First, an Advent prayer (which I very much love) to be said 15 times a day from November 30 (that's today) to December 25:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Blessed Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayers and grant my desires, through the merits of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Blessed Mother.
Second, the Immaculate Conception Novena, which starts today.
Prayer to the Immaculate Conception
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.
Day One:
O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.
Amen.
Recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin
So, there you go. Some prayers for Advent. Prayers are so wonderful. (Even if sometimes they seem futile...)
Also, unrelated (but sort of since it's about Gregorian Chant) - I just burned a Christmas Gregorian Chant CD onto my computer, and the "genre" it was labeled under was New Age. It just struck me as funny. Anyway.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Bet you wouldn't guess that one, huh?
I went to this site today: Typealyzer. You put in a blog address and it tells you, based on the posts, what it thinks the author is, personality-wise. Guess what I am supposed to be? ESFP. It's pretty interesting, and I can see where they might get that. Especially looking at the little diagram of the brain they have (which I can't copy and paste here. But you could probably look at it by going to the site and putting in my address).
The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.
They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.
ESFP - The Performers
They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.
Happy Advent!!!
It's the first Sunday of Advent, folks. Are you excited? I am. Especially because now I can start the Advent prayer books I got a few weeks ago! Yay!
It started snowing last night (not for the first time this weekend, either). I woke up this morning and it was still going. Here it is, 11am, and still snowing.
I love it. (Although it made driving to Mass a bit interesting this morning. Luckily there aren't a lot of people out at 8am, especially on a day like this. And really, the worst part was driving down the street perpendicular to mine, a slightly curvy hill. At one point I started fishtailing more than a little wiggle, but I think I'm pretty good at getting out of sliding situations, and I got myself straightened out and on my way. Also helps that there obviously weren't any other cars on the street aside from one parked one I was a tad concerned about hitting.)
I'm definitely taking a trek to Palmer Park today, if I can. I'm not going to waste this snowfall and miss seeing my favorite park all covered in white goodness! I just hope that they've plowed that road through the park...because that one is definitely curvy and hilly. Might be interesting trying to go down on the way home...hm.
I bought four skeins of yarn yesterday, with plans to make hats out of them. Specifically, this one. I know I posted a link to another hat pattern a few weeks ago, but I've put that one on hold for now. First of all, I have to pay for the pattern, and I much prefer things that are free. Secondly, it involves cabling and things I don't really know how to do yet. So I'm going to start out with a few easier ones (including this one, as a first try, since I've also never knit in the round before. It's not very pretty, but it should work well as a first try at hat-knitting). Anyway, I'm super excited about this. The four skeins I bought are all pretty and soft. I don't really know what makes a good yarn for hats, so I got a variety. And I'm starting on another blanket (I didn't finish the first one yet, but the one I just started is a promised Christmas gift, so it's taking first place right now. Although it may get pushed out for a bit by hats...)
I went to the Nutcracker with my mom and sister last night. It was quite nice. We've gone several times in the past few years. I think it used to be a bit better than it was last night, and in the more recent times we've gone. Clara used to be performed by a professional ballerina, but now she and the Nutcracker are played by local kids. And, ok, that's fine, she was good and everything. But they have way too many local kids included in the performance. It just makes it less impressive, to me. Yeah, I'm mean, because they're so cute and all, and I don't have kids so I don't really care how cool it must be for parents to see their kids performing alongside professional dancers. But really, I don't want to be paying money (especially however much it costs to go to the Nutcracker) to see someone else's kid be cute. I want to pay money to be wowed. And the over-inclusion of so many kids makes me not so wowed. (Obviously, I'm ok with some kids - like the girls and boys at the party at the beginning, that's fine. But other than that, it's just...eh.) And too many of the kids included weren't young enough to be that cute. They were the interim age where they're not great, but if they mess up it's not cute, so it's just awkward to watch. Anyway. There, now you all know what a horrible person I am.
In the interest of being equal-opportunity here, some of the dances done by the professionals weren't that impressive either. Particularly the Russian and Chinese dances. One year when we went, for...I think it was the Russian dance, there were three or four amazing male dancers, and they were just incredibly impressive. And going from that to some girls dancing around while this one guy does some like...hand claps and leaps and stuff, it's just not very impressive. The Snowflake dance and the Waltz of the Flowers or whatever, right before the end, those were both great (and the music for especially the snowflake one is always great. All the music is. But that one includes the Children's Chorale for like...a few minutes, and it sounds good). Oh, and the Arabian dance. That one was really good too.
Anyway. I did enjoy it, really.
I'm doing what I wanted to do this weekend - getting my Christmas albums onto my computer in mp3 format, and putting them on my Zune. Yay! Oooh, and I bought the Home Alone soundtrack from Amazon on Friday. I'm excited about that. I hope I get it soon-ish. I mean, most of the songs on there aren't explicitly Christmas, but that score is Christmas-associated. So yeah. Yay!
My hands have been so. dry. the past week or so. I have this crack on my left hand middle knuckle that won't go away, because my hands continue to be dry and itchy. And exacerbated by the slight case of eczema I have there that only shows up once in awhile these days (particularly when my hands are extra-dry). Oh well.
I have at least two more posts I'm putting up today. So there.
(By the way - now just after noon, and it's still snowing, ish. So pretty. Maybe the last few days with some snow have reminded Colorado how to snow properly. I can hope, right? Even though the 10 day forecast pretty much proves me wrong. But then, even a week ago, there wasn't snow forecast for today, I don't think. Maybe a few days ago, but not a week. So I'll take it. You never know what'll happen with weather.)
It started snowing last night (not for the first time this weekend, either). I woke up this morning and it was still going. Here it is, 11am, and still snowing.
I love it. (Although it made driving to Mass a bit interesting this morning. Luckily there aren't a lot of people out at 8am, especially on a day like this. And really, the worst part was driving down the street perpendicular to mine, a slightly curvy hill. At one point I started fishtailing more than a little wiggle, but I think I'm pretty good at getting out of sliding situations, and I got myself straightened out and on my way. Also helps that there obviously weren't any other cars on the street aside from one parked one I was a tad concerned about hitting.)
I'm definitely taking a trek to Palmer Park today, if I can. I'm not going to waste this snowfall and miss seeing my favorite park all covered in white goodness! I just hope that they've plowed that road through the park...because that one is definitely curvy and hilly. Might be interesting trying to go down on the way home...hm.
I bought four skeins of yarn yesterday, with plans to make hats out of them. Specifically, this one. I know I posted a link to another hat pattern a few weeks ago, but I've put that one on hold for now. First of all, I have to pay for the pattern, and I much prefer things that are free. Secondly, it involves cabling and things I don't really know how to do yet. So I'm going to start out with a few easier ones (including this one, as a first try, since I've also never knit in the round before. It's not very pretty, but it should work well as a first try at hat-knitting). Anyway, I'm super excited about this. The four skeins I bought are all pretty and soft. I don't really know what makes a good yarn for hats, so I got a variety. And I'm starting on another blanket (I didn't finish the first one yet, but the one I just started is a promised Christmas gift, so it's taking first place right now. Although it may get pushed out for a bit by hats...)
I went to the Nutcracker with my mom and sister last night. It was quite nice. We've gone several times in the past few years. I think it used to be a bit better than it was last night, and in the more recent times we've gone. Clara used to be performed by a professional ballerina, but now she and the Nutcracker are played by local kids. And, ok, that's fine, she was good and everything. But they have way too many local kids included in the performance. It just makes it less impressive, to me. Yeah, I'm mean, because they're so cute and all, and I don't have kids so I don't really care how cool it must be for parents to see their kids performing alongside professional dancers. But really, I don't want to be paying money (especially however much it costs to go to the Nutcracker) to see someone else's kid be cute. I want to pay money to be wowed. And the over-inclusion of so many kids makes me not so wowed. (Obviously, I'm ok with some kids - like the girls and boys at the party at the beginning, that's fine. But other than that, it's just...eh.) And too many of the kids included weren't young enough to be that cute. They were the interim age where they're not great, but if they mess up it's not cute, so it's just awkward to watch. Anyway. There, now you all know what a horrible person I am.
In the interest of being equal-opportunity here, some of the dances done by the professionals weren't that impressive either. Particularly the Russian and Chinese dances. One year when we went, for...I think it was the Russian dance, there were three or four amazing male dancers, and they were just incredibly impressive. And going from that to some girls dancing around while this one guy does some like...hand claps and leaps and stuff, it's just not very impressive. The Snowflake dance and the Waltz of the Flowers or whatever, right before the end, those were both great (and the music for especially the snowflake one is always great. All the music is. But that one includes the Children's Chorale for like...a few minutes, and it sounds good). Oh, and the Arabian dance. That one was really good too.
Anyway. I did enjoy it, really.
I'm doing what I wanted to do this weekend - getting my Christmas albums onto my computer in mp3 format, and putting them on my Zune. Yay! Oooh, and I bought the Home Alone soundtrack from Amazon on Friday. I'm excited about that. I hope I get it soon-ish. I mean, most of the songs on there aren't explicitly Christmas, but that score is Christmas-associated. So yeah. Yay!
My hands have been so. dry. the past week or so. I have this crack on my left hand middle knuckle that won't go away, because my hands continue to be dry and itchy. And exacerbated by the slight case of eczema I have there that only shows up once in awhile these days (particularly when my hands are extra-dry). Oh well.
I have at least two more posts I'm putting up today. So there.
(By the way - now just after noon, and it's still snowing, ish. So pretty. Maybe the last few days with some snow have reminded Colorado how to snow properly. I can hope, right? Even though the 10 day forecast pretty much proves me wrong. But then, even a week ago, there wasn't snow forecast for today, I don't think. Maybe a few days ago, but not a week. So I'll take it. You never know what'll happen with weather.)
Friday, November 28, 2008
Goodness.
So I'm in the middle of re-watching Anne of Avonlea yet again. (I already re-watched yet again Anne of Green Gables. Of course.) I almost want to yell at the TV when it gets to the parts where Gilbert proposes to Anne, and then tries again a little later. I mean, dude, how could anyone turn down Gilbert? Seriously. It'd be like turning down Captain von Trapp in Sound of Music. (Who is quite...great...by the way. Seriously.)
Anyway. At least she realizes her dumbness by the end of the movie. And then, ahhh.
Also, Hazel is so big! Well, really, she's sort of small (compared to the other dogs we've had), but she's so much bigger than she was when I first brought her home. But aw, she's just so deliciously precious. I can't even stand it. I love love love her. I love her markings, I love her coloring, I love her. When I first got her, I was a little disappointed I had gotten a dog that wouldn't have floppy ears. We've always had floppy-eared dogs. But man, I love even those. She is just the cutest, prettiest, best puppy dog in the world. My poopila puppila. She's getting fixed on Thursday. I hope she's ok, and I hope it doesn't have any negative effects (I've heard that it can sometimes cause a personality change in dogs - but I think usually if it does, it makes them calmer. I'd be ok with that. I think...).
Tomorrow night is the Nutcracker. I'm super excited.
Why do they still make fullscreen versions of DVDs? I don't get it. Why would anyone buy a fullscreen? All they do is confuse people who expect it to be widescreen and bring it home to find out it's fullscreen. Stupid.
I spent a few hours at Borders today with Cathy (for some reason, that's our thing. We tend to do that fairly often when we get together, which hasn't been for awhile since she's left me for Oklahoma, can you believe it?). Among other things, we perused the calendars, and I found several I'd like. First of all, of course, a few pretty Colorado ones (I'm a sucker for pretty pictures of my pretty state), in the month version. And then there were some day calendars that look interesting, including this one that I had seen last year and sort of wanted. I don't typically buy calendars before New Year's, because they're cheaper afterward, but I hope that one is still in stock by the time I do get around to buying calendars. There was also a word origin one that'd be cool, and a knitting one, but that might be overwhelming (365 patterns? That's a lot).
Oh, by the way, Hazel + Palmer Park + snow (even if it was already 80% melted by the time I was there today) = near perfection. Mmm. I love Palmer Park so much.
On my agenda tomorrow (and I know I won't get to it, especially since we're going to the Nutcracker) is to get all my Christmas music onto my Zune. This will involve re-copying most of my Christmas albums onto my computer so that it'll be on there in an MP3 format instead of the Windows Media Audio format (which is what the default was until this summer, when I realized that, um, it makes things annoying sometimes), and then it'll be recognized by the Zune program, and then I can put it onto my Zune (after I take off the stuff that's on there now, because I think I have it almost full right now). So, it'll take a little bit of time, but that's ok. At least this time (as opposed to when I was first putting music on the Zune) I won't have the added step of first burning each album onto a blank CD because I lost the original CDs freshman year. My Christmas albums survived since they weren't with the rest of my CDs. Lucky me. Anyway.
Man, I'm still sad I can't find the stupid Homeward Bound soundtrack. (Not for less than like $30, at least, and I'm not willing to pay that for a 30 minute CD. Come on.)
Did I mention that I went for a walk in the snow last night with Mom and Hazel? Man that was nice. I wish I could do that every night. Technically, I can, but I'd have to imagine the snow (and, most nights, that degree of coldness, too). I hope we still manage to have a lot of good snow this year, powdery though Colorado snow tends to be. I mean, right now, it's not looking good for lots of precipitation (it's been so dry the past few months. Unusually so, even for here), but you never know. Winter hasn't even officially arrived yet, right? Anyway. Not much I can do about the snow, or lack of it.
Bedtime now, or soon, or something.
Anyway. At least she realizes her dumbness by the end of the movie. And then, ahhh.
Also, Hazel is so big! Well, really, she's sort of small (compared to the other dogs we've had), but she's so much bigger than she was when I first brought her home. But aw, she's just so deliciously precious. I can't even stand it. I love love love her. I love her markings, I love her coloring, I love her. When I first got her, I was a little disappointed I had gotten a dog that wouldn't have floppy ears. We've always had floppy-eared dogs. But man, I love even those. She is just the cutest, prettiest, best puppy dog in the world. My poopila puppila. She's getting fixed on Thursday. I hope she's ok, and I hope it doesn't have any negative effects (I've heard that it can sometimes cause a personality change in dogs - but I think usually if it does, it makes them calmer. I'd be ok with that. I think...).
Tomorrow night is the Nutcracker. I'm super excited.
Why do they still make fullscreen versions of DVDs? I don't get it. Why would anyone buy a fullscreen? All they do is confuse people who expect it to be widescreen and bring it home to find out it's fullscreen. Stupid.
I spent a few hours at Borders today with Cathy (for some reason, that's our thing. We tend to do that fairly often when we get together, which hasn't been for awhile since she's left me for Oklahoma, can you believe it?). Among other things, we perused the calendars, and I found several I'd like. First of all, of course, a few pretty Colorado ones (I'm a sucker for pretty pictures of my pretty state), in the month version. And then there were some day calendars that look interesting, including this one that I had seen last year and sort of wanted. I don't typically buy calendars before New Year's, because they're cheaper afterward, but I hope that one is still in stock by the time I do get around to buying calendars. There was also a word origin one that'd be cool, and a knitting one, but that might be overwhelming (365 patterns? That's a lot).
Oh, by the way, Hazel + Palmer Park + snow (even if it was already 80% melted by the time I was there today) = near perfection. Mmm. I love Palmer Park so much.
On my agenda tomorrow (and I know I won't get to it, especially since we're going to the Nutcracker) is to get all my Christmas music onto my Zune. This will involve re-copying most of my Christmas albums onto my computer so that it'll be on there in an MP3 format instead of the Windows Media Audio format (which is what the default was until this summer, when I realized that, um, it makes things annoying sometimes), and then it'll be recognized by the Zune program, and then I can put it onto my Zune (after I take off the stuff that's on there now, because I think I have it almost full right now). So, it'll take a little bit of time, but that's ok. At least this time (as opposed to when I was first putting music on the Zune) I won't have the added step of first burning each album onto a blank CD because I lost the original CDs freshman year. My Christmas albums survived since they weren't with the rest of my CDs. Lucky me. Anyway.
Man, I'm still sad I can't find the stupid Homeward Bound soundtrack. (Not for less than like $30, at least, and I'm not willing to pay that for a 30 minute CD. Come on.)
Did I mention that I went for a walk in the snow last night with Mom and Hazel? Man that was nice. I wish I could do that every night. Technically, I can, but I'd have to imagine the snow (and, most nights, that degree of coldness, too). I hope we still manage to have a lot of good snow this year, powdery though Colorado snow tends to be. I mean, right now, it's not looking good for lots of precipitation (it's been so dry the past few months. Unusually so, even for here), but you never know. Winter hasn't even officially arrived yet, right? Anyway. Not much I can do about the snow, or lack of it.
Bedtime now, or soon, or something.
Christmas Survey
I can post this now because it's (un)officially the (secular) Christmas season. Yay!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper is so much more fun (but also more work).
2. Real tree or artificial? I'm pretty anti-artificial trees. With a few exceptions.
3. When do you put up the tree? The past few years we did it the weekend before Christmas (because that's when I was home to do it).
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year's sometime. Preferably after Epiphany.
5. Do you like eggnog? Mmm nogalicious.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hm...I got some pretty cool stuffed animals one time. My grandparents also used to send us each these boxes with all kinds of stuff that we'd like, and one year it include an Ann Rinaldi book, and I fell in love with her books after that (and historical fiction), so those were pretty cool too.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Everyone. Especially boys. Like my dad.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Hm...me. Haha. Well, my nephews are pretty easy to buy for.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Of course.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Email cards in general are pretty eh. Unless it's a random "thinking of you" card. So, mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Don't really know.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's A Wonderful Life. No question. (Although, if it's a Christmas movie, chances are I'll watch it and like it. Even crappy made for TV, or worse, made for Lifetime Christmas movies.)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Uh...well, in recent years, it's been pretty late (see above about not coming home until the weekend before Christmas, and it's hard to go Christmas shopping while in school). Hopefully I won't be so procrastinatey this year. Oooh, I bought a Christmas present in January this year. I almost forgot about it. I probably will by Christmas, anyway.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably. But if I did, it was probably something like those bath gift sets or whatever.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Food. Christmas food. Yummy food. And egg nog.
16. Lights on the tree? Of course! What kind of a silly question is that?
17. Favorite Christmas song? Most songs on Josh Groban's Christmas CD, or the songs on Celtic Woman's Christmas CD, or Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas CD (I think my favorite is A Fresh Aire Christmas. The cassette put me to sleep many a Christmastime night back when I was younger). O Holy Night ranks among my favorite songs, separate from artist. And What Child is This (especially the Mannheim Steamroller version). And...well, they're just all great!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. With family. (Except the extended family who all live far away, and thus would require traveling to see at Christmas...the two times we've done that since moving out here have just been stressful.)
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? You know, Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, and Cupid, and Donner (Donder?), and Blitzen. But...do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We use an angel. I prefer the angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I'm a fan of spreading the love. When I have kids (presume much?) we'll do a few presents on the feast of St. Nicholas, one or two on Christmas Eve (hopefully after going to Midnight Mass, if those still exist by the time I have kids), some on Christmas morning, and the rest on Epiphany.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas music too early. Also, wanting snow and cold, and getting every day the same sunny 50s that we get here. And no snow in sight. Sigh.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I'm not an advocate of themed/color themed Christmas trees. Unless it's maybe in a fancy hotel or a restaurant or something. I much prefer a mishmash of regular ornaments, sentimental ornaments, colored lights, garland, etc.
24. Favorite place for Christmas dinner? Um...my house? (I wouldn't want to have to work on Christmas, so I prefer not going to unnecessary places like restaurants or movie theaters or whatnot on Christmas.)
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Whirled peas. Or maybe some DVDs or CDs. Or a boyfriend. (ha.) Oh, oh, I know. Snow! Snow on Christmas would make this girl quite happy.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper is so much more fun (but also more work).
2. Real tree or artificial? I'm pretty anti-artificial trees. With a few exceptions.
3. When do you put up the tree? The past few years we did it the weekend before Christmas (because that's when I was home to do it).
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year's sometime. Preferably after Epiphany.
5. Do you like eggnog? Mmm nogalicious.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hm...I got some pretty cool stuffed animals one time. My grandparents also used to send us each these boxes with all kinds of stuff that we'd like, and one year it include an Ann Rinaldi book, and I fell in love with her books after that (and historical fiction), so those were pretty cool too.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Everyone. Especially boys. Like my dad.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Hm...me. Haha. Well, my nephews are pretty easy to buy for.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Of course.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Email cards in general are pretty eh. Unless it's a random "thinking of you" card. So, mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Don't really know.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's A Wonderful Life. No question. (Although, if it's a Christmas movie, chances are I'll watch it and like it. Even crappy made for TV, or worse, made for Lifetime Christmas movies.)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Uh...well, in recent years, it's been pretty late (see above about not coming home until the weekend before Christmas, and it's hard to go Christmas shopping while in school). Hopefully I won't be so procrastinatey this year. Oooh, I bought a Christmas present in January this year. I almost forgot about it. I probably will by Christmas, anyway.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably. But if I did, it was probably something like those bath gift sets or whatever.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Food. Christmas food. Yummy food. And egg nog.
16. Lights on the tree? Of course! What kind of a silly question is that?
17. Favorite Christmas song? Most songs on Josh Groban's Christmas CD, or the songs on Celtic Woman's Christmas CD, or Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas CD (I think my favorite is A Fresh Aire Christmas. The cassette put me to sleep many a Christmastime night back when I was younger). O Holy Night ranks among my favorite songs, separate from artist. And What Child is This (especially the Mannheim Steamroller version). And...well, they're just all great!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. With family. (Except the extended family who all live far away, and thus would require traveling to see at Christmas...the two times we've done that since moving out here have just been stressful.)
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? You know, Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, and Cupid, and Donner (Donder?), and Blitzen. But...do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We use an angel. I prefer the angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I'm a fan of spreading the love. When I have kids (presume much?) we'll do a few presents on the feast of St. Nicholas, one or two on Christmas Eve (hopefully after going to Midnight Mass, if those still exist by the time I have kids), some on Christmas morning, and the rest on Epiphany.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas music too early. Also, wanting snow and cold, and getting every day the same sunny 50s that we get here. And no snow in sight. Sigh.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I'm not an advocate of themed/color themed Christmas trees. Unless it's maybe in a fancy hotel or a restaurant or something. I much prefer a mishmash of regular ornaments, sentimental ornaments, colored lights, garland, etc.
24. Favorite place for Christmas dinner? Um...my house? (I wouldn't want to have to work on Christmas, so I prefer not going to unnecessary places like restaurants or movie theaters or whatnot on Christmas.)
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Whirled peas. Or maybe some DVDs or CDs. Or a boyfriend. (ha.) Oh, oh, I know. Snow! Snow on Christmas would make this girl quite happy.
Thanksgiving.
Another Thanksgiving has come and (almost) gone.
To be honest, it's more or less just another day. I mean, the sentiment behind the day is nice, and it's always good to remember to be thankful for stuff, but...I don't know. Maybe I'm too cynical for Thanksgivings.
Anyway, it was a nice enough day otherwise. Aside from the fact that I hate always being single on holidays (and, um, every other day). But, you know, whatever.
I had been planning on doing some Black Friday shopping tomorrow, but after looking at the ads, I'm just not moved enough to get up that early (and in the cold - not that I mind that part of it!) to fight crowds (I hate crowds) and get a sort of maybe good deal on a DVD player, or a camera, or something like that. Although, to be honest, I'm almost tempted to go because Best Buy has seasons 1-3 of The Office on sale for $15 each. I really want those. So, ok, dude, nevermind. I just went to Best Buy's website, and they're on sale for that price online right now. I'm totally cool with that. Online shopping rocks, y'alls. Especially when you can get Black Friday deals online on Thursday night!
(Oh, also, I saw that bras at Kohls are on sale for like $13. That was almost enough to make me want to get up and go. Bras are expensive, people. Ridiculously so, in my opinion.)
Ok, so before I hit the "order" button at best buy, I decided to check Amazon. Guess what? All three seasons are cheaper there, and I can get free shipping! So guess who just bought them at Amazon for more than ten (actually, I think it was closer to twenty) bucks cheaper than Best Buy? Sweet. Except, aw, man, I just remembered I have that $15 gift certificate for Amazon. I could have used that. Silly Susie. I guess I'll just have to buy something else now.
Anyway. It actually snowed today. There were some flurries earlier in the day, when I took Hazel for a walk at Palmer Park (oh how I love that place, and Palmer Park with snow - even just the little flurries I got - is just wonderful). The real stuff started later tonight. By 11pm or so there were a good two inches, even on the roads, which was lovely. I convinced Mom to go for a walk with me (and Hazel) around the neighborhood, in the park by our house. I would have gone by myself, but 11pm is sort of pushing it, I think. Anyway, it was nice to go for a walk in the snow. I really miss walking around campus on snowy nights. I loved Notre Dame when it snowed. Those beautiful, quiet, bright nights. Mmm. And with much wetter snow than we get. But hey, I'll take what I can get right now. I really wanted to go out tonight because who knows when we'll get snow again? Stupid dry Colorado.
Anyway. Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a hot date. Or I'll just sit and knit all day and watch movies. I'd be ok with that, too. I might go out at some point to see if I can still get like a DVD player on sale or something. There weren't really any good DVD player sales that I saw, though (but I realize that I know nothing about DVD players or how much they should cost or what makes a good one. The only DVD players I've ever owned have been cheap-o ones. Two of the same, actually, which worked out nicely in college. One was bought, one was a free gift for signing up for a credit card and using it once). Anyway. Just color me unimpressed with the black friday sales this year. I'm sure I could stock up on lots of DVDs under $5, though, but it's totally not worth it to go out early. So maybe later. We'll see.
I feel sick-ish. I'm starting to wonder if there's something in my dad's wonderful mashed potatoes that makes me feel not great hours after consumption, because lately I've noticed having some sort of stomachache or feeling a tad nauseated (like right now) after we had mashed potatoes. It could just be a coincidence, though, and I could feel nauseated right now because I simply ate a bit too much today. Who knows. Either way, it's nothing a little sleep can't help, I think.
To be honest, it's more or less just another day. I mean, the sentiment behind the day is nice, and it's always good to remember to be thankful for stuff, but...I don't know. Maybe I'm too cynical for Thanksgivings.
Anyway, it was a nice enough day otherwise. Aside from the fact that I hate always being single on holidays (and, um, every other day). But, you know, whatever.
I had been planning on doing some Black Friday shopping tomorrow, but after looking at the ads, I'm just not moved enough to get up that early (and in the cold - not that I mind that part of it!) to fight crowds (I hate crowds) and get a sort of maybe good deal on a DVD player, or a camera, or something like that. Although, to be honest, I'm almost tempted to go because Best Buy has seasons 1-3 of The Office on sale for $15 each. I really want those. So, ok, dude, nevermind. I just went to Best Buy's website, and they're on sale for that price online right now. I'm totally cool with that. Online shopping rocks, y'alls. Especially when you can get Black Friday deals online on Thursday night!
(Oh, also, I saw that bras at Kohls are on sale for like $13. That was almost enough to make me want to get up and go. Bras are expensive, people. Ridiculously so, in my opinion.)
Ok, so before I hit the "order" button at best buy, I decided to check Amazon. Guess what? All three seasons are cheaper there, and I can get free shipping! So guess who just bought them at Amazon for more than ten (actually, I think it was closer to twenty) bucks cheaper than Best Buy? Sweet. Except, aw, man, I just remembered I have that $15 gift certificate for Amazon. I could have used that. Silly Susie. I guess I'll just have to buy something else now.
Anyway. It actually snowed today. There were some flurries earlier in the day, when I took Hazel for a walk at Palmer Park (oh how I love that place, and Palmer Park with snow - even just the little flurries I got - is just wonderful). The real stuff started later tonight. By 11pm or so there were a good two inches, even on the roads, which was lovely. I convinced Mom to go for a walk with me (and Hazel) around the neighborhood, in the park by our house. I would have gone by myself, but 11pm is sort of pushing it, I think. Anyway, it was nice to go for a walk in the snow. I really miss walking around campus on snowy nights. I loved Notre Dame when it snowed. Those beautiful, quiet, bright nights. Mmm. And with much wetter snow than we get. But hey, I'll take what I can get right now. I really wanted to go out tonight because who knows when we'll get snow again? Stupid dry Colorado.
Anyway. Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a hot date. Or I'll just sit and knit all day and watch movies. I'd be ok with that, too. I might go out at some point to see if I can still get like a DVD player on sale or something. There weren't really any good DVD player sales that I saw, though (but I realize that I know nothing about DVD players or how much they should cost or what makes a good one. The only DVD players I've ever owned have been cheap-o ones. Two of the same, actually, which worked out nicely in college. One was bought, one was a free gift for signing up for a credit card and using it once). Anyway. Just color me unimpressed with the black friday sales this year. I'm sure I could stock up on lots of DVDs under $5, though, but it's totally not worth it to go out early. So maybe later. We'll see.
I feel sick-ish. I'm starting to wonder if there's something in my dad's wonderful mashed potatoes that makes me feel not great hours after consumption, because lately I've noticed having some sort of stomachache or feeling a tad nauseated (like right now) after we had mashed potatoes. It could just be a coincidence, though, and I could feel nauseated right now because I simply ate a bit too much today. Who knows. Either way, it's nothing a little sleep can't help, I think.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Dropped stitches suck.
So I was sitting here knitting the blanket, right? I didn't have the light on, though, so it was dark, and I knew it wasn't the best idea, but all I'm doing is knitting and purling. Not difficult stitches by any means. But then, of course, toward the end of the row I was working on, I dropped a stitch. And I didn't catch it in time to stop some unraveling from happening. Argh. So now I've been sitting here a good part of the night, trying to figure out how to get the stitch back the way it should be, without taking out 5 or 6 rows. It takes more time and work to take out a row than to knit a row. Sigh.
Do I take out most of this whole section? That would take so. long. But so is trying to figure out how to fix it without taking the rows out. I just don't know. At least I knew right when it happened, so I didn't keep knitting the rest of the row (and maybe more) and then have to figure out how to deal with it.
I think I'm going to trust Google to get me out of this predicament.
HOURS after this predicament started, I'm giving up. I figured out how to fix it, theoretically (thanks to the aforementioned Google, and then I remembered because I've had to do this before), except each time I try, I just make it worse. I can't figure out which is the bottom-most stitch that I need to start with, and now I'm down into a differently-patterned area, where there's no hope of me being able to figure out where to start the rebuilding. So I'm taking it out. I think I have seven or so more to take out, and I've already taken out the one that started this mess, and another full row. It's depressing and sucky. And it's midnight. But I'm me, and I won't be able to sleep until I get this back into working order (although obviously not back to where I started), so get it back I will. Not like I have to wake up for anything in the morning (and how sweet is that???).
In the good news category, I found my briefly-lost Christmas earrings! St. Anthony came through again. He's batting pretty much 100% for me. (I wasn't sure if I had left them at home after Christmas last year, which, now that I think about it, why would I do anything else? I looked in my boxes of stuff from school, and other places I thought it might could possibly be, and then finally I thought to check these jewelry boxes on top of my wardrobe that I thought were all empty, but, hey, there they were, my wonderful fun Christmas earrings! A few of them, fake silvery, might need a tad bit of cleaning (if it's possible), but yay for Christmas earrings!
I have decided that there's barely any point in me talking. Ever. No one seems to want to listen to me anyway. Not sure what it is, but oh well. Maybe I have a voice that only small dogs can hear/listen to.
Sigh, I had to take out probably a good ten rows. I re-knit three of them, and I think I went down far enough to catch the bottom of the drop. Sigh. It made me stay up far too late.
Do I take out most of this whole section? That would take so. long. But so is trying to figure out how to fix it without taking the rows out. I just don't know. At least I knew right when it happened, so I didn't keep knitting the rest of the row (and maybe more) and then have to figure out how to deal with it.
I think I'm going to trust Google to get me out of this predicament.
HOURS after this predicament started, I'm giving up. I figured out how to fix it, theoretically (thanks to the aforementioned Google, and then I remembered because I've had to do this before), except each time I try, I just make it worse. I can't figure out which is the bottom-most stitch that I need to start with, and now I'm down into a differently-patterned area, where there's no hope of me being able to figure out where to start the rebuilding. So I'm taking it out. I think I have seven or so more to take out, and I've already taken out the one that started this mess, and another full row. It's depressing and sucky. And it's midnight. But I'm me, and I won't be able to sleep until I get this back into working order (although obviously not back to where I started), so get it back I will. Not like I have to wake up for anything in the morning (and how sweet is that???).
In the good news category, I found my briefly-lost Christmas earrings! St. Anthony came through again. He's batting pretty much 100% for me. (I wasn't sure if I had left them at home after Christmas last year, which, now that I think about it, why would I do anything else? I looked in my boxes of stuff from school, and other places I thought it might could possibly be, and then finally I thought to check these jewelry boxes on top of my wardrobe that I thought were all empty, but, hey, there they were, my wonderful fun Christmas earrings! A few of them, fake silvery, might need a tad bit of cleaning (if it's possible), but yay for Christmas earrings!
I have decided that there's barely any point in me talking. Ever. No one seems to want to listen to me anyway. Not sure what it is, but oh well. Maybe I have a voice that only small dogs can hear/listen to.
Sigh, I had to take out probably a good ten rows. I re-knit three of them, and I think I went down far enough to catch the bottom of the drop. Sigh. It made me stay up far too late.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Football emotaposting
Notre Dame lost to Syracuse today. Previously 6-4 Notre Dame lost to previously 2-8 Syracuse. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, we were winning 23-10. We lost 24-23. At home. Last home game of the season. Despite winning the turnovers. More turnovers, two blocked punts, and we still managed to lose. The first time in Notre Dame history that we've lost to an 8-loss team. A team that fired their head coach this week. Pathetic. We were favored by 21 points. THREE TIMES we started drives within the 25 yard line (as in, we had to go only 25 yards to score a TD), and out of all three times we managed a total of 3 points. There was one drive that started within field goal range, and we managed to get ourselves to like 2nd down and 47. Meaning we had 47 yards to go to make a first down. Obviously, we didn't get a first down that drive.
In three of our five losses this season, we've held double-digit leads at some point in the games. This was also the 14th loss in two seasons, a worst-ever for ND. Our best win this season was a one TD win over 4-8 Purdue. We came close to losing to SDSU and Navy, we barely beat Stanford, we should have beaten UNC and Pittsburgh (and I really don't remember MSU), we should have at least scored against BC, and we should have destroyed Washington.
We haven't won against a team that finished with a winning record since Navy in 2006 (and possibly Navy this year).
The list just goes on and on.
Oh, and this afternoon I checked the 10 day forecast, and there was rain projected for Thursday and Friday and snow Saturday and Sunday. Now there's still rain, but sunny Saturday and Sunday. Of course. Why would we get snow? It's only almost December, after all, and we still haven't had a real snowfall to speak of.
Ah, too bad we managed to get wireless working on my laptop again (our router died today, so we had an extra one we could use, but at first it wasn't working on my laptop). Otherwise I would have continued to enjoy my evening after seeing the new Bond movie and going to dinner with some fun people. I wouldn't have gone to NDNation and read the plethora of posts about the deplorable state of Notre Dame football. Today was a low point. And considering we went 3-9 last year, they had to go pretty low to get to a low point. I think some people feel worse about us being 6-6 this year (as we will finish the season with our yearly loss to USC next week) than about our 3-9 finish last year. It's just all pathetic. I wish I had been alive during the glory days of ND football, and I hope that those days aren't all gone - I hope that there are more somewhere in the future.
Sigh. It's not today, though.
In three of our five losses this season, we've held double-digit leads at some point in the games. This was also the 14th loss in two seasons, a worst-ever for ND. Our best win this season was a one TD win over 4-8 Purdue. We came close to losing to SDSU and Navy, we barely beat Stanford, we should have beaten UNC and Pittsburgh (and I really don't remember MSU), we should have at least scored against BC, and we should have destroyed Washington.
We haven't won against a team that finished with a winning record since Navy in 2006 (and possibly Navy this year).
The list just goes on and on.
Oh, and this afternoon I checked the 10 day forecast, and there was rain projected for Thursday and Friday and snow Saturday and Sunday. Now there's still rain, but sunny Saturday and Sunday. Of course. Why would we get snow? It's only almost December, after all, and we still haven't had a real snowfall to speak of.
Ah, too bad we managed to get wireless working on my laptop again (our router died today, so we had an extra one we could use, but at first it wasn't working on my laptop). Otherwise I would have continued to enjoy my evening after seeing the new Bond movie and going to dinner with some fun people. I wouldn't have gone to NDNation and read the plethora of posts about the deplorable state of Notre Dame football. Today was a low point. And considering we went 3-9 last year, they had to go pretty low to get to a low point. I think some people feel worse about us being 6-6 this year (as we will finish the season with our yearly loss to USC next week) than about our 3-9 finish last year. It's just all pathetic. I wish I had been alive during the glory days of ND football, and I hope that those days aren't all gone - I hope that there are more somewhere in the future.
Sigh. It's not today, though.
Friday, November 21, 2008
A small request
Please, people, if you're going to comment on my blog, at least write a name. You don't have to sign in to anything, you can put a nickname I'd know you by (if I know you), whatever. I just hate getting comments from "anonymous". It's really not that hard to put a name in there. Really. I could make it so that no anonymous comments are allowed, but then only registered users would be able to comment, and a lot of people I know who read this don't have a blog and aren't registered anywhere, so I don't want to do that.
Just give me a name, please. Or, here's a thought, you don't even have to fill in that little name thingy when you make a comment. Just put your name at the end of the comment! Just like an email! That's not so hard to do, is it?
And now for something cute:
The Office tonight was full of great lines. At least, I thought it was. And that's all that really matters to me, because I can't help it if you don't have a good sense of humor.
Just give me a name, please. Or, here's a thought, you don't even have to fill in that little name thingy when you make a comment. Just put your name at the end of the comment! Just like an email! That's not so hard to do, is it?
And now for something cute:
The Office tonight was full of great lines. At least, I thought it was. And that's all that really matters to me, because I can't help it if you don't have a good sense of humor.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's just interesting, is all I'm saying
Taken with a grain of salt, of course, because obviously 10 or however many people isn't necessarily going to be indicative of the whole population, but...still. Don't know who Nancy Pelosi is? Don't know that Obama said he'd been to 57 states? (But everyone knows who had a wardrobe worth $150,000. The important things, of course.)
The point of this isn't that Obama supporters are ignorant and don't know anything, it's that the media were so overly focused on every. single. little. thing. that the McCain/Palin/GOP people did that could be criticized, and barely even mentioned those things that the Obama/Biden/Democrat people did. And as shown in that video, if a question was asked about which candidate did something that's perceived as questionable or stupid or a mistake, well, it must be one of the Republicans who did it, right? They're always messing things up!
Anyway. How Obama Got Elected.
It's interesting. That's all I'm saying.
(Found at, where else, American Papist.)
Oh, and the weather guy just told me that it was warmer here today than it was in Florida. It was like...66 or something in the Florida area. The high in Colorado Springs today? 76. In case you didn't know, it's November 18. Not September 18. Not even October 18. No, November. Where's the snow? Where's the cold weather? Sigh.
Sorry, just thought I'd share that tidbit.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Yup.
Cool idea: Mondays for Obama. He could certainly use our prayers.
But the real question is, what are we all going to do when the puppies get old enough to leave?
Also, today got up to 70, I think, or close to it. Tomorrow's high is 73. I blame this on KKLI for starting the Christmas music yesterday. And no snow in the forecast yet. Maybe in like 8 days, but forecasts that far out don't really count for anything (unless they're the default "55 and sunny", because that's a pretty safe bet here these days). Meanwhile, Notre Dame is getting snow, with more in the forecast. I miss South Bend weather. (Puts me in the minority, I know, but I'm cool with that. Except it means I'm pretty much always going to be dissatisfied with Colorado Springs weather...)
Man, today has been exhausting. And it's continuing as we speak.
Sigh.
But the real question is, what are we all going to do when the puppies get old enough to leave?
Also, today got up to 70, I think, or close to it. Tomorrow's high is 73. I blame this on KKLI for starting the Christmas music yesterday. And no snow in the forecast yet. Maybe in like 8 days, but forecasts that far out don't really count for anything (unless they're the default "55 and sunny", because that's a pretty safe bet here these days). Meanwhile, Notre Dame is getting snow, with more in the forecast. I miss South Bend weather. (Puts me in the minority, I know, but I'm cool with that. Except it means I'm pretty much always going to be dissatisfied with Colorado Springs weather...)
Man, today has been exhausting. And it's continuing as we speak.
Sigh.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I'm too stream-of-consciousness for a single-subject post
Why don't I have Michael Buble's original album? I have the second and third ("It's Time" and "Call Me Irresponsible") but not the first! What's that about? I think I have to buy it. I have a $15 amazon gift card I'm sitting on, so maybe I'll use it for that. Although I've said I'm going to use it for about fifteen things I'm wanting...but whatever. There are such good songs on that CD though! I definitely need to add it to my collection. I've listened to so much Michael Buble this year, especially since getting home in May. Most of the time I've had my It's Time CD playing in my car. And I almost always skip the same songs, and listen to five or six. And they never get old.
KKLI started their Christmas music today. I was quite surprised. One year they started before Thanksgiving, but normally they just start on Thanksgiving, or the day after. This year they're jumping the gun a bit. I can't decide if I'm happy about it or not, except in the ten minutes I listened to it this morning, I heard Josh Groban's O Holy Night, arguably my favorite version of my favorite Christmas song, so I can't complain too much. Wow, their website is awful. I don't remember it being that bad last time I looked at it. Geez. Anyway, it's weird, I'm surprised I haven't seen many houses decorated for Christmas yet this year. Stores, yes, but not houses. Maybe everyone forgets that Christmas is coming up in a bit over a month because it's still so warm and sunny, generally, here. Warm-ish, at least. Speaking of which...
I'm watching the Pittsburgh-San Diego game right now (well, it's on, but it's muted, and I'm not paying attention) and it's snowing there (in Pittsburgh). I wish it were snowing here. But no, it's unseasonably warm, and it's even supposed to get into the 70s on Tuesday this week. What's that about, huh? Sigh.
I went to confession last night, and it was lovely. As usual. I don't understand why people don't use that beautiful sacrament more often.
Ok, so I wrote the above this afternoon. I took Hazel to Palmer Park (best place ever. In the city.) around 4 or so, which was just about the perfect time for me to be able to see the most gorgeous sunset I've seen in a very long time. Seriously, it was breathtaking. And I know I obsess about the sunsets here a lot, and maybe this one was even better because I can only see sunsets two days a week now, but wow. The clouds behind Pikes Peak looked like they were on fire. The entire sky to the east was pink. And it lasted a really long time, too. Of course, I didn't have my camera, but man. Pictures wouldn't have been able to do it justice anyway. People take sunsets for granted, but I think they're one of God's greatest gifts that we get every single day. Next week, I think I'm going to time it a little differently though, since I wasn't in a prime sunset-watching spot at the height of the sunset. There's this perfect little place with a great view of Pikes Peak that I discovered a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to try to go a little bit later than I went so I can be there when the good sunset hits. Of course, it won't be good again like this one. It's never as good when I'm prepared.
On my way home, as it had gotten darkish by that point, I saw my first official Christmasly decorated house. And then I realized that this one house that had put up orange lights for Halloween still has them up and lit. With a scarecrow on the porch. So, maybe they're just going for a fall-themed Christmas this year? Anyway.
Have I mentioned how much I love Hazel? She is so good for me. She is just so good. And so sweet. And so cute. And so full of personality. Man, she rocks. Best thing I've ever bought. And she's just so soft and pretty, too. With Kebbie, I used to get the occasional comments about her uniqueness and whatnot (we always used to say she was so ugly she was cute, and man was she ever cute), but with Hazel, I hear all the time that she's so pretty. She is, too. She's the prettiest dog in the park. I love the color of her fur, too. I think it's sort of tawny. Even though I'm not sure exactly what shade tawny falls under. (Which, by the way, don't google just "tawny." Unless you want to see some rather revealing pictures of some woman.) It's great. I just love that dog. Every inch of her, every bit of her. Such a good girl.
She keeps me sane when I get too down about my forever singledom. At least, it seems like it'll go on forever. Man I'm sick of it. I know God has a plan for me, and that obviously so far I'm not doing a very good job of trusting his plan over mine (or figuring out what his plan is), but it's so difficult to accept. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I should be glad that he's not giving me what I want if it'll be bad for me right now anyway, right? I seem to remember a story in the Bible about people whining and complaining to God, and then he finally gives in and gives them what they want, and it doesn't turn out too well for them. (And yes, I do know what I'm actually referring to, don't worry.) (It's the Israelites, by the way. Who wanted God to give them a king because all the nations around them had one. More or less.) (At least, I think that's right...)
I know God knows best. It'd just be nice if he threw me a bone once in awhile, something to make me know he's still listening. I mean, I know he is, but sometimes it feels like he just doesn't care. And I know how ridiculous that is. It's all ridiculous. I'm ridiculous. But I'm human, after all. Anyway. It's just hard when I see all these other people in relationships, many of the people I see on a consistent basis these days, and then there's me, and it just feels like there's something defective about me because no one wants me. (Well, mostly.) I mean, clearly that's the only logical conclusion, right? But sometimes it's just hard for me to think anything other than that something is undesirable about me. Really, how many people make it through four years of high school and four years of college - especially four years of college - without a single person asking them out? Or even to a dance? Not many. Maybe more than I realize, but not many. Not even a dance, people. Do you know how much that sucked? What would the harm have been in God nudging one guy, just one guy, to ask me to a dance just once, even just as friends? I'm sure there's harm somewhere that could be found, but come on. How can I conclude from that anything other than that there's something about me that guys just aren't interested in? I know, I'm sure there's a way I can conclude something else. But it'd be a stretch for me to believe it.
Anyway, sorry for the rambling and pity-partying. Blame it on my head cold. And the fact that Christmas is a mere...39 or so days away. And who wants to be alone at Christmas, right? Not me, and yet I always am. (Along with every other holiday or major event. Or minor event. Or...event.) Tonight, though, it's (mostly) good-natured pity-partying. I think partially thanks to confession last night. But there's still sadness and frustration there, of course. I'm gonna go love on my puppy some more to get my spirits back up. It always works, you know. Dogs are great for that. (And so much more.) Even though it'll wake her up, she'll lie there and let me pet her and kiss her and hug her to my heart's content. And then she'll go back to sleep, not realizing how good she is for me. It's like the best drug. Plus, I love that I named her Hazelnut. Pretty much my favorite flavoring/nut, and she's like, my favorite thing. It all just goes together.
Also, I just realized the labels I used for this post...Proves to me that my posts are way too un-theses-ed. Or that I'm just crazy, or something. Who knows.
KKLI started their Christmas music today. I was quite surprised. One year they started before Thanksgiving, but normally they just start on Thanksgiving, or the day after. This year they're jumping the gun a bit. I can't decide if I'm happy about it or not, except in the ten minutes I listened to it this morning, I heard Josh Groban's O Holy Night, arguably my favorite version of my favorite Christmas song, so I can't complain too much. Wow, their website is awful. I don't remember it being that bad last time I looked at it. Geez. Anyway, it's weird, I'm surprised I haven't seen many houses decorated for Christmas yet this year. Stores, yes, but not houses. Maybe everyone forgets that Christmas is coming up in a bit over a month because it's still so warm and sunny, generally, here. Warm-ish, at least. Speaking of which...
I'm watching the Pittsburgh-San Diego game right now (well, it's on, but it's muted, and I'm not paying attention) and it's snowing there (in Pittsburgh). I wish it were snowing here. But no, it's unseasonably warm, and it's even supposed to get into the 70s on Tuesday this week. What's that about, huh? Sigh.
I went to confession last night, and it was lovely. As usual. I don't understand why people don't use that beautiful sacrament more often.
Ok, so I wrote the above this afternoon. I took Hazel to Palmer Park (best place ever. In the city.) around 4 or so, which was just about the perfect time for me to be able to see the most gorgeous sunset I've seen in a very long time. Seriously, it was breathtaking. And I know I obsess about the sunsets here a lot, and maybe this one was even better because I can only see sunsets two days a week now, but wow. The clouds behind Pikes Peak looked like they were on fire. The entire sky to the east was pink. And it lasted a really long time, too. Of course, I didn't have my camera, but man. Pictures wouldn't have been able to do it justice anyway. People take sunsets for granted, but I think they're one of God's greatest gifts that we get every single day. Next week, I think I'm going to time it a little differently though, since I wasn't in a prime sunset-watching spot at the height of the sunset. There's this perfect little place with a great view of Pikes Peak that I discovered a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to try to go a little bit later than I went so I can be there when the good sunset hits. Of course, it won't be good again like this one. It's never as good when I'm prepared.
On my way home, as it had gotten darkish by that point, I saw my first official Christmasly decorated house. And then I realized that this one house that had put up orange lights for Halloween still has them up and lit. With a scarecrow on the porch. So, maybe they're just going for a fall-themed Christmas this year? Anyway.
Have I mentioned how much I love Hazel? She is so good for me. She is just so good. And so sweet. And so cute. And so full of personality. Man, she rocks. Best thing I've ever bought. And she's just so soft and pretty, too. With Kebbie, I used to get the occasional comments about her uniqueness and whatnot (we always used to say she was so ugly she was cute, and man was she ever cute), but with Hazel, I hear all the time that she's so pretty. She is, too. She's the prettiest dog in the park. I love the color of her fur, too. I think it's sort of tawny. Even though I'm not sure exactly what shade tawny falls under. (Which, by the way, don't google just "tawny." Unless you want to see some rather revealing pictures of some woman.) It's great. I just love that dog. Every inch of her, every bit of her. Such a good girl.
She keeps me sane when I get too down about my forever singledom. At least, it seems like it'll go on forever. Man I'm sick of it. I know God has a plan for me, and that obviously so far I'm not doing a very good job of trusting his plan over mine (or figuring out what his plan is), but it's so difficult to accept. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I should be glad that he's not giving me what I want if it'll be bad for me right now anyway, right? I seem to remember a story in the Bible about people whining and complaining to God, and then he finally gives in and gives them what they want, and it doesn't turn out too well for them. (And yes, I do know what I'm actually referring to, don't worry.) (It's the Israelites, by the way. Who wanted God to give them a king because all the nations around them had one. More or less.) (At least, I think that's right...)
I know God knows best. It'd just be nice if he threw me a bone once in awhile, something to make me know he's still listening. I mean, I know he is, but sometimes it feels like he just doesn't care. And I know how ridiculous that is. It's all ridiculous. I'm ridiculous. But I'm human, after all. Anyway. It's just hard when I see all these other people in relationships, many of the people I see on a consistent basis these days, and then there's me, and it just feels like there's something defective about me because no one wants me. (Well, mostly.) I mean, clearly that's the only logical conclusion, right? But sometimes it's just hard for me to think anything other than that something is undesirable about me. Really, how many people make it through four years of high school and four years of college - especially four years of college - without a single person asking them out? Or even to a dance? Not many. Maybe more than I realize, but not many. Not even a dance, people. Do you know how much that sucked? What would the harm have been in God nudging one guy, just one guy, to ask me to a dance just once, even just as friends? I'm sure there's harm somewhere that could be found, but come on. How can I conclude from that anything other than that there's something about me that guys just aren't interested in? I know, I'm sure there's a way I can conclude something else. But it'd be a stretch for me to believe it.
Anyway, sorry for the rambling and pity-partying. Blame it on my head cold. And the fact that Christmas is a mere...39 or so days away. And who wants to be alone at Christmas, right? Not me, and yet I always am. (Along with every other holiday or major event. Or minor event. Or...event.) Tonight, though, it's (mostly) good-natured pity-partying. I think partially thanks to confession last night. But there's still sadness and frustration there, of course. I'm gonna go love on my puppy some more to get my spirits back up. It always works, you know. Dogs are great for that. (And so much more.) Even though it'll wake her up, she'll lie there and let me pet her and kiss her and hug her to my heart's content. And then she'll go back to sleep, not realizing how good she is for me. It's like the best drug. Plus, I love that I named her Hazelnut. Pretty much my favorite flavoring/nut, and she's like, my favorite thing. It all just goes together.
Also, I just realized the labels I used for this post...Proves to me that my posts are way too un-theses-ed. Or that I'm just crazy, or something. Who knows.
Pickatures
I put up some new pictures on my picasa page (I hope that link works). There are a few at the end of "Fall 2008", and two new albums (rock climbing and Peter's ceremony). Nothing really exciting. Well, I guess Peter's thing was exciting. I'm annoyed though because when I took pictures with the flash on, they were dark. When I tried it with no flash, they were blurry. So, boo.
Anyway. Here are a few.
This is Hazel working on a hollow bone that has like chicken and bacon flavoring in the middle. She really goes at it.
So. There's some pictures. Isn't Hazel cute? She is.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom.
"Tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward
not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling
towards freedom."
That line gets stuck in my head a lot. (It's at...4:35 or
so of what I posted. But the whole episode is funny.)
I just realized that I put "toward" in the title, but he
says "towards". I recently looked up which one is more
correct, and I think what I found is that one is more
British-used, and one is more American-used. I'll let
you guess which one is which. And which one I prefer and
tend to say...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
This is where too much thinking gets me.
Abortion makes me unspeakably sad.
The fact that thousands of children died today, many in excruciatingly painful ways that we would be disgusted and horrified by were they practiced on a "real" person, is just something that I hate. I hate it with everything I have in me.
I've always been against abortion, but it's never been affecting me like it has been lately. Just thinking about it, which I think many times many of us try not to do, really, because if we do it very well might overwhelm us, has been making me want to burst out into tears. It's a horrible, horrible practice, and I can't believe that 36 years ago my government (part of it, anyway) voted to allow this, to make it legal, effectively signing the death warrant of almost 50 million children and counting.
I'm disgusted that so many in my country recently voted for a man who is inarguably the most pro-abortion candidate we've ever had. He can say he's for reducing abortions all he wants, but the fact is that there is a very real chance he may undo everything the pro-life movement has accomplished in the last 35 years toward restricting abortions. And whatever economic arguments he wants to make, taking away all restrictions and limitations on abortions is not going to reduce them. And it makes me so, so sad that so many people have put other "rights" in front of the most important right of all.
Without the right to life preserved, the rest of it doesn't make any difference.
Gah, I hate to say it, but I think the lack of seeing the sun (aside from about fifteen minutes in the morning, and maybe a few minutes if I go out to lunch somewhere) might be starting to get to me. Every other year of my life, I haven't been stuck in a windowless room during the entire day, leaving only in time to see the last vestiges of the sunset. Every other year, I've been able to see sunlight, or even indirect light through the clouds. So I think maybe that's getting to me, and with everything else it's just all coming together to make me melancholy. That and some other things.
Eh, maybe all I need is some Michael Buble. And some Hazel. What a blessing in my life she is, really. My sweet puppy-love. She keeps me sane.
I just uploaded some pictures. Maybe I'll post them this weekend.
The fact that thousands of children died today, many in excruciatingly painful ways that we would be disgusted and horrified by were they practiced on a "real" person, is just something that I hate. I hate it with everything I have in me.
I've always been against abortion, but it's never been affecting me like it has been lately. Just thinking about it, which I think many times many of us try not to do, really, because if we do it very well might overwhelm us, has been making me want to burst out into tears. It's a horrible, horrible practice, and I can't believe that 36 years ago my government (part of it, anyway) voted to allow this, to make it legal, effectively signing the death warrant of almost 50 million children and counting.
I'm disgusted that so many in my country recently voted for a man who is inarguably the most pro-abortion candidate we've ever had. He can say he's for reducing abortions all he wants, but the fact is that there is a very real chance he may undo everything the pro-life movement has accomplished in the last 35 years toward restricting abortions. And whatever economic arguments he wants to make, taking away all restrictions and limitations on abortions is not going to reduce them. And it makes me so, so sad that so many people have put other "rights" in front of the most important right of all.
Without the right to life preserved, the rest of it doesn't make any difference.
Gah, I hate to say it, but I think the lack of seeing the sun (aside from about fifteen minutes in the morning, and maybe a few minutes if I go out to lunch somewhere) might be starting to get to me. Every other year of my life, I haven't been stuck in a windowless room during the entire day, leaving only in time to see the last vestiges of the sunset. Every other year, I've been able to see sunlight, or even indirect light through the clouds. So I think maybe that's getting to me, and with everything else it's just all coming together to make me melancholy. That and some other things.
Eh, maybe all I need is some Michael Buble. And some Hazel. What a blessing in my life she is, really. My sweet puppy-love. She keeps me sane.
I just uploaded some pictures. Maybe I'll post them this weekend.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
It's close enough to Christmas. I don't even care.
I'm in a bad mood. (It's probably just me being cranky, since my sleep last night was interrupted from around 2:30-5:00am when I had to get up, take a shower, go down to Ft. Carson, and see my little brother finally home from Iraq!)
I'm going to try not to bring that into this post though. The bad mood part. I am excited and happy that Peter's home again. It's nice to have the family all back, and for the first time in years, all in one city at the same time! There's always someone missing, so it's weird that now there's not...
Anyway. Last night/this morning, when we got back from Ft Carson, I turned on my TV for about five minutes and saw my favorite Christmas commercial EVER.
For your viewing pleasure:
Yeah, it's still not Thanksgiving yet, but I don't even care right now. I can't wait until Christmas stuff (even though it inevitably ends up depressing me. But how can you not love Christmas stuff?). Luckily I haven't seen any Christmas lights up yet (on houses - the special events center at Ft Carson where the welcome home ceremony was held this morning had Christmas trees and whatnot in it already, fake lighted ones, and shopping centers and stores and whatnot are already decked out, of course, but they don't count as much as regular houses do. So. Yeah. Anyway. I love love love that commercial, and I'm so happy they bring it back every year. It's a classic. And you can't beat a classic.
Also, it might snow on Friday. It won't, but it's in the forecast right now. That'd be cool. But it won't, and I'll survive. It's going to snow one of these days.
...Right?
Oh, and also also, I'm a masochist. Plain and simple.
Why is Obama's dog a top headline on CNN today? It was when I checked at lunch, and it is now. A different headline, though. Who cares what kind of dog he gets, or what he names it, or where he gets it from? Seriously.
Well, I'm gonna go watch that commercial a few more times.
I'm going to try not to bring that into this post though. The bad mood part. I am excited and happy that Peter's home again. It's nice to have the family all back, and for the first time in years, all in one city at the same time! There's always someone missing, so it's weird that now there's not...
Anyway. Last night/this morning, when we got back from Ft Carson, I turned on my TV for about five minutes and saw my favorite Christmas commercial EVER.
For your viewing pleasure:
Yeah, it's still not Thanksgiving yet, but I don't even care right now. I can't wait until Christmas stuff (even though it inevitably ends up depressing me. But how can you not love Christmas stuff?). Luckily I haven't seen any Christmas lights up yet (on houses - the special events center at Ft Carson where the welcome home ceremony was held this morning had Christmas trees and whatnot in it already, fake lighted ones, and shopping centers and stores and whatnot are already decked out, of course, but they don't count as much as regular houses do. So. Yeah. Anyway. I love love love that commercial, and I'm so happy they bring it back every year. It's a classic. And you can't beat a classic.
Also, it might snow on Friday. It won't, but it's in the forecast right now. That'd be cool. But it won't, and I'll survive. It's going to snow one of these days.
...Right?
Oh, and also also, I'm a masochist. Plain and simple.
Why is Obama's dog a top headline on CNN today? It was when I checked at lunch, and it is now. A different headline, though. Who cares what kind of dog he gets, or what he names it, or where he gets it from? Seriously.
Well, I'm gonna go watch that commercial a few more times.
Guilty apologies
For some reason, I feel like I need to apologize for yesterday's post. I sometimes wonder how those posts, or this blog in general, come off to people.
I'm not passionate about a lot of things. But the things I am passionate about, I just can't help talking about. I do apologize if I come off as haughty, holier-than-thou, know-it-all, too-proud-for-my-own-good, or any other sort of negative adjective you can think of. I know I do. I'm sure I come off as judgmental, bitchy, all that stuff. And I'm sorry for that. But at the same time, sometimes there are things that need to be said. And I am sick of sugarcoating things, and I don't really feel the need to sugarcoat them here, because this place is mine all mine.
And just to clarify, I in no way, shape, or form think I'm perfect. I know how imperfect I am. Believe me, boy am I imperfect. I'm a terrible Catholic, I really am. I struggle with things too. But I guess at the end of the day, I'm willing to concede that anything about the faith that I don't like or understand, the Church has been teaching for 2000 years so I'm pretty sure that she knows better than I do. So I'd best be going along with what she tells me, until I find something I'm certain is in error (and we all know what the likelihood of that is).
I do know one thing for certain, though. Just because I sin doesn't mean I'm not allowed to call a sin a sin. If no one who sinned ever told someone else that something is a sin, then no one would know what sin is. Which, really, is sort of where we are today. Obviously it's not good if people are being hypocritical and all "Do as I say, not as I do", but just because I lie sometimes doesn't mean I can't tell someone else it's wrong to lie. I know it's wrong, I try not to do it, but we all fail, and incredibly lucky for us, thank God, we have the sacrament of reconciliation (not to mention purgatory, without which we'd probably be all sort of up the creek without a paddle).
Anyway. That's all I wanted to say about that. I do apologize, and I'm sorry if I occasionally get theology wrong (hey, I only got an undergrad degree, and there's a lot more that I haven't learned than I have learned). I just want everyone to love the faith as much as I do. And babies. Because who doesn't love babies?
Oh, also, I find this post interesting. Or, the video linked there. (It's about protesters of proposition 8 who basically ganged up on an old woman. Protesters are allowed to protest, of course, but no one can peacefully protest the protesters. That's just unacceptable. Especially if they're old ladies. Carrying crosses.)
Anyway. (Again.) (I say anyway a lot. I also use a lot of parenthetical statements. Maybe it's because I like the word "parenthetical" so darn much.)
I have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning (not too much later than has been my bedtime too often lately) to go with my family to meet my little brother who's finally coming home from Iraq! Tomorrow's going to be hell, I'm sure, but it'll be worth it. And if I'm falling asleep at my desk, I'll just take the second half of the day off or something.
Life is pretty good, people.
I'm not passionate about a lot of things. But the things I am passionate about, I just can't help talking about. I do apologize if I come off as haughty, holier-than-thou, know-it-all, too-proud-for-my-own-good, or any other sort of negative adjective you can think of. I know I do. I'm sure I come off as judgmental, bitchy, all that stuff. And I'm sorry for that. But at the same time, sometimes there are things that need to be said. And I am sick of sugarcoating things, and I don't really feel the need to sugarcoat them here, because this place is mine all mine.
And just to clarify, I in no way, shape, or form think I'm perfect. I know how imperfect I am. Believe me, boy am I imperfect. I'm a terrible Catholic, I really am. I struggle with things too. But I guess at the end of the day, I'm willing to concede that anything about the faith that I don't like or understand, the Church has been teaching for 2000 years so I'm pretty sure that she knows better than I do. So I'd best be going along with what she tells me, until I find something I'm certain is in error (and we all know what the likelihood of that is).
I do know one thing for certain, though. Just because I sin doesn't mean I'm not allowed to call a sin a sin. If no one who sinned ever told someone else that something is a sin, then no one would know what sin is. Which, really, is sort of where we are today. Obviously it's not good if people are being hypocritical and all "Do as I say, not as I do", but just because I lie sometimes doesn't mean I can't tell someone else it's wrong to lie. I know it's wrong, I try not to do it, but we all fail, and incredibly lucky for us, thank God, we have the sacrament of reconciliation (not to mention purgatory, without which we'd probably be all sort of up the creek without a paddle).
Anyway. That's all I wanted to say about that. I do apologize, and I'm sorry if I occasionally get theology wrong (hey, I only got an undergrad degree, and there's a lot more that I haven't learned than I have learned). I just want everyone to love the faith as much as I do. And babies. Because who doesn't love babies?
Oh, also, I find this post interesting. Or, the video linked there. (It's about protesters of proposition 8 who basically ganged up on an old woman. Protesters are allowed to protest, of course, but no one can peacefully protest the protesters. That's just unacceptable. Especially if they're old ladies. Carrying crosses.)
Anyway. (Again.) (I say anyway a lot. I also use a lot of parenthetical statements. Maybe it's because I like the word "parenthetical" so darn much.)
I have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning (not too much later than has been my bedtime too often lately) to go with my family to meet my little brother who's finally coming home from Iraq! Tomorrow's going to be hell, I'm sure, but it'll be worth it. And if I'm falling asleep at my desk, I'll just take the second half of the day off or something.
Life is pretty good, people.
Monday, November 10, 2008
How could they not know?
You know, something that baffles me about all the talk that's been going on lately with regard to the election and Catholics voting in the election is the fact that there are so many Catholics who have absolutely no idea what their Catholic faith teaches. Yes, there are also a number who know, but disagree, or don't care. But somehow, despite this being the "information age" and all that, there are so many people who just have no idea what the Catholic faith teaches, despite identifying themselves as Catholic. (Of course, how many Americans are there who know rather pathetically little about this country, its history, its foundations. That's a sad situation, too.)
Now, call me crazy, but if I were going to align myself with an organization (not that the Catholic Church is merely an organization, but work with me here), profess to be a member, tell people I meet that I'm a member, use it to identify myself, well then heck I'm sure going to try to learn what that organization is about. (But maybe that's the problem - too many people think of the Church as some sort of club or organization with which one can pick and choose what tenets to follow and agree with.) I've had to learn things about the Church on my own, too, and it requires some work and some life adjustments (some small, some bigger), but I want to make sure that I'm living what is implied when I call myself Catholic. I don't understand the people who say they're Catholic but in the next breath explain everything about the Church that they disagree with and think is wrong. Why be Catholic at all?
Ok, I'm getting off the track here. The point is, it baffles me to come across people who don't really know that the Catholic Church is, has always been, and will always be staunchly against abortion. Period. I find it hard to believe that there are Catholics who don't know - not just don't agree with, but honestly don't know - that the Church teaches that contraception is an intrinsic evil. And yet, somehow, incomprehensibly, there are. There are people who don't know that sex before marriage is, in fact, always a sin. There are people who don't know that going to Mass on Sunday is a requirement, and that it's a mortal sin to miss Mass when there are options available to go to Mass. (Of course, if a person doesn't know it's a mortal sin, then I think it's not a mortal sin for that person, because one of the requirements for mortal sin is a knowledge that the doing - or not doing - is a sin.) But somehow, amazingly, people don't know. And they don't seem to care that they don't know, so they continue in their ignorance. Sometimes they manage to learn the truth, and either accept it and wonder how they could have gone so long without knowing, or they reject it because it goes against what they've been living in their comfortable lives thus far.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
At the same time, there are certain things that should be common knowledge, but people try so hard to keep quiet. Earlier this year (February or March, I think), I went to a conference one weekend that was held on campus. One of my friends came with me to at least one or two of the talks. I think it was the annual Edith Stein conference, which explores, among other things, issues about women and the Church, and men and women (and the Church) and things like that. A great conference, not a great reviewer here. Sorry. (I probably wrote something about it when I went, maybe.) Anyway, one talk that we both went to discussed Theology of the Body, and birth control. The presenter mentioned some things that I knew about birth control, things I thought were fairly common knowledge (I guess I assume that if I know something, everyone must know it), like the study done within the last few years that shows that increased amount of hormones in water that don't get taken out during the water treatment process, hormones resulting from so many women using the pill, have led to male fish becoming almost extinct in the waters that were tested. People don't want to hear that the pill might actually have environmentally harmful effects, because it gets in the way of their fun, easy lifestyles.
And then there's the ever-present link between birth control and breast cancer, or infertility, or a myriad of other harmful effects on the women who take the pill. These things should be told, and discussed, and studied, but often they seem to be pushed aside. Similar to the fact that abortion increases risk of breast cancer (which is why the fact that the Susan G Komen foundation gives a lot of money to Planned Parenthood is just irony in the extreme). But back to the pill. Can people really think they can just introduce chemicals to the environment in such massive amounts like they're currently used, and expect it not to disrupt anything, not to cause any imbalances? "Oh, but it's my body, I can do what I want with it." Yeah, except it's becoming harmful to the world at large, too.
I was going to try to make this all fit around a link to a post I wanted to include, but I think I've lost a thread I might have wanted to maintain. It partly fits with that last paragraph, though, so here's the link. It's a tad graphic (by description, not pictures), so be warned. I've been reading about abortion for years now, but that post made me tear up - which doesn't normally happen when the issue of abortion comes up. Maybe it should happen, though. (Yes, I of course always think it's an awful, horrible, grotesque procedure, but I guess to an extent I'm desensitized, and even try to forget how awful it is.) Abortion is not the clean, quick, easy thing many people want the world at large to believe.
And then there's this news story, about people trying to organize a boycott of pretty much all things Utah, because they "blame" the Mormons for people passing Proposition 8 in California. It's ridiculous. That's democracy, people. Are non-Obama supporters throwing out random boycott ideas and protesting around the country because Obama won? (Maybe somewhere, but I haven't heard of any.) The fact is, Obama won, and that's just how it is for the next four years. How can you protest fellow citizens for being a greater majority than you? It doesn't make any sense. And really, all this hatred on the Mormons is so over the top it's not even funny. Oh no, Mormons are allowed to vote! And they don't vote the way we want them to! Let's boycott them! Yeah, real democratic there. People in Utah didn't vote for or against Proposition 8. Just because there are some people in this country who still have moral beliefs doesn't mean they should be boycotted. How is that fair? How is that just? How is that at all in line with what America stands for? Marriage isn't a right. There's nowhere in the Constitution that states "All Americans have a right to be married." There is, however, a little line I seem to recall...what is it? Oh yeah. Something about intrinsic rights, including, um, oh, Life! But we can just sort of forget about that one when it's not convenient. (Separation of church and state, however, that's LAW. Even though, oh, hm, it's not in the Constitution...and was simply in a letter written by Jefferson who was no fan of organized religion...but, oh well, we like what we can do with that one! Suppress the churches!)
Back to Proposition 8. I'm sure it passed because people didn't actually want to vote for it. People were bullied into it. Those bullying Mormons, butting into everything. It has nothing to do with, you know, the fact that more people just plain voted for it, saw the value in voting for it, and want to uphold marriage as it should be. That can't be the reason at all. All this post-election hoopla just goes to show that certain people in this country are all about making everyone be tolerant, until they have to be the tolerant ones, willing to tolerate other religions (or religions at all). Because, clearly, if you're a Mormon or a Catholic or anyone who voted for Proposition 8, you're as intolerant as they come. Boycotting a state because there happen to be a lot of a certain religion there? That's not intolerant. Not at all.
Anyway. I know, all this talking about stuff on my blog isn't doing anything, isn't helping anyone, but I keep doing it. Maybe someday everyone will see the beauty of the Church, and the horror of abortion, and then I can retire from blogging.
I'll probably be blogging for a long time.
Now, call me crazy, but if I were going to align myself with an organization (not that the Catholic Church is merely an organization, but work with me here), profess to be a member, tell people I meet that I'm a member, use it to identify myself, well then heck I'm sure going to try to learn what that organization is about. (But maybe that's the problem - too many people think of the Church as some sort of club or organization with which one can pick and choose what tenets to follow and agree with.) I've had to learn things about the Church on my own, too, and it requires some work and some life adjustments (some small, some bigger), but I want to make sure that I'm living what is implied when I call myself Catholic. I don't understand the people who say they're Catholic but in the next breath explain everything about the Church that they disagree with and think is wrong. Why be Catholic at all?
Ok, I'm getting off the track here. The point is, it baffles me to come across people who don't really know that the Catholic Church is, has always been, and will always be staunchly against abortion. Period. I find it hard to believe that there are Catholics who don't know - not just don't agree with, but honestly don't know - that the Church teaches that contraception is an intrinsic evil. And yet, somehow, incomprehensibly, there are. There are people who don't know that sex before marriage is, in fact, always a sin. There are people who don't know that going to Mass on Sunday is a requirement, and that it's a mortal sin to miss Mass when there are options available to go to Mass. (Of course, if a person doesn't know it's a mortal sin, then I think it's not a mortal sin for that person, because one of the requirements for mortal sin is a knowledge that the doing - or not doing - is a sin.) But somehow, amazingly, people don't know. And they don't seem to care that they don't know, so they continue in their ignorance. Sometimes they manage to learn the truth, and either accept it and wonder how they could have gone so long without knowing, or they reject it because it goes against what they've been living in their comfortable lives thus far.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
At the same time, there are certain things that should be common knowledge, but people try so hard to keep quiet. Earlier this year (February or March, I think), I went to a conference one weekend that was held on campus. One of my friends came with me to at least one or two of the talks. I think it was the annual Edith Stein conference, which explores, among other things, issues about women and the Church, and men and women (and the Church) and things like that. A great conference, not a great reviewer here. Sorry. (I probably wrote something about it when I went, maybe.) Anyway, one talk that we both went to discussed Theology of the Body, and birth control. The presenter mentioned some things that I knew about birth control, things I thought were fairly common knowledge (I guess I assume that if I know something, everyone must know it), like the study done within the last few years that shows that increased amount of hormones in water that don't get taken out during the water treatment process, hormones resulting from so many women using the pill, have led to male fish becoming almost extinct in the waters that were tested. People don't want to hear that the pill might actually have environmentally harmful effects, because it gets in the way of their fun, easy lifestyles.
And then there's the ever-present link between birth control and breast cancer, or infertility, or a myriad of other harmful effects on the women who take the pill. These things should be told, and discussed, and studied, but often they seem to be pushed aside. Similar to the fact that abortion increases risk of breast cancer (which is why the fact that the Susan G Komen foundation gives a lot of money to Planned Parenthood is just irony in the extreme). But back to the pill. Can people really think they can just introduce chemicals to the environment in such massive amounts like they're currently used, and expect it not to disrupt anything, not to cause any imbalances? "Oh, but it's my body, I can do what I want with it." Yeah, except it's becoming harmful to the world at large, too.
I was going to try to make this all fit around a link to a post I wanted to include, but I think I've lost a thread I might have wanted to maintain. It partly fits with that last paragraph, though, so here's the link. It's a tad graphic (by description, not pictures), so be warned. I've been reading about abortion for years now, but that post made me tear up - which doesn't normally happen when the issue of abortion comes up. Maybe it should happen, though. (Yes, I of course always think it's an awful, horrible, grotesque procedure, but I guess to an extent I'm desensitized, and even try to forget how awful it is.) Abortion is not the clean, quick, easy thing many people want the world at large to believe.
And then there's this news story, about people trying to organize a boycott of pretty much all things Utah, because they "blame" the Mormons for people passing Proposition 8 in California. It's ridiculous. That's democracy, people. Are non-Obama supporters throwing out random boycott ideas and protesting around the country because Obama won? (Maybe somewhere, but I haven't heard of any.) The fact is, Obama won, and that's just how it is for the next four years. How can you protest fellow citizens for being a greater majority than you? It doesn't make any sense. And really, all this hatred on the Mormons is so over the top it's not even funny. Oh no, Mormons are allowed to vote! And they don't vote the way we want them to! Let's boycott them! Yeah, real democratic there. People in Utah didn't vote for or against Proposition 8. Just because there are some people in this country who still have moral beliefs doesn't mean they should be boycotted. How is that fair? How is that just? How is that at all in line with what America stands for? Marriage isn't a right. There's nowhere in the Constitution that states "All Americans have a right to be married." There is, however, a little line I seem to recall...what is it? Oh yeah. Something about intrinsic rights, including, um, oh, Life! But we can just sort of forget about that one when it's not convenient. (Separation of church and state, however, that's LAW. Even though, oh, hm, it's not in the Constitution...and was simply in a letter written by Jefferson who was no fan of organized religion...but, oh well, we like what we can do with that one! Suppress the churches!)
Back to Proposition 8. I'm sure it passed because people didn't actually want to vote for it. People were bullied into it. Those bullying Mormons, butting into everything. It has nothing to do with, you know, the fact that more people just plain voted for it, saw the value in voting for it, and want to uphold marriage as it should be. That can't be the reason at all. All this post-election hoopla just goes to show that certain people in this country are all about making everyone be tolerant, until they have to be the tolerant ones, willing to tolerate other religions (or religions at all). Because, clearly, if you're a Mormon or a Catholic or anyone who voted for Proposition 8, you're as intolerant as they come. Boycotting a state because there happen to be a lot of a certain religion there? That's not intolerant. Not at all.
Anyway. I know, all this talking about stuff on my blog isn't doing anything, isn't helping anyone, but I keep doing it. Maybe someday everyone will see the beauty of the Church, and the horror of abortion, and then I can retire from blogging.
I'll probably be blogging for a long time.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Puppies are cute. Story at 10.
This is a bizarre website, but also incredibly cute. They're all sleeping right now, and twitching, and all lying in the same position, and spooning. I can't stand the cuteness.
I came across it today at NDNation, where someone posted it saying it's the only thing that would help right now (during the game we had tonight. Which we lost. To BC. 17-0. Because we are awful. And sadly it's looking like it's entirely the fault of the coach we all loved so much when he was hired).
Anyway.
Speaking of puppies, I took Hazel to Petco today where they have self-serve grooming, so I could give her a nice bath. She hated every minute of it (her poor face looking at me while I was washing her, asking me why I was doing such a mean thing to her), especially when it came time for the blow-drying. Oh man did she ever hate that. And she was all shivery and shaking. But we got through it, I got her mostly dry, and I got her a new toy and some treats to make up for it. She was ok with that. And now she's oh-so-soft. And so pretty. I have the prettiest dog in the park, y'all, in case you weren't aware. What a sweetie. And the instructor at our class last night (there are two dogs signed up for the class, including Hazel, and the other dog didn't show up last night, so we basically had a one-on-one class which is pretty great) kept saying that Hazel is a really good student, and a quick learner. She is. She's smarter than your dog. And cuter. So, ha.
Oh, one of the treats I got her was a cow hoof. She actually picked it out (it was in one of the shelves right at the bottom, and she seemed really interested in it), and she's been playing with it almost non stop since we got home. She loves it. Mom wasn't too excited when I told her what I got (she thought it would smell), but so far I haven't really noticed it smelling, so hopefully that won't be an issue. I mean, it's perfect for Hazel - she's a cattle dog, after all.
I think I'm going to Holy Ghost tomorrow.
That's all.
I came across it today at NDNation, where someone posted it saying it's the only thing that would help right now (during the game we had tonight. Which we lost. To BC. 17-0. Because we are awful. And sadly it's looking like it's entirely the fault of the coach we all loved so much when he was hired).
Anyway.
Speaking of puppies, I took Hazel to Petco today where they have self-serve grooming, so I could give her a nice bath. She hated every minute of it (her poor face looking at me while I was washing her, asking me why I was doing such a mean thing to her), especially when it came time for the blow-drying. Oh man did she ever hate that. And she was all shivery and shaking. But we got through it, I got her mostly dry, and I got her a new toy and some treats to make up for it. She was ok with that. And now she's oh-so-soft. And so pretty. I have the prettiest dog in the park, y'all, in case you weren't aware. What a sweetie. And the instructor at our class last night (there are two dogs signed up for the class, including Hazel, and the other dog didn't show up last night, so we basically had a one-on-one class which is pretty great) kept saying that Hazel is a really good student, and a quick learner. She is. She's smarter than your dog. And cuter. So, ha.
Oh, one of the treats I got her was a cow hoof. She actually picked it out (it was in one of the shelves right at the bottom, and she seemed really interested in it), and she's been playing with it almost non stop since we got home. She loves it. Mom wasn't too excited when I told her what I got (she thought it would smell), but so far I haven't really noticed it smelling, so hopefully that won't be an issue. I mean, it's perfect for Hazel - she's a cattle dog, after all.
I think I'm going to Holy Ghost tomorrow.
That's all.
Friday, November 07, 2008
There's always a crash after the high
Yesterday was a great day.
Today was pretty craptastic. And I had a coffee hangover for a good chunk of it, which didn't help.
I just hope tonight improves the day. First 2nd-round puppy class, then hopefully making it to Holy Trinity in time for at least a little bit of adoration and fellowship with great friends.
I really need both of those right now.
Also: I fasted today, and I wasn't exactly sure why (it helped that we didn't have anything good to bring for lunch that didn't have meat in it, so I was just going to go buy a tuna sandwich or something), but I did. And I thought about this group of bloggers (and others) who fast on the first Friday every month for an end to abortion. I also posted an article on our store's blog today that we uploaded earlier this week about the First Friday devotion, since today is the First Friday. I come home, check a blog I go to mostly every day, and what's the first post? A post about fasting for abortion because it's the First Friday. So...I'm not sure if it really counts, my fasting today, but I'll make it count the rest of the day at least. (And I was praying today for our country, and abortion, and all involved in it, and all that stuff, which is probably an important part in the fasting. Because it's always on my mind these days. How can it not be?)
Today was pretty craptastic. And I had a coffee hangover for a good chunk of it, which didn't help.
I just hope tonight improves the day. First 2nd-round puppy class, then hopefully making it to Holy Trinity in time for at least a little bit of adoration and fellowship with great friends.
I really need both of those right now.
Also: I fasted today, and I wasn't exactly sure why (it helped that we didn't have anything good to bring for lunch that didn't have meat in it, so I was just going to go buy a tuna sandwich or something), but I did. And I thought about this group of bloggers (and others) who fast on the first Friday every month for an end to abortion. I also posted an article on our store's blog today that we uploaded earlier this week about the First Friday devotion, since today is the First Friday. I come home, check a blog I go to mostly every day, and what's the first post? A post about fasting for abortion because it's the First Friday. So...I'm not sure if it really counts, my fasting today, but I'll make it count the rest of the day at least. (And I was praying today for our country, and abortion, and all involved in it, and all that stuff, which is probably an important part in the fasting. Because it's always on my mind these days. How can it not be?)
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Hello friends!
Firstly, I apologize in advance if this post is a bit crazy or whatever. I'm in such a giddy mood. I've been in a giddy mood all day, and I attribute it to drinking multiple cups of coffee this morning. And I've discovered something amazing! Drinking only tea for the last six weeks (well, aside from water and some soda and all that jazz) has made me not need sugar in my coffee for it to taste good. (Gosh I am not paying attention to what I'm writing, so if there are random words that just don't make sense...I don't know what to say.) Anyway. Those three cups of coffee I had were AMAZING. Even better than the pumpkin spice latte I had yesterday. Dude. So gooooood. Or should I say, soooooooooo good. I started out the morning with a cup of tea, and I had brought my large ND mug to work today, so it tasted even better. At first I thought I wasn't going to give in and have a cup of coffee just because there was coffee made and available. But then by 10am, I was like...eh I'd like a cup. And then by 11 I was on my second. And I had a third, too. And then I drank a lot of water. And I had more tea tonight. I feel very hydrated today. Haha.
Anyway. So I've been all weird and upbeat all day (weird for me, right? haha). And tonight at Bible study, I randomly started laughing hysterically at things that weren't that funny, except for I was in one of those moods where you just laugh at everything. I sort of love being in those moods, except when they happen at quite inappropriate times. (But I mean, come on, how could you not laugh when the guy talking about Corinthians on the DVD supplement we have mentions how we should "bravely run away"? How could you not if you've seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, at least.) Gooooood times. I'm so glad I have that Bible study. Specifically those people. Them's good people. Haha. Catholics rock.
In case you haven't seen it. Which you should, because it's funny. Except the last like five minutes.
Anyway, back to my point for posting tonight. (Like I ever have a point.)
I came across this blog today: Rosaries for Life. I want to get the word out because it seems like they need anyone and everyone who's willing to pledge time to say some rosaries. And there's no better reason than what they're working toward. Things might seem bleak, but the power of prayer is truly...um...powerful? Miraculous, how about that. Miracles happen! So, I just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who might be interested in joining this great venture. Our world needs prayers. Always, but especially now. It's just going to get worse before it gets better (will it really get better, or much better, before Jesus comes again? I have my doubts. But I hear heaven is a pretty nice place, should we be lucky enough to get there).
I really want to go to the March for Life in January. Really really really. (And not just because I find myself fantasizing about going back to DC, since I had such a great time there when I went this past January. I don't get the pull it has on me.) I wonder how much it'd cost...hm...I think if I did that, though, I'd definitely have to give up the idea of going back to ND for the Easter Triduum in April. I don't know how any other Triduum could possibly compare to the beauty I've found at Notre Dame's, but...sigh. I'd love to do both. Obviously. Maybe I'll win the lottery in the next few months. That'd be just super.
The other thing I came across today and wanted to share with you all is this blog post. It's beautifully written and oh so poignant. Seriously, go read it, and think about it.
Babies deserve the same rights as everyone else. It's not just a "fertilized egg," it's a living human person. It's not just a "potential life", it's a life. Just like you, just like me. And if we can't get that through our heads, well, we don't deserve anything. Or, more accurately, we deserve everything we get. Because we'll all pay for it. We're all paying for it.
Anyhoo. I have some thoughts rolling around in my head lately, and I'm not sure whether it'd be wise to post them or not...I probably will, though. And probably no one will care.
But not tonight.
Anyway. So I've been all weird and upbeat all day (weird for me, right? haha). And tonight at Bible study, I randomly started laughing hysterically at things that weren't that funny, except for I was in one of those moods where you just laugh at everything. I sort of love being in those moods, except when they happen at quite inappropriate times. (But I mean, come on, how could you not laugh when the guy talking about Corinthians on the DVD supplement we have mentions how we should "bravely run away"? How could you not if you've seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, at least.) Gooooood times. I'm so glad I have that Bible study. Specifically those people. Them's good people. Haha. Catholics rock.
In case you haven't seen it. Which you should, because it's funny. Except the last like five minutes.
Anyway, back to my point for posting tonight. (Like I ever have a point.)
I came across this blog today: Rosaries for Life. I want to get the word out because it seems like they need anyone and everyone who's willing to pledge time to say some rosaries. And there's no better reason than what they're working toward. Things might seem bleak, but the power of prayer is truly...um...powerful? Miraculous, how about that. Miracles happen! So, I just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who might be interested in joining this great venture. Our world needs prayers. Always, but especially now. It's just going to get worse before it gets better (will it really get better, or much better, before Jesus comes again? I have my doubts. But I hear heaven is a pretty nice place, should we be lucky enough to get there).
I really want to go to the March for Life in January. Really really really. (And not just because I find myself fantasizing about going back to DC, since I had such a great time there when I went this past January. I don't get the pull it has on me.) I wonder how much it'd cost...hm...I think if I did that, though, I'd definitely have to give up the idea of going back to ND for the Easter Triduum in April. I don't know how any other Triduum could possibly compare to the beauty I've found at Notre Dame's, but...sigh. I'd love to do both. Obviously. Maybe I'll win the lottery in the next few months. That'd be just super.
The other thing I came across today and wanted to share with you all is this blog post. It's beautifully written and oh so poignant. Seriously, go read it, and think about it.
Babies deserve the same rights as everyone else. It's not just a "fertilized egg," it's a living human person. It's not just a "potential life", it's a life. Just like you, just like me. And if we can't get that through our heads, well, we don't deserve anything. Or, more accurately, we deserve everything we get. Because we'll all pay for it. We're all paying for it.
Anyhoo. I have some thoughts rolling around in my head lately, and I'm not sure whether it'd be wise to post them or not...I probably will, though. And probably no one will care.
But not tonight.
No politics in this one. I promise.
I came across something today that I would love to learn how to knit. It's this.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to do cables. (Hahaha I just thought of the Backer. If you don't get that, try typing "Backer" into a text message. If you have the T-9 thing.)
But maybe I'll try working on that next. I need to get a cable needle, and some double-pointed needles though.
It didn't snow today. Well, when we were walking over to Starbucks across the street from work for a weekly meeting a few of us in the office have, there were a few random flakes falling. But that doesn't really count. (However, it did get me super-uber-excited about Christmas coming. This was also helped by the fact that Starbucks has their Christmas cups out now. And the fact that I love Christmas. And I had a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yes, today I had the first taste of coffee that I've had in six weeks. It was glorious, too. Mmm.)
I think I should move up into the mountains, where they get lots of snow, and start living like it's the 1800s. No TV, no phone, no Internet, make my own clothes, live off the land...eh maybe that's less fun than it sounds. It would be nice to be somewhere that's a little bit...not so much in the city. I would love to live in Woodland Park. Or somewhere that has a tendency to get more snow than Colorado Springs. I hate the precipitation-less bubble we're in here. Sigh. Anyway.
This isn't politics. But I can't help but feel that now more than ever I have to do something. Right now, it seems like that might be going to the JPII Institute so I can become better educated in these issues, which will hopefully help me be able to fight the good fight. Obviously I have to apply and get in first, sort of important, but whatever happens, I can't just do nothing.
(Ok, so that was close to mentioning politics. But I didn't directly!)
I wonder if rush hour traffic accidents increase when daylight savings happens. Traffic was a lot worse today than it normally is/was prior to the time change. I passed one car accident driving home, and right after I passed that I heard about another accident on the same street I was on, in the direction I was driving (luckily it had been cleaned up by the time I got to where they said it was, so I only had to deal with being stuck in accident-traffic once today). Hm, after googling it, mostly everything that came up discussed increases in accidents the Monday after clocks are moved ahead in spring, presumably because of a lost hour of sleep. So maybe I'm just crazy. But rush hour traffic + darkness seems logically to lead to more accidents, right? Eh.
Speaking of lost sleep, I haven't been getting enough sleep lately. My own fault, of course, but I need to start going to bed sooner.
Like now.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to do cables. (Hahaha I just thought of the Backer. If you don't get that, try typing "Backer" into a text message. If you have the T-9 thing.)
But maybe I'll try working on that next. I need to get a cable needle, and some double-pointed needles though.
It didn't snow today. Well, when we were walking over to Starbucks across the street from work for a weekly meeting a few of us in the office have, there were a few random flakes falling. But that doesn't really count. (However, it did get me super-uber-excited about Christmas coming. This was also helped by the fact that Starbucks has their Christmas cups out now. And the fact that I love Christmas. And I had a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yes, today I had the first taste of coffee that I've had in six weeks. It was glorious, too. Mmm.)
I think I should move up into the mountains, where they get lots of snow, and start living like it's the 1800s. No TV, no phone, no Internet, make my own clothes, live off the land...eh maybe that's less fun than it sounds. It would be nice to be somewhere that's a little bit...not so much in the city. I would love to live in Woodland Park. Or somewhere that has a tendency to get more snow than Colorado Springs. I hate the precipitation-less bubble we're in here. Sigh. Anyway.
This isn't politics. But I can't help but feel that now more than ever I have to do something. Right now, it seems like that might be going to the JPII Institute so I can become better educated in these issues, which will hopefully help me be able to fight the good fight. Obviously I have to apply and get in first, sort of important, but whatever happens, I can't just do nothing.
(Ok, so that was close to mentioning politics. But I didn't directly!)
I wonder if rush hour traffic accidents increase when daylight savings happens. Traffic was a lot worse today than it normally is/was prior to the time change. I passed one car accident driving home, and right after I passed that I heard about another accident on the same street I was on, in the direction I was driving (luckily it had been cleaned up by the time I got to where they said it was, so I only had to deal with being stuck in accident-traffic once today). Hm, after googling it, mostly everything that came up discussed increases in accidents the Monday after clocks are moved ahead in spring, presumably because of a lost hour of sleep. So maybe I'm just crazy. But rush hour traffic + darkness seems logically to lead to more accidents, right? Eh.
Speaking of lost sleep, I haven't been getting enough sleep lately. My own fault, of course, but I need to start going to bed sooner.
Like now.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Trying to find the silver lining...
I'm trying to stay positive. To see the positive.
I gotta tell you, it's really difficult.
I'm trying to be respectful, to be gracious, to become committed to supporting my new (sigh) president.
So far, I'm failing miserably. Good thing he's not my president yet.
Hey, maybe we'll get lucky and he won't get to appoint any judges to the Supreme Court. Wouldn't that be nice? Maybe he'll be shown to be a liar and won't pass FOCA or all the other "let's get rid of any and all restrictions on abortions" anti-life, pro-abortion things he has promised to pass. That'd be nice too. Or maybe he'll have a conversion to the pro-life side and do exactly the opposite of what he's promised. That'd be a miracle.
Anyway. I really encourage you all to read this: A Grave Mistake and an Abiding Hope by Fr. Frank Pavone. Well, I guess those of you who voted for Obama and are ok with the fact that the massacre of innocent babies will be allowed to continue unhindered probably won't get much out of it. (Because, I don't care how committed to the pro-life cause you say you are, if you voted for Obama you voted for abortion to continue.)
Ok, and yes, great that we have a black president now. I know that it's a big step for the country and all that, so, great. (Really.) I don't particularly like that people are saying it shows that race is no longer an issue like it used to be, while at the same time many know that a number of black people voted for Obama just because of his race. There's something of a disconnect there. I wish it weren't the case that people voted for him just because he's black, and I wish people hadn't voted against him just because he's black (because I'm sure there were those, too). I wish that he was voted for by everyone who did simply because of his policies (absurd though I find that thought). (And I wish everyone who voted against him did so just because of his policies too.) But it is what it is, and good for America having a black president. (Although, I don't really think Obama himself is good for America.) My problems with Obama have nothing to do with his race, and I'm very offended when people imply that. And people have. Not directly to me, but about people like me. I couldn't care less about the race or gender of a candidate. Seriously. I just wish he were a better candidate. I just wish he were pro-life.
Anyway.
Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that. But whatever.
The good news I can see coming from all of this is that now those of us who really care about getting rid of abortion have our work cut out for us. We really have to work harder now than ever before, and people often work best when under the wire. And not only that, but the outspokenness of the bishops in the last two or three months has been so great to see. I think it was a little bit too late, but maybe now they'll have a lot more to say and will keep saying it over the next four years - not simply three years and nine months from now. Maybe Catholics will start becoming better catechized, and will start realizing what it actually means to form their consciences from the teachings of the Church.
It is surprising, though, that of all the socially conservative issues that were voted on during this election, the pro-life ones all got defeated, but the ones against homosexual marriage and whatnot all passed. I'm especially surprised (pleasantly so) that the one in California passed. But hey, I'll take whatever we can get. A modicum of hope in a wave of evil and darkness.
(Speaking of that, the other day I read an article that discussed a study which found that teen pregnancy rates are higher in teens who are exposed to sex on TV and in movies. They need to do a study to figure that out? What is wrong with our country? Seriously. What is wrong with us?)
Anyway. As I've heard a few times today, it took a Carter to get a Reagan. So maybe we'll get someone even greater than Reagan in 2012 to make up for this. (Palin, anyone? If she makes it, I'm going to vote for her just because she's a woman, and we need a woman president, right? Haha. Seriously, though, I'd love to see her come back. And I don't mean to imply that I think she'd be greater than Reagan. Just FYI. But who knows, maybe she could be.) Until then, God help us.
(Because really, only he can. He'll do something with this. If my Catholic education - meaning, what I've learned from the Catholic faith, of course - is right, this is probably not the outcome God might have preferred we chose. Not that McCain would have been, either, exactly. But God gave us all free will, and that's what we have to deal with now. We just have to keep hoping in Him, keep praying, keep fasting. That's all we can ever do. God will turn it to good. Somehow, He'll make something truly wonderful come from all of this.)
Oh, and there are two great posts about what this all means and where we go from here (particularly as Catholics) at Amy Welborn's blog that I think are worth a read. If you don't already read her blog anyway.
I gotta tell you, it's really difficult.
I'm trying to be respectful, to be gracious, to become committed to supporting my new (sigh) president.
So far, I'm failing miserably. Good thing he's not my president yet.
Hey, maybe we'll get lucky and he won't get to appoint any judges to the Supreme Court. Wouldn't that be nice? Maybe he'll be shown to be a liar and won't pass FOCA or all the other "let's get rid of any and all restrictions on abortions" anti-life, pro-abortion things he has promised to pass. That'd be nice too. Or maybe he'll have a conversion to the pro-life side and do exactly the opposite of what he's promised. That'd be a miracle.
Anyway. I really encourage you all to read this: A Grave Mistake and an Abiding Hope by Fr. Frank Pavone. Well, I guess those of you who voted for Obama and are ok with the fact that the massacre of innocent babies will be allowed to continue unhindered probably won't get much out of it. (Because, I don't care how committed to the pro-life cause you say you are, if you voted for Obama you voted for abortion to continue.)
Ok, and yes, great that we have a black president now. I know that it's a big step for the country and all that, so, great. (Really.) I don't particularly like that people are saying it shows that race is no longer an issue like it used to be, while at the same time many know that a number of black people voted for Obama just because of his race. There's something of a disconnect there. I wish it weren't the case that people voted for him just because he's black, and I wish people hadn't voted against him just because he's black (because I'm sure there were those, too). I wish that he was voted for by everyone who did simply because of his policies (absurd though I find that thought). (And I wish everyone who voted against him did so just because of his policies too.) But it is what it is, and good for America having a black president. (Although, I don't really think Obama himself is good for America.) My problems with Obama have nothing to do with his race, and I'm very offended when people imply that. And people have. Not directly to me, but about people like me. I couldn't care less about the race or gender of a candidate. Seriously. I just wish he were a better candidate. I just wish he were pro-life.
Anyway.
Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that. But whatever.
The good news I can see coming from all of this is that now those of us who really care about getting rid of abortion have our work cut out for us. We really have to work harder now than ever before, and people often work best when under the wire. And not only that, but the outspokenness of the bishops in the last two or three months has been so great to see. I think it was a little bit too late, but maybe now they'll have a lot more to say and will keep saying it over the next four years - not simply three years and nine months from now. Maybe Catholics will start becoming better catechized, and will start realizing what it actually means to form their consciences from the teachings of the Church.
It is surprising, though, that of all the socially conservative issues that were voted on during this election, the pro-life ones all got defeated, but the ones against homosexual marriage and whatnot all passed. I'm especially surprised (pleasantly so) that the one in California passed. But hey, I'll take whatever we can get. A modicum of hope in a wave of evil and darkness.
(Speaking of that, the other day I read an article that discussed a study which found that teen pregnancy rates are higher in teens who are exposed to sex on TV and in movies. They need to do a study to figure that out? What is wrong with our country? Seriously. What is wrong with us?)
Anyway. As I've heard a few times today, it took a Carter to get a Reagan. So maybe we'll get someone even greater than Reagan in 2012 to make up for this. (Palin, anyone? If she makes it, I'm going to vote for her just because she's a woman, and we need a woman president, right? Haha. Seriously, though, I'd love to see her come back. And I don't mean to imply that I think she'd be greater than Reagan. Just FYI. But who knows, maybe she could be.) Until then, God help us.
(Because really, only he can. He'll do something with this. If my Catholic education - meaning, what I've learned from the Catholic faith, of course - is right, this is probably not the outcome God might have preferred we chose. Not that McCain would have been, either, exactly. But God gave us all free will, and that's what we have to deal with now. We just have to keep hoping in Him, keep praying, keep fasting. That's all we can ever do. God will turn it to good. Somehow, He'll make something truly wonderful come from all of this.)
Oh, and there are two great posts about what this all means and where we go from here (particularly as Catholics) at Amy Welborn's blog that I think are worth a read. If you don't already read her blog anyway.
Appendicitis would have been easier
A year ago today marks the first time I ever went to the ER and subsequently the first hospital stay I ever had. Well, excluding when I was a baby, I guess. What a fun week that was. The Saturday before, we lost to Navy in like triple OT (and wow, how appropriate that almost exactly a year later, we lose to Pitt in quadruple OT. Seriously, who goes to 4 OTs and can't manage a single touchdown in any of them? And then loses because a kicker can only do so much when the offense gives him nothing to work with?). Painful game, which ended a 43 year win streak against Navy. Longest winning streak in college football. Anyway. Then that Monday, I woke up with abdominal pain which only got worse as the day went on, to the point where I couldn't stand up or walk without being in pain. A trip to health services led to a trip to the ER (we, health services and I, both thought it might be appendicitis. I still wish it had been), which, after three or four (felt like five or ten) painful hours in the ER waiting room before finally getting to be seen by a doctor (well, eventually), and then all the fun that ensued afterward.
I still worry it'll come back. Appendicitis would have been so much more preferable.
I still worry it'll come back. Appendicitis would have been so much more preferable.
Good bye, American democracy
Well, that's it. Enough people have been blinded and duped by Obama's celebrity, promises of "hope" and "change", Bush Derangement Syndrome, to elect Obama to lead the most powerful country in the world for the next four years. And we'll all be paying for it for years to come.
I don't know what's going to happen now, but I know it's not going to be good. Even in the state, pretty much everything and everyone I voted for is losing. What is going on with this world? Conservatives (real conservatives), religious, we're getting squeezed out. Our values and morals are being lost. I am so incredibly disappointed in this country, in this state, in my generation. There's nowhere left for people like me to go. I just have to hope and pray that over the next four years, our country will realize what a mistake this has been, and start to get things back on the right track again. Although, it'll take a lot longer now than it would have had McCain won.
I watched the election results and such at a friend's apartment tonight, and as I was driving home, randomly and by chance between trees and houses and such, I suddenly saw a shooting star. I don't see many of those. It almost lifted my spirits. But not quite. There's too much bringing them down right now. Practically everything, really. Maybe it'll snow tomorrow, except it probably won't (and I won't even know if it does, since I'll be stuck in my windowless office. Not that I'm complaining. I can't really ask for better). This week already feels like it's been so long, and it's only been two days. I need a vacation.
I didn't even get to have my free cup of Starbucks coffee today. I said I wouldn't have coffee until after the election, and I'll be darned if I was going to give up one day early. Just...insult to injury. No free coffee and no President McCain.
Obama had better give me the $1000 he promised me. That's all I can say. But, just like the alleged "snow" we're supposed to get tomorrow, I'll believe it when I see it.
Above all else, tonight I'll be mourning the lives of the millions of babies that might have had a chance had McCain won, and instead have no chance with an Obama presidency. Even less chance than they have now.
Why, America, why?
I don't know what's going to happen now, but I know it's not going to be good. Even in the state, pretty much everything and everyone I voted for is losing. What is going on with this world? Conservatives (real conservatives), religious, we're getting squeezed out. Our values and morals are being lost. I am so incredibly disappointed in this country, in this state, in my generation. There's nowhere left for people like me to go. I just have to hope and pray that over the next four years, our country will realize what a mistake this has been, and start to get things back on the right track again. Although, it'll take a lot longer now than it would have had McCain won.
I watched the election results and such at a friend's apartment tonight, and as I was driving home, randomly and by chance between trees and houses and such, I suddenly saw a shooting star. I don't see many of those. It almost lifted my spirits. But not quite. There's too much bringing them down right now. Practically everything, really. Maybe it'll snow tomorrow, except it probably won't (and I won't even know if it does, since I'll be stuck in my windowless office. Not that I'm complaining. I can't really ask for better). This week already feels like it's been so long, and it's only been two days. I need a vacation.
I didn't even get to have my free cup of Starbucks coffee today. I said I wouldn't have coffee until after the election, and I'll be darned if I was going to give up one day early. Just...insult to injury. No free coffee and no President McCain.
Obama had better give me the $1000 he promised me. That's all I can say. But, just like the alleged "snow" we're supposed to get tomorrow, I'll believe it when I see it.
Above all else, tonight I'll be mourning the lives of the millions of babies that might have had a chance had McCain won, and instead have no chance with an Obama presidency. Even less chance than they have now.
Why, America, why?
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Twas the night before the election...
First, the fun stuff, since no one will want to read this whole thing anyway. I went rock climbing tonight with the Gravity group (well, some of the group). Indoor, obviously. I had done it once before, when we did it for like a day in one of the gym classes I took freshman year at ND. I think I went up the wall once, and it was like...10 feet high or something. So yeah. Apparently, once I caved and got the gear to climb, I was pretty quick. Except when I stopped a few times because I knew I was getting high, and I am uber afraid of heights. I think I managed to go up and get to the top three times, in a couple different places. My arms might be a little sore tomorrow, but I don't think it'll be bad. But yeah, me and heights? Not so much friends. It was still fun though.
So I had this long(ish) post written last night, and I forgot to hit "publish" (which I tend to do a lot, I think), and I guess it's better I don't post most of it anyway. I'll just highlight:
Anyway. So, tomorrow is the election. Praise God, no more political ads at all in...one hour! Whatever will we do without them? But seriously, man, I'm getting so frustrated at people who are voting for Obama. Don't they see? Can't they understand? I just want to grab them and shake them and try to wake them up from the trance they all seem to be under. Especially the "prolife" Catholics who like to become contortionist trying to convince themselves that Obama is the "real pro-life candidate". Yeah, sure. Oh, and did you know that abortion is solely a moral and religious issue? It has nothing at all to do with anything else. Because, you know, the right to life isn't in the constitution or anything like that. Oh, sorry, I guess that doesn't apply because before you're actually born and breathing independent from your mother, you don't count, so you don't have a right to anything. I forgot.
And how on earth do people manage to delude themselves that Obama's economic plan is better and less expensive than McCain's? From what I've read, Obama's will actually cost much more in total. Neither one will magically solve anything, and chances are, if Obama does get elected, he'll get in there and say "Oh, sorry, I know I promised tax cuts, but there's just not money to do that right now." That's what Clinton did. That's what they all do. (Both sides.)
Gah. It's so frustrating. All of it. And I'm sick of logging onto Facebook and seeing this list of my facebook friends who have donated their statuses (stati) to "get the vote out for Barack Obama." I never knew I had such liberal friends. No, that's not true. Probably a majority of the people I went to high school with (and middle school, although I don't think I'm facebook friends with many of those) are more on the liberal side. People my age are dumb. But that's not limited to people my age, I guess. I hope these people are willing to own up to the huge mistake they're making when it comes back to bite all of us.
I'm not giving up yet. All signs point to Obama, but anything is possible. I refuse to believe that it's already over. 24 hours from now, I guess we'll find out for sure. Unless we have another 2000 and don't know for like a month (how long was it? I don't even remember now. It just got to be so ridiculous). If Obama does win, I really hope it'll cause the GOP to re-evaluate themselves, and hopefully revamp things to come back to a more conservative place. I worry it'll do the opposite though. Sigh. I really fear for this country, for the rights of babies, for the rights of churches and religious, should Obama win. I really do.
So I had this long(ish) post written last night, and I forgot to hit "publish" (which I tend to do a lot, I think), and I guess it's better I don't post most of it anyway. I'll just highlight:
- Knitting: going well. Learned a new way to join different color yarns together (when it's time to switch colors), a way which doesn't require sewing in ends at the end or anything. It's fantastic. Width is suspect at the moment, so it might end up being more of a throw (I'll make it shorter than I was planning) instead of a big comfy afghan.
- I got Hazel a tag for her collar with her name, phone number, etc. I didn't notice but I picked out a boy one (blue color, bone shaped). Didn't want a heart shaped one (too girlie), plus it doesn't matter because everyone defaults to "dogs are boys" anyway when they first meet a dog. And cats are girls. That's just how it goes.
- We signed up for a next round of training classes. We did the puppy ones this summer, now it's time for more. I think it'll be good. I hope it will be. Hopefully I'll do a better job this time at sticking with what we learn during the class. We start Friday evening (there were no good start times for the intermediate classes, really, so I just picked the one that starts soonest).
- Also, I shut Hazel's tail in the door on Sunday. Which would be yesterday. We went to Palmer Park after Petsmart, and were going to take a walk, and somehow I managed to shut the door before her tail was clear of it. Maybe she was out and then backed up (there were some other dogs there that came over as we got out of the car), but whatever happened, she started yelping when I closed the door, and I had already locked it before I closed it, so I had to fumble in my pocket for the keys, find the plunger, and hit the button to unlock the doors. I felt so awful. My poor poor puppy. She seemed mostly fine by the time we got home (I opted to go home instead of do a walk, since she seemed not too interested in that anymore), and I think she's definitely fine now, but man. I'm a horrible mommy.
- Voting is tomorrow. Did you know? (More on that in a bit.)
- I miss my single from last year. Even those days when my furnace decided it would be fun to be on all night, leaving me to wake up in a sauna of a room with the temperature well past 90 degrees, so hot that the temperature gauge was past the highest temperature shown. I miss even that. It was a good room, good to me, and with a view that almost couldn't be beat. What a good year. Even the bad times. I don't even remember the bad times, which is so nice. And also not so nice. Man I love that school. Good times, good times.
- Then a long tirade about how much I miss the Basilica even more each Sunday I go to Mass in this diocese. I miss the bells calling me to Mass (although there were no bells in Mass, at the consecration and such, but that never bothered me because I've never really had that. I don't think Holy Apostles has ever even seen bells), and the incense, oh the incense, and the beautiful choir that always sang traditional songs written before like 1970s, even often Latin and some chant, and the fact that they were in the choir loft behind everyone, and the reverence, and the multiple priests at the Mass I always went to, and the reverence, and the scattered women wearing chapel veils, and the beauty of the church itself, the tabernacle, the lovely stained glass windows, the artwork all around the church. Mmm.
- Now, I get no bells anywhere, incense only at the very end of Mass once a month when they do adoration after Mass, an ok choir up at the front next to the altar that sings awful songs, people inching over to me all the time expecting me to hold their hands at the Our Father, me feeling guilty and awkward when I don't (but even though I feel that way, I still don't do it), not so much in the reverence department, bare brick walls and very little in the way of artwork or beauty (both the churches themselves and within the churches), and lonely little me wearing a veil. (Although some friends and I had breakfast with a priest on Saturday, and he commented on how nice it is to see women veiling more lately. We had gone to Mass prior to breakfast, at which he presided (Mass, not breakfast), and I wore my veil of course, and I saw at least one other women wearing one, so that was nice.) Sigh. I just don't see why it's so hard to get a nice, traditional Mass - just one in the entire diocese is all I'm asking. I mean, I guess there must be at least one, right? Without having to go down to Security to go to the Latin Mass church? I mean, the Tridentine Mass is all well and good, but I don't see why I should have to go to the Tridentine Mass just to get a reverent traditional Mass when there are hundreds of Novus Ordo Masses said each week around the diocese. Why can't just one of them be traditional? It is so. frustrating.
Anyway. So, tomorrow is the election. Praise God, no more political ads at all in...one hour! Whatever will we do without them? But seriously, man, I'm getting so frustrated at people who are voting for Obama. Don't they see? Can't they understand? I just want to grab them and shake them and try to wake them up from the trance they all seem to be under. Especially the "prolife" Catholics who like to become contortionist trying to convince themselves that Obama is the "real pro-life candidate". Yeah, sure. Oh, and did you know that abortion is solely a moral and religious issue? It has nothing at all to do with anything else. Because, you know, the right to life isn't in the constitution or anything like that. Oh, sorry, I guess that doesn't apply because before you're actually born and breathing independent from your mother, you don't count, so you don't have a right to anything. I forgot.
And how on earth do people manage to delude themselves that Obama's economic plan is better and less expensive than McCain's? From what I've read, Obama's will actually cost much more in total. Neither one will magically solve anything, and chances are, if Obama does get elected, he'll get in there and say "Oh, sorry, I know I promised tax cuts, but there's just not money to do that right now." That's what Clinton did. That's what they all do. (Both sides.)
Gah. It's so frustrating. All of it. And I'm sick of logging onto Facebook and seeing this list of my facebook friends who have donated their statuses (stati) to "get the vote out for Barack Obama." I never knew I had such liberal friends. No, that's not true. Probably a majority of the people I went to high school with (and middle school, although I don't think I'm facebook friends with many of those) are more on the liberal side. People my age are dumb. But that's not limited to people my age, I guess. I hope these people are willing to own up to the huge mistake they're making when it comes back to bite all of us.
I'm not giving up yet. All signs point to Obama, but anything is possible. I refuse to believe that it's already over. 24 hours from now, I guess we'll find out for sure. Unless we have another 2000 and don't know for like a month (how long was it? I don't even remember now. It just got to be so ridiculous). If Obama does win, I really hope it'll cause the GOP to re-evaluate themselves, and hopefully revamp things to come back to a more conservative place. I worry it'll do the opposite though. Sigh. I really fear for this country, for the rights of babies, for the rights of churches and religious, should Obama win. I really do.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
You just can't disagree with Chuck Norris.
Even Chuck Norris is voting pro-life.
If that's not a good enough endorsement not to vote for Obama, I don't know what is.
(Um...mostly just kidding, but it is sort of funny.)
If that's not a good enough endorsement not to vote for Obama, I don't know what is.
(Um...mostly just kidding, but it is sort of funny.)
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