Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I know it's early, but I am just not into Lent this year. You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

I've been busy writing, so I hope you'll take the time to read some past posts from my home web site, Being Catholic ... Really My post, "I wanted to spend this summer as if it was my last," won best photo gallery in September, so I'm very proud of that one.  There's a variety of posts about a lot of different topics including politics and the adoption of two members of our family , just to single out a few. There's also a book review of Colleen C. Mitchell's book, "Who Does He Say You Are?    This is a wonderful book that's perfect to leave out when you want to just concentrate on one particular chapter.  I loved Colleen's insights into the twelve women of the Bible.  "The woman crippled by a demon" really spoke to me and you can find that article on CatholicMom.com . I also write for Catholic365.com  so if you're not too sick of my ramblings, I hope you'll stop by there, too. I must admit, since quitting my jo...

I've come a long way over the years.  Like everyone else, I didn't realize just how long a way until I started looking at some old photographs. You can view the photo gallery and read the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

I’ve made some changes in my life recently or should I say the Lord made some changes in my life. I  quit my job  which allowed me to  attend daily Mass  (something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time). It has also allowed me to get in the habit of writing every day. Sometimes I just make notes in a small notebook about the readings at Mass or what the priest had to say and other times it turns into whole blog posts. Every once in a while it’s a random idea that I jot down. Of course, if I don’t write it down immediately, well … some of you know how that goes. You can read the full article here .

My new morning commute began July 11 one week after  I quit my job .  I was anxious to attend daily Mass and to continue my daily walk that I did when I worked. You can read the rest of the article and view the photo gallery of my new commute at Being Catholic ... Really .

A friend of mine on Facebook posted this  article  about the murder of Father Jacques Hamel by Islamic state terrorists.  It was the first I had heard of this unspeakable murder. Please read the rest of the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

I received an email a couple of weeks ago stating that I was "eligible for an electronic credit as part of the Apple Settlement" through Barnes & Noble.  At first I thought it was spam, but a friend of mine received one through Amazon.  I didn't think too much of it, until I got the email that said my credit was going to be $76.39!  YAY!  So what should I spend it on? You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

I came across the Stations of the Cross at  Presence Resurrection Retirement Community  quite by accident one Sunday morning.  My husband is the choir director for the 9 AM Mass.  Though I had attended with him several times, I never knew about the beautiful garden and Stations. You can read the rest of the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

Most people make New Year’s Eve resolutions, but I’ve started making summer resolutions. Mary Schmich, of the Chicago Tribune, wrote an article entitled,  “Making the Most of Summer Requires Resolution.”  I have found the older I get, the more I look forward  to summer . You can read the article here .

Honor Your Inner Monk is an app I came across recently.  What I like best about it, is that the prayers are short and to the point.  In a sentence or two, the prayer is thoughtful, helpful and practical.  You can read the article and view the photo gallery at  Being Catholic ... Really

Our daughter graduated from college in May. My husband and I have been to many college graduations, but this one was different. It wasn’t different because it was our daughter, it was different because she graduated from a Lutheran college. You can read the article at  Catholic365.com .

Pope Francis'  favorite painting , Chagall's White Crucifixion, returns to  The Art Institute of Chicago .  I learned all this through social media so I planned my visit to the museum. You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

After attending the exhibit of  Van Gogh's Bedrooms  at  The Art Institute of Chicago , I've become a bit obsessed with the museum itself and Van Gogh's works.  As a life-long Chicago resident, the exhibit prompted me to become a  member  of the museum and I'm so glad I did! You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

Not too long ago, I wrote about how  I found God in Van Gogh's bedrooms  at  The Art Institute .  My friend and I had such a good time that we planned another visit.  This time we went to see the  Thorne Miniature Rooms .  These beautiful little rooms had us searching for the tiniest details.  Sometimes we would find eyeglasses on a table.  Chess sets were common as were the tiny place settings for the next meal. To view the gallery, please go to Being Catholic ... Really .

I wrote this four years ago on St. Polycarp's feast day.  Learning about the saints is learning the history of our faith and church.  When you're feeling a bit cranky, you can tell people you're just following in the footsteps of this early saint. Polycarp (155? or 166?) is the curmudgeon of all the saints.  I say this with great confidence after reading this story and quote from him: Once on a visit to Rome, he had snubbed the heretic Marcion. "Don't you know who I am Polycarp?" he asked.  "Oh yes," said the saint, "I know the firstborn of Satan when I see him." OUCH! To read the article go to Being Catholic ... Really .

I made a trip to  The Art Institute of Chicago  to see the  Van Gogh's Bedrooms  exhibit.  The exhibit runs through May 10, 2016.  I know the phrase "must see" is overused, but this really is a one of a kind exhibit that is being done only in Chicago, so it really is a "must see." To view the photo gallery, go to Being Catholic ... Really .

Lunar New Year 2016 at  St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church  was celebrated on Sunday, February 21.  This is the Year of the Monkey. This year the celebration was special.  Archbishop Cupich was one of the celebrants.  He has a great sense of humor and seemed to enjoy himself throughout the celebration. You can view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

My husband and I are planning our retirement. We've talked about our expenses and how we'll manage our money. The main topic is where should we live when we retire? You can find out where will retire at Being Catholic ... Really .

I'm sure whenever you log into Facebook, you've noticed the Facebook Memories: On This Day.  It can either be seen through a friend's sharing of their memories or there's a tab on the left of your newsfeed under "Apps" that you can click on and see your own. Sometimes I wonder what's in other peoples' On this Day.  Is it the same political stuff they're posting now?  Their favorite cause?  They never seem to post anything very personal, so I wonder what their life is really like. You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

What are you doing for Lent?  I'm getting fit!  Every Lent I look for a new experience and this year I decided to focus on my health. I'm at the age where my rock star idols are  dying in bulk .  Though I'm in good health now, as I approach my 64th birthday, I think about my immortality just a little bit more. You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .