Autumn and Her Five Senses by Theresa

14 Thursday Oct 2021

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Seasons, Seasons, Feast Days, etc.

For Throwback Thursday….This is a sweet memory that Theresa wrote a few years back. Right now, she is suffering from morning sickness and not able to do much or enjoy the autumn in its loveliness. But before we know it, she will be up and making her soaps and sprinkling her enthusiasm for life to those around her…

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Kurt Vonnegut

Autumn is on our doorstep! I hope you enjoy this season as much as we do! The following are some thoughts by our daughter, Theresa about this lovely time of the year!

Musings and a Poem

Theresa Byrne

Autumn and Her Five Senses.

Sight- Those gold, beautiful colors! In my mind’s eye, I can see the changing of the leaves already! When I walk down Memory Lane, I am in Maine strolling along a winding road, bejeweled with huge maple syrup trees, changing to colors of orange, burgundy and yellow.

Pictures from their trip to Maine

The crisp air and lovely colors make this time of year my favorite to take walks.

Early in the fall season, my children and I spend a day sprinkling these autumn colors through our home. Garlands of leaves, wreaths and mums that I have gathered throughout the years bring some of the outside in.

Pumpkins…such a splash of color! Every year I get each of the kids their own pumpkin and a few extras. We use them as part of our décor, until the All Saints Day Party rolls around, and then we spend a day carving for our annual ‘Pumpkin Carving Contest.’

Out come sweaters, scarves and boots. I love the first time I don my rust, wine and oranges! Indeed, autumn has come!

Smell – Mmmm….. Smell that pumpkin pie baking. Fall, the time of year I tie on my apron, gather my spices and fire up the stove. Fresh apples are plentiful, and the oven warms the house and takes the chill from the air.

Mulled cider candles are lit and in our home they hang a touch of nutmeg, cinnamon and joy!

I have a fond memory, from my childhood…. I was lying on our couch, half snoozing, it was fall time and I could smell fresh bread baking in the oven. I knew my mom was close by, and being a “quality time child”, at this moment I was completely happy. It’s funny, that something so simple and every dayish, holds such a good memory for me.

Simmering on my stove is a little pot of water, mixed with any spices I have… cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Throughout the day, the scent wafts through the house, and what a tease of smell this is to any visitor that comes along.

Devin loves walking in at the end of the day to the colors, peace and smells of ‘Our Friend, Autumn.’

Hearing – There she is, you hear her music on the breeze, the rustling of the leaves, the wind in the willows.

Lilting notes from Devin’s tin whistle can be heard, as we sit around the bonfire or a steaming mug of coffee. Melodies of Ireland come together, with the music of the breeze.

We experience the hum of excitement and laughter at the Shakespeare Festival, and the strain of live music, coming up from ‘The Hollow.’

The crunching leaves, when you are still and listen, or even the gentle floating of leaves, when they come off the trees, and make the ground their resting place is all part of this season!

Taste – Sitting here, with the breeze coming through the window, I am sipping on a steaming mug of coffee, loaded with fresh cream and a hint of stevia.

Coffee is one of our favorite things, but in the fall it tastes even better. Our basket of tea, which had been retired since the spring, comes out of hiding, on these crisp, cool days.

The kids love when I make a pot of tea, with milk and honey, for us to share.

I love to bake this time of year! My kids and I have already made plump blackberry pies, Swedish tea rings, juicy crisps and delicious blackberry, dark chocolate cheesecake.

When it comes to baking I am a perfectionist, so to let the kids take part I have had to learn to let go. The fun and memories are worth it and I still take time to bake by myself.

Touch – I think of my fuzzy blanket, warm sweaters, a scarf to add a dash of color, and a child’s hug.

Bonfires are a big part of our fall. We snuggle up, (or hug up, as Brendan says) around the cozy flame, to chat, play music or say the rosary.

Brendan wanted me to tell his favorite bonfire story. Just the other day the kids had been begging to have a bonfire. So after dinner we headed outside, with the tin whistle and kids in tow.

Devin was playing away, and the kids had just started roasting their first “mellow”, when the sky blackened and the heavens opened! This wasn’t just a little shower, it was pouring!

Brendan still thinks this was the greatest bonfire ever!

It’s many little things that make this time of year special…..Like for me, the smell of bread baking when I was a child.

Thinking of all these things, makes me excited to stop, savor and enjoy this season…. every day that we have with our delightful friend, Autumn!!!

My Friend, Autumn

by Theresa Byrne

If Autumn was a person, who would she be?

Dressed in gowns of orange and yellow roaming around free.

Her hair would hang loose, sparkling with the morning dew,

Her voice whispering through the trees, telling secrets to me and you.

The birds and the squirrels, the dearest of her chums,

Prance around this Beauty Queen, crowned with a wreath of mums.

When you smell her scent, it’s quite a tease,

Apples, cinnamon and spices swirl around her on the breeze…

Her colors on a pallet are everything that’s bold,

I think of her when I see leaves change, to orange,yellow, wine and gold.

When she comes to visit at the change of the season…

Candles are lit, pies are made and she is our only reason!

The dancing leaves make shadows on the wall,

Sweaters, festivals, mulled cider; her season is called Fall.

I would like to thank this Lady for coming every year,

The memories she has made, to me are very dear.

If Autumn was a person who would she be?

Bold colors, friendship, bonfires, is who she is to me.

Recent picture of Devin and Theresa’s family

Margy and Fall

Nothing like a hot cup of tea on a brisk autumn day!

A Chai Tea recipe we have used from Taste of Home…

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 tea bags
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 whole clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in milk. Return to a boil; boil for 1 minute, then strain. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour into mugs. Top each with whipped cream, cinnamon and a cinnamon stick if desired.

OR…

Just buy some lovely Chai Tea Bags and top with homemade whipping cream and cinnamon!

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So Very Thankful by Theresa Byrne

27 Friday Nov 2020

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Virtues

≈ 4 Comments

So very thankful,
Incredibly grateful,
Unbelievably blessed!

Without the cloves, cinnamon and ginger, the pie is mundane and tasteless. So it goes with life….a little Joy, Thanksgiving and Gratefulness adds flavor!

The past year or so it has become very apparent to me how important it is to be grateful. As the thought-provoking question goes, “If you were able to keep everything you were grateful for today, what would you have?”

When I seriously look at my life I see how I have been so blessed, but it’s so easy to get caught up in the “what I don’t have” or the comparing game.

Ugh, is this what we have become? I remember the first time I went to McDonald’s it was on my honeymoon. Growing up, going out to eat was a very rare, joyous occasion!

For me, having children is the best way to see where my attitude is at. They reflect me. As a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mom, there is no one that they rub shoulders with more than me. The more I have become aware of their attitudes, the more I know me.

When my seven-year-old daughter started yelling more at her siblings, I stopped and saw me. When my nine year old son kept getting frustrated in school and repeating, “I’m not comprehending,” I saw me. And so on and on we go.

The positive I have learned through this, is that I can change my attitude, and just like the bad, the good also rubs off. In the past year I have tried to be more consciously grateful. …For the beautiful day, for a warm home, good food, the people I love. While this has been a huge positive, I realize that in order for my kids to pick it up I must verbalize gratefulness.

So I try. During the day I will say things like, “Thank you for this beautiful day, Jesus,” or “We are so blessed to have this good food!” The more I have verbalized gratefulness, the easier it has become. Just like the yelling rubs off, so does the gratitude.

It warms my heart when my very hungry four-year-old gushes, “Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful food!”

As we have begun to practice gratitude more and more, we have found more to be grateful for. The negatives can turn into a positive. For instance, “Daddy has to work late again tonight, but we are very grateful he has lots of work and we might be able to do something as a family, with the extra money.”

In general, I feel that gratitude has made us more happy and joyous. Sometimes I can feel the joy bubble over, and I believe that has become the side effect of gratitude….

“When gratitude becomes your default setting, Life Changes.” -Nancy Demos

It has also made me more aware of the lack of gratitude. When we were young, mom would go shopping and usually bring us home a little treat from the Health Food Store. We would always work very hard to have the house sparkling clean, and we were always very grateful for our stick of licorice or stevia soda.

So one day, when I got home from a shopping trip, and my son demanded, “What did you get for me?” I thought, “Uh-oh, what am I creating?”

Next time I went to town, I skipped the treat….and that seemed to make the impression… that it is not something to be demanded or expected, but to be grateful for.

I feel like gratitude has helped us make a big deal out of little things for us. We are grateful to make homemade fries, to go on a walk, to have a bonfire. It is beautiful, simple and I feel blessed!

This Thanksgiving, our family is trying to remember the spices of Joy, Thanksgiving and Gratefulness! It just makes the pie so much better!

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Recollections and Theresa’s Tea Party for Princesses

14 Friday Aug 2020

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Creativity

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

making memories, quality time with children, tea party

by Theresa (VanderPutten) Byrne

Yesterday is gone; Tomorrow may never come; Today is a gift; that is why we call it “The Present.”

Kneeling in front of my little Grandma VanderPutten’s casket, this past week, a flood of good memories fill my mind…

Grandma told us tales of adventure about her childhood. I especially remember the story of the time in the war when her family found refuge in a tiny chicken coop. They lived there for a time, surviving on animal feed that they had picked the mouse droppings out of.

I recollect the times Grandma and I would go out early with our buckets and harvest blueberries. While we worked she told me tales of being a young girl and when she fell in love with my Grandpa.

When I was younger I recall Grandma as a tough woman not prone to emotions or softness. As time passed she mellowed and I remember her often getting teary at another person’s sufferings.

Grandpa and Grandma were blessed with many years together and with thirteen children. Nineteen years ago Grandpa passed away, after a long battle with cancer. Part of Grandma died that day but this feisty little Dutch woman lived on for many years.

In recent years Grandma got to where she loved to visit with the grandchildren and talk of the past and of God.

I remember it was her that got us started saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day.

In 2013 when I was struggling with mono, she would sit and cry with me over my sufferings but also because she was experiencing the onset of dementia…

She told me how scary it felt not to remember things and although she was offering it up, she felt very alone. She suffered much and was blessed much.

I felt a sense of peace kneeling there at her coffin. On a a bouquet of white roses read “Death is not the last sleep, but the final awakening”.

Life is short. We only have our loved ones here for a little while.

I know if I keep this thought ever present in my mind, I would be a much better wife, mother and friend.

It makes me think of a dear friend who always takes time for his nieces….not because they are the prettiest or smartest, simply because they are family and that makes them special to him.

He has inspired me and at the same time made me aware of what I would like to be to my nieces and nephews.

It seems the days fly by and I am so wrapped up in my own immediate duties, that often I don’t even take the time to let my nieces and nephews know I love them and that they are special.

With these thoughts in mind, I planned a TEA PARTY!!

My three nieces were cordially invited, by my daughter Sienna, to a cousin’s Tea Party. We told them to wear their prettiest frocks and to come ready to be served by “Butler Brendan” (my six-year-old son).

It just so happened that my husband was home that day. Being of the same mind… to make lasting memories…. and also being the great guy he is, he dug out his own suit, tie and church shoes! Voila! We had “Butler Devin!”

As the girls started to arrive, our butlers escorted them from their carriages (dusty vans), addressing them as, “Princess Emma, Princess Grace and Princess Agnes.”

Princess Grace:

Princess Emma:

A couple of the girls looked rather shy but delighted! It was really fun to see the moms’ surprised faces at seeing hubby, dressed up, welcoming the girls to, “Rose Wood Cottage.” 😀

Butlers Devin and Brendan poured tea and served the princesses scones, muffins, sandwiches and plenty of fresh berries. The girls were thrilled and made quite a pretty picture against our white lace tablecloth with a sprinkling of fresh rose petals.

Once our ‘plump princesses’ had their fill of crumpets and tea, they gathered round for story time with “Grammy Rosalie” (a dear and special friend). I cleared and got the table ready for cookie decorating!

We had made each princess a platter of sugar cookies. They each had their own butter cream frosting and sprinkles. We set to decorating… One or two did more eating than decorating, but we all had fun!

To end the outing we put on fun music and ‘Butler Brendan’ retired his tux and headed up the dancing.

The tired but happy princesses were taken home, with platters of cookies for their families and good memories dancing in their heads.

Doing this for the girls made me happy and also makes me want to invest more time in making lasting memories.

I had never heard of someone, at the closing of life, wish they had made more money or spent more time at the office. What I have heard is regrets… sorrow for not spending more time with God and with the people they love.

As the days fly by, I try to remember…..

Yesterday is gone; Tomorrow may never come; Today is a gift, that is why we call it ‘The Present.’

NOW is where memories start!

“Let us run to Mary, and as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.” – St. Francis de Sales
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A Festival, A Day to Remember

30 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne

≈ 1 Comment

A Throwback….

A FESTIVAL, A DAY TO REMEMBER

by Theresa (VanderPutten) Byrne

Have you ever been so excited that when bedtime comes, you feel like you couldn’t possibly sleep a wink? When you finally fall asleep, it is a restless tossing and turning while your subconscious is still wide awake….

That was me, age 10, Friday night before the Farmers Market.

I lived and dreamed of the Saturdays that my dad and I would be up, before the rooster crowed, packing the trailer with baked goods, veggies and whatever else we planned to sell.

My sister, Virginia, and I had to take turns on Saturdays but she tended to like her rest more than the thrill of the open market, so many times I could convince her to stay home and let me take her place.

I could feel the excitement down to my fingertips, as we pulled into our selling spot among the other venders.

I was a born saleswoman and I loved people, so this was just ‘my cup of tea!’

I couldn’t understand my sister happily sleeping at home while all this was taking place, but I was glad to have taken her spot!

We would set up our tables and get ready; sales stared at 7:00 am sharp!

As the years passed I established quite a clientele for my baked goods. I hand-painted a sign that said,”Tweety’s Sweeties,” and many an old fellow would dream of Saturday and the fresh apple pies it brought!

I loved being in charge of our stand and my dad had time to wander and build relationships with other vendors, while I wheeled and dealed.

A couple of times we went and picked up trailer loads of watermelons, from the Ozarks, to add to our Saturday sales.

My younger brother got into hand-squeezed lemonade and we would put a big sign on him that said, “Follow me for fresh lemonade.” Then he would wander through the crowds of people and drum up business.

The Farmers Market manager ended up shutting down our superb advertising. I think other vendors were jealous at the amount of business this brown eyed lad brought in! haha

Good, good times! Good, good memories!

A few weeks ago when my Brendan excitedly told me about how Angelo, my youngest brother, was going to have booths and do a sale, all I could see was little me, just waiting for Farmers Market Day!

The day was set; the sale would take place at Grandma’s house. All the cousins were excited and we had two weeks to make our wares.

Devin, my husband, and Brendan decided on sling shots. (Devin makes a wicked sling shot!) They got to work, felling dead and overgrown branches, finding any limbs with a V shape. After trimming off extra leaves they had enough to make thirteen slingshots.

They let the wood dry and about a week later you could find us in our shop, the sander on and camo duct tape ready to go.

Devin cut to size, while Brendan and I sanded and then we all put them together.

This was a bigger task than it sounds but some great family memories were made.

As the day of the sale approached, the kids’ excitement mounted. Just like Christmas, half the fun is preparing for it!

The day before the sale we picked blackberries and Sienna and I made honey blackberry muffins. We wrapped them and priced them at 25 cents apiece.

Yay! The day of the sale had arrived!

At 5:45pm, on Sunday, the fun began. All the parents went traipsing down through the weeds, through some of Grandpa’s junk, down to the far side of my parent’s property. The boys had mowed a spot, set up little booths and a couple small tables for tired buyers….

(Ernie, looking frustrated because he’s last in line and going to miss the great deals! You snooze, you lose, Ernie! 😀 )

My younger sister ran a concession stand with your choice of drinks, snacks and fruit.

There was a booth of hand blacksmithed knives which were unique and priced to sell.

Then we had a couple booths with small toys and trinkets.

The ice cream lady was down the way and you could get a finger lickin’ cone for 50 cents!

My Brendan’s slingshots sold like hot cakes and he brought in a whopping $6.00!

Sienna’s blackberry muffins spoke to the more health conscious buyers, with Grandpa being her best customer! She sold out and was shopping within ten minutes of opening!

A true girl, she spent every penny she had on her, while Brendan saved back the majority of his earnings.

My nephew, Toni, had set up a game with a bunch of empty shotgun shells on different levels. There was a starting time and by it a bucket of gravel. For 10 cents you got a minute of time to try and knock down all the shells.

You should have heard the laughter as the young (and old) guys tried to outdo each other!

There was even a spot the boys had set up that, if you wanted to chat and chomp on your wares (or smoke a cigar) you could do it at their little outdoor coffee spot!

When our coins ran low, hot and a little bug-bitten, we headed back up to the house.

No amusement park, fair, circus or the like, could have held a candle to the fun the kids and the parents had that day!

Without a doubt, this was a day to remember!

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.”

“Life is messy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Busy children trump an immaculate house any day of the week. Does it really matter that my carpet has a juice stain on it, or that my cupboard drawer no longer works because my son thought it was a stepping stool? Things can be replaced, but nothing can replace the feeling of ‘home’ that one gets when a house is bustling with children.” -Darlene Schacht

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My Heart is Full by Theresa (VanderPutten) Byrne

02 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Family Life, FF Tidbits

≈ 5 Comments

For Throwback Thursday – Our Daughter’s Story…… 🙂

Once an old man remarked to a friend of mine who was shopping, with two little children in tow, “My you’ve got your hands full!”
Without skipping a beat my friend looked up, smiled and said, “Actually, I’ve got my heart full!”
I haven’t forgotten her words and I bet the old man hasn’t either.
How would you define, “to have your heart full?”
I think different people would have different answers.

I think back to my teenage years, the get-togethers, the fun, the go, go, go.
My parents monitored things closely and we had lots of good, joyful, wholesome fun in a home open to family and friends.
I worked by waiting tables at a small hometown restaurant, ran the Junior Legion of Mary, cooked and baked, and sang for our choir.

Rosary was a daily part of our lives, sprinkled with daily Mass and St. Theresa novenas.
People flocked to our home because it was stable, joyful and good. Dad and Mom sacrificed their home and time, to keep an eye on things while being a part of the games and activity.

We had Paintball Wars! The boys played and the girls cooked and took care of the wounded!
The Traditional Family Weekend originated through Mom and Dad about twelve years ago and twice a year, families from different states came together for music, dancing, talks, Mass and just a wholesome family time!

I traveled twice to France with good Catholic friends, for the Chartres Pilgrimage, then took a jaunt with the leprechauns to the homeland of the Irish. While we were there, we danced, we sang, we prayed, we lived with no regrets.

Being in such a good situation gave my siblings and I a chance to get to know many good men and women…..a golden opportunity for when the time was right to choose our spouse!
Many good marriages came from my parents being open to these get-togethers and having a home open for good people.

So, as you can see my youth was filled with faith, fun, stability and many good young men to choose a spouse from.

I was at peace and happy but my heart wasn’t full yet.

Then I met Devin, my future husband, at one of our Traditional Family Weekends….

I am grateful, so grateful, to my parents for the sacrifices they made for their children. I entered marriage pure, with no regrets.
I am grateful for the nights they stayed up late and for the brother or sister who was always chaperoning when we courted.

Fast forward ten years….

We have three children now and time has flown. Each day is precious!
From holding our first little boy to watching him receive his First Holy Communion….All the happiness I have experienced in the past, could not come close to the joy I felt when my first-born received Jesus for the first time!

From the time I married a wonderful man and have been given three children, I have been blessed.
We have had our ups and downs along the road. Mono put me in bed for a year and with it came a lot of anxiety.
When I got well, life was all the sweeter and I was more aware of my Faith.

My husband and I delight in our children. Together we watch the birds, check for eggs and view the sunsets. Our family is our joy!

When something good happens, the kids always call Daddy at work. He is interested in what his children are excited about and this is how we share the good times, even when he is not home.
Each day is an adventure, sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry!

We were driving the other day when my son, Brendan, excitedly said from the back seat, “Mom, you won’t believe this! I know it is because I have received Communion so many times and Jesus is in my heart…..I think God came up through my boots because I put my long sock on my right foot and now it’s on my left! Wow, miracles are happening to me all the time!”

He’s right! Every day is a miracle!
When I look at my children I feel a sense of urgency. They have been given to me for such a short time; I must take advantage of this moment.

When I can go to bed knowing I have read with my children, prayed with my children and laughed with my children, I am at peace.
In fact, I have never known such joy, as what daily living with my husband and children have given me.
The hard times make the good times better.
I wouldn’t change my life for anything!
I look around at the sad, lonely old people who thought kids and family weren’t worth the trouble. You know… the ones that are quick to say, “You sure have your hands full!”
Without skipping a beat, I can now say, “Yes, but my heart is overflowing!”

“Youth is at the same time the most beautiful and the most dangerous period of life; it can be the most blessed, or the most fatal of seasons. It is the time of poetry and romance, of dreams and visions, of aspirations and ambitions, of the noblest impulses and the grandest resolves. But it is also the season of inexperience and immaturity, of impulsiveness and impetuosity, of conceit, of hasty ideas, undigested plans and precipitate action. By one heroic decision a young person can lay the foundations of future greatness; and by one misstep a youth can start headlong and irresistibly to utter and irretrievable ruin.”-Rev. Fulgence G. Meyer, 1920’s

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With his facile pen and from the wealth of his nation-wide experience, the well-known author treats anything and everything that might be included under the heading of home education: the pre-marriage training of prospective parents, the problems of the pre-school days down through the years of adolescence. No topic is neglected. “What is most praiseworthy is Fr. Lord’s insistence throughout that no educational agency can supplant the work that must be done by parents.” – Felix M. Kirsch, O.F.M.

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Necessary advice to Catholic parents building a Catholic home. Reliable advice that is almost completely lost today, from people who know how it’s done. How to make it. How to live it. How to keep it. This book covers every aspect of Catholicizing your home–from spiritual matters like prayer and catechism to nuts and bolts topics like Keeping the Family Budget, Games and Toys, Harmony between School and Home, Family Prayers, Good Reading in the Home, Necessity of Home Life and much more

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Christmas Past by Theresa Dickens (I mean, Byrne)

12 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Seasons, Feast Days, etc.

≈ 5 Comments

It looks like Rosie is about a year old in the photo below so this picture is 21 years ago. Time passes quickly, indeed it does!

A lovely excerpt from our second born, Theresa Rose (middle back row), for this Throwback Thursday….

Childhood memories of Christmases Past brought back the thoughts of simplicity….which played a huge part in our family’s Christmas joy!

Thinking back to when I was young Advent always started with the appearance of the Advent wreath and the making of our stable. There was a joyous preparation, not hurried, rushed or bought.

We would lay straws in the manger for each sacrifice we made throughout the days leading up to Christmas.

Growing up there was not extra money, especially at Christmas, since Dad’s construction work could be quite seasonal, so my parents often did not buy Christmas gifts. We didn’t see Dad and Mom stressed over having to buy gifts they couldn’t afford.

We were normal kids and presents were just as exciting to us as to other kids. Grandma and Auntie Janice (on my mom’s side) would bring over beautiful parcels, enough for all!

This in itself became a tradition…. Oooing and Ahhhing over each beautifully wrapped present….and we were very grateful for everything we received!

We looked forward with anticipation to St. Nicholas Day, where Dad and Mom would do a puppet show of St. Nicholas and Black Pete. We would receive stocking plump with snacks and treats!

As the years passed, we were able to buy gifts, but the emphasis was never on the getting, but the giving.

Some years we would cringe when Dad would make an announcement that we should pick a favorite gift that we had received to give it to another child who had less. We were not made to do this, but we were encouraged. And we did.

Every Advent we would put together a basket or cut wood for a family in need. This instilled in us children how truly blessed we were. There were others suffering and cold, while we were warm, safe and happy.

We would start the St. Andrew Novena on November 30^th and down to the littlest fellow that could talk, we would wait for our turn to repeat the beautiful “Hail and Blessed” Prayer.

Some of my favorite memories are when we would all pile into our old Volvo and head to Rossville to view the lights. What a thrill…the color, the magic, the beauty!

Our first snowfall we would take bowls outside and pack them hard with snow. Mom would pour honey and cinnamon on our snow and we would have homemade candy!

One Christmas especially stands out in my mind….we knew Dad was doing something special and secretive in the evenings leading up to Christmas. After Midnight Mass that year we came home to beautiful, homemade stockings, filled with gifts and treats that had been made with love and care by Dad!

Another year, when we were teenagers, Dad made us each our own ornament. He cut out three pictures of each child and created an ornament with glitter and glue. On the bottom of each ornament Dad had written something. Mine said, “Our Blooming Rose!” We were so proud of each of our ornaments!

As the weeks of Advent passed, Mom would spend one of the afternoons with us making cookies. Our “Cherry Flip” recipe was a favorite and came from an aunt that Mom loved. It was a shortbread cookie make into a ball, stuffed with a cherry, baked, iced with cherry icing and dipped in coconut! Yum! We made other kinds, too, and we then froze little parcels of the cookies for family and friends, which we handed out after Midnight Mass.

Dad was kind of a Scrooge about the Christmas tree. Many years he would go out back and cut us a rather ugly, Charlie Brown cedar tree. This is the part of Christmas that Grandma was often the hero, and mysteriously a lovely tree would show up! Since then Dad has mellowed and if Mom asks, he will pick up a tree on his way home from work.

Just a few days before Christmas, often Christmas Eve, we would decorate the house and the tree.

Time was spent stringing popcorn and cranberries. We made ornaments with last year’s Christmas cards and sometimes dried orange rings to add to the tree…

Midnight Mass was where Christmas began for us. Dressed in our finest, we headed out into the darkness to finally celebrate His Birth!

Arriving home, the baby Jesus, so beautiful, would be laying in the little manger, where He had miraculously appeared while we were gone!

Out came the cookies! On came the Christmas music! Joyous and fun, our Christmas had just begun!

In the morning, after Dad finished reading from the Bible about the birth of Christ, we opened gifts, turned on music, ate good food (and more cookies) and started the turkey for Christmas dinner!

In a one-bedroom home, seven kids, not a lot of money, all of these traditions happened….

Where lack could have been felt, joy was added. We did things together preparing, getting ready and finally celebrating!

In the end, Our Savior was born and we always had a very Merry Christmas!

“We must be a maker of Christmas for others or we cannot make a real Christmas for ourselves. We need the sharing of our joy in order to partake of its real possession. If we try to keep our Christmas all to ourselves, we will miss half its sweetness.” J.R. MIller

Coloring pages for your children (click on them to get full size)….

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Many beautiful items on Meadows of Grace!

Beginning with the first day of Advent and continuing through the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, these selections from the immortal pen of Fulton J. Sheen encourage readers to explore the essence and promise of the season. Those looking to grow in their prayer life and become more attuned to the joy of Advent and Christmas will find a wonderful guide in this spiritual companion….

Delicious Christmas teas…. I love this brand of tea! What a great Christmas gift idea!

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So Very Thankful by Theresa Byrne

26 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Virtues

≈ 10 Comments

So very thankful,
Incredibly grateful,
Unbelievably blessed!

Without the cloves, cinnamon and ginger, the pie is mundane and tasteless. So it goes with life….a little Joy, Thanksgiving and Gratefulness adds flavor!

When I seriously look at my life I see how I have been so blessed, but it’s so easy to get caught up in the “what I don’t have” or the comparing game.

Thrift shopping, I overheard a conversation between a grandmother and a small grandchild, that she had on an outing. The child loudly, obnoxiously hollered in the middle of the store, “I want to go to Chick-fil-A, not stupid McDonald’s!” Ugh, is this what we have become? I remember the first time I went to McDonald’s it was on my honeymoon. Growing up, going out to eat was a very rare, joyous occasion!

It warms my heart when my very hungry four-year-old gushes, “Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful food!”

In general, I feel that gratitude has made us more happy and joyous. Sometimes I can feel the joy bubble over, and I believe that has become the side effect of gratitude….

“When gratitude becomes your default setting, Life Changes.” -Nancy Demos

So one day, when I got home from a shopping trip, and my son demanded, “What did you get for me?” I thought, “Uh-oh, what am I creating?”

Next time I went to town, I skipped the treat and that seemed to make the impression… that it is not something to be demanded or expected, but to be grateful for.

This Thanksgiving, our family is trying to remember the spices of Joy, Thanksgiving and Gratefulness! It just makes the pie so much better!

“A true wife makes a man’s life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love ‘turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward.’ While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence she brings out in him whatever is noblest and richest in his being. She inspires him with her courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is rude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path.” J.R.Miller

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Powerful and inspirational, With God in Russia captures the heroic patience, endurance, and religious conviction of a man whose life embodied the Christian ideals that sustained him…..

Autumn and Her Five Senses by Theresa

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by Leanevdp in by Theresa Byrne, Seasons, Seasons, Feast Days, etc.

≈ 4 Comments

For Throwback Thursday….

Autumn is on our doorstep! I hope you enjoy this season as much as we do! The following are some thoughts by our daughter, Theresa about this lovely time of the year!

Musings and a Poem

Theresa Byrne

Autumn and Her Five Senses.