Note to Hypertot:
Posted By Christina M on July 28, 2006
It’s “Bob the Builder,” not “Bob the Dildo.” I really wish you’d learn to pronounce it correctly.
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Money saving tip: Make your own pickles
Posted By Christina M on July 20, 2006
To make your own pickles the easy way, use the leftover liquid from the last jar of pickles you bought. Just slice a cucumber into the liquid and leave in the fridge for 3-7 days. It works with most brands, but if it doesn’t work with yours, try a different brand.
If you feel more creative, you can try pickling other veggies as well, or start a separate jar for peppers. Or if you really want to save, you can grow your own cukes or other veggies for mere pennies.
Manhood and Apostolate
Posted By Christina M on July 18, 2006
Several months ago, my charming and patient husband wrote a post about what it means to be a man. He had some fantastic insights, the sort that come from being the kind of person one encourages others to be. He’s the one who, though he doesn’t like the idea of killing spiders, does it anyway because one of our teens is allergic to them. When he gives advice about how to be the right kind of husband and father, other men and future men would do well to listen.
The reason I am remembering that post today is that I just found another really good post about what it means to be a husband and father, written by Pete Vere. He, too, has some extremely important insights about what those vocations require of a man.
For anyone who hasn’t read both of these gems of wisdom, I strongly recommend you jump over and read them now.
This week, my husband has a heavy week at work, and will likely work longer hours than usual. This is a good moment for me to stop and appreciate him and what he does to take care of our family. Thank you, Joel.
Because as important as it is for men to remember to put their families first, it’s also important for women to remember how much of their men’s work is for the family.
Another Sunday’s wisdom from God
Posted By Christina M on July 17, 2006
through His servant, Fr. Alejandro. All I can say is I pray that God continues to bless this man with wisdom and grace.
Yesterday, you may recall, we heard the Gospel reading in which Jesus sends forth His apostles two by two, to witness to the world. “Taking nothing for the journey,” and teaching the good news, these men are called to be both fearless and fully trusting.
Trust and witness were the two themes Fr. Alejandro combined in his homily. He talked about partnering in witness: husband and wife, brother and sister, friend and friend, etc. And he stressed the importance of these twosomes, because each partner, with friendship and companionship, strengthens the other both in witnessing and in following Christ.
All I could think was how inspired I was to want to grow, with my husband, in my relationship with God. The only thing I can think of that could be better than growing toward God and growing with my husband is growing toward God with my husband.
Then Fr. Alejandro talked about the importance of trust. He told several stories of missionaries whose missions were endangered by their lack of trust in God to provide. This has been a particular difficulty of mine lately, as I always worry that God might test me by not providing enough to pay the bills. It is true that the more you have, the more you fear losing; and now that I have a big family, an awe-inspiring husband, a house, and security, there is so much more to fear losing than when I had nothing.
But I need to learn to trust, and if I can’t just make myself do it, I need to ask God’s help. And I need to ask for help from the partner that He gave me, too, so that we can forge forward together to do whatever work God has in mind for us.
Please pray for me, and I will pray for you.
a response
Posted By Christina M on July 10, 2006
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
I am not worthy even to be made worthy. But I need You to say the word, because I can’t survive without You.
Long Time No Meme
Posted By Christina M on June 15, 2006
In the spirit of recovering bloggery, I offer the ABC Meme, swiped from one of my favorites, Rambling GOP Soccer Mom.
Accent: California, with a hint of Texas at times.
Butter or Margarine: butter.
Chore I Hate: Things that involve bending, especially emptying the dishwasher and loading the dryer.
Dog or Cat: I like them both, but prefer cats as pets because they require less care.
Essential Electronics: computer, of course… and, um… well, computer, of course.
Favorite Cologne(s): Jean Nate after bath splash.
Gold or Silver: Gold, white and yellow together.
Hometown: Sebastopol, CA
Insomnia: With a baby who won’t sleep till midnight, and a hypertot who wakes at 5, who gets a chance to have insomnia?
Job Title: Wife & Mom. On a bad day, Ma-awm.
Kids: All over the place. 7 to be precise.
Living arrangements: A four bedroom house that would be big to any other family.
Most admirable trait: honesty.
Nicknames: Princess Brat, Chris, chrislife, ChrisMrs (formerly ChrisMiss)
Overnight hospital stays: Hernia surgery at age 4, and 5 hospital births.
Phobias: Making telephone calls.
Quote: “It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.” – The Cat in the Hat
Religion: Roman Catholic
Siblings: Four sisters
Time I wake up: ideally, 6 am. Usually more like 5-5:30.
Unusual talent or skill: writing poetry.
Vegetable I refuse to eat: You kidding? I’d give my eye teeth for more vegetables.
Worst habit: complaining.
X-rays: dental, and one broken wrist at age 12.
Yummy stuff I cook: Polenta casserole, enchilada casserole, Mustgo Soup.
Tags: if you feel like doing this one, consider yourself tagged.
Political Humor
Posted By Christina M on June 14, 2006
My son recently claimed I have a double standard, because I laugh at Democrat jokes, but not at Republican jokes. I explained to him that I will laugh at the funny ones, but they are rare, because of an inherent difference between Republican and Democratic humor. Perhaps an example can best explain it.
Republican humor:
A teacher was explaining the two party system to her students, and little Tommy raised his hand to say he plans to be a Republican.
“Why is that?” asked the teacher.
“Well,” he replied, “My father was a Republican, and my grandfather was a Republican, and my great grandfather was a Republican.”
Wanting the child to think for himself, she prodded: “What if your father, and your grandfather, and your great grandfather had all been thieves?”
Quickly Tommy responded, “Then I’d be a Democrat.”
Democrat humor:
Republicans are so dumb that… I hate Republicans, they are evil, Chimpy McHitlerburger, so THERE.
Mass Civil Disobedience
Posted By Christina M on June 13, 2006
Tomorrow is Flag Day, and with a burst of patriotism, I feel I need to come clean about something that’s been bothering me.
Last Thursday, our son graduated from high school. It was a stirring ceremony, and needless to say I was bursting with pride. Only two things marred the celebration: first, that our daughter, who also graduated this year from a different campus, didn’t have a ceremony; and second, an enormous show of lawbreaking that occurred at the graduation ceremony.
Those who read this blog regularly have already surmised that I am not a person who lightly breaks laws. I rarely even break rules. I’m a “good girl.” I go to Mass unless I’m unable, I pray before meals, and I stop at red lights, even if there are no other cars around. But on this day, wanting to be fully participant, when I saw some 3,000 friends and family members join in a massive expression of illegality, I didn’t want to be excluded. I joined in.
Yes, that’s right. I disobeyed the law as it was handed down by proper authorities. The really bad thing is that I don’t feel guilty about it, as perhaps I ought. I enjoyed it. I even smirked afterwards.
I don’t think the 9th circuit court of appeals is likely to come after the thousands of us who participated, because no doubt they have bigger fish to fry during graduation week. I just felt like I had to get it off my chest.
I confess, I joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. And I liked it.
Note to Hypertot:
Posted By Christina M on June 11, 2006
Antiperspirant is not a food group.
We now return you to regularly scheduled blogging.
Tongues of Fire
Posted By Christina M on June 5, 2006
Well, at this point, I’d settle for just the ordinary sort of tongue… or typing fingers. Thank you for your patience with this mom, who just doesn’t get enough sleep anymore, and often finds it harder than in the past to write. Don’t get me wrong, Mona sleeps pretty well at night; but Hypertot is another story. At two, Davy climbs out of his crib, opens the door, and gets up whenever he darn well feels like it; so at very odd hours, we find ourselves getting up either to put him back to bed or to supervise him. As you recall, the Habanero Kid has a penchant for trouble in any unsupervised second.
But the little ones aren’t the big topic today; one of the teenagers is. Number two daughter received the sacrament of confirmation yesterday afternoon, beautifully timed on Pentecost. In a class of about twenty, she received the name of Therese, with glowing face. She told me afterwards that she plans to become a Carmelite. (I presume she means secular, like me.) I could not be more delighted.
Our bishop (Bishop Sevilla) gave a good homily about the Holy Spirit, and the inner life that defines us, and vocations. What a perfect time, I think, to mention vocations. Not only do we have a priest shortage in our diocese, but teenage confirmation serves as a perfect opportunity to remind these “soldiers for Christ” of the sanctity of vocation. And much to my pleasure, when he spoke of vocation, he did not refer only to priesthood and religious life, but also to the diaconate and marriage. I have long felt that these two vocations often get neglected when we pray for vocations. In this time of casual sex and easy divorce, it would be very easy to forget that marriage is a vocation, with all of the sanctity, responsibility, and importance of any genuine calling from God.
What this means is that marriage is not just a means, and not even just an end. It is a beginning, an opening. It is a beginning of grace, and of the responsibility that grace imputes. A person with a vocation to marriage is not just called to a wedding; the marriage, the vocation of marriage, calls the married person each day to make this sacred relationship a vehicle of growth. The couple with this vocation is not called to get married, but to be married — to live the sacrament of marriage as a ministry.
The Church teaches us that the minister of marriage is the husband or wife. The husband gives the sacrament to his wife, and the wife gives the sacrament to her husband; the priest or deacon is merely an official Church witness, the liturgical celebrant. When you consider the meaning of this, the calling of marriage becomes much, much clearer: married people live a life of consecrated ministry to one another. I am called to minister to my husband, to help and encourage him to live a life of service and love for God, and he is called to do the same for me. We are called to help each other to be better Christians, better Church members, and more loving people.
I must admit, it may be easier for me than it is for some, because of the husband I’ve been blessed with. The kind of person he is makes me want to be a better person myself. When I am tempted toward selfishness, he is generous. When I am tempted toward spiritual sloth, he urges me to pray more and to remember my need for God and the sacraments. When I am behaving wrongly, he finds ways to correct me so lovingly that I can never resent him for it.
This is, I think, what marriage as a vocation means. And considering that the majority of people who were confirmed yesterday will likely have a vocation to marriage, I am really grateful that Bishop Sevilla gave serious attention to this vocation as he prepared these young people to receive this sacrament that will help them in their future vocations.