The Lord Bless You And Keep You (Rutter)

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious unto you

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious unto you

The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
And give you peace, and give you peace
And give you peace, and give you peace

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Composer: John Rutter

All Things Bright and Beautiful (Rutter)

See also: All Things Bright and Beautiful (hymn, tune: ROYAL OAK)

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the weather,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden -
He made them every one.

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

See also: All Things Bright and Beautiful (hymn, tune: ROYAL OAK)

Setting: John Rutter

Serdiczna Matko (Beloved Mother)

Serdiczna Matko, opiekunko ludzi.
Niech Cie placz sierot do litosei wzbudzi.
Wygnancy Ewy do Ciebie wolamy.
Zmilujsie zmiluj niech sie nie tulamy.

Do kogoz mamy, wzdychac nadzne dziatki.
Pylko do Ciebie ukochanej Matki.
U ktorej serce otwarte kazdemu.
A osobliwie nedza strapionemu.

Beloved Mother, guardian of our nation.
O hearken to our supplication
our loyal children kneeling to beseech you.
Grant us the graces to be loyal to you.

Where shall we seek our solace in distress?
Where shall we turn, whom guilt and sin oppress?
Thine open heart, our refuge e'er shall be.
When trials assail us on life's stormy sea.

Traditional Polish hymn

This is a Day of New Beginnings

1) This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
Time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that's gone.

2) For by the life and death of Jesus,
God's mighty spirit, now as then,
Can make for us a world of difference,
as faith and hope are born again.

3) Then let us, with the spirit's daring,
step from the past and leave behind
Our disappointment, guilt, and grieving,
seeking new paths, and sure to find.

4) Christ is alive, and goes before us
to show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings,
our God is making all things new.

5) In faith we'll gather 'round the table
to taste and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings,
our God is making all things new.


Text: Brian Wren, 1978, 1983 
Tune: BEGINNINGS, by Carlton R. Young, 1987

Thine Be The Glory

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.

Refrain:

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict'ry, thou o'er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting. (Refrain)

No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love:
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. (Refrain)

Text: Edmond Budry (1884), trans. Richard Hoyle (1923)
Tune: MACCABEUS 10.11.11.11 + Refrain

Cantique de Jean Racine

Verbe, égal au Très-Haut, notre unique espérance,
Jour éternel de la terre et des cieux;
De la paisible nuit nous rompons le silence,
Divin Sauveur, jette sur nous les yeux!

Répands sur nous le feu de ta grâce puissante,
Que tout l'enfer fuie au son de ta voix;
Dissipe le sommeil d'une âme languissante,
Qui la conduit à l'oubli de tes lois!

O Christ, sois favorable à ce peuple fidèle
Pour te bénir maintenant rassemblé.
Reçois les chants qu'il offre à ta gloire immortelle,
Et de tes dons qu'il retourne comblé!

Text: Jean Racine (1639-1699)
Music: Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

The Old Lady Was a Bathroom Hipster

I bought my house about 4 years ago. It's an older home, born the same year I was and I'm not gonna tell you how long ago that was. Suffice it to say that the old girl has a lot of class and character, just like I do!

This old girl (the house...not me) has some cool little details and some not so cool ones as well. It has a cute corner sink that I fell in love with the first time I saw the house. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that because the sink is in the corner, only one person can stand at the sink at the time thereby giving others an "out" when it comes time to help with the dishwashing!

On the plus side, there is a nice little ledge above the sink that I didn't get a picture of where I can display things. They change from time to time but right now there's a wine bottle, a fancy bottle for olive oil that is beautiful but I never use it and a candle. Because it's so handy my mom often likes to put random things up there that don't really go with my vignette, like for example my travel coffee mug or some tupperware items she needs to remember to return!

In the bathroom there is a very unique soap - toothbrush - cupholder which you can see pictured here. I know this looks like it has some pretty butterflies and flowers on it, but it's actually all silver, with a mirror surface, the butterflies are a reflection of the shower curtain across from it.

When you push on the right side of that silver square, it swings open to reveal this....

Please ignore how cruddy it looks because we never, ever use it, but it's just so cool and a neat little trick that we can show people when they come to visit. Hey! Shafter is a small town and there's not a whole lot to do with company when they do visit!

It is a cool way to hide things right?  But with the size of toothbrushes now a days, it's not very practical...but a neat little detail don't you think?







Another neato thing is this Thermador bathroom heater. Now don't worry about that pretty little plant getting scorched or over heated as this bathroom heater has never worked.

I know many people have fancy-schmancy bathrooms with heated towel holders and heated floors, but I'm just as impressed with this broken bathroom heater that I have never, ever used. I bet it was pretty cool to have back in the day when it worked!

I imagine this house was state of the art when it was first built. With all it's fancy swinging toothbrush holders and a bathroom Thermador heater and all!









So that brings me to the point of my title of this post, "The Old Lady Was a Bathroom Hipster".  In the bathroom is where one of my favorite little handy-dandy objects resides. It's this little wall-mounted Dixie Cup Dispenser.

Do you know that you cannot find that dispenser anywhere on the worldwideweb? At least I couldn't and I'm pretty good at googling and amazoning and whatever. So I was telling my son that I need him to figure out if that little dispenser can be taken off the wall so we can take it with us if and when we ever leave because I love it and now they only make these ugly plastic ones that sit on the counter and you pull the cup out from the top and I don't like a bunch of crap on my counters.

My son said, "Just find another one online." So I said, "I can't find one online, this is a vintage item!" He replied with, "The old lady was a bathroom hipster." I don't know exactly what that means, but I'm just hoping the old lady he was talking about wasn't me!


Actually, the old lady that owned this house before I did was pretty cool and very cautious and prone to pre-planning in the event of a natural disaster. For instance...the inside of this kitchen cabinet had this Earthquake preparedness plan taped to it. I don't know how old this is or how relevant to today's information, but I didn't have the heart to take it down because I'm sentimental like that. The old lady was not only a bathroom hipster, she was also one darned prepared old lady!

If You Love Me (Tallis)

If ye love me, keep my commandments,
and I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another comforter,
that he may bide with you for ever,
ev’n the spirit of truth.

Composer: Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)

Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace (Rutter)

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me bring love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Composer: John Rutter

Come, Risen Lord

Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest;
nay, let us be thy guests; the feast is thine;
thyself at thine own board make manifest
in thine own Sacrament of Bread and Wine.

We meet, as in that upper room they met;
thou at the table, blessing, yet dost stand:
"This is my Body"; so thou givest yet:
faith still receives the cup as from thy hand.

One body we, one Body who partake,
one Church united in communion blest;
one Name we bear, one Bread of life we break,
with all the saints on earth, and saints at rest.

One with each other, Lord, for one in thee,
who art one Savior and one living Head;
then open thou our eyes, that we may see;
be known to us in breaking of the Bread.

Text: George Wallace Briggs (1875-1959)
Tune: ROSEDALE 10.10.10.10, by Leo Sowerby (1895-1968)

He is Risen (Madden)

He is risen, he is risen!
Tell it out with joyful voice:
he has burst his three days' prison;
let the whole wide earth rejoice:
death is conquered, man is free,
Christ has won the victory.

Come, ye sad and fearful-hearted,
with glad smile and radiant brow!
Lent's long shadows have departed;
Jesus' woes are over now,
and the passion that he bore--
sin and pain can vex no more.

Come, with high and holy hymning,
hail our Lord's triumphant day;
not one darksome cloud is dimming
yonder glorious morning ray,
breaking o'er the purple east,
symbol of our Easter feast.

He is risen, he is risen!
He hath opened heaven's gate:
we are free from sin's dark prison,
risen to a holier state;
and a brighter Easter beam
on our longing eyes shall stream.

Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)
Music: Richard Madden (b. 1953)

More Than I Ever Wanted to Know About Stuff like Medicine Cabinets...

So I'm doing some home remodeling lately and last night I realized that I am finding out way more than I ever wanted to know about stuff that I care absolutely nothing about!

For instance...medicine cabinets. Here's a picture of the really rusty, yucky medicine cabinet in the home I am remodeling.

I always assumed these types of recessed med cabinets are cemented and attached forever into the wall...but that is not the case. There are four little screws, two on each side wall that you screw out and the whole thing should just come right out.

UNLESS....unless there are several coats of paint and the paint has sealed that cabinet in there forever. Ok, well maybe not forever but at least until you get a blade and cut all the way around it and pry it loose gently with a screwdriver.

I never in my life wanted to know all of this about a medicine cabinet, or how to remove rust or how to spray on a sealer and how to spray on white paint, etc. I've been checking out blogs where others have re-done the medicine cabinet...but I think I'm just going to buy a new one as by the time I buy the rust remover and steel wool and sealer and paint plus my time it would have just been cheaper to buy one.

Ok...so here's a fun fact that I never knew about medicine cabinets and would have been ok going the rest of my life not knowing. Do you see in the photo of the rusty cabinet above there is a little slit in the metal about one quarter up from the bottom of the cabinet? Guess what that is for?? Give up? It's for depositing of razor blades. You know back in the day when men shaved using one of these?

Seriously, you would take the used up razor blade and slide it into that little slit for disposal. I haven't taken this one off the wall yet, but I hope I am not going to find this when I do. Pretty gross huh?

I showed my sister Lisa this photo and first thing she wondered was, "What about when there's a hurricane or tornado and the house gets blown away and the medicine cabinet becomes separated from the house? That means there are all these sharp razor blades blowing around and they could kill someone!" That's my sister! I would never have thought of that at all. I think I would be much more worried about a semi-truck trailer hitting me than a razor blade...but she worries about everything!

So I'm thinking of replacing that ugly, rusty one above with maybe one like this? I'm not really sure I'm loving the dark wood, but believe it or not, this one is only $39.00. I know that normally, you get what you paid for...but I have read the reviews and everyone who bought this one seems pretty darned please with it.

I'm hoping I will be able to remove the old one without too much trouble and even if the paint peels or comes off I'm planning to have that bathroom painted anyway.

I'll let you know how that all turns out.

OH...and another thing that I am finding out way more than I ever wanted to know about are kitchen sinks. But I'll cover that one another day...for now I'm off to continue the hunt for the perfect recessed medicine cabinet that will fit my budget.

If any of you have any hints or ideas on replacing that ugly medicine cabinet feel free to let me know.

Sonne der Gerechtigkeit

1. Sonne der Gerechtigkeit,
gehe auf zu unsrer Zeit;
brich in deiner Kirche an,
dass die Welt es sehen kann.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

2. Weck die tote Christenheit
aus dem Schlaf der Sicherheit,
das sie deine Stimme hört,
sich zu deinem Worte kehrt.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

3. Schaue die Zertrennung an,
der sonst niemand wehren kann;
sammle großer Menschenhirt,
alles was sich hat verirrt.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

4. Tu der Völker Türen auf;
deines Himmelreiches Lauf
hemme keine List noch Macht.
Schaffe Licht in dunkler Nacht!
Erbarm dich, Herr!

5. Gib den Boten Kraft und Mut,
Glauben, Hoffnung, Liebesglut,
und lass reiche Fruch aufgehn,
wo sie unter Tränen sä'n.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

6. Lass uns deine Herrlichkeit
sehen auch in dieser Zeit
und mit unsrer kleinen Kraft
suchen, was den Frieden schafft.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

7. Lass uns eins sein, Jesu Christ,
wie du mit dem Vater bist,
in dir bleiben allezeit,
heute wie in Ewigkeit.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

8. Kraft, Lob, Ehr und Herrlichkeit
sei dem Höchsten allezeit,
der, wie Er ist drei in ein,
uns in ihm lässt eines sein.
Erbarm dich, Herr!

At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing (Tune: Sonne der Gerechtigkeit)

See also: At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing (Tune: Salzburg)

At the Lamb's high feast we sing
praise to our victorious King,
who hath washed us in the tide
flowing from his pierced side.

Praise we him, whose love divine
gives his sacred Blood for wine,
gives his Body for the feast,
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.

Where the Paschal blood is poured,
death's dark angel sheathes his sword;
Israel's hosts triumphant go
through the wave that drowns the foe.

Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, Paschal bread;
with sincerity and love
eat we manna from above.

Mighty victim from on high,
hell's fierce powers beneath thee lie;
thou hast conquered in the fight
thou hast brought us life and light.

Now no more can death appall,
now no more the grave entrall;
thou hast opened paradise,
and in thee thy saints shall rise.

Easter triumph, Easter joy,
sin alone can this destroy;
from sin's power do thou set free
souls newborn, O Lord, in thee.

Hymns of glory and of praise,
Risen Lord, to thee we raise;
Holy Father, praise to thee,
with the Spirit, ever be.

See also: At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing (Tune: Salzburg)

Text: Ad re­gi­as Ag­ni da­pes, 6th c., tr. Robert Campbell, 1849

Tune: SONNE DER GERECHTIGKEIT, 77.77

Psalm 118: This is the Day (Marty Haugen)

Refrain:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

OR

This is the day the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad!
This is the day the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad!

1. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures for ever;
Let the house of Israel say: “His mercy endures for ever.” (Refrain)

2. The hand of the LORD has struck with power, his right hand is exalted,
I shall not die, but live anew, declaring the works of the LORD. (Refrain)

3. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
the LORD of love and mercy has brought wonder to our eyes. (Refrain)

Composer: Marty Haugen

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Catholic series.

Some people come into our lives for a reason...

It is amazing to me how quickly time flies by. Exactly one year ago, I remember having feelings that I needed to start coaching again. I was a little nervous about the idea because I hadn't coached cheer since I had left on my mission. At first, I neglected the idea, but the feeling kept returning. After a little hesitation, I decided to start looking for coaching positions. I remember feeling a little overwhelmed because I didn't know how I should go about getting re-involved in the cheerleading world. I remember sitting down one afternoon, and opening a phone book to the high school section. Immediately, I felt like I should call Timpanogos High School. Within 24 hours of calling, I was interviewed and offered a position as the head cheer adviser at Timpanogos High School. 

I guess when something is right, it's right!

Coaching this past year was nothing but a pure blessing in my life.
I was so grateful each week to be able to go to practice and watch my team grow.
 Each girl had such an impact on my life and taught me lessons that I will never forget.

Things I learned this year from coaching...

The Pursuit of Excellence

It always impressed me how the girls on the squad always pushed as a team to be the best they could be (and this was not limited to their performance alone). I admired the girls as they would talk about their academic goals, their personal goals, etc. I loved that they never sold themselves short. It strengthened me to watch their examples as they strove to be the best they could be as individuals and a team. They knew who they were, and they knew their potential.

Endless Potential

Throughout the summer practices, I realized that more than anything, the biggest part of my job was to believe in the girls... to encourage them... to see their potential (the potential they might not have seen themselves). It was to recognize them individually for their strengths and help them see the important role they played on the team. As a coach, I was by no means perfect, but I think I learned a valuable lesson... EVERYONE has strengths. It is human nature to look for the faults in people. I decided in life, I always want my goal to be to look past individual flaws and recognize the true good and potential that lies in every single person. 

Our Youth, Our Leaders

As I mentioned before, I was so blown by the girls throughout the year. I admired them as I watched them in the hallways reach out to other students who were in need of friends. I watched them lift so many people around them. These girls are amazing, and true leaders in every sense. The youth truly inspire me. I have no doubt that they will move on to become wonderful leaders in the future. 

Count Your Many Blessings

Towards the beginning of last year (2011), I was so caught up in myself and the things that WEREN'T happening in my life (at the time Brett and I had been trying to start a family for about 6 months without success). It was, and still is, a difficult challenge. However, the difference between me a year ago and me now, is that I can better recognize the blessings in my life. For the longest time, I was so focused on the fact that I couldn't be a mother that I became blind... blind to the point where I didn't see the other opportunities Heavenly Father was trying to give me to bless my life.... the major one being the chance to coach a group of incredible young women. I never told the girls about my personal life, or the challenges that I was going through, but they were always there to love me and help me to see the bigger picture. I began to slowly realize that instead of putting my time and efforts into feeling heart broken and disappointed, I could focus on the opportunity that was right in front of me. Even though Brett and I have not yet been blessed to expand our family, Heavenly Father provided me with an opportunity that not many others get to have. Throughout the year, the girls had such an impact on my life. I don't think they will ever come to know or understand how much their love and examples meant to me. Without knowing what was happening in my life, it seemed like on my hardest of days, they would come up to me and give me a big hug saying, "Courtney you are like our Mom." I'll tell you what- more than anything, coaching was a sweet answer to my prayers. It was a strength to my testimony and a reminder that our Heavenly Father is ALWAYS there, ready and willing to bless us. Granted, the blessings may not always be in the form that we expect or may initially desire--- but they are there...

and they are sweeter than we can ever imagine.

Again, this past year coaching, was an amazing opportunity and blessing in my life. It is is an experience that I will always remember and forever cherish. I am going to really miss the girls this next year, but I can't wait to see what the future holds for them--- 

GO TIMPANOGOS!

CEO Chorizo

It's been a while since I did a post about my little grand-puppy Chorizo. My daughter sent me the most adorable picture of her so I thought I would share. Here Chorizo is at her new job, sitting in her desk chair hard at work being super adorable! CEO Chorizo!!

Happy Easter to everyone!

The Reproaches (John Sanders)

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

I led you out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom, but you led your Saviour to the cross.

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.

For forty years I led you safely through the desert. I fed you with manna from heaven, and brought you to a land of plenty; but you led your Saviour to the cross.

Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.

What more could I have done for you? I planted you as my fairest vine, but you yielded only bitterness: when I was thirsty you gave me vinegar to drink, and you pierced your Saviour's side with a lance.

Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.

I opened the sea before you, but you opened my side with a spear.
I led you on your way in a pillar of cloud, but you led me to Pilate's court.

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

I bore you up with manna in the desert, but you struck me down and scourged me.
I gave you saving water from the rock, but you gave me gall and vinegar to drink.

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

I gave you a royal sceptre, but you gave me a crown of thorns.
I raised you to the height of majesty, but you have raised me high on a cross.

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!

Composer: John Sanders (1933-2003)

Puppy Rescue in Bakersfield

It seems that things that happen in Bakersfield never make national news! But I really thought that this story should have. I wish I could have found the original video showing the firefighters pictures while they cut through the pipe to rescue this puppy, but I could only find this follow-up.

In the original video they mention how difficult it was to protect the puppy while they cut the pipe to rescue him/her. They worried that the pipe might get too hot so another firefighter put his hands through the back side wrapping the puppy in a towel to protect it.

The gentleman who found the trapped puppy said that his wife saw the momma dog with a bunch of puppies in the area and she looked hungry so she told her husband they should take the momma dog some food. Good thing they did as that's how they found the trapped puppy!



A happy ending. Hopefully someone wonderful will adopt the rescued puppy and his brothers and sisters and especially the poor momma dog!

By the Waking of our Hearts

Refrain

By the waking of our hearts,
by the stirring of our souls,
may the Spirit of God abide
and bring us together in Christ.

1. Come, O Spirit, from above,
come from your celestial heights.
Come with your blessed light
so radiant bright. (Refrain)

2. Come, O Savior of the poor,
come, O source of gifts ensured.
Come with your gentle hope,
so wondrous and pure. (Refrain)

3. In our labor, rest most sweet;
grateful coolness in the heat.
Console our restless lives,
by your comfort, we seek. (Refrain)

4. Bend the stubborn heart and will,
melt the frozen, warm the chill.
Come guide our searching minds
toward your promise fulfilled. (Refrain)

5. Grant us virtue’s sure reward,
may your gracious love be sent.
Come with your peace and joy
that shall never end. (Refrain)

Verses based on the Pentecost Sequence, Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Composer: Ricky Manalo (1997)

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Catholic series.

Beyond the Days

Refrain:

Beyond the days of hope and mystery
we see a light of faith renewed,
and in our longing we thirst for guidance
to walk with you day by day.

1. Forty days and nights,
you guide the steps of our journey.
May your presence be felt
in the whisper of your voice. (Refrain)

2. Not on bread alone
are we to walk on this journey.
Speak the words that give life
to the yearnings of our hearts. (Refrain)

3. In your hands, O God,
we feel the touch of your guidance.
Keep us safe in your care:
may your gentleness be there. (Refrain)

4. On our Lenten path
we see the dawn of a new day.
Be our vision of hope;
be the promise of our lives. (Refrain)

Composer: Ricky Manalo

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Catholic series.

On this Day (Dies Domini)

1. On this day the first of days,
God’s most holy name we praise;
and who, creation’s Lord and spring,
did the world from darkness bring.

Refrain:
Dies Domini! Dies Domini!
On the Day of the Lord we rise and sing:
Dies Domini! Jubilate!
Praise and glory on this day!

2. On this day the eternal Christ
over death His triumph shines;
and on this day the Spirit came
with the gifts of living flame. (Refrain)

3. Loving God, Who did fashion us
image of Yourself we trust.
Come, fill us with Your love assured
and conform our wills to yours. (Refrain)

4. God, the blessed Three in One,
may Your holy will be done.
Now one with You with all above,
we send forth our hearts of love. (Refrain)

Text: Verses: Die parente temporum. Le Mans Breviary, 1748; tr. Henry W. Baker, 1821-1877.
Refrain: Ricky Manalo (2002)
Music: Ricky Manalo (2002)

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Catholic series.

Bacon Don't BBQ

Remember last month on March 8th when I mentioned what a terrific adequate BBQ,er I am becoming? Remember my BBQ'd corn? Remember my telling you how I come from a long line of BBQ,ers  extraordinaire? Well since I've BBQ'd once and it turned out perfect ok...I thought I'd BBQ again yesterday. I again made burgers and hot dogs and they came out much better than last time. So feeling cocky and confident, I decided that I would BBQ strips of bacon, just like my dad and my brother Fred do perfectly all the time.

Here you see The Men in my Life. My brother Fred in the white t-shirt with the tongs...he's the King of BBQ Chicken; my brother Jaime in the red shirt with his hand in his pocket...he's the King of Assisting as he's usually the one helping Fred and while I understand from his daughter Clarissa that he's a great BBQ'er, I've never eaten anything he's BBQ'd. And of course the King of BBQ plain and simple, my dad Federico standing in the back there with his hand on the BBQ grill which was custom made for him by his brother Manuel. Dad has taught these two boys all he knows about BBQ'ing and a little, tiny bit of what he taught them kinda/sorta rubbed off on me.

So I figured with all those BBQ genes roaming around inside of me I can probably BBQ Bacon just like they do. WRONG!!! Wrong, wrong, wrong! This is what the stuff oozing out of the bottom of my little BBQ grill looked like. I kid you not! All that bacon grease caught on fire and was just oozing out looking like molten lava! It just dripped out all over the concrete slab underneath and continued to burn!

Now see...I don't have a fancy custom made BBQ grill like my dad has. One that you can lower and raise the grill if the heat gets too hot or too cold. Nope, I just have your standard Weber BBQ Grill with the grill just sitting on the coals. I tried putting the smoker lid on it but that damn Bacon wouldn't quit burning. And the smoke!!! Geesh, the smoke! It was crazy. You would have thought I was burning a forest in my backyard! And I do believe yesterday was a "no burn" day in Kern County! I'm lucky the fire department didn't respond and fine me!

I removed the few strips that didn't totally disintegrate into the river of molten lava and finished them off in the microwave, but I'm pretty sure I will never try to BBQ bacon ever again!

Christians Praise the Paschal Victim (Victimae Paschali Laudes)

See also the original Latin plainchant: Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians praise the Paschal Victim
Offer thankful sacrifice.
Christ the Lamb has saved the sheep;
Christ the Just One paid the price,
Reconciling sinners to the Father.

Death and Life fought bitterly
For this wondrous victory;
The Lord of life who died
Reigns glorified!

O Mary, come and say
What you saw at break of day.
"The empty tomb of my living Lord!
I saw Christ Jesus risen, and adored!"

Bright angels testified,
Shroud and grave-cloths side by side!
"Yes, Christ my hope rose gloriously.
He goes before you into Galilee."

Share the good news, sing joyfully:
His death is victory!
Lord Jesus, victor King, show us mercy.
Amen. Alleluia!

See also the original Latin plainchant: Victimae Paschali Laudes

Background Information (Wikipedia)

Words: Ascribed to Wipo of Burgundy (c. 995 - c. 1048)
Music: Plainchant, Mode I

See my other blog postings in the plainchant series.