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.

A memory from the feast of St. Ignatius

July 30, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Then I thought of something. It was the feast of St. Ignatius. When you can do nothing else, you can pray.

My birthday celebrations, arcade wins, praying the Rosary, and more (7 Quick Takes)

July 27, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Yesterday was my birthday! Birthdays are the best.

One way to get tickets to visit Alcatraz

July 23, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Apparently Alcatraz tickets are a hot commodity.

When you discover you aren’t the only people still playing Pokemon Go

July 21, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Two years into playing Pokemon Go, my sons and I may not be playing with the same enthusiasm we did when it started. But I’m not so sure. There’s still plenty of excitement there.

Recovering from vacation, for Pete’s sake, a new iCade, household chores, and the worst sounds in the world (7 Quick Takes)

July 19, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Nothing is more fun than taking a vacation week at the beach. But I can’t believe how tired I still am from a vacation that ended a week ago.

Cookies for breakfast and sloths for everyone (or what we do on a beach vacation)

July 16, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

It’s 7:30 a.m. on a morning of our beach vacation. I haven’t even poured my first cup of coffee. And I’m pretty sure I could have used another three hours of sleep.

Toes in the sand and peach cake in my hand or what we did on our family beach vacation (7 Quick Takes)

July 12, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

You might think that a blogger who is on vacation all week would have time to write a blog almost every day. In fact, I thought that myself.

All in the timing

July 12, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church, Uncategorized

Maybe, I find myself realizing, we all long to understand time better so we can know how to make better use of it.

Peach cake season, stacking cups, fireworks, reading, and more (7 Quick Takes)

July 5, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

The peaches are ripe! Run, run, run to your nearest grocery store or farmers market and buy some peaches to make a Baltimore peach cake.

When you have a friend in Heaven

July 3, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

“Do you want these left out of the bag?” the cashier says, holding up two bottles of water.
“That would be great,” I say. “We need those for the flowers. We’re stopping at the cemetery.”

Getting our classic arcade on like Donkey Kong

June 30, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Although I grew up way back in the 1900s, as my children like to say, I often feel I failed to absorb much of the pop culture of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. And arcade games are definitely on that list.

Praying after tragedy and remembering moments from our week (7 Quick Takes)

June 29, 2018
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Please join me in praying for all those affected by the tragic shooting at the Capital Gazette.