7 Quick Takes

1) I am really looking forward to the upcoming Lenten Season. For those of you who are not familiar with this very special time in the Liturgical year, Lent is a 40-period of prayer, penance, and penitential offerings solemnly spent in reflection and anticipation of the most Holy Triduum and Easter Sunday! 40 days as of the Israelites in the desert...40 days as Our Lord, Himself fasted and prayed for us...prayers and penance become our "sack-cloth" as we make our way through the dry and arid land to FOUNTAIN OF GLORY AND MERCY on the Cross! The Season begins with ASH WEDNESDAY, and upon that day we receive a mark of ashes on our foreheads...this humble gesture reminds us that we once were but dust and one day shall return...and it also shares our Faith with the world as we enter the streets with the cross of ashes...the silent announcement that WE BELONG TO CHRIST. I am eager to go out to the desert with Him, so that He can minister to me and give me life anew!

2) CatholicMom.com has accepted me on as a weekly columnist! As soon as I receive word as to when my run time is, I will let you know and link you to it so that you can come and join me there if you like:) I am honored and humbled that the Lord would bless me with such a wonderful opportunity to share the Faith and the JOY of my vocation with others!

3) For all of those who may, at some point in their lives, wondered if Stink Bugs really DO stink when they are squashed...the indisputable answer is: YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
Poor Jacob...his siblings have threatened much bodily harm should he EVER do that again!!!!!!


4) Who else has thought of gardens already? I have! Though we are not yet to February, I have found myself actually entertaining thoughts of what we will plant and how we will expand the garden plot this year!!! Then, I told myself that I'd just better reign those thoughts in for now as we have many more weeks of cold, winter, and snow yet to come in these Pennsylvania woods.


5) Jake and Laura are wrapping up their Civil War History studies. They are almost through editing their final reports and once the final copy is handed in, they will offer our family a little presentation on Generals Lee, Custer, McClellan, and ????(name escaping me at the moment), as well as the Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg. (We happen to live less than an hour away from this honored battle ground!) I have learned SO MUCH right along-side them during this Unit. And I must say, I have developed the opinion, over time, that General Robert E. Lee just has to be one of THE greatest military leaders of
ALL TIME. I encourage you to learn more about him if you are not well-read on the topic. I can easily see why even the Union Generals and President respected this man so much so that they SALUTED him as he exited the house after his surrender!

6) When you read this post, we will be off visiting friends for the day! My sweet husband brought home lots of goodies for us to take...nice cheeses and crackers, pretzels, some candy, even soda (which we never buy unless there's a party of some sort), and lots of good, juicy apples to go along with it all! YAY for nice husbands who make their wife and kids' day special :)

7) For the most part, I have really enjoyed our new ventures on Twitter and face book.
I am, however, completely confused and baffled by these gifts and games that keep popping up. People send me something (which I appreciate of course) and then I have to go through a million pages and clicks to accept and allow and sign up and send back....aaahhhhh...my head spins at the thought of it! Then there are these games...how people know what they are doing, I will never know...hats off to you if you do....alerts will come on the screen that so and so just find this or that on the "farm" and I literally have NO idea what they are talking about...but people will leave comments and click the "LIKE IT" button as if it must be something really great. I really can't figure it all out and so if you're a person who has sent me something or invited me to a game and I have not responded...it's only because I HAVE NO CLUE, LOL

You'll find the image for this meme in my sidebar and you can visit Jennifer to join in!