Pansy's husband asks (while noting our Weather Pixies):
Oh, so she gets to stand in the sun and you get to stand in the rain with an umbrella. Dontcha get tired of always just standing there in the rain and snow all the time?
May 2003 Archives
Attention aspiring couturiers:
Elinor Dashwood, blogeuse of Mommentary (and also known as Mme. Cacciaguida), has some words on her adventures sewing a Fluffy White Dress for her First Communicant.
Happy Anniversary to the Cacciaguidas! (I always wonder if Mme.Cacciaguida has any idea of the size of her readership....)
Are you suuuure you want to go to that Pampered Chef party?
That top financier is Mr. Warren Buffett. Berkshire Hathaway recently bought The Pampered Chef. Berkshire Hathaway is also a major corporate donor to The Buffett Foundation, which in turn is a major donor to Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups.
Alicia's recommendations
Boy do I have suggestions! Did I mention that my BA is in Literature? also, I do have 6 children.... This is not in any particular order. I have read every book I list, some of them several times. I own or have owned just about all of them. Also, if you can find a list, just about anything published in the 50s and 60s by the Weekly Reader Book Club. Try yard sales. My grandmother, a first grade teacher, subscribed me for years. I am thinking about books that have good values, are readable, and might help these children to expand their horizons a bit - fantasy is actually quite helpful with troubled kids. Some of these may need to be read to the children. Enjoy! aliciaI recommend the young adult novels by Madeline L'Engle (except for House
Like a Lotus - it is a good read but might be problematic for abused
children - read it first.It does have some sexual material that could be
troubling.)
here is a page with some info on her books
http://users.aol.com/lengleweb/lnovels.html
the ones I think would be good for this age group are
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
Many Waters
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas
A Full House: An Austin Family Christmas
Meet the Austins
The Anti-Muffins
The Moon by Night
The Arm of the Starfish
The Young Unicorns
A Ring of Endless Light
Troubling a Star
Dragons in the Waters
An Acceptable Time
And Both Were Young
Camilla Dickenson
Not all of these are in print, alas.I also recommend the books by George Mac Donald, especially
"The Princess
and the Goblin" if you can find it. Also the sequels.
Narnia!!!!!
Any books by Edith Nesbit (The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Railway Children, The Enchanted Castle, The Book of Beasts,
The Magic CIty, Five Children and It)
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
A wonderful little book I had as a child is "David and the Phoenix" by
Edward Ormondroyd, if you can find it!
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron (and her
other Mushroom Planet stories)
Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander (I liked it better than the Prydain series, and
it is easier reading)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
(and her other books, too)
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Do they have the Anne of Green Gables set? Those are also very readable and
have good values.
Charles Dickens? Oliver Twist is short and abused kids really relate!
Louisa May Alcott? (Eight Cousins is not as well known as Little Women but
is actually more readable for today's audience - and Jack and Jill which is
about a girl who was severely injured in a sled accident and has to face the
prospect that she may never walk again).
Rudyard Kipling - Kim (another story of an orphaned child who does well in
an unusual fashion), The Jungle Book (the real one, not that Disney
aberration!)
The Andrew Lang Fairy stories (blue, yellow, etc)
Mark Twain? The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's
court
How about Sherlock Holmes stories?
Any of the Oz books by Baum
Jules Verne?
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
How about The Hobbit?
Life and Adventures of Calamity Jane by Martha Cannary Burk
Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (and several of her other books)
Half-Magic and the other books by Edward Eager (about a 4th grade reading
level)
Sid Fleischman's books (The Whipping Boy, By The Great Horn Spoon - I read my copy of this until it broke, my kids also enjoyed his books)
Caddie Woodlawn
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Children's Books
Some of my daughter's (age 10) favourites besides the Chronicles of Narnia and Laura Ingalls Wilder books would be the Redwall series, The Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights Series, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Around the World in Eighty Days, Three Musketeers, Tom Sawyer, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Anne of the Green Gables, Tuck Everlasting, Treasure Island, Little Women, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, Sign of the Beaver, Boxcar Children, any of the Beverly Clearly Ramona books, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Roald Dahl , the Nancy Drew series, Black Beauty...
This is really a very fun age in terms of literature and I find myself living vicariously through her enjoying some of my favourites again.
Wanna be a Spinster?
Let's talk about books....
...books for kids, that is. Lee Ann, blogeuse of Literarium and Spinsters, wrote to ask,
...do you have any suggestions for good books for kids aged 3-15? My friend Carol works at a home for abused and emotionally disturbed children and is trying to update their library. They need book ideas for both sexes. Any ideas?
First of all, let me apologize to Lee Ann, I am waaaaaay late in posting this. Many of you have already seen this at Spinsters, but just in case you missed it, I thought I'd cast the net again.
I know that some of the suggestions have included Narnia, Middle-Earth, Nancy Drew and her chums, the Hardy Boys, Harry Potter, the Laura Ingalls Wilder books... I can't get the archives to work at the moment so I can't list more.
Kids seem to like books in series, and some little girls seem to like Flower Fairies. My sister liked the Shoes series (Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes, etc) by Noel Streatfield. Those American Girls books might go over well too. Misty of Chincoteague might also be appreciated. For older kids, I really liked books by Lloyd Alexander when I was a kid, especially his Prydain books (The Book of Three, etc)
For the littlest children, picture books -- the If You Give a Mouse a Muffin series for the tiniest ones, Richard Scarry books, Jamberry, Arthur, books by Rosemary Wells, anything by Tomie di Paola... I would hit those used bookstores and look for picture books with strong, interesting pictures. For older kids, some of them really enjoy books on How Things Work, and I bet those DK Eyewitness books would be really appreciated. Books based on movies (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, etc) ad TV shows might also go over well. Little Golden books are fantastic -- they're not very expensive, they have a great range of titles, and they're a good length for little kids.
Magazines might also be a nice idea -- Cricket, Ladybug, Highlights, Ranger Rick... I would also suggest comic books but it doesn't seem like there are very many fit for kids anymore.
Survey: Teens feel pressured to have sex
"Changing social norms and cultural expectations as well as delayed marriage means many young people have multiple sexual relationships in their lifetimes and need the information and tools to make healthy decisions and communicate with their partners," the report said.About one in three teens said they had been in a relationship where they felt things were moving too fast sexually.
I think many parents do not understand that while they think they are being responsible by purchasing a box of condoms for their sons and saying "you can do what you want, just don't bring home no babies", they are not taking any responsibilty for other people's daughters. I know many would argue that they are not responsible for other people's children, but they do have a responsibilty to teach their sons not to do harm to others.
I realise I am speaking from a female's perspective here, and my intent is not to say women are innocent victims, but simply that my perspective is simply from someone who was once a teenage girl. Teenage girls very often succumb to sex simply because they do not know how to extricate themselves from a situation where a boy is pressuring them. I am sure this is more the case than the need to express one's sexuality or whatever buzz terms or philosophies are in vogue now.
Maybe that fixed it.
We were having problems with the blog only showing one post. Signing out of Blogger, logging back in, and republishing seemed to do the trick.
Having Some Technical Difficulties...Please Stand By...
More on Boobs Hanging Out
Child number one-I nursed but because I did not want to offend anyone, I never left the house.
Child number two-I had a job at a daycare so my children could come with me. My coworkers would talk about how offended they were by the sight of nursing mothers, so I would bottlefeed at work and nurse at home. Posco weaned himself at seven months. I was devastated.
Child number three-I got with the program and decided everyone else needs to get a grip.
Natural Law has dictated to us what breasts are for, feeding babies. Study upon study upon study has shown the benefits of breastfeeding versus bottle feeding. We live in a society where we should be open about sexuality, but an accidental glimpse of nipple as a result of breastfeeding and people rant, rave and call the authorities. I am so missing something. It makes no sense to me, so I conclude people need to get a grip.
To me it draws far more attention to have a baby bending backwards and screaming than nursing in public. People who do not nurse do not understand that breastfeeding is not just about nutrition but it is about an emotional need for the child. A nursling around their mother needs to nurse on demand. Any Mom who has coslept with a newborn knows that sometimes the baby cannot sleep because the smell of the milk makes him crazy.
As much as I want to give the "I do nurse discreetly in public" speech (and I will in a second) I have to admit I could actually care less. Not that I have some passion for showing off my boobs, but if my baby is hungry or needs comfort, baby's needs come first. I will not substitute with artificial nipples or second rate nutrition just to make someone else comfortable. I am a homeschooling stay at home Mom and spend far too much time at home to begin with and refuse to give up the sporadic outings I do get to indulge in because other are offended by breastfeeding.
OK, back to the "discreet" issue. I have always nursed comfortably around my teenage brothers and the only time I got a big "Ah Gross!" reaction from them is when I had back issues of The Compleat Mother laying around. Just because I am breastfeeding does not mean I am living out my secret fantasies of being a exhibitionist. Even without blankets, with nursing clothing and mainly posture and attitude, many people do not notice, or do not seem to care. Or people are too afraid to comment.
Nobody's boob is hanging out
Breastfeeding in public can be done discreetly. I don't want to see anybody's boob hanging out. I don't care how the human body is misused in our sexually debauched society. Use a scarf and cover up. There are plenty of natural, beautiful, intimate things we just don't do in public.
First of all, to our dear guest, I'm sincerely not trying to pick on you, the sleepy mommies love you, and I promise I haven't forgotten about that thing you asked me about in your email either.
But it seems that comments about modest breastfeeding come up every single time the topic of nursing a baby in public comes up. Perhaps we should start adding a standard disclaimer to any blog that mentions nursing a baby in public, something to the effect of "We write this with the assumption that nursing in public is done discreetly." But truly, I don't see why this has to be spelled out. The only place I have ever seen nursing mothers with "boobs hanging out" is not the mall, not the grocery store, not church, not the La Leche League meeting, but in photo illustrations. A few of these illustrations have been for hard core granola-Raspberry Leaf-earthy-birth-goddess-type magazines; a few more have been illustrations for "how to nurse your baby" materials; the vast majority of "boob-hanging-out" photos have been for those free baby magazines available from Babies R Us (and some doctor's offices) -- you know, those magazines with all those ads for artificial baby formula....
In real life, all the nursing mothers I have seen or known have kept covered up by using slings, blankets, clothing, and so on. (It's also possible to nurse modestly without hiding under a huge tent.) Women who wish to expose their breasts probably have already found other ways to do so, and the vast majority of nursing mothers really aren't interested in having anything "hanging out" for anyone else to see. One of my LLL leaders knew a woman who was harassed by a store clerk for feeding her baby -- but the clerk had to ask "are you breastfeeding the baby?" If mom had lied and said "no", there would have been no issue. In the linked article, none of the mothers mentioned being exposed as the issue -- only the reporter mentions being "covered up in public" -- it was the mere fact of breastfeeding an older baby that drew the nosy comments. If those same older babies had been wandering around with pacifiers, bottles, or thumbs in their mouths, nobody would have batted an eyelash.
I think that most of the agita is due to the fact that formula feeding has been the norm in this country for a long time, so some people simply aren't used to seeing nursing babies, much less nursing older babies. (I started getting "are you still nursing?" comments when Hambet was five months old.) It may also be one of contraception's mutant fruits; in Mr. Luse's mounds of comments on this issue, he observes, "Even in our contraceptive times, [the nursing mother's] fecundity exerts a powerful subconscious pull."
Interesting Article, Peony!
Breasts are considered sex objects in the United States and are thus supposed to be covered up in public. Dia Michaels, a District mother of three and president of Platypus Media, which publishes books for families, teachers and parenting professionals, says: "Breasts are used to sell everything from beer to cars these days, and so Americans are terrified of seeing breast-feeding in public." She notes that some people act horrified when they see her nursing her 4-year-old and that she has heard comments ranging from "That's not allowed here" to "That's disgusting" to "Isn't she too old for that?" when she nurses her daughter in restaurants, parks, or on airplanes and the Metro.
I never understand the irony of this, how people do not mind seeing breasts for everything but what they are intended for.
Ivey, one of the founders of Mocha Moms, a support group for at-home mothers of color,
Mocha Moms?
This is off topic from what the article is about, and I am glad that there is a focus for minority women to stay at home and breastfeed-it is long overdue. But do they have to have that corny name?
Extended nursing
My husband alerted me to this article in today's Washington Post (requires a couple of marketing questions):
There was good evidence that nursing beyond a year has health benefits to babies and mothers," says Lawrence Gartner, chair of the AAP's Executive Committee, of the section on breast-feeding. Specifically, for the baby, the benefits are nutritional, immunological and developmental. For the mother, they include a possibly lower rate of premenopausal breast cancer. Nursing also can calm an agitated toddler.Some studies suggest that if babies were left to wean naturally, the normal weaning age for modern humans would be between 2 1/2 and 7 years, says Katherine Dettwyler, a noted anthropologist and author who has been conducting research on culture and breast-feeding since 1981....
Some of Pansy Moss's Favourite Movies
I prefer movies that I could just watch and not worry about watching with the kids around, but not all fit that criteria. Many do though, I (not listed in any specific order, by the way)...
Signs
Ever After
The Sixth Sense
Tombstone
Patriot
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring andThe Two Towers
Glory
Gettysburg
While You Were Sleeping
Transformers The Movie
A Knight's Tale
Black Hawk Down
The Last Unicorn
The Princess Bride
Birth Rates Decline in Europe
Isn't it odd with all the advancements in food distribution and healthcare that birth rates are dropping so dramatically instead of increasing?
Oh, in case you were wondering
My husband rented and beat Enter the Matrix this weekend. Yes it answered many of the questions that the holes in the plot of the movie left. Yes it had a neat preview of the next movie at the end. I am not sure if I should share any of the info because it might spoil it for those who have not seen it? Or would it be good for those who have no interest in playing the game? Does anyone even care???
The blog I could have written-except not because I don't that well...
but I can so relate to . William Luse over at Apologia writes about the personal frustration with liturgical abuses.
I am a week late on this, sorry.
Saturday evening was nice because last minute we were invited to a potluck dinner-prayer-thing-Catholic-fellowship-get together. I had Spinach Enchiladas slotted in for dinner, so I just brought it with me as my dish.
We met a young couple (not married) who just graduated from F U Steubanville who were very cool. Although they were I guess about 7 years our younger, we seemed to mesh generationally. I also attribute that to the fact that the young lady of the pair was a homeschooled as a child, and the young man wants to go into psychology-specifically family therapy, so I think it there were some similar interests. We even had a long discussion about breastfeeding. So Polo and I did not feel incredibly alone afterwards as the only Catholic Young Adults in the Albany area.
Sunday we went to Church where a lady had a big box of "Free Rhubarb" from her garden. We came home, where I fully intended to make a rhubarb crisp for dessert after a leisurely Sunday afternoon of sewing. All of a sudden the room started spinning and I was horribly nauseous. I couldn't even sleep it off. I thought a lot about Ashli of the SICLE Cell because it was similar to what she described except I knew it would be short lived, not last for months.
I was very thankful that if I had to be sick, it was on a day my husband had off. The two youngest boys had it also and the baby still seems to have diarrhea poor guy.
This morning I am feeling much better but tired. I ate today and am hoping we do OK because my dh has left for work at ten after six this morning and will not be home until eight tonight. I am grateful that homeschooling is almost finished except perhaps a subject each.
I thank everyone who thought of me and said a prayer, may the Lord reward your kindness.
The manusturge
On Saturday, Cardinal McCarrick ordained nine new priests for the Archdiocese of Washington. One of these priests, during his time as a transitional deacon, had done a lot of work at the parish my husband and I used to belong to (and still attend from time to time.) So he said his first Mass at this parish. In honor of the occasion, the choir did the ordinaries in Gregorian Chant. When we were at this parish, I was a member of the choir, and I still sing with them occasionally, so there was no way I was going to miss this!
It was a lovely Mass (and Hambet was even somewhat well behaved.) I have never been to a priest's first Mass before (or to an ordination.) One of the things that most impressed me was the custom of the new priest presenting the manusturge I hope I'm spelling this correctly) -- the linen towel used in the ordination to wipe the oil from his newly anointed hands -- to his mother. The priest's mother will be laid to rest holding this cloth in her hands.
So picture me holding Hambet in the back, whispering commentary: "Hambet, look. The priest is giving a present to his mommy."
I hope that I, too, will have the privilege of being buried holding a manusturge in my hands.
This weekend has been very pleasant but it's just flown by. Saturday I had some blood work done. Afterwards I stopped by Fresh Fields Whole Foods Market and found a nice surprise -- some organic rhubarb for $1.99 a pound. Nice rhubarb, too -- big, crunchy red stalks -- so of course I snapped that right up. In the afternoon we looked at dishwashers and took a trip to the library, where I was able to check out a few kid's videos about fire engines.
Sunday is going to get its own post. Today a big round yellow thing appeared in the sky and the rain stopped (we have gotten three inches of rain this past week, and almost two inches of that was since Thursday; part of my poor garden is under water.) It seems that part of our back yard is gradually sliding onto the patio, so we took a trip to Lowe's to look into building a little retaining wall. I will have to blog sometime about our house -- fondly known as "The Prussian Green Money Pit" -- and all the little projects that keep presenting themselves to us.
I think all this rain has something to do with why I've been ruminating about grow lights. While we were at Lowe's, I saw some free-standing wire shelving that I think might fit the bill -- all I would have to do is hang shop lights onto the wires with the S-hooks and plug the lights into a timer. But, again, no need to think about that till after Christmas.
prayers puh-leeze, please, please, please, please, puh-leeeeeeze!!!
Please say a prayer for me because I am very pathetic. Three out of six Upstate NY Mosses (including yours truly) seem to be afflicted with some type of stomach virus that is wreaking havoc in my system from the waist up in ways I hadn't thought possible. I want my Mommy...
Judge Orders Abortion for Disabled Woman
This is bad. Why not let it go for the three months left and adopt the baby out?
Think about it, the judge has ordered the death of an innocent child...
Garden Report
It's been cool, grey, and rainy almost all week, it's like we're turning into Seattle or something. The seeds I planted directly outside are getting nowhere because it's too cold.
Meanwhile I'm still daydreaming about plants. Where did this madness come from? Anyway, I am already thinking ahead to next year and how I want to start my seeds indoors. To really make a go of this I will need a grow light. The seed starting catalogs sell cunning little setups involving metal shelves, concealed chains, and so on, but they are fantastically expensive. I could just rig a shop light somewhere but I thought this gardener had a great idea for building a little seed starting shelf.
The trouble is that neither my husband or I have any experience whatever with carpentry. If I lived near my dad, he could build it for me, but given his tendency to procrastinate I wouldn't have it until 2010.
My dh suggested that we could just buy shelves and customize them, so I will have to keep my eyes open for something suitable. I just like the look of the little wood shelves. Considering I don't have to worry about starting seeds until next January, I don't know why I'm spending so much time thinking about this.
I Guess the 80's are "In"
Disney is remaking Freaky Friday this time starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan. I loved the book as a child, but it got so tired in the eighties with the whole switcharoo plot after Visa Versa(1988), Like Father, Like Son(1988), Big (1988), and of course the original 1976 version of Freaky Friday starring Jodie Foster.
In other movie news, Disney is an animated movie called Brother Bear featuring the music of Phil Collins. The movie does look cute.
I promise I will come up with some less sarcastic blogs in the future. I cannot help myself.
Pansy's Friday Five
1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Tom's of Maine Propolis and Myrrh
2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer? Whatever is cheapest at Sam's Club.
3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear? Birkenstock's Sydney's or Gizeh or any type of cute sandals from most likely Payless.
4. What brand of soda do you drink? Caffeine-Free Diet Coke
5. What brand of gum do you chew? Gum hurts my jaw. I like chocolate.
More on Shakespeare.
My dear husband (who never reads my blog) and I have been interested in Shakespeare's Catholicism and recusant connection for a while, so I kind of meant "was Shakespeare a crypto-Catholic?" as a rhetorical question. In addition to the article Lee Ann recommended, some good books on the subject are Ian Wilson's Shakespeare: The Evidence and John Henry deGroot's The Shakespeares and "The Old Faith". The latter has a postscript by Father Stanley L. Jaki.
This is amazing.
Thanks to Alicia for the link.
That Erik is such a milquetoast.
You can't get him to put forward an opinion on anything, not even chewing gum.
Peony's Friday Five
1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Colgate Total plus Whitening
2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer? Cheap white TP on a double roll. Any brand will do.
3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear? Cheap ones from Target or Penney's.
4. What brand of soda do you drink? Diet Rite or Hansen's.
5. What brand of gum do you chew? Not big on gum.
Blogger trouble
Ok, is it just me or is Blogger acting weird for you too, especially in the realm of archives?
For some reason Blogger dropped our second week of blogging. I was finally able to locate that page and put a separate link to it on our archives page. For some reason, that page still shows our old green Ordinary Time template (and our old blogroll) instead of our current template. So it's a little bit of a time capsule: Saint Sabina's, liberal racism, snow days, quiz results, and Buffyiana.
Forget that Earl of Oxford fantasy
Some Searches
eggplant + birth
huh?
peony+spirituality+and+the+saints
ok, about right
coloring+pictures+of+Jesus+carrying+his+cross
looking for some of those myself
sexy+mommies
yeah Baby, you came to the right place!
Faint?+sleepy+adult
yep, that's us again
cheap+communion+dresses
???
Lizzie+Maguire+lyrics
LIZZIE+MAGUIRE+SONG+LYRICS
LIZZIE+MAGUIRE+SONG+LYRICS
click the link for crying out loud
Lizzie+Maguire+Christian+Movie+Review
That we have
Felon nuns are stunned that they were found guilty....
Hudson, who is 68, Platte, who is 66, and Sister Carole Gilbert, 55, are still stunned that they were found guilty of sabotage.....more
I am surprised that the WaPo gave these felons sisters so much ink -- this isn't exactly a local story. Would they have gotten the same fawning coverage if they had broken the law by cutting the fence around an abortion clinic and whacked at the building with ball-peen hammers? How about if they had squirted it with vials of their own blood?
Buffy
Spoilers!
Well, the final episode was pretty good (and leaves the possibilites wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy open for spinoffs, movies, and SMG guest spots), but I thought it was still pretty uneven. In his discussion of the episode, Victor links to a Salon interview with Joss Whedon (which, to me, explained a good part of why the show was so maddeningly uneven -- it's not for the reasons that Whedon thinks.)
First, one thing to get out of the way -- my husband asked, "When you blog on Buffy, make sure you mention that they should have put the show out of its misery three seasons ago." Okay, honey.
Second, I thought there could only be one Slayer alive on the entire Planet Earth at a time and that's why Buffy was the Chosen One, etc, and that Kendra and Faith were activated because Buffy's heart stopped temporarily, etc. (Which would raise the question of who became the Slayer when Buffy was good and dead at the end of Season Five.) And -- sorry, Victor -- I liked Buffy's idea of changing the rules of Slayer status. It just makes more sense if there are Hellmouths everywhere. (Cleveland is revealed to have a Hellmouth -- is it under the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?)
I did get some of the items on my wish list -- the swift death of Caleb, who was annoying, not creepy. Sorry, Mr Whedon, Caleb was just a warmed over Stephen King villain, and cartoon fundamentalists generally do not wear Roman collars. If you want to critique "religious institutions" and "the patriarchy" (whatever that is) please learn a bit more about them first, okay? (And how can "religious institutions" be bad but priests and ordinary believers be okay? That kind of stuff needles me too much) I did not get another big item on my wish list -- the swift death of Kennedy -- and I guess Giles was for real after all, so his behavior for the last half of the season was just confusing.
My husband thought it was significant that the only casualties were reformed demons, something about showing how truly they had reformed by sacrificing themselves for others (especially for Andrew, who himself is a reformed villain....) I forget what we came up with. He also thinks it's significant that they escaped in a school bus (beyond the fact it's something they could easy acquire that would a whole lot of Slayers and Scoobies.) So maybe there is a Slayer/ Watcher Academy in the future.
Fare Thee Well Buffy
Well, they ended the show by turning every potential slayer in the world into a full blown slayer. They had nifty images of little league girls stepping up to plate and feeling themselves imbued with slayer power. Curiously, they didn't have images of Big Bad Bertha at the women's penitentiary becoming all powerful and kicking her CA's butt or anything. Anywho, for what it's worth, I am glad that they didn't kill Buffy off again, or have her walk away from her responsibility.
The Angel scene was short lived. Watching their little conversation about why she cannot be involved in a relationship because she is cookie dough, and she is not done cooking. But when she is done cooking then maybe she will be ready to have someone eat, er enjoy cookies. I enjoyed the conversation because I realised just how much they developed Angel since he had his own show. My favourite season of Buffy is Season Two, the one where Angel loses his soul. Even then he wasn't as strong a character as he has become, and they didn't undermine any of that for the Buffy finale. I guess that is why he could only be on for like 2 minutes.
I want to know what happened to all the people in Sunnydale? Did they all die?
Now off to read Victor's review. Any thoughts Peony? That has become a highlight if my Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
Oh I did forget to mention (and Victor did not) was the highlight of the evening when the Mutant Enemy "Grr! Arh!" Guy turned and looked at us. My husband and I got a big kick out of that, well because we have gotten a big kick out of that guy for 7 years now. OK, OK, so we are easy to entertain.
OK, so I have been reading about The Raving Atheist sending fellow atheists to drop bombs of love or something at Catholic Light and at Catholic and Enjoying It. While the story is amusing, it makes about as much sense to me as The Matrix plot did. I mean I never understand why people of other beliefs care so much about what we believe. I could care less. I do not mean that to be smug, but what atheists believe takes up very little time of my daily thought process. Much better things to worry about like, what to cook, saying the Rosary, teaching the kids and blogging about Mommy Stuff, BTVS, The Matrix, rhubarb, breastfeeding and the Catholicity of it all.
So I will end this blog with a nifty quote from Matrix Reloaded (bear with me because I am doing this from memory, not from a script):
Commander Lock: Not everyone has the same beliefs you do
Morpheus: My beliefs do not require them to.
Yeah, yeah, I know-short, pointless and nothing but an excuse to post that nifty quote. But the whole "Love Bombing" thing did remind me of that quote, so it wasn't just a random tie in.
Apparently Matrix Fans
The reason why the movie made no freakin' sense is because the big holes in the plot are filled in by the video game.
The brothers' production scheme was as audacious as their narrative vision: two films shot as one, and more than two years in the making of the real (sound stage) and virtual (computer-generated) elements. They also planned a DVD package called Animatrix —nine short computer films by top Japanese and American anime directors, elaborating on the trilogy's themes and subplots (it hits stores next month)—and a nifty video game, Enter The Matrix.
For what it's worth the game looks really cool, but what a rip off.
Update: Check out Animatrix.
Peony, I disagree with you on this one.
First time for everything? Although I can see where you are coming from in regard to personal freedom and all.
Our county council is trying really hard to get one passed. I do not like the idea, even though I personally prefer to dine at smoke-free restaurants. If an owner of a bar wants to permit smoking, he should be able to do so.
I suppose I can understand smoking in bars, well not really, but that is my opinion. I can say as the mother of three asthmatics, it has been a breath of fresh air (no pun intended) to be able to go to a family friendly restaurant and not worry about it bringing on an asthma attack. I am totally willing to admit that I am projecting my own situation into this, and turning into my therapy. I mean I guess I should figure that taking asthmatic children to restaurants is not prudent. All I know is that this legislation has made my life slightly easier. I just do not think children should have second hand smoke imposed on them.
Rhubarb Crisp
5 cups sliced rhubarb (peeled, if desired)
1 cup sugar (Peony: I use a little less for a nice puckery taste)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
topping:
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut (optional)
For filling, combine 1 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Toss with 5 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb. If the rhubarb is frozen, thaw it but don't drain it. Put the filling in a 8x1 inch round baking dish.
For the topping, in a mixing bowl combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts or coconut, if desired. Sprinkle topping over filling.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) or till fruit is tender and topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream if desired. Serves 6.
Sometimes I make a double portion of the crisp topping and keep it in the fridge. For weekday fruit crisps for three, I'll just cut up a couple of apples or put some blueberries in a little baking dish, sprinkle on some of the topping, and pop it in the oven.
You can also use this crisp recipe for apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, or berries; just toss the fruit with only 2 to 4 Tbsp sugar. Skip the flour for the fruit filling unless you're using berries or cherries.
Peony's This or that
1. Large or small family? Small, aspiring to large.
2. Potato chips or pretzels? A few chips, I guess.
3. House or apartment? House.
4. Zebras or giraffes? Giraffes.
5. Candles or potpourri? Candles.
6. Flowers or trees? Both.
7. Right or left-handed? Right.
8. Model trains or dolls/stuffed animals? Probably trains!
9. Comedy or drama? Comedy.
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: The city of Boston has recently banned smoking in all restaurants and bars. Would you want to see such a law passed in your city/town/country, or not? Our county council is trying really hard to get one passed. I do not like the idea, even though I personally prefer to dine at smoke-free restaurants. If an owner of a bar wants to permit smoking, he should be able to do so. I also wonder if there won't be an exemption for fancy "cigar restaurants" or something like that, a place for lobbyists to take their prey for cigars and Scotch (while the average Joe who wants to light up while he drinks a beer at Moe's is, once again, out of luck.)
Indecent Exposure
Gorbulas has taken to taking his diaper off and walking around the house dressed like Porky Pig, you know just a shirt and no pants. It is actually quite cute because Baby Booties are so pinchable!
Class markers
One of the cool things about St Blog's is being able to read what other people's reviews of about books that you were thinking about reading someday. Today Lee Ann saved me a trip to the library by posting her thoughts on Paul Fussell's Class: A Painfully Accurate Guide Through the American Status System. Well, I still may read it...someday.
I guess I am very thoroughly a child of the middle class, and not the upper middle class, either. A few years ago I read an article about how clothing functioned as a class marker. According to the author, big hair and tight flashy outfits were the plumage of the lower classes. You could spot rich women by their soft, flowing outfits that didn't seem to speak to any function. And middle class women tended to have specific clothes for specific occasions -- "work clothes", "good casual", "casual casual", "dressy casual", "grubbies", etc.
I just about fell off my chair laughing when I read that last part, because the Great Chain of Being of Clothing was something that was drilled into me from the time I was little and is something I'm trying to get my husband to comprehend (to no avail....) When I was little, there were church clothes, school clothes, good play clothes, and grubbies. Now my categories are roughly super-dressy, dressy, nice casual, everyday casual, and grubbies. My husband's categories seem to be neckties and everything else.
I guess some other status markers are vacations (I've never been skiing, for example, or abroad) and education (I was taught that the supreme goal of education was a college diploma.) I would suspect that there are cultural aspects to class in our society that could be completely different from one's economic class, but do they stay different? And the funniest thing about this is how little agreement there is about who's in what class. I always thought I was middle class, but Fussell might think that some of my habits mark me as a Prole. And I was amused when a D.C. City Councilwoman put me squarely in the working class when she was (rightly) decrying the lack of affordable housing in D.C. for "people in the working class, like police officers and nurses." By that reckoning, huge sections of the white-collar federal workforce are also working class. Did she have them in mind as well when she was thinking about "the working class"? And does that mean that all those lawyers and lobbyists are not really working?
This is fun to think about (in small doses) because people-watching is fun and so is satire, but when it degenerates into snobbery it's not funny any more.
I'm hooked!
On rhubarb, and it's all your faults! I cannot resist that tart flavour. Thank you very much Peony and fellow St. Bloggers.
I saw some fresh rhubarb at my health food co-op, and the strawberries have been lucious so I just made a batch of strawberry rhubarb jam.
I also made it with honey instead of sugar. It tasted good on the spoon so we'll see how it turns out because I didn't have an exact recipe for it.
Update: Success! My jam gelled. Now I just hope it tastes good. The hot jam I licked off the spoon tasted like rhubarb pie.
So what did I do? I took four cups of strawberries and four cups of rhubarb thinly sliced and mashed them up with a potato masher.I put that in a large pot to boil with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 4 teaspoons of calcium water. Calcium water is an ingredient that comes with the pectin I use. When it started to boil I added two cups of honey and 4 teaspoons of Pomona's Univ