Attitudes Toward Humor

 Humor changes over time.  This may sound horrible to you today, but in the 1950's my father would tell the story of his cat having too many kittens.  So he put the mother cat and the kittens in a potato sack with some rocks and threw it in the river.  When he got home, there was the mother cat sitting on the steps waiting for him.  Everyone laughed--then.

Today it's not funny.  That's what I think happened to me when I tried to read A Confederacy of Dunces.  It must have been funny when John Kennedy Toole wrote the novel in  1980s, but I don't find it funny at all.  The major protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly is stomach-turning gross.  I can't continue to read it.  I'm putting the book down on page 149.  

Humor changes over time.

Adventure in Bereavement Land

Adventures in Bereavement Land by Kathy Salzberg is my latest book.  The author is in my writer's group, The Senior Scribblers.  Here's her website: http://www.kathysalzberg.com/     She has written quite a few books.  I hesitate to list them because it may not be complete (she might have completed another one).

Confessions of a Mad Groomer
How to Start a Home Based Pet Care Business
The Everything Small Dog Book
How to Start a Home Based Grooming Business
The Dog Bible
Adventures in Bereavement Land

She is a busy lady.  She is also very funny.  Everyone enjoys her.  She always tries to find the humor in situations.  She was telling us a riotous story about the tenants above her apartment.  She had us in stitches.  Someone said that she would have told the management.  But Kathy sees the humor in the situation.  She said when it bothers her, she and the cat talk about the giants upstairs.

I thought I would read one of her books.  Since I don't own a dog, the only one left was Adventures in Bereavement Land. I recommended the book to the parish nurse, who facilitates a bereavement group.  I hope she didn't recommend the book to the greaving people in the group because it would have been inappropriate.  I hadn't read the book before I recommended it.  Not that it's not a good read.  On the contrary, it's very good.  It's that I thought Adventures in Bereavement Land would give advice on the stages of grief that people go through, a la Elisabeth Kubler Ross.  Instead, the adventures are about the search for love, both physical and emotional.  It was presented very tastefully and humorously, but it definitely wasn't for a church group in the first throes of grief. 

The author draws her characters very well.  Aunt Irma and her guy, Lefty, are sweethearts.  Aunt Irma was always upbeat and positive.  She was the perfect go-to person for advice and a pep talk.  She was my favorite character.  I also was happy that the ending was positive.  The ending offered hope.  It.  was an easy read, too.  Just perfect.

Pranking Grandma

I felt a tap on my right shoulder.

But when I looked over that shoulder, there was no one there.  Then I heard a giggle—a little girl’s giggle.  

And I knew that my four year old granddaughter was playing tricks on her grandmother.

I didn’t let on.

She someone tapped my right shoulder again.

Of course when I looked over my right shoulder there was no one, but this time I said, “Hmph!”

But I was prepared for the next time.  When I felt that little tap, I quickly grabbed those little fingers poised above my right shoulder.

“Got you, you little monkey, trying to fool your grandmother.”

She giggled and giggled.

“Do you know what happens to little girls who prank their grandmothers?”

No answer but a giggle.

“You have to help grandma make cookies and tap a thumb print in the middle of the cookies.”

And that’s how Thumb Print Cookies came to be.

Thumb Print Cookies

Ingredients:                                                                                         Directions:

·         3/4 cup butter, softened                                                     Preheat oven to 375 F

·         1/2 cup white sugar                                                             Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks.  Pour flour in bit by bit.

·         2 egg yolks                                                                           Take some dough and roll it into small balls.

·         1 3/4 cups flour                                                                    Put them on a cookie sheet.  Tap a thumbprint into the center. 

God's Humor

Lord, you know that man You gave me for a husband, You were kidding, right?  Remember that time he was doing the shopping and he bought that jar of yucky pickles that no one in the family liked?  I mean, it took us twenty years to finish it because no one was eating it.  And when I asked him why he bought pickles that no one liked and it took us twenty years to eat.  His response was "I thought it was a good buy.  It lasted us a good twenty years!"

And don't forget the time I asked him for some sort of hook in the closet, to hang my bathrobe.  He was puzzled so I showed him the nail sticking out of the closet, which he used to hook the belt loop of his jeans.

"You want a nail?"

"No, I want something nicer--something better--something more special than just an ordinary nail."

You remember Lord?  Do You remember?  And his response

"Do you want a galvanized nail?".

OK.  See my point?  I mean, he is a love, but is he suppose to be my ticket to heaven?  

Generational Differences

I'm getting ready to drive my niece to college.  We're not sure of the way, so I'm going to use the GPS App on my iPhone--WAZE.  So we get in the truck.  I don't usually drive hubby's truck and I have never had need of using the GPS, in it.

I look around for the cigarette lighter outlet. Outloud, I ask, "Where's the cigarette lighter?"

I'm looking on the dashboard.

She's looking on the floor for a bic or something like that.

When she sees me plug my phone in the cigarette lighter outlet, she says with the utmost surprise:

"OH, That's what those are for?"

No Pee Zone

I left the dog in the car while I went to the library.  Afterwards, to make up for my leaving him alone for ten minutes, I took him for a walk.  We casually sauntered along the sidewalk, until I saw this sign.  So we crossed the street.  There was a similar sign, forbidding dogs' peeing.

What's this world coming to, when an animal can perform a natural body function?

At first, I intended to write a scathing article about Dean College not allowing dogs to do what comes natural.  Who'd send their student to a college that wouldn't allow dogs to pee?  Hmpf!

But being smarter than the average bear, I did a little research before I wrote an article condemning Dean College's curbing canine behavioral practices.

After only five minutes of googling, I couldn't find any documentation supporting my indignation.  It seems, my ire was misplaced.  I had to admit that I was wrong.  Dog's pee is toxic to lawns--quite toxic in fact.

Poor Poochie.  He can't even pee wherever and whenever he wants.  He can't go inside, and now he can't go outside.  What's left?

There are dog parks and the woods.  Guess again.  More and more woods have signs saying "No Dogs Allowed."  Well, at least they're dog parks and my back yard.

Now I wondered what to do when Poochie and I went for our walks and he sniffed his way looking for a place to pee and poop.  I'd hate to choke him half to death, yanking the leash.  So I thought about the situation.  I meditated upon the problem.  I contemplated about the predicament.  I even brought it to prayer. And I discerned a solution.

We are going to walk too fast to sniff.  I'm even going to toss treats before us as we speed walk by the No Pee Zones.  Not only will this result in urine free walks, but also it'll be fun exercise (I hope.).  We both might shed a few pounds, too.

Now,  I'll have to ask the fire department how I go about putting a fire hydrant in my backyard.  

Jesuitical Decision Formula

St. Ignatius Loyola is the founder of the religious order, known as the Jesuits.  He was a noble knight. While recuperating from wounds, he had a religious conversion.  The rest is history.  

It was immediately after Ignatius' conversion that he was traveling to meet with his confreres regarding his new religious order.  It's the sixteenth century; so his mode of transportation was a mule.    While traveling, Ignatius met a man also riding on a mule.  In the course of their brief conversation, the man insulted the Virgin Mary and then quickly took off.  Now, mind you, Ignatius is still new in his religious conversion.  His first reaction was to run the man through with his sword.  But the man took off.  He still wanted to chase him down and then kill him.

As he trotted or rambled, whatever mules do, Ignatius fumed.  His good angel said let God handle the insult.  His bad angel said murder was justified.  Try as he might, he was unable to decide whether he should kill the man or not.  At that moment he reached a (literal) fork in the road.  Ignatius decided to leave the fate of the blasphemer up to his mule.  As Ignatius wrote in his autobiography, "If the mule took the village road, I would seek him out and stab him; if the mule did not go toward the village, but took the highway, I would let him be."  Fortunately for all concerned, the donkey chose the highway.

The moral of the story: "Ever since then, asses have been making decisions in the Jesuits."


Source: Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by Fr. James Martin, s.j.

Br. Tonto Questions Cappa's Lenten Sacrifice

This is a Brother Tonto and Cappa Cartoon.  It looks like Cappa has given up "mice" for Lent.  There is a story about St. Martin de Porres regarding this same problem.  When the priory was overrun with mice, the prior turned to Martin for help.  The prior knew that Martin loved all animals, including rodents, and when the prior told Martin to find a way to rid the priory of the vermin, or he, the prior was going to kill them all.  

It is said that Martin called all the mice together, and explained the problem.  Martin told the mice to stay out of the priory, and especially to stay out of sight of the prior.  In return, Martin would feed them daily--in the barn.  It worked like a miracle.

My Holy Card

What were your first thoughts when you first saw the holy card of St. Lucy?  I'm talking about the one of her holding her eyes on a dish.  That's what she was known for?  She was tortured for being Christian, by taking her eyes out.  Her name means "light" and your eyes help you see the light.  Does knowing the story, make the picture more understandable?


Thinking about St. Lucy's holy card, I thought of other holy cards that have "attributes."  That's how you know who the saint is.  St. Peter has keys.  St. Dominic has a dog with a torch.

What should I have?  I am a saint in the making, you know.

                                                                                           I'd like this one.

But Mick, one of my cloistered brothers, did a caricature of me.  So maybe it should be this.

Capece?

Criticizing the Catechism

Earlier today I found myself defending my Face Book Status.  I don't get reading the Catechism, which some seem to be doing for the Year of Faith. Isn't the Catechism a reference tool? Isn't it like reading a telephone book or dictionary? Catholicism for Dummies is more my style.  

Many friends (mostly my Dominican brothers and sisters) were all over me for that.  Well, of course; what was I thinking?  (See why I love my "cloistered brothers?"  They're not from the same mold.  Don't worry.  When you've met one Dominican, you've met one Dominican)  A Dominican doesn't criticize the Pope, doesn't pull on Superman's Cape, doesn't criticize Magisterium, doesn't spit in the wind, doesn't break Tradition, doesn't pull the mask off the Lone Ranger, or bother a friar in prayer with his Capuce up, or criticize the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Let me explain:

Is it lawful to criticize using the CCC as appropriate reading material during the Year of Faith?

Objection 1.  It seems that reading the CCC is not appropriate because if it doesn't make sense to you, then it is as worthless as straw.  Thomas Aquinas said,  "All that I have written seems like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me."  Hence he stopped writing.

Objection 2.  Besides, the Psalmist says, "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."  (Ps 23:4)  Forcing yourself to read a telephone book, dictionary, catechism is not comforting.  Hence, it would not be comfortable to push yourself to read something so distasteful.

Objection 3.  Furthermore, St. Jerome said that ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.  By this insight we learn that there are other means, (scripture is one of many others) to be used to gain knowledge of our Faith.  Hence, there are other appropriate reading materials to be used.

On the contrary: Educators recognize that there are different learning styles.

• Visual (spatial):You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
• Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.
• Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
• Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.
• Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
• Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
• Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Therefore, it is lawful to criticize a learning style that is not appropriate for you.

I answer that, one may criticize the appropriateness of the CCC for oneself.  This country still has the First Amendment to the Constitution (so far), which claims freedom of speech, as a right.  The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law ...  abridging the freedom of speech,...    Consequently, one has the right to not read what I write.

Reply to the First Objection.  Here the Angelic Doctor expresses his opinion on his written word.  I also express my opinion on written word.  The Angelic Doctor didn't have the protection of the First Amendment, and he could still feel free to express his thoughts.  Hence, I do likewise.

Reply to the Second Objection.  Life if too short to waste time reading something that one finds not very interesting.  1 Thessalonians 5:2  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  Hence, parcing through the CCC would be a waste of valuable time.

Reply to the Third Objection.  The CCC style does not appeal to my type of poetical, verbal, learning style.  Pope Benedict has granted an Indulgence for certain activities during the Year of Faith. http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/news/indulgentia.html  Hence I am not confined to plowing through the CCC to fulfill the Indulgence requirement.  (Deo Gratias) 

Provisions to gain the Indulgence:
 (A) Each time they attend at least three sermons during the Holy Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of the Council or the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in church or any other suitable location.
"(B) Each time they visit, in the course of a pilgrimage, a papal basilica, a Christian catacomb, a cathedral church or a holy site designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith (for example, minor basilicas and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Apostles or patron saints), and there participate in a sacred celebration, or at least remain for a congruous period of time in prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, depending on the circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and patron saints.
"(C) Each time that, on the days designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith, ... in any sacred place, they participate in a solemn celebration of the Eucharist or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding thereto the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form.
"(D) On any day they chose, during the Year of Faith, if they make a pious visit to the baptistery, or other place in which they received the Sacrament of Baptism, and there renew their baptismal promises in any legitimate form.
"Diocesan or eparchal bishops, and those who enjoy the same status in law, on the most appropriate day during that period or on the occasion of the main celebrations, ... may impart the papal blessing with the Plenary Indulgence".
The document concludes by recalling how faithful who, due to illness or other legitimate cause, are unable to leave their place of adobe, may still obtain Plenary Indulgence "if, united in spirit and thought with other faithful, and especially at the times when the words of the Supreme Pontiff and diocesan bishops are transmitted by television or radio, they recite ... the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers that concord with the objectives of the Year of Faith, offering up the suffering and discomfort of their lives".

Really Look at that Gift Horse

The other day I was given a little spiritual direction, that I am still bummed about.  My temperament is such that I'm not bothered by much.  It just rolls off me.  Why?  I dunno.

Maybe I'm just lazy.

Maybe I'm selfish and not worried about anything that doesn't affect me.

Maybe I'm such a people pleaser that I don't want anyone mad at me.

heh.

Hey, maybe I just trust God to handle everything.

I never thought much about why I'm like this, except to consider it a blessing.  I always considered it a gift.  I thought it was a gift from God.

Whenever I read or hear about "forgiveness," I feel my eyes glaze over.  I have no one to forgive.  No one has ever done anything to me that I've taken offense to.  I may think that something someone said was stupid, but I wasn't hurt.  I have ranted and raved, but I can't remember why, of for what reason. Isn't this a grace?

It turns out that I'm fooling myself.  It would be a wonderful grace to hate someone, and then forgive them, and love them.  Forgiving is something I've never been given the grace to do because my personality is such that I'm not offended so easily.

                 No offense = Nothing to Forgive       Offended+Forgiveness= Blessings

I just thought of something.
Before I was a little self-righteous: I love everybody; never met a person I didn't like.  OK, maybe I was a little too proud of what was just my temperament.

But!  Now I forgive myself.  ;-D

Mama Mia

Turn your sound up high.  You'll hear Pope Benedict say, "Mama Mia."  LOL

Always Be Prepared

Matthew 25: 1-13, today's Gospel for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, was not the best fit for today being Day Light Savings.

One of the themes of this Gospel is "being prepared". Of course, I'm not thinking in terms of the Second Coming. I'm trying to cope with today; this morning, to be specific. Try forgetting to turn the alarm clock back, last night. So that the most important clock in the house is now an hour late.

Oh, did I mention that I was the Lector at the 7:30 AM Mass?

Rushing around like a maniac, I wrenched my back.

After Mass, one of our crew, got her signals crossed and went to the wrong restaurant. And that was my fault, again, because I misled her. (not on purpose)

So I identify with the ten unprepared virgins, in today's Gospel. I think a little slack should be cut for them. I, they do not intend to be unprepared, or uncaring, or disobedient, or insubordinate, or disrespectful, or any other attribute that describes me, them, in an unflattering manner. I'm, they're, just human, and everyone once in awhile need a helping hand.

Errare humanum est.