A birthday in a large family is a treat for everyone… This evening we celebrate Rylee, age 9…our ninth and seemingly last child. What a joy… It was so lovely to pack a delicious dinner and travel to one of our favorite haunts with our favorite 9 year old and the rest of our crew… [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Creekside with the birthday girl…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged birthday memories on May 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Five years…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged blogoversary on May 19, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Catholic Family Vignettes is five years old today… I remember when I told my husband that I was going to start writing a blog. I told him I couldn’t imagine that there would actually be very many people who would want to muddle through my thoughts and musings, but wouldn’t it be cool if, say, [...]
The Garden
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged faith, motherhood, perseverance on May 17, 2012 | 4 Comments »
She lives in a garden. A beautiful garden filled with sunlight. When, as a young woman, she was asked to envision her life, she saw herself living in a high rise apartment in the heart of a big city with a potted plant as a companion. Instead, God, in His infinite wisdom, placed her in [...]
It happened one Mother’s Day…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged blessed virgin mary, double rainbow, miracle, mother's day on May 13, 2012 | 2 Comments »
The following event occurred on Mother’s Day 2000 and is one of my favorite memories… It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The sky was crystal clear, a celestial blue of such depth…the bowers of the flowering crab apple tree in our backyard were laden with snow-white blossoms. Each gentle breeze sent a shower of petals [...]
Our Lady of Silence…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged blessed virgin mary, contemplation, silence on May 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
From the archives…a meditation on silence and our Lady’s model of this increasingly absent virtue… Silence. There is precious little of it in the world. In the busy life of a mother of many young ones, it is indeed rare. From cell phones, to radios, cds, dvds, mp3 players and a constant barrage of conversation, [...]
Why We Pray The Rosary…
Posted in Uncategorized on May 3, 2012 | 1 Comment »
This is a repost…it’s been a couple years since I’ve run it, but it’s May…the Month of Mary…a perfect time. Written on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary in 2009 after our good priest made this statement: “Everybody has a story about the Rosary…” Those who are devoted to the Rosary and our Lady [...]
The beauty of the East…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged byzantine rite on April 25, 2012 | 2 Comments »
In the twilight darkened sanctuary we hastily found seats, small rugs in hand, armed with missals and a good deal of curiosity and nervous expectation. Four of my children and I had accepted an invitation from a dear family friend to attend a Byzantine Rite Mass at St. John Chrysostom on Cleveland Avenue. It was [...]
Just perfect…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged beaches, blessings, journeys on April 14, 2012 | 6 Comments »
…though there have certainly been a few challenges. Wednesday evening, our oldest son, Zachary, took a serious fall on a skimboard. Police officers, paramedics, an ambulance, ER doctors and nurses and a few xrays later left him splinted to the knee and diagnosed with a severe sprain. I had looked at the ankle prior to [...]
The better part…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged beauty, nature, renewal on April 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Like a big blue wall, curving gentle upon the edge of the earth, the ocean presented itself. She cried. Ten years old and she’d never seen anything so big, so bright, so awesome. And I, who for the many years that I grew up surrounded by surf and shore, heart jaded by such common beauty, [...]
A joyous and blessed Easter from all of us to you…
Posted in Uncategorized on April 8, 2012 | 2 Comments »
He is risen, Alleluia! He is risen, indeed… Mass was gloriously beautiful…the great Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord is nothing less than a taste of heaven on this earth. Yet our earthly joys delight us in their simplicity… Easter joy abounds. From the beauty of the Mass, to the simple joys of family [...]
Weapons of Mass Instruction…revisited:
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged humor, weapons of mass instruction on March 29, 2012 | 1 Comment »
A post from the archives (with an update!)…from a writer who’s struggling to write…a student who’s struggling to study…and wife, mother and home educator who’s struggling to fulfill the many aspects of this worthy vocation. Needed a little lighthearted reminder that all my strength comes from the Mass and the Sacraments. Thank you, Lord, for [...]
Salt and light, again…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged my big fat catholic family on February 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »
My poor blog…so long neglected and yet I just can’t bear to let it go! I’m waiting for that day that all the pieces to my puzzled life reorder and assemble themselves…for it’s all I can do to muddle through the housework, homework and home education that fills our days and sometimes my nights. So [...]
Daybook…thanks and praise
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged daybook on January 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Visit Peggy at The Simple Woman for more Daybook entries! FOR TODAY - January 16, 2012 Outside my window: Gray skies and wind. Little drifts of melting snow, here and there…promise of rain. I am listening to: the click and clack of the keyboard as hubby works from home. Children in a variety of poses…one [...]
Sorting it out…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged healing, prayer, rest on January 2, 2012 | 7 Comments »
She’s home. Not our home…her home. A single week of recuperation, the majority spent in two separate hospitals, in two different states…many consultations with specialists and therapists…appointments for follow-ups and assessments…and a new prescription: Rest. Her ability to rest is a miracle in itself. That she walks, talks, breathes, smiles, laughs, weeps, rages, loves and [...]
Stabat Mater…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged stabat mater on December 31, 2011 | 3 Comments »
At the cross her station keeping, Kneeling in the shadow of the Cross…this is the posture of most every mother at some time or other. Yet…never have the words of the Stabat Mater resonated as deeply in my heart as they do now… Throughout this ordeal with my daughter, the image of the Sorrowful Mother [...]
There and back again…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged healing, sorrow on December 29, 2011 | 8 Comments »
On December 27 we made our way home to Columbus, stressed-out brain-injured daughter and all her comfort items in tow… Her release from the acute care ward of the Neurosciences floor was nothing short of miraculous…her lack of understanding of the severity of the injury, however, a troubling side effect of severe head trauma. December [...]
Vigil…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged accidents, divine providence, prayers on December 26, 2011 | 22 Comments »
In the darkened and quiet hospital room…amongst the beeps and buzzes of machinery, she sleeps…sedated, occasionally rasping a request for water… I keep vigil, waiting for her to return to us, fully and completely…I’m dazed…it all feels so unreal. One moment, a healthy young girl is walking along a sidewalk, the next moment, a playful [...]
The Great “O” Antiphons…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged advent, o antiphon house, O Antiphons on December 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The O Antiphon house is ready… Three candles burn shorter and shorter every night, the fourth ready to be lit this weekend… Tomorrow begins the sprint, the finish line in sight, as we proceed quickly and surely towards the great feast of the Nativity! Tomorrow we pray the Great “O” Antiphons… Join us, will you? [...]
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged trust in divine providence on December 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
It’s the third Sunday of Advent…Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete in Domino semper!” These are the words to take to heart…especially when the heart is broken and the reality of yet another deprivation looms before us. We are still dressed for Mass. Hats and coats at the ready. Each festively attired for this lovely Sunday, each anxious [...]
Reality…
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged chickens, country living on November 20, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Remember this: when you contemplate the bucolic beauty of raising poultry… …there are more than a couple days and nights that require rain and storm gear, a flashlight and a good sense of humor when a couple hens decide to hide out in the garage. Blessings,
Words to live by…
Prayer Request…God Bless You!
Free Traditional Catholic Planner: Embracing Tradition
Patron Saints for 2011 – St. Dominic Savio and St. Leopold III , Pray For Us!
St. Dominic Savio, patron of altar boys
St. Leopold the Good, patron of large families
All Holy Angels and Saints, Pray For Us!My Mother…And Yours!
The most holy Virgin had more faith than all men and angels. She saw her Son in the crib of Bethlehem, and believed Him the Creator of the world. She saw Him fly from Herod, and yet believed Him the King of kings. She saw Him born, and believed Him eternal. She saw Him poor and in need of food, and believed Him the Lord of the universe. She saw Him lying on straw, and believed Him omnipotent. She observed that He did not speak, and she believed Him infinite wisdom. She heard Him weep, and believed Him the joy of Paradise. In fine, she saw Him in death, despised and crucified, and, although faith wavered in others, Mary remained firm in the belief that He was God.
Of The Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Alphonsus LiguoriWelcome to Catholic Family Vignettes!
I am a traditional Catholic homeschooling mother of 9 children, married for 30 years to the most patient and sainted man. As converts to Catholicism in 1991, our family has only recently discovered the beauty and full expression of our beliefs in the timeless liturgy of antiquity, the Extraordinary Form also commonly referred to as the Traditional Latin Mass. An avid knitter, I also enjoy gardening, reading and immersing myself in the everyday graces of my vocation.
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Also Writing At Catholic Exchange:
I have been blessed…
Roger - husband, love of my life
Ashley (aka Jane) - age 29
Caitlin (aka Elizabeth) - age 25
Meredith (aka Clementine) - age 21
Zachary (aka Arthur) - age 17
Joseph (aka Gawain) - age 14
Michael (aka Galahad) - age 13
Maximilian (aka Gareth) - age 11
Abigail (aka Charlotte) - age 9
Rylee (aka Emily) - age 8
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Psalms 127:3-5Subscribe via email
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Recent Posts
St. Thomas Aquinas – Patron of Sacred Heart Academy – Pray For Us!
A Student's Prayer
Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
---St. Thomas Aquinas
Litany Of Humility
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…
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