A brief time-out

I promise something worthy of your reading time just as soon as we are fully recovered from the flu (me) and knee surgery (Joe).

A full report of Advent reflections and 5th birthday joy will follow just as soon as we regain order in this place!

In the meantime, could i squeeze a few intercessory "Hail Marys" out of you? Thanks!

Leopold is ONE!

A glimmer of yesterday's joy:



I can't believe it, either! My third baby is already a year old! And he's a real sweetheart, too: He saved every last crumb of his cake just for me! (Inconsumable, of course, as it was in crumbs all over the kitchen floor.) See how he mocks me....

This pretty much sums it up

"Viva Cristo Rey!"

They were his final words.



We may not be facing martyrdom by firing squad like Bl. Miguel Pro did (82 years ago tomorrow), but we are celebrating today's solemn feast with an array of construction paper crowns:



Does the Church grant plenary indulgences for that?

Taxation without Representation (alternately titled "Why I'm so Glad Local School Levies Failed.")

Call me bold or a prude or whatever, but I don't think everyone is entitled to a 'free' government education. I understand that education comes with a price tag, and that some people who desire it may not be able to pay in full. In that case, I'm down with the ancient concept of anonymous benefactors.

If a group of citizens chooses to give charitably of their own funds to an educational institute so as to enable a group of children - their own or those of their community - to attend said school, I praise them for their selfless generousity.

But i consider it criminal to garnish - I mean *tax* - the honest wages of any citizen in order to fund these same schools. It's robbery. That's grounds for a totally separate post, and I lay it out only as the foundation for what i'm really trying to say here.

Consider my personal circumstances:

I won't beat a dead horse by reiterating the "I-Pay-Twice-Because-I'm-Sending-MY-Kids-To-Private-Schools-AAaaaaaaaaaaaND-Paying-For-Everyone-In-Town-To-Go-With-The-Taxes-I-Pay" arguement. It's true, and that's robbery as well. But I feel smacked in the face when my money is taken - I mean *taxed* - when I have zero say.

My husband and I live in one town, and own an investment property in another town. You all know that school levies are funded through (an increase in) property taxes, right? Well, because we reside in Town A, we pay property taxes in Town A. We also pay property taxes in Town B because we own property there. Suffice it to say that we are now funding not one but TWO towns' government schools.

That's not all, though.

You all know that you can only vote where you reside, correct? So we vote in Town A. But what happens if Town B wants to vote on a levy that will increase the property taxes I pay on my investment property?

I GET NO VOICE!

I don't get to vote on what Town B does with the money they take from my wages. And what's worse is that the 2 sets of tenants that occupy my apartments - none of whom even PAY property taxes - DO get to vote on what's done with my money. I see this as robbery twice over. Sick. Sick. Sick.

Despite all the nausea, I rejoice today: Town B's school levies failed (by like 46 votes!).

Cue the choir!

Mischievous Anticipation of the Solemnity

The Unpatriotic Workshop of Santa

While Thomas and I were playing monster trucks yesterday, I became momentarily distracted by the brown plastic bear that was lying on the floor beside me. It was included as a bonus gift in the Water Baby package that Rosemarie received from Santa last Christmas. (You're right - it's never been played with.) As i examined it, weighing its worth against the freed-up toy space bear's demise would create, Thomas noticed my diversion and asked,

"Mom? What are you doing?"

"I'm reading the label," I replied.

"Well, what does it say?" he inquired.

"It says, 'Made in China.'"

And with more disgust than a preschooler ought to exhibit, he remarked, "Mom, why does Santa have to go to China to buy toys?!"