Some of My Favorite Things – May 2025
Let’s cut right to the chase, shall we?
HABEMUS PAPAM!
We have a Pope, everyone!
I don’t know more than what’s been shared already about Pope Leo XIV, and to interpret anything he said during his first events would be ludicrous.
Even the “experts” and the commentators got some things wrong and are probably still getting lots wrong. Some are really excited and others more cautiously optimistic, and they seem both overly happy or scared over seemingly nothing. He hasn’t even been poping for a week, and they think they already know how his entire papacy will go.
It’s annoying, really.
So I’m abstaining from commentators who (or at least those posts/episodes that) thrive on reactionary, fatalistic content, and focusing instead on content that actually reports on what he does.
It’s pretty neat that he’s an American, though. To hear him speaking fluent English has been both surreal and fantastic. And to have him come right out of the gate advocating for families being between a married man and a woman? That was also very refreshing.
Until he does something questionable, I won’t judge him. And if/when he does, I’ll remember that we serve God–not a human being–and that the Church is more than a Pope.
(Though between you and me: I’m excited and hopeful. He seems very endearing and like he wants the same things for the Church that my fellow Conservative Catholics have been asking for.)
Relevant reading:
- Pope Leo: Journalists should ‘disarm communication’ (The Pillar)
- Robert Prevost and Leo XIV (The Pillar)
- Taxes, voting, and citizenship: An American pope explainer (The Pillar)
- The Catholic Right Is Deeply Divided Over Pope Leo And What His Papacy Will Do (Vanity Fair)
Spring celebrations
May marks the start of a LOT of Springtime/Summertime celebrations for our family, including birthdays and baptism anniversaries. The weather’s been lovely and the company even better. It can, however, get overwhelming and sudden at times without timely planning, so I like to ensure things remain, above all, fun and simple for the kids.
Outdoor projects
My husband’s completed a LOT of big and small projects around our home during his free time, so it was no surprise that he also wanted to build his own gym and my retaining wall flowerbed.
Because of his recovery from a couple back-to-back surgeries before the weather forbade him from doing work outside late last year, he couldn’t get as far ahead as he’d like, but he came back “with a vengeance” earlier this year, and, together with my dad’s help, not only finished said flowerbed, but is also well on his way into that gym. It’s a REALLY cool project, you guys.
Our home not having the room for an integrated gym tall enough for him to do his weightlifting ended up being a blessing in disguise for him because he’s really enjoying getting to build his own, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness him do, to help him with, and to encourage him with when needed.
Gardening
I’ve taken care of a few potted flowers through the years so I felt I was ready to care for a full garden from the start on my very own brand new flowerbed. Over the next few days we’ll be adding the top soil, and then I’ll be prepping it all before adding seeds for all kinds of flowers. I’m so excited for when they start blooming! Ooh, and then this Fall I’m really looking forward to adding tulip bulbs and seeing those bloom next year :D.
Favorite Podcasts
I’ll owe you this month’s :). I wanted to get this post out ASAP in light of the election of our new Pope and didn’t have time to look back at previous recommendations to ensure I wouldn’t repeat one. (I don’t keep track of which I’ve listed but maybe I should start?)
Take care and God bless.
