tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33091082920347847122024-03-18T23:03:27.869-05:00Maj. ReaderI love to read - and keep finding good stuff to tell about.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-42317190764097609302014-12-31T12:23:00.000-06:002014-12-31T12:23:43.765-06:00Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfzMYrZiSxApXxOqsRkAZsibepcktotbx1KiHM5bhyGoFMXHz3A1G4GHBfv-HkM3dk7TmV9nhi2JFPc1Crhmf5Jmw2JJplXS9_TPpu7lanPXpbubuUrsk4FFO773wvP_nzenl5VHktXs/s1600/my+left+hand+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfzMYrZiSxApXxOqsRkAZsibepcktotbx1KiHM5bhyGoFMXHz3A1G4GHBfv-HkM3dk7TmV9nhi2JFPc1Crhmf5Jmw2JJplXS9_TPpu7lanPXpbubuUrsk4FFO773wvP_nzenl5VHktXs/s1600/my+left+hand+2014.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Have you ever noticed the differences in the hands of people in your family - particularly those of the same gender? Here is my left hand at age 67. The little finger is already bent at the top knuckle, and you can see a faint redness around the top knuckles of all but my ring finger - the first signs of arthritis. I also notice minor stiffness in the joints of my index fingers on both hands. When I mentioned this to my mother last weekend, she said I can thank her mother for this. She's got it, too. Apparently, all my years of playing piano have not kept my fingers in great shape. On the other hand (yuk, yuk), maybe I would be in worse shape if I hadn't played so much.<br />
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The bigger difference that I've seen since I was a teenager who wanted beautiful hands, is that many of my fingernails are slightly splayed. My sisters show this same feature more or less. Long, oval nails with straight sides will never be mine. Now that fingernail polish in crazy shades with wild patterns is all the rage at the high school where I spend my time, good nails are a must. Luckily for me, no one thought much about that when I was in school.<br />
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<br />SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-10388912142479549932014-09-15T18:02:00.001-05:002014-09-15T18:02:21.488-05:00Detroit Lakes Needs High School Missionaries?I was reading my local weekly paper - news of new Eagle Scouts, church vendor fairs, etc. - when I came across an account of a nearby church sending a group of adult and teens to Detroit Lakes, MN, for a summer mission trip. The group "...painted 3 homes, 8 decks, 1 fence, 3 sheds, and several rooms. We worked in boys and girls clubs, shelters, and thrift stores. We also beautified several yards and gardens, built and repaired 4 decks, poured a sidewalk, framed a room, and made a lot of new friends, young and old."<br />
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Now I think it's great that all this work got done for grateful Detroit Lakers, but I have to ask myself how this location was selected. From years of hanging around this area in the summers when all my grandparents spent the time at their lake homes, I know that this is a prime tourist spot. I'm sure it was easier to sign people up to spend a week working in Detroit Lakes, than in, say, inner-city Chicago.<br />
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I'm also thinking maybe I haven't kept up with what's happening in this old town. My parents met and fell in love at a summer dance pavilion there. In those days, you got out of the stifling heat of towns like Fargo and headed for Detroit Lakes to kick up your heels and cool off. I don't remember hearing much about townspeople needing mission trips from city kids to get things cleaned up, but I've been gone for almost 50 years. Anybody been there lately?SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-88415634095376411362014-08-21T18:11:00.000-05:002014-08-21T18:11:40.432-05:00Author of interest: Ann Patchett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aDilK9FAwKpjevmJVqsoeSrfDfiXqudMF9euNnkDHmiC6XQo8cJXNTHcKMXWT6XCGowMa7qpuBbjnGnlSiRfWuwGUmdWoZq4JMst4RJ8rJRoRhrPUi4GgpgV325ZSniB2OYXKPTpbfM/s1600/annpatchett1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aDilK9FAwKpjevmJVqsoeSrfDfiXqudMF9euNnkDHmiC6XQo8cJXNTHcKMXWT6XCGowMa7qpuBbjnGnlSiRfWuwGUmdWoZq4JMst4RJ8rJRoRhrPUi4GgpgV325ZSniB2OYXKPTpbfM/s1600/annpatchett1.png" height="320" width="274" /></a></div>
The first thing I read by Ann Patchett was <i>Truth and Beauty: A Friendship</i>. I remember how much I was interested in the story of the author's friendship with another girl who was terribly disfigured. I thought Ann Patchett had many things to tell the rest of us about our own lives and friendships.<br />
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Since then, I've learned that the novel that really put her on the map, <i>Bel Canto</i>, is in the works to become an opera - to be given its world premiere right here in Chicago at Lyric Opera. Renee Fleming has been behind the commissioning of the opera from the start, although she will not be starring in it. The novel - based on a real incident - takes place in Lima, Peru, where guests at a hotel, including a famous opera star, are taken as political hostages. The opera's composer, Jimmy Lopez, is also Peruvian, so it looks like this could be something great. I may have to save up to buy tickets!SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-24938869252328040412014-06-23T18:44:00.000-05:002014-06-23T18:44:47.064-05:00State with the "worst weather"?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The weather page in last Sunday's Trib had an interesting Q&A section by Tom Skilling, resident weather guy. </blockquote>
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Which state has the worst weather? Florida, maybe, because of hurricanes?</blockquote>
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There is no single, satisfying answer. To borrow from a cliche, bad weather is in the eye of the beholder. It is probably unfair to judge a state's climate based on just one kind of weather event when so many weather occurrences can be dangerous or just plain troublesome. It's true, though, that Florida experiences more hurricane activity than any other state. </blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zwCAKxWU8grA9igt6ODY3mXBivQ9QNjQbnfhWagTdWrle2xl4h3m4oiEFlXUtXv7fbwVH0vZgiyf2D6ULEABeSlAu7I5wAyWnJ4P9jPYiQSrJt-op3p4xvf8CSVyI8tZJA0hpew6XcU/s1600/Minnesota_ref_2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zwCAKxWU8grA9igt6ODY3mXBivQ9QNjQbnfhWagTdWrle2xl4h3m4oiEFlXUtXv7fbwVH0vZgiyf2D6ULEABeSlAu7I5wAyWnJ4P9jPYiQSrJt-op3p4xvf8CSVyI8tZJA0hpew6XcU/s1600/Minnesota_ref_2001.jpg" height="200" width="179" /></a> However, taking into consideration the totality of dangerous, costly or merely inconvenient weather - hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, blizzards, heat, cold, humidity, rain, snow, glaze, fog - one state leads all others in variety and frequency of nasty weather: Minnesota.</blockquote>
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Having spent the majority of my formative years in that state, I believe I am a stronger, hardier person as a result of surviving all of the above. What say you?SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-39232844056524572682014-06-14T18:07:00.002-05:002014-06-14T18:07:39.574-05:00Sewing Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxg2ksy9tzCMMoQZLpnHRTwp9zsOF_VhV9MBBixZvcPg55caNcl9bK0EpPq7L6DRKWg9d0D9bJbsVzT_DwkC3KNgHTE8s-BH6kxkWhhmdbaLD72pUwFKWPSOtlqB5RNZWCKreRrFA1AzE/s1600/Doll+Dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxg2ksy9tzCMMoQZLpnHRTwp9zsOF_VhV9MBBixZvcPg55caNcl9bK0EpPq7L6DRKWg9d0D9bJbsVzT_DwkC3KNgHTE8s-BH6kxkWhhmdbaLD72pUwFKWPSOtlqB5RNZWCKreRrFA1AzE/s1600/Doll+Dress.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is the dress for an American Girl doll that I just finished sewing for the youngest granddaughter. She picked out the dress pattern and the blue fabric, and I did the rest. I have to admit, it was fun to lay out the pattern pieces, mark and cut them, then follow the sewing directions. I haven't used my machine for anything except repairs for a mighty long time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNTEjgVYpxXwBHbE31Y2uxzbGlHqAqerxaQbvEvTnX03MflzVfrnfm4RZSbd02WDoUdRsICUOmg_CEN24VpaS99oHqSnCwEG1JGgVqMKhLLwDd10WsAG_GJWoZW9Qh9FclOBiVkU9Wlk/s1600/Doll+Showing+Slip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNTEjgVYpxXwBHbE31Y2uxzbGlHqAqerxaQbvEvTnX03MflzVfrnfm4RZSbd02WDoUdRsICUOmg_CEN24VpaS99oHqSnCwEG1JGgVqMKhLLwDd10WsAG_GJWoZW9Qh9FclOBiVkU9Wlk/s1600/Doll+Showing+Slip.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now she's showing the tulle slip that makes the long skirt stand out. Would Martha Washington have worn this for a morning dress? :-)</div>
<br />SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-6635420323563813612014-05-14T20:10:00.001-05:002014-05-14T20:26:29.584-05:00Color Blind or Color Brave?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/mellody_hobson_color_blind_or_color_brave.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Here's Mellody Hobson, the TV personality, as I haven't seen her before, talking about race for TED. She went to the Jesuit high school near the Loop where my kids went. Don't think they knew her, though.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-77689412653390824242014-01-29T20:40:00.000-06:002014-01-29T20:40:01.618-06:00Crown Prince in the OnionYes, he has allowed his photo to be used for an <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/horrified-man-suddenly-realizes-hes-putting-down-r,35102/"><i>Onion</i> article</a> today. As far as I know, he has never darkened the streets of Charlotte. Ten seconds of <i>Onion</i> fame?SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-84967608171892406582013-12-23T13:45:00.000-06:002013-12-23T13:45:22.053-06:00Posada (Shelter) for Undocumented Immigrants<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77CQi3xFA4cyNd_yzeRDd0Rgp3pPV4vD3XMHu-oN_2FYzVhFp0-kpPpKwRA0olUM7YUoUoArP7ZNxjnxuXmEj2Vf9ER7n7r27SpK1hoZqcLgHmjc9C-bO9dtywtzIH00DHgihQPchYug/s1600/CHICAGO-USCIS2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77CQi3xFA4cyNd_yzeRDd0Rgp3pPV4vD3XMHu-oN_2FYzVhFp0-kpPpKwRA0olUM7YUoUoArP7ZNxjnxuXmEj2Vf9ER7n7r27SpK1hoZqcLgHmjc9C-bO9dtywtzIH00DHgihQPchYug/s200/CHICAGO-USCIS2.jpg" width="153" /></a> Last Friday morning, I joined around 100 hardy souls at the<br />
USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) building in the Loop. We were going to join a Posada walking to some of the sites that are sources of pain for many undocumented immigrants. Most of the people were Hispanic,but there were Irish, Polish, and Filipinos, too. Each group took a turn praying in their own language. A stout older Irish man prayed in Gaelic. Apparently, there are around 50,000 undocumented Irish in the U.S. - mainly in New York, Boston, and Chicago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9smMYyNOWjDtC2G72yXB9uvTBr7JZVoVR2CacW7IxZ8D_hoCOpzqCcJkc9MbRRvdenZqWxrOTE2VuYUk3Z-e47uH8hTNaJquOW6n72PlZM817rT979b2V4Vk2UUcSbnf8Z_7U_2Hm0M/s1600/Metropolitan_Correctional_Center,_Chicago.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9smMYyNOWjDtC2G72yXB9uvTBr7JZVoVR2CacW7IxZ8D_hoCOpzqCcJkc9MbRRvdenZqWxrOTE2VuYUk3Z-e47uH8hTNaJquOW6n72PlZM817rT979b2V4Vk2UUcSbnf8Z_7U_2Hm0M/s200/Metropolitan_Correctional_Center,_Chicago.JPG" width="155" /></a></div>
Next we went to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal prison for men and women awaiting hearings. Many undocumented immigrants are here. (This is also the prison where two convicted bank robbers made a daring escape using bed sheets just a year ago in December 2012. When you view this building from the plaza in front, it's crazy to think that anyone could get out of it.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau3DXiBkMOoFqh_W6L9gE88J6TBklLo5UNzXUoTEsP2FcsEIgpfWjyxTcVAuYuada-55rIELjUSJs0mkW2F9UiZglDG2BAvXVnyBErVGaZkDMZcAyAB98QXwPxDOqBNFo_HeUonUdrVU/s1600/StudentCenterDePaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau3DXiBkMOoFqh_W6L9gE88J6TBklLo5UNzXUoTEsP2FcsEIgpfWjyxTcVAuYuada-55rIELjUSJs0mkW2F9UiZglDG2BAvXVnyBErVGaZkDMZcAyAB98QXwPxDOqBNFo_HeUonUdrVU/s200/StudentCenterDePaul.jpg" width="200" /></a>With a very helpful Chicago police escort, we made our way across some busy Loop intersections during the morning rush hour to DePaul University's Loop campus. This stop highlighted the many restrictions on undocumented students - the Dreamers - who were brought to the U.S. when they were too little to have any say in the matter and are often denied the education that would help themselves and all of us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0N9AJVkCYda2LwRMiavrCH8iBvIPAGArVYWmTbzIlzpPirMTMFiQWfV-lUAcDt5VgyQGJSHhhmRDugz0Z08IBsU2bK3Q0OgvYU-QAPhX3QvqJAXh6Z0absQuVHKljrmQ-UGf_gpVaRSc/s1600/Federal_Plaza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0N9AJVkCYda2LwRMiavrCH8iBvIPAGArVYWmTbzIlzpPirMTMFiQWfV-lUAcDt5VgyQGJSHhhmRDugz0Z08IBsU2bK3Q0OgvYU-QAPhX3QvqJAXh6Z0absQuVHKljrmQ-UGf_gpVaRSc/s200/Federal_Plaza.jpg" width="200" /></a>Then we went to Federal Plaza to mark the fact that Congress has failed to move forward on Immigration Reform this year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Y4MDE6SoXLAto4jyzygxl5uKfa07y90O9z7pG3_9NqNnhjHsGtvVDjuNMMPY1JQ1MwOi73jNu_rJa2uSgUOZw5hntnLAB7pWYLBeCRYlxY2O0bHq58uTSUI4US5nV1gCJ6fYWlsYIFc/s1600/StPetersChurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Y4MDE6SoXLAto4jyzygxl5uKfa07y90O9z7pG3_9NqNnhjHsGtvVDjuNMMPY1JQ1MwOi73jNu_rJa2uSgUOZw5hntnLAB7pWYLBeCRYlxY2O0bHq58uTSUI4US5nV1gCJ6fYWlsYIFc/s200/StPetersChurch.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
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And we ended up at St. Peter's Church where we were treated to a breakfast of tamales and hot chocolate. A nice end to a good morning.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-72619097684353752272013-12-13T21:13:00.000-06:002013-12-13T21:13:33.546-06:00A Nice Surprise in the Catechism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO5Yv8T13lS5pIYAIXaKLCy5ncv0hNUqgGLiE5IXfFLFtjLhxW6qKptAJO7F7yyswjo0qwatdmrL1j5k1DFevxGCtOGdhcHQYpg8qLAbIIHMVUmqzLu3VYs7hxmkJEMH8_4ANBftD0AY/s1600/catechism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO5Yv8T13lS5pIYAIXaKLCy5ncv0hNUqgGLiE5IXfFLFtjLhxW6qKptAJO7F7yyswjo0qwatdmrL1j5k1DFevxGCtOGdhcHQYpg8qLAbIIHMVUmqzLu3VYs7hxmkJEMH8_4ANBftD0AY/s1600/catechism.jpg" /></a></div>
I just finished reading through all of the latest edition of the Catechism. I've been at it since the end of last June! There were many Post-Its stuck to the pages I didn't agree with, but the last section on prayer was worth all the time it took to get there. I especially liked the 6 pages on "The Battle of Prayer." It was so good that the authors of this book recognize the struggle many of us have in moving beyond ritualistic words. "We pray as we live, because we live as we pray." What a deep mystery it is to find our efforts thwarted by distraction, dryness, lack of faith, and carelessness.<br />
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Now that I am in the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, I'm learning new ways to pray with the Jesuit community. It's really exhilarating to discover so many important things to try out in my thinking. The glories of getting older - and better.<br />
<br />SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-36539318740483796102013-10-16T17:28:00.000-05:002013-10-16T17:28:49.627-05:00Give tips in CASH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MFKriIAbFaADtec3ubgv3tzmEdjR4BPI_rTHmSQj9A4QTm7e-Pg_-SFYHP9Wq84mcJZtYIdCgdlsKdgXFimqR5rbV2bCzZBxMHGG9ULBDpk_O_9T_4m16Y6pQNCn2XrbLTJVb9FtsI8/s1600/tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MFKriIAbFaADtec3ubgv3tzmEdjR4BPI_rTHmSQj9A4QTm7e-Pg_-SFYHP9Wq84mcJZtYIdCgdlsKdgXFimqR5rbV2bCzZBxMHGG9ULBDpk_O_9T_4m16Y6pQNCn2XrbLTJVb9FtsI8/s320/tips.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
I just came away from a powerful discussion of faith and the world of workers. One eye-opener for me was to be told that many homeless, low-income, or marginal workers are often cheated of some of their wages by their employers. These people lack the power to protest, so it happens. One way that service workers are cheated is when customers add a tip to their bill when they pay by credit/debit card, but the worker never receives the money - or they receive a "discounted" amount. We can help them by leaving tips in cash whenever possible. I'm going to start today.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-36688302758367143092013-09-13T09:56:00.002-05:002013-09-13T09:56:56.172-05:00The Jo in the news today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuBx2apHk8eWdaM9zsMcPyYFZTLCyK0nrz7KZ-fBu1y7_M8qbXJiKYUDg4AhKgfpHw0XtVy69ZJ2FR-Zu9NxTJrzS2O2sGklQyl57D3ZqQbpvIrbUd1fw_hsVhlIVX4TVOGoHlfowx58/s1600/the+jo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuBx2apHk8eWdaM9zsMcPyYFZTLCyK0nrz7KZ-fBu1y7_M8qbXJiKYUDg4AhKgfpHw0XtVy69ZJ2FR-Zu9NxTJrzS2O2sGklQyl57D3ZqQbpvIrbUd1fw_hsVhlIVX4TVOGoHlfowx58/s1600/the+jo.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
I was so excited to read a huge editorial piece in the Trib's op-ed section today - all about a student at the small girls Catholic high school where I will begin working as a volunteer librarian in a few weeks. <a href="http://www.josephinum.org/">Josephinum Ac</a><a href="http://www.josephinum.org/">ademy</a> has only 200 students and they haven't been able to afford a degreed librarian for 7 years (is that Biblical or what?). I'm anxious to see what I can do for them, and what I know they will do for me.<br />
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I can't get a permanent link to the Trib story, so I'll just copy it here. Read on and rejoice for me!<br />
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<h1 style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 15px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
In search of an education</h1>
<h2 style="color: #757575; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 16px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
1 car ride, 2 bus rides, 2 train rides and 2 brisk walks later<span class="toolSet" style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #292727; display: inline-block; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: -50px; width: 335px;"><span class="byline" style="display: block; font-weight: bold;">By Diana Sroka Rickert</span></span><span class="toolSet" style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #292727; display: inline-block; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: -50px; width: 335px;"><span class="dateString" style="display: inline;">September 13, 2013</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: 700;"> </span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">6:30 a.m.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Jailyn
Baker doesn't think of herself as a morning person, but compared with
most teenagers — and probably many adults — she is. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Her alarm went off 90 minutes ago. She is showered and dressed in her school uniform — gray pants, white top, navy sweatshirt. Her backpack, which looks like it is going to burst, is slung over her shoulders.<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jailyn is ready to go to school.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></h2>
<h2 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 16px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In Chicago, students are assigned </span>to public schools within a few miles of their homes. For 16-year-old Jailyn, that's Harlan Community Academy High School.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Jailyn doesn't attend Harlan; she and her mom, Marcia, didn't think it was the right fit.</span></h2>
<h2 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 16px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Instead, Jailyn is a junior at Josephinum Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school 15 miles north in Wicker Park. The reason she's out the door so early is that the seven-leg trip she takes to school lasts an hour and a half.</span></h2>
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</h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is not the story of a student who is a victim of Chicago Public Schools' recent mass school closings. Nor is it the story of a stellar student who attends an elite private high school because she's on her way to Harvard. Jailyn is an average student. From an average neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. She wants a chance at being better than average, and Chicago Public Schools can't do that for her.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The average student at Josephinum graduates and attends college; the average student at Harlan does not. Jailyn's 90-minute trip to school is the price she pays for a chance at a brighter future. This commute is Jailyn's lifeline out of a failing educational system.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On this particular morning, Jailyn is already waiting outside of her home. A few minutes later, Marcia walks out the door.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As they settle into the car, Marcia checks to make sure Jailyn didn't forget anything.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Phone? Yes. ID? Got it. Money? No.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Marcia opens her wallet and pulls out $10.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Make it stretch," she tells Jailyn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">6:40 a.m. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Normally, Marcia drives Jailyn to the 95th Street Red Line stop, but because of the CTA's multimillion-dollar construction project, they're headed to the shuttle bus parked on 87th and State streets.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Marcia and Jailyn first heard about Josephinum when Jailyn was in eighth grade. It was time to choose a high school, but Marcia, who is raising Jailyn alone, felt their options were limited.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"We weren't really looking at the neighborhood school," says Marcia, 50. "We looked at the charters. I really wanted her to go to a Catholic high school, but I knew I couldn't afford them."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For students in Chicago who don't want to attend the neighborhood public school, the list of possibilities shrinks quickly.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Illinois State Board of Education pegs the number of nonpublic high schools in Chicago at around 90. Some of those are elite private schools such as Francis W. Parker in Lincoln Park, where sticker price tuition for just the freshman year is $30,780.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When the list of nonpublic schools is narrowed to those that advertise an annual tuition rate below $5,000, it contains fewer than 10 schools.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Josephinum is one of those schools.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"The Jo," as students affectionately call it, is not your typical college prep school. The average family income is $32,000, and Jailyn is among the 74 percent of the student body who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch. Tuition is priced at $4,900 to attract students who otherwise wouldn't have access to many educational opportunities. And 95 percent of the student body — including Jailyn — receives additional financial aid.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"We want to push the boundaries of educational opportunities for women," says Michael Dougherty, Josephinum's president. "We have no intention of becoming an affluent school."</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Most Chicago families get stuck in that unfortunate place where Marcia first found herself — feeling like they have no choice and no control over their children's futures.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Chicago has become a place where it seems the only way to get a good education is to be smart enough to get into a magnet school, rich enough to afford a private school or lucky enough to win the charter lottery.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"If your kid is really smart or if you have a lot of money, there are great options," Marcia says. "(Otherwise) it seems like education is left by the wayside."</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But what if your child isn't smart enough, or isn't lucky enough? Should this mean your only option is a failing neighborhood public school?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In a city that will spend $5.58 billion on education this school year, is that the best Chicago can do?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When they reach 87th Street, Marcia pulls up behind the bus. Jailyn says a quick goodbye and exits the car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">7:06 a.m.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> When the bus arrives at the Garfield "L" stop, Jailyn joins a thick crowd climbing the steps to the platform.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">From Garfield, Jailyn can take either the Red or Green line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Whichever gets here first," she says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Today's it's the Red Line.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jailyn says she doesn't mind the patchwork of buses and trains that get her to school every day. It could be worse. She could be at her neighborhood school, Harlan.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">According to CPS, fewer than half of the students who enter as freshmen at Harlan graduate within five years. In 2012, the school's average ACT score was 15.1, more than five points below what ACT considers college-ready. This puts Harlan students in the 15th percentile (from the bottom) of all U.S. high schoolers who take the college entrance exam.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Besides Harlan, Jailyn passes about 15 other public high schools along her way to Josephinum. She's simply passing one failing school after another.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">At Paul Robeson High School in Englewood, CPS reports that in 2012 nearly 6 of 10 students who started as freshmen never made it to graduation. The average ACT score at Robeson is 13.8.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">At Dyett High School in Washington Park, fewer than 45 percent of the students graduate within five years. Not four years. Five.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">At Tilden Career Community Academy in New City, statistics from 2012 show that 2 of 3 students who walked in as freshmen never walked out with a diploma.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Not even the six selective-enrollment schools along Jailyn's commute — where, theoretically, Chicago's best and brightest students attend — had dropout rates lower than 25 percent.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jailyn isn't just passing by these 15 or so failing schools on her way to Josephinum every day; she's escaping them.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">7:28 a.m.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> When the Red Line reaches its Jackson stop, Jailyn has to transfer. She exits the train and walks down the tunnel to the Blue Line platform.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After a few minutes, a train arrives and Jailyn continues her commute.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jailyn's mother is not an education activist. Marcia doesn't send Jailyn to Josephinum because she wants to protest CPS, or make some sort of statement against public schools. She doesn't study school performance statistics. She has never even heard of school vouchers.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The reason Marcia sends Jailyn to Josephinum is that Marcia believes in her daughter. She says something inside told her Jailyn's future would be brighter if she attended Josephinum.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When parents get that feeling — for whatever the reason — why doesn't Chicago have avenues for them to act on it?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">These avenues exist in Milwaukee and Racine, Wis. They exist in Indiana, too.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In fact, Jailyn lives just 10 miles from the Indiana border — closer than she does to Josephinum. If only Jailyn lived over the state line, her educational experience would be very different.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to a law passed in 2011 and upheld by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2013, Indiana is home to one of the most liberating school voucher programs in the nation.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Here's how it works: State money for education follows an individual student to any school he or she chooses, private or public. The amount of money that goes to the school is based on the family's income and the amount of education funding the local public school district normally would receive from the state.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">If Jailyn and Marcia lived in Hammond, Ind., Jailyn would be eligible for nearly $6,000 in a voucher to apply toward the cost of attending any school of her choice.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"She would get 90 percent of what the state would have spent on her education," says Robert Enlow, president and CEO at the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. "This would open the door to almost every high school except the most expensive."</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">7:38 a.m.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> As the Blue Line travels northwest, Jailyn starts mapping out her school day. Homeroom is first. A schoolwide assembly is next, followed by global studies. Then, the highlight of the day — dissecting a pig in biology class.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It doesn't make Jailyn the least bit squeamish. In fact, it's probably good preparation for when she goes to college because she wants to become an anesthesiologist.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Not <i>if</i> she goes to college. When.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This is just one of the differences between what Jailyn's life is like as a Josephinum student and what it might have been like had she attended Harlan.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">College is on Jailyn's horizon because it's something she and her mom are working toward, and it's something that is ingrained in the culture at her school.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">At Josephinum, more than 90 percent of students graduate on time, and when they graduate, college is the expectation. Josephinum graduates go to such schools as the University of Chicago or Kenyon College, which is considered one of the country's premier liberal arts schools. Others attend DePaul University or a community college.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But back at Jailyn's neighborhood school, the story is very different. In 2012, just 48.3 percent of Harlan's freshmen graduate within five years. In addition, the school is on probation and based on CPS' performance policy, Harlan has a low academic performance rating.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">7:51 a.m.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> When the Blue Line reaches Damen Avenue, it's finally time for Jailyn to get off the "L." She exits, then walks a few blocks to the No. 72 bus stop on North Avenue.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jailyn knows that a scholarship is part of why this long commute to the Jo is even possible. The other reason is her mom's sacrifice.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Needless to say, her (Jailyn's) education came first," says Marcia. So Marcia traded rent money to save for tuition, and moved back into her childhood home to live with her parents. Living with her parents made it possible for Marcia to send Jailyn to private elementary school.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But Marcia's father passed away in 2001, and her mother died this winter. She's worried about how she'll be able to afford the tuition for the rest of Jailyn's high school years — and college. "It's definitely going to be a stretch to do everything on my own now," Marcia says.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">She wouldn't have to worry so much if Illinois had passed the school voucher bill of 2010. Then, living in Chicago would be a lot more like living in Milwaukee or Hammond.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Three years ago, then-state Sen. James Meeks, D-Chicago, proposed legislation that would have created a school voucher program in Illinois. Parents whose children were assigned to the lowest-performing public schools in Chicago would have been given the opportunity to send their children to a private school.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This was a bill designed for students like Jailyn.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It passed the Illinois Senate with bipartisan support. Then it died in the House. It hasn't seen the light of day since.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jailyn says she is happy attending Josephinum. She likes her teachers. She has friends. But if only the school voucher bill of 2010 had become law, it would have taken effect just in time for Jailyn to start high school.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Maybe she wouldn't have needed to travel 90 minutes to get to school. Maybe she could have attended a private school closer to her home. Maybe all the other Jailyns in Chicago also would have had a chance at a better future.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;">7:57 a.m.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> When the bus reaches Oakley Boulevard, it's finally time for Jailyn to stop getting on and off buses and trains. She exits and waits to cross the street.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jailyn's trip to school took one car ride, two bus rides, two train rides and two brisk walks. A few minutes after 8 a.m. Jailyn finally is standing at the front door of Josephinum. She swings the door open, and walks into school.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Diana Sroka Rickert is a writer with the Illinois Policy Institute.</i></span></div>
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SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-86984707420802950402013-08-15T22:10:00.000-05:002013-08-15T22:10:00.247-05:00Sal-ve! Sal-ve!! Salve, Regina!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Around 6:30 pm tonight, I had dug out what leftovers we were going to finish off for dinner, then headed for the computer to check my e-mail. I found a reminder that today is a holy day of obligation, and realized we could still get to the 7:30 Mass. So I stuffed the leftovers back in the fridge, and we drove off to church. There were only a handful of the faithful there (the "remnant" acc. to the priest), but he was in a cheerful mood and invited us all up to the altar to make it more cozy.<br />
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I had been reading my way through the Catechism and had just finished one of the big sections on Mary. I was really disappointed to be reminded there that Mary is believed to be without "original sin." I want her to be just as human as the rest of us, otherwise her "yes" isn't quite as impressive for me. Nevertheless, my attitude about Marian devotion is undergoing a change. I've been rather Protestant about her for many years, but I've been doing some thinking about it lately. I even joined my parents in the Rosary with some thoughtfulness when I visited them last week. At any rate, it felt really good to belt out "Hail, Holy Queen" for the recessional tonight!<br />
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(Found this photo of a young Palestinian woman on Google. I bet Mary looked more like this than the usual paintings of fair-skinned, blue-eyed European women.)SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-31027422306181060852013-07-29T09:57:00.000-05:002013-07-29T10:17:07.953-05:00Waste Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgI2kzaGf5anecdkel59M7_MEuOV9NlZmlGC4feS-MaEvlckgmkEhcyMo9CCeXIzv9uXlg3wlkCa9grgm8d0_qklxpt3hadWkthwrwtfoL9vs2EVfQeWqr2oceK9INEhatQuUAvxO4-Q/s1600/waste+land.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgI2kzaGf5anecdkel59M7_MEuOV9NlZmlGC4feS-MaEvlckgmkEhcyMo9CCeXIzv9uXlg3wlkCa9grgm8d0_qklxpt3hadWkthwrwtfoL9vs2EVfQeWqr2oceK9INEhatQuUAvxO4-Q/s1600/waste+land.jpg" /></a></div>
Almost every week I have a date with my ironing board, which I set up in front of our tv in the basement. I put in a dvd and start in on the shirts and handkerchiefs (that's right, I don't like the no-iron version - not absorbent). This week I finally got around to watching a much-recommended documentary, <a href="http://www.wastelandmovie.com/">Waste Land</a> - and I had to stop ironing and sit down to watch with full attention.<br />
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Waste Land is about a famous artist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vik_Muniz">Vik Muniz</a>, who made his way from Brazil to New York and became wealthy from his success as a sculptor and visual artist. After a time he decided to return to Brazil and work on a project with the pickers of recyclable materials that he met working in a huge garbage dump outside of Rio de Janeiro. He took some wonderful photographic portraits of some of the most memorable pickers. The story of how he collaborated with them to create very large versions of the photographs constructed entirely of stuff collected from the dump was life-changing for everyone involved - reminded me of the story of Pinocchio. The project helped the pickers to see themselves as so much more than human "garbage." A film like that always makes me feel larger.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-43503710569401918732013-07-07T15:36:00.000-05:002013-07-07T15:36:23.037-05:00Little Train Fan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx9Z0hEBBFl8Odqt6tN5Kg_BzXdQccFmvOYunDtJlVz_U_ffa4ZE05KUzVOJhsubmeqnGIFJWCAWSC9S3GLSKknX9xpdk5QHLeg7RLiS8ulMIvIVuecj53RSMihR12Q1hhUGmIBxbTmk/s1600/_conductorhat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx9Z0hEBBFl8Odqt6tN5Kg_BzXdQccFmvOYunDtJlVz_U_ffa4ZE05KUzVOJhsubmeqnGIFJWCAWSC9S3GLSKknX9xpdk5QHLeg7RLiS8ulMIvIVuecj53RSMihR12Q1hhUGmIBxbTmk/s1600/_conductorhat2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /> </a></div>
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We live just 4 blocks from a station for Metra, the commuter rail system in the area, and two of our grandkids live 4 blocks from the station two stops north of ours. The little one loves to watch the trains from the library windows just across the tracks from that station, and I've taken him there in his stroller just to watch the trains at rush hour - one every few minutes. Every so often he'll get to ride the train down to our house for a short visit, then back again - a great delight! So, when he turned two just last week, I knew just what to get for a birthday present. <u>Where</u> to get it was a bigger problem. No luck on Amazon or the nearby costume store. Enter the Chicago Costume Company - just across the street from the main DePaul Univ. campus along our old route to Grandma's. </div>
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They told me they had one hat left, so we rushed over to get it. The little conductor looked very proud to wear his hat at his birthday party, and I'm told that it will be part of his Halloween costume this year. A good time was had by all!</div>
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SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-61549843662387079362013-05-23T14:20:00.001-05:002013-05-23T14:20:03.871-05:00Another Great Recipe - 3 Ingredients and No Cooking! <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaakiCsU5oWiLA98aI-NXnGLAtc_WywfrcGMqYWHAEG9aznJogVLMEnbUcwruz6aNxPqxCq9un73MmyRnHHA4pwsUgxhjn4BW3L74MDChtQnqXIC8-JCzlYGUwPrGF8UBqG_GpvNwrTM/s1600/Pineapple+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaakiCsU5oWiLA98aI-NXnGLAtc_WywfrcGMqYWHAEG9aznJogVLMEnbUcwruz6aNxPqxCq9un73MmyRnHHA4pwsUgxhjn4BW3L74MDChtQnqXIC8-JCzlYGUwPrGF8UBqG_GpvNwrTM/s1600/Pineapple+plant.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_160731042"></span>I love cooking shows and find most of them on PBS since we don't have cable. Yesterday I was watching Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence and saw a really easy dessert - fresh pineapple chunks drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt. I've learned how to cut up fresh pineapple, but if you need help with it, watch this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/video/8/how-to-cut-pineapple/detail.aspx">clip</a>. Supposedly, the olive oil cuts the acidity of the pineapple and the flaky salt brings out the flavor. Now to get some Maldon salt.......SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-54008634791051411472013-05-07T18:36:00.000-05:002013-05-07T18:36:25.874-05:00Extended Warranties - a Reluctant Fan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt2ECWh-1iIquXhMzpL8kn9EyjiCntCmYq1-_e-hTRPW2cAXlNfGGHK4itqNM12iBYfS6x0Rd3fwu_kOb3ZCHyT7bLwpz4tK8wuwrRwv-qMXCVB5c7wGydCjNjdAsc5rOo9PiFLTTFys/s1600/washing+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt2ECWh-1iIquXhMzpL8kn9EyjiCntCmYq1-_e-hTRPW2cAXlNfGGHK4itqNM12iBYfS6x0Rd3fwu_kOb3ZCHyT7bLwpz4tK8wuwrRwv-qMXCVB5c7wGydCjNjdAsc5rOo9PiFLTTFys/s320/washing+machine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last week, my 10-year-old Kenmore washer died in the middle of the 4th load on my wash day. I fished out a couple of sheets and dialed around until I got a spin cycle to try to get the water out. All was well until I got to within 2 inches of the bottom of the tub, then a horrible clanking and a bad smell told me to shut the thing off immediately. Fortunately, we found out that the extended warranty we bought from Sears a few years ago was still in effect! We have argued a lot about whether or not to get them lately. I've been reading that they are a waste of money and an easy source of upgrades for appliance stores.<br />
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Today, the repairman came out, replaced a timer, and then talked us into a new warranty on the washer AND the dryer that will last until 2015. We are either big-time suckers or brilliant.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-42619784019854281652013-04-29T12:47:00.001-05:002013-04-29T12:47:40.516-05:00Chicago Garbage Trucks vs. Flooded Basements<div style="text-align: center;">
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So here is the mighty garbage truck in Chicago. Today I went for a walk in my neighborhood and saw that a few people just got around to cleaning out their basement from the flooding last week and stacked the ruined items on the curb for pickup today. Carpets, furniture, black bags (heavy with damp stuff) - it all gets eaten by the garbage truck. I got to watch as my neighbor's huge pile of mildewed debris was fed into the maw by the two regular workers, PLUS the driver, who actually got out of the truck and put on work gloves! (I've never seen the driver do anything but sit and look bored.) Within a minute, a van drove up and another guy got out, putting on gloves to help the other three. The best part was seeing a big, overstuffed sofa get mangled, then swallowed whole by the truck's compactor (see above) - truly amazing! They cleaned it all up in less than 5 minutes. </div>
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In other news, I've given up on Chrome for Blogger posts - now it's Firefox once again. At least I can add photos that way. Now to see if I can update my reading list. Good to be back!</div>
SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-58370261630595403472013-04-01T17:20:00.001-05:002013-04-01T17:20:13.935-05:00Another Google problem!Guess it wasn't bad enough that Google Reader is on life support. Now I can't update my reading list - forums say that other Google gadgets are also not working. Depressing news.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-63471271581805084012013-03-28T16:28:00.001-05:002013-03-28T16:28:11.596-05:00Google Reader Alternative Needed
Here I thought Google stuff would be around forever - silly me. Now I've got until July 1 to come up with something to take its place. Anybody have a good candidate?SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-39960957664674569382013-03-10T16:10:00.001-05:002013-03-10T16:50:18.091-05:00Encyclopedia of Chicago - fini! - -<br />
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On May 20, 2005, I bought a print copy of the <i>Encyclopedia of Chicago</i>, pub. 2004, for my husband and had it autographed by Ann Durkin Keating, one of the editors. Her mother is a neighborhood acquaintance of mine, so the book has more than one significance for me.<br />
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Even though my husband is a lifelong Chicagoan, I was more interested in the book than he was. I began reading one column at a time nearly every day, even the Chicago business histories at the end of the A-Z articles. After almost 8 years, I finished the last business entry, Zenith Radio Corp. It seemed fitting to read that Zenith filed for Chapter 11 in the late 90s and then went into further decline - like so many of the other Chicago businesses in the list.<br />
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I've now lived in Chicago longer than any other place. Before that, my family moved about every 4 years on average, so it feels good to know that I've been here for 40 odd years and can call it home. It's so big, though, that I don't have personal knowledge of large parts of the city or all the different kinds of people who live here. That's where the book comes in handy. Take a look at the <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/">online version</a>. You can read about everything Chicagoan, from birthing practices to vaudeville.<br />
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I'm going to miss spending time with the book on my lap, but it was great reading! SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-21195055400183171512013-02-20T15:58:00.000-06:002013-02-20T15:58:32.445-06:00Bridge and Euchre<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE3EuspLvDou0rLQsFuy2HCS_IPzkeTE8Q-Zdsytxe_aHDIJC03rJ_eg_ezxyUcp1CKTrLYDrkr1KKLVW_5qmMBNFubGjyR2LGex9c1pr4uaEEqmKuA2BaOxfRayyVHldSy2vPgCDdHw/s1600/packofcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE3EuspLvDou0rLQsFuy2HCS_IPzkeTE8Q-Zdsytxe_aHDIJC03rJ_eg_ezxyUcp1CKTrLYDrkr1KKLVW_5qmMBNFubGjyR2LGex9c1pr4uaEEqmKuA2BaOxfRayyVHldSy2vPgCDdHw/s1600/packofcards.jpg" /></a>My dad's parents played Bridge, my parents play Bridge, and I killed time as a commuter in college by playing with other students waiting for their car pools to assemble. Later, I realized I had married a guy who has no card sense, and joined a neighborhood club for young moms who didn't really care about the game, but wanted to get out on their own once a month. That club eventually crumbled and I was left to play bridge against a CD-ROM, which I did faithfully just on the weekends, since I had taken a job.<br />
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Now that I'm retired, I decided to test the waters of real person play again by signing up as a sub in a local club. I didn't humiliate myself in playing, but it was pretty embarrassing to realize I had lost all skills handling actual cards. I looked like a 5th grader trying to shuffle and deal. Despite that, it must have been decided that I was good enough to get another call, so I'm going to play again next week.<br />
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Enter daughter and fiance who like to play Euchre and wanted us to try it last week. As soon as I saw that it involved bidding, trump cards, and taking tricks, I started to get worried. Is it possible to keep rules and strategies for two such similar games separate in your head??? Anyone know somebody who can?SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-42938463722550287702013-01-23T21:46:00.001-06:002013-01-23T21:46:12.497-06:00Winter DroughtGreat. My first attempt at a post after many months and I can't figure out how to insert a photo now that Blogger has been upgraded since I was last here. Well, I will publish anyway - use your imagination for a city neighborhood that is empty of greenery and snow - just cold.<br />
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I was going to show you my block this morning, January 23. It was only 10 degrees and I was out for a walk wearing a down hooded parka, and 2 pairs each of pants, socks, and gloves. Perfect for walking - no snow or ice! This is pretty unbelievable for Chicago, and all of us who have to walk or bike around town are grateful. My #2 daughter can still ride her bike to work from time to time, and there are no worries about slipping in traffic. The other day I read in the paper that no snow cover in January means that plants are suffering from the lack of cover for their roots. The ground freezes more deeply, and that affects insects and animals, too. The biggest problem, though, is that the lack of snow will result in little moisture for trees and other plants in the spring. Is this another aspect of global warming?SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-69577699860066490492012-11-02T15:21:00.000-05:002012-11-02T15:21:53.213-05:00Sunday morning TVI was awake early last Sunday, and while I waited for the paper to arrive, I decided to tune into the station that carries a half-hour Mass at 7:30 on channel 26. This is not EWTN, so a local priest says the Mass with some local parish providing the congregation. I knew the priest - he used to be pastor at my parish. His dad was a local TV personality, so he is well-versed in media presentations. I was surprised to see that the congregation this time was from my current parish - a dozen older women (of course), and a set of grandparents with their Cub Scout grandson. I recognized several of the women - one is the mother of one of the authors of the <i>Encyclopedia of Chicago</i>. A professional song leader and pianist provided the music, but you couldn't hear anyone singing except the leader. The homily was brief, but memorable, on the blind man who asked to see. The main point being no one can "see" anything or anyone outside of themselves if they are in the dark due to the inner walls they have built around themselves. I noticed several little short-cuts in the Mass, but it was all done in 29 minutes with no commercials except for a pitch at the very end for funding from the director of the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, which sponsors the show. <br />
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Channel 26 aired one commercial for an attorney specializing in cases of nursing home accidents or mistreatment (nursing home residents are the early Sunday morning TV audience, no doubt), then went right to the next show, a service from the Apostolic Church of God on the south side of town, so I stayed to watch that, too. This one had a full gospel choir (everyone in matching robes) with several soloists and a 10-piece band in front of hundreds of people (all dressed to the nines) in an auditorium-style setting. After several rousing numbers, the pastor, an older man who had appeared in the beginning by himself for a brief appeal to all the "sisters and brothers" to be sure to vote on Election Day (didn't say who should get their votes, but that's pretty much understood here), turned over the pulpit to a young deacon for the sermon. He was nervous, sweating, and stumbling over his words until he got into his message on the story of the Good Samaritan, then he roamed the stage, talking a mile a minute. By the end he had everyone talking to the people around them to make sure that no one remained a needy stranger. I felt like applauding his effort!<br />
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After another commercial from the nursing home problem-chaser, Joel Osteen came on the air from his mega-church in Houston. I bought his best-seller books for my library, back when I was still working, so here was my chance to see him in action. He was slim and polished to a T, with nary a look at any notes (must have had a teleprompter somewhere). The congregation was immense - probably a thousand or more. Certainly not as well dressed as the Apostolics, though. I heard a baby crying somewhere off in the crowd, which lent the whole thing a little honesty, I thought. Joel's sermon was about not letting hard luck keep you down - that God will reward anyone who keeps the faith through thick and thin. The word "reward" kept reappearing. That made me uncomfortable, as though he was promising ultimate happiness in this life for anyone who had to suffer for awhile, as in the story of Job. His prime example was about a young man who had been on dialysis for over ten years, and finally found a friend who wanted to donate a kidney to him, so now he's healthy and happy. We all know that not every story has a happy ending, but that's what Joel seemed to promise, if you only keep smiling and praising God.<br />
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At the end, I had to admit that Osteen and the Apostolics were very entertaining. They both made big pitches for funding at the end of their shows. Joel Osteen's pitches reminded me of Disney World commercials. The best thing I can say about the Catholic Mass is that it certainly was humble.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-18998396969507853042012-10-31T19:55:00.000-05:002012-10-31T19:55:57.726-05:00The End of Halloween for Us?It is now 7:39 pm on Halloween night. The weather is cool, but clear. I have had a carved pumpkin with a battery light inside it on my front porch since 2:30 this afternoon. My porch light is on and there are lights on inside the house. We have had NO trick-or-treaters at the door. I actually saw some kids in costume running down the opposite side of the street around 5:30, but they never came to this side. And, there are school kids on the street - both sides! None of them know us very well, though. We're too old even to hang out with their parents.<br />
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I can only assume that Halloween has reached some sort of watershed around here for kids and parents. No more roaming the neighborhood, ringing doorbells of strangers to get candy loot. Even though I can understand it, it makes me sort of sad. How well I remember running around after dark with hundreds of other kids dressed as bums and ghosts (the cheapest costumes, after all) getting a huge bag of candy. Then the real fun - sorting all the Tootsie Rolls from the Three Musketeers from the chintzy suckers, etc. Trading with your siblings for your favorites. It's hard to think that that was more than 50 years ago.<br />
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As it is, I might decide that this is the last time I get out my knife and newspapers for a pumpkin, the last time I debate whether to buy a healthier alternative to Hershey bars (nah!), the last time I hang monstery decorations on the front door. There's still time to keep me in the game, kids!SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309108292034784712.post-53009181642135593972012-08-30T19:50:00.002-05:002012-08-30T19:50:15.186-05:00Frederick Buechner, Extraordinary SoulSince I just finished <i>The Sacred Journey</i>, Buechner's wonderful spiritual autobiography of his early years, I must share a few excerpts that I love. He was born in the same year as my dad, and much of what he tells about his life in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, made me see my dad's early life in a new way.<br />
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"God's coming is always unforeseen, I think, and the reason, if I had to guess, is that if he gave us anything much in the way of advance warning, more often than not we would have made ourselves scarce long before he got there."<br />
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"To journey for the sake of saving our own lives is little by little to cease to live in any sense that really matters, even to ourselves, because it is only by journeying for the world's sake -- even when the world bores and sickens and scares you half to death -- that little by little we start to come alive."<br />
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I'm looking forward to reading the second volume that continues the story at the point where he, at the age of 27, enters Union Theological Seminary in NYC.SMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14758528208892462925noreply@blogger.com1