by Mary | Jul 8, 2009 | Books, prayer
If you took one look at the small extra bag I’m bringing with me on vacation, you would swear I was going on retreat and not to the New Jersey Shore with its miles of sandy beaches, boardwalk rides and fried Oreos. I don’t know what comes over me every time I venture away from home, but I always pack as if I’m going to be able to cram a year’s worth of prayer and reflection into the few quiet hours I have between swimming and tide-pooling and walking and eating.
Here’s what I’ve got in my bag — so far:
Bible
July issue of Magnificat
Praying the Psalms by Thomas Merton
Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (for spiritual and work-related purposes)
A blank journal
Come to the Quiet: The Principles of Christian Meditation by John Michael Talbot
A Retreat with Brother Lawrence and the Russian Pilgrim by Kerry Walters
No Moment too Small: Rhythms of Silence, Prayer & Holy Reading by Norvene Vest
Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating by Mark Bittman (lest you think I’m taking only spiritual reading)
And finally, my own book manuscript (spiritual, of course), which I am hoping to edit during “down” time
In addition, I’m packing my trusty battery-powered candle, a triptych (that’s it in the photo above) and a small cross. I had to skip the incense, unless I want to get myself voted off the island.
I am fully aware of the fact that I will most likely never get to most of this, or any of it. Some of it won’t even make it out of my bag. Other things will get a cursory glance. But there is a chance — and a good chance — that at least one thing will strike a chord and give me some much needed spiritual food for thought. And, as far as I’m concerned, spiritual time while sitting on the beach or near the beach has ten times the power of the spiritual time I spend sitting in my basement (where I have my little sacred space) or bedroom. The vastness of the ocean and the magnificence of the natural world around me — and yes, I’m still talking about New Jersey — just makes vacation prayer time a little bit sweeter than regular prayer time.
I’ll tell you how it goes. Or doesn’t.
by Mary | Jul 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
Chiara is getting ready to hit the waves. Right now she’s “riding” her boogie board across the family room floor and up the couch. This girl is obviously ready for vacation.
by Mary | Jul 6, 2009 | Olivia
Well, maybe it wasn’t the fastest ever, but it was the fastest for me. Nine years ago (actually the real anniversary happened at 2:57 a.m. today), I was waiting — not so patiently — for my second born to arrive. She was a week overdue and predicted to be quite large. They were preparing to induce me since my blood pressure was starting to rise. But I didn’t want any medication whatsoever. So my wonderful midwife — the same one who helped me birth Noah — called me up around 7:30 p.m. on July 5 and told me that if I really wanted to do this without intervention, I could drink a castor oil-orange juice-baking soda cocktail and see if it worked for me. I drank it about an hour later, and around 1:30 a.m. I woke up in hard labor.
With Noah labor went on for a while. The first time around, I ate an egg breakfast, took down our Christmas tree, paid some bills and did some cleaning, all with contractions about five minutes apart. I expected more of the same with Olivia. When Dennis called the midwife around 2 a.m. and told her I was already on the floor, she told us to high-tail it to the hospital, which we did — with me insisting that we could park in the regular garage instead of emergency. But, fortunately, calmer heads prevailed and we parked in ER, zoomed up to labor and delivery and waited for my sister to arrive to watch Noah and the midwife to arrive to catch the baby. Midwife got there and immediately put on scrubs, which confused me since I expected to walk around and breathe heavily for a while. Nothing doing. We called my sister to find out why she wasn’t there yet (We wanted Noah present for the birth but knew we needed an adult to keep an eye on him). The car was still parked in ER. The camera was nowhere to be found. Noah was shoeless because of our mad dash out of the house. It was all a blur.
Less than 30 minutes after I entered the hospital, and only minutes after my sister arrived to hold Noah’s hand, Olivia Irene blasted onto the scene — all 10 pounds of her. I don’t really even remember pushing. Maybe once. She just powered her way out and then proved herself to be a champion nurser to boot.
Nine years later, I look at my girl in amazement. She is smart and funny and beautiful and artistic and athletic and curious and kind and all of the things I had hoped she would one day be. She was a gift when she arrived in that Austin hospital in the wee hours of the morning, and she is a gift today. We are blessed. Happy birthday Olivia. We love you. Here’s a brief look at Olivia’s life in photos…
Her baptism in Austin in the chapel at St. Edward’s University with Deacon Orton and godparents Aunt Linda and Uncle Fred:
At E-ma’s 90th birthday party almost seven years ago:
by Mary | Jul 6, 2009 | Uncategorized
Sitting at Mass this weekend, I was struck by a couple of lines in the readings. First there was Paul, who uttered the classic line: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” And then, in the Gospel, Jesus, visits his home town and is “amazed at their lack of faith.” Mark’s Gospel goes so far as to say that was “was not able to perform any mighty deed there,” in this place where his own derided and doubted him.
First off, the whole strength in weakness thing is so contrary to our culture that it’s easy to just ignore the message as a quaint idea of a time gone by. But for some reason those words rea
by Mary | Jul 4, 2009 | Uncategorized
When I was young, I thought everyone ate corn on the cob this way. Then a friend came for a visit and looked at us as if we had lost our minds. I don’t care. I still think it’s the best way to butter corn on the cob.
Place corn in a piece of aluminum foil. Add some butter and salt. Roll or twist corn in foil. Voila! Perfectly buttered and salted corn. Yum. And no mess. Go get you some. That’s whole wheat couscous and sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms on the side. The corn was from the Catskills, and it was quite tasty for so early in the year.
If you took one look at the small extra bag I’m bringing with me on vacation, you would swear I was going on retreat and not to the New Jersey Shore with its miles of sandy beaches, boardwalk rides and fried Oreos. I don’t know what comes over me every time I venture away from home, but I always pack as if I’m going to be able to cram a year’s worth of prayer and reflection into the few quiet hours I have between swimming and tide-pooling and walking and eating.
