showed up three weeks ago (just got caught up *yesterday*!). Seriously, folks, Nana has saved the day around here. She plays with the boyos, washes dishes, is patient with my cah-ray-zi-ness AND let's me win at Scrabble. Be jealous, be very jealous. 

Rockstar Nana...and...Leo. 

6.    April 10th is National Sibling Day.
It's a made-up internet holiday, so it doesn't count, but I have the best siblings, and I love making you look at pictures of us, so we buy in for it anyways. 

Siblings are one of life's greatest gifts. You can choose the relationships you have with almost any other person, but you don't get to choose family. Your brothers and sisters are laid out for you from time immemorial. Your husband or wife is your closest companion in this life, but even he/she does not share the same bond that you have with a brother or sister. Who else has your exact same context for life? The same degree of craziness in all the right categories? They drive us crazy, but siblings are truly special. xoxo

7.    Good Grief Third Grade
There is honestly too much out there to comment on lately. And, as you recall, I am way way behind the learning curve on being up to date. Apparently there's a Heartbleed bug to be scared of? And Kirsten Dunst is joining the war on women? I give up. Maybe I *will* write that post about Frozen...unless someone gives me a lobster!

Linking it up with Jen @Conversion Diary for the 7QT fun.
Head back over there for more from the rest of the gang...

What's on YOUR Bookshelf?

This is a fun link-up hosted by Anne @ Modern Mrs. Darcy to talk about...what's on our shelves!  I've also always wanted to join Jessica @ Housewifespice for {What We're Reading Wednesday} AND I haven't joined Jen @ Conversion Diary for {7 Quick Takes} in for-ever...so let's have another round of (drum-roll please...)

So, with as much ado as possible...here's {7 favorites} {on my bookshelf} that {I've read from, sometimes on Wednesdays}.  

I am very proud of this graphic that I made using pixlr.com

1. These are some handy-man/how-to books that are fun to look through for ideas.

2. Anna Karenina. In college, my professor had us read War&Peace instead, on the grounds that if we were going to read more Tolstoy later, we should probably read W&P first, because who would read it other than for a class.  Good thinking, but I still haven't gotten past the first few chapters of AK.  Maybe now that there's a movie I will soldier on...and I know Laura would want me to. :)

3. Small collection of shorter stuff that includes Flannery O'Connor (Haley would be proud), O. Henry and Graham Greene.

4. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman. This is one from a trilogy, but I haven't read the following ones.  Was it Sarah O. who mentioned this one time?  It's a really great book, one that Steven bought for me on a whim (books about dragons must be good). As he gets me to read lots of books...I went along, and really liked it. It's very readable historical fiction. 

5. Contented Dementia by Oliver James.   James does a very good job of clearly explaining a ground-breaking method of dealing with a debilitating and scary disorder. The method may not be the end-all be-all of caring for someone with dementia, but it offers some practical and concrete methods, that even someone with a bare minimum of contact with a person who has dementia could benefit from. 

6. Under the Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. This is Vanauken's second book, and it's place here is really to serve as a plug for his first, A Severe Mercy. This second one is a bit drier, but the first is simply monumental.  Just go read it please. 

source (w/ review; spoilers alert)

7. Handy-dandy-trusty-dusty Greek and Latin textbooks (Hansen&Quinn and Wheelock).  I hope one day to be organized and on top of things enough to use them to further my dreams of having happy-healthy-handsome-holy sons...

There you have it, folks! Don't forget to go back and check out what Anne, Jessica & Jen have to offer! 

{7QT} Pope Francis, Cookie Monster & the 20th Maine

So, I did this cop-out/double-dip linky thing last week ...

but this week I'll just grace you w/ the usual mixy-mixer of stuff...and join Jen for Quick Takes

1. Papal art contest. 
As in, art that people have submitted of Pope Francis. You can vote here for my personal favorite, #28, by Jared Klodt:

Thanks to Simcha Fisher for sending us there :)

And remember that Pope Francis has called us to a day of prayer and fasting for Syria.

2. 'Does God Know How to Tie Shoes?' book & favorite Leo quote
This book is one of my favorites. It combines lovely oil-painting artwork with references to the Psalms as answers to a child's questions about God. You can buy it here. While reading this tonight, Leo said to me, "...and God looked at me and said, 'There's my Leo!'". 

3. This quote

Found this again on my FB page...at least it's good for something!

Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends; He may throw me among strangers. He may make my spirits sink, hide the future from me - still He knows what He is about.

--Blessed John Henry Newman

4. Free at Last!

"one, two, free!"

Can't hardly believe it, time flies, and all that jazzy-jazz. We had lots of fun yesterday. We went to the park to go on the slides and swings, and I actually enjoyed the 28 minutes I lasted until it was time for DQ mini-blizzards. We also had a nice little family dinner/party.  There was a cake too...but Max the dog ate the leftovers...oh well...

5. My new life philosophy. 
Well...those of you who know me, you know that this has always been my life's philosophy ;)

source

6. I love getting mail!We got a care-pack from Aunt Margaret today.  She sent a bday prezzie for Leo (a "snow jacket"):

Leo dislikes the papparazzi

And a T-shirt for me! It's a 133rd Engineering Battalion shirt, so that I can show support for my favorite brother-in-law, the best Lieutenant there is.

The 133rd is a direct descendant (I'm getting my military lineage wording wrong, I know, please don't cringe too much, you history buffs!) of the famous 20th Maine. And if you didn't know that the 20th Maine was famous, you need to go watch Gettysburg again:

link

Wow, all of that from a box in the mail. See--it is great stuff! :)

7. Davy & Georgie

Leo has taken to calling Daniel "Georgie Russell". Georgie, of course, is Davy Crockett's best pal. (And if you didn't know that, you need to go watch 'Davy Crockett' again...)The red hat is the "Georgie Russell hat", although the knitted tractor cap that Heather and Laura made for Leo is sometimes a substitute. Anyways, here they are, in all their glory.

I'm hoping and praying that these two grow up to be best pals forever and ever amen. 

That's all from me, now head back over to Jen's for more of the real stuff from the actual bloggers! :)

{Favorite Quick Takes}

Joining Hallie for Favorites and Jen for Quick Takes

(because that's how we roll in the world of slacker-bloggers!)

Basically just what's on my mind and what I like this week. With pictures.;)

1. The Radical Life
I keep on talking about this Radical Life guy:

Matthew Warner

I like his stuff. This week's post is more good stuff: 12 Most Important Metrics for Your Child's (and Your) Education.


2. Freeset Fundraiser
You probably heard about the UPS plane crash last week. We should definitely pray for the families of the two pilots who lost their lives in the crash. There is another way to help the victims of the event. Freeset is a fair-trade company that employs women who were trapped in the human trafficking industry in Calcutta. They pay their employees about 3x what they would otherwise make. They make organic cotton T-shirts and jute bags.

They make some pretty bags, y'all.

The UPS plane was carrying about $150,000 of their merchandise, representing 3 months of work by their employees. You can go here to donate to Freeset to help them cover their losses. In a truly lovely exchange of events, Freeset is also making a memorial T-shirt, the profits of which go 100% to the UPS pilot's families. (Thanks to Melanie @ the BigMama blog for sending me towards all of this).


3. Mom-couragement
I am always finding some good encouragements for moms. Here's a thought from a new source, Incourage. In a post entitled "10 Ways to be a Happier Mom" (who wouldn't click that?) by Ann Voskamp, I find:

 Love always begins with patience, and patience is a willingness to suffer.

How is that encouraging, you ask? --how could it be encouraging to suffer? Suffering isn't exactly what you think it is, then. Did you know that the root of our word, passion, is the Latin verb patior which means to suffer?! Think about it...what greater act of love is it than to give up your own selfishness (time, talent, wealth, wants etc.) for another?  Indeed..."Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). When we sacrifice in the small things, when we make the extra efforts for our loved ones (and our un-loved ones!), we are growing in love. --and what could be better, or more important than that?

Source

4. Home Pre-schooling
SO, I'm not sending Leo off to a pre-school this fall.  I never really thought that I would be...he's only *almost* 3 after all...and I kind of like having him around...BUT I am going to be doing some more planned efforts at education (other than the constant stream of wisdom in didactic moments that comes out of my mouth ;) ).

This will perfectly describe me in the not-too-distant future...

What have I done to prepare so far? I made a Pinterest board (...but you should basically just look at Sarah's if you're in my boat...she rocks.) SO, I'm obviously Super Mom, and ready for anything. 

5. Veiled Truths...This week I read another post about veiling during Mass, this time from Jenna @ Call Her Happy. Basically, she's considering veiling during Mass, which was something women did *way back when* as a way to be respectful, and humble (and less distracting to themselves and others!). I was first intrigued by the idea by Jennifer @ Conversion Diary, a while ago. Kelly @ This A'int the Lyceum also wrote a good post about veiling, with some pictures of different non-veil veil options.  I think that where I stand on the idea is that I think it's kind of neat.  BUT I think this in a "I would wear a tasteful non-doily-on-my-head veil and everyone would love it" kind of way. 

Like this. Which you can find here. "Eternity scarf"

SO...pretty much defeats the purpose, which would be one of making my time at church more prayerful (HA! with two boyos...! yea...) etc. So, for now, I think I will remain unveiled...but there are these scarves...$5 only...BUT...then there's St. Paul, reminding us women to be adorned with "good deeds" and not with pearls and braids...SO, yes, for now...just me and my unruly (read: boyo-pulled) locks. 

6. Tie a Yellow Ribbon
You may have thought that all this was over, but we still have A LOT of soldiers out there in harm's way on our behalf. It may not seem to little old you and me like they are out there for us, when they go to places like Afghanistan to help those folks, but then I hear news from Egypt, and I compare it to news from here (which is horrible enough), and I know that our soldiers are out there for us. Case in point, my wonderful brother-in-law. Lt. JDB has just been deployed with his unit of the Army National Guard to Afghanistan, and he'll be gone for almost a year (with a stint in Mississippi first which sounds just as bad). So, as you go to sleep tonight in your safe and A/C'd home, remember all of our loved ones out there, and please pray for their safety. 

Two J's on Mag's #1 list today: and neither one missing her b-day for anything.

Which brings me to...

7. MARGARET's BDAY!! 
Younger siblings aren't allowed to get older (take note, Jono!!), but older ones DO...mwahahhaha. Anyways. Today is Mags bday. Or it was when I started finishing this post...anyways...AUGUST 24th is the best and so is she. You may remember her from her famous stints as guest-blogger here and here and here. Basically click the *snark* tag on the posts, and you'll get them all. Best older sister ever. Most of the time. Prettiest and smartest and most fun. Always.

Always got my back :)

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY lovey. xoxoxo

{7QT} Wait...these are always Random Edition

Joining Jen as always...head back there for the real stuff ;)

1. I mentioned before that Marie was coming.
Well, she did, and it was lovely!  We had great times catching up on our reflective converstations and corralling the boyos into some semblance of normal (ha!). Daniel chose this week to be extra...off his game. Teething? Growth spurt? Both? Yes. All that aside, we'll be missing "fwiend Mawie" now...and our applications to the Royal Geographic Society for the Switching of the States Placement in the Continent has grown again (Ohio-Maine-Washington-NH-Indiana...party over here!). 

2. One of the fun things we did was to go see "Star Trek: Into Darkness" with Steven.
Steve's parents watched the boyos (I *actually* got Daniel to take a third nap to prep for a late night! Wow! I get a prize for that, right?) It was so much fun! Plus there is a dollar theater here...so we all got to go for $3. Yup. True dat. (Any takers on visiting Ohio now?!). Also there was this guy:

Source

A'int nobody hating on a movie with Sherlock. Nope.

3. After sitting on this post for a while, I finally published it today. Reflections started from hearing Mackelmore's 'Same Love'. I hope it's received well; I AM talking about getting along! : )

4. Did you see this?!
Our dear Sr. Agnes Therese Davis (the artist formerly known as Emily), made her First Profession of Vows on Tuesday with the Franciscan Sisters TOR. She's been a novice and postulant there for...three (?) years now, and this is a pretty big deal. 

Also, she is just emits joy, doesn't she? And if you didn't see this from me earlier, check it out as well. This is a song that Sr. Agnes Therese composed. Simply lovely.

5. #35K4SMA
So, I've been trying to get back into running regularly. It is HARD to be disciplined! I went for a week...and then petered out. BUT, I saw this post today from Kelly over @ This A'int the Lyceum. She is a funny and cheery mom of five kids, TWO of whom have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which is basically NOT a walk in the park. Anyhow, she's committing to 7 5K runs to add up to 35K For SMA. It's a fund-raiser-awareness campaign...should I hop on the wagon? :D

6. We went to visit some dear friends last night, and had a blast. We got to see the lambikins that our ram (Mean Black Sheep himself) fathered earlier this year. SO CUTE! Daniel called them "baby". And Leo played outside w/ the boys. In the rain. Basically little guy heaven.

two little ramikins

don't let the face fool you. he had a blast.

7. For those of you who know Davy Crockett personally, and remember (how could we forget?!) that Leo wore this hat constantly (to church. to bed. all. the time.) for about 3 months this past winter/spring, will be happy to know that there is a new sheriff in town. 

Introducing...Daniel Boone!

{7QT} Completely Random Edition

aka Business as Usual

{linking it up with Jen for day #5 of the blog thing and the 7QT}

(day late and dollar short as usual too...)

1. Blessed Mother, hear our prayer, keep those people in your care.
We learned this prayer in first grade, from Sr. Patricia Williams, and she had us pray it whenever we heard a siren go by on Congress Street outside. To this day, when I hear sirens, I pray this prayer. I've started to teach Leo to pray when he hear sirens or see an ambulance. His cosmology has some room for growth, though...he'll say things like "they're going to see Jesus now?". Umm...there's time to iron that one out!

2. Divisions of labor.
After getting annoyed that I have to feed the chickens all the dang time (gol-ly...it takes 15 minutes or less to feed all the animals that we have...::whine whine whine::), I've decided to suck it up and take it on as just something that I do. Steve can still handle the building of 2-story buildings in the back yard, and the car mechanic stuff, and the washing the dishes when I've ignored them long enough and the mowing the lawn and fixing everything etc. etc. etc.

3. Email update.
So, in writing an email to a friend of mine today, I realized that it sounded like a blog. Or maybe my blogging sounds like emails? Maybe all of my writing just sounds the same?--witty and clever and snarky and informative etc., right? ;)

4.Pageviews

After reading here (pg. 14...but I'm not a stalker...) that Grace of Camp Patton fame gets 190K+ pageviews PER MONTH, I pretty much melted away into the blogger unknown-dome forever. I think this amazingly witty, clever, informative blog has gotten 2,847 pageviews TOTAL (not that I check very often or anything) since it's inception two summers ago. Which leads me to...

5. Kiss the being famous goodbye.
I don't share enough of my life for this blog to get anywhere, right? I'm never going to give you as much info and details as Grace and Jen and Kelly give me...so, sorry, not too sorry, I guess I'll stick to my 17 followers and hope to amuse them once in a while ;).

6.Yup, I'm a nurse...So, I get calls from friends/family (ok...maybe 5 calls ever in my nurse career so far...but still!), and they say, "So, since you're a nurse...". Should I tap into this as a source for future blogs? "The top ten things everyone ought to know about antibiotics"? Mostly my advice would be: drink more water, get some rest, call your mom. So...we'll see. Also, I already give myself enough nurse stress (<<wow. read that link!) over my *actual* patients, I don't really need to give myself more of that. Now, bossing people around, however...that would be right up my ally. 

This is a picture of a nurse I found online.
It is here because there are no other pictures in this blog, and that is sad.
You probably stopped reading 3 takes ago because
there were no pictures to break up the monotony.

7. Elaborate bedtimes.
Currently, Daniel is (*knock wood*) pretty easy to get to sleep. Leo requires bath-time, 2 stories, 3 prayers and 2 versions of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and then *maybe* he'll be satisfied enough to stay in bed *and* be quiet for a little while.  What do you guys have to do?

Be sure to head back over to Jen's for more actual 7QTs.

Tune in next time to hear Larry sing..."Everybody's got a waterbuffalo, your's is fast, but mine is slow..."

{7QT} Freiken’ Chickens Edition

The edition wherein I give helpful “tips” about owning chickens. AKA: I convince you that it may just not be worth it after all. Also AKA: why those farm stand eggs cost so much. 

--- 1 ---

Chicks will die. They are really really cute at first, and not very hearty. Brace yourselves.

Very cute. Very fragile. 

--- 2 ---

Actual tip: Have everything prepared in advance of actually having the chickens. This would include appropriate housing for the chickens at each stage of their needy needy growth. Also includes fancy videographic equipment to record yourself chasing chickens around the yard so that you can make a viral YouTube video and become a millionaire—because it ain’t gonna happen by sellin’ those eggs.

Fancy housing for little chicks.
Tote w/ lid cut out and chicken wire attached w/ nuts & bolts.

--- 3 ---

Actual tip #2: A fishing net is THE BEST chicken catcher in the world.

source

{Bonus take} Actual text sent to my sister today: "I am about to attempt to catch my chickens using a fish net. Please pray to the patron saint of that for me to win without to much heartache." Patron Saint of Chickens, for the win! (Apparently St. Brigid of Kildare is the patron saint of chicken farmers. Chicken farmers hang her image on their coops!).

--- 4 ---

Own only so many chickens as you can devote 15 min/ea per day that they escape from your age-appropriate housing that you have prepared in advance. (Translation: all the days you own them.)This is known as the chicken:actual-time-you-have ratio of the farmer and is expressed by the equation:

[x=15c]

where x=amount of time you will spend running around your yard like an idiot trying to catch your chickens (amusing for your neighbors!)and c=the number of chickens you are naïve enough to have purchased.

{Bonus take} Actual text sent to my sister today: "There is not enough chocolate for single motherhood to be a viable option in this world. Idk how they do it. Well, lemme rephrase. Idk how they would do it and have chickens." Translation: major props to you single moms out there. Steve's away on a trip right now, and this makes all the excitement with the chickens you know WAY MORE FUN (ha. ha. ha.). 

--- 5 ---

Actual tip #3: chickens are WAY WAY easier to catch once they have “roosted” for the night. They basically act as though they have had a few too many gin and tonics (gins and tonic?), and you can just pick them right up, saving yourself ALL KINDS OF TIME.

--- 6 ---

I haven’t had to buy any eggs from the store since whenever it was 

last summer that the chickens started to lay eggs. 

--- 7 ---

Chickens eat ticks. I loathe ticks. QED...

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 2): Shout Outs etc.

7 Quick Takes Friday: Shout-outs etc. Edition

1. 

Our seeds came today! 

We ordered approximately 2 bajillion seeds 

from Johnny's Selected Seeds, 

located in Winslow, Maine: 

Shout out to Rebecca Bratten Weiss for making me

 more conscious of where I buy my seeds :0)

2.

Now, I am already wicked pumped that this lovely seed company is in Maine, 

but should I have been surprised that the seeds were delivered in a Volk Packaging box? :o) 

Shout out to Derek Volk and his awesome cardboard crew!

3.

This is the lovely mirror that Steven bought on a local online auction for $2.50. That’s right $2.50!

[The picture doesn't do it justice, but you can see the pretty curtains we bought a while back, 

and none of the clutter on my table. :P] 

Shout -out to Deborah King, 

who I know will be very excited for this :0)

4.

Shout out to my BFFs. 

You know who you are! 4-evah!

But seriously, I am serious. :0) 

xoxoxo

...and I also think these little girls have super-cute swim suits. 

 5.

Shout out to my lovely sister Margaret (so that makes two for her in this blog--awww!),

 who loves me way much. Way much meaning she mailed me a 

whole entire *big* bag of these for a Valentine. 

xoxoxo

6. 

So, kind of returning to item #1, now that we have "approximately 2 bajillion" seeds, 

we've got to get them started...and we're thinking about doing some farmer's market stuff this year. 

Whether that means I'll get my act together and get one going here in town, 

or I grow stuff and then pawn it off on unsuspecting other people...remains to be seen.  

But those little packets are deceivingly small for how much potential they contain. 

(There is some philosophical life lesson in that, isn't there?)

7.

You really can't get enough of this guy can you?

He is making a strange face because he is still wary of the papparazzi and doesn't like his picture being taken.

This is his Davy Crockett hat. He wears it everywhere, 

and everyone asks him if he's Davy or Daniel Boone. 

Sometimes he tells them, sometimes he just shows them his gun, which is whatever household (or outdoor) item that is currently serving as his side-arm. This week it's his "stick gun", which you can see in the bottom left-hand corner of the picture. 

Of course, 7QT was started by Jen, over at Conversion Diary :0)

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 1)

7 Quick Takes Friday

("7 Quick Takes Friday" was started and is hosted

by blogger Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary)

So, if you stopped by for a visit today, here's what you'd get from me.  Thoughts on several things, all connecting in my brain...swirling around and--here ya go. 

-1-

BABIES - the world needs more of them.

Read: "America's Baby Bust" by Jonathan V. Last in The Wall Street Journal

Nope, not kidding. The whole over-population-crowding out the globe thing just isn’t the case. In fact, we’re shrinking, and have been since the early 1970s (ring a bell, anyone?), with only a slight blip of growth called the Baby Boom.  With contracting populations come economic problems, go figure. 

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death." 

--from Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Gods of the Copybook Headings

-2-

Tolerance – see the other post--I got too long-winded for comment here...

-3-

Could you ever resist this smile?

I am reminded again this week how blessed I am to have a team-mate in this parenting adventure. Steve has been away to Texas for work—and “single-mom” is just...hard!

-4-

I almost forgot to say something controversial about guns. I’ll let Ted do it for me. There’s also "The Gun is Civilization" by Maj. L. Caudill, USMC (Ret), which you can find here.

-5-

Lent is coming! (--look busy!)

Look here for suggestions on the prayer, fasting, almsgiving J

-6-

And here my late-night blogging was interrupted by Leo’s late-night hollering and my discovery of his spiking a fever L. Having sick kiddos is not fun, and can often be scary for Mommas; I think this is largely in part because they can’t really tell you what is wrong.  And on this note, did you know that February 11^th is World Day of the Sick? and that the sick and their care-givers can get a plenary indulgence? Yup. That’s right. Oh, you didn’t realize indulgencies were still a thing? Yes indeedy.

-7-

I’ll leave you with a pep talk for your day.

“You got air coming through your nose!”