It's Motumania Thursday

The announcement of the long awaited motu propria has come. But still no word on its scope.

AWESOME!!!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got this message from a friend:

THIS JUST IN:
I have 4 tickets for Saturday at the Hyundai Pavilion for Brad Paisley
in the Yamaha box, complete with VIP parking, VIP area access, buffet
tickets, and $20 in concession gift cards.

She, her husband, and I are going!

Question is . . . who will get the 4th ticket? (No, the DigiSpouse doesn't want to go)

Click on Brad's picture to the left to see a video for his song, "Alcohol" - gotta go get my lampshade!!!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things . . .

Brown paper packages and submissive men tied up with strings . . . . oh, uh, wait a sec . . .

Okay, Ma Beck (Who called me "Missy"? Hate to tell ya, Ma, but I think I'm older!) over at World Wide Ward posted a meme and tagged "those on the Gospel side" (I assume she means those who sit on the "ambo side" of the Church):

Were you named after anyone?

Other than St. Stephen, no . . . I was named "Stephanie" specifically so the Polish relatives on my Ma's side could say my name, as they absolutely butchered that of my older sister, Cassandra.

When was the last time you cried?

Reading tributes to fathers on Father's Day and missing my Dad.

Favorite lunch meat?

Cold cuts - fried olive loaf is the Lunch of Champions (or, at least, the Harbringer of Cholesterol).

Do you have kids?

Two, so far as I know . . .

If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself?

Hell, I'd MARRY myself or at least appoint myself with a general power-of-attorney.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

No, not at all. In fact, I consider to be a mortal sin and anytime I hear it used, I immediately go and dunk my head in the holy water font to cleanse my ears from such abominations. Whadda YOU think?

Do you have your tonsils?

Yes, and several others' as well . . . I have been accused of having some balls in my back pocket, too.

Would you bungee jump?

Have done it twice.

Favorite cereal?

Raisin Bran.

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

No.

What is your favorite ice cream?

During July Baskin-Robbins offers the flavor, "America's Birthday Cake" - I love it!

What do you first notice about people?

Facial tics.

Red or pink?

Red.

What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

The fact that I have no waist - at summer camp one girl called me "Mr. Peanut" because she said the brand figure for Planter's and I had the same shape.

What is the last thing you ate?

Believe it or not, a lunch special called "Rigatoni alla John" - which was funny because I had lunch earlier with my pastor, Fr. John Moneypenny (he had the same, and yes, his mother was a secretary in Britain's secret service . . .).

What colors are you wearing?

Green t-shirt, blue jeans. Earlier I had on a 60's style smock shirt as my homage to the Summer of Love.

What are you listening to right now?

My fingers hitting the keyboard. What a sec . . . there, I've put on my iTunes and am playing "Remind Me" by Royksopp - known to most as the song that is played as the Caveman in the Geico commercial rides the "people mover" past the advertisement at the airport in the first of such commercials.

What is your favorite smell?

A good single-malt Scotch.

Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?

My beloved, the DigiHusband.

Favorite sport to watch?

Football.

Hair color?

Medium brown - naturally. Although some silver strands are creeping in.

Eye color?

Blue.

Do you wear contacts?

Nope, I have progressive bifocals.

Scary movie or happy ending?

Happy ending, by far. I'm actually a big ol' softie. Clapped happily at the end of "Wicked" for this same reason.

Favorite food?

Soup. SOUP! I LOVE soup, pretty much all types. Regarding the lunch mentioned above, the good pastor took the salad while I leapt at the chance to have some lentil soup. I had lunch a couple of weeks ago with another attorney in downtown San Bernardino - she was appalled that in 90+ degree weather, I got excited that the cafe had some homemade pea soup (and it was very good!). Ask my boss and co-workers - they know if I get worked up, just push a bowl of anything by Progresso in front of me and it calms me down.

Last movie you saw in a theater?

"Surf's Up," dude!

What color shirt are you wearing?

See above.

Summer or winter?

By the time both come, I'm ready to enjoy that particular season. Bought two pairs of casual sandals today, just because it's summertime, and the living is easy . . .

Hugs or kisses?

Kisses. But just like the ones put out by hershey's, I prefer no nuts.

Favorite dessert?

Bread pudding with a whiskey or brandy sauce.

What are you reading?

"Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey, and Song"; current issue of "American Photography."

What is on your mousepad?

Nothing.

What did you watch on TV last night?

No TV last night.

Rolling Stones or Beatles?

Beatles, by far - with the exception of a few songs, the Stones blow.

Farthest you've ever been from home?

St. Petersburg, Russia . . . back when it was still Leningrad, USSR.

Where were you born?

Da Bronx!

I love being a brat, so I tag any Catholic Uber-Traditionalist or Sedevacantist to see if they have a personality. ;-)

This is the sort of crap that would have a lot of Family Law judges ordering a psychological custody evaluation:

Courtesy of "Mom of the Year", Rosie O'Donnell:

One justification that Rosie has for dressing her kid up for a bad Halloween Gaza Strip Parade is that "art provokes." If you want to do provocative things, leave the little ones out of it, OK?

Happy Birthday, Dolly Girl!

To my sweet daughter, Katherine Frances, who turns 10 years old today -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETPEA! MOM AND DAD LOVE YOU!

Welcome, Brother Tony

I read in my morning newspaper that soon-to-be former Prime Minister of Great Britain, will be converting to Catholicism!

Welcome to the family!

God Smiles Upon Lynchburg

I was quite upset to hear over at the blog of my friend, Mr. Dave Oatney, at The World According to Oatney, that the drought Tennessee was experiencing had placed in peril THE limestone cavern spring in Lynchburg!

As any fan of Jack Daniels would know, it is exclusively produced in Lynchburg, TN and the water used ONLY comes from the cavern's spring, which serves to give it its unique flavoring. I suggested to Mr. Dave we beseech God for His Mercy and Kindness in keeping the waters - and thus the spirits - a-flowin'.

God is good. I received the following in my email today:

Good News from the Jack Daniel Distillery!

Dear Friend of Jack Daniel's,

You may have seen or heard reports about how the drought in Tennessee is affecting production at the Jack Daniel Distillery. Well, we wanted to take time to write and remind you of the old adage, "Don't believe everything you read or hear!"

While it's true Tennessee and other Southeastern states are experiencing a pretty severe drought this spring and summer, we can assure you that we have plenty of water from our Distillery's cave spring to make our Tennessee Whiskey. The water level may be down somewhat, as it typically is during the summer months, but it's currently flowing above what we need for whiskey-making.

We have been making Jack Daniel's with water from this cave spring for more than 140 years and have never had a water shortage. That's not to say we're not taking conservation measures. We are using the cave spring water to make Jack Daniel's, as we always have, but we've cut back on using it for any other secondary purposes, such as cooling or cleaning. That's just being responsible and respectful of the resources that make Jack Daniel's so unique — the cave spring water, charcoal-mellowing, charred white oak barrels, fine grains, and the seasonal changes that Mother Nature offers us in the Tennessee hills.

In addition, our warehouses are filled with barrels upon barrels of Jack Daniel's going through the maturation process. When the whiskey from these barrels reaches full maturity, we'll pull those barrels and bottle the whiskey the same as we always do. In other words, your favorite retailers and bars will continue to have plenty of our Tennessee Whiskey on hand.

If you've been concerned about the various media reports, we hope we've put your mind at ease. And if you hear your friends talking about this, please let them know we're continuing to make Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey and, as Mr. Jack said many years ago, "Every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can."

Your friends at Jack Daniel's

I've Been Excommunicated

The Society of St. Leo I has excommunicated this blog for "inappropriate love for Novus Ordo."

I am honored . . .

Comic for the Day

This is a common problem I find with most liberals - their causes require others to sacrifice involuntarily, but hey, it's all good . . .

How much power does your house use, Pope Al? Oh, that's right, you buy carbon offsets from your own non-profit to offset your waste.

Happy Father's Day - Part III

Taken August 2006 in Tennessee

To men like . . .

My husband, Mark Andrew Richer, who was the son of an abusve and alcoholic father and who decided that he would never be that way with his own family. Mark is the smartest man I know and I am proud to be his wife.

When I met Mark, he was a single dad raising my stepson, Gabriel, and doing such a good job I could not help but admire him. While I have to leave early to get to court, it is Mark who sees that Katie and Patrick, our kids, have their lunches packed and make it to school on time at St. Joseph School.

Mark was raised a Roman Catholic, although he does not follow the faith anymore - however, knowing it is important to me, he is behind me 100% in seeing our kids raised as Catholics, which means that every Sunday, he is standing beside me at Church, making sure we are there as a family.

Happy Father's Day - Part II

To men like . . .

My father, Francis Xavier Martin, who received two Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars during WWII, and worked two jobs to raise us kids, although his second job, fortunately, was a labor of love as he was a proud member of the Bronx Umpires Association and officiated for baseball, football, and basketball - as well as did a stint as coach for the hockey team of the Maritime Merchant Marine Academy in New York.

I remember when I rose to the managerial level of a Fortune 500 consulting firm, and my father saying, "I'm so proud of you, Baby Girl . . . and your sister got a raise, and you're brother is doing well. I'll tell you, my kids are alright and I'm lucky to be you guys' Dad."

Frank always stood by us kids - it did not matter whether we were rocket scientists or ditch diggers, so long as we were good and ethical people, my Dad was proud of his kids.

Happy Father's Day - Part I

A Tribute to My Grandfather

Michal Stanislaus Koretzky

To men like . . .

Michael Koretzky, my grandfather, who witnessed the Russian Revolution in 1917 and fought against the Bolsheviks, then to emigrate to America and realize the American dream, while remaining a very doting father and grandfather.

The story my grandfather told me, that inspired the collage above, was that when he was in the tsarist army, he said the Tsar - Nicolas II - came and reviewed the troops and said, "Mike, Mike, you good soldier - I give you medal." Than, as my grandfather explained, "Goddamn Bolsheviks come, kill tsar, and I never get medal!"

My grandfather, although born and raised in the Ukraine, was ethnically Polish and learned his language, culture, and the catachism of the Roman Catholic Church secretly at night from underground priests posing as farm laborers in tsarist Russia.

Parade o' Parody

For the ultra-liberals . . . Spirit of Vatican 2 "Catholic" Faith Community!

For the ultra-conservatives . . . Against the Huns - The Society of St. Leo I!

And both in Knoxville, TN! I'm tellin' ya, I wish this house would sell because I can hardly wait to live there!

Happy Loving Day

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia. This case declared as being unconstitutional a Virginia statute that banned the intermarriage of races. Pictured above ar the Lovings themselves, Mildred and Richard.

The Court wrote:

Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival. To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discriminations. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.

Here is a good article that speaks to the plaintiffs themselves - a man and a woman who loved each other and simply wanted to be married and raise a family.

Many could see this decision as giving support to gay marriages, given the language of the decision. Of course, sexual orientation has yet to achieve the same judicial scrutiny as does racial classification, wherein lies the difference.

I tend to take a more libertarian view towards this - marriage under the State is nothing more than a social contract. Marriage as a sacrament can be bestowed only by God - in which case, marriage is a covenant. So if gays were to be able to marry legally in my state, it does not change the nature of marriage as a covenant. As it is, I point out to people that California does not have "gay marriage" - but we have "gay divorce" for registered domestic partners.

In the meantime, remember the Lovings in your prayers - and anyday that is the anniversary of the State being shut out of governing our personal lives is a day worth celebrating.

Surf's Up

I took the Digispawn and My Ma to the movies to see the latest, "Surf's Up" (yes, as the mother of grade school kids, I get to see a lot of animated films, moreso than adult films).

"Surf's Up" is cleverly done. Rather than showing a straight plotline, it switches in style between that and "interviews" with characters, as if a documentary film crew is shooting everything. The story is simple - a young penguin, Cody, in Antarctica wants to enter the Big Z Memorial Surf contest and make his way out of his little town, Shiverpool. But is winning everything?

I particularly liked the character of Big Z, Cody's hero and mentor, as he is voiced by Jeff Bridges - and if you loved Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski", you will love what he brings to the character. Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite" fame is also great as Chicken Joe, the only surfer to come out of Wisconsin.

Anyone who surfs will really get into this movie. Living in Southern California, I know something about the surf culture, although I have never gotten on a board, but I can see where surfers would find this movie to be a lot of fun. Think of Christopher Guest doing "Endless Summer" in the style of "Spinal Tap" with animated penguins and you can see the charm and humor behind this movie.

I [Heart] Novus Ordo

I have been reading some posts in the blogosphere about the expected Motu. I agree with those who point out that restoring the availability of the traditional Latin Tridentine Mass will not suddenly hatch "born again" Catholics overnight, eager to be ardent in their faith (see Jimbob over at Shaking Off Sleep). I have also read those who applaud its "return" (it never really went away) as it is an important part of our heritage as Catholics (see Fr. Erik over at Othometer), and I agree with him as well.

However, I do not fear the greater availability of the Latin Mass as something that will replace the Novus Ordo Mass, something that came to age pretty much about the same time as I did (born, as I was, in 1961). I like the Novus Ordo Mass, when done reverently and focused on Christ in the Eucharist. Certainly, there has been misuse and abuse of it, as could also be found in a Latin Mass - yes, I don't want dancing Barneys or that New Age abomination that Cardinal Mahoney put on at the religious education congress in Anaheim. But not every parish that celebrates the Novus Ordo Mass does that. I am proud to say that in my parish (St. Joseph in Santa Ana), we celebrate the Novus Ordo Mass as befits worship of Our Lord.

Now, I am one of those fortunate people who can pick up a comprehension of a foreign language when I need to (I have a working knowledge, in differing degrees, of French, Russian and Spanish, and have "gotten by" in Italian and German), so if all I had was the Latin Mass, I would be able to participate in such a way that I am not simply reciting responses that I do not understand. For many people, however, that would be the case and there I think the Novus Ordo Mass has served the faithful in bringing many to a greater understanding of the liturgy - including priests, I daresay.

"Then He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'" Mark 2:27

The Mass is a two-way street. It is our vehicle for worshipping God, yet as Catholics we receive the greatest gift when Jesus comes to us in the form of the Holy Eucharist. Whether it is a Latin Mass or a Novus Ordo Mass, so much would be lost if a person could not make that connection to Jesus, while at the same time allowing that person to understand their purpose for coming to the Mass, in obedience to Jesus' commands.

Let the Motu issue. Let there be more availability for a person to hear the richness of the Latin Mass, yet also allow that person to worship God in his own tongue. I am reminded that a gift of the Holy Spirit given to the Apostles at Pentecost was the gift to bring Jesus to every man in his own language. And every man should have that opportunity - but not at a compromise to worship.

I'm With Fred

Run, Fred, run . . .

Just a Wicked Good Time

Last night, two friends and I went to the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles to see the musical, "Wicked." For those who may be unaware of this play, it is the story of Oz before Dorothy and Toto got there and how the Wicked Witch came to be so wicked (and for those who read the book or already saw the play, the point is she is the good guy . . . er, gal). Props to Eden Espinosa who played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch - her singing was absolutely magnificent! If it comes on tour to a city near you, do go . . . it's worth it!

And for you ladies - we went to dinner at Musso & Frank's beforehand . . . and saw Matt Damon! Dreamy . . .

To Dad and The Rest . . . Thank You

Once again, it is June 6th, and I post this as my yearly tribute to my father, Francis Xavier Martin. I did this digital collage several years ago and the caption reads: "Frank Martin was a 19-year-old Army Ranger when he went ashore on Omaha Beach that morning. He was still 19 at the end of the day, but had become a man."

Remember today those men who were at Normandy 63 years ago. My Dad was fortunate to have come back home, while many others gave the ultimate sacrifice. Dad is with them now, since his passing in 1995, and lies in Calverton National Cemetery, pursuant to his wishes that he be buried among WWII veterans.

So many people carry just one day that to them was a pivotal point in their lives, where the experiences of that day define their mindset for the remainder of their years. For many of us, September 11, 2001 will be that day. For my Dad, it was June 6, 1944 - he admitted to me once that he always thought about it, and each year would commemorate it. For him, I will continue that tradition.