A Wistful Kitty . . .

 This is Mrs. Black Cat because she is black and she is a mother. We were polite and gave her the Mrs. title and the benefit of the doubt as to her marital status although we do have our concerns! She will allow us to pet her and she purrs. She comes to the door but usually only stays by the doorstep and looks wistfully into the house. We are willing to take one of the three strays cats in as a pet but, so far, they only love us for any food that might fall their way.

Jumpers - A non-quilt sewing day . . .

 This is how I spent my sewing time, yesterday. In order to ease up on pending bills, etc., I make and sew little girl dresses, tote bags, and quilts. These two dresses were my current efforts. Why little girl dresses? I have two daughters who used to be little girls so I have a multitude of patterns. After wrestling with yards of fabric with a quilt, it is nice to work with a small amount and design a little dress. My son actually came up with putting the Blessed Mother print on the dress on the left. I had envisioned it with the purple one but it didn't quite click. My son pointed out the matching colors in the blue dress and the print and it worked. I don't know if he was that in tune with 'fashion' but it stopped me from bothering him!

The Seamy side of quilting . . .

 I am still trying to catch up with my completed quilt tops and get them finished.  This is the back of a large crazy quilt I'm working on right now. I don't have a quilt frame so quilt square by square which eventually leaves me with a lot of blind stitch hemming to get the back of the quilt neatly closed. After having put in years of tiny stitches, people are often amazed as they can't see most of the stitches. This is another 'talent' that people dismiss about me with, "She is just good at that." when, in actuality, there are 20 years of practice behind the finished projects of today.

This quilt is just about ready for it's border and it is done! Nope, still not caught up but took a break to do 'ordinary' sewing, yesterday.

Incredible Catholic Ad . . .

This says it well - incredible Catholic ad . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=D9vQt6IXXaM&hd

So much wisdom in one little quote!

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.

- W. Clement Stone

The History of Aprons . . .

A friend shared this in an e-mail this morning. No author given credit but it certainly brought back memories of a simpler more positive time in life.

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few and because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons required less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

 It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

 From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the autumn, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about Grandma's aprons.

REMEMBER:
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.
Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. ?(?????)?

The Govt. Would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love...

Even if you don't eat everything, you won't starve!

Every Lent, I fast for the six weeks. I often forget to keep other promises during the season but with fasting, I'm at least getting that done. Too many people think of the word 'fasting' and worry immediately about fainting, being hungry (uh, kind of the point!), etc. Fasting, to me, is more of a discipline. You have a small meal for breakfast, a small amount of food for lunch, and then a reasonable dinner but only one helping. You soon find out how much you can cut down on your food and still be active and healthy. Fasting also encourages me to eat the right foods at meal times. Your body soon figures out that fruit keeps you going more happily than a candy bar. Water won't make you hungry like a soda.

Over the six weeks of Lent, I noticed that I was feeling more energetic and making better food choices. When Lent was over, I decided not to break out of the fasting mold and consume large quantities of Easter goodies because now I could.  I stayed on my Lenten meal plan and now look forward to my small and large meals and don't even think about eating between meals anymore.

As the weeks have gone by, I've also started to realize that eating the right foods meant having a good supply of apples, carrots, berries, etc. on hand and since they were readily available, my children were also eating more of the good stuff. It made me stop to think about how much responsibility we have to insure our children eat the right things and learn to enjoy the fun stuff as a treat and not a way of life. What we do to ourselves and what we eat will be reflected in our children and their lifetime health problems are pretty much decided by us and how we raise them.

We now have the happy problem of keeping enough fruit and vegetables in the house. Fruit and vegetable smoothies are more fruit and vegetables than anything else these days. We don't eat out much because it is less expensive and more productive to how we feel by eating our own food at home. That's not to mean that my children are not allowed treats. We do have ice cream in the freezer (slow-churned, low fat!). I think it means we consider more carefully what we need over what we want to eat.

Someone once told me that she was resigned to the fact that she would probably develope diabetes when she got older based on her current diet. I was shocked. Diabetes isn't anything to be complacent about and comes with so many complications. Seems that if someone has the sense to realize this possibility, they would have the sense to do somethinga about it now.

Basically, what we eat is what our children will eat. Will God understand one's resignation to future ill health through bad choices or will He consider the example we set for our children on our personal Judgment Day?

Think about it!

"The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking."
-- A. A. Milne

"Let not the sands of time get in your lunch."
-- National Lampoon

Something I never thought I'd see . . .

Do you like this quote from our Bishops to be printed in an upcoming nationwide bulletin insert?
"When fundamental human goods, such as the right of conscience, are at stake, we may need to witness to the truth by resisting the law and incurring its penalties."

Didn't think the day would come, again, that we'd have to fight for our rights to worship according to our religion. Sad that it all centers on the liberal faction wanting the Catholics to be 'okay' with paying for the birth control pills that actually do kill babies. A lot of prayer needed between now and November.

Gotta think through our explanations . . .

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.

She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?'

Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.'

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Mummy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'

Summer lunch . . .

I've learned, over the years, to plan ahead a bit and seem to save twice as much time that way. One 'trick' is that when I grill boneless chicken breasts for dinner, I do a couple extra ones for later use. There are several ways to use those extra pieces of chicken. Sometimes, thin slices of chicken over a simple salad makes a great, quick lunch. You can dice it up and add the meat to chicken broth for soup. I've done this with bullion, frozen mixed vegetables, and the chicken and had a bowl of soup in front of everyone in less than 30 minutes. Granted, it is not as perfect as using long simmered broth, but it provides a meal and warms the heart which time is of the essence.

Our favorite way to use the extra white chicken meat is for chicken salad sandwiches. They are especially good on a hot day when you are hungry but don't want to load up on a heavy meal but still have to eat something.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Sandwich bread of your choice
2-3 grilled chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing
2 tablespoons either sweet or dill pickle relish
Salt & pepper to taste

Cube the meat and place it and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the meat is almost ground but still chunky. If it is too dry, add a dab of mayo. Tastes for seasoning and make sandwiches.

My family likes it basic as directed above. However, there is no law against adding a slice of tomato and some Romaine to your sandwich. If you have some fried bacon around, that with a slice of avocado along with the chicken salad is very good. I have been known to add some thin slices of red onion to my sandwich. Grilled onions are also good as is a sprinkling of those canned fried onions. Some people like to add some toasted walnuts. Adding sliced green or black olives could be a plus.

Instead of sandwich bread, you can use hamburger buns (toasted helps!) or rolls. Sour dough bread is very nice as are the sprouted wheat breads.

As you can see, you can fuss or not over these sandwiches and still come out as the heroine of the kitchen once more!

Political Insight?

"Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable."
-- John Kenneth Galbraith

"Assuming either the Left Wing or the Right Wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles."
-- Pat Paulsen

Stubby comes calling at dinner time . . .

 Stubby usually has only one thing in mind when she comes visiting and that is food. I caught her in a vocal moment. She always looks like she had gone to a lot of trouble with her eyeliner.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place . . .

 The visiting cat seems to enjoy squeezing himself into a corner of the yard. The poor plant to the right of him suffers from Howl's playtime antics. He likes to sneak up on the unsuspecting bush and attack it. The plant has yet to respond in kind.

Planned Parenthood says they oppose forced abortions . . .

Although Planned Parenthood has come out and claimed to be against forced abortions, this article seems to have viable points on the subject that beg to differ.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/planned-parenthood-opposes-forced-abortion-but-is-tied-to-chinas-one-child

All you need is two children in the family for this response!

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.

After explaining the commandment to 'honour' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'

Where battles for freedom were fought . . .

 My father served during World War II and was stationed in Germany after the war. He met my mother there who had fled on an American troop train to escape the Russian occupation of her German birth place in East Germany. I grew up knowing about the war and my parents shared their memories. The full impact of the final days of the war really made an impact, however, when my son and I visited the Battlefields of World War II a year ago. In the pictures are the overgrown rocks and bunkers above the beaches where the Allied troops attacked so many years ago. The battle scars are still visable and my son was able to climb, crawl, and run through the pits made by the bombs, touch the massive cannons, and see the view of the climb up from the beach made my the allied troops. It certainly made our Memorial Day more meaningful this year having stood on the ground where so many soliders died or were wounded.

General Orders No. 11, Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868

　

　
The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from his honor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

　

It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.

By order of

JOHN A. LOGAN,

Commander-in-Chief

N.P. CHIPMAN,

Adjutant General

Official:

WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.

All practical and true quotes . . .

"Indecision may or may not be my problem."
-- Jimmy Buffett

"There it was, hidden in alphabetical order."
-- Rita Holt

"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers."
-- H. L. Mencken

Works for me!

Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.

- Zora Neale Hurston

Simple Breakfast - Happy Family!

In the United States, many of us have a three-day holiday weekend. Having everyone home and not rushing through a morning schedule of getting to work and school opens up opportunites to relax and create something in the kitchen. The best time to catch everyone at home is breakfast time and pancakes send out a scent that will wake anyone even thinking about oversleeping.

Simple Pancake Recipe
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon sugar
2 large egg
4 tablespoons oil or melted shortening
2 cups milk

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and oil (or shortening) and milk. Mix well. Grease griddle or large frying pan. When hot, pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time. When it bubbles, turn over an cook other side. Makes about 24 medium pancakes.

If you are fortunate enough to possess a waffle iron, this recipe works perfectly for that, too. Waffles always seem to taste different because of their crispness. Remember that besides being a breakfast treat, fruit and whipped cream will make it welcome after a light dinner. It will be light on the budget, too!

Ideas . . .
Don't forget you can add a cup of blueberries to the batter.
A half up of the tiny chocolate chips will be a surprise to your children.
When my husband uses this recipe to make waffles, he add 1/2 cup of cooked Jasmine Rice to the batter.
You can substitute 1 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour.
A couple tablespoons of wheat germ adds a toasty taste to eithe waffles or pancakes.
My family likes a teaspoon of vanilla extract added to the batter.
I like to add fresh lemon or orange zest to the batter.

Interesting Explanation of Class Warfare . . .

The folks who are getting the free stuff don't like the folks who are paying for the free stuff, because the folks who are paying for the free stuff can no longer afford to pay for both the free stuff and their own stuff.

And, the folks who are paying for the free stuff want the free stuff to stop.

But the folks who are getting the free stuff want even more free stuff on top of the free stuff they are already getting!

Now... the people who are forcing the people who pay for the free stuff have told the people who are RECEIVING the free stuff that the people who are PAYING for the free stuff are being mean, prejudiced, and racist.

So ... the people who are GETTING the free stuff have been convinced that they need to hate the people who are paying for the free stuff by the people who are forcing some people to pay for their free stuff and giving them the free stuff in the first place.

We have let the free stuff giving go on for so long that there are now more people getting free stuff than paying for the free stuff.

Now understand this. All great democracies have committed financial suicide somewhere between 200 and 250 years after being founded. What is the reason?

The voters figured out they could vote themselves money from the treasury by electing people who promised to give them money from the treasury in exchange for electing them.

The United States officially became a Republic in 1776,which is 236 years ago. The number of people now getting free stuff outnumbers the people paying for the free stuff. We have one chance to change that in 2012. Failure to change that spells the end of the United States as we know it.

　
ELECTION 2012 IS COMING
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!

For all our sakes, PLEASE Take a Stand!!!

Borders: Closed!

Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!

Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before Welfare!

NO freebies to: Non-Citizens!

　

A sad state of the world . . .

Where has common sense gone these days? I noted that a year or so ago our city was supposed to start building a Wal-Mart Super Center or whatevery they call the giant-sized versions of most everyone's favorite shopping haunt. The project went on indefinite hold as they say they can't build where they intended because we have to protect some rat, plants, and insects who hang around the proposed building site.

Immediately after reading that, the next article dealt with the unemployment problems in our city and what can we do about it? People are coming into the unemployment office several times a week, hoping to find a job. What could possibly be the solution . . .

Does anyone see the problem here? We are preserving a habitat for rats or whatever while humans go hungry and jobless? What happens if the majority of these critters decide to migrate somewhere else. Do we have a laison with the rat community so we will know when the property might become available?

I'm constantly amazed at the mind set of the world today where the good of humans is superceded by rodents or endangered weeds. Didn't God give man dominion over the animals in the Bible? Save a seal . . . or a rat, but don't worry about people. God can't be happy with our choices.

Pentecost Sunday!

It seems like it was just Ash Wednesday and tomorrow is already Pentecost Sunday. Naturally, I have a favorite quote to share for the occasion.

Round roll the weeks our hearts to greet,
With blissful joy returning;
for lo! the Holy Paraclete
On twelve bright brows sits burning."

Roman Breviary, Pentecost, Hymn Beata nobis gaudia at Lauds. (Tr. W. Blew) - Attributed to St. Hilary of Poitiers, 4th century.

Too many grains of truth here . . .

"Boyhood, like measles, is one of those complaints which a man should catch young and have done with, for when it comes in middle life it is apt to be serious."
-- P. G. Wodehouse

"People want economy and they will pay any price to get it."
-- Lee Iacocca

"Men are generally idle, and ready to satisfy themselves, and intimidate the industry of others, by calling that impossible which is only difficult."
-- Samuel Johnson

"Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship."
-- Harry S Truman

Mother Theresa could say it in few words . . .

"There is more hunger for love and
appreciation in this world than for bread."- Mother Teresa

We should all be blessed with an attack cat . . .

 Although she does look rather fierce, Miss Stubby is just yawning. It seems twice as scary since she is usually a very timid cat . . . except when it comes to food. The same cats she will shy away from on a daily basis, don't have a chance of getting any tasty scraps when Miss Stubby is around. She is like a stealth eater - she pounces, grabs, and departs with the best of the offerings in hand . . . uh, in mouth, that is!

Mrs. Black Cat

 Mrs. Black Cat arrived heavily pregnant. We hoped that she would give birth around our yard so we could take her and offspring to the Humane Society. We have yet to find her family although she times her visits according to her feeding duties.

Our Miss Stubby, the wispy cat . . .

 This is a frequent visitor to our front yard. For a long time, we thought there was something wrong with her legs as she would scuttle from place to place. Turns out, she is just a nervous nelly about everything. Her brain seems to be as wispy as her fur. She has allowed me to pat her ever so often. You can feel her leaning into the petting and then suddenly realizing that I might be an enemy and she backs off.

Never know what you'll find on the doorstep . . .

 The visiting cats to our doorstep certainly seem to know how to pose for pictures. I opened the front door to go out for the mail and discovered these three artfully arranged with hopes of some food.

Miss Piggy Speaks . . .

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye."
-- Miss Piggy

"If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything."
-- Bill Lyon

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found."
-- Calvin Trillin

Barbecue time!

Why is it that the hotter it gets outside, the more people want to cook outside . . . as in barbecue? I don't know but there is certainly an excitement of hearing meat hit the grill and taking in the scent of your dinner cooking in the open air. I'm hoping we can do something like that this weekend.

I've discovered that the best way to insure the grilled meat comes out roasted on the outside but still juicy on the inside is to plan ahead and marinate for two to four hours. Marinating used to scare me as what do I mix together. Turns out that it is very easy and the answer is on the salad dressing shelf at your grocery store.

I like using bottled Italian dressing for chicken, however, there are so many variations of basic Italian dressing, you can work your grilling magic in a number of way. I just put my chicken and enough dressing to soak and coat the meat in a ziplock bag. I put it into a bowl just in case the bag might leak and don't ask me how I know that! When you are ready to grill, drain the meat, discard the marinade, pat off the chicken a bit, and cook. If you aren't in the mood for grilling, this works fine under the broiler or sauted in the frying pan on the stove.

Hamburgers don't have to be dressed up on the outside alone. We like Greek burgers which means we add Feta cheese to the ground beef mix. Thinly-slice cucumbers drenched in an Italian or Greek-style dressing really works on the hamburger once it is ready to serve.

I blended together some fresh (previously frozen!) cranberries with Basil and butter for an interesting spread on the hamburger bun before adding the cooked hamburger. It was especially good with a few, crisp onion rings or just grilled onions.

Steak, when it is on sale, tastes best with grilling and lots of pepper and some salt. I have made a garlic butter and put a pat of that on just before serving and haven't gotten any complaints about that. You just saute some peeled cloves of garlic in a bit of vegetable oil until softened. Blend them with enough butter to serve your group and that's it!

Kiss and tell . . . or not . . .

Over the years, I have found an interesting contradiction in views of morality and degrees of morality. I have known young ladies and young men who feel that their first kiss should be bestowed upon their newly married spouse on their wedding day. Although many young people tend to differ on this, most of them are in awe of someone who has the fortitude to save themselves so totally for the one person with whom they plan to spend the rest of their life. In a society that has disintergrated into a moral mess where people indulge in premarital sex as a 'gift' they give to their friends, it is wonderful to find a couple who wants this kept totally within the bounds of a mutual vow.

So, while young people wonder about this, they don't always dismiss a person's goal. I have found it to be an entirely different response from older to elderly people which I find surprising. From the day my own children became teens, most of the 'cute' remarks about having a boyfriend, kissing their 'steady', etc. has come from senior citizens who should know better. They didn't live in a world that was so free and easy about physical contact yet they tease and cajole young people into thinking it would be odd if the young person went full force towards maintaining a strict moral stance. One eighty year old about fainted when a young teen mentioned she wasn't interested in kissing anyone for the sake of kissing. The old lady's reaction? "But, how will you know if you like kissing him?" Seems to me that getting to know the person, first, would be more important than testing the kissable people that come one's way. Another one told the dad of a young miss that she would certainly put a word in the girl's ear on the subject. Uh, why?

I worked with a young girl in my career years as a single woman. She shared with me that she had always dreamed of finding the perfect man, who was physically perfect, kissed perfectly, and would look like a prince charming at the perfect wedding she had dreamed of since she was a little girl. I didn't meet her in her prowling years but a few months after she had had her perfect day. Whenever she talked about her marriage, she spoke of the wedding, reliving every minute. She told me that she, personally, tied every sash on her bride's maids  dresses to make sure they were all perfect. The kiss they exchanged at the altar was perfect as she had done her testing before the proposal. She said her new husband hadn't been all that anxious to get married so soon but she assured him it was the perfect time. She told me that they were perfectly compatible physically and (with a wink on her part) she made sure of that before she let herself fall in love with him.

The young girl was actually pretty pathetic because she never seemed to grow past the perfect wedding that began her marriage. Her husband demanded that she always wear full make up and wear the highest heeled shoes even when she wrenched her ankle and was on doctor's orders to not do so. She would ask my advice on making perfect meals and often reported that her husband ate out with friends and didn't come home in time to enjoy her efforts. She would often sigh and say, "I just don't understand him." This is two months into the marriage!

I understood him. He was rushed into a relationship based on the physical. Neither one them them had ever thought to talk about their personal interests, likes, dislikes. He showed up for her perfect wedding with only a physical knowleged of his bride and it got old really fast as it was all based on a childish dream. It was sad. She had given in to him on every level and he was tired of it all before they even walked down the aisle. If they had mentally challenged each other before they started in on the physical, she might have discovered that perfect is often only on the surface.

Me, I'm all for purity before marriage. As with anything in life, there are degrees of where you want to go in a relationship way short of sin. When a young person desires to wait on everything before marriage, shouldn't he/she be praised and not treated like some weird virtue freak?

How elections are won . . .

From a teacher in the Nashville area.

"We are worried about 'the cow' when it is all about the 'Ice Cream.'

The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade this year. The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest.

I decided that we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote. To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members.

We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot. The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia's mother.

The day for their speeches arrived. Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place.  He ended by promising to do his very best.  Everyone applauded and he sat down.

Now is was Olivia's turn to speak. Her speech was concise. She said, "If you vote for me, I will give you ice cream." She sat down.

The class went wild.

"Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."

She surely would say more. She did not have to.

A discussion followed.

How did she plan to pay for the ice cream?

She wasn't sure.

Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it? She didn't know.

The class really didn't care.

All they were thinking about was ice cream.

Jamie was forgotten.

Olivia won by a landslide.

Every time Barack Obama opened his mouth he offered ice cream and 52 percent of the people reacted like nine year olds.

They want ice cream.

The other 48 percent know they're going to have to feed the cow and clean up the mess.

Perfect Quote!

People who are resting on their laurels are wearing them on the wrong end.

- Malcolm Kushner

An Interesting Wake up Call . . .

The Lawyers' Party By Bruce Walker *

The Democratic Party has become the Lawyers Party .

Barack Obama is a lawyer. Michelle Obama is a lawyer.
Hillary Clinton is a lawyer. Bill Clinton is a lawyer.
John Edwards is a lawyer. Elizabeth Edwards is a lawyer.
Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate).
Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen , went to law school.
Look at leaders of the Democrat Party in Congress:
Harry Reid is a lawyer. Nancy Pelosi is a lawyer.

The Republican Party is different.

President Bush is a businessman.
Vice President Cheney is a businessman.
The leaders of the Republican Revolution :
Newt Gingrich was a history professor.
Tom Delay was an exterminator.
Dick Armey was an economist.
House Minority Leader Boehner was a plastic manufacturer.
The former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a heart surgeon.

Who was the last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford , who left office 31 years ago and who barely won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, running against Ronald Reagan in 1976.

The Republican Party is made up of real people doing real work, who are often the targets of lawyers. The Democrat Party is made up of lawyers. Democrats mock and scorn men who create wealth, like Bush and Cheney, or who heal the sick, like First, or who immerse themselves in history, like Gingrich.

The Lawyers Party sees these sorts of people, who provide goods and services that people want, as the enemies of America . And, so we have seen the procession of official enemies, in the eyes of the Lawyers Party, grow.

Against whom do Hillary and Obama rail? Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, hospitals, manufacturers, fast food restaurant chains, large retail businesses, bankers, and anyone producing anything of value in our nation.

This is the natural consequence of viewing everything through the eyes of lawyers. Lawyers solve problems by successfully representing their clients, in this case the American people .

Lawyers seek to have new laws passed, they seek to win lawsuits, they press appellate courts to overturn precedent, and lawyers always parse language to favor their side. Confined to the narrow practice of law, that is fine. But it is an awful way to govern a great nation. When politicians as lawyers begin to view some Americans as clients and other Americans as opposing parties, then the role of the legal system in our life becomes all-consuming. Some Americans become adverse parties of our very government. We are not all litigants in some vast social class-action suit. We are citizens of a republic that promises us a great deal of freedom from laws, from courts, and from lawyers.

Today, we are drowning in laws; we are contorted by judicial decisions; we are driven to distraction by omnipresent lawyers in all parts of our once private lives. America has a place for laws and lawyers, but that place is modest and reasonable, not vast and unchecked. When the most important decision for our next president is whom he will appoint to the Supreme Court, the role of lawyers and the law in America is too big.

When House Democrats sue America in order to hamstring our efforts to learn what our enemies are planning to do to us, then the role of litigation in America has become crushing.

We cannot expect the Lawyers Party to provide real change, real reform or real hope in America. Most Americans know that a republic in which every major government action must be blessed by nine unelected judges is not what Washington intended in 1789. Most Americans grasp that we cannot fight a war when ACLU lawsuits snap at the heels of our defenders. Most Americans intuit that more lawyers and judges will not restore declining moral values or spark the spirit of enterprise in our economy.

Perhaps Americans will understand that change cannot be brought to our nation by those lawyers who already largely dictate American society and business. Perhaps Americans will see that hope does not come from the mouths of lawyers but from personal dreams nourished by hard work. Perhaps Americans will embrace the truth that more lawyers with more power will only make our problems worse.

The United States has 5%of the world’s population and 66% of the world’s lawyers! Tort (Legal) reform legislation has been introduced in congress several times in the last several years to limit punitive damages in ridiculous lawsuits such as spilling hot coffee on yourself and suing the establishment that sold it to you and also to limit punitive damages in huge medical malpractice lawsuits. This legislation has continually been blocked from even being voted on by the Democrat Party. When you see that 97% of the political contributions from the American Trial Lawyers Association goes to the Democrat Party, then you realize who is responsible for our medical and product costs being so high!

The Reality of Memorial Day . . .

I'm sure most of you in the United States have been inundated with Memorial Day advertisements for sales, car deals, three-day weekend specials, etc. I know from my own experience that any store that stay open on Memorial Day will be packed with bargain hunters. Sad to think this day has been reduced to a vacation day off from work with little meaning other than to to many people's minds. Here is a little history that was readily available on-line.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

　
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

　
She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform. To date, there has been no further developments on the bill.

Many truths in short quotes . . .

"Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one."
-- A. J. Liebling

"What others think of us would be of little moment did it not, when known, so deeply tinge what we think of ourselves."
-- Paul Valery

"The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders."
-- Foster's Law

"Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other."
-- Ann Landers

A little update . . . re. the Catholic Lawsuits . . .

Just in case anyone might think I was over the top regarding my dismay over the lack of attention paid to the historical event of the Catholic Church standing up to the obama administration's mandate and making themselves heard - re. the numerous lawsuits recently filed, the major news stations prove me out on this. What a world where the press/media would rather defend the government than the citizens.

- ABC World News – ZERO seconds of coverage. But, last night there was time for a full report on sleep apnea and Katie Couric discussing how she met Queen Elizabeth; how she wore a peach coat and "a lovely peach hat."

- NBC Nightly News – ZERO seconds of coverage. But last night there was time to squeeze in a story on a new computer app that shows America's eating habits, "graphic evidence" of how we eat badly late at night.

- CBS Evening News – a brief 19 seconds of coverage on Monday, the evening the lawsuit became public. ZERO coverage last night. But there was time in the broadcast for a Cincinnati Reds baseball fan lucky enough to catch two home runs in left field.

Super cheese dip or tasty sauce . . . soup?

I may have shared this before but summer is always a good time for a reminder. One of the most popular items I can offer at an informal party or barbecue is a spicy cheese dip. The recipe is simple and you can get very creative with it and it can't go wrong.

1-2 pounds of processed cheddar cheese. This is the block of semi-soft cheese you can find in the refrigerated section of the store.
1 16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa
1 small can of chilies - your choice for hotness
1 small can of sliced black olives
Lots of tortilla chips and a platter of crisp vegetables like broccoli, celery sticks, cauliflower, Bell pepper, jicama, etc.

If you have a crock pot, you don't have to worry about it at all. Just put all the ingredients except for the tortilla chips into the crock pot, set it on low and come by to stir it once in awhile as it melts.

You can also do this in a stove top pot but have to pay more attention so it doesn't burn.

You can set the crock pot right on your serving table with a ladle so people can help themselves. If you are putting it out from the stove, make sure your serving dish is microwaveable so you can reheat it from time to time.

This also makes a nice sauce for burritos or over grilled chicken. I like it over boiled potatoes for a fast lunch. I've even thinned down leftovers of this dip with milk, added 2 cups of steamed mixed vegetables and 1 1/2 cups of diced chicken for a hearty soup.

Fast and Easy Side Dish for Dinner . . .

I like to serve salads instead of a steamed vegetable in the summer. For one reason, it is usually too hot to enjoy a warm meal. For another reason, summer produce is abundant and it is nice to incorporate health and tasty in the same plate. This recipe goes well with just about anything but if you are serving Mexican food, it will be even better.

Easy Corn Salad
2 cups frozen corn, defrosted and drained (If you have fresh corn, use that!)
1/2 cup canned garbonzo beans, drained
1/2 green Bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 red Bell pepper, finely diced
1 Jalepeno pepper, roasted, skinned, seeded, and diced*
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
zest of one lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Prepare a few hours ahead of time so the ingredients can marinate. You can bring it up to room temperature to serve or right from the
refrigerator.

*To roast the Jalepeno pepper, you can hold it over the flame of the stove until it gets a bit charred or under the broiler. Most of the skin will peel off. Slice, remove the seeds, dice, and use as directed. Remember to protect your hands because the oil from the pepper will stay on the skin and burn a bit.

On the lighter side of life . . .

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets."
-- Edward Abbey

"Money doesn't always bring happiness. People with ten million dollars are no happier than people with nine million dollars."
-- Hobart Brown

"Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us."
-- Jerry Garcia

The Media doesn't seem to represent everyone . . .

For a long time, the news we get on most stations doesn't always report the news as it actually happens or bother to give it much air time at all. When there is a gathering of liberals protesting something, the small crowd that actually shows up is multiplied to the thousands by the time the liberal media reports and films it for viewer consumption. However, if the Tea Party or any other more conservative faction makes a stand that is in opposition to the liberal mind set, it is minimalized or mentioned in passing as the news program goes to commercial.

This week, the Catholic Church filed suit against Washington's mandate that would force Catholic institutions to go against their teachings and conscience and provide birth control and worse in their hospitals and at their colleges. The message we get is that the Catholics hate women and want to deprive them of 'women's health' coverage.

First of all, contraception is readily available these days so why should anyone be charged and responsible for people getting birth control? Second, contraceptives come with serious health warnings so why should they be considered 'women's health' coverage? Third, the rights of Catholics to worship according to their Church Laws is being taken away with the mandatory strictures being forced upon them.

Many of the bishops and cardinals have been trying to deal with the president and the liberal powers that he to not go against our Catholic rights as citizens to no avail. For some reason, the president thinks he will get votes in November by putting down the Catholic Church and forcing it to abide by his mandate.

I imagine he and Washington were taken aback when, in a concerted effort, many lawsuits were filed against them this week. In a fair and unbiased society, this would have been more than huge news and be reported on constantly with minute by minute updates on what is happening, reactions, etc. Sadly, if you want the news, these days, the media isn't the place to go for it. In fact, one group, MRCTV, sent someone out to ask people's reaction to this amazing turn of events. Ninety percent of the people hadn't heard about it. Let's see . . . The Catholic Church sues the US Government and it isn't on the headline of every television and rado news report? It isn't on the front page of the newspaper until it is settled? It is a sad world where the media protects the government yet expects the citizens to support their newspapers and programs.

The people who do hear about this mandate against the Catholic Church don't feel it applies to them. Today, they take away the Catholic's right to live by their Faith and conscience. Do the other religions think they are safe, too? We are just the first step and they hope that once the 'big' power falls, the rest will be easy to dismiss.

I have to wonder how that massive percentage of Catholics feel about what they have helped bring about with their vote for an anti-life president back in 2008?

Springing into Summer in the garden . . .

 I was up early this morning so the dog and I went out to see how the garden grows. My husband puts a lot of effort into it every year. The best part is watching the little plants and seedlings grow and flourish as the months go by.

When we moved into this house, we didn't realize we had a treat awaiting our first Spring here until the blackberries showed up along the back wall. They take very little attention except for some water and always reward us with several big bowls of sun-warmed fruit. The blackberries seldom make it into any baking. The first year, we got just a few berries. By accident, my older son mowed all the plants to the ground and we sadly figured that was the end of that. The following Spring, however, they came back ten times as strong with a lot more fruit. I guess the plants had gotten straggly and needed that shock.

My husband's favorite flower in the garden is his Star Jasmine plant. The tiny white flowers are pretty but the scent is amazing.

We tried growing green beans this year and it looks like we are having beginner's luck as they are taking over their half of the garden. You need acres of the plants to have a lot of meals from them but we are excited about the prospect of even have two or three meal times with our own grown green beans.

We have also figured out that since Basil goes to flower and seed rather quickly, my husband has three pots with staggered plantings so we should always have lots of the tasty green leaves on hand for Italian cooking. There is nothing like adding a quarter cup of freshly picked Basil to your pasta sauce just before serving.

The tomatoes are showing a lot of blossoms which we hope promises another bumper crop of them this year. We learned that you cannot plant tomatoes in the same place two years in a row. They tend to deplete the soil and by the second year, the ugly tomato worms have discovered them.

I have hopes for my little pomegranite tree this year. It has a lot of big, red blossoms so it may be possible that I will have my own fruit to enjoy this Fall.

The orange and lemon tree have finished their blooming and tiny oranges and lemons are showing up among the leaves.

Interesting that anyone can believe there is no God when He goes to all this trouble to renew our earth on schedule.

Yet Another Oatmeal Cookie

As you might have noticed, my favorite cookie is oatmeal and I'm always looking for ways to tweak the recipe to see if I can add another layer of flavor to the basic one. There also seems to be a mind set of less guilt involved in eating oatmeal cookies because they do have oatmeal in them and we all know oatmeal is good for us. Don't think about the sugar and butter!

YET ANOTHER OATMEAL COOKIE
1 cup butter, softened (not melted!)
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinammon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
3 cups oatmeal - not the instant type
1 cup dried cranberries (1/4 cup fresh orange juice, tablepoon of brandy.)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Soak the cranberries in 1/4 cup fresh orange juice with a tablespoon of brandy. Beat eggs and vanilla together. Stir in the cranberries and let them soak for an hour.  My mother taught me to infuse dried fruit, raisins, or such before baking to keep the moisture in the fruit. If you don't have time, just keep going and you will still get a good cookie.

Preheat over to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment or grease them with vegetable oil spray.

Whip together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in the dry ingredients until and mix well.  Add in the egg  and cranberry mixture. If you have a stand mixture with a paddle, this works well. Then add oatmeal, nuts and mix well. Scoop into walnut-sized balls and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake 8-10 minutes. Allow to  cool on baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to wire rack.

Made about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on the size.

Ideas . . .
Try half raisins and half cranberries or go totally with the raisins.
Add 1/2 cup or so of your favorite chocolate or white chips to the mix.
Peanuts would making an interesting flavor profile.
Half dried cranberries and half candied pineapple bits. I wouldn't soak the pineapple.
Leave out the fruit and nuts and go with a basic oatmeal cookie.

The liberal mind set . . .

"It's weird, Obama says he was born in HAWAII, his literary agent says he was born in KENYA, and yet, the LIBERAL media still claim he was born in a MANGER!" -Jodi Miller

Calorie Control . . .

I've changed my eating habits over the last three months and tend to keep a close eye on what I enjoy and the calorie count. I actually do not feel deprived because the longer I go without extra sugar in my diet, the better fruit and vegetables are tasting. My husband and I still have a splurge but keep it within bounds.

Today, we were out shopping and we remembered a review we had read about a fast food place that was supposed to have terrific fries. We decided to get a small order and share it. An order of fries is usually about 400 calories so we enjoyed the spur-of-the-moment treat. My husband came back to the car with what seems like a large bag for a small order. The fries were interesting, tasty enough, but not terrific as advertised. They were okay. We didn't finish them but were glad to have tried them. As we drove along, my husband mentioned that they had the calorie count next to the menu . . . and the fries were 1,425 calories! I exclaimed that I couldn't believe a small order of fries could have that many calories. My husband got quiet and then said, "Uh, I got a large order . . ."

With that information, I'm firmly of the belief that the fries were not worth ever going back for and I will not send my husband in to buy the next extravagance we might want to try. Fortunately, we barely ate a third each and my teen son happy ate the leftovers we brought home. Does he worry about calories? In fact, he does but only about getting enough as he is a thin guy. It really isn't fair! :-)

Inexpensive meat - expensive-tasting recipes!

A friend asked about recipes and in searching out one that I like to use, I re-discovered an old favorite so thought I'd share both of them here.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/raos-famous-lemon-chicken-recipe/index.html

This recipe's ingredients seem simple but the combination and taste is excellent. I discovered a

small cookbook of the dishes offered at Rao's Restaurant in New York. It is a very small one, people reserve a table months ahead of time, and some people even have a reserved table for when and if they are in town. Obviously, they are the wealthy and movie star types.

http://savethisrecipe.blogspot.com/2010/09/chicken-with-mustard-and-wine-sauce.html

The combination of wine, cream, and mustard is fantastic. Although the recipe calls for hacking the chicken into very small portions, I've often done this recipe with a regular cut up chicken with good results. It goes well over hot rice or with pasta.

Mark Twain understood . . .

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.

Mark Twain

Ascension Thursday . . . Sunday?

In our side of the United States, the bishops decided to move Ascension Thursday to Sunday. It never seems quite the same but there you have it. It is still a feast day to be honored so I'm sharing two of my favorite quotes in honor of the day.

"Be present, O Lord, to our supplications; as we trust the Savior of mankind is seated with Thee in majesty, so may we feel that, according to His promise, He abideth with us until the end of the world."
(Collect from Leonine Sacramentary 5th century)

"Today above the sky He soared, alleluia.
The King of glory, Christ the Lord, alleluia.
He sitteth on the Father's hand, alleluia.
And ruleth sky and sea and land, alleluia."
(Anonymous: Coelos ascendit hodie. 13th century)

Summer weather, barbecue, food . . .

Although I didn't lit up the outside barbecue grill for dinner today, I did put a rack of pork ribs in the oven at 300 degrees to cook them low and slow in hopes of some juicy ribs. The fact that I marinated them in soy sauce and white wine didn't hurt that hoped-for result either. To further enhance the summer taste of barbecue, I did a quick mix of a basting sauce.

I usually like to fuss over the sauce starting from scratch and mixing and inventing. Today was one of those days so I took my sneaky easy route. Depending on how many ribs you are making, you may want to add or subtract the ingredients a bit. Basically, I mixed 1 cup of bottled barbecue sauce with three tablespoons of coarse Dijon mustard, dried onion flakes, and a good pinch of chili flakes. After the ribs had cooked for an hour, I brushed the sauce liberally over the meat. Every 15-20 minutes I added another brushing of the sauce. Since I am roasting them in the oven at such a low temperature, it will take about two to three hours to cook. My quick combination gives it good flavor and tastes like you fussed.

I had leftover wild rice mixture from dinner last night. I mixed it with three eggs, onion, cheese, salt, pepper, and some chili flakes. I am gently frying it in a pan heated up with a bit of butter.

It's not hard to come up with a good dinner and still keep some recreation time for the Sunday afternoon. I've come to realize, however, that I like to provide healthy, tasty food for my family and approach my cooking as a vocation not a job.

Free isn't always worthy . . .

As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind.

- Isabelle Holland

Fanciful Celebrants and wayward Masses . . .

A priest once went to great lengths to emphasize to us that Sunday Mass doesn't begin when you walk into the door of the church. He said we should prepare for the Mass through our dressing and drive to the church. I think he meant we should consider the day totally a holy one and approach the Mass with preparation and dignity. Seems like a good way to look at things, doesn't it?

So, how come so much of the circus atmosphere in our churches today come at the suggestion of the celebrating priest? Nothing worse than trying to do a little praying before Mass and being disturbed by the joking and conversation by the priest as he awaits his 'cue' to begin.

It also seems that obeying the Rubrics assigned to the celebration of Mass would make life easy for the priest. Doesn't work that way as so many priests start adding or taking away bits and pieces of the set liturgy to make it 'friendlier' or 'in tune' with the times.

We hit a rock bottom level on piety and rubrics one Sunday. We were about to sit down for the readings and the priest stopped us short and insisted we all greet each other and welcome each other to our home. I always figured it was God's home, myself! At this point, we have shaken hands with the greeters when we came in the chuch and now were greeting pretty much the same people once more. Things got worse from that point!

We were informed that God is our Father so we are all princes and princesses. I always thought we were God's people and, since Jesus came to earth as a human, we were His brother and sisters. God didn't send His son down to impress the crowds with power and might so why would we be considered royalty? The priest sauntered up and down the aisles, elaborating on his theory in simple terms that we couldn't fail to understand.  In other words, he tended to talk down to us like a class of small children. About 15 minutes later, we get to the Our Father and, guess what??? It is hand holding/greeting time, again. My husband figured we could have a goodbye greeting before Mass was dismissed along with the farewell greeters waiting at the back of the church.

I know most of these priests mean well but you have to wonder why they fear quiet prayer and moments of solitude during the Mass? While I'm on a rant, I do not think the dismissal at Mass should be changed to "Go the Mass is just beginning!" If we don't instill a sense of awe in our children, how can we bring them to continued belief?

Government Control vs. our Children . . .

There has been an international treaty encroaching on our freedoms as parents for several years now. This item came from the Home Schooling Legal Defence Association. Our current administration is much in favor of this and it could be signed as soon as this year. It could and probably would change a lot of aspects of our lives. Our child raising would be taken over by the government. Senator Barbara Boxer is in favor of this. For more information, access the HSLDA home page and search CRC to keep informed. Our freedoms are being taken away in bits and pieces and now our very family life is threatened. Even if your children are grown up, think about the future generations.

******

Why should you think twice about supporting an accepted international human rights treaty? On today’s Home School Heartbeat, host Mike Farris exposes how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child could affect your child and your parenting choices.

Mike Farris:
On the last program, we introduced the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child—known as the CRC. While the use of any international law for domestic purposes in the United States is a threat to American self-government, proponents of parental rights should pay the most close attention to the CRC—especially since it appears that significant effort on this treaty will be made under the Obama administration.

So what does the CRC actually say about the rights of children?

Article 3 subsection 1 provides that in all actions concerning children, all decision-makers need to employ the legal standard known as the best interests of the child. What this means is that the government can substitute what it thinks best for that of the parents in every situation.

Article 12 subsection 1 declares that the child’s views must be taken into account in every situation. When we read further, it means, taken into account by the government, because they’re the ultimate decision-makers.

In two very important areas of parental choice—religion and education—the CRC interferes with parental choice and elevates a child’s wishes over that of the parent. Realistically, it is neither parents nor children who make the final decision in the case of conflict—it is the state that has the power and duty under the CRC to make ultimate choices for kids.

Peace and a great explanation . . .

Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Makes you think . . .

A friend passed this on to me and it really shows the reality of how veering off the track on how things are perceived can lead to even more problems and confusion. Funny yet not!

A Scene at City Hall in San Francisco:

"Good morning. We want to apply for a marriage license."
"Names?"
"Tim and Jim Jones."
"Jones? Are you related? I see a resemblance."
"Yes, we're brothers."
"Brothers? You can't get married."
"Why not? Aren't you giving marriage licenses to same gender couples?"
"Yes, thousands. But we haven't had any siblings. That's incest!"
"Incest?" No, we aren't gay."
"Not gay? Then why do you want to get married?"
"For the financial benefits, of course. And we do love each other. Besides, we don't have any other prospects."
"But we're issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples who've been denied equal protection under the law. If you are not gay, you can get married to a woman."
"Wait a minute. A gay man has the same right to marry a woman as I have.
But just because I'm straight doesn't mean I want to marry a woman. I want to marry Jim."
"And I want to marry Tim, Are you going to discriminate against us just because we aren't gay?"
"All right, all right. I'll give you your license. Next!"
"Hi. We are here to get married."
"Names?"
"John Smith, Jane James, Robert Green, and June Johnson."
"Who wants to marry whom?"
"We all want to marry each other."
"But there are four of you!"
"That's right. You see, we're all bisexual. I love Jane and Robert, Jane loves me and June, June loves Robert and Jane, and Robert loves June and me. All of us getting married together is the only way that we can express our sexual preferences in a marital relationship."
"But we've only been granting licenses to gay and lesbian couples."
"So, you're discriminating against bisexuals?!"
"No, it's just that, well, the traditional idea of marriage is that it's just for couples."
"Since when are you standing on tradition?"
"Well, I mean, you have to draw the line somewhere."
"Who says? There's no logical reason to limit marriage to couples.
The more the better. Besides, we demand our rights! The mayor says the constitution guarantees equal protection under the law. Give us a marriage license!"
"All right all right. Next!"
"Hello, I'd like a marriage license."
"In what names?"
"David Deets."
"And the other man?"
"That's all. I want to marry myself."
"Marry yourself? What do you mean?"
"Well, my psychiatrist says I have a dual personality, so I want to marry the two together. Maybe I can file a joint income-tax return."
"That does it! I quit!! You people are making a mockery of marriage!!"

The Mandate Against Catholics is being felt . . .

Ever since the president decided to cross the line that separated Church and State with his mandate re. all medical insurance companies provide contraceptive coverage and worse, we have kind of been waiting for the other shoe to fall. It is falling as Franciscan University will not be offering medical insurance to the students this Fall. Today, the news reports that Ave Maria University will probably follow suit. Given the previous attitude seen at Notre Dame, I'd really be surprised if they worried about it but I hope I'm wrong and they will stand by the Catholic conscience this time around.

It is fascinating to me that the president wanted the healthcare bill and such to make sure everyone was cared for yet he is making it impossible for Catholic institutions to take care of their students because of the president's lack of regard and lack of tolerance that isn't in line with his idea of what should or should not be tolerated.

My Midnight College Adventure . . .

Well, it is not exactly for me that I'm having a midnight college adventure. What is happening is that my son's registration date for classes is tomorrow but given the small amount of classes being offered, I know our only chance of possibly getting one class for the summer session is to be on the computer exactly at 12:01 Midnight! We have been watching the open class list today and it is somewhat hopeful that he will get something but we won't celebrate until they have accepted out fees and printed out a schedule. If all goes well, he is hoping to get US History at 8:00-9:40 a.m., European History Part 2 from 9:50-11:30, and Philosophy from 1:30-3:10.

With the economy such as it is and the college cutting classes back 25% and offering absolutely no art classes this summer, we are just sending off a prayer and hoping that God's Will is in line with our human wants.

I'd have either my husband or son stay up for this occasion but even with the best of notes, I know I will be awakened from a deep sleep by them with questions so here I sit, type, and wait.

Really Spicy Spiced Cookies - not for the timid . . .

I like interesting recipes that call for ingredients that don't seem to fit with the other ingredients but, somehow, end up being different and still tasty. My son still claims that the chocolate bean cupcakes were the best ever. This recipe is a bit more tame but still not run of the mill. My husband used to make a pepper cake cracker so this was just in line with our tastes.

Really Spicy Spiced Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar*
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon your favorite chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black or white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of cayenne pepper - depends on how much heat you like.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest*
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
(To really incorporate the fresh orange zest taste into your dough, you can grind the sugar and zest together in a blender or food processor before using.)

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, baking powder, spices, vanilla extract, orange zest, and beat to combine thoroughly. Beat in the egg and milk and mix in the flour. Knead dough into a ball, divide into two, and shape into a long roll. The width of the roll depends on how big a cookie you want. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for 2-4 hours or until firm but not frozen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut rolls of dough into 1/4th-inch thick slices and place about an inch or so apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake approximatel 8 minutes or until the cookies take on a golden edge. Cool on wire rack.

Ideas . . .
Melt 1 cup of milk or semisweet chocolate chips until smooth. Spread one cookie with the melted chocolate and top with a second cookie.

Melt 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips. Dip each cookie half way into the melted white chocolate. Place the cookies on sheets of waxed paper, grind a bit of fresh black pepper on the white chocolate, and let them harden and set.

Lay the cooled cookies out on waxed paper. Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips. Drizzle some of each on every cookie and let them harden before serving.

Mix one cup of apricot jam, 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest together. Use this to sandwich the cookies together. You can still drizzle melted chocolate over the top of each one for added appeal.

Modesty?

There is always an ongoing argument about whether strapless dresses are appropriate for a bride and her wedding party. I think this picture answers that question!

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2012/02/21/strapless/

A beautiful thought . . .

The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.

- Heda Bejar

Knowing where to go for help . . .

 Another of the stray cats that visit our yard. Howl, the cat (if you heard him meow, you'd understand the name!) seems to think he has sought and found sanctuary at the foot of our Blessed Mother!