Lent, Worries, and Bosco, the Convicted Chicken Killer

I'm doing it. I'm blogging after a long hiatus.

Lent

We Catholics are in the season of lent.   Guess what I gave up? Besides coffee, which is truly a sacrifice.  I am a consumer of a pot a day so this has been harder than giving up sugar in the past!  What else did I gave up?  TV and talk radio.  No idea what is going on in the world and loving it. The two channels I often listen to are EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) and the Catholic Channel. Yep, gave them up.  Seems ironic seeing that one would think you would WANT to listen to those channels during lent.  Nope, I  have been basking in the other 200 channels on Sirius Radio!  So far my favorites are the 40's junction, Bluegrass and Spa.  The reason why? They are calming, peaceful and make me happy. Simple music. I get out of my head and just breathe.

Our family has had some rough patches the last few months; health problems, death, other dramas so I've been thinking a lot about love.  How life is about loving and serving others. When you are there for others and 'serve' them you truly do get more in return.  Things as simple as just showing up shows people you care.  Showing up for a funeral, showing up at the hospital, showing up at the door with a 'hey, how's it going'.



I really love what St. Augustine said "our hearts are restless until we rest in thee".  I sometimes can't believe how blessed I am.  Lately I have been having tireless anxiety, but at the end of the day I am still filled with a joy knowing I can rest in our Father's hands. I give him my worries.  Pray that his will be done in all circumstances.

First Born College-Bound-YIKES!

Another worry...my oldest is going to college next fall.

I really believe the tide will be turning soon. In my Pollyanna optimistic way, people will tire of all the busyness they have in their lives and return to a more simple way to live.  My oldest daughter has chosen her college.  We have been talking to about majors.  I'm beginning to wonder if the days of the traditional college are starting to dwindle. Why do we send our children off, have them find a career that sends them far from us?  They find someone, marry and we visit a few times a year to hardly see our grandchildren.  Families are spread throughout the nation.  St. John Paul II said "so goes the family, so goes the nation, so goes the world."  Our small parish (45 or so families) would be thriving had the children of my generation (80's) stuck around to raise their family.  I realize some situations you need to fly away and never return to your childhood, but extended families are the cornerstone of society.  So, I've been encouraging my daughter to consider a career that will land her a job around here.  I will push the trades and common sense careers with the rest of my children, all the while encouraging one of the most important factors in life (besides God) is family.




Don't let his cuteness fool you, Bosco is still a chicken killer.

Another tragedy that has happened in our family is my dog has been convicted as a chicken killer.  Two of my neighbor's chickens succumbed to his torture.  He is sentenced to a life of having to be tied up.  This has forced me to walk him which has turned out to be a blessing.  I LOVE winter.  I'm sorta hoping for one more snow.  Snow is so beautiful. Makes everything clean (hides all the trash along the roads too).  So walking him forces me outside which is good for me.

So, family, love, doggies, music, are some simple things that can fill our lives. 

What can you give up to make your life more simple?