The Boston Marathon Runner I Love!

David, our oldest son, is running in the Boston Marathon today with an enthusiastic audience of cheerers. Since he was recovering from an injury only a month ago, we hope he is able to finish in the time he wants. From my point of view, finishing at all is amazing. Even in my younger days running a marathon was never on my bucket list. But I managed to raise a bunch of runners who like to do marathons, half marathons, 5Ks, etc. Walking five miles is my idea of a marathon. Good luck, David! Hope the weather is perfect for a great run.

The Deluge!

We've had some bad, and I do mean REALLY BAD weather lately. Yesterday we thought we might need to build an ark. And then came the hail!

Here's what out playground looked like out back. When the river quits flowing we'll need to check how badly the back driveway eroded. Fortunately, none of the grandkids floated away! And we were blessed that none of the tornadoes materialized that they suffered farther south. Please pray for those who died in North and South Carolina.

April showers bring April flowers

Rain...rain...rain and the daffodils are finally blooming. The redbud are popping out. The birds are glutting on sunflower seeds getting ready to nest and the grass is turning green. Outside my window the peach tree's pink blossoms are glorious. And oh, the redbud in the rain!

Welcome, welcome, welcome Spring!

I'm not Scottish, but I Have the Thrift Gene!

Larry and I started square dancing again last October after a 25 year break. Unfortunately I gave away all my dancing regalia years ago including five petticoats and the skirts and dresses that went with them. But I'm finding that filling my closet is just a question of a little thrift and imagination. Today I cut the top off a prairie skirt, sewed a casing, and inserted elastic and voila! I have a "new" square dancing skirt that cost me $2.00 at the thrift store. I've been picking up tops at thrift stores here and there as well. That plus the generous contribution of two skirts, a dress, and a petticoat from several other dancers and I have almost too many outfits to choose from. I feel like the grandkids picking through my dress up box for the perfect outfit.

"A Faithful Friend is a Sturdy Shelter..." (Sirach 6:14)

What a joy it is to have a friend of the heart. One of mine, Joe Wall, a dear fellow rescuer, lives in a suburb of Philadelphia. Every now and then I go to my mailbox and find a letter or package from him that is always filled with something unexpected and special. Today it was a book, a work of historical fiction on St. Thomas More. It's an old and obviously well-loved paperback from Image Press. In the back is Joe's name and the date, January 1963, when he first read it. In his accompanying letter, Joe writes:

Not long ago I came across the enclosed book, Stage of Fools, in the course of sorting through my innumerable piles of books. As you can see, I had read it over forty-seven years ago. Naturally, I sat down and reread it!

Is it poetry, is it history, is it fiction? Perhaps, all three. Historical fiction, well written, can often convey the temper of the times, the atmosphere wherein the events took place, better than straightforward history. I believe our Charles Brady in his Stage of Fools has succeeded in doing this. He has reminded us that these people, living some 450 years ago, were, at bottom, vulnerable, fallible human beings prone to sin and to cowardince. Much like ourselves!

As we can see, the entire English Board of Bishops -- with the shining exception of (now Saint) John Fisher -- caved in . Likewise the Lay Leaders, again with one exception; our heroic Saint Thomas More. I don't think I need to draw the parallel with the present day. Maybe that's our answer; we need more siants!

I just finished reading Louis de Wohl's book, The Spear, about Cassius Longinus, the Roman centurion who thrust the spear into the side of Christ. Currently I'm reading de Wohl's Citadel of God, about St. Benedict. I agree with Joe that well-written historical fiction can often give us a feel of the times better than a history book. It bridges the gap between our own day and the past in a more intimate way than most histories can.

Joe is a writer himself and an Irish patriot who has often sent me notes casting much light on the history of that poor, persecuted country. He expands my view of the world and of life as all good friends should. God bless you, dear Joe, for thinking of your friend in Virginia. I'm offering my rosary for you today.

Wildflowers in the Woods

Some of my flowers are blooming far, far away from Camp Kreitzer. These thrive in the woods of Texas, but will definitely do just fine when transplanted to Virginia. If you want to see more of them visit Frodo Seven.

Dressing up at Gramma's: Little Tudor Princess