...for they know NOT what they do.
Anyone else feel a cold chill brewing? I don't think it's just because I live in Minnesota and it's the end of October.
Brrrrrrrrr.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Aussie Padre "Speeks" To Me Today
In the Gospel today Jesus asks of us the very thing Original Sin makes it impossible for us to do - to love totally.
Deep within us we are complicated, fractured, wounded - to such an extent that there is no longer anything we can do totally - either good or bad. We have no totally pure motives and no totally evil motives; our generosity always contains a bit of self-seeking and our selfishness always has a bit of good mixed in - in fact, we are all mixed up.
Our souls are like a class of Grade One children - noisy, distracted, and self-absorbed.
I remember a man once telling me how sorry he was that he could not make himself regret his sins as much as he felt he should. He told me: I didn't really mean to commit them, I don't feel as sorry as I should, I can't even remember if I confessed them all.
Well, that's how it is with us - we gaze at the stars with our feet in the mud.
We look to Jesus for what we need in order to become more and more healed of our brokenness. We long to be whole, we long to be one with ourselves - but not entirely. There is in each one of us this attraction to the perfect, to the complete. We long to love totally - completely - with our entire selves - but not all the time.
It is a hunger in us - a thirst - which responds to the invitation of Jesus to love with all our hearts, and soul, and mind - with a profound 'YES, that's what I want too .. but not right now.'
The philosophers can't seem to make up their mind whether our deepest need is to be loved totally or to give ourselves totally to another in love.
I think it is the latter.
If this is true then our every criticism of others is really a criticism of our inability to love well.
'He is so annoying' is really an admission - 'I am so unable to love' or,
'I don't get anything out of Mass' is really an admission - 'I can't seem to give myself wholly at Mass.'
We long for total love - but we also dread it. Isn't that strange?
And why is it so?
I think it's because we all know that love consumes. Like a fire it warms but get too close and it burns us - and so we keep our distance. And so most of us are stuck somewhere between the cold and the fire.
Fr de Caussade used to speak of prayer as a kind of throwing of ourselves into the fire of love. He said that it is at first terribly painful as we begin to die to ourselves. We can behave like green twigs, spluttering and twisting and hissing out sap, until we begin to glow with the heat of the fire itself.
Then, finally, we are truly at peace, and yet, we are being consumed.
If this is so - our longing to give ourselves totally is at the same time a kind of longing for death - a death to self - a longing to be one with the beloved.
Each act of true love is an act of dying to self.
Jesus died the death of love on the Cross.
On the cross he hangs - between God and neighbour - loving each with all his heart, and soul, and mind - inviting us - to join him.
Fr. Speekman via Therese
Deep within us we are complicated, fractured, wounded - to such an extent that there is no longer anything we can do totally - either good or bad. We have no totally pure motives and no totally evil motives; our generosity always contains a bit of self-seeking and our selfishness always has a bit of good mixed in - in fact, we are all mixed up.
Our souls are like a class of Grade One children - noisy, distracted, and self-absorbed.
I remember a man once telling me how sorry he was that he could not make himself regret his sins as much as he felt he should. He told me: I didn't really mean to commit them, I don't feel as sorry as I should, I can't even remember if I confessed them all.
Well, that's how it is with us - we gaze at the stars with our feet in the mud.
We look to Jesus for what we need in order to become more and more healed of our brokenness. We long to be whole, we long to be one with ourselves - but not entirely. There is in each one of us this attraction to the perfect, to the complete. We long to love totally - completely - with our entire selves - but not all the time.
It is a hunger in us - a thirst - which responds to the invitation of Jesus to love with all our hearts, and soul, and mind - with a profound 'YES, that's what I want too .. but not right now.'
The philosophers can't seem to make up their mind whether our deepest need is to be loved totally or to give ourselves totally to another in love.
I think it is the latter.
If this is true then our every criticism of others is really a criticism of our inability to love well.
'He is so annoying' is really an admission - 'I am so unable to love' or,
'I don't get anything out of Mass' is really an admission - 'I can't seem to give myself wholly at Mass.'
We long for total love - but we also dread it. Isn't that strange?
And why is it so?
I think it's because we all know that love consumes. Like a fire it warms but get too close and it burns us - and so we keep our distance. And so most of us are stuck somewhere between the cold and the fire.
Fr de Caussade used to speak of prayer as a kind of throwing of ourselves into the fire of love. He said that it is at first terribly painful as we begin to die to ourselves. We can behave like green twigs, spluttering and twisting and hissing out sap, until we begin to glow with the heat of the fire itself.
Then, finally, we are truly at peace, and yet, we are being consumed.
If this is so - our longing to give ourselves totally is at the same time a kind of longing for death - a death to self - a longing to be one with the beloved.
Each act of true love is an act of dying to self.
Jesus died the death of love on the Cross.
On the cross he hangs - between God and neighbour - loving each with all his heart, and soul, and mind - inviting us - to join him.
Fr. Speekman via Therese
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Who Said It?
"As long as capitalism and socialism exist we cannot live in peace; in the end, one or the other will triumph..."
The Maturity and Brilliance of Obama Supporters Just Astounds Me
This is the ginormous sign my parents put at the end of their driveway on a very main street in our town:
With the wonderful editing, it almost looks as though it says "Obama sucks" so I told Dad and Mom, "LEAVE IT!".
They did.
Dad told me that about 10+ perfect strangers have told him "thank you" for leaving the sign up.
This is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen.
Oh, and for your amusement, I've also photographed the flip side:
You may have to click on the picture to get the full effect of the...artistry.
You're Welcome.
With the wonderful editing, it almost looks as though it says "Obama sucks" so I told Dad and Mom, "LEAVE IT!".
They did.
Dad told me that about 10+ perfect strangers have told him "thank you" for leaving the sign up.
This is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen.
Oh, and for your amusement, I've also photographed the flip side:
You may have to click on the picture to get the full effect of the...artistry.
You're Welcome.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Vote For Change
Yayyy! Vote for Obama! He is so super special! He wants to spread the wealth! Yaayyyyyyy! He is gonna stick it to the MAN! He's gonna tax those damn, greedy, rich people! Finally! Change we can believe in! Now all the poor people can start businesses and hire people and pay all kinds of taxes for a change? Now all of the poor people who don't actually pay taxes can really try harder to work more and...pay more taxes...'cause the incentive is so much better when we know the rich people are finally...getting what they deserve...which is to bring them down closer to the poor people's level so we can....all be...poor? Oh, I'm so confused.
BUT VOTE FOR CHANGE...YAYYYYYYYY!
right?
Hey, my sister sent me this email this morning:
"I found this tax on my CELL PHONE bill this month:
Metro Transit Improvement Tax .14"
Metro Transit Improvement Tax .14"
Whew, good thing THAT is getting funded! Wow, now maybe a few more people will get to ride the super great, totally-pays-for-itself, safe and fun train? I wonder who brought the legislation to stick us with that little tax right there and put it into our CELL PHONE BILLS (because it's so relevant to connect cell phone use with...transit?)
I just can't WAIT to find out how much more I can be taxed with the new Obama administration! Yayyyyyyyy for taxes!!!!! I mean, a few pennies here and there to make life so much better seems a good trade, no? Because EVERYONE KNOWS that if you raise taxes little by little no one could EVER rebel against that idea. Taxes are FUN! It's so much FUN to work harder only to see all of your overtime money taken away from you to give to community projects and the arts, right? I'm just giddy with excitement when I think about Butch going to work and coming home all covered in cement dust and exhausted. I'll say to him, "Now honey, didn't you have fun working extra hard so that 20 other guys who were too lazy to get up this morning and look for a job can keep themselves in designer tennis shoes?" He will puff up his chest and beam at me proudly for helping him remind himself about why it's all worth it, I'm sure!
That's what I'm here for! I'm such a loving, supportive wife.
Gosh, this Kool-aid is so good, I think I'll make another batch.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hahahaaaaa....eeewwwwwhooooahhhhh. Not Funny.
This is so funny and so scary at the same time.
Thanks, Jessica, for the nightmares I'll have now until the election!
Thanks, Jessica, for the nightmares I'll have now until the election!
Then and Now
Mari always looks at the wedding picture of Butch and I on the living room wall. Her latest obsession is all things princess so she thinks that picture was taken back, you know, when I was a princess?
So Weazy asks her, "Mari, who is that guy in the picture?". She used to think it was some random guy but now she knows it's Daddy. She says, "They're KISSING!".
Today, she remarked about the picture again and added that she wanted to wear that dress. I remembered that my wedding dress was made into her baptismal gown and showed Weazy where it was so Mari could see. It was made so large for a tiny baby so I thought maybe it might even FIT her now!
She tried it on and modeled it for us so I took some pictures and showed Mari that she had worn that dress when she was a baby.
I looked at that old file and remembered that Mari was a very crabby baby and I never did get a pleasant picture of her on that day in the beautiful dress. It's funny to think that that was only 2 years ago! I took her over to the mall right after the baptism and got her ears pierced (the other pic here) so I took some pictures of her and they were super funny-all close up with big, googly eyes and stuff.
THEN (the lady who altered it made a matching bonnet):
NOW (Can you believe it? She's such a pipsqueak it fits like a glove! She's also wearing my actual veil that has made it's way into the playclothes box.):
THEN:
NOW (Still goofy after alllllll these years!):
So Weazy asks her, "Mari, who is that guy in the picture?". She used to think it was some random guy but now she knows it's Daddy. She says, "They're KISSING!".
Today, she remarked about the picture again and added that she wanted to wear that dress. I remembered that my wedding dress was made into her baptismal gown and showed Weazy where it was so Mari could see. It was made so large for a tiny baby so I thought maybe it might even FIT her now!
She tried it on and modeled it for us so I took some pictures and showed Mari that she had worn that dress when she was a baby.
I looked at that old file and remembered that Mari was a very crabby baby and I never did get a pleasant picture of her on that day in the beautiful dress. It's funny to think that that was only 2 years ago! I took her over to the mall right after the baptism and got her ears pierced (the other pic here) so I took some pictures of her and they were super funny-all close up with big, googly eyes and stuff.
THEN (the lady who altered it made a matching bonnet):
NOW (Can you believe it? She's such a pipsqueak it fits like a glove! She's also wearing my actual veil that has made it's way into the playclothes box.):
THEN:
NOW (Still goofy after alllllll these years!):
Monday, October 20, 2008
Buster's New Posse
My sister and brother-in-law bought a pony.
His name is Buster.
He's pretty much awesome.
Facegrabbing a cousin. She didn't mind.
A beautiful fall day at the farm.
Trine and Matt (sis and BIL) ride off into the sunset.
All of the kids reacted very well to the pony. They are naturals. We'll get better at this horse thing (I watched about 100 videos on "how to bridle o horse" last night!) and now the kids have a nice, big project to work on. It's not video games or the latest Iphone, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it could be a fun distraction for them in the years to come!
His name is Buster.
He's pretty much awesome.
I feel kinda sorry for him. He has completely clueless handlers.
"How DOES this thing go on?"
How many adults does it take to bridle a horse?
WAY too many, it turns out. Let's just try some "natural horsemanship" today, okeydokey?
Facegrabbing a cousin. She didn't mind.
A beautiful fall day at the farm.
Trine and Matt (sis and BIL) ride off into the sunset.All of the kids reacted very well to the pony. They are naturals. We'll get better at this horse thing (I watched about 100 videos on "how to bridle o horse" last night!) and now the kids have a nice, big project to work on. It's not video games or the latest Iphone, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it could be a fun distraction for them in the years to come!
I didn't get any pictures of my Matty (he was off giving 4 wheeler rides to his cousins and sibs). Despite the billion asian beetles that were divebombing us, it turned out to be just an idyllic day of hanging out and enjoying each other.
Minnesota in the fall is pure Heaven.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
How To Keep It Interesting...
...if you're too young to play any "debate buzzword drinking games":
(I swear they did this on their own. I was listening to the debate half-heartedly while searching for info on the computer. They started giggling like crazy because the faces fit perfectly every time they did the split screen thing. It was too funny to watch them fight over who got to try what pictures and to watch them wait impatiently for the split screen each time!)
(I swear they did this on their own. I was listening to the debate half-heartedly while searching for info on the computer. They started giggling like crazy because the faces fit perfectly every time they did the split screen thing. It was too funny to watch them fight over who got to try what pictures and to watch them wait impatiently for the split screen each time!)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Why He Served
Via Michelle Malkin:Entry from a soldier who has just given his life for you:
"If I may …
I'd like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush's agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.
I am not a robot. i am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the "war on terrorism." i know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America's sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.
I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States, i.e. Taliban, Al Qaida, and various other radical sects of Islam that have declared war on our way of life. Unless you believe the events of 9/11 were the result of a government conspiracy, which by the way would make you a MORON, there is no reasonable argument you can make against there being a true and dangerous threat that needs to be dealt with. i don't care if there are corporations leaching off the war effort to make money, and i don't care if you don't think our freedom within America's borders is actually at stake. i just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There's nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side.
I am a proud American. i believe that my country allows me to live my life more or less however i want to, and believe me, i have seen what the alternative of that looks like. i also believe that our big scary government does way more than it has to to help complete [expletive deleted]-ups get back on their feet, a stark comparison to places where leaders just line their own pockets with gold while allowing the people who gave them their power and privilage to starve. I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else's country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves. Let me remind you that we have a warhead that drops multiple bomblets from the stratosphere which upon impact, would turn all the sand in Iraq to glass, and reduce every living thing there to dust. Do we use it? No. Instead we use the most humane weapon ever devised: the American soldier. We send our bravest (and perhaps admitably craziest) men and women into enemy territory, into harms way, to root out those whom we are after and do our best to leave innocent lives unscathed.
...One last thing...a proposal. i know it has been stated time and time again but i just think it is worthy of reiteration. If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran, and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave. Isn't that amazing? No one will stop you! If you are an anarchist, there are places you can go where there is no government to tell you anything. That's right...you are left solely to your own devices and you can handle the men who show up at your door with AKs in any way that you see fit. Just don't try good old American debate tactics on them because you will most likely end up bound and blind-folded, to have your head chopped off on the internet so your parents can see it. However if you insist on staying here and taking advantage of privilages such as free speach and WIC, keep the counter-productive [expletive deleted] to a minimum while the grown ups figure out how to handle this god-awful mess in the middle east."
"If I may …
I'd like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush's agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.
I am not a robot. i am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the "war on terrorism." i know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America's sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.
I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States, i.e. Taliban, Al Qaida, and various other radical sects of Islam that have declared war on our way of life. Unless you believe the events of 9/11 were the result of a government conspiracy, which by the way would make you a MORON, there is no reasonable argument you can make against there being a true and dangerous threat that needs to be dealt with. i don't care if there are corporations leaching off the war effort to make money, and i don't care if you don't think our freedom within America's borders is actually at stake. i just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There's nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side.
I am a proud American. i believe that my country allows me to live my life more or less however i want to, and believe me, i have seen what the alternative of that looks like. i also believe that our big scary government does way more than it has to to help complete [expletive deleted]-ups get back on their feet, a stark comparison to places where leaders just line their own pockets with gold while allowing the people who gave them their power and privilage to starve. I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else's country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves. Let me remind you that we have a warhead that drops multiple bomblets from the stratosphere which upon impact, would turn all the sand in Iraq to glass, and reduce every living thing there to dust. Do we use it? No. Instead we use the most humane weapon ever devised: the American soldier. We send our bravest (and perhaps admitably craziest) men and women into enemy territory, into harms way, to root out those whom we are after and do our best to leave innocent lives unscathed.
...One last thing...a proposal. i know it has been stated time and time again but i just think it is worthy of reiteration. If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran, and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave. Isn't that amazing? No one will stop you! If you are an anarchist, there are places you can go where there is no government to tell you anything. That's right...you are left solely to your own devices and you can handle the men who show up at your door with AKs in any way that you see fit. Just don't try good old American debate tactics on them because you will most likely end up bound and blind-folded, to have your head chopped off on the internet so your parents can see it. However if you insist on staying here and taking advantage of privilages such as free speach and WIC, keep the counter-productive [expletive deleted] to a minimum while the grown ups figure out how to handle this god-awful mess in the middle east."
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Foine!
Harumph.
Stomp stomp.
Stamp my feet.
Cross my arms.
Hmph.
Okay FOINNNE.
I may not be able to attend THIS because of some teeny rule about no girls allowed.
BUT
I had a lovely tea party with the girls this morning.
We had a beautiful set up (Analise did it all while I was in the shower. She even laid out a dress for me to wear.).
We had milky "tea" (okay it was actual milk)in wine glasses (?) and beautiful music in the background to set the mood.
AND, because we're sooooo much more generouser than some people I know...we even allowed boys at our party:
(allrighty, so it was a little reluctantly, and we made them leave asap).
Besides, here's what happens when you allow boys at a girly party:
(Tommy grabbed it as he was swooped by while dancing with Weasy)
End of Tea Party
(Sigh)
Okay, okay, I know why there are not girls allowed at that thing. I'm sure the main reason is because we are way more opinionated, we'd dominate the conversation, we'd intimidate they younger boys (we'd probably scar them for life), and I'm sure, after a few meetings that included women, there wouldn't be any men left.
(We'd probably try to make them eat arugula, even...blech!)
YES, I know I should be happy and encourage men to band together once in a while and be able to pass gas, bloviate, do the beer and brats thing, and generally be (what we women would consider) big ol' pigs and not have to live in fear that we'll find them out or be embarrassed to let their "har har har"s and "ug"s out with us around.
Yes, I'm very glad that there are groups like that around to encourage young men (and old farts) to be REAL men and to voice their opinions freely and cordially without having to worry if their shirts are tucked in properly or if they "got a little sompthin' right there, no...there" on their chins.
Where haven't we women barged in and taken over and made UNFUN for the dudes?
See my struggle??? I have this inner battle every time I see Ray's announcement on his blog. I fight with the "I wish I was a guy" side but the "I'm proud to be a girl" side of me is way stronger and usually wins.
Hey Ray? Guys? Maybe someday you could tape a session of AOTM and let me be a fly on the wall? Pretty pleeeeeease? With sugah on top?
You couldn't say "no" to a humble, sweet little girl like me... could you?
("AWWWWW GEEEEEZE" said the "I wish I was a guy" side of me. "Ya had to bat them eyelashes and sell me out, dincha? I'm OUTTA here!" He just threw down his cigar and bottle of St. Paulie Girl and stormed out of the room.
He gives up WAY too easily.)
Stomp stomp.
Stamp my feet.
Cross my arms.
Hmph.
Okay FOINNNE.
I may not be able to attend THIS because of some teeny rule about no girls allowed.
BUT
I had a lovely tea party with the girls this morning.
We had a beautiful set up (Analise did it all while I was in the shower. She even laid out a dress for me to wear.).
We had milky "tea" (okay it was actual milk)in wine glasses (?) and beautiful music in the background to set the mood.
AND, because we're sooooo much more generouser than some people I know...we even allowed boys at our party:
(allrighty, so it was a little reluctantly, and we made them leave asap).
Besides, here's what happens when you allow boys at a girly party:
(Tommy grabbed it as he was swooped by while dancing with Weasy)
End of Tea Party
(Sigh)
Okay, okay, I know why there are not girls allowed at that thing. I'm sure the main reason is because we are way more opinionated, we'd dominate the conversation, we'd intimidate they younger boys (we'd probably scar them for life), and I'm sure, after a few meetings that included women, there wouldn't be any men left.
(We'd probably try to make them eat arugula, even...blech!)
YES, I know I should be happy and encourage men to band together once in a while and be able to pass gas, bloviate, do the beer and brats thing, and generally be (what we women would consider) big ol' pigs and not have to live in fear that we'll find them out or be embarrassed to let their "har har har"s and "ug"s out with us around.
Yes, I'm very glad that there are groups like that around to encourage young men (and old farts) to be REAL men and to voice their opinions freely and cordially without having to worry if their shirts are tucked in properly or if they "got a little sompthin' right there, no...there" on their chins.
Where haven't we women barged in and taken over and made UNFUN for the dudes?
See my struggle??? I have this inner battle every time I see Ray's announcement on his blog. I fight with the "I wish I was a guy" side but the "I'm proud to be a girl" side of me is way stronger and usually wins.
Hey Ray? Guys? Maybe someday you could tape a session of AOTM and let me be a fly on the wall? Pretty pleeeeeease? With sugah on top?
You couldn't say "no" to a humble, sweet little girl like me... could you?
("AWWWWW GEEEEEZE" said the "I wish I was a guy" side of me. "Ya had to bat them eyelashes and sell me out, dincha? I'm OUTTA here!" He just threw down his cigar and bottle of St. Paulie Girl and stormed out of the room.
He gives up WAY too easily.)
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Rite ON!
Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test...
English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 100% Expert!
You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!
For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.
Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy
Thanks Regina! I thought for sure I would do better then you because your always acting smarter than I. Haha! Now we no whose smarter!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Apparently, I Am A Democrat
Snort, snicker, heh heh just checking to see if you're paying attention:
This one was kinda funny. At the end of it, it gave me a better explanation about the best and worst of capitalism and socialism. I thought that the explanation of socialism was sort of wierd when it read: "...it can eliminate poverty but can lead to stagnation and unhappiness.". Uh. Where in the world has socialism EVER lead to an elimination in poverty?? Hmmmm?? Anyone?? Maybe they mean that in Utopialand, where socialism was perfected and everyone was just happier than heck to lower the bar equally for all. Oh wait, Utopialand is a place I just made up. I'll sell it to ya for one million fake U.S. dollars if you think it's so great. Email me.
| You are a Social Moderate (50% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (75% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test |
This one was kinda funny. At the end of it, it gave me a better explanation about the best and worst of capitalism and socialism. I thought that the explanation of socialism was sort of wierd when it read: "...it can eliminate poverty but can lead to stagnation and unhappiness.". Uh. Where in the world has socialism EVER lead to an elimination in poverty?? Hmmmm?? Anyone?? Maybe they mean that in Utopialand, where socialism was perfected and everyone was just happier than heck to lower the bar equally for all. Oh wait, Utopialand is a place I just made up. I'll sell it to ya for one million fake U.S. dollars if you think it's so great. Email me.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Wearing Blue, Seeing Red
Regina posted about this.
When I mentioned it, Katrina told me that she read on the school district's calendar and on the board outside the elementary school that the 8th of October was "blue" day.
So, we looked at the calendar and saw that there is some group called "Pillar" which has six pillars of something or other labelled
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
(I'm guessing this is a group that is a substitute for any kind of religion based moral teaching.)
Each month they pick a different pillar topic to focus on and a different color to wear.
Hmmmmm.
I know the calendar was prepared a long time ago...coincidence?
Heehee, I just love conspiracy theories...you can take them to the maximum extreme because you are pretty much making it up as you go along so...
Like Regina said, if anyone's gonna brainwash my kids, it's going to be ME.
I think tomorrow will be black day. I'm in mourning for the state of education in our public schools.
When I mentioned it, Katrina told me that she read on the school district's calendar and on the board outside the elementary school that the 8th of October was "blue" day.
So, we looked at the calendar and saw that there is some group called "Pillar" which has six pillars of something or other labelled
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
(I'm guessing this is a group that is a substitute for any kind of religion based moral teaching.)
Each month they pick a different pillar topic to focus on and a different color to wear.
Hmmmmm.
I know the calendar was prepared a long time ago...coincidence?
Heehee, I just love conspiracy theories...you can take them to the maximum extreme because you are pretty much making it up as you go along so...
Like Regina said, if anyone's gonna brainwash my kids, it's going to be ME.
I think tomorrow will be black day. I'm in mourning for the state of education in our public schools.
Haters
I have a lot of good posts brewing in my head that I really want to post about but I have to pause for a short break. I was caught up in the excitement the other day of defending a friend from blog comments box trollers who were attacking her. I have been "visited" by that horrible "anonymous" person that likes to go ahead and ruin a perfectly nice, normal blog and make us so paranoid that we should start filtering what we say, who we mention, pictures we post, and turns the excitement of seeing what our friends had to say about a certain post (when we go to check our comments) into a gut-punch feeling instead of a nice pick-me-upper for the day.
Maybe I'm being foolish, but I've never thought that Anonymous was anyone that could ever hurt me in any REAL way. Most of those Anonymous idiots are just a bunch of hippies in their mom's basements or mean spirited, unhappy souls, cranky because they hate children and puppies and don't want anyone else to be happy either. I'm pretty sure they sit around in the afternoons, trolling the internet, looking for goodness so they can destroy it and cackle to their 10+ cats that they are "making a difference in the world by teaching those ignorant hicks the truth about how the concepts of socialism are just super great that have worked so well in all societies they've been tried in!"
Anyway, they struck at Jamie in a really horrible way and exposed their ignorance. I should have ignored them (as all of us should have) because the more you respond to them, the more voracious they get. They do feed off of responses and get more foul and intimidating. So, she has taken down comments, pictures, and changed the "Jamieness" of her blog. That is a shame. I told her that if she would just moderate comments, people like that would go away fast (they went flying bye bye when I did that) and your true friends will stick around even through the moderation. I won't ever change my blog because of dorks like that. I don't like to live in fear. I don't have time.
Meanwhile, I'm going to post her post about it all (without her permission...but I don't think she'd mind...do you, Jamie?) because I agree with her completely (except the part about not blogging or going private) and I like the way she said it:
Hatred
I guess what shocks me the most about what happened today was the hatred. People actually trying to hurt other people, not caring who, just wanting to hurt them. I grew up being taught to love my enemies. To never hate. To always love. I have surrounded myself with holy, Catholic and holy, Christian friends. I have kept this blog up because I love the people, the strong Christian and Catholic moms out there supporting eachother, praying for eachother, loving. How can I get that without letting hatred in too? Hatred found me, attacked me and my blog and my life today. I can moderate comments, I can stop comments but the hatred is still there. Hatred is still there next to pictures and stories of my children. Stories of my life. Stories of living. Stories of trying to let God make me into a Saint. Stories of humility. Stories of love. Stories of my beliefs, my thoughts, my life. Stories meant for my friends. My holy Catholic and Christian friends. Not for hatred.I am shocked at the hatred that is out there. You know, I don't have any friend or know anyone actually that hates like these liberal people have hated today. If I'm putting all liberals in a box, so be it. That is the impression you've left me with. You liberals talk like you are for all things good, yet your actions show otherwise. Your actions show hatred. Abortion is pure hatred. Hatred of the baby, hatred of God. Don't try to convince me or anyone else that it is not hatred, because you can't. It is what it is. Hatred. Evil. Pure evil. You cannot be Catholic and be pro-abortion. You cannot say it is a small issue, because it is not a small issue. It is the beginning of all issues. Without life you have nothing. Only a liberal would compare speeding with abortion. Because liberals don't get it. They don't get that they are two entirely different things. Let's see, murder...speeding? Same thing? No. Not the same thing. At all.I did start 40 Days For Life this past week. Was I thinking there would be no crosses with that? Well, forget it Satan, it will not work with me. It has only brought me closer to God. I can only imagine the pain God feels when he sees the hatred all around. My children have to come off. I'm not sure if I will even blog anymore. My children are such a part of me and my life, I'm not sure what I'd blog about without them. Maybe I will go private, put all my energy into my private blog, but is that fun? I like meeting new people all the time, just not hatred. I don't like meeting that.It's sad how people can just tear something beautiful down. Just ruin it. This was a place of "Jamieness". A place I'd hoped people liked to come to, a place I hoped people left feeling just a little bit better about themselves, about God and about life. After today I can't say that. It's not that good place. There will always be hatred lurkers out there. Reading for some reason. Looking for someone to attack with their hatred.
I would add that there will always be hatred but you can make them go away by posting that little "I know you're reading me" tracker thingie at the bottom of your blog and by moderating comments. They TRY to comment for a little while, but you ignore them completely and they will go away because they lose their power quick when they don't have a forum for their hatred.
I highly recommend moderating comments (besides, they come in your email and you can see all your comments before you post them and respond to them privately if you wish). Please do that for your friends, so we can comment and remind you of the great reasons you started to blog in the first place, (then you don't have to go private!) and for the millions of ignored cats out there in the underground, basement blogosphere.
Maybe I'm being foolish, but I've never thought that Anonymous was anyone that could ever hurt me in any REAL way. Most of those Anonymous idiots are just a bunch of hippies in their mom's basements or mean spirited, unhappy souls, cranky because they hate children and puppies and don't want anyone else to be happy either. I'm pretty sure they sit around in the afternoons, trolling the internet, looking for goodness so they can destroy it and cackle to their 10+ cats that they are "making a difference in the world by teaching those ignorant hicks the truth about how the concepts of socialism are just super great that have worked so well in all societies they've been tried in!"
Anyway, they struck at Jamie in a really horrible way and exposed their ignorance. I should have ignored them (as all of us should have) because the more you respond to them, the more voracious they get. They do feed off of responses and get more foul and intimidating. So, she has taken down comments, pictures, and changed the "Jamieness" of her blog. That is a shame. I told her that if she would just moderate comments, people like that would go away fast (they went flying bye bye when I did that) and your true friends will stick around even through the moderation. I won't ever change my blog because of dorks like that. I don't like to live in fear. I don't have time.
Meanwhile, I'm going to post her post about it all (without her permission...but I don't think she'd mind...do you, Jamie?) because I agree with her completely (except the part about not blogging or going private) and I like the way she said it:
Hatred
I guess what shocks me the most about what happened today was the hatred. People actually trying to hurt other people, not caring who, just wanting to hurt them. I grew up being taught to love my enemies. To never hate. To always love. I have surrounded myself with holy, Catholic and holy, Christian friends. I have kept this blog up because I love the people, the strong Christian and Catholic moms out there supporting eachother, praying for eachother, loving. How can I get that without letting hatred in too? Hatred found me, attacked me and my blog and my life today. I can moderate comments, I can stop comments but the hatred is still there. Hatred is still there next to pictures and stories of my children. Stories of my life. Stories of living. Stories of trying to let God make me into a Saint. Stories of humility. Stories of love. Stories of my beliefs, my thoughts, my life. Stories meant for my friends. My holy Catholic and Christian friends. Not for hatred.I am shocked at the hatred that is out there. You know, I don't have any friend or know anyone actually that hates like these liberal people have hated today. If I'm putting all liberals in a box, so be it. That is the impression you've left me with. You liberals talk like you are for all things good, yet your actions show otherwise. Your actions show hatred. Abortion is pure hatred. Hatred of the baby, hatred of God. Don't try to convince me or anyone else that it is not hatred, because you can't. It is what it is. Hatred. Evil. Pure evil. You cannot be Catholic and be pro-abortion. You cannot say it is a small issue, because it is not a small issue. It is the beginning of all issues. Without life you have nothing. Only a liberal would compare speeding with abortion. Because liberals don't get it. They don't get that they are two entirely different things. Let's see, murder...speeding? Same thing? No. Not the same thing. At all.I did start 40 Days For Life this past week. Was I thinking there would be no crosses with that? Well, forget it Satan, it will not work with me. It has only brought me closer to God. I can only imagine the pain God feels when he sees the hatred all around. My children have to come off. I'm not sure if I will even blog anymore. My children are such a part of me and my life, I'm not sure what I'd blog about without them. Maybe I will go private, put all my energy into my private blog, but is that fun? I like meeting new people all the time, just not hatred. I don't like meeting that.It's sad how people can just tear something beautiful down. Just ruin it. This was a place of "Jamieness". A place I'd hoped people liked to come to, a place I hoped people left feeling just a little bit better about themselves, about God and about life. After today I can't say that. It's not that good place. There will always be hatred lurkers out there. Reading for some reason. Looking for someone to attack with their hatred.
I would add that there will always be hatred but you can make them go away by posting that little "I know you're reading me" tracker thingie at the bottom of your blog and by moderating comments. They TRY to comment for a little while, but you ignore them completely and they will go away because they lose their power quick when they don't have a forum for their hatred.
I highly recommend moderating comments (besides, they come in your email and you can see all your comments before you post them and respond to them privately if you wish). Please do that for your friends, so we can comment and remind you of the great reasons you started to blog in the first place, (then you don't have to go private!) and for the millions of ignored cats out there in the underground, basement blogosphere.
Complicated Situation
We always (me and the kids) get in this fight when we get in the van. I, being the mom, feel it is my duty to listen to talk radio so that they can stay abreast of current events in the world, and learn about the political climate, and the local news. I really believe that it's good to stimulate your children's minds by helping them to understand what's happening in the wider world outside their door.
Ahem.
However...they, being their father's children, would rather listen to crappy country music. I don't mean classic country, that sweet, down-homey music with banjos and good ol' fashioned steel guitars. I mean the new junk that is written in about 5 seconds after being fitted into some popcountry formula and spewed out onto the radio, sung by some bubble headed blond (in most cases) over and over again until you feel like ripping the radio out and throwing it into the nearest ditc...breathe.
Okay, so I really don't mind some of the new country. Some of it is actually kinda catchy. I bought the Little Big Town CD and we've listened to that one over and over (Bocker used to make us listen to "Boondocks" repeatedly until we thought our heads were going to explode). All the kids (me too) know all the lyrics and we belt them out while driving down the highway all the time. One, other group we like is Lady Antebellum:
I'm Just Lookin' For a Good Time
Girl you're beautiful
You're bout near perfect
But I bet somebody's already told you that
Name your poison
Name your passion
Cause a boy like me just couldn't help but ask
Keep on talking to me baby
I'm hanging on your every word
Keep those drinks a coming maybe
We'll both get what we deserve
[Chorus]
How bout baby
We make a promise
To not promise anything more than one night
Complicated situations
Only get worse in the morning light
Hey I'm just lookin' for a good time
Put in a long hard week doing this 9 to 5
And you're just the girl to get that off my mind
You shouldn't 've worn that dress
You shouldn't dance like that
You got this little heart of mine in overdrive
I sure love this conversation
The band is good, the music's loud
But would you get the wrong impression
If I called us a cab right now
[Repeat Chorus]
Go ahead and lie to me and pull me close
Tell me that you love me even if you don't
The rule is don't you ever even talk about forever
But you never say never in life
[Repeat Chorus]
Hey I'm just lookin' for a good time
Wow, okayyyyyyy. Not exactly the nicest, most wholesome lyrics I guess. BUT, we do have fun with the melody and belt it out whenever it comes on the radio. Tonight, the kids were being extra squirrelly and would NOT go to bed. NONE OF THEM. They kept sneaking into my room to try and convince me they needed to sleep in my bed. Finally, everyone settled but, after a few minutes, Matty came in my room and told me something.
He said, "Hey Mom? I'm Just Lookin' For a Good Time came on the radio and Bocker knew what song it was going to be and he told me, 'I like that part where they say SITUATIONS'".
Then he chuckled at how random and funny that was and went back to bed.
Goofballs.
Ahem.
However...they, being their father's children, would rather listen to crappy country music. I don't mean classic country, that sweet, down-homey music with banjos and good ol' fashioned steel guitars. I mean the new junk that is written in about 5 seconds after being fitted into some popcountry formula and spewed out onto the radio, sung by some bubble headed blond (in most cases) over and over again until you feel like ripping the radio out and throwing it into the nearest ditc...breathe.
Okay, so I really don't mind some of the new country. Some of it is actually kinda catchy. I bought the Little Big Town CD and we've listened to that one over and over (Bocker used to make us listen to "Boondocks" repeatedly until we thought our heads were going to explode). All the kids (me too) know all the lyrics and we belt them out while driving down the highway all the time. One, other group we like is Lady Antebellum:
I'm Just Lookin' For a Good Time
Girl you're beautiful
You're bout near perfect
But I bet somebody's already told you that
Name your poison
Name your passion
Cause a boy like me just couldn't help but ask
Keep on talking to me baby
I'm hanging on your every word
Keep those drinks a coming maybe
We'll both get what we deserve
[Chorus]
How bout baby
We make a promise
To not promise anything more than one night
Complicated situations
Only get worse in the morning light
Hey I'm just lookin' for a good time
Put in a long hard week doing this 9 to 5
And you're just the girl to get that off my mind
You shouldn't 've worn that dress
You shouldn't dance like that
You got this little heart of mine in overdrive
I sure love this conversation
The band is good, the music's loud
But would you get the wrong impression
If I called us a cab right now
[Repeat Chorus]
Go ahead and lie to me and pull me close
Tell me that you love me even if you don't
The rule is don't you ever even talk about forever
But you never say never in life
[Repeat Chorus]
Hey I'm just lookin' for a good time
Wow, okayyyyyyy. Not exactly the nicest, most wholesome lyrics I guess. BUT, we do have fun with the melody and belt it out whenever it comes on the radio. Tonight, the kids were being extra squirrelly and would NOT go to bed. NONE OF THEM. They kept sneaking into my room to try and convince me they needed to sleep in my bed. Finally, everyone settled but, after a few minutes, Matty came in my room and told me something.
He said, "Hey Mom? I'm Just Lookin' For a Good Time came on the radio and Bocker knew what song it was going to be and he told me, 'I like that part where they say SITUATIONS'".
Then he chuckled at how random and funny that was and went back to bed.
Goofballs.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Thursday, October 02, 2008
EMERGENCY ALERT PRAY PRAY PRAY!
I just found out this week that a former classmate of mine is having a hard time. Her husband has just been diagnosed with some kind of throat cancer.
She always was a very good person and a sweet, dear, loyal friend. I hope you could find time to pray for her and her family (four small children) today for strength to get through the therapies that will hopefully cure her husband.
I think the last time I saw her was at Mass where she had her daughter baptized (youngest). She has the most beautiful, red/blond-headed children. I can't imagine how hard it must be to see their dad suffer like that.
Here is their website for my prayer warriors. Please visit it and contribute, if you can.
Thank you so much!
(photo of Mike and Nicole from their caringbridge website)
She always was a very good person and a sweet, dear, loyal friend. I hope you could find time to pray for her and her family (four small children) today for strength to get through the therapies that will hopefully cure her husband.
I think the last time I saw her was at Mass where she had her daughter baptized (youngest). She has the most beautiful, red/blond-headed children. I can't imagine how hard it must be to see their dad suffer like that.
Here is their website for my prayer warriors. Please visit it and contribute, if you can.
Thank you so much!
(photo of Mike and Nicole from their caringbridge website)
Why I Don't "Do" Facebook
When I first heard about this blogging thing (2003ish), I started out on this one site called diarydotcom or something like that. I just kept an online journal with no pictures. It was private and bo-ring.
My sister, Anna told me about blogger and I was anxious to try it because it looked so easy. It was. It still is.
Once in a while, I would sign on to facebook or myspace (because a friend "invited" me) but I would always have to remember my stupid password or how the heck to sign on to the darned things. I would have to actually take the time to set the whole thing up and make it look pretty (otherwise, what's the point?) and I don't even have time to clean my dang bathrooms for pete's sake!
So, I don't "do" facebook, Megan. I don't actually even like to GO there to look at other people's facebook pages because then I'd have to sign in and bluh, I don't feel like it. I try to update my blog at least a couple of times a week and keep up with my email. That's all I have time for between cleaning the house, managing the household bills, nursing a baby, taking care of 6 kids, finding time for extended family and friends. Facebook would be the straw that breaks it, I'm afraid. So, if you want to see my "facebook" page...read my blog, or at least read my never-updated profile. I'm kinda "old school" too, and facebook would be WAY too hip for me. There you have it.
The END
My sister, Anna told me about blogger and I was anxious to try it because it looked so easy. It was. It still is.
Once in a while, I would sign on to facebook or myspace (because a friend "invited" me) but I would always have to remember my stupid password or how the heck to sign on to the darned things. I would have to actually take the time to set the whole thing up and make it look pretty (otherwise, what's the point?) and I don't even have time to clean my dang bathrooms for pete's sake!
So, I don't "do" facebook, Megan. I don't actually even like to GO there to look at other people's facebook pages because then I'd have to sign in and bluh, I don't feel like it. I try to update my blog at least a couple of times a week and keep up with my email. That's all I have time for between cleaning the house, managing the household bills, nursing a baby, taking care of 6 kids, finding time for extended family and friends. Facebook would be the straw that breaks it, I'm afraid. So, if you want to see my "facebook" page...read my blog, or at least read my never-updated profile. I'm kinda "old school" too, and facebook would be WAY too hip for me. There you have it.
The END
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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