Winterr's words

"If you live to be one hundred years old, I want to live to be one hundred minus a day, so I never have to live one day without you."
~ Pooh

Labels: quotes

We went to Lake Erie this weekend, it was so beautiful. It was the most sunny and warm weekend that I remember in too long now. Too bad though that the temperatures have dropped a bit, but it's still ok.
Nothing too spectacular is going on right now, but I have been attempting to make home made pita bread. It worked out pretty good and is tasty if I do say so myself. I like being in my cooking moods, it reminds me of being with my mother, growing up I always remember her making something from home. Now my daughter likes joining in so it's working well.
I took photos of my bread making so I could email them to my mother and I decided to post one here so you can see too!

The picture is before they went into the oven of course and they actually worked yay!!! I'm surprised really, because I didn't think they would work out and they did. phew.
Well I am going to go off and get on with the rest of my day. Have a great week all!

4HC, if you would like the recipe here it is:

preparation

Stir together yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

While yeast mixture stands, stir together flours in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Stir in oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour mixture until a dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round to 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with 2 clean kitchen towels (not terry cloth) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.

• Pitas can be baked 1 week ahead and cooled completely, then frozen, wrapped well in foil in a sealed plastic bag. Thaw before reheating, wrapped in foil, 10 to 12 minutes in a 350°F oven.

This recipe is from epicurious.com

Labels: cooking

From time to time we might have a question that we need a priest to answer, so today while reading some Catholic sites, I found Ask Father it's a forum page where you can ask "Father Z" a Catholic priest living in Rome, your questions. So if you have anything you are too shy to ask a priest in person about, ask Father Z!

So I wonder if spring is on it's way here yet! It's been so cold, and yet today I finally see some sun! They are predicting about 60degrees for the weekend, I will gladly take that over weeks of 30-42 degrees, so maybe this weekend might mean we can enjoy some outside time.
I was browsing some very interesting photo-shop images on a site that were very creative. I don't know if I can copy a picture without getting into trouble so i'll link to one that I like a lot.
It's here and it's of stonehenge. You will need to scroll down a little bit to see the whole thing.
I hope you all have a nice weekend, I am looking forward to a sleep in.

What a difficult week it has been. Glancing over at the news on the T.V and hearing all about the Virginia Tech massacre. It makes me sick to my stomach.
But lets offer up prayers to all the victims and their families and do good and loving things, to out weigh such evil things, and try to make the world better.
I was reading an article by David Zampino on our group blog Per Christum which was like a breath of fresh air. It's in relation to the Virginia Tech massacre and it's called The finger of God
and it's about finding God in times such as this.

Labels: school shooting

I know that I can't have one because I won't be home enough, but I would love to own a beagle. I met 2 beagles over the weekend and it was love at first sight.

I hope every one had a wonderful Easter!

Labels: Easter

I can't say whether it truly is a miracle or not until it is approved by the Church, but I like to keep an open mind, as I do believe in miracles. If I lived in Sydney, Australia, I would visit this home. Again, I don't know if it is a true miracle and I cannot speak for the Church unless it is approved.
Here is the story of the house of miracles, that I took from the Today tonight homepage and it's by Laticia Gibson,

After a 17-year-old boy died, oil began seeping through his bedroom walls and ash appeared on the floor. Some now believe he was a messenger of God.

There are crowds in a suburban Sydney street this evening, as there have been for weeks.

They are hoping for a miracle, to be touched by the hand of God. All because of a young boy who died and occurrences inside the house that are so far unexplained by science.

They line up for hours, hundreds at a time, to enter the small suburban home, a place thousands call "God on Earth".

Inside the home, oil is slowly seeping from walls and paintings, while ash on the floor is said to be a miracle cure for the mind, body and soul. The deliverer: a dead boy..

Five months ago, 17-year-old Michael Tannous was tragically killed in a car crash.

Forty days later, Mike's God-fearing parents, George and Lina noticed a strange line of oil appear on his bedroom wall and the smell of roses filled parts of the home.

Ash, the colour of coal, inexplicably began materalising from thin air. His parents believe it is a sign their son is still alive.

According to the Tannous family, the line of oil has multiplied and spread across the walls.

As well as the miracle oil, Mike's initials and a cross have also appeared. If you believe the believers, even Jesus has been spotted on the ceiling of a neighbouring room.

Now, the young and old are making pilgrimages to this 24-hour cathedral to those seeking to be healed by God.

Among them was 12-year-old Elana Ibiahim, who says her crippling joint pain is gone, healed by a magic elixir, the aromatic oil from Mike's bedroom.

"I was sick, I had joint problems and they kept swelling up," Elana said.

"I couldn't kneel and sometimes I was unable to write because of them.

"I put it on the first day and since then - all my pain is gone."

Local Catholic priest, Father Michael Melhen, said in all of his years at the pulpit, he had never seen anything as miraculous as this.

He stressed that he cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic church, but as an individual believer he is stunned at what he's seen.

He is using the oil that comes through the walls to anoint people.

"The purpose of the oil, according to the church, is to bless people and that's a sign, a symbolism of peace," Fr Melhen said.

As the word spread, Johanne Adams heard that the messiah was among us, despite never having met the Tannous family, but now visits regularly.

"Because I believe, I believe in this house," Johanne said.

"I don't know these people and they are beautiful people and it's a miracle."

Every person who walks through the doors for the very first time receives a free souvenir: a cotton bud soaked in the holy oil.

So far, over 3,500 people have received such a gift, with the number increasing by the hour.

"It means that Mike is still alive and that's a message to everyone that there is life after death," Fr Melhen said.

Mike's parents and Father Melhen say God hand-picked Mike from birth. A picture taken when he was just six months old, they say, was prophetic in its similarities to a famous rendering of Jesus.

Some even said Mike predicted his own death, his schoolbooks littered with poems and scribbles depicting the afterlife.

A gate among his drawings bore an amazing resemblance to the dripping oil.

George and Lina say they have not made a cent from the people arriving at their home.

"We have not collect any money, no way, we won't accept it at all," George said.

"All we need is for people to come here to light candles at the church for Mike, nothing else, or to pray, we don't need anything."

Peter Bowditch from Australian Skeptics said that for a miracle to be true, it has to have scientific evidence to back it up.

"To become excited about it, you have to be a true believer," Mr Bowditch said.

"That is, you have to be someone who is immersed totally in some form in faith.

Religious sightings and paranormal activity, known as religious pareidolia, have captivated audiences and the faithful for centuries.

Celestial sightings have been captured on fence posts, windows, even the humble vegemite sandwich.

In Perth, a statue of the Madonna supposedly bled tears of oil.

Extensive scientific testing revealed it to be an oil substance with an added fragrance, most likely rose oil, but where it came from - how it got there - no-one could conclusively determine. A documentary is being released this Easter.

But you only have to look at the faces of those who gather at the Tannous family's home, night and day, to realise that they believe Michael was a direct messenger of God.

"I would like everyone, especially those who don't believe, to come here and to have a look and to start knowing there is life after death," Father Melhen said.

The house is at 6 Bowden Street, Guildford, NSW. Visiting hours are strictly 12-2pm and 4-6pm ''only''.

There is also another article with more information here: Weeping walls Mystery

Labels: miracles

Sadly, I found out from Antonia's World
That Dr.John Billings died....
Dr John Billings, world-renowned pioneer of natural fertility regulation, died last night aged 89 after a short illness.

John James Billings AM, KCSG, MD, FRCP, FRACP, was born in Melbourne on 5 March 1918 and educated at Xavier College and the University of Melbourne. Married to Dr Evelyn L Billings, nee Thomas in 1943, John saw service as an army doctor with the AIF during WWII in PNG. more here

I chose to study the Billings method for NFP about 6 months before I got married,(and use it now that I am married) after a friend loaned me her copy of "The Billings Method" book by Dr.Evelyn Billings. I had originally been studying NFP by Couple to Couple league, but since I was living in Australia, it was easier to study something that most other couples I knew used. The Billings method is a form of Natural family planning that teaches a woman to interpret signs of fertility, and can be used to avoid or achieve pregnancy, using no drugs, devices or side effects.
Personally, I think it's a great way for a woman to know how her body works and all the signs of change. It is scientifically proven too, no matter what stories are out there, if you use it properly it does work.

So Dr.John Billings may have passed away, but has left women with a wonderful way, which allows us to manage our fertility without use of drugs and unnatural means.


Above is a picture of Dr.John Billings, meeting with John Paul II
The Billings Method

Labels: NFP