Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let thy glory be over all the earth!

Most mornings I take our labrador retriever "Nala" for a walk.  Unlike most retrievers, Nala is not the smartest dog who ever lived.  OK, let me be a little more blunt.  She's an idiot.  But what she lacks in smarts she more than makes up for in affection and adoration of her people.  She's so enamored of my husband she often sits under the table and quietly licks his shoes, as though even licking his shoes puts her in awe of her master.  LOL

I enjoy walking Nala.  But I especially enjoy it when the glory of God is all over everything.  I know, his glory is all over everything every day.  But there is something about the Fall in Michigan.  I saw this leaf on the sidewalk today.  And the color is just beginning.  It will continue to increase in magnificence for several more weeks.

Walked right by these flowers of my neighbor's growing right next to the sidewalk.

MUMS!!!  Aren't they sweet?

I planted these darling little white flowers myself.  I have no idea what they are.  They look like tiny snapdragons.

And alyssum!  I bought the white ones because someone at the farmers' market told me that it is the white ones who have the heavenly fragrance.  And they do!

My morning glories...mostly green vines, but the little blossoms are popping up more and more.  Hope they'll all have time to bloom before the first hard frost.  (Notice Nala's head in the lower right corner :-)

His glory is over all the Earth!!!!

At the end of the entry for today in Magnificat there is a quote from Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (whom I've never heard of :-)

"Prayer is a private audience granted to us by God."

May I never think of prayer as something I must get to.  Indeed.  A private audience with God!!!

It's a beautiful Fall day which I would be enjoying on a bike ride with my daughter if it were not for this persistent headache and mild stomach distress.

I don't eat gluten anymore as a result of advice given me by another daughter.  She thought gluten might be upsetting my digestive system.  Once I tried eliminating gluten it was obvious that she was right.  I may have accidentally been glutenized last night.  Any time I eat out it's a real possibility.

So.....still kind of getting used to this new way of eating....

I do not have a notable view from my bedroom window.  It looks out over rooftops of houses not very far away, but still there's a lot of sky to take in.  The window I most enjoy at night is the Eastern window because it's high and the shade does not need to be closed for privacy.  Sometimes I can see the moon from this window.  (Once I pinched a nerve in my back by trying to arch backward to see the moon with my head on my pillow.  Not a good idea. :-)

But this morning this was the view I was treated to.

NOT. a bad view.  "In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Great is his faithfulness!!

Morning Glories!

The other day I wrote about my neighbor's morning glories blooming all over his white picket fence and how he had told me that the blue ones need their roots in a cool location and generally "are prissy."  LOL.

Well, if the blue beauties are prissy, what would you call these white ones?

I'd call them rockin' hardy survival-of-the-fittest morning glories!!  Note that these are growing where they were NOT planted, right out of a crack between two cement patio blocks.  I love it when flowers do this.  OK.  I know it's not supposed to be there.  In fact, in my last post about morning glories, Mimi commented that where she lives white morning glories are considered weeds.

American Heritage Dictionary entry for weed:  a plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one growing where it is not wanted in cultivated ground.

The little flower is attractive though, is it not?  It is not undesirable or troublesome because I like it there.  (All right, truth be told, these same morning glories in a nearby bed are entwining themselves all over the other plants.)  Weed vs. flower....is it in the eye of the beholder?

I love the blue morning glories for their vulnerability and strikingly beautiful blooms.  But I love these little, white, weedy ones too....for their resilience.

I have a favorite time of day to take my dog Nala for a walk.  It's twilight.  That time of day just before it's dark.  The sky is so beautiful, such a deep, dark blue.

But any sunny day is a good time for a walk.  I love the brilliant colors of the flowers I pass, the green of the trees, the lush grass...Nature, in the sun, drips with the glory of God and I find it almost spectacular.

This morning the sky was grey.  It was drizzly and the usual bright colors seemed washed out, overcome by the moisture in the sky.  It was dreary.  I missed the lovely Autumn weather of Michigan.

But I realized that the glorious colors of nature are only possible because of the grey, moist skies that nurture all living things on the Earth.  Without the rain there is no growth, in fact, no life.  I think there may be a life metaphor here.   There are the days of wonder and the days of struggle.  Is it perhaps the days of struggle that nurture the days of wonder?

Ahhh, maybe there are just good days and bad days.  :-)  Sunny days and rainy days.  And it's all good.

Phantom Coffee Pot...

Yes, the phantom coffee pot.  My husband commented that it had never looked so clean.  Indeed.

This is all that was left after it bumped another glass.  Looks funny though, doesn't it?

It looked even funnier with a big hole in the side but coffee still in it.  No, we didn't try to drink what was left.  :-)  I think that decanter only lasted about a year.  Thankfully, you can buy just the pot.  Have to be careful with glass!!

His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.

I planted a number of morning glories right next to my front porch in the Spring.  The vines took off and climbed up the railing very nicely.  We eagerly awaited their blooming as the vines climbed all the way to the edge of the roof.  And we waited...and waited....and waited.  Finally I concluded that the soil or the weather or something was wrong.   I accepted that they would probably not bloom at all.  The vines still looked pretty.  Then one morning we woke to a couple of these little flowers smiling back at us.  And eventually there were regularly 8 or 9 opening every morning.  Mind you, this is September in Michigan.  It's pretty late.  Still, a treat nonetheless.

As I walked our dog Nala one recent morning I saw one of my neighbors whose morning glories are blooming and climbing all over his white picket fence.  I said, "I'm enjoying your morning glories."  Then I explained how little mine were blooming.  He told me that they take a long time to bloom if the roots are in a shaded location (Mine are.)  He also asked what color they were.  His are purple.  Mine are pink and some blue.

He said the blue ones bloom late.  I guess I'm lucky to have the one beauty pictured above.  He said, "They're prissy."  I laughed.  Prissy flowers are not a good choice for my flower beds where survival of the fittest is the rule of my not-very-green-thumb.  These "prissy" flowers are beautiful though, aren't they?

Whenever I see these lovely vines with just a few reluctant blooms I'm reminded of the Lord's mercies.  New every morning.  Indeed.  Great is His faithfulness.

Reflections on September 11

I have to confess that throughout the day on September 11, I more than once looked up when I heard the sound of a plane flying overhead.  The thoughts that were so frequent in those days and weeks after the attack returned several times.  Is that plane flying unusually low?  Do planes that size usually fly over this area?  It's been twelve years...but I still bear the scars of an American who remembers the day that evil had its way with my country.

September 11 was also the anniversary of the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi where four Americans were killed, including our ambassador, and where calls for help were ignored.  It was a shameful example of executive incompetence in the State Department and the White House.   That the subsequent explanatory deceptions were largely ignored by the mainstream media made the situation all the more tragic for the families of the people who died.

John Yoo wrote an excellent article in the Sept. 16, 2013 issue of National Review entitled  A Thousand Little Tyrants in which he  details the bloating of the administrative state under the Obama administration.  I recommend it.  I particularly appreciated his mention of the handling of the Benghazi tragedy.  Here is an excerpt:

President Obama's allegiance to the liberal administrative state guaranteed that his presidency would run aground on the very shoals that Hamilton marked out.  It's operations are so vast, and its reach so sprawling, that it lies beyond the control or comprehension of any one man or group of men, making rational management impossible. 

It's dispersal of authority and dilution of responsibility produced the debacle in Benghazi, where no one felt responsible for the fates of American diplomats trapped in the consulate, nor would any decision, had it come, have been executed with the speed necessary to save them.

Surely the "dilution of responsibility" did contribute to the horrors of that night, but one has to wonder if the president's hesitancy about what to do in Syria was not also in play during the Benghazi attack.  A leader needs to lead.  The most important time for that to happen is when American lives are at stake.  If the media were doing its job we would know by now what exactly happened and why no rescue was attempted.

These are strange and disturbing times we're living in....

9/11-- 12 years later

In some ways it's hard to believe that 12 years have passed since that fateful 9/11.

In other ways, it's very clear.  I picked up my son John from grade school on that day.  The school had not told the students anything, thinking it best for parents to take on that job.  I was grateful.  John was only 11 at that time but the stunned look on his face communicated that he understood quite clearly the horror of what had happened.  Now he's in graduate school in London.  Funny how the aging of our children confirms for us the passage of time.

I don't want to see any replays any more.  I don't want to the see the towers collapsing again.  It's just too painful.

Several weeks after 9/11 there was a mysterious plane crash in New York.  I was in the waiting room of a doctor's office at the University of Michigan Health Center.  A number of people were gathered around, glued to the TV, wondering if this had been another terrorist attack.  My daughter Mary, only 6 quietly cried as she looked at the TV and I realized she had seen the 9/11 replays way too many times.

A woman from the registration desk had seen Mary's reaction and came walking over to her.  She leaned down and quietly said directly to Mary, "Would you like to watch Sesame Street?"  Mary nodded through her tears.  That woman walked right over to the TV and changed the channel to Sesame Street.   She glanced back at us and I silently mouthed "Thank you."  She smiled, giving not a glance to the adults in the room and went back to her desk.  I will always be grateful to her.

9/11 was an awful day.  The most powerful country in the world had been brought down with a couple of box-cutters.  So many people died, so many died trying to help.

That there were people so full of hate, so lacking in any kind of rational conscience, was horrifying.

May they rest in peace, Lord.  You have told us to pray for our enemies and so I do.  But I pray too that you would open the eyes of all those who would kill innocent people, all those who hate.  Please protect this country, Lord, from all those who wish us harm.  You, who have loved our country from the start, please do not abandon us to the forces of evil.  Please protect us.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us!!!

Yesterday it was chilly enough for me to change into jeans from shorts.

Today we have a heat advisory.  The high is expected to be 95.  I kid you not.  This is MIchigan.  But I'm not complaining.  It's a beautiful, clear blue sky.  Just lovely, really.

Some scenes from my backyard.  Love this flower..

This is my favorite flower bed.  I can see it from my kitchen sink and lots of birds come to the bird bath.

This is my least favorite bed.  OK, I kind of lost interest in it.  The mint (which I do love) is taking over along with weed and vines.  Oh well.

I  love the color variations in this flower.  Is it orange?  Is it pink?  It's both!!

Basic sweet, bright pink zinnia.

This is kale which replanted itself from last year.  The stalk is big and woody but we've gotten a lot of kale from it.  I've made white bean with kale soup, but usually we make kale slaw out of it.  I posted the recipe a few years ago.  You can find it here should you like to try it.  My entire family loves it.

And this is our very silly dog Nala.  Here she is eating pears that have fallen off our pear tree.  She eats loads of them, whole!  She really does!  She can eat an entire pear in about 5 seconds.  We're trying to limit her food so she will lose weight but it's useless.  She just makes up all the calories in pears!!!  It's so funny!

Well, I'm off to pick up one of the girls.  Have a blessed day!

Outside....

It's raining.  Sometimes heavy, loud downpours.  Sometimes light, misty dribbles.  It makes the white rope hammock look dirty.  It probably is.  The sky is that light, grey even color that lets folks in Michigan know it may indeed rain all day.  It's the kind of day that makes 63 degrees feel chilly.  I'm thinking about the shorts my daughter wore to campus today.  It's good we went back for the raincoat.

Inside....

It's peaceful.  A little chilly.  I may put jeans on instead of the lightweight, cotton capris I'm wearing at the moment.  My arms in this t-shirt and bare feet are asking for a little more coverage.

I'm getting things done that I've put off.  Love that feeling.

Praying for...

Angela... a seventeen year old girl whose mother I know.  She was hit by a car a few weeks ago.  Praying for a complete recovery from her head injury.

Peace!  In Syria and throughout the world.  My goodness, things are getting crazy out there.  Grateful to be an American.

For Alexa....Over ten days of a migraine headache.

For my family....Always.

For all the intentions in my little notebook... there is a lot to pray for....This isn't heaven.

Time to go put on those jeans....

My youngest child has started her senior year of high school.  How the heck did that happen?  She's also decided she wants to be a pilot and has started ground school.  She only got her driver's license a month or so ago.

One of my sons is at the University of Dallas and is now a senior there!

Another son is attending graduate school in London!

My oldest daughter and her husband are in Atlanta where my son-in-law is completing chiropractor school.

How did my children come to be living so far away?

I don't like having them so far away.  It feels unnatural.  I miss them so much.

At least those in Dallas/London/Atlanta are all in school.  Maybe they will wander back to Michigan as they graduate.

My oldest is out of school and settled in Indiana.  At least it's in the Midwest and only a few hours from here!

The hardest is having a child overseas.  It's just SO FAR.  There's an entire ocean between us!  And with the world becoming more and more unstable, more crazy, I really would feel more at ease if all my children were at least in this country.  But my London son is doing good things over there and it is his plan to come back to the U.S. when his degree is complete.

My second oldest daughter is going to school locally and is living at home!!  Woohooo.  So nice that she is still here.  I love having my children around.

But...I realize it is unlikely that they will end up permanently here in Michigan.  I'm hoping for at least a couple though.  Or a couple who are at least in the Midwest?

Lying in bed, reading, blogging, and wondering why my stomach keeps hurting.  It's best not to wonder too much.

Four kids are home for vacation.  Love it!  Two teens (who are always here) and two early twenties.  We're going through a lot more food, needless to say.

I love having my kids home.  Since my youngest is now a senior in high school these times are becoming all the more precious as the time approaches when perhaps none of them will be here year round.  Every day's a gift.

Blue sky outside my window with trees rustling in the wind.  Nice.  There is nowhere I have to go tonight (that I can remember).  Love that feeling.  I guess I'm just a natural homebody.  (Or a couch potato.)

Our family has been enjoying this video from a South Bend, Indiana station, WNIT.  It's an interview with my oldest son, Mike Bogdan who will be playing Marius in the South Bend Civic Theatre's production of Les Miserables together with Kathleen Raab who will be playing Cosette.  The interview starts a little over halfway into the clip....about 13:35.

http://wnit.org/expmichiana/e/july-9th-2013.html

Can't wait to see this show!!

Supreme Court!

Would that all Supreme Court Justices had the integrity of Antonin Scalia.  Here is one clip of his dissent of today's ruling.  Read more excerpts from The Blaze here.

 "That is jaw-dropping. It is an assertion of judicial supremacy over the people’s Representatives in Congress and the Executive. It envisions a Supreme Court standing (or rather enthroned) at the apex of government, empowered to decide all constitutional questions, always and everywhere “primary” in its role."

Justice Scalia is my favorite Supreme Court Justice.  Saw him speak at the University of Michigan once.  I'm so tired tonight.  I'll write more about this disastrous ruling tomorrow.

Les Mis has been on my mind lately and not just because my son is playing Marius in the South Bend Civic Theatre production.  (shameless promotion)

I have noticed that some people love Les Mis!  I am one of them.  I think it elevates virtue, promotes justice and Christian charity.  It inspires one to strive for good.  And I love the music.

Others, I have noticed, hate Les Mis.  They think it's depressing and sad.  Some people have very strong negative feelings about it saying things like "I REALLY don't like that show."

Why is there this extreme difference of opinion about the same show?

Some, but not all, of the people who dislike it are people who are not in the church or have very little faith.  Is that it?  Is it a lack of faith and hope that causes people to not see what others see in the story?

Or perhaps the dislikers are extremely compassionate and empathetic people and the suffering is too much for them?

I just find the differences in opinion very curious.  Still thinking about it.

Just a little proud....(maternal bragging alert)

OK.  So I'm just a little proud of my firstborn.

He has always loved the stage.  Always enjoyed music, acting, singing, and dancing.

He's a teacher now but he is still enjoying these passions of his, not only through his teaching, but also in his spare time.

He will play Marius in the South Bend Civic Theatre's production of Les Mis!!!!

And I just HAVE to share this article about him from a local news station.

http://addins.fox28.com/blogs/les_mis/2013/06/teacher-by-day-love-struck-revolutionary-by-night

Can't wait to see this show!!! (Being his mom and all :-)

Anatomy of an Action Movie

Disclaimer.....for the most part, I don't like action movies.  Perhaps it's just me.  I just don't get them.  To me...the following describes the action movie:

A little bit of plot, often quite interesting, tiny bit of character development....at this point it has my attention.  Then the action begins.

High speed chase scene or dramatic, violent fight that seems to go on a little longer than necessary.

Then the chase/fight continues.  It goes on and on and on.  Fire, explosions, dramatic falling and/or jumping, more violence, buildings collapsing, people running for their lives.  (The people desperately running seems particularly popular right now.)

Then it stops.  There is a little dialogue, maybe a little bit of plot development.  You start to think maybe this story is actually going to get kind of good.  And then....the chase/fight resumes.  Again, the violent fighting, the close call, fiery escapes, explosions, near misses.  This goes on for what seems like an interminable length of time.  Finally, it stops and then there may be a little dialogue and the story actually develops a little.  It seems like the film has hope.

THEN, the chase/fight starts all over again.  By this time, the plot is getting a little convoluted.  Some of the details are not making sense.  It's like the viewer is not really expected to think, just to go with it.  This chase/fight goes on forever!!  It's like the grand finale of a fireworks display except that it's not beautiful.  Instead of hoping it continues you start to hope that the film will eventually come to an end.  More fire, explosions, the hero is injured (!), the bad guys look like they might win, more violence, more destruction.  What was the story line again?  How long can this go on??  It feels like forever.  I wish I had brought a book so I could go to the lobby and meet everyone there.  And still it's going on and on and on.  How many different ways can people fight and chase each other?  In the case of science fiction apparently the limit is only the creativity of the filmmaker.  And those filmmakers are very creative.  Has it been an hour?  Could they really have been chasing each other for an hour?  One of these times I'm going to time it.

I'm sorry.  The non-stop adrenaline rush does not do anything for me.  I find the endless chase scene tiresome.  Sometimes I close my eyes to see if maybe I can fall asleep.  By the end, I'm usually just annoyed and irritable.

Am I missing something?  What is the appeal of these movies?  I get that there is a lot of testosterone and this appeals to the guys.  Chase scenes/fights only hold my interest for about five minutes.  It seems to me that the average action movie is made up primarily of these scenes.  Are there women who find these films entertaining?

I've been under the weather for the last couple days, spending quite a few hours in my bed trying to get my digestive track to behave.  Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "The Land of Counterpane" came to mind.  Stevenson was often sick as a child.  Can't you just see the young boy playing like this?  

My "toys" have been my laptop, my TV remote, my "Magnificat," my prayer notebook, and a magazine.

It's such a lovely poem.  Here it is.

                                                         The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay,

To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

All up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

Robert Louis Stevenson

I went to Curves for the first time in a long time this morning with my friend Patti.  I drove because her car was in the shop.  After Curves we went back to her house where she made a delicious gluten free lunch--- salad with pecans, apple pieces, grilled chicken with poppyseed dressing.  It was just delicious.

Patti and I have known each other for a long time.  We've been through a lot together.  So this afternoon was a comfortable and relaxing time of catching up, laughing, and sharing.  We had a cup of tea together-- something we've shared probably thousands of times.

She showed me her gardens and the lovely things she's planted.  She also showed me the various herbs growing on her property and we talked about the herbalist who had just taught her about the value of each kind of plant.  I saw (and heard) her impressive rooster and her hen and the 5 or 6 chicks that are now about half grown.

There were no children with us this time, unlike the many (maybe all?) the other times we've sat and talked.  Between us we have 17 children.  Ha!  I only have six.  She has the rest.  Our children have had many good times together, as have our families.  We are heading into a new phase of our lives,  as both of our youngest children head toward their senior years of high school.

Patti and I share the same faith, the same overall values, and the same priorities.  We think the same things are funny.  She has been a good friend to me and I thank God for our friendship and all we have shared.  God is good.  All the time.

Summertime....and the livin' is easy...

Yes.  I used to sing this song to my children as they were going to bed.

Well, I sang it to all of them except for John who asked me not to sing.  LOL  It was a few years later that we discovered he had perfect pitch.  :-)

It's nice to be catching up on some sleep.  Nice to have not so much on the schedule....

My gardens are all planted and doing well.  I had to get them in early for Mary's graduation party.

My husband says we should always schedule grad. parties early.  I think I agree, although those few weeks before the party were not easy.

I'm sitting here drinking a cup of coffee.  Then I'll have a relaxed prayer time.  I love it.

And it doesn't hurt that the weather is pleasantly warm.  And even the cold summer days are pleasantly warm compared to our winters.  I can walk the dog without a coat.  Yes it's very pleasant.

One great benefit of living in Michigan is that the summers are not long enough for us to take them for granted.  We love our great Spring, Fall, and Summer weather.  And I have to say there are even things to like about our winters.  They can very beautiful.

God is good.  All the time.

Mary has graduated from high school.  She worked so hard throughout high school.  I'm really proud of her.  In September she will continue her studies at the University of Michigan.  My father would be (is!) so proud.  An alum of Michigan himself, he always dreamed of having one of his grandchildren graduate from there.  He left this world to soon to see John graduate.  (Although I'm sure he was watching from the other side.)  And now I know that he is delighted with Mary's school choice.

Three of Mary's siblings were able to attend her graduation.  Many thanks to Mike, in particular, who drove over 5 hours round trip to be there.  He is a very faithful brother.

And Anne flew in from Atlanta to be at Mary's graduation party.  How cool is that.  She was able to stay for 5 days.  So nice.  Her husband Zach was busy out in Colorado winning the Division 1 Rugby Championship.  Yup.  They did it.  And we were able to watch the game online, but through our TV.  It was really quite a thrill.  Zach is an excellent player and has spent many, many years improving his skills in rugby.  We are really proud of him.

And yesterday was the last day of school for Liz.  I was at school all day helping in the Resource Room in the morning and at the Used book and Uniform Sale in the afternoon.

So today is quite a relief.  The girls and I spent an hour working on cleaning up our rooms.  (Yes, I worked on mine too and it definitely needed it. :-)

Tomorrow we plan to skype with John in London.  We miss him so much.  So looking forward to having him home in a little over a month.

And Liz has become a high school senior.  Wow.  It's almost too much to fathom.

This Wall Street Journal article, "From Roe to Gosnell," from April 19 is excellent.  It's long and it isn't even written by someone who is pro-life.  But it is written honestly and logically and really gets to the point about the abortion issue.  The link is here.

The print version was entitled, "Back-Alley Abortion Never Ended."  The online version is longer and contains more information.

Both versions detailed the following shocking information;

  On Mothers' Day in 1972 (Mothers' Day!!!) 15 poor women were bused from Chicago to Philadelphia for abortions.

The women did not know that they were going to be given abortions using an experimental device that had only previously been used on Bangladesh rape victims and had been invented by a man with no medical training.

THEY WERE USED ON BANGLADESH RAPE VICTIMS (a device never before tried on anyone) UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION!!!!!  (The article does not say whether the IPPF was ever held accountable for this.)

OK.  Nine of the Fifteen women who had these experimental abortions in 1973 had serious complications.  One needed a hysterectomy.

Can you guess who the doctor was??  It was GOSNELL!!  That was 1973!! (And Mothers' Day, no less)  He continued to do abortions, EVEN AFTER THAT for 37 more years!!!

I hope you'll read the whole article.  It also details why the media has scarcely covered this issue.

Thank you, Lord, for my messed up knee!

All things work together for good for those who love the Lord.

Today I'm thanking the Lord that I have a knee that often gives me problems.  The one thing that really helps my knee a lot is biking.  In fact, last summer it took the pain away completely.

After 25 years of living in the same location I finally came to the conclusion that it's not too far to ride my bike to the park pictured below.

It's about 4 miles to get there, I think.  Then maybe another half mile or so to ride around the pond.  This is Gallop Park, for those of you who live near here.  Not only is it not that far, but after the first half mile or so the whole route is designated bike path.  The entire round trip is about 55 minutes.

It's a wonderfully scenic ride.  And the park itself is so beautiful.

I did post these pictures once before.  But I just had to write about it again.  I saw 6 or 7 robins today.  I know, I know, the robins have been around for a while.  But Spring has not!!  And so the robins were a nice reminder that one of these days, sometime soon, the weather in Michigan will finally catch up to the calendar and we will, WE WILL, have Spring.

The weather is gorgeous today.  It's sunny with blue skies.  OK, the temperature was only about 45 degrees, but when biking that really is just pleasantly cool.  I only wore a fleece and leather gloves and I was very comfortable despite the fact that there was enough wind to blow up little whitecaps on the Huron River.  It was lovely.

There were only a handful of people at the park.  There were one or two bikers, a woman pushing a stroller, and a few people walking dogs.  To each person I gave a big smile which was returned.  I know what they were all thinking.  What a great day to be here.

Geese, swans, birds singing, ducks....it was just lovely.  I took my five minute water break at one of the benches on the water's edge.  Swinging my leg carefully and slowly off the bike, I was reminded of the time I slightly tore some cartilage in my knee while a little too energetically swinging my leg over a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs.  I could hardly walk for a couple days....Could that have contributed to the problem I'm having now?  I'm sure it could.  Then there was the rather more serious knee injury I sustained at age four.  An injury at age four?  Back to haunt me fifty some years later?  Who knows.

In any event, I'm thanking God for the pain in my knee because I need to be able to walk.  I need to do whatever it takes to keep my knee in workable shape.  And it is just that reality that tips the scales to justify in my mind the 55 minutes it takes for this bike ride.  Yes, it could also be justified for heart health, brain health, and emotional well-being.  But the nearly ever present knee pain reminds me to get out there and do it.  And I reap all those other benefits besides.

Glory to God.  Praise him for the beauty of his magnificent creation and for the unfolding of His will.  He is good.  All the time.

Electing a Pope!!

"But probably the most solemn, the most difficult, frightening (moment) is when you go with your ballot paper in your hand and hold it up in front of the altar and say, 'I call on the Lord Jesus, who will be my judge, to witness that I am voting for the one I believe to be worthy.'

Cardinal Napier said the above words about the 2005 papal conclave.

Catholic New Service has the entire article entitled "Prayer and Trembling:  "Cardinals Recount Experience of  Conclave" here.  It gives a fascinating view into the atmosphere and workings of the papal conclave.

Let's pray that all the cardinals will respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and vote for the pope the Lord wants us to have!!

Adopt a Cardinal!!!

It's a strange feeling for a Catholic to not have a pope, isn't it?

As some of you know, my family took a trip to Rome last Easter and we were blessed to see His Holiness Benedict XVI several times.  He always had such a kind, gentle expression on his face.  We fell in love with him.

So it was with great sadness that we learned of his resignation.  Still, God always has a plan and, as my son pointed out to me, it is also very exciting to see what God has in mind next.

Yes, the Holy Spirit guides the church and certainly, in particular, He guides the papal conclave.  Still, the cardinals are human beings and we must pray that they discern the Lord's will and vote accordingly.  I'm sure the spiritual battle over the selection of a new pope must be enormous.

So....with that in mind, may I suggest to you all that you do as 274,863 others have done and "adopt a cardinal" to pray for her.  You go to the following site:

http://www.adoptacardinal.org/

They assign you your cardinal.  I presume the "adoptions" are spread out evenly.  Just think!  You may be praying for the next pope.  My cardinal is Paolo Romeo.  I believe he is 76 years old and the archbishop of Palermo, Italy.  I pray every day for all the cardinals and for Cardinal Paolo Romeo in particular.

I love that nearly 275,000 people have already signed up to do this.  The cardinals need our support.  Think of the little decisions in your life that seem really important.  Then think of the stress these cardinals must be under to vote as the Lord desires!  May God reveal to them His will!!

One of my sons is studying in London.  I was genuinely very happy for him when he was admitted to a very competitive graduate program in his field.  It was his dream school.

What I don't like is that there is an entire ocean between his home and his school.  It's so far away!!!

It's tough for a mom to be so far from a child, even an adult child.  But such is life.  The world is much smaller than it once was and they are called to go many and diverse places.

That's why it  was with such delight that I had the opportunity recently to talk to my son on the phone for what turned out to be a rather extended period of time.  :-)  It wasn't intended to be an extended period of time.  But when there is an ocean between you and your son who is not usually particularly talkative it is not in the nature of a mother to keep an eye on the clock.

The same day I had this wonderful phone conversation, a very dear friend of mine who had not known about the phone call gave me this candle, knowing it would make me smile and think of my son so far away.

My husband, who knew about the extended phone call quipped that perhaps the candle was misnamed, in my case.  It should be titled "Calling London!"

The Presentation of the Lord

While having been offered the opportunity to use this beautiful stained glass image of the Presentation on my blog, I still forgot to post on the actual Feast of the Presentation which was yesterday, February 2.   I urge you to visit the website of this maker of stained glass, www.StainedGlassInc.com.  I was very impressed with the work they have done.  Really, very, very beautiful and inspiring images.

Stained Glass Image courtesy of www.StainedGlassInc.com

When I meditate on this fourth mystery of the rosary I usually think of Simeon.  The following is from the writing of Bishop Amadeus of Lausanne, a Cistercian monk of the 12th century. It is part of the Meditation of the Day in Magnificat for February 2.  

"Taking into his arms Jesus whom he was awaiting with unspeakable longing, the other received divine love into the center of his being, and not able to endure in his frail flesh the sweet warmth of the being who is above the heavens or in his frame the power of the fire-bearing word, he prayed for the dissolution of his body, that when his mortal habitation was destroyed he might enjoy more freely the sweetness he already tasted and might announce to those dwelling in the shadow of death the birth of the Savior whom he was proclaiming among those on earth.

Watching the March for Life on EWTN.  For a number of years I have been there with my daughters and once with my son Jim too.  This year we had several conflicts and it didn't work out.

The March is such an amazing event.  The number of people is just mind boggling.

It's such a hopeful event.  It's been 40 years since Roe vs. Wade.  I remember when it came down.  I graduated from high school in 1973.  It was not long before that the people of Michigan had passed a measure outlawing abortion in our state.  My parents had been involved in the campaign.  They were devastated.  It was such a demonstration of judicial activism overriding the democratic process.  I remember my father asking how the Supreme Court could possibly do that.  The people of Michigan had spoken.  What right had the Supreme Court to override the will of the people.  Where on Earth in the Constitution is a right to abortion, etc.

Some 55 million babies have died.  How could this still be going on.  People have become so confused.   They don't seem to understand the difference between right and wrong anymore.  We know that human life begins at conception.  We've always known that.  Now we can even see the baby in great detail on ultrasound.  And still people claim that the unborn child is not a person.

When will this end.  It's a travesty of justice.  A horrible scourge on our county.  It is an abuse of women and womanhood.

Lord have mercy.

Isn't giving the democrats "new revenue"  (more of our money) a little (or a lot) like giving a new credit card to someone who has already maxed out the credit limit on ten others?

Is that a good idea?

Benghazi....

Well, I said I would continue the next day and here it is December 4.  The days keep getting away from me.  Sorry.

Benghazi--  The other very big problem with the whole Benghazi story is the fact that the ambassador had asked for additional security several times and instead of being given greater security, he was given less.  Why?  Would the outcome have been different had there been more security?  This is a very serious question because four Americans lost their lives.  One wonders what the motive is for a  media that does not ask questions like these.

Additionally, there are credible reports that repeated requests for help from the CIA were denied as the attack was taking place.  What?!  That those who could help were told to "stand down."  What does this mean?  Why is there no Watergate style investigation going on?  Is it because the media does not want to know the answers?

Very strange.  Very disturbing.

Benghazzi-- No Red Flags??

Warning:  this is a political rant.

It is very disturbing, even shocking, to me that the liberal mainstream media refuses to demonstrate any concern nor attach any significance to the details of the horrible incident in Benghazzi.

On Facebook a little poster is being shared about all the terrorist attacks that occurred at diplomatic facilities under the Bush administration.....as though that were the controversy....that an attack occurred.

For those of you who have been following this I apologize for stating the obvious.

There are three main areas of problems with the administration over the handling of Benghazzi.

First, the Obama administration said from the very beginning that the attack in Benghazzi was not a planned terrorist attack.  A few days after the attack Susan Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations-- the president's representative in the U.N.--went on a number of Sunday morning talk shows and said that the best assessment at the present time was that it was not a planned terrorist attack.  The Wall Street Journal posted a nice summary of what Rice said on FIVE different Sunday talk shows regarding Benghazi:

On ABC's "This Week" Rice said "But our current best assessment, based on the information that we have at present, is that, in fact, what this began as, it was a spontaneous — not a premeditated — response to what had transpired in Cairo." 

On CBS's "Face the Nation" Rice said "We do not– we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned."

In fact, we know now that everyone in the administration--State Department, Defense Department, CIA, and the White House knew from the very start that it was a planned terrorist attack.  I have a big problem with my government telling me things that it knows are not true.  

The fact that Rice added that the information was still coming in, that this was their initial assessment, does not change the fact that she said the information that they had at present  was that the attack was not preplanned.  This information is false and the administration knew it was false at the time of her statement.

Are our liberal journalists so smitten with the far left views of the O. Administration that they are not concerned when we are given information that is patently false??!!??  And it has been demonstrated to be false!!!  No red flags, mainstream media??  Does truth not matter to you?

I will continure this tomorrow.

Old Furniture?

I have three pieces of furniture that belonged to my grandmother.  I can remember her living room and exactly where they were.  I remember sitting on them as a child.  They were green velvet at that time.

Over the years I had them reupholstered once.  Then, many more years passed.  Lots of kids and pets jumping on them.  They were in very bad shape.  There were spots you couldn't sit on because you could feel the springs.  Finally, the chairs had to be moved to the basement.  They were just too awful.  

But I could not bring myself to get ride of them!  I just couldn't.  There was so much family history there!  When I told the kids that we were going to get them reupholstered they were shocked.  What?  Again?

I chose a velvet this time, just like my grandmother had, only blue.  I talked to the upholsterer about the trim and all the little details.  I told him I wanted them to look like they did originally.  I also said my kids could not believe I was going to reupholster these pieces again.  He said, "You can't buy furniture of this quality anymore.  Not anywhere.  No one makes furniture like this anymore."  So there, I told my kids.

Yesterday we got them back.  I could not believe it.  I thought of my grandmother as they carried them in.  I looked at the couch.  I got all choked up.  I told Mark Rendel, the upholsterer.  "I don't think they have ever looked this good."  They are comfortable!  They are beautiful, in my opinion.  They look exactly like they did when I was a child, or maybe better.

If you live in my area.  These were done by Rendel's.  They were wonderful.  Easy to work with, patient.  Very professional.

Thanks for indulging me on this.  I couldn't be happier.....and my kids sat in them for a long time.  They're talking about having friends over.  :-)

Odds and Ends...

Well, my son John left for London for graduate school 13 days ago and his luggage is still lost.  Luftansa cabin crews walked out on a half day strike the very afternoon he arrived in Frankfort.  Connecting flight was cancelled. He was lucky to get on another flight to London but, of course, his luggage did not.  13 days!!  We still have a little bit of hope because there was also another strike since the day he arrived and things are probably total chaos at Luftansa.  Good St. Anthony, come around, please let John's luggage be found!!

OK.  Why are some people on Facebook complaining about political posts?  I don't get it.  It's like they're saying, "Hey, I just want this to be about fun and superficial things.  Don't make me think.  Don't present me with facts that I might have to make a judgement on."  For heaven's sakes....this is an extremely important election coming up.  What. You don't want your preconceived opinions to be challenged?  Only jokes and funny videos allowed on Facebook?  Why not have an exchange of ideas?    Is this intellectual laziness?  This is America.  Why not exchange ideas?  Aren't we all about freedom of speech?  Just asking....

Cardinal Dolan's prayer at the end of the democratic convention....Awesome!

I just read the full text of Cardinal Dolan's closing prayer at the democratic convention last night.  Here is the text.

"Let us Pray. 
Almighty God, father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, revealed to us so powerfully in your Son, Jesus Christ, we thank you for showering your blessings upon this our beloved nation. Bless all here present, and all across this great land, who work hard for the day when a greater portion of your justice, and a more ample measure of your care for the poor and suffering, may prevail in these United States. Help us to see that a society’s greatness is found above all in the respect it shows for the weakest and neediest among us. 
We beseech you, almighty God to shed your grace on this noble experiment in ordered liberty, which began with the confident assertion of inalienable rights bestowed upon us by you: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 
Thus do we praise you for the gift of life. Grant us the courage to defend it, life, without which no other rights are secure. We ask your benediction on those waiting to be born, that they may be welcomed and protected. Strengthen our sick and our elders waiting to see your holy face at life’s end, that they may be accompanied by true compassion and cherished with the dignity due those who are infirm and fragile. 
We praise and thank you for the gift of liberty. May this land of the free never lack those brave enough to defend our basic freedoms. Renew in all our people a profound respect for religious liberty: the first, most cherished freedom bequeathed upon us at our Founding. May our liberty be in harmony with truth; freedom ordered in goodness and justice. Help us live our freedom in faith, hope, and love. Make us ever-grateful for those who, for over two centuries, have given their lives in freedom’s defense; we commend their noble souls to your eternal care, as even now we beg the protection of your mighty arm upon our men and women in uniform. 
We praise and thank you for granting us the life and the liberty by which we can pursue happiness. Show us anew that happiness is found only in respecting the laws of nature and of nature’s God. Empower us with your grace so that we might resist the temptation to replace the moral law with idols of our own making, or to remake those institutions you have given us for the nurturing of life and community. May we welcome those who yearn to breathe free and to pursue happiness in this land of freedom, adding their gifts to those whose families have lived here for centuries. 
We praise and thank you for the American genius of government of the people, by the people and for the people. Oh God of wisdom, justice, and might, we ask your guidance for those who govern us: President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, Congress, the Supreme Court, and all those, including Governor Mitt Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan, who seek to serve the common good by seeking public office. Make them all worthy to serve you by serving our country. Help them remember that the only just government is the government that serves its citizens rather than itself. With your grace, may all Americans choose wisely as we consider the future course of public policy. 
And finally Lord, we beseech your benediction on all of us who depart from here this evening, and on all those, in every land, who yearn to conduct their lives in freedom and justice. We beg you to remember, as we pledge to remember, those who are not free; those who suffer for freedom’s cause; those who are poor, out of work, needy, sick, or alone; those who are persecuted for their religious convictions, those still ravaged by war. 
And most of all, God Almighty, we thank you for the great gift of our beloved country. 
For we are indeed “one nation under God,” and “in God we trust.” 
So dear God, bless America. You who live and reign forever and ever. 
Amen!"

We have a very strong and courageous leader in Cardinal Dolan.  May God bless this good shepherd and may He inspire him to continue to lead the faithful through these very difficult times.

I have highlighted the lines it appears were particularly directed toward those policies of the democratic party directly opposed to morality, integrity, and human dignity.

Thank you, Cardinal Dolan.  We will continue to look to you for leadership

The Democrats and Abortion

Well the democratic party is making their views on women very clear.

I was shocked to learn that Nancy Keenan, the president of NARAL ProChoice American spoke at the convention last night.''

NARAL!!! (The National Abortion Rights Action League).  NARAL supports abortion on demand for all nine months of pregnancy.  Yes, all nine months!  I wonder if everyone realizes that the democratic party holds the same position.

One of the founders of NARAL, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, was an abortionist who had presided over more than 60,000 abortions.  He later repented and became a pro-life activist.  Dr. Nathanson was the maker of the pro-life film The Silent Scream which depicted an ultrasound view of a baby being aborted as its mouth opened into a "silent scream."  You can watch the video here.

I'm sorry.  I was horrified that the democratic party would give a microphone to the president of NARAL.  Then I realized that to do so is very consistent with the positions of the democratic party.

Is it any wonder that they have also removed the word "God" from their platform?  Read about it here.  I have heard several interviews of democrats this morning and none of them will answer the question as to why this was done.

I find it curious that the democrats continue to talk about abortion and artificial birth control as though the two issues were synonymous with health care for women.  Is not this attitude profoundly sexist?  If health care is all about a woman's sexual behavior what are we to assume about women?  That their sexuality defines them?  That their purpose and value is intimately intertwined with their sexuality?  I find that attitude deeply offensive.  Is it any wonder that Obama's numbers with women voters have experienced a sharp decline?

Random Stuff...

My son John's luggage is still lost somewhere in London or Frankfort.  It's been 5 days now.

Good St. Anthony come around, please let John's luggage be found!

I've been having an interesting dialogue on Facebook with my brother about politics.  I may bring some of that dialogue here.

Saw the movie 2016 last week.  I found it a very thoughtful, factual movie.  I'd be interested in what others who have seen it thought.

My girls have gone back to high school.  I have a junior and senior this year.  How did this happen?  You mean in two years all of my children will be out of high school??  That's crazy.

Jim is back at University of Dallas.  We're back down to only two children living at home.

The above photo is of my three girls-- Liz, Anne, and Mary at Sam and Vanessa's wedding.  Sam is Zach's brother.  It was a really fun wedding!!  We love Zach's family.

Great fun at Uncle Mike and Aunt Brenda's the following day.

On a completely different note....some have asked if we're thinking about getting another dog.  Of course, I am.   But we're not ready yet....