This week the news has been so full of hatred and negativity, from the major networks screaming bad news and fear, the mostly ill-informed political rantings on Facebook and other social media, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and, saddest of all, the accounts of hate-filled incidents perpetrated against our Muslim neighbors. It all makes my heart sore. …
Friday Five: Distractions
3dogmom at RevGals asks us to list five things we use as distractions when the going gets tough. I'm super good at distracting myself most of the time. Just stay busy! Sooooo very busy! So busy I can't think about that thing I really should attend to, or the horrors of the day which lately seem …
Spotlight/On the Turning Away
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Never have Lord Acton's words resonated as much as while Paul and I were watching the terrific new film Spotlight. It's a must-see, but it is a difficult see, especially if you were brought up Roman Catholic, and especially-especially if you …
Stereo-atypical
Julie at RevGals asks, NaBloPoMo Day 25: How do you crush a stereotype of your gender/sexual expression/race/denomination/nationality? I don't know that I crush any of them; I live a traditional life. But I think I've occasionally given a student reason to think differently about things, to maybe question a closely-held position, like this one: I was …
Je pleure, et je prie (I weep, and I pray)
You went out to a football match, a cafe', a concert on a Friday night. Went with friends to have a few drinks, maybe go clubbing later; or with family, to have a bite to eat, relax, enjoy a Fall evening. Perhaps to get lost in thrashing heavy metal. Through the night, your friends and families have rung …
Ten Things that Happened While Everyone Was Talking About Starbuck’s Godless Red Cup
Aung Sung Suu Kyi's NLD party won in a landslide election in Myanmar. While she's prevented from assuming the post of President due to a discriminatory clause in the constitution, the NLD won the 75% of the vote not controlled by the military (which retains 25% of the seats constitutionally) and Suu Kyi can be …
Have You Changed Your Mind Lately?
Over time, I've changed my mind about lots of things: broccoli, stinky cheeses, Texas, being seen in public wearing sweatpants. But today's Forward Day by Day meditation gave me pause: "How many of us have ever been challenged to change our minds about what the kingdom of God means, or who it might include? What is …
Friday Five: Random
Late again, but Anne at RevGals asks of the multi-taskers: What is your “gotta go!” breakfast that you can grab and take with you in the morning when you’re in a rush? When was the last time you had a fun evening out, and what did you do? Favorite poet or poem? Who makes you …
Not in My Job Description
NaBloPoMo Day 5: What's something you've done for your work that wasn't exactly in the job description? Considering this prompt, my gut instinct was, Everything. But as a Secretary on a large High school campus my job description included: create and maintain student disciplinary files; answer phones, assisting Parents as needed; assist Assistant/Associate Principal(s) as …
Friday Five: Halloween
MaryBeth at RevGalBlogPals asks for five Halloween/All Saints Day memories. Since my family didn't go to church much, mine are all Halloween: I am one in a mob of kids unsupervised by adults but bound together by our parents' edict: stay together! Big kids are expected to look after the littles and no one is to wander …
Southern Fried Californian 