Seven Quick Takes




1. May is the month of Mary.  It is also the month of new life and the month we celebrate Mother's Day.  Here are some of the beautiful flowers (new life) that I am enjoying this month:

This is the first peony on the peony bush in my yard.


Here are some flowers a friend gave me as a gift. I will plant these in my yard later today. They are not polka dot, but are solid red in color. I took this photo just after I watered them. They have an amazing aroma!

2. The views from my office today:



Thursday was a gorgeous day, with temperatures in the low 80's, so rather than work-out at the gym today, I took a walk on the trail in the park to relax, pray, and meditate. 

3.  Pentecost is drawing near and  I have written about some ways to prepare for this great feast day, which is the birthday of our Church. 


4.  Now is the time for novenas. Here is a beautiful novena to Our Lady of Fatima, whose feast we celebrate on Friday, May 13, and a powerful novena for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. It's not too late to start either one.

 5.  If you enjoy visiting national parks, one park I recommend, especially for hiking is Tall Grass Prairie National Park Reserve in Strong City, Kansas.  There are lots of trails for hiking and historic buildings to visit.   It is a beautiful spot! 

 Here are a few photos from our visit there:







Stephen F. Jones named his ranch the Spring Hill Farm and Stock Ranch for the springs found on the hill west of the house. The main ranch house was built on a hillside with a two-story exposure on the upper side and a three story on the lower level. It was built in the 1800's.  The cost for the Spring Hill Ranch was $40,000; $25,000 for the house and $15,000 for the barn and outbuildings.

Afterwards, we went to eat at a Mexican restaurant, where we found these photos prominently displayed.



This was our confirmation that we had come to the right place to eat. The food was delicious!


6.  Just a reminder -- My new book  "Learning to Love with the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir"  officially releases on May 13 - the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.  It is now available for pre-order on Kindle at Amazon. The book blog tour will take place from May 13 - 25. Just visit my blog Catholic Fire and I will point out where the tour is taking place each day. 

7.  Wishing you all a very Happy Mother's Day! 
For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum. 


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