No Words Without Thoughts

Kori Unplugged

2010-08-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

I have been contemplating the art and the ideal of hospitality lately. It is important to me to have an open heart and an open home and I fear that outwardly, at least, I have neither.

In opening myself to others through electronic media such as Facebook I feel as though I have closed myself off to real life interaction. Although I do not spend an extraordinary amount of time in front of the computer and I do not engage in messaging and texting I have come to believe that even a little may be too much. Often throughout the day I find myself contemplating such deep questions as: Should I change my status update? Would this interest my "friends" on Facebook?
Instead of picking up the phone or writing a letter I rely on the computer to do my talking.

I watched a documentary recently that posited the theory that students today are so fragmented by multitasking and affected by the short sound bytes of information sent out over social media that they are learning LESS even at top notch academic institutions such as Harvard and MIT. I believe it. In the last five years I have lost my ability to focus on one book for any length of time. I have taken to reading easy fiction novels rather than books or articles of any substance. I tried to dismiss this as normal for a mother of young children - I certainly cannot read deep, intellectual material while caring for my children and I am generally quite tired at the end of my day and yet deep in my heart I know that without the years of scanning information online, refreshing my email and now checking status updates I would still have the focus needed to read and understand complex information.

What does all this mean? When taken to its logical conclusion I must conclude that the best course for myself and for my family is to unplug. And yet I do not want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Email is a valid and necessary means of communication in today's world. Facebook is where I find important information about family and friends and share information about our doings as well. Google and Wikipedia are essential tools in navigating real life. To log off completely would be like deciding not to participate in society at all. To be unplugged entirely is the new Amish. Therefore I must set limits. What they are I cannot tell just yet, but I will be giving it much thought in the days and nights to come. Until then, I would expect that you will hear from me less...and that perhaps is a good thing for all of us.

But as always, whether I have said it out loud or not, feel free to stop by. Maybe I have cookies in the oven....although looking at the 10 day forecast (online of course), probably not.

It pays off

2009-08-05T12:50:00.003-04:00

Today the children were playing SO nicely outside and lunchtime was fast approaching. I decided (sefishly, of course) that it would be better to make their sandwiches and have them eat ouside on the deck. So I brought everything out and called them in from the backyard. They were happy to eat outside, but when I saw the state of their hands I went back inside for some wet wipes. As I was coming back out I actually heard them PRAYING! They said their whole morning offering (ha,ha) and grace before meals. ALL BY THEMSELVES. Maybe it's just the mom in me, but that absolutely made my day.

Update: humph. they have been back and forth in and out of the house around four times now. "Mommy, I have to tell you something very very very important." uh-huh.

ugh

2009-07-22T10:23:00.002-04:00

I feel awful today. I'm tired and sad and sluggish and my muscles ache and I just feel out and out bad. I have a million things I could be doing (including at least making an attempt to be fun with my kids) but my arms and legs feel like they are weighted down with lead and I cannot get up the energy to do anything at all.

I feel like this a lot, but have enough good days that it hides the bad. I'm sure there is some reason for it, but on days I feel like this I cannot muster the energy to figure it out and on days I feel great I don't want to be bothered. I just want to live my life. I have some suspicions as to what it could be: Vit D deficiency, PPD, Dairy or wheat intolerance, Fibromyalgia....but I don't ever seem to follow up and so therefore have done nothing to change my circumstance.

Even here I'm just whining and complaining instead of dealing.

Ugh.

So many posts....so little time to blog!!

2009-07-15T16:01:00.002-04:00

I've got so many things rattling around in my head that I've been wanting to blog about that I'm almost paralyzed. So here I am...I have about 20 minutes give or take...WHAT am I going to write about? I'll try to touch on a few things.

First up - The Fourth of July: disapointment abounds. This year I was excited to attend the Needham (MA) Fourth of July Parade for the first time since I was in High School. I wanted to share the experience with my children and my husband and to be reminded about the fun small town setting in which I grew up. Disappointment one: my son didn't want to go. I decided not to make him (although this is a subject I want to explore further later) and just took my two daughters. Disappointment two: few floats and unfortunately (not the parade's fault) we chose a spot that happened to be where all the bands simply marched on beat instead of playing a song. Disappointment three: fellow parade goers are obnoxious and discourteous. That was the biggest thing. On both sides of us were children with snaps. You know, those horrible little things that when you throw them on the ground make a snapping sound. I guess I'm a bit of a curmudgeon as I don't really care for them in the best of circumstances, but I found it completely offensive that these kids were tossing snaps AT THE PEOPLE IN THE PARADE and their parents not only didn't stop them, but encouraged them!! There were a few people on horseback and the kids were trying to throw them so the horse would step on them. Do you find this as offensive as I do?? Seriously, if I'm being a no fun stick in the mud just let me know.

Okay, still with me? Here's my second thing and then I'll stop for today. What ever happened to mandatory family fun?? I believe in my heart of hearts that growing up in a family and taking vacations is all about being carted around to events that you don't think you want to go to and making the best of it. And not only that but coming away with great memories (whether they are memories of a surprisingly good time or a predictably horrible time). When Jack said he didn't want to go to the parade, I let it go. I felt under the circumstances (not everyone was going anyway) it was best to just let him stay home, but I really regret it. Okay, he probably would have hated it and ruined it for the rest of us but that's what family fun is all about, am I right? Again, maybe I'm crazy.

Review: The Death of a Pope

2009-07-02T22:54:00.002-04:00

Recently, while on my vacation, I read the novel The Death of a Pope by Piers Paul Read. Set in the time between the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, it is a suspenseful thriller about a suspected terrorist and the innocent woman who comes to love him. While not what I would consider *great* literature, it is a fantastic book for those who enjoy the likes of James Patterson and who are looking for something better than (blah!) Dan Brown. I found the plot a tiny bit predicatable, but who cares! It's authentically Catholic and kept me up reading until midnight. Who could ask for more from a vacation book! I would have liked a bit more character development, but I'm fairly creative and have enjoyed developing the characters myself, haha! Plus I am still pondering some of the deeper issues raised regarding social justice and the Catholic Church.
So.....I would tell you, if you want something light that will challange some of your assumptions and keep you up in the wee hours of the night, head over to The Catholic Company and get this book!

Review of Magnificat Magazine - May Issue

2009-06-04T14:14:00.004-04:00

I was recently privileged enough to be given the opportunity to review books for The Catholic Company. The first review I chose to write was on Magnificat Magazine. For the uninitiated, Magnificat is a monthly publication that contains the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Morning, Evening and Night Prayers of the Church, as well as the Mass readings for every day of the month. It also contains the order of the Mass so it functions as a wonderful missal to take everywhere. In this issue there was also a lovely meditation on the Holy Family based on a piece of artwork.

I absolutely loved the format of the book. It is incredibly easy to use with little need for flipping pages once you find the current day's prayers. It was edifying to see that some of the prayers were in Latin and that there was chant included as well. It is small enough to fit in a purse (or diaper bag) and while the cover is a big flimsy (my own was bent within a week) there are sturdier, permanent covers one can purchase advertised right in the book.

My hope was that as a busy mother of three I would be able to use this as a springboard for a better, more regular prayer life. My husband prays the traditional Divine Office and while I don't always find it convenient, I admire greatly his devotion and the quiet time he takes multiple times a day. Alas, it does not seem to be the prayer for me due to my own failings. I am a perfectionist and find it hard to settle into this kind of routine. If I miss a morning prayer, instead of starting later or just skipping to the next, I am likely to just scrap the whole day.

So while I would very happily purchase Magnificat for anyone interested in praying the Liturgy of the Hours, I am sad to say that I cannot overcome my own difficulty with this type of prayer.

I love it when this happens!

2009-05-20T14:24:00.002-04:00

Time and time again I come to a point where I worry about Jack meeting his developmental milestones. He always meets them when I least expect it. I had thought we were past this until his well check for his fourth birthday. The doctor asked if he could draw a person (stick figure) and when I replied, "maybe...he never has but that doesn't mean he can't!" she suggested I have his fine motor skills evaluated.

*sigh*

I declined, but it kept nagging at the back of my mind. You see I was completely covinced that the only reason he hadn't done it was lack of interest. Sort of completely. Well, as time went on, I was less and less convinced. There was no point in asking him to do it. Jack is one of those kids who will eventually do something *unless* you ask him to...then he'll never do it. So we trudged on and I watched him scribble aimlessly for months.

Today we were coloring and he actually asked what he should make. I suggested he draw a picture of mommy. And he was off. Perfectly formed circle. Hair, chin, ears, mouth, legs and feet. Bingo. It wasn't a stick figure, but it was good enough. Then he made a bunch of random dots with a marker and drew a picture connecting all of them. I'd say that's great fine motor skills for his age.

*whew* So once again, I shouldn't have worried. I wonder what it will be next?

They're playing...together!

2009-05-20T07:53:00.002-04:00

It's so amazing to me that even early on you can clearly see the relationships that develop among siblings. Helen and Rebecca are experiencing this incredible blossoming of friendship and sisterhood. They laugh, they fight, they compete...it's such a foreshadowing of years to come. Helen is still in her babyhood and yet she has become a (sometimes) willing playmate for Rebecca and Jack.
Rebecca is overwhelming for her (okay, Rebecca is overwhelming for ME) but when she manages to keep her enthusiasm down just a bit Helen is happy to play with her.

On a different note...Rebecca's language skills continue to astound me. She is not yet three years old and this is an exchange we just shared:
R: Where is Babi?
Me (not paying attention): Hmmm?
R: Excuse me Mommy, where is my pretend Babi that lives in my dollhouse? I'm looking for her.

okay! I KNOW that Jack was somewhat behind in language development, but there is NO WAY he could have articulated anything close to that when he was that age. Wow. Without having the vocabulary (and the social skills) I would place her verbal language skills at that of a five or even six year old. She rarely uses words incorrectly and with the exception of a few stragglers rarely mispronounces her words (she still calls spagetti, skabetty but I LOVE that and I hope she never loses it! of course I felt that way when Jack called helicopters, helicoplers and he eventually lost that. I still miss it.)

Great laundry tip!

2009-04-28T16:45:00.003-04:00

Today I was in the pits of dispair. I purchased a lovely lime green tshirt for Rebecca yesterday to wear under many of her spagetti strap dresses* and of course she wanted to wear it today. That was fine. Except that I let her have grape juice with her lunch. Yeah, purple grape juice. Well, you know the rest of the story.

Devastaed (well...severely annoyed) I scoured the internet looking for a failure proof solution....

AND....I found it!

To take grape juice out of fabric, pour hydrogen peroxide over the stain (the fabric can be wet or dry) and let it sit for fifteen minutes. I tell you! Every last bit of grape juice is GONE!

WOO-HOO!

Just wanted to share my joy :-)

Denial...Moderation...Indulgence...Overindulgence

2009-04-14T11:23:00.003-04:00

Well, Lent is over and we are finally celebrating Easter. We have moved from a state of denial strait into a state of indulgence which has caused me to think. Am I indulging or overindulging? What *is* moderation and what does it look like day to day? It occurs to me that most of society (myself included) generally maintains a state of indulgence to overindulgence so that what we call denial might really be closer to moderation. People spend an incredible amount of money on sugary snack foods, desserts and super sizing their fast food.

Let's assume that moderation is three square meals a day, maybe a couple of snacks with an occasional treat. Indulgence then is the same, perhaps a second helping at the dinner table and an extra treat or two. Overindulgence is eating way past full and partaking of foods with little to no nutritional value.
I definately have falled on the side of overindulgence in every day life, so after reflecting on all this, my goal is to stay closer to these desiganations within the Liturgical seasons (i.e. Feasts = Indulgence, Ordinary Time = Moderation, Pennitential = Denial). Right now we are in the season of feasting and that means I can indulge to my hearts delight. The trick will be not to go overboard. This also means that I can gradually work myself into this new way of thinking.

Adding Beauty continued

2009-02-25T14:19:00.003-05:00

So many of you ('cause SO many people read my blog HAHAHAHAHAHA!) read my post a while back about adding music and candles to our dinners in an attempt to create a beautiful atmosphere. I have to say, while it hasn't solved all our problems, it has defintately lifted my spirits as we live our lives. Fortunately I found Pandora Radio and so have been able to introduce a wide variety of music into our lives throughout the day (nothing says lovely like listening to Etta James while making dinner!).

Here are my goals for adding beauty as we move into spring. Already I have begun to drink my afternoon tea from a teapot (as opposed to the electric kettle) and tea cup and saucer (as opposed to a big mug with a tea bag hanging out). I would like to say I will drink my tea sitting down, but with three kids that isn't likely to happen any time soon so let's call that a loooooong term goal. Also, as they become available I will be cutting flowers to bring inside to a few vases in the dining room and kitchen.
I will also be phasing out a lot of processed foods in favor of homemade and whole foods in an effort to help us all feel a lot better so that we can appreciate the other beautiful things in life.

Diet, Exercise and Society (and Lent)

2009-02-23T08:46:00.004-05:00

Our society has become so backward and deranged that being "fit" and "healthy" actually involves starving oneself and stressing the body to the point of exhaustion. There are more diet programs and fitness gurus than I can count. We even have television programs devoted to the topic of watching people lose weight. I can honestly say that I do not know one woman who has not at least considered modifying her food intake or exercise regime to conform to one of these popular programs (be it weight watchers for the overweight or pilates for the fit crowd). Men tend to be a little more immune to the hysteria, but I do know plenty of men who have succumbed as well.

I do not want to ignore the obvious (believe me, I live it): we are a society of overweight, sedentary and for a great part lazy people. Honestly, America invented the couch potato. We are unhealthy. I believe the greater question is can we move forward to becoming a healthy people and still ditch Jenny Craig and the gym?

As with all things, it starts in the home. We need to teach our children to make good food choices and to have moderation in appetite. And this, like all things we teach our children, begins with example. How can a child respect a parent who says candy is not an everyday food, and yet keeps a secret stash of M&M's for their own pleasure? Isn't the hard part the fact that so few of us know how to eat and live correctly and therefore cannot be expected to be a positive example for our children? I mean, if we knew wouldn't we be living it already?

But maybe we do know. Maybe we know and are so caught up in our own gluttony and pleasure cycles that becoming the example our children need is almost unthinkable. What?? Give up my morning Coca-Cola*? Or my nightly cookies? Or my fried foods? Or my three scoops a day of ice cream?

I'm pretty sure I know how to live a healthy life: Eat a healthy diet of veggies, whole grains, lean meats, good fats and occasional treats. Lower quantity of food overall. Move more. I don't mean go to the gym more, but rather less sitting at the computer (blogging.....) and more doing chores upstairs and downstairs and playing actively with my kids.

I recognize that part of the problem (and therefore our perpetual need for the treadmill and eliptical) is that our society has become so mechanized and efficient that our physical workload is greatly diminished. We no longer have to grow our own food, tend our own animals, walk to...well...anywhere, exert ourselves to do laundry and a whole host of other things. So, yes, maybe we need to supplement something. I still don't think it should be a Richard Simmons video in your living room. I'll get back to you when I figure that one out.

So where does Lent fit in? Well it is the perfect time of year to reevalute how you live your life and impose some serious discipline while reaping spiritual benefits. As of Septuagesima I have already given up one vice and establised one habit: no more soda, diet or otherwise and a good breakfast of irish oatmeal. I feel better already. It has not been easy, let me tell you, but the benefits are there. And as Lent begins I will be giving up nighttime snacking (no food after dinner) and all fast food. I will start making healthy soups and simple meals for our dinners and eating a modest lunch. The laptop will moving to the kitchen where I will only be able to be online if I am standing. As soon as the tempeture is consistantly in the 50's we will be spending a good part of the day outside either playing or taking walks.
That's not the entirity of my Lenten discipline this year, but those are the things that relate to this post.

I'll let you know how it goes.

*I was going to say "coke" but then I started thinking that other people might interpret that as a worse habit than the one I have ;-)

I Hate February

2009-02-06T14:48:00.003-05:00

I'm tired of being cold.
I'm tired of being sick and/or having sick kids.
I'm tired of constant static hair and electric shocks.
I'm tired of snow (okay, so we've only had snow for two days but I'm really done with it).
I'm tired of being cooped up in the house.
I'm tired of getting enough sleep but waking up tired.

Blah.

I love my Ergo!

2008-12-04T15:26:00.001-05:00

Why not win a free one??

Win a Free Organic Embroidered Ergo Baby Carrier Hands Free System from Along for the Ride

The Tale (tail?) of the Cat

2008-11-16T10:12:00.006-05:00

We are in Massachusetts visiting my parents. One of the best things about having my kids here is that I can share with them all the places in Needham that I enjoyed growing up. The DeFazio Tot Lot is definitely one of those places.

So on Tuesday we headed out. It was a gloomy day with little spits of rain now and then, but the kids had been cooped up for a while so we bundled up and set off. The place was deserted and the kids had the run of the equipment. Because the entire playground is fenced with only one entrance I did not have to keep my eyes on them at all times and could relax a bit. They played contentedly for about an hour when suddenly Jack ran to me crying and disturbed.

Now, Jack, for all that he is an adventurous boy, is a bit of a chicken so I admit I wasn't overly concerned. I asked him calmly what was wrong and his only reply was to look over his shoulder while making a little whiny-cry. I looked and trotting after him was a little white and brown cat. Aw, I thought, a sweet little kitty. Well, the sweet little kitty was disturbing my happily playing brood, so I decided to take charge.

"Shoo, shoo! Get away now!" I said firmly (hoping my children would learn from my not scared but authoritative attitude toward this benign little animal). But the cat didn't move. Instead it reared up and started batting at the straps of the Ergo where Helen was strapped in. Hmmm...that wasn't quite what I expected. Perhaps this kitty was a little overly friendly. Well I knew that wouldn't fly with my kids and we had been there a while so I decided that this was a sign we should head for home. (Rebecca had already run screaming toward the exit at this point anyway)

"Let's go," I said and we started towards the gate and the mini-van. I used the remote to open the passenger side door and Rebecca hopped quickly in. Jack stayed behind (brave boy!) to close and latch the gate of the playground. In retrospect this was not a bad thing to do. Little friendly kitty was close behind. He also hopped in and I shut the door without strapping them in. Kitty had cleared the fence and was coming up fast. While moving around to put Helen in her seat I was already unbuckling her from the Ergo. I also put her in her seat without strapping her in and as I closed the door the friendly little kitty jumped up on the roof the the minivan, looked down at me and Hissed!

Needless to say I had gone from mildly concerned to fairly alarmed. I could see that opening any doors would entice the not so friendly kitty into my van, so that was not an option. I did what any good Mom would do. I lured the kitty to jump off the car towards me while I ran around the back of the van and jumped into the front passenger seat and quickly shut the door.

WELL! As the door shut that beast jumped on the hood of my car, ran up to the windshield and started pawing to get in. The beastly cat prowled all around and on the car (and yes I have the scratches to prove it), on the hood, on the roof trying to find a way in. It was about 15 - 20 minutes all told before the cat ran back into the woods. I tried to get pictures with my phone, but the light and glare from the window were not cooperatiing.

When we finally got back home I called animal control. It turns out that we are only one of several families that have been chased away by this cat. Every time the AC officer goes to check it out the cat is nowhere to be found.

At least they will always remember their visit to the Tot Lot!

It's over.

2008-11-04T23:06:00.001-05:00

Kyrie Eleison.

Christe Eleison.

Kyrie Eleison.

Happy Synchronization Day!

2008-11-01T21:07:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow marks the end of Daylight Savings time and all over the country people will be getting up at the wrong time, missing Mass and spending days trying to normalize their children to a new bedtime schedule. This will not be happening in our household. You see, we never switched to Daylight Savings time. We have been living on Standard time for a full year now.

If you read the Husband's Blog you will know all about our venture into a life of Standard time. Because he is a man who makes a decision and sticks with it, as far as he was concerned, there was never even a possibility of going back to following Government appointed time. I, on the other hand, viewed this as an experiment. I would willingly give one year of my life and the lives of our children to this...shall I say it?...absurd yet attractive idea, but if it didn't work out I was determined to fight my way back to a life of Government determined time.

The verdict? I actually love my life on Standard time. It's honestly hard to define why except to say that it just feels right. And now there is a huge benefit: our family has zero adjustment time needed to move from today to tomorrow. Our kids are going to bed tonight at 7pm and when 7pm rolls around tomorrow it will be the same 7pm as the day before. (got that??) When we get up in the morning at 6am there will be no disorientation. We got up at that same 6am yesterday and the day before that.

Now my Husband will tell you that although that certainly is a benefit to living on Standard time year round it is not the reason we do it. Okay. I just know that I feel a certain freedom having sidestepped the Government's plan to change the clock simply so we can spend more time (and money!) on commerce.

A side note that while I am not afraid of being late to any appointments coming up, I am a little concerned about being early. I have gotten very used to taking the time people tell me and shifting it back an hour. Oh well!

Happy Synchronization Day!

The First and Last Word

2008-10-30T12:58:00.007-04:00

I haven't remarked about the election on this blog. I am going to do so now. And then I probably won't touch on politics again (until maybe 4 years from now).

I'll be upfront and honest and say that regardless of the person running, I will not vote for a Democrat until they change their platform to support without exception the Right to Life from conception until natural death. So, yeah, I have a bias. A big one.

That being said, I am still a thinking person and I have considered whether or not Obama would be a worthy candidate if his position on Abortion was palatable. The answer is a resounding no.

The first thing that marks him as unworthy is his associations. His relationships with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers,and Rashid Khalidi point to, at the very least, questionable judgement. Do we want a man with such questionble judgement in the most powerful position of the most powerful country in the world? Seriously? And what if it is not just questionable judgement? I know we are all trained these days to think the very best of everyone (ha, ha, ha!) but there is a possibility that Barak Obama supports the views and opinions of these men. He would not be the first person to lie about his positions to gain power. Heck, he would not be the first elected official to tell a lie. Frankly, I do not think that our country can afford to take that chance.

Not enough for you? Let's move on.

Here is what Barak Obama said to the now famous Joe the Plumber, "It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success too. My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
Here is the Wikipedia descriptio of Socialism: "Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital and creates an unequal society. All socialists advocate the creation of an egalitarian society, in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how, and to what extent this could be achieved." Karl Marx considered Socialism the final step before Communism. And now let's look at some socialist governments: Cuba, North Korea, Venezuala...need I go on? Is that where we are headed??? Scary!

I know I mentioned the Abortion thing already, but the fact is Obama is not your run of the mill Pro-Choice Democrat. He is far worse. He opposed three times legeslation termed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act in the Illinois Legislature. This Act would demand immediate medical attention to babies born alive through botched/mismanaged/whatever abortions. These babies are LIVING HUMAN BEINGS and Barak Obama was/is willing to allow these children to die cold and alone simply because they had been previously marked for death. If Abortion doesn't bother you, maybe Infanticide does.
Feel free to read more about this here

You know what doesn't bother me about Barak Obama? His lack of experience. I personally believe that any person who is otherwise qualified to be President of the United States should not be disqualified because of his lack of political experience. I would support any number of people to be president who have not been Congressmen, Govenors or Senetors.

Look, there are other reasons why I think don't want Obama elected, but the above are the reasons why I think it would be truely dangerous to elect him as our President.

The glory of a sibling

2008-10-11T18:13:00.002-04:00

The wonderful thing about having a brother or sister is that they are generally available to kiss your boo-boos when Mommy is otherwise occupied.

Reconsidering Voluntary Simplicity

2008-10-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

(disclaimer - this is something I have been working on for some time and has little or nothing to do with the current financial crisis facing us.)

I am attracted to a lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity. I want to break the bonds of materialism and consumerism and retreat further from the current culture of death. So I research ('cause I'm a research junkie) and I find things like this:
-Reconsider the need for a vacation home or property.
- Ask yourself if you really need sport boats, vehicles, and other large pieces of equipment.

Are you KIDDING ME???? I am so FAR from a lifestyle that includes a VACATION HOME or a BOAT!! What can I possibly learn from people who have simplified from that??

Even the smaller, less income related items really really don't apply to me:
- Reconsider all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and newsletters that you have.
-End membership in any club or organization that you have not participated in during the past six months.

Yeah, right. Because we have money for multiple magazine subscriptions and time for clubs!! HaHaHa!

And then there is the whole declutter thing:
-Consider disposing of extra versions of items that you can only wear one at a time.
For example: pairs of shoes, clothing, coats and jackets, sunglasses, belts, and hats.
You certainly will want to have a variety of clothing for seasonal weather or style variations, but do you need three winter coats? Do you need four pairs of boots? Four belts?
-TACTIC: Pay particular attention to getting rid of items that are useful, but not in the quantity you may have accumulated.
For example, pots and pans. You certainly need them, but do you need five saucepans or three frying pans? Other examples include: pencils, pens, radios, clocks, chairs, extension cords, lamps, luggage, and calendars.

I do not own even one pair of boots or a belt or sunglasses! I definately don't have five saucepans! We can't ever find pens or pencils, we own broken chairs (as in these are our only chairs), and limited other things.

It seems like I need to reconsider Voluntary Simplicity as I am already LIVING it according to these standards.

And yet I want something more. I want less.

Creating an atmosphere

2008-09-27T20:22:00.002-04:00

One of my goals for the 2008/2009 School year is to create an atmosphere of beauty in which my family can live and grow.

Tonight I set our dinner table with seasonal candles and played classical music while we ate. My hope is that eventually our dinner manners and conversation will match our environment. Sometimes the dinner table can be a tough place to be for a little one. There are so many rules and it can seem like they are constantly being corrected (sit down, don't bang your fork, keep your food on your plate etc.). It's hard on the adults as well. I feel our dinner table has been a very negative place. I know it is partly the stage our family is in (3 littles ages 3, 2 and 4mos) but it still can make dinner tense and I want to do whatever I can to alleviate the stress on everyone.

The report so far? Dinner was still a bit of a battleground, but the music and candles were appreciated by all. As far as the atmosphere, I guess we will see what happens. Will music soothe the savage beast(s)?

Now I am brainstorming other ways to add beauty to our daily routine. Any suggestions?

Simple Woman's Daybook for July 7

2008-07-07T23:52:00.006-04:00

(thanks Peggy for giving us this wonderful opportunity!)

Outside My Window...rain came pouring down in torrents.

I am thinking...discipline starts with me before I can impose it on my children.

I am thankful for...the daily opportunities I have to serve my husband.

From the kitchen...Chicken with Rotini, yum! Mushrooms, Capers, Hot Cherry Peppers and sliced Garlic simmering in chicken broth and served with sauteed Chicken breast over Rotini.

I am wearing...a green tank top and bicycle shorts.

I am creating...a peaceful home with a consistant routine.

I am going...to the doctor on Wednesday to find out what is causing my pain.

I am reading...The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself From Chronic Unhappiness

I am hoping...to avoid a colonoscopy.

I am hearing...the new "coo" of my baby.

Around the house...are little pieces of grey playdoh drying out and becoming hard little pebbles that will irritate my bare feet.

One of my favorite things...peach ice cream!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Doctor's appointment, Playing with Puzzles, Trying a new Kabob marinade.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...me with my shaved head at age 18!

Confronting my fears and insecurities

2008-07-01T23:29:00.002-04:00

It has recently come to my attention that I am raising two daughters. Okay, so I kind of knew that, but what sort of snuck up on me is that I have to raise these girls to be "Ladies." *groan*

I spent much of my life running as far as I could from any semblence of lady-like behavior. Ask me to act like a lady and for your efforts you'd recieve a nasty look and possibly witness a purposeful act of unlady-like behavior. My aversion to acting like a lady ran so deep that at age eighteen I shaved my head and began wearing clothes from the Mens department. At some point I even wore mens cologne.

It wasn't until I was married that I began to embrace my femininity. Now I wear my hair long (although with this summer heat I'm itching to cut it all off!!) and my skirts even longer. Yes, I have thrown off the burden of pants and embraced the freedom of long flowey skirts. BUT I spent a lifetime (well...over 20 years at least) cultivating a persona encompassing the way I walk, the way I sit, the way I talk, the way I laugh....Okay, so knowing me you're probably *not* thinking, damn that girl's butch! But, you also *know* I am not the most lady-like woman you have ever met!

And.....deep in my heart I still harbor that subversive streak that echews all things lady-like.

And now! I have to raise two girls in the ideals of femininity and that means confronting what true, desirable femininity means to me. So I'm thinking and I'm wondering what IS it about being a Lady that I find so offensive?? And what I've come up with is this: NOTHING. IF the ideals of womanhood are not taken to an extreme. And in my life I have *often* seen this to be the case.

Examples:
I believe a Woman should be neat and well groomed. Taken to an extreme, this is a woman so focused on her appearance that other things (like FUN) fall by the wayside. A Real Lady is not afraid to get a little dirty or disheveled. Her hair might be set upon leaving the house, but that doesn't mean she can't put the top down on the convertible!!

I believe a Woman should be soft-spoken and temperate in her speech. Taken to an extreme we see woman who are downcast, who mumble, and who judge every word their fellow women speak. What's the point??

See where I'm going with this?

To be fair, and I freely admit this, the above are areas where I fall far short of the ideal of Womanhood. I have (purposely so in my youth) cultivated a habit of sloppy dress and loud intemperate speech. If I am to instill the ideals in my daughters, I first need to work on myself. Part of that is really believing that the ideal I speak of is worth striving for. Fortunately, for possibly the first time in my life...or at least the first time I was open to recognizing it!!...I have models of Feminity that I am not afraid to imitate.

So...here's my list of other Feminine Virtues that I want to pass on to my girls. If you have any to add, leave a comment!!

My Ideal Woman is Gracious, Warm, Open, Charitable, exhibits a Quiet Authority, a Softness, Grace, is Hardworking, Even tempered, Diligent, Organized, Flexible, Spontaneous, and Thrifty. She excels in (or at least is familiar with) the domestic arts of cooking/baking, sewing and perhaps knitting or crochet.

Who is your ideal woman?

2008-01-18T08:36:00.000-05:00

Take the Quiz here!

Have Fun, Learn and Feed the Hungry

2008-01-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

Come and play!

http://freerice.com/index.php

It's addictive...well...if you are a word freak like me it is :-)

2007-12-24T20:37:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

God Bless you All

Merry Merry

2007-12-20T14:44:00.000-05:00

TO ALL MY DEMOCRAT FRIENDS:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

TO ALL MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS:
Merry Christmas, God Bless, and have a Happy Prosperous New Year.

Vote for Huckabee!!

2007-08-24T08:04:00.000-04:00

2007-07-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

APOSTOLIC LETTER

SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM

OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI

GIVEN MOTU PROPRIO

Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of supreme pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty, 'to the praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all His Holy Church.'

Since time immemorial it has been necessary - as it is also for the future - to maintain the principle according to which 'each particular Church must concur with the universal Church, not only as regards the doctrine of the faith and the sacramental signs, but also as regards the usages universally accepted by uninterrupted apostolic tradition, which must be observed not only to avoid errors but also to transmit the integrity of the faith, because the Church's law of prayer corresponds to her law of faith.' (1)

Among the pontiffs who showed that requisite concern, particularly outstanding is the name of St. Gregory the Great, who made every effort to ensure that the new peoples of Europe received both the Catholic faith and the treasures of worship and culture that had been accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He commanded that the form of the sacred liturgy as celebrated in Rome (concerning both the Sacrifice of Mass and the Divine Office) be conserved. He took great concern to ensure the dissemination of monks and nuns who, following the Rule of St. Benedict, together with the announcement of the Gospel illustrated with their lives the wise provision of their Rule that 'nothing should be placed before the work of God.' In this way the sacred liturgy, celebrated according to the Roman use, enriched not only the faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. It is known, in fact, that the Latin liturgy of the Church in its various forms, in each century of the Christian era, has been a spur to the spiritual life of many saints, has reinforced many peoples in the virtue of religion and fecundated their piety.

Many other Roman pontiffs, in the course of the centuries, showed particular solicitude in ensuring that the sacred liturgy accomplished this task more effectively. Outstanding among them is St. Pius V who, sustained by great pastoral zeal and following the exhortations of the Council of Trent, renewed the entire liturgy of the Church, oversaw the publication of liturgical books amended and 'renewed in accordance with the norms of the Fathers,' and provided them for the use of the Latin Church.

One of the liturgical books of the Roman rite is the Roman Missal, which developed in the city of Rome and, with the passing of the centuries, little by little took forms very similar to that it has had in recent times.

'It was towards this same goal that succeeding Roman Pontiffs directed their energies during the subsequent centuries in order to ensure that the rites and liturgical books were brought up to date and when necessary clarified. From the beginning of this century they undertook a more general reform.' (2) Thus our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius X (3), Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII all played a part.

In more recent times, Vatican Council II expressed a desire that the respectful reverence due to divine worship should be renewed and adapted to the needs of our time. Moved by this desire our predecessor, the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI, approved, in 1970, reformed and partly renewed liturgical books for the Latin Church. These, translated into the various languages of the world, were willingly accepted by bishops, priests and faithful. John Paul II amended the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus Roman pontiffs have operated to ensure that 'this kind of liturgical edifice ... should again appear resplendent for its dignity and harmony.' (4)

But in some regions, no small numbers of faithful adhered and continue to adhere with great love and affection to the earlier liturgical forms. These had so deeply marked their culture and their spirit that in 1984 the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, moved by a concern for the pastoral care of these faithful, with the special indult 'Quattuor abhinc anno," issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted permission to use the Roman Missal published by Blessed John XXIII in the year 1962. Later, in the year 1988, John Paul II with the Apostolic Letter given as Motu Proprio, 'Ecclesia Dei,' exhorted bishops to make generous use of this power in favor of all the faithful who so desired.

Following the insistent prayers of these faithful, long deliberated upon by our predecessor John Paul II, and after having listened to the views of the Cardinal Fathers of the Consistory of 22 March 2006, having reflected deeply upon all aspects of the question, invoked the Holy Spirit and trusting in the help of God, with these Apostolic Letters we establish the following:

Art 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the 'Lex orandi' (Law of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. Nonetheless, the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same 'Lex orandi,' and must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage. These two expressions of the Church's Lex orandi will in no any way lead to a division in the Church's 'Lex credendi' (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages of the one Roman rite.It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church. The conditions for the use of this Missal as laid down by earlier documents 'Quattuor abhinc annis' and 'Ecclesia Dei,' are substituted as follows:

Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.

Art. 3. Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical or diocesan right, wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962, for conventual or "community" celebration in their oratories, may do so. If an individual community or an entire Institute or Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, habitually or permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors Major, in accordance with the law and following their own specific decrees and statues.

Art. 4. Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above in art. 2 may - observing all the norms of law - also be attended by faithful who, of their own free will, ask to be admitted.

Art. 5. õ 1 In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church. õ 2 Celebration in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII may take place on working days; while on Sundays and feast days one such celebration may also be held. õ 3 For faithful and priests who request it, the pastor should also allow celebrations in this extraordinary form for special circumstances such as marriages, funerals or occasional celebrations, e.g. pilgrimages. õ 4 Priests who use the Missal of Bl. John XXIII must be qualified to do so and not juridically impeded. õ 5 In churches that are not parish or conventual churches, it is the duty of the Rector of the church to grant the above permission.

Art. 6. In Masses celebrated in the presence of the people in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, the readings may be given in the vernacular, using editions recognised by the Apostolic See.

Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 õ 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei".

Art. 8. A bishop who, desirous of satisfying such requests, but who for various reasons is unable to do so, may refer the problem to the Commission "Ecclesia Dei" to obtain counsel and assistance.

Art. 9. õ 1 The pastor, having attentively examined all aspects, may also grant permission to use the earlier ritual for the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Penance, and the Anointing of the Sick, if the good of souls would seem to require it. õ 2 Ordinaries are given the right to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation using the earlier Roman Pontifical, if the good of souls would seem to require it. õ 2 Clerics ordained "in sacris constitutis" may use the Roman Breviary promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962.

Art. 10. The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance with can. 518 for celebrations following the ancient form of the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while observing all the norms of law.

Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", erected by John Paul II in 1988 (5), continues to exercise its function. Said Commission will have the form, duties and norms that the Roman Pontiff wishes to assign it.

Art. 12. This Commission, apart from the powers it enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising the observance and application of these dispositions.We order that everything We have established with these Apostolic Letters issued as Motu Proprio be considered as "established and decreed", and to be observed from 14 September of this year, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, whatever there may be to the contrary.

From Rome, at St. Peter's, 7 July 2007, third year of Our Pontificate.

BENEDICT XVI"

(1) General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd ed., 2002, no. 397. (2) John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus annus," 4 December 1988, 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.(3) Ibid. (4) St. Pius X, Apostolic Letter Motu propio data, "Abhinc duos annos," 23 October 1913: AAS 5 (1913), 449-450; cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus annus," no. 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899. (5) Cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu proprio data "Ecclesia Dei," 2 July 1988, 6: AAS 80 (1988), 1498.

It's COMING!

2007-06-30T19:39:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen I finally believe it! The freeing of the Traditional Latin Mass is imminent! Don't stop praying, though!

2007-05-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

Dude! You're 100% from Massachusetts!

Dude! Me and Sully and Fitzie and Sean are gonna hit Landsdowne tonight after the game, hang out at the Beerworks. I'll pick you up at the Coop at 6.

How Massachusetts are you?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Happy New Year

2007-01-14T15:55:00.000-05:00

I will post more this year!
I will post more this year!
I will post more this year!...

Seriously. I'm trying some new things this year such as making time for myself. I am also trying to incorporate some principles of simplicity into my life. I am organizing, throwing out and taking a stand on new clutter...we'll see.

Breastfeeding Saves the Day!

2006-12-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

and the children!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2701717&page=1
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6578857

When I first saw this story this morning I thanked God that this mom and her two children have survived.

How did they do it?? Mom breastfed them both the whole time. It's unclear if she had been tandem nursing anyway, but she was able to nourish both her children during this horrible time and both are in wonderful condition! God is so good!! Thank God for mama's milk!

and let's not forget to continue to pray for the missing dad!

My Latin Mass

2006-10-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

With rumors flying about a Universal Indult I wanted to take a moment to talk about my experience with the Tridentine Mass.

Who goes to the Tridentine Mass? Well, it's certainly not just nostalgic old people. It is the young. It is small families. It is large families. It is growing in-between families. It is also devout elderly. It is people who travel great distances for what they consider a glimpse of Heaven.

Sure, but it is still a small amount of people, right? This Sunday I attended a 9:30am Low Mass. Nearly every pew was full. The rear of the Church has recently been renovated to accomodate folding chairs. They were almost full and there were still people standing in the back.

But the Latin is Boring and who can understand it. I don't find it terribly difficult to follow (and this from someone who had four years of Spanish, lived in Spain for 8 weeks and still can't understand more than five words!). It isn't boring, it's dynamic and sounds beautiful from the mouths of the Priest and the congregation.

Plus there's no participation. Just silence and the clinking of Rosary beads. No one even pays attention. Wrong again. That is NOT the way the Latin Mass is meant to be celebrated. It is important to follow along. Those who attend the Latin Mass should be following along in a Missel or in one of the convenient booklets most Indult parishes have (they're like a Missalette). Yes the first few times you attend a Latin Mass you may be a bit lost. Find a welcoming face, let them know you're new to the Mass and ask if they will help you follow along. I know if you ask me I'll be more than happy to lend a hand! After a few tries you'll be a pro!

Everyone who attends the Latin Mass believes that the Novus Ordo is invalid and the Pope isn't a "real" Pope. NO WAY. There are people like that out there, but there are "mainstream" Catholics who espouse similar views as well. There are plenty of Latin Masses that occur with the full permission of the Vatican and the local Ordinary. (soon there may be a LOT more) The vast majority of people who attend these Masses are obedient to the Pope (more than some Novus Ordo Catholics can claim).

Why not the Novus Ordo? Why can't you just get with the times? There is a beauty in the Tridentine Mass that simply does not exist in even the best, most devout Novus Ordo Mass. I'm sorry to say it. Beauty is objective (not subjective as some would have us believe). Plus, there is something to be said for praying prayers that have been with us for MILLENIA rather than the last, what, 30 to 40 years? Why is Tradition suddenly a bad thing? We all have family traditions that we cherish, why are religious traditions less or even harmful? Think about it.

First a return to the "OLD LATIN MASS"

2006-10-15T14:17:00.001-04:00

Next stop? WORLD DOMINATION

bwah ha ha ha

Seriously, what is it about the Traditional Latin Mass that gets people's panties all in a bunch?? Check out these disgustingly biased pieces of "news":
Orange County Weekly
Home News Tribune
Time Magazine
Milford Daily News

Could it be that the "old" Mass is so full of graces that the big red guy must do everything possible to put a stop to it or at least to put a negative spin on it? Especially at a time when there could be a return?

These craptastic secular news pieces are convincing me more and more that the rumors this time are actually true. Pope Benedict XVI WILL free the Tridentine Mass for all priests! Deo Gratias!

Boys Just Wanna Have MUD

2006-09-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

I LOVE raising a boy. He is SUCH a boy!

It rained this morning, but this afternoon was cool and clear so the kiddos and I took a walk around our duck pond. Master J was a hoot and a half! He went out of his way to stomp in every single puddle in (and around) our path.

*note to self...buy rainboots for the boy!*

It wasn't long before he hit the payload...a huge Huge HUGE puddle (lake?). By the time he was finished playing there he was absolute soaking wet from the waist down. It was awesome. (yeah, okay, I admit to thoughts like: gross! he's so wet!! can rainwater kill him?? and He's going to get pneumonia! But I don't want to be that mama, so I squashed those thoughts and said instead things like: cool! wow, you're wet!! and okay yes, Please don't splash mama!)

Then he found the MUD! Oh he just LOVED the mud. It went squish in his hands and made his pants black...what could be better for a little boy? He was delighted.

And honestly? I was delighted watching him.

I lost my wallet! :-(

2006-09-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

and then I found it...

In the REFRIGERATOR.

I think I am losing my mind. *sigh* What is motherhood DOING to me???

BALL BALL BALL

2006-09-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

The Husband brought home a cantaloupe last week. Master J saw it and immediately said, "Ball."

I said smiling, "That's right, it looks like a ball, but really it's a cantaloupe and we will eat it."

Master J: BALL.

Me: um, sort of but no no you can't play with it because we are going to eat it.

Master J: BALL. BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL.

Me: Right. Why don't we put it away for now.
*placed cantaloupe in refrigerator*

Master J (runs to refrigerator, crying now): BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL

*sigh*
Flash forward to the next day. Master J wakes up and nurses. Gets out of bed and runs upstairs to the kitchen and over to the refrigerator.

Master J: BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL!

That night we cut the cantaloupe (to a rousing chorus of "ball"). The Husband shows Master J one half of the cantaloupe and says, "See, it's a cantaloupe for eating and not a ball for playing." Master J looks and looks and starts to laugh and laugh. He takes a breath, smiles and says, "Ball."

See Why I Give Up?

2006-09-05T20:54:00.000-04:00

Ugh. I hate having a blog. I never have time to post. How can I post when I have a little (adorable) baby who doesn't want to sleep by herself and give her mama some quality alone/computer time in the evening??

I need a laptop. Having to sit at our stupid computer desk to type is bringing me down. I want to recline in the bed and hold my baby and still be able to read email and type!

Got to Love a Conspiracy

2006-08-28T20:53:00.000-04:00

A recent comment left on my blog about this post:

Graham Hesketh & Fiona Mont said...
Why wont Nasa simply photograph the evidence? use the space telescope to photograph the lunar landing sites?

The only concivable reason why not would be because there is nothing there to photograph.

Are you serious? Or are you joking? I'm dying to know!

Well maybe the hoax promoters are right. In case anyone is interested, here are several websites with "evidence" that the lunar landing was a fake:
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/moon.htm
http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicapollo.html

oh wait...those are the only sites I could find that actually claim hoax. Hmmm...

Well, here's some good rebuttle info:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23feb_2.htm
http://www.redzero.demon.co.uk/moonhoax/

Ah...science. And this Kaysing guy is obviously a nut job. Check out this:
http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/Bill%20Kaysing.htm
How sad and pathetic to defame the memory of a woman like Christa McAuliffe. I thought this was a funny thing until I started reading some of the bs this guy has said.

Oh, and also on that website is the answer to why the telescope can't photo the landing site:
http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/Did%20we%20land%20on%20the%20Moon.htm
"7) Why doesn't the Hubble Space Telescope provide proof?

This argument runs along the lines that as the HST can provide images of galaxies millions of light years away, why can't it provide images of a lander on the Moon, which is on our door step?

Bit of a funny question really, anyone with normal eyesight can see the Andromeda Spiral Galaxy easily with the naked eye, and that's over 2 million light years away, yet cannot see a lander on the Moon! As an amateur astronomer of some 40 years standing I have always understood why the HST could not provide images of the lunar landers on the surface of the Moon, but to get the correct figures I checked out the HST site at Hubble Space Telescope Its all down to the size of Hubble's main mirror, which is 2.4 metres. One of the factors of the worth of a telescope is its resolution, the smallest amount of detail it can see, and this depends on the size and quality of the mirror. Hubble's resolution is an amazing 0.048 arc seconds. This is how I calculate the minimum size object that HST can image on the Moon, in as simple a way as I could devise.

HST resolution = 0.048 arc seconds (formula for this is 116 divided by aperture in mm. = 116 divided by 2400)

Visual maximum diameter of full Moon = 31'40" = 1900 arc seconds (a fraction over 1/2 a degree)

Therefore HST can resolve an object on the Moon of (1900 divided by 0.048 ) = 1/39,583 of the Moon's diameter

Actual diameter of Moon = 3476 km

Therefore resolvable object size = 3476 km divided by 39,583 = 87 metres

As the landers are only around 9 metres across it is not possible for the HST to resolve them, they just wouldn't show up on any image of the area under examination. I emailed the HST site to make sure I had got my sums right, explaining why I needed it for this site, and their reply was as follows:

"You are correct. Hubble's resolution is good and can resolve objects and areas as small as 280 feet, (86 metres) which rules out the Apollo debris on the moon. Hope this helps!"

Yes it does! Thanks to the HST Office of Public Outreach.

PS. The current largest ground based telescope is the 10 metre Keck, far bigger than the HST and therefore has a far better resolution of 0.012. But this is a theoretical limit that cannot be achieved through an atmosphere, so the HST, being in the vacuum of space, is still number one."

Anyway, thanks for the comment and thanks for reading. Honestly, I had a lot of fun tonight going through websites to find this info. I had never given the subject much thought and now if ever at a cocktail party ('cause that's somewhere I'm likely to be...not) I can carry on a very intelligent conversation on this topic.

Some People are Strange

2006-08-27T12:10:00.000-04:00

Even the Husband thought that this one was funny!

We are in the parking lot of Shop Rite and I see behind me there is a mother carefully putting one of those seat covers on the shopping cart. Obviously she cares that her precious child does not get sick from other people's shopping cart germs. What a wonderful mother.

Meanwhile...

She's SMOKING a big fat cigarette which she KEEPS DANGLING IN HER MOUTH while transferring her child from the car to the cart.

Shopping cart germs? Obviously Bad.
Secondhand smoke? Apparently, not a problem.

Now, I confess, I'm a former smoker and a Libertarian and I proudly defend the rights of smokers everywhere but COME ON!

Haircut!

2006-08-26T20:03:00.000-04:00

Woo-Hoo! I got a haircut. I went from long hair halfway down my back to a cute layered cut with the longest layer resting just above my shoulders. I feel so FREE!

I loved my long hair, but it was becoming a burden. Master J is obsessed with pulling, stroking, eating etc. my hair and honestly, it annoyed me so much that it was ruining our relationship. With the short cut he's still all into my hair but because he can't walk halfway across the room with it (okay, I'm exaggerating) I can tolerate it. Hurray!

Silence

2006-08-26T19:57:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long silence. The Husband had to go away and with two littles who like constant attention and do not tolerate mama spending time on her own stuff, there was no blogging (or pretty much anything else!).

And then my computer chair broke. While I was sitting on it. The bottom caved in and then I was sitting INSIDE it. Legs up in the air, butt touching the floor, back against the back of the chair. Actually, if it hadn't hurt it would have been really really funny.

Actually, even WITH the pain it was really really funny!

Anyway, blogging while sitting on the floor looking up at the computer...not gonna happen, folks. Sorry.

Well Visit Woes

2006-08-22T10:49:00.000-04:00

Argh. I hate Well Baby Visits. Not only are there horrible shots to make my baby cry, but there are dumb-ass doctors who's info is so mainstream and outdated it's not even funny. Dr. "Mike" (because this office is so lame all the docs are called by their first names. blech) suggested I stop FEEDING Miss R during the night so she would SLEEP. She is TWO MONTHS OLD! Not only is she a great sleeper already (only up twice and briefly at that) but babies PHYSIOLOGICALLY NEED to eat during the night! She could develop Failure to Thrive if I refused to meet her nourishment needs. What an ass.

I hate this peds office. Although I also love it because there are over eight doctors. We can see a different one every time and no one ever catches on that (for example)the last doc prescribed vitamin d supplements and I never filled the scrip and am not giving them. They just assume everything is hunky-dory and that's fine with me. I don't get hassles for co-sleeping, breastfeeding, selective vax's or whatever.

Spirited? Highly Sensitive?

2006-08-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Master J is...a handful. Seriously. He has boundless energy. He is intense and perceptive and persistent...especially persistent. He easily fits the categories of a Spirited Child (see Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's Book) and a Highly Sensitive Child (see Elaine Aron's Book). At least I think so. They have all sorts of quiz type things in the books where you rate characteristics on a scale of one to ten. But what if I'm wrong? What if I'm just a lousy parent who can't handle a normal one and a half year old?

I wonder all the time what people must think when they see us out and about. For the most part, Master J is wonderful and well behaved. Please don't get me wrong, I think he is an ice cream sundae with lots of whipped cream and two cherries on top fantastic! It's just that he has so much ENERGY. Plus there are those times when he just digs in...stubborn to the core. I don't have too many problems taking him out (mostly because his constant chatter is adorable and doesn't bother me) except in places where calm and quiet are expected i.e. Church, the Library etc. I see other small children. They are not models of perfection, but they do sit for more than 2 seconds at a time. They whisper. They don't think it is hysterically funny to race down an aisle flinging all the books off the shelves as they go. Or do they? Are other parents just more able to cope? Granted I'm generally wearing (yes wearing...in a sling or wrap) a two month old baby and am not quite as agile and quick as I could be, but do other children scream bloody murder when you gently try and redirect them?? Probably they do. Probably I just can't cope.

Today I was really embarrassed. A very lovely well meaning woman took my son out of Church today because he was being...himself...and I was getting frustrated. (the Husband is a Sacristan and does not join us until right before Mass begins so I am alone with both children for about 20-30 minutes in the pews) She was SO nice about it, and it WAS helpful but...what does that say about me?? Why do women with five, six, ten etc. children seem to have it all under control? Does that mean I could never have a big family or did they struggle in the beginning as well?

Lots of questions today. Not a lot of answers. :-( Some people just say, well, my kids know from the beginning that they sit in Church or get taken out for a spanking . I cannot believe that is the only way. We're committed to gentle discipline and I do believe it works. Honestly, I don't think Master J would change even if we (blech) decided to start hitting him. It's not a punishment issue. It's not a discipline issue. I truly don't believe he CAN sit still. Am I so wrong??

A New Blog

2006-08-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

I have a new blog here to detail my adventures in keeping my house/life clean and in order. This way I don't have to bore ya'll with details of kitchen scrubbing!!

New Books, HOORAY!

2006-08-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

Why do I love old books? They just appeal to my senses. The smell, the look, the feel (okay, I've never tasted one!) and the words all come together and create a positive experience for me. They reflect a simpler time where "teen romance" didn't mean graphic sexual situations and children's stories were not politically correct (this is not to say I do not strongly object to negative stereotypes and borderline racist material, but there is no false pandering to special interest groups).

Today I went scouring the area for some new "old" books and here's what I found:

The Silent Readers, Fourth Reader by Lewis and Rowland Copyright 1927
Voyages in English, 4th Year by Campbell and MacNickle Copyright 1951
Science For Modern Living Volume 1: Along the Way by Smith and Clarke Copyright 1951
Three Friends, Health and Personal Development Program by Montgomery and Baruch Copyright 1954
Enchanted Isles, Treasury of Liturature - Readtext Series By Johnson and Jacobs Copyright 1954
Workaday Lady by Maysie Greig Copyright 1934
Doctor's Wife by Maysie Greig Copyright 1937 (I think these are romance novels, hee hee)
We Sing of Our Land (Part of a Music Series for Catholic Schools) Copyright 1960

And the total came to under ten dollars! Woo-Hoo! Now if I could only find a place to put them. *sigh*

I Love Him

2006-08-17T07:25:00.000-04:00

I love the Husband. Here are five reasons I am grateful for him today:

1) He works so hard so we can raise our children the way we feel is best
2) He buys me ice cream (even though sometimes it's the wrong kind)
3) He's a great daddy
4) When he says he will do something, he does it (eventually)
5) He washes the big pans :-)

I hate cleaning

2006-08-16T11:32:00.000-04:00

Yes I know I previously posted about how much I love cleaning now...I guess it's better to say that cleaning and I have a love-hate relationship. The act of cleaning is so satisfying. Watching grime (you see how much I actually do it) disappear with a little effort is a beautiful thing. And you can't beat the end result. The gleaming counters, the shiny floors, the non-moldy shower stall...just wonderful.

The problem comes from living in a four person household where three of the people don't really appreciate (and honestly how could they?) the beauty, the wonder, the glory of a truly clean house.

Senario #1: I have just tidied and vacuumed the living room. With a cracker in one hand and a yogurt in the other, Master J pulls all the books and CD's off the bookshelf spreading clutter, crumbs, and wet sticky goo all over the clean floor (yes, he has three hands, LOL!)

Senario #2: I have live through senario one and although tears threatened, they do not appear. At that moment the Husband walks in the door and says, "Ugh. This place is a disaster!" while giving me a look that clearly says, "What does she DO all day?" *sigh* It's not his fault, under the circumstances I'd think the same thing.

Senario #3: The kitchen is gleaming. The sink is blessedly empty. The Husband arrives home and dumps his empty leftover containers in the sink while leaving trash on the counters. When asked if he could rinse his containers, put them in the dishwasher and throw out his trash a heavy sigh and a grumble can be heard.

Senario #4: I am CLEAN! I have managed a shower. My body smells like raspberries and my hair is soft and shiny. Within five minutes, Miss R, with no provocation I might add, spits up all over my shoulder and hair and once again returns me to a state of stinky milk and hard matted hair.

WHY? WHY? WHY?

I dream of having my own separate house that I can keep clean. Where no one is allowed to cook or play or breathe. I totally get people who have "company parlors" where no one in the family is allowed to go. I want one. I WANT ONE!

Upstairs

2006-08-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

While I was posting before, Master J was upstairs being too quiet. I ran to look and he has defeated one of my homemade mind-saving child proofing designs. Currently he is taking every single book out of my bookshelf. *sigh* WHY ME??? WHY TODAY??? (as if tomorrow would be any different *giggle*)

NEW MANTRA!!

I am Grateful for my children!
I am Grateful for my children!
I am Grateful for my children!

Mantra for today...

2006-08-16T10:39:00.000-04:00

The children will not actually drive me insane.
The children will not actually drive me insane.
The children will not actually drive me insane...right?

NASA can't find original tape of moon landing

2006-08-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

Didja see this article? Wouldn't you hate to be the guy who lost that???

Big Important NASA guy: Ah, Jim, we were just looking for the moon landing tape and it looks like you had it last. Do you know where it might be?

Jim: I put it back in the files!...I'm sure I did!...i must have...right?....

BING: Well, what did you file it under then?

Jim: Was it "M" for moon? or "L" for landing...hmmm..."M" I think...pretty sure...let me just, uh, check my desk for something...the tape? no, no...something else...yeah, that's right...

Doesn't this totally support all the crazy conspiracy people who claim that there was no landing and that it was a doctored film? Hey...maybe they're right after all...

Day of Rest

2006-08-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

With my foot already on the mend, the Husband decided to give me a "break" and take Master J to the beach for the day (aparently the day now begins at 7am and ends at 1pm...whatever). Since I can walk normally now and am having no problems carrying Miss R, I agreed and decided to kick back and relax.

'cause that would be the smart thing to do!

But of course I actually decided to spend the morning catching up on laundry and cleaning the kitchen. (not to mention bathing Miss R, putting together a picture collage, putting together our crockpot dinner, repackaging and freezing a family size package of chicken breast, and straightening and vacuuming the living room all before noon! woo-hoo!)

*sigh*

What is WRONG WITH ME?? A friend (who does not yet have children) just pointed out that pre-children I would have insisted on having a cast just to GET OUT of HAVING to clean the kitchen. And she is so right. The difference is that with a toddler and all his stuff and all the chaos he lovingly brings to our lives, I have begun to cherish the clean, clutter free spaces in my home and in my life. I think I will always hate cleaning the bathroom, though, and I still make the Husband do that!

Stupid Stairs!

2006-08-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

Yup. I fell down the stairs last night. :-(
I'm mostly okay. I have a bad sprain and can't walk or carry my kiddos, but THANK GOD it wasn't worse (I was carrying Miss R at the time). No idea what happened...I was on the stairs and then I was on the floor with my leg pinned beneath me.

We're handling it for now, but the Husband has a small Church commitment tomorrow and a big commitment on Tuesday (plus he starts his new job on Wednesday) so we're not exactly sure how we're going to manage. Hopefully my foot will just spontaneously heal. Nothing seems to be broken except possibly a toe so that's good. Crutches are fun...for Master J at least...he's having a great time trying to grab them out from under me *sigh*

So that's our update for today. Never a dull moment at our house, right??

Tandem Nursing, an Honest Look

2006-08-09T17:12:00.000-04:00

Anonymous said...
How did your little boy handle nursing during pregnancy? Did you have supply issues at any point? -Victoria (contemplating tandem nursing myself) :)

Thanks for asking. Well, Master J was only 8 months old when I became pregnant with Miss R so our experiences may or may not be different. In retrospect, I think if Master J had been older...well...I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Husband and I are open to life and so at 8 months post-partum it was not too much of a shock to be looking at a positive pregnancy test. I had come to believe at this point in the many benefits of extended breastfeeding and agree to a certain extent in child led weaning, so I knew Master J would continue to nurse as long as he wished. I was committed to nursing him through this pregnancy and beyond especially since had Miss R not decided to make an appearance I would have been nursing Master J until age 2 at the very least. I knew that it might not be easy. I had friends going through it at the time and I read THE BOOK so I was "prepared" for what may come.

Right.

Actually, nursing through pregnancy wasn't too big a deal for me. My supply did dwindle down to virtually nothing (within the first trimester), but I didn't have any serious pain or discomfort or negative feelings (until the last two months) to speak about. The main concern I had early on was making sure we were meeting Master J's nutritional needs. I really really didn't want to give him formula, so we tried to give him a super balanced diet of solids and rice milk. It may not have been the best solution, but it worked for us at the time. If this were to be an issue again, I don't know if I would make the same decisions regarding diet.

Two months before Miss R was born I started to get seriously annoyed while nursing Master J. I never offered the breast anymore and dreaded the moments when he would ask. I can't really explain it. There were actually moments when I wanted to rip him off the breast and throw him across the room (obviously, that never actually happened!). I'm sure it was hormonal, but all the same nursing became this horrible obligation. The commitment I had made to myself and Master J was really the only thing that kept our nursing relationship alive.

Intellectually I knew I was doing the right thing, but emotionally it was HARD. I became afraid that I would NEVER enjoy nursing again and did not know what I would do when Miss R was born. Would I hate nursing her too? Would nursing Master J always come with these horrible feelings?

Well, Miss R was born. Nursing her was so natural and beautiful. That was a double bonus for me as I had problems nursing Master J when he was born. To my surprise, the next morning when my son bounded into my bed (we had a birth center birth and went home four hours after delivery) I was ready and willing to nurse him. The picture I posted below was the first time I nursed them simultaneously (Miss R was less than one day old!!). Wow! Words cannot describe.

So today, almost 7 weeks later, are we still in a euphoric state? Not quite. Master J is back to nursing full steam ahead (he had been down to maybe twice a day) and obviously nursing Miss R takes up quite a bit of time as well. I am definitely touched out and despair that Master J will EVER want to wean. On the plus side, the whole ecological breastfeeding/lactation amenorrhea thing didn't work out for me last time (I got my first post partum cycle right on time at six weeks post partum) but seems to be working this time...so we'll see. Maybe this natural child spacing thing will happen after all :-).

The big thing is, I made the right decision for my children. There were "easier" solutions (for me, at least) but they wouldn't have been best for my babes. As I said earlier, though, if Master J had been maybe six months to a year older I probably would have pushed weaning when I was six or seven months pregnant. That would have been the right decision too.

Oh, and it really is SUPER CUTE to see Master J try to hold Miss R's hand or give her nice pats while they are nursing. Maybe that makes it all worth it.

Living in a void

2006-08-07T21:27:00.000-04:00

We're currently a TV free household. This is not because we are so wonderfully alternative or natural that we eschew all things television. It is because we are both poor and lazy. Okay, we're not really poor but we are on a strict budget and not paying for cable or satellite service does make a difference each month. And we really are lazy. Just about once a month we have this conversation:

The Husband: "so...do you want to look into getting direct TV?"
Me: "I thought you were going to do it."
The Husband: "oh."
Me: "Well, nothing is really on anyway. Just so we have it by October 5th."
The Husband: "What's October 5th?"
Me: "The SEASON PREMIER OF LOST! How many times do I have to say it???"
The Husband: "Whatever. We'll have something by November for the elections."
Me: grrrr

Boring I know. I do have a point though...without television (and we don't get a newspaper) I rely on the internet for my news. I know, I know. That's probably the best place to GET news but I did mention lazy, right? Plus I have two littles under the age of 2 who don't really like me spending loads of time online. I barely have time to read my email and blog. So I quickly scan headlines just to make sure I'm not missing anything important. I thought this was effective. Every single article is either about Iraq, Iran, Israel or Lebanon and honestly...boring. I'm pretty much, "war bad, peace good, kill the bad guys so we can have peace." So not anti-war just anti war news. Anyway, today I'm scanning headlines and I read, "Castro Recovers" FROM WHAT? And when is this old man just gonna kick it anyway?? Not like I read the article though. I kind of like the void I'm living in. It makes my life simpler.

Kids are SO COOL!

2006-08-06T20:59:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but this amazes me EVERY SINGLE TIME it happens. Once every few months Master J has some sort of intellectual growth spurt. He doesn't seem to learn or gain new developmental skills gradually, they all of a sudden just happen. Like one day he does not talk and then literally the next day he is walking around pointing at things for me to name and then repeating the word (not perfectly, but come on people!). Then he amazes me even more by using the word later. He big words today were Belly and Daddy (hooray! The Husband LOVED that!).

The Belly thing was hysterical. He was running around pulling up everyone's shirts and yelling, "BELLY!" while poking them in the belly button. Master J even tried to open Miss R's onsie to find her belly. We put a stop to that. She wasn't impressed.

And Miss R?? She's just delicious today. Smiling and cooing all over the place. She's such a ridiculously happy baby. I love it.

Today was a really good mama day.

Nursing Two

2006-08-06T20:23:00.000-04:00

I'm a little late for World Breastfeeding Week, but I thought since I had a chance, I'd post a picture of my tandem nursing sweeties. I don't know how long I'll keep it up, but for a little while anyway (probably until the Husband finds out I'm posting "nude" pictures of myself on the web). It's certainly way more "explicit" than those magazine articles/covers *snicker*

I Breastfeed in Public

2006-08-03T20:55:00.000-04:00

In honor of World Breastfeeing Week(I'm pretty sure it's this week) I thought I'd write a quick post about this.

Here's the deal...My newborn nurses. My toddler also nurses. It's called Tandem Nursing. Yes, sometimes they nurse at the same time. I have two breasts. It works out fine. Yes, my pediatrician supports me. I don't know when Master J will wean. We'll see how he feels about it when he turns two. Even then, I don't intend to push the issue. The benefits of breastfeeding are pretty well known and I don't feel the need to restate them. If you don't know check out a few websites: http://www.kellymom.com and http://www.lalecheleague.org are two great places to start.

So anyway, when one of my babies needs or wants to nurse, I nurse. I'm not ashamed and to be honest, and especially if I'm in a private home (my own or someone else's), I'm not that discrete. My breasts are large and trying to completely cover them up while maneuvering a little baby or an active toddler is pretty much a joke. It doesn't bother me if someone catches a glimpse of something. It does bother me sometimes when people stare. I don't stare at people eating, they shouldn't stare at my littles. Of course there is the fact that Master J likes to wave at other people if their around while he's nursing. What can I say? He's a social eater. Ignore him. Or wave back if you want. I'm not embarrassed.

That's my story. I'm not sorry if it offends.

Here we go!

2006-08-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

So, I'm taking another shot at blogging. The old blog was actually pretty not bad, but I got bored with it and too busy and didn't keep it up. I'd like to have a place to sound off and if it doesn't look like it's getting too personal (at least in a negative way, lol), then I'll even forward the link to family and friends and use it to keep them updated about our (not so) fascinating lives.

An Introduction? Well, I'm mother to two (Master J and Miss R: eighteen months and six weeks respectively) and wife to one (the Husband) and at the moment a bit unsure if I'm still a person in my own right. I stay at home and care for my family. The Husband works very hard both at his job and with our finances to make this possible because it is of supreme importance to us.

Outside interests? At the moment, not many. I love to cook. I wish I had more time and money to develop my skills. Culinary School is beyond even a dream, but I'd love to do one of those short seminars where you learn knife skills and other good things. Right now I'd settle for a swath of new cookbooks with new ideas and techniques and maybe even the time to try them out!
Knitting. Another thing that requires time and money. When I have money, I have no time and when I have time? No money.
I'd like to learn how to sew. I have a sewing machine, but I think I broke it and again...time...money.
I'd like to have more adult friends irl. I have a few, but some live far away and some live very far away and some live even further away than that. :-( I'm shy. I don't make friend easily. I don't believe that people like me.

Parenting Philosophy? Well, the fact that I even have a philosophy should tip you off :-) We are strictly Attachment Parents. We practice extended breastfeeding, the family bed and baby wearing. We do not let our babies cry alone. We do not believe that crying is normal and is just our little ones "exercising their lungs." We believe in Gentle/Positive Discipline. We do not use punishment to teach. No one gets their hand smacked for touching a drawer. We do not blanket train or use any punitive measures with our babies. (and, okay, yeah, Miss R is swaddled in a baby swing right now but she likes it, I swear!!!!)

Religion? We are practicing Roman Catholics who prefer to worship at the Traditional Mass aka the Tridentine Mass or the Old Latin Mass. We are in full communion with Rome and are not associated with any separatist groups such as the SSPV or CMRI. We avoid even the SSPX so as not to give scandal. I'm not terribly interested in debating this with anyone (liberal Catholic/neo-con Catholic/Sedevac/Protestant/Athiest etc.). We are who we are, we think we're right. Just assume we think you're wrong and that we have good reason for doing so. :-) just kidding...sort of...mostly. I'm not trying to be obnoxious or adversarial, just don't want to turn this blog into a debate.

Out with the old, in with the new

2006-08-03T20:36:00.000-04:00

Old Blog? Gone.

New Blog? yeah, okay, let's give it a shot!