Ash Wednesday

"For dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return." Genesis 3:19

Today the great fast begins. I recall in years past feeling dread of the cold dark days of Lent, fear of feeling hungry, of being deprived. I can thankfully say this year I am simply excited and ready for it! I know it will be hard and there's a good probability I'll be limping in the end (figuratively speaking), but this season is so useful for getting back on track.

I won't share what we've all decided to do and give up because "don't let your right hand know what the left is doing", but I will say it's a mixture of things that we are both not doing/eating, and also what we are doing. All but the youngest two (ages almost 2 and 5) have their lists ready. This season is not only for penance and dying to ourselves, but also for the building of virtue, both of which bring us closer to Christ. There are a lot of lists and ideas online as well if you need inspiration!

Visual cues are huge for us. Not only are the kids inspired to ask a lot of questions by the things they see, they remind us all what our purpose is in this life. Particularly, certain Lenten decor gives us constant reminders of the somber season we're in.

On our family altar I placed a skull as a reminder of our mortality. Our days are numbered, and once an opportunity to gain a certain grace has passed it will not be offered to us again.

Over the window above the mantel shelf I hung a crown of thorns from the Holy Land. This particular crown was fashioned from bushes that are believed to be the same kind which were used for Christ's crown of thorns. I ordered the crown of thorns here.

About a week ago I found a beautiful vintage picture of the Agony in the Garden at a thrift store for $15. It was the change the top of this bookcase needed. I put the snake plant (sansevieria or mother's in law tongue) beside because it makes me think of Judas' betrayal. It needs a new pot, but the spirit of Lent suggests that the ugly plastic one it currently calls home will do fine for now. Let's chalk that one up to mortification of the senses for me!

For the dining room centerpiece I snipped some lilac branches and placed them in the demijohn with water. I hope they start budding! We shall see, and we've been studying it to detect any changes in the buds. They represent the struggle to grow through Lent, and the new life that was given to us through the Redemption.

The Resurrection garden we made a few years ago again becomes the tiny stage upon which the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord is played out. Good Friday at 3 p.m. the stone is rolled over the tomb. It remains closed until Easter Sunday morning.

Living our Faith out loud is a work always in progress, and has often been a struggle for me because of fear of other's opinions. It was a fear that took a long time to conquer. As a high school student I was deeply affected by the sermon of one of our priests who stated that you could not even tell which homes were Catholic anymore. In times past you could enter a home, immediately spot a crucifix, and knew where you were. This sermon struck a chord with me, and while I sorrowfully admit I went through a phase of spiritual aloofness where I was fearful of using "too much religious decor" for fear of appearing "pious" to guests, I always made sure there was a crucifix on the most visible wall. There is no commandment that says you have to have walls full of religious artwork, but a compelling thought for me was this: if I was hesitant in displaying my Faith on a wall, what will Our Lord have to say to me when I ask for admittance to our heavenly home?

Fat Tuesday

Time is speeding by this year and I find it hard to believe that Lent is already upon us!

We celebrated Fat Tuesday this year in due fashion with fried food, sugar, and cheese. The old custom was to rid the pantry or kitchen of all the food which was to be given up for Lent, and we made a valiant effort. Originally this meant all meat, butter, and eggs had to go. For us, it meant making banana bread with the last of the chocolate chips from the freezer, baking the last box of brownies from the cupboard and smearing it with the leftover birthday frosting from the fridge, and making FRITTERS.

I can't think of fritters without a stir of excitement. I have fond childhood memories of my Grandma Mahoney standing over a pan of sizzling oil turning littles balls of homemade bread dough. My poor Mom was probably harrassed by me more than I can recall to make fritters every time she made bread. She made them just often enough that they remained a special treat. The smell of fried dough, the crunch of the golden crust, and grinning sugar-caked lips evoke nostalgia for my own childhood.

I cheated this year and used frozen bread dough that I had thawed. I formed the dough into 1 inch balls and plopped them into hot oil. The balls expand as they cook, making them about the size of donut holes. From the pan they were placed in a bowl of sugar and tossed. After the feasting I spent the next hour scrubbing sugar off of the table, chairs, and floor! It was a sugarpocalypse.

Eli was off work, and came home from running errands with a Hodge Podge box and a bag of burgers from The Hideaway--more fried food! For those who haven't been introduced to the wonder that is a Hodge Podge, it's a pile of deep fat fried potato wedges, fries, breaded cheese balls, onion rings, breaded mushrooms and cheese cauliflower. It's the sampler platter of Midwest bar food. We indulge about once a year and get a box to go. 

I'm not sure anyone noticed when we skipped supper. As it was, there was a sense of relief in the anticipation of Ash Wednesday the next day and opportunity for our guts to heal. We spent the afternoon fine-tuning Lenten lists and wrapping up homework. 

Peg Dolls: A Compendium

This post is simply a collection of the various styles of peg dolls I've painted. I plan to paint more as time allows and will eventually offer custom doll orders. This may be used as an example of what a finished doll may look like.

Each doll is wooden, 3 1/2 inches tall, hand-painted, and clear-coated in a satin polycrylic finish to help preserve the paint. Each doll also comes with its own keepsake pouch. I recommend the painted peg dolls for children age 4 and up. Giving one to a child who still indulges in chewing will result in this (we learned the hard way):

For teething babies and toddlers I recommend a wood-burned doll, which I've added to the collection recently.

The Process

The Angels and Saints (Old & New)

FIAT Magazine

I've been absent here for quite some time, but I have been busy writing, nonetheless! I recently was given the opportunity to join a group of ladies in launching an online magazine, with hopes of going to print in the future.

You can read the first issue of FIAT Magazine here.

FIAT Magazine is the brain child of our editor, Katy Holland, who left a job as a secular editor to pursue a dream of producing a faith-based publication for Catholic women. More than ever, this world works to pull us down, discourages, and distracts us from our purpose in life. FIAT encourages us, it connects us, and it inspires us to live our Faith more fully every day.

"FIAT" alludes to the response every woman should make to the call from Our Lord. Fiat literally means "Let it be done", as in Our Lady's fiat at the time of the angel Gabriel's announcement. In this spirit of saying "YES!" to God at all times, the articles found in FIAT will be all about building women up and encouraging them to fulfil that purpose. While still in its infancy, we hope FIAT will grow and become a source of inspiration connecting women across the globe.

Join us!