August 2006 Archives

I don't normally blog these.....

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....You know, those internet jokes that go around. But Alicia, from over at Fructus Ventris, sent me this and it is too perfect not to share. This time of the year, it's really true! And for everything you read that says "the South", just double it for Texas.

Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different than up North. For those who are planning a football trip South, here are some helpful hints.

Women's Accessories:

NORTH: Chap Stick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.
SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:

NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Fathers:

NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.
SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Campus Decor:

NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

Homecoming Queen:

NORTH: Also a physics major.
SOUTH: Also Miss America.

Heroes:

NORTH: Rudy Giuliani
SOUTH: Archie & Peyton Manning

Getting Tickets:

NORTH: 5 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus.
SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on
campus,make a large financial contribution and put name on a waiting list for tickets.

Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:

NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because they have classes on Friday.
SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the few hung over students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:

NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for game parking.
SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

Game Day:

NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.
SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over to where ESPN is broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera and wave to the idiots up north who wonder why "Game Day Live" is never Broadcast from their campus.

Tailgating:

NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.
SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking accompanied by live performance by "Dave Matthews' Band," who come over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

Getting to the Stadium:

NORTH: You ask "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right in.
SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it state's third largest city.

Concessions:

NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup, filled to the top with soda.
SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on it, filled less than half way with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

When National Anthem is Played:

NORTH : Stands are less than half full, and less than half of them stand up.
SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

The Smell in the Air After the First Score:

NORTH: Nothing changes.
SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.

Commentary (Male):

NORTH: "Nice play."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Commentary (Female):

NORTH: "My, this certainly is a violent sport."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Announcers:

NORTH: Neutral and paid.
SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

After the Game:

NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker, while somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, and planning begins for next week's game.

Nothing else in the universe comes even halfway close to the glories of Southern football!

I laughed out loud.....

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.....when I read this excerpt about the Emmy awards written by Manolo the Shoe Blogger:


Manolo says, each year the Manolo he has roughly the same reaction to the Emmys, “who are these peoples?”

The Manolo he does not watch much of the popular televsion, not because he is one of those annoying holier-than-you peoples who scorn the popular entertainment, but for the opposite reason, because he loves the television too much. And thus, the Manolo must forgo the television watching, lest it becomes all he does, every day.

The result it is that the Manolo knows few of the peoples who each year attend the Emmys, to accept the awards for the shows he never watches, shows such as “Everybody Loves the Tall Guy and His Sassy/Difficult Family”, “Two Has-Beens and Their Man Child”, “Dead Body Poking” and the popular off-spin, “Dead Body Poking: Miami” the latter of which, the Manolo knows, stars the Master Thespian, David Caruso.

Dead Body Poking: Miami? Genius. The man is genius. And one of the funniest things I read.

yummy money

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of course you're familiar by now with my love of all things bacon. if somebody really loved me, they'd get this for me for my birthday cuz, well heck! it just isn't one of those things you're allowed to get for yourself.

FINALLY!

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It's Raining!
Projected high temperature: 92 degrees!
Yee Haw!

Today's Feast Day:

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St. Augustine
Doctor of Grace
Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.


St. Augustine is patron of many things, but it seems to me he should also be the patron of those of us who basically read our way into the Church. From Catholic Online:

Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"

Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine needed, for in it, St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.

Tolle, lege. Take up and read.

And if you'd like to read a little by St. Augustine every day, you can go here: Augustine Day by Day.

We got this at church yesterday:

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St. Padre Pio's prayer of thanksgiving after Mass:

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death judgment, eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way--for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in the night of exile.

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers. I need You.

Let me recognize You and Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion will be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but the gift of Your Presence. Oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me Lord, for it is You alone I look for, You Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.

kvetching korner

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first of all, i'd like to kvetch about people who use incorrect spelling so they can form kutsey little thingies like i just did. what is that called? besides annoying.
...anyhoo. what's up with papa john's "unlimited" toppings offer? at their online site they offer unlimited toppings --
* unlimited up to five toppings *
huh? wha? did i miss something here?

main entry: un·lim·it·ed
pronunciation: -'li-m&-t&d
function: adjective
date: 15th century
1 : lacking any controls : UNRESTRICTED
2 : BOUNDLESS, INFINITE
3 : not bounded by exceptions : UNDEFINED

how does "unlimited up to five toppings" fit into this definition? does papa john just think we're all total morons? fine then. i'm ordering dominos.

Last night's classic movie:

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This just might be my favorite movie of all time. Well, maybe this or The Jerk with Steve Martin. Or Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Or Overboard with Goldie Hawn. And, I am ashamed to admit, but we are the ONLY family I know who owns Weekend at Bernie's on both DVD and video tape.

Yeah. Lowbrow humor. That's me.

Anyway, we watched Young Frankenstein again last night, and again it was a completely enjoyable couple of hours. We can practically recite the script by heart now, but it is still funny!

If you haven't seen this, and you don't mind a little bawdy humor, rent it! It comes with all thumbs up from Casa Southard.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
Igor: And you won't be angry?
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: I will NOT be angry.
Igor: Abby someone.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby someone. Abby who?
Igor: Abby Normal.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA?
[shakes and grabs him]
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?

Fine Art Friday!

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Marvelous Marbles I
Karen Dupre

This picture reminds me of a glass mason jar that my grandfather had, filled with marbles. I love marbles. I like the coolness of them. I like the smoothness of them. I like the colors of them. There are few things I think are prettier piled up in a jar.

My grandfather also taught me how to shoot marbles. I taught my Cub Scout den how to play--in the hopes of keeping alive a game that had nothing to do with television or gameboys. I also won the adult division of our Cub Scout Pack's marble tournament. And no, we didn't play for keepsies.

Teach your kids how to play. Need to know how yourself? Go here and learn. Then get down on the ground and PLAY!

Marbles are also cool things to collect, if you haunt flea markets and such places. It's a great collection for a kid, because each individual piece need only cost a dime or so--until they get hooked and want the expensive marbles! And you only need a glass jar to display them in, though there are fancy display cases available (see the link in the paragraph above). What could be easier?

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Marvelous Marbles II

More from Peter Kreeft's Three Philosophies

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Specifically, why does Job experience God's absence when God promised to be present? One part of the answer is easy: God is testing Job's faith. Job must believe in God as real and present and faithful not only because it is easy to believe, because things are going well, because experience so confirms faith that faith is almost unnecessary; he must also learn to believe in God out of sheer faith, even when experience and appearances seem to contradict faith--like Jesus on the Cross, forsaken by God, without consolation of any kind. Such faith is infinitely more precious than the cheap and dispensible faith that leads you in the same direction as experience does. Teeth-gritting faith is valuable not because suffering is valuable in itself or because teeth gritting is valuable in itself but because such faith comes from the deep, eternal center of the person, the I, the will, not from feelings, environment and what happens in the world. For the world will pass away, but the self will not. What the self decides in time is ratified in eternity. The stronger the choice for God at this obscure and unemotional center of the self, the surer and deeper will be the eternal salvation of the whole self. The will is the custodian of the feelings and must learn to lead them, not follow them.

Yummy supper last night....

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I'm in the "clean out the freezer" phase of the summer. You know, the one where you try to use up everything you've stored away, so that you can chip the ice out of it. Plus, it's a little easier on the budget--a key factor when you're having to pay much higher than normal (sigh) electricity bills because you are scorching hot.

The weird thing about the whole "clean out" phase, though, is that you end up with lots of one thing, say, chicken, and not a lot of others. So you have to figure out things to do with those last four packages of chicken you got on sale.

So, last night while I was standing with the refrigerator door open I realized I had the making for chicken fajitas. Now, I'll admit something. I'd never made fajitas at home. Ever. PapaC loves 'em, but he eats them when we eat out. I cruised on over to Epicurious and found a recipe for chicken fajitas.

I changed it up a little, and here is the highly satisfactory result.

Quick Chicken Fajitas

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
3/4 cup canned chicken broth (I used veggie broth--it was fine)
1 lb chicken breast cut into strips
Warm flour tortillas
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, chopped
1 cup purchased salsa

Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until almost tender, about 5-7 minutes (the recipe said 10--but I think that's too long). Add spices and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix in broth and bring to boil (it happens fast!). Add chicken and stir until cooked through--about 5 minutes. Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas. Top with tomato and avocado. Roll up. Serve salsa separately.

Serves 4.

Note: We also added shredded cheese to ours before rolling up. We didn't try the avocados, 'cause I didn't have one, but I'm sure it would be delicious.

Next time I cook them, I am going to squeeze a lime over the top of the mixture, just before finishing them. I think it would add a nice clean spark to them.

But just as they were? Easy. Delicious. And fast, fast, fast. From start to finish, less than 30 minutes from fridge to plate. Now that's a weeknight supper I can get behind.

Want to help?

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Autumn Reading Challenge

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I love lists. I love looking at them. I don't necessarily like doing the things on them. Well, now you know.

Anyway, I really liked my Summer Reading Challenge--I put books in the stack that I had had on my shelves for a long time, and I actually READ most of them! So, I'm taking the same tack for fall, and pulling my books and stacking them on the bottom shelf of my nightstand.

I have three books I MUST read for my book club during the fall:

Things As They Are by Paul Horgan
North of Hope by Jon Hassler
Catholics by Brian Moore

Then, for my other additions, I have decided to take on some of the LONG books I have on my shelves. Since they are longer than average, I'm only putting 5 of them on my list, for a total of an eight book challenge:

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Life at Blandings by P.G. Wodehouse (really 3 novels in one)
Poland by James Michener
Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

Wow! I just stacked those books up on my desk. What a lot of pages! If I must read something short in between, I'll tuck in some Agatha Christie, just for a break.

Oh, and I went to 1/2 Price Books on the McKid's first day of school, and added six new books to my library. But from the day I started the summer challenge, to the first day of school, I never stepped foot inside the store.

Now, I promise to do that again, until the first of December.

Cross my heart.

Since the McKid is back in preschool, I think it's time to officially come to the end of my personal summer reading challenge. Here's how it played out:

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My original list consisted of 10 books:

1. The Clearing by Tim Gatreaux
2. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo
3. Making Sense of Movies by Robert Henry Stanley
4. The Silver Chalice by Thomas Costain
5. The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor
6. The Last Good Woman by William Luse
7. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
8. An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden
9. Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
10. The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells

8 of them read, 2 will go back to the shelves. They were just not my cup of tea at the time.

In addition I read the following:

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flag
The Laughing Sutra by Mark Salzman
Pomfret Towers by Angela Thirkell
Lord Peter by Dorothy Sayers
Three Philosophies of Life by Peter Kreeft
The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini

19 books over the summer. And not a dog in the bunch.

I really enjoyed making a list and trying to read from it. I'm going to do it again--but that leads to the next entry. My Autumn Reading Challenge!

Books #38-41 of 2006 finished

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#38 Pomfret Towers by Angela Thirkell. Every time I read one of these, I tell ya'll to go out and get them. Romance with an undertone of irony. And some of the funniest things I've read, said in such a dry way that you aren't sure you should laugh or not. Perfect summer read--the young and shy heroine goes to a weekend at Pomfret Towers and is swept off her feet by the bad boy Julian--only to have everything come round right at the end. Thirkell is sweet but never cloying--there's too much edge for that. But I like books where everything turns out right--especially in the summer.

***** out of 5 (I love her! What can I say?)

#39: Lord Peter by Dorothy Sayers. A compilation of all 20 of the Lord Peter Wimsey short stories. I like Sayers as a mystery writer--she plays fair and knows her stuff. And the fact that she can make me love a man who wears mauve silk pajamas? Well, that takes a master.

**** out of 5 just because I like novels better than short stories

#40: Three Philosophies of Life by Peter Kreeft. I'm dealing with this one in more detailed entries over the next few days. 'Nuff said.

***** out of 5 This one'll stay on my shelves for a long time.

#41: The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini. Oh, how I love my swashbucklers! This one is the story of the Cornish gentleman (well, sort of gentleman) Sir Oliver Tressilian, and how he takes the blame for his brother's indiscretion, loses the woman he loves, gets sold into slavery, becomes a galley slave, becomes a Muslim pirate and then finds his love again......OK, so it sounds far-fetched when you write it like that, but DANG! I LOVED IT!

****1/2 out of 5 I might have liked this one even better than Captain Blood.

More from Peter Kreeft:

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Our headphones keep us so filled with artificial noise that we do not hear the deafening silence at the heart of it all. Our heads are filled, but our hearts are empty. If we dared to listen to "the sounds of silence", like the existentialists, we would be terrified like them. Where the ancients heard cosmic music, "the music of the spheres", we hear Pascal's "eternal silence of those infinite spaces [that] fills me with dread".

But we need to hear that silence. We need it more than anything else in the world. Kierkegaard wrote, "If I could prescribe just one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence. For even if the word of God were proclaimed in the modern world, no one would hear it; there is too much noise. Therefore create silence."

Ecclesiastes creates silence.

Ecclesiastes is the first and necessary step toward salvation for the modern world. The world will not go to the Great Physician (except on its own, patronizing terms) until it admits that it is desperately sick. "They that are sick need a physician, not those that are well. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

----------Three Philosophies of Life

Wow. That's some tough stuff. How many times have I gone to God on my own terms? And how absolutely arrogant is that--to stand before the Lord of the Universe and expect my way. How two-year-old of me. And how continually I must fight this battle.

It always reminds me how absolutely frightening the Lord's Prayer can be, when prayed mindfully and sincerely. "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done...." Thine. Not mine. Not the way I want it. Not the way I think is best. Not the way I would do it if it were up to me.

I suppose that's why it's easier to throw yourself at Jesus' feet when your world is crashing down around you. Then it is easier to see that we're not in control. But how do we continually do that when things seem to be chugging along all right? When our decisions are working. That's when it's hard for me to remember that in all things, at all times, it's HIS Kingdom I want.....

Today we celebrate:

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The Queenship of Mary

From the genius, Peter Kreeft:

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Just finished reading his Three Philosophies of Life, which examines Ecclesiastes--Life as Vanity, Job--Life as Suffering, and The Song of Songs--Life as Love.

100% recommended, I especially liked his take on the inclusion of Ecclesiastes in sacred scripture. "Ecclesiastes is the one book in the Bible that modern man needs most to read, for it is Lesson One, and the rest of the Bible is Lesson Two, and modernity does not heed Lesson Two because it does not heed Lesson One. Whenever I teach the Bible as a whole, I always begin with Ecclesiastes. In another age, we could begin with God's beginning, Genesis. But in this age, the Age of Man, we must begin where our patient is; we must begin with Ecclesiastes."

And then he goes on to say this:

Let me put the point in a single word. It is a word that I guarantee will shock and offend you, though it comes from Saint Paul. Paul used this word to describe his life without Christ, his life full of worldly successes, education, wealth, power, prestige, and privilege. Paul was "a Pharisee of the Pharisees", a Roman citizen, educated by Gamaliel, "the light of Israel". But before Christ put him into the post-Ecclesiastes relationship with God, what was his life? Shit. "Dung"--that was his word for it, not mine. Look up Phillippians 3:8 in the bold old King James version. Compared with the all-excelling knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, all of the greatest things in this world, according to Paul, are skubala--shit. Dung. Job's dung heap.

That is the message of Ecclesiastes, for a Christian.

More tomorrow, on what he said when he wrote about Job.

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Charlie: What about satellites in space that can take photos of your license plate and stuff?
Sayid: If only we were all wearing license plates.

And I officially have a crush on:

sayid.jpg

(As the sounds of Coo coo ca choo, Mrs. Robinson waft softly in the background.) Ahem.

I thought as we watched the show, I would get tired of it. Nope. It's all we can do not to jump in the car and drive to Blockbuster to pick up the next disc as soon as we finish the first. But we've resisted. We've doled it out a disc per week. We will finish Season One this next week sometime. And then Season Two will be out on September 5th. Hooray!

Look, I don't watch a ton of TV. And I love me some Law and Order in all its permutations. (Yes, let's hear it for the genius of Vincent D'Onforio--weirdo extrodinaire.)

But Lost puts 'em to shame. It puts everything I've seen on TV in the last few YEARS to shame. Consistently funny, adventurous, mysterious, weird.....

I hope that Season Two can keep it up.

Yesterday's hymns:

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The introit was We the Lord's People, which is still under copyright, so I can't post it. No big loss, in my opinion. Not one of my faves.

An extra hymn because we had a baptism. This is the hymn we sang during the procession to and from the font:

When to the sacred font we came,
Did not the rite proclaim,
That, washed from sin and all its stains,
New creatures we became?

Too long enslaved by sinfulness,
We now are slaves no more;
For Christ has vanquished death and sin,
Our freedom to restore.

With Christ the Lord we died to sin,
With him to life we rise;
In Chirst's new life we now shall walk,
In him attain the prize.

You can find the tune here.

Offertory was:

Songs of praise the angels sang,
heaven with alleluias rang,
when creation was begun,
when God spoke and it was done.

Songs of praise awoke the morn
when the Prince of Peace was born;
songs of praise arose when he
captive led captivity.

Heaven and earth must pass away;
songs of praise shall crown that day;
God will make new heavens and earth;
songs of praise shall hail their birth.

And will man alone be dumb
till that glorious kingdom come?
No; the Church delights to raise
psalms and hymns and songs of praise.

Saints below, with heart and voice,
still in songs of praise rejoice,
learning here, by faith and love,
songs of praise to sing above.

Borne upon their latest breath,
songs of praise shall conquer death;
then, amidst eternal joy,
songs of praise their powers employ.

Hymns of glory, songs of praise,
Father, unto thee we raise,
Jesus, glory unto thee,
with the Spirit, ever be.

We sang it yesterday to Culbach. It can also be sung beautifully (and we sometimes do!) to Monkland.

Communion hymn (a true Mama T tearjerker):

Now, my tongue, the mystery telling
of the glorious Body sing,
and the Blood, all price excelling,
which the gentiles' Lord and King,
in a Virgin's womb once dwelling,
shed for this world's ransoming.

Given for us, and condescending,
to be born for us below,
he, with men in converse blending,
dwelt the seed of truth to sow,
till he closed with wondrous ending
his most patient life of woe.

That last night, at supper lying,
'mid the twelve, his chosen band,
Jesus, with the law complying,
keeps the feast its rites demand;
then, more precious food supplying,
gives himself with his own hand.

Word-made-flesh true bread he maketh
by his word his Flesh to be;
wine his Blood; which whoso taketh
must from carnal thoughts be free;
faith alone, though sight forsaketh,
shows true hearts the mystery.

Therefore we, before him bending,
this great Sacrament revere;
types and shadows have their ending,
for the newer rite is here;
faith, our outward sense befriending,
makes our inward vision clear.

Glory let us give, and blessing
to the Father, and the Son,
honor, might and praise addressing,
while eternal ages run;
ever too his love confessing,
who from both with both is one.

We sing this at SMV to Pange Lingua.

And finally, the Post-communion hymn was:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near;
praise him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
how thy desires ever have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
biddeth them cease,
turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
sheddeth his light,
chaseth the horrors of night,
saints with his mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the amen
sound from his people again,
gladly for all we adore him.

Sung to Lobe Den Herren.

Five things meme from Mz Booshay:

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Five things in my freezer:

Strawberries
Chicken nuggets
Limoncello
Ice
Biscuits

Five things in my closet:

Sewing basket
Box of crochet hooks
A jillion flip-flops
McKid's doll
Dog hair

Five things in my car:

The Zman's college parking card
Emergency Coke money
McKid jewelry
An empty water bottle
The bills for fixing the church air conditioners

Five things in my purse:

Rosary
Wallet
Brush
Miracle Hour of Prayer book (today's adoration)
Checkbook

Five things on my mind:

Where's the sunscreen? (We're fixing to go swimming)
Prayers from my list of people I'm praying for
How did Smock's kids do on the first day of school
What do I need to get at the grocery?
When will it quit being so DARN hot
(And a bonus 6th thing) What will happen on our dvd of Lost tonight?

Fine Art Friday

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Nap On Cushions
Pierre Boncompain

I am a big proponent of the nap. I'd like to live in a culture where that is accepted. Where the immediate response to my admission of daily napping would not be raised eyebrows and an asuumption that there must be something wrong with me.

No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap. ~Carrie Snow

When anyone asks me about homeschooling tips, my first tip is always this: Set aside a "quiet time" (Lordy, don't call it nap time, or you'll foment rebellion!) immediately following lunch. Quiet time means everyone goes to his own room, lies down on the bed and sleeps, reads, contemplates, draws, whatever, for the assigned period of time. But there is no talking. And quiet time goes for the mom, too. It's not the time for you to "hurry and get work done" before the kids get up. It's a time for a spot of relaxation after the work of the morning and before the work of the afternoon. Trust me, you're working enough. Most of the successful homeschoolers I have known, long-term, have implemented something similar to this.

There is more refreshment and stimulation in a nap, even of the briefest, than in all the alcohol ever distilled. ~Edward Lucas

When you grow up somewhere really hot--like West Texas (and its not as hot as some!)--you learn to come in and rest during the hottest part of the day. When it's 106 degrees, and the asphalt is getting sticky feeling on the bottom of your sneakers, it's time to come in, stretch out and read a few comic books. The light lasts a long time in the summer around here, and you can always play some more when your mom shoos you out of the house while she's cooking dinner. And the best playing of all is after supper until the street lights come on--the universal childhood signal of "time to head home."

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

Now we're doing it again with the McKid. Rest time after lunch. Almost every day. And almost every day, Mama T stretches out on the couch, reads a chapter in the book she is in the midst of, and dozes off for a nap. And I feel the better for it. Maybe I need to start a "No Guilt Nap Movement" with pins and bumper stickers that say "I Nap and I'm Proud of It!" Think I could get members? Probably not, in our overly busy, rush-rush society. No one wants to admit they're like me.

Now, blessings light on him that first invented sleep! It covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak; it is meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. It is the current coin that purchases all the pleasures of the world cheap, and the balance that sets the king and the shepherd, the fool and the wise man, even. ~Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605

Quote meme

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From the Happy Catholic, here's a meme that's fun:

Go here, to the random quotes generator, and look through random quotes until you find five that you think:

a) reflect who you are

OR

b) what you believe.


Here are my five!

I would rather see the portrait of a dog that I know, than all the allegorical paintings they can show me in the world.

---------Samuel Johnson

Filling a bookcase is like gathering a social circle.

---------May Lamberton Becker

What dreadful weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.

---------Jane Austen

Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in life.

---------Jean Paul Richter

One must, from time to time, attempt things beyond one's capacity.

---------Renoir


Thought for today:

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Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

-------------Leo Tolstoy

He shoots, he scores!!!

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Homemade Lemonade

4 lemons, juiced
1 quart water
1/2 cup white sugar

In a 2 quart pitcher, combine the lemon juice, water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill in refrigerator.

Mmmmmmmm, I'll have one!

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From icecreamusa.com, home of the Popsicle:

The ice pop was accidentally discovered by 11-year-old Frank Epperson when he left a cup containing powdered soda and water with a stirring stick on his porch. He discovered the frozen mixture the next morning, but it wasn't until 1923 that he realized the commercial possibilities of his invention and applied for a patent, which was granted in 1924. By 1928, Epperson had earned royalties on more than 60 million Popsicle® ice pops.

In 2001, 1.4 billion sticks were used to manufacture Popsicle® products. If lined up end-to-end, that's more than 9 million miles.

When I was growing up out in West Texas, we waited every afternoon for the ice cream truck to come by. Sometimes my brother and I had to share a popsicle, breaking it in half. Other lucky days we got to have one all to ourselves! Yee haw! After the popsicle was gone, we sat on the curb with our feet in the gutter and sharpened the popsicles sticks on the concrete curb, making them into more than adequate knives to play with. Probably no one gets to do that anymore, huh?

Very clever marketing.....

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Yes, I think this is expensive, but I think I could see spending the money for a cute gift to a sister or niece who lives far away upon hearing about a new pregnancy:

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Pregnancy Survival Kit

IceCreamSource.com also has Hearbreak Survival kits (all chocolate, of course!), tonsillectomy survival kits, and lots of other stuff. You can also buy ice creams, gelatos and sorbets from "micro-dairies" all over the country.

The Mamas are so warm these days, that anything ice cream related sounds delish to us!

so here is a link to the web-page from which they came.

There are many lovely images there, including this one:

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I am very fond of representations of Christ and Mary in other cultures--not because they really looked that way, but because it speaks to the universality of our Lord and Savior. The fact that so many people make him theirs is moving.

The organist at SMV is from Korea. When she came back to us after her wedding, she brought the parish a gift--a statue of a Madonna and Child in traditional Korean garb. It is lovely, and one of our most prized possessions.

The Assumption of Mary

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Salve Regina, mater misericordiae: vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria. Amen.


V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix.

R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.


Hail holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.


V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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Do you think he lived in Texas?

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No I'm Not!!!!

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You Are a Frappacino
At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern

At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent

You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet

Your caffeine addiction level: low

Everyone KNOWS I am a Iced Tazo Chai Latte! Just ask the Zman.

Yesterday's hymns:

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Introit:

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
most beautiful, most bright;
on thee the high and lowly,
before the eternal throne,
sing, "Holy, holy, holy,"
to the great Three in One.

On thee, at the creation,
the light first had its birth;
on thee for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On thee our Lord victorious
the Spirit sent from heaven,
and thus on thee most glorious
a triple light was given.

Thou art a port protected
from storms that round us rise;
a garden intersected
with streams of paradise;
thou art a cooling fountain
in life's dry dreary sand;
from thee, like Pisgah's mountain,
we view our promised land.

Today on weary nations
the heavenly manna falls;
to holy convocations
the silver trumpet calls,
where Gospel light is glowing
with pure and radiant beams,
and living water flowing,
with soul refreshing streams.

May we, new graces gaining
from this our day of rest,
attain the rest remaining
to spirits of the blessed.
And their our voices raising,
to Father, Spirit, Son,
for evermore be praising
the blessèd Three in One.

At SMV we sing it to Woodbird.

Offertory:

Angel voices, ever singing, round Thy throne of light,
Angel harps, forever ringing, rest not day or night;
Thousands only live to bless Thee, and confess Thee Lord of might.

Thou Who art beyond the farthest mortal eye can scan,
Can it be that Thou regardest songs of sinful man?
Can we feel that Thou art near us and wilt hear us? Yea, we can.

Lord, we know Thy love rejoices o’er each work of Thine;
Thou didst ears and hands and voices for Thy praise combine;
Craftsman’s art and music’s measure for Thy pleasure didst design.

Here, great God, today we offer of Thine own to Thee;
And for Thine acceptance proffer, all unworthily,
Hearts and minds, and hands and voices, in our choicest melody.

Honor, glory, might and merit, Thine shall ever be,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, blessed Trinity;
Of the best that Thou hast given Earth and Heaven render Thee.

Sung at SMV to Angel Voice - Monk.

Communion hymn (a favorite!!!!):

Let thy Blood in mercy poured,
let thy gracious Body broken,
be to me, O gracious Lord,
of thy boundless love the token.

Refrain:
Thou didst give thyself for me,
now I give myself to thee.

Thou didst die that I might live;
blessed Lord, thou cam'st to save me;
all that love of God could give
Jesus by his sorrows gave me. Refrain

By the thorns that crowned thy brow,
by the spear-wound and the nailing,
by the pain and death, I now
claim, O Christ, thy love unfailing. Refrain

Wilt thou own the gift I bring?
All my penitence I give thee;
thou art my exalted King,
of thy matchless love forgive me. Refrain

Sung to Luise.

Post-Communion hymn:

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
he whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode;
on the Rock of Ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

See! the streams of living waters,
spring form eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the Giver,
never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hovering,
see the cloud and fire appear
for a glory and a covering,
showing that the Lord is near.
Thus they march, their pillar leading,
light by night, and shade by day;
daily on the manna feeding
which he gives them when they pray.

Blest inhabitants of Zion,
washed in the Redeemer's blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
makes them kings and priests to God.
'Tis his love his people raises
over self to reign as kings:
and as priests, his solemn praises
each for a thank-offering brings.

Savior, if of Zion's city,
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy Name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Zion's children know.

Sung sometimes at SMV to Austria (Haydn) sometimes to Abbot's Leigh. I like them both.

Good hymns all. Amen!

Holy Spirit smackdown....

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There are times when the Holy Spirit reaches out to you from scripture and just smacks you upside the head, doesn't he? My breath was nearly taken away at mass this morning when I heard the second reading:

Brothers and sisters: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

-----------Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Well, I think this is one of those things I ought to type out and staple on my forhead. 'Cept I'd have to type it backwards so I could see it in the mirror. Whew.

.....read this heartbreaker from over at Catholic Light.

May light perpetual shine upon them.

bottles, formulas, binkies, smelly blankets, mommy-talk tapes, baby monitors, and heartbeat bears move over!

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in our endless search for ways to "be with our children" without actually having to "be with our children" please allow us to introduce the Zaky® Infant Pillow. this is not a joke. our tagline is actually "Zaky -- It's Like Leaving a Part of You with Your Baby."

the smock-chitlins respond:
gabby: "is that for halloween?"
grace: "[actual scream] oh my gawd!"
[mom intervenes "it isn't real"]
grace: "did they cut the hands off of a doll?"
glynnis: "what is that? eww, mom! what is it?"
duncan: "whoa. that's kinda creepy."

when will it ever end?

props to marsha for the link.

Now, when we were homeschooling, we really didn't start this early, but the public schools start on Monday 'round here, the Catholic schools start on Thursday, and McKid's preschool starts the following Monday. So here's a Back to School entry for Fine Art Friday.

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School Days
Jessie Wilcox-Smith

You can read more about Jessie Wilcox-Smith here. She did many illustrations for fairy tale books, as well as illustrations for Heidi, The Water Babies, and Little Women. She also did the covers for Good Housekeeping Magazine for years.

But since it still feels like summer around here, I'll also post a bonus summery image by Wilcox-Smith:

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Little Drops

Book #37 of 2006 finished!

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The Laughing Sutra by Mark Salzman.

I liked this book very much--as I have liked several other of Salzman's books. This one is unusual--a fable of sorts. The story of Hsun-Ching and his quest for the scroll containing the one Buddhist sutra that his adopted father, monk Wei-ching, has not read. A sutra that promises immortality. Hsun-ching lives through the Cultural Revolution in China, spending 10 years in a reeducation camp. At age 20, he is reunited with the monk who raised him from babyhood, and determines that he will make the quest journey to America to try to find the scroll his adopted father so wants to read.

Hsun-ching is accompanied by the mysterious Colonel Sun, a man who claims to be more than 2000 years old. Who is he, really? Could it be he IS the Monkey King of Chinese legend?

A fascinating look at China, at love, at loyalty. Hilarious takes on art, SeaWorld, and water slides.

**** out of 5. If you want something different, this one is it.

Next up: Pomfret Towers by Angela Thirkell.

......that it's HOT around here? Well, it is, and we're off to the pool this morning to get cool and relaxed. Some interesting stuff from a Peter Kreeft book I'm reading, later. But now, it's time for:

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Yee-haw!
Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. Luke 11.27

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The Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and the Infant Baptist
Federico Barocci

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The Madonna Nursing the Infant Christ
Adriaen Isenbrandt

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Madonna Litta
Leonard De Vinci

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Madonna and Child
Guido Reni

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The Madonna Nursing the Infant Christ
Jan Provost

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Madonna and Child with a Male Saint, Catherine of Alexandria and a Donor
Michelangelo di Pietro Mencherini

Did you know?

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....That if you are four years old, you can, apparently, talk with every, single breath you take, all morning long? Even if no one is listening?

Books 30-36 of 2006 finished!

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It's been really hot around here, so in lieu of going into the actual steaming hot world, I've elected to immerse myself in the world of books. This is a standard pattern for me. When I was a kid, my mom had to shove me out of the house in August if she wanted me out. Otherwise I was content to lie on the floor and read until it cooled off a little.

#30: An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden. Dirt is missing in the enclosed park area of the nice part of the neighborhood--but who is taking it? The story of Lovejoy, a girl abandoned by her mother; Tip, her friend and protector; and the garden they try to make in the area left in the ruins of a bombed out church. A story of looking for family and reaching for dreams. Dreams that are finally made possible by a semi-invalid woman named Olivia, who has a heart for the poor "sparrows" living and growing up on Catford Street.

**** out of 5

#31: A Carribbean Mystery by Agatha Christi. Hey, it's summer! What's better than a little murder on a hot night? Miss Marple has been sent on vacation to the West Indies by her loving nephew, but even there, murder follows. (You know, a good rule of thumb would be if you arrived somewhere and Miss Marple showed up? You should leave.) Major Palgrave, an old widower who has a thousand boring stories, including one about a murderer, dies. Was it really just his high blood pressure, or was it poison? Next comes the maid who questions the medicine. Is the hotel owner's wife crazy, or is she next? Rating is hard--I love it, for what it is.

***1/2 out of 5

#32: Plainsong by Kent Haruf. Hooray! A new author for me! And one that I really like! Holt, Colorado. Tom Guthrie and his two boys (Ike and Bobby) are part of a disintegrating family--losing their wife/mother to escalating depression and dysfunction. Victoria Robideaux is 17 and pregnant--and kicked out of her house. The McPherons are 2 old bachelors who have lived alone all these years. Maggie Jones is a schoolteacher with a father suffering from dementia. The novel is the story of how these disparate characters search for connection, relationship and meaning, and patch together a kind of family.

I like books where the sense of place is important--it's why I liked Staggerford by Jon Hassler, Empire Falls by Richard Russo, and The Fall of the Year by Howard Frank Mosher. And all of these guys raved about Plainsong.

****1/2 out of 5

33. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather. I'm a big Willa Cather fan--she's another one of those authors for whom place is important. In her case, it's the Nebraska prairies. Her writings always make me realize what I don't have--a pioneering spirit. Alexandra Bergson is the daughter of a Swedish immigrant who came to make his mark being a farmer in Nebraska, but died before he could see it happen. The burden falls on Alexandra--who sees what can be and has the stamina and brains to make it happen. Love, greed, murder, failures and triumphs are all worked into a very short novel.

***1/2 out of 5

#34: Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene. Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager whose hobby is growing dahlias, meets his Aunt Augusta at his mother's funeral. Or at least he thought she was his mother. He's pulled into Augusta's anything but boring life--a life peopled with men of all types whom she has loved and left. Always on the lookout for the true love of her life--a war criminal Visconti--she forces Henry into a choice--life on the edge, a life with flavor and danger, or a life so safe and predictable as to be stultifyingly boring.

Not my favorite Greene, but I did laugh out loud at several points.

*** out of 5

35. The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh. A short novel about a pretty unscrupulous Brit (Dennis Barlow) in Hollywood. Waugh called this book "a little nightmare" written after a short stint of living in Hollywood. An acid pen writing about the artificiality of Hollywood and the funeral industry. Good, but not something for everyone, certainly.

*** out of 5

#36: Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg. This was Fannie Flagg's first novel, and it is more than creditable. As I've said in other entries on Flagg, she's not Pulitzer material, but for a hot summer day--she's a winner. The book is told as a series of journal entries by protagonist Daisy Fay Harper. She's 11 years old at the beginning and we follow her until she is 18. She and her parents move to Shell Beach Mississippi, to run a diner. The books follows the life of Daisy as she makes new friends, lives through a murder attempt, watches her parents divorce, helps her daddy with a resurrection scam, and on and on and on until she becomes (unexpectedly) Miss Mississippi--her ticket out.

Characters were good--the bald Vernon Mooseburger, crop duster Jimmy Snow, albino Ula Sour, black mortician Peachy Wigham, leader of the junior debutantes Mrs. Dot, and spoiled rich girl Kay Bob Benson. And some of the vignettes were laugh out loud funny (most notably the Christmas play write up when Daisy Fay is in the sixth grade).

Great for a summer read.

***1/2 out of 5

Now in process? The Laughing Sutra by Mark Salzman.

The ZMan's Feast Day

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"A man who governs his passions is master of his world.
We must either command them or be enslaved by them.
It is better to be a hammer than an anvil."
- Saint Dominic

Why is fast better than slow?

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Interesting article on reading.

While I'm not a speed reader, I do read about a book a week. That's all I can manage in the context of my life. Now, if I had a little more time.....

No, there'd still be other things necessary to do.

But the guy who's reviewing a book a day, that I can't imagine.

But I did like this part of the article:

A reason why it's OK to abandon a book is that there are far too many books to read. There was a study in the past year that said in North America alone a new book — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, you name it — is published every 40 seconds.

I feel no guilt whatsoever about being a slow reader, or about not having read all the great books, or about abandoning a book halfway through because I'm bored. There are two things in life one must never do out of a sense of duty, and one is read. I usually leave it at that and people figure out what the other thing is, but this time I am going to be explicit. The other thing is sex.

I used to think that I wanted to take a speed reading course. Remember those commercials for the Evelyn Wood School of Reading Dynamics? That was back in the day when I still thought that if I couldn't read every book in America, then I might be able to read every book in the Abilene Public Library.

With age, wisdom.

I ain't ever gonna read every book. And I no longer want to. And I'll admit it gives me a certain amount of peace to know that I can never, ever run out of stuff to read.

When I'm an old(er)lady, I shall lie in bed late and read before I get up and get dressed. Then I shall read in bed again before I sleep. And maybe I'll read a little with my lunch.

And then I'll read to my grandchildren, rocking on my back porch.

according to the catholic encyclopedia, included among the duties of parents towards their children:

The mother is bound to do nothing to prejudice the life or proper development of her unborn infant, and after birth she must under pain of venial sin nurse it herself unless there is some adequate excuse.

so if you can, you must? am i reading that correctly? and if so, wow. that should get babytalk's readers foaming at the mouth.

Today's hymns

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The introit today was:

’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.

’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.

Fulfiller of the past,
Promise of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.

Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We fain would hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.

’Tis good, Lord, to be here.
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.

Sung at SMV to Carlisle.

Offertory was this one, but not with ALL these verses. I, however, was ushering today and not singing this one, so I don't know which we sang and which we didn't!

When morning gilds the skies
my heart awaking cries:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer,
to Jesus I repair:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

When you begin the day,
O never fail to say,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
And at your work rejoice,
to sing with heart and voice,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Whene'er the sweet church bell
peals over hill and dell,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
O hark to what it sings,
as joyously it rings,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

My tongue shall never tire
of chanting with the choir,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy,
it never seems to cloy,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

To God, the Word, on high,
the host of angels cry,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Let mortals, too, upraise
their voice in hymns of praise,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this at meals your grace,
in every time and place;
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, when day is past,
of all your thoughts the last
may Jesus Christ be praised!

When mirth for music longs,
this is my song of songs:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall,
this rings my curfew call,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

When sleep her balm denies,
my silent spirit sighs,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
When evil thoughts molest,
with this I shield my breast,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

The night becomes as day
when from the heart we say:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear
when this sweet chant they hear:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

No lovelier antiphon
in all high heaven is known
than, Jesus Christ be praised!
There to the eternal Word
the eternal psalm is heard:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Let all the earth around
ring joyous with the sound:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
In heaven's eternal bliss
the loveliest strain is this:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Sing, suns and stars of space,
sing, ye that see his face,
sing, Jesus Christ be praised!
God's whole creation o'er,
for aye and evermore
shall Jesus Christ be praised!

In heaven's eternal bliss
the loveliest strain is this,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea and sky
from depth to height reply,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine,
my canticle divine:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing this eternal song
through all the ages long:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Sung at SMV to Laudes Domini, though it can also be sung to Old 122nd.

Communion hymn was an old favorite of mine:

Fairest Lord Jesus,
Ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son;
thee will I cherish,
thee will I honor,
thou my soul's glory, joy, and crown.

Fair are the meadows,
fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
fairer still the moonlight,
and all the twinkling, starry host:
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer,
than all the angels heaven can boast.

Sung to Crusader's Hymn.

And for the post-communion hymn, we sang a song (and this is the first time you've read this here!) that I do not care for. I like the words--but it is practically unsingable for congreational singing. The choir did OK on this one this morning, but the rest of us ruined it big time. It was AWFUL!

It is still under copyright, but you can go here and see the words and her the music and try to sing it yourself!

breast is beautiful, baby

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i think it's ironic that the answer to the question posed on the cover (why don't women nurse longer?) of the august edition of babytalk is being shouted from the mouths of all the "shocked and horrified" -- not to mention crude and callow -- female readers who are in some sort of victorian tizzy at seeing a sliver of a breast in action. less breast can be seen on babytalk than is shown by pam anderson's bikini top on the cover of the magazine across the grocery isle, but i don't hear of many women taking to the streets over that one. how typical. it's likely another case of guilt masking itself as indignation. give me just a small break, people.

i really don't have time to have to get into all of the brouhaha over the current issue, so suffice to say breast is beautiful and all you "horrified" readers with your knickers in a twist over the cover of BABYTALK, seek therapy. now.

Fine Art Friday

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boyleaping.bmp
A Boy Leaping into the Clear Water of a Swimming Pool

I've chosen a photo (again!) for my entry in Fine Art Friday. No photographer's name appears on the art.com website, so I cannot credit him or her, unfortunately. I love the composition of the photo. I love how the boy looks so brave to jump in all alone. I love the wet footprints on the concrete by the side of the pool.

And most of all, I love the thought of jumping into a swimming pool. Can you tell it is still blindingly HOT around here?

because it is so blasted hot...

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girlfan_renoir.jpg
we needed a renoir with a fan.
actually, i think renoir did several "lady with fan" paintings, but this is my fave because the subject is so pretty and there is something haunting about her eyes.

Friday Feast from Donna

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Appetizer
Name an actor or actress you think is totally underappreciated.

Soup
Impress us by using a big word in a sentence.

Salad
What is something inanimate that you've given a name to (such as a pet rock)?

Main Course
What color would best represent your personality and why?

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: ____________ is so ____________.

I'll answer in the comments box.

anyone know the magic formula for getting this out?

Interesting list

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15 book-to-film adaptations that live up to the source materials.

It is almost always true that I am one of those complaining, "Well, it was OK, but the book was better." I think this is an interesting list, even though I disagree with the inclusion of Charlotte's Web.

What do you think? Agree with the list? Disagree? Have additions?

You must see this

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Go here and watch a video of Team Hoyt.

HT to Mark Shea's blog. Just when I think I'm gonna stop reading it, he posts something like this one.

And here's a link to the Team Hoyt website.

I had never heard of a grook. But thanks to Bill Luse, over at Apologia (link to the left), I've gotten a chance to read some!

Check out some of the grooks of Piet Hein. I'll wait while you go read.......


...Now, cool huh? I am no poet, though TSO and Bill might be (and you can read some of their efforts over at their sites). But I know what I like, and I liked the grooks!

Here's one of my favorites from the page above:


THE TYRANNY OF THINGS

I am trying to rule
over ten thousand things
which I thought
belonged to me.
All of a sudden
a doubt take wings:
Do they...
or could it be..?

A hardhanded hunch
in my mind's ear rings
from whence
such suspicions may stem:
that if you possess
more than just eight things
then y o u
are possessed by t h e m


A book meme stolen from Julie.....

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.....and I'm gonna play, even though I wasn't tagged!

1. One book that changed your life:

Evangelical is Not Enough by Thomas Howard. Pivotal in our move to the Church. Other contenders? Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl and The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis.

2. One book that you've read more than once:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island:

My Collected Works of Jane Austen.

4. One book that made you laugh:

Straight Man by Richard Russo. The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi. Sorry, I couldn't just put one!

5. One book that made you cry:

Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott. All of my Alcott books had tear stains on them at one place or another.

6. One book that you wish had been written:

How to Lose All the Weight You Need, in only Seven Days!

7. One book that you wish had never been written:

The DaVinci Code

8. One book you're currently reading:

I broke myself of the habit earlier this year of having a ton of books "in progress" at any one time. So I only have two books in process--one a "regular" book and one a "spiritual reading" type book.

So, currently I am reading Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene and Three Philosophies of Life by Peter Kreeft.

9. One book you've been meaning to read:

Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer.

10. Tag five others.

Nope. I played without being tagged. YOU can too!

because after thirteen years of marriage and six children, He has provided smockdaddy and i with perfect "natural and virtuous" birth control. it's called a CPAP machine. CPAP stands for "continuous positive airway pressure," and that is what the machine provides for people with sleep apnea. wearing it looks something like this:

CPAP1.jpg

now, imagine waking up in a dark bedroom in the middle of the night next to someone wearing this contraption. you might just jump out of your skin, wet yourself, or both!

of course, there is the sexier version like mine:

CPAP2.jpg

okay, maybe it isn't really sexier. unfortunately, it doesn't get much better than this. when i first saw my "mask" (actually it's a small tube that fits under the nose which is made especially for claustrophobes like me) i actually shouted an explative at the poor tech. i'm sorry. but i'm only thirty-five! i can't wear this. jeff, my tech, didn't miss a beat. you wanna see thirty-six? my stats showed that i was only breathing about forty to forty-five minutes of every hour. scary. it may be ugly, but it's better than i'd look dead.

as you may have guessed by now, i was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. apnea can be a very serious sleep disorder that, given enough time, makes you feel like you're always exhausted, cranky, and even worse, you might be afraid that you are losing your mind. i didn't start taking my symptoms seriously until i started falling asleep when i shouldn't, like rocking the boys or waiting in the doctor's office -- any time i was sitting still.

what took so long? i kept telling everyone that i was sleepy all the time and seriously forgetful and the response was usually the same. of course you're exhausted, you have six children!

but it wasn't the crankiness, the forgetfulness, the waking up with heart palpitations, the feelings of fear and paranoia that finally did it. it wasn't until i started to fall asleep while driving that i realized i had to do something about it. i couldn't be responsible for killing someone while driving. my beautiful wee ones deserved more.

i’m listing a few signs and symptoms here. if you think you might have sleep apnea, get it checked out. this isn’t just about being drowsy, it’s downright dangerous. how’s that for some awesome alliteration? here are some signs and symptoms:
excessive daytime sleepiness (includes falling asleep in a nonstimulating environment like reading in a quiet room and falling asleep in a stimulating environment like at a business meeting or while having “well, you know”), nonrestorative sleep, automobile accidents (“drowsy driver syndrome”), personality changes, decreased memory, erectile dysfunction, and depression. many times a person with sleep apnea has a spouse who complains about their snoring or who has witnessed an apneic event.

people with apnea will often wake up with morning headaches and complain that they feel like they didn’t sleep at all. also, if they take a nap, they may feel worse afterwards than if they hadn’t napped. also, if you have insomnia (which i had) it could be because your body is afraid to fall asleep – apnea puts your body in survival mode.

chronic sleep disorders are being linked to hypertension, strokes, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. if this doesn’t scare you into seeing a sleep specialist, it should.

i've been shocked by how many people i know who already use a CPAP. i guess it isn't something people want to talk about because it isn't altogether a sexy subject. but, i don't mind; so, feel free to email me for more information or links to resources.

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