After a four-year-long season of opening my home up to people who needed a place to stay for all sorts of circumstances, I have finally spent the past four months alone in my home. It's not only been a season of singing out loud (and not well), it's also been a season of emptying boxes, going through pictures, and shredding things I no longer need. It began with boxes of things that at one time I was apparently sure I'd need again some day but never have, and progressed to the large filing cabinet in the corner of my basement. I camped there for weeks in front of it. The contents of that filing cabinet have brought me all sorts of emotions. I've spent more hours sitting on the floor of my basement going through old photos than I can count. Some of the memories have ... View Post
Village People
A couple of weeks ago when my son Ian came home from Chicago, Rory put him to work helping redo a wall in the living room that he'd accidentally put a hole in. Or at least, I think that's what happened. I don't know. Anyways - it doesn't matter..... When I was over there in the middle of the demolition, plastic hanging from the ceiling, plaster dust everywhere, wires running through walls...... you get the picture. I said, "Do you even know what you're doing ???" I mean - My sons were raised by a pack of women, basically - Me, my sister, & my mom. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing feminine about either of them but I only know how to change a lightbulb and not much else, so I wasn't sure where his skills were coming from. I only knew they certainly had not come ... View Post
Meet Me At Beaumont!
I was mistaken when I believed life would slow down once my sons moved out. It hasn't. In fact, I'm not quite sure how I had time to raise children. I imagined time for lunch dates with girlfriends, and sleeping in on my mornings off, but this seldom happens. And this is actually one of the reasons I often look forward to going to work. I've heard it said that we really do make time for the things we want to do. And, I think that's true about relationships as well. They take intention, and sometimes, they take some schedule swaps, tree climbing, and meal planning. My friend Jean and I have gone from Irish dance nights at the Gaelic League with our families, to climbing trees and collecting osage oranges to repel spiders in our basements, to patient care in our ICU rooms at ... View Post
18 Christmas Mornings
Eighteen. That's how many Christmas mornings I spent with my family growing up before moving out on my own. Of those 18 Christmas Days, my fondest memories involve the excitement surrounding Christmas Eve. Yes - Santa. We were kids, so of course we were excited about Santa. But midnight Mass was always cool. There was something neat about seeing your friends in the wee hours of the night. The snow always fell behind the altar at St. Robert Bellarmine in Redford, Michigan. It was so very Christmas card worthy! And remembering the birth of Jesus always came first! The rush to get home in the silence of a snowy night was always exciting to me. Exhausted from staying up so late, my sister and I would fall asleep easily in our new flannel nightgowns, even while listening for ... View Post
Ice Cream & Onions
Every six months or so I make a TJ Max run to purchase another couple of packages of 1.5 strength reading glasses. Oops, I mean 2.0. Next time, I'll likely need 2.5 strength. They're relatively inexpensive at only $9.99 for 4 pair, and they come in enough colors to match most of the clothes I wear (why not have fun??) I can leave a pair in each room of the house, and a couple of pairs in my locker at work. My eyesight keeps getting worse and worse, and I now need them to eat, so my readers have now also become my "eaters." I'm going somewhere with this, I promise. Yesterday morning on my way home from the gym I stopped at Randazzo to get a fruit smoothie. I don't eat enough fruit, and it's such a treat - no added sugar. (Hello, my name is Rita and I'm addicted to ... View Post
My “I’m Glad This Year is Over” Holiday Letter
Holiday Greetings Everyone! It's been at least a decade since I wrote, printed, folded, and sent out a New Year letter to friends and family. Tonight as I lie here on my couch staring at my Christmas tree, decorated only on the front side that people will see, I figured - it's time. Yeah, that's right. I only decorated the front. See, I have only half the ornaments I used to have since I gave the kids the ones I'd collected for them over the years. So, if you come over, be sure to sit directly in front of the tree - not to the right, and not to the left. And also don't laugh at the top. I know it's bent over. I can't reach the stupid thing. (And please don't gift me with any ornaments - I'm in this "giving everything I own away" phase of life). Seriously! I have ... View Post
Rachel’s Pumpkin Muffins
I got this recipe last week when a classmate brought pumpkin muffins to class. They just looked....... Well, orange! But they were so delicious. Holy Moly! Oh, and EASY! Here ya go.... INGREDIENTS: One small can of pumpkin puree & one yellow cake mix. DIRECTIONS: Stir it up and plop into muffin tin (with paper of course, cuz they're so much cuter!). Bake till toothpick comes out clean from center. (Don't add all the ingredients the cake mix calls for - just what's in the box!) ADDED BONUS: I threw in a handful (okay, 2 handfuls) of chocolate chips. Also, my friend Laura says she uses a spice cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix, and it's delicious! And yes, your muffins will be the hit of the party. You're welcome ;) LOL ps) Thanks for the ... View Post
Smashed Pumpkins
My granddaughter was sad today. Overnight, some neighborhood kids smashed every one of the pumpkins my son and his wife used to decorate for the fall outside of their home. Lyla pulled her chair up, sat in front of the door, and just kept saying that it wasn't very nice. Not at all to my surprise, my daughter-in-law wasted no time in recognizing this as a teaching opportunity, and I'm so glad she did! It doesn't matter how old my sons and daughter-in-law are. I still have a whole lotta Mama Bear in me! Like Holly, I can't help but to be disappointed in the behavior of some. But! As I always told my kiddos - Sometimes we have people in our lives who provide really good examples of how to treat others. And every now and then, God places people in our lives to show us how not to ... View Post