On the third day of Christmas

Several bloggers have already shared one of my favorite Christmas videos (here is a link to the updated version of it), so I thought I would share from a group I recently found out about. Enjoy!

A new place to visit online

Faith & Family has a new blog written by Danielle Bean, Rachel Balducci, Lisa Hendey, Arwen Mosher, and Rebecca Teti.

A little something about the blog in their words:

As we help each other along the way, we hope that our magazine and blog will affirm something that is already written on every mother’s heart: That motherhood is a privilege. That family life is a joy. And that though being a wife and mother is likely to be the single most challenging thing any of us ever do, it is also likely to be the single most important thing any of us ever do as well.

Make it a daily stop -- it will be worth your while. (And they are having a grand opening giveaway right now.)

Another must read

Here is just another reason I enjoy the Archbold brothers' blog: I'm A Wii Catholic

If you aren't regularly reading Creative Minority Report, you are missing out on some great stuff. Matthew and Patrick are insightful and humorous. Bookmark them -- you won't regret it.

Pondering

Christi recently posted about some of her favorite authors -- which also happen to be some of my favorites. We both enjoy Madeleine L'Engle. I discovered her Time books when I was in school and enjoyed reading about Meg Murry in A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door. At some point after I finished school, I read A Swiftly Tilting Planet and Many Waters. Last week I finally got An Acceptable Time and started reading it last night. I stopped mid chapter (not an easy thing for me to do) when I read this exchange between Polly and her grandmother:

. . . "Grand, why did Mother have so many kids?"
"Would you want any of you not to have been born?"
"No, but--"
"But it doesn't answer your question. . . . If a woman is free to choose a career, she's also free to choose the care of a family as her primary vocation."

Wow. Powerful words for an idea which was not widely accepted in 1989 when the book was published -- and still is not widely accepted.

Being the research geek I am, I looked up vocation. Here is what Wikipedia says:

A vocation is an occupation for which a person is suited, trained or qualified. It is also the inclination to undertake a certain kind of work, especially a religious career; often in response to a perceived summons; a calling. This type of vocation is either professional or voluntary, that is carried out more for its altruistic benefit than for income, which might be regarded as a secondary aspect of the vocation, however beneficial.

And thinking about vocations, especially the second part of the definition, brings me to Christine, who is celebrating the 1000th post of Domestic Vocation. If you haven't visited her before, please do.

Deprivation

I bought this at a Bob Evans while we were on vacation. When I saw it I thought of Margaret. I had to share it today because of her post.

Manly, yes -- not sure I'd like it too

Mandles video

I can think of several husbands (mine included) who would rather burn Mandles than "Golden Spice Pear and Seaside Holiday." However, we are in one of the over 50 areas in which this offer is not valid :)

Hat tip: Rachel

Blogging problem?

Last week Carolina Cannonball had a post about knowing when you have a blogging problem. I commented that you also know you have a blogging problem when you tell people you will be spending your vacation halfway between Bonfire of the Vanities and Pro Ecclesia.

So guess where I am? Yep, halfway between Bonfire of the Vanities and Pro Ecclesia.

I should have some interesting pictures to post later of the drive up here. The kids had control of the camera while I was driving so I am looking forward to downloading everything that caught their interest -- especially based on some of the conversations going on at the same time as the camera clicks.

Saturday we made it to Columbus and yesterday we went to COSI with the cousins. I took pictures there and will share some of those soon -- if I can ever get them uploaded to the laptop! Today, to quote the TomTom, we have reached our destination. Tomorrow we might be here during the day but tomorrow night the kids will be glad to see their great-grandparents.

So what about you? How would you complete the sentence?

You might have a blogging problem if . . .

How I have been spending my winter, part 1

Midsummer Day, Bronx Park

I have really enjoyed looking through the Library of Congress photosets on Flickr.

From The Commons description:

The key goals of this pilot project are to firstly give you a taste of the hidden treasures in the huge Library of Congress collection, and secondly to show how your input of a tag or two can make the collection even richer.

There are two sets of photographs: News in the 1910s and 1930s-40s in Color.

Over the course of two or three weeks, I managed to see all 1500 photos in the News in the 1910s photoset. If you are a baseball fan, you will find photos of Cy Young, Germany Schaefer, Russ Ford, James Mullen, John Titus, and many, many more. If boxing is your sport, there are pictures of Jack Johnson, Kid Sullivan, and Mrs. Edwards and Fraulein Kussin to name a few. Interested in politics? How about some pictures from the 1912 Democratic and Republican National Conventions? There are even pictures of the Titanic survivors reaching New York.

There are 1,615 pictures in the 1930s-40s in Color set. I have barely made my way into those, but I am looking forward to finding a lot of great treasures there, too.

By the way, the Library of Congress also has a blog.

Maybe if you hum a few bars

One of my new favorite bloggers (that's you, Soutenus!) recently posted about an upcoming total lunar eclipse on 20 February. To celebrate, she and her students are having a moon song contest. They want to know:

"How many songs can you think of that have the word "moon" in them (not just the title but in any part of the lyrics)?"

I've come up with a couple and have some more trying to work their way out of my subconscious. If you know of any, head over and suggest them.

She's moved

Not Found

The requested URL /sys/main was not found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

That's what I have been getting the past few days when I clicked on my bookmarked link to Danielle Bean. If you like her blog and have been getting the same thing I was, don't worry -- here she is.

Saint Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.





The history of the prayer to St Michael the Archangel, as well as the long and short forms of the prayer, can be found here.

Spread a little cheer

Check out the Christmas Cheer Challenge at Suzanne's. And if you feel so moved, participate however you can -- even if it's only by spreading the word.

A new holiday

I noticed this at Domestic Vocation on a day I didn't have time to watch it. Then Jay linked to it on a day I did have time.



I hope you have the time to watch it. And if you have some extra time, check out Christine (at either of her blogs) and Jay. They are both great bloggers and well worth a visit.

Christmas gift ideas and giveaways

More giveaways can be found at From Dates to Diapers. They are mixed in with her gift ideas. Check it out -- I'm sure you'll find something for someone on your list!

Oh, the humanity

I had forgotten about this until I saw a link to episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati.

Two unbelievable moments from the Thanksgiving episode of the first season:

Les Nessman live



As God is my witness

Well said -- Holiday version

It's Beginning to Look a lot like ... Holiday written by Red Cardigan at And Sometimes Tea brings it back into perspective.

Like one of those commenting on her post, I remember when Christmas displays went up after Thanksgiving and the sales began in mid-December. Now ornaments and cards seem to pop up in the stores at the same time as the red, white, and blue decorations for the Fourth of July. A few short days ago Santa inflatables were sharing space in front of the grocery store with Frankenstein and Dracula. There's just something Wrong. With. That. Picture -- not to mention the inflatable ghosts hovering near the inflatable nativity scene snow globe.

The children are even picking up on it -- I am being asked to play some of the Christmas CDs in the van. That isn't happening before Thanksgiving, thankyouverymuch.

I'll leave you with some more well said words on the topic:

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This post will remain at the top of the blog through October. Please look below for additional posts.

The Breast Cancer Site was founded to help offer free mammograms to underprivileged women nationwide. With a simple, daily "click" visitors help provide mammograms to those in need.

The Breast Cancer Site is one of the links on my sidebar and a site I have gone to almost every day since I heard about it seven or eight years ago.

Growing up, the understanding was -- on my father's side of the family anyway -- all the men died from lung cancer and all the women from breast cancer. That being said, I'm sure you can guess how I felt when, in 1991, I discovered a lump in my right breast. In January, 1992, I had a biopsy. I was one of the lucky ones. My benign mass turned out to be scar tissue from a severe trauma received in a car accident. Other people (men can get breast cancer, too) are not so lucky.

Mammography is the best screening tool available today for breast cancer. Unfortunately not everyone can afford a mammogram. The Breast Cancer Site is sponsored by firms who donate money for any of several reasons including: every individual click on the Fund Free Mammograms button; clicking on their ad; or a percentage of any purchase on their site when accessed through that ad. Out of fairness to the sponsors, only one click per day is counted per visitor.

Some facts from The Breast Cancer Site:

Each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die.
One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95 percent.

See also: You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer

My favorite posts

We all write things that we like but then they disappear into our archive. This post, which I will add to occasionally, will be linked to my sidebar.

Where I am from

Some views around our neck of the woods

More views from our neck of the woods

You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer

Mom's Turn

Mail Mom came up with a wonderful idea -- a blog to which you can post anonymously those things you can't post on your own. Having issues with friends, relatives, co-workers and need to get it off your chest but can't because they are regular visitors to your site? Visit Mom's Turn.

"For most of us, we began our blogging experience with one, two or both of the following goals in mind:

1. As an outlet to vent our frustrations of motherhood, womanhood, and adulthood.
2. To chronicle the everyday life, as well as the milestones and special memories, of our children as so we never forget.

As our blogs grow in popularity, not only strangers (now our "blogger" buddies), but our family and close friends have begun reading and commenting. It is no longer possible to really vent about the things we want and need to in order to maintain some balance of sanity.

We don't want to offend a friend, insult a teacher, embarrass our children or start a family feud ... so we don't write about some of the things we are feeling. We just sit and wonder why we don't feel we have the freedom to write and say what we want on our own blog. Well, guess what? It's our turn. MOM'S TURN ... to let it all out."

Read the rest here.

Remember -- and go forward

September 11, 2001

And some music videos about this day six short years ago:
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) - Toby Keith

Have You Forgotten - Daryl Worley