(1/27)...streaming

I went to bed last night to pouring down rain. Woke up to snow. That made an interesting rush hour drive to get Noah to school. I am fond of neither driving in the dark nor driving in the snow.

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I made the trek into town this morning for school drop-off because my husband is sick with a stomach bug. Nothing like a stomach bug to get the bathrooms cleaned. All three were in use last night. Sheesh. Did you ever notice that stomach bugs always hit in the middle of the night? What's up with that?

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I picked up my new occlusal device (night time bite plate) yesterday. Between the occlusal guard and people getting sick in the night I can't say it was exactly a decent night's sleep. Nope. Wouldn't say that at all. I am wondering how long it will take to get used to it. Any readers use one?

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On the way to school this morning, Noah read to me a letter written by our bishop which is to be read during the homily of all Masses in our diocese this Sunday. It is in regard to last week's HHS mandate. I imagine many of my readers will hear similar letters read at Mass on Sunday. I hope so anyway.

My husband works for a Catholic hospital system and so this mandate affects me very directly. The Catholic Church will never provide coverage (not to mention complete coverage) of birth control, sterilization procedures, and abortion pills, and surgical abortion. If nothing changes in the next year, as a result of this mandate, we will either lose our medical insurance coverage completely, or Catholics hospitals will close. Frankly, if you take away medical insurance from hospital employees, I can't see that they will stay open. Who would work for an employer that offers no medical benefits? Catholic schools and universities are in the same boat. If Catholic schools and hospitals close, imagine the impact on the schools and hospitals which are left. Catholic hospitals provide 25% of the medical care in this country. Private schools account for 25% of the nations school and over half of those are Catholic schools. Hmmm...interesting. Intentional? Makes you wonder.

But, even if you don't work for a Catholic employer, and even if you don't care if all Americans are forced to pay for contraception and sterilization for everyone, you should care that the president has violated the First Amendment of the Constitution, and the separation of Church and State. What will be next, I wonder?

I could get really fired up about this issue, because at the forefront of this debate are a lot of so-called "Catholics," like the secretary of HHS, so-called "Catholic" politicians, and heads of so-called "Catholic" organizations that favor this ruling. This fact infuriates me.

But I am trying to replace worry with action. I am committed to calling my politicians, especially those who I know favor the mandate, at least a couple times a week. I'll also write letters. I hope that you will, too. As well as take the opportunity to educate anyone who does not know about or understand the ramifications of this mandate.