Five Favorites!

First of all, let me say that I love blogging.  Blogging is my favorite.

"Could have fooled me!  You'd sure never know it by how many new posts she's produced in the last month."  Is that what you're thinking, my dear reader?  If so, I don't blame you.  My output has been decidedly sub-par as of late.  (But wait: being below par is actually a good thing, if you're a golfer...the lower the score, the better!  Although I don't think that applies to the world of blogging, where the higher the number of posts, the better.)

Anyway, instead of giving you all the usual excuses for my Internet silence (remember, I am trying to write a book--so go easy on me), I thought I'd get back in the game today by not only blogging, but linking up with other bloggers, too!   So I'm joining Heather at Mama Knows, Honey Child for that popular Wednesday link-up, Five Favorites.

Favorite #1:

Having my baby home! 

Our youngest son returned home last night, after being gone almost 2 months.  First, he spent 3 weeks in El Paso doing an Army summer internship; and immediately following that, he reported to Fort Knox, for the required Army leadership course that all ROTC cadets must attend between their junior and senior years of college.  We picked him up at the airport late last night, and he warned us that he would probably sleep most of the day today.  Fine by me.  I just love knowing he's up there in his own bed, and that when he finally wakes up, I can feed him like a king.  After all those weeks of enduring MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat, once known as K-rations or C-rations), he's ready for Mom's home cooking, that's for sure.

I made fried chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes yesterday, which I plan to heat up for him tonight (along with some stuffing, which just might be his favorite side dish).  I also baked him a "Welcome Home" cake.  Which leads me to favorite #2.

Favorite #2:

Baking!

I could bake every single day, that's how much I love to do it.  The only reason I don't is that we would all be as big as a house around here if I did.  As it is, I often bake just for the joy of it (I swear, it's downright therapeutic!), even when there is no occasion whatsoever that calls for a special dessert.  Then I have to freeze the goodies I've made to save for a later date.  It might be some sort of illness, I'm not sure...

But I'll tell you, making cakes and cookies is so much more fun, now that I have a Kitchen Aid mixer!  (You guessed it; that's my segue into Favorite #3!)

Favorite #3:

My Kitchen Aid mixer!

As if this appliance wouldn't be magnificent enough in any color, mine is in my very favorite hue in the world: Kelly green!  (How do you like that?  Another favorite!)  This past Mother's Day, my 5 sons, along with their significant others and my husband, all pitched in to get me this dream gift, and now I'm wondering how I was able to manage without it all these years.  The brilliant pop of color makes me smile every time I look at it.  Preciosa was wondering what color they should choose, and her hubby (my beloved middle son) said, "No question--it definitely has to be Kelly green."  He knows his momma. 

Until I received "my precious," I always used a hand mixer...and I always made a huge mess whenever I baked.  I couldn't seem to find a mixing bowl that was deep enough to keep the batter from splattering all over the place, yet shallow enough for maneuvering the hand mixer.  Now I toss all the ingredients into the deep stainless steel bowl that comes with the Kitchen Aid, turn that industrial-strength baby on, and get to enjoy splatter-free, hands-free, super-efficient mixing.  It's like a dream come true.  I can see now why brides-to-be usually put a Kitchen Aid mixer on their bridal registries.

Hey, how 'bout that?  My last two favorites were in fact inspired by the wedding of a brand new bride I know, my older brother's daughter.  The amazing celebration after her nuptial Mass was like nothing you've ever seen (I like to call it "My Big, Fat, Italian Wedding").  280 guests, a live band, mouth-watering plated dinners...it was something else, I'll tell you.  Just so much fun!  And I got to dance with my sweetheart, which leads to what else but--

Favorite #4:

Dancing with My Husband!

Weddings are always such a great opportunity for my husband and me to do something that we absolutely love doing--dancing together, jitterbug/swing-style--but really don't do very often. 

Back in 1975, shortly before our high school junior prom, my mother gave the two of us some basic lessons in this style of dancing.  I remember going through the motions in our living room, with Mom coaching us.  She taught my cute boyfriend how to lead, and I learned how to follow (for the most part).  We cut a pretty good rug at that prom.  Then when this boyfriend/future husband went off to college, he would show me new moves he'd learned at Notre Dame dances every time we were home together on breaks, and we'd incorporate them into our "routines."  Over the years, our timing and confidence continued to improve.  We're not half-bad (if I do say so myself)--and a lot better at it at 56 than we were at 16, although we get winded quicker.  We definitely give the young kids out on the dance floor a run for their money!

But there was a lot of impressive dancing going on at my niece's wedding.  Even my brothers were swinging each other around the floor, making everyone around them laugh.  So I guess you might be able to predict what #5 is going to be...

Favorite #5:

My Sweet, Funny (and Talented) Brothers!

I'm the second-oldest sibling in my family, sandwiched between two brothers; one is about 16 months older than I, and the other is about 18 months younger.  (We also have two younger sisters.) 

The Harding boys are both such showmen, each in his own way.  My older brother will make you laugh until your stomach hurts, and he's never afraid to make an utter fool of himself to get that reaction.  My younger brother has a traditional job, but is also living out a dream from his garage band days in high school: in his off hours, he plays his guitar and sings at bars, parties, etc.--and he's incredibly good.  When he's up there doing his thing, he works the crowd with his quick wit and self-deprecating humor.

I can't say enough about these two guys.  The band let my younger brother get up on stage and play 4 songs at our niece's wedding reception, and within the next few days, I just might be sharing some videos my sister took while he was performing.  And while I'm at it, I've got to show you the video of my older brother doing a choreographed father-daughter dance with his baby girl; it's almost guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

But for now, here are some still shots of my silly brothers, acting like they've got a major bromance going on.  (I'm the gal in the blue polka-dot dress, laughing her head off.)

Ahhh...good times, good times.

Now tell me, what are some of your favorites?

These Are a Few (or Five, to Be Exact) of My Favorite Things

I haven't done a "Five Favorites" post, a Wednesday staple for many lady bloggers whose sites I frequent regularly, in quite a while.  But lately, it seems like I want to go around singing "These are a few of my favorite things" at the top of my not-quite-tone-deaf, but definitely-not-Julie Andrews-quality lungs...so I thought I ought to join Hallie et. al. today and share a few of my most recent favorites with you!

-1-

My husband and I got some wonderful gifts this Christmas.  One of my favorites (and his, too) was something my extremely thoughtful and creative daughter-in-law, Regina (who is married to my oldest son), came up with.  The gift was a year-long subscription to a very special and exclusive artwork of the month club.   Regina took a 12-inch square plywood picture frame, with an off-center opening for a 5 X 7-inch photo of our three darling granddaughters, painted it, and added letters that spelled out "Little Pearl Art Club."  She glued two clothes pins on the bottom for the purpose of holding precious pieces of paper which she promised would be coming in the mail each month.  The card that came with this gift read: "Merry Christmas, Papa and Grammy!  And congratulations--you are the lucky recipients of a year-long membership to the Little Pearl Art Club.  Each month you will receive a new piece of artwork (original) by [one of your three granddaughters] and can display it on your Little Pearl Art Club Gallery, if you wish.  Enjoy your subscription and these priceless works of art."

 

Is that not THEE GREATEST GIFT A PAPA OR A GRAMMY COULD EVER WISH FOR?  It's a favorite, you betcha.

 

And yesterday, we received our first piece of artwork in the mail, an original masterpiece by one of our two-and-a-half-year-old twin granddaughters.  My daughter-in-law's note said: "January 2014--Your first piece of artwork from the Little Pearl Art Club is an original by [Cutie Pie] Pearl.  The medium used was tempera paint.  Toilet paper rolls were used to give a circular effect.  Enjoy."

We will!  We will!  And we can hardly wait for the next installment!

 

-2-



Have you ever heard of Alex and Ani bangle bracelets?  Before Christmas, I hadn't.  But my other daughter-in-law, Preciosa (who married son #3 in December), gave me one as a gift this year, and I am now a huge fan.  She chose a gold-toned bangle with a Notre Dame Fighting Irish leprechaun charm on it, and I just love it!  It's a favorite already--I wear it every day.  It's expandable, stackable, and incredibly comfortable to wear. 

I loved it so much, in fact, that I decided I really needed (yes, needed) to get another Alex and Ani bangle to wear along with the ND one.  There's an Alex and Ani store in a town about 20 minutes from where we live, and I drove over there yesterday to see what they had.  I ended up getting myself another gold-toned bangle with a Miraculous Medal charm on it.  I'm just tickled with it--especially because when I remove the Miraculous Medal I wear around my neck (when I'm wearing a scoop-necked dress and pearls, for instance), I like to wear one somewhere else on my person.  I don't like to be without this devotional at any time.  Now, if I take off my Miraculous Medal necklace, I can wear this Alex and Ani "Mother Mary" charm on my wrist.

Alex and Ani jewelry is made in the good old US of A (God bless America!) out of recycled materials.  In spite of their New Agey-sounding "positive energy" marketing slogan, they sell many items that include Catholic saints and other religious symbols.  I recommend a trip to their site--you might find a favorite piece of jewelry there, too.

 

-3-

Having daughters-in-law--talk about a favorite!  It's been so wonderful having young women join our family: two so far, and a third will be welcomed into the fold in about a month!  (Weddings of sons--another favorite!  I have so many favorites, it's hard to limit it to five!)  These young ladies are much more than just thoughtful, generous, and creative gift-givers; they are my daughters.  This has been so special for me, having these girls to love, after raising only sons.

With Regina, Christmas 2011.

 

That's Preciosa on the right, with me and her soon-to-be sister-in-law,
 at my soon-to-be-daughter-in-law's recent bridal shower.
(I'm working on a blog moniker for the new addition.)

 

-4-

Have you ever heard of eShakti?  This is my new favorite place to buy dresses!  If you haven't done so yet, you really must check out their site!  They sell the most lovely, modest, well-made dresses for women.  They're feminine and have a vintage look about them.  Recently, my daughter-in-law Regina told me she'd gone on there and used a $30 coupon to buy a dress.  You can order straight sizes, but she chose to send in her measurements to have hers custom-made, and she said it was the best-fitting dress she'd ever owned.  You can also change the sleeve length, neckline, and hem length of most of the styles--which is so fantastic, because I can't tell you how many times I've loved a dress at the mall but didn't buy it because it fell above the knee, and I really prefer to wear dresses that fall below the knee.  Well, at eShakti, it's up to you!  You can have a mini, a knee-length, a below knee-length, a tea-length or an ankle-length dress made out of a style you like.

 

For my first purchase, I used the first-time-buyer $30 coupon to order this gorgeous dress to wear to my #4 son's rehearsal dinner in February.  I chose to have the short sleeves lengthened so that they go down to the elbow.  What I didn't choose to do was to send in my measurements and have the dress custom-fitted, unfortunately.  I think I was embarrassed to have to give my waist size (which was never small, even before I gave birth to some oversized baby boys)--I figured I would be fine in the off-the-rack size I normally wear.  So...because I wasn't willing to reveal my measurements, to dressmakers whom I'll never meet in my life and who couldn't care less about my numbers, my dress is quite snug in the waist. I can zip it up, but barely.  If I had given my waist measurement, admitting the extra inch of room I needed, it would have been a perfect fit.  Now, I'll have to lose about five pounds if I want to be able to breathe in this dress at the rehearsal dinner.  Lesson learned.  My advice to you is if you go on the eShakti site to order a dress, pay the extra $7.50 to have it made-to-order.  I'm sure you won't regret it.

 

-5-

 

A positive review for my novel, Finding Grace, that's a favorite, I must humbly admit--especially when it comes from an unexpected source.

 

My book is targeted at females, mostly--both adult women and teenaged girls.  That's not to say that a man couldn't enjoy it.  But so far, the only men who have read it and raved about it happen to be some guys who are extremely close to me: my husband and two of my grown sons.  Although I believe they really did like the book, I can't help but wonder if their feelings were in part influenced by their affection for me.  Also, they are faithful, practicing Catholics and this is an unapologetically Catholic book.  It shows the beauty and Truth of the Faith, and the way those who live according to God's will and His laws are happier and more at peace. 

 

My younger brother (less than two years behind me in our family of five) has not been practicing the Faith as an adult, but he read the book recently and said that in spite of that--and also in spite of the fact that he's not a teenaged girl--he loved it.  He Facebook messaged me out of the blue about a week ago to tell me that he was reading it and that although it took about 85 pages for "its teeth to sink in," he was hooked and looking for every opportunity to read it.  He actually said, "I love it!"  You can't imagine what this review from my little brother meant to me!  More than some of the reviews I've gotten from professional writers, even.  Then yesterday, I got a follow-up Facebook message from him, telling me he'd finished it.  "I laughed and I cried (don't tell anyone!!).  I'm left waiting for the next novel by my new favorite author.  Please tell me there's another one brewing...Seriously, are you considering another?"

 

Blown away, that's what I am; utterly and completely blown away.  I never thought my little brother would even read Finding Grace, much less enjoy it as much as he said he did.  Sometimes, when I consider how fast this book is not selling, I slip into the bad habit of judging its success by worldly standards and thinking the whole undertaking was a bit ridiculous of me.  But then I get a review like this one...and I feel that perhaps this book is truly meant to touch just a handful of people (which is the way I thought of it when I was working on it).  And perhaps, just perhaps, its work is done already.

 

Okay, time to head over to Hallie's to see what other favorites bloggers are excited about sharing with you.









Five Favorites, Volume 5

I'm joining Jen again today, for day 3 of the 7 Posts in 7 Days challenge--and while I'm at it, Hallie Grace, too, for the Five Favorites link-up.

Favorite #1

This guy!  He treats me like a queen, always has my back, makes me laugh every day, is the best father five sons could ever ask for...and best of all, he still makes my heart go pitter-pat, after almost 33 years of marriage (preceded by almost 8 years of dating, starting at the tender age of 15).  He is not a cowboy, technically, but he's definitely cowboy-esque. When my college friends met him freshman year, they asked me if he was from out West. And that was decades before he started wearing his signature cowboy hats! No, he was not from out West.  He didn't grow up on a cattle ranch.  He was a small town boy from Upstate NY, but he had a slow-talking drawl and a John Wayne way about him, and that can-do, all-male quality that made a gal feel she would always be safe when he was around. That guy was and is a man of character, a man whose faith runs deep, and I consider myself one lucky lady to have lassoed such a winner.

Favorite #2

This pencil drawing, rendered by my husband for an art class in college.  He was working on it when he visited me at Holy Cross our senior year, during one of his breaks from Notre Dame (HC and ND were never on the same schedule).  A hard-working metallurgical engineer, he finally had some room in his schedule for a few less strenuous electives that year, and he thought a drawing class would be an easy A.  It helped that he did have natural talent.  People usually assume that our sons, who are all rather gifted artistically, got their talent from me.  But I think perhaps it was from their dad.  My husband had done this drawing as a little boy, copying it from an art book about drawing portraits; but that original masterpiece had gotten misplaced.  He decided to try his hand at it again, and he tells me he still thinks the one he did years before was much better.  Hard to believe, because I think this one is excellent.

The photo of my husband in #1 was taken at a reunion of all his childhood buddies that we attended over the weekend, and it showed up on Facebook yesterday.  When he saw it, he made me laugh when he said, "Back when I drew that old, grizzly cowboy, I didn't know I was drawing myself!"  (I suppose there are some similarities...)

Favorite #3

Saint Padre Pio.  He's my special patron saint for 2013, chosen randomly for me by the Saints Name Generator (remember that?). It seems that ever since the two of us were thrown together, definite signs that I need to remember to pray to this powerful saint keep appearing in our mailbox.  I can't count the number of Padre Pio-themed mailings we've been sent.  Just the other day we received this special gift:

Message received, dear saint! I must pray Rosaries, Rosaries, and more Rosaries, and while I'm at it, I should remember to pray to you, my special patron, for intercession as well. On the back of the medal on the Rosary ring, there is a small piece of relic cloth that was touched to one of Padre Pio's belongings in the reliquaries at the Shrine of St. Padre Pio, in the Church of St. John the Baptist in NYC.   I will cherish this Rosary ring, and I'll be sure to bring it with me when I go on my long walks.  (I love taking walks, because I get to exercise my body and soul, all at the same time.)

Favorite #4

Making desserts.  (Followed closely by eating desserts.)  Last night, I was Jones-ing for "a little something," as my husband calls sweet treats, so I decided to whip up a chocolate concoction with some ingredients we had on hand.  We've been out of town a lot lately, so I had to work with what we had available.  I threw an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, along with 1/2 of another already-opened package, into a bowl.  Then I poured a ton of semi-sweet chocolate chips in there (I didn't measure, but it may have been just slightly less than  a ton--about 1 and 1/2 cups, or perhaps 2).  I put the bowl in the microwave and heated it at 50% until the chips were melted, and then I stirred the mixture vigorously with a spoon until it was nice and creamy.  Not knowing if it would be sweet enough, I threw in some sugar (1/2 cup?), about a teaspoon of  vanilla, and then I beat in an egg.  I put this chocolatey goo into a pre-made shortbread pie crust, baked it at 300 for an hour, and IT. WAS. AWESOME!  I'm wishing now that I'd measured all the ingredients so I could duplicate it one day down the road.

The only bad thing about this delectable chocolate pie I made (or chocolate cheesecake--I really don't know what to call it) is that it looked an awful lot like the one Minny made for her nemesis in the movie "The Help."

When I mentioned the resemblance, after my husband had eaten about 1/4 of my pie, I kind of ruined it for him.

(Hey, that leads me to another favorite: The Help.  In book or movie form--both are excellent.) 

Favorite #5

Camp Patton.   Adorable blond cherubs.  Real family life, with all its wonderful chaos and noise.  A young wife and mother whose razor-sharp wit and ability to turn a phrase are unparalleled in the blogosphere (and a husband who provides some wicked amusing one-liners from time to time as well).  Camp Patton is Comedy Central for all of us blog-readers, and we miss it when we click on it in the morning and there isn't a new post up yet.  (No pressure, Grace!)  So head on over to the Camp now and see what's on Grace's mind today.  And while you're at it, you'll find other Favorites lists to peruse.  Tell them I sent ya.

Five Favorites, Volume 4

Joining Hallie once again for her fun and fancy-free weekly link-up.

I like this concept, because five just happens to be my favorite number.  I was one of five siblings, and that's the number of children God gave my husband and me as well.  Five is awesome; high fives to that--high fives all around!

So in honor of the number five, here's a favorite photo of my five favorite offspring (it's a five-way tie, no matter what any one of them might try to tell you when the others aren't listening).

1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: Five Favorites.

This picture (if I had to give it a title, I'd call it "The Ties That Bind") was taken way, way back in 1998, at a family Baptism in the church where my husband and I got married.  The littlest guy there on the lower right is now 20.  The oldest brother (the tallest one--at the time, anyway--in the back, in the red shirt) is the father of three and in a matter of months will turn [gulp!] 30.

For all of you darling young "mommy bloggers" out there, here's this mommy-turned-grammy blogger's experience: I blinked, and these five boys turned into five men.

If you head on over to Hallie's, you might actually see some other bloggers' five favorite beauty products worth buying, or five favorite books worth reading, or five favorite recipes worth trying...Here, you're just getting a whole lot of motherly pride, times five.  Go on, then. Over to Hallie's with you.

Five Favorites, Volume 3

I'm linking up today with Grace, who's filling in for Hallie and hosting this week's feel-good blogging party called "Five Favorites."

What could be more fun than just telling people five things that you like--without even worrying if there is any cohesiveness to your list?  (I hope cohesiveness isn't important, because my five faves today are very randomly chosen, although perhaps sort of tied together because they're inspired in part by my recent travels and visits with family).

To begin with, here's a newly acquired favorite activity:

1

Tagging along with my pilot husband on his trips to exotic locales.

My husband has been a pilot for a major airline for about 25 years, and has been flying international trips for about 15.  I never used to travel with him because: a) back in the day (before my recent conversion to jet-setter), I'd rather have a root canal without Novocaine than fly; b) we were raising our five sons, who were tied down at home by school, sports, and work schedules, and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them behind to go off gallivanting with my main man; and c) even though the airline tickets themselves were free, we always faced the possibility of being bumped from flights and having to split up, and exhorbitant food and lodging costs for a family of seven made European jaunts something we just didn't feel we could swing during the years we were dealing with multiple Catholic school tuition fees as well as college expenses.

But our youngest son left for Notre Dame in the fall of 2011, and that December I accompanied my husband  for the very first time on a working trip--to Nice.  Since then, I have been to Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, and most recently, San Juan.  And while I was in San Juan, I realized I have a brand new favorite (although before that trip, I never knew such a thing existed).  I just love--

2

Swim-up bars at upscale, beachy resort hotels.

On my husband's layover day in San Juan (where we stayed at the Caribe Hilton, right on the beach...ah, paradise), we spent a lot of time sunning and swimming, while the palm trees swayed in the ocean breeze; and then shortly before we went up to our room to get ready for dinner, we treated ourselves to a drink at an outdoor bar where the stools are actually in the pool!  I suppose I'm a back-woods country hick, but I'd never been to one of these before.  And although we may have to take out a new mortgage on our house, which as of just a month or so ago we actually OWN (how DO they sleep at night, charging $12 for one drink?!), I really enjoyed my frozen Margarita.  My husband's mango Daquiri was a bit of a let-down, however.  (Or maybe he was just having trouble enjoying it thoroughly because it was so ridiculously expensive.)  Okay then, swim-up bars: highly recommended.

There's a similar picture of me sitting on one of these bar stools, too; but I'd much rather share this one
of my favorite plane captain.  However, the photo I'm not showing you illustrates what I'll call favorite # 2a:
bathing suits with ruching.  Ruching is a magical thing that adds faux volume where you don't have
enough (ahem),and helps to hide it where you have too much!

After we returned from San Juan, my husband and I flew down to VA for the weekend to attend a surprise birthday party for our #3 son, and shortly thereafter I drove to Upstate NY to visit with my folks.  (When I leave here, I'll have less than a day at home before my husband and I board a flight out to CO to visit with our oldest son, his wife, and our three little granddaughters.  So...that house I mentioned above?  The one in New England--the one we now own?  We're rarely ever in it these days!)  

My parents have a sweet little house in the country (not the home I grew up in), and I've been enjoying my stay here.  My mom has some lovely things, which leads me to my next favorite--

3

Images of Our Blessed Mother.

My mother inherited this absolutely beautiful porcelain Hummel figurine of the Virgin Mary and Her Beloved Son from her own mother.  My grandmother was deeply religious and had special devotions to both the Blessed Mother and St. Therese of Lisieux.

I could look at this all day long, it's so lovely!

The touching story behind this statue is that when my grandmother died, my mother noticed that there were some rolled-up sheets of paper in my grandmother's handwriting that had been shoved up inside of it through a hole in the bottom.  Grandma had written about certain aspects of her life that caused her pain and despair, wherein she pointed out which things could be changed and which ones she had to learn to accept.  She bemoaned the fact that her soul needed work; but that when it came to that, there was always something that could be done, she wrote: she could PRAY.  It's obvious that she looked to the Blessed Mother for help in dealing with the difficulties she faced in life.

Some people think that Catholics "worship" statues and pictures of Mary and the saints; but of course, that is far from the truth.  Images like this one of the Blessed Mother are merely beautiful reminders of our love for and trust in Her.  They remind us of Her very important role as Mediatrix, and how She can intercede for us with Her Son.

There are many other interesting things in my parents' home.  Such as--

4

People who really, REALLY like to wear t-shirts with funny sayings on them.

My father (whose nickname is "Bigfoot") recently had to have the front of his right foot amputated (after two previous surgeries to remove two of his toes, he now has none left). Here he is wearing a t-shirt that was a gift to him a few Christmases ago from his sister's equally silly husband.  Considering all that he's been going through lately, the saying on the front of it is pretty apropos, don't you agree?

A couple of my sons have inherited this love of wearing silly t-shirts.  My youngest son has one with this on it:

A sense of humor is absolutely essential in life, isn't it?  My dad's doctor called his procedure an "extreme pedicure," the kind of joke that's right up good old Bigfoot's alley. And my husband told him that now that he's lost the front of his right foot, he should become an NFL kicker.  Apparently back in 1970, Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints set the NFL field goal record (63 yards), a record which has been tied in recent years. Dempsey was born without any toes on his right foot (his kicking foot), and yet he achieved this impressive milestone wearing a specially made square-toed shoe.

Which makes me think of this favorite:

5

Sports!

It seems that for every problem in life, there is a great sports story to provide inspiration. College and professional athletes are usually born with natural God-given talent; but those who rise to the top have to go that extra mile and do what few are willing to do.  They teach us about drive and hard work and discipline.  They show us how it is possible to overcome even debilitating physical challenges if we're determined enough.

For instance, I give you kicker Tom Dempsey's famous foot. 

When reporters asked Dempsey if he thought he had an unfair advantage because of the shape of his kicking foot, he shot back, "Unfair eh?  How 'bout you try kickin' a 63 yard field goal to win it with 2 seconds left an' yer wearin' a square shoe, oh, yeah and no toes either." I love this guy.  I love the way sports can bring out the fighting spirit and produce successful athletes like him.  He never let his limitations get in the way.  He was a kicker without toes, and yet he became a household name in the world of professional football. Hopefully, as my dad goes through the process of healing and then learning how to get about with a third of his foot missing, he'll draw inspiration from Tom Dempsey's story.

Okay, that's it for me.  I meant to get on board with all the other Five Favorites linker-uppers hours and hours ago...but Bigfoots who are adjusting to little foots need lots of TLC and attention.  If you've got the time, head on over there now and join the party!

Five Favorites, Volume 2

I'm really having fun with all the new link-ups I've found the last few months.   Like this one I'm doing today, with Hallie et. al. over at Moxie Wife--I mean, who doesn't like to talk about their favorite things?

For the longest time, I felt like I was an island (although no man is, you know): all alone at my laptop, wondering who in the world besides my little stable of loyal followers (most of whom are called "relatives") was even reading what I wrote.  But then I discovered link-ups...

Hey, I think I just came up with my first favorite!

1. Blog Link-ups!

It all started this past January, when I made my first tentative foray into the popular "7 Quick Takes Friday" link-up over at Conversion Diary.  By February, I'd discovered "What I Wore Sunday," a weekly faith-filled fashion show hosted by Fine Linen and Purple.  Now I've added "Theme Thursday" over at Clan Donaldson and "3 Reasons I Love Catholicism" over at California to Korea to my ever-growing list of Internet places to go, Internet people to see. It's crazy how many new bloggers I've "met" through these link-ups!  I'm getting more visitors to my blog these days, and they're leaving comments.  I'm enjoying the "conversations" we're having.  It's so exciting!  And it's amazing how many interesting blogs I've found that I might have completely missed out on had I never pulled a Phil Mickelson (that is, hit the links--get it?).

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2. The T.V. Show "Psych"

If you've never seen this USA Network show, you don't know what you're missing.  "Psych" is hilarious.  You will probably laugh out loud while watching it...despite the fact that your husband is away on a trip and you're all alone in your big, empty house, watching late-night re-runs of a show that you can see anytime you want to because your sons have given you the first five seasons on DVD as gifts.  (It sounds a little pathetic when I put it that way.)

I love "Psych" because it's hip, irreverent, and funny without being vulgar and inappropriate. Sean and Gus are the best "buddy cops" ever, although they're not really cops.  They crack wise as they investigate murders and other crimes, but you won't see all the blood and gore that's rampant on most crime solving T.V. shows.  It's not quite "Mayberry R.F.D.," but it's about as clean a show as you're going to find these days.  Love it.  Great show.  You should watch it.

3. Sugar Babies

I was at a nearby store called "Piece 'o Cake" recently (it sells cake- and candy-making supplies, party goods, etc.), and I saw these adorable cake decorations in the glass jewelry case near the check-out.  Look at these precious little babies--notice how incredibly detailed they are!  And they are completely edible, made entirely of sugar!

I need to make a cake for a baby shower, just so I have an excuse to buy some of these sugar babies.  I do have two nieces who are about 12 weeks pregnant.  Girls, would either of you like me to make the cake for your shower?  And if so, which one is your favorite: the baby in the flower, the baby under the blankie, the baby wearing a cap and dipey, or the baby wearing nothing but a birthday suit?  Personally, I can't decide; they're ALL favorites.

4. Sugar Babies

Just looking at this image makes me nostalgic for my childhood.  When I was about eight years old, this was far and away my favorite candy in all the world.  These innocent-looking little babies were not the best thing for my teeth, however. Umpteen fillings and four crowns later, I believe my dentist can thank them for helping to put her kids through college.

5. Lemonade Stands

Nothing says summer like a good old-fashioned lemonade stand run by a couple of pint-sized salesmen, shirtless in the midday heat, patiently manning their table with boundless hope and enthusiasm.  Of all my sons, these two (#'s 3 and 4) worked the hardest at peddling Dixie cups filled with Country Time lemonade--and they persisted against enormous odds, because they lived near the end of a cul-de-sac street that didn't see a whole lot of through-traffic.  It's been a number of years since this picture was taken (about 20 or so), so my memory is a bit hazy--but I'm pretty sure their dad and I were repeat customers.

Now if only summer would really come!  (Although I should just thank my lucky stars that we're finally snow-free here, and our 10-minute spring has officially begun.)

Okay, time for you to head on over to the "Five Favorites" link-up.  Because blog link-ups are the best (they're my favorite!)--but then again, I've told you that already.

"7 Quick Takes Friday," Vol. 12; and "Five Favorites," Vol. 1

--- 1 ---

First of all, I'd like to tell Jen Fulwiler that I'm praying for her and her precious newborn son. And I'd like to thank Grace Patton for hosting Jen's "7 Quick Takes Friday" link-up this week.  I'm a little in awe of both of these women, blogging superstars whose followers are legion and whose sites have become regular reading for me and plenty of others these days.  (If you just mention "Jen" or "Grace" in the blogosphere, everyone knows exactly about whom you're talking--no last names are necessary, like "Cher"!)  When I finish either a Conversion Diary or a Camp Patton post, I always come away thinking, "That was amazing.  And boy, do I wish I could write like that!"

And yet, I plug away here at my shy and mostly-hidden-away-in-a-corner blog, trying to get something posted every day.  Because here's the thing: I think I like blogging WAY TOO MUCH.  I started my String of Pearls about two years ago; and for the longest time, my husband, my middle son, my daughter-in-law, one of my sisters, and one of my sisters-in-law were my only loyal followers--yet I still woke up every morning super pumped to start my day by putting together a blog post that would hopefully make my readers (all five of them!) smile or laugh or have to grab a Kleenex.  I had weeks and weeks' worth of ideas stored away in my head for topics I wanted to ramble on about, and I was usually up and at 'em bright and early, sitting at my laptop with a cup of coffee, a smile, and a brain that was firing on all cylinders.

Some things have changed.  I'm not getting up as early as I used to.  No more setting the alarm so that I can have my blog posted at the crack of oh-dark-thirty.  I now even go through periods where I consider shutting down the whole operation, because I sometimes feel like I've said everything I could possibly want to say.  But the bottom line is that blogging is too much fun to quit.  It  keeps me connected to people (both those I actually know in real life, and those who are my special new e-friends).  And the writing process, something I've loved all my life, is frustrating at times, but always ultimately fulfilling. Besides, my husband (who tops a list of followers, most of whom are related to me, that has grown steadily--by ones and ones!) would miss me if I went away for good.  So here I stay.

--- 2 ---

On a related note, I think I like reading blogs WAY TOO MUCH.  As a for instance, when I found Grace's Camp Patton (and I may have been the last person on the planet to do so), I ended up going back through her archives and reading most of her old posts.  And it's gotten to the point that when I check and she hasn't posted anything new for a couple of days, I feel all let down.  (I believe they call this blog stalking.)

There isn't enough time in the day to read all the great blogs I've been introduced to lately, lots of them due to link-ups like this one.  Two years ago, I read two blogs only: my daughter-in-law's, and Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman.  Now, I can't even remember the last time I checked out PW (sorry, Ree), and I'm hooked on countless blogs hosted by young Catholic women whose writing is by turns crisp, sassy, witty, informative, laugh-out-loud funny, touching, and profound.  Today after I finish this post (which will probably fit into none of the aforementioned categories, unfortunately), I'll most likely spend a good hour checking out all the other bloggers who've left links to their sites.  And the great thing is that I won't feel like I've just wasted an hour of my life on junk food for my brain (like I sometimes do when I spend too much time scrolling down my Facebook news feed).

--- 3 ---

Okay, since I'm doing a dual link-up today (is this allowed?  Is it against the rules?), both here and over at Hallie Lord's Moxie Wife, the remainder of my "Takes" will also count for:

My number one favorite has to be my better half--my favorite guy, and hands down the best husband in the world. (Sorry, ladies.)  He became my boyfriend when I was 15, and he's been my husband for 32 years.  He's still my boyfriend.

I shouldn't share this picture of us at our junior prom (in 1975, when we were both 16), because I was doing some unfortunate experimenting with my hair at the time, and my husband was doing his own experimentation with bad fashion.  But that's my favorite guy there, back when we'd only been alive half as many years as we've now been married.

--- 4 ---

Here are some more of my favorite guys, my five sons--who are all equally favorites (although they'd each tell you that secretly, I love him best).  This photo is from 2007.

I love, love, love, love, love these boys.

--- 5 ---

I also have some favorite girls: my three granddaughters and their mommy--who married my oldest son and thereby became my first daughter, after I'd spent decades being surrounded by only sons.  (Note to the future wives of my other four boys: you, too, will become my favorites, and I promise it will be a five-way tie.)

Here are my girls:

My identical twin granddaughters, sporting identical Easter bonnets and identical knee scrapes.

Little Gal and Mommy, not long after they got home from the hospital almost two months ago.

--- 6 ---

I'm a voracious reader, so no list of favorites would be complete without books.  I've loved too many of them over the course of my life to pick a true favorite, but I must say that To Kill a Mockingbird probably made the biggest impact on me.  I read it when I was a young girl of 10 or 11, and from that point on, I had a secret goal: I thought the greatest thing in the world would be to write a novel--just one novel before I died, that's all I wanted; not to become the next Nicholas Sparks churning out a new bestseller every year or anything like that, but to write one book that would touch even one person the way Harper Lee's one book had touched me.  I think I can attribute the fact that at the ripe old age of 49 (when my youngest son was about to start high school) I finally began writing a novel that would take me almost five years to complete, almost exclusively to my childhood fascination with To Kill a Mockingbird.  Published in August of 2012, Finding Grace is no To Kill a Mockingbird.  But I don't know if I ever would have even attempted the daunting task of trying to write a novel had I not been so moved by Lee's masterpiece all those years ago.

--- 7 ---

Coffee absolutely has to make the cut on a list of favorites, because I can't really enjoy curling up with a good book if I don't have coffee to sip along with it.  And I have to have it every morning, of course.  And sometimes in the afternoon.  And sometimes with dessert after dinner.  And sometimes while my husband and I are watching a movie at night on TV.  (Lucky for me, it doesn't keep me awake.  I can't tell you how many movies coffee has helped me sleep through.) 

I love almost every kind of coffee, with the exception of decaf.  I used to think Dunkin' Donuts was Heaven in a stryofoam cup, and I can't believe I'm about to say this...but these days my favorite coffees are stronger ones that are touted as "French Roast."  Ever since I tagged along with my airline pilot husband on a trip to Nice in December of 2011, and while there tasted my first ever European-made cafe au lait, I have been trying (without a whole lot of success) to recreate the flavor of that liquid nirvana I had over there in France.

Perfection: cafe au lait at the Cafe de Paris in Monaco, just next door to the famous Monte Carlo casino.
(I am such a world traveler.)

Thanks, Hallie, for hosting this link-up!  (And by the way, last night one of my sisters-in-law mentioned that the moms' book club at her church had just finished your book Style, Sex, & Substance.  And I had just read your blog about a half hour before she texted me that information.  It's a small Catholic world we live in!)

For more Quick Takes, visit Camp Patton!

For more Five Favorites, visit Moxie Wife!