What's for Lunch Mama Gladys? Lima Beans and Cornpone

I'm at my parents for a week or so, awaiting test results.   Coco and I made the treck over yesterday afternoon from Navarre.  Mom is currently hitting my chair with the vacuum cleaner, so I lost my train of thought.  Not hard to do.  Perhaps Mama Gladys is trying to tell me something?

All houses are just about full on the compound today.  Uncle Tom and Aunt Lorraine, the folks who are usually ALWAYS home have been in Birmingham for about 3 weeks.  Aunt Lorraine is battling some complications from a gall bladder that was removed back in the fall.  She is on the mend finally after some hairy episodes.  I love when there are lots of people on the place.  I visited with the Comegys' last night and plan to have a bowl of chili with the McDaniels' tonight.  Delightful!  I would much rather convalesce here, so my cranky self can be spread among many, not just a few.  It's also so beautiful.  I can look at the very full pond (hooray for rain) or look up at a sky full of stars at night.

The pic is of a meal Mama Gladys fixed back in October: lima beans and rice, cornpone, spinach salad, bread and butter pickles, and you guessed it - sweet tea.  Dad's hand can be seen at the right of the photo.  It's pretty much always like that while he is eating.  Just a sentimental tidbit.

Peace!

Trying New Things

I've been thinking of changing over to Wordpress.  In fact, I've already exported everything over.  I think I'm going to stick with Blogspot.  The reasons for changing were:

1. It looked more sleak, or so I thought.
2. I thought I could move all of my posts into page-like formats.  That wasn't the case.  AND now Blogspot has the same page feature - both are for static pages only.

Like the numbering feature above?  Yes, it really wasn't necessary to numerate just two reasons, but it shows Blogger's new added features to posting.  I can also cross out stuff.  gobledeygook.    There are others also like adding color, fonts, and the like.

Anyway.  Hmmm what type of pic can I use to illustrate this housekeeping type post...

This pic of the blow up doll included with my cna class is the choice  When I put it on another post I suddenly got loads of visitors.  I wonder why?  :)  The experimenting continues.

A Video About Medjugorje

A fascinating video about a claimed miracle at Medjugorje. Also, the video skims the surface of how the Church recognizes such happenings. VIDEO IS IN ITALIAN. YOU CAN SEE ENGLISH SUBTITLES BY PRESSING THE CC KEY ON THE YOUTUBE PLAYER. WHO KNEW?

Hope all is well with everyone. I am back at Cheryl's in Navarre. I have some sort of autoimmune disease it appears. I'm having a bunch of tests done.

Peace!

Pearl Harbor Day

The attack sank four US battleships and destroyed 188 US planes. More than 2,200 sailors, Marines and soldiers were killed.
US Navy, File/AP

Lord, lead their souls to heaven, bless all those involved and bless all families involved. Bless our troops, our leaders, and our nation. Amen

Here's a pic from a month or so ago of my sweet niece Natalie and her beau Chris. Chris will be going into the Air Force in February. God bless him...

Peace

Advent Pic - The Visitation

From Photobucket...

The Visitation is the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Saint Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:39-56. It is also the term for a Christian feast day commemorating this visit, celebrated on 31 May in the West (2 July in calendars of the 1263-1969 period) and 30 March in the East. (Wikipedia)

I like the thought of Our Lady with Saint Elizabeth. Both were with child (Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist). Because I am so close with my own family, I can relate to the bond between the two of them. I don't know if The Visitation is normally associated with Advent, but as a similar picture was on the cover of The Magnificat this month, I figure it's ok to use. Imagine the significance of that meeting. So much of their religious lives were concerned with the coming of the Messiah, and these two humble women were to play major roles in an epic turning point of all time! The sharing, waiting, and responsibility of the very moment in time that is The Visitation is remarkable...Advent. Praise the Triune God in his power and majesty regarding his work in these two astounding women - the work of his hands.

Peace

Advent 101

Why is Advent Important

Preparation for Christmas is an important theme for Advent, but more is involved. Advent gives us a vision of our lives as Christians and shows us the possibilities of life.

The vision of life that Advent gives us is twofold; it looks back to the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem, and it looks to the future when Christ will come again. In the interval between these two events we find meaning for our life as a Christian.

First we celebrate Christ-become-human. We view his life and experience his presence as a human being in our history. Christ came to show us what life can and should be. He gave us true and valid principles by which we can live true and valid lives. But Jesus knew that the human heart could not live in isolation. He formed the Church around the concept of a people held together by love. In that community we discover unlimited possibilities and meaning. Alone we can do nothing. Together we find real meaning.

When Christ left this earth, he did not abandon us. He remains with us in his Spirit, the Church, the sacraments, the Scriptures and each other. He lives in community with us and keeps his vision of life before us.

When Christ comes again, his presence will no longer be hidden behind the signs and symbols of the liturgy or the words of the Scriptures. His presence among us will be revealed in all its fullness, a presence that will never end, a presence that will perfect and complete our community.

This is the "greater significance" of Advent. In these few short weeks we take in the sweeping panorama of time - from Christ's birth to his Second Coming. The season of Advent brings us the magnificent vision of life and hope for the future given to us by Christ.

Advent is our time to become more involved, more caught up in the meaning and the possibilities of life as a Christian community. Thus we are preparing not only for Christmas but also for Christ's Second Coming. This means that when he comes again, we will be awake and watchful. He will not find us asleep.


© Liguori Publications Excerpt from Advent - A Quality Storecupboard The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer