What does it taste like? February 5, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Some questions are difficult to answer. What is it like to receive the Eucharist? What is it like to believe that this life we are enjoying is just a part of a whole extraordinary journey that leads us to God?
An open letter to Marie Kondo: Thanks for sparking my joy January 28, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized Dear Marie, I’m grinning ear to ear. I hear you’ve given up on a tidy house—and that you’re happier for it.
Happy Chinese New Year! Welcome to the Year of the Rabbit (7 Quick Takes) January 23, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Chinese New Year is absolutely my favorite holiday. It’s a chance to celebrate a new beginning and a special animal in the zodiac by connecting with friends and family and food.
How is God like a flyswatter? (answered by ChatGPT and a human) January 19, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Dolly Parton said, “I feel closest to God when I write.” That’s how I feel, too. So, it’s hard for me to believe that any kind of computer program or artificial intelligence can write the way a person can, bringing light and beauty and emotion to the written form.
Abundance in the New Year, Rubik’s cubes, random selfies, and more (7 Quick Takes) January 15, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized Whenever I have avocado toast for breakfast, I remember the year that my New Year’s resolution was eating avocado toast more often.
The Story of the Missing Pizza January 12, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The other night I ordered a pizza for dinner. When a text came through saying the pizza had been delivered, I checked, and there was nothing on our porch. For whatever reason, our house doesn’t show up properly on every GPS, so I wasn’t shocked. I called the pizza place and explained what had happened. […]
Celebrating Epiphany and other late-Christmas fun (7 Quick Takes) January 7, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It was Epiphany Sunday when we received the referral to adopt our older son, so this time of year always makes me smile. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are wonderful gifts, but that phone call brought the best news we had ever received.
Returning a Christmas Gift January 5, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Hi Santa, I’m sorry, but I’d like to send this back. Yes, I know we had asked for a Christmas break again this year, but this wasn’t quite what we had in mind.
Christmas treats, victories, and memories (7 Quick Takes) December 29, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window We’ve reached the point in our Christmas break where I am not entirely sure what day of the week it is. What I do know is that we are still in the midst of our Christmas celebrations.
A Christmas Eve Miracle December 27, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window On Christmas Eve morning, we woke up to find that our furnace had stopped working.
When the end of Advent is a scramble to the finish December 18, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window In these final days of Advent, I am way behind on my preparation for Christmas.
Finding our way through the darkness December 13, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window At this time of year, alarm clocks seem to go off during the middle of the night. But we have to get up and get the day started, even when it looks like midnight outside. So, I climb out of bed and make sure my high schooler is awake. I ask him what he wants […]
