Finished!  Four chalice veils (this time for Fr. H.)  Embroidered and lined.

Now on to other things Fr. Tcheou has planned for me . . .

Where is the face I long to see
Pictures of her in my mind
They say that she will soon return

I know she’ll be here any day now
Just breezing into the room
Her sweet perfume can send my senses

Dreaming of April
Praying for her to arrive in all her finery
I’m dreaming of April
Maybe she’ll linger this time
Turning to smile at me
These clouds of grey march in endless procession
I’m waking every day
Dreaming of April

I never knew how blue the sky
Until the dark days came
These wistful words keep whispering

How much I used to take for granted
The beauty of her eyes
Till mine grew dim with winter, now I’m

Dreaming of April
Praying for her to arrive in all her finery
I’m dreaming of April
Maybe she’ll linger this time
Turning to smile at me
When these days of grey march in endless procession
I’m waiting for a change
And dreaming of April

– Out of the Grey (Gravity 1995)

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Thanks!

I admit that the idea of Lent fills me with a bit of trepidation.  To be sure it can be difficult for all of us but for me it seems that many Lents, the past several especially, have been times of great struggle and personal difficulty.  Thus I find myself somewhat apprehensive of the time to come.

Lent is a time of purification, a preparation.  I like how Scott Hahn (Signs of Life) makes the comparison to the Israelites leaving Egypt and wandering in the desert for 40 years.  It was the beginning of their redemption but they had to be purged first of generations of contact with Egyptian idolatry before they could actually enter the promised land.  That really struck me how Lent is our wandering in the desert, our need to be purified and purged.

We live in a fallen world and evil abounds.  We all have idols, many that we don’t even recognize perhaps.  Habits, preferences, ideas.  About ourselves, our families, how we see the world, how we see the Church.  Scripture says to test all things and Lent is a great time to do that.   It’s also a great time to clean, to clear out the distractions of the world and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

This is why the Church gives us the fast so that we can lessen our distractions and draw closer to God.  And it’s when we clear a space for God, when we, vacare Deo –make room for God– in our hearts and minds that He can set about the ever so important work of cleaning up the mess and tearing down the idols.

St. John Cassian, in the 5^th century describes Lent as “the tithes of the year” because looking at the calendar, we see that Lent is roughly a tenth of the year.   A tithe is an offering, a special offering, not of our excess, not of the mediocre but of the best, of the “first fruits”.  Lent is our tithe and what we offer to God as a sacrifice should be a good thing, a desirable thing, a thing we surrender so that we can learn not to put anything before God in our lives.

It isn’t easy and it’s guaranteed not to be painless.  Nothing hurts more than having to give up something we thought was good, just because God asks us to.  Most of the time it makes no sense to us.   Sometimes it’s our health, worse still a child’s health or, God preserve us, a child himself.   Sometimes it means surrendering a plan that was so beautiful to us, an idea we were sure was right and maybe even turning from path that seemed so perfectly directed.

The pain and anguish of all those things can be very acute and oh so real, but we can be assured that none of it is ever suffered in vain.  What looks like darkness now can bring forth a beautiful light that shines so brightly we cannot imagine there was ever darkness.

That is the message of Lent. The darkness of the cross –the pain and anguish that was all so very real and yet just a shadow of the brightness to come.  A negative that became the biggest positive ever.

May God bless you as you journey towards Easter.

–I humbly beg your prayers for my family and all those who are preparing for full communion with the Church at Easter.

I used Simplicity 2611 and instead of the yoke attached stretch lace.  This worked very well for not adding bulk  under my skirts (something I do NOT need).  They give just enough warmth to my legs without that binding feeling of tights.

The fabric is flannel backed satin.

Flannel on the inside for warmth, satin on the outside for drape.  Better than a slip and a great alternative for those of us who cannot stand to wear tights.  Then again if you do like tights these would be great for added warmth.

]]> http://family-centered.com/life/winter-skirt/feed/ 8 http://family-centered.com/life/febsewing/ http://family-centered.com/life/febsewing/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:49:45 +0000 MicheleQ http://family-centered.com/life/?p=3800 I made this cape for Maria just after Christmas and finally got some pics.  It’s a nice heavy weight wool lined with flannel backed satin.  It’s her “church” cape.

She’s pretty thrilled with it.

Also, a new apron. A vintage pattern finished in black and white cotton.  The pattern was a little too fussy for my taste.  What I mean is, for an apron it just took too much time to make.  But I like it.  The fit is OK  –I had to remind myself it’s an apron meant to protect my clothes (I am a messy cook and cleaner who has ruined way too many shirts) and not a dress that needs to “fit” well.

Well actually,  I don’t.  Please, PLEASE do not imagine that perfection lies outside the margins of these pages.  Life is a struggle and challenges abound.  But God is good and His grace is abundant. My hope here is to encourage, never to discourage and I am so very sorry if I have ever made anyone feel bad.

I present what is good and beautiful in my life as much as I can because that’s what I try and focus on each day.  But please keep it in perspective and remember that the content here is only a snapshot of my life and the good things I am blessed with.  And it’s all just a glimmer of the beatific vision that is my ever present hope.  

Do I Make You Feel Bad?

A recent discussion over at 4 Real got me thinking. I sure hope nothing I write here ever makes anyone else feel bad or inadequate.

Let’s just be clear…for the record. I am not a supermom – baby, I am not even close!

A few years ago I heard Kimberly Hahn give a talk and she held up a camera and said that if you went through her house you would find dinners in the freezer, a clean kitchen, an organized school room, beds that were all made and laundry that was clean and put away. . .but not all on the same day or at the same time.

Hey, that’s me! (OK except maybe for the dinners in the freezer – you can stop laughing now honey.)

What I represent out here in the blog world is just a “snapshot” of our life and home. It’s a small representation of the bigger picture and of course I’m going to put my best foot forward at least most of the time. Trust me you don’t want to hear about my issues…heck I don’t even want to hear about them!

Personally I find it helpful to read some of those lovely blogs in my sidebar. They actually challenge me to do better in areas that need it. My primary vocation is wife and mother and maintaining a lovely home for my family is part of that. That is of course in so far as God has called me to – not everyone has the same resources or abilities and I am as limited in those areas as others might be.

BUT and this is an important point, I am a weak and sinful woman and I can run off in all kinds of directions with alarming regularity. I’d much rather do the things that interest me rather than what needs to be done…and sadly I sometimes do (all too often I’m sure – you can stop nodding your head now honey).

Still, those blogs and the loveliness those women there share DO help me because they remind where my focus should be.

Now don’t get me wrong, I can spend too much time there too and I can spin it to look useful all day long. . . but I know the truth and so does He.

So the next time you are tempted to feel like you don’t measure up – stop it! And if you’re local, stop by. . .just be sure to bring a cafe mocha with you (thanks Amy!)

This is from the early fall –one of my favorite photos.  She wasn’t upset, this is her shy pose.  There were a lot of strange (to her) people around and she was unsure of things.

But we have everything we need right here.

Everything!