Spring Bug

I spied pretty yellow buds blooming on my neighbor's tree.  I love that tree but I also dread the implication of its awakening.  It means itchy eyes and throat and rib-breaking sneezes.  It means a drugged-up state to survive the onslaught of Spring.  Spring fever also means hay fever.

It doesn't help that this is the third week of illness in our home.  We missed out on all the St. Patrick's Day festivities and the girl nearly missed her Confirmation retreat.  As of today, all children have had a combination of sore throat, fever and coughing. Hopefully the eldest, who is the current victim of this bug, will be the last.  Then we can just look forward to playing sports and being out of the house as much as we can, so help me allergy-medicine!

Speaking of sports,  The Baking Girl is running track this year.  She missed a week of practices due to the above mentioned illness but she is excited about her first meet.  Taking after her dad, she's the runner in the family.  She might be the one to actually get me to tie my shoe laces to run one of these days.  I make no promises but I never say never.  The middle child is playing football after taking a year off from our old league.  He was burned out after an extended season playing for an all-star team.  I wasn't even sure if he would ever play baseball again on his own volition. This is the first year he is playing for the parish school and he is already getting a reputation for being "the player".  I told him to just have fun and work hard but not to worry about being the all-star player.  The oldest is also playing baseball.  That makes for a crazy calendar with three different practice and game schedules. Thank the Lord for carpooling!

And then there's Lent. Did it feel like it went pretty fast this year?  It sure went fast for me. Normally by the time Holy Week comes around we are almost done with Spring cleaning as we prepare to host Easter.  The only thing I have done is to wash the carpet and only because there was a stain I could no longer ignore.  I have remnants of Christmas yet to be put away and a cleaning checklist that have yet to make it on paper.  Despite the appearance of being behind I'm actually not stressing out. I was done stressing out about cleaning when the kids became old enough to take on big chores. 

I hope you all are having a spiritually fruitful Lent.  Are you ready for Holy Week?

a Spring sunset to hush my complaining

Hope Springs Eternal

 "If you are nothing do you forget that Jesus is everything? You have only to lose your nothingness in His Infinity and think only of loving Him" - St. Therese of Lisieux

My Lenten devotional encouraged me to consider and write down my good qualities and the good things I have to offer.  It also encouraged me not to think like the Samaritan woman at the well stewing on the things I have done wrong or mistakes I have made.

Many years ago this would not be a hard task to do, I could write a book series singing my own praises. But alas, age combined with better self-knowledge has put a stumbling block on my ability to conjure goodness next to my name.  I am not saying this to gain praise or pity or feign humility. I am saying this because every time I ponder Him who is all-good and all Truth, the darkness of my soul is illumined with shame. I stew on the shame for awhile.  Then I leave that shame on the cross.  Then that cross brings me the comfort of contrition, hope for conversion and joy in gratitude. 

Conversion. Ugh. I feel like I am on that unending treadmill of conversion, running but not really getting anywhere. This is why I love and need Lent. Upon that cross is He who is my everything.  Even if I cannot think of what is good about me, I can see the good that He has done for me. In the absence of my own laurels His crown of thorns cast a halo of triumph. There is hope for me :-) 

Happy third week of Lent.

Coming Up For Air

Winter is a messy affair.  The slush, the ice, the fog and frigid temperature...sigh.  I have been happily holed up in my cave so I have nothing awful to say.  My laundry bin is empty. School work is up to speed and I finally gave in to that dangling carrot that is Kindle Unlimited as I re-kindle my love affair with books.

Lent is Lent.  I have no formal assessment yet as to how my Lent is going.  It's only been two weeks.  I can, however, say that it has been different this year.  I am at a place where there is joy on the cross and I have wept myself to joyful tears over this cross. I think the joy is coming from age and life experience.  There are enough years behind me where I can look back and no longer deny the abundant grace and mercy that the cross has paved in my life. I can trust.  I can love freely.  I can be truly thankful. And I can also truly pray, for your intentions and mine.

I am trying to surround myself with beauty. I'm reading blogs with pretty words (not just pretty, fleeting ideas),  I'm reading books that make my heart ache and long and work for beauty.  The beauty I talk about is not just a physical beauty (although I should probably work on that too hahaha) but the beauty of love, hope and faith. I am trying to be less pragmatic and be more of a romantic.  One can only sustain a pragmatist point of view before encountering despair. Winter and despair a good match does not make.

I am looking forward to Daylight Savings time.  There's Spring sports, Confirmation preparation, feasts and fasts and all those good things that come with Easter expectations.  These cold nights will pass sooner.

But before all of that I have some more Winter pictures to share-

this right here is the love of my life, server of my burnt breakfast, everyday!  No, the toast isn't burnt everyday but he serves me toast everyday

quiet time

slippin' and slidin' all the way to church

playing in the snow under the light of the moon

our pitiful fire pit keeps us warm outdoors

foggy, cold, dreary outside but warm and cozy inside. I still love Winter.

May your Winter days pass quickly and may your Lent be truly holy.