Resources for Healthy Food

Here are some other books I have found helpful in my quest to give my family REAL food:

Nourishing Traditions
How to Pick a Peach
Slow Food Nation
Eat Fat Lose Fat
-Three diet plans: weightloss, health recovery, and everyday gourmet
-makes Nourishing Traditions seem less intimidating
Real Food
-I have already recommended this one- I LOVE it!

Unless I am baking, I rarely follow a recipe. Nevertheless, I love cookbooks and here are some of my favorites:

Can I Freeze It? (beautiful pictures and helpful information- I just found this one)
The Farmers Market Cookbook
The Unplugged Kitchen
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Complete Outdoor Living Cookbook (Williams-Sonoma Outdoors Collection)
The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World
The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen

Books I'd Like to Read:
Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
The Untold Story of Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Products
The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements
The Real Food Revival

The Gap Between Ideals and Reality

A fellow blogger just posted about some lovely books she purchased that are full of information about how to lead what I would consider the perfect life. By that I mean a healthy beautiful life connected to the Church, community, home, and family. She asks rhetorically, "Should a person with so little time even think about buying these?" I think many of us feel this way. Should we even think about adding one more iota of information to our already unattainable ideal life?

I think the answer is yes, and I assume so does she, because she did buy the books. I say, "Good for her!" We should at least dream of the way things should be and make little steps toward what we want. Knowing that somewhere in the world someone still knows how to do the things we hope to be able to do gives some comfort not to mention inspiration.

As for me, right now, I am tired of there being such a huge gap between the way I think life should be and the way it is. Some of it is in my control and I really just need to take the plunge. But some of it I can't do too much about. An area that I think is most essential to a good life is food. What should be a simple topic is full of conroversy. For example, we can't even legally buy real milk or afford to feed a large family on organic produce. In terms of overall cost (including the cost to the environment and people's health) it is better to eat local organic produce (especially homegrown) and drink raw milk from clean healthy pasture-fed cows on an organic farm. These are small things compared to many problems in society, but they are indicitive of our loss of culture and our loss of priorities. Big business wants more product for more profit and they cut corners where it helps them (like deals with the pesticide company) and short-changes the consumer (like adverse health effects and reduced nutritional content). Similarly the consumer wants products at "Wal-Mart" prices and whenever they want it (like produce out of season) in nice convenient packaging.

I think the disspearance of the family cow is a good illustration of how the gap between a beautiful natural life and the consumer-oriented life most of us lead got so big. Having a cow ties you down. You have to slow down, focus on getting things done and keeping the animal healthy, you have to nurture it, and everyone has to pitch in. Unless you have a very generous neighbor, you can't leave for a vacation and let Bessie milk herself. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is a trade off sure, but in return you get a faithful animal that provides some of the most nutritious food available (raw milk and cheese), and you place family life and family health first. Not to mention the closeness to nature that increases our awareness of God's providence. A connection to the source of our food that keeps us humble.

Some may say I am exaggerating but I don't think so. That is not to say that we should all have a cow out back. Most of us can't right now and many of us wouldn't want to. But I think we should do what we can to support local dairies and farms and start spending our money on real food that fosters real culture.

For those who would question me I suggest you read this book:



Someday I hope to be out milking my own Jersey. I pray God gives me the strength to make the break from my "Wal-Mart" ways to live the life that I dream of.

Too Much Inspiration

Lately I have been overwhelmed by the amount of inspiration I have had for various projects. There is just so much that I want to do, nothing is getting done. Like this blog for example. I want to write about so much that I can't write about anything.

A friend and I are going to combine efforts and set up a workspace in her garage. Maybe then I will be able to outlet some of my creative energy and avoid a traffic jam of ideas.

A Fresh Start

Things have been crazy here in the valley. We just finished moving from Florida all the way across the country to Oregon. My husband and I drove our van and a uhaul the entire seven day journey with our three daughters.

Let me just say, "Three kids, three colds, one mini-van, seven days...I don't ever want to move again!"

Some of my family is in Oregon, but we had to leave his family and my mom behind in Florida. I feel terrible that we had to leave, but I know it was the best thing. We don't want to settle for suburban wasteland that gives us little and takes too much. Our dreams cannot be accomplished there, our family cannot flourish there.

The past few years have not been easy for us, but I see that things are going to get better. I don't know what God has in store for us but I am excited for our fresh start!

Oh that We May be Holy!

I am back -at least I hope to be back- to the world of blogging. All of my energy has been spent trying to persevere in our quest to create/develope/manitain, good Catholic family life, amid all the disrruption and stress we have been enduring this past year. It seems that the good Lord has decided to bless us with a number of trials (by which I hope he means to increase our faith). So we have been in cacoon so to speak.

I thank God that he has given me such a loving and devoted husband who is concerned for his family's temporal and spiritual welfare. We are a good team. Sometimes we get a bit malancholy over how much we have to learn though. So much that used to be routine in family life has been thrown out. What for many used to be "just the way things are" is now nearly forgotten. For those who were not fortunate enough to be raised in a traditional Catholic home, it is not as easy as doing what mom and dad always did. We eagerly dig through books, observe, and apply principles to discover how a Catholic family should live. Books like The Story of a Family, and other lives of the saints, are very helpful, but it isn't the same as having lived it. In Wisconsin we were blessed with the ability to observe many great Catholic families, and they were wonderful sources of friendship, inspiration and support. Now that we find ourselves in Florida, we know no large families (Catholic or otherwise).

What I long to give my children is a home where their hearts and minds are drawn to God. I want them to feel comfortable and safe. There should be a sense of order and calm. I want the children to feel inspired to learn and to create. Above all, I want them to be aware of God's divine providence, and that every fiber of our family life is touched with the light of eternity. Everything we do should be conciously ordered that we may be holy. Some days I think I am making progress, and some days all I can do is pray that God will help undo the damage done.

Venerable Zélie Martin pray for us!

Templates, High-heels, and What Really Matters

I traded in vanity for practicality. The other template which caused me to lose all my "widgets" was like a beautiful pair of high heels, it looked great but was way too much trouble. Today was one of those days... I only have a few minutes tonight so this is all the progress I'll be able to make. Check out the clock (to your left)! It isn't pretty but I thought it was really fun so I put it up for a while.

So as not to leave you without anything edifying, here is a link to a little article about Our Lady Help of Christians. Today being "one of those days," reminded me that I am powerless. God's grace and abundant mercy is the source of all the good that I have, and it comes to me from the hands of our Lady.

Auxiliatrix Christianorum

Ora Pro Nobis!

Prayer To Our Lady, Help Of Christians:

Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.(By St. John Bosco)

And that is what really matters!

The Price of Vanity

Ok I couldn't resist playing around with my blog template and this is the price I pay. I have deleted all my "widgets" on accident, which translates into "a lot of great links" bummer. But doesn't it look pretty? Please bear with me while I piece the site back together. Hey, maybe this is good , I have been meaning to change some things and now I have to.

How We Get Through all Five Mysteries

How do I get my girls to sit through the rosary every night? Hah! I don't.

Every day we take a walk to say the rosary with the girls. We have had beautiful weather and the walks have been especially enjoyable. This is the fountain we pass by. If they pay attention and pray well, then by the time we get to the fountain they can splash in the water.

This is so much easier than saying the rosary inside. The baby is happy with things to look at, and the girls get out their extra energy while praying. I know children should learn to sit quietly and sometimes you just have to battle through so they learn, but we get that opportunity every Sunday at mass. Plus, by walking, it ensures every one stays awake (including me), avoiding prayers like, "Hail Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen." Yeah, you know what I am talking about.

My oldest daughter can say all of the prayers of the rosary now except the Creed. Once she gets the Apostle's Creed memorized and can tell me what all fifteen mysteries are, she gets her very own rosary in a little pouch. And of course it will have to be sparkly. As for miss Two, she gets a few words here and there, but her real accomplishment is walking quietly and letting everyone else pray.

Sickies

I haven't had much time for blogging lately. Sadly my kids seem to keep circulating a virus. My four-year-old didn't want to play today. She is never like that. We went to the mall because it was raining. There is a cool playground there and the girls love to run around in it. She just sat on the bench wrapped in a blanket not wanting to go home and not wanting to play. I had to take her home of course. It breaks my heart to see her just lying on the couch.

She keeps complaining about her stuffy nose and I can't get her to blow it. Puffs had some tips which I thought were kind of helpful.

Please pray for us, we need to be healthy because it really has been a while. What's more is my father-in-law, who we are temporarily living with, recently had surgery and should not be exposed to sickies. I don't know how to keep my little ones from spreading it to him. Little kids have no concept of spreading germs. I'll tell my oldest not to kiss the baby and she says ok but then sticks her finger in her mouth. I think she is starting to get it since I won't let her within two feet of the baby now.

I would like to write so many things and spend time surfing all those great blogs out there. But I need to stay healthy, so I should go to bed.

Speaking of "healthy"...I have another blog called Healthy Momma, Happy Momma. I wanted to be able to track my progress back to my fit and active self after having my third child. In addition I joined the May Day Weightloss Challenge which is a fun way to have accountability. You should join if you have any weightloss goals.

Are Chapel Veils "Worth It"?

Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genezzano - Ora pro Nobis!

I think that chapel veils are beautiful and I love the tradition of wearing them in church. I must admit however that after the ninth time of pulling mine back on to my head, trying to get the little bobby pin through the tiny hole in the lace while balancing a five-month-old on my hip, and telling my oh-so-helfpul and oh-so-loud toddler that "yes I know my chapel veil fell off, again," I start to wish it wasn't such an important custom. But the fact of the matter is that it is very important.

The other day my husband got a question on his blog which he forwarded to me to answer. I am glad he did because I needed to remember why I keep struggling to put the chapel veil back on.

The lady, who I will call Mrs. E, wrote:

"You state on your blog you welcome questions, I have one for you: Please explain and clarify the issue of chapel veils for women. I know they went by the wayside after Vatican II, but I came across a pamphlet that says VatII never said anything about chapel veils and any woman that doesn't wear one is sinning.

Does the Church even have a "policy" about veils? Are we or are we not to wear them?? I for one would love to wear one, BUT to wear one at this stage at my parish would be a huge distraction for everyone - not to mention I believe it would bring down a world of persecution on my head. I'm not willing to undergo this if the wearing of the veil is not really necessary."

Here is my response:

Dear Mrs. E,

I can sympathize with your not knowing whether to wear the chapel veil or not. I usually go to the latin mass where it is the norm; however I sometimes attend a Melkite church (eastern-rite Catholic) and it is not the norm there. I have decided to wear it whenever I enter a church.

In your email it seems your main question is whether or not we are required to wear the chapel veil and whether it is a sin not to. Although it seems the two are one and the same, I think there is a distinction.

Up until 1983 the Code of Canon Law (1262.2) required women to wear a veil in church. We cannont judge the culpability of those many women who did not wear a veil, because there may have been circumstances that reduced or eliminated their culpability (such as ignorance of canon law or a misleading pastor), but it was however required of Catholic women. At that point in history it was very clear that for those informed, not to wear one would be a sin.

The new Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983 makes no mention of the chapel veil whatsoever. It seems that it is no longer a "requirement". Unfortunately I have heard arguments, from priests that I respect, both that we are to refer to the previous code on issues not mentioned in the new one, and that only what is in the new code is binding. I know this just seems to confuse matters, but it goes to show the debate is still out. As a laymen however, we are not expected to be experts in canon law; therefore to follow what is in the new code seems to be a reasonable course of action.

For me, I feel it is a "better safe than sorry" issue when it comes to whether or not it is a sin not to wear one. In these troubled times (pardon the clichés), it is often difficult to tell the sheep from the wolves (sorry again). What I mean is that the omission of the rule from canon law may be a way that those who have agendas contrary to the Church have found to undermine it without explicitly doing so. After all, most women left their chapel veils at home because they were under the erroneus impression that the customs of the church were relative to the customs of the world and time. In other words, what St. Paul said in 1 Cor. 11 "But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head..." (read the full text if you can) was only relative to that time and, had he been writing in our time, he wouldn't have dreamt of mentioning what many feminists would call "chauvinistic" customs.

But this is not the way of the Church, for Her truth, God's truth, transcends all time. God has written creation in such a way as to reveal to us His truth. The veil, as St. paul explains, is a physical representation of the natural order that God established by making woman subject to man. And even more importantly it is a physical representation of the supernatural order that God has established with his Church, which is subject to Christ. If the term "subject to" immediately causes a feeling of injustice to well up within you, as it has in me many a time, take a deep breath and try to consider the issue from a "pre-feminism" point of view. Because of original sin there has always been an abuse of the natural hierarchy. No doubt men are not always just, and they do not always protect and cherish women as they should. However this is to be judged by God and has no effect on God's design. Read Genesis and you will see that this natural hierarchy was established even before the fall of man. God in His wisdom established a "system" that allowed the family and society to flourish. Moreover, the fact that woman is subject to man requires man's utmost love, care, and concern for her (i.e., he has a tremendous responsibility). At the same time, God created the most effective metaphor for Christ's love for the Church and the Church's love and submission to Christ.

Because St. Paul took time to ensure the Corinthians followed this tradition in order to preserve this physical representation of the natural and supernatural orders, and because the Holy Ghost took time to inspire the Church to include these instructions in Holy Scripture, it seems prideful at the least to assume it does not apply to us now.

Essentially the veil accomplishes three main things:
1) It is a symbol of the natural order--i.e., it represents woman's subjection/espousal to man as well as his duty to love, cherish, and care for her.

2) It is a symbol of the supernatural order--i.e., a woman wearing one represents the Church's subjection/espousal to Christ.

3) It is a symbol of womanly virtue--especially reverence, humility, and piety.

In your own spiritual life, the veil, aside from allowing you to follow what has been a binding catholic tradition for over 1000 years, will aid you in ordering your senses to a more God-centered participation in the liturgy of the Church.

As to the issue of being a distraction to others I would say let them be distracted for a moment. It is worth it (for you and for them). Under normal circumstances it would be a means to reduce distraction in church by way of covering up a women's hair and thereby allowing people to pray more intently. Now it will initially be more of a distraction than your beautiful hairdo yet it is a distraction that would cause people to be more concerned with showing reverence within the church. In addition it will be a means by which you can be a witness for the restoration of a reverent liturgy and even a restoration of the family because, as you may fear, people will ask.

I would suggest you visit "Tradition in Action", a website aimed at the restoration of Catholic culture and the traditional Latin Mass. This address will take you to a page in the site that has two very worthwihile articles on this topic.

http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d000rpCustomsMainPage.htm

I think you will find they do a far more thorough job at explaining the need for the return of this important Catholic tradition.

By wearing the veil you will be a much needed symbol of womanly virtue and piety.

God Bless,

Hilaire

If you are looking for a place to get a chapel veil you will find some here.

Our Easter Celebration

Christ is risen from the dead and by His death he has conquered death!

Here are the traditions we incorporated in our celebration this year.

EASTER EGGS:

This year we colored Easter eggs. We color them because eggs have always been a traditional Easter food. One reason for this is that the Church used to have a fast that eliminated dairy and eggs as well as red meat, so eggs were a special treat. In addition eggs were served on the Sabbath at the time of Jesus because they could be made ahead, so when Mary Magdalen was going to the tomb of Jesus, she carried eggs to share. The traditional story goes that when she found that Jesus had risen, she told a man on the way. The man replied that Jesus could rise from the dead no more than the eggs she carried could turn scarlet. As he finished saying this, the eggs turned bright red. This traditional story was told to me by the pastor of St. George's Melkite church which we attended from time to time in Milwaukee and I have found it retold in other sources for Traditional Catholic Customs. It is rather difficult to get eggs to turn red so we were content with the somewhat unnatural pastels from the supermarket.



THE PASCHAL CANDLE:

My oldest daughter helped with the paschal candle this year and it turned out lovely. We used cloves for incense and carved a cross which we painted red and gold. We placed the candle on the dinner table.

EASTER BASKETS:

The girls woke to Easter baskets that were a combination of gifts from us and their Nana. I tried to keep the baskets beautiful and not too over the top. Grandma got the lamb purses and I made little treat bags with mini decorated cookies and just a few small candies in delicate foil wrappers. They also each got a lollipop and a book about God. I think that it is important to give children beautiful things of good quality, as the budget allows (and things don't need to be exspensive to be beautiful).

MASS:

As usual we went to the Tridentine mass, which I know was beautiful, although I didn't get to see most of it. Unfortunately I spent the majority of the mass in the bathroom washing my five month old daughters new easter dress and trying to keep a little naked baby warm. I don't know why I didn't pack two outfits because a messy diaper was inevitable with that much white.

EGG HUNT:

After mass we had an Easter egg hunt with the eggs we colored the day before. My girls loved it. Our hunts don't have anything to do with the bunny, its just a fun easter game to play.

DINNER:
Before we ate dinner, we adults played a traditional Easter egg game. The winner got extra prayers that day from everyone else. This site, Fish Eaters, has a great explanation of the game and all the other traditions we observed this year.
The dinner was olive stuffed leg of lamb (thank you food network), roasted asparagus, mashed potatoes, spring mix salad, and crusty bread. For dessert we had cheesecake with a choice of either strawberries or chocolate hazelnut sauce. Yummy! The lamb recipe, which was mediterranean in flavor, was very good, especially since we splurged on free-range organic lamb (thank you Nana).
TREATS:

After dinner everyone got a goodie bag that I put together the night before. I put miniature sugar cookies decorated with white frosting, mints, and jordan almonds inside a plain white bag that I stamped a gold cross on. Then I just punched holes in the top and tied the bags with some beautiful green ribbon I found in the dollar section of the craft store.



In all it was a lovely celebration that was full of meaning and beauty.

I'm a member!

Yippee! I was accepted into the League of Warm Fuzzy Traditionalists. I don't exactly know what that means but I feel like I am in school again getting picked for a team. I certainly feel like a JV player since my blog is in its early stages and I hardly have the wit and humor I find on so many others. I have been reading various blogs from this webring for a while now, and feeling myself in good company I asked to be a part of the League. If you are also a Warm Fuzzy Traditionalist, please introduce yourself. I am new to the blog world and would love to get to know all of you great traditional Catholic bloggers.

The Simple Things

Today I decided to do something I haven't done in a while...take it easy. Everything that needed to happen did: prayers, catechism questions, breakfast, lunch, dinner, naps, and the bedtime routine.

But in addition we:

Drew pictures on the stepping stones...

Had a tea party...

And enjoyed a walk through the garden...

Sometimes it really is better to forget all the things you wish you could do or think you'd rather be doing and just enjoy the things around you. Today I took a break from that feeling that if I could just have more time or more quiet I could get things done. Lo' and behold I got more done!I even did extra things that I didn't know I wanted to do but now wouldn't trade for any amount of folded laundry. It is often said that "It's the simple things in life that make it grand," and as long as we can slow down enough to notice, it really is. God has blessed me with so many things simple and beautiful.

Preparing For Easter

My husbands grandmother always taught him that during Holy Week (Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday) there should be no t.v., movies, or radio. This was so that it would be easier to concentrate on the deep signifigance of Holy Week, so that it would be able to penetrate during those uncomfortable static free moments.

We have adopted this custom, which I think used to be common among Catholic families. It is amazing how distracting these forms of entertainment can be. I suppose we should probably add in the internet because it can be equally distracting, but for now we are just trying to use it for more reflective purposes (so blogging about Holy Week is ok). We make one exception for the movie rule by watching The Passion. I highly recommend the movie as a Good Friday meditation.

I must admit it is hard at first, especially when on vacation like we are. But I have been reminded that I do have plenty of time for prayer. The time the girls are not watching cartoons I am now trying to spend making an extra effort to help them understand what Jesus did for us and how every mass is a little Holy Week (which is why on Sundays we have a break from there usual lenten sacrifice of no treats).

The Genius of Others...

Since I have not had much time to work on my blog I thought for now I would create a list of other blogs that I find inspiring. These blogs are full of beautiful and funny posts that I can relate to. In essence these fantastic sites have already done what I would love to do with my own blog. You may find at times I will discuss similar topics to many of these bloggers and I think it is great to get so many different insights about one topic. I don't yet know any of these bloggers personally but I hope to at some point. If you are one of them I hope you are flattered and don't mind the links. Feel free to comment. You'll find the new links to the right under "My Favorite Blogs." Have Fun!

Home Away From Home

I haven't been able to post anything for a while becuase we have been in Wisconsin working on our house. Yes the house is still ours. We have made some improvements and now we are hoping it will sell quickly. Please ask St. Joseph and St. Jude, and all the saints, to pray extra hard for us. We have had a tough year and we need our house to sell quickly.

When I get back to Florida I will have internet at home and will be able to resume. God bless.

Aprons Against Peanut-butter-fingers.

No matter how hard I try, the peanut butter fingers always get me. My two year old daughter, who is now VERY two, always gets herself covered in sticky goo (typical). After any event involving food, or glue, or anything sticky, I naturally approach her with a wet washcloth. But without fail she always manages to leave at least one smudge right around my knees and usually on the back of my skirt where I don't notice it until the day is through.

I have an apron but it is the typical chef style apron and it does little good when it comes to small children at knee to hip level. What I need is something with more coverage. Latetly I have found a lot of material about the apron on various blogs . I think that it is wonderful that women have found the courage to say that they actually like their aprons. It is a very practical item to have but it should also be something you love, something beautiful that makes you feel good when you wear it. It should be a joy to put it on in the morning, it should be a pleasure to look at, so that we are always an example of beauty and grace to our families. It should also give us some satisfaction at the end of the day to take off all the mommy grime and remember that we are still individuals.

If I had to choose a pattern I would choose one like the one in this picture. The pattern is available at this site. Because I always wear dresses and I have three daughters under the age of five I like this style. It looks feminine and it has enough coverage to protect against the unavoidable peanut butter fingers. If you know of any other beautiful, and easy, patterns that I might be able to use, let me know. When I get around to making one of these, I'll let you know how it turns out. If you have discovered the benefits of a great apron please comment!

The day sparkled

Jam lucis orto sidere,
Deum precemur supplices,
Ut in diurnis actibus Nos servet a nocentibus
...Ut cum dies abscesserit, Noctemque sors reduxerit, Mundi per abstinentiam, Ipsi canamus gloriam.

Now that the star of light has risen, Let us to God most humbly pray, To save us from all hurtful things In all our actions of the day ... That, when the day has sped away,And He again the night shall bring, We may, through holy abstinence, With purity His glory sing.
(From a Brev. Hymn- St. Ambrose)

It is so wonderful to start the day with morning prayer. When I consecrate my day to God I see things differently. Suddenly life at home takes on a glow, almost a sparkle. That is not to say that every day I pray I am full of energy and the house is sunny, but in my mind everything that I do shimmers with a purpose...glorifying God. Like a silver lining.

As a mother I think I have a pretty clear idea of what I can do to grow in sanctity. Every day I am faced with opportunities to do works of mercy and even heroic acts of charity. My three little sweeties make sure I have a constant supply of sacrifices. At least I hope that all those dirty diapers and late night feedings have taken a little bit of purgatory time off. If I start my day off right at the beginning with the intention of doing all the mundane things I must get done for the glory of God then I am conscious that each of these tasks is a gift...A GIFT! Suddenly I lose my excuse to grumble and I am inspired to do my best.

Why "Through the Valley"?

Marys Peak sunset
Originally uploaded by Tideswimmer.

I have titled my blog "Through the Valley" because it was the most appropriate metaphor I could think of for life. This blog is my place to reflect, contemplate, and discuss the many aspects of life as a Catholic, a wife, a mother, and an artist.

The journey we take in life has long been likened to a walk through a valley: The valley of the shadow of death (Psalms 22:4), the valley of tears , etc. It is a valley of tears. But we encounter here both bitterness and sweetness, cold and warmth, shadow and light. We can move through it afraid and unsure, oppressed by the shadows of the mountains around us and overwhelmed by the path before us. Or we can walk confidently through with the hope of a glorious view from above. The latter is what we are called to do by Christ. And with confidence in the aid of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, I hope to navigate this valley appreciating all its bittersweet beauty with my sights set ultimately on the peaks above.

As an Oregonian I have always had a fond love for the Willamette Valley. The beauty there is something that I carry in my heart always, no matter how far away I am. When I think of the "valley of life," Oregon's lush, complex ,and exceedingly beautiful valleys instantly remind me that life is full and good.

I am sure this blog will gradually take a more directed focus. For now I will begin adding my favorite links. I plan to post about how I have chosen to live and ways that I have found to make my home and my family a reflection of goodness and beauty. Topics will range from home management to art; from homeschooling to living green. If you have read this far, I hope the next time you visit, you will find yourself encouraged and inspired to enjoy The Valley.