Sweet Talk

DANISH PASTRY –  Modified from a recipe found on Epicurious 2016 I can still smell and taste those fresh, cardamom-scented Danish the mothers served in the 1950’s on Frist Friday after Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption elementary school.  On a cold rainy day, we would process through the drizzle from Mass to our[...]

In my coaching practice, every client asks what God’s will is for them. That’s good! It means people sincerely want to please him. Remember that even though God KNOWS what will happen in your life, that does not mean he PLANNED it. You and those around you have a wonderful, powerful, and terrible gift called[...]

No, it’s not some creepy Catholic thing about sex.  What IS “Theology of the Body?” It’s a treasure map. It’s a marriage manual. It’s the key to every heart’s desires. It’s a beautiful bible study, rich in spousal imagery. It’s the answer to the very meaning of life! It was the seventies and I was[...]

Separation sounds like a bad word when it comes to an ailing marriage, but it may be just what the doctor ordered. But first, let’s separate it into two areas: Separation within a marriage Separation from a spouse Some separation can be loving In marriage, the two are meant to become one[1], but that doesn’t[...]

“We respect your belief, Mom and Dad, but we’ve decided to live together.” “I don’t need to go to Mass. I have my own way of praying.” “I’m not even sure I believe in God anymore, Dad.” ACK! What’s a Catholic parent (or grandparent) to do when the lack of a mature faith in their[...]

The Reluctant Bride – Auguste Toulmouche 1866 I was in my forties when I realized that all my life I had only been “dating” God when he had been waiting for my full “marital” surrender. I thought I was intimate with God; I prayed regularly, went to Mass, and received the Sacraments. I could still[...]

Imagine a man got drunk, then angry at his wife, slapped her hard across her face, made the kids cry, kicked the beloved family dog, and then tripped down the stairs and gravely injured himself. His actions hurt the whole family, but the nurses and doctors at the hospital care less about what he did[...]

“For your Christmas present, the brothers and I want to take you and Dad to Sayulita, Mexico. And we want to pay for everything.” What?! My oldest stepson, Pat, had taken charge and took me by sweet surprise. He, Matt, and Rory wanted us all to return to Mexico for another family fishing trip. We[...]

What would you do? I have a dear friend who is deeply, emotionally attached to her wardrobe.  Growing up in the Great Depression, and having only three plain cotton dresses that came from a charity group, she’s always defined success and self worth as being able to have beautiful clothes with shoes to match every[...]

Do you know the Jonathon and Drew Scott, aka the “Property Brothers?”  The handsome twins are super-stars of HGTV and pros at turning fixer-uppers into dream homes. I love make-over shows of any kind and confess to occasional binge-watching where experts take old, dilapidated homes and turn them into warm, comfy, or elegant living spaces.[...]