My friends.

And people say I don't have any!

Mrs. Wiggins

I was looking for a funny photo to post, and as I searched my files, I realized I have really posted some pretty funny photos on this blog. (I think the best were associated with the posts I did about quitting my job last March.)

That ironic Mr. Brown...

What would we do without Spirit Daily?

Tonight, Michael Brown has one of his classic conspiracy theory posts about "hand signals" - their occult significance and how they have permeated the culture. Yet for some strange reason, he also has the above photo of the infamous "Piss Christ" by Andres Serrano on his main page - with no explanation or story reference. Maybe he likes it.

This hunting season...

Swill - don't kill. ;)

(I'm not really against hunting - it just rhymed.)

Cathy is back...

Someone ran into her in the office breakroom. She said she just got out of rehab. Works for me.

[Photo: This is what came up when I Googled, "drunk woman with chapel veil" - LOL!]

People have asked me...

How my Halloween turned out.

It was very fun. I had 98 kids - which is a lot for my neighborhood - most people say they get about 30 to 50 kids. But a lot of cars stopped to let the kids come to the door. I did one ghost to look like St. Catherine of Bolgna's in-corrupt body - only all in white. The kids loved it. Despite the windy conditions, all of the candles stayed lit. (It was too windy for the dry ice.)

One little kid yelled to his friends as he left the door - "Hey! He's giving out candy by the handful!" Then screams and kids running up the steps. Kids and their parents all remarked about how cool the decorations were, and what a nice house I have. The next day I saw one of the kids walking by the house, pointing out all the architectural details to his friend.

All of the kids were well behaved and very polite, and all of them said "thank you", and a few said, "I love your house!" The costumes were mostly fairy princesses for girls, or vampires and super heroes for the boys. No one was dressed as a sexual object - as most blogs were decrying before the holiday - no Brittneys or Lindseys. Even the teenagers without costumes were well behaved and polite.

It was great fun - just as Halloween should be. Wait until they see what I do next year.

Why?

The reasons why I may not always post comments on your blog:

A) You have word verification on. Sometimes I have trouble with that.

B) If you are not on blogger, I may not want to go through all the steps of posting my email and all the other hoops you have to go through.

C) The post was too long to read.

D) The post did not interest me.

E) I don't visit your blog.

F) I was pressed for time.

G) I didn't feel like it.

H) You never comment on my blog.

Seriously, if you use comment moderation, you don't really need to use word verification. Word verification is just annoying.

Crazy Halloween stories...

To read some crazy Halloween stories, visit Spirit Daily - the Catholic tabloid is busting with weird stories today. LOL!

[Photo: In-corrupt/mummified remains of a man from the Capuchin Ossuary at Palermo. I mention it in this post here.]

An incorrupt saint...

Photo of the incorrupt body of St. Catherine of Bologna, seated upright on a throne.

Spooky...

I'm so freakin' pumped!

I worked on my ghosts out front today. They are huge billowing gauze creations, topped with realistic skulls - they loom 10 to 15 feet in the air. One flies from the house as if he is emerging through the wall. Another floats above the Tina Crab tree, while the other hovers above the ivy hedge. It is really dramatic. Vans with kids stop and look, kids on bikes are in awe, even seniors slow down and chuckle, a couple of guys in pick-ups stopped to ask how I did it. People are liking it. Wait until tomorrow night when the white jack-o-lanterns go out, and the luminaries - 18 of them are lighted! Omigosh - and the dry-ice fog! I'm so scared!!!

Okay! I'm really into it! It is so Day of the Dead!

I'm a Halloweenie!

Hollowed out already.

I went to Target to get props - they had no fake cobwebs - just about everything was sold out. So I bought a fogger and a strobe "lightning" machine. I took it all back - the fogger had too many warnings and the strobe was just too disco.

I did buy some skulls to mount on my stakes. I bought white bags and Shabat candles for the luminaries, and Wednesday morning I will probably go out to buy the dry ice to make my own fog. Oh - I bought real pumpkins too - white ones. Of course I bought candy - but I capitulated and bought the normal stuff most people buy, Snickers, Hersheys, Mounds, etc. I was going to give out holy cards of the saints as well, but considered everyone may not be Catholic. Plus, this isn't my old job. (I had an All-Saints party each year at the store and gave out candy and holy cards and religious trinkets - people loved it. Kids would come in costumes of their favorite saint and we had a coloring contest with prizes. I don't think they did it this year.)

I'm no longer in the mood to give out candy. I'll do it, but maybe I'll just throw the candy out the window as the kids come up the stairs. That way I won't have to talk to them and say how cute they are and all that crap.

The World Series

BOSTON WINS THE WORLD SERIES AGAIN!!!!!!!!

I didn't even know they were playing. Is that why the Vikings lost yesterday? (Now how did I know that? Where's Cathy when you need her?)

Blog hiatus... yeah, right.

Cathy said she's on blog hiatus. Yet here she is, standing on the bar when she was out and about last night - she's in the black dress - I have no idea who the other woman is. Cathy - get some help!

All Hallows Eve

Trick or Treat.

I never give out candy on Halloween. I usually close up the shutters and keep very few lights on, as if no one is home. I didn't want the kids running through my garden and landscape instead of using the stairs - so I refused to participate in the tradition. This year however, I intend to change all of that.

I'm going to rig up some type of fence of tall stakes with banners, knit together with spider webs. I'll line the stairs with candles, and have a cauldron with dry ice at the top of the stairs, to make a scary fog. There will be smaller containers of dry ice in the hedges, to add to the fog. I'll have the front light on and give out candy - good candy - not cheap stuff. It will be fun. I was thinking I could dress up like Bottom from "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and wear the head of a jackass.

I wish I had some Valium.

In the dust...

"No pit is so deep that his love is not deeper still." - Betsy Ten Boom

I was thinking of St. Therese's counsel to Celine about the humiliation of always finding oneself on the ground. She told her to rejoice at finding herself so imperfect as to be always falling on the ground through her faults and humiliations, since these so attract the mercy of Jesus. I often think of this during the stations of the cross, and imagine the face of Jesus so very close to mine when he falls carrying the cross. I find I'm content to meet him there, face to face in my misery.

Neighbor against neighbor?

Holy Family Catholic Church.

Ray from Stella Borealis sent me an email which included an article from a local arts and news weekly covering a neighborhood conflict in a western suburb of Minneapolis. The problem is between Holy Family Catholic Church and a group of neighbors whose homes are adjacent to Church property. (City Pages article here.)

Holy Family parish has grown to be a vibrant Catholic community under the capable leadership of Fr. Thomas Duffner, who happens to be a very solid Catholic priest. Fr. Duffner is a traditional Catholic priest, although not in the rad-trad sense. He is very much in line with the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church. His theology is impeccable, and his homilies reflect that, while he is very attuned to what plagues contemporary society and culture. He is admirably active in pro-life causes, pro-family, and so on. He seems to be a model priest, and though a busy pastor involved in every aspect of his parish, he takes time to nourish his prayer life in daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and prayer.

Do not covet thy neighbor's house.

I go to Holy Family quite often for adoration, confession, and occasional Sunday Mass. A few months ago I couldn't help but notice signs neighbors had posted on the back of their property facing the Church; "Do not covet thy neighbor's house." I knew immediately that the Church was interested in buying the neighbor's property so as to expand the Church complex. Fr. Dufner had re-opened the K-12 parish school across the street, providing solid Catholic education in the Archdiocese. The parish has grown so fast, there is a genuine need for office space, as well as a 'gathering space' separate from the quaint Norman style Church edifice.

Naturally the parish would look to a line of houses on the other side of the block, as the property would be the reasonable place to acquire for expansion of the Church campus. Trouble is, the neighbors don't want to sell, even though the Church has offered above market value for their homes. The homes are little better than what I call 'drive bys' yet they have a charm and are well kept homes, in a highly desirable neighborhood. As I understand it, a couple of the same families have lived there for decades. It is their home.

I doubt this is an anti-Catholic thing.

City Pages came to bat for the neighbors in an article some may read as hostile to Catholicism, if not Fr. Dufner. So far the chancery has pretty much stayed out of the fracas - after all, it is a neighborhood problem. Although the chancellor did communicate with the homeowners concerned to say nothing dishonest is going on in the transactions. The neighbors are accusing Father of being overly ambitious in his plans for Holy Family as well as secretive in his tactics. Obviously this is a hot issue and people's perceptions may be skewed.

Is Fr. Dufner ambitious? Is it covetousness to desire the neighbor's property? I suppose Fr. Dufner is ambitious, although ambitious for the Kingdom of God. The neighbors may see it entirely on a natural level however. Having met Fr. Dufner, though I respect him much, I can maybe see where he'd come off as ambitious and maybe a bit aloof. That is just his personality. He's a fast talker - I mean that literally - he squeezes a heck of a lot into a Sunday homily. He's a no nonsense man of his convictions, thus his approach in this contest may come off as cold and too business-like for the homeowners. And he just might be moving too fast for them. (I don't know the facts other than what I've read, so I'm just speculating here.)

Put yourself in the neighbors place.

Not a few of Holy Family's parishioners come from neighborhoods far away from the church - they don't live nearby - that neighborhood is not the one they live in. When I first saw the signs, I did think the desire for neighboring property could seem like covetousness to those not associated with the parish. Yet that is an exaggeration of terms, since the Church is willing to negotiate for the property, and is willing to pay above market value. However, the enthusiasm of the parish to acquire the property may come off as a little pushy.

Having said that, Catholics shouldn't be too quick to demonize the homeowners. Relocating is a difficult thing for most people, especially if they are long term residents. A man's home is his castle, homes create strong emotional bonds in families. Even selling at above market value, a home owner may have difficulty in replicating his home, property, and neighborhood, not to mention leaving longtime friends and neighbors. Another consideration to think about is that maybe the neighbors just don't like Fr. Dufner and his parishioners.

I've lived in my house since 1990, and I love my house. People have driven by and stopped to ask if I would be willing to sell it. My answer is always "no". If the Church across the street wanted to buy my property, again I would say "absolutely not". It is a Seventh Day Adventist church and they annoy me every Saturday because they park in my driveway, jam the streets with their vans, and litter, yet it is only one day a week. But even if it were a Catholic church - they wouldn't get my house.

I think the neighbors of Holy Family should be given a little slack. A house is not just another piece of property, it is a home - their home. As for any anti-Catholic tone in the City Pages article one has to remember that is the secular media take on conservative Catholic priests who are in line with Church teaching. They didn't exactly attack Fr. Dufner. People shouldn't over react to this one.

Prayer and patience obtains all. Holy Family will get their land.

More on WWIII

From Israeli News:

(IsraelNN.com) US President George W. Bush said a nuclear Iran would mean World War III. Israeli newscasts featured Gog & Magog maps of the likely alignment of nations in that potential conflict.

Channel 2 and Channel 10 TV showed the world map, sketching the basic alignment of the two opposing axes in a coming world war, in a manner evoking associations of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. The prophecy of Gog and Magog refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel). - Source

The 'prophet' who would stop into visit me at the religious goods store I worked at, told me a year or two ago that the final war is soon coming. He cited the same passage from Ezekiel the Israeli News used to base their story.

It could happen.

BREAKING NEWS: Race driver spooked by fan.

Martin Truex announced today he is concerned about a stalker, and may quit racing entirely.

Weekend "Blogger-talk"...

This is me after reading a few other blogs...

I can't even bring myself to name them.

He's gay.

Albus Dumbledore is gay!

Gosh! And I liked him. I guess this is one more reason why Catholics shouldn't read Harry Potter. The author 'outed him'. (I'll bet Snape and a few others are on that same dance team.)

Friday fast.

"My heart is won more readily through your wretchedness than through your virtues! Who came away from the Temple justified? The publican. For to me the sight of a humble contrite soul is irresistible... That is the way I am." - Jesus to Sr. Consolata Betrone



[Thanks to Jeffrey for the photo of the shrine to the Sacred Heart.]

Elvis priest...

Viva Las something...

Thomas Merton once said that one of his greatest penances was the lack of taste shown by the monks in the monastic community in which he lived. I get that.

What about this for no taste, the Romanian priest who impersonates Elvis? (I guess when you are from Romania you have to do something.)

Sorbo, Italy - Romanian-born Antonio Petrescu believes you can worship God and (impersonate) Elvis at the same time: as a Catholic priest and Elvis Presley impersonator, he finds his spiritual inspiration in the late rock legend.

"People ask me 'How can you reconcile Elvis impersonations with your choice of professional work?'" said Petrescu, who puts on his glittery suits and swivels his hips when not working as a parish priest in the Italian town of Avezzano. - Story

The priest's website here. Yeah - that's his photo - kinda looks like Jeron.

Planning your costume?

Ray and I already have ours - cool, huh?

Cathy and Adoro are so excited about Halloween - they are having fun discussing their costumes. Those gals are so darn cute this time of year.

Press Conference

The President was tough.

I watched the last part of President Bush's press conference this morning. He must not have slept well last night - I could see it in his eyes. And he was not in a good mood - in fact, he was pretty feisty and tough. No nonsense for him today. He suggested that if Iran gets nuclear capabilities we will be looking at WWIII. I have to say I think I agree with him.

"So I've told people that, if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," said Bush. - Breitbart

Even more funny Pope pictures...

Pope in flames.

The above photo out of Poland is supposed to show JPII waving from the grave. Story here. This photo will probably thrill some trads and sedes - they might suggest it is proof John Paul is not in Heaven but some other place, like purgatory or...

Very few trads accept John Paul II as "Great".

FYI - The Congregation For The Clergy

Where Monsignor Stenico worked...

Congregation for the Clergy

Prefect: Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos

Secretary: Archbishop Csaba Ternyak

Undersecretary: Mons. Antonio Silvestrelli

With due regard for the rights of bishops and their conferences, this congregation examines those things which concern priests and deacons of the secular clergy with regard to their persons, pastoral ministry, matters which are in support of the exercise of these things, and in all this provides opportune assistance to the bishops. The Congregation has many functions: it studies, proposes and urges the means and aids by which priests strive for sanctity. This office also has charge of everything which concerns the work and discipline of the diocesan clergy. Particularly it promotes the preaching of the Word of God and the works of the apostolate and organization of catechesis, evaluates and approves pastoral and catechetical directories, fosters national and international Catechetical Congresses and indicates the opportune norms for religious instruction of children, young people and adults. The Congregation looks also to the preservation and administration of the temporal goods of the Church without prejudice to the other Congregations which have temporal goods committed to their vigilance. The Pontifical commission for The Conservation of the Artistic and Sacred Patrimony if directly responsible to the Congregation for the Clergy.

The feast of St. Teresa of Avila

Doctor of the Church

Mystical Doctor of the Church that she is, she had a very homely manner of writing, a wit that shows through even in her loftiest works. The digressions she indulges in as she wrote her autobiography dramatize her personal style while lending us ever new and revealing insight into her personality, that some have described as vivacious. Curious term for a contemplative nun.

On another blog a discussion has a come up regarding whether or not women should be declared Doctors of the Church. Not surprisingly, an SSPX bishop raised the question. For some reason a few uber-trads seem to reject most of the saints and blesseds, and apparently now female Doctors, who have been proclaimed such since the Council. Of course, trads do not follow the new liturgical calendar anyway, so how much difference does it make? (I'll have to explore that.)

Nevertheless, this reminded me of the post I did last year, on the humor of Teresa of Avila. last year - just for fun - I came up with an idea of a sit-com based upon St. Teresa's life. I immediately thought of Bea Arthur ("Maud", "Golden Girls") in the role of Teresa, with Christine Baranski ("Cybil Shepard Show", "The Birdcage") as the Princess of Eboli. They could spar over her writings as they did in real life - only make it funnier - wasn't it the Princess who had an eye-patch - or am I getting my nobility mixed up? Actually, the sit-com could focus on the Princess, after the death of her husband, when she entered the monastery of Pastrana, and became the source of so much grief - now that's a show.

In one scene, Teresa could be traveling to make another foundation, the coach falling in the river, Bea Arthur, with her dead pan humor, looking up to heaven, as in the photo above, saying, "No wonder you have so few friends when you treat them like this." Then guffaws of canned laughter. The entire production could be done similarly to the British sit-com, "Absolutely Fabulous!"

Uber-trads wouldn't be happy with that either.

[Edited from an earlier post.]

90th Anniversary of the miracle at Fatima.

The first reading from today's Mass reminded me of the miracle at Fatima. It seemed providential to have this reading for the 13th of October.

"Sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withhold their brightness..." - Joel 4

I wondered why Heaven chooses to reveal these things to children, and not to the Bishops or the Pope. It seems to me it would be easier if the Pope would be the one to speak the requests of Our Lady, perhaps everyone would listen then. Maybe not. And as we know, sometimes Bishops don't speak up when they ought to.

Elena of Tea At Trianon has a good post on the events of October 13, 1917.

Many people claim to have seen the miracle of the sun at other contemporary alleged apparition sites. I guarantee you - whatever they saw was not on the magnitude of what went on in Fatima 90 years ago today.

Does someone really have to tell you?

Do parents have to be told their kids are fat?

DENVER – In an effort to combat the problem of childhood obesity, the Denver Public School District is sending home student health reports to keep parents informed. However, one parent says it should not have been sent home in her daughter's backpack because she read it.

"The part that upset her the most as she started reading it, there it stated that she was overweight and she started to cry saying, 'Mom, that school tells me I'm fat.' So, it was very heart wrenching," said Flaurette Martinez. - School sends home obesity notices on students.

This must mean the girl didn't know she was fat before the notice?

(Photo: Not the girl in the story.)

Contraception...

You must read this post, "Did I Kill My Little Girl?"

What follows is an excerpt:

A few years ago, I was involved in a "long-term relationship", and we used contraception. I remember my willful ignorance, most of which I gained from "informed" sources, even when that information was contradicted. I had a roommate, a left-wing liberal Democrat social worker, who told me that contraception does, in fact, cause abortions. It does this because contraception cannnot necessarily suppress ovulation. And if ovulation occurs, and a child is conceived, that zygote cannot be implanted. Contraception makes the womb uninhabitable and flushes the new life out and away and into death. - Adoro

Art: "Drawing of a Young Girl" by Adoro.

Just a heads up for Cathy...

NASCAR cooties

House Homeland Security Committee staffers are on a peculiar mission to study "public health issues at events involving mass gatherings," which has personally insulted Rep. Robin Hayes of Concord, North Carolina.

The event: NASCAR.

The rub: the requirement that the Democrat and Republican staffers attending first be immunized against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, and influenza.

"I have never heard of immunizations for domestic travel, and as the representative for Concord, North Carolina, I feel compelled to ask why the heck the committee feels that immunizations are needed to travel to my hometown," Mr. Hayes, a Republican, said in a letter to Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat and committee chairman.

"I have been to numerous NASCAR races, and the folks who attend these events certainly do not pose any health hazard to congressional staffers or anyone else," Mr. Hayes said. - Fishwrap News

Who is this blogger?

Go here to find out - she's pretty smart too. (Hint: She signs her comments "Swiss Miss" as if the photo didn't give that away!)

FRIDAY penitential update: My apologies Monica. I have no training in photo shop, but I used paint to make you more modest. Now you are all presentable for Fr. Altier.

Cathy at home...

Cathy in her couch dress, all snuggled up - just watchin' football.

(Thanks for the photo Jeron!)

Clerical dog collars...

I've never heard them called that before - it must be a British thing. Although the above clerical collar is not what has been in the news recently. It seems advisers to the Church in the UK are warning clerics not to wear their collars in public for fear of being assaulted. I doubt this is a very big problem with clergy of the American Church - many older priests rarely wear clerics. They already know the prejudice against priests because of the abuse scandals of recent years. Many good priests suffer because of the crimes of a few.

My family.

There is nothing to blog about so I thought I'd post a photo of my family. We weren't always this happy, but it is a nice picture, don't you agree?

Racey...

For Talladega - it was very free of incident.

Meme...meme...meme...me...me...

Titling this post, I realized Memes are all about me - so you would think that I could be more cooperative in responding to them. I think Salve Regina is the first person to pass this meme along, then Angela Messenger. There is nothing to blog about, so I'll do it today.

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?

I attend the Novus Ordo Mass. I grew up with the TLM and have assisted at the TLM a few times in recent years. The local parish that currently offers the Mass is several miles away and the Mass is late morning. I prefer to attend Mass very early in the morning, after my daily Lectio Divina. This may sound strange, but I completely accept the teaching of the Church that the Novus Ordo is a valid, licit Mass.

2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?

I covered that in the last question - it seems like 300 miles.

3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?

Roman Catholic.

4. Are you a comment junkie?

Kinda, sorta. I would like at least 78 comments per post.

5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?

Sometimes, especially if I'm having fun with the blogger. However, if I place a serious comment, it isn't for the sake of argument - I say what I want to and that is it - it wasn't a question. I usually think of my posts in the same way.

6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?

Kinda, sorta. Only when I'm playing with someone who knows me - then I leave celebrity names - and they know it is me. I think nasty anonymous comments are cheap shots - and hypocritical - they are like sucker punches.

7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?

The people I link to.

8. Which blog is the first one you check?

Tea at Trianon or Cathy and Angie, then Ray for the local news.

9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?

Yes - in court at the defamation hearings.

10. What are you reading?

I'm still working on "Bergdorf Blondes". I want to reread Vanna White's autobiography when I finish.

me and my brother...

Thanks to Vincenzo!

Soup to nuts

Stan Laurel in the dinner scene from "Soup To Nuts". (The soup bowls had nothing in them, but the guests were eating. LOL!)

TMI

Too much information.

That is my only conclusion after going through a few blogs tonight. I read a rad trad blog and then a progressivist blog, and a couple in between. It all seems meaningless to me.

{Art: Bosch, "Ship of Fools"]

Wedding pics

Oh well, it was just a civil ceremony.

106 million!

Every home should have one.

I heard on the news there is now 106 million blogs on the Internet - and growing every day. (Isn't there a TV show about desperate housewives?) So everyone must have a blog now.

Anytime anything goes mainstream, it's over then.

[Except for June Cleaver - this is the best blog by a wife and mother ever - sorry Marge.]

Good byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I haven't been answering emails or the phone. What's so wrong with that? (Little Freak called me and I answered his call though. He is so good. Pray for his wife right now - she is in hospital and 6 weeks from her due date.)

Did you ever see the Laurel and Hardy episode when they were all in the car and everyone kept saying good bye to each other but the car wasn't going anyplace? Well that is my situation. I'm here, I'm not going anyplace and nothing is new.

Transitus

The Transitus of our Holy Father, St. Francis of Assisi.

A funny story...

You light up my life.

When I lived in Boston I became friends with a man who was planning to enter monastic life. He was very devout and frequented the same adoration chapels as I did. One night we were out for supper - he wanted to treat me. After dinner, whereat he had insisted he bore the stigmata, and I tried to convince him otherwise, we were walking to the trolley to go our separate ways. Suddenly he started to sing Debbie Boon's song, "You Light Up My Life".

I never liked to be sung to, my Dad used to do it when he was drunk, so I was embarrassed for my friend. After he finished serenading me he said, "Terry, that's how I feel about you." I realized he was gay and had a huge crush on me. I proceeded to explain to him the monastic notion of inordinate affections and friendship. He seemed to take it well.

I never saw him again.

[This post was prompted after hearing the same song on television tonight. Sorry - I'm OCD about at least one post a day.]

The 110th Anniversary of the death of St. Therese.

St. Therese of Lisieux died on this date at 7:20 in the evening in 1897.

Enclosure veils

Carmelite nun with enclosure veil.

The kids and Halloween...

Oh, those kids!

Both Aggie and Celine are already excited about Halloween. We were out shopping this morning and all of the stores already have everything out for the big holiday. So the girls are busy planning their costumes.

Aggie hasn't made up her mind as to what she'll be yet, but she is thinking of dressing up as The Crescat - you know, Carolina Canonball, but Kat seems to have lost her format on her blog and Agnes can't find the picture she wants to dress up as. Her second choice is to dress up as Professor McGonagall's cat, Animagus - from Harry Potter of course.

While Aggie is clever, Celine is a bit more creative. Last year she was Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, but this year she wants to dress up as Harry Potter's owl, Hedwig. I like that idea.

The holidays come so fast, don't they?

School Nurse

Invasive School Officials.

Everything was going fine until I get this call from the School Nurse. She called to inform me that she is concerned that both Agnes and Celine have an eating disorder. (I don't know how she can know this after only two weeks in school.) She explained it to me.

The nurse, Mrs. Buddig said the other kids have noticed that Aggie throws up after she eats anything, and since she is so much thinner than Celine, the nurse believes Aggie has bulimia. On the other hand, she said Celine eats all of the time, even in class, and she is overweight. Duh! I knew that.

I said, "My dear Mrs. Buddig, I know the eating habits of my kids and there is nothing wrong with them. Aggie throws up because she doesn't want to get fat like Celine. Celine just likes to eat - it's all baby fat and she will loose the weight when she feels like it. There is nothing wrong with my girls."

Mrs. Buddig answered, "Mr. Nelson, there is obviously something wrong with your girls and I strongly recommend you get a doctor's advice on the matter."

I just said, "Yeah, Okay - I'll take care of it." and I hung up. I think there is a prejudice against single dads at that school.

(Photo: Mrs. Buddig - she should talk.)

I knew this family.

The cause for sainthood has been opened for the mother of this family, Gwen Coniker. I certainly believe it is warranted.

Candidates for the Presidential Nomination

Do you know who they are?

I commented on another blog that few people have even heard of some of the more conservative candidates, such as Ron Paul, or Sam Brownback and so on. If it wasn't for certain blogs and conservative websites, I would never know who these guys are. Most people get their news via popular media, especially network news, and these guys get barely a mention. I imagine if some of them get a large enough following, their views may influence the platforms of the only two significant political parties in this country, although I have to wonder about that as well.

I'm reminded of Ross Perot, who made a decent enough showing at the polls several years ago, but that was the extent of it. Does anyone remember him?

[Photo: Ron Paul]