For a free family date, we went to our town's indoor pool 'open house' this weekend and were able to use the pool (or gym) for free. We found a $10 bill in the car and added a few extra dollars to spring for a scoop of ice cream each on the way home. The kiddo wanted chocolate, I had mint chip, and husband had mint chip and coffee. Such a treat.
So I have never tried this before, mostly because I was a bit cynical. But, I had been thinking about selecting a word of the year. Another blog I read pointed to Jen Fulwiler's word of the year and saint of the year generator. I promised myself 3 tries: the first (escape) and second (comfort) I didn't like for this year. The third, however, hit the nail on the head: elegant.
I have thought about how being at home with my son, it is so easy to wear sweats and have a messy bun and be comfortable (second word) but how hard it can be to dress up and look pretty or elegant for an evening out, a work gathering, or Mass. Last week, my husband and I went to a fancy steakhouse with his sisters and their husbands, his cousin and his wife and my mother in law. It's a family tradition and pretty delicious too. There was talk before we all prepared to go about next year making it really fancy and dressy. I mean, we all dress pretty well and look spiffy, but there was something I thought about - what would I have to do (buy, make, prepare) to look really nice? Really elegant? I will have to think on that this year.
So, there it is. How can I infuse elegant in my vocabulary, in to the books I read, into my clothes and into celebrations? That is my challenge!
And, so as not to be remiss: here is the Saint of the Year I found (same rules - up to 3 tries):
St. Dymphna (patron saint of the mentally ill and therapists; I have her icon in my office)
St. John Vianney (patron of priests and confessors)
St. Henry II (patron of the childless, Benedictine Oblates, physically challenged people)
Sorry that most of these don't have great captions on my part - we traveled to Peoria in June with friends and also some family. We ate lunch at Catrina's Express, a small lunch place but HIGHLY recommended. They handled our big group with 6 adults and 4 children well. It probably helped it was a Saturday not a weekday!
Ven. Fulton Sheen was a priest in Peoria IL before he became a bishop in New York. The best place to learn about him is his foundation or his autobiography, Treasure in Clay. He is this.close to canonization, waiting on Rome to issue the green light. The Diocese of Peoria holds his body in a crypt in the side chapel of St. Mary's Cathedral. Another place to read about his impact is in Bonnie Engstrom's book 61 Minutes to a Miracle.
In the museum (2 blocks away from the Cathedral), I found his embroidered vestments to be simply beautiful. I took photos of all 3. There was also a short guided tour of his life complete with photos, personal images, and stories from those who knew him.
Another side chapel at the Cathedral held dozens of relics. I just took a few photos of those but it was stunning to see the entire collection.
The Cathedral itself has undergone tremendous renovation over the past decade. Two blog posts at Liturgical Arts Journal, and at St. Louis Patina, showcase more images with better quality than my camera! Wouldn't you love to worship in this church every chance you had?!
