Outside my window: Sunlight, streaming in.

Around the house: We’re a-bustle with a galloping four-year-old and an into-everything-he-can-reach 11-month-old. There are baskets of laundry waiting to be folded and dishes waiting to be done. And a fresh pot of coffee.

What I’ve been writing: I’m working on a talk this week.

In my thoughts: With trick-or-treating on Monday and Mass last night, silence is on my mind. I have been thinking of how I create moments of silence for myself and how it seems more complete when I’m outside. And then I read this quote from Blessed Mother Teresa at Julie’s place and it all seemed to click.

In my plans: We have religious education and dentist appointments yet this week, and, of course, horse riding! I have some work to do for the parish website (we’re revamping and redesigning and rewriting) and I’ve been really contemplating the great suggestions and ideas in the comments on my post about parish bulletins.

In thanksgiving: For the saints. For good books. For friends who love me anyway.

In my prayers: Ashley, a friend and her daughter, and my niece who gets confirmed this weekend.

Nose inserted: Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, by Fr. Robert Barron, which I can already say with confidence is probably one of the best (if not the best) books I’ve read this year (and I don’t say that lightly).

Links I like: Google Reader’s sharing is nil (though my sidebars seem to still be working, which I credit with the fact that I had “public tags” instead of just shared items. I don’t know how long they’ll keep working, though, so I’ll share some here periodically.)

A favorite thing: The sound of my kids playing together.

Food for thought: We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence … We need silence to be able to touch souls. – Blessed Mother Teresa, via Julie at Happy Catholic

Worth a thousand words: From that sister-in-law who loves the sky (and knows that I do, too)