Monday, January 29, 2018

Happy Birthday, Klenda!


 First a birthday party with friends...


And then one with family in Maryland...
 And then one with family in frozen NJ!
Where, among all the fun and games, she learned to work a coal fire.

This impressed me greatly because Mumpy has tried to teach me how to tend a coal fire for the past 35 years (on and off), and I'm still quite likely to put the fire out whether I am trying to bank it for the night or revive it in the morning, or feed it in between.

I think the coal gene skipped a generation!

Anyway, here are:
19 Awesome Things About Klenda

1. She can tend a coal fire.
2. She draws amazingly well!
3. She stands up for what she thinks is right.
3. She plays the piano by ear.
4. She is teaching herself to play the guitar.
5. She is a loving and supportive sister.
5. She loves to learn.
6. She is an honor student.
7. She has a great sense of style.
7. She's a careful driver.
8. She sees more colors than I do!
9. She sees beauty everywhere.
10. She's a fun dancer.
10. She always asks if I need her to run an errand on the way home from college.
11. She's part of the BCC Crew.
12. She's an integral part of Team Valtapaz.
13. Her tiramisu is swoon worthy.
14.  She's a talented and creative cook.
14. She's an excellent baker.
15.  She's got a green thumb.
16. She's always up for an adventure.
16. She always does more than the minimum.
17. She's rocking the steampunk style!
17. She's an out of the box thinker.
18. She makes great mixtapes.
19. She's always willing to lend a hand.
19. Her love of God shines.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Poem of the Week: Chief of Chiefs

Chief of Chiefs
Originally from the Carmina Gadelica I, 5
Taken from Esther de Waal, editor, The Celtic Vision (Liguori, MO: Liguori/Triumph, 1988, 2001), p. 12.


God with me lying down,
God with me rising up,
God with me in each ray of light,
Nor I a ray of joy without Him,
Nor one ray without Him.

Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
Every day and night,
Each day and night.

God with me protecting,
The Lord with me directing,
The Spirit with me strengthening,
For ever and for evermore,
Ever and evermore, Amen.
Chief of chiefs, Amen.

HT: Journey With Jesus 

Thursday, January 25, 2018

The Hat

 My sister knew she was getting the scarf.  She did not know she was also getting a hat.  An unusual hat.

I felt such an unusual hat deserved an explanation, so I sent an explanatory note:

So.  You might be wondering about the hat.  Two things: I had just finished knitting you a scarf the size of South Dakota, BUT, I had bought enough to cover all the (acrylic) sheep in Wyoming.  AND, after knitting maniacally, compulsively, that much, I couldn't stop cold.

You should also know that it didn't come out exactly as I had imagined.  I was thinking a really long, fun (but cute) stocking cap type hat.  But I kept double knitting so it was too short and too thick.



However, I think this style hat may work quite well for North Dakota.  Note the top area with room for a space heater.  Or possibly several hand warmers.  Also, very handy for a visiting bishop.  Or for impersonating a  frozen garden gnome.  Plus, storage space for snowballs!  It is also stiff enough to make an excellent tea cozy.

I suppose you could even fold over the ribbing and wear it as a normal hat. 

Still, obviously, it's most significant use will be evidence (at long last!) of an act of heroic virtue should you ever be called upon to testify for the Holy See, namely, the astonishing self restraint I showed (modestly enough) by NOT crowning this magnificent hat with a truly enormous pom pom!  Also, I ran out of yarn.  

Enjoy, and feel free to pass it on to anyone on your ecclesial team that laughed about it.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The Scarf

 My youngest sister had a birthday, so I knitted her a scarf.  This is the sister that lives in North Dakota where it is often -45℉ with wind chills of I-don't-want-to-think-about-it.

So she wanted a big, thick, warm, gray scarf.

It ended up being 1 foot wide, 8 feet long, and 2 inches thick.

Kidding about the thickness.

Anyway, it was the biggest knitting project I've ever attempted, but it was fun!



Which leads to a fun new game.  Can you guess the Zoomlian?










Monday, January 22, 2018

Older Kid Fun

Mostly Silly Super Hero Team
 Have I mentioned that when I say, "Okay gentlemen and ladies, get together so I can take a picture of you all," my teens hear, "Get together like a superhero team up"?

Oh, right, I have.

Anyway, they all went out and had a marvelous time swing dancing and hanging out with friends.







Klenda went with a steam punk outfit, and I had a lot of fun doing her hair.

Leena went with a more conventional but very pretty swing dress.

I find that I don't usually enjoy dressing up myself, but I love helping my girls get dressed up!

 Mostly I love how much fun my kids have together!
Mostly Serious Super Hero Team
I Don't Even Know, But It Cracks Me Up Every Time Team Up

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Poem of the Week: In Honor of Mumpy and Pa's 51st Anniversary

To My Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

I'm Back and I'm Okay!

All the tests showed everything was normal, and I'm feeling myself again, so the neurologist told me to just take baby aspirin and get on with my life. 😃

So it's back to blogging and home schooling and everything, but first I'd like to thank you with all my heart for your prayers for me and for my family! I've had so many family and friends praying, and I received the Anointing of the Sick (first new sacrament in a loooong time!) this has really been a time of grace for me.  So thank you, thank you, thank you! I will have a Mass offered for all of you who prayed for me!

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Poem of the Week: The Snow is Deep on the Ground

The Snow Is Deep on the Ground

The snow is deep on the ground.   
Always the light falls
Softly down on the hair of my belovèd.

This is a good world.
The war has failed.
God shall not forget us.
Who made the snow waits where love is.

Only a few go mad.
The sky moves in its whiteness
Like the withered hand of an old king.   
God shall not forget us.
Who made the sky knows of our love.

The snow is beautiful on the ground.   
And always the lights of heaven glow   
Softly down on the hair of my belovèd.

 
And happy birthday to my baby sister who indeed has deep snow in North Dakota!

Saturday, January 13, 2018

MIA:TIA

I was just about ready to jump into a new semester of home schooling this week.  I had plans for interesting new blog posts.  I had just finished my paperwork for my portfolio review on Wednesday.

And Monday morning I had a TIA.  That's a mini stroke: blood flow was temporarily blocked to part of my brain.  Thanks be to God, my dear husband found me unconscious almost immediately after it happened, and within a few hours I was able to walk and talk normally again.  I got out of the hospital Tuesday and I have been having lots of tests and doctor visits (which all showed there was no permanent damage).

Next week I'll have more tests and doctor visits.  I'm 47, which is pretty young to be having a stroke, but hopefully, by the end of the week, we'll have some answers about what happened and why, and if we can do anything to prevent more problems.

So, we are in God's good hands.  I'm doing ok, but prayers for me and my (understandably freaked out) family would be much appreciated!

I hope to be doing more blogging soon, but if I don't manage it, keep us in prayer, and may God reward your kindness!

Monday, January 8, 2018

Chilly New Year

No kidding, it has been cold here! I don't think I've felt my feet in two weeks! We've had highs in the teens and lows in the single digits, and wind chills below zero. 

For those of you sensible enough to be using the metric system, it was a high of -8, a low of -16, and a windchill of -23 today. Brrrrrrrrr.

But it reminded me that a park ranger had told me (many months ago) that I should visit Great Falls when it got really cold!

Wow!


 Even more amazing, they were working on the canal, so they had drained it!

We had lots of fun scampering around the dry canal, picking up freshwater clam shells and finding heron footprints in the icy puddles.

Even better, we got to go down into the locks and see how everything works!






  It was 20 degrees and breezy (-7 C), but we ended up spending two hours outside exploring the frozen falls and dry canals!

Then we needed to go home and have lots of hot chocolate to warm up!

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Poem of the Week: Journey of the Magi

I love this poem by TS Eliot!  I was having trouble finding the text, but I came across this marvelous reading by Sir Alec Guinness.   I don't think I'll ever be able to read the poem again without hearing it this way!


Saturday, January 6, 2018

Wrapping Up Christmas

So, Christmas actually ends tomorrow with the feast of the Epiphany, so it seems like a good time to sort through Christmas photos.  Here some of the high lights:







Friday, January 5, 2018

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

The Zoomlians give to you: our favorite song from our favorite version of Twelfth Night!


We hope you have a wonderful Twelfth Night and have had a lovely Christmas season!

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Monday, January 1, 2018

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

The Zoomlians give to you: best wishes for a happy and blessed 2018!

And for extra fun: a post from Oob!

Today’s report: January first, morning.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Welcome, 2018! Goodbye, 2017! 
Indeed, I hope we can all have A happy new year. But WHAT a new year! (totally not a reference…) anyway, so the Zoomlians have been hard at work this morning, and having some fun along the way.
They opened presents! They changed the sheets! They took baths! (well, some didn’t need it.)
I wrote a post! Saying: “today’s report: ja-“ no wait… this morning, the Zoomlians wish you a happy new year (along with a merry Christmas season)! I also hope to get a afternoon and
Evening report soon. GOODBYE!!!

Blogkeepers note: Since the Zoomlians favorite (non religious) part of Christmas is giving presents, and since we like to open a present and then spend time enjoying it, we end up opening presents throughout most of the 12 days of Christmas.

For extra extra fun, here's an explanatory post along with pictures from 5 years ago today!