I was at the supermarket check-out line, and noticed that the woman in front of me had a large and obvious facial deformity — kind of a dark, pendulous chunk right under her mouth, and another, smaller one near her eye. She was cheerful and talkative, and I chided myself a little, thinking how self-conscious and crabby I can be when my hair is messed up or I have a zit on the side of my nose — but here... Read more
SATURDAY CHILE RELLENO CHICKEN SOUP; CORN BREAD Saturday is the only day I came close to cooking anything interesting. THIS WAS INTERESTING. The recipe I used called for roasted poblano peppers, which I’ve never used before. The supermarket’s labels weren’t clear, and I wasn’t completely sure the peppers I chose would be hot enough. They sure looked pretty, though, especially after roasting, which I did under the oven broiler: Then I took off the seeds and stems and as much of the... Read more
Photo credit: Damien Fisher Read this story about Donald Trump, and his take on “everybody’s” feelings about security: “We’re going to have to do things that we never did before. And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule,” Trump said. “And certain things will be done that we never thought would happen in this country in terms of information and learning about the... Read more
Pray. Pray! Maybe you don’t need a reminder, but I do. Almost none of us are in a position to do anything else. We can vote, we can argue, we can maybe collect money or baby carriers or signatures or other signatures or bug-out bags — but if you believe in God, then doing any of these things without praying is like shopping for furniture when you’re homeless. Prayer is where we ought to live, where we ought to start our day from and where we come home to at night.... Read more
Gregory Popcak and I were chatting the other day. He’s thinking of writing a second, revised edition to his book Holy Sex!: A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind-Blowing, Infallible Loving. If you have read it, are there things you would like to see included in any future editions (certain problems addressed, topics discussed, sections refined)? Even if you haven’t read it, are there things you would like to see addressed in a book that’s intended to help people live the Catholic... Read more
Although she smiled warmly and spoke gently (and, if I remember rightly, barely cleared five feet in height!), I was somewhat abashed, not only by her chic southern elegance, but by the dark sunglasses she wore at all times. Dr. Louise suffered from a thyroid disorder which left her nearly blind, and after a series of surgeries, her eyeballs protruded and were discolored, and her face was scarred. Another student went into her office after me. For several reasons, this girl was on the... Read more
We left for Syracuse on Friday around noon. The first thing I did that morning was say, “What kind of paint?” What kind of paint, that is, did the dog spill, o son who is knocking on my bedroom door first thing in the morning? And was there any possible way I could wait until the sun was up before I got up and started cleaning up the dog paint tracks that covered four rooms as he dashed around in... Read more
When I was a zygote, I was female. I was as feminine then as I am today at age 40. When I do something — anything at all — I do it as a woman. There is no such thing as me doing something like a man. I’m just me, doing things, and I’m a woman. I’m just me, feeling things. I’m just me, acting and thinking and feeling and behaving like me. And I am a woman. It sounds... Read more
We’re so fancy, our leather couch has built-in cup holders for my evening wine. How fancy are you? Read more
What’s the difference between feigned joy that cult members are required to display, and a suffering saint’s determination to smile at everyone she meets; and what does it have to do with the awful client with the beautiful blue eyes? Read the rest at the Register. *** image: By Robert Pérez Palou (http://www.robertperezpalou.com/) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Read more
I Have to Sit Down
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