What does it mean when the readability says “Good” and I count only fifteen words? Worse, I don’t know where the next words will come from? It means I’ve fallen off the writing wagon, where writing is about voyaging into the interior, while reporting the exterior. This piece might be called a tale of two masses, meaning both that marriage celebrated between Heaven and Earth on Sunday and on this past Thursday, and of two clumps of cells biopsied. Where... Read more
One of my coping methods is stupid humor. So originally I titled this piece, Cancer to Left of Me, Pokers to the Right, Here I Am…but the piece turned into something more thoughtful. I needed to make that joke since I’m getting a second biopsy to see if this is a one scoop or two surgery. The last two weeks have crawled by, and yet the difference between before May 17th and now feels like an eon. In all moments of... Read more
It’s no secret. I’ve always loved Pentecost. The dissent of the Holy Spirit is my favorite mystery and confirmation my favorite sacrament. I’ve worn a Holy Spirit dove most days since I’ve owned it, and that came because the Holy Spirit healed me at a retreat. (The people at the retreat prayed for my healing and that weekend was the first time I could breathe for a few minutes with the tracheostomy plugged). After the operation to remove the trache,... Read more
A few years ago, when my life felt awash with babies, I spent much of every mass in the narthex. At the time, the doors to the back part of the church weighed a million pounds. The speakers for the back area weren’t great either. To hear the mass while holding onto a baby and one or two toddlers plus a stroller meant I wedged my foot in the door and peeked down at the priest celebrating. At times, I... Read more
My dad and his fishing buddies found themselves in the midst of a storm on the ocean. I’ve written about it at the Register and other places, but the bottom line is, the motor and the spare wouldn’t work. The storm began tossing the boat. They put on life jackets, messed with the radio and motor, cursed and worried. One uttered a prayer, “I wish old J.C. was here.” My dad said, “What makes you think He isn’t?” I can... Read more
This is not going to win me any points with the internet. If today you have the chance, schedule your vaccination from Covid-19. Why? It’s the Catholic thing to do. It’s a good thing. It’s an act of service, sublimation and will help you and those you love, and even those you don’t like. We’ve spent over a year trying to not get this disease. It’s clear it can be very bad. You don’t want to have it and you... Read more
We’ve spent the past year or so in the inbetween state of Covid is ever present, and we don’t know when things will return to normal. As more and more people get vaccinated, we now start to return to sort of normal, with masks and social distancing where possible. What strikes me, is how busy we all long to be, and how quickly being busy becomes unbearable. People drive faster than I remember, or I’ve become used to less traffic... Read more
Whenever there’s something big to do in my life, I usually look for a bigger project that is more immediate. Like when we were expecting Paul and found out he would need heart surgery and have Down Syndrome, I volunteered to run the Fall Carnival at our kids’ school. My eldest holds it over my head that at one point, I asked if I should coach my younger son’s baseball team. (I was five months pregnant at the time). He... Read more
Mark Wilson over at The Catholic Bard at Patheos, has assembled for your enjoyment, a virtual buffet of Star Wars related videos to amuse those in whom the Geekdom lives loudly. I felt a disturbance in the force once I finished perusing his selections, for it omitted something that should not have been forgotten. I speak of the Grudge Matches from the early years of the blogosphere, when creativity with words reigned supreme. So, in an effort to enlighten those... Read more
It’s May, the month of our Blessed Mother. What are you doing for her for Mother’s day? Our Lady loves to help with the work of her Son, the Savior of our souls, and so she spends her time in Heaven bringing our prayers and petitions to Jesus, both for the things we ask, and the things we do not know we need. We do not often know how much we need, only that we need much. So Mary, knitter... Read more
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