pretty, happy, funny, real: March 2016

Joining Like Mother, Like Daughter for some pretty, happy, funny & real times...

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

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A beautiful gift from a beautiful friend.

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We are still happily enjoying our vegetable & fruit home delivery...

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The hens have started laying EGGS again.

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California earthquake?  Perhaps.

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Eggs-travaganza

The Summer has been filled with one spectacular event after another....

Camping at Lake Siskyou

Fishing for rainbow trout

Cooking rainbow trout

AHG Camp

Learning to tie knots...among other skills

Achieving the Climb on badge

Train Ride from California to Washington

Catholic Family Conference

Serving

San Francisco Stay

Investiture Mass

Dinner at the St. Francis - Celebrating a joyous occasion

Mass at the Carmel

Mass at the Carmel - Imposition of the habit

and Fresh Eggs!  My Little Lamb has now been gathering fresh eggs on a daily basis.  Which means, Butterfly has been doing a lot of baking using up some fresh plums & peaches from our families gardens...one "eggstravaganza" event after another.

Our summer is officially over...it is Back to School time.  I am hoping for a successful academic year and praying for a rainy Autumn & Winter...

"O God, in Whom we live, move and have our being, grant us sufficient rain, so that, being supplied with what sustains us in this present life, we may seek more confidently what sustains us for eternity.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever."  ~ The Roman Missal of the Catholic Church, #35

Joining Like Mother, Like Daughter  for some pretty, happy, funny & real...

~ Backed Blogged - March Feasts & Goings On: p,h,f,r style ~

Linking up to Like Mother, Like Daughter to share some pretty, happy, funny and real times...

March is filled with more wonderful feast days...which fall during the Lenten Season. These feast days tend to be even more celebratory (in our home), because we are in a solemn time, focusing on the "dying to ourselves", so that He can be better known in our hearts and through our works.

Here are several every day happenings in our lives at the Hand-Maid Household:

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Celebrating all the feast days makes for a pretty home...

Little Lamb waits patiently while her mother captures the moment via film :P

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This typewriter used to belong to my dad when he was in high school.  He gifted it to my eldest daughter, my Butterfly.  She is a freshman in High School, and although she has her own laptop to participate in her online courses, she has always wanted an 'old-fashioned' typewriter.

One of the first things she wrote (on the well-used, ink depleted ribbon) was a thank you letter to her grandfather -my dad- for the typewriter.  
Secondly, she wrote a story, while playing a game she made up of taking turns writing a story with several people.  The first person writes a paragraph, then the next person continues with a paragraph and so forth...It goes like this:

"My Sister Wants a Story, so...here goes.

     Once upon a time (as all fictional stories start) there was a very beautiful princess with red-brown hair that went all the way down to her feet.  Every evening, she would walk in her magical garden which wasn't very magical!
     She was joined by her white unicorn, named Crystal.  Crystal was a very tame unicorn that loved to fly through the clouds and over rainbows.  Her favorite food was marshmallows and cotton candy.  Crystal had brought her friend Amethyst.  Amethyst was a purple unicorn that had just joined the unicorn herd, so Crystal had brought her to meet her favorite human, Princess Guiliana, the only human who was smart enough to be able to talk to unicorns.  One day, a young prince of Pulchra Unus walked besides the garden wall and heard her singing.  Her voice was like angels in choir.  When she sang, the birds would join her and all the animals would stop and listen.
     He asked his manservant who was it that was singing with the heavenly voice.  His manservant (another name for comic relief, sidekick) answered that they must have died and gone to paradise.  Then the Paige replied, "it is Princess Royal, Guiliana of Hardcastle".  The prince insisted that he be gotten an audience with the King of Hardcastle, but there was a large golden gate with a large lock!!!!!!!!! 
     The lock could not be removed, unless one as worthy as to take the princess' hand in marriage came forth.  The Prince was determined to see the Princess, so after he returned from hunting he....(to be continued)."

More happy, the Library Book Sale was this month...So many gems were found!

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The growth of the chicks have been amazing.  I could take a picture everyday and see a change...

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During Lent, many activities are taking place in our home and within our Parish life.  This is the first year that I am not teaching the First Holy Communion class; however, as the DRE, I continue to organize the Sacraments that our young parishioners receive.  Traditionally, during the Lenten season, the 1st Communion students receive the sacrament of Confession (Penance or Reconciliation).  They also receive a blessed crucifix from the Holy Land.  The candle cross below, represents all those that have made the Sacrament of Penance.

Candles are placed on a small table.  These candles will be lit once each child has made their First Confession.  The flame is taken from the Paschal Candle of last year.   It is a beautiful day...many souls are made clean and pure.

Also, as the years fly by, we turn from all the wonderful activities that we enjoyed while the children were younger and celebrate the feast days with food and books.  That is not to say we do not participate in any activities, but they are not as frequent or as needed.  Here are a few books that we enjoy during the March feasts...

We have enjoyed the traditional St. Joseph's table in the past, and we hope to enjoy it in years to come -

credit

However, this year, we settled for a day of Holy Mass and quiet prayer.  It was perfect!

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~ Spring has Sprung: phfr style ~

Linking up to Like Mother, Like Daughter to share some pretty, happy, funny and real times...

Although we are only in our second week of Lent, we are experiencing some 'Easter' type phenomenon.  Small and beautiful miracles.  We have had a little rain, but we are still in need of much more rain.  Nevertheless, things continue to grow around here in sunny California.

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Pretty Before:

~ February ~

Pretty After:

~ March ~ 

All the caterpillars formed their chrysalis' ...

...and then, after some days, became these beautiful butterflies.  
Once their wings dried, they were ready to be set free...

Sunning their wings before flight

For years we have talked about raising chickens.  Having fresh eggs for a morning omelet or to bake some delicious fresh bread just sounds so wonderful to me.

But I put it off for years, because with chickens, come work.  And clean up.  And mess. And...cute little adorable fluffy chick chicks...that chirp so sweetly.  And...they like to fall asleep in the palm of your hand.  

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We finally built a chicken coop as Little Lamb (and Conductor) convinced my husband and me that they would responsibly take care of these little creatures; (soon to turn big, turd-producing, garden scratching, noisy birds) -and that will lay me fresh eggs for my omelet and fresh baked breads...

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After only a few days, these cute little creatures have shown exponential growth.  Already feathers have formed on their wings.  Amazing!

They have a heat lamp that stays on 24/7 and they eat lots of chick feed and drink lots of fresh water and need to have their bedding changed frequently, too.  

They know Little Lamb and immediately start to chirp when she comes around...they are very friendly and like to be held.  (I'm not sure if this is a good thing, or a bad thing, but either way - I have one happy little girl).

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Around the garden in early March

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