Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 35): The Lent Edition

By bobbi
February 4, 2015
16 Comments

Welcome to the RoL Pinterest Party. Normally we would link up and share how we made, cooked, baked, crafted, planned, organized, followed or created one of the pins on our Pinterest boards OR share something original that others can pin onto their boards.

This month we will be sharing our Lenten and Easter crafts, ideas, meatless recipes, posts and reflections.

Not on Pinterest? No problem. Link-up your own creation to inspire us so we can pin in to our own boards.

Don’t have a post ready? The link-up will be open until Easter Sunday so there’s plenty of time. Plus, feel free to link up a new post or an older post that hasn’t had much traffic lately. 🙂

* * * * *

It’s hard to believe that Lent starts in a couple weeks! I saved all my items from last year and I actually remember where I stored them so I’m ahead of the game. 😉

I have been wanting to incorporate learning about the saints with the kids and I thought Lent would be a good time to start.

I purchased the Happy Saint flashcards and I thought they’d be perfect for a simple introduction.

Each week we will take one saint, read about them, and ask for their intercession that week. Week 1 we will start with A for St. Agnes.

I’d also like to order the Happy Saints Way of the Cross.

* * *

As for our other Lenten activities, we’ll be doing some of our usual family traditions. I am reposting them here for new readers.

I love putting wreaths and welcome signs on our door. For Lent, I made a simple Lenten wreath to mark the season.

***

We have our regular family altar in the entryway of the house and that stays pretty much the same all year. However, we have a shelf in the family room by the table where we eat that we decorate according to the season. Here is where we keep our Lenten things.

***

We set up a candle centerpiece using a long rectangular tray filled with six votive candles for the six weeks of Lent.

***

I purchased tiny wreaths from Michael’s that fit around the candle. We add a wreath to a candle on each Sunday of Lent.

***

We printed off Catholic Icing’s Lenten Calendar and I placed it in an inexpensive frame from Ikea. I use a dry erase pen to mark a cross on each day as it passes. It is great for the kids, who have no sense of time, to see how many more days until Easter.

***

One of the kids favorite activities for Lent is their Act of Love and Prayer jars. The Act of Love jar has different things they can do each day such as share a toy with your sibling or be extra nice to someone at school or do an extra chore. The Prayer Jar has a special intention for each day. With our evening schedules, we have found our best prayer time to be before dinner since we are already gathered together. Since the altar is right next to our table, we light our candle, Brian leads us in prayer and then we chose an act and prayer intention for the next day. (The morning of the following day I remind the kids what our act of love and prayer intention is for that day.)

* * *

This year we also added Kendra’s idea of using Sacrifice Beans. Every time the kids complete one of their Acts of Love or makes a sacrifice they put a dried kidney bean in the bowl. On Easter Sunday the dry beans are changed to jelly beans or some other treat. (I’m thinking a visit to the library or the Aquarium.)

UPDATE: Last year, this was the kids’ favorite activity. They loved collecting those beans!

* * *

In case you think we are a holy family with heads bent in prayer, let me also give you a dose of reality. I also had to add a “prayer helper” of the day sign. When it comes to who gets to offer their prayer intention first or who gets to blow out the candle or who gets to choose the Act of Love that day, we have had the boys literally come to blows and screaming, which ends in me yelling at them and Brian sending them to their rooms for misbehaving. (Aw, peaceful prayer time.) Since they are used to having a “Student of the Day” in school so we took that same concept with the “prayer helper of the day.” The name rotates and we have greatly reduced the yelling and body blows. (Now if we can just get John-Paul to stop praying for things like “more Star Wars toys” as his prayer intention. 😉

Lastly we added our Stations of the Cross pictures to the altar. If we say the Stations of the Cross as a family, we follow this book The Way of the Cross from Magnificat/Ignatius. (Reality check: we actually have yet to do the stations. We’ll try again this year to do it at least once…)

Here are some other Lenten activities we will be doing as a family.

Turn off the TV and the computer/iphone more. I have a basket of religious type books that the kids can look at or we can read together. I am also using the Lenten Adventure Activity Books from Holy Heroes, which are great! There are activity pages and coloring pages for the young ones for each day of Lent up until Divine Mercy Sunday.

Visit Jesus – Make more visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Let the kids light a candle before they kneel and pray.

Donate – Spring clean the toy box and donate toys they don’t use anymore to our local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store.

Crafts – Make Lenten crafts such as one of these Resurrection Crafts. (Reality check: Yeah, this never happened last year. I’m not sure if we’ll do it this year but I’ll leave the link for you more creative moms. 😉 )

For more ideas for your own family, check out these sites.

Lenten Calendar for Kids – Eyes on Heaven

Liturgical Living at a Glance: March – Carrots for Michaelmas

40 Simple Lenten Activities for Kids – CallHerHappy.com

Lenten Activities for Children – CatholicIcing.com

40 Ideas for Lent from Joe Paprocki

My final note – Don’t let the sheer number of activities available overwhelm you! Chose just one (or maybe two) things that your family can realistically do. It is better to do something simple and well, than to try to do too much and feel like a failure because you couldn’t possibly get it all done! (Believe me, I’ve learned that the hard way!)

Okay, that was my idea for the month. You can find me on Pinterest here – Pinterest.com/bobbi_rol

Does your family have a favorite Lenten tradition? A favorite meatless meal? Maybe you wrote a reflection about Lent. If you have a blog, link-up! If you don’t blog, share in the comments. We’d love to hear from you. 🙂

* * * * *

Now it’s your turn!

1. Choose your creation, recipe or Lent/Easter related post and snap a photo if you can.

2. In your post, link back the original blogger/idea, rather than your Pinterest pin. That way credit goes to the proper person. 🙂 (But feel free to add your Pinterest profile link so we can follow you!)

3. Add a link back here so others can play along.

4. If you want to use it, here is the html code for the logo:

5. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address.

The link up will be active until Easter Sunday. Have fun!

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd or Instagram. 😉

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

An InLinkz Link-up

TV Talk: Downton Abbey, Season 5: Episode 5 Recap: Go #TeamDownton

By bobbi
February 2, 2015
2 Comments

Photo Credit – ITV

It was Super Bowl Sunday last night but I had zero interest in either team or any of the game. I didn’t even know who won until my Facebook feed became overrun with game related posts. However, so you won’t think that I don’t appreciate a good game, this post will be dedicated to my favorite Downton Teams. Thankfully, Brian returned home from Stanford just in time to watch it with me. (BTW, my FIL is making progress, although we aren’t able to bring him closer to home yet.)

Photo Credit – carlithiel.tumblr.com

#TeamBlake – Ah, what is this crafty fellow up to. I assumed last week that Blake was going to try and get Mabel back with Gillingham but when he invited her to dinner with Mary, that was priceless. I imagined Mabel being like Matthew’s Lavinia. (Now, that I think about it, Mary has a habit of stealing engaged men.) However, feisty Mabel was anything but. She refused to take Gillingahm back as sloppy seconds. She storms off but I am certain we have not heard the last of her. Mary chides Blake at his attempt but he says it was merely done for show. What do you think he is up to?

Photo Credit – carlithiel.tumblr.com

#TeamByeByeBunting – I did not believe for one second that Bunting was actually going to leave. When Tom first told her that he basically chose Downton over her, Brian was cheering saying, “Good for you, Tom!” I told him not to get his hopes up because I knew Daisy was going to try and talk him out of it. When Tom went back to see Bunting after he heard she was leaving I thought, this is it. He’s going to take her in his arms and I am going to be sick. Well, he did take her in his arms but it was only to give her a good bye kiss. Brian continued to cheer Tom and I was dumbfounded to see Bunting drive off. Downton threw me a curve ball by not throwing a plot curve ball. My team actually won! Although, instead of a victory dance I felt a bit downcast. I thought Bunting had the potential to be a likable character but the writers just made her unbearable with her rudeness. Either way, I was proud of Tom and liked him more for holding his ground and taking a stand instead of this constant will – he – won’t – he dance. Bravo.

#TeamTakeYourBabyBack – It’s hard for my 2015 mindset to fully understand the times/ Downton mindset that made it absolutely impossible for a mother to respectably care for her child born out of wedlock. I feel for Mrs. Drewe and I know she loves Marigold but I wish Edith would just come clean about Marigold to her family and somehow get her baby back. That is easier said than done but I don’t think Edith can go on living this way much longer. I am assuming she is planing to kidnap Marigold and that it will all go horribly wrong. Not to mention that to Marigold, Edith is just the neighbor lady, not her mama. Will Edith successfully take Marigold back? Will she sacrifice her to the Drewes and live with a broken heart forever? Whatever the outcome, there will be more heartache ahead but I am hoping Edith finally catches a break!

Photo Credit – carlithiel.tumblr.com

#TeamGettheHellOutofMyRoom – When Mr. Bricker arrived as Robert was leaving overnight, we all knew trouble was brewing. However, when he started sneaking through the hallways after hours Brian and I both yelled, “Oh, come on!!” Seriously? I don’t know who I was more mad at, Bricker or Cora. I really do like Cora but sometimes her calm reserve and sideways glances drives me a little crazy. Although she may have enjoyed Bricker’s attention and playfully reprimanded him, I never suspected that she would ever follow through on his flirtations. (Although, this is a lesson to married women that these little flirtations are dangerous, and while flattering, they shouldn’t be toyed with.) But when Bricker was standing there in her bedroom I wanted to shake Cora and say stop being so calm. Get this weasel out of your room pronto! Get your American blood going and set him straight. But noooo… instead Robert comes home early and is on his way up the stairs. Natch. Well, I guess the trend these days is to end the game with a fight because Robert belted Bricker and they fought mano a mano. I will admit that Cora’s coolness came in pretty handy as she calmed a puzzled Edith explaining that she and Robert were simply playing a game and they accidentally knocked over a lamp. Umm….ooookay. We’ll leave it at that.

(The clock is ticking and this blogging game is almost over. Time to speed through.

#TeamRobertHasARighttoBeMad – The next day Robert was giving Cora the cold shoulder and family members noticed. I do think Robert should be allowed a little time to grieve the situation. However, I am hoping he remembers that he himself had a dalliance with Jane the maid and unlike Cora, he actually acted upon her infatuation. I want to see Cora and Robbert make up and for both of them to realize how much they do love each other and how they have to make sure they don’t take the other for granted.

Photo Credit – carlithiel.tumblr.com

#TeamFreeAnna – You already know how I feel about this storyline. Anna looks more guilty each day and I hate it. Hate it.

#TeamMosleyandBaxter – I was so pleased to see them talking again. I love these two and feel they bring out the best in each other. I am also touched by Baxter’s concern for Thomas. As nasty as he may act, she sees the hurt man inside of him.

Time out! I can’t rush this last one because I saved the best for last.

Photo Credit – carlithiel.tumblr.com

#TeamAtticusAldridge – I’ll admit it. I have fallen in love with Atticus as a a match for Rose. Rose started this show as a party loving flapper but she has grown into a beautiful character with emerging depth. Her generosity and empathy for others is reminiscent of Sybil and her work in the hospital. The meet-cute between Rose and Atticus was so sweet and the name, well, the name Atticus Aldridge is downright regal. When Atticus first told Rose about his family leaving Odessa, I didn’t understand what all the hush hush was about. Brian immediately said that he was probably Jewish. As we learned, he was. (Is?) I loved how Rose couldn’t understand why that would be a problem. She did not hold any of the prejudice his family had suffered. That line also touched the heart of Atticus and he knew he wanted to see Rose again. Yay! I am always ready to cheer on a good love story!

And of that was not good enough, I stumbled across this piece of info from Digital Spy as I was trying to fin the correct spelling for Atticus. There is a real baby by the name Atticus Aldridge. The baby’s parents won a contest to name the Downton character. Matt Barber, who plays Atticus, said this:

“The charity is called Sugarplum Children, it was set up by a lady whose daughter has type 1 diabetes and knew Julian Fellowes somehow, and they auctioned off the opportunity to name a character in return for raising money for the charity.

“The people that won it, their son is called Atticus Aldridge. I think he’s now about 18 months old. It was unbelievably lucky [that he had a Downton-style name], it’s a really awesome name. I’m a bit jealous!”

Matt also says that “Atticus is the nicest man on the planet.” Okay, DA writers, let’s leave it that way. Don’t mess it up! Don’t make him an evil snake in disguise. Don’t put him in a situation where he is caused unspeakable pain or where some unsavory character sets him up to look guilty when he is actually innocent. We’ve had enough of that lately, thank you very much.

Okay, that is the end of the game. I’ll leave you now with my favorite quotes of the night.

Favorite Quotes

Violet: (In response to the nudist colony) “In Essex? Isn’t it terribly damp?”
Rosamond: “Would that make a difference?”
Violet: Well, yes if you had no clothes on. I think it’s a mad idea.”
Isobel: I doubt they were aiming it at you.”

Doc: “Can I ask you a personal question?”
Violet: “I’ve lived through great wars and my share of grief. I think I can manage an impertinent question from a doctor.”

Violet: “The idea of Princess Irina scrubbing the sick and emptying bedpans is a cheering one.”

Rose: (Speaking of her granny) “You make her sound very constant.”
Prince K: “She is. Ruthless, but constant.”

Robert: “I accept change but I want to navigate it gently. I don’t want to leap into it and put everyone’s backs up.”
Violet: “But you wear rompers without a second thought these days.”

Mrs Hughes: “I wish men worried about our feelings a quarter as much as we worry about theirs.”

Violet: “Rosamond, you are addressing your mother not the committee at the Woman’s Convection.”
Rosamond: “I am afraid you’ve read somewhere that rudeness in old age is amusing, which is quite wrong, you know.”

Okay, you know the drill. Don’t leave me hanging. Tell me your thoughts about the show! Favorite scene? Favorite quote? Predictions? Do tell. 🙂

Find other Downton Abbey Episode recaps here.

Oh, and one more note – Is anyone else enjoying Grantchester??

Loving Until It Hurts

By bobbi
January 30, 2015
10 Comments

It’s been a long and stressful week. My father-in-law is recovering from his stoke, although he is having heart issuesw which has not allowed him to leave the ICU. We are pleased he is getting the best care at Stanford but it makes spending time with him difficult since we are 90 miles away. My mother-in-law is unable to board up there so Brian drives and stays with her at Stanford on the weekends and we’ve been trying to round up enough of her friends to help drive during the week so Brian does not have to miss too much work. I feel bad for my in-laws and I am doing what I can to make this situation easier on them.

However, that also means doubling my current busy workload. That would be fine if I was a saintly woman who loved to suffer. It is not so great for a selfish sinner who hates to be put out. By Monday evening I was drained. Brian came home and we had a conversation like this.

Brian: You won’t believe what I just saw outside. There are four wild turkeys in front of our driveway.

Bobbi: Are you sure those aren’t just our kids?

Brian: No! There are huge turkeys walking up the street.

Bobbi: What the heck are turkeys doing in the neighborhood? That’s weird. So is that a good omen or a bad omen?

Brian: Well, it could be that we are in a time of Thanksgiving.

Bobbi: Or it could mean we are about to be shot, beheaded, plucked and cooked.

Brian: (Sighs)

Yeah, I was not in the mood to be looking on the bright side. Later that evening, after apologizing to Brian for being so grouchy, I started thinking about a Hallmark movie I recently saw. (Don’t hate on Hallmark. I love those sappy love stories.) 😉 In the movie, A Novel Romance, two characters were having a discussion. The young woman Sophie was talking to an older friend Harris. They were recalling his wife who had died. The conversation went like this:

Harris: I don’t pretend to know much about relationships. I only loved one woman in my life.

Sophie: You found your one true love.

Harris: I know that now, but when Lola and I were together it wasn’t always so clear. Loving someone is the hardest work there is. Oh, I messed up plenty. So did she. We disappointed each other sometimes. We said things we regretted later, but we never let it keep us apart no matter how bad things seemed at the time. It wasn’t true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it.

I love that.

It wasn’t true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it.

That little piece of dialogue pretty much sums up our life lesson as wives and mothers. I have found my true love but it isn’t always kisses and love notes. There are also disagreements and annoying habits and the monotonous day to day chores. I have four sweet babies but it isn’t always hugs and kisses and drawings for mama. There are also messes, laundry, tantrums, sleepless nights and an endless stream of toys on the floor. There are seasons of joy and celebration and there are seasons of heavy crosses – illness, job loss, miscarriage, infertility, (or no break between pregnancies,) a death of a loved one. These big and little crosses stretch us and test us to the core. We find out if our love is only pretty words or the real thing through thick and thin.

I admit there are times when I can’t take it and just want to scream. Why am I so stressed? Maybe because I spent too much time goofing off on the computer and then I had to rush around in a tizzy to get dinner on the table. Or maybe I am tired and cranky because the night before I binge watched too many episode of my favorite show. Times like that, I have no one to blame but myself. I know I am capable of doing what I need to do but I am just being very self-centered and not wanting to love the way God is asking me. My priorities are askew and I need to make corrections pronto.

Monday was one of those days. I made matters worse by not doing first things first – ie. prayer and daily duties. The following day I made sure to put prayer first. I opened up my daily meditation and began to pray.

Sometimes God is every so gentle with me and sometimes He just gives me the swift kick in the arse that I need. This was a swift kick day. The line that jumped out at me was

‘Taking up our cross’ might have a little more to do with love of neighbor and a little less like playing the martyr.

Ouch. This kept echoing in my head – “Pick up your cross without playing the martyr.”

But I am so good at playing the martyr, Lord! Huffing and puffing and rolling my eyes because nothing is working out the way I want it. At those times I can almost hear Jesus say, “Really? After all that I’ve done for you, this is how you are going to act? Like a spoiled child? Is your love really that fickle?” Sigh. Our Lord knows me too well.

However, there are those days, when I am seriously giving 110% of myself and it is still not enough. I am overwhelmed by the weight of whatever cross I am caring. That is when Jesus is most gentle with me. He comforts me and gives me the grace to love even when it hurts. That is when He reminds me to slow down long enough to look at the blessings around me, despite the difficulties.To love someone, whether a spouse, child, parent or friend, means to be there in the good and the bad. To lift them up and carry them when they are weak. As I type this, I’m getting a mental picture of Samwise Gamgee as he carries Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom. That is love. Right now God is calling me to be Samwise to my family. I need to stop whining and get to work.

I’ve been in this position before and I know what I must do to survive it.

1. Drop to my knees.

My day goes so much better when I pray in the morning, whether it is long of brief.
Talk to God throughout the day. I need to ask for God’s grace and for the strength and courage to follow his will in my life right now.
When the complaining starts to enter my mind, I need to give it to God and ask for his grace to see the good around me.

2. Take care of my physical needs.

Eat. (No skipping breakfast then binging at lunch because I’m starving.)
Take my vitamins and drink. (Water, that is.) 😉
Exercise. Sure my beach walks are awesome but those are getting more difficult these days. Even a 10 minute walk up and down the driveway is better than nothing.
Sleep. I am a night owl and I have to force myself to not stay up until the wee hours of the morning.

3. Know my limit and not be afraid to ask for help.

I can do a lot (when I am in the right frame of mind) but when I reach the point of losing it, I have to do whatever I can to step away or take a break. If Brian cannot watch the kids for a little bit then I need to find someone who can give me a hand.
Sometimes even a call from my mom and just hearing her voice is enough to settle my spirit and give me strength.
There have been many times people have offered to help but I always tell them, “oh, that’s okay” because I feel like I need to do it myself. People want to help. I need to humble myself and let them.

These are a few steps I take to help me love and live my vocation as a wife and mother. What about you? What things help you when you are loving until it hurts?

UPDATE: After posting this, my father-in-law was moved out of ICU. He is still having issues but it is a step in the right direction. The next hurdle is to get him out of Stanford and back to Monterey to heal. Thanks for your continues prayers! 🙂

* * * * *

Photo Credit – ElizabethFoss.com

I know I mentioned this before but if you are in a difficult season of life or you feel like you are struggling to find joy and peace in your current chaos, I strongly recommend Elizabeth Foss’ online Lenten Retreat – Restore. I joined last year when I was struggling with Brian’s cancer and caring for the household and it did wonders for me. The daily meditations, the essays and the podcasts were a balm to my soul. A year later, I still go through my notes and remind myself of the lessons God was teaching me.

Currently, I am not experiencing the burnout I had last year but I signed up for the retreat anyway because I know the Holy Spirit will use it again to continue to guide me and draw me closer. I understand that the cost of $65 is more than some people can afford. If that is the case, but you feel like you need to go, then lay it before the feet of Jesus. Tell him that if you are meant to go, then to please provide the means. He just may surprise you.Photo Credit: ElizabethFoss.com

I hope you’ll join me so we can make this journey together. Have a blessed weekend!

TV Talk: Downton Abbey, Season 5: Episode 4 Recap

By bobbi
January 26, 2015
No Comments

Sorry this is late but as you can imagine, life is a little busier these days. I was solo this weekend while Brian was with him mom at Stanford Medical Center where his dad is still recovering. Today I was busy running errands and helping my MIL with some things. My FIL is doing well, although we were hoping he would come out of ICU today but he was having some heart issues so he’s still there. His recovery is going to take some time and a lot of effort (from each of us.) As such, this may be shorter than normal.

Photo credit: itv.com

Okay, where to start….

She Love Me, She Loves Me Not

Mary decided that she was not in love with Tony and planned to break it off. Although she likes him, she wants him to be her children’s godfather, not their father. I hear a chorus of “I told you so” from #teamblake members everywhere. (Myself included.) Tony is nice and certainly easy on the eyes (wait, can I say that as a married Catholic woman?) but there was no spark. No fire. It was all too vanilla. Now compare that to when Blake and Mary are in the same room. The sparks are definitely flying. More importantly, they do have a lot in common, they have a similar backgrounds, they work well together and they complement each other. But, that’s just my opinion. 😉

Tony, of course, disagrees. He was shocked and angered that Mary broke it off with him. I was a little taken aback that he was going to fight her on this. Maybe he’s not all vanilla. The one thing I didn’t understand is when Blake told Mary maybe she could soften the blow. What did he mean? My first thought was to get Gillingham back together with his former fiance. (Her name escapes me at the moment.) Or maybe he wanted Mary to tell Tony she chose Blake instead. That would seem to aggravate, not soften. What did you think he meant?

Unrequited Love

Rose continues to surprise me that she prefers to spend time feeding the Russians in a soup kitchen instead being out on the town. Her character is developing into someone with much more depth than the flighty girl of seasons past. At the soup kitchen we met Violet’s old beau once again. This time we find out that Prince Kuragin once asked her to run away with him. She was tempted to do so but Lord Grantham subtly gave her two picture frames of their children. She declined the Prince’s offer but it seems she never quite ended her love (or fondness) for him.

This was an interesting bit about Granny. I always picture her a little like Mary as a young woman, opinionated with a sharp tongue and definite ideas of how she will lead her life. Knowing she had the opportunity to run away with wild abandon, yet she decided to honor her marriage vow, makes me admire her more.

Now Violet has set it upon herself to look for Kuragin’s wife. It was discovered that many of the Russians ended up in Hong Kong, where they found work as servants, taxi drivers, milliners and prostitutes. Violet commented, “I will not suggest which of those callings the Princess Kuragin was most suited.” It’s obvious Violet did not like the woman yet she said that she owed her. Why did she owe her? Did something happen between them? Did the Princess know about the Prince’s plan to run away? We’ll see.

Meanwhile, Violet’s gal pal had her own romantic intrigue. As expected, Lord Merton proposed to Isobel. What was not as expected was how eloquently and beautifully he expressed his regard for her. Well, not just regard. He was in love with her. I never gave him much mind but for the first time I really felt for him. I still prefer Isobel with the doctor and she seems to be more suitable for him but now I hope Lord Merton does find happiness with someone.

In the downstairs quarters, Thomas is looking for happiness and seems to be taking extreme measures to find it. He came back from “visiting his dying father” looking like he was dying himself. Baxter, who I admire for trying to be kind to him despite his nasty behavior to her, found him screaming in his room with what looked like a syringe and heroin. Later she saw an ad in a magazine he was reading about “choosing your own path.” I can only assume he is undergoing treatments to supposedly cure him of his homosexuality. It will be interesting to see if he eventually opens up to Baxter and shares his ordeal.

Baxter’s side-kick was not at her side last night. Instead he was doing the numerous jobs of “first footman.” I had to laugh at Carson trying to rid him of holding onto to no longer relevant titles since he is so resistant to change himself.

The Calm before the Storm

Robert was not having a great episode. First he had to deal with his jealousy over Mr. Bricker’s infatuation with Cora. Then he had to once again be jousted by Sarah “I-send-people-to-the-confessional-for-their-thoughts-about-me” Bunting at his own dinner table. Omg, is that woman incapable of shutting her bloody mouth? I have no problem about how she feels. I have a big problem with how she expresses it! It is one thing to hold your convictions but another to insult the man that is feeding you, not to mention humiliating the very man you supposedly care for and who just asked you to behave. If Tom does not distance himself from her after this last episode, I will really lose respect for him.

Back to Robert, I must say that I was touched by how kindly he dealt with Edith as she opened her heart to him about Michael and her fear to know what really happened to him. He explained that knowing the truth, as ghastly as it might be, was better than not knowing. Poor Edith, cannot get much lower. The pain of Gregson’s death was only magnified by being banished from her little girl’s side. I am just waiting for that storm to blow and for her to crack and take her child back.

The other storm that is about to blow is the Bates situation. Not only is Bates under suspicion but now Anna is too! Beloved Anna. She innocently delivered a note to Gillingham’s and then went to where Green was killed. She didn’t know that she was being followed by a police officer who was watching her moves. So now they both are going to be in trouble. Shall I say again how much I detest this dragged out storyline? Shall I explain how much I loath the thought of another “is Mr Bates going to hang” cliffhanger? Shall I express my disdain at the thought of having to watch Anna’s pained expressions again?? No? Fine, then I shan’t mention another word.

Random Thoughts

— I admired Cora for not going further with Bricker when she had the chance last episode but she is treading dangerous ground as she enjoys his flirtations. I’d hate to see her make a mistake she’d regret. (And Brian does not like Bricker one bit!)

— Kudos to Daisy for expressing herself so eloquently to Robert. Kudos to Robert for accepting defeat so gracefully.

— Kudos again for Robert for not jumping over the table and strangling Bunting on the spot. For once I appreciated Mary’s icy response when it was directed to her.

Favorite Quotes

Lord Merton: “I should really get down on one knee but I fear I’d never get up again.”

Robert: “We can talk about it [selling the land] tomorrow.”
Mary: “Not me. I am going up to London first thing. Aunt Rosamond is taking me to a dress show.”
Robert: “It’s good to know you have your priorities straight.”

Blake: “I wish I could work you out.”
Mary: “I wish I could work me out.”

Violet: “Oh dear, Susan has been in a rage since she was playing with her dolls. I am proof against her tantrums.

Okay, your turn. Tell me what you think!

Find other Downton Abbey Episode recaps here.

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

7 Quick Takes (1/24/15): Brian & Opa Updates & Lent Preparations

By bobbi
January 24, 2015
10 Comments

Wow, yesterday was a hell of a day. For those of you following on Instagram and Facebook, you’ve heard the initial news, but I’ve included a few updates as well. I am also linking up with Kelly for Seven Quick Takes Friday…but on a Saturday.

~ 1 ~

(FRIDAY RECAP – If you haven’t already heard.)

Brian and his dad Bill sharing a bday party last year.

Okay, so yesterday morning as Brian was preparing for his cancer testing stuff, we got a call from my mother-in-law (Elizabeth) that my father-in-law (Bill) had a stroke. he couldn’t move and he was rushed to the ER. I freaked out. Brian freaked out. Bella (who was home sick) freaked out.

Luckily, our freak out was short lived. We got a grip and tried to figure out what to do next. Brian’s mom said we should continue with Brian’s testing since there was nothing we could do at the moment. I told Brian a cancer-free diagnosis would give his parents the boost they needed right now. (Also knowing the opposite diagnosis would pretty much do them both in and maybe me along with them.)

I left Brian at the testing center, told them I’d be back and headed to the hospital. I only got to see Bill for a couple seconds but he looked really bad. (Secretly, I am glad Brian didn’t see him in that state.) The docs decided to move Bill to Stanford Medical Center. They needed to preform surgery to get the blood clot out of his head. I kissed Bill on the head and prayed he survived the drive and then the surgery. ( I also pleased with God to let him survive the surgery otherwise Brian would never get to say goodbye if he didn’t.)

After picking up the kids from school I headed back to Brian to pick him up. When they led me into his room/cubby he had “that look” on his face and I wondered if he was worried about his dad or worried about the prognosis he was given. He immediately asked about his dad but I told him to hold up, what did his doctor say?? No cancer.

Siiiiiiiigh! A HUGE weight fell off my shoulders. He had one polyp but they removed it and it didn’t look cancerous at all. It’ll be tested of course but doc said everything looked good. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. Like the angels were singing from on high.

Now I could deal with my FIL and helping him get better. I filled Brian in on the details and told him that if anyone could pull through this, it was Dad. He is the most stubborn and feisty (as well as generously loving) man I know and he wouldn’t let this beat him if he had anything to do with it. Brian just smiled.

Fast forward to later that evening. Brian was not able to travel yet so a family friend drove my MIL to Stanford. They finally called in the evening and told us that the surgery was successful. The doc had been worried that it wouldn’t work but he got the clot out and Opa was recovering nicely. When he came to, his speech was a little slurred and he was a disorientated but my MIL said he was insistent that she call me and let me know that he wouldn’t be able to pick up the kids from school today. That touched my heart. It showed you where his mind was – thinking about his precious grandchildren, who were now asleep in bed. 🙂

~ 2 ~

SATURDAY UPDATE

Opa with John-Paul and Matthew a couple years back.

This morning Brian drove to Stanford with his mom. I decided to stay home with the kids since my FIL is in the ICU and they can’t go in there. I just got off the phone with Brain and he said the MRI looked good, dad’s speech was much clearer and although he was still confused a bit (concerned about wanting to pick up the kids) he carried on a conversation and understood what they were saying. Brian said there are moments when he talks like himself and other times when he can’t figure out where he is and why we won’t give him his car keys to leave. We made him a Get Well card with photos of the family and he told Brian that was the only medicine he needed. Lastly, he starts physical therapy tomorrow and may be able to come home as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. Brian just kept saying, “Its a miracle.” Seeing how bad be was yesterday and considering his advanced age, I’d tend to agree! Now we just have to adjust to the new version of Opa and help him to cope as he heals.

~ 3 ~

Gracias!!

A big part of that was due to all your prayers!! From the “I woke up in the middle of the night and had to pray for you but didn’t know why” to the sacrifices and rosaries and to the prayers from kitchens to the convents – all of these made a difference with both Brian’s diagnosis and his dad’s recovery. Thank you!! Blessed be God!! (Did I mentioned how relieved I am!!!)

~ 4 ~

Blessed Is She Lenten Journals

The trials of the last couple of days has brought me to my knees, literally. Someone posted on FB that Lent is less than a month away. Is that possible?? I feel a like I am in Lent mode already (well, except for the fact that I ate a tad bit too much stress chocolate yesterday…)

But this morning I started preparing for Lent by ordering my Blessed Is She Lenten Journal. For those who enjoyed the Advent journal, this one is very similar but there are also a few more options, like the two beautiful 8 x 10 color prints that can be framed or placed where it will give you daily inspiration. I can feel the peace flowing already. 😉 Be sure to pre-order yours today! (The Advent journal did sell out!)

~ 5 ~

Restore Workshop

Photo credit: ElizabethFoss.com

The second thing I did for Lent was to sign up for Elizabeth Foss’ Restore Workshop. I took the course last year because I was physically and emotionally drained with Brian’s illness and trying to keep the family running smoothly. I did feel burned out and I wasn’t sure how to get out of it. The course was the balm for the soul that I desperately needed.

However, this year I debated whether or not I should take the course (for about 5 seconds) because I don’t feel burned out. Sure I still have my moments of stress and interior chaos but I feel like I am slowly working through it. However, the course did me such good! The essays. The meditations. The podcasts. The creative activities. (Can you say homemade granola??) Even now, I still go back to Elizabeth’s words and my notes and remind myself of the things God taught me.

No, I may not be burned out but I could definitely use a little TLC for my mind, body and spirit so I signed up this afternoon. The cost is $65 but it’s worth every penny. To find out more, visit NurturingJoy.com. If you click on Elizabeth’s post here, she also has a few words and a larger version of the above graphic that contains the schedule for the course.

~ 6 ~

Martha’s Still My Girl

I also wanted to mention that I switched my cleaning challenge. I’ll complete the more intense A Bowl Full of Lemon’s Challenge later in spring but for now I am doing the 31 Day to Clean: Having A Martha House the Mary Way hosted by Christian blogger and author Sarah Mae. God has been putting Mary and Martha into my life left and right and since St. Martha is my saint of the year, well, come on! It was a no brainer. I can’t exactly follow the schedule since some days I spend more time in the hospital than home (ahem) but on the other hand, when I am home sitting by the phone, like today, I find comfort in scrubbing my kitchen. (From the looks of it, I don’t sit by the phone much.) 😉 I’ve already started and I must say, it is just what I needed. I’ll blog more about it next week.

~ 7 ~

Well, I have supper to make and kids to bathe so I better stop here. Have a blessed rest of the weekend and thanks again for all the prayers! Much love to you…

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Blog Archives

Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 35): The Lent Edition

This month we will be sharing our Lenten and Easter crafts, ideas, meatless recipes, posts and reflections.

TV Talk: Downton Abbey, Season 5: Episode 5 Recap: Go #TeamDownton

Loving Until It Hurts

TV Talk: Downton Abbey, Season 5: Episode 4 Recap

7 Quick Takes (1/24/15): Brian & Opa Updates & Lent Preparations