Saturday, July 9, 2011

Sabbath Moments - Vacation

Sabbath Moments is a weekly meme hosted by Colleen at Thoughts on Grace. These are the times when we remember to "live in the present moment" and "let go and let God". This has been  fairly easy to accomplish this week as we are on vacation and surrounded by the beauty of God's creation. I'd like to introduce you to a little fellow who has been keeping us company at the beach this week:


This adolescent seal has been keeping us company for the past few days. He'll take off for hours but keeps coming back to the same spot on the beach. The picture is not very clear because they roped off a section of the beach so that no one would disturb the little guy. You can't see his face well in this picture but he is adorable.

Here's a picture of my favorite girl playing in the wet sand close to the water. Each day when we get back to the cottage a pound of sand pours out of her bathing suit before she steps into the shower  : )



As for me, I formed a daily routine during my vacation that is working out very well. I leave the cottage at 8:00 to pray my Rosary and attend Mass at a nearby Church. They pray the Rosary daily at this parish before Mass and on Wednesdays have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. After Mass I return to the cottage and we head off to the beach. I like to read on the beach and am now reading a book called Consoling the Heart of Jesus. Great Book!

 One of my sisters is here with her family and my brother and parents are back and forth depending on their work schedule. We have all been having a great time! Family, fun, and laughter...you can't beat that!

24 comments:

  1. You know ... those seals are very intelligent creatures. I went to a seal sanctuary not far from Edinburgh some years ago and, as you explain, the seals were fenced off away from the crowd. As soon as the crowd approached the seals had their cameras out and took pictures of the tourists!

    Have a grand holiday with your family.

    God bless.

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  2. Victor,
    Funny! This particular seal seems to consider this part of the beach as "his territory" :) The fact that people are staring at him doesn't seem to bother him at all. At first people were going right up to him and he wasn't afraid!

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  3. That sounds like heaven :-)
    I love Consoling the Heart of Jesus! I got to meet the author last fall (actually I think I did a post on it). Fr Mike is really really nice and really really cute :-)

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  4. Maria,
    That's right! I remember your post about him! The book is really good and I like the way he writes :)

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  5. Hi Colleen! The author of the book is Michael Gaitley. It's a do-it-yourself retreat based on Ignation spirituality and the Divine Mercy. Simple and clear - just the way I like it! God bless you, too :)

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  6. Sounds like you are having a very relaxing holiday, Mary. Mass and the Rosary nearby too. What more could you want? Enjoy!

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  7. Sounds like a lovely vacation, Mary.

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  8. Hi Mary,
    I bought 4 copies of that book after I read it last year & sent them to friends & relatives. I think often of how Fr Gaitley refers to us (readers) as Little Souls. So true!

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  9. Elizabeth,
    It is! The weather has been gorgeous and I find the ocean very peaceful for some reason. I think it's the sound of the waves that soothe me so much. I hope you are doing well, Elizabeth. Thanks for visiting :)

    Mary

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  10. ThereseRita,
    Good idea! I think this book would be helpful to many people. It reminds me of St Therese's "little way" as well as the devotion to the Divine Mercy and Ignatian spirituality. Quite the book! It's very simple and I like simplicity :)

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  11. It sounds like a perfect holiday - Mass, good reading, family and a seal on the beach! Have a lovely time, Mary:)

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  12. Vicky,
    It has been a wonderful vacation so far! Today we are taking my daughter to the zoo - I'm as excited as she is :) Good luck with your new portrait. I've been following along. I marvel at the beautiful gifts God gives to people!

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  13. What fun... sounds like a heavenly routine. I never want my vacation days to end.

    I can't imagine having a seal hanging out right there at your doorstep~ wow!

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  14. Hi Holly,
    I know what you mean, it's hard when vacation time ends. We have been seeing quite a few seals which is unusual. There have been seals and tons of striper bass swimming around us in the water. We aren't sure why though!

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  15. Hi Mary, your vacation sounds perfect... you're making time for Our Lord in the beginning of your day and then the rest of the day for your family. It sounds ideal!

    That seal doesn't seem the bit intimidated by the humans around it. I think he's claiming his territory!

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  16. Hi Noreen,
    It's been a great one!
    I got your e-mail but I haven't been able to send one back because my internet connection is iffy here. I tried to leave a message on your blog but that didn't work either. You can post on the new blog whenever you are ready and I'll try to e-mail you when I get back. God bless!

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  17. Thank you as always Mary. Glad you are enjoying your vacation with your family. Blessings and hugs.

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  18. Hi Mary...I hope you are enjoying (enjoyed - maybe it is over) your vacation. It is so peaceful at the ocean. I look forward to having you back in the blogging world. Would you do me a favor and check this out: http://thesejoyfulmysteries.blogspot.com/2011/07/hail-mary.html

    My friend has started a blog and I thought of you when I read this post.

    Have a good weekend.

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  19. Hi JBR,
    Hugs to you too! We just got back from the beach today. I hope you are doing well!

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  20. Hi Mary,
    Yes,
    it's over as of today :) Thanks for the link - I'll hop over for a visit tonight!

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  21. Love the pictures! Have you seen the movie "Andre" about a girl and her pet seal? Very nice, Michaela would like it! I'm so sorry about your friend's son. Of course I will pray.

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  22. Hi Anne! No, we haven't seen it but I'll tell Michaela about it :)

    Thank you for your prayers, Anne. They are dearly appreciated and needed.

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  23. Love the comment about the pound of sand coming from the bathing suit. Some of life's best days entail a pound of sand coming from the bathing suit as well as the surprise that one can carry that much sand in sensitive areas with no discomfort but only experiencing fun! Glad you like the Consoling book. Priest friend recommended it to me as what helped him most during his surgery for colon cancer. I couldn't resist that recommendation, read it almost straight through, and subsequently bought 7 copies to give out to friends at Church. One of them was reading it in her church school class to my 9 year old daughter. My recently reverted friend is also reading it and was also helped by the "little soul" imagery. Interesting we were both on vacation the same week.

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