O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self control,
Thy liberty in law.
Am I mean? Am I just narrow-minded, divisive, overly rigid, Pharasaical, because of my dismay at our recessional "hymn" at Mass today?
As announced by the cantor: "In honor of our country's history, our recessional song will be God Bless America. "
Hmm. I think that singing a hymn asking God's guidance and blessing for our country is a great thing, especially if it has a verse or two imploring Him not to give us the judgment we so richly deserve. Until that hymn gets written, though, why not O Beautiful for Spacious Skies or even Faith of Our Fathers?
My issue with God Bless America is that, first of all, it's not a Catholic hymn or really even a hymn at all. It's a show tune, originally written by Irving Berlin for a revue, set aside, and then revised into the version made famous by Kate Smith. I have no problem with the song in secular settings. But for Mass, let's select a piece with a style and history that says "hymn."
There's also the small quibble that music at Mass should honor God, not "our country's history."
Finally, I have a practical objection. Apparently the publishers of our hymnals share my thought that God Bless America is not a hymn, as they have not seen fit to include it in any of the small library of missalettes, song books, and other supplements that grace our parish pews. (I'm sure it's not the royalty issue, as they're paying out big bucks to include the Compleat Haugen.) That means there are no printed lyrics available for anyone who wants to sing but doesn't already know the words.
Gen-Xers (and Y-ers, and younger) how many of you could sing God Bless America, beginning to end, with no prompts, right now? I know I can't, and I would consider myself fairly average when it comes to songs known by heart. We also have a number of people in our parish who were not born in this country. So at least half the congregation was just standing around while everyone else sang.
But those who did sing, sang well and sang the whole verse, and that's pretty rare at our parish -- usually people are gathering up their stuff and headed out the door the second the priest turns around.
Oh well. As long as I'm giving the report, the opening hymn was some contemporary thing I didn't recognize. We did sing Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest. And of course, no Mass at our parish is complete without that fine gem, Christ Be Our Light by Bernadette Farrell, played with a monotonous one-trip-let one-trip-let one-trip-let accompaniment on the organ. I've never had a migraine headache, but I always imagine it as being something like this piece.
And no, I'm not going to write a letter to the pastor.
Oh, and what's up with this -- our missalette did not print the text of the Sequence! It only referred us to its own musical version in the back, set to Ode to Joy. I might write suggesting that we switch missalettes next year.
Thanks to Narwen via Gerard for the reminder.
Chesterton loved children, and was often tapped to play Old King Cole in pageants. Here's some verse by Chesterton that always gives me the giggles:
Old King Cole Was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl and he called for his fiddlers threeafter Lord Tennyson:
Cole, that unwearied prince of Colchester,
Growing more gay with age and with long days
Deeper in laughter and desire of life
As that Virginian climber on our walls
Flames scarlet with the fading of the year;
Called for his wassail and that other weed
Virginian also, from the western woods
Where English Raleigh checked the boast of Spain,
And lighting joy with joy, and piling up
Pleasure as crown for pleasure, bade me bring
Those three, the minstrels whose emblazoned coats
Shone with the oyster-shells of Colchester;
And these three played, and playing grew more fain
Of mirth and music; till the heathen came
And the King slept beside the northern sea.after W.B. Yeats:
Of an old King in a story
From the grey sea-folk I have heard
Whose heart was no more broken
Than the wings of a bird.As soon as the moon was silver
And the thin stars began,
He took his pipe and his tankard,
Like an old peasant man.And three tall shadows were with him
And came at his command;
And played before him for ever
The fiddles of fairyland.And he died in the young summer
Of the world's desire;
Before our hearts were broken
Like sticks in a fire.
after Walt Whitman:Me clairvoyant,
Me conscious of you, old camarado,
Needing no telescope, lorgnette, field-glass, opera-glass, myopic pince-nez,
Me piercing two thousand years with eye naked and not ashamed;
The crown cannot hide you from me,
Musty old feudal-heraldic trappings cannot hide you from me,
I perceive that you drink.
(I am drinking with you. I am as drunk as you are.)
I see you are inhaling tobacco, puffing, smoking, spitting
(I do not object to your spitting),
You prophetic of American largeness,
You anticipating the broad masculine manners of these States;
I see in you also there are movements, tremors, tears, desire for the melodious,
I salute your three violinists, endlessly making vibrations,
Rigid, relentless, capable of going on for ever;
They play my accompaniment; but I shall take no notice of any accompaniment;
I myself am a complete orchestra.
So long.
Ella Gunderson became frustrated trying to find something fashionable — yet modest — in a world where she seems to be surrounded by low-riding jeans and tight, revealing tops. So she penned a letter."Dear Nordstrom," she wrote. "I am an eleven-year-old girl who has tried shopping at your store for clothes (in particular jeans), but all of them ride way under my hips, and the next size up is too big and falls down...."
....Two Nordstrom executives wrote back, promising the Redmond girl the company would try to educate both its purchasing managers and salespeople on the range of fashion choices that should be available to young people. (link)
Go Ella! I have a theory that retailers are not always very smart, and they need us to spell things out for them. It's not enough to roll your eyes and walk out of the store; they're just going to just the clothes even skimpier unless we clue them in.
Because they haven't gotten the clue yet:
"If modesty is what she is looking for, it's going to come full force in the fall," said Gigi Solis Schanen, the New York-based fashion editor for Seventeen magazine."The '50s sexy-librarian look is in."
...Annie Sparrow, owner of Seattle women's boutique Tulip and a trend watcher, said women in their 20s and 30s are also tiring of the skimpy look.
"People are saying 'I am a woman, I've had babies and I have hips. I can't go around showing my booty to everyone on the streets,' " Sparrow said."
Hello, fashion industry, your clue phone is ringing.... The point is not that girls like Ella want to look like a "sexy librarian" instead of a sexy pop singer. The point is that they don't want to look overtly sexy. Ms Sparrow, the point of modesty is not to conceal a "less that perfect" body -- there are girls and women with fashion-perfect figures who want to cover up too.
Sorry for the slow blogging this week. I've been trying to limit my computer time, following the counsel of the nice man I talked to last week (the one wearing a black shirt and a purple stole....) When I have been on-line, I've been helping Emily of "After Abortion" out; her template crashed last Friday and I've been helping her recover her links and gussy up her template a little bit. (including adding her Atom feed .)
...or one of them, anyway: Lileks has something up on abortion today. He usually avoids this subject, so it's interesting to see him addressing it:
It has to do with something I heard Kerry say on the radio last Friday, a snippet from a speech made a few months ago. He said something that seemed to conflate two different issues:'Abortion should be rare, but it should be safe and legal -- and the government should stay out of the bedrooms of America,' he said to cheers and applause.
Abortion takes place in the bedroom?
No; conception takes place in the bedroom. (Usually.)
In his original post, Bill wrote, "It's not possible that the mind of a Lileks has not pondered the genesis of his beloved Gnat, that he has not asked, 'When did she begin?' -- and less possible yet that he has not found an answer." Looks like he was right on the money with that one.
This morning we went to Mass in Auriesville and saw another family we know from homeschooling events. They are a very nice family who stumbled upon our old NO parish on the days they had the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Albany. The couple of times they went, they lucked out because my father was homilising, so I think they got the nice impression that the Parish was somewhat orthodox. Anywho, they are sweet because whenever I see them they have wonderful compliments for my father, who is usually criticised for his backwards thinking around here.
The wife was telling me she just returned from Lourdes with her husband and one of her daughters because her daughter has severe epilepsy. Apparently not only is the epilepsy debilitating, but the drugs the little girl is on cause behavourial problems. A group I never heard of called the Knights of Malta financed the trip for her family in the hopes of a miracle. I pray she gets one. Please say a prayer for this family.
During Mass the two youngest boys were, well, Little Monsters. I imagine people watching us from behind must have seen this crazy lady shaking her fist at raucous little boys. No, I didn't really shake my fist at them, but I kept whispering so many "knock that off"s I felt like an evil crazy lady.
After Mass an older couple stopped me and started speaking Spanish to me which, besides the fact I do not speak Spanish, threw me off because the man who clearly looked Italian was speaking fluently with an Italian accent. It threw me off because at first I thought he was speaking Italian and I had this sudden sense of comfort from what is familiar. People never look at me and think "Italian", but rather that I am Spanish, so I was momentarily psyched. Silly, I know.
The couple instantly started telling me (in English) that we had a beautiful family and we reminded them of themselves when their children were small. They had 7 boys and Mass was always an adventure for them, as it was for us this morning. They had so many wonderful compliments, it was very nice. Later I asked the man in Italian if he spoke Italian as well...Si.
7 boys! Here I am thinking that after three boys in a row, with the luck of the draw the next one should be a girl. My friend Karen just had her 8th girl (she has 2 boys as well). And I think after three boys I should get a girl. Maybe if I pray really hard that God will realise I know better than He does what kinds of souls to send me!
Well, off to make eggplant parmagiana for dinner.
Yesterday I went food shopping. I hit a few stores, Price Chopper, my health food co-op and Sam's. I bought my normal four pounds of butter at Sam's, but instead of the regular $5-6 I usually pay, I paid ten bucks for it! I am going to have to start baking my cookies with margarine and applesauce.
I also paid $3.50 for a gallon of milk. I will start mixing it with powdered milklike alicia suggested. My neighbor said he will sell me raw milk for $1.25 a gallon, but is worried about selling it to me because it is raw and is afraid we may get sick. I have read it is better for you like this, although it won't keep very long. I would probably make it stretch by making yogurt out of it. Anyone know the scoop?
Remember when I blogged below about the Transformers 20th Anniversary and how the show became annoying after the movie? Well someone who wrote a letter to the editor in the July 2004 edition of ToyFare agrees. Warning, coarse language ahead:
Dear ToyFare,
I am shocked and angered that you guys would print a statement as untrue as "Bumblebee is the suckiest Autobot." [He's paraphrasing, but we do say that a lot.-Ed.] I mean, let's face it, there are plenty of Autobots who suck more. Rodimus Prime sucked worse and so did Springer. And we cannot forget about the uber-annoying kid Autobot, Wheelie. (Man, did the Autobots get any good characters in the movie?) So the next time you say someone in the suckiest, just remember to make sure that there isn't anyone who sucks just a little more."The next time you say someone is the suckiest, just remember to make sure that there isn't anyone who sucks just a little more." I'm writing that one down and sending it to. Dr. Phil.
I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes, you will keep your imagfination quiet, shut your eyes to all the things of sense, and close your ears to all the sounds of the earth, so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, speaking there to that Holy spirit saying:O Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen, and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that You permit to happen to me, only show me what is Your will.
If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolation will abound even in the midst of troubles. Grace will be given in proportion to the trial as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the gates of Paradise full of merit.
This submission to the Holy Spirit is the Secret of Sanctity.
- Cardinal Mercier
I just heard from Michelle (aka "Shellynna"), blogeuse of "And Then?". She was concerned that there were "too many other things that weren't getting done." She considered resisting the siren call of the blog by lashing herself to the mast of her ship, but was concerned that she would be able to untie the knots and escape. So she has taken her blog down completely.
She does hope to come back to blogging in the future, and promises to pop up in comments boxes here and there. Meanwhile, she'll still be available at her old email address.
I'll miss "And Then?" but I totally understand. I will be scarce myself in the next few weeks, for similar reasons, but I will be answering email.
That upcoming article on friendship I blogged on a few weeks ago? I didn't think it would be up on the Web until next month, but Jeff found it: On Male Friendship
Despite the title, I don't think this article is just for the guys.
UPDATE: There's an article on friendship, with a special focus on women's friendships, in the Summer 2004 issue of Faith and Family. My copy just arrived yesterday so I haven't read the article yet.
this is pretty darn accurate.
You're a Fluff writer!
What kind of writer are you?
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Especially the criticism about "I'm not quite sure what Buffy is doing in Rivendall" is me to a T!
When I was a little girl, I used to make up hundreds of comic books all the time (I don't write, but I used to draw). They were always Optimus Prime and Princess Allura save the day from Magneto and whatnot.
You're a Dialogue/Character Writer!
What kind of writer are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Today I got the most astonishing mail -- an flyer from this fine outreach of the Archdiocese of Washington, inviting me to "call and discuss my needs."
Oh brother! And why today?
My children are wondering who would win-Alien or Predator. For what it's worth, they have seen neither of these movies but live vicariously through my husband who tells them tales of his favourite sci fi movies. They sit there for hours as he gives the history of the Sith and Spider-Man. Some kids get The Three Bears...
Anyway, I thought the discussion had been long ended until I saw this written on the board in 11 year old handwriting:
Predator must win! Alien was beat by Sigourney Weaver-no contest!
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Happy Birthday to our Holy Father!
Apparently this is old news, but I just heard about it. Joss Whedon is set to write for the X-Men. Thought I'd pass it on...
Because I feel much better, thank you. I still have a headache, but it is feeling like a normal headache, not the horrible kind.
So, yesterday we worked on the garden. I wish I had My Peony here to give me advice and show me where I was going wrong. My husband built me one raised bed because that was all I needed so far for all the plants I had that are ready to go out. My neighbor plowed this huge plot of land and the one raised bed is barely a speck on it. I think that is one of the points of raised beds though, less room. I planted the rhubarb and some corn conventionally so I felt like I am utilising some more of the land.
The soil is just dreadful. It is rocky and dry and you hit clay three inches down. That was when I wished I had my Peony. It is also hard to water becaue the hand pump close to it in the horse barn is not working. We are not sure if we are doing something worng, such as not pumping it enough, or if it is broken. Still, even if nothing grows, the kids, hubby and I had a fun afternoon digging in the dirt together. All except Gorbulas who sat himself in the van (doors open) and fell asleep for the event.
In the morning we attended 9 AM Mass in Auriesville. My husband would like to make that the normal Sunday routine since it is actually the closest Church to us. They will only be open until fall, so we should take advantage of it as long as the weather is nice.
We came home and had a late Sunday breakfast, worked in the garden and I made manicotti for dinner. I also spent the day snacking on pepper jack cheese, and roasted red peppers with anchovies. It was a little nicer than the usual Sunday running around. Especially since Gorbulas was so under the weather.
In the meantime here is my Recipe for Manicotti (pronounced mah-nee-gawt).
4 beaten eggs (Egg Beaters work just as well)
1 cup of water
1 cup of all purpose flour
Mix together, it will make a watery batter. Spread about 1/3 a cup of the batter on a hot, small non-stick skillet and flip once like a pancake. The manicotti will be very thin.
For the filling mix 2 pounds of ricotta cheese, 1 egg, salt, pepper and parsley and I like to add some romano cheese if I have it. Fill the manicotti and roll it up. Place in a baking dish (with gravy on the bottom) side by side. Cover with gravy and bake for like 1/2 an hour.Serve with the usual Italian condiments and sides, grated cheese and crushed red pepper, salad and Italian bread. Nummy!
*Gorbulas has had a stomach virus since wednesday he cannot seem to shake. The doctor said diarrhea and vomiting can last for like ten days, so she did not seem to worried. I am his Mommy so I am worried. He will not sick to the BRAT diet (like who can blame him). Please pray he does not get dehydrated.
*I have a nasty migraine. It is Monday and I have so much to do today in this condition, please say a prayer it goes well. My first OB appointment ins scheduled for today and between the two, I do not see myself making it.
My apologies -- I will be late getting the Group Read up this week. I'll try to get it up soon, but I'm not sure how soon "soon" will be.
If you are interested in joining the Group Read, why not take the opportunity to catch up and join us? We'll be discussing Chapters 25-32 this week. Click on the big Group Read button, there on the left sidebar, to catch up on previous weeks.
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please pray for Alicia's sister-in-law, who is critically ill with a ruptured brain aneurysm. She is undergoing surgery right now to relieve the pressure on her brain.
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hasbro is celebrating by releasing a
Special 20th Anniversary Addition Optimus Prime.
I remember being 11 and watching Transformers in 1984 after GI Joe and before Voltron. It totally rocked until after the movie (which is on my list of best movies-I even have the soundtrack) when Optimus Prime died and Rodimus became the new leader. He was so boring and whiney. I was so glad when they rose Optimus from the dead. I don't think anyone could stand one more episode listening to him whine about the responsibilty of leadership. A shame because Galvatron was one psycho protagonist.
Yes, this is the Navy Hymn, but surely our gentlemen of the Navy will not object if I give the verses for all our services....
The melody ("Melita") can be heard here. Get an mp3 of this hymn sung by the Navy Sea Chanters here.
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain
O'er which our traffic runs amain,
by mountain pass or valley low,
Wherever Lord thy brethren go;
Protect them by Thy guardian hand
From every peril on the land.
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Though the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Eternal Father, Lord of hosts,
Watch over the men who guard our coasts.
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from Thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of Thy love.
Eternal Father, grant, we pray,
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill;
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps.
O Trinity of love and power!
Our family shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect us wheresoever we go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
And those who on the ocean ply;
Be with our troops upon the land,
And all who for their country stand:
Be with these guardians day and night
And may their trust be in they might.
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Look, Dick, look!
Bob is reading a book.
The book has a picture of Edgar.
Edgar has three names: Edgar, Allan, Poe.
Edgar looks creepy.
Creepy, creepy, creepy.
Now Bob is writing.
Busy, busy writing.
What is Bob writing?
Oh, Puff! Oh, Spot!
Oh, oh, oh!
Bob is writing a parody!
Funny Bob!
Peony is laughing!
to Samuel Riddle, who is SIX!
On this day in history (which was yesterday, but I was distracted by the Sump Pump Saga....)
...in 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeard for the first time to the little shepherd children of Fatima. Sister Lucia is still with us!
...in 1974, blogger Pete "Omnipresence" Vere was born. Happy Birthday!
...in 1981, an assasination attempt was made on Pope John Paul II.
...also in 1981, blogger Robert Diaz was born. Happy Birthday!
Curt Jester is having a caption contest with the goofiest looking picture I have ever seen. I did not comment because I have no caption. But what is up with the flower wreaths on their heads? And why are they so old? This is cornier than "Hands Acroos America".
It turned out to be a busy week. I'm too weary to recount the whole tale, but it involves the hated basement waterproofing company. They had a plan to correct the swamp forming in our front yard by running an underground line from the sump pump discharge line under our lawn to drain out through the curb into the gutter. This plan was in place for almost three weeks until my husband thought it might be wise to double-check and see if a permit from the county was required.
It's a good thing he thought of that, because that small point hadn't occurred to the waterproofers. So I've spend the last three days on the phone with the county, receiving inspectors (note to self: call the inspector) and hand-carrying permit applications over to the county. (Good thing we live close to the county seat. ) The people from the county were very helpful, so we were able to pull it all together very quickly.
So the work got done yesterday as planned, and I look forward to seeing the swamp dry out. Now I have to help soothe my poor husband's anxiety over his lawn and keep the sod moist where it was dug up and replaced.
Please join us in offering a Novena for the Holy Father's intentions in honor of his birthday (May 18):
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseechThee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
VH-1 is posting the 50 Worst Songs.
I think I would add that Let's Just Kiss and Say Good-bye song by who is that, the Brooklyn Bridge? Give me a chance I will think of some more. Add your own.
I have refrained from commenting on politics in regards to the war and partisan politics in this blog for many reasons. The biggest is that I never feel like I have all the facts. My gut always tells me that the info that gets filtered down through the media is half truths, or has some spin on it, so I like to reserve my judgements. Also, my comments here, after I felt I did not get all the information would only go to stir people up for no reason.
With that said, I am not sure this is even a political comment as much as a comment on the current events in general. I have a lot more to say as far as my own thoughts politically, but I will keep them to myself.
I was listening to Michael Savage last night. Very often he makes comments I whole heartedly agree with. Yet for every agreement, he says something that rubs me the wrong way, which does not put him on my favourite people list. He was playing sound clips of people commenting on the murder of Nick Berg, but in the middle of it he played the "soundtrack" if you will of Nick Berg's beheading. I instantly broke into hysterical tears had nightmares all night.
This whole event has made me sick to my stomach. First the grim pictures of the US soldiers abuse in the Iraqi prisons, which was plastered on every newspaper cover. Not only was that upsetting enough, but the way the media used to it spin anti-Bush sentiments was just horrible and tiresome. It's like it was too much to deal with the issue and we couldn't just get facts, but everyone's opinion about why Bush is horrible on top of that. Please give me enough credit to form my own opinion.
On top of that, I was horrified enough to read the description of what happened,
I didn't need to see no pictures! I had to hide the newspapers from my kids-they didn't need to see that either. Why did we need to see that?
Now this poor guy-I can't imagine how scared he must have been. Things are a mess these people are crazy. They did this in the name of God?
I am becoming very afraid of what the future holds because I think we are seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Sorry, I had to vent a bit after my restless night.
Please join us in offering a Novena for the Holy Father's intentions in honor of his birthday (May 18):
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please join us in offering a Novena for the Holy Father's intentions in honor of his birthday (May 18):
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
*Gorbulas did it again! It was a beautiful day out (which is a blessing in and of itself because the forecast predicted thunder showers all day). When Polo came him, Gorbulas, who had shed his pants was just in sneakers, a T-shirt a diaper and Mickey Mouse ears, took his diaper off and let him run around dressed like Porky Pig (a shirt and no pants). This was around 5 and he is still (7PM) attired the same way with no accidents because he went potty all on his own!
* My cantaloupe seedlings are sprouting, I am so excited. I put my plants outside to get some real sun and fresh air, but it was too windy, they got blown away. They also got very dry.
Gorbulas went potty yesterday.
I took off his clothes last night to get him ready for his bath. Sometimes I let him run around naked and pinch him on his cute little baby butt. Like most babies(yeah, I know he's 2, but whenever there is an older sibling, the youngest is automatically "the baby"), as soon as you take his clothes off he hops around with glee. Then he hopped right into the bathroom and we all heard "tinkle, tinkle" so we (well we made Rosey Posey do it) ran into the bathroom in a panic thinking he peed on the floor. He came hopping out saying "potty" and sure enough, that's where he went.
I actually had not even considered starting potty training yet because the whole thing stresses me out. Looks like I will have to get on the ball.
Please join us in offering a Novena for the Holy Father's intentions in honor of his birthday (May 18):
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
back in the early 80's when there was a popular genre of gang movie, where you would have two opposing gangs who would resolve their differences by doing battle in the form of dancing? Like they would confront each other with all their tough gear, belts with spikes on it and angry faces, and lay out cardboard right then and there (where were they keeping that?) and break dance! The leader of one gang would stand there looking all angry in his B-Boy stance challenging the other leader to show his best poppin' or breakin' moves. Then the police would come in SWAT gear and break up the break dancing battle. In the end there would be a big show down at the local club. Man I miss those movies, but the concept is truly corny in retrospect.
The best of these movies by far is Beat Street. It has an awesome soundtrack with many stars from the early hip hop days (Afrika Bambaata, Doug E Fresh, Kool Moe Dee to name a few). Then there was Breakin' which was OK, but in Breakin 2:Electric Bugaloo they were able to stop the demolition of their neighborhood center by dancing in front of it. Then there were others that should never have been made like Body Rock starring Lorenzo Lamas. I have never been able to take anything starring Lorenzo Lamas seriously again. Why they cast someone sans rhythm as the lead role about someone who danced, I do not know. I suppose he could have had rhythm in other apsects of his life, he just lost it in this movie.
I have been so nostalgic lately from the fun stuff of my youth-it must be a sign of getting old. Don't get me started about Battlestar Galactica.
What books might you recommend for someone who is planning to enter RCIA in the fall, who's on fire with excitement, and who needs some good reading on the Faith to tide her over till then?
The Catechism, of course. But what else? I think this person might benefit from a book that is complete and geared for adults, one that is clearly laid out, one that is geared for the average reader (not too scholarly -- the kind of thing one can read with a squirmy toddler climbing on one's head without losing one's train of thought); something that explains what Catholics believe and do, and why we believe and do it.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Well, poor little Hambet was sick on Thursday and Friday. He didn't even have the energy to be crabby; he just draped himself on the bed or on a chair and just looked at me. It was just too piteous, so I spent a lot of time with him draped on my lap. On Friday evening he started to revive, and it was really funny watching him do it -- it was as if he had been reconnected to a generator or something. He started sitting up, then walking around, and in another hour or two he was back to running laps around the sofa.
Saturday I had some time for two of my favorite activities: gardening and scoping yard sales. I cannot believe I have turned into one of these people who look forward to packing a travel mug of coffee and trolling the yard sales. I'm beginning to find preferred neighborhoods, especially in a suburb not far from me favored by young families with money to burn -- they have nice kids' stuff to unload. I struck gold twice when I was able to nab a Big Wheel and a Little Tikes wagon. The wagon is one of those plastic ones, with a long handle (easy on the grown-ups' back.) It seats two little people and has little doors for them to go in and out. (The doors only unlatch from the outside.) It even has cupholders! If only the cupholders held juice boxes....
After I hauled the swag home, we had lunch and turned our attention to the garden. I am so pleased with my raised beds! They make it so easy to see what's going on in the bed. I'm also seeing fewer problems with weeds and pests (slugs.)
The rhubarb bed boasts one mighty specimen (from last year) and the three little things I planted this year. The new plants aren't thriving, but they aren't dead either. They each have three little leaves. I wish I knew what I could do for them. I took a few stalks from the big plant -- my first rhubarb harvest! I will probably bake them into a crisp tomorrow, with some purchased rhubarb.
The peas are coming along nicely and have set some flowers. I made them a little trellis with bamboo and garden twine. The lettuce is also coming along nicely -- I cut my first lettuce today (mesclun) for tonight's supper. I also have good progress on the garlic, carrots, and parsnips I planted this spring. Not all the parsnip seeds germinated -- I wonder why? I planted some more seeds and also tried transplanting some of the thinnings -- hope that works.
This weekend I planted more garlic and carrots. I also planted nasturtiums (from seed) and planted out some of the plants I started indoors: the marigolds and some of the basil. I'm in a bit of a quandary because I intended to do some succession planting -- I planted spinach in the basil spot, with the idea that I'd be harvesting it right when it was time to plant out the basil. In the past I also have had no luck with spinach, so I figured it wouldn't grow anyway. Well, I was a bit too clever for my own good: the spinach actually grew. Our spring has been cool and cloudy, so the spinach is just maturing now, and the basil's ready to set out. Not all the spinach came up, so I started tucking some of the basil among the spinach. But now I've got baby spinach, and I need to decide what to do with it all. Shall we eat it as baby spinach and give its spot to the basil? Or should I give some lettuce space to the basil and let the spinach grow? Decisions, decisions....
Please join us in offering a Novena for the Holy Father's intentions in honor of his birthday (May 18):
May the Lord preserve our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, John Paul, whom Thou has appointed to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Food is our biggest bill. Granted, it is the bill that can be adjusted to some extent, but I think I have learned to adjust as much as possible.
We do not drink a lot of milk. For awhile we used rice milk instead, but that is pricey as well.
I understand the farmer's need more money I suppose. What I do not understand is why every form of food that is nutritious and essential is becoming out of reach for people under a certain income.
The next Group Read will be next Monday, on Chapters 25-32.
This week, we're discussing Chapters 19-24. We eagerly await your comments and discussion! (We are avoiding spoilers.)
Chapter 19: Mr Collins proposes to Elizabeth. Elizabeth declines, but Mr Collins does not believe she is serious.
Chapter 20: Mrs Bennet tries to settle the situation -- she takes Elizabeth's refusal seriously, but hopes to persuade Elizabeth to accept Mr Collins. She appeals to Mr Bennet, who settles the question (in the inimitable Mr Bennet style) in favor of Elizabeth. Mrs Bennet keeps working on Elizabeth, while Mr Collins grows more and more grumpy. The house is in an uproar, when Charlotte Lucas comes to call.
Chapter 21: In spite of his disappointment and resentment, Mr Collins does not curtail his visit to Longbourn. The girls takes a stroll to Meryton, where they meet their acquaintances among the officers, including Mr Wickham. The officers walk the girls back to Meryton, and Elizabeth introduces Mr Wickham to her parents. Jane receives a letter from Netherfield -- Caroline Bingley has written to tell her that the entire party has gone to London and will certainly stay there for the winter. Jane is particularly saddened by Caroline's confiding her hopes that Bingley will propose to Mr Darcy's sister Georgiana. Jane and Elizabeth differ in their interpretation of Caroline's motive in sharing these hopes.
Chapter 22: The Bennets dine with the Lucas family, and once again Charlotte takes the brunt of conversation with Mr Collins upon herself. Elizabeth thinks Charlotte is doing her a favor, but not in the way she expects. Charlotte's plan works better than she hopes -- Mr Collins sneaks out early the very next morning and proposes. Charlotte accepts, but asks Mr Collins not to tell the Bennets. Mr Collins is about ready to pop with pride, but he keeps the secret. The next day, after Mr Collins has returned to Hunsford, Charlotte calls on the Bennets and breaks the news to Elizabeth in person. Elizabeth is shocked, as Charlotte knew she would be.
Chapter 23: That evening, Sir William Lucas shares his happy news with the rest of the astonished Bennet family. They each digest the news in their own way. Elizabeth is still stunned at Charlotte's decision. The family receives Mr Collins's thank-you letter, written with all the grace and delicacy they have come to expect from him. Meanwhile, Jane is saddened by Bingley's continued absence. Elizabeth is suspicious of the Bingley sisters. Two weeks later, Mr Collins is back in town and stays with the Bennets, although he spends almost all his time with the Lucases.
Chapter 24: The news is confirmed: Bingley will not be returning at all for the winter. Jane concludes that Bingley had never really liked her, and consoles herself with the thought that she had not risked exposing her own feelings for Bingley. Jane and Elizabeth talk over human nature in general; Elizabeth confesses her growing cynicism, fueled in part by Charlotte's marriage to Mr Collins. Mr Bennet shares his own sardonic take on the matter. Meanwhile they see a good bit of Mr Wickham, who cheers them all up. His tale of woe at the hands of Mr Darcy is now general knowledge in the community. Only Jane continues to insist that there must be some kind of extenuating circumstances somewhere.
The Paul Sorvino Asthma Foundation
He has also written a book, which is sadly out-of-print called How to Become a Former Asthmatic which describes breathing exercises to help strengthen an asthmatic's lungs. Thanks to Patty for the heads up.
This is very telling:
Assemblyman John J. McEneny is a Catholic who supports some abortion rights. The Albany Democrat said he backs Hubbard's decision not to go down "the slippery slope of becoming judge and jury."
"I don't see priests making a judgment on the conscience of a person," McEneny said. "Are they voting for a pro-choice bill because they want to kill unborn babies? Or is it because they want to prevent back-alley abortions?"
We had a nasty cold, sans the rash around the same time up here. Actually, it was not very nasty-24 hours from start to finish-at least for those of us who do not have astma. For the asthmatics, Gorbulas and Fastolph, it was horrible. Fastolph has not had an attack like this is years and Gorbulas was almost hospitalised-again because his oxygen was at 92. Deo Gratias the doc was able to turn it around with a steroid shot. Deo Gratias again for good doctors.
Gorbulas has similar Daddy fondness right now as well. I did something pretty mean this morning. First of all, do not get me wrong, I adore my babies, but I am trying to wean Gorbulas. He is whiney from being two and short, he is whiney from being ill, he is whiney form being weaned. I feel for the kid, but he is also annoying. Since it is Saturday, I wanted to sleep in a few extra minutes. Gorbulas came up to bother me for Mommyjuice and Polo followed to see if was OK.
After Polo left he started to look to nurse and get all whiney, so I said "say Bye
Daddy," to which Gorbulas started to get all panicy and teary eyed "noooo, Duh-ddeeee!" thinking Polo was off to work. He climbed down and ran to his father.
I heard my husband say from the hallway "You did that on purpose!"
They make no sense! Terrible Two-lings think they can push everyone around and bend everyone to their will. Yet they have not noticed they are quite short. It is 7.30 am and Gorbulus is having a temper tantrum and is all sniffles because he has his coat in hand and is ready to go out and play. Five minutes ago it was because he did not want to wear his shirt but his pajama top over his jeans. What he has fashion sense now?
I should let him out. Usually something terrifying like a butterfly will fly by his face and he starts to panic and cry until someone goes out and rescues him.
James Cardinal Hickey, the Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, may be in "his last illness." More in the comment box at Disputations.
Poor Hambet had a fever all day yesterday. He hasn't been crabby at all, but he's been content to just stay curled up on the bed or in a chair -- it's weird to see him so droopy. His appetite's not great, but he's keeping down what he does eat and drink.
At first I was just going to ride it out with him, but last night I saw a weird spot on his tummy -- it looked like the beginning of a rash. So now I'm waiting for the doctor's office to open up so I can give them a call.
He just woke up and found his way downstairs. He's also discovered that Daddy's left for work, so it's time for our daily tears: Where's Daddy? I need my Daddy! I miss him!
Barefoot and Pregnant
Catholic Ragemonkey
Trousered Ape: Bob, the trousered-ape blogger, took his title from one of my favorite C.S.Lewis books, The Abolition of Man.
Thanks to blogger John Mallon for passing this on.
Stop the Morning-After Pill! Over-the-Counter approval to be decided
by the
FDA May 21.
No age limits, no medical supervision, no parental involvement!
Spread this far and wide! Time is of the essense! Call the White House,
contact your Senators and Congressmen!
For instructions on how to email the FDA directly with an email link go to this page of the PRI Website. More info below.
From the Population Research Institute
Weekly Briefing:
Dear Colleague:
There is still time for pro-lifers to call the White House
(202-456-1414) and urge the President to assure the American people
that
the mega dose "morning after pill" will not be sold "over the counter."
Also contact your U.S. Senator or Representative to urge leadership
from
Congress that will protect women and babies from this new chemical
assault
weapon.
Toll free: 1-800-648-3516 or 1-877-762-8762.
The abortion establishment is going all out to urge their followers to
lobby in favor of making this chemical killer available over the
counter.
Their mailings include the lie that so-called "emergency contraception"
does not cause abortion and does not work if a women is already
pregnant.
Over the counter approval of the "morning after pill" will be a public
health disaster.
Steven W. Mosher
President
PRI Weekly Briefing
12 May 2004
Vol. 6 / No. 17
Stop the Morning-After Pill!
Press reports suggest that the FDA is teetering on the brink of
approving
the so-called morning-after pill. As past PRI Weekly Briefings have
made
clear, there are terrible risks in making this powerful drug available
over-the-counter with no age restrictions or parental involvement.
€ The progestin-only hormonal contraceptive in Norplant is the same
active
ingredient as Plan B. Norplant is no longer available for use in the
United States because it is so dangerous. Known risks include
significant
weight gain, ovarian cyst enlargement, gallbladder disease, high blood
pressure and respiratory disorders.
€ Among teenagers, some of these common side effects could result in
increased rates of bulimia, anorexia, or clinical depression. Also, an
increased risk of ectopic pregnancy has been associated with use of
Plan
B-type emergency contraception.
€ Since the drug precludes parental involvement, it is likely that
teenage
girls who buy Plan B at the drugstore then experience abdominal pain
may not
confide in parents so that a physician could diagnose if a
life-threatening ectopic pregnancy had occurred. Over-the-counter
approval
would mean that young people would be free to purchase and use (abuse)
this
powerful hormone without supervision or follow up.
€ The drug was approved for over-the-counter use on January 1 in
Australia. Already there are reports in the Australian press of
13-year-old girls buying the pill several times a week to the alarm of
local pharmacists who are not able to give proper counseling to these
girls on the many risks involved. The Australian Medical Association is
already questioning the wisdom of making this risky drug so easily
available without restriction. (The West Australian, 4/4/04)
€ If over-the-counter availability of this drug is approved, we may
also
expect that rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among teens
will
skyrocket. Adolescents age 15-19 currently represent 46% of all cases
of
Chlamydia in the U.S. 1 in 4 sexually active teenagers contract an STD
at
some point. In Washington State and in Sweden, where emergency
contraception
has been made widely available, rates of STD infection are
skyrocketing.
€ We can also expect an increase in the rates of sexual violence
committed
against adolescent girls. The easy availability of this drug
over-the-counter will make it more difficult for teenage girls to
resist
pressure to have sex, and will trivialize the act of rape.
€ Over-the-counter availability of the morning after pill will lead to
an
increase in the pregnancy rate among teenagers. Studies have shown that
increased rates of pregnancy occur among teens with increased use of
"emergency contraception." Another showed that teenagers whose
pregnancies
ended in induced abortion were more likely to have used the drug before
conception, and that teens who use the drug were more willing to engage
in
"risk-taking" behavior.
Please take time to call the White House or, better yet, jot a note to
your Senator or Congressman regarding the morning after pill. If it
goes
over-the-counter as scheduled on May 21, then anything goes. Lives
will be
compromised and families further undermined. A sample letter follows:
Or is that -- a time-traveling antipope? My husband showed me this evening that Mr Shields has bestowed the red hat on "Cardinal" Joseph Francis Rummel. The time-traveling part comes from naming him a prince of the Church retroactively, since the good Archbishop (who was never made a Cardinal by any of the generally acknowledged popes) fell asleep in the Lord in 1964.
Of course, it is nothing for a time-traveling antipope to give the late Joseph Cardinal Bernadin an extra "e" on his name. I see that Francis Cardinal Arinze (or, as Shields styles him, "Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze") has at least been promoted to "a major Vatican official."
So what did Shields take for his antipapal name? Maybe he's Pius XXIII!
I wish Mr Shields would avail himself of the Catholic Almanac, which is even available on-line. It would be so much less distracting. He does make a couple of good points in his article about the hypocrisy of those who criticize church leaders for disciplining pro-abortion Catholic pols while praising church leaders who take positions they like (such as the late Archbishop, who excommunicated two segregationist leaders.) Of course, Shields goes on to repeat the tired old slander that pro-lifers don't care about people who are actually born, urging them to heed "the wise counsel of Cardinal Bernadine [sic], who reminded those who emphasize political opposition to abortion to the exclusion of all other social justice issues that to believe that life begins at conception does not mean that it -- or our serious responsibilities -- politically end [sic] at birth." But then, if Mr Shields doesn't know who his own bishop is, perhaps it is asking too much for him to be in aware of the activities of his co-religionists active in the pro-life movement. Why should he? After all, they're not mentioned in the DNC press releases.
...is from dinka. Head over to her place
for a lucious-sounding recipe for Rhubarb-Strawberry Crumble.
My own rhubarb is just immense, but the stalks are still green, they're not turning red. I will have to consult my mom and see when I can start harvesting some.
Over at Catholic Light, RC wonders: What would you be pleased to never sing again?
A commenter also wondered, what hymns would you pay to sing?
The nausea is lifting, my energy is slowly and surely returning. I am not sitting down and falling asleep-well all the time-LOL. I am starting to able to cook again and clean the bathroom. I am so grateful. I am not totally 100%, I still gag when I brush my teeth, but I am semi-functional.
If the weather would just get nice and warm (it was snowing a little while ago), I would love to start running. I just cannot get motivated when I am cold and want to sit inside under a blanket.
Chapter 13: We meet Mr Collins, first by letter and then in person.
Chapter 14: Dinner with Mr Collins.
Chapter 15: The girls take a walk to Meryton, with Mr Collins in tow. They meet up with their aquaintance Mr Denny, an officer in the regiment; Denny in turns introduces Mr Wickham, a fine looking young man who has just accepted a commission in the regiment. Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy ride by. While Bingley chats with Jane, Elizabeth notices a curious exchange between Darcy and Wickham. The Bennet girls and Mr Collins visit the girls' Aunt Philips (Mrs Bennet's sister); she invites them to come the next evening for cards and supper.
Chapter 16: Supper with the Philipses. Elizabeth is pleased to see Mr. Wickham, and is even more pleased that he seems to be interested in her. Wickham asks if she knows Darcy. She keeps the topic on Darcy, and finds that Wickham is a font of information -- he has been connected to the Darcy family since his childhood; his father was the late Mr Darcy's man of business. Wickham tells Elizabeth that old Mr Darcy had educated him for the church and had promised him a living, but that when the living became available, "our" Mr Darcy would not give it to him, and that Wickham was left to find his own way in the world. Wickham also reveals another connection to Darcy: Lady Catherine deBourgh is Darcy's aunt (she is his mother's sister) and believes that Darcy is to marry her daughter.
Chapter 17: Elizabeth shares Wickham's story with Jane. Jane is sure that there must be some mistake, somewhere. Mr Bingley and his two sisters come to call, and invite the Bennet family to a ball at Netherfield. Elizabeth is delighted at the idea of dancing with Mr Wickham. To her dismay, not only does Mr Collins decide that he will also come to the ball, but he also asks her for the first two dances. She also realizes that Mr Collins may actually be courting her.
Chapter 18: The Netherfield Ball. Although the other officers are present, Wickham is not; Denny drops Elizabeth a hint that Wickham timed his out-of-town business to avoid Darcy. Elizabeth is disappointed -- and annoyed with Darcy. She is so taken by surprise when Darcy asks her to dance, though, that she accepts before she can come up with an excuse. Elizabeth fishes for more information on Wickham. Bingley and his sisters have a poor opinion of him, but Elizabeth thinks that it's because they are naturally taking Darcy's side. Elizabeth has other concerns when the rest of her family starts forgetting their manners.
I am so excited because I found a rhubarb plant at the farm store yesterday. Of course I cannot make pie out of it any time soon, so I also bought a pound of rhubarb. Today I made a lattice top rhubarb (with some strawberries in it) pie-for after dinner.
I went into the kitchen to prepare some dinner stuff (mango avocado salsa) and noticed a trail of crumbs from the pie and nibble marks on the edge. I asked "who was nibbling on my pie?" to which my husband replied "Fastolph!".
I said "Fastolph, did you nibble on the pie?"
"Ye-ess!"
He was very proud of himself.
My brother said I should start a whole blog called "Fastolph Tales".
Each night, Gorbulas and Fastoph sit on either side of me on the couch and snuggle as they fall asleep. It is actually incredibly uncomfortable, but the pay off I get for the double cuddles is well worth it. Last night as Fastolph was sitting there, he patted my tummy.
Fastolph:Mom, you're getting fat.
Me: Do you know why I am getting fat?
Fastolph:Yeah! Because you eat too much!
Me:No, there's a baby in thee. That's your little brother or sister.
Fastolph: You ate a baby?!? I would never eat a baby. It's yucky in there.
I decided that was enough of a birds and the bees conversation for one day.
Pansy and Peony: The Two Sleepy Mommies
