Pansy: December 2003 Archives

How We Spent the Holidays

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It tried very hard to not be a good Christmas. The transmission on our van died somehow. We were in one of those positions where when something like that happens, perhaps you should get a new car, but do not have the money for one, so you end up spending a lot of money to fix it. Groan. So now our used van has a new transmission. And we are really broke.

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Christmas Day was very nice. We finally got it into our heads not to spend a bazillion dollars on the kids and keep it simple. This was more out of necessity this year, but it worked out well. The children were very happy and our family usually spoils them something terrible. Also, I did not have to spend a month after Christmas finding places to put things.

We went downstate to visit my grandmother who made her usual Italian dinner, antipasto, followed (usually by soup, but not this time), lasagna and then dinner which was roast pork and vegetables. After that we went to Pennsylvania to visit my mother in law.

On the way back up, I stopped at CVS in Yonkers to pick up dramamine for the boys and met Phylicia Rashaad purchasing allergy medicine. It was all my daughter could do to contain herself because she loves old reruns if the Cosby Show. No I did not make a fool of myself and say "ohmy gosh, your Mrs. Huxstable!" but I thought about it when she told me "we're here for the same things..." and I recognised her voice.

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The Saturday before Christmas, we were blessed to meet some more of our neighbors. We are grateful. One neighbor offered to help with our driveway in exchange for help fixing his woodshed. Another offered to show us how to raise chickens in exchnage for eggs. Our neighbor next door gave us a gift basket or cookies, canned peaches and pineapple peach jam. I have yet to meet his wife due to the snow. Most of it is melted now, and I stopped by yesterday to drop off a panettone I baked, but they were not in. Their driveway was a bit of an obstacle for a car, so I am not sure if we will attempt that again unless on foot.

Now my husband is on vacation for the week. I was supposed to go down to Washington with my father (who now works there) and hang out with Peony, but with our expensive car troubles, it was not very prudent. Next vacation.

Pansy's Friday Five

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1. List your five favorite beverages.
vanilla milkshakes
Chardonnay
water
vanilla coke
coffee (the only ones I get to drink are coffee and water-diet)

2. List your five favorite websites.
I dunno, check the margins.

3. List your five favorite snack foods.
potato chips
global thermonuclear buffalo wings
beignets
chocolate chip cookies and milk
cheese fries (none of these I can eat either)

4. List your five favorite board and/or card games.
Uno
Monopoly
spades
I don't know, I rarely get to play

5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games.
I will speak vicariously through my husband.
Gamecube
Playstation II
Gameboy Advance (five is pushing it)

This is a Silly Christmas Present

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But that's OK, I look forward to silly presents. I mean whenever would you buy yourself something like a Chia Pet? I actually look forward to gag gifts such as these because they have a sense of humour.

When I was a little girl and would stay at my grandmothers, I would wake up to see her crunching down a biscotti and a cup of coffee. She would always offer one and I would turn her down because frankly, they did not appeal to me at all. They were always too crunchy and my grandmother did not make them with chocolate, but usually molasses or even worse anise (blah) with nuts (blah). Not fun kid fare.

When I grew up and actually saw them selling biscotti in coffee shops, I was shocked. Who would want to eat those dry licorice tasting cookies? And why were they calling them bis-cot-tee when we have always called them BEESH-GAWT Then I saw ones with chocolate chips and realised I could do that. Make the same cookies my grandmother makes, but add chocolate chips and not use anise. I am still amazed they sell these because they are like the easiest cookies in the history of the world.

Biscotti
1/2 cup shortening (or butter)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups of flour
3 tsp baking powder
flavouring (I use 1 tsp vanilla, some grated orange peel and 1 cup chocolate chips)

Cream the butter, add the sugar and eggs 1 at a time. Add flour, baking powder and flavouring. Shape dough into like three round loaves and squish them down to make them slightly oblong. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for like an hour in 350 degree oven. Take out the loaves and slive them at an angle. Bake the slices for like another twenty minutes or until they are hard and crunchy.

My Husband is Such a Pill!

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He did not want to drive an hour away to Oneonta at midnight to go see Lord of the Rings. Claiming that we would have gotten home at like 4 am and he would have had to leave for work at 5 am. What a pill! I guess we will have to wait until Saturday like some kind of psuedo-fans.

or at least express them in a more appropriate forum. See, I hate it when I hear anti-Catholic comments from celebrities whose talents I have enjoyed because then I simply have to stop liking them. I always thought Lauryn Hill was so talented and pretty and now I find her annoying. This is so sad because this is a woman (like Whoopi Goldberg) got her career started and made lots of money off of the Catholic Church.

Urban Dictionary

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For my parents, I was thinking of having a family potrait taken of the kids, the sibs, hubby and I to present as a Christmas present. My family is relocating to Peony's neck of the country, so who knows when the opportiuntiy will again arise for a family pic.. I emailed my brothers to request an appointment for us to get together to have our picture taken and asked them to "keep it on the DL". One of my brothers had no idea what "the D-L" is (warning, the first definition is not only graphically offensive, but is not as accurate as the second). That is when my other brother referred him to the Urban Dictionary.

So now you know, next time you speak to Peony and she mentions someones McJob or starts talking about how her last batch of snickerdoodles was off the chain you know where to go. She can revert to Urban Contemporary Lingo and has been known to say things such as "I love me some Swedish Meatballs" and "people think the Diocese of Arlington is all that and a bag of chips" at times and it can be quite confusing.

Today...

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I met one of my Amish neighbors who comes by to use our phone. The kids were thrilled to see him and loved his horse. He asked me again if it is OK to use our phone because it is the closest one to him in miles and he did not want to be a nuisance. I told him not to be silly. He also said if my husband needs help with anything, please ask because he is concerned we will get our van stuck in the drive-way, but he can see my husband is a FedEx driver, so he is probably a good driver.

He told me he had three boys and he looked like he was in his early twenties.

I wonder if I would be allowed to meet his wife and socialise with her a bit.

"Hour of Grace" (today 12 noon-1 PM)

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I got this from a list I am on. Thank you Karen.

"This will be My Hour of Grace"

During the period of November 24, 1946 to December 8, 1947, Our Blessed
Mother appeared to Sister Pierrina in a little church in Montichiari, Italy,
eleven times.

On the first appearance Our Blessed Mother told Sister Pierrina that She
wanted to be known as the 'Mystical Rose' and that an Hour of Grace should
be kept at noon on December 8th in all the Catholic Churches of the world.
Our Blessed Mother wanted this to be known through all of Italy and the
entire world.

It was November 16, 1947 when Sister Pierrina was finishing her thanksgiving
after Holy Communion when she saw a great light. She then saw a vision of
Our Blessed Mother as the 'Mystical Rose.'

Sister was so deeply moved by the stunning beauty of Our Lady that she began
talking to Her. All of a sudden a gentle force made her kneel down in front
of Our Lady.

Our Blessed Mother spoke these words

"My Son is greatly offended by the sins of impurity. He is already planning
to send the deluge upon the people, for their destruction, but I have asked
him to show mercy and not send the destruction. So that is why I have
appeared to ask for penance and atonement for the sins of impurity."

Then Our Blessed Mother asked for an Act of Humility by Sister Pierrina. She
asked her to make the sign of the cross with her tongue on each of the
stones in the Sanctuary.

"This shall be a reminder to the people that I have appeared here and do not
have the people step on those stones."

Our Blessed Mother then stepped on each of the stones so that Her gown
touched all four stones.

On the 22nd of November, Sister Pierrina felt the overwhelming urge to go to
Church at 4:00. The Mother Superior, four Sisters and a group of friends
accompanied her. They were all saying the Rosary when Our Blessed Mother
appeared as before. She instructed Sister Pierrina to make the Sign of the
Cross on the stones and fence them off so that no one would step on them.

Again Our Lady asked for penance. She said "Penance is nothing more than
accepting all your crosses daily and willingly. No matter how small, accept
them with love".

At this time, she told sister Pierrina to come again on December 8th at
noon.

"This will be My Hour of Grace."

The Sister asked how she was to prepare for this Hour of Grace? To which the
Blessed Mother said

"With Prayers and Penance. Pray the 50th Psalm (Miserere) with outstretched arms
three
times. During the Hour of Grace, many spiritual graces will be granted. The
most hard-hearted sinners will be touched by the grace of God."

The Blessed Virgin promised that whatever a person asked Her for during this
Hour of Grace (even in impossible cases) would be granted to them, if it was
in accordance with the Will of the Eternal Father.

It was December 7th when Sister Pierrina felt the urge to go to Church. This
time she was accompanied by the Priest and the Mother Superior. Our Blessed
Mother appeared with a young boy and girl dressed in beautiful white
clothing. Sister Pierrina was sure these little ones were angels because
they were so beautiful.

Our Blessed Mother said "Tomorrow I will show you My Immaculate Heart which
is so little known among the people."

She asked people to pray for Russia. "There are so many people being held
prisoners which their families know nothing of because they have been gone for
so many years. Pray for the
conversion of Russia, the suffering of the soldiers and their sacrifices and
martyrdom will bring peace to Italy. The little children are Francisco and
Jacinta. I am giving them to you as your companions. You will have much to
suffer for My sake. I want simplicity and goodness from you as of these
little children."

Our Blessed Mother then blessed Sister Pierrina, the Priest and all those
who were gathered there.

On the morning of December 8th people began arriving at the little Church at
8:00 in the morning from neighboring towns. By noon, some 10,000 people had
gathered to see Our Blessed Mother, many of whom had to stand outside
because the Church did not have enough room for the large crowd. Sister
Pierrina was accompanied to Church by her Mother and Brothers, the Mother
Superior and the Chief of Police from Montichiari. Sister was reciting the
Rosary with the crowd in the middle of the Church. Suddenly a brilliant
white light appeared from the ceiling. Stairs were coming from the light
down to the floor of the Church about fifteen feet in length. The staircase
was beautifully decorated with red, white and yellow roses. The Blessed
Virgin appeared so radiant, dressed in white, with Her Hands folded. She was
standing on a splendid carpet at the top of the stairs made of the red,
white and yellow roses.

In the most gentle and loving voice, Our Lady smiled and began to speak.

"I am the Immaculate Conception, the Mother of all Graces and the Mother of
my Beloved Son, Jesus.

I wish to be known as The Mystical Rose. My wish is that every year on the
8th of December at noon an 'Hour of Grace' will be installed. Many spiritual
Graces and physical blessings will be received by those who pray undisturbed
during this hour."

Then slowly she began to ascend the staircase gracefully scattering roses as
She went along until She reached midway of the staircase.

Here again Our Blessed Mother spoke

"I am very happy to see this great demonstration of Faith." Sister Pierrina
asked for many of the sinners to be forgiven.

Our Blessed Mother replied

"My Divine Son will show His Greatest Mercy as much as the people will pray
for them. I want this to be known and told to Pope Pius XII. Tell him I want
him to install the 'Hour of Grace' throughout the whole world and those who
are not able to go to Church during this time, may obtain this Grace in
their homes at noon time."

She also asked that a Statue be made and placed on the spot where She stood.
This should be called the 'Rosa Mystica' and carried in procession through
the town at which time many Graces will be given and cures will take place.

Then the Statue is to be returned to the Church. Our Lady prayed for the
sick, some will be cured others not. Many men, women and children were cured
at that very instant. A twenty-six year old woman who could not say a word
for nine months, suddenly began shouting

"I see Her. I see the Blessed Virgin."

An eighteen year old girl with ulcers was instantly cured.

A five year old boy who had been paralyzed was told by the Blessed Mother
"Come to Me, you will be walking now."

He was placed on the Blessed Stones and was able to walk. There were three
others who were very sick and were immediately cured. But of course, the
greatest miracles taking place were those of the spiritual blessings being
shed upon the people gathered in the Church.

Our Blessed Mother said

"This is the last time I will appear here. Pray, weep and do penance on
these Stones and you will receive the care of My Motherly Heart."

She then left the little Church, but because of the Unending Love of Our
Heavenly Mother, She has given us the 'Hour of Grace' to be spread through
the entire world.

She had given all people the opportunity to demonstrate our love and trust
to Her and to help make reparation for the grievous sins offending Her
Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
----
THE REQUEST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR THE HOUR OF GRACE

Day and time of the Hour of Grace - December 8th Feast of the Immaculate
Conception to begin at 12 noon and to continue until 1 pm (one full hour of
prayer).

During this hour the person making the 'Hour of Grace' either at home or in the
Church must put away all distractions.

Begin the Hour of Grace by praying three times the Psalm 50 (Miserere) with
outstretched arms.

The remainder of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent prayer before God
meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, praying the Holy Rosary, praising God.

Since there are no known cures for colds and flu, prevention must be your goal. A proactive approach to warding off colds and flu is apt to make your whole life healthier. The most effective way to prevent flu, frankly, is to get the flu shot. It may not be natural, but it works better than anything else. But there are other strategies you can employ as well. WebMD went to Charles B. Inlander, president of The People's Medical Society, for suggestions you may want to try:

#1 Wash Your Hands

Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hand, and then touches the telephone, the keyboard, a kitchen glass. The germs can live for hours -- in some cases weeks -- only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object. So wash your hands often. If no sink is available, rub your hands together very hard for a minute or so. That also helps break up most of the cold germs.

#2 Don't Cover Your Sneezes and Coughs With Your Hands

Because germs and viruses cling to your bare hands, muffling coughs and sneezes with your hands results in passing along your germs to others. When you feel a sneeze or cough coming, use a tissue, then throw it away immediately. If you don't have a tissue, turn your head away from people near you and cough into the air.


#3 Don't Touch Your Face

Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching their faces is the major way children catch colds, and a key way they pass colds on to their parents.


#4 Drink Plenty of Fluids

Water flushes your system, washing out the poisons as it rehydrates you. A typical, healthy adult needs eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. How can you tell if you're getting enough liquid? If the color of your urine runs close to clear, you're getting enough. If it's deep yellow, you need more fluids.


#5 Take a Sauna

Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one 1989 German study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.


#6 Get Fresh Air

A regular dose of fresh air is important, especially in cold weather when central heating dries you out and makes your body more vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. Also, during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.

#7 Do Aerobic Exercise Regularly

Aerobic exercise speeds up the heart to pump larger quantities of blood; makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood; and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.


#8 Eat Foods Containing Phytochemicals

"Phyto" means plants, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. So put away the vitamin pill, and eat dark green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits.


#9 Eat Yogurt

Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.


#10 Don't Smoke

Statistics show that heavy smokers get more severe colds and more frequent ones.

Even being around smoke profoundly zaps the immune system. Smoke dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia. These are the delicate hairs that line the mucous membranes in your nose and lungs, and with their wavy movements, sweep cold and flu viruses out of the nasal passages. Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes.


#11 Cut Alcohol Consumption

Heavy alcohol use destroys the liver, the body's primary filtering system, which means that germs of all kinds won't leave your body as fast. The result is, heavier drinkers are more prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications. Alcohol also dehydrates the body -- it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in.


#12 Relax

If you can teach yourself to relax, you can activate your immune system on demand. There's evidence that when you put your relaxation skills into action, your interleukins -- leaders in the immune system response against cold and flu viruses -- increase in the bloodstream. Train yourself to picture an image you find pleasant or calming. Do this 30 minutes a day for several months. Keep in mind, relaxation is a learnable skill, but it is not doing nothing. People who try to relax, but are in fact bored, show no changes in blood chemicals.


The People's Medical Society is a nonprofit consumer health advocacy organization. Charles B. Inlander is president, and co-author of 77 Ways to Beat Cold and Flu.

Reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson, MD, September 2003.
Originally published October 2001.

SOURCE: Charles B. Inlander, president of The People's Medical Society, a nonprofit consumer health advocacy organization, and author of 77 Ways to Beat Cold and Flu.

© 2003 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

Finally Here!

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Before I start whining, I am so grateful to be finally here. My husband did a wonderful job painting and whatnot. Our upstairs still has boxes of clothes that need to be unpacked, or gone through or just chucked. Kids accumulate so many clothes.

The hard part (so far) is the plumbing. The Mennonites who lived here previously had no use for hot water (if running water at all-the bathtub is brand new and completely unused). We had Agway come and install a tankless hot water heater and our cooking stove. I was not able to cook for a week, so what a relief that was. After the Agway guys left, we found we only had hot running water in our bathroom.My husband looked around our plumbing and saw the cold water pipe was simply disconnected from the pressure tank. Last night he reconnected it and tested the cold water. It started to rain in our house. Ugh. Our Amish neighbor (perhaps knows) the pipe probably burst last winter, and they simply disconnected the cold water pipe since all the water was running cold anyway. Now we are waiting on the plumber. The good news is, despite the "rain", it was only a small amount and the damage to the ceiling is fixable. I do feel like I am in some bad comedy about a city family moving to the country.

In other news, tomorrow is my birthday. I have reached the point in birthdays where I wish they would stop coming too quickly, or at least stop making me a year older.We are expecting a big snow storm and will probably be snowed in for the weekend.


Di Fattura Caslinga: Pansy's Etsy Shop
The Sleepy Mommy Shoppe: Stuff we Like
(Disclaimer: We aren't being compensated to like this stuff.
Any loose change in referral fees goes to the Feed Pansy's Ravenous Teens Fund.)


Pansy and Peony: The Two Sleepy Mommies



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