Thursday, September 30, 2004

'Cause you can feel it in your olfactory


There is an ad on TV that prattles about scent being the strongest sense tied to memory. Unfortunately it isn’t an ad for Skunk-Be-Gone. So.....today’s science question will be, “What’s the deal with the skunks around here?”
“Do we have more skunks than usual this year? Are we more vulnerable to the dead skunk syndrome because of our location between two state highways, which would make our skunks statistically prone to being ‘unlucky’?”
And for music enrichment, let’s learn a favorite from mater’s highschool days...
Crossin' the highway late last night,
He shoulda looked left and he shoulda looked right,
He didn't see the station wagon, car,
The skunk got squashed and there you are!
(Chorus)
You got yer
Dead skunk in the middle of the road,
Dead skunk in the middle of the road,
Dead skunk in the middle of the road,
Stinkin' to high heaven!
Take a whiff on me that ain't no rose!
Roll up yer window and hold yer nose,
You don't have to look and you don't have to see,
'Cause you can feel it in your olfactory

Wednesday, September 29, 2004


Barrington is do-able...

AMC City North 14 Chicago, IL
2600 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60647,
(773) 394-1601 
AMC South Barrington 30 South Barrington, IL
175 Studio Drive, South Barrington, IL 60010,
(847) 765-7AMC

Quite do-able. Of course, I owe the boys a trip to Libertyville to see Sky Captain or whatever it is called. They say it is rated PG but Angelina Jolie’s lips look R rated to me....
We Passed!
The priest from the archives examined our records. Everything is A-OK. I wish my Mom were alive so that I could call and tell her that he was quite happy with my clear block printing. (And to let her have a little "I told you so" time after all the years of my complaining about handwriting practice.) Oh, I wish I could thank my late Dad, too, for printing a ton of primary lined paper in his print shop after I received dismal reviews in the first grade. They managed to turn me around.
For a second, I was so excited when I saw the big "A" at the top of the official report to the Bishop. Then I realized it said Deanery A. Oh, well.
Someone loosen her binder....

Never mind the binder - let’s just turn down the tension on the hair elastic! I’ve had a headache for the past few days. This coincides with deciding to wear my hair pulled back and pinned up... And for some reason this quote from one of my top ten of all time movies comes to mind.

And as a Sacred Heart alum, this quote brings back memories....
Rachel Devery : Couldn't we have uniforms, too, Reverend Mother?
Mother Superior : Most certainly not. The band will perform in their gym suits.
Rachel Devery : Our gym suits?
Mother Superior : Yes.
Mary Clancy : But, they're awful! I mean, it's not as if they were like Sacred Heart's. At Sacred Heart they wear short-shorts for gym.
Mother Superior : They're French.
Anyone catch Nip/Tuck last night?

I’m back to watching Judging Amy. That is one show that Rick and I both like, unlike Nip/Tuck. It didn’t help that the one time he watched Nip/Tuck with me was the episode in which a drug addled formerly successful surgeon decides to attempt a face transplant from his rival to himself. So much for family TV time. I know I can live without such a parade of evil and it is more relaxing to watch a show without my hand clutching the remote lest one of the kids walk in. (The big girls do watch Nip/Tuck; I’m hoping the futility of vanity and the gruesome reality of face lifting stick in their minds. Really.)
Spector Charged with Killing B-Movie Actress
So, it’s like, less of a murder than if he killed Meryl Streep? But more serious than if he killed a waitress? Huh?
Prithee, why so pale?
or
I am my mother’s daughter


My mother was such a diligent person that she actually managed to worry herself into colitis while working as a paste-up person/proofreader for the local newspaper’s weekly advertiser. Naturally, she would come to mind as I was lying in bed at 4:30 this morning examining my conscience in anticipation of a visit from a priest with the Arch. archives to examine our sacramental records. Have I only used prescribed pens? Have I eschewed Wite-Out and other banned products? Are repairs made with acid-free archival quality tape? Have I made entries in a timely fashion and as completely as possible*? Is my writing legible? (Face it - that I know is OK. I print with a clear, basic elementary school teacherish hand that is just about identical to my mother’s.) So why am I feeling tormented? Monday night was my biweekly go round of bad-mother-am-I-doing-my-best-for-the-kids’-development-and-education thoughts. Having to account for my performance with the archives isn’t nearly so ominous. I did have something of a dream which was a lot like that scene in "A Christmas Story" where the teacher gives Ralphie an A++++++ on his essay. In my dream, I not only get the A++++++ but the priest is a talent scout from the Vatican who is going to recruit me because of my obsessive concern for detail coupled with exquisite block printing. Of course, our pastor made an amended entry with a FLAIR pen.....oh, how am I going to explain that?

*This is my opportunity to rant about clergy who do not submit complete marriage files.....if they submit them at all.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

We are way out of balance here, folks.
Food for thought from Alicia.
(In the comment box I proclaim myself as a miracle. But that's the truth. I had difficulty explaining to one of my children that a baby born to a couple after six years of marriage, resigned to a life of raising cats and gardening and other hobbies because they figured that was the hand that had been dealt them, is a miracle, not an accident.)
But Church attendance is its own reward.
On the other hand, I would not mind finding Sweets Bucks ( $1 free candy coupon from the local candy store) left on the windshields of cars that have been properly parked. Attendance at Mass needs a boost, but we need help with our parking etiquette, too.
But Church attendance is its own reward.
On the other hand, I would not mind finding Sweets Bucks ( $1 free candy coupon from the local candy store) left on the windshields of cars that have been properly parked. Attendance at Mass needs a boost, but we need help with our parking etiquette, too.

Monday, September 27, 2004


YOU ARE CHAMOMILE


What herb are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
but, perhaps Mr. v. would consider me mandrake. Purgative and difficult to take. In large doses I drive him insane.... Oh, you too, Embot? Is that why you left so quickly after our lovely dinner tonight. And here I thought it was the 45 minute ride home. Remember sometimes we need something soothing and sometimes we need a purgative.
Link via Summa Mamas.

The marvelous opportunity to order a real Swingline 747 Rio Red stapler presented itself last week. I tried to hide my delight and handle this just like any other office supply request. I knew the day would come when someone requested a new stapler - no particular color, just so it used the same staples as all the others. And it is beautiful - a red Porsche of a stapler.

Today our new associate pastor was talking about "Office Space." I asked if he had seen this new stapler. He didn't even know that you could really get a red one. He does happen to need a stapler. So he is next on the red stapler list. I try to buy only when I have a large enough order to qualify for free shipping. Let's hope that time is soon.....I almost wish someone would steal my perfectly adequate black stapler. It appears to have about 100 years left in its natural life, so there is no way I can expect the Church to replace it just to satisfy my aesthetic whim. (and it would look so, so good next to the red lacquer letter-sorting thing I refinished for my office) Oh, well, maybe at tax return time. That would be a nice mid-winter pick-me-up. I may not have a Jaguar in the parking lot, but I'd have the sportscar of staplers on my desk.
Starring Ellyn as the Sour Church Secretary!!!

Mary (aka -any random caller to the Church of St. ____) : You don't know the first thing about love.
Hilary Faye (aka Ellyn) : [Hilary Faye throws a Bible at Mary] I am *filled* with Christ's love!

Somewhere in the past couple of weeks I ‘celebrated’ my third anniversary as a part-time church secretary. I’m not sure of the exact day I started......it is all kind of a blur. I do remember that I worked up the courage to call about the job opening on 9/11/01. So it has been three years and I still love the job. There have been the occassional days when I haven’t particularly felt like putting on decent clothes or driving through lousy weather, but not really any when I flat out didn’t want to go to work because I didn’t like the job. Today is another day when I’m looking forward to getting to work. ( Not necessarily looking forward to showering in our chilly house or battling the killer SUV’s in the parking lot, but looking forward to doing my part for the Church.) I do have a slight twinge of guilt about not doing my best on Friday; could be a nice lead off topic when I meet with my spiritual director this afternoon before we get into the hard core St. John of the Cross stuff. Here is my quandry: We had a phone call from a funeral home regarding a funeral on Saturday for a three year old. The funeral director said that the family would find it comforting to do a balloon release after the funeral. As I expected, the business manager nixed the balloon release......we just don’t do them because of all the trees outside of the church. Past experience has proven that a large percentage of the balloons never make it up into the sky. So I tell the funeral director to check with the cemetery - they probably have unrestricted air space. But the child was to be cremated later, so there would be no opportunity at the cemetery. So....
I did my job. I was pleasant and sympathetic yet firm and practical. Yet, should I have gone out of my way to beg the business manager (in the pastor’s absence) to allow a balloon release just this once? Or suggest that the park across the street might work.....Or the parking lot behind the church? The strict constructionist in me wanted to say that if the Mass itself could not bring some comfort to the family what makes them think that letting go of helium balloons would help. But I’m not there to advance my opinions. (Oh, if I were only paid a commission on the stuff I don’t say I would already have a nice retirement fund started.) So.......it’s the Monday after the funeral and it still bothers me. Maybe I should have done more....

Saturday, September 25, 2004

"I beg ye, I can't live with the pain of being this nation's whipping post any longer. Untie me please and wash me down I ask ye."
Speaking as a fellow mother, I admire Sinead’s work against lice. All the radio jokers have never been on the receiving end of a “lice notice” from the local school. And if lice are gross and distressing to the average American mom, I beg the media to imagine what it is like to need de-lousing and not know where to come up with the money for the shampoo, RID furniture spray and endless loads of laundry in water as hot as possible. (Having not always been particularly solvent, it is a feeling of panic that is quite easy to recall.) Yeah, I agree, she’s more than six tracks short of an album. And she should take a deep breath, calm down and attempt to summon a semblance of a sense of humor. The “nitwit” e-mail address is a splendid mnemonic device. She should remember that Bono is a nice enough guy, but he’s probably been performing and/or doing good deeds when his wife may have received any lice notices for his family.

And if she should succeed in making Ireland the first louse-free nation, I’d be the first to nominate her for a major award!

Friday, September 24, 2004

Yeah.....it’s like that!


I think that the problem *may* have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being *crushed* by a *dwarf*.
Rick and the boys were talking about the autumnal equinox and one thing led to another. There was talk of constructing some sort of big outdoor sundial sort of thing. Our development has lawn guys who come through once a week, so I said that if we erected this on a Friday and kept it up through Thursday (Lawn Guy Day) it would be sufficiently educational. Rick is thinking of something along the lines of a Stonehenge type thing. All my tired mind could comprehend was the phrase “two hundred feet.” This also involves a clear view of the horizon, so our back yard is out of the question. The park across from our old house would have been ideal. This leaves the family ‘farm’ in the U P......so I guess it will be a project for next summer. (Couldn’t we just have some fun with an 18” Stonehenge?)
Why...

no VH1 music reviews of late? I don’t see anything worth reviewing. There is a video called 1985 by a group called Bowling for Soup. Kind of amusing, but I think it is what we would have called, in my young days, a “novelty song.” Alter Bridge and Nickelback are screamin’ at me. Your teeth look great. What are you so angry about? I would have to say the Outkast’s “Roses” is still the best video in rotation and that is pretty old news...
Question of the day from Catholic Light.
Why are church secretaries so... sour?...

I don’t think we are. Not in the least. Though we have cause. Boy, do we have cause. Some calls this week: “Dad doesn’t care about me.” “Chuck spit on me.” “The AAMCO guy says I need a new clutch.....can you lend me some money ‘til payday?” “I have a tread split in a rear tire......can you take me to Sam’s Club tonight?” “is s-k-a-n-k a real word?” “Could you GOOGLE something for me?” “Anybody I know getting married?” “What’s for dinner?” "I don't want to do my math page." “Can you lend me money for gas?” And those are just from Rick and the kids.

I squeeze those guys between the real calls. The work calls are the ones that really get the best of my love. Even the callers who are so sour themselves that the deserve a complimentary bag of Sour Patch Kids. The way I figure it is that I don’t know what makes some folks so sour, but I am there as a representative of the Church and therefore, Christ himself. So I will be as good and sweet as humanly possible. Unless you are a recorded sales message. Then all bets are off....

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Am I stupid or what?
Where would I have come up with the idea that ABC Family is a family oriented television network. Seeing the bug in the corner with the persistant word Family would give one the impression that this is for families. So I sit down and noticed we're tuned to ABC Family and they're showing "Jawbreaker" interspersed with ads for non-family oriented ABC network programming. Well, why don't I just pop some corn and invite the younger kids to sit down with me......and stay for Nip/Tuck on FX while we're at it.

OK, maybe I'm not the stupid one. I just had an almost 18 year-old walk into the room and agree that "Jawbreaker" and "Family" television are totally incongruous. It must be pretty bad if a blase teenager sees how appalling this is....

Monday, September 20, 2004

Award Shows.....

have an amazingly soporific effect on me. I did not find last night’s Emmy’s to be an exception to this rule. The gags were not all that funny and I haven’t seen any of the HBO stuff so I felt left out of a lot. Naturally I dozed off before I had a chance to see Arrested Development win for best comedy. What makes Arrested differrent from the other nominiated comedies is that it is funny. OK, Frasier could evoke a chuckle from me. What I saw of Friends left me stone faced. Sex and the City? Never actually saw it.....but clips didn’t strike me as amusing.

Rick thought Al Pacino looked awful. I thought he looked great. Now that he’s left behind the blond hair.... The kids were shocked to see Ron Howard without his baseball cap. Shortly before I fell into the arms of Morpheus I gave the group a quick tutorial on who Elaine Stritch is. (Heaven knows they would never have watched the Tony’s with me...) I liked her speech. It was sincere.

My favorite find...

among all of the book sale booty. The perfect companion to Cattus Petasatus. We’re on our way to becoming Cat in the Hat collectors.

I found a site that carries a lot of Dr. Seuss in Hebrew. Including Green Eggs and Ham. I thought that was kind of strange. A book about ham would not be my priority if I were translating Seuss into Hebrew. Although, if I remember that one correctly, the narrator protests eating the ham (along with green eggs). Oh, well, if I were an observant Hebrew speaking Jew, this might me a book I’d prefer not to bring into my home. Why open a can of worms, right?

Sunday, September 19, 2004


Make it stop...

Was able to put Emily Dickinson and her Yellow Roses out of my mind. Until I walked into church and saw a big funerary arrangement.....containing yellow roses.

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Talk about an earworm!

Yesterday morning Martha told me that she had been told that all of Emily Dickinson’s poems can be sung to the tune of The Yellow Rose of Texas. So far it’s working for me. And I spent all of yesterday humming or whistling this tune. Had to put the radio on at bedtime just so I wouldn’t be be thinking The Yellow Rose of Texas. I am putting in a rare Saturday at work today. I don’t think there will be many at home in the rectory today, so I’ll have to put on the radio. Just so I don’t keep whistling The Yellow Rose of Texas.

It is probably a blessing in disguise that I am working today. 9 to 5. That will keep me away from the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale. I did major damage to my budget in just an hour yesterday morning. Not that I didn’t buy anything that wasn’t great.......and a great deal. It was a good thing that I limited my shopping to as much as I could carry at one time (those canvas bags from L.L. Bean hold a lot!) and did my shopping on my way into work so I would have a terminal moment to define the parameter of my spree. As it is, I should be able to scrape up another $20 or so to take the kids back tomorrow afternoon for the half price sale.

Friday, September 17, 2004

Stop me before I shop again!!!
Tragedy Averted...
Praise God no one (in the air or on land) was hurt. The bird doesn’t look good. So I’m free to make a joke. American Airlines asks that you call them to pick up any debris that you find. So I tell Chuck to call them up and report that two broken TV’s and a broken down Chevy Lumina have landed in our driveway and would they please take them away....

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Scary Stuff
I’m accustomed to weather disasters that sneak up quick like (i.e., tornadoes.) This girl from the Great Lakes can handle situations in which we have all of thirty seconds to get to the basement. But seeing all of these hurricanes marching methodically at us has my mind boggled.
Unclear on the concept.

Madonna's arrival aboard a private jet after sundown, the eve of the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana, contradicted religious law forbidding motorized transport on holy days.

I love my job....

but it has its drawbacks.
“And here's another thing, I have eight different bosses right now.”
“ Eight? “
“Eight Bob. So that means when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled...”

Well, I don’t actually get hassled. But sometimes it is difficult to know who I answer to. The priests, really. But the business manager is my boss. Although I work at the direction of the ‘main’ secretary. But about five other people also tell me what to do. (That’s why I like it when the Cardinal calls. There’s no question that he's the boss. There are days that I wish I had reason for confidential office meetings and could just close my door and wish that nobody would notice that I am there. I could carve out a little “George Costanza-esque” hiding place under my desk, but that is the area that I use for hiding office supplies. It’s a church, for heaven’s sake, theft is not a problem. Or shouldn’t be. There are problems of supplies just drifting away. So I keep a secret stash of one of every essential item. Plus charcoal, baptismal candles and other sacristy needs. So there is no room to curl up in the fetal position....
Note to Embot...
Cardinal Francis George has approved a plan to close at least five of 10 struggling West Side parishes by July.
On the Near West Side, St. Malachy, 2248 W. Washington Blvd., would take over many functions from the predominantly Hispanic Precious Blood parish nearby. But Rev. Pat Casey, the pastor of the two parishes, said he'll work to keep both open as they serve different linguistic needs.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Monday, September 13, 2004

...portrayal of a back-street abortionist who acts not for financial gain but out of concern for girls and women in trouble.
Haven’t actually seen this, but it sounds more like Resident Evil to me.
I’m not sure...

of the efficacy of anecdotal evidence in governmental hearings. SSRI’s may have saved one of my children. Depakote may have made another sluggish and (temporarily) fat. Aderall may be what made another nutty and (temporarily) way too thin. So? I don’t know. You can find other people who think that SSRI’s killed their children. Depakote saved their lives. And stimulants salvaged their childhoods. So?

The protester's success in climbing the wall in front of the queen's main residence prompted fresh questions about the much-criticized and recently overhauled royal security operation.
Perhaps things are a bit lax. Rick claims that when he and a friend got out of a cab in front of Buckingham Palace they could tell that there were snipers with rifles pointed right at their foreheads. Right at their foreheads! But a man in a bat suit can climb up the facade. Oh, well, maybe paunchy men in bat suits are not the biggest security risk.... And why Bat Man, anyway. Is there some sort of allusion that I am missing. Was Bat Man anyone's father? Was Bruce Wayne? And where is Robin?
Alas, I was not present...

Winfrey then led the ecstatic crowd outside the studio to a parking lot filled with G6s topped with big red bows. Each member of the audience was instructed to contact a Pontiac representative to personally customize the actual cars they will receive, allowing them to choose the color and features that come with a fully loaded model.

She said most members of the audience had been specially selected from letters sent in advance by viewers on behalf of themselves, friends or family who were in need of a new car.


Dear Oprah,
I am presently driving an ‘87 GMC van. I’m not really complaining or nothin’. We bought it for one dollar from the estate of my late uncle, so it’s not like we haven’t had our money’s worth. It’s just that Uncle Dan didn’t spring for the rust-proofing (when I’m in my early 80’s I most likely won’t be worried about that sort of thing, either.) and it is starting to look its age. I know a van is not a jet and the kids can’t be sucked out of those holes that have formed in a few places, but my oldest daughter is planning on getting married next year and it would be nice to be able to park the family van in a reasonable vicinity to the church and reception. Not to mention that it would be nice to make that rim-leak problem a thing of the past; i.e. not to have to stop to check the air in the right front tire on our way to the church and/or the reception. Sometimes my self-esteem is bruised when people look askance at our vehicle (it does have a certain dissonance when parked between a Jaguar and a Lexus) or my mother-in-law reminds me that rusty cars are illegal in many European countries.
Don’t worry, Oprah. If you can’t help me, we’ll just make two trips in the Amigo. No problemo.
Sincerely,
Ellyn v.
( a regular viewer for many years.....sort of.)
PS - I could also use a Chanel suit, a decent hairdo, a new garage door and when I finally write my book, maybe you could have me on the show. Just to chat.

The Panic in Needle Parking Lot

Am feeling vaguely ill at ease. After a lovely week-end with the family, including a great time at my godson’s First Birthday Party, Monday morning finds me with a queasy stomach and aching head. OK, so maybe I am feeling the effects of tapering off the Prednisone. But there is also a pervasive pesimism that I can’t shake.
I was watching Eddie riding bikes with his friends. One little guy is always meticulously dressed and always is wearing his helmet. This is good. But I am overcome with feelings close to despair when considering that his bike is traversing the parking lot of the neighboring apartment complex where an acquaintance (i.e. - she doesn’t hang with the girls, but we know that she is a real person) of Fran and Bridget was arrested for shooting up heroin in her car. She doesn’t live there - it was just a convenient location. And if she was caught, how many people aren’t? I have always been blessed to live in places where heroin addiction was not a concern. (All that I know about heroin I learned from LIFE magazine in fourth grade. And that article was enough to dissuade me from further curiosity.) Now I guess there are no such places.
I know that the presence of heroin addicts does not negate the need for proper cranial protection for young bikers. But......in my doldrums I am thinking, what is the point? In my more optimistic moments I can joke to Rick that we should be sure to tell the boys not to answer the door if they are ever left alone. Even if it is someone they recognize. Especially is they want to borrow a belt, a spoon, a bottle cap....
Best to snap out of it and make sure I get to Mass before work. I need to stay focused. (And to keep my focus away from things like the Linking EffortsAgainstDrugs dinner dance advertising that I saw yesterday. The children were not favorably impressed to see me foaming at the mouth and ranting about suburban do-gooders getting together to raise money to promote ‘awareness’ while young people are hanging out in our parks and parking lots killing themselves.)

Saturday, September 11, 2004


My godson’s First Birthday!

Friday, September 10, 2004

And we’re back...

What a fabulous day. The weather was perfect. It was amazing to see so many homeschoolers and the diversity of the crowd. There were the families with matching shirts. And the families in which all the girls wore long skirts. The families in which all the boys wore matching yarmulkes. The T-shirts with bible verses. The souvenir T-shirts from Sturgis. Martha decided she didn’t need to make a “ Just Visiting -I’m no longer homeschooled.”shirt when she saw other kids with unnaturally colored hair and multiple piercings. Good opportunity to kid her that she is unique - just like everyone else!
Despite the good attendance, the ride lines weren’t bad at all. And we finished the day with an Imax movie on speed, both mechanical and bodily. Eddie found the size of the theater a little dizzying (he’s his mother’s son) but liked it a lot once the show started.
Just a great day. And my hip is doing OK, too. I’ve assigned Chuck the task of designing a family shirt for next year....

Hope we're not in too deep at the high school. Last night was parents' night. [Missed it last year, too. Rick may have gone, but I know I was working. Had to go to Martha's IEP meeting later in the year just so "they'll believe I have a mother."] I had to rest my hip so I could be functional today and Rick was supposed to speak at the parents' night at a local Catholic school where he and the boys have been helping to upgrade the computer lab. The way I figure it, parents' night at Lake Forest High is so overrun with anxious, go-getter parents wanting to make contact with all teachers, that we may just have been appreciated for our absence. We care. They know we care. I'll make a laminated card with our pictures. Martha can show it to her teachers to show we really exist. And care.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

And we’re off...

Today is the homeschooling day at Great America amusement park. We have never done this before but I thought it might be fun. Didn’t spend a whole lot of the budget on curricula, so this was doable. I’m taking Martha out of school for the day. (she’s a junior now and has figured out that perfect attendance is not one of my priorities) She’s a distinguished St. Benedict’s Homeschool alum and the only one of us who has been to the park. It will help to have someone who knows her way around. Especially if the ol’ hip should start to bug me and I need to sit for a while. I filled myself with the max dosage of every possible drug (except for Vicodin - that makes me want to puke when I’m sitting on the couch so I doubt if it would be a good idea at an amusement park with 13 roller coasters.) Oh, well, time to go. Must drop Martha off for her essential first period honors English, take the boys to Mass and out to breakfast and pick up Martha in time to be at Great America for the 10:30 physics talk.

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

...with the majority of parents losing twenty or more IQ points.
 
Dr. Hosung Lee, director of the study, was not surprised with the findings.  “The research proved that our hypothesis was correct.  Having children does retard one’s brain activity, and since both parents lost intelligence, we must assume that this loss has a psychological rather than biological cause.”
Hmmm. Six kids X 20 points? Should I be allowed to drive myself to work? Should they allow me to answer the phone at work? Should such a cretin be allowed to interact with her children - heaven forbid trying to educate them - when she returns? Will I be able to find my way home from work?

Monday, September 06, 2004

Educational - Yes!

and dogs like it, too.

We’ll just have to remember where South America used to be. Now that it is somewhere in Bessie’s digestive tract.
Gearing Up!

Getting ready to start school tomorrow. I didn’t have to buy a lot of new curricula this fall since we didn’t finish everything from last year. I did spring for this ....

and a few other Latin treats including one item so cute that we are saving it to be a Christmas gift for pater.
I don’t obsess about finishing everything...heck we never did when I was in school. There were tons of unfinished workbooks. And then there were the books that we hustled at double-speed to finish during May. I have moments when I wonder if purgatory will include a stack of spellers, math workbooks and science lab guides to be completed.

But one of the good things about homeschooling is that we don’t have to drop what we are doing to move on to the next level just because the calendar says so. So we will complete Ancient Greece. Before we move on to Ancient Egypt. Sometime before Christmas. (Did I mention that we are doing our history curriculum backwards?)
Vanitas Vanitatum

Our Irish Princess may be back together with her beau, but she is keeping to her promise to spend more quality time with her female companions. (I guess that includes me) We took off for the bargain matinee of Vanity Fair and had a marvelous time. A lot of eye candy and adventure. Reese Witherspoon plays the protagonist as more Becky Thatcher than Becky Sharp. But a nice mother/daughter entertainment.
Bridget wanted to go to Barnes & Noble afterwards, so I picked up a bargain edition of Vanity Fair to refresh my memory. And that accounts for my lack of productivity for the rest of the long week-end.

Friday, September 03, 2004

Are we talking about the same movie?

Mel Gibson's ''The Passion of the Christ,'' just out on DVD, has caused many valid reactions: religious inspiration, charges of anti-Semitism, nausea at the violence (and horror that the movie is shown to children) and boredom at the repetitiveness of the action and lack of story.

But one thing is certain about the new DVD edition of the story of Jesus' crucifixion: It's a disappointment. With a $30 list price, it contains nothing but the movie and its trailer.

Target has it for $15. I don’t want all the ‘extras.’ I don’t think I really watch many of the extras on the DVDs that we have - I’m just appreciative when I have time to watch a movie.
Lack of story? What the heck does he mean by that?

St. Isidore Foundation



I cannot live under pressures from patrons, let alone paint.
-- Michelangelo, quoted in Vasari's Lives of the Artists


Meet the Family...
Collect the Action Figures





Yes, three jade ribbons. 15 Years!
(not all the same child)
If you need to ask, you may not wish to know.


 
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