Gonzaga lost to Butler in the last 3 seconds of an exciting game on Saturday night. I enjoyed watching the game with the Kuhlmanns. We cheered and truly were celebrating before Stockton intended to throw the ball to Olynck, but Jones stole it and scored the winning basket instead. Just like the ball game of life - we can never be sure of the outcome of our actions. I noticed it does no good to pout, there will be more basketball games and since this one, Gonzaga has won two more.
Jacob's 13th birthday. Grandparents were invited for Pizza and ice cream cake on Sunday, one day after he officially became a teenager. I noticed that Jacob still likes to open gifts. He also enjoys collecting money for skiing and his X-Box obsession. I gave him a bag with 13 little gifts in it and he seemed delighted with each one, especially the Starbursts.
This is a Baby Tiger - just to prove he's never too old to hug his favorite stuffed animals.
Happy 13th Birthday Jacob!
Dogs are special to my children and grandchildren. I noticed Colin petting Kado and the dog is just eating it up. The O'Shaughnessy's lost Bogey, their Golden Retriever, after Christmas, so everyone pays special attention to Kado, who seems to be grieving in his own way.
Father Andy Schumacher. I belong to a small group and we've been studying Vatican II during the Year of Faith. We invited Father (now Monsignor) Andy to join us for dinner on Wednesday. I noticed the joy in Father Andy's voice as he talked about the way he embraced the changes of Vatican II. He said, "Not all priests were happy about the changes because bishops just told them to do things in a different way without explaining the meaning behind the changes. The documents of Vatican II were all written in Latin and then translated to different languages." He also talked about some of the challenges he faced as a pastor, but he always enjoyed empowering the laity to help him in ministry. I noticed a crack in his voice when he talked about his involvement in the Marriage Encounter movement. "It was because of the people in this movement that made me realize I could love and be loved by other people." Spending time with this wise priest certainly qualified as a sacrament of the present moment. I found the article about his 50 year priesthood celebration in 2009. I haven't figured out if you can import a pdf file, but I think it will work to read it if you click on the link below. It's four pages so keep scrolling down... The other link is from the Tribune and I think you can just click on LOGIN and my information will come up and let you read it. Maybe!!!
http://lmtribune.com/northwest/article_b65e7954-bd2f-55af-9a94-0fed35ecf8c0.html
TED Talks. My sister, Maureen, sent me a link to a TED talk about food allergies. After I listened to that one, I listened to several other ones and I noticed how inspiring these speakers are. There are hundreds available to listen to and/or download on as many topics. Most speakers inspire the rest of us to think more creatively and or get off our butts and do something about the world that "is going to hell in a hand basket." The TED format makes one of the best uses of the INTERNET! I noticed how much more meaningful my TED time is than surfing through the TV channels or clicking on FACEBOOK several times a day. I listened to a great talk that supports my reflection on the sacrament of the present moment. Matt Killingsworth's talk suggests that to be happier we need to stay in the present moment. I've wasted a lot of time over the years worrying about things either in the past or the future and have missed lots of sacramental moments in the present. Maybe that's why blogging is good for me - it keeps me focused. This talk is takes about 10 minutes. http://on.ted.com/Killingsworth
Pictures help blogging. I've noticed that pictures help me write stories or something to blog about. I've been working a lot and did a lot of cooking this weekend, nothing worthy of picture taking I guess. Other blogs I read have a lot of pictures of food and the whole process of preparing something. Maybe that's what I need to do. After all, the picture is worth a thousand words! I made Winter Minestrone soup Wednesday, Lentil Soup on Friday and Salsa Corn Chowder today. I brought dinner to the O'Shaughnessy's yesterday because they've begun to demolish their master bathroom. Today I also baked Valentine Cookies. I've noticed cooking brings me a lot of joy especially when I can share the dishes with family and friends. It's my simple way to show care and love to others I guess. Who knew cooking could be sacramental? Or that chopping onions and celery, such mundane tasks, could lead to holiness? Really now, that might be a stretch.
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