Inspiring Quote for December 30th, 2013

    “Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.”

― Saint Augustine

Rainbow boa constrictor

I just got done holding one of the most fascinating creatures that I have held to date: a rainbow boa constrictor. She was gorgeous! It's amazing how strong they are. As I was holding her, she decided that she wanted to leave one arm go to the other, and then try to leave that arm and go to the plant standing next to me. Dom Daniel also showed me how he's able to hold her by one coil of her tail and she's able to just pull her self right back up. She's about 5 1/2 feet long, so it shouldn't come as a surprise when she coiled herself around one arm and then extended herself about 4 feet off my arm to see what else was out there.

She found my jacket very fascinating.

I should've taken a picture of her…

Inspiring quote for December 23, 2013

    “A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.”

― Tom Stoppard

SCL 2013 Christmas concert #1

The first Cheese Lords concert is done.  We learned a few things, but overall that was fun.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow at the Franciscan Monastery in DC, where I expect to see you.

And speaking of coffee...

...I think my coffee will need coffee today.  Missed first alarm (3:30AM), snoozed second alarm (4:00AM) once, forgot to turn off third alarm (4:30AM).  My day will consist of driving down to Roanoke, working on a few issues, driving back home to pick up CS and KP, then going to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Annandale to sing at a concert with the Cheese Lords at 7:30PM.

Will be a long day.  I will also add almost 500 miles to my car: 360 miles round trip to Roanoke, 120 miles round trip to Annandale.

Let's do this!  Fortune favors the bold!

Ahh, coffee

There are days when the world seems like an absolutely wonderful place, and I can rise above everything easily.  Those are the days when I have a tasty cup o' Joe in my hand.  Like today.  Like now.

Well, not NOW now.  I just finished the cup.  I need a refill!!!

Inspiring Quote for December 12, 2013

    “I am more and more convinced that our happiness or unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life, than on the nature of those events themselves.” 

― Baron Alexander von Humboldt

Inspiring Quote for December 3, 2013

    “The truth is that the more intimately you know someone, the more clearly you'll see their flaws. That's just the way it is. This is why marriages fail, why children are abandoned, why friendships don't last. You might think you love someone until you see the way they act when they're out of money or under pressure or hungry, for goodness' sake. Love is something different. Love is choosing to serve someone and be with someone in spite of their filthy heart. Love is patient and kind, love is deliberate. Love is hard. Love is pain and sacrifice, it's seeing the darkness in another person and defying the impulse to jump ship.” 

― Unknown

Inspiring Quote for November 28th, 2013

    “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” 

― John F. Kennedy

More biscotti

The person who introduced me to biscotti made a big mistake.  I'm having a lot of fun baking them...

All three are from King Arthur Flour's online recipes.  The bottom layer is the Traditional Italian Biscotti, the middle layer is Maple Walnut Biscotti, and the top is Lemon Almon Biscotti.  I don't think that these are the best that they could be, but they are close.  Besides, if I had nothing to learn from these batches, I couldn't make them better, could I?

Thought for tonight

So as I was standing there warming up water for the purposes of brewing tea, I was browsing the news. I felt like I was reading all the bad news in the entire world. Of course I wasn't.

--The war in Syria has turned into a persecution of Christians, in which thousands have been massacred, driven from their homes, or suffered other atrocities. In spite of big talk from our government, the innocent still suffer.

--America wants turn itself into another Sodom and Gomorrah. Of course, this is also being supported by our government.

--Catholics argue amongst themselves about the best way to handle things, and their insults towards each other sound as bad as what you would expect to hear on the streets.

As I was reading the news, posts, and comments, this quote came to mind:

"And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in places: Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows."

--Matthew 24:6-8

Also

--Mark 13:7-8

This next quote also came to mind, although the bard is not as good as the Savior for laying things on the line.

"Blood and destruction shall be so in use,

And dreadful objects so familiar,

That mothers shall but smile when they behold

Their infants quartered with the hands of war,

All pity choked with custom of fell deeds,

And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,

With Ate by his side come hot from hell,

Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice

Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,

That this foul deed shall smell above the earth

With carrion men, groaning for burial."

--Billy of the shaking spears, Julius Ceasar, Act 3, Scene 1, lines 280-290

Inspiring Quote for November 21st, 2013

Another good one.

    “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.” 

― Albert Einstein

Inspiring Quote for November 20th, 2013

This came in my inbox today.  It seemed to be worth reposting.

    “If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair with them, it is like expecting a lion not to eat you because you don't eat lion...” 

― Unknown

Here's a first

Finally!  I have produced a batch of non-chew-defying, not-made-of-cement, non-leave-this-to-melt-in-your-coffee-because-if-you-don't-you-won't-have-any-teeth-left biscotti!!!

The recipe is King Arthur Flour's Mexican Mocha American Biscotti.  Long title...

Happy Sunday, and Feast of St. Gregory the Wonder Worker, Bishop and Confessor (old calendar).

The Adventures of...

As the lion sleeps into the morning when he has nothing to do, so we find our hero asleep while the sun arches through its morning routine. He sleeps, well aware of the passage of time, comfortable in the fact that he can be ready to face the day in a brief 6 hour period.

Suddenly, his wife pops upstairs. She has made him breakfast in bed! Our hero pretends to be asleep, and then slides slowly awake, as he cries in his most surprised tone, "Why, breakfast in bed? You shouldn't have!" As blithely as the warrior is able to be, he steals the tray, eyeing the food with a dangerous eye which is about to be consumed. He sees his first victim: COFFEE, BLACK (which is where this post comes from).

The victuals are consumed with as genteel of a manner as this fighter is wont to give, and he !!! springs forth !!!, carrying the tray downstairs.

"Oh, no!"

There's a dilemma! Our hero sees that it is getting late! He must change into his alter ego to resolve the problem!

Taking the stairs two at a time, he grabs his clothes and leaps into the bathroom! Discarding his pajamas, he becomes...

NAKED MAN

Cleaner of the groddy lil' germies and Defender of the galaxy!

His weapons are in his sight: a washcloth and Old Spice!  Making quick work of his victims, he smells faboo!  Turning off the water with the nobility of a stag, he leaps out of the shower, only to find that his wife is in the bathroom!

OH NO!

His secret identity has been...

EXPOSED.

Yes, I did that.