March 24

As if I would forget to post today! Of course on his 20-14th birthday, I am grateful, grateful, grateful for Mike. I could write you a dissertation on why (and maybe I will when I'm not posting at work...shhhhhh!) - but for now, I'll just say that he's wonderful. And I love him.

March 23

Today I am grateful for Los Gatitos. They are furry and snuggly and an endless source of entertainment. They know how to put you in your place when you need it (or even if you don't) - and they make the best napping partners in the world! (Mike excluded)

Plus - since Mike and I talk for our cats (hey - don't judge me!) - they say the funniest things!

March 22

Today I'm grateful for the spice store. Mike and I went out and about in Oak Park Sunday after mass and wound up at Penzey's.

Some spices we bought...

and others we decided to save for later.

Now that I've been promoted to sous chef, I'm hoping that we'll be spending a lot more time at the spice store. It's always fun to go and browse - and it smells SO GOOD in there!

March 21

Today is a gloomy, rainy day and it matches my mood. I'm missing my mom a lot - just because. So today I am grateful for her. For my mom who raised me to persevere and keep going even when I don't want to.

"Forgive me my sins, O Lord; forgive me the sins of my youth and the sins of my age, the sins of my soul and the sins of my body, my secret and my whispering sins, the sins I have done to please myself and the sins I have done to please others. Forgive those sins which I know, and the sins which I know not; forgive them, O Lord, forgive them all of Thy great goodness. Amen." -Beliefnet's prayer of the day

March 20

Today Mike is grateful for me. Or at least he should be. Our first attempt at making an Outback Bloomin' Onion at home almost = epic fail. Mike mixed the batter and cut the onion. A miscalculation while onion chopping meant that we were having onion petals rather than a real bloomin' onion. I assured him that this wasn't a problem. Then he had an issue getting the batter to stick to the onion.

He was cleaning the mixing bowls and expressing his frustration when I happened into the kitchen. I made him make up more milk/egg mixture so that I could try and coat them better. He wouldn't let me mix up the spices again (it would take too much time), but I got the onion to take a full coating of flour. It's not the Outback - but it looks pretty good on top of that steak, doesn't it?

And what's for dessert?! Fried ice cream. Yummo!


Today I am grateful that I have enough food each day.

"We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."

March 17

Today I'm grateful for another birthday - my twenty-fourteenth. And for Mike, who sent me to work today with sugar cookies with shamrocks on the top...to share with the other kids. Even though he's taking his life in his hands by asking me how old am I - followed by asking how old he is. Sometimes it's hell being married to someone a week younger than you. Feh. I try to explain that what's cute when you're 22 does not translate when you're 20-14. One day he'll learn - I think.

"Christ shield me this day: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me" (from "The Breastplate of St. Patrick").

Back on the Gratefulness Wagon - March 14

So, it's been pretty hard to be grateful lately. It's been - pretty much - a big pityfest for myself. Losing my dad within a few years of my mom seemed to crush my spirit and, while I tried to hide it, I didn't much care about being grateful.

But, on the cusp of my 34th birthday, I've decided that I can only be as grateful as I try to be. So I'm back on the gratefulness wagon - trying to find the joy in the little things in life.

So - I thought that I'd tackle the source of my ungratefulness head-on and start there by finding something to be grateful about even in the things that have caused me so much unhappiness. So here it is.

I am grateful that God took my parents quickly and with minimal suffering. They were not in pain. They did not linger in comas or a vegetative state. They did not waste away in front of me. They are together again in Heaven. And I am grateful.




“O God, great and omnipotent judge of the living and the dead, we are to appear before you after this short life to render an account of our works. Give us the grace to prepare for our last hour by a devout and holy life. Let us remember our frailty and mortality, that we may always live in the ways of your commandments. Teach us to "watch and pray" (Lk 21:36), that when your summons comes for our departure from this world, we may go forth to meet you, experience a merciful judgment, and rejoice in everlasting happiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Psalm 77

¹ I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
² When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.

³ I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^b]">[b]
⁴ You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
⁵ I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
⁶ I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

⁷ “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
⁸ Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

¹⁰ Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

¹³ Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
¹⁴ You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

November 13, 2010

Today - a couple of days late, I suppose - I am grateful for all veterans. Mike and I spent Veteran's Day at the sight of the Civil War battle of Shiloh. It was a beautiful day and because it was Vet's Day, the park waived the entrance fees.

Because the battlefield was (is) so big, they have it set up so that you can drive around to 20 key points where important parts of the battle took place. But, due to road construction, you had to walk to three of the sites if you wanted to see them. Of course, two of the three were sites that we really wanted to see. It turned out to be the best part of the trip - it was a gorgeous day and we were able to get some great snaps.



Mike was really anxious to see this pond, because it looked from the handouts they gave us at the Ranger station that it would be a great picture. It was - but the pond is called "Bloody Pond," because so many soldiers crawled here for water and died that the water turned red.



Mike made a good point. We were discussing whether we'd liked Little Bighorn (in Montana) or Shiloh better. I noted that Shiloh didn't have the same spooky feeling, because at Little Bighorn, they have markers where they found the bodies of the soldiers, where are Shiloh simply has the cemeteries. Mike countered with the observation that at Little Bighorn you were restricted to a couple of paths that they had designated, but at Shiloh, you were tromping through the woods and going anywhere you wanted - walking the same paths as those who'd fought there 148 years ago.

Verdict? - Both are worth seeing. If you go to Shiloh, set aside the whole day, because you can easily spend it there.

Kitty Docking Station

Charging...charging...charging...

September 27, 2010

Today I am grateful that I have a job.

I am.

Yeah.

Grateful.

Maybe if I keep repeating it, I'll remember to actually feel grateful in my heart.

Happy Monday, everyone!

September 26, 2010 (Part II)

I'm grateful that despite evidence to the contrary - it didn't rain today! We were back at Wrigley Field for the last home Cubs game of the season.

Will somebody please tell Mike that his jersey doesn't look stupid with his gray hoodie? I had to threaten to boycott the whole game to get him to wear the jersey!


I'm grateful for the red line, which saves us money for parking.


I'm grateful for Mike - even if he does look slightly homeless when he doesn't shave on the weekends.

(Homeless Mike)

Aww...look how cute he is.


And they definitely don't come much cuter than the two of us together!


I'm grateful for peanuts you have to crack out of the shell. Delish! A winner in almost any situation - which was good, because the Cubs certainly weren't today.


I'm grateful that the Cubs put the Detroit score on the scoreboard today and saved me from having to hear the whining.

And I'm grateful for my kitties, who are always up for a nap in the man cave.


Happy Sunday, everyone!

September 26, 2010

Today I am grateful for sunny days - because it really looks like it's going to rain.

September 25, 2010

Today I am grateful for the Mars Cheese Castle, just outside of Kenosha, Wisconsin - because I right now have a fridge full of yummy, yummy cheeses. I also have imported chocolate and Dusseldorf style mustard.


(The new and improved Cheese Castle - which is currently under construction.)

September 24, 2010

Today I am grateful that Kelly and her "special friend" are enjoying their bike riding together.

And equally grateful that Mike does not ask me to ride a bike with him. Seriously - so grateful.

But have fun, Kelly! :)

September 23, 2010

Today I'm grateful for Sam, the Russian watch guy. He took the Tissot Seastar watch that Mike bought me on ebay for a steal, got a couple of extra links, and made it all spiffy for me.

My mom always wanted a watch with a blue face. She could never find one that she loved which also fit well. Ever since she died, I've also been on the lookout for the perfect blue-faced watch. It was my mom's quixotic quest and I somehow couldn't let it end without the Holy Grail of blue-faced watches being found!

When Mike showed up with this one, I was in love. But - it was super small, and whomever it had belonged to had sent it to Mike without the extra links they had removed. I worried that it would be difficult to get the fit right - and it was a real chore to get the two new links from the company. (It took quite a bit of time). Well the links are in and the deed is done and I am smitten. My mom would have been so jealous!

September 21, 2010

Today I am grateful for the Chicago Cubs. Because they stink this year, I was able to snatch up two tickets to tonight's game for $35. Total! Ask any Chicagoan and they'll tell you, that's a damn good deal! (Here are our seats).


And I'm grateful that the Cubs were giving away pink hats tonight. Doesn't Mike look cute in his? Take a good look, because I guarantee you'll never see him wear it again.


It got darker and darker and darker.

So they pulled out the tarp and covered everything up. Good thing, because it started raining shortly after! I was grateful for this, even!


Because it created the perfect opportunity to enjoy a Ball Park frank from Wrigley Field! The official hotdog of the Chicago Cubs! (Also available at Comerica Park).


The took the tarp off, prepped the field and had to run to put the tarp back on when a deluge hit about 20 minutes later...so I guess I'm grateful that Wrigley Field employs such a dedicated grounds crew. You wouldn't catch me out there in the downpour!


And lastly - I'm grateful that Mike has internet on his cell phone.


Inexplicably, the Cubs didn't have the Tigers score posted on the scoreboard...(i.e. nobody cares - kidding! I'm kidding!). So Schmikey had to keep up on his own group of loveable losers (at least this year) on his phone. (They lost to Kansas City).

September 19, 2010

Today I am grateful for God. (Pictures below were taken during Mass this afternoon.) RCIA begins tomorrow at our parish. And I'm on the team. I'm so excited that it may be a challenge sleeping tonight. I don't know why I'm so excited, but I can't wait! I suppose it's just the idea that I'll be guiding someone through their own spiritual journey.






And RCIA was so much fun for me! It's meeting new people and talking about God and how He has influenced my own life. It's kind of scary, too! It's a big responsibility - at least it is to me! And clearly the staff thinks so - they've given us homework...books on being an effective leader and how to talk to people about God.

Today in church it was the stewardship sign up. They left a list of ministries on the pews and asked that you take it home and see if God is calling you to "share your gifts" with the parish. After Mass, we ran into Luciano (the music director). It happened that Luciano had heard us talk about Mike's decent singing voice before. He asked me where Mike was and if he was at all interested in joining the choir, since they were desperate for male singers. I said I wasn't sure, but Luciano said he'd talk to him. I prepped Mike before hand - I was sure that Mike was going to think I'd sold him out. Mike laughed and told Luciano that he'd come choir practice for awhile and sing in the choir at the 10 a.m. masses. Then Luciano turned on me and convinced me that I should sing, too - since I'll be at the masses with Mike etc. He found out that I played instruments and is working to get me to play during special masses (like Easter etc).

I said I'd think about it.

September 18, 2010

Today I am grateful for the Knights of Columbus. As evidenced by the pictures below, Mike is a Knight (1st degree, but moving up!). Not only do they do a lot of good in the world, but Mike really loves getting together with the other guys and going to the meetings. They have two meetings a month - the first one is a business meeting and the second is a "social" meeting. I suspect this second meeting is just an excuse to drink beer and talk about sports...but then, I don't know - I'm not allowed to go. Perhaps part of the draw for Mike is that it's for men only and his wife isn't allowed to go with him. He spends a lot of time in my loud-mouth shadow and, while he never complains, I suspect he enjoys being around people without me answering for him all the time. Hey - I'm trying to get better! But I still once in awhile will realize that someone has asked him a question which I answered for him. It's a work in progress.




It's tootsie roll time again for the Knights, although the organization encourages you to refer to it as the "Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities" as the KoC has no official ties to the Tootsie Roll company. Mike has been handing out tootsie rolls for donations all weekend. Please give generously! It's for a good cause.