Ohhhhhhhhh, well, here I am again--another Sunday night--another week gone by.
Since the last time I posted I was informed that I lost one of my teaching jobs. That's life in the academic jungle where humans sometimes act like crafty foxes. No advance notice. One week a job, the next week your job is given to someone else. Another department took over my department's classes and I got thrown into the jungle without a machete, which is probably a good thing because I could have done a good job swinging that machete. Yep, that's the way the jobs tumble and the pages rip. I have to say I was upset when I found out and was sort of in a funk for a few days. But my homeless buddy Howard put it all in perspective.
Howard was in his usual spot outside church. He saw me coming down the street and started waving me over to him. He said, "There was a funeral here this morning!" Howard tends to get excited whenever there's a funeral. Howard mumbles, which is probably due to his lack of teeth. I said, "What did you say?" He said, "There was a funeral. I wonder who it was. Do you know?" I said, "No. I didn't know her. But yesterday they said her name. I think her first name was Anna." Howard said, "I hope it wasn't the lady in the gray car. I help her. She can never find parking. So I help her find a spot. I hope it wasn't her." I said, "Howard, you help everyone." Howard smiled and then said, "How ya' doin'?" I said, "Not too good today, Howard. I lost one of my jobs." Howard said, "Ohhhh noooo!" I said, "Yeah, I hope I find another one soon. I have no money." Howard ever so sympathetically said, "Don't worry, baby. You'll find somethin'. I know you will." I said, "I hope so. If you're a praying man, Howard, pray for me." He smiled and said, "Ok. But don't worry. There's always McDonalds!" I looked way up at big Howard and said, "Howard, if I end up at McDonalds, you're going to get a lot of food!" Howard smiled and chuckled. I smiled and chuckled too as I walked into church. I love Howard. He never fails to make my day.
After Mass, Howard was still standing watch on his corner. I walked over to him and said,"Here Howard. This is mine, but I want you to have it." I handed Howard my rosary. He took it, smiled and simply said, "Thank you." I said, "Keep it in your pocket. Keep it with you always." He smiled and said, "OK." I looked way up at him and mischievously said, "Oh, and Howard, make sure it's not in a pocket with a hole in it." Howard smiled and laughed. Oh, life would be so boring without Howard. You know, Howard has a really interesting life. He knows everything that goes on in a whole city block. He has all types of friends. And he knows how not to worry. Howard is freer than a lot of folks I know. Thanks to Howard, my new daily mantra is There's always McDonalds! McDonalds and Hope. You can't live without them.
As my week continued my job woes lessened. It looks like I will still be teaching my night class,which starts in a few weeks. But I won't believe it until I'm standing in front of my students. I also applied for an online teaching position and another job. So maybe, just maybe, I'll have something secure lined up soon.
Moving on to the reading front. I started these two books the last couple of days: The Music of Creation by John Michael Talbot and The Monks of Tibhirine, Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria by John W. Kiser, The monks book is fascinating. I reluctantly put it down. Here is a review that is from Goodreads.com:
Few Americans heard about it, but the story gripped Europe (and especially France) during the summer of 1996: The mysterious kidnapping and murder of seven Trappist monks living in the Algerian village of Tibhirine at their monastery of Notre-Dame de l'Atlas. John W. Kiser III tells their story, or at least what parts of it can be known; much of what happened to them remains unclear, including the motives of their captors. Parts of The Monks of Tibhirine are grim, but this is an unavoidable fact of the case. The monks' bodies, for instance, never have been found--except for their heads. Kiser describes the scene: "The monks' desiccated faces, hollow eye sockets, and exposed teeth made them look like mummies." (Apparently they had been buried, then disinterred.) Readers looking for a nonfiction thriller won't find it on these pages, however. Much of the book is a history of monks living in Algeria, and much of the rest chronicles the good relationships the seven doomed monks shared with their Muslim neighbors. Their devotion to both their faith and their neighbors is inspiring; the way they died is abhorrent. --John Miller
Those who know me well know I love classic movies. Yesterday TCM had a great line up--Fiddler on the Roof, National Velvet, and Wuthering Heights. I wanted to watch all three,
but I'm just not one for sitting all day in front of the TV. But I had to watch Fiddler. Fiddler on the Roof was one of the first movies I ever saw in a theater. My mother took me. It was a special occasion. We rarely went to the movies. My family didn't have extra money to waste on movies. Oh! How my mother and I loved that movie. I have not seen Fiddler in years, so when I watched it yesterday it was like seeing it through new eyes. It's the perfect movie. Great acting, great music, great scenery, great directing. Just perfect. Every human emotion is explored during the movie. Creativity at its best. Here's a video of Topol in the If I were a Rich Man scene. Topol is a genius. He was born to play this role.
Here's an interview with Topol. He has played this role on the stage more than 2500 times. Wow. I have seen the film many times, but the never the stage production. I so wish I could see it, but I can't afford to go to any stage productions anytime soon. But I shall not fret over it because There's Always McDonalds!. :)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Books, Secrets, Respites, Suffering, and Grace
Well, it's January 24th, and I just finished reading my second book this month. I think it's safe to say I'm off and running. The book I literally just finished I wrote about in a previous blog.Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg
I give it four stars. A couple of months ago,I met the author when he came to speak at the library where I was teaching an ESL class. His book is about a family secret his mother kept. After his mother died, the author found out that his mother had a sister that none of the children in the family knew about. The book's topic falls into the area my dissertation will explore--that of using writing as a healing mechanism. Here's a link to an excerpt from Annie's Ghost.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/anniesghost.htm
For anyone who has been part of family who has kept secrets (haven't we all?) this book is worth the read. Also, anyone who has a family member with mental illness and/or mental retardation will find the book insightful.
On a lighter note, my one and only favorite TV show premiered this past week. 24
Oh 24! How do I love thee? You are the only show I watch. In 2007 I discovered you. You rescued me from PhD coursework hell once a week. I trust you will also get me through the dissertation process. Your season premiere did not let me down. I feel energized. Save me from my dissertating misery. Give me a reason to go on each week. :)
On a more serious note, the whole Haiti crisis has me contemplating life. There's so much suffering in this world. So many people in well developed countries overlook the role suffering truly plays in life. When we have material things easily at our reach, and grow up in a culture that expects everything instantaneously, we forget, or choose not to notice, that the majority of people live in third world countries where poverty is a daily struggle.
I consider myself fortunate in that I have traveled to parts of this suffering world. I have seen horrible poverty upclose in places such as Mexico, Colombia, and Bosnia.
In Mexico I drove past cardboard shacks on my way to an idylic beach resort. I remember seeing little children playing outside these shacks. I wondered what happens to these shacks when it rains?
In Colombia I saw street children who were most likely addicted to glue standing on corners ready to reach into car windows to steal gold chains off of clean and shiny necks. And in a small Colombian shady airport I saw heroin addicts and prostitutes roaming the airport and in the airport bathroom there was a ghostly looking person lying on the floor. To this day, I'm still not sure if that person was dead or alive. What was really frightening was there was no one for me to go to for help. No one wnated to be involved. All I could do was pray for that person and get back to the plane. I have seen addicts on the streets in the US but something was much darker about these Colombian addicts. I also grew up in a home with a father who was an alcoholic and brothers who were addicted to drugs. I think the difference is that in this country you feel a little more hope where in poverty class driven societies that hope seems less available. Many third world countries are based on two classes--the wealthy and the poor. There's no middle class. So the poor and the addicted seem to stand less of a chance. There is not a lot of access to recvoery programs.
In Bosnia, I gave out food refugees. I'll never forget the faces of those people and the way they praised God as we came into their world for a short time. One thing I have noticed is that the biggest smiles I have received have come from the "smallest" people I have met. Small in the eyes of those who don't understand.
Mother Teresa used to say the worst poverty she saw was in the west which is surpsising since the Western world is wealthy. Here is an excerpt from an interview Mother Teresa gave:
"You, in the West, have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted. These people are not hungry in the physical sense, but they are in another way. They know they need something more than money, yet they don't know what it is.
“What they are missing, really, is a living relationship with God.”
Mother Teresa cited the case of a woman who died alone in her home in Australia. Her body lay for weeks before being found. The cats were actually eating her flesh when the body was discovered. “To me, any country which allows a thing like that to happen is the poorest. And people who allow that are committing pure murder. “Our poor people would never allow it.”
And the teeming millions of the poor of the Third World have a lesson to teach us in the affluent West, Mother Teresa declared.
“They can teach us contentment,” she said, her leathery face gently smiling. “That is something you don't have much of in the West.
“I'll give you an example of what happened to me recently. I went out with my sisters in Calcutta to seek out the sick and dying.
“We picked up about 40 people that day. One woman, covered in a dirty cloth, was very ill and I could see it. So I just held her thin hand and tried to comfort her. She smiled weakly at me and said, ‘Thank you.’ Then she died. “She was more concerned to give to me than to receive from me. I put myself in her place and I thought what I would have done. I am sure I would have said, ‘I am dying, I am hungry, call a doctor, call a Father, call somebody.’ “But what she did was so beautiful. I have never seen a smile like that. It was just perfect. It was just a heavenly gift. That woman was more concerned with me than I was with her.”
Mother Teresa, who had a wonderful way of making you feel you were the most important person in the world when you were talking to her, told me of another incident.
“I gave another poor woman living on the streets a bowl of rice,” she said. “The woman was obviously starving and she looked in wonder as I handed it to her. “She told me, ‘It is so long since I have eaten.’
“About one hour later, she died. But she did not say, ‘Why hasn't God given me food to eat,’ and ‘why has my life been so bad?’
“The torture of hunger and pain just finished her, but she didn't blame anybody for it. This is the greatness of our poor people.”
Mother Teresa added: “We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who are suffering so beautifully. They teach us so much.” http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09100027.htm
Lately I have been thinking about a friend of mine who died a few years ago. Out of respect for privacy I will not mention her name. She was a model and married into a family that made billions from Austrian crystal. As long as I knew my friend she was miserable. She was anorexic, addicted to prescription drugs, and an alcoholic. All the billions, the clothes, the cosmetic surgeries, two lovely little girls,and parents and a family who loved her could not make her happy. She drove her porsche SUV off of a mountain top and three weeks later her husband put a bullet through his head. No amount of fame or money can heal the two daughters left behind whose relatives on the father's side are fighting over inheritance rights. What chance do those two little girls have? Every time my friend came to town she wanted me to go out with her. Over her way too many Kalhua's she would say, "You have nothing. How come you're happy?" Hmmm.
I'll never forget the date she died--Dec. 21st. I was away at school at IUP. I had distanced myself a bit from her because she had become too difficult to deal with and was always high. I found myself thinking about her. I told myself that when the semester ended I would email her. That day I said some prayers for her. On Christmas day I was getting ready to email her when I found an email from her sister to me. It told of the details of my friend's death and that she died on Dec. 21st,the day it entered my mind to contact her and the day I felt the need to pray for her. I hope those prayers somehow comforted her when she was dying. She had a big heart and was just a girl who got in way over head living the fast life of a model.
Ignore typos. It's way past my bedtime and I'm tired.
Peace,
MAM :)
I give it four stars. A couple of months ago,I met the author when he came to speak at the library where I was teaching an ESL class. His book is about a family secret his mother kept. After his mother died, the author found out that his mother had a sister that none of the children in the family knew about. The book's topic falls into the area my dissertation will explore--that of using writing as a healing mechanism. Here's a link to an excerpt from Annie's Ghost.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/anniesghost.htm
For anyone who has been part of family who has kept secrets (haven't we all?) this book is worth the read. Also, anyone who has a family member with mental illness and/or mental retardation will find the book insightful.
On a lighter note, my one and only favorite TV show premiered this past week. 24
Oh 24! How do I love thee? You are the only show I watch. In 2007 I discovered you. You rescued me from PhD coursework hell once a week. I trust you will also get me through the dissertation process. Your season premiere did not let me down. I feel energized. Save me from my dissertating misery. Give me a reason to go on each week. :)
On a more serious note, the whole Haiti crisis has me contemplating life. There's so much suffering in this world. So many people in well developed countries overlook the role suffering truly plays in life. When we have material things easily at our reach, and grow up in a culture that expects everything instantaneously, we forget, or choose not to notice, that the majority of people live in third world countries where poverty is a daily struggle.
I consider myself fortunate in that I have traveled to parts of this suffering world. I have seen horrible poverty upclose in places such as Mexico, Colombia, and Bosnia.
In Mexico I drove past cardboard shacks on my way to an idylic beach resort. I remember seeing little children playing outside these shacks. I wondered what happens to these shacks when it rains?
In Colombia I saw street children who were most likely addicted to glue standing on corners ready to reach into car windows to steal gold chains off of clean and shiny necks. And in a small Colombian shady airport I saw heroin addicts and prostitutes roaming the airport and in the airport bathroom there was a ghostly looking person lying on the floor. To this day, I'm still not sure if that person was dead or alive. What was really frightening was there was no one for me to go to for help. No one wnated to be involved. All I could do was pray for that person and get back to the plane. I have seen addicts on the streets in the US but something was much darker about these Colombian addicts. I also grew up in a home with a father who was an alcoholic and brothers who were addicted to drugs. I think the difference is that in this country you feel a little more hope where in poverty class driven societies that hope seems less available. Many third world countries are based on two classes--the wealthy and the poor. There's no middle class. So the poor and the addicted seem to stand less of a chance. There is not a lot of access to recvoery programs.
In Bosnia, I gave out food refugees. I'll never forget the faces of those people and the way they praised God as we came into their world for a short time. One thing I have noticed is that the biggest smiles I have received have come from the "smallest" people I have met. Small in the eyes of those who don't understand.
Mother Teresa used to say the worst poverty she saw was in the west which is surpsising since the Western world is wealthy. Here is an excerpt from an interview Mother Teresa gave:
"You, in the West, have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted. These people are not hungry in the physical sense, but they are in another way. They know they need something more than money, yet they don't know what it is.
“What they are missing, really, is a living relationship with God.”
Mother Teresa cited the case of a woman who died alone in her home in Australia. Her body lay for weeks before being found. The cats were actually eating her flesh when the body was discovered. “To me, any country which allows a thing like that to happen is the poorest. And people who allow that are committing pure murder. “Our poor people would never allow it.”
And the teeming millions of the poor of the Third World have a lesson to teach us in the affluent West, Mother Teresa declared.
“They can teach us contentment,” she said, her leathery face gently smiling. “That is something you don't have much of in the West.
“I'll give you an example of what happened to me recently. I went out with my sisters in Calcutta to seek out the sick and dying.
“We picked up about 40 people that day. One woman, covered in a dirty cloth, was very ill and I could see it. So I just held her thin hand and tried to comfort her. She smiled weakly at me and said, ‘Thank you.’ Then she died. “She was more concerned to give to me than to receive from me. I put myself in her place and I thought what I would have done. I am sure I would have said, ‘I am dying, I am hungry, call a doctor, call a Father, call somebody.’ “But what she did was so beautiful. I have never seen a smile like that. It was just perfect. It was just a heavenly gift. That woman was more concerned with me than I was with her.”
Mother Teresa, who had a wonderful way of making you feel you were the most important person in the world when you were talking to her, told me of another incident.
“I gave another poor woman living on the streets a bowl of rice,” she said. “The woman was obviously starving and she looked in wonder as I handed it to her. “She told me, ‘It is so long since I have eaten.’
“About one hour later, she died. But she did not say, ‘Why hasn't God given me food to eat,’ and ‘why has my life been so bad?’
“The torture of hunger and pain just finished her, but she didn't blame anybody for it. This is the greatness of our poor people.”
Mother Teresa added: “We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who are suffering so beautifully. They teach us so much.” http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09100027.htm
Lately I have been thinking about a friend of mine who died a few years ago. Out of respect for privacy I will not mention her name. She was a model and married into a family that made billions from Austrian crystal. As long as I knew my friend she was miserable. She was anorexic, addicted to prescription drugs, and an alcoholic. All the billions, the clothes, the cosmetic surgeries, two lovely little girls,and parents and a family who loved her could not make her happy. She drove her porsche SUV off of a mountain top and three weeks later her husband put a bullet through his head. No amount of fame or money can heal the two daughters left behind whose relatives on the father's side are fighting over inheritance rights. What chance do those two little girls have? Every time my friend came to town she wanted me to go out with her. Over her way too many Kalhua's she would say, "You have nothing. How come you're happy?" Hmmm.
I'll never forget the date she died--Dec. 21st. I was away at school at IUP. I had distanced myself a bit from her because she had become too difficult to deal with and was always high. I found myself thinking about her. I told myself that when the semester ended I would email her. That day I said some prayers for her. On Christmas day I was getting ready to email her when I found an email from her sister to me. It told of the details of my friend's death and that she died on Dec. 21st,the day it entered my mind to contact her and the day I felt the need to pray for her. I hope those prayers somehow comforted her when she was dying. She had a big heart and was just a girl who got in way over head living the fast life of a model.
Ignore typos. It's way past my bedtime and I'm tired.
Peace,
MAM :)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Yep. Yep. Yep. And Priceless Memories
Yep. Yep. Yep.
And I'm not even getting a stipend.
Yep. Yep. Yep.
This calls for drastic measures--
And I'm not even getting a stipend. Yep. Yep. Yep.
This calls for drastic measures--
Ahh, I'm in such a funk and wondering why I'm even bothering trying to do my dissertation. It looks like I might have to keep my night-time teaching job afterall. I have no idea how I will make it financially without it unless something gives soon on another job. On the other hand, if I keep three jobs I will not have time to do my dissertation. And the thought of starting up another semester with such a hectic schedule is making me hyperventilate and break out in sweats. This is not good.
And watching Haiti suffer from the devastation of the earthquake is making me feel like why the hell should this even matter. I could be dead tomorrow. Those poor people. I wish I had a job that took me to places that need help. l filled out a form with MercyShips to volunteer in Haiti sometime over the next two years. They have a category for writers and teachers. Chances are I will not even be able to go. My bad back will probably disqualify me. But I often have this desire to just chuck all this *&^$ and go live among the poor and make a difference in this world.
Now, if I could get a full-time job teaching my ESL students doing the same thing I do now I could be satisfied. However, adjuncting is not enough to live on and there's no security. But I do love it. If I didn't have a dissertation to worry about, working three jobs would be no problem. Dang this dissertating!
On another note, I have a little update on my homeless buddy Howard. Not only did he get a new bright and shiny red winter parka but he also got another coat. I saw my friend at church--you know--the one I asked to help Howard out at Christmas time. I said, "Did you have something to do with Howard's new red coat?" He said, "No, I gave him a green one! I don't know where mine went." I said, "I bet the green one is under the red one. Howard is looking pretty bulked up." We laughed. Then a few days later it was warmer out, and I stopped to talk to Howard. He had his red coat unzipped and sure enough there was the green jacket under the red coat. LOL. :) Good for Howard.
I had a "meeting" with another homeless person this past week. A lady was standing in the foyer of the church. I was taking one of the poinsettas that the church was getting rid of. This lady was watching me. She quietly came over to me and shyly said, "I'm staying at the House of Ruth and I missed lunch. Can you help me?" Hmmm. The House of Ruth is for homeless and abused women. Now, I grew up in the city and am not naive when it comes to "street" people. I know when one is sincere and when one is conning me. I make it a rule to never give money. The good thing is I never carry cash so I'm not lying when I say I have no money. :) This lady was different than most I see. I smiled at her and wished her luck and gave her some pointers on who to get help from. She nicely thanked me. I went back to picking out which poinsetta I wanted. I heard the lady come back my way. She said, "Excuse me. I want you to have this. I'm not catholic." I turned around and she handed me a rosary. She was holding a pocket bible in her other hand. She said she didn't know what the rosary was but knew it was for catholics. I said, "Oh, no, you keep it. I want you to keep it." I slipped it back in her pocket. She said, "But I'm not Catholic." I said, "That doesn't matter. You can be any religion. Keep it with you at all times. It'll help you." She took the rosary out if it's pouch. It was made of beautiful red crystal. She said, "Is it okay if I wear it as my cross?" Normally, you do'nt wear a rosary around your neck but I said, "Of course you can." She smiled a huge smile. I thought, Jesus's mother must be smiling too. I know I was. This lady warmed my heart. At the bottom of the church steps we parted ways. She yelled after me, "Thank you. God bless you. You have a good day." She has been in mind ever since.
Here's a couple of pics from when i went to Bosnia ten years ago. We gave out food to refugees on Thanksgiving day.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A Room Without Books is Like a Body Without a Soul
Hooray, I've started 2010 out properly. I started and finished a book and it is only January 10. After working so many dang jobs this past year, I didn't think I'd ever get my reading brain in focus. This is the same way I felt after I finished my PhD coursework. After that draining experience, it took me a whole year to unwind before I even wanted to pick up a book. So the fact that I picked up on reading so quickly after this past semester of working too many jobs and being totally burnt out is something to write home about or shall I say blog about. This past year, I started out with two jobs, then went to three, and then in September added a fourth. Come Christmas I was exhausted and had no energy to jingle any bells.
Last year I joined a group on Goodreads.com called the 75 Book Challenge. I was well on my way to completing the challenge when I picked up my fourth job. That addition cut short any further additions I might have made to the 75 challenge group. Below is my log from Goodreads telling what books I read in 2009. Now that I'll be working two jobs in 2010, and will be on reserve on my third job, and am determined to start my dissertation, I should have no problem completing Goodreads 2010 75 Book Challenge! HA!
MAM's 2009 Book Log
1. Mother Teresa's Secret Fire: The Encounter that Changed Her Life and How It Can Transform Your Own 5 stars
2.Edith Stein: A Biography/the Untold Story of the Philosopher and Mystic Who Lost Her Life in the Death Camps of Auschwitz Herbstrith, Waltraud 4 stars
3.Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Well-Known Catholics Kresta, Al 3 stars
4. Matt Talbot and His Times Purcell, Mary 3 stars
5. Green Dolphin Street Goudge, Elizabeth 4 stars
6. Barabbas Lagerkvist, Pär 4 stars
7. 1984 George Orwell 4 stars
Well, this was not what I expected. But I liked it. I didn't love it. Not sure what I would have made of it if I read it in high school like so many others did/do. I have to saya the rats freaked me out. I hate rats. I probably would have caved in too.
8.Something Beautiful for God (Paperback)
by Malcolm Muggeridge 5 stars
I've always wanted to read this and found it for 87 cents. It's is a gem of a little book.
9.Francis of Assisi: The Man Who Found Perfect Joy
by Michael De LA Bedoyere 3 stars.I like Saint Francis but this was not the greatest book written about him.
10. The Courage to Create
by Rollo May 4 stars. Very good philosophial look at creativity.
Something Beautiful for God (Paperback) Muggeridge, Malcolm 5 stars
Malcolm Muggeridge's thoughts on knowing Mother Teresa and a transcript of his interview.
Description: No woman alive today has inspired so many with her simplicity of faith and compassion so all-encompassing. As she daily embraces the "least of the least" in her arms, Mother Theresa challenges the whole world to greater acts of service and understanding in the name of love.
First published in 1971, this classic work introduced Mother Theresa to the Western World. As timely now as it was then, Something Beautiful for God interprets her life through the eyes of a modern-day skeptic who became literally transformed within her presence, describing her as "a light which could never be extinguised."
12. Dolores Clairborne by Stephen King 4 stars. I am torn between 3 and 4 stars. Considering Dolores is a hoot and I now feel like I know her, I give it 4. :) I needed my King fix (it's been too long). I have been satisfied.
#13 Finished March 27, Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith (Hardcover)
by Joe Eszterhas 4 stars
"I found this book extremely entertaining and read it in three days. Joe still is on his journey and I think still has things to learn about his faith (don't we all)regarding dogma, etc. Also, he struggles with reeling in his ego. If he ever ventures ...more I found this book extremely entertaining and read it in three days. Joe still is on his journey and I think still has things to learn about his faith (don't we all)regarding dogma, etc. Also, he struggles with reeling in his ego. If he ever ventures on to Goodreads and reads this, this is not an insult.;) I think the ego comes from years of beating down and being beat up by Hollywood, not to mention the childhood he had. I spent some time in Hollywood and I frequently thank God I left. I couldn't take its superficiality. However, Joe's heart seems much bigger than his ego and he humble's himself, alot. He admits to flunking Christian test number 1, 2, 3, 4 etc, etc. etc, etc. It seems by the end of the book his ego has become smaller. He is starting to pass the tests that come his way. You can't help but grow very fond of him, and what a life he has had. There were times I was busting out laughing and then filling up with tears. I wish Joe peace and luck. And that he continues to grow in his faith. If he was my neighbor, I'd look forward to chatting as we passed each other on walks around the neighborhood."
#14 Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession Rice, Anne 3 stars I was dissapointed in this. Very tedious read.
#15 Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross Neuhaus, Richard John 5 stars
#16 The Life of Faustina Kowalska: The Authorized Biography (Paperback) Michalenko, Sister Sophia 4 stars A good introduction to St. Faustina.
#17 Jacob Have I Loved Paterson, Katherine childrens, fiction 3 stars
#18 The World According to Mister Rogers Rogers, Fred 4 stars cute and makes you feel good
#19 Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut
Ok, I finally read this. I am reading my way through the classics I never read. I enjoyed it. It has a lot of memorable lines/quips. However, if I had read it in high school, I wouldn't have cared much for it. It is interesting how as I forge through classics 30 years or so after most have read them, I find myself questioning--highschoolers are reading this??????????????? Much would have been lost on me back then. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... in the words of Vonnegut, "So it goes."
#20 Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia)
by C.S. Lewis 5 stars
#21 Thura's Diary by Thura al-Windawi 4 stars A diary froma 19 year old girl during the Irag War. This was very good.
#22 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 5 stars This was a hoot.
#23 The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia)
by C.S. Lewis 5 stars
I am emjoying this series immensely.
#24 Twilight (Twilight, #1) by Stephenie Meyer This book is so dumb.
#25 The Horse and His Boy C. S. Lewis
#26 Prayer Primer : Igniting a Fire Within by Thomas Dubay 5 stars. Great for seekers at any stage of the search
#27 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Hmmm ... I did not know what to expect when I took this book out of the library. I am trying to read classics I have never read, especially kids books. At first, I was getting distracted reading this, but then something kicked in and I was hooked. This book is deep and philosphical for a kid's book. Quite a few adults probably would not pick up on the profound metaphors. I found myself smiling at the author's whimsy and satirical humor. He does a good job of bringing heavy concepts to a level that a child can understand while maintaining a healthy respect for a child's ability to grasp supernatural theory. No baby talk here. I love his concept those who know where they are going -- Children always know they are going. -- That's so true. It's the adults who get lost. I also love his rose philosophy-- the rose was not unigue until the prince made it his friend. And then the fox's lesson of "taming" was pretty crafty.;) All in all, I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. I decided to give it 5 since I was moved to review it. I hardly ever spend the time reviewing books. So 5 stars it is. :)
# 28 The Chosen Chaim Potok 5 stars Wow! I enjoyed every word in this book. GREAT writing. Potok held me captive from the first to last sentence. The character development is excellent. I love the tender relationship between Reuven and his father, and the tense relationship between Danny and his father is palpable. The friendship between Reuven and Danny is well explored. Also, the Jewish history is so interesting. The characters will stay in my mind forever.
Here are two passages I marked:
Reuven's tired father talking to Reuven
"Human beings do not live forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye?" He paused again, his eyes misty now, then went on. "I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the man who lives that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Danny to Reuven:
"You can listen to silence, Reuven. I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own. It talks to me sometimes. I feel myself alive in it. It talks. And I can hear it."
The words came out in a soft singsong. He sounded exactly like his father.
"You don't understand that. do you? He asked.
"No"
He nodded. "I didn't think you would."
"What do you mean, it talks to you?"
"You have to want to listen to it, and then you can hear it. It has a strange, beautiful texture. It doesn't always talk. Sometimes--somtimes it cries, and you can hear the pain of the world in it. It hurts to listen to it then. But you have to."
#29 Survival in Auschwitz Primo Levi 4 stars I was walking through my library and this book caught my eye. I was surprised I had not heard of it before. It is amazing that people survived this horrid time. Gives proof to the innate knowledge that life is sacred.
Here are passages I marked:
All took leave from life in the manner which most suited them. Some praying, some deliberately drunk, others lustfully intoxicated for the last time. But the mothers stayed up to prepare the food for the journey with tender care, and washed their children and packed the luggage; and at dawn the barbed wire was full of children's washing hung out in the wind to dry. Nor did they forget the diapers, the toys, the cushions and the hundred other small things which mothers remember and which children always need. Would you not do the same? If you and your child were going to be killed tomorrow, would you not give him to eat today?
Sooner or later in life everyone discovers that perfect happiness is unrealizable, but there are few who pause to consider the antithesis: that perfect unhappiness is equally unattainable.
We are slaves, deprived of every right, exposed to every insult, condemned to certain death, but we still possess one power, and we must defend it with all our strength for it is the last--the power to refuse consent. So we must certainly wash our faces without soap in dirty water and dry ourselves on our jackets. We must polish our shoes, not because the regulation states it, but for dignity and propriety. We must walk erect, without dragging our feet, not in homage to Prussian discipline but to remain alive, not to begin to die.
30 The Last Battle C. S. Lewis. 5 stars. I finally read all the Narnia books. My mother has been trying to get me to read these books for 35 years. LOL Mom will be proud.
#31 Ten Prayers God Always Answers Anthony DeStefano 4 stars This was good. It is different from the spiritual books I usually read. I tend to read the mystics whose message you need to ponder deeply. This book is simple and not laden down with over-your-head theological concepts. Each chapter relates to a different life circumstance and the author lays out a prayer that relates. What makes this book unique is that the prayers come from a perspective that the general and/or overwhelmed mind tends to overlook.
#32 The Prison Angel. Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullican 4 stars. Well, this was a pleasant surprise. This woman has had an incredible journey. Raised in an affluent Beverly Hills family,and well off herself, later in life she found herself searching for a deeper meaning to her existence. She had gone through two failed marriages and had seven kids. Her father had instilled in her an affinity for helping the poor. When she was 50 (and her kids were grown) she became a Catholic nun and moved into one of Mexico's worst(and nightmarish) prisons to help the inmates and their families. She had already been volunteering her services on a part time basis before deciding to make it her life's work, so she knew what she was getting into. She chose to live in a cell right along side the other inmates. She stepped in between guards and prisoners during riots. She ministered to the richest drug dealers and the poorest innocent inmates. She forgave and ministered to the worst murderers (some of whom murdered her friends) while at the same time comforting the victims families. She stood up to guards wehn they were brutally beating prisnoers. She would get down on her knees and beg them to stop and they usually did stop. She walked straight through bullets flying; the inmates and guards would drop their weapons upon seeing her. It was interesting reading what her children thought of her decision to live this life. You would expect they would not approve. But they felt this was who their mother was meant to be and that it made perfect sense. This is a story of how God can turn bad into good when you possess sincerity and a heart that only wants to put God before others and do His will and not your own.
Mother Antonia is still alive. And I believe is still living in the prison. I need to do a little more internet research to find out her whereabouts. She was asked to create an order of nuns so that her work will continue. Here is info from the nuns' website--
The Eudist Servants Of The Eleventh Hour is a new branch, a twig sprouting on the 400 year-old tree of the extended spiritual family of St. John Eudes, whose strong branches include the Congregation Of The Sisters Of Our Lady Of Charity, our Eudist sisters, and the Congregation Of Jesus And Mary, our Eudist priests. Both of these orders were founded by Saint John Eudes, close friend of Saint Vincent de Paul, in the early 17th century. The Eudist Servants Of The Eleventh Hour is an association of the faithful whose members are sisters who are mature women who love Jesus and want to follow Him by serving the poor and the needy. The Eleventh Hour refers to the scripture where Jesus calls the last, and signifies that the community is for older women, generally between the ages of forty five and sixty five. The reference to St. John Eudes is recognition that the community is part of the Eudist Congregation, and it is also in honor of St. John Eudes spirituality. In 2003 the Eudist Servants Of The Eleventh Hour community was formally accepted by Bishop Rafael Romo Munoz of Tijuana, Mexico.The community's mission is to minister to the poor and the needy, to bring to them the love of Jesus Christ. To accomplish this members must, in their hearts and in their lives, bear the pain of the poor, the imprisoned, the sick, the rejected, the forgotten and the abandoned children of God. Members of the community serve, with the permission of the local Bishop, in a variety of locations in Mexico and the United States, and perform a variety of services. Mother Antonia Brenner, the Servants founder and current superior of the community, serves by ministering to prisoners and guards at a prison in Tijuana, Mexico. Several other sisters work alongside her in Tijuana. Sister Kathleen serves her ministry in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana as a prison chaplain. Still another Servant, Sister Lillian, serves in her home area of Texas, tending to the elderly in nursing homes.
The Servants operate a ministry center, Casa Campos de San Miguel, located just three blocks from the La Mesa penitentiary. The Casa is a refuge for women leaving prison and for women visiting incarcerated family in the nearby prison, and also for women and children who have come to Tijuana for treatment for cancer. The sisters also have a convent nearby, Corazon de Maria, which serves as the community headquarters and is also a residence for some of the sisters in Tijuana. Corazon de Maria is also used as the community’s house of formation. Still other sisters and associates live in the United States and commute daily to Tijuana to visit area hospitals and comfort patients and their families.
All of the sisters are self-supporting, both economically and with their own health care. Vows are taken for a one year period and then renewed annually, if mutually agreeable.
#33 Alice in Exile: A Novel by Piers Paul Read 3 stars
#34 The Rite The Making of a Modern Exorcist. Matt Baglio 4 stars Ooohhhh, this was really good. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it ended abruptly. It seemed to lack a conclsuion. Even so this book is an excellent reference. Along with being informative it leaves you not wanting to put it down.
35 Road to Survival David Snyder 5 stars Great little book about the author's work
David Snyder combines both writing and photography. He travels to countries around the world to document the work of Catholic Relief Services and its partners during emergencies like those recounted in this book and reports on development projects aimed at improving the lives of poeple in need. During his travels, David lives and works with Catholic Relief Services staff and partners whose daily efforts in areas of crisis, disaster, and poverty to assist those in need are the final link in a chain of assistance that begins with supporters in the United States.
Catholic Relief Services is the official international relief and development agency of the United States Catholic community. Their mission is to help the poor and vulnerable overseas without regard to race, belief, or nationality. They work in 99 countries around the world and touch the lives of 80 million people.
#36 Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni 3 and a half stars. Interesting reading considering what is occurring in Iran now.
#37 The Stoning of Soraya M.: A True Story by Freidoune Shebjam 4 stars This started off slowly but really got rolling half way through. When it got rolling it was unstopable. The stoning scene was heartbreaking.
#38 Tales of Padre Pio: The friar of San Giovanni by John McCaffery 3 stars
#39 Midnight Express by Billy Hayes, William Hoffer 4 stars The book's ending is so much better than the ending in the movie
#40 The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway 5 stars Oh my gosh! What a great story. I can't believe I never read this. I was "hooked" from beginning to end. All I can say is--fishermen are brave. I feel so sad for the old man.
# 41 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis 4 stars
#42 The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 3 statrs. Some people love this book, but I just coudn't manage to get into. I was sort of bored with it. Maybe it is just the mood I'm in.
#43 A Mercy by Toni Morrison 3 stars This was good but it just seemed as though it wandered, and I wanted the characters to be developed more.
#44 The Road by Cormac McCarthy 4 stars
#45 The Little Book of Mother Teresa by Sangeet Duchane 4 stars
#46 All Star: Teacher's Edition Bk. 3 (All-Star) by Linda Lee, Jean Bernard, Kristin D. Sherman, Stephen Sloan, Grace Tanaka, Shirley Velasco
#47All-Star - Book 3 (Intermediate) - Workbook (All-Star)
#48 All-Star - Book 2 (High Beginning) - Los Angeles Workbook
Here's to more good reading, less working, and postive dissertating thoughts!!!!!!!
I'll end tonight with a little song to get you in the reading spirit. :)
Peace, MAM :)
Last year I joined a group on Goodreads.com called the 75 Book Challenge. I was well on my way to completing the challenge when I picked up my fourth job. That addition cut short any further additions I might have made to the 75 challenge group. Below is my log from Goodreads telling what books I read in 2009. Now that I'll be working two jobs in 2010, and will be on reserve on my third job, and am determined to start my dissertation, I should have no problem completing Goodreads 2010 75 Book Challenge! HA!
MAM's 2009 Book Log
1. Mother Teresa's Secret Fire: The Encounter that Changed Her Life and How It Can Transform Your Own 5 stars
2.Edith Stein: A Biography/the Untold Story of the Philosopher and Mystic Who Lost Her Life in the Death Camps of Auschwitz Herbstrith, Waltraud 4 stars
3.Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Well-Known Catholics Kresta, Al 3 stars
4. Matt Talbot and His Times Purcell, Mary 3 stars
5. Green Dolphin Street Goudge, Elizabeth 4 stars
6. Barabbas Lagerkvist, Pär 4 stars
7. 1984 George Orwell 4 stars
Well, this was not what I expected. But I liked it. I didn't love it. Not sure what I would have made of it if I read it in high school like so many others did/do. I have to saya the rats freaked me out. I hate rats. I probably would have caved in too.
8.Something Beautiful for God (Paperback)
by Malcolm Muggeridge 5 stars
I've always wanted to read this and found it for 87 cents. It's is a gem of a little book.
9.Francis of Assisi: The Man Who Found Perfect Joy
by Michael De LA Bedoyere 3 stars.I like Saint Francis but this was not the greatest book written about him.
10. The Courage to Create
by Rollo May 4 stars. Very good philosophial look at creativity.
Something Beautiful for God (Paperback) Muggeridge, Malcolm 5 stars
Malcolm Muggeridge's thoughts on knowing Mother Teresa and a transcript of his interview.
Description: No woman alive today has inspired so many with her simplicity of faith and compassion so all-encompassing. As she daily embraces the "least of the least" in her arms, Mother Theresa challenges the whole world to greater acts of service and understanding in the name of love.
First published in 1971, this classic work introduced Mother Theresa to the Western World. As timely now as it was then, Something Beautiful for God interprets her life through the eyes of a modern-day skeptic who became literally transformed within her presence, describing her as "a light which could never be extinguised."
12. Dolores Clairborne by Stephen King 4 stars. I am torn between 3 and 4 stars. Considering Dolores is a hoot and I now feel like I know her, I give it 4. :) I needed my King fix (it's been too long). I have been satisfied.
#13 Finished March 27, Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith (Hardcover)
by Joe Eszterhas 4 stars
"I found this book extremely entertaining and read it in three days. Joe still is on his journey and I think still has things to learn about his faith (don't we all)regarding dogma, etc. Also, he struggles with reeling in his ego. If he ever ventures ...more I found this book extremely entertaining and read it in three days. Joe still is on his journey and I think still has things to learn about his faith (don't we all)regarding dogma, etc. Also, he struggles with reeling in his ego. If he ever ventures on to Goodreads and reads this, this is not an insult.;) I think the ego comes from years of beating down and being beat up by Hollywood, not to mention the childhood he had. I spent some time in Hollywood and I frequently thank God I left. I couldn't take its superficiality. However, Joe's heart seems much bigger than his ego and he humble's himself, alot. He admits to flunking Christian test number 1, 2, 3, 4 etc, etc. etc, etc. It seems by the end of the book his ego has become smaller. He is starting to pass the tests that come his way. You can't help but grow very fond of him, and what a life he has had. There were times I was busting out laughing and then filling up with tears. I wish Joe peace and luck. And that he continues to grow in his faith. If he was my neighbor, I'd look forward to chatting as we passed each other on walks around the neighborhood."
#14 Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession Rice, Anne 3 stars I was dissapointed in this. Very tedious read.
#15 Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross Neuhaus, Richard John 5 stars
#16 The Life of Faustina Kowalska: The Authorized Biography (Paperback) Michalenko, Sister Sophia 4 stars A good introduction to St. Faustina.
#17 Jacob Have I Loved Paterson, Katherine childrens, fiction 3 stars
#18 The World According to Mister Rogers Rogers, Fred 4 stars cute and makes you feel good
#19 Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut
Ok, I finally read this. I am reading my way through the classics I never read. I enjoyed it. It has a lot of memorable lines/quips. However, if I had read it in high school, I wouldn't have cared much for it. It is interesting how as I forge through classics 30 years or so after most have read them, I find myself questioning--highschoolers are reading this??????????????? Much would have been lost on me back then. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... in the words of Vonnegut, "So it goes."
#20 Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia)
by C.S. Lewis 5 stars
#21 Thura's Diary by Thura al-Windawi 4 stars A diary froma 19 year old girl during the Irag War. This was very good.
#22 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 5 stars This was a hoot.
#23 The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia)
by C.S. Lewis 5 stars
I am emjoying this series immensely.
#24 Twilight (Twilight, #1) by Stephenie Meyer This book is so dumb.
#25 The Horse and His Boy C. S. Lewis
#26 Prayer Primer : Igniting a Fire Within by Thomas Dubay 5 stars. Great for seekers at any stage of the search
#27 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Hmmm ... I did not know what to expect when I took this book out of the library. I am trying to read classics I have never read, especially kids books. At first, I was getting distracted reading this, but then something kicked in and I was hooked. This book is deep and philosphical for a kid's book. Quite a few adults probably would not pick up on the profound metaphors. I found myself smiling at the author's whimsy and satirical humor. He does a good job of bringing heavy concepts to a level that a child can understand while maintaining a healthy respect for a child's ability to grasp supernatural theory. No baby talk here. I love his concept those who know where they are going -- Children always know they are going. -- That's so true. It's the adults who get lost. I also love his rose philosophy-- the rose was not unigue until the prince made it his friend. And then the fox's lesson of "taming" was pretty crafty.;) All in all, I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. I decided to give it 5 since I was moved to review it. I hardly ever spend the time reviewing books. So 5 stars it is. :)
# 28 The Chosen Chaim Potok 5 stars Wow! I enjoyed every word in this book. GREAT writing. Potok held me captive from the first to last sentence. The character development is excellent. I love the tender relationship between Reuven and his father, and the tense relationship between Danny and his father is palpable. The friendship between Reuven and Danny is well explored. Also, the Jewish history is so interesting. The characters will stay in my mind forever.
Here are two passages I marked:
Reuven's tired father talking to Reuven
"Human beings do not live forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye?" He paused again, his eyes misty now, then went on. "I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the man who lives that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Danny to Reuven:
"You can listen to silence, Reuven. I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own. It talks to me sometimes. I feel myself alive in it. It talks. And I can hear it."
The words came out in a soft singsong. He sounded exactly like his father.
"You don't understand that. do you? He asked.
"No"
He nodded. "I didn't think you would."
"What do you mean, it talks to you?"
"You have to want to listen to it, and then you can hear it. It has a strange, beautiful texture. It doesn't always talk. Sometimes--somtimes it cries, and you can hear the pain of the world in it. It hurts to listen to it then. But you have to."
#29 Survival in Auschwitz Primo Levi 4 stars I was walking through my library and this book caught my eye. I was surprised I had not heard of it before. It is amazing that people survived this horrid time. Gives proof to the innate knowledge that life is sacred.
Here are passages I marked:
All took leave from life in the manner which most suited them. Some praying, some deliberately drunk, others lustfully intoxicated for the last time. But the mothers stayed up to prepare the food for the journey with tender care, and washed their children and packed the luggage; and at dawn the barbed wire was full of children's washing hung out in the wind to dry. Nor did they forget the diapers, the toys, the cushions and the hundred other small things which mothers remember and which children always need. Would you not do the same? If you and your child were going to be killed tomorrow, would you not give him to eat today?
Sooner or later in life everyone discovers that perfect happiness is unrealizable, but there are few who pause to consider the antithesis: that perfect unhappiness is equally unattainable.
We are slaves, deprived of every right, exposed to every insult, condemned to certain death, but we still possess one power, and we must defend it with all our strength for it is the last--the power to refuse consent. So we must certainly wash our faces without soap in dirty water and dry ourselves on our jackets. We must polish our shoes, not because the regulation states it, but for dignity and propriety. We must walk erect, without dragging our feet, not in homage to Prussian discipline but to remain alive, not to begin to die.
30 The Last Battle C. S. Lewis. 5 stars. I finally read all the Narnia books. My mother has been trying to get me to read these books for 35 years. LOL Mom will be proud.
#31 Ten Prayers God Always Answers Anthony DeStefano 4 stars This was good. It is different from the spiritual books I usually read. I tend to read the mystics whose message you need to ponder deeply. This book is simple and not laden down with over-your-head theological concepts. Each chapter relates to a different life circumstance and the author lays out a prayer that relates. What makes this book unique is that the prayers come from a perspective that the general and/or overwhelmed mind tends to overlook.
#32 The Prison Angel. Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullican 4 stars. Well, this was a pleasant surprise. This woman has had an incredible journey. Raised in an affluent Beverly Hills family,and well off herself, later in life she found herself searching for a deeper meaning to her existence. She had gone through two failed marriages and had seven kids. Her father had instilled in her an affinity for helping the poor. When she was 50 (and her kids were grown) she became a Catholic nun and moved into one of Mexico's worst(and nightmarish) prisons to help the inmates and their families. She had already been volunteering her services on a part time basis before deciding to make it her life's work, so she knew what she was getting into. She chose to live in a cell right along side the other inmates. She stepped in between guards and prisoners during riots. She ministered to the richest drug dealers and the poorest innocent inmates. She forgave and ministered to the worst murderers (some of whom murdered her friends) while at the same time comforting the victims families. She stood up to guards wehn they were brutally beating prisnoers. She would get down on her knees and beg them to stop and they usually did stop. She walked straight through bullets flying; the inmates and guards would drop their weapons upon seeing her. It was interesting reading what her children thought of her decision to live this life. You would expect they would not approve. But they felt this was who their mother was meant to be and that it made perfect sense. This is a story of how God can turn bad into good when you possess sincerity and a heart that only wants to put God before others and do His will and not your own.
Mother Antonia is still alive. And I believe is still living in the prison. I need to do a little more internet research to find out her whereabouts. She was asked to create an order of nuns so that her work will continue. Here is info from the nuns' website--
The Eudist Servants Of The Eleventh Hour is a new branch, a twig sprouting on the 400 year-old tree of the extended spiritual family of St. John Eudes, whose strong branches include the Congregation Of The Sisters Of Our Lady Of Charity, our Eudist sisters, and the Congregation Of Jesus And Mary, our Eudist priests. Both of these orders were founded by Saint John Eudes, close friend of Saint Vincent de Paul, in the early 17th century. The Eudist Servants Of The Eleventh Hour is an association of the faithful whose members are sisters who are mature women who love Jesus and want to follow Him by serving the poor and the needy. The Eleventh Hour refers to the scripture where Jesus calls the last, and signifies that the community is for older women, generally between the ages of forty five and sixty five. The reference to St. John Eudes is recognition that the community is part of the Eudist Congregation, and it is also in honor of St. John Eudes spirituality. In 2003 the Eudist Servants Of The Eleventh Hour community was formally accepted by Bishop Rafael Romo Munoz of Tijuana, Mexico.The community's mission is to minister to the poor and the needy, to bring to them the love of Jesus Christ. To accomplish this members must, in their hearts and in their lives, bear the pain of the poor, the imprisoned, the sick, the rejected, the forgotten and the abandoned children of God. Members of the community serve, with the permission of the local Bishop, in a variety of locations in Mexico and the United States, and perform a variety of services. Mother Antonia Brenner, the Servants founder and current superior of the community, serves by ministering to prisoners and guards at a prison in Tijuana, Mexico. Several other sisters work alongside her in Tijuana. Sister Kathleen serves her ministry in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana as a prison chaplain. Still another Servant, Sister Lillian, serves in her home area of Texas, tending to the elderly in nursing homes.
The Servants operate a ministry center, Casa Campos de San Miguel, located just three blocks from the La Mesa penitentiary. The Casa is a refuge for women leaving prison and for women visiting incarcerated family in the nearby prison, and also for women and children who have come to Tijuana for treatment for cancer. The sisters also have a convent nearby, Corazon de Maria, which serves as the community headquarters and is also a residence for some of the sisters in Tijuana. Corazon de Maria is also used as the community’s house of formation. Still other sisters and associates live in the United States and commute daily to Tijuana to visit area hospitals and comfort patients and their families.
All of the sisters are self-supporting, both economically and with their own health care. Vows are taken for a one year period and then renewed annually, if mutually agreeable.
#33 Alice in Exile: A Novel by Piers Paul Read 3 stars
#34 The Rite The Making of a Modern Exorcist. Matt Baglio 4 stars Ooohhhh, this was really good. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it ended abruptly. It seemed to lack a conclsuion. Even so this book is an excellent reference. Along with being informative it leaves you not wanting to put it down.
35 Road to Survival David Snyder 5 stars Great little book about the author's work
David Snyder combines both writing and photography. He travels to countries around the world to document the work of Catholic Relief Services and its partners during emergencies like those recounted in this book and reports on development projects aimed at improving the lives of poeple in need. During his travels, David lives and works with Catholic Relief Services staff and partners whose daily efforts in areas of crisis, disaster, and poverty to assist those in need are the final link in a chain of assistance that begins with supporters in the United States.
Catholic Relief Services is the official international relief and development agency of the United States Catholic community. Their mission is to help the poor and vulnerable overseas without regard to race, belief, or nationality. They work in 99 countries around the world and touch the lives of 80 million people.
#36 Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni 3 and a half stars. Interesting reading considering what is occurring in Iran now.
#37 The Stoning of Soraya M.: A True Story by Freidoune Shebjam 4 stars This started off slowly but really got rolling half way through. When it got rolling it was unstopable. The stoning scene was heartbreaking.
#38 Tales of Padre Pio: The friar of San Giovanni by John McCaffery 3 stars
#39 Midnight Express by Billy Hayes, William Hoffer 4 stars The book's ending is so much better than the ending in the movie
#40 The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway 5 stars Oh my gosh! What a great story. I can't believe I never read this. I was "hooked" from beginning to end. All I can say is--fishermen are brave. I feel so sad for the old man.
# 41 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis 4 stars
#42 The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 3 statrs. Some people love this book, but I just coudn't manage to get into. I was sort of bored with it. Maybe it is just the mood I'm in.
#43 A Mercy by Toni Morrison 3 stars This was good but it just seemed as though it wandered, and I wanted the characters to be developed more.
#44 The Road by Cormac McCarthy 4 stars
#45 The Little Book of Mother Teresa by Sangeet Duchane 4 stars
#46 All Star: Teacher's Edition Bk. 3 (All-Star) by Linda Lee, Jean Bernard, Kristin D. Sherman, Stephen Sloan, Grace Tanaka, Shirley Velasco
#47All-Star - Book 3 (Intermediate) - Workbook (All-Star)
#48 All-Star - Book 2 (High Beginning) - Los Angeles Workbook
Here's to more good reading, less working, and postive dissertating thoughts!!!!!!!
I'll end tonight with a little song to get you in the reading spirit. :)
Peace, MAM :)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Hoods, Chill Factors, and Corners
As I walked to Mass this morning in the bitter cold and heavy winds, I felt my ears stinging from the cold. I was so stupid not to have worn a hat. I actually worried about getting frost bitten. Oh, how cold it was. I couldn't help but wonder about my homeless buddy. Did Howard find a coat? I haven't seen Howard since before Christmas when he asked me to help him get a coat, specifically one with a hood to keep his ears warm. Ever since Christmas I have been worried about Howard. Did the friend in church I asked to help Howard get him a coat? Things just kept happening to me that prevented me from getting over to that part of town. So today I was hoping to see Howard, but I was also worried that I would find him standing on the corner freezing and shivering. Howard's bigness sure can keep him steady in the heavy winds but it won't help him stay warm. As I crossed the street and turned the corner I was on the lookout for Howard when lo and behold I spotted a lone figure standing in just the right spot. He didn't look like my usual Howard does, but I thought it might be him. Oh! This figure was a beautiful sight. One big round puffy glow of firey redness. There was my Howard all bundled up in a brand new very puffy bubble-like winter parka with a hood! OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!
As usual, Howard started waving to me. I practically skipped on over to him with a big smile on my face, "Howard, you got a coat!" He just smiled and said, "Yeah." I said, "Well, where did you get it? Who gave it to you?" He didn't go into much detail. Howard is a man of few words. All he said was "18 dollars down the street." I don't know who got him the coat but I was praying all week that he would get a coat. And he sure got one. You can't miss him coming in that fire-engine red snow parka. I told Howard I was happy he got a coat and that I was worried all week about him. He just smiled. :)
I guess since this is supposed to be a blog about my dissertation I should say something 'disserly'. Someone recommended a book that is up my dissertation topic alley. It's called Couldn't Keep it to Myself Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institute. Here's link to info on it--http://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Keep-Myself-Correctional-Institution/dp/006059537X I got it out of the library. It looks very interesting. Now if I can just get myself motivated to read again. I was so busy with all my jobs this past semester I had no time to read. And I am so burnt out that I need a miracle to get my reading brain back in gear. UGH UGH.
Anyhooooooooooooooooo---that's about all I have to say tonight. I can go to sleep feeling less worried about Howard. All is well in my soul and on Howard's corner today. My song choices tonight are in honor of my Howard.
Oh Happy Day
It Is Well With My soul/The River's Gonna Keep on Rolling On.
As usual, Howard started waving to me. I practically skipped on over to him with a big smile on my face, "Howard, you got a coat!" He just smiled and said, "Yeah." I said, "Well, where did you get it? Who gave it to you?" He didn't go into much detail. Howard is a man of few words. All he said was "18 dollars down the street." I don't know who got him the coat but I was praying all week that he would get a coat. And he sure got one. You can't miss him coming in that fire-engine red snow parka. I told Howard I was happy he got a coat and that I was worried all week about him. He just smiled. :)
I guess since this is supposed to be a blog about my dissertation I should say something 'disserly'. Someone recommended a book that is up my dissertation topic alley. It's called Couldn't Keep it to Myself Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institute. Here's link to info on it--http://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Keep-Myself-Correctional-Institution/dp/006059537X I got it out of the library. It looks very interesting. Now if I can just get myself motivated to read again. I was so busy with all my jobs this past semester I had no time to read. And I am so burnt out that I need a miracle to get my reading brain back in gear. UGH UGH.
Anyhooooooooooooooooo---that's about all I have to say tonight. I can go to sleep feeling less worried about Howard. All is well in my soul and on Howard's corner today. My song choices tonight are in honor of my Howard.
Oh Happy Day
It Is Well With My soul/The River's Gonna Keep on Rolling On.
Friday, January 1, 2010
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