Yeah Right!

So as promised I took the angelbaby to see Twilight this afternoon. Ever since she became fascinated by the books I have known that they were probably not the best works of fiction around, but I let her read them, and since I promised, I took her to the movie. We did talk about how unrealistic it was as a real love story though.

We also talked about how absolutely stalkery the entire feel of the way this young man in the movie (and books) goes after this young woman is. The angelbaby was still a bit starry eyed even when the movie had begun about how "romantic" it all was, but after seeing it played out on the big screen even she had to admit that when Edward tells Bella that he has been coming into her room at night for a month to watch her sleep that that was a bit stalkery and slightly creepy.

There is something too extreme about the devotion of the protagonists, that is just a bit off for my taste. The best thing I have to say about this movie is it did give my daughter and I a lot to talk about, and there was very little sex which was nice in a teen romance. I somehow just couldn't get past the whole idea that by the end of the movie the beautiful young woman's one ambition was to be as undead as her sparkly suitor.

I suppose it could happen. In some one's imagination, just not mine. Or in reality.

Why can't someone make a realistic love story for teen age girls? Please, I beg you!

Pax

How Does She Do It?

I just got back from my trainer session. I love my trainer. She is very mild mannered. You might say she is the polar opposite of Jillian Michaels, the woman that screams at those poor people on Biggest Loser on television as they work out on the Biggest Loser Ranch.

My trainer would never consider yelling at me as a way to motivate me to try a little harder, and yet she seems to get 110 % effort every week when I show up for my sessions. Amazing how techniques differ.

Anyway, I went in for my first trainer session after physical therapy, and I explained what has been going on there and showed her my still very bruised thigh, and we talked about what my therapist says I should be doing to strengthen my left leg now that it is on the mend.

My trainer went about running me through my paces while being very respectful of the limitations that the bruising on my thigh presented. She never once asked me to do anything that might have caused undue pain, and still she worked my tail off.

By the end of the session I was totally exhausted and had really gotten a thorough workout.

She is amazing.

Pax

Quiet? Me? Ha!

ISFP - The Artists

The gentle and compassionate type. They are especially attuned their inner values and what other people need. They are not friends of many words and tend to take the worries of the world on their shoulders. They tend to follow the path of least resistance and have to look out not to be taken advantage of.

They often prefer working quietly, behind the scene as a part of a team. They tend to value their friends and family above what they do for a living.

My only comment is ask anyone who knows me and quiet is not the first thing that will come to mind about me. Hmm, curious.

Other than that it pretty much sums up what I am trying to learn and become in my new program, and still trying to be the arsty "type" person creating things with my hands and with my words.




Find out what "type" your blog is here.

h/t to that floozy blog Ironic Catholic

Pax

I Would be Totally Impressed . . .

except there were about three questions per subject, so the odds were seriously in my favor!

There Are 0 Gaps in Your Knowledge

Where you have gaps in your knowledge: No Gaps! Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge: Philosophy Religion Economics Literature History Science Art

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

It Has To Hurt To Heal

They finally know what is causing the pain in my side. It is a tight band of connective tissue between my ilium and my tibia that affects how I walk, how I sit and just about everything else I do pretty much. And to top it all off I have a way of sitting with my left leg curled up underneath me that is just making the problem that much worse no matter how comfortable I think it feels.

So, I have to take physical therapy twice a week, which means the dreaded Graston Technique which involves scraping my leg and hip with assorted curved steel knives to kneed the tissue and get it all back working the way it should.

I also have to wear this really "interesting" patch on my leg. It is called an iontopheresis delivery system and it basically uses batteries to "shoot" the analgesic right into my hip. The closest sensation I can come up with is if someone tried to yank out your hair follicle by follicle over a period of about nine hours -- so enjoyable.

Then each day I have to do stretches of my leg that are meant to stretch the band of connective tissue back to its original length. OUCH! After I hold the three stretches for 30 seconds each I an in so much pain that I have to sit with ice on my leg for 20 minutes.

I realize that this is all good, and in just a few weeks I will be much better and most of the pain will be gone and I will be on the road to total recovery with only the building up of the muscles to do (which shouldn't hurt nearly as much, one would hope). But getting through the next two weeks will be crazy hard.

So, I am going to offer it up. If anyone has a need , just let me know because I have some serious offering up to do.

Pax

Mystic Monday: Modern Edition

Today children we depart from our ancient mystics to take up the life and writings of a contemporary man whose name used to fascinate me as a child:

Dag Hammarskjold.

Now you might not immediately think that a Swedish economist and statesman who went on to become the second Secretary general of the United Nations would qualify as a mystic. What you can learn from looking at his life is that he was a man who was dedicated to working toward peace and in fact it was on a peace mission to the Congo that he tragically met his death. He as awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize in 1961 for his global peace efforts.

For our purposes though, a small volume of his personal writings entitled Markings which was published after his death, and which he himself called a sort of White Book concerning my negotiations with myself - and with God." is filled with mystical thought and encounters with the divine.

I want to share one with you here today that I love, and have meditated on repeatedly:

Thou takest the pen and the lines dance.

Thou takest the flute-and the notes shimmer.

Thou takest the brush and the colors sing.

So all things have meaning and beauty in that space beyond time where Thou art.

How then can I hold back anything from Thee?

Maybe this quote resonates with me because I write, and I play the flute and while I don't paint I do create colorful things with my knitting needles, and in all these endeavors I am acutely aware and ever humbly grateful that it is not me but the divine spark within me that allows me to create such beauty.

If you get a chance, spend some time reading more of his writings.

Pax

A Little Help

Tonight I have to give a talk at RCIA:

The Ten Commandments NOT The Ten Suggestions


In the eight years that I have done RCIA ministry this is my least favorite talk and one I would never freely choose to do. Out of those eight years, it has fallen upon my shoulders to give this talk . . .



wait for it . . .



eight times!


I guess, God understands better than I do that I have a perspective on sin and the ten commandments that will help those entering the church to see the freedom that they offer as a guide for living one's life.

If you get a chance I would appreciate a prayer (and we all know how God's time works, so if you are reading this on Thursday or Friday or even December 10th, say a prayer for me, it won't go wasted). that my talk goes well and that the young men and women in this RCIA class will have a much better understanding of the freedom of living a moral life after I break open the commandments with them.

I use a very interactive style, and try to engage them as much as possible in the interpretation process, so the Holy Spirit can guide the direction in which the discussion takes. I would hate to go into the evening knowing exactly what I was going to say based upon my faults and failings and not address any of their specific needs. Heaven knows I have enough faults to go around, but my faults are mine and I don't begin to think they would be the same as for a 19 years old college male.

So, again, please send up a prayer that things go well, and that hearts are opened and touched. I would appreciate the back-up.

Pax

This Might Turn Out to Be Interesting

So mrangelmeg is away at his final (almost, he actually missed one so he has a make-up one to take in the spring) Masters Class this week in Indianapolis, which happens to be where I have to go for my class today.

Since the older kids are old enough to take care of the angelbaby and have volunteered to make sure she gets on the bus and make sure she gets her homework done and feed her dinner and stuff, I am going to stay over night with mrangelmeg tonight for a little getaway.

Last month I just waited at the place where I had class till he got out of class and I left my car there and he came over and picked me up. This time though I get out of class at noon and he doesn't get done till after 6, so I have to drive down into downtown Indy (which I hate) to the hotel on my own and get a key from the desk and check into the hotel and hang out for the afternoon and wait for him.

I was going to go straight over, but I think I will go visit my mom at her nursing home and then go over to the hotel. I just hope they remember that I am coming. When a woman shows up at the desk and demands a key to her husband's room are they going to be all Yeah Right who does she think she is!

This could be fun.

Pax

Mystic Monday

Today dear children I offer you the gentle words of our sister Jane de Chantal (1572-1641)

She was a married, mother of four, who after being widowed came under the Spiritual Direction of St. Frances de Sales and established a convent of sisters who worked with the poor .

Here is her admonition on how to live ones life:

I see. . . that your soul still agonizes when you feel without grace or when you commit some fault that comes from the rigor with which you would like to make progress. . . Your failings are not worth bothering about. I still think that the best thing is to stop examining yourself and to remain wide open in a holy confidence and joy. . .

- - Letters of Spiritual Direction

Pax

The End Is Near . . . or maybe it is just a resting point . . .

My first Semester is coming swiftly to a close. I have one more reflection assignment where I have to answer some questions about my first semester, and I have a synthesis experience (whatever that means) on Tuesday. Then I will have completed my first grueling semester of my Spirtual Direction Internship.

As I write these words I have just unpacked the box from Amazon which included the books for my second semester:

The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolhieser,
Holy Listening by Margaret Guenther
The Discerning Heart by Maureen Conroy
Interior Castle by Teresa of Avilla
and The Impact of God (John of the Cross) by Iain Matthew

I am actually really excited about the selection of books. They are all very interesting and cover areas of spirituality that will make me a much better director when it comes time next fall to actually take my first directee.

Knowing how this semester went though I have forewarned for next semester and will get a jump start on the reading a bit in November and December so that I can be a bit ahead of the game when it the semester starts.

We also begin to practice "doing direction" next semester with direct supervision. Instead of the five minute mini session we have had in our classroom this semester, next semester we will actually be doing half hour session with feedback from the observers and our supervising instructors. All I can say about this is YIPPEE!!! I want someone to help me to ask the right questions, and help me to help those who come to me. I am a bit scared, but I am ready to try.

In fact I am so willing to try, that I am signed up to be the first Guinea pig ( I am going to be the first directee for the first session when our supervising instructor goes through a session with the class watching. As directee you have to go into the session as if you are really going to direction (this isn't play acting folks -- I have cried every time I have done one of these sessions, so far even for five minute sessions, so I can imagine what a 30 minute session will be like.)

I realize that no matter how much practice I get, that first time I sit down with a directee I am going to think "holy crud, what I am trying to do here." but the more practice I get and the more faithful I am to the process they are putting me through the more carefully the Holy Spirit will be preparing me so that when I do start taking directees I won't feel as though I am wasting their time.

I know this is what God wants me to do. I just have to be faithful to the process so that the work that needs to be done in me can be done to prepare me for the work that needs to happen in others.

I have a lot of things to keep me going before January. Even if there isn't an assignment due every week for a while.

Pax

Friday Fun: Seriously?

You Are Boggle

You are an incredibly creative and resourceful person. You're able to dig deep and think outside the box to get things done. You are a non linear thinker. You don't like following directions You draw your inspiration from the strangest places sometimes. You're constantly inspired.

What Board Game Are You?

I can honestly say I have never played this game in my life, but I suppose I should give it a try, because the explanation is pretty spot on.

Pax

This is The Best Day Ever!

Today's Mass readings were all about being a shining example to the world of the One to whom we belong so the world will know Him and want to be His.

I think I might not be the best shining example today . . . I keep taking two steps forward and one step backward and have done that all day long.

I got up early enough to make it to morning mass, which was good. But was so late that I barely made it to my place in the chapel before Fr. walked in to begin Mass (no prayers to prepare myself before Mass this morning).

I went to visit with my mother-in-law which was a really nice thing, but somehow I forgot the time and missed my physical therapy appointment because I thought I was supposed to be there at a different time and I got there twenty minutes later than I was supposed to, so they had to reschedule me for next week which was the earliest they could get me in again.

I found a receipt I have been looking for for something of my mother's and in my excitement I tore it up. Lucky for me it wasn't into little bits and I could still read it enough so that I could call her nursing home and get the matter of it straightened out.

I'm not sure, but I think my new medication is causing me some really strange side effects, and ones I don't know if I can live with even though the pain in my hip is a lot less severe since I have been wearing it.

It is cold and wet again today. Cold wet weather is the worst.

Oh well, I have to remember that the gospel says that we are supposed to be perfected -- a process of getting better, not a state of being without fault. This is one of those days where God is working on me.

I can really feel it.

Pax

Is The Obama Youth in Our Future?

This article states that only after a web furor was the wording on Obama's official website changed to soften the idea of compulsory service for middle school and high school youth in the "Classroom Corps". Now the site states that the service will be "a goal" in middle and high school.

Further there will be the carrot of a $4000 tax credit for every college student who performs service in the first two years of matriculation. (I wonder where that money is going to come from because that is a heck of a lot of carrots if every kid in the country takes advantage of it).

But in order to receive this carrot, according to Rahm Emanuel there would be mandatory civil service. The following is in his own words:

"It's time for a real Patriot Act that brings out the patriot in all of us. We propose universal civilian service for every young American. Under this plan, all Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 will be asked to serve their country by going through three months of basic training, civil defense preparation and community service."

Tuccille comments, "Emanuel and co-author Bruce Reed insist 'this is not a draft,' but go on to write of young men and women, 'the nation will enlist them for three months of civilian service.' They also warn, 'Some Republicans will squeal about individual freedom,' ruling out any likelihood that they would let people opt out of universal citizen service."

Are you going to take into account that our beautiful daughter who is a freshman in college is High Functioning Autistic, a disability which makes it almost impossible for her to fit in with a group of people. She is struggling to find a job even with the help of vocational rehabilitation support. I can't imagine the nightmare that Mr Emanuel's basic training and civil service would be for her. What kind of protections will be put in place to assure that she will not be terrorized by the system?

And another point, I don't know about other parents, but my children do volunteer work, that mrangelmeg and I approve, and only when it doesn't interfere with their first priority, school work. I don't want their school, in an extremely liberal city to determine when and where my child will do community service without my input, thank you very much.

My 13 year old child will not be conscripted into anyone's corps, Mr Obama, she can do her service work alongside her father and myself at our Parish Church outreach or with the Gabriel project which collects items that women in unplanned pregnancies will need so that they won't have to turn to the desperate act of thinking of their precious child as a punishment (Your words Mr Obama). I am not against community service, I am just against conscription to do so.

All I have to say is, be careful what you vote for people.

h/t to adoro to devote for the heads up.

Pax

Procrastination Blues

One would think that the writer in me would love this Spiritual Direction Internship in which I am currently enrolled as a student. Each week practically there is a five page reflection paper on some aspect of our journey of discovery, and along with that I have gotten to read four amazing books and five really good articles.

The problem is that I never quite got over my habit of putting off until the last minute any homework that didn't have a due date absolutely staring me in the face. So while I have kept up admirably with most of the reflection papers and book summaries, I am woefully behind on the article reflections.

Suffice it to say that out of the five articles I have read this semester I have summarized only one. The due date for the summaries is now staring me in the face and I have to kick it into gear and while I am doing laundry today (and driving the girls to class and all the other little chores on my well stocked plate) I have to somehow squeeze in four article summaries.

Maybe I had better rethink my strategy for next semester do you reckon? Yeah right, that's gonna happen!

Lucky for me I am not the designated driver to class tomorrow, so if I have to stay up late to get things done at least I won't be falling asleep at the wheel on my way to Indianapolis in the morning. God takes care of fools, or so I have heard.

Better get to work.

Pax

Mystic Monday

In honor of last week's elections I am posting something from brother Francis:

Those who are placed over others should glory in such an office only as
much as they would were they assigned the task of washing the feet of the
brothers. - 4th Admonition

Not a bad way to think about leadership; as the Pope says of himself be the servant of the servants of God.


We can always hope that our political leaders will think of their office with the same eye to humble service.

I Beg To Differ!

Patrick Madrid is blogging!

His blog header reads: just another guy with a blog, no big whoop.

I would quibble with that. He stands out a bit from your run of the mill bloggers.


I am so glad he is finding the time to grace the blogosphere with his presence.

We need his voice. Trust me when I say you can learn a lot from him.

Pax

Liberal Media Admits Bias

This morning as I was eating my breakfast and watching my morning news show I heard a story in which the Washington Post admitted that it had had an unbalanced editorial slant during the election campaign. The number of stories that were negative toward Obama were fewer than half the number of those that were negative toward McCain.

My response (and that of the newscasters and the expert from the Think Tank they interviewed) was they didn't notice this as it was happening? Seriously? The media drove this election, and anointed Obama for the presidency in many ways.

The first amendment has been trounced upon in the name of "truth in media". Now the liberal media wants to go after any opposition with the "fairness doctrine" and eliminate conservative talk radio. Then all we will have is the Liberal left viewpoint.

No media outlet is completely fair and without bias, but some do a much better job of trying to be balanced than the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times did this election cycle. I will have to admit that our local Paper, the Herald Times did a pretty good job of showing both sides most of the time, but they could have shown some restraint as to what qualified as news and what was just pandering in an election year.

I don't think there is any way to get a fair and balanced picture of what is going on from any news agency anymore. Maybe we are lucky that we have remote control technology, that way we can switch between the five 24-hour news channels on the dial and try to figure it out for ourselves.

Pax

Top Ten Lists

I have to share these . I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry, so I did both:


Catholic Top Ten Lists



A tip of the Biretta to Fr. Phillip Neri Powell O.P. for the laughter and tears.


Pax

Friday Fun: 2nd Grade AP Reading Mid Term

Here is a link that made me laugh out loud.

I am not sure if I laughed because it was funny or because I think I had this exact teacher in elementary school.


2nd Grade AP Reading Mid Term


my favorite answer has to be:

#2 What does Max's wolf mask in Where the Wild Things Are represent?

a) a wolf

Teacher's comment: Wolves symbolize capitalism and the masks are respresentative of slavery; the wolf mask is all about Max's white guilt.


h/t to my son the genius who stumbled across this on the internet and couldn't wait to share it with me.
Pax

Cool patches and PT

The pain is still lingering in my left side, so my Dr. thinks it would be a good idea if I tried some Physical Therapy to see if we can't get my hip joint straightened out. Especially since the joint hurts more after exercise (especially after a visit with my trainer).

She also prescribed some really cool analgesic patches that I can apply directly to my hip rather than having to take yet another pill. This way the pain relief gets right where the pain is. I can't wait to try them, I am going to put one on right after dinner tonight.

She also suggested that I should try adding a Probiotic supplement to my diet for the next few weeks because of all of the trouble I have been having since my bout with food poisoning a week ago. She thinks I need to get back the good stuff my body lost.

It all makes a lot of sense to me. I am all for feeling good for a change. I want to get back on track with workouts and I haven't felt like I can go all out since Florida because of the pain in my hip. I am very hopeful.

Pax