Torture

There has been a growing movement in the Catholic Blog-o-sphere concerning torture. I've always known it was wrong, but I usually blamed my liberal tenancies, especially since I never win the argument when I'm surrounded by other Catholics. Thankfully, as I usually do, I can rely on the Church to set me straight.

Torture is happening far more than we, as a country, would like to acknowledge. How do I know? After all, suburban mom, home-schooler, and otherwise boring person does not qualify me to speak on much. I know because I have heard first hand stories from my family, my brother serves in Kuwait and Iraq, my brother-in-law recently returned from Afghanistan and my dad, a veteran of the Marines were sharing stories at our late Christmas dinner. I was shocked, appalled and left speechless. I love these guys, especially my brother-in-law, he is well read, and a smart guy, yet, he tortured. Everyone did from what he was saying. It wasn't as extreme as water-boarding, but there were many little things that were unnecessary for the questioning of other human beings. Honestly, they treated the dog that wandered in from the desert better than the locals. I was sickened.

The simple lesson, just because we can, and everyone else does, doesn't mean we should. This week I'm teaching the kids about the Holocaust. How can I tell them all that happened to rob people of their dignity and eventually their lives is wrong if I think it is okay to do the same today? I'm not the best spokeswoman for this cause, admittedly, I'm not the best at expressing the truth with clarity, but hopefully, I can convince my family, and friends.

Know your farmer, Know your food

I know my farmer, his name is Jamie, and Karen, his mom, delivers my eggs, cheese and veggies in the summer. I've known Eric, and Paul, the people at Plow Creek and Donna, they are my farmers, or have been in the past 7 years. The USDA is launching a program so that more of you can know your farmer too. Nothing compares to being able to ask how to get rid of squirrels from the guy who battles them all week, or to ask if beets ever go out of season, after the 12th week of them straight from the person who is mulling tilling them over.

Eating Local is not just about food, it's about people. My farmer needs to farm to pay the bills, and has decided not to take the "easy way" by planting cash crops (corn, soy). By buying local, I am helping a family keep a farm out of debt that has been in the family for generations. Corn looks like quick cash, but costs them the farm. Buying local helps my farmer live here, where I live, though it is mostly urban. Knowing my farmer means knowing a person, and their joys and struggles to provide food, it means asking how they are doing, it means rejoicing with them that it has been a good season. You cannot eat the food without offering a prayer for the person, whose face you know, that grew it. I know my food is truly the work of a person hands, because I shake those worn hands each week.

So that's why it's PG

I'm all about the new Alice and Wonderland movie. I've secretly had a crush on Johnny Depp ever since his first Tim Burton Film. He does nothing for me in his other films, though. As I was looking up the midnight showings, I noticed the rating PG, but the kicker is why.

(PG), for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar?

A smoking caterpillar?! Who knew?

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.