Welcome Lent {2014}

It sounds strange to say that I look forward to Lent, but the truth is that I do.  This year I'd been running around hurry-scurry so much that I didn't get much time to prepare for the season until yesterday.

I am, however, happy with the intentions I've made for this Lenten season, so I thought I'd share a few of the resources that I bumped into yesterday that really spoke to me, just in case there's anyone out there still searching for a little direction for the next six weeks.

• Megan Tietz over at Sorta Crunchy started a new series - Waiting Tables - focusing on fostering a servant's heart.  The series, like Megan's blog, promises to be inspiring while down-to-earth.
• Kate Wicker's post yesterday on not choosing one's sacrifice struck a particular chord with me as I continue to work through physical therapy (and the increasing likelihood that there is something more systemic going on with my body that is slowing me down).  (If you click over to Kate's, she also has a MUCH longer Lenten resource list you may want to check out.)
• If you're looking for a broader template, this short thesis on Lenten Observances from Fr. Charles is compact but meaty.  
• The Magnificat publication is always a wonderful resource, and their Lent edition is no exception.  The print version is sold out, but Moose's Godmother generously gifted me the app.  While I don't always embrace the move to digital and I would prefer quiet contemplative time with a tome, there is something to be said for accessibility - my morning prayers got said over a pot of eggs I was waiting to boil.

Do you have any hints, tips, or resources that help you get into the Lenten spirit?

A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy (Review by a Never-Been-Pregnant Mom)

I am beyond delighted to be the seventh stop (and first Luminous Mystery) on Sarah Reinhard's Rosary Blog Tour!

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To celebrate the launch of her new book, A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy: Walking with Mary from Conception to Baptism, Sarah Reinhard invites all of us to spend her blog book tour praying the rosary together. Today, she shares this reflection on the Baptism in the Jordan:

Jesus didn’t need to be baptized any more than he needed to be presented at the Temple when he was a baby, and yet he did. It was an act of humility, though I didn’t fully appreciate it until I broke my arm on my thirtieth birthday.

There I was, with a two-year-old and a great deal of pain, with work still to do and no idea how I was going to get it done. At one point, I swallowed the hard lump in my throat that must have been my pride and sent an email to a few close friends asking for help. I wasn’t even sure how I needed help, but they were only waiting for the okay to come over: within hours, I had a hot meal for my family, the leaning tower of dishes was being addressed, and a cheerful friend was insisting I lay down while she let her girls play with mine.

There’s a lesson for moms of all stripes in this mystery. There’s a great generosity in offering help, but it requires humility to accept help. There’s a beauty in sharing our gifts with others, in offering and giving. There’s an equal beauty, too, in letting others serve and in smiling and saying, “Thank you.”

There’s no need for long explanations, for defenses, for excuses. Look to Jesus in this mystery, and see the joy of the Father’s approval. Look to John, and see the glory of the recognition of the Savior. 

As we pray this decade of the rosary, let's hold all those brave women who have said yes to difficult and challenging motherhood in our intentions in a special way. Don't forget, too, that we are praying for an increase in all respect life intentions as part of our rosary together this month. (If you’re not familiar with how to pray the rosary, you can find great resources at Rosary Army.)

Our Father . . . 

10 - Hail Mary . . .

Glory Be . . . 

O My Jesus . . .

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If you're a regular reader here, you know that we were blessed with an addition to our family in late August. 

Um, wait a minute, Vik, I thought you adopted?  What are you doing reviewing a book about pregnancy?

Despite the fact that I did not become a mom through my own pregnancy and physical labor, Sarah graciously asked me to be a part of her blog tour (even though I suggested I might not be the "right" voice to contribute).

Sarah's inclusion of an adoptive mom on her Rosary Blog Tour exemplifies what is wonderful about her new book: it is balm for a Catholic mother's soul, regardless of where she finds herself on the winding road of motherhood.

A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy is a treasure trove of both practical and spiritual tips.  I initially grabbed my autumn rosary (yes, I have seasonal rosaries . . . ) and Mouse and dove into the latter sections of the book dealing with birth (and post-birth).  There, I found Sarah's voice encouraging me, as she does in today's reflection, to accept the earthly help of my friends, and also reminding me to turn to God even (especially!) when the days are long and the nights longer - and suggesting real ways to do so meaningfully despite the fast-moving world around me.

As with her previous writing, Sarah encourages her readers to reach higher while remaining completely grounded, honest and real - there are no guilt-provoking expectations here. 

As the days passed and the newborn fog lifted, I found myself sneaking peeks at Sarah's earlier chapters on conception and pregnancy - a world I have never experienced and no longer expect to find myself in, personally.  I was stunned and touched to the core to realize that many of the emotions and spiritual trials I experienced during the adoption process are mirrored by women going through the physical process of becoming a mother - the uncertainty, the expectation.  I wish I would have had this encouragement during some of the darker days before Moose came home with us, and I can see myself turning to Sarah's words to draw me closer to Mary and her Son should we ever decide that Family M needs a third baby.

Without, I think, intending to, Sarah captured something I've said all along about becoming a mom: regardless of how you do it, it is a labor of love.  Sarah's new book is an incomparable resource for Catholic moms, no matter how you labor. 

You can find a complete listing of the tour stops over at Snoring Scholar.. Be sure to enter to win a Nook (and any number of other goodies) each day of the tour over at Ave Maria Press.

 

Where In the World Is . . .

Where in the world have I been?

Nope, sadly, I've not traveling to any exotic locations.

The last month has left me a bit flummoxed.  I'm not quite sure why.  Nothing big happened.  Nothing is wrong.  I just haven't been feeling myself, so I've been keeping to myself (I've even missed the last two Yarn Alongs - gasp!), and focusing a little more on reflecting inward (which is not such a bad thing during Lent). 

I've been baking . . .

I made these wonderful chocolate chip scones with the Moose, using star and flower cookie cutters, thanks to some inspiration from Baking Unadorned.

I've been reading, reflecting, and journaling about my faith . . .

Actually, my reading was a bit scattered until I discovered this beautiful journal in my local Catholic bookstore.  I've been jotting some notes as I read and have found myself going much deeper into the content (despite having three books going at once).

I've been knitting (a little) . . .

I am teaching a friend to knit, and have been trying to come up with a simple scarf pattern for her that's more than boring garter stitch. This attempt was garter bands alternated with a drop stitch row.  I've also been working on finishing up the Mystery Birthday Project.

I've been exercising again (woo hoo!) . . .

Last summer I completed a full three-month rotation of P90X Lean.  I lost weight, felt great.  It was win-win.  Then I tweaked my shoulder, and then the Moose decided he wasn't so interested in sleeping anymore and I teetered off the wagon.

Well, the sleep is only marginally more consistent, but this warm weather we've been having and the looming necessity of shorts convinced me that I had to do something. 

I'm sharing some clips of my current favorites, in case you happen to be in need of some inspiration.

Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior



Physique 57 - I created a playlist of some FREE fitness sequences they recorded recently for The Daily.



I also (finally) discovered . . .

(Does this one really need any explanation?)

Hopefully I'll be back to some regularly scheduled cooking/reading/knitting/Tot School programming soon!

P.S. Can I tell you how much I LOVED that show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego when I was a kid?!  I can't be the only one!

Yarn Along: Mystery Birthday Project 2.0

After yarning alone last week, I am delighted to be back where I belong on a Wednesday, Yarning Along with Ginny and friends!

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I promise I'm not being sketchy for the sake of being sketchy.  I restarted the Mystery Birthday Project that I mentioned a few weeks ago.  I am half-way done and wanted to share it, but also didn't want to give away the surprise.  Actually, the photo is doubly a tease, since the yarn doesn't look exactly like that - it is more of a heathered teal in real life.

So, why the restart?  I was being realistic with myself.  The original Mystery Birthday Project used fingering weight yarn and US Size 3 needles.  What work I finished looked lovely, but there is no denying that they were going to take forever!  In addition to that project, I have a baby bolero, baby blanket, and mommy-to-be shawl in the queue, so I found a pattern for a similar object that uses worsted weight yarn and US Size 9 needles.  The work so far is lovely and I'm half-done after only four days, so I'm viewing the decision as a win-win rather than a cop out.

After a few weeks of floundering with a Saint with whom I was not connecting, I gave myself permission to go out of order (gasp!) with A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms .  I am enjoying a very fulfilling week with Saint Monica.

Be sure to check out Small Things for more knitting and reading inspiration and tell me what's on your needles at the moment! Ginny is sharing a delightful children's book about knitting today!

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Yarn Along: After Christmas Exhale

Linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along today:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

 

As predicted, with the flurry of wrapping, cooking, driving, and visiting for Christmas, I didn't get much of a chance to breathe let alone pick up my needles again until yesterday.  I'm very happy with how my cowl is coming along!  It has taken me nearly three years of knitting to finally get it through my head that wild yarn really needs a milder pattern so that the detail and colors aren't constantly at odds.  The main body of this one is a simple stockinette with a slip stitch - enough dimension to keep it from being boring, but simple enough to let the yarn shine.

I received Lisa Hendey's Book of Saints for Catholic Moms from my mom for Christmas. It was not at all a surprise gift, as I begged and begged for it before it was even published in October.  The format is very busy-mom friendly: 52 Saints, each with a short bio, take-away life lessons, a short passage and prayer for each day of the week, and both personal and family activities ideas for the week.  Lisa Hendey's writing is very accessible to someone like me, who frequently struggles to keep up with prayer and I hope I will be able to keep up with the Saints over the next 52 weeks.

Yarn Along: Baby Boy Hat

A friend of mine gave birth to her second son last Friday, and I was behind in the knitting department, so this week's knit is a quick hat project to send to him.  I'm using my very favorite Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton yarn - so perfectly soft for babies!

Not one to be left out, Moose asked if he could help this morning.  I gave him the remnants of a ball of Sugar 'n' Cream cotton to play with.  Above is how it turned out - which is exactly why I wasn't really all that keen for his help.

When I was at my local Catholic bookstore earlier this week to pick up a Christmas gift for my mom, I ended up treating myself to Happy Catholic.  The short passages are perfect to couple with knitting, since I frequently have to look up from my reading to make sure I haven't dropped a stitch, etc.  I have always found knitting to be relaxing and meditative, and in that way, this book also pairs wonderfully.  I particularly loved a line I read this morning : "Miracles are love letters [from God]."

For more knitting and reading inspiration, come see Ginny's beautiful blog, small things.