The little gal in the photo above? She will be graduating in one short month... ...and suddenly we've entered the season of "lasts." The last choir concert, the last high school play, the last time Mom sneaks into her room to steal I mean, borrow a cute pair of earrings... How did she get here? How did I? Grace, more grace … [Read more...]
Ready, Set…Redemption! A Begin-Again Guide to Advent (Part II)
I fear I got a bit carried away last Friday. I was so happy to be blogging again that I lost track of the original intention—which was, a post on Advent preparation—and veered madly down the path of family updates. Forgive me. Part I was an appetizer—my begin-again at blogging after a 3-month hiatus. Part II, please God, is the meat and … [Read more...]
Ready, Set…Redemption! A Begin-Again Guide to Advent
Part I Note (aka Warning) to Reader: I've been away awhile and am feeling wordy. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to setting sail on the sea of life, my little boat bounces around a LOT. I’m 52; you’d think I’d have things figured out! Still. I think I’m getting there. Do you want to know my secret for calming down the … [Read more...]
Some Thoughts on Spring and Mindful Living
Long story short: Gather ye rosebuds petals while ye may! That’s the super-abridged version of what it means to practice mindful living. But since when have I ever kept things brief? Come, Holy Spirit, come! Help me to say what I long to say about these stunningly beautiful trees. First, the bad news: The springtime … [Read more...]
Where I’ve Been and Where I’m Going: a Journey from Overwhelm to Here
So we all have our ways of coping with overwhelm. Clearly mine was to step away from this blog for several months and just....deal. ‘Cause that’s what I’ve been doing but now? I’m back. 😋 Back on Track and Feeling Fine To bring you up to speed and because not everyone’s on Facebook, here’s the briefest of recaps. May 1st was the one-year … [Read more...]
A Free Pre-Valentine’s Day Message (Good for Ash Wednesday, too)
Do you love your husband? Then love your husband. Love your husband the way he needs to be loved. * * * I was at Walmart this morning picking up 4 40-lb bags of water softener salt. (Totally romantic, right?! True love means doing the heavy lifting yourself sometimes.) There were heart-covered vases, heart-bearing teddy bears, and enormous … [Read more...]
Stranger Things & Scary Smartphones: Part II
How a Hit #Netflix Series is Helping me Parent This is a 3-Part Series on the Need to Establish Smartphone Monitoring, including (but not limited to) a Stranger Things list of what to do and NOT do. (You can read Part I HERE.) Okay, okay, I get it. Part 1 was written eight years ago and you're thinking...What the heck, Margaret?! Why's … [Read more...]
Am I not your Mother? Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mine and YOURS ♥
This post was originally published on 12/12/13. I am sure you appreciate my recycling! What do you love most about today's feast? Is it the beautiful, colorful, miraculous image? Is it the humility--the littleness--of Saint Juanito Diego? Or is it the very good excuse to eat good Mexican food? Pour me another margarita, … [Read more...]
When Being Hyper-Controlling went Poorly for Me
Or: The Mom I was vs. the Mom I am, 20 years and 7 kids later. Warning: This story comes with a moral attached and gets a little bit…raw at times. If you do not wish to profit from my hard-earned wisdom, (ha), or feel uncomfortable dealing with difficult themes, here’s a cute kitty meme: Now scoot, ‘cause some shit's about to … [Read more...]
Going Places: a Midlife Reflection & Modern Map Art Review
Once, for Christmas, my four sisters and I drew names for a gift exchange. My sister Mary was surprised, I think, when I told her the "boring" gift that I had in mind: an atlas. I wanted an atlas. Because I wanted the world. To this day, I love maps and traveling, but am not {currently} at a stage in my life when I can go very far. … [Read more...]
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