Catherine Boyle - The Scarifices of Marriage

The Scarifices of Marriage

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Catherineboyle

Today is the 18^th anniversary of my marriage to Pa.

On the day before our 18^th wedding anniversary, while Pa was hard at work at Northfield, I bought my own anniversary flowers at the grocery store. I arranged them into three beautiful displays, and hope they live long enough so I can use them at the Northfield office this week for our open house. Pa informed me upon his return from Northfield that he had been thinking of taking me to the grocery store to get some flowers. But he didn’t.

Pa started today by singing ‘happy anniversary baby, got you on my mi-hind’. Mere moments later, he told me I smelled like a cow.

What he meant was that I smelled like leather (or so he says), but given his advanced age, he Continue reading →

The Gift

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Catherineboyle

In the midst of wartime, worry

In the midst of suffering, shame

In the midst of chaos, a clarion

Herald the coming of the Name.

In the midst of fury, forgiveness

One, amid obscurity

From tribulation, triumph

Earthly powers behold Purity.

In the midst of malice, mercy

Amid annihilation, Noel

In the midst of grief, God’s glory

Spirit bursts forth, now to dwell.

In the midst of violence, virtue

Begotten gentle dove

In the midst of murders, a manger

No purer form of love.

In the midst of evil, Emmanuel

Freeing souls from their captivity

In the midst of kings, the King

Princes prostrate before Nativity.

In the midst of atrocity, alleluia!

In the midst of pain, relief

In the midst of desperation, deliverance

for this unworthy thief.

In the midst of heartbreak, healing

Amid injustice, joy

Turning sorrows into solace

Greatest gift, sweet baby boy.

Land-Lubber vs Kayak

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Catherineboyle

Sometimes it takes a little time and distance before I can write dispassionately about significant emotional events. Such is the case right now.

Pa and I and the chilluns spent Thanksgiving in south Florida with relatives. In case this is news to you, Pa hasn’t always lived on the prairie. He hails from seafaring Florida stock, and has repeatedly attempted to kill me with watercraft. Though this post is likewise about a near death experience, Pa is not wholly responsible. Much to my dismay, my lucky fin is partly to blame.

Over the river and through the woods is the wimpy version of our bi-annual trek to tropical Continue reading →

Book Review: Wagon of Fools

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Catherineboyle

I’ve read three books this year that directly pertain to World War II. Following no grand plan, I just read on topics and people who interested me. Well into the third book, I belatedly noticed a trend. My head is full of many very useful brains, but even this big head can be a little slow on the uptake.

My natural bent for quickly devouring and dissecting books took over with Wagon of Continue reading →

Margin Call

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Catherineboyle

Pa and I have never bought or sold stock on margin, that is, with other people’s money (OPM). You know from previous posts that we prairie dwellers shun debt. Seems like a pretty risky strategy for managing money. Pretty risky strategy for managing life.

With all the media focus on OPM (pronounced ‘opium’, and just as addictive), whether it’s government graft, Wall Street excesses or the clueless occupiers (almost all of whom are living off someone else’s worked-for funds), it’s no surprise Hollywood has recently Continue reading →

Humble Hideous Hag Hair

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Catherineboyle

Blogging has suffered of late. Between getting Northfield Ministries up and running, driving the chilluns multiple places every day, random disasters with said chilluns (football vs sunroof and Medjool dates ~ don’t ask) AND the ongoing floor project within Little House, it’s a wonder I ever sleep.

But Pa keeps me grounded. He’s always there, with a quick smile and quick wit, often at my expense.

Take for example, his recent amusement. While driving to an unscheduled appointment for the car (how dare the car need work when we’re so busy!!), Pa burst into laughter Continue reading →

Reflections on the Big 1-0

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Catherineboyle

Birthdays that end in 5 or 0 seem to have greater weight than the rest of the years, so it’s not surprising that the tenth anniversary of 9/11/01 seems somehow more important than anniversaries of the last few years.

I’ve read hundreds, perhaps thousands of articles about all aspects of 9/11. I’ve watched countless television programs about the events of the day, the perspectives of the leaders and the spouses of the heroes and those who have analyzed the events from every conceivable direction.

The chilluns and Pa can’t understand why I watch and read so much about this, and, truth be told, I don’t totally understand it either. Maybe it’s because what happened on 9/11/01 is so aligned with the biblical judgment God warns about, inflicted by our enemies when we Continue reading →

Book Review: Deliver Me

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Catherineboyle

I don’t normally love reading compilations, even though I’ve contributed to one. Yet when the opportunity arose to review Deliver Me: Hope, Help and Healing through True Stories of Unplanned Pregnancy, I didn’t hesitate. Not just because some of the young women who come to Northfield Ministries have found themselves in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy, but because this is one of the defining issues of my generation.

Unplanned pregnancy cuts across all socio-economic groups, ethnicities and faith backgrounds. Growing up in church or being a Christian often makes little difference when it comes to this issue.

Among my friends and acquaintances (many of them ‘churched’), there have been many abortions. I chaired a women’s retreat several years ago, and over the course of the Continue reading →

Quake-icane Hissy-fits

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Catherineboyle

From the comfort of my air-conditioned office, I look back at the recent spate of natural disasters in my neck of the prairie with a kind of awe.

In spite of our pioneer lifestyle, I do not relish letting go of the luxuries to which we’ve become accustomed. And truth be told, Pa and me and the chilluns did not suffer much more than inconvenience in the past week.

Though we felt the earthquake, it did no damage to Little House nor most structures in our community, and was truly inconsequential by California standards. Pa and I experienced ‘the big one’ in 1994 in Los Angeles en route to Hawaii for our honeymoon. And yes, we have heard every stinkin’ comment about the earth moving on our honeymoon.

Though we lost power pretty early on in the hurricane, some aspects of the powerless days were downright delightful. We had the pleasure of eating hot dogs by candlelight. Pa and Continue reading →

D.I.Y. Project from H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Catherineboyle

The current major renovation in Boyle-land is not going so well.

The really insidious part of this project is that it’s inside. At least last year’s ridiculously difficult, time-consuming giant project and all of the accompanying pieces and parts had the decency to stay outdoors.

No, this project is the very definition of ‘Renovation Hell.’

Don’t believe me? How’s this for a small list of this project’s flaws? Tools that don’t work; floor staples that bend instead of entering straight into the wood, requiring me (yes, me, not Pa, but me) to go to a tool store in the ‘scary’ part of town; splits in expensive, difficult to replace wood. Several days ago, earnestly doing my part to move this project forward, I lobbed a mallet with all my might into my left index finger, which was holding a crowbar. (Stitches were optional). Because of this *$#%* project I can barely reach my underwear Continue reading →