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Empty Nest in the Midwest

Empty Nest in the Midwest

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Catholic Stuff

Freezer Meals Outreach

January 8, 2020 by Empty Nester 3 Comments

We had a freezer meals cook night last night. What is that? Well about 10 of us got together and made meals and froze them. Then when anyone from the parish knows somebody who needs a little care – somebody going through cancer treatment, or just had a death in the family, or a mom of little ones whose husband is out of town, or somebody who just had a baby, or the elderly shut-in neighbor – they can come by and get a meal and deliver it to them.

The freezer is in our garage. Our parish is short on space. So when we first proposed the idea, our pastor was all for it but his question was “Where? Can somebody put the freezer in their garage?” As an empty nester who was in the process of getting rid of baseball equipment and bikes and other kid things, I thought that we could make room for it. And of course, when I talked to The Husband about it, he said “Yes” because he is a generous soul.

So once a month, a group of us get together and assemble the meals. This in itself is a lot of fun. I love that it is a mix of people from our parish. Young and old. Singles and married. With kids or without. We make meals and we get to socialize, meet new friends, drink a little wine, and help our neighbors out. When the meals are all made, we say a blessing over them, asking the Lord to let the recipients know that they are loved and that God is with them.

I bring the meals home and put them in the freezer in our garage. Then I advertise to our parish, in the bulletin and on social media. Anyone who knows somebody who needs a meal just contacts me. Then they come by and pick it up. No reason is too big or too small. Everyone need to know that they are loved and cared for.

People thank me for the meals, but I always thank the people who contact me to pick them up. They are as essential, if not more, than me with the freezer in my garage or those of us who cook the meals. For me, this is community. We are all doing something beautiful together which we could not do on our own.

Filed Under: Catholic Stuff, Empty Nesting, Freezer Meals, Parish Life, Service

Decorating the Church for Christmas

December 24, 2019 by Empty Nester Leave a Comment

Every year we help decorate our church for Christmas. All four boys were home for this event and they helped too. This has become a family tradition. And their help is always appreciated since they know the drill and they have strong arms to carry all of the trees and boxes from the basement.

In fact, they have come to look forward to it. They like putting up all of the trees, and getting the lights to work, and figuring out which tree stand works. Although this year we have a couple of trees which seem a little wobbly. But as long as no one really runs into them they should be fine.

Most of the work was done on Sunday after 11am mass. Some of the ladies from the parish added the poinsettias on Monday. And then, this morning after 8am mass, I helped put away the Advent wreath. Our pastor put the Christmas banners up and set the lighting. And our liturgical art chair changed the altar cloth and supervised the whole process.

I love the quiet waiting of Advent. And now Christmas is almost here. We are going to midnight mass. In fact, sons number 3 and 4 are serving at mass. Most of the families with younger kids who are altar servers go to 5pm mass, so there were no servers signed up for midnight mass. Son number 3, who still serves mass at his college parish, asked if there were servers. When I told him nobody had signed up, he volunteered and talked his younger brother into doing it too. It is really nice that that our boys enjoy doing this still.

So the presents are wrapped and the cookies are baked. I have food ready for Christmas dinner tomorrow night. I am looking forward to midnight mass. Rejoice! God saves us. Every day. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Photo credits go to our pastor. ๐Ÿ™‚

Filed Under: Catholic Stuff, College Kids, Family, Parish Life, Thinking Out Loud

How Cold Is Too Cold To Go Outside?

December 21, 2019 by Empty Nester Leave a Comment

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

Aristotle

I can be a little hyperactive. That is no surprise to people who know me. So movement helps me focus and settle down. Sitting still for too long makes me feel uncomfortable and uneasy. Don’t ask me why. That is just how I am made.

One thing I like to do is walk to church every morning. I attend 8am mass at my parish most weekday mornings. (More on that later.) Except when we are out adventuring in our RV. ๐Ÿ™‚ And even when it is cold or there is snow on the sidewalks, my preference it to walk if I think it is safe. There is something about the movement and the outdoors that brings me peace. And I can appreciate what I see right in front of me no matter the season. During winter it is the snow on the ground or the bite of the wind.

So I put on my hoodie, my coat, my scarf, something to keep my ears warm, a pair or two of socks, sometimes my long Janes, a pair or two of gloves, and whatever else I feel is necessary to keep warm.

I always laugh when people slow their cars and say “Do you want a ride?”. I do have a car. ๐Ÿ™‚ I appreciate the offer, but the walk is good for me. And I know someday I won’t be able to do it. So I walk while I can and enjoy the cold.

How cold is too cold to be outside? It is rarely too cold for me to walk to church.

Filed Under: Catholic Stuff, Outdoors, Parish Life

You Are Never Too Old for Breakfast with Santa

December 12, 2019 by Empty Nester Leave a Comment

I haven’t been to a Breakfast with Santa lately. But I got to visit with St. Nick this last Sunday. Our Cub Scout pack had it’s annual pancake breakfast fundraiser and since I am the Cubmaster I hung around for most of the morning.

This was a really fun event and a successful fundraiser. We had a couple of den leaders who really did a wonderful job organizing. And most of the families in the pack helped out in one way or another.

In addition to the pancake and sausage breakfast, we had carolers, a raffle, a table with Christmas themed coloring pages for the kids, and a bake sale. The Cub Scouts helped carry plates and cleaned up. And they went over to church after masses to invite parishioners to walk over to the gym and join us. They are good salesmen and saleswomen!

Near the end of the event, all of the kids – Cub Scouts or not – got up with the carolers and sung some songs. It was so sweet! And all of the little kids were excited to talk to Santa and have mom or dad take a picture.

So in the end this was a real fun-raiser which brought our parish community together. That’s my kind of fundraiser!

Filed Under: Catholic Stuff, Parish Life, Scouting Tagged With: Me

I Am a Temple of the Holy Spirit. I Am God’s Winnebago.

December 5, 2019 by Empty Nester Leave a Comment

So we are preparing for a women’s retreat in a few months and last night at our formation meeting we had a sheet of Bible verses related to our identity. Now many of them were paraphrased and most of them were things like “I am blessed”, “I am capable”, “I am loved and cherished as beloved”. But the one that caught my attention was this one:

I am a temple of the Holy Spirit. I am God’s mobile home.

1 Cor 3:16, Eph 2:22

After that, all I could think was “I am God’s Winnebago”. ๐Ÿ™‚

Filed Under: Catholic Stuff, RV Life

Hopeful Waiting: Time To Get Out the Advent Wreath

December 1, 2019 by Empty Nester Leave a Comment

I love the season of Advent! I’ll break out the Christmas decorations in a couple of weeks, but for now I am going to experience the joy of hopeful waiting. So I got out the base of my Advent wreath. I still need to get some greenery to put around it, but for now that can wait. ๐Ÿ™‚

I like appreciating this moment. It is not Christmas yet.

The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before โ€ฆ What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching Godโ€™s [back] fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.

Jan L. Richardson

It is so easy to miss this season of “not yet”.

So I am working on patience for the next few weeks. I don’t need everything right away. The busyness of Christmas will wait. This is the time to ponder the wonder of Love living in our midst. And what does that really mean in my life. How does the reality of the Incarnation change me? And can I be patient with those changes, which as I get older I realize take place over decades. The Holy Spirit seems to work on me very slowly.

I will even be patient with my Advent wreath which doesn’t have it’s green stuff yet.

Filed Under: Catholic Stuff, Thinking Out Loud

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