A fleeting post....

Yikes!  It's been crazy busy around here (more than usual.)  This weekend is our first show, so I've been working on flyers and websites and pretty much everything.  Just 24 hours 'til set up!  Say a prayer for us!
The show is running Friday through Sunday (see more details at http://thelaundryduchess.blogspot.com/ ,) then on Monday morning I leave for camp!  I'll be chaperoning a girls camp next week, until Friday :D :D I'm excited.  This will be real camp, complete with dirt.
But where does that leave you, my loyal and new and sometimes readers?  Without anything to read, I suppose.  Well, check the list of blogs I follow, and I'm sure you'll find something.  Just remember to come back to me!
In the mean time, I thought I'd share this video.  It's so beautiful!  Enjoy!

Sursum Corda Young Adults Camp - Part One

Yes, I survived the weekend - even the driving.  It was glorious.  We even had perfect weather.
Between my sister and I, we took LOTS of pictures - 1161, to be exact.  Of course, not all of them turned out, but I'm sure I can find a few to post ;).

Our journey started with a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, just outside of Green Bay, WI.  It is the site of a Marian apparition in 1859, which has been recently approved by the Church - the only approved site in the United States.

Mary asked Adele to teach the children "their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments." Adele started a school and a chapel. 

  The candles were in the crypt below the chapel, built on the site of the apparitions.

There was also this beautiful pieta statue.  If you look closely, you can see crutches in the background, from those who have had favors granted.











As promised, I lit a candle for my family, friends, and readers.

We happened to be visiting on the feast day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, making these statues in the main chapel even more meaningful...and a bit of a surprise!

The main alter has a beautiful statue of Mary and the Child Jesus.  On one side of the chapel there is a display with a statue given to Sr. Adele for processions (and still used today!) and two reliquaries.  One (center) contains wood from the trees Mary appeared on, and the other (right) a piece of the Blessed Virgin's veil.

Outside, they have a field with the Stations of the Cross in the center, and the mysteries of the rosary around the outside.  I really liked the way they did the rosary.  There were five banners, and on one side would be the first mysteries (for example,) and the other side had the fifth, so it didn't matter which side you started on.  Between the mysteries there were a couple of shrines and benches to stop and pray, such as this small grotto.

Another beautiful little spot was this Fatima shrine.  The statues are just gorgeous!

So concludes the first stop on our journey.  We had to drive a few hours south to our hotel, and we did a little shopping for some lavender lotion.  The mosquitos were very healthy - and hungry - in Wisconsin!  I also bought some awesome sandals :)

Ascension Thursday

"And it came to pass, whilst he blessed them, he departed from them, and was carried up to heaven." Luke 24:51

Today is Ascension Thursday, the day, forty days after Easter, when Christ Ascended into Heaven.
Unfortunately, in our diocese this is not a Holy Day of Obligation.  Fortunately, Mass will still be said tonight for the feast.
It continues to puzzle me why a diocese would choose to move feasts to Sunday.  Doesn't this reduce the importance of the feast?  I do understand that not everyone is able to make it to Mass on weekdays for Holy Days - yet there are still 24 hours in the day, plus the opportunity for a vigil.  Why give in to the pressure?
Unlike many feast days, the Ascension seems to get pushed aside.  I admit, my family doesn't have any special traditions.  Mass is the only thing that really makes it special.  How does one go about establishing traditions?  (Please note the lowercase "t," not a capital "T")  The most important thing is that the tradition means something.  A quick search doesn't bring up any specific traditions, except maybe picnicking.   There is even a lack of recipes out there!
Ok, how about this for an Ascension tradition?  Kite Flying!  What lifts your mind and spirit to the heavens more than a lovely kite (except maybe some beautiful music?)  I'm going to fly with it.  I'm off to fly a kite, everyone.  Happy Ascension Thursday!!!

Stop in and Say Hi...

Hi all!
Yes, it is 1 am, and yes, I should be sleeping.  I just finished a history assignment and figured a few more minutes awake wouldn't hurt, right?
Anyhow, I just looked at the stats on my blog, and found out that I've been getting a lot more traffic than I thought!  Either that or there's a glitch in the system and my computer is lying to me.  Who knows.  Either way, I'd love to see who's out there, if anyone, reading my blog....shoot.  I just saw a mouse run under my desk.  Got to go.
God Bless,
Rae
P.S.
Any comments will be posted directly if anyone wants to say hi and where they are from, or how they got here, or whatever.  :)