I'm still alive, willy-nilly!

Is everybody ready?

Are you getting ready?

Are you waiting with anticipation?

Contrary to all the hoopla on TV and other media, it is NOT Christmas, nor is it the Christmas season. The season of Christmas begins on December 25th.

This is Advent, the start of the Christian liturgical year, a time of preparation for the coming of the incarnate God, that is, Jesus.

Everyone is in such a rush these days to get to the finish, that too often the process is overlooked. Gotta get rich FAST! Gotta get married NOW! Gotta get a house NOW! Gotta get whatever fancy catches the eye, IMMEDIATELY!

I remember Carly Simon's song (later used in a ketchup commercial) "Anticipation." Waiting seems to be so passe these days. Whatever happened to delayed gratification (a sign, once upon a time, of maturity)?

I understand why clothing designers have to show their lines six or seven months in advance; time must be available to manufacture the choices of the retail buyers (that's not consumers, by the by, folks). Why do the stores, though, have to have clothing in stock two or three months before it will be useful? Who wants to shop for a bathing suit in February or March (unless a vacation is imminent)?

I think there would be fewer complaints about the winter doldrums if the seasons weren't so rushed. Christmas has twelve days, ending as Epiphany begins, a season that lasts until Ash Wednesday. Now there's a season that has been totally forgotten, except in a few places down South that use it to segue into Mardi Gras.

Okay, granted that Lent is a quiet, reflective season, marked by eating the remains of the previous harvest and cold weather (in most of North America). It doesn't have to be joyless, of course. People never need to be joyless, especially when they can share in the abundance of this nation, and live in the knowledge of the grace of God.

Just as Advent prepares us for the incarnation, Lent prepares us for the even greater gift of salvation, and ultimately for the gift of the spirit of God (Pentecost, FYI).

The Christian calendar is not biblical, just as the Bible is fabulous in many respects. But the seasons provide a rhythm for living, and have the power to remind all of God's children how to respect the creation, including the planet Earth, our island home.

The seasons outlined in the liturgy of the Christian church sprang from the seasons of the northern hemisphere; perhaps that should be reckoned with and adjusted in the southern hemisphere. Jesus wasn't born on December 25th, so maybe the folks down under should go about the pentecostal ministry of the church during their summer. Now that would be a puzzle in the global community, one I am not fitted to solve.

I bid you a thoughtful Advent.

Random Notes....

I learned yesterday that Oscar was originally orange and that Cookie Monster had teeth. Go figure. I remember discovering Sesame Street when I was eleven and public television was still pretty new. I also remember feeling frustrated watching the same show with my own children and scratching my head at the changes, missing characters, new characters, etc. It all looked way too clean to be a city street. My favorite song when watching, lo, those many years ago was about all the street signs, and I can't find anything on the web about that song (...uptown, downtown, Fifth Avenue, home sweet home....). *SIGH*

How ironic that Goldman Sachs got H1N1 vaccine, and my children's pediatrician can't get any flu vaccine at all. Guess those fatcats need extra immunity protection, so they can keep throwing their (over)weight around. Back early in the twentieth century, if a company was too big to fail, it was called a trust and got busted into a bunch of little companies. Maybe that is what needs to happen to these monolithic financial institutions. At times in the last twenty years, these big banks have reminded me a bit of vacuum cleaners, sucking up smaller banks and spitting customer service out the side.

There is a big difference between willing to die for your faith (beliefs, religion, values), and being willing to kill for same. It's a shame Dr. Hasan ignored the difference. I pray that religious extremists of all types will experience epiphanies about those whom they demonize.

Apparently the best exercise to prevent osteoporosis is jumping up and down. I'm guessing that since that little tidbit made it into the NY Times, sales of jump ropes will soar. Gotta love America, home of the hunt for the quick fix.

I had a great idea last weekend to use my slow cooker to prepare dinner for my children, and hence reduce the take-out/eat out urge. The kids are home in the afternoon, and I don't get home until about dinnertime; Dad comes home very late (his choice). So far it has happened once this week. Still, I figure it's worth continuing to plug away. Today I'm thinking it might be easier to pile everything together and get it going after I get to work. That way I arrive home with hot food, and it might even feel like take-out to the kids, and therefore get kudos thence.

Tan Their Hydes

Thank God for those godless Europeans who actually recognize that in our modern world where health care does some good, health care should be universal, without conditions, strings, or provisos. People who are well should be encouraged to stay that way, and people who are sick should be cared for until they get better and can manage, effectively, by themselves.

I am so offended that a religious lobby got their way in determining how health care is to be provided/funded (in our society those are realistically one and the same) to citizens of this country (and non-citizens as well; consider that tourists often receive health care as needed when visiting other countries). Since when do we live in a theocracy? Why should one self-proclaimed Christian group get to make decisions for the members of other Christian churches, not to mention all the non-Christians who live in this country, pay their taxes, vote their consciences, serve in the military and otherwise fulfill their duties as citizens? A whole lot of things get funded with my taxes that I don't approve of, even abhor, but I have little choice in the matter because that is the way the government has decided to spend the tax dollars. The only means I have for changing policy is to write letters, support my preferred candidates during election cycles, and VOTE!

I suppose I could get involved in some type of tax protest or civil disobedience, but I'm too concerned about the welfare of my children to go so far in rocking the boat at this time. On the other hand, I'm tired of being the radical right's doormat. I'm tired of being forced to do my part as a US citizen, while being systematically disenfranchised in my own country by a bunch of self-righteous people who seem only to peruse the Bible in order to find obscure passages to support their own agenda, while glossing over the greater message of love and forgiveness. These are the people Jesus was addressing when he said, "Love one another, as I have loved you," that is, without preconditions and unreservedly.

I suppose some could say that I am being intolerant of the intolerance of others. That could get very circular. The reality is that I do not want in any way to interfere in other people's religious beliefs or private practices, but I draw the line when it comes to the way that our central government handles the common welfare. When the decisions about the law of the land and the way tax dollars are used becomes subject to a particular religious viewpoint, then we are playing dangerously with state-imposed religion, contrary to the First Amendment of our constitution.

Have I ever had (or wanted to have) an abortion: No. Do I think abortions are reasonable safe from a health standpoint and should be a recognized and reimbursable health care option: Yes. That said, I do have some reservations. I would want to be sure that the woman involved is making the decision to have an abortion freely, without coercion from a partner or a parent or anyone else, and that she has access to supportive counseling before and after the abortion. If a woman is feeling coerced into having an abortion, I would (ideally) like her to have alternatives presented - in a non-coercive manner.

Do I want to marry another woman: No. Do I think two same-sex partners should be able to enjoy the same government protections and benefits that my husband and I do: Yes. Do I think they should be able to celebrate their commitment in a like-minded religious community, and even call it a marriage: Yes.

Now, go in peace to love and serve the world. Be the miracle.

Miscellany on a tired day

Why do the people of a state vote about whether two people can get married? This is one of those ponderous questions that keep me up at night. It's not like anyone is talking about group marriage, although, frankly, in this day of disintegrating extended families, I can see a place even for a group of people commiting to share living quarters, financial resources, and time. The only reason that there are referenda on the marriage question is that the two people involved are of the same gender. So? I often feel that I would like to have a wife, not because my intimate preferences lean that way, but because in my current living situation, I cannot seem to juggle all the hats that have been thrown my way, and it would be nice to have someone I know, care about, and can rely on, to be at home keeping house and handling some of the child care responsibilities. Of course, given my current living situation, we are edging closer to that group marriage thing. Ah, if only I could afford an au pair.

Domestic partnership in the public sector! Leave marriage as a religious sacrament, subject to religious canons. If a same-sex couple wants to commit, let them. They are not asking everyone into their bedroom. If they want to be married, they should join a religious community that accepts same-sex marriage. If two people want to dissolve their partnership, homosexual or heterosexual, they should get a divorce. There! Problem solved! Now, let's move on.....

Chris Christie was elected governor. I don't much care for Jon Corzine, but I dread having Crispie at the helm. I just hope the legislature has the will to keep him in check. I really don't want to have to start wearing a burka, literally or figuratively.


The priest who celebrated at church this week used the phrase "God of our fathers (stop)", as if our mothers didn't (and still don't) count. I was criticized for pointing this out, for being too sensitive, but it's easy for men to call women overly sensitive about being ignored. I expect non-whites have the same or similar feelings. A student of theology once commented that goddess-worship, or, as I prefer, acknowledging the divine within the feminine, was a step backward. I disagree, plain and simple. To me, if I believe that the Holy Spirit is in all the people, and that all Christians are called to ministry, then it is completely inappropriate to engender God as solely male.

In an interesting juxtaposition, I watched "Sicko" last night on TV. MM has a tendency to kill the horse, and then stand over it and beat on it vigorously, but under the overblown rhetoric, he is generally making a valid point. Why does this country not have public health care? We have Social Security, so why not a national health service? I just don't get it, and I never have. No one has ever come close to convincing me that medicine is better handled in the private sector. If everyone with a job paid as much for a national health service as an average health care premium deduction, it could work. One of the biggest failings of the Social Security Administration is that only the working poor and middle class pay for virtually the whole thing. The salary cap should be abolished with people making hundreds of thousands of dollars (even millions) paying a percentage on their whole salary. Major windfall for the system. Likewise, a national health service should have no salary cap. I'm tired of wildly overpaid executives, politicians, attorneys, celebrities griping about their taxes.

It's getting late, and I'm feeling discouraged. Down with Republicans! Down with Democrats! Government of the people, by the people, FOR the people!

St. Martha's Breakfast Bistro "Autumn"

I belong to a women's group at church that is associated with Episcopal Church Women (ECW). This group was so lively and vigorous when I moved to the parish I attend. It is still going, but so many of the women who came fifteen years ago have either moved away, "retired" from the group, or even died. Not enough women have joined to make up the difference, either.

The main focus of our group is gathering funds to provide outreach to both our local community, and to the wider world. Some ways of doing this seem unchangeable - we have our three rummage sales a year, which garner our group money for our outreach ministry, provide a way for parishioners to winnow out serviceable clothing and household goods they no longer use, and offer a way for bargain hunters and bargain needers to purchase a wide variety of items. Other fundraisers have come and gone, or, in some cases, just gone.

Someone commented about our parish once that it was the catering center for the diocese. An interesting way of saying that we have a lot of great cooks in our church and a generously sized parish hall to seat diners. The ECW holds bake sales 5 times a year, including one in February that features soups and dips for football fans, and everyone else, of course. We used to have a spaghetti dinner in the fall, but we dropped that for lack of diners, and we likewise ended our spring potluck supper, which went through a couple of morphs (dinner theater, Italian night, sub sale) before dying away altogether.

We tried a new food-fest yesterday, serving a brunch after church. It was certainly not the fanciest brunch in town, but it was good, real food (no Franken-food), and fairly priced, and I don't think anyone went away hungry. There were even a good number of requests for follow-up, so I think this one will be seen again, maybe twice a year. It is a lot of work, but in deference to our aging and shrinking membership, we made this one as disposable as possible to minimize clean-up.

Since I did the menu, and had a number of requests, I am posting links to the recipes for the food that was served.

Bon Appetit!

Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole (I substituted turkey sausage, don't eat pork)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=554787

Vegetable-and-Cheese Strata (I upped the artichokes, decreased the mushrooms)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=520191

Cherry-Chocolate Muffins (baked mini-muffins, 375F for 15 minutes)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1875321

Mini Spicy Cheese Muffins
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1911319

Cranberry-Orange Muffins (baked mini-muffins, 375F for 15 minutes)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1120336

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (baked mini-muffins, 375F for 15 minutes)
http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/content/recipes/recipe-detail.aspx?recipeId=546

Autumn Fruit Salad (I omitted the banana, in deference to my sister)
http://fp.enter.net/~rburk/salads/fruitsalads/autumnfr.txt

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

Recently the Roman Catholic church announced a streamlined way for Anglican Catholics to commit to Rome without giving up their own liturgy. That's cool, I guess. I see it as being similar to the EU making it possible to travel freely across European borders without showing a passport. The problem, of course, is that travel out from the Roman Catholic church is not so easy.

It would seem to be. After all, there is no Papal inquisition force anymore; no one will be burned at the stake for turning a back to the Pope.

Still, I have to wonder at the number of my acquaintances who call themselves "recovering Catholics." I have to wonder at the number of my acquaintances who prefer to be unchurched rather than attend a non-Roman Catholic church.

I find it morally disturbing that people who profess a belief in Jesus, and a desire to follow Jesus, are so adamant about taking their attitudes with them. Jesus talked about money a lot. There are more references to money in the gospels than anything else. Why is that? I have my own ideas, and since this is my blog, I get to express them.

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

People treasure money a lot. Listen to the reporting and the rhetoric surrounding the current economic problems, and the importance most people place on money is obvious. Jesus challenged the rich man to sell all he had, give the money to the poor, and join his ministry. Of course, anyone familiar with the gospels knows how that story turned out, and I'll bet almost anyone else can guess. Giving up the worldly security of financial means is a very scary idea, and few people are up to it. Think of how hard teachers (and even some parents) work to instill the value of sharing in children. It's an uphill battle, because giving away even a little means one has less in one's possession. Consider the rhetoric of some pundits about "redistribution" being the end goal of greater taxation. My take is one of, well, what of it? How much does one person need? If you can still live in your fancy house, and drive your fancy car, and send your children to fancy schools, what is the problem with the government taking a portion of the excess, and using that money to help other people fulfill more basic needs? If the rich, some of whom espouse "traditional values" and talk about how the USA is a "Christian nation," really prefer to see the government out of the charity business, then they have an obligation to put their money where there mouths are, and a lot of it, much more than a post-tax tithe.

I'm going off my point, time to regroup.

Money is not the only thing people cherish. As tight-fisted as some people are with their wallets, they are often just as tight-fisted with their opinions. These are the sort who consider agreeing to disagree as the height of tolerance, rather than seeing it for what it is - two closed doors next to each other, with no interaction, no give and take, no learning. I know I'm guilty of intolerance myself, because I tend to shut down when I hear someone saying things like this group is anti-American, this group is immoral, this group is worthless.

I get furious when I hear that God does not call women and homosexuals to the priesthood. How arrogant! In the book of Job, God's independent sovereignty is reaffirmed, that God can do things that people may not understand or even approve, because God is free. Anytime I hear someone propound that some of God's children are less than others, I think that the speaker is truly worshipping a lesser god.

Jesus talked about money, because it is something that everyone understands. If Jesus had talked about giving up preconceptions, bigotry, prejudices, selfishness, he would have lost a large part of his audience. It is hard to give up money, but in the end, money is part of the world. Attitudes and opinions are parts of our selves. Setting them aside, even scrutinizing them, is far more difficult than writing a check.

New to this medium

I've been meaning to start a blog. I figure it is a way for me to let the world know how much better off it would if I were in charge of everything. No, wait, that was my dad's idea.


I don't want to be in charge of everything. Sometimes I don't want to be in charge of anything.


I have a husband and three children. I often feel that I have no life of my own, which is crazy because I also work full-time for money, besides my full-time unpaid careers.


I guess I can use this space to express my own ideas about things. OK, I'll give it a go.


Health care: This is so whacked out at this point, that trying to make heads or tails of what is right is darn near impossible. Do I think life should be prolonged at all costs - NO WAY! Do I believe in social euthanasia - NO WAY! The sheer rhetoric of health care "discussions" is so over the top, no one can possibly be right. Where is the common ground? What is the common sense? I cannot imagine terminating a pregnancy, but I was blessed with three healthy and desired pregnancies. I cannot imagine having cancer either, because I never have. The best I can do is speculate, and law should not be speculative. It should certainly not reflect a narrow perspective. At this point, I'm leaning toward a preference for a two-tiered system, much as I hate the idea of it. The reality is that the greatest luxury is almost inevitably going to go to the person with the most money. Consider who gets to go to elite preparatory schools. It's hard to figure out what should go into a basic health plan: prenatal care - in, infertility treatment - out, appendectomy - in, heart-lung transplant - out. One of the hardest parts of coming up with a health plan is the lies that so many people believe in our society, that failure is never acceptable, and that death is a failure. Death is part of life as much as birth; nobody lives forever. Matter of fact, I often call life a terminal condition, just to keep things in perspective. People need to live their lives in a healthy way, respecting and maintaining the bodies we have each received. That way, fewer resources would be needed to prop up unhealthy lifestyles, and more could be available for the unexpected or unusual. We need as a society to take responsibility for self-maintenance, and give up this crazy reliance on chemical maintenance. We need as a society also to focus on the normal majority, instead of generating collective angst about what might happen. Overall, about 87% of women will never have breast cancer. With all the knowledge and technology and everything today, the most sensible thing to do is just to live our lives, eat well (that is, eat to live, not live to eat), and if one becomes ill, then deal with it. All the worry in the world will not keep a person healthy.