I knew it wasn't in my head!

Lately, I have felt like my days are not long enough. I do not accomplish nearly enough in one day. I thought I was was wasting time somewhere, but it turns out Since the earthquake in Chile, the days may be shorter. Well, at least it's not me.

Cardinal Ennio Antonelli is my Hero!

From Zenit today..

Cardinal: Stay-at-Home Moms Need to Be Paid

Pontifical Council President Urges Family-Friendly Economics

ROME, MARCH 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Pontifical Council for the Family is stressing the importance of work done by those in the home and suggesting economic compensation for it.

Cardinal Ennio Antonelli called for financial and professional perks to encourage families when he spoke on "Family and Business, Vital Cells of Society," at a meeting of the Catholic Union of Businessmen and Executives (UCID) in Rome.

His proposals were reported last Friday in the Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano.

During his address the Italian cardinal stressed that "domestic work deserves economic recognition."

He also said that "numerous families deserve special reductions and financial facilities," pointing to the examples of France and Germany where "families with three children pay €2,000 [$2,720] or €3,000 [$4,080] less."

The Vatican official noted that raising a family and seeking a career outside the home are compatible for women, but he urged support services: day care centers in businesses and neighborhoods, and for the elderly and handicapped, other social services.

He also pointed out the importance of offering women a "variety of opportunities in professional work: part-time work, telework, flexibility of hours and vacations."

Cardinal Antonelli cautioned against the price paid by marriage and family when women see careers and social success as the path to self-fulfillment. And he pointed out the negative effects when dads are absent from families.

For my two readers

Did you ever have an evening, in which you received bad news, went to bed thinking about it, woke up, again, it was the first thought in your head, but were sure it must have been a bad dream, then realized it wasn't. That was my night. I'm fine, before you ask, but a friend received bad news, and I feel terribly for him.

I can't go into details, but please pray for my friend, and that he may be submissive and patient with God's will for him. When we are in the midst of trial, it is so difficult to see what God could possibly be preparing us for, or teaching us. It takes tremendous amounts of faith and obedience to see the potential good. I know this friend has both, but that does not make it any less difficult to understand why.

I love it when they get it!

It seems like a rare occasion that my children make a connection between historical events, but when they do, Ahh! I'm sure they get it more than they let me know, after all, mom might get a big ego or get prideful if she knew she was a decent teacher.

Today we studied Hitler's rise to power. I asked the question, "Who did Hitler Blame?" and got a good response, " The Jews, just like in the Story of Ester". We studied Ester yesterday. They saw the connection, they got it.

My greatest hope in spending far too much time dwelling on history has been that my children will see how it does repeat itself. My greater hope, is that they will become active citizens to prevent some of that repetition in their lifetime. One connection down, a million more to go.

I love homeschooling!

In defense of Teletubbies

I'm not sure how the subject came up, but yesterday I ended up arguing in defense of Teletubbies. Let me start by saying I hate children's programming. It is dribble and visual twaddle at best. That said, I have realized in the 11 years that I have been at times forced to watch PBS kids, it has gotten drastically worse.

I was raised on a healthy diet of Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, both my Parents worked, and while my dad, who worked nights, napped, I got to watch TV. It was not much, but the poor guy needed an hour in the morning to rest while my mom was at work. I was not watching endless hours a day, and he felt like he could trust Mr. Rogers to keep me out of trouble.

Fast Forward 30 years. I try to monitor TV, PBS is generally allowed when there is TV viewing allowed. However, the quality is awful. Back to Teletubbies, sure it was bad, but at least they didn't try to indoctrinate, to promote a certain agenda. It was like a bad fairy tale. Cute, distracting, showing kids playing nicely and at best teaching a few good character traits.

The "new" shows all have something to push. Take for example a newer show, Sid the Science Kid( my eldest calls it Sid the stupid kid, but that is not polite!). Hmm, Science is good, right? Sure, if that is what the show was about. Science is the package for a few other views. The school class is full of racial stereotypes, and one big cliche. The show has promoted the H1N1 vaccinate, CFL light-bulbs and hybrid cars. Okay, why does my 5 year old need to know about these other than to yell at me that our Honda is not a hybrid?!

I'll take silly colored aliens over preachy issue-laden science any day!

Another Unlikely Good Word on Religious Life

By this point, most people are aware that Oprah had the Sister of Mary Mother of the Eucharist on her show. All reviews I have heard are that it was good and made the life of the sister look wonderful. This week, on Chicago Public radio's Eight Forty Eight show, writer Judy Valente talked about life in the Benedictine Monastery. She ended her story with

"With a dwindling number of men and women willing to enter monastic life, it’s easy to dismiss monasteries as hopeless throwbacks to the past. But for me, monasteries offer a window to the future …a future our world so desperately needs. One that stresses community over competition, service over self-aggrandizement, quietude over chatter, and simplicity over constant consumption. It’s what keeps me coming back again and again to these incredible Benedictine women, and to this monastery tucked away on a hill."

Not a bad way to say it, "a future our world so desperately needs"

I'm back!

I finally got a new computer with a letter "t", thus making it easier to write. I hope to make Lent a good time to do this, how are you preparing for Lent, I'd love to hear ideas.

More on Change

I, like many Americans, am a New Year resolution failure most years. Not this one, I swear. I vowed I would get fit. I know, and so do millions of other Americans, but for some reason this year it is different, at least for me.

I'm going to be 35 in a month, so my time to get serious about weight and exercise is running out, 35 seems to be the age doctors start lecturing more, and health heads south. I think that is motivating me, or may be it is the fact that I have an 11 year old daughter. I was thin until about her age, and it worries me to think she will not always be thin. I want her to see my better example.

So far, in the week we've been in this year, I've been able to lose 5 lbs and exercise 5/7 days. I know most people give up by the end of January, but I'm hoping that by posting here, I'll not be one of them. My goal is irrelevant, I'm rather hoping for a lifestyle change, to actually like sweat, to not be embarrassed to have my kids seem me workout and not find it easy. I've already seen a bit of an attitude change, I want to work out, even though I'll still admit to hating it, with a passion.

I'll keep posting, and please pray for me, I'm never going to run a marathon, I have not an ounce of desire to do so, but I'd love to know I could if I wanted to.

Begin Again.

I'm glad it is Christmas, this was quite possibly the most trying Advent for me in my adult life. Trying does not mean bad, just draining emotionally. I was challenged to change, lost a loved one, and had to deal with a few pedestals I'd put people on.

Change sucks. I'm bad at it, and prefer my old ways, however, once in a while it becomes necessary to examine one's actions. Sometimes in doing so, we realize, we have already changed. Then the difficulty comes in knowing although you are content with the change, others preferred the "old you". What to do, what to do? If I had my way, which I never do, I would force change upon others, but this is not practical. How can the blow be softened to others. First prayer seems to work wonders, secondly, patience. Thirdly, wine. Yep, a little vino goes a long way, for both parties.

Every day is a new chance to begin again, not just projects that go unfinished, but relationships, resolutions, and life. Every day is a clean slate, full of opportunities to do good, have fun and love. Christmas is the greatest ever reminder of this. For generations the people of God turned away from him, but in one moment, because of one child, they ( and we) could begin again.

Merry Christmas!

Paving the Road to Hell

Good intentions run rampant here. Whether it be my desire to write a worthwhile blog, or my volunteering or most importantly raising my kids right. My desire and intentions are good, I promise, but the results, maybe not.

Life has a funny way of sidetracking me. I really wanted to make Advent special here, on the blog, but my 8 hour a week part-time job turned into a 20 hour a week job without me noticing. I have begun to sacrifice things I enjoy, like writing and baking for running around taking kids to lessons. I have given up daily mass, because I have to be at work at the same time. I used to read, now I cram things into my brain as quickly as possible. There is no joy in that.

How do we find peace and solace in the busy-ness and chaos? I truly do not have a solution. My one hour of adoration a week is not cutting it anymore, may prayer the rest of the week is stale, and I know I need life in it, but right now, I do now have it in me to figure out how.