Little Bit of This & That

Ever have those days when you just feel like your world is about to fall apart?  I had one of those days on Sunday.  The day started out with high hopes:  It was Divine Mercy Sunday, and Pope John Paul II's Beatification was held in Rome.  I don't know what I was expecting during Mass, but, man, was I disappointed.  There was just a slight mention of the day being devoted to the Divine Mercy, and absolutely nothing about the Beatification.   Then, we had an issue with one of the boys.  I just had to remind myself that every little thing is magnified right now since it's the end of the school year.  I'm stressed, the boys are getting ready to have finals, and things are just crazy right now.

My mom & I went to a charity concert to benefit Good Neighbors, a charity in town that provides people with money to pay electric bills, groceries, or anything else they need to make it to the next month.  But, most importantly, they provide moral support and guidance to help people who are down on their luck make it to the next month.  The concert was amazing.  There were choirs from the following religious affiliations:  AME Zion, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and the local college's gospel choir.  Great singing for a great cause.

Teresa at nanahood is having a contest.  Here's what she said:  "It's simple to enter. Write to me at teresa@nanahood.com and tell me about a super mom you know. She could be your friend, neighbor or a relative. I will post the essays on my blog and the one with the most comments wins a queen size homemade quilt for the person they nominated!"  Check out her site; the quilt is beautiful!

All you Green Bay fans out there:  Y'all have a lot of new fans down here in the South!  A Small Town boy has made it to the NFL!  Randall Cobb was a teammate of OS & MS, and is an incredible role model.  Humble, polite, and an all-round good guy.  It's good to see him do so well.

School is on the down-slide:  Only 2 more Mondays.  Kindergarten Screenings are starting up, so speech therapy will be "hit and miss" for the next couple of weeks.  Yep, it's time to take it easy and let the year wind down!

Finally, May is "Better Hearing and Speech Month".  The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is promoting their Safe Hearing Campaign.  Here's what they have to say:

"With the increasing popularity of MP3 players, millions of adults and children across the U.S. are at a newfound risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Listening to headphones at high volumes for extended periods of time can result in lifelong hearing loss. Make a pledge to protect your children's hearing today: http://www.listentoyourbuds.org."

Meet Me on Monday

Java's back after taking a week of for Easter Sunday.  Want to join in?  Click on the link and see how other bloggers answered the questions of the week!


1.  What is your favorite kind of muffin?
If I make it, banana nut.  If I'm at Panera, I'm a little partial to this "Cobblestone" muffin they have.  I don't know if it technically is a muffin, but it sure is good!

 http://fooddigestonline.com/post/1521399240/the-cobblestone-muffin-from-panera-bread-cinnamon

2.  What was the first car you ever owned?
A Dodge Omni.  That little thing would go in the snow!  Mine was similar to this one, but had a black pinstripe.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anglerove/2115772621/

3.  Which TV Show were you sad to see end?
M*A*S*H .  But, since it was on tv longer than the actual Korean War, I guess it was time.

4.  What is your lucky number?
I don't have one.

5.  Pretzels or Potato Chips?
Potato chips. Unless the pretzel has a rolo and pecan on top.

http://synergydairy.com/Volterra-chocolate-dipped-soft-pretzels/ 

 Or is just covered in chocolate:

http://www.candy-corner.net/holiday-pretzels.htm

Or is in an M&M:

 

Divine Mercy Sunday

Today, the 1st Sunday after Easter Sunday and the 2nd Sunday of Easter in the Catholic Church, is also "Divine Mercy Sunday".  It was on the 2nd Sunday of Easter in 2000 that Pope John Paul II decreed that this Sunday should be designated as "Divine Mercy Sunday".  
The Second Sunday of Easter was already called "Octave Sunday" and was a solemnity. The title of this day was actually an ancient liturgical tradition attributed to St. Augustine.  

Today also just happens to be the Beatification of Pope John Paul II.  What an amazing man he was!  He was arguably our most athletic pope:  He hiked, skied, played soccer,  and was very "outdoorsy".  After the assassination attempt, he went to the prison and forgave the man who shot him. This man was a professional assassin, and, when he saw the Pope, he asked him why he wasn't dead.  The shots were at close range, and there were 3 fired.   He had one of the bullets placed in the crown of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal, because he gave her the credit for saving him. (One of the bullets barely missed his heart.)   The attempt happened on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.  He was the first pope to pray in a synagogue, to enter a mosque in a Muslim country, and to preside in a meeting that involved all of the world's major religious heads.  He stuck to his guns on Catholic teachings and refused to budge. 

 http://holyrosary.ageofmary.com/audio-with-john-paul-ii-in-latin/

I have heard it said that Pope John Paul II is on the "fast track to sainthood".  His beatification is the first step in confirming that he is a saint.  With everything going on in the world today, it is nice to know that we were blessed with having this saintly man walking on the earth at the same time as us.