As you all know, some 22 year old guy decided to hurt or destroy the lives of over 18 people today. Not sure on the number as the investigation is ongoing at the crime scene. I sure do not respect this guy for whatever he thinks he stands for in this situation. Only an idiot or a bully resorts to physical violence against innocent people. It seems that if a person can't meet their opposition on an intellectual level, they resort to fists . . . or guns. Strong-armed power does not make the person. It just reflects a serious lack of real brain power. Situations are changed with ideas or suggestions not destroyed to make the point.
We have to remember all the people involved in this horrible event today. We even have to pray for the gunman that he realizes his intent today and has to deal with the guilt of what he did to so many people and their families because HE had a problem.
As usual, we see that even the moderate gun control laws do not stop murders by gun because only the law-abiding citizens weren't prepared for gunplay today.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Number One Rule!
I've learned that what you tell people they see, they WILL see! This is especially true of husbands. Men are usually so happy to just have a warm home and wife that they don't notice the changes over the years as in a few wrinkles or gained pounds . . . unless you constantly point this out to him. A friend's husband recently signed them both up for a health program that would reduce their insurance co-pay. She was shocked when he mentioned he had signed up for improving his body mass indicator while he signed her up for the weight-loss program. He said his boss was amazed that he would do that and still be welcomed home in the evening. Although my friend didn't say TOO much to her husband, she was a bit shocked and asked how he came to consider the weight-loss program for her. He said because she was always complaining about having gained weight. She was bringing something to his attention that he wasn't 'seeing'!
At New Year's, the same friend and her family shared what they'd like to change about themselves during the new year and, also, what they'd like to see each other do differently. Her husband said he couldn't think of a single thing he'd change about my friend. She is learning . . . She smiled and simply said, "Thank you!"
I guess what the world and our loved ones see in us is what we project to them and the world. If we are happy and content with what God has given us, it shows and people react positively.
At New Year's, the same friend and her family shared what they'd like to change about themselves during the new year and, also, what they'd like to see each other do differently. Her husband said he couldn't think of a single thing he'd change about my friend. She is learning . . . She smiled and simply said, "Thank you!"
I guess what the world and our loved ones see in us is what we project to them and the world. If we are happy and content with what God has given us, it shows and people react positively.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Back to schedule . . .
Although I do not really have a schedule, I do like to get certain things done during the day. We always start our morning off with daily Mass. I've heard some people say that attending the eight o'clock Mass disrupts the flow of the day. Personally, I like the fact that I have a good beginning to the day. If everything else goes wrong or doesn't get done according to MY specifications, I know that I checked in with God before it all started.
With older children heading back to college, I now have to get down to work on my youngest's lesson plans. I keep asking him for his books, he forgets to give me the books, and I forget to ask him again. Do you think we are both avoiding the issue?
Today, lesson plans WILL be prepared.
I got back into sewing after the hectic holidays. I made six Easter tote bags to sell on-line. I know that when my children were of the Easter basket stage, the 'worst' part of the Easter aftermath was the baskets. They didn't want to part with them and about three months down the road, beaten up baskets graced various parts of the house. I came up with the idea of Easter tote bags! They can hold an adequate amount of Easter goodies and have a side pocket for stashing a special coloring book or saint book for Easter. The best part is that even though they are floral and bright, they are not particularly labeled EASTER so can be used during the year. They would be fun for the children to use for bringing their little prayerbooks, Rosaries, and such to Mass thus freeing up mom's purse!
Crocheting has taken hold of me lately. I'm anxious to try a lacy poncho-type pattern but had to wait until I completed a baby blanket. Sigh . . . I love the idea of using a tiny crochet hook and fragile yarn until I'm a quarter of a way through the project and it takes so long! My creativity, sometimes, exceeds by patience.
With older children heading back to college, I now have to get down to work on my youngest's lesson plans. I keep asking him for his books, he forgets to give me the books, and I forget to ask him again. Do you think we are both avoiding the issue?
Today, lesson plans WILL be prepared.
I got back into sewing after the hectic holidays. I made six Easter tote bags to sell on-line. I know that when my children were of the Easter basket stage, the 'worst' part of the Easter aftermath was the baskets. They didn't want to part with them and about three months down the road, beaten up baskets graced various parts of the house. I came up with the idea of Easter tote bags! They can hold an adequate amount of Easter goodies and have a side pocket for stashing a special coloring book or saint book for Easter. The best part is that even though they are floral and bright, they are not particularly labeled EASTER so can be used during the year. They would be fun for the children to use for bringing their little prayerbooks, Rosaries, and such to Mass thus freeing up mom's purse!
Crocheting has taken hold of me lately. I'm anxious to try a lacy poncho-type pattern but had to wait until I completed a baby blanket. Sigh . . . I love the idea of using a tiny crochet hook and fragile yarn until I'm a quarter of a way through the project and it takes so long! My creativity, sometimes, exceeds by patience.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Old-fashioned but patient . . .
Anyone who reads my blog has probably already figured out that I weigh in heavily on the conservative side of life. Although I would much prefer a more dignified daily Mass, I do know that Jesus IS in the tabernacle and I AM receiving his Body and Blood. I do, however, have a problem with extraordinary ministers pawing their way through the tabernacle and insisting Father cannot possibly distribute Communion to 30 attendees without the threat of a stroke.
I was talking to our relatively new pastor last Sunday and he said that he is working to stop the onslaught of EM's at daily Mass as their assistance when not really needed IS a liturgical abuse. Besides the sheer numbers of willing laity that love nothing more than clambering around the altar, it is their lack of regard and honor due our Lord at the Mass. They 'make it their own' and then the priests wonder at the lack of real belief. One EM has a good deal of her chest hanging out of her Sunday-best sleeveless, practically front-less tank top. Another one goes into a windmill patomaine as she feels a need to direct people to the altar when it is pretty evident WHERE the altar is located. Then there is the EM who likes to grin a greeting, and call you by name as she hands over the Eucharist. She is veering it from a solemn reception of a precious sacrament into a meet and greet with everyone but Jesus.
The Novus Ordo does lend itself to 'personal' interpretation. Our earlier Sunday Mass is relatively calm, however, the next Mass is often a free for all of Protestant hymns and greetings, greetings, and more greetings.
The aftermath of Vatican II brought us 'ministries'. One does not help out at church but joins a 'ministry'. Greeters evolved and you cannot quietly enter a church without at least two people glad handing you and distracting your pre-Mass preparations and thought. In fact, the entrance into the church greeting is followed by a beginning of Mass in the pews greeting, soon followed by the Sign of Peace greeting and then the after-Mass greeting. My husband tried holding a handerkerchief to his nose at stragetic times, claiming by action, a cold. After about six months, he kind of had to get 'over' the cold.
You have to ponder over the lack of wonderment found in the Mass these days. I think it has to do with the loss of dignity and the beauty of the altar that all added to the awe of coming into church. Not many of the 'servicable' churches, these days, carry the everlasting hint of incense that speaks of eternity.
I was talking to our relatively new pastor last Sunday and he said that he is working to stop the onslaught of EM's at daily Mass as their assistance when not really needed IS a liturgical abuse. Besides the sheer numbers of willing laity that love nothing more than clambering around the altar, it is their lack of regard and honor due our Lord at the Mass. They 'make it their own' and then the priests wonder at the lack of real belief. One EM has a good deal of her chest hanging out of her Sunday-best sleeveless, practically front-less tank top. Another one goes into a windmill patomaine as she feels a need to direct people to the altar when it is pretty evident WHERE the altar is located. Then there is the EM who likes to grin a greeting, and call you by name as she hands over the Eucharist. She is veering it from a solemn reception of a precious sacrament into a meet and greet with everyone but Jesus.
The Novus Ordo does lend itself to 'personal' interpretation. Our earlier Sunday Mass is relatively calm, however, the next Mass is often a free for all of Protestant hymns and greetings, greetings, and more greetings.
The aftermath of Vatican II brought us 'ministries'. One does not help out at church but joins a 'ministry'. Greeters evolved and you cannot quietly enter a church without at least two people glad handing you and distracting your pre-Mass preparations and thought. In fact, the entrance into the church greeting is followed by a beginning of Mass in the pews greeting, soon followed by the Sign of Peace greeting and then the after-Mass greeting. My husband tried holding a handerkerchief to his nose at stragetic times, claiming by action, a cold. After about six months, he kind of had to get 'over' the cold.
You have to ponder over the lack of wonderment found in the Mass these days. I think it has to do with the loss of dignity and the beauty of the altar that all added to the awe of coming into church. Not many of the 'servicable' churches, these days, carry the everlasting hint of incense that speaks of eternity.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Nanny State!
I know the vast majority of us have never had a nanny. It seems, however, that our government is trying to fill that void we had in our lives while growing up.
The government wants to dictate what we eat when we dine out. My family and I watch our calories at home but when we have the treat of a restaurant dinner at a nice place, we don't want to menu to cut back on prime ingredients or spell out to us that we are splurging. Nor should restaurants be chastised because they use rich ingredients. The restaurants do not lay in wait for us and then drag us in by the hair and force food down our throats. They expect us to be mature and grown up about paying our bills and taxes yet go nanny state on us about what we want to put on our dinner plates.
I heard about a school forbidding bake sales with those fatty cupcakes we all grew up and enjoyed. Nope, now they want granola bars and carrot sticks. Don't even mentione using pizza for fun raising.
We are all more than aware that the government is currently taking over how we receive our medical treatment and deciding for us whether we can or cannot have treatment. Don't want to waste taxpayer money on . . . tax payers?
The current light bulb situation is crazy. One hundred watt bulbs have been outlawed and we have to use those silly curly bulbs in order to save the environment. Two problems they don't seem to want to address:
The 'curly' bulbs have a flicker and I believe it is in England, they have found it can be a problem for children and people suseptible to seizures. These people now have to get a 'prescription' to buy the old-style bulbs! Also, if you break one of the new bulbs, you are exposed to high levels of mercury. Our brave, new world!
There are even medications that are deemed too expensive even though the use of them would cut back on medical treatment. Has anyone in the government ever taken a financial course or learned to use a checking account?
When I worked in the bank, it was back when the first debit cards came out. One of the bank officer's came storming in, one day, and was VERY upset to discover his wife thought the debit card meant she could use it for any and everything not realizing it tied into her checking account balance. Seems this woman's mindset has taken over the financial brains of our 'ruling class' as they like to borrow without a chance of paying back and then just 'charge' some more.
Makes me wonder how we are going to teach our children how to manage finances when the government will tax it away from them immediately and then our children will have to borrow against an empty bank accoutn.
The government wants to dictate what we eat when we dine out. My family and I watch our calories at home but when we have the treat of a restaurant dinner at a nice place, we don't want to menu to cut back on prime ingredients or spell out to us that we are splurging. Nor should restaurants be chastised because they use rich ingredients. The restaurants do not lay in wait for us and then drag us in by the hair and force food down our throats. They expect us to be mature and grown up about paying our bills and taxes yet go nanny state on us about what we want to put on our dinner plates.
I heard about a school forbidding bake sales with those fatty cupcakes we all grew up and enjoyed. Nope, now they want granola bars and carrot sticks. Don't even mentione using pizza for fun raising.
We are all more than aware that the government is currently taking over how we receive our medical treatment and deciding for us whether we can or cannot have treatment. Don't want to waste taxpayer money on . . . tax payers?
The current light bulb situation is crazy. One hundred watt bulbs have been outlawed and we have to use those silly curly bulbs in order to save the environment. Two problems they don't seem to want to address:
The 'curly' bulbs have a flicker and I believe it is in England, they have found it can be a problem for children and people suseptible to seizures. These people now have to get a 'prescription' to buy the old-style bulbs! Also, if you break one of the new bulbs, you are exposed to high levels of mercury. Our brave, new world!
There are even medications that are deemed too expensive even though the use of them would cut back on medical treatment. Has anyone in the government ever taken a financial course or learned to use a checking account?
When I worked in the bank, it was back when the first debit cards came out. One of the bank officer's came storming in, one day, and was VERY upset to discover his wife thought the debit card meant she could use it for any and everything not realizing it tied into her checking account balance. Seems this woman's mindset has taken over the financial brains of our 'ruling class' as they like to borrow without a chance of paying back and then just 'charge' some more.
Makes me wonder how we are going to teach our children how to manage finances when the government will tax it away from them immediately and then our children will have to borrow against an empty bank accoutn.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Back to the Trenches!
Although my son THINKS he had the break with no homeschooling lessons for the past month, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who really enjoyed the time off from lesson plans and papers to grade. Monday, it is back to work as I come up with his Spring Semester work. I am, however, feeling a little premature nostalgia as this will be his LAST semester of school at home. After summer break, my youngest son will be starting college. The thought of all that extra time doesn't seem quite as sweet as it did in the days of toddlers, diapers, and first grade readers.
I do hope and plan to get more projects done along with finishing both my books. One book is complete except for one chapter which needs revising. The second book has all the notes at hand but has been organized up to Chapter 15 so far. If all attempts at publication fail, I will, at least, have a lot of memories and information for my children to enjoy down the road.
Children are heading back to college this week and we have that revolving door swinging again as they go back and forth to various destinations. Even as I type, we are waiting to hear back from friends about one, last get together before the bags get packed and the planes start taking off, again.
Time to get my recipes in better order and, perhaps, start a blog on cooking successes, attempts, and interesting links. I'm one of the breed that actually enjoys talking about cooking/baking as a social pasttime!
We've found a way to spend the first day of the New Year . . . cleaning house. Okay, we have an appointment for the annual termite inspection on Monday and want to make sure our termites are dusted off properly. Also have a roof repair to face this summer but with a forecast of more rain to come, that will have to wait. I'm not even going to tell you how much it may cost for a dental visit when there were no cavities but the dentist found 35 year old fillings that needed replacing. He didn't seem to believe me when I said that 35 year old fillings were impossible as I was sure I wasn't a day over 30!
I do hope and plan to get more projects done along with finishing both my books. One book is complete except for one chapter which needs revising. The second book has all the notes at hand but has been organized up to Chapter 15 so far. If all attempts at publication fail, I will, at least, have a lot of memories and information for my children to enjoy down the road.
Children are heading back to college this week and we have that revolving door swinging again as they go back and forth to various destinations. Even as I type, we are waiting to hear back from friends about one, last get together before the bags get packed and the planes start taking off, again.
Time to get my recipes in better order and, perhaps, start a blog on cooking successes, attempts, and interesting links. I'm one of the breed that actually enjoys talking about cooking/baking as a social pasttime!
We've found a way to spend the first day of the New Year . . . cleaning house. Okay, we have an appointment for the annual termite inspection on Monday and want to make sure our termites are dusted off properly. Also have a roof repair to face this summer but with a forecast of more rain to come, that will have to wait. I'm not even going to tell you how much it may cost for a dental visit when there were no cavities but the dentist found 35 year old fillings that needed replacing. He didn't seem to believe me when I said that 35 year old fillings were impossible as I was sure I wasn't a day over 30!
Happy New Year!
My daughter was just remembering a time when she read the book 1984 and realized it was already past 1984 as she was born in 1987 . . . and the world hadn't gone quite THAT bad yet. The years do dash by.
In spite of the bishop's 'ruling' that January first, the Solemnity of Mary, is NOT a Holy Day in this diocese, I plan on attending Mass. You have to wonder about a religious leader who actually makes life too easy on us spiritually when we all know that attaining the grace of Heaven is NOT an easy proposition! I guess 2011's resolution is for more prayers that our Church takes matters of Faith more seriously than getting involved in secular politics.
Finally, we have a pastor who realizes that excessive use of Extraordinary Ministers at daily Mass is a liturgical abuse not to mention totally unnecessary! Last week, we had about 30 people at Mass so the priest and the EM got to distribute Communion to all of 15 people each. Have to admit, however, most people took some humor in the look on an EM's face when she sauntered up, uninvited, to help distribute Communion and Father kindly gestured for her to go back to her seat.
Yeah, women on the altar do annoy me. They come up wearing their stretch pants and low-cut shirts and want us to respect their 'ministry'. You have to wonder, too, about the men and boys who will never get involved in their church because they are afraid to face the entourage of females who have this presider-wannabe mentality and a sense of being MORE equal than any man present.
Oops! Guess I have to maintain MORE custody of the eyes this coming year to avoid the circus so many females make of the Mass with their self-righteous participation and in-your-face attitude.
On a happy note, God has granted us another year to work our way and stay in His Graces.
A funny flash back to my school days when Sister said that by the 1990's the US could be overtaken by the Communists. Wonder what she would think about the US that is overtaken by the sins of legal abortion and perversion?
My thought is to take just enough of the past to plan our future. We shouldn't dwell on the mistakes of yesterday to any more of a degree that is necessary to make today better.
In spite of the bishop's 'ruling' that January first, the Solemnity of Mary, is NOT a Holy Day in this diocese, I plan on attending Mass. You have to wonder about a religious leader who actually makes life too easy on us spiritually when we all know that attaining the grace of Heaven is NOT an easy proposition! I guess 2011's resolution is for more prayers that our Church takes matters of Faith more seriously than getting involved in secular politics.
Finally, we have a pastor who realizes that excessive use of Extraordinary Ministers at daily Mass is a liturgical abuse not to mention totally unnecessary! Last week, we had about 30 people at Mass so the priest and the EM got to distribute Communion to all of 15 people each. Have to admit, however, most people took some humor in the look on an EM's face when she sauntered up, uninvited, to help distribute Communion and Father kindly gestured for her to go back to her seat.
Yeah, women on the altar do annoy me. They come up wearing their stretch pants and low-cut shirts and want us to respect their 'ministry'. You have to wonder, too, about the men and boys who will never get involved in their church because they are afraid to face the entourage of females who have this presider-wannabe mentality and a sense of being MORE equal than any man present.
Oops! Guess I have to maintain MORE custody of the eyes this coming year to avoid the circus so many females make of the Mass with their self-righteous participation and in-your-face attitude.
On a happy note, God has granted us another year to work our way and stay in His Graces.
A funny flash back to my school days when Sister said that by the 1990's the US could be overtaken by the Communists. Wonder what she would think about the US that is overtaken by the sins of legal abortion and perversion?
My thought is to take just enough of the past to plan our future. We shouldn't dwell on the mistakes of yesterday to any more of a degree that is necessary to make today better.
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