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| THIS IS GREEN I CAN GET BEHIND - [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/17/2010 |
How about making your kids ride to get electricity to watch TV or making convicts ride bikes to make their toast?
All possible with bike generated electricity. Actor Ed Begley (St. Elsewhere and other TV shows) is famous for his green mission. Other joins in this crusade to be more green. Now, as the article says this will do nothing to help create huge amounts of energy but I really like the idea of having my kids or others (convicts) have to contribute to getting the electricity for watching a movie or TV.
In our struggle to prevent couch potatoes, if we told them they had to pedal before they could watch, it would help with obesity and energy.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/05/how-to-celebrate-natonal-bike-month-cycle-to-produce-energy/1?loc=interstitialskip |
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| WHAT AFFECT DO CHEMICALS HAVE ON OUR CHILDREN [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/17/2010 |
We all know the vaccination debate and I have some friends who remain adamant that their children were negatively affected despite some studies that seem to indicate otherwise.
We all are aware of chemical overload in ourselves and our children and do our best. Here is another study that you can ponder:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37156010/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/
"Exposure to pesticides used on common kid-friendly foods — including frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries and celery — appears to boost the chances that children will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, new research shows."
I am not totally convinced of the study as it clearly states that the children's diets weren't examined. This means the authors cannot be sure where the pesticides came from. Could it have come exposure to chemically treated grass at home or schools? Are these pesticides found airborne? Until that is known, I am concerned but not in a panic. I will continue to practice the safe food handling we've always done.
For while everyone can't afford or find organic fruits and veggies, we all have access to water and a good rinse of anything eaten with a skin should be washed before consuming.
But DO NOT use detergents as these can leave behind their own chemicals of concern. Water and a brush or scrubbie will do the job nicely.
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| MACBETH IS DEAD [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/17/2010 |
and our play is over.
For the past 4 months, my family has been eating, sleeping and memorizing Shakespeare's Macbeth with our local homeschool group.
It has been exhausting and while I often complained about the drive to and from practices, the sewing of costumes and more, now that it is over I am going to miss it.
I know my children will be missing good friends - both new and old. They spent hours together every M-W-F since March practicing, laughing and learning.
I will miss seeing Moms who are much like me - trying to do the best we can with homeschooling, raising saints and getting through a week with laundry done and children clean (laundry being optional).
But - we will all admit we are tired. Looking forward to a small break in our lives until the next big thing comes along.
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| I'M SHUFFLING OFF TO BUFFALO THIS WEEKEND.... [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/17/2010 |
If you are in the area, consider stopping:
http://www.quietwatersproductions.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=7
It would be nice to meet some HMS followers! |
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| MORE DISTORTIONS ON MILITARY RECORD [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/18/2010 |
This comes from Connecticut where:
"Richard Blumenthal, the early favorite to win retiring fellow Democrat Christopher Dodd's Senate seat from Connecticut, never served in the military in Vietnam despite his public comments indicating he had done so, the New York Times reported on Monday.
If these revelations harm Blumenthal's campaign, they could help Republicans pick up a Senate seat now in Democratic hands as they try to gain control of Congress in November elections."
I love that they use the word 'IF'. As if they shouldn't! But this is politics, folks, where what you did and what you say you did doesn't matter anymore. It all just depends on who you are running against.
And his Republican opponent? Linda McMahon, the former chief executive of professional wrestling company World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
Yes, folks you heard it here. The best the Republicans could offer is the CEO of the WWE, an entire industry built on a sham and pretend. Because, if case you didn't know - wrestling as seen on TV is not real!!! |
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| K OF C AND NARAL [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/18/2010 |
Cutting and pasting a story I got via e-mail:
By Charles McMahon
news@seacoastonline.com
May 11, 2010 2:00 AM
PORTSMOUTH (NH) — Conflict between pro-life Catholic ideals and pro-choice advocates has hit home.
A pair of local reverends announced last weekend they would be withdrawing their membership from the local Knights of Columbus Chapter 140, a Catholic fraternal benefit society, after learning that a large pro-choice organization had rented space at a function center attached to the group.
During a Saturday afternoon service at St. James Church, the Rev. Michael Kerper made a brief prepared statement saying he and the parochial vicar, the Rev. Marcos Gonzalez, had chosen to resign from the local chapter in protest.
Kerper is pastor of Portsmouth 's combined Corpus Christi Parish, which now has two churches, St. James and Immaculate Conception.
According to a statement provided to the Herald, Kerper's reasoning for leaving the Knights of Columbus was based on the group renting the Casey Function Center on Lafayette Road to a group known as the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the nation's leading organization promoting public funding of abortion.
"Some faithful Catholics may assume that the decision to rent the hall to NARAL means that members of the Knights of Columbus, including us, are indifferent to NARAL's stated purposes," according to a statement provided to the Herald by Kerper. "As a result, we find ourselves compelled to resign immediately from Council 140."
The Casey Function Center is owned by the Casey Home Association, whose membership overlaps with that of Council 140 of the Knights of Columbus.
In addition, Kerper told followers that "as long as Council 140 continues to own and operate its hall in a way that seriously jeopardizes the peace of this parish and the reputation of the Catholic Church, Corpus Christi Parish will suspend all cooperation with the Knights of Columbus."
Patrick Korten, vice president of communications for the Knights of Columbus, said Monday that officers at the national level were made aware of the planned event over the weekend.
Acknowledging that, at first, there was an initial agreement with NARAL to use the function hall for a fund-raising event, Korten told the Herald the agreement has since been terminated.
Korten said, as a general rule, the organization asks all of the chapters that utilize function halls to ensure rental agreements aren't made with groups whose missions come in direct conflict with the teachings of the Catholic faith.
"This event was very much at odds with that," Korten said.
Despite the fact that the Knights of Columbus and the Casey Home Association are considered to be separate legal entities, Korten said, generally speaking, the hall takes directive on policies from the council.
"There was simply not enough consideration given to how this would play out," he said.
When asked how such an event could be planned despite the council's policy, Korten said the manager of the facility was "relatively new on the job" and must not have considered the possible ramifications.
Richard Spead, president of the Casey Home Association and member of the Knights of Columbus, said he became president of the association nine months ago and insisted the center has continually been operated "without regard to any political or religious beliefs or otherwise."
Spead said the way the linked membership works is that once a person becomes a member of the Knights of Columbus, they automatically become a member of the association.
Spead confirmed the cancellation of the June 9 event and said steps are now being taken to completely sever any and all relationships between the Catholic fraternal organization and the function center.
"Frankly, in doing so, we will be operating as a nonprofit without regard to color, race or creed," said Spead.
The president said he would rent to any group, without regard, because "that's what it means to be a good Christian."
Spead said he fully intends on following through with the separation.
"I really want to make sure the function center survives and the Knights of Columbus survive and go their own way," he said.
After following through on his promise to completely separate the two entities from any affiliation, Spead said he intends on withdrawing from the Knights of Columbus organization and could possibly leave the Catholic church as well.
Calling it a "hypocrisy," Spead said he's astonished the church made such a big deal over the issue, while, Spead said, it continually pays little to no consideration to problems with pedophilia within the church.
Spead said he was sorry the entire situation had to take place.
Pilar Olivo, interim executive director of NARAL, told the Herald that despite signing a contract and giving a deposit, the group was informed Monday morning that it would no longer be able to use the function hall.
Olivo said the organization was disappointed when it learned about not being able to use the function hall.
She speculated possible "political pressure" from the organization's state officers as being the reason for the event being canceled.
"It seemed like a really affordable and really excellent place that is centrally located," Olivo said.
Instead of fighting with the function center over the breached contract, Olivo said the group will remain focused on electing and promoting candidates who are pro-choice.
She said NARAL does not plan to file a lawsuit over the cancellation of the contract and will continue to look at finding a new venue for the event |
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| READING LIST - CATHOLIC VERSION [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/18/2010 |
I was reminded by "Tom" that I had not posted my reading list. I apologize. My weekend got absorbed with my children's involvement with our local homeschool group's production of Macbeth. It was a huge success as the mother of 'Ross', 'Witch 2', and several other actors filling several rolls it was a tiring, exciting weekend.
After a delay due to drama (of the good sort), here's my 'Catholic' list:
Authors/books I can recommend without hesitancy:
For Children:
Anything by Hilda VonStockum
Joan Stromberg's series of books - Glory of America (full disclosure, she's my publisher for Little Flowers but also a good author!)
The famous Vision series of Saint's books (found new and used on-line)
Anything published by Daughters of St. Paul for both kids and adults. My kids have always loved their saints books
C.S. Lewis
For Older Kids/Adults:
Louis deWohl books
Song of the Scaffold by Gertrud Von Le Fort
J.R.R. Tolkien
C.S. Lewis - Out of a Silent Planet series
Michael O'Brien's books
G.K. Chesterton's Fr. Brown mysteries
Miracle of the Bells and So Long as Love Remembers- Russell Janney. These are such sweet and gently romantic books of faith. While your sons/husbands might not like it, your daughters/wives will fall in love with it. Do NOT think the movie with Fred MacMurray does the book justice at all! I read this book at least once a year to remember that miracles do happen.
A few links to all ready posted lists:
http://www.catholicity.com/mccloskey/readingplan.html
This is Fr. McCloskey's well-known Lifetime Reading List. I have read a number of books found here but am still working on it. I am doing to try to read the Kristen Lavransdatter series this summer.
There is www.catholicsummerreading.com. It has not been updated (listing 2009 books) but has some books I've not heard of or read such as "A Postcard from A Volcano" by Lucy Beckett which I might add to my own reading list.
www.catholicmom.com has a book club with some interesting titles as well such as "Passport" by Christopher Blunt. I've heard good things about this site but haven't read any of her recommended books.
Finally, check out www.emmanuelbooks.com. They are my first source for any homeschooling materials. They provide all the books as recommended by Mother of Divine Grace as founded by Laura Berquist. On their site they have the MODG book lists done by grade which will give you great ideas of books for your kids regardless of where they go to school. They also have up their "Lenten Reading List" which will give you some ideas as well.
Tomorrow I'll be putting up the Watkins' Approved Non-Catholic Fiction List for both children and adults. These will be specifically 'secular' books but of excellent quality that any family should find acceptable.
If you have books to recommend please do so - it would be great if we could create an HMS Recommendation list for others to rely on.
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| SPEAKING OF MOVIES [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/19/2010 |
Finally watched, "Fireproof".
It was better than I expected and having had a small crush on Kirk Cameron from his "Growing Pains" days, it was very nice seeing him again.
There were some surprising funny parts and the whole tenderness of the marriage recovery was so nice to see.
If you have not seen it - do so. Let all your teens watch it was well as I think it is a good lesson in what marriage can become and what it should never be.
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| ONE OF THE BEST ARGUMENTS I'VE READ [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/19/2010 |
against 'right to die' issues and, surprisingly, it is coming from an atheist.
But, it shouldn't surprise me at all because God is the very best at getting His truths anywhere He wants.
For example, Matt and I watched "Last Chance Harvey" with Emma Thompson. It was a nice, sweet movie about finding romance in unlikely places. It was nothing spectacular but in the midst of this unlikely movie, comes Ms. Thompson's character revealing to this relative stranger the college abortion she felt she had to have and how much she has regretted it!
Wow! I found myself sitting up and actually paying attention. The rest of movie you may find forgettable but that one scene has remained with me.
God will put His truth in wherever He wants - and this column from spiked.com is proof.
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/8887/ |
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| KNOWING HOW MUCH WE LOVE MOVIES HERE - [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/20/2010 |
Please make note of the following movie, "Agora" - which like DaVinci Code - is based on half-truths and outright lies. Like Fr. Barron, I am concerned that anti-Catholic/Chrisitanity is on the rise in society, fueled in great part by fiction pretending to be history.
How good the real story might have been, if it could have been told...
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/persecution/pch0251.htm
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| OLYMPICS COVERAGE OF A DIFFERENT SORT [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/21/2010 |
I've always thought that we should be covering the Para-Olympics more. Granted, it is on cable TV but not covered on the major networks. What they do is so much more - more inspiring, encouraging, more WOW than the average athlete of any level.
While I can be excited for win of a Michael Phelp's I'm rocked to my core for the win of someone who lacks a limb!! Seeing their successes is more inspiring to me (the same is true for Special Olympians).
I remember seeing a Nike commercial several years ago during the Olympics. It was a para-Olympian track athlete pushing himself around the track with amazing music playing. No words - just his work, his sweat, his efforts and then he pulls up, faces the camera head-on and says, "What's your excuse?"
I am even more inspired after reading the story of what the Russian Olympian's endure -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37269561/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times/ |
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| SHUFFLING OFF TO BUFFALO.... [Rachel Watkins] |
| 5/21/2010 |
I will at the Buffalo area homeschooling conference (sponsored by Quiet Waters Production Co.) tomorrow.
If you are in the area, consider stopping by http://www.quietwatersproductions.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=7
If you can't be there please consider sending up a prayer around 1:30 p.m. when I'll be speaking!
I'll appreciate the support! |
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