I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

On my to-do list for today, I wrote "Blog." I was planning on submitting a post for Recipe Swap Thursday, partly because Therese from The Musings of a Mom is having a contest. Maybe I'll get that done before tonight's midnight deadline, but now I have a more pressing issue that I feel I must vent about.

Last April, I wrote this post about one of my personal heroes, Greg Mortenson. If you are familiar at all with his work, building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, you will agree that the Nobel Peace Prize would be a fitting honor for him. I will be honest in saying I really didn't pay much attention to who else was nominated for the 2009 prize; there were 205 nominees, and they say his odds of winning were 20 to 1 (Obama's were 14-1, supposedly. I don't know how people come up with those numbers; I understand there are actually people who place bets, like it's a horse race or something.) I have no doubt, too, that many of the other nominees, including a Chinese dissident and two organizations whose sole purpose is to clear land mines, are equally deserving. Imagine how stunned I was, and still am, at the news that the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President Barack Obama. The reason? Apparently they gave it to him because he's supposedly trying to help world leaders communicate with each other better, and for the things he hopes to accomplish.

OK, quick side note. Blogger is giving me fits and it won't let me publish this post because supposedly I have some html code it doesn't like. Does anyone else ever have this problem? Sorry, on with the post.

So here's what the committee who awarded Mr. Obama the prize said: "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation betwen peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

His "vision?" Since when do we hand out prizes for things people hope to accomplish? Do they give the Heisman Trophy to young men who hope to one day be good football players? Is the Pulitzer Prize given to school children who hope to grow up to be great writers someday? Heck, even the celebrities who win the Dancing With the Stars Mirror Ball trophy have to work pretty hard to get it. Sure, our President has some lofty ideas about the future of America and the world (I don't want to get into the politics right now about whether or not his ideas are actually "good," but let's pretend they are for the sake of argument); but what has he actually accomplished? Oh, I remember! First he decided to repeal the Mexico City Policy, which kept our tax dollars from paying for abortions overseas. Now we are funding child murder worldwide. Oh yes, he also made sure that we would be forced to pay for embryonic stem cell research. Now our you and I are funding the destruction of human beings at the earliest stages of development, supposedly so the living can have a better quality of life. (I guess nobody told Mr. Nobel Prize that embryonic stem cell treatment has already been proven to be useless.) Not to mention his "vision" of an America where any woman can get an abortion anywhere and any time she wants, and if she can't afford it, the rest of us would have to foot the bill. If the unborn children who have died since January 20 were on the committee, they certainly wouldn't give Obama an award for peace.

Barack Nobel Obama has a "vision of a world without nuclear weapons. OK, that's something we can all get behind, but how is he going to accomplish this? Umm, how about getting tough with rogue leaders who are threatening their neighbors (and us) and bragging about how tough they are while they're developing weapons of mass destruction? But I digress. This blog isn't about politics, and I know there might be people reading this who have different ideas about how our President should handle things, and not being an expert on foreign policy, I'll save that for the folks who are.

I'm not upset because Greg Mortenson didn't win. As I said before, there were many others who have done great things for the good of mankind. I'm disappointed because I expected the Nobel Prize Committee to choose someone who has actually done something good. (I heard his little speech today that he gave in the Rose Garden: he said he was surprised and humbled, he didn't feel he deserved it, that he would consider this a call to action--words you would expect from any Nobel Prize winner, especially one who hadn't actually done anything that would merit such a high honor. Forget about an honorary Doctorate from Notre Dame...)

So, Therese, if I don't get a chance to post a recipe, my apologies. I'd really love to win one of those prizes, and I hope I still have a small chance of winning if that doesn't get done. (If not I'll post it next week, it's a good one!)

Greg?

Or Barack?

Who would you choose?

Bleach in the Holy Water? Hmmm, That's an Idea

Before I get to the main topic of this post, I want to wish everyone a blessed Feast of St. Francis of Assisi! With all of the little critters Moe has collected and studied these last several months (two baby snakes, two crayfish, at least two toads, one frog, at least one lizard, and countless spiders and bugs), plus the neighborhood cats that like to frequent our yard, the squirrels who are so common in our neighborhood that my husband calls them bushy-tailed rats, and one crazy yellow Lab who eats anything and everything (the other day she threw up a small pile of pebbles) and has lately enjoyed chasing the cats and squirrels around so much she almost doesn't need us to take her for walks anymore, we might as well adopt St. Francis as our family patron! Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the ducks and geese, and even the great blue heron we can often see on the little lake we are blessed to have right by our back door.

Today is also Respect Life Sunday. Please take a few minutes today to pray for an end to abortion! Many cities around the United States and Canada are conducting a Life Chain for the unborn today--a peaceful, prayerful vigil to publicly stand up for life. To find a Life Chain near you, click here. I'm going to mine; my kids were invited to a friend's birthday party today, and given the choice between standing on the street for two hours and the party, you can guess which they picked! Next year... I'm also hoping that we'll all be on the National Mall together come January 22 for the March for Life. Curly came with me this past year (here's the blog post I wrote shortly afterward).

Now to the meat of this post: Every Sunday, our pastor publishes a letter to the parish in the Sunday bulletin. About a month ago, he wrote this letter addressing everyone's concerns regarding the swine flu. It gave me a chuckle, and I thought I'd share it with you, or at least most of it:

Dear Good People of Our Parish,

So many questions, so little time! There has been an awful lot of press lately about the coming flu season, and it seems to have a lot of people in a panic. Everyone, please take a deep breath, and let's think this through.

First, for all who have requested that I suspend the practice of receiving Communion on the tongue, I can only imagine the reaction. Such an instruction would require a directive from the Bishop that we would then hope to follow. We use hand sanitizer before Mass and before distributing Communion (and after!), but that doesn't fix the problem of people who lick our hands. If you are very concerned for medical reasons maybe abstinence is the answer.

Some have requested that we stop serving Communion under both forms. Considering that we only practice this form of Communion at two Masses for Sunday--and that it is totally optional--if you do not wish to receive the Precious Blood, simply don't.

Others have asked that I put chlorox in the holy water fonts. Please give me your names and bank account information so I can just forward it to all the people whose clothing gets little white spots on the cest and shoulders (just kidding!). Again, if you're worried, just don't use the holy water when entering/leaving church. It is not required.

Finally, for those who havfe asked that we omit the sign of peace. Again, completely optional. Some say that it makes tham look bad when they refuse to give a sign of peace so we should do away with it entirely. Well, I've been in the pews plenty in my life, and have often encountered people who do not want to shake hands with others. It isn't uncommon. But then there are those who do not even want to acknowledge the existence ot others. There is a difference. A smile and a warm greeting can go a lot further than a recoiling scowl, and a smile can be a great sign of peace between people. Who knows, maybe as a sign of peace you could offer your neighbor a little Purell or a sanitary cloth, or a flu sot coupon?

I think moderation in all things and good, common sense is what we need the most to get through flu season.

God Bless You,

Father R.

Have a great week! Don't forget the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary coming up this Wednesday, October 7. I have learned not to make promises about what I plan to post next, but I will tell you that tomorrow's Religious Education class will focus on the Rosary (with a little about St. Francis, too), very timely, don't you think? Maybe I'll come away from tomorrow's class with something to write about; if not, I've got a few things up my sleeve.

Recipe Swap Thursday: Zucchini-Honey-Carrot Bread

Today is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, and I can hardly believe it's October already! Now that summer is over and zucchini is pretty much out of season by now, I'd better hurry up and post this recipe that I promised way back in May.

This is another recipe I've adapted from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. Reading my blog you would think that was the only source I get recipes from, but it really isn't, I promise! In the book the recipe makes two loaves; I usually halve it to make one. That's usually enough for us, because it's very sweet, almost like a dessert. Here's the halved version, and then I'll explain how I adapt it to make it safe for Moe the Allergy Boy.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes I use half white and half whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans*
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 small or 1/2 large zucchini)
1 large egg, beaten**
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup + 2 T honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Combine zucchini and remaining 5 ingredients, stirring well. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into a greased and floured loaf pan Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. (It's very important to wait until the loaf is somewhat cool before taking it out of the pan; that's the reason I was unable to take a photo of a whole loaf. I found a few intact slices after the loaf fell apart!!)

*instead of nuts, I use 1/2 cup grated carrot (hence the "carrot" part of the title). I combine the first FIVE ingredients together first, and add the carrot later with the zucchini and the other wet stuff.

**1 1/2 heaping teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer beaten with 2 T. water equal one egg. The bread will have a more flattened top (as opposed to a nice rounded one) but it is still delicious.







Go out to your local farmers' market and grab some zucchini while you still can (of course you can always get it at the grocery store year-round, although I can't guarantee that it will taste nearly as good!) and have fun with this delicious snack cake ...er, bread.

Random Thoughts #4: Angels and Mothers (and Cookies!)

1. Happy Feast of the Archangels!

Today we celebrate the feast day of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. I sometimes like to think of the Angel Gabriel--the Messenger-- as the patron saint of this blog, since here is where I come to convey my thoughts about my life as a Catholic wife and mother. I think blogging has encouraged me to work to deepen my relationship with Jesus, and His Mother (more about her coming up!).

Father Trujilio posted a simple and informative explanation regarding angels on his blog; you can check it out here. I like the picture he used so much, I decided to borrow it! :) BTW, it's a rendering of the three Archangels traveling with Tobias. Now I guess I'd better go read the book of Tobit. We didn't have that one in our Baptist bibles; although I have no excuse since I've had a Catholic bible for years.

To celebrate the Archangels' feast day today, I decided to make angel cookies to share with my Religious Education class. Of course, I only have two students, so it was REALLY an excuse to make cookies for my family. I used a traditional sugar cookie recipe from my Southern Living cookbook, dug out an angel cookie cutter from my Christmas baking supplies, and Curly played the part of cookie designer and came up with the idea of yellow sprinkles for wings and some stars along the skirt bottom. I thought they came out pretty cute! (I couldn't resist getting out my Southern Living At Home Angel Emmy Christmas plate for the
photo.)












2. Last week I read Dr. Scott Hahn's Hail, Holy Queen. Every time I read a Scott Hahn book I am reminded of the richness and beauty of our Catholic faith, and I thank God for leading me here. In Hail Holy Queen, Dr. Hahn beautifully and simply explains how Mary is present throughout the scriptures. In the Old Testament, we see a foreshadowing of the Blessed Mother in the Ark of the Covenant. (The Ark held God's laws, the manna, and the staff of Aaron the high priest; Our Lady holds the fulfillment of the law, God himself, the Living Bread, the great High Priest.) She is the New Eve, and the woman clothed with the sun in the book of Revelation. Not only is she the Mother of Jesus; she is our Queen Mother, the mother of the Church. Many Protestants reject the Catholic practice of honoring Mary; often, it is mistaken for worship. We worship only Jesus Christ as our creator and Savior; but we honor Mary because Christ gave her to us to serve as our Mother. It's a quick and simple read, and I highly recommend it!

Sunday Comics: Kids and the Bible

Recently the catechists in our parish had our summer training session. We were given a handout of quotes that kids from an actual Catholic elementary school had written. I don't know where they originated, but they are hilarious! Enjoy!

-In the first book of the bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.

-Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears.

-Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.

-The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with the unsympathetic Genitals.

-Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

-Moses led the hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.

-The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten ammendments.

-The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

-Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

-The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

-David was a hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. he fought with the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.

-Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

-When Mary heard that she was teh mother of Jesus, she sant the Magna Carta.

-When the three wise guys from the east side arrived they found Jesus in the manager.

-Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.

-Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you. He also explained, "a man doth not live by sweat alone."

-It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.

-The people who followed the lord were called the 12 decibels. The epistles were the wives of the apostles.

7 Quick Takes, Volume One (Better Late Than Never)

This will be the first time I've participated in this meme, hosted by Jennifer over at Conversion Diary. It's normally for Fridays, but what can I say, lateness seems to be a thing with me. OK, here goes!

1. I am a bookoholic. Here are five books I have purchased in the last two weeks:

My women's Bible study group at church is reading Hail, Holy Queen, and one of the priests from our parish, Father L, is giving a series of talks on the book with our group. Our first meeting was yesterday, and I'm looking forward to reading the book and talking about it with Father L and my church friends.

I saw the author of Fit For Eternal Life on EWTN recently, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about our spiritual and mental health. I started Charity in Truth, but frankly I think I'm going to need a study guide for that one. Maybe I'll ask Father L if he'll be willing to study that one next with our group.

Of course, I also have a plethora of secular books on my shelf that I haven't read yet: The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult, and several books by Barbara Kingsolver and Amy Tan.



2. Meanwhile, I've also been reading Don Quixote since July. In three months, my copy has gone from brand-new to this:

Mind you, I read Anna Karenina in six weeks. That's one heck of a thick book. I still have a long way to go with poor old Don:
I'm hosting a discussion of Don Quixote on Goodreads, with an online group aptly named "The Book Addicts." If you want to check it out or even join in, click here.


3. I've read lots of great books since the summer, and I'm hoping over the next few weeks to tell you about some of them. I won't make any promises though, because it seems that every time I blog about something I want to blog about, I don't get around to blogging about the thing I want to blog about. Stay tuned...


4. Last Monday our parish began a new school year of Religious Education classes. I have a class of three third graders, all boys. This will be the smallest class I've worked with so far. I'm hoping with such a small class I'll be able to cover more material and do more fun things with them than I've been able to in the past. The downside is that we're in a small space in the basement of a house that used to be our parish convent, and it's situated in such a way that people going to their classes in other rooms have to walk right through our classroom space. It's not really a room, really; and the table where the kids work is really a small pool table covered with a piece of plywood. I have found that in the past, the Lord has given me the grace to do the best I can in less-than-perfect circumstances, so I'm not worried! I'm looking forward to a great year.


5. Last weekend our parish had their annual ice-cream social and cakewalk. I brought a coconut cake that I made from a recipe passed down to me by my mother:

There were dozens of cakes to choose from (unfortunately we didn't win one), and my mousy-brown cake looked so plain next to some of the colorful and whimsical entries. Here's a sample:
One family made a cake that was a replica of our parish school, where the event was held. They even made little models of Father R, our pastor, and Sister S, the school principal:

6. If you are looking for a great movie to watch WITHOUT your kids, I highly recommend Gran Torino. Be warned--there is lots of profanity and violence, because gangs and gang violence plays a big part in the movie. It's a powerful story about forgiveness, and sends a strong positive message about the relationships between people of different races and cultures. Unlike many films you see today, it also shows the Catholic Church in a positive light. Clint Eastwood has never made me cry until I watched this film a couple of weekends ago.


7. This Wednesday kicks off the Fall 2009 40 Days For Life campaign. This is a fast-growing grassroots pro-life movement of prayer and fasting to end abortion. The upcoming fall campaign is said to be the largest one yet, with 212 cities participating. If you want to find out about a 40 Days For Life campaign in your area, click here.

Praises (long overdue)

It's been a few weeks since I posted my list of things I am praising and thanking God for. I know there are many more things to be thankful for than these!! Thank you as always to Jennifer for hosting this meme (and for allowing her bloggy friends to use her great chocolate Praise graphic! :D)

1. Praise God for the beautiful weather God has given us today. Sunny and warm, not too hot. Perfect!

2. Praise God that my attempt at baking my mother's famous coconut cake yesterday was successful, and I'll be able to submit it this afternoon for the cakewalk at our annual parish ice cream social!! I just pray that it will taste good to whoever wins it...

3. Praise God that we live in America, where we are free to speak our minds without fear.

4. Praise God that these last couple of weeks since the kids started school have given me the opportunity to attend daily Mass (well, almost daily), and a daily workout as well. This has strengthened me both physically and spiritually. I pray that when my days begin to get busier I will continue to make time for the Lord and for physical activity.

5. Praise God for my husband, who spends many weekends doing yard work so I won't have to. I'd much rather cook and mop floors than mow the grass and rake leaves.

6. Praise God for calling me to teach Religious Education at our parish, which starts tomorrow; and that my family continues to support me in this, even though my children do not participate anymore now that they're in Catholic school.

7. Praise God for giving us the opportunity to spend time with loved ones the last couple of weekends. I am thankful that both sides of our family (my husband's and mine) show nothing but love for each other. So many families hold grudges against each other and fight; I think we all get along so well because God has given us the grace to forgive and love each other, despite the differences we have.

8. Praise God that Curly, our middle son, is going to be taking guitar lessons from the same teacher he had last year. Mr. Dave, the teacher is making time in his schedule to allow Curly to visit his old Montessori school one afternoon a week to learn the guitar(Praise God!) Larry and Moe are excited, too, because since some of their friends spend their afternoons in the school's after-school program, they'll get to visit with them on a regular basis.

Have a blessed week, everyone!