A Beautiful Time

Some of my most cherished memories occurred during the year and a half that I spent at St. Joseph Academy in Adrian Michigan. This weekend we held our last reunion. I am so honored to be considered an alum of SJA. Truly it was always what I hoped to do, but my family could no longer afford to send me there, so I came home midway through my Sophomore year.

The highlight of the weekend for me was the reunion Mass. Celebrating the liturgy in the Sisters' chapel brought back so many memories of liturgies past. The very first time I was ever in that chapel, I was fourteen years old. It was beautiful then and the sound of the nuns singing still echo peacefully in my mind. I tried to go to Mass every morning before classes began. So I would catch a Mass at a different location on campus nearly every day.

I remember sitting in the classroom in the fall and the spring and hear the postulants and novices singing at prayer. It was like being in heaven. I always felt so connected to God there. When I return I find that I still do.

Everyone was just fabulous this weekend. I consider my classmates as family even after these many years of separation. While I was there this weekend I felt fourteen again. It was nice. Those girls and the sisters mean more to me than words can possibly express.

This little essay is dedicated to my former classmates and teachers at St. Josep Academy.

Thank you for bringing such joy and fond memories to my life. I love you all. God bless you!

Can you hold a news network for murder?

It hasn't happened yet, and I hope to the good Lord that it doesn't. I used to watch HLN all the time to get a digested view of what was going on in the world. Lately the only thing they seem to talk about is Casey Anthony.  Well I guess they made her a celebrity they want to keep it going, but at what cost? It really doesn't matter anymore what anyone thinks. Our justice system found her not guilty...nothing more needs to be said. Our justice system may not be perfect, but it is the best in the world. We can call the jury stupid, or say the prosecution didn't present their case properly. Anyone of those things may or may not be true, but it is over...period. The only thing HLN is doing now is inciting at lot of angry people. If some angry individual takes Casey Anthony's life for the sake of "justice for Kalie", then I think that the media, in particular HLN should bear some moral responsibility for this. You cannot keep beating a dead horse. It's over. Let it be. We don't have to like the outcome of this verdict, but plain fact is, this was the verdict. Get over it and move on.

I love my dog


 



Norman in his last few months with us



Sophia and her toys

She is a beautiful creature. Sophia picked us out that day at the Monroe Humane Society. She brushed against the cage just wanting some love and attention. In truth we were looking for another Jack Russell Terrier, like the one we put down the week before. None of the Jack Russells we looked at gave us a second glance. I guess there was no chemistry. We were standing by Sophia's cage actually getting ready to leave. When she brushed herself against the cage. Something in her beautiful eyes made me want to see her. So we asked the attendant to show her to us. Oh my she just couldn't stop giving me kisses! It was love at first lick! I was concerned because she was an older puppy and not full grown. Yet I have to say she has never been any trouble. She was easy to house break and she loves being clean. Sophia Marie is an Norwegian Lundhund mix. Also known as Puffin dogs. In Norway where the breed originated four hundred years ago; they were bred to hunt puffin birds in the winter for food for the Norwegians. Typically these dogs have six toes on their paws so that they can navigate the caves where the puffin live. Sophia looks exactly like a purebred but her sixth toe on the hind legs are not jointed and she only has five toes on the front paws.

As you can see by the pictures attached to this post. She is my little princess. I think dogs are angels. They love freely and don't expect anything but our love in return. Somehow I think my little Norman picked her out for us. I have been blessed. Thank you God. Not only for my dogs past and present, but also for all the people that you have put into my life. You are certainly a loving and gracious God.



Norman's kiss




Sophia and Mommy





Have you bought my book yet?

                                                                                                     http://tinyurl.com/66elgt5

I hope everyone will go to the above link and buy my book.It is available at Amazon in either paperback or the Kindle Edition and at Barnes and Noble as a Pubit e-book. It's an easy read and a good story. This is a story of a courageous woman, following her God given call with absolute faith and trust; she endured the hopes and fears that we as human being experience each day of our lives. God bless you all and thank you!

JUST A FEW THOUGHTS

It's the beginning of a new year; and only a week into it we have had mayhem and natural phenomenons. The week started with a news report about hundreds of black birds falling from the sky in Arkansas. That would have been curious enough, and it was explained away as being caused from the New Years Eve fireworks. I might have bought into that except that hundreds more black birds fell from the sky the next two days in Louisianna and Kentucky. Again all explained away. This past Thursday or Friday I heard about hundreds of Doves falling from the sky in Italy. All explained away. Now I have to tell you that in the fifty-seven years that I have been alive, I just don't remember that ever happening. Yet the news commentator the other night reassured everyone that this happens from time to time. They said it was a natural phenomenon....whatever!

Last Year about this time we had that horrible earthquake in Haiti. Our thoughts and prayers are still with those poor people. All the money and charitable efforts given to them in this past year and they are little better off than they were a year ago. That seemed to be the next good question to ask; "What happened to all the aid?"; that is until this weekend.

Saturday morning started out for me like any other Saturday, I did laundry and went to do some shopping. I came home and turned on the T.V. just as a Special Report came on. I could not believe my ears, another shooting rampage. Congresswoman Gabby Gifford shot in the head while trying to meet with her constituents. I have been praying for all the victims and their families. The whole event is just tragic. Why people feel the need to latch out in violence! I believe, unlike some, that this is just a senseless isolated act by a deranged individual. I don't believe it's the fault of the Tea Party movement or any other politically motivated groups. However I do agree that we are being too careless in our eagerness to bring sanity back to our government. Shooting out Congressional office windows, yelling and screaming at town hall gatherings and showing weapons, and mailing letters that self destruct in the post office are not good social behavior. Times are hard and situations are bad for an awful lot of people...still there is NEVER an excuse to murder anyone because they disagree with us. I think Bob Shiefer of CBS News said it well this morning, I am paraphrasing, 'what happened in Tucson is not only done to all who serve, but to all of us who want to speak freely without fear of violence or death because of what we speak.' This is true, that is why it is so important for all of us to be civil when we have a chance to speak with our representatives, and debate the issues without being offensive or threatening. Congresswoman Gifford said a few months ago, "we all must remember that our words have consequences."