The World

Miscarriage due to Covid Vaccine?

There are conflicting reports, even among sources I typically find reliable on the actual rate. This is mostly due to the testimony of Dr. James Thorp to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, re: Covid. I highly recommend skipping the spin and reading his actual sourced submission to draw your own conclusions.

I shared this on IG, and this is the part I can’t get over:

The reality is, we may never know exact numbers. What we DO know, is that everything is a risk and reward decision. To pretend there are ZERO risks, is insulting, and frankly just makes zero common sense. Anyway, practically, this is what I plan to do about it.

A Surrogate mother refuses to abort

As if we needed another reason than Church teaching to know that IVF and Surrogacy is morally untenable, this story enumerates many of the pitfalls.

The Church

Happy Feast of the Assumption!

St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote so beautifully of this feast -

“And with regard to ourselves, how deservedly do we keep the feast of the Assumption with all solemnity. What reasons for rejoicing, what motives for exultation have we on this most beautiful day! The presence of Mary illumines the entire world so that even the holy city above has now a more dazzling splendor from the light of this virginal Lamp. With good reason thanksgiving and the voice of praise resound today throughout the courts of Heaven…let us not complain for here we do not have a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come, the same which the blessed Mary entered today.”

A Peek at Life

We are traveling this weekend for a baptism!

Which means I’m on my second solo unplanned road trip of the Summer with a 4 and 2 year old and, can I tell you something? It has actually been so fun! OF COURSE it has been a little stressful and a lot of work.

My game plan: Get up and drive EARLY so they sleep. I always get up early, so an extra hour doesn’t throw me too much. Have a planned stop (we’ve done parks, or fancier things like the Nashville zoo, pictured above.)

Speaking of zoos

I’m an aficionado now because I’ve been to THREE, lol. But seriously, I’ve grown up with the very highly ranked Cincinnati zoo, and frankly I put the Nashville zoo far above it. Clean, walkable, well themed (including music,) huge playground and not crowded, even on a Friday. Go to the playground early so that the equipment isn’t hot!

This was our favorite meal this week!

No recipe link, but I sliced about five potatoes thin and baked them at 375 on a sheet pan for fifteen minutes.

Moved them to a 9 by 13 pan as the bottom layer. Put about a lb of cooked ground beef as next layer. Then a layer of chopped up cooked broccoli. Then a bag of shredded cheese.

All went in for about 8 minutes to warm and melt cheese.

Took it out, drizzled it with the sauce from this link!

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These are my ride or die Toups and Co products (clean and made in the USA.) They last me about 3 months before I have to restock. fToday and tomorrow ONLY Toups and Co is having a Free Shipping weekend. Use my link and 15% off will apply at checkout.

Until next week, with love ~ Bridget

The World

Attorney General Update

This week, the Senate confirmed President Trump’s pick for the 88th Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche. He has been acting in the role temporarily since the dismissal of Pam Bondi in April of this year. Click here to see an interesting look at how this role began, and a chance to see portraits of all of our AGs throughout history!

Cardinal Sarah Minced no Words in his Address to EU leaders

Recounting his 2015 remarks about Islamism and gender ideology during the Synod on the Family, Cardinal Sarah said “I do not retract today a single word,” reiterating “that gender ideology and Islamic fundamentalism represent, each in its own way, two ‘apocalyptic beasts’, threatening to destroy not only the family, but man himself, image of God.”

Despite the obvious differences between the two movements, both “share the pretension of rewriting man according to their own liking — one in the name of an alleged progress, the other in the name of an alleged return to an original purity — denying in every case that religious freedom and that dignity of the person which I have placed at the centre of this Lectio,” Cardinal Sarah said.

Linked here.

The Church

This article was really helpful for me in defining why the worship debates between Protestants and Catholics largely go nowhere.

We do not have a clear baseline of what worship IS. Here’s a little snippet I found particularly helpful:

We might say that preaching is talking about God, praying is talking to God, and worship is giving God what is his due (sacrifice, divine honor, etc.).

I asked you about your favorite Catholic Preschool curriculums,

and these were your top recommendations!

1. Catholic Heritage Curricula

2. Little Lessons

3. Kolbe

A Peek at Life

Can we talk about prayer for a minute? Wait, don’t check out ;)

For YEARS I’ve dismissed prayer. I know that sounds wild as a cradle Catholic, but I genuinely just thought saying the rosary in the car, and showing up for Mass was plenty. Right before Lent this year, I discovered mental prayer (← WATCH THIS.) I’ve committed to getting up every morning, and showing up, and trying.

Dan Burke and his website (completely free) have been invaluable in getting me started. And by the way, I am truly a baby in this realm, so please do not perceive this as being easy for me.

My dear friend Elyse generously sent me the book Divine Intimacy pictured above.

It has changed the game.

It has a meditation for every day of the year, and you can find the schedule aligning with the liturgical year here. Each day has a colloquy at the end that literally gives you the words to kick off your mental prayer. If you’re a beginner like me, it might be just the tool you need to help you stay consistent. (This is an affiliate link.)

The other book pictured is my other daily go to, the Manual of Prayers for the Laity.

I know many of you got it on sale last month, so I made a post to refer to here with the way I use it on a daily basis!

I recently added a page on here for thrifted finds, and posted a fun little book haul from this week!

Here’s a link ICYMI.

Just sitting out here watching airplanes

Any 2000’s country fans recognize that reference? ;) I’m always looking for free things to do with my kiddos, and thanks to a FB group, someone shared the idea of going to your local small airport and watching the planes take off and land. We took lunch and my kids absolutely LOVED it.

Finally, I started a fun little “Welly Wall” project this week, with this Pinterest photo as my inspiration:

They’re for sale online for upwards of $50, and I THINK I can make one for a lot less than that. I’ll share an update next week on progress and links to what I used in case you also CANNOT TAKE ONE MORE WET MUDDY BOOT in your house ;)

Until next week, with love ~ Bridget

Doesn’t that scene look peaceful?

I always think so too. Until I imagine the chigger bites she surely accumulated. Anyway, welcome to August wherein I refuse to comply with the “Summer is over” narrative ;) Here’s what’s going on in the world + my life this week:

The World

Both of these articles enumerate the dangers of chemical abortion through Telehealth. One explains the rise in numbers, and the other shows how teens are using online resources to hide pregnancies from parents. WHAT COULD GO WRONG.

Abortion Count Rises

Teens Sidestep Parental Notification

And while we’re at it, here’s a fun report that these chemicals are now in our water!

Yikes.

There are two other big conversations this week, Fauci testifying in a Covid hearing (or NOT testifying, IYKYK,) and the Ceuta invasion by Moroccan immigrants.

These are huge conversations. But this is a good summary of what happened with Fauci from SmartHer news + This is a good post from Rita Rogers about things we shouldn’t forget…and bigger than this testimony is how much depends on us not allowing this to happen in the future.

This is a really interesting perspective on the Ceuta situation from one of my favorite immigration news sources.

The Church

This podcast is incredibly practical, and motivating. One of the best I’ve heard in a long time!

August is the month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! Cardinal Burke gave a homily on the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart that you can read here. It is beautiful and timely.

A Peek at Life

Honestly, a gardening blog hates to see me coming. My MO? Read it. Research it. Plan it. Absolutely never ever do it. The fact that this made it out into the real world? A small miracle!

I found a “no till” garden method. It consists of laying down cardboard, covering with compost soil and then mulch. I have all of ZERO results to back this up, but here goes trying for my dream wildflower border around our screened in porch. I will report back ;)

I had to share a homeopathy win from this week! (yes, I really am still working on the series. Capital L Life keeps getting in the way.)

Emmy got stung by a wasp this week on the back of her leg. This is right after it happened: painful and red.

I gave her two doses of Ledum within thirty minutes. (Affiliate link, but you can also get it on Amazon if you need it quickly!) This is literally ONE HOUR later. No pain, no itching and the redness all but gone.

If you want to learn more on being prepared for stings and bites, this free blog post is from my favorite online homeopath resource, and it is the reason why I even have Ledum on hand.

Tractor Pulls and County Fairs

My kids met the county fair this week, and actually loved it, despite both not liking loud noises! I, unfortunately, was appalled by the clothing or lack thereof. Moms of boys…are we buying blinders? HELP.

Finally, if you have littles, this booklet from The Catholic Printable Club is so fun. Leo LOVED the July edition, and we’re looking forward to doing the next.

Coloring, mazes, cutting and gluing, counting…it’s an activity book + liturgical living resource all in one! They do have a digital edition if you have multiple kiddos in the age range to do these, which would definitely save you money. Here is the done for you version! (You can unsubscribe anytime.)

Have you tried the no till garden method? Tell me all the things in the comments! Does it work? What do I need to watch out for? Please don’t crush my dreams, lol.

Until next week, with love ~ Bridget