^^^Nope, not my table, but isn’t it beautiful?

How about a thread for party food and treats? Lots of people are entertaining in these last days running up to Christmas. Sometimes in our family we just have a night or two where we serve appetizers or favorite party treats, even if it is just a few of us here. Most of this is copied from last year. I took a look at it, expecting to juggle it around a bit, but I’d forgotten how much time I put into this one last year, with some really special (to me) recipes and ideas. I love all of these, as does my family, and I hope you will as well.

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Advent is a season of preparation that has a twofold purpose. Advent begins with Evening Prayer I of the Sunday falling on or closest to 30 November and ends before evening prayer I of Christmas. We prepare ourselves not only for the coming joy of our celebration of the birth of the Christ child; we also prepare ourselves for the Second Coming of Christ.

For Catholics, Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year. The seasons of that year have always led me on a journey with Christ each year, and I gain so much in the consistency of the seasons and readings. We begin with Advent, awaiting the birth of Christ, then celebrate the Christmas Octave and season, Epiphany, and then soon begins Lent, in preparation for Easter. Then, after the Easter season ends with Pentecost, we have the bulk of Ordinary Time until the end of the liturgical year, and Advent again.

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If you are a man, I’m sure you’ve reflected on the men who influenced your life. We automatically think of dads, of course, who have such profound and critical importance in not only the development of children, but continue to provide us with wisdom and role models as we age and face the challenges of life.

Las week I witnessed a small, almost unnoticeable incident that illustrated this for me again, and made me think a lot about it this past week. (more…)

Wikipedia says a logical fallacy is the use of invalid or otherwise faulty reasoning in the construction of an argument. We used to be taught this in school. My first formal exposure to deductive and inductive reasoning was in science class in junior high school. Later I studied mathematical logic in college.

Inductive reasoning is a method of drawing conclusions by going from specific observations to general observations. (more…)

Who among decent people, Christian or not, is not outraged at the Paris Olympic debacle? Normally, I can do tirades, outrage, enraged. But today, words, even angry ones, the ones that come too often to my lips, don’t come.

Today is a day for prayer, especially prayers of reparation, and prayers for repentance.

After my first inclination, I put down my stone. Instead of quoting Jesus on casting stones, I’ll include this one from Revelations Chapter 3.

So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

I submit that at times, probably most of the time, we are lukewarm in our faith, lukewarm in our practice of our faith. In our prayers, our hope, our charity.

And so, I accuse myself today, as well as the performers, the endless Olympic officials and committees and politicians, and every soul who didn’t walk out of there. (more…)

Spoiler alert. That might be my $20 (inflation!) word for a rant. And open season, nothing is off limits guys. Whatever’s on your mind.

I will start with truth. After a few things I’ve observed lately, let’s start with the basics. Apparently people on both sides need a primer. (more…)

Last year I closed comments on the post because many people made it just a second daily political thread. I am asking you not to do that. I know you politics only junkies don’t get this, but we do actually have other people here who enjoy other posts.

In that spirit, I invite you to celebrate the United State of America, and us, the people who still love her. 

The colonies had been in conflict with England for over a year in June of 1776. A Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia on June 7 of that year. Richard Henry Lee from Virginia offered up a resolution with these now famous words:

“Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

Lee’s words spurred the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. A committee of five was appointed to draft a statement making the case for the colonies, a statement to the world of the intent and the reason behind that intent.

Members of the Committee were John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. Jefferson took on the task of actually drafting the document as we know it today.

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It’s the time of year when we think of feasting at backyard cookouts, picnics down at the lake, or my favorite, out in the woods. I also crave the great summer salads you can make with the bounty of produce available this time of year.

Here is one of my favorite bean recipes, kind of. Use your own judgement, and taste and adjust before you cook, because I’m estimating ingredients here. I just usually wing it. Fortunately, beans are really easy to adjust to taste before you cook.

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