Organized...

I am so organized that when I needed one of the older children to find some crayons for Elsa I knew exactly where to tell him to look - under the sofa cushions, of course. Where else would there be a stack of unbroken crayons? Read more!

In a more serious vein....

Here is a post one might want to read if they are concerned where their donations dollars are going. It just might surprise you! Click HERE to read. Read more!

Working on a slide show from our trip to the Shrine!

I hope to have it up soon, however back pain is making the going slow! Might take me a day or two - plus I am doing that cherished spring tradition of T A X E S
Fun fun fun.... Read more!

tagged again... already???

I was just putting on the finishing touches to Soutenus's meme when I got tagged again! So I immediately tagged Child of Mary right back. But here is her meme. As I have just tagged five bloggers, I can't really tag another seven without worrying about causing a Meme War!

So instead I will just answer the meme and ask my readers to feel free to answer in the comments or pass the meme onto their favorite blogs.

These are the rules:
1. When tagged place the name and URL on your blog.
2. Post rules on your blog.
3. Write 7 non-important things/habit/quirks about yourself.
4. Name 7 of your favourite blogs.
5. Send an email/comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged.

Habits/Quirks:

1. I have to ditto Child of Mary here.... I love to read and I too read very fast. And it often annoys others how fast I read.

2. Reading my email first thing in the morning and then getting upset with myself for not tackling my to do list first!

3. I can hear really low or very high pitched sounds no one else is hearing and have to root them out or go crazy! Just such a thing lead me to a drawer this morning with a broken watch whining like a mosquito. Kids later wondered what was whining in the trash can outside in the back yard... I guess it was echoing inside the can!

4. I really dislike the expression 'have a good one...' have a good what? A good day, a good moment, a good holiday... a good what?!

5. Listening to Rush at night to help me fall asleep. But sometimes it doesn't work as I will get too involved in the day's monologue!

6. I love chocolate.

7. I love to walk IF I have a place to get to. I can't get into strolling the same street up and down just to exercise. But give me a Mall and lots of money and I can walk my feet off up and down it! Read more!

Hmmmm...

Where do you think the following quote is from?

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train schoolchildren in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare."

To find out click here. Read more!

Tagged twice in 48 hours!

Soutenus tagged me!

Rules of the meme:
1. Post these rules of the game first.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names.
Then the tagger goes to the blogs of those who have been tagged & leaves a comment letting new players know they’ve been tagged. The tagger asks them to find the meme and instructions back at his/her blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago:

• Taking care of my ninth child who had just been released from the Intensive Care Neonatal Unit and put onto the pediatric ward where I then had to fend off medical students who each wanted to try out their pet theory as to why my newborn had landed in the ICU to begin with. Each theory typically required some form of blood withdrawal and pin pricks.
  
• homeschooling for my seventh year
  
• preparing for the confirmation of six of my children in the Byzantine Church we were currently attending, they ranged from newborn to 11 years of age.
  

Five things on my To Do List today:

1. work with Hugo on a to do list for both of us
2. unpack from the trip
   
3. drop Miguel off at the Monastery
   
4. buy groceries
5. set up a check up appointment for Sam, my 10 year old cat

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Buy a farm and put money away for future property taxes
   
2. Pay off all bills & my older kid's student loans and set up trust funds for my younger children
   
3. Surprise some friends with items they really need - like a new roof on their home.
   
4. Visit my in-laws in Argentina
5. Figure out what business my husband would most love to do and back it and live off the funds this created.
6. Give what was left over to the church to use as She best saw fit.
   

Three of my bad habits:

1. procrastination
2. not reading enough to my little ones
   
3. coffee, tea and the snacks I eat with these hot drinks
   

Five places I have lived:

1. Ontario, Canada
   
2. Quebec, Canada
   
3. New Brunswick, Canada
   
4. Raleigh, NC
   
5. Small town, NC
   

Five jobs I’ve had:

1. Tour Guide on the Pasamaquoddy Bay
   
2. Lab Research at the Biology Station in St Andrews N.B.
3. ESL teacher at the University of New Brunswick
4. ESL Teacher in North Carolina
5. Budding writer, published for pay three times to date!
5. Stay at home mum since 1982 and still home with lots of wonderful kids!
   

Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
Peg
Lorcan
j. a. varel
Beth
child of Mary

Child of Mary - I just got tagged twice so I'm tagging you back! Have fun! Read more!

We're...

BACK from ' acation! And Elsa was very, very ready to be home. We arrived home at about 11:30 pm last night, and she snuggled into bed and her whole body just completely relaxed as her curly red head sank into the pillow and I pulled the blankets snug around her neck. Yesterday morning when we awoke in the hotel in Atlanta (midway between Hanceville, where the Shrine is, and home) she announced to me:

"Mummy, I want to be home. Not dis home, my home home! Pease can we go home?!"

She did enjoy her 'acation, but we all agree with her, it is nice to be home!

Pictures to follow later. Read more!

As Elsa announced this morning...

... we are going on "acation!"
See when we get back!

Read more!

we are going...

... HERE for two days. The kids are overjoyed and the house is full of energy while we pack, do laundry, find out what is making one of the pantry cupboards smell a little off and search for bathing suits that have gone into hiding now that we are not traveling as much as we were.

I promise NOT to forget the camera, and if I do, my cellphone takes pictures!

See you in a few days. Read more!

A good read...

"I believe that the restoration that Pope Benedict wants is starting in the right place - with the liturgy intertwined with sacred music. The liturgy is really the cornerstone of the Faith in visible form. If you have reverent, solemn liturgy it is very difficult to say that it belongs in a concrete box. It is also very difficult to say that the typical music found in a parish choir is worthy of well celebrated liturgy. They are really antithetical."


To read the complete article click here. Read more!

Answer to Mary Ann's claims that Opus Dei is...

... an organization created by a fascist and that my right wing morals will drive my children away, I have the following videos for you. I took the time to do this research for you, Mary Ann. I hope you will take the time to watch these videos.

As Bishop Fulton Sheen stated "Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is." I think this quote could also be applied to Opus Dei and its members. If any of my other readers are not acquainted with Opus Dei, or worse, the only knowledge you have of it is from the Da Vinci Code; please take the time to watch these short and enjoyable videos. Each of these links will take you to a page where you will find numerous other videos, testimonies and writings. Enjoy...

Doug Hinderer
A corporate executive talks about growing up, finding Opus Dei, family issues, and misconceptions about Opus Dei.
to view video CLICK HERE

Ana Samuel
A political philosophy grad student talks about becoming a supernumerary, a typical day in her life, and the role of women in Opus Dei.
To view video CLICK HERE

Andrea Feehery
On the hospitality staff at Shelbourne Conference Center in Indiana, Ms. Feehery talks about her work as a numerary assistant, how she joined Opus Dei, and the reactions of her friends.
To view video CLICK HERE

For a taste of St. Jose Maria Escriva:

Click HERE
Click HERE
Click HERE

If, Mary Ann, after perusing these videos and writings you are still feeling so hostile towards Opus Dei and its members; at least you will know who and what it is you hate as opposed to who you think you hate. But please do not leave anymore hate filled comments for me to post as I will not inflict such angry and hate filled comments on my readers. May God Bless you Mary Ann! Read more!

A full 48 hours...

... and so far no one has frozen, misplaced or otherwise messed up our bank account!
Amazing!
(Although I can't get my ATM card to work yet...)

Read more!

An almost 3 year old conversations:

Elsa: "I am a baby bear, Mummy!" (said as she snuggled up to mummy)

Mummy: "Oh you are? Well - you are a very pretty bear!"

Elsa smiles and adds: "I am a very sparkly bear!"

Mummy: "Ohhhh! Yes, you are a very sparly bear.

Elsa smiles.

Mummy: "This little bear has very pretty eyes."

Elsa smiles.

Mummy: "This little bear has a very pretty bear nose!"

Elsa sighs: "But I don't talk. Bears don't talk."

--------------------


Elsa: "Mummy I have a cut on my foot. LOOK!"

Mummy checks foot over carefully and manages to find a tiny speck that could possibly be an injury if one really stretched their imagination. "Oh - I see it Elsa!"

Elsa: "Yes - A monster did that to me!"

Mummy: "A monster?"

Elsa "Yes - a MONSTER and it put mud in it!"

Mummy: "It did?"

Elsa: "Yes it did and now I need a band-aid"


----------------------

Elsa: "Mummy there is a 'pider on the wall and it's going to eat me!"

Mummy: "Then you better get on Gabriela's lap."

Elsa: "Look Lala - there is a pider on the wall."

Lala: "Hmmm?"

Elsa: (growling very loudly) "LALA - you better look at the 'PIDER ON THE WALL, OR IT IS GOING TO EAT YOU ALL UP!!"

Careful examination of the wall unveiled.... nothing! Not even the tiniest spider and certainly not one big enough to eat us ALL UP! We just have a very imaginative two year old.

----------------------

"Oh by the way Mummy - I have to use the pottie" this said while dancing and squirming on her tippy toes. Read more!

Easter Vigil...

We made it to the Easter Vigil with all of the family save one - Amanda, who is in Ireland right now. Thankfully, despite the crowded conditions of our pew, only one child singed his bangs - just as I took the youngest to the bathroom. Luckily Miguel caught sight of the poof of Nathaniel's bangs and clapped his hand over his forehead in time to keep any serious damage from happening.

Otherwise, it was a very peaceful event, at least it was when Elsa and Emma were not "discussing" whose crayon was whose as they coloured pictures of the Divine Chaplet I had brought with me.

As we got home from Saint Michaels, a 90 minute drive for us, at about quarter of one (A.M.) the Easter Angles were a little tardy with putting out the gifts and chocolate bunnies. While I failed to get pictures of the table - I did get photos of some of the results of the sidewalk chalk they got. I will post them later - as a slide show on the side bar. Read more!

Praise You Lord Jesus!

I can go buy groceries and some little gifts for Bethany as, for now - the money is back in our account. It is only 7:16 am BUT fearing the bank could reverse itself at any moment - there is not time to lose - so I am off to MacDonalds for a coffee and then to Wal-mart to buy some food.

When I get home - we will prepare to head to our Parish for confession and then the Stations of the Cross which will be performed live by the Hispanic community.

God Bless you all and may you have a peaceful and spiritually rich Triduum. Read more!

Divine Mercy Novena

Good Friday marks the beginning of the Divine Mercy Novena. To participate in it just click here. Read more!

Trying to save a buck or two...

...as well as the environment, with florescent light bulbs? Ever broken one? What about when one burns out - you just toss it right? Think again - those little babies contain mercury - enough for one broken bulb to contaminate a 1000 gallons of water. However if you have one of those older ones - which you may very well , each bulb contains enough mercury to contaminate 6000 gallons of water. If each of my ceiling lamps had one of these jewels in them I would be harboring enough mercury in my home to contaminate roughly eighty-four thousand gallons of water. Multiply that by the 9 million fluorescent bulbs have been purchased in California alone... the amount of mercury lurking in our homes is mind boggling.

AND when Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine accidentally broke a bulb she discovered the hard way how difficult safely cleaning up one of these things can be.

"Manufacturers and the EPA say broken CFLs should be handled carefully and recycled to limit dangerous vapors and the spread of mercury dust. But guidelines for how to do that can be difficult to find, as Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine, discovered.

“It was just a wiggly bulb that I reached up to change,” Bridges said. “When the bulb hit the floor, it shattered.”

When Bridges began calling around to local government agencies to find out what to do, “I was shocked to see how uninformed literally everyone I spoke to was,” she said. “Even our own poison control operator didn’t know what to tell me.”

The state eventually referred her to a private cleanup firm, which quoted a $2,000 estimate to contain the mercury. After Bridges complained publicly about her predicament, state officials changed their recommendation: Simply throw it in the trash, they said."

To read the full article CLICK HERE.

According to the EPA this is how we should deal with a broken bulb... There only eleven simple steps to follow:

Before cleanup: Vent the room
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Cleanup steps for hard surfaces
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug
3. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
6. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Disposal of cleanup materials
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.

Future cleaning of carpeting or rug
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

I wish I had known this when of these bombs exploded in my bathroom when one of the children flipped the light switch. A strong burnt smell filled the air and a fine powder covered the bathroom sink and floor. I merely saw it as an inconvenience one must suffer in order to help conserve energy and so help keep the world green while, at the same time, keeping more green in one's wallet.

The EPA likes to point out that the bulbs go a long way to prevent pollution, but in general it is hard to ignore the following evidence:

"All CFLs contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage.

The amount is tiny — about 5 milligrams, or barely enough to cover the tip of a pen — but that is enough to contaminate 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe drinking levels, Stanford University environmental safety researchers found. Even the latest lamps promoted as “low-mercury” can contaminate more than 1,000 gallons of water beyond safe levels." (MSNBC)

As you can well imagine - these bulbs have been permanently crossed off of my shopping list, along with the tuna fish that the FDA recommends we not eat in any large quantity due to the mercury that it contains... Maybe the FDA and the EPA should compare notes?

Read more!

The comedy continues....

Someone "doing their job" decided to supercede our manager's authority and freeze our money - until they hear back from the Canadian branch that this was indeed a real cheque. Unfortunately our manager who has left for his Easter break - is blissfully unaware of this. So if anyone in Canada in the Fraud branch of RBC Centura is reading my blog would you call the Fraud Branch here in NC, and approve our cheque so we can continue on with our lives and maybe be able to celebrate our daughter's 10th birthday this Saturday. She doesn't really want anything extravagant - just barbequed burgers with the family and maybe some art supplies for a gift.

Hugo and I just really don't want the cheques we wrote yesterday to bounce and all of the fun that will come with unraveling that mess.

Prayers gratefully welcomed! Read more!

Kudos Customer Service...

For Mutual and RBC CENTURA

Seriously... Mutual's customer service is great even if they have problems in their mail room that can result in one's life savings traversing the South East whilst FEDEX tries to figure out just what city our ZIP CODE really does stand for. They tried High Point NC, but High Point simply sent the envelope back to Indiana. Indiana then decided to try Greer, South Carolina. Greer just sent it right back to Indiana. Indiana decided to try another southern town in North Carolina and this town also sent it back to Indiana. At this time Fedex threw up its hands and sent the envelope back to Canada.

Thankfully, after many friendly chats with Mutual's customer service - the envelope safely found its way home to us. It was a Friday, so we hurried to the bank where we deposited the check, had a friendly chat with our branch manager and headed home; secure in the knowledge that the money was safe and sound in my husband's business account.

However, through a set of crazy co-incidences the funds disappeared into the bowels of RBC's vast accounting machine. This brought me into my first contact with RBC's customer service where I found a very friendly and helpful woman who sadly could not sort out what was wrong. Monday we called our manager who worked very hard on our behalf over the next two days to help track down our missing funds.

Last night my attempt to set up online banking for the account that the funds were finally going to be deposited into brought me into contact once more with the friendly customer service reps for RBC CENTURA. An extremely friendly and very helpful lady helped me to set up my account online, activated my ATM card and then helped my husband to do the same.

Finally; at 9:30 am this morning we were able to confirm that the funds were there and available. I immediately took care of some very pressing and rather over due bills. Later this afternoon, I tried to pay another bill with my ATM card only to have it rejected. Not worried as I had not yet activated it as a debit card, only as a credit card, I simply wrote a cheque. However when it was not accepted as a credit card when I tried to pay my internet provider I was a little disturbed. Mentioning it to my husband he coyly suggested I check online "to make sure the money was still there". Rolling my eyes at the impossibility of the money just disappearing, I did as he suggested. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but a balance in the
N E G A T I V E.

As it was now after regular business hours I returned once again to the ever friendly and polite customer service via the 1 800 number listed on the website. It appears that RBC CENTURA has again misplaced our money.

However, customer service was very polite and extremely apologetic about it and we must now call our branch in the morning to inquire as to who has decided to move the whole amount of our deposit to another account, rendering this account overdrawn- with transactions that are NOT the ones I made this morning.

So while Mutual has problems in the mail room, and RBC has (serious) problems in accounting - they both have excellent customer service. Hats off to their polite, friendly and very helpful customer service reps. Now if someone in accounting could just put the money BACK in my account and actually LEAVE it there - I would very, very happy! Read more!

Suffering...

This Saturday morning when we checked online to see if the cheque had posted as the teller had said it would, we discovered not only had the cheque not posted but that the account had disappeared.

We were, to say the least, shocked. We called the 1 - 800 number listed there for for us to inquire as to why our account was no longer available on line. What we were told did nothing to relieve our shock and worry. Due to the account having been overdrawn for an extended period of time - it had been closed. I bleakly asked the customer representative where our money was and she cheerfully announced that 'the bank has it'. She helpfully tried to see if anyone would be available at the branch we bank at on a Saturday. No luck. I thanked her and hung up and turned around to stare into Hugo's grief stricken eyes.

I tried to encourage him to think positively; I said; 'you know we should be grateful that God provided for us this weekend with the large donation from one of my readers. BEFORE this all went wrong. We can assume God knew what was going to happen and so He inspired a reader to help out with a donation."

Hugo asked well - "Why didn't he just help the cheque to get here on time... Just an hour earlier and we would have made it there before two and avoided the account being closed... Or if FEDEX hadn't lost it for a week, all this could have been avoided."

I completely saw his logic - so I could not respond except to shrug my shoulders. What could I say?Just how much is under God's influence? A tornado hit Atlantic last night - twenty families have lost their homes. Numerous people will be without work for weeks while the hotels repair the windows in their rooms and divert clients to other hotels. Jesus calmed the wind with a few words - could he not have turned the tornado away, why did He let it happen. Of course - I am simply asking rhetorical questions. God does not cause evil - He simply allows free will.

But was it free will that someone did not notice the wrong address when they printed the shipping label? Maybe it would be wise to say this is the effect of original sin. Sounds like a huge leap, eh? But is it? When you think of how we are to aim for Heaven and to perfect ourselves through our everyday lives, using every moment to improve and push ourselves closer to heaven; that even sloth is a sin, it makes it a little more reasonable to think that what happened with the cheque was the result of original sin.

Someone was careless at Mutual. They did not double check their work. Maybe they were hung over from a late party the night before. Maybe they were nursing anger with a colleague and so not paying attention. Maybe they had a cold... also a side effect of original sin.

Whatever was the reason, someone missed the opportunity to use an ordinary moment to do their best and sanctify their work to the glory of Christ, and thus began a dynamo effect that cascaded down around Hugo and I. But God in His goodness, inspired someone to send us that donation so that we would have enough food and gas for the weekend. Monday - I will need to cover a 500 dollar utility bill, (high I know but the insulation sucks in this house, the water drips non stop in all of the sinks and the thermostat does not work - causing the furnace to run non stop - requiring me to operate the thermostat manually. Too hot - turn heat off, getting cold - turn heat back on.) or the hydro will be turned off.

At that time - God will provide, either someone at the Hydro company will give us an extension, or we will be told by the bank to go ahead and write a check - or something will happen.

The one thing I have learned from the past six years - we will all have our crosses. For us right now - it is the finances and having, at times, to beg. I can so identify with this quote "If you want God to hear your prayers, hear the voice of the poor. If you wish God to anticipate your wants, provide those of the needy without waiting for them to ask you. Especially anticipate the needs of those who are ashamed to beg. To make them ask for alms is to make them buy it. " St. Thomas of Villanova

The cross is a hard truth to accept. Right now my children are more or less healthy. My adult children are all doing well. But they will all, in their turn, suffer. My temptation is to ask Christ to spare them; yet - it is in suffering that we grow closer to God, that we are perfected. To ask God to protect them from suffering would be like asking Him to never let them walk - for fear they will trip and fall down. Instead I have learned that I must pray for them to have the graces to bear the sufferings that they will endure in the future. I recently heard (on EWTN) a priest talking about just this. He said that we must pray NOW for the grace to endure sufferings to come; other wise when we are given our cross it will be too heavy to bear, and we will find it impossible to pray then for the graces we need. I have learned this the hard way!

So as difficult as it might seem, I now refrain from asking God to prevent suffering for my children or myself. Rather I ask for the graces to bear what will come - and the wisdom to enjoy the small joys found my everyday life. Read more!