Ultimate Pi Day!

Abundance

These were just the toys I found in the living room when vacuuming this weekend.

My spoiled boy has toys throughout the house, so I don't fret when one ends up somewhere out of his reach (like under the couch). But right now Tugger's favorite mouse is missing and he keeps walking around the house, peering under furniture and meowing. Poor kitty.

Gorgeous Saturday

It was 80°F on Saturday afternoon with a nearly cloudless sky, so I couldn't resist going for a long walk in my neighborhood. (We're expecting sleet/ice tomorrow and a generally wintery week.) This creature paused long enough for me to take a photo. Two more deer were hiding in the trees off to the left. Much nicer to see them when I'm walking than when they dart across the road in front of a car speeding down one of the back roads.

"It's so curious: one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses."

~ Colette

Happy Thanksgiving!

 "O Lord who lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."
— William Shakespeare

Run for the Roses

A perfect postcard for Kentucky Derby Day...

Received from Australia yesterday.

Happy 4th Birthday!

Happy Pi Day!

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, 

you must first create the universe."

~ Dr. Carl Sagan 

(American astronomer, writer & scientist, 1934 - 1996)

"...there is no more ridiculous custom than the one that makes you express sympathy once and for all on a given day to a person whose sorrow will endure as long as his life. Such grief, felt in such a way, is always "present," it is never too late to talk about it, never repetitious to mention it again."
~Marcel Proust

"Real grief is not healed by time... If time does anything, it deepens our grief. The longer we live, the more fully we become aware of who she was for us, and the more intimately we experience what her love meant for us. Real, deep love is, as you know, very unobtrusive, seemingly easy and obvious, and so present that we take it for granted. Therefore, it is often only in retrospect--or better, in memory--that we fully realize its power and depth. Yes, indeed, love often makes itself visible in pain."
~Henri Nouwen

I'll be doing this for a few more weeks...

Education is expensive

A used textbook should not cost nearly $200!

The most expensive textbook in the college bookstore my freshman year of college was the Calculus textbook. The brand new, thick tome cost a shocking $118! I used it for two semesters, and then I lent it to a roommate for a semester. So the distributed cost was not so terrible.

But I just cannot get over the sticker shock for this relatively petite stats textbook.

Oy vey! I just found Huffington Post this article on the rate of increasing textbook prices.

DNA cloud

Happy New Year!

"Never tell your resolution beforehand,
or it's twice as onerous a duty."
~ John Selden, English jurist and scholar

"There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel,

by the encounter with Christ... and to speak to others

of our friendship with him."

─ POPE BENEDICT XVI

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674)

WWJD?

What a difference!

We had a block clean-up this weekend, so I got an early start by enhancing the view from Tugger's favorite window.

Before

Without the schmutz and clumps of fur, you can actually see out the window!

After

Tugger, however, did not seem to appreciate my invasion of his space or the faint residual scent of the glass cleaner. Oh well... At least I appreciate the sparkling clear view.

Not fair...

"Have you ever found yourself tongue-tied when encountering someone suffering, dying, or having just lost someone close, and reduced to the cliche, I really don t know what to say? Well, people of faith should have something to say at those sacred, delicate moments. Father Kempf, with grace and sensitivity, helps us learn what to say and do in moments when our people long for a word of hope and consolation."
~Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

While these words were written as a review of Father Kempf's book No One Cries the Wrong Way, I think that they apply equally well to Sometimes Life is Just Not Fair: Hope for Kids through Grief and Loss.

This book is an excellent resource for adults who are helping children cope with others' suffering, the death of a loved one, or grief due to a loss. While I wish that there were no need for this book to exist, I appreciate having this book for future reference and expect that I will recommend it to others (or send them a copy). Most of us could use a primer on how to help others cope with grief and loss, whether we're supporting a child or an adult.
I have one objection, of a theological nature, to the content of this book. I do not believe that we can definitively know where someone's soul goes after death. I cringe when people tell me that my brother is in heaven, say that he is with God, or in some way "declare him a saint." I believe in heaven, hell and purgatory, as well as God's divine mercy. I appreciate that the Catholic Tradition has prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, that we pray for the dead because we do not know the fate of anyone's soul (until Holy Mother Church declares one's canonization). And do not want this comfort to be stripped away and replaced with cherubs seated on clouds and playing harps. Some of the poems and the song at the end suggest that a decreased individual is in heaven. This is not explicit, and the text does note that heaven is not a physical place. However, for a child the imagery might not be clear. 
I offer the caution that although it looks like a children's book, I do not believe that it would be appropriate to give it to a child. An adult should preview the book to ensure that the content is consistent with their beliefs, and then either share the book with the child or simply use the wisdom therein to guide your conversation with the child.

Note: This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Sometimes Life is Just Not Fair. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your family Advent activities and supplies this year, such as Advent wreaths and calendars for kids, as well as Christmas decorations such as nativity scene sets and religious Christmas gifts for the whole family.

Best job title EVER

"Purpose: Find problems. Fix them. Make a better factory. Make a difference."