Submissions sought for future Chicken Soup Books!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
My Domestic Church Daily Clips 04/01/2010
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
My Dearest Daughter
In 1958 my mother got married and moved across the country. These are the letters written to her, mainly by her mother, between 1958 and 1960. Others in the series are in my del.icio.us file.
I don't have a letter from grandma for this particular week, so I thought I would explain a little bit about the courtship between my grandparents.
My great-grandparents, Paul and Mary, came to this country from Lithuania. I believe they had six children and my grandmother, Helen, was the oldest. They settled in Springfield, Illinois.
I gather from stories and things I heard growing up that my grandmother was very pretty and very popular. She had been engaged once to a man named Tony and even had engagement pictures taken. But Tony wanted her to move back to Lithuania with him and she didn't want to go. He left without her and that was that. I remember when my grandma once recounted this story to me she wasn't a bit sad or whimsical about it either; she thought he was kind of silly for wanting to leave America in the first place. Helen also played tennis and was involved in the theater. Of course all of her activities were under the umbrella of the Lithuanian Catholic community!
My other great grandparents lived in Indiana. Calvin was the second child of ten children born to Dan and Lowertta. Sometime in the early 1900s my great grandpa Dan and his kin were given some handbills promoting the wonderful farmland in Manistee County Michigan, and so they moved the family up there, sight unseen. Of course, anyone who lives in that part of the Michigan knows that the soil is mostly sandy and not great farmland, but that's another story. Calvin, grew up there and stayed until he had a falling out with his father. He became a welder.
When Calvin was in his mid 20s a friend of his told him that there was a lot of work in Springfield. So they traveled from Manistee County Michigan down to Springfield Illinois any way they could and started working as welders. Grandpa Calvin had a friend, who had a friend, who thought that a girl he knew would be just perfect for him. And so my grandparents were introduced on a blind date. It was love at first sight for my grandpa. For my grandma Helen? ...not so much.
They went out a few times, to dances, dinner and church socials. Calvin started to come around the house. He made friends with her brothers. He stayed for supper. In fact to her, it seemed as if he were always there and it started to annoy her.
So Helen decided she was going to get rid of him once and for all. She invited him to drive her (in her car) to choir practice. Calvin was thrilled to have the chance to be alone with with his girl and he happily drove her downtown for the practice. Once they arrived, he got out of the car, like a gentleman, and went to the other side to let Helen out. But while he was going around to the other side, Helen slid over, started the car, and took off, stranding Calvin downtown by himself. I guess that did the trick because he quit bothering her and shortly thereafter went back to Michigan.
He wrote though. I guess he wrote just about every day sending letters and postcards. She never responded. But he wrote for months and months. I'm actually impressed with his persistence. Eventually though, he became discouraged and he sent her one last letter saying that if she didn't send him some sort of an answer, that he would never write to her again.
And something snapped in my Helen. After all that indifference she wrote him back and told him that she loved him and did want to see him again. I still don't really understand this, but maybe she really enjoyed his company and letters and the idea that he was growing weary of not ever having his feelings or actions reciprocated might have scared her. Maybe she realized he was a quality man. Or maybe she just wanted to get married.
The timing was somewhat unfortunate. Calvin had just broken his leg in a work related injury and was in a lot of pain. However, when he received the note he was determined to get back to Springfield as soon as possible. The story goes that he got a friend with a car to drive him there. The story is more impressive when you figure it was probably a Model T or some such car on all of the bumpy roads that existed back int he 1920s, and that since there was no national highway system yet, it was a long trip. Calvin must have really wanted her to endure a long bumpy car ride with a painful broken leg.
This time they clicked and the two were married on April 17, 1927 (Easter, Sunday), in her parent's home.
The result of that blind date, courtship and marriage was two children, two grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Thank goodness for my grandfather's persistence and patience!
On a more somber note -
Last year at this time was the beginning of the end for my Mother.
Please browse my eBay items!
Visit my new Amazon Store!
I don't have a letter from grandma for this particular week, so I thought I would explain a little bit about the courtship between my grandparents.
My great-grandparents, Paul and Mary, came to this country from Lithuania. I believe they had six children and my grandmother, Helen, was the oldest. They settled in Springfield, Illinois.
I gather from stories and things I heard growing up that my grandmother was very pretty and very popular. She had been engaged once to a man named Tony and even had engagement pictures taken. But Tony wanted her to move back to Lithuania with him and she didn't want to go. He left without her and that was that. I remember when my grandma once recounted this story to me she wasn't a bit sad or whimsical about it either; she thought he was kind of silly for wanting to leave America in the first place. Helen also played tennis and was involved in the theater. Of course all of her activities were under the umbrella of the Lithuanian Catholic community!
My other great grandparents lived in Indiana. Calvin was the second child of ten children born to Dan and Lowertta. Sometime in the early 1900s my great grandpa Dan and his kin were given some handbills promoting the wonderful farmland in Manistee County Michigan, and so they moved the family up there, sight unseen. Of course, anyone who lives in that part of the Michigan knows that the soil is mostly sandy and not great farmland, but that's another story. Calvin, grew up there and stayed until he had a falling out with his father. He became a welder.
When Calvin was in his mid 20s a friend of his told him that there was a lot of work in Springfield. So they traveled from Manistee County Michigan down to Springfield Illinois any way they could and started working as welders. Grandpa Calvin had a friend, who had a friend, who thought that a girl he knew would be just perfect for him. And so my grandparents were introduced on a blind date. It was love at first sight for my grandpa. For my grandma Helen? ...not so much.
They went out a few times, to dances, dinner and church socials. Calvin started to come around the house. He made friends with her brothers. He stayed for supper. In fact to her, it seemed as if he were always there and it started to annoy her.
So Helen decided she was going to get rid of him once and for all. She invited him to drive her (in her car) to choir practice. Calvin was thrilled to have the chance to be alone with with his girl and he happily drove her downtown for the practice. Once they arrived, he got out of the car, like a gentleman, and went to the other side to let Helen out. But while he was going around to the other side, Helen slid over, started the car, and took off, stranding Calvin downtown by himself. I guess that did the trick because he quit bothering her and shortly thereafter went back to Michigan.
He wrote though. I guess he wrote just about every day sending letters and postcards. She never responded. But he wrote for months and months. I'm actually impressed with his persistence. Eventually though, he became discouraged and he sent her one last letter saying that if she didn't send him some sort of an answer, that he would never write to her again.
And something snapped in my Helen. After all that indifference she wrote him back and told him that she loved him and did want to see him again. I still don't really understand this, but maybe she really enjoyed his company and letters and the idea that he was growing weary of not ever having his feelings or actions reciprocated might have scared her. Maybe she realized he was a quality man. Or maybe she just wanted to get married.
The timing was somewhat unfortunate. Calvin had just broken his leg in a work related injury and was in a lot of pain. However, when he received the note he was determined to get back to Springfield as soon as possible. The story goes that he got a friend with a car to drive him there. The story is more impressive when you figure it was probably a Model T or some such car on all of the bumpy roads that existed back int he 1920s, and that since there was no national highway system yet, it was a long trip. Calvin must have really wanted her to endure a long bumpy car ride with a painful broken leg.
This time they clicked and the two were married on April 17, 1927 (Easter, Sunday), in her parent's home.
The result of that blind date, courtship and marriage was two children, two grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Thank goodness for my grandfather's persistence and patience!
On a more somber note -
Last year at this time was the beginning of the end for my Mother.
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Monday, March 29, 2010
My Domestic Church Daily Clips 03/30/2010
Caesarean Births in U.S. Reach 32%, Heightening Concern - NYTimes.com
- The continuing rise “is not going to be good for anybody,” said Dr. George A. Macones, the chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis and a spokesman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “What we’re worried about is, the Caesarean section rate is going up, but we’re not improving the health of babies being delivered or of moms.
- Risks to the mother increase with each subsequent Caesarean, because the surgery raises the odds that the uterus will rupture in the next pregnancy, an event that can be life-threatening for both the mother and the baby. Caesareans also increase the risk of dangerous abnormalities in the placenta during later pregnancies, which can cause hemorrhaging and lead to a hysterectomy. Repeated Caesareans can make it risky or even impossible to have a large family.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Simple Woman
Outside my window...
It's foggy!
I am thinking...
about my friend SLO. Slow recently had to pay a pretty hefty tax bill because of an inheritance and was pretty miffed about it. She staunchly stood in her driveway this weekend and told me she was becoming a member of the Tea Party Movement. SLO voted for Obama in the last election. So we were talking about this yesterday. I was trying to wrap my mind around how someone could vote for someone that was such a leftist and then join a group whose values and ideals are 180 degrees different. The answer was pretty simple. SLO wanted to get out of Iraq an Afghanistan because she felt that they were too expensive and we couldn't afford it. Spending within your means is a conservative value! And since the Prez hasn't really come through on the war front (another discussion for another time) and taxes promise to go UP instead of down, it makes perfect sense for SLO to join the Tea partiers. I wonder how many other voters felt the same and will also change their votes starting this November.
Mr. Pete and I also will have a very high tax bill this year because of money from my mom's passing. It's actually more than we make most years which is a little breath taking. I guess spreading the wealth around doesn't mean bringing all people up, but rather keeping most people down driving the rest of the folks down with them!
Incidentally, my independent, on-his-own, grownup son has registered as a Libertarian, joined the NRA and bought a shot gun. He may actually be to the right of me, at least politically.
I am thankful for...
Turbo Tax. Who could ever figure this crap out on their own.
From the learning rooms...
We're having a bit of a mutiny this week. I am burned out, fried, tired, exhausted, and I need to get ready for Easter and finish these taxes. I want THIS WEEK off. But my school system doesn't have spring break until NEXT WEEK. Which means the friends of my children will be free next week and not this week. My children have therefore told me that they want to work this week and they will work by themselves come hell or high water because they want NEXT WEEK off.
You know, all the homeschool planning books never covered what happens when your kids start thinking for themselves!
Truth be told Sam will have to work a little bit both weeks as he takes the ACT on the April 11.
From the kitchen...
Mr. Pete has a hankering for red meat I guess. He brought home six Swiss Steaks and told me to fix em up!
I am wearing...
Black pants and black long-sleeved shirt.Gee whiz my wardrobe is boring. I did wear a pretty dress yesterday to church. It was the dress that I wore to the medieval feast a few years ago. I have really gotten a lot of use out of that dress considering I bought it on eBay!
I am creating...
a pretty decent workout system. I got four workouts in last week. I want to add running. Truthfully, I am afraid to start that. I don't know why. Mr. Pete can't figure it out either. After all I can climb this big hard plastic step in my basement swinging 16 pounds of weight around to a workout tape, but running outside intimidates me. Weird.
I am going...
to go through all my mom's stuff. We FINALLY HAVE EVERYTHING OUT OF STORAGE!!! Mr. Pete went through most of it and we have thrown or given lots of stuff away, but I still have a lot piled on the table in the basement. I need to finish going through that, but at least it's been pre-sorted.
I am reading...
I'm reviewing Bravewriter and Help for High School
I am hoping...
to do that "Get Rid of the Jiggle! Upper Body Shape-up Rotation" with the Firm again this week. I did four of the workouts last week although one day I substituted Kari Anderson's Fitness Formula.
for one of the days. I just felt I needed more cardio and less weightlifting.
I am hearing...
Nothing.
Around the house...
I found all four volume's of my mother's Liturgy of the Hours
. So I sat down with The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step-By-Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours
and tried to figure it out. It's a lot different than that little Breviary my mom had. A few plans for the rest of the week:
Get the house ready for Easter, finish my taxes, cry, write a big check.
A picture I am sharing:
This is the dress I wore on Sunday. I originally bought it for the medieval feast a few years ago. I no longer wear it with the tiara though - although that was a fun accessory!
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Sunday, March 28, 2010
My Domestic Church Daily Clips 03/29/2010
Stillborn - Broadsheet - Salon.com
Pay attention. Say something. Ask what you can do to help. Remember that a woman who has given birth to a dead child has given birth and is recovering physically, too. Don't be afraid of grieving parents.
For me, one of the things that really helped was other people's actual grief, the friends who made it clear that they weren't sad for me, but sad for themselves. They were looking forward to meeting this kid. They missed him.
In retrospect, I can see how brave those people were -- it's easy to worry about claiming one's own grief in the face of greater grief -- but it was the immediacy of the feelings that meant so much to me, that, and seeing that if other people were sad, then I had the right to be really sad.
Above all, don't try to hurry them into feeling better or suggest that you hope they're over it.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
For my Quotiki File
From Todd, one of my facebook friends - Well Said:
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let me see if I got this straight....managed health care developed by an obese Surgeon General, passed by House members who didn't bother to read it, signed by a president who smokes, administered by a Treasury Chief who forgot to pay his taxes, and financed by a country that is broke..........no, this couldn't possibly go wrong!!!!"
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Sunday Snippettrs, A Catholic Carnival
Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share our best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community. To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at This That and the Other Blog. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post.
I am posting a talk I gave a few weeks ago entitled "A Teenage Girls Rule of Life." Part 1, 2 and 3
Also my del.icio.us links for the Feast of the Annunciation are here.
Lots of great shared items on Google here.
Kelly my co-blogger at Visits to Candyland handles the new church scandal here.
Please browse my eBay items!
Visit my new Amazon Store!
I am posting a talk I gave a few weeks ago entitled "A Teenage Girls Rule of Life." Part 1, 2 and 3
Also my del.icio.us links for the Feast of the Annunciation are here.
Lots of great shared items on Google here.
Kelly my co-blogger at Visits to Candyland handles the new church scandal here.
Please browse my eBay items!
Visit my new Amazon Store!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Teenage Girl's Rule of Life part 3
A few weeks ago I was asked to speak to the 8th-grade girls in our confirmation class.
Part 1 is here.
Part 2 Is here.
3. A second priority is taking care of your bodies. The Catholic church teaches:
CCC 364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit.
So let’s unpack that a little bit. The human body has dignity because it is made in the image of God. The Body is beautiful, complex, funny and versatile. And isn’t that just like God? Look at God’s creation and we can see a complex nature that is interdependent on itself, and great beauty with the simplicity and complexity of a snow flake, the versatility of the seasons and yet fun and mirth like the sea waves or morning dew. Look at each other – you are all beautiful young ladies, funny, complex and versatile! And you all are imaging God for each other.
And I can tell from looking at each of you that I don’t have to tell you to make good choices when taking care of your bodies. Eat good foods, foods that you will enjoy but will also give you energy and make your body work well and if you don’t think you eat the best then try to learn to enjoy foods that are good for you and pretty soon your tastes will change. And along with prayer, find time for exercise, walking, running, videos at home, take a class or find a sport that you can enjoy. As much as we want to be in heaven some day don’t push it! Living to a ripe old age is a blessing in itself but you’ll enjoy it more if you have a good body to grow old in! So start making those habits now.
Now, your bodies are different than the guys over there. That too is the way God made us. I would say that in many ways your bodies show God’s special love and attention because all of you are designed to nurture, to love, to bring new life into the world, to comfort. Even your physiology is like a well orchestrated ballet of chemicals and hormones that give you your menstrual cycle each month. It’s all a perfect balance. And to see you with your strong bodies, womanly curves, hips and breasts, it is all a wonderful thing and beautiful. The greatest artists in the world from the beginning of time have tried to capture and honor the beauty of femininity.
I promise you ladies, the guys haven’t missed this. They have their own complex physiology as well and as a married woman with four sons let me explain them to you for a few minutes – guys are simple creatures! Wonderful, strong, handsome, noble – but their wants and needs are very simple. They want to be recognized and praised for a job well done. They want to eat good food, and they would like to have sex. And this isn’t a bad thing. This is how God keeps human kind moving forward and growing. But with the fall of Adam and Eve and the introduction of original sin all three of those needs can become perversions and sinful. The executive who undercuts rivals and ruthlessly pursues riches and glory to feel successful, gluttony and overeating, but especially the perversion of sexuality.
In modern times, I would say that sexuality is probably the most difficult desire for young men to control, and our Catholic Faith – the faith preserved and handed down by God, has some high standards. A guy can just be sitting there, not thinking anything but one sexual image, or one sexual word can totally take his entire focus.
So ladies, help the men in your lives, in your school, place of work, church, and community to live their commitments to be strong in Christ by practicing modesty in the way that you dress.
CCC 2521 Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.
I had a friend who is the father of 8 who had his four B’s of modesty and these are the areas of your body that you particularly need to dress modestly – Belly, butt, breasts, and back. Nothing too tight, and no areas of skin showing. When a guy sees a girl’s body, particularly those areas, he thinks about sex, or he tries NOT to think about sex, but when he’s trying NOT to think about sex he’s not giving 100% to the things he should be thinking about. But more importantly if you want a man to see you as the beautiful image of God that you are, and not as a sex object then it’s important that you dress with the dignity that God intended for your body and dress appropriately for where you are. Now, I’m not saying you can’t wear a modest bathing suit to the beach, or wear workout clothes for a run etc., but maybe a sun dress isn’t the best choice for mass or school, and maybe your formal dress for the school dance shouldn’t show any cleavage or you’re belly button. All of those send the wrong messages to boys.
1 Timothy 2:9 - "And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes."
Isn’t it funny how the clothes with the least amount of material cost the most? Girls dress for other girls surprisingly but don’t try to be skimpier than the next girl.
2522 Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.
1 Peter 3:3-4 - "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
It’s one thing to say you are a Catholic Christian, that you are “in it “ for Christ, but actions speak louder than words and one way to stand apart and to stand up for Christ is by the way you dress and dressing with modesty is one of those ways.
Purity requires modesty.
2518 The sixth beatitude proclaims, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."307 "Pure in heart" refers to those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the demands of God's holiness, chiefly in three areas: charity;308 chastity or sexual rectitude;309beign correct in judgement or procedure. love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.310 There is a connection between purity of heart, of body, and of faith:
2519 The "pure in heart" are promised that they will see God face to face and be like him.312 Purity of heart is the precondition of the vision of God. Even now it enables us to see according to God, to accept others as "neighbors"; it lets us perceive the human body - ours and our neighbor's - as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of divine beauty.
I think that is one of the best paragraphs in the whole catechism – if you practice purity – keeping your heart pure through living in truth and chastity – you will be able to see as God wants you to see. I think that is a mind blowing revelation. To see according to God…
I think this time in history is really, really difficult for young people when it comes to living chastely. There seems to be a presumption in our culture that teenagers will have sex. That it is all inevitable. T.V; shows now have common ads for birth control! And shows and comedies make it seem that if you’ve dated a guy five or six times you’re pretty much expected to have sex with him. Ladies, it’s not true. It never has been true. It’s all a lie.
God designed the intimacy of the sex act for the pleasure of the man and woman and equally for the conception of children. When you have sex you are saying to that other person with your body, I am completely yours and you are completely mine! You can’t say that at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 years of age. You can’t really say that until you are married. And yes, I know that when you are in love with a young man it feels as if this will be forever and you may feel as if you want to give that part of yourself to him, but unless you are married you don’t have any promises before God and witnesses of a life together and your sexuality isn’t yours to give and his isn’t yours to take. And further, if you aren’t ready to be a mom you’re not ready to have sex. Because of that total self giving is that the love is so great between the man and a woman that it might actually present itself as a child. And maybe with that idea, the idea that in sexual intercourse the couple are in a complete act of total self donation, that birth control is a lie and abortion really is murder.
I applaud the young lady last night who gave her witness and was able to tell two guys who wanted to have sex with her outside of marriage no. That took a lot of self-respect and some courage. I would encourage all of you to do the same Keep out of situations that might put you in that position. Don’t be in private places alone with a young man, keep control of your senses (drinking and drugs) dress appropriately, and don’t get started with kissing, French kissing, petting. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 St. Paul in his epistle tells us to flee fornication (sex before marriage) That means run away, stay away, not get up as close to the line as you possibly can without falling over. In this way you protect your heart, you protect your body, maybe you are protecting a young man’s error in judgment, and possibly your yet to be conceived children.
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Part 1 is here.
Part 2 Is here.
3. A second priority is taking care of your bodies. The Catholic church teaches:
CCC 364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit.
So let’s unpack that a little bit. The human body has dignity because it is made in the image of God. The Body is beautiful, complex, funny and versatile. And isn’t that just like God? Look at God’s creation and we can see a complex nature that is interdependent on itself, and great beauty with the simplicity and complexity of a snow flake, the versatility of the seasons and yet fun and mirth like the sea waves or morning dew. Look at each other – you are all beautiful young ladies, funny, complex and versatile! And you all are imaging God for each other.
And I can tell from looking at each of you that I don’t have to tell you to make good choices when taking care of your bodies. Eat good foods, foods that you will enjoy but will also give you energy and make your body work well and if you don’t think you eat the best then try to learn to enjoy foods that are good for you and pretty soon your tastes will change. And along with prayer, find time for exercise, walking, running, videos at home, take a class or find a sport that you can enjoy. As much as we want to be in heaven some day don’t push it! Living to a ripe old age is a blessing in itself but you’ll enjoy it more if you have a good body to grow old in! So start making those habits now.
Now, your bodies are different than the guys over there. That too is the way God made us. I would say that in many ways your bodies show God’s special love and attention because all of you are designed to nurture, to love, to bring new life into the world, to comfort. Even your physiology is like a well orchestrated ballet of chemicals and hormones that give you your menstrual cycle each month. It’s all a perfect balance. And to see you with your strong bodies, womanly curves, hips and breasts, it is all a wonderful thing and beautiful. The greatest artists in the world from the beginning of time have tried to capture and honor the beauty of femininity.
I promise you ladies, the guys haven’t missed this. They have their own complex physiology as well and as a married woman with four sons let me explain them to you for a few minutes – guys are simple creatures! Wonderful, strong, handsome, noble – but their wants and needs are very simple. They want to be recognized and praised for a job well done. They want to eat good food, and they would like to have sex. And this isn’t a bad thing. This is how God keeps human kind moving forward and growing. But with the fall of Adam and Eve and the introduction of original sin all three of those needs can become perversions and sinful. The executive who undercuts rivals and ruthlessly pursues riches and glory to feel successful, gluttony and overeating, but especially the perversion of sexuality.
In modern times, I would say that sexuality is probably the most difficult desire for young men to control, and our Catholic Faith – the faith preserved and handed down by God, has some high standards. A guy can just be sitting there, not thinking anything but one sexual image, or one sexual word can totally take his entire focus.
So ladies, help the men in your lives, in your school, place of work, church, and community to live their commitments to be strong in Christ by practicing modesty in the way that you dress.
CCC 2521 Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.
I had a friend who is the father of 8 who had his four B’s of modesty and these are the areas of your body that you particularly need to dress modestly – Belly, butt, breasts, and back. Nothing too tight, and no areas of skin showing. When a guy sees a girl’s body, particularly those areas, he thinks about sex, or he tries NOT to think about sex, but when he’s trying NOT to think about sex he’s not giving 100% to the things he should be thinking about. But more importantly if you want a man to see you as the beautiful image of God that you are, and not as a sex object then it’s important that you dress with the dignity that God intended for your body and dress appropriately for where you are. Now, I’m not saying you can’t wear a modest bathing suit to the beach, or wear workout clothes for a run etc., but maybe a sun dress isn’t the best choice for mass or school, and maybe your formal dress for the school dance shouldn’t show any cleavage or you’re belly button. All of those send the wrong messages to boys.
1 Timothy 2:9 - "And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes."
Isn’t it funny how the clothes with the least amount of material cost the most? Girls dress for other girls surprisingly but don’t try to be skimpier than the next girl.
2522 Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.
1 Peter 3:3-4 - "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
It’s one thing to say you are a Catholic Christian, that you are “in it “ for Christ, but actions speak louder than words and one way to stand apart and to stand up for Christ is by the way you dress and dressing with modesty is one of those ways.
Purity requires modesty.
2518 The sixth beatitude proclaims, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."307 "Pure in heart" refers to those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the demands of God's holiness, chiefly in three areas: charity;308 chastity or sexual rectitude;309beign correct in judgement or procedure. love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.310 There is a connection between purity of heart, of body, and of faith:
2519 The "pure in heart" are promised that they will see God face to face and be like him.312 Purity of heart is the precondition of the vision of God. Even now it enables us to see according to God, to accept others as "neighbors"; it lets us perceive the human body - ours and our neighbor's - as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of divine beauty.
I think that is one of the best paragraphs in the whole catechism – if you practice purity – keeping your heart pure through living in truth and chastity – you will be able to see as God wants you to see. I think that is a mind blowing revelation. To see according to God…
I think this time in history is really, really difficult for young people when it comes to living chastely. There seems to be a presumption in our culture that teenagers will have sex. That it is all inevitable. T.V; shows now have common ads for birth control! And shows and comedies make it seem that if you’ve dated a guy five or six times you’re pretty much expected to have sex with him. Ladies, it’s not true. It never has been true. It’s all a lie.
God designed the intimacy of the sex act for the pleasure of the man and woman and equally for the conception of children. When you have sex you are saying to that other person with your body, I am completely yours and you are completely mine! You can’t say that at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 years of age. You can’t really say that until you are married. And yes, I know that when you are in love with a young man it feels as if this will be forever and you may feel as if you want to give that part of yourself to him, but unless you are married you don’t have any promises before God and witnesses of a life together and your sexuality isn’t yours to give and his isn’t yours to take. And further, if you aren’t ready to be a mom you’re not ready to have sex. Because of that total self giving is that the love is so great between the man and a woman that it might actually present itself as a child. And maybe with that idea, the idea that in sexual intercourse the couple are in a complete act of total self donation, that birth control is a lie and abortion really is murder.
I applaud the young lady last night who gave her witness and was able to tell two guys who wanted to have sex with her outside of marriage no. That took a lot of self-respect and some courage. I would encourage all of you to do the same Keep out of situations that might put you in that position. Don’t be in private places alone with a young man, keep control of your senses (drinking and drugs) dress appropriately, and don’t get started with kissing, French kissing, petting. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 St. Paul in his epistle tells us to flee fornication (sex before marriage) That means run away, stay away, not get up as close to the line as you possibly can without falling over. In this way you protect your heart, you protect your body, maybe you are protecting a young man’s error in judgment, and possibly your yet to be conceived children.
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7-Quick Takes Friday - the Not so Quick Edition
Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.
1. My son Calvin is doing that "walk in the wilderness" thing I was sort of hoping that he wouldn't do in his early 20s with regard to his faith. Nonetheless he wrote this amazing letter to Gabe for his confirmation and with Gabe's permission I'm sharing it.
2. Mom's estate taxes - check
Mom's income taxes - check
Our income taxes - uh... well at least I installed the Turbo tax! I have to get busy with that this weekend!
3. I had an epiphany moment with regard to my sister too but I have to give you some background first...
Back in grade school there was a boy in her grade who teased her mercilessly about having a mole in the middle of her forehead. What many Hindu women put on cosmetically, my sister had as a gift of nature. But she had it removed because this clown was such a jerk about it.
Anyway one day I was playing kickball wtih my friends and my sister came running up to me in tears because this little boy was taunting her again. I was so mad that I left the game and went up to this kid and said something like, "Now look, quit teasing my sistahhhhh...." I didn't get much more than that out before he punched me so hard in the gut that I fell on the ground with the wind totally knocked out of me, flopping like a fish out of water and wondering if I was going to pass out. When I recovered my breath I saw my sister and told her that I had tried to make it right but that he punched me and she said, "well I didn't tell you to DO anything."
And that's always been part of my problem - I want to DO! and I frequently get the wind knocked out of me. I need to do and for some family, some friends, that works. And for others I just need to sit down, shut up, nod in support just BE.
4. I made it half way through that rotation this week but that's pretty good! I over did it on Wednesday with doing the FIRM workout in the morning and then walking in the afternoon. After tomorrow's work out I'll have done four workouts this week and next week I'll see if I can meet or beat it - even if it is Holy Week!
5.Ronald Regan was a prophet.
6. Representative Boehner from Ohio is a brave man.
7. A lovely picture I saw on my screen saver and decided to share here!
This will be my first Easter without my Mom, but she sure was lovely here at the Easter Brunch with her grandchildren.
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1. My son Calvin is doing that "walk in the wilderness" thing I was sort of hoping that he wouldn't do in his early 20s with regard to his faith. Nonetheless he wrote this amazing letter to Gabe for his confirmation and with Gabe's permission I'm sharing it.
*Slightly edited to protect the innocent
Dear Gabe
Well Gabe. Look at you. I was there and saw you in the first seconds of your life. I saw you taking your first breaths. I was there when you took your first steps. I was the first one to push you over. And now I'm going to see you become a full adult member of the Catholic church.
When mom told me I needed to write a letter for your confirmation retreat, I was like "DANG now I have to write on my day off!" but after thinking about it, I remembered my confirmation retreat and how cool getting all those letters were. Right now I just want you to know a few things. So listen up JD/CF:
You and I both know that I'm not the holiest guy to walk this big green earth. I wouldn't be the first one to tell you that either (Mom would). My faith has always meant a lot to me. Even if I try and drive mom nuts with telling her otherwise.
You remember the time I had to talk to you in my room and made you sit on the floor. You didn't know this but I had to go to church and pray about what I was going to say to you. Now god didn't tell me to make you sit on the floor. When there was a lot of other places you could have sat. That was me. He did however guide me in what needed to be said. the moral of the story is even if you can or can't do something you can always as the big man's help.
Now I know you want to be a man and *"man up," and someday I hope you do. But being a man isn't just "man-ing up" or having guns like mine. Being a man is being someone that other people love and respect. To be loved and respected you need to be nice, trustful, loving and respectful. One might even say to be a man you need to be holy. Case in point, Dad. We both love and honor dad. I have no problem saying that dad is on of the manliest men I know and one of the holiest.
That's in there' something for you to think about. I know you're a good guy. Don't ever change that. Good luck on this time of your life. I know how hard it can be. Cut your hair. And I love you.
Calvin.
2. Mom's estate taxes - check
Mom's income taxes - check
Our income taxes - uh... well at least I installed the Turbo tax! I have to get busy with that this weekend!
3. I had an epiphany moment with regard to my sister too but I have to give you some background first...
Back in grade school there was a boy in her grade who teased her mercilessly about having a mole in the middle of her forehead. What many Hindu women put on cosmetically, my sister had as a gift of nature. But she had it removed because this clown was such a jerk about it.
Anyway one day I was playing kickball wtih my friends and my sister came running up to me in tears because this little boy was taunting her again. I was so mad that I left the game and went up to this kid and said something like, "Now look, quit teasing my sistahhhhh...." I didn't get much more than that out before he punched me so hard in the gut that I fell on the ground with the wind totally knocked out of me, flopping like a fish out of water and wondering if I was going to pass out. When I recovered my breath I saw my sister and told her that I had tried to make it right but that he punched me and she said, "well I didn't tell you to DO anything."
And that's always been part of my problem - I want to DO! and I frequently get the wind knocked out of me. I need to do and for some family, some friends, that works. And for others I just need to sit down, shut up, nod in support just BE.
4. I made it half way through that rotation this week but that's pretty good! I over did it on Wednesday with doing the FIRM workout in the morning and then walking in the afternoon. After tomorrow's work out I'll have done four workouts this week and next week I'll see if I can meet or beat it - even if it is Holy Week!
5.Ronald Regan was a prophet.
6. Representative Boehner from Ohio is a brave man.
7. A lovely picture I saw on my screen saver and decided to share here!
This will be my first Easter without my Mom, but she sure was lovely here at the Easter Brunch with her grandchildren.
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Well Said - comments from Australia on US Health Care Bill.
I opined a bit over on this liberal blog about the health care bill and Joe Biden's use of the F-word during the formal signing ceremony. Not surprisingly, mine was the minority opinion. But I did get this in e-mail today from the Reply section and I thought it was well worth repeating here.
As an aside, I did follow the links of some of the folks that were so pro-Joe Biden letting the F-word go into a Mike. I guess if you're willing to post pictures of yourself having sex on your blog a little breech of etiquette and language standards won't be too much of a big deal. Consider the source.
Elena -
I'm not going to say I cried, but I have been walking around with a heavy heart these past few days. I'm Australian so obviously the introduction of socialised health care in far off America doesn't affect me directly (of course when military expenditure in the U.S is cut - and dramatically so - in order to pay for this massive welfare entitlement, I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that the entire free world will eventually be affected.
No, what saddens me goes beyond the issue of health care. With the signing of this bill I waved goodbye to what I have long considered the last best hope of earth/American exceptionalism. Once this entitlement program is implemented (I'm still hoping it will be repealed in due course), there will be nothing to differentiate you from every other welfare state in the world, including the one in which I live. Sure, Australia is a wonderful place to live and, by most standards, its citizens enjoy a relatively high standard of living. That's great. For now. In the long run, of course, welfare states are completely unsustainable. Over time the national character evolves from one of rugged individualism to one of dependency and servitude (I see it happening here, even amongst my own friends).
America : land of the free and home of the brave. Beautiful words that now ring hollow. You are every bit as enslaved by government as the rest of us. Welcome to the club.
p.s I'm not saying healthcare reform in the U.S isn't necessary, but does it really take a sledgehammer to kill an ant?
As an aside, I did follow the links of some of the folks that were so pro-Joe Biden letting the F-word go into a Mike. I guess if you're willing to post pictures of yourself having sex on your blog a little breech of etiquette and language standards won't be too much of a big deal. Consider the source.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
My Domestic Church Daily Clips 03/26/2010
Why Are So Many Moms Dying? - Yahoo! News
- Yet as lifesaving as C-sections can be, an astounding one in three American women now give birth surgically, up from one in five a decade ago. The World Health Organization says that the country’s rate shouldn’t be above 15 percent, which suggests that more than half of U.S. C-sections are medically unnecessary. “When you see that C-section rates have increased, you have to consider [the correlation to the maternal death rate],” Maureen Corry, president of the advocacy group Childbirth Connection, told The Daily Beast. “There are good indicators that there’s some connection between the two.”
- Like C-sections, medical innovations such as drugs to induce labor and devices to monitor fetal heart rates can be lifesaving, but they can also lead to complications in healthy women. When an intervention is unnecessary—performed out of convenience or protocol—the harms can outweigh the benefits. “We’re doing more and accomplishing less,” Corry said.
- But Elliott Main, a San Francisco-based OB/GYN and principal investigator of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, warned against pegging the rising maternal mortality rate solely to changing demographics: Mothers over 40 have a higher death rate than younger mothers, he told The Daily Beast, but most American women who die in childbirth are in their twenties or thirties.
- Despite the rising maternal mortality rate, pregnancy-related deaths in this country are still rare. Most doctors and nurses will go their entire career without encountering one. Yet as a result, many hospitals have become “complacent that mothers just don’t die anymore,” said OB/GYN Main. “There’s been a little relaxation,” and women’s lives are sometimes lost as a result.
- Caterpillar came out today and said the health care bill will cost their company 100 million. This company is struggling, effecting layoffs and trying to compete globally. How are they to do that with more demands placed on them? Then people wonder why corporations leave the country and we have no jobs. This is why!
Lewin_Senate_and_House_Bill_Compared.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Independent analysis of the health care bill.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
My Domestic Church Daily Clips 03/25/2010
AUL Legal Team: Why the Executive Order Does Not Prevent Taxpayer Funded Abortion
- The White House’s proposed executive order to “deal” with the abortion problems in the Senate health care reform bill reveals that the President will not even attempt to ensure that there is no federal funding for abortion or mandates for abortion coverage in the bill.
Also, the executive order is not permanent law, just as regulations are not permanent law. Either or both of these can be repealed by President Obama and his administration fairly easily.
Should this executive order remain in place, it does not even attempt to address the broad mandate authorities in the bill that could be used to require private insurance plans to cover abortions. For instance, the Mikulski amendment to the Senate bill allows an administrative agency to determine what is “preventive care.” If abortion is categorized as “preventive care,” private insurance plans will be required to cover abortions.
"Like the man said, this is a big f***ing deal.
Obama made better coverage for children a centerpiece of his health care remake, but it turns out the letter of the law provided a less-than-complete guarantee that kids with health problems would not be shut out of coverage.
Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill Obama signed into law Tuesday.
However, if a child is accepted for coverage, or is already covered, the insurer cannot exclude payment for treating a particular illness, as sometimes happens now."ike the man said, this is a big f***ing deal.
Obama made better coverage for children a centerpiece of his health care remake, but it turns out the letter of the law provided a less-than-complete guarantee that kids with health problems would not be shut out of coverage.
Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill Obama signed into law Tuesday.
However, if a child is accepted for coverage, or is already covered, the insurer cannot exclude payment for treating a particular illness, as sometimes happens now.
Catholic Culture : Liturgical Year
- This feast is very important in the defense of the life of unborn children. Even with small children, this is a good day to begin teaching about the high value God places on human life. He loved us so much that he became one of us, took on our human nature and became an innocent, completely dependent infant.
- This is a Solemnity, so when this feast falls during the Lenten season, our Lenten penance obligations are lifted. We should celebrate by some special food or dinner. This feast day forecasts the blessed event of Christmas, and illustrates how the liturgical year is an endless circle of days. To celebrate this circle or cycle, serve a cake, coffee rings, or wreath-shaped cookies, or foods shaped in ring molds for this feast day. A perfect symbolic food would be an angel food cake for the archangel Gabriel, baked in a tube pan for the endless circle, decorated with the frosting highlighted with blue for Mary.
- A traditional food for this day is waffles. "Lady Day" or Annunciation, is the only feast of Mary that Sweden still celebrates since the Lutheran faith became the state religion in 1593. In most of Europe, waffles are a traditional feast day food, but on the feast of the Annunciation in Sweden this is THE "Waffle Day" (Vaffeldagen), where waffles are served either for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with lingonberries or cloudberries.
- Saint Luke 1:26-53
; Magnificat (Luke 1:46-53); Psalm. 139; John 1.
- Creed (See also
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Creed, Article
3.)
- The Angelus
- Rosary (Five Joyful Mysteries:
Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation of Jesus, Finding
of Jesus in the Temple)
- Catechism: section
on Angels (§328336)
- Saint Luke 1:26-53
- Make a special
Annunciation Candle. Use a fat pillar candle of white or blue.
Carve a niche in the wax large enough to fit inside it a tiny
image (or picture cut from a Christmas card) of the Infant Jesus.
Fasten a "curtain", made from a small piece of white
cloth, over the opening with pins pushed into the wax. The candle
wax represents the purity of the Virgin. The Baby is "hidden"
within the body of the candle. Light the candle when the Angelus or Rosary is said on this Feast. The same candle
can be saved from year to year. It can also be used on other
feast days and solemnities of the Blessed Virgin (Assumption, Immaculate Conception); as well as on Pro-life
observances (e.g., January 22, in the US). On Christmas the little
curtain would be removed from the niche so the Holy Infant can
be seen. - Bake a special
cake to celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation (perhaps a traditional
seed cake?), or make waffles (a Swedish tradition). An angelfood
cake would also be appropriate. It could be iced in pale blue,
the traditional color of Mary's mantle.
Marian Devotions in the Domestic Church: Solemnity of the Annunciation March 25
" * Marian Feasts
o Celebrating Marian Feasts
o Saturday Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary
o Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: January 1
o Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas) February 2
o Our Lady of Lourdes: February 11
o Solemnity of the Annunciation March 25
o Mary, Help of Christians May 24
o Feast of the Visitation: May 31
o Our Lady of Perpetual Help: June 27
o Our Lady of Mount Carmel: July 16
o Solemnity of the Assumption: August 15
o Memorial of the Queenship of Mary: August 22
o Feast of the Birth of Mary: September 8
o Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows: September 15
o Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary: October 7
o Memorial of the Presentation of Mary: November 21
o Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: December 12
* Crafts
o Making Rosaries
o Wire Rosaries
o Making Knotted-Cord Rosaries
o Bead-and-Cord Rosaries
o Birthstone Rosaries
o Mary (and Joseph) Cloaks
o Beeswax Candles for Candlemas
o Mary Dolls
o Paper Flowers
o Stepping Stones
o Mary Baskets
o Holding Hands with Mary
o Memorare Roses-Cross-Stitch Pattern
* Prayers
o Acts of Consecration
+ Prayer of Total Consecration
+ Daily Consecration to Mary
+ A Child's Consecration to Mary
+ Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
+ Prayer for the Consecration of the Family
+ Family Consecration to the Sacred heart of Jesus
+ Family Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
o The Angelus and the Regina Caeli
o The Rosary
+ How To Pray the Rosary
+ The Joyful Mysteries
# First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
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A Teenage Girl's Rule of Life Part 2
A few weeks ago I was asked to speak to the 8th-grade girls in our confirmation class. This is part 2. Part 1 was here.
2. Study and education. Right now, and for at least four more years, your main job is to be a good student and to study. That is the calling on your life right now. Enjoy this time. Never again will it be solely your responsibility to learn as much as you can. Yes, there is lifelong learning, but once you become an adult that learning has to be coupled with earning a living and/or caring for a family. So if they give you a stupid book to read in literature class – read that book as if it is the last book you will ever read. Find the lesson in that book that is supposed to be there for you. Embrace algebra! Learn that periodic table and ponder the lessons of history. Now is the season for you to do that – wring everything you can out of it and then some!!
And while you’re doing that – keep your heart, mind and ears open to God’s call on your life. What are you drawn to, what are you interested in, what grabs and captures your attention and see where maybe God is drawing you in service to him. And be open to whatever that may be whether it be married life, or the convent or as a single woman. All have their unique challenges, privileges and pleasures. At this time in your life start exploring your options.
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2. Study and education. Right now, and for at least four more years, your main job is to be a good student and to study. That is the calling on your life right now. Enjoy this time. Never again will it be solely your responsibility to learn as much as you can. Yes, there is lifelong learning, but once you become an adult that learning has to be coupled with earning a living and/or caring for a family. So if they give you a stupid book to read in literature class – read that book as if it is the last book you will ever read. Find the lesson in that book that is supposed to be there for you. Embrace algebra! Learn that periodic table and ponder the lessons of history. Now is the season for you to do that – wring everything you can out of it and then some!!
And while you’re doing that – keep your heart, mind and ears open to God’s call on your life. What are you drawn to, what are you interested in, what grabs and captures your attention and see where maybe God is drawing you in service to him. And be open to whatever that may be whether it be married life, or the convent or as a single woman. All have their unique challenges, privileges and pleasures. At this time in your life start exploring your options.
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Works for me Wednesday- The Firm Upper Body Shape Up rotation.
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the Compendium for ALL of the Firm workouts (except the newest ones with the Wave). It really is a wealth of information for all of the tapes, but my favorite part is the tape rotation section towards the end of the document. This month I am doing the Upper Body Shape Up Rotation found on page 334. I picked that one because I already had a lot of the tapes and was able to purchase the rest of them on Amazon at very low prices.
You will need
The Firm: Total Sculpt Plus Abs
The Firm: Total Sculpt Plus AbsThe Firm: Total Sculpt Plus AbsThe Firm: Calorie Killer
The Firm: Upper Body Sculpt
The Firm Super Cardio Sculpt
The Firm: Body Sculpting System - Cardio Sculpt
The Firm: Body Sculpting System - Body Sculpt
The Firm: Body SculThe Firm - Body Sculpting System 2 - Complete Aerobics & Weight Training with Emily Welsh [DVD]
The Firm: Cardio Sculpt Blaster
The Firm Body Sculpting System 2: The Firm Body Sculpting System 2: Maximum Cardio Burn Plus Abs
The Firm: Total Sculpt Plus Abs
These just rotate through the five weeks and most of them are used in other rotations. I estimate through Amazon you could probably get all of these together for under $50 and your highest costs would be shipping!
Since I still have younger kids it's really hard for me to find a way to sneak out of the house to run or bike and I find when I take my littlest with me to do either of those things I don't get much of a work out, though I do have a lot of fun! So for me, being able to work out at home while my children are playing or sleeping is the best.
Works for Me!
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
My Domestic Church Daily Clips 03/24/2010
PolitiFact | Deciphering the Stupak executive order
- We examined Stupak's statement, "There will be no public funding for abortion in this legislation." We rated it True. Read our complete report to find out what the executive order does and doesn't do. Keep in mind that as of this writing, Obama has not yet signed it.
20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms - Investor's Business Daily - Investors.com
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
My Dearest Daughter
In 1958 my mother got married and moved across the country. These are the letters written to her, mainly by her mother, between 1958 and 1960. Others in the series are in my del.icio.us file.
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March 16, 1959
Dear Mickey and Pete:Do you know a store owner in Tierra Amarilla named Fritz Strause? The machine was delivered to his store because the truck wouldn't go 18 miles on a dirt road. But why in the name of heaven didn't Strause send you a card. I never dreamed that Tierra Amarilla is 18 miles is 18 miles from the ranch. Oh dear, I do hope that the thing is all straightened out now; that Strause did have the machine in his store and you have it. You should not accept it if it is damaged and you do not pay any charges because it is prepaid. Mr. Gregor tried to call Strause by phone this morning, but it seems he has no phone so he called the San Juan Bos. Trucking Line in Albuquerque, a Mr. Roybal (who is not a relation to Pete's) and he told us the machine was delivered to Fritz H. Strause. The initials FHB.
Anyway, maybe we can finally get the machine. Why it had to happen to us I'll never know. Singer surely isn't going to make much profit what with air mail, spcials, phone calls etc. I don't care so long as you get the machine.
Well spring has sprung. But for Easter we are to have some snow. Oh well. I'm not getting anything new. Dad has about 2 more days of work. Oh yes, about your grocery bill. I think you are doing very well to get by with $30 for two weeks for two of you. Government statistics say $10 per person per week. Our bill is about $20 to $25 per week for the three of us. Course we have had to buy our meat. Dad had a cow killed this week so next week won't be so bad, about $15 per week. So your groceries won't be too much higher.
Well I'll stop now. I am all "writ" out. It's a gloomy day today. Did you get some of that snow Wednesday and Thursday. Denver got 6 inches. I hope you don'th ave a drought. The Lord will take care of his own.
God Bless you both and Lucy and Mrs. E.Mother and Dad.
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