Saint Therese and Saint Scholastica...

Sadie has a new saying that she says every night before she falls asleep.  After she says her prayers she whispers:  "Mommy.  I am Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.  And Mae Bae is Sister Scholastica!"  To which I whisper:  "Saint Scholastica... she was a saint!"  And then Sadie whispers back, "I am Saint Therese of the Child Jesus!  And Mae Bae is Saint Scholastica!" before falling asleep.

I have a feeling she's hoping for new habits for herself and Mae Bae...

But I can just imagine how that would unfold...  with Sadie trying to force Mae Bae to wear a veil.  And Mae Bae trying to put her veil on me.  Which would be followed by Sadie following me around her house saying:  "Mommy can you make Mae Bae wear her nun outfit?  Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..."

"But Everybody's Doing it..."

In the past few days much fuss had been made about some statistic that claims that “98% of Catholic women HAVE used contraception.”  The administration, and mainstream media, take this skewed statistic as evidence that Catholics don’t really believe the Church teaching that contraception is wrong, and therefore, Catholic consciences won’t be violated.  It takes a special, twisted sort of logic to reach that conclusion, but I guess if you really, really, really want something to be true badly enough, you can just decide to believe it, regardless of reality. 

I even heard a panel on MSNBC say that even “devout” Catholics contracept and then say that there aren’t really any lay Catholics that try to live by all the Church’s teachings.  To hear that panel speak, and pat each other on the back, you’d think that the entirety of the Catholic laity is waiting, sharpening our pitchforks, ready to rebel against our Church and turn it into a dysfunctional democracy, and that the President and Ms. Sebelius are just trying to help us along.   

Now I realize that I live in a place that is a little bit different from many parts of America, but since moving here it’s not abnormal for me to have conversations with friends about the evils on contraception (in fact it’s very likely to come up during the girls’ play date this morning because the HHS mandate has made it such a popular topic!).  In fact, I’ve even heard a few debates about the morality of NFP, since arriving here six month ago, along with various conversations pondering the definition of “serious reasons to avoid” and the meaning of being “generous” when deciding whether one has a reason. 

My personal experience, combined with my earlier blog poll in which 36% of readers say they use NFP and 43% said they use neither NFP nor Contraception, gives away the lie that the White House would have us believe, that there aren’t Catholics out there that follow this particular teaching.  Anyone can create a skewed poll and say it represents America (and JoAnna has a great post on just how dishonest the 98% statistic is in the debate). 

And the dishonesty of asking if a woman “ever has” used contraception is also quite apparent in the 98% statistic.  If asked if I have taken the Pill in the last six months even, I would have to say yes.  That idiot doctor who thought I was making up the whole “retained debris” thing, said that the only cure for my problem was taking the pill (my NFP doctor pointed out that it was at such a low dose that it never would have done anything… so he was basically using it as a placebo…). 

As a result of the possibility of the pill preventing implantation, our family never questioned what our we would do at that point.  We would abstain until I was off the medication.  We couldn’t bear the idea of a life being formed and destroyed, which is very much a possibility, with the way the pill works.  But if I was asked if I’d been on the pill in the last year, I’d have to say yes (until my new OB realized I needed surgery and that the Pill was doing far more harm then good). 

The 98% statistic also takes into account all the Catholics who used contraception in the distant (or not so distant) past, either because they didn’t believe it was wrong, or didn’t know it was wrong.   Some likely even knew it was wrong, did it anyways and repented when they realized that the Church teaching was correct.  It doesn’t take into account converts who stopped using it when they converted.  And it doesn’t take into account 15 year old girls who are given it for cramps or acne, or whatever other reason, or girls and women who are given it for a variety of medical reasons (although I’d strongly suggest trying to find a NaPro doctor if you are on it for medical reasons, because, as with my case, the pill can mask problems, but doesn’t fix them, and with NaPro technology, problems can be uncovered and treated instead of just masked).    The statistic also doesn’t differentiate between  “Catholics” who never set foot in a Church and are about as “Catholic” in reality as I am “Irish” (well my great grandfather came over from Ireland and he was Irish...), and Catholics that actually adhere to the Church’s teachings. 

But perhaps the greatest point is that all of these points don’t really matter.  They aren’t the incredibly important underlying issue that needs to be addressed here.  The underlying issue is religious freedom.  The Catholic Church teaches that contraception is wrong.  Therefore Catholics shouldn’t be required to provide contraceptive coverage for anyone. 

You see, saying that most Catholics don’t follow this teaching, misses the point.  Can we tell the federal government that pretty much everyone has told a lie, so perjury is okay?  The fact that people fall short of ideals, doesn’t mean that the ideal to do what is right should be tossed away.  And it certainly doesn’t mean that the faithful should be stripped of their religious liberty and their right to strive for those ideals.

I can’t help but feel more than a bit disturbed that the government and various media pundits best logic in this case seems to be:  “It’s okay because everyone’s doing it!”  Didn’t their mother’s ever teach them about that sort of thinking and where it could lead? 

Perhaps it’s for the best that the government decided to begin their religious persecutions with the largest “denomination” in the United States.  I have a feeling that they’re going to be surprised by the reaction of religious faithful across the spectrum, who are going to recognize this attack on religious freedom for what it is.  You don’t have to be Catholic to realize that this is wrong.  People of other faiths should take note, because while this violation of rights is beginning with Catholics, I promise you that it won’t end with us.  What do you think that government is going to force us to actively accept next? 

I have a few ideas…

They’d like to tell us that we can practice our faith privately… but only privately… They’d like to twist the Constitution so that we can only be faithful behind closed doors, or within the four walls of our Church.  While this infantile approach to faith may work for Mr. Obama and Ms. Sebelius, those who realize that faith is something that extends beyond Sunday mornings, must stand up now and speak out and let our power grabbing President know that this is unacceptable.  We must stop this violation of basic rights now, while we still can.  This violation of rights may start with Catholics, but I promise you, it will not end with us.  

Sadie's Morning Prayer

"Dear God.  I love you.  Please help Mommy be good today.  Help me be good today.  Help Mae Bae be good today.  Help Daddy be good at school today.  Send us a new baby.  Two.  Send us two babies.  Amen."

Then she paused, looked at me and asked:  "Did he say yes?"

During her nighttime prayers she was a bit more detailed in her request.  She was adamant that Mae Bae needs a baby sister, and then announced that one of our good friends, who she's loves to play with, would be having a boy!  I have a feeling we'd both be pretty thrilled if she was right!  Only time will tell!

Minnesota!!! Missouri!!! Colorado!!!

At some point yesterday I saw a poll that said that if the Presidential election was held today and Santorum was the Republican candidate, he would beat Obama… and I tried not to get too excited, because the last few primaries had been a bit of a letdown, with me glaring at the TV and asking loudly how anyone can vote for Romney and Paul telling me that I should probably calm down.  

I understand conservatives who support Paul and Gingrich, but Romney?  After the Florida results I was almost resigned to an election where one feels one needs to vote, but feels vaguely disgusted and slightly nauseated after doing so.

Some of you were more optimistic.  A few left comments saying not to count Santorum out yet.  And I hoped that you were right.  But I tried not to hope too much.  Because let’s face it, the last few years have been down right crushing. 

I had put my sewing machine away and had been sewing by hand for a while, finishing up snoods, when the 11 o’clock news came on.  Everyone else in the house was asleep, and my eyes were beginning to feel heavy.  I cut the last pieces of thread, wrapped myself up in Mae’s Dora blanket while looking at my computer and decided I was much too tired for a blog post. 

Then the reporter announced that Santorum had won Missouri and Minnesota and that he was tied for first place in Colorado.  If I hadn’t been snuggled up in the Dora blanket I would have jumped up and down.  I strongly resisted the urge to wake up Paul, for a solid ten minutes, and posted about it on the blog’s Facebook page.  A few minutes later I wandered in and woke Paul up to tell him the good news.  I called my mom (because at least it was only 8 in California).  I happily bounced around the house turning off lights.

This morning I woke up and ran to check on Colorado.  I opened my browser and up came the various articles on the Yahoo new ticker.  It was not even the #1 story when the page first opened, because apparently whether or not to spank a child trumps a major shift in the Presidential Primary.  In fact, Michelle William’s dress choice, the best cities for dating and “latest home style trends” also came up before the article titled:  “Mitt Romney’s rough night.”  I clicked on the “Romney” article to find a picture of Mitt, along with a quote from his political director about how these states don’t matter (I bet they would have "mattered" if Romney had won them!). 

The AP rolls on with their, “maybe if we ignore Santorum, he’ll go away” bias.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe the hype we’ve been force fed these last months about Obama “being afraid to run against Romney.”  Please.  Obama couldn't dream up a candidate who's been less consistent on pretty much any issue he'd like to bring up.    

After the Iowa caucus I switched on my TV one night to watch a debate.  It had already started and the camera was pulled back so you could see three of the candidates.  I stared at the screen for a number of minutes, wondering if Santorum had somehow not made it to the debate.  I could see Romney, Gingrich and Paul squeezed into the picture, but Santorum wasn’t there.  Finally a question went to him and the camera swung to the left of Romney and lo and behold Santorum was on the stage.  I don’t believe that’s an accident.  There are a lot of liberals out there who would very much like conservatives to forget about Santorum. 

Last night’s primaries show that we’re not going to forget about him.  The results show that there are a lot of conservatives out there that don’t want to accept choosing between Obama and Obama-lite.  Let’s remind ourselves of what Romney’s done, what his record is and why he’s really not that different from the man we’ve spent four years waiting to vote out of office.  Last night showed that there’s still time to stop the Romney train-wreck of a victory from happening and sending us into another four years with a President who thinks that unconstitutional mandates are an awesome way to govern. 

I’m actually a little excited to see what’s going to happen next.  Let’s hope that this is a sign that the tide is turning once and for all!  

Pink with Black Polka Dots

These aren't the best pictures, since they were taken with my computer, but they show the dress that I just finished.  Sadie is a fan and would like one that matches.

Here are a couple different pictures that show it.  I was planning on wearing it with my belt... but apparently I've lost enough weight in the past week that it no longer fits.  There's one New Year's Resolution I've almost got finished (and one good part of keeping busy these past two weeks).

As you may have noticed from the other dresses I've sewn, I'm a big fan of polka dots.

The Due Date...

Today is a day I’ve been thinking about for a while.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying not to think about it.  For the last month I’ve been dreading, Tuesday, February 7^th, and for the past two weeks I’ve been busily keeping my mind otherwise occupied.  I even found a pair of earphones so that I could listen to music while I pushed the girls in the stroller, doing my best to not think. 

It’s more bearable to glide over the surface, moving fast and keeping busy, and only vaguely sensing that today I am on thin ice and a wrong move might send everything crashing down in a torrent of tears.  Most days are nothing like today.  On most days I can think of our little saint and smile.  But today is different.  Today I should have a baby in my arms.  Or at the very least I should be impatiently complaining that it’s time for the baby to arrive, shuffling around the house spilling things and nesting, freezing meals and neatening the girls’ room.  And so today the absence of our little one is achingly prominent. 

It has helped to talk with my confessor about the emotions that have come and gone these past months.  I wasn’t really angry until I was past the surgery, and then, with my focus shifted from surviving to living, things became almost more difficult.  Isn’t that strange?  The first three months of health problems were frightening and painful, but they were almost easier in a way, because the focus was on the physical aspects and finding out what was wrong.  Now that we’re safely past that, I’m discovering new challenges. 

If I’d been asked these last few months, I wouldn’t have said I was angry at anyone in particular, but my temper has been incredibly short.  The sacrament was a great comfort, as was the priest’s gentle reminder that it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have a reason to long for the world to come, because it makes us want sainthood all the more.

Still, I wouldn’t mind fast forwarding ahead a few weeks, past this first anniversary. 

In the meantime I’m just going to keep moving today.  I’m going to cook and clean and take the girls to the park for a play date and I’m going to do my best not to think.  I’m going to try not to wonder if each milestone will be as clear and painful as this one, but will hope that time will soften the memory and that the ache will fade, so that February 7^th is no longer a day that I dread from the moment each New Year arrives. 

Dory’s quote from finding Nemo: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…” keeps running through my head.  I’m sure that the girls will do their part to keep me busy.  And before I know it, the eighth will have arrived and the day that should have been our little saint’s birth day will have finally come and gone.  

Ramblings about the Beauty of the Mass (with brief interruptions for toddler misbehavior)

Mass was so beautiful yesterday...  I spent a little bit of time trying to think of how to put it into words, but words fall so far short that I was hesitant to even write this post.

I'd never attended a "High Mass" before and actually asked some online friends if that was actually what the Mass we attended actually was and then started googling for confirmation.  It fit the descriptions I found perfectly.

When we arrived there were five altar servers in the hallway, with incense and candles and Father had just announced that a monsignor was visiting.  Then Mass began and there were three priests, all in the most beautiful vestments I've ever seen, the sort of vestments that made me want to break out some gold thread and figure out how to use the embroidery setting on my new sewing machine, in a feeble attempt at imitating the beautiful garments.

Most of the Mass was sung (that was my clue that it was a high Mass, because I remember reading somewhere that a High Mass is sung) and I'll admit that I spent a good deal of time marveling at how everyone knows to do everything at the exact time, and how it's so graceful and beautiful and almost resembles a sort of dance (in a not liturgical dance sort of way!) because everyone moves together so perfectly.

We were in the Narthex, which ended up being a very good thing, because while Mae Bae did "alright" (and by alright I mean: pulling my snood, and my nose and trying to poke my eyes, while putting her feet on my stomach to try and push off and dive towards the floor... but at least doing all these things quietly), Sadie had a less than stellar day, in which she repeatedly stage whispered:  "Is it over yet?!?!"  This would have been slightly understandable since this Mass was a bit longer, if it hadn't begun 30 minutes into Mass, which is definitely inside the timeline that she normally sits still for.

The highlight of the misbehavior was when we went up for communion (which is normally when she's really quiet) and Paul was carrying her.  I was very thankful for this fact because the memories of a particular Mass, when she was allowed to walk and she made a break for it in an attempt to run around the front of the church, still dance through my head.  When we made it to the front of the Church she started saying in a rather loud voice:  "Put me down!  I want to be down!"

Now if I had to guess the reason for the scene I would have to say it's probably because there were not one but two new priests at Mass, and Sadie seems to think that new priests mean a chance to convince them that she's really of an age to receive (I've noticed lately that she only does it with new priests, who she doesn't recognize, and she's stopped trying to pull one over on the priest that usually says the EF Mass at our Chapel, because she knows he won't be fooled.).  But being held by Daddy pretty much lets everyone know she's not big enough, and she was outraged.

After a talk outside she sat quietly for the remaining few minutes, and things went fairly smoothly, despite a threatened Mae Bae tantrum.

A few hours later we were sitting on the couch when she told me:  "You can't warn me at Mass.  We have to be quiet.  Shhhhhh!" followed by: "And you can't yell at me either.  We have to be quiet!"  I'm sure that my whispered: "Shhhhs" probably do feel a bit like yelling since she knows that she's doing something she's not supposed to be doing when she hears one.  But I digress... back to the reason for this post...

Mass was so beautiful.  I couldn't help but thinking about how much I would long to see this Mass if it were suddenly gone, and how people must have felt when the High Mass became so uncommon for so many years...  I know that all the various types of Masses are equally valid, and maybe it's silly that my heart still feels such a longing to see this particular Mass again, but I couldn't help but thinking that it would be much harder to give up such dazzling beauty that so wonderfully expresses the mystery taking place on the altar.

While my understanding frequently falls short, there was something about this Mass that spoke to my heart, that drew me in, despite the distractions that are normally more than enough to leave me ready to pull out my hair by the end of an hour.  This is surely my own shortcoming.  But I've been to too many Masses that ended up being a near occasion of sin for me, with a completely ad libbed liturgy, or a guitar with an ever increasing volume playing over a priest who's resisting the words of a prayer being changed into a happy clappy song, to not appreciate the difference.

Oh how I hope we end up settling somewhere where this Mass is held, at least occasionally!  Or more than occasionally!  Is it something that's usually rarely done, even in parishes that have EF Masses?  Or do some parishes have it regularly?

Super Bowl 2012

Nooooooooooo!!!

The girls had a blast though.  They ran back and forth across the living room playing with a bouncy ball and crashing in to each other.  Sadie told me as she was falling asleep (at half time) that she really likes "that show."

Planned Parenthood: The Date that Never Ends

I have to admit that there’s something that I just don’t get about the whole Planned Parenthood/ Susan G. Komen debacle.  It’s something that I thought of a while back, when I was looking up businesses that donate to PP to add to our own personal family boycott list, and I found a pro-death website that was advocating not shopping at companies that don’t donate to PP. 

It was a little bit funny at first.  The author of the blog had misread the pro-life article condemning the businesses for donating to PP.  The article showcased rather limited powers of reasoning (evil warps the mind and this author was in love with abortion), and was based on the reading comprehension of a first grader. (I may be a little snippy while writing this because I just spent two hours wrestling with my sewing machine, and apparently I used up all my patience before beginning this post).  The author called for abortion supporters to boycott the businesses on the list because of the mistaken belief that they didn’t donate to PP.  Someone caught the mistake though, and informed everyone in the comments section, and then everyone started writing about sending thank you emails and congratulating themselves on being for the murder of the unborn, and condemning the handful of businesses that had actually been taken off of the list. 

And that’s the line of reasoning that I find baffling.  So… they aren’t going to shop at businesses that don’t donate to PP?  I guess that cuts out the whole “shop locally” thing the majority of the time, since most small businesses are just trying to survive without even think about wading into the quagmire of pro-death politics.  I mean, did I miss the bus on this, and we’re suddenly supposed to expect everyone to donate to the things that we like?

I do boycott companies.  However, I boycott companies for the things that they do.  Support grave evil? I’ll withhold my money from a company, if I think they’re going to use it to contribute to the destruction of human life.  But I don’t boycott companies for not giving to my favorite charity.  I don’t go around asking if a business has written a check to the local soup kitchen or crisis pregnancy center. 

Mary Katharine Ham summed it up nicely on twitter when she said:  “Giving to Planned Parenthood is like going on a date THAT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE, EVER.” 

And the reaction of Planned Parenthood, and their legion of supporters in the past few days, show that that particular tweet isn’t much of an exaggeration.   

Still, I can’t help but think that PP has showed a bit more of their hand than they should have in the past four days.  They’ve acted like a cross between the schoolyard bully and a mafia don, ready to send the Komen foundation to sleep with the fishies for… thinking about not giving them money in the future… if they’re still under investigation (since we’ve all heard that they were still going to fulfill the present grants and those extended for quite a while). 

This has shown anyone who’s listening another side of Planned Parenthood.  And people are bound to wonder about a company that professes to care so much about women, while trying to smash the kneecaps of a “non-profit” who’s best known for fighting breast cancer. 

Sadly, Komen handed over their lunch money to the schoolyard bully, rather than testing the theory that most bullies back down if you stand up to them.  In reality we all know PP wasn’t about to back down (they’re a little bit more syndicated crime family and a little less schoolyard bully)… but with over half the country identifying themselves as pro-life, I think that Komen could have ridden out the storm. 

I guess we’ll never know. 

I do hope that Komen feels the sting of the choice that they’ve made.  Giving to Planned Parenthood doesn’t help women.  It hurts all of us.  It hurts our entire society as it perpetuates the cycle of murder and destruction.  And if Komen wants to keep up the façade of attempting to do good works, they need to choose their bed partners a bit more scrupulously.  Or the majority of the country ,who do identify themselves as pro-life, and who have now watched the drama unfold in the news, are likely to catch on and realize that the little pink ribbon on their yogurt means that their money is going to much, much more than just cancer research.  

Sewing Machine Help!!!!

My new sewing machine is driving me crazy.  I haven't spent this long trying to figure out what's wrong with a machine since I had my cheap little Singer, with it's many, many disasters.

Here's the problem.  The upper thread keeps getting sucked into the bobbin case and causing a mess.  I've read the manual.  I've rethreaded the upper.  I've dusted out the bobbin case.  I've tried other bobbins (and they were working last night threaded as they are).  I changed the needle.  I'm about to start working on thread tension to see if I can figure it out.  I've gone to the brother website and it pretty much tells me what the manual tells me.  But I'm pretty frustrated, losing an entire night of sewing to trying to figure out what's wrong with this machine and why it randomly does this about 50% of the time, and sew beautifully the rest of the time.

A Sadie Frown for Komen

So... Komen...

I think they just surpassed Kraft as the company that I dislike the most.  They have announced that they going back on their earlier announcement and will be funding Planned Parenthood.  I urge every one of you to boycott them.  It's ridiculous.

Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms.  They provide women with Class 1 Carcinogen's and they murder children.  And that's where your dollars go when you buy a product with their little pink ribbon on it.

Oh yeah.  And they're apologizing for thinking about cutting the funding.  They should apologize to the pro-lifers who donated this last week.  I feel like picketing Komen events.  This is disgusting.


Edited to Add:
There is this link from Jill Stanek.  This is apparently a ploy to get the pro-deathers off of Komen's back and nothing is changed.  They're only fulfilling already given grants, which was apparently part of the original wording.  That's unfortunate if it's true, because it's shattered any trust or support I would have given Komen.  Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice...  Yeah... They're back on our boycott list.  I don't trust them. 

Super Bowl Treats

Since the Super Bowl is coming up this weekend I thought I'd repost a few of my favorite treats!  We'll be having a couple of these this Sunday!

Cam's Stuffed Mushrooms (my mom taught me this one!):

Mushrooms

4 pieces bacon

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 lemon

1 tbs mayonnaise

2 tbs parmesan cheese (optionally added with bacon)

Wash mushrooms and remove stems. In a bowl combine the cream cheese, the bacon (crumbled) the onion and the mayonnaise. Squeeze the lemon over the mixture. Mix well. With a spoon, spoon the mixture into the mushrooms. Cook at 250 degrees for 10 minutes (if you overcook these they get really runny... If they are just right they shouldn't be runny!).

Artichoke Dip:

As a Californian I was raised on Artichokes. I thought that everyone ate them. Around the time I went to college I realized that wasn't the case. Thankfully Paul and Sadie both love them. They're the basis for the next recipe.

2 jars marinated artichoke hearts (usually around 6 oz each) (slice or pull into smaller pieces)

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 cup green onions (diced)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbs crushed garlic

1 tbs garlic powder

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a baking pan. Mix well. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden on top. Serve with crackers or toasted bread.

Taco Dip:

Last there's the taco dip. This is likely the first thing that I ever learned to make. I remember it from pretty much every holiday growing up and it was one of my favorite foods for as long as I can remember. This is another of my mom's recipes:

Refried Beans

Sour Cream

2 Avocados (although I used three so this would be larger)

Salsa

Mayonnaise

Cheddar Cheese

Olives

Layer the refried beans on a plate. Spread to cover entire surface. Cover refried beans with sour cream. Spread to cover the beans.

Cut the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop the avocado into a bowl and mash. Add a dollop of mayonnaise (I usually use 2-3 tbs) and a dollop of salsa (I usually use around a 1/2 cup... my mom probably uses around a 1/4 when she makes this so add it slowly and see what you prefer!). Mix well. You now have guacamole.

Spread the guacamole over the beans.

Grate cheese and spread over the guacamole. Sprinkle with sliced olives.

Serve with chips!

Bacon Cheddar Onion Spread

2 bars cream cheese

2 tbs garlic powder

2 tbs garlic, diced

¼ cup green onions, chopped

½ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Place in oven safe dish (or bread bowl: I usually prepare a loaf's worth of dough and bake it in a pie pan to get a round loaf, and then cut out the center after it's baked to make bowl for this dip!).  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Enjoy with crackers or bread (it’s great on bagels the next day too!).  

You can adjust the garlic levels as you make it, because I do tend to like things that are very garlic-y!  

Religious Freedom Threatened

It’s been a dramatic week on the Pro-Life/Pro-Death front.  First President Obama decided to violate the religious freedom of Catholics everywhere by creating a mandate that would force Catholic institutions to pay for contraceptives for employees.  Let’s not pretend that Obama didn’t know that he would be forcing Catholics across the country to violate their consciences.  This is just another of the attacks on religious liberty that the administration has been building up to these past years and it is making it increasingly clear why now more than ever he must be voted out of office. 

For those who don’t know, the Catholic Church teaches that contraception is wrong.  Forcing a Catholic to pay for contraception is like expecting a Jewish business to serve pork, or a Muslim business to serve alcohol.  President Obama knows this.  And what he’s doing, along with “Catholic” HHS head Kathleen Sebelius, is evil.  The situation is going to turn into a showdown of sorts, between overreaching, Constitution violating big government and those who won’t allow their rights to be violated. 

The thing is, contraception isn’t “preventative care.”  I know this may come as a surprise in a culture that acts as if having a baby is the equivalent of a life sentence in a high security prison, but pregnancy isn’t a disease.  This way of looking at the world perpetuates the myth (that our society bows down and worships), that sex is consequence free.  Yet as every woman who was on the pill who’s headed in for an abortion knows: sex never really is free of consequences.  As much as our society would like to separate the act from it’s natural result, the two are inseparable.  Even if we’re willing to commit murder after murder to hide the reality that the two go hand in hand, that fact won’t be changed. 

Compounding the disgustingness of Obama’s mandate it the fact that birth control pills are often created to prevent implantation.  Even pills that also attempt to prevent ovulation often have a backup that prevents implantation in the event that ovulation occurs.  The progesterone only, “mini pill,” doesn’t prevent ovulation in about half of women who take it… it only prevents implantation in these women (which would be women taking the mini pill who still have their period)… basically causing an abortion any month that a woman conceives.   

And don’t even get me started on the idea of prescribing a Class 1 Carcinogen (as defined by the World Health Organization) as “preventative care.”  That’s right., birth control pills are classified as a Class 1 Carcinogen.  In other words they’re “known to be carcinogenic” (they cause cancer).  And we’re prescribing them as “preventative care?”  Which is why Susan G. Komen funding Planned Parenthood was so ridiculous (especially since the link between breast cancer and the pill is so firmly established).

In the past week I’ve watched as Bishop after Bishop has stood up and condemned the mandate.  I’ve listened as some have spoken out and said that we will not comply.  And my heart lifts with hope, to hear so many Bishops in our country speaking out against evil.  Yet it’s going to take more than letters and words, and even actions, from our leadership, to stop this mandate from becoming law.  We’re all going to have to step up and decry this violation of liberty, if we’re going to stop it.  Ignoring this evil isn’t going to make it go away.  We have to let Obama know that this is still the land of the free and that we aren’t going to accept his latest overstep. 

The simplest way to end this mandate will be to send Obama packing in November.   I’m ready to hear the words Lame Duck tossed around for a few months. Hopefully many of the Catholics who voted for him last time around will recognize the mistake that his election was and use their vote this time around to amend the problem, rather than extending it for another four years.  Either way, we need to be prepared to stand with our Bishops and resist this evil mandate. 

While Obama is beginning his latest attacks on religious freedom with the Catholic Church, I can guarantee it won’t end with Catholics.  Now is the time to stand together, and let the government know that this is the final overstep and that it won’t be tolerated.  And then let’s enter the voting booth in ten months and let him know we’re ready to take our country back.  

Susan G Komen is No Longer Outlawed in our House!

Edit to Add:  Komen reversed their decision today, Friday, February 3rd.  Avoid them at all costs.  They fund a company that hands out class 1 carcinogens to women.  So much for fighting cancer.

 There are a lot of companies we avoid in this house.  We don't buy anything from Kraft, or the 100 or so other names they operate under (for example: A1, Country Time, Chips Ahoy, Cadbury, Balance bar, Fig Newton, Capri Sun, Maxwell House, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Nabisco, Ritz, Toblerone, Triscuit, Teddy Grahams, Oscar Mire, Velveeta and Philadelphia (cream cheese) to name a few).  We avoid Nestle.  We've given up Pepsi products altogether.  And we bypass the table with Girl Scouts selling cookies in front of the supermarket (my own thoughts on this particular boycott are here).

These are all fairly recent changes that we've made, since it was revealed that these companies used fetal stem cells in their food testing, last spring (minus the Girl Scouts... that began a couple of years ago, because of the policies given in the articles sited).  But the above companies weren't the beginning of my super market boycott by a long shot.

No, my first boycott was any item with the name Susan G. Komen on it... and I'll admit that I hated to have to do it.  You see, I'm all for fighting breast cancer.  But just as much as I'm for fighting breast cancer, I'm against funding Planned Parenthood.  I know firsthand that the abortion giant is evil, having volunteered their through my "Catholic" college back before I was pro-life, and there's no way I'm going to be putting a penny towards helping them if I can avoid it.

So I would scan the items that I put into my cart for that little pink ribbon, and if I saw it, I'd quickly examine the little badge, hoping against hope that it was for some other organization.  More often than not it was for Komen, and we'd begin looking for alternatives, as we placed the item back on the shelf.

Yesterday, it was announced, that Komen is cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood.  The charity says that it's because they have a new policy that forbids donating to organizations that are under local, state or federal investigation (go Lila Rose!).  Will it last?  I have no idea.  I hope so.  I pray that it does!  But for a least a little while, I will be buying products without carefully examining the little pink ribbon!

And of course, if this does change, I'll let you know as soon as I know.  But I sure hope it doesn't!

Saint Therese Projects

Sadie carefully watched me sewing during Mae's nap time and while this doll was still being cut out she asked:  "Is that Saint Therese of the Child Jesus?"  I was a little surprised at the name, but she quickly went back to talking about "Marie Therese like they were old friends."

But she had guessed what I was making.

There just aren't many surprises in this house.  

This picture doesn't do the doll justice at all, because the stitch that I used for all of the seams is really neat... but it's very late and I'm a little bit too sleepy to do a photo shoot with a doll... so this picture will have to do for now.  I'm experimenting with saint doll ideas at the moment.

I think I'll try to hide this away for a while.  Maybe if she forgets about it, it can be a surprise later.

This is another little part of a project I've been working on.  It's far from finished, but Sadie loves carrying it around the house.

I made this one entirely by hand, but having discovered the stitch that I used on the doll I think this project is going to be coming along much more quickly.

Now to get a little bit of sleep before the girls wake up.  I can hardly keep my eyes open!

Wonderful News!

I have really good news.

Okay, not as good as a positive pregnancy test, but still, pretty good.

After the miscarriage we had a couple thousand dollars in medical bills after our insurance paid what they were billed for.  The rest would have been covered by our insurance, but the various groups refused to accept it, and so we ended up with quite a bit to pay.  I put the first thousand on our credit card somewhat begrudgingly.  That covered pathology and radiology, (and that's where the balance remains, although hopefully I'll be able to pay it off sooner rather than later).  I was annoyed that they'd charged me to test my whether I was RH negative, when I told them that I was not when they asked.  I was also annoyed that they insisted on taking the baby, running a ton of tests when I told them not to, and then charged me $300 for finding absolutely nothing out, before returning the body in a taped up cardboard box.  But we paid.

However, I was absolutely not willing to pay for the treatment I received for something like 15 minutes with two PA's that added up to a whopping $1600.  I'm sorry but they each talked to me for five minutes, did one quick exam each (two separate trips) and said there was nothing going on yet, and then left me in a room where I delivered at 14 weeks by myself while everyone ignored my cries for help (if you're new, the story of what happened this last fall is here).  One nurse that came in to try and help was stopped by another nurse and I heard her tell him she would be in there in a few minutes (didn't happen though).  I had a major problem paying for that.

But the very idea of fighting the hospital over it made me sick.  In fact, driving by the hospital would make me feel panicky.  And it didn't help that the hospital has signs plastered all over this town and commercials on the airwaves talking about how wonderful they are.  I let my Dad and Paul take care of it, and the payment company launched an investigation.  I wrote up the story of the trip itself and they said a doctor looked at it and it was reviewed and that we had to pay.  A collection agency began to call.

One night I took a deep breath and started writing out everything that had happened.  Three months of incidents.  It was hard.  I was incredibly thankful for this blog because I'd written much of what happened here as it happened.  I had exact dates for every problem, doctor's appointment and complication.  I cut and pasted a lot.  And in the end I had around 11 pages (I thought it was 20... but I went back and looked and it wasn't quite that long) of single spaced words, that described the entire process, up to the present.

Paul took it in while I waited in the car with the girls in the hospital parking lot, trying not to be upset by my proximity to that building.  About twenty minutes later, Paul came out.  Apparently the first woman to read it had begun shaking and rushed to give it to someone else.

A few hours later we were informed by the hospital that an investigation was being launched and that while it could take some time, they would try to do it within 30 days.  Today, which is just about 30 days later, we received a letter.

I was very nervous opening it.  I'm usually pretty optimistic, but this situation has been nothing but bad, and I wouldn't have been surprised to have more negative news.

The first page of typed words told me they were sorry that I was dissatisfied with my experience.  I was pretty sure they were going to tell us to pay up, by the way the letter was headed.  They went over what happened.  And then...

They informed us that the people that had made the mistakes had not worked for the hospital.  They were contract workers.  And that they wouldn't be bothering us anymore, because our unpaid debt had been erased.  I had to read it twice before the words actually registered.  Then Paul read it too, noting the emphasis on "not our employees."

So I'm pretty excited.  I was thinking of having a super sale on my stores to try to pay it off, if the letter had read differently, with a "hospital" etsy coupon.  What a relief!  And an answered prayer!

Mae Bae's Cabinet

I can now jokingly tell Mae Bae to go to her cabinet.  It's one of her favorite places in the house.  In reality, I was spending so much time dragging her out of it, that I finally gave up and let her make it into her own little fort.

Sadie and Mae's Karate Class

Sadie and Mae had their very first karate class today.

Okay... it wasn't a typical karate class.  Mommy was the sensei (Show of hands:  how many of you knew I actually am a real sensei?  It doesn't come up often here!).  It took place in our living room after we picked up the toys (Sadie is seldom that enthusiastic about picking up her toys!).  And in the beginning it was a private lesson, with just Sadie, who had begged for nearly an hour before our little lesson to start learning karate so that she could be a "rescuer."  She's very into "rescuing" Mae Bae these days, regardless of whether Mae wants or needs to be rescued.

To really explain how excited Sadie was about her "karate class" I'd have to add that she actually agreed to wear pants.  Of course she changed out of them moments after our lesson was over, but getting her into pants any other time is pretty much impossible.  We had tears at bedtime when I only had pants and a shirt for her to wear as pjs... because she had her heart set on a nightdress that was in the hamper...

Mae didn't take much notice of what we were doing at first. She was playing with a flashlight that Sadie has swiped out of my closet.  After about twenty minutes she noticed and came over and laughed hysterically at every punch or kick.  She loved the sound of my gi snapping with each kick and she was especially amused by the fact that I was counting out loud in Japanese.

After she stopped hysterically giggling, she joined in and we saw Ninja Mae Bae return.  Sadie was a little hesitant when she was beginning to learn to punch.  Mae watched us and started throwing punches left and right as fast as she could while still laughing.  She practiced in the bathtub.  She practiced while Nani was on Skype.  So I guess she's pretty enthusiastic too.

By the end of the lesson Sadie had actually managed a few pretty good kicks.  Not bad for a three year old!  I kind of wish I'd started when I was three!

I've decided to start training again for exercise and I have a feeling that Sadie and Mae's enthusiasm to "practice karate," will be good motivation to train daily.  It would be nice to have a place to train outside the house, maybe once a week... but I have a feeling that's a few years off!  Maybe after Paul graduates.

I haven't mentioned karate on her very often, but it used to be a big part of my life.  I have a black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate, a brown belt in Kyokushin Karate, a green belt in Taekwondo and I studied Aikido and Wushu for a bit in college (I was horrible when I gave Wushu a try when I was in Cape Town... it was too different from all the training I'd had previously).  I taught a class briefly for the recreational sports department at my college, but hadn't had the time to train very often in the past half decade.  Now it'll be something fun that the girls can learn with me, that will mean a little more exercise.  I have a feeling I'm going to be sore tomorrow morning from the little we did today!  It's definitely a good way to get back into shape!

The Green Dress

The dress that I've been working on was finished just before midnight last night (just in time to wear it to Mass this morning).  I managed to follow the pattern until it told me how to put on the zipper... then I just couldn't help myself as I caved in to my "I know a better way" impulse.  I'm counting this as basically following a pattern though.  It may be as close as I'm going to get!