7 Quick Takes (Vol. 2)

--- 1 ---

I finally got off my butt to get Walter's "four generation" photo taken with my Gramma. It's been quite difficult to orchestrate, as Gramma hates being photographed and usually we see her on the spur of the moment, meaning that none of us are really dressed for a photo op. But we had a really great opportunity to do it while my brother was in town for reading break and I'm thrilled with the result. I hope that when Walter grows up having the photographic reminder of his Gran'mama is as special to Walter as the one I have with my Great Grandma is to me:

From left to right: Baba (Ukrainian for Grandma), Gran'mama (Great Grandma!), Walter, & Me. The brooch I'm wearing belonged to my Grossmutter (my dad's mum) as I wanted to have some sign of her in the picture as well since she died when I was 6. 

From left to right: My mum, Me, Baba (my Great Grandma), and my Gramma. This was taken on the family farm in Saskatchewan.

--- 2 ---

Walter is quickly becoming more mobile. He's figured out how to launch himself towards targets of his choice. Usually these targets are either me or whatever direction would be most dangerous (like trying to fly off the end of the bed). I figure that once he learns to crawl properly I'll lose about 20lbs just chasing after him and trying to get him out of trouble...

--- 3 ---

We had my mum's pastor and family over for dinner the other night. As my contribution I made rhubarb crisp and the recipe turned out to be the best crisp I've made yet. You can find it here and I strongly recommend it.

--- 4 ---

This is currently Walter's favourite hymn, or at least I assume so because it's the one that works the fastest when he's upset. We first heard it on The Bells of St Mary's, and although it is perhaps lamentable that we didn't run across it at Mass, I don't mind that we first heard it sung by Bing Crosby!

--- 5 ---

As a convert, there are certain areas of Catholicism where my expertise falls far, far short. Today on the news I learned that all the popes wear red shoes. And then there was a close-up of said red shoes. I jumped from excitement, which is perhaps not the most fitting response since the shoes symbolize the blood of the martyrs (then again, perhaps it is a fitting response).

--- 6 ---

The past year-and-a-bit has been pretty damn hard. In my moments of despair, which are unfortunately frequent, it sometimes feels like hell on earth (which shows how little I know about hell, and how shallow my concept of suffering is), or at least a never ending torment. So I've really been struck this Lent by how my Lenten devotions have been guiding me to see the beauty and rightness of suffering. I feel as if I am on the verge of believing, not just understanding, that in my suffering I am united with Christ and that I am currently being given a cross to bear. It sort of blows my mind. I am so, so ready for life to become good again but I pray that I will have the grace to bear whatever it pleases God to send my way.

--- 7 ---

Speaking of grace, every time I fill in a visa application online I have to provide information about both my & David's birth dates. Thanks to the calendar feature, I get to go back in time to select our birth dates from the relevant calendar, which means I get to see our actual weekday of birth. What's cool about this is that it turns out we were both born on Tuesdays. I love coincidences like this. According to the old rhyme, Tuesday's child is full of grace. When I mentioned this to David I laughed and said it was too bad, as neither of us is particularly graceful in bearing. He corrected me and pointed me towards the spiritual graces, and said that it meant we were born on a day of particularly good fortune. I call this perspective! I've been particularly fond of my Tuesday birthday since then.

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