January 2009 Archives

A recent study finds mercury in food containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.

I'm hoping the FDA steps it up with this; there's got to be tighter regulations on creating this stuff.

Gross.

so, is this the voice of reason or the voice of hell? you may think i'm kidding, using a bit of hyperbole to bring my point across, but i'm not. doesn't nancy sound so reasonable? "we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy." which consequences would that be, nancy? the same consequences president BO mentioned as mistakes? sounds like nancy wants to go around her elbow to get to her thumb.

this all reminds me of a quote from broadcast news, when as albert brooks, as aaron, says to as holly hunter, as jane:

what do you think the devil is going to look like if he's around? c'mon! nobody's gonna be taken in by a guy with a long, red, pointy tail ... no. i'm semi-serious here. he will be attractive, he'll be nice and helpful. he'll get a job where he influences a great god-fearing nation. he'll never do an evil thing. he'll never deliberately hurt a living thing ... he'll just bit by little bit lower standards where they are important. just coax along -- flash over substance -- just a tiny little bit. and he will talk about all of us really being salesmen.

well, at least we know where their priorities are.

Oh, Beanymama #2!

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I am having a hard time keeping my hat on MY head.  McKid thinks it is so pretty that she begs to wear it all the time.

If I bought you the yarn, could you make her one?  Just exactly like mine (same size, she has a big head) but pinker?  What kind of yarn do I need?  Or does it take too long to do?

Oh, Beanymama!

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Babette#1

Here's what i've done so far. Three panels (out of 10, and the smallest--they get progressively larger as you go along) done. Ends woven in, panels crocheted together. It's amazing what an ice day will do for you.

Progress will be much slower in the future.

I chose a very unsophisticated color palette on purpose for this first run through. I did that so that I could quickly join the panels using single crochet, which lets little pieces of color show through. Since there is so much other color, I think that looks fine on this blanket. If I were doing it in jewel tones or something, I would whipstich instead, which takes longer, but shows less.

I'm LIKING this very, very much.

Whatcha Reading? Wednesday

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STILL Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott. Sigh. Maybe I'll finish this week. It's not that I don't like the book. In fact, I like it very much indeed. But for some reason I'm getting through it very s-l-o-w-l-y.

I did finish The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. I though it was OK. The one thing that he expresses well in the book is the choice we have to make to forgive, or ask for forgiveness. I think he did an excellent job of that. I have been in that place where I was quite aware that I could say I was sorry, or accept someone else's "I'm sorry" yet quite consciously put up another wall between me and that person.

Next on the list? The second book of the Raj Quartet. And maybe Twilight, because I want to see what all the fuss is about. I have had several people ask my opinion of the books.

How 'bout you?

MamaT's Monday Music

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OK, let's just get it out there. I love me some Elvis. I don't think that you can be from the south and not love him.

I love the young Elvis, the old Elvis, the Vegas Elvis. Whatever.

Nobody like him.

Ever.

This one is from his 1968 Comeback concert. Elvis and his musicians sitting around. The whole thing is fabulous. This is a gem:

MamaT's Daybook

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FOR TODAY, January 26, 2009

Outside My Window... it is grey and drippy.  I've got the teakettle on so I can fortify myself with some hot tea before I get out and about.

I am thinking...about how come two people can generate this much laundry?  Did I even do laundry last week?  I couldn't have.  Either that, or I'm back in stage of changing clothes every 5 minutes like a 3 year old, and I don't think that's the case.

I am thankful for... the music at my parish.  We attended another parish yesterday, and the music was just AWFUL.  In the quest to "modernize", the music has become sappy, and worst of all, unsingable.  Good they only sang two verses of everything.

 From the kitchen... tonight will be baked or grilled chicken, sweet potatoes (yum!) and a salad.  Monday is always an "eat right after the weekend" night.  Oh, and we'll have fresh blueberries (with a squirt of whipped topping) for dessert, because they are on a major sale at Kroger this week.  Don't say I didn't tell you!

I am wearing... Grey cords, funky print t-shirt, grey dangly earrings.  Oh, and a granny sweater.  Quite the fashion plate.

I am creating... a crocheted bag.  All I lack is sewing on the handles to be finished.  It's a birthday present for a friend.  It's also an attempt to see if it might become next year's "Christmas gift to everybody" like my twirly scarves were this year.  Right now I'm thinking no, but the answer might change.  I also bought at least the beginnings of the yarn for my Babette blanket (see a few posts below).  Yee haw!

I am going...to the grocery store later.  But I have to make my list first.  I never shop without a list.

I am reading... The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott.  Yes, still.  I've been reading less and crocheting more. 

I am hoping... that it doesn't start raining before I get the groceries home.  I hate unloading groceries in the rain.

I am hearing... the weather on WBAP, because PapaC left the radio on in the bathroom when he left. 

Around the house... this is the start of the Super Fling Boogie for Flylady, and I'm going to take part.  I've got lots of cabinets to get through!

One of my favorite things... are crochet patterns.  Oh, I love to crochet, but even more than that I love to look at pretty crochet patterns and think about doing them.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Regular stuff, errands and the like, but a strong emphasis on getting things done around the house, since I put that on hold while I mushed forward on parish work and felt crummy last week.  I'd like to get to a level place, where I'm not digging myself out of a hole one place or the other.  Think that's possible?

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Oh, how I WISH that this were true! Don't you?

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Happy Monday, ya'll!

LaMa's Monday Music

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About 5 years ago in Fort Worth we met a little old lady that did the most remarkable yodel. I've been fascinated by yodeling ever since.

Here's the adorable DeZurik Sisters doing Arizona Yodeler in the late 30's:



Makayla and her big-girl blanket


This is McKid's big-girl blanket (her baby blanket, much loved, much washed and dried, is falling apart).  I finished it last night while we watching a movie!  Hurray!

Want to Kill Some Time?

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I'm in a rare silent home with all my family members either asleep or working. The things I could be getting done! But I stumbled here and found making cool pictures of myself way more amusing than folding the mammoth pile of laundry staring at the back of my head.

Here's some of my fans adoring me:

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Here I am being a muse:

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AND my downtown pic:

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I want to see Smock on the Vogue cover!!


Every year in November, there is a huge quilt show and market in Houston.  I have a friend who lives down there who always wants me to come.  Now, I'd love to see all those quilts up close and personal, but frankly I'm afraid to go.

Why?

Because I've always wanted to learn how to quilt, that's why.  And I just know if I were there, surrounded by all that quilty-goodness, I would decide that there's no time like the present and come home with a carload of fabric and batting to store in my closet until some magical future time when I actually have time to do this.  And then I'd feel guilty every time I looked in my closet at the wad of fabric.

So, I wait 'til the beautiful quilts are showcased on line and ooh and aaah over them remotely.

I get in less trouble that way.

Here are some of my favorites.  And you can see all the award winners here.

Enjoy!

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Spirit of Mother Earth
Sharon Schamber


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Twilight
Rita Steffenson


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Greensleeves
Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger


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Dancing Ribbons
Cindy Rounds Richards


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Joy Comes in the Morning
Ann Horton


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Arabesque
Karen Kay Buckley


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Shoo, Fly
Patricia Nordmark


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Himalayan Garden
Pat Holly


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Fall's Feathered Star
Jaynette Huff
Happy Saturday, ya'll!

wii

i'm beginning to think i'm the last man standing. . .

on something -- anything -- other than a wii fit.

faboo foto of mama mary

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the original summa mama

we know how militant the mamas are about breastfeeding. so here's a great pic of a statue of nuestra senora de la leche y buen parto for you to marvel at. also, here's a link to the site that has a great story about the original statue.

big ol' smock-nod to TS, of Video Meliora fame, with thanks for sharing the photo.

just sharing...

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I've been meaning to knit this beauty for my sister in law's baby that is due this summer.

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Let 2009 be the year of the bright retro blanket. Hurrah!

What exactly is the yarn cost of a whole blankets worth?


Or LaMa's Whatcha Trying to Read But End Up Passing Out Halfway Through a Chapter? Wednesday.

Lewis' Prince Caspian is the only book getting real face time. We've got two chapters to go! Then it's on to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader for after lunch readings! Whoot!

Also Suzie Andres' Homeschooling with Gentleness; A Catholic Discovers Unschooling. This was a Christmas gift that I'm super excited to get more into it.

Then, Mitten Strings For God; Reflections for Mother's in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison.

Teaching Montessori in the Home by Elizabeth Hainstock is one I've just pulled back down and am so glad I did.

Ancient Highway by Brett Lott for some novel time. I'm not into it far enough to really say what I think yet.

Finally, Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent by Meredith Small. This just came today from Amazon and I couldn't help instantly cracking it! It's about how other societies and cultures parent children and babies. So uber fascinating. I'm going to keep you updated on this one.

Plus, I know MamaT has some to-reads for me. Time to cut back on knitting and movies for a bit, eh?

Anyone read any of these? What says you?

Darn you, beanymama!

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You had to encourage me to join Ravelry, didn't you?  And yesterday, when I was feeling all punky and all, I sat around and looked at crochet patterns. 

And I found this one and fell in LOVE with it.  So retro.  So Klimt-like.  So time consuming.  Like I have loads of time to consume.But I want it so.  I desperately WANT it.  I want it enough to weave in 60 million ends of yarn and join the dreaded squares together.

I think.

Oh, it's so cool!  And there is a group out on Flickr of all these Babette blankets, done in lots of different colorways.  And I looked at ALL of them and lusted in my heart for them.

Sigh.  After the McKid's blankie is done, will this be next?

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Stolen straight from Happy Catholic

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.....but I like it, I like it!

Whatcha Reading? Wednesday

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Sorry it was quiet yesterday, but I've been fighting off some mysterious ailment that has cost me my voice.  And that has made my back hurt.  I spent all day yesterday sitting around and whining in my head about how crummy I felt.  Anyway, what am I reading?  I have finished my book club book for this month, Doreen Orion's book about a year on the road in a bus:  Queen of the Road:  The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Dog, 1 Husband and a Bus With a Mind of Its Own.

Thoroughly enjoyable, largely because she did what PapaC and I have long wished to do, and actually hope to do after retirement (come on 401K, make a comeback!).  They pick up and travel around the country for a year in a bus.  She is honest about her responses to the trip, and she talks about the lessons she learned about herself along the way.  Don't know that I'd recommend it to many people, but it was my cup of tea.

I currently have two books underway, something that I had tried so hard NOT to do. But I got to McKid's dance class yesterday with NOTHING to read (leaving my book on the kitchen table when I gathered up the dance bag, etc), so I had to go next door to the library (handy, that!) while McKid danced and check out something. And I'm almost finished with what I picked up: Glenn Beck's The Christmas Sweater. Yeah, I know it's not Christmas, but it looked like a fast read.I am enjoying it far more than I expected. I can relate to those times when you KNOW you ought to say you're sorry but you push away and put up another wall instead. Anyway, I have another 50 or so pages before I'm finished.

But my current reading project, really, is The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott.  I'm actually quite impressed by the book so far, but it is a very slow read.  I love books that are written in multiple points of view.  I love it when information comes out little by little and you have to piece it together.  I love it that you assume one thing when you hear the story told by one person then have to revise your thoughts when you hear another person's version of the events.

And what is it with me and books about India?  The place I'd least like to visit, and here I am reading yet another set of books about it.

How 'bout you?

smock's monday music

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the only c&w music i can seem to cotton is the c&w music i grew up with. don't know iffin' it's because they had better music then or whether i just never listen to it enough to find the good stuff these days. of course, miss parton is a classic.

But, unlike Smock, I'm not givin' away prizes! I'm sure Smock can get most of these right away. We'll see.

1. Like, you know, like, you don't jerk people around, you know, and you don't cheat on your woman, and you take care of your family, you know, and you admit when you're wrong, or you try to, anyways. Lars and the Real Girl

2. Do not start with your magician's tricks young Moses! I am pharaoh! And you are my slave. And this... is my kingdom!

3. I can't do any of these vile things and I wouldn't WANT to. Oh, my life is like death. My children are the spawn of hell, and you're the devil. Overboard

4. I'm gonna bounce back and when I do I'm gonna buy you a diamond so big it's gonna make you puke. The Jerk

5. Taffeta, sweetheart. Young Frankenstein

6. Great balls of fire. Don't bother me anymore, and don't call me sugar.
Gone With the Wind

7. Well the first man comes along that can read Latin is welcome to rob us, far as I'm concerned. I'd like a chance t' shoot at a educated man once in my life.

8. Look at that. I have Africa all over my hand.

9. I never did like the idea of sitting on newspapers. I did it once, and all the headlines came off on my white pants. On the level! It actually happened. Nobody bought a paper that day. They just followed me around over town and read the news on the seat of my pants.

10. I'm a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin' machine this mornin'!

11. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about. Best in Show

12. I think I'll have a large order of prognosis negative!.

13. To be with another woman, that is French. To be caught, that is American.

14. You're a doodle, Mama.

15. Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself." And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up. A Fish Called Wanda

OK, that's it for now!

Happy Monday, ya'll!

MamaT's Monday Music

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This could be my theme song. I married a Yankee and turned him into a Texan! And I think Julia Roberts made a SERIOUS mistake when she ditched Lyle. I'm just sayin'......

y'all don't say. . .

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To foreigners, a Yankee is an American.
To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To Northerners, a Yankee is an Easterner.
To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.

the smock found this little ditty on an old piece of paper. any of y'all know to whom it is attributed?

Do you like Etsy?

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Do you like fabric? I do, and i don't even sew!

Fresh Squeezed Fabrics is oh, so cool. And I want a cupcake fabric apron.

Badly!

HT to Donna over at Quiet Life for the link. I'm off to browse some more.

Freedom of Choice Doughnuts

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Honestly, I'm kind of hoping to give Krispy Kreme the benefit of the doubt. Maybe their free Inauguration Day tasties were just thoughtlessly named. But then, maybe Krispy Kreme Inc. is really a bunch of snide Dillholes after all.

I'm going to go ahead and never eat one again just in case.

Good news for Shipleys!

It's my turn to take a whack at this "First Line" thingie going around, except I'm no good at music, so I'm going to post a line from some of my favorite MOVIES and see iffin' you can guess what they are. Instead of 25, I've included 36, and even then I had to stop myself by sheer force of will.

Just for fun, whoever can correctly answer the most movies will win 2 free movie tickets. This list will be posted on Facebook and at my blog, the summa mamas. If you are interested in playing, be sure to note that looking them up on IMDB, Google or any other search engine is CHEATING. I'll tag the line with the movie answer once they are correctly identified. Enjoy...

1. "When you polish the floor, you have to MOVE the tree." - Mommie Dearest

2. "You're no messiah. You're a movie of the week." - Se7en

3. "I'm your huckleberry." - Tombstone

4. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't give my daughters tits? Tips!" - Tootsie

5. "Violet, I didn't know you smoked! And you roll your own?" - 9 to 5

6. "As long as the lady's paying for it, why not take the Vicuna?"

7. "Here's to swimmin' with bow-legged women." - J*ws

8. "Everybody's innocent in here. Didn't you know that?" - Shawshank Redemption

9. "Twice I took the name of the Lord in vain, once I slept with the brother of my fiancée, and once I bounced a check at the liquor store -- but that was really an accident." - Moonstruck

10. "Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you, two F's, yes I have to invent, of course I - I do, don't you think I do?" - Annie Hall

11. "However, I do not wish to lose my temper, because very shortly, I shall lose my head." - Monsieur Verdoux

12. "How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?" - Usual Suspects

13. "Please forgive me. My pedicurist had a stroke. She fell forward onto the orange stick and plunged it into my toe. It required bandaging." - Bullets Over Broadway

14. "You can milk just about anything with nipples." - Meet the Parents

15. "So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper." - Fargo

16. "He be home soon, I'm sure. He say he go out to buy socks."

17. "I'm sorry I had to fight in the middle of your Black Panther party." - Forrest Gump

18. "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." - Goodfellas

19. "I wanted the night... you see... and here it is..."

20. "I'd slid halfway down that mountain before I realized -- Gustav had pushed me." - The Women (1939)

21. "I'm taking mom to show and tell." - The Incredible Shrinking Woman

22. "People who talk in metaphors oughta shampoo my crotch." - As Good As It Gets

23. "Like most intellectuals, he's intensely stupid." - Dangerous Liaisons

24. "I always thought it'd be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody."

25. "I'm a gawddamn marvel of modern science." - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

26. "Feel free to call me 'The Sultan.'"

27. "Me an' the old lady are gonna pick up the pieces and retie the knot, mixaphorically speaking." - O Brother, Where Art Thou?

28. "I guess I started smoking when I was about... four. My momma was already dead then from lung cancer."

29. "No, I think anyone who puckers up their lips and presses it against their bosses buttocks and then *smooches* is an ass-kisser." - Broadcast News

30. "Edwina's insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase." - Raising Arizona

31. ""Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead." - Pulp Fiction

32. "Kill her, Mommy. Kill her."

33. "That's a human ear all right." - Blue Velvet

34. "Although you took thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move." - 2001: A Space Odyssey

35. "Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness, and little things in between." - To Kill A Mockingbird

36. "You're not a god. You can take my word for it; this is twelve years of Catholic school talking." - Groundhog Day

Thumbs way, way, way up from Casa S

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MercyWatson.jpg

In the quest for the free Six Flags tickets offered through a reading contest at school, the McKid reads to me all the time when we are driving around in the car. To and from swim practice, to and from dance, to and from Sonic (OK, well, not from Sonic, since she has to drink her drink then!), to and from the grocery store......

We keep a box of books in the car at all times. I read sitting in car line. She reads everywhere else.

Our new favorite series is the series of Mercy Watson books, written by Kate Dicamillo and beautifully and amusingly illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Extremely short chapters give lots of good stopping places if you're car readers like us. Fairly advanced vocabulary, though. (Note: Kate Dicamillo is the author of Because of Winn-Dixie and Despereaux, but they're written for a slightly older audience.)

I promise you'll fall in love with Mercy Watson, a pig with a heart for piles of toast with a great deal of butter. And the supporting characters are fabulous as well. The Lincoln sisters, who live next door, are priceless.

Pick up the stories about the "porcine wonder". You'll not be sorry. In the words of McKid: "They're HIGH-LARIOUS!"

Fine Art Friday

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Messing around looking for something to highlight for today's Fine Art Friday entry, I came across these reproductions of WPA produced art. I am a sucker for all advertising/magazine cover/poster art, so these really appealed to me. I could only find these four months, but I'd love to see the whole series of twelve somewhere!


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Happy Friday, ya'll!

Oh, Ben.

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The ways of the Lord are not comfortable, but we were not created for comfort, but for great things, for the sake of the good.

--------------------- Pope Benedict XVI

Oh, Gus.

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People who change their way of life and begin to think about spiritual progress also begin to suffer from the tongues of detractors. Whoever has not yet suffered this trial has not yet made progress, and whoever is not ready to suffer it does not even endeavor to progress.
- St. Augustine

Woo Hoo!

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I am a new member over on the Ravelry site. (Hey, if you're a member too I'd like to be your friend. I am, big surprise, SummaMamaT over yonder.)

Anyway.

I joined the 12 inch square crochet-along for 2009. AND......drum roll......

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I FINISHED BOTH MY JANUARY BLOCKS! While watching Top Chef I finished up the one I started last night, and even wove in the ends on both squares. Yee Haw!

The Goings On

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At the end of every year I have the same delusion that after the Christmas season things will settle down and I will have TIME. But mid January comes again with all the day to day stuff to sort through and settle along with all the stuff that has been tossed in my mental "to do in January" pile and I find myself nearly as busy as last month.

So here's what is up this week:

Making: These mittens for a sweet little birthday boy that lives in a place where mittens are a must. I got yarn off Ebay for an uber steal. Ahhh, Ebay.

Planning: My littlest little will be one in less than a month. This is hard to swallow. She shares a beautiful birthday with beautiful MamaT that is delightfully near St. Valentine's Day, thereby allowing me to plan a delightfully red and pink frilly party. I'm making this cake; except I think I'll use real cream cheese as to not send Smock running for the hills.

For Me: This workout as often as possible to battle residual baby weight and copious Christmas (Thanksgiving, Advent, New Years, Monday...) cookies off my middle.

School Wise: We're doing some fraction focus this month. Big hits are this book, these and these and cutting every blessed meal into tiny (but equal!) pieces.

We're in the middle of Prince Caspian in our Narnia trek.

For Dinner: Tonight we're having this soup. IT IS SO GOOD. It is made without cream, making it crazy healthy, but it's not a smidgen less creamy than tomato soup should be. From my favorite cookbook, which is full of dewishous recipes you will love even if the word vegan makes your eyes roll and gag reflex act up.

Plus dentist and eye doctor appointments this month and I'm fighting everyday to stick to my NO COMPLAINING New Years Resolution; which is way harder than I thought it'd be. I really am a huge baby.

All this at bat, and here I sit in my jammies listening to Robin Hood battles and ignoring screaming laundry pile! Halp.

Can't vs. Won't

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Oh, dear.

I'm starting to notice how many times I say I can't do something when I really mean I don't want to do something or, even worse, I won't do something.

Something that would be good for me. Something that I really ought to be doing.

I just reread an essay by Peter Kreeft, and he won't get out of my head! Get out, Professor Kreeft! Get out!

Quit telling me that the only thing keeping me from being a saint is that I don't WANT to be a saint. Because if I did, I would DO IT. Not come up with reasons for why I absolutely can't get around to all that saint stuff right now because I'm busy, don't you see how busy I am, and it's too hard, much, much, much too hard to fit in sainthood around dishes and grocery stores and bill paying (and Brother Lawrence, you hush about sanctity amidst the pots and pans!) and after all sainthood is for people like Mother Teresa and not for people like me, I'm just a mom and a grandma (hush all you Mom saints, especially you St. Monica!) and well.......

You know.

Whew. Take a breath, girl.

And this isn't just taking over my spiritual life, either. It's leaking into everything! Doesn't my spiritual life know it's supposed to stay in its nice little box and not leak over into whether or not I will eat in a healthy way (but I WANT my junk!) and move my body in a healthy way (but I WANT to watch my shows!) and on and on and on?

No, it doesn't.

I'm in the midst of a Holy Spirit smackdown of epic proportions, here.

And it's NOT comfortable.

Isaiah had it right:

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

---------------Isaiah 64:8

And being the clay isn't always so very fun.

Mmmm-hmmmm

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From TSO:

"Lucky break" is one definition of grace, or at least the way I see it since anything unearned feels of that category.

I'm writing this one down to use at Bible study.

You can! Live and in person!

On January 24th, there is a free seminar with Mark Shea speaking, with some interesting sounding topics:

101 Reasons NOT to Be a Catholic
This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence
Making Sense Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible As the First Christians Did

Sounds good, doesn't it?

The event is being held at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Wylie, TX. It's on January 24th, and begins at 9:45 a.m. (I'd be there before that if'n I were you!). There will be a free hot dog lunch provided (of course, freewill donations will be accepted!).

For all this yummy goodness? They ask you to please, please, please pre-register at:

Good Catholic Books.


Easy-peasy!

Wish I could be there. I'll be attending a far, far less entertaining seminar that day. Bummer.

LaMa's Monday Music

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This is the opening theme song to my very favorite show. I realize I'm 12 years old television wise, yes.

It gets stuck in my head for hours after hearing it, why not get it stuck in yours along with me, hm?

the smock says, FOCA NO!

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from a facebook pal i happen to agree with . . .

Please read the information below and join us in prayer and fasting January 11-19, 2009.

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) will be signed into law if Congress passes it on January 21-22, 2009. If signed into law, ALL limitations on abortion will be lifted, resulting in the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, will be required to perform abortions upon request. If this happens, Bishops vow to close down all Catholic hospitals - more then 30% of all hospitals in the U.S.

2) Partial birth abortions will be legal and have no limitations.

3) All U.S. taxpayers will be funding abortions.

4) Informed consent laws protecting women would be eliminated

5) Parental notification of abortions on minors will no longer be required (regardless of age).


Just as important, the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, Down Syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have.

Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one.

PLEASE JOIN US IN saying a novena (9 days of prayer) and fasting from January 11-19. For Catholics, the prayer of choice is the rosary for the special intention of stopping the FOCA. For non-Catholics we encourage you to pray your strongest prayers with the same intention for 9 consecutive days. We hope and pray this will branch and blossom to become a global effort.

smock's monday music

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steve perry IS journey. and, if you look very closely, you'll see sexy dripping from his pores.

smock's color thingie

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AQUA

You enjoy life, humor, and being exuberant. Wherever you go you usually find yourself stealing the spotlight without even trying. You love to let go and have fun.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

One of those meme things

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....this one stolen from Julie over at Happy Catholic:

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

That's weird.

In MamaT's CD player today

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Two selections I'll be listening to today as I clean.

First, the incomparable Freddy Fender:


And then, to really crank it up, Freddy Fender again, but with the totally rock-out group, the Texas Tornadoes. Honey, if this doesn't make you want to get up and dance? Well, I think you should see a doctor!


How can you not like a song with these lines:

Bring all of your pesos,
I'll supply all the besos.....

Happy Monday, ya'll!

For some reason, Movable Type is not letting me comment on that entry! I've tried four times now. Bleah. My comments will probably show up out of the ether at some future point, and I'll have to delete 'em.

Anyhoo, here's my comment to the Smock:

I love this show, though I admit I expected, in the beginning, to be furious with it for exploiting fat people for laughs.

It completely won me over. Yes, it's about weight loss, and bunches of it, but it morphs into something more--an empowerment. Before long you'll be hearing people say, "I never thought I could do XYZ, but I DID IT!" The pride and power that comes from that is fabulous.

It's my 2nd favorite reality show (after The Amazing Race). Yep, even ahead of Top Chef or Project Runway.

And here's how you and I are different: I would pick Jillian as my trainer in a heartbeat over vein-pulsing-in-his-forehead Bob. Yeah, she talks a mean game. But she also tells people, "You are so worth this. You can do it. You can be what you want to be." But she doesn't take cr*p. Nope, not my Jillian.

Look, those of us who are trying to get our act together with food and exercise are full of excuses why we can't eat like this or exercise like that. Oh really? We CAN'T? Or we WON'T?

I know which one it is for me.

Excellent

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Summa Year in Review.....

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A meme stolen directly from TS over at Video Meliora, here is the first part of the first entry for each month of last year from the blog. It seems like a representative sample: shoes, books, art, Smock snark, movie reviews, death. Yep, that was pretty much the year!

December:

A quote from a WSJ article about the Obamas:

Michelle and Barack Obama have settled on a Washington, D.C., school for their daughters, and you will not be surprised to learn it is not a public institution.

November:

From MamaT's All Saints Day Posse:

"To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in that."

St. Teresa of Avila

October:

Well, since I was on vacation last week, I did little reading, but a LOT of listening. While reading in the car (and we drove over 3500 miles last week!) is problematical for me, listening to books on CD is AWESOME!!!!

September:

The Summas beg your prayers for our parish's beloved Ms. Betty. She slipped into a coma this morning at 4 a.m., and it appears today will be the day she gets to meet Jesus. Good for her, bad for us.

August:

It was really hard to come up with a subject for today's Fine Art Friday. It doesn't seem like there are many "N" artists whose work resonates with me much. Here's the best I can do for this Friday: Barnett Newman.

July:

Two takes on PST today. If you're going to a nice, air-conditioned, INSIDE party, you might want to make merry by wearing these cute little numbers:

Imagine a pretty picture of high heels here

BUT, if you're going out with a bunch of hot sweaty people to line the streets of downtown and watch the 2nd largest day time 4th of July parade in the whole country, you just might want to wear something like this instead:

Imagine a pretty picture of sneakers here

June:

i really like liv tyler. i'm not sure i think she's an actress, but she's cute in that lil' lost puppy way and i'm guessin' that she brings out the maternal in me. anyway, i was really hoping to like her newest flick, the strangers, but i will admit with a heavy sigh that while it wasn't great, it is dvd-worthy.

May:

This one was a Booking Through Thursday entry

Quick! It's an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you're stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??

April:

Lately I've been spotlighting shoes that I could probably actually afford. What a concept! But for April Fools Day, I decided to look at sandals that were way, way, way out of my price range.

March:

ok, i don't mean to be snarky.....okay, well, maybe i do, i don't know. anyhoo...

February:

Sneaking in here right at the last to post the FAF entry.

And for E? El Greco, of course.

January:

I know, I know. It has become all so popular: "I just don't make New Year's Resolutions. Silly custom. None of them ever got kept."

Well, bah humbug.

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, R.I.P.

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Creator of my beloved magazine First Things, priest, writer, and more, Richard John Neuhaus passed away yesterday.

Here is what Joseph Bottum, editor of First Things writes:

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus slipped away today, January 8, shortly before 10 o'clock, at the age of seventy-two. He never recovered from the weakness that sent him to the hospital the day after Christmas, caused by a series of side effects from the cancer he was suffering. He lost consciousness Tuesday evening after a collapse in his heart rate, and the next day, in the company of friends, he died.

My tears are not for him--for he knew, all his life, that his Redeemer lives, and he has now been gathered by the Lord in whom he trusted.

I weep, rather for all the rest of us. As a priest, as a writer, as a public leader in so many struggles, and as a friend, no one can take his place. The fabric of life has been torn by his death, and it will not be repaired, for those of us who knew him, until that time when everything is mended and all our tears are wiped away.

Amen.

the biggest baby

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so i taped the biggest loser and watched it for the very first time last night. never seen an epsiode of this show, ever. i figured it was just another exploitative reality-vision cheap shot that would chap my hide due to an "oh my GAWD, would you look at the stupid fat people?" attitude, or even worse, an "oh my gawd, would you look at those poor stupid fat people? bwah-HA-HA, lookatem' go!"


don't ask why i taped it, cuz i don't rightly know. okay, that is a lie. i do know. smockdaddy and i just started dieting together. smockdaddy of the eager "will their be humiliation involved for the loser?" mindset and smockmomma, who would rather gnaw off her own arm than actually compete against someone. yes. dieting. dieting together. as in teamwork, God help us. but i digress...

i saw a commercial while watching bonnie hunt -- if you don't watch bonnie's show, you should.* on the commercial for the biggest loser, it mentioned that the brand new season was starting that night and that it would involve couples. well, that piqued my interest because i figured we'd get to see the inside scoop on the dynamics of couples losing weight together, and i'd get in on the ground floor, so to speak, because i hate trying to start a show mid-season. anyway, i thought it would be couple-couples. like spice, you know? well, it isn't. it's just teams of two. well, that's a big difference. i mean, you'll respond differently to a husband egging you on than you will to a friend or a sister egging you on. okay, maybe it's just me, but honestly, i don't think so. if mamaT were to get all up in my grill [which she has never done, by the way] it certainly wouldn't push me into the third dimension that smockdaddy would.

well, after i got over my initial disappointment that a couple could be any ol' body [disappointment, again, because i thought it would be like married couples and i wanted to relate, y'know?], i figured what the heck, i'll give it a go. and, lemme tell you, i am surprisingly impressed. i don't think i'm watching exploitation -- no one is there against their will and they know full-well what they are signing up for -- but that remains to be seen, i guess. i was very touched by the honesty and the integrity of the contestants and even by, what i assume is evenhandedness, with the editing. i can't tell you how many ounces i myself shed just from crying with these people. my heart goes out to them. it really does. even smockdaddy had to admit that he was moved by some of the stories and situations. he kept glancing at me every few minutes and patting my leg. "it's okay," he'd say. "are you okay?" he'd ask. several times i was weeping so hard i couldn't even speak. i'm not sure how motivated i'll be by the show, but i do know that i'll be tuning in for more. heck, i'm already playing favorites! i just hope that i don't get so angry at jillian -- who is the "bad cop" trainer and, erm ... well, a bitch -- that i have to stop watching the show. i'll keep you posted.

biggest-loser-logo.jpg


*because miss hunt is talented, beautiful, retro, and she loves her mom. go to her website here.

Pretty HEY, SO ARE MINE Shoe Tuesday

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And here's what I want:


PST0106.jpg

#1, they are waterproof suede, which I would LOVE. #2 They are on SALE at Zappos for only (cough, cough) $250.76. Hey! That's DOWN from $329.95. I should get two pair with a sale like that, shouldn't I?

OK, OK. Maybe not.

Sigh.

With only little sprinkles of computer time these days, I shopped for just one pair o' footwear today. I've settled on these Blondo Galileo's for a measly $220.

shoes_ibec1116395.jpg

Sigh!

Oh, LaMa!

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.....Can I tell you how much I blessed you for the beautiful hat you knitted me as I ran errands in the freezy cold yesterday? It was toasty warm!

And several people asked me where I got my cute cap. I told 'em they were out of luck, 'cause it was handmade for ME by my FRIEND.

Ha!

Anyway, I loved it and you were prayed for many times over yesterday.

The Holy Spirit Smackdown

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This time, via Romano Guardini:

Certainly it is right for us to ask in prayer and to put before God the problems of our burdensome existence. Yet it might profit us more if we directed our gaze away from ourselves and toward Him. Our cares and needs would not be forgotten for, in Christ's words, "You Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask Him."

Sigh. You mean it's not all about me?

MamaT's Daybook

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Daybook.jpg

FOR TODAY, January 5, 2009 (How can it be 2009 already?????)

Outside My Window... it's cold and rainy. The perfect kind of morning to drink hot tea and work in the house. Well, if there is a perfect kind of day for housework.

I am thinking... that it's time to go through the closets and rearrange things/give things away. Now that I don't have Christmas presents hidden everywhere.

I am thankful for... the fact that PapaC has a job to go back to after his vacation. Even though I'm bummed that he's gone.

From the kitchen... tonight I don't know--I'll be eating at LaMadeleine's with the Smock, I think.

I am wearing... Blue jeans, oatmeal colored sweater with black and grey flecks, black tennis shoes, funky moose earrings. I'm attempting to not wear the same stupid things over and over.

I am creating... a clean kitchen today. And I'll be working a little on the purple baby afghan, too. It's one of those things that will be nice when it is finished but is taking FOREVER to get done.

I am going...with Zman to buy his college textbooks for next semester later today. I'm also going to the bank.

I am reading... The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott and The Art of Praying by Romano Guardini.

I am hoping... that I can sit down and write out my New Year's Resolutions (yes, I still make 'em) later today in the back of my calendar. I figure if I put 'em in the calendar, I'll see them more often.

I am hearing... the clock ticking. It's that quiet around here. Wow!

Around the house... are a lot of things that need to go somewhere else!

One of my favorite things... is Celestial Seasonings gingerbread spice herbal tea. I bought TWO boxes this year,and I'm nearly finished with the first one. Sigh. It'll be a long time til next Christmas when they put it out again.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Put away Christmas decorations (except for my nativity which I leave up until Candlemas) both at home and at the church. That's why I don't like this week much. It's a LOT of work to "UnChristmas" things!

Here is picture thought I am sharing... We here at the Summa Mamas hope that your New Year is better than kissing a pig! (But really, I can't imagine coming up with this postcard. Who would have thought THIS?)

HNYpicturethought.jpg

Happy Monday, ya'll!

MamaT's Music for Monday

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Obviously I'm in a more laid back mood than LaMa. Maybe I should change my music to something upbeat and dancy--and dance around my kitchen while I fold clean clothes and chop up bell peppers for the freezer! But instead, I'm groovin' along with Bobby Caldwell:

LaMa's Monday Music

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This morning I've got on Duffy. Fabulous vacuum the house and pick the litter box music.

Fine Art Friday

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RockwellNewYear.jpg

Saturday Evening Post, 1945
Norman Rockwell



I know so exactly how this guy feels. Looking around my house, and looking at what I need to do with bills, budgets and stuff, I feel just like this today. Plus, it's the last day of PapaC's vacation time. Ah well.

Here's to 2009!

Hey, LaMa! A friend of mine made this yummy vegetarian soup for a gathering I went to, and I thought of you when I ate it. Kind of a Latin flavor, it has yummy butternut squash in it. It was fabulous. It's from the January 2009 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine:

Spicy Black Bean-Squash Soup

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, divided
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups frozen pepper stir-fry mix
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika
4 cups lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
6 cilantro sprigs
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Mash 3/4 cup of the beans in small bowl with fork.

2. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Cook pepper mix 3 to 5 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cumin and chile powder; cook and stir 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add mashed and whole beans, broth, squash and cilantro sprigs; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or just until squash is tender.

3. Remove and discard cilantro sprigs. Garnish each serving with dollop of sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

6 (1 1/2-cup) servings

Nutritional info per serving: 225 calories, 4 g fat, 12 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 755 mg sodium, 12 g fiber.

YUM!

Feast of Mary, Mother of God

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RaphaelMadonna.jpg

The Sistine Madonna
Raphael


Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most reknowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.

Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.

Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.

Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us O Lord

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Chrsit our Lord. Amen.


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This page is an archive of entries from January 2009 listed from newest to oldest.

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