Just a brief update on my health. I am beginning to feel a bit better. I have gotten around without the chair for the past few days, with the nice weather. High pressure really does make a significant difference. I have been through all the treatment options, other than naturopathic (which I will continue regardless of anything else). I have exchanged several emails with Ted from the National Catholic Bioethics Center about the use of Enbrel, it’s manufacture, and my duties should I decide to use it again.

Several important points bear mentioning:

1. Enbrel is allowable (for Catholics) as a medication of last resort
2. There is no evidence that any of the genetic material from the little boy from which the cells were taken even survived the cloning, usage, and “washing” procedures
3. There is no evidence that it did not.
4. Enbrel is made from MRC5 - the same cells used to make our childrens’ vaccinations. Those cells were derived from a 14 weeks gestation boy in England in the 70s. He was aborted by his mother for “mental health reasons”.
5. Culpability is at the lowest degree.
6. If a Catholic must take such a medication, he or she takes on the reponsibility to do whatever he or she can (letter writing, lobbying, educating others, etc.) to change the way the drug is made, or push for drugs made from different material such as cord blood cells. This is extremely important.

I was very hopeful that Kineret would be an alternative. I’m not sure I properly understand its manufacturing process. Alas, it is not an option. It has disappointed rheumatologists everywhere, failing to live up to their hopes.

I have been struggling to get better over the last few months, have spent a great deal of time in prayer - as have my family and friends, have seen the blackness of depression rush up at me several times. We have decided that my mission on Earth would be better served by receiving a treatment that allows me to carry out the duties that God has laid before me.

I beg daily forgiveness and prayers of the little boy, whom I call Martin, whose life was taken from him and whose body was broken. He did not choose to die that I - and countless others might live healthy lives. I beg you all to help me in urging Amgen and other pharmaceutical companies to switch to using adult cells such as cord blood cells for the host medium in their drugs and vaccinations.

I realise that I did not have to share what is a very personal decision. But I feel an obligation to be honest about it because I have been so vocal about how I feel about conventional medicine in general, and this class of treatments in particular. I realise it may seem to some hypocritical of me. I can only say that circumstances often cause us to review previous opinions. We can decide that we were right and carry on, modify our opinions based on the information we currently have, or reject our previously held opinions in their entirety. I have chosen, with the help of my family, the middle way. I hope that the information that I share and my honesty will help another person who may be in this awful position.

My treatment begins later this week. I beg your prayers for me.

Then view this video. I was floored with I read on Danielle Bean’s website that 80% of children diagnosed with Down Syndrome in utero are aborted. Just shocked.

Is not every smile, every laugh, hug, kiss… Every tiny accomplishment a simple gift from these precious, special children? They are not here to fulfill their own destinies. Being here is the fulfillment of their destiny. They are here to BLESS US! To teach us about who we are as children of God. They are all that is good - pure love.

Deo Gratias - partial birth abortion has been banned. It’s a small step in the right direction. Every life is precious and of infinite worth, however short, however inconvenient, however “imperfect”. The world would be a very different place without each one of us - it is a different place without the innocent souls of those children who will never be born.

We have been in a state of change. God has closed some doors, or at least put up safety gates in front of some of them. I have come to accept these little twists and turns in life, knowing that His wisdom is far beyond mine. It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel disappointed. However, I have learned that there is a greater gift in store for me, which will undoubtedly lead me through some new doors and back through the gated ones, much better prepared. And able to see with open eyes and immense gratitude the blessings He has given me.

Yesterday I had the great joy to meet a room full of AMAZING women at a “New Moms’ Tea” for a local group of homeschoolers. Our gracious hostess, Loretta is quite simply wonderful. She is the mother of 13 children and hospitality comes very naturally to her. Her lovely home goes beyond its obvious physical attributes. It is full of love. Palpably full of love. I have never felt so at home in a room full of people I had never met. The relationship goes beyond mere friendship with these women - it is a sisterhood. I felt very blessed to be among such wise, talented, and loving women.

I found out that a few of the ladies there were familiar with my weblog, much to my astonishment! So, good morning, Ladies! Now that I know you’re there, I expect you to chime in, even if it is to deliver a raspberry in response to something silly I’ve said!

I am so looking forward to our next meeting and hoping that I can contribute something meaningful. Thank you, Loretta for inviting me to be a part of such a wonderful circle of women. Thank you Kathy S. for insisting I contact Loretta in the first place. I know that the new friendships I make will make my life so much more beautiful. It has already begun to…

Rick and Dick Hoyt. Rick has CP and his dad Dick has truly earned the title of “World’s Greatest Dad”. They live just down the road from us and have been locally famous for almost three decades. Dick and his wife, Judy are champions for the value of LIFE! When told that they should ‘dispose’ of their oldest child, they said, “Not a chance” and took him home to raise as a normal little boy, as best they could.

Rick and Dick aren’t running the Boston Marathon this year. Rick recently had surgery and is recovering. I wrote in an post last year about these two. For all the tough times I’ve been through with my arthritis, Team Hoyt gives me such hope. They inspire me to keep on trying, to never give up.

For those of you with special kids - you already understand that God put them here not for their own benefits, but for ours. For those who pity special kids, don’t. Watch them, learn from them. They are our teachers. They are truly precious gifts from Above. Don’t ever think you can’t. Rick Hoyt is proof that you CAN!

I’ve said that about a million times in reference to the sign above the imaginary basket on my doorstep. I am heartsick everytime I hear about a sweet newborn babe left in a completely unsuitable place. I pray that eventually the word will go out far and wide that I am more than willing to love and raise a foundling (or 100 of them). Please don’t laugh - my dear friend Mimi and her husband Bill have fostered over 80 newborns.

It is amazing that, even today, no matter where in the world, there are still women who can not find a way to keep their babies. Thanks be to God they brought them into this world. Who can say who that child may grow to be? Thank thanks be to God that someone, somewhere, has the good sense to erect these baby booths, just as Pope Innocent III did in the 12th century. Just as the Palna Orhanage does today, and has done for many years.

I’ve seriously got to get a foundling wheel built into our house. Friends of mine have assured me that a “safe haven” sign would not be allowed…

My grandmother was semi-orphaned at 13 years and sent away to live in indentured servitude to a ‘foster family’. She always had a special love for orphaned children, taking two (that I know of) into her care, at least temporarily. I inherited that from her. Born to love. When I say I need a foundling wheel, I’m only slightly in jest. There just are not enough places to safely leave these little ones.

This after an extraordinary article I read at Dawn Eden’s Blog.

Happy SPRING! Simple Gifts has a pretty new dress (there are still a few stray threads to snip)! And if you will kindly direct your attention to the right-hand sidebar… See? Right there under the new podcast logo… The all-new, never-before-been-used SIMPLE GIFTS FORUM! I hope it will be a lovely place for us to visit and share ideas! Please be patient with us - we’re very new to the forum thing, at least from an administration point of view. And I still have to load some important info in the Post Box… Please, do register and take some time to introduce yourself on the Front Porch!

I always wanted to open two restaurants: “La Citrouille” serving good, hearty, country food made with organic ingredients, and “Strawberries and Asparagus” serving slightly more haute cuisine dishes. I can see the décor of each restaurant as vividly as if I were standing right there. I can smell the aromas from the kitchens, hear the laughter and conversations of the guests. It’s a beautiful dream.

Then it dawned on me… I DO have a little restaurant. And I can serve those dishes, and I CAN create that environment – right in my own home. My children, husband, and extended family (that includes our friends) are my guests. That has made me view my role in a whole new light.

It is absolutely right that I should have pretty linens on the table, lovely dishes, glassware, flatware and serving pieces. I should have candles and floral arrangements on the table. I should be creating lasting memories of good food, good company, and love; love that is shown by the care I take in creating a beautiful environment; love that is shown by preparing nutritious and beautifully presented meals.

And I realized that God has been training me for this my entire life. By ‘this’ I mean of course, caring for my family. NOT opening a world-famous restaurant. I think that is something for another day and for our son Jack. I have all I need in order to make dining a true blessing for those I love so much.

I learned to cook from my grandmother. She was a stellar country cook. My Nana made simple Sunday lunch feel special because feeding people was her passion. Guests left her home full, both physically and spiritually. She ignited a passion in me for cookery and hospitality at a very early age. I became a student of what most people would call entertaining. I prefer ‘hospitality’. Being hospitable means that this graciousness is a lifestyle, not just something one puts on occasionally to impress.

I continued beyond basic fare to more intricate dishes, learned to use herbs, sought out new flavor combinations. As I became a married woman, I noted how truly excellent hosts and hostesses welcomed their guests. I have had the good fortune of receiving hospitality from many such families over 16 years of marriage; from different cultures, sometimes in that culture’s country of origin. Customs may vary from culture to culture, but hospitality remains the same – it is making people feel important, loved, cared for. With the training I received from my Nana, my own personal study, and my many wonderful life experiences, I now have what I need to create a culinary field trip any time I choose.

I am a trained floral designer, learning under the tutelage of the very wonderful Margaret Heal (who remains a dear friend to this day). She taught me not only to create beautiful arrangements, but also to grow as much of my material as possible. There is so much meaning in seasonal blooms, imbuing the meal with rich symbolism. That is especially important for Catholics because our Liturgy provides a beautiful rhythm to our lives.

I am an experienced event planner. If I can pull together a multi-million dollar wedding event in just six weeks, I can pull together a beautiful dinner every evening (or afternoon). I don’t have to chase down obscure bottles of Madeira, arrange for a barge full of fireworks, fly flowers from Holland to the Caribbean, or manage 60 guests on private planes or catamarans. All I have to do is plan a meal, set the table, and gather the family.

I am an accomplished seamstress, crocheter, and chandler. I can whip up pretty tablecloths from any fabric that takes my fancy – I can make beautiful lace runners, mats, or entire cloths from humble balls of cotton thread. The candles we make should not be saved for special, they should be enjoyed everyday, sitting in the pretty holders I’ve collected, or been given over the years.

This is the essence of “Simple Gifts”. It is the unity of our God-given gifts, the gifts we receive from others, and the gifts we give away. True simplicity is recognizing our own gifts, available resources, and how to use them to bless the people we are given to love and care for. Simplicity is not the absence of abundance. Quite the opposite. Simplicity is the discovery of richness in what we have right before us.

The French have a particular gift for this. It is what gives them that élan. They take time to truly appreciate – never rush. They treasure what they have and combine the humble and the lavish with “je ne sais qua”. It comes easily with practice. Not everyone has such a collection of skills, but these can be learned. That is what I hope to do through my little weblog. To teach and inspire.

I’ve been seeing several of my weblog friends posting their menus recently, which is what inspired this post. I wanted to share what I plan to prepare. But as usually happens, with me – the exercise sparked deeper thoughts. What’s on the menu?

Hospitality.

Love.

Memories.

They cost nothing, and their value is truly priceless.

For Sophie… She and Will were horsing around and she took a frightul spill. She’s split her labial frenulum - the little cord between gum and inner lip. Her lip is sore and swollen, she’s clingy and in pain. Thank goodness she didn’t break a tooth - we’ve had quite enough of those, thank you.

For your birthday. We miss you!

I believe I am experiencing what St. John of the Cross described as “The Dark Night of the Soul”. Suffering can be so lonely - even with so many around me who love me. There is a loveliness in suffering - I’m determined to find it. I’m sure that God is drawing me closer and saying to me “Lean on Me more, for heaven’s sake!”. I tend to be very strong-willed and independent. I’m in the business of praying for others, not being prayed for - caring for others, not being cared for.

I was up and nursing Louis in the wee hours of this morning. While I said a silent rosary, counting the decades on my fingers, I suddenly became aware of the heady scent of roses. The fragrance became stronger with each decade. An enormous peace stole over me and I knew everything would be alright with me. I lay Louis back in his crib, and then lay there in the darkness a while longer - unable to sleep, completely alert, but completely relaxed. At some point I fell asleep and awoke this morning more refreshed than I have been in such a long time.

For a long time now, I have found great comfort in the embrace of Our Blessed Mother. I often feel her presence when we pray the rosary, or whenever I need motherly care. She often helps to put things on my heart to ponder and work at. I wonder what others do who are not aware of her love, who don’t accept the gift of her motherhood, which Jesus gave to us from the cross.

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. “ John 19:25-27

John, of course was that Disciple. But we are John, in a sense. We are the Disciple whom He loves. We are the young, sweet, faithful, open disciple who is present at his crucifixion everytime we share in the Eucharist. We are the ones to whom he has given His mother as Our Mother. And she wants only to love us…