In a nutshell: The food & the booze are meant to give glory to God but can become an addiction when used as a means to an end. How's that for a happy 4th of July blog post? :-) This morning I went to confession face-to-face. "My mom died two months ago," I began. "My dad is dying and my son leaves for the Marines in two weeks. … [Read more...]
Going Home to North Dakota
The June 2017 Edition This will be a post largely told in pictures because when it comes to an altogether too brief family reunion... ...who needs words? Okay, here's a little background. We went home last week—five of my kids and me—to see my Daddy, my brother, my cousin Jim (who was on his way to my parents' hometown), … [Read more...]
Back in the (Blogging) Saddle Again
Alrighty, then, I'm just gonna do it. ("It" being write a blog post.) My posting average is very low these days--only two, maybe three posts a month—but I would like very much to get back in the habit (i.e. saddle) of writing—so I am going to try the ol' One-Post-a-Day-for-30-Days. Encourage me, please! Or don't and merely think … [Read more...]
Words of Advice from a Grateful Heart: Ten Funeral Tips for the Grieving
This blog post has been on my heart since the funeral. Many of you are or will be going through this process with your parents. With that in mind, I'd like to share ten funeral tips to hopefully help you along the way. * * * We buried our beautiful mother on May Day, four short weeks ago. We laid her to rest on the Feast of St. Joseph the … [Read more...]
The Face of Four
Last night, three friends and I went out for a drink. Amidst the happy chatter, the chips, & the margaritas, I felt compelled—nay, inspired—to tell one (or two) cute kid stories. "I hope you're writing these down," my friend Karen remarked, which was all the prompt needed to get my butt back on the blog. This kid? The one standing on the … [Read more...]
Rest in Peace, dear Mama
We’re never ready to lose the people we love, even when we know they are ready to go. My dear sweet Mama passed away on Monday morning—peacefully, in her sleep, around 9:00 a.m. in Breckenridge, Minnesota. It was a bittersweet departure, as she was to be joining my father that day at his Assisted Living facility. God has a greater plan, … [Read more...]
God, I need You.
I hit bottom on Holy Thursday and yet, today, I’m feeling joyful. Do you need me to go into all my obsessive-addictive failures? Probably not, because I’m sure you all have your own transgressions, unless—unless—you’re one of those perfectly penitential people I so admire. I am not perfectly penitential. In fact, I pretty much stink at … [Read more...]
A God Moment Morning for a Poor Miserable Mom
I had a God Moment this morning—greatly needed, believe you me, after the sad, self-pitying night before! I took this picture on my way to bed. Much like the random spoon lying on our book of poetry, I felt out of place in my own home, annoyed by the "selfish" behaviors of certain family members (while completely ignoring my own wooden beam) … [Read more...]
The Simple Woman’s Daybook
The post-Chicago Edition This blog post is dedicated to my dear friend Barbara, who asked me to write a post about LIFE. It was inspired by Peggy's blog, where the daybook idea originated. For Today I am happy to be back in this space. I miss blogging dearly—I miss the connections—and I am getting close to maybe (please, God) finding a … [Read more...]
Our Daughters, their Dads, Our Sons, Ourselves
A Briefish Treatise on Movie Role Models Margaret the Blogger is back (one month later!) with yet another #StreamTeam review. Sheesh. You’d think I’d pop in more often than this. It’s almost like I’m in college again, with this #StreamTeam gig my monthly term paper. I’m writing this hastily…my March review…on the last day of March … [Read more...]
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