tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79384737114287598402024-03-13T13:32:38.051-04:00Musings of a Catholic MomI'm a person who has a lot to say, and I hope this blog will be one more way for me to share my ideas with others. I like to brag about my kids, discuss my faith and life issues, and even talk about books, movies, and places I've visited. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the things I have to say. Enjoy!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-57332347651487618812013-01-10T21:12:00.000-05:002013-01-11T16:15:00.053-05:00Something Old and Something New: Soup and Salad for the New Year<i>This is my second post<a href="http://eatingslowly.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/something-old-and-something-new-soup-and-salad-for-the-new-year/"> on my WordPress blog, "Eating Slowly."</a> I'm phasing out this one, so be sure to head on over and follow me before I quit posting here altogether! I've added a "Follow" button in the sidebar, right on top to make sure you don't miss it. <a href="http://eatingslowly.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/something-old-and-something-new-soup-and-salad-for-the-new-year/">See you there!</a></i><br />
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I love cookbooks and I love cooking magazines. I have so many of both (and I'm sorry to say we took a box of cookbooks to Goodwill not long ago) that I've made a New Year's resolution of sorts: to try one new recipe per week, either from one of my magazines--I subscribe to <i>Fine Cooking</i> and <i>Every Day with Rachael Ray</i>--or a cookbook that I don't use much. Or maybe even a new recipe I haven't tried from a well-used book. Heck, I might try something from a novel I'm reading, since I've been doing that anyway for the last couple of years on <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Cooking Nick's Books"><i>Cooking Nick's Books</i>.</a> My hope is to share the things I make with you (I've got to let <i>Eating Slowly</i> live up to its name, after all, right?) Whether I keep that resolution or not remains to be seen, but I'll try.<br />
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Today I'm sharing a recipe for a spinach salad from the latest issue of <i>Fine Cooking</i> that I made on New Year's Day; and as a bonus, a wonderful, simple vegetable beef soup that was handed down to me from my mother.
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<b>SPINACH SALAD WITH FRIED EGG AND BACON</b> </blockquote>
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<b>2 heaping cups torn bread(about 3/4-inch pieces) from a day-old rustic white loaf (I save the heels from my gluten free bread; I just used some of those)</b> </blockquote>
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<b>1/4 cup plus 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil</b> </blockquote>
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<b>1 small clove garlic, mashed to a paste with a pinch of kosher salt</b> </blockquote>
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<b>1 1/2 Tbs. red wine vinegar, more as needed</b> </blockquote>
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<b>1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard</b> </blockquote>
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<b>1 tsp. fresh lemon juice</b> </blockquote>
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<b>6 slices bacon</b>
<b>8 oz baby spinach (about 8 cups),washed and well drained</b> </blockquote>
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<b>Freshly ground black pepper</b> </blockquote>
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<b>4 large eggs</b> </blockquote>
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<b>Position a rack</b> in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F. </blockquote>
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<b>Put the bread on a rimmed baking sheet</b> and toss lightly with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Spread in an even layer and season lightly with salt. Bake until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside. </blockquote>
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<b>Meanwhile, in a small bowl,</b> whisk together the garlic, vinegar, mustard, and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Taste the vinaigrette with a leaf of spinach and season to taste with salt and vinegar if needed. Set aside. </blockquote>
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<b>Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil</b> in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Cook the bacon on both sides until brown and crisp, about 7 minutes. Leave the skillet on the stovetop and turn off the heat. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan. </blockquote>
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<b>Put the spinach and croutons in a large bowl.</b> Gently toss the salad with just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the salad among four serving plates. </blockquote>
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<b>Heat the bacon fat in the skillet</b> over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, season with salt and pepper, and fry sunny-side up or over-easy, 1 to 2 minutes total. kTop each salad with an egg and season with salt and pepper. Tear each slice of bacon into 3 or 4 pieces and tuck them into the salads. Serve immediately and pass any remaining vinaigrette at the table.
-Tasha DeSerio </blockquote>
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From <i>Fine Cooking Magazine</i>, No. 121. Feb/Mar 2013</blockquote>
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The main course for this meal? Something our family calls "Clara's Soup." The recipe was given to my mother from her dear friend Clara from church, and it's been one of our favorites ever since I was a girl. It's simple, comforting, and easy to throw together. I double the recipe, and sometimes I throw in some oregano or even a little Tabasco sauce if I want a bit of a kick:
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CLARA'S SOUP </blockquote>
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1 lb hamburger, browned and drained well </blockquote>
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1 onion, chopped and cooked a bit with the hamburger </blockquote>
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1 large can tomato juice </blockquote>
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16 oz. frozen mixed vegetables (don't use canned) </blockquote>
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3-4 potatoes, diced </blockquote>
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2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce </blockquote>
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salt and pepper to taste </blockquote>
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Cook everything together for about 1 1/2 hours. </blockquote>
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Mom says if you want thicker soup you can add a little water, and she likes to add about 1/4 cup frozen okra with the vegetables. I threw in some dehydrated mushrooms that I had picked up at the farmer's market this fall.</blockquote>
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With a hunk of gluten free cornbread (I like Bob's Red Mill gluten free cornbread mix) on the side, it makes for a yummy winter supper!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-49876494780033954432013-01-04T06:10:00.001-05:002013-01-04T16:34:11.847-05:00Eating Slowly, Transitioning to Word Press<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>I've gone and done it, folks; I've set up my new-and-hopefully-improved blog over on Word Press. For now I'm calling it <a href="http://eatingslowly.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/musings-of-a-catholic-mom-volume-two-2/">"Eating Slowly" </a> --which is kind of a misleading title given the fact that my boys wolf down their food as if they were going to a fire, as my grandmother used to say. (And just now I realized the title already sounds lame. So be it; it is what it is). For a little while I'll be publishing my posts on both blogs while I'm tweaking my new one, and hopefully establishing a little bit of readership over there. So pay me a visit, tell your friends and neighbors, and follow me! Meanwhile, may I present <a href="http://eatingslowly.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/musings-of-a-catholic-mom-volume-two-2/">my first post on Eating Slowly</a>, "Musings of a Catholic Mom, Volume Two."</i></div>
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I've had a blog for four years. I started <i>Musings of a Catholic Mom</i> on Blogger New Year's Day 2009, with a <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2009/01/shouldnt-we-all-make-new-years.html" target="_blank" title="Shouldn't We All Make New Year's Resolutions">fairly unimpressive post</a> about New Year's Resolutions. Since then I've published over 200 posts (the official number is 221, but I've deleted a few now and then so I've actually posted a few more), and my blogging style has evolved over the years--for better or worse, I couldn't say. For a while now I've been contemplating switching over to Word Press, and when I realized I'd run out of space for photos in Google's free photo sharing site, I thought, heck--now's the time. I've wanted to find a more "catchy" title, too; after much pondering, <i>Eating Slowly</i> is what I've (finally!) come up with.</div>
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<em>(Yellowstone, 2009)</em></div>
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Why <i>Eating Slowly</i>, you ask? I wanted to have an underlying theme for my blog, but the problem is, I like to blog about all kinds of things. Food, my faith journey, the joys and struggles of raising two teenage and one almost-teenage boys, being Catholic, books, places we visit, and the everyday ins and outs of life. Not long ago I was thinking about the book <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i>; remember that one? Elizabeth Gilbert writes about leaving her husband to go on a worldwide journey to find herself. The way I figure, I don't need to go on some epic quest to find myself; I'm doing that every day just by living my life. And I realized that "Eat, Pray, Love" can be a theme for my own life. Here's what I mean:
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<b>1. Eat Slowly.</b> I love cooking, and good food always makes life just a little bit better. I try to minimize the processed food and cook things from scratch whenever I can. I even started a whole other blog called <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Cooking Nick's Books"><i>Cooking Nick's Books</i></a>--dedicated to food, and my favorite writer, Nicholas Sparks. (Although, I'm thinking Dean Koontz might soon become my new favorite writer. But I digress.) I'm a big believer in Slow Food (meaning, minimizing fast and processed food and serving home-cooked, locally-grown, organic, and nutritious meals instead--although I don't always practice this), and I love having a meal with my family around the table; even though sometimes one or all of the boys have someplace to rush off to right after dinner.</div>
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<em>(Corolla, NC, 2010)</em></div>
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<b>2. Pray (insert your favorite adjective here: Hard, Fervently, Often, Always...)</b> Something that we all need to do a little bit more of. I love my Catholic faith, and I want to learn more about it and grow closer to Jesus every day.<br />
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<b>3. Love Deeply</b>. Starting with my family. I want to treat others the way I would want to be treated. I want to always be reminded that every person I come in contact with is made in the image of God. I want to think of others before I think of myself.
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<em>(Shenandoah National Park, 2011)</em></div>
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I hope you'll join me on this journey. If you already follow me on <i>Musings of a Catholic Mom</i>, you might not notice too much of a change in the way I write or the things I write about or the photos that I publish. Most likely I'll put my posts in both places at first, and I'm still planning to keep <em>Cooking Nick's Books</em> going (even though I haven't been posting there much lately), at least until I've exhausted Nicholas Sparks' novels. I'm getting pretty close.</div>
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<em>(Denali, Alaska, 2012)</em></div>
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This blog won't be just about eating, of course; although I expect there will be quite a bit about food. I'm excited about sharing what I'm learning in my faith journey, our adventures as a family, my wonder at the beautiful world around us, and my love of God and all things Catholic. (Perhaps "Living Slowly" would be a more apt title...something to ponder for the future, I suppose.) And I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, so I'll mostly keep things light. I'll leave the heavy-duty stuff for the more "serious" bloggers. So welcome and hello! And Happy New Year!</div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-19377668772313033872012-12-27T06:22:00.000-05:002012-12-28T09:37:25.585-05:0010 Favorite Posts, The 2012 Edition<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">January 1 will be the fourth anniversary of this blog. This past year has been a light one, as my posts have been particularly few and far between. I expect this will be the case for quite a while, at least until the school </span><span style="text-align: center;">year ends in June.</span></div>
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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a busy, but quiet, one here at home
(Relatively quiet, that is, considering we had twelve people here including one
AMAZING AND ADORABLE three-week-old baby plus two dogs), and I spent the day
after Christmas doing literally nothing.
The next few days will be busier; you'll find me grocery shopping,
cleaning up from Christmas, and catching up on some mundane tasks I've been
putting off since before Thanksgiving. </div>
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We've seen our new nephew twice now since he was born in
early December. His mommy, my sister-in-law Jenn, has a
wonderful blog called <i><a href="http://thecookiejaradventures.blogspot.com/">The Cookie Jar Adventures </a></i>where she has been posting lots of cute photos and video of
"Baby E." Yesterday we got to
spend some time playing with him, watching him wiggle, holding him, and taking
some family photos with him. Jenn posted some of their photos and memories of E's first Christmas <a href="http://thecookiejaradventures.blogspot.com/2012/12/first-christmas-as-family-of-three.html">here!</a> I can't
wait until we see them again!<br />
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Last year around this time I published a list of <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2011/12/7-okay-10-quick-takes-my-favorite-posts.html">my ten favorite posts of 2011</a>. Since 2012 has
been a light blogging year (I've posted nothing since the tragic shooting in
Connecticut, for instance; I've kind of been at a loss for words on that one),
in the spirit of Seven Quick takes I figured I'd choose only seven of my faves
from this year. When I came up with
eight and didn't want to eliminate one, I thought, oh heck, surely I can find
two more good ones. Here they are, in
chronological order (click on the title to read each post):<br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/01/7-takes-7-choices-2012-edition.html">7 Takes, 7 Choices, The 2012 Edition</a></div>
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Each year on January 22, <a href="http://jillstanek.com/">Jill Stanek</a> invites prolife bloggers to ask, "What exactly do you mean by <i>choice</i>?" This was my seven-part question. <br />
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<b>--2--</b><br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/03/get-thee-to-church-st-stephen-martyr.html">Get Thee To the Church: St. Stephen Martyr, Washington, DC</a><br />
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In which Joe and I spend a night on the town, and enjoy Mass and a pretty spring walk the next morning.<br />
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<b>--3--</b><br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/03/take-walk-down-this-broken-path.html">Take a walk down this Broken Path</a><br />
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In which I, somewhat reluctantly, review a book and learn a little something in the process.<br />
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<b>--4--</b><br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/04/get-thee-to-woods-couple-of-blacksburg.html">Get Thee To the Woods: A Couple of Blacksburg Parks</a><br />
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I like to blog about our adventures in the out-of-doors; here we explore two parks while visiting my parents for Easter.<br />
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<b>--5--</b><br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/05/today.html">Today</a><br />
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I picked this one because it was the last day of CCD classes last spring, and I really miss teaching CCD! (despite the fact that with so much going on in our lives, <i>not</i> teaching has been kind of nice, too)<br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/marvelous-gift-ofwell.html">The Marvelous Gift of...well...</a><br />
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Possibly my most bizarre post ever. But there are lots of pretty pictures, and links to some cool animal sounds. Besides, I had fun posting it. So there.<br />
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<b>--7--</b><br />
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">Friendship. Loss. Rock and Roll. Gavin DeGraw. And Rick Springfield.</a><br />
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Mostly Gavin DeGraw. In which I act like a teenager one memorable evening.<br />
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<b>--8--</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ywtZ-0xnXqs/UDbbuR1YP9I/AAAAAAAAF00/6mmbP3EDCRg/s1600/IMG_1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ywtZ-0xnXqs/UDbbuR1YP9I/AAAAAAAAF00/6mmbP3EDCRg/s400/IMG_1621.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/08/7-long-days-alaska-edition.html">7 Long Days: The Alaska Edition</a><br />
<br />
Lots of photos of our summer vacation. You'd be hard-pressed to find prettier scenery, and I expect it will be quite a while before we go anywhere like this again.<br />
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<br />
<b>--9--</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tIr05wXS3b8/UExng3gufJI/AAAAAAAAF9U/wzIwg1LqnZY/s1600/IMG_1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tIr05wXS3b8/UExng3gufJI/AAAAAAAAF9U/wzIwg1LqnZY/s320/IMG_1283.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/09/get-thee-to-church-immaculate.html">Get Thee To the Church: Immaculate Conception, Fairbanks, Alaska</a><br />
<br />
The first place we went after arriving in Alaska. Possibly the prettiest little church in the 49th state. One of the oldest, anyway.<br />
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<b>--10--</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EdDw8t2W46M/ULDtoZfXzuI/AAAAAAAAGRE/STxk7ynHfLg/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EdDw8t2W46M/ULDtoZfXzuI/AAAAAAAAGRE/STxk7ynHfLg/s400/IMG_2719.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-visit-to-monticello-life-slavery-and.html">A Visit to Monticello: Life, Slavery, and the Pursuit of Religious Freedom.</a><br />
<br />
In which we spend a wonderful day with my parents at Thomas Jefferson's home, and I share some random thoughts.<br />
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My apologies for not including any posts this year from my other blog, <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/"><i>Cooking Nick's Books</i>;</a> for one thing, I've all but abandoned it (temporarily, I hope), plus I'm hoping
to publish another "7 Quick Takes" over there highlighting some of my
favorite posts (and if I can't find 7 good ones from this year, perhaps I'll
include some earlier ones, too). Maybe
that will motivate me to jump-start that one again, and maybe chew on some
ideas to make it better.<br />
<br />
<i>UPDATE: Done. Read it <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/7-faves-jumpstart-edition.html">here.</a></i></div>
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Merry Christmas, and many blessings for the coming year!<br />
<br />
And for more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/12/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-201.html">Jenn's Conversion Diary blog.</a> And be sure to read her post; you'll laugh your head off! Have a wonderful Last Weekend of 2012!</div>
</div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-49425953652618923392012-12-12T06:09:00.001-05:002013-01-10T21:14:47.515-05:00The Immaculate Misconception<br />
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<i>(I was hoping to get
this post up in time for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, but it was not
to be. This has been a crazy-busy week, the most important event being the birth of my new nephew, "Baby E!" Many blessings to my brother and sister-in-law as they start
the journey of parenthood. They live an
hour away and we haven't had a chance to meet the little one yet; we'll see him
next weekend for sure, Lord willing! </i></div>
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<i>Oh, and the statue in the photo above adorns the lovely Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks, Alaska. For more photos of this beautiful little church,<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/09/get-thee-to-church-immaculate.html"> click here.</a>)</i></div>
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I remember when Joe and I were dating and <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-becoming-catholic-part-one-baptist.html">I was still a Baptist,</a> we had many in-depth conversations about Mary. I had always known that Catholics gave Mary
special honor, even naming churches after her and reciting prayers to her. I never really understood why this was. Joe explained to me that Catholics honor and venerate Mary because she is the mother of Our Lord, and the Church teaches that Mary was preserved from sin--and never sinned-- so that Christ would have
a pure vessel to enter this world through. In fact, he was surprised to learn
that other Christian faiths did not teach this. I dismissed this concept at first, saying
that I did not believe that at all; Mary was no different from you and me, and she was a sinner just like everyone else. I
figured God must have chosen her because she was particularly faithful and
holy--after all, some sinners are more faithful than holy than others. </div>
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One night during a get-together with some of Joe's high
school friends, many of whom were Catholic, someone brought up the subject of
the Immaculate Conception. I had heard
this term before, and never thought much of it; I assumed it referred to
Christ's conception by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb. That was one thing all Christian faiths
taught, and I could wrap my head around it.
Someone asked the group if they knew what the Immaculate Conception
referred to. Several people said,
"why, it's Jesus' conception in the womb of Mary, of course." The person then explained that even though
many Catholics have this notion, it actually means that Mary was preserved from
original sin at the moment of her conception.
(I'm pretty sure Joe knew the right answer, by the way.) This REALLY confused me, because now I'm
like, "WHAT?? The Church teaches
that Mary was conceived in her mother's womb in the same way that Jesus
was? Like without sex??" Well, no, I was assured; Mary was conceived
in the usual manner, but God protected her from the sin of Adam and Eve. (I later learned that many Protestants hold
the mistaken view that Catholic Church teaches a virginal conception of
Mary. This is not the case.) Surprisingly, this made perfect sense to me, even though I had earlier pooh-poohed the idea of a sinless Mary. Why, after all, would God
<i>no</i>t want a pure vessel for His
Son? Why <i>wouldn't</i> he make a sinless mother to bear Him? Over the years, since <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-becoming-catholic-part-3-not-end-of.html">becoming Catholic</a>, I have come to a better understanding of it. Some ask, "Why does Mary refer to God as her savior in the Magnificat? That proves she's a sinner." Remember, Christ is beyond space and time. <b>Mary was saved by the merits of her divine Son on the Cross at the moment of her conception.</b> I sometimes think of it as if Mary was baptized at the moment she was conceived--thus having the stain of original sin removed--but an even more powerful one because she lived a completely sinless life. </div>
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I found this wonderful video by Scott Hahn, who explains
beautifully why Catholics celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ww8IG92wwR0?list=FL3wy9soTOgnzV2RzGDeObDw&hl=en_US" width="560"></iframe>
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I have no idea when you'll hear from me again, on this blog
anyway (although I expect I'll be around on Facebook and Twitter). This week, with what little free time I have,
I'm hoping to get a good chunk of Christmas shopping done, start sending out
Christmas cards, and spend some quality time with little E. and his mommy
and daddy. I might try to see what I can
do about moving my blog over to Wordpress, or at least clean up my web albums to make room for more photos to post here, although that might not happen for a
while. Have a great week, and happy
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zkv21FUl2Nk/UMcPMHT1HtI/AAAAAAAAGSk/2s2tRf-fUM4/s1600/IMG_9297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zkv21FUl2Nk/UMcPMHT1HtI/AAAAAAAAGSk/2s2tRf-fUM4/s400/IMG_9297.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Moe when he dressed up as Saint Juan Diego for the All Saints Day parade at school last year.</td></tr>
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Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-40635456717023742302012-11-24T11:07:00.000-05:002012-11-24T11:07:56.065-05:00A Visit to Monticello: Life, Slavery, and the Pursuit of Religious Freedom<br />
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Monticello called us.</div>
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It was Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The weather was beautiful, I hadn't been to
<a href="http://www.monticello.org/">Thomas Jefferson's home </a>in years, and the boys had never seen it. My parents were visiting, and it was their
suggestion and their treat. (Thanks, Mom
and Dad!)</div>
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The tour guide (Oh, sorry, <i>docent</i>) said something that gave me pause: When Jefferson penned the Declaration of
Independence, he stated that we are given (I don't think she mentioned God or
the Creator, come to think of it) specific rights, including liberty; but that
ironically, he owned slaves. I resisted
the temptation to point out that the first right he mentioned was <i>life</i>, and wasn't it ironic that we now
allow the rampant killing of unborn children in the womb, and act as though
it's another inalienable right?</div>
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I was thinking about that again this morning. I realized that back in Jefferson's day,
slaves were considered non-persons, and that's how people justified the buying
and selling them as personal property and treating them however they
pleased. Nowadays, we know better. In 1973 the Supreme Court decided that unborn
children were non-persons and therefore can be disposed of as a piece of
unwanted garbage. We are right </div>
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back
where we started, it seems to me.</div>
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On our way out we stopped by Thomas Jefferson's grave. When I read the inscription on the tombstone
("Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American
Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of
the University of Virginia") I realized I was standing on sacred
ground. Even though Jefferson's
religious views were a little bit unconventional--I'm told he wrote his own
version of the Bible that eliminates all references to Jesus' miracles and
makes no mention of anything supernatural--he understood the importance of our
right to practice our religion without interference from the government.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">...Almighty God hath
created the mind free;</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">That all attempts to
influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations
tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and therefore are a
departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, who being Lord,
both of body and mind yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as
was in his Almighty power to do,</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">That the impious
presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who,
being themselves but fallible and uninspired men have assumed dominion over the
faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the
only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others,
hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the
world and through all time;</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">That to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the
propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is <i>sinful and tyrannical</i>...</span></b></blockquote>
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(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Statute_for_Religious_Freedom">Source: Wikipedia.</a> Emphasis mine.)</blockquote>
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Jefferson noted that we are to be free to exercise our faith
without coercion, without ridicule, without the threat of being sued, and
without having to pay any taxes or penalties.
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Standing there I thought of the HHS mandate that forces
employers to pay for contraceptives and abortifacient drugs even when it
violates their religious beliefs. I
wonder how Thomas Jefferson would feel to see the United States government
giving faithful Christians and Catholics the finger. I think he would weep.<br />
<br />
<i>(P.S. I may not be using Blogger much longer. When I went to upload my photos I was informed that I'd used up all my space on their photo sharing site, and if I wanted more I'd have to pay $2.99 a month. Since I'm a cheapskate and this blog generates zero income for me, I'm not willing to do that. I deleted quite a number of photos that I'd published on older posts, and that seemed to do the trick--we'll see if they're also deleted from the posts--but at some point I will run out of space again. Wordpress is looking quite attractive today. I'll keep you posted...)</i></div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-51412101750748950902012-11-18T08:14:00.000-05:002012-11-18T08:14:19.314-05:007 Quick Takes, The Sunday Edition<br />
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<b>--1--</b></div>
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I've been trying to put my thoughts into words over the last
week and a half since the election. I
pound away at my keyboard and push "Delete" over and over. How do I express my profound disappointment
without sounding like a sore loser and a whiner? How do I say that four more years of Barack
Obama will turn our country on its head and it will be almost impossible to get
back what the Founding Fathers gave us without sounding like an alarmist? How do I lament the fact that so many people
seem more interested in getting handouts than taking risks without sounding
like a snob who doesn't care about people in need? And how do I (finally, after four years)
admit that Barack Hussein Obama is in fact anti-American, has no interest in our
national security, doesn't give a crap about you or me or anyone else except
himself and his own twisted agenda to make America weaker and poorer without
sounding like a loony conspiracy theorist?
I've heard many conservatives rant about how people who voted for Obama
are fools, crazy liberal extremists, Kool-Aid drinkers; some Catholic
bishops even went so far as to imply that because of Obama's pro-abortion record,
voting for him would constitute a mortal sin.
Well, I know plenty of people who support Obama, and they're not any of
these things (and I'm certainly not about to point any fingers and yell
"sinner" at anyone). They are
kind and generous people who, like you and me, want the best possible future
for their children and our country. We
just disagree (quite strongly, to be honest) about what that might look like
and who would better serve our nation.
There are certainly some raving lunatics and Kool-Aid drinkers on both
sides, and I'm convinced that the results of the election (assuming there was minimal
voter fraud and Obama won fair and square--although did you see <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2012-11-13/news/35069785_1_romney-supporters-mitt-romney-voter-id-law">this story fromPhiladelphia?</a>) is a reflection of our culture's moving away from God and from
basic moral principles and our adoption of if-it-feels-good-do-it and
how-dare-you-judge-me attitudes. If I
say abortion is always wrong, I'm an extremist. If I don't want to pay for your birth
control, I don't care about women. If I say that
marriage is between one man and one woman, I'm a bigot. Am I racist if I criticize Obama? Most people I know wouldn't accuse me of
that, but remember when Jimmy Carter said that people who were against Obama just couldn't deal with having a black man in the White House?
We have a challenging four years ahead of us, but I am not going to sit
around and whine about it. I've made a
promise to myself to be more kind, more patient, and more generous. Every day I pray for four things: tirelessness, selflessness, wisdom, and
joy. (I don't pray for patience; that
always gets me into trouble. I figure
"wisdom" is much better, don't you think?) If we all had more of those things, how much more wonderful this world would be.</div>
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Do you know this is the Year of Faith? Truthfully I haven't really thought much
about it; other than to tell myself perhaps I should start reading the
Bible daily again and pray more regularly and consistently. I have done one thing, though: <a href="https://www.flocknote.com/catechism">Flocknote</a> has a very cool way you can
read the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
I have one sitting on my shelf that I've barely touched. Well, you can sign up to receive daily emails
with a little bit of the Catechism in each one, and if you keep up you'll read it all the way through in a year. I've already
fallen behind, but every few days I'll read several of them at once, so
hopefully it won't get too far ahead of me.
Interested? <a href="https://www.flocknote.com/catechism">Go here.</a></div>
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<b>--3--</b></div>
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Saturday I ran my first 5K.
I shouldn't say I <i>ran</i> it; I walked some and ran some. I originally signed up for it because Curly
and Moe are preparing to test for their black belts (hopefully in January) and
they need to do some "endurance events" between now and then. The 5K was a fundraiser for the Special Education
program at the<a href="http://www.jpthegreat.org/"> Catholic high school</a> up the road from us; and although our kids
don't attend, many of their friends do.
I figured this would be a great way for us to get out and get some
exercise, give a little something for a good cause, and help the boys earn
their black belts. I even downloaded a
<a href="http://easeinto5k.bluefinapps.com/">totally boss app</a> on my phone to help me get into a running routine, and for the
last few weeks I've been pretty faithfully doing my little running/walking
workout up and down the street. (AND, I
say the Rosary while I'm doing it.
That's the best part.) As it happened, Moe
came down with an upper respiratory infection this week, and although he's much
better we decided he should forego the race; and Curly, well, he just decided
he didn't want to do it. (He owes me $15.)
I thought seriously of skipping it altogether, but decided to go ahead and do
it. I was a little nervous not knowing what to expect, whether anyone I knew would be there, and hoping
I wouldn't be the only one who would mostly be walking. I did see a few people there I knew, and
there were many people who walked the whole three miles and had a great time
doing it. I finished in a little under
44 minutes, and I think this will be the first of many 5K races I'll
participate in. Next time I'm going to
drag my family with me, assuming no one is sick...</div>
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<b>--4--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Joe got a new car last weekend. Want to know why? On Friday as he was turning left through an
intersection a woman driving a minivan sped around a curve, ran the red light,
and slammed into him. The whole
front of his car was smashed. I'm just
glad she didn't hit the driver's side door, and that no one was injured. Now he has a 2011 Hyundai, with automatic
transmission that he can take to work and Larry can learn to drive; he's
already talking about the two-seater sports car he'll someday get to drive on
the weekends.</div>
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<b>--5--</b></div>
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And now for our family entertainment report: Moe made all-county chorus, and he got to
spend a day at one of the area high schools practicing for the concert that was
held in the evening. He stood in the
front row, and you can imagine how proud it made me seeing him standing up
there singing his heart out. Last weekend
(in the middle of all the excitement with the accident) Larry starred as the
prince in a musical production of <i>Cinderella.</i> My parents came and stayed with us for the
weekend, and Joe's mom and my brother and sister-in-law spent time with us and
came to the show as well. And this week,
Curly and Moe auditioned for the school production of Disney's <i>The Little Mermaid.</i> Curly will play Chef Pierre, and Moe snagged
the most coveted part--Sebastian the crab.
Needless to say we'll be hearing this a lot in our house these next few
months:<br />
<br /></div>
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<b>--6--</b></div>
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In the past we've traditionally traveled to my or Joe's
parents' house for Thanksgiving; this year I'm hosting for the first time. Yesterday I picked up my turkey at the
farmers' market (I'm told he--she?--lived a happy life on the farm until Friday
morning), and today's agenda (besides Mass, of course) will be to do finalize
my menu plan, make my shopping list, and do some of the cleaning around the
house that I didn't do yesterday. (BAD mom, BAD!) My dad sent me a recipe for gluten free
stuffing, and I expect I'll be browsing the Internet for some more of those;
and my mother-in-law has already given me lots of great advice about cooking the
turkey.</div>
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<br />
When I brought home the bird yesterday I found myself
talking like the Swedish Chef. I may be
doing that quite a bit this week.<br />
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<b>--7--</b></div>
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Our prayers continue to be with the victims of Hurricane
Sandy. Seeing the devastation
and hearing the stories of communities coming together and helping each other
reminds me of how much I truly have to be thankful for. <br />
<br /></div>
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I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, no matter who you
voted for (haha) !<br />
<br />
For more Quick Takes, visit Jenn's <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/11/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-196.html">Conversion Diary</a> blog. Happy Sunday!</div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-36546168084265237622012-10-28T15:49:00.000-04:002012-10-28T15:49:08.438-04:00The Internet Is Sending Me Off the Deep End<br />
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There is a hurricane bearing down on us. Even though it isn't going to hit us
directly, we're likely to get a lot of rain and wind, and they're telling us
that we'll probably lose power. All over
Twitter and Facebook people are posting updates on how they're preparing for
the storm. "We've filled our
bathtubs with water!" (<i>We</i> didn't
fill our tubs with water.) "I'm
cooking everything in my refrigerator!" (<i>I'm</i> not cooking everything in my refrigerator.) "I've made the mad dash to Wal Mart for
canned goods, toilet paper, bottled water, and ice!" (I <i>did</i> go to the
store on Thursday, but that was before I even knew about Sandy.) I'm starting to think that maybe we're going
to be the ones who are going to be screwed because all we've done is bring in most of our
deck furniture and scrambled around the house in a nearly futile attempt to
locate flashlights. We're up to our ears
in batteries, thank goodness. We don't
have a well, so we should have clean running water available. We have a gas water heater; after Hurricane
Isabel hit us we lost power for a week and we were grateful that at least we
could take hot showers. We have a gas
stove and matches, so we should be able to cook pasta or canned soup (that is,
if we have any in the house). Larry has
a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I took the day off; I should be able to run
to the store in the morning if I feel an urgent need to stock up on whatever is
left on the shelves. </div>
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And then there's all the political vitriol. I think my blood pressure goes up every time
I read some new development in the Benghazi fiasco. Most of you know which candidate I support (I
used to have a Romney/Ryan sign in my front yard, until last week when someone
went up and down our street and yanked up all the Romney yard signs), and I've
said as much on my Facebook page. There
are a lot of things I've been tempted to say but I've mostly kept my mouth shut
because I really don't feel like getting into any arguments with people who I
love and respect but don't necessarily share the same political views
with. If I see one more advertisement or
article about how those mean Republicans want to deny birth control to poor
women I think I'm going to scream. I'm
sick of the rhetoric, but at the same time I can't seem to get enough of
it. It's like a bad drug. That's why I've (finally) made up my mind to
take an Internet fast for the next few days.
No Facebook, no Twitter, no blogs. I might even stay away until after the
election. I haven't decided yet. (And I have a feeling that this one will be
like 2000, when we didn't know the results for more than a month. I wouldn't be surprised if certain
politicians are going to act like sore losers and call for recounts in several
states.)</div>
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I have laundry to catch up on, books stacked on my shelves
that I have yet to read, and for some strange reason Sandy is giving me a
sudden compulsion to clean and organize.
(I think our mad scramble through the house in search of flashlights is
what did it.) It will be hard to resist
the temptation to post photos of what damage Sandy might do to our trees to my
Facebook page, or tell my friends about how we're hunkered down by the fire
roasting marshmallows (something to add to tomorrow's grocery list). Hopefully there won't be any news to report
anyway.</div>
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I've been anxious to blog again. Soon I hope to return and tell you all about
the wonderful weekend we spent with Joe's brother and his family, about my
sister-in-law's baby shower and how joyful we are about welcoming a brand-new
life into our family, about Larry receiving his black belt in taekwondo and how
proud we are of him, and the everyday goings-on in our lives. Meanwhile stay safe, and don't forget to
vote. (Especially if, like me, you can't
wait to throw the bums out!)</div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-20694141864684842552012-10-07T07:10:00.000-04:002012-10-07T21:01:55.703-04:00Get Thee To the Church: St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlottesville, VirginiaIt was a spur-of-the moment decision to attend Mass here that Saturday evening.<br />
<br />
We were in town that day for the Penn State vs. University of Virginia football game (our <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2011/10/get-thee-to-church-our-lady-of-victory.html">annual trek to a Penn State game</a>--this year we didn't need to go far). On our way to the stadium we saw this sign:<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sitting in a chair on the sidewalk were two Dominican friars--one of whom had a sign next to him identifying himself as "Friar 'Hoo"--smiling and waving at the fans going by. "Hmmm," we said to each other; "Maybe we can go to Mass here after the game." I was already committed to attend Sunday Mass at our home parish the next day though, to sign the Profession of Faith that the teachers and catechists in the Arlington diocese were asked to do this year. (You may remember hearing about <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/sunday-school-teachers-balk-at-oath-agreeing-to-all-church-teachings/2012/07/11/gJQAcAvGeW_story.html">a few catechists at St. Ann's Parish</a> who made such a stink a few months back about being asked to--gasp--believe and teach and live the teachings of the Catholic Church. Oh, horrors.) We figured we would just wait and go on Sunday.<br />
<br />
After the game (which the Nittany Lions lost to the Virginia Cavaliers by ONE POINT, darn it), as we were walking back to the car, ominous dark clouds rolled in. The wind picked up, and it began spitting rain. Just as we were walking past St. Thomas Church, it began to rain harder. We looked at each other and said, "Hey! Let's go to church!" We ran inside looking like a bunch of drowned rats, but it was dry inside, and beautiful, and the Mass was lovely. (Then again, Mass is always lovely. Jesus is there.) <br />
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<br />
As I was walking around after Mass snapping photos, a young friar told me there was a lovely chapel across the hall, and I should be sure to check that out. That was not to be, however, because Joe and the boys balked at having to wait even longer for me. There were sandwiches back at the car after all, waiting to be eaten. <br />
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<br />
(I think this was the chapel the young friar was referring to--from the outside.)<br />
<br />
Before we left home that morning, Joe warned the boys that since this was the first Penn State game we've been to since the abuse scandal broke, we might see some protesters and we might have some unkind things said to us because we were wearing our Penn State clothing. I am happy to report that the atmosphere during the tailgating and at the game was happy and festive, and the Penn State fans--and there were a lot of us--were made to feel welcome. We even saw people from both sides tailgating together. At Mass, Father (Friar 'Hoo) asked for a couple of volunteers to bring up the gifts. One was wearing a Penn State jersey, and the other had on a UVA t-shirt. Father remarked at how fitting that was. And by the time we left the church, the rain had stopped. It was a great way to wrap up a fantastic Saturday, don't you think?<br />
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And I did go to church the next day, and signed the Profession of Faith. I hope Father R. didn't notice me sneaking out early...<br />
<br />
Happy Sunday everyone, and get the to church! (And no leaving early.)Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-38008244357858863792012-09-22T21:19:00.000-04:002012-09-22T21:19:39.137-04:00Get Thee To the Church: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Fairbanks, Alaska<br />
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It's the northernmost cathedral in the United States. We had passed it several time as we tootled
around Fairbanks in our rented monster SUV.
On the day of our departure, a Saturday, we found ourselves at Pioneer
Park, which happens to be right across the street from Sacred Heart
Cathedral. Our flight didn't leave until
9 pm, so we had plenty of time to go to the Saturday Vigil Mass, have dinner,
and get to the airport.</div>
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I wasn't sure what to expect to see inside the cathedral given how ordinary-looking it seems from the
outside (Did you know the <a href="http://www.cbna.info/">Diocese of Fairbanks</a> is the largest in the U.S. in
geographical area? And it's the only mission
diocese in the nation, and one of the poorest?). I even wondered if the
building might have housed a church of some other denomination and the diocese
had purchased it, but that is not the case; <a href="http://www.sacredheartak.org/CathedralHistory.html">it has always served as the cathedral</a> for the Fairbanks Diocese.</div>
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Inside it was simple, elegant, holy, and undeniably
Catholic.</div>
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We arrived about a half hour early (the boys were eager to
leave the touristy Pioneer Park; they were bored out of their minds. I wanted to stay a little longer and check
out the Indian Village section of the park but was met with resistance) and I
snapped a few photos before Mass. I
didn't get very many; there were already a number of people there quietly
praying, and I got several strange looks as I walked around with my camera. </div>
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After a lovely Mass we headed to <a href="http://www.cookiejarfairbanks.com/">The Cookie Jar </a>for our last
meal in Alaska; then to the airport for the long flight home. Next summer I expect we'll vacation someplace
a little bit closer, like <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/08/get-thee-to-beach.html">the beach.</a></div>
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Happy Sunday, and Happy Fall! Now get thee to church!</div>
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<i>(If you want to see the church where we attended Mass on our first morning in Alaska, <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/09/get-thee-to-church-immaculate.html">click here. </a> And for some highlights from our amazing Alaska vacation, <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/08/7-long-days-alaska-edition.html">go here.</a> Thanks for visiting!)</i></div>
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Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-58409739461764834522012-09-15T08:42:00.000-04:002012-09-15T08:42:34.690-04:007 Things I've Wanted To Tell You But Haven't Had Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wdbJByfObRg/UFRvyX3UvTI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/H_xLtU7cjBc/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wdbJByfObRg/UFRvyX3UvTI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/H_xLtU7cjBc/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>--1--</b></div>
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It's rare that we <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/08/7-long-days-alaska-edition.html">take a vacation to a place like Alaska,</a>
and I wanted to share some more memories, in addition to the pictures I
posted. I wanted to tell you how strange
it is to be where there are so many hours of daylight, and that when it's 10
p.m. and still light out, I hardly know what to do with myself. I feel like if I go to sleep, I might miss
something. I wanted to tell you that I
never cared about dogsled races, but after this trip I might just have to
follow some; at least the <a href="http://iditarod.com/">Iditarod,</a> and maybe the <a href="http://www.yukonquest.com/">Yukon Quest</a> too. I wanted to tell you more about the musher we
met and the dogs he trains, and how he rescues them from shelters, works with
them, and adopts them out to families with kids; they'll most likely never be
in any races, but they'll be happy and loved.</div>
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We found this video of Emmitt the Dog Musher giving a
demonstration on how he trains his dogs.
We were privileged to see him do this while we were there.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DGc_4ROrrHo" width="560"></iframe>
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Did you know there are geocaches all over Fairbanks,
Alaska? We didn't have time to go
searching for many of them, but we did manage to find one <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=6145dd88-448b-41ce-a9af-591cebd9c5a3">here</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=6145dd88-448b-41ce-a9af-591cebd9c5a3">and here.</a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IokrsrqIs3c/UFRxPKtDHSI/AAAAAAAAF_o/NqkFALaCAec/s1600/alaskalandtrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IokrsrqIs3c/UFRxPKtDHSI/AAAAAAAAF_o/NqkFALaCAec/s400/alaskalandtrain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Maybe someday I'll go back to Alaska and look for some more.</div>
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<b>--4--</b></div>
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I still haven't quite adjusted to my increase in work
hours. I'm still getting myself into a
rhythm, and I've been trying out different time management strategies to help
me balance my work, play, rest, and prayer.
Once I get into a regular manageable routine I'll tell you all about
it. Meanwhile, bear with me as blogging
takes a back burner. And pray that I don't
lose my mind. All you moms out there who
work full time (and technically, my job is still part-time), any advice you can
give me will be most welcome!</div>
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<b>--5--</b></div>
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Last week I overheard a three-year-old say to her friend,
"Sometimes I just get weally fustwated wif my mommy." Ah, the deep discussions that take place over
Play Dough. I'm sure my boys have said
this about me plenty of times. I love my
job.</div>
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<b>--6--</b></div>
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Last weekend I pulled a ham bone from my freezer left over
<a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/party-for-nick.html">from last New Years',</a> and I made split pea soup for the very first time. I am happy to say that even though the color
seemed a little off, it was delicious.
We've been eating it off and on all week for lunches and dinners, and I
even had enough to freeze for later.
Here's the recipe I followed from <i>The
Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook</i>:</div>
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<b>SPLIT PEA SOUP</b></div>
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<b>1 (16-ounce) package dried green split peas</b></div>
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<b>2 quarts water</b></div>
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<b>1 medium onion, chopped</b></div>
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<b>1 medium potato, peeled and diced</b></div>
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<b>1 cup chopped celery*</b></div>
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<b>1 large meaty ham bone</b></div>
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<b>1 clove garlic, minced</b></div>
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<b>1 teaspoon salt</b></div>
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<b>1/4 teaspoon pepper</b></div>
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<b>1 bay leaf (which I forgot to put in)</b></div>
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<b>2 cups chopped carrot</b></div>
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<b>-Sort and rinse peas; place in a Dutch oven. Cover with water 2 inches above peas; let
soak overnight. Drain; add 2 quarts
water and next 9 ingredients. Bring to a
boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionallyt. Remove ham bne; cut off meat and dice. Discard bone and bay leaf. Let soup cool slightly.</b></div>
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<b>-Process mixture in batches in an electric blender until
smooth. Return mixture and meat to Dutch
oven; cover and simmer 5 minut3es or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle each serving with Homemade
Croutons.**</b></div>
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<b>(<i>The Ultimate Southern
Living Cookbook</i>, p. 428)</b></div>
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*Joe and Larry do not like celery, so I left that out and
just used a little more carrot and onion.</div>
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**I did not follow the recipe for these provided in the
book. I just took some extra pieces of
gluten free bread (mostly heels and such) and cut them into pieces; stirred
them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and placed them on a baking
sheet. I baked them at 425 degrees F for
about 10 minutes. You can stir them
after 5 minutes of baking, but I don't think I did that and they turned out
just fine.</div>
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<b>--7--</b></div>
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And last but not least, my sister-in-law Jenn has joined the
blogging world! <a href="http://thecookiejaradventures.blogspot.com/">Pop on over</a> to <i>The Cookie Jar Adventures</i> and say
hello! (And be sure to check out <a href="http://thecookiejaradventures.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-rest-of-little-bopper.html">this post</a> to see an ultrasound photo of our nephew, due to enter the world in late
December. I love his nickname,
"Bopper;" after my most favorite contestant on <i>The Amazing Race</i> ever.)</div>
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This week, <a href="http://www.camppatton.com/2012/09/7-quick-takes-friday.html#.UFRz4Y2PWE8">Grace at <i>Camp Patton</i></a> is hosting "7 Quick Takes;" head over to her place for more!</div>
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Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-61092297819197861932012-09-09T06:17:00.000-04:002014-07-15T09:16:04.085-04:00Get Thee To the Church: Immaculate Conception, Fairbanks Alaska<div style="text-align: center;">
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We started <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/08/7-long-days-alaska-edition.html">our vacation</a> by going to Mass.<br />
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After checking into our hotel in the middle of the night and
catching a few hours' sleep, we walked across the flag-adorned bridge that
spans the Chena River to the little church on the other side (which, as you can see, seemed to be in the process of having having the siding replaced). <br />
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(I said a prayer for this little guy...)<br />
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I was excited to learn that Immaculate
Conception Church was the very first Catholic church in the interior of
Alaska. When it was built in the early
1900s, it was on the opposite side of the river. In 1911 they rolled it across the frozen
river on logs. (Have you ever read <i>The Shipping News?</i> I couldn't help but think about the house
that was dragged across the ice in that story.) </div>
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I was also surprised to learn that this is the only church in the entire
state of Alaska with lovely stained-glass windows like these. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HVa-52WEmjQ/UExoqE2oQII/AAAAAAAAF98/g3HRWamWnfI/s1600/IMG_1268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HVa-52WEmjQ/UExoqE2oQII/AAAAAAAAF98/g3HRWamWnfI/s640/IMG_1268.JPG" height="640" width="418" /></a></div>
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(Surely not, I
reasoned; that must be a mistake. But it
says so <a href="http://www.alaska.net/~icc/history.html">right on their website</a>. I've browsed photos of many, if not most, of
the Catholic churches in Alaska, and it just might be true. Perhaps there are some Protestant ones...)</div>
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(I just loved the pressed-tin designs on the ceiling and walls!)</div>
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The little church--about the size of <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2011/07/get-thee-to-church-our-lady-of-valley.html">Our Lady of the Valley,</a>
I would say--was surprisingly full on this particular Sunday, and a fair number
of the worshippers were tourists like us.
I know this because the priest asked everyone who was visiting from out
of town to stand up and introduce themselves. (I took these photos <i>after</i> Mass, by the way, when everyone had already gone outside.)</div>
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We were only in Fairbanks for a couple of days, but it was
clear that the people here take great pride in their city, their state, and
their heritage. We encountered some homelessness
and drunkenness (in one restaurant, a man had to be escorted from the
establishment for wandering in and bothering customers), but everyone we
crossed paths with was warm and friendly and welcoming.</div>
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We ended our vacation with Mass, too. I'll show you <i>that</i> church in another post!</div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-50281790445872427332012-08-24T08:34:00.000-04:002012-08-24T08:34:12.292-04:007 Long Days: The Alaska Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>DAY ONE: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS</b></div>
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We arrived in Fairbanks around midnight and checked into our hotel, exhausted. On Sunday morning we woke up early (being in a whole different time zone and all) and went to Mass at the </div>
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<a href="http://www.alaska.net/~icc/"> little church</a> across the Chena (CHEE-na) river from our hotel. Stay tuned for more photos and some of the fascinating history of the first Catholic church in the interior of Alaska!</div>
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After church we explored this little park,</div>
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(I was excited about the fact that we were closer to Tokyo than to Washington, DC.)<br />
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and after a yummy lunch at a nearby diner, we visited the <a href="http://www.uaf.edu/museum/">University of Alaska Museum of the North.</a></div>
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(One of the more bizarre artifacts in the museum)</div>
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(This is Mount McKinley--I think.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.creamersfield.org/Welcome.html">Creamer's Field</a> is a former dairy farm where we saw lots of migratory birds--mostly Canada Geese and Sandhill Cranes--and took a little nature hike.</div>
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Finally, dinner at <a href="https://pumphouse.com/">The Pump House,</a> right on the Chena River. Three of the five of us ordered Alaska salmon, and it was delicious. </div>
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(I took this photo at about eight p.m. Sunset is still hours away.)<br />
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<b>DAY TWO</b><br />
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Monday morning we drove the three hours to the entrance to Denali National Park. From there we caught a bus for a six-hour ride to the end of the park road. Here's a glimpse of some of the amazing sights along the way:</div>
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(We saw lots of caribou.)</div>
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(Mama Grizzly and her two cubs. I'm not sure which is the mama and which are the kids. Obviously teenagers, likely soon to leave the nest.)<br />
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(On a break to stretch our legs. That's our bus driver in front, Kirsty from New Zealand.)<br />
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(Our first glimpse of "The Mountain")<br />
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(Denali decided to peek his head out for us.)<br />
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We arrived at <a href="http://www.kantishnaroadhouse.com/index.php">Kantishna Road House,</a> the lodge at the very end of the Denali Park Road, around eight p.m., where we were treated to a delicious dinner. There's a river called Moose Creek that runs right behind the roadhouse. Here's what it looked like at 9:40 pm:<br />
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<b>DAY THREE</b><br />
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On Tuesday we took a guided hike to the McKinley-Bar River. The day was clear and we had some spectacular views of Mount McKinley.<br />
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(Heather, our guide, showing us how this rock was scraped up by a glacier.)<br />
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(Yes, those are EXACTLY what they look like.)</div>
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(Wild blueberries are a delicious snack for bears, and for humans, too!)</div>
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(Autumn has already arrived in Alaska.)<br />
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We got back just in time to try our hand at goldpanning.<br />
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(Wait, did Curly find something? Alas, no. We walked away emptyhanded.)<br />
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<b>DAY FOUR</b><br />
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While Joe and the older two boys went for a bike ride, Moe and I took another guided hike with Heather. We hiked straight up for about a mile and then along a ridge. Another clear day, more beautiful views of The Mountain.<br />
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(Kantishna, our home away from home)<br />
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(Lunch time!)<br />
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Upon our return we were introduced to some sled dogs in training.<br />
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(This is Emmitt Peters, Junior. His dad, Emmitt Senior, won the Iditarod race in 1975.)<br />
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(The original Kantishna roadhouse)<br />
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The boys had some time to do some fly fishing with Dad before dinner.<br />
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<b>DAY FIVE</b><br />
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We bid good-bye to Kantishna and boarded the bus for the long ride out of Denali Park. It was cloudy and drizzly in the early morning, and bright and sunny by afternoon. Even though we couldn't see the mountain, this ride was just as exciting as the first:<br />
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(The Ptarmigan, Alaska's state bird.)<br />
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(Grizzly Number One)<br />
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(That's a dall sheep. We saw lots of those, looking like tiny white dots on the mountains.)<br />
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(Grizzly Number Two, Three, and Four)<br />
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(Grizzly Number Five. Don't worry, we were safe inside the bus.)<br />
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(Grizzly Six, Seven, and Eight.)<br />
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<b>DAY SIX</b><br />
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We spent two nights at a place called <a href="http://www.chenahotsprings.com/">Chena Hot Springs,</a> about an hour's drive north of Fairbanks. Here you can soak in a hot spring, swim in their geothermal-heated pool, go horseback riding, hike, and eat the fresh vegetables they grow on their property. This is the view we had from our little balcony:<br />
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After a late breakfast Joe and the boys took a horseback ride while I took a dip in the hot pool. After that we took a lovely hike.<br />
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We explored the grounds of the resort, and admired the gardens, greenhouses, and the beautiful flowers planted everywhere.<br />
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(I was excited when I saw this mint. That night when I ordered a mojito at the bar, I was told they didn't have any of those. Go figure.)<br />
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(The long hours of daylight help the vegetables grow extra-big. Check out the size of this parsley.)<br />
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(And this will be the first time I've ever seen a walrus head hanging on a wall.)<br />
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<b>DAY SEVEN: THE LAST DAY</b><br />
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We set our alarms for two a.m. on our very last night in Alaska in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights. We weren't disappointed!<br />
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(Even at 2 am, there is light on the horizon.)<br />
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After a few more hours' sleep, we had another late breakfast and took a tour of Chena Hot Springs' ice museum before heading back to Fairbanks.<br />
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We took a small detour to check out the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.<br />
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(We saw this across the road from the pipeline. Drill, Baby, Drill!!)<br />
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Back in Fairbanks we had a few hours to kill, and decided to check out the uber-touristy <a href="http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/pioneerpark/default.htm">Pioneer Park; </a>formerly known as "Alaskaland." Quite possibly the tackiest place in all of Alaska, but teeming with families with kids. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. And it's free.<br />
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And finally, the<a href="http://sacredheartak.org/"> most important place </a>we visited that day:<br />
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After Mass, it was dinner at <a href="http://www.cookiejarfairbanks.com/">The Cookie Jar</a> (Guy Fieri ate there once), then off to the airport for the long flight home. We left Fairbanks Saturday night, arrived home on Sunday, and walked around like zombies for the rest of the day. The adventure is over, but it's good to be home!<br />
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Later I'll tell you more about the churches we attended, and maybe some deep thoughts about what we saw and learned on our vacation; meanwhile, thanks for letting me share some of our memories with you.<br />
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And if you're not already bored out of your skull after scrolling through this mega-post, check out <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/08/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-185.html">Conversion Diary</a> for more Quick Takes. They are sure to be much quicker and more entertaining than mine. Have a wonderful weekend!</div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-1650107463917959472012-08-03T23:48:00.000-04:002012-08-03T23:48:56.516-04:007 Quick Takes, Volume 50<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>--1--</b></div>
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As summer is winding down my life is getting busier, it seems. I'm spending less time online (yay me), but I've still managed to post a few things here and there. Over on Cooking Nick's Books this week I posted <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-lucky-one-ratatouille-or-beths.html">a wonderful ratatouille recipe</a>--a perfect quick weeknight summer dish. And last Friday I posted my <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/7-quick-takes-volume-10.html">"7 Quick Takes" </a>on that blog as well. I hope you'll check those out! (My <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-lucky-one-ratatouille-or-beths.html">ratatouille post</a> only has ten hits. Pathetic. You don't know what you're missing! *smile*)</div>
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<b>--2--</b></div>
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Last week Moe attended his annual day camp at the nearby reservoir, where the kids go hiking and canoeing, learn to build fires and bake cakes in Dutch ovens, discover animal tracks and identify trees. The lake has a new resident this year; the kids named him Steve. Just don't get too close to him or he'll hiss at you like a banshee. (Actually, I don't know whether or not a banshee would hiss. But it sounds cool.)</div>
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(Not bad for a photo taken from my phone...)</div>
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<b>--3--</b></div>
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Last Saturday Larry took his Black Belt test in taekwondo. He wasn't nervous until the day before the test. His instructors and Taekwondo Master were confident that he would do well, and he did. He won't get his actual belt until the fall, possibly as late as October. We are so proud of him!</div>
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<b>--4--</b></div>
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I took the boys to my parents' house near Blacksburg for a couple of days this week. I wish I could spend more time with them. Whenever we visit them I always looking at the pretty little gardens Mom and her neighbors plant and maintain around the springs behind their homes. You always see lots of animals around, especially birds and rabbits, and when it gets dark Curly likes to stand on their back deck and watch for the deer that always visit.</div>
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(another phone pic. This one of the pump and bridge turned out better than the one I took with my "real" camera.)</div>
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<b>--5--</b></div>
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Curly and I went out on Wednesday afternoon to a park in Christiansburg to explore and look for some geocaches. <br />
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We found <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f87e3498-0ae6-4af3-bb29-8cd690c01701">this one</a> near one of the picnic shelters,<br />
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And then set out on a quest for<a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=d4aa6da4-e0b2-49d2-a57c-8b260325d144"> another.</a><br />
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We finally found it not far from where Curly is standing.<br />
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We returned slightly hot and thirsty, but it was worth it. We don't do that as often as I would like.<br />
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<b>--6--</b><br />
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When I was a kid, there was one movie theater in town, the <a href="http://www.thelyric.com/">Lyric.</a> When it was built it served as a venue for movies as well as stage shows. It was quite a fancy place in its heyday. By the time I came along it was pretty run-down. Sometime in the 1970s another movie theater was built, then another, and then in the late 1980s the mall went up with a new-fangled multiplex. For a while the Lyric was closed. Recently it was renovated, and the dusty brown curtains on the walls were removed, the worn (stained) upholstery on the seats was replaced, and the theater was restored to its former glory. We patronized the Lyric on Wednesday Night for the movie <i>Madagascar 3</i>; which, thankfully, was much better than I expected. Very cute. I ventured a photo with my phone from the balcony, but it doesn't do the place justice. But do you know what? It's smaller than I remember. Funny, that.<br />
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A lot of memories are here. <i>Star Wars</i> (you know, the one they call <i>Episode IV, A New Hope</i> nowadays). <i>Freaky Friday</i>. The one with Jodie Foster, not that crazy Lindsay Lohan. <i>The Apple Dumpling Gang. </i> (How many of y'all remember THAT one? And no Googling.) It was nice to get a taste of the way going to the movies used to be.<br />
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<b>--7--</b><br />
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I had another take in mind, but I'm exhausted because we just returned from seeing this band in concert:<br />
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I'll save my rants about people who hate Chick-Fil-A for another post. And I'll post some photos and tell you all about the fantastic show we saw tonight. (I don't know...it might even have been better than the <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">Gavin DeGraw concert</a>...I'll study on that awhile and let you know.) And I have a 6 am appointment with Jesus, the Blessed Sacrament.<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend, and don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/08/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-183.html">Conversion Diary</a> for more Quick Takes!!<br />
<br /></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-37797331150312390892012-07-20T16:34:00.000-04:002012-07-20T16:41:59.052-04:007 Quick Takes, Volume 49<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ArpatU9Q5c/UAmHLfcA3UI/AAAAAAAAFic/LAxVtFyT6Ts/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ArpatU9Q5c/UAmHLfcA3UI/AAAAAAAAFic/LAxVtFyT6Ts/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>--1--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We spent a wonderful day last Saturday with Joe's parents. Larry had spent part of the week in Williamsburg with them, and we drove down last Friday night and everyone went to Virginia Beach on Saturday. We spend two fantastic hours on the beach, until the rain chased us away.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iI9HA1pfllE/UAmJB3ZZUSI/AAAAAAAAFjE/ObbHBPeC7kA/s1600/IMG_1106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iI9HA1pfllE/UAmJB3ZZUSI/AAAAAAAAFjE/ObbHBPeC7kA/s400/IMG_1106.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nearby is a great seafood restaurant called <a href="http://www.catch31.com/home.aspx">Catch 31,</a> where we enjoyed a fantastic lunch. The bronzed tilefish is to die for. And they make a pretty good mojito, too.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>--2--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I hunted for a couple of geocaches this week while the boys were at camps and swim practice and such. I was able to get a little exercise too, you have to walk a little way to find them. <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=da96a57a-c2ba-45f2-b46f-83a0258290e0">This one</a> is called "Take Two Bites...Alice." Can you see it?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC0djIsMy-0/UAmuawiCcNI/AAAAAAAAFjY/K_wjAqebCm4/s1600/IMG_1190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC0djIsMy-0/UAmuawiCcNI/AAAAAAAAFjY/K_wjAqebCm4/s400/IMG_1190.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo_Q4mmGKCA/UAmuboeuNwI/AAAAAAAAFjg/a7PivRJQ8QY/s1600/IMG_1190a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo_Q4mmGKCA/UAmuboeuNwI/AAAAAAAAFjg/a7PivRJQ8QY/s400/IMG_1190a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U7KazMyRvwg/UAmugHdPQEI/AAAAAAAAFjo/t_g6Zpht-Bk/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U7KazMyRvwg/UAmugHdPQEI/AAAAAAAAFjo/t_g6Zpht-Bk/s400/IMG_1174.JPG" width="340" /></a></div>
<br />
Very clever. And I only have a couple of teensy poison ivy bumps.<br />
<br />
If you want to look for this geocache, <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=da96a57a-c2ba-45f2-b46f-83a0258290e0">click here.</a><br />
<br />
<b>--3--</b><br />
<br />
Not far down the trail is <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=540b314f-3faf-4dcd-a523-0b60a8ed54b1">another geocache</a> called "Really Wet Land." I love the setting for this one.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZBf7ElZm_Y/UAmwUnTBb1I/AAAAAAAAFj0/wIwBQ6tr-KA/s1600/IMG_1175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZBf7ElZm_Y/UAmwUnTBb1I/AAAAAAAAFj0/wIwBQ6tr-KA/s400/IMG_1175.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f_8YtMwVg8I/UAmwaHqsX4I/AAAAAAAAFkU/oMuF57tUOxY/s1600/IMG_1165a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f_8YtMwVg8I/UAmwaHqsX4I/AAAAAAAAFkU/oMuF57tUOxY/s400/IMG_1165a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I searched in vain for that cache. I even emailed the person who placed it for help, and I still couldn't find it. If you want to try,<a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=540b314f-3faf-4dcd-a523-0b60a8ed54b1"> go here.</a> Maybe you'll have better luck than me.<br />
<br />
What I love about geocaching is that you have to keep your eyes open and you see things you might not notice, like the beautiful churchyard I showed you <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/02/7-quick-takes-volume-42.html">in this post.</a><br />
<br />
Along the path this week I spotted these things:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_NJ6tBSgn8/UAmx3LgNaII/AAAAAAAAFkg/3cdbVdsR5Co/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_NJ6tBSgn8/UAmx3LgNaII/AAAAAAAAFkg/3cdbVdsR5Co/s400/IMG_1169.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-d_PHRwGYs/UAmx4WmIxpI/AAAAAAAAFko/K9n5Sem0AhQ/s1600/IMG_1168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-d_PHRwGYs/UAmx4WmIxpI/AAAAAAAAFko/K9n5Sem0AhQ/s400/IMG_1168.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFD3ihdtUZ4/UAmx7m4QdGI/AAAAAAAAFkw/8iG6Ddr5Fh4/s1600/IMG_1171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFD3ihdtUZ4/UAmx7m4QdGI/AAAAAAAAFkw/8iG6Ddr5Fh4/s400/IMG_1171.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>
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<b>--4--</b><br />
<br />
We have a hummingbird feeder. The other day Curly and Moe spotted a hummingbird taking a sip. What we usually see is this (look closely):
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ox9eNQG591Q/UAmzMUWjubI/AAAAAAAAFlM/JevEQc6xjO8/s1600/IMG_1154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ox9eNQG591Q/UAmzMUWjubI/AAAAAAAAFlM/JevEQc6xjO8/s400/IMG_1154.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMgTrJtENoU/UAmytK70ClI/AAAAAAAAFk8/ZKLFGudj2UI/s1600/IMG_1155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMgTrJtENoU/UAmytK70ClI/AAAAAAAAFk8/ZKLFGudj2UI/s400/IMG_1155.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nice, huh?<br />
<br />
<b>--5--</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This next take was going to be a rant about President
Obama's latest idiocy, where he claimed that people who have successful
businesses that they built from the ground up didn't actually build them. I had lots of snarky things to say about
that, including that Obama didn't really earn that worthless Nobel Peace Prize,
someone better actually did, and that everyone knew it all along. But then I opened up my Twitter feed (see
Take Number 7 for my navel-gazing drivel about how maybe I should quit social
networking, blah blah) to the news that fourteen (now they're saying twelve)
people had been shot dead--and many more people badly injured--in a movie
theater in Colorado. I may or may not have
more to say about that later; right now I'm just shocked and saddened.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I wonder why we don't react as strongly when
something like that happens overseas, like <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/19/world/europe/bulgaria-israel-blast/index.html">when someone blows up a bus full ofIsraeli tourists in Bulgaria.</a> I think
it's because it's happening here, in our own country, and we're shocked because
those things just don't happen in America.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>--6--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday I posted <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-last-song-summer-spaghetti.html">another project</a> on my Cooking Nick's Books blog. It's a delicious pasta dish that my mother-in-law handed down to me--well, actually, Joe explained to me in detail how she used to make it and according to him, it's just like hers. So far it's only gotten nine pageviews. Nine. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on something yummy and REALLY EASY to make. Check it out <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-last-song-summer-spaghetti.html">here!</a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jXRkm-NhY4U/UAm9rnMobBI/AAAAAAAAFlc/nEZdfEQvCgI/s1600/IMG_1097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jXRkm-NhY4U/UAm9rnMobBI/AAAAAAAAFlc/nEZdfEQvCgI/s400/IMG_1097.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
(While you're at it, <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/bonus-peach-ice-cream-and-irene-update.html">here's another one</a> I published last summer for peach ice cream. That one has only had nine views as well. Can we make it ten? *smile*<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPEm8UtU3Xg/UAm-xxhdGaI/AAAAAAAAFlk/PKI5b4YHoXw/s1600/IMG_8146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPEm8UtU3Xg/UAm-xxhdGaI/AAAAAAAAFlk/PKI5b4YHoXw/s400/IMG_8146.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>--7--</b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
You may see a significant reduction in my online presence
very soon, partly because we'll have a lot going on during the latter part of
the summer and I won't have much time for blogging and social networking. There will be a lot for everyone to do to get
ready for the new school year. For the
last several years I've been working about 20 hours a week on average; this
year I'll be working 30. That's not a
whole lot, I know; lots of moms work 40 hours per week or more and still have
time for other things. But ten hours is
ten hours, and every hour I spend online is one hour I'm missing out on (or
neglecting) something else. I need to
take some time and re-evaluate how I want to spend time online, make sure my online
presence is meaningful to myself and others.
It's so easy to idly browse Facebook and Twitter and blog readers with
no real purpose, and then suddenly you've wasted an hour of your day doing
nothing. Plus with Blogger's new format,
it's easier than ever to see exactly how many times people have viewed my blog
posts, and the meager numbers are depressing.
At times I'm not sure if it's really worth the time I spend writing blog
posts if only a handful of people are going to see them. I'll never be an "it" blogger and
get lots of traffic and comments (I haven't really taken the time to figure out
how many comments per month I get on average because it varies, but I can go
through an entire month of blogging and have none--which sounds hypocritical coming
from me because I almost never leave comments) and I hope that the few people
who do read this don't feel like they've wasted their time. And how many people actually see every 140-character-or-less
post I put up on Twitter? Not many.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Boy, it sure sounds like I'm whining, doesn't it? Enough of that. I do love blogging and social networking; maybe I
just need to spend less time doing it.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/07/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-181.html">Jen Fulwiler</a> is definitely an "it" blogger
because, well, her blog rocks. She's the
one who invented "7 Quick Takes," so now that you've wasted five
minutes of your day reading this one(ha ha), head on over to <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/07/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-181.html">Conversion Diary</a>
and read her post from this week, and check out lots of other ones, too. Have a wonderful weekend!</div>
<br /></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-66687374132627955182012-07-13T08:01:00.000-04:002012-07-13T08:01:42.551-04:007 Quick Takes, Volume 48<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXrWDCTyA58/T__18Sb19pI/AAAAAAAAFfI/DAuIPGc5mUI/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXrWDCTyA58/T__18Sb19pI/AAAAAAAAFfI/DAuIPGc5mUI/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>--1--</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've gotten hooked on a new TV show.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, not new, exactly; it's <i>One Tree Hill</i>, and it ran for nine seasons: the first episode aired
in 2003, and the show ended (at least I'm <i>pretty</i>
sure it isn't coming back) just this past spring. It tells the story of a group of teenagers
(and the adults in their lives) in a small fictional North Carolina town. My family teases me, because they know the
reason I started watching the show in the first place is because I learned that
Gavin DeGraw's song "I Don't Wanna Be" is the theme song; and if you
listen carefully you just might on occasion hear strains from some of his
tunes. (And you may even get a rare
glimpse of Gavin himself; more on that later.)
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I<span style="background-color: white;">'ve only seen the first season and a few episodes from
Season Two, and I will say that so far, even though there are some things that
bug me about it (like, it seems to be a given that teenagers are going to drink
and have sex; plus everyone is thin and glamorous and no one has acne), there
are--so far--a lot of good things about the show, too.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">It seems to be geared mostly toward the
teenage crowd, and it could spark some great conversations between parents and
kids (although my boys aren't the least bit interested in watching it with me--and
it might be more suited for older teens anyway).</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Some of the positive messages I've seen
are:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">1.</b><span style="background-color: white;"> Sex isn't something to be taken lightly.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">There are consequences, and it's important to
be aware of them and to be prepared to deal with them.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">And it's perfectly okay NOT to have sex.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">2.</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Listen to your parents.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">They're not perfect; adults make mistakes
too, but there is much to learn from their knowledge and experience.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I really like the fact that the kids on the
show treat the adults with respect.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><b style="background-color: white;">3.</b><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">A main plot line on the show is a man who fathered two children as a
teenager and is struggling to figure out how to be a dad to both of them.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">In one episode it's revealed that he wanted
one of the mothers to have an abortion, and the young man is devastated when he
learns he might never have been born.</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">When the boy learns that his girlfriend might be pregnant, he agonizes
over what might happen and it's clear that abortion would not necessarily be a
good choice.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Plus the actors are good,
and the coastal North Carolina setting gives it a nice </span><i style="background-color: white;">A Walk To Remember</i><span style="background-color: white;"> kind of feel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still have nearly eight more seasons left to watch (THANK
YOU, NETFLIX!!) and it's possible that my thoughts and opinions about the show
will change as I go; but I'm looking forward to losing myself even further in
the lives of the residents of Tree Hill.
And if you've seen the show and want to share your feelings about it
with me, I'd love to hear them! (Just try to keep spoilers to a minimum,
please!)</div>
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<b>--2--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course the DeGraw Factor is a fun bonus; when Gavin first
shows up in Tree Hill he's like, twenty-six, but he probably could pass for one
of the teens on the show...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hHgHjwxt-C0" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Methinks I'll be seeing more of Gavin, and hearing lots more
of his music, too. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>--3--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Changing the subject...can I ask for your prayers for a
difficult family situation? I won't
reveal details here but some people who I love very much are going through some
really tough times right now. And it's
breaking my heart because they live so far away. Could you please pray for this special
intention? Thanks so much!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>--4--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Speaking of people I love very much, my brother and his wife
are expecting their first baby! We are
all very excited. My sister-in-law is
due in late December, and they couldn't be happier. If you could keep them and their unborn child
in your prayers, I (and they) would be grateful!</div>
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<b>--5--</b></div>
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-</div>
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Between the 100-plus degree heat and the crazy storms we've
had around here lately, it's been an interesting few weeks, weather wise. I actually was on the verge of taking Larry
to the emergency room a couple of weeks ago when he got dehydrated and
overheated at his outdoor adventure camp; fortunately once I got him home into
the air conditioning and he rested with a Gatorade in one hand and the TV
remote in the other, he was fine. Then,
that very night, came the infamous DERECHO OF DOOM that knocked out our power
for a good part of the weekend. We were
fortunate; no trees came down on our
house, and the only evidence of damage we found was one roof shingle that was
lying on the deck the next morning. Lots
of people in our area lost power for a week or more, had trees smash into their
living rooms, and all kinds of horrible stuff.
(Check out <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2012/07/a-week-away.html">Ginny's blog</a> for an account of their ordeal. Ginny amazes me sometimes the way she can
make the best of a bad situation.) This
week? The weather (except for <a href="http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/07/microburst-damages-businesses-homes-in-fredericksburg-77728.html">one bizarre thunderstorm</a> that knocked down a couple of buildings not too far from here) has been BEAUTIFUL.</div>
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<b>--6--</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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It hasn't been too hot and stormy for the critters!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5CSKX32AzW0/UAAF0XnItvI/AAAAAAAAFfk/OOxK1sS2BHE/s1600/IMG_0971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5CSKX32AzW0/UAAF0XnItvI/AAAAAAAAFfk/OOxK1sS2BHE/s400/IMG_0971.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ujkvu4Hp_M4/UAAF5z5IRRI/AAAAAAAAFfs/QXQp2sq8yWM/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ujkvu4Hp_M4/UAAF5z5IRRI/AAAAAAAAFfs/QXQp2sq8yWM/s400/IMG_0982.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plSTA8kdAJQ/UAAF7P4qWMI/AAAAAAAAFf0/MzInwBTyd-o/s1600/IMG_0983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plSTA8kdAJQ/UAAF7P4qWMI/AAAAAAAAFf0/MzInwBTyd-o/s400/IMG_0983.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
(I snapped this one right before I chased them off. I did NOT want to witness a cat fight right next to my house, thank you very much.)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEokfkVI4fE/UAAGKjrPA1I/AAAAAAAAFgA/e2hV7t6Wguo/s1600/IMG_1052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEokfkVI4fE/UAAGKjrPA1I/AAAAAAAAFgA/e2hV7t6Wguo/s400/IMG_1052.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
(A much more mellow kitty)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zxa6y-F1xUE/UAAGSDXHWjI/AAAAAAAAFgI/tcKCkxiYDTQ/s1600/IMG_0966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zxa6y-F1xUE/UAAGSDXHWjI/AAAAAAAAFgI/tcKCkxiYDTQ/s400/IMG_0966.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
(An even more mellow doggy)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
...And, of course, the heat didn't stop the Joe and boys from putting on a private fireworks show in the driveway for the Fourth!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pcXFmAA9RIw/UAAGd8kDM2I/AAAAAAAAFgQ/R7DgOJUSZ60/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pcXFmAA9RIw/UAAGd8kDM2I/AAAAAAAAFgQ/R7DgOJUSZ60/s400/IMG_1025.JPG" width="273" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6u2qcMgLjqg/UAAGgcSKWeI/AAAAAAAAFgY/tzk8QCPKejo/s1600/IMG_1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6u2qcMgLjqg/UAAGgcSKWeI/AAAAAAAAFgY/tzk8QCPKejo/s400/IMG_1028.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>--7--</b></div>
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Finally I have a few links to share with you:</div>
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<br /></div>
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--I've been busy on my other blog, <i>Cooking Nick's
Books</i>. Check out these <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/choice-brazilian-chicken-delicious-do.html">Brazilian Chicken Cutlets</a> I made last week, and the <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/girl-with-dragon-tattoo-bacon-pancakes.html">bacon pancakes</a> I cooked just the other
night. </div>
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<br /></div>
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--If you missed it, you can read <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/07/waxing-nostalgic.html">this post,</a> in which I
reminisce about a Buddy Guy concert we attended 20 years ago. The best concert EVER. </div>
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<br /></div>
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(Buddy had a show last night at <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">Wolf Trap</a>. Sadly we had to skip it.
There was a swim meet.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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--And are you on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads?</a>
I joined that networking site for book lovers several years ago when I
was part of an online book discussion group.
Recently I've started using the site again to log and rate the books I'm
reading, and I've even written the occasional review. Last week I reviewed <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/355487106">a memoir</a> by the racing
legend Alex Zanardi, who lost both of his legs in a racing accident in
2001. You can read that review <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/355487106">here;</a> and
while you're at it, why not become my Goodreads Friend? That way we can each see what the other is
reading.</div>
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<br /></div>
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--Finally, Jenn Fulwiler, our 7 Quick Takes hostess with the
Mostest, published <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/07/a-conversation-with-my-gay-friend.html">a GREAT piece</a> earlier this week recalling the way she
explained the Catholic Church's teachings regarding marriage to a friend who is
gay. I bookmarked it on my computer and
I've got a good mind to memorize it. </div>
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Larry has been with Joe's parents in Williamsburg for the
last few days. It's amazing how much
more quiet our house has been with just Curly and Moe here. We get him back this weekend. I miss him.
(Good grief, what am I going to do when the boy goes off to COLLEGE?)</div>
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<br /></div>
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For more Quick Takes, visit Jenn's <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/07/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-180.html">Conversion Diary blog.</a> Have a wonderful weekend!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-5955080815137831782012-07-03T10:04:00.000-04:002012-07-03T10:04:54.195-04:00Waxing Nostalgic<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I promise you, this post has nothing whatsoever to do with
Gavin DeGraw, so bear with me when I mention his name in the first sentence.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other day Gavin posted on his Twitter page, "Woke
up in Chicago. Time to find something to
do." </div>
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<br /></div>
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I've been to Chicago once, about eight years ago when Joe an
I took a weekend trip there to visit his college roommate and to do some
sightseeing. (I know we took pictures,
but I can't find them. We didn't have a
digital camera at the time, so there are none on our computer; and I've sorted
through hundreds of old photos these last few days without finding a single one
from that weekend.) We visited the <a href="http://www.artic.edu/">Art Institute</a> (where I was
particularly impressed with the famous <a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/27992">Seurat painting</a> that inspired the
musical <i>Sunday in the Park with George</i>. It's huge.), <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80651083@N00/4971864090/">Da Bean</a>, the famous shiny sculpture
shaped like a lima bean (whose official name is "Cloud Gate," but who calls it that?), went shopping on Michigan Avenue (didn't buy much;
man, are those places expensive), rode to the top of the Sears Tower, stopped
in for a quick prayer at <a href="http://www.holynamecathedral.org/">Holy Name Cathedral,</a> and even rode by Oprah's studio
to see if we could get in (we couldn't).
Chicago is also known for its numerous blues clubs, and there is one in
particular that we visited, <a href="http://www.buddyguy.com/">Buddy Guy's Legends</a>, that's owned by one of Joe's
favorite blues artists. I don't remember
who was playing that night; I don't think it was anyone well known, but I do
remember that they played a great rendition of "Sweet Home Chicago." Anyway, when I saw Gavin's tweet I remembered
that place and just for fun I tweeted him the link. (Yeah, <i>right;</i> AS IF Gavin DeGraw, on a night off from touring, would decide to go <b><i>there</i></b>
just because <b><i>I </i></b>suggested it! I would
be surprised if Gavin hasn't been there already; heck, he's probably <i>played</i> that gig and even met Buddy Guy
himself.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Since I've been waxing nostalgic lately about <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">concerts and how much fun it is to go to them,</a> I couldn't help but remember the time when
Joe and I had a rare opportunity to see Buddy Guy perform for us, along with perhaps
a hundred other people, if it was even that many. We had only recently started dating, and were
in that phase of our relationship when he lived in Maryland and I lived in
Southwestern Virginia and we were taking turns visiting each other every other
weekend. There is a little town in Giles
County, Virginia, in the mountains, called <a href="http://www.newportrecreation.com/home">Newport.</a> (Some people confuse it with the city of
Newport News. There are no similarities
between the two, believe me.) One
weekend in the summer, there was a music festival there--I'm pretty sure it was
called the Newport Blues Festival, although much smaller than the more-famous
one with the same name in <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/10/5.html">Newport, Rhode Island. </a> There were a number of local bands scheduled
to play, and the headline event of the day--the very last act of the evening,
the main attraction--was none other than Buddy Guy. There was no way Joe was going to miss that
one. We showed up with our blanket and
our cooler of beer and soda and snacks, and lounged around enjoying the music
for most of the day. We realized that
most of the festival-goers were there to see one particular local band that was
fairly popular at the time--I don't even remember the name, but they weren't
too bad--and that the majority of the crowd had either never heard of Buddy Guy
or could have cared less about him. By
the time Buddy came out to play, almost everyone had left.<br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_E1KCoXtpU/T_LBBEPG-tI/AAAAAAAAFcI/_1lz0-BsDvE/s1600/IMG_0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_E1KCoXtpU/T_LBBEPG-tI/AAAAAAAAFcI/_1lz0-BsDvE/s320/IMG_0987.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>My parents gave us this print from a local artist named Walt Hughes called "Full Moon Newport" shortly after we moved into our house. They remembered what a good time we had at the music festival there. </i></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
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I think I can honestly say, out of all the concerts I've
been to, that may have been the best show I've ever attended. (Maybe even better than <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">Gavin's,</a> and that's
saying a lot.) Since there were so few
people in attendance, we were able to get very close to the stage and Buddy
didn't seem the least bit sorry that only a small number of us had stuck around
to see him. He put on a fantastic show,
and it was obvious that he was truly enjoying himself and was happy to perform
for such a small intimate crowd. I don't
think it mattered to him whether there were ten people or then thousand; he
made sure it would be a wonderful evening for everyone. Since then, Buddy has appeared several times
at Wolf Trap (the same place I saw the<i> </i><a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html"><i>almost-</i>best show ever</a>), but Joe has been reluctant to go because he knows he'll be
disappointed. There will never be
another chance to see Buddy Guy in such an intimate setting, and he's afraid he
wouldn't enjoy it as much as he did when we saw him 20 years ago. Frankly I can't blame him.</div>
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This past weekend we had a chance to catch up with Joe's
friend Paul, the one who lives in Chicago, when he was in Washington, DC for a
cousin's wedding. We spent a good part
of Saturday with him and his wife, and got to meet their two adorable
kids. It was great to see them again,
and we vowed that SOON we would come to the Windy City to visit, and bring the
boys. Even fifteen-year-old Larry
commented on how much fun it was to spend time with them. In the meantime we'll look forward to a visit
to the<a href="http://www.navypier.com/"> Navy Pier</a> or the <a href="http://www.msichicago.org/?gclid=CP7G_IzC_bACFQff4AodSxZVhA">Museum of Science and Industry</a> (Curly would love that
one) or the <a href="http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/">Alder Planetarium</a>; and I know Joe will want to take in a Cubs game. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I found this video of Buddy Guy from 1992, right around the
time we saw him. It brought back a
wonderful memory and made me smile.
Watch and enjoy!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N6O9DaIGy9M" width="420"></iframe></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-13214490752722326532012-06-22T09:33:00.001-04:002012-06-22T09:33:29.557-04:007 Quickish Takes, Volume 47<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xA7BKmUysj0/T-Q7u_RcEiI/AAAAAAAAFZg/-FBdWJZOarA/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xA7BKmUysj0/T-Q7u_RcEiI/AAAAAAAAFZg/-FBdWJZOarA/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ONE</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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We spent a wonderful Father's Day at my in-laws' in
Williamsburg. Did you know that my
mother-in-law is the gardening queen?
When Joe was growing up they ate fresh vegetables from their garden
every summer. (This is why he won't
touch beets today. He had too many of
them when he was a kid). When Joe and I
met, Queen MIL (aka "Grandma B") had a pretty extensive herb garden,
which is somewhat scaled back these days.
But her flowers--wow. Recently
her housing development hosted its own Garden Week tours, and hers was one of
the featured gardens. Here's why:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5rmOrt-wbY/T-Q8FoUJGXI/AAAAAAAAFaA/_hLE7tiTXOg/s1600/IMG_0914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5rmOrt-wbY/T-Q8FoUJGXI/AAAAAAAAFaA/_hLE7tiTXOg/s400/IMG_0914.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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And we played several rounds of Cornhole, (Otherwise known as Beanbag Toss. Did you know there is an official <a href="http://www.playcornhole.org/index.php">Cornhole Association</a>, and that they have an annual<a href="http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-opryland/specials-packages/specials/american-cornhole-association/index.html"> tournament </a>in Nashville?) and I ended up beating the pants off everybody most of the time. I declared myself the Cornhole Queen. Hmm, I haven't been to Nashville in a long time...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MaQSbM2A1VQ/T-Q8R9uQTxI/AAAAAAAAFag/QwPpjQ2wHCU/s1600/tn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MaQSbM2A1VQ/T-Q8R9uQTxI/AAAAAAAAFag/QwPpjQ2wHCU/s320/tn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(For more photos of Grandma B's garden,<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2011/04/get-thee-to-woods-vol-25-grandmas.html"> click here.</a>)<br />
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<b>TWO</b></div>
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I'm still figuring out how to use my new DROID 4 phone, and
a few of things I discovered this past week about the camera feature are <b>1.</b>
There is a forward-facing option. Sweet! I did not know this when I bought it. <b>2.</b> There are different settings on it, like for taking
black-and white photos and giving them a negative effect (I haven't tried these
yet).<b> 3.</b> I had my flash turned off for
the first two weeks that I had my new phone.
DOH!! Had I known, well, <i>THIS...</i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DM_TKO0aTHk/T-Q-yU51iRI/AAAAAAAAFao/ONU5mwnQ854/s1600/GavinCloseup6a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DM_TKO0aTHk/T-Q-yU51iRI/AAAAAAAAFao/ONU5mwnQ854/s320/GavinCloseup6a.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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...could have been an AWESOME picture of Gavin DeGraw. <b><i>SIGH...</i></b> Ah, well. Next time, Gavin... next time.</div>
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(For more blurry pictures of Gavin, <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">click here.</a>)</div>
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<b>THREE</b></div>
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Not long ago I made Gavin DeGraw's song "Chariot"
my phone's ringtone (for my old phone AND my new one), and I even set it to be
my alarm when I wake up in the morning.
Well, after <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/friendship-loss-rock-and-roll-gavin.html">seeing Gavin in concert</a> I had such a case of Gavin Fever
that I even put up a photo of his <i>Sweeter</i>
album cover as my wallpaper. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBgcKW_wdRc/T-RCW94g0YI/AAAAAAAAFa4/2Tdb78KVCoA/s1600/IMG_0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBgcKW_wdRc/T-RCW94g0YI/AAAAAAAAFa4/2Tdb78KVCoA/s400/IMG_0886.JPG" width="246" /></a></div>
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On a recent morning when I went to check my messages and
such, I heard myself say, "Good morning, Gavin." That was when I decided it was time for new
wallpaper. Now I have this:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzl1m3fI-ic/T-RCm1yPrDI/AAAAAAAAFbA/u0Em5aDtL7M/s1600/IMG_20110805_233213+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzl1m3fI-ic/T-RCm1yPrDI/AAAAAAAAFbA/u0Em5aDtL7M/s320/IMG_20110805_233213+(1).jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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And guess what? I
like it better. I think I'm slowly
returning to normal. (I still have my "Chariot"
ringtone. I think I'll keep that one for
a while.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tXl12Cl8gG4" width="560"></iframe></div>
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(YouTube must randomly pick stills from videos when you embed them in your post. This shot of Gavin is even worse than my too-dark one from Take #2.)<br />
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<b>FOUR</b></div>
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<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/7-quick-takes-volume-46.html">In an earlier post,</a> I posted this photo of a mama bird
sitting on her nest, right above our front door. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cHLW1dmVSjc/T-RD1r6y-RI/AAAAAAAAFbI/v-vuENxlv6k/s1600/IMG_0773a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cHLW1dmVSjc/T-RD1r6y-RI/AAAAAAAAFbI/v-vuENxlv6k/s400/IMG_0773a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last week, here's what we found:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zBUvEvLhy1M/T-RELTfUWuI/AAAAAAAAFbQ/44LPOXbB3f4/s1600/IMG_0856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zBUvEvLhy1M/T-RELTfUWuI/AAAAAAAAFbQ/44LPOXbB3f4/s400/IMG_0856.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I haven't seen any activity since I climbed up on a
stepladder to take that photo; I hope I didn't scare the mother away from her
babies. Other critters I've seen
recently in my yard:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fnE_JAkVdxg/T-RGjfMU-nI/AAAAAAAAFbY/BRihaRVqi4U/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fnE_JAkVdxg/T-RGjfMU-nI/AAAAAAAAFbY/BRihaRVqi4U/s400/IMG_0838.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4bDZ3NaIVN8/T-RGj4GK9bI/AAAAAAAAFbg/DqWkrcILwhg/s1600/IMG_0832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4bDZ3NaIVN8/T-RGj4GK9bI/AAAAAAAAFbg/DqWkrcILwhg/s400/IMG_0832.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0pIq256p-c/T-RGnqXPAfI/AAAAAAAAFbo/h4QSIP-yI4I/s1600/IMG_0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0pIq256p-c/T-RGnqXPAfI/AAAAAAAAFbo/h4QSIP-yI4I/s400/IMG_0842.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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(This cat was trying real hard to get me to like it.)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__aeUXTMTA0/T-RGw_TEltI/AAAAAAAAFbw/L80Jt7wbAig/s1600/IMG_0939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__aeUXTMTA0/T-RGw_TEltI/AAAAAAAAFbw/L80Jt7wbAig/s400/IMG_0939.JPG" width="345" /></a></div>
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(I know some of you don't like spiders; I think they're fascinating, as long as they're OUTSIDE.)</div>
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<b>FIVE</b></div>
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Today is the feast day of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, and that
means...Let the <a href="http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/index.cfm">Fortnight for Freedom </a>Begin!!
Hooray for the United States bishops for speaking out for religious
liberty. I honestly don't think many people
realize that our rights as Americans to practice our faith in our daily lives
is threatened, and that if we don't do something about it, it's only going to
get worse. When President Obama and
Secretary Sebelius stuck their fingers in our faces and told us that EVERYONE would
have to pay for other people's birth control pills and morning-after pills
because THEY SAID SO, to hell with your Church's teaching, that woke a lot of people up, I think. Now Catholic institutions are in danger of
either providing something that violates Church teaching or be forced to shut
down (or only hire and serve practicing Catholics--which ALSO goes against
Church principles). The government
thinks it knows right for us better than we do.
If people want to use contraceptives, fine, but don't make us pay for
them. Next they will be forcing Catholic
institutions to recognize and endorse same-sex marriage, or to provide and pay for
abortions (we're already paying for them anyway, as long as we keep throwing
money at Planned Parenthood). Who is to
say America won't go the way of China and enforce a one- or two-child
policy? Freedom of religion means the
freedom to follow the teachings of our religion. This is what we must fight for.</div>
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Last night our parish kicked off Fortnight for Freedom with
a holy hour and prayed the Liturgy of the Hours. There was a Mass at the Basilica of the
Assumption in Baltimore (which I forgot to record, dang it), and at the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC, there will be a
concluding Mass on July 4. (I want to go
to this. Joe wants to go to the
Nationals game. Or we might just stay home and<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5015542415200761905#editor/target=post;postID=7176972560177770141"> relax with friends and family</a> like we usually do on the Fourth of July. I'll let you know where
we end up.) Our parish will pray a
novena for religious liberty starting next week. As for me I'm going to try to attend at least
some daily Masses (missed it today), pray the Rosary and read scripture every day; and I hope to
check out lots of resources online about life issues and religious freedom and
Church teaching, and maybe share some of them with you and with my Facebook
friends and Twitter followers. I want to
try and be more Christ-like, to look for opportunities to serve others and to
love my neighbor. This is a good
opportunity for us to fast and pray for our country and for each other, and to
give ourselves for the good of others.<br />
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<br />
If you want to know how your parish and your diocese is
participating in the Fortnight for Freedom, and for lots of prayer and study
resources, <a href="http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/index.cfm">click here.</a><br />
<br />
<b>SIX</b><br />
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You know I have another blog, right? It's called <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/"><i>Cooking Nick's Books</i>.</a> Hardly
anyone reads it. That's all right,
because I have a lot of fun preparing dishes from Nicholas Sparks' bestselling
novels; plus it gives me an excuse to read his books over and over. I've posted some fabulous recipes there: <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/lucky-one-turkey-on-homemade-bread.html">most recently</a>, a DELICIOUS molasses oatmeal bread that Joe's mom used to make for
him, and when we married it was REQUIRED that I learned to make it; plus a
yummy custard-style ice cream that I've never tried before but turned out
amazing. Inspired by Nicholas' book <i>The Lucky One</i>; I'm sure you've heard of
it since it's a movie and all...you know, the one with Zac Efron... <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/lucky-one-turkey-on-homemade-bread.html">Head on over</a> and check it out, you won't regret it. *SMILE*</div>
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Oh, and last week, I published a <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/7-quick-takes-mussels-and-short-ribs.html">"7 Quick Takes"</a>
there that involves mussels, ribs, and <i>Dancing
With the Stars.</i> (Yes, Gavin too, but
only slightly; AND, a certain race car
driver who can dance the quickstep like nobody's business.) You can <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/7-quick-takes-mussels-and-short-ribs.html">take a peek</a> at that one too, if you
want... *wink-wink*</div>
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<b>SEVEN</b><br />
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Because I seem to have a knack for remembering dates,
especially birthdays (Gavin's is February 4, in case you were wondering...You
weren't? Oh.), I can't leave without
mentioning that the racing legend Dan Wheldon would have turned thirty-four
today. Dan will forever be thirty-three;
he was tragically killed in a horrible racing accident in Las Vegas last
October 16 (John Mayer's birthday; and ironically, the day I published <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2011/10/random-nuttiness-regarding-birthdays.html">this silly birthday post</a>, and the day we cooked<a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/choice-grilled-shrimp-kebobs-with.html"> these shrimp kebobs</a>). I can't imagine what his family must be
feeling right now; instead of celebrating his birthday, they're mourning his
death. I posted some photos and thoughts
and memories about racing and about Dan the night after he died; you can find
that post<a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-i-became-racing-fan-and-why-im-so.html"> here.</a></div>
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Dan smiled at me once...sort of.</div>
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We miss you, Dan. Happy Birthday.</div>
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Have a wonderful weekend, and be sure to visit Jen's <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2012/06/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-177.html">Conversion Diary</a> blog for more Quick Takes!<br />
<br />Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-15341287326071301992012-06-14T16:41:00.000-04:002012-06-14T16:41:56.100-04:00Books and Life Journeys and Finding Oneself: Oprah's Wild New Book Club Pick<br />
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I was so excited when I learned via Twitter that Oprah had
<a href="http://www.oprah.com/packages/oprahs-book-club-2.html">restarted her book club.</a> I think that
was my first real dive into social media, and I loved taking part in the online
discussions of <i>Anna Karenina, As I Lay
Dying, East of Eden,</i> and others. I
read books I never thought I would read.
Oprah helped me appreciate classical literature, and to read many other
classics on my own, like<i> The Count of
Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities,</i>
and <i>Jane Eyre</i>. All of these books are high up on my list of all-time
favorites. Sometimes when I'm looking
for a new book to read, if it has the "Oprah's Book Club" seal, I
choose it just for that reason. Without
it I might have never read <i>The Pillars of
the Earth</i> or <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i>
(by the way, when is that one going to be made into a movie already??) And I dug my copy of <i>Icy Sparks</i> out of a box in my attic the other day, and downloaded <i>Say You're One of Them</i> onto my
e-reader. Hopefully I'll read those
books this summer.</div>
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As soon as I found out about Oprah's re-"kindle"d
book club--yes, pun intended, ha ha--I downloaded her latest pick, <i>Wild</i> by Cheryl Strayed, onto my iPad's
Kindle App. (And now that I have a
brand-new DROID 4G smartphone with a Kindle app included, I can read all my
books on that, too. Woot!) When I read the synopsis--Girl Goes on Long Hike
on Pacific Crest Trail to Overcome Troubled Past and Tragic Death of her Mother
and Emerges as New Woman--I thought, OK, sounds interesting. Kind of like a cross between Bill Bryson's <i>A Walk in the Woods</i>, a riveting and
funny memoir of the author's adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail, and <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i>, Elizabeth Gilbert's
around-the-world quest to "find herself." (Which, by the way, was another Oprah's Book
Club selection. Do I sense a theme
here?) Reading <i>Wild</i>, I couldn't help
but wonder if maybe Cheryl tried a little bit too hard to make it like both of
those books, because it kind of was, except not as much fun to read.</div>
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I'll give Cheryl credit for doing what she did; I know I
never would have been brave enough to set out on a long solo hike like
that. She tells us about her childhood;
growing up without her father, living in a house with no electricity or running
water with a mother who loved her children deeply and a stepfather who
cherished them as he would his own children; about getting married too young and
cheating on her husband and taking up with a heroin addict, ultimately becoming
a user herself and getting pregnant and having an abortion. (What bothered me most about that was not
that she aborted her baby, which is tragic enough; she didn't seem to have any
second thoughts about it. Even later in
the book when she recalls that nine months after her abortion she thought,
"Gee, if I didn't have an abortion I'd be having a baby right about
now. Isn't that something." I wonder if she ever thinks about that child
who is blatantly missing from this story.)</div>
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And Cheryl is a talented writer and storyteller, that's for
sure. I enjoyed the accounts of her
adventures on the trail, the friends she made along the way, and was moved by
the tragic stories of her past--her mother's death, her divorce, the early
years when her father abused her mother.
I found the story of how she and her younger brother made the decision
to shoot their old horse that they loved particularly poignant. But is this a book I would read again? Not likely.
Despite her brave attempt to inspire us with her own story of Finding
Herself, frankly it kind of falls flat.
And Cheryl (who I've never met and I'm sure is a very nice person) comes
across as kind of selfish. "Yay
me! I walked a bajillion miles all by
myself! And I met lots of cool people,
and I even got laid!! Woo-hoo!" (Oh, and she makes sure she tells us that
when she and her siblings were preparing to spread her mother's ashes in a
garden they had planted, she took a couple of the bigger chunks and swallowed
them. Ohhh, <i>Kaaayyy</i>...)</div>
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What I don't understand--in addition to her bizarre
compulsion to swallow her mother, <i>ew</i>--is why she <i>needed</i> to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to "find herself." Maybe that's because I never had time to do
anything that adventurous, and that I've "found myself" just by
living my life. The decisions I've made
and the paths I've taken along the way.
Earlier in my life I was all gung-ho to join the Peace Corps, and thought that somehow two years of living in a remote village in Africa would be just what I
needed to Find Myself. After <i>almost</i> getting in, <i>almost</i> getting sent to someplace in South America (they wanted me
to be a teacher trainer. What a
joke. I had no teaching experience at
the time.), I ran across a couple of brick walls and my application
stalled. At which time I met my future
husband, and was faced with a choice whether to persevere with this Peace Corps
thing or find out where my new relationship with this amazing man was
headed. I chose the man. (Later I realized that finding oneself is the
wrong reason to join the Peace Corps. It
ought to be a selfless act for the good of others. Duh.)
I married him, <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-becoming-catholic-part-3-not-end-of.html">became a Catholic,</a> started my family, et cetera; and here
I am. That was all I needed to do to
find myself, and do you know what? I'm
still Finding Myself. Sure, I've made
some mistakes along the way; who hasn't? I'm sure I'll make many more. My journey here won't be over until they put me in
the ground.</div>
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I enjoyed <i>Wild</i>,
and I'm glad I had a chance to read it.
Someday perhaps I'll get to hike parts of the Pacific Crest Trail (my
husband and my sons walking with me, of course). Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing what Oprah
chooses as her next book club selection.
And yes, I'll probably read it.</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-37944335481240307262012-06-12T16:04:00.000-04:002015-03-06T08:37:24.247-05:00Friendship. Loss. Rock and Roll. Gavin DeGraw. And Rick Springfield.<br />
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A friend recently posted a quote on Facebook that said,
"I may be old, but I've seen all the good bands."</div>
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I've seen some good bands in my time, and some bad ones, and
some pretty awesome solo acts, too. When
I was a teenager my mother took me and some of my friends to see Rick
Springfield in concert, and God love her, she was miserable. She sat still in her seat staring in
disbelief at the spectacle on stage, shaking her head at the hysterical
teenagers all around her--us included--jumping up and down and screaming Rick's
name and singing the songs with him at the tops of our lungs. One of my friends, Becky was her name, was
wheelchair bound and we had seats on an aisle so she could have a clear view of
the stage. My mother--my fabulous,
rock-and-roll-hating mother, made sure that nobody, <i>nobody</i>, was allowed to block Becky's view of Rick. She had many a dirty look thrown her way from
girls who were repeatedly told to sit down because there was a girl here who
was handicapped and couldn't stand. (Looking
back I suppose my other friends and I should have stayed in our seats, too; but
hey, we were fifteen, and anyway Becky was in front of us and <i>we</i> weren't blocking her view.) At my house that night Becky told me this had
been the best night of her entire life.</div>
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Becky had a tough life.
She was born with spina bifida, when her mother was sixteen. Her mom married Becky's father but eventually
they were divorced, and she went from one bad relationship to another. Becky's mom did the best she could to raise her
but sometimes the drama in her life was so overwhelming that Becky had to rely
on other people for emotional support.
Unfortunately some of the people she turned to weren't exactly the best
role models. She got in trouble at
school once in seventh or eighth grade because one of her so-called "friends"
had promised her some favor if she would bring beer and cigarettes to school to
give him. She hadn't really learned what
it meant to have a true friendship, a relationship in which people care for
each other and mutually support and look out for the good of each other. So when Becky said that to me that night
after the Rick Springfield concert, it wasn't just about getting to see Rick. It was that we were all there together,
sharing the gift that he was offering to us that night. It was my mother going with us even though
she hated the music (oh, and was it ever loud), and making sure Becky would
have a good seat, daring anyone to get in Becky's line of vision and ruin it
for her; and then bringing us all home late, late at night. It was Becky and I staying up until the wee
hours talking about what we'd seen and heard, knowing we would never forget it.</div>
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That's what music does, doesn't it? It brings people together. I've been to a lot of concerts since that
night with Rick. What I remember most
about them isn't the music (although I still vividly remember the shiny
bright-red leather pants the lead singer of Loverboy was wearing, and the
bandanna in his lovely curly hair--like<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL8G5pBZ5CI&feature=autoplay&list=FL3wy9soTOgnzV2RzGDeObDw&playnext=1"> in this video</a>), but how much fun it was
to be with people I cared about. My
brother and I arriving super-early to a Richard Marx concert to be the first
ones through the doors when they were opened, and sprinting ahead of the rest
of the crowd to grab front-row seats. Being
pregnant with Larry at a Jimmy Buffett concert, with a couple he went to
college with, and her being pregnant too and us girls wishing we could have the
juice-pouch margaritas they were serving; and Jimmy running down the aisle past
us and high-fiving people, and giving one to Joe, and him turning around,
grinning from ear to ear and high-fiving the rest of us. And just last Saturday, with Colbie Caillat
and Gavin DeGraw and a Hawaiian folk singer named Justin Young (who, it so
happens, is Colbie's beau--or possibly her husband...? I don't really know--but when they sang one
of her songs together I think half the audience swooned.) The music was fabulous, and I was so close to
Gavin at one point I could almost have reached out and touched him; but the
best part is that now I have a new set of memories to share with my
sister-in-law Jenn and my friends Barbara and Mauri.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeCzCy3Pxm8/T9eT9Axun0I/AAAAAAAAFU4/GMBf2kXjriU/s1600/GavinOnstage6a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeCzCy3Pxm8/T9eT9Axun0I/AAAAAAAAFU4/GMBf2kXjriU/s400/GavinOnstage6a.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SG1M9aArw4/T9eT_Pq7DxI/AAAAAAAAFVA/Ty-uCL4uNc0/s1600/GavinOnstage5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SG1M9aArw4/T9eT_Pq7DxI/AAAAAAAAFVA/Ty-uCL4uNc0/s400/GavinOnstage5.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I told the boys on Sunday they would have enjoyed the show,
especially Colbie, who was fantastic.
But they might have been embarrassed to be seen with this crazy old lady
who, like all the other teenagers and middle-aged women and kids and tattooed
couples who were there, was jumping up and down and singing Gavin's songs with
him and yelling his name and snapping blurry pictures with her phone. And the woman who, when after the show when
Gavin came back to sign autographs for fans who had stuck around long enough,
literally ran to the stage just to see him up close, to hear his actual voice
not coming through a radio or a television or a loudspeaker, to take more
photos, to join the crowd of (mostly younger) women waving their tickets and
programs and begging him to sign them. I
felt like a teenager again, and as I let myself get lost in the excitement and
the music that would soon be a distant memory, I knew what would remain was the
memory of spending these few hours with people I loved. I thought of all the other friends and family
members who I wished could have been with us; and I'll tell you right now if
Gavin ever comes around again I want to call up everyone I can think of and
bring a party with me, including--hopefully--Joe and the boys this time. (My only regret? Not getting a T-shirt.)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5izCKgUd-BU/T9eU3Q9VI4I/AAAAAAAAFVI/gFL4jybaHUM/s1600/GavinOnstage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5izCKgUd-BU/T9eU3Q9VI4I/AAAAAAAAFVI/gFL4jybaHUM/s400/GavinOnstage1.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W6V19VXHgtU/T9eU5wf9cJI/AAAAAAAAFVQ/81NHuTIgge4/s1600/GavinCloseup1a.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W6V19VXHgtU/T9eU5wf9cJI/AAAAAAAAFVQ/81NHuTIgge4/s320/GavinCloseup1a.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>(Smiling for someone else's camera...but I caught it!!!)</i></div>
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Now Gavin DeGraw is no longer just the wonderfully talented
singer and songwriter who only recently got my attention on <i>Dancing With the Stars</i>. He's
not just the person with the amazing voice and crooked smile who makes his
audiences cheer and swoon when he sings "Chariot" and "I'm In
Love With a Girl" and "Sweeter," or the guy who <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpvj7w_gavin-degraw-karina-smirnoff-rumba_shortfilms" target="_blank">learned to dance the rumba</a> on national television, and cried when the show's host asked him how
it felt to have his mom and dad in the audience cheering him on. Now when I listen to his CDs I won't only
think about those things, or how much I like this or that song; he will also be
the person who shared his gift of music with me and my friends, the person who
inspired me to take them on a girls' night out we won't soon forget. The person who helped me feel sixteen again,
just for a little while. My friend
Mauri said she thought Gavin and Colbie were the most personable performers she'd
seen, the way they interacted with the audience, thanking us for coming and for
singing along with them, and showing genuine appreciation for the gift we had
given them just by being there. Not too
many big-name performers will come out after a show and sign autographs; Gavin
did. (No, I didn't get one. Maybe someday I will.) And Colbie Caillat? She's not just a voice I'm vaguely aware of
on the radio anymore. She's amazingly
talented and lovely and fun to watch onstage.
I hope I have a chance to bring the boys to one of her shows, because I
know they would love it. There are new
memories to be made.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QgQ2t-S3aII/T9eVdA6W0aI/AAAAAAAAFVY/cz9dT1G9D1k/s1600/ColbieOnstage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QgQ2t-S3aII/T9eVdA6W0aI/AAAAAAAAFVY/cz9dT1G9D1k/s400/ColbieOnstage3.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
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<i>(Colbie Caillat. She rocks.)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6IbwOEEvHoI/T9eVfIaBAnI/AAAAAAAAFVg/jXzwRph5YMY/s1600/GavinsWolfTrapPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6IbwOEEvHoI/T9eVfIaBAnI/AAAAAAAAFVg/jXzwRph5YMY/s400/GavinsWolfTrapPic.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>OK. Normally I try not to use other people's photos on my blog, BUT...it's one that Gavin posted on his Twitter page, and I just HAD to share it with you because if you look all the way to the left of the picture, between Gavin and the first post and just a little lower, there we are. Sorry to steal your photo, Gavin... ;)</i></div>
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I quickly lost touch with Becky after high school. We saw each other a few times in the years I
was in college and shortly after, but by the time I was in my mid-twenties (to
make a long story short) there really was no friendship left. I gave myself a lot of reasons why, but
mostly it was because the drama in her life was difficult for me to deal with
at the time. Like many others had done, I cast
her aside. A few years ago I got an
email from a former high school classmate, who had contacted everyone in our
graduating class to let us know that Becky had died. I was shocked and saddened by the news, and
felt some regrets, too; mostly that I didn't work harder to keep our friendship
alive. Perhaps if I knew she would die
so young I would have. I think she had
gotten married; I hope her husband was able to provide the kind of self-giving
love she so needed, and that her last years were happy ones. I've been thinking about Becky a lot these
last few days; I know she would have loved Gavin DeGraw.</div>
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I'll leave you with a video I found on YouTube that someone
took at the concert on Saturday. (Back
in the 1980s and 1990s we didn't have YouTube.
I would love to have a video of that Rick Springfield concert back in
1983.) The band Foreigner is coming to my little town
in a couple of months. I am so
there. Rock on, my friends! Now to listen to that new Colbie Caillat CD I
just bought...<br />
<br />
<i>(UPDATE, September 2013: Labor Day Weekend of this year I managed to drag my family to<a href="http://eatingslowly.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/theme-thursday-volume-6/" target="_blank"> another Gavin DeGraw concert,</a> and guess what? They loved it! It wasn't too hard to convince them to go, because there was a baseball game beforehand. I posted a few pictures on my new blog, <b>Eating Slowly</b>; I hope you'll stop by there and <a href="http://eatingslowly.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/theme-thursday-volume-6/" target="_blank">take a look!</a>)</i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dmCgpeIBpmU" width="560"></iframe></div>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-68732813194513903402012-06-07T09:00:00.000-04:002012-06-07T09:03:13.908-04:007 Quick Takes, Volume 46<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nXK-4iD9c2Q/T9CbRmRAFSI/AAAAAAAAFSU/UzF06_IaOnE/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nXK-4iD9c2Q/T9CbRmRAFSI/AAAAAAAAFSU/UzF06_IaOnE/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>--1--</b></div>
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When Joe read <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/marvelous-gift-ofwell.html">my most recent blog post</a>, he told me it was the strangest one <b>ever</b>. He found the
reference to geocaching especially bizarre, and, well, kinda icky. I got a couple of very nice comments (Thank
you <a href="http://lovemylittleflower.blogspot.com/">Gardenia</a> and <a href="http://aussiecoffeeshop.blogspot.com/">Therese!</a> You ladies
rock!) but now I'm wondering if other people found it a little wacko and just
didn't say anything. Joe teased me about
it a little bit--in a nice way, of course--and the fact that he finds my love
of certain chores pleasurable just a wee bit crazy doesn't bother me. In fact, he and the boys are perfectly happy
to let me do it so they won't have to.
So <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/marvelous-gift-ofwell.html">take a gander at this</a> and be honest:
Am I weird? (You won't hurt my
feelings, I promise. As long as you keep
reading my blog, you can think whatever you want about me! Hah! *smiley face*)</div>
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<b>--2--</b></div>
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Behold the final
picture I took with my old Droid phone:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9CNJiln3-rc/T9Cb_XvjIYI/AAAAAAAAFSc/z4SuwvnWzis/s1600/leakywindshiled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9CNJiln3-rc/T9Cb_XvjIYI/AAAAAAAAFSc/z4SuwvnWzis/s400/leakywindshiled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had my windshield replaced last week, and on Friday when
we had a hard rain, it leaked something awful.
Water was pouring into my car. I
don't know what possessed me to take my phone out of its safe dry spot in my
center console, snap a picture, and post it on Facebook; but shortly thereafter
I stuck my phone into its usual spot under the dash. Where unbeknownst to me, there was a pool of
water hiding. (No, I was NOT driving
while snapping or uploading the picture.)
On Sunday, after having spent the weekend giving my poor soggy phone
rice baths and sauna treatments in the oven, I finally had to admit it was
toast. Now I have a new phone, a way
cooler one (DROID 4), and it has an 8 megapixel camera. This would mean it should take even better
photos than my last one, which had 5, although I haven't taken many pictures
with it yet and the ones I have aren't really any better than the old ones to
tell you the truth...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWp6Tgraf3k/T9CcMV8xyiI/AAAAAAAAFSk/RS76Ztbnrq4/s1600/lake3old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWp6Tgraf3k/T9CcMV8xyiI/AAAAAAAAFSk/RS76Ztbnrq4/s400/lake3old.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Old phone</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dyOSkjxAWFQ/T9CcPgXQA9I/AAAAAAAAFSs/zEAOgNP5uQM/s1600/lake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dyOSkjxAWFQ/T9CcPgXQA9I/AAAAAAAAFSs/zEAOgNP5uQM/s400/lake2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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New phone</div>
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Meh. I'm sure I'll be snapping lots of pictures with it, and perhaps I'll discover that the camera really <b>is </b>better.</div>
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BUT it's 4G, which means it has much faster Internet
connection, and I can watch Netflix from anywhere as long as there is coverage. Plus it has a bigger screen and better
resolution and better apps for Facebook and Twitter. And I didn't lose any of my contacts OR my
photos! </div>
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<b>--3--</b></div>
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Since I was
phone-less for several days, I had to rely on other means of communication,
like *gasp* talking to people face-to-face.
The other day when I needed to be home to greet the auto glass company so
they could fix my windshield AGAIN, I wanted to ask my neighbor who I carpool
with if she could pick up the kids from school the next afternoon. I didn't know her cell number, and she's hard
to reach on her land-line phone (mainly because her kids usually answer the
phone, and you know how reliable kids are about relaying phone messages to
their parents...). I had sent her a
message on Facebook, and when I dropped Larry off at swim practice I decided to
wander around the pool deck to see if she happened to be there since her kids
are on the swim team too. I found her,
we worked out a carpool plan, and I had a chance to shoot the breeze with her
about other things as well, and she introduced me to a couple of friends she
was with. I will say that while I'm
happy to have a (NEW!!) phone again, and I appreciate the value of a quick text
message, I enjoyed those fifteen or so minutes just chatting with my friend.</div>
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On Sunday we
returned from church to find this:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Z-aDBPDItc/T9CdFCm_hxI/AAAAAAAAFS0/1IqiOG7_5xc/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Z-aDBPDItc/T9CdFCm_hxI/AAAAAAAAFS0/1IqiOG7_5xc/s400/IMG_0805.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KIKlSvTvIV8/T9CdHWxVK1I/AAAAAAAAFS8/FwCzEXHMyns/s1600/IMG_0806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KIKlSvTvIV8/T9CdHWxVK1I/AAAAAAAAFS8/FwCzEXHMyns/s400/IMG_0806.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Someone had run off the road, destroyed our mailbox, gotten
his car stuck in the grass, and after much cursing and wheel-spinning, drove
off. Fortunately a neighbor saw the
whole thing, and reported it to the police.
They have a description of the vehicle but not a tag number. On Monday Joe put in a new (cheap) mailbox
and stand; hopefully one of these days we'll get one made out of bricks. They
may or may not catch the guy, but it's wonderful to have neighbors who look
after one another!</div>
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<b>--5--</b></div>
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The other day
while I performed <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2012/06/marvelous-gift-ofwell.html">the activity described in this post,</a> I spotted these things:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gf90f-s1WEM/T9CdhKcdGkI/AAAAAAAAFTE/tLReOrzNSN4/s1600/IMG_0810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gf90f-s1WEM/T9CdhKcdGkI/AAAAAAAAFTE/tLReOrzNSN4/s400/IMG_0810.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pv1zIpGn9us/T9CdyaKDijI/AAAAAAAAFTo/yeXwLTW6CM8/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pv1zIpGn9us/T9CdyaKDijI/AAAAAAAAFTo/yeXwLTW6CM8/s400/IMG_0822.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tadpoles in our perpetual puddle. I hope they'll eat all the mosquito larvae...</td></tr>
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<br />
Do you still think I'm nuts?
I might need to make it a habit to carry my camera with me while I'm scooping poop. I don't care what the neighbors
might think; after almost fifteen years they ought to know I can be a little
batty sometimes.</div>
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<b>--6--</b></div>
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Over the weekend
Moe asked to borrow my camera and telephoto lens. He spent the better part of an hour walking
around snapping photos. Here are some of
the great shots he took (mind you, these are unedited):</div>
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He's eleven. I think I have a budding photographer in my house.</div>
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--7--</div>
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I am OFFICIALLY on
my summer vacation now, and to celebrate I'm having a GIRLS NIGHT OUT on
Saturday with my sister-in-law and two other friends. We're heading to <a href="http://www.wolftrap.org/">Wolf Trap Performing ArtsCenter </a>to see GAVIN DEGRAW LIVE IN CONCERT!!
I'm super-excited. Thanks to <i>Dancing With the Stars</i> (which Gavin
didn't last very long on because...well...he sings much better than he dances)
I'm now a super-crazy Gavin fan. I
bought all of the CDs I could get my hands on and when I saw this concert
opportunity I jumped at the chance.
Mostly I'm looking forward to spending the evening with some of my
BFF's! </div>
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I won't be taking my clunky "fancy" camera with
me, but <i>maybe</i> I'll try to sneak a few
photos with my new phone...maybe.
Meanwhile here's a taste of what I'm hoping will be a fabulous night:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BvTZ8nDOtZU" width="560"></iframe></div>
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He can't dance, but he sure can ROCK!! Have a wonderful weekend!
</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-14378789532528229902012-06-01T08:45:00.000-04:002012-06-01T08:45:44.232-04:00The Marvelous Gift of...well...<br />
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Do you know what household chore is my favorite? The one I actually enjoy doing?</div>
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You're going to think I'm crazy.</div>
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Poop patrol. Yes, you
read that right. Walking around my yard,
plastic bags in hand, looking for dog turds and scooping them up. When I was a kid, I HATED that chore. Ick!
Well, after becoming a mom and changing I don't know how many thousands
of dirty diapers and potty accidents, I got over that real quick. OK, it's not the actual picking up of the
turds that I enjoy; and if I miss one and it ends up on the bottom of my shoe,
I am VERY annoyed. It's the quiet
solitude I love, the slow stroll around the yard; guilt-free because I'm
actually doing something useful. I have
to move slowly so as not to miss any (of course, I always do; if I were smart I
would scoop it up as soon as it leaves my dog's butt and I wouldn't have that
problem) and look carefully at the ground around me. I notice things I might not see otherwise.</div>
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The time of year doesn't matter all that much (although on
really cold days the poop has a tendency to freeze to the ground, in which case
I'm forced to abandon my task until a later time). In the winter I admire the frost on the
ground and the way the dirt crystallizes into tiny little stalactites (or would
that be stalagmites? I can never
remember the difference). If I'm lucky I
might see or hear a bird or two flitting around in the bare branches. Most
likely there will be crows cawing to each other from the tops of the trees. </div>
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In the spring and summer I listen to the birds twittering
and the wind whispering through the leaves, and admire the blooms on trees and
shrubs. </div>
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The fall is trickier; if I don't stay on top of it the
leaves tend to hide the "treasures" I'm supposed to be finding. <br />
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And I <i>think</i> when
I'm searching for turds. (Sometimes I call it poop-caching--like geocaching for
poop.) Joggers say they think best and
work out their problems when they're running.
I get into that zone when I'm making my way back and forth across my
yard, eyes on the ground. Sometimes I
pray. Occasionally I'll plug in my
earbuds and listen to music, but usually I prefer to hear the nature sounds--
albeit against the constant buzz of traffic noise.<br />
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Yesterday there was a wood thrush singing right above my
head. I don't know if you've ever heard<a href="http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=32">the song of a wood thrush;</a> it's a beautiful melodic sound. Wood thrushes like to sit high up in the
trees among the foliage, and they are difficult to spot; and when one is
singing near you its song surrounds you and it's sometimes hard to pinpoint
exactly where it's coming from. It seems
to be coming from everywhere. </div>
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Even when
one is singing off in the distance you can't help but stop and listen. No wonder it's my dad's favorite bird. When I worked at a summer camp I would wake
up in the morning to their beautiful song, and go to sleep at night to<a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/walker/buzz/141sl2.wav"> the rhythmicsound of katydids.</a> Ever since then,
those have been my two favorite sounds of summer. (And ocean waves. That makes three. Oh, and when we were in Bermuda a few years
back we were treated at night to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlwGEmi5lfc&list=FL3wy9soTOgnzV2RzGDeObDw&index=1&feature=plpp_video">the call of a tree frog</a> that sounds like bells
ringing. I would <i>move</i> to Bermuda just to get to hear that every night.)</div>
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I remember one friend telling me how much she enjoyed the
walk around <i>her</i> yard, picking up <i>her</i> dog's poop, and how relaxing it
was. When I realized that she wasn't
joking, I felt...relieved. I must not be
so crazy after all. So yesterday, as I
scooped up droppings and deposited them into my plastic grocery bag, with the
soft moss underneath my feet and the song of the thrush in my ears, I couldn't
help but thank God for the gift of poop patrol. </div>
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<br /></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-54487236172918351652012-05-29T07:43:00.001-04:002012-05-29T07:43:30.099-04:00Evening Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I borrowed the title for this post from Adam Baldwin. You may know him, especially if you're a "Firefly" fan. <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/adamsbaldwin">I love following him on Twitter.</a> He's one of the few conservative voices in Hollywood. Every night he tweets a photo of something lovely and titles it "Evening Grace." Often it's a sunset or ocean waves or something peaceful like that. <a href="https://twitter.com/adamsbaldwin/status/207264005444739072/photo/1">Here's </a>his tweet for Memorial Day.</div>
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The photos above are ones I snapped after we returned home from dinner out, when Moe went for a ride in the kayak and I took a short walk around the lake. Now that it's almost summer I hope to have many more slow and quiet evenings like this in the coming months. Perhaps this "evening grace" theme will be a regular feature here...we'll see.<br />
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This is our last week at preschool, and the boys have a couple of weeks left before they're finished for the summer. I hope you all have a grace-filled week!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-35844436043253765432012-05-23T22:13:00.000-04:002012-05-24T05:32:43.297-04:00Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I finally have my camera back! At about 5:00 today I noticed a new message on my answering machine. It was the camera store calling to tell me that my camera is finally ready, and they're open until 6. I usually leave the house around that time to head to my religious education class at church. I threw my things in the car, wolfed down some yogurt and granola for dinner, and left quickly so I'd have time to grab my camera before the last day of CCD for the year.</div>
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We crowned the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that stands outside the parish hall.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0vtN9yh20E/T72SS_XUw4I/AAAAAAAAFM8/nCljjSon-W0/s1600/IMG_0632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0vtN9yh20E/T72SS_XUw4I/AAAAAAAAFM8/nCljjSon-W0/s400/IMG_0632.JPG" width="390" /></a></div>
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At the beginning of the school year, I gave the kids a liturgical calendar for them to fill in with the colors of the liturgical year. From time to time we got out their calendars and colored in the spaces according to the season we were in. I modeled it partly after this one, which I found in the elementary Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classroom at the Episcopal church where I work;<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMuykNVskqE/T72X4g8sEeI/AAAAAAAAFN4/cztZfTnvxfA/s1600/IMG_8862a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMuykNVskqE/T72X4g8sEeI/AAAAAAAAFN4/cztZfTnvxfA/s400/IMG_8862a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Episcopal church, the color for Advent is blue. Someone--I forget who--recently told me that blue is an optional color in the Catholic church as well. I'd never heard this.</td></tr>
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and partly from the one in their textbook. We left the middle of the circle blank, and today I let the kids cut out illustrations from their books and glue them to the calendars. Below are some of the results. They turned out great, don't you think?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmgQDkLo-V4/T72SW0TJ77I/AAAAAAAAFNM/iCSJcOLKKXk/s1600/IMG_0645a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmgQDkLo-V4/T72SW0TJ77I/AAAAAAAAFNM/iCSJcOLKKXk/s400/IMG_0645a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm also asking for prayers: first, for a little boy named Truman who almost drowned and is in critical condition. For updates on his condition, visit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PrayForTrumanMouro">this Facebook page</a>. Also please pray for my friend's father who had a stroke yesterday.<br />
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Oh, and thanks be to God, yesterday my cousin Tyler returned home to his family after a tour of duty in Afghanistan!<br />
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Perhaps I'll be back here on Friday for 7 Quick Takes, but if not I hope you have a blessed Memorial Day weekend! (On Sunday, you'll find me--after Mass, of course--parked in front of my couch with my husband and a big glass of red wine, watching the Indianapolis 500. One day, we'll see that one in person...)Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-6514663710840055862012-05-20T08:12:00.000-04:002012-05-20T08:12:44.102-04:00Get Thee To the Church: St. Mary's, Blacksburg, Virginia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LCdymcNIGGc/T7jXAKf5CvI/AAAAAAAAFLY/7AWpCHA45w8/s1600/IMG_0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LCdymcNIGGc/T7jXAKf5CvI/AAAAAAAAFLY/7AWpCHA45w8/s400/IMG_0502.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So now that it's Ascension Sunday and almost Pentecost, I think it's high time I showed you where we went for Easter Sunday Mass.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FVxuEqbNGUc/T7jXBcQgE5I/AAAAAAAAFLc/ejVyyg0bf_I/s1600/IMG_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FVxuEqbNGUc/T7jXBcQgE5I/AAAAAAAAFLc/ejVyyg0bf_I/s400/IMG_0504.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">As many of you know, <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-becoming-catholic-part-one-baptist.html">I grew up in a Baptist church.</a> (They're getting ready to sell it--t</span>he building and the land and all the buildings surrounding it that the church owns--and move into a bigger place. My parents fear that whoever buys it will tear it down. I'm hoping to get down there this summer and take some photos of the church that holds many childhood memories to share with you before it's gone.) When I was a kid, St. Mary's was located right behind my church, but I never set foot inside.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DvEWWqSEyDQ/T7jXDKz1Q1I/AAAAAAAAFLk/2IJUKN1krK0/s1600/IMG_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DvEWWqSEyDQ/T7jXDKz1Q1I/AAAAAAAAFLk/2IJUKN1krK0/s400/IMG_0505.JPG" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a statue like this one on St. Mary's original building. It might be the same one, but I don't really know for sure.</td></tr>
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Sometime in the 1970's, the parish relocated to a larger, more modern building on a good-sized piece of land. <a href="http://momn3boys.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-becoming-catholic-part-3-not-end-of.html">After I became Catholic</a> we attended several Masses there, when we would visit my parents on a weekend. I liked the priests, and the Masses were always beautiful, but the building itself was, well, not the most attractive. It frankly didn't look much like a church, either inside or out. (For a while the tabernacle was shoved into a "chapel" that was more like a closet with a few chairs inside. When they got a new priest, he had the Blessed Sacrament moved inside the church, front and center. Much better.)</div>
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Just a few years ago, St. Mary's built a brand-new facility. It's beautiful. THIS is what a Catholic Church should look like.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqC8jm7WsEc/T7jXGQudyzI/AAAAAAAAFLw/TKOmX3qVD0w/s1600/IMG_0506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqC8jm7WsEc/T7jXGQudyzI/AAAAAAAAFLw/TKOmX3qVD0w/s400/IMG_0506.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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While I was walking around taking photos after Mass, a lady came up to me and gave me her email and asked if I would take some pictures of the baptismal font, because she was in charge of the Easter decorations and wanted to have some photos she could use when planning for next year. I guess it's time I sent them to her...</div>
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Happy Ascension Sunday! Now get thee to church!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7938473711428759840.post-29006330639944010262012-05-11T12:24:00.001-04:002012-05-11T12:27:39.170-04:007 Quick Takes, Volume 45<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1sZP5u9yW8/T605fFxQqrI/AAAAAAAAFKI/Lu68Bc8Nopc/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1sZP5u9yW8/T605fFxQqrI/AAAAAAAAFKI/Lu68Bc8Nopc/s1600/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sometimes the life of a "hobby blogger" get so busy that suddenly you realize it's been a month since you've posted anything. </div>
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<b>--1--</b></div>
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I have a friend whose name is Kathryn, who sadly I don't see very often anymore since our kids no longer attend school together. Her youngest daughter, Beth, suffered from a rare disorder called Pearson's Syndrome, and last Friday Beth went to Heaven. She was four years old. Please, please, keep Kathryn and her family in your prayers.
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My camera has been in the shop for three weeks. I had taken some photos at work of a
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd lesson, as well as some artsy shots in the
alley behind the school that is a popular location for photo shoots since it's
quite urban-looking. (One employee at
the church called it "ghetto," and I suppose that could describe it,
although I don't like using that term because of its negative
connotations.) </div>
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You may think they look just fine, except here's the real
story:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GsBNXJ_TqbQ/T6018bqxn3I/AAAAAAAAFJc/EfVy77iqOcA/s1600/IMG_0597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GsBNXJ_TqbQ/T6018bqxn3I/AAAAAAAAFJc/EfVy77iqOcA/s400/IMG_0597.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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I don't know where that ugly black line comes from; and
sure, I can edit it out, but the worst part is that even when the flash goes
off the indoor shots are way too dark. I
took it to the camera store and the guy behind the counter was baffled. He told me he'd have co-worker who according
to him knew more about this type of camera take a look at it, and if she
couldn't pinpoint the problem they'd send it off to be repaired. Needless to say they sent it to the great
unknown, and I still don't have it back. </div>
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<b>--4--</b></div>
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Around this time of year I often have a bit of an identity
crisis, pondering and questioning what God wants me to do with the rest of my
life. Do I continue working, eventually
going back full time? Do I go back to be
a stay-at-home Mom and plunge myself into housework and school volunteering,
and maybe some serious pro-life work? Do
I take another route entirely, maybe looking into selling some of my
photography, or becoming a consultant for Pampered Chef or Southern Living at
Home or some such business? </div>
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Well, yesterday I officially decided to keep working as an
assistant at the Montessori preschool for at least another year. I will be working more hours, which means
less free time; and it also means I'll really need to come up with a good
time-management system so I'll be able to keep doing all those
"extra" things I need and want to do, like blogging and cleaning the
house and grocery shopping and cooking and volunteering and being involved in
the kids' school activities. And I need
to exercise regularly and eat better so I'll have the energy to do all those
things. Will this lead me to eventually
getting my Montessori and/or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
certification? Perhaps, perhaps not. Pray for me!</div>
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Last weekend was dubbed "Weekend of Drama,"
because the boys were all involved in plays at their schools. Curly and Moe performed in <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>, acting as the Evil
Queen's Goons. They and two of their
friends served as the comic relief of the show, and they got to wear crazy
makeup and run around and wave inflatable clubs and act goofy. Moe developed a fever last Thursday and ended
up missing one of the shows, but by Friday night he was good to go. With my camera still out of commission I only
took a few photos with my phone. Here
are Curly and Moe with their Goon faces.</div>
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Larry's big Shakespeare debut was this past weekend as well. He was brilliant as Lysander in <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream.</i> It had a '50s theme; the kids wore 1950's
style clothing and they played '50s music.
Larry got to be the greaser type, a la Danny Zuko and The Fonz. My parents came to see the show on Saturday:</div>
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Maybe he'll get to do <i>Grease</i>
someday.</div>
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My blogging goal for this weekend is to put up another post
for my "Get Thee to the Church" series, and update my other blog, <a href="http://cookingnicksbooks.blogspot.com/"><i>Cooking Nick's Books</i>.</a> Fortunately I already have the photos for
them, taken before my camera went belly-up.
And I might just contact the camera store again to see if they can call
the place they sent it off to, maybe get them to hurry up already and fix the
darn thing. (And my other goal? Some serious housecleaning; especially a certain two bathrooms that are badly in need of attention. And to give my dog a long-overdue bath.)</div>
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I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and visit <a href="http://www.bettybeguiles.com/2012/05/7-quick-takes-friday-6/.html">Hallie Lord's blog</a> for more Quick Takes! (And keep <a href="http://www.beckchapels.com/sitemaker/sites/BeckFu1/obit.cgi?user=628364Tankersley#">this young man</a> and his family in your prayers as well. Jenn Fulwiler is taking a blogging break after witnessing his fatal motorcycle accident. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.)</div>
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OH, and I almost forgot! Our diocesan newspaper published <a href="http://www.catholicherald.com/stories/A-peaceful-place-to-learn-and-grow,18958">a great article</a> this week about Catholic Montessori schools and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. <a href="http://www.catholicherald.com/stories/A-peaceful-place-to-learn-and-grow,18958">Check it out!</a></div>
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</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04137051756147544296noreply@blogger.com0