So far, I have met zero Christians who are mad at Starbucks. My Facebook feed has, however, been overrun by Christians who don’t care what Starbucks puts on its cups, and are embarrassed by the few noisy meat heads who say they feel persecuted by having to drink their $11 lattes out of a red cup rather than a red cup with a light red reindeer on it. Which leads me to believe that this is one of those Big... Read more
SATURDAY CANDY HAM and CHEESE CANDY CANDYCANDY Halloween was Saturday, you’ll recall! No sense in making dinner when there’s trick-or-treating to get done. They had some cheese sticks or something before they left, then got home and ate their way through a mountain of candy. After a few hours of this, I offered them ham and cheese. A few of them declined; a few didn’t even bother to respond; and a few behaved as if it was the food of... Read more
Does she cook and clean for us and do our laundry? Oh, yes, she does. She feeds us with grace, with the Word of God, and with Eucharist, and she invites us to throw our smelly old sins down the chute and — okay, here the analogy breaks down. I guess she washes, dries, and folds our consciences for us, and leaves them in a tidy stack on our bed? She bustles around, caring for our needs, even anticipating our needs, telling us what we need... Read more
You’ve heard me sing the praises of my friend Robin’s handmade soap. Her Etsy shop is now open for November, and has listed a whopping eighteen new soaps — many molded into lovely designs. Robin’s soaps are just beautiful — especially the multi-colored bars. They are like little works of art. They smell wonderful, they are creamy and lush, and they last much longer than any soap I’ve ever used. The ingredients are great for people with sensitive skin. I have my... Read more
David Mills is doing a little self-examination at Aleteia with A Marxist Lesson for Breeding Catholics: What is romance to the comfortable can be a burden to the poor and sick. Mills is a good and honest man, and has a knack for prodding our weak spots without excusing himself. I think he’s only half right in this essay, though. His main thesis: Most of the Catholics writing about Catholic sexuality are resting comfortably in a place of privilege — and... Read more
Many pro-lifers still decline to use any vaccine that was not ethically derived, choosing instead to face the risk of contracting and spreading preventable, often fatal diseases. Whatever is keeping Americans from taking full advantage of vaccines, this potential new shingles vaccine is a step in the right direction, and pro-lifers are rightly heartened by the possible advent of at least one ethically-derived vaccine. It’s a bit early to celebrate, though. Read the rest at the Register. Image: Public Domain Read more
These are all topics we discussed yesterday during Mark Shea’s radio show, Connecting the Dots, where I am a co-host every Monday. I keep forgetting to remind people about this show, but it’s lots of fun! Here is a podcast of yesterday’s show, where we answered reader’s questions, including “Should we pray for the conversion of Satan?” Read more
I’m reading … When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris Sedaris is the master of the short, comic, grotesque personal essay. Are his rambling ideas connected, or is he just really good at making it seem like they are? I don’t know, but I die of envy. A little David Sedaris goes a long way, though, and the essays in this collection are not quite as tight and sharp as some of his other works — but still, very funny... Read more
SATURDAY HOBBIT BIRTHDAY! Roast chicken, asparagus, braided stuffed bread, and roast apples; hot cider; birthday cake and ice cream. One of my four teenagers had a birthday. Fine, her birthday was last month. But when we finally got around to having a party, it was pretty good. It was a dinner party very loosely based on The Hobbit. Mommy blogging alert and disclaimer. I like making crafts, decorating cakes, and crap like that. It is fun for me. If you... Read more
Chinese couples will soon be permitted by the state to have two children. According to the New York Times, the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua has announced that the Communist party is relaxing its decades-old population control policy, which brutally punished couples for having more than one child. Read the rest at the Register. Image by Carol Schaffer licensed under creative commons Read more
I Have to Sit Down
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