Our Lady of the Rosary...

During this month of the Holy Rosary, our family has devoted much attention to our pious practices, making effort in little ways to please Our Lady - to whom we owe so much. Too many graces and goods have come into our lives we are certain by the favor of Jesus's mother, who cares for those who love her Son and who never fails when you petition her with a pure intention. It is a joy for us, now, to revisit the story of Fatima, reading it in chapters in the evenings and reliving the wonders of those incredible apparitions, learning anew the sacrificial hearts of the Fatima children, minding again the messages of dire warning and the beautiful promise of peace. Far away at school, our older children had opportunities to go on walking pilgrimages - a wonderful traditional way to do penance and pray. Here we are grateful to have a quiet retreat in which to do our small part, away from the constant fray of the world.​

One little recent joy - unrelated as it may seem to pious practices - has been rereading all of the Peter Rabbit tales aloud to the children. It is a small but wonderful thing, quickening the imagination and keeping us in touch with reality. We read for the love of good old stories, and always reap many unforeseen fruits. Delving into the charming world of Peter Rabbit immediately lends character to our farm; some days we are sure we are watching our creatures' own dramatic stories unfold, thankful their stories are also ours! The chickens, roosters, goats, and dog all often make some sort of mischief or trouble, or suddenly have a streak of humble and quiet peace (these are the best times - though so are the moments of comedic relief amidst the bustle and hardship of chores or surprise messy jobs). The birds, squirrels, rabbits, and deer make their impression on our daily life as well, displaying in their simple ways a semblance of determination, courage, sorrow, joy, or mystery somehow.

We were sad to have to forego our last gathering (after already foregoing the one previous, due to travel) as we had experienced some water damage through the roof during the hurricane that brought tremendous rainfall up through many eastern states at the end of September. Granted, what we have to fix is infinitesimal compared to others in regions of vast devastation, and so we are keeping things in perspective, grateful things aren't worse, even while we are praying for clarity regarding the right path forward. We want this house to last for our progeny, after all, and these things take some thought and time!

In the meantime, we continue to do what we can to make do with and take care of what we have, focusing on faith and family and endeavoring to live the good life. And it isn't a difficult task, since we have more than we need in the grand scheme of things. Besides, it is a favorite time of year, when the weather is cooler, the trees are ablaze with brilliant hues, and the leaves crunch underfoot as you walk and gaze up into a clear blue sky!