April 2008 Archives

This link was passed on on a home schooling email list. It is a real time map with current school incident reports.

On the one hand it freaks me out. I had no idea there was so much happening at once surrounding schools. It sort of gives me that usual "good thing I home school" vibe. On the other hand, what is the point of this? I hate reacting to scare tactics, or dwelling on all the evil going on the world. Where is the line to simply being informed and living in fear? Is it that times have become so dreadful that this is a new phenomenon or are we just more informed about what is happening as soon as it happens?

What do we do with this information? Most of us would not dream of taking guns to school, so it is not as if the average citizen contributes to the violence.Or is there something we are doing to contribute? Are we supposed to stay inside forever?

Perhaps we are just called to pray more and work harder to spread peace in our everyday actions. I am just not sure how to do that, and if someone has some tangible advice, I am open. It is just a wonder I get supper on the table every night.

So alas, I did not get tickets to attend the Papal Mass in Washington. I didn't even watch the whole thing on TV.* I did catch part of the homily, and I'm looking forward to downloading Tom's pdf and reading all of the Holy Father's speeches and homilies.

On the music I have nothing to say but "of course." A few years ago, I attended a Eucharistic Congress in the Archdiocese of Washington, and the choices for the Mass were just the same: "Look how diverse we are!"**

But at the same time, wasn't it great that the Archdiocese was putting on a Eucharistic Congress at all? With an Adoration chapel right there in the Convention Center?

And as for the Papal Mass, the Archdiocese had 100 priests available to hear confessions -- and still had to ask more priests to come and help, so that everyone waiting in line could go to confession before the Mass started. (I did attend the Papal Mass in Baltimore in 1995, and if there were confessors available, I completely missed that memo.)

What a blessing.

* am I the only one who feels weird watching Masses on TV? I never have TV on unless I'm doing something -- housework or some kind of craft -- but it doesn't feel right to be folding socks during the Consecration.

** okay, I just have to mention that the Latin Masses I attended at St Matthew's and the Shrine (Ordinary Use) had impressively diverse-looking congregations.

but I have to comment. At first glance, while I am of course disgusted, I get the impression that the customer service rep accepting the funds doesn't really care from what nut the funds come from, so they just "uh huh" along and take the cash. But then I thought about it, and if I had some organization with some racist nitwit called wanting to make donations, I would probably get offended and tell him where to stick his funds. Maybe I am being naive, but a true charitable organization with the mission of doing good would have some sort of trend of integrity, no?

Needless to say, the whole thing makes me very uncomfortable. Like I can't sit still in my chair and watch until I turn it off. I am not sure if it is the bluntness of the caller or the tacky response...

6.) Mountain Dew, KFC, and Church's Chicken contain stimulants to sterilize black men. Other products, including Kool and Uptown cigarettes are owned by the KKK.

"They" are attempting to put a Planned Parenthood in Amsterdam. Many people in my parish are motivated to organize a grass roots organization to stop them. If anyone has any experience in this area and can offer advice, I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks!

My first entry would be her comment here:

Translation (to girly talk):

Josh: Gosh, I really had to get my haircut, my ends were getting horrible! And then I remembered, hey thomas is coming soon, I'm so excited, yeah! (*jumps up and down*) Soooo i'm thinking...like, why don't i get my hair cut just like he does? And I TOTALLY DID! Do you like it?

Thomas: *GIGGLE* Oh, you are sooo sweet! It's supercute!!! And easy, right? I love how it's sooo low maintenance! Perfect for hats! It really goes with your glasses, too!

Josh: *Giggle* I know, right?

Thomas: Totally! I'm gonna get some lemonade, you want the pink cup or the purple?

Totally made my Monday.

I woke up this morning and my first thought was "oh gosh, it's Monday! No, make it stop." And you know what? I still feel like that. I just don't have the chutzpah to do the Mondaying today.

For about 6 weeks I have been doing Weigh Watchers in earnest. I have been working out 6 days a week, counting my points,measuring portions, avoiding eating out, writing down everything I eat and all that fun stuff. With all that work, I have lost exactly 1.8 pounds. I am so disgusted. DIS-GUS-TED! Now I could go into the whole "well, I am nursing, so I have no metabolism, blah, blah, blah" but that is not what I want to whine about. I want to whine about how friggin' stressful dieting is emotionally.

For the first time, I can honestly say I started dieting for health reasons, with the added hope of cosmetic side effects. Previously it has always been the opposite.I would always diet with the goal of looking better with the extra benefit of getting healthier. My father has this terrible cancer that was most likely caused by environmental reasons. I am getting up there in years, I have had gestational diabetes twice and I would rather not succumb to a preventable illness when I grow old. I want to be around with my husband and family as long as I can if God so decides to put my care in my hands.

Fast forward to Monday, April 21 I step on the scale to view that I gained 4/10 of pound. If you know Weight Watchers, you know you get 35 extra flex points, plus activity points. I went into my flex/activity points and I gained. I don't know why I gain whenever I do that, I am not supposed to, but I do. My brother who was home for the past month is leaving, so we had various "celebrations" all weekend. So gaining some was no surprise. However,t when you step on the scale and you see the number go up 4/10 of a pound, it feels like the world is coming to an end. Likewise, when you lose a pound, you feel like you can go out clothes shopping and buy all kinds of pretty things to go with your new figure, 4/10 of a pound makes you feel like you want to throw them all away.I suppose I am sounding kind of mental, but I am hoping I am not alone. I think I would be more inclined to give up dieting not because I cannot live without pizza (as accurate as that is), but because I can't stand the emotional roller coaster.

I was following Berylla around the vestibule of the Church this morning, where she picked up a prayer card and proceeded to take bites out of it. I took it from her and read the back. It had this uplifting quote from Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty:

The Most Important Person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any Cathedral-a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body...The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God's creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation...What on God's good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?

Alicia Keyes in an effort to keep up a reputation as someone who is intelligent, in touch with the world and not prone to crazy conspiracy theories was quoted by Blender Magazine stating:

"a ploy to convince black people to kill each other ... by the government," etc.

She later retracted the statement:

"I wasn't saying that I'm a conspiracy theorist, and I wasn't saying that I'm anti-anyone because anybody who knows my character knows that I'm a very positive person. ... My only aim is to uplift people and spread love ... overall it was a great article. It was merely a line or two that has provoked all of this madness. I regret (the) negative spin."

Someone must have told Ms. Keyes that conspiracy theories such as the government making up Gangsta Rap, as opposed to things like anthrax, make her sound not only out of touch with the daily struggles of the everyday American, but just plain whacky.

But them I read this quote today from 50 Cent:

"I don't like Alicia Keys no more though … the same reason why I said that I don't like Oprah Winfrey," 50 Cent toldThe Showbuzz. "I'm prejudice(d). I don't like people who don't like me. If you don't like the content that I write because of my experiences; I am being who I am when I am writing it. I fall into that 'label' as far as you considering artists creating 'Gangsta music,' we fall into that.

"If she don't like that, (then) I don't like that classical music s--- she be doing. At some point she's playing some s--- that don't relate to me. … We listen to it and try to figure out why people actually enjoy it. I am trying to enjoy it. That statement changes my perception of Alicia Keys totally. But the magazine is standing behind it, which means they probably have a tape of her in conversation saying it. It's just not really a bright comment anyway...

...I think hip-hop is so competitive, that the competitive nature, the art form makes it a competition," 50 Cent said. "

Wow, that's some deep sh*t.

Truth be told, I am actually starting to think Gangsta Rap was created not by the American government, but like by the Russians, or the Chinese or Osama bin Laden so that no American will be able to effectively communicate with each other in English again! Who's with me? Think hard about, you know, stuff. Or be thinkin' hard on stuff that, you know, be happenin' which I don't cuz 50 be speakin' the truth for me and, um...oh I lost my train of thought...see what I mean?

16 months ago the Upstate Mosses welcomed their first girl after a succession of four boys. This meant the house had to restocked with cute pink clothes, ribbons, earrings barrettes and all things girly. It was a necessity. (Now this part is really a post that should have been written a year ago, and if it was, I apologize.) I desperately, desperately wanted pink Robeez sandals for my baby girl. But $27? I could not justify it. Too much. I started combing the Internet for patterns. That was when I stumbled on Make Them Yourself. The site owner, Misty, has tons of patterns for practical baby items (not just shoes). Although "practical" might be in the eye of the beholder if you call having tons of homemade baby shoes with various colors and styles practical I fell into a trap when I was able to buy a box of suede scraps of various shades of pink for $2 on eBay. Score

Yesterday, I made these as a gift for a family friend:

I think next time I should stuff the shoes with cotton or something before I take a picture of them.

On Sunday I had the privilege of watching my first and last episode of Rock of Love 2 with Bret Michaels. The only reason why I watched it was because I love Celebrity Fit Club. With the exception of Dustin and Erin, I like the people,. They seem good people I wouldn't mind knowing. Most people on TV-well let's just say I am glad they are on TV and not next door to me. I like Dr. Ian's smile and I just love Harvey. I want Harvey to come get my kids motivated to clean their rooms and do their school work. Back to Rock of Love, the only reason I watched it is I was captive under a just falling asleep toddler without a remote to change the channel. It was a pathetic site as I kept doing that whisper-yelling thing hoping I was loud enough for someone outside my door to hear me, yet not loud enough for the kid next to my face to wake up. No luck, I was hostage to VH-1. So I kept the show on. Although I never saw the first show or one episode of the second, you practically have to live under a rock to not know that one of the contestants is Oscar De La Hoya's neice, Daisy De La Hoya. And lo and behold, there she was, one of the two finalists. So my interest was piqued.

I watched in horror for one and a half hours as an obviously plastic-surgery-enhanced-too-old-to-not-get-a-haircut "gentleman" pitted these two women, Daisy and Ambre (every time I see that spelling I think it''s pretentious and should be pronounced AHM-bray), against each other. Daisy, the supposed "Looker" between the two of them (who also looks quite surgically enhanced) did not have one intelligent word come out of her mouth. There was no way he was going to pick her. Ambre who seemed more intelligent, and was more appropriate choice age wise in comparison to Daisy seemed more "together", but she was also someone who is not ashamed to show the world she goes to dinner without underpants on for a man who has not committed to her. In truth, as much as the feminist in me wanted to hate him, I didn't. Truth be told, I'm not sure exactly what my opinion of him is exactly.

These poor women went to Mexico and for 24 hours waited in a hotel room with nothing to do but pine over this guy while he wine, dined and slept with their opponent in the hopes that the next day he will pick them. The only thing that made total sense to me was when Daisy left Bret's room the next morning, she went to her room and broke down in tears.

Can someone please explain the Feminist Movement to me? Where are they? Why has being used as game show prizes the mark of modern woman?

That night I had nightmares about Daisy and Ambre and when I woke up the next morning, I still had a sort of emotional bitter taste in my mouth about the show. I remembered why I never watch these shows, they make me feel angry and depressed. There are certain horror movies I cannot watch because I feel the graphic imagery does some kind of damage to my soul. I felt the same way about what I witnessed on VH-1 last Sunday.It chips away little by little the sense of right and wrong God instilled in me, and takes us a step away from viewing people as people, but seeing them merely as commodities.

I guess it was the unpleasant memories of having been there, done that made me feel terrible. Nothing fulfilling about it.

Sorry I've been such a wretched Blog Mistress, but I have been incredibly busy. Since the arrival of Berylla (now 15 months old), life has been non-stop. Keeping up with six kids seems nothing short of a miracle. (Yes, I know there is someone with eight out there saying they have it all together, but hard is hard.) I spend more time at check-ups...

First, not long after I last posted about my father, he fell on the steps and broke his femur. He had hip replacement, radiation therapy and now has chemo twice a week. We did not expect him to survive, but he showed us all and is doing remarkably well.

Today is our first warm and lovely day in Amsterdam, and it is a long time coming!