What 5 websites I visit often.

Well I never start my day without opening Face Book. My husband I and joke that it is my personal “party line.” I check my email first but it is not a website and then I open FB to see what is going on in “my world.”

Then my next page is almost always Frank Majka’s THE BRIDGE. I say almost always because I want to read him every morning, but he only posts once a week. I still check most mornings on the off chance that he might possibly have posted something extra. I got his monthly reflections by email yesterday and he had posted something on Sunday so I really didn’t expect anything new this morning but there it was: one of his great photos! Couldn’t stay too long there, though because it was of chocolate on display. I could feel the weight going to my hips just from looking.

Then I turned to Creighton Online Ministries for their Daily Reflections website. I really can’t remember when I first started my morning reflections by accessing this site. I remember using the old family computer so maybe as long ago as 10 years. I wish I could say I have remained faithful every morning during that time. However, it is always the place I return when I am ready to get back into a morning meditation/quiet time. The Creighton website is one of the best I have ever found for providing a variety of resources in one place. The part I use each morning is a reflection on the daily scripture. Sometimes it is a reflection by a priest at Creighton but more likely it is from a professor or member of the University staff. I don’t think there is a site I have recommended more often than this site.

When I am done with this, I check out “Breaking News.com” just to see what has happened overnight. To see what is going on in the Big World. I don’t read the newspaper any more and I broke myself of my continual TV news feed of MSNBC a couple of years ago. I used to watch News all day long, but I finally accepted the fact that it was having a severe impact on my mood. Now I just check out the headlines and then if there is something I think I should know more about or want to know more, I clink on links to go more in depth. I started this habit after the Japanese Earthquake. As I was following that I came to believe that more and more Earthquakes were going to be happening all through out the earthquake prone world. Since my darling Jenny and Luis live in such a place, I was particularly concerned. For a while it looked as if my theory was going to prove correct and then most of the shaking subsided. Now it looks like it is picking up again. I will keep checking….

Speaking of checking; I the NOAA site for local weather. I used to have weather channel on my other laptop. I paid a subscription fee and this allowed me to quickly follow the weather for 5 locations. This meant that I could keep track weather where my kiddos live and post alerts to the Crewe from what I have come to call Momstar Central. My MAC does not allow this program so I am back to searching NOAA for local weather and then on to check out the weather in Wisconsin and Maine.

I think that is only 4 sites. I suppose the next one I check with less frequency is Annie’s Attic for crocheting ideas. However, since I have to work all my “spare” time on the christening blanket for Bebe Roberto, I don’t let myself check it as often. Have too many projects started or in mind to allow for temptations for more.

Besides the four websites aren’t just checked each morning, but often through out the day so I am busy enough.

Writing about something I lost that I can never replace.

The first thing that came to mind was my High School Class ring. I lost it during my first summer quarter at Eastern. I think I was pretty sad to lose it. I love it and planned to keep it and give it to my future daughter. Funny how when I finally had that future daughter/daughters, it would not have been important to them at all. They didn't even get class rings, nor did we encourage them to memorialize their High School experience with such things. Their memories of High School were not really marked with material things. Once they displayed their letters and certificates for high school achievements, they packed them away and went on to accomplishing other things in College and beyond. Now they all three live in places too tiny to hold many mementos and so all those things hold up in dusty boxes in my attic. It would be hard to get them to even pay their stuff a visit when they return "Home."

As for me, I eventually adorned my hands with two rings that mean far more to me than that class ring ever could. I wear a simple gold band to memorialize the day Jim and I began the Sacrament of Marriage. And I wear a ring that looks like a mother's ring but is actually a "DEAREST" ring. It contains 7 stones : Diamond,Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby Emerald Sapphire Toapz. "Spelling" DEAREST and reminding me of my 7 gems--my children.

So I have lost something, but found much more.