Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Photo of Bear Grass in Bloom in Glacier National Park, MT
*52 Fridays is a new weekly feature on the blog, based on my Lenten project from last year where I posted a Bible verse and photo each day of Lent 2013.
So far, I am totally LOVING participating in the Follow Your Arrow Mystery Knit Along… We just got clue number 3, and miraculously, I’m ready to start it! If you are participating, and don’t want to see spoilers…. STOP LOOKING :) Here’s my progress so far… Last time I shared that I started the mystery using clue 1B, this time I chose clue 2A… It’s a little hard to see because I can’t spread it all out ’cause even though it’s a 40″ cable, there’s not quite enough room to see the whole thing… I will say that I wasn’t 100% sure that I would love the variegated yarn when I started, but I do!! It’s so soft, I love it!
Here’s a closer picture of the corner… It’s going to be so pretty when it’s finished and blocked!!
Are you participating? I’d love to hear!! I haven’t decided on A or B for clue number 3… They are similar, I may go with B to make a pattern out of the clues :) or I may wait til later today when people start posting spoilers and “cheat” a little to see which one I like better :)
This is National Catholic Schools week and also the kick-off of the 100th anniversary of the wonderful Catholic School that my children attend. We are truly blessed to have found this school, especially since I had never planned for my children to attend a non-public school. Here’s the short version of the story of how we came to Catholic Education.
First and foremost, I am a “public school” girl. I grew up Catholic, and LOVE to go to church, but I attended public school, and then became a public school teacher. My mother is a public school teacher, as is my husband’s mother, and three of his aunts. I never even considered sending my children to anything other than a public school… That is, until my son attended first grade. There is a big long story about why we felt that our public schools were a poor choice for him, which includes (but not the only reason) the HUGE class sizes in the town where we live. We did complete one year of public school in town, and when we got the class list for the next year, which had 36 student names on it, we scrambled around to find a school that would work better for our family. Unfortunately, many private schools in our area did not have openings as June is awfully late to be looking for a private school for September… I called St. Augustine in Andover, and not only did they have an opening, BUT even though I called the office something like 5 times in one day with random questions, I never got the impression that they were rolling their eyes at me :) (although I am positive they MUST have been, they never let on!!).
I love the fact that they spend time each and every day TEACHING and MODELING about how to simply be a good person, how to be kind, how to reach out and help others, how to share your talents, and how to appreciate the talents of others. It’s part of the curriculum, and not something children get by seeing what other people do on TV or even out and about around town. The teaching staff is dedicated and wonderful. They go above and beyond to be sure that each child uses their talents to the best of their ability. If you are considering a private school, St. Augustine School in Andover is a wonderful place. It’s not just the smaller class sizes, but the attention and care for each child that makes the difference. They have a very well-rounded curriculum, which includes music, art, computer literacy, and languages. (I also want to point out that I don’t teach in the town we live in… If I lived where I teach, we probably would not have had to make the same choice, but, everything happens for a reason). The school has an open house this week, and would love to hear from prospective families. You don’t need to be Catholic to attend the school, and you also don’t need to be a member of the St. Augustine Parish to send your children there. There are about 450 students in the school, grades prek-8 with 2 classrooms of each grade. Teachers work together and really make it feel like a huge family!
Happy Catholic Schools Week!
Micah 6:8 He [God] has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Photo taken in Vermont at the Shelburne Museum
*52 Fridays is a new weekly feature on the blog, based on my Lenten project from last year where I posted a Bible verse and photo each day of Lent 2013.
**Sorry… Turns out this post is epic :) lots of pics and videos, but it’s because Mother Falcon and Jeffrey Prystowsky are just THAT awesome**
Mike has a real knack for finding “interesting” things for us to see and do. It’s a gift I tell you :) Our new favorite thing that he found is Mother Falcon. (photo from their website)
Mike discovered them when he saw the NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert featuring Mother Falcon… If you didn’t see it yet, here’s the video… Watch it and then come back :)
So… They’re a young Indie band… and unfortunately most of their shows are either 18+ or 21+ and in bars…. but our kids LOVE to listen to them. Mike searched around and found an all-ages show in Providence, RI and we got tickets!! (Tickets for the show were $12… What?? Yup!! And, that’s only the beginning of the crazy :) ) Friday right after school we drove down. Here’s the Marquis when we first arrived (early) and drove over to find the Columbus Theatre, stopped at the hotel, got some dinner and before heading back for the show…
The theatre is on the National Register of Historic Buildings, the show was in the smaller upstairs room. Doors opened at 8, show started at 9 and Mother Falcon took the stage at about 10. Here’s the marquis when we arrived after dinner.
Whoo!! Hands “stamped” :) on our way into the show!
Here’s a pic of the group on stage from our seats (please excuse the iphone pics, it’s not great in low light)
Kathryn took a video (again, just with the phone) It’s not a great video, but you can get the idea…
After the show, the members were hanging out in the lobby, selling t-shirts, and CD’s, and we got to talk to some of them for a little while… They were all so nice!! Really made Sean and Kathryn feel special!
So, after taking pictures and talking to Mother Falcon (did I mention how nice they were?? Just a bunch of band kids, hanging out :) ) Anyway, we’re leaving, and on our way out the door, Mike and Sean spot Jeffrey Prystowsky of The Low Anthem (another indie band that Mike and the kids LOVE) hanging out by the snack bar… So we walked up to him, apologized for interrupting, but we love his “This Goddamn House” song, could we bother him for a picture with the kids… What happened next was crazy… We didn’t get a picture, but an impromptu concert!!! He smiled, said, “Come sing it with me” walked over to a little pump organ leaning up against the stairs (which honestly looked discarded) and proceeded to sing and play the song for us!!! Crazy!!! He even called over one of his friends and did the “cell phone trick” I’m not sure we can ever go to another concert, ’cause it will be so disappointing to just go, listen, then go home without crazy amazing things happening :)
I took video of the performance… again, iphone isn’t great in low light… but you get the gist…
Here’s a video of the group The Low Anthem playing the song… No one pulled out a saw by the snack counter, but we did see the cell phone trick which was way cool :) Notice Jeffrey Prystowsky playing the same pump organ!!
Honestly… If you get the chance to go and see them… PLEASE DO!! Having been a music student myself, and teaching music for 23 years… I’m a little hard to impress… But they blew me away… The group is based in Austin, Tx, and practice/play in a church down there… (another funny thing, at the show we parked right in front of their white econo-van with Texas plates that they drove up in :) They are so good that we’re seriously considering a road trip to so see them in their “home base.” You all know we love a good road trip :)
