{Friday Foto Friends} Flowers, Convention, and Some Chickens

Here's a quick recap of my week via pictures. Deb is back this week, so I'm linking up with her at Breathing in Grace.
Last weekend was the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (CCW) Convention. It was held at my parish, which was nice because I came home both nights to sleep in my own bed! We had a wonderful speaker from Picture Christians  Project. The purpose of this is to bring international Christian persecution to the forefront. Jeff Gardner is the founder; if you ever have the chance to hear him speak, do it! He has had some very interesting experiences. 

Jeff Gardner from Picture Christians Project

Friday afternoon was a "Presidents' Reception"; we had an honored guest:

I've held the office of secretary for the parish CCW for the past 2 years; the current officers' reign will be over in 1 month. It's been a blast working with these ladies (and Father) over the past couple of years:

Our reign is almost over!

Friday night, we were treated to a concert by Audrey Assad. If you don't know her music, you should check her out. She has a beautiful voice, as well as touching songs.

Audrey Assad

I'll have a separate post on more of the convention later, so check back if you're interested!

The tables were just lovely!

While I was down at my parents' house the other day, I snapped some pictures around their yard:

Clematis 

A couple of roses in the backyard

Rhododendron on the side of the house

This is at 1 of my schools. I think I caught the blooms just in time; they're almost spent!

Just in time!

I mentioned in a previous post that the Small Town is going through some changes. Here's a picture of some major clearing that's going on. I'm not sure if this is where "downtown" will be, or if this is clearing for a bypass:

The arrow points out the new high school, which you couldn't see from the road before the clearing. There is a better view of the mountains...for now.

I made mango salsa for dinner the other night, and we put it over grilled chicken. (The leftover salsa is also good for dipping tortilla chips!)

Last picture. We had a little storm this morning as I wrote this post. 

Laika isn't a big fan of storms.

I hope everyone has a marvelous weekend!

{Friday Foto Friends} Painting & Moving

Friday already? Why do breaks always go by so quickly! I need a break to get over my break! It's been a very busy week. I've had a dr.'s appointment, mammogram (don't forget to get yours annually!), vet appointment, and car appointment. And, there has been a Mass for my daddy every day except for Wednesday. 

My brother carried this jewel down from the attic at my parents' house. Apparently we had been told to "get off our high horse" a lot! 😀

This is how my Sunday started. Yeah, it usually helps to put the coffee grounds in the pot when making coffee!

I spent Sunday afternoon painting 1 of the spare bedrooms and then putting it back together. This is what it looked like before I painted:

 

Why I agreed to allow YS have an orange room when we moved in is beside me! Luckily, it only took 1 coat of Kilz and another coat of paint to cover it up.

Excuse the mess on the beds...I haven't completely finished this bedroom! But, I spend Monday painting this bedroom and putting it back together. Here's the before:

Not as much of a difference from the other room, but the walls went from gray to "mushroom".

I saw this sign on Tuesday when I ran into the restroom at church.

Wednesday was moving day. Apparently, several years ago, I told my daddy that I wanted the piano. So, I scheduled the piano movers for a day during break, and Wednesday was the day. 1 of the guys told my brother & me that they move around 1200 pianos a year. I was shocked! He said they send about 50 a year to the dump, which made me sad. Hopefully it was that they were dump-worthy & it wasn't that the owners just didn't want them anymore. Anyway, getting the piano down the front yard steps was a little hairy, but they did it without any damage.

When they got to my house, they assessed the back and front entrances, and decided the back was the path of least resistance. They had no trouble at all getting the piano in the house.

And there she is. Eloise has a new home! I plan on taking piano lessons (something I've always wanted to do) very soon. I don't want her to be just a piece of the furniture. My mom saved her cake-decorating money to buy her over 40 years ago. We're not sure exactly when she bought it. 
If you're in the Knoxville area & need a piano mover, let me know. I'd highly recommend them!

That's it for the pictures for the week. I was able to relax Thursday and watch Time after Time on Hulu. Excellent show! Thanks to my big sister for making aware of it! 😘

I'm linking up with Deb at Breathing in Grace for todays Friday Foto Friends. 

It's Another New Kind of Normal

I'm desperately trying to get into a "new normal" since my daddy's passing. After my mom passed away, people said that there would be times I would pick up the phone to call her and then remember. That never happened. I did, however, have thoughts like, "Oh! Mama would really like this", and then I'd remember, but I never actually picked up the phone.

After 2 years of seeing my daddy almost every weekday and sometimes on the weekend, it's weird leaving work and not going to his house. There were times when I was at his house when we hardly talked; there were also times when we both napped as we were watching tv. We watched Bonanza and Gunsmoke, or the news. We talked about things that were going on in the news and with my boys. Daddy wasn't a big talker, but when he talked, you listened. 

Now, my siblings & I have the task of looking through the house; 54 years of memories. Some of the memories have been tucked away so deep that when someone brings it up, it all comes flooding back. Seeing Christmas ornaments that were made or little trinkets in the house bring back forgotten memories. Some are more meaningful to different family members; it's nice that each of us have individual memories with the house and with our parents.

One of my sisters came down on Sat. as I was packing up some things from the house. Before she got there, I looked at a peculator on the counter. I could hear my mom's laughter, hear the dishes being rattled during Sunday brunch, and smell the coffee. When I walked to my parents' bathroom, I saw Daddy's shaving brush, and I remembered how he used to puff his cheek out when he used that brush to lather up his cheek when he shaved. And I lost it. 

As my siblings come to the house and carry off what they want from the house, treasures that mean something to them so they can keep a little piece of our parents with them, reality is settling in. They're gone. It's up to us to carry on the things that they taught us. 

At some point, there will be another family living in our house. I didn't think it would bother me, or rather, affect me, but it does. There are so many memories in that house, so many years of memories. My parents moved into the house when I was 9 months old, so it's the only house I remember until I was 22. 

Being at the house brings comfort to me right now. As things are taken out, there's an emptiness, but, OH, what memories! The slamming of the screen doors in summer, sledding across the street to come in through the basement, leaving our snow boots in the hallway in the winter. Playing bouncy-ball in the hallway of the basement and roller skating down there. Taking the phone receiver to the steps to the basement and sitting on those steps for what seemed like hours...because that was the only place there was a little bit of privacy (we only had 1 phone). The Christmases & Easters that were so hectic. (I have no idea how Mama managed to make them so special...she not only had us to take care of, but she also played the organ at multiple masses during those holidays.) 

I don't think that people have that anymore; we live in a more transient society. As a culture, we want bigger and more new things, so people often don't live in the same house all their lives. My boys didn't. 

Like it or not, a new phase of my life has begun. Time to be a "true" adult. Most, if not all, of us are beginning to look through our own houses to clear the way for our treasures, our own little pieces of our parents. It is such a privilege to be their daughter; we are so fortunate to have had them as long as we did. As I reflect on both of their passings, I realize that they both went just as they wanted: Mama's was quick and before Daddy, and Daddy wasn't alone...and he's with Mama now. 

Weekend Celebration

"Someone" had a 90th Birthday on Friday! He started the day with Mass, followed by a breakfast that the "morning mass regulars" arranged for him. I took a half-day so I could get in on the celebration.

That evening, we met as a family and had dinner and cake & ice cream.

This is everybody, minus (let's see if I can do this without leaving anyone out!) 2 of my boys, 2 sisters & their families, a brother & his spouse, and 2 nephews & their families. So, we were missing a total of 21 people.  I don't think there will ever be a time when we have everybody together!

MS came in from Law School for the long weekend, but we only saw him Friday evening. I guess it will be Thanksgiving before we see him again. 

I spent Saturday on another product for my online store. Monday is a "must have" sale: we choose 1 item to put on sale for 1/2 off. In the SLP community, Talk like a Pirate Day is turning into quite the event, and I had a really cute book I wanted to make some activities for. The sale set a deadline for me, so I worked my tail off on Sat. to make sure it was up Sat. night. Here's the cover:

Now I'm ready to take it easy on Monday and maybe...just maybe sleep late!

Today

Photo Credit:  Leslie Karnowski

Today I am thankful for:
~ Parents who truly lived their lives for each other. 

Photo Credit:  Leslie Karnowski

~ A priest who gave my father these words this morning after Mass: Just think how empty your life would have been without her. He also told Daddy that the Church needs him, and all of us kids need him.

~ A father who knows just how blessed he was to have my mother and is man enough to voice it.

Today is my parents' 62nd Anniversary. I took a 1/2 day so I could attend Mass with Daddy, and I've gotta admit: it was difficult. The priest chose songs that had "Mama" written all over it. Needless to say, I didn't get out of there with dry eyes.  Then, a lady came up to Daddy and told him that she had taken over Mama's Adoration Hour, and that she felt Mama had pushed her to do it like she had pushed her to do a lot of things. (When this lady & her family first moved into the area, my parents took them-and their 5 or 7 kids- in until they could find someplace to live. This was in addition to all 10 of us.) She said she knew Mama was sitting with her during her hour.

I know today will be hard for Daddy, but he will get through it.  He's a pretty strong man, and I thank God for him, and how he loves my Mama.