Get out your hanky!

Next time you feel like complaining about your lot in life, think of these kids: The Miracle League.

I have many things to be thankful for, God,
and sometimes I remember them and other times I forget.
When something large or small goes wrong,
it fills my mind and I forget those things for which
- when I remember - I am thankful.
Help me to remember the good things, God.
To name them, to savor them and to be thankful to you.

Prayer taken from this website

Wordless Wednesday

Head over to Wordless Wednesday to see what other people are sharing with THEIR cameras!

Best news headline of the day:

Police: Pa. man put shrimp in pants, struck guard

I'm trying to picture a shrimp wearing pants.


OOPS... apparently someone already envisioned it:

The Defects Born of Pride

I've often been struck by the haste with which we condemn others' sinfulness while being blind to our own. This surely springs from pride, one of the seven deadly sins... and the sin that I struggle with the most. I've long believed that most other sins stem from pride, which I think of as "the mother of all sins". The passage below seems to lend credence to this theory:

The principal defects springing from pride are presumption, ambition, and vainglory.

Presumption is the desire and inordinate hope of doing what is above one's power. The presumptuous man believes himself capable of studying and solving the most difficult questions; he settles the most abstruse problems with rash haste. He fancies that he has sufficient light to guide himself without consulting a director. Instead of building his interior life on humility, renunciation, fidelity to the duty of the present moment even in little things, he speaks particularly of magnanimity, of apostolic zeal, or indeed aspires to the immediate attainment of the high degrees of prayer without passing through the various stages, forgetting that he is still only a beginner, whose will is still weak and full of egoism. He is still full of self; a great void must be created in him in order that his soul may some day be filled with God and able to give Him to others.

From presumption springs ambition, under one form or another. Because a man presumes too greatly on his powers and judges himself superior to others, he wishes to dominate them, to impose on them his ideas in matters of doctrine, or to govern them. St. Thomas says that a man manifests ambition when he seeks offices carrying with them honor which he does not merit; when he seeks honors for himself and not for the glory of God or the profit of others. How many schemes, secret solicitations, and intrigues ambition inspires in all walks of life!

Pride leads also to vainglory, that is, the wish to be esteemed for oneself, without referring this honor to God, the source of all good, and often a wish to be esteemed for vain things. This is the case of the pedant who loves to display his knowledge, binding himself and wishing to bind others to trifles...


Many defects spring from vainglory: boasting, which easily makes a person ridiculous; hypocrisy, which under the appearances of virtue, hides vices; stubbornness, contention or asperity in defending one's opinion, which engenders discord; and also disobedience, sharp criticisms of superiors...

Thus we see that pride which is not repressed sometimes produces disastrous effects. How many discords, hatreds, and wars are born of pride! It has been justly said that pride is the great enemy of perfection because it is the source of numerous sins and deprives us of many graces and merits. Scripture says: "God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble." And Christ says of the Pharisees, who pray and give alms in order to be seen by men: "They have received their reward"; they cannot expect that of our heavenly Father, since they have acted for themselves and not for Him. Lastly, a life dominated by pride is grievously sterile and presages perdition unless a remedy is promptly applied.

- Fr. Reginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, Catholic theologian

Feb. 21, 1877 - Feb. 15, 1964

What's for dinner? Cajun Pork Roast

My Three Little Birds has recently begun hosting a weekly blog hop called "What's For Dinner". She's asking for some family-friendly recipes, and I hope you'll stop by her place to share yours.

This week I'll share a recipe for Cajun Pork Roast. It's not spicy hot, so don't let the word "Cajun" scare you off!

Ingredients:
Cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp (more or less to your taste)
Cumin seed, ground, 1/2 tsp (or more, if you're me)
Dried onion, 2 tsp
Garlic powder, 1 Tbsp
Nutmeg, ground, 1/4 tsp
Paprika, 3 Tbsp
Salt, 1/2 tsp
Ground thyme, 2 tsp
White pepper, 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp
Boneless pork loin roast, 2 lbs

Combine seasonings thoroughly, then rub well all over surfaces of roast after lightly moistening surface with oil. Place roast in shallow pan & roast in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for ~ 1 hour, or until internal temperature is 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and let the roast rest for 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.

Bon appetit!

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On a more serious note, please read the post just below this one, 

entitled "What Would You Decide?" 

I'm interested in hearing what you think about this sad situation,

and whether you  agree with the judge's decision.

What would you decide?

In June of 2006, Abbie Dorn gave birth to triplets: a daughter, Esti and two sons, Reuvi and Yossi at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. What should have been a joyous event turned into a tragedy when, as a result of a series of medical errors, Abbie Dorn suffered brain damage. As a result, Abbie is paraplegic and in a “minimally conscious state”. Abbie is able to communicate by blinking in response to yes/no questions, although she doesn’t do so consistently according to neurologist Dr. Angela Hays.

Abbie, following her injury

After these catastrophic events, the father of the triplets, Dan, divorced his wife. The couple is separated not only by virtue of divorce, but also as a result of distance. Abbie’s parents care for her in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while Dan and the triplets live in Los Angeles. Abbie’s parents are petitioning the court to require regular visitation between Abbie and her children. They believe that Abbie has a constitutional right to see her children, which she “desperately wants to do”. Dan is resisting, saying that he doesn’t want to be be "forced to do anything by the court for a woman in a vegetative state."

According to this article Abbie’s mother, Susan Cohen, “believes in miracles, prays that her daughter will improve and wears a bracelet with the Yiddish inscription Tracht gut vet zein gut, ‘think good, it will be good,’" whereas Dan says Abbie is "’100% not there’ and that it is damaging to the children to hear what his attorney Vicki J. Greene described as ‘false hope.’"

In December 2010, Dan took the children to visit Abbie for four days. It had been three years since Dan or the children, now nearly 5 years old, had seen Abbie. Dan and the Cohens offer different descriptions of the visit and its impact on the children.

According to Abbie’s parents, the children were happy to see their mother. They were unafraid, smiled at her, called her Mommy, touched her, were affectionate, and made her art projects.

Dan acknowledged that the children had enjoyed the visit, although he said that was because he was with them throughout the visit. But Dan also says the Reuvi and Esti became “clingy” after the visit and Reuvi also began bed-wetting.

Dan also acknowledged that he had not sought help from medical or mental health professionals after the visit, nor did he inform the children’s court-appointed attorney that there had been changes in the children’s behavior after the visit. In addition, Dan acknowledged that no one at the children’s school had noted changes in the children after the visit. According to Dan, he had spoken to the children about their mother until they were nearly 4 years old. Dan also acknowledged that he had done little to prepare their children for meeting Abbie. They had not seen pictures of their mother, nor had he spoken to them about the life he and Abbie shared before their birth.

Dan also admitted that he had told the children that their mother wouldn’t know if they were there or not. He said, "I told them she loved them very much, that a doctor made a mistake and, because of that, she can't move and she can't talk, and there's not any interaction you can have with her. I'm pretty sure I also said she's blind." Abbie is not blind, however, according to the neurologist who examined Abbie.

Dan Dorn

Dan says "I'm not refusing to have visitation with their mother. I want it to be on my own terms where I am not having to co-share the responsibilities of raising the children with my former mother-in-law, where it's me giving the children information the way I see it." He says, "I would be happy to do anything to make sure that the children were happy… as I have for five years."

Many questions are raised by this case. As the L.A. Times article says, they include these: “What is a parent? What is communication? What is a relationship? Does a child, not yet 5, benefit from visiting a mother who neither moves nor speaks? Can that woman — Abbie Dorn, 34 — think, feel, love, want? How is it even possible to know?” And of course, the 2500 or so miles that separate the children from their mother is a factor which is not inconsiderable.

What do you think? Think about it for just a bit before you continue and then, to find out what the court’s ruling on this matter was, scroll down to the bottom of this post…

Dan and Abbie Dorn in happier days

Abbie, taken prior to her brain injury

What did the court decide?

First off, let me say that I can't help but be reminded of the Biblical story of Solomon being asked to decide another contentious case in 1 Kings 3:16-2:

Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

Just such wisdom and sensitivity must be required to render a decision in the case of Daniel and Abbie Dorn and their children.

Although a full hearing has not yet been scheduled, the judge’s preliminary ruling in this case was reported in this follow-up article to the one mentioned above. Judge Frederick C. Shaller said that it would be in the children’s best interest to have a relationship with their mother and that, indeed, it would be psychologically harmful for them not to do so. He said, "The court finds that even though [Abbie] cannot interact with the children, the children can interact with [Abbie] — and that the interaction is beneficial for the children. They can touch her, see her, bond with her, and can carry those memories with them."

Dan had removed all pictures of Abbie from his home. Judge Shaller ordered Dan to set up a table which is "’open and available to the children 24 hours a day, 7 days per week in his home devoted to the children's mother’ and to place photographs and other mementoes of her on it.” Furthermore, as a result of Shaller’s decision, Dan has been ordered to take the children to South Carolina for 5 consecutive days each year. In addition, there are to be monthly teleconference “visits” via Skype.

Judge Shaller also ruled that Dan “has a right to control the visits, decide which extended family members the children see and dictate what information they receive. He ordered Susan Cohen, Dorn's mother, to refrain from telling the children that the disabled woman communicates or that someday she could recover”.

What do you think about this case? What do you think about the judge’s decision? Would you have arrived at a different conclusion about what is in the best interests of the children and their parents?

As for me, I commend Judge Shaller for navigating dangerous waters to come up with a decision that seems to respect the rights of all concerned. I would add one thing: that the children be evaluated by a therapist at regular intervals throughout the first year of implementing the decision, at which point the Court should review the therapist's report to determine if further counseling should be required.

I'll be interested to see what you have to say!

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H/T to Lisa of Roerdink Ramblings" for pointing out this story.

Last will and testament

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In the pocket of an old ragged coat belonging to an elderly man in Chicago, there was found, after his death, a will. According to Barbara Boyd, in the Washington Law Reporter, the man had been a lawyer, and the will was written in a firm clear hand on a few scraps of paper. So unusual was it, that it was sent to another attorney; and so impressed was he with its contents, that he read it before the Chicago Bar Association and a resolution was passed ordering it probated. It is now on the records of Cook County Illinois.

I, Charles Lounsberry, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do hereby make and publish this my Last Will and Testament, in order, as justly as may be, to distribute my interests in the world among succeeding men.

That part of my interests which is known in law and recognized in the sheep-bound volumes as my property, being inconsiderable and of no account, I make no disposition of in this, my Will. My right to live, being but a life estate, is not at my disposal, but, these things excepted, all else in the world I now proceed to devise and bequeath.

ITEM: I give to good fathers and mothers, in trust to their children, all good little words of praise and encouragement, and all quaint pet names and endearments; and I charge said parents to use them justly, but generously, as the deeds of their children shall require.

ITEM: I leave to children inclusively, but only for the term of their childhood, all, and every, the flowers of the field, and the blossoms of the woods, with the right to play among them freely according to the custom of children, warning them at the same time against the thistles and the thorns. And I devise to the children the banks of the brooks and the golden sands beneath the waters thereof, and the odors of the willows that dip therein, and the white clouds that float high over the giant trees.

And I leave the children the long, long days to be merry in a thousand ways, and the night and the moon and the train of the Milky Way to wonder at, but subject, nevertheless, to the rights hereinafter given to lovers.

ITEM: I devise to boys jointly all the idle fields and commons where ball may be played, all pleasant waters where one may swim, all snow-clad hills where one may coast, and all streams and ponds where one may fish, or where, when grim winter comes, one may skate, to have and to hold the same for the period of their boyhood. And all meadows, with the clover-blossoms and butterflies thereof; the woods with their appurtenances; the squirrels and birds and echoes and strange noises, and all distant places, which may be visited, together with the adventures there to be found. And I give to said boys, each his own place at the fireside at night, with all pictures that may be seen in the burning wood, to enjoy without hindrance and without any incumbrance of care.

ITEM: To lovers, I devise their imaginary world, with whatever they may need, as the stars of the sky, the red roses by the wall, the bloom of the hawthorn, the sweet strains of music, and anything else they may desire to figure to each other the lastingness and beauty of their love.

ITEM: To young men jointly, I devise and bequeath all boisterous inspiring sports of rivalry, and I give to them the disdain of weakness and undaunted confidence in their own strength. Though they are rude, I leave them to the powers to make lasting friendships, and of possessing companions, and to them exclusively I give all merry songs and brave choruses to sing with lusty voices.

ITEM: And to those who are no longer children, or youths, or lovers, I leave memory, and bequeath to them the volumes of the poems of Burns and Shakespeare, and of other poets, if there be any, to the end that they may live the old days over again, freely and fully without tithe or diminution.

ITEM: To the loved ones with snowy crowns, I bequeath the happiness of old age, the love and gratitude of their children until they fall asleep.

I'm pulling my hair out & need your help!

I ran across this paragraph that claims to have the names of 16 books of the Bible buried within it. To find some of these names, you need to ignore the space between words, and since some of the names start in the middle of a word, forget about capitalization.

But no matter how hard I try, I can't get 16.

Can you????

Blogger's note... and confession... and thanks...

If you check the string of comments below, kp found the answer for me. Read the process she went through, and then commend her for having the detective abilities of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes! 

As you'll see when your read her comment, a typo on my part contributed to the confusion.

Thanks, kp! 

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu; kept people looking so hard for facts… and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalized. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others, it was a real job. We want it to be the most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup to tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are sixteen names of books of the Bible in this paragraph.

Use the comment box to share the ones you find - maybe between us, we can complete this pesky puzzle!

This is one heck of a coat!

Is this what feminism is about?

I heard a rather peculiar interview the other day… or part of one, at least. I finally turned the radio off when the conversation became to strange for me. I didn’t catch the name of the person being interviewed, but I caught enough to know I didn’t care to listen to any more.

The woman being interviewed was hailed as being a trailblazer, a feminist par excellence. She apparently earned this distinction on the basis of films she had made over the past 5 or so decades. The first, filmed in the sixties, showed this woman having intercourse with her boyfriend of the time  with their cat watching the proceedings. The second showed her drawing forth a scroll from her vagina and reading from it. (She said it was her intention to capture “vaginal energy”.) Note to self: Don't even THINK about what that might mean...

At any rate, I won’t dwell on the films in question, but what I do want to ask is this:

What exactly do you envision when you hear the word “feminism”? Does that word have a positive or negative connotation to you, and can you articulate why you feel that way? Does the fact that the woman interviewed made these films make her a feminist? If not, what does? Do you consider yourself to be a feminist?

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Don't forget to visit Conversion Diary each Friday for 7 Quick Takes.

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What's cooking? Southwest Stew

This week, I'm stopping over to What’s Cooking Thursday & Hunk of Meat Monday to share an easy recipe and checking out the recipes others share. Why don't you share some of your favorites as well?

Southwest Stew

2 lb ground beef
1 ½ C diced onion
17 oz corn, drained (canned or frozen)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
1 C picante sauce (mild, medium, or hot, to taste)
15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
¾ C water
Shredded cheddar cheese to garnish, if desired

In skillet, brown beef & onion; drain off grease. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese) and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

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An odd sort of evolution

My favorite saint is St. Francis de Sales. His many letters of spiritual direction and two classic books - The Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God - are available to us to give us a glimpse into the mind and heart of this wise and gentle man.

In his writings, he often includes metaphors from the natural world.  Some are quite quaint, and some of these are scientifically impossible. De Sales died in 1622, so he can probably be excused for diverging from lacking the modern understanding of the natural world. There are still lessons to be drawn from them, as in the quote below (taken from the Treatise on the Love of God):

Cool wine will briefly cool the one who drinks it. As it warms the stomach, it begins to warm the drinker. The more heat it receives, the more heat it gives. True love works the same way. It is eager to please those in whom it finds pleasure. The result of this is that we become like those we love.

I heard of a little land animal in the Indies that enjoys swimming with fish. By engaging in this activity, it becomes a fish. A land animal actually turns into a marine animal. When we enjoy God, we become conformed to God.

Perhaps in some respects, likening the spiritual life to this metaphor of the land-animal-who-becomes-a-fish isn't as "off-the-wall” as it first seems. Because there are times when it seems every bit as improbable to imagine that I could become “conformed to God”. I have such a long, long way to go. But again, St. Francis de Sales offers wise counsel:

It is not possible to gain control over your soul all at once and have it immediately in your power. Be satisfied, therefore, with gaining control of it little by little, and so learn how to conquer your dominant passion. If you have to put up with others, begin by putting up with yourself. Be patient at finding that you are not perfect. Do you want to enjoy interior peace without having to suffer the day-to-day contradictions and setbacks? Every morning prepare your soul to face the day without getting upset, and throughout the day be careful to return to this resolution.

And so, let us continue to advance in the direction of our goal, knowing that we will not arrive there all at once, but only little by little.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't forget to visit Wordless Wednesday to see what others are sharing!

"He had no credentials but himself."

I'm willing to bet that anyone who reads this has heard an audio clip or seen a video of Dr. Martin Luther King's speech in which he says, "I have a dream". But the words of this speech were unfamiliar to me. They were part of a sermon Dr. King gave at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church on February 4, 1968. I think they're worth reading.

I know a man — and I just want to talk about him a minute, and maybe you will discover who I'm talking about as I go down the way because he was a great one. And he just went about serving. He was born in an obscure village, the child of a poor peasant woman. And then he grew up in still another obscure village, where he worked as a carpenter until he was thirty years old. Then for three years, he just got on his feet, and he was an itinerant preacher. And he went about doing some things. He didn't have much. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family.  He never owned a house. He never went to college. He never visited a big city. He never went two hundred miles from where he was born. He did none of the usual things that the world would associate with greatness. He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. They called him a rabble-rouser. They called him a troublemaker. They said he was an agitator. He practiced civil disobedience; he broke injunctions. And so he was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. And the irony of it all is that his friends turned him over to them. One of his closest friends denied him. Another of his friends turned him over to his enemies. And while he was dying, the people who killed him gambled for his clothing, the only possession that he had in the world. When he was dead he was buried in a borrowed tomb, through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today he stands as the most influential figure that ever entered human history. All of the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life. His name may be a familiar one. But today I can hear them talking about him. Every now and then somebody says, "He's King of Kings." And again I can hear somebody saying, "He's Lord of Lords." Somewhere else I can hear somebody saying, "In Christ there is no East nor West." And then they go on and talk about, "In Him there's no North and South, but one great Fellowship of Love throughout the whole wide world." He didn't have anything. He just went around serving and doing good.

This morning, you can be on his right hand and his left hand if you serve. It's the only way in.

Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

...I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind.  And that's all I want to say.

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

What's For Dinner?

My 3 Little Birds has launched a new linky called What's For Dinner? Today is her first "edition", and she's looking for folks to share some of their favorite recipes. Stop on by!

My contribution is here:

Pork Roast with Ginger Peach Glaze

Ingredients
Ginger powder - 3/4 tsp.
Peach preserves - 1/2 C.
Boneless pork loin - 2 lbs.
Seasoned salt - 2 tsp.
Dried thyme - 1 tsp.
Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp.

Combine seasoned salt & thyme. Rub on all sides of pork roast. Grill over indirect heat or bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F. or until done, 160 degrees F. on meat thermometer. Combine preserves, Worcestershire sauce, & ginger. Coat pork roast with preserve mixture during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Makes 6 - 8 serviings.

Don't forget to drop by

Suing the boss for sending him to New Jersey?

Every time I think I've "heard everything", I hear something else. But this MSNBC article has to be one of the strangest ones I've run across lately.

It seems that an employee for Tahari's Saks Fifth Avenue was expected to drive to New Jersey a minimum of once weekly so that he could manage 6 stores there. But he was appalled at the primitive, unsophisticated, un-stylish, and depressing state of the state of New Jersey. Indeed this poor, beset-upon employee, one Thomas Horodecki by name, said, "It was depressing driving to Jersey. New York City has everything when it comes to fashion, especially Saks. And when it comes to styling, let's just say Jersey is difficult. Fashion it is not!"

Faced with this cruel reality, Horodecki decided it was time to stand up for truth, justice, and the American way. He and his attorneys argue that his boss' insistence that he make the weekly trek to the wilds of this bleak and desolate place violates his rights under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York City Human Rights Law, the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York State Labor Law. In addition to this travesty, Horodecki was discriminated against by his Jewish employer because he is a Christian of Polish descent. In addition, his boss snubbed him rather than socializing with him after work.

The result of all this horror?  Poor Mr. Horodecki says he's "going crazy". (Note: doesn't appear to be suffering unduly in this picture, but that's just my opinion...) At any rate, poor Mr. Horodecki says he "had a breakdown". And his attorneys say that "no one should be treated the way he has been treated. It is outrageous to discriminate against employees in any way on the basis of their background."

Perhaps the $2 million he hopes to rake in as a result of his lawsuit would help to rectify these injustices... but in order for him to win on the merits of this case, it's possible that the judge will also need to go crazy and have a breakdown.
 

Typical?

"I have sex."

Earlier this week, I put up a couple of posts about foul language pervading our world. (See here and here.) Some people disagreed with my position because they wanted to preserve "freedom". Others agreed with me that we have a problem. But it seems that every day I'm confronted with more evidence that our moral compass is spinning out of control.

Want another example? Watch this video, put together by young folks in support of Planned Parenthood. (Note: Planned Parenthood performs the overwhelming majority of abortions in our country. In addition, representatives of Planned Parenthood have been caught on tape explaining to people posing as sex traffickers how to obtain secret abortions, STD testing, and contraception for underage girls... See here and here for more on that.)

At any rate, I once again will sound like a red-necked reactionary fuddy-duddy, but I admit that I find this video disturbing at best.

I wonder what their parents think? And I wonder what potential employers might think? And I wonder if - and when - the pendulum will swing back and we will regain a sense of decency?

Here's a prayer that Paul Harvey shared on his radio program "The Rest of the Story" (along with a hat tip to Deb from BlogFrog). 

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe on those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshiped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn children and called it a choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will.
I ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

~ Given by minister Joe Wright at the opening
 of the new session of the Kansas Senate Congress.

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Don't forget to visit Conversion Diary each Friday for 7 Quick Takes.

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An easy recipe for a tasty snack!

I ran across a blog hop called What’s Cooking Thursday. The objective: share a recipe. Here's one that's easy as it can possibly be. The only problem? It disappears really fast.

Note - I'm giving you the recipe precisely as it was given to me, but I reduce the oil considerably when I make it. I've found you don't need as much as the recipe calls for.

Here 'tis!

OYSTER CRACKER SNACK

If you aren't sure what oyster crackers are, here’s an article about ‘em!

Ingredients:
1 large bag of oyster crackers
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (the powdered stuff)
2 tsp dill weed
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Dump everything in a large bowl or paper bag, shake or stir to distribute ingredients evenly, and eat.

See what I mean? It couldn't POSSIBLY be easier than that!


Now head over to What’s Cooking Thursday, check out other folks' entries, and share your own!

Celebrate St. Patty's Day with an old Irish hymn:

Why God made moms... according to 2nd grade students

Why did God make mothers?

• She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
• Mostly to clean the house.
• To help us out of there when we were getting born.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

• God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
• Thad to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

• We're related.
• God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?

• My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
• I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
• They say she used to be nice.

Why did your mom marry your dad?

• My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
• She got too old to do anything else with him.
• My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

• Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
• Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
• I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

• Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
• Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
• Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
• Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

• Mothers don't do spare time.
• To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

• On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
• Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

• She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
• I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
• I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Wordless Wednesday

This week I'm including 2 pictures as my contribution to Wordless Wednesday. I took the first one out back while watching a chipmunk eating his breakfast. The second one was taken by my father last spring.

Be sure you stop by Wordless Wednesday to see what other folks are snapping!

Expletive deleted? THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

In yesterday's post, I went on a rant about the title of a new program approved by ABC - "Good Christian Bitches". The majority of folks who follow my site over on Blog Frog said they're tired of people telling them what to watch, and advised using the remote to change the channel or turn the TV off.

I've already done that - I watch very little TV, and I'm selective about what I watch. But I'm tired of being subjected to language that used to be limited to the guys' locker room. Whether simply walking down the street, watching TV, listening to popular music, going to the movies, or surfing the internet, I find myself wincing at the constant barrage of foul language, gratuitous violence, and explicit sexual references. And if I object, I'm labeled a prude or accused of infringing on others' right to free speech.

Look at statistics taken from this news article:

The PTC [Parents Television Council] research study, released in November 2010, reveals a significant increase in both the frequency and harshness of profanity being used on prime-time television. In the past five years alone, TV profanity has increased by almost 70 percent.

The greatest increase in the use of the harshest profanities occurred during the family hour time slot of 7-8 p.m. MST.

Across all networks and prime-time hours, use of the bleeped or muted f-word increased from 11 instances total in 2005 to 276 in 2010 — a 2,409 percent increase.

Use of the bleeped f-word increased from 10 in 2005 to 111 in 2010 — 156 percent increase — across all networks during the family hour of 7-8 p.m.

Use of the bleeped s-word between 7 and 8 p.m. increased from 11 uses in 2005 to 42 in 2010 across all networks — a 281 percent jump.

Use of the bleeped or muted s-word increased from 11 in 2005 to 95 instances in 2010 across all networks — an increase of 763 percent. (This does not include CBS using a bleeped s-word in the title of its sitcom "(Bleep) My Dad Says," or NBC's use of a scripted, unbleeped s-word on the Sept. 23 episode of "30 Rock.")

There were increases in the use of anatomical and sexual references, and use of the words in reference to parts of the female anatomy increased 90 percent.

The Fox broadcast network had an increase of almost 270 percent during prime-time hours over the five-year span. Among the shows displaying more dirty language are Fox's "Hell's Kitchen," "The Cleveland Show," "Family Guy" and "American Dad," and CBS's "(Bleep) My Dad Says."

Doesn't this bother you? We've passed a host of legislation prohibiting smoking in public places to protect others from second-hand smoke. But the language that sails through the airwaves is every bit as obnoxious to me.

Some folks believe swearing is an exercise in free speech. I believe it's evidence of poor vocabulary and a complete lack of consideration and respect for others. I seriously doubt our Founding Fathers intended to unleash a constant stream of profanity when they passed the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Am I being prudish or unreasonable? What do you think?

Calling for a boycott of ABC programming.

I realize that sex, violence, and foul language are popular, but ABC has gone several yards over the line in approving a pilot called "Good Christian Bitches". According to this Fox News article, "The plot centers on the life of reformed 'mean girl' Amanda, played by 'Talladega Nights' actress Leslie Bibb, who returns to her hometown of Dallas to find herself fodder for malicious gossip from the women in the Christian community."

The pilot is apparently based on a novel with the same title by author Kim Gaitlin, and its tagline is, "For Heaven’s sake, don’t let God get in the way of a good story!" And while I personally find the juxtaposition of the words "Christian" and "Bitches" to be offensive, frankly the use of the second word in the title of ANY television program is bothersome to me.

But ABC apparently has a particular affinity for the word. They're considering a second program titled "Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23".

This Wrap TV article quotes Parents Television Council President Tim Winter as saying, "ABCs decision is not only an affront to women, it blatantly attacks the world's largest faith. The B-word is toxic and is used to degrade, abuse, harass, bully and humiliate women. And the Christian element only adds insult to injury."

I couldn't agree more.

It's time for Christians to be as vocal about those who "slam" our faith as those of other religious or ethnic groups.

Let's stop watching ABC. And let's let them know why.

Jonathan rocks!!!

Smiling Saturday!

Do you love to watch Riverdance? Well, check out the competition!!

Excedrin headache # 84: the challenges of motherhood

What are your plans for Lent?

The season of Lent... the 40 day period prior to Easter... is a call to repentance. It seems that the most commonly asked question as Lent approaches is, "What are you going to give up for Lent?" But although fasting (along with prayer and almsgiving) is encouraged by the Church, more and more the emphasis is on doing something positive, something that will enable us to become more like Jesus.

This makes good sense to me. It seems to me that there are certain risks inherent in centering our Lenten observances around what we "give up". Are we "giving up chocolate" in order to look good in a bathing suit, or are we doing so because our excessive preoccupation with chocolate distracts us from growing closer to God? And if we "give up caffeine", are we developing spiritual discipline, or are we becoming irritable and hot-tempered to those around us?

The words found in Isaiah 58:3-14 are instructive in helping us to discern what God wants of us with regard to fasting:

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

This Lent, I pray that we may become "like a well-watered garden... a spring whose waters never fail...", all to the greater glory of God.

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Visit Conversion Diary each Friday for 7 Quick Takes.

Team Ra-Ras Kicks Breast Cancer

When Team Ra-Ras Kicks Breast Cancer reaches 5 million views, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania will donate $50,000, to the Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to empower the fight against breast cancer. At 8 million views, UHC will donate another $50,000. For the first million views, UHC has already contributed $100,000 for this inspiring, powerful campaign.

Great news - the Cat Miracle Diet!

At long last, I'm home... with my hubby, our cats, and our very own bed. (For those of you who are new to this site, read the section on the sidebar entitled "A series special to my heart". This will tell you where I've been...) The cats seem to be as happy to see me as I am to see them. And in their honor, I'm sharing these feline dieting tips:

Most diets fail because we are still thinking and eating like people. For those us who have never had any success dieting. Well now there is the new Miracle Cat Diet! This diet will also work on humans!
Except for cats that eat like people -- such as getting lots of table scraps -- most cats are long and lean (or tiny and petite). the Cat Miracle Diet will help you achieve the same lean, svelte figure. Just follow this diet for one week and you'll find that you not only look and feel better, but you will have a whole new outlook on what constitutes food. Good Luck!

DAY ONE
Breakfast: Open can of expensive gourmet cat food. Any flavor as long as it cost more the .75 per can -- and place 1/4 cup on your plate. Eat 1 bite of food; look around room disdainfully. Knock the rest on the floor. Stare at the wall for awhile before stalking off into the other room.

Lunch: Four blades of grass and one lizard tail. Throw it back up on the cleanest carpet in your house.

Dinner: Catch a moth and play with it until it is almost dead. Eat one wing. Leave the rest to die.
Bedtime snack: Steal one green bean from your spouse's or partner's plate. Bat it around the floor until it goes under the refrigerator. Steal one small piece of chicken and eat half of it. Leave the other half on the sofa. Throw out the remaining gourmet cat food from the can you opened this morning.

DAY TWO
Breakfast: Picking up the remaining chicken bite from the sofa. Knock it onto the carpet and bat it under the television set. Chew on the corner of the newspaper as your spouse/partner tries to read it.
Lunch: Break into the fresh French bread that you bought as your part of the dinner party on Saturday. Lick the top of it all over. Take one bite out of the middle of the loaf.

Afternoon snack: Catch a large beetle and bring it into the house. Play toss and catch with it until it is mushy and half dead. Allow it to escape under the bed.

Dinner: Open a fresh can of dark-colored gourmet cat food -- tuna or beef works well. Eat it voraciously. Walk from your kitchen to the edge of the living room rug. Promptly throw up on the rug. Step into it as you leave. Track footprints across the entire room.

DAY THREE
Breakfast: Drink part of the milk from your spouse's or partner's cereal bowl when no one is looking. Splatter part of it on the closest polished aluminum appliance you can find.

Lunch: Catch a small bird and bring it into the house. Play with on top of your down filled comforter. Make sure the bird is seriously injured but not dead before you abandon it for someone else to have to deal with.

Dinner: Beg and cry until you are given some ice cream or milk in a bowl of your own. Take three licks/laps and then turn the bowl over on the floor.

FINAL DAY
Breakfast: Eat 6 bugs, any type, being sure to leave a collection of legs, wings, antennae on the bathroom floor. Drink lots of water. Throw the bugs and all of the water up on your spouse's or partner's pillow.

Lunch: Remove the chicken skin from last night's chicken-to-go leftovers your spouse or partner placed in the trash can. Drag the skin across the floor several times. Chew it in a corner and then abandon.

Dinner: Open another can of expensive gourmet cat food. Select a flavor that is especially runny, like Chicken and Giblets in Gravy. Lick off all the gravy and leave the actual meat to dry and get hard.

My dad: a few final thoughts

As I watched my dad's final journey from this life to the next, I wrote these words, which were read at his memorial service:


When Dad fell and broke his hip in December, no one could have predicted the pace of his decline over the course of two short months. Even the events of those next few hours were unexpected. Within less than 24 hours of his fall, he had been transferred from Foulkeways to the emergency room, then to a hospital room, and from there to the intensive care unit.


When I arrived within hours of his transfer to ICU, I found him regaling staff and visitors alike with his legendary gift of gab. He was cracking jokes, and the room was full of laughter. This will hardly surprise those who knew and loved him.


Dad taught me the importance of humor.


My father was loyal to a fault. He had many friendships that had lasted 5 or 6 decades, and he continued to make friends easily until shortly before his death. I’m privileged to count some of his more recent Foulkeways friends among my own. Jack, Else, Janet, Micky… Dad loved you, and so do I.


Dad taught me the importance of friendship.


My dad could also hold things close to his vest. I was surprised to discover that he was embarrassed to tell his most recent friends that he had been married three times. So I’m letting the secret out now.


My mother, Pat, was his first wife, and I was their first child. We lived in a rambling old house in Fairview Village with my grandparents. For half the year, my great-grandmother would stay with us as well.


This was a wonderful way to learn about the importance of family.


My sister, Meg, was born when I was 6, and our mom died suddenly of meningitis just 3 months later. With the help of my grandparents, my dad took on the task of raising 2 young daughters. He later married Elsie, our stepmother, and they remained together until her death from cancer some 2 decades later. Dad was a faithful husband to both Pat and Elsie throughout the years they had together.


By his example, he taught me a lot about marriage.


Dad later married Maripat, who was a treasured addition to our family. As you know, Maripat meant the world to my dad. When her life was threatened by lung damage caused by a heart defect, Dad became fiercely protective of her. She faced her illness with tremendous dignity and courage. Between the two of them, they overcame tremendous odds, including months of hospitalization following her double lung transplant.


Dad and Maripat taught me a lot about genuine devotion.


Dad never recovered from the loss of Maripat in November 2009. He wanted nothing more than to be reunited with her. The urn you see before you is proof of that. Dad asked me to ensure that, upon his death, their ashes would be mixed together so that they could never be separated again.


Dad taught me a lot about enduring love.


I don’t mean to imply that my dad was perfect. Dad was no saint, and neither am I. But over the course of the past 5 years or so, my dad and I have grown progressively closer. Having a good relationship has been something that we've both made a priority. We could have "bumped heads" - believe me. (We certainly did that often enough when I was younger!) But we've had the good fortune to get to know, love, and respect each other as independent adults who swim in the same gene pool. Over the course of the past year especially, we became much more than “father and daughter”. We became close friends.


We've known, of course, that at some point, one of us would be left behind. That hasn’t always been easy, but I've been there when he's needed me and supported his decisions 100%. And he certainly tried to make things as easy as possible for me. Just one goofy example: as I searched for some of the things I knew we'd be needing in the near future, I found that he'd even written his obituary, for heaven's sake!


Dad always “knew his own mind”. He valued his independence but, nevertheless, Dad has had to rely on me more and more over the past year or so. It's been an odd transition in some ways. As a kid, I thought he was invincible. He was a big man, tall, and strong. I remember him climbing hundreds of feet in the air to work on his ham radio antenna. He was one of the most intelligent and inquisitive men I’ve ever known., and he taught me a lot. It has felt strange for him to begin to relinquish some of his responsibilities to me and to sometimes rely on me for advice. It seemed somehow backwards from the ways things were supposed to be.


It's been interesting to see our relationship change.


Over the course of these last few months, Dad worked hard to try to regain his independence. But [on February 17], he finally decided it was time to make the transition to hospice care. I supported his decision. I was given the opportunity to tell him how much I loved him, how much I would miss him. And many of the people he loved most in this world had the opportunity to do the same. Treasured memories were shared around his bedside. And as peculiar as this may sound, there were moments of great joy. At one point, after a day filled with visitors and laughter, Dad said to me, “Today was exhilarating. It’s a shame that some people die of a heart attack and don’t have this opportunity.”


For well over a year after Maripat’s death, my father would say, “I can’t talk about her without crying”, and it was the truth. The funny thing is, once he decided to enter hospice, there were no more tears. He had every confidence that he would soon rejoin her. The sorrow I feel about losing my father is selfish. I believe he is now at peace.


I mentioned that I discovered that Dad had written his obituary. In the same envelope, he had left a letter for Maripat and one for the three of us – Maripat, my sister, and myself. From the second of those, I leave you with a final thought from Dad:

And now, at this time of parting, it is time for me to hope that our love is strong enough for you to let me go. I would be pleased if you would hold onto the memories of the times we shared together, but only if you hold those memories happily. It would sadden me to think of you holding onto any memories which would bring you any pain or unhappiness… I have an abiding faith in God and a hereafter in which I hope we may be together again.

Dog wisdom

Have you ever noticed that many of us (including, sometimes, me… and possibly you as well…) have lost the enthusiasm and sense of expectation we used to have? Do you ever get the sense that we make the motions required to get from one day to the next without much enjoyment?

I don’t believe this is the way it’s supposed to be. I think God created a world full of sights, sounds, and smells that are meant to delight us. He didn’t create us to simply survive. He said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”. (John 10:10)

A friend of mine shared a book with me. It’s called The Tao of Maggie: The Sound of One Hound Barking, Bill Stanton. The bulk of the book consists of pictures of basset hounds along with a quip or quote. But what I found most intriguing was the introduction to the book, written from the viewpoint of the dog. It sounds rather off-beat at first, but hang in there – the dog has some good points:

Drool is the sticky slobber of life. It is far more than just the drip that slowly moves from mouth to floor. And it is not just the by-product of a complex cooling mechanism that kicks into gear on a hot August afternoon. Drool, for me, is the symptom of a brain burning with keen anticipation. It is when we know what we want so badly that the little glands in the mouth start to seriously overachieve. The brain churns and the body takes action.

Case in point: the out-of-reach box.

On the third shelf of an elevated kitchen cupboard sits an opened box of small dog treats. The box has been open for a day and the smells emanating from it have been driving me to distraction. I smell. I drool. I think. I take action… I weep.

I point my nose at the box behind the door and I produce a rhythmic low-level mournful yelp punctuated by my special ultrasonic weeping lament – a finely calculated combination of sounds that has been proven to get results time and time again.

After a short while or a long while, a human comes and does the right thing – the cupboard door is opened, the treat withdrawn from the box and placed in my waiting mouth. It’s the drooling that is the first manifestation of desire and the preface to action. If you are drooling, the blood is coursing through the body, the eyes are focused, the muscles are alerted, and the mind is following a plan of action with an iron will. To truly live is to drool.

Maybe it’s time for us to drool now and then – what do you think?

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Visit Conversion Diary each Friday for 7 Quick Takes.

The Plan Of The Master Weaver

Our lives are but fine weavings
That God and we prepare,
Each life becomes a fabric planned,
And fashioned in His care,
We may not always see just how,
The weavings intertwine,
But we must trust the master's hand,
And follow His design,
For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side,
While we must look from underneath
And trust in Him to guide.

Sometimes a strand of sorrow
Is added to His plan,
And though it's difficult for us,

We still must understand,

That it's He who fills the shuttle,
It's He who knows what's best,
So we must weave in patience,
And leave to Him the rest.

Not till the loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas,
And explain the reason why--
The dark threads are as needed,
In the weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver,
In the pattern He has planned.

- Author Unknown

I've fallen and I can't get up... or something....

I can't resist Simon's Cat.

Let's stop funding Planned Parenthood.

Over the past two years, many of my posts have expressed my pro-life views. Here are a few that mention Planned Parenthood, and I invite you to read them if you'd like:

• I don’t quite get it, South Dakota
• Clear as mud
• January 22: happy anniversary?
• Planned Parenthood’s prayers go out to a dead infant and all involved
• The plan of the founder of Planned Parenthood
• Planned Parenthood representative helps clients plan to break the law
• Planned Parenthood: more problems  

I don't want to start a flame war - I respect the right of others to hold opinions which differe from mine - but I think the links above will help readers to understand my objection to using tax funding to support Planned Parenthood.

If you agree, please... let's blanket our elected representatives with letters and phone calls voicing our opposition to using our tax dollars to fund this organization.

Oy vey.

This is my first opportunity (???)  to make funeral arrangements and tidy up bank accounts, etc. "all by myself". (Maybe that means that I'm a grown-up?) I must say that it helps to keep one from thinking over-much about the loss of a loved one. There aren't a host of other advantages to these details as far as I can tell.

Let's just take the chats with the attorney as one example. He met with Dad and I a few days before Dad's death, and he was rather non-committal about whether or not it would prove necessary to probate the will. A few days after Dad's death, the attorney and I met again, at which point he was thinking it was likely (but not certain) that we'd need to probate the will. If so, he suggested we try to get to the courthouse to file the paperwork before I make the 450-mile-or-so drive back home.

A few days later (this morning), I called him to provide some of the information he requested. After hearing what I'd learned, he reassured me that probate would be absolutely unnecessary. In fact, he implied it would be possible that we'd be able to settle everything by the end of next month. Pretty cool, huh?

Just before we were ready to say "goodbye", I made a colossal mistake. I asked the attorney how we would handle 2010 & 2011 taxes assuming Dad was to receive a refund due to overpayment of taxes. The attorney told me that this would almost certainly mean that we'd need to probate the will.

When I met with the accountant last week, the accountant told me he expected to have tax paperwork all ready for me to sign today. I called him to see if we could get the answer to the "refund vs no refund" question, but so far he hasn't returned my call.

And as I think back through the conversations the attorney and I had today, it occurred to me that he said something really strange: he said it had been several years since he'd run into a situation where someone bequeathed an estate in which there was a refund from taxes that somehow complicated the situation.

Oh me oh my. It seems to me that an attorney specializing in wills and estates would be quite familiar with this situation.

I have no clue what the outcome will be, but I've spent several hours making no headway at all. Proof of the accuracy of the statement I made early on in this post: "it helps to keep one from thinking over-much about the loss of a loved one".

So  even in the midst of what could be an irritating situation, there's something to be thankful for, huh?

;)