St. Faustina Kowalska, one of the two optional memorials for today, is a 20th century saint of Poland. She died at 33 in 1938, a cloistered nun, but is famous for her description of devotion to Jesus as Divine Mercy, accompanied by a portrait of Jesus with blue and red rays coming from his heart. Pope St. John Paul II, also from Poland, named her a saint in 2000 along with proclaiming the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.
(Picture found on wikipedia, cited as
I sent to pictures to my friend who made the vase and painted the seal to let her know she was still remembered in our new home.
*Tomorrow I'm making sheet pan balsamic chicken and carrots, from a recipe I cut out of the newspaper about 10 years ago.
*This is actually a week of new recipes. Tonight I'm trying salad bar stir fry from Cook's Country, similar to the tagged recipe. I'm using frozen veggies because they're cheaper than the salad bar.
*Last night I made sesame noodles with shredded chicken. I think the family prefers a straightforward peanut sauce, so I'll do that next time.
*Tuesday night the Son made tomato-basil soup from Betty Crocker. I think most of the family prefers a smoother soup, but the son really liked it. I might repurpose the leftovers into pasta sauce.
*Monday night I tried another new recipe, butternut squash risotto. It was a really good risotto, but I don't think the squash, despite being a labor of love, really added much to the dish. I'll just do straightforward risotto next time.
*Monday I also made the last picture below, apple-pecan pancakes. They were wonderful.
I got new curtains for the kitchen; they need to be hemmed but I think they are a good solution for this big window that needs coverage but also to let light in. I also got the last frame and curtain rod we needed for the moment. We still need to do new curtains in the basement and find me a desk but no rush on either of those.
Sharing our family birthday candle because it's my brother's 38th birthday, and he's thriving and working hard.
Saint Wenceslaus (Vaclav) (OM), King of Bohemia, Martyr
Dates: September 28 907-9/28/929
Place: Bohemia (province of Czechoslovakia)
Importance: raised by grandmother Ludmilla; killed by brother, which pushed country into Christianity
Food/Symbol: crown; eagle Patron: Bohemia; brewers
Prayer: “Lord, you taught your martyr Wenceslaus to prefer the kingdom of heaven to all that the earth has to offer. May his prayers free us from our self-seeking and help us to serve you with all our hearts. We ask this…Amen.”
Quotes: “At the death of Vratislaus the people of Bohemia made his son Wenceslaus their king. He was by God’s grace a man of utmost faith. He was charitable to the poor, and he would clothe the naked, feed the hungry and offer hospitality to travelers according to the summons of the Gospel. He would not allow widows to be treated unjustly; he loved all his people, both rich and poor; he also provided for the servants of God, and he adorned many churches.”—from an old Slavic legend
(Picture from Pinterest to https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/28/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic)
*Top picture is me driving away from the house for the last time after collecting belongings, doing a final clean, and then heading out to sign papers. We signed on the 17th and the new owners signed on the 18th.
*Bottom picture: We threw out a lot moving, including two cast iron dutch ovens that were peeling I actually put them in the back yard to hold mint. So we bought a new one after moving; it's more of a braiser than a dutch oven, but it works for everything except for stew and chili. I probably need to get another one soon for that purpose since the weather seems to have (hopefully) left the 90s for 2026.
