Looking Behind and then Ahead

Here are 10 things that about me 10 years ago that are not true today:

1. The only shoes I would wear were Converse All Stars

2. I had never clipped coupons before

3. My best friend had red hair

4. You could not bribe me to wear a dress

5. I wanted to go to Franciscan University and become a theologian

6. My idea of a fun weekend was the Diocesan youth gatherings or conferences

7. I drove a messy, Plymouth Acclaim, named Mildred

8. Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, and Helium often blared from my stereo

9. Yes, I would drive through awful rush hour traffic to be the first in line to see a show

10. I would pick all of the onions out of my food

Here are 10 things about me that were not true 10 years ago, but describe me now:

1. I have an strong disliking of trousers on women

2. I bake bread almost every week

3. I homeschool my children

4. I think my parents are cool

5. The Latin Mass and the whole Catholic Faith

6. I can change a diaper blindfolded

7. I would rather spend time at home than go out

8. I listen to Classical music and like it

9. I really like tomatoes

10. I figured out that becoming a little more like my mom wasn't so bad

In the next ten years I hope to:

1. Finally buy Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

2. Visit my best friend and her family in Wisconsin

3. Convince my best friend and her husband to move closer to us ;)

4. Buy a house

5. Have at least 4 more children

6. Have a better prayer life

7. Live near a CMRI chapel with mass every Sunday and holy day

8. Have more family living nearby

9. Learn to either knit, sew clothing, or some other skill

10. Take a really fun vacation, either to the Western US or Europe (not likely)

Happy New Year!

2008, in Review:

January: Started the year off with morning sickness and settling in to our new place.

February: Got strep throat and a suprise visit from my parents. My secondgodson was also born.

March: Got older, wiser and had a very sorrowful event.

April: Not much. Here is a picture of the birthday cake I made myself.

May: Married 6 years! Boo turned 5. Got stranded at the car repair shop the night before our annual trip to Ohio.

June: Went to the Botannical Gardens, settled into new place, did not finish unpacking, and continued to grow a huge tummy.

July: Darling Hubby celebrated his birthday.

August: God blessed us with our third child. Born on the same day as his departed Grammy and Great Grammy.

September: Started school back up. Baby "Ham" became a child of God.

October: Celebrated All Saint's Day in style. Made annual trip to White Mountains.

November: Uncle Frank RIP. Meenie turned 3.

December: A Christmas visit from Mom and the passing of my Great-Grandpa Bob.

You know you are loved...

when someone wraps your present like this. And when you smile and giggle, they don't get mad. They even ask you what you are laughing about, when they already know the answer. I won't say who wrapped this, but I really did get a laugh out of it.

A valiant effort indeed!

New disease that only affects mothers...

I think it is called MADD, no wait, I believe that name is taken. But I can't remember. There are a lot of things I cannot remember lately, but maybe it is because of all of the stress and goings on in preparation for the biggest and most stressful event of the year. Yes--you guessed it. My mother is coming to visit. I've been busying about cleaning so that my mother will think I have changed and that I am not as messy as I actually am.

So, in my whirlwind cleaning tour, which has been derailed by brownies and milk at least once, I made a big blunder. I woke up to get the baby and change him early one morning. There was a strange sound coming from the kitchen. My heart sank, I thought the dishwasher was broken. The dishwasher is my favorite appliance (please don't tell the fridge). So I was listening to it, inspecting it, and examining it to see where this noise was coming from;then I noticed that someone had left the faucet on all night long. Yes, I was sure for about 10 seconds that it was not possibly my fault. But then I decided that since nothing was damaged, and nothing overflowed, that it was ok if it was my fault. We all know that serious mistakes need to be blamed on someone else, right? right?!

Yes, in my haste, I was filling up a pot to soak, which would not fit into the dishwasher and while it filled, MADD (not the organization) Mother Attention Deficit Disorder got the best of me. Yes, I shut off the light and went on my merry way, cleaning and tidying up, never to go back into the kitchen that night. And I left the water on, all night long.

You Are Boggle

You are an incredibly creative and resourceful person. You're able to dig deep and think outside the box to get things done. You are a non linear thinker. You don't like following directions You draw your inspiration from the strangest places sometimes. You're constantly inspired.

What Board Game Are You?

Letter A Boy's Names

Ok, so I really love baby names. Catholic baby names. Here are my top A boy-name picks, 2 lists, one for common names, and one for uncommon, in no particular order.

1. Adrian


2. Antonio


3. Anselm


4. Ambrose


5. Athanasius


6. Andre


7. Angelo


8. Alessio


9. Augustine


10. Armand

1. Adien


2. Alexander


3. Anthony


4. Andrew


5. Adam


6. Alan

A Remembrance

My Great-Grandfather passed away nearly two weeks ago. As far as natural virtues go, he had many of them. He was a kind and generous person. I also thought he was very patient and slow to anger, but of course I have no idea what he was like when he was younger. He will always have my respect for what he has done for me and how much better he made my life. It was him who made it possible for me to live in a comfortable home and decent schools growing up. He and his wife, Peg, took me to the zoo as a child. They always came to visit me on my birthday growing up. When I was taking driving classes in high school, he was the only person who was able to pick me up. He bragged to his friends that he had a "job." I can't remember what we talked about on those drives home, but I can say that I cherished the time that we spent together. He also came over and "saved" me when I was locked out of the house one time when my parents were working.

Grandpa Bob was a simple man, he liked simple and plain things. He grew up on a farm, on a road which now bears the family name. He was a practical man with a big smile and a genuine love for his family. He lived a good life and I will always remember him with gratitude and a warm fondness. Not a Catholic, but you can read his obituary here.

This is just the beginning...

Sometimes, I have things to say that don't really fit into the topics of cooking or homeschooling. This is just a small space to share things that I find funny or interesting, that may or may not be of interest to anyone at all.