Sad News

Our dear friend, Blaine Savage, lost his battle with Multiple Myeloma last night at age 43.  He leaves behind him a devoted wife and 4 incredible children.  Blaine was a man of character, nobility, honor and goodness, and has left his mark on those whose lives he touched...most especially his family.  He will live on through them, but will be sorely missed.  Please pray for Marleigh and the children as they grieve the loss of their husband and father.

Here is the blog post by their daughter, Dani

Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord: and let light perpetual shine upon him. 

May he rest in peace.

***UPDATED TO INCLUDE: This link to funeral information and an address where cards may be sent.

Our Lady of Ephesus

As Jesus was dying on the cross, he looked at St. John (the apostle whom He loved) and entrusted the care of His Holy Mother to John..  At the same time, Jesus ("Woman, behold your son.") gave all of us to Mary as her children.  Our filial relationship with the Blessed Mother is a spiritual one, and while I am sure there was a profound spiritual bond between Our Lady and St. John, he was also responsible for the physical well-being of Mary.  St. John traveled to Asia Minor to evangelize.  Of course, he brought Our Lady with him.  He built her a house in Ephesus, Turkey, where she spent the remainder of her days.
Due to the vision of the Archbishop of Turkey and a series of miracles there is an exact replica of Our Lady's House in Jamaica, Vermont.  We traveled the hour or so to visit Mary's House on Sunday.  It was lovely.

Ephesus house from outside

At first, I was surprised.  It is small by today's standards--smaller than a two car garage. But it is beautiful, and kind of fancier than I expected.  The floors are of marble--white and gray marble in the main part of the house, but pink marble in her bedroom.  The stonemason who replicated the house was painstaking in the details.  The walls are the same proportional mixture of brick and stone that the original was.  The black marble rectangle covering the spot where Our Lady's hearth was, is cracked the same way as the original in Turkey.  The distance in front of the house from the stone wall to the door is exactly as it is in Turkey.  The house is filled with beautiful arches--even arches within arches.  It was fascinating and moving to sit in the house imagining Our Mother going about her daily duties.  The beauty of the house is a loving and fitting tribute of St. John to Blessed Mother.  Nothing can be too good for the Queen of Heaven and Earth, right?!

Ephesus house

Inside Ephesus house -- notice the arches!

I was expecting an adobe or stucco type of house--much cruder and more rustic.  But this is much more appropriate.

Large cross on property

Beautiful kids and a beautiful view

The owner of the property was on hand to explain to us the process of building this structure and why a replica of Our Lady's house came to be in a tiny town in Vermont.  It was fascinating and reinforced to us the power of God.  His hand is very apparent in the inception and construction of this house.  Her sharing helped me to grow in trust--a virtue I continually struggle with.  Mary, the owner, shared a story about the property going up for tax auction on a particular Tuesday.  As they didn't have all of the money to pay the taxes, she simply placed her trust in Our Lady and Our Lord.  If this was their work, they would have to provide the tax money. She simply didn't have it.  On Friday of the week prior to the auction, she got a phone call from a woman who described herself as not particularly religious.  This woman has just returned from Turkey where she visited the original house of Our Lady.  Since she had trouble with her knee and hip (both needing replacements) she said a prayer to Mary to help her knee and hip to feel better so that she wouldn't ruin the trip for the other pilgrims.  She was able to keep up with the group and not slow them down.  The following day, as she boarded their tour bus, her husband asked her where her cane was.  She realized that she had no pain and didn't need her once ever-present cane.  A trip to the doctor, upon her arrival home, confirmed the miracle--there was nothing wrong with her knee or hip and they no longer needed replacing!  She was overwhelmed and wanted to do something for Our Lady.  She called Mary in Vermont and asked her if there was anything she needed.  Well, of course, Mary mentioned the whole matter of the tax auction.  The woman wrote a check to cover the taxes, and that was that.  Mary was full of stories like this.  Miracles really do happen, and a little stone house nestled in the hills of Vermont, half a world away from the original, is proof.

The original (restored) house in Ephesus, Turkey

The Green, Green Grass of Home

 This is what we did on Saturday:

Grass seed -- yippee!

Hubs in his "seeding get-up"

Fertilizer

Annie checking out Daddy's spreader

The lawn before seeding

"South lawn" before seeding

South lawn again

View from raised beds

Spreading seed -- again, Yippee!!

Taking a break -- it was HOT!

Time for mulch!

Taking after his dad

After mulching -- a whole family project!!! Oh yeah, it was HOT!!

Waiting for the grass to grow

Happy Birthday, Dear Annie,

Happy Birthday to you!!!
She turns 5 today.  My baby.  Oh, how the time has flown.
She is so excited and I will try to be excited with her.....but, my baby is now five.
Thank you, Annie, for filling our lives with pink, sparkles, princesses and joy.
We love you very much.

God bless you, my sparkly, pink, 5 year old.

7 Quick Takes Friday

Well, another week has come and gone with very little blogging, so I'll be doing another '7 Quick Takes' to rectify the situation.  Visit Jen at Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

1.

Middle Age.  My sarcastic curious, future son-in-law asked me on my birthday to describe middle age to him. (Isn't he cute?...yeah, I didn't think so either)  In my attempt to answer him, I realized it's not such a bad place to be.  I am more confident and self-assured than at any other point in my life.  I have a perspective that can only come from extended life experience.  I am able to see situations more clearly, with more wisdom and insight.  It's a pretty good deal.

I just wish middle age didn't hurt so much.  Seriously.... Ouch.....

2.

We had a lovely visit with my college roommate and her family this week -- at the beach, no less!  It was wonderful to catch up with her and spend time with her darling little girls.  My kids enjoyed them very much.  It was a great day spent with a truly lovely family.  Also, I realized that my roommate reads my blog!  It was kind of strange, since she knew pretty much everything that was going on in my life, but I was in the dark about hers.  But we caught up the old-fashioned way -- we talked:)  It was actually quite a time-saver!  I didn't need to yack on and on about my life (lucky for her!!) and could be more gracious by listening and asking questions about her life.   They were hospitable as all get out--offering us food, drink, showers, and medicine for sun-induced headaches.  Thank you T,S,B,&T for a lovely day.  Also, Mr. and Mrs. R. thank you for your hospitality.  It was great to see you all.

3.

We are having a HEAT WAVE here in New Hampshire.  Temps in the 90s and even up in the low 100s!!!  High humidity. Ugh.  Not just uncomfortable, but dangerous.  My husband works outside in it, with heavy equipment which generates its own heat.  Because he is so stubborn dedicated, he doesn't really slow down or make many accommodations for the intense heat besides drinking more water, despite my nagging loving concern.    I feel a bit guilty during the day, that I am so comfortable here at home in our central A/C while he is slaving away in the heat, but I am so glad he has the A/C to come home to.  Also, we can sleep during these heat waves, when most of our family and friends are having a hard time sleeping. I remember those days (umm..just last year..and the 44 years before that!)  Sticky, sweaty sheets, hair clinging to the back of my neck, hot pillow, trying to aim the fan to that it hits both of us...until someone rolls over onto his side and blocks it!  Oh boy...I hope the heat breaks soon.

4.

Sammy has been without his tonsils and adenoids for 24 hours now.  What a trooper!  He was pretty scared yesterday morning, but the doctor and nurses were so kind and wonderful to him, it brought tears to my eyes.  Ok, well, there were already tears in my eyes thinking of my little guy "under the knife", but still.  He was kind of agitated upon waking up from the anesthesia--the doctor described him as a "grizzly bear cub rolling around" in his confusion (actually a pretty accurate description of Sammy)--but he's been an excellent patient for the most part.  He even slept great all through the night.  Thank you, Vicodin.  (would it really be wrong to give all the kids a dose at, say 8pm every night???  OK, OK, I know...I was just kidding...mostly)  He's hungry, though, and ice cream and popsicles aren't cutting it anymore...

5.

It's funny...every year, just about 2 weeks after I finish homeschooling for the year, all of a sudden, I am caught up on laundry, the house looks neater and my "to-do list" is dwindling.  It's uncanny.  What could be the connection?????  I have a bigger "to-do list" this summer, due to the move and starting a new job in August, but I am slowly knocking it down. It feels good.

6.

My kids have discovered and fallen in love with the show "Full House."  Remember, the show with the Tanners: Danny, DJ, Stephanie and Michelle (played by the Olsen twins)?  What a sweet, wholesome family show.  Very strong family values.  I am happy that my kids love it.  The problem?  It is run on Teen Nick, which means the commercials are so completely inappropriate, disgusting even, that I have to wonder if there is an agenda behind it all.  Why run such a family-oriented show, knowing the audience it will draw, and then show sexually graphic commercials promoting their disgusting show, Degrassi (I refuse to link it).  It is highly frustrating.

7.

My children have a "new cousin" for the next two weeks.  My sister-in-law's family is hosting a Fresh Air Kid this year.  He is originally from Tibet and India, and lives in NYC now.  He asked my nephew how many languages he spoke (answer: one! with a little Latin vocab thrown in) as this boy, K., speaks five languages!  He is polite, curious, courteous and engaging.  We will enjoy getting to know him better!

She thinks my excavator's sexy....

Years ago, I heard a woman joke that a man was never as sexy as when he was up to his elbows in dishwater. Eh, I didn't agree too much at the time, although I did 'get' the message.  I used to love it when my husband vacuumed.  Until he burned up the vacuum with his perfectionism.  He vacuumed the floors, walls, and ceilings for an hour and a half straight.  The poor hot vacuum just shut off from overexertion.  Luckily, once it cooled down, it did begin working again.

Now, I have to say that when I see my husband working around our house, I think....ummmm, oh yeah...sexy.

You see, when we moved into our new house, it was January.  The landscaping didn't get done of course, since this is New Hampshire and January is NOT landscaping time.  So, instead of a lawn and gardens we have had rocks and dirt.  Actually, my dear hubby did some really cool things with the rocks here, for which I am very grateful.  But, the lack of grass has meant a lot of silty, sandy dirt ends up in my house.  I vacuum so much I fear I will overwork the poor machine too.  And much to my patient husband's chagrin, I mention the lack of grass much too often.    This is only the second weekend of the summer where we have had the time to work outside (and hubby was able to get his equipment moved here).

Here is what we are working on:
The bank behind the house (next to the ledge) is pretty tricky space.  *We* did not want to have to mow it, so *we* decided to build raised beds for our vegetable garden and put bark mulch in between them.  *We* finished them this weekend, as they needed to go in before the loam and seed (Hubby explained the sequence of how things have to get done, but all I heard was a noise like Charlie Brown's teacher.)
**Now, you must realize that when I say 'we' it is just a euphemism.  Really, I came up with the ideas and Scott did the work.  I did help him (minimally) with building the raised beds.  And I brought him cold water and encouragement.

The fact is, we are getting older. He's tired and sore.  Excavating is his profession.  Working around the house is like never having a day off.   When I see him doing these things for love of me and our family, I can't help but love him all the more for it.  So, yes, I get excited when I see him bring home an excavator.  And, yup, I think it's sexy.

7 Quick Takes Friday

Wow, it's been a long time since I have posted. On the flip side, I've been quite productive here at home.  I am not going to spend a lot of time ruminating about the inverse relationship between internet time and my productivity. Blah, blah, blah...I can't hear you.....
Anyway, to catch up, I thought I would do a "7 Quick Takes" post.  Here goes:

1.

Because of our move in January, we are behind in schooling.  Normally, we try to finish up before Memorial Day.  This year, however, finds us finishing up our CAT testing at the end of June.  Wow, I do not like to homeschool in June.  The weather is too nice, the kids are too restless, I am too tired.  This year threw us a curve with the World Cup Soccer tournament happening.  Here is s typical morning conversation:

Me:  Ok, Soccer Freak #1 (name has been changed to protect the innocent) you need to do a CAT test, this morning.
SF#1:  But MOM....Portugal is playing.  I REALLY want to watch this game.  It is going to be a good game and Cristiano Ronaldo is playing.... (Insert various whining noises here)
Me: (realizing I really want to watch Ronaldo play also) OK, you can watch the first half of the game and at halftime we will do the CAT test; then you can finish watching the game.

I know! I know! This is sooooo lame!  What a bad parent/homeschooler/disciplinarian!  I know!  Perhaps it is the annoying hypnotic effect of the vuvuzelas that has muddled my brain.
Can't wait to get THOSE test scores:(

2.

Celebrating 23 years of married life is wonderful, disconcerting, thought-provoking.  We married at 22 years old, so we have been married more than half our life.  It is wonderful and keeps getting better. 

But, I am at a weird stage of life right now. I am the age my mother-in-law was when hubby and I got married.  When I go to work in the fall, I will be one of the oldest staff members in the school!  I will be working with people (wonderful people) who were born the SAME YEAR I GOT MARRIED!!!  I turn 45 on July 4.  I don't have a problem with turning 45--to halt the aging process means to die, and that is not an option I am interested in at the moment. If I keep my gray hair colored, I can pretty much deal with the aging thing. Also, I am loving the wisdom and confidence I now possess.  I feel like I am "at the top of my game" -- perhaps not physically, but spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. Since I don't view myself as middle-aged, it kind of surprises me when someone treats me like I am!  I guess I am having a difficult time adjusting to my place in society.  I am not the young mom with the little kids and babies anymore.  My youngest will turn 5 a week after I turn 45, and there are no babies on the horizon for us.  I guess I need more time to transition to this new phase in my life.  But, I thank God that I have passed through the phases of my adult life with my wonderful husband.  Happy 23rd Anniversary, honey!

3.

We went to the wedding of Scott's goddaughter this weekend.  It was lovely. Father gave a great, personalized homily.  The bride and groom added their own personal, meaningful touches to the celebration.  We were enjoying ourselves and the festivities very much...until the father/daughter dance.  I started to weep and couldn't stop, my mind flashing forward to our daughter's future wedding (next October).  There is no way I will be able to be in the room when hubby dances with our daughter. But, I don't want to miss it...what shall I do?

4.

Despite the World Cup games, we finally finished the testing for the younger boys. The tests were mailed back for grading the very day the last test was taken.   Isaac, however, needs a diploma this year (yay!) and that requires a lot of paperwork from me.  *Sigh*  Homeschooling high school is really tough--paperwork-wise.  I haven't yet been brave enough NOT to use a school to keep the transcripts. I hope to finish the paperwork in the next couple of days.

5.

In order to give me time to get a handle on the above-mentioned paperwork, my oldest daughter and her fiance took the three littlest children to breakfast, swimming, and ice cream...for. the. whole. day!  It was lovely and peaceful, and I got a lot done!  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lexi and Anthony.

6.

We had a working day in the basement today...well a working hour and a half.  All kids, plus me, were down there straightening up video games, toys, and the laundry space.  It went well!!!  Until, I started going through a basket of clothes and came upon a ginormous spider!!  With its legs it was bigger than a silver dollar.  Black, hairy and very scary!  Right there, I thanked God that 17 years ago he gave me son who would grow up to kill that spider for me.  Otherwise, I might still be down there, mouth open, trembling in fear.

7. 

I am finally caught up on my laundry!!  Did you hear the angels sing?  I did.

Visit Jen at Conversion Diary for more quick takes.