Sailing...

After a long wait for the right day, John finally got to go parasailing on the gift certificate that he got, through me, for his birthday last year. I got it for my birthday, but I'm not a real water sports kind of gal, so we thought John would really enjoy a ride in the sky.

He Did.....

Romeo, O...Romeo!

This year's Shakespeare production was a famous play with a different twist. Paula, her sidekick John Andrews, and the cast decided to turn to film this time.



I think that many of the kids, and certainly the directors, thought that they had bitten off way more than they could chew about the middle of July, but it is going to be a fantastic accomplishment once it's finished.
They have been all over two states and several counties.
The locations have been historical and an education in themselves!

They have filmed at Tudor Hall in Bel Air...


An ancient barn on an historic farm that The Balint family is blessed to be living on...

Swan Harbor Farm near Havre de Grace....

A very old church at Old Bohemia near Warwick, MD....







A beautiful mansion in Bel Air called Liriodendron....





An Historic old house in Havre de Grace that is now the Spencer Silver Bed and Breakfast....



An actual castle called "The Cloisters" that was built as a replica of medieval castles in Europe....

The Susquehanna Players have just done an amazing job of memorizing and remembering lines for literally months! They have had to rehearse scenes and then re-rehearse when a location would fall through, or a scene had to be changed. They have had to show up on short notice.
They have learned how long it can take to film just a few minutes of footage. Multiple takes and angles, over and over. Lines repeated from different places and with a tweak here and there.
Everything is set and ready to go, John calls "action", the acting begins....and a jet goes over, or a sheep bleats in the stall next door, or someone is roofing their house....
They filmed in all kinds of weather. One night when we were filming in the barn, a storm came through and the thunder and lightning were right over the barn, and the rain was so loud on the roof that we couldn't hear the lines. Then one of our families had a flat tire, and another had their car battery die while the car was parked in the barn. What a night that was!
At the Spencer Silver the kids had to be really quiet because there were other guests at the bed and breakfast. They were absolutely perfect.
The costumes had to hold up for months. And the beards.....everyone that needed one had have it put on before each filming session.



The moms had to drive hours and miles to locations all over the place. Everyone has been so wonderful.
We have Paula and John to thank for their vision, persistence and willingness to see it through.
Once it is edited, and we are able to sit down for the big premier, everyone involved is going to be so proud of what they did!

The 95%

That's the number of Christians in Iraq that refuse to deny their Faith in Christ.
They are being slaughtered in the streets and in their homes, and yet they refuse to convert to Islam.
Something like 3% have converted.
These people are losing their homes, their lives, and their children's lives, but they are still clinging to their Faith.
If the Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, then there is going to be a new springtime of Christianity right there where so much of the Old Testament took place.
I wonder what would happen here?

Happy Feast Day Blessed Mother!

What a special Feast day for Mary!
She goes to be with her Son, Jesus, and to bring to her children so many Graces and blessings.

We had a nice day today.
John and I got out the door early to go to the college to get his student ID.
When we got back I got a text from Paula saying that a bunch of the homeschoolers were over at the school spreading the mulch that had come a week early!
So we went over for a couple of hours and the boys got some good exercise!
Then we came home and I got out and mowed the lawn. It is a lot of work these days, what with the cooler temps and the rain every so often. The grass is still growing like it's Spring or something!
We had a thrown together dinner and then it was time to get ready for Mass.
We decided to go downtown to St Patrick's because they were having a 7:00 pm mass.
John decided to walk down. It only takes about 15 minutes.
We are going down there for Confession tomorrow.
Paul is going on a birthday camping trip for his friend Timmy, and John is going Parasailing!
I'll blog that tomorrow!

He Loves Us, Oh How He Loves Us...

Have you ever gotten a note or letter from a special someone? What is that like?

You get it and you just can't wait to sit down and read it. You want to be alone with it, and you open it with such anticipation.
You read it through quickly the first time, just to get the tone, and to see how long it is, and what the key words are. Then you go back and read it again, more carefully, taking time to savor the feel, the sense of the person that cared enough to take the time to write it.
You look at the handwriting, you think about that person, trying to picture the place and the time in which they were writing.
You look for words that might mean something new to your relationship. What did they mean by that word? Why did they choose that particular phrase?
You find such joy in the thought that the time it took to write this was devoted just to you.
You feel so special to be the one that is in the mind and heart of this person.
Maybe there are poems, or song lyrics, written just for you. Maybe there are special promises that point to the future. Your heart sings, and you have a serious case of butterflies.

You are the focus of someone's love and attention. You are learning about them and sharing yourself.
You hold nothing back, because they have shown you that they are committed to you, and they want to be with you forever.

Who wouldn't want to get something like this? Who wouldn't read, and reread, it? Who wouldn't treasure it, and keep it in a special place, close at hand?

Quite a few of us, actually....

It took 1600 years to write, and it is a personal love letter to each and every one of us.
He was thinking of you. He was planning for you. He was loving you from the beginning of time.
His Word is THE WORD and it is His love letter to you.

Where is that letter, anyway?

Congratulations to Our TORCH Seniors!

Last night we were so Blest to attend the TORCH graduation Mass and ceremony for seven wonderful Seniors.
These kids are so special to all of us.
We have known most of them for much of their lives and they are like family.

It was a beautiful evening.

Will, Andrew, and Jerry

Andrew, Hannah, and Olivia

Savannah and Hannah

Jerry and Andrew

The Boyz

Julia, Hannah and Erin

Hannah and Andrew

Health Insurance, It's Not For Everybody

This is a letter from my friend Kim, to the Washington Post, copied to Bill O'Rielly.

 Kim is one of the finest people I know. She has no desire to be a victim. She is not ignorant, or lazy. She is a Registered Nurse, a homeschooling mom, and her husband is an accountant. She has never had a reason to believe that seeking medical care should be in question, because she and her husband have worked hard to ensure that there would be affordable medical coverage for the family. Now she finds that this isn't possible. She is frustrated, and afraid of the next illness or accident. 

So, you say it won't happen to you? She is you. She is me. We are living in a place that we never expected. 

Dear Mr. O'Reilly , 

I sent this letter to the Washington Post and I wanted to share it with you:
I'm not sure if this is the best place to post my health insurance journey but, as I sat reading articles by Dr. Carson, I felt inspired. We are a family of 11, yes 11. My husband and I are greatly blessed with nine children. Over the course of our almost 21 year marriage we have always had health insurance, until now. Now, with all these wonderful new healthcare laws, we are without health insurance. We had bought private insurance for about 10 years. My husband works for a small local business and about 8 years ago they were able to get a group plan. In the past few years our rates have skyrocketed, along with the rest of taxpaying America. 

We were informed about two weeks ago that it was time to renew our policy, and of course there would be an increase in our premium. This increase now exceeds our monthly mortgage payment. It is impossible for us to pay this premium without sacrificing food or shelter for our children. So we were told that we could purchase our own coverage through a very reputable company. When I tried to apply I was told to go to the healthcare marketplace because my family was entitled to a substantial subsidy. This really does not sit right with me as I don't feel entitled to anything except my rights as a law abiding, taxpaying citizen. I then spend a total of 10 hours on the phone over the course of the next week and a half trying to apply for health insurance. I am told that because we no longer participate in the group plan we can get a new one, but the website  does not accommodate my family size so I must give the information over the phone. This process takes an hour because I am constantly asked, with each of my children, their race, citizenship and if they are employed. Only one of my children is old enough to be employed but I am asked these questions over and over. Then I am told that this must be done manually, as they cannot calculate for my family size. I am assuming math is not a qualification for this job. I then proceed to call back daily checking on the status of my application, the same application that should take less then 24 hours to process. Four days later I am told that my application was denied. Of course I ask why. 

The answer is "I don't know we are not given that information." 

So I ask who can give me that information? 

I am told "I don't know ma'am it is just denied. I hope you have a wonderful day" 

So I try again the next day. I have nine children so I can be patient. 

Two days before my deadline to sign up, so that I can have coverage when my old coverage expires, I am told to do a new application. This one takes 2 and 1/2 hours to complete. This person typed much slower. I finish this process on Friday, June 13th and I am told that I have until June 18th to apply. 

"Do not worry ma'am that is plenty of time. Call on Wednesday morning". 

So I do, and the answer is "Your application has not been processed and you have missed the sign up period and you must reapply in November for open enrollment." 

I asked, very panicked, "What about all these things I have been told?"

 I go on to quote dates, and names, and times (nine kids makes you patient, and thorough) but I am interrupted abruptly, and told that the cut off was a rolling date and they chose for it to be the 16th not the 18th "sorry and have a wonderful day." 

So here I am with the choice, I can pay for insurance I can't afford, but I cannot purchase my own until January 1, 2015. Or my family can go without. 

I can't help but cry. I watch my husband who, during his busy season, works 14-16 hours a day. During the slow season it's 10. We pay our taxes, raise our children to be good citizens, and tell them that hard work always pays off. I am not upset that I can't get a subsidy, I'm upset that because we are not immigrants, or criminals, we can't purchase our own health insurance, and that this is perpetuated by a law that the majority of Americans didn't want. 

Immigrants founded this country. They came willing to work, not holding out their hand. I'm upset because our nation, that was founded on the backs of those willing to work and give their lives for the greater good, is being run by a tyrant and his band of merry idiots who think they can manipulate the Constitution. 

I'm upset because I can't buy health insurance for my children, and I have no options and no freedom to choose, so to speak. I can chose to kill my unborn child, but I can't get him health insurance. 

I'm upset because I am Catholic and I believe life is precious from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, and I am being forced to pay for murder, but I can't buy health insurance for my children. 

I'm upset because the people who have been receiving entitlements, and sucking off the system continue to vote these people into office and are stealing the integrity of a great nation. 

I'm upset because both of my grandfathers fought in WWII. One was a POW in Germany. They fought to stop people like this and it seems to be in vain. 

I hope and I pray that we can turn this around, so that our children can be proud Americans and be given the opportunity to work hard and serve their God, and their Country, with pride and dignity, instead of waiting for the next handout. 

We are One Nation Under God, and I hope He will have mercy on us.

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