Answer Me This...Swimwear I Want but Don't Need and Swimwear I Plain Ol' Don't Like

I have been trying to get my act together to join in this link up since Easter. Pa-the-tic.

Catholic All Year

1. When's the last time you got a new bathing suit?

Two years ago. I scoured the Lands End clearance and ended up with a blue top and orange bottom. If I had unlimited funds, and actually spent a fair amount of time near the water, I would love this one:

2. Who made the last incoming call on your phone?

My Dad tried calling me last night, but I was outside weeding the garden with Zach and the babies.

3. If you receive communion, do you receive it in the hands or on the tongue?
 

On the tongue.

The only time have ever received in the hand was when John Paul II was in Baltimore in 1995. My Dad was the youth director at our parish and managed to get tickets for our family and the youth group. I was only 6 years old, and the Eucharistic ministers were handing it out - literally.

Zach and I always try to kneel when receiving and the two priests at our parish here finally reached the point that they will wait for us to kneel down. A couple of years ago I had a horrible experience in Florida with the pastor trying to force me to stand up before he would give me the Eucharist. Now I get anxiety any time we visit a new church, though thankfully I have not had another bad experience. It surprises some priests, but that is usually the end of it.

4. Do you have a tattoo?

Nope.

5. How many dinner plates are in your house?

I think we still have 16 of these:

Years before I was married my Mom ordered two sets for me when they were greatly marked down. I still like them, though I have started replacing the bowls with white ones since they are less expensive than ordering actual replacements.

I don't have any fine china dinner plates at this point in time, though some day I might try to acquire a nice used set - perhaps to match the serving pieces that my Mom brought up for me last week (formerly belonging to my Grandma):

6. Do you have an accent?

I don't think so. I say "y'all" all of the time, which probably sounds a little strange to Upstate New Yorkers. My husband constantly gets comments at school about his southern accent, which I have never noticed. I did have to laugh when I called the doctors office back in my hometown and noticed how southern-redneck the receptionist sounded. How I miss the South! 

Happy Pentecost!

This is how 98% of the pictures of them together turn out.

I have been trying really hard to do more reading this past week (The Little Oratory and In This House of Brede, as well as listening to Mansfield Park), and I have been hard at work on a wedding dress for my uncle's fiancée...

The dress form is a little too big for the dress, hence the kind of odd look.

 I just finished the zipper and hooks & eyes, and now need to attach some rope trim and it is done. Once the dress is complete, I need to make a simple cotton slip, which should take me less than an hour (please, Lord). Then tomorrow we ship it off to a lady who will be carrying it with her to the Dominican Republic, which is where my uncle lives and will be getting married. The wedding is in August, so I used an embroidered cotton, with a chiffon overlay on the bodice. The pattern went together easily, even though sewing with chiffon is always a bit of a pain. (In this case, I brought it upon myself, but foresight doesn't remove the pain.) The worst is over, though, and tomorrow it is out of my hands, sent with prayers for a happy union. Will you please pray for them, too?

Has anyone else read the Otis books? We came across the first one at the pediatrician's office, and found the rest at the library. The illustrations are so lovely, and the stories are fun, without being annoying like a lot of modern children's books.

This was one of the "9 month" pictures I took. She is getting so big. I started feeding her food last week, and she has been enjoying it for the most part. She keeps putting her fingers in her mouth and gagging herself. Yesterday she puked twice after doing that, poor thing.

Dinner, the dress, and Tony are all begging for my attention (Evangeline is sacked out in the carrier, or she would be throwing her hat in the ring, too).

Much love,

Jess