{pretty, happy, funny, real} Over the Past Month!

                                                      Pretty....Christmas Eve full moon

Happy...Thomas passed his driver's test!

Funny...Colleen's Donald Trump Cookie

Real...Books and movies and audiobooks...oh my

Every Day is a Gift

Much has happened since my last post in November. I had computer issues and had to "refresh" my computer which meant things disappeared and I had to re-figure out signing into and posting on my blog. If I have some blogging time on a Sunday afternoon I don't want to spend it trying to figure out the computer.

November 2015 will be one of those months long remembered. First in November I was hired on with the Mansfield Richland County Public Library as a Branch Clerk at the Lexington Branch. I have now been working about 6 weeks and I really like it. I work two 8 hour days a week and one 4 hour day. I get to do a variety of things, assist patrons in finding things, check out and in books, work on displays and help keep things in order. The job was truly a blessing as I feel I am affecting people of our community in a positive way, I have very little stress, and I am surrounded by books!!! Additionally, I am hopeful that bringing in a little income will help as Gary plans for retirement at some point.At the same time as I returned to work after 20+ years my sister Maureen was beginning to enjoy retirement and then... to the best of my recollection it was on November 13 the day of my interview that Maureen learned the tumor that had been removed from her thigh was in fact melanoma. It has been a difficult journey with some good news but much difficult news to bear. On December 11 she had a PET scan, that night we went on our annual shopping overnighter and then on Dec 14 she underwent a gamma knife procedure to deal with a suspicious area on her brain, on December 16 got the results of her PET scan showing clusters of cancer cells in her body and on December 23 she had her first immunotherapy treatment. I was able to go with her to her second treatment on January 7. I met her oncologist who relayed that her blood work came back okay after her first treatment and she was good to go for her 2nd treatment. That was the good news but the bad news was her doctor would be leaving Cleveland Clinic. I know this was difficult news for Mo but I reminded her that ultimately our trust is in God and he has a plan. On February 4 she will have an MRI and see if the gamma knife did what it was supposed to do and then if her blood work is good she will receive her 3rd treatment.  When she retired she and Larry were excited to reserve  a spot on the Buckeyes Cruise for Cancer which departs on Feb 20th. Who would have thought that she would be fighting the cancer battle herself. The hope is she will be well and she and Larry can join their friends on the cruise. Her 4th and the last of the initial treatments will be when she returns from the cruise.With a cancer diagnosis comes the need to learn a whole new language. I tend to dive in and try to read and learn as much as possible about something I am presented with,  This time I hesitated. I needed to step back and let this soak in and not overwhelm me. Just in the last couple of weeks I have felt ready to become educated and I have checked out a stack of books to try and understand what Mo is facing. I also found some books on autoimmune disease which is a subject that I feel I also need to be educated as it affects me and a number of family members. Mix in a few others and here is my stack:

                                                           reading, listening, watching

I pray that Maureen's treatments will be successful in bringing about remission of the cancer and we will have many more years of lunches, shopping trips, and time together creating special family memories.I am reminded that every day is a gift! Jesus I trust in You! God's will be done!

Mom, Maureen, and I on our annual shopping trip Dec 2015

Memories of Advent and Christmas 2015

Rooney Christmas

                                                                           
                                            Decorating cookies on Christmas Eve at home

                                                   Colleen's Donald Trump cookie

                                                             Christmas Eve full moon

                                   Christmas Eve...a beautiful group of women if I do say so myself

Gary with his Christmas gift from the girls...a drone!

                         Grandpa and the cousins that could make it to Korte Christmas 2015

The selfie stick was a big hit as a white elephant gift for Sean who spent January in Estonia

Our annual trip to the zoolights! We met at Polaris for shopping and lunch and then John had to go to work and the rest of us went to the zoo on Elle's last night before heading back to Kansas

a new thing at the zoo this year were these crazy lights in the tunnel over to the aquarium

                                     yes the girls always have to take a picture with the shark!

                                                              Such a cute couple!

and lastly this year's tree and the mantle...

God is good!

All the time!

Advent 2015 The Seasons Begins

                                       

                                         One of my favorite things to do is to paper plan!

                                        Get out the paper, ruler, markers, and I am happy!

                                    

                                         The beginnings of our 2015 Family Advent Calendar

                                     

                                                        Advent/Christmas things to do!

                 The goal of this list is to remind me of the things that we normally enjoy doing 

                during the seasons of Advent and Christmas...we never get to everything on the list in 

                                             a year and some years we add something new!

                                                 

                       Advent wreath...check

                           Advent Calendar...check

                                      Advent to do...check

                                              Christmas countdown prayer chain...next up!

Season's End

The beginning of November brought with it the end of the 2015 Band of Gold Season. 

It was an amazing season with many valuable life lessons for Thomas. 

The end of the season banquet was lovely.

 Dessert buffet, awards, a video of the season highlights, and a final performance of

 Bushido: The Way of the Warrior in the gym. 

Hearing them perform in the gym was thrilling. They rocked the program!

The pit crew

Patrick, Kelsey, Kat, Destiny,Thomas and Caleb

One more time!

and some of the season's best...

Pope Francis and the Little Gestures

I want to remember this always...I know this but I want to KNOW this...it is the little gestures!

In the closing Mass for the World Meeting of Families Pope Francis shared:

Faith opens a “window” to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures. “Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name — a small gesture — will not go unrewarded”, says Jesus (cf. Mk 9:41). These little gestures are those we learn at home, in the family; they get lost amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each day different. They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children, by brothers. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion. Like the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work. Homely gestures. Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day’s work. Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life grows in faith.

Jesus tells us not to hold back these little miracles. Instead, he wants us to encourage them, to spread them. He asks us to go through life, our everyday life, encouraging all these little signs of love as signs of his own living and active presence in our world.

So we might ask ourselves here today at the end of this festival: How are we trying to live this way in our homes, in our societies? What kind of world do we want to leave to our children (cf. Laudato Si’, 160)?

World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis, Philadelphia and Mashed Potatoes (Day 3)

Day 3 in Philadelphia. We got off to an early start and things went much more smoothly on Day 3. We had decided to start off our day by going to the historic part of Philadelphia. This section of the city had been closed off on Saturday due to the Pope speaking from Independence Hall. To get to this area we did not need to go to through security so we walked through the nearly empty streets and arrived in no time. The weather was perfect and the area around Independence Hall was beautiful. We began the day's adventure at the Visitor Center. We bought a few souvenirs, took some pictures in front of their Rocky statue and got in line to see the Liberty Bell. There was the typical security to go through but it only took about 5 minutes to get in. We glanced through the displays admired the Liberty Bell and took a few pictures. We also toured Independence Hall. The tour guide had many interesting facts but I was most impressed by the room that had a chair that George Washington had actually sat in. Looking at the chair and picturing George Washington sitting in it was very moving for me.

  

                                                                Independence Hall

                                            The very chair that George Washington sat in!
                                                               That was fascinating to me!

                                                                            George!

My Rocky pose!

                                    Me and the bell!                Daaron and I in front of the Hall after our tour

    Aaron recommended we go to the Reading Terminal Market for lunch. We had a bit of trouble finding it. On the way a man asked if we needed some help and we told him we were looking for the Market. It didn't take long to realize that this man was under the influence of alcohol or something. He continued to walk along side of us and was talking to Darcie and at one point took her hand. I grabbed her other hand right away as I was right beside her. One of the Police Officers that was in riot gear and standing on the sidewalk became aware of the situation and stepped forward in case we needed assistance. The man got the hint and backed off. Enough excitement for one day!

Reading Terminal Market

The market was filled with lots of choices for eating as well as fresh fish, seafood, and lots of other specialty shops. The streets had started to fill up with people and the Market was a bit crowded. Surprisingly Fr Jeremy and the group he was with were there at the Market having lunch at the same time so we got to touch base with them. We found a table to get set up at and I offered to stay while the Reinharts went to get lunch, While they went I looked at the brochure to see what I might like. There were a number of Philly Steak places, gyros, Chinese, and even an oyster bar.  I was eating carefully to avoid any gallbladder issues so I decided on a salad or a turkey sandwich. I looked at the salad bar but decided a turkey sandwich would be more filling. I got in line at the place that I thought was merely deli turkey sandwiches and realized yes you could get a turkey sandwich but better than that the place sold most of the foods that you would find at the Thanksgiving table. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes...I had been craving mashed potatoes for about the last month. The rest of my family can take or leave mashed potatoes so I recently told Colleen I was going to just go to KFC and get some take out mashed potatoes. As I sat down to eat my turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans I thought how grateful I was for all the blessings of this trip, God had blessed me with the opportunity to come to Philadelphia to pray for and celebrate the family and to see the Pope. From the moment I heard about this historic event I desired to be a part of it and didn't think I would get the chance but I did...and on top of all that He even blessed me with a serving of mashed potatoes... and gravy!

 Thank you God!

Watching the parade and prep for Papal Mass

Pope Francis makes a stop and blessed the intentions at the Shrine of  Our Lady Undoer of Knots

     Initially, we thought we would go back through security for Mass. It was obvious wherever we were we would be watching the Mass on the Jumbotron. We had been told if we were in the secured area we could receive the Eucharist. At Independence Hall there were 4 Jumbotrons and comfortable folding chairs set up from the Pope's talk the day before. We decided to stay there and participate in the Papal Mass. It was a beautiful Mass and though much of it was in different languages we were able to follow along with the subtitles (though sometimes the translation was a bit humorous). Two things struck me that were beautiful about our choice to stay at this location. The first was that people wandered through the area and many stopped and sat or stood and watched the Mass for a bit. Two ladies sat down in front of us and they were there at the sign of peace and we and others came up to them and offered them a handshake as a sign of peace. Their faces lit up and you could tell they were moved by the gesture. The second thing that  happened was at the homily I looked and there in a grassy area in front of us was a small group of sparrows that looked like they were listening to Pope Francis just as they did to his namesake St Francis. I have to admit I was disappointed to not physically receive the Eucharist but I offered up my disappointment for families and I prayed a spiritual communion.

After Mass we made our way back to the subway station. When we got to the stairs to enter the station we looked at the line and saw it went back a city block. We quickly made our way to the end of the line. There were 2 couples in front of us talking. The first couple said they got in line for the Mass to get through security at 11:30 and finally got through at 3:30. The second couple said they got in line at 12:30 and did not get in. Hearing this affirmed we made a good decision to stay at Independence Hall for the Mass. Thank you God for that confirmation. Boarding the subway was like nothing I have ever experienced. It was wall to wall people. Many of the youth and especially the Hispanics were singing and cheering. Everyone was patient and charitable...it was a beautiful example of what our world can be.  Amazingly it was only about 30 minutes from the time we got in line till we boarded the subway. Everyone made it back to the bus well before the stated 9:30 meeting time and we hit the road. We got right on the highway and never once hit a traffic jam. I am still in awe of the way things worked out and how quickly and peacefully we got out of Philadelphia. One other thing that was moving is how many people were thanking the police officers, servicemen and women, and volunteers for the city of Philadelphia.

LOVE is our mission!

Subway home

Darcie, her Pope doll and I on the bus!

On the bus heading back to Ohio

What a wonderful weekend and as I said I feel blessed. I was filled with such joy as a result of all that I experienced. I will close with the words that tocuhed me most that weekend...the Pope's words...

Faith opens a “window” to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures. “Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name — a small gesture — will not go unrewarded”, says Jesus (cf. Mk 9:41). These little gestures are those we learn at home, in the family; they get lost amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each day different. They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children, by brothers. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion. Like the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work. Homely gestures. Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day’s work. Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life grows in faith.

Jesus tells us not to hold back these little miracles. Instead, he wants us to encourage them, to spread them. He asks us to go through life, our everyday life, encouraging all these little signs of love as signs of his own living and active presence in our world.

So we might ask ourselves here today at the end of this festival: How are we trying to live this way in our homes, in our societies? 

Pope Francis’s homily at his final Mass of his historic trip to the United States September 27,2015