Honorary Mention

As a follow up to my November posts on the saints, today I would like to make mention of some saintly (with a small "s") people who have not yet been canonized (or beatified - as I had done posts on a few "Blesseds"). 

Servant of God Emil Kapaun:  An Army Chaplain from Kansas who served in the Korean War.  During action in the war, Fr. Kapaun risked his life going from foxhole to foxhole to give comfort and reassurance to the fighting men and dragging the wounded to safety.  He was eventually captured, but continued to put himself at risk in the prison camp by foraging for food, caring for the sick and encouraging the other prisoners to persevere in their faith.  Two possible miracles attributed to his intercession are being considered by the Roman Postulator for his cause for canonization.

Venerable Solanus Casey:  Born Bernard Casey in Oak Grove, WI, he was given the name Solanus, after St. Francis Solanus, when he took the habit of a Capuchin Friar -- this was after he worked as a lumberjack, hospital orderly, prison guard and street car driver.  His road to the priesthood was not smooth as he struggled with his studies. Because of his difficulties, he was ordained only as a simplex priest, without the ability to hear confessions or preach publically.  His superiors didn't know what to do with him in this capacity, so he was made the monastery porter.  In this capacity, he was most available to the public and became a great favorite for his compassion and good counsel.  Many people credited his intercession for cures and other blessings that they received.

The North American Martyrs

I probably will not have much time to spend on the computer for the next few days, so I will close out my month of Saints with 8 saints, to make up for the days that I miss.

Our saints for today are collectively known as The North American Martyrs or The Canadian Martyrs.  They were eight Jesuit missionaries who were tortured and martyred on various dates in the mid Seventeenth century in what is now southern Ontario and upstate New York.  They were missionaries to the Huron people, and so were considered legitimate targets by the Iroquois.  Their feast day, October 19, is listed on the Roman Calendar  under the title of "John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs."

Since we rarely see the full list of the eight martyrs, here it is:  St. Jean de Brébeuf (1649),[1] St. Noël Chabanel (1649),[2] St. Antoine Daniel (1648),[3] St. Charles Garnier (1649),[2] St. René Goupil (1642),[4] St. Isaac Jogues (1646),[5] St. Jean de Lalande (1646),[6] and St. Gabriel Lalemant (1649).

St. Gertrude of Nivelles

Earlier this month, I mentioned St. Rocco for all the dog lovers.  Here is one for the cat lovers:  St. Gertrude of Nivelles (not to be confused with St. Gertrude the Great).  After the death of her father, Gertrude and her mother entered religious life together, founding a monastery at Nivelles in present day Belgium.  Gertrude was made abbess at the age of 26.  Legend says that, upon learning that the monastery's grain supply was infested with mice, she eliminated the pests through the power of prayer - thus making her the patron saint of cats.
Her feast day is March 17.

St. Denis

I chose St. Denis as our Saint of the day today because of an interesting legend that is attached to his story.  St. Denis (also called Dionysius, Dennis, or Denys), was born and raised in Italy and was sent as a missionary to what is now France.  He chose an island in the Seine (where Paris is now located) as the base for his missionary activity and so is known as the first Bishop of Paris.  Denis and his companions, Rusticus and Eleutherius, were captured by pagans and beheaded around 258 AD. 
Legend has it that after he was beheaded, Denis picked up his head and carried it for about 10 kilometers (6 miles), preaching a sermon the whole way.  St. Denis is usually depicted in sacred art carrying his own head.  He is the patron Saint of Paris.  His feast day is October 9.

Blessed Imelda

Today's saint is one that I just read about this weekend and thought I would share.  Her name is Blessed Imelda.  From the time she was a young child, Imelda was very pious and loved to pray.  By the age of 5 she was asking to be permitted to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist.  At that time, however, First Communion was not permitted until one was a teenager.  At the age of 9, she expressed a desire to enter religious life and was permitted to go to live with a convent of Dominican Sisters.  She still had a fervent desire to receive the Eucharist.  One day after Mass, when she was 11, she stayed behind in the Chapel praying. The nuns were startled to see a radiant Host suspended in the air above Imelda's head.  They called for the priest.  In the face of such a miracle, he could do nothing else but offer her her First Holy Communion.  She was so overcome with joy at receiving the sacrament, that she died of love.  Her feast day is May 13.

Pope St. Urban I

Since regular season football is winding down, today's Saint was chosen in honor of all you Buckeye football fans -- Coach Meyer's patron, Pope St. Urban I.

Pope Urban I was the first of eight Popes to carry that name and the only one who is recognized as a  Saint (two others are blessed).  He was Pope from 222 (succeeding Callixtus I, who was martyred) until 230.  Much of Urban's life and papacy are shrouded in mystery.  However, he is the first Pope whose reign can be definitely dated.  Legend says that Pope Urban was responsible for converting Valerianus, husband of St. Cecilia (whose feast day was yesterday). His feast day is May 25 . . . put that on your calendar to send Coach Meyer a card to wish him a happy feast day.

St. Wolfgang

Okay, so I really did not know who to write about today.  I started browsing and marveling at all the unusual Saints' names that you never hear about these days and then remembered one of my Brother-in-law's friends saying that he chose St. Wolfgang as his confirmation saint just because he liked the name.

St. Wolfgang actually fulfills my earlier quest for a German Saint.  He was born in Swabia, Germany and entered a Benedictine Monastery receiving ordination in 971.  He was named Bishop of Regensburg the following year and distinguished himself as a reformer and statesman. He also served as tutor to Emperor Henry II.  His feast day is October 31.

St. Hemma

For today, I was looking for a German Saint in honor of my German heritage, but came up instead with St. Hemma (or Emma) of Gurk, who was Austrian (close enough for today).  Hemma was born into a noble family and was brought up in the court of the Empress St. Cunigunde, where she was given a firm foundation in the spiritual life.  She married and had two sons, but outlived both her husband and her children.  As a widow, she was a very wealthy woman, owning land, markets and tariff routes.  Cunigunde had brought Hemma up to serve God by serving others, so she used her wealth to establish foundations and houses to serve the poor. She also founded ten churches and an abbey where she lived out the last years of her life.  Her feast day is June 27.

Blessed Pier Giorgio

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati reminds me a lot of Bl. John Paul II.  You know those pictures of John Paul II (then Fr. Wojtyla ) hiking and canoeing?  Pier Giorgio also enjoyed the outdoors and athletics, going on long hikes and mountain climbing expeditions and competing in skiing races.  He was equally enthusiastic about his faith, praying the rosary while hiking and attending daily Mass.  He had a particular devotion to the poor.  Although from a wealthy family, his father only gave him a small allowance so that he would not be spoiled by money.  Even so, Pier Giorgio gave much of his money away and literally gave away the clothes off his back.  When he died of poliomyelitis at the age of 24, his family was surprised to find the streets of the city lined with thousands of mourners - many of them the poor and needy who had been helped by the young man.  His feast day is July 4 (so you probably won't find many in the U.S. observing it).

St. Virgil

In my "Saint of the Day" posts, I have tried to keep away from the name saints of family members in order to avoid any hard feelings from those whose name saint I may not get to.  However, I break my rule today. 

Yesterday, when I was researching St. Verena, I came upon the listing for St. Virgil of Arles.  So this post is for Grandpa.

St. Virgil lived in the late 6th to early 7th century.  He was a friend of Pope St. Gregory the Great (have you noticed how many Saints have friends or relatives who are also Saints?  It pays to keep good company!).  He was the Metropolitan (Bishop) of Arles and it is said that Gregory gave him the pallium.  Virgil was not perfect.  He was reprimanded by Gregory on a couple occasions - once for participating in the forced conversion of Jews and once for not preventing the forced marriage of a woman who had chosen religious life.  I guess Virgil must have learned from his mistakes as he is now venerated as a Saint.  His feast day is March 5.

St. Verena

Well, I think I'll head back to the more obscure Saints. I chose today's Saint in honor of my friend, Verna, from whom I first learned about her.  Saint Verena was originally from Egypt and was supposedly a relative of St. Victor, a member of the Theban Legion.  She went to what is now Switzerland (called Rhaetia at that time) to care for Victor and tend his wounds.  When he and other members of the Legion were martyred, Verena stayed and became a hermit.  She is venerated in the Coptic Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches as well as by Roman Catholics.  Her feast day is September 1.

Blessed John XXIII

So let's bring this whole saint thing a little more current today.  Let's talk Bl. John XXIII.  Pope John XXIII died less than 3 years before I was born, so he was almost my lifetime.  He will be officially canonized in April at the same time as his more well-known successor, John-Paul II.  Pope John XXII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli , the fourth of fourteen children.  He served as papal nuncio of France, Bulgaria and Greece as well as Patriarch of Venice prior to being elected Pope in 1958.  He was the first pope in more than 500 years to take the name "John."  Because of his advanced age, he was expected to be somewhat of a "stop-gap" pope, but surprised everyone by calling the Second Vatican Council.  His feast day is not celebrated on the date of his death (as is the usual practice with Saints), but on October 11, the first day of the Council.

St. Frances of Rome

I have had a difficult time choosing a saint for today, but I have finally settles on Frances of Rome.  She lived in the late 1300's to the early 1400's.  When she was young, she wanted to become a nun, but her parents married her off when she was only 12.  It was a happy marriage and, unlike other aristocratic women of her time, she raised her own children.  She was devoted to the poor and sick.  It was said that she could always see her guardian angel at her side and one dark night when she set out to perform a charitable errand, her angel walked before her shining a supernatural light so that she could see where she was going.  Her feast is March 9.

St. Lorenzo

St. Lorenzo Ruiz is the first Filipino saint. He lived in the 1600's and was married with two sons and a daughter. In his late 20's or early 30's he was involved or accused of involvement in a criminal case. He fled the country in fear of receiving a death sentence. He and his companions who were Christian Missionaries ended up in Japan, where Christians are under persecution. Lorenzo was arrested and tortured, and eventually killed, but he refused to denounce his faith. His feast day is September 28.

St. Lorenzo, pray for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

Benedict & Scholastica

St. Benedict, founder of the rule for monastic life, is fairly well known (at least I Catholic circles), but did you know he had a twin sister?  Her name was Scholastica, and she is also a Saint.  Scholastica, like her brother, also dedicated her life to God from and early age.  She founded a monastery of nuns located not far from Benedict's monastery.  The brother and sister would meet once a year at a house (as the women were not permitted to enter the monks' monastery or vice versa).  On one occasion, she asked her brother to remain until the next day, but he did not want to spend the night away from his monastery.  She prayed, and a thunderstorm started so that neither Benedict, nor the monks that had accompanied him were able to leave, so they spent the night in spiritual discussion.  Three days later, Benedict had a vision of his sister's soul leaving the earth in the form of a shining white dove.  St. Scholastica's feast day is February 10.  (St. Benedict's is July 11).

Another Margaret

St. Margaret of Scotland was an English princess who escaped with her mother to Scotland to escape from the king who had conquered their country.  The Scottish King fell in love with the princess and they were married (kind of like in the fairy tales).  Margaret civilized her husband and the Scottish court.  The King and Queen set a good example for their subjects by praying together and feeding the poor with their own hands.  They had eight children - the youngest son became St. David.  Her feast day is Nov 16.

I am thankful for the great resources I have available to learn about the Saints.  Books:  This Saint's For You by Thomas Craughwell, 39 New Saints You Should Know by Brian O'Neel and Saint Who? also by O'Neel and the website Catholic.org (also Wikipedia). I hope some of you are enjoying the saint stories, 'cause I really am!

Bernadette

I am thankful for he beauty of the natural world.  Especially that gorgeous sunset this evening . . . thank you, Jesus!

My Saint for today is my almost-name Saint, Bernadette.  If I had not been named Rebecca, I would have been Bernadette, so she holds a special place in my heart.  I think Bernadette's story is pretty well known.  When she was a young girl, Mary appeared to her several times in a grotto outside Lourdes, France.  On one visit, Mary told her to dig in the dirt and she uncovered a hidden spring.  The waters of the spring have healing properties - 68 miraculous healings are officially recognized by the Church, although there are probably thousands more that have not met the strict criteria to be officially recognized.  However, I think the coolest thing about Bernadette is that, when her body was exhumed during the investigation into the cause for her canonization (30 years after her death) she was found to be incorrupt.  Her feast day is April 16.

St. Martin of Tours

I am thankful for the intangible gifts of faith, hope, love, respect, freedom, dignity, etc.  Only if you have been given these gifts can you expect to be able to give them to others . . . and you really don't have them yourself unless you share them.

In honor of Veterans' Day, our Saint of the day is St. Martin de Tours.  St. Martin is the patron saint of soldiers and his feast day is today, as well.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.  When Martin was 15, he was forced to join the army. One day, riding through the gates of the city, he saw a beggar in such ragged clothes he was nearly naked.  Martin took off his own cloak, cut it in half with his sword and gave half to the beggar.  That night in a dream, he saw Jesus wearing the 1/2 cloak that he had given to the beggar.

St. Josephine Bakhita

St. Josephine Bakhita was born in the Sudan.  Around the age of 7-9, she was kidnapped by slave traders and sold into slavery.  Because of the trauma of her abduction, she was unable to remember her own name, so the slave traders called her Bakhita, which means "lucky" in Arabic. During the next 12 years she was sold several times and was often treated cruelly.  Finally, she was sold to an Italian Vice-Counsel, who took her with him upon his returned to Italy. Bakhita became the nanny to the daughter of the Vice Counsel's friend.  During a family move, the daughter and nanny were sent to stay at a convent for a time. When the mother came to pick up her daughter and the nanny, Bakhita refused to go. The authorities ruled in Bakhita's favor as slavery was against the law in Italy.  She stayed with the nuns, converted to Catholicism - taking the name Josephine, and eventually joined the order.  Her feast day is February 8.

St. Christopher

I am thankful for my parish family.  I spent the morning with our Youth Ministry group and some great parent volunteers.  The rest of the Core Team and the parent volunteers took the youth out to rake leaves for elderly parishioners while I stayed at the Church to get a lunch ready for them when they got back.  While we were eating, the Knights of Columbus came in to prepare a meal for a Memorial Mass (neither group was aware that the other had plans to use the kitchen today, so we had to share).  I wish I had a husband so that he could be a Knight.  They are a great bunch of guys!

Today's Saint is St. Christopher.  Although St. Christopher was removed from the Church's universal calendar in the late 60's, devotion to him was not suppressed (contrary to popular belief), it was just confined to local calendars.  He is considered a martyr of the early church, but most (if not all) stories of Christopher are primarily legend.  He has been invoked as the patron saint of travelers for . . . . well just about forever.  I have a St. Christopher medal in my car. 

St. Tarcisius

 

 

 

I am thankful for my faith and those who have taught me and supported me in my faith.

My Saint for today is St. Tarcisius. Tarcisius was a young acolyte during a time when the Christians were persecuted in Rome. One day he was entrusted with taking the Blessed Sacrament to Christians in prison. On the way, he was accosted by some boys his own age who wanted to see what he was carrying. When he refused to show them, they got angry and beat him to death. His feast day is celebrated on 15 August, but, since that day is occupied by the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, he is not mentioned in the General Roman Calendar, but only in the Roman Martyrology.

 

St. Catherine of Siena

"If you are what you are meant to be, you will set the whole world on fire."  St. Catherine of Siena.

St. Catherine was the 24th of 25 children in her family (and you thought I came from a big family!).  She had mystic visions from a young age and also at a young age decided never to marry.  She became a Dominican tertiary and ministered to the sick and dying.  She developed a reputation for performing miracles, settling disputes and mending feuds.  Catherine even began a correspondence with Pope Gregory XI and was instrumental in bringing the papacy back to Rome from Avignon, France.  Her feast day is April 29. 

Today I am thankful for take-out food.  Sometimes, one would just rather not cook.

A patron for dog lovers

Today I am thankful for paid time off (PTO!).  I have gotten myself slightly over-committed this Fall and was really getting stressed, so I took me a PTO day!  Feels kinda like having Saturday in the middle of the week.

For all my dog-loving friends, today I will tell you about St. Rocco.  Rocco lived in Italy at a time when the Black Plague was ravaging Europe.  He spent his time ministering to the sick and dying.  It is said that he cured hundreds of plague victims by tracing the cross on their foreheads.  When he noticed the tell-tale signs of plague in his own body, he left town so as not to infect anyone else.  Each day, a dog came to him carrying a loaf of bread in its mouth.  Thanks in part to the dog that kept him from starving, Rocco recovered from the illness and returned to ministering to others.  Because of this, he is the patron Saint of dogs.  His feast day is Aug 16.

St. Margaret Clitherow

I am thankful that I live now.  Although it sometimes would appear to be more romantic to have lived in an earlier age, unquestionably our ancestors faced many hardships that we could never dream of.

Case in point:  my Saint for today is St. Margaret Clitherow, feast day March 25.  St. Margaret lived in England in the 16th century.  Despite the fact that it was illegal to be Catholic in England at that time, she converted to Catholicism and was determined to hear Mass daily and give her children a Catholic upbringing.  This meant breaking the law by hiring a Catholic tutor to teach her children and building secret cupboards in her home to hide priests, vestments and the sacred vessels needed for Mass.  When she was caught harboring a priest, she was arrested.  She refused to enter a plea in order to spare her family the ordeal of testifying at her trial.  She was condemned to being crushed to death.

Bl. J.H. Newman

Lest anyone should think that I am not being fair to our Brothers in Christ, I will choose for my Saint of the Day Blessed John Henry Newman. Blessed John Henry was born in 1801 in England and was raised in the Church of England. As an adult, he was part of a movement to return the Church of England to many Catholic beliefs and forms of worship traditional in the medieval times. He converted to Catholicism and was eventually made a Cardinal. His feast day is October 9.

P.S. Yesterday, I told you all who I chose for my confirmation Saint and why. For those of you who chose a Confirmation Saint, who did you choose and why?

Day 3 of Thankful/Saints

Today, I am thankful for parks . . . in particular, out Ohio State Park system.  Still free and open to the public so that anyone can go and enjoy the natural beauty whenever they want.  I was invited by Jo Ann to go with her and another friend down to Cedar Falls at Hocking Hills today to enjoy the last of the fall color.  What a beautiful day for a hike. I would like to post pics, but I am still having troube with that.


My Saint for today is my Confirmation Saint, St. Elizabeth of Hungary.  I chose her as my Confirmation St. because most of the other female Saints I knew of at the time were Nuns, and I knew that I did not have a calling to the religious life.  I wanted a laywoman and St. Elizabeth fit the bill.  She was the daughter of the King of Hungary and married a prince (at the age of 14).  In spite of her position at court, she lived an austere life, practiced penance and devoted herself to the poor.  She was widowed at a young age and died at the age of 24.  She is the patron saint of bakers, countesses, death of children, falsely accused, the homeless, nursing services, tertiaries, widows, and young brides. Feast day: Nov. 17.

Saints day 2

Blessed Dia de Los Muertos to everyone.

Today I honor my name Saint, Saint Anne. No, there is no Saint Rebecca (I checked). I may just have to be the first one (Ha!). Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the Grandmother of Jesus. She shares a feast day (July 26) with her husband, Joachim. Together they are the patron saints of Grandparents. Anne is also the patron saint of infertility, housekeepers, lace makers, seamstresses, broom makers and second hand clothes dealers. She is one busy Saint!

Today I am thankful for the harvest and those whose work brings us the food we eat. I received a bushel of apples from my Godfather's orchard last week and am making applesauce today! Thanks Uncle Jerry!

Thankful and saintly?

For the last couple of years, I posted on FaceBook a thankful thought for each day of November.  Last year, my cousin posted something about a different Saint each day of November.  I like both ideas.  I won't promise to be faithful to doing this every day, but I will try.

Today, I am thankful for Autumn.  The fall color today has just seemed so radiant, it is like a blessing around every corner!

The Saint that I chose for today is in honor of my cousin, Susie, who did this last year:  Saint Susanna.  St. Susanna's feast day is August 11.  Most of what is known about her is based on legend . . . meaning that not much is really known about her. She is listed in the Roman Martyrology, so we know that she was martyred.  It is believed that she was beheaded.  She is said to have been the daughter of St. Gabinus and the niece of Pope Caius.

Clean?

I have a confession to make.  I am not a very good housekeeper. 

I would like to be a good housekeeper and I continue to make resolutions to myself to do better, but somehow, I just never seem to get around to it. 

Now, I'm not talking about clutter.  Clutter happens in a busy life whether you like it or not.  I can deal with clutter -- you just move the stuff from one place to another (preferably another room) and voila, the clutter is gone!  (Yesterday I actually found a book that Mom lent me that had been missing since July.  All it took was moving some clutter from one place to another!)

When I say I am not a good housekeeper, I mean real dirt and dust.  It may not surprise many of the readers of this blog that I do not like to dust.  It is a time consuming chore that seems to be never-ending and then needs to be done again just days later.  However, I do sometimes wish that someone else would do some dusting around here . . . it is really getting bad. 

As a matter of fact, it was getting so bad in the kitchen that I was not sure if the stuff on my cabinet doors was dust or something worse.  I actually took bleach water to all the cabinet doors and the buffet today.  I also (for the first time since I moved in) cleaned my oven today.  This was prompted by all the time in the last couple of weeks that I have set the smoke alarms off when the gunk on the bottom of the oven started to burn.  -- Yeah, not a very good housekeeper.

But the good news is that I now have one room done and my kitchen smells like bleach and lemon scented oven cleaner! 

Just so you know, I do not blog about this to "brag" about my poor housekeeping, but rather to make a resolution in writing that I am going to do better.  ----    (Right after I finish this book that I just found.)

At the thrift store . . .

Most of you know that I am not really a thrift store shopper . . . at least not for clothes.  I trace this to my childhood where I wore hand-me-downs most of the time. I believe that some of the clothes I had probably had at least two (possibly four) previous owners.  Sometimes it seemed that the clothes I wore in high school were about ten years out of date.  I remember seeing a picture taken in the '70s of Aunt Ginny wearing a shorts outfit - the top of which I wore to school in the early '80s.  I don't mean to complain, just to explain why I prefer to buy my own clothes and not to wear something that someone else had first.  I usually buy from the clearance rack, so I am sill not wearing the latest style.  But now I am usually only one season out of date and not a full decade.

However . . . since I started doing MyFitnessPal back in December, I have been losing weight.  Not fast, but pretty steadily.  Even buying off the clearance racks, it does not make financial sense to go out and buy new clothes every few months as I slowly drop sizes.  So, at least until I reach my goal, I have been shopping at the local thrift store - particularly for pants.  I really have to be in the mood to shop for clothes in the first place (or really need them), because I really dislike trying things on in that cramped little cubical with poor lighting and other peoples' discarded try-ons cluttering up what little space there is.  It is even worse (I think) at the thrift store because of the whole scavenger hunt to find something-I-think-I-might-like-to-try-on-that-is-actually-in-a-size-that-might-fit that precedes stepping into the cramped little cubical. 

Despite all of that, I went to my local thrift store today.  I count myself the winner of the scavenger hunt.  I spent $22.92 - $2.92 more than what I had budgeted myself.  I got a pair of jeans, two pairs of dress pants, two skirts and three tops.  Not bad considering it is far from my favorite place to shop.

Friends of the Poor

As some of you may know, I participated in St. Vincent de Paul's annual Friends of the Poor walk this morning.  This is an annual event held by many chapters of the Society of SVdP all over the country.  Here in Columbus, they have been holding the walk for the last 5 years . . . this is my first time walking it. They hold the walk at St. Francis de Sales High School.  When I first got there, a friend was telling me something about St. Martin de Pores, so I was starting to get a little confused among all the "de" saints . . (hee, hee).

The walk itself is only a mile - meant to symbolize "walking a mile in their shoes", however they also had a three mile challenge that some of us did.  What was most inspiring to me was the little older lady walking the mile with a cane.  It took her longer to walk one mile than it did for me to walk three, but she stuck it out and completed the mile.  My friend, Phyllis, said that that lady is a member of her parish.  Phyllis was telling me that the lady has been a recipient of SVdP food baskets in the past and this is her way of giving back.  It just brings tears to my eyes!

Some things I learned:  the Columbus, OH chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of the largest in the country.  According to what the Bishop said, it is about 10 times larger than the chapters in New York City or Los Angeles!  Bishop Campbell, in his remarks to the walkers this morning said the Society here is "the Heart of Christ in the heart of the country."  I also learned that the St. Cecilia chapter is quite active in diocesan events.  Many of the volunteers that were running the event today were from our parish and we had over 25 walkers from our parish there today (possibly more than 30, but I lost count).  There were about 600 walkers all together.

I have thought about getting involved with SVdP before, but I just don't think I have the time to be involved on a regular basis . . . I think I will have to stick to this walk and the Christmas food baskets that they do in December.

Staycation - Day 5

I got an early start today - both because it was predicted to be a hotter day than earlier in the week and because the forecast called for possible rain in the afternoon (actually did not rain until evening).  I decided to try Walnut Woods Metro Park because it looked like it was close to Three Creeks, so it should be easy to find.  Well, I did find the Buckeye Area of the park, but the trail there was all in fields and meadows.  The map showed that the trail in the other part of the park, the Tall Pines Area, went through some forested area, so I got back in the car to drive to that part of the park.  If you are unfamiliar with the Central Ohio Metro Parks, it might be good to mention here that many of the parks have multiple sections which are reached by different entrances - so going to the Tall Pines Area meant leaving the park and driving around to the other entrance. 

However, I missed a turn.  Once I realized I had missed the turn, I started looking for somewhere to turn around.  Before I found a turn around place, I saw a sign that said, "Slate Run Metro Park 4 miles -->"  The benefit of not having a plan is that plans are easily changed.  I decided to go to Slate Run instead.  I had originally wanted to go to Slate Run, but it looked too far on the map -- but 4 miles --> did not seem to be too far. 

I'm glad that I changed my plans.  Slate Run has a covered bridge that you can walk to on a very easy trail.  It also has a Living Historical Farm.  There was a school group at the farm -- 1st graders I would guess by the size of them -- but I managed to avoid getting in their way and still got a good look at all the farm buildings and animals. 

On the way home, I had to stop for gas and decided that, as it was lunch time, I should also get something to eat.  Long John Silver's was good, but far too many calories even with the walk earlier. 

Tomorrow, I will get to see some cousins, so I am looking forward to a good weekend, too.

Staycation - Day 4

Today has been a pretty lazy day.  It has been cloudy most of the day with periods of rain, so I have stayed in most of the day.  I probably could have gotten out to one of the Metro Parks and avoided the rain, but I chose not to take the chance.

So what have I done instead?  I watched Soul Surfer on DVD (borrowed from the Deckers).  I worked on my cross stitch.  I made posters on the Sacraments for Youth Ministry and I baked a cake for our Bible Study group this evening.  I also spent a little time on the computer and got a message from cousin Susie inviting me to Family Weekend at PCJ this weekend.  I love that I get to go to parents' weekends at Colleges even though I am not a parent. 

Staycation - Day 3

If you are getting bored with my staycation posts, feel free to skip this :-).

I hung out in my pajamas late again this morning, then worked on the 2014 picture calendars for quite a while.  I actually did not leave the apartment until after noon! 

I did a little shopping in the early afternoon.  I am pretty much flat broke until I get paid on Friday, but I did get some quilt binding and thread at JoAnn's for binding little Seph's baby quilt (if I can just figure out how to put the binding on) and then picked up some odds and ends at Big Lots. 

I almost skipped going to a Metro Park today, but I figured I needed the exercise so it was the Metro Park or just walk around the neighborhood.  Went to Three Creeks Metro Park today.  It is named for the three creeks that meet there . . . Alum Creek, Blacklick Creek and Big Walnut Creek.  I took a hiking trail that has a good view of the confluence of the three creeks.  It has been a beautiful week for visiting parks (so far).

Staycation - Day 2

I slept in until almost 6:30 this morning -- which is, in fact, sleeping in for me. I normally get up at 6:00 at least 6 days a week . . . and rarely sleep much later on the seventh.  I did hang out in my pajamas until after 7:30, which I actually prefer to sleeping in.  If I am lounging on the couch in my pajamas watching TV, I know that I am being decadent.  When I am sleeping, I am unaware. 

Before I got myself around to heading up to the hospital, Natasha called and said that they had a breast feeding class from 10:30 - 11:30, so if I was planning on coming then, I might want to change my plans.  Well I was planning on going then, so I did change my plans.

I went up to Glacier Ridge Metro Park, which is up off of 33.  I have never been there before, so it was all new to me.  I got there shortly after 11, so I had a little picnic of my packed lunch before setting off for a hike since I didn't know how long the hike would take me.  Next to the Wetland Education Center, where I found picnic tables, there was a little pond with turtles and frogs in it. The Park Ranger said they are snapping turtles.  I did have a nice hike, as well, but it looks like there are better trails at the other end of the park from where I went.  I will need to try to get there sometime.

After my hike, I went to the hospital to see Natasha, Stephen and baby Seph.  We had a nice visit and I got to hold Seph for a long time . . . he mostly slept. 

Tonight, I have my Rosary Prayer Group and a CORE Team Meeting for Youth Ministry - so a normal Tuesday.  It helps me to remember what day of the week it is if I know what I have to do that evening.

Staycation - Day 1

I started my day with a dentist appointment -- I just had a crown put on one of my molars.  The dental assistant said, "It's a very beautiful crown."  I responded that it's too bad that no one will see it in the back of my mouth.  It was a pretty easy procedure.  I guess all of the hard work was done at the last appointment when they put on the temporary.

As the dental assistant was finishing up, my cell rang in my purse.  Of course, I could not answer, but I check my message as I was leaving.  It was Stephan telling me about Joseph's birth.  He said they also had a favor to ask, so I called back right away.  Stephen had left his cell phone charger at home and they wanted to know if I could get it and bring it to him at the hospital.  Of course, I had to run home and get my camera first, but taking care of this little errand gave me the privilege of being the first in the family (apart from the proud parents) to get to see little Joseph.  He was under a heat lamp as they were a little concerned about his body temp, so I wasn't able to hold him, but I did get a couple of good pictures. I am very frustrated that, although I was able to post pics on Face Book, I have been unable to post them here or email them.  Grrrr.

I didn't stay at the hospital long as Stephen was sleeping.  I did go immediately and make prints of my pictures so that I would have them to show around. 

After lunch, I went out to Prairie Oaks Metro Park for a nice walk in the beautiful Fall weather.  I had gone to Darby Creek Metro Park yesterday and thought it would be fun to try to visit a different park each day of my Stay-cation. I took several pictures at the park, but I'm not even going to try to upload anything else since my computer is giving me such fits about attaching pics.

This evening we had our annual Quilt Group end of the year dinner.  I know that September does not equal the "end of the year" for most people.  However, our Quilt Group measures time according to the Church Festival, which is the last weekend in August.  After the festival is over, we take a few weeks off to recuperate, have dinner to congratulate ourselves for surviving another festival, then start the whole process again in October.  This year it was really nice because the ladies treated me to dinner (which I did not expect) and gave me a card and a gift for what I do as Quilt Group Chair.  I never really thought that I do that much, but it does feel great to be recognized!

Randomness

• When I went to Uncle Jerry's with Mom and Dad and we stopped at the cemetery, there were some of the grave that we were unable to locate (Elys and Lybargers).  Playing around on the compute today, I remembered a website that Donna had mentioned once -- findagrave.com.  I thought maybe they would be listed there, so I started searching.  I found some Lybargers, but not sure if they are the right ones and I can't see where it says where in the cemetery they are located . . . so no luck there.  However, I also noticed that there was no picture of Emma & Albert Trembly's grave marker (which I had) nor was there any listing at all for Grandma & Grandpa Meyer's grave.  I signed up as a contributor (it's free) and uploaded the pics that I took that day at the cemetery and added G & G Meyer.  I also went to the records for Marysdale cemetery and added Grandma Batt's info (G-pa was already listed).
• Speaking of Cemeteries, I would like to get up to St. Nicholas church in Frenchtown (or what was Frenchtown) and see where the La Fontaine and Warnement ancestors are buried.  I could add pictures of their grave markers to the findagrave.com site, too.
• I am taking PTO time this week.  Nothing specific planned, just needed to take some of my time so that I don't end up losing it at the end of the year.  I may just make it up to St. Nick's one day this week.
• I have decided that I like the show Call the Midwife on PBS.  I had seen snippets of some episodes before, but never really started watching it because I was never sure when it was on and I really didn't want to start somewhere in the middle.  I just happened on the show last Sunday evening and realized that I was coming in at the beginning of the first episode so I watched it and thought that it was quite good.  I now know that it is on at 7 on Sunday evening which is a good time for me to watch.
• When I was out walking today I saw 5 wooly worms.  Four were completely brown from tip to tail and the fifth was completely black (probably an anomaly).  Anyone well versed in wooly worm lore?  What does this tell us about the winter to come?

Things I have discovered (or re-discovered) in the last week . . .

I have been a bit remiss in blogging lately.  Just have not felt like sitting at the computer long enough to do it.  But I have some thoughts to share today -- here are some things I have discovered this week:

• $10 in gas will not get you very far these days.
• 69 miles is not as far as I would think it would be (that is exactly how far the last $10 in my wallet got me since Wednesday evening).
• Four day weeks are just as long (if not longer) than five day weeks.
• Benadryl Allergy medicine, which is made to alleviate runny noses, itchy throat and itchy watery eyes also helps to alleviate itchiness in other areas.  I'm not sure what I got myself into that has given me this rash, but the Benadryl has managed to save me from scratching half my face and neck off.
• Benadryl Allergy medicine still works okay when it is 2 years passed the expiration date.  (oops!  Probably should have thrown that out a while ago.)

The Meyers

I am on vacation this week and Mom had invited me up to can tomatoes.  I thought that visiting Dad's garden, canning and just hanging out was going to be the total agenda for the two days that I was able to spend in B-town.  However, once I got there on Sunday afternoon, I was told that Aunt Irene was coming the next day and they were all headed to Uncle Jerry's for the afternoon.  This was unexpected, but I had a great time.  It was good to be able to see most of the Aunts and Uncles from Dad's side for an afternoon.  There were a few cousins who were there or stopped in as well -- Tom and Karen brought Aunt Irene as she can't see to drive, Amy came with Aunt Mary as she does not like to drive so far by herself, Tim stopped in to spend a little time talking farming with the uncles and then take Aunt Regina home and Susie came by with her kids because they wanted to go swimming in their grandparent's pool. 

 

I love this picture of the Meyer siblings.  Someone said something funny and they all laughed (except Aunt Irene).

Of course, we had to get one with the spouses as well.  I hope the one I took on Aunt Roseanne's camera turned out a little better for her.

Before leaving town, we stopped by the cemetery.  Here is Grandma and Grandpa Trembley's resting place.  How many of my sibs knew that Grandma Trembley joined the Catholic Church on her wedding day?

This is the real reason we stopped at the cemetery.  When this tree blew down, the village council hired a chainsaw artist to carve the remaining stump.  They originally wanted a lighthouse, but the stump leaned too much.  I think an angel may be better for a cemetery anyway.  This is cousin Tom and his wife Karen.

And of course, we had to visit Grandma and Grandpa while we were there also.  We tried to find where the Great Great Grandparents (the Elys and the Lybargers) are buried, but we were unsuccessful.  I will have to go back when I have more time.

Lake Hope Vacation

I had a great time with the family on vacation this weekend.  I just wanted to post a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.  Here are Cecilia and Raiden at the beach:

 And Lucy, Nathan, Nora, Dad, Natasha and Theresa having fun at the Cabin sites:

Uncle Matt taught all the kids to be fire-bugs, but you can't make s'mores without a fire, can you?

The tent was set up for Matt, but the kids like to play in it also:

And the train ride was a hit with almost everyone:

This is my favorite picture:

Nora was fascinated by the Chickens at the historic village:

You can't have camping without cooking out:

or without hiking:

Two priests and a seminarian walk into Bob Evans . . .

Sounds like the start of a good Catholic joke, but these were some of my companions for breakfast this morning.  Today was Mission Sunday at our parish, so we had a visiting Redemptorist Priest who was collecting donations to build a church for his parish in Russia.  90% of all churches in Russia were destroyed by the communists, so they are still in the process of rebuilding - both the buildings and spiritually.

Our own pastor regularly joins us for breakfast on Sunday mornings, but we were not sure that he would be able to this week as he is headed out of town today for a Police Chaplains' conference in Texas.  However, his flight is not until 12:30, so he was at breakfast as was our resident Seminarian-for-the-summer, Thomas.  Our parish has been blessed to host a seminarian most summers, which is really nice because you get to know them a little better.  When I pray for seminarians, I am thinking of certain faces, voices and personalities and not just a lot of faceless men.

Of course, we also had our regular Breakfast ladies - and Stephen & Natasha - at Bob's this morning as well.  I really miss it when I can't have my Sunday breakfast with my breakfast ladies.  But it is really fun to add a couple extra people every now and again.

Luminous Mysteries for America

This took longer than I anticipated, but, just in time for Independence Day, here are some meditations to pray for our country using the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary:

1)  The Baptism of the Lord:   It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.  On coming out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.  Mk 1:9-10

It happened "in those days" that at the baptism of Christ, heaven and earth were joined with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Son. God's presence was felt among His people.  We pray that in our present day, God's presence will be made manifest in our country through the Holy Spirit acting once again through His people.

2)  The Wedding at Cana:  Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water."  So they filed them to the brim.  Then he told them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter."  So they took it.  Jn 2:7-8

This is the first sign that Jesus performed in His earthly ministry, and He did not do it all on His own, but He worked through the servants, asking them to "fill", "draw" and "take."  We pray that as Americans, when we ask God to bless our country, that we be willing to work with Him to bring about that blessing.  We must fill ourselves with knowledge and love of Christ, draw upon the gifts of the Spirit and take the Good News out to be tasted by all those we meet.

3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom:  "You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."  Mt 5:14-16

We pray that America, in its position as a world power, may not lose its moral authority.  May we be the city set on a hill and a light unto the nations by continuing to protect human rights and dignity, both at home and throughout the world.

4) The Transfiguration:  And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.  Mt 17:2-3

We pray that the light of Christ will shine upon our country and illuminate through the darkness of sin that surrounds us.  May we all recognize Him as the Son of God and listen to Him, finding in Him the fulfillment of all our efforts and desires.

5)  The Institution of the Eucharist:  The Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me."  1 Cor 11:23b-24

It is no mere coincidence that Jesus, in giving Himself to us, chose to do it in the context of a meal.  Feeding and being fed are some of the most basic ways that we connect with each other as human beings.  we pray for all those who participate in feeding others including farmers, ranchers, fishermen, grocers, cooks and servers; and for all who are still needing to be fed -- emotionally and spiritually as well as physically.

Rosary Meditations for America

I think I mentioned before that, when our Rosary Group cannot find appropriate meditations for our prayer intentions, we write our own.  We have chosen to pray for the country in July, but I have been unable to find any Rosary meditations for America that I like (Kate is still looking).  I started writing meditations (with the help of the Holy Spirit) and decided to post what I have so far in case someone would like to use these meditations in prayer during the Fortnight for Freedom (I know the fortnight is 1/2 over, but this is not a process that can be rushed). 

Here is the first set of Mysteries -- the JOYFUL:

1) The Annunciation:  Then the Angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."  Luke 1:30-33

This month we celebrate the founding of our nation which was founded on the principle that all people are created equal and have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."  When we see these values being undermined in our present day, we must remember the words of the angel and not be afraid.  We pray that American Christians will not be afraid to stand up for the values and teachings of the Kingdom that will never end.

2) The Visitation:  Elizabeth cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"  Luke 1:42-43

We pray for the conversion of our country, that public policy and private actions will turn away from the culture of death and once again embrace the gift of life.  We ask that Mary, the mother of our Lord, will remain with us and show us all the way to her son.

3) The Nativity:  But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by man's decision but of God.  And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.  John 1:12-14

We pray for our country, that the Word made flesh may always dwell among us.  That He, in the fullness of His grace and truth, may be welcome in our homes, our churches and in our public places as well.

4) The Presentation:  When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, the took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord."  Luke 2:22-23

We pray for our country's lawyers, judges and law makers.  May they, in the practice of their professions, allow themselves to be guided by the law of the Lord.  May they also consecrate the work that they do to God.

5)  The Finding of Jesus in the Temple:  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding.  Luke 2:46-47

The founders of our country recognized that knowledge was necessary to the democratic process and so provided for free, public education.  We pray for our country's teacher and preachers and all those who are responsible for the instruction of others.  May they themselves continue to listen and ask questions so that they will understand the truth and pass it on to their students.

Jubilee

Our parish hosted the Diocesan Mass for the Jubilee of Anniversaries today.  The diocese rarely holds this Mass at the Cathedral.  I don't know if that is because of the size of the Cathedral or the lack of available parking.  This is the second time in recent years that the Mass was held at St. Cecilia's.  It is an honor to be asked to host this celebration.  What's more, they also asked our parish choir to sing for the event.  I have heard that when the Jubilee Mass has been held at other parishes, the Cathedral choir will go and sing.  The Cathedral choir is made up of paid professionals who had to audition to get their place in the choir.  St. Cecilia are amateurs (except for the choir director).  However, many have the talent of professionals.  I give credit to our Patroness who is the Patron Saint of music and musicians.

What has all this to do with me, since I am obviously not celebrating a jubilee anniversary??  Well, I volunteered to serve as a hospitality minister for this special Mass.  There are a small number of us who tend to respond to the call when ministers are needed for these special events.  I don't mind.  I enjoy serving when the people who are there really want to be there.  (The only people I saw leave Mass before the Bishop and Priests was a woman who didn't feel well, her husband and a young man who took his baby out to the gathering space to quiet him)  I also have found that I really like going to Mass . . . and a Mass where the Bishop is celebrating is extra special.  I even saw several people there from other parishes that I know, which was kind of cool.

Our Lady of Consolation

There is a lady at our parish who has organized a parish pilgrimage to the Shrine of our Lady of Consolation each year for the last few years.  I have thought about going in the past, but it is always on a Wednesday in June.  By the time I get around to deciding I want to go, I usually cannot get the time off work.  This year, I did request the day off, but before my boss approved my request, the bus was full.  I decided that I really hadn't wanted to go . . . it was going just be all retired people, right?  I wouldn't have anything in common with anyone.  (I just said this to console myself, as I knew several ladies from Quilt Group were going).  Six days before the trip, I got notice that there had been some cancelations.  Yay!  I signed right up.

 

I can't tell you what a beautiful day it was!  The night before, we had a cold front come through from Canada.  That day, we had clear skies, low humidity and a high of about 79.  I think everyone had a good time and many (if not all) were blessed by the beauty and grace that fill that holy place. 

 

I did not get many pictures, but here are a few of the Basilica:

And our bus loading up to head home:

 

I also discovered that it was likely my great, great, great uncle who went over to Luxembourg to bring the statue of Our Lady of Consolation over to the U.S.  Very cool!

 

I, of course, did not get any pictures of myself.  I was hoping my friend who was taking lots of pictures would post the one she took of me on FaceBook . . . or at least email me a copy, but she hasn't, yet.  I really need to update the profile pic one of these days.

Unusual day

Well, it has been a notable day to say the least.  I know many people think that the predicted "Derecho 2013" was a big joke.  But this isn't the case in the Mill Run area of Hilliard, where I work.  I saw video on the news this morning of the intersection near my office building.  One of the traffic lights was turned completely backward and the lights (naturally) were not working.  Somehow, it never occurred to me that the power in our building may also have been effected.

When I got to the area, you could see a whole crew of people in orange vests with red shopping carts picking up debris from the lawn of the big church there on the corner.  Looking the other way, I saw that Lowe's Garden Center and green house had sustained major damage . . . the people on the church lawn were picking up pieces of Lowe's building. 

At the office, people were milling around outside or sitting in the lobby.  The power was out, so the elevators were not working, and even if you tried to take the stairs, the office where I (and all these other people) work is a secure floor and you cannot get onto the floor without an electronic key card.  Note the root "elec" in electronic . . . these don't work if there is no electricity. 

I got to work about 7:45 -- many others had been there as early as 7:00.  It took until 8:45 for the powers that be to decide to send us home . . . but just for the morning.  We were given a conference call number and pass code to call in at noon to see if we would need to come in in the afternoon. 

From what I heard, power was restored about 11:30, so we were called back into work.  This really throws the rhythm of the day off when you are used to processing your casework in a certain order, but then only have half the usual time to do it.  Also, many of the employees who live further away chose to take PTO time rather than return for the afternoon, so everything just seemed very "off" this afternoon. 

On my way back to the office, a crew was in the intersection repairing the damaged traffic lights, so I had to go around the block to get to work.  There were pieces of insulation (presumably from Lowe's) as far as a block away, as well as several downed trees.  This is the only place that I have yet seen any damage from last night's storms.

Rosary Group

Have I told you about our Rosary Prayer Group?

 

My friend, Kate, suggested the group last fall and we got approval from Father to meet at the Church each week, so we have had a Rosary Prayer Group meeting every week since the beginning of December.  Most months, we pick an intention and pray for that intention using a different set of mysteies each week.  Other times, we have switched it up, just because we cannot agree on one intention to do for the entire month. 

 

I was actually granted the privledge of getting a key to the church because of this group.  During the winter and spring, we were meeting in the Day Chapel for our prayer.  The Youth Minister, who was originally involved in helping organize and lead the group, would unlock and lock back up.  However, he got too busy to participate, and so was just coming down to church to unlock for us, and leaving again.  Not fair to Ted to keep making him do this, so Kate and I petitioned for one of us to get a key.  Funny thing is, since I got the key, I have not used it for the purpose for which it was granted to me.  I have unlocked for 7:30 Mass on Sunday twice (Father sometimes forgets that he is supposed to open the Church).  I have unlocked for Quilt Group when Rita couldn't come.  And I have even unlocked for Weight Watchers when the lady that usually opens up for them was out of town and her substitute was in Adoration.  But, with the weather being so nice the last few weeks, our Rosary group has been meeting outside by the Statue of the Blessed Virgin in the school court yard. 

 

As my Mother always told me, "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."  Although, I think she was talking about packing a sweatshirt when you go camping . . . not the key to the Church.

Since I live in an apartment, I don't get to indulge my green thumb as much as I would like, but I make do.  Here are some pics I took today of this year's efforts at gardening:

 

Some of the herbs with my angel statue.

My tomato - quickly outgrowing its pot.

Some of the flowers.

My cat, Herbie, enjoying the sun.

Hello,

Welcome to my new blog!  I don't expect to have much to say that will be of great interest to many people, but then I don't expect to have many (if any) followers out side my family and a few friends.

Today is Sunday, June 9, and I am getting close to the end of a 4 day weekend that I gave myself by using some of my personal time.  It is always hard to think about returning to work after some time off.  However, living alone, I also find that too much time away from the regular schedule tends to get me living too much in my own head.  I need the interpersonal interaction, whether I like it or not. 

That's about it for 'thoughts for the day.'  Go with God.