Lamb cookies

Made these for a baby shower on Sunday:

They are lemon butter cookies with lemon royal icing and filled with seedless raspberry jam.

They were a big hit!

A sad day for a once-honorable profession (Part 2)

Read Part 1

In school we were taught that a free and unbiased press is essential to our democracy, because they could be counted on to report the facts, to shine the light on what our government and the other countries in the world are doing, to keep those we have placed in power over us accountable to the masses. We were told that a free press reports the facts, investigates all sides of a story and presents "the truth". Seems nothing could be further from the truth today.

If all you watched was CNN, and if the only report you saw was from about 2:00 that afternoon, you would have concluded that the Chicago Tea Party was filled with crazy, ignorant and racist people. I was there on the edge of the crowd around the CNN reporter and watched her zero in on one of the very few signs that was blatantly offensive. Then she interviewed a man who was concerned about the debt our country will pass on to his daughter. She interrupted him, scolded him, tried to convince him he was wrong, and then ended by drawing conclusions about the event that had nothing to do with the reality. She even managed to throw in a dig at one of her competing news organizations, which didn't help her already suspect credibility.

It was obvious that this reporter arrived with a pre-conceived notion of the event. She started with the conclusion and then sought out the "facts" to "prove" it. I was shocked. It would be equivalent to seeing somebody breathlessly proclaim that "Lake Michigan is filled with styrofoam cups!", when all the reporter actually found were a few cups floating at the shore.

I am not saying that other news organizations don't do this kind of thing. I have just never witnessed such blatantly misleading reporting in person before. My point is, don't trust any one source for news. My morning routine includes reading news web sites and political blogs while I eat my breakfast. The first news sites I read are CNN, Fox News and the Chicago Tribune. Whenever I'm in the car, I've got the radio on. My three most-used buttons are for what are considered all news, conservative talk, and liberal talk.

Do not believe that one news source is always telling the truth and another is "in the tank" for your political enemy. What you see and hear is shaped by the political beliefs and objectives of the owners, editors, writers and reporters of that organization.

Don't believe me? Give it a try. Research one current news story using as many different sources as you can find. Carefully read or listen to the reporting and determine how much is "fact" and how much is opinion, dramatization and spin. Then, research a story on the same topic from a different time period (say before this last national election) and notice the difference in how each news organization reported it when a different political party was in power. A very good topic for this exercise would be the national deficit.

Maybe I'm being naive. Maybe the profession of "journalism" was never what it purported to be. Maybe they have never been what we need now more than ever - the guardians of our democracy. But if that were the case, Richard Nixon would not have left office early, would he?

This was actually my favorite sign from the event:

America, and all freedom-loving people, should mourn.

A sad day for a once-honorable profession

I attended the Chicago Tea Party on Wednesday. It was my first ever politcal protest, and I almost didn't go.

For one thing, I'm not comfortable in large crowds. I was once caught in a very fast-moving crowd of people leaving a baseball game - it was almost a stampede - and the fear of being trampled may be unreasonable but it's there. Another reason I almost didn't go was the publication of a report by a government agency that labels people who believe in some of the things I believe in as possible threats to national security. It frightens me to think that my own government may be monitoring me because I don't agree with its policies.

The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press (among other things). These are critical in a healthy democratic society. They are related and, when exercised with integrity, help protect each other. But what happens when the people exercise their freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and the press purposely misrepresents it?

At the Tea Party I spent the entire time moving into, out of and around the crowd. I took pictures of signs. I listened to people reacting to the speakers and interacting with each other. I did so with a purpose...I wanted to compare what I saw with what was reported in the news. And I witnessed something that frightened me even more than the government report...the intentional distortion of the event by a major media organization.

If CNN were truly what their motto purports - "the most trusted name in news" - this country would be doomed.

(to be continued)

2 down, 48 to go

Took the CPR/First Aid class yesterday. Scratch #17 off the list.

I really, really hope I never have to use it.

This breaks my heart

Detroit is my second home. I lived in the area for eight years, and many of the people I love still live there. We didn't go into the city often - maybe once a year for brunch or a ballgame. At that time it was already too far gone. You had to go through miles of awful to get to the few fun parts.

Detroit was once every bit as lovely and vibrant a city as my Chicago. Makes me wonder if Chicago is heading for the same fate.

The causes are many and the answers aren't simple. But attention Chicago...Cook County...and Illinois - if you keep raising taxes and don't clean up the corruption, you will force businesses and their workers to find a better place work and live. Your tax base will crumble, and Detroit's present may be your future.

Detroit's Beautiful, Horrible Decline (TIME, via Instapundit)

The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit

Eat That Frog!

SEE UPDATE BELOW

No, this is not a diet tip that belongs on my other blog. It's some great advice from a book of the same name I found on Walk-The-Talk.com.

As some of you know, I excel in procrastination. I have always intended to do something about that, but I keep putting it off!

The idea is to do the most difficult thing on your "to do" list first thing each day. That unpleasant, nasty, crappy task on your plate is your "frog". And if you eat that first, the rest of what is on your plate will be more pleasant by comparison.

Today's "frog" for me is a very long, complicated project plan that needs to be reorganized. It's not that it is a difficult task...it is just tedious because every time I make a change to one area it takes forever for the rest of the plan to update. But I will get to the office, settle in with a cuppa joe, and work on it until it's done. Bye-bye froggie!

I love Walk-the-Talk, because they do these little inspirational movies to promote their products. Check out the movie that plays from this page about the book.

Just one thing...don't forget to brush and floss after that frog. Nothing worse than frog breath!

Update: When I got into work, there was a snake on the plate waiting for me. Needed to deal with that first. Got to the frog in the afternoon. Took me three-and-a-half hours to choke down that sucker, but it's DONE! And yes, it tasted as bad as I thought it would.

Check your premises

I just finished reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Big book. Hard to hold up when I read in bed. But very relevant to our times (even though it was first published in 1957) and extremely thought-provoking.

There's so much to talk about - and I'll do so over a period of time - but I took one thing from the book that I want to immediately make a practice in my daily life. It has to do with logic. It is to check the premise of a statement or argument. A premise is a "previous statement from which another is inferred".

One of the things that frustrates me about my job is meetings. Not all meetings, but those that seem to get off track with side conversations or end up not making sense, but I don't quite know why. At least several times a week during a meeting I'll find myself asking "how did we get here?"

To be honest, I have a tendancy to be "lazy" in some conversations...I let my attention slip. Or I feel bad and mentally withdraw when a conflict gets heated. I think by paying closer attention, and being aware of the premise when a statement is made during a conversation, I will be able to make my own arguments more effectively. And by doing so hopefully make these meetings more productive.

And productiveness is what it's all about.

The law of unintended consequences

These days there is a lot of mud-slinging at corporate executives and their pay and bonuses and companies having lavish parties while the economy is suffering. My current employer has cut back severely on business travel, and the days of any celebratory event beyond the level of bringing in lunch once a quarter are probably over.

No doubt there are people and companies out there who appear to be "fiddling while Rome burns". But demonizing all such activities has a serious ripple effect. Like a rock landing in a still pool of water, the first act causes waves that go in all directions. Those waves are the unintended consequences.

Here's one example from comedian Jeffrey Jena (via Big Hollywood).

Many years ago, a "luxury" tax was imposed on yachts. Few "regular" people worried about it. So what? Those people are rich, they can afford it! Well, here's what happened as a result: rich people - the only market for yachts - stopped buying those yachts. So boat manufacturers stopped making them. And people lost their jobs. Think about all the people who are involved in the production, sale and operation of yachts - designers, factory workers, salespeople, boat crews, cooks, bartenders, waitresses, maintenance workers, accountants, secretaries. Then there are workers in related businesses - yachts need fuel to run, they need insurance, they pay fees to dock.

It was the "regular" people - multitudes of them - who suffered as a result of the "luxury" tax.

Guess who didn't suffer? The rich people...they got their fun some other way. And because they didn't buy the yachts, the tax wasn't paid. So the original intention was never fulfilled anyway.

So the next time you find yourself thinking that it's a good thing that "rich people" are being made to pay more and more, consider the unintended consequences.

You might be one of them.

It's Valentine's Day again, you poor guys!

Seems every year I see more and more backlash against the commercial "holiday" of Valentine's Day. And I approve. Not since New Year's Eve has a single day caused more useless tension and worry. "Will I have a date?" "Will he buy me something good?" "If I'm alone on Valentine's Day am I a loser?"

It's especially hard for the guys on Valentine's Day. I told my nephew not long ago that I think guys get a raw deal...so much pressure on a single day. And it implies that if you don't perform well on this one day, your actions on the other 364 days of the year don't really count. Baloney.

One of the most romantic days of my marriage was also the most disgusting. And I was reminded of that this week, because the disgusting part happened again. I had food poisoning on Monday night. Last time it happened, Daniel not only shielded me from onlookers (he had pulled the car over to the side of the road just in time for the climax), but he also washed my clothes, cleaned the car, make sure I had the fluids I needed and not once gagged (at least that I could see). I wouldn't trade the feeling of being loved I had that day for a flawless diamond. I sure missed him Monday night.

It's simple. Treat each other with kindness every day. When you recognize a need, fulfill it if you can. Choose to be loving, even when you may not feel loving (like when she is puking on your shoes). And don't let society or a television commercial or even your significant other tell you that the rest isn't good enough if you "screw up" this one day. Don't fall for it.

My niece gave me a valentine with a 3-D picture of a cat and a chocolate heart taped to the back. Because I love cats and I love chocolate. And because she loves me. Which I already knew because she doesn't wait for a specific day to treat her family and friends with love. She does it every day.

Happy Every Day!

The meaning of life in one word - Part V

Continued from a series started in 2007 but never finished...click here to read from Part I.

A week ago right about now, my friend Greg was starting his day and had no way of knowing he would never settle in for the night in his bed again. He looked forward to a fun evening of playing cards with his friends. He was talking and laughing with those friends and his wife when the countdown clock of his life on earth ran down to zero.

At his funeral, his life-long best friend imagined what it must have been like when God greeted him at that moment. He described a scene with all of our friend's departed loved ones standing behind God, and God with His arms outstretched as He exclaimed with joy "here is my friend Greg!".

The end of our earthly relationship with this friend is painful, because we will never have another chance to laugh with him or get a hug from him or see his smile. But at least that pain is lessened with the knowledge that our friend is perfectly happy and at peace.

This man and his wife were surrounded by hundreds (yes, hundreds) of dear friends as we laid him to rest. But someone was missing, and this man's absence was the result of a situation more profoundly sad than our friend's death...the pain of relationships broken by careless words, resentment and unforgiveness.

My prayers this day are for the absent man. I pray for healing for the broken part of him, the part that took offense long ago and would not forgive. The part of him that clung to his resentment instead of letting it go. The part of him that caused him to say "no" instead of "yes" at a critcal moment.

It does not matter what came before that moment. Nor does it matter what I or anyone else thinks about what the absent man did at that moment. It doesn't even really matter if a certain group of souls does not survive as a community much longer.

What matters is what will happen when we stand before God when our earthly life is over. Will God welcome us with open arms, or will He say "you claimed to love Me, but..."?

Our relationships - all of them - are the meaning of our lives.

Do you think my work is sexy?

Check this out from MSM Careers:

10 Sexy Careers You Never Thought Of

Not that your first consideration when choosing a career path should be if the work is "sexy"...I wasn't going for that when I became an administrative assistant out of high school. Actually, back then they called them "secretaries". But anyone who has worked in a office knows that good admins really do "possess a hidden but large cache of power".

As for #7 - Personal Trainer - all that is true. Except mine has never called me a quitter. He's the positive-motivation type. Although I admit I have wanted to punch him a few times.

Hey wait...there's no Project Manager on this list!

Now I'm hungry

If I could buy only the Food Network and maybe the History Channel, I would order cable today.

Inspiring, or insulting?

There is certainly nothing wrong with a call to service. What I find insulting is the idea that it is only worth doing when you happen to approve of who is occupying the Oval Office:



Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, defend the defenseless. These celebrities would have you think these are new ideas. They are as old as man, and our calling as decent human beings.

Serve your fellow man. Serve your country. Serve a cause you believe in. Serve because it is the right thing to do, not because a charismatic leader instructs you to.

Don't become a member of a cult of personality.

Press on

I don't have to get up every day trying to be perfect! I just need to get up every day, determined to press on.

Today's wisdom from my Joyce Meyer Daily Calendar.

In this way, we are all equal

Do you ever envy somebody else's life? Wish you were as popular, or rich, or had their house or their parents or their life? Do you ever look at someone who is seemingly happy or carefree, or at least doesn't seem to have to deal with the kind of crap you have to deal with every day?

I have been envious in this way a lot. I sometimes look at my situation in life and wish I was somebody else. When this happens, I am failing to remember and be grateful for all the blessings I do have.

When you find yourself thinking this way, you need to remind yourself that appearances can be deceiving. You don't know the whole story.

John Travolta and his family seemed to have it all - fame, money and a very good life. But what most of us didn't know until recently is the painful struggle they endured with a child's very serious health issues. And the loss of that child at age 16? Most of us will never know that kind of tragedy and devastating pain in our own lives.

Fame and fortune and luck are wonderful. But I would bet that the Travoltas would trade every cent they have to have to get their son back.

No matter how great you think somebody else's life is, remember that we are all equal in that we are human. No amount of money can buy happiness or health or one more day on this earth.

Be grateful for what you do have. You don't know how long it will last.

One down, 49 to go

You can cross off #6 on my 50 by 50 List.

Today I sang in front of the whole congregation. I will be doing so at least once a month as a Cantor who sings the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation.

I was really nervous, and made a couple of mistakes. But it didn't matter.

I was where I belonged.

Character counts

If someone who didn't know you asked someone who did what kind of person you are, they would attempt to describe your character.

Here's a great column about how you build your character, and why it is so important, from one of my favorites - Greg Laurie.

Moody Judie - Part II

Read Part I

That sleepless night was not just a low point in my mood cycle. It was a dark place made worse by excessive eating. Even after months of working out and some success with dieting, I was into the food again and that blinded me to all the good I had accomplished.

But that night something was different from all the other times I was in that dark place. There was a sliver of light. It was faint, but definitely there. It was a reminder that what I was feeling was a feeling...and that feelings are NOT facts. It was a remembrance of good times when despite the facts of my life being the same as they were now, I felt differently. I just knew there were good days ahead, even if none of the facts of my life changed.

That sliver of light was God's answer to my cries.

As I cried I finally gave up my own will in this area of my life. I decided that even if I never conquered my food problem and never lost weight and never again had the love of a husband that I would continue to trust God. I would take what He gave me and do the best I could with it. I would strive to fulfill His purpose for whatever days He would give me in this body. And after I cried, I slept long and peacefully. I woke up in the same body with the same life I had the night before. But I was out of the dark place.

Of course it was God. God always hears us. We either don't take the time to listen for His answer, or we don't like the answer and just pretend we didn't hear it.

Now some of you may scoff at my explanation. You may say that it wasn't God, that it is a well-known fact that crying can provide a psychological and physiological release of stress that results in a feeling of well-being. I'm not going to argue with that.

I'll just ask you to remember Who made us this way.

What we learn in "bad times".

"Those who don't believe in God derive the wrong lessons from what appears as bad news."

Column from Marvin Olasky at Townhall.com.

Moody Judie gets a clue (once again)

Are you like me? Are there some lessons you have to learn over and over and over and over again? No matter how many times I go through this, it still suprises me at some level.

I have written before about my tendency to swing from high to low, energy-wise. I will have these waves of energy and enthusiasm when I get more done in a day or two than I got done for months before. When those waves come I ride them as long as I can.

When the wave crashes, things I really care about - like writing here - seem too much work to even consider. And it's not necessarily depression, although I suppose it could be. It is like my answer to everything is "meh", which I understand just became an actual word. Good word.

Well, I'm riding one of those energy waves now. I'm sitting in my cute, clean, tidy apartment, where a week ago I made a discovery akin to one you would have on an archeological dig. I picked up something that I know had been on the floor since August 11, 2008. Seriously. Nothing gross, just some laundry from an event at my church (for those of you in the know, it was the aprons from the kitchen at Polish Fest...clean but with the strings hopelessly tangled from the dryer).

What is surprising about my latest trip through Meh Valley (why use one metaphor when two is twice as nice?) is that during that same time I was going to the gym 4-5 times a week. For the first time in my entire life I was actually working on getting fit. I was so psyched up...working out with a trainer, feeling great, losing pounds and inches and body fat percentage. But I would get home and simply not care that the ironing board had been out since shortly after the last time I had company (which may or may not have been July 19, 2008...I'm looking into that).

Fortunately, when I hit my low point during a recent sleepless night, I remembered all the other times this has happened and I told myself over and over that I would not feel this way forever. And then I let myself cry. That is something I don't do often enough. I feel embarassed to cry, even when I'm alone. I'm afraid somebody will hear me.

Well, Somebody did.

(to be continued)