Lady Contractor

One day, several years ago, my husband and I were in the midst of a remodel of our home (3 residences ago) and I was making yet another stop at my favorite store: the Habitat for Humanity RE-Store. I love that place, because I feel like I am such a good steward, putting someone else's mistake to good use. Anyway, I was wandering around the tile department, when a older gentleman in a contractor jacket came up to me and said, "Hey, are you that lady contractor?"

I found it pretty funny at the time, but last Friday after I spent an entire day with oil based paint and grungy clothes, I could not find enough energy (or abrasive soap) to get the paint off of my hands in time for a costume party. I was very relieved to come up with the brilliant idea of going as a Lady Contractor. So I grabbed some "tape" and a hammer, donned my grubby paint jeans and hooded sweatshirt, and I was ready.

When I arrived, I got a great response. One person was especially impressed by my attention to detail--putting splatters of white paint all over my hands. "Perfect!" one person said, "That costume is perfect for you!"

Now. Wait one second. I looked around at the other ladies at the party. Two were dressed as beauty queens, one as a butterfly (in high heels) and one as a ladybug, (and one as a very believable pregnant lady). I definitely was not going the cute angle that night, that's for sure, but does that mean that I am the perfect lady contractor!?! I could have been a beauty queen! Really!!

Ah well, if I had donned my bridesmaid's dress from my sister's wedding, two things probably would have happened: 1) I would have had to take it off again because it is too small now and 2)my "manicure" would have led to immediate disqualification from any beauty queen believability.

Perhaps I was the perfect lady contractor that night. I actually do love the work I do when I get to remodel and build. I know some wives who have really grown to love football, and maybe that is what has happened to me. My husband's love for construction and remodeling has rubbed off on me--and with our dreams of homesteading and strawbale construction still looming, perhaps it is "perfect" for us to be a contractor team. :)

The Age of Stickers and Forts

I will not always live in a house that has 1 or 2 nomadic tents/forts set up around my house at any given time.

Nor will a common sight be stickers and temporary tatoos...on my husband's hands, cheeks, and head. I count 6 stickers on me right now.. But they still have several more to go through. Surely we should ration the stickers, though I am sure that they must reproduce because I only know of one time that I ever bought them and that was 4 years ago.

Oh.. Now I have sticker earings.. So that's 8.

Legal Plunder and the Church

I just happened to find this funny/really sad. I see so many people forgetting all the pheomenal things that have been accomplished through the love and charity of people. The great "social programs" of the church--hospitals, feeding the poor, caring for the orphans--are great because they come from the heartfelt response of its people. However, when we try to do great things by taking money away from people, the heart goes out of it. That's why I think that the best laid plans of politicians and lobbyists are all ROT: they are based on a policy of legal plunder that deadens the heart of citizens to the needs of the poor and needy.

You surely can build anything you like with other people's money, provided you have a big enough army and a realistic enough threat of jail time to get them to give it to you. But, what the State does with our taxes is not nearly as impressive OR effective as what has been done, or could have been done, through our charity. But that's not the worst of it. The State's social programs are based on the secular notion that if no one makes citizens take care of one another, they won't do it. Lex credendi, lex viviendi. As we believe so we live. If we believe that people will not be charitible without the government enforcing it, then people will live that way--and they do.

The Church leaders would be wise to think harder before cooperating with HUD and accepting various grants from government social services. If we can't get the work of God done with heart money, perhaps it isn't God's work after all. Just because citizens hand over their money each year, under penalty of law, to the government, who in turn offers it in the form of a grant--does this make it free money to the Church? No. It is money that couldn't be gained through love and was taken by force. In this light, the State is NOT a benefactor, but a thief and a money launderer.

We need to take on the responsibility to the poor that our faith requires of us, but not through legal plunder. We should lower taxes and get money for the Church and the poor the right way. The HEART way.

Paying Attention

Any parent of small children knows the longing for the day when our children really start paying attention at church. So you can understand my joy when our 6 year old, (now 7), was raptly attentive when a visiting priest was giving his homily a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, ignorance can be less than bliss when you start paying attention, because she couldn't help asking: "what does that mean?" at every turn. Everytime his vocabulary got a little beyond her 1st grade level, she'd whisper her request for clarification. Imagine her delight when he got to a part she did understand:

"It doesn't matter who we are. We all have suffering. Whether it is from illness, or financial difficulties, the suffering is there. Sometimes we struggle with relationships, or even family problems..."

"MOM!" She whispered excitedly (for the few rows behind us to hear), "WE have family problems!!" To which she added in a concerned voice: "Mom, you're not supposed to laugh at church."

Free Time

So I just took a moment to stand still today, thinking, as I sometimes do. I noticed that although I was standing still, my house was still working. I realized that:

• The dryer was drying clothes
• The washer was washing bedding
• The dishwasher was cleaning up the dishes
• The stove was cooling from heating my supper
• The fridge was cooling the sauce I pre-made for supper
• The lights were on (more than need be!)
• The bathtub was draining
• The air conditioner was blowing (at least the fan was on)
• My cell phone was ringing
• AND My kids were eating ice cream that I grabbed out of the deep freeze

And I realized: I don't keep house! I run a factory of machines, a bastion of efficiency. So here I sit at my computer to wonder at the life we lead that would be totally incomprehensible to those who lived and died just 80 years ago. My great-great grandmother could have spent her WHOLE day just doing laundry and preparing meals. My great-great grandfather could have spent half of his day just getting to the field and back.

So amidst all of this humming of machinery I must ask myself: what was the meaning of life BEFORE free time and productivity? I mean, if in most of human history, people were about 1/20th as efficient as I am in 21st century America, leisure is really a modern invention, along with multi-tasking! It seems to me that many of us live for the free time, the hobbies, Facebook, favorite movies and books. We thrive on emailing, internet shopping, talking on the phone, and driving all at the same time. But what did my great, great grandparents live for? You know back when the pace was slower and more measured? I doubt the answer is laundry. What did they thrive on? Were they happy? Were they happier?

Solemn Vowel

I found the girls in the tub after watching Ballet Shoes. The soundtrack went something like this:

"We vowel... to be the sisters.... of the world."

"Vowel." "Vowel." "Vowel."

Looking forward to Aunt Kaela and Mitch, Aunt Dani & Jesse, and Cousin Heidi & Jesse making their solemn vowels soon!

So, It's been a while...

Today is a big day.. My brother in law turned 30, my sister got engaged, and I am blogging! Unfortunately, I don't have much to say.. Or maybe it is better said that I have too much to say. The double unfortunate thing is that I can't seem to organize my thoughts lately. Perhaps it is because the "hats" I'm wearing as a mom, a sister, a friend, and with my new job are leaving me without much time to think... I feel there is a lot percolating and not a lot to say.

I've actually caught myself, mid-sentence in a conversation, with no idea what I am going to say next. It's rather embarrassing. I have to pretend that I got distracted, when really I just got lost. I suppose this may be the way that God is answering my prayer to stop having to talk all of the time... When you consistently lose your stream of thought, sometimes it is better to stay on the shore!

I do have one thought to share.. Actually it is not mine, but I'm sure that the priest who told me wouldn't mind my sharing. I sometimes struggle with frustration and anger (big shock) with my children, and I find that I get it trouble when I respond to them that way. Because:

1. They get angry back.
2. They think (maybe not so coherently), "Mom's just mad because she doesn't get to do what she wants (like sit in peace) right now." When I want them to think, "I really goofed. I may not like it, but Mom is right--I need to do better."
3. I teach them that they only need to listen when I am angry. I don't stay calm and get results.

So, Father Smarty gave me the tip in confession this weekend that when I wonder if I am sinning when I discipline, I should examine NOT my feelings (angry, frustrated, etc.) when I am disciplining, but my motivation. Selfish and grudging feelings, stemming from not getting to sleep or to blog or to have a clean/quiet/perfect house (you know, not getting things my way) lead to angry parenting, where concern for the child's virtue and character and FUTURE leads to holy and far more effective parenting.

So far I've discovered that most of the time I correct my kids because their behavior is bothering me--and the focus of my discipline is to get them to stop NOW so that they stop bugging me! I guess I have a bit of work to do to change the focus of my discipline from stopping behavior to changing hearts.

That's all I have for now.. Pray for me, you guys, because it's a long/fast/crazy month I have ahead of me, and I need all the help I can get!