Search Party or Not . . .?

I have always wondered what to do when people disappear from your life suddenly. Oh, I don't mean they move away or die but just stop checking in with you and sharing trials and tribulations. I also have to wonder about people who check in and out or our lives at will like there hasn't been an hiatus in contact. I know a couple of 'friends' like this. They are constantly on your Facebook/e-mail and suddenly, your last note to them go unanswered . . . for months so you put the friendship aside and set them free! Then, they show up, again, and are constant in contact . . . until they disappear . . . again!

Greed or Stupidity?

What is it about some people who take advantage of a good intention? I dated a guy once and a mutual friend invited us to dinner. The friend could afford dinner but it was definitely a little sacrifice on his part to offer the treat. My date, knowing this, STILL ordered the most expensvie item on the menu and we are talking over $30 for his entree. I have always wondered if he was exhibiting greed over the prospect of an expensive meal he wouldn't have to pay for or he was just, plain stupid in matter of social rubrics. We parted company soon after that and I think this meal out contributed greatly to my decision!

I keep running into this type of behavior, however, and from somewhat unexpected sources. One friend invited a lonely fellow parishioner to a simple breakfast. Again, the friend was not wealthy but she felt moved to offer this other person a little treat and companionship. Breakfast is usually an inexpensive prospect but her guest proceeded to order a complete breakfast PLUS several additional sides, coffee, cocoa, milk, and orange juice. She topped it all off by ordering pie to go. Again, was it greed or gross stupidity?

Some gentlemen I knew decided to have a man's morning out and have an early lunch before going on with their day. A female aquaintance overheard their plans and pushed her way into the outing by inviting herself. The man in the group who was treating was more than a bit shocked when not only did he have to pay for her meal, too, but she ordered a complete one to go . . . on his tab. Greed or social stupidity?

Thinking about it, I'm hoping these people were just stupid when it came to the nicities of accepting an invitation. It would be very sad to think they would plan on taking advantage of people. Whether it was greed or stupidity, this kind of person will eventually find themselves lonely as second invites will be long in coming. Knowing one of the 'players' in the restaurant game, I would be very quick to ask for separate checks if she invitied herself to my table. Sad world when there is more take than give in our behavior.

A Milestone . . .?

After years of THINKING about it, I finally put together my thoughts and have written a book! Although I would prefer to have it picked up by a publisher, I'm thinking that self-publishing might be the way to go in order to keep my rights to the material. Anyway, I am the proud owner of a rough copy of a 140 page manuscript. I don't know what that will result in as a book format but probably not a huge book. Just have to sell a few more quilts and such to start the publishing process. What are the chances?

Must be in the writing mode as I am already working on another book. My computer area is cluttered with pages of ideas, rough drafts, and stacks of paper. If messy is the sign of a great mind, I'm a genius!

Naturally, the upcoming holidays takes time away from what I WANT to do with what I HAVE to do. Sigh . . .

Christmas baking starts next week after the freezer gets defrosted and ready for cookie storage. Word of advice: Never purchase anything except a frost-free freezer no matter how much you save. I'm just saying . . .

A Blessed Advent!

The first Sunday in Advent! Where has the year gone this time? It seems like we just sacrificed our way through Lent and celebrated Easter and now the Church year is starting over again.

For once, I got the majority of my Christmas tasks done in November so I can enjoy the process of Advent in a better frame of mind. I certainly don't need Black Friday shopping to get me in the mood!

As we begin Advent, we are certainly finding a lot to pray for given the attitude of the world and the problems in our country. I'm praying and have been praying that our politicians start recognizing the needs of the citizens that put them into office in the first place and enact laws that respect them as citizens. Political power sure seems to overshadow responsibility.

I'm also praying for the Catholics I know who still think our president was the best thing to happen to this country! A friend hasn't spoken to me since the election because I differed on who to vote for! I'm a simple voter. The candidate's view on abortion decides my vote every time. The president got funding for his election from Planned Parenthood. His wife worked with Planned Parenthood. It might just be me, but I'm thinking he is in favor of abortion? Anyway, a Advent gift of prayer for the safety of the unborn seems a good goal towards Christmas.

Also thinking about the festive side of the holiday as I begin to think about Christmas baking. I love an excuse to bake and what better time of the year?

I still have a lot of crocheting to get done before December 25th! I like making and giving handmade gifts. We have a long drive today so you can be sure my yarn and crochet hook will be going along for the ride!

Hope everyone has something great to look forward to this week!

God bless,
Barbara

Happy Thanksgiving!

It seems like I was just putting away the leftovers from LAST Thanksgiving and here we are getting ready for THIS year's Thanksgiving. Time goes by so quickly!

In spite of all the problems our government and politicians cause in our life, we still have a great deal to be thankful for this year. We still have God and we still have the ability to vote which will eventually make a difference if everyone takes it seriously.

Wonderful to have my two college daughters home for the holiday. Quick visits as they have two more weeks of school before Christmas break along with final exams.

I give myself a week off from 'fancy' kitchen work before I begin the Christmas baking. Sigh . . . There is not enough time or butter in the world for me to bake all the cookie recipes I love! My tried and true ones all have some sort of memory attached which makes December a great time to reflect on what has gone on in my life and think about the possibilities of the future.

Hope everyone is facing a fantastic Thanksgiving Day in your immediate future. Hey, and avoid the Black Friday crowds! Is there really something worth risking life and limb in pushing through hoardes of people looking for a bargain?! :-)

Who is drinking the kool-aid now?

The past few days have brought us countless stories about the rude pat downs at our security check points at the airport. While I am all for precautions, it seems to me that touching a nun's or little child's private parts to insure safety is a little over the top even for the liberal mind set.

I've flown with the Israel's planes and, athough the security was thorough, they never touched me! Seems they keep track of who is flying on their planes, watch your passport notations, and profile. They use their minds and intellect rather than their germy gloved hands to find out who they will or won't allow on one of their flights.

I'm afraid the United States is missing the point dreadfully with the pat downs and scans. They tell us that the indecent pat downs are because of the panty bomber LAST Christmas. Seems to me that if they had not allowed the bomber to board the plane without a legit passport, the whole scenario would probably not have happened. It took private citizens to do what security should have done at the onset of the boarding procedure.

And, who is paying for the terrorist threats? The ordinary people who are now giving up vacations and trips because they don't want to be demeaned and embarrassed at airport security. I imagine the terrorist powers that be are laughing at us right now as they see lines and lines of innocent people being abused and delayed at airport security.

The uninformed public is helping the situation. They interview people waiting for flights and they say it is okay for the sake of safety. Instead of fighting for our constitutional rights re. bodily invasion of privacy, they drink the liberal kool-aid offered at the check points. Everyone has to stand up for what is right or everyone will go down

Seems to me that this is just nother stepping stone to convincing us that micro chipping is the answer. That would truly bring us into the horrors of the 'brave, new world'.

Interesting to note that prisoners are not subjected to this random, bodily invasion . . . It's unconstitutional.

Our founding fathers gave us the best country in the world and our elected politicians are doing their best to minimize it's greatness.

Proving all too true . . .

He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.

George Bernard Shaw

The land of fruit and nuts . . .

How did everyone's state do yesterday? I was pleased the Republicans got the House. Very sorry that Harry Reid won re-election. Where are people's brains? California did not fare particularly well. Aside from voting down the stupid Marijuana proposition, the voters were pretty uninformed about their votes on the other propositions. I'm especially dismayed about the Global Warming Solutions Prop which passed with a wide margin. The trouble with that one was that if you voted NO, it meant you were voted in favor of it. If you voted YES, it meant you were against it. Obviously, the majority of voters didn't READ it before voting. This Prop along with Jerry Brown's 'ideas' for the State, will make the next six years very anxious. The Global Warming Prop eventually wants a moratorium on single-family home building to get people to move into apartments near work, $9 a gallon gas and a 25 cents per mile charge to use the freeway. Naturally, that will chase more companies from the State which will certainly do a lot to increase our unemployment problems. What DO liberals use to think with, anyway?

We certainly live in 'interesting' times! Good thing we all have prayer lives as we are going to need a lot of prayers! : - )

Election Day!

I hope that everyone reading this post did their patriotic duty and voted today. EACH vote does count! California has a lot riding on the various propositions. Some of these, if they win, will cause a lot of future problems for the State. Don't know who will win the governor's race but it is a lose/lose for the State either way but possibly more so with Jerry Brown. His past record as governor was nothing to brag about and I'm afraid his current, leftist ideas will make things even worse.

Meanwhile, the news tells us that obama is taking 3,000 people to India with his family for ten days at a cost of over two million dollars a day. They are using 40 aircraft including both Air Force One planes. I guess a sense of entitlement doesn't invade just the welfare class! I hope the next time this president tells us to tighten our belts, he chokes on his words! I can't see that he has kept a single campaign promise or improved the American life one, tiny bit. Always interesting, however, at how many people admiring and defending him.

Anyway, I voted and was happy to see that people had to wait in line to get a voting booth. Haven't seen that for awhile. I hope these were all voters who researched the issues before voting for the issues. Time will tell. In the meantime, we have what obama doesn't seem to take into consideration . . . prayer!

Holidays approach . . .

Once Halloween comes around, it seems like the rest of the year just flies by as we prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It also reminds me of my age because of the speed in which it comes and goes.

Remember when we were children and it seems liked YEARS before Christmas Eve arrived and then another century had to pass before Christmas Day was actually HERE? I miss the wonder of childhood!

Interesting Experience . . .

A jury summons landed me at the courthouse most of the day on Tuesday. I've been called before but never for what looks to be a big case. Doesn't look like we have a judge who takes any excuse for not serving so jury selection should be interesting. Since there are indications that the prosecutor is after the death sentence, I sincerely pray I'm not on this jury because I know that I could not be part of a group that comes to a verdict of guilty and die. It would be something that would haunt me the rest of my life. I don't know how other people do it.

I always find it interesting how we are instructed that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and the burden of guilt is on the prosecutor. Naturally, if on a jury, I would abide by that but you have to wonder how many people look at the man or woman in the defendant's position think, "Well, he/she obviously did SOMETHING to land there!" It's human nature which is what probably makes discernment even more difficult. Attorneys sure have their work cut out for themselves to get their evidence around prejudices that will want to surface in juror's minds.

The death penalty scares me! Even though a person may be on trial because they TOOK a life, I'm not sure, at all, that I could do this in turn by a guilty verdict for death. The judge instructed us to be fair but it doesn't seem fair to put the burden of coming to a penalty of death on the souls of twelve other people. Should be interesting. And I wondered where I came by my current migraine!

Out of control . . .

I think the Catholic Church is losing control . . . to the laity! While I realize our priests need help in and outside of the Mass, the laity at our parish seem to be taking over and putting the priest in second, third, or ignore him place. They forget that the priest is the one who can consecrate the bread and wine. There would be no Mass without this. Yet, more and more, the laity is being disrespectful of the the priest and what they represent.

Our parish has a daily Novena for vocations. This is nice but there are factions in the congregation who act like our Blessed Mother will strike us down and the world will end if the priest forgets to have this said at the end of Mass. It would certainly be more appropriate for someone to mention the omission to the priest AFTER Mass than to start yelling out the Novena so the priest knows he has goofed up AGAIN! Last I heard, the priest was still in charge of the Mass.

My 'favorite' erring extraordinary minister is one without training or proper manners around the altar. Her claim to fame is that she is an ex-nun. Actually, she isn't even that as she left before completing her studies. This, however, is why she feels she can just do what SHE perceives as 'necessary' at Mass. She should now better at her advanced age. The priest should be man enough to take her aside and tell her what's what. In the meantime, the congregation gets to watch her orchestrate Mass according to her personal drummer and we are the captive and often shocked audience.

The Church might become better organized and attract more vocations and converts if the laity butted out of what they don't know and left the process of the Mass to the priest's decision. This certainly hit home today. The priest was halfway out of the sanctuary at the conclusion of the Mass when someone decided they wanted to do a hymn. Since it was not anticipated, people each grabbed their own personal musical note and went with it. A particularly self-important woman decided to raise her voice in song the PROPER way and blared it out the 'right' way rather than trying to blend in with the rest. They had hit their third verse, the priest was long back in the sacristy, and I left.

Amazing . . .

Those in California have probably heard the latest banter between the candidates for governor. One of them got ahead of the other in the polls, had a good debate, and, suddenly, a rabid lawyer just happens to pick up something about the candidate that is making ground. Oh, and the lawyer is also good friends with the opposition!

The premise is that one of the candidates fired her illegal alien housekeeper and the housekeeper is coming forward to discuss her mistreatment and dismissal. She claims she was only fired because her boss was running for office. The poor woman! She only made around $50,000 a year working there. She also worked there more than five years which makes one wonder exactly HOW mistreated she was.

As I watch the almost daily news casts and meet the press situations, I have to wonder at the way this is all going. The illegal alien admits to falsifying her identification and using someone else's Social Security number to get the job. Why isn't the victim of identify theft being helped? Why are they giving press to the person who stole the Social Security number being looked at in the light of being a thief?

The lawyer representing the illegal alien isn't being very lawyer-like with her response to questions. You have to wonder about a world that exalts the criminal aspects of a person's behavior.

Nothing but the truth . . .

Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side.
- Anonymous

California IS the land of fruits and nuts . . .!

Sometimes, you really have to wonder about the politicians in office and, more so, the people who voted them into places of responsibility. We learned, yesterday, that some environmental board (appointed by the wacko politicians in office) wants to pass some kind of legislation that will raise the cost of gas in California to $9 a gallon to offset the smog created by the cars. They also plan to charge 25 cents a mile for freeway usage as well as fees for parking ANYWHERE! By anywhere, they are talking at the grocery store, doctor's office, post office . . .

Although they state that they are not trying to drive people from their homes, how will people who commute to work cope with an estimated extra $4,500 in costs for that? Their ultimate plan to to stop home building out in the suburbs and get people to move closer to their jobs and use public transportation. They want the limit builders to only constructing high rise rentals instead of one-family homes. Sounds like a lot of science fiction stories one thought would never happy. From what I understand, Russia is pretty much like that from their Iron Curtain days . . . and it wasn't very pleasant or even good for the economy.

Now, how come I can hear this and immediately think: High gas prices, less cars, gas companies closing, car dealerships closing, people out of work, businesses leaving California, more people on welfare/unemployment, food supplies more expensive because of transport costs, etc. . . . All these idiots see is a green, wonderful world going back to nature. Uh, I don't think God wanted us to give nature back to the animals ans bugs.

It just makes one wonder if there will be a sane place left in the world!

Just my rant for the day!

He got that right!

"Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure." - Ronald Reagan

One of my favorite to date!

Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
- Italian Proverb

So much trouble . . .

Someone came to our door, yesterday, who was campaigning for some local office. I like to ask them questions about major events in the country to see where they stand. Even if they would not be involved in many of such issues at their current political level, you never know who goes on later to higher office.

First of all, the woman who was running of this particular office came to the door wearing very casual shorts and a tee shirt. She wasn't dressed to impress but I decided to try and not be judgmental and asked her what she thought about obamacare. She looked totally blank. I repeated 'obamacare' and added, the recent legislation signed to take over our healthcare? Still blank. She didn't recognize the word and I clarified, obama, our president, how do you feel about what he had done in office. Flustered and obviously really not knowing what I was asking, she muttered, "I don't like what he has done to the educational system." Huh? Guess she helped me decide who not to vote for in November.

The more I talk to people, the more I have come to realize why we get the politicians we do into office. Many people don't bother to do their homework when and IF they vote.

It is interesting to note that if I came into these people's home and told them that I would be in charge of how they would live from now on, what they could and couldn't eat, and what kind of lightbulbs I would allow them to use, they'd pitch a fit. Too bad they aren't paying attention to what IS going on or they would find out that their lack of concern and voter responsibility is causing stuff like that to happen.

We looked at the flyer this small-town politician was passing out and, basically, she was for more money for the teachers' union. No wonder math is a weak subject these days. We are in the middle of financial strife yet the teachers' union doesn't want to hold back on raises. You can't get blood from a turnip but the union mind set with the teachers seems to think so.

Nope, this woman is not getting our vote although she should try listening to the news so she could recognize our president's name in conversation!

Somethng easy to forget!

We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next-door neighbour.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Glad tidings . . .

I guess it is officially Christmas Season . . . at least, according to Costco who had their Christmas gifts, wrap, and such on display today. It sure takes away from the feast day/holiday having this for sale so early in the year.

I'm old-fashioned and can remember when Halloween was in October and we would get excited about all the orange and black, think about costumes and about two weeks before the day, see all the candy set out for sale. It was just enough time to work up a thrill over the anticipated event.

These days, the red and green clashes with the Fall colors and your children are just as likely to get a candy cane in their trick or treat bag as black jelly beans. I'd hate to be a kid these days. I loved the progress of the Fall/Winter holidays and the time we had to relish each one.

I'm thinking . . . we should pick out one weekend for the whole world and on that weekend, we'd celebrate ALL the holidays. We could start the morning with an Easter Egg hunt, followed by Christmas stockings, trick or treat in the evening with Midnight Mass that night. For people of other Faiths, a sunrise service could start the next early morning, with a Thanksgiving noon meal with all the expected trimmings. We could have egg nog and Christmas presents in the evening just before we set off the Fourth of July fireworks and enjoy some barbecued hot dogs and lemonaide.

Yes, it would be a lot of work but then the stores could stock all this stuff for eleven and a half months out of every year!

Yes, I'm being sarcastic and joking . . . but could you imagine? Unfortunately, it is all too easy to see happening. Don't tell anyone I told you this! : - )

What do you get . . .?

It is interesting to me that the parishioners who publically celebrate their spirituality the most seem to be the most unchristian given circumstances that don't please them.

This morning, the church wasn't open by 7:20 for the 7:30 Sunday Mass. It was actually kind of fun to mingle with people you don't ordinarily talk to as we joked about being banned from the church, missing the sunrise service, etc. Mass did start on time and all was well . . .

Okay, all was well until after Mass when a woman decided to berate the sacristan for not being there early enough to open up the church. She decided that inside the church, within feet of the Blessed Sacrament was just fine for her loud and abusive tirade. One mother attempted to distract her daughter but the yelling was too loud. The sacristan tried to brush it off and leave but she followed with her strident voice.

This was not a good thing. The sacristan was visibly upset. He isn't on a payroll and helps out extensively at the parish for the love of God and his respect for the priests. He didn't deserve this. The worst part? The woman had just acted as an extraordinary minister at the 7:30 Mass. She had receive our Lord's Body and Blood and within minutes of this holy reception, she used her mouth to treat another person in a most unChristlike way.

All weekend we heard and discussed the various world events, threats, etc. in regards to Koran burning, terrorism, etc. and shook our heads. In my humble opinion, some of the worst rot in the world today starts in our churches where you'd expect the most kindness to manifest itself.

Seems we could pray 24 hours round the clock and it wouldn't be enough.

Can't figure out this world . . .

I heard on the news, yesterday, there is a 'how to' manual making the rounds of the e-mail on How to Molest a Child! The authorities would like to find the person who initiated this e-mail because they think he/she might be a child molester - DUH! What got me is that they say no crime has been committed in distributing the information, however!

Meanwhile, the media is focusing on some tiny church in Florida who is threatening to burn a Koran on 9/11. No, the pastor should not be backing this action but why aren't more people incensed over instructions on how to stalk and molest a child are making the rounds?

The upset over the Koran burning just shows how anti-Christian the media is today. They sure don't worry about ruining relations with Christian churches. Perhaps, in their warped, little minds, they realize that we will be more . . . what's the word? Oh, yeah! We are likely to be more Christian about it!

My favorite of the day . . . and no comment! : - )

I do not have a psychiatrist and I do not want one, for the simple reason that if he listened to me long enough, he might become disturbed.
- James Thurber

Something to remember!

Man is the only Animal that Blushes. Or needs to.

Mark Twain

A Good Question . . .

“God is Love. We eventually have to ask ourselves the question; why was Love nailed to a cross?” ~Pope John Paul II

Great thought for the day . . .!

“You must not get discouraged if you don’t always succeed in doing everything as you would wish; try your best to do what you are supposed to do and never fail on that account, never caring whether it makes you feel a sense of comfort or boredom or annoyance. …as soon as we notice that we have become discouraged, we must revive our faith and let ourselves fall into the arms of our divine Father, who is always ready to welcome us as long as we turn to Him sincerely.” ~St. Padre Pio

How come?

Why don't Catholics think it is a sin to vote for an abortion candidate? I was talking to a woman at morning Mass and she said she voted for obama because she wanted change. She had no idea what kind of change she wanted, however. I said that a vote for obama was a vote to kill the unborn. She quickly assured me that obama had stated in his campaign that he was against abortion. It only took a matter of minutes for me to pull up eight pages of his pro-abortion votes and actions. The woman was shocked. She wanted to know how come I knew about this but it was the first she had heard about it.

I asked her what news she watched and she happily told me she watched CNN and MSNBC faithfully. I said she should listen to conservative talk radio and watch Fox News. She blanched and said, "Oh, NO! Fox News is mean-spirited and very liberal. Rush Limbaugh is prejudiced." I just said, "I know way your prefer CNN and MSNBC . . . they tell you what you want to hear." She looked taken aback but ventured, "You know, I think I will give Fox and Rush Limbaugh another chance."

The sad thing is that she is ONE of the over 50% of the Catholics that voted in an abortion regime with their Democratic vote this past presidential election. They put the welfare of the unborn on the back burner because obama promised change, jobs, and financial security. Instead, we got unemployment, financial disaster, and a lot of change we would . . . well, change from obama that we'd like to change!

Can't entirely blame the Catholic congregations for their vote although in the information age, they'd have a hard time proving invinciable ignorance. Nope, I know of too many priests and seminarians that happily voted for and celebrated obama's election. The guardians of Christ's flocks voted to keep the killing of our future legal. If unemployment and financial ruin is all that God visits upon us, I'd say we got off easily.

We each have one vote and our vote does count. Here's hoping we all use it wisely this November. It could make all the difference in the world.

Do you make your vote count . . .?

There never is a line anymore. In this last local election, my husband voted on the way to work. I went in to vote almost an hour later. My husband was the 15th person to vote. I was the 16th. Our district is now represented by a pro-choice politician.

And if you felt that one vote wouldn’t make a difference, did you vote anyway . . . in case it did? What about our example to our children. Ever since my children were babies, they have accompanied us to the polls to learn that we think this democratic process is important. What does one vote matter? It could be a matter of your soul when Judgement Day finds God asking you why you didn’t care. When we have to contend with a pro-death culture, don’t blame the politicians so much as the people who didn’t use the influence of their vote to make a difference.

Evelyn Waugh, a famous writer, once said that when times are bad, the only way to cope is to pretend we are tourists in a foreign land. Judging from our elected officials, most of us have been acting that way for years.

Nothing new . . .

“The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome becomes bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.” Marcus Tullius Cicero, 55 BC

Cold Oatmeal!

This looked like an interesting way to have breakfast at the ready for a busy morning.

5 cups uncooked quick oats
1 green apple, shredded
1 red apple, shredded
1 cup grapes, chopped
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup honey
3 cups milk (or more to reach desired consistency)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Toss the shredded apples with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold for a quick, easy, healthy breakfast.

Where's the joy . . .?

We have a wonderful new priest in our parish from Nigeria. It is amazing to see the cultural differences in the perception of joy. Yesterday, was the Feast of the Assumption and Father could barely contain himself with the joy of the occasion. He rightfully pointed out that we probably express more joy at Thanksgiving. We should treat the wonderful feast days of the Church in that manner, too. He even broke out in song at one point during his sermon. You could sense the sincerity. He was actually joyful and expressing a full heart.

A friend said he met a Nigerian in the seminary and the young Nigerian's main confusion was how quiet our Masses are. I guess that we have sort of evolved into a people who are more afraid of what others will think rather than face true emotions.

My husband likens our priest to a crashing wave and the congregation are the rocks on the shore. Water doesn't wear down rocks immediately but, perhaps, we eventually learn to break out into joyful song when we mean it.

Always go to the source . . .!

used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.
- Emo Phillips

Love this quote . . .!

If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.

Margaret Thatcher

Sadly, true!

After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say: "I want to see the manager!"

Willliam S. Burroughs

Apples and humanity . . .

Every season has it's promise but I think I like Fall the best. Even in California, we get some cooler crisp to the evenings and hope we actually get brisk weather for the Winter holidays. The best part of the Fall is apple season! We live about 45 minutes away from Oak Glen where you can go right to the orchards and purchase apples just picked that very morning.

We have a couple of favorite places to go but the best one is run by an elderly couple and their dog, Daisy. The gentleman will not let you buy apples until you try them and listen to his stories. We have learned to put aside the time to enjoy this visit. There have been people who show up, mentally push the man aside, and demand so many pounds of this and that apple and refuse his offer of a sample. His face remains calm but you can see feelings of hurt and regret about a moment lost.

It is not only the stories and the apples we go for but the kindness and respect the couple show for each and every customer. They remember us from visit to visit. We cherish these times for the unique apples he raises, our drive up to the mountains, and the stories that go with each variety of apple.

We developed a longing for a specific apple that only shows up towards the end of the season. It was kind of funny as in our anticipation of this event, we kind of rushed our joy in the many types we purchased and sampled in the months before. Yes, we got a bushel of the desired, long-awaited apple. No, it was not as splendid as we remembered. It was unusual, not often seen/heard of, but not quite as tasty as some of the previous harvests.

I think we treat life this way, too. We look so forward to one, specific event and just touch on all the potential happiness on the way to it.

Judge not . . .

Over the years, we have sponsored children/seminarians through the Catholic Foundation for the Children and Aging. Someone, looking at the photo of 'my' little girl in Peru, remarked, "She looks pretty well-dressed to be needing your financial help. I heard the same remark from someone when my mother was showing him pictures taken during World War II in Germany. He said, "I heard everyone was hungry and sick. You all don't look that bad."

Both people judged by the picture. I have come to find out that when a child gets assigned a sponsor through the above-named organization, everyone rejoices for them and the whole village/neighborhood loans them the best for the photo. They might be poor and in need but they want to look nice. Same with my mother. She said that when anyone took a picture, people pulled their lives away from the war for the moment and spruced up the best they could.

In both instance, people judged by what they saw and left their opinion at the superficial level. We have all been guilty of that, from time to time, and you have to wonder what terrific people you will never become friends with because you judged hastily. There is a lot of evil in the world today. It is a shame to miss out on including all the good people you can find in your life.

Democracy doesn't count . . .

The State of California is basically sitting by and watching the destruction of Democracy. Elected officials who are supposed to uphold the majority rule, have let the majority down. A person with a vested interest has been given the 'deciding vote' which naturally went the way of the agenda at hand.

I'm talking about the much-publicized Prop. 8 which states that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, the fact is that the majority of California voters, voted in favor of this proposition TWICE yet one judge decided to throw it out. The judge is publically gay which means it was acted upon by a prejudiced party with a vested interest in the outcome.

There are a lot of other things about our government and world that I'm not happy about but when the majority votes one way, the minority should not be able to throw it out because they disagree with the outcome. I mean, why vote? Isn't this kind of a dictatorial act?

Face it, not one group is ever entirely happy once the votes are counted. You rejoice when your viewpoint is honored. You are sad and vow to work harder when your idea/proposition is shot down. California was given the vote on Prop. 8 twice and the same conclusion came about twice.

There is rejoicing among some factions over the judge's decision. Even though they 'won', they, like the rest of us, lost today. Our government clearly showed that voting was for 'fun' and the majority doesn't necessarily win. Democracy started the death march today and everyone lost.

Padre Pio knew best . . .

“Ahead! Courage! In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backward. It happens as with a boat which always must go ahead. If it stands still the winds will blow it back.” ~St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Bitterness vs. Spirituality . . .

We have a typical, Novus Ordo parish where a detour from the Rubrics has and does happen. We have the poorly trained Extraordinary Ministers and a couple who just decided they could do it sans training . . . which shows. I'm not always happy with what I see or experience but am usually able to keep my focus on the altar, the priest, and the miracle that God through Jesus Christ has granted us there. The human mistakes are momentary while the Eucharist is for eternity.

It is sad, however, when some of the more orthodox crowd lose sight of the Eucharist in their dismay over Rubrics and voice their bitterness frequently and loudly. It is like the hatred of things not going entirely in line with Rubrics is replacing their chance at experiencing the spirituality of the Mass. Unfortunately, it runs over into their peers and you have to wonder what the long-terms effects will be. Their feeling is that if everything was done exactly right, life would be perfect. Well, Adam and Eve decided the question of perfection and, sometimes, you have to work around the imperfections to find the grace.

I've seen both sides of the liberal/conservative coin. I found it interesting, in my time attending a more conservative parish, that the conservative people couldn't let go of whatever might be happening in more liberal parishes. It is like they were bringing their bitternes into their preferred Mass. Seems to me that if you can't leave the bitterness behind, you are tainting the perfection you are looking for in church.

Now, I prefer the peace of a consevatively celebrated Mass. I didn't find it at the conservative parish. Ultra-conservative people, in my experience, are more judgmental even towards the people trying to worship with them. In fact, the attitude of the conservative parish actually drove one of my children FROM the Faith and left him with . . . bitterness.

I was told, this morning, by a particularly angry woman that she was leaving our more liberal parish to attend the very conservative one full time and I should go, too. I attended that parish for over twelve years. I was only able to leave behind bitterness and find peace by leaving that parish.

Yes, we get peeved at some people's perception of how to participate in the Mass. We have made a name for ourselves by NOT going along with that kind of stuff. The difference is that after Mass at the liberal parish, people come out and are still friends. When we didn't fall in line with the more orthodox parish views, we were often left out.

I have to wonder, however, at how adamant some people have been towards me about their idea that going to a liberal Mass will cost us our spirituality. I think it may be that they might not have the spirituality to go it on their own no matter what Mass they attend. To me, daily Mass is always food for the soul regardless of the problems. The priest celebrates with the correct words, Christ comes down from His Cross into our hearts, and all can be well with the world if you cut the bitterness and invite the spirituality.

I have heard said that the Masses you attend while you are alive speak more in your favor then the ones said for you after you are dead. I'm pretty sure God counts EVERY Mass and doesn't count out any Mass attended with a good attitude. Besides, attending Mass 350-plus times a year vs. the required 52 will be credited at your personal judgment day.

Got that right!

"Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair."
-- George Burns

One to remember!

“We cannot give what we don’t have so, therefore, let us be holy.” ~Mother Teresa

Dating Advice for Dads to Follow!

RULE ONE. If you pull into my driveway and honk, you'd better be delivering a package, because you're not picking anything up.

RULE TWO. You will not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off my daughter's body, I will remove them.

RULE THREE. I am aware it's considered fashionable for boys to wear their trousers so loose that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open-minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to my door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. In order to ensure your pants do not come off during your date with my daughter, however, I will fasten them securely in place with my electric nail gun.

RULE FOUR. You may have been told that in today's world, sex without a "barrier method" can kill you. When it comes to sex with my daughter, I am the barrier method, and I am the one who will do the killing.

RULE FIVE. Social practice suggests that, to know each other better, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please don't bother. The only information I require from you is when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house. The only answer I need from you is "Early."

RULE SIX. I have no doubt you're a popular fellow who can date any girl he wishes. This is fine with me if it's okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

RULE SEVEN. Please do not sigh and fidget as you stand in my front hallway waiting for my daughter to appear, even if more than an hour goes by. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why not do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

RULE EIGHT. The following locations are not appropriate places for a date with my daughter: *Places with beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. *Places that are dark. *Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or excessive happiness. *Places where the temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff t-shirts or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka zipped up to her throat. *Movies with strong romantic or sexual themes. The following locations are appropriate places for a date with my daughter: *Movies with chainsaws. *Hockey games. *Old folks homes.

RULE NINE. Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a balding, middle-aged, pot-bellied has-been, but when it comes to my daughter, I am the all-knowing and merciless God of your universe. If I ask you where you're going and with whom, you have exactly one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I have a shovel, five acres behind the house, and a shotgun. Do not trifle with me.

RULE TEN. Above all, be afraid. Be very afraid. As I wait for you to bring my daughter home, the voices in my head tell me frequently to clean the shotgun mentioned in Rule Nine. Once home with my daughter, exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, and announce in a clear, enunciated voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car. There is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

A lot of sense that makes . . .!

I was talking to a woman after morning Mass. We were talking about the candidates running for governor in California this November. Neither one of them are 'winners' and you have to wonder at the lack of intelligent people available for public office these days.

Anyway, one of the candidates initially came out strongly in favor of regulating immigration, etc. However, to appease the illegal factions, she put forth billboards and commercials in Spanish pretty much saying the opposite. Guess she figured no one in California was bilingual.

The woman I was talking with said she was disappointed as she had planned to vote for this female but now won't because of her stand on immigration. I had to wonder. The woman is known to be VERY pro-abortion and this Catholic church goes was okay for voting for her BUT she took her vote away from her when she disagreed with her stance on immigration! Immigration was more important to her than babies? I was shocked but probably should not have been as the majority of the Catholic vote got us into a lot of mess in the recent presidential election.

Judgement Day should be interesting when God comes forth and shows them the legions of unborn baby souls they helped to murder by their unthinking vote.

The Catholic Vote helped the abortion agenda . . .

A seemingly easy question to answer is, "What is a pro-life parish?" Over the past several months, I have talked to various people who claim that their parish is exceedingly pro-life. They tell me about the programs available for mothers, adoption options, clothing drives for newborns and the many other aspects of helping pre-born babies become newborns. I was impressed until I started relating the status of our government system with saving babies. The government doesn't, for the most part, recognize any rights for the pre-born. Unborn babies are either a problem or a blessing and our world makes it possible to handle it any way the individual sees fit. Yet, I wondered, how could abortion on demand be so prevalent when there are so many pro-life, Catholic parishes?

During the last presidential election, I got a definite clue. Catholics attending Mass regularly, voted for the very people who would see that abortion would always be available. And the very people who praised God in church, went to the polls and praised the politicians who ran on a platform that condoned choice by willingly offering them their vote. The democratic process has not been very democratic to our unborn. Abortion has become wholesale slaughter. Our future children are met with a legacy of death before they even breathe their first breath of life outside their mother's womb.

Legacy, according to Webster's is something received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. The most tragic legacy is, of course, future lives that are cut down before they get a chance to live. As Catholics, we abhor this and participate in pro-life parishes. Until, however, we vote for the pro-life candidates, our pro-life efforts will not go far. A sign on the door proclaiming a church to be a pro-life zone is worth little if the majority of the congregation voted in the current government of death. Have any of these people ever considered their misplaced votes as legacies to their children and grandchildren?

The legacies that count most in life can't be sold or held in our hands. The legacies that go into our lives that count are the ones that shape us, our outlook on life, the world we live in and that which we hold in our heart. And many of the legacies influencing our lives do not come as bequests from a Will. The legacies are given to us, directly or indirectly, from the examples and actions set by parents and grandparents. Can all of us claim to be thoroughly pro-life in all we think, do and say in every facet of our life?

We all teach our children about pro-life. And being children, they will ask questions. How do we answer when they ask us how we voted? Can we look them in the eye and honestly say we voted in their best interests. It is obvious from election results that votes deprived the world of many potential people . . . Catholic votes. Pro-life will continue to be a good thing and, perhaps, if people think they are pro-life, eventually they may actually be totally pro-life.

Interesting . . .

The world is a weird and interesting place but sometimes, you just have to stand back and wonder about it all. Because they banned some aspects of the new Arizona Law this week, some factions were happy, some were angry, and some probably haven't even kept track of it all. In the wonderful, liberal City of Los Angeles, protestors chained themselves together to protest the fact that the law wasn't taken down entirely. They cause traffic congestion for five hours, disrupted business, and put a lot of police on overtime in a city with grave financial distress. According to a radio news show, about ten of the enchained protestors caused the problems yet the police had to treat them with kid gloves lest they get sued for actually doing their duty. I mean, if you break the law, shouldn't you take your chances on the treatment you get?

You have to wonder about protestors in California who are standing up against the Arizona Law when California has the same, basic law on the books. They might research a bit to discover the federal law is much the same as the state laws. Perhaps a few college courses in state and federal law should be required before you are allowed to look stupid.

Speaking of stupid, why on earth is the federal government suing Arizona who's law supports the federal one? Does the attorney general have a law degree? I always thought city, state, and federal officials were supposed to support and represent the citizens. It seems that they defend only a small part of the people in the United States and they aren't necessarily citizens.

Lots of tea parties going on yet I haven't heard of any of these groups disrupting the lives of any cities.

Cool weather vs. summer chores . . .

Every summer, I seem to find something to can. There is always an overabundance of some type of summer fruit that I like to hang onto longer by way of canning it in pretty jars to admire before eventually eating the contents. I always have hopes that the contents will be devoured in the dead of winter. In California, however, we never get a winter that drastic and I can be sure to find that at least two of the newly canned fruit will be opened within a day. Kind of makes you want to yell, "Why didn't you eat the fruit right from the tree?"

In spite of all the stupid and scary stuff happening in our government and world today, it is calming to go through the process of canning the surplus from our garden. It makes me feel that life WILL go on in one way or the other. The world that exists while I bottle fruit today may change and even improve by the time the summer harvest is enjoyed in the later months. I kind of bottle fruit AND hope.

How come . . . ?

I can understand going out of one's way to make someone feel welcome and not intimidated but if you are visiting another country, you are required to show passports/documentation when going over one border into another country. I'm having trouble processing why this is a problem in Arizona. Everyone carries identification of one sort or another. If non-citizens aren't required to show documentation, does that mean we have a choice about showing our driver's license when stopped? Isn't that just as much an invasion of OUR privacy as asking someone for their proof if identification, whether as a citizen or not? Shouldn't the citizens of a country be of first priority when it comes to protection and services? Very confusing, conflicted world we live in right now.

Not sure . . .

Something new at our parish. It seemed spontaneous but WHY? The choir/parish finished the recessional hymn and then people broke out in applause. Uh, the hymn was not sung that well and were they applauding the hymn, the choir, God . . .?

I hope it is not another made-up, grass roots agenda that spreads throughout the Church like hand holding at the Our Father. I am faithful to the laws and rubrics of the Church and am constantly fighting off fellow parishioners who want to grab my hand at this time. Even when a pastor explained from the pulpit that holding hands at the Our Father is NOT in the rubrics of the Mass, people pretty much, by out loud word and action, said, "So what? We WANT to do it!" If a Catholic knows their Faith, they know the Rubrics and if you go in opposition to the Rubrics, your gesture is illicit.

Given that 'history', I'm hoping we don't turn the end of the Mass into a curtain call with applause. It is kind of nice and spiritual to head out of church to the last strains of the music with thoughts of the Mass still in mind.

Where Charity and Love Prevail . . .

A situation is brewing at our local parish. It is of minor importance except to the two parties involved. It seems a simple thing, on the surface, but the ladies have turned it into a subterfuge of behind the scenes confrontation.

Two parishioners have donated tabernacle veils. They watch the altar like hawks, each day, to make sure it is THEIR veil that is front and center on the altar. Naturally, it varies according to the mood or time of the sacristan. At this point, the sacristan would gladly dispose of both veils and suggest new but separate parishes for the two ladies.

When one lady feels the other one's tabernacle veil has been up way too many days, she heads into the sacristy to chastise the sacristan. If she does not get satisfaction, you can be sure she will change it herself when no one is looking. Meanwhile, the other lady is watching from the pew and has been known to change the veil back once the first lady is out of sight.

The sacristan just shakes his head.

Today, the battle has taken on greater proportions - one of the tabernacle veils is missing! Instead of asking the other woman if she knows about it and, if this is the case, shaming her into producing the property, the deprived woman is putting her tongue to use in informing everyone, whether it is true or not, that HER tabernacle veil has been stolen and by whom.

The sacristan just shakes his head.

Amusement aside, it is kind of sad that neither woman can really enjoy the blessings of the Mass as they fret over tabernacle veils. Wonder if I should up the ante and donate my own tabernacle veil?

Helpful thought for the day!

“This is the trouble with secular humanism and materialism: There’s no person to love. So then the new way of the Little Flower is… fall in love. Love the Good Lord, and then you will strive to please Him. And because you see that there are imperfections in you, you will love Him more so that they may be washed away.” –Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

Points to ponder . . .

"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them."
-- E. V. Lucas

"Realism...has no more to do with reality than anything else."
-- Hob Broun

"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve."
-- George Bernard Shaw

"Only sick music makes money today."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

The World, Quilts, and Me . . .

I love to quilt. I enjoy the challenge of taking bits and pieces of different fabric and turning them into a whole cloth again. When you sew a dress or suit, you have to keep in mind how the various colors and patterns work together. You would never sport a striped blouse with a flowered skirt. In quilting all these rules are left behind and you find the oddest combinations seem to work amazingly well.

I am beginning to see that our world is a lot like a quilt. We all come in different colors, patterns and sizes. Alone we are something but together we can make a formidable whole. We all have a place in our world-wide quilt of humanity. Each person is in his or her place as a part of a pattern that wasn’t designed by mortal hands. Our free will, however, is starting to make a difference in the fabric of our lives.

When you make a quilt, each piece, square, triangle is stitched carefully to the next one. Each segment is dependent on the pieces connecting it to the whole. Because one piece is in place, the rest can be built accordingly. The pieces of a quilt provide a meaning and basis for the entire quilt. The world’s quilt is starting to miss spaces. The solid fabric of its connecting pieces are fraying and disappearing. God sends children into the world to step into the places left by the souls called to Heaven. He keeps older people in the world until He calls them to their eternity.

Mankind has been arranging its quilt without consulting God. Abortion leaves empty spaces and euthanasia leaves gapping holes that bring down our solidarity. You look around at your friends and relatives and wonder what life would be like without them. How many other people should be in our lives that were not given the chance to take their place in our quilt? I have heard that abortion and euthanasia weed the unproductive and unneeded. Will your child miss out on the perfect partner because they were weeded out? Will the wisdom of an older person be missing when you need it the most because someone decided they were unproductive?
The reasons for destroying our unborn and eliminating our elderly and sick are not valid, at least not to the minds that see God’s Hand in our lives. Although we will all pay for this holocaust, we, as pro-life Catholics, know where the future of our world is going. We understand why scientific cures are not being discovered. We realize why there is a lack of vocations, either in religion or marriage.

In this day the best blessing we can give anyone is to pray that they are surrounded by all the quilt pieces of life that should be there and that their children will always be surrounded by the people God planned on being there. This is a hopeful blessing although the sins of those who justify their wrongs can be seen in our lives.

I love to quilt, yet as I sew, these thoughts go through my mind. I can only pray the bits and pieces of our lives will be eventually sewn together with as much love as I put into my quilts.

“The one peculiar and characteristic sin of the world is this, that whereas God would have us live for the life to come, the world would make us live for this life. (Cardinal Newman)

This is the solution . . .?

A few weeks ago, a company sponsored what is called a 'rave' which, from what I can gather, is a huge groups of young people getting together to listen to bands/music, dance, etc. They pack the stadiums or whatever space is used for these affairs. From what we hear, it doesn't draw a really good element. At the last one, a 15 year old girl died of an overdose. I don't imagine she was the only one indulging in some experimentation. It wouldn't seem the morality level at these events would be very high, either.

The city put a temporary stop on the Raves until they could figure out a safe way to operate them. A temporary stop seemed to me to be a good beginning followed by a permanent stop. All the blame doesn't fall to the companies that sponsor these things. What kind of parents allow their young people to attend them?

Last I heard, the sponsors decided to put on more security and more on-site emergency medical teams. You have to miss the olden days when you would go to a decent concert or event and you didn't have to worry about drugs, guns, and immorality. The sponsors can put whatever kind of 'bandaids' they want on a huge problem. When it comes down to reality, the people in charge should be the parents and they are seriously falling down on the job. No fifteen year old should die of a drug overdose. No fifteen year old should be in a situation where she can obtain drugs. No one deprived the parents of a daughter. The parents aided the demise of their child by not being a parent.

It is a sad world where the children seem to be in charge and people don't recognize inappropriate behavior for what it is. Guess I'm getting old and showing my old-fasioned mentality more and more these days. My children, however, have never been to a Rave.

My favorite find of the week!

The Seminarian's Song
To the Tune of the Major-General's Song from The Pirates of Penzance

I am the very model of Catholic seminarian
I've information pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I know the Popes of Avignon and Councils Ecumenical
From Nicaea to Vatican plus gatherings heretical.
I'm very well acquainted too with matters homiletical,
I'll write a pretty sermon that is eloquent yet practical,
About soteriology I'm teeming with a lot o' news
Such as salvation history's relation to the modern Jews.
I'm very open minded, I have Sunday lunch with Protestants,
I teach them our Church History and sing it in Gregorian Chants,
In short in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model of a Catholic seminarian.

I know my ancient languages, some Latin, Greek, and Hebrew too;
I'm smart as a Dominican, I write for The Thomist review,
I quote Thomas Aquinas and I know the Summa all by heart,
I know the arguments for God from Anselm to Rene Descartes;
I am an expert without doubt in all matters liturgical,
I'll see the rubrics carried out in fashion demiurgical!
I can intone polyphony from every epoch, school and rank
And sing all of the arias composed by Mister Cesare Franck.
Then I can run a bingo or a bake sale in the Parish Hall,
And sell spaghetti supper tickets at the local shopping mall:
In short, in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model of a Catholic seminarian.

In fact, when I know what is meant by 'Molinist' and 'Arian,'
When I can rise above the title of Popish sectarian,
When such affairs as wakes and confirmations I'm more wary at,
And when each sort of imperfection, sin, and fault I can combat;
When I have learnt the progress of von Balthasar's theology,
Converted every member of the Church of Scientology.
In short, when I've a smattering of basic Catholicity.
They'll say that I'm a cleric full of goodness and simplicity.
And though my Bishop is impressed by my enormous panurgy,
The man is rather wary at my love for Latin Liturgy,
But still in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model a Catholic seminarian.

Remembering . . .

When I was eight years old, my mother went to work full time outside the home. I wasn’t very happy about it. During the subsequent years, I often dwelled upon the situation with some bitterness. I was a latchkey child before it even became prevalent in our society. Until she went to work, my mother was a stay-at-home mother who baked, cooked, sewed and was ALWAYS there for helping with homework. I would come home from school secure in the knowledge that she would be there. She did everything I now do today.

My mother didn’t actively start an all-out, job-hunting campaign. She did her work as a full-time mother very well. Gradually, however, she found more satisfaction in volunteer work outside the family. Volunteer work eventually turned into a job offer and she took it. The job did provide more income but the security of finding my mother home when I needed or wanted her was gone. Don’t get me wrong, she still loved us deeply but her desire for intellectual stimulation and perhaps even prestige called to her strongly. She was a woman of the nineties in the late fifties.

My own first child came along and he seemed to take away a lot from me---freedom, solitude, time to be artistic, intellectual stimulation, money not to mention sleep! I felt trapped and then guilty because I felt that way. When my baby was four months old, I got a part-time job. Actually, it was the best possible deal. I could take the baby with me to work, I only worked one day a week and I worked for someone I loved and respected.

Even though I worked for a sympathetic person, the work I was hired for came first. I remember instances of trying to nurse the baby AND get a typing assignment completed. Paperwork came first and a living, human being was a definite second in the business world. Whatever I typed, filed or wrote is long gone and forgotten. My baby is now an intelligent, young man. By the time I became pregnant with my second child, way back then, I was more than ready to quit the job and had finally found appreciation for my God-given place in life. I am a mother. I found I couldn’t divide my attentions for that responsibility and still provide the best for my children.

That year of trying to work and be a mother opened my mind. I came to discover that I wasn’t giving up a single aspect of my life in taking up a career in motherhood. I was actually enhancing my life greatly. I found freedom in taking my children with me on errands and enjoying their growing up as we went about our daily tasks together. I made the most of my solitude while they were napping and appreciated it more. I started incorporating my artistic abilities in the baking, cooking and sewing I did for my family. Money went very low on the scale of necessities for happiness. We had sufficient.

When people ask me if I ‘work’, I can reply truthfully, “Yes, I work very hard and I LOVE my job!” I don’t have to look outside my home to find fulfillment. And my mother’s job actually helped make my life better. Unknowingly, she showed me what is important in life. I no longer harbor any bitterness. I am thankful that God showed me how any childhood unhappiness could be used to build a more productive and happy present and future. Mother’s Day is everyday if you let it happen.

What happened to professional journalism?

There was a time when the newspapers would keep us informed of what the government was about in regards to our life and affairs. The government sort of behaved because they didn't want bad publicity. These days, the media virtually tries to hide the bad stuff and leaves the subscribers out to dry.

The few avenues of truth on the radio and in the media that dare to expose the truths, are maligned and lied about. It has to make you wonder where virtue and truth has gone in the world? I've also noticed that the more wrong anyone is, the louder they yell as if that will convince you.

It isn't so much the bad politics but the politicians refusal to represent the people that initially gave them their place in office. I have written to our senators on several occasions and they DO write back but the gist of the reply is, "I appreciate you writing with your concerns but I will have to do what I think is right in this matter." The concerns I wrote about shows the senator's view to be in the minority. If the senator is going with the minority's view, how are we being represented democratically?

It does come down to the fault of many voters and non-voters. The fools we have in office didn't get there by themselves. Voters who didn't research and look past the end of their nose, put them into office. The non-voters let the rest down by not honoring their privilege to vote.

I'm especially shocked at how supposedly pro-life people voted for the economy and left the unborn to fend for themselves. The current, anti-life administration garnered 65% of the Catholic vote and that is a sad commentary on a Faith that honors life. If these 65% thought the economy was more important than life, they need to review their religion and basic, common decency.

Inspirational note for the day . . .

Did you hear about the new car that runs entirely on water? The only problem is you can only use the water from the Gulf.

For cookin' moms!

Interested in lots of recipes, hints, and homebody kitchen talk, join my new group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PhillingPhilosophy/

Brilliant Math!

The Beauty of Mathematics! !!!!!!

1 x8+1= 9
12 x8+2= 98
123 x8+3= 987
1234 x8+4= 9876
12345 x8+5= 98765
123456 x8+6= 987654
1234567 x8+7= 9876543
12345678 x8+8= 98765432
123456789 x8+9= 987654321

1 x9+ 2 =11
12 x9+ 3 =111
123 x9+ 4 =1111
1234 x9+ 5 =11111
12345 x9+ 6 =111111
123456 x9+ 7 =1111111
1234567 x9+ 8 =11111111
12345678 x9+ 9 =111111111
123456789 x9+10=1111111111

9 x9+ 7 =88
98 x9+ 6 =888
987 x9+ 5 =8888
9876 x9+ 4 =88888
98765 x9+ 3 =888888
987654 x9+ 2 =8888888
9876543 x9+ 1 =88888888
98765432 x9+ 0 =888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 =1
11 x 11 =121
111 x 111 =12321
1111 x 1111 =1234321
11111 x 11111 =123454321
111111 x 111111 =12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 =1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 =123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 =12345678987654321


Mind Boggling...


Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What does it mean to give MORE than100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they
are giving more than100%?



How about ACHIEVING 101%?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K
is

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%



And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E
is
11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%



But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E
is
1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D


12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 =101%


Have a nice day & God bless you





.

Donut Day!

I was blessed with an early start to the day AND a cool morning in the climate department so I decided to surprise the family with donuts. People seem to think this is a difficult task. It is surprising how fast you can whip up a batch of them. Sharing my recipe!

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Donut cutter*

Heavy-bottomed cooking pot for the oil and enough oil to fry the donuts. If you have a deep fryer, even better!

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and gently mix with a spoon until combined. It should be just combined. Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface. Roll out dough (you might have to do this in two or three installments.) to under 1/2 inch thick. Cut out donuts and holes and set out on waxed paper.

When the oil is hot (about 375 degrees in a fryer), put in enough donuts to cook without crowding. It takes about a minute on each side. Remove to a baking tray covered with several layers of paper towels to drain. Repeat until you are finished.

Combine a cup of granulated sugar with a generous tablespoon of cinnamon. Roll the donuts and arrange on trays, plates, whatever suits your purposes. They won't last long once the family smells them, anyway!

*If you can't find a donut cutter, you can use a round cookie cutter and a thimble or pill bottle cap to cut the hole.

Come join us!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bbarthelette/

A few smiles . . .

"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy."
-- George Carlin

"I was a vegetarian until I started leaning toward the sunlight."
-- Rita Rudner

"Hollywood is a place where they place you under contract instead of under observation."
-- Walter Winchell

"There are 350 varieties of shark, not counting loan and pool."
-- L. M. Boyd

Cap and Trade is SCARY!

If you have been following the various proposed laws being pushed by the current administration, you have probably heard about the Cap and Trade bill. It includes some scary stuff that will have long-reaching effects on our country and our personal lives forever if it is passed. Here are some links to check out but, basically, we would have to jump through all kinds of 'global warming' sort of hoops in order to sell our own homes. We would also be required to license our home much like a car. Knowing how the politician works, I can see this being another charge on our diminishing incomes as they figure out they can increase the annual fees according to the value of the home. Watch out for inflated figures on how much the politicos decide what our market values will be!

Cap and Trade: A License Required for your Home http://www.nachi. org/forum/ f14/cap-and- trade-license- required- your-home- 44750/
HR2454 American Clean Energy & Security Act: http://www.govtrack ..us/congress/ bill.xpd? bill=h111- 2454
Cap & Trade A license required for your home: http://www.prisonplanet.com/cap-and-trade-a-license-required-for-your-home.html
Cap and trade is a license to cheat and steal:
http://www.sfexamin er.com/opinion/ columns/oped_ contributors/ Cap-and-trade- is-a-license- to-cheat- and-steal- 45371937. html
Cap and Trade: A License Required for your Home: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2393940/posts
Thinking about selling you House? Look at HR 2454:
http://www.federalobserver.com/2009/10/01/thinking-about-selling-your-house-a-look-at-h-r-2454-cap-and-trade-bill/

I'm for that . . .!

"It's not that I'm afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens."
-- Woody Allen

Smile, be happy!

"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable than risk being happy."
-- Robert Anthony

What a great quote and how true of so many attitudes today. It is as if people are afraid to embrace the blessings God sends them for some reason. Perhaps, they feel that the certainty is in misery so why take a chance on being disappointed in happiness.

It is a self-centered world that breeds this type of outlook. If they look out from their misery, they might have to include others who have things to say or do. They feel the loss of the limelight. Regardless of the saying, 'misery loves company', miserable, grumpy people don't have a large following. The most they get in socializing their depression is a few moments before the cornered person moves on to enjoy life.

The world today . . .

There is a trend that I hear, over and over, whenever people are in conversation. It is the use of 'like' three or four times in the same couple of sentences. LIKE is sprinkled like pepper midst the subject matter like it, well, mattered! Nine out of ten times, LIKE is not necessary to the sentence structure or progression of the idea in the conversation. With all the available vocabulary in the world, why would this one word be favored so much? Unfortunately, the overuse of 'you know' has not entirely left the stage. We now hear stuff like, "He was, you know, like really interested in, like, what I was saying, you know, and he, like, seemed to, you know, want to say something, you know, like he meant it."

Sigh . . . This is our future adults, like, you know!

The sign of our times . . .

"Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want."
-- Clive Barnes

Bits and pieces of truth . . .

"Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Give a fish a man, and he'll eat for weeks!"
-- Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata

"I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly."
-- Michel de Montaigne

"People ask for criticism, but they only want praise."
-- W. Somerset Maugham

"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."
-- Redd Foxx

Summer cometh . . .

I can't complain about summer, so far! June Gloom has outdone itself and I've still been able to bake in the oven without inciting a muntiny amount my family. I'm thankful. That is always a downside of the sunny days because I always get to craving stews simmering on the stove and bread baking in the oven - not great on 110-degree days!

College children with vastly different schedules has kept us on our toes and on the road this summer. You love seeing your children become independent but wish you could catch a glimpse of those toddlers, again. The years truly fly by.

Quilting is still happening. I've gotten over my addiction to making pincushions - after making over 25 of them! Just purchased my second bolt, of the year, of batting. I wait for those 50% off coupons and save $80 on the item. It's just storing 40 yards of quilt batting! It's like trying to hide a body as I move it from place to place hoping to keep it unobserved. It is residing next to me right now which is an improvement over being in the entry way!

I've got more pattern ideas than I have time these days. I also have five quilt tops that need completing. I've picked a great economy to make quilts no one can afford to purchase. Hey, I should try selling them to senators and congressmen as they don't seem to be suffering the income problems of us 'little' people!

Loved celebrating Father's Day as husbands do a lot more than they ever get credit for. Respecting health dictates, I made a cheesecake with half non-fat cream cheese and the rest 1/3 less fat cream cheese. It retained the same flavor and texture of the full-fat version but didn't leave you feeling bloated and guilty over having indulged. A 'fat-free' fresh strawberry topping finished it off nicely and my husband was happy.

Quote for salvation!

The way to Heaven is straight and narrow: they who wish to arrive at that place of bliss by walking in the paths of pleasure shall be disappointed; and therefore few reach it, because few are willing to use violence to themselves in resisting temptations. –St. Alphonsus Ligouri

Quote of the Century!

QUOTE OF THE CENTURY……….


This quote came from the Czech Republic. Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work to do.

"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.

The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

My unfavorite time of the year . . .

July is looming on the horizon and I am already getting that feeling of dread. An important, national holiday takes place on the fourth yet it will be another day of loud, blaring music and illegal fireworks smoking up the sky from early afternoon until the wee hours of the morning.

Don't get me wrong, a celebration IS in order but if you asked the children running around with lit sparklers WHAT the event is about, would they know? Every year, there is some very sad story about a child being severely hurt by fireworks. A look around our neighborhood on that evening could count more than a few accidents ready to happen. I just don't think that fireworks that light up the sky above tract homes are the ones for sale at the local stands. One year, some children burned down their house with illegal fireworks set off in their garage.

I often read about the early days of our country when the Fourth of July was a great holiday with speeches, homemade picnics, meeting friends at the park, and enjoying a band and fireworks in the evening. We sure have come a long way and I'm not sure it is a better way.

Anyway, in anticipation of the day's events, we will prepare in our now traditional manner - soaking down the roof in case of a flying cinder, wetting down the foliage for the spent yet burning firecracker papers that fall into our yard, and treats for the dogs who will, again, be traumatized by what they do not understand. I think I'm with them on that feeling!

Interesting quotes . . .

I love quotations so in place of posting, I'm providing a few more I discovered this morning. In other words, no time to carry forth on my current vents!

"Channeling is just bad ventriloquism. You use another voice, but people can see your lips moving."
-- Penn Jillette

"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know."
-- Mark Twain

"Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men."
-- Kin Hubbard

All worth a read . . .

"A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company."
-- Gian Vincenzo Gravina

"Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight."
-- Phyllis Diller

"I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts."
-- Bethania McKenstry

"An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today."
-- Laurence J. Peter

Who am I?

Try to Guess WHO I AM

I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women.

*I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer.

*Later in life, questions arose over my real name

*My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.

*I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

*I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them..

*That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career.

*I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child.

*I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit.

*I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.

*I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego.

*At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country.

*But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free.

*I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them and if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

*I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.

*I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.

*I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world.

*So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader.

*I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with.

*I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth.

*Who am I? *







Scroll way down for the answer.





























I am ADOLF HITLER

WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF?

Scary isn't it?

Hope for the day . . .

"They [souls] have not understood My Heart. For it is their very destitution and failings that incline My goodness toward them. And when acknowledging their helplessness and weakness, they humble themselves and have recourse to Me trustfully, then indeed they give me more glory than before their fault."

How sad is that . . . ?

My daughter and I went to vote later in the morning. The polling place was pretty much empty and absolutely no waiting in line to vote. This is not right! It is sad to think so many people will just let a few decide the fate of many on election day. That is going to be my retort when someone nags about how awful a new bill is or what a terrible governor or whatever is in office - "Did YOU vote?" If you don't vote, you have no right to complain. I love the excuses, too. The polls are open early and don't close until eight. Do people actually think they are being reasonable when they say they don't have time to vote? Uh, there IS the absentee mail in ballot. They could have taken the time to vote weeks ago. Thank goodness, my daughter cared enough to make sure her ballot got forwarded from college so she wouldn't miss out. A twenty-two year old has more sense of this country than people two and three times her age. Just look at what politicians are in office. These non-voters should ask themselves 'whose fault is it they are there?' I still hear the excuse that 'I don't want to get called for jury duty which is why I don't register to vote'. Hate to break it to them but they get the jury count from your drivers license registration!

My vent for the day . . . Okay, ONE of my vents for the day!

The week ahead . . .

Bedroom painting done and we survived the open windows and summer temperatures. At least, it helped the paint dry faster. Oh, yeah! A head's up . . . Never move a dresser with two, open cans of paint on it. Just sayin' and don't ask!

Now, the fun part - cleaning up the painting mess and putting the room back to order. I'd rather be sewing or most anything else.

Spent some 'quality' time surfing the 'net in search of interesting pincushion patterns. I'm addicted to making these small 'treasures' since they take little fabric but have lots of potential for creativity. My little mushroom house one was a great success.

Hate opening up the daily news and seeing what stupidities are coming forth from the mouths of various politicians. Do THEY ever listen to how they sound when they aren't making sense or lying a moment after making another statement? A friend sent a note that had November election day marked on the calendar and said, "Don't forget to take out the trash!" I'm casting my one vote for that!

Fun thoughts for a Monday . . .

"Don't try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night."
-- Philip K. Dick

"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature."
-- Dave Barry

"Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day."
-- Mickey Rooney

"Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally."
-- Abraham Lincoln

A beautiful thought . . .!

“In God’s sight, our cross is like a precious perfume which loses its aroma when it is exposed to the air –so we must make every effort to hide our cross and carry it in silence.” --St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Summer time blues . . .

The heat of a California summer is creeping up on us so, naturally, we chose the hottest weekend to paint a bedroom! I have to admit that turning the dirty walls into a lovely, deep blue is pleasing. I get the fun part of the project and will be heading out for curtain fabric and pretty electrical outlet covers to finish it all off.

The best part of a project is the conception of the idea/plan and the last five minutes before completion!

Sewing hasn't suffered. I have gotten into making pincushions from pretty odds and ends of fabric. It is amazing what some fabric, embrodery floss and a cute button will do. I've made twelve of them but, yes, I CAN stop any time I want . . . I just don't happen to want to yet!

Soon, I will have both my college girls home for the summer. It sure is hard for a mom to have her children in four different parts of the world most of the year. I don't know who has more of a problem with this growing up stuff!

Finally, having the promised hot fudge sundaes for my birthday treat. We are only three weeks late but I'll take one anytime and forego complaining. I even have whipped cream on hand.

Got that right!

"After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say "I want to see the manager.""
-- William S. Burroughs

A good movie . . .

There was so much press about this movie when it initially came out that I never felt an inclination to see it. A few weeks ago, I caught a bit of the movie on television and just had to borrow it from NetFlix and see it. The movie is Akeelah and the Bee. Although there was a bit of profanity, it was overall a great movie. It dealt with a poor student who had an amazing capacity for learning words. She attended a public school in Los Angeles so when this talent comes to light, she is the hope of the school to finally make it somewhere to some final and a name for the school. The whole event turns into so much more.

There were several levels to this movie as the various characters interacted with the spelling bee entrant and their own place in life. The ending is unexpected but totally satisfying. The movie ended but I keep thinking about how each person can make a difference in the lives of others.

Interesting thoughts . . .

"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later."
-- Mitch Hedberg

"Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything."
-- Frank Dane

"Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it."
-- Russell Baker

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
-- Soren Kierkegaard

Thoughts on Memorial Day . . .

I was blessed to have visited Europe a few times and you really get the meaning of Memorial Day when you see one of the American cemeteries overseas. Sure, I'd seen pictures but the impact of all those white crosses going on for ever and ever, in person, brings home what our military does to defend our country.

We have even more than the souls of our soldiers to pray for today. Right now, our country is being led along a dismal track that doesn't bode well for the future. We are only as strong as our military and it seems that the current administration doesn't mind undermining it.

One of my favorite memories is when President Bush surprised our soldiers on Thanksgiving Day overseas. A long trip like that was certainly not a great way to spend the holiday but it brings a joyful tear to the eye when I think back on the roar of applause and shouts when he unexpectedly walked into their midst. Doesn't seem like I've heard that kind of unsolicited happiness during the last couple of years.

My husband says the one reason the US is limping along is we just might have more people praying. In Europe, the church attendance is sparse and Socialism is creeping in rather rapidly. I guess this Memorial Day is a mixture of prayers for our fallen soldiers and even more prayers for our future as the 'land of the free and the home of the brave."

Couldn't resist sharing these . . .

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle

"Why be a man when you can be a success?"
-- Bertolt Brecht

"If you cannot convince them, confuse them."
-- Harry S Truman

"After twelve years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, 'No hablo ingles.'"
-- Ronnie Shakes

Definite favorites . . .

"I'm going to memorize your name and throw my head away."
-- Oscar Levant

"I hate women because they always know where things are."
-- James Thurber

"Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
-- Pancho Villa

The taste of summer . . .

I love the very, very initial onset of summer where the temperatures are still bearable yet we can almost leave off with sweaters and socks. I know that during some of the cold times, we longed for hot, hot, and more hot weather but this brief interlude is my favorite time of the year.

I think I equate the taste of summer with the first blackberries of the season from our garden. We didn't do anything to particularly earn this treat. Blackberries are a hardly bunch and with some water and sunshine, the are ready to brighten a day. I have a bowl of them here, right now, and it certainly brings summer to mind.

I know! In a few months, I will be complaining about the heat and our lack of air conditioning but I'm going to enjoy the NOW to the fullest.

Today's favorites . . .

"There are two ways to pass a hurdle: leaping over or plowing through... There needs to be a monster truck option."
-- Jeph Jacques

"Political advertising ought to be stopped. It's the only really dishonest kind of advertising that's left."
-- David M. Ogilvy

"Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so."
-- Gore Vidal

Shopping with flair . . .

Nothing like grocery shopping when the sales are all in your favor. You get the thrill of the kill when your receipt comes to under $100 and you saved paying $80 more because you outplayed the advertising lures. If I pay full price for anything, it had better be something really, really great or for a new recipe that can't wait for a sale. I imagine that once all the new taxes hit next year, the savings at the grocery store will take on an even more important meaning. Hey, better frugal when it is more fun than work to be prepared for the leaner times.

Found two, new quilt patterns and already have one cut out. It is called a jig saw pattern and it looks like a puzzle.

Try not to listen to TOO much of the news as there is nothing good to hear. Most of the time, one just wants to yell and scream at the reporters and journalists who would rather protect the government than the people who PAY for their publications. Very weird world, lately.

Free!

Nothing like getting a creative idea . . . for free! I've found a lot of great help and ideas from this site.

http://www.quiltinaday.com/eleanorandcompany/freepattern/

Save yourself a trip to the store!

We never seem to have tortillas on hand when we want them. I just found an easy recipe to insure that we never want for our south of the border fix again!

Homemade Tortillas

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive oil to insure tenderness)

Combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. On a floured surface, knead five or six times. Divide the dough into eight, even pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 7-inch circle.

In a large, nonstick frying pan coated well with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for one minute on each side until lightly browned. Stack them between sheets of paper towel and keep covered with a clean kitchen towel. The 'steaming' will keep them soft enough to fold or roll depending on what you are
using them for.

Cutting the fat . . .

I may have mentioned this before, but there is a way to cut the calories on a boxed cake mix. I prefer a totally, homemade cake but when time is short, I have been known to resort to this convenience. I've discovered that you can omit the eggs and oil on a boxedd mix and still come up with a good cake with half the calories! I just use a cup or so of applesauce or any pureed fruit (I've even used steamed and pureed carrots!), a bit of water, if needed, and bake as usual. The cake is moister but great with some low-fat ice cream. However, since you did cut the cake calories, I'd, personally, frost it with a nice butter icing!

What?

Hope this isn't true but it sure seems in line with the mind set of our current political administration. According to what I heard, included in the infamous obamacare bill is a bit about everyone being taxed on the cost of their health insurance. Seems rather sad that we could have our gross income upped $10,000 to $20,000 a year and taxed on money we will never see. In many cases, it is insurance because, Thanks be to God, a lot of us don't use it from year to year. More free money for the government.

It is twice as insidious, at least to me, because the increase on income taxes owing means many of us will have to pay towards the final, annual amount due quarterly. Of course, if we happen to overpay on the estimate, we will get a refund . . . if the government HAS the money come April 15th. Free enterprise is being smashed under a tax burden that won't quit.

Also, as we have read, our children and children as yet unborn are already in tax debt. One problem with the government's thinking on this: The liberals are very much in favor of 'choice' which means the birth rate is barely replacing the population. The fewer children, the deeper the debt for the few born.