Never mind

Well, my completely out of the blue, unexpected, totally awesome, surprise trip to New York City (Yes, NYC!!!!) ended before it began. In the early hours of the morning, as my traveling companions and I made our way to Bellows Falls, VT, where we would meet the bus that would take us to NYC, the mild queasiness that I had begun feeling the night before returned....and increased. By the time we reached Bellows Falls, my head was swimming and I was fighting nausea and stomach pains. I could not face a bus trip to NY. So, I phoned dear hubby and he rode in on his white steed (GMC) and rescued me. The stomach bug never did materialize, but I remained queasy and experienced such extreme fatigue that I slept the entire day. I could not get warm nor could I stay conscious for more than a few minutes. I finally forced myself out of bed at dinner time--grumpy as all get out--and managed to keep my eyes open for a while.
I feel better today--still a bit tired and quite grumpy--not to mention disappointed--I could be watching the Rockettes right now....ah well, c'est la vie. .
Things could very definitely be worse. We could be one of the 200,000+ people in New Hampshire (many who are our neighbors and friends) without power for the past 3 days, and looking at perhaps a week until it is back on. I will offer my "suffering" -such as it is- for them.

Out of the Blue

Guess where I have been given a completely unexpected opportunity to go this weekend? I will be having a high-kickin' time. That's the only hint I will give. I'll be back with pix on Monday.
God bless!

Am I not here?

"Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son: let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you: let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?" (Words of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego)

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us!

But does he have Spidey-sense?

At Mass last night, for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, I was explaining to 3 year old daughter (as I do at most Masses) what happens at the Consecration.
"Watch. Fr. Shawn is going to change the bread into the Body of Jesus. Listen for the words."
She obediently turns her gaze to the altar.
I use the same words for the wine as it becomes the Precious Blood.
When the Consecration is over, she turns to me and in her loud 3-year-old "whisper" says,
"Mommy, Father Shawn has POWER!"

Words to live up to

How cool is this anonymous quote I found:

I want to be the kind of person who, when my feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan says. “Oh no she’s awake.”

A new passion

As we passed through the produce section of the grocery store the other day, three-year old girl began making hand gestures and incomprehensible noises as she struggled to find the word that was eluding her. I stopped the cart and asked her what she wanted.

"I want the um, um, juicy sings(things) with grass"

OK, I was having a bit of a hard time solving this riddle, then she pointed to the shelves where the strawberries were displayed....Of course! She has recently developed a love/passion/obsession for these yummy juicy sings. I can't say that I blame her; I love them too....as long as the grass is taken off.

Disturbing

Planned Parenthood of Indiana has suspended a nurse after the release of an undercover videotape showing her coaching a supposed 13-year-old on how to duck Indiana's laws about parental consent on abortion and the reporting of child sex abuse.

The videotape shows Lila Rose, the president of a university pro-life group and a brunette, posing as a blond 13-year-old girl named "Brianna" and telling the Planned Parenthood nurse at the clinic in Bloomington, Ind., that she is pregnant by a 31-year-old man.

"I am supposed to report [you] to Child Protective Services," the nurse says on the videotape, though she assures "Brianna" that she will not do so if she can tell a plausible different story.

"I didn't hear the age. I don't want to know the age," the nurse says at a later point on the tape.

The nurse, who is referred to on the video as "Diana" but whose face has been blurred, knew neither that the session was being taped nor that "Brianna" really was Miss Rose, a 20-year-old pro-life activist at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Miss Rose told The Washington Times on Thursday that this footage is only part of an ongoing project with many examples of such conduct. Her group and other student pro-lifers have released tapes of similar counseling.

Indiana is not one of 12 states that restricts or prohibits surreptitious taping.

Click here to view the video

Also, Planned Parenthood in Indiana is giving out holiday gift certificates for services including abortion!
Read about it here