We’re making progress...

1 - The butterfly feeder is here. The nectar is back-ordered, but I have a recipe for making some from scratch. Wonder if a spritz of Tea Rose or Crabtree & Evelyn Lily of the Valley would help or hurt. Better not chance it.

2 - No finches at the feeder yet. But no squirrels have pulled it down and unloaded the thistle seed, either. So I’ll call it a draw.

3 - The boys have 20 minutes towards one Holy Hour. The terms? We’ll go. You don’t have to make it through a whole hour. If it should become unbearable we’ll leave quietly. Firmly planted in the very last pew, we were off to a rocky start when Eddie developed hiccups. We slid out and Eddie asked to breathe for a minute outside the church. I said we had all made a game effort and we could leave, BUT Eddie insisted that he was better and we slid back in for another fifteen minutes. The original challenge was to try to stay until after Father’s reflection. We accomplished that and a little bit more. It was good. By von Huben standards it was a heroic effort. (We don’t call ourselves the St. Vitus Society for nothing!) Third Wednesday of next month we’ll do it again. And we’ll hope to stay a bit longer. Gradual training seems the most prudent at this point. (The fact that the boys attended holy hours while babes snoozing in slings has had no lasting effect. I know, I know, I should have been more consistent. But like an athlete who’s been out of training for years, we’re starting over from scratch.)

Bonus payoff moment? Eddie’s unsolicited remark that he enjoyed the quiet time with Jesus. Could I ask for more at the end of the day?