What a man wednesday....late night fun

Back in the day, "my type" was your clean cut short haired brunette guy, kind of preppy with boyish face and charm. It dawned on me the other night that my man of the week totally fit this description. I love his sense of humor, he is bright and sometimes subtle. Great ability to make facial expressions also which crack me up. Former partner Tina Fey and him together seem like just 2 normal people when they are being interviewed.

So this week I give you...... Jimmy Fallon.

Laughter is sexy.

The candy with that extra sumpin......

Remember these? Good old Zotz! I loved the candy with the fizz. They took a little patience as if you bit into them it wasn't as much fun. Oh how I loved the little fizzing coming from these sour candies.

44 Reasons I love being Catholic.....# 9 Our Shepherds

Well I was supposed to list 44 reasons I love being Catholic by my birthday which is quickly approaching.....I have only done 8 this year. What a slacker....but I have had a request from a follower of my blog to keep on talking the Catholic stuff.....and she is NOT Catholic, go figure.

I was raised as the daughter of the church receptionist. My mother worked in the church office from the time I was very small until she died when I was 20. Because of her working with the priests, our family came to know many wonderful men serving our church. We had them over for dinner, went to hockey games with them, played cards, doing "normal" things. I am blessed to have gotten to know these holy men in the everyday life as the vocation of a priest is a very hard life, they sacrifice so much. I know they can be intimidating in their vestments up on the altar and they stand out in their Church attire and collars, but really these are just men who have answered a call to serve Christ and the church.

I thank God for these men. I found an article by Vicki Thorn which stated "A priest is a man, clothed in tenderness, who speaks of God's mercy, who prophetically pronounces the truth, unpleasant though it might be and who reflects God's love to a hurting world. Sometimes he is shoring up souls and sometimes he is breaking up concrete. He is comforting the grieving and challenging the young. He is soothing the dying and blessing the newborn".

SO this year, Pope Benedict has declared the year of the Priests in an effort to encourage "spiritual perfection" in our priests. Priest are men, humans with faults and temptations just like the rest of us. They have a very stressful job which can be lonely. They need our prayers now more than ever. We need to pray for those who have a calling to serve Christ. We are called this year to pray for our priests.

I am so grateful for those who are called and answer that calling to serve us in bringing us closer to God.

So Young.......our time is precious

It seems the past month, my life has been touched by many reminders of how precious and fragile our time on earth is.

Today an online friend Sharyn is being buried. I met her through the national SHARE website. SHARE is a group to those who have been through a pregnancy or infant loss. I found it pretty quickly after losing Caleb and spent many nights in the chat rooms with other moms who had been through it and many hours on the message boards - she was always there for me and for so many others. A virtual hug might seem kind of stupid, but those from Sharyn and all the other SHARE moms really helped me though my grief. Sharyn lost 7 babies, she was so supportive and welcoming and always had many smiley faces in her posts. Despite the sad story of her journey to be a mom, she was always upbeat. She was only 42 and died of cancer - she put up a brave and valiant fight. She leaves behind a husband and an almost 3 year old, her beautiful daughter Gabby. I know Sharyn is up in heaven dancing with her children she had very little time with or never knew on earth outside of her womb. She was a friend to MANY and will be missed.

A couple weeks ago, I recognized a picture in the obituary section of the paper. A 35 year old man, a father of 2 died of complications after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his bile duct. I did not know Ryan personally, his family went to the same church I did growing up and the same grade school. His oldest brother was a year younger than me. Its strange how I recognized him though...I mean, the last time I saw him, he was a child. After reading his story, I have not been able to stop thinking about him and his family. What an amazing man, his family should be so proud of him. I hope as a mom, I can raise such a special child....my heart goes out to his family.

A few weeks ago, I was forwarded the news a man I knew from my single days back at Christ the King had died from brain cancer. Ernie was only45 and leaves behind a wife and 3 children. I briefly dated him, extremely nice and fun guy... just not "the one" for me.

So many stories of families losing a parent, a spouse, a child. I know people die everyday, I mean the only certainty of life is that we will all die. I am no stranger to loss so maybe I feel things and it stirs up emotions I think are gone, I am over or are just buried. Just seems so odd to me that this past month I have been touched the the passing of people my age and generation.

I hope I can learn from this to just live each life to the fullest and to be grateful to many blessings I have received. I want to not be anxious about the future and to just live in the moment - I have issues with anxiety sometimes. You never know what is going to happen and its wasted energy worrying about "what ifs". In the end if we lived a good life, we are rewarded. I truly hope to be reunited with my loved ones and to live an eternal life of peace and joy.

Please pray for those who have passed, especially Sharyn, Ryan and Ernie. I firmly believe those who have passed need our prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto them oh Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them.

Dream or Nightmare......Sarah meet Suri

Last week I had a dream that Suri Cruise was over for a playdate with Sarah Cate. She was a cute and sweet girl....when I mentioned her mom was on the way over to pick her up, she freaked out. She told me that she did not like her mom at all and didn't want to go with her. Her mom was always on her and always in the spotlight. She was actually talking very intelligently for a 3 year old. I tried to tell her that her mom was just like any other and that she loved Suri very much and was just trying to protect her from the public spotlight, after all its alot of pressure being talked about by the media - not that I would know - and that she had to deal with alot of things being said about her that weren't true and were mean.

Now Suri told me she didn't want to go with her mom, but much preferred her dad. In my dream I was shocked as you know I am not a fan of her dad so much, though he is a good actor, but personally he turns me off. She went on and on about how loving and supportive he was. I started to think maybe the little girl was nuts as there was no way her dad could be better than her mom. Then Tom walks in to pick her up.....I wake up.

So what the heck was that about? Perhaps I am a bit judgemental, your comments are appreciated.

Lets Stay Together......to a happy old age.

Six years ago today I was married in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony to Andy. Some days it doesn't seem that long and others seems longer that we have been married.

Our first dance was to Al Green's Let's Stay Together. We have indeed endured good and bad, happy and sad times in our marriage, life has a way of throwing you all kinds of stuff to deal with. I love Andy more today than when we got married, which I could not have imagined on that beautiful hot summer day back in 2003. To be honest without the sad things that have happened, I don't know if this would be the case. Enduring hardships can really draw you together.

I love our first reading which is from the book of Tobit Chapter 8 in the Old Testament.....sorry to my Protestant friends, this great book is only in the Catholic bible, but check it out online - good stuff! This is where I was interested in the name Sarah, as that is Tobiah's wife. I am sure i have posted this before, but oh well...here it is again.

Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife, "My love, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and grant us deliverance." She got up, and they started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these words:

"Blessed are you O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever.

Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.

You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from those two the human race descended.

You said 'It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.'

Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose.

Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age."

They said together, "Amen, Amen".

Umm umm, wedding donuts................

Picture this, rehearsal dinner and a crafty unique desert.... made only with the finest of donuts from Krispy Kreme. Thanks to Beth for creating this great work of art....she sings great also. Thanks to our friends who enjoyed this dessert 6 years ago tonight....time really flies. The Pez Bride and Groom are in our kitchen.

The sweet SSSSSS of the record

You know, with the recent passing of MJ, on 2 occasions I was reminded of records...you know, LP's and 45s.

My friend Laura bought 2 Thriller albums - one to keep and one to sell later thinking it would be worth something one day.....well, last week, it was worth $158 on eBay. Without shipping!

I also read someone who posted about getting a Jackson 5's single on the back of a box of alpha bits. I think I got that promo - remember how vinyl could be pressed on the back of cardboard or REALLY thin and just handed out.

One thing I loved about albums and single records (or cassettes or DVDs for that matter) that you don't have with digital music is you had the album and its jacket to hold onto. You had the liner notes to read. You could hold that music in your hand. You took it out of the jacket, put it on your player and the anticipation of the music with that sweet little hissing sound........

I had a variety of cheap record players. I really liked the "Close N Play" which you put your 45 on - then when you closed the lid, the needle just started playing.

I love it on Lost when they start a show with a record going on......you know it is nice and dramatic. Watching that needle go over to the record.....anticipation.

I have my dad's old cheapo stereo with the record player, now I just need to get some records. Sadly I lost mine - well I had them at dad's house and he got rid of them. Shame on me for not keeping up with my stuff. Oh to have my Off the Wall or Supertramp Breakfast in America albums back - always thought this was the BEST cover......or ELO or Frampton Come Alive. Perhaps I should get some to play again for that time when Sarah goes to bed and Andy is out playing volleyball. How I would love to hear that hissing in anticipation of a great song again......which you know, you can on YouTube, but its not the same.

The 70's were a great time to grow up.

I am going to start blogging again regularly, and and have been thinking perhaps I need to dedicate one day a week or month to something from my youth that was totally awesome.....like the record - not for a huge readership, just to think about things that have made me happy. I have had a great life.

Vote for Sarah Cate!!!!!

We are entered in a photography contest with 19 others.... the winner gets a free photo session, since we have no professional family pics would love to win. We are really behind so get your friends and family to vote for Sarah Cate!

to vote go to Jody Lynn Photography Blog and cast your vote.

For you facebook users, join Jody Lynn Photography as a fan and let me know as it will get SC a bonus vote!

What a Man Wednesday - RIP King of Pop

I am 5 years younger than Micheal Jackson, so needless to say, his music has been a part of my life since I can remember. Albums, Cassettes, CDs and now digital, I have had one his wonderful music on all the medians. I watched the cartoon, was dazzled by the videos and moved - to tears at times with his songs and lyrics. I had the Jackson 5 as a kid, Off the Wall in the high school
years, Thriller in college and Bad and Dangerous in my single days. So many great songs - how I loved dancing to PYT!!!!

I was quite surprised at how emotional I was to hear of his death. I never saw him in concert, though I wanted to and I feel like the superstar he was left us with all his trials - but perhaps I am the one who left him. I smile thinking how we all used to scream that high falsetto in college and pull up our pants, try to moonwalk and dance like him. When my sister and mom died in 1985, there were a couple Micheal Jackson songs I listened to by myself and would just cry as they moved me and brought me comfort.

I loved John Mayer's tribute at the memorial, and found this on youtube - check it out, which has some great images of the human being that was the king of pop. You can say what you want about MJ, but if you listen to the music, you can hear a part of his soul speaking. No denying the talent which appealed to just about everyone all over the world. My heart goes out to his kids - its hard to loose a parent so young, his mom - its not right to bury a child, and his siblings - no one can take the place of your beloved brother. I love a good funeral, and MJ's memorial was fantastic....though I admit I thought...gold casket, umm that is a little overboard - but heck, its what his family wanted so who am I to criticize.

Rest in Peace Micheal Jackson, thanks for the wonderful memories of your music and good times with family and friends.