Lady Gaga Calls Greyson Michael Chance on 'Ellen'

I saw the original video on FB, several of my friends had it up. Then this morning I came across this story on the AOL newsfeed. How cute is this kid? He is obviously extremely talented, imagine when he has some formal training what he will be able to do. He has never had any voice lessons at all! This is someone to watch! With his talent and composure, his cutie pie looks will take him far!! Good luck, Greyson!
Lady Gaga Calls Greyson Michael Chance on 'Ellen'

A remarkably levelheaded, smiling Greyson Michael Chance visited Ellen DeGeneres' talk show today and got a surprise phone call from Lady Gaga herself, who inspired his now-classic YouTube cover of 'Paparazzi.'

"Hi, Miss Gaga," answered the beaming 12-year-old.

Overheard today...

My baby. Today we watched the American Girl movie Felicity, which I happen to love. It is just an all around sweet movie. I love where the mommy tells her daughters they must aspire to be notable housewives. Of course, the fact that John Schneider plays Felicity's father has nothing to do with my enjoyment of the film ;-). But I digress.

My charming 6yo baby was watching the film with me while everyone else was out at soccer practice. Her tee-ball game was canceled for rain, but we all know soccer is never canceled. In the film, Felicity's mother is expecting. Of course this is in 1775/6 so things were handled a little differently at that time. The mommy nearly dies in a homebirth, but since this is a family film, it is only briefly touched upon.

After the film my sweet daughter comes up to me all concerned and asks what was wrong with the mommy in that movie. I told her she had a hard time when she had her baby. Missy was entirely alarmed. Was it like that for you, Mommy? Did you have a hard time with me? No dear, I was fine. With any of us? No dear, not with any of you. (We have six children.) She thinks some more. When I have a baby, will I have a hard time? No, I'm sure you will be fine like Mommy. Is it hard having a baby? Does the baby come out of the tummy like the horse did? (forgot to mention a horse also gives birth in the film) Yes, but Mommies today usually let the doctor help. At this point my little girl lifts up her shirt to examine her belly. How big am I going to get when I have a baby? Will my tummy be out to here? Or here? Or here? Oh my, it's hard to say, Missy, you will have to be a grown up first, and married. Well were you fat? Uh, Missy? Did I just hear the dog? I think she wants to go outside and play, why don't you go let her out.

Mompreneur

This is quite a find, if you are looking for work-at-home opportunities check out this blog. Click the post title to go visit the site. Also, do not forget to look at Career Step in the upper left corner of my blog.

One of my faves....

Someone I hope to meet on one of her trips to the east coast someday....the writer of this blog: The Digital Hairshirt. Go check out her blog then vote for her on Crescat's Cannonball Catholic blog awards. She's up for 'Most Bat Shit Crazy' category, lol. Check out her blog, laugh out loud, then go vote for her!

The banner on her blog reads:
C'mon now, nothing kinky . . . just the musings, rantings, postings, and self-help psychiatric sessions of a devout Roman Catholic lawyer who likes matters of faith, family law, digital photography, and creating alternative realities in Adobe Photoshop.

Rosary Making

A hobby of mine for the last 15 or so years is rosary making, like the colorful ones pictured. I did not make these, mine are usually a single color for the HM beads with a contrasting color for the OF beads. In the past I've made a rosary a day during lent, etc. I learned how to make them from one of Our Lady's Rosary Makers, there was a local guild in the town where I was living at the time. I wanted to make them to teach children. Over the years I've taught many children how to make them. I wanted the children to know it could be done and how to do it. I figured it would encourage prayer, creativity and generosity as OLRM will only sell to people who donate the rosaries. I've never sent mine overseas, but give them away closer to home. Mainly my mission has been to teach young adults to reach out to others through this skill. Someday I hope to start a guild.

The second type of rosary pictured is what I will work on next, a bead-less, knotted rosary with a crucifix. What brought me to this site was the free MP3 download of audio rosaries. There have been many times in the past where I've wished for one as I like to listen to my MP3 often, usually when my hands are occupied. It occurred to me if I could find a nice version (or preferably several to choose from depending upon my available time and my mood) I could pray the rosary while my hands were occupied, therefore the audio would keep count for me and I could concentrate on the prayers while multi-tasking. I'm delighted to have found this site and I'm always looking for others so if you find an audio rosary or audio prayers available for MP3 download, please pass it on!!

And if you are looking for something to do in your free time, or for an excellent service project, consider rosary making for the missions. Jails are a mission that should not be overlooked in rosary making as well. Last I heard they prefer all black (cord, beads and crucifix) so there is no cause for argument amongst the inmates.

Blog Frog

Well, after nearly abandoning my blog for a year, my friend Mary Bennett encouraged me to pick it back up again. I figured if I'm going to go full out and get back into blogging again, I would try to regain my lost readership and then some so I joined Blog Frog. It's all new and I'm a bit lost, but it has been fun trying to figure it all out. Of course now I'm spending a disproportionate amount of time on my blog, behind the scenes, but I am optimistic that will even out.

One of the problems I created for myself was I signed up for BlogFrog with my wrong email address. Well, actually it is a right email address, just not the same one I use for blogger :/. Apparently Blog Frog will verify the blogger before allowing comments or allowing your picture to show up in visitors, so now I have a real muddle. Truth be told I've been trying to streamline my email accounts and really prefer to use the Blog Frog email for blogger too. The latest snafu is I figured out how to get my blog accessible to both email accounts, but now I'm listed as two authors instead of one! Bring on the caffeine!!

I am trying to get all of this sorted out so blogger and Blog Frog match because Blog Frog has some wonderful features I would like to utilize. I think the recent visitors and community widgets are really neat. Therefore I've decided to go ahead and change my blog over to the email address I wanted, the one which matches Blog Frog and then I think my difficulties will be resolved. So, if you find Lily disappearing and reappearing from your fans, followers, blogrolls, or whatever, now you know why.

Moral of the story. Blog Frog, Blogger, Twitter and all those other widgets, tools, etc. are great fun, but only if you sign up properly, with the right email address!!

Meanwhile, I hope you stick with me through all the administrative fixes I have ahead! And sign up for Blog Frog and get in on the fun!!

Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I would share one of my favorite prayers. It is actually a novena that I started saying with a friend some time ago, we say it regularly when she needs the support while preparing her family to face the next round of medical tests in a series of tests that will be a life-long process for them all.

A while back we decided to look for a novena, the express reason was to comfort my friend and her family, therefore I searched for novenas I thought would be fitting and let her choose which felt right to her. She chose the novena to Our Lady of Good Remedy. I had never known about this title for Mary, or this novena, until I stumbled upon it while trying to find the right one for this prayer petition. This is from The Official Website of USA Committee for the Canonization of the Blessed Anna Marie Taigi. God works in the most amazing ways, I'd never heard of her until researching this blog post, yet I find she too, is appropriate to honor on this Mother's day!

The story of the novena:

800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it; Then,in the year 1198 a man had an idea. John de Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves, and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people, and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John de Matha honored Mary with the tide of Our Lady of Good Remedy. This ancient devotion is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John de Matha. When in need, invoke the aid of Our Lady of Good Remedy, and you will surely experience the power of her intercession.

Still white-robed and wearing the red and blue cross, as designed by their founder, the Trinitarians are involved in many and varied apostolates, expressing their love for the Triune God as missionaries, parish priests, chaplains in prisons and hospitals, educators, friends of the left-out, the less fortunate, and all whose faith is in danger.

Although the reason for starting the novena was to comfort my friend's family, I found that I was comforted by this novena as well. My faith has faltered this last year. I have struggled terribly. I really tried to keep the faith, but life has beaten me down. In my heart I know I need to cling harder to the faith during these trying times, yet I find there is a gap between my heart and mind. Yet, every time we say this novena, it seems I find myself promising to try harder, and though the gains may be small, I'm moving in the right direction. Imagine how I felt when I read the history of the novena above. Part of the mission of the Trinitarians is to reach out to all those whose faith is in danger.

Somehow, though I asked my friend to choose what spoke to her, I think the novena turned out to be just what I needed as well.


I keep a copy of this novena by my bedside. This morning, Mother's Day, I wanted to look more into the history of the novena that has moved the hearts of two women, myself and my friend. This Mother's Day morning, I discovered another mother, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi. From the website linked above:

Anna Maria Taigi died June 9, 1837. In testimony to how an ordinary housewife and mother could become a saint and positively affect society and the lives of those who came in contact with her, the Church declared her "Blessed" in 1920. Her mortal remains lie in the Chapel of the Madonna in the Basilica of San Crisogono in Rome, Italy. The Trinitarians are actively promoting the cause of her canonization.

Here is the novena:
I. O Queen of heaven and earth, Most Holy Virgin, we venerate you. You are the beloved Daughter of the Most High God, the chosen Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, the sacred vessel of the Most Holy Trinity.

Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who, under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy, comes to the aid of all who call upon you, extend your maternal protection to us. We depend on you, dear Mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring Mother.

Hail, Mary...

II. Lady of Good Remedy, source of unfailing help, grant that we may draw from your treasury of graces in our time of need.

Touch the hearts of sinners, that they may seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Bring comfort to the afflicted and the lonely; help the poor and the hopeless; aid the sick and the suffering. May they be healed in body and strengthened in spirit to endure their sufferings with patient resignation and Christian fortitude.

Hail, Mary...

III. Dear Lady of Good Remedy, source of unfailing help, your compassionate heart knows a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life. Help me, with your prayers and intercession, to find a remedy for my problems and needs, especially for...(indicate your special intentions).

On my part, loving Mother, I pledge myself to a more intensely Christian lifestyle, to a more careful observance of the laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life, and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.


IV. Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me and, through your intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith, and in the love of your Son, Jesus.

Hail, Mary...

Pray for us, Holy Mother of Good Remedy that we may deepen our dedication to your Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.

Amen

Part III, last paragraph, elicits a promise. This is the part that spoke to me. In my ardor to have this novena be as efficacious as possible for my friend and her family, I find myself striving to keep those promises. It is always on my mind. When I have a small victory in my spiritual life, a small victory in my calling as a wife and mother, I ALWAYS think of my promises that I make, regularly, to Our Lady of Good Remedy in this novena. I always thank her for the opportunity given, the success achieved in my life. And I always offer these small successes for the original intentions that brought Our Lady of Good Remedy into my life.

On this secular Mother's Day, I would like to remember my own mother who has gone to rest in 2005, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, and Our Lady of Good Remedy. I would also like to remember my friend today, a mother who has survived what no mother should ever have to go through. Thanks to this friend there have been many wonderful things in my life and the lives of my family members. This novena, and the joy it has brought to me is just the latest, and I'm glad I can provide some service to her family through this prayer and the continuous prayers offered on their behalf.

Happy Mother's Day!

Joe the Plumber Wouldn't Mind Punching Bill Maher

He used to be just Sam Wurzelbacher. But after hitting Barack Obama with a tough tax question as the then-candidate passed through his Ohio neighborhood in 2008, he became Joe the Plumber, the McCain-Palin campaign's favorite stand-in for middle-class America.

Since then, Wurzelbacher has published a book, spent some time as a war correspondent in Gaza, spoken at tea party rallies, and, recently, turned against McCain, who he accused of trying to use him. And as of Tuesday, Joe the Plumber has a new title: Joe the Elected Official. In a 38-24 vote, Wurzelbacher won a seat on the Republican party committee in Lucas County, Ohio. Read more here.

I think Joe the Plumber is someone to keep an eye on. His interview here indicates he is someone I would really like to meet and talk to. I liked a lot of his answers, some made me laugh out loud.

Prayers

Some very special people are in need of prayers. Long story short, I know a young man who had a heart transplant over two years ago. He has had a tough time of it this week and could really use prayers. Then there's his family who have stood by him through all of this, they are suffering right along with him right now. May God bless this family with health and happiness and all good things.

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Like Button

I want blogger to add a button so I can 'like' blog posts. I love that option on Facebook © and I want to have that option here too! How much fun would that be? :)