Pur Autre Vie

Aaarrrrrggggghhhh!!!!!

2010-01-14T21:53:00.001-05:00

To the mean old lady at the supermarket today,

I'm sorry you had to move out of the middle of the aisle at Kroger today so that Piper and I could walk past you. However, that is no excuse for you looking at Piper and saying "Get out of the way kid." Just because you're old doesn't mean you can be nasty to a seven year old who was behaving very well!

More Wedding Photos

2009-11-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

Wedding Photos

2009-11-28T10:46:00.000-05:00

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-30T18:44:00.001-04:00

Yay - bar exam results are in and I passed!

By This Time Next Week

2009-10-10T20:48:00.001-04:00

Adam and I will be married.

One Month Left

2009-09-16T22:27:00.001-04:00

There's one month left until the wedding, but not much to updated. The bridesmaid dresses came in and are beautiful. Flowers have been chosen and I've had two dress fittings.

The kids all started swimming lessons at the school tonight. They seem to be enjoying them. Tomorrow night the older two girls and I are going to a girl scouts meeting.

Wedding Update

2009-08-28T20:40:00.001-04:00

Next week is a busy week wedding wise.

Monday - liturgy planning session with the deacon
Tuesday - first dress fitting
Wednesday - tasting at reception venue
Next weekend - addressing the invitations that were put into envelopes last weekend.

Still to do - contact florist, finalize arrangements with caterer, get ahold of organist.

Bar Exam Day 3

2009-07-30T15:00:00.001-04:00

The test is finally over.

After the stress of the last two days, today felt easy. It was almost like they gave us softball questions. Overall, I don't think I did too badly. I had an answer for every question - even if I had to boldly assert my made up rule law on occasion :)

I won't offer any words of advice on the test itself - those will come after I find out if I passed! My tips to future Ohio bar takers are:

take some kind of cushion - you'll spend 2 1/2 days sitting on a metal folding chair and by the middle of the second day your back will be screaming at you.
make sure you can stand to use your ink pen for three hours at a stretch if you're handwriting.
definitely dress in layers - the room has the potential to be freezing cold, especially if it's raining outside and you're wet.
work on developing your bladder of steel - there are only three restrooms for 1200 people. The lines at the restroom right before the start of a testing session are extremely long.
if you feel the need to socialize, arrange to stay at the same hotel as your friends
make a pact with your friends not to discuss the test
you're going to be too tired to study on Tuesday and Wednesday nights
there is nothing to eat in the vicinity of the hotels so you're stuck with the hotel restaurant unless you bring snacks of your own.
there's no point in rushing toward the doors after the test - if you're in the back of the room like I was there's going to be a bottleneck by the time you get to the exits and you're not going to get out of the parking lot anytime soon anyway.

That's it so far. I'm just glad to be home. Now I need to figure out what to do with myself now that I don't have to obsessively study.

Bar Exam Day 2

2009-07-29T21:59:00.002-04:00

I've concluded that today was more a test of endurance than a test of legal knowledge. Today was the second full day of sitting on a hard, metal chair in a freezing room. Instead of aggravating my carpal tunnel syndrome by writing for six hours, I spent the six hours today filling in bubbles for a multiple choice test.

Supposedly, the morning and afternoon portions of the MBE are of the same difficulty. I wouldn't be surprised to find that there is a significant drop in score between the morning and afternoon sessions. By the time the afternoon rolled around I was too tired and in too much pain to really give thought to the questions. I found myself wanting to just pick an answer and get it over with. That wouldn't have done any good though because no one is allowed to leave before the end of the time for the exam and until the proctors have collected all the materials.

Tomorrow is the final portion - six more essays over three hours. Then begins the wait until the end of October for results.

Bar Exam Day 1

2009-07-28T18:09:00.001-04:00

Is over!!!!!

I think the anticipation was the worst part. It's such a huge test that the mere thought of the test is almost worse than the test itself.

It was great to see all of the other Chase people at the Chase tent this morning and many thanks to the Chase alums for providing breakfast and lunch.

Many thanks also to St. Joseph of Cupertino since I was able to at least come up with an answer for each question, whether or not I actually knew anything about the topic.

The worst is over I think. Tomorrow is the MBE and I know most of the stuff for that and I'm good at multiple choice questions. Thursday is the final part of the essays and I'm somewhat able to narrow down the topics based on the questions we had today.

Dessert Making and Bridezillas

2009-06-14T21:02:00.001-04:00

So, I just finished making two desserts for tomorrow's food day at work. Cherry Cobbler and a dirt cake. Mmmmm...I love the cobbler recipe I found. The crust is essentially a pound cake. If I were serving it at a home dinner I would have whipped up some sweetened whipped cream to go with it, but we have limited refrigerator space at work and my dirt cake will be taking up a chunk of the refrigerator.

Wedding update: We have gone cake tasting and have booked our baker. Cakes by Clarissa we did a tasting of her devil's food and it was exquisite. The cake will be three tiers: devils food with raspberry filling, marble with a whipped chocolate filling and strawberry with buttercream filling. It will be fairly plain - the cake will be covered with fondant and each tier will have navy blue ribbon around the bottom. I couldn't find a topper that didn't cause me to go into a semi-rant (that's a whole 'nother post) so I've decided on flowers for the top. I'm thinking orange and red gerber daisies to go with the flowers I want for my bouquet.

On to Bridezillas.

While I was in the kitchen making the desserts, the show Bridezillas came on TV. I know it's a reality show and they edit the events to create the most drama possible. The episode had the usual "It's MY Day" whines but there was an argument between one of the brides and her husband-to-be. This woman was telling her fiance that he was stupid and his family was stupid and everything he and his family did was stupid. Whenever he would try to get a word in, she would shriek for him to shut up.

It got me wondering how long some of these marriages actually last. I got the sense that the bride had absolutely no respect for her husband-to-be. If she doesn't respect him, then why is she marrying him? If she gets this upset over one day, shouldn't he be worried that the rest of the marriage will be filled with much more stressful events that might provoke an even worse meltdown?

My musing while mixing filling for the dirt cake was that these couples likely don't believe that the marriage is meant to last forever. Me personally - I don't care what else happens, as long as Adam, Deacon Dave and our parents are there at the church I'm happy. That's all I need.

So why do I watch Bridezillas? I don't very often, but nothing else more edifying was on TV tonight. When I do watch, it's to remind myself that I don't want to be like that.

More Wedding Updates

2009-06-05T23:48:00.002-04:00

We have booked our reception venue. We went with Norlyn Manor outside of Batavia. Tomorrow we have a cake tasting.

Wedding Update

2009-05-17T18:51:00.001-04:00

Our required Pre-Cana and NFP classes are done.

We meet with Deacon Dave on Tuesday. We've decided to go with the marriage ceremony outside of mass as neither of our families are Catholic and Deacon Dave has agreed to officiate.

Pre-Cana - check

2009-05-16T21:52:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is NFP and later this week we have the first meeting with the deacon.

I've decided on the first reading - from Tobit 8. It's one of my non-negotiables because there's a Divine slap upside the head associated with that reading. Adam is choosing the other readings.

Bridesmaids Dresses Have Been Chosen!

2009-05-14T21:56:00.001-04:00

I'm going with Alfred Angelo Separates. The top is a v-neck in navy with an ivory beaded sash and the bottom is a long flared skirt in navy.

In other news: Since I had my gallbladder out and was started on heart medication two weeks ago, I have finally actually started to feel good!

Random Musing

2009-05-12T20:43:00.001-04:00

I was watching TV yesterday and one of those pharmaceutical ads came on. Have we really become so lazy as a society that we have to reduce every condition to a two or three letter acronym? Is it really that much trouble to say "peripheral artery disease"? Do we have to say PAD?

Sigh. I feel old :)

Wedding Planning Update

2009-05-11T21:02:00.002-04:00

School is over so now it's time to get to some serious wedding planning. Here's where I am so far:

Church - check (Immaculate Heart of Mary)
Pre-Cana - Scheduled for next weekend
Dress - check (Maxcinda from Bridal Online Store)
Guest List - check, but it's way bigger than I wanted
Photographer - check, and even better he's free since he'd my older brother.
Bride's attendants - check
Groom's attendants - not sure about this one yet.
Flowers - I'm thinking yellow roses and orange and red Gerber daisies, but haven't met with a florist yet.
Bridesmaid dresses - I've decided on a color, but we haven't found the dresses yet. The color will be navy blue.
Rehearsal dinner - I have an idea of what I want to have. I'm planning the rehearsal dinner as all of Adam's family live 1000 miles away.

The reception is proving to be a problem. My father is paying and my mother is not liking some of my choices. My first choice is one that my mother thinks is too far away from the church. None of the venues that are closer fit within the budget I've been given though. I finally told mom that she has until Wednesday to find somewhere closer to the church and within budget or I would go ahead and start making arrangements with my first choice.

So that's where things stand right now.

T Minus 4

2009-05-09T09:12:00.000-04:00

Graduation is at 1pm today - Yahoo!

Mark your calendars!

2009-04-05T15:31:00.001-04:00

We have a wedding date: 10/16/2009.

Offer it Up?

2009-04-01T19:37:00.001-04:00

Can anyone offer any help with the concept of offering something up?

I spent two hours trying to be perfectly still during a medical test yesterday. Toward the end of the test I was getting very tired and cranky and was starting to have some muscle spasms from trying not to move for so long. The thought came to me that I should just offer up my discomfort, but then I realized that I'm not sure what that means.

I've been a bad blogger, so here's some prettiness.

2009-03-19T21:33:00.001-04:00

To the biker I almost ran over today.

2009-02-16T21:05:00.001-05:00

I'm really sorry about that. However, it would have been less terrifying for everyone involved if you hadn't been wearing all black, after dark and if you weren't riding in the same lane as oncoming traffic.

The view this morning.

2009-01-27T19:58:00.001-05:00

I don't know which is more sad...

2009-01-12T19:01:00.001-05:00

The fact that I got carded when buying NyQuil today or the fact that I'm so sick that I had to stop and try to remember when my birthday was.

I think it's time to take the NyQuil and go to bed.

I feel inadequate....

2009-01-01T21:58:00.003-05:00

Adam and I went to mass today at Old St. Mary's in Over the Rhine. We didn't have any of the kids with us so we thought we'd go visit a different parish.

We sat in our pew and watched these large families come traipsing in - the girls were all in their mantillas and the boys were all wearing ties. They all sat so perfectly and quietly during mass. There was no visible elbowing of younger siblings. They weren't pretending to lead the choir. The parents didn't have to drag one of them out to the narthex halfway through the homily because he was deliberately doing something to make his sister cry.

The mass was beautiful and reverent, but I got lost in the Latin. Overall, it was a nice visit, but I think I'll stick with IHM where there are other families with awful kids :)

Two Down

2008-12-03T22:56:00.001-05:00

One to go!

I finished my family law final and only have bankruptcy left!

It is finished!

2008-11-23T21:51:00.001-05:00

I just emailed my professor with my final paper for my jurisprudence class. Now I just need to spend the next two weeks teaching myself bankruptcy and family law so I can take those finals.

One more semester left!

I'm playing with colors

2008-11-16T17:17:00.002-05:00

Please bear with me while I give the blog a slight makeover :)

Isn't there some scripture about litigation?

2008-11-16T17:06:00.002-05:00

From Tennessee - gotta love it when the church split makes it to court.

Avondale Church of Christ

Inauguration Novena for Life

2008-11-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

Go here

I suppose I should have paid more attention in stats...

2008-11-04T23:00:00.001-05:00

...because I don't understand how the news outlets can project a winner in a state before even half of the precincts have reported.

She could have understood....

2008-11-03T20:02:00.001-05:00

....if I'd become Baptist, because at least she could blame my dad for that.

This is what grandma told me Saturday night. I guess it doesn't matter to her that I didn't even really know Dad was raised Baptist. After all, the only time he sets foot in a church is for weddings or funerals.

On Election Eve...

2008-11-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

...I guess it's time I come out of the closet as a Democrat for McCain.

I'm not overly thrilled with either major party ticket, but there's absolutely no way I can vote for Obama. I just don't think he's the right person right now.

I wish there were a viable third party candidate.

I Suppose....

2008-10-22T18:32:00.001-04:00

...that's it's not a good thing when my Wednesday night class has me contemplating the relative benefits of my own slow, painful death.

How Cool

2008-10-20T18:27:00.001-04:00

I opened my front door this morning to go to my car and there were three deer right by my house. They just stood there and looked at me as I walked to my car and got in. I think that's the closest I've ever been to a deer.

2008-10-07T21:16:00.001-04:00

Antonin Scalia - Wikiquote

Like some ghoul in a late-night horror movie that repeatedly sits up in its grave and shuffles abroad, after being repeatedly killed and buried, Lemon stalks our Establishment Clause jurisprudence once again, frightening the little children and school attorneys of Center Moriches Union Free School District. Its most recent burial, only last Term, was, to be sure, not fully six feet under: Our decision in Lee v. Weisman conspicuously avoided using the supposed "test" but also declined the invitation to repudiate it. Over the years, however, no fewer than five of the currently sitting Justices have, in their own opinions, personally driven pencils through the creature's heart (the author of today's opinion repeatedly), and a sixth has joined an opinion doing so. The secret of the Lemon test's survival, I think, is that it is so easy to kill. It is there to scare us (and our audience) when we wish it to do so, but we can command it to return to the tomb at will. Such a docile and useful monster is worth keeping around, at least in a somnolent state; one never knows when one might need him."

My personal favorite Scalia quotation. From Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches School District

Great Happenings From 9/30

2008-09-29T19:57:00.001-04:00

September 30 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And, I was born an undisclosed number of years ago.

Another Blast from the Past

2008-09-29T19:54:00.001-04:00

The Post

by Sara Burns
FOR THE POST

Ohio's men's lacrosse team is going to the National Collegiate Lacrosse League Final Four in Annapolis, Md. this weekend. Ohio defeated Grove City College yesterday 10-5 on the South Green Athletics Fields.
"We played really well and came out firing," club vice president Ian Hill said. "We did a heck of a job."
The first quarter was fairly well matched with Grove City scoring the first goal. The Bobcats came back though, with Dave Lewis, the NCLL's leading scorer, adding two more goals to his total. Grove City came from behind to tie the game with a goal scored by Dave Coleman with seven minutes left in the quarter.
Grove City posed no threat in the second quarter, though. Ohio's Sean Goonan and Todd Seyler each scored one to put Ohio up 4-2. Grove City's Brad Kellogg said the team was tired out after a long bus ride and was just out hustled.
The third quarter was closer with Lewis adding yet another goal. Goonan was called for a slashing penalty, but Tim Leary still managed to add a goal for the team. Grove City made a valiant run, scoring two goals, but was kept from tying the game when Leary scored his second goal of the quarter.
The final quarter went slowly until Bobcat Steve Barth put Ohio up 8-4. Both teams received penalties, but Seyler scored his second goal of the game. Ohio fought for the next few minutes, but made no more progress toward the win. Then, Grove City's Darryl Hockstra scored his team's final goal of the game. Leary went on to score the final goal.
Team members feel confident they will do well against Maryland this weekend. Team President Eric Gleckler said he thinks the team can do very well. He's not the only one.
"Whether we win or lose we made it to the Final Four," club member Todd Baylor said. "We're playing club level teams that are better than some of the varsity."
- Jill Shriver contributed to this story.

The Post 5/1/1997

A Blast From the Past.

2008-09-29T19:52:00.001-04:00

The Post

by Sara Burns
FOR THE POST
Since the end of Winter Quarter is here, students' thoughts turn to spring and, more importantly, Spring Break.
An impromptu survey of Wednesday's dinner crowd at Jefferson Dining Hall revealed the most common Spring Break destination to be "home," wherever home may be.
People who are going home have their reasons. Some people do not think it is worth it to go anywhere.
"A week just isn't long enough," said Chrissy Seabold. She is saving her money to go somewhere during Summer Break.
Others, however, just want to go home and relax. Relaxing is what Kia Kuresman, a Jefferson Hall resident assistant, plans to do. She want to go home and "cook like it's my job" to recover from a stressful Winter Quarter.
Food is one reason many students want to go home. Most students surveyed said they wanted a nice, home-cooked meal after a quarter of dining hall food.
For people who aren't going home, Florida is the destination of choice. Many people will be spending their week in sunny Tampa, Daytona or Panama City.
Freshman Nicole Morley will visit Mickey Mouse in Orlando with her family. Mandy Boyd and Maggie Smith are going to Tampa for the week.
Of course, Florida sun or a familiar bed are not the only options.
Some OU students are going to visit relatives in other cities. They can be spotted anywhere from Washington, D.C., to Colorado. Julie Kroth said she is going to go to Memphis, Tenn., to see her "awesome" sister, while Nikki Floyd is jetting to Chicago to visit her mother.
Many of the people not going somewhere exotic for Spring Break plan to visit friends in other cities.
Kristalle Willinger said she is going to visit a friend who attends college in St. Louis.
The award for the Spring Break destination farthest from Athens goes to Oliver Albers. Albers will be spending his week in Ashkawa, Mozambique, in Africa with his uncle.
Albers has never been to Mozambique, but he has heard about the country from his uncle, who has lived there for five years. He said he wants to see the country and its people while he is visiting his uncle.
No matter where OU students end up during break, they all have the same objective - to relax. For some students, however, spring break will not be very different from their time here at OU.
"All I want to do when I go home is sleep and eat," freshman Lisa Schumann said. "Oh, wait, that's what I do here."

The Post 3/14/97

Is it bad....

2008-09-17T18:51:00.001-04:00

that I'd rather be at home experiencing another day of a power outage than sitting through my family law class?

I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the socratic method. I really hate this touchy-feely crap.

It's really starting to feel real now...

2008-09-05T20:43:00.001-04:00

Adam and I met with someone from the parish last night to discuss marriage prep. We did the FOCCUS instrument and went over the basics of the marriage prep program. I paid the fee for marriage prep and the use of the church and got sent home with liturgy and pre-Cana stuff.

How Big is the Tent Really?

2008-09-04T21:56:00.001-04:00

I'm going to start this post with a disclaimer - I am a registered Democrat and I am even a member of the county central committee and I serve as a precinct captain.

The Democrats are theoretically the party of inclusiveness - of the big tent, if you will. I always understood the ideology of the "big tent" to mean that there was a place at the table for people with multiple viewpoints. The kerfluffle in the liberal blogosphere about the nomination of Sarah Palin for vice president is truly making me question how inclusive the party of inclusiveness really is.

Here's a middle of the post disclaimer: I am Catholic, ergo, I am pro-life.

If the Democrats were truly as inclusive as they'd like to think they are, then this shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately it is. As a more conservative Democrat, I am becoming more convinced that there is no place for me or for people like me at the Democrat table.

I come from a family of yellow-dog Democrats and I would never have ever considered voting for a Republican. The nomination of Sarah Palin for vice president is changing that. I didn't like either of the choices for president for this election, but the addition of Palin to the ticket brought a new level of respect for John McCain.

The liberal blogsphere is in a panic about Palin. They argue that she has no experience or that she's too far right. I think what the problem that they can't articulate is that Palin is highly appealing to those like me who feel we have been pushed to the fringes of the party because our relative conservativism.

Palin represents a whole generation of women who look to the excesses of the 1970s feminism and realize that it was too extreme. She is doing what many women want - raising a family and following a successful political career. I think most women can't relate to the Hilary Clintons or Gloria Steinems of the world. Sarah Palin is someone that we CAN relate to - she could be one of us. I think that scares some of the more liberal Democrats.

So, is there really a place at the Democrat table for people like me? I'm not sure. Am I going to switch my party affiliation? Probably not, especially when it comes to local politics (the local Republicans don't have the best ethical record). Is there a possibility I'd vote for a McCain-Palin ticket? There's a good possibility that I just might.

For Adoro

2008-08-20T06:42:00.003-04:00

Can I be St. Joan of Arc?

Can you make sure the Dominicans in their black-and-white habits are prolific throughout, and make sure the evil governments that were the ones actually killing people look as nasty as they actually were? Can I be "burned at the stake" as long as it authentically reveals who was in charge of the burning?

You might want to have a guitilline in order to show the butchery of the State and the Mercy of the Inquisitors who saved so many from the fanaticism of the State....

Ooohhhhh.....Dominicans in black and white? Perfect! Those are my colors after all! For that suggestion, Adoro, you can most definitely be St. Joan of Arc.

Since you asked, the short version of the story is that my family is a version of protestant that buys into all the myths about Catholicism. I occasionally get tired of their remarks and start making jokes to keep myself sane.

Currently there's some discontent in the family about the fact that I'm planning a Catholic wedding. I've told my mother that unless she tells her family to back off, that I'm going to plan the most over-the-top Catholic wedding--one that buys into all of the stereotypes.

We're planning the wedding for the fall of next year, right around Halloween. The idea of a Halloween themed reception quickly morphed into an Inquisition themed reception.

My grandmother informed Adam that she will not be attending the wedding because she can't be part of a ceremony for two people who've left The Lord's ChurchTM to join a "Man Made Religion."

Inquisition Themed Wedding Reception

2008-08-09T21:43:00.001-04:00

So, the Clam posted on her site that she'd like to see my inquisition themed wedding reception actually happen. I hate to disappoint her, but I doubt it will ever really happen.

It is fun (in a twisted way) to think of my anti-Catholic family's reaction to an inquisition themed wedding reception. So, in an ideal world where I could actually do this, how would I do it?

I'm thinking I'll need Fr. Schnippel's help. Wonder if he'd like to play the part of Torquemada?

Since you so want to see it happen, Clam, perhaps we could make you an honorary torturer or witch burner?

What other ideas do y'all have?

Six Quirks

2008-08-02T09:44:00.002-04:00

Link the person(s) who tagged you.
Mention the rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I was tagged for my first ever meme by Jeff

1. I absolutely loathe Walmart. I will do anything in my power to avoid entering the store

2. I have to "face" all the money in my wallet. All the bills have to be arranged in order of denomination and the bills must all be facing the same direction.

3. I would rather clean the bathroom than do dishes.

4. I cannot stand Dickens and I secretly look down upon those who do like his work :-)

5. I will remake my bed until the hospital corners are crisp and there are as few wrinkles as possible in the sheets and blankets.

6. I have to sleep with one foot not under the covers. My mother tells me I've done this since I was a baby.

I tag Clam, Fr. S, Stephanie, Erik, Cheryl and Joseph the Worker

August Is Pray for PZ Myers Month

2008-08-01T11:32:00.001-04:00

See the St. Peter Canisius Apostolate site.

For the love of all that is good and Holy....

2008-07-31T19:20:00.001-04:00

....someone please put me out of my misery now!

Hallelujah! I have discovered the greatness that is Flannery O'Connor!

2008-07-30T20:45:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe that I have survived this long without discovering her work. It's amazing.

I was having a very unproductive library trip last week, so I decided to peruse the classics section because I can always find something there.

Nothing really struck my fancy though so I decided to grab Mansfield Park and an anthology of Flannery O'Connor works.

I am in love with her writing. It's so rich and the imagery is amazing. I can almost visualize the scenes as I'm reading.

Sigh, too bad I'm sitting through the most mind-numbingly dull class that ever existed right now. I thought CivPro was bad, but this is much, must worse.

I'm going to start banging my head against the desk until sweet oblivion arrives.

The Bank of Life

2008-07-28T20:45:00.001-04:00

Life, whether social or business, is a bank in which you deposit certain funds of character, intellect and heart; or other funds of egotism, hard-heartedness and unconcern; or deposit--nothing! An the bank honors your deposit, and no more. In other words, you can draw nothing out but what you have put in.

If your community is to give you admiration and honor, it is merely necessary to be admirable and honorable. The more you put in, the more will be paid out to you.

Emily Post (1922) Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home

This Blog is under the patronage of Our Lady of LaSalette

2008-07-24T21:16:00.002-04:00

Fifteen year old Melanie and eleven year old Maximin were out tending their cows. They were simple children. When we say "simple" we don't mean like that magazine or the Amish. We mean 'dim bulbs.' They are simple enough to fall asleep and all lose track of the cows. When they awoke they went
looking for the cows but instead found a big ball of light. A beautiful lady stepped out of it. It was the Virgin Mary.

Unlike other Mary sightings, Mary is wearing an odd costume (not her usual blue), never mentions the rosary and she never stops crying. Mary slumps onto a rock and sobs. She tell the children that Jesus has absolutely had it with cart drivers using his name in vain. She tells the children Jesus is very angry and she can’t hold Him back much longer.

Apparently everyone stopped swearing in La Salette after that, as the town still stands.
Thanks Sister Mary Martha!

Visit Sister's Etsy shop.

To The Impatient Driver Behind Me...

2008-07-22T19:28:00.001-04:00

Dear Fellow Motorist,

I just wanted to say good morning to you too! I agree that it's a beautiful summer day.

All pleasantries aside, I did notice that you appeared to have some difficulties with the etiquette of what to do when a traffic light is out. I'm trying my hardest to keep with my self imposed goal of becoming a nice person, so I thought I'd help you out.

When a traffic light is out, you're supposed to treat the intersection as a four way stop. I'm going to assume only the best about you and guess that you don't drive in the area a lot, so you perhaps didn't know that the light from the 275 off ramp onto Beechmont Ave goes out every time there's a storm. I'm also going to assume that perhaps you're a very heavy sleeper and that you didn't catch any of the local news this morning so you wouldn't have heard about the bad thunderstorms last night. That's okay. Now you know.

You should also know that when your fellow drivers are treating said intersection as a four way stop, that laying on your horn when I stopped to allow the cars from the exit ramp to take their turn does not exhibit the best manners. But that's okay too, I'll just assume that perhaps you were busy.

Except you turned to go to Lowe's at the next light, so I'm not sure what was so important at 7:45 this morning that you couldn't stop and wait your turn like everyone else was doing. Now I'm still trying to be a good person, so I didn't say anything or make any gestures in your general direction. I didn't even shoot you a dirty look - instead I said a Hail Mary to myself.

However, I've decided that my desire to be a better person doesn't stop me from wishing bad driving karma on you. So the next time you're stuck at the end of that exit ramp and some yahoo doesn't follow the rules for a malfunctioning traffic light, I hope you enjoy the wait.

Yours truly,
The girl in the grey civic.

"Good News For Catholics"

2008-07-21T22:21:00.001-04:00

Do any of my astute readers (all three of you) know anything about an organization called Good News For Catholics? I know they're anti-Catholic but other than that I haven't heard much about them.

The reason I ask is because I found one of their tracts at my grandmother's house over the Fourth of July weekend. I didn't get a good chance to look at it though, but from a quick glance it seems to be the usual "Catholics don't read the Bible so if you encourage them to read the Bible then they'll no longer be Catholic, etc..."

Testing

2008-07-21T19:45:00.001-04:00

I just added an application called ScribeFire to Firefox. You might see more entries from me if this works.

Exhausted

2008-07-20T21:16:00.003-04:00

I did two shifts in the margarita booth at the festival this weekend. Last night was much busier than Friday night was, but also more fun. Dcn. Dave, Roxanne and I had a fun time. I saw Dcn. Dave after mass this morning, but forgot to ask him if he ever managed to make his "dacquitas" look as pretty as mine did. :)

In other news, I've decided I have a knack for making it rain. After holding off for a few days, I finally dragged the hose out and watered my flowers this afternoon, only to be treated to a thunderstorm a few hours later. Sigh.

I suppose I've procrastinated enough. I need to go study for PR.

CoC Funeral

2008-07-12T15:05:00.002-04:00

I went to a church of Christ funeral today. It was really kind of sad. It was just a graveside service--the preacher gave a sermon about how we all needed to come to Jesus before we died and we sang two hymns--Amazing Grace and Revive Us Again.

I have a problem with preachers preaching their funeral sermons about how the good majority of the audience is going to go to hell. At least this preacher didn't condemn people to Hell by name like I've seen done before.

It was strange because most of the people there were from my old congregation. I stood in the back with my other apostate cousins and said the rosary during the main part of the service.

There was something lacking with the whole service. I can't pinpoint exactly what, but it all felt very superficial.

O/T but even with someone musically trained leading the acapella hymns, there is still something to be said for instrumental music. There was one couple there neither of whom could carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it :)

Bridesmaid Dresses

2008-07-11T23:28:00.003-04:00

The style on the left is what I plan to use for my bridesmaids' dresses. I'm thinking I'll do the underdress in a matte black and the over dress in some kind of organza. Then I'll have the bridesmaids wear black elbow gloves.

iPhone Mania

2008-07-11T18:45:00.001-04:00

There was a line of people wrapped around the AT&T store on the corner this morning. It took me a minute to realize what was going on--the new iPhone.

I guess having the latest is important to some people.

That's It!

2008-06-20T22:01:00.002-04:00

I am utterly frustrated at the thought of finding a wedding gown that is anything even close to modest! There's something wrong with every dress I try on--most notable is the distinct lack of fabric on the upper half. The dress I've liked best so far is a no-go without significant alterations. Unfortunately the vast majority of dresses in the bridal shops are strapless. Now, I'm not a small chested gal by any stretch of the imagination and I'm also short (5'2") so wearing a strapless gown will likely give Father a glimpse of something that neither he nor I would want him to see. Incredibly frustrating!

So I'm opting out. That's right, I refuse to purchase a wedding gown from a bridal shop. I have challenged my mother and she has agreed to put her sewing skills to the test.

Dad has agreed to buy her a nicer sewing machine and I will be purchasing her a dressmaker's dummy.

Check back for updates :)

Behold the Spam of God

2008-06-19T18:11:00.002-04:00

Mark Shea has a hilarious post over at Inside Catholic about the messages he's received from "Bible-Believing (TM)" Christians. You should go check it out.

Over the last two years of my Catholic journey, I've come to realize that sometimes you just have to laugh at things because you can't change them.

Wedding Reception Theme?

2008-06-10T21:09:00.002-04:00

Ooh, I love it! (Even though it is just a joke.)

Just think: you could have a Catechism contest for who gets to be Torquemada...you and Adam could be Isabella and Ferdinand...your priest could play Pope Sixtus...and depending on what time of year you're getting married, maybe have a bonfire...

Too bad your family isn't Lutheran. You could really have some fun with that...

Kasia, if we didn't live in different states, I think we'd be good friends! :) I had suggested having a rack in the reception hall so I could use it on all the people who complain that a nuptial mass is too long.

My only problem is that I tend to get too Monty Pythonesque when thinking up wicked things to do to my families. You know, things like having the bridesmaids wear black cowls and carry whips or having someone wandering though saying "bring out yer dead!"

I do get a little giggle just thinking of it. Of course my family will already be absolutely scandalized because there will be drinking and dancing.

Sigh. Family.

2008-06-08T20:45:00.003-04:00

I got another "you're going to hell because you're Catholic" letter from the CoC side of the family. It's from an aunt that even the other CoCers consider wacky so I'm not too concerned. I look at it this way--there's two less people I can invite to the wedding.

The letter does strengthen my desire to have an over-the-top Catholic wedding though. :)

Luckily, Adam and I can joke about it because we both deal with the same thing from our families. We were joking that we're going to have a Spanish Inquisition themed reception--complete with "indulgences" as drink tickets.

Poor mom thought we were being serious (which we're not really) but I think the humor is the only way we can deal with it sometimes.

Shaving Cats

2008-06-07T17:48:00.002-04:00

The big, fluffy cat in the post below got his summer haircut today. Last year he went to the groomer for his lion cut. This year, mom decided we could do it ourselves. I was skeptical, but agreed to go along with it partly because the groomer who did him last year won't take him back.

(In all fairness to her, I don't blame her one bit. The cat weighs 25 pounds and he bites when he's upset. I could take him to the groomer associated with my vet and have him sedated, but that raises the price quite a bit.)

So, mom and I got out the clippers and held the cat down. We got the majority of the long hair off him, but the poor thing looks so stupid right now. I'm sure he'll appreciate it in a few days--once he gets over the humiliation.

Aaah...

2008-05-10T00:32:00.002-04:00

I finished my last final for this semester two hours ago.

I have the luxury of three weeks off school. What am I going to do with my time now that I don't have to study every night?

Maybe I'll practice being a housecat :-)

Dress Shopping

2008-04-21T20:31:00.003-04:00

So, Mom and I went dress shopping for the first time Saturday. I tried on four dresses - two of which would be contenders if they had a wee bit more fabric on top. One dress would be very pretty, but is out because when I kneel Father would get a view of a part of me that neither he nor I would want him to see.

So, it looks like I'm going to have to go looking at one of the area shops that sells Jasmine or Eternity gowns. Eternity is a LDS gown designer and Jasmine will make certain styles of their gowns "temple ready."

Wedding Planning

2008-04-13T17:52:00.002-04:00

All this wedding planning stuff I've been doing lately has made me once again stop and realize the wisdom of Holy Mother Church.

I've been perusing some of the online forums dealing with wedding planning and I am extremely grateful that I don't have to worry about what venue I'll use for the ceremony, who I'll get to officiate or what poem/unity candle/handfasting ceremony I'll use to fill time to make the ceremony more substantial.

Nope, Holy Mother Church in her infinite wisdom doesn't leave those decisions up to me. Yes, I have some choice as to which church I plan on using (my home parish) or which reading to choose from the list, but currently my biggest decision regarding the ceremony is whether I want to have a full mass or the rite of marriage outside of mass.

I know that I can trust the guidelines set forth by the Church and that I will have a beautiful, reverent celebration of the sacrament.

I have crossed to the dark side...

2008-03-23T16:31:00.001-04:00

....no, I haven't become republican :-)

I bought a macbook! My monster hp laptop I bought when I started law school four years ago is on life support and I was tired to trying to get it going another semester so I have gone mac.

Snow Day

2008-03-07T19:10:00.004-05:00

I spent my morning making this:

Because it looks like this outside:

Three in one night!

2008-03-06T22:12:00.002-05:00

Okay, Fr. Schippel's comment got me posting again. Here's a general roundup:

I have been crazy busy this semester. I'm taking Insurance, Remedies and Wills & Trusts. Wills is a 4 credit hour course so for 5 weeks I have to be at NKU 4 nights a week. Not to mention I need to find time to do all of the reading to prep for the class.

My aunt has been very ill and has been hospitalized for weeks now. My mother is my aunt's guardian and is responsible for all decisions regarding my aunt. Prayers for both would be appreciated.

In happy news, Adam and I are now engaged. We plan, Lord willing, to be married in the fall of 2009. Clam I now share your frustration at finding a non-strapless wedding dress. I absolutely refuse to wear one even if it means I have to learn how to sew so I can make my own.

That's a quick update.

Parable Meme

2008-03-06T21:54:00.002-05:00

Fr. Schnippel tagged me for a meme so here goes:

1. You name your five favorite parables.
2. You tag one blogger per parable.
3. It would be nice if you linked back to this post.

1. The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32

I love this because it shows us that no matter how grave our sins, if we approach God with true contrition and ask his forgiveness it will be granted.

2. The Little Children - Matt 18:1-6

I chose St. Therese as my confirmation saint because I was so drawn to her Little Way. To me it is a great example of truly living this parable.

3. The Faithful Servant - Luke 12:35-38

To whom much is given, much will be required. Enough said.

4. The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37

5. The Pharisee and the Publican - Luke 18:9-14

Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

I tag Stephanie because she's been quiet for too long, Kasia , and anyone else who feels the need to respond. If you don't have your own blog, feel free to use the combox.

My response to the letter....

2008-03-06T21:51:00.003-05:00

16 February 2008

Esther,

I received your letter and while I am dismayed you are so willing to believe family gossip, I take your letter in the spirit of concern and love that you surely had in mind when you wrote it.

It is true that I am no longer attending a Church of Christ. It is not, however, true that I am simply attending a Catholic Church – I am a Catholic. I was received into full communion with the Catholic church through the sacrament of confirmation during the Easter Vigil in 2007.

The decision to convert was not one I made either easily or quickly. I fought the decision for over ten years before I ultimately decided I needed to follow God’s call in my life. I have never believed fully in the doctrine I was taught in the Church of Christ but had been attending enough to keep the family happy. The family was happy, but I was absolutely miserable. I had been living a lie for years and could no longer continue to do so. My mental health had deteriorated so much that I had to go under a psychiatrist’s care in 2006.

[I have deleted a portion of my response because it reveals personal details about two other people and I do not feel free to divulge these details without the consent of the other two parties.]

Because we, as Catholics, believe that marriage is a sacrament, the church holds that remarriage after a civil divorce is a mortal sin. The Church does not allow for remarriage even in the case where one spouse is guilty of adultery. Because marriage is a sacrament, it’s mark on the souls of the husband and wife are indelible. The only way a civilly divorced Catholic can remarry with the Church’s blessing is if, after investigation, the tribunal can determine that the requisite elements required to make a valid marriage were missing from the time the marriage was entered into.

The purpose of the tribunal is to look at the circumstances into which the parties entered into the sacrament of marriage to see if the requisite intent and knowledge were present. If there weren’t the requisite intent and knowledge and desire to enter into the sacrament of marriage, the tribunal will issue a decree of nullity thus freeing one or both of the parties to remarry with the blessing of the church.

You claim the Catholic church has practices that are un-Biblical. I too believed this until I began to study what the church actually teaches instead of what I had been taught the Church teaches. Unfortunately the Church of Christ’s teaching about Catholic doctrine and dogma is fraught with error.

Start, for example, with your claim that the Pope claims to have divine inspiration. I assume you are thinking of the doctrine of papal infallibility. Infallibility is not a claim of divine inspiration. We believe that Christ gave authority over the church on earth to Peter. See Matt 16:13-19

8 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi 9 he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, 10 others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

11 Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood 12 has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

See also, this passage from the Gospel of John:

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’" (John 21:15-17).

The passage from Matthew is significant to Catholics in two ways. First, Christ chose to rename Simon as Kephas which is Aramaic for Rock. When God gives someone in the Bible a new name, it always signifies a new covenant (i.e. Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah or Jacob to Israel.) Secondly, we hear that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against Christ’s church.

Infallibility isn’t divine inspiration or the absence of sin. Infallibility is what arises when you take Christ’s words to Peter at face value. The gates of Hell shall not prevail against Christ’s church. How is this supposed to happen? We believe that the Holy Spirit protects the church from false teaching. This doesn’t mean the pope is always right – it simply means that when speaking on matters of faith and morals that apply to the entire, universal church, the pope will not be allowed to teach error. The Holy Spirit doesn’t always provide the pope with all the right answers, but He won’t let the pope promulgate false dogma.

The authority and teaching power of the Bishop of Rome (the pope is also the Bishop of Rome) has been recognized since the earliest Christian times. See this passage from Clement of Rome, written in 80AD:

"Owing to the sudden and repeated calamities and misfortunes which have befallen us, we must acknowledge that we have been somewhat tardy in turning our attention to the matters in dispute among you, beloved; and especially that abominable and unholy sedition, alien and foreign to the elect of God, which a few rash and self-willed persons have inflamed to such madness that your venerable and illustrious name, worthy to be loved by all men, has been greatly defamed. . . . Accept our counsel and you will have nothing to regret. . . . If anyone disobey the things which have been said by him [God] through us [i.e., that you must reinstate your leaders], let them know that they will involve themselves in transgression and in no small danger. . . . You will afford us joy and gladness if being obedient to the things which we have written through the Holy Spirit, you will root out the wicked passion of jealousy" (Letter to the Corinthians 1, 58–59, 63 [A.D. 80]).

Or this passage, also from Clement.

"Through countryside and city [the apostles] preached, and they appointed their earliest converts, testing them by the Spirit, to be the bishops and deacons of future believers. Nor was this a novelty, for bishops and deacons had been written about a long time earlier. . . . Our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry" (Letter to the Corinthians 42:4–5, 44:1–3 [A.D. 80]).

As a church, we believe that Christ did not found his church and then abandon it after his ascension. We believe that He gave the authority for His church on earth to Peter and to Peter’s successors. We also believe that He guides, guards and directs His church through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I am sure there are many other specific practices with which you disagree and I will be more than happy to address any specific questions you may have.

You say in your letter that I need to do what I know is right and my response to you is that I have done what I needed to do.

Love,

The Letter

2008-02-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

Here is the letter I received from my cousin.

Sarah (yes, we're close enough that she misspelled my name)
This letter is, I am sure, not the first, nor the last you will received about certain things going on in your life. (Actually it's the second) First of all I hate gossip, so if any of the things I mention are not true of you, disregard the reprimand. This is what has come across the wires: that you are no longer attending Christ's church, but are going instead to the Catholic church; and that you're dating a man who does not have scriptural grounds to be remarried. Both of those made my heart sink when I heard them. Let me appeal to your intellect, though and keep emotions out of it.
Galations 1:6-10 says "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and went to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed." No one, no matter how wonderful they are, is worth disobeying God and losing out on your hope of heaven. (As if anyone who truly knew me would actually think I base my major life decisions solely on what will make others happy) I understand that we have to have our own faith and can not believe something just because family does. We have to believe and worship how God commands, not friends or family. If everything the Catholic church practices were according the the Bible, that would be fine, but you and I both know that is not true. The apostle Paul said that if anyone taught different from what they had already taught, even an angel (the Pope claims to have divine inspiration) then that one is accursed.
Second there may be a few instances in marriage when it is neccessary to be separated from a spouse. Those decisions are never easy, I'm sure. I do know that Malachi 2:16 says "'For I hate divorce,' says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'and him who covers his garment with wrong,' says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously." In Matthew 19:9, Jesus says, "And I say to you, who ever divorces his wife, except for immorality and marries another woman commits adultery." Jesus also said in Mark 10:11 "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her." If someone is divorced for any reason other than immorality on the part of his ex-wife, he does not have the God given right to be remarried. If he does remarry, he causes his new wife to become and adulterer. I Corinthians 6:9-10 says "or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the couvetious, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
I will close this out by leaving you with one more scripture. II Timothy 3:14-17 "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writing which are able to give you the wiscone that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired of God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
Please, please read over and thing about everything I have said. Done be afraid to do what is right. The Lord will reward you in the end.
Love,
Cousin

I am working on my reply to her and will post it here once finished. I'm going to have to do some editing from the full version I send to her because I must necessarily reveal details about individuals other than myself. I don't feel those details are appropriate to be put on a publically accessible site.

I welcome any suggestions for specific points of rebuttal. I will definitely be addressing the sacramental nature of marriage and the reason for obtaining a decree of nullity and I will also be addressing papal infallibility.

So It Begins...

2008-01-24T17:38:00.000-05:00

My family found out I've become Catholic some time before Christmas. While Christmas itself went well, I knew it was too good to be true.

I came home today to find a letter from a cousin of mine telling me that I'm going to hell.

I'm not going to hell because of my chosen profession (although I'm sure insurance and law at the very least will buy me a nice long stint in purgatory) but because I have left The One True Church(tm) and am "dating a man who doesn't have a scriptural right to remarry."

Sigh.

I'm off for a fun exciting evening of being subject to the Socratic method in wills, but I'll post my response to her here when I get it finished.

Vocab Time

2008-01-08T17:40:00.000-05:00

Luddite

Main Entry: Ludd·ite
Pronunciation: \ˈlə-ˌdīt\
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from Ned Ludd, 18th century Leicestershire workman who destroyed a knitting frame
Date: 1811
: one of a group of early 19th century English workmen destroying laborsaving machinery as a protest; broadly : one who is opposed to especially technological change
— Luddite adjective

Luddite--Me, when I confuse the poor teenage stocker at the office supply store by asking for "typist's carbon."

It's almost as much fun as when I caused the cashier at the local toy store to have an existential crisis by refusing to give her my phone number.

Tract Project

2008-01-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking lately that there's a definite lack of Catholic apologetics materials that relate specifically to the Church of Christ. I'm going to try to remedy that lack by finding Church of Christ tracts (preferably of the non-institutional variety) and giving a Catholic response to the tract.

Unfortunately the average CofC tract is so full of errors that I could probably write a book in response.

My experience with CofC thinking is that they rely heavily on soundbite prooftexting. They will also ignore any appeals to the early church fathers. Hence my goal is to try to use as much scripture as possible to support the Catholic position.

So if anyone comes across a good tract, feel free to send it my way!

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T17:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the first Christmas after the CoC side of the family found out I'm now Catholic went well. Amazingly enough I wasn't accosted by anyone or challenged.

Even more amazing--I was playing handbells with the handbell choir for the 3pm mass on Christmas Eve and Mom and Dad actually showed up. Mom's a dyed in the wool CoC-er and Dad only sets foot in a church if he's being forced to do so for a wedding or a funeral.

After Christmas, Adam, the kids and I headed up to New Hampshire to visit his family. I think the visit went rather well. I really liked his parents and the town they live in is really pretty.

So that's my Christmas in a nutshell :-)

Two Hours of Snow

2007-12-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

This is the view from my kitchen window after two hours worth of snow.

No Touchdown Jesus for me :(

2007-11-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

Such a sad day (not) the mega church across the street merged with the Solid Rock megachurch (home of the touchdown Jesus) but they won't be putting a matching statue out front.

So for your enjoyment I'll post Heywood Banks' "Big Butter Jesus" instead. You may want to cover your keyboard.

Joe Nuxhall: July 30, 1928 - November 15, 2007

2007-11-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Texas Style Deposition

2007-11-10T16:34:00.001-05:00

WARNING: Some Offensive Language

2007-11-08T21:10:00.001-05:00

It should be an interesting Christmas...

2007-11-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

Dear Sweet Sara

You are on my mind most of all, you having the Lord’s church a man made religion. Please take time to think about your soul.

Your friend seems nice, think, find out if he had a scriptural right for a divorce, you may get mad at me if you do I’ll love you and pray for you. Your mom had her heard broke. Your dad too.

If your friend has a right to remarry I will gladly accept it, but not you leaving the Lord’s church and joining a Catholic religion.

Grandmother

So that's what I found in the mail yesterday from my CoC grandmother--the one I wasn't allowed to tell I'm Catholic. I don't know how she found out, but I have my suspicions.

After 24 hours to reflect, I'm not really upset. In fact, in a way I'm relieved that I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not when I'm around the family.

This should make for an interesting Christmas though. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of CoC intervention staged. Even more unfortunate is the fact that the friend she speaks about will be there and is likely to face the inquisition also.

There won't be any changing my mind though. I know that my decision to convert was the right one. I've never felt more at peace with any decision in my life and so many changes have happened in the last year that only further convince me I made the right choice.

I suppose if she's going to pray for me I can return the favor and add her to my intentions for my hour of adoration.

Do you ever think....

2007-11-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

...that sometimes God is giving you a divine slap upside the head? I have a post in the works about this but I'm still trying to get my thoughts together enough to give a good idea of what I mean but without revealing too many personal details.

Tucker v. State (412 P.2d 970)

2007-11-02T22:36:00.001-04:00

Damn! There's a corpse in my living room again!

Clam, This One's for You

2007-11-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

Just to make you happy, Kasia :P

Kasia has been asking me where I've been. I've been somewhat busy so here's the Cliffs Notes version:

A little over two weeks ago I checked my work voicemail first thing in the morning to find out that our small, closely held corporation had been acquired by a large multi-national corporation. Needless to say there was some anxiety caused by that announcement. So far, it appears that the new owners do not plan on making any changes to the structure of my company and my job is as safe as it ever is.

We also finally got the good news at work that we're finally being allowed to hire another person. We've been understaffed for the last year or so.

Fall semester is almost at an end and I'm really glad I decided to be lazy and take only Evidence and Antitrust. Next semester will be back to the punishing schedule of three classes.

I've also started a regular adoration hour. I spend an hour every Saturday morning with Our Lord and it is the best thing I've ever done. The peace that comes from that hour is priceless.

Of course, I also think God is using that hour to give me the occasional spiritual slap upside the head :-)

On a personal front things are also going very well, but that's not something I'm going to discuss here.

New Blog

2007-10-25T21:29:00.000-04:00

Fr. Rob Jack has started his own blog. I'm adding him to the blogroll and you should check it out.

October 13, 1917

2007-10-12T20:42:00.001-04:00

Fr. Ignacio Lorenco (Alburitel, 11 miles away):

I was only nine years old at this time, and I went to the local village school. At about midday we were surprised by the shouts and cries of some men and women who were passing in the street in front of the school. The teacher, a good, pious woman, though nervous and impressionable, was the first to run into the road, with the children after her.

Outside, the people were shouting and weeping and pointing to the sun, ignoring the agitated questions of the schoolmistress. It was the great Miracle, which one could see quite distinctly from the top of the hill where my village was situated---the Miracle of the sun, accompanied by all its extraordinary phenomena.

I feel incapable of describing what I saw and felt. I looked fixedly at the sun, which seemed pale and did not hurt the eyes. Looking like a ball of snow revolving on itself, it suddenly seemed to come down in a zigzag, menacing the earth. Terrified, I ran and hid myself among the people, who were weeping and expecting the end of the world at any moment.

Near us was an unbeliever who had spent the morning mocking at the simpletons who had gone off to Fátima just to see an ordinary girl. He now seemed to be paralyzed, his eyes fixed on the sun. Afterwards he trembled from head to foot and lifting up his arms fell on his knees in the mud, crying out to our Lady.

Meanwhile the people continued to cry out and to weep, asking God to pardon their sins. We all ran to the two chapels in the village, which were soon filled to overflowing. During those long moments of the solar prodigy, objects around us turned all the colors of the rainbow. We saw ourselves blue, yellow, red, etc. All these strange phenomena increased the fears of the people. After about ten minutes the sun, now dull and pallid, returned to its place. When the people realized that the danger was over, there was an explosion of joy, and everyone joined in thanksgiving and praise to our Lady.

Litany to Our Lady of Fatima

2007-10-12T20:13:00.001-04:00

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for our dear country.
Our Lady of Fatima, sanctify our clergy.
Our Lady of Fatima, make our Catholics more fervent.
Our Lady of Fatima, guide and inspire those who govern us.
Our Lady of Fatima, cure the sick who confide in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, console the sorrowful who trust in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who invoke your aid.
Our Lady of Fatima, deliver us from all dangers.
Our Lady of Fatima, help us to resist temptation.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us all that we lovingly ask of thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who are dear to us.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring back to the right road our erring brothers.
Our Lady of Fatima, give us back our ancient fervor.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain peace for the world.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Let Us Pray:
O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in Thy dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and our Lady of Fatima, and grant us by her powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Q: How many Catholics does it take to change a light bulb?

2007-10-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

A: Nun

I've Been Banned!

2007-09-18T17:20:00.000-04:00

I was listed a a banned blog by the SoV2 parish two months ago and I didn't know it!

Feast of the Nativity of Mary

2007-09-08T19:21:00.000-04:00

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy; hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences , June 29, 1968

Points to Consider

2007-09-06T17:56:00.000-04:00

III. OFFENSES AGAINST TRUTH

2475 Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."274 By "putting away falsehood," they are to "put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander."275

2476 False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness.276 When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused.277 They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.

2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.278 He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279

- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.280
2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one's neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity.

2480 Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation, or complaisance encourages and confirms another in malicious acts and perverse conduct. Adulation is a grave fault if it makes one an accomplice in another's vices or grave sins. Neither the desire to be of service nor friendship justifies duplicitous speech. Adulation is a venial sin when it only seeks to be agreeable, to avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain legitimate advantages.

2481 Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some aspect of his behavior.

2482 "A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving."281 The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: "You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."282

2483 Lying is the most direct offense against the truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error. By injuring man's relation to truth and to his neighbor, a lie offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord.

2484 The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.

2485 By its very nature, lying is to be condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to communicate known truth to others. The deliberate intention of leading a neighbor into error by saying things contrary to the truth constitutes a failure in justice and charity. The culpability is greater when the intention of deceiving entails the risk of deadly consequences for those who are led astray.

2486 Since it violates the virtue of truthfulness, a lie does real violence to another. It affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision. It contains the seed of discord and all consequent evils. Lying is destructive of society; it undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships.

2487 Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another's reputation. This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.

From the Catechism. After reading some recent comments in the Catholic Blogosphere I thought some could use a reminder (and I do not exclude myself from this) of the teachings of Holy Mother Church with regard to truth and not jumping to rash judgment.

2007-08-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Y'all invested a hell of a lot of money to learn how to split hairs, so let's split some hairs!

It's too late to start praying once the Devil shows up.

Go and sin no more.

Red Mass 2007

2007-08-27T20:52:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendars:

Friday, Sept 14, 2007
4:30pm
St. Xavier Church, 607 Sycamore St, Cincinnati
Sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society of Greater Cincinnati

Featured Speaker: Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, Ohio Supreme Court

2007-08-24T21:37:00.001-04:00

You Are: 0% Dog, 100% Cat

You are are almost exactly like a cat.
You're intelligent, independent, and set on getting your way.
And there's no way you're going to fetch a paper for anyone!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

2007-08-24T21:31:00.001-04:00

Your Birthdate: September 30

You have the type of personality that people either love or hate.
You're opinionated, dramatic, intense, and very outspoken.
And some people can't get enough of you - they're totally addicted.
Others, well, they wish you were a little more reserved.

Your strength: Your flair

Your weakness: If you think it, you say it

Your power color: Scarlet red

Your power symbol: Inverted triangle

Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Bits of Wit and Wisdom from Evidence Class...

2007-08-24T21:27:00.000-04:00

There's some damn good law on Law & Order!

Suddenly God couldn't come to the trial because the Pope wouldn't let him! *

*Speaking of the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 which forbade clergy from participating in blessings etc during the trial by ordeal.

Yesterday...

2007-08-20T20:57:00.001-04:00

I continued my campaign of annihilation against the colony of invading arachnids that have taken up residence on my front stoop.

The indiscriminate bombing campaign (aka the broom) left them homeless but they regrouped and began rebuilding their settlement. It was time for a second attempt.

Yesterday, I resorted to genocide (a la Raid.) I have yet to see a return of the colony so the chemical warfare appears to have been successful. We shall see though.

What Art Movement Are You?

2007-08-17T20:31:00.001-04:00

You Are Impressionism

You think the world is quite beautiful, especially if you look at it in new and interesting ways.
You tend to focus on color and movement in art.
For you, seeing the big picture is much more important than recording every little detail.
You can find inspiration anywhere... especially from nature.

What Art Movement Are You?

Clam--you'd better watch out!

2007-08-17T20:27:00.001-04:00

You Are a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You are a traditional person with very simple tastes.
In your opinion, the best things in life are free, easy, and fun.
You totally go with the flow. And you enjoy every minute of it!

Your best friend: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Your mortal enemy: The Ham Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

Updates

2007-08-17T20:19:00.000-04:00

I updated my Holy Blogs of Obligation to include a blog by a young fellow Ohioan (we'll just overlook that he's from Cleveland, he really can't help it) and a fellow CoC-er who is preparing to swim the Tiber. He's also one of my (two) faithful readers. :) Check out his blog, Y Taith Cristnogol.