Wordless beauty

Let's see what you've been "shooting" this week, too!

Isn't this unusual... and beautiful?
It's called Snow N Summer Jasmine

Some people just love to complain.

We live in a crazy world, I realize, but here are two instances of neighborhood busybodies that prove the premise of this blog title.

This article tells of a Canadian couple who planted a vegetable garden in their front yard. The neighbors are (possibly?) up in arms about it. According to a spokesman for the city, neighbors complained about the front yard garden. According to the gardener, nobody has complained to him, and neighbors are appreciative when they are given fresh vegetables from the bounty. The city they live in plans to pass an ordinance that forbids residents from planting vegetables anywhere on their front lawn.

 Sheesh.

This sort of goofiness isn't limited to Canada, however. According to "http://moneyland.time.com/2011/07/08/woman-faces-jail-time-for-planting-organic-vegetable-garden/" target="_blank">this article, a Michigan resident is facing a 93-day jail term for growing veggies in her front yard.

Again, sheesh.

Don't we have anything better to do with our time!

H/T to SparkPeople for reporting on this outbreak of illegal activity! 

New photo challenge: ANIMAL

Each Monday, I join with several fellow bloggers to host a photo challenge. We take turns choosing the photo we like best. I get to choose this week, when the challenge is "ANIMAL". I promise not to choose my own, but I do want to tell you about the animal I'm featuring in my own shots this week.

We had to put our 12-year-old cat to sleep a few weeks ago. Our 5-year-old cat missed his companion, and so I called a local vet and asked if they knew of a kitten - not "too young" - who was litter trained and who would adapt to a home with another established cat. They happened to have a 5-month-old kitten there who'd been born to a "semi-feral" mother, then brought to the vets in hopes of finding a home. For 4 months, he'd been in a cage awaiting an "adoptive family".

Long story short, he's now ours. Turns out he's a real sweetie. So without further ado, meet Louie! And then please share your ANIMAL shots!

Mint Orangeade Concentrate

GOSH is this good...

2 1/2 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Cup Mint leaves, crushed
2 Cup Orange Juice
1 Teaspoon Orange zest

Instructions:
Boil sugar & water. Add remaining ingredients. Cover & let stand 1 hour.

Use as a concentrate, diluting with gingerale, soda water, water, or 7-Up. Use 1/2 cup concentrate to 1 C fluid to start, then adjust to taste.

Some wisdom from C.S Lewis.

These 3 quotes from C. S. Lewis contain much wisdom. The message they collectively convey is that we must take care of our souls... The wise person will keep in mind that the actions we perform in this life will influence our ultimate destination... and that, therefore, we should take advantage of the opportunity to correct our course.

"The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."


"We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."

Strange faith?

A bar called Drummond's (in Mt Vernon, Texas) began construction on an expansion of their building, hoping to "grow" their business.

In response, the local Southern Baptist Church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding - petitions, prayers, etc.

About a week before the bar's grand re-opening, a bolt of lightning struck the bar and burned it to the ground!

Afterward, the church folks were rather smug - bragging about "the power of prayer".

The angry bar owner eventually sued the church on grounds that the church... “was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, through direct actions or indirect means."

Of course, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise.

The judge read carefully through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply.

He then opened the hearing by saying:

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that what we have here is a bar owner who now believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not!"

Altos de Chavon, Dominican Republic

A faith strong enough to take a stand.

At the religious freedom rally in San Francisco recently, Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, CPPS, expressed himself courageously.:

In every age Christians have been challenged to stand up for what they believe. I would like to share with you the story of a little-known Saint. His name is Gaspar del Bufalo. It was 1810. He was only 24 years old, and had been ordained a priest just a short time. But now he was under arrest. Napoleon had conquered Rome and had imprisoned the pope. His intention was to close the churches and to force all the priests to swear allegiance to him.

So there Gaspar stood in front of the prefect. The prefect was a kind old gentleman, who did everything to minimize the event, downplaying it and reducing everything to a mere formality. It was just a harmless bureaucratic exercise.

The important thing was that Gaspar be put at ease, that he should not realize the seriousness of the choice to which he was being called. After all, many priests had already acquiesced and signed the oath of allegiance.

But Gaspar was not listening to the prefect, he was thinking of the blood which Napoleon had already caused to be shed. He was thinking of the imprisonment of the Holy Father, and he was thinking of the violation of liberty and the suppression of independence for the church.

So his response to the prefect was clear and decisive:

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

Just 200 years later, It is a different country and it is a different government.

This time it is an American President. He has taken it upon himself to determine what is and is not religious. He has taken it upon himself to determine how I should live my faith in this time and in this place. Should I acquiesce to his demands?

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

The world health organization classifies oral contraceptives as a class one carcinogen right up there with tobacco. And the government wants me to provide this free with healthcare

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

Women who use oral contraceptives for four years prior to their first full-term pregnancy have a 52% increased risk of developing breast cancer. And the government calls this health care and wants me to provide this for free, well...
I cannot, I must not, I will not!

Oral contraceptives do horrific damage to a woman's body, and should we call this health-care? Abortion destroys human life and is it reasonable or intelligent for us to call that healthcare?

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

The president proposed a compromise that would allow insurance companies to pay for the contraceptives rather than the church institution. My question, what if I belong to a church institution that is self-insured? I would then be required to pay for this.

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

What if I'm a Catholic business person who is required by my government to provide insurance that violates my conscience?

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

What will it be next and who will it be next? The New Mexico Court of Appeals has ruled that it is illegal for a photography business owned by Christians to refuse to photograph a same-sex wedding ceremony even though New Mexico law does not permit same-sex marriage. What will they say next? Will they say that it is illegal for me to refuse to do a same-sex marriage. Would we as Catholics allow the state to change one of our sacraments.

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

Saint Gaspar del Bufalo spent four years in prison for his profession of faith. We must pray too, that we have the strength to be firm in our faith.

We are not imposing our values on anyone. The government has dictated that employees at Catholic institutions are provided with free contraception, and that is the imposition on our faith and on our conscience. The government doesn't want so much to advance the cause of women's health, but rather, they seek to demonize a faith group that has the "audacity of hope," that they might live their faith free from government interference and intrusion.

I know it is just a mere formality, just a harmless bureaucratic exercise. I know that the important thing is that we should not realize the seriousness of the choice to which we are being called. After all everybody else is doing it. But let me be perfectly clear:

I cannot, I must not, I will not!

You may not agree with Fr. Keyes' point of view on this particular subject. But as people of faith, we should be willing to go against popular opinion... against even the government... on certain issues. If our faith is so weak that we haven't the strength to take a stand on issues of importance to us, can we truly call it faith?

What are the issues that you're willing to take a stand on? Is your faith strong enough to enable  you to do so?

"Macro" photo challenge this week!

I hope you'll join us in this week's photo challenge: MACRO. Here's my interpretation of this photo prompt:

A Strange Mix of Cynicism & Misplaced Optimism

Many of the people I speak with these days seem to be rather cynical about the state of the world – or at least the state of our little hunk of it. And frankly, I understand it. The way our political system is structured, only the wealthy or the crooked (or crooked wealthy people) can hope to attain high office. Abe Lincoln could never be elected today.

In addition, we live in a country that would be highly offended if any nation tried to impose its values on us, yet I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve used boycotts or military force or some other form of coercion to attempt to influence other nations to adopt democratic ideals.

Before I get lambasted with accusations about being unpatriotic, let me say that I love my country. I wouldn't live anywhere else.  But I admit that the two issues I’ve mentioned above are instances where I find myself becoming rather jaded.

At any rate, I do find a large proportion of people seem to be even more cynical than I. That being the case, I find articles such as this make me wonder if some of us have just plain lost our minds.

What would make people think they can escape the consequences of walking bare-footed on red-hot coals? No matter how “motivated” I am, I expect to be burned when I walk on hot coals. I expect to be killed or seriously injured if I jump from the 10th story. I expect to bleed if I slice through my skin with a knife.

How is it that we can be so pessimistic on the one hand and so… deluded? optimistic?? addle-headed???... as to think it’s possible to defy natural law and escape unscathed?

And how can the folks who promote this “firewalk” defend the practice of encouraging people to walk on coals heated to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit? (I hope that “2000” was a typo.)

When is an abortion not an abortion?

Read this excerpt from Huff Post to see how words can be manipulated to disguise the truth:

Here's what progressives need to do: Never use the Cells Are People metaphor, even in arguing against conservative policy. Never use the term baby or unborn child to refer to a blastocyst, embryo, or fetus.

Stop using the term abortion. It has misleading properties. When we speak of "aborting a mission," the mission was intentional and planned, and the original idea was to bring it to an end state. What happens with an unwelcome pregnancy is nothing like this. The pregnancy was not intentional, not planned, and there was never any intention of bringing it to an end state. Rather, what is desired is development prevention, keeping any development from happening.

That development can be prevented at many stages, from unfertilized cells (via morning-after pills), to blastocyst to embryo, from embryo to fetus, from fetus to a non-fully-formed-human, to an unviable human (one that can't live outside the womb). The earlier the development prevention, the better for the woman.

[Note from this blogger: it's equally bad for the unborn child at any point in time.]

Never use the expression partial birth abortion. It's a conservative political tool, not a medical reality. Here's the Texas GOP in its 2012 platform: "We oppose partial birth abortion." The term was invented by a hired, conservative language professional. The image is grisly, and that was the point. But no such thing exists. The medical condition it is supposed to represent is one where a potential child cannot survive, either because it has no brain, or because of some other equally awful condition. And usually, the mother's life is at risk. This has nothing to do with either giving birth or with more common reasons for preventing development.

You can use whatever term you want. To my mind, abortion is the deliberate choice to take a life. It involves deciding to value the life of the "mother" over that of her unborn child. And using the term "mother" to refer to a woman who makes this decision is simply crazy.

An instance of airline IN-security

Last week I flew up to visit family. I checked in at the curbside, giving my confirmation number and photo ID to a man who looked at the computer, then at the drivers license, and then at me to confirm my identity. He gave me my boarding pass, which was inside a folded sleeve. I didn't bother looking at it; I simply proceeded to the security area.

I gave my boarding pass and photo ID to the TSA agent, who looked at the boarding pass, my drivers license, and my face to confirm my identity. I then went through the scanner, picked up my belongings, and proceeded to the gate.

You're probably wondering why I'm telling this rather long-winded story. I'm doing so because the boarding pass I was issued was for someone else entirely - someone I'd never heard of... someone whose name was completely different from mine. I'm wondering how safe airline travel really is in light of this incident!

I don't know anyone who's delighted about the increased security measures that have been implemented in the post-9/11 era (although folks I've spoken to are well aware of the need for greater vigilance in order to decrease the risk of terrorist attacks). But if I'm going to be subjected to "naked scanners" and pat-downs, it would certainly seem that it would be rather outlandish for me to get as far as the boarding process before it became apparent that the boarding pass was issued in someone else's name.

I'm just sayin'.

It's a small world after all!

His legs are so full of pollen, I wonder if he can fly?!

He looks small here...

But this will show you just HOW small he is!

KEEP YOUR SUNNY SIDE UP!

I can't wait to see what you'll have to share this week!

Bagels, Homemade

If you enjoy eating bagels, I bet you'll enjoy making them yourself. I'd tried to do so with another recipes years ago, and they were a flop. This recipe, however, is great!

Ingredients
For the Dough
1 tablespoon dry yeast
4 cups bread flour (or you may substitute all-purpose flour, replacing 1 tablespoon of each cup of flour with 1 tablespoon of gluten)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water

Note: You may also substitute some whole wheat flour for some of the white flour if you wish. Experiment with adding 

For the Water Bath
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Note: you may also substitute molasses for the sugars.
 

The Process

Using a Mixer with a Bread Hook:
Combine all of the dough ingredients and knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be stiffer than other soft yeast doughs but should still be pliable and smooth after kneading.

Using a Bread Machine:
Place all of the dough ingredients in the pan of the machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Check the dough after 10 minutes; it should be quite stiff, and won't have formed a smooth ball. The dough will feel quite firm when you poke your finger into it. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then complete bagels as instructed below.

After kneading (with a mixer or bread machine):
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set it aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until it is noticeably puffy.

Transfer the puffed/risen dough to a work surface and divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls on a lined or lightly greased baking tray and cover lightly. Let them rest for 30 minutes. They'll puff up very slightly.

Once they have rested, one-by-one, use your thumb to poke a hole through the center of each ball then twirl the dough and use your other fingers to stretch the hole until it is about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The entire bagel will be around 4 inches across. Place the shaped bagels on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Preheat your oven to 425° F while preparing the water bath.

Heat the water and sugars to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. Transfer the bagels, three or four at a time, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over using a wide spatula and cook for 1 additional minute. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Top the bagels with your desired ingredients. If you are going to use a dry topping, such as sesame seeds or poppy seeds, whisk together 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush each bagel with the mixture before topping with dry ingredients. You may also top with grated Asiago, Romano, or Parmesan cheese, in which case there is no need to brush the bagels with the egg white glaze... just sprinkle the shredded cheese on the bagels. Experiment with different toppings, or enjoy them plain.

Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove the bagels from the oven and cool them completely on a wire rack. They freeze well, too.

* Makes 8 large bagels, or you can also divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and make 16 "mini-bagels".

A new photo challenge: Sky

Now let's see YOUR sky!

The work week on video

Going to work on Monday....

Coming home on Friday....

Can you relate???

Wow... or "How to make a mosquito seem beautiful"

Mosquito from Amprods on Vimeo.

The martial art of cat bathing

Recently my husband and I have had the pleasure (????) of giving our cat a pill once a week. My husband puts on a heavy jacket and gloves, picks up the cat and wraps him in a towel which (supposedly) traps the claws, and I pry open the jaws and attempt to place the pill far enough back in the cat's mouth that he swallows rather than spits. I make every effort to do so without losing a finger.


We have limited success.

As we completed our task the other night, I was reminded of an email I'd received some time ago, and decided to share it with you. Enjoy! 


Some people say cats never have to be bathed. They say cats lick themselves clean. They say cats have a special enzyme of some sort in their saliva that works like new, improved Wisk. It dislodges the dirt where it hides and whisks it away.

I've spent most of my life believing this folklore. Like most blind believers, I've been able to discount all the facts to the contrary, the kitty odors that lurk in the corners of the garage and dirt smudges that cling to the throw rug by the fireplace.

The time comes, however, when a man must face reality: when he must look squarely in the face of massive public sentiment to the contrary and announce: "This cat smells like a port-a-potty on a hot day in Juarez."

When that day arrives at your house, as it has in mine, I have some advice you might consider as you place your feline friend under your arm and head for the bathtub:

• Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)

• Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.

• Prepare everything in advance. There is no time to go out for a towel when you have a cat digging a hole in your flak jacket. Draw the water. Make sure the bottle of kitty shampoo is inside the glass enclosure. Make sure the towel can be reached, even if you are lying on your back in the water.

• Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule. If he does notice your garb, calmly explain that you are taking part in a product testing experiment for J.C. Penney.)

• Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.

• Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)

• Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared to what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop the drain plug with you foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath.

But at least now he smells a lot better.

Cat Bathing: Version 2

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.
3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape).
5. CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for any vulnerable surface they can find.
6. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power wash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

7. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.
8. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
9. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself.

JOB DONE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY!!

I'll tell the world I love you!

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Here's another great recipe from AllRecipes.com. Pull out the breadmaker and enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions
Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.

When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.