Buy A Nun A Book Day

...is approaching once again - September 17.  Once again, I will be sending books to the good Holy Names Sisters who taught me in my callow youth.

It's a nice way to say "Thanks"!

Buy A Nun A Book Day ( Bumped Yet Again!)

...is approaching once again - September 17.  Once again, I will be sending books to the good Holy Names Sisters who taught me in my callow youth.

It's a nice way to say "Thanks"!

Buy A Nun A Book Day... Bumped as a Reminder!

...is approaching.  I'm consulting my nunnish sources, but all the evidence points to Real Soon - September 17.  Once again, I will be sending books to the good sisters who taught me in my callow youth.

I won't have time to consult this year (my bad), but I'm sure I can find a few books that might interest them!

It's a nice way to say "Thanks"!

Starbucks' Quiz

OK, this has been making the Twitterverse crazy today - the race questionnaire being handed out at Starbucks:

And here are my answers:

1. All her friends were human.  If by "race" you mean different cultures, Hispanic/Cuban, mostly.

2. Well, they're all human, so I guess "None".

3. I don't know. Why don't you ask her?

4. Zero. (All humans.)

5. Again, if you mean "skin color" or "culture", it was at work. I taught the cream of the Baltimore City School system (and the Maryland Penal System) when I worked in Maryland.  Connect your own dots.

6. I don't do Facebook.

7. I haven't been to anyone else's home in the past year.

8. All visitors have been humans, AFAIK.

9. See above.

10. I eat with humans, and the occasional dog or cat.

Q1 - Not far.  They taught me to be respectful of all people. Skin color never really entered into that perspective. My grandfather corrected me one day when I used the word "Jap", and at 10, I remember flinching when a relative referred to "Nigger town".

Q2 - No.  I've managed to lose contact with pretty much all of them, regardless of race, creed or color.

Q3 - Getting off this stupid fixation with skin color, and learning to judge each person on their individual character, strengths and weaknesses.  Learn to be respectful of others, but not at the expense of our own dignity and worth..

WHEN A SOLDIER COMES HOME

WHEN  A SOLDIER COMES HOME (Read to the Very End!)

This email is being  circulated around the world~~~please keep it going.

When  a soldier comes home, he finds it hard......to listen to his son whine about  being bored.

 

....to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

To  be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of getting ready for work. 

...to  be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night's  sleep.

 

  ...to  be silent when people pray to God for a new car.

 

...to  control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive  slower.

..to  be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of  flying.

 ....to  keep from laughing when anxious parents say they're afraid to send their kids  off to summer camp.

 ....to  keep from ridiculing someone who complains about hot  weather.

....to  control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being  cold. 

 

  
....to  remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the  dog.

.....to  be civil to people who complain about their jobs.

.....to  just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a  year.

 ...to  be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in the  house. 

The only thing harder than being a  Soldier...  

Is loving one. 

I was asked to pass this on and I will gladly do so!! Will  you???

 
No  one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the U.S.  Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get  50% of their pay on retirement. While Politicians hold their political  positions, in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men  and women, and receive full-pay retirement after serving one term. It just  does not make any sense.  

If  each person who receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days,  most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one  proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th  Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law that  applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to  the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that  applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to  the citizens of the United States."

You  are one of my 20+. I passed it on, will you?

"If  you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice," and these brave  soldiers have given you that choice.  

This from my cousin,

Pass it on!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Avec update!)

The Kiddo PASSED THE BAR EXAM!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!  WOO-HOO!!!

Congratulations, Kiddo!!

She is now licensed to practice in two states.

We celebrated long-distance w/ burgers - she had McDonald's, I had Five Guys'.

(Me.  Proud?  Nah... )

Update:

Since Montana is a "Uniform Bar Exam" (UBE) state, she will also have  leg-up on practicing in eleven other states!  UBE state are: 

 Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

States have the option of simply allowing someone to practice, or may add other requirements as they see fit.

International Buy A Nun... (Updated x3)

...A Book Day!

 Update III:

Got this from the Sister to whom I'd written:

Thank you so much, Lee. I can identify some Sisters who will be thrilled to receive the books.

Sister Kathryn

 Update II:

My book club has notified me that two of the books I've requested have been mailed.  No word back from the convent, tho...

Update:

 Didn't hear back today, and since the day is next Tuesday, I went ahead and ordered books that I've enjoyed and though the good nuns might also.  Here's my e-mail:

Hello, Sister,

 

As the 'official' day is next Tuesday, I went ahead and picked out four book to be sent to directly you for distribution.  They will probably be arriving over the next week or two, which is a function of how the swap club works.  Each book will be coming from a different member, so arrival is a function of how soon each member gets to it, and how far it has to travel.

 

I wound up ordering three books that are favorites of mine, and one similar but different from a series I have read from.
 

They are:

 

A Letter of Mary, by Laurie R. King

The Dante Club, by Matthew Pearl

The Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tsu, translated by John C. H. Wu

The Best American Short Stories 1997, ed. by Kenison(?)

 

I hope you all will enjoy them!

I wondered what books to get, and who to give them to.  I suddenly realized/decided that I wanted to send them to the nuns (or the order, anyway) who taught me in grade school.  I've managed to track down the "Mother Ship" convent in California, and sent an e-mail off asking what books might be appreciated.

So, if you know (or knew) a nun, buy her a book!

(This seems to be a word of mouth/blog thing, so pass it on!)

Profound Congratulations...

...to Jewel.

The Easter Vigil: I have at last crossed the Tiber

 

The oil of peace and certainty has now mingled well with the chrism of joy. It is one of the best fragrances you can ever smell.  It’s past 1:30 in the morning, and the perfume is still wafting through my nose.

Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ was my First Supper.

I cannot find the words right now to describe how I am feeling.

Easter blessings and joy to you all on this Day of Christ’s Resurrection.

The die is cast!

Letter to Scott Kurz - Updated

Update -  Scott replied to my e-mail:

Leelu,

I'M catholic. I'm mocking my own religion. I'm not singling out anyone but myself and the dogma I was raised in.

 Not much of an answer, I guess.  But , hey, it's his strip.

I wrote  this to him after reading today's strip.  If I receive an answer, I shall post it.

Hello, Scott,

I've been reading PvP since I discovered it quit a few years ago, and have read the entire canon.  I truly enjoy your work, and miss it when you are unable to get it posted.

Yet, I have to take issue with the Holy Ghost/Pope story today.  First, we generally refer to it as  the Holy "Sprirt", to avoid cliche' associations with Casper, Ghost Busters, and others of that ilk.  Second, the Holy Spirit is regarded as the source of spiritual wisdom and guidance, so it would be natural for the conclave to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Since prayer is a form of meditation, it is a process of opening one's self up to the Holy Spirit, to recieve needed guidance.

Anyway..., are you going to Hell for this strip?  I doubt it.  Will you lose readers over it?  Maybe one or two.  Invective?  Possible, but unlikely.  However, since it is considered near hate speech to say words like "fag" or "queer" in contexts other than their meanings of a "burning  bundle of kindling", (or "cigarette"), and "odd" - a good thing, too, I respectfully request that you extend the same courtesy and respect to Catholics and their faith.

This one goes much deeper into bad taste than the usual "fart and dick jokes".

I have a guess or two about this one, based on the inference that he is gay.  He has posted some pics of himself with his partner (mentioned, I think, only in the context of their work together).  That said, Scott is often looking at Kris the way I look at Te'a Leone.  But I'm just  guessing, and willing to be wrong.  The "go-to" guess is, of course, the Church's stance against homosexuality (but not against homosexuals), and the attendant refusal to consider sanctifying gay marriage.