Young Marriage (at CMO)

I have not been posting much of late, as I have been exceedingly busy. It is that time of year where Mommies have lots to do. Catholic Mothers Online ran another of my posts today, my topic was young marriage. Do stop over there and take a looksee! Feel free to leave comments either here or there, I love to hear from you.

I hope all the US readers had a blessed Thanksgiving! Though we had a few vehicle glitches, we did manage to make it to where we were heading for Thanksgiving, and I was surrounded by my six baby loves, as well as my father, sister, and her family. It was a lovely day, made possible through the help of friends when it seemed that the cars in my life conspired to keep me stranded at home.

And now, Advent is upon us. May God bless you as you prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

Fearless Friday, On Saturday

Ah, it is Saturday and I am just getting to this. Well, better late than never!



Today I would like to remember some friends (in no particular order) with medical needs:

1. Sweet Mary who is battling cancer. This is her first blog.

2. Jen who is a momma and is undergoing treatments as well.

3. Debbie who is battling stomach cancer.

4. A young man, J, who is a heart transplant recipient, having his annual 'roto-rooter' cath done to check for any signs of rejection. His cath is on the 17th, please remember him and his family in your prayers. He will be 20 years old in December.

5. Baby Anna, who is now out of the hospital after staying in about 3 weeks for what was expected to be about 5 days. She is doing well, settling back into her family routine, at home. Thanks be to God.




I know this prayer is small, but it is the only way I could get it on here. If I did it right, you should be able to click on it and it will enlarge for you.

Also, prayers for young people. In particular:

1. A college student discerning next year's plan.

2. A teen with a new driver's permit.

3. A young girl who is suffering with anxiety.

4. A young man in some minor legal trouble assigned to work community service hours.

5. The confirmation students as they prepare to become soldiers of Christ.

6. All who are preparing for Sacraments such as Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Marriage, or who are discerning a vocation.



And, because I have read 3 books recently, where the main characters were immigrants or dealing with discrimination of some sort due to their immigration, I would like to pray for all of the immigrants who are trying to adjust to life in their new homeland (hopefully legally!!)



Lastly, because it is Native American month, I would like to pray for all Native American people. Especially those who still suffer under discrimination, live in squalor, or are suffering on reservations. This is definitely a black mark on our American history, and we should do what we can through prayer, alms, charity, and any assistance we can offer.

O God, who, among the many marvels of Your Grace in the New World, did cause to blossom on the banks of the Mohawk and of the St. Lawrence, the pure and tender Lily, Kateri Tekakwitha, grant we beseech You, the favor we beg through her intercession, that this Young Lover of Jesus and of His Cross may soon be counted among the Saints of Holy Mother Church, and that our hearts may be enkindled with a stronger desire to imitate her innocence and faith. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.


Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.



God bless, and feel free to add your prayers into the comments. You are always in my prayers. This post is linked to Angie's Fearless Friday over at Free Spirit Haven.

Fearless Friday: Holy Souls Edition

November being the month of the dead, I'm going to take today and pray for the Holy Souls.

For an explanation of this Catholic practice, please go here. You can also read more here.

If you would like anyone remembered here, please add their names to the comments.

I wish to remember the souls of all the faithful departed, and in a special way:

*my mother, Kathleen

*Mary Katherine

*Irene and William

*Frank and Thelma

*Frank and Mary

*Mary and Doug

*Helen and Hal

*Loretta

*Agnes

and all those unnamed in my heart and yours today. Again, feel free to list names in the comments section.

UPDATE: Carol left these names in the comment box, to be added to our list of prayers:

Joining with you in praying for the holy souls.

Some of my deceased loved ones:

Jimmy

Flo

Pat

Robert

Ellen

Howie

God bless!

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in Peace.

More prayers can be found here.

UPDATE: Sweet Mary left this in my comments box today, I wanted to bring it up to the main post:

I'm on a loaner computer since my computer has been totally fried by that virus.
Is it too late to ask for prayers for
1. Bennett family - we've been hit by the bill tsunnami, and are overwhelmed.

2. Matthew that he finds a job, and the job is in his field

3. Peace of Mind for me, every so often I am overwhelmed by my future

4. Michael and his broken arm, that it heal correctly and well.

Thank-you!

This post is linked to Fearless Friday.

Great Health Information

This is news to me! Go see what our friend Michel has to say about Coconut oil for weight loss over at the Health and Fitness Fairy!!

And check out this video from Dr. Mercola:

Fearless Friday: Cancer Prayers

It is Friday, and you know what that means! It is a day where I join Angie and everyone else in Prayer.

This week I would like to pray for cancer victims and their families. Cancer is a devastating illness. Emotionally, spiritually, physically devastating, and it can be devastating to relationships.

As always I remember Sweet Mary.

This week I add the memory of my mother, who was physically devastated by cancer 5 years ago. Today would have been her 66th birthday if she survived. Her name was Kathleen.

I also add my dear friend, Debbie. This week she was diagnosed with esophageal and stomach cancer. She has a 36 cm tumor in her stomach. Please pray for her. She is a mommy, and a caregiver for her elderly father. She is only 51 years young.

Click on the pic for a link to the prayer and the source of the pic.


O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you. (Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying) Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

This post is linked to Fearless Friday.

Rednesday: Halloween Edition

We went to a Halloween show last Saturday night, to benefit the Cerebral Palsy Center. What fun it was!! We knew two of the performers. The show was primarily a chorus singing oldies tunes, changed up a bit for the theme. The kids laughed through the whole show. We were given the tickets as a gift, and it was a fun time. Even the oldest made it to the show! This guy was guarding the door. No one was getting in without a ticket!! :)

Happy Halloween!

Fearless Friday: A parent's heart

As a parent, I have found the most difficult times in my life have been when my children are sick. Thankfully, for most of us, even serious illnesses in our children end up just a memory down the road. But when you are going through something really difficult, at that time it is the most frightening thing in the world, seeing your baby (no matter how old) helpless. Today I would like to pray for all those mommies and daddies who are struggling with their own fears while trying to keep a brave face up for their children. And of course, I would like to pray for the children who struggle with the illnesses which have their parents tied up in knots.

In particular, today:

1. Anna, 14 months old, who has an annular pancreas, and had corrective surgery on the 20th. She is still in the hospital. Go see her parents' blog and leave them some love and prayers.

2. Affectionately called Monster by his mother on her blog, is a young man who has endured so much in his 19 years. He is doing well now, and they are adjusting to a "new normal" as she calls it. Prayers for the family.

3. Mary Katherine, the baby I spoke of here, and her family. While she is not sick, she has left a hole in the hearts of her family. They do not have a blog, so I have no link to offer aside from the one where I spoke of how she touched me. Please remember this family, and their sweet baby, in your prayers.

Also, a parent's heart suffers when they are the one with the illness.

1. I remember speaking with someone who was only an acquaintance of mine a few years ago. Always a health and fitness nut, she was surprised to learn she had developed lung cancer. I do not know her story, I do not know if she had any unusual exposure, or if she had been a smoker herself, though my impression was she had not been. What I do know is she shared with me how sad she was that her girls were "older, but still very young." At the time her daughter and mine were in the early high school years, and she had one daughter in college. She knew she would not see either girl graduate from their current schools, grow to be married, meet her grandchildren, grow old with her husband. She passed away about two years ago, and her words have stayed with me. Please remember Midge in your prayers today.

2. Sweet Mary. She has two blogs: Mary Bennett and The Big C-Catholic, Cancer, Cured.
She is a mother, wife, and she is waging a full war against cancer. She has been struggling but keeps up a brave face for all of us, I think she does not tell us all she is going through, therefore, we must pray harder for her mommy's heart, her health, and her full recovery. Please stop by and visit her, strengthen her with your prayers.

And for those not mentioned here, or not known to me, please remember all the parents suffering, in one way or another, with health issues. Whether it be their own, or their child's illness, a parent always worries about the effects on the health of their child (ren).



At times like these, when a parent's heart is worried, I turn to the Blessed Mother for comfort. Who, better than she, understands the suffering of a momma's heart? She who lost her only son, raised him knowing what his obligations were, and still did as she was asked by Our Lord. She knows the suffering of a parent all too well, therefore, I fly to her protection when the parent in me is needing comfort and reassurance.



Prayer in Honor of the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary



Most holy and afflicted Virgin,
Queen of Martyrs,
you stood beneath the cross,
witnessing the agony of your dying Son.
Look with a mother's tenderness and pity on me,
who kneel before you.
I venerate your sorrows
and I place my requests
with filial confidence
in the sanctuary of your wounded heart.

Present them, I beseech you,
on my behalf to Jesus Christ,
through the merits of His own most sacred passion and
death,
together with your sufferings obtain the granting of my petition.
To whom shall I have recourse in my wants and miseries
if not to you, Mother of Mercy?
You have drunk so deeply of the chalice of your Son,
you can compassionate our sorrows.

Holy Mather, your soul was pierced
by a sword of sorrow
at the sight of the passion of your Divine Son.
Intercede for me and obtain for me from our Lord

(State your intention here....)

it it be for His honor and glory,
and for my good.

Amen.


This post is linked with Fearless Friday.

How can anyone doubt there is a God after reading this story?


Newborn Saved from Dumpster by Man who Later Finds Out He's the Father

Obviously, God has plans for both Daddy and baby.

H/T to ProWoman ProLife

20 Years of Wedded Bliss!

It has not always been perfect, but the sum total of all of our years together is 20 years of wedded bliss.

10-20-10 = 20 years for my husband and me.

This is 10-20-90

Isn't the church beautiful? I regret that the ugly (and long since removed) chandelier blocks the view of the breathtaking stained glass window. I tried to find it online but could not.

This is in the limosine after the Mass, before pictures.

Notice the red bouquet?

I wanted all red, but my Mom said it was too dramatic for a bride to carry all red.

Too dramatic? I can laugh now...

This picture is on the steps of the chapel at Vassar College.

We were not married there, but it was walking distance from the church.

We did not walk, however, we took the limo.

Back to dramatic...

The extra-long cathedral train was pretty dramatic.

As was the head gear! Look at that 1990 poof!

And the sleeves? Maybe we should not discuss the sleeves from 1990!

Oh, how I loved that dress!

To tell the truth, I still do!

And this, this is my beautiful Mommy, wearing her very dramatic, red corsage!

We lost her 5 years ago on 11-20-2005

When this picture was taken, she was one year older than I am today.

One year from now I hope to look half this good!

Happy anniversary to the other half of my heart, my soulmate.

I pray God blesses us with at least another 20 more!

This post is linked to Rednesday. The perfect day for my anniversary as I love all things RED. My love of red should be obvious, after viewing my bridal bouquet!! Happy Rednesday!!

Unplanned break

What a crazy week that was! Last week was so crazy I did not even get any posts up, not even for Fearless Friday!



The Oldest needed some scholarship papers filled out, I had some personal papers to gather and file, a class I had to take, company to entertain, my outside jobs to do, homeschooling, my classes, multiple places to run with the children, and a little one who has had a bit of a health crisis. In the midst of last week, this....











...which is exactly the pot I have, and creates the coffee from heaven (I am absolutely certain God has a French press)...







...made me feel like this:

when this happened:

So, how did I deal with this unplanned break? I took to my bed and dealt with the flutterings of my poor nerves.

Don't I wish I could be Mrs. Bennett for a day and indulge my poor nerves?

Instead, I consumed camp coffee while I handled all of my real-life stress. Not the least of which is my broken coffee press. Sadly, as hubbins has only gotten one pay check, this is not in the budget to replace just yet. Maybe next week.

Sooo, if I want coffee with the family, we have camp coffee. And my son is getting fairly good at making this concoction. While it pales in comparison to my press, it is consumable and it will keep my veins pumping with their daily dose of caffeine!

And in case you would like to try camp coffee too (insert snickering sounds):

COWBOY COFFEE

You think the cowboys look like that because of their hard life on the trail. Well, I am here to tell you, it is because of their coffee! Click on the photo to go to anyjazz65, the flicker user who took the photo.


Method: Remove boiling water from heat and add ground coffee. Let sit until grounds sink to the bottom, then carefully scoop out coffee with a dipper and pour in your cup. A steady hand can keep from stirring up the grounds, which I can assure you - you do NOT want in your cup. Variations: adding a spot of cold fresh water to the sitting pot helps the grinds sink faster, as does tapping the side of the pot with a spoon.

Taste: Pretty good, considering the low-tech brewing method.

Pros: A good method for serving multiple people at once, if you have a large enough saucepan or kettle.

Cons: Long wait time for the grounds to sink. Messy to clean up. Very easy to get a mouthful of grounds. There's also a lot of wasted coffee in the bottom of the pot.

And, just so you do not feel too badly for me, my son did find in the recesses of the cabinet, a long ago forgotten single cup press. If I get really desperate for coffee during the day, he makes me a cup at a time!! He is a good boy.