Twenty-two years!

Twenty-two years!

I just can't believe it's been 22 years since dh and I got married! We've known each other for 24 years.

Our dc just said "Wow! That's a long time!"

We aren't doing much of anything today, since dh had to work, but we will be celebrating with a nice little celebration here at home tomorrow with our dc, after church.

~Kathy

What a beautiful day!

I woke up to a most beautiful day! The birds were already singing away, the sun was shining and there are flowers beginning to bloom. It is 80 degrees outside, as I sit here and type. How wonderful!

I had to let the dc out to run and play for a bit after lunch. They have been so tired of the gray, cool weather and really wanted some of that sunshine. They even got out there metal detector and were looking for lost treasures. They didn't find much, but they sure had fun looking.

Last night was a wonderful Ash Wednesday service. Wonderful as it was though, I so wish there would have been a Latin Mass somewhere that I could've gone too. Alas, the Lord has me where I am right now, and I must rest in His Wisdom and have faith.

I do pray you all had a most blessed day yesterday. May the Lord keep and bless all of you!

~Kathy

The Holy Season of Lent

Fast and Abstinence.

It is a traditional doctrine of Christian spirituality that a constituent part of repentance, of turning away from sin and back to God, includes some form of penance, without which the Christian is unlikely to remain on the narrow path and be saved (Jer. 18:11, 25:5; Ez. 18:30, 33:11-15; Joel 2:12; Mt. 3:2; Mt. 4:17; Acts 2:38). Christ Himself said that His disciples would fast once He had departed (Lk. 5:35). The general law of penance, therefore, is part of the law of God for man.

The Church has specified certain forms of penance, both to ensure that the Catholic will do something, as required by divine law, while making it easy for Catholics to fulfill the obligation. Thus, the 1983 Code of Canon Law specifies the obligations of Latin Rite Catholics [Eastern Rite Catholics have their own penitential practices as specified by the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches].

• 
  Canon 1250 All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.
• 
  Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 
  Canon 1252 All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors and parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.
• Can. 1253 It is for the conference of bishops to determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

The Church, therefore, has two forms of official penitential practices - three if the Eucharistic fast before Communion is included.

Abstinence The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Moral theologians have traditionally considered this also to forbid soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted, as are animal derived products such as margarine and gelatin which do not have any meat taste.
On the Fridays outside of Lent the U.S. bishops conference obtained the permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential, or even a charitable, practice of their own choosing. Since this was not stated as binding under pain of sin, not to do so on a single occasion would not in itself be sinful. However, since penance is a divine command, the general refusal to do penance is certainly gravely sinful. For most people the easiest way to consistently fulfill this command is the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year which are not liturgical solemnities. When solemnities, such as the Annunciation, Assumption, All Saints etc. fall on a Friday, we neither abstain or fast.

During Lent abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory in the United States as elsewhere, and it is sinful not to observe this discipline without a serious reason (physical labor, pregnancy, sickness etc.).

Fasting The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday [Canon 97] to the 59th Birthday [i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday] to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Such fasting is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The fast is broken by eating between meals and by drinks which could be considered food (milk shakes, but not milk). Alcoholic beverages do not break the fast; however, they seem contrary to the spirit of doing penance.

Those who are excused from fast or abstinence Besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment, manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.

Aside from these minimum penitential requirements Catholics are encouraged to impose some personal penance on themselves at other times. It could be modeled after abstinence and fasting. A person could, for example, multiply the number of days they abstain. Some people give up meat entirely for religious motives (as opposed to those who give it up for health or other motives). Some religious orders, as a penance, never eat meat. Similarly, one could multiply the number of days that one fasted. The early Church had a practice of a Wednesday and Saturday fast. This fast could be the same as the Church's law (one main meal and two smaller ones) or stricter, even bread and water. Such freely chosen fasting could also consist in giving up something one enjoys - candy, soft drinks, smoking, that cocktail before supper, and so on. This is left to the individual.

One final consideration. Before all else we are obliged to perform the duties of our state in life. When considering stricter practices than the norm, it is prudent to discuss the matter with one's confessor or director. Any deprivation that would seriously hinder us in carrying out our work, as students, employees or parents would be contrary to the will of God.

---- Colin B. Donovan, STL

Taken from http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

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In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It occurs forty-six days before Easter, but Lent is nevertheless considered forty days long, because Sundays in this period are not counted among the days of Lent. It falls on different dates from year to year, according to the date of Easter; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

At Masses and Services of worship on this day, worshippers are blessed with ashes by the celebrating priest or minister. The priest or minister marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes, in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown. The symbolism echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head signifying repentance before God (as related numerous times in the Bible). The priest or minister offers the worshipper an instruction while applying the ashes. These are three examples:

"Remember, man, that you are dust
And unto dust you shall return."
(Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.)

or

"Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

or
"Repent, and hear the good news."

The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations and mixing them with olive oil as a fixative. In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence (from meat), and repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions. The ashes are sacramentals, not a sacrament. The penitential psalms are read.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, which lasts until the Easter Vigil. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to consume only one full meal each day, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. These days are also days of abstinence from meat.

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer designates Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting.

As the first day of Lent, it comes the day after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, the last day of the Carnival season. The word "Carnival" is in fact derived from the Italian word carne "meat", in reference to the Lenten practice of giving up meat.

Taken from http://christianity.wikia.com/wiki/Ash_Wednesday.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday

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In the Christian calendar, Shrove Tuesday is the English name for the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which in turn marks the beginning of Lent. In many solidly Roman Catholic countries in Europe and the Americas, this is the last day of Carnival (known as shrovetide in English). In some historically Francophone places it is Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday; the most famous Shrove Tuesday celebration is the Brazilian Carnival.

It is also known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in Britain, Ireland, Australia, and Canada.

The origin of the word shrove lies in the archaic English verb "to shrive" which means to absolve people of their sins. It was common in the Middle Ages for "shriveners" (priests) to hear people's confessions at this time, to prepare them for Lent.

Taken from http://christianity.wikia.com/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday.

~The Simple Woman's Daybook~

Visit Peggy at The Simple Woman for more Daybook entries!

FOR TODAY 23 Februray 2009

Outside my window... sun is shining, birds are singing!

I am thinking... what a glorious day the Lord has made!

I am thankful for... my beautiful family.

From the learning rooms... heads are down, pencils are scratching.

From the kitchen... the smells of a wonderful meal come wafting in.

I am wearing... denim capris and a short-sleeved knit top, and I'm barefoot.

I am creating... a new lapbook for my children, for fun!

I am going... to have a wonderful week!

I am reading... several books right now, and am waiting on The Dolorous Passion Of Our Lord by Anne Catherine Emmerich from the library.

I am hoping... to be able to do something for our 22nd anniversary this weekend.

I am hearing... the dogs barking and playing outside.

Around the house... I can hear my washing machine hard at work.

One of my favorite things... is finding a new book to read!

A few plans for the rest of the week: preparing for the start of Lent, prepare our menus for the week and make anniversary plans.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Beautiful blog to check out!

There is a lovely ladie I know from a message board that I am on, and she has a beautiful blog. Please go visit her blog and leave her a comment that you stopped by. Thanks!

Habakkuk 3

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, like it may seem I do, quite often. LOL!

I do pray everyone is having a wonderful month of December, busily preparing for the celebration of our Lord and Saviour's birth. We have had a hectic month, although I have slowed down a bit from previous years. Maybe that is a blessing from all the economic turmoil we have experienced this year. If so, then I praise the Lord for it!

May you all have a blessed Christmas with your family and friends!

~Kathy

This is from a friend of mine that I've known for a long time, on an e-mail loop that I'm on. This farm is desperate and needs everyone's help. If you need mint essential oil, please consider shopping from them, although it really needs to be before 11/01/08. Thanks!

This is from me, Ima, personally. I am in no way affiliated with the farm, other than being a satisfied consumer and a concerned neighbor (same state, I do a lot of direct buy from farms). This is not for my own personal gain. This is bare bones survival for one of our farms.

A quick background note: Michigan has been losing farms and businesses at an amazing rate. Seriously. Agriculture is actually our top business even though people think it's automobiles. We can't save everything, but we can save something.

If you like mint, peppermint or spearmint, would you consider buying a dram of excellent quality mint oil for $5 and helping us save this farm? My husband and I decided we'll be giving mint oils for Christmas with a card extolling some of the things it is very good for.

Even if you like just a hint in your brownies, cocoa, tea, or to help make the house smell wonderful, a dram is -very- concentrated and goes a long way.

I have used their oils in candy making, s, baking and in my spray bottle of vinegar (one spray bottle peroxide & one vinegar, spray one after the other - as effective as bleach in sanitizing) to make the cleaning smell wonderful, and in drawers, closets and cupboards to discourage moths.

If you have a use for mint, either peppermint or spearmint, even if it's as a gift, would you consider buying it from the Crosby Mint Farm? They have to sell 5,600 more bottles by Midnight Friday. So close...

Thank you for bearing with me.

Quote:As some of you may read and heard, Crosby Mint Farm (St. Johns) is under foreclosure. Because of the historic significance and the desire to continue producing this wonderful essential oil, your help is needed. These farmers have been a mainstay of Clinton County and Friends Forever!

"In addition to having what appears to be the oldest surviving still in the country, the Crosby Farms operation also appears to be the oldest mint farm in continuous operation in the United States. The key word here is "continuous" - that it has cultivated and processed mint since J.E. Crosby purchased the property before World War I." Ephraim K. Smith, President; Heritage Productions, Inc.


Please help if you possibly can:
For $5, you can get a gram of pure mint oil. It lasts a long time and is very hard to find.

Currently, there is enough essential oil inventory to pay this debt. On November 1st the bank has the right to inventory AND equipment AND then on August 14, 2009 they can take over the property. 77,000 DRAM BOTTLES MUST BE SOLD BY NOV. 1ST!!!

***** Visit www.getmint.com for order information *****

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Please tell your friends and ask them to pass this on.

Here are some uses for the mint:

Headaches
Peppermint may ease headaches and migraines. Apply a rub to temple area in circular motion and across the forehead. For migraines, wet hair and put 4-5 drops into your hand and massage into the scalp.

Sinus Problems
Peppermint is very useful in reducing sinus congestion when added to a bowl of steaming or boiling water. A rub may be applied to chest, back of neck area, and behind ears. A few drops of oil in a vaporizer at night will help ease congestion as well.

Digestive System
Peppermint oil can help relax the muscles of the digestive tract to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. One drop of peppermint oil on a sugar cube or used in tea may help relieve intestinal cramps.



Body Muscles & Arthritis
Peppermint oil is soothing to sore muscles when added to a hot bath or massage oil. Use this to soothe arthritis pain. Mix 4-5 drops of oil into 1 ounce of lotion and/or massage carrier oil.

Feet
Applied full strength, or mixed with a carrier oil, peppermint oil may relieve swollen feet and may reduce and assist in healing blisters, cuts, or athlete's foot by killing bacteria.

Women Only
Relieve menstrual or abdominal cramps, add 1-2 drops of peppermint oil on a sugar cube or into an 8 ounce glass of water and drink. A toothpick dipped in oil works great for tea or water. Also helps to relieve Hot Flashes!

Flu Season?
For a sore throat, sparingly dip a cotton swab into mint oil and carefully apply to the back of the tongue area.

Relieve congestion by rubbing a few drops of peppermint oil on chest & covering with warm compress. Add a few drops of mint oil to the water of a humidifier or vaporizer to keep it smelling fresh and kill germs.

Peppermint Oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal!

Prayers in regards to dh's unemployment

Yes, I know, I had said he got a job, but right before he was supposed to start it, he got two calls from two different companies, both of which he really wanted to work at. Both of them seemed like they really wanted to hire him fast. Well, one has interviewd him on the phone, and that is it, other than calling every other week to say they are still looking into hiring him. The other one, he has had one interview per week, each time with a different person, but still no offer.

We are both about to pull our hair out, because he could have been working, making over twice what the unemployment office has been giving him, but here we sit.

The first job offer he got, he can still report to on Monday, and plans to. We cannot wait any longer on these other two companies. Mike's opinion is, if they call him again, he will meet with them, but it'll have to be after working hours for this other company.

Please pray, because we are literally down to the last few dollars in the bank, and I am just hoping I have enough to pay all the bills before he gets the first paycheck with this place he is starting with on Monday. We figured out the gas to commute is going to be approx. $400/month, which will pretty much eat up any extra money we might have had after bills. We will not be able to sign up for their health insurance, etc., unless they pay the full amount. So, we will will still be without insurance. I just pray no one gets sick. I looked up our state program for kids, and we will make too much for them to participate, besides the fact that there is no one in this town that will admit to taking patients with the program. No one likes to deal with it.

I keep looking around the house, trying to figure out what I can sell, but I either figure it "could" sell, but no one around here would buy it, and selling it online would cost too much shipping for most people to want to buy the stuff.

Thanks for all of your prayers!

~Kathy