Jabberwocky

Whistle Pig!

Ah, the things you learn on the way to learning about something else!

Here is a whistle pig happily munching clover in my yard yesterday afternoon.

OK, now if you're like me, you've never heard of a whistle pig. Turns out it's the Appalachian name for the woodchuck or groundhog. (Thank you, Answers.com!)

My fat friend Chuck (above) waddles around our property eating clover and mulberries. He has very good eyesight and runs if he catches a glimpse of me in a window. Chuck is probably using the burrow that was home last year to a vixen and her four kits.

We used to live in Detroit, a great house in a really terrible part of town. Fourteen years ago we moved to a semi-rural area and, as I like to say, we traded one form of wildlife for another. Nightsounds in our Detroit neighborhood were typically gunfire, car alarms, booming car stereos, and neighbors having fights in their yards. Here in the country our nightsounds are coyotes, owls, frogs, and silence.

Our property is divided down the middle by a creek that drains into the Huron River. We get the occasional great blue heron trying to grab a frog from the water, as well as a plethora of other amazing birds. A couple of years ago my husband inadvertently created a minor disturbance by putting out some raw chicken that had gone off, and a flock of turkey vultures (more than 20!) circled our property and found the "treasure." It actually made the local paper the next week: "Large flock of vultures sighted at corner of Bemis and Savage Roads." (Hey, this is small-town life -- our local paper regularly runs "news" stories about escaped livestock and the whereabouts of a wild turkey, a story that made its way to Jay Leno!)

My husband keeps several birdfeeders filled with wild bird seed, thistle, and hummingbird nectar. Of course no birdfeeder is squirrel proof, no matter what the package says, so we also feed a family of squirrels. I'm amused by their antics, but Ted gets terribly frustrated. Just yesterday he spread Vaseline on the post of one our feeders. Sure enough, just a short time later there was a squirrel hanging from the feeder! He probably appreciated the special "paw lotion" that my husband provided!

Isn't God's creation amazing and wonderful? Even when my husband was in his agnostic phase he would look at photos of strange sea creatures and say, "How can anyone think there isn't a God?"

God is good all the time!

'thann

More Backyard Wildlife

Christine asked about the photo of Chip, the chipmunk in my previous post. While I do have a nice little Canon PoweShot digital camera, most of the credit goes to Teddy who was kind enough to wash windows the other day!

Here is another shot I took earlier today -- Rocky the Squirrel eating my mulberries (also taken through the clean window!).

I tried to get a photo of Chuck the Woodchuck, but he spied me before I could take his picture. (He's got eagle-eye vision, that one!)

And here's a photo of our statue of Saint Francis -- he's standing under the wisteria tree that the Teds gave me for Mother's Day in 2006.

(TWO posts today! YAY!)

'thann

Telecommuting

I've worked for EDS (Electronic Data Systems) for nearly 22 years, most of that time in a conventional office. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to join a team whose members telecommute. This was a dream situation for me in so many ways, most of which involved having to take and/or pick up my son from school.

I develop Web-based corporate training, and all of my customers and team mates are situated all over the globe, from the U.S. and Canada to Germany and India. I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to simply roll out of bed and wander to my desk, still in jammies, and begin my work day. No long commutes, no unnecessary gas usage, no idle chatter around the water cooler.

And the coolest thing about working from the comfort of my own home is being able to enjoy all of the things that go on around here all day long, especially the antics of my son's two cats as they check out the wildlife outside our windows. (We live in a semi-rural area, so wildlife abounds!)

Below is a photo I took yesterday of "Chip," one of the many chipmunks that have made a home under our front porch. This little guy spends literally hours a day squeaking and staring in the front door or window at the cats.

And here's a self portrait of me at work in jammies and bunny slippers!

'thann (typing this while in jammies, and it's after 11 in the morning!)

How Teddy Saved My Soul

Today I'll talk about raising a teenaged boy, well, specifically my teenaged boy.

We have been mightily blessed with a wonderful, Godly boy, Teddy (who now prefers to be called the more mature "Ted"), who will be 17 in a few weeks. He attends a good Catholic high school and attended an orthodox independent Catholic school for grades 6-8. He made good friends with many of the students there, and those friendships, for the most part, have continued into high school.

Teddy saved my soul.

My Catholic Upbringing

I was raised in a devout Catholic home, the youngest of six children. We attended Mass weekly (often more frequently), recited the Rosary as a family, observed all of the Catholic traditions. My oldest brother became a Jesuit priest. He eventually left the priesthood to marry (and is a wonderful and loving husband and father to six children himself -- but I'll write about that in another post some time). We attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school, and many of us continued through Catholic university (and I ventured into Catholic law school, but dropped out after suffering a miscarriage).

You'd think that with such a devout upbringing I'd never waver from the path. Well, this was in the upheaval after Vatican II -- so many things were changing, and liberal Catholics found that they could easily co-opt the documents of Vatican II to further their own heterodoxical agendas.

Beginning To Go Astray

The all-girls Catholic high school I attended was influenced greatly by the popular liberal theologians of the day, particularly Karl Rahner. Rather than study our Catholic faith using Church documents and the Catechism, we had "rap sessions" discussing liberation theology and the possibility of women as priests and other such "relevant" current events.

Ah, women as priests. Back then we were also in the throes of nascent feminism. Being an all-girls school, a large contingent (backed by many of the nuns, recently liberated from their habits) followed the gospels of Friedan and Greer.

Add to this a dollop of ecological awareness (Earth Day was instituted while I was in high school) and anti-war hippieness. We were a gaggle of confused pubescent girls, seeking guidance in a world of turmoil.

How Music Led Me Astray, Sort Of

When I was 11 I began to play guitar. My oldest brother (the one who became a priest) was a classical guitarist, and he taught me to play. I had already had three years of piano and was singing in a children's choir, so I had a pretty good musical base. I eventually took off on my own and learned a technique called fingerstyle guitar, and I used this to accompany my singing.

In the late 1960s the Mass was changed to the vernacular, and church music changed to become -- I don't know -- more relevant? More singable? Jazzier? Who knows. But I was in the right place at the right time, and at age 12 I began playing and singing at Mass, both at school and at my parish church. I played the music of Ray Repp, for the most part. Sons of God, Here We Are, Shout From the Highest Mountain... My ego was growing -- I loved singing at Mass, but to be honest, I was filled with pride and I loved the attention it garnered me.

Because of my lax theological education, and priests who either didn't care or who had just given up, I sang all sorts of groovy (and terribly inappropriate, sometimes egregiously so) songs at Mass. Sweet Baby James, Suzanne, Blowin' in the Wind, Imagine (!). I blush when I think of those years! People ate it up, and my ego grew and grew. It's a wonder I could walk through the church doors with my swelled head.

How did music lead me stray? It got so that if I wasn't being paid to sing at Mass, I rarely went. Oh, I still put on a good show for my parents -- I went to Mass with them (but remember, I was singing at my parish and being paid for it!). If I was out of town, I usually didn't bother. Sleeping in was more important to me.

After college I took a job in Washington D.C., and while there I attended Mass twice, one of those days being Christmas. I remember calling my local parish (the eminent Saint Matthew Cathedral in D.C.), offering my guitar and folksinging skills. The choir director, in no uncertain terms, informed me that they used only "appropriate" music at Mass. That should have made me think, but all it did was drive me further from the Church.

The "Lazy Catholic" Years

When my then-fiance wasn't accepted at any law schools near Washington D.C., I returned home. I attended Mass half-heartedly with my family (just for show), and then got married. As usual, after I was married, unless I was being paid to sing, I rarely attended Mass. And with no parents in the house to monitor my attendance, it was easy to just sleep in. Ah, but I still considered myself a "good" Catholic.

These lazy years lasted until Teddy was about six years old (17 years into our marriage!). When he was ready for school we joined a Catholic parish (outside of our boundaries -- we needed easy day care, so we opted for my husband's parents' parish). Teddy started kindergarten at a Catholic school. And was promptly kicked out. (OK, that leads me to another post -- the discovery of Teddy's "special needs" -- but I'll write about that another time.)

Needing to find a kindergarten that would deal with Teddy's special needs, we found a lovely (and credentialed) woman, the wife of a non-denominational pastor. She tutored him privately through a kindergarten curriculum.

One day after a year or so of study with Mrs. Severance, Teddy came home from school and asked me, in his straightforward manner, "Mama, why don't we go to church?" (I imagine that Pastor and Mrs. Severance were, in their gentle way, trying to recruit us into their congregation.)

Indeed. Out of the mouths of babes.

That next Sunday we joined our local parish, Saint Anthony's in Belleville, Michigan, and I jumped right into the fray of parish involvement. I've never looked back. Saint Anthony's is home to us now, and our wonderful pastor is Teddy's spiritual director.

Had Teddy not asked me that simple question, chances are I'd still be sleeping in on Sunday mornings, doing the New York Times crossword puzzle. Now I wait at least until after Mass to do it!

So, yes, Teddy did save my soul. Actually in more ways than I've posted here, but some things are just too private to share with you.

'thann

My Love Affair With the Rosary

I've made rosaries for years. From October 2002 through October 2003, the Year of the Rosary as instituted by the late Pope John Paul II, I made rosaries for every female member of Ted's and my immediate family, and for a few other people. I lost count of how many I made.

The rosaries I make are sterling silver with either Swarovski crystal beads or semi-precious stones, such as onyx. For some people I add a medal of their patron saint. For our plumber (who came to the rescue countless times while Ted was stationed in Cuba), I added a medal of Saint Vincent Ferrer, the patron saint of plumbers. I love making rosaries.

When I was a child we regularly prayed a family rosary. I remember kneeling around the living room in a large circle, our backs to each other so as not to distract each other. The most coveted spot was in front of my dad's aquarium where I would be mesmerized by the fish as we prayed!

When my parents moved to Marco Island, Florida, they got as involved in their new parish as they were in Southfield (my mom even more so because she became the sacristan there). They attended daily Mass always preceded by the rosary. Every evening they would lay out their Mass things -- my mom's Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion medallion, my dad's lectionary, and two rosaries.

When my parents died (my dad after a long illness in 1997, my mom suddenly in 2000), I received both of their rosaries, and they were so precious to me. My father had his in his hands at the moment of death, and my mother had hers in her purse when she died. For two years after my mother's death, I used her rosary to pray daily -- it made me feel close to her.

My oldest niece strayed from the Catholic Church and found herself involved in Wicca. I was so deeply saddened by this -- I was her Confirmation sponsor, and I felt I had let her down. She, the only child of my late brother, was my mother's favorite grandchild, and my mother had no knowledge that my niece had left the Church.

Two years after my mother's death I received a wedding invitation from my niece -- a full-blown Pagan ceremony. She was pregnant and feeling pressured into marrying the father of the baby. I found myself in despair over the situation, and I prayed on my mother's rosary, sobbing. I prayed that God would somehow show me a way to bring my niece back Home to the Church.

When I was through praying the rosary I sat quietly, and as clear as a bell I heard my mother's voice: "Send her my rosary." I thought I was imagining things. Again, "Send her my rosary." It was as if my mother were right beside me.

I actually argued, saying, "No! This is MY rosary now!", but again, I heard my mother: "Send her my rosary."

I knew it was the right thing to do, so that day I wrote a long and inspired letter (I prayed to the Holy Spirit to give me the words) and sent the rosary the following Monday. (I admit to having second and third thoughts!)

My niece called to thank me for the rosary and said she had called off the wedding. She has since given birth to a lovely daughter, and while she isn't back in the Church, she's definitely open to the idea. Praise God -- He is good all the time.

I still make rosaries for special people and special occasions. Tomorrow is Teddy's girlfriend Angela's graduation party, and I've made a lovely rosary using aurora borealis and emerald (her birthstone) Swarovski crystal. The crucifix is the same that I have on my own rosary -- Christ on a dogwood tree that is in bloom. There is a legend that dogwood trees used to be very large, and that the True Cross was made from the wood of the dogwood. As  punishment, God made the dogwood to be small and to bear flowers in the shape of a cross with blood red on the petals.

Here are pictures of Angela's rosary.

'thann

Farewell to My Past

My parents were founding members of Saint Ives Church in Southfield, Michigan. We, as a family, were all involved in parish work in some way. At age nine I joined the children's choir, and when in high school I became a soloist at all weekend Masses and started the first "folk group" (which I either directed or was involved in for many years). I was also the "Saturday Secretary" for several years, answering phones, sorting collection envelopes, and handling all sorts of clerical tasks for the pastor.

My parents were all involved in parish life -- my father was president of the Usher's Club, president of the Parish Council (I was secretary for several years while in college), a lector, and advised the staff on financial matters. My mom was president of the Women's Club, president of the Rosary Guild, and washed vestments and altar linens. Any given day of the week someone from my family was there!

My sisters and I all were married at Saint Ives, my oldest brother celebrated his First Mass (as a newly ordained Jesuit priest -- although he left the priesthood 25 years ago), and my other brother was buried from there. Teddy was baptized there.

With the changing demographics of Southfield, Saint Ives is combining with all of the other parishes in the area and Masses will be celebrated at Saint Michael, a Franciscan parish (where I attended elementary school). I wondered what would become of the church, rectory, and hall. I found out this week that it will be taken over by the Albanian Catholic Church -- so it will still be used in the service of Our Lord.

Teddy and I will attend the final Mass at 10 a.m. June 24 -- I imagine there will be tears, at least on my part. It's so hard to say good-bye to something that played a major role in one's life. I'm the sentimental sort who, at every opportunity, drives by past my former houses, schools, and parishes -- just to enjoy fond memories. The last time I drove by Saint Ives was about a month ago, before I knew of its closing. I wish I had driven just a bit slower.

Farewell, Saint Ives. I will miss you.

'thann

Four New Things...

My friend Rose posted a meme on her blog (http://joyfulmomathome.blogspot.com/) which I thought I'd try -- two blog posts in one day! That's a record for me!

The meme: You have to share four things that were new to you in the past four years. Four things you learned or experienced or explored for the first time in the past four years. New house, new school, new hobby, new spouse, new baby, whatever. Then you have to say four things you want to try new in the next four years.

Four new things I did in the past four years:

1. I experienced being the mom of a teenager. What a surprise! Teddy (soon to be 17) is a gift from God. What joy he gives me every single day! (What happened to the rumored sullen teenage period?)
2. I learned to cook. Yes, I've been married 28 years, and until my husband went to Cuba for a year (with the Army National Guard), I couldn't put a proper meal on the table. I accidentally watched the Food Network show Good Eats, and the rest is history. I can now say I am an excellent and consistent cook.
3. I had LASIK surgery. I was experiencing all sorts of eye problems -- poor night vision, blurred vision all the time -- and I decided to give LASIK a go. It is perhaps the best medical decision I have ever made. I can see better than I ever have in my life, my night vision is excellent, and in the process of the pre-screening, my opthalmologist discovered that I have glaucoma, which is being treated successfully. If I hadn't seen an opthalmologist for the LASIK, I may never have discovered the glaucoma until it was quite advanced.
4. I decided to make a concerted effort to stop biting my nails. This was very difficult -- I think I came out of the womb biting my nails! Now they're not particularly long (I play guitar), but they're nice!

Four things I'd like to do in the next four years:

1. Lose weight. I am morbidly obese. This has been a struggle since I was pregnant with Teddy. I had preeclampsia and never lost the weight after he was born. Yes, eat less and exercise more -- easy words, hard to do.
2. Successfully attend regular Eucharistic Adoration. I keep signing up for a weekly hour, and I am good for a while, but then life gets in the way. I need to do better.
3. Get involved more in my parish. At one time I was always at church -- I taught CCD, I was in choir, I was a cantor, I led the youth Masses...but then Teddy needed to be driven everywhere, and I had too many conflicts to make a commitment. Teddy should have his license in the fall, so I am hoping to be able to at least get back to cantoring and choir.
4. Record a CD for my family. I made a tape of Christmas music many years ago when I was singing professionally, but I'd like to record a CD of religious and secular songs in a studio with a professional engineer. This would be strictly for my family (my professional performing/touring days are long past!).

That's it! If anyone feels motivated to take up this meme (not that anyone reads my blog!), please let me know the link!

'thann

Blogging Ennui

When I was little I read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I thought, I'd like to keep a diary! And so I got myself a little locking diary and began, "Dear Diary" (not "Dear Kitty," as Anne Frank did). After a spate of excited girlish entries, I got distracted. My entries became shorter and less frequent. Then they ceased altogether.

I don't think I'm much of a journaler (hence my spotty blogging history). I think I have interesting things to say -- comments on world situations, particularly the sorry state of moral affairs -- but I am never near a computer when I think them. And when I am near a computer, well, I just don't have the time to write them down (or I've forgotten the clever and witty thoughts I had!).

Teddy is exactly the same way about journaling. It must run in families.

Teddy attended a school for gifted children in grades 1-5. In first grade his teacher taught the kids about journaling, and each child had one of those black and white composition notebooks. Every school day started with journaling.

Teddy was stymied. He couldn't think of what to write. Finally, frustrated, he asked Mrs. Earl, "What sort of things should I write about" She said, "Whatever you want! It can be about your family, what you like to do, what you like to eat..."

Teddy got the idea, but perhaps a little to literally. Here are the first several entries of his first-grade journal (which I have):

• I like mashed potatoes.
• I like to eat mashed potatoes.
• My favorite food is mashed potatoes.
• I really, really like mashed potatoes.
• Mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes.

Page after page, day after day, it was all about mashed potatoes!

Well, let's hope that my renewed interest in blogging doesn't continue the same way.

Although my favorite food IS mashed potatoes!

'thann

Marriage Meme

Rosemary from A Catholic Mother's Thoughts has tagged me for this marriage meme. (Rose is the mom of one of Teddy's schoolmates.) Actually I think this was more of a dare to get me to blog again!

1. Where/How did you meet? The first time I actually noticed Ted was in a class where he sat behind me (at the University of Detroit). He was really scruffy with LONG hair (he's completely bald now). The first time I ever spoke to him was when the boy I was dating introduced us. They were best friends. (I ruined a long-lasting friendship.)

2. How long have you known each other? About 33 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating? Hard to say -- I had to break up with my boyfriend before I actually started dating Ted. I think it was perhaps a year and a half.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? A year or so.

5. How long was your engagement? A year and a half. (We had to postpone our original wedding date because I had moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the government after I graduated.)

6. How long have you been married? Nearly 28 years.

7. What is your anniversary? June 1.

8. How many people came to your wedding reception? 75.

9. What kind of cake did you serve? The tiered wedding cake was cherry nut, and there were two sheet cakes, chocolate and white.

10. Where was your wedding? Saint Ives in Southfield, Michigan.

11. What did you serve for your meal? Traditional Polish buffet food (golobkis, kielbasa, meatballs). (My husband's Polish, so I thought his family would like the Polish food.)

12. How many people were in your bridal party? 3 (besides Ted and myself).

13. Are you still friends with them all? My matron of honor was my sister, and my flower girl was my Goddaughter -- still see them regularly! Ted lost tough with his best man (we occasionally get a Christmas card).

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? No.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? My brother (who was a priest at the time) witnessing our vows.

16. Any funny moments? Nope.

17. Any big disasters? Nope again! (The wedding went like clockwork!)

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Evart, Michigan (Ted's Godmother's home along the banks of the Muskegon River. It was lovely!)

19. How long were you gone? One week.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Not a thing!

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Right.

22. What size is your bed? Queen.

23. Greatest strength as a couple? Patience -- and our sense of humor.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Ted's lack of sentimentality, my lack of frugality.

25. Who literally pays the bills? Ted.

26. What is your song? Misty.

27. What did you dance your first dance to? Either Misty or Strangers in the Night.

28. Describe your wedding dress? White cotton eyelet, sort of a peasant style (all the rage at the time!), with a train. I made it and I made my sister's and Goddaughter's dresses, too. (They were similar, without the train, of course.)

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? My sister and Goddaughter carried baskets with yellow and white silk flowers (which I arranged). I carried a lovely silk fan that Ted had given me, and I had silk irises and roses sewn onto it.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No. Sadly my engagement ring and wedding ring were stolen during a burglary inn 1988. Ted lost his wedding ring somewhere in his parents' house (we'll find it some day!). We've since replaced them with simple gold (unengraved) bands.

I tag anyone who wants -- but please give me the link so I can read it!

Taa daa! My first post in two years!

Frederik Meijer Gardens

A few years ago Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan, opened a sculpture garden. The outdoor sculpture garden is home to dozens of works of art by world-renowned artists, living and dead. The centerpiece of the garden is the 24-foot bronze The American Horse by artist Nina Akamu. Ms. Akamu created her sculpture following the original plans by Leonardo da Vinci -- whose horse never was created. There are only two such sculptures in the world: one in Grand Rapids, the other in Milan, Italy.

Frederik Meijer Gardens is a wonderful place with surprises at every turn. The indoor gardens are breathtaking, each room built around a theme. Teddy's favorite room is the Arid, or Desert, Room because it houses several carnivorous plants. My favorite is the Tropical Room, particularly when it is time for the butterfly exhibit (when coccoons are brought in and butterflies emerge, having free rein on the room -- including landing on people!).

Check out my Frederik Meijer Gardens photo album to see most of the scuptures and views of the various rooms in the main building and greenhouses.

For more information about the gardens, go to the Frederik Meijer Gardens Web site.

'thann