Mapping Out Our Nations Sin

The link below is to a posting on Faith and Family Live - It is a study of our nations sin.

What’s your hometown’s sin of choice?

A team from Kansas State has mapped out our nation’s hot spots for the 7 deadly sins by plotting per-capita statistics of things like violent crime, STDs, and numbers of fast food restaurants.

Some might question the “science” of these findings, but the maps sure are an interesting way of looking at our country’s regions.

I especially like the fact that the map for pride is an aggregate of the other six maps “because pride is the root of all sin.”

http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/mapping_out_sin

Feast of the Archangels

"O, angelic spirits, who guard our tabernacles, wherein

lies the adorable treasure of the Holy Eucharist,

defend it from profanation and preserve it for our love."

St Josemaria Escriva

"Michael and his Angels battled against the dragon...

Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out."

A Sermon of Pope Saint Gregory
From the Third Nocturne of Matins of the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel

We speak of nine orders of Angels, because we know, by the testimony of Holy Scripture, that there are the following: Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. It must be realized that "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. For the holy Spirits of the heavenly homeland are always Spirits, but they cannot always be called Angels; they are Angels only when they are announcing something. Those who announce less important things are called Angels, and those who announce the highest things are called Archangels. And so not any Angel but the Archangel Gabriel was sent to Mary; for this ministry, it was fitting to have the highest Angel, since he was to announce the greatest news of all. These Archangels are also given special names to describe their particular virtue. For Michael means "Who is like to God?" Gabriel means "Strength of God," and Raphael "Medicine of God."

Whenever something is to be done needing great power, Michael is sent forth so that from his action and his name we may understand that no one can do what God can do. Hence that old enemy who through pride desired to be like God is shown at the end of the world, left to his own strength and about to undergo the final punishment, as destined to fight with Michael the Archangel, as John says, "There was a battle with Michael the Archangel." Similarly, Gabriel was sent to Mary; he who is called "Strength of God" came to announce Him who deigned to appear in humility to conquer the powers of the air. And Raphael is interpreted, as we said, "Medicine of God," for when he touched the eyes of Tobias to do the work of healing, he dispelled the "night of his blindness."

St Michael, St Gabriel, St Raphael, pray for us

and defend us in battle!

Monday's are my favorite!

With my current schedule, I am totally free on Monday's. This is such a blessings! I use the time to do household things that I would have normally done on the weekend. [Though Sunday I did clean a little because Joe was around to help ;-) ]

Just to give you a peek into my Monday, here is how it goes:

6:00-8:00 (depending on the day): Wake up and change the sheets. I am a fanatic about changing the sheets every week, and clean sheets are one of my favorite things EVER. However, folding the sheets in another story. Our big king bed can be quite the challenge. So usually, even thought we have 3 sets, I wash, and then put back on the same ones. That leaves the bed unmade for a few hours, which I don't love - but can handle. ;-)

Then I make some coffee and get to work reading blogs, checking email, responding, reading news stories, etc. Because Monday's are more laid back in the morning, I usually get to take more prayer time as well.

Finish any laundry left over from last week. Usually I try to do a load or 2 during the week to keep the work load down. I realize that with only 2 people, we don't produce a lot of dirty clothes, but someday there will be more little people joining us who make a lot of laundry, and it is good to have a little routine now to fall back on.

Clean. Not too hard with our 2 bed/2 bath home, and I keep that to a minimum by picking up and tidying things all week long.

Meal plan and grocery shop. Joe did the meal planning this week and next (We try to do 2 weeks at a time) which was great! It isn't everything I would have picked, but I love that he wanted to help plan and of course picked all his favorite meals (lots of meat and potatoes, especially on October 4th - our engagement anniversary and the feast of St. Francis - "Let the meat hang from the walls!".

Now I just have to head to Freddy's to get all the goods.

I try to be home from the store around 11:00 (won't happen today), wash the produce, put everything away and then busy myself with other tasks.

Today I need to run some errands aside from the grocery store (Macy's and Target), finish a sewing project I am working on, (put the sheets back on the bed), head to my mom's to drop off stuff for her garage sale next week (If you are around, come check it out, there are lots of great things!) and prep some dinners for this week. There are also some family business things I need to get done - bill paying schedule, paper filing system (for being an organizer myself, I still haven't mastered paper management the way I hope to someday). Maybe there is something on this website that Lindsey blogged about today- Organizing Junkie

On my list of fun things to do, I also need to write my dear friend Sr. Cora Marie (used to be Kathy Webb) a letter. All last year I wrote her once a week, but this year she can't receive mail except for her feast day, Christmas and Easter. So I have been writing once a month.

I hope you all have a productive Monday! Let me know if you have tip for paper order too! PLEASE!

wedding - 1 (1909 photos), by Anna Doherty

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Pretty darm proud of myself!

Proud in a good way ;-)
Look what I made today ....


Since we have glass doors in both our bathrooms and I wanted to add some color, but without a shower curtain, that is hard. The above color is in Joe's bathroom ;-)


We got the dining room furniture a few weeks ago and hung the curtains last week. Joe provided the flowers ;-)

I made the bedroom curtains today, and the 2 cute pillows to match with the extra fabric. Now the room seems complete to me. Hooray! I love the neutral color of our bedding which made for any color to be the accent. We picked blue and painted one wall that color and the curtains are blue too.

Another glass door in my bathroom---- We have brown and light teal towels in there, so I made some curtains to match the teal color. I think it makes it look very nice. Just how I imagined. I do like the style I picked for Joe's bathroom a little better.

Seven Things I love ...

Tagged by Cheri over at As the Family Goes.... Thanks!

Seven Things I LOVE!

1) Joe! Being married to Joe. Talking about how cool it is to finally be married. Be watching a movie or cleaning the house or driving somewhere and saying .... "ummm We are married!" It still doesn't get old and is so fun.

2) Though I miss Minnesota and our friends there very much - I LOVE being in Washington and seeing either my family or Joe's family every weekend. We have been having a great time doing little adventures around the state. Last weekend, we went to Zillah and went to 3 different wineries.

3) Reading about and learning things I never knew. As I mentioned in a previous post I have been reading Beautiful Boy. It is a book writen by a father about his son who is addicted to drugs and they cycles of heartaches he and the rest of his family go through. I am facinated by this whole other world that I had no idea about.... The book is honest and thoughtful. The father is a writer for the New York Times and is very eloquent in his heartfelt love and deep suffering as he watches his son destroy his life. Everyone knows about suffering and heartache - David Sheff makes his come alive on the page. He isn't a man of faith, but slowly comes to see God as necessary.

4) Lazy mornings, hot coffee, catching up on good prayer time, reading books and blogs and new recipes to make for the week.

5) Being crafty. I made 2 sets of curtains and feel so accomplished.

6) Thinking about, talking about, praying about, and trying to make real long term goals or ideas. There are so many things we want to see, do, experience, try ..... It is fun to dream, and to make a reality.

7) New friends, old friends, catching up, getting to know, and loving people where they are at.

You are supposed to tag 7 people, some I would tag have already been tagged .... but check out their posts and new people can participate!
Kristine, Carrie, Laura, Sarah D, Janelle, Amelia

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Find more here

For Today... Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Outside my window...clear skies and very chilly. Fall is almost here!

I am thinking... I got up a little too early today and don't have much to show for it - haha!

I am thankful for... being unpacked and settled in. Everything has a place.

From the school room... Joe started teaching yesterday. Looks like he has a great group of middle school students this year!

From the kitchen... Meals are planned for the next 2 weeks, and I am off to the store this morning. BBQ Chicken with pepper-jack cheese, baked potatoes, and broccoli tonight.

I am wearing... uh-oh. Still in my PJ's - about to get ready for the day ;-)

I am creating... my first Daybook entry and a long over-do post.

I am going... to get ready and go to the grocery store. Then off to visit my friend Kristine.

I am reading... Beautiful Boy by David Sheff and Joe is still reading me the Harry Potter books!

I am hoping... I can get everything crossed my list today (and a little more)

I am hearing... The washing machine doing some hard work on sheets and towels.

Around the house... It feels great to have everything put away, furniture in its place and things in order. Our daily routine has begun.....

One of my favorite things... The smell of clean laundry, and the 1st night of sleeping in fresh sheets. It's the little things!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Jack's retirement party on Friday, clearing out the attic with my mom to get ready for the garage sale, and enjoy the extended weekend!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Nothing like great girl-friends! This is a picture from the day before the wedding. We went to Seattle and were tourists for the day. I just love remembering how all our best friend were in town for such a fun week and to be a part of our big day! Thank you!