Coucoumellisms

I came across an old picture of Dominic today, and thought, "Wow! Does that ever look like Nicolas!" (Hmmm a bit of the Moose Factory language coming through there...) So I thought I'd post these two pics and see what you think... Dominic ....... and ........ Nicolas Conclusion: These two definitely come from the same mould. Which means (as Marc would likely say), that we have the same milkman in Saint-Jean as we did in Prince George.

I don't ask that my kids start playing hockey, or even learn to play hockey. I'm not that into hockey myself. Plus it costs a lot and one serious sport is enough. But I AM canadian enough to think that every Canadian should at least KNOW how to skate, especially when they have a frozen pond right in front of their house!! We all went out this afternoon, (except for Marc, who was reparing the sink, and Jean-Alexandre whose skates no longer fit), to take advantag e of the beautiful weather and the freshly frozen pond. (If you remember, just 5 days ago, the pond was open water, it was raining here and there was no snow to be seen anywhere.) The temperature hovered around zero today, so it wasn't melting, but it wasn't cold out either . Perfect weather for skating! By the time these pictures were taken, Dominic was already back inside and so was Nicolas. Even Nicolas played outside for at least half an hour, running around the pond in his boots and having a great time. Toby...

For more pics, go here .

Those I know read and those that lurk and never comment and even those I know read, but prefer to comment face to face instead of on the blog (sister-in-law and brother)... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Oops, this should have been posted yesterday: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). Remember “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”

Judy Rebick writes this open letter , explaining why she is withdrawing all support of Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, over her comments on abortion: If you had said that you personally oppose abortion but you support a woman's right to choose, I would have been fine with that. Instead you said that a woman's right to choose, something tens of thousands of Canadian women fought for for decades, was trivializing an important issue. It felt like a slap in the face. I think tens of thousands is a little exagerated. They'd like to think there were tens of thousands fighting for abortion, but they only actually think they represent tens of thousands. Well, they sure don't represent me. There is no middle ground on the abortion issue as you are no doubt finding out. The organized opposition to abortion in this country as in the United States does not care if women die. Of course, there are many people who are opposed to abortion for religious reasons but here I a...

“O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) .

If you have never read the book, go ahead and see the movie. It's not that bad. It's nowhere near as good as the Lords of the Rings, but it's not bad. If you've read the book however, be prepared for disappointment. The movie isn't long, only an hour and a half, and in my opinion, could have profited from an extention into a three hour long movie like what was done for the Lord of the Rings. Then maybe it wouldn't feel so much like a short resume of the book. So much was cut out in fact, that MORE was left out than was put in. When you are cutting out that much, it just isn't worth it to make the movie anymore. You don't get the same sense of character development. What took months to achieve seems to take place in a matter of a few weeks. Many characters are missing or extremely underdeveloped. Whole subplots are missing. Heck, for the sake of the movie, they must have cut out almost 10 chapters in a row at times. This is just one of those ca...

“O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

“O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.” Isaiah had prophesied, AI will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

If you like to travel, when you pick your destination, pay for the tickets, research things to do and see, and plan how long you'll be away, do you normally pick the place that will be the most like your own? Do you plan to hit every McDonald's on the itinerary and avoid at all costs the local cuisine? Do you expect them to cancel their carnavals and festivals if they are not like your own? Or do you pick a place because it is different? New? Exciting? Do you try out all the local eateries to get a taste of their cuisine? Do you attend the festivals and shows? If now, you were to move to a new country, would you expect them to get rid of any and all public displays of religion and anything even remotely linked to religion, just to accomodate you? Or would you get to know the customs, attend their parties, even if you weren't of the same religious affiliations, and respect their culture? So why is it that here in Canada, we want to erase any trace of Christmas, all in...

“O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and A On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

“O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

Your Values Profile Loyalty: You value loyalty highly. You're completely devoted to your friends and family. Even if they totally screw up, you're still there for them. Just make sure they're equally loyal to you! Honesty: You value honesty highly. You're unflinchingly honest, even when it's not easy. For you, integrity is very important - in yourself and others. People may not always like what you say, but they know they can trust it. Generosity: You value generosity a fair amount. You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take. Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need. But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"! Humility: You value humility highly. You have the self-confidence to be happy with who you are. And you don't need to seek praise to make yourself feel better. You're very modest, and you're keep the drama factor low. Tolerance: You value tolerance a fa...

"O wisdom, O holy word of God you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation." Isaiah had prophesied, "The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of council and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord." (11:2-8) and "Wonderful is his council and great is his wisdom." (28:29)

And since the 24 th is the fourth Sunday AND Christmas Eve, it is already the 17th and time to do the O antiphons . How can we make our week more joyful? Christmas is coming. It's almost here. The long awaited messiah is about to be re-born into our hearts again. It is a week to do those last minute preparations for Christmas. Finish the crafts and cookies and things for the stockings. Time to start sing "O come o come Emmanuel" a little louder each day... I wish I had a cd of Advent hymns.

Christmas is coming. I am waiting for it. Advent is a time of waiting, of hoping, of dreaming, like the people of Israel, long before the promised Messiah came. I too, walk in darkness, I dream, I imagine things different from what they are, I even dare to hope a little. Christmas is a time for rejoicing, a time of fulfillment. Christmas is light banishing the darkness, happiness banishing sorrow, a promise kept. I wait patiently for Christmas to come on my island. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. Isaiah 9:1

Dominic and grades 2 and 3 (for more photos go here ) : It was Dominic and Maryssas' school Christmas concert last night. It was directed by the music teacher and the choir did most of the singing, but each class also had a song or two. The choir sings beee-eau-tifully.

A note to that little one growing in my sister-in-law's belly. I am the most important of all your aunties, and don't you forget it. I am the only one with any cousins for you to come and play with. In fact, I may very well be the only auntie that you will ever need. But I'll understand if you still want to keep the other ones anyway.

So, I went to mass at St-Patrick's Basilica in Montreal today. (In English for a change) And the whole time I was there, this guy, whom I see every time I go there (which isn't that often), and whom I presume to be the usher (or something), stood on the other side of the aisle and stared at us for maybe 10 minutes at a time. He would then thankfully leave, only to come back and stare at us some more. Like he had to make sure that I was making sure that my kids were behaving, or something. Would you be surprised if I told you my nerves were on overdrive by the time mass was over? Of course, it was 5:00 pm mass, which means the kids are more tired and rambunctious, but just the stress made their behaviour seem so horrible to me, when normally, I think I would not have been so irritated. I have to say, the priest was very nice. We were not far from the door, and he was saying goodbye to parishionners and came over to do some high-fives with the kids. But I won't be back...

On November 7, I was a happy person , but I couldn't tell anyone about it. Now I can. For the very first time, I am an auntie. My brother Cecil is going to be a Dad. Now he will have to give up his perfect house and live in chaos. Well, maybe not right away.... but soon.

I was tagged by Peony at Two Sleepy Mamas . Here are the rules: 1) Go to Wikipedia. 2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year. 3) List three events that happened on your birthday. 4) List two important birthdays and one death. 5) One holiday or observance (if any). Three events: -- 1643 - Four-year-old Louis XIV becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Louis XIII. -- 1811 - Paraguay gains independence from Spain. -- 2005 - Pope Benedict XVI observes his first beatification, elevating Blessed Marianne of Molokai on the road to canonization into sainthood. Two important birthdays... -- 1316 - Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor -- 1953 - Tom Cochrane, Canadian musician (Red Rider) ...and one death: -- 1847 - Fanny Mendelssohn, German composer and pianist One holiday or observance: -- Paraguay - Flag Day -- St. Engelmund TAG: Jess at Days go by , Deo G...

I posted a few photos on flickr, take a look . Nicolas playing with the toy truck Jean-Alexandre bought for him with his own money.

December 6, 2006 Aussi, Bonne Fête à Grandmaman Thérèse qui était si contente que Nicolas naisse le jour de sa fête. And Happy Birthday to Pansy at Two Sleepy Mommies

Asunción, Paraguay, Miércoles 06 de Diciembre de 2006 NIÑOS Y ADULTOS MOLDEAN Y PINTAN EL BARRO Familias aregüeñas preparan atractivos pesebres navideños En la ciudad de Areguá, a 28 km de Asunción, todos los integrantes de la familia participan activamente de la preparación, moldeado, cocción y pinturas de atractivas imágenes de barro, que luego formarán parte de las piezas del tradicional pesebre navideño. Conversamos con tres familias de sus trabajos. ( Leer más ) En 1993, quedaba en una casa con 11 compañeros canadienses, al limite de Luque, unos diez minutos de Areguá, situado al lado del lago Ipacarai, donde se hace tan lindas cosas. En mi casa ahora, en Canada, todavía se puede admirar algunas obras de Areguá. Como ésta:

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times. What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like? Got this from Peony and Pansy at Two Sleepy Mamas

One candle down, three more to go!!! For more Advent pics, go here .

Mary's Lamb (got this from an e-mail) Mary had a little Lamb, His fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went, The Lamb was sure to go. He followed her to school each day, T'wasn't even in the rule. It made the children laugh and play, To have a Lamb at school. And then the rules all changed one day, Illegal it became; To bring the Lamb of God to school, Or even speak His Name! Every day got worse and worse, And days turned into years. Instead of hearing children laugh, We heard gun shots and tears. What must we do to stop the crime, That's in our schools today? Let's let the Lamb come back to school, And teach our kids to pray! It is said that 86% of Canadian, American & British people believe in God. The other 14% can just sit down and quietly not participate.* If we were to go live in a country where the majority was hindu or muslim, would they take God out of the schools because we don't worship in the same way? Atheists not allowing peo...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg nog 2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wraps them and sits them under the tree. 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?White. 4. Do you hang mistletoe? No 5. When do you put your decorations up? I put advent decorations up all over my house on the first Sunday of advent (pink and purple with greenery) and on the 24th, I switch the decorations for Christmas ones. (Red and gold) I hang up the stockings on the first Sunday of Advent too, so the kids can have fun filling up each others stockings in preparation for Christmas. 6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Tourtière 7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Hoiday memories seem to blend, I don't remember what happened when, and I don't remember any one event that stands out more than another... 8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I have always believed that St Nicolas really was a bishop that lived long ago, and,... etc,... (I only...

I googled "meme" to find a fun questionnaire to fill out, and discovered a site that gives the true meaning of meme. (Which quite obviously has its roots in the French word même.) meme: (pron. 'meem') A contagious idea that replicates like a virus, passed on from mind to mind. Memes function the same way genes and viruses do, propagating through communication networks and face-to-face contact between people. The root of the word "memetics," a field of study which postulates that the meme is the basic unit of cultural evolution. Examples of memes include melodies, icons, fashion statements and phrases. Memes on the internet are all those jokes, prayers, pleas for help urgent warnings of virus that people endlessely send to your e-mail inbox all day... Which you have to watch out for and you can check out at snopes.com to see if whatever is being said actually has any truth to it. That wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Neither was this: http://ww...

God knocked St. Paul off his horse but He chose to convert me with a gruff man,a severed foot, and the face of a little child. It was 1962. I was fifteen, an atheist, and a first-time Red Cross volunteer. With bag lunch in hand, I stepped into the hospital's tiny pathology lab and introduced myself to the stern-faced man who ran it.He could have been the twin brother of Sonny Liston,the soon-to-be heavyweight champion of the world. "I'm Tyler," he said. "Put your lunch in that refrigerator." I opened the refrigerator, leaned forward, and gasped. There, just where I was about to place my lunch, lay a severed human foot!Tyler guffawed. Most days Tyler joked around as we prepared polyps, cysts, appendices, tumors, and other surgically-removed bits and pieces for examination by the staff pathologist. One morning, however, he cracked no jokes. Just before the pathologist arrived, he said "John, I don't want you here this morning. The doctor's got t...

http://www.bellathemovie.com/ Got this from Big Blue Wave . It looks like a very interesting movie.