Oh, how time flies…I had forgotten that I had this blog. It is fun to find it again.
I am going to start doing a soup-a-thon. Each week, I will post about a new soup recipe I’ve tried out. In the meantime, I will post my musings. I have them, I just haven’t spent much time exploring them as of late.
This may be a little off course for me, but I read an article in TIME magazine and wanted to share with you.
As many of you know, Steve and I began attending Church way back in 2003/4. He and I had been far removed from any sort of religious services other than weddings and funerals…we “thought” we were living the Grand LIfe…We attended the funeral of a dear friend of ours and something happened. I can’t explain to you in words what happened, but it happened to both of us. I can’t tell you the date for certain, because I’ve never been one to remember dates. I can, however, tell you that IT happened. I remember going back to the car after the funeral, filled with emotion. I told Steve, “Something just happened and I think we need to start going to church.” He said he was feeling the same thing… the following Sunday, we began the tradition…the trek….
I remember going to church when I was little. I remember Sunday School and Vacation Bible School….but somewhere along the line, the church wasn’t all that important…My good buddy, Satan, had taken hold of my foot and was trying to pull me down…he did a good job of it for a long time. We hung out a lot together. He smiled at my failures and hung on to my shoulder…whispering in my ear at every moment I was “free” to do whatever I wanted.
The death of this dear friend brought Steve and me into the church that we had denied for so many years. Well, not that we had denied, but that we ignored the existence of. I had said for years that I didn’t “believe in” organized religion. However…then I understood.
So, now, let me share an excerpt from “TIME” magazine about my Catholic Faith:
“A bit more background before going further: in the Catholic Church there are ‘diocesan priests,’ who work mainly in parishes, and “religious order” priests, like those in the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans. In religious orders we profess vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and live in community with one another.
Now that I’ve brought it up, let’s cut to the big question: what about celibacy? It’s what most people have on their minds when they think about the priesthood,especially in the wake of the sexual-abuse scandals. So a little explanation. First of all, celibacy is not for everyone – obviously. If it were, there wouldn’t be much time left for the human race? But it is meant for some people, like me, who take a vow of chastity, or diocesan priests who promise celibacy….For me, chastity is a way that allows me to love many people freely and deeply. Yes, forgoing sexual intimacy is difficult, but married life has its own challenges too. A celibate lifestyle calls you to find and express love in deep friendships, in your ministry, and in prayer with God.
Celibacy doesn’t lead to sexual abuse, but that doesn’t mean commentators don’t draw that conclusion. Most incidents of abuse take place in the family, but no one says marriage leads to sexual abuse. Many incidents take place in schools, but no one says a degree in education leads to abusing children. Basically the easy (and insulting) conflation of celibacy with pedophilia reflects a discomfort with the celibate life. Anyone who chooses to live without sexual intimacy, the popular thinking goes, must be either sick, deluded, crazy- or all three. But as I said, it’s simply another way to love, not better or worse. And I’ll bet you have many celibate people in your life. They would include single men and women, widows and widowers, the uncle or aunt or co-worker or neighbor who has chosen not to marry. As long as they are loving and enjoy deep friendships, why not see their choice as another way to live? and love?” ~Father James Martin
So, there you have it.
I hope you’ve made it through my post and I look forward to hearing from you.
Michelle
December 3, 2012 changed my life in ways that I cannot, to this day, put into words or understand. Since that day I have not wanted to write or feel or do anything meaningful. Tomorrow is a new day, and I will have my brother and his family here. Something is sparking within my soul and I feel the need to begin writing again.
December 3rd…I came home from work after working 3 7p-7a shifts. I crawled into bed and thought, “Oh, I’ll sleep a couple of hours and get up and do something.” I don’t even know what I had planned to do that day, but I’m sure it was important. I don’t even know how long I had been asleep…maybe an hour when my phone started ringing. I, of course, rolled over and ignored it, thinking, “I AM going to sleep for a little bit.” BUT…it began ringing again. I ignored it a little longer. THEN it rang again. I ignored again…then it rang again….I was angry that someone was bothering me…and grabbed the phone…the caller ID was blank… but I had a voice mail. The voice said that something had happened to Mr. Loyd Cole and I needed to call Maxine as soon as possible….the next voice mail told me that Mr. Loyd Cole was deceased…I don’t even remember the words. I jumped up and sped to Mom and Dad’s….there was a female officer standing beside Mom in her rocking chair….all I can remember is saying, “No, No, NO….What has happened?????” and shaking…..and Mom crying…..it was a horrible, horrible, horrible time of confusion. We originally thought Dad had been hit by a car. He walked every day. Steve came in and had spoken to someone…I’m still a little fuzzy on some of these details, but Steve had been told that something else had happened. Mom had originally gone out looking for Dad after he hadn’t come home in a specific amount of time and actually drove up on the ambulance, police and such…the female officer drove Mom home and that’s when they began calling me.
OK…my writing skills are failing me as I am filled with emotion. Dad was murdered. He was stabbed to death.
I loved that man so very much and he loved me. I was so angry with the world for taking him away from us! Oh, he had his quirks…and I will be the first to tell you that I gave him grief as often as I saw fit, which was pretty often. I think I’m going to have to quit talking about this for now.
When I went to work Tuesday, my girlfriend told me that they ate their first tomato. She, her husband and their daughter split the tomato into 3 pieces so they could all enjoy that first ripe tomato.
Dad would always bring me his first ripe tomato…I can see his hands wrapped around it and his face beaming….he would be so proud of that first red beauty…..and I know that he babied it just so he could hand it to me.
I’m done for now…but I’m back
There are a few things in life I look forward to…one of them is waking up in the morning. If I have done that, then there are boundless opportunities for me in that day.
Another thing I look forward to is the annual “family night” at my friends’ deer camp. It is held the last Saturday of the second week of modern gun deer season. Oh, the food is to die for! I wish I had taken a picture of the “cook” shack. This is the sweetest place you have ever seen in a camp area…military style canvas building with all the amenities of a professional kitchen. There are refrigerators and freezers and stoves. It’s heated…it’s BEAUTIFUL! The guys work all day getting it ready for the guests. When I arrive at the camp, dressed in my warmest attire complete with long underwear and wooliest socks inside of boots, I am greeted by a multitude of the kindest, sweetest people one could ever hope to meet. It is simply the greatest event of the year. Everyone is so happy to see one another. There are usually stories being told and drinks being drank…..which leads me to my Koozie….
I have had a red koozie forever. If you see many pictures of me…you can bet you will see my red koozie somewhere in the background. That koozie has been with me to Brazil, New Orleans, South Carolina, Kentucky and all points in between. That koozie always had a place in my luggage and was one of the first things I would pull out of my suitcase. I’m pretty sure I’ve had that koozie for about 15+ years.
Tonight. I put it in the car (or so I thought) as we headed to deer camp. When we arrived and parked..the boys unloaded and I started looking for my koozie….I was a little crazy because I couldn’t find it. When I walked up to the campfire without my koozie, my BFF began to give me grief….apparently she had told a few people about my pitiful koozie. She said it was orange, which, I guess it looked a little orange to her because it had aged, but to me, my old k-buddy was still red….but it was now gone. That koozie has been with me through much laughter and many tears. Many lives and passings have been shared with that red Koozie in hand. It’s weird how you can become attached to an inanimate object like that. Attached I was….there will not be another koozie that will fit my hand or my beer as perfectly as that one did. But I will move on…..he is gone….I’m sad…I’m very sad…….
A few days ago, the long-eared, crazy dog decided to spit up on my comforter. This morning, I FINALLY made it to the laudromat…which has given me some fuel for a post. Here we go…..
I find LaundrOmats interesting and useful. Our first apartment was about the size of our current living room. Needless to say, a laundry room wasn’t included in the floor plan. The apartment complex had a small washeteria, so I would traipse my little, 18 year old self down there about once a week to take care of the dirty clothes. This little “private” laundromat only gave me a suggestion of how REAL laundromats worked. Yes, there were kids, there were annoying men, there was always a machine out of order…. but then, we moved several times. With those re-locations came the, um…. “opportunities” to venture out into the real world and burn lots of gas trying to find the least creepy, safest appearing laundromat.
Following are a few things that are common among all laundromats:
1. If you need a heavy duty machine and there are 5 heavy duty machines at your first choice of laundromat, 4 of them will be out of order and one will have clothes in it. So, just turn around and take that 150-pounds of laundry BACK to your car and find another place.
2. It doesn’t matter if it’s 120-degrees or -20-degrees, there will be a fly hanging out in the laundromat who will become interested in me, and ONLY me…and My nose in particular. Nothing makes me look more like a Psychotic, laundromat-creeping-weirdo than my flailing arms and face slapping maneuvers trying to kill that nostril seeking fly that hasn’t seemed to bother anyone else in the place.
3. There is most always an unsupervised, snot-nosed toddler who prefers his own boogers over that bag of skittles or cheetos in his other hand – at least the kid either has sweet/salty or soft/cheesy snacks. On the up side, I am almost always hungry when I go to the laundromat. These toddlers most likely squash the desire to raid my quarter stash to feed myself from the vending machines.
4. Speaking of kids, I can usually count on there being an older youngster, say 5-8 years of age who will just be sitting in a chair staring at me. I smile, but the child just has a blank stare…at me…. all that goes through my mind is a froggy voice saying, “REDRUM, REDRUM.”
5. You can bet your bottom dollar that if I’ve managed to get to a laundromat where I am alone, there will be a creepy guy, with no laundry, who will come in to look at magazines or a newspaper. AND you can dig around and find some change to place a bet on this – no one, I mean no one on my contact list will answer his/her phone… that is, if I even have my cell phone in my pocket. Back in the early laundromat days, there were no cellphones and the only pay phone was invariably right next to the chair that creepy guy would sit in!
As I said, LaundrOmats are interesting. The thing I love most about laundromats is the fact that you can put all your clothes on to wash at the same time, put them all in dryers…and then you’re done. Having said that, this morning I just took my comforter to the laundromat… now, I’ve got laundry to do – UGH!
Below is a link to Foodie With Family website that I got this recipe from. I used 3 9″ round pans for the recipe and you should check for doneness after 15 minutes. This site also has a printable version of the recipe – WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!! I’m trying to figure out how I can do that!
These pictures are of the cake I made and took to work. 
You should give it a try!
I just realized how long it’s been since I last posted….I don’t think I have that many followers who could be disappointed…but I’m trying to make this Blog something that you want to check into…and I’m not doing a very good job with it.
I’m now a BzzAgent…I’m receiving products to test and share with friends. This past week, I tried Alexia’s Parmesan Lemon Waffle Cut fries. They were very good, but very strong in the way of Lemon flavor. These would be best eaten with fish or Pork. Steve LOVED the turkey burgers that I prepared….I guess I should post the recipe for the burgers..but I’m too tired to do so right now. I will see if you are interested in the recipe..then I’ll post it.
I will try to improve on my posts…this week I made the Triple Layer Chocolate Nutter Butter Cake and the Turkey Burgers…tonite I made Sweet Potato Fries with Chorizo and Queso Fresco. Hmmmmmm…..
G’nite all!
As for the medical marijuana act….if you have ever seen someone suffering and unable to eat because of all the MAN MADE chemicals they have pumping through their veins…maybe you should consider legalizing something that grows naturally in most zones. I seriously DO NOT understand why marijuana is illegal. I may not partake, but I cannot understand why it is illegal. Oh, sure…I smoked it when I was a teenager – sorry, Mom, maybe you knew…and I actually turned into a somewhat productive individual…I was actually able to go to college and join the work force! SHOCKER!
How did Alcohol ever become legal? It has to be processed…and that’s all acceptable, but not marijuana…oh, no…something that sprouts out of the ground…something that you have to do nothing with other than dry it, roll it into a cigarette, or eat it in a brownie….oh…that crap is illegal. Yep…we’re gonna throw people in jail for selling something that they can grow in their back yard.
Makes me angry. Makes me shake my head.
Today, I got off work at 7am. I had convinced myself that I needed to sleep in order to save the week ahead of me…so I did. I set my alarm for noon….I finally dragged out of bed at 1:30, drag I did…I felt like I had a hangover..I was puffy and felt pretty terrible (which is why I don’t take naps)…but I have honestly been working on my mindset and determined that this little “uncomfortableness” would pay off.
Pay off it did….around 3pm I felt like a champ! Down the road I went with Demon Dog. We walked, we played, we visited….got home about 5:30….then out to the shop I went.
The new shop….well, it is an old shop that has been resurrected! It’s beautiful! For years, I wouldn’t go to the shop….for any amount of begging or bribing….there was no way I was going out there (it was overrun with critters and junk). Now….I love the place…it’s bright (great lighting and Steve has painted the inside white on white). AND…there are power tools out there! Power tools that my hyper little self needed today. I’m building a potting bench. I took a carpentry class many moons ago. I took it because I wanted to be a part of building the house that Steve and I eventually wanted to build…but I mostly took it to get over my fear of power tools….saws in particular. I work in radiology…which means, I take “x-rays” of things as simple as someone’s nauseated and upset intestines to major trauma, which includes amputated extremities…in particular, digits…(fingers or toes). I’ve seen a billion table saw mishaps in the 30 years I’ve been involved in radiology. OK…maybe not “a billion” but hundreds, I’m sure. In the early days, I FEARED power tools….saws, nail guns, you name it….then…I took the class that Dick Wennberg taught at the local community college. We built a mini-house. I was a part of framing, planing, dry wall, nailing, sawing, roofing…yep, I got to do it all….but that was a very long time ago….probably around 1990. I have had a chance to rebuild my fear of power tools since then…but fear precedes respect. I started building my potting bench today…I was slamming that chop saw…and it felt good. I respect that chop saw…I respect that table saw to the degree that I decided I was too tired to mess with it tonight….but I can’t wait to jump on that bad boy tomorrow!
October birthdays are rather thick in my family and friend circle. Today is my sister’s birthday. For some reason, she will always be 12. She was 12 when I moved out of the house, went to college and got married – I guess that is why she is still 12 in my head….when I see her, she looks to be 12….I see her in a different way than any of her friends or any of the rest of our family/world sees her. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m hoping other “sisters” know what I’m talking about and that I’m not completely crazy. I love that little girl that she was….and I love the woman she has become. She is a Mom and a Mommy…she is pretty much the coolest person I know. I hate that we’re a thousand miles away from each other…but I know she is doing just fine.
Look out Tuesday!
I don’t usually post on Thursday night, but I’m feeling a little feisty and will share!
I have been cooking/baking like a mad woman. Last night I made Turkey Tetrazzini and it was quite yummy. We are eating leftovers tonite!
Tonite I made Pumpkin Bars!Oh, yeah…quite WONDERFUL!
I made Jack-O-Planters this evening – and I saved the pumpkin seeds….I’ve never eaten pumpkin seeds, but I thought I would have to try them. So I did, and I am in LOVE with roasted pumpkin seeds. I ended up roasting them much longer than suggested…and I also added much more salt to the recipe.
I realize there are many links and no pictures…get over it…you’re gonna have to follow a few links where someone else has done it already!
I’m going to bed….my feistiness has left me.
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