10 Things to Love about This Weekend

What a great weekend!  Let's get the downside out first:  no deep talks about anything.  Of course, that can be an upside too!  So many upsides... 

1. I was honored to spend a great deal of time with my husband, including the entire day on Sunday.  The whole day!  He did work, as always, and he brought me and my stepdaughter with him as he drove around giving estimates for tree trimming jobs.
2. My stepdaughter was with us, and she smiled practically the entire weekend.  I love how expressive her face is, especially when she lets the eyebrows do the talking.  It makes me wonder if she gets it from her dad...in which case, I hope my kids will be just as expressive!
3. OK there was one semi-deep conversation.  Politics!  My husband and I talked a bit about the march for immigration reform that took place over the weekend.  It was invigorating to examine the details and consequences of various laws.
4. I was tickled by the choice of petitions at Mass on Sunday (at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis).  One of the five:   
   "We pray for all of the cyclists on the trails in Minneapolis this spring."  (Perhaps it was my quirky mood that found this so amusing!  I never would have thought to pray for cyclists!)
5. My stepdaughter spent a lot of time on her phone playing a business game.  Good for her.  Maybe she'll learn some tricks that she can teach to us, since my husband recently started a business.  We could use that imaginary $10k that she made in a few seconds flat.
6. I'm reading The Bible and the Qur-an by Jaques Jomier (Ignatius Press, paperback or book-on-CD).  I'm learning from it.  I love that feeling of my mind accommodating new information.  Whether I retain what I knew before?  Um...no gaurantees.  What can I say?  I'm getting old.
7. I did another wedding calligraphy job, this time for a friend to be married this summer.  It may not be painting, but it still feels great to be creative.  Thank you Kati for the privelege of doing the calligraphy on your invitations!
8. We enjoyed an immediate-family gathering at my in-laws' home on Sunday.  Yum.  And, I have a mother-in-law with a beautiful soul.
9. The weather was brisk, sunny and fresh.  Perfect for my Ann Taylor LOFT green ruffle-collared jacket that my niece & stepdaughter helped me pick out last summer.  It's no longer available online, but it's basically a green, thigh-length, empire-waist version of this one.  It was the first clothing purchase for myself all year and I am taking good care of it.
10. God gave me 10 whole things to be happy about this weekend.  I'm glad He gave me time to stop and count.

Incidentally, check out the new blog at http://www.theintelligentcatholicsguide.com/ begun by Maureen and Chilton Williamson.