20th
May 2013
My friend blogged the other day about how her boys, when allowed to have whatever they want for breakfast on their birthday, choose cereal. Not just any cereal, but the type of cereal with so much sugar it makes your toes curl. They don’t want pancakes or waffles or strawberry-flavoured milk or ice cream—nope. It’s all about the “vitamin-enriched” bits of crunchy wheat, enhanced with green marshmallows or chunks of chocolate. What’s not to love? And so it is with my ... (Continue reading)
I’ve been walking around the last few days with the name "Kermit" in my head and vomit close to the surface. You almost have to be made of Teflon to be able to stomach the events that are being laid out in a courtroom in Pennsylvania...tales so horrific it makes me wonder if history is repeating itself here and now and we’re stuck in Nazi Germany. The facts are as gruesome as some of the worst concentration camp stories, and ... (Continue reading)
I’m not a big Simpson’s fan, but I do remember one funny episode where Homer’s neighbour, Ned Flanders—the bible-believing Christian—promises Homer that he will shave off his mustache if Homer agrees to give up swearing. Ned institutes the swear jar and every time Homer lets a cuss word fly, he had to put money in the jar. If memory serves, the jar was all but full by the end of it. The curse words were only implied, not fully spoken, ... (Continue reading)
Spring is here—Alleluia! I've been waiting for warmer weather like a little kid waits for Christmas morning, gleefully counting down the days. It happens every year—just when I can’t stand the gloom any longer, the sun comes out for 25 seconds and the temperature shoots up by 10 degrees and my spirits soar. And every year the current fashions slap me right back down to earth again. Whether it’s the uber-short shorts, strapless tops, or painted-on pants, every year I think ... (Continue reading)
It’s Holy Thursday today, as you likely know, and this year I am confronted with humanity: humanity in all of its ugly beauty. That’s right. Humanity is beautiful. And humanity is ugly. Sort of like the Cross. Today we commemorate Christ, eating the Last Supper with his dear ones, washing their feet, dipping his hand into a dish to touch a beloved traitor. Jesus must have looked at Judas and remembered the woven tapestry of his life—his birth, his childhood, him ... (Continue reading)
Okay, I’m going to do it. You’re probably all Pope-d out as there hasn't been a moment’s break from all things “Pope” since Benedict said, “I’m done” and Francis said, “I’m good to go.” But I’m going to go for it anyways. Today I felt The Spirit, hovering and igniting the world just as He did two thousand years ago in a small room with some scared men. He was vibrant today—like Northern Lights vibrant—rushing through the waters of the Cardinals, giving them wisdom ... (Continue reading)
“You dream of great deeds. Everyone, these days, reads about Charles de Foucauld. Many have a starry-eyed look. They wonder if they shouldn’t become a Little Sister or Brother of de Foucauld. But, when I listen to their conversations, I want to cry. Not one of them stops to think what a heroic life he really led. He lived in a little hut in the blistering desert, with its cold and searing nights, amongst strange, primitive human beings. ... (Continue reading)
One of my blogging heroines often says the only thing that qualifies her to blog is that she is a housewife with a computer—meaning, she’s not qualified to say much so don’t take her words as gospel truth. Well, I can relate. I’m not an expert on anything (except maybe Scrabble; I’m good at that). I’m just a gal with a computer and a drive to form words into meaningful ideas. I started blogging because it’s one of the easiest ... (Continue reading)
So it's here. That day that strikes fear and dread into the heart of attached and unattached persons alike. The day of heart-shaped tchotchke’s and overpriced roses and honeymoons in heart-shaped Jacuzzis in Niagara Falls. Hallmark’s biggest day of the year. Valentine's Day. Ugh. For me, V-Day conjures up memories of disappointment and hurt, of unrequited love and dashed expectations—so much so that the day has been ruined even ten years into a very happy romance and marriage. There were the years in high school ... (Continue reading)
I remember Lent as a kid. It was basically the longest stretch of time EVER, next to Advent of course. Unlike Advent, Lent was chock full of not eating what I wanted, not drinking what I wanted, not watching TV and not doing most things I enjoyed. Whatever I liked, Lent took away from me. It was the have-not stint of any given year. Even as a small child I remember clapping my hands over my mouth after consuming the ... (Continue reading)
"I'm heartbroken to announce that last week, we discovered a crushed consecrated Host beneath one of the kneelers," ...
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - ...
Several years ago, when I was working on a community theatre project, I overheard two little girls having ...
My friend blogged the other day about how her boys, when allowed to have whatever they want for ...
He gently leads his dad down the aisle. Mass is about to begin and he knows it will ...