Odds and Ends

It's snowing like the dickens out. Predictions are for only an inch, but then they also predicted it wouldn't start until 9 a.m. By 6 a.m. there was already an inch. Why is it so hard for weather men to really predict the weather?

~~~~~~~

I don't usually wish to get days back but I really wish I could get yesterday back. The big boys were off school and Doug was home. By all accounts it should have been a really great day. And, it wasn't really bad, I suppose, but it was much different than I planned. By 9:30 a.m. I was having a "hernia attack." I don't really know what to call it other than an attack. I have a hernia that has been surgically repaired twice. It's back. And usually when I have an "attack" I can just lay down for 30 minutes or so and it's over. But, yesterday I was on my back for 7 hours before it went away. Ugh. I had so much to get done. Valances to sew, lesson plans to work on, study guides to make, washing, ironing. I ended up watching "Guarding Tess," which is an enjoyable movie if you don't have a dozen things you need to do, and then many hours of Food Network. Peach set up shop on the sofa next to me and occasionally covered my cheek in kisses. That was good. But, now I have to catch up.

~~~~~~~

I was on the Life Decisions International website (LDI) the other day looking for something and discovered that LDI has endorsed Huckabee. I was a little surprised, but now that I think about it, I guess it's not so surprising. As Catholics, our first priority in choosing a candidate should be protecting human life. According to the Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics (and if you don't have a printed copy of this, print it from the website -- it's a keeper), the five biggest issues for choosing a candidate are all life issues. Not war, or immigration, or position on homeschooling, or even electability. They are abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and the sanctity of marriage (as that produces human life). I have gone back and forth between candidates recently and have not really made a decision about who to choose; on any given day one candidate or another might sound good. But, Huckabee has the strongest position on human life. I've never heard a candidate for president more confident of his own stand on those issues.

~~~~~~~

Jill is recovering from her lung surgery -- she's been home a week now. The tissue went to the Comprehensive Cancer Center where she originally planned to have surgery. But, the docs there think she might be better off with a surgeon in Texas. The decision has not yet been made. Her family continues to thank God for putting great medical specialists in her life to help her fight this horrible disease. I continue to ask for your prayers so that she can stay strong and beat it.

Doug's young cousin Jimmy (22) is in the hospital fighting for his life right now. He has been battling brain cancer for over a year now and recently had an episode with a shunt that is in his brain. He now has an infection and complications from moving the shunt, so if you have an extra prayer today, Jimmy could use it. He was unresponsive yesterday, and is fighting a big uphill battle.

~~~~~~~

...now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials,

so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7

.