Cornucopia

The weekend at my Nana's was pretty nice, despite the rain.  :)  We got to spend time together, play games, go shopping, visit my grandfather's grave, and watch a movie or two.  While there, Travel Man and I also drove around a little bit and wound up seeing protesters outside a building I'd seen my whole life in Toms River - and it's an ABORTION CLINIC!  I had no idea that was what the nondescript, brown building was.  I'd gone past it a bazillion times!

Now that I'm back, I've been catching up on a few blogs (skimming, really), and found a few things that are really great.  So I'll share, in case you don't read these blogs yourself.

• Shoved to Them has a message for you whiners: think of how happy these Catholics in Kosovo would be to sit at Mass with crappy music.
• Joel highlights a homily on the parable of the vineyard workers.  If you have a problem with this parable (let's face it, I think everyone has at least one parable that is difficult to accept), this post will help to shed new light on a tale that might seem unfair on the surface.
• I'm only part-way through this, but there are two posts at Jimmy Akin's blog on the election.  Read both of them.  This election is really a toughie, and I'm not clear in the bag for McCain, even if I absolutely adore Sarah Palin.
• In more news, the financial crisis is confusing at best.  If you understand it, great.  But the average person has no idea what's going on and is just scared.  Let's face it, our society is in debt up to their eyeballs!   Soccer Dad/Travel Man mentioned that some credit card companies are taking advantage of that "we have the right to change these terms without notice" clause and slashing limits in half.  Might not be bad if you're not up to your limit, but for the many people who are?  Wow.  All I can say is that I am grateful to God that we were able to get that last credit card paid off by switching it to our credit union.  Yes, we're still paying it, but we aren't scared of the payments doubling suddenly (they were already rising every month, even when we paid early).  We will have our only other load (aside from the house) paid off next month, and will hack at this last large debt next year.  Our goal, and it will be tough, is to pay it off in less than half of the four years we are slated to do it in.  But back to the national financial news: the Darwins have a couple of great posts on the topic that can help you understand a bit more of what's going on and why conservatives can support this bailout.  (My only stipulation is that I'd like them to stop saying that "the taxpayers stand to make money on this deal."  I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, people.  When everything gets sold off in chunks and money is made, the government is going to keep it all and get bigger.  You'll find some new way to bug me or try to treat me like a five year old.)  All in all, I've come to the (uneasy) conclusion that this bailout just might be very necessary, and it isn't going to be the end of the world (or conservatism - sheesh, Rush's comments on "nothing trumps conservatism" made me sick) if the deal goes down.  
• The Anchoress has too many good posts to narrow down.  If you don't read her blog, you're missing something great.  She isn't conservative or liberal - she's CATHOLIC.  And she manages to do so without calling the president names or being hostile.  (I can speak with the tongue of angels, but if I do so without love...)  So head there and feast: she's covering the financial meltdown, the election, and more.  Good - no, GREAT stuff.
• Finally - and this is my own note here - this weekend is Life Chain Sunday.  My entire family is participating this year.  Please keep us (and all those who participate in Life Chain Sunday) in your prayers.  While nearly everyone who passes us in my area is friendly, there are always a couple of hostile people, and I'm certain that in larger cities it's a bigger problem.  Participate if you can, pray for the unborn if you can't.

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