Food...

We love food... alot.

Shrimp Carpaccio with lemon and olive oil over a bed of home grown arugula...

Thanks Judy R. !!!

Prociutto Carpaccio with balsamic vin on arugula

Salmon and Cous cous with a cucumber, dill, jalapeno and yogurt sauce.

uh... Milky way deluxe style!

The cream of the crop....

Smoked Cornish Game Hen (Hickory wood, stuffed with lemons and homegrown Rosemary and Thyme)

Dreams...

So I had a dream last night that I was out to dinner with my parents (Dan and Judy) and Maureen. During the middle of dinner someone came up to us and said that a Grateful Dead concert was coming to town and the tickets just went on sale! It was really hush hush. I left them at dinner and ran over to the ticket booth... conveniently on the same block. The Tickets were 90 bucks a person so I bought a ticket for all four of us.

To bad Jerry Garcia is dead... It would have been an epic concert!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my Fathers B-day. Happy Birthday!

He is working out in the Yakima area of Washington state today on LED signs for Lamar

Lamar is "Going Green" by using LED signs that consume less energy and are much more efficient for the company and the advertiser... if the techs that put them up are trained properly. They are going from using paper and glue signs to phasing in these LED signs.

Dad went down to Florida for a training of Lamar employees on the new Tech and how to repair them etc. He studied hard and was (among the Lamar employees there from all over the country) 2nd in his class! Yep the "Part time genius, full time smart guy" has still got it!

On another note the Catholic church is "Going Green" as well...

No, not with bill boards...

Green SEX !!!

From the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph Young Adult Office:

America is a country going "green". We recognize the consequences of injecting harmful chemicals into our food, our water, and our air -- and yet, there is an unbelievable disconnect! Millions of women in America unknowingly put toxic chemicals in their bodies every day by taking "the pill" or other contraceptives.

Join Dr. Janet Smith at Nara for appetizers, cocktails and straight talk on the harmful effects of chemical contraceptives. She'll address the alarming figures on how much has been paid out by Johnson & Johnson and other pharmaceutical companies to women harmed by "the patch". Dr. Smith will also explain why women who use chemical contraceptives are attracted to different men than whom they would naturally choose and why excess estrogen is so harmful to the environment. This is important information for women and men -- and it very well could change your life!

The Vatican is going GREEN!

Vatican to Build Europe’s Largest Solar Power Plant

The Vatican is going solar in a big way. The smallest country in the world recently announced that it intends to spend 660 million dollars to create what will effectively be Europe’s largest solar power plant. This massive 100 megawatt photovoltaic installation will provide enough energy to make the Vatican the first solar powered nation state in the world!

The Vatican is not exactly a large state, so its proposed solar plant will generate enough energy to power all of its 40,000 households. The installation will be located on a 740 acre site near Santa Maria di Galeria - the same place where the Vatican Radio’s transmission tower is located. The energy that it produces will be way above the needs of the entire Vatican, providing enough power to meet the needs of Vatican radio nine times over.

These aren’t the only moves that the Vatican is taking to reduce its greenhouse emissions. It is contemplating using an electric popemobile, the Vatican cafeteria will soon be decked with a solar heating system to provide heating and cooling, and even the Pope’s summer residence is being fitted out to get power from the methane generated by the horse stables. When looking for inspiration, the Pope clearly defers towards the heavens, but when looking for electricity, the sun is his choice

Random Pictures...

The bird feeder by our vegetable garden!

Our new "Dave Ramsey" furniture! What a deal! We have been looking at patio furniture for a few months now, but couldn't bear to spend all that $$$. Last weekend, we almost bought a table w/ 4 chairs (no umbrella) for about $120, but neither of us were really excited. So we didn't! We said NO! Then, last Saturday after class, we went around to garage sales. The first one had the below set (WITH umbrella) that they had on sale for $50. It was UNopened from target, listed as $130. During our Dave Ramsey class, we learned about haggling techniques that we wanted to try. We walked up and offered $40. The gentlemen we were speaking with went back and talked to the women who seemed to be running the sale. She said they wouldn't take less than $50. So we got in the car and started to drive away. When we passed the house, the fellow yelled $45 - but we said no... only $40! We drove to other garage sales but didn't really find anything. So, on a whim we went back to the first sale, took all of our cash out of Shaw's wallet except two twenties. Maureen stayed in the car when Shaw went up to talk. Again Shaw offered $40, telling them that that was all he had on me, and said that he would walk away. Eventually - we got it for $40~!!!!!! $130 patio furniture for $40! What a steal! Thank you Dave!

A sampler pack of IPAs... woohoo! Tried the one on the far right tonight... from Wisconsin.

Not bad.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!

Pray for the Babies!

More Honeymoon Pictures

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day Darling Husband!

Well, my mother and Elizabeth drove to Virginia a few days ago to visit my sister Emily.  They have been having such a wonderful time!  I spoke with my father on the phone yesterday, and he seems to be holding up well - watching baseball games and attending meetings.  He is on the board for the Wyandotte County Pregnancy Center - he works on the accounting books and that keeps him very busy!  

This Saturday, Archbishop Nauman and Bishop Finn are both praying at the abortion clinic on Roe (the one my parents pray at every Saturday - it is about 2 miles from my parent's house in Overland Park).  It will be such a wonderful prayerful time!  Last year about 200 people were there!  

Here are a few more pictures from the Honeymoon.  I have lots on my computer, so I suppose we will keep adding in 5 picture increments until everyone gets sick of them! 

Trevi Fountain 

View from the top of the Cupola in St. Peter's Basilica

Fun little sidewalk cafe in Rome.  Delicious!

St. Peter's Again

More Rome!

Teacher Appreciation Day...

Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day... so do some appreciating!

The parent club here at the school made the teachers at MH-MA breakfast and they gave us a kind card with a nice little present inside ;) Woohoo!

Traditionally I guess teachers receive an apple for their hard work and dedication...

Not really sure why that is. I thought "An apple a day kept the doctor away?"

However, by now many teachers are thinking our "hard work and dedication"

could better be rewarded with say a nice stiff

Wait.

Better yet.

Maybe this kind of apple...

Well never stop dreaming! That is what we tell our kids right?

A Few Honeymoon Pictures!

 Sorry about these not being in any order at all!  

This is in Positano, Italy - a beautiful city in the side of a hill right on the ocean.  The whole city is almost vertical - and entirely composed on these beautiful little walkways full of beautiful pink and purple flowers!!

Again in Positano - eating in a little restaurant right on the water.  I believe this was at De Adolfo - a restaurant that is accessible only by boat!  It was so lovely!

This was the view from our hotel in Positano.  SO BEAUTIFUL!  

In Roma with Lemon Gelato!  Around every corner! :)

This was the view from our hotel in Rome.  Breathtaking!!!  

That is all for now - can't wait to post more!   

Love,

Maureen