Simple Woman's Day Book

Simple Woman's Day Book
FOR TODAY 03/27/10...
Outside My Window... After a lovely few days of warmth and sun and balmy breezes, now it's cold and raw again. I'm glad I resisted the urge to uncover the garden beds!
I am thinking... about putting in a raised bed this year, over by the side of the yard. I bought pea seeds and spinach seeds today, and now all I need is wood and lotsa dirt... and another day off. And some sun. And some energy.
I am thankful for... the fact that Easter is almost here. I can't believe Lent is almost over, and here we are at April's door and Easter just around the corner. Time is racing by, and true to Lenten form, I am completely exhausted.
From the kitchen... Scott just whipeed up a sausage stir fry, and I'm going to have some as soon as I whip up the energy to go get it. I'm dreaming of our Easter dinner, which every year is a roast beef with lots of veggies, hollandaise sauce (or is it bernaise, I always forget which is which, it's the one without the little green bits in it) for the meat, and various other treats. One year I made Yorkshire pudding, that was cool and I was super impressed with myself.
I am wearing... jeans and my favorite shirt, a plain navy blue long sleeved shirt, it's nothing to speak of but for some reason I love it. I'm also cuddled up in my sleeping bag on my favorite chair. Yum. Cozy.
I am creating... not much lately! Just lots of reading and writing for work and school. But I'm totally "pre-writing" a book.
I am going... to Vegas with our faith formation staff in April, to the NCCL conference there. And SO looking forward to it.
I am reading... that is, I should be reading, right now, lots of stuff about the beginnings of the CCD in Europe, and such. Lately we've been looking at Paulo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Women's Ways of Knowing... good stuff.
I am hoping... that the yuckiness I am feeling does not develop into a real cold. I don't have time for a cold, it's HOLY WEEK!
I am hearing... a whooshing sound in my head, that has been there all day. Scott says it's high blood pressure but I don't have HBP. Maybe it's my red blood cells fighting mightily against this marauding cold!
Around the house... everyone here is reclining.
One of my favorite things... is Easter Sunday. It's my favorite HolyDay, and also my favorite day overall. The Good News PLUS a day off (and I mean OFF) after a crazy, hectic week of hard work. We traditionally stay home, get new pajamas, crack open some wine and eat the aforementioned deliciousness. We don't go anywhere and try not to talk with anyone either. It's bliss.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Oh heck it's going to be busy. Our staff really does work as a team so we will all be involved in making Holy Week happen, from stem to stern, little details to large projects. It's fun, too.
Here is picture thought I am sharing.
I left my rain boots out in the rain. Is that irony?

Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again.

Last week for St. Joseph's day (because he is the patron saint of our marriage- yeah, sure you can do that!) we went to Mass at a local parish (not ours... our daily Mass is at 6:30AM!!) and then to lunch to celebrate. After Mass we were all invited to feast on Zeppoles, a traditional St. Joseph's day pastry. The hostess was a Sister of St. Joseph. After chowing down on a delicious pastry we introduced ourselves to the Sister, who asked where we work. She said "oh, a lot of people who left here because of the abuse scandal moved to your parish."
I asked how things were going in the parish now, and she said "well, people have long memories, and rightly so. It's been hard." I guessed that it must be re-opening the wounds, the news we are hearing now from Ireland and Germany and the Church. She said "I just can't stand it."
I wanted to hug her and have a good cry with her. In that quick statement she sighed what I think so many people feel.
I know many people who, without actually asking me, I know want to know how I can stay in a church Like This. A church that has hurt so many people, a church that still can't seem to face its own sins while condemning the sins of others. And it's a question I've asked myself (and my patient spiritual director) many times. I think it's a question all Catholics must ask ourselves. And ultimately, I don't know what the future holds for this church. But for now, for this day, I don't want this church that I love to have one less person like me. I don't want there to be one less person than there is now who will ask themselves that question, who will listen critically to the news, who will teach faithfully the Good News (because there is, after all, still Good News). I don't know if I'm a very big part of the solution (I hope so though), and I feel quite sure that I'm not part of the problem, but I am not willing to not be part of the equation.

Spring spring sprinnnnnggggg

It's been raining a lot here. For... well, forever. Okay, not really- but long enough for people to start making Ark jokes, for people near rivers to watch them nervously, for anyone with a basement to put on waterproof boots and think about buying a sump pump.
It's been nasty, driving, whipping rain and wind. The kind that soaks you, even if you're only out in it to get from the house to the car, or the car to the house. A girl in one of my classes said "where I come from the rain just comes down, none of these left- and right- and up directions!!"
The other day when I was driving home through this rain, I drove under an overpass and suddenly, maybe for two seconds, it was silent. I hadn't even noticed, really, the sound of the rain hammering on the roof of my car, until it was suddenly... gone. And then back again. That silence was so surprising and thrilling that I wanted to turn back and park under that overpass until the rain stopped, until the rest of the world was that dry and quiet.
And today, it was sunny and warm- and dry. I can feel my body relax and respond to the feel of warm sun, to the no-longer need to curl up into myself and wrap myself against the cold. This time of year, as I get to shed each layer of winter clothing, I'm like a caterpillar coming out of my cocoon. I want to notice and appreciate every degree of warmth, every new bit of green. I love Spring.

What the bic??

I realize that a good fraction of my posts revolve around grocery shopping. I hope you don't mind.
Today I went in search of razor blades. I have had a Venus razor handle for... well, probably longer than I've been married. It came with a holder for the shower, and it was handy. I only ever had to buy the blades, which were then neatly kept in the shower holder thingy.
But now, you can't just get the blades. Now, the blades come with goo on the sides, or some such thing that may be nifty but means they won't fit in the holder. And they keep adding blades! I saw one today with FIVE blades. WHO needs five blades?
And did I mention the COST??? There is no option available under 10.00. At Stop & Shop, they keep them in plastic boxes that the staff has to open with plastic keys, they are THAT valuable.
Well today I drew the line and bought some other-kind-of-razors. Complete, with handles. This was no easy task either, since all I wanted was something between the one-blade shredders and the 5 blade cadillacs. I saw some, I kid you not, with citrus-scented handles.
Scott has told me that more than a few times, he has found himself helping old men in the drug store to navigate the razor choices. I felt for them today. I long for the simpler days.

Just ASK.

I think I picked the wrong word-of-the-year. Remember? It was "REACH." But all signs seem to be pointing in a completely different direction.
Last time I met with my spiritual director, she challenged me to sit in the moment, despite the fact that I had just told her that I don't like doing that. And in our ongoing conversations, she repeatedly is reminding me to ASK God what it is that I want to know, rather than just musing over things, or jumping to conclusions.
On another note, I keep hearing myself say to the staff members around me "just ASK someone to help!" It's part of my "give and let give" experiment, and part of God reminding me, I think, that He has plans for people besides me. I don't want to get in the way between God and God's plan for a person, just because I am afraid to ASK.
So, I think my word for the year is... SEEK. Just kidding, it's ASK. I'm going to be unafraid to ask questions when I'm confused, to ask for help from others when I need it, to ask people to take a step or a leap toward serving God better at church, and in the world.
So watch out! I may have something to ASK you!

Looky!!!! Loooooookyyyyy!!!