Mommy, you're dust!

And he's not dust, because he wiped his off???? I thought I had heard Father say the same words to him as to me: Man, remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.

I had a brainstorm at about midnight last night, that I actually remembered this morning upon waking: rocks. We'll use rocks for our prayer table! (I did say I thought of this at midnight, right? It all sounds logical at that time).

It's a bit contrived, but I think provides a really good hands-on concrete demonstration of the concept of sacrifice. Each time my son or I is "successful" with a sacrifice, we can place a rock on the table behind the prayer table (a table which serves as backdrop for the liturgical season). At the end of Lent, before he awakes Easter morning, I'll exchange the rocks with a larger number of polished stones, as part of our Easter decorations. A few theological ideas came out throughout the day: when we store up treasures on earth, the world recognizes them for what they are - but we are called to store up treasures in heaven - and the world does not always recognize their inherent value. The rocks we are using are ugly. Plain. (Ok, most of them came from the gravel parking lot at one of the parishes where I work - the other came from outside the parish hall –to be returned when we're done). The world sees fasting and sacrifices as pointless, plain, boring, too hard and therefore worthless, etc. But the treasures we store up in heaven, are passed through the hands of Our Lady who freshens them up, making them more beautiful, before they reach Our Lord - hence MORE polished stones than we will have rocks.

Now if I could just get off my little current long enough to stop taking rocks away with naughty behavior (both of us would have been in the hole with rocks by noon if I'd stuck with that rule). We did "give" each other rocks for what we each deemed thoughtful things on the part of the other person. I'm not sure what the family behind us thought during Mass when I was told "Mommy, I'll give you a hundred rocks so I can play with your hair!" only to be told 5 minutes later that I wasn't nice and I would losing all of my rocks. ;)

This year, we are doing things a little different:

*no computer when le Petit Prince is awake unless we’re doing something together

*attend Mass at least 4 times a week (this might mean being at church at 6:30 in the morning! And NOT central time zone 6:30, which I could almost do!)
*movies on Saturdays only (le Petit Prince says Monday, so maybe)
*meat on Sundays only (wanted to give it up entirely, but a week of being sick left enough meat in the freezer that won't last until Easter)
*no non-required purchases (vehicle maintenance/replacement aside); groceries only during the first week of the month and minimal
*no candy, but some sweet things on the weekends is fine
*volunteer at the semi-local Pregnancy Crisis Center (nothing is local here!)
*purge items that could go to the PCC or another family
*weekly Stations of the Cross at the parishes
*finish re-sewing chapel veil to fulfill the employer's request of making it smaller
*begin Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training - level 3
*say a novena regarding the continuation of the elementary Montessori training

*don’t let morning prayers slip by

We get a rock every time we fulfill one of the above as well as for thoughtful gestures as pointed out by the other person.

EDITED LATER: It worked pretty well actually. We left town for Easter weekend and I conveniently forgot something after we were in the car so I came back in to swap the rocks and stones - when we arrived back home, he went straight for the prayer table and LOVED it! We ended up creating flowers to "plant" in the colored stones for every day of Easter, showing that life comes from anything when we depend on God.

Musings on vehicles

I’ve never bought my own vehicle. Oh, I tried. A very wonderful woman I know and dearly love paid off the loan for me – just in case. Oh am I ever so thankful for that just in case. My first car was my mother’s old car when she bought a new one – I got it after the head gasket was fixed. 89 Corsica. No a/c. I need my a/c. So I bought the 96 Grand Prix (see above) – in 1999 no less. The newest vehicle I’ve owned to date. Ok, technically, I bought the 96, but I didn't ultimately pay for it (yet - I consider it unpaid debt!).

 

During the time of owning that vehicle, I worked as a live-in nanny for two families and utilized vehicles provided by them. Despite those respites, I put many miles on the Grand Prix and the head gasket went out one day. Had it repaired and drove it a while longer. The engine insisted on not functioning properly and blew out somewhere in the middle of northern Michigan. In the middle of winter. With a baby in the back seat. I think we sat at the only 2 square inch patch of land WITH a cell phone signal for miles around – we were told to stay in the car and keep baby warm. All was well. See, it's about the baby - keep the baby warm. If it was just me, I'd've walked before calling anyone anyway. :) Yeah, I put miles on that car. Lots of traveling experiences. Lots of locking myself out experiences ;)

 

The 94 Dodge Caravan was given to me. I tried to pay for it. Didn’t work. Will I ever be this generous? I pray so. The van had problems, but we loved it. I won’t say that my favorite part was re-starting it every time we stopped, or entered the expressway, but I met several nice police officers who would stop and ask if all was well as I re-started (the transmission!). Now I know that they ARE watching for those in need, not just speeders! I continued to own it for several months after gaining the next vehicle and both were blessings for a very fast weekend cross-town move that no-one thought I could pull off in less than 72 hours. This van sat unloaded for the next 2 or more months until my muscles healed again! Oh, the electric issues with this van. The grinding and clicking of the locks… I actually read the owner’s manual on this one – found lots of great information – including how to turn the automatic locks OFF, and a recommended vehicle maintenance chart – I knew to change the oil and when to get check-ups and tune-ups, but who knew they provided THIS kind of information? Very nice. No a/c though. Hmph. Baby in the back-seat. HOT baby in the back seat. But I never locked him in, which was great given my track record of keys inside of locked cars with me on the outside.

 

The 92 Plymouth Voyager (same vehicle as above, plus 2 feet) was a purchase too, but in the end I didn’t really pay for it until after the tow truck took it away two years later (paid for it, but the previous owner paid for some repairs – and I paid later for the repairs). We had shredded belts one day with that one – a story for another day about God’s saving presence and His most wonderful angels. Loved that van too - it had a/c and a radio that beeped at us when we'd turn the engine off - whether it was on or not - my son started beeping with it. I was never brave enough to PUT the pro-life stickers on, but this one came with them. And we had experiences with those too. Good ones... mostly. I never did understand the one sticker that someone put over the window... but that's another story too. And yes, I locked the keys in - but the child was with me on the outside. Who knew that a Cub Foods would have a metal hanger?

 

When that one died (and oh did it go out with a bang!), I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I borrowed my son’s teacher’s husband’s car for the next 3 days and a friend’s parents were going to lend me their van for 2 weeks so I could finish my student teaching. The loan became a gift. And I was SO humbled by their generosity. I still am. I made it back to the late 90’s again: a 96 Dodge Caravan – with electrical issues (surprise! it's a Dodge!). At least this one didn’t grind at me (well, not right away - and it's not the locks) – the windshield wipers come on when going around corners. Very cool. Brings lots of stares (“doesn’t that woman know how to work the proper parts to her vehicle!?”), but the license plates and the pro-life stickers do too, so there it is. J We bring stares wherever we go, might as well be for something funny! We locked the keys in. Together. A joint effort to waste spend the evening sitting on the stairs waiting for the rental manager to let us in. While smaller than the vans above, that van holds a LOT of stuff (how do I know this?).

 

But now… it must go… I will miss it. I thought I was ready to let it go. I thought I was ready to purchase a new (for me) vehicle. Got the tax return, got the car loan approved – but God says “wait” – and I wait. The van is grinding at me. It growls. It makes a high pitched droning sound. I found ice crystals in the oil (given that it was -11 wind-chill that day). The transmission is going (is it because it’s a Dodge Caravan?). Regardless, I can’t afford to repair it. There’s too much going on - 185K+ miles. I am so thankful for the gift of this vehicle. And honestly, I’m not sure they thought it would last as long as it has (see my above history with vehicles!).

 

It’s time to get a new vehicle – probably a car. After my first and only experience purchasing a vehicle, I just don’t want to go through it again. Given that 1) I know better what I’m doing; 2) I know the people I’m buying from – they are local, attend the church where I work, the wife is one of my volunteer catechists; 3) I’m not doing a trade-in…. And I’m not getting a loan for the whole amount.

 

I think that’s it. It’s the debt. I don’t want more debt. I have SO much school debt; the consumer debt is gone; I still owe 2 friends and 1 family member. Not one of them thinks ill of me for purchasing a vehicle (at least they don’t sound like it!). But I just don’t want more debt. Period. But will the van hold out another several more months until I have more money and can take on a smaller loan? And can I stop myself from using the save-for-the-car money to pay off the other debts? I am controlled enough to not spend the money – I am not controlled enough to allow money to sit in any account when I have interest ticking on those debts and the generosity of loved ones to not abuse.

 

And I want someone else to tell me: this is the car for you. The Grand Prix just didn't fit me - pysically. It was made for a much taller person - at least someone with longer legs. I learned the tricks of stretching leg muscles I didn't know existed and which pillows are more comfortable for sitting on so I could see above the steering wheel. I take a long time to make decisions, looking at every angle, and I doubt my ability to assure every angle is covered on this one.

 

So I keep praying. St. Christopher is my buddy right now. I even dreamed of him the other night, though it took me a while to figure out who he was. If he’ll just keep that van going (and quiet!) until God reveals His new plan.... St. Christopher, pray for us.

 

[caption id="attachment_26" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Just some flurries.... That became ice and more snow and closed schools for a week, encasing my van in 2-4 inch wrapping of crystal clear ice. You won't really find our van in this picture. The camera died before I got it. (see vague lump in lower right corner)"][/caption]

 

Hello world!

Having wanted to do a family blog for a couple of years now, and spending the weekend home sick, what better time than the present?