The Dog and Duck

Kelly's renovation

Kelly and John have been renovating their Kitchen for the past 10 weeks.  They have some painting to do but I think that it looks wonderful.  I really like how they opened up the kitchen and main room, making things brighter in the whole room.  Not to mention the shiny new cupboards that do not slam shut.  Kelly said no more slamming drawers when you were mad.

We went to visit them on Sunday after Christmas and here are some photos for you to share.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Our homes, not unlike our lives, are constanly being formed.  They change as we do, to be able to accomodate our lives and the happenings of life at that point in time.  I think my home will always be under renovation and formation.  God is not done with me yet.

Somebody, please remind me

 

Mary Vitamin for November 14^th

Topic: Cease Complaining

Quote:   Mother Cabrini (Feast November 13)

"The true daughter of the Institute has no cross to carry, because the Mother takes care to carry the burdens of all."  Theodore Maynard, Too Small A World, (Bruce Publishing: 1945) 66.

Meditation: "In the rules [Mother Cabrini] wrote: 'When they are not able, on account of illness, to attend to all the common practices, the religious should frequently raise their hearts to God, keeping united with Him and offering Him their sufferings without complaint."  Theodore Maynard, Too Small A World, (Bruce Publishing: 1945) 66.

Complaining allows the enemy of the spiritual life a foot hold.

"The moment we cease forming acts of virtue, our inclinations, naturally prone to ease and pleasures of the senses, raise in us disordered appetites which overthrow or at least weaken our virtuous habits. This is to say nothing of the loss, through such neglect, of countless graces which we might have merited by a constant application to our spiritual advancement." Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, The Spiritual Combat (Tan Books:1990), 112.

Resolution:Today I will take the advice of Mother Cabrini and turn to the Mother of Heaven who takes care of my burdens. One time today when tempted to complain, I will turn in prayer to Our Lady who is carrying my burden with me. I will not complain.

Marian Vow: St.  Maximilian Kolbe"[W]e need a great deal of serenity in our approach, much peace and fullest confidence so that we do not needlessly fret!"  Will To Love  (Marytown Press0

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Thanks be to God for graces received.

Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria

 

 

Thank you

When Tim lost his ipod I was hoping for some honest person to find it and turn it in.  I was greatly disappointed and felt their were few honest folks left in this world.  When one of the kids lost their phone a few years ago it was returned and I am reminded of that now.  One of the kids lost their wallet and after going through the process of having to call the bank, credit report companies and hours at DMV to get a new drivers license, things got better.  There are honest people still left in this world.  A business owner called to say that she had Ted's wallet with everything still inside.  That is one lucky young man.  A very blessed young man.

Thank you, LORD, for looking after Ted.

New photo album

Max and Chris' photos are in the album marked Camp St. Peter

middle of the night sheriff call

When the phone rings before 3 AM you answer it as your stomach flips.  The Peublo Coounty Sheriff called this morning.  That would mean Joe.  It was a very scary wait for me with many Hail Mary's and Our Father's prayed while Tim was on the phone with the sheriff.

They found Joe's little car on its side in the parking lot at the school. Joe was not in the car and no where around.  There were no tire marks.  It looked like some one came along and turned the car on its side.  Do we know where Joe is?

We tried his cell, many times.  NO answer.  The campus police went to his room and he was not in his room.  I continued trying his cell.  Then we went to his phone records to find his friends.  Joe's friends got calls at 0330.  I left msgs on 2 of them and woke one young man up.  He said he had seen Joe's car but they did not know where he was either.

Let me tell you I was very relieved when Joe finally called at 0400.  He said he was in his room at the dorm.  What was the matter that I had been calling.  "Your car was found on its side and no one could find you."  I wonder what dorm room they went to or if Joe just did not wake up.

Any way, Joe is safe.  The little car is being towed back to the Springs to our mechanic.  The fluids had leaked out and we are hoping it just needs to be filled again.  I think the only other damage is the side mirror is broke off.

Thank You, LORD, for keeping Joe safe.  Yes, we started our day very early and scared but Joe is safe and that is all that matters. 

Have a Peace filled day.

When someone hurts

There are many great bloggers out there.  Most of them have a particular theme.  Not mine.  It is just random thoughts on life around the Dog and Duck Yard.

I tend to read other blogs that go with what I am feeling, facing or what has been shared by another. 

I have found a blog that follows her life with RA. co itis  sent me on a little rabbit trail and I thought it was worth sharing.  There has been a lot of hurting around the D&D yard lately. 

Here is what I wanted to share.  when someone around you hurts

Thank you

I have been meaning to come here to say thank you to all of you that shared thoughts and prayers for my Dad.  It has been more than a month so I am very slow in getting around to saying thanks.

Thank you for the prayers.  Thank you for the phone calls, emails and cards.  Thank you for the Masses you have offered.  Thank you for the meals you shared.  The driving of kids around.  And probably a lot that I am forgetting right now.  Thank you Father, for being at the hospital and saying Mass for my Dad.

God Bless you all.

Building walls

Have you ever built a retaining wall; for your garden or your driveway?  A wall that you, yourself, painstakingly built, for your own enjoyment or fulfillment?  After all the hard work of building that wall you are proud and protective of that wall.

One of the first steps in building a retaining wall is to dig down deep so that you can lay a firm foundation.  Then you dump in sand that you will pack down firm to withstand time and weather.  It needs to be level before you lay bricks so that things look right and are secure.  Each level of the brick wall needs to have more sand, packed down and leveled, before you add the next level.  It can take days of hard labor for you to build the wall to your satisfaction.  You will always be stepping back to look and make sure that you are making a secure wall.

With a lot of hard work and perseverance, you will complete a fine, sturdy wall.  Over time you may decide that you need to tweak your wall to fit the fashion of the time or your own whim.  You will very carefully chip out a brick here and there, to plant some flowers.  You want to be very careful when removing the brick so that it is not destroyed and can be reused.  You never know when you will need that brick again.  Stack it very gently in the pile behind the garage.

Or maybe you need to add a brick to hold back the ground that has shifted from a stormy spring.  You will need to thoroughly clean around the area and pack it down to make the wall stronger in order to hold back the erosion.  After all, you worked hard on that wall and do not want anything to be able to tear it down piece by piece.  Don’t worry, you stored the extra bricks behind the garage, it will be easy to do.

Have you ever built walls in your personal life that are like the retaining wall?  I am willing to bet the bricks that you have.  It is called self preservation.  You don’t want to be hurt any more than you want the hill behind the house to wash you away.  You build your personal walls more secure than you do your retaining walls.  You constantly reinforce the wall to keep people out.

Retaining walls can be moved or torn down to better improve home protection or beauty.  What needs to be permanent is the foundation that you built the home on.  Sands shift.  Build your home on a rock that will withstand the test of time.  Build your life on a rock, one that is steady and can hold through all the storms that will come your way.

 

 

Father in Heaven, please allow me to build my home on your rock and entrust the keys to you.

Thanks be to God

That is all that I can say.  I have such gratitude in my heart right now and all I can say is, thanks.

Thank you, Lord, for the good mammogram today.  I have been putting this off for a long time because I was afraid.  NJ found something when they did the chest CT in January and today I had the diagnostic mammogram done and all is well.  I cannot begin to say how I feel. 

I know that I am thankful that Cystic fibrosis was ruled out and the GERD is only mild.  Asthma has been ruled out again but it keeps coming into the picture.  I am on a good routine of meds and seemed to be doing well at this time.  NJ will calll next week about the RA bloodwork and xrays.

I am thankful my Mom and Dad are still with us.  I hope that they find some way to help my Dad.  We are waiting for the results of the bone marrow test.  I believe the new word to look up was MGUS.

I am thankful that Lynn and Thomas' baby is growing fine and is due in August.

There is so much to be thankful for. 

Thank you Tim for going with me to NJ and especially today.

Thank you Lord!

Birthday Party

Happy Birthday to Kim, Karen, Becki and Barb.