Happy Birthday, Momma

Happy Birthday, Momma

April 1, 2014

Happy Birthday, Momma!

I am sending you a Spiritual Bouquet

to celebrate your everlasting love that 

you showed Charlie and me

throughout our childhood years 

and into our adulthood.

You were always there 

for whatever tribulations 

we encountered, 

and you were certainly there 

for all our milestones.

No matter how many years have passed, 

there are times I wish that 

just one more time I could hear your laughter,

like when you blitzed Charles playing gin!

Are the two of you now playing cards?

I hope so.

Momma,
here are your birthday cards:
Our Blessed Mother is
holding the rosary made with the roses
from Father Keane's funeral.

Happy birthday from all of us!

I love you,

Norma Ruth



sharing with Hettienne's
Mondays with Mary

Mornings with Mary: My Journey

our angels dressed for their baptism:
Derek Hunter, Alison Blair, Charles Herbert II (aka Chip)

A reader commented on this post
about a possibility of a story.
So here it is.  I hope the reader
is not disappointed.

My searching for somewhere to worship God
began when I was in grade school.
I went to church with various friends.
I did not find my place till I was in junior high school.  
The name of the house of worship
was Avondale Methodist Church.
Sunday mornings I went to Sunday School,
then church, and come evening time, 
I attended MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship).
I was also active in the church choir.
Later, as an adult my momma reminded me that 
I had considered converting to Catholicism.  
But I had told her that it sounded too hard.
Oddly, I have no memory of this,
but there is no reason for her to tell me that
and it not be true.
This Methodist church continued
to be my home base
up through the time I was married.
Then my husband and I switched to the 
Methodist church that was close to our home, 
also it was his sister and brother-in-law's church.
We stayed there till our babies were born.
Still at age 2, our oldest and his siblings
were not baptized.  
Neither of us
wanted them to become
members of the Methodist church
because both of us
had become disappointed in the
lack of spiritual nourishment we needed.
In the meantime, we had become good friends
with a Catholic couple. I loved how
they interacted as a family-
prayer time, kindness, 
a general openness to loving others.
So I asked about taking instructions
in the Catholic faith. 
I was introduced to Father Grady, 
the assistant pastor of St. Mary Church.
Father Grady continued my instructions 
until he received a transfer to another parish.  
So that I could continue, 
he notified Father Schultz 
at St. Lawrence to instruct me.
So, even before I was baptized,
I started going to Mass.
(Instruction then was different.) 
The first time I went to Mass,
I felt as if I were home!
Even with not knowing Latin,
I was warmed by the essence
of what was taking place.
About a year later,
 Father Schultz baptized me.  
The following afternoon 
the assistant pastor baptized our three children.  
Their Godparents were our Catholic friends 
who started me on this road.  
My husband agreed that our children 
would be brought up Catholic.
So this church became our home parish 
until I started teaching at St. Mary in 1986.  
My conversion to the Catholic Faith 
began at St. Mary, 
continued at St. Lawrence
 and at this time, 
I have gone full-circle 
whereas St. Mary is my place of worship.  
And I am glad.

Our fourth child, born in 1970,
was baptized on Chip's birthday.

Pictured here is a pen and ink drawing

of St. Mary Church and other buildings

including our school campus.

done by an architect Mr. Tony Costello.

When the prints came out,

my student-teacher gifted me with it.

lovingly linked

to 

Rebecca's

Mornings with Mary

Grandsons' Birthday

The peonies came from
the twins' oldest sister's yard,
a lovely addition to the table.

happy birthday, twins!
CJ and Alex turn 12
thank you, Lord, for them!

I guess I was enjoying myself too much.
Thus, this is from Christmas, 2012.
It's not a great shot of me,
but my grandchildren are very photogenic.
 The twins are fraternal, as you
might infer.  The lovely ladies
are their older sisters.
What a joy to this grandmother.

Quotography: Birthday

"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us 

to give ourselves the gift of living well."

~Voltaire~

Voltaire was the nom de plume (pen name) 

of Francois-Marie Arouet.

More details about him

can be found here.

more birthday quotes at Quotography