Author Archives: michellereitemeyer

01.07.07
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Happy Epiphany

Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, since it was the sixth (the Church can move it to today for convenience, but yesterday was good for us). The kids took the three king statues to the stable, but the Holy Family was gone. Off they went to find them on my dresser right next to a pile of presents – three for everybody (minus one for me that didn’t get here in time).

Last night, we went to a friend’s house for an Epiphany party with them and another family – 15 kids (plus one on the way) altogether. What fun! I love these casual, kid-friendly events where moms can actually sit and the kids just run in and out of the house and all around having a good time. We had beans and rice and tamales and taquitas and margaritas and Bill’s leaded eggnog and donuts and a King Cake with a prize for the person who finds the baby Jesus inside. In fact, the generous hosts had Barnes and Noble gift cards for ALL the kids with an excessively high value for the winner – which happened to be Fritz.

We haven’t touched a single decoration yet, and I’ll be pretty sad to see them go. When you don’t decorate until just before Christmas, it is easy to want to keep them up well into January. But I suppose I’ll begin the long process this week. I’ll have to pack everything away carefully knowing that movers will be the next people to touch the boxes, and I don’t want to risk breakage on the long road to Kansas.

Soon we’ll be heading out to the bookstore. This weekend has been an altogether pleasant conclusion to a Christmas full of parties, joy and fun. We’ll take a bit of a break and then on to Carnival!

01.06.07
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old dog, new tricks

I’ve opened a Flickr account to download photos after Blogger’s complete meltdown for me in this regard.

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Our house.

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Making the gingerbread house. Notice the two munchkins munching.

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Twas the night before Christmas…

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The tree…

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..of 2300 lights.

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Dancing on New Year’s Eve.

01.05.07
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Catholic Devotion Meme

1. Favorite devotion or prayer to Jesus? Anima Christi

2. Favorite Marian devotion or prayer? Hail Holy Queen

3. Do you wear a scapular or medal? Yes, but as Megan pointed out, you’re supposed to say the rosary daily, and I don’t. It serves to remind me what a sinner I am.

4. Do you have holy water in your home? Yes, but in the cupboard, not the font.

5. Do you ‘offer up’ your sufferings? Yes. If you don’t understand this practice or need motivation to do it more often, I recommend this book.

6. Do you observe First Fridays and First Saturdays? Today seems like a good day to start.

7. Do you go to Eucharistic Adoration? No, unfortunately.

8. Are you a Saturday evening Mass person or Sunday morning Mass person? Usually Sunday mornings. Sometimes we go to a drunkard’s mass on Sunday evenings.

9. Do you say prayers at mealtime? Before dinner. I always forget before other meals.

10. Favorite Saint(s)? St. Anthony of Padua, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Nicholas.

11. Can you recite the Apostles Creed by heart? Yes.

12. Do you usually say short prayers (aspirations) during the course of the day? Yes, “Lord have mercy!” Also, “Help!” Often, “Thank you!”

13. Where is your favorite place to pray? In the shower. Or while running.

14. Bonus Question: When you pass by an automobile accident or other serious mishap, do you say a quick prayer for the folks involved? Usually.

I tag Laura the Crazy Mama.

01.05.07
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St. John Neumann

Today is the feast of St. John Neumann. The Bad Catholics Guide to Good Living suggests having cheesesteaks in honor of Philadelphia where his body lies in glass as the base of an altar. Today is Friday, so perhaps you could defer that delicacy until tomorrow.

I attribute Fritz’s healing to his intercession, so I’m saying some extra prayers of thanksgiving today. Here’s another prayer to him for Catholic schools – to include homeschools, I’m sure.

Saint John Neumann, you helped organize Catholic education in the United States. Please watch over all Catholic schools and help them be a model of Christianity in their actions as well as their words. Amen

01.05.07
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The Newest Padawan

My son Fritz is about the same size as my niece Morgan. I am making a First Holy Communion dress for Morgan who lives some 700 miles away. Fritz, who normally likes to pretend to be Obi Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker, has been unhappily but cooperatively allowing me to try the half-sewn dress on him to adjust for fit. Bill wanted to get the camera, but I said no. Maybe at the final fitting…I still need cooperation for now. But Bill came up with a new moniker for the lad: Mannequin Catwalker.
01.04.07
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Vert

I just found this new web page blog thing that I think is pretty cool. It’s for Catholic converts and reverts. I don’t really qualify, since I never really left the Church. I had no faith, but that’s not the same thing. Lots of blogs I read are written by converts, and I thought they might be interested.

About VERT

VERT launch date = January 1st 2007.

VERT is intended to compliment other online Catholic communities with an extra special and specific focus on converts and reverts to the Catholic faith. If you know what those buzz terms signify, you blog, and you are looking for like minded people who will encourage and challenge VERT may be for you.

VERT COMBINES the purpose of a gathering place like St. Blog’s Parish and Amateur Catholics with weekly themed writing prompts that I hope is complimentary to the un-themed Catholic Carnival while being specifically geared for converts and reverts.

While I am an amateur and I think most members will be amateur Catholics VERT allows pros to join too.

VERT was created by me, Owen, of luminousmiseries.ca and of onionboy.ca over two days when I had a very bad head cold, time, and what I hope turns out to have been a good idea.


I think it was a good idea, too, Owen. I hope lots of Catholic converts hop on over.

01.03.07
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Clerihew – Part 8

My sister, who is literally half the woman she used to be, sends me an email complaining about feeling left out. My goodness, people, I really did have to run a household here yesterday! She sent her own clerihew:

Barbara Kaine
Had only one bane.
These last fifteen pounds
As bad as that sounds.

Please feel free to write your own, about yourself or someone else, and post it here.

For me, though, it’s back to the grindstone. Bill is back at work, and we will return to school, shrugging off the undisciplined ways of the last month to engage our minds in pursuits such as solving for x and maybe, just maybe, figuring out that H-A-T is the word hat and other intellectual endeavors between those.