Pansy: January 2004 Archives

Did I See That Right?

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We were at the Latin Mass yesterday, and on the other side of the pew was an older gentleman who kept looking over at out family. The two youngest were being their usual fidgety selves, so my husband assumed "oh, they are distracting him..." Later he brought them in the back.

After Mass, the gentleman approached my husband and told him "your children are so well behaved, here take this and buy them a little something nice." He handed my husband a few bills. At first glance there were a few singles on top, so my husband thought "Oh, a couple of dollars. That was very kind of him." Later my husband pulled out the wad and unraveled it: two singles, a five, a ten a twenty...thirty seven dollars. My husband went back out to find the genetleman to tell him we couldn't possibly accept that much money, but he was gone.

Old-Time Fitness in Old-Order Amish

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Even though they ate the high-fat, high-sugar diet typical of pre-World War II Americans -- meat, potatoes, gravy, eggs, garden vegetables, bread, pies, and cakes -- the Ontario Amish were remarkably fit. Only 4% were obese and only 26% were overweight.

How did they do it? Hard work -- and lots of foot power. Their weekly exercise was equivalent to that of long-distance runners. Men averaged 18,425 steps a day. Women averaged 14,196 daily steps.

This is actually something I have always wondered about. We seem to be becoming more and more obese, yet we have more low fat foods. We have more programs like Weight Watchers only let have you eat like 1,000 calories a day. So what it the deal? It makes no sense. I guess because our predecessors really did a lot more work than your standard 30 minutes of cardio a day.

I also think it has to do with simply being busy all day and not having time to snack. That and not having food at your convenience all the time.

More Winter Wonderland Whining

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Jeanetta Comments:

...I'm dreading going back to Siberia, er, I mean, Rochester. So cold!

OK, driving along the New York State Thruway, the Mohawk River looked like Siberia. It was frozen over with all these like ice chunks sticking out.

The weather is the main topic of conversation when you venture out. Someone mentioned to us that they get up in the middle of the night every few hours (just like we do) to run the water so the pipes do not freeze. Many people have mentioned that cold like this really borders on scary. You start to think not as much in terms of discomfort, but in terms of survival. My husband said, except for the break we should be getting on Monday, January is pretty much supposed to be this frigid.

Aphrodite/Eros ?? Which Of The

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Aphrodite
Aphrodite/Eros


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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My first result was actully this because my bedroom is blue because it is the colour my husband and I agree on. But if I were single, and had my choice, my room would be pink, hence the Aphrodite result. I think Aphrodite is more fitting because I am not over confident by a long shot!

nemesis
Nemesis


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Prayer for the Repose of a Soul

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My husband's first cousin, whose name was Joel Ramos, was murdered this week. He was only 21 years old.

What is "Too Extreme" Anyway?

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While it is always fun to get together with extended family over the holidays, these holidays brought a rally of strange comments such as "so, it looks like you are joining a cult...""well, you cannot possibly want anymore children, you can't afford it...""you have to be moderate...""those poor kids, they cannot even watch Charlie Brown's Christmas because you don't have cable...those poor kids...""why does your wife like to wear long skirts? This is 2003..." Many of the same family remarked and were stunned at how well behaved and non-materialistic our children are, yet pity our children for being forced to endure a crazy extreme lifestyle that teaches them to appreciate family and cooperation over material things and self-indulgence(although you may not know it if you were a fly on the wall here).

So, I left the last family get together wondering what exactly is "moderate" or "too extreme"?I suppose moderate means first of all, how much of the secular world are you willing to allow your children exposed too. My husband and I thought we were rather "moderate" because we do not believe in cutting something secular out, for no other reason than it is secular.

Winter Wonderland

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The temp has gone up two degrees since 10 AM making it a whopping 5 below right now!! Almost ready for summer (not).

I went outside to get eggs from the barn to make cookies (no, no chickens yet, the fridge is in the barn because there is electricity in the barn) and I thought I would freeze on the spot. It's that nasty cold when you feel the water vapour in the air freeze as you breathe it in.

A serviceman from Agway told me this morning "I get the point, it's winter and all, but it doesn't have to be this cold!"

So where are we, January 9th? This is not good, I have already had it, had it, had it with darkness, snow cold and ugly, dull winter clothes that are not only boring, but take a bazillion loads to wash because it is all heavy denims, sweatshirts and sweaters. For as long as I can remember, I wondered by what freak of nature I ended up in a climate with winter and not somewhere more suited to me that has nothing but beaches, frolicking and pina coladas.

I guess I can look at the flip side. Winter offers a time of rest, hibernation and some down time. Winter offers, um, time for penance to offer up when you are miserable with getting the car stuck in the wind drifts-again. Winter gives you a chance to make things like roast beef you would probably never make in the summer. Winter helps you save money because you never want to leave the house and do money draining recreational activities because it's cold out, the roads are dangerous, your hair is always messed up from hat head and by the time you get everyone's mittens, hats and scarves on (after yelling at everyone for losing one glove) and pulling and arm muscles out trying to stretch the carseat straps over their snowsuits, you have no desire to go anywhere because you're tired and done for the day. Of course you also spend the money you save on Christmas and heating bills. Winter does give us the gift of fall and spring which are my favourite seasons next too summer. Seriously, until I moved to upstate NY where winter lasts nine months out of the year, I never appreciated the beauty of the other three seasons/months like I do now.

Ah, Discipline

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Over at Summa Mamas, SmockMomma blogs about discipline at Mass.

I have absulutely nothing to add because I am truly brain dead on the subject. When I was a mother of two very well behaved children, I thought I knew all the answers. As the kids keep coming and as they get older, the more I realise I have even less answers. I also know I haven't even hit the tip of the iceberg because I have not raised teenagers yet. For this reason, I offer little advice, but prefer to listen. I can share what worked for me in certain sitiuations,but it varies in my own family from child to child.

It amazes me the older I get, how little I knew. I think I should have been a parent when I was 16. I knew everything then.

How Weird is This?

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I had a dream last night that someone decided to put together a St. Blog's Children's Book. It was in that board book format and each page had a drawn in Kathy the Carmelite telling a poem of explanation for each blog. I opened the first page in my dream and said "oh, I will look at this later..."

My father told me I should not tell anyone my dreams or else they will take me away.

Finding My Way Back to The TLM

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We attended our old Traditional Parish on Sunday. It was a most pleasant experience. Just about everyone asked where we have been and told us they missed us. The couple of families we have had problems with were not there for some reason or other and that helped with anxiety levels. I was afraid of going and being whispered about my immodest dress or my black lace mantilla.

I so missed the TLM. It has become comfort food for me and this diocese left so much to be desired regarding the NO Masses. We have not found a good NO parish yet. Not one without really bad folk music, or silly affectations. One Mass we went to spent 45 minutes inducting a nun in a white alb as the Parish Life Director. Another one had us sing and do hand motions during the Prayer of the Faithful. "Our hands, our hearts, our incense rising, we ask you Lord hear our prayer"-with hand motions! We had to put our hands in the air and wiggle our fingers at the incense part. So coming back to people kneeling and Gregorian Chants felt so much like home.

I wish I did not have to travel an hour for a TLM to be in a Church that felt truly Catholic, but feel blessed at least to have this Church here.

Oops-This is not good...

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72% Snob

Good job Pansy, you're safely out of super-snob territory. But watch yourself-a couple more sun drid tomatoes here and a few more trips to Dean & Deluca there and you might be veering dangerously towards the stuck-up. Best go touch some grubby sick people to keep your inner snob at bay.

Happy New Year Dear Friends!

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Hugs to my dear friend, Peony. May this New Year be filled with many blessings for you all!

We are off downstate again today, to Mt. Kisco to visit my aunt and uncle. Last night we had strawberry daquiris.


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