Fay wreaks havoc...

... even in our life. Today the gas will be turned off for safety as our gas appliances - the furnace and hot water tank are both sitting in about 6 - 8 inches of water. So no hot water for us for a while. A huge 12 foot limb is sitting in the back yard. And the tree it mysteriously fell off of, has large limbs sprawling over the roof of the house. As we can not ascertain why the limb fell - we are not sure if this tree is safe any more. There were no high winds when the limb broke so it seems as if the limb just became water logged... and it is raining even more this morning.... (Imagine pale face and huge eyes as you read this!!!)

And as all bad must come in threes - the a/c is not working on the second floor.

Today I mailed my rent cheque to the land lady - she will get it tomorrow with the 'list of threes'. Ok - I admit it - I am a COWARD. I do not want to tell her all the bad news in person. But keep us in your prayers as we deal with these little mishaps and difficulties while this poor woman sorts it all out.

But at least our road does not look like the roads in Salisbury * where we attend Mass and often shop as well as avail ourselves of the library. This is the Innis Road exit * which we usually use to go to Mass. Please keep the residents of this area in your prayers as the list of families that are being evacuated is growing and as I mentioned earlier - it is still raining.

(* Over time these links may cease to work.)



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Come on - Seriously now...

...did I really deserve a hit below the belt - just because I had to double check to make sure I had called someone by the right name. I mean, did I really deserve to be asked by Emma ... if I had lost my brain again? Followed by her impish giggle.

And no - I absolutely deny that I have ever lost my brain... ever. It just goes on vacation sometimes, without leaving a forwarding address. And that is completely different from losing or misplacing it. Right?


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DIANE!

AKA mom of three with Cockers. You are one hard lady to contact!No comments on the blog and when I tried to email you an invite to the new blog - my email bounced back. :-) I am not sure what to do. I could try emailing you from yahoo and see if that works. Please let me know if my invite from the blog itself actually worked as I have added you as one of the 100 guests that I can add.

To all of my readers: In the spring the new blog will be opened to the general public but for now it will remain as open to invitation only. Please feel free to request an invite. I will need your email address in order to add readers to the guest list. Feel free to email me at mum2twelve (at) gmail.com Please note if you do not hear immediately it could be because gmail is having problems processing the emails. Gmail lately has been having problems both delivering and receiving email. Leave a comment here if there is a problem and we will work it from another angle.



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Beach Time

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Only one night left to enjoy...

... and then tomorrow we take the long drive to airport. It will be hard to say good bye to one sister - just as the other is being induced for her first baby.

After two lovely weeks of enjoying Aimee's company and having wonderful family time - the end is drawing near. Still - we know she is returning in February and with so much happening between the two visits - a new baby for John and Jenny, a new school year starting next week, Advent and Christmas around the corner, February will be here before we know it.

At least this is what I will be reminding myself of tomorrow. In between the choked up feelings clogging the throat.

Excuse me now - I need to go find some Kleenex.




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From Hot Air

This was originally posted on HOT AIR and as it addresses the Catholic Teachings on the issue of abortion as well as lists Catholic Politicians that are supporting the Catholic teachings, I thought I would post it here especially as many sources have already dropped this letter from their rosters.

On Sunday, Nancy Pelosi told several lies about the Catholic Church’s teaching and historical perspective on abortion and the fundamental sanctity of human life throughout its development. Ten House Republicans have responded respectfully but forcefully to refute Pelosi’s deliberate deceptions:

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

On the Sunday, August 24th, broadcast of NBC’s Meet the Press, you stated “as an ardent, practicing Catholic, [abortion] is an issue that I have studied for a long time.” As fellow Catholics and legislators, we wish you would have made a more honest effort to lay out the authentic position of the Church on this core moral issue before attempting to address it with authority.

Your subsequent remarks mangle Catholic Church doctrine regarding the inherent sanctity and dignity of human life; therefore, we are compelled to refute your error.

In the interview, Tom Brokaw reminded you that the Church professes the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being” (2274).

To this, you responded, “I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the Church, this is an issue of controversy.” Unfortunately, your statement demonstrates a lack of understanding of Catholic teaching and belief regarding abortion.

From the Apostles of the first century to Pope John Paul the Great “the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law” (Catechism 2271).

Thus, your erroneous claim about the history of the Church’s opposition to abortion is false and denigrates our common Faith. For example, during the reign of Pope Innocent XI in 1679, the Church unequivocally stated it is an error for Catholics to believe fetuses do not have a soul; and confirmed the teaching that abortion constitutes homicide.

To reduce the scandal and consternation caused amongst the faithful by your remarks, we necessarily write you to correct the public record and affirm the Church’s actual and historical teaching that defends the sanctity of human life. We hope that you will rectify your errant claims and apologize for misrepresenting the Church’s doctrine and misleading fellow Catholics.

Respectfully,

Hon. Thaddeus G. McCotter (MI)
Hon. Steve Chabot (OH)
Hon. Virginia Foxx (NC)
Hon. Phil Gingrey (GA)
Hon. Peter King (NY)
Hon. Steve King (IA)
Hon. Daniel Lungren (CA)
Hon. Devin Nunes (CA)
Hon. John Sullivan (OK)
Hon. Patrick Tiberi (OH)

This list may grow; one source says that John Boehner, the House Minority Leader, has already added his signature. As more join this list, I’ll (HOT AIR) update this post with the additions.

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A little light...

This was posted by Melanie on a home school group board that I belong to. What wonderful news.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt deserves thanks for issuing yesterday a proposed rule that would implement current law by defending the conscience rights of health care workers. Given the increased attack on the conscience rights of physicians and other health care workers by such groups as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Planned Parenthood, and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, Secretary Leavitt is correct to issue these regulations that bolster federal protection of conscience rights. As Sec. Leavitt blogged yesterday, "Putting doctors (or any one who assists them) in a position where they are forced to violate their consciences in order to meet a standard of competence violates more than federal law. It violates decency and the core value of personal liberty." This is about liberty and choice, not a debate over contraceptives, family planning or even the legality of abortion. It is a question of whether health care providers must be forced to participate in what violates their moral, religious or ethical convictions, or whether they have a legally protected choice not to engage in such practices. Current law and Secretary Leavitt's proposed rule answer the question by defending a provider's choice. Please contact Secretary Leavitt thanking him for defending the choice of health care professionals NOT to violate their conscience, and let us hope that more medical personnel will be emboldened to do what they know is right.

Additional Resources
Thank Secretary Leavitt by commenting on his blog

If you go Secretary's Leavitt's blog - scroll down a bit to find his posts on this topic.


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Monday in The Park - photos from the beach to follow later...

Cooling her feet

Solitary moment

Hanging out

Exploring the stream

What has their interest?

These gorgeous specimens!

Very tame butterflies

Big Sister, Aimee, joins the observation team.

Up close and beautiful.

Enjoying a cool mountain stream

Partaking lunch in the shade

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Mother Dog keeps Abandoned New Born Alive

Unbelievable but apparently true. CLICK HERE to read the story from Argentina.



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You were talking to who???

Hugo collected up the three rental DVDs and headed out the door with out oldest daughter. Emma glared as she watched them leave and finally unable to contain herself, stood up from where she was squatting on the living room floor, sorting out a puzzle.

The glare deepened and she raised her voice and stared straight at me:
"YOU promised me I could watch AUGUST RUSH!"

I was startled for two reasons.
One - I had not seem the movie and definitely had not promised her she could watch it.
Two - I was shocked by her tone and manner.

"Emma Louise" I commanded in my "you are in big trouble, young lady" voice.

That she had caught my tone was very evident in her face as she reluctantly walked to the dining room table where I was seated.

"Who were you just talking to?" I demanded.

"Uh..." she paused. "God?" she hesitantly answered.

"God?" I queried. "You talked to GOD like that?"

"No! No, I am.... just thinking....." she answered in a worried and confused voice and she wrapped one arm around my neck and stared at me, her eyes quite troubled.

"Well - who were you talking to?"

There was a long pause and then haltingly with a question in her voice:

"You... maybe??"

At this point I could not handle it anymore and burst into laughter and had to hide my face. To Emma's credit she did not join my laughter, but waited solemnly for me to recover. Once I did, we sorted out just who she had really been directing her anger at, which was an older sibling, and what was a more appropriate way of dealing with it.

Sometimes, though, it is so hard to keep a straight face while disciplining and teaching a little one; is it not?



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You know you are soing something right...

... when as you depart for Ohio with three children snug and safe in their car seats and the three year old pipes up, just out of the blue, and says;

"Thank you Mummy and Daddy for buying me my new car seat."

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a few pics... as promised!

Sharing the i-pod with her big sister as we drive home from Charlotte.















A little raccoon visited me a few days ago. She is quite mysterious and comes and goes, rearly speaking and usually just nodding to my questions.















One of the last pics of her luscious curls before she decided she did not want bangs in her yes or curls on the side... and removed them. The curls are s l o w l y growing back.

















Chillin' as we drive to Mass.





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SHE'S HERE!!!

Okay - she is not exactly here. She is in the airport here in NC - but at least she is not still at JFK in NYC. We will head to Charlotte to pick her up from her sister's later this afternoon - she needs some sleep before we pounce on her - with eight kids and all.

I have decided that for the next two weeks, baring funny comments from the peanut gallery - I will focus on posting pictures. Already have some adorable ones waiting their turn. Also have a few nature ones - which given we live in a small town - it is pretty amazing the nature my kids can turn up!

So - see you in the pictures....




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Please pray...

...for our daughter who is sitting in an airport in NYC and has been there since about 2 pm yesterday. A lovely storm passed through - causing chaos and turmoil, delayed flights and finally oodles of canceled flights.

Aimee flew in from Ireland and has been up since 2 am Eastern Standard time - THURSDAY or over 28 hours. Now they tell her that she is on stand by until SATURDAY MORNING. Please pray she makes the next flight which is at 7 am.

Thank you for the prayers - I am praying the phone does NOT ring as it will mean she made it onto the 7 am flight.

Blessings to you all
Christi


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TAKE NOTE...

When you decide to purchase a container of hot chocolate as a surprise for your 11 year olds birthday coming up in October, remember to take it out of the bag of clothes you hid it in before deciding at the last moment to chuck these clothes into your brand new front loader washer to soak for 2 hours... You know, just in case you picked up any stains while traveling to Ohio. You might really want to reconsider doing this given almost all of this clothing was new to you from the consignment sale you attended last Saturday and were so thrilled to get such nice clothes for so little. It is not so much how much you paid for these clothes that you soaked in hot chocolate this morning, as to how much it would cost to replace all of it... new. THAT is what hurts, as well the fact that you totally destroyed an unopened expensive birthday gift to boot!







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Huh???

I checked the weather forecast to see how low our low might be tonight - in hopes that the upstairs will cool off nicely - as it did last night. And... there was a weather advisory. I clicked it to see if we were expecting a simple thunder storm or something bigger.

Oh yes - it is something bigger. Uh huh! We have a WINTER ADVISORY in effect. My eyes bulged - I swear I felt them bulge, and I decided to check the low - it is a measly 16 c or about 60 F.

Cough Cough - is this someone's idea of a joke, or does google weather really think we are that wimpy here in NC that 60 F in August requires a WINTER ADVISORY???





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A thought to ponder...

This thought is from Sister Patricia - I can not claim this insight for me own, although I often toy with this thought process. How many of us - walk around feeling out of control and just a tad grump - never realizing that in truth we are feeling like victims... Here is an excellent insight as to what might be going on within your soul.


Sister Patricia from Joy Notes:

I would like to share with you a huge breakthrough I discovered for myself a little bit ago. I have been reading a book called, ["Finding Your Way Home" - Freeing the Child Within and discovering wholeness in the Functional Family of God] (as you probably know I'm slightly unfunctional so these books are important to me). Anyway it is a very good book. It was talking about the three different ways that we sometimes handle other people in unhealthy ways.

1. Controllers
2. Rescuers
3. Victim


Well, the first two ways - I've found myself doing lots of time.. BUT I never thought of myself as going the "Victim" route. Well, lo and behold... all of a sudden - something clicked and I thought. THAT"S IT! For the last few weeks I've been feeling pressured (no doubt from all the preparations for St. Clare, book, internet, radio, life) and feeling on the high side of grumpy about the whole thing. Then through different stuff I have been working through - the answer suddenly came. The reason I am angry is because I am feeling that someone else put me in this position. I'm dealing with stuff that other people have planned for me. And Guess What? Nope. All this stuff is the result of choices I have made.

Most of the time when I am angry or upset about something it comes from stuff within. On good days things don't faze me a bit... but on bad days.... it's "Ready on the right, ready on the left, Fire!"

So its seems the exact opposite - that anger and frustration at others comes from being a victim (or thinking one is) but it really is. When I realize that "Hey, I made these choices" "This is stuff that I chose to do." Then all of a sudden it makes perfect sense that the person who can change all this "IF" they want to--is ME!

Not too sure if I am getting this across - but when I realized that I was dealing with pressures that were self-inflicted - the pressure sort of evaporated! It was like, "Oh yeah, I did want to do that!"

It was my choice to become a Poor Clare.
It was my choice to work on the Internet.
It was my choice to do radio.
It was my choice to write books.

It was like... Oh my gosh, I am so in control - even though I feel out of control!

People who are victims feel that there is nothing to do - but complain, moan and groan and endure. People who are not victims do the same stuff but FEEL very different about it. Isn't that interesting? Now we shall see if I stop complaining? Time will tell on that one! I think maybe complaining has gotten to be a habit.

Blessings of Peace and All Good!
Sister Patricia


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Whats up doc....

NOT MUCH!

Other than our a/c breaking on the second floor with the temps being in the low 30's c (or high 80's low 90's) there is not much news to report.

I have been glued to my monitor for days now and not writing either... as you can tell by the lack of posts. I have been studying curriculum and different kinds of grammar programs and reading programs and math programs and more curriculum. Then I debated whether to combine grades and buy three copies of some texts...

FINALLY - while out driving with Hugo, just driving quietly around town with the windows open enjoying the (hot) breeze, and not really thinking about all of my choices that my brain was drowning, that my brain was, that my brain was drowning in... the answer came to me. Which curriculum and whether to mix grades or not.

So when I return from Ohio in a few days, I will begin ordering books and lesson plans. I am at peace and anxious to get the plans in place. Then a few changes will be in order to the computer in the dining room, and or the desk it is on, so that I can write in the same room where the children are schooling and I think I will be closer than ever to being able to combine my writing with my busy life - guilt free.

And hopefully my lovely readers will get to taste the benefits from all of this stretching of brain cells from the past couple of days.

See you on Wednesday!


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Fashion Diva

My three year old entered the bedroom with a plea.

"May I wear my new pretty skirt pleeeease Mummy?"

As she is already sporting a small chocolate stain on it- only 6 hours after purchasing it from a local consignment sale, I agreed.

She pulled it off the top of her little crate of shelves that currently serve as her dresser.
and slipped it on. Then she began to explore her dresser for a top - I have no idea where the top that came with it yesterday is. And I fear to look for it - given it was pure cream colour before she hit the homemade chocolate reeses pieces made yesterday.

After pulling out several drawers and pushing them back in - she lighted on the one with tops and shorts, with the shorts prevailing. She finally decided on a navy blue shirt, struggled into it and announced to me.

"This is too boring!"

"Boring?" I asked.

"Yes, B O R I N G. " And she whipped it off, tossing it back into the drawer. She then pounced on a single pink glove and pulled it on her left hand. Satisfied with her attire, she left the room in her red checkered skirt, pink glove and shirtless.

OK.... I am completely ready for the teen years just waiting around the corner. Yup! Totally!


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I wisss

My husband had rented an interesting movie and I decided I wanted to be able lie on the bed while watching.... so off to the bathroom I headed with my 24/7 sidekick shadowing me to put my contacts in.

She stood quietly beside the sink watching me as I fished first one contact out and then the other. As I was fidgeting with the second one and wishing I did not need contacts her little voice piped up:
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm putting my contacts in." I replied.
"Oh." Heavy Sigh followed this and then...
"I just wisss I had contact lenses."

That brought a chuckle from me as I put the lenses case away and she grasped my hand with her little pudgy one and walked back to the bedroom with me.

Later as I pondered over that and how a little three year old has no idea what contact lenses really are, nor understand the inconvenience of needing corrective lenses, I was struck by the thought that it is not so much the lenses she wanted, so much as the age old desire of wanting to be "just like Mummy" or in the case of boy - more often to be 'just like Daddy'.

What an incredible responsibility that is and one that I too often take for granted. And this window is a rather small one because before long there is much else competing for this desire to be "just like" something, so I had best make the best of this time and make sure I am something worth modeling.



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