(I turned this video off in a panic the first time I attempted to watch it. I had little kids looking over my shoulder and I thought I saw something inappropriate. I did not. Fr. Leo is a little cheeky, maybe, but not inappropriate.)

– 2 –
Great Outdoors
I have never been, but I am determined to go cross country skiing. Seems like I should do something fun with the white stuff that piles up outside this time of year. I’ve been researching and it looks like I can rent equipment for a reasonable price to try it out at some nearby trails. Also snowshoeing? That looks pretty cool too. Any experienced skiers/snowshoers care to share some advice or recommendations?

– 3 –
Anonymous Wine
I am not complaining, but someone sent me some wine. A giant crate of really good stuff (plus a fancy opener) was delivered here to my name yesterday … with no card. If you were the very nice person who did this, please let me know so I can properly thank you. Meantime, CHEERS!

– 4 –
Behold
Have I mentioned that I will be at the Behold Conference this year? Well, I will be. I am really looking forward to meeting old friends and new. With so many friendly and familiar faces confirmed attendees already, this is sure to be an event quite like our Mom’s Day Away with Faith & Family last year. Maybe you could consider making the trip too? We would love to see you there!

– 5 –
New England Catholic Homeschool Conference
Speaking of conferences, I will also be speaking at the New England Catholic Homeschool Conference in Methuen, Massachusetts this year. Have you registered yet? It’s a really large and vibrant event, worth attending for the vendors alone!

– 6 –
Great Little Video
I am shamelessly stealing this one from Jen’s Quick Takes at ConversionDiary. It’s a great (very short) video featuring Kimberly Hahn that really offers a great way to look at our life. Watch it. I promise you will get something out of it.

– 7 –
Sounds of Pixar

Gabby got this CD of Pixar songs for Christmas. She has been playing it every day and I am surprised by how pleasant these songs are in the background of our daily life. So many of them call to mind some of our favorite family movies and characters.

I also want to give a shout out to Sarah Bauer, who wrote and performed the show’s theme song, Show Me the Way, from her album Radiance (available for purchase here).

1. First, Catholic Digest!

We are finishing up work on our re-launch March 2012 issue and making plans for April 2012 and beyond. I am so excited about the changes we are making and can’t wait to share it all with you. Make sure you are a subscriber so you don’t miss a thing!

—–

2. Next, The Gist! We were in Boston this week, taping more episodes. This project has been such a fun learning process for me. Like any learning process, it has been made up of equal parts hilarity and humility so far.

Please like us Facebook to keep up with our conversations. You can watch all the episodes that have aired so far at CatholicTV.com. The most recent one, focused on confession and featuring the very funny Lino Rulli, is right here:

—–

3. Finally, the March for Life! I will be in D.C. on Monday with my four oldest kids and other members of our parish youth group. Will you be there?

I will be on the Son Rise Morning Show a little after 6:00 am on Monday, checking in and sharing the experience.

I will have a pro-life piece up at the Washington Post on Monday as well (not sure I will be able to check back in and link it up from the road) that I hope you will check out and support with comments. I am told there will be a “pro-choice” piece running as well, so I hope our side can be well represented.

I also plan to tweet my way through the trip, so follow me on Twitter for more details.

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Thanks for watching and keep your feedback (the good, the bad, and the ugly) coming! It’s very helpful as we are planning future shows.

I’m excited to be a guest on The Good Catholic Life 4:00 – 5:00 pm EST today. If you’re not in the Boston area, you can listen to a live stream of the show at WQOM.org. See you there!

Yes! I can!

And what’s more, the hazy, gritty glasses coming from my otherwise awesome Bosch dishwasher weren’t my fault!

I think it was my sister who linked to a story about the new and terribly ineffective phosphate-free dishwasher detergents a while back, but I am only just now getting around to doing something about it. In addition to my usual, phosphate-free and terribly ineffective dishwasher detergent, I now add a few shakes of baking soda to the beginning of each cycle and fill the rinse aid dispenser with white vinegar.

Finally! Shiny glassware! Yes, we can!