Today is August 15th, The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It sounds like quite the esoteric topic for a post, but I wanted to share this day with you in the form of pictures and anecdotes because it’s a big deal in my family!
In Lebanon today, it is a statutory holiday and it is highly celebrated. You go to church, you visit and spend time with everyone named Mary, and you even give them presents. And, because my name is Mary, today is my day!
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Feast of the Assumption celebrates Mary when, upon her death, she was ‘taken up body and soul into heavenly glory’.
When my grandmother was alive, this day was her day, too – basically like a birthday celebration. August 15th was bigger for her than any other day of the year because her name was Marie and she was very religious. We would go over to her house and exchange gifts and have lunch with the extended family.
Are you in full summer mode? What gives you that ‘summer feeling’? And, what do I mean by that?
Summer is my favorite season – not even a question. There’s something about being warm that I crave all year, living in Canada. But even before I moved here, summertime was my favourite, anywhere I lived.
Luzia is ‘a waking dream of Mexico’
It’s the summertime and I want to be outside as much as possible, meaning I want to be in the kitchen as little as possible! Enter lemon spaghetti with shrimp. It’s one of my go-to meals because it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Plus, I always have shrimp in the freezer. My family loves this dish and I make it a couple of times a month.
The recipe is so easy that you don’t really need the book. I play around with the measurements sometimes and it still tastes great every time.
It’s May! Yay! Although I’m thrilled that spring has finally sprung, I’m feeling tired and frazzled – are you feeling the same way?
So, how can you keep calm while squeezing more month out of May?
When I was 13, I had my Confirmation at our church. My 8th Grade Catholic friends and I had attended weekly catechism classes during the year, culminating with a retreat and ceremony. That weekend, I also received a letter (that I still have) from my parents that reduced me to tears because it talked about how I was growing up. My sponsor and role model was a family friend and someone I see and speak to all the time about life, friendship, and advice. Getting confirmed was a big deal and something I remember very clearly as part of my Catholic upbringing.
This week is 
As a purchaser of Coach handbags over the years, I’ve noticed a style change in the past 2-3 years. Perhaps you have, too.