Answer me This:: along with some news

 Joining up with Kendra @ 

Catholic All Year

for this week's Answer Me This

(a little late, but here I am)

 1. Do you have a smart phone?

Yes.  It's not a Iphone.  It's not one of the newer 4G kind of smart phones.  It's an Android and the best thing I can say about having it has been the handy use of the GPS. 

2. Which is your favorite meal of the day?

I'm with Kendra on this one.  BREAKFAST.  Over easy eggs, topped with a spicy nopale (catus) salad and sourdough bread!!!  Oh YES!!!

3. Shower or bath?

I may be a rare breed here, but I prefer showers.  I get cold in baths. I don't have a big spa-like tub to submerge myself completely, so I rarely get comfortable.  Nope, it's just not me.  

Funny, last Sunday I wasn't feeling well and I felt like taking a bath. I was just beginning to enjoy it when I felt the sway of the water.  A slight tremble that kept going and the loofah hanging from the rack was moving.  It was a 4.2 earthquake!

That was the end of my bath.

4. Think of a person you love. How many days have you been in love with that person?

Well that would be Victor, my honey.  

And we just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary last Thursday.  

We met, fell in love, and started 'dating' right from the get.  Married several years later (oh yes there is a story there) and loving every minute of it.

Total time together: 6386 days
That is: 17 years, 5 months, 26 days

How cool is that number!

5. What's the best church you've ever been inside?

Blessed!  We were so blessed to have been able to travel a bit a few years ago and visit my brother in London.  While we were there we celebrate Mass at this quaint little parish, Corpis Cristi Catholic Church.  It was cozy, reverent, and felt like home

Then, being that we so close to Paris, we jumped at the chance to visit the city and some of her holy-hot spots.  

Notre Dame

Sacre Coeur (just awesome)

Christ the King Chapel at Christendom College

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

in Washington D.C

They are all beautiful churches.  Hard to pick just one, but my two top choices have to be the little church in London and the grand Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  Say that 10 times fast...

6. Happy Feast of the Visitation (on Saturday)! Has anyone ever come to help YOU?

I thought about this for a while.  There have been people around, always after each the kids' births.  For sure my in-laws, mom, sister-in-law.  I remember lots of friends and loved ones visiting each child. Lots of food, but mostly lots of people waiting to greet and love the new born baby.  Ya know we all love that new baby smell.

But, during the pregnancy?  The same family members have always been around to lend out a hand.  The family is just super close that way.

Perhaps I'll have a better answer to this question later, as this pregnancy progresses.

On our anniversary we had a little surprise waiting for the kids and family.  A baby, due in January, will be coming to join our little clan. We are over the moon at the news of this gift.

Charting a new course

I'm walking into Lent with a heavy heart.  Nothing is wrong.  My life is blessed, super blessed.    I have a healthy and wonderful husband.  I have healthy and great kids.  I have a lovely new home.  I have  normal life!

So what the heck is wrong with me?

I feel anxious.
I feel pulled by different and wonderful possibilities.
I feel restless.
I feel sad

The worst part is that I know that I'm totally doing this to myself; which is the most irritating thing about this.  Literally, I want to kick myself for being such a goof.  (sigh)

Big (sigh) now because the root of all these 'emotions' came down on me like a house yesterday.  The resignation of our Papa, Pope Benedict crushed me.  "Please, don't leave us; not now!"  I must have said this several times.  But, isn't that what the apostles must have said to Jesus when he left? 

Why am I so fearful?  Why, is it that I lack in so much trust when I need it the most.  Isn't this the one and only Catholic Church?  The body of Christ, his bride?  Christ, Our Lord, hasn't left us!

Folks, we are still the faithful church militant.  Are we not?

Let us pray for the wonderful Vicar of Christ, that is Pope Benedict XVI.  Let us pray for his successor.  The worries are there, for sure.  I thing this post by, Fr. Allan J. McDonald said it the best. (Click here to read it)

We all were in shock yesterday; that will pass.  But, the root to what is was my glum moods... the attacks of the demon that seeks our souls; plain and simple, he never sleeps!

We must fight this nagging demon.
Prayers, fasting, giving, sacrificing, and staying close to our sacraments.  That's the key.  And isn't this just like the season Lent?  

In, this little pocket that is my family; we are venturing into a new course.  As a part of God's family, the one Holy  and Apostolistic Catholic Church, we shall take up the course with grace and prayer... plus keep our rosaries and veils in hand.  One never knows when they will be called for.

So, take heed everyone.  Remain vigilant and stay close to the sacraments.
God bless you folks!

Why we need to be involved::

Because this is our future and that of our children.

This is all over the place.  Most of us can't get away from it; in just the last two weeks our own Fr. S has delivered passionate messages from his homilies because of it.  But how do reach those that aren't religious? 

It's simple.  Share videos like this one.

The average American is watching late night news, CNN, MSNBC and hearing that is a 'religous' attempt to control women.  Beyond what this is to me as a Catholic mother, it's also what it means as Americans.  It's the concern over where this leads as a country. 

My own Lucy, just was confronted by a relative regarding the Church and her involvement over 'private' matters'.  WHAT!!  She stated so very eloquently, "Mom they don't even see how our very liberties are being taken away!"  Yes, mija they are.  And this she knows at 14! 

Lord, have mercy on us!

Mother Mary, pray for us!

from darkness to Light

Dr. Bernard Nathanson

“He was like St. Paul, who was a great persecutor of the Church, yet when he saw the light of Christ, he was perhaps the greatest apostle for the Gospel. Dr. Nathanson was like that after his conversion. He went all around the world talking about the babies and the evils of abortion. Being his godmother was such an amazing thing, to see him come to Christ.”

~  pro-life activist Joan Andrews Bell

Truthfully, I didn't know who he was until I read the notice of his passing from an email.  But, I didn't get through but a few lines before I began to hurt for Dr. Nathanson.  The pain he describes is horrible. 

This man knew the hurt and evils of abortion from a unique perspective.  Abortion hurts!  It hurts the child, mother, father, extended family, and the doctors.  Dr. Nathanson came to regret his position and was haunted by the deeds of his own hands.  His conversion, both from abortionist to Pro LIFE advocate and from atheist to Catholicism should be read.  

LifeSiteNews

EWTN covering his conversion to Catholicism.  This is an excellent article.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.

And let perpetual Light shine upon him

May the souls of the faithful departed

through the mercy of God rest in peace.

Amen.

Only in California

Well Maybe Not...

There is something seriously wrong with a beureaucratic system that thinks they know better than the individual citizen.  Here in sunny California we have a lot of that.  Among the beaches and sunsets walk a group of "elites" that believe themselves the saviors of all. 

CARB (California Air Resource Board) is one of those groups.  They are one of the clever weeds that has sprouted from the state's EPA group.  Out to do good by protecting this soiled earth we live in and fine any human that goes out to terrorize the planet.  Did you know that you...a human...is considered an enemy of the earth?  Anyway, CARB has written up policy after newer policy enforcing regulations on diesel run vechicles, water usagage out from the bay, protecting little itty bitty fish from the San Francisco Bay, wind powered energy...etc etc.  They have been quite busy in dreaming up developing EPA laws since our new President took office.  You can imagine the work?

Work...yah well they obviously have work and comfy paychecks to motiviate them.  In the mean time numerous contracting companies are going under.  1000s more are losing their jobs.  And government is growing growing growing.  Did you know that in California 1 out of 5 are out of work?  Our unemployment is a....ready, in the 20% range.  Goverment...no jobs lost in that industry. 

Okay...deep breath now this was my weekly blog rant on politics.  Won't promise the weekly thing though.  There is a lot of news out there to comment on.  Too much really..

Cover-up taints costly diesel policy | tran, board, carb - Opinion - The Orange County Register

More California news regarding the deceitful CARB.
Cover-up taints costly diesel policy | tran, board, carb - Opinion - The Orange County Register

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