Sunday, January 19, 2014

GOSH.



A person could get used to this.

Anabelle at Written by the Finger of God has been kind enough to honor The Breadbox Letters with three blog awards!  One of which is the glorious, beautiful, gleaming, red-carpet-worthy, Best Moment Award.  

Oooooh.


                                                                    
All I can think of to do, in my blushing, head-ducking, shyly smiling flusterment, is to quote a character from my favorite BBC program.  So, in words of Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne Noakes:

                                                                     "Gosh!"

Because this is called the "Best Moment" award, I think I'll get all thematic AGAIN (I'm having fun with that) and make my list about the 10 best moments of my own life.  

That I can think of.  We all know that fifty other obvious ones will pop into my mind as soon as I click "publish."  Because I have shared many of my more significant holy moments either here or on my other blog, I think I'll stick to some "lighter" things for this list.  Which will be random, as (and if) I think of them.....

(do I have to limit it to only ten?  Gosh!  Maybe I can combine a few...)

1.  My wedding day.  Every moment was a best moment.  Even the one in which I tried to place the ring on my groom's right hand.  He kept giving me his left and I kept giving it back and grabbing for his right.  Poor thing, thought I, he's so nervous and confused.   Thankfully I gave up and humored him.  

2.  The moments when my children were born. 

3.  The moment I learned my first grandchild had been born.  I set this one slightly apart from the births of my other grands because I was there, within "hearing distance" of the delivery room, straining for the sound of my grandchild's first cry.  We'd been told the labor wasn't progressing smoothly.  I was stressed.   My interior prayer was constant and intense.  Then: the moment of joyous relief.   

4.  The moments when I learned that grandchildren numbers two and three had been born.  This news was delivered by phone, because both times I was at home caring for the older ones.  The prayer had been just as intense, however, and I sobbed both times.  

5.  When my grandchildren's parents were married (which DID happen before the grands were born, but I'm just now thinking of it.  Told you this would be random).  I sobbed. 

6.  (My Best Moments tend to be damp).

7.  The first moment I tore open an envelope to read: "thank you for your article.  We would like to publish it..."  I had never submitted an article before.  I'd never WRITTEN an article before.  No one, including me, even knew I was writing an article.  I was just clacking out thoughts on my handy dandy electric typewriter (Yes. This happened That Long Ago) during hours when the kids were in school.  On a whim, I sent it to a Catholic magazine.  I told no one I'd done such a reckless thing.  I didn't even tell my husband.  

When I called Hubby at his office to say that, um, I'd had an article accepted for publication, his immediate response was "I didn't know you wrote articles!"  I replied "I don't."  

There was a moment of puzzled silence from the other end of the line.  Which is understandable.  ("she couldn't tell her left hand from her right, and now she's having articles published without writing them?!?   What next...?" )  He recovered from his puzzlement when he learned I was being paid.

8.  The moment my husband proposed.  He simply got down on his knees and asked me to marry him.  This was long before proposals involved videos and skywriting and choreography.   

9.  I know I said I'd keep this list to the lighter, less "holy" moments.... but you know what? 

Every one of the above moments was holy.  Every single one was a marvelous work of God.  I look over this list and see the holiest moments of my life.  It would not be a complete package, however, if I didn't mention one moment that was utterly life-changing.  That was the moment, the instant, when I realized for sure that God was real. 

Having spent several years as a "closet agnostic," then having told God I didn't believe in Him but that if He were real I'd like for Him to show me, and then having begun reading the Gospels, I suddenly believed.  It was a moment beyond time, a moment beyond all I'd ever known before or since.  Jesus was real and I knew it.  That one moment has gloriously altered every moment since.  

It was the most significant moment of my life.  

And moment number ten?  I'll get to that in a minute.  First, I'd like to pass this award along to a few bloggers who brought me special moments of reading enjoyment in 2013. 
_____________________________________________________________________
The envelopes please...

Moments of Humor, Smiles, and Outright Laughter:  The blogs of Sue Elvis.  Since she has just accepted this very same award on Sue Elvis Writes, I pass this on to another of her blogs:  Stories of an Unschooling Family.  

Moments of Prayer:  I don't think this blog accepts awards, but I cannot help myself.  So here is a nod to the ever inspiring Truth Himself.  

Moments of PoetryThe Mad Eyed Monk.  It is simply amazing.   

Moments of Photography:   Totus Tuus Family and Catholic Homeschool. I especially love what Allison does putting text into pictures... wow!

Moments of Classy Catholic Womanhood:  The Feminine Gift

Moments of InspirationI Want to See God 

Moments of Being Inspired to Cook:  (and for me, that doesn't happen easily).  Reasons for Chocolate has shared two of my favorite recipes ever.  I'm linking this directly up to one of them (because I make this often!).  Patty shares beautiful family moments as well.

There are so many blogs I love, but I've decided to stick to just these categories.  For now.  (wink)
 _____________________________________________________________________

And my last random best moment?

10.  Right now, right here, as I write this.  For, looking at the above list of moments, I realize how utterly blessed I have been.  Grabbing a box of tissues, I know I can say (for real) EXACTLY this: 






Thank you, Anabelle.  I've had great fun. 

Appendix:  "the rules for acceptance" via Anabelle

Post a picture of the award on my blog (check)

Link to who nominated me (check)

List ten random things about myself (check)

Pass the awards on to other bloggers and inform my awardees via their comment boxes  (check..... and away we go.....!)

Gosh

 
This post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Linkup Blitz

17 comments:

  1. THank you so much, Nancy! I gain so much inspiration from your matching of images and words. I think we are kindred spirits that way.

    I loved all of you moments and enjoyed reading this. I am off to view the blogs of the others chosen. God bless you Sunday, friend!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Allison. May God bless your Sunday also!

      Delete
  2. Congratulations Nancy!

    What wonderful special moments! I cry a lot too at such times.

    Thank you also for passing on the awards to my unschooling family blog. That made me smile! Just as well I posted something funny recently (or was it just shocking?) on that blog, in case anyone comes over looking for some fun. Oh my! What if someone new comes visiting? What will they think of me? First impressions and all that...

    Moments of Humor, Smiles, and Outright Laughter... I think I like being in that category! I fear I'll never make it to the Moments of Prayer group. Oh well, I will just have to keep reading your blogs for inspiration and try harder.

    God bless and thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now what happened there? I think my comment just disappeared forever. Just in case it did fly off and is never seen again, I'll write another one.

    Congratulations Nancy on all your awards!

    I loved reading all about your special moments. I cry a lot at such times too. Hasn't it been fun writing these acceptance posts!

    Thank you so much for passing the awards onto my unschooling blog. Moments of Humor, Smiles, and Outright Laughter... I like being in that category. Just as well the last story on my unschooling blog is a funny one... or is it just shocking? What if someone new comes visiting? What will they think of me? First impressions and all that...

    Humour and not prayer... I fear I will never get an award in the Moments of Prayer section. Oh well, I will just have to keep reading your blogs for inspiration and try harder.

    God bless!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue, yours wasn't the only comment to go flying off... although yours seems to have returned. Several other comments appear to have gotten lost forever - so thank you to whoever those were from :) (they flew by and were briefly glimpsed, and then... poof!). I appreciate every one.

      Sue, I am so glad your blogs are exactly as they are.... God has called each of us to use the gifts He's given US. And He has clearly given you a gift of humor, and a gift of storytelling.... I'd even say these are exceptional. I firmly believe we NEED good, un-sleazy, positive, uplifting humor - the very sort you provide. Yet you don't shy away from the pains of life, like in your recent series about your dear daughter's trials. And in your honest sharing about grief. There is such a wonderful balance in your writing. And a definite tone of prayefulness and life centered in God.... it's there, whether you specifically mention it in any given post or not.

      It's kind of like what I myself realized in writing this very post. I didn't set out to write about "holy" moments, like particular times of prayer. And then when I looked over what I written, I realized I'd just listed THE very holiEST moments of my life! It really hit me. And I did need a box of tissues! And I truly DID mean every word of Audrey Hepburn's 30 second acceptance speeech :) ! (..now wasn't she kind to have been my speechwriter all those years ago?)

      Hope you'll spend yet another day in royal good form!

      Delete
    2. What a beautiful reply to my comment(s). That was even better than a Sunshine award. Thank you, Nancy!

      Delete
  4. Thank you so much, Colleen. I really enjoyed putting together this post, which I was able to manage by moving back and forth between doing it and other things of life over two days. I find it fun to compose random lists.... when I let myself be un-random about them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Comgrats! You deserve all of these wonderful awards!! Good for you!

    I loved everything about your Best Moments post...and you want to know something??? We just watched Roman Holiday this weekend with the boys! ( ANd Animal Farm! From the sublime to the ridiculous!! ) WOW! I can't believe you have Audrey in here. Wasn't she wonderful?? Perfect clip, (perfect timing for me!)

    Thanks for sharing all of this! And btw, my sunshine top 10 list will be up with my nominees in about a week.. Between pro life posts I've got lined up and The March itself this week,well, I'm going to have to put off the fun of nominating others for Sunshine for a bit!!

    Have a great day and congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Chris. Roman Holiday is a real classic, isn't it? I was struck, seeing Audrey's acceptance speech, by how "classy" she was. Brief, while saying what needed to be said. And sober and fully clothed!!! Ahhh...those were the days......

      Congratulations to you, too!

      Delete
  6. Way to go, Nancy! I love reading what you have to say. And since birthday #45 is coming really soon for me, your amazing moments make me realize life is just beginning in so many ways. You get me excited for future birthdays :) Thank you for the award, and I am so glad you enjoy the recipes. Truly. Your kindness and compliments mean so much to me :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Patty. Happy early birthday, and I am SO glad you're excited about the ones to come.... for you SHOULD be :)! Speaking just for myself, 45 was the beginning of some of the very best, most truly exciting and adventurous times of my life. And on it goes..... :) !!!

      Delete
  7. Loved getting to know you a bit more Nancy. Congratulations on the award.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Therese - I'm so glad you stopped by to comment!

      Delete
  8. Wow!! Congrats Nancy!! You deserve all the awards for such wonderful blogs and writing and artwork. Thank you for all the inspiration and support and just your lovely self!!! And also for the award nomination and kind description. I will try and figure out how to proceed. I loved all the other award nominees' blogs as well! Happy Birthday early! God Bless You always dear friend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks, Nancy - I enjoyed reading about your best moments. Your love for your family shines through.
    God Bless,
    James Milliken
    http://vitafamiliariscatholica.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much, James. I am pleased to know such love does shine through!

      Delete