Friday Favorites

This Friday, one of the 'favorites' evokes wonderful memories of my childhood. I remember this St. Joseph Missal sitting in front of a stack of toys one Christmas, I don’t remember one other thing I got that Christmas, definitely I did not save any of the toys I got that year, but almost forty-seven years later I still cherish this Missal. The Mass was still said in Latin at that time and my missal had Latin on the left page and English on the right page so I was happy to be able to follow along. We were being taught some Latin in school, I remember Sister Mary Avellina teaching us the Our Father in Latin (I wish I could still recite it, but it’s lost to me now), it wasn’t long after receiving this Missal though that changes took place with Vatican II and the Mass was then said in English, and no one brought their Missals to Mass with them anymore. I still use this little book to say many of the prayers in it, and to look at the many beautiful pictures it contains. I especially love that my Mom wrote on the first page of this book, I love that her handwriting (her oh so very beautiful handwriting) is still here with me inside one of my treasures long after she is gone. Having this book is like having a little piece of her heart still here with me.
This Missal is wrapped up in memories of my mother, as it was she that first taught me about God and Faith. It was from my mother that I first learned a love that I could rely on, it was from her that I first felt loved, and it was from my mother that I also first felt God’s Infinite Love. Before grade school at Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament School, before the Sisters of Mercy, even before I first ever attended Mass, there was my mother, my first teacher of my Faith.


My other favorite today is the place where I like to spend a lot of time each day, on the computer, at the desk in our dining room. I enjoy spending time writing, or reading what others have written, I love keeping in touch with family and friends through emails, and I like using the computer as an encyclopedia, it is a font of information for me, any subject that I find interesting is right at my fingertips!

And today is my sister-in-law Susie’s Birthday. Birthdays are a time for gifts, and remembering Susie on her Birthday reminds me that it is from Susie that I received some of the most valuable gifts that have ever been bestowed on me in my life, and they are love, forgiveness, and friendship. Susie took something inside of me that was in shreds and made it whole again, she took what was darkness and despair and transformed it into light and joy. There are no words that I know of to convey to her the appreciation that is contained in my heart. How do you thank someone for restoring your soul?
I'm thanking God for the Gift of Susie.
I'm happy that her Birthday falls on a Friday this year, because Susie fits right into my Friday Favorites.


Weekend Forecast:

Not a whole lot on the weekend forecast this time.

Saturday ~ If the weather is nice we’re driving up to a lake to do some fishing. Later in the day I’ll be baking another recipe of Diana’s (she's been kind enough to post her recipes on her blog 'Welcome To My World', I'll bake either her peanut butter and jelly cake, or another batch of her potato chip cookies).

Sunday ~ Again, if the weather is nice we’ll be planting flowers at the cemetery in the morning. Later in the day the kids will come to our home for a visit.

We have no alternate plans if it rains. I guess we’ll just have to be spontaneous!