Dawn of New Joy in 2008

"Only a few hours more, and this year too will come to an end and pass into history.
I too finish the year and await the new dawn of joy.
I go down on my knees before my God and, recalling His kindnesses to me this year,
I humble myself in the dust and thank Him with all my heart. "

- Blessed Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

(Thank you, Lynda, for this quote.)

Centering for Joyful 2008!

New Christmas Boogie Music!

I used some of my Christmas cash and downloaded some awesome songs for the Ipod when I work out... who can keep from moving when they have this in their ears?? :)


Hey, Leonie, you planted the reminder for me to check out K.C. and the Sunshine Band.. also got some Bee Gees, Rocky and Devo! I am dating myself for sure! lol

My Rhapsody Playlist

Christmas PuppyKisses

One of our clients, Jordan, who stayed with us over Christmas while his family traveled.

Jordan is 14, can hardly see or hear, but is the sweetest, most patient dog. We call him Saint Jordan. :)

This Photo Moved Me

What is he thinking? Where has he been and where will he spend Christmas?

Thank you to all our armed forces families---

Our Advent So Far...

Our Advent has been a calm, quiet one.

It seems to have turned into a 'tradition' that we never can figure out just when to get the tree, as we want to wait until we are close to Christmas, as to be in tune with the liturgical year. You say that to most people and they say "HUH?" lol

But, because we do wait, then it turns into a bit of an adventure.... looking through the leftover Charlie Brown trees, for that special one that needs a home.

This year the boys and I went as J has been doing a lot of traveling and prison work. His only request was that it was not over 6 feet, as he knows my penchant for granduer.

We found our special fir at Lowes for $11.84 and it is 6", though I wish it was just a tad bigger.

Got the lights on a couple of days ago. Last night the boys helped me finish the Christmas cards, decorated the tree and watched me make English Toffee. These these are always so much more fun with help!

S also got his learner's permit yesterday, so we spent the afternoon in line, and at the bank going through the safety deposit box looking for documents. But now he is ready to drive so we will really be having fun, now!

We have been delivering gifts to our HAH petsitting customers.

Here is Abbey opening hers.. I found these on sale last year.. so cute and silly! This dog barks and dances to Chrismtas songs. Most dogs will think there is another dog around and go nuts.. as Abbey is doing here. Silliness!

We are fairly books with sits all through December and January... fun!

Our beloved Indian priest Fr. John is moving on. We are saddened and hope to meet with him before he goes.

Boys and I are making a boatload of cookies today for my dh's prision ministry guys. He got apporval to bring in cookies. This was a big deal. Then Bryan said, how about making a gingerbread house for them? My dh laughed incredulosly at that! It took weeks to get the cookie approval.

Please say a prayer for these men. Can you imagine not having a homemade cookie for years? And of course everything else you lose with incarceration. The men that get approved for the program my dh works with, have been screened and through a tough application process. I got to meet many of them at a party for volunteers last year. They were so thankful for people just caring and being there. It amazed me.

We really feel priveledged to make these treats for them

Tie in:
Stephen was doing the Cd section in Driver's Ed about DWI. Laughing about how they lectured and lectured him about never driving while intoxicated, or even going near alcohol until 18. God blessed me with a son who said' "Why would anyone want to RISK that?"

Dh came in the room and told us of a prisoner he knows. Looks like a 'frat boy.' Got drunk with his buddies, drove, killed two people and is now in prison. Wow. That shook the boys, too, and we are praying for this man as well.


Another real life connnection... we are watching (the sometimes boring.. to the boys, not me!) Joy of Science DVDS. The good professor was talking about electriticy and circuits... parellel and series.. and just as he began I paused it and pointed to the Christmas lights on the tree and mantel..

We used to have parellels ones! I yelled--
One light would burn out and the whole string would go!

Then Dr. Hazen went right into his Christmas light example and bore out my testamoy and our previous night's work in getting lights up.

I love real life learning!

Prayers to you and yours for a blessed Advent.

Don't stress... take it easy, enjoy the moment. This is not a race, but a moment to savor!

Love,
Cindy

Christmas Meme

Tagged by Leonie-- I tag Maria




1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Bags if the presents won't fit in a box, but prefer paper as one year my boys confided they really love the ripping of the paper. :)




2. Real tree or artificial? Real. A big mess, but smells great.
Now our family has fallen into the 'tradition' of getting a great deal on the leftover trees as we get closer to Christmas Day. Last year we bought one on Christmas Eve and this year we bought it last night, a beautiful tree needing love, for $11.84 at Lowes.



3. When do you put up the tree? Some time during Advent -
We talked about waiting until Christmas Eve, but couldn't do it. We love the lights and sitting in the living room enjoying it awaiting Chrismtas. Usually about 2 weeks before (unless we want to wait to get a better deail!)



4. When do you take the tree down? Some time after the Epiphany - again depending on life and its little curves. (I copied Leonie)




5. Do you like eggnog? Not really. Dh does though.



6. Favourite gift received as a child? Nancy Nurse. (she talked!)


7. Do you have a Nativity scene? We have two, both by Fontinini. Looks like italian plaster but vinyl! Beautiful-- check it out Leonie if you are in the market for a new one...



8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.



9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Oh, nothing stands out. I am very hard to buy clothes for, so when ext'd family do that, they have little hope of succeeding!



10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail, mostly. Or hand deliver.



11. Favourite Christmas Movie? Muppet Christmas Carol (Marely and Marely!!)


12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I hit a few Christmas sales in January, but mostly in December just prior to Christmas. I actaully don't have a lot of shopping to do, so it is easy.



13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Just the one I gave to Leonie.. (just kidding!!! lol)





14. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Petite Fours



15. Clear lights or coloured on the tree? Coloured. Most definetley!


16. Favorite Christmas song? All the carols.



17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home home home!



18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Nope.



18.Tree or star on top of the tree? Star




20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We all get one present on Christmas Eve after Mass. Then the rest have to wait for Santa to deliver.


21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? I used to get all mad about the commercialism but now just figure Jesus likes the attention and knows our hearts so we enjoy. Plus it is really cool for the radio stations to play music about Christ for a whole month!


22. Best thing about this time of year? Oh, all the fun, all the prayers, all the Masses, all the shopping, the photos, the plans, the cooking, the eating, the giving, the joy, the sharing, the spirit....(ditto Leonie!)

Article on The Golden Compass

Written by my friend!

But that is NOT politically correct!

Look at this quote from Mike Huckabee:

"The reason we have so much government is because we have so much broken humanity," he said. "And the reason we have so much broken humanity is because sin reigns in the hearts and lives of human beings instead of the Savior."

and-

"The most basic unit of government is not the city council, quorum court or state legislature, Huckabee said. "It is Mom and Dad raising kids and teaching them respect for authority, others and God."


Full article

Show Me Your Favs!

I found this idea on, of all people, Sandra Dodd's blog! It was the first time I visited there and I really enjoyed it.

Ok.. everyone.. you are invited to do this, too. Yes, I know, I said I was away from the computer for Advent. But I got sick, and then now that I am well, I have a quiet Sunday evening to do what I want, and this is it. :)

I do suggest taking your time, as there are lots of images, cutting and pasting, so you don't want to be in a hurry. A glass of wine would really help, too!

I added a category or two. Have fun finding your pictures. I am about to open another window, fire up my Google Image searcher (and pic library) and post mine.

Have fun!

1. My age next year:

I was kind of depressed thinking I was going to be 49 until I saw these firemen. :)

2. Place I'd like to travel:

The Upper Room.
I just got home from Mass. I am thinking so much about Jesus and his work here, his redemption, his coming. Oh, I would also like to go to Alaska, New Zealand and Ireland, but the Upper Room won out. I just want a good guide... what a trip that would be!

3. Favorite Place:



It's home. People I love are here. I am happy.

4. Favorite Object(s): ( you only have to do one.. I got carried away!)


So I can talk to all of you!


So I can talk to my friends, though I am not a good phone person.





When I cook/bake I feel I am loving my family. :)



When I paint or create, I feel like I am in another world... I can't explain. It is like going to a different dimension.. lovely!




The religious icons and objects I have that remind me of our beautiful faith. What joy.

5. Favorite Food



6. Favorite Animal(s):



and



Pitiful, ain't it?

7. Favorite Color:



8. My Nickname:


9: Bad Habit:



10. Good Habit:


Loving my friends.

Can't wait to see your list!

Learning All the Time

I had to put this up-- what a lovely video. Plus I love the accents, especially on the children.

The end was the most beautiful to me-- the bird flying, the child spinning and dancing. Beautiful!
New film --short and very sweet.

Thanks, Rachel, for this..:)

The Truth

You gotta check out this talk, The Truth, by Fr. Larry Richards. Click here for his site. Watch the video "The Reason for Our Hope" on the main site page.
But you won't get the true flavor of Fr. Larry until you hear the whole talk!

Go to the sidebar for The Truth talk for free.

Fr. Larry is awesome. He is funny! He is blunt-- and is not boring, nope. He will shake you up. He will shake up your kids. I think this would be a terrific prep for any teen coming upon Confirmation. He challenges us big time. Really all this faith stuff just boils down to one Truth. Are we ready to accept it?

This reminds me of the Faith and Reason teen discussion group my boys attended. The leader wasn't as blunt as Fr. Larry, but he took every question seriously and encouraged the teens to question it all. We must. Our teens must. Or how will they come to really love the faith? They can go to Mass (and get graces) and go through the motions us parents require. But how can THEY make a real connection with God?

Try this CD and see what you think. Lighthouse Catholic Media has this avaialable now, and is where I first found it- it was on the CD of the month club. If you want to join the CD of the Month club and get other wonderful talks, very inexpensiviely, once a month. Use promo code 1125 and I will get a quarter. :)

It is pushing me out of my comfort zone and causing me to face questions I need to face as well.

Love,
Cindy

Our Country- Conversation Starters

People lament our election primaries and prelimiaries go on too long. I dissagree!

It gives us a chance to get to know these people vying to be our president. Yes, there is too much money involved and the system is imperfect and the media is biased. But if we can understand these men (and woman) more, it is worth it.

I missed the Romney speech on Mormanism and the presidency yesterday but this has been an ongoing topic in our house. Great fodder for conversation.... what a mix: politics and religion! What do your kids think?

Here are some viewpoints... converstation starters


Examinier article

Rush Limbaugh's take

Another take

A Visitor this week (dog zone)

We have our second-ever stay at our house dogsit client. Her name is Maddie. And she has claimed me.

She doesn't like anyone else. She growls at them and protects me. Sigh.

I have heard of dogs like this, but never met one, much less never had once claim ME!
I know she misses her owner (a single woman) and is just used to her and her owner around. All these low masculine voices are throwing her, I think.

We are working on ways for me to leave the house without Maddie howling. That does not blend well with a work-at-home husband... :0

Wish us luck!

A Virus Got Me

No, not a computer virus.. but a stinky old sickness virus.

So, all week, I have been coughing, sneezing, moping, schlepping around, trying not to complain, but boy am I frustrated.

I think I am finally over the hump, going back toward the world of the well, after a week of this.

So I have not been able to workout, which is a major frustration, but I had time to dwell on frustration. Like immersed in it and seeing what maybe God is trying to tell me. Like, I am not in control? Yeah, that. :0

But, I have had computer time back, the computer time I was giving up during Advent. Because I have no energy to do much else, so have caught up on some things here.

I have done some researching to help my 17yo with college thinking. He still has lots of time, but wanted to begin to see what is out there. So I have been doing some phone/computer research on that.

I have been able to catch up on a few friends' blogs, too. That was nice.

Ok.. back to my regularly scheduled life. We have a new dog sitting customer I get to visit today! Yippee!

Have a good week everyone!

Hugs,
Cindy

Personality Quiz Fun

I saw this on Rachel's site... this is a nice quiz-- I don't know what I tested for before, I always change. Oh well--- eclectic me! lol

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

Checking in as we begin Advent...

Just checking in as much of my computery-life has been on hold lately...

I wish you and your famiily a blessed Advent season as we await Christmas. May you find joy in all the festivities around us, the traffic and Christmas lights.. knowing that it is all done in His Glory! You all are in my thoughts and prayers and I feel very thankful to have such friends as you.

This time of year I always feel drawn away from the computer.. one year I fasted from the computer completley as if it were Lent. There is something about these 'purple seasons' that do that to me!

May God bless you and draw you closer as you draw family and friends closer as well.

With love,
Cindy

Coffee Lovers Rejoice!

Brain Food
There's good news for those of us who've given up our beloved cups of Joe in the interest of good health. Coffee has been undergone some rigorous testing in the past ten years, and according to studies from the Harvard University School of Public Health and The Nestle Research company, Coffee packs more of an antioxidant punch than either green tea or red wine. Two or three times more, in fact.

It's not only a heavyweight when it comes to battling free radicals. Coffee appears to be sort of a "miracle food" that has been shown to prevent type II, or adult onset Diabetes. It also reduces the risk of colon cancer, prevents Parkinson's disease, boosts male fertility, cuts the risk of liver cirrhosis by 80%, helps manage asthma (it can even help control an attack when medication is unavailable), prevents cavities, and helps offset damage from smoking and drinking too much.

Scientists have suspected for quite some time that coffee helps protect against Cancer, and German scientists recently discovered why. Coffee contains an exclusive and powerful antioxidant called methylpyridinium. Methypyridinium boosts blood enzymes that fight colon cancer and is formed in the roasting process from a chemical found naturally in the bean.

The stronger the coffee, the higher the level of methylpyridinium. Darker roasts contain two or three times more than medium roasts.


Decaf does not offer the same benefits, and the Robusta beans offer 2-3 times more antioxidants than Arabica, but the difference is evened out in the roasting process. (Just FYI, adding milk and/or sugar does not alter the antioxidant levels).

Besides protecting against disease, the caffeine in coffee has been shown to boost athletic performance. In a study published by Current Sports Medicine Reports, caffeine was shown to improve performance and endurance during prolonged exhaustive exercise, and boost short-term, high-intensity athletic performance, as well as enhancing concentration, reducing fatigue, and amping alertness.

More than six independent studies have confirmed that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are 60 to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, and three of those studies show that the more they drink, the lower the risk.

Patients who suffer from "dry mouth" during treatment for depression with tricyclic antidepressants, are relieving their symptoms with cappuccino. Apparently, cappuccino increases the amount of saliva, and improves a patient's ability to talk for up to 2 hours.

So go ahead, have another cup of coffee.

Source - Coffeescience.org

By Liza Hall - Group Fitness Director, Thousand Oaks

Miss Bailey this weekend

My dogsitting dance card is filling up for the holidays. It always seems to work out just right with our clients. We now have 7 clients. Some are regulars, some just need us occasionally.

Before the holidays I send a message out and ask when they will need me. I have a back up sitter that has occasionally helped out. But we always seem to be able to work our family plans with our clients' plans. :)

This weekend I got to visit my sweet white doggie girl, Bailey. Her sidekick Sophie the Great Dane passed away a few months ago and we still miss her.

But, now that it is just Bailey I can take her on walks. (Owners were afraid both big dogs would be too much to handle as they were not well leash trained)

So, Bailey and I (and the boys sometimes) have had some very nice walks this weekend.



Who couldn't love this face?

A Parent's Secret Dream?

Last night my husband and went to a blues club. We just discovered there is one about 7 minutes from our house!

In college and early married life we loved blues clubs. My dh is a mini-conseuire and knows all the old Chicgo and Delta bluesmen.

Our first date in 1981 was to see Muddy Waters in Austin.

So, we were leaving and the boys started asking about cleaning supplies. They had put off their housecleaning so were about to start.

A parent's dream? Heading out for a night on the town while you kids are home cleaning the house! lol

End of story: they put it off and didn't do it after all. And the music was so good I called them on my cell and held it up so they could hear. (no one under 21 allowed-) but it WAS fun!

I joked with dh that I would have our next Homeschool Mom's Night Out there....lol
pretty lowdown, lots of beer, cigarette smoke, and bar flies! But we had a great time.

Here's the band we saw- interesting bio- the lead is a doctor and does this for stress relief... :)Matt Leddy Band

Woo Hoo! I ran 3 miles today!

(<------not me...lol )

I am sooooo excited!
I used to run (well if an 11min mile is called running) all the time from college until I was about 43. Cathy, my buddy in college (they one whose son just got married, see previous post) got me started. We ran every day without fail. I pretty much kept it up and had a baby jogger (back when they were a novelty) and loved running in the suburbs of San Fransciso. Great weather and lots of hills. :)

In Ohio I found another running partner, (another Kathy!) and we were up every morning at 5:45, running. The other moms thought we were crazy and we were, but we had some great talks and great runs. We ran without fail unless the temp was below 10 F or if there was ice.

Then I moved to Houston. Muggy, Hot. Bad air quality. Then I kept putting on weight. When I did run, my shoulders and neck hurt so bad. The stress. I quit. I miss it a lot.

When you run, you are outside- every run is different. And you can 'zone'. That is that kind of runner's high you get after you are in decent shape and you can daydream and your legs seem to move by themselves. I miss that.

Well, today I went to our big park with a trail to do a walk/run. It was beautiful out. I had the Ipod playlist Stephen made for me-- awesome motivating songs! I ran 3 miles.. (with just a few short walk breaks)-- and it felt like old times!

Now, I am just hoping I don't wake up tommorrow with a crunched neck. It may happen.

But I realized as I was on my 3rd lap today that maybe perhaps the 20 pounds I dropped since the summer may have something to do with the successful run? That like runnning carrying 2 gallon water jugs. Wow. And I could still stand to lose 10-15 more pounds, just to get back to where I was in Ohio.

My 'gremlin' voice tells me I never should have gotton so heavy. But that is life. Stress, snacking, comfort eating, no workout plan.. it happens easily. But,my body is feeling so much better and I am even more encouraged to keep going.

3 miles! Whoo Hooo!!!
(O.K. Karen, if you are reading this, find me a 5K in the winter/spring before it gets hot! I'm ready to rumble!)

Beautiful Fontinini Nativity Sets

On our lovely UC list we are having a discussion about favorite wedding gifts to give. An old college buddy of mine's first son was recently married. I don't know him well (but have a picture of him bouncing on my knee when he was 6 months old...)-- but he knows his mom and I are old buds. So I wanted to give him something special. They also have a new baby, so I want to support them and also have a thoughtful gift.

Our UC discussion turned to religious gifts- really the best, most eternal and beautiful! My friend and son are Christian though not Catholic, and what speaks better to us all than a creche? Plus the 'new beginning' of a baby.. and it is Advent coming, too!

Anyway, it got me thinking about the creche that Stephen and Bryan's Godparents gave him on his first Christmas. Just a simple stable and holy family, but over the years we have added to it.

Our family tradition is to open one gift each Christmas Eve after Mass. It worked itself out that the gift the boys opened was always a figure addition to the nativity. After many years we had all the main people, so they would get cows, a dog family, chickens... and we even started working on the rest of the town of Bethlehem! If you want you can get into Roman soilders, buildings, wow, you could fill up your house!

Instead last year I got a second stable and we are filling that one out, so each son can take a nativity with them to their families one day.

But, I wanted to share the Fontnini site with you all. They are wonderful quality, vinyl that looks like plaster and child friendly! The boys have played and played with them over the years.

Also some years I would have the wise men at one end of the house, slowly making their way across the rugged carpet to eventually get to the stable by Epiphany. And of course the Christ child would be hidden in a drawer until Christmas morning. One Christmas about five years ago I hid him so well we could never find him, so I had to order another.. lolFor more info on Fontinini click here- or do a google search, there are many dealers...

They are not cheap, but an investment and the quality is worth the price. But adding a piece or two each year is not horribly expensive.

All Saints Mass

I was really tired last night and didn't much feel like going to Mass. My dh had been working hard all day in the office and about 6pm I poked my head in and asked if he was going to Mass tonight.

"No," he said, a drained look on his face as he removed his phone earpiece. He thought it was the daily Mass the boys and I usually go to once a week. But, I reminded him it was All Souls Day, a holy day of obligation.

"Yes." he said, not without a bit of a sigh.

So we went. The church was just beautiful. I love going to Mass after dark. It reminded me of the Easter Vigil and Christmas Masses. The lights were golden and low. As we walked through the vestabule, there were about a dozen children dressed as saints. Father was herding them and giving them last minute instructions on how to stand to best be seen.

I love the litany. St. Anne, pray for us. St. Cosmo, pray for us. St. Francis, pray for us.

It seemed like a hundred names, but I could have listened to a thousand more.

I also noticed the music. I am so glad our liturgist has gone back to a more traditional Holy Holy Holy. And all the music seemed to connect us and what is more, everyone was singing! Well not everyone (my guys are all three allergic to that), but most people were. I felt my voice was joined with everyone there and the saints above.

And Father N did what he does best. During his homily he brought up the 'little saints' and had them stand with him in front of the alter. He is a reuglar Art Linkletter, interviewing them about the saint they were representing and getting some funny answers. I also was happy to see some of the kids had no clue and were not like some perfect Catholic homeschooling children (BG) who could give a report on their saint.

"What country are you from, St. Terese?" he asked a little girl holding a rose.
---"Um. I dunno." Fr. N winked and said in a stage whisper
"FRANCE"
---"France!" St. Terese said.

Jacob didn't know if he was Old or New Testament, either, but he knew he brought the walls of Jericho down.

Going down the line,
"Who are you?"
--"St. Anne, the Virgin's mother."

"And who are you?"
---"Mary."

Turing back to the previous child-
"Oh, you brought your daughter with you!"

:)

Lots of fun. And as Father said, most people think of saints like these... kids in their bathrobes.. no, actaully as sorta super humans. But.. you know this is coming...
he said we are ALL called to be saints.

Yup. That means I still have to work on getting rid of my bad and selfish habits. Sigh.

But, yes, I am so glad I went to Mass. So glad I was 'obligated'. The world made sense. It explained Halloween to me once again. It reminded me of the dear departed who are with us but just beyond. We are not alone. We are all one Church. Oh, I love this Church! And how the liturgy and 'have tos' bring us back, over and over again.

Editor Flub?- email is not all its cracked up to be..

Oh, darn.

Our neighborhood newsletters were delivered to our doorstep last night and I have a message on my answering machine. The article our Security Director submitted is not in the newsletter.

I never got it. Darn. I sent him an email but should have called him. He is a retired officer and the sweetest man. I should have known not to rely on email.

I have often thought about what email must be like to those over a certain age. My mil wanted to learn the computer so bad when it first became popular. She tried, but 'couldn't SEE' the screen. That was when she was in her 70's. Now she is 88 and still feels like she is missing something when the news and commercials always talk of WWW Dot ... etc. and she hears about email and her bridge friends talks of sending pictures on the internet.

In our neighbhorhood we have many older people some of which give me submissions for the newsletter each month. I can tell they would much prefer the phone or dropping off hard copy.

I have the original newsletter that were published going back to 1972. Back then they were hand-typed. And the typist got credit on the front page. We don't know how good we have it!

Well, I still feel bad I didn't get his article. Waiting until 8am so I can call him.

Our Daniel is a Cardnial

I say 'our' Daniel. The Galveston Houston Dioceese was lucky enough to have him become our bishop, then archbishop and now the Holy Father has named him a cardnial.
And... we just found out tonight he will be saying Mass at our parish on December 4th!

"It will be like Christmas," our pastor said, referring to seating, "So, come early!"

I have only seen Archbishop Dinardo once. He spoke at a fund-raising Knights of Columbus dinner. He has something special. Holiness, but also a spark, a charisma. Of course I wonder if he might be pope one day... but we all think things like that at times.

But during his talk, which took place just as he had become bishop in Houston, he spoke of all the challenges we have. Boy, does Houston have them. All the problems of a big city, homeless, immigration, laxity in the Chruch, etc.

I remember two things he said.

First, that priests, when they consecrate the host are not there to entertain.
"We aren't supposed to be Johnny Carsons." is actaully what he said.

and second, that all the problems- MASSIVE problems we face have one answer. Before we go around trying to piecemeal all the answers to all the problems, we need to focus on one thing: The Eucharist. I knew then he was The Man.

Also my husband told me tonight that Archbishop Dinardo has made a big impact on the prisoners at the prison ministy he volunteers at. He said that during one visit, Archbishop DiNardo sat on a stool and heard confessions out in the yard. The image was striking. It has helped to heal a lot of difficulties between some anti-Catholic Protestant factions within the ministry.

God is Good.

Pray for Daniel.. Our Daniel.. yours and mine.

P.S.- I see from the linked article he was born in Steubenville, Ohio.. figures! So much good comes from there! (Dean Martin for one.. lol)
Story here

Friendship

I have been thinking about friendship lately.

It can be friendship with other women, or within your family, your marriage and even with your children.

What I have to know is that the true friendships are those in which we are 'on our friend's side'. We want them to succeed. To grow. To be closer to God.

A litmus test is when a friend chooses something different than we might. Though that choice may not fit us, if it fits them, we cheer.

Another is when the friend has a success. We are not jealous. We don't compare and feel bad because we didn't get it, or didn't have the courage/talent/luck to achieve the same thing. We cheer for them, hug them, are truly happy for them.

And when a friend is this for us, we have a gift beyond others. We have trust. We know our friend is 'on our side' so when we go through dips and failures, they are there to listen, support, pick us up and we know gossip will never get started.

When we succeed, or our children or families do, we know they truly are happy for us, because our success is their success.

And the more we can trust, the more we can share, and the sweeter the friendship is.

I am so blessed to have people in my life like this. I have learned so much from them. And I am trying to be this to others. It is not always easy because sometimes I feel jealous, inferior or just unluckly. But I know when friends have me feeling better and find myself praying more, that I am very lucky.

Justice Clarence Thomas

Did you know Clarence Thomas is Catholic and studied to be a priest?
Did you know Clarence Thomas became an angry young black man and rioted in Harvard Square in 1970?
Did you know Clarence Thomas's grandfather's favorite phrase was:
"Old Man Can't is dead. I buried him."

Wonderful interview by three Hillsdale College students. Worth the read.. and passing on to your kids.
Click here

The Imprimis is also available for free- the magazine in which the interview was published.

Trick, Treat and Sweet

A summary of last night:

DING DONG!
bark bark bark bark bark bark bark

DING DONG!
bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark

DING DONG!
bark bark bark bark bark bark bark

...well, you get the idea.. ;)

We had a fair amount of trick or treaters last night- and I loved the costumes and smiles.
I began the evening by answering the door with a Jar Jar Binks mask on, but after scaring the neighbor's son (he ran crying to his mom at the curb!)-- I took that off.

I still feel bad about that!

It was fun to see the costumes, but the sweetest was when I got two Fairy Princesses about 8 years old at the door, complete with glitter and wands.

As they were turning away to leave, one craned her head to read the little plaque I have over the doorbell button, with the scripture pictured above.

"Come on!" her friend urged.

"Wait, I want to finish reading the Bible verse." she replied.
And did.

I just liked that. Sometimes you put something up like that and see it so much you forget it's there. Kind of offset some of the negatvies that come with Halloween...

Blueberry/Banana Parfait

Ok, I found my new all time favorite healthy 300-ish cal snack! And I even took a picture and wrote out the recipe in case you want to try... YUMM!

(It looks much better than the picture turned out.. :( )

Blueberry Banana Parfait

Layer in a wine glass or other pretty glass:

1 6oz conatainer Yoplait Light Very Vanilla Yogurt
1 medium banana, sliced
1/2 C blueberries (I keep a big bag of frozen in the freezer and a container thawed in the fridge)
1/4 C. Kashi Go Lean Crunch (or other) cereal.

Layer it however you like and enjoy!

www.myfooddiary.com says it breaks down like this, for those who like to keep track:
cal- 318
Fat 1.8 g
fiber 7 g
protein 9.7 g

Dh's Birthday BBQ and Bananas Foster

Chef John at the Big Green Egg (grill)-- Leg of Lamb Extrodinaire!

John and I enjoying a glass of wine as the leg of lamb cooked on the grill. Beautiful day.. a treat where we live!

(There are two dachshunds in this picture.. can you spot them?)
Here is the recipe of the day... we had bananas foster years ago, before we were married.
Click on the picture and it is big enough to read the recipe if you want to try!
Now that John travels to New Orleans for business a lot, he has sampled some great resturants and got this book from the library which has Brennan's recipe. The boys and I were going to make it for him as a gift, but as things got tricky we called him in... he is the master in the kitchen. More on that later...

Ralphie giving out free birthday kisses.
(tilt your head to the left)
John takes over with the Bananas Foster. It is like this giant pile of brown sugar, with some butter in the saucepan and you warm it... try to melt the sugar. It was not melting... I was worried.
(That was when we got John)
Then you pour on banana liquor and rum. He bought this giant bottle of banana liquore which we figure will last us at least 30 years. Ready to light the pan and FLAMBE'! Oui!
It is lit! Darn, the picture doesn't show the fire! He is sprinkling sugar and cinnamon in it and it sparkles! At the fancy resturants they do this at your tableside...
Stephen waiting for the kitchen to catch on fire and Bryan laughing. :)

See that giant bottle of banana liquor?? :0

And I had THIS for lunch.... mmmmmm!

Well, close. This pic is from the internet.. my parfait had blueberries, bananas, plain yogurt and grapenuts. I ate it before I could take a picture!

Quick Blueberry Bread

Just whipped this up for the boys... awesome! I keep frozen blueberries around and this is chock full- as they say. I did not make the vanilla sauce, bread is sweet enough without it. It was a hit!

Quick Blueberry Bread
"This loaf is chock-full of blueberries—two whole cups!" says Sue Davis from Wausau, Wisconsin. "When you pour the vanilla sauce over the bread, it makes it moist--almost like a pudding. I suggest serving a robust cup of coffee with this delicious treat."
INGREDIENTS
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

VANILLA SAUCE:

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter, cubed


SERVINGS 8

METHOD Baked
PREP 20 min.
COOK 50 min.
TOTAL 70 min.
DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in blueberries.
Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
For sauce, combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in cream until smooth; add butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with blueberry bread. Yield: 8 servings (2 cups sauce).

NUTRITIONAL INFO
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 608 calories, 30 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 102 mg cholesterol, 424 mg sodium, 82 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein

Rockin' IPOD Playlist-- Woo Hoo!

I decided to try a pure eliptical machine workout, something like this:
5 min warm up
5 min little faster
45 min steady 70% hr
5 min cool down

In the past I am HORRIBLE about staying with an eliptical or treadmill very long. Books on tape help me stay on, but oh, I get so bored.

My sons say they love listening to music on the treadmill, so I asked them to put together a playlist on the Ipod that would correspond.

They mostly have video game music on there, but there is a lot of great VG music! They know pretty much what I like, and we went through a few songs. I do like rock and roll, so they put some on, and also sprinkled in some Stephen Curtis Chapman songs (Dive, I Believe) that I love to do housework to.


(Stephen Curtis Chapman)




It was SO FUN! I got on the machine and hit Playlist 2 as Bryan told me to.. and got this really weird song- 20 seconds long called "Grabbed by the Goulies"--
Wierd!! But then it came on again and again and again.. GOTCHA- he got me in a practial joke and thought it hilarious when I later told him I listened to it 10 times before the joke dawned on me...


(Ghoulies Grabbing)








So I switched to Playlist 1 (the real one) and enjoyed the music perfectly timed to my workout plan. Also it was fun to see what he chose. Some songs reminded me of the boys, music I often hear wafting down the stairs. Other songs were ones from the VG Live concert we all went to.

And, the music was all so different- some very epic, and strongly beat-- I put the eliptical on high grade and high resistance and felt like I was climbing a mountain.. then a happy Sonic song would come on and I would put it on light and go really fast, like skipping on water.

And I burned a record number of calories. Tomorrow I plan another eliptical and hope one of my sons will give me a fresh play list.