Answered prayers (or the story of a missing watch) April 3, 2017By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window Every day during Lent we pull a slip of paper out of our prayer basket and read the name of the person or people listed there.We’ve prayed for cousins and grandparents, deceased family members and living friends. We share stories about the people we’re praying for, and—when I think of
Never too old for bedtime kiss March 30, 2017By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window This Lenten season, as we fast and serve and pray, I hope we can try to find moments just to be with God.
What we found when we went birthday gift shopping March 28, 2017By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window If ever there were an aunt who deserves to be celebrated, it’s Aunt Shai. She gives her nieces and nephews her undivided attention, plays with them for hours, reads to them, and teaches them how to make up stories with their toys.So even though it wasn’t clear that she wanted
A warm welcome at Mass March 19, 2017By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window I’ve never paid much attention to what greeters do before Mass. I always smile at them and say hello, maybe compliment a scarf or comment on the weather. Still, I hadn’t really considered it a significant job.At our parish’s Scout Mass this week, though, Daniel was a greeter, and he
Why we’re laughing at the BBC interview with Professor Robert Kelly March 11, 2017By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, News, Open Window When I was watching the footage of the BBC interview with Professor Robert Kelly, and his daughter came dancing into the room—followed by her baby brother in a walker—I couldn’t help but laugh. But I wasn’t laughing at his predicament, or his wife’s, as she swoops in to scoop up
Books on mice are twice as nice as having houses full of mice: children’s books about mice January 25, 2017By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window We have a mouse—or maybe we have mice—scampering through our house in broad daylight, without a care in the world, happy as can be. The traps are apparently no trouble to avoid, the treats in the traps are apparently not appealing at all, and every day I am able to
There’s a mouse in the house—and there’s a Catholic saint who can help with that January 17, 2017By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Saints There’s a mouse in the house—and there’s a Catholic saint who can help with that
Celebrating a dozen years of marriage September 25, 2016By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window Twelve years ago I stood in the narthex of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, wearing my white gown, impatient and excited for the day—and this new chapter of life—to begin.My father was there, and my bridesmaids—sisters and friends—along with a lovely flower girl and a handsome little ring bearer.
When your child asks about abortion April 4, 2016By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window, Respect Life Dinner is on the stove and I’m setting the table when our second grader walks into the kitchen.He is carrying a postcard he’s pulled out of the pile of mail.“Is this what we were talking about?” he asks, and he points to a picture on the postcard.I glance down and
Remembering Monsignor Valenzano September 6, 2015By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window As my sister’s matron of honor, I had several responsibilities on the altar at her wedding. I had to adjust the bride’s train on her dress, hold the bouquet, adjust the train again, head down the aisle to bring up the gifts, hand back the bouquet, and adjust the train
Are they really brothers? November 11, 2013By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window When we adopted our first son, I fielded strangers’ questions about adoption all the time.I assumed that after we adopted our second son, the questions would continue, but I was wrong. When we are out in public, I am so busy keeping my children safe and from damaging their surroundings,
Missing Baby Georgie November 7, 2013By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Open Window For the past few months, ever since my sister and her husband told us they were expecting a baby, my sons have been looking forward to meeting their new cousin.Nothing is more exciting than a new baby, and for our sons, this would be their first cousin living in town,
