What not to eat on Halloween

answer doorbell
admire baseball player & giant hot dog
eat Kit Kat
watch Food Network Spooky Cake Challenge
answer doorbell
pretend to be robbed by Al Capone & his fellow gangsters
eat snickers
answer doorbell
answer doorbell
admire Hannah Montana
boys come home with their loot
eat butterfinger, tootsie roll, milk duds
answer doorbell, return to the boys' loot
finish milk duds, eat sweet tarts, eat another tootsie roll
answer doorbell
dump rest of candy into lucky trick-or-treater's bag
turn off porch lights
think about another butterfinger
eat another butterfinger w/ glass of milk (just to be health consious)

feel a little guilty...okay, a lot guilty
sick, sick, sick of candy
take 3 Rolaids, waddle upstairs to bed
ugh.

Friendly Questions

Thanks to Cathy and Lisa,

and along with this came the following questions:

1) IF YOU COULD COME BACK AS AN ANIMAL, WHICH WOULD IT BE?
the Geico Gecko

2) SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT
Nutella... okay, okay I'm kidding!!
No, seriously... my espresso machine ... actually, my hair dryer

3) WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN ANOTHER PERSON?
sense of humor
musical/artistic talents

4) THE COLORS YOU TEND TO WEAR
black and brown (I'm boring that way)

5) THREE WORDS THAT DEFINE YOU
procrastinator (this, from my husband)
helpful (this, from Jonathan)

Italian (this, from Nicholas)

a princess (this, from Timothy)

6) A PLACE YOU WOULD TRAVEL TO
Italy

England, Ireland & Scotland

7) YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE FROM A BOOK OR MOVIE

(Last of the Mohicans)
Duncan: "There is a war going on in the east. How is it you are heading west?"
Hawkeye: "Well, you face north and, real sudden-like, turn left."

Hawkeye: "Someday you and I are going to have a serious disagreement."

(Miss Congeniality)
Victor Melling: The last time I saw a walk like that was in "Jurassic Park."

(The Grapes of Wrath)
"How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his own cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can't scare him--he has known a fear beyond every other." - John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 19

8) SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO
learn how to play the cello
finish my book proposal

hike the Grand Canyon

9) YOUR MAIN STRENGTH/FORTE
my decisiveness (see #2 above)

An Offer We Can't Refuse

My husband has always been a fan of the Godfather movies . . . and that was even before he married into my Italian family. Of course, my family is from northern Italy, so no Don Corleone or mafia connections for us.

But a few years ago my parents met and became friends with a group of second generation Italian-Americans who moved here from New York, and it is through them we get out Godfather fix. Their relatives were originally from southern Italy, so when you take their Italian heritage, mix it with a little Sicilian and Neopolitan history, stir in a strong sense of family, and then add that New York flair . . . you have the makings for a great party.

This was the third year in a row that Joe and I, along with the boys, were invited to a pig roast hosted by an Italian-American couple whose family is orginally from Naples. The party took place in their home, which offers plenty in the way of entertainment: a full-sized bocce court, two fire pits (one perfect for roasting marshmallows, the other for roasting an entire pig), and an entertainment room complete with a large screen television, a pool table, and a state-of-the-art wine cellar where they bottle their own vino rosso.

This year's pig roast included a live band, Italian pastries from a New York bakery, and a 20 lb. block of torrone in which great chunks were hacked off with a hammer and chisel and passed out to the guests. (I may have been responsible for eating 12.2 of that 20 lb block . . . but we won't go there.)

Here's the serendipitous thing: the husband's name is Don (my husband and I secretly call him the Don), and after last weekend's party my husband and I are planning to watch all three Godfather movies this weekend.

In the words of Don Corleone: Capisci?

A Little Boy and His Planes

An entire day at an air show
with a little boy who is passionate about planes ...

Red Eagles and formation flying,
sky diving and stunt planes,
WWII Warbirds and the Battle of Midway,
pyrotechnics and exploding "bombs"...

and a five minute helicopter ride for a Mom
and her little boy who is passionate about planes.

Saturday Morning Chores

It's early Saturday morning and Timothy climbs into bed with us.

Guess what? he asks.

What.

Last night I had a giant booger in my nose.

And then what? I inquire.

It was on my finger.

What did you do with it? I asked, hoping that a tissue figures somewhere into this story.

Then it got stuck on my thumb.

Oh boy I think.

And then? I ask, needing to know but not really wanting to.

I don't know...I don't see it anymore. And he hops off the bed.

And I am thinking that this morning...I am changing all the sheets.

Guided by the Spirit

Dear Nicholas,

For your Confirmation we wanted to give you seven books, each one representing one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Many of the books we thought to include (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia series, for example) you already own, so the challenge was to find ones that would be new to you. We prayed to the Holy Spirit for guidance, and this is what we came up with . . . they have much to offer as you grow in your faith.

Wisdom, in order to see God at work in our lives and in the world.
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Understanding, to enlighten my mind.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Right Judgement/Counsel, to know the difference between right and wrong.
Night by Ellie Wiesel

Courage/Fortitude, to stand up for what is right in the eyes of God.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Knowledge, to know oneself and to know God.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Piety/Reverence, for a deep sense of respect for God and the Church.
A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt

Fear of the Lord (awe of God), to recognize our all powerful God.
The Holy Bible

Love,
Mom and Dad


Nicholas with sponsors Aunt Laura and Uncle Patrick


Nicholas with Bishop Boland

The Knight and the Pirate

My brother-in-law, who is a member of the Knights of Columbus, volunteered to join the Knights of our parish for the Confirmation Mass. This was the first time our sons had seen their uncle in full regalia. Timothy was awed . . . is Uncle Patrick a pirate?

And you can see why he thought this . . .