Outside my window...it is cold out and it looks like a light dusting of snow fell overnight.  It's a funny thing about winter there are stages to the emotional state that winter evokes in a person.  I think that everyone in this house has entered the final stage that I like to think of as denial.  We are all talking about spring each in our own way and ignoring what is going on outside the house.  No one asks what the weather is supposed to be or whether Ian got called out in the night.  It is almost like we are denying that winter still has hold of us.

I am thinking....about my kids when they were little making tents in the house out of blankets and then later making tents in the yard out of tarps.  Those were some good times.

I am thankful for...family.  We may squabble and tease but when it comes down to it there is no one who knows you with all your warts and loves you anyway.

From the schoolroom....it will business as usual.

From the kitchen...we are going to have black bean burritos tonight!!!!!!  I like black beans but there are factions in this house that object to my eating them or even serving them.  Today I am ignoring the rebels and we are going to have black beans for supper and everyone will love them and eat them with smiles on their faces.

I am wearing....tinkerbell pj pants and a landshark tee shirt.  Doug let me sleep in this morning.

I am creating....wearable confections for sale to people of discernment.

I am going....to get as much as possible done today.  I also have to go to the library to return some overdue materials.

I am reading....Deep Conversion Deep Prayer by Father Dubay

I am hoping....that prayers will be answered...soon!

I am hearing....MK changing Layn in preparation for his first nap of the day, the sound of the washer spinning out a load of laundry, and Layn giggling and squirming while MK gets his clothing back on.

Around the house....all is the way it should be.  Laundry is going, Matthew is on the couch doing his morning reading, and Melissa is drinking her coffee.  The only thing I don't like about morning here is the fact that Doug has to leave and go to work.  I got spoiled all those years having him home.

One of my favorite things...sitting quietly and listening to life go on around me.

A few plans for the rest of the week....schoolwork, housework, cooking are all on my plate.  Then if there is room I have a pile of hand sewing to do, another stack of things cut out to put together, and a couple of packages to mail out.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you....

This little boy is such a ham.  All I have to do is get the camera out and he poses and smiles.

He has finally mastered his rocking horse.  He can rock on it by himself and even get off of it, most of the time, without mishap.

Oreo will soon be going away to become someone's idea of a good meal.

Billy had better have a calf in her or she is going to become burgers also.

It rained all day yesterday and all night last night.

It's not going to be around for very much longer.

Tuesday after Quinquagesima

Summary of Today’s Meditation

We will consider today how the mystery of Jesus outraged in the Eucharist causes to shine forth: first, His humility: second, His meekness; third, the perfection of His recollection. We will then make the resolution: first, to treat everyone today with great meekness and humility; second, in the midst of the general license to maintain ourselves in a spirit of recollection and prayer. Our spiritual nosegay shall be the invitation of the Psalmist: “Come, let us adore and fall down and weep before the Lord.” (Ps. 94:6)

Meditation for the Morning

Let us adore Jesus, so humble and so meek, in the Blessed Sacrament, addressing to us, from the altar where He is exposed, His favorite maxim: “I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.” (John 13:15) Let us thank Him for these good words and for His holy example.

FIRST POINT

How the Mystery of Jesus Outraged in the Eucharist causes His Humility to Shine Forth

If there had been nothing else than this life hidden during twenty centuries in the obscurity of the tabernacle, it would have been an act of wonderful humility. What must it not be to have to suffer the being forsaken by men, for the love of whom He is there! The majority abandon Him, some through neglect and indifference, others through contempt, and He spends weeks and months in solitude in this dark prison, submitting to the irreverence, the insults, the profanations, the sacrileges committed by many who come into the church, and that to such an extent as to be trodden under foot by malefactors, who steal away from Him the little vessel in which He reposes. O God of tabernacles, how humble Thou art! How, in presence of so much abasement, could I indulge in pride and self-love, in unreasonableness and susceptibilities? How could I desire to be preferred to others, to be brought into notice, and to be honored? Oh, rather would I say with David: “I will make myself meaner than I have done, and I will be little in my own eyes.” (2 Kings 6:32)

SECOND POINT

How the Mystery of Jesus Outraged in the Eucharist makes His Meekness to Shine Forth

We offend Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament by voluntary distractions, by irreverence, by giving license to our eyes and our tongues; by an irreligious deportment, by profanation and sacrilege; and yet amidst so many horrors He is meek and patient; He sees all, and appears as though He did not; He suffers all and is silent. During eighteen centuries He has not allowed us to perceive even one single time that He is displeased; not a movement of impatience, not a sign of ill-temper. He might launch His thunders against the profaners, open hell under their feet; but He loves better to say to us, “Learn of Me because I am meek!” (Matt. 11:29) What a marvel of meekness! And, also, what a lesson for me! What a condemnation of my hardness and of my impatience! I cannot bear to be opposed, that others should have their defects, and that they should not be angels! O Jesus so meek, teach me to suffer everything with meekness, without making any one suffer in any way, to moderate my quickness of temper, my anger, my bitter reproaches.

THIRD POINT

How the Mystery of Jesus Outraged in the Eucharist makes His Love to Shine Forth

Exterior things, above all those which hurt our self-love or which wound our feelings, preoccupy and distract us to such a point that, being entirely given up to outward things, we do not live either with God, in order to respect His presence and offer to Him our actions, or with ourselves, in order to study our defects, to follow the practices of virtue, and all the movements of our heart. Jesus outraged in the Blessed Sacrament teaches us quite the contrary. He does not allow Himself to be distracted by the contradictions of creatures, by contempt and outrages. Always recollected within, always calm, He prays in peace for the poor sinners who offend Him, and the more they offend Him the more He prays for them, the more He recollects Himself in order to make honorable amends to the Divine Majesty for so many outrages. Is it thus that we keep our interior in a peaceful and recollected state amidst the tumult of exterior things, above all amidst events which wound our self-love? Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.
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This meditation comes from a set of books written in the 1800s by Fr. M. Hamon. They have been out of print for over 100 years. Meditations for All the Days of the Year, a 5-volume, 5”x7”, hardcover set complete with dust jackets and ribbons, is now being reprinted and is available for pre-order for a short time at nearly 60% off suggested retail. More information can be found here.

Beth's query about best features has prompted a lot of humor and revelation on Xanga lately.  When I commented on St. Vi's post about her best feature without any forethought I mentioned that a quality of her character was her best feature.  Other's have asked their significant other's for input as to their best features. 

I don't have to ask Doug 'cause I know what he will say.  He will tell me that that stuff doesn't matter to him, as long as I have a smile on my face it's all my best feature.  Personally I don't like myself very much so I am not the one to ask unless I am in an amused mood.

Then I would tell you that my feet are my best feature. 

They are small, something that surprises me since I am a yoyo when it comes to weight, and my toes are all uniform is size.  I am even a little vain about my feet so I like to wear pretty sandals or go barefoot in the summer and keep my toenails polished.

If I am in a serious mood then my best feature is my sense of humor.  It is dry and ironic at times but very willing to poke fun at anything to lighten the day.  I don't like over serious people or situations if I can avoid them so my sense of humor comes out at some of the most inappropriate times.  I guess it is a matter of point of view that decides what is a best feature.

....gaze on the snow to your heart's delight.  Just remember that we are the ones who have to move this stuff, drive in this stuff, and put up with it for approximately 6 months of the year. (that could be why some Northerners aren't too happy this morning.)

The view out the cab of the backhoe.  Actually I was sitting still in it since I'm not that great a driver when it comes to this backhoe. 

The snow is so wet and heavy that Doug had to go forward and back so that the blower didn't get plugged or the tractor stall out.  You should see the stones come out of that thing.  I am glad that there is no boar in that pen up there anymore.  (you can barely see the pen on the right side through the blowing snow)

That sign is so true.  The snow is so heavy that they are only clearing what they have to so that they can get around.  A path needs to be cleared to the barn on the hill so that the calves can be fed.

Edit:  Since I wrote this the sun has come out and it has stopped snowing.  Ian called and said the roads were clear enough so we could go out if we needed.  I armed myself with my list and left to go to the bank and the store.  Just outside of town on the main road I was stopped short of a very bad accident.  A milk tanker had gone off the road and rolled over.  I turned around and went home without running my errands.  I don't think we need anything that badly.

Outside my window....you would never believe what I woke up to.  Yesterday morning we went to Mass in the rain and all the snow was gone except in the piles.  This morning we get up and it is unusually quiet out there.  For those of you who don't live in a snowy place you understand what I am talking about. The world had that "two feet of snow fell in the night" kind of silence to it.  In the middle of the day yesterday the weather gradually changed over from rain to snow.  By mid-day Ian had gotten called out to work because the roads were getting slippery.  By the time we went to bed last night it was looking like today would be a snowday for sure.

I am thinking....people in this neck of the woods need something more diverting than the weather in their lives.

I am thankful for.....strong men with shovels, tractors with buckets on the front of them, and son's who work for the town.

From the schoolroom....it is unfortunately not a snow day for us, unless the internet goes down for some reason.

From the kitchen....I just put Melissa in charge of food.  She's thinking about it. 

I am wearing....the same wet pj's that I wore outside to investigate the snow.  Best do something about that.

I am creating....lovely wearables.

I am going....nowhere!!! This snow is so heavy and wet that it is tough to move.  Ian said that even the plows are getting stuck.  Matthew and Doug shovelled out around the car but that is as far as they got.  Ian called and said no one is going anywhere today.  Melissa called into work since she has no truck and she wouldn't be able to get out anyway.  Doug is out moving snow, I have a feeling that he won't be going to work today either.  There won't be any trucks rolling today from over to Buddy's.

I am reading....Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell

I am hoping....to finish the rest of the semester's writing this morning.

I am hearing...the windchimes that hang on the back of the house, the men trying to push the snow with the tractors, and Melissa fussing about the plugged up toilet.

Around the house....the snow has caused an air of excitement and wonder.  It is nice to know that although some of us are a bit weary of all the winter weather, we can still glory in the wonder of God's creation.

One of my favorite things....the profound silence that a heavy snowfall brings to the world.  There is nothing like the sound of snow.

A few plans for the rest of the week....let us just get through today and see what transpires.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you....

Yesterday this was all bare and muddy.  The snow is up to the bottom of the deck.

Matthew and Doug shovelled out around my car.  I'm not exactly sure why when there is so much snow piled up behind it but hey, what do I know.

The 'yoter is under that pile of snow and likely to stay that way since it has two-wheel drive.

My car is under this pile. 

The past two weeks have been an odyssey of sickness, medications, bad weather, and near misses.  I have found that the only way to survive any of it with my sanity, such as it is, intact is to filter my life through my sense of humor.  Here is a twisted look at some of what we have enjoyed.

Matthew has had a bad cold, perhaps even bronchitis although he never went to see Dr. Jim since he didn't desire it and I never thought he was in any need.  In our arsenal of curatives is Grandpa Pelicano's vicks in the pan of boiling water treatment.  This is guaranteed to clear your sinuses, condition and soften your skin, and remove paint from the walls.  Matthew, silly child that he is actually enjoyed it.

Once or twice a day for several days you could find him sitting at the table with his head under a towel soaking in the fumes and giving a running commentary about the amount of junk dripping from his nose and eyes and the condition of his skin.  My comment to him, "TMI Matthew!!!!"

Our outside temps have ranged anywhere from -5 to 50 during the week so the chimney on the stove may or may not draw well depending on the conditions outside.  Fear not, our patient simply dons his Jedi robe and he is ready for anything.  With a mug of hot tea in his embrace (complete with peppermint fumes) he is well on his way to restored health.

In between vicks treatments he employs his peppermint tea and hood as a substitute for the real thing. 

When he finally emerges at the end of this odyssey of coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing he is stronger and has overcome the bad bugs.