Hurrah for Holidays!

Our son rang up. "About you coming up for a visit..."he began. I felt guilty. He and his wife had built a lovely holiday home in a beautiful spot not far from Auckland, and he'd often urged us to go up and stay in it for a week or so. I wanted to. Alex wanted to. But somehow we never got round to deciding on a date. "I've booked you in for November 28" he continued "and the flight up is our birthday present to you both."

He's a good man our son. Takes after his Dad. And we're off tomorrow. Yipee!!!

Birthdays 2

It was my birthday last week. Fabulous day; warm, sunny and still. Went out for lunch with my favourite man who had bought me a gorgeous black handbag, and had made me a icon of St Joseph. I had phone calls from all my sisters and cards from lots of my friends. On Sunday my First Born put on a Birthday Party with ante-pasta and pavlova. And all my children and my little grandchildren gave me presents. Even my ONLY grandson rang me up to wish me a happy birthday.

Was I blessed or what? Thank you Lord.

Boys...by girls

Our two youngest granddaughters, Lizzie 7 and Em 8, are a fount of delight to Alex and me. Their conversation yesterday seemed to be focussed on boys (as they are the youngest by far in their family and the only ones still at home, boys are to a source of unknown fascination to them.)

Lizzy: You know Grandma, boys NEVER cry. It's not fair!

Em: I'd like to be a boy. Sometimes I think I AM a boy.

Lizzy: I wish I could break my leg then boy couldn't chase me.

Em: AND you could go into hospital and have jelly and icecream!

Homestay

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays I don't go to Mass. Instead I stay at home, and apart from a 30 mins walk I try not to go anywhere. I don't know why I make this rule for myself I just know I NEED to stay at home. I don't necessarily use the time to catch up on housework - though I may do some. I don't plan anything in particular, I just want to stay at home. If I keep these 2 days peacefully at home, chatting with my husband, perhaps gardening, certainly pottering, I know I'm a happier, more relaxed person for the rest of the week. "We are curiously and wonderfully made". Amen

Birthday thoughts

My Husband is 73 today. Incredible that the wild boy I met when he was 18, skinny as a rake and with a shock of black hair has turned into a stout, conservative elderly man with white receding hair. I read recently "Inside every old person is a young person saying 'What happened?'" I think that's true of both of us! But he's still the same man I married - but matured, Praise God.

Why I love my Husband 3

Yesterday our huge lazy black cat, Sam, lay as usual on "his" couch with his head on "his" cushion and only one lazy green eye half open. My husband glanced at him and said "Get up and do something useful, you killing machine!"

Why do I love my husband? Because he makes me laugh!

Labour Day

A lovely sunny WARM day today. I went to Mass early then we drove to Levin which is a small town, about 45 mins away, that we have never visited. Quite a nice little town, but mostly closed because it was a holiday weekend but we managed to find somewhere to have lunch. After that we drove to Foxton Beach and that was brilliant: sunshine, blue sky, torquoise sea, NO WIND and everyone in holiday mood. Some brave souls/idiots were actually IN the sea - but not many. We walked along the beach for a while drinking in the atmosphere and those special sounds you hear only at the beach: crashing waves, seagulls, and the subdued wafting of people talking and laughing floating across sand. Then we sat on a piece of driftwood and just enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

It was just a taste of what we hope is to come, and tomorrow it will be 23degrees!

Fated

I feel rather sorry for 2 of my grandchilden. Even at birth they seem to be fated to be teachers. Both of their Grandmothers and one of their Grandfathers were teachers. Their Father and 3 of their aunts are teachers and part of their mother's job involves teaching. They have spent most of their teenage years proclaiming that they WILL NOT be teachers. They both have degrees, and although they have tried a variety of jobs, and done well in them, they have not had job satisfaction. Finally one of them has surrendered and goes to Teacher's College in January, and I wouldn't be surprised if her brother follows in a year or two. May God bless them in their careers, even though they have struggled against it for years.

Apples

Yesterday while we driving out of town for the funeral we bought a 10k bag of Granny Smith apples $3.50! Today we have been dealing with them.

We filled the slow cooker with peeled sliced apples. E peeled them while I sliced. Then he peeled some more and I made pastry and 2 apples pies. Delicious! I froze one of the pies. The slow cooked apples have been put into containers and frozen. We still have over 1/2 the bag left!

Prayers For Maria

Today we went to the funeral of my dear friend Sheila. It was a joyful yet sad occasion. It was joyful for Sheila because she was with her Lord whom she'd served all her life. But we wept for ourselves, we'll miss her, and we wept for her sick husband, and for her daughter who loved her mother so much. I pray for Maria daily as life has been very hard for her. Her only sibling died unexpectedly about 3 years ago, her husband deserted her, her father has almost died several times in the last few years, and now her mother, who has been a tower of strength to them all, had a stroke which left her totally incapacitated and subsequently died.

Holy Mary, for whom Maria was named, we implore your help for Maria.

Fridays's "Why I love my husband" No 2 (a little late)

When my small grandchildren arrive to visit us they tear into the room shouting "Grandy" and throw themselves at my husband. Grandy is the pet name they made up for him. All children love my husband! One day we were visiting my sister and another family, who we didn't know, arrived with their children. There was a big crowd in the room and my husband was sitting having a deep conversation with someone and he didn't notice one of the little girls who was staring intently at him. Gradually she sidled around the room, with her eyes fixed on him, until she reached him then she tried to sit on his lap. He looked up startled but when he saw what she was doing he laughed and asked her name. They were big buddies from then onwards.

All children and animals love my husband. So do I.

Sunday Joy

I love Sundays! Firstly I get to go to blessed Sunday Mass, which of course is very different to the daily Masses I attend. On Sunday the whole Body of Christ comes together. I love it! Secondly, I get to rest, and when you're in your seventies that's a huge blessing. From 5 pm on Saturday to 5pm on Sunday I do no work! Bliss. Well, Ok I cook dinner but that's all. I can do my hobbies such as gardening or knitting but oddly enough I don't feel I can do my Latin! But I love my Sunday rest and I thank God for it. AMEN

Friday's Why I love my husband. no 1

I've been married for 51 years, it's been a stormy marriage but I've always loved my husband.

So why do I love him? On thinking about this I realised it's not the BIG things that make me love him it's the small little touches, like this:

One day I had hastily thrown thrown some pears into a bowl and left them on a side table. Later that day, my husband sat down next to the bowl of pears and began to read the newspaper. After a while he looked up, glanced at the pears then went back to the paper. A couple of moments later he looked at the pears again, put down his paper and arranged them properly in the bowl. Then he picked up the paper and carried on reading. The bowl of pears looked beautiful.

Why do I love him? He notices things and he's artistic. (I'm not)

Learning Latin

Did I tell you I'm learning Latin? I've been learning off and on (mostly off) for the last 15 years but, although I love it, I've never really got very far. But this year I've been working at it fairly consistently and am making pretty good progress. I'm also teaching it to my grandchildren, age 7 and 8 and they LOVE it, especially the 8 year old. So I've GOT to stick at it just to stay ahead!

Blessed Homecoming

Today I had some sad and unexpected news. One of my oldest friends is dying. She lives in my former hometown and we've been friends for about 30 years. Almost a year ago we had lunch together to celebrate her 79th birthday. It was a wonderful time, we had lovely food and laughed and talked throughout the meal. It was to become a precious memory for me as about a week later she had a devastating stroke. She was left a crippled shell of her former self and after a fall and another stroke she's dying. To me and to all her friends and family it is very sad news. We all hoped she would recover eventually and come back to us. For Sheila it is good news. She is being blessed, she is going HOME. She was a devoted Christian who has had a difficult life but soon it will all be behind her, and she will be in the arms of her Saviour, her beloved, Jesus.

Blessed Homecoming. But I'll miss you Sheila.

Holy Challenge

My dear friend bought me a prayer book while she was in Auckland. It's a version of the Liturgy of the Hours. I haven't started using it yet because it is SO complex. She spent quite a while showing me how to use it but I'm not sure I really got it. I must spend time going through it again. But we are so busy with the children at the moment... They are on holiday at the moment and we have them every morning. Such a joy - but it wears us out!!

In Love

How lax I've been posting on this blog but then - no one ever reads it but me! AM has been home this weekend. She is madly in love - I've never seen her so glowingly happy. But it makes me fear for her - she is so vulnerable when she loves like this. She is usually laid back about her menfriends but to J she seems to have totally given her heart. I'm praying for her as I always do.

Together

ON Tuesday Pha-Raine and I had our first  'get together' (we haven't got a name for it yet).  We prayed the rosary, then we read from the beginning of the Cathechism and talked about what it meant.  After that we read and discussed a passage from the Bible: Romans 12 because it is my favourite chapter in the Bible.  We ended by praying together over the needs we have, and those of people we know and love. Of course the poor people in Christchurch, suffering so much from the effects of the earthquakes, were very high on our list. Then we had a lovely time chatting and sharing together .(fellowshipping we would have called it in the AOG church I used to attend.).  It was a very blessed experience and we intend to open it up to others when we have got it  properly organised and settled.  I loved it!

A Plan

My dear friend Pha-Raine and I have decided to get together on Monday mornings and pray the rosary, do a little Bible study, study the Catechism, and pray again. After that we can socialise together!  I am praying  it works out as we have have been keen to start something like this for a long time.  When we have 'test driven' it, and know it works we may open it up to others.  And we are keen to think of a name for it....I'm praying.

Latin Mass 2

Another Sunday and another Latin Mass attended.  Around 20adults there I think, and about 10 children, so the tiny church felt quite full.  It is such a blessed time for me...and for us al lI'm sure.  I talked to lots of people afterwards which is always lovely, but it is the Latin Mass itself that I go for.  Quiet, gentle and totally focused on Our Beloved Lord on the altar.  No hustle and bustle, no 'ministers' parading to and from the altar, just the quiet murmurs of the priest and altar server and the (mostly) silent devotion of the people. Maybe it's not 'relevant' maybe it's old fashioned (like 500 years old) but it's moving and holy and when you reluctantly leave, you feel spiritually filled and peaceful.

Thank you for this blessing Lord.

Following

A few weeks ago I was reading about Mary (of Bethany) sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him and I thought how wonderful that would be.  So I decided to read the Gospel of Mark and every time I came to Jesus' actual words I would take them as HIM talking to me. Today He said to me "Follow me" (Mark 2:14).  I have been thinking and praying about that.  Could I do as Levi (Matthew) did who 'arose and followed him'?  I keep praying: "Help me to follow you...to truly follow you.  Jesus help your poor hesitant follower to become whole hearted."

Graceful Task

Today at Mass, Father Joel said "Grace is not only a blessing it is a TASK."  What a challenge! So Grace not  to make life easier for US but so that we can be a blessing to others!  Scary.

Am I a blessing to others? I'm going to have to think and pray more about this.

Joyful Sorrow

My dear Friend P-R's husband died yesterday.  She has nursed him faithfully and lovingly for many years and his death was in many ways a happy release, but because she loved him she mourns.  And alas he died without faith...and she had prayed so much for a deathbed conversion.  But we talked about the paralitic in Mark's Gospel, where Jesus looked at THEIR Faith and said "My son, your sins are forgiven".  Maybe because of HER faith he is forgiven and welcomed by The Beloved.  We even had a laugh at the thought of him arriving in front of Jesus and saying "Gee! My wife was right!." But we're sad and wept together. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord.

The Latin Mass

Today was the highlight of my fortnight when I went to the Latin Mass.  Our Bishop only allows us to have it once every 2 weeks but I'm grateful that he allows it at all.  It is such a joy, such a holy, devout experience.  And such a friendly and joyful community.  We talked, after Mass, for an hour!! Praise God.

Anniversary

DH and I have been married 51 years tomorrow!  Amazing.  He was only 18 when I met him and now he's 72!!!  Even more amazing.  It hasn't been an easy marriage, many downs amid the ups, but I've always loved him and through the grace of God we've stayed together.  Thank you Lord.

intimate

It hit me at Mass yesterday!  After I had received Communion I realised that at that moment He is is within me.  Inside me.  He wants to talk privately  to me and let me talk privately to Him!  Imagine!  How close He wants to be with each one of us.  He wants to be my intimate friend ...and yours!  And yet he's the Son of God, the Lord and Creator of Heaven and Earth.  How truly awed we should be each time we receive him. What an incredible, unimaginable blessing!

Finally Friday

I Love Fridays, firstly because the weekend is coming and partly it's a hangover from when I was teaching and Friday was definitely a Day of Bliss.  But now Friday is still among my absolutely favourite days because I go to Holy Hour and Mass. 1 1/2 hours with the Lord! What can be better???

We only see our LGs (Lovely Grandchildren) briefly on Fridays.  We take LG2 to modern dance and LG1  to swimming.  But it's  so special to give them a quick hug and say "See you on Monday.  Have a nice weekend!" And get a kiss in return (They often drop in with DD1 over the weekend anyway.)

And the weather has been beautiful.  Thank you Lord for a Fantastic Friday!

When I was a little girl I heard the story of Anna who never left the church but spent all her time praying for the salvation of Israel, and I thought "I would like to do that." Then I forgot about it.

Over 60 years later after much wandering - including several years as an atheist - I felt an urgent call to pray.  Not only to pray but to make it my vocation and to pray for the Catholic church and its priests. That's when I remembered Anna and how I had been attracted to her as a child.  So she became my patron.

I am not a good prayer - I suffer from frequent distractions and am easily tempted away from praying by a good book!  But I keep trying, not only to pray, but to not be disheartened by my many failings and weaknesses.