This is such a great feast day that I love to celebrate each year. This is mostly because of all the Josephs in our family (both Grandpas, Dad, and of course J3). He’s a wonderful saint and a great patron of so many things: families, fathers, travelers, house sellers and buyers, workers, and so many more!
I’ve had a tradition of making Savoiardi, which are Italian ladyfinger cookies. Because of that, I have perfected the fairly simple recipe, and here it is:
Savoiardi from a couple of years ago.
Savoiardi (Lady Fingers) for St. Joseph’s Day
4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 Tablespoon almond extract
Beat sugar and eggs until thoroughly blended and cream-colored.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking powder pinch of salt
Stir dry ingredients slowly into egg mixture. Beat with an electric mixer under a smooth, creamy consistency is reached.
Drop batter by spoonfuls (I use a medium size cookie scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheets, shaping it about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
My not-love for Italian sweets
The funny thing is that even with my great sweet tooth (that I inherited from Grandpa Joseph), I’ve never been one to like Italian baked sweets of any kind, including Savoiardi. Sometimes I feel a bit disloyal to my Italian heritage, but I can’t deny it. And now that I’m sensitive to almond ingredients, I don’t even have to sample one of these cookies!
We have never had a “St. Joseph’s Table,” but this article is quite detailed about all the symbolism of the arrangement and different ingredients. I don’t necessarily want to have one, but it’s interesting!
An Action Item: Keep working on your taxes
I’m going to include this almost every time as an action item because I need the accountability to finish our taxes, and I am going to strongly encourage you to complete yours this week! You’ll be so glad that you did.
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).
Practice Being Mean (or: Remember that “No” Is a Complete Sentence)
I don’t mean being “mean” in the sense of being rude, but we would all benefit from having good healthy “no” muscles. Let me explain.
Years ago, I read about the idea of having a “policy” about certain things, so that you can avoid having to make a decision “on the fly,” and can also make it easier for you to say no. I have found this to be a really great life practice, for lots of reasons.
“I don’t fill out surveys.”
Here’s just one example: I instituted a policy of “I don’t fill out surveys.”
Many times, after a purchase; a health care appointment; a restaurant visit, etc., I get emails, texts, and snail mail, or some combination, asking me to rate my service.
In the past, I have sometimes done them, sometimes not, but it’s always been “hanging over me” as I see the letter or email there asking. So now I have a policy of not doing surveys. I delete the emails and texts with impunity. I throw away the survey mail.
Obviously, I can make exceptions to the policy. If I have a truly great or really terrible experience, I can convey that through a survey. But most often, I could convey that more effectively by reaching out to a manager or other supervisor. This is especially true in the sense of a great experience—I’d like to tell the manager of a restaurant as I’m leaving that the waitstaff was especially great.
“I don’t donate to grocery-store-type fundraisers or petition drives.”
Here’s another example: I virtually never donate to fundraising in non-fundraising situations, and I almost never sign petitions when asked randomly for it.
The grocery checkout is a great example of this. Do you want to “round up” your order to support charity? No.
If a person offers me the opportunity to donate to a cause or to sign a petition (as happened to me at REI and on the street the other day, respectively), I decline with a pleasant “No, thank you!”
For charity donations, I say, “We prefer to give privately.” But there’s really no need for that. I should probably take my own advice practice “no” or “no, thank you” as a complete sentence.
And you know what? It’s a little uncomfortable—still—even though I’ve had this official “policy” for a number of years. It seems socially “good” to say yes to someone asking you for something, especially when it has very little “cost” to you. To be able to sit with that discomfort and be okay (as you will be) is very empowering.
There are two important reasons for doing this:
The less important reason: intentionality.
If you really wanted to donate to a cause that you’re being asked to in the grocery line, you really should do so intentionally, and probably giving more than a dollar or change.
So, for instance, just the other day HyVee checkout asked to round up for the local food bank. But I know that Midwest Food Bank is a really well run organization, and Sophia’s Kitchen has been a great community organization. I may or may not know the charity at the checkout.
And regarding a petition” If you really want to sign it, you can research whether it’s a good idea, and sign it online later. Nothing will be lost. This is not your only chance to do the “good thing” that someone is asking you to do.
The MUCH MORE IMPORTANT REASON: a chance to practice “no” and sit with that discomfort.
People who are kind people—like all of the readers of The Mom Weekly—need more practice in this than most. That’s because we want to be kind. We want to make people happy, especially if it’s something that seems (and perhaps is) socially good, like rounding up our change.
But you can still be kind, and say “no.” By doing so, you work out those “saying no” muscles when it’s low stakes. Then, you may be more equipped to say “no” when you’re in a trickier or “higher stakes” situation.
The opposite is also true, but less important, in my opinion. You can have a policy of saying “yes.” So, like me, you can often support GoFundMe or other fundraisers for people you know personally, or that are vetted by someone you know personally. You can have a policy of being a “big tipper” in certain situations or at certain times of year.
Do you have a “policy” regarding anything that happens often in your life? Give it a try!
A new Catholic community of sisters is formed to “a mission of listening, healing outreach, spiritual reparation, and solidarity with people who are despairing, doubting, and hopeless, people on the fringes or outside of the Church, especially those people who have been wounded, scandalized, or abused by members of the Church.”
An Action Item: Develop and Implement One New “Saying No” Policy
I think this is a great “action item”—think about one thing that you can easily say no to, that will help you practice saying “no.” Bonus points if you share your intention with a family member or friend!
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four Fs to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).
Of course, this exercise is moot for the girls in the family this weekend, because we will be in Chicago doing fun Jane Austen things and seeing family!
I could not love this “from the vault” more. If you would like to see a photo that I took atop Cadillac Mountain that trip, please text me and I will be happy to share it! I have a big version of the photo hanging in my office alcove. Reminder: Sir is Dad; Max is the youngest, obviously).
I was excited to see that my family motto of “everything tastes better after a hike” had its genesis here—I write here “everything tastes better after you’ve been active,” but our eventual motto is much better. I still remember how good food tasted on that trip. Do you?
Remember how much I love you,
Mom
“You have a very lively family” (July 2007)
This was the “fortune” from a fortune cookie from China Joy, probably our favorite food location in Bar Harbor, Maine, on last week’s vacation. Both Sir and I laughed and laughed when that fortune was opened; it is so true and so wonderful to have a lively crew.
Both Sir and I, and also the kids as they have been talking with their friends in the few days since we were back, have commented again and again about all the great memories we can take away from our vacation.
Traveling with kids can be very…lively. Atop Cadillac Mountain for a ranger program, little Max was extremely busy, so one or the other of us was scrambling over rocks to help him. Our excellent ranger, Anne, at one point was making a point about being environmentally conscious, and she asked, “What are things you can all do in your towns to help the environment?” One older man grumped, “Have fewer children.”
Anne frowned but didn’t know how to respond. Normally supergentle Sir turned slightly to the man and said in his mean voice (the one that frightens both children and adults), “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Then I said, less helpfully, I think, “No, have more children so they can grow up and help the environment.” Max was happily climbing over one of our heads at that moment.
We were happy to be on the East coast again, where we were only mistaken for our children’s grandparents once (and Bar Harbour is a small town) instead of the regular occurrences back in our little town. It seems like a little thing, and we do laugh about it, but it can be wearying to have to say, so frequently, and always with a smile, “no, these are our children.” I don’t think we really look that old! It was great to be in the flagship LLBean store in Freeport, ME, and have a dad who looked older than Sir chasing around his 5-year-old. And he WAS the dad!!
At a gas station one day, Sir comments on a beauty of a gorgeous convertible next to us, driven by a man about his age. I said, as we climbed back into our rented SUV fresh from a child’s carsickness, “Do you wish you were driving in that car instead of all of us?” And he said, “You know what I was thinking when I saw him? Poor old guy.”
Food tasted so good on this trip, I think because we were trying some new things, and also as we have made a minor family saying, “Everything tastes better after you’ve been active.” So the great things we ate after a long hike tasted better than they might otherwise have.
We enjoyed ice cream from a traditional place and also a not quite traditional place called Mt. Dessert Ice Cream. Sir loved trying mango sorbet, and ginger ice cream, etc. I was happy to stick with cookies and cream. We all agreed the chocolate chip cookies from a deli just a few blocks from our hotel were tremendous, some of the best I’ve ever had.
I am the kind of person to always want to plan, plan, plan, especially for any kind of trip; when I’ve tried to explain this to my somewhat non-planning-for-trips husband, I say that way, we can enjoy it before, during and after. I was a little concerned before we left, and a couple of times on it, that I had built it up a little too much (to me and everyone else), and it might not live up to those expectations.
But it was a super fun time, better than expected, and trying to be conscious of enjoying ourselves and our time—to live in the moment of enjoying what we were doing. That is so hard for me to do on an everyday basis. I’ve got too many “to dos” and “should haves” and “don’t forgets” running around in my head. I hope this time away helps me to live more in the present!
This is a very long but very fruitful and respectful discussion. Bonus: both professors quote Foucault, a philosopher G is having to study a lot recently.
A friend connected me with this podcast, and I happened upon this episode. Who knew Ascension had such generous and family-friendly leave policies? It’s really impressive. The podcast takes a deep dive into Ascension’s work culture. (Ascension Press produces Bible In a Year, a great resource, as well as the prayer study Dad did recently with a group at church and found … less than great, let’s just say).
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).
I am enormously grateful for journalist Charlotte Cowles, who share her story in New York Magazine recently of being scammed out of $50,000. It’s a gripping and well-told story:
“All too often, people have shame about being a victim, and so they don’t want to come forward with their story. I remember thinking back in 2010 how great it was that Mr. Krumholz did come forward. I didn’t think less of him for coming forward—I thought more of him for telling the truth and alerting others. And I told him so at church!”
I’m quite sure that she went through a lot to get to the point where she could share her story. I’m so glad that she did, because it was not only brave, but instructive to everyone else.
—-
Charlotte Cowles does not read The Mom Weekly since she’s not a relative or friend (though anyone is welcome to sign up—see form below, smiley face emoji), but I would tell her: You are a brave person and a terrific writer. I’m proud of you. You can and should be proud of yourself. I sincerely hope your parents and your family members are very proud of you for this. Well done, and Thank You.
—-
Doubtless there are trolls online saying, “she’s so stupid” or “how could you fall for that,” but, to be diplomatic about it, those trolls are idiots. It should be obvious by now, anyone can be scammed, even personal finance writers, even the smartest person you know.
At the same time, we can all learn strategies to avoid fraudsters. As I wrote last time, I think involving trusted people in our financial lives can go a long way towards preventing problems.
Let’s talk about some takeaways from Cowles’ story:
*any number can be “spoofed.”
Cowles’ whole story begins when she picks up a call that appears to be coming from “Amazon.” Later, the scammer calls her back from the FTC phone number she finds online, telling her “It’s a government number. It cannot be spoofed.” (Wrong, of course). Any number can be spoofed.
*successful scams are more common than you think.
From Cowles’ article:
“When I did tell friends what had happened, it seemed like everyone had a horror story. One friend’s dad, a criminal-defense attorney, had been scammed out of $1.2 million. Another person I know, a real-estate developer, was duped into wiring $450,000 to someone posing as one of his contractors. Someone else knew a Wall Street executive who had been conned into draining her 401(k) by some guy she met at a bar.”
*scammers work to isolate their victims, and wear them down through sophisticated tactics.
Frank Abagnale, the reformed scammer whose early life is depicted in the movie Catch Me If You Can calls it putting victims “under the ether.”
He details this in his excellent 2019 book, Scam Me If You Can, and all the psychological tricks that criminals use to get people to trust them, or feel a sense of urgency.
This describes much of what Cowles was put through, from isolating her to. Cowles’ brother tells her that she basically experienced a “coerced confession.”
When Cowles investigates this theory more, a criminal justice professor tells her:
“If someone is trying to get you to be compliant, they do it incrementally, in a series of small steps that take you farther and farther from what you know to be true,” he said. “It’s not about breaking the will. They were altering the sense of reality.” And when you haven’t done anything wrong, the risk of cooperating feels minimal, he added. An innocent person thinks everything will get sorted out. It also mattered that I was kept on the phone for so long. People start to break down cognitively after a few hours of interrogation. “At that point, they’re not thinking straight. They feel the need to put an end to the situation at all costs.”
I implore you, please take the time to read her entire article. It is well, well worth it. If you find yourself thinking as you read, “I would never fall for that,” you’re correct—because you’re reading her account of it and you would not fall for that exact scam.
But there will be new ones, and the explosion of AI tools will spawn countless more. That’s why it is vital to arm yourself with knowledge, and make some decisions ahead of time about interacting with emails and phone calls.
Some advice from Mom:
*don’t answer incoming calls, and don’t click on links in emails.
I say this as someone who just answered a call purportedly from a health care provider , but you know what I mean. That goes for clicking on links in emails, even ones that look legitimate. You can call “Amazon” or “PNC” back to their number, and get a person on the phone that way. If you receive an email about something from “Amazon,” sketchy or not, it takes just a few seconds more time to log into the account on your own and check it out.
*if someone is keeping you on the phone for a long time, you can hang up.
You don’t even have to tell them you are going to do so.
Then, take a walk around the block, and talk to someone about whatever it is.
I remember years ago being on the phone with our cell phone provider for what seemed like ages updating someone’s phone. So when I read about how people “break down cognitively after a few hours” I thought, that’s true! I remember feeling so worn down, like, “just give me our new phone, and you can have whatever you want.” It wasn’t even a scam call.
*if someone tries to isolate you, it’s a red flag.
This is true no matter the context, but this week, let’s keep this on the topic of someone trying to scam you out of money.
For Cowles, the scammers led her to believe that both someone in her circle could be part of the criminals stealing her identity. And that the criminals could read all of her emails and text messages, so she should trust the “professional” on the phone with her.
Of course, there is always the chance that a deadbeat person close to you might be involved in scamming you, but not everyone around you. This is why having a wide range of people you talk to about money is important.
A quote from this great book, which echoes my message:
“I believe we have to get back to forming strong communities where people know and look out for one another. A lot of fraud happens in isolation and online. If we look up from our electronic devices and limit our online time to specific tasks and goals, we will vie less prone to scammers online. We’ll also feel happier and less isolated.”
It seems like every year, mid-Lent, I think, “I should have given up complaining for Lent.” It’s hard to do so! Related: if I can give you one good thing (and there are many!) about getting older; I feel I have less to complain about.
An Action Item: Work on or Complete Your Taxes
If you haven’t already begun your taxes, try to give a go this week. You kids have relatively straightforward taxes, and it shouldn’t take very long to complete them. But I know the resistance can be strong, so how about, this week, you just try one small task? Plan to gather your documents. Here are some things to locate:
*W-2s from your employer (internships included)
*1099s from your banks/brokerages from interest on savings accounts, other income sources from stock sales, etc.
Incidentally, I was pleasantly surprised at how much interest we earned this year on our high-interest savings accounts. You may be, too! But you have to pay taxes on it.
That brings up another note: if you do have a windfall of some kind, and can’t figure out exactly what to do with it, stashing it in a high-yield savings account (such as ones offered by Discover, and some other online banks) is always a good idea. It will be earning a good amount of interest while you consider next steps.
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).
I know you know, but here is an explainer of what “from the vault” means.
Once again, I barely changed a thing from what I wrote 16 years ago, even though I might write it differently today. (And honestly: consider writing a private online journal, because you will be so glad someday to read and remember what younger you thought and felt).
To illustrate this post, I searched for “chocolate” in my photos, and found many 2017 photos (I suspect taken by a kid who shall remain nameless) of this skillet cookie that we had at a restaurant. That’s what started us on a journey to find the best-ever recipe for skillet cookies. I’ll share that recipe after Lent.
As a 2024 tl;dr of this post, I would say:
Sometimes your Lent is your life, and just living it is enough. Your awareness of it during prayer and during the season of Lent is what helps you live the season well.
And sometimes Lent is something you “do,” and picking things to do or give up can be the best way to live Lent, and will be the most spiritually fruitful and strengthening.
What is most difficult? Knowing which kind of Lent you are in, and praying, acting, and being accordingly.
It’s also important to realize that we don’t “do” or “live” things on our own, but with the grace of God and his Love for us. We are never alone, and we are so loved by Him.
Remember how much I love you, Mom
The Lent You Are Given (2007)
Last year before Lent, I had such great plans for ascetical practices and penances, and then just before Lent my father was hospitalized. I spent most of the beginning of Lent back at my parents’ house with other siblings. It began a long process and a long, hard year for our family. I vividly remember Ash Wednesday morning; I sat at my father’s hospital bedside, and two of my sisters and I prayed morning prayer as my father drifted in and out of consciousness.
One of the Ash Wednesday psalms, as my sister reminded me this year, is Psalm 90, part of which seemed and continues to seem a little too close to home:
All our days pass away in your anger. Our life is over like a sigh. Our span is seventy years or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone. Who understands the power of your anger and fears the strength of your fury?
Make us know the shortness of our life That we may gain wisdom of heart.
Pretty much all of those wonderful resolutions and penances to make me holier went out the window before Lent even began. And yet Lent 2006 was undoubtedly more spiritually fruitful and maturing than any other in my life. I know that my choice of sacrifices and penances are not as important as the ones that come to me unasked.
Still, I have to admit that I like to be in charge of Lent. It feels good to give up my beloved dark chocolate or work diligently on a particular virtue, instead of humbly accepting what did come to me and my family.
And so the Lent I was given was much more fruitful than any Lent I could devise, and could have been more so had I been more able to accept it willingly. When I say given I don’t mean, of course, that God directly gave me or anyone near me trials, but that suffering is a part of life. The world is broken. We are all broken, by the effects of original sin, and suffering is the result.
God allows it because of our freedom, and allows it to help us grow in love, and grace, and wisdom, if we freely choose to allow it.
Lent 2007 has begun with more of my agenda. I already miss dark chocolate (though ate a bit of it today to celebrate the Resurrection), for instance. But this year, I also feel more open to accepting the Lent that is given to me, rather than my perfect idea of a holy Lent. Or rather, I want to be accepting of the Lent that is given me, and I pray more for the grace to accept and embrace it.
This year, I see in others the Lent they are given. A dear friend lost an unborn baby just a few weeks ago. Family members and friends are struggling with various crosses. The Lent they are given, we are given, is offered as a gift, even amid the loss, tears and suffering.
The Recovering Catholic is one of the Substacks that I pay for, because I want to be intentional about supporting people doing good work. I didn’t share this interview with a Catholic therapist before because I thought it was behind a paywall, but it turns out nearly all of the interview is free for everyone, so check it out.
If you are daunted by listening to a one hour plus interview, try going to about the 35:00 mark and listen for about 5-10 minutes about recognizing our emotions and being able to “sit” with them. So much substantial and meaningful content here.
An Action Item: Pray the Prayer of Saint Ephrem
I’m going to include this here, again, because Dad keeps reminding me how this ancient prayer shows we need to rely on God, not on ourselves “doing.”
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).
I actually had a “from the vault” all queued up for this week, but since I had a lot to write about this year’s Lent, I decided to move it until next week. Enjoy!
It’s Lent …. Again.
It’s my favorite time of the year, she said ironically.
Whenever it’s about to be Lent, I think, “Well, it’s Lent … again.” That is, along the lines of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day (during the early days of his repeated days) saying, “Well, it’s Groundhog Day … again.”
(By the way, I created the above GIF–yay me!. It was my first time creating it, and took awhile to figure out, but now I know how.)
Lent starts tomorrow—yes, Valentine’s Day! And it’s a good idea to consider what you might do or “not” do for Lent. Some thoughts:
*Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, so no need to go to Mass! But feel free to go to Mass and get ashes, and count how many people try to let you know you have something on your forehead (wink). That’s what I will be doing.
*Sundays do not “count” in Lent. So if you gave up chocolate or beer, you could (but are certainly not required to) have some on Sunday. But if you give up something like complaining, it’s probably a good idea to keep it going on Sundays.
*One of the best sacrifices in recent years for me—bar none, honestly—during Lent is to go grayscale for some period of the day or week.
I think there were two Lents that I went grayscale for the entire Lent. But now, I just do grayscale for the first half of the day—until noon or 1 p.m., approximately. In some ways that is harder, because every day, you wake up to a gray phone, when you’ve had some phone color the day before.
Here’s how to go grayscale (for iOS; I imagine it’s similar for Android):
On your device, go to Settings.
In the search bar at the top, enter “Color Filters.”
Click on “Color Filters” (it’s here: Accessibility>Display and Text Size>Color Filters)
Toggle “Color Filters” to “on” and the default one is “grayscale.” (No, I don’t know what the other ones are for—colorblindness, maybe?)
I don’t consider myself to be too much on my phone all the time. And ScreenTime tells me I spend the majority of my phone time listening to podcasts (shocking, I know) and sending iMessages (if I had to guess, photos of the dogs—and when I say dogs, I mean Spot—to our family text chat.) But going grayscale is immediately effective in reminding me that it’s Lent, in giving me a sense of memento mori.
I can’t describe how much it affects me. If you’ve never tried it, may consider doing it for an hour or so, just so you know. But it’s not for everyone– I know some people who have tried and it doesn’t work well as a Lenten or any other kind of sacrifice. For me, it’s just … difficult. Therefore, a good ascetical practice for Lent. For me, at least!
Next week, I’ll share a reflection on Lent I wrote back in 2007, that I still think is relevant. Because it’s Lent … again.
Remember how much I love you,
Mom
Interesting/Notable
Pope Francis’ Message for Lent 2024
For years, I made a point of reading the Holy Father’s Message for Lent. Then the Vatican website (still acting like it’s 1999) made it nigh impossible to find. But this year, a quick Google of The Holy Father’s Message for Lent 2024 turned it up. I have printed it out and hope to read it before Lent starts, or sometime during Lent.
“The garden is dedicated to victim-survivors of sexual abuse. It aims to be a safe space to offer some measure of peace and healing, as well as acknowledge the failures of the Church to prevent and adequately respond to abuse perpetrated by its priests, staff and volunteers.”
An action item: The Prayer of Saint Ephrem.
Consider adding the Prayer of Saint Ephrem to your phone, and praying it through Lent.
Dad reminded me that we like to pray this prayer during Lent. He recommended that a good practice could be to pray it in the morning and the evening—twice a day. Give it a try!
I created an image of the prayer you can save to your phone. Or you can make your own!
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).
