We Have Moved!

We actually accomplished it...somehow. We moved. It was only about six miles away, and only from one apartment to another, yet what an undertaking! I never want to do that again. Well, probably I do, some day, but not right away.

I have some advice if you ever consider moving:

A) Forget it. (Just kidding.)

B) Get rid of everything BIG. Do we really need a king-size bed? Wouldn't a queen-size bed work? Do we really need bookcases that are 6' tall by 4' wide? Think small. And if you're getting ready to buy a desktop computer, how about a laptop? (Not all our desktops are in current working order but we have four of them! And of course that also means monitors, etc.)

C) Do not (I repeat "do not") make any decisions about cancelling anything on the morning of the move...especially the landline telephone service.

Yes, on the first morning of the move, I received an email (just before our internet was disconnected), telling me that our new DSL internet was not going to be hooked up for another two weeks. So I called our cable t.v. company and told them I wanted them to give me internet in our new place after all...and the lady told me that if I let them give me telephone service too, I would get free long distance 24/7, and it would cost me only $2.00 more than I had been paying for t.v. and internet. Well, we had just found out our cell phones would not work in the new apartment so it sounded fabulous. I said YES...and cancelled our landline phone.

Long story short: We now have landline phone service with our previous provider. I tried to cancel the not-yet-working digital phone service with the cable company, but I was told that now if I cancel it, I will paying about $20 more per month than if I keep it (keep what??). Well, if and when it gets up and running, we will at least have the free long-distance. And with family - immediate and extended - in various states, that is always a good thing.

Now if I can just find my way through the maze of boxes to the telephone.

Checking In With You

I really have not disappeared from the face of the earth! I am not on the internet much these days but I still think of all you good readers and keep you in my prayers.

Everything is good with us; we're just very, very busy! We got our fifth child through high school, and all his paperwork in order to get into college in the fall. I've ordered books for the coming year for our sixth and last child (who is going into his sophomore year). We've made plans for our homeschool enrichment co-op for next year, where I am now on the three member council (since I didn't already have enough to do). We are looking forward to a great year, so if you happen to live in Baltimore, look us up.

We will be moving in mid-July, not cross-country, not even cross-city, only six or eight miles. However, it's just about as big an undertaking...maybe bigger since it's not a corporate move - so we have to pack our own stuff (oh, poor lil' things). I seem to have amnesia about the last move we made when we had to pack our own stuff. It would surely have been with babies in tow, so this one should be a piece of cake in comparison. But working around a job (even a part-time job) throws a different kind of angle into the equation.

Some of you may remember when I first moved to this city and basically knew no one. Since then we have made many friends. But this year we got to know a family so well that they have become dear family friends. We talk by email and phone, we get together on holidays, we camp together. In the midst of everything else that's going on right now, they are doing what we always knew (yet I always dreaded) that they would probably be doing soon: Moving again. Not moving like us, six or eight miles away, but closer to a thousand miles away. I am happy for them (through my own tears) and grateful. Even though they (and we) knew they probably wouldn't be here permanently, they were willing to open their hearts to us.

When I think of our kids living in various states, our relatives who are spread out in the West, our friends going back to Florida, I think maybe an RV would be the way for us to retire some day. Great thing to be thinking about in the midst of a gas crisis, isn't it? But hey, there's nothing like having dreams. And there's nothing like dreaming of being able to be with all our people, even in this life.

Please keep us in your prayers as we make our little move, and our friends as they make their big one, and all our kids as they move through their transitions in life. Those I will save for another post, so that I won't let so much time go between posting. You all are in my prayers and thoughts.

Good Morning

The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. The sky is blue.

Why are the shrubs in the parking lot covered in red when it's not fall but spring? Ahh, I really should learn more about different plant types. Maybe some day...although I have my doubts. I like to just enjoy the beauty without understanding the visual detail.

This morning I've been commenting at a couple blogs as I visit them, and I decided I really ought to say hello to my own blog readers -- if I still have any.

One blogger was wondering why she blogs and whether it's worth it. I told her - basically - that it's just good to know her. I guess I guilt-tripped myself into blogging this morning.

Why did I start my blog? At the time I started it, I was working part time in retail sales at a department store. I wanted to share with people how it felt to be a retail clerk, how we can lift their day for love of God with just a smile or a good word. As time went on, I also wanted to help others who were struggling financially to know they were not alone and offer a few tidbits of advice now and then.

When my second son began losing his vision, I threw myself into blogging daily. It gave me something to do, not that I didn't have enough to do, but something positive and uplifting to do.

As time went on, I continued, hopeful that maybe I could start a part-time writing "career", and blogging would be a good networking opportunity for that. I got some kicks out of watching my site meter, but my greatest joy has been getting to know some really wonderful people...not for anything they can do for me, but just for who they are.

Eventually, I realized I was not launching a writing career - at least at this time. And I did need to make that little bit of extra money. So I got a part-time job. I will probably always write in some way. I have books on back burners. I have to keep buying more stoves to have enough back burners to put them on. You should see my kitchen. Ha. Just kidding. As you may know, I live in an apartment with a little kitchen, but yeah, I have a lot of ideas for books that I never quite get around to writing. Sometimes I think them, and later on someone else writes them. And that's okay, too.

So for now my life has taken a different turn. I'm working part-time in an interesting job. Interesting to me, but probably sounds boring to some. I try to describe my job and people yawn and their eyes glaze over. Let's just say I work in a billing department of a medical office but I don't get on the computer. Suits me fine because my responsibility is simply to be accurate. When I go home, the work doesn't go with me.

I've gotten more involved in our homeschool co-op, where as some of you know, I have been teaching preschool this past year. I will be more involved next year than this year. This blog used to be my apostolate. Having relocated, it was also where I had most of my friends. Now that I've entered the...I won't say the "real world" because this virtual world is very real...but now that I've submerged myself into a different world of apostolate and friends whom I can see and touch, I don't have as much time for this one. But I have so many wonderful friends from this blogging experience, this whole online experience.

Hey, I am not saying good-bye, but only good morning!

God bless you all! (If there is any "you all" still reading).

Just Visiting

Like in monopoly, I am just visiting. I'm not really back from my sabbatical. Or perhaps it's changed from a sabbatical to a change in priorities. I may not be able to post frequently anymore.

Since a public blog is very public, I haven't felt I could post all my personal business here...which is also my personal "busy-ness". But I will say that I've had a lot on my mind and been very busy.

I will say that in addition to homeschooling and teaching a weekly preschool class, I have started working a part-time job.

I will also share with you that one of our children will be entering the Air Force in May, one of our children just launched her career, and one of our children was just accepted into his college of choice...

Other than that, there's nothing new going on. That's supposed to be funny, of course. Well, and it's not quite true, either; but, as I said, it's a public blog.

God bless you, my friends.

Middle Name Meme

I was tagged by Jean at Catholic Fire for this meme. Thank you, Jean.

Rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don’t have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother’s maiden name).
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.

M - Merry. I am a merry pessimist. What's that? I can often see the bad things may be coming...but I also enjoy laughing a lot - at myself and at life.

A - Attitude. "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13)

R - Rosary. I don't kneel down and say the whole Rosary every day, but it accompanies me, comforts me, and supports me, a little at a time, through my day.

Y - You. You are important to me: you, my reader; you, my friend; you, of course, my family.

I will tag:

A Woman Seeking Grace
By Sun and Candlelight
Crazy Acres
Karen Edmisten

States I Have Visited

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

The red indicates states I have visited at some time in my life. Are you jealous? Don't be. Please. First of all, I've lived more than half a century. Secondly, when I was a young adult (barely), I moved away from my parents. Then I moved away from my childhood best friend of eleven years (we had gone together to what turned out to be a cult; but that's another whole story). At one point my husband got relocated and we moved half way across the country from his mom who was our next door neighbor, and his sister and family who lived in a nearby town. And then a couple years ago, for my husband to get a job, we moved several states away from our three young adult kids. My heart has been torn to pieces many times.

Here's a funny thing about moving clear across country, all the way from growing up in Washington State to now living in Baltimore. Yesterday our youngest son asked me when it was that we went to Washington. I said, "Well, last summer we went to Arlington National Cemetery." (Actually I said, "the cemetery".) He said, "I meant your Washington!" Oh, my. When we moved here, I knew I was going to hear people say "Washington" when they meant "Washington D.C." but I wasn't going to think that way. I guess it's kind of like adopting a foreign language or the culture of a region.

And yes, some of those states were visited briefly enroute to a move, but some of it has been recreational travel, too, and I am grateful for all those opportunities to see the wide world of the United States. It's all good. And God is so good to us.



P.S. When I published this post, the right hand side of the map got cut off. I guess the map needs a wide berth. Well, I will have to just tell you, then - and I should be saying this for those who can't see the map anyway - my total is about 34 states.

Hat tip to Alicia.

Perhaps I Could Do Public Speaking, After All

Public speaking has long been one of my fears. But if every crowd looked as benevolent...but I'm getting ahead of my story.

After Midnight Mass, we joined the throng in the vestibule, the children and I talking among ourselves, waiting for my husband to come down from the choir loft, along with what seemed like 100 people, talking quietly or waiting for someone.

And then my sensitivity to the incense we had just left and a draft from the door opening hit me together, and I began to sneeze. After the seventh sneeze I looked up. The stillness was like that of the church, as every smiling face was turned toward me. Time stood still.

I thought of "thank you", as I'm sure people probably had said "God bless you" while I sneezed. I thought of "excuse me", but somehow it seemed it would fall short of what needed to be said. Life seemed to be in suspension, and the spell needed to be broken. So I released them by saying with a confident smile, "I'm done!"

It occurred to me that perhaps I could do public speaking, after all.

Seven Things People Might Not Know About Me

A warm thank you to my blogging friend, Air Force wife and Catholic mother, Stina for tagging me for this meme.

Directions:
*Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
*Share 7 facts about yourself that you think most people don't know.
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
*Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I got my first job in sixth grade, working in the school cafeteria, selling little milk cartons (3 cents) and prewashing silverware for the dishwasher. After I'd begun, a student told me it was supposed to be for poor kids. Oh well, they'd asked for people to sign up, I volunteered, and they had taken me, no questions asked.

My Mom said - since she didn't need to spend money making me lunches - she would pay me half of what it would cost her to buy me lunches at school. So I got spending money, cafeteria lunches every day, and free ice cream bars; and I learned the joy of earning!

2. During that same sixth grade year, I played flute in the band, was active in Girl Scouts, and was also a crossing guard. I was the only crossing guard who was a girl and I was called a "patrol boy" (in those days a woman might be a "chairman", too). I loved my activities but my grades suffered from the overload.

3. In tenth grade I tried to start a tutoring service to coordinate student volunteers with students who were struggling in some subject area. It never got off the ground but it was fun to try.

4. I sold Avon products door-to-door in my senior year, while working at J. C. Penney and being editor of the high school newspaper.

5. I love seeing and hearing the majesty of the ocean, which makes me think of the greatness of God. I like smelling salt air, but I don't like the feel of sand under my feet...or in my shoes, my hair, my sleeping bag, or my sandwich. (We had a weekend cabin at the beach when I was a child, if you wonder how I experienced all those things).

6. In the early days of our beach cabin, we got our water from an outdoor hand pump and used an outhouse. I like to think it helped build character.

7. For a couple years in high school, my girlfriend and I rode ponies daily (hers and a neighbors), but I never truly got comfortable with animals. My life-long love is with wheels. I've ridden tricycles, bicycles, mini-motorcyles, go-carts and in my early twenties my Honda 90 motorcycle; and since then I've pulled a trailer. I don't like parking, backing up, or driving in tight construction areas. Give me wide open spaces and let me drive.

I tag anyone who would like to join!

To Write or Not...

There are times when the blog ideas and words flow...and times when they don't. This week has been one of the latter. Maybe it's because I've been focused on getting ready for school. Or maybe it's because I've been anything but focused. Are you confused yet? Now you have a glimpse into my current state of mind.

I've been trying to figure out if I should try (harder) to find ways to make money with writing. This morning I even wrote this to a good friend (and writer): "Or...maybe I should just decide writing is just my hobby, and just blog; and forget writing as a potential source of income." I can't believe I even said that!

And then I went to Mass, and as the priest began to talk, I remembered his words (actually Our Lord's words), from last week: "Seek first the Kingdom of God..." If there's something I feel called to write, or something I've already written and feel called to try to share, shouldn't I share that before trying to figure out other ways that I can make a little extra money for Christmas and for that extra gas for all the kids' activities? (It's great that we have activities now. We're finally getting settled in here!).

It's not all about money (even though it is a pretty necessary commodity), and most of all, it's not all about me being in control. God works in mysterious and awesome ways when we pursue His will. (Someone remind me to re-read that sentence next time I get up at 5 a.m. for no reason.)

My doubts of this morning remind me of a few years ago when I first discovered Melissa Wiley's blog. When I learned that she's a Catholic homeschooling Mom who has written books about the grandmothers of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was SO EXCITED! I told my kids, "She's a Catholic homeschool mother and she's a writer! Like I used to be." One of my sons got really mad. "What do you mean? 'Used to be?'". He was right. And he's still right. I'm not going to put away my pen. I have to write, and I have to try to get published, but not for my glory, not for money; but for God and souls. Hey, I don't mean I won't take the money though!

Color-by-Numbers - Not

The following is a brief story of my liturgical journey in a numerical list. It certainly hasn’t been a color-by-numbers life.

1. 1953-1971-Born and raised as a Protestant in Washington State. (My grown children say I shouldn’t say “Protestant” now; so to my non-Catholic Christian friends: I’m not calling you a Protestant, only me, back then, as that’s what we called ourselves then.)

2. January 1971-July 1971-Decided (with the help of the prayers and explanations of my best friend) that I wanted to be a Catholic. I attended Mass, prayed the Rosary, read The Imitation of Christ, read The Autobiography of St. Therese. And I fell in love with all things Catholic.

3. July 1971-October 1971-Fell into a cult, an ultra-traditional “Catholic” group, run by a man named Francis Schuckardt in Idaho. I was baptized Catholic, while there, by a retired, missionary priest who was just visiting. Left the cult (with the help of the prayers and explanations of the lady who instructed me in the Faith)…but regretfully left my best friend behind (though we are again close today).

4. 1971-1975-Attended the traditional Latin Mass of various priests who were retired or had permission to continue to say the Latin Mass.

5. 1975-1982-Grew to love the Byzantine Catholic Mass (or “Divine Liturgy”). Met my husband, who was also a refugee there from the Latin rite, and we were married in a Byzantine Catholic church. We had our first two children baptized there.

6. 1983-1993-Attended the traditional Latin Mass offered by a retired priest in California whose sermons instructed us in how to live the Gospel.

7. 1993-2003-Attended the traditional Latin Mass at a Society of St. Pius X chapel in Ohio, where we met many of the people who are our dear friends today.

8. 2003-2006-Attended my very first “novus ordo”, or Mass of Pope John Paul VI, at a graduation. I found that, to me, it wasn’t the travesty I thought it would be; instead I felt very much at peace, and found it contained the same essential elements. Attended this Mass occasionally after that, but now went each Sunday to both the Society chapel and to an Indult (diocesan) Latin Mass in Kentucky.

9. June 2006-Present time-Moved to Baltimore, where I now attend both an Indult Tridentine Latin Mass in Baltimore (about weekly) and the Mass of Pope Paul VI at my local parish (about monthly). At either Mass I enjoy being in the Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ; offering myself to God in union with the Holy Sacrifice; and receiving Our Lord in the same Holy Communion. I like to say now, “What’s not to love about the infinite Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Mass?”

Note: This is only my own story and does not in any way reflect the views or choices of other family members; although we live very much in peace with one another. Also, this is only an outline. I could probably write a whole book about each phase of my journey.

Happy Mothers' Day!!!

Happy Mothers' Day!

This statue of Our Lady now resides in a protective upright wooden box on our balcony, where you see it in the picture. Previously, it spent 13 years gracing our yard in Northern Kentucky, which is why it has that "weathered look".

I happily adopted Mother Mary as my spiritual mother at the age of 18. Now she is the only mother that I have on earth. May my mother and my mother-in-law rest in peace. And may God bless the wonderful women who have been "like a mother" to me in any way in my life.

Whether you are a mother or not, I hope you have a beautiful day today!

My Avatar

Hmm, I'm not certain what an "avatar" IS. But it was fun creating this figure on my Yahoo page. For those who don't know what I look like, I don't even begin to look like this! And I don't have a dog. But it was fun inventing a "me" that's young and slim; and if I had a dog, this would be the one. And the 50's or 60's diner is my dream kitchen decor.

Recognizing Faces

A couple years ago, I wrote the following article at my website:

Fifteen years ago, sitting at dinner with my family, I asked a question that had slowly dawned on me, "When we're talking about someone, do you see that person in your mind?"

What I've found since then is that most people who do, have never imagined that anyone else doesn't. And for those who don't, it sometimes takes many years of life to realize that others do. I've also found that it's a matter of degree. Some people visualize faces in their minds clearly and at will. Some people visualize faces in their minds only occasionally and not clearly...still others, not at all.

For those of us who do not visualize faces well, description can be a problem. Someone asks, "What does she look like?" and we are often hard-pressed to give an answer. Often our answer has more to do with the person's personality or mood than with what he or she looks like.

"How widespread is this problem and what can I learn about it?" I wondered.

Click here to find out what I learned.

Contact Me

If you'd ever like to email me, here's my address:
margmary53 at yahoo dot com

I would always be happy to hear from you. When you write, please let me know how you got my address. I'm always curious as to whether someone is writing from my blog or website, or a yahoo group, or a mutual friend. Also, it might help if you would put something in the subject heading so that I won't accidentally delete your email without opening it.

Of course, you can always choose to leave a comment here at the blog, if you'd like!

Name Change

I posted the following before, but it was surrounded with "other stuff". I'm trying to stick to one topic at a time now in my posts, now that I can label the posts for future reference...

Since I was in the fourth grade I wanted to "be a writer". (Are we there yet? :) ). I used to toy with possible pen names. I liked my name, but I always figured I needed a special euphonic pen name. God provides...sometimes in strange ways. Or is it that He brings good out of strange circumstances and muddled decisions, in spite of ourselves? If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'll tell you. Okay, here's the million dollar public confession: Margaret Mary is not my birth name. But, it's not just a pen name, either. It's my real legal name; but there's a story behind it.

I grew up in the sixties (you know, "the sixties"!). Born in 1953. Graduated from high school in 1971. In my late teenage years I decided I wanted to become a Catholic. I read some good books: The Autobiography of St. Therese, The Imitation of Christ, Our Lady of Fatima by William Thomas Walsh...and I started praying the Rosary and attending Mass. All was going well until I got an invitation to a week long summer seminar in Idaho. Or was it ten days? Who knows? The first thing they did was take our watches. There were long talks given by the leader, but most of the day we were not allowed to talk. Meal time was strange. Everything was strange. Confusion abounded. Talk about brainwashing techniques. The head of the group was named Francis Schuckardt. It was a cult, and it wasn't really a part of the Catholic Church.

Well, since it was a cult, I soon found myself moving up there. While I was there I studied the faith and by God's providence the person who prepared me, knew her Catholic Faith very well...at least as far as doctrine and the catechism. But I think she wanted to make me into a "religious" (for non-Catholic readers, read "Sister", or at least missionary), and I think she got confused...because she told me that when I was baptized a Catholic, I would need to take a new name, a saint's name, a "Christian name" as she put it -- and I would need to be called by it rather than by my birth name. Inside, I rebelled. But I didn't think I had a choice. However, I did think I had a choice as to what that name would be and I exercised that choice. Since my name was Peggy Ann, and since Peggy is a derivative of Margaret, I naturally decided to take the name Margaret in order to stick as close as possible to my original first name. There was one problem with that! Although I had a cousin named Margaret whom I admired very much, I just didn't care for the name itself. Problem solved: I would honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus, by taking her name, too. And I would then have the name of the saint who preached the great love of the Heart of Jesus for us, St. Margaret Mary. But I saw no reason to drop my middle name, so I became Margaret Mary Ann, called by my new friends, "Margaret Mary". By the way, just for the record, the missionary priest who baptized me, who was only visiting the group to help out with a retreat (unaware as yet that this was a cult), didn't know that I was changing my name. He just thought I already was Margaret Mary.

Now, let me say I don't recommend changing your name!! But what was done, was done. And since it was done, I decided when I got married, and was changing my last name, that I might as well make the first names legal too. So Peggy Ann Roesler disappeared and Margaret Mary Myers appeared...on my driver's license, my social security card, and so forth. (The Ann is still on my baptismal certificate and in my heart.)

Yes, I do sometimes mourn the loss of my birth name, like an old friend that I've lost. But I love both names and besides not wanting to confuse the people in my world, I wouldn't even want to give up my name 'Margaret Mary', my principal name for the past thirty-some years. And after all, who could know when I was baptised (but God) that my last name would become Myers? I didn't even know what alliteration was until fairly recently, but there it is in my name, three words beginning with the same letter. And of course, as a Catholic writer, it's nice to have a distinctively Catholic name. (Although it is also interesting when I meet people who say, "Well, you surely came from a Catholic family!" Most of the time I just smile.) But for those who "knew me when", I don't expect - or even want - you to call me something new. As a matter of fact, it's kind of nice not to completely give up the heritage of my youth!

Christmas Holiday at the Inner Harbor

Here's where Ed works. Well, no, he's not a longshoreman, nor does he work on a submarine, but this is a part of the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, which is the area where his building is located.

This was the day after Christmas and we were showing the Inner Harbor to the kids visiting from Kentucky. It was SO GREAT having them here with the rest of us for a few days!

I would love to show you a picture of all six kids together at the harbor; however, I have one adult among them who doesn't want his picture out there for the world to see. We will have to content ourselves with individual pictures which I will include in the future.