Fasting

Mary-Kate and I were recently talking about fasting and different strategies for her to be able to observe the rules of fasting during the season of lent. (she has hypoglycemia and is really unable to safely go more than two hours without eating.) This discussion gat me to thinking about fasting and what is really is about.

All of my growing up years I would hear the grown-ups talk about fasting and, of course, food immediately comes to mind. Everywhere that fasting is discussed in literature and in the bible it is always in reference to food. But there is more to fasting than just giving up a certain amount of food a day. What about people such as my daughter or myself, who have medical reasons for not being able to fast from food? There have to be alternatives.

When talking about this with our parish priest he suggested things like giving up the internet and the television. The TV is easy and, if the truth be known, I enjoy the silence and the peace that the lack brings each year. So that is really no hardship. The internet isn't a choice for some. Again, for my daughter, who is in college, that would be like cutting herself off from her professors and a great deal of the resources that they use for her classes. For myself giving up the internet is not viable because it is my connection with my children who are away from home. Write a letter you say! My son who is currently stationed in Iraq hasn't gotten anything that has been sent so far. I'd much rather count on the internet. I know that he has access to a computer once in awhile and can check my blog and know what is going on at home even if I don't know what is going on with him.

But, I digress. Finally a solution came to me about fasting, strangely enough, with an opportunity to fast in a very different way. I was given the chance to fast from my own attitude and selfishness. My son who is in college needed to come home for the weekend and his car is not working. It fell to me to go and get him. All of my family knows how I feel about driving, even if it is just across town, I don't like to do it. While I was getting ready to leave to get him I realized that I could not only do this trip cheerfully and offer it up. But I could fast from the bad feelings that were inside of me. I could just replace those feelings that I used to indulge in, although privately, while I was driving, with positive feelings. Replace them with feelings of anticipation about being able to spend time with my son. With feelings of thankfulness about the fact that I was able to drive when, for instance, my husband is unable to drive such a long distance.

This may sound like a stretch to anyone reading this but just think about it. In the past we were all taught to offer things up. But were we also taught to replace those bad feelings with feelings of thankfulness? With positive feelings? Or did we offer them up to God, keep quiet and not complain, but entertain the bad thoughts and feelings inside of ourselves? Or not entertain bad feelings but not really show a joyful and thankful self while we were busy not complaining?

To me this kind of fasting may be more difficult than fasting from food. I for one can go days without eating more than a full meal. But I do have to admit that I struggle with keeping a joyful and thankful spirit when it comes to having to do something that I truly dislike doing, such as driving a long distance.

Happy Birthday

Happy 200th Birthday Abraham Lincoln.

Keeping Busy.......Both Mind and Body

Saturday was a lovely day here in Central New York. So, I took Matthew to New Hartford for his league at Gander Mountain and decided to do some shopping of my own while he was busy.

So off I went to the fabric store. This may seem silly to some of you, to be excited about going to the fabric store, but they closed our local store. So now it is a trip for us to get anything that we might need for a project. And since there are babys being born left and right around here in my little world, I need supplies for baby gifts.

Unfortunately, the parking lot at the fabric store hadn't caught up to the nice weather yet. I managed to slip on the ice and fall. After a call to my surgeon, prompted by my husband, I was given the order to go back on anti-inflammatorys and take it easy for the week.

This is my way of taking it easy.

First, I pieced 56 Flying Geese blocks and layed them out into two different quilt tops. All I have left to do with them is put setting strips in and borders on.

Then I pieced six airplane blocks and six propeller blocks. I like quilts with boy themes.

This one needs borders and I think I am going to use jumbo rick rack around the quilt itself before the border, in a royal blue. That will be a good one for a little boy.

Next thing is an applique quilt with snowmen on the top alternating with nine patch blocks. When that one is together I will post pictures of it. As long as I have to sit I might as well be productive.

The latest family member.

Welcome Sophia Grace.

My parents now have 42 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and 1 great grandchild on the way.

The herd is expanding!

This past summer Ian did some work for a man and was paid with a beef heifer. She was a bred beef heifer which makes her all the more valuable.
This morning his herd of beef animals expanded to two! Silver gave birth to a calf. I couldn't get close enough to the calf to see what it was but she did pose for a picture or two.

Then when the photo session was over Silver let me know is no uncertain terms to go away and let her calf alone. So I did!

Matthew went out to look this afternoon, Oreo is a bull. Guess that means that in a week or so he will become a steer.