Comments on: Special Event Today! CatholicMom.com Hosts “The Meal Box”

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:16:09 +0000

Thank you Kate, StephC, Dorothy, Michael, Ashley, and Monique for your great contributions. Thanks also for the kind words about The Meal Box concept. We’re finding that it helps families open up and connect–which is what we all want–and that is very gratifying.

I found it fascinating at how much hunger we all seem to have for re-connecting with nature. It’s like craving a kind of food that contains nutrients we lack. There must be a lesson there for us and I’m committing to spending more time opening my eyes, mind, and heart to nature in my own back yard and beyond.

Thanks to Lisa who invited us and to all who participated in the conversatoin. I invite you all to visit http://www.loyolapress.com/family-fun–.htm to find weekly questions and tips to share with your family. Now, it’s onto another whirlwind stop on our blogtour.

By: Monique

Monique — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:17:40 +0000

The perfect backyard would lead to a warm ocean . .. but living in the midwest. . .So . .A yard filled with the children playing soccer, having fun (not fighting over fouls & PK’s!). . .something yummy on the grill with hubby in charge. . friends sitting on the patio enjoying the friendship & warm summer weather. . add a thick lawn (currently not possible with soccer players), flower gardens (again non exsistant be/c of soccer).. . a large tree that holds a swing. . .a fire pit . . .and a pool (if I had a large enough yard). But Really, it comes down to my husband & kids being happy together. . .outside!

By: ashley

ashley — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:46:50 +0000

My perfect yard would have a large patio with an outdoor fireplace and seating for everyone to hang out–littles, bigs, and pets—a victory garden, a clothes line, space to run/play/sprawl on the lawn, and if I were living in a warme enough climate an in-ground swimming pool!

By: Michael Heintz

Michael Heintz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:43:28 +0000

My perfect back yard would be tree-filled with shade, with cool breezes, and LOW MAINTENANCE!! I heard about the Meal Box from the Catholic Hack podcast and I look forward to reading it soon. What a great idea!!

By: Dorothy ONeil

Dorothy ONeil — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:36:32 +0000

P.S. And a never ending pitcher of sweet tea on a little table next to a reclining chair for me.

By: Dorothy ONeil

Dorothy ONeil — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:34:52 +0000

My backyard would have a small patch of grass around the home with enough for us to have a clothes line and get some sun. The rest would be woods with a path to a small water fall and little creek. And there would be NO BIGS! Well just no mosquitoes. Or snakes. And all the children playing outside with their friends….no toys only playing and enjoying nature.

By: StephC

StephC — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:12:18 +0000

A meadow. Many good trees for climbing. A good tree for a a tree house. Another one for a really long rope swing. And a couple more off in a quiet, shady corner for a hammock. Some sun, some shade, some space for a vegetable garden. Yep, that’d be nice!

By: Kate Wicker

Kate Wicker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:49:45 +0000

I’m late getting here, but I am always dreaming up my perfect backyard because right now I’m a country mouse stuck in the city with no backyard. My girls and I crave being outdoors. We’ll take any kind of backyard so long as it has some green grass and some trees to provide shade during a hot-Down-South-summer. We fantasize about having a garden someday that we could nurture and watch, waiting for tender, green shoots to emerge from the ground, although I know turning a dream into a growing and living reality will take a whole lot of work. (We do play in the dirt even in the city and actually just celebrated our first crop of the season – a perfect, red tomato from our container garden). Mainly, I just want an outdoor space where my family can play and where we can occasionally dine al fresco.

I love the idea of The Meal Box as I’m a big believer in nourishing our family’s bodies and souls at the dinner table.

Blessings,
Kate

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:01:42 +0000

Thanks for your comments Renee and Megan, and of course I’ll let my wife have the last word before I check out for the evening. Thanks Lisa for inviting us into your wonderful community to talk about Bret’s and my mission–getting mealtime conversations cookin’. I hope you all have wonderful conversations with people you love at dinner this evening. Peace!

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:48:46 +0000

I am Tom’s wife and I would have said the same thing! I love our yard, flowers, trees, birds, bunnies, rocker on our little deck and remains of the fun the neighbor kids had the day before. How lucky does one get!

By: Megan

Megan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:28:25 +0000

Love this idea! Love the questions. I guess I came a bit late in the day though. Seems as though the discussions have ended. Enjoyed reading through everyone’s comments.

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:58:08 +0000

My yard would have to be enormous to have something for everyone. I would love a hottub, dh would love a built in grill as well as a shed to store the things that take up space in the garage, the kids would love a pool (preferably heated and in a greenhouse so we could use it in winter) as well as a trampoline and swingset made for even teenagers.

Thanks for the giveaway.

Renee

By: Bret Nicholaus

Bret Nicholaus — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:54:28 +0000

It’s almost that time of day where I have to run to catch my evening train. I want to thank everyone for the inspiring and thoughtful asnwers throughout the day. This was a lot of fun, and the tips many of you shared were fantastic. I will be using some of them with my two boys.

Remember that tomorrow we will announce the raffle winner of the free copy of The Meal Box. For those who don’t win but are still interested in a box of the cards, you can still get a 30% discount until June 29th by entering the promo code MomMeal.

Again, thanks for the great conversation today. Keep talking with your kids. And remember this good news that Tom McGrath reminds us of in one of his faith tips on the card: You can take heart, mom and dad–you won’t always be able to be there for your kids, but God will!
What a blessed assurance for parents!
Bret Nicholaus

By: lynn

lynn — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:51:16 +0000

my perfect backyard would have a baseball field for the kids, a pool for the kids, and a quiet area for mom & dad where they can still see the kids play but not be in the way. Right now my swing is right behind 2nd base!

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:46:50 +0000

Backyard: FIlled with lush green grass that never needs to be cut and has no weeds, lots of shade trees, with some cloth hammocks hanging between them, a small creek or pond for splashin’ and ‘splorin.

50 Pounds: Art supplies… my kids go through them like water evaporates in the 98 degree temps we are having here in St Louis!

Hot Air Balloon: Vancouver, BC… my husband keeps promising to take me there, and I would love to go there in a Hot Air Balloon!

By: Maria

Maria — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:38:39 +0000

My perfect garden would be heavenly! There would be plenty of lush, green grass to run barefoot in, a big garden full of tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, etc.; a large playset for the munchkins to enjoy; lots of flowers; & a nice area for some alone time (reading, reflecting, meditating, praying, etc.) – maybe a corner w/ lots of roses, lavendar, & lilacs. We’d also have a cobblestone patio with lots of room for family & friends to visit for a cookout, yet also quiet enough to enjoy my morning cup of coffee. There would be no pesky bugs, bird droppings, or visiting animals!

By: Jen S

Jen S — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:20:40 +0000

I would have the garage rebuilt and a driveway put in. There would be a cement slab for extra parking and the garbage (so it’s easier to shovel). We would have grass instead of dirt and weeds. I would have a nice composter and a lovely vegetable garden as well as a small area for DD to play — swings, sandbox, pool, etc.

But right now we are concentrating on curb appeal .

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:10:31 +0000

Lisa, – thank you!

By: juliea

juliea — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:51:06 +0000

I would love to hot air balloon over Maui, Hawaii. Since I live in the widwest, I think seeing the beaches, volcanoes, ocean, etc. would be beautiful and so different from what I see everyday.

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:47:15 +0000

Late afternoon question! – ummmm – brain slowly starting to be dysfunctional and blood supply dwindling but I’ll give it a shot. Dublin, Ireland. I would think to look down upon the bustling city and then look out upon the green pastures has got to be a fantastic contrast of humankind’s building and God’s building! Plus I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland and visit the home of my ancestors of my father’s family.