What I Wore Sunday: Volume 16

I haven't participated in the WIWS link-up in quite a while.  And today I'm sort of cheating, because I'm going to show you what I wore [Mother's Day] Sunday...WAY back in 1961, when I was an almost-3-year-old.

This photo has made an appearance on the old blog several times already, most recently in this August 6 post.  It was taken in front our house in Somerset, NJ, where my family lived from 1960-1965.

This past Thursday, while attending the Catholic Writers Guild/Catholic Marketing Network conference in Somerset, my husband and I took a little lunchtime side trip over to our old address (which was literally minutes from the conference hotel!), to see if the Harding homestead is still standing.  Well, it is.  It's got new siding on it, and the car port has been turned into a garage, and there are wrought-iron railings now on the little concrete stairs by the front door.  But it's there.  The owner was out front when we pulled up, and we asked permission to take a few pictures.  For one of them, my husband tried to have me stand near the same spot where I'd stood for the 1961 snapshot.  (I really wish I'd had an Easter bonnet to wear and a little purse with a chain handle to hold, to make the re-enactment more accurate.  Maybe some bangs, too.)

Okay, so I've shown you what I wore one Sunday 52 years ago, and what I wore last Thursday at the CWG/CMN conference (lace-overlay dress: Tiana B., from JCPenney; cropped sweater: from Dress Barn; flower brooch: from TJ Maxx).

Now I'll show you what I wore for Mass today, along with my Sunday Best and a lace mantilla: a "Battle Saint" bracelet I purchased at a booth on the showroom floor at the conference.

Let's take a closer look at that bracelet.

Isn't it lovely?

Battle Saints is a family-run ministry founded by Cynthia Lemay.  This organization creates beautiful wooden bracelets decorated with images of different saints who are relevant to the military.  They also make Battle Saint scarves--which you may have seen in some photos from the war zone, where they are often worn by members of our military.  A contribution from the sale of each Battle Saint bracelet and scarf is dedicated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.  My husband and I have a son who is currently on deployment in Afghanistan, and we thought the least we could do was to buy some of these bracelets and give them to loved ones.  When I wear mine, it reminds me to pray often--not just for my son, but for all of our brave men and women who make extraordinary sacrifices to ensure our safety and freedom.

May all the warrior saints, like St. Michael the Archangel and St. Joan of Arc, surround our troops with protection and keep them out of harm's way!

Now head on over to Fine Linen and Purple, if you haven't already.  And have a great week!