Post Christmas illness!

Well, apparently I have succumbed to the sickness that my children have been sharing for the last several weeks.  It started on Christmas Eve, but I figured I was just exhausted from all the activity and lack of sleep.  As it turns out, I must have been brewing something.  I have been sporting a low grade fever (highest was 100.9) and a cough that sounds like I'm dying!  As a matter of fact, it's one of those coughs that make you dizzy. 

I went to work today, against my better judgement.  Ended up coming home around lunch time.  I've slept on and off all afternoon.  Had some soup for dinner and I've been laying around since.  I don't feel good...but I can't really pin point what the problem is.  Just general uckiness.

I have lots to share with you about our Christmas!  Lots to say, and lots of pictures to show you.  I promise to get this done as soon as I have some energy.  BTW, my laptop died...so I've been using Dan's for the last several days.  It's a pain to access my email and impossible to access my pictures.  Hopefully, things will be back to normal soon.

In the meantime, I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2011!

Although I'm grateful for all of the blessings that I have received, I'll be glad to have 2011 behind me.  I guess, for me, starting from a clean slate gives me hope.  It gives me some encouragement that times will get better and this dark cloud that has been hanging over me will give way to some clearer skys!

I'm not going to pretend that everything is hunky-dory.  I can't.  But I can see some improvement over the last few days.  For one thing, the weather has been cooler.  Not as cool as I'd like it to be...but as cool as it's going to get for Florida.  I'm not exactly sure why the weather is so intimately connected to my mood...but it is.

I thought I would share with you two things that I've come across lately that has really uplifted my mood.

1.  I love liturgical calendars.  Sanctus Simplictus has a wonderful example (along with down loadable resources) that you can make yourself!  Although the new Liturgical Year started a few weeks ago....it's still a good way to start off the year!

2.  I found a new free app for my phone called....Google Sky Map!  I spent about an hour outside last night just checking out the sky.  The brightest star out last night turned out to be a planet instead....it was Jupiter!  What an awesome tool!  I even used it today (even though I can't see any stars)....you will love this app!

Anyway, thank you all for your support, your loving kindness, you comments and suggestions, and mostly, your prayers and your friendship.

Have a wonderful, safe and happy new year!

Welcome, 2011!

Happy New Year!  Is it just me or did this year go by really, really fast?  Honestly, I don't feel ready for it to be January 2nd.  I've already spent about 2 hours preparing for school to start tomorrow morning!   I printed off a really nice prayer in honor of The Most Holy Name of Jesus which is celebrated tomorrow.  We'll pray the prayer and then use it for some copy work.....I thought it would be good to use as a "warm up" to get them back in the swing of things.

We got a call from one of the basketball coaches at our parish school tonight.  Apparently, they are one kid short for one of the teams and he wanted to know if Nathan would be interested in playing.  We made the decision to go ahead and say yes, even though he just finished up with soccer.  One of the reasons is that we really LOVE this coach and I was so touched that he wanted Nathan on his team!  The practices are reasonable...just once a week and the games are all on Saturdays. 

During this Christmas break, I've learned that two of my elementary school classmates have been diagnosed with cancer.  One with testicular cancer and another with stage 4 Melanoma (brain tumor).  When does this ever end?  It seems that every time I turn around, I hear of someone else who has been stricken with this disease.  It's heart wrenching!   In addition to all of that, my nephew is back in the hospital again.  He is suffering with ulcerative colitis/Crohns disease.  I can't even keep count of how many flare ups he's had in the last year.  I would say that this is at least his 4th hospitalization in the past 12 months!  Please keep him in your prayers. 

There is also another very close family member that is suffering with fibromyalgia.  Recently, her doctors have decided to do some additional testing as her symptoms seem to be more indicative of M.S.  She will undergo a spinal tap sometime in the next 2 weeks.  Apparently this will be the deciding factor in her diagnosis.  I also ask that you would keep her in your prayers as well!

We managed to get all of our Christmas decorations down and put away this afternoon.  This was bittersweet for me.  I have a love/hate relationship with holiday decorations!  The living room looks so bare now!  However, if 2011 is anything like 2010, Christmas will be here again before we know it!

Well, that's my quick update for now.   It shouldn't be too long before I'm back into the routine again.

What's been going on in your neck of the woods?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and Happy Feast Day to Mary, Mother of God!

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

There are actually 3 Feast Days celebrated today.... The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, The circumcision of Our Lord and The New Year Celebration. Here is a great site with lots of information on the history of this Feast Day. And here you will find a list of feasts, prayers, activities as well as resources honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a very special day and I can't think of a better way to start this year.

I think that we can all agree that there are many challenges waiting for us in 2009. Some things we will have control over...and others...we won't. I guess I'm just grateful for another clean slate...another whole 12 months with nothing set in stone and nothing written on the calendar (which, by the way, I don't have yet)!

We have 19 days until the new president takes office. We should be able to get at least one novena completed before then! We will need it....he will need it!! The economic situation looks bleak...at least for those who have placed all of their eggs in one basket. Now, for those of us who have few eggs....or no basket....we will continue to live pretty much by faith...which is how I believe God wants us to live anyway. If we do that, then any success we may have will be because of the grace and mercy of God. I tend to forget that when things are going well.

For me, I want to really and truly sit down and take a look at my life and decide what is really important. I want to try to see and know the difference between "wants" and "needs" and not have that line so cloudy. What can I do without? What do those around me need? How am I showing the love of God on a daily basis?

These are the things that I'm reflecting on as 2009 begins. How about you? What goals to you have?

One of my most favorite Scriptures is John 3:30..."He must increase and I must decrease". Isn't that so true? I'm thinking of a song that we sing in church sometimes....I can't remember the title but the line I love is...."O Lord you are the center of my life..." Oh, to be able to live more like the song talks about! I will work towards that this year.

This is my prayer for you this year....that you (we) may move closer to Our Lord and His Mother!

Have a wonderful New Year!!!

From our house to yours!!

I just wanted to take this time to wish all of you a healthy and happy new year! May 2009 bring you nearer to Our Lord and His Mother!!

See you next year!!!!

***Incidentally, Dan took this picture of the kids last night! They were having a "camp out" in the backyard. By the time the temperature reached 46 degrees....my little native Floridian children were too cold...and they came running back in!!!!*****