Poetry Friday: Hope

It's Advent — a season of hope — so I thought a little Emily Dickinson was in order. The photo is of an ornament that my dear friend Danae gave me a couple of Decembers ago. It seems like both yesterday and a thousand years ago that my parents were so sick with Covid. There was so much going on, so many medical questions, decisions to be made every day. Danae brought me a Care package one afternoon and this ornament was in it. Every time I look at it (Hope! The cardinal!)I remember feeling both alone and very loved and surrounded during that time. 

The felt ornament to the right is one I've had for years. That one was a gift from my friend Jenn. We've never met in person but we connected online in what seems like another era: the early days of blogging, when lots of us blogging moms somehow made the time to both blog and visit other blogs. One year, a handful of us did a Christmas ornament exchange. I was the lucky recipient of Jenn's beautiful hand-embroidered work. A coffee cup, no less! She gets me! Jenn and I are still in touch and my Jenn Coffee Cup always gives me hope, too — the internet may be a cesspool, but it has brought me people from across the country, across the ocean, and across time and space. It's TARDIS-y that way and has always delivered traveling companions of the highest caliber into my life. 

(Poetry Friday, anyone? Another beautiful example of connections and friendships I cherish. Carry on, internet! Keep connecting me with the highest caliber. I'm forever grateful.) 

The quote is from a Mary Englebreit page-a-day calendar (gorgeous illustration) that Atticus and the girls gave me. I found this page torn off the calendar and left on my desk. ❤️  I'd have to blog for days to cover all the ways that Atticus and Anne-with-an-e, Betsy Ray, and Ramona have given me hope over the years. Endless, bottomless hope and courage.  

What's giving you hope this season? 

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Michelle Kogan has the round-up this week. 

Wishing you a hopeful third week of Advent! 

Merry Christmas! ("In Which I Am Imogene Herdman")

Merry Christmas Eve!

Rerunning a piece today in which I am Imogene Herdman (and if you've never read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, promise yourself this will be your year. You won't regret it.)

~~~~~

I remember when I first met Him – that Child who was born in Bethlehem. I didn’t bump into Him in my childhood (though I now know He was there all along.) No, our first encounter -- the one in which I was really a participant -- came when I was older. I was a twenty-something atheist, and a Catholic friend recommended C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to me. “Pay special attention,” he suggested, “to the character of Aslan.”

My friend had a way of recommending things that dramatically changed my life, so I read the book. As urged, I “paid special attention” to Aslan, and I fell in love with him. And I fell in love with Him, though I still didn’t fully understand Who it was that I loved. But I knew I wanted to hold Aslan forever, in my arms and in my heart. Like Susan and Lucy, I wanted to bury my face in His mane, inhale His sweetness, and never let go.

A few years later, the same friend gave me Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, in which “awful old” Imogene Herdman (while playing Mary in the Christmas pageant) is walloped with the story of Jesus for the first time in her short, rough life. She can hardly bear the weight of the irony and the beauty. And as I read about little Imogene bawling her eyes out, I began to sob. I loved Imogene fiercely, and realized that I loved her because I was Imogene: I was that sad little girl who’d never known Jesus, but who one day collided headlong with the reality and power of Him. The God of the universe had bowled Imogene over and she would never be the same. Neither would I.

What changed the Herdmans, the Pevensies, and me? That child born in Bethlehem two millennia ago.

That child. It’s hard to fathom, isn’t it? A child, born in a stable, in poverty, to a virgin. A child raised by a foster-father in relative obscurity. A child who for many years was nothing more than a carpenter’s son. A child.

The Christ Child set a Herdman sobbing, made perfectly sensible little British girls follow a lion for the rest of their lives, and He crumbled my unbelief.

Such is the power of our precious Jesus, and of the books written about Him. Although I wasn’t raised on beautiful tales of our Lord, I know the compelling power of books. I want to share with my own children everything I can about Him. I want to give them the gifts of picture books, chapter books, the Bible. I want to give them storytelling, fine art and great music. I hope to introduce them, through these things, to the Source of all that is good, and true and beautiful. I pray my daughters will remember countless, sublime meetings with Him, and will yearn to inhale His sweetness, the sweetness of that baby in a manger.

That baby was born for us. He lived and died for us.

He loves us so much.

Let’s pay special attention.

The Stressy Tree? Why You Shouldn't Stress About Your Jesse Tree

What is it with us Catholic moms and Jesse Trees? We are Paul in this scenario and the Jesse Tree is the everpresent thorn in our sides. Does canon law address this issue? Is there a commandment?

Thou shalt not neglect a Jesse Tree in thy house during Advent lest thy descendants die in utter ignorance of Scripture while clutching only a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

Loads of us think we should do a Jesse Tree.
Loads of us hate doing the Jesse Tree.
Voila! Loads of Catholic Mom Guilt.

We've done a Jesse Tree for a long time now, but -- listen to me very carefully -- it was a process. Here's the thing: Don't do what I did. Don't think the Jesse Tree has to be perfect (or perfectly executed each and every Advent) for it to do what it was meant to do.

The Jesse Tree readings/activities have a cumulative effect. Do enough imperfect Jesse Trees over the years, and eventually your children will absorb some perfectly wonderful Scripture and knowledge of salvation history. (Or don't do one at all. There are lots of ways to learn things. But this post is for the mom who wants to do a Jesse Tree and simultaneously stresses about said tree.)

Here's our current Jesse Tree. My girls and I made the ornaments (many moons ago) out of salt dough. I use a small, artificial Christmas tree and I arrange Christmas books beneath the tree.

But this whole Pinterest-y approach didn't come together overnight.

When my girls were little, our Jesse Tree was generally a hit-and-run mess. But it's when they're little that you start stressing, right? ("They're little! I have to do it now! They'll never learn if I don't start when they're three!") Wrong. You can mess up a Jesse Tree for years, and they will still eventually learn stuff.

One year our Jesse Tree looked like this:

I was pregnant with Ramona that year, and I was old and tired and I gave myself extra points merely for breaking out the glitter. 

Another year it looked like this. (I think Ramona was a toddler? I was old, I was tired.) That is the worst-looking construction paper tree I've ever made or seen. We didn't even finish the Jesse tree that year: 

Another year our Jesse Tree looked like this:

Yup. That's right. Nothin'. I searched in vain for the perfect tree branch to place in a pot as I tried to follow a friend's example. I tried so hard to be perfect that year that I frustrated myself completely and abandoned the entire activity. Anne-with-an-e was 11 before I finally decided to use the little artificial tree.

Still not perfect. I'd never made salt dough before and made it wrong, so the first set of ornaments regularly indulged in cracking-and-breaking habits. Then there were the times we had to make more ornaments because — who knew? — dogs love to eat salt dough.

And, what readings did we use? That took time to figure out, too. I couldn't find an easy, workable, all-in-one version of the Jesse Tree anywhere. (I think your odds here have gotten better. There are loads of resources out there now. Sheesh, I'm feeling like a pioneer or something.) If one source had ornaments I liked, it didn't offer neatly corresponding readings. If I found a set of readings I liked, suddenly my ornaments didn't match.

So after a few years of trial and error, I finally started using The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean. Atticus read stories in the evening, after dinner. Sometimes we missed a couple of days. Or a lot of days. Eventually, we'd catch up in the book, and add a few more ornaments to the tree.

The thing to remember about the Jesse Tree — the thing that will keep you from despising it — is that not only does it not have to be perfect, I don't think it should be perfect or perfectly executed. It should be like the human and divine history it's teaching: messy, full of skips, jumps, and mistakes, but with a gleaming, golden thread running through the whole thing, tying it together, proclaiming that God is there for us in the mess, always. Year in, year out.

So, don't do your Jesse Tree every day, on schedule, legalistically. Have a Magic School Bus/Miss Frizzle tree: take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy!

The knowledge of Scripture that a Jesse Tree teaches is cumulative; it's supposed to be. It's like doing the same kinds of math problems every September. It's review.

Over years and seasons of Advent, you'll discover that it doesn't matter which tree you chose, which ornaments you made or bought (or slapped with glitter) or which set of readings you used. It won't matter that some years you couldn't even face the thought of a Jesse Tree and you skipped it. What will matter is the irreplaceable, imperfect time you spent with your family and God's word.

And while you're at it, read the Grinch, too.

~~~~~

For more on all things Advent, go to the Monstrously Long Post. 

The First Week of Advent

Advent is my favorite liturgical season. I love the newness -- a new church year, a fresh start, a time to deepen our relationship with Christ. 

And we've started decorating. The Advent wreath is on the dining room table, the nativity set is on the mantle. On Thanksgiving Day (we usually travel, but were at home this year), as we were listening to The Splendid Table's Turkey Confidential (Ramona's favorite thing to listen to on Thanksgiving Day -- beats a parade), I did a quick-change on the artwork above the mantle. I've done this for the last couple of years. It starts out looking like this: 

Then, some burgundy colored fabric. Staples. Pretty easy, even for me. 

Then it looks like this: 

Then I add a beautiful printable from Lesley Austin/Small Meadow, set up the creche, and ... it's Advent! 

It's 13 Days Until Advent -- Do You Know Where Your Wreath Is?

And have you bought Sarah Reinhard's new Advent book?

Welcome Baby Jesus is a sweet, wonderful, simple-but-meaty resource for families. The four weeks of Advent are presented thematically:

Get Ready
Repent
Love
Anticipate

The final section, Rejoice, takes you through the Christmas season to the Feast of the Epiphany.

Each day includes sections to help us Think, Pray and Act, along with a Scripture verse.

Here's an "Act" example from the first Sunday of Advent:

One way to get ready for Jesus is to make an Advent resolution. What can you give Jesus? Is there a person you can be nice to all during Advent? Could you help someone in a special way during Advent? Think of something you can do to get ready for Jesus' birth. 

Because Sarah doesn't talk down to kids, there's enough substance in the "Think" sections for us adults, so they work at varying levels for the whole family. We can all be challenged by such questions as, "When we are asked to do work we might consider 'servant' work, how do we respond?" (Ummm, I think I'll be taking yet another look at my attitude toward laundry this Advent.)  For very young children, the "Think" passages could be shortened or skipped -- head straight to "Pray" and "Act" with the littlest ones.

I remember several years ago, when I first stumbled onto Sarah's blog. My first thought was that anyone who had a booklist sidebar labeled "Nose Inserted" and who called herself the Snoring Scholar was a kindred spirit. It's been a perfect delight to see Sarah's writing bloom and grow beyond her lovely blog.

And, speaking of those blooms, look at all these other books Sarah has in the works!

While I'm on the subject of Advent -- I hope to get my "No Panic Advent" series updated and posted this week.

Now, on to the all-important question: Do you know who your chocolate-a-day calendar supplier is?

If That Had Been Me, We'd Be Without That Toilet Paper

Preparations

Our Advent has been plodding along at a pleasant pace. Yes, we're busy with all kinds of life-things and school-things, but we're also preparing for the coming of the Christ Child, one lovely step at a time.

The first Sunday of Advent I realized I did not have Advent candles in the house. I usually try to buy an extra set of candles and pack them away with the Advent wreath, but apparently I didn't do that last year. No reason to panic.  (Yes, I try to live up to my blogging.) I dug some old purple and pink candles out from a stash kept under the kitchen sink and we lived with substitutes until I got out that week to buy some new ones.

On Friday, we set up our tree and discovered which light strings work and which don't. I'm down to two working strings of bubble lights.

(Photo courtesy of Corey Ann)

After stringing the lights and red beads, we knocked off. We'll finish decorating the tree tonight after dinner. I used to stress out about when to put the tree up, as if there were a definitive Catholic doctrine regarding the timing of twinkle lights, homemade sequin-and-styrofoam ornaments, and family tradition. Scrupulosity is no fun. There are so many other things one can stress about without fighting with one's self or others over December 1st versus 24th for a tree. Now, we put the tree up at whatever time works for us in any given December. 

Why Atticus Is My Hero 

Yesterday, Atticus braved the blizzard to make a badly needed run to the grocery store. As he pushed the cart out of the store, a 50 mph gust of wind caught a 12-pack of toilet paper and spirited it away. He left the cart and at superhuman speed (or so I imagine) chased down the toilet paper, which had zoomed all the way to the other end of the very long, large store. As he headed back to the cart, he couldn't even see the cart -- it was hidden by blowing snow.  He plowed on, praying that the cart hadn't been sent into the parking lot, to either cause an accident for someone, or cause us to lose about $100 worth of groceries. He found it, thanked Jesus and guardian angels, and made it safely home.

Next time, I'll stock up on everything. It was, after all, 50 degrees the day before this snowstorm hit. I should have known.

Gaudete Sunday, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Lucia Bread

Gaudete Sunday! 

Rejoice! 

We're more than halfway through Advent. We are not in a panic. We are savoring a well-paced preparation for the real beginning of the Christmas season.  And today at Mass, I'll receive this valuable reminder:



Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  

 ~~ James 5:7-10

Today is also the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

My personal devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe began about ten years ago, and is chronicled here.

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Lucia. My daughters' godmother, Holly, originally led me to the St. Lucia braided bread recipe that we always look forward to (you may translate "look forward to" as "my children would have my head if we didn't include this bread in the Advent season.")  You can visit this post for more details and links on our St. Lucia celebrations, and this one for the recipe for the bread.

And believe me, you do not need to be afraid of this bread recipe! You can't ruin this bread! If I can do it, you can, too. It's an incredibly forgiving recipe, so step away from the yeast fear. You'll be so happy you did. This bread ring is beautiful and delicious. If you've never tried it, I hope you will this year. And, if you don't have time this week, just file the recipe away and make it as a treat during the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Rejoice! Happy Gaudete Sunday!

St. Nicholas! And a New Advent Resource

We had such a busy day that I didn't get a post up about St. Nicholas. He did, however, drop by for a visit sometime in the wee hours. For each of the girls he left the usual cute socks, delicate ornaments and delicious chocolates.

And I still rely on this wonderful site, the St. Nicholas Center, for fun history, activities and pictures for Ramona. If you haven't visited it, be prepared to stay too long. And just because St. Nicholas' feast day is drawing to a close doesn't mean you've missed your chance. It's never too late to learn more about a saint.

~~~~~

The older girls spent the morning at the food pantry, helping unload food and stock shelves. My friend gave them a ride over while I babysat her three-year-old and reminisced about what it was like to have a preschooler in the house. (They're so short. And incredibly cute. Particularly cute when they happen to be boys and want to play "Pretty, Pretty Princess." Yes, he has plenty of sisters.)

I spent a delightful bit of time chatting with Pat Gohn from Among Women (more info coming soon on the interview she and I recorded today) and later I even managed to get homemade bread on the table with dinner, thanks to the Artisan Bread in Five folks.

~~~~~

In addition to our usual Advent prayers, we've added a new (to us) resource at dinner time as we light the candles on the Advent wreath. The girls are taking turns reading prayers and thoughts from Advent Reflections: Come, Lord Jesus by Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Lovely and lively and relevant. It hasn't happened every night, and I'm sure we'll be somewhat hit-and-miss with it, but it's a welcome addition, especially for my older girls.

Happy feast of St. Nicholas!

Looking forward to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception ....

(St. Nicholas clipart courtesy of Two Hearts Design.)

Two Fun New Advent Ideas, Neither of Them Mine

My friend, Johnna, is a Craft Queen.

Nay, not merely a queen, but the Queen of the Craft Universe. A crafty artist, an artistic craftswoman. A Seamstress. A Cake Decorator. A Gluer Extraordinaire. (Johnna was hot-gluing things together long before I even dreamed that glue could be heated.) She has the ability to inspire awe in my children. (This reminds me of the time when Ramona was about four years old and was admiring my sister's interior decorating skills. "Mommy!" she said breathlessly, "Aunt Kathy made this clock out of air!" My children have never thought me capable of conjuring something from air. But I digress.)

Johnna's latest creation is a beautiful fabric Advent calendar which serves as a home for her Jesse Tree ornaments: 

Each green pocket holds an index card with a note for a daily activity as well as one of these:

She made and painted the salt dough Jesse Tree ornaments, adapting ideas found in Celebrating the Faith in the Home: Advent and Christmas for the Christian Family by Teresa Zepeda and Laurie Navar Gill.

The red pockets at the bottom of the calendar will also hold an ornament and activity card for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Didn't she do a beautiful job?  She's so talented and yet so humble. (And organized! You should see her meal planning system ... but that's another post.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Johnna's other recent idea was an Advent-Saver for me this year. I searched all over town and couldn't find our usual "chocolate-a-day" calendars anywhere. Granted, we have plenty of other Advent activities and calendars, but the daily chocolate is a must. In true Karen-Shortcut style, I thought I'd just throw a bowl of chocolates on the dining room table and invite the kids to have one every day. (My other thought was to make a calendar on poster board using old Christmas cards as the pockets, but we all know I probably wouldn't have gotten it done in time for this Advent ....)

What I would have considered a major project (because it involved plugging in the glue gun), Johnna saw as a blip in her day. My kids were hanging out at her house anyway so she decided, "Why not take care of this little problem?" They made these:

A Hershey kiss for every day of Advent, glued to ribbons. Primo candy at the top, for the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany:

The girls just pop one off each day, all the while thanking their lucky stars for Magical Mrs. M.

I'm pretty thankful for her, too.

(Cross-posted at O Night Divine.)

The First Sunday of Advent

"Stay awake!"

Advent is Less Than Two Weeks Away -- Plenty of Time to Not Panic

Advent is coming.

It should be a time we look forward to, not a time that reminds us of the theme from Jaws.

Do not panic.

Do not try to do everything. (Also known as, "Do not attempt to stalk a great white shark on your own.")  

There is nothing to dread when you approach Advent as a season of preparation. Preparations take time. And patience. They don't happen overnight.

We are preparing our hearts for the celebration of the coming of the Lord.

We are not preparing our homes for a photo shoot, our children for a guest spot on America's Best Catholic Kids, or our resumes for a job at Liturgical Superwoman.

Do whatever best helps you and your family to prepare your hearts. If you do that, I promise you -- instead of the dreaded Jaws music, you'll hear songs of angels.

Here is a link to my "No-Panic Advent series."

It's a horrendously long post that might initially hearken back to that Jaws theme I was just eschewing.  But don't be scared away. The point in pulling together all my past Advent posts is to make things easier, not more difficult or more intimidating.

Think of the post as a cozy shopping center, with plenty of parking space. Park, browse, and pluck choices at your leisure.

from the archives: Nat King Cole and Christmas Christians

Two from the archives:

How a Secular Christmas Song Became "Our Song" (or, Gifts from the Heart are Still the Best)

We hadn't been married very long and we didn't have much money. It was almost Christmas and although we weren't Christians we always gave each other gifts. The pickings would be slim this year, though, as the budget for presents was non-existent.

Atticus knew that I loved Nat King Cole's smoky voice crooning The Christmas Song. I had described it as "almost perfect." But this was in the days before digital music and mp3 players. I could hear my favorite song of the season only if it happened to come on the radio, as I didn't own the album. Atticus wanted to buy it for me, but our budget was so tight that even a new cassette tape (remember cassette tapes?) wasn't a possibility that year.

It was Christmas Eve, and I had to work. Feeling a little disheartened that we didn't have much to give one another, I was nevertheless looking forward to the meal that Atticus would no doubt have ready when I got home.

When I reached our apartment, I put my key in the lock and thought, "It's awfully quiet in there." I opened the door and found a candlelit room, heard a click, and then Nat's smooth voice. Atticus took my hand and we danced.

My dear, sweet husband had scrounged around our apartment, found a blank tape, and then waited. He had vigilantly stationed himself by the radio all day long as he cooked, waiting to hear and capture that song. He waited and waited some more, and finally hit the "record" button when the coveted song made its appearance.

He captured it; he captured me again. And ever since, when Nat starts to sing, we dance.

*****

Christmas Christians

They're planning their descent into the churches.

At Christmas time a lot of unfamiliar faces show up at Mass. They jostle for seats and are a little louder than the regular Mass-goers. They've forgotten when to stand and when to kneel. Most of us know we'll have to arrive early for Christmas Mass if we want to get "a good seat."

There's a temptation to get annoyed with these people. They show up only at Christmas and perhaps at Easter ... They may not contribute much to the parish, either financially or in the form of "time and talent" ... They fill up the parking lot, mash their coats and body heat against us in the overcrowded pews, and can be irritating enough that they leave us with the vague, uncomfortable feeling that we need to get to confession even though we were just there.

That's the temptation. But we don't have to give in to it. Now that I'm in the fold of the Catholic Church -- no longer a stranger and sojourner but a citizen among the saints and not-so-saintly -- I give tearful thanks for the gift of my faith, and I pray that at least one of those Christmas Christians will be touched by God this year, touched so deeply that he or she will be moved to venture back to Mass again in January. Maybe once more in the spring. Maybe on a weekly basis by June. Into the confessional by next September? Then, finally, back into full communion with our one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

Which one will it be? Is it that sweet woman behind me, the one with whom I'll exchange a sign of peace? The bored teenager sitting in front of us and texting throughout the Mass? Will it be the man who scowls as we slide into the pew, forcing him to move down and relinquish his spot on the aisle?

Since I don't know which one it will be, I pray that I will not be a stumbling block to any of them. I pray that I will not be the reason they go home griping about churchy hypocrites who say they're Christians but don't act like Christ at all.

I pray that some souls, somewhere, this Christmas season, will be touched by the Christ Child.

And I pray that I will not get in the way of His hand reaching out to touch theirs.

The Most Important Thing to Do Before Christmas

We all got it done this weekend.

And it doesn't cost a thing.

You don't have to wrap it, put a bow on it, bake it or deliver it.

But it delivers you.

Confession.

Read a little more about it here, and here. 

O Antiphons!

Start today!

What are they?

This page at Catholic Culture explains it all. 

This page includes a great activity (that will probably go in your Advent file, since I've given you no warning or time to prepare.)

And, see this thread on the 4Real Learning boards to see a parade of "O Antiphon Houses."

Need Christmas gift ideas?

Don't miss Lissa's post at Here in the Bonny Glen.

Feast after Feast!

Two wonderful feasts are approaching! First, December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.


My personal devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe began about nine years ago, and is chronicled here.

And, I began last year to try doing a bit more with the kids on this feast. My girls' godmother helped out in that department when she had the kids put together a little play about St. Juan Diego, which was just delightful.


This same godmother is the one who originally led me to the St. Lucia braided bread recipe that we always look forward to.  You can visit this post for more details and links on our St. Lucia celebrations, and this one for the recipe for the bread.

You can't ruin this bread! Don't be afraid of it. If I can do it, you can, too. And you'll be so happy you did. It's beautiful and delicious. And, it will be gone before you can say, "Gaudete Sunday." 

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Whether you have a picture-perfect day for the memory book, or one similar to what I've reposted below, I pray that you will feel the Lord's presence and the intercession of His Blessed Mother today.

Remember that He is with us in sickness, health, crankiness and cheerful days, in our plans and in the dashing of our plans.

And our Blessed Mother is praying for us through it all.



If you have young children, you might appreciate this repost from 2005, when Ramona was just three years old, and Anne and Betsy were eleven and nine:

We went to the vigil Mass last night, and as Mass experiences go, it wasn't one for the memory book.

Our day was packed with activity, but I had allowed enough time for us to sanely prepare for Mass. After all, as I told the children, "Mass is the most important thing we'll do today, so we work everything around that, not the other way around."

And yet, I somehow managed to end up with the family running late. And, because 5:30 is the bewitched hour for three-year-olds, of course Ramona Quimby cried as we left the house and she fell asleep on the way. Sigh. That meant she wouldn't be able to sleep later until about 9:30 or 10 p.m. We walked into the Church just after Mass had begun (something we never do, something I really dislike doing, and something that means we'll end up sitting in the back, which I also dislike.) We slipped into an available space in the back and I do have to at least credit Anne and Betsy with not complaining about the seating (they dislike the back rows, too.)

Ramona slept through most of Mass (meaning her bedtime was getting pushed back to 10:30 or 11....) It was crowded, and I couldn't hear the homily. Betsy kept coughing, and Anne was sniffling and Ramona would wake up only enough to protest that my tired arms were trying to transfer her to Daddy's strong ones.

But you know what? He was still there. I still received Christ -- Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. No matter how hectic the preparation, no matter how distracted I was, no matter how far back we sat -- He was still there for me. Oh, to be so faithful.

Oh, and one more thing. On the way to Mass, as we prayed the decade of the Rosary that we always pray on the way, I had asked the Blessed Mother's intercession for Ramona (who was still crying at that point) at Mass. Could we get through this with relative peace? I asked. Well, I see now I should be more specific, but I was still grateful for the answer to prayer. Yeah, yeah, she didn't go to bed until almost 11, but she did get through Mass very well. Next time I'll try to itemize my requests.

And, hey, Moms of Young Children: it gets easier. Mass last night was a breeze. And a delight. And beautiful.

Hang in there. Our Lady is praying for you.

Painting by Bartolome Esteban Murillo.

Thanks, St. Nicholas!

For the socks! How did you know?

And there were chocolate coins, new Christmas ornaments and candy canes:

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

(And please pardon the horrible quality of the pictures ... my camera isn't working well ....)

Don't Panic, But Advent is 24 Days Away

Yup.

I'm still wiping Halloween chocolate from my chin, but the season of preparation approaches.

Amazing, isn't it, how time just keeps happening? Sometimes I wish it would cut that out, but since we can't fight it we might as well plan for it.

Here's a link to my No-Panic Advent series (the posts are in reverse order.)

Start not panicking now.

You've got it all under control. You're the Donna Reed of the liturgical year, right? So, go grab that file you started last Advent.

How a secular Christmas song became "our song" (or, gifts from the heart are still the best)

We hadn't been married very long and we didn't have much money. It was almost Christmas and although we weren't Christians we always gave each other gifts. The pickings would be slim this year, though, as the budget for presents was non-existent.

Atticus knew that I loved Nat King Cole's smoky voice crooning The Christmas Song. I had described it as "almost perfect." But this was in the days before digital music and mp3 players. I could hear my favorite song of the season only if it happened to come on the radio, as I didn't own the album. Atticus wanted to buy it for me, but our budget was so tight that even a new cassette tape (remember cassette tapes?) wasn't a possibility that year.

It was Christmas Eve, and I had to work. Feeling a little disheartened that we didn't have much to give one another, I was nevertheless looking forward to the meal that Atticus would no doubt have ready when I got home.

When I reached our apartment, I put my key in the lock and thought, "It's awfully quiet in there." I opened the door and found a candlelit room, heard a click, and then Nat's smooth voice. Atticus took my hand and we danced.

My dear, sweet husband had scrounged around our apartment, found a blank tape, and then waited. He had vigilantly stationed himself by the radio all day long as he cooked, waiting to hear and capture that song. He waited and waited some more, and finally hit the "record" button when the coveted song made its appearance.

He captured it; he captured me again. And ever since, when Nat starts to sing, we dance.