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Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

Thanksgiving leftovers and highlights, oyster shucking, a ride in a vintage car, and more (7 Quick Takes)

November 29, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Thanksgiving is about spending time with people we love, but it’s also about the food. And you can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without pie.

It’s not Thanksgiving dinner without sauerkraut

November 24, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Sauerkraut at Thanksgiving adds that extra something you didn’t even know you were missing.

When the Holy Spirit shows up for Sunday School and more (7 Quick Takes)

November 22, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window, Uncategorized

There are Sunday school teachers who prepare days ahead of time. Then you have me, who often spends Sunday morning flipping through the curriculum for the day while feeding people breakfast.

Choosing gratitude even when it’s not easy

November 20, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

It’s easy to be grateful when the sun is shining and everything is humming along beautifully, but it may be more important to be grateful when we hit a bump in the road.

Field trip fun at the Maryland Historical Society, Grandma’s mashed potatoes, birthday Legos, and a moving art exhibit (7 Quick Takes)

November 16, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

This week I tagged along on a fourth-grade trip to the Maryland Historical Society.

“Mom, don’t wave at me”

November 14, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Weekday mornings are a chaotic whirlwind of packing lunches and serving breakfast and making sure the right child has the right trumpet on the right day.

Seeking joy in the busyness of life

November 12, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

This fall has been a season of abundance. I have too many things to balance, too many competing priorities, too many problems to solve, and too many reasons not to go to sleep on time.

National Adoption Month, the time change, a trip to First Fruits Farm, and more (7 Quick Takes)

November 7, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Even before we were married, John and I had talked about adoption. But talking about adoption is not the same as deciding to adopt. Coming to that decision can be difficult, and I feel so fortunate that John and I came to it together.

Tell me a story

November 7, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church

Stories help us incorporate memories and traditions into our family. They help us know who we are.

The gift of a shooting star

November 5, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

The other night our son was outside with his father, scanning the heavens, when a shooting star streaked across the sky.

Halloween costumes and emotions, November prayers, St. Verdiana, and more (7 Quick Takes)

November 1, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Even with all the worry about the weather, we got in a beautiful night of trick-or-treating, winding our way through our Halloween-happy neighborhood.

Voting to change the date of Halloween: Trick or treat?

October 29, 2019
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Rain is in the forecast for Halloween night, so our neighborhood created a poll. Suddenly, I found I was allowed to vote on which night Halloween would be.

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