Mother Teresa Stamps

Have you seen these beautiful Mother Teresa stamps?

The picture, which I understand is a painting, is just lovely.

They were introduced just this month but I understand when the idea was first introduced the atheist group "Freedom from Religion" was very opposed. In fact, they urged a boycott of the stamp.

Well. One has to wonder why a stamp with the image of a woman, whose charitable contributions to the world are recognized by everyone, could be offensive. So you don't share her faith. So what?

Maybe seeing an image of Mother Teresa on a stamp provides Our Lord with an opportunity to remind these atheists of the reality of natural law that is written in their hearts. Perhaps that is why it is so disturbing to them? Perhaps it causes them to contemplate that which makes them uncomfortable. Perhaps it draws their attention to the God-shaped hole in their hearts.

Oh Lord, through the intercession of Mother Teresa, may these lovely stamps draw the hearts of all to you, may it be a reminder to everyone, especially to atheists, that you are Love itself, and that it is your glory that is reflected in all that we admire in Mother Teresa. May she intercede for all the unbelievers who are offended by these stamps.

I bought four sheets of them, and I encourage all of you to do the same.

John is starting to improve. Initial mono. test was negative. I'm still wondering.

I actually was able to pick up my house some today and did a little cleaning too. It's so nice to not be frantically trying to complete a long to-do list.

I bought myself three new pairs of pants yesterday that actually fit me. Yes!

And as long as I'm just mentioning some random points, may I comment on Karl Rove? ( I know most of you don't seem very interested in politics. Know something? I just love following politics. I really do.

OK. So, Karl, can you give it a rest? Why all the animosity to Christine O'Donnell? (O'Donnell has won the republican nomination for Senate in Delaware. Karl Rove was against her candidacy and advised the tea party activists to vote against her. they ignored him.) She was very much a long shot and she won!

Karl, the election is over. She has the nomination. Are you a republican or not? Are you going to keep badmouthing her with the intent to make sure that your prediction that she is unelectable turns out to be true? What is your motivation? I, for one, am sick of hearing you talk about it. It's very unbecoming. In fact, it's almost embarrassing. Strong men have no problem admitting they were wrong. If you can't acknowledge you were wrong, at least stop talking about it. No one wants to hear any more about it and we certainly are tired of hearing you put down a member of your own party for no reason other than what appears to be a defense of your own ego.

Poor John is quite sick. You know your adult child is sick when they call and ask if they can come home. When Mary conveyed this message to me I asked, "You mean so we can take care of him? Of course!"

So I drove the 15 minutes across town to get him. I have one son three hours away, one son twenty hours away, and John fifteen minutes away. I'm so glad that the one who is sick is the close one. Both his roommates have mono. Oh dear. Needless to say he will be tested.

Made a simple chicken noodle soup recipe. It was quite good! I used canned broth and bought a broiled chicken from the grocery store. The whole chicken pretty much supplied the 3 cups of cooked chicken.

I love my pediatrician's office. Just called them. I now have an appointment for John in less than 2 hours.

Prayers are appreciated for a quick and accurate diagnosis.

Why God Matters-- A book Review

Father and daughter, Deacon Steve Lumbert and Karina Lumbert Fabian, have written a lovely little book called Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life, published by Tribute Books. Theirs are stories of the journey to holiness in the events of ordinary lives-- lives to which we can all relate.

Karina writes, "My journey to truly living my faith has been one of small steps ever forward..." This book fills in the details of many of these small steps she has taken. Interestingly, Karina's life became a model for her father who converted to Catholicism and then became a deacon. Lessons learned by Karina and those learned by Deacon Steve are presented in alternating chapters, with intriguing titles like, "Martyr for the Trivial," "Out of the Depths of Despair," and "Does God Send Flowers?" (And does he send flowers? Yes!)

Deacon Steve writes, "Where are you in your faith? On the outside looking in? On the borders wanting to move closer?....Ask God to help you discover ways to get there." Simple? Yes. Profound? Yes.

"What's your martyr issue?" asks Karina. "Take some time today and dwell over it, but not about how you've suffered. Instead, offer it to God, then think about really solving the problem. Of course, the first step is to simply pray, 'Lord, let this end in me now.'" Who cannot relate to the struggle to avoid tripping over life's little molehills.

Each chapter begins with words of wisdom such as the following:

You know well enough that our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them. --St. Therese of Lisieux

The affairs of God are accomplished little by little and almost imperceptibly. The spirit of God is neither violent nor hasty. --St. Vincent de Paul

Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if he wants anything of you, he will fit you for the work and give you the strength. --St. Philip Neri

The conclusion of each chapter is a brief suggestion or commentary followed by relevant Scripture and Catechism quotes. The book is worth getting for these quotes alone. They make the lesson of each chapter jump right out at you.

I recommend this book. It's an easy read, scarcely a hundred pages. The authors, in their genuineness, have produced a simple and positive message of hope and encouragement.

Why God Matters is available through this link.

Prayer Request!

My brother Rich has had a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain. Please pray that this be nothing serious, that he and his family would be at peace, and that the Lord would help them to receive all the graces he wants to give them in this crisis. Thank you!!

And today just happens to be his birthday!! May the Lord indulge him on his birthday with abundant grace....

For Stay-at-Home Moms..

Today's entry in In Conversation with God includes the following quote from Conversations with Monsignor Escriva.

"Each woman in her own sphere of life, if she is faithful to her divine and human vocation can and, in fact, does achieve the fullness of her feminine personality. Let us remember that Mary, Mother of God and Mother of men, is not only a model but also a proof of the transcendental value of an apparently unimportant life."

It is important for stay-at-home moms to remember this, given that we live in a world that places no value and does not even consider that there might be such a thing as "transcendental value." We must not let ourselves start to think that work without prestige and without a paycheck is in some way lacking in value. What is done with and for love will always hold the greatest value in the eyes of God. May Mary be our example.

Suzanne from Suzanne's Shorelines posted the following quote on Facebook.

‎"Those who replace the personal, moral Christian God with a mysterious
"supreme being" render null the conflict between good and evil, and so
rob society of the impetus to constantly pursue the good: "If God does
not have His own will, then good and bad end up being indistinguishable." Pope Benedict XVI

Don't you just love our Holy Father!!

This is so true!!! If God has no will, then good and bad are indistinguishable. And yet we know in our hearts that good and bad are indeed distinguishable. Even those who claim to believe in a kind of moral relativity do believe in a right and wrong. They believe in a truth. Otherwise, how could they assert that morality is relative to the person? If they believe that that is true then they believe in a truth.

Surely, this concept is a strong piece of evidence of the existence of God. We all believe in a right and a wrong-- even those who claim otherwise. We believe in good and evil. We recognize it, all the time, in our lives. A mysterious power could be good or evil or even neutral. How about the power of a black hole? Could such an enormous and mysterious power be considered superior to the power of Love? Is it greater than Love? No. Love is much more expansive, much brighter, much more real. In fact, love is more powerful. We all know this, although we can't explain it.

The Supreme Being must also have free will. It must be personal. Which is a higher state--that of a rock or that of a dog? A dog is higher because it has a kind of consciousness and free will. It has a brain that chooses, within certain limitations. Which is a higher being-- a dog or a human? A human is higher because it has greater reason, because it can create, as in music and art. It is higher because it can choose the good, even when that choice is contrary to its own self-interest.

Clearly, a Supreme Being must be personal or it could not be higher than a human being. A Supreme Being must be supreme---higher than a human being. We all acknowledge that there is a hierarchy of living things. A Supreme Being must be great, in every way, must have a higher capacity in every way, than those qualities of a human that make the human greater than all other animate objects.

Could the Supreme Being be an inanimate force as in Star Wars? How could it? It would be lacking in all those qualities that give a human being greater capacities than all other living things. Something that is not even living doesn't even come close. A Supreme Being must be supreme in every way.

OK. Nuf philosophizing for the day....LOL

God is so indulgent with us.

Lately I have been enjoying the view from my bedroom window while lying in bed at night. It's not a window with a view by most standards. It looks over some rooftops. But from my pillow I can look up and see the stars and sometimes even the moon. I love moonlight.

I often think, as I look at the glorious sky, how anyone could doubt the existence of God. How could such beauty be an accidental arrangement of molecules. My home never looks good by accident. It only looks good through deliberate effort on the part of me and my family. Deliberate effort. Doesn't happen by accident. And my home compares in no way at all to the glory of the universe.

Blessed be God. May all come to recognize his goodness and his greatness.

Michigan Notre Dame Game

Well, tomorrow Liz, John, and I are going to do something fun!!

We're going to the Michigan Notre Dame Game!!!!!!!!!!!!

In South Bend!! Which is where Mike lives so we also get to visit Mike!

Here is pictured the Michigan Union on the campus of the University of Michigan.

The Union was also the site of Anne's wedding reception, I might add.

My two youngest daughters and two of my nephews are lounging in front.

Also pictured is the golden dome of the University of Notre Dame with Our Lady looking over the campus.

I am a graduate of Michigan. So is my sister. So was my father and grandfather. And my son John is a current student!!! John is also an avid Michigan football fan and has been since he was very young.

My son Mike is a graduate of Notre Dame. And I love Notre Dame. (OK. Yes. I know. They made some big mistakes a year ago. And I think it's safe to say that all is not to Our Lady's liking on the campus) But there is a lot of good at Notre Dame. There is a lot of grace. You can feel it. I believe that her hand is on the university. And so I love it.

Who do I cheer for? John says the stronger case is for the U of M. He's right. But the emotional attachment to ND, believe it or not, is stronger. I think it has to do with associations with Our Lady and with the kind and gracious treatment Mike and I received there as parents of a student. (Rather in contrast to Michigan, I might add) It has to do with a campus where ALL the employees are polite and kind, accommodating and competent. There is the basilica dripping with the glory of God and the grotto where the reverence of the students can bring you to tears.

Anyway, enough analysis. It's just football, right? In spite of John's objections I think I'll wear something for each team and be happy. Happy that no matter who wins, one of my children will be thrilled. And that's enough for me.

Go Irish! God Blue! Go Blue! Go Irish!

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

Happy Birthday to our Blessed Mother and Queen!!

From In Conversation with God today I read the following inspiring passage:

She is the most beautiful fully human soul ever created, second only to the Incarnation of the Word. (St. Alphonsus Liguori) God give each person the necessary strength for a specific mission in the world. Given Mary's exalted vocation, her grace from the time of her conception surpasses that bestowed on all the angels and saints together....St. Bernard deduces: Mary's sanctity and beauty were so superlative that it was fitting God be her son and she His Mother. St. Bonaventure affirms: God could have made a greater world, but he could not have made a mother more perfect than the Mother of God.

Thank you, Lord God, for the gift of your mother.

Missing Jim....

This was Liz's first day of high school and Jim's farewell morning. Pretty emotional day.

But their spirits were good.
And it always helps if your brother can get goofy. LOL
This is the chapel at Jim's university.
Jim and my good friend Patti who is his godmother. It is definitely a good friend who will spend 20 hours driving with you so you don't have to drive home alone.
Jim is just so delightful to be around. We all really miss him a lot.
I don't know. Mothers all know that you raise your children to be able to leave you and become independent adults. But when it happens it feels very unnatural and almost like a part of you is being pulled apart. I guess that is the mother/child bond that changes. It doesn't disappear, but it becomes quite different.

Bottom line-- we're all just really missing him a lot.

Jim, don't forget you're from Michigan. You know. That mitten state that has the delightful summers and dramatically beautiful winters? And the gorgeous falls and sweet, sweet springs? Yeah. We want you back when your education is finished....(according to God's will, always.) Love ya!!

Anne's wedding!

The two sister-bridesmaids...

Today she left for Georgia where her new husband will be going to chiropractor school. I am really missing her. She hasn't lived at home for quite a few years, but she's always lived nearby and stopped by regularly.

She's a wonderful daughter and has always been a delight to have around.

We miss you, Anne!! (and she's only been gone a few hours...LOL)

Tomorrow I'll write about missing Jim who has been gone now for a week. (Really missing him too!!)

Next Event? Taking my youngest son to college!

This is the summer to beat all mothering summers for me.

First, Liz, my youngest, graduated from the grade school where I've spent half my time for the last 13 years or so.

Then Jim graduated from high school. And how exactly did that happen while I was looking the other way?

Then my oldest daughter was married to a wonderful young man.

Now my new son-in-law and she will be moving to the Atlanta area for the next few years!

And tomorrow I must start the drive across the country to take Jim to college.

Within a a ten day period two of my children who have never lived in another town will be living more than ten hours away. One of them will be more like 20 hours away.

September may be my month of emotional meltdown. Prayers appreciated.

Wedding Planning Advice :-)

First of all, let me just say that it's a lot of fun wearing a hat like the one below (bought it at Michael's). You don't get to be in that role for very long. I got a kick out of it. LOL

But what you see below is the assigning of tables for the reception. Just in front of my hat is a map of the Union Ballroom with tables in place and numbered.

We numbered each paper plate too and placed it on the table according to the map. Then we placed a post it note with each guest's name on it and fixed it on the plate. You have to rearrange these things a LOT of times. Every change brings about maybe 7 or 8 other changes. Anne read this suggestion somewhere. Moving the post-its is a lot easier than crossing out names on lists!! And if you can't leave them out you can always stack the plates up and spread them out again the next day. Oh, and don't try to stick them around the edge like I first started to do. They stay put much better if you just stick them on the center of the plate.
And leave a lot of time to do this. It takes hours and hours! These are your guests. You want them seated with people they like. Everyone should be with at least some people they know, if at all possible. Proximity to the head table needs to be considered and relatives placed as close to you as you can. You might want dancers near the dance floor. Coffee drinkers near the coffee bar. Relatives you rarely see get placed at or near your table! And don't put together people who don't get along! I left these plates like this for days and each day I usually made a few changes.

Hopefully, the final assignments were the best we could do. I hope so. But you never know how things may change. Four people, for various reasons, could not come even though they had RSVP'd. Would you believe all four were at the same table?? That left one table with only five or six people. Oh well. I hope they enjoyed the company they had. :-)

This was actually a fun part of the planning process that I thought was really important. And with this technique (paper plates and post-its) that Anne had read about, I thought it went quite well.

Now for my brother, or "Rich and the Haunted Lighthouse"

During our vacations in northern Michigan each summer we often visit the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse.

It's an interesting old lighthouse, built in 1840.

There are fun things to do on the grounds like pumping water from a still functioning hand pump. (Liz in the picture)
Or ringing this bell on the back patio... (Monique and Mary here)

Here is my brother Rich with his two children Mitch and Monique...

As it turns our, the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is believed by many to be haunted. Well, that's all my brother needed to hear. I don't like heights so I didn't climb up to the top. I stood at the bottom ready to take pictures as my family arrived at the top.

Soon I could see Rich in the window.

He was right next to the light here. Suddenly he jerks himself backward as though he was being pulled from behind. His own hand is pulling his face back as he opens in mouth in a feigned scream. His frame slowly starts to disappear from view as he pretends he is being pulled downward. (I am already dying from laughter.) As his face is almost gone from view he silently and desperately mouths "help!" (Now I'm looking around hoping no one is calling the police.)

His hand slowly slides down the glass, palm flattened tight against it. The hand goes up, then down, as though he is struggling. His face appears one more time, wide eyed and terrified, and then slowly and jerkily disappears from view. (I can hardly breathe I am laughing so hard.)
When he finally exits the lighthouse at the bottom he comes out staggering as though completely exhausted from this struggle. Moaning, he falls to the ground, face first and then turns over.
I don't know if you can see it in this picture but he even managed to get grass in his mouth as he lay there as though unconscious.
I was completely in tears and looking for the restroom. No one. NO ONE can make me laugh like my brother can.

If you read among the ghost stories of the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse a story about a man mysteriously attacked and dragged down the stairs.......well....you know what really happened. LOL You gotta love brothers.

Sisters-- You gotta love 'em

You know what I love about my sister? I love many things about my sister. But one thing I love about her is that she can make me laugh until I cry.

Someone took the picture below of the two of us. I posted it two days ago here. I thought it was a pretty good picture and said so as I looked at the screen right after it was taken.

My sister looked at it and said, "I look like I'm pregnant and you look like you're nursing,"

At which point we both dissolved into uncontrollable laughter that ended in tears....also caught on camera.
She had a point there. She can make me laugh till I cry. I love it.

It all started in Northern Michigan over a decade ago...

Two weeks before the wedding date, Zach's family and our family went up north to a favorite set of cabins in Alpena, Michigan. There was one other time when both of our extended families had been there at the same time. It was about 13 or 14 years ago. It was then that Zach and Anne met for the first time. AND they each developed a crush on the other. It was 8 or 9 years after that that they started dating.



While there they practiced their dance for the wedding on the tennis court. They danced to the tune of "Lucky," a popular song that has in the refrain the delightful line, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend..."

And here they are at the wedding dancing to their song...

OK. Suzanne has asked for a picture of me so here it is. On the left is my sister.

There's nothing like a party celebrated for a joyous occasion at which all of your favorite people are present. We had such a good time.

wedding dancing

We have a lot of people among our family and friends who enjoy dancing, especially my children (with the exception of one). So it was very important to us that the reception site have a large dance floor. This is the Union Ballroom at the University of Michigan. The entire floor was built to be a dance floor. The only limitation is how many tables you also want to have. We had a lot of dancers....Great fun. My oldest son is the one who starts on the stage leading the group.

I'm back!!

The wedding!!!!

Oh my goodness, the wedding date was coming at us like a freight train. We worked all day on it, nearly every day for weeks!!! And what fun it was! I am so grateful to be a stay-at-home mom. I don't know how working mothers can plan a wedding. I guess they just can't be as involved in the details. Above: My oldest daughter Anne exchanging rings with my now son-in-law Zach!

Tomorrow I will post more pictures. The wedding was just beautiful. I didn't get everything done but all the important items were accomplished.

A veil missing in the mail until a few days before the wedding took a lot of time.... We shopped for a different veil, I tried to stay calm and reassure my daughter that it was OK, that I didn't care how much we might have to spend on a veil. There was no time to look for a good buy, etc. All I wanted was for her to have a veil she loved. It was her wedding day, for heaven's sakes. It there ever was a day to indulge your daughter this was it. We went shopping for two days. THEN... the original veil arrived and she loved it. Phew. We added a blusher that worked with it and she was all set.

More pix tomorrow. I will be catching up with all my blogging friends now. I hope you are all well. You have been in my prayers.

Less than 4 weeks now...

Woke up way too early today with a headache. Motrin and coffee have finally done the trick.

Today's to-do list will include the following:

Finish (hopefully) cleaning the globes for the centerpieces and wrapping them up. Apply the velcro to steady them for the stands.

Finding (hopefully) shoes for the girl to wear as bridesmaids, ones that they will like and that do not have ridiculously high heels.

Call the banquet manager to ask my 18 million questions. Hope he's having a good day :-)

Check the mailbox five times for RSVP returns before the mail actually comes.

Get the heirloom wedding handkerchief in the sun to see if we can naturally bleach out a little more of the aging spots. And ideas?

Continue to obsess about how to wear my hair...

From what country did the U.S. gain its independence?

Did you hear about this poll???!!!???

An average of one in four Americans did not know from which country the United States won its independence. Say what???

I could not believe it. What on Earth is being taught in our American History and Government classes?

How could you know anything about U.S. History and not know this? Is the answer to my question that, indeed, nothing is being taught to our children about American History?

With all the money we spend on public education.....is anything being learned? It's really kind of scary.

		USA Residents
		On July 4th we celebrate Independence Day. From which country did the United States win its independence?
		Great Britain	Unsure	Other countries mentioned
		Row %	Row %	Row %
USA Residents		74%	20%	6%
Region	Northeast	84%	10%	6%
	Midwest	74%	21%	5%
	South	68%	26%	6%
	West	75%	18%	7%
Household Income	Less than $50,000	63%	30%	7%
	$50,000 or more	86%	9%	5%
Race	White	82%	13%	5%
	Non-white	56%	35%	9%
Age	18 to 29	60%	33%	7%
	30 to 44	75%	15%	10%
	45 to 59	79%	17%	4%
	60 or older	76%	19%	4%
Age	Under 45	67%	24%	9%
	45 or older	78%	18%	4%
Gender	Men	81%	12%	7%
	Women	67%	28%	5%
July 2010 Marist Poll National Residents "N=1004 MOE +/- 3%" Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding.

A New Driver

I'm hoping that....

A student driver who notices herself that she has forgotten to put on her seatbelt and looks a little startled by the realization,

One who carefully adjusts the seat and all the mirrors before she starts the engine,

One who is hesitant to take opportunities to drive,

One who, when she is told to slow down a little because there may be children in this area playing, actually slows down to about 1 mph,

I'm hoping that such a new driver may actually turn out to be an extremely careful driver who understands the dangers of driving....

Here's hoping....and praying.

Today I had the very energizing and fun experience of attending the Ypsilanti fourth of July parade and passing out literature supporting Jack Lynch's campaign for Congress.

I've known Jack and his dear wife Lisa for many years. Our sons played together when they were little and he is a member of our church.

Unequivocally pro-life, Jack is a staunch conservative across the board. It's easy to get excited about his campaign. He's a strong and devout Catholic. Here's what Jack has said about the unborn.

As Americans there are few things closer to our hearts than “choice” and all it implies, since it lies at the heart of so much of what we mean by the word “freedom”. We live in a country where we are free to choose many things – where we live, where we work, how we dress, who we marry, and a thousand and one other things. But we have always agreed that some choices are not legitimate choices – and that one of those choices not within our concept of freedom is the choice to kill an innocent, defenseless human being. In our magnanimity we have always looked upon aggression by larger, more powerful persons or nations as intrinsically wrong - and the more so the smaller and more defenseless the victim of the attack. And so it is that – in accepting the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding abortion – we have turned our back on one of our deepest and most cherished ideals – “sticking up for the little guy”. For there is no member of the human family “littler” than an unborn child – no one more innocent, no one more voiceless, no one more defenseless. An unborn child cannot hire a lawyer. An unborn child cannot vote. An unborn child cannot in any way raise their voice to protest the violence done to them in abortion.

Do you see why Jack is easy to campaign for? If you'd like to donate to Jack's campaign you can do so here.

Peaceful Moments

There's nothing like a quiet prayer time in bed, a cup of coffee beside me.

Invitations Are Out

In the midst of preparing for Jim's party another big job was completed....We finished the mailing of the wedding invitations. My sister, my daughter the bride, and I all worked on them together. On the table you also see examples of the table centerpieces, except that at the wedding we will have white candles. We lit them with the candles we had just to get in the mood of the wedding. It was fun.

A lot of envelopes, ribbons, tags, cards, reply envelopes, numbered lists, stamps....

But now they have all been mailed and the replies are coming in. I can't believe it's less than six weeks until the wedding.

Coming up For Air

Jim's graduation party was this past Saturday. It was a lot of work. We did some major sprucing up of the yard, cleaning of the house, rearranging of furniture, a LOT of cooking and baking. I can't tell you how tired I am.

I think it went well. A lot of people came. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. The house and yard looked, well, good enough.

God was so good. All week long thunderstorms were predicted for Saturday. For our last four grad. parties we have not rented a tent with tables, as most people around here do. It's expensive! And it just has always seemed to me that high school graduations do not quite merit that much hoopla.

BUT....we do not have a house large enough to accommodate the normal sized graduation parties in our home. If it had rained we would have been sunk. The guests would not have been able to fit inside.

All week long we prayed that the weather would be nice. My daughter Mary chose St. Scholastica as her Confirmation saint. St. Scholastica is the patron saint of weather, so we especially asked Mary to ask her patron for her intercession.

The forecast never changed, not even by Saturday morning. It sprinkled just a little Saturday morning and that was it. We had tables in the backyard. The pastor of the church which backs up to our backyard gave permission to use his churchyard for soccer, frisbee, etc. And the weather stayed great! I don't think I even saw a grey cloud. God was, as always, so gracious to us.

I hope all is well with each of you, dear e-friends.

Mr. President, what were you thinking?

On the Today show on June 7 President Obama said that "expert input he was getting about the oil spill would help him decide "whose ____ to kick."

You know what? I don't want the president kicking anybody's body part for any reason. That kind of behavior AND that kind of language belongs to thugs and schoolyard bullies.

How are we to teach our children how to behave properly and how to speak in a civilized manner in all circumstances when the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES talks like this. And this was not some off hand remark accidentally said in front of a microphone presumed to be off. (which would be bad enough). This was said intentionally and with full knowledge.

Does the president always talk like this? Does he allow his daughters to talk like this?

It strikes me as supreme self-indulgence and an alarming lack of self-control. Is he desperate to please his base? And does the base resonate with this kind of language?

I'm sorry. I don't know what he was thinking. It just seems to be one more example of Mr. Obama not really understanding what it takes to be president--- or to be the chief executive of anything for that matter.

Yikes! This schedule must slow down....

Want to know where the heck I've been? I've been racing through life with barely a chance to catch my breath. Major event following major event. Mother mission upon mother mission, in addition to the normal busy SAHM routine.

Liz in the Spring play at her school... "Larceny and Old Lace," written by skilled language arts teacher Van Vandagriff....Liz is in the purple.

Mary was in the chorus of the Spring musical at her school....."Guys and Dolls"

Lots of fun. Mary is on the far right in the middle group.

And Jim played the lead role of Sky Masterson...

Dear godson Mitch was confirmed....

Year-end Spring concerts, honors convocations, and baccalaureate Mass. Below is Jim with a final photo with his well-loved madrigals director and drama coach.

Jim graduates from high school. Here he is with my oldest son Mike and our dear pastor Father Ed Fride.

There have been two bridal showers. Below are some of the favors made by Anne's friends. cookies cut from "bridal" cookie cutters and expertly decorated.
Terrifically fun shower with Anne's friends and mine. I could not stop smiling at a room full of some of my very favorite people.

Liz graduates from grade school. Here she is with one of her very favorite teachers.

All my children were at both graduations. I just love having all my children together. You know? It's a mom thing.

Jim with his diploma.
And these are just some of the main events. Jim's graduation party is what I'm working on now together with the ongoing plans for the wedding in August.

I hope to catch up on some of my blog reading soon. I really do want to know what's going on with everyone else. I hope you are all well.....