Fun New Book Meme!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Go to your bookshelves, and post what is on TOP of them (not the top shelf, but on the very top).

In our house, the top of the bookcase is reserved for things I don't want the kids to get ahold of!

In the school room, the top of the bookcase contains:
Prisma colored pencils

6 Catholic coloring books on the Saints, the Rosary, the Most Holy Eucharist, etc. I make copies to use for lapbooks, feast day crafts, etc.

Preschool Lessons About Jesus (because the 3 yo was coloring in the blackline masters)

4 foldable candy boxes with handles.

Upstairs, I have three bookshelves side by side. The left bookshelf holds most of my Catholic and religion books.

The top is where I keep the rare, old books - and the rest of the shelf is where I keep books I haven't categorized yet.

I have a large book that is missing it's cover and spine - it's old and appears to contain papal encyclicals through the 19th century.

The Throne of the Fisherman, 1887
The Popes of Rome, vol. 1 (16th and 17th century) 1846
The Soul of the Apostolate
The Foot of the Cross
Charity for the Suffering Souls
Suffering - The Catholic Answer
Self Abandonment to Divine Providence
Eucharistic Miracles
Evidence of Satan in the Modern World (Cure D'Ars)
Visual Basic.net
Visual C++.net (obviously misplaced!)

Middle shelf, I keep the books that are too big for the regular shelves, mainly art print books for school.
Mary Cassat
Winslow Homer
Rembrandt
American Impressionists
Leonardo DaVinci
Stack of Catechist magazines
Laura Ingalls Wilder Country (from the museum, I think.)

The right bookshelf is for fiction, and "business" books.
A lot of Shannara books, by Terry Brooks
Angela's Ashes (didn't fit on the lit shelf)
Investing for Dummies
How to Master the Art of Selling
Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance
Idiot's Guide to Successful Entrepreneurship
Motley Fool Investment Guide
Dave Ramsay Total Money Makeover
Money Book of Personal Finance

In the playroom, the top of the bookcase holds:
Boardgames - Risk, Lord of the Rings Risk, Shogun, poker set, Axis and Allies, the chess clock, and a tub of baby toys that X has outgrown.

In the living room, I have several more older books, and a couple of classics that I took the dust jackets off of. The classics are the little cheap versions Barne's and Noble sells, but I like them because they fit in my purse and have a ribbon bookmark attached.

The top of that shelf contains:
Crime and Punishment
The Prince (I confess I've only made it about the quarter of the way through that one.)
St. Peter and the First Years of Christianity, 1927
Pictures of Christian Heroism, 1855
Systematic Study of the Catholic Religion, 1909 (haven't read that one yet, either)

How come modern books aren't as pretty as old books?

What's on YOUR bookshelves?

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 2/19/2009 12:06:00 PM | Permalink | |
Book Meme, Revisited
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Nadja tagged me for a book meme.

Pass this on to 5 blogging friends. Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that.

I've done it twice this year, but I'm afraid this one is not as interesting as last February or as informative as last September.

No, I've been planning the next trimester of our school so the nearest books are DiscoveryWorks (3rd grade science text book), First Language Lessons, and The Mass Explained to Children by Maria Montessori.

From The Mass Explained to Children, Ch. IV "The Mass of the Catechumens" re: The Sign of the Cross.

It was the gesture through whcich a believer in Christ was recognized by his brothers. It was the sign used by a member of a persecuted society, when the very fact of belonging to it might be punished with cruel death by the powers then ruling.

I pass it on to my 5 most recent commenters:

Heather at Domestic Bliss Report
Mrs. Flam
Birdie at Wings and Prayers
Jennifer at Double Nickel Farm
Liz at Scarlet House

And anyone else is welcome to join in - leave a note in the comments!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 12/02/2008 11:41:00 AM | Permalink | |
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Works for Me Wednesday - yeah. I got nothing.

But, I've been givenan award so I'll brag instead!

Sue in Japan gave me the Brillante award.


For those who are about to be honored, here are the rules:

1. The winner can (and should, really) put the logo on his/her blog
2. The winner must link to the person from whom they recieved their award.
3. The winner must nominate at least 7 other blogs for an award.
4. The winner must place links to those blogs on their own blog.
5. The winner must leave a message on the blogs of the people they’ve nominated.

I'm passing the award onto some longtime bloggy friends - I was reading these ladies before I had a blog! They've probably already gotten it from someone else, though.

Mommylife
Barb, SFOMom
In the Heart of My Home
Principled Discovery
Like Merchant Ships
Homespun Heart
The Sparrow's Nest

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 10/08/2008 09:51:00 AM | Permalink | |
Another Book Meme
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
I looked so smart with my last book meme, I'm ready for another! Luckily Crystal tagged me. Although if I would have known it was coming, I'd have put better books on my desk.

Here are the rules:

Here's the rules:

  • Grab the nearest book.
  • Open the book to page 56.
  • Find the fifth sentence.
  • Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions.
  • Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
  • Tag five other people to do the same.


I have four books on my desk right now.
"Sam and the Bag" Phonics reader doesn't have 56 pages (and it's not my book, anyway!)

Bible, RSV Catholic Edition, which has two page 56's, because they start numbering again in the NT:

Exodus 11:4-5 And Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go forth in the midst of Egypt; and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die...


and

Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day.


I also have a Greek-English Interlinear NT on my desk. Page 56 is Matthew chapter 20, but I can't type Greek so look it up on your own. ;)

(Oh my goodness! Did I just use a smiley? Must be having a good day!)

My last book on my desk is "Square Foot Gardening". Guess what, mah peeps! I'm making a garden! In Houston, you can still plant in October. This whole Wall Street thing is freaking me out. I'm in survivalist mode. Which means only going to the store once a week instead of every other day - we all must sacrifice in these times of trouble!

Plus, you know, it's the 1st graders science class. We're starting with rutabagas (they're good! Really!), lettuce, spinach, peas, and radishes. Cool weather crops, despite the 90 temps.

Page 56:

"When constructing your SFG box, cut all four pieces of your wood sides to the same length adn then rotate the corners to ensure you end up with a square box."


I'm not tagging five people... if you subscribe to me in Google Reader, bloglines, etc., consider yourself tagged - and leave a link in the comments!

Oh, and I'm moving my Obama poster up so it stays on the front page. Feel free to grab it for your blog!

I frequent another website that always seems to involve apologetics - even though it shouldn't!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 9/30/2008 10:16:00 AM | Permalink | |
Me and My First Baby Meme
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Crystal tagged me...Mr R was my first baby.

I made a few changes for adoptive mothers...

1. Were you married at the time? Yes

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant/approved? disbelief

3. How old were you? 19. I turned 20 two months before Mr R was born

4. How did you find out you were pregnant/on the waiting list? I don't remember. I'm sure it involved a home pregnancy test. I do remember that the test had a special way to cut out the two lines so you could put it in a scrapbook, which I thought was absurd. I mean, it's a stick that I peed on!

5. Who did you tell first? Husband dear

6. Did you want to find out the sex? Yes

7. Due date/Expected arrival date: My due date changed often. June 17 - July 11. It was a strange pregnancy.

8. Did you deliver/meet your child early or late? 5 1/2 weeks early

9. Did you have morning sickness/anxiety? No. I never do!

10. What did you crave? Mexican food. Good thing we lived on the Gulf Coast of Texas! And split pea soup.

11. Who irritated you the most? My boss. I worked at a gas station across the street. At one point, I had to have emergency outpatient surgery and my boss called to demand I come in to work. She did offer to get me a chair to sit in. Husband dear quit my job for me.

12. What was your first child's sex? male

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy/while munching Fritos as you waited for The Call? Honest to Pete, I don't remember. Lots. My weight gain was enhanced by the bed rest and gestational diabetes. We didn't have much money, so we had an air mattress instead of an actual bed... 10 weeks of sitting on an airmattress made me want to never go camping again!

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy/complications with Red Tape? First, I got an infection that necessitated draining my lymph node in my leg. This involved sewing a rubber tube in for three days and was the most pain I've ever had (and I've given birth without pain meds 6 times!).

Then came the premature contractions. Terbutaline and bedrest for me! (had these with all but ONE of my pregnancies, and been on bedrest for 5 of them)

Then came Gestational Diabetes (had 6 times now). Hard to manage on the terb and bedrest.

I was going to the hospital about once a week when contractions wouldn't stop on their own at home. Mr R was born early after one of these visits - my blood pressure got waaayyy too high and they decided to induce (after spending 2 days on meds to stop labor. Fun times!)

15. Where did you give birthmeet your child? Port Lavaca, TX

16. How many hours were you in labor/between The Call and holding your new child? I first felt labor pains on May 23. Mr R was born on May 26. Although two days were spent injecting me with all manner of evil in an attempt to stop labor.

17. Who drove you to the hospital/airport/office? Husband dear. Although I walked home (we lived across the street) because we didn't have a baby car seat!

18. Who watched/went with you? Husband dear

19. Was it vaginal or c-section (no adoption alternative here. Sorry)? vaginal

20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain/self medicate to calm your nerves? They finally gave me a spinal, but Mr R was born 20 minutes later so it didn't "take" yet. Oh, and it was a failed spinal that was horrible. Headaches for days!

21. How much did your child weigh? 6lbs 10 oz. And he was 5 1/2 weeks early!. Thanks, GD!

22. What did you name him/her? Named after his two granfathers. R - M. One is the patron saint of catechists. One is an angel who the patron saint of policemen.

23. How old is your first child today? 10 years 4 months

I'm supposed to tag five mommies - Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo... I choose:

Wait... how can I pick just five? I will have to discriminate based on geography.

I go for fellow Texas moms:

Birdie

Lori

Kim C.

Dana

Jennifer F.

Ginkgo

...But, really, anyone can play along! Leave your link in the comments!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 9/25/2008 09:08:00 AM | Permalink | |
Gypsy Rose at Heart
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Kim over at Starry Sky Ranch checked out her design style - and I did too!

I'm "ethnic eclectic", a "mix of bohemian chic and contemporary ethnic flair".

Which is odd, because my house is decorated in NewlyWed Poverty/Fisherprice Primary.

The houses I love are "modern country" or "contemporary casual". Simple lines (no nooks and crannies carved furniture to dust), lots of drawers, cupboards, pie safes (no open shelves), and a polyurethane finish on everything. That might just be Lazy Mama talking though.

Although, I am Czech, so maybe there is something to that bohemian comment!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 4/10/2008 09:56:00 AM | Permalink | |
And Now A Little Fun
Monday, March 31, 2008
Crystal tagged me over the weekend. She's one of my first Virtual Friends, we were on the same e-mail loop for a long time and then she started a blog! (Good thing, too, since I unsubbed from the list!)

The rules are:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago: Ten years ago I was on bedrest waiting for my first child to be born. I was on bed rest for 12 weeks! We didn't have a real bed, but an air mattress on the floor and mostly I remember reading Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, teaching myself to crochet, and having my rear end fall asleep. We didn't have cable or internet back then and husband worked 12 hour shifts.

Five things on my To Do List today: (not in any particular order)
1. Plan and cook dinner, maybe a cake (haven't really planned dinner very well for two weeks now!)

2. Track down life insurance policies. (FILG's, despite everything being "just too difficult" for her to think about, has managed to cash in a life insurance policy - before we even had the ceremony with the townspeople and spread the ashes. More power to her.) I think there may be another insurance policy, but I don't have the documents, only payments recorded on bank statements. Googling the name as it appears (abbreviated) on the statement is not helping me so far, so I've got some research ahead of me.

3. Conquer Mt. Fold Me

4. Work on my writing assignment before this week's new shows air.

5. Correspondence. Return phone calls and go buy some stationery with my letter on it for thank-you notes. (Anyone have a suggestion for a chain store with cute stationery?)


Snacks I enjoy: Chocolate, what else? Laughing Cow cheese on a Wasa cracker is good too, and good for a diet!


Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Buy a house. I also want to start a housing community for abused women. It would have apartments and on-site childcare. The residents would be required to take classes in order to live there - cooking nutritious meals, job training, computer literacy, etc. The goal being to support them, help them have a safe place to leave their children, and get them on their feet. Also no boyfriends or men could live with them while they were there. (I don't know if this is even legal in America, but that's my dream!)


Three of my bad habits:
1. Biting my nails.
2. Procrastination
3. I'll post that later (see #2)


Five places I have lived:
1. Colorado
2. Texas
3. Motel (yeah, I can cook ANYTHING in a crockpot now. That was my kitchen for 6 weeks.)
4. New Mexico
5. South Carolina


Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Department store clerk
2. Jewelry beader
3. Telemarketer
4. Door-to-door saleswoman
5. Discovery Toys consultant


People I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
Honestly, these last three weeks I haven't kept up with Bloggyland, just browsed a few random posts here and there. So I don't know who has been tagged! So tag yourselves and leave me a note so I can come check it out!



***UPDATE***

MomUnscripted has put hers up!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 3/31/2008 12:20:00 PM | Permalink | |
Type ENFP
Saturday, February 23, 2008



You Are An ENFP



The Inspirer



You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.

You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules.

Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.

You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller!


In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart.

You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts.



At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do.

You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.



How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding



When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's Your Personality Type?


I took two different personality quizzes and this came up for both of them! I tried to look up how common my particular personality type was, and it said it was rare - but also seemed to say that all of the personality types were rare. If there are 16 different types, than each type would *average* only 6.25% anyway.

What personality type are you? Leave a note in the comments!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 2/23/2008 07:26:00 PM | Permalink | |
The Book Meme
Monday, February 04, 2008
I got this from Birdie.

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Well, the nearest book is actually being used as a mouse pad (but only because it kept falling on the keyboard, that's not it's permanent location!)

I turned to page 123... and there are NOT 5 sentences on the page. There are, however, 18 commas and 9 semicolons. Plus two dashes. Was it written by Henry James? I'm just going to post the first three complete sentences, which begin at chapter XXIII.

Can you possibly guess what book this is?

"To proceed, if magicians produce phantoms and give a bad name to the souls of the dead; if they kill children to make an oracle speak; if by mountebank tricks they play off no end of miracles; if they send dreams to people; assisted by the power of the angels and demons invoked, those same beings by whose aid she-goats and tables have acquired the habit of divining; how much more, think you, would that power, acting on its own behalf and in its own business, take pains to use its full strength ot achieve what it does in the affairs of others?

Or, if angels and demons do exactly what your gods do; where, then, is the pre-eminence of divinity, which we surely should count superior to every other power?

Will it not be a worthier suppoosition that it is they who make themselves into gods when they do what wins credence for gods, than that gods should be on a level with angels and demons?"

It's Tertullian's Apology de Spectaculis. One half is Latin, the other half is English - fortunately, the odd numbered pages are the English ones. Yes, I actually had that on my desk, I didn't pull it from the shelf to make myself look smart! I've been reading it in short bursts for a really, really long time. It's not a light read. Plus I was using it while researching topics on the Watchtower website, which claims Tertullian taught that Jesus was an angel. Because that's what I do in my spare time. ("Spare Time" ha ha ha ha!)

It was right next to the teetering stack containing Alphabet Theme-A-Saurus, Magic Schoolbus Goes Batty, the Book of Mormon, If You Grew Up with Abraham Lincoln, and My Antonia. Hmm. Perhaps I should work on clearing my desk off today?

I need to tag 5 other people, so I think I'll tag some of the more masculine blogs in my feeds.

Random Brown
The Curt Jester
The Catholic Caveman
Dadwithnoisykids
Musings from A Catholic Bookstore (his should be good!


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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 2/04/2008 08:46:00 AM | Permalink | |
Six Things...
Friday, January 18, 2008

...you never knew you wanted to know about me.

Daisy tagged me for the Six Random Things Meme. Here goes!

The meme rules:
Link to the person that tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
Tag at least three people at the end of your post and link to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Let the fun begin!


1) I am a reader. I have a car book for times when I'm stuck at the drive-thru, bank, etc.; a computer book, for those long load times, a book in the living room, for commercials, and 3 books on my nightstand (depending on what mood I'm in to read that night.)
So, I'm currently reading:
Sarah Orne Jewett's Country of the Pointed Firs and Collected Short Stories. SOJ is a master of characterization, and every writer would benefit from a few nights with her!
Foxfire 1, 2, and 3 I flip through these because they are just so interesting.
Catch-22 Still working on this, because it is my "car book" and since I'm a SAHM I never go anywhere. (Ha!)
Mass Confusion, because nothing says relaxation like the GIRM
8 Ways to Optimum Health, Andrew Weil
The Book of Matthew by, well, St. Matthew (this is my bible study)
America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. Yes. I read cookbooks for fun and information.


2) I like nicknames. My children all have nicknames that they will answer readily to, but that aren't actually their names. I call my husband Jo, but his name is not Joseph. Mr R's nickname is Trando. Short for Bertrando, of course, which is also not his name. Mr P's nickname is Ricky. His name is not Richard. We also call him Patch. Miss E answers to Mims. Mr S is called Spez. Miss V's nickname is Larry (well, actually it's Leri) Miss C we call "Kweh". Larry started that one! Baby X is most often called Big Boy and sometimes affectionately called Xavminster Fuller. That's a math joke. Yes, I do need to get out more.

I, myself, do not have any nicknames.

3) I cover my head in church, the only one in the entire congregation who does so. Perhaps that's why I got so touchy last week when our visiting priest was making fun of the nuns in habits during the "Liturgy of the Bulletin".

4) I have a secret life as an entertainment journalist. Okay, journalist is perhaps too strong a word. I get paid to write recaps of reality shows (yes, that means I have to watch those reality shows) and also sometimes provide coverage for aspiring screenwriters. My specialty is continuity, as well as basic copy editing. This means I read Scr(i)pt, Creative Screenwriting, Entertainment Weekly, and watch DVD's with the commentary on which drives my husband out of his mind. In fact, my first foray into blogging came from writing movie reviews for a publicity company.

It also means that not only is husband dear subjected to DVD commentary, he also gets an earful about the WGA strike quite frequently thiese days.

5) I got my husband at K-Mart.

6) A review of my entire life reveals that my best accomplishment so far is to create and enforce the Bathroom Rule. This rule states that whatever a child asks through the bathroom door, the answer is automatically no. In fact, I'm thinking of having it engraved on my headstone, to help the other mothers who may be wandering through the cemetery, desperately seeking five seconds' peace.

I'm going to tag some other South Carolina ladies!
Ouiz

Kitchen Madonna

Monica, who is on bedrest and needs diversions!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 1/18/2008 02:02:00 PM | Permalink | |
Awww, Shucks
Thursday, November 29, 2007

I've gotten an award from my peers, and in usual Mama fashion I am a day late and a dollar short on posting.

Barb, SFO Mom gave me the Nice Matters award. I'm guessing she missed my Pat Robertson rant! Barb and I have been hanging on the net for quite a while now - hers was one of the first blogs I started reading, before I even thought to create my own blog.

Crystal at Proud Catholic Mommy gave me the same one! I'm guessing she hasn't spilled the oatmeal on my floor after the baby was up all night. I think my children might speak up about the Nice Matters award. She's a cyber-friend I found through the Stay At Home Catholic Moms email loop on Yahoo!

Here is what the Nice Matters Award is all about: “This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass on to seven others whom you feel are deserving of this award."

Hmmm... I'm supposed to just pick SEVEN? I have over 140 feeds on Bloglines, *most* of which I subscribe to because they are nice matters, inspirational, or kindred spirits. The other ones I sub to because they get provide a balanced look at the other side of the issues, incite righteous anger, getting my heart racing, which conveniently takes care of my exercise for the day. (As long as I hit my target heart rate I'm good, right? Right?)

Here's who Mama loves best today - but don't worry, if you aren't on here you'll probably steal my heart by wearing large sunglasses or posting something useful tomorrow. I tried to keep it to the little blogs that others may not have heard about. And by "little", I'm going by how many subscribers Bloglines says they have (less than 150 - which actually would be a large blog, IMO). Remember, there are no small blogs, only little bloggers... or something like that. My theater metaphors never come out right.

1. Shereen at W8ing4Him. Her blog is always kind, and encouraging. I've never seen her tear down her husband or complain that her children are taking away her "me time". She usually has some interesting project going on with her little boys, and provides intense therapy at home for her older daughter. How can you not love a mom who gets a worm farm and lets her boys play with bugs?

2. Jen at "Et Tu?" She converted to Catholicism from intellectual atheism not long ago, and as she documents her spiritual growth it is poignant and enlightening.

3. Monica at The Homespun Heart. She's always got something crafting or cooking, and I've gotten some great recipes from her, including Potato Soup. Husband dear loves it and will happily eat SOUP as a main course for DINNER. He's definitely a meat and potatoes man, so that's quite a compliment.

4. Lori at Queen of the Dirty Laundry makes me laugh. Her Advice Forum Friday could be handy, especially if you loved the backwards Works for Me Wednesdays that Rocks in My Dryer did.

5. Madeline at Whitterer on Autism. She has two autistic sons and her posts documenting their daily life are full of life, wit, and humor. She manages to capture the picture of living with boys who don't quite think the same way other people do.

6. Hadias at A Day in the Life Of. I'm relatively new to her blog, but it just seems to be a natural fit for my life right now. She has a blogger book club going on featuring a charming vintage book called Adventures in Thrift, a fascinating peek into the life of a housewife way back when! I love the artwork she places with her posts as well.

7. Wait - only one left? Well, then, Number 7 is you, my dear reader! I have Sitemeter, so I know who you are! (Or, at least how you found my blog). I've found many a good blog by following the lurkers rabbit trail!








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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 11/29/2007 06:47:00 AM | Permalink | |
Meme-nesiac
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
I told you I was bad at Memes. SAHMY Says tagged me for this meme over a month ago; last week Hadias at A Day in the Life of tagged me again. Here goes!

CRAZY 8's MEME

8 things I'm passionate about...
My family (c'mon, everyone has this one! I told you I'm boring!)
Prolife activities
Homesteading/surviving WWIII with a pocketknife in a log cabin
Saving money (it's a sickness. But at least I'm not blowing the paycheck at the spa)
Education - both of my children and continuing education for myself. DIY, of course.
Comparative religion (I talk to every missionary who shows up on my doorstep. And invite them back. I'm in the middle of JW meetings, right now.)
Natural medicine/Nutrition based medicine/FDA Mockery and Skepticism Did you know they are developing a vaccine for cavities? And that the biggest contributor to the American Diabetes Association, who issues guidelines of diabetes treatment, is Hershey Corp. and Cadbury-Schweppes?
Screenwriting and then picking apart every television show and video I watch with commentary on bad dialogue and missed opportunities to heighten dramatic tension. Especially on Season Two of Heroes (oh, how the mighty have fallen). My husband really, really loves me.



8 things I say often
Are you bleeding?
Are you Dead?
You'll survive If I'm feeling particularly maternal, I might offer them a wet rag, which every mother knows cures all ills, real or imagined.
Get out of the tree (Monkey blood runs strongly in this family)
Oooh, hims a vishious vewociwaptor to Baby X who has Claws of Steel no matter how often we clip his nails. Say it aloud for full effect.
I'm not paying that much! I'll do it/make it/cook it/ myself!
It's "Yes Ma'am, NOT Yes Sir" My children are often gender confused and manners challenged.
"Let your YES mean YES and your No mean No." They're not even teenagers yet, but they have the shoulder shrug/grunt down and Ida Know has taken up permanent residence around here.

8 books I've read recently...or am currently reading
Bible I don't read so much as do particular studies on theological teachings and concepts. Although my Bible study is on Matthew so we are reading that chronologically (Check out this verse. It's a howler! Deut. 25:11-12. Can't you just see the Israelite leaders mediating this dispute?)
Country of the Pointed Firs, by Sarah Orne Jewett - I picked it up after reading My Antonia by Willa Cather and reading about it in the preface.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - It's my 'car book', so I'm reading it very slowly. What? No one else has a book they keep in the car for those dull moments at the drive thru, bank, or waiting for husband dear to fillup the tank? I'm still a nerd, I guess.
Foxfire 1, 2, and 3
Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie.
The Treasure Box by Orson Scott Card. It was different from his Ender series, and bordered on fantasy in usual Card tradition. Also made me tear up, in usual Card tradition.
House of the Scorpion
Adventures in Thrift, for Hadias' Blogger Book Club. It's page turner click-througher!


8 things I want to do before I die...
Take a cruise through the Panama Canal
Write a movie that gets made
Go to medical school and work for Doctors without Borders or similar organization; be a medical missionary.
Have a home with a proper library, and read all the books
Learn to decorate a cake, including roses without using fruit rollups.
Learn to control my temper (and my tongue. Can we say acerbic? That's me.)
See Christopher Hitchins convert and repent
See my husband convert and receive the sacraments.

8 songs I can listen to over and over again, and probably have...
I don't listen to music much. I actually probably couldn't name 8 songs (but I could hum you a bar or two until you recognize it!)

There's the one from Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Secret Garden I like.

There's that funny one about Captain Kirk and crossing the border from years back.

Weird Al usually makes me laugh.

Creed from Petra is a good one. Also This is My Prayer. Totally awesome song for someone whose husband has to leave home for work.

O Salutaris, Hostia is my favorite hymn.

That's only six, but that's as good as it gets. Sorry. I'm a talk radio junkie.

8 things that attract me to my friends
They are kind
They are not foolish (I so do not need soap opera drama in my life)
They are steadfast, not fair weather friends
They are not afraid to disagree, but do it in a friendly way
They love my children (and I love theirs)
They understand, often without words
They are okay with the fact that I am not a hugger and don't get offended
They are passionate (about something.)
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure. Sirach 6:14
8 things I learned in the last year
Pork and mustard is not BBQ, despite what any South Carolinian might tell you. It might be called BBQ, but unless there is a cow involved it just ain't right.
I don't like the beach. Thank goodness the nursling gives me an excuse to hang out away from the sun, salt and sand.
I miss snow even though scraping the car was a most-dreaded chore.
You should measure the width of the fridge door before installing it in a narrow walkway. Not pointing fingers here - I'm just sayin'
Making strange and exotic things such as salami and yogurt at home is not very difficult
at all!
Even a seventh baby can still throw you for a loop.
Your breadmaker is your friend
AT&T still stinks. Every month we have some sort of problem with the bill, and a totally unrelated problem with our service. I don't have any other options right now, though.

I don't know who to tag, because, honestly, I've seen this all over and I think everyone's already done it! If you visit and you haven't done it, consider yourself tagged and leave a comment so I'll know where to find you!

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 11/13/2007 06:28:00 AM | Permalink | |
8 Random Things
Friday, October 19, 2007
I was tagged by Proverbs 31 to tell you 8 random things about my kitchen forever ago - I didn't forget!

My life is pretty random, and I don't know if it's interesting enough for a post - here goes. Try not to fall asleep.

1. I have some really big pots, and I know how to use them. I bought husband dear a 24" wok from a restaurant store last year for Christmas, and he knows how to use it!


2. This house has the biggest kitchen I've ever had, but I still needed more storage. I have a bookshelf that holds my potatoes, etc., cookbooks, mixing bowls, and dishtowels; a dresser holds my small appliances, tupperwares, misc. supplies, and a whole drawer taken up by tea.

3. A few years ago, I saw a flat topped stove in a store and decided that was the perfect solution to a messy kitchen. I always wanted one, and now I finally have one! And the are terrible. I hate it. If I spill anything while cooking, it instantly sears to cooktop. Heaven help me if I let the noodles boil over! There is nowhere for the water to go, so it covers the entire stovetop before dripping to the floor - boiling hot.

4. I have a naked woman on my counter. Okay, it's really a vintage tin from Godiva chocolates, and you can't really tell she's naked because of the hair and all. I keep Mr R's vitamins in it.

5. I do not own a food processor, an electric can opener, or a blender. My waffle maker gets lots of use, as does my coffee pot! The coffee pot is the only appliance that gets left out and plugged in all the time (since the demise of the crockpot, that is!) I'm intrinsically lazy, so I make waffles on the waffle maker and then make "waffle eggs" to go with it - it saves washing the scrambled egg pan.

6. The smallest "kitchen" I ever had was when we lived in a motel for two months. We plugged our microwave and crockpot in on top of the dresser, and paid $15 extra a week for a small fridge. Dishes had to be washed in the bathtub. The kids got used to powdered milk - I would mix up one quart in the morning, and it's all that would fit in the little fridge! You can cook anything in a crockpot.

7. Every year in September, husband dear likes to buy a couple of bushels of green chiles, roast them, and then freeze them. The smell of peppers cooking makes me sick - luckily, I was spared this year because no one sells green chiles on the side of the road in SC. I have been made sick by the smell of boiled peanuts and ONE WHOLE CAN of salt. Husband dear also makes other weird things that I won't touch (but that the kids love), including tripe menudo and tako. Tako is raw octopus steeped in soy sauce, kind of like ceviche. No thanks. Husband dear likes to cook, but we don't really cook together. My dishes might get cooties.

8. I cook by the seat of my pants. My recipes go something like this: Add about the same amount of rice and milk. Stir in some sugar (rice pudding) or pour milk over it like cereal (scalloped potatoes). I think this is an inherited trait, as I have a family recipe for oatmeal cookies that instructs "add milk until it [the dough] is juicy". The only thing I really use recipes for are baking. I also substitute A LOT. Maybe too much!

I tag my most faithful commenters who also have blogs: Daja, Birdie, Mom2Fur, Heather, and Barb SFO.

And any one else that wants to play! Leave a note in the comments if you do it and I'll take a peek.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 10/19/2007 07:11:00 AM | Permalink | |
A Meme?
Thursday, August 30, 2007
I am notoriously bad at Memes. I read them, I do them, I write long posts with the best of intentions, but then my answers look so pathetic that I am too prideful graciously decide to spare y'all the details of my boring nerdiness.

Well... Heather actually made on up! About books! How can I say no to that?

Ten Books Every Kid Should Have
Or "If you were trapped on a deserted island for a year with your child, which ten kids' books would you want to have?"

1. A good children's Bible. Even if you don't believe, I think in order to be an educated individual you need to be familiar with the stories. If you do believe, you probably already have one in mind!

2. A book of Aesop's fables. See above.

3. A good book of fairy tales. Same as #1. We make references to turning into a pumpkin or asking which dwarf someone is, avoiding the poison apple, etc. We need these.


These were Heather's answers, and I totally agree! Cultural knowledge is important, especially when it leaks into language and idioms.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia, complete set. I spent hours with a friend playing "Narnia"; they are clothed in literary language and have a strong moral message.

5. 57 Saints for Children (or similar). I read this during many Masses and for fun, too! Stories of real heroes, bravery, and sacrifice, and real role models to look up to.

6. All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor(my bias is showing. I read girly children's books because...wait for it... I'm a girl!) It's about a Jewish family in New York at the turn of the century. Entertaining, decent, and informative!

7. The Great Brain series, by John D. Fitzgerald. Loved these too!

8. Beverly Cleary treasury. Love me some Ramona. Love me some Socks. And a mouse with a motorcycle? Classic.

9. Heather said a treasury of Dr. Suess. I agree there, too. There's a lot of wisdom (and phonics) in those catchy rhymes!

10.Sorry, Heather, a treasury of H.A. Rey is NOT making my list! That curious little monkey huffs ether, breaks into stores, steal cars, vans, and donuts... we get into enough trouble without adding a "How To" tutorial on wallpapering the bathroom with gift wrap. I'll say... hmm...if I was on a deserted island...I'd go with a children's encyclopedia set. Yes, they do still have book versions, cheap and easy at garage sales! Or at least the Children's Atlas of the World from Usborne.
Knowledge is power, and if you can look up how to make a solar generated helicopter out of coconuts, you'll be the king of that desert island!


Feel free to order any of these using my Amazon link on the sidebar. Someone ordered a belt through it once, and I was SOOO excited! Even though my 'cut' was like 8 cents or something.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 8/30/2007 08:55:00 AM | Permalink | |
Smarter Than A Preschooler, part 2
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Daja is our winner with 6 points, plus a bonus point! You win the accolades of your peers!

Here are the answers, because Enquiring Minds Want To Know...right?

1. Lettuce

2. Broccoli (They sell canned pumpkin- a squash - and believe it or not, I've seen canned zucchini. In the same store that also sold canned grapes. It was Cold War Bunker bonanza!)

3. Capers, olives

4. There are lots of these! Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, soy sauce, yogurt, even sourdough would technically count! I've made sourdough, kimchi, and yogurt. Yogurt is such a no brainer to make, BTW, and super cheap because you can use milk powder. Try it and see!

5. There are many answers to this one... when we were dating, my husband made dinner for me once. Hot dog and rice casserole. Seasoned with rosemary. I married him anyway! My children would argue that the worst combo I've ever cooked are blacCorn varietiesk beans and rice - and I just keep making it, too! :} Also, I eat my peas with Miracle Whip- my mom says that's a Czech/Polish thing - but I love it, it's everyone else that thinks it's gross!

6.Devil's Food Cake is red(dish) because it is leavened with baking soda, and made with buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, and makes the cocoa powder turn reddish. But Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines, being all modern and convenient, do use red food coloring now. (When Red Velvet Cake was first developed, it was colored with beet juice!)

7. Corn. If corn is not shucked, with the tough husk removed, it will not grow.

8. Everyone got this right! It's the secret to good gravy.

9. Water/wet method is right! Braising is cook slowly in water (like pot roast). Blanching is done usually to keep vegetables bright and pretty - a quick dip in boiling water, then an ice bath. Poaching is cooking over boiling water - like a poached egg.

10. I love Alton Brown's Good Eats. I absolutely despise Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 7/31/2007 09:51:00 AM | Permalink | |
Smarter than A Preschooler!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
How smart are you?Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?

H/T SFO Mom

Let's round out this uppity post with some cooking trivia - answer in the comments and show how smart you are! (Navigating away from this page, to say... Wikipedia or Allcooks.com is C H E A T I N G!)

1. What vegetable is only sold fresh, never frozen or canned?

2. What vegetable is only sold fresh or frozen, never canned?

3. What vegetable is only sold prepared, never fresh or frozen?

(vegetable means, edible part of a plant. Don't get all weirdly technical, like saying a tomato is a fruit or yams are tubers...)

4. Almost all cultures eat fermented food of some sort. Name a non-alcoholic fermented food product from Asia, Europe, and Russia. Bonus points if you've actually made any of these!

5. Free form answer: On Bravo's series Top Chef, a contestant was highly criticized for making a tart containing artichokes and pears... flavors that, the judge noted, "did not marry well". What have you made with flavors that did not marry well? (Sidenote: What the heck? Did the chef just randomly reach into the pantry and decide to make a pastry with the first two things she grabbed? If I did that, mine would be ketchup and carrot pie. MMmm.... not.)

6. Why is Devil's Food Cake red?

7. Name a food that humans depend on for survival, but is not self-seeding and depends on humans to plant it.

8. What's roux and what's it good for?

9. What do these cooking methods have in common - poaching, braising, blanching?

10. What's your favorite cooking show?

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 7/26/2007 01:51:00 PM | Permalink | |
I'm not Surprised...
Monday, June 04, 2007
You scored as Roman Catholic, You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you.

Roman Catholic


100%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan


75%

Neo orthodox


64%

Emergent/Postmodern


39%

Modern Liberal


36%

Classical Liberal


36%

Fundamentalist


36%

Reformed Evangelical


32%

Charismatic/Pentecostal


32%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com


The shocker is not that I'm 100% Catholic, but that I'm 75% Wesleyan at the same time. I don't even know what that means! (I'm guessing it's different from Methodism? I've never heard of Evangelical Holiness.) I think the test is incorrect - how can I be NeoOrthodox and Modern/Classical Liberal? Or maybe I'm just a muddy mix of theological trends.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 6/04/2007 09:47:00 PM | Permalink | |
Heroines
Saturday, June 02, 2007

:: E L I N O R ::

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

I am Elinor Dashwood!


Take the Quiz here!

Ah yes, more practical than pretty with every passing year...

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 6/02/2007 06:55:00 AM | Permalink | |
Friday Fun: A Little Quiz
Friday, May 04, 2007














From the Roving Medievalist...


http://saint-louis.blogspot.com - Rome of the West

Traditional Catholic


90%

Radical Catholic


64%

Evangelical Catholic


29%

Neo-Conservative Catholic


26%

New Catholic


19%

Liberal Catholic


2%

Lukewarm Catholic


2%

What is your style of American Catholicism?
created with QuizFarm.com



You scored as Traditional Catholic. You look at the great piety and holiness of the Church before the Second Vatican Council and the decay of belief and practice since then, and see that much of the decline is due to failed reforms based on the "Spirit of the Council". You regret the loss of vast numbers of Religious and Ordained clergy and the widely diverging celebrations of the Mass of Pope Paul VI, which often don't even seem to be Catholic anymore. You are helping to rebuild this past culture in one of the many new Traditional Latin Mass communities or attend Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy. You seek refuge from the world of pornography, recreational drugs, violence, and materialism. You are an articulate, confident, committed, and intelligent Catholic.

But do you support legitimate reform of the Church, and are you willing to submit to the directives of the Second Vatican Council? Will you cooperate responsibly with others who are not part of the Traditional community?
I'm not sure how, exactly, I'm 90% Traditional Catholic, and 64% Radical Catholic. Then again, there's always been a slightly schizophrenic quality about me.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 5/04/2007 11:04:00 AM | Permalink | |
My First Meme!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
I hope this doesn't cement my ill-gotten reputation for being a Domestic Diva!

I was tagged sometime ago by Catholic Mom in Hawaii, and finally I'm getting around to it!

A Homemaking Meme


Aprons – Y/N?
Yes. I even won a book in Mommylife's apron contest! I have two - both made out of towels. Because they were easy to make. You think I have time to hem?

Baking – Favorite thing to bake:
Brownies. Also favorite thing to eat.

Clothesline – Y/N?
No. We rent and don't have one. Plus, our landlord is a retired Sears appliance repairman and I think it would hurt his feelings if we didn't use all of our large machines.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
No. Why make donuts when you can have brownies?

One homemaking thing you do every day:
I wish there was only one! Prepare meals. There is always someone to feed.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
Yes! For the first time ever! It has three turkeys from Thanksgiving still, leftover cornbread for stuffing, and even some frozen meals. Plus meat! I'm working on going to the store every 2 weeks instead of twice a week, and I couldn't do it without my freezer!

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Yes. But you have to shove the food into it with a spoon while it grinds, so I don't know how useful it is.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
The Joy of Cooking. My son can't have preservatives and I'm cheap, so I cook a lot from scratch. This book has a lot of how to's, and chapters on storing foods, preparing meats, what spices go with what foods, how to cook different foods. It's got recipes but it is also a cooking class.
Also, the book "Holiness for Housewives and Other Working Women" by Dom Hubert Van Zeller. Excellent, excellent little book, with short chapters.

Ironing – Love it or hate it?
I didn't realize that we forgot to pack our old ironing board until 6 months after we moved - and I needed it to iron a pattern. Does that tell you how we feel about ironing around here?

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Kitchen. Bedroom. Living room.... plus my packrat son has one in his dresser too!

Kitchen: Design & Decorating?
Well, I try. I made coordinating trivet and grocery bag holder from leftover yarn that matches my favorite cutting board. But, again, we rent. When we moved in, the landlady told us to do whatever we wanted to the house. Pick out new paint, etc. I asked if we could paint the dark, fake wood 70's paneling in the kitchen - NO. The dark cabinets? NO. Paint over the wallpaper? No, she has fond memories of it being the first home improvement project she did with her husband. 27 years ago. So, I'm pretty much stuck!

Love: What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Making useful things for my family. Especially by crocheting them.

Mop - Y/N?
Yes. I have the best mop!

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
HA HA HA HA! You might as well ask me if I wash my sausage casing too.

Oven - Do you use the window, or open the door to check?
Open the door. Doesn't have a window.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?
Sliced tomatoes and spinach. Yum! Also, plain sausage - never pepperoni.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Read. Blog. Read blogs.

Recipe card box - Y/N?
No. I use my internet bookmark folder; also I have a do it yourself cookbook my grandmother gave me; it is spiral bound but you write in your own favorite recipes. I'm also working on making a recipe system for my homemaking notebook - putting the basic ingredients and instructions on business card sized paper (using a template in Word), sorted by meat, which I store in baseball card holder pages. It's a work in progress, but I'm trying to get it done before the baby is born so my husband can help with the cooking. He loves to cook, but if I left it to him, we'd have Chinese food every night.

Style of house -
Ranch. No stairs! Woo-Hoo! But my thighs are not thanking me.

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
I own them. Does that count? Paper napkins for everyday meals. My husband has forbidden me from using placemats, no matter how much I pine for them. LOL

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
The baby loves to dig under there. So, not *that* organized, but not a wasteland either. We have aluminum foil, plastic wrap, dishwasher soap, and extra plastic scrubbies, and that's about it. Occasionally the children's practical life broom/dustpan and duster makes it under there, but they are pretty much in common use. There's also many random toys that appear and disappear as Baby C puts them away.

Vacuum - How many times per week?
Twice a day. Maybe only once if we are busy.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do a week?
One per day, plus extra for blankets and things. Two children are still working on staying dry at night. Maybe 10?

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do and cross them off?
I have a list/schedule in a page protector that I cross off with a dry erase. So, it's always the same list in various stages of completion.

Yard - Who does what?
I nag, and the husband and children ignore me. So we are all in it together.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Start the dishwasher. We run it at least once a day, twice a day on weekends when the kids are home. Mama and husband dear always find time to snack after the kids are in bed so I wait until the last minute to try to get it all in.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 2/13/2007 07:16:00 AM | Permalink | |