"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." Saint Francis De Sales

Friday, June 28, 2013

My Slow Takes (Vol. 102)


1. Dee and I traveled to Lake View, New York for my nephew’s high school graduation. Kim and her husband Frank hosted a great celebration and we were able to visit with family that we haven’t seen in many years. Frank's brother Orlando and his family came in from Oregon and cousin Merina and her husband Charley drove in from Texas. We had plenty of sunshine and warm weather, great food and a lot of fun.
Me and "Da Crew"
2. While in New York Dee and I attended Mass at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Hamburg. It is a beautiful church and was renovated in 2011 for it’s one-hundredth anniversary. (Please take a moment and watch the video.) The Homily was given by Deacon John Wlos, his first, and was well done. 


3. Our Goddaughter’s Chesapeake Retriever is being boarded at her folks house. Isabelle is her name and she is well behaved. I took this picture in the kitchen. Kathy and Rich provided bed and breakfast while we were in New York.


4. Our dear friend Kathy gave this gift to Dee. I like it and it fits well on our screened-in porch.
               
5. Morning coffee tastes better when sitting on the back porch. Saying the Rosary in this surrounding is peaceful and brings me closer to the blessed Mother Mary. The birds were calling to each other like a choir in church. There was a slight breeze making the trees wave their branches as though the wings of angels. It was a beautiful experience.

6. Aileen O’Donoghue wrote the following in Thursday’s “Living Faith.” 

“It’s fine to receive some praise and reward for our work, but if the praise and reward become the goal of our work, I think that’s when we run the risk of becoming unknown to Jesus.”

There have been times when I’ve been caught up in seeking praise. I have learned that it is better to be silent. Jesus knows what I do and that is all I need.

7. There is an organization, the "Natural Resources Defense Council” (NRDC) that watches our environment. One area that it is involved in is the quality of water at the beach. I checked the rating for North Carolina and found that it is “ranked 3rd in Beachwater Quality (out of 30 states) 2% of samples exceeded national standards for designated beach areas in 2012.”
I love the Outer Banks, so this was pleasant news.


Read other "Takes" at Conversion Diary.

Friday, June 21, 2013

My Slow Takes (Vol. 101)


1. In remembrance of my Dad, Happy Father’s Day. He would have been 90 years old. His family continues on with my brother, sister and I. There are eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. We miss him but he is always in our hearts. His love has been passed through all of us and continues to grow. I love you Dad.

Me and my three sons,  Eric, Todd and Stephen 
2. My 2002 Nissan Pathfinder is at 197,000 miles. It has been an excellent choice of vehicles. Regular oil changes and general maintenance keeps it in good condition. I would like better gas mileage but for driving local it is fine. My plan is to get to 200,000 miles and beyond.


3. This is a vignette of a movie crew that I just completed. The figures are from “Pulp Figures” and will add a unique touch to my gaming table. 


4. Please continue to pray for the victims and fire fighting crews of the Colorado fires.

A Thank You Hug.

5.  My men’s Monday night Cursillo group had a dinner at Palermo. We included our spouses and enjoyed an evening of great food and companionship. The owner surprised us with complementary desert of Cannoli and Tiramisu.


6. I was at Brandermill Woods Health Care Center providing communion to the sick. We setup in a room that overlooks the garden and Cheryl brings in those who wish to participate. This last visit the first person she brought in was a woman who was in a cheerful mood. She started singing “It’s A Long Way to Tipperary.” Jerry and I joined her although we did not know all the words. She enjoyed it so much she continued with three more renditions. Fortunately she did not continue once we started the prayer session. We never know what to expect but always enjoy the visit. Jerry and I get more from this experience than the people we share with. We are all united together in God’s presence.

7. The weather forecast and read partly cloudy with a chance of rain on Monday and partly sunny with a chance of rain on Thursday. I was curious, what is the difference? So an internet trip to the National Weather Service provided their definition.

“Partly Cloudy: Between 3/8 and 5/8 of the sky is covered by clouds.
Partly Sunny: Between 3/8 and 5/8 of the sky is covered by clouds. The term "Partly Sunny" is used only during daylight hours.”


Read other "Takes" at Conversion Diary.

Friday, June 14, 2013

My Slow Takes (Vol. 100)


1. This is my one-hundredth of “My Slow Takes.” Thank you to all who take the time to read what I write. A special thank you to Jennifer for sharing her blog with me. I enjoy putting together my musings and will continue.



2. Please pray for my sister-in-Christ, Joanne. She has some cancer issues that require a medical procedure. 

3. This has been a busy week, Dee’s brother and his wife, Pat and Judy spent a few days with us. Tomorrow we have more family staying with us, so the fun continues.  

4. On Tuesday we has lunch at “Baker’s Crust” on Cary Street and then we spent a couple of hours at the historic Tredegar Iron Works. There is a lot to see and learn and we could have stayed all day. There are films and exhibits. A Civil War reenactor gave a excellent demonstration and talk on the Springfield rifled musket.

Pat, Judy and I. Photo by Dee.

5. Our two oldest sons, Eric and Todd are moving out of state. One to New York and the other to North Carolina. The good news is that the youngest son is here with his family. It also means we will be doing some road trips.

6. Apple continues developing and improving it’s products. CNET put together “What Apple revealed at WWDC 2013.” 

7. My favorite Italian restaurant is “A Taste of Italy.” They make the best Stromboli in Richmond, Virginia. My Friday men’s lunch group meets there on a regular basis. Today was one of those days.


Read other "Takes" at Conversion Diary.

Friday, June 7, 2013

My Slow Takes (Vol. 99)


1. Deacon Steve talked about the Trinity in his Homily last week.  He related a story about Saint Augustine.

“St. Augustine was walking on the beach contemplating the mystery of the Trinity. Then he saw a boy in front of him who had dug a hole in the sand and was going out to the sea again and again and bringing some water to pour into the hole. St. Augustine asked him, “What are you doing?” “I’m going to pour the entire ocean into this hole.” “That is impossible, the whole ocean will not fit in the hole you have made” said St. Augustine. The boy replied, “And you cannot fit the Trinity in your tiny little brain.” The story concludes by saying that the boy vanished because St. Augustine had been talking to an angel.”

Deacon Steve said that we should be studying how we learned about God through the scriptures. The more we read and reflect on our readings the more we will understand.
Study is one of the legs of the tripod from Cursillo. It is the tool of choice.

2. Dee and I spent some time with our friends Pam and Tony. Beach walks, browsing shops in the small town of Manteo, sharing stories and laughing. There was no schedule or concern about the time. Just four people enjoying God’s gift of friendship. 

“A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.

A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.

A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;

For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.”  Sirach 6:14-17 


Pam and Tony
3. Randy Booth shared the following from his blog, "The Feast of Booths."

I asked that it [work] should be looked upon—not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money, but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. That it should, in fact, be thought of as a creative activity undertaken for the love of the work itself; and that man, made in God's image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a thing that is well worth doing." By Dorothy Sayers

4. I enjoy early morning walks on the beach. Usually before 6AM, so I can see the sun rise. The photo is taken from my iPhone.  


5. The local fishermen were out before me but I did get the opportunity to meet them and watch the netting of the fish. It reminded me of the stories of Jesus and the disciples. The morning sun caressed the ocean giving it a mixed blue color. Everything was calm and serene as I watched them pull in the nets and gather the fish. 


6. Dee and me along the dock in Manteo.


7. A photograph of one of the entries to the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. See more here at “The Atlantic.”
The photo is the Seaham Lighthouse in County Durham in England.
© Owen Humphreys, photographer.



Read other "Takes" at Conversion Diary.