Car-buying advice from my father June 21, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The other day John and I went car shopping to replace our minivan. We went to a couple of dealerships to look around. At the second one, we decided to buy a car. Purchasing an automobile is not my favorite thing to do—and I know I’m not alone. Many people do not enjoy car shopping. […]
Shopping and a lesson in trust June 14, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I’ve been looking for a new shirt or two, but the styles I’m finding are so unappealing. I don’t need a shirt with a zipper or things dangling off of it. It doesn’t need to have puffy sleeves or have a longer tail in the back. But I also don’t want it to be boring. […]
A First Communion, the school year ending, and a happy potato (7 Quick Takes) June 10, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window ~1~ Two of our nieces made their First Communions this spring—one in New England and one here in Baltimore. We missed the one in New England, but I managed to get to the Mass in Baltimore where our niece received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. It was wonderful to be with her […]
The day a tractor-trailer hit my van June 4, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized The driver had been driving a tractor-trailer. He was trying to turn into a parking lot across the street to make a delivery when the flatbed ripped into the side of our van.
The Beauty of Mass in the Gym May 28, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Our church is under renovation, so we will be celebrating Mass in other parish spaces for a while. What I’ve been surprised to discover is how much beauty I find in the liturgies held in our temporary spaces.
Exquisite pizza, the school year winding down, and a shopping day (7 Quick Takes) May 28, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The long holiday weekend came just when we needed it. We are limping our way to the finish line with the school year, and I’m counting down on the number of lunches I still need to pack.
Get to know St. Rita: A saint for impossible situations May 21, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I don’t usually ask St. Rita to intercede for me on ordinary problems. But every now and then, I come up against a problem that simply can’t be solved. I look at it from every angle and see no way through. That’s when I know that it’s time to take it to prayer—and it might […]
“What was the best day of your life?” May 17, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The other day we were driving together as a family, talking the way you do when you’re in the car. “Mom,” one of our sons asked, “what was the best day of your life?” Wow. I couldn’t answer. How could I pick just one? There was the day my husband asked me to marry him. […]
Happy birthday to a sister extraordinaire May 9, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It’s my little sister’s birthday. Somehow when my other siblings have birthdays, I don’t really notice that I’m aging. When the youngest in the family turns another year older, it hits differently. Maybe, just maybe, I’m getting older after all. But no complaints here. I’m grateful for all of it. And I’m especially thankful for […]
Here comes the abundance of May April 30, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Watching them making the most of a cool spring afternoon, I was struck by how they were enjoying spring with their boundless energy and no specific plan. Surely, that is what spring afternoons should be.
A visit to a castle, crafts, cookies, crab soup, and other highlights (7 Quick Takes) April 30, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Some time ago, one of the mysterious social media algorithms fed me a promotion for a craft bazaar at the Cloisters in Baltimore. I thought immediately of my friend Jaime, whose artistic creations seemed perfect for that setting, and I sent her the post.
Favorite flowers of spring, a monster truck, cupcakes, and more (7 Quick Takes) April 23, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window What is your favorite spring flower? I struggle to answer this question because I love all the colors and varieties.
