I'm just really busy with work, and getting ready to go on Pilgrimage at the end of this week. I have several wedding parties in here for Labor Day weekend, and those things have to be done by tomorrow so the clients can pick them up tomorrow evening or Thursday. I have to make one more trip to the store for food and other supplies, then get ready to get packed up and go! My friends and I call it "Byzantine Catholic Woodstock" - it's a really wonderful experience, and a perfect way to end the summer on a grace-filled note!
We'll also be starting our school year next week, so I'm doing some mental planning for that. I'll have to get in touch with the middle school where Birdman would go if we didn't homeschool, and get a copy of the West Virginia history textbook for him to use. I hope to have him take the Golden Horseshoe test this year. I also need to buy composition books; I know I purchased a whole box of them last year ago but I can't find them anywhere! And erasers; we go through erasers like there's no tomorrow. (While some might think this is an indication that we make a lot of mistakes, I prefer to think of it as evidence that we are determined to get it right, no matter how many times we have to correct ourselves). I also need to finish planning our fall field trips; we make a visit to the National Cemetery in Grafton on Veteran's Day (we pray for those buried there, and I usually put together a short program of patriotic readings). A few other places I'd like to visit are Shanksville, PA (the crash site of Flight 93 on 9/11) and Johnstown, PA (as in the Johnstown Flood), and the Frank Lloyd Wright house "Fallingwater".
I've also been knitting; I've put aside the scarf for a while to try to finish my socks, and I need to knit a pair of baby socks for a darling little micro-preemie named Juliet, the niece of one of my online friends.
So have a lovely week, and a blessed and safe Labor Day weekend!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
My Catholic Vote, or, The Wonky Plank in the Democrats' Platform
Came across this interesting article a few days ago; evidently the poll referenced found that Jews and Catholics, both of whom have been pretty much reliable as far as the Democratic party being able to count on their votes, are now slowly but perceptibly shifting towards the GOP. This reminds me:
Back when the 2008 Presidential election campaign was at its high point, I got into a lengthy and rather heated conversation on a private internet forum regarding the candidates, their respective political parties, and all sorts of other things. One of those other things involved the difference in the official position on the sanctity of life between the platforms of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. I left the Constitution Party, the Libertarians, the Green Party and other "third party" platforms out of the discussion because I was conversing with someone on the other side of the country, and the two major party candidates were the focus of our discussion - third party candidates not consistently making the state ballots across all 50 states.
The other party to this discussion held the view that Obama's social policies and campaign positions were closer to Catholic social teaching than were McCain's. Also, my counterpart opined that it was fruitless to either be vocally pro-life, participate in activities to further a culture of life (such as protesting at abortuaries, etc.) or to bother to vote for a candidate who professed to be pro-life because, as he put it, 'there will always be abortion, and it might as well be legal so women won't have to resort to quacks in back alleys with coat hangers.' (I disagree with both statements, by the way. Obama advocated socialist positions while campaigning, and has attempted to impose a socialist rule on America since taking office - and the Church roundly condemns socialism.)
First of all, I'm Catholic, as I mentioned in my very first post on this blog. I would hope that I am a faithful Catholic, and as far as I am aware I adhere to all the teachings of the Church that are necessary to remain in good standing with the Church.
Secondly, I've read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The sanctity of life takes precedence over every single other social justice issue extant, simply because without a respect for the most vulnerable lives in society - the unborn and the elderly - how can we as Christians hope to bring about any other meaningful social change?
Third, I took the time to download and read the official platforms of both the Democratic and the Republican Parties. What I read was rather shocking, and after thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that I cannot ever, in good conscience, as long as I profess the Catholic faith, vote for any candidate who officially identifies his or her political party affiliation as Democrat, due to that party's position on life issues and the resulting possibility of my being a source of scandal through my support of a Democrat candidate for any elected office.
You may download the 2008 Democratic Party platform here. The relevant section is at the bottom of page 50 and the first line of page 51of the pdf document, in the section titled "Choice." Money quote:
Not only are the Democrats in favor of abortion and contraception, but they have placed their positions on these two issues before they even mention, almost as an afterthought, the fact that they also support women who choose to have their babies.
You may also notice, if you read the entire document, that the Democratic Party solution to what ails the nation is nothing but huge, bloated government entitlement programs. That in and of itself violates the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which means that social issues are taken care of at the simplest level possible. For instance, you notice that your neighbor down the street has lost his job and though he goes out job hunting every day, it's been a while and you think he might be getting low on groceries. Instead of sticking a note on his door with the address of the nearest Food Stamps office, you drop off some bread, peanut butter and jelly, and maybe offer to give him a ride to a food pantry if he's really strapped.
Now see what the Republicans have to say about life issues in their platform; the relevant section can be found by clicking on "Values" and then the title of the following quote, at this link:
I think that a true conservative, Constitutional limited-government candidate is going to take positions on the issues, and favor policies, that more than 9 times out of 10 are more closely aligned with subsidiarity and other facets of Catholic social doctrine. In my opinion, a smaller government takes less from its citizens in the form of taxes, leaving them more of their hard-earned income to distribute to charitable causes as they see fit. A smaller government limits its citizens' choices of livelihood less, so that it is easier for that person to discern and follow God's calling in his or her life.
So my vote will be cast for the BEST candidate for the elected position to be filled, taking into consideration both the individual candidate's positions AND his party's official platform position. Because of the Democratic Party's official pro-abortion and pro-contraception position as stated in its party platform, I do not consider myself, as a Catholic, able to cast a vote for a candidate who is running as a Democrat. Most of the time this means I'll vote Republican, although I will vote for a third-party candidate when that candidate's position on life issues and policies which affect those issues, as well as the third-party platform's official position, is more closely aligned with Church teaching than the Republican candidate's.
Back when the 2008 Presidential election campaign was at its high point, I got into a lengthy and rather heated conversation on a private internet forum regarding the candidates, their respective political parties, and all sorts of other things. One of those other things involved the difference in the official position on the sanctity of life between the platforms of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. I left the Constitution Party, the Libertarians, the Green Party and other "third party" platforms out of the discussion because I was conversing with someone on the other side of the country, and the two major party candidates were the focus of our discussion - third party candidates not consistently making the state ballots across all 50 states.
The other party to this discussion held the view that Obama's social policies and campaign positions were closer to Catholic social teaching than were McCain's. Also, my counterpart opined that it was fruitless to either be vocally pro-life, participate in activities to further a culture of life (such as protesting at abortuaries, etc.) or to bother to vote for a candidate who professed to be pro-life because, as he put it, 'there will always be abortion, and it might as well be legal so women won't have to resort to quacks in back alleys with coat hangers.' (I disagree with both statements, by the way. Obama advocated socialist positions while campaigning, and has attempted to impose a socialist rule on America since taking office - and the Church roundly condemns socialism.)
First of all, I'm Catholic, as I mentioned in my very first post on this blog. I would hope that I am a faithful Catholic, and as far as I am aware I adhere to all the teachings of the Church that are necessary to remain in good standing with the Church.
Secondly, I've read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The sanctity of life takes precedence over every single other social justice issue extant, simply because without a respect for the most vulnerable lives in society - the unborn and the elderly - how can we as Christians hope to bring about any other meaningful social change?
"Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.
...
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation. (CCC, 2nd edition, paragraphs 2270 and 2273, emphasis in the original)
Third, I took the time to download and read the official platforms of both the Democratic and the Republican Parties. What I read was rather shocking, and after thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that I cannot ever, in good conscience, as long as I profess the Catholic faith, vote for any candidate who officially identifies his or her political party affiliation as Democrat, due to that party's position on life issues and the resulting possibility of my being a source of scandal through my support of a Democrat candidate for any elected office.
You may download the 2008 Democratic Party platform here. The relevant section is at the bottom of page 50 and the first line of page 51of the pdf document, in the section titled "Choice." Money quote:
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to comprehensive affordable family planning services and age-appropriate sex education which empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions.The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman’s decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs.
Not only are the Democrats in favor of abortion and contraception, but they have placed their positions on these two issues before they even mention, almost as an afterthought, the fact that they also support women who choose to have their babies.
You may also notice, if you read the entire document, that the Democratic Party solution to what ails the nation is nothing but huge, bloated government entitlement programs. That in and of itself violates the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which means that social issues are taken care of at the simplest level possible. For instance, you notice that your neighbor down the street has lost his job and though he goes out job hunting every day, it's been a while and you think he might be getting low on groceries. Instead of sticking a note on his door with the address of the nearest Food Stamps office, you drop off some bread, peanut butter and jelly, and maybe offer to give him a ride to a food pantry if he's really strapped.
Now see what the Republicans have to say about life issues in their platform; the relevant section can be found by clicking on "Values" and then the title of the following quote, at this link:
Maintaining The Sanctity and Dignity of Human LifeFaithful to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.We have made progress. The Supreme Court has upheld prohibitions against the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. States are now permitted to extend health-care coverage to children before birth. And the Born Alive Infants Protection Act has become law; this law ensures that infants who are born alive during an abortion receive all treatment and care that is provided to all newborn infants and are not neglected and left to die. We must protect girls from exploitation and statutory rape through a parental notification requirement. We all have a moral obligation to assist, not to penalize, women struggling with the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy. At its core, abortion is a fundamental assault on the sanctity of innocent human life. Women deserve better than abortion. Every effort should be made to work with women considering abortion to enable and empower them to choose life. We salute those who provide them alternatives, including pregnancy care centers, and we take pride in the tremendous increase in adoptions that has followed Republican legislative initiatives.Respect for life requires efforts to include persons with disabilities in education, employment, the justice system, and civic participation. In keeping with that commitment, we oppose the non-consensual withholding of care or treatment from people with disabilities, as well as the elderly and infirm, just as we oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide, which endanger especially those on the margins of society. Because government should set a positive standard in hiring and contracting for the services of persons with disabilities, we need to update the statutory authority for the AbilityOne program, the main avenue by which those productive members of our society can offer high quality services at the best possible value.
I think that a true conservative, Constitutional limited-government candidate is going to take positions on the issues, and favor policies, that more than 9 times out of 10 are more closely aligned with subsidiarity and other facets of Catholic social doctrine. In my opinion, a smaller government takes less from its citizens in the form of taxes, leaving them more of their hard-earned income to distribute to charitable causes as they see fit. A smaller government limits its citizens' choices of livelihood less, so that it is easier for that person to discern and follow God's calling in his or her life.
So my vote will be cast for the BEST candidate for the elected position to be filled, taking into consideration both the individual candidate's positions AND his party's official platform position. Because of the Democratic Party's official pro-abortion and pro-contraception position as stated in its party platform, I do not consider myself, as a Catholic, able to cast a vote for a candidate who is running as a Democrat. Most of the time this means I'll vote Republican, although I will vote for a third-party candidate when that candidate's position on life issues and policies which affect those issues, as well as the third-party platform's official position, is more closely aligned with Church teaching than the Republican candidate's.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Never a Dull Moment......
Crockpot has gone broody!
Since we have no rooster and it would be pointless to allow her to sit a clutch of eggs, we've set up our dog crate in the backyard on skids to raise it up off the ground (to let the air circulate; evidently if you let them lie down flat it keeps their body temp up and they won't break off the broody behavior), with a food dish and a waterer. She's NOT happy.
Velvet had to wear gloves to get her out of the coop and into the crate. Drumstick is pacing around the outside of the crate, very interested in Crockpot's food (same thing as in the feed box of the coop, but chickens are stupid). It's like visiting day at the penitentiary. We're going to leave her in the crate until Sunday and see if that takes care of the situation. If not, we'll have to move on to Plan B (except that I don't really have a Plan B at this point).
Since we have no rooster and it would be pointless to allow her to sit a clutch of eggs, we've set up our dog crate in the backyard on skids to raise it up off the ground (to let the air circulate; evidently if you let them lie down flat it keeps their body temp up and they won't break off the broody behavior), with a food dish and a waterer. She's NOT happy.
Velvet had to wear gloves to get her out of the coop and into the crate. Drumstick is pacing around the outside of the crate, very interested in Crockpot's food (same thing as in the feed box of the coop, but chickens are stupid). It's like visiting day at the penitentiary. We're going to leave her in the crate until Sunday and see if that takes care of the situation. If not, we'll have to move on to Plan B (except that I don't really have a Plan B at this point).
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
What Are You Reading?
I'm currently reading several books; I don't seem to be able to stick to just one book at a time. I'm very slowly and thoughtfully working my way through The Art of Prayer: an Orthodox Anthology and Saint John Climacus' The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
From the introduction to The Art of Prayer:
I have a long way to go, really.
My "lighter fare" right now is A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge by Charles B. MacDonald. It's very well researched and not at all dry and boring. I find the battles of the European Theater of World War II to be fascinating.......funny that should be so, since the family members who served did so in the Pacific Theater. That whole period of history really interests me, and it is an endless puzzle and an amazement how everyone got into the 'war effort' at that time - and how different it is today.
So, what are you reading?
From the introduction to The Art of Prayer:
The Art of Prayer, then, represent the fruit of careful reading over many years in the monastic life....the bulk of the extracts come from Russian writers during the second half of the [nineteenth] century. Taken as a whole, Father Chariton's anthology sets before the reader the spiritual teaching of the Orthodox Church in its classic and traditional form....A random quote:
If you are not successful in your prayer, do not expect success in anything. It is the root of all.
I have a long way to go, really.
My "lighter fare" right now is A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge by Charles B. MacDonald. It's very well researched and not at all dry and boring. I find the battles of the European Theater of World War II to be fascinating.......funny that should be so, since the family members who served did so in the Pacific Theater. That whole period of history really interests me, and it is an endless puzzle and an amazement how everyone got into the 'war effort' at that time - and how different it is today.
So, what are you reading?
Friday, August 20, 2010
We're Weather Junkies, I Guess.
Tonight we are watching an episode of the Weather Channel series "When Weather Strikes Back" featuring 'Freak Waves', waves that can come seemingly from nowhere and reach up to 125 feet in height.
Some of the footage is very beautiful; right now they are showing waves off the coast of Ireland; the breaking waves beat upon the shore and upon each other.
We enjoy a lot of the Weather Channel programs; it's a comfortable way to see the awesome forces of nature from our dry and not-so-extreme-in-temperature living room. It's also a good way to learn quite a bit about meteorology without even trying!
Some of the footage is very beautiful; right now they are showing waves off the coast of Ireland; the breaking waves beat upon the shore and upon each other.
We enjoy a lot of the Weather Channel programs; it's a comfortable way to see the awesome forces of nature from our dry and not-so-extreme-in-temperature living room. It's also a good way to learn quite a bit about meteorology without even trying!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
My Brain is Working Overtime Today
Why is it that it is perfectly fine for organizations whose purpose is to raise awareness about animal abuse to use both still photos and live-action footage of starved and severely wounded animals - horses, dogs, cats, monkeys - for the 'shock value', in an attempt to further their cause..........but if a pro-life organization tried that, they'd be sued into oblivion?
I kind of know the answer to that question already, but every time I see the television ad for the Humane Society that shows footage of dogs and cats who have obviously been horribly mistreated, I wish I had the available funds to try just one 30-second ad in favor of human life using actual photos of the end result of abortion.
And yes, Eli was adopted from an animal shelter. Chuck is a rescue too, his original owner having discovered an allergy to birds which made it impossible for Chuck to live with her any more.
I kind of know the answer to that question already, but every time I see the television ad for the Humane Society that shows footage of dogs and cats who have obviously been horribly mistreated, I wish I had the available funds to try just one 30-second ad in favor of human life using actual photos of the end result of abortion.
And yes, Eli was adopted from an animal shelter. Chuck is a rescue too, his original owner having discovered an allergy to birds which made it impossible for Chuck to live with her any more.
Tangentially Related to the Immediately Preceding Post
Gateway Pundit has a post this morning about the most recent increase in the unemployment rate.
I would add that my county has the lowest unemployment rate in my state, and prior to January 2009 had one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the nation (hovering around 2.8% at that time). Since January 2009 the unemployment rate here has doubled to 5.7%.
So if unemployment has doubled here, where we have a large pharmaceutical manufacturer, several Federal agencies (NIOSH, PHS, FETC - now called something else but it escapes me at present)), a Level I Trauma Center and a major medical center/teaching hospital/university, and within less than 30 minutes' commute the FBI Fingerprint Center, a NASA agency and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not even aware of, other parts of the country must have it pretty bad, considering that the nationwide rate hasn't been below 10% in over a year.
Do something for someone. And pray for our country and its leaders.
So if unemployment has doubled here, where we have a large pharmaceutical manufacturer, several Federal agencies (NIOSH, PHS, FETC - now called something else but it escapes me at present)), a Level I Trauma Center and a major medical center/teaching hospital/university, and within less than 30 minutes' commute the FBI Fingerprint Center, a NASA agency and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not even aware of, other parts of the country must have it pretty bad, considering that the nationwide rate hasn't been below 10% in over a year.
Do something for someone. And pray for our country and its leaders.
Venting, Just a Bit
I keep hearing "public service announcements" on the local radio station (an AM Oldies station that I listen to in my workroom) for the Peace Corps. One thing that really irks my liver about these announcements is the statement "prepare a meal with food you helped to grow." With all the stuff that goes before this phrase the tone is that joining the Peace Corps is the only way to do this. Haven't these people ever heard of a garden? I have one, and many of our meals include produce from our garden, year round, because in addition to growing things to eat fresh, we also preserve foods so that we may enjoy nature's bounty when the streets are snow-covered and temperatures are in the single digits.
At the end of the announcement the script says "after all, who are we as a society if we don't help those who need it the most?" Indeed! And why should we have to go a couple of thousand miles away to help needy people? They are right here with us (Jesus assured us of that, you know). In your city, in your neighborhood, perhaps right on your street.
The Peace Corps is a noble idea, but don't hang your hat solely on a government agency if you want to be charitable. Open your eyes and look around you. Chances are, you will be able to find someone very close who needs the very thing you have to offer.
At the end of the announcement the script says "after all, who are we as a society if we don't help those who need it the most?" Indeed! And why should we have to go a couple of thousand miles away to help needy people? They are right here with us (Jesus assured us of that, you know). In your city, in your neighborhood, perhaps right on your street.
The Peace Corps is a noble idea, but don't hang your hat solely on a government agency if you want to be charitable. Open your eyes and look around you. Chances are, you will be able to find someone very close who needs the very thing you have to offer.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Doing a Happy Dance Here.......
Another hot and humid day here! Today after Divine Liturgy our parish had its annual Slavic Food Fest, and I'm full of kielbasa and sauerkraut, pyrohi, haluski and cabbage rolls!
I just returned from the fairgrounds, where I picked up my county fair entries. As promised:
Bread & butter pickles, which I didn't think had much chance at all of winning any ribbon at all, much less a blue! There are folks around here whose summer is entirely occupied with what is called "show canning", which means that all the vegetable slices are uniform and lots of times they are stacked individually into the jar before processing, so it looks all organized. These are pickles that I put up the day before entries were due, and they were so yummy-looking that I threw them in as a last-minute entry. I'm glad I did!
My entry in the Miscellaneous Crafts was this pysanka, or Ukrainian decorated Easter Egg. It is a raw fresh egg, decorated by drawing lines on the eggshell with a wax-filled pen called a kitska. After drawing the lines, you dye the egg in aniline (non-edible) dye, then draw more lines with wax, and dye again a darker color, continuing in this manner until the design is complete. You melt off the wax lines with a candle and paper toweling, buffing to a nice shine. If you are careful, your egg will last forever. Some egg artists use a lathe to hold the egg so the wax lines are perfectly straight; I don't have a lathe so I just pray the Holy Spirit to steady my hand.
In case you are wondering, I don't remember what the red ribbon entry was; the first-place ribbon was won by a plastic-canvas Barbie patio set - gazebo, table and chairs and garden bench.
My entry in the machine-sewing category was Birdman's suit that he wore when he received his First Holy Communion. It's a wool-blend suiting I found in the remnant bin at JoAnn Fabric, and I heavily modified the pattern to exactly duplicate a man's suit in my son's size. It has hand-padstitched lapels, hand-applied undercollar (constructed of felt and haircloth in the Italian manner), haircloth and flannel suitfronts (to stabilize the front of the jacket), functional sleeve vents with three buttons, and genuine horn buttons. The trousers have a French fly, set-on waistband with belt carriers and full pockets.
This is my crochet entry. It's the "Betty" crochet shrug from the Berroco website, made from Patons Classic Wool Merino yarn in the gray heather colorway. First place was taken by an awesome thread doily, and once again the second-place winner escapes me. If you go to the pattern link, you can see that this is the sort of garment that doesn't do well on a hanger; it is best displayed on a mannequin or live model. I get a lot of wear out of this; it goes on Pilgrimage with me every Labor Day weekend and keeps me warm on those chilly mornings before the sun burns off the dew.
Here it is! My masterpiece. I have named it "Forty Days in the Desert", because the lace motifs are supposed to resemble cactus flowers and it took exactly 40 days from cast-on to blocking; also it's the only thing I worked on during those 40 days. The pattern is "Aeolian" from the e-zine Knitty. I used Skacel Merino Lace yarn in a pale grey, and US 4 needles. There is one uncorrected error in the whole thing, but it is invisible. This one is actually the second time I've knit this pattern; I made a blue one as a going-away-to-college gift for the young lady whose Confirmation sponsor I was.
I did have "win a ribbon at the county fair" as one of my mental Bucket List items. Not any more; I think I'll change that to "win a blue ribbon at the state fair".
I just returned from the fairgrounds, where I picked up my county fair entries. As promised:
In case you are wondering, I don't remember what the red ribbon entry was; the first-place ribbon was won by a plastic-canvas Barbie patio set - gazebo, table and chairs and garden bench.
I did have "win a ribbon at the county fair" as one of my mental Bucket List items. Not any more; I think I'll change that to "win a blue ribbon at the state fair".
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Snow falling at night
February 2010; snow accumulates on the branches of the mimosa tree by my front porch. The tree is gone, having been sacrificed for 50 additional square feet of garden.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Special Primary Election coming up!
Here is the certified list of candidates running in the special primary election to be held on August 28, 2010, in order to determine the nominees to run in the general election in November for the US Senate seat vacated by the death of Robert C. Byrd.
I took a look at the Mountain Party platform, which you can see here. In four words: Big Government in Birkenstocks. 'Nuff said.
Mr. Mac Warner is my pick. I know him personally, have questioned him closely on issues that affect me as a Catholic, a parent, a business owner, and an American, and believe that if he is elected he will do what he says he will do. You can learn more about him here. The kids and I worked in his campaign office during the regular primary campaign; he was on the ballot to be the GOP nominee for the US House. (You should see us putting together yard signs and lit-packs! We're speedy!)
If you don't like the direction in which this country is headed, be sure you get out to the polls and VOTE on August 28th. Your vote does count.
I took a look at the Mountain Party platform, which you can see here. In four words: Big Government in Birkenstocks. 'Nuff said.
Mr. Mac Warner is my pick. I know him personally, have questioned him closely on issues that affect me as a Catholic, a parent, a business owner, and an American, and believe that if he is elected he will do what he says he will do. You can learn more about him here. The kids and I worked in his campaign office during the regular primary campaign; he was on the ballot to be the GOP nominee for the US House. (You should see us putting together yard signs and lit-packs! We're speedy!)
If you don't like the direction in which this country is headed, be sure you get out to the polls and VOTE on August 28th. Your vote does count.
Crockpot's Not-so-Excellent Adventure
It started raining yesterday evening, so I told Lightning McQueen (whose hens they are) to go out and shut the door of the henhouse so the feedbox wouldn't get waterlogged. I didn't tell him to put the girls in, as it was still daylight and they protest mightily if they have to go in their coop before they decide it's bedtime.
He left the gate to the backyard open.
Crockpot and Drumstick got over the little piece of plastic lattice we have across the bottom of the gate opening (the gate is far enough off the ground that they can scooch under) and when I stepped outside after it had quit raining, I saw Drumstick in the side yard.........but no Crockpot.
A search party was organized, and circumstantial evidence of several feathers in the driveway of the house across the street indicated that if we found her, it wasn't likely she'd be fit for anything but a decent burial. The search was called off once the street lights came on, it becoming too dark to see well. Drumstick was put in the henhouse and we went off to bed, with me thinking that "well, we now only have one chicken" and several other thoughts all related to children and their proclivities for leaving lights on and doors and gates hanging wide open, but which are sadly unprintable because I told Blogger that this is not an adult-content blog.
fast forward to this morning........
Velvet found Crockpot about a block from home, missing those feathers I mentioned before, but otherwise none the worse for wear. I am thankful. Lightning McQueen is thankful too, although he's not back on my good side yet.
He left the gate to the backyard open.
Crockpot and Drumstick got over the little piece of plastic lattice we have across the bottom of the gate opening (the gate is far enough off the ground that they can scooch under) and when I stepped outside after it had quit raining, I saw Drumstick in the side yard.........but no Crockpot.
A search party was organized, and circumstantial evidence of several feathers in the driveway of the house across the street indicated that if we found her, it wasn't likely she'd be fit for anything but a decent burial. The search was called off once the street lights came on, it becoming too dark to see well. Drumstick was put in the henhouse and we went off to bed, with me thinking that "well, we now only have one chicken" and several other thoughts all related to children and their proclivities for leaving lights on and doors and gates hanging wide open, but which are sadly unprintable because I told Blogger that this is not an adult-content blog.
fast forward to this morning........
Velvet found Crockpot about a block from home, missing those feathers I mentioned before, but otherwise none the worse for wear. I am thankful. Lightning McQueen is thankful too, although he's not back on my good side yet.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
In Which I Admit to Almost Liking the Thought of Snow
The key word up there is "Almost."
Oh my, what a terrifically hot and humid day today! The actual temperature only reached the upper 80s, but the humidity made it feel like the mid to upper 90s. It was all I could do to get through the necessary work I had to finish today, and then I forced myself to squeeze in a pair of slacks on rush service so I wouldn't have to do them tomorrow - thus maybe making for a shorter day tomorrow. It didn't help that both bridesmaid dresses and the slacks were black. After I'd seen the last client of the day I treated the kids to Little Caesar's; it being nearly 90 in the house I didn't want to cook anything (also we are a bit low on groceries; I'm having a hard time explaining to them that when I go to the store and spend $100 or so, it's supposed to last more than 36 hours), plus if I'd gone to the store for sandwich stuff we still would have had to eat it in a stiflingly hot house. So we had a pizza picnic in the air-conditioned car, and then went over to Panera for my knitting group.
What an utter disaster. I'd explained to the Three Terrors before we got out of the car that the length of time spent in Panera (where the a/c is turned to a setting somewhere between "Ice Age" and "Polar Outpost") would be directly proportional to their ability to occupy themselves with the books they had brought with them. No such luck. Up, down, to the bathroom and back, pushing and shoving until finally after about 30 minutes (yes, I know I should have packed them up and left LONG before that point, but - read this next part with a little whiny voice - if I did that the instant any one of them act out, trying to be the center of attention when I am trying to have some non-work-related, comfortable adult recreation - I would literally never get to stay anywhere longer than about 2 minutes) I sent them all to the car and we left, stopping at the grocery store to get toilet paper, coffee creamer and a few (very few) other necessities on the way home. Yes, the a/c in the store was nice and cold. No, they didn't behave like civilized beings in there either.
So anyway, here I am in my nice comfy recliner with the computer on my lap, writing this blog post and half watching "So You Think You Can Dance."
And what am I knitting? Right now a scarf for a neato scarf swap, in which we all knit the same scarf and then send to our swap partner a scarf in the known pattern but a surprise yarn in a colorway she will enjoy. Also I'm nearly halfway through Eunny Jang's "Bayerische" socks, in Knit Picks Gloss Sock yarn, the Dolphin colorway. The socks I am doing two at a time; I knit socks on dpns so I purchased two sets of needles for these socks and am doing one repeat of the pattern on each sock, one after the other. I have three full repeats (of four) completed on both socks; one more and then I will do the heels. And then the feet! And then I will have another pair of awesome hand knit socks!
Teaser: I had five things entered for judging in the county fair which started yesterday, and I won five ribbons, three firsts and two thirds. I'll post pictures, and the stories behind each thing I entered, once I get my entries back with my ribbons on Sunday.
Birdman is baking brownies. I am going to clear off my lap now so I'll be ready to enjoy them once they are done.
Oh my, what a terrifically hot and humid day today! The actual temperature only reached the upper 80s, but the humidity made it feel like the mid to upper 90s. It was all I could do to get through the necessary work I had to finish today, and then I forced myself to squeeze in a pair of slacks on rush service so I wouldn't have to do them tomorrow - thus maybe making for a shorter day tomorrow. It didn't help that both bridesmaid dresses and the slacks were black. After I'd seen the last client of the day I treated the kids to Little Caesar's; it being nearly 90 in the house I didn't want to cook anything (also we are a bit low on groceries; I'm having a hard time explaining to them that when I go to the store and spend $100 or so, it's supposed to last more than 36 hours), plus if I'd gone to the store for sandwich stuff we still would have had to eat it in a stiflingly hot house. So we had a pizza picnic in the air-conditioned car, and then went over to Panera for my knitting group.
What an utter disaster. I'd explained to the Three Terrors before we got out of the car that the length of time spent in Panera (where the a/c is turned to a setting somewhere between "Ice Age" and "Polar Outpost") would be directly proportional to their ability to occupy themselves with the books they had brought with them. No such luck. Up, down, to the bathroom and back, pushing and shoving until finally after about 30 minutes (yes, I know I should have packed them up and left LONG before that point, but - read this next part with a little whiny voice - if I did that the instant any one of them act out, trying to be the center of attention when I am trying to have some non-work-related, comfortable adult recreation - I would literally never get to stay anywhere longer than about 2 minutes) I sent them all to the car and we left, stopping at the grocery store to get toilet paper, coffee creamer and a few (very few) other necessities on the way home. Yes, the a/c in the store was nice and cold. No, they didn't behave like civilized beings in there either.
So anyway, here I am in my nice comfy recliner with the computer on my lap, writing this blog post and half watching "So You Think You Can Dance."
And what am I knitting? Right now a scarf for a neato scarf swap, in which we all knit the same scarf and then send to our swap partner a scarf in the known pattern but a surprise yarn in a colorway she will enjoy. Also I'm nearly halfway through Eunny Jang's "Bayerische" socks, in Knit Picks Gloss Sock yarn, the Dolphin colorway. The socks I am doing two at a time; I knit socks on dpns so I purchased two sets of needles for these socks and am doing one repeat of the pattern on each sock, one after the other. I have three full repeats (of four) completed on both socks; one more and then I will do the heels. And then the feet! And then I will have another pair of awesome hand knit socks!
Teaser: I had five things entered for judging in the county fair which started yesterday, and I won five ribbons, three firsts and two thirds. I'll post pictures, and the stories behind each thing I entered, once I get my entries back with my ribbons on Sunday.
Birdman is baking brownies. I am going to clear off my lap now so I'll be ready to enjoy them once they are done.
When Bloggers get Busy, They Shamelessly Get Fodder for Posts from Other Blogs
Mantilla the Hon on Bad Vestments
Oh look! I'm not the only one out there who thinks we need to bring the era of the "polyester priest" to an end. Right now. But what can we expect when people are turning up in Church in spaghetti-strap dresses with visible bra straps? I wonder sometimes, did people quit dressing in "Sunday clothes" when they noticed Father decked out in a chasuble whose fabric could very well have come from the table linens department of Bed, Bath and Beyond........or was it the other way around? Somehow I think the former is more likely.
And I used the example of a polyester-tablecloth-chasuble deliberately. I have yet to see a "creative" set of Eastern vestments. For which I am very thankful.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Crescat...: modern love...
The Crescat...: modern love...
I should add that I do have thoughts of my own, but have found it is difficult to mentally draft a blog post and work at the same time. Does this mean I'm getting old?
One thing I neglected to mention in the first post was that I am a voracious reader (that's why I have so many books, I guess). The most recent thing I've finished is the most excellent novel "Texas" by James Michener. Very enjoyable. I'll write more about books in future entries; I always have at least one spiritual book and one "secular" book going.
This evening was the first County Fair Parade in five years; we had a hiatus due to nowhere to have the fair! Now we have a fabulous new venue out on the north end of the city (sort of; I can get there but I'm not so good with compass directions unless I'm looking at the Garmin). Velvet and Lightning McQueen walked with the pro-life group and I strolled along with the local GOP candidates and the GOP county executive committee. Nicer groups of people would be difficult to find. I saw several familiar faces in the crowd along the street (some of them looked a bit surprised to see me carrying one end of the GOP banner, IDK what's up with that), and did not step in any horse plop. Yay me!
Tomorrow I'm taking the kids to the fair to eat fair food (they have never had roasted corn; it's a wonder they haven't wasted away to nothing by now) - corn, funnel cakes, hand-cut french fries and lemonade. Also I want to see if any of my entries won a ribbon. I'm a bit on pins and needles.
American Thinker: The Deadly Pact: How ObamaCare will 'Save' Money
American Thinker: The Deadly Pact: How ObamaCare will 'Save' Money
There's an election in November. It would be foolish, to say the least, to cast a vote for any person on the ballot who has expressed any opinion other than outright disapproval for the monstrosity of government intrusion and State-sanctioned murder that is "Obamacare".
One of the really scary things about the way some of this law is worded is that it doesn't necessarily have to apply only to the elderly. The restrictions on hospital admissions and subsequent denial of medical treatment could very easily also be extended to anyone, of any age, with a chronic health condition (juvenile diabetes, anyone? childhood cancers? cystic fibrosis? any condition requiring multiple surgeries to correct?)
Margaret Sanger advocated eugenics by forced sterilization and abortion. Obamacare tries to achieve a similar result.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
In Which I Introduce Myself
Welcome to my world! Never a dull moment here, so perhaps once I get a few posts up you will find yourself a regular visitor.
I live in a medium-sized college town in an old, drafty Gothic Revival home with three kids (Birdman, Velvet and Lightning McQueen), a dog (Eli), a parakeet (Chuck), two laying hens (Crockpot and Drumstick), a garden, a whole lot of yarn, even more books, and too many dust bunnies. We are homeschoolers and I have a tailoring business in my home. We're Eastern Catholics and political conservatives.
I have fascinating neighbors and we love to go on road trips to just about anywhere. We are IndyCar fans but that doesn't mean we don't like NASCAR, we cheer for the Steelers (and a few other teams), we think curling is a weird sport, and I will forever be a Cincinnati Reds fan. College football? Purdue, because I think "Boilermakers" is an awesome name for a team. Soccer? No thanks, I don't drive a minivan. Little League? not in this family; around here they play for BLOOD.
Coffee? Certainly! Tea? Yep. Soda? Not so much. TV? Yes, probably too much. Radio? Oldies and country, please. Scouting? No, we do 4-H, Civil Air Patrol, and Birdman is in the local Junior Rifle Club.
Hopefully there's something in that not-to-be-construed-as-exhaustive list that interests you, and you'll subscribe or click back here often in hopes that I post something that makes you think, or laugh, or cry.
Now I have to go play Laundry Fairy, and try to discover the reason why, with only four people living here, there are always at least six pairs of shoes lying dejectedly all over the downstairs.
I live in a medium-sized college town in an old, drafty Gothic Revival home with three kids (Birdman, Velvet and Lightning McQueen), a dog (Eli), a parakeet (Chuck), two laying hens (Crockpot and Drumstick), a garden, a whole lot of yarn, even more books, and too many dust bunnies. We are homeschoolers and I have a tailoring business in my home. We're Eastern Catholics and political conservatives.
I have fascinating neighbors and we love to go on road trips to just about anywhere. We are IndyCar fans but that doesn't mean we don't like NASCAR, we cheer for the Steelers (and a few other teams), we think curling is a weird sport, and I will forever be a Cincinnati Reds fan. College football? Purdue, because I think "Boilermakers" is an awesome name for a team. Soccer? No thanks, I don't drive a minivan. Little League? not in this family; around here they play for BLOOD.
Coffee? Certainly! Tea? Yep. Soda? Not so much. TV? Yes, probably too much. Radio? Oldies and country, please. Scouting? No, we do 4-H, Civil Air Patrol, and Birdman is in the local Junior Rifle Club.
Hopefully there's something in that not-to-be-construed-as-exhaustive list that interests you, and you'll subscribe or click back here often in hopes that I post something that makes you think, or laugh, or cry.
Now I have to go play Laundry Fairy, and try to discover the reason why, with only four people living here, there are always at least six pairs of shoes lying dejectedly all over the downstairs.
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