My Domestic Church

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:02:40 PST

Our homeschool yearly pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:26:14 PST

and the kid who doesn't want his picture taken!

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7- Quick Takes Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:00:23 PST

Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.

1. Holy cow! With all the stuff going on around here I totally forgot that last week was my 6 year blogiversary! or is it blogoversary? Anyway it's been six years since I started blogging. Seems longer. I was checking out the biographies of the bloggers over at the HSBA site and it occurred to me that I had been blogging longer than most of them - and then I remembered I forgot to mention the anniversary. So now it's mentioned - for whatever that's worth.

2. I have a TON of new music to learn both for the vocal ensemble group I play with and for special Christmas music at church. So I will have to PRACTICE!! Which isn't all bad I just have to get rid of some time wasters and put some effort in it. But I have left my options open with both groups that my first commitment is to my family and getting SLO through surgery and everything else.

Still having music to learn and play might be a nice distraction - so I'm keeping it open.

3. One thing I would LOVE to do next month is find a nice little shop that wants some music for its customers and have Sam help me to provide them with flute and guitar Christmas carols! But I don't know if Sam has time to do that.

4. I did tell Sam and Gabe that for my Christmas present, I want them to learn and play my favorite Journey song - and they are actually working on it!

5. I think Rosie is teaching herself how to write. She colored something for me this week that was absolutely beautiful and much better than I could have done at 4 years old. She has also started drawing angels and little girls complete with arms and legs and big smiles with lots of hair! And she writes alphabet letters around them as if she is trying to write about her drawings. So I might start teaching her with those 100 Easy Lessons sooner than I thought!

6. When I was growing up, my grandma always told my sister and me that if we moved out of the house, we could never move back. That may have been because my mom moved out to get married and then moved back pregnant with a toddler. But whatever it was I took her seriously and didn't move out until I got married. Calvin is desperate to move out on his own although I really think at this point in his life he has a great opportunity to save a great deal of money instead of spending it on rent. After all, he'll have the rest of his life to pay monthly rent or a house payment! But he seems to be determined to go. Last night I told him that if it doesn't work out, he can always come back home. With apologies to my grandma I just want my kids to know that if they fail they have a safe place to regroup before they try again.

7. Carrie Prejean has been quite an example to youmg women. But then again not all examples are good ones. Don't have naked pictures taken of yourself and don't send sexy videos to boyfriends you hardly know. Because there are very few gentleman left in this world, and you can be assured that the type of guy who would like to see those sexy homemade movies and tapes probably isn't one of them. And he'll expose everything that was private for the right price.

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My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/13/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:14 PST

Party supplies, crafts, party decorations, toys: Oriental Trading
$500 daily gift card give away now until December 29!
tags: homeschooling, crafts, party, supplies
American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc.
tags: homeschooling, american, history

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Small Successes

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:43 PST

1. A lot of learning to let go and let it be this week - for me! Which is a hard lesson because I like to ask questions, I like to have some sense of control and I tend to live in a state of denial when it comes to avoiding bad news. But this week I had to take a special loved one (SLO from now on) to the breast oncologist and as much as I wanted to go in with her for support(hers and mine) and to meet the doctor and ask some questions, SLO just wanted me to be. Just be still and be - alone in the waiting room. And I did that. I could do that. Might have been hard for me to do 10 years -impossible 20 years ago and out of the question 30 years ago - but I managed to do it now.

2. I am a little off my game this week, but nonetheless I was able go throw together a last minute St. Martin's Day craft from Waltzing Matilda's blog. Izzy and Rosie did it and I let them keep their "lanterns" glowing in the dark in the room all night long!

3. My family has really rallied around SLO and her family. I was very proud of how the kids just made room for SLO's son (henceforth known as SLOS) at the table, in their activities and even just around the house. But I am most proud of Mr. Pete who got up extra early to take SLOS to his early morning sports practice before school as if he were his own kid. When times are challenging, my family shows me time and time again that they can step up and do what needs to get done. Good job family!

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noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:58:39 PST

My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/12/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:30:14 PST

5 ways to support your husband in tough times
tags: marriage
Céline Dion Will Keep Trying for a Baby - Babies, Celine Dion : People.com
tags: no_tag
- Céline Dion isn't pregnant after all – but will keep on trying for a second child.
The Heritage of the Great War / First World War 1914 - 1918
Background to In Flander's Field.
tags: history, poetry
Irish Celebrations - The Feast of St. Martin - World Cultures European
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
eSoupSong: ST. MARTIN'S DAY--THE RELUCTANT BISHOP AND GOOSE SOUP
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS PROPERS IN ENGLISH
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
Tea at Trianon: Martinmas
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
4Real Forums: st. martinmas day
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
Under Her Starry Mantle: St Martin Lanterns and Songs!
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
Waltzing Matilda: Martinmas Lanterns
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
Catholic Cuisine: The Cloak of St Martin Cake
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin
Google Image Result for http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/sweetness_and_light/images/2007/11/13/stmartin.jpg
tags: Catholic, saints, feast, St.martin

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sophie - the rock and roll dog.

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:44:28 PST

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Filed under I'm not surprised

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:22:32 PST

Celine Dion was raised a Catholic. She underwent fertility treatments to have her first baby who was born in 2001. The rest of her embryos have been frozen since then and although I heard and read that she planned to go back and use those embryos it didn't happen until this year. In the meantime she did a stint in Vegas and pursued her career.

I think a lot of young women look at celebrities and fertility treatments as a way to "have it all." But I think this is a good example of how that might not always be possible, regardless of how rich or famous a couple might be.
Céline Dion Will Keep Trying for a Baby - Babies, Celine Dion : People.com

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St. Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:06:46 PST

I know quite a few great guys named Marty, but never actually knew much about this saint. However since my kids are 1/4 French from their Dad's side, I think it is important to teach them about saints from their heritage. St. Martin seems to be for France what St. Pat is for the Irish.

There are several wonderful stories about St. Martin. At one time in his life he was a soldier and once he was out in the evening carrying his lantern when he came upon a very poor, shivering, naked man. So St. Martin took off his own very fine cloak and cut it in half with his sword to share it with the man.

It turns out that the man St. Martin shared with was Jesus Christ! If you have kids who have a tough time sharing, this might be a great little story to share with them! I sure intend to make good use of it particularly with Miss Rosie who in typical 4-year-old fashion needs a good lesson on sharing.

St. Martin was eventually chosen to become a bishop, a job he did not want. When the people started looking for him to make him their bishop, he hid in the poultry house but the geese outed him! I think it is hilarious that so many geese dishes are popular on St. Martins' Feast Day - revenge from the Saint? Perhaps many bishops might agree with that!

There are tons of great ideas, recipes and crafts for today. We might do some of them and we are having lemon chicken (as I am not really interested in finding a goose!) and definitely a dessert I will insist the kids "share."

But I have lots of links for St. Martin's Feast Day saved in del.icio.us files and I'll be saving more as I find them today for the feast!

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noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:54:43 PST

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

In Flanders Field lesson plan

History In Flanders Field

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Veteran's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:53:07 PST

My father-in-law, Isadore, was a World War II veteran. He saw action in France and Africa. He was severely injured in the war - the family joke goes that he was 100% disabled so he came back and fathered 9 children!

Mr. Pete says his dad never spoke about the war. Once his daughter asked him why he never went to any of the reunions with his war buddies, and her dad answered because none of his buddies made it back. His body was riddled with shrapnel after a bomb exploded over head. Some of those pieces remained with him always and irritated his heart, which eventually lead to his death.

But there is a sweetness to his story. While he was in the hospital after his injuries he started receiving letters from Virginia, the girl he would eventually marry. It seems that one of her friends had been writing to a lot of servicemen and just couldn't keep up with all of the correspondence. So she gave Isadore over to Virginia and she started writing to him. They fell in love, got married and raised a large wonderful family; Mr. Pete was their 8th child.

He was really a patient, kind and loving dad. Mr. Pete tells me that every year when he was little they would pile into the car for midnight mass, and when they got back from church the tree was up and the presents were under it. We still wonder how he managed to pull that off! Did his dad have all of it hidden and pull it out at the last minute? or did he have a neighbor in on it to help him? We'll never know.

Another favorite story is the time that the family dog, Chum, died. Isadore and Virginia and all of their crying children got in the car to go and give Chum a proper burial in the country. For some reason (and Mr. Pete does not remember why) a cop pulled them over. What a sight that must have been! All those little sad faces and a dead dog! Apparently Isadore was able to explain it all to the police officer, because he let them go with only a warning.

When I met him in the late 1970s, Isadore was retired from the auto industry, still active with his kids in high school, working with the band boosters, and being an active grandpa for some very young grandchildren.

Two of my fondest memories of him include the time he came to pick Mr. Pete and his siblings up from school. He came in the family station wagon and he was wearing a very stylish Farrah Fawcett wig, pretending that everything was as usual. Of course kids were laughing and Pete et al didn't know whether to laugh too or to be mortified. It was all in good fun.

I also remember our first New Year's after we were married and my Father-in-Law wore some dark sun glasses that lit up when he pressed a button in his coat jacket (a leisure suit!). The DJ that night was so impressed, he played the ZZ Top song, Cheap Sunglasses, in his honor, which of course Isadore got right up and danced to! Everyone laughed and applauded. That was a great night.

My daughter Izzy (Isadora) is named for her grandpa.

We all really miss him, but I do enjoy sharing those stories about him with my kids, especially on Veteran's Day!

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My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/11/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:30:15 PST

Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives? - Redbook
Links of helpful sites for breast cancer patients.
tags: breastcancer, resources
Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives? - Redbook
tags: no_tag
- Exercise packs a lot of powerful anticancer punches: It reduces levels of circulating estrogen, which feeds hormone-sensitive tumors; it lowers levels of insulin, a hormone linked to recurrence; and it helps you drop the extra pounds that up your risk. Walking is the easiest way to get moving, so consider buying a pedometer: Simply clipping one on has been shown to motivate all women to sneak in more steps each day, and a University of Alberta study found that breast cancer survivors who received a pedometer increased their exercise by almost 90 minutes a week, compared with a 30-minute increase a week among those who didn't get one. So take a step in the right direction for your health.
Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives? - Redbook
tags: no_tag
- However, there is some reassuring news for those who are heavyset: Losing weight at any age can help cut breast cancer risk. Findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveal that postmenopausal women who lost 22 pounds were 57 percent less likely to develop the disease compared with those who maintained their weight.
Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives? - Redbook
tags: no_tag
- About two thirds of all breast cancer tumors are hormone sensitive, which means they grow in response to estrogen. The good news: Women who have hormone-sensitive tumors have a higher survival rate because these tumors grow more slowly than other types and can often be prevented from recurring with hormone therapy.
- Another 20 percent of all breast cancers have small amounts of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes tumor growth, says Winer. These HER2-positive tumors traditionally had a poorer prognosis because they tend to spread more quickly, but newer medications lower chances of recurrence.
Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives? - Redbook
tags: no_tag
- Not only do scientists now know who's most likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, they can also predict who's most likely not to survive it. Read on for the raw clarity of what we know now about breast cancer.
- And know that even if you don't have breast cancer in your immediate family, you may still be at risk if you have relatives with hormone-driven cancers like prostate or ovarian cancer, which are also linked to BRCA gene mutations.
John Cassidy on ObamaCare - WSJ.com
Ever wonder why the government is willing to proceed with even further big government spending during a recession?

It's all about the power. Make an entitlement, make us all dependent on it, and watch the Democrats keep power for the rest of the century.
tags: Obama, current, events, finance, areyousorryyet?
- The typical argument for ObamaCare is that it will offer better medical care for everyone and cost less to do it, but occasionally a supporter lets the mask slip and reveals the real political motivation. So let's give credit to John Cassidy, part of the left-wing stable at the New Yorker, who wrote last week on its Web site that "it's important to be clear about what the reform amounts to."
- Why are they doing it? Because, according to Mr. Cassidy, ObamaCare serves the twin goals of "making the United States a more equitable country" and furthering the Democrats' "political calculus." In other words, the purpose is to further redistribute income by putting health care further under government control, and in the process making the middle class more dependent on government. As the party of government, Democrats will benefit over the long run.
Living with the death of a child.
tags: death, grief, Catholic
- To live without Ryan is awful. I don’t want anyone to get the idea that we are being particularly saintly about it. Knowing that something is good for you and your soul and living with it are two different things. Many nice things could be said about David, the children and I, but saint is not the word that jumps to mind. Really. So we struggle mightily with grief, confusion and anger. We gasp when the pain stabs us, when a memory overcomes or a memento crosses our path. The tidal wave that is grief leaves us breathless and weary. However, we are Catholic and we know that our suffering is not in vain, we have the ultimate example of that in the Passion and Death of Christ. So in my very imperfect way I try to follow the example of Mary and trust my God, who I know loves me. Who has a plan for my family that will reunite us all in heaven and give us eternity to spend loving.
Faith & Family Live! : Does Having More Kids Mean More Happiness?
tags: family, motherhood
- A recent study finds:
  
  For married individuals of all ages and married women in particular, children increase life satisfaction and life satisfaction goes up with the number of children in the household. Negative experiences in raising children are reported by people who are separated, living as a couple, or single, having never been married.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Just a quick What's Going on in My Domestic Church

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:28:28 PST

Yesterday the kids and I got up, noticed that it was a great, beautiful day (expected it to get into the 70s!) and decided that we would rather finish our hiking spree than do any school work.

I should explain that our area is blessed with fabulous woods and hiking trails and that if you complete 8 trails between September 1 and November 30 you can get a hiking staff or a shield for your hiking staff! We use to do this every year but for some reason we just haven't done it since Rosie was born. But this year I was determined to push through and the kids were happy about it. We only had to carry Rosie a few times so I can say she earned her staff by herself!

Now when my mom moved up here she earned her hiking staff and was very proud of it. Only did it once though, but I have her staff with it's one little shield on it. I think I am going to give that to Rosie and that way she can always have that little momento from her grandmother, who started the shield collection off with the very first one!

So we walked two parks yesterday and earned our shields. I told the kid it was physical education because of the walking, and could be science if the took the time to make some observations while they were walking around. It was mainly fun. But I just couldn't see letting that great day go by since I don't know what the weather for the rest of the month is going to be like.

I am also unsure of what family life is going to be like over the next few weeks. I can't say too much other than someone very close to me is in the process of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Today I step on the path for the rest of this journey with her. We are just going to take it as it comes, day by day.

To that end, I do usually look up stuff and do a lot of internet reading and as I find things I will post them in my del.icio.us files and of course with links here via Diigo if anyone is interested. Your prayers of course always make a difference and will be very much appreciated.

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My Dearest Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:37:23 PST

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.

Friday October 24, 1958

Dear Little Gal:

My those last two letters were nice, nice and newsy and we really enjoyed reading them. Reading and rereading them several times, but my it would be so nice to hear your voice. We are all so anxious for the last of December to arrive.

You say you are going to ask for leave in about five weeks? Don't you think that you could teach a while longer than that? Of course, we are only thinking of you, you know, and it seems to us that the time would pass for you much quicker if you taught longer. Then too, the problem of eating. You must watch your food, it just must be the right kind, very little starchy foods, in fact the less starch the better for you. You should have meat, vegetables, fresh and canned, and fruits. If you can take enough things that have vitamin C in them you'll be better off. Perhaps you can suplement your diet with vitamins. You'll need calcium too, you know, course you are drinking milk.

About your bras, there is no reason why you can't keep on wearing the ones y ou have. The only time you'll change to a different kind is after the baby is here and if you nurse it, you will have to have front closing bras. As for girdles, or panty girdles, you should wear something, but of course they can't be heavily boned. When you come home, we'll go shop for a real maternity girdle. I am sending you a dress next week. I made it today but I must get the buttons for it and make the button holes yet. I do hope you like it. It looked so nice in the book. I will make a white collar, which you can wear on the dress if you wish. I have another pattern too, will make that up a little later.

Well Dad and Calvin have done better than Pete. They each have gotten 4 pheasants and Dad got a rabbit too. It sure sounded like a war the first day.

Do you have a television? or a radio? I have thought of sending your radio here, but since you say they treat the packages as footballs, and Uncle Joseph says they do too and that it is so hard to collect the insurance on the packages, guess I won't send it.

Dad is all thru working I guess. I wish he could get a job and work steady for just a year, that would be so wonderful, it would really put us on easy street. Lester Trudeau was out the other evening and paid for the beef he got a week before the wedding. Today a man came and wanted Dad to make a price on our whole herd of cattle, and Dad told him he wasn't interested in selling all of the cows. Guess they are going to keep all the heifers too.

Tonight is the fish fry at the hall, but I'm not going. I can still taste the fish Dad brought home last month. He stayed and worked, and then had to bring home what was left and it was horrid.

I went to see Dr. McCabe a month ago, and she said the job Ford's (Hospital) did was a good one, my trouble was the lack of an estrogen in my system and so she gave me a prescription. I went back for a check up last Tuesday and she said things looked much better, but that I will have to use this estrogen the rest of my life. Gosh.

You should see the apples we have on teh back porch. We bought some, the Roybals sent us some, the Sunsteadt's gave us to bushels, one golden delicious and one red delicious. Ih ave been cannign pears. They were beautiful this year and there are so many that are going to waste; I just can't can them all.

Well Ii guess I'll go and run the bulletin off and then go home. Fr. Donahoe went in to the Ford Clinic yesterday morning, he has to go back again on Monday. I do hope it isn't anything serious.

Remember kitten, you should not gain weight very fast. They use to say, "Well, you have to eat for two." That is all bosh, you just have to eat the right things. Of course from now on you will gain some, but it should be very little. I'll send the black blouse out next week too. I'll set the buttons over a little.

Well it is 4:45 and by the time I run the bulletin it will be after 5 p.m. so gotta go now. Please keep writing nice newsyletters. They mean so much to all of us.

May God Bless you.

Mother.

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My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/10/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:30:14 PST

Wildflowers and Marbles: ~ The Morning Basket ~
tags: homeschooling, organization, routine
The First 48 Hours: The Ten Most Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Some one close to me is looking at breast cancer. So I do what I always do- try to learn as much as I can about it. To that end I am collecting files and sites on it.
tags: cancer, breastcancer

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Simple Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:31:09 PST

Outside my window...
This isn't exactly out my window, but this is what it looks around here.

I am thinking...
"gird your loins" as we enter the arena against cancer with a loved one. Although I think going through this experience with Mom has taught us all much and I think we can play this game, that is the medical system, a little better this time.

I am thankful for...
for this great weather and that Mr. Pete seems to have a lot of work. I am also grateful for my best friend T, who is always there when I need her and gave the best heartfelt, spontaneous prayer with me over the phone that I have ever heard in my life. It was awesome.

From the learning rooms...
Starting The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with Noah and Gabe this week. If I can say I have my two middle sons reading authors like C.S. Lewis, I will feel as if I quite accomplished something. Sam is also starting a study of the King Arthur and Christ next week.

We are also studying about Iowa and in science - the digestive system.

From the kitchen...
Swiss steak and salad for dinner.

I am wearing...
Black sweat pants and a brown workout shirt.

I am creating...
memories for my kids I hope.

I am going...
to be playing my flute a lot more in the next few weeks. The wedding I did on Saturday was okay. I was a little nervous for Jesu and had two small mess ups, but other than that it went well. I started practicing with another group on Sunday night and of course with Advent approaching the playing at church will go up as well. I am done with wedding season though and that will be a nice change.

I am reading...
Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book: Making Informed Choices
An Excellent book so far!

I am hoping...
to keep my house clean this week and catch up on the laundry.I switched some tasks around with Noah doing the bathroom now and Gabe the basement.

Let's face it. I have 8 people living here and not all of them have the goal of a clean, well ordered household. A teenage friend was over here this weekend playing with Sam and Gabe and he mentioned that if they lived with him he wouldn't allow them to be so messy. I thought that was funny coming from one teen to the other.

I am hearing...
Birds singing outside my window - how odd for November!

Around the house...

Status quo

A few plans for the rest of the week:
1. Walk or exercise tape every day. I got three long walks in last week and already have one down this week so I'm on my way.
2. Bible study with Gabe getting ready for confirmation.
3. Get math and reading done with everyone this week and get one library trip in.
4. Keep up with my typing.
5. Finish inventory on my Mom's estate for the attorney - ugh - why do I keep putting this off!
6. Visit the doctor with my loved one.Would rather extract my own teeth with a dirty pair of pliers.

A picture I am sharing:

This is the memorial for a husband and wife at a local Catholic cemetery. And on the back they have a memorial for all 10 of their children! 9 boys and 1 girl in the middle.

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Sunday Snippets

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:39:04 PST

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 spent a lot of time in cemeteries this week working on that indulgence for the poor souls in purgatory.

You can see my best shots (in my opinion ) on my cemetery set on Flickr.

Visits to Candyland had a good discussion going on family planning here and here.

Catholics against Obamacare keeping us up to date here.

Wonderful All Souls Craft from Under her Starry Mantle.

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My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/08/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:30:33 PST

Americans Would Vote Against Obama Now, Health Care Rating and Approval Down
I think a lot of folks that voted for Obama were swept away with ... well swept away. Even staunch pro-lifers who voted for Obama and have been trying to justify it all year long.
tags: obama, current, events
- Washington,
  DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll shows that, on the day voters
  head to the polls in several states for off-year elections, Americans
  would vote against pro-abortion President Barack Obama for president.
  Another survey shows his approval rating down as well as his rating
  on handling health care.
arts>World Financial Center | Press | Press Releases
My goddaughter starts her career in new york.
tags: family
- Alexandra Jennings,

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

7 Quicktakes- the Saturday Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:57:26 PST

Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.

1. Izzy went to her first art class at the new art center I found for her. She was excited and nervous and happy. Yesterday she checked a book out of the library of how to draw horses and has been drawing horses ever since! So she clearly has the talent, but more importantly she has the desire to pursue all things artistic. So as her mom, I am going to support that.

2. This week, if you visited a cemetery everyday a plenary indulgence could be gained for the poor souls in purgatory. I set out to do this with the best of intentions, but I think I messed it up. First of all, I forgot to go on Monday. I told Mr. Pete that I was going to make it up by going twice on Friday, but Mr. Pete was adamant that it had to be every day or bust. To which I reminded him that he didn't get to determine whether indulgences were granted or not and that I would take my chances that God would be pleased with my make-up visit on Friday. But then I noticed that I was also supposed to be receiving communion every day as well (I did the confession part last week). So for any poor soul that was counting on me, I apologize. I think a partial indulgence was the best I could do.

3. I did manage to get some great pictures of cemetery statuary though - and my artistically inclined daughter helped me find things to take pictures of!

4. I have to say that my kids have been very good sports about going to the cemetery this week with me. They are very respectful of the graves, they look at the name and dates, and they look for statues and headstones that will make interesting pictures. And from the homeschooling perspective, Izzy and Noah like to figure out how ages of the grave occupants from the dates on the stones.

5. I have an interesting picture to get for Find A Grave this week. It's for a WWII soldier who was MIA for decades but they found his remains a few years ago and he was brought home and re-interred here in his home town. The person making the request had a picture of his name on a wall for all the missing in Holland and wanted to add a picture of his grave site. So that will be an interesting one to do and since that cemetery is so big, I'll definitely need the kids to help me.

6. With the economy hitting 10.2% unemployment, I have noticed more and more panhandlers in the city. And they are getting bolder too. While we were in one of the cemeteries a man came up to us and asked me if I was visiting one of my loved ones. I explained what I was doing and he listened politely while I explained FindAGrave and being a volunteer photographer. And when I was done he promptly asked me for money to go to McDonald's. I gave him a few bucks from my pocket, but also made a mental note to not visit that particular cemetery alone even in the daylight. Another guy keeps coming by the house and calls me "soccer mom." He asked for $20 the a week or so ago. I was able to negotiate it down to $10 with a peanut butter sandwich. But I had to finally set some limits with him such as do not come up to me when I first drive in, and that I was only going to be able to help him out once a week tops and that was only if I had some extra cash. He made the mistake however of demanding some money from Mr. Pete and saying I told him to and Mr. Pete sort of got into his face a little bit. I haven't seen him since.

4. Someone very close to me received a potentially bad health diagnosis this week. Well, it's bad, but of course they make you wait until over the weekend before you can know for sure. Coming just a few months after my mom's illness this is all quite sobering. So I mentioned to Mr. Pete that my attitude about life had completely changed since Mom died. Every morning I get up and think, (for example) "Today is November 7. I have lived through 50 November 7ths. I may only have 10 to 30 November 7ths left. Maybe more. Maybe less. I better enjoy this one. I am thankful for this one." It's actually not as joyful as it sounds. It's more resignation to the fact of my mortality.

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Jobless rate tops 10 pct. for first time since '83 - Yahoo! Finance

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:48:37 PST

Jobless rate tops 10 pct. for first time since '83 - Yahoo! Finance

None of the liberal pro-Obama bloggers that I followed last year are blogging on the economy. Are they ignoring it or is it that they simply don't understand why the stimulus isn't working?

My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/06/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:30:14 PST

Shelley Hendrix Reynolds: A Decade Of Questioning Harm And The Autism-Vaccine Connection
Excellent article - probing questions.
tags: vaccines
- Genetics alone has not caused autism to increase from an incidence of 1:10,000 to 1:91 in a twenty year period. I asked the CDC earlier this month to let us know of one other genetic condition that had ever demonstrated that exponential growth rate. They were stumped. Something environmental is causing this. Something universally environmental even though we all eat different food, drink different water and breathe different air.
What to Watch for in the Employment Report - FOXBusiness.com
How's that hopey changey thing working out?
tags: economy, obama
FLU VACCINE SHORTAGE: H1N1 and Seasonal Shots Running Out « On The Scene « FOXNews.com
The decision on whether or not to vaccinate myself and the kids might be made for me!
tags: current, events
- Health officials have told us all along to get the H1N1 vaccine, it’s our best defense against the deadly virus. At the same time, we’ve been reminded not to forget about getting our seasonal flu shots. That’s why it’s frustrating for people waiting in long lines all over the country, only to be turned away. Vaccine supplies are running low because of production delays, but adding to the problem is an increased demand for the seasonal vaccine. Concerns over H1N1, have led many people to get vaccinated who normally wouldn’t. So far, 85 million people have gotten seasonal vaccine. That’s 25 million more than this time last year.
Ohio.com - Wadsworth-Rittman closing birthing unit
This is scary - Wadsworth closes its birthing center just like Cuyahoga Falls did last year. Rosie was born at CF and I received wonderful care and attention. It really was as close to being at home as it could have been (and I have done homebirth before so I have a realistic impression of it.)

But why does it cost so much or need so many deliveries to stay solvent? (malpractice? inflation?) With 1000 deliveries a year women and babies start getting on that medicalized treadmill that the Business of Being Born exposed. The economy and the closing of small community hospital OB wards might help bring midwifery and homebirth into the forefront.
tags: birth, childbirth, midwifery
- Experts say hospitals typically must have at least 1,000 deliveries a year to break even or profit from their maternity services.
  
  ''There was no way for us to get to the number of deliveries we would need to make this a viable opportunity for us,'' Pope said.
UT: Economy leading more women to midwives : Midwifery World
Homebirths are more economical and in this economy, more women are willing to look into it.
tags: birth, childbirth, midwifery
- Licensed home-based midwives say they’ve seen a slight increase in business in part because their service tends to be less expensive than giving birth in a hospital.
  
  “The fact (that) people are having a lot of financial troubles is causing people to look for alternatives,” said Suzanne Smith, a midwife who said she is taking more calls from people who are uninsured or have high deductibles.
  
  Consulting appointments are also up at BellaNatal, a one-room birth suite in Orem run by Smith.
  
  At the Birth and Family Place, a birth center in Holladay, the number of women touring the center who say they’re attracted by the price has risen to about one-third, according to medical director Rebecca McInnis.
  
  “I don’t think it’s been that high before,” McInnis said.
  
  A hospital-based birth can cost about $8,300, including about $6,000 on average for the hospital charge, according to 2006 estimates by the state health department. Deliveries at home or at a birthing center can be substantially less expensive.
Hand sanitizer in short supply, raising hoarding concerns - Oct. 23, 2009
A good friend of mine works for a soap manufacturer. They were getting ready to do lay offs when the economy tanked - now they are working overtime! An unintended good consequence of the H1N1.
tags: current, events
- NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Demand for hand sanitizer has gone through the roof since the first cases of swine flu broke out earlier this year, and some makers of the germ-fighting gels are scrambling to keep up.
Republican Leader John Boehner | Speaker Pelosi’s Government-Run Health Plan Will Require a Monthly Abortion Premium
The current health care bill in the house does require public money for elective abortion. Here are the links!
tags: abortion, current, events, areyousorryyet?
- Health care reform should not be used as an opportunity to use federal
  funds to pay for elective abortions. Health reform should be an
  opportunity to protect human life - not end it.
  
  Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi’s 2,032-page government
  takeover of health care does just that. On line 17, p. 110, section 222 under “Abortions for which Public Funding is
  Allowed” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to
  determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run plan.
  The Speaker’s plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered
  in the Exchange covers abortions.
  
  What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be
  charged of all enrollees in the government-run plan. It’s right
  there on line 16, page 96, section 213, under “Insurance Rating Rules.” The
  premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account - and these federal
  funds will be used to pay for the abortion services.
  
  Section 213 describes the process in which the Health Benefits
  Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay
  for elective abortions under the government-run plan. The
  Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Small Successes

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:48:45 PST

1. Long time readers might remember that last winter I signed up to be a volunteer photographer for the Find a Grave website. I did my first assignment last February, but was not able to locate the grave I was looking for. Then Mom got sick and died and I just haven't had time to pursue it. But this week a request came in for a nearby Catholic cemetery and since I am trying to visit a cemetery everyday until November 8 for an indulgence for the poor souls in purgatory, I decided to take it!

Izzy and Noah went with me. We went to the poor church secretary who graciously helped us find where the grave should be located and gave us a map. But with these old graves you just never know and I wasn't sure if we would be able to find it. The kids and I were looking at all of the flat markers, hoping to see the name we were looking for. And then voila! we almost ran into it!

That was nice - to actually find the grave I was supposed to photograph!!

2. Mr. Pete hasn't been to the grocery store in two weeks and we have been scraping by- quite nicely actually. It's amazing the stuff you can find to eat from the stuff you already have! Although I did have to run out for some laundry soap and toilet paper - it's hard to get by without either of those two things.

3. Yesterday, I was at another cemetery and Izzy and I were looking at some of the statuary to photograph and since we got further away from the van, Sam, who has his driving temps, took it upon himself to pull the van up behind us. He actually did pretty well and so I thought since this is an old cemetery with lots of twisty roads and hills, it would be a good place for him to practice driving. So Sam was driving us through the beautiful fall colors of this peaceful cemetery. We went down one twisty turny hill and found our path blocked by a mountain of leaves that the cemetery crew had raked and scraped together and left there. There was no where to turn around and the only way out was to back up. So we gulped and Sam backed that big van up - all the way up that curvy cemetery hill. He was quite proud of himself and I was proud of him too!

One of the statues I shot yesterday with the Pentax that I'm still learning on!

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My Domestic Church Daily Clips 11/05/2009

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:30:20 PST

Yes, Every Sperm is Sacred! » The Anchoress | A First Things Blog
Turns out, Monty Python got it right - every sperm is sacred and why not?
tags: Catholic, contraception, birth, control, Onan, NFP

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

noreply@blogger.com (Elena) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:06:00 PST

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