Quotes to Ponder . . .

"We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing."
-- R. D. Laing

"The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it."
-- Laurence J. Peter

"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B."
-- Fats Domino

Departure from the usual . . .

I took a second look at my recent quilt projects and was amazed to find they are all in pastel colors! I made two baby quilts in the rail fence pattern and used every scrap of pale blue, green, and pink in them. Not my usual choice of colors. I just finished piecing a ribbon quilt pattern in pale green with a pink floral pattern. I completely finished another rail fence patterned baby quilt in pale greens. Perhaps, the onset of Spring has softened my usual color palette choices?

I think I'm back to normal today, however. I hit the scrap box AGAIN and am doing a crazy quilt in every vibrant color in my collection. There isn't any rhyme or reason to it but it feels comforting.

I do feel a pull to the fabric warehouse coming over me and have thoughts of doing a quilt in every size and color of polka dotted fabric I can find. My favorite pattern has become the quick pieced triangle. I love the way you can put it together like a puzzle to come up with your own unique design.

I put away the quilting stuff early today to 'design' a treat for dinner - a cake! I recently acquired "Englightened Cakes' by Camilla Salisbury. The book is filled with old-time favorites with lower-fat ingredients. I made a yellow layered cake filled with lemon/orange curd and covered in a semi-sweet chocolate/orange frosting. Hey, Lent is over!

Swine flu in the aftermath of the flu season . . .

The powers that be seem confused about the fact that we might be facing a flu pandemic AFTER the flu season is supposed to be about over. Having a daughter in each of the places where the Swine Flu has turned up, I took time to think about what I could do to keep them healthy. Naturally, nothing will make anyone immune to the flu but you can remind your college students about the need of TRYING to get enough sleep, washing hands often, etc. Also, I read somewhere that some viruses/germs incubate in the digestive track. This immediately put me in mind of Acidolophlus. If you keep the good bacteria going in your system, you help it fight off any bugs that come your way.

We have tried a lot of different types over the years. Recently, we discovered the products carried at www.valuesdrivenfamily.com/. Their Tummy Tune Up and Yeast Assassin do not have any side effects, do not need refrigeration, and really seem to work well. We don't only use them for preventive medicine but for minor stomach upsets and headaches. It sure beats grabbing aspirin or Tylenol.

I just had a bottle sent to each of my children away at college and ordered a couple more to keep on hand at home. Thought I'd share as no one wants the fame of being a Swine Flu victim! Oh, and you cannot catch the Swine Flu from eating pork! This is strictly a person-to-person borne illness.

Just thought I'd share. Hey, if you are sick, you can't read my blog meanderings, right?!

Forwarding a letter to the president . . .

This was passed on to me on e-mail today. It sure says it like it is and I hope it wakes up enough people to stop the problems now! Hey, we should cherish the moments we have to express our opinion because the 'current powers' would sure like to put a stop to it! ~Barbara

Subject: Letter to the President

April 17, 2009
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Mr. Obama:

I have had it with you and your administration, sir. Your conduct on your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.

You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of America. You are responsible to the citizens of the United States. You are not responsible to the peoples of any other country on earth.

I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of Europe? Are you brain dead? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about? Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century?
Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does not consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles governing this country, at least until you came along, come directly from this heritage. Do you not understand this?

Your bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the King of Saudi Arabia. You don't show Great Britain, our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the King of Saudi Arabia. How dare you, sir! How dare you!

You can't find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you don't want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey. You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves. What's the matter with you?

I am convinced that you and the members of your administration have the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you.

You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American automobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? Anything? I seriously doubt it.

What about the U.S. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves? I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer. You haven't said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely didn't!

Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses. In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been awarded $51 million, not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven't you expressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now.

I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you idiots do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasingly fed up with all of you. I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.

Sincerely,
Every Real American

P.S. I rarely ask that emails be 'passed around'.............PLEASE SEND THIS TO YOUR EMAIL LIST......it's past time for all Americans to wake up!

Great Quotes . . .

"Calamities are of two kinds: misfortunes to ourselves, and good fortune to others."
-- Ambrose Bierce

"All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed."
-- Sean O'Casey

Where has Democracy gone in the past 100 days . . .?

Every day, it is something new coming forth from Washington DC and our elected officials and it isn't good news. The latest is that 17 year old girls will be allowed access to the morning after pill. Seems to me that if parents cared and were informed, they'd know where their daughters were and what they were doing and there would not be a night before to require a morning after pill. I wonder why the powers that be in our world of today think that taking care of a 'problem' after it happens makes more sense than condemning the problem in unappropriate circumstances. It is hard to watch or listen to the news as it all seems so anti-Catholic and just plain immoral.

RealCatholicTV.net has a lot of good information and keeps up to date. Just today, they kind of confirmed my worst fears but, hey, forewarned and all and knowing we have the power of prayer on our side . . .!

http://www.RealCatholicTV.net/preview.php?videoID=1656

Hope you can access this link. Consider signing up for their newsletter, too. Sometimes, having the information is better than being totally shocked and surprised!

The Notre Dame deal is still on for the president to speak there in May. Makes you wonder what the president of the college was thinking! I noted that out of all the bishops who have voiced disagreement on this invitation, no bishops from California have spoken up. The bishop of our diocese is Bishop Gerald Barnes. I wonder if he knows what a dismay, sadness, and embarrassment it is to the people of this area that he has not come forth on this topic. He shouldn't be afraid of the media - they won't be there on Judgment Day!

Oh, and for the California readers of this blog, vote NO on everything on the special election coming up in May. There is a lot of hype about how it will not raise taxes. Read the fine print! It is a masterful cover up and after the budget they just passed, we don't need to hand over any more of our hard-earned money. The commercials currently running on radio and television as so misleading!

For good, solid news on what is happening politically, The Heritage Foundation is excellent. Google it and sign up for their daily reports.

Italian sauce . . .

I tried a new way of making an Italian marinara sauce this evening and have discovered a keeper! It was easy and only required a stir with the spoon ever so often.

Ingredients:
Ten peeled garlic cloves
3 peeled carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Generous pinch of black pepper & salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cans dices tomatoes

Put all the ingredients, except tomatoes in the food processor and pulse until they are ground but not slush. Simmer for about five minutes in a large pot. You don't want to overcook it at this stage. Add the tomato products, cover, and simmer for 4 to 5 hours. Would work well in the crock pot, too.

Serve over pasta or with meatballs and a good sprinkling of freshly grated Romano or parmesan cheese. Wouldn't hurt to have some garlic bread on hand to sop up the sauce!

And the questions get harder, too!

"You know that children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers."
---John J. Plomp

Hopeless . . .

I recently completed a rail fence scrap quilt. After seeing it on the sofa for the last few weeks, I couldn't stand it any longer . . . I spent yesterday cutting all my scraps into MORE rail fence pieces and plan to make another one. I find it fascinating to see how a random combination of fabric can be soothing, interesting, and pretty at the same time.

Kind of like people when they cooperate and work together towards a common good. Each one is different and unique yet they all blend together somehow. I like looking at quilts and trying to find a reason for them!

I do have a secret incorporated into my quilts. Many of them have a scapular sewn inside. Kind of like sending a little blessing along with the gift.

A word to the wise . . .

One of my husband's ongoing complaints about life is trying to get his glasses washed and polished every morning. A clean towel doesn't seem to get the water up and he often ends up with a blur somewhere on the lense.

My husband got new glasses last week and he noticed the clerk easily wiping glasses with a bright, yellow towel of some sort. The clerk told him they were shop towels they sold at Costco. We checked it out and you get 36 towels for around $16. We immediately splurged and no more complaints about foggy glasses.

Having to purchase 36 towels in order to preserve our eyeware seemed a bit much BUT we have found these towels are great for drying dishes QUICKLY, dusting the furniture, cleaning surfaces, etc. They wash easily and are saving us on paper towel use. I think the micro fiber componet of the fabric makes it great. I know my bathroom surface cleaning and furniture dusting seemed to go faster than usual today.

Thought I'd pass on an idea that is working for us!

A Scrappy personality . . .

I have a cupboard full of beautiful lengths of perfect cotton fabric for quilting yet my inspiration keeps pulling me back to the scrap box for quilting ideas. I finished piecing and eight-point star patterned quilt yesterday and am in the finishing phases. I'm very much looking forward to my favorite part . . . putting in the final stitch!

I also started cutting out fabric for yet another rail fence quilt. This will be my fourth one in as many months. This is all in Spring colors and pretty much evolving from the scrap box . . . AGAIN!

I have a very large scrap quilt on the sofa in the living room. My family likes to race each other to it's warmth on a cold evening while they watch television or read a book. Of all the quilts I have ever made, this one is my favorite. I used every piece of fabric I could find so there are few duplicates in the pattern. Each piece included, however, has some kind of memory. Sometimes, I'll notice a piece that used to be an Easter dress I made for one of my daughters when she was little. Or see a scrap from a favorite shirt my son wore to pieces because Mom made it. I'm also always amazed that a pile of seemingly useless scraps can become a very useable blanket.

Old quotes that apply to current events . . .

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."
-- Will Rogers

"A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money."
-- Senator Everett Dirksen

Observations after Easter . . .

On Easter Sunday, there were four altar servers (male) lined up to serve the Mass. Three, little girls showed up and the pastor made the director either incorporate them into the already crowded group or drop some of the boys. The dignity of the Mass was compromised with too many servers literally standing around the altar.

I know that females are allowed to serve the Mass but it seems that when there are males to do it, the males should have priority. Our pastor is overworked yet his continued actions, in this regard, could make it even more difficult for pastors, in the future, to nurture their parishes. If the vocations aren't encouraged, churches will be crowded, people will wander off to other churches, ordinations will go down. It is really up to the women in the church to alleviate this situation.

Men have to stand up to be heard, too. At the various Easter readings, it was all women lectors. A lot of men in the congregation but no one willing to do the job.

I can't help thinking about how little we actually hear from the Blessed Mother in the Bible. The female gender might rediscover their femininity if they tried to emulate the Blessed Mother more and power less.

Just sharing some of my impressions during Holy Week!

Favorite Quote . . .

"If there were no God, there would be no Atheists."
-- G. K. Chesterton

Count down to Easter - Holy Thursday . . .

Our Holy Thursday Mass was bilingual and the second language wasn't Latin! Although the Mass and service were okay, I just wish everyone would get together on what is correct for various liturgies.

Holy Thursday is one of my favorite days of Holy Week. I love the brighness that is soon dimmed with Christ being taken away by the soldiers. Most years, I've attended a Holy Thursday where a lone voice in the choir intones, "My God, my God . . . Why have You forsaken Me . . ." while the altar is stripped, the lights extinguished and the tabernacle emptied and left open and bare. For some reason, the priest extinguished the Sanctuary light BEFORE Mass even began and had already stripped the tabernacle.

After the Gloria, with the ringing of the bells, the wooden clapper was used for the Consecration to indicate we were heading for a time of sorrow. The choir? It switched from using the organ to . . . a piano!

The procession to the Adoration Chapel, after Mass, was dignified (except for the continue use of instrumentals) but the majority of the congregation was more interested in bailing out and racing to the chapel rather than getting the full impact of the event as the altar was stripped.

In spite of the 'annoyances', I do feel sorry for anyone who only goes to Mass on Easter and misses out on Holy Week. It's like missing out on the whole story!

Success!

As a follow-up to my receipe posted yesterday . . .

I made it for dinner last night and it was a great success with my panel of resident gourmets - two of my children and my husband! I didn't have the refrigerated-type biscuits on hand so went with making my own from Bisquick. I think it probably turned out better that way.

Recipe Rescue . . .

A fun recipe that is easy on Mom, especially, after chasing down Easter eggs and children all weekend. A few minutes at the stove and it is in the oven - all in one dish. Serve with a big salad or lots of carrot and celery sticks.

BACON CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds ground beef
6 strips of bacon, crisply fried anad drained
1/4 cup onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and chopped
8 ounce can of tomato suace
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 ounce can refrigerated biscuits
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Combine ground beef and flour in skillet. Add onions, garlic, and brown. Pour out most of the drippings. Add tomato sauce, catsup, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper. Mix until heated through. Spread into a large casserole dish. Crumble and top with the prepared slices of bacon. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Top with cheese and biscuits and bake for 10-15 minutes longer or, until the biscuits are golden.

Glad and Sad news . . .

The glad news is that over two million red envelopes were mailed to the White House in the campaign for Pro-Life. The sad news is that I have yet to find a major publication/newspaper carrying the information. A mail handler at the White House said that it was the largest mailing received on a particular topic in 35 years yet the news reporters do not find this news worthy. It used to be the news reporters reported ALL the news not just the news to promote pet agendas. We are certainly becoming a world of compromised values.

A friend told me she has prayed a Rosary a day for our current president and it has been a difficult task - not the prayer, itself, but the recipient! It does seem, sometimes, that our prayers are falling into a bottomless pit and nothing seems to 'stick'. We just have to keep on keeping on and know all is in God's Time not ours. Easier said than done in our human thinking!

Quotes to Ponder . . .

"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future."
-- Niels Bohr

"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul."
-- Marilyn Monroe

"Democracy is a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame."
-- Laurence J. Peter

"The average man, who does not know what to do with his life, wants another one which will last forever."
-- Anatole France

Thoughts as Lent comes to an end for 2009 . . .

When I was growing up, the two high points of the year were Christmas and Easter. At that time Midnight Mass was offered at both Holy Days. These late night Masses seemed, to my youthful thinking, to be hurdles to the main events— Christmas presents and Easter candy.

Christmas always seemed the easiest to attain. The most we did was open Advent calendars and burn Advent candles during dinner time. A big return for little effort!

Now Easter was preceded by weeks and weeks of somber Lent. The usual meatless Fridays seemed even more meatless and we were urged to give up something. To my unformed mind, the return on Easter was very small in comparison to the ‘suffering' I had to endure!

Up until a few years ago, Lent still felt like a long, grey period of time. If you gave up something, it seemed even longer until you could indulge again. If you didn't follow through on a ‘give up' you felt guilty and Lent was still unending. I concentrated on what I had to do or couldn't have instead of looking forward to the ultimate reward of Easter. Although God offers us all the riches of Heaven, our human nature tends to tolerate hardships merely for the attainment of earthly goods.

I am slowly coming to the realization that Lent is not so much a time for giving up as for giving and forgiving. Lent should be a positive experience, building up to the hard to express but all too real joy of the Resurrection. The world, after all, waited centuries for the Coming yet we have trouble waiting out less than two months until Easter Sunday.

I looked up repent in the dictionary and discovered through it a viewpoint I had never taken into consideration. According to Webster's:

Repent — To turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life.

I can't find the negatives in this that are usually associated with  talking about Lent, repent, etc. It calls for avoiding sin and getting on with one's life to the betterment of it. You can accomplish this though extra sacrifice and doing without during the Lenten Season and this is good. It seems to me an even better approach to Lent would be extending happiness in anticipation of the miracle to come in addition to sacrifice. God gives us this chance each year. Are we building our place in Heaven or are we waiting for the perfect year in which to begin?

Christ walked on this very earth by His own free Will. He lived as a man knowing each step took Him closer to terrible suffering and death on the Cross. As I read though the Bible and listen to the readings on Sundays, I cannot find any negatives in Christ's journey on earth. He did it all for us without any thought for Himself. He gave up His life in order to give in to our need for Him. I am hoping this year that I tried for a Lent that made my sacrifices a joy, and my joy a potential path to Heaven.

Interesting find . . .

We prefer vitamins, healthy food, and exercise to using too many over-the-counter medications. People laugh at our pill cupboard as we do have an array of herbs and vitamins we have found helpful for our needs. I thought I'd share some of our favorite sources that offer good prices and quality items.

Our favorite source for vitamins, etc., is Puritan's Pride. You can search them out on-line just by using their name. They always have a sale going and if you have a question or concern, you can talk to a real person! I've compared prices and they beat the health stores and even Wal-Mart most every time.

We recently discovered Beeyoutiful.com which deals in homeopathic and more natural methods. In spite of the 'cute' name, we have now made Tummy Tune Up a staple in our home. It is a powerful acidolophilus that seems to work quickly for stomach upsets. The nice thing about this particular brand is that you don't need to keep it refrigerated like other types. Our other favorite is a Miracle Salve that is very pleasant to use and really helps with minor burns, scrapes, and itches.

Patience is not my favorite virtue . . .

Quilting has taught me patience in spite of my lazier inclinations. I do have to admit that I'm always looking for shortcuts. A great site for easier cutting and piecing can be found on the Quilt in a Day web page. Although there is a cost for some of the patterns, they also offer many free ones which include tips for faster cutting and sewing.

I tend to find a pattern I like in quilting and make several quilts with the basic plan before my husband suggests I (please!) try another one. Last month, it was the rail fence. I made four quilts with that pattern. Even I tired of it! My quilt du jour is an eight-point star. It is comprised mainly of triangles - my least favorite shape, however, About.Com's quilting site showed an easy way to get near-perfect ones every time. It met spouse approval as my husband declared that THIS quilt was staying with us!

I have never taken a quilting class so other people might be totally familiar with this method of piecing. That's okay, I'm still thrilled to have finally found it myself! You take two squares of fabric and line them together, right sides facing. Pin the fabric to stabilize. Using a ruler and a fabric marker, chalk, or pen, draw a line from one corner of the square diagonally to the other. Sew a quarter inch seam on each side of the line. Cut down the line (not either seam!), open up, press, and you have a square with two perfectly sewn together triangles.

I have fifteen squares pieced for my quilt. I probably need ten more to make a reasonably sized quilt for our bed. If it wasn't for the above-mentioned method and my rotary cutting board, my lack of patience might have slowed down the project! My husband once asked me what my favorite tasks were in quilting. I said they were finding a pattern, selecting the fabric, and the last stitch!

Ancient thought for the day . . .

"The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities."
-- Sophocles