The View Up Here

Fact: Fact: I prefer raspberry to orange Jaffa Cakes. I feel personally called to cover my head with a chapel veil when I am before the Blessed Sacrament. I am absolutely transported by singing and hearing Gregorian Chant.  If I do become a nun, I would like to wear a Habit of some kind. I would prefer that people offered Thanksgiving after Communion, if only the priest gave us time for that. I believe we need to Evangelize our "lukewarm" Catholics about the power and love of the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. I am committed to one hour a week of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. I belive in Marian apparitions such as Fatima and Lourdes, and I believe in the power of prayer, especially the Rosary. I believe in St. Faustina's visions of Christ and the efficaciousness of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I am Pro-Life. That includes educating against abortion and reducing the perceived "need" for abortion, and advocating for compass...

I think I'll have to stay away from Fb for awhile. The vitriol is still quite prevalent. I can't take it. Bernie Sanders' website posted this in response to Trump's election. Very well put: Sanders Statement on Trump Wednesday, November 9, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 9 –  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States: “Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.  People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids - all while the very rich become much richer.  “To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working f...

I know this isn't the most well-crafted piece I've ever written. I just need to get the thoughts out there. Thank you for reading. Trying to come up with a response to the election of Donald Trump as prez. It's not just about Trump, you see. It's about the backlash and the hate and the IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD and all the other negative feedback. I understand fully that people who voted for Hillary are in mourning. They feel that rights will be taken away from segments of our population, that healthcare will be decimated, that war will be inevitable. (I voted for neither of them, for my conscience would not allow it, and I live in a solidly Blue state anyway.) Trump's campaign was an ugly one. I'm no political scientist, nor do I play one on TV, but even a lay person like myself can see that people in this country have been unhappy and hurting for a very long time, and Trump keyed right into that. His inflammatory speeches and bold proclamations wh...

Today at work I met with a student, James, who I've tutored many times, a student with a creative fire who wants to be a TV writer. Over the last two semesters, James would come to me with an idea for a script, or part of a draft, or a logline, and we'd talk about how he could develop it and structure his stories. He's a writer who sees his characters first and weaves the story around them. Often all he needed was someone in his corner to say, "You can do this!" This student, in my opinion, is very sensitive, talented and has a lot to say with his writing. Today he came by to say good-bye. He had to drop out of school because of not having a spot in the dorms, and having to live in a homeless shelter. His ma kicked him out last semester, and he's been living in shelters and where ever he can crash ever since. Today he told me that the woman at VESID told him that he's not cut out for school because he got such bad grades last semester. She told him to ju...

I'm more than a little annoyed with people griping over the president addressing our kids tomorrow. This comment from a blog reveals the kind of ignorance that makes me wonder if this country has a chance to reach the 22nd century: "if church and state are to be separate so should politics and school." That's right - no more history classes, no more politics in America, no more social studies, no more citizenship classes. Teach our kids to distrust the president and liken him to Hitler programming his Youth (no kidding - I have heard this comparison). I am here to tell you that this approach will not foster a stronger nation. Keeping kids from discussing the very issues that will affect their future is rather like keeping them in a bubble, insulated and powerless. (Incidentally, the people whining about Obama talking to our kids are the same ones who complain that parents aren't taking enough responsibility these days, and that kids are coddled and not encouraged...