Taking Back the PINK - Breast Cancer and Pregnant

When we see that flurry of pink in the stores, and even on the football field, our overly commercialized brains have no trouble recognizing that it's October - National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Beginning with Susan G Komen - an innocuous enough sounding cause - that pink ribbon has become a beacon of hope for the victims of this deadly disease - and those who love them.

But hold on! Is that really all there is to it?

You might be shocked to know that sometimes all things pink are not created equally. What would you say if I told you that there is a sordid bond between Susan G Komen and one of the causes of breast cancer?

Well, that's exactly what has been documented. You may or may not know that abortion has been proven to be a cause of breast cancer.  BTW, so is The Pill! So you might ask yourself - what does this have to do with Susan G Komen? We know that this is a breast cancer advocacy organization - created by the friend of a Breast Cancer victim. Right?

As Paul Harvey would say - "Here's the rest of the story"!

The wildly successful Susan G Komen organization has some very troubling associations. The most troubling is Planned Parenthood - the nation's #1 provider of abortion! 

Now hold on a minute! 

Why would an organization that advocates "racing for the cure" be in cahoots with an organization that performs the very procedure that causes breast cancer? Good question. While I don't know the answer to that, I can tell you that although claimed otherwise, Planned Parenthood does not have the equipment to do mammograms in even one of their facilities - nationwide! 

This brings me to Taking Back the Pink. There is a real need for the victims of breast cancer to have all of the support they can muster. As a seven year survivor myself, I can certainly attest to that. The disease is frightening and some of those fears remain even after years of 'survival' - you're always a 'victim' in some ways. With the cost of medical services rising almost daily there is also a huge need for funding for those who bravely battle breast cancer. Research has come a long way since the first three known generations of breast cancer victims in my family died - way too young - from this disease. Yet, again, money is needed - for research.  

So ask yourself - do you, in good conscience, 

wish to donate to an organization (SGK) that dances with the devil?

I'd hope that your answer would be an irrevocable 'NO'. Even the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops are taking a very public stand against donating to Komen. So what to do? You want to help, right? Well, I can point you in some morally acceptable directions.

Ethically Sound Breast Cancer Organizations:

• The Polycarp Research Institute (TPRI)
• Breast Cancer Prevention Institute
• National Breast Cancer Foundation

There is one more solidly moral way to lend a hand - support a breast cancer victim directly. This way you know that your generosity is not being betrayed. One such cause can be found here:

Erika's Miracle Journey - Breast Cancer and Pregnant

http://erikasmiraclejourney.blogspot.com/

Erika, a 28 year old wife and mother of a small son, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. She was 20 weeks pregnant. While the local doctors told Erika that she would need to terminate her pregnancy there were other options out there. Contact was made with MD Anderson Cancer Center and Erika found out that they had been successfully treating pregnant cancer patients for 20+ years. And so her journey began - from Kentucky to Houston, TX.

You can read the details of her journey by following her blog above but here is a brief timeline of her inspirational story to date:

Erika M Vandiver - Medical Timeline

Laughter is great medicine as this
"Turkey Belly illustrates

• July 7, 2009    BRCA1 breast cancer at 20 weeks pregnant
• July 31, 2009  Chemo started
• Nov 26, 2009  Rachel born on Thanksgiving Day!
• Feb 19, 2010   Bilateral mastectomy
• Aug 31, 2010  Open oophorectomy 
• Oct 2, 2010     Emergency hysterectomy
• Dec 8, 2010 -  Started work again
• Feb 17, 2011   2nd stage reconstruction
• Oct 28, 2011   Reconstruction surgery to alleviate pain

Rachel, the Miracle Baby, wearing her 

matching cap made by Erika

This next (and hopefully final) surgery is the 'last ditch effort' to alleviate the excruciating pain that Erika is dealing with on a daily basis. This pain has been with her for almost two years - she describes it as being worse than recovery from chemo, childbirth and surgery. Her family needs much in the way of prayer as well as financial assistance. 

Since Erika is the sole financial provider of her family right now, the upcoming 8+ weeks that she will miss work will be devastating. Not to mention the ongoing medical costs as well as travel from Kentucky to Texas. 

After much brainstorming the idea of a Facebook page dedicated to Erika's Miracle was developed. Here we ask for support for this Poster Woman of Breast Cancer Awareness and Respect Life Month. Small donations, if multiplied by many can total up to some amazing sums. With an effort as simple as sharing this story (and her link) you can make a huge difference - whether or not you choose to donate yourself. Above all, though, we ask for your prayers for this brave young family as they give powerful witness to what it truly means to 'walk the talk'...pro-life at its finest!

God bless!

A Mother's Love - there's nothing like it!

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NOTE: Unbelievable! If you need more proof that Komen is just in it for the money, just read this. Susan G Komen has been suing other Cancer Charities (including childhood cancers) for simply using the words 'for a cure' in their fundraising efforts - even if it's not for breast cancer. Komen needs to learn the definition of 'charity' and stop bullying other worthwhile causes...they are even addressing using pink...come on! PINK is a color and they can't own it!

.

SGK spends up to 1 MILLION dollars 

per year 

in legal fees to sue other charities!
.

So far, Komen has identified and filed legal trademark opposition against more thank a hundred of the Mom and Pop charities, including Kites for a Cure, Par for the Cure, Surfing for a Cure and Cupcakes for a Cure - and many of the organization are too small and underfunded to hold their ground.  SHAMEFUL!

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Resources and Links:

• Erika's Miracle Journey - blog

• Erika's Miracle Journey Continues - Facebook

• Breast Cancer and Pregnant: Save Them Both - Facebook

• Respect Life While Supporting Breast Cancer - from ''Catholic Sistas'': An online journal of a group of over 40 women dedicated to sharing the Faith in an uplifting, inspiring and infectious manner.  

• Medical Groups Recognizing Links Between BC and Abortion

I will be adding more links as I run across them...

Good morning, Sunshine!

It's been our pleasure to have 3 year old Sarah spend the week with us while our son competes in the Augusta Iron Man 70.3. Since I enjoy creating fun things for my kids to eat, I decided that we would make 'sunshine toast' on her first morning here. It was a big hit and has therefore been requested each morning since. Here are the very simple specs:


Ingredients (per 1 serving):

Butter
1 egg
1 slice bread
Shredded cheese

Tools:

Skillet (I prefer cast iron)
Biscuit cutter (cookie cutter or cup)
Spatula
Fork



Procedure:

1.) Place about a pat of butter in skillet and melt.

2.) Cut out a hole in the center of the bread with biscuit cutter or small cup (get creative and use other shapes if you wish).

3.) Place bread into skillet and absorb some of the butter and then flip over.

4.) Place egg into hole and break up yolk with fork.

5.) Allow to cook until  bottom of bread looks toasted and then, using metal spatula, turn over.

6.) Sprinkle with a small amount of shredded cheese and allow to cook until center feels firm.

7.) After removing your 'sunshine toast' add a bit more butter to the skillet and place centers of bread into melted butter.

8.) Allow to toast and then remove.





Now you are ready to wow your pre-school crowd with your culinary skills! This will encourage even picky eaters to finish their breakfast (especially if they sprinkle their own cheese) and is easy to do. This one got me 'Top Chef' ranking ;-)

On Having a Large Family...


“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward.” Psalms 127:3

Early in our 37 year marriage, my husband and I felt called to have a large family. We had our first son right before I graduated from college and his sister 3.5 years later. Then we hit a lull…I always joked that our next son was on back-order for quite some time. He came to us a full 8 years after his sister. Then our happy life hit a snag. My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and then 18 months later with breast cancer. Since she was at least the third generation in her maternal family, it was surmised that she carried a gene for this ominous disease. My diagnosis at 48, and subsequent genetic testing, would give proof to that, years later. This occurrence directly affected my fertility when, at 32 years old, genetic counselors urgently advised me to have a life-preserving oophorectomy . My plans for that large family were permanently altered.

That call for more children, however, was quite urgent. When our youngest son was around sixteen, my husband and I felt the call to adopt. Through my pro-life work we met a young woman who was pregnant and she chose us to be parents to her child. We had home studies done. I went to OB visits and some of her ultrasounds. The mother and I had lunch and spoke on the phone often. A lawyer was in place, as was every small detail, down to the music she would play in the delivery room – with me present! His name was to be Joseph Luke Jones!

In watching the video of one of her ultrasounds one day, I discovered that there was audio as well as video. As I turned up the volume I could vaguely hear what was being discussed. The color drained from my face as I heard her discussing names for her unborn son. It would be Jackson, she told the nurse, a family name. For a time I rode the waves of denial and trepidation. At eight months pregnant, she asked the lawyer to call and give me the news. Her mind was made up. She would keep the baby. Lines of communication were cut off and it was over.

This sad chapter didn’t end there, however. When Jackson was a mere 3 months old, he was taken from her custody for neglect. Hope sprang up in my heart like a Spring flower! Here was our chance to make this precious baby our own after all! We contacted child services and were told that he was now in the ‘system’ and our studies for private adoption did not qualify us for a state adoption. On a wing and a prayer we quickly signed up for the appropriate classes and were qualified! What happened next was every bit as devastating as the change of heart of the birthmother. Jackson/Luke was not available. He was in a foster home and due to privacy issues we were told nothing more. The sad end of this chapter? We found out quite by chance that Jackson wound up staying with the very instructor who had taught our classes. She had had him all along!

Time marched on and so did we. We reached the conclusion that we had just the family that God wanted us to have – no more, no less. Our days were busy with homeschooling our youngest and marrying off our oldest. Soon our daughter graduated from college and began her life as an adult. We decided that maybe an empty nest wasn’t too bad after all! Our business was run in a home office and we worked side by side, building a customer list and national reputation. Life was good!

A year passed and we were blessed with our first granddaughter. She was the light of our lives and fulfilled that urgent need for babies. Two years later our daughter married and quickly blessed us with a grandson as well. Five weeks later there was another granddaughter! Our family was becoming larger and we felt so blessed. Since we were next door neighbors, arrangements were made for the grandson to stay with me when our daughter returned to work. This temporary arrangement quickly became permanent and continues today (along with his little sister). In time the total count of grandchildren has come to seven – all under the age of seven! Of those seven, five (in various combinations) stay at ‘Nana’s Day School’ on week days. Our house is once again filled with laughter and the sound of busy little feet on the tile floor, tap tap tapping away.

Simon, Sarah, Corbin, Abby, Evan, Rachel, and Lukas

As I look around our house today, I realize that when we pray to God for a specific purpose He does listen and answer those prayers. Many weekends find our house filled to capacity with children, grandchildren, siblings and spouses, nieces, and nephews. This is the place to be – a house filled with laughter and love and children. Our prayers were answered – just not necessarily in the way that we would have anticipated. My husband and I do have that large family for which we prayed. It came to us while we were busily living our lives. It came in the form of children and grandchildren! We are blessed beyond measure!

What do you do on Sunday?

Going to Mass is a given but then after that....what? For this family it comes down to the pursuit of leisure activities and keeping company with those we love. This rainy Sunday found me home alone so after Mass I fought the urge to steam clean the tile (day of rest and all) and decided to bake. As a bonus, Erika and Simon showed up at just the right time to help me critique my new recipe...a Nutella Ring, made with the Artisan bread recipe I've posted about in the past. So here we go...a pictorial recreation of my delicious project for this day:





Lightly dust top of a 1 1b. ball of your Artisan bread dough with flour (see past blog entry for recipe). Stretch sides and pull under to form a ball. Place on a flour dusted sheet of parchment paper and roll into a 9'' x 14'' rectangle.

Add 1/2 cup of Nutella hazelnut spread to the dough and spread within 1/2'' of the edges. If the Nutella seems too stiff, heat it for a few seconds in the microwave to thin its consistency.






Carefully roll up the filled dough, starting at the long end and then pinch the edges together. Stretch the roll to about 18'' in length and then bring around into a circle, again pinching the edges together.

Lightly cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Whisk one egg and lightly brush onto the dough. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar. Snip 1/4'' deep every 2'' with kitchen scissors. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or  until golden brown.










Remove your Nutella Ring from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let set for 30 minutes and serve warm or let cool completely. Slice and serve...yum!





Now on to other pursuits...how about photography in the rain?

Passions

What would be a more fitting topic than passions during this, the week of Our Lord's Passion? He died to give us LIFE. He died so that our sins would be forgiven. He did this without a care as far as appearances go. You could say that He was passionate about doing for us what no one else could or would do! For that we owe Him our lives, our gratitude and our every effort to emulate Him even though we are human and spiritually frail.

With this thought in mind, I recall my passions. No, not for chocolate or gardening or travel...passion for those things that stir my heart: my Catholic Faith, the Liturgy, the pro-life cause, spiritual well-being of family, breast cancer prevention and cure. These things stir my soul and I care not one iota how that makes me look! The passion I feel for these topics has a life of its own and I feel an irresistible pull to go 'all out' in securing what little I can accomplish to their good.

If you are a Facebook friend of mine (or in real life for that matter), you have already gotten a taste of these passions of mine. You may roll your eyes and mentally comment, 'here she goes again'. In your charity you probably don't dislike me for this but then again, the human side of you may sometimes wonder when I will lighten up - just a little. Well, the answer is, only after my dying breath will I let go of these topics that are like life itself to me. I am a convicted person and am fiercely loyal - whether to people or to causes. This is what makes me - well , ME. If it's too much to handle, take a break from viewing or listening but just know that I come at this with a sincere desire to be of bringer of good.

I'm a mom and wife (which makes me a woman) and as such I tend to repeat myself. As my son's Mother's Day card reiterated one year - I tend to say the same things again and again only in different ways. If you too are a mother and/or wife you will understand that his habit comes from many years of waiting for some semblance of comprehension on the part of husband and/or children. Rick often gets to hear the line, 'well, if you don't want me to be a nag, do it the first time' or 'if you don't want it repeated, respond the first time'. That's how it is with my postings as well. You never know who didn't hear you the first time. If you dangle the same message, in varying forms, often enough you will eventually garner a new audience or a new comprehension. This is how you treat a message that has importance. It simply cannot be taken lightly and you cannot afford the chance that it is missed.

For obvious reasons, my #1 passion is the Church. Without the Church we would be nothing and would have no potential. Why then would I not spread this vital message? Why would I not try, again and again, to garner other admirers of the Faith? Why would I not want this salvation for those I love - both family and friend? I research and ponder and study in my effort to do my best at spreading the Word. It is a precious Gift and intended for ALL.

Liturgy is a passion because I am pedantic by nature and as a lover of rules I find solace in knowing the how and why of a thing. If we are to give Christ's Church all that we have, should we not understand her? Should we not put thought and effort into every move, every word, every belief? If Tradition was good enough for the early Christians who are we to change it? If tradition (small 't') was good enough for our ancient Church, who are we to think we can improve upon it? I find comfort in knowing that every Mass in every church in every country in the world is the same...now THAT's universal! How exciting to know that we are at that first Passion, at the foot of the cross, with Jesus Himself at every sacrifice of the Mass!

If the Church of Christ Himself is necessary for Life and without it Life doesn't matter, then how important is human LIFE to this earthly dwelling? Without Life no other issue matters. How can someone honestly say that we are not equally deserving of our lives - whether old or young, whether born or pre-born, whether healthy or ill? Life is the primary and completely necessary building block of existence. This gift from God Himself is not to be taken by anyone other than the One who initially bestowed it.

As one of a five generation breast cancer family, I am also keenly aware of the need for research and a cure of this deadly disease. That being said, however, I am not willing to have these advances created on the backs of dead babies by organizations that do not respect ALL life. As much as I want to live (and want Erika to live), I will not be a party to taking from one to give to another - especially when the taking is of a life! I'm passionate about life - both mine and those of ALL others! No matter how many pink ribbons and races there are for the cure, I just don't feed into the idea that harm can bring forth 'good'. If you have to kill in order to save me, then by all means just let nature take its course because I just couldn't 'live' with the idea!

Now that I've reiterated my passions, hopefully you will understand the who, how and why of my efforts. I mean no harm and have worked very hard to come off less brash and more kind. In any event I sincerely want to share the good news whether it is God's Word or a medical breakthrough. Won't you do me the kindness of pondering my words and considering taking up your own passions, unhampered by appearances? Together we can make a mighty difference!

In His Name for Life,
Birgit J

NOTE: Clarification and documentation of the breast cancer/abortion link:

Abortion causes breast cancer. 

Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest provider of abortion. 

Planned Parenthood does NOT provide mammograms. 

Susan G. Komen Foundation's goal is to end breast cancer. 

Susan G. Komen donates big bucks ($4 MILLION from 2004-2010) to Planned Parenthood.

So why, really, is Komen giving money to Planned Parenthood?


USEFUL LINKS:

Susan G Komen (of pink and Race for the Cure fame) gives grants of Millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood, but PP doesn't do mammograms or provide any other lifesaving service for cancer prevention: http://www.lifenews.com/2011/04/18/komen-admits-planned-parenthood-grants-dont-get-women-mammograms/

The birth control pill not only causes breast cancer, it is also an abortifacient: http://liveaction.org/blog/pp-deceiving-on-the-pill/

Planned Parenthood is a strange bed fellow for the Girl Scouts and Komen: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150157356740961

Obama cut hundreds of thousands of dollars from women's health centers who do provide mammograms - something Planned Parenthood does not. Yet he continues to protect the millions that go to PP: http://www.lifenews.com/2011/04/14/obama-cuts-womens-health-care-funds-planned-parenthood/

USCCB commentary on why it's not a difficult decision for the Catholic bishops to support the de-funding of Planned Parenthood: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/usccb-defunding-planned-parenthood-not-one-of-those-hard-choices

When will be the last time...?

I had a biopsy the other day. It's most likely nothing, according to Dr. Prajapati, and I'm amazed at how blasé I have become as a cancer patient. I think nothing of the stick of a needle or even scalpel because they have become my friends in my fight for survival...and I'm determined to survive. But when the day comes and my number is up, I'll go quietly and willingly. This is a gift that the past 5 or so years have given me.

Another gift I have been given is an ability to ponder without becoming melancholy...and ponder is something I often do. This led to a conversation with Rick the other day. I'd been silently wondering about 'last times' for a while and so I decided to share with him. Have you ever thought about, ''when will be the last time''? The last times usually go marching by without any fanfare, unless it's a milestone: the last ball game, the last year of school, the last day at work, etc.

When was the last time Rick and I went horseback riding with our posse? We used to be quite the avid horse people - having owned as many as 11 horses at one time. We had a Thoroughbred stallion, Quarter Horse mares and three foals all in one spring. Wrangler Camp, for camping with horses, was a favorite haunt and we loved these times tremendously. Much to my terror now, I rode in the woods (alone) with both Rowan and Erika when they were around 1 year old or so. Erika actually 'broke' our stallion by being the first human on his back - now before you call CS, he was docile as a lamb and Rick was right there to very briefly place her in the saddle.

Later Erika got involved in 4-H. She excelled both in the Horse Bowl (academics) and in riding (poles, barrels, showmanship and dressage). It was an integral part of our daily lives. Trips to county fairs, then the State Fair, were all a family passion. Then something happened. I'm not sure what it was but before I knew it, I was horseless. Since Erika had horses for many years, I lived vicariously through her but I suppose my cowgirl days are gone...but not forgotten.

When was the last time Mom and I went shopping? She and I were quite the busy bees, dragging kids (hers and mine) to stores sometimes on a daily basis. We were big believers in retail therapy and found bargains that would make any penny pincher green with envy. But she got sick, got better, got sick and didn't get better and all the while I don't remember that last time that 'the girls' went out on the town for a day of fun and laughter. It's a memory I hold dear but it has an elusive quality about it because it wasn't marked by any one special ending...it just ended and that, was that!

As I was sharing these thoughts with Rick he made the statement that we'd better enjoy each day (and occasion) as if it is the last. Did I marry my soul mate or what?! So we talked for a while about the things that we enjoy doing together - he and I - gardening, cooking, spiritual encounters, and family. It's always a good idea to live today as if it will be our last but in ways more than just spiritual. Our Eternal Destiny depends on our believing that Jesus will come 'like a thief in the night' and we 'know not the day or the hour'...that is a good fact to stay focused on. But there are earthly reasons as well. We should cherish the times we spend with those we love or those who depend on us and treat each contact as if it were our last...it just might be.

The kids and I went to a funeral today. It was for a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. The family had many wonderful memories. He had known of his impending death and had had an opportunity to share a 'last time' with all of his loved ones. Some people, however, are not so lucky. They go in an unexpected instant...that last kiss goodbye REALLY is the LAST kiss goodbye. So it behooves us to make each 'goodbye' special...each 'I love you' an aware, 'look that person in the eye and mean it', special. It may be the last time...

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UPDATE: I received a call from the nurse at my doctor's office this afternoon. Everything went well with the biopsy...no cancer! Thanks be to God that I'll have a chance for (hopefully) many more 'last times'!

Thanks and blessings to all of my friends who pray for me and wait with me when I have a bit of 'drama' thrown my way ;-)

Lenten Rosary Project for Kids

I've been reflecting on Lent for the past week and how I am going to observe this time of penance, alms giving, and prayer. My thoughts then brought to mind the little souls with which we are entrusted as parents, grandparents, and God-parents.

Since my babies are all so young (1 - 5) I thought it would be best to help them in the 'doing' and praying category so I came up with the idea of teaching them all of the prayers of the Rosary (most of them know the Sign of the Cross, Our Father and Hail Mary but reinforcement is not a bad thing) and transition their regular nighttime prayers into reciting a decade while concentrating on a particular mystery each night.

Here's a simple and effective craft I came up with that combines reciting a nightly decade of the Rosary with some good actions and creativity thrown in for good measure:

Materials List:

• Plastic Easter Eggs (5 larger eggs for the Our Father and 53 smaller eggs for the Hail Mary)
• Colorful curling ribbon, dental floss or pipe cleaners
• Paper and markers/crayons
• Tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks
• Glitter glue, puff paint, stickers or other embellishments
• Hot glue gun or pipe cleaners

Lenten Rosary Project:

• Hot glue the small Easter eggs (top and bottom) onto small strips of ribbon or floss until you have a chain of 10.
• Alternatively you can cut small sections of pipe cleaners and thread them through the little holes at either end of the eggs.
• Chose a petition, good dead, or prayer for each member of the family and write/draw on a piece of paper. You could also have your little ones earn pennies to share with the poor.
• Place these papers or coins inside a plastic Easter egg.
• Add one larger Easter egg to your chain for the Our Father in each decade.
• Say one decade of the Rosary each evening using your chain and add your offerings for that day. This is a good time to discuss behavior, sharing and giving.
• If you do this for the 5 weekdays you will have enough chains to form 5 decades.
• On Saturday add the Our Father and 3 Hail Mary beads and assemble a cross using tongue depressor or Popsicle sticks and decorate.
• Assemble the entire Rosary (5 decades, Our Father & 3 Hail Mary's, and the Cross)
• Continue to recite one decade per day as you complete your craft.
• On Sunday draw or color pictures depicting the mysteries you have prayed during the week and make a booklet to go along with your newly completed Rosary.

At the end of a 5 day week you will have said all five of the respective mysteries and by the end of 4 full weeks you will have said all 4 sets of mysteries...and the COMPLETE Rosary. You should now have 4 completed Rosaries (unless you reuse the same one every week) and the corresponding booklets with pictures of the mysteries.

You could now move on to coloring pages of the Stations of the Cross as your activity and reuse the Rosary you have made for praying a decade every evening as a family, as is now your practice.

Here are some links to coloring pages for the Rosary and Lent:

• http://www.rosarybeads.com.au/kids/colouringin/rosary/
• http://www.roman-catholic-catechism.com/rosary-coloring-pages.html
• A Lenten Journey coloring project from Catholic Icing: click here
• Hail Mary coloring activity sheet http://www.christiancoloring.com/cmpdf/gwahail.pdf
• Our Father sheet http://www.christiancoloring.com/cmpdf/our%20father%20boy.pdf
• Stations of the Cross for kids http://www.catholicmom.com/stations_booklet.pdf

Now that you have spent 28 days saying a decade per day and completing your Easter Egg Rosaries you can continue with the pattern through Lent (and beyond). Perhaps you could spend the rest of Lent using your new Rosaries and drawing or coloring pages with intentions, good

deeds, and sacrifices.

On the evening before Easter Sunday fill each egg with a treat or surprise and then hide your eggs for the traditional Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Or you could keep them intact and still fill with treats. Your kids will have had a chance to count down the 40 days and reap a reward for their patience and efforts, seeing a tangible result! Hopefully you will also have enhanced your family prayer habits.

God bless you...and have a fruitful Lent. Let us all pray for one another!

*Note: you could also do the above project using a paper chain much like those that are made during Advent to adorn your Christmas tree. Each 'link' in the chain could be a Hail Mary and a larger 'link' could be added for the Our Father. You could write on the slips of paper before creating the links.

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Now for adult Lenten sacrifices:

For me it's always been simple to choose the something to give up...there are so many blessings that we have in this land of abundance that I can usually think of too many things to part with.

This year my list is as follows:

1) Facebook games: I'm a Zuma addict and will not play this game for the entire Lenten season.

2) Facebook in general (do you see a theme here?) I will greatly reduce my Facebook usage to mostly religious and pro-life postings. Fridays will be a NO FACEBOOK day (something I started doing a couple of months ago).

3) My adult beverage of choice is wine...think I'll take a break ;-)

The DOING of something extra is another resolution for Lent. As an adult some of the ideas I have come up with for this year are:

1) Extra visits to the nursing home where Rick's 95 year old grandmother resides.

2) Completing one of my religious materials (I'm leaning toward the Salvation History with Scott Hahn CD and corresponding workbook).

3) Attending extra weekday Masses.

Then there's the alms giving. There are so many worthy causes that it will be difficult to chose but chose I will and it will probably have something to do with Haiti. This poorest of nations has a real need and is oftentimes forgotten. I know a priest who is well versed in helping a priest friend of his who is there 'in the trenches'...I think I'll give him a call.

I will also be linking to a few sites that I have found on the topic of Lent. There will be a variety of family friendly and adult links. There may be additions as I find them so feel free to check back:

• Jimmy Akin: Annual Lent Fight! http://www.ncregister.com/blog/annual-lent-fight/

• Many Little Blessings: Our Lenten Plans: http://www.manylittleblessings.com/2011/03/our-lenten-plans/

Sewing gifts

My love of sewing goes WAY back to high school and home economics class. My mother was very crafty and would sew, crochet and knit at lightning speed so it was only natural that I would follow her footsteps in at least one of those handy dandy pursuits. Crocheting and knitting bore me to tears so sewing it was!

One of my first projects was to sew a honeymoon travel suit because Rick and I married when I was still a senior in high school. I also made a nifty little two piece bathing suit to wear during our wedding trip for that Thanksgiving weekend back in 1974. We went to Brown County State Park in Nashville, IN and the lodge had a wonderful glassed-in swimming pool where we were blessed to watch the snow come down while we were toasty warm and swimming.

After I graduated from high school and then Brescia University I began to sew again for our little family. Especially when our daughter came along. If I say so myself, I developed quite a few skills and even made her a fully lined winter coat one year. Of course frilly dresses and matching dolls clothes were my favorites.

Then life happened. School, farming, too many sports to mention so sewing took a back seat until I was down to making the occasional pair of boxers or pajama pants for Mark (boys are definitely less inspiring models).

Of course, as it always is in life, what you think will remain a forever lifestyle isn't. After the last pitch was thrown, the last basket shot and there were no more young adults to watch as they walked across the stage, first for high school and then college diplomas, my life was my own again...or was it?

Next came the grandkids, lickety split, one after another until there were 7 all under the age of 7! Now that my Nana's Day School has been limited to only 2 or 3 at a time, however, I've found my passion again. What's amazing is how much you forget when you go on a long break - you

really do lose it if you don't use it.

I was also shocked at how much the cost of sewing has gone up! One of the

reasons for sewing used to be that you could save a LOT of money. Now a days that isn't the case. Patterns cost anywhere from $8 - $16 and fabrics are just as high. Erika's mother-in-law had given her some fabric from a quilting project or two so this was passed to me and allowed me to practice without being in danger of wasting large sums of money.

This meant that my first project needed to be really simple...so I made 16 placemats for my kitchen and found that I still had a bit of skill left. I decided that my next project would be something fun for the kids. Since they all love to cook with me, the perfect project was to make the girls matching aprons. Again, the hand-me-down fabric came to the rescue...luckily purple and yellow are favorite colors too!

Hobby Lobby had a great pattern sale 10/$10 - and I easily found what I needed and few extras!

Since our living room is multi-purpose I set up my sewing desk behind one of the couches and employed the computer chair as a sewing chair. My little kingdom allows me to work online, sew, and watch television all at the same time ;-)

I cut out the fabric one day. Next I pieced together the pressed parts of the apron and had a ball reconnecting with a hobby from years gone by.

Since the girls both have March birthdays, I have decided that their newly crafted aprons will be a part of their birthday gifts. I'll probably throw in some felt food (it's a part of the pattern) and they'll be very pleased the next time we play 'Top Chef'.

Simon was drafted to try on the completed apron and as you can see from the photo, he was just a little bit reluctant. I plan to make it up to him when I make him a 'boy' crafting tunic with slots for crayons.

All in all, I think I'm really going to enjoy yet another way to be creative. I guess creativity doesn't have to be about painting or drawing. Sometimes a useful outlet is just as satisfying!

The Birgit Report: news stories too important (to me) to ignore

At lunch with my friend, Kelly, yesterday I joked that although I post quite a few things on my Facebook wall there are always so MANY more articles that I'd like to post as well. I'm a 'little' bit of an over-achiever sometimes and don't want to wear out my welcome or risk having my feed hidden by friends who simply do not have the same passions that I do. This blog post is a little experiment, then, to see how it would be to post in the style of the Drudge Report.

As someone who 'lurks' on others' blogs I realize that there may be more people reading my posts than I think. To help me with this little experiment and to help me determine whether or not I will continue to do this, would you please either comment or check one of the comments below? Thanks!

Here are my articles for today with just enough to tease you into reading if something catches your eye:

Planned Parenthood: Public Funding of "Human Weed'' Removal? It will shock people from both sides of the debate to know that Margaret Sanger initially opposed abortion.

Bishops Boot 'booty' from Revised Bible Some changes in translation to accommodate English as a 'living' language. I get some of them but some of them are not so great.

Listen up! More and more samples released of new/revised Mass settings being released New compositions for the revised Missal...see what you think.

Truth TV Ireland is battling for life and death right now. This is a terrific video...it's spellbinging. If only abortion doctors would explain it this way, there would be so many less abortions! Bravo!!!

Battle over alleged controversy concerning Justice Clarence Thomas and Obamacare Megyn Kelly gets personal with Anthony Weiner

States question Obama citizenship with legislation Georgia is the 11th state to introduce legislation to put in place requirements for verification of citizenship in direct response to the Obama administration's refusal to produce documentation of varying types.

Are AWOL Democrats in danger of recall in Wisconsin? Those pesky lawmakers who ran rather than lose a vote may be in danger of losing their jobs...yeah!

Catholic Seattle University Backs Planned Parenthood Internships Catholic university offers and encourages internships with Planned Parenthood on their website. Scandalous!!! I wrote the following to them:

Greetings,

It is with great sorrow that I write this email to you, Fr. Sundborg. I was shocked and dismayed to read the news that your Catholic institution is cooperating with the culture of death by promoting internships with the nation’s largest chain of abortion providers, Planned Parenthood. Not only has the Catholic Church consistently maintained the grave evil of abortion but She has also spoken out in opposition to giving Scandal to those with whom we interact. It is my humble position that your institution is in grave error. You provide publicity for Planned Parenthood internships in the section for “Public Affairs Student Internships” on the website for Seattle University. Furthermore, students are encouraged to contact the PP career services department for additional information. Conversely there are no internship possibilities listed for pro-life groups or crisis pregnancy centers.

I beg that you prayerfully reconsider this cooperation with the culture of death and return your university to one that is in complete communion with the Catholic Church and all of her teachings.
In His Name for Life,
Birgit Jones
Owensboro, KY

Address your civil comments to:

Fr. Stephen V. Sundborg, SJ

Seattle University, President

901 12th Avenue

Seattle, WA 98122-1090

Phone: 206-296-1891

E-mail: SUNDBORG@seattleu.edu

-----------------------------------------------------

As someone who 'lurks' on others' blogs I realize that there may be people reading my posts of whom I am not aware. To help me with this little experiment and to help me determine whether or not I will continue to do this, would you please either comment or check one of the comments below? Thanks!

Good night ;-)

Artisan Bread

I love baking bread so when I found this recipe for Artisan bread I was intrigued. First off, knowing that the root of the word is 'art', I had to do some research and find out exactly what it is (and how you say it)...I know, I'm a bit of a nerd that way ;-)

So here goes: Artisan bread is best described by thinking about the person who makes the bread. Compare an artisan baker to other familiar craftspersons. They know how to combine their materials to build something strong and at the same time delicate or elegant. You can tell a true hand crafted bread from one that is just called artisan by looking at the ingredients. There shouldn't be anything in bread besides flour, water salt and yeast. If the bread is made with a sourdough there may not even be yeast in the ingredients. It wasn't necessary to add chemicals to bread for centuries and it still isn't. As for the pronunciation, it's - ar' te zen

Now for the recipe:

This recipe makes enough for four 1-pound loaves and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, so you can have fresh bread any time you want. Bake it unadorned as a Crusty Boule, or roll ingredients into the refrigerated dough to create sweet and savory loaves.

3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 teaspoons coarse salt
7 1/4 cups (2 lb. 4 oz.; 1027.67 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour (measure using scoop and sweep method)

1. Combine water, yeast and salt in large bowl. With spoon (or mixer with paddle attachment), stir in flour (dough will be wet).

2. Place dough in 5-quart lidded container; cover with lid (do not snap airtight). Let rise at room temperature 2 hours. Refrigerate overnight or up to 14 days.

Dough for 4 (1-lb.) loaves

Crusty Boule

(pronounced - bool, French for ball)

This classic European-style loaf has a crisp crust and hearty crumb. It’s perfect as an everyday bread to serve with soups and salads or just a slice of cheese.

1-lb. (grapefruit-size) portion of the Master Dough above.

1. Hold dough and dust top with flour; quickly shape into ball by stretching surface of dough around to bottom on all four sides, rotating dough a quarter turn as you go.

2. Place dough on pizza peel or baking sheet liberally sprinkled with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper; cover loosely with lightly floured plastic wrap. Let stand

in warm draft-free place 1 hour or until dough is slightly puffed and no longer chilled.

3. Thirty minutes before baking, place baking stone on center oven rack; place empty broiler pan on bottom oven rack. Heat oven to 450°F.

4. Dust loaf with flour. With serrated knife, make 2 or 3 (1/4-inch-deep) slashes in top of loaf. Slide loaf (with parchment paper, if using) onto baking stone. Immediately pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan; quickly close oven door to trap steam.

5. Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool completely on wire rack.
1 (12-slice) loaf

Slice, spread with butter and enjoy...crunch!

Thanks to ''Cooking Club'' magazine for this wonderful recipe!