Saturday, June 18, 2011

Oh, I am a sad, pitiable soul. I have absolutely no patience or discipline. Look what I did after saying that I would wait until Sunday. I figured since the loaf was in the fridge, it would be easy to unmold - and it was, but it is still soft. You can see that it started to gel even though it was in the fridge.

Here is one of the bitty bars.  I got a little too close with the camera.

Word of the day:
Saturday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Elizabeth of Schoenau, St. Gregory Barbarigo, Bishop (1625-1697), Sts. Marcus and Marcellianus, Martyrs (+286)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:24-34.

Jesus said to his disciples: «No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sigh - so many fun things to do - so little time.
We had a craft show yesterday.  We weren't expecting much in the way of sales - especially when we got there and found out that there was a rummage sale in the middle of the room.  But, it was a fundraiser for the Senior All Night party and I am a big proponent of the young folks finding a nice place for fun where they will be safe and watched over.  I'm such a mom.  LOL!  I talked to one of the moms today and the kids exceeded their fundraising goal by $100 dollars so that's good.  We enjoyed visiting with the other crafters, too.  We're not all that well known in Alma, so it's also good exposure for us.

I never posted the wedding cupcakes that I made so here's a pic of them.   They haven't been unmolded in this picture.  I'll post another one tomorrow so you can see what they look like.  Michelle, of Sweet Scents Soaps posted a great idea about packaging these which I will also take a pic of and post.

I snagged Anna to help me with a haul video on You Tube.  I ordered some things from Kris at Kayorcee Creations.  The soapmakers on You Tube are a fun group - very supportive of each other.  Here is the video Anna and I did.  If you get a chance, check out Kris' shop and her videos.

Word of the day:
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Saint(s) of the day : St Isidor the Farmer
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10:1-10.

Jesus said: «Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came (before me) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I made a small batch of Lemongrass today. I am out of bars but I hate to make a batch of those because I have to make such a big batch. I just did a small loaf today because I am down to my last few ounces of sodium hydroxide. I have some coming but really wanted to do some soap.  There's no "fanciness" in this bar as far as swirls.  I did do a textured top with glitter.  I put in some lemon balm that Clay and I collected from across the road.  It's been dried and stored for several years.  Clay doesn't remember picking it with me.

I got a facebook message from Diane Davis.  Her goats are giving milk again.  I really want to try some fresh goat's milk in the soap.  I have heard that the homogenized stuff from the store reacts differently than the fresh.  I am hoping to work out a soap or product trade with her.

We got a large soap order last night.  That's good because my coconut oil is almost gone.  We use 8 different oils in our soap formulation and I've often been tempted to scale down the number because of the cost, but I love the way this lathers and moisturizes and I really don't want to change the recipe.

I'm a little discouraged about my Etsy shop.  I haven't sold anything but stockings (which is good, I'm not complaining), but I'd love to sell some of my other things.  I think I put out a quality product, but at this rate no one's going to find that out.  :(  Oh well,  it's not that expensive to list, it's more of an ego thing. 


Wednesday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : Bl. Notker, Benedictine monk (c. 840-912)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:17-30.

Jesus answered the Jews: «My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.»
For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also.
For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Just a quick update and then I'll be back. I have the little girls this morning and the littlest one wants to be held. I made the oatmeal milk and honey soap last night but completely forgot that I wanted to try the honeycomb thing with the bubble wrap. Duh!! I used some new silicone molds that I bought last week. I needed to pop them in the freezer to unmold, but I am totally happy with the result. I sprinkled ground oats and brown sugar (sand colored glitter) on top.  It didn't gel so it is a bit too soft to continue cutting right now.  I just love the way this turned out!  I'll be doing a YouTube cutting video later on.

I don't know if I wrote about this or not, but on February 5th I ordered a mold from a moldmaker on Etsy.  On February 25th I ordered a cutter.  The listing says 7 to 14 business days.  It's now been 26 business days since I ordered the cutter.(He offered to ship mold and cutter together to save shipping)  This seller does not keep you updated unless you hound him.  I was reading his feedback and several buyers have the same complaint. If they complain about it he leaves retaliatory negative feedback.  Last week I couldn't wait any longer for the molds so I ordered the silicone ones.  Since the moldmaker told me he was shipping last Saturday (that's the third date he gave me) and since Saturday came and went without a shipping notice, I emailed him to ask him to cancel the mold.  Well, lo and behold, his wife emails me back to tell me he's in the hospital, but that his kidneys are "waking" up and that he should be back in operation at the end of the week. Due to several other excuses that this man has used, I am highly suspicious - especially with the way the email is worded - very emotionally manipulative.  I will definitely not order from him again.  I don't mind waiting for something, but I expect to be kept updated if my order is not shipped when it is supposed to be.  Apparently his workmanship is excellent, but unfortunately, I cannot attest to that since I don't have anything to prove it. I am not a happy camper.  Now I am off to rock my little Meghan.  I'll be back later with a link to the YouTube video.





Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (1350-1419)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:1-16.

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'"
They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Yesterday Harold and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.  I drove home from church in a snowstorm.  I guess it's not that uncommon because people drove home from our wedding reception, 35 years ago, in a snow storm.  We didn't even know that until a few years ago. 

Melisa and Claire were in the paper yesterday because Melisa is one of the co-ordinators of the Mom-to-Mom sale.  Clayton did not want his picture in the paper.  He's funny about getting his picture taken.  If it's his idea, he's fine with it.  Otherwise, not so much.

I'm planning to make soap tonight.  I saw a cool technique where soapmakers put bubble wrap on top of honey scented soap and it looks just like a honeycomb.  I'm making oatmeal, milk, and honey tonight so I can't wait to try it.

Sales have been non-existent lately - normal for this time of year, but it seriously puts a crimp in my soapmaking because my supplies are running low.  I don't seem to be having much success on Etsy, except for Christmas stockings but I'm going to give it a while.  It's only 20 cents to list and item - that's fairly cheap advertising.

  Harold just told me that there is water in the basement.  My stuff is protected, but I had hoped to put a pretty rug down there.  All of the snow and rain yesterday and caused the basement to get wet again.  Oh, well, thank God for plastic tubs.  LOL!

Word of the day:
Monday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St. Isidore of Seville, Archbishop (+ 636)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 4:43-54.

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."
The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon."
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe.
(Now) this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Okay, I have to share some sad news here. I never thought it would happen in this household, but it has. My husband has become an internet junkie. His drug of choice? Blog reading and Facebook. We really have to get our wireless connection working or one of us is going down.
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My buddy Clayton is coming over this morning for a while. I think we'll move his crafting cart down to the basement so that he can work down there while I make a batch of candles. I am itching to make a batch of Cappuccino Candles - complete with white foam on top. I've never made 2-color candles before so I am really excited about trying these. I will post a pic later.
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Word of the day
Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Mk 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, "Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house."
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
I find it interesting that the faith most often portrayed in the Gospels doesn't seem to come from those closest to Jesus.

God bless our troops!

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Ahhhh, I love Thursdays. Most Thursdays I don't have to be anywhere. I am way behind on laundry so I will be finishing that up. I also need to get started on the farm taxes. Not fun, but definitely better than when Harold and I were first married and had no computer spreadsheets to work with. Back then we had an adding machine and a farm record book in which to figure expenses. It had columns and columns on each page. The columns had to gibe vertically and horizontally. I dreaded tax time. At the end of January I knew there would come a morning when Harold would ceremoniously dump boxes of receipts on the kitchen table and announce that it was time to get the taxes ready. He would sort the receipts into piles corresponding to the columns in the book. When that was done it was my job to enter them in the book. Then the columns had to be added . . . and reconciled . . . and added again. Complete and total nightmare. We finally ended up just entering any total that came up twice.

These days when couples get married in the church they meet with the priest several times. There are high falootin' Meyer's Briggs tests, compatibility tests, psychological tests - all designed to see if this couple can make it in a world where 50% of marriages end in divorce - that is if people even bother to get married any more. Phoooey! I say stick that couple in a room with a zillion farm receipts, an adding machine, and a farm record book. Let them figure out farm taxes. Then, if they survive that, have them wallpaper a room together. If they emerge without injury or death they are good to go.
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I finally listed the cold process soap I made a few weeks ago. Things are slow on the website. They alway are this time of year. This soap is scented with Honeysuckle which a lot of people like. I'm not much for the floral scents but people are asking for them so . . .



My favs are the bakery scents. I made some Country Cinnamon Bun candles the other day and those smell great!
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I'm headed over to the other blog. Have a great day.

Word of the day:
Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Mk 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Throughout the Gospels there are warnings from Jesus not to tell anyone of his miracles. And those warnings are always stern. And they always seem to have the opposite effect. I often wonder if that was the point.


God bless our troops!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

You know, semi-retirement really hasn't sunk in yet. I would normally be off at this time. It will sink in next Monday when I rush around in the morning and then remember that I don't have to go to the school. It will be nice to be able to focus a little more (a lot more) on my remaining job - music director at my church. We have a project that we're working on and I need to get started on that. We are recording a CD in memory of our late member John. There are copyright permissions that need to be attended to. Then I need to assemble the music, schedule a couple of rehearsals, contact the recording guy and get this thing done.
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I cut the soap into bars this morning. It smells wonderful.



I also made some of my Country Prim Soap in the shape of Valentine Hearts. I scented it with Honey, Oats, and Milk. Those will be listed on the website sometime soon. Country Prim soap isn't quite as luxurious as the stuff made from scratch, but I can do fun things with it. It still doesn't have the detergent and nasty stuff that store bought soap has.





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I've been having an argument with myself all morning about whether I am going to work out today. Yes, Mary Ann is making her presence known. I am tuning her out. I have a bill that has to go in the mail and then I am hitting the treadmill.
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Okay, it took me a while to hit the treadmill. I need to get in gear earlier in the morning. It is too tempting to do website work while I am sitting here in jammies with a big mug of cafe latte.

Anyway, I did finally get on the treadmill. I saw that Nina was keeping tabs on me. :)

Daily stats:
Type: Treadmill
Route: Custom 2
Time: 20
Average heart rate: 120
Max heart rate: 137
Down 1.2 from last Tuesday (whoo hoo!)

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Word of the day
The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Gospel
Lk 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

God bless our troops!

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Monday, December 29, 2009 - Today I make soap!

Happy Birthday Clayton!! I chose the following picture because Clayton loves "creatures." He is 4 years old today, but he will tell you that his birthday was yesterday because that is when he had his cake. Oh, to be 4 years old and always right. LOL! (but his birthday is actually today.)



In our house - when the kids were growing up - we always celebrated Christmas until January 6th - The feast of the Epiphany - the day the Wisemen brought gifts to the baby Jesus. Our tree stayed up until then. The kids are grown and gone, but I still keep the tree up. This is when I write out my Christmas cards and family newsletter - when I have time to enjoy it instead of rushing to get it done.

It has always perplexed me that in the secular world, which begins Christmas the day after Halloween, Christmas stops cold on the day after. All of the Christmas stuff goes on sale. Yesterday, I stopped at Walmart and the Christmas goods have been picked clean and replaced by Valentine items. Even the Christian radio station stops playing Christmas music the day after Christmas.
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Today I get back on track with my daily updates on the fitness front. This is not a New Year's resolution so there is no excuse for me to put it off until then. My New Year's resolution is to finally declutter this house. Yesterday I had to go downstairs into my workroom and move everything off of the floor because water was coming in. I moved a lot of stuff that I am not using. That will be decluttered. Before Christmas I bought myself a gift from the Flylady shop.


These things are the coolest! They fold up into their own little pouch. These is even a video tutorial on the Flylady site. I have one problem though. I took the purple "give away" bag over to Clayton's party because his gifts were in it. It's still there. So today I will have to declutter without it.
I am off to do my Monday workout with is a strength training video.

Daily stats:
Type: Firm Video- Total Body Sculpt
Route: Living room
Time: 41
Average heart rate: 112
Max heart rate: 140
Down 2.2 from last Monday (whoo hoo!)

Wow, it's been a long long time. I had to modify like crazy. I didn't do some parts of the video, but as time goes on, I will get better. The stretching at the end felt great.

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Today I'm making soap. I haven't made soap in a long, long time - weeks. I have missed it so much. I am making my Lavender Meadows. It is a blend of lavender, sweet orange, and clary sage fragrance oils. My last bar went out the door a couple of months ago. I have the oils melted and the lye water mixed. I can't do anything else until the temps cool - usually about 2 hours from the time I melt the oils and mix the lye water. While I am waiting, I have spent some time decluttering the living room. Actually, I haven't really decluttered, I've just cleaned up the mess from our family Christmas on Christmas night.
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Here I am, in my hazmat gear getting ready to mix up the soap.



Here is the mixed soap poured into the mold and ready to transform itself. This will go into the oven for 2 hours. The swirl isn't quite as pronounced as I would like, but it smells wonderful!!!!




Below is a picture of the soap as it came out of the oven. It is in full gel stage. After it cools I will post of pic of how the look changes dramatically.


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Word of the Day:
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas
Gospel
Lk 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
The other day I was talking about how I wondered if my faith was strong enough to declare it in the face of having a gun pointed at one of my loved ones. Mary experienced this. Imagine raising a child and then having to go through what Mary did.


God bless our troops!

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Saturday, December 27, 2008 -

Now that things have more or less settled down, I am remembering some of the moments that stand out from this Christmas. On Christmas day, we begin our celebration at the home of my sister-in-law, Judy. In our family we have many December birthdays - including 2 on Christmas day. As we were singing Happy Birthday, our - soon to be four - grandson (who also has a December birthday) was frantically making the time out sign. When we finished, he shrieked at the top of his lungs -
"IT'S JESUS' BIRTHDAY!!!!" Ah yes, our own little John the Baptist.

Nina is hoping - yes, I can see you, Nina - that I will relate the Grinch episode. Perhaps tomorrow. LOL!
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Yesterday I started carb detox in preparation for "Goal Christmas 2009." Friday is normally a baseline day, but I did a carb down to get the ball rolling. Things are going well and I will give updates as they occur. Workouts begin again tomorrow - hopefully. My challenge for the day is a staff Christmas party tonight after mass. It's fairly informal so no one really watches what anyone else eats. Today is a carb down day so I am going to hang tough.
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Word of the day:
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist
Gospel
Jn 20:1a and 2-8

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Today we celebrate St. John - the beloved disciple of Jesus. When I first read today's Gospel, I was wondering about it's placement among all of the Christmas readings. Other than the obvious message, I ponder the irony of this reading - where Peter and John run to the tomb only to find it empty. I look at this Gospel in light of the past few weeks, where our view of Jesus may have been eclipsed by all of the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations. The disciples saw and believed in the midst of the burial wrappings. Let us see and believe as we take care of the paper and ribbon.


God bless our troops!

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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

So ya think you're stressed. Imagine that you are the Parish Manager of a parish in which the church building has a history of leaks. Imagine that the parish spent a lot - and I mean a lot - of money to completely cover all of the stained glass over the sanctuary so that the roof wouldn't leak. Now imagine that on a peaceful Christmas Eve day you wander over to the church to make sure everything is ready for the 2 masses that will be celebrated later that evening. You are greeted by the sight of a leak right smack dab in front of the Nativity Scene. Let us all take a moment and bow our heads in prayer for Sabina as she prepares to break the news to El Pastor.
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Anna will be coming over later because she is worried about getting snowed in on Christmas.
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I had a fairly productive day yesterday. I didn't get everything done, but I made a large dent in the list. Now I am going to dig in and get the rest done. The marathon begins. Updates provided as progress is made.
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This is what I have left to do.

3 gifts in category 4 - can be done tomorrow
Brown beef for tomorrow night and make dish to pass for tomorrow - will be done tonight after Mass

Whewww!!!!! I am pooped.
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Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Gospel
Lk 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

God bless our troops!

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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A deep freeze has settled upon the land. When we were enjoying all of the beautiful autumn days, we knew that we would be paying for them somehow. :) I actually love winter - as long as the roads aren't bad. But then, I live in a warm house. At this time of year we need to count our blessings and see if we can't share them with others. It doesn't take much. Somewhere in our arsenal of time, talent, and treasure is a spare blessing that we can bestow on someone else. Not everyone suffers from physical needs - there are many who suffer spiritual poverty in the midst of material wealth. In the commercial frenzy that whirls around us, let's try and tune in on the quiet voice that calls us to remember who we are and where we come from. Your spare blessing may be someone else's miracle!
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Last night I finished up an order for a baker's dozen of tealights, cut and packaged a batch of fudge, made a batch of snack mix, finished up gifts for the student aides, and started the boxes for family gifts that Melisa and I will be sending out. Tonight I have a batch of jar candles, and a pillar to pour. The house is a mix of scents - cranberry, carrot cake, Christmas pine - I love it!
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Remember the hippopotamus incident from a few days ago? Last night Anna left a comment here on my blog. Apparently, Clayton told her that her mother (meaning me - his grandmother) is not very good at hiding presents. Et tu, Clayton? LOL!

Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
Gospel
Mt 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Here is my opinion. Both sons disrespected their father.
Second son - scribes, pharisees . . . us
First son - tax collectors, prostitutes and - by the grace of God - us.

God bless our troops!

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Another snow day. This one was unexpected. Yesterday I had Clay and Claire over, but needed to get some things done so Clay stayed while Claire went home with Mommy. I promised her that she could come down some time without Clay. This morning she woke up and said to her mom, "me go Gramma's. No Clay." So my little Claire-Bear will be coming down later.

I got done what I needed to get done yesterday. It's a good thing too. Clay has been telling me that he wants a collection of Hippopottamuses (?) for Christmas. I have been buying them here and there and they are in various parts of the house. The daybed in the piano room is where everything gets dumped. Yesterday, Clay plopped himself down in the piano room and seemed to be daydreaming.

"What are you doing, Clay?"

"Oh, I'm just looking at the hippopotamus on the daybed. He's looking at me, too."

Oooooops, Grandma forgot to put that one in the closet.

A trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house is not complete without a session of jumping on the bed. They had run ahead of me and when I got there, Clay was jumping up and down with a video in his hand that we bought for Claire for Christmas. Ooooooops. After both of them went home I did a search for any stray presents. Clay and Claire are not the only ones who like to snoop.
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No formal workout today. I will try and do some weights later.
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Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Mt 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:

An aria from one of my all time favorite works:



It is amazing the ways in which God speaks to us.



God bless our troops!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Today is a snow day. I love winter. I love snow. The only thing I don't love is dangerous roads. I get a bonus day off from work - paid, no less - but there is a trade off. I feel anxious about everyone else who has to drive in this weather. Still, I'd rather do my praying here at home than at work. :) In a little while my two little buddies will be here. Can't think of a better way to spend some bonus time off.
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The scarecrow is finally down. The corn shock is on the ground waiting to be disposed of. Today I will get my little helpers to help me bring up the Christmas decorations.
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It's gotten so I hate to even turn the radio on lately. Nothing but dismal and depressing news. My friend Jennifer sent this to me a while ago. I'm posting it because you never can get enough Good News!



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Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Gospel
Mt 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Any shepherd will tell you that the average shepherd will not leave his flock to search out one. Aren't we blessed that Jesus is not the average shepherd?

God bless our troops!

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Sunday, December 7, 2008 - Pearl Harbor Day

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. When I was serving at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Shepherd, the deacon there, John Wilberding, always preached on the weekend closest to the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. He was stationed there in 1941. He lived to tell about it because he went to Mass that morning. When I planned the music for this weekend, Pearl Harbor never entered my mind. I am not at St. Vincent any more and so I didn't hear John preach about it. In fact, as an elderly deacon, John is not able to preach any more and so no one at St. Vincent heard him either. I find this sad because he still has much to tell us.

Last night at Mass, a friend of mine who served as a nurse in the Navy, asked if we were going to have a patriotic song. She remembered the date. She was alive when Pearl Harbor happened. I am bothered by the fact that it slipped my mind and somewhat ashamed. Those things that affect our lives tend to stay with us. I was not yet born when Pearl Harbor was attacked, but I can tell you exactly where I was when I found out my mother had died, or when John F. Kennedy was shot, or when my grandfather called to tell me my father had died, or when I heard about the World Trade Towers. Does my forgetting mean that I don't care? No, because I do care. It means that I am human. My memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, or is it that as we get older there is so much more to remember?

But we need to make an effort to remember. We need to pass these memories down to our children and grandchildren, lest they be lost.

In this second week of Advent, there just isn't any place in the liturgy to insert a patriotic song, but I can type up a petition for the prayers of the faithful for our men and women in service to their country and to all who died at Pearl Harbor. Remembering is the least we can do. Passing the memory on is the best we can do. Listen to the readings this weekend in light of the sacrifices that many have made for us - and then think of Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us. Think about what motivates this kind of sacrifice.

Word of the day:
Second Sunday of Advent
Reading 1
Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Gospel
Mk 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
I included the first reading today because we hear it whenever we go to a Christmas performance of Messiah. I never hear these readings without hearing the music that Handel wrote. Amid all of the dark readings we have heard over the last few weeks, comes this shining jewel of hope and joy.

Today we begin the Gospel of Mark and hear about John the Baptist who foretells the coming of Christ. John the Baptist was an odd figure - not aesthetically pleasing to the eye and many mistook him for the Messiah. He got in people's faces, most notably Herod, and got himself killed. Though John is not a Hallmark figure, not a warm fuzzy character, he is an important voice as we prepare for Christmas, because what motivated John? What motivated any of the prophets, and martyrs? What motivated Jesus? Why did Jesus come to us. There is only one thing that motivates any of us to do anything and that is Love. But it is what we love that defines us as people and maps out our destiny.


God bless our troops, whose love for their country and its people should never be forgotten - ever.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Life changes:

As I was turning in my time sheet at the school yesterday, it occurred to me that the next time I make that walk, it will be my last as an employee of the school. As much as I am looking forward to retirement, there is still a pang at the thought of leaving. When I first started there, three of our children were still going to Shepherd schools. They were mortified at the thought of anyone knowing they had a mom - and worse - that she worked at the school in the library.

Melisa, as much as she protested my working at the school, managed to snag herself the position of library aide. I think she was setting herself up as "Mom monitor" to protect Nina and Sam. Every school day in the fall I would watch the runners after school and beam with pride as Melisa went by with her cross country team.

At 4th hour I would station myself at the library windows to see Sam heading from the shop building over to the main building with his group of friends.

At the beginning of 6th hour, I would watch for Nina's crowd. They all called me Mom. Nina never minded that I worked at the school, as long as I didn't do anything to embarrass her.

In late fall, Sam had wrestling practice and I often peeked in on that. In the spring was track, and after school I would watch for a glimpse of Melisa and Nina as they did their training runs.

Occasionally Anna would stop in to do some work or research for her college classes.

One by one, the younger three graduated and left. And I would feel a pang when I saw the cross-country girls, or the wrestling team, or the track team going to and from the buildings.

That's the feeling I had yesterday when I went to turn in my time sheet. As I walked down the hall past the familiar classrooms, past the students sitting on the floor outside their classrooms or milling in the commons, I realized that a big chunk of my life has been spent in that school.

Yesterday afternoon I took down the rest of the senior pictures that students have given me over the years. With dismay I realized that I couldn't remember some of their names. Their messages often said "I'll miss you, but I'll come back to visit." Some of them have, but most have not. The ones that come back seem oddly out of place and yet I have seen those same students in the halls for years. But once they graduate, something changes. To use a quilting term, they beome appliques - they are no longer woven into the pieced background of the quilt, they are a piece apart. In two weeks, I will no longer be part of the fabric of the life at Shepherd schools. When I come back, it will be as a visitor - an outsider. It will be evident that life in the school has continued without me. And as much as I am looking forward to my new life, I will - for a while - be in mourning for the old one. Isn't that always the way when we begin a new chapter?
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Today is my first non-committed Saturday in a long time. I am sitting here wondering what needs to be done first. I have made my list - I'm checkin' it twice. The first order of business is to get some cleaning done. It's much easier to think clearly when the house is somewhat in order - and at the moment it is not.
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My fitness goals have taken a back seat lately because so much has piled up here. I plan to start anew either tomorrow (probably not) or Monday.

Word of the day:
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Gospel
Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
It occurs to me that if a person gives a gift and counts the cost, he is not really giving a gift - he is selling a product. Jesus' command to give without cost is actually a very freeing thing. Imagine the energy it takes to keep track of every single gift we have given and checking to see if we have received in kind. One can easily see why Jesus was angered when he entered the temple and found the money changers using his father's house as a marketplace. God doesn't measure his love doling out only what he receives in turn - and neither should we.


God bless our troops - who give freely without counting the cost. Thank you for your service!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

The Refrigerator

Once upon a time (on a Black Friday in 2008) a farmer and his wife rose before the sun and headed to Sears to purchase a refrigerator. Their old refrigerator had ceased to function and so it had to be replaced. As the couple headed toward Alma, the farmer dreamed of a lovely side-by-side model with a front door ice maker. The wife just wanted something in the same color that would fit in the refrigerator spot.

Before heading out, the farmer carefully measured the space.
"Remember this, 35 w x 70 h."
The farmer's daughter, being an intelligent young lady, said,
"Write it down."
The farmer's wife wrote it down. (and left it on the desk)

At Sears, the farmer found exactly what he wanted. A beautiful side by side in bisque. Perfect. Ummmmm, not so much. It measured 35 1/2 x 69. Undaunted, and sure he had accounted for the 1/2 inch, he snapped up the deal. It would be delivered the following Wednesday.

Upon reaching home, the farmer's wife reminded him that the new fridge was 1/2 inch wider than what the paper said. He measured the space. 35 inches. He had the wife measure the space. 35 inches. He had his intelligent and beautiful daughter measure the space. Still 35 inches. Hmmmmmm. That 1/2 inch DOES make a difference.

With a heavy heart the farmer headed back to Sears to cancel the deal on his dream refrigerator. The model he purchased (the one that would fit in the space) looked pretty much like the old fridge but was a 1/2 inch less wide. (It was also about $500 cheaper).

Fast forward to Wednesday. The farmer's wife moved all the clutter out of the front hall so that the refrigerator could be brought in through the front door. (That's a story for another day.) She emptied out the salvageable stuff from the freezer of the old fridge. She called the farmer to tell him that it would be his job to move the food from the bottom of the old fridge into the new fridge.

At 2:30 the wife's cell phone rings while she is at work.
"There's still food in this fridge," the farmer said in a puzzled voice.
"Right," said the wife.

Upon returning home from work, the wife noticed that the front door was open. (The new fridge must be here.) Sure enough, in the kitchen stood the new refrigerator in all its glory. The wife called the farmer to tell him how nice the new refrigerator looked. "It seems bigger," she said.
The farmer said, "It is. It's deeper. Be careful when you open the dishwasher. We forgot to measure the depth"




It's hard to see in the pic, but that is as far as the dishwasher will open without scratching the door of the refrigerator. But where there's a will, there's a way.



The good news is that the extra depth leaves more room for pictures and Clayton's art work.



Word of the day:
Gospel
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Mt 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”


Thoughts from the cornfield:
The easy way is not always the best way. It takes a lot more effort to build a house on rock, but when the winds blow, the reward is priceless.


God bless our troops!

Monday - December 1, 2008 - Baseline day

Snow day! Snow day! What shall I do with this great gift of bonus time? First of all, I will say a prayer for all who are out on the roads today. Here is my list of things I want to accomplish

Christmas Choir folders - mission accomplished
Laundry room - first 30 minute stint - taking out things that don't belong
Finish Christmas stocking orders - 3 done
Pack up orders to mail
Clean kitchen
And today is laundry and bill day.

Today is a baseline day. I got way off track and am paying the price. Kitchen

No workout today, I put my back out somehow. If I had known that school was cancelled, I would have slept in. Apparently, school closings are not announced on the Saginaw station any more.

So, I am lighting candles (no shortage of those around). I am going to attack my chores in the Flylady way. I'll check back in with updates on my progress for those who are interested.

I also made my Advent candles yesterday. These were made from melting down an old Paschal Candle from church. I have never worked with such wonderful pillar wax. These practically fell out of the mold.










Word of the day
Monday of the First Week of Advent
Gospel
Mt 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Catholics will recognize in this passage, the source of the short prayer which we say before receiving the Eucharist. "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."

The late Bishop of Saginaw, Bishop Kenneth Untener, was a frequent guest on a local radio station based out of Saginaw. His dear friend, Art Lewis, once asked him what he thought heaven would be like. Bishop Untener answered, "I know one thing - I will be surprised." Indeed, we will be surprised at who we find in heaven - although Jesus has told us to expect the most unlikely people to be there, we are still in for many surprises. We may be even more surprised at who we don't find there. Lord, I want to be in that number.

God bless our troops!

We took the last stocking order from Ebay last night. This morning I found a query from someone who wanted stockings. If this order comes through, we will have made 144 stockings this season. That's over twice as many as last year. We have indeed been blessed. I want to get everything shipped by December 1.

I like to relax and enjoy the season in December, but there are still last minute business things to take care of; gift basket orders, website orders etc. In the first week of December I take stock of those things I need to do. What I will get the family, packaging up gift boxes for mailing, Christmas cards, not to mention all that is going on at church - children's choir, adult choir, additional Masses for Our Lady of Guadalupe, plus our advent reconcilliation services.

The snow covers the ground outside. It looks Christmasy. I have held off from playing any Christmas music yet, except for what is on this blog, but even that is not overtly Christmas. But on Friday, all the stops come out! Mannheim Steamroller will play from dawn to dusk. LOL!

Next week I need to get back on track with my workouts. When things get hectic, that is the only wiggle room I have time-wise, except for my blog time. I need that, though. I need to touch base with the word of the day in order to stay grounded.


Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,v brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
It's all about faith and trust. When fears set in we would do well to pray for an increase both.
Here is a little message about faith and trust, courtesy of 2 of our nieces (Laura and Kathlene) and their husbands (Ryan and Drew) who comprise the Christian drama group One Time Blind.








God bless our troops!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - Happy Birthday Jamie!

Today one of my favorite people celebrates his birthday. Jamie joined our family on April 15, 2005 in the form of Nicola's husband. LOL! Have a great day, Jamie. And save me some lasagna!

Well, I got the word from Clayton and Claire this morning. Given the choice between making cookie ornaments or cookies to eat, the unanimous decision was to make cookies of the eating kind. To quote Claire, "EAT EAT!" So Grandma needs to prepare her shopping list. Cookies of the eating kind require different ingredients than cookies of the ornament kind. My plan is to have the dough mixed and ready for Friday. The plan and the actuality will probably be vastly different, but no matter what, it is sure to be fun. Can you guess which one of these two cuties loves to have her picture taken? All you have to do is show her the camera and Claire says "Peas" and strikes a pose. Clayton - not so much.

I made 2 batches of cinnamon stick candles last night - one batch of jar candles, and one batch of pillars and tarts. The house smells - well - it smells cinnamony. The jar candles turned out beautifully. The tarts were great, the pillars look rustic. I am living my dream - making candles and soap. I love it! Speaking of soap, I haven't made any in weeks. Come December I need to re-stock.

Retirement from the school looms ever closer. I have mixed feelings, but all-in-all I am looking forward to it. On a day I can't remember, I suddenly became old. Well, older - less resistant to change. I am looking forward to having more time to do the things I love - quilting, soapmaking, candle making, and best of all, being Grandma. I will still be at the church so I won't be completely unemployed. I will have the best of both worlds. And, there is a possibility that they will need me from time to time at the school.

Word of the day: Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel Lk 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here– the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
The readings at this time of the year are in direct contrast to what we see going on in the world. Lights are hung to stave away the darkness that falls ever earlier as the days grow shorter. Furnaces are lit and fires burn in fireplaces to warm the air that grows ever colder. Christmas speaks of love, peace, and joy and yet we sometimes see very little of it as people scramble to prepare for the "perfect" Martha Stewart Norman Rockwell Better Homes and Gardens Christmas. In and of itself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with decorating and baking and shopping. These are all beautiful ways to celebrate the season and serve others. But underneath it all, if we're not careful, we can lose sight of the bigger picture. As we heard in Sunday's gospel, we are also expected to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned. This can - and should - all be done in a spirit of love, peace, and joy. This year, let's not get so caught up in the wrappings and trappings that we forget the gift inside.


God bless our troops!