Fun Quotes with a trace of truth . . .

"Doing nothing is very hard to do ... you never know when you're finished."
-- Leslie Nielsen

"A little learning is a dangerous thing but a lot of ignorance is just as bad."
-- Bob Edwards

"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all."
-- Samuel Butler

"Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so."
-- Bertrand Russell

More than one way to serve our country . . .

My son is an altar boy and serves daily Mass and Sundays. Since he is homeschooled, he is also available to serve extra Masses like funerals. Today, he was asked to serve a funeral for a fallen soldier who died in Afghanistan. Yes, it did interfere with our Saturday plans but there is always more than one way to serve our country. It is fitting that my son and his friend perform this service for another man who also put duty before pleasure. When I dropped my son off at church, thirty minutes early, the parking lot was filling up fast and many branches of our armed services were there. I don't know the person being buried today but he got my prayers at the Mass I attended earlier.

It brought home the fact that time passes by quickly. When the war in Iraq, etc. began, my son was only eight years old. Ten years later, he is a young man of eighteen and we are still facing some of the tragic aspects of war.

I think my son is beginning to realize the outcome of war. When we were overseas, we visited several of the American cemeteries and he was shocked at the rows upon rows of white crosses each representing a soldier from America who had died in the War. We had an hour during our tour to wander around there and he took off and just walked and walked and walked. I don't know his thoughts but it was a somber return to the bus.

Today, he gets to participate, in a very small way, in serving his country through his serving of the Mass for this soldier. The young soldier being buried was 19 when he died. The two altar boys are eighteen years old.

Back to the subject of pumpkin . . .

I'm amazed at how many uses there are for pumpkin. This sounds like a really great idea for a party or to just get our family to eat more fruit.

Party Dip the Pumpkin Way

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup orange or apricot jam/marmalade
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Grated zest of one orange
1/2 cup freshly whipped cream
1/2 cup toasted nuts for garnishing
Variety of sliced fruits for dipping: pear slices, apple slices, sections of orange, pineapple spears, banana chunks, even some baby carrots would work here.

In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, jam, yogurt, zest, and spices. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread in a pretty serving dish and chill. Just before serving, scatter the nuts over the top. Arrange the fruits on a platter nearby.

Ideas . . .
The best way, I've found, to make fresh whipped cream is to add a tablespoon or two of sour cream to the cream before beating. It keeps the whipped cream from separating and losing it's whipped state too soon. Tastes better, too!

Some sugar cookies might be fun for dipping.

Today's English Lesson . . .

No English dictionary has been able to explain the difference between the two words COMPLETE and
FINISHED in a way that's easy to understand.

Some people say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED. I beg to differ because, there is!

When you marry the right woman, you are "COMPLETE."

And when you marry the wrong one, you are "FINISHED!"

And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are "COMPLETELY FINISHED!!!"