Last week, my pastor gave me the anointing of the sick because my arm is causing great fatigue and pain. It was a gift, as my daily doctor appointments have precluded making it to confession since March started. He said, people should seek the sacrament more often and I agree. We need to remember, these gifts given to us, are for our salvation and that of those around us. They are like water in the desert. There are two weeks... Read more
Paul at his 14th birthday, on a road trip to Notre Dame. We’ve entered the season when cake graces our table almost every two weeks on the dot and shall until Mother’s day, with Easter somewhere in that mix. With ten kids, we’ve tried every type of cake known to man. We’ve also thrown every type of party. Here are the unbeaten untied best celebrations we’ve hosted over the years. 8th grade Boys Poker All-Nighter We set up poker... Read more
Photo of us spending quality time with the teens –as we took everyone to see Starwars, all of us appropriately dressed for the occasion (back in Dec 2019). How it all began… I started writing because my dad got tired of hearing me complain about potty-training toddlers. He suggested I write about it, and I did. I wrote a never-published book called, “The Potty Wars.” The experience was cathartic, but it also awakened in me, a desire to become a... Read more
With ten kids, we’ve seen our share of kid-friendly movies. Once-a-week movie night can become a challenge with mixed ages, so here’s my list of 52 movies to meet your seasonal needs and hit that sweet spot that lets the older and the younger eat popcorn and enjoy in peace. Why? Because everyone loves lists and I got to hear the do-de-do-do-do-do-dah-do-dah, the sound of joy before the movie starts! January 1) Superman (the Christopher Reeve Version) 2) Over the... Read more
However, I am down an arm. Currently, my left arm is in a cast compression sleeve. It is not fun, and I am finger-tapping one-handed on my keyboard. So I am using a pencil to journal this experience, but getting it online is much harder. Today is the 15th anniversary of my dad’s death, so I’m sharing a piece I wrote about that week nine years ago for Patheos before I wrote for Patheos: The Happiest Mass I Ever Attended... Read more
I love Lent. Every year, I love thinking about what to do, and how the Church tries to provide all these paths to grace, all these routes into the desert of our souls where we will find God. So while I agree, what should I give up for Lent is the wrong question from which to start Lent, it is still an important part of this time, to discern what we will do to discover how we can love... Read more
“We have met the enemy and it is us.”–Pogo. I remember reading Pogo as a kid, because my dad brought home a compendium. I didn’t get a lot of what I read, but I kept coming back and rereading. Not fully getting it, I recall having my breath taken away by the artist being willing to show the corrosive introduction and indoctrination of racism, and the possibility of grace when there was a lost child, dressed in a klansman outfit,... Read more
Photo by Mateusz Dach She’s gone awol in 2023. I’ve been trying and most of what I start, I abandon. So today, I’m putting out an ABP to my writing muse who is MIA. Stop ghosting me. At least send a Dear Sherry, it’s not you, it’s me.” letter. I’ve tried reading, writing exercises, forcing myself to look at older pieces and edit them. Writing has been part of my life since 2008. Writing five hundred words a day... Read more
Last week, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. The three kings Melchior, Balthazar, and Caspar journeyed to Bethlehem to give the Christ their gifts. They studied the Heavens and sought Him over time, over distance, despite difficulty. It had to be a faith journey, layered with scholarship, fellowship, and a deep desire for true knowledge. They came away with so much more than even what they hoped. They went home different from how they came. Now,... Read more
Resolve to be kinder. Resolve to let yourself rest. Resolve to take care of those things you’ve ignored, and to ignore those things that drain hope, happiness and time. + Resolve to write letters ad read books. Resolve to take walks and go on dates with your children. Resolve to take walks and go on dates with your spouse. Resolve to take naps. Resolve to draw, sing, or do something creative that you’ve always wanted to try. Resolve to work... Read more
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