Summer reading Wednesday, Jul 1 2009

Looking for some good summer reading?  Do you want to read some reviews of books to help you choose?  Would you like to see the “must read” lists of Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Archbishop Chaput and other notable Catholics?  If so, go to Tiber River and have a look.  You will find books in all categories from philosophy to fiction and everything in between.   

There are even a few reviews by Yours Truly.  And if you like to interact with others who are reading the same book, you can participate in book discussions.  Check it out and enrich your mind while relaxing on a hot summer day.

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A Nifty Liturgical Calendar Monday, Jun 29 2009

Check this out.  The Catholic News Agency has an easy-to-use Liturgical Calendar, complete with the daily readings for the Mass and Saint biographies for the feast days.

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Shhhh, it’s a secret Monday, Jun 1 2009

I have been leery of buying China-made anything, but particularly food and drugs because of the revelations in the last couple of years of tainted stuff.  When I was looking for aspirin several months ago, I called the 800 numbers on store-brand products and there was no problem with getting the answer to a simple question:  Where are these made?

Well my not-so-favorite store when asked the same question by the pharmacist to somebody on the other side of the 800 number responded:  “We follow the FDA regs and since this is “proprietary” we do not give out that information.”

To me that was a dead giveaway that their store-brand acetominophen may just be from China.  I can’t prove it because they aren’t telling. 

The country of origin is  a company secret, so reader beware…or as they used to say in Rome when people bought from street vendors caveat emptor.

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UP Sunday, May 31 2009

I’m not big on animated pictures generally, but I loved Up.  Always the skeptic with Hollywood anything, I was pleasantly surprised by this latest Pixar movie.

This is a movie you can take your kids to.  The very tender littles may have problems with the dogs which alternate between being humorous and menacing.  The story has all the essential elements to draw you in:  believable characters, positive family values, a villain, adventure, an unexpected twist, humor and great animation.  The movie is in the theaters in both regular and 3-D format. 

For plot details, read here.

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It’s Miller Time! Thursday, May 28 2009

May–ya gotta love it.  Lengthened days, a few actually warm enough to eat outside, a good steak on the grill, a Miller beer in hand.  You get the picture.  But you’re wrong….

 

 

 

Miller Time in Black Forest means miller time. 

The millers are awful this year, and with our unsealed construction project, they are even worse.  Last night, about midnight, I went into the bathroom where the only light (a nightlight) in the house was on.  My movement caused a swarm of millers around me–in my hair, in my face, and all around the room.  It was like a nightmare out of a Hitchcock film. 

Years ago I learned to set miller traps–sudsy water in a cup or bowl around a light.   This was the catch around midnight–close to the same number had been caught earlier in the evening.

Warning, the following picture may not be suitable for squeamish eyes.

 

 

Petition to my dear readers: 

 Please don’t report me to the SPCA. 

Thanks.

PS.  I thought the night before had been bad, but when I went into the kitchen last night, I counted about 50 moths on the ceiling.  So with my trap set, I prepared for the night.  In this pot are about 40 of the precious things.  Yikes!

I have become obsessed with drowning every one of them in my house.  Who knows how many are lurking in the shadows yet…

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An alarming night Saturday, May 23 2009

The other night the air was very still and hot.  I couldn’t sleep so I got up and went to a different room so as not to disturb my husband with my rustlings about.  I opened the window but since there was no breeze, I couldn’t escape the heat.  So I laid down on top of the bed and tried to doze.  Then it started.  Chirp.  I listened for more and there wasn’t any, so I began to doze again.  Then it was Chirp Chirp.  So I got up and started looking for the source, but it was sporadic and I couldn’t trace it.  Then the Chirp Chirp  became a beep.  Some moments later is was a beep beep.  By then, it was 11:30 p.m. and my husband was up and we were both trying to find the source.  We just couldn’t get to it at the time it was beeping and with the new codes, there are fire alarms all over the house.  We finally found the offender and changed the battery.  Ah, the quiet.  So we went back to bed and then, you guessed it, chirp.  Same alarm.  By this time, we were very frustrated so my husband fiddled and fiddled till he managed to disconnect the alarm from the ceiling.

 

Mission accomplished we went back to our tossing and turning till we finally fell asleep.  Then, around 4:00 a.m.  it happened…..chirp, chirp.  This time, it was coming from a different direction.  So the quest began again.  This time it was the CO alarm in the basement.  Having had a real emergency before with CO, my husband didn’t ignore this one.  He went in and woke up our son to make sure he was OK, and assuring that he was fine, he took the alarm out of the wall, removed the battery, and went back to bed.

What a night.  Lesson learned?  Change the batteries when you change the clocks in the fall. 

Question:  Isn’t it strange that two alarms would go off on the very same night?  And why did the first alarm continue to chirp after the battery was replaced?

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Notre Dame must be weeping Saturday, May 16 2009

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Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad…and Thanks Wednesday, May 13 2009

My wonderful parents were married on this day in 1939–70 years ago.  My Dad died in 2000 and my Mom died two years ago come July.   They were wonderful parents and it is my prayer that they are celebrating their 70 years in Heaven.  I continue to pray for them and ask that their souls rest in peace.

Their gift to us today was the sale of the house they bought when Dad retired in 1973.  It has been on the market for about 1 1/2 years, and today it sold.  Perhaps Mom and Dad decided to wait till today to let go of their last earthly dwelling.

This was one of their hothouse plants which I brought home after Mom died.  I never even knew it was a bloomer.  But it started blooming on Dad’s birthday, May 3 and continues today.  Another little kiss from my wonderful parents.

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Garden Party Sunday, May 3 2009

If you are ever invited to a garden party at our house, don’t come in a dress with a pretty bonnet.  Instead, put on your jeans, get a sun hat and bring a rake!  Here are some shots of our garden party, Black Forst style.  Everybody participated, down to the four-year-old.

First, we fortified them with cinnamon rolls and sunscreen

The man with the plan gave instructions…

Most of the strawberries were dug up to make space for other plants

Even the youngest found a job

Andrew dug weeds

The plastic had to be removed from the walls

Thomas watched patiently

Ahh! Nice and clean

Meanwhile, the guys did the heavy work of putting up a chain link fence

 

 The fence was heavy, but somebody had to hold it up

Preparing for the additional fencing to fool the deer

Maria was just happy to be outside

 

It was a productive day which was topped off with hamburgers on the grill, a hail storm and peach cobbler–in that order!

God is good!

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100 Days of Change Thursday, Apr 30 2009

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