Five Question Friday

Something fun for Friday -

1. What is one thing you miss the most about childhood?

Family summer trips to mexico - before all the drug mess. Especially once my dad bought a house down there. we stayed the whole summer that year to clean and fix it up. it was an awesome house and over 100 years old.

2. Are you still friends with your friends from high school?

just one really. she was also my next door neighbor. We had lost touch and recently 'found' each other on facebook! We got together for lunch and had a grand time catching up on family events and life happenings.

3. Is there a catch phrase, cliche, or word that just drives you bonkers every time you hear it?

'my bad' for some reason i really hate that phrase. maybe because most of the time it seems to take the place of 'i'm sorry'. i don't find it a good substitute for an apology.

4. What is one thing that you think symbolizes America...besides "Old Glory"?

Definitely the Statue of Liberty and Cowboys. that is more than one thing but when ever i see those i equal to USA. 

5. What are your 4th of July weekend plans? Food, fun, family and fireworks!


Now if you'd like, it's your turn! click on the button below for details. Have a safe and happy weekend!


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School lunches and the future of our children

Sunday after i got back from my trip to Kansas i caught up on a couple of shows the kids had recorded for me. One of them was Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. That one really struck a nerve.
Back in the day i usually took my lunch to school and don't really remember eating much at the school cafeteria. I was lucky enough that mom got off work by 2 (she was a lunch lady) and made dinner every night.
Because most homes now have both parents working meals tend to be the most convenient vs. the most nutritious/fresh option. And these include school lunches. Especially now in today's economy all businesses are looking to see where they can cut back and save so of course fresh is going to cost more than bulk, processed items. And these items are not good for our kids! All this preservative laden stuff is poison to our kids. Kids get much more nutritional value from a sandwich brought from home but of course we can't make them eat it once they get to school and especially once they are teens. my kids wouldn't be caught dead taking their lunches when they were in high school. I've been trying real hard to cook more at home - one, because its better for you and two, to save money. But being a working mom sometimes it just doesn't happen and we eat whatever. The point is though to try to eat more times fresh vs. processed. this way i can control salt intake, and know what is going in my food.
 Jamie's show is a big wake-up call and i think he needs all the support from parents he can get to improve lunch meals in the school system and to get kids to learn to like fresh meals and even help prepare. We can give our kids a good breakfast and a good dinner but that need a good lunch too in order to keep going through the afternoon and be able to concentrate in school and keep up that energy.
If this interests you at all, please sign the petition at Jamie's site. www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/petition

New beginnings

Well my baby has graduated high school. Empty nest you say? No, she will be attending community college like her older siblings until she decides exactly which of her many interests she would like to develop into her career. Who knows where her endeavors will take her but wherever it may be, this one will enjoy life no matter.
Would that I had to do it over again I would have given it my all in order to get a full scholarship somewhere (anywhere!) and gone off to explore the world – regardless of what my parents wanted. They wanted me (and my sisters) to stay and study close to home. None of this going off into a scary world where only God knows what could happen – COULD happen. But what if nothing bad had ever happened – all those chances and experiences lost.
I gave each of my kids that chance and tried to tell them. Of course they know all and do not listen. I said get a full paid scholarship to anywhere (through grades, sports, whatever) and you can go – not one of them did. So they go to the local community college and stay close to home.
Me, I am still working towards my BS and grab a little adventure when ever and where ever I can. Tonight it’s off to sewing class to learn another new trick and ideas. Very tame for most I know but some traveling adventures are coming up on the horizon…..

Of Church and Priests and such.

An old school mate of my husband’s came to visit the other day. They/we hadn’t seen each other in at least 20 years. He lives in Mexico and as he “graduated” from their school he is a priest and has been moved a couple of times. So he no longer has his parish close to my husband’s home town. Yes my husband also attended the seminary for many years until one day he decided to try and cross the border to earn some money for books and tuition to continue going to school. He was about 20 years old and once he got over here, he enjoyed the freedom and ease with which one could earn money, how easily he found a job earning minimum wage but living a good life with that small amount. As we have been married over 27 years needless to say he did not return to the Seminary. One other schoolmate (among others I’m sure) also did not finish and is now married with a family and living in Houston. They did not have the commitment and desire of a priestly life and it was well they realized early on. I wonder though if my husband’s family had been able to pay for all his schooling, he wouldn’t have left to earn money, would have he continued and eventually become a priest? And thus have ended up like Father Cutie?
As all the escandalo unfolds with Padre Alberto Cutie [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOcsa9XzcSU] – I wonder again why there is not a better system in place in regards to the education and formation of priests. The Catholic Church can be so strict and has so many guidelines, yet just because someone goes through the studies and agrees to all the rules, it seems these are the main things encouraged for them. I do not necessarily agree that they must be celibate but can certainly see how hard it would be to be married and have a family when you want/agreed to dedicate your life to the church and God’s teachings so for that reason alone it makes sense. Would a wife be able to handle her husband spending all his time at church, visiting hospitals, sick people, etc. I mean they have no other life but the church. Of the priests I’ve known, that is what they do – and out of those very few seem to have that speaking ability that I think is also very essential. And the couple I have ended up finding and loved to listening to - end up leaving the church because they are not able to be celibate anymore. And it is so unfortunate because these are the priests that were encouraging and motivating people to come to church and would use everyday happenings and teach how they relate to God and the bible and how we in turn can become better people. Mass was always super packed when these priests were around.
Just this Sunday I became so frustrated with all the crying and whining of all the children (and so sorry to say it was our raza who once again do not make their kids behave and are rude). The priest did not appear to be in a good mood as he was very somber and did not like how the little altar server girl was helping him (poor thing probably won’t be doing that service anymore). Plus he rushed through the prayers and spoke very monotone and his accent was hard to understand at times. With all the distractions going on the Mass might as well have been in Latin for all the good I got out of it. Surely speech classes are given in the Seminary, this one must have skipped out on a few. I think a passion for the Lord’s work and gospel should definitely be a requirement, plus a love of people and desire to help humanity. I know I’m not the only one whose opinion is to get rid of the celibacy rule and let’s get some priests who love what they do and can inspire our young people (all of us really) to go to church and learn about the bible. I get so sad when my desire to learn and hear God’s word ends up taking me to another church and events because I’m not getting what I need from my own religion/church.

Trust....

Ok, my youngest is almost 17. I've trusted her enough to allow her to go out with friends to movies, out to eat, etc. Last night i get the feeling she went to a club instead of out to eat and a movie with friends which is what she told us.....How to find out the truth without being accusatory? How to approach without breaking that trust? And today she was out all afternoon and not answering her phone....i've grounded her for that. Growing up in my family, my sisters and i were NEVER allowed to go anywhere. Not even to a sleepover NEXT Door. My parents were unfamiliar with this American custom of slumber parties and didn't trust us out of their sight...or as my mom explained it, it's not that they didn't trust us, they didn't trust what might happen or other people. Regardless if they had been our neighbors for years...i didn't want my kids to grow up suffocated and gave them the freedom to experience much more than my sisters and i ever did. They were in scouts, went to sleepaway camp, slumber parties, even went on school trips (band, etc.). I think i did well in not giving them too much freedom, but definitely more than we had. The older ones (now 24 and 21) did good and have not become "a statistic" (i.e. high school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, single parenthood). Both have graduated high school, are still single and attending college, one has a full time job, the other part time....both on the road to becoming mature and hopefully well rounded individuals. And at 46 i've yet to become a grandmother and that's fine by me. They have plenty of time for these responsibilities. Back to this youngest child....she will be a senior in high school this year, we'll have to buckle down to keep her on the straight and narrow.....I pray for strength to say no and stick to it and for all our teachings to come to her mind when we are not around her....