Category Archives: Smorgasbord ‘n Smidgens

A Quote from St. Francis de Sales & A Gallery

21 Thursday Mar 2019

Posted by in Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 8 Comments

A lovely quote and reminder from St. Francis de Sales….

“Theotimus, we must be always rendering ourselves pliable and tractable to God’s good pleasure, as though we were wax.

We must not trick ourselves into willing and wishing for things, but leave them to God for Him to will and do them for us as He pleases, “casting all our anxiety upon Him, because He cares for us,” as the holy apostle says.

Note that he says, “all our anxiety,” that is, not only our anxiety as to accepting events but also that of willing or not willing them. He will have care as to the outcome of our affairs and to will whatever is best for us.

Meanwhile, let us lovingly use our care to bless God in all that He does, saying after the example of Job, “The Lord has given much to me, and the Lord has taken it away from me. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

No, Lord, I do not will any event. I leave events to You to will them for me entirely as You please. Instead of willing events, I will bless You because You have willed them.

Oh, how excellent, Theotimus, is this use of our will, when it gives up all care to will and choose the effects of God’s good pleasure in order to praise and thank that good pleasure for such effects!”

-St. Francis de Sales, Finding God’s Will for You

Our March has been very cold, but we are finally getting a little whiff of spring! I thought you’d enjoy some photos….

A Gallery….

 

A Giveaway, Photos and a Non-Update….

22 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by in Give-Aways, Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 102 Comments

God is very patient….

I am not. Ugh.

I really wish I could update you that Rosie is doing better. But she isn’t.

I know some were confused because of the older Valentine’s Post I recently put up which sounded like Rosie was at least up and going to Legion of Mary. She’s not.

Please keep up the prayers. We are very grateful.

Here are some photos, Giveaway follows….

Margy, Gemma and Hannah on Gemma’s 15th Birthday

Rosie and Angelo get into the fun….

Continue reading →

This ‘n’ That and an Update

15 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in Seasons, Seasons, Feast Days, etc., Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 6 Comments

How time flies! It is mid-January, the Christmas season is waning. We still have our tree and decorations up and we still listen to some Christmas music. I have a couple of lovely chaplets that I say off and on throughout the season to the Holy Infant from this fabulous book of Chaplets called My Treasury of Chaplets.

Below is a gallery of the last month or so.

But first, an update on Rosie….

We’ve had some progress and we keep plodding along. Her seizure-like episodes are less frequent. But her headaches are debilitating and very frequent and she is not able to do much of anything…except pray, some reading,  crochet and listen to audiobooks. She spends much of her time in her room. So she is still struggling very much.

We have more lab work coming.

It has not been easy…

My two married daughters started a GoFund Me Page to help out with some of the expenses. I will post it here but we most appreciate the prayers…

The page is here.

Update: The Get Well Fund for Rosie will be up for a little while longer if any would like to help. Father VanderPutten, in Nigeria, will be saying a Triduum of Masses for those who donate. Thank you kindly and please remember Rosie in your prayers.

And now a gallery…. Click on the first picture to get full-screen.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

24 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Seasons, Seasons, Feast Days, etc., Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 18 Comments

Well, here we are, it is Christmas Eve. The Advent season has quickly passed, we have struggled this year and had to leave some things aside, but we have done the priorities…one being the St. Andrew Christmas Novena.

The younger girls, Hannah and Gemma, have risen to the occasion. Gemma has been working on the Spiritual Christmas Crib by herself and made cookies for the neighbors. Hannah has been picking up the pieces over here and helping some of the married girls in their own homes.

Two of our married daughters made dinner for us a couple of nights. Some friends did, too.

Theresa came over, with her four children and spear-headed and helped with Christmas decorating! It was wonderful….they did a lovely job! 🙂

Margy is on the mend after her surgery. It is nice to see her smiling face around the kitchen again. She is moving slow but happy to be back at it!

Rosie’s last 3 days have been more stable. I am very grateful. She can quickly spiral downwards but here’s to hoping this is a trend….

I hope to post photos sometime Christmas week.

May you all have a Blessed Christmas! You are in my prayers, thank you so much for the prayers you have sent our way! ❤

 

Mike and Jeanette’s family

Dominic and Sarah’s family (another baby on the way)

Colin and Z’s family

Devin and Theresa’s family

Vincent and Virginia’s family

hehe

All of us…

 

 

 

 

 

Happy St. Nicholas Day! Stable, Advent Tree, Tids ‘n’ Bits….

06 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Seasons, Feast Days, etc., Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 6 Comments

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! May your day be blessed!

A gallery for you. Click on the first picture to see full-screen…

I accidentally left this old post from last year tacked onto this post. I was going to erase it when I finally noticed it but decided not to if any of you are interested…..

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Today will be a special day in our household!

We offered to do a nice lasagna dinner for our married children and then Hannah and Gemma will be spending time with the grandchildren…playing games, eating (relatively healthy…we got them from the Health Food Store) goodies, coloring St. Nicholas pictures, watching the St. Nicholas CCC cartoon, etc.

It will be a busy evening, we will wrap it up early and head off for the third evening of our Parish Advent Mission.

In the past we have done a Puppet Show:

The St. Nicholas puppet is made! Now just for the Black Pete puppet!

Black Pete gives straw to bad boys and girls. St. Nicholas gives goodies.

A couch always makes for a good puppet theater!

Our audience!

We have also had a celebration at our Parish (a Puppet Show included):

Grandchildren Emma and Johnny….

The puppeteers!

The three daughters who needed a dowry…..

The show begins!

Below is two renditions of the St. Nicholas song courtesy of the St. Nicholas Center. I always liked the tune of Jolly Old St. Nicholas but the words are silly. So here is a chance to sing it with some good words!

Song 1:

Saint Nicholas Song
Song tells the story of Saint Nicholas

Thankful Bishop Nicholas,
friendly good and wise,
when he could he helped the poor,
always by surprise.
Rich folk came to Nicholas,
Bringing wealth to share,
so it could be sent to those living in despair.

Three maidens husbands could not find,
their father was so poor;
No dowry was available, to tempt a suitor’s lore.
Word came to youthful Nicholas,
who acted in good taste,
In darkness threw three bags of gold,
retreating in great haste.

Zealous Bishop Nicholas,
born in Pa-tar-a,
Was the Bishop of My-ra
in times of great trial.
Who suffered prison for his faith,
Through torture still held firm,
Released by Constantine the Great,
to My-ra he returned.

Holy Bishop Nicholas,
The sailors patron saint,
saved the storm-tossed mariners
from a salty fate.
Who at Nicea formed the creed—
but jail became his fate,
He punched a pastor in the jaw,
so heated the debate.

Patron Saint of children,
Saint Nicholas did become,
giving gifts at Christmas time,
a special act of love.
His style was different from his peers,
as they would often see,
“Give to the truley needy ones
with a-non-ym-i-tee.”

Gentle Bishop Nicholas,
friendly good and wise,
When he could he helped the poor,
always by surprise.
We too must always seek to share,
our means with those in need,
God help us imitate this saint,
on Advent winter eves.

Song 2:

The Song of St. Nicholas
To the tune of “Jolly Old St. Nicholas”

Once upon a long ago
Very far away,
In the town of Bethlehem
Lying in some hay,
Jesus came for you and me
Bringing heaven’s love
As a gift for us to have
From the Lord above.

In the town of Myra once
Also long ago,
Lived good Bishop Nicholas
Hair as white as snow.
Nicholas loved Jesus who
Loved and helped us all.
“I will do the same,” said he
“Helping great and small.”

Thankful Bishop Nicholas
Friendly, good and wise;
When he could, helped the poor
Always by surprise.
Rich men came to Nicholas
Bringing wealth to share
So it could be sent to those
Living in despair.

We should be like Nicholas
Thankful, good and kind,
Loving those who need our help
All the ones we find.
Jesus and Saint Nicholas
Taught us how to give:
Share but never seek rewards,
That is how to live!

I posted these yesterday, but here they are for you again today….coloring pages for your children available here.

My two younger daughters and I all have an Advent Journal going! It has been helpful, very helpful! My mother has not been well and so I have been at the doctor quite a bit lately. The girls look at their own journals and know what needs to be checked off! It’s great!

(It’s not too late to jump in with this Catholic Mother’s Traditional Advent Journal! You can order the book here or you can download and print the e-book here! Come, join us on this wonderful walk through Advent!)

Today’s Journal Page with a reminder that, yes, today is St. Nicholas Day and to do something special!

 

Tids ‘n’ Bits!

Z’s (our daughter-in-law) mantle and Advent wreath….she is now about a week overdue with their 5th baby!

Gin’s Advent Wreath

Beautiful Kanzashi Flower made by Jeanette…

Devin (Theresa’s husband) made this extra big manger for the straws that the children will be getting through the Advent season as they perform their sacrifices or good deeds, extra prayers, etc. It will be comfy and soft by the time Christmas and the Baby Jesus comes!

Theresa’s family has new members! Puppies! The puppy’s eyes may not be open yet…but look at Adrian’s! 😀

Gin’s children have begun the Spiritual Christmas Crib!

Theresa’s little people are busy working on Advent/Christmas projects…

We love Dad! (Gin’s husband, Vinnie)

Theresa’s stable awaits the Baby Jesus.

Our Advent Parish Mission has been fantastic! Father’s first conference was on sin….whoa! Powerful! And last night was heaven….beautiful meditations! We have two more evenings of talks.

We have a lovely Christmas Tree Market this year in our little hometown. There was live music, lights, food, hayrides, etc. The weather has been so mild this year so we met some of the married couples and had a good time there….

This is Grammy Estelle (our son-in-law’s Grandma) who is 92 and playing Ring Around the Rosie with the little ones!

We got our stable up on Monday! The kids all pitched in and just got it done in spite of a very hectic day! We will add the Nativity figurines as Christmas Day approaches. It is always an exciting day when we get this accomplished!

A “before” picture.

Hehe… Hannah posed for this one. She was peeved that Rosie always gets in the picture….so that it looks as if they don’t help with it. So here she is patting the dirt….oh brother.

Here, Gemma takes all credit.

Me, after the today’s St. Nicholas party…..except I won’t be reading a Vogue magazine! 😀

Don’t you just love the logic?

Some things just don’t quite turn out the way we imagined they should!

For you busy mothers!

 

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Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Be attentive to the sacrifices your husband makes for the family. Each day he battles the world, the flesh and the devil out in the workforce for you. Don’t let that go unnoticed. Thank him often! Appreciate him. -Finer Femininity

These are gorgeous flowers and would make great gifts or stocking stuffers! The detail and care that is put into each one is evident when you see them in person!

Intricate and Classy Hand-Crafted Kanzashi Accessory Flowers for Your Hair, Scarf, Shirt etc….These fetching ribbon flowers are a perfect accent to any special outfit and provides a sweet final touch! I like to wear these flowers in my hair, but they can be worn many ways! Each petal takes undivided attention! First, it is cut and shaped, then burnt to ensure there will be no fraying. The petals are then folded and glued into a flower design and the finishing touches are then added.
The back of the flower has a clip that easily opens and holds firmly. Ribbon flowers are an excellent alternative to real flowers and will look fresh and beautiful forever! Available here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeadowsofGrace?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=20110799

Update…

30 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by in FF Tidbits, Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 20 Comments

We picked Rosie up from the Convent on Wednesday. She seemed to rally that day, was able to say goodbye, and we had a nice drive home. The evening was more difficult.

At the convent, she wore a heart holter monitor for a couple of days, she also has had an MRI and an EEG. It seems that they cannot find a reason for her “seizure-like”, frequent episodes and her extreme headaches, weakness, etc.
So….the Sisters started a novena for her yesterday and we are joining in. I am going to include it here if anyone would like to join along (and tag some of your own intentions to it, too).
Also, today is the beginning of the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. Maybe you could tack Rosie onto your intentions?
I am very grateful for any prayers you can send our way.

The novena:

Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother, St. Anne. You were chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We believe the teaching of holy Mother the Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race and beloved Son, you were preserved from all stain of original sin. We thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you, as we honor your Immaculate Conception.

Look graciously upon us, as we implore this special favor: the complete healing of Rosie.

Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, from your throne in heaven turn your eyes of pity upon us. Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, we beg you to help us in this journey of life, which is so full of dangers for our souls. We entrust ourselves entirely to you, that we may never be the slaves of the devil through sin, but may always live humble and pure lives. We consecrate ourselves to you forever, for our only desire is to love your divine Son Jesus. Mary, since none of your devout servants have perished, May we too be saved.
Hail Mary…

O Mary,Conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Rosie gets her blessing from Mother Abbess before we leave.

Rosie, back home in her room. We were able to get a recliner before she came home for her bedroom so she wouldn’t have to stay in bed all the time. Her room is upstairs…

Rosie’s kneeler where a sister is still watching over her! 🙂

A relic of St. Benedict (which also happens to be Rosie’s middle name…yes, Benedict) is here for her to venerate each day.

Don’t Forget!

🙏🏻 Starting today! Powerful Novena…Repeat this prayer 15 times each day from today, November 30th, until, and including, December 24. May our Lord grant you your worthy intentions!

“One evening I was in their home about dinnertime. She was busy in the kitchen putting the final touches on the dinner when her husband came home from work. This happened to be payday.
He came into the kitchen, kissed her, and handed her his paycheck. She immediately stopped what she was doing, put her arms around him and said, ‘I know how hard you have worked for this … how many long hours. Thank you for providing us with so many comforts, and making it possible for me to stay home and care for the family.’
But this was not enough. She went into the living room where the children were all playing on the floor. She made them all stop and stand up.
‘Look,’ she said as she held up the paycheck. ‘See, your father has worked hard to earn this money. Now, Jane, this means you can have a new pair of shoes, and Johnny, you can have your bicycle fixed.’
The father stood there beaming. Not only did his wife appreciate him, but taught their children to.
In his eyes, she was a beautiful woman.
I’m not sure she did this every payday, but I know that here was a home where the man was appreciated for his daily efforts.
And I know that this ordinary woman was not so ordinary. She knew how to appreciate a man and this is why she was beautiful to him.” -Fascinating Womanhood https://amzn.to/2NAXkGv (afflink)

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

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Happy Thanksgiving from Finer Femininity!

22 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in FF Tidbits, Seasons, Seasons, Feast Days, etc., Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 3 Comments

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, may your day be filled with blessings! And thank you for your prayers for Rosie. I will keep you updated…

Below are some inspirational quotes for your day and then a small gallery of our November.

Mothers, today on Thanksgiving, know how very special you are. You are the essence, the heart of your home. Your smile lightens the burdens, your words brighten the hearts of those who will be part of your festivities. The tone of this special family time is set by you! We, as mothers, are privileged to have such an important part in the making of our homes! May your day be filled with grace and love! ❤

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This Thanksgiving let us offer up our little inconveniences, our stresses, our fatigue for those less fortunate than ourselves. And, on the flip side, let’s start becoming more aware of the little things and thanking God for them.

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Thanksgiving2

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“After committing a fault of whatever kind, rather than withdrawing into ourselves indefinitely in discouragement and dwelling on the memory, we must immediately return to God with confidence and even thank Him for the good that His mercy will be able to draw out of this fault!

We must know that one of the weapons that the devil uses most commonly to prevent souls from advancing toward God is precisely to try to make them lose their peace and discourage them by the sight of their faults.”
Searching For and Maintaining Peace, Fr. Jacques Philippe https://amzn.to/2pSwDmQ (afflink)

 

Thank God for His many blessings. Make the most of each and every day. Enjoy the journey. The world will keep whizzing by but we must take time to smell the roses. Each day is a gift, each person in your life is special. Take nothing for granted.

“For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy!” ❤❤❤-St. Therese of Lisieux

Be attentive to the sacrifices your husband makes for the family. Each day he battles the world, the flesh and the devil out in the workforce for you. Don’t let that go unnoticed. Thank him often! Appreciate him. -Finer Femininity

Black Friday Sale!

$75.00 Package Deal Discount on all my books! (Catholic Wife’s Maglet included though not pictured). Available now through Sunday here.

And now a gallery…. (click on the first picture to view)

 

 

Tidbits…A Benedictine Prayer and The Walking Priest

26 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by in FF Tidbits, Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 4 Comments

Father VanderPutten sent me this wonderful poem about a Benedictine Nun written in a pamphlet back in the day. It is beautiful….

 It would be hard to top this as a description of Benedictine life.

———-

from a pamphlet printed by the nuns of Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester, UK

PRAYER PRAISE STILLNESS

SERENITY WISDOM CONTEMPLATION

Our world has lost these things
So men are restless, dissatisfied, tense–
Drowning in fevered activity
Seeking the wrong things
And seeking the right things
but in the wrong places

Our world has lost God

That is why we have withdrawn from the world
Not because we do not care about its fate
cannot face its problems
But in order to find God

And having found Him
To irradiate the very heart of the world
With His peace-bringing
life-giving presence

We do not engage in works outside our monastery
For we have chosen to live in silence
and concentration
At the hidden springs, the deepest level
Where the struggle is enacted
between the powers of good and evil
Where our union with Christ bears fruit
for all mankind

We have chosen a stillness
more powerful than all activity
A detachment more fulfilling than all possession
A wisdom exceeding all knowledge
And a love beyond all price

Each day we lift the world up to God
in public prayer and praise
through the liturgy of the monastic choir

Each day we search for Him
in our private prayer and reading

Each day we work
according to our gifts
for the support of the community

Such is the life of a contemplative nun
following the Rule of St Benedict
a community life–
yet lived alone with God

A beautiful CD by the Benedictines of Mary…a lovely gift idea!

Echoes of Ephesus

Looking for some beautiful Christmas Cards? Look no further! Support the nuns by purchasing these lovely Christmas sentiments…

Available here.

Walking the Road to God by Father Lawrence Carney

Have you heard of “The Walking Priest”? We met him at the convent when we dropped Rosie off.

Father Carney says the Tridientine daily Mass for the Benedictines.

He is a true apostle as he walks the streets of St. Joseph, MO, a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other. (They are his hook and his line as he reels in souls for Christ).

He is in the process of starting an order of “walking priests”. Please pray for Fr. Carney and his new religious order: “Canon Regulars of St. Martin.”

“Serving Jesus in the streets of the city is my joy. It brings me great happiness to meet people who come up to me with a question about God or a comment about how they always see me walking and thinking about God. Some honk their horns, some give me a thumbs up. My purpose is to direct people with good hearts to the Heart of God.”

Take a peek at his book…. https://amzn.to/2D3XHIi

Be ready for Advent with these items from Meadows of Grace! Available here.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

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Rosie’s Entrance…

22 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by in FF Tidbits, Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 12 Comments

First off, I want to thank you for all the prayers and consoling words when I posted about Rosie, etc. I can’t tell you what it meant to me.

The following pictures are of our big day, dropping Rosie off at the convent. I think it is supposed to be a low-key type of thing, but NOTHING is low-key when you have ten siblings and twenty-eight nieces and nephews! …hehe

It was a beautiful day, though difficult. Yes, bittersweet…maybe tipping the balance on the “bitter” side right now…knowing the sweetness is underlying it all, and will grow more as each day passes.

(Update on my health: My first test was fine. The results were very good. I have another one on Nov. 4th and ask for continued prayers…. Thank you!)

Rosie will be very grateful for prayers, also. Many of you know she has struggled with her own health for a few years. We are praying that all goes well…

(Click on the first small picture to view the gallery.)

 

 

 

A Gallery and a Poem….

11 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 10 Comments

Our boys…Our girls…

I want to share with you today this reminder that life passes quickly, and even though you are busy, take time to enjoy the moment. Thank God for each day for it will never come again.

The Last Time

From the moment you hold your baby in your arms,

You will never be the same.

You might long for the person you were before,

When you have freedom and time,

And nothing in particular to worry about.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,

And days will run into days that are exactly the same,

Full of feedings and burping,

Nappy changes and crying,

Whining and fighting,

Naps or a lack of naps,

It might seem like a never-ending cycle.

But don’t forget …

There is a last time for everything.

There will come a time when you will feed

Your baby for the very last time.

They will fall asleep on you after a long day

And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.

One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,

And never pick them up that way again.

You will scrub their hair in the bath one night

And from that day on they will want to bathe alone.

They will hold your hand to cross the road,

Then never reach for it again.

They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles,

And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.

One afternoon you will sing “the wheels on the bus”

And do all the actions,

Then never sing them that song again.

They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate,

The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.

You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.

They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.

The thing is, you won’t even know it’s the last time

Until there are no more times.

And even then, it will take you a while to realize.

So while you are living in these times,

Remember there are only so many of them

And when they are gone, you will yearn for just one more day of them.

For one last time.

~Author Unknown~

And now…a gallery! Click on the first picture to view….