Kathleen Botsford

Preparing for Paris

The weekend is over.

Black tie outfits returned to closets.

Guests gone and cold finally getting better.

Time to seriously immerse myself in preparing for our trip to Paris.

It will be here before we know it and

I am promising myself I will be prepared and ready ahead of time.

I wonder if we ever really feel prepared when taking

a trip of a lifetime?

I can read and re-read novels and travel guides,

slowly page thru art and picture books,

but then it is necessary to open the door wide to serendipity.

If we do not get out of our comfort zone

what good is the journey anyway?

 

 

Everything is Simple....

 

Everything

I want to make poems that say right out, plainly,
what I mean, that don't go looking for the
laces of elaboration, puffed sleeves. I want to
keep close and use often words like
heavy, heart, joy, soon, and to cherish
the question mark and her bold sister

the dash. I want to write with quiet hands. I
want to write while crossing the fields that are
fresh with daises and everlasting and the
ordinary grass. I want to make poems while thinking of
the bread of heaven and the
cup of astonishment; let them be

songs in which nothing is neglected,
not a hope, not a promise. I want to make poems
that look into the earth and the heavens
and see the unseeable. I want them to honor
both the heart of faith, and the light of the world;
the gladness that says, without any words, everything.

~ Mary Oliver ~

Breath of Kindness

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person,

having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,

but pouring them all out, just as they are,

chaff and grain together,

certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,

keep what is worth keeping,

and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.

George Elliott

 

Change of Plans

There has been a change of plans.

Our spring break visit to London

has been cancelled due to illness.

Victoria caught some sort of bug and has been

battleing a high fever and flu symptoms since last weekend. 

Her big sister, Alex, took a limo to South Bend very late Monday evening

and drove her little sister home. 

In a snow storm.

The good news is her professors were very understanding and have allowed her

to re-schedule her mid-terms until school resumes after break.

The bad news is.... no trip to London.

In between preparing soup and crackers and trays of

ginger-ale in sippy cups with Winnie the Pooh spoons.....

 I have been playing with my camera and lighting

trying to figure things out....

It has become obvious I need to polish my computer skills

as well as my photography skills

I guess there is no time like the present.

Especially with my un-expected as well as un-welcome

present of time....

We'll Always Have Paris

Victoria received the glad tidings on Monday evening. 

She will be one of the lucky ones going to France with an internship at the

Cannes Film Festival. 

Mom and Dad have decided to go too. 

Sort of.

While she is in the South of France we will be meandering around Paris.

When her internship is over we will meet her and spend a week celebrating her 20th birthday in France.

Or Spain.

Or Switzerland. 

Stay tuned for more developements as they develope.

Empty Nest for 2013

I cannot believe it is the end of January 2013. 

I remember when I was in grade school and we read 1984 by George Orwell.

The book deeply distrubed me but I comforted myself with the thought,

"At least I will never live to 1984....

that is way too far in the future...."

Ha!

Well here I am in 2013

An official empty nester~

with my son off to seek his fortune in Washington DC

working for a freshman Congressman from LA~

My sophomore daughter at Notre Dame waiting

not so patiently to hear if she will be interning at

the Cannes Film Festival this spring~

And my oldest daughter living in the city,

making her own way,

searching for that ever elusive "perfect" career~

 

I purposely took time off from blogging

this past fall

as I felt the urgent need

to be "IN" the moment.

Gratefully soaking up every last

drop of a magical

time with my family and friends.

Sometimes cameras and writing

can get in the way for me.

While they definitely capture special memories to preserve and savor,

I also find they leave me a little bit

removed from the actual experience.

I will have lots of time to relive and recount

these moments now...

Now that I am an "official" empty nester.....

 

6 or 7 of the kids are on their way for the weekend as I write

so I better get the beds changed and the Birthday cakes baked!

Endless Grief

Words cannot help

Or begin to touch

the raw and ragged

grief of these heartbroken parents.

Oh Divine Beloved

we ask for your sweet mercy

and steadfast embrace

to somehow comfort the

families involved in this

senselessly tragic event

As we their neighbors

stand by helplessly

praying, praying, praying.

Notre Dame # 1

Notre Dame is the ONLY school to hold the honor of

#1 in football rankings

AND

#1 in graduating football athletes.

Wishing you all a

Happy Thanksgiving

and a safe trip to

Southern California.

GO IRISH!!!

 

Thank you Oklahoma

Life has been crazy here. 
Football, football and more football.

Our beloved Fighting Irish played a huge game in Oklahoma over the weekend.

Most of the family was in attendance but Alex and I stayed home.

The weekends get a little crazy when they start on Wednesday morning and end Sunday evening. 

We thought a little quiet time might be enjoyable. 

That was not the case. 

We both spent the day pacing and fretting, anxiously awaiting any glimpse of our boys on tv.

By game time we had worked ourselves into a frenzy. 

The Irish brought home the victory without any injuries which is high on this mother's wish list. 

When I talked with Victoria on her way from Ohare to South Bend early Sunday morning, another wish list item was checked off.

Tori:  "Mom!  You wouldn't believe it! 

Everyone!  EVERYONE was so nice to us! 

They all thanked us for coming and are so excited to come to ND next year. 

We made lots of new friends! 

And Mom, they even thanked us  for coming

AFTER THEY LOST THE GAME! 

It was so cool Mom!"

Thank you Oklahoma fans.

Thank you.

New Year New Condo

Summer has come and gone.

I have been busy designing and decorating our new condo.

The last four years we have rented a condo

near the Notre Dame campus

to enjoy our family and friends

and our beloved college football team.

We finally decided to buy.

These are photos of one of the collages

I have been working on to adorn the walls.

 Victoria is back at school and snugly enschonced into her

sophomore year.

Even she thinks time is flying

much too swiftly.

Our Alexandra has flown the cozy

suburbs to experience the excitement

of city life in Chicago

as she starts a new and challenging

consulting career in the city

and a new apartment in Old Town.

Stevie will enjoy a final year working

with his father and

and cheering on his team mates

before his life takes an

adventurous and exciting turn.

*details to follow at a later date.

In the meantime,

being present in the moment

is as always,

my secular and spiritual challenge.

Wishing you and yours

a fabulous new school year

filled with appropriate challenge

and sweet success.

GO IRISH!

p.s. I think I may have to rename this post due to

all of the "challenges" I noted upon re-reading!

How about "New Year New Challenge"?