Food Is Love

All my life food has been part of nearly all my favorite memories. From dinners with girlfriends and my first date with my husband, memories involving food are a HUGE part of my life.

When I was little my mom used to take us through the Jack In The Box drive thru on our way to school and my brother and I would eat hamburgers and vanilla milk shakes. Sometimes we would get pancakes for dinner.

When I was in high school (3 in total) I was ALWAYS bumming spare change from my friends for lunch. Which was usually a pack of powdered donuts (who knew that wasn’t a good choice).

My friend Kelly’s parents would go out for Chinese food every Friday night, so I would be sure to hit her house for leftovers most Saturdays. Even when Kelly’s funny mom Delores passed away.I came back to her dad Jacks house and had my head in the pantry. He said it wouldn’t be a visit without Pilar rummaging for food. LOL

When I was single and worked in retail my lunch of choice (I was divorced and broke) was a bean burrito and Mountain Dew (which I thought was caffeine free) and I had energy for hours.

Now I’m a mom and the dreaded question of what’s for dinner every night for the rest of my life looms LARGE!

I am NOT a planner by any stretch of the imagination, I am that fly by the seat of my pants mom, that is rummaging around at 5-5:30 for something in the freezer that I can dump in the Instant Pot and feed my savages.

Most nights I would be totally happy with left overs but my children and husband protest. They can only eat the same meal twice maybe in a 24 hour period. But for me anything in the fridge thats made is instant food gratification and a NO brainer.

As the girls have gotten older and they are able to help and give more input into our meals I get a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from preparing a meal for my family. It’s weird to think that. When I met my husband I really didn’t know how to cook very much, bake yes. Cook ah no.So I’ve built up a culinary repertoire that they enjoy and request.

Pinterest has been a huge inspiration, The Food Network has a great series about 5 ingredient or less. All of this has aded to my mom recipes. But I realized recently that cutting up vegetables and making an amazing chicken soup from scratch makes me happy!

It makes me happy to not just fill my children’s bellies but we pray before dinner. So to me it’s filling our souls and our tummies in one shot!

In November my husband had a full knee replacement and my sweet friends spoiled my family (like they always do when we are in need of help) they have been bringing us the most DELICIOUS and Outstanding dinners!

You see these friends ALL have families of their own that they care for. But they have made the time for hand made meals for me. Not just meals but picking my kids up, shuttling them all over, spoiling them with Starbucks (Kara!) All with great kindness, generosity and love.

Let me explain,  I would be happy with a pb&j sandwich or best of all a bean & cheese burrito=heaven equates comfort food.

These meals have varied from Amy’s Marvelous Meatballs (Mini meatloafs) with mashed potatoes (from scratch, we make them from the bag and my kids love them), Tonyas shredded bbq, green beans with bacon (that Sophia is sure are the best she’s ever had) and cherry pie! Which my kids annihilated before the next morning! To Rose’s tortellini and sausage soup that Chris said was the best soup he’s ever had (what am I chopped liver over here?)

Heathers pot roast (everyones favorite) Michelle’s Indian inspired Magical Sheppards pie (I don’t know what kind of swill I’ve been making and calling Sheppards pie but it’s a travesty compared to this! Seriously I’ve had some amazing food that her husband Dennis has made for a mom night that made me want to live in their attic to get access to. (Just kidding or am I…..?)

Karen’s (always cooking for an army and feeding ALL of us just because (because she loves us) made me a huge container of Turkey Chili and our favorite Chicken Tortellini soup! All this on top of planning a Thanksgiving dinner for the 220 residents at the low income housing apartment building that she runs. See she really does cook for an Army.

Tonight while we were cooking and  serving our sweet friend Carrie came and said she would bring me one of her legendary Chicken Pot Pies. We joke that you have to have had surgery for Carrie to make one of these amazing creations, on top of the custom cookies she makes “for fun” for my kids First Communions, friends graduations, etc!

Meanwhile every time I see my friend Kara it involves us going out for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with her usually treating me for some reason. Over these meals we discuss all our trials and tribulations, plans for decorating her new house, etc.

Oh Kara’s Fondue night! Oh my gosh and she took us for fondue to a fancy restaurant! It was AMAZING!

You see how I can equate food with love? All of these examples are occasions where my friends have shown me their tenderness and love, not just for me but my family.

In my family growing up we would eat when we’re happy, sad, angry, celebrating, depressed, bored and to live. We aren’t big drinkers, we don’t smoke but you bring us a carrot cake we will never say NO!

All my life I’ve used food to even medicate myself, like if I have a terrible day and my period I would say Taco Bell is the best medicine. It’s either that I you’ll see me on the evening news because my Road Rage and Hormones caused me to get crazy and beat someones ass (they probably had it comin, who are we kidding here) LOL.

I always catch myself in the grocery store passing the baked goods and thinking “Oh the girls would love that (pie, cake, box of cookies, etc)” but I have STOP and say that is NOT LOVE! Filling them with junk food is NOT loving them.

Before my husbands knee replacement he found through pre-op blood work panel that he is now a Type 2 diabetic! We were shocked! He was able to change his diet and regulate his blood sugar and go ahead with the surgery but it’s been so HARD!

This crazy sweet tooth/drive thru lifestyle has caught up with me in the form of Type 2 Diabetes which runs in my family. Let me tell you I was so angry, embarrassed and humiliated when I was diagnosed. Really because I could only blame myself, no one force fed me like a goose. But food is such a hard thing to regulate, I was doing well with intermittent fasting and cutting the sugar and carbs.

So well that I lost 10 lbs. and finally after 2 years got my sugar under control!But that didn’t stop 2 older women from asking me if I was expecting. WTH PEOPLE unless a woman is laying on the ground pushing that baby out, she is NOT pregnant ENOUGH SAID!(Insert hard eye roll to the back of my brain).

So because I love my family I HAVE to make good choices, model proper food portions and choices for my daughters. Love is still tied to food for me but in a new way, that I pray will stick with my girls as they grow up.

So for ALL of you out there struggling, be kind to yourselves. You are amazing and unique!

This advice sticks with me “Just because you made a bad choice in the morning, don’t let it dictate your entire day.”-Unknown

Your Burrito loving friend

Pilar The Papist Squirrel

Ps I’m still thinking on a good come back for people who wonder if I am pregnant. Because “No I am just fat!” is just not funny or snarky  enough!

 

Bonded

Here I am at 4ish in the morning, after waking up and realizing I am “BONDED” to my friend Michelle P. for the rest of my life!

That sounds dramatic, right? Grab a coffee and some Kleenex, this is gonna take a minute.

Michelle P and I met through our daughters, in kindergarten. But before I even met Michelle P. I met Vicki who attended St.Francis with us. She mentioned that The P Family would be attending the same Catholic school and to keep an eye out for  Dennis (Michelle’s husband) at orientation.

I knew RIGHT away who he was because Vicki had described him as being Indian with a little girl. Well,I couldn’t miss Diya or Dennis, in a room chock full of Mid-Westerners ( of which Dennis is one, I am only one by marriage).

I’ve told Michelle that Diya is an orchid in a garden full of daisies and roses. She is petite, with big dark brown eyes (that smile when she does), a tiny little nose and the sweetest smile with a lovely caramel complexion.

Poor Dennis, I’m sure he will never forget how I ran over and accosted them and pumping his hand and chattering away about our common friends and how nice it was to meet him ( I didn’t know a soul there……yet).

He of course being Dennis was very reserved but ultra polite (fearing this crazy lady who just told him her entire life story and then some).

Soon I met Michelle through school parties and I knew I liked her right away! Again petite and very pretty with flashing eyes that do not EVER look away when you’re talking with her. Right away I loved her “convent educated” proper accent. But mostly I love her LAUGH, because she thinks I’m hilarious!

My friend Michelle works for a HUGE company and travels the world doing research and development. She does not have time for frivolous friends or nonsense type people. Her circle of family and friends are very precious and dear to her.

So how lucky am I to be counted in that tight group. Michelle likes to say that I am her “bucket filler”, corporate speak I believe for people who make you happy? Google it and get back to me.

(A few years later)

In 2012 I found out I was pregnant at 45! I was due late February early March of 2013.My family and I were SO excited, we couldn’t believe we were going to have one more baby. The girls were over the moon to have a baby sister or brother.

When I shared my news with Michelle, she was ecstatic for me. When we met for lunch she shared with me that she and Dennis had resolved that they would be a single child family, because God hadn’t sent them any more children. They were both busy with their careers and pouring ALL of their love into their one and only daughter Diya.

God makes plans.

In August I lost our baby at 13 weeks. It was a gut wrenching blow that still ripples through our family and lives today. But the grief changes and life keeps on.

At that time I didn’t have nearly the circle of die hard friends I do today. But I had and still have this SOLID group of faith filled women who loved me, helped our family and prayed for us through this hideous grief.

I will never forget Michelle brought me the most delicious traditional Indian meal. I mean container after container of “from scratch” soul filling food made with love! She came and held my hand and cried with me through my ordeal.

I can’t tell you how many graces came from that loss and still fill our lives today.

Countless.

One of my first Sundays back to mass, was a baptism. My husband asked me if I wanted to leave, before it even started. You see Father Tom had set up the Baptismal font. I was sure I could be ok and we sat in the last pew, where I cried so hard, I thought my eyes would fall out. Just short of sobbing I would figure.

In those early days I couldn’t even look at other pregnant women without feeling a stabbing pain in my heart, knowing that I was never going to have another baby.

My other sweet friend Michelle H. was pregnant with number #4 Caroline. They were new to our school and she seemed like a lovely person but I avoided her like the plague because she was SO pregnant. I look back and regret that, but today we joke that we are “sister wives” and I only bought my van to haul all our combined kids around.

A few years later Michelle H lost their son Anderson, he would have been baby #5. He was just weeks away from being born so their loss and grief were incalculable. Soon God sent them Charlie. He was the balm on their families broken hearts.

In conversation I have to catch myself and say Michelle H has 5 children. Because I don’t want try to explain that really they have 6 but one is heaven. But Anderson is always in my brain and heart when I count those H family kids.

Michelle P moved to another school and we don’t see them after school like we do Michelle H. So Charlie has been such a joy for my girls, too. Sophia is especially in LOVE with him. She keeps snap shots of him on her wall. One from halloween when he was dressed like Charlie Brown and one from when he let me hold him.

Back to my friend Michelle P.

I can’t remember exactly how it happened, but Michelle P shared with me the most incredible news. She was PREGNANT! It turned out we had been pregnant at the same time and were due very close together.

When her doctor told her she didn’t believe him. She is a logical woman and lives by facts. So the idea that she could be nearly 6 months pregnant with no signs or symptoms was ridiculous. Dr. D kept insisting, but until she saw that first ultra sound, Michelle was adamant that he was WRONG.

I know she was so afraid to share her most incredible news, but when I heard that she was having a little boy (Varun) it was like a balm on my heart. I know this sounds awful but if he had been baby girl, my joy would have been a charade.

We cried, I remember this, because I was SO happy for her family. #HappyTears

You see if she had a baby girl, every time I saw her I would be thinking of the baby girl I lost. Every milestone and birthday would have been a reminder of my baby that was not in my arms.

But God sent VARUN!

This amazing bundle of inquisitive, bubbling joy, handsome, charming and chock full of mischief BOY. He is so the opposite of his composed and dutiful sister Diya.

I laugh because he is his own man. With his flashing big brown eyes, charming little white toothed smile, apple cheeks and shiny caramel complexion he is just PRECIOUS!

For planners like Michelle and Dennis this little human is a bit of a wild card with his own agenda and style. This is a boy who insisted on wearing a bow tie and suspenders to kindergarten on dress up day. Michelle still thinks this was just too much and ridicules.

Every time I see him I want to squeal and smother him in hugs and kisses. He is just so FULL of LIFE,  I can’t stand it! For his part, Varun hides from me behind his moms legs or in his dads lap. I think I came on a little strong. LOL

I’m practicing holding back so he is coming out of his shell, when I left their home 2 nights ago. I blew him “besos” kisses in Spanish. He giggled and ran off.

See he is learning about Mexico in school and I appear to be the only Mexican person in his world. So he asked Michelle if I celebrated The Day of The Dead. I had to ask my sister Lily in Mexico if that’s actually a thing they celebrate with her little boy. I reported back to Varun that they do.

Only Michelle and I can understand this “bond” that we have over her miracle baby.

I can not wait until Varun is a grown man and I can tell him exactly what his life has meant to me. He was the beginning of my healing, he is the spark of JOY that God sent to show me HOPE.

He will probably think I am some crazy old lady that he’s known his whole life. But I know Michelle and I am sure one day she will share with him my story.

Merry Christmas,

Pilar The Papist Squirrel

 

 

Confessions of A Lazy Prayer

 

I would be the first to admit that I am a fairly lazy Catholic when it comes to praying. At least by my standards, because I’m not in your home studying your habits (ugh creepy).

I mean that I don’t pray every night with my kids before bed, but we do pray before most meals. If we go for fast food after school we pray before we eat in the van.

We pray:

“Bless us O’Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord*

Amen”

*There is more to this prayer but I have not memorized it.* I also take this time before the “Amen” to add my special intentions.

Like  “We pray Lord in a special way for the complete healing of Henry K., Erin S.,etc.” Or sometimes just “Please bless the hands that grew and prepared this food, through Christ our Lord Amen.

You get the general idea. It’s pretty fast and loose, but sometimes…… (when I’m not in a “low blood sugar” rush to eat) the Holy Spirit drops me little hints.

By hints I mean, when I still my mind for a nano second “suggestions” pop in. I can’t explain it any more clearly. Like the time my best friend popped in and her name just came out of my mouth. I didn’t give it another thought but just listed her with the litany of other people who I knew needed prayer or asked for my prayers (more on this later).

Well, about a week later she confided that she was really struggling that day. I said Oh my gosh I prayed for you! Why didn’t you tell me this was happening?! Again I had no idea but I just saw her name flash across the ticker tape that runs through my head.

Last night it was our parish priest Father Dan, I don’t know why he popped in my head, he just did. Right now during this time of scandal in our Church, I pray almost daily for our faithful priests and religious around the world. These holy men and women of God need our prayers now more than ever.

Over Thanksgiving we prayed for ALL the service members that are away over seas and apart from their families.* I need to remind my kids that not ALL of us have our families close by during these special events.

*Side note-When my friend Terri’s husband was stationed in Afghanistan, someone asked her if her husband would be coming home for Christmas! She said no he’s fighting a war they aren’t allowed to come home. How many people actually think this? I watched  their family in the year that Bryan was deployed he missed all 4 of their daughters birthdays, a First Communion, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, school plays, etc. They will never get that time apart back.

I have several friends who know me and read this blog, that reach out and ask me to pray for people in their families. My friend Darcy calls me a prayer warrior, this makes me laugh. I don’t know that I qualify for that title, but I do nag God on a regular basis.

Sometimes when we our out and a fire truck is rushing to help someone we pray for the victims of the accident. We pray when we see a hearse and a funeral procession.

Other times it’s strangers from the news, mass shooting, police officers killed,victims of naural disasters, etc. But mostly I want my children to think and pray for these other people we will never meet.

They pray during the morning annoucements each day before school starts, they pray before atheltic games, before they leave for lunch period each day and when someone has a family memebr in need of prayer, they pray as a class for that person.

For this I am eternally gratful to our Catholic School system.

I want my girls to NEVER be embarrassed to pray in public. EVER! We might be the trigger for someone else, but mostly I want them to always let their LIGHT for Jesus shine bright.

I think my husband is sometimes embarssed (his faith is very private to him) when I ask to pray in a resturant. Meanwhile my kids don’t bat an eye when we pray at a Wendy’s or in the Food Court at Costco..

Recently my girls have gotten into “Blue Bloods” a tv show about an Irish Catholic family of police officers. In every episode, the family will share a meal at the grandpa’s house and they actually pray the grace before the meal.

I can’t tell you what a refreshing thing that is to see in this age of debauchery, violence and explicitness in nearly every show on television. (I realize Blue Bloods is probably NOT age appropriate in every or most episodes), but it’s what my husband wants to watch and there is only so much HGTV he can handle.

Being a lazy prayer in life means I pray the Rosary in the car while running errands. I have a CD in the car and when I am feeling overwhelmed or someone has died I try to pray a Rosary for that person. Sometimes it may only be a decade, other times another person will pop in my head while I’m praying along to the CD ( this is when I know they also require my prayers).

I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t have a schedule or a set of prayers but I do try to pray at least once daily.

When I was dropping our kids at school, we would pray in the drop off-line. One Hail Mary or Our Father and an Angel of God. See this way I could kick them out of the car, knowing that we had prayed and maybe they would forget ALL the yelling it took to get them out the door that morning (The Struggle Is Real, people).

I just remembered I pray when I’m climbing a ladder or doing other precarious stuff in my life (Please God keep my safe) or when I’m in a hurry and I find the last pair of clean underwear in the Ikea bag of laundry I have not put away (I need to be more diligent in my laudnry processing ways). I waste a lot of Jesus’s time on that prayer. I always thank him, and I’m certain he’s shaking his head calling me a crazy squirrel.

I guess in my laziness I am praying more than I realized. But it only just dawned on me that when I slow down, I get the memo of who needs my prayers.

Your Lazy Praying Friend,

Pilar the Papist Squirrel

Ps Will you please keep me and my family in your prayers.

 

 

Guest Blog #1 By Jessica Vu

“God Bless You”
For the first 35 year of my life, I heard these words.

I also heard “have a blessed day” and “thank God” quite a bit. While working in customer-service-oriented jobs all my life, I have heard probably all the combinations.

On more than one occasion I have had (usually older adults) touch my arm and sincerely tell me I am blessed, to have a blessed day, or God loves you.

I never really took these comments to heart. I found it endearing. Cute, even. I would smile, say “thank you”, and maybe even say “you, too!”

I don’t think it really changed my day, or even swayed me one way or another.I knew I believed in God…. “It’s all good. I’m good” I thought.

Now, a year and a half into my journey of being a Catholic, these words hold so much weight.

The other day I was a Costco and I told the receipt-checker/door guard “Have a blessed day”, and I meant it. As I walked through the drizzle to my car I thought “huh, why did I say that to him? He is a stranger – why do I care if he has a blessed day?”

I have never been a person to outwardly proclaim the love of God. It’s not in my character to tell perfect strangers, let alone those close to me, to have a “blessed day.”

Yet, in the last year and a half these words have infiltrated my vocabulary. I have also started to sign some emails with “Peace”, then my name. Why?
Is it because “in these times” we need more of this in the world? While I think we DO need more of this in the world, I don’t think that is why I have gradually, and somewhat unknowingly, changed my vocabulary.

It’s because God is moving me.

I am listening (as much as I can). Do I really want the best for perfect strangers and really care if they have a blessed day?

Yes.
I do.

Because if their day is blessed, then they are more likely to see God in those blessings. More likely to thank Him for those blessings, and more likely to share their blessings with others.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97

Peace,
Jessica

The Guest Blogger Cottage Corner

Mom, how do you know you like someone?

This and other baffling questions my kids are asking.

Recently my daughter asked me this question, as we were out running errands because the van is where we spend most of our time. But its like a traveling confessional and class room rolled into one.

We share the mundane and the serious in the van.

When I pick them up I always ask, How was your day? Fine.What did you eat for lunch? Are you hungry? (Why do I even ask this, the answer is ALWAYS YES! What did you learn today? Nothing.Nothing? Really you were there all day and you learned nothing at ALL?

But this question usually gets a response or forces something to bubble up.

“Did anyone get arrested today or get in trouble?” Well no one EVER gets arrested, but sometimes there is some poor unfortunate kid who got caught talking or never turns in his work. As kids its such a relief to not be the one in trouble that you automatically turn stool pigeon on your friends and country men.

I also use these times to expose them to awesome hits from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, The Beatles Channel or Classic Vinyl.

I also field random questions about life.

Today my 12 year old asked me “Mom, how do you know if you like someone?” EEK Where do I begin? How much of my sordid past do I reveal without scarring her for life?

I said “Hold on let me get outta this parking lot” #stallfortime

This was my answer:

Well it’s tricky, its different for everyone, sometimes its the way someone looks, or they make you laugh or the way they make you feel. Like when you see them you may have a weird fluttery feeling in your stomach? I look back on some of the guys I thought I really liked and I wonder WHAT was I thinking?

With your dad it was his voice and the way he smells (Nivea Just For Men stuff aka “handsome” as we call it in our house). Remember Daddy and I met on the phone so I didn’t even know what he looked like until a week before I met him.

But after talking for 6 months I was in love without all that awkward face to face stuff complicating it (chemistry). Which was a good thing because if we met face to face I would not given him a chance because he’s short.

Totally shallow and awful to admit but it’s the TRUTH!

See I only dated tall guys and I wouldn’t have looked past that if I hadn’t spent so much time getting to know Daddy first. God had a better plan then I was coming up with.

Sometimes it’s what someone says. One time a long time ago, I liked a guy named Rick, we met in a bar and he reminded me of a young Clint Eastwood. Well we hit it off right away and had a long history after that. But the thing that made me fall in love with him, was something he said.

He told me as a kid he had dog that followed him to school most days. No matter what he couldn’t make that dog mind. So he had to spend his own money bailing that dog out of the pound. Well one day he didn’t have anymore money and he decided to break into the pound and break his dog out and ALL the other dogs too.

That just melted my heart because it was like every after school special meets “Escape From Witch Mountain” like every kids movie where the kids out smarted the grown ups, come to life.

Eventually he went in the Army and while he was in Germany he applied for Security Clearance. Well, that stunt was on his juvenile record. So his mom had to go to the police station and work with them to get it expunged off his record so he could proceed with his clearance.

Well, I was crazy about him but I knew it would never work out because of something else he said once. “I could NEVER marry a woman who didn’t finish college” well that pierced my heart and I thought that means me. (At the time I was in and out of junior college, never to finish.)

But again God had a way better plan. He had Daddy set aside for me and if you had told me I would leave Orange County and move to OHIO 15 years later. I would have said “You are CRAZY! That is NEVER gonna happen” and look at us now.

See as an older mom I struggle to shield my kids from all the garbage I was exposed to as a kid. I try my best to shelter them and talk to them about whats right and wrong. What God expects from us and why the Church has rules like a parent does.

I don’t want either of my girls to make the same life altering mistakes and missteps I did. I don’t want them to get all their love advice from Cosmopolitan or Sex and The City. #RecipeForDisaster

I want them to make informed moral choices based on Church teachings and know they are special, unique and divinely made. I want them to know one day they will meet the right man for the future who will share their faith and life.

Maybe they will choose a chaste single life? Maybe God will call them to consecrated life? Here’s the rub, I see why families in the past had many children. It must be easier to have them become priests and nuns, if some get married and have grand babies.

But ultimately I pray they hear Gods calling for them and in the mean time I pray for guidance to lead them on the very narrow path to salvation and grow their faith and mine along the way.

My job as their mama is not only to haul them around in a never ending Uber style carpool. But to get them, my husband and my self into heaven. Some days this is a struggle when baskets of laundry, dirty dishes and bills are piling up.

But when my daughter says “Mom I’m trying to wake up early and pray a decade of the Rosary, it makes my day better” well that is when I know the Holy Spirit is working OVERTIME on my cause. Thanks Be To God!

Your friend and struggling parent,

Pilar The Papist Squirrel

Cultural Appropriation & Other Nonsense

Traditional Mexican Costume. Not what Mexicans wear to work or school everyday. FYI

 

When did it become a crime to wear a certain style of dress or costume?

As kids for Halloween we always used to spend months and weeks dreaming up the coolest or scariest costume. Once my mom made me Carmen Miranda out of sheets and fake fruit on my head. (Think the Chiquita Banana logo).

Another time my mom ,step dad and her best friend went as the Fruit of The Loom Gang (A banana, apple and my mom as bunch of grapes). I guarantee the party they attend these costumes drew laughs and jokes NOT outrage and offense.

Recently a young girl wore a gorgeous traditional Chinese style dress to Prom and the internet melted down about “Cultural Appropriation”. For the record China (the country) chimed in said they approved of her look. But it’s a dress people, bigger fish to fry this is a NON-Issue.

For the record I asked my friend Heather (because she is of Chinese decent) if she was offended? She said “Not at all, I loved it.Reminded me of Ginny in Pretty In Pink”

Heather also has told me about a cousin who ran a Mexican Food cart in Oregon. Which served delicious authentic (as in she learned from her travels through Mexico)Mexican food. This woman and her partner had to shut down after repeated death threats, hate mail, etc. all because they weren’t Mexican. The Unmitigated NERVE!

For the record, these women are atheist lesbians running their business in Oregon. So even in an ultra liberal town, a lesbian couple can’t catch a break trying to sell BURRITOS! Seriously?

Listen I give you my permission as a Mexican (by my country of origin, apparently my peeps migrated from Spain) to sell ALL the delicious carnitas and pollo filled burritos of LOVE you can make. You get my stomachs Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Why in the world should a persons nationality PROHIBIT them from wearing certain clothes, hairstyles, cooking food, creating art, you name it?

Why because we have become of a Nation of Tolerance but only if you believe what the Masses tell you is en vogue at this time. Other wise “they” will turn on you at the slightest provocation.

Who are these masses to tell someone else that they can’t wear a dress? Cook up some delicious Mexican food? I don’t see any “disrespect” happening over a burrito do you?

I understand comedians and cultural stereo types. Have you ever watched Margaret Cho? Her bits about her mom are so funny, I’m doubled over laughing. Or Eddie Murphy in Raw? About his Uncle and the backyard BBQ? Now that’s a FIRE!

Everyone has those crazy relatives in your family tree who were some type of stereotype be it Archie Bunker, Cracker or Redneck. Those stories are funny around the table gathered with relatives.

Like George Lopez and his bit about being raised by his Mexican grandma?She throws a chunkla (Mexican sandal)  like a boomerang. He tells of having a pitiful stray dog as a pet and it gets sick, but they were so poor that not even the family could see the doctor, so a vet was out of the question. So the Mexican grandmas cure-all is 7UP “Just give him some “seben” up”

Unlike with the case of Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who tanned, used a bronzer and had her hair regularly permed so that she could pass herself off as a “black woman”. She was a Branch President for the NAACP (National Association Of Colored People), a chair for the Spokane ombudsman commission, a professor at Eastern Washington university. For years she pretended to be black woman and was heavily involved in civil-rights activism.

When her employers and peers learned of her deception and “cultural appropriation” she was dropped like the hottest of all hot potatoes. The outrage and scorn were real and ran deep. This woman just decided one day to change from a blonde freckled caucasian to a light-skinned black woman, stealing the struggles of African-American women as her own back story.

Now this is something to get worked up about, not a dress or a burrito.

One of my silliest pet peeves is suburban white kids “throwing” gang signs in ALL their selfies. I have to laugh having grown up outside of Los Angeles.

These gangs are not what you see on tv shows. These are hard-core bad ass individuals that literally live and die by the color of their bandanas.If you see them on an episode of COPS these are sociopaths that will kill you for walking down their street! That’s not pretend, these guys are hardened criminals that kill innocent people and sell drugs as a way of capitalism.

So to all the suburban kids that have never met a gang member, stop with the gang signs!(Eyes rolling). I guarantee I will not take to social media with OUTRAGE and bully you into submission. But if I know you and your parents I will subject you to some good-natured teasing.

Looking back as a child of the 70’s I see that The Village People and Sonny & Cher may have pushed the envelope of decorum but it was for entertainment, NOT mean spiritedness. I’m not talking about vaudeville comediennes doing shows in “black face” which today is beyond the pale of rude.

I’m talking about clothes and food, people! Would I be offended if I saw some hippy girl walking down the street in an embroidered Mexican blouse and Huaraches (Mexican sandals)? Ahhh NO, I would probably tell her it was super cute and You GO Girl with your fabulous style.

If an Indian family started making my favorite tamales and guacamole in downtown Bellbrook? HELLO I would be the first in line, if they were delicious I would be raving about it ALL over Facebook and leaving AWESOME Yelp! reviews.

What difference does it make if they are Indian, Chinese or Jamaican, if those tamales ROCK I’m gonna be a regular customer. I like to support small businesses and fill my belly at the same time.

As an aside here, my “Irish” husband recently took the Ancestory.com DNA test and found out (drum roll) he is less than 12% Irish. In fact I am more Irish than he is. He was absolutely  certain based on family lore that he was almost entirely Irish.

Needless to say he’s suffering a little crisis of identity at this time, he’ll get over it, but he was shocked!

Meanwhile all this recent DNA and science to the masses has reinforced what I’ve said for YEARS about Neo Nazi’s and White Supremacist. There is NO such thing as a “pure” race. We are ALL of us are mixed up with ancient tribes that migrated across the Bering Straights thousands of years in our past.

Now maybe people in deep parts of the Amazon may not have much contact with outside tribes, but somewhere in their lineage I predict they co-mingled with other tribes and genetics could prove this theory.

I guess everyone has a point of outrage or a threshold of moral decency, but I personally don’t think it should be a red silk dress or a burrito made by a white atheist lesbian.

Eat More Burritos!

Your friend,

The Papist Squirrel

Seasons

When I was divorced and single living in Orange County, all I wanted was to be married and start a family. It felt like my life was dragging by and with each baby shower I attended I felt more and more defeated, depressed and desperate.

I had reached the ripe age of 35, which in dating circles of Orange County is like saying you’re 50! Men in that age bracket ONLY wanted to date girls in their 20’s.

I guess the ticking of my biological clock had gotten pretty LOUD! I was even toying with the idea of checking Ebay for a baby (just kidding) . It seemed, at the time my most likely way to get my hands on a wee human of my own and besides Ebay has everything under the SUN!

I had been ready give up hope. Meanwhile God had a way better and crazier plan for my life. You see just when I had become hopeless, I met my husband over the phone, at work. (Long story short I relocated and started a new life).

I moved to Ohio in December of 2004, during the almost blizzard (we didn’t have the winds) but people had to be rescued by snowmobile off  I75 and I70. According to Wikipedia it was considered a category 4 “crippling” snow storm that left Dayton with a record 16 inches of snow in 30 hours.

In my family we have a running joke that when a Cason moves, it disrupts normal weather patterns. For example when 2 or more of us gather earth quakes sometimes follow in places where earthquakes are NOT the norm.

For me this “Blizzard” was like a “We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto” wake up call. I had been here in Dayton just over 24 hours and a blizzard SHUT Down the MidWest and parts of Canada.

Then the first spring came and the yards were full of daffodils, tulips and crocus flowers. I asked Chris “Are those fake?Because in California people put out fake flowers and just hose the dust off them?” He looked so disgusted, he said “NO those are real, who ever heard of planting fake flowers?” Dude it’s a thing I promise!

Cut to me a few years later and 2 toddlers, my life literally went into a kind of hyper speed that I’m still catching up from.

Because our kids are so close together (19 months), much of their first years are a complete blur of diapers, bottles, lack of sleep and CONSTANT plotting to out smart the two of them.

So when I finally came out of the house long enough to send Isabella to preschool (her choice not mine) I started to get used to the 4 different seasons that we see here in the MidWest.

You see in California I say we have 5 seasons, they consist of Fire/Draught, Rain/Flooding, Mud Slides (because the tree roots burned away) and Earth Quakes Season (usually when it’s very HOT and Dry).

Oh and my favorite The Santa Ana Winds, that whip through the valley and blow down fences but also clears away the perpetual SMOG. Not to be confused with FOG (as in the June gloom that hangs over the beach communities until about lunch time). See the water is cold (60’s) and the air is warm, hence this fog that befuddles people on vacation, who came for the sunny California beaches.

So for this California transplant, the 4 different seasons of Ohio were so amazing!

I still maintain that Spring and Fall are my favorites by far. All the beautiful color that appears each spring with the lovely Redbud, Flowering Dogwood and Cherry Blossom trees. Then every where are bright flowering bulbs.

These seem to last for less than a month, the pink flowers drop off almost over night and the leaves fill up all the naked trees.

The Canada geese come back, they are paired up and making nests around every pond. Soon the eggs hatch and clusters of baby geese are waddling behind geese parents every where.

Then the steamy summer rolls in and I try to avoid the sun and humidity at any cost. Meanwhile the kids want to be at the pool 12 hours a day. My mind is constantly thinking “Which one of us is getting voted off this island?” (#IsleofBickeringKids) and thinking of what to make for dinner that won’t involve heating the house up with the oven. #CrockPotTime

Then just when you think you CAN’T bare the heat one more day, the leaves on the trees start turning colors and fall is here! I love fall!

A neighbor has a tree that every year I know how the season is progressing because of their HUGE Maple. The leaves start off green, then start changing to a rich red, then a harvest orange with a few yellow leaves. Then they drop off and I know winter isn’t far behind this tree’s change. It’s almost like that one tree sets the schedule for all the other trees in our neighborhood.

Winter in Ohio is a funky thing, like the weather in Hawaii, it can’t make up its mind. Some winters since I’ve been here we’ve had so much snow that schools are closed and my girls have built an igloo at the end of our driveway. Other winters I have seen people out playing tennis in January.

When my girls were very little I remember bundling them up from head to toe in little snow suits, snow boots, mittens, hats, the WORKS! Just to spend 15-20 minutes outside. Now that they are older I let them dress themselves to the level that they think will keep them warm and yell at them to “GO OUT and PLAY”!

We get a little stir crazy here in the winter, with the lack of sun or too much snow.

In the MidWest its normal to be out running errands in negative 10 windchill. It’s about the only time I truly bundle up (hat, gloves, Lands End parka), to pump my own gas. But when it’s 40 and the sun is out? I call that shorts weather with a sweatshirt.

Living in Ohio has taught me an entire new level of weather appreciation. That and I like say “I’m teaching the weather a lesson!” as I wear flip-flops and a dress to pick up my kids and it’s 50 and sunny.

All this weather talk is leading me to this point, with ALL these seasons.I see very clearly each passing year of my life.

I see my children growing and changing too quickly. I see myself aging and my husband retiring. We are in that stage of life were our children are still in elementary school but the next season is high school, then college.

When I first had my children, my best girlfriend Shelby told me “Your life will now be one birthday party, to one sporting event, to the next holiday”. She was so right, the way I marked time as a single woman is so radically different then the way I mark time now as a mom and wife.

It’s literally carpools, volunteering, drinks with girlfriends, what to make for dinner, etc. Some might think that is mind numbingly dull, but to me, I get tremendous pleasure in these little things that seem so mundane. Because the older I get (I’m 50 now) the faster this time goes.

I catch myself looking for homes all on one level so that my husband and I can age in place when the kids go off to college. I look forward to traveling, holding grand babies one day, God willing and going to mass daily.

Maybe a move to a warmer climate is in our future, but I would truly miss these distinct seasons Ohio has shown me.

Your friend,

Pilar The Papist Squirrel

 

 

Angels & The Bible

I hear this often “She is an angel in heaven now” or “He is angel watching over us”.

Have you ever heard this phrase? I realize it brings loved ones tremendous comfort to picture their departed loved ones as angels watching over us, but it’s incorrect to call them “angels”.

Let me attempt to explain.

If your familiar with the bible you will know that God alone makes angels.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

329 Who Are They

St. Augustine says: “‘Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are,‘spirit,’ from what they do, ‘angel.’”188 With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they “always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” they are the “mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word”.

Sections 331-336 also discuss all the different areas within the New and Old Testaments where we see the Angels as messengers of God. Announcing the birth of Christ, aiding the prophets, protecting Lot, speaking to the women at the empty tomb

Can I just go on a rant here for a minute. In writing this blog, I try to use many different sources online or in books. It has been so difficult to find online Bible resources, that actually are full of the original 73 books of the Bible found in ALL Catholic Bibles. Protestant Bibles have removed the following books:

1. What’s the difference between a “Catholic Bible” and a “Protestant Bible”?
   Catholic and Protestant Bibles both include 27 books in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, however, while Catholic Bibles have 46. The seven books included in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include sections in the Books of Esther and Daniel which are not found in Protestant Bibles. These books are called the deuterocanonical books. The Catholic Church believes these books to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. (Source the USCCB.org)

Part of my wanting to write this blog is to spread the Truth  & Teachings of the Catholic Church. So in ALL my research I try to seek out solid, factual and available resources. In writing I sometimes use Siri to help with my spelling or questions of faith. You would be amazed with some of the answers I get. While writing this blog I have encountered several detours, bare with me while I get the Facts and just the FACTS! I’m sure this is Satan trying to trip me up and discourage me. #ReturnToHellDoNotPassGo

Sure enough I stopped and said a prayer and of course God pointed me to the correct answers. My Catholic Women’s Devotional Bible (New Revised Standard Edition), I checked the index and ta dah:

Angels

“In a special way, angels accompany Jesus and belong to Him:At the end of time, Scripture tells us. “The Son of Man is come with His angels”(Matthew 16:27)Excepting the fallen angels, every angel in the Bible is portrayed serving God and his plan.

A random sampling:

Raphael is sent to guide Tobiah (Tobit 5-14)

Gabriel announces two momentous births(Luke 1,11,-13,26-31)

Michael and his angels fight God’s enemies (Revelation 12:7)

Unnamed angels save Issac (Genesis 22:11)

Assist the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19:5)

Appear to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-14)

Attend Jesus (Matthew 4 :11;Luke 22:43)

Unlock prison doors (Acts 12:7)”

Hosts of angels offer unceasing praise (Revelations 5:11)” -From page 515 Catholic Women’s Devotional Bible NRSV

Later after Christ’s Passion, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18). After Peter had run back to tell the disciples that the tomb was empty (Hallelujah!) Mary looks into the tomb and sees two angels in dazzling (Clorox?) white and they ask her “Woman why are you weeping?” Then what Mary at first takes to be a stranger, Mary says “Sir,if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away” (can you even imagine how frantic she must be at this point?)

I couldn’t finish without touching on seraphim and cherubim, from the Websters.com

Definition of : a traditional hierarchy of angels ranked from lowest to highest into the following nine orders: angels, archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim.

Isaiah 6:1-13

We read a description of Seraphs “and one called to another and said

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (sound familiar? it’s part of the mass)

“The seraphs are some of the more exotic  angels described in the Bible.They are associated with the fire of the alter, perhaps because they reflect God’s holiness. I like to think that they burn with love for God.” -Ann Spangler Catholic Women’s Devotional Bible NRSV

Ezekiel 1

In Ezekiel you will find a most terrifying description of Cherubim, not the chubby little baby angels seen in Renaissance art to be sure.

No where the Bible are we can we find, that when we leave this mortal coil and ascend to our heavenly reward (God willing) do we or our loved ones become angels.

I understand in our grief we want to picture our dearly departed like something out of a Hollywood movie with Jimmy Stewart. We want to think of them with wings and a halo. That is just not the case.

Gods hierarchy of angels by all accounts are a terrifying sight to behold, I personally will be happy just to have my soul enter in to heaven and worship God for all eternity. No wings necessary.

“One loving soul sets another on fire” St.Augustine

Your friend,

Pilar The Papist Squirrel

 

 

 

 

 

Calling Dr.Bombay or The Holy Spirit?

I belong to a Knitting Group, FYI not all of us knit. But we have all been meeting for more than 10 years. It used to be weekly, then bi-monthly, now we’re lucky to meet monthly.

I treasure these women’s friendships. Many are grandmas, wee range in age from 41-60+, with me smack dab at 50. Most of their daughters are only in they’re early 30’s and raising their own families, while I have a 10 & 12-year-old. So I bridge the gap.

But to me they are my peers and I respect their life experience and crafting abilities.

3 of us are practicing Catholics, 1 is a lapsed Catholic, 1 atheist, 2 are Protestant or Evangelical Christians.

Over the course of our friendships religion has come up a time or two.

One of the sticking points for one of my friends is why are priests celibate. She told me “Peter was married and Jesus still chose him”. I didn’t have an answer just that it is our tradition, that priest remain single.

Although I did mention that with the conversion of many Anglican Churches to the Catholic faith in recent years. The Vatican and the Pope have given case by case dispensations for “married” (prior to conversion) Anglican priests.

I tried to explain that a priest has a duty first and foremost to his parish and congregation.

One of my Catholic friends pointed out”If Father Tom’s mom was in the hospital don’t you think he would drop everything to see her”.

Well, yes of course but that’s not like having a spouse and children.

This discussion took place about a week ago. Meanwhile  this week I was listening to The Catholic Channel while the Catholic Guy Show show was broadcasting live from The Holy Land.

Well Lino Rulli was doing a bit about visiting Peters house (which apparently has a modern structure on top that appears to look like a space ship, but I digress). With his atheist producer Tyler they discussed the miracle performed by Jesus for Peter’s mother in law.

Are you following this fragmented story? So Mark Hart the Bible Geek (that’s really his title) quoted from scripture and this is what he mentioned,

Matthew 8:14

Jesus Heals at Peter’s House
When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand, and the fever left her and she got up and began to serve them.

Mark 1:29-34 And immediately, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered …

Luke 4:38,39 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. …

After the miracle of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law the discussion progressed to the fact that Peter must have been widowed otherwise why didn’t his wife get up and serve the Lord? #MindBlown

As Catholics we don’t give ourselves enough credit for knowing Scripture. Unlike Evangelicals we aren’t big on Bible verse memorizing. YET The Catholic Church complied and kept sacred the Bible.

Sadly many non-Catholic Christians claim we are not “Bible Christians. But ONLY the Catholic Bible is complete with ALL 73 Books of the Bible, not the Martin Luther edited version that most Protestants read.

A great Article by Mary Elizabeth Sperry from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

This brief article lists 10 points for fruitful Scripture reading. From the above article:

4. The Bible isn’t a book. It’s a library. The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books include royal history, prophecy, poetry, challenging letters to struggling new faith communities, and believers’ accounts of the preaching and passion of Jesus. Knowing the genre of the book you are reading will help you understand the literary tools the author is using and the meaning the author is trying to convey.

5. Know what the Bible is – and what it isn’t. The Bible is the story of God’s relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.

With all that said I want to return to the original point,  Why are priests required to be celibate? Where is that in the Bible?

For these answers and more handy reference I would recommend The One Minute Apologist-Essential Catholic replies to Over 60 Common Protestant Claims By Dave Armstrong.Link to Dave Armstrongs Book on Sophia Institute Press

In the chapter covering Celibacy in the Priesthood we are given a 2 page “answer” to the Protestant claim that priestly celibacy is NOT in the Bible. But the following biblical references reenforce The Churches primacy and authority on this subject.

Matthew Chapter 19:12

1 Corinthians Chapter 7:32-35,38

Luke Chapter 18:29-30

Matthew Chapter 19:27-29

 

For additional Bible references to this topic please also see: Mark 15:40-41, Luke 8:1-3,23:49,55, 24:10, 22, Matthew 27:55-56, 1 Corinthians 7:5

Footnote, remember back when Bewitched was on TV? Anytime they had a medical melody they would call out for Dr.Bombay and he would *POP* in from whatever activity he was doing. Well that’s the Holy Spirit for me, except He mystically sends me the “answer” to “questions’ of faith I may have been pondering.

Hence the title of this entry.

 

 

 

 

 

How I Share My Faith, Ordering A Pizza

 

So today was the first Friday of Lent and since I had blown it earlier in the day by accidentally making a grilled cheese with turkey on it. GAH! My kids had the day off from school and I just thought it was Saturday! #Loser

So I called Costco to order a cheese pizza for dinner to make up for my blow it move.

I got a chance to talk with Chuck.

I said “Hi can I pickup a “cheese” pizza at 5:15 please?”

Chuck “You can pick up a “cheese” pizza at 5:15″ I thought RATS, I should have said “May I pick up a cheese pizza”.

Then he asked for my name, so I spelled P as in Peter I.L.A.R.

Chuck asked “Does anyone ever call Pillar?”

I laughed and said “ALL the TIME!” I proceeded to tell him about all the crazy variations I’ve heard of my name over the years.

Pilar The Mar The Big Fat Peanut Bar (thanks Harry George in  1st Grade, you weasel)Rice Pilaf, Pillard (as if a mom would name her kid LARD) at this Chuck was laughing.

I said “My name isn’t some weird hippy name,my name is an old name that I only ever see in Spanish text books or its someones grandmas name” like Eunice, Mabel or Edith.

I was supposed to be a Paula, after my moms older sister.

Chuck shared with me that his last name is “Roucker” so you can imagine the grief and rhymes he heard as a kid.

I said “My maiden name is Anaya, which I recently found out is Basque and means “brother”. Well now I’m hearing all over for a little girls name and I think, Oh man your parents didn’t know what that meant did they, but it sounds pretty.”

Chuck laughed “Yeah know that’s true. parents name kids any old thing pops in their head sometimes. Then the kid grows up and realizes his name means Orange” I laughed so hard!

Me “It’s a serious business naming another human, it’s not like naming an animal”

He said “I don’t like it when people name animals with human names” I laughed.

Me “I get it though, sometimes they don’t have kids. I know a lot of Sophie’s and even a cat names “Frank” but he couldn’t be any other name”.

Chuck laughed and I could picture him shaking his head through the phone “A cat named Frank, I guess I could see that. Frank The Cat”.

We continued on talking about names and how they are important. I said my daughters are Isabella and Sophia which my husband thought were too old-fashioned and now everyone has those names. I can’t win for losing. Chuck was laughing.

I changed the subject.

I said “You might want to be prepared for a lot of cheese pizzas for the Fridays leading up to Easter” He asked why.

Me “Well Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent leading to Easter, only fish”

Chuck “Only fish?, Hun at my church we’re fasting for the full 40 days and no meat at all”

I said “Oh man! That would be so hard! No fish, hun? Before I was Catholic I never understood why Wendy’s and McDonald’s would have “fish sandwiches” only certain times of the year. Now I know!” LOL

I said “My youngest is complaining about NO pepperoni but she complains when we have to go to Church on Sunday, because during the week (they go to Catholic School) the whole school goes to mass on Tuesdays”.

Chuck said “I can see that.” I said”But Tuesday is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation, Sunday is or Saturday night at 5 o’clock mass.

Chuck “A Holy Day of Obligation, that sounds SERIOUS” Dude it is!

See I tell her “God, gives you EVERYTHING, the least you could do is give him an hour a week”

Chuck said” ONLY an HOUR!? At my church one song could take an hour!” YIKES!

I laughed and said “Well we’ve had 2,000 years to get it down to just an hour. That and the readings from the Bible are printed up in the Missal a year ahead (don’t quote me on this). I’ve heard that if you attend mass everyday for 3 years, you will hear the ENTIRE Bible!”  

Chuck “A year ahead?” he seemed amazed that it was planned out.

I said “Yeah so every weekend we all read the same scripture reading everywhere. It’s so cool, so every Catholic ALL over the WORLD is reading the exact same reading but in their own language! Like in China and Vietnam all of us are on the same page!”

Chuck was amazed. He said “I feel like I know you! You made my day” at which I laughed.

I said “Thanks! I’ve never met a stranger in person or on the phone!”

He said “You be sure to say Hi when you come in. You ask for Chuck in case I’m in the back”

I said “I will, I promise”.

So I picked up the kids, we ran into Costco and sure enough there was Chuck in the kitchen of the snack bar. He was looking out at the line expectantly and I gave him a big wave and yelled “Hi CHUCK!” His face broke out in a HUGE smile and he yelled “Hi PILAR!”

Chuck asked”Are those Isabella and Sophia?” and I said “Yep” and pushed them forward (we were in line) so he could see them. I said”Wave to Mr.Chuck”, they seemed surprised I knew him, but no too much.

Then I saw Tenille (Like the Captain and Tenille) and asked her how her new baby was, she said he was fine and how sweet that I remembered. Chuck said “Wait did you just order a chicken bake?!” I was laughing “I said NO, I was asking Tenille about her new baby!One day she is magically 8 1/2 months pregnant, meanwhile I’m in here all the time and never noticed!”

Tenille laughed and said”Yeah some people around here care Chuck!”

Chuck laughed too.

You see my kids, husband and friends are used to me striking up conversations with complete strangers who share their stories with me wherever we go.Sometimes these folks just pour their hearts put to me in the middle of a store aisle. Sometimes I offer to pray for them, other times, I just listen, while the kids fidget and look all around. I’ve told them God puts me where he needs me and you never know maybe that was God and he was testing me to see if I would help and do the right thing? You never know.

When I hung up I checked my phone to see how long Chuck and I chatted, 9 minutes.

In 9 minutes I shared my faith, my name and how the Church is universal and we read the Bible. Some faiths think we don’t read it, so I need dispel that MYTH. But also I want to share how beautiful and old my faith is.

Your friend,

Pilar The Papist Squirrel