Monday Musings-November 30

Dear Carolina Panthers,


Come on guys. You're making it awfully hard to defend you! And I'm talking to you, too, Jake. 4 interceptions? Seriously? And you, offensive line, where was Jake's pass protection? I realize there were a couple of questionable calls by the refs but those, in no way, can not explain away the stinky game you all played. I'll be pinching my nose and hanging my head low this week.  


Your (struggling to be loyal) fan,
Mrs. Sister


PS   I wonder if it's too late to scratch the Panther jersey off my Christmas wish list? Nah. I still love you, Jake. Besides, after this year it may even be a collector's item!

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Happy Birthday Mark!


Today is my little brother's birthday. He would have been 47. You can read all about him here. 

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Awards Monday!


Last week I was awarded a couple of recognitions. First, I received the Lemonade Stand from Betty over at CUT AND DRY. Go check out her blog. It's a wonderful mix of one woman's life experience. I've thoroughly enjoyed her recent posts regarding her trip to Belgium.


I've recently received and awarded the Lemonade Stand to several bloggers (see this post) but will use this opportunity to recognize a newly found blog and an old friend: 

Just Because my Pickle Talks...: One mom's experience with an autistic child. Love it! Love him! Love her!
The Domestic Mama: Beautiful food photography, awesome recipes and pretty nifty giveaways. Need I say more?


The next recognition comes from a new friend of mine: Weezer over at Weezer's Haven. You have to check her blog out. Really. I think you'll like it. Anyway, I received the Hot Shot award for being a frequent commenter on her blog. 

In the same vane, I will award this to my frequent commenters as well.


Su at This Stop Willoughby
LB at Muddy Runner
Christie at Who Has the Thyme
Nicole at Tattoos and Teething Rings
Kys at Stir Fry Awesomeness
Lee at Headaches, Hotflashes & Hormones
Bibi at From Misery to Happiness in 365 Days
Holly at 504 Main
Holly and Charisse at Life Laugh Latte
Julie at My Good Babushka
Cynthia at Running With Letters
Lissaloo at One Step at a Time
And right back at Weezer from Weezer's Haven

Sacred Sunday: A Universal Call to Holiness

There is a beautiful statuary in our church called "A Universal Call to Holiness". It is a very symbolic work of art. I would like to share with you what these symbols represent. This call to holiness can also be symbolic of our preparations during the season of Advent, where we prepare ourselves in patient waiting for the coming of our Lord. 

The Madonna offers her Son, the Savior of the World, to all people. She presents Him to us for us to listen and follow in His example. She makes the ultimate sacrifice by giving up her only Child to the world so that we may ourselves live for our eternal salvation. We listen to His Word in the Gospel and then we apply the Gospel message in all we do everyday. The Child Jesus is dressed with a stole around His neck, identifying Him as the High Priest who makes the ultimate sacrifice of His life for our salvation so that we may live for all eternity with Him.

The Angel with the Horn calls us to Holiness through Service. We are reminded that in our work, play and all we do, we are to serve the Lord and one another. Our gifts are not for us to use for our personal gain but rather they are to be used in service to the Lord and our sisters and brothers in the world. We must continue to serve those who have less than us: the poor, the oppressed, the physically handicapped, and the unfortunate.

The Angel holding the Chalice calls us to Holiness through Sacrifice. Sacrifice is a form of prayer. Our daily sufferings and tribulations that we face, whether we are young or old, deprived, sick or suffering with a disappointment, can all be prayers to bring us to holiness. We offer any and all difficulties that we face as a sacrifice to God. It is a continual reminder of how our Lord made the ultimate sacrifice. So too, we offer our daily sacrifices to our God, and in so doing, we discover the joy of knowing Him better.

The Angel holding the Crown calls us to Holiness through Praise and Evangelization. It is important to maintain a prayerful life every day to get us closer to our Faith and to our God. Using this Faith, we then are able to spread the Good News to those who have not heard the Word or have fallen away from God. As others have offered and taught us the Faith, so too we must continue this tradition and spread the Faith to all throughout the world that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

The Angel Praying calls us to Holiness through Faith and Hope. We must continue to remember that we want to get closer to the Lord so that one day we will be able to share eternally with Him and the Saints. It is our Hope that we live our life like Christ which will lead us to Eternal Life. A continued Faith in the Church and its teachings will help us, and then, empowered by this gift, we are able to have the Hope to endure.

A Different Approach

To Leftover Turkey


I don't know about you but I'm not big on turkey soup or turkey tettrazini or turkey casserole, etc. I decided to try a slightly healthier dish to use up some of our Thanksgiving leftovers. I decided to use my Easy "Greek" Spinach Pie as the base recipe. 


I did not have any phyllo dough to use so my substitution was to use 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations:

(a favorite short cut of mine and no, I am not receiving 

any reimbursement for this product endorsement)

 I used one can of Pillsbury Recipe Creations 

for the bottom of my spinach pie.

I rolled it out and placed it in a greased pie dish.  

Just before adding my filling, I baked the crust 

for approximately 8 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Next, after adding the filling, top with the 2nd can

of rolled Recipe Creations dough.

Using tines of a fork,
poke the crust all over to allow steam to escape.

Brush the crust with lightly beaten egg white,

reserving the yolk to fry up and serve to the dog.

(Daisy's not spoiled at all, is she!)

 Place in a 375 degree oven.

Bake until a golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Slice, serve and enjoy. I know we did!

Black Friday

It's Black Friday! And we're going shopping!

No, no, no. Not for Christmas. That's going to have to wait. 

Then for what, pray tell, you ask? I'll give you a little hint:

Yes, a car. This is the car that Mr. Sister was in when he was involved in the 4 car accident Monday evening. (see Tuesday's post) I look at this and am so thankful his Guardian Angel was looking out for him! 

Thanksgiving Rerun: A Simple Feast

Originally posted on November 26, 2008

Welcome to my kitchen! Today is prep day for our very simple Thanksgiving dinner. Since we will be running in our local Turkey Trot tomorrow morning, I wanted to get as much done the day before so that I'm not spending my whole time in the kitchen.

Normally, I cook very healthy meals. Thanksgiving is a different story. It's the one day of the year where we celebrate our abundant blessings! I will show you you how, just today, over a pound of butter made it's way into just 3 dishes (more planned for later!)

The first dish I prepared was my Simply Tasty Stuffing. I gathered all my ingredients: Dried bread cubes from homemade bread, 1 full onion finely chopped, 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped, 1 bunch of celery sliced, 1/4 lb. butter, fresh herbs (my preference is rosemary and sage), my Signature Spice Blend, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, chicken broth and lots and lots of garlic!



Saute your veggies in a full stick of butter until tender. Add your seasonings and cook a little longer. Mix with your bread cubes and add a full can of chicken broth. Add more for moister stuffing, less for drier. Tomorrow I will bake, covered in a 350 oven for about 30 minute, uncovering the last 10 minutes so the top will be slightly toasty. Here's what it looks like today, though.

Mmmmmm. Stuffing is my favorite, well next to the turkey, the gravy, the sweet potatoes, the asparagus, the cranberry sauce and the pie!


Our next 2 1/2 sticks of butter are used to make what I call Herbed Butter Medallions. I simply soften the butter and add the following: garlic (lots and lots!) , a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, sage and basil), kosher salt, pepper and several dashes of My Signature Spice blend. Once blended, spoon out onto some plastic wrap and roll up into a "tube". Place the butter log into the freezer to harden. After about 1/2 to 1 hour remove from freezer and slice. These will be used to place between the skin and meat of your bird. It gives a very lumpy look to the bird but your turkey will be very juicy indeed after roasting. You should have plenty medallions left over to rub on the outside of the bird and to place within the cavity, along with some celery and onion wedges.

Get your roaster ready by placing, in the roasting pan, celery and carrot sticks, onion wedges and the giblets. Place the bird in the rack, cover with foil and refrigerate until you are ready to roast that baby! Just before placing the turkey into the oven, I pour about 1/2 bottle of beer and 1 cup or so of chicken broth to the pan. I use this, along with the juices from the roasting bird to baste every 20 or 30 minutes. Trust me...this is the BEST bird we have ever had! And the drippings make for a very special gravy!




The last half stick of butter goes in my Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato Cashew Bake. An unusual signature Thanksgiving dish of mine.

The asparagus has been rinsed and placed in a large baggie and coated with olive oil. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper was added. These will be grilled to perfection, just prior to dinner being served, tomorrow.

My job is practically done! Dear daughter will make the cranberry relish. We will prep Pioneer Woman's Crashed Potatoes tomorrow, along with tossing the salad, and the sweet potato pie just needs defrosting. Thanksgiving couldn't be easier!

A simple table presentation and you're ready for a simple Thanksgiving feast indeed!

Give Thanks to the Lord Who is good...Whose Love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1

Links to recipes mentioned in this post:

My Signature Spice Blend: http://www.grouprecipes.com/68537/pollys-signature-spice-blend-in-haiku-format.html

Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato and Cashew Bake: http://www.grouprecipes.com/70124/ever-so-slightly-sweet-potato-cashew-bake.html

Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Happy Blogiversary!

Now let's have some cake!

(cake courtesy of www.pinkcakebox.com)

While you are enjoying your cake, here is my very 1st blog post. 

In the Beginning...

I am quite new to this world of blogging. Should I simply "journal" about life in general, share my most unusual dreams or simply supply one with handy dandy kitchen, sewing and homeschooling tips? Hmmmm. Something I must truly ruminate upon. Once I have it all figured out I shall return to the blogosphere and illuminate upon my musings. Be patient, dear friends. The life of a full time wife, mother, homeschooling mom, volunteer and part time employee does not leave me with ample time. Thus, I will do my best to make every blog count! Until we meet again!

Haiku Wednesday - One Day Early!

Due to a conflict with a post scheduled to go out tomorrow, Silly Haiku Wednesday will be a wee bit early this week.

Started by Jenn at You Know...That Blog?

To begin your haiku you need to know the basics. 

At it's very core haiku is simply 3 non-rhyming lines

of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. 

Come join the fun.

This week's theme: Parent (s) or (ing)

I decided to do a prose on both! Enjoy.

Sowing and raising.

Loving, teaching, nourishing.

Laughter. Tears. Joy. Fears.

Withering, dying.

Hoping children providing.

Love, comfort and care.

Photo credits: Top photo courtesy of Mom's Club of Arvada West

                     Bottom photo courtesy of http://unaids.org

He's Okay and That is What Matters Most

Mr. Sister was in a terrible automobile accident this evening. On the Interstate. During rush hour. His car is totaled. He, however, is okay, praise God! Just a little ringing in his right ear but no bumps, bruises or obvious injury. Just a little shook up. I'll be keeping a close eye on him to monitor him for any signs of whiplash or concussion. If you are so inclined, please keep him in your prayers.


Here is what happened. He was keeping a safe distance between himself and the car in front of him when a driver swerved into his lane and then immediately stepped on her brakes. Mr. Sister had to step on his. He skidded. The car at fault hit the car in front of her. He hit her car and was then rear ended by another who fled the scene of the accident. We will be going to the auto body shop tomorrow to get a full assessment of the damage. We're sure it's totaled since it is a '97 Nissan Maxima with over 100,000 miles on it. Thank God for insurance! I'll keep you all posted of events as they unfold. 

Monday Musings-November 23

Dear Carolina Panthers,


I was watching your "Inside the Huddle" show yesterday morning with one of my patients. You had a feature on Jake Delhomme that reminded me why I fell madly in love with him in the 1st place. I thank you for that. Mr. Sister might not be so pleased, however, but he's just going to have to deal with it!

Love and kisses,                                                  


Mrs. Sister


Pizza Perfect


Mr. Sister and the kids have begun a Saturday evening tradition: homemade pizza from scratch. He's been experimenting with different sauces and dough recipes. He's come up with some pretty decent pizzas. I, however, prefer a thin crust and don't much care for pizza that is mostly dough. Well guess what?! Mr. Sister made a nearly perfect pizza this past Saturday! The pizza crust was perfectly thin! It was wonderful! The sauce just needed a little seasoning but other than that it was very, very good. Kudos to Mr. Sister for making my day (and breakfast the next morning)!


H1N1


If you haven't gotten your vaccination, please do so. I have seen, 1st hand, the effects of this virus on normally healthy people. It's not pretty. In fact, it's downright deadly. Please, please, please get vaccinated. 


C.O.W.


I've enjoyed my time in the spotlight this past week as AllRecipes Cook of the Week. It was a lot of fun. I had someone recognize me at the grocery store and several people at work mentioned seeing me on the AR website. I've had my 15 minutes so I guess I'll step down from the throne and remove my crown now. *Sigh*.


Thank You, Holly!

Finally, Holly at 504 Main gave me this sweet bouquet. I do not know the rules but will pass it along to the following blogs:


The Obnoxious SAHM because it's her birthday!
Bibi because she had a difficult week but she survived!
Tammy because she is the SITS blog of the day!
Purple Flowers because it's my favorite color and she has a very sweet blog!
Bethany because I love her!

Sacred Sunday: November 22, 2009

You've all heard about Bethany's confirmation last weekend. Today I'd like to use this Sacred Sunday post to tell you other stories that occurred this very special and holy day.


My daughter's friend, Kaitlyn, was also receiving the sacrament of confirmation. You see, Kaitlyn is a beautiful young lady. She is exceedingly intelligent and has a genuine love for our Lord. Kaitlyn has an uncle with Down's Sydrome. Kaitlyn's uncle never misses a Mass. Kaitlyn's uncle is also genuinely in love with our Lord Jesus. Kaitlyn's uncle is one of the holiest people she knows. That is why Kaitlyn chose Uncle Roger to be her sponsor for confirmation. He was so nervous and excited. He performed his role quite well with her gentle guidance! This was a touching tribute that brought genuine joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. It truly was a beautiful moment.


Speaking of tears, the Holy Spirit was bountiful that day and conferred upon me the gift of tears. I weeped with joy as the candidates paraded into the church. The tears of happiness flowed when each candidate was sealed with chrism. I swear to you that every candidate cast a definite glow, a halo if you will, about them during this sacred rite.  Later, during the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist I, again, succumbed to tears as the Host was raised. I swear to you I see the face of Jesus every single time! This time, not only did I see the face of Jesus, there was also a vivid golden radiance surrounding the altar. It was stunning. It was a divine vision...the tiniest glimmer of heaven on earth. I'm not sure if many will understand what I am trying to say and some of you may think I'm a bit crazy. That may or may not be so but I saw what I saw and felt at peace. 


My prayer for you this day is that the Holy Spirit guide you and grant you the peace and serenity of His glorious and abiding love.

Image courtesy of The St. Paul Seminary website

Weekend Rerun: The Hat in Haiku

Since you all seemed to enjoy the haiku of late, this weekend's rerun takes you back to the very 1st haiku'd post I penned, dated December 5, 2008. Enjoy.

Old, tattered and stained.

Trusted running companion.


Together always.

Friday Catch Up

Dear Carolina Panthers,


I'm really glad we sold our tickets to last night's game. I'm also really glad that, since I have to work today, I decided to go to bed early. The last thing I saw was Jake Delhomme being sacked before John Kasay's field goal for the 1st score of the game. Mr. Sister informs me that there were at least 3 sacks before he went to bed. Yoo hoo. . . Defensive line? Where are you? How can you expect your quarterback to perform when you can't provide him with the protection he deserves?


I'd like to comment on more aspects of the game, I really would. But it's early and I must be off to work. Besides, I don't think you'd like what I'd have to say.


Your disgruntled fan,


Mrs. Sister

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A Challenge Has Been Issued


Attention all followers of The 5th Sister. 
You have been challenged!
Jenn from You Know...That Blog? was extremely impressed with all of your haiku responses to my Silly Haiku Wednesday post this past week. She's wondering why you aren't participating! So your challenge is to go to You Know...That Blog? next Wednesday and link your best haiku response for this coming week's them: Parent (s) or (ing). Got it? Good! (You all had great haiku replies, by the way! I know you can do this!)

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I wanted to thank you all to your loving and touching replies to my I Think Different post yesterday. As Mr. Sister put it, "It was like a blog within a blog!" And that made my day. To have written a post that touched others in a way where they were compelled to respond. Thank you!

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I must head into work this morning at 0Dark: 30. I will not have access to my blog, or others for that matter, for the next 36 out of 72 hours. If I do not respond it's because of work constraints and the need to sleep between shifts. Please understand. I will try to catch up some when I return home but there are no guarantees. I have posts scheduled to run this weekend but rest assured I'll be back, up and at'em, bright and early Monday morning. 

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Have a great and happy weekend! 

I Think Different

My son told me the other day that he realized that he thinks differently from other kids. I told him that is what makes him special and unique.


You see, Munchie Boy has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay, Not Otherwise Specified. PDD-NOS for short. This is on the autism spectrum. When I had him tested, years ago,  his score was 10. One had to have a minimum score of 10 to be considered on the autism spectrum. His scores came from the following traits: being literal, no imaginative play, not looking someone in the eye, enjoying spinning/running in circles and some physical delays in speech, fine and gross motor skills. There were other "issues" but these were just the highlights.


Although, to this day, he remains quite literal he has definitely come full circle in the other categories. He is very clever and tests high on the Iowa Basics. He has an unusual wit and humor that endears all who come to know him. His imagination is quite active albeit unique. He will look you in the eye while speaking (although maintaining eye contact is still an issue) and he no longer runs/spins in circles. He has, however, become very focused and fascinated by all things Nintendo! He can tell you the history of Nintendo, about the "war" between Nintendo and Sega, when new games will be coming out, and all about the new games prior to their release. He knows his way around all things high tech, which is fortunate because he can help me out when it's time to figure out how to turn on the TV! (please refer to any of Mr. Sister's guest posts and you'll see why this is quite a feat!)


Why the progress? I truly think homeschooling helped him tremendously. He has been able to receive one on one attention and is doing quite well in all subjects. I also believe that having him be involved on the swim team has helped with his physical developmental delays (core strength/fine and gross motor skills).  


The Munch Meister also aims to please which leads me to another way in which he is different. He will do exactly what is asked of him. Not more, not less. Maybe that's part of his literal way of thinking but it is truly helpful that I can always count on him. 


Munch is also very innocent. His stuffed animals still have a place of honor on his bed. He is the biggest fan of Santa Claus, EVER. (I'm a big fan of Ol' St. Nick myself!) This innocence is refreshing in this day and age of cynicism and violence. 


Yes, Munch. You do think different and that is what makes you so very special. Never be afraid to be you for you are just who God intended you to be.


On a side note: Munchie will be entering the 6th grade next year. I am seriously considering allowing him to attend the charter school big sis goes to (it's K-12). He has asked about bullies (he remembers some not so good times at the public school) and I fear the loss of innocence and wonder he possesses. It's a big decision and one in which I will have to pray about. 

Haiku Wednesday: Spontaneity

Started by Jenn at You Know...That Blog?
To start your haiku you need to know the basics. 
At it's very core haiku is simply 3 non-rhyming lines
of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. 
Come Join the fun.


This week's theme: Spontaneity
Next week's theme: Parent(s/ing)

Spontaneity! 

Been waiting for this all week!

But I'm not prepared.

What to write about?

How to be spontaneous?

Hence it wouldn't be.

A vision came thus.

The best diversion of all!

Marital "whimsy"!

Please enjoy my prose.

Unconventional for me.

Hubby will be pleased! : )

"Loving Embrace - Magnolia Blooms"

Painting by Heather Hurzel

www.hurzelercreations.com

A quick, furtive glance;

Stolen kisses from true love;

Igniting passion.

It’s All About Me Week!

I know many of my bloggy friends are also All Recipes addicts. Much to my surprise and delight I found out that I was chosen to be the featured “Cook of the Week”! Go on, check me out! Just click here and scroll a little down the page. I'm center right. Now you can go out and tell all of your friends that your bestest blog buddy is a famous C.O.W.!

The Lemonade Stand

I received this sweet little award from my dear friend  Ms. Bibi over at From Misery to Happiness in 365 Days. She’s amazing. Check her out if you have the chance. Anyway, the rules are as follows:

- put the lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.
- nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.
- link the nominees within your post.
- let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I would like to nominate the following recipients

Diedra from Jumping Tandem

Heather fromThe Extraordinary Ordinary

Cynthia from Running With Letters

Christine from Marvelously Mundane 

Lissaloo from One Step at a Time

Julie from My Good Babushka

Michelle from Musings of a Catholic Lady

Jimmie from The Catholic Daily Reading Reflections

Larry from Yesterday, Today and Forever

Tugce from Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The above blogs all approach their writings in a positive manner, whether guided by faith, art, love of the written word, and all things literary or simply just the joy, awe, and wonder of their children and the world around them. It’s well worth your time to check them out.

Theta: True Authentic Mom Award

I was tagged by Christie over at Who Has the Thyme? She’s an awesome pontificator and mom extraordinaire!  This award also comes with some rules:

If you are tagged you must list 5 things that make you a true, authentic mom and then pass along the tag to 5 other deserving bloggers.

Before I begin my 5 characterisics I would like to nominate the following:

Luis at Muddy Runner. He may not be a mom but he is an outstanding parent who dotes on his wife and 2 little girls. A true THETA in my book.

Katie at Katie’s Korner. She’s not quite a mom, yet. After years of trying, she’s about to be one soon. I so look forward to reading her future posts as she comes into her “THETAdom”!

Tracy at Iced Karma Coffee. She’s one of the best THETA “grand” moms around. She has the cutest little grandbaby and I am always looking forward to seeing what sort of mischief grandma and grandbaby get themselves into.

Jenn at Rook No. 17: She’s such a marvelous mix of contradictions…she says so herself. One of her mottos is: CREATE, GIVE, INSPIRE, LEARN, READ, TRAVEL, SAVOR, INVENT, PLAY. Definite THETA mom material.

Last, but definitely not least is my dear friend Thamesarino over at Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Her journey to THETA mom status is a remarkable one and well worth reading.

So. What makes me a THETA mom? I honestly don’t know but I will give it a shot.

1.    - From the beginning my husband and I put forth a concerted effort to raise polite, responsible, and well behaved children. They have always been held accountable for their actions. Any unacceptable behavior was nipped in the bud very early on. And no, we did not use a shock collar! (see yesterday’s post)

2.   -  If I am wrong I will apologize.  This is hard for me to do. I hate being wrong and it is very difficult to admit it. I grew up in a home where “perfection” was idolized. That made it quite challenging to come to terms with your mistakes.

3.    -Our children do not get everything they want. They do, however, get everything they need.

4.   - I stay involved (but not overly so as there is a fine balance) and am my kids’ advocate. For example, when Munchie Boy required certain therapy, as an infant, and insurance denied it, I spent hours, days, and weeks researching his condition, along with his and my medical records. I was able to demonstrate how the therapy was medically indicated and necessary in his case. I won the arbitration.

5.    -God and my faith journey. 

Heartfelt Award

I received this sweet little award from Holly at 504 Main (awesome blog for those who haven’t stopped by!) Want to hear something funny? She already gave me this award before! I have proof. So I am DOUBLY honored! Because of that I am going to forward this on to EVERY SINGLE ONE of my bloggy friends. Whether you're serious or irreverent, silly or kind, this award is yours. For I know all of my blog buddies write from the heart. Take it! Let’s keep the circle of love flowing!!!!

Monday Musings-November 16

Dear Carolina Panthers,


Thank you! My daughter and I had a wonderful time. Do you think you have it in you to repeat this sweet victory Thursday night?

Your ardent fan,


Mrs. Sister


PS  I'm really sorry about Jordan Gross. He'll be sorely missed.

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Confirmation

After receiving this holy sacrament, Bethany declares, "You were right, Mommy! I feel different. I feel stronger, fortified!" She had such a beautiful glow about her as well. Afterwards, she chose Olive Garden as her restaurant destination of choice for a post Confirmation celebration. Photography was not (nor ever is) allowed during the Mass but here are a few photos taken outside of the church and at the reception afterwards.

Bethany and her sponsor Yvonne.

Bethany and her grandma!

The Sister clan at the Piazza

Bethany and a dear friend. 

Funny. They wore the same dress only in different colors.

Bethany and her sponsor with Abbot Solari, 

who substituted for an ailing Bishop Curlin. 

He did an outstanding job and the kids really enjoyed his homily.

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Shocking!

Daisy has been bad. Very, very bad. On her walks, that is. She's been tugging and pulling despite our best efforts to get her to heel. She lunges for other dogs, cats, squirrels and people. Bad, bad doggy behavior. 

Last week was the last straw. Munchie Boy was taking her for a walk. Another dog walker approached and Daisy, being the bad doggy she has been, lunged towards the other dog. She dragged Munch down across the pavement causing a minor shoulder wound and several bruises and abrasions elsewhere. Munch was hurt enough that he couldn't go to swim team practice that evening. 

It is important for the kids to be able to control the dog so Mr. Sister and I decided to order a shock collar for training purposes. It arrived Saturday. We allowed it to charge for 24 hours. We then tested it on ourselves and didn't feel anything. Was it going to work? We were hopeful. We set it at level 2, the setting where most dog trainers recommended.

Last evening was the first  try. We placed the collar on Daisy and I took her out. She immediately began to pull and tug. I said "Heel!" and hit the button...just beeps heard. No change in behavior noted. The lunging, tugging and pulling continued. Okay, I'll dial it up to 3...still nothing. 4? Nada. 5? Zip, zilch. I'm beginning to worry that maybe the collar we purchased was defective. I'll give it one more try. Level 6. This time I kept the button pushed down. Oh my goodness! The biggest, sorriest yelp came out of Daisy. I think she jumped 3 feet into the air! Oh what a bad doggy mommy! Well, let me tell you, she heeled after that! I also think I shocked the poop out of her for shortly thereafter I had to clean up the biggest doggy dump I've ever seen in my life! 

I just took her for her morning walk and guess what? She heeled.