check out "Gianna's Thoughts"

Gianna has branched off into her own blog! www.giannasthoughts.blogspot.com

Today we went to N'Awlins Crab House right by our house. The place was great especially the decor. The food especially the scallops wrapped in bacon with rice, hush puppies and coleslaw was good but I wasn't too crazy about the rice because it had a bad after-taste. I liked the decor because it reminded me of when we went to South Carolina to visit my friend. I think I would want to go back to N'Awlines again some day.

Maybe the Catechism Should Update Its Pics?

I've read that 'only' 3% of the abortions are performed because something is 'wrong' with the baby. I've also read that more Catholics have abortions than Protestants. I've seen supposedly holy Catholics shun my handicapped daughter. And I've noticed that the Catechism has pictures from the 50's. There are no handicapped people (or people of different races and ethnicities) portrayed. So I'm wondering if maybe the illustrations were changed, maybe kid Catholics today will grow up to be more accepting of the handicapped (and people from different races and ethnicities) and would be less apt to kill their unborn handicapped child? Maybe to effectively end abortion, we need to change the mindset so all abilities (and races and ethnicities) will feel welcomed in the Church founded by Christ? Just a thought.

Ha!!! Take THAT leader of the pro-life movement who so quickly dismissed my concerns!!!!!

Sisters of Mother Teresa: Disabled Children are 'the Wealth of the Church'

What does pro-life mean?

Everybody else seems to 'vent' on their blogs so I'm going to do this just once. I promise. I'm entertaining this thought that if Catholics truly want to bring people home to the Church, we need to walk the walk. It reminds me of when I was out to dinner with a family of pro-life, skirt wearing, retreat-going Catholics whom everyone pointed to as a holy example. Yet these holy children wouldn't sit next to my handicapped daughter. Hello??? What's wrong with that picture? And that's one of the many times she has been shunned by so-called holy, pro-life Catholics. What conclusions am I to draw from this? To be a good Catholic, I must ignore my own daughter? People like 'us' cannot be good Catholics because of her handicap? Or because we don't wear skirts or go on retreats? And whenever I try to discuss this with someone in the Church, I've been cut off (by a priest), accused of being angry and judgemental (by a national leader in the pro-life movement who's name I won't mention because I'm sure Catholics would recognize her name) or it's pooh-poohed along the same lines as the sex abuse scandal ("It was only 1% of the priests, what's the big deal?")

I also read that 31% of the abortions are done on Catholic women. That's higher than non-believers! And I heard that some supposed Catholic women have those abortions because the unborn baby is diagnosed with a disability. Are they choosing abortion because they know what kind of 'acceptance' that child will have? What's going on here?

Now I realize we are all imperfect and could easily all go to Confession on a daily basis with plenty of material but aren't we truly called to try to see Christ's face in all, even in those less perfect that our skirt-wearing, retreat-going selves? It's like some poeple have elevated the Catholic faith to THEIR liking and they judge everyone around them according to THEIR standards. It's nuts! Is that how Catholicism is supposed to work?

I tried to implement a 'ministry to the handicapped' at my local parish and the priest told me that the parish counsel "wanted nothing to do with it".

Do people realize that this mentality is 3 steps away from eugenics? "You don't deserve to be my friend"..."You don't deserve to be Catholic"...."You don't deserve to be alive". It's wrong and we all need to stop it...and take ourselves down from that pedestal we've created for ourselves and really start seeing God's face in everyone...and (hang onto your hats here, folks) even befriend those who are handicapped. Ok, not all handicapped people are nice people just like not all able-bodied people are nice people...but can we be open to it? Aren't we supposed to be?

Remember the Holocaust? Hitler's T-4 project? I can see that happening here, easy. There's no one to stand up for them now just like there was no one to stand up for them then. Ya think that'll reflect well when we're judged? Aren't we supposed to be a voice for those who don't have a voice? Or will doing so get our pretty little skirts dirty?

Whew...ok...I'm done, and true to my word I will not post again. This blog was intended for a specific purpose...for my kids to practice their writing skills by writing about their interests. And that's what it will remain. Thank you for listening.

Steve & Gianna's Cooking Challenge

And the challenge was: tilapia, apple, graham crackers and water chestnuts. The result? Sweet on Fish.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

today we did a challenge where we cooked fish with an apple and water chestnut chutney. at first was shocked to see chestnuts but then we had a great idea that was goooooooooooood. i would like to do this again.

From the Chicago Sun-Times today:

"....conservative Catholicism can be so narrowly focused that it risks becoming a sect, George writes in his book, The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith Communion and Culture..."

Gotta love him, huh? Finally someone of substance said it!!!