February 8, 2010

Return of the Prodigal Son - book study

In The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, Henri Nouwen fleshes out Jesus's familiar parable through meditations on Rembrandt's work now housed in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia and which Nouwen was serendipitously allowed to view for hours in person at a critical junction in his life - as he was transitioning from teaching at Harvard to becoming the pastor of a L'Arche community of developmentally disabled adults in Canada.

The book is divided into three major parts: the Younger Son, the Elder Son, and The Father - and we'll spend a week on each. This week, we'll talk about The Son - both Nouwen's reflections and our own. Feel free to be as abstract or personal as you like.

In the prologue, Nouwen shares his fascination with the painting - particularly the aspect of the son kneeling before the father:

As I reflect on my own journey, I become more and more aware of how long I have played the role of observer. For years I had instructed students on the different aspects of the spiritual life, trying to help them see the importance of living it, But had I , myself, really ever dared to step into the center, kneel down and let myself be held by a forgiving God? (p. 12)

I don't know about you, but that degree of honesty makes me feel like this is someone worth listening to, someone I can trust - someone not afraid of being vulnerable, someone less interested in preaching than discovery.

Nouwen refers to the three other figures in the painting as illustrating other aspects of avoiding involvement (p. 13). Since the cover of the book is a little too dark, I've posted a lighter version here so we can see them more clearly.

It seems clear from his opening remarks that Nouwen is a man who is not completely invested in his intellect or his self-image, that he does not see himself as arrived but having much to learn. The older I get, the more I feel that way too.

What do you all think of Nouwen?

In the first section Rembrandt and the Younger Son, Nouwen makes the case that in the early years Rembrandt's portraits revealed him to be very much the younger son of the parable - brash, sensual, arrogant, and insensitive. And yet, this is the same Rembrandt who thirty years later could paint the welcoming father above, whose countenance radiates such tenderness, forgiveness and love. I love Nouwen's analysis for this - because it goes much deeper than the separate images and into the spiritual heart of the painting: that just like Rembrandt, we are not static but people who grow and change - hopefully in ways that tenderize us and bring us to see things at least a little from God's perspective rather than just our own.

Believers always face the disadvantage of over-familiarity with a parable like the Prodigal Son. Even those of us whose life stories lend a special resonance can gloss over the finer points which point to more profound meaning. I liked that Nouwen emphasized what a radical rejection - of his family and his community - it was for the younger son to demand his inheritance (p.36). This helps me see more clearly the absolute boundlessness of God's unconditional love.

Nouwen talks about our human drive to prove our self-worth (p. 40), how nearly impossible it is to quiet the worries within us over people's slights and injuries to us. And he equates this emotional/spiritual moving away from the place where we do feel the fullness of God's love as like the younger son leaving his father's house to dwell in a distant country.

"Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong moe to the world than to God.(p. 42) . . .

I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found (p. 43) . .

Looking again at Rembrandt's portrayal of the younger son, I now see how much more is taking place than a mere compassionate gesture toward a wayward child. The great event I see is the end of the great rebellion . . It seems to me now that these hands have always been stretched out - even when there were no shoulders on which to rest them. God has never pulled back his arms, never withheld his blessing, never stopped considering his son the Beloved One. But the Father couldn't compel his son to stay home, He couldn't force his love on the Beloved. . . .

Here the mystery of my life is unveiled, I am loved so much that I am left free to leave home. I am left free to leave home. The blessing is there from the beginning, I have left it and keep on leaving it. But the Father is always looking for me with outstretched arms to receive me back and whisper again in my ear . . .(p.44)

In Nouwen's view, as the son self-destructs he finds that unless he is useful to others, no one really cares. When he is left with nothing, he comes face-to-face with the only identity that remains: he is his father's child (p. 48-49) We can accept or reject that identity, and Nouwen uses the following contrast:

Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied him. Both were lost children. Judas, no longer able to hold on to the truth that he remained God's child, hung himself. . . Peter, in the midst of his despair, claimed [his sonship] and returned with many tears, Judas chose death, Peter chose life, I realize that his choice is always before me (p 50)

Chills.

The prodigal son did not understand his father, but thought he had to crawl home as a slave. Likewise, we stumble when we don't understand who God is. God is not harsh and judgmental, but to be ready to receive that kind of love we must strip away our defenses and become like little children. ("The Long Way Home " (pp. 52-54)

After this intensely personal portrait of the younger son - which begs us to consider our own individual relationship with God - Nouwen points out a parallel theme in which the prodigal

is no longer just one repentant sinner, but the whole of humanity returning to God. . .Thus Rembrandt's painting becomes more than the mere portrayal of a moving parable, It becomes the history of our salvation,

I feel very satisfied with this - and looking forward to reading about the Elder Son, as I've always felt much sympathy for him too.

Anxious to hear your thoughts so far!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you would like to join in, look for the book at your library, or order from Amazon.

February 8, 2010 ( 5:40 PM) | Return of the Prodigal Son | Permalink | Comments (1)

Oprah 2/9: Dominican Sisters of Mary to appear

February 8, 2010 ( 5:34 PM) | Catholicism",Entertainment",Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (0)

Georgia's Smile - Phil Davidson sings about daughter with Down syndrome

February 8, 2010 ( 5:16 PM) | Down syndrome",Inspiration",Music | Permalink | Comments (1)

Diva for a Day: Vote for Pam!

Pam Schoppert is the amazing woman who emailed me several days before Maddy Sings for Haiti and asked if there was anything she could do to help.

Ann Stewart and I had just been wondering how we were going to handle concessions for the show, and so I emailed her back asking if she would do concessions. when she sent me a few questions, I said I needed to delegate all the decision-making. She said okay - and then when we showed up for the show, she had the most amazing bountiful spread - all donated - with ladies in aprons looking very professional.

Pam is a beautiful woman, inside and out, with a great husband and three beautiful daughters - including a cutie pie with down syndrome. That's really how I met Pam as she and her whole family immediately got involved in Very Special Arts. Pam is a person who tirelessly gives of herself for her family and others.

We have a great opportunity to see Pam blessed in return. Her husband Brett has nominated her for Loudoun Magazine's Diva for a Day.

Will you go here and vote for Pam Schoppert? You can vote once a day until February 12.

Thanks for helping me say thanks to Pam! http://va.upickem.net/engine/Votes.aspx?PageType=VOTING&contestid=14214#SubmissionDisplay

February 8, 2010 ( 2:53 PM) | Opportunities to give | Permalink | Comments (1)

Loudoun County Schools closed through 2/12

ALL LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSED THROUGH FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12th A message about school closing from the superintendent:

All Loudoun County Public Schools will continue to be closed for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, February 10-12, 2010. This closure includes school activities, practices, and other uses of school buildings. The decision to close is made because of the severity of the snow we already received. It will probably take until Sunday to dig out our 770 buses and make them trip worthy. We are working as fast as possible to open school parking lots and clear walkways on campuses. In the meantime we appreciate the work being done by VDOT, Loudoun's towns, and homeowner associations to open up secondary roads and community streets. In order for buses to use these streets they must have more than single lane passage, and intersections must be sufficiently cleared to allow for turning.

As we prepare to re-open schools on Tuesday, February 16, the day after the scheduled President's Day holiday, we will need additional help from Loudoun's citizens in clearing sidewalks for the more than 20,000 students who walk to and from school each day. We also are counting on community assistance to clear bus stops for students to wait to board buses.

Decisions about opening schools are always made with student safety first and foremost, both for walkers and bus riders. It is likely that some neighborhoods will open up before others, but our ability to staff schools and get students safely to their schools involves more than just a neighborhood area.

We appreciate all of the support Loudoun's parents and citizens will give to helping us get back to school. Please remember to be safe, particularly as young people and others start to walk in streets because sidewalks are not uncovered. Having pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the roads at the same time creates a very dangerous situation.
Thank you again for your understanding and assistance as we deal with the worst snow storm in many years.

Sincerely,
Edgar B. Hatrick
Superintendent

February 8, 2010 ( 2:36 PM) | Loudoun County",Public schools",Purcellville | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beautiful love story: a baby with Down syndrome

Thanks to Brenda, Marian, Jennifer and Margaret - and anyone else whose emails I haven't gotten to - for pointing us to this wonderful story: a mom tuned into aesthetic beauty gives birth to her second daughter and sees immediately that she has Down syndrome.

She shares her feelings nakedly, but the conclusion is fierce, emphatic love:

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love her. I wouldn't trade her for the world, and y'all can have that heart you let me borrow back. My broken heart has been healed...and if you held her, you'd know what I mean.

God has certainly been providing many windows for people to peek inside the lives we share with loved ones with Down syndrome. The more people understand this is not a tragedy but an amazing challenge with transformative power within your family and community, the more lives will be spared.

Thank you so much to Kelle for this beautiful piece of her heart:

Nella Cordelia: A Birth Story

February 8, 2010 ( 2:01 PM) | Down syndrome",Pro-Life Issues | Permalink | Comments (5)

Snow Apocalypse 2010 - Day 4 chez Curtis

Okay. I take back everything I said about stocking up on food. After four days of everyone home - yes we have plenty of stuff in the pantry, but this family of salad lovers has run out of salad stuff. Wah!

I've given up on containing the snow gear and it is just draped throughout the house drying.

No one is going anywhere. From phone reports from neighbors near where Foggy Bottom Road goes from asphalt to dirt, we've heard that only one heavy tractor has made it on the buried dirt road. The road we live on is also dirt and impassable.

Our neighbor who usually plows driveways has a broken hydraulic or something. Matt is worried as he is supposed to leave tomorrow for an audition in New York. Maddy has a rehearsal tonight for next weekend's show Romance at Franklin Park. It looked like no possible way anyone could go anywhere today or tomorrow - not to mention that they're calling for 6-12 more inches in a Tuesday/Wednesday snowstorm.

But the men in the house are determined, so they set to work on our driveway four hours ago:

At the sight of the camera, Zach decided to take off his shirt :)

February 8, 2010 ( 1:17 PM) | Family | Permalink | Comments (1)

Super Bowl: Audi Green Police ad

February 8, 2010 (12:55 PM) | Humor",Oppression | Permalink | Comments (0)

America Rising: a message to Democrats

Several readers have sent me this video, which in the past month has had over a million views:

February 8, 2010 (12:44 PM) | Conservatism",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dragnet's Jack Webb: Wake up, Obama!

February 8, 2010 (11:04 AM) | Humor",Inspiration",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

Boy Scouts of America: building character one boy at a time

In honor of today's Boy Scouts of American Centennial, a MommyLife rerun circa 2007:

A few months ago we had Boy Scouts at our church. Jonny fell in love with the uniform and decided he wanted to join. Now he goes to meetings every Monday with the troop and he's made some new friends (I am so grateful that we live in a time and place where most people are kind and accepting of those with Down syndrome).

In reading up on Boy Scouts, Tripp regretted that we had never gotten our other boys interested in the Scouts. One of the things about your kids getting older is facing the fact that there was more you could have done, but I take some comfort in knowing that I can share that honestly and perhaps encourage others to avoid mistakes I've made and to seize opportunities I didn't.

Here is some of the information Tripp found:

SCOUTING'S BOTTOM LINE
What happens to a Scout? For every 100 boys who join Scouting, records indicate that:
- RARELY will on be brought before the juvenile court system
- 2 will become Eagle Scouts
- 17 will become future Scout volunteers
- 12 will have their first contact with a church
- 1 will enter the clergy
- 5 will earn their church award
- 18 will develop a hobby that will last through their adult life
- 8 will enter a vocation that was learned through the merit badge system
- 1 will use his Scouting skills to his own life
- 1 will use his Scouting skills to save the life of another person

Scouting's alumni record is equally impressive. A recent nation-wide survey of high schools revealed the following information:

- 85% of student council presidents were Scouts
- 89% of senior class presidents were Scouts
- 80% of junior class presidents were Scouts
- 75% of school publication editors were Scouts
- 71% of football captains were Scouts

Scouts also account for:

- 64% of Air Force Academy graduates
- 68% of West Point graduates
- 70% of Annapolis graduates
- 72% of Rhodes Scholars
- 85% of F.B.I. agents
- 26 of the first 29 astronauts

That's very impressive. Enough so that some parents might put their kids in Scouts simply for the achievement benefits. But those achivements are a reflection of character and integrity which naturally comes from the training boys get in the Boy Scouts.

Looking at this list, I am grateful for the contribution they have made to the nation. And close to home, I am grateful they are willing to learn more about people like Jonny.

Jonny's year in the Scouts has been wonderful!! The guys have accepted him and brought out the best in him even as he has brought out the best in them. A true win/win situation.

See also:

Boy Scouts of America 2010 Centennial

100 Years of Boy Scouts

February 8, 2010 ( 9:58 AM) | Boys",Conservative resources",Family | Permalink | Comments (0)

Boy Scouts of America 2010 Centennial

Adventure Base 100

Experience Scouting like never before with Adventure Base 100! Created specifically for the 100th Anniversary Celebration, Adventure Base 100 is traveling the country to give people an exciting, hands-on view of the history and future of the Boy Scouts of America.

This 10,000 square foot campus features immersive Scouting experiences including a ropes course and zip line, interactive digital exhibits, a multi-sensory IMAX-like dome, and more! It will also house a traveling museum that will showcase real artifacts from the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Tex.

Starting at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif. in January, and ending at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in November, this magnificent traveling exhibit will stop at key events and locations in more than 40 cities. Check back for updates on Adventure Base 100 activities in your city!

Scouts and Scouters, want to know how you can be part of the action? Click here to find the BSA council in your area. Help us bring the campus to life as an Adventure Base 100 volunteer!

View the tour schedule here. Adventure Base 100 will be on Washington, DC July 23-August 23.

See also:
Boy Scouts of America: building character one boy at a time

100 Years of Boy Scouts

February 8, 2010 ( 9:40 AM) | Boys",Conservative resources | Permalink | Comments (0)

100 years of Boy Scouts!

February 8

The Boys Scouts of America was incorporated FEBRUARY 8, 1910.

Sir Robert Baden-Powell began the movement in England two years prior.

A hero of the South African Boer Wars, Sir Baden-Powell's troops were besieged 200 days by an overwhelming army, but his resourcefulness saved his men.

The Boy Scouts are now the largest voluntary youth movement in the world, with membership over 25 million.

In the pamphlet "Scouting & Christianity" 1917, Baden-Powell wrote:

"Scouting is nothing less than applied Christianity."

The Scout Oath states:

"On my honor, I will do my best: To do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law, To help other people at all times. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge addressed a gathering of Boy Scouts in New York:

"The three fundamentals of scouthood are reverence for nature...reverence for law...and reverence for God.

It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Doubters do not achieve."

President Coolidge concluded:

"No man realizes his full possibilities unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important, and that his work, well done, is part of an unending plan."

You can kind of see why the ACLU and gay activist groups have declared war on the Boy Scouts. Since the BSA receives no government funding - and the ACLU has sued many municipalities to keep them out of public buildings - you might consider adding them to the trusted organizations you support.

See also:

Boy Scouts of America: Building character one boy at a time

Boy Scouts of America 2010 Centennial

~~~~~~~~~~~

You can subscribe to American Minute to receive it daily in your Inbox - great discussion material for the dinner table.

But just to make it easier, I'm going to put a link in my right sidebar. Click it daily - it only takes a minute!

February 8, 2010 ( 9:23 AM) | Boys",Conservative resources | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 7, 2010

Loudoun Performing Arts - new website

	Welcome to LOUDOUN PERFORMING ARTS.com
	Connecting Patrons, Producers and Performers                     within Loudoun County, Virginia

Meredith McMath put this site together. If you live in Loudoun and are part of the theater scene - or have children who are - you might want to bookmark the page and/or subscribe to the email list for news and audition notices.

Thanks, Meredith!

February 7, 2010 ( 9:18 PM) | Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (0)

1/31 Maddy Curtis Sings for Haiti/American Idol round-up

Okay, so I am a proud mama. But since I don't do scrapbooks, my blog has to be the place where I capture everything for posterity.

So here is my round-up on Maddy Sings for Haiti - last weeks' benefit which raised nearly 9000. for World vision and hopefully will continue to raise funds through YouTube:

Maddy Sings for Haiti would not have been possible without the talent and dedication of Ann Stewart in her first stint as producer, Franklin Park director Jeff Stern, world-calss pianist Cuong Hung Van, guitarist Jack Pugh, Emcee Tom Sweitzer, World Vision representative Carolyn Kruger, and concessions mistress extraordinaire Pam Schoppert.

The concert was put together in eight days. When the original January 30 8pm show sold out within a couple days, a 6pm show was added and it sold out as well. A major snowfall that day canceled all events at Franklin Park - but both shows ran the next night - to packed houses.

Thank you so much to the generous community of Loudoun County for turning out to learn about and support World Vision.

A video of the entire event and more individual clips for YouTube will be available in a week or so. Will keep you posted.

Here are more resources, including photos and interviews with Maddy, who in the end - as she said - found the benefit a "bigger deal" than her recent brush with Idol fame.

Photos by Doug Gehlsen

Photos by Mike Pugh

Washington Post: 'Idol' contestant sings for Haiti relief effort

Leesburg Today: Maddy Sells Out Two Shows For Haiti

Meredith McMath's StoryRoot blog: Maddy Curtis and the Haiti Benefit Concert

Gene Veith's blog: The Maddy Curtis Concert

And for anyone who missed it, here's Maddy's American Idol audition in Boston:

And an interview I just found on YouTube:

There were two clips of Maddy on Wednesday night's American Idol - one of her walking in for her audition and one of her hugging Jonny at the end of the show.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday are the Hollywood rounds of American Idol. Since we are not at liberty to say how she did, you'll have to watch or check back here after they air.

One thing is certain, I'm feeling very blessed to have a daughter who's still thinking of others before herself. God is good!

February 7, 2010 ( 2:29 PM) | Family",Haiti",Loudoun County",Maddy | Permalink | Comments (2)

Global warming buried under record snow: RIP

You know, the Global Warming hoax turned the scientific method on its head:  instead of open minds testing hypotheses, this political/controlling/quasi-religious movement has now been shown to have ignored pertinent data and used corrupt statistics to back a profitable enterprise.

Sadly, it has already made its way into public school text books as fact. Can we expect a rush to replace outdated textbooks?  Or is it in the interest of statists now in control to keep promulgating lies to a captive audience of school children?

Our Snow Apocalypse here in DC has broken all records.  And yet:

 

RFK, Jr. 15 months ago: Global warming means no snow or cold in DC

By: David Freddoso
Online Opinion Editor
12/21/09 1:51 PM EST

Mary Mitchell cross country skis in a deserted downtown in front of the U.S. Capitol December 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who flies around on private planes so as to tell larger numbers of people how they must live their lives in order to save the planet, wrote a column last year on the lack of winter weather in Washington, D.C.

In Virginia, the weather also has changed dramatically. Recently arrived residents in the northern suburbs, accustomed to today's anemic winters, might find it astonishing to learn that there were once ski runs on Ballantrae Hill in McLean, with a rope tow and local ski club. Snow is so scarce today that most Virginia children probably don't own a sled. But neighbors came to our home at Hickory Hill nearly every winter weekend to ride saucers and Flexible Flyers.

In those days, I recall my uncle, President Kennedy, standing erect as he rode a toboggan in his top coat, never faltering until he slid into the boxwood at the bottom of the hill. Once, my father, Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy, brought a delegation of visiting Eskimos home from the Justice Department for lunch at our house. They spent the afternoon building a great igloo in the deep snow in our backyard. My brothers and sisters played in the structure for several weeks before it began to melt. On weekend afternoons, we commonly joined hundreds of Georgetown residents for ice skating on Washington's C&O Canal, which these days rarely freezes enough to safely skate.

Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil and its carbon cronies continue to pour money into think tanks whose purpose is to deceive the American public into believing that global warming is a fantasy. 

Having shoveled my walk five times in the midst of this past weekend's extreme cold and blizzard, I think perhaps RFK, Jr. should leave weather analysis to the meteorologists instead of trying to attribute every global phenomenon to anthropogenic climate change.

Read more at the Washington Examiner.

February 7, 2010 ( 1:18 PM) | Liberal Hypocrisy | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tim Tebow - Story & 2007 Heisman Trophy Speech

As Shakespeare's Henry V says in the incomparable St. Crispin's Day speech:

Tim

February 7, 2010 ( 1:13 PM) | Boys",Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dad talks about Tim Tebow's birth

Hope you all are sharing the story of Tim Tebow - a committed Christian who raised reporters' eyebrows when he said he was saving himself for marriage - and whose mother's story of choosing life will be aired in a Super Bowl commercial paid for by Focus on the Family.

What a role model for our children!  And what a message of hope.

Now we hear from Tim's dad:

Tim Tebow's Father Bob Tebow Talks About Decision Against Abortion, Son's Birth

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 4, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- By now, most Americans have heard about the famous Tim Tebow advertisement Focus on the Family will air during the Super Bowl. The ad reportedly features Tebow and his mother Pam and her story about how she decided against an abortion. But few people have hear Tebow's father discuss the story of Tim's birth.

As most people know, Pam Tebow got sick with dysentery while on a missions trip to the Philippines and her doctors suggested she consider an abortion because of the medication she was taking while pregnant with Tim.

She refused, gave birth, and son Tim led the Florida Gators to a national championship and won the Heisman Trophy.

During a time with slightly less national attention focus on his family, Bob Tebow talked with Sports Illustrated about his son's famous birth story.

"Have you heard the story of Timmy's birth?" he told the magazine.

"When I was out in the mountains in Mindanao, back in '86, I was showing a film and preaching that night. I was weeping over the millions of babies being [aborted] in America, and I prayed, 'God, if you give me a son, if you give me Timmy, I'll raise him to be a preacher,'" he recalled.

Shortly afterwards, Bob and Pam gave birth to their son, their fifth child, after what turned out to be a difficult pregnancy.

"The placenta was never properly attached, and there was bleeding from the get-go," Bob told SI. "We thought we'd lost him several times."

He told the magazine the part of the story that many publications haven't included in their coverage of the ad and the Tebow family -- namely, that Pam contracted amebic dysentery early in the pregnancy and that put her in a temporary coma.

Then, after refusing the abortion, Pam gave birth to Tim on August 14, 1987 and named the baby Timothy Richard Tebow.

"All his life, from the moment he could understand, I told him, 'You're a miracle baby,'" Bob told Sports Illustrated in July 2009. "'God's got a purpose for you, and at some point I think He's going to call you to preach.'

He concluded: "I asked God for a preacher, and he gave me a quarterback."

February 7, 2010 ( 1:06 PM) | Good news",Pro-Life Issues | Permalink | Comments (1)

Loudoun - post-snow safety advice

Loudoun County public safety officials are emphasizing three of the most important things that people can do in the wake of the record-setting snowstorm.

1) Clear the area around the fire hydrants and dry hydrants in your neighborhood.  Clearing the snow from around the hydrants will enable fire and rescue personnel to access the hydrants quickly in the event of an emergency.

2) Make sure your address is visible for emergency personnel. If your address has been covered up by the snow, write it in clear, large print on a piece of paper and place it on your front door.

3) Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and homebound and especially in rural areas.

More storm-related information is available at www.loudoun.gov.

February 7, 2010 ( 1:04 PM) | Loudoun County",Safety | Permalink | Comments (0)

Loudoun County Public Schools closed 2/8 and 2/9

And brace yourselves -

Snow expected Tuesday - 80%

Sounds like we'll be Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland for a l-o-n-g time!

February 7, 2010 (11:31 AM) | Family",Good news",Loudoun County",Public schools | Permalink | Comments (1)

Style your garage - garage door art

Charlene sent me these images of garage door covers - just a sample from a German company called Style Your Garage:

See more at Style Your Garage.

Can you imagine the effect on an american HOA????

February 7, 2010 (10:50 AM) | Fun Stuff | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 6, 2010

Snow Apocalypse 2010 - meets the Curtis Family

First, my deepest and most profound apologies for poking fun at Washingtonians who panicked and bought up all the milk, eggs and toilet paper in advance of our 2010 Snow Apocalypse. I only wish I had bought nor myself as I have no idea how soon we can possibly dig our way out here in Bluemont, VA. I will leave you to judge after looking through the pictures I shot this evening where we live.

School is already canceled Monday and Tuesday here in Loudoun County. Since more snow is expected Tuesday night, I'm not sure how soon we will be up and running. While we are fine with cancellations - all the better to spend time together as a family! - Matt had a big audition scheduled in New York on Wednesday, so we are hopeful he will make it to the train station.

In the meantime, we are blessed with three fireplaces and plenty of firewood, no power outages, and a brief lapse in Internet until my very capable sons climbed up to the roof to clear the satellite dish. We are digging deep into the pantry to come up with some creative meals. And Tripp - the Barbecuer-for-All-Seasons - shoulders on at the grill:

This is the snow cloud you can see wrapping up and disappearing over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although the forecast was snow until 10 pm, it wrapped up at 4 where we live nestled on the east side of the mountains:

Here is why you will not see me in town any time soon (yes, my license plate says MEGAMOM):

Here is how we measured our snowfall where we live, piled on our outdoor table:

Here is the ladder still up in case my valiant sons have to shimmy up again to clear the Internet dish:

Old Faithful: My husband who will be barbecuing until the end of time:

February 6, 2010 ( 7:39 PM) | | Permalink | Comments (13)

February 5, 2010

Obama and the "corpse man"

Hearken back to the days when they skewered Bush daily for being so stupid. Here is a Harvard graduate who doesn't know how to pronounce the word "corpsman" - and zigzagging between his two teleprompters, refers not once, but twice to the patriot he's using to burnish his own image as a "corpse man"

But we're supposed to believe this is the smartest man in the room.

February 5, 2010 ( 8:51 PM) | Liberal Hypocrisy",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (2)

Obama: breast cancer victim to be buried in Obama t-shirt

So completely weird:

February 5, 2010 ( 8:42 PM) | | Permalink | Comments (3)

Inspiration for today

"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle."'

--Albert Einstein

Spotted at My Faerie Window - whose ability to see everything as a miracle is evident from her creativity.

February 5, 2010 ( 7:34 PM) | Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (0)

USCCB scandal - exposing the evil within the Bishops' Conference

RealCatholic TV is doing great investigation and analysis of the USCCB - the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It's time for the bishops to step up and put an end to their involvement with contra-Catholic groups (like the Center for Community Change and Campaign for Human Development) which have funneled money gathered from the faithful to fund destructive political and social programs like ACORN, pro-homosexual and pro-abortion groups - all under the phony banner of fighting poverty.

Please watch these videos, pray about the corruption they reveal, and act as the Holy Spirit leads you. Forward this to your parish priest and diocese, your Catholic friends and family and write to the USCCB. and don't forget to pray for corruption within the church to be exposed and eliminated.

Please pray for those bishops who have proven themselves faithful.

February 1 installment:

February 2:

February 3:

*VERY IMPORTANT* February 4 (the history of the USCCB - liberalism, power, arrogance, misrepresenting church teachings, abandonment of faith at Catholic colleges - and its fallibility):

God bless the people at RealCatholic TV for asking the tough questions and sharing the answers with us. One of the things I love about the Catholic Church is the lack of compromise in church teaching. Those who've used the banner of social justice to advance their own agenda - claiming to be helping the poor while promoting contra-Catholic ideology - must be exposed and rooted out.

Sign up for RealCatholic TV email updates.

Love the analogy at the end of the second clip: Judas, who complained about Mary "wasting" the precious oil on Jesus - thus making him the Patron Saint of Social Justice.

February 5, 2010 (10:03 AM) | Catholicism",Church Issues | Permalink | Comments (4)

Krauthammer: The Great Peasant Revolt of 2010

Charles Krauthammer is a brilliant conservative essayist:

The Great Peasant Revolt of 2010
Charles Krauthammer

WASHINGTON -- "I am not an ideologue," protested President Obama at a gathering with Republican House members last week. Perhaps, but he does have a tenacious commitment to a set of political convictions.

Compare his 2010 State of the Union to his first address to Congress a year earlier. The consistency is remarkable. In 2009, after passing a $787 billion (now $862 billion) stimulus package, the largest spending bill in galactic history, he unveiled a manifesto for fundamentally restructuring the commanding heights of American society -- health care, education and energy.

A year later, after stunning Democratic setbacks in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, Obama gave a stay-the-course State of the Union address (a) pledging not to walk away from health care reform, (b) seeking to turn college education increasingly into a federal entitlement, and (c) asking again for cap-and-trade energy legislation. Plus, of course, another stimulus package, this time renamed a "jobs bill."

Arguing with Idiots By Glenn Beck

This being a democracy, don't the Democrats see that clinging to this agenda will march them over a cliff? Don't they understand Massachusetts?

Well, they understand it through a prism of two cherished axioms: (1) The people are stupid and (2) Republicans are bad. Result? The dim, led by the malicious, vote incorrectly.

Liberal expressions of disdain for the intelligence and emotional maturity of the electorate have been, post-Massachusetts, remarkably unguarded. New York Times columnist Charles Blow chided Obama for not understanding the necessity of speaking "in the plain words of plain folks," because the people are "suspicious of complexity." Counseled Blow: "The next time he gives a speech, someone should tap him on the ankle and say, 'Mr. President, we're down here.'"

A Time magazine blogger was even more blunt about the ankle-dwelling mob, explaining that we are "a nation of dodos" that is "too dumb to thrive."

Obama joined the parade in the State of the Union address when, with supercilious modesty, he chided himself "for not explaining it (health care) more clearly to the American people." The subject, he noted, was "complex." The subject, it might also be noted, was one to which the master of complexity had devoted 29 speeches. Perhaps he did not speak slowly enough.

Then there are the emotional deficiencies of the masses. Nearly every Democratic apologist lamented the people's anger and anxiety, a free-floating agitation that prevented them from appreciating the beneficence of the social agenda the Democrats are so determined to foist upon them.

Read more at TownHall.

Read more Krauthammer.

February 5, 2010 ( 9:43 AM) | Liberal Hypocrisy",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sleds - free shipping and fast too!

I noticed someone bought a sled through my Amazon link yesterday and in light of the coming Mother of All Snows, your professional shopper did a little research at Amazon to see what's available quickly.

These sleds are all available from Amazon with free shipping. If you order this morning, you can have one delivered by Monday. Just be sure to click on Super Saver Shipping when you check out:

There are lots of other intriguing-looking sleds available through Amazon, but they come from outside sources and so involve shipping costs and probably a longer wait.

See Toddler sleds, baby sleds too!

February 5, 2010 ( 9:28 AM) | Fun Stuff | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toddler sleds, baby sleds

I noticed someone bought a sled through my Amazon link yesterday and in light of the coming Mother of All Snows, your professional shopper did a little research at Amazon to see what's available quickly.

These sleds for the younger set are all available from Amazon with free shipping. If you order this morning, you can have one delivered by Monday. Just be sure to click on Super Saver Shipping when you check out:

There are lots of other intriguing-looking sleds available through Amazon, but they come from outside sources and so involve shipping costs and probably a longer wait.

Big kids' sleds to follow!

February 5, 2010 ( 9:07 AM) | Fun Stuff | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 4, 2010

Snow Apocalypse - DC/Northern Virginia 2010

The sky is falling here in northern Virginia - or at least it will begin falling tomorrow. They are predicting 24"

Everywhere there is a feeling of panic. Tripp was in Costco tonight for the Curtis disaster preparedness effort - milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables - and he said he's never in his life seen anything like it. I'd asked him to get some ground beef so we could make spaghetti and he reported the ground beef bin was completely empty. When the Costco butcher appeared with a new load, Tripp said a fight nearly broke out.

Lord of the Flies was how he described it. Made me want to grab my camera and rush down to capture a moment in history. But on the other hand made me want to hurry home with the kids from VSA rehearsal and settle in for the long haul with a few of my favorite people :)

Not a single flake of snow has fallen - nor is predicted to fall until tomorrow afternoon. And yet our governor has declared a state of emergency, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN and anything governed by school closings has also followed suit.

Is this crazy or what? Is it emblematic of how we cave before our enemies - as it certainly seems that we are collapsing just on rumors of weather war? I'm sure there must be some greater meaning to this DC snow circus, but I am not getting it.

What is strange is the atmosphere around here - like every car is on the road and everyone is buzzing to "stock up" as though we are in for a month-long siege. The nicest thing - now that Tripp has the humble but worthy calling of driving a school bus - is that he will be sleeping in too tomorrow and maybe make pancakes for the kids when we get up. I don't like pancakes myself, but love to see the happiness Daddy cooking them brings everyone.

Looking forward to more snow, which means a restful time away from reality. Watching movies and playing cards with the kids - while continuing to catch up with laundry. Will blog as long as we have electricity.

What's going on where you live?

~~~~
Also read: Snowed In!

February 4, 2010 (10:27 PM) | Family",Loudoun County | Permalink | Comments (15)

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