Peony Moss: January 2004 Archives

I wanna be a millionaire

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You have just won one million dollars:

1. Who do you call first? My husband first, and then a first-rate financial planner.

2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself? I'd fix up the Prussian Green Money Pit and pay off the mortgage. Then I'd sell the PGMP, get a house I liked better, and get some furniture for it.

3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else? Living room furniture for my mother.

4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom? Oh yes, 10% off the top -- I have a nice assortment of charities in mind.

5. Do you invest any? If so, how? Oh, I don't know, some kind of mix of investments. I would try to invest it so that my dh could retire immediately (or else as soon as possible) and so that Hambet could go to college (and even grad school) without taking out those hated student loans.

TSM is one year old today

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You saw it here first

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smock4prez.jpg

Well, actually you saw it at Flos Carmeli first.

lilyandherman
You are Ken & Barbie as the happy and devoted
Herman and Lilly Munster! What a gas, Daddy-O!


Which Ken & Barbie Couple Do You Belong To?
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ONCE AGAIN, smockmomma beats me to something -- this time, writing a quiz! I should start asking her for tips on beating procrastination.

WOO HOO!

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Give me joy -- I just paid off my student loan for nursing school!

Another reason to study Latin

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The votes are in, and Pride and Prejudice it shall be!

Now it's time to get your copy of the book. It's readily available at the bookstore (new or used), library, or even online.

Let's start reading, and discuss Chapters 1-6 at the end of next week (February 6 or thereabouts.) I'll open each week's discussion with a post, with discussion to follow in the comments box. I'll be putting all posts in their own Group Read category, so they can be easily retrieved.

One thing that's been on my mind is how to handle those details of Jane Austen's world that might be confusing to those new to her books -- things like livings, precedence, reticules, shillings and pence, and so on. Some people are going to have books with extensive notes, but others might not.

There are a lot of books out there that answer those kinds of background questions -- for example, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool. The Republic of Pemberley is also a gold mine. (If you don't like surprises, be warned; the RoP is also chock-full of plot giveaways.)

I also propose a weekly area for people to post their Pressing Questions about language, customs, "what's happening" -- that kind of thing. Please feel free to post any questions about Chapters 1-6 in this post's comments box.

Let's go!

Oscar nominations....

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...are being announced as I write. Pirates of the Carribbean was entertaining enough, but Johnny Depp getting a nomination for Best Actor out of it?

ROTK is nominated for Best Picture, along with Master and Commander, Seabiscuit, Lost in Translation, and Mystic River.

Jane Austen, Public Theologian

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I was ranting about that horrible Mansfield Park movie to a friend of mine; the tantrum had the best possible ending in that we're going to read the book together and talk it over in March.

Would anyone be interested in doing an online group read of Mansfield Park?

Perhaps we could do two chapters a week. On a designated day, I would start that week's discussion, to be continued in the comments box. Alas, we will each have to be responsible for our own coffee, tea, and wee little sandwiches.

Anyone interested? I'd like to have at least two or three people commit to start, but of course anyone's free to jump in later.

UPDATE: In our comments box, Elinor suggests Pride and Prejudice as a good starting book for those new to Jane Austen, and I agree with her. SO, if you're interested in doing the group read, please drop a note in the box, and cast your vote for Pride and Prejudice or Mansfield Park.

Not much going on here.

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Just laundry, laundry, laundry, dusting, dusting, dusting, and then vacuuming.
I fear that some of those dust bunnies have gotten so large I'll need to get a hunting license to go after them.

An organization question: How do you deal with organizing paper? "Official" papers (like bank statements and tax papers) goes in our filing cabinet, of course, but how do you handle stuff like catalogs you want to take a peek at someday but don't have time at the moment, articles you printed from the Net that you want to take a look at, recipes, craft ideas.... all that kind of flotsam and jetsam. I have a file for recipes I want to try, and am starting a file for craft ideas. Maybe I should start one for my hoard of articles.

Father Groeschel's waking up

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From Father Sudano's letter of January 21.

When I was doing bedside nursing I mostly took care of people who had had heart and chest surgery, and it was not unusual for elders to take a while --like weeks and weeks -- to fully wake up after surgery, especially if they were frail or had experienced complications. One of the head nurses would say, "What Mr So-and-so needs now is a little 'Tincture of Time.'"

Prayer, patience, and vigilance.

An update on Karen Marie Knapp

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Karen Marie Knapp has been hospitalized since before Christmas. She's in subacute now.

Her family has been posting occasional updates in her comments box, and now there's an address posted at Mr Serafin's place if you'd like to drop her a line.

Thanks to Steven for the heads-up.

"Mansfield Park": the movie

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One word: TRAVESTY.

The only nice thing about this movie is its deepening my appreciation of the book.

Doldrums

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Slow blogging from me ahead, until my wits return or my household gets brought to order, whichever comes first.

I am order-challenged, mostly because I am a little too fond of procrastination. I have been trying to get organized and stay that way. So far, the front hall, living room, and family room are all conquered territory, though the price of victory is eternal vigilance. My husband laughs at me for relentlessly working to keep the toys picked up in the family room, but I figure it's easier to clean up little messes than big ones, and easier to identify and find missing parts right away -- like that stupid triangle striker, for example. I ended up begging First Act for a replacement, which they very kindly sent at no charge. It arrived on Wednesday, and on Saturday morning I discovered it was missing again! It was really disgraceful how frustrated I got over this. I am happy to report I found it that afternoon (under a bed) and immediately attached it to the triangle using ribbon and clear nail polish. Enough is enough.

The kitchen is largely under control except for this one little corner that is rapidly accumulating clutter (books, coupons, and clippings.)

Next project: getting Hambet's outgrown toys and clothes packed away.

This whole project has gained some urgency -- this week I found out my mom is coming to visit next month! So of course I want to have the place in tip-top shape, even though I know she's going to be leaving her white gloves at home.

Prayer request for M'Lynn

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M'Lynn, her hubby, and the Tribe are ensnared in a web of red tape impervious to the machete of common sense -- our fine school and judicial systems at work again! Details here. They could use some prayer assistance (and, for those in a position to lend it, more practical assistance) right away.

The Two-Income Trap

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TSO posts this review of a book titled The Two Income Trap:

Married couples with children are more than twice as likely to file for bankruptcy as their childless counterparts....the authors point to the unintended consequences of sending 20 million American mothers to work. Rather than gaining more disposable household income, families saw real wages for men decline: the predictable result of more laborers pursuing the same number of jobs.... The higher nominal incomes of two-earner families also led to a fresh "bidding war" for nice homes in good suburban school districts, sending mortgage costs soaring.... Most important, the oft-derided stay-at-home mother proved to have been the true "safety net" in American life....

Father Glenn Sudano posts again on Father Groechel's condition, with specific prayers and requests for works of mercy and piety.

Sounds like they were able to set the fracture in Father's arm yesterday, but that tomorrow will be a crucial prayer day: they may be setting the break in his leg, and implanting a device to help prevent emboli (blood clots) from reaching his heart and brain.

Thanks to Alicia for the link.

From the back seat

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Scene: the Aspen Hill Mobil station.

Hambet: Mommy, gonna give the car a drink? Give the car, a drink!

Peony: Yes, Hambet, we're going to give the car a drink. We're going to give it some gas.

Hambet: Mommy, is the car gonna burp?

News of Fr Groeschel

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Fr Sibley and RC have posted this link to Fr Glen's letter on the Friars' site.

I had to try the page several times before it would load, so if you have the same difficulty, keep trying....

Our newest neighbors are....

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Bookstore Barbies

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I made the mistake of checking out the Arwen and Aragorn Barbie/ Ken set linked by those crazy Summas.

Now Amazon keeps showing me "related products" such as this Romance Novel Cover Barbie/ Ken set

Pholph's Scrabble Generator

My Scrabble© Score is: 30.
What is your score? Get it here.

Thanks to the Summas, who scored 18.

A little bit more on Fr Groeschel

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Here.

I just heard on EWTN radio that Father will be taken to surgery today.

UPDATE: From Deal Hudson's Crisis e-list:

Details are still sketchy, but sources say that Fr. Groeschel was walking to a restaurant in Orlando when he was hit by a car near the Orlando International Airport. He's now in intensive care at the Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical but stable condition.

We spoke with Fr. Groeschel's assistant this morning who confirmed
the news, saying that the situation didn't look good. "We need
nothing short of a miracle," she said.

At this point, the most important thing we can do is pray. The
Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is broadcasting a Holy Hour
for him this morning, and Fr. Groeschel's assistant requested that we
ask for prayers from St. Francis, the founder of the order, and St.
Augustine, who has been Fr. Groeschel's favorite all his life.

Welcome baby Laurel!

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Sparki tells the story here

Happy Birthday to....

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Alicia (please pray for the quick resolution of her license issue)

Master Xander Lams (check out the pictures)

Peony has arrived on Olympus

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Athena
Athena


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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That wasn't my first result, though. My first result, before I went back and tweaked a question that I suspect I took too metaphorically, was....

hercules
Hercules


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Thanks to Steven, aka Poseidon, for the quiz.

Pacing the waiting room....

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Happy Birthday....

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to Fructus Ventris!

Wanna send a present? How about a prayer for a quick resolution to her license issues.

Stitches and glue

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Last night, after supper, Hambet had a collision with a chair leg and came away with a small cut above his right eye. Naturally he was crying with surprise and pain, but a little direct pressure stopped the bleeding and a few hugs and kisses remedied everything else.

But the cut concerned me. Hambet had a similar little gash when he was first learning to walk. I hadn't shown that cut to a doctor, and it had left a scar on his perfect little face. That one was up by his hairline, so it isn't really visible. Last night's little injury, though, is right above his eyebrow, and I was worried about scarring.

I called the pediatrician and she recommended bringing Hambet in to see if he needed a stitch. My husband grumbled -- it was a superficial cut, it was cold outside, it was bedtime, and it would entail a trip to an emergency room -- but our pediatrician warmly recommended a pediatric urgent care center in Rockville. So we bundled up and headed off.

We arrived and signed in, only to be told that the center "wasn't doing sutures" that night. The receptionist squirted out an inky cloud of weak explanations -- I'm still not sure why they weren't doing sutures; she mentioned that they were "backed up" but their waiting room was deserted.

Off to the main emergency room. This time around it went much better -- we went from triage to the treatment room in about fifteen minutes. This hospital has a dedicated treatment area for pedatric emergencies, and Hambet was the only patient there, so we got treated right away. The doctor cleaned the cut and used some "glue" to close it, so I felt vindicated (especially since I could feel vindicated without an actual needle and thread being involved.)

Hambet didn't mind the trip at all. He had slept soundly all through the trip, and hadn't stirred until the doctor started cleaning the cut. He perked right up when the nurse put on a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD to distract him while the glue was applied, and he was quite pleased with the sticker and teddy bear the nurses gave him when we were ready to leave. This morning he found the sticker plastered on the front of his pajamas and remarked, "The doctor, gave it t'me."

I just hope next time he wants to see Thomas the Tank Engine, he just tells me about it so we can borrow a DVD instead of going to the emergency room.

Tony, Tony, come around....

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one little blue hat with a fire truck on the front (the one I sincerely thought I had put in the hat basket!) Hambet loved it so much, and that silly hat has been getting itself lost since it first came into our house. Please help us find the hat, and help it grow to accept domestication.

still looking for that triangle striker

Thank you,
Your petitioner,
Peony

I may just add this to the sidebar.

Let the witch hunts resume.

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The local radio news was also reporting that a group of sexual abuse victims, represented by the same lawyers in the Boston cases, are bringing allegations against the Archdiocese of Washington and are "demanding" to meet with Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.

I haven't been able to find confirmation of this yet. I will be curious, if it is true, as to what they expect (well, besides lots and lots of money, of course.) I was under the impression that Cardinal Hickey cleaned house several years ago, and I know there was a system for reporting allegations of abuse well before the Geoghan case broke. (WaPo; marketing questions) But then, what could ever make up for the harm done to the victims? And what could ever satisfy the greed of the lawyers and the false accusers, and the desire of the professionally aggrieved for the spotlight?

UPDATE: David Morrison has more here and here.

Joe Gibbs to return to Washington?

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Happy Birthday, Michelle!

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Michelle's birthday is today! Why not go stick a pin in her guest map?

Speaking of milestones, this is post #1000.

Talk about catholic interests

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Never thought that Steven Riddle's erudition extended to these fine journals. Now we know exactly who to turn to next time we need an update on the career of Bat-boy.

WaPo requests some marketing information to read their links.

I must also warn you that these two articles may induce severe eye-rolling, so read at your own risk.

A Church Away from Church, on home altars:

"Organized religion . . . gives you the recipe for God, but it overlooks the kitchen and the tools, the onions and the garlic," she said.

In addition to her pantheon of divine females, Lacerda's altar includes candles, incense and a bowl of sand lined with dimes. The sand is from Hawaii and was consecrated by a Native American spiritual leader, she said. As for the dimes, she calls them "my 10-cent miracles" -- coins that fate has dropped in her path at key moments since she immigrated to the United States as a teenager. One of them washed up on a beach at her feet while she was praying.

Sometimes she adds flowers, a rock or a feather to her altar.

"God can be a very personal aspect of who you are every moment," said Lacerda, who lives near Ellicott City. "An altar is a response to that."

By contrast, altars in churches are impersonal, she said: "The altar is for the priests. It's not for you."

Of the four people who were profiled with their home altars for this article, only one, a Buddhist born in Tibet (a real Buddhist, not a fake Hollywood Buddhist) is really working within a faith tradition. The other three were all fallen-away Catholics (though one had returned to Pentecostal Christianity), all doing some kind "do-it-yourself" spirituality (I mean, really, are home altars that common among Pentecostals?)

An Orthodox theologian got a couple of quotes, but no practicing Catholics (Eastern or Western) or Orthodox were profiled for this article. The article does suggest that some Mexican Catholics are recovering their tradition of home altars, but patronizingly treats that trend as an expression of ethnic pride, not as an expression of Christian belief. As is usual for the WaPo, Christians who practice Christian traditions out of actual belief in Christ are not worthy of mention. They just don't seem to understand religion as anything other than a consumer choice or a political statement.

Now for number 2:

Partway Gay? For Some Teen Girls, Sexual Preference Is A Shifting Concept

Social scientists say that 5 percent to 7 percent of young people are gay or lesbian, and that teenagers are starting at younger ages to have same-sex sexual experiences: 13 for boys, 15 for girls.

But those figures don't begin to tell the full story about today's girls because girls, more often than boys, experiment with their sexuality and resist being placed in any particular group.

Chanda Harris, a junior at High Road Upper School in Beltsville, is one of these girls. She's standing outside Union Station on a cold Friday night, waiting for her girlfriend and holding three giant helium balloons in celebration of her friend's birthday.

The girls around her from various high schools -- Bladensburg in Maryland, Anacostia, Ballou, Cardozo and Coolidge in the District -- converge to hear what she has to say.

She started going out with girls when she was 14, following a breakup with her boyfriend.

"At first I thought going out with a girl was nasty," she says. "Then I went to a club and did a big flip-flop. I've been off and on with girls and guys since then."

So are we daring to suggest that not all people who identify themselves as gay were "born that way?" Could it be that there is an element of choice in our sexual behavior? And that perhaps teenagers' sexuality can be... influenced by what they see on the media, who they come in contact with, and what they are presented with as "normal"?

Meanwhile, this article on teen Sapphism ran with a huge photo on page 1 of the Style section. I suppose I will have to redact the newspaper before Hambet reads it, or else read it with him, when he gets old enough to care about anything but the funny papers. But I already know I will have to censor those too.

Our newest neighbors

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Our domain master RC brings us the happy news that Good Form and Suffer the Little Children have come to stblogs.org. Welcome!

Tony, Tony, come around....

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To: St Anthony of Padua, aka "The Wonder-worker"
cc: Guardian Angel (Peony); Guardian Angel (Hambet)
Re: missing items

Gone missing this afternoon: one puzzle piece (shaped like a cow -- a Holstein.)
Still missing: one triangle striker.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance,

Your faithful petitioner,
Peony Moss


I had thought that it was safe to move the puzzles from their high spot above the computer to a lower spot on a bookshelf. I was so proved wrong today in a crash of nine puzzles and approximately 106 little puzzle pieces. So back up on the high shelf they go.

UPDATE: Holstein puzzle piece found (under the sofa cushion.) Thank you!

Peony is only 52% snob

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You haven't quite cut that snob mustard, Peony. Being 52% snob doesn't make you properly stuck-up but nor does it condemn you to burn in middle-class hell. Unless you want to hang in snob limbo forever, brush up on those P's and Q's, buy yourself some fruit knives and start lying about your education quick.

The quiz is here. The link came from the archives of Southern Appeal.


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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