The Road to Recovery

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Knowing that yesterday was going to be a long day, and one, as Bertie Wooster would say, fraught with imponderables, I asked Megan if she would be interested in accompanying me to the hospital – an invitation she eagerly accepted.

We arrived around 7:30 and they had already begun part of the chemical stress test procedure she would be undergoing before the surgery. My personal opinion was that it should have been done the day before, as one stressful procedure in a day would seem more prudent, but what do I know, right? Anyway, off they took her shortly before 9, for what the transport guy said would be a 45 minute deal. By 11 I was beginning to worry that they would not have time to bring her back to the room before she had to go for surgery prep. I was also very curious as to why it would be taking so long, so I googled it, and found the Heartsite.com which told me all I needed to know about cardiac stress tests, including the fact that they can take from 2-4 hours. Good to know!

Not long after that another transport gal popped her head in the door and invited us both to come down to OR with her, as mom was being transferred directly there. We had a short wait in the very busy waiting area outside OR, and then they called us back. Poor mom was understandably in less than perky spirits after having just been put through the ringer. We did have fun chatting with the anesthesiologist, whose accent I couldn’t quite place until he told us he was originally from South Africa. We’ve had more international doctors here than not, including 2 from India, 1 from Africa, and 1 from somewhere in South America, possibly Brazil. Good thing I’ve been here to translate for mom, as the accents are a little tough for her to understand.

A little before 1pm Dr. Brink, of Vascular Surgery Specialists, came in to answer any last minute questions, mark which leg they were going to operate on (pretty obvious since it was the leg with the wound vac hooked up to the foot) and I found it interesting that he somehow managed to be reassuring even while acknowledging that this surgery was pretty high on the difficulty scale. We gave our hugs and kisses and set off for the cafeteria, where we set up our laptops and stayed for the next five hours. I can’t imagine getting through that afternoon without Megan here, she was more help and support than she knows. I had some good, laughter filled conversations with both Jeff (whose company had the unmitigated gall to have scheduled him to go to a conference in Atlanta this week) and Doug, in Moorhead… Megan says I was “slap-happy” – and surely that must be true, but it was good to just laugh some of the stress of waiting away.

Megan added interest to her time here by taking the stairs whenever she needed to traverse floors – several trips from the 1st to the 5th floor and back, sometimes taking 2 steps at a time, gave her a vigorous workout, and an excuse to eat some pudding from the cafeteria. (It’s good pudding. My excuse was not nearly so good.) She’s a big inspiration to me, and I’ll be hiring her soon as my personal trainer. She’s also becoming very interested in a career somewhere in the medical profession, which is quite exciting!

Right at 5:30 on the dot, I got a phone call from Dr. Brink informing me of the good news: the surgery was successful, mom had done very well throughout, was looking stable, and we could see her in about an hour and a half. Well, by the time we found ICU, the floor was closing for an hour as they do between 7-8 both morning and night so the nurses can coordinate all their information on their patients. So Megan and I had another hour to kill, and we wandered between floors, taking the stairs some, and ended up relaxing in the lobby for another 30 minutes, where we realized we could have spent a much more comfortable (and quieter) afternoon than we did in the cafeteria… next time, we’ll know…

At last it was 8pm and we were able to come into ICU and see mother. She was groggy, in some pain, and at that point just taking ice chips. By the time left, she was a little more alert, and about to partake of some jello, so things were moving in the right direction.

This morning, to my shock and delight, when I walked into her room, she was just being helped off the bed and into an arm chair, where she then proceeded to sit up and eat her breakfast. She was so perky and energetic I couldn’t believe it – I don’t remember the last time she had that much vim and vigor! What a huge relief after all that she’s been through in the last month, and the last two weeks especially. So, so very thankful for God’s grace and the healing touch of her physicians.

Hopefully we’ll have a better picture of her the ongoing road to recovery by the end of the week, but if today is any indication, things are looking very positive indeed.

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Yet again a two week hiatus from my dear blog… I will try to cover what has happened in the interim as best I can. Events have been rolling along one after the other at a furious pace.

Tech week for MoezArt was super busy, with rehearsals every day plus of course the last RE class of the year for the two youngest. On top of that, mother’s foot pain from the sore on her foot became brutal, and on Monday I took her to Urgent care, where she got a round of antibiotics. After a thorough cleaning of the wound it was bandaged and home we went with instructions to contact Primary Care and the Wound Clinic for follow up. Returning the next day for a bandage change, things were looking better. By Wednesday, however, the pain was excruciating, some redness had spread up the ankle, and that was the day we saw the doctor. She prescribed a second antibiotic and Tylenol 3 for the pain, scheduled some X-rays and blood work to be done and sent us home. Thursday morning we went for the X-rays, and then things began to go down hill even further, as the combination of medications began to affect mother’s stomach. We did the best we could to manage the pain and keep her comfortable that day.

Thursday night was opening night for “Honk Jr.!” – a retelling of the story of the Ugly Duckling – and mom felt she would be ok for the evening, so I did get to attend what turned out to be both a light hearted musical and an emotionally powerful performance about celebrating differences, featuring Mason Shrader as Ugly, an incredible young actor who has Cerebral Palsy.

From Opening Night:

Honk Jr.

From Closing Night:

Honk Jr. II

First thing Friday morning, we had to go to the lab to get mom’s blood work done. They always tell you “you don’t need an appointment” at the lab. Never believe them. Always, always make an appointment. *_* I actually had to leave mother there after we’d been waiting for over an hour, in order to take Megan to a chiropractic appointment. Fortunately it was nearby and a quick in-and-out adjustment, so mom didn’t have to wait around too long for us when she was finished.

Pain and nausea continued on Friday, and by Saturday morning we were back at Urgent Care. They took one look at her foot and said she’d better get to the ER. So we swung back by the house, gathered up her meds, and were at the hospital by 10. And that is where mom has been ever since. It seems like every day there was something new and at this point it is a bit of a blur. There were various procedures, and a team of doctors – an infections doctor, a foot surgeon, a couple of vascular surgeons – and every day each of them comes in and presents their piece of the puzzle.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, two years of religious education classes at Ss. Simon and Jude for Geneva and Jacob culminated in their confirmation and first Holy Communion. Since our Bishop and his auxiliary were both in Rome attending their quinquennial visit ad limina apostolorum, the Vicar General came to do the confirmations. It was a beautiful service, and Paul and I were both quite the beaming pair sitting in the front row of the parent’s seating (directly behind the confirmandi and their sponsors) in a packed-to-standing-in-the-aisles cathedral.

I was so happy to be able to attend, so sorry that Mother could not be there, and afterward, we all went up to the hospital to visit for a little while so she could congratulate the children, and see them in their lovely confirmation outfits. Then the crew headed back to the house for a celebratory BBQ and they had a great time there.

Confirmation Day

And that brings us up to date I think. Regarding mother’s situation, the upshot, after 8 days of care, and one surgery so far on the foot, is that mother will need a peripheral artery bypass in her left leg in order to provide enough blood flow to her foot for the infection to heal. That surgery will happen tomorrow. We’re taking it one day at a time, praying like crazy for the doctors, and learning a little more than usual how to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Heb. 12:2)

Ending April with a “HONK!”

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

A wee bit of a recap:

Last time I was anywhere near this blog-center of Nettie’s World, I was celebrating another birthday, which always brings with it the heightened reflection on God’s sustaining grace and abundant mercy.

Not long after that, as is the case year by year, another wedding anniversary came along. Paul and I quietly celebrated by going out to dinner – alone!! While dining on a Red Robin repast, we availed ourselves of the opportunity to review the first 19 years of our marriage, and ponder upon each of the four precious souls we’ve been tasked with raising to sainthood.

After that we went to see the movie The Hunger Games.

I will tell you what my husband said about it, since he is the least prone to exaggeration or hyperbole of anyone I know:

“That was an exceptional movie. And we’re already there.”

Here is Fr. Robert Barron’s insightful commentary on the story (warning: spoilers):

(Here’s a written version of his commentary.)

This past week has been fuller than normal with several trips to the chiropractor for both Jacob and Megan. Jacob had wrenched something in his mid-back while on the trampoline, and it just wouldn’t correct itself, so he needed some professional assistance to set that right. And poor Megan, who earlier in the semester sustained a neck injury while rehearsing a scene from the musical in which she’s performing, began what will be an extended series of treatments to sort out her neck pain and constant headaches. We’re off to another appointment in just a few minutes in fact!

Speaking of theater, the MoezArt production of “Honk Jr.!” goes into tech week as of today!! That means daily rehearsals, much excitement, mounting anticipation and butterflies, culminating in a grand finale on Saturday night, then tear-down, and finally, in all probability, a week-long crash into depression for the entire cast. Ahh the emotional turbulence of theatrical life…

A new acting opportunity will come on the heels of this week’s performances, however, as there will be a Select Troupe chosen from among 4 different MoezArt casts (those who wish to be considered for the Select Troupe will use their performance this week as their audition), which will rehearse and perform the show again in competition for the AriZoni awards. That will be another couple of hectic and exciting weeks for those who are chosen.

This past week marked a milestone for Jacob Theodore “Karate Boy” Heidmann. We have concluded that Jacob has reached his full potential in the martial arts, and that it’s time for him to try his wings in another area. While he enjoyed the physical fitness aspect of karate, he barely had any social interaction, other than getting toughened up by the room full of rambunctious boys… which is quite valuable for a kid with nothing but sisters around the house. Still, he’s just not an aggressive kind of guy, and fighting requires some aggression! So we’re thankful for all he’s learned, and we’re looking ahead to what he can learn in a new environment – and one where he will unquestionably have more fun and more friends: he’ll be joining MoezArt in the fall!

So Not-Paleo

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

I think I’ve posted granola recipes before. They’re all pretty similar… I just whipped a batch up this morning because we’d run out of both cereal and eggs, and I found (to my surprise) that I had an unopened jar of maple syrup in the pantry! (At some point in the past I was clearly thinking ahead to this very eventuality… thank you, self, for that forethought!)

So, this is the gist of it. Eminently variable to your tastes!

GRANOLA RECIPE – BASIC

8 cups rolled oats or mixed rolled cereal
4 cups mixed nuts and seeds (The original recipe called for 3 cups of chopped almonds. Hello, I can’t afford that. What I do have is, I have an ice-cream pail filled with a mixture I use in my bread — pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, quinoa, millet, amaranth)
1 cup brown sugar (less or more, to your taste – I’m guesstimating here, since I just kind of used a 1-1/2 measuring cup, scooped some into it and threw it in the mixing bowl)
2 tsp ground cinnamon (I grabbed for the cinnamon and got my sweet-spice mix, so this batch is a little more complex in its flavors)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt (this is totally optional, depending on whether your peanut butter is salted, and whether you use oil or salted butter down below)

1/2 cup prune juice (original recipe called for unsweetened applesauce, but this is what I had. Turned out just fine.)
1 cup natural peanut butter (there was nothing like this in the original recipe. I just like peanut butter flavored granola so in it went!)
1 cup syrup (you can use honey/maple syrup/molasses/rice syrup/corn syrup – I used half and half maple syrup and molasses.)
1/4 cup oil or butter

dried fruit (this batch used cranberries and a few diced apricots)

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C).

1. In a very large bowl, mix together the flaked grains or oats, nuts/seed mixture, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

2. In a small saucepan, warm the peanut butter with the syrup and oil.

3. Mix the syrup mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly dispersed, then divide and spread the mixture evenly on two baking sheets. (If you have ones with sides, often called jelly-roll pans, use them.)

4. Bake the granola for about 45 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until the granola is deep golden brown.

5. Remove from oven, mix in dried fruit, then cool completely.

Store the granola in a large, airtight container. It will keep for up to one month.

Ranchin’ With the Gonzales-ez

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Paul Heidmann

Let me start this out by making something perfectly clear: I don’t blog. However, tomorrow is the anniversary of the marriage of me to my wife. She wants me to blog, so I must blog (but remember, I don’t blog).

OK. So. What is this about? Oh yeah. This past weekend, I had the chance to take some friends of mine up to the ranch for a weekend of fun. We’ve been planning this weekend for quite a while now. We wanted to go in March, but I told them it would be better to wait until April, when it would be warmer. Wouldn’t you know, this huge pacific storm came through, and made the whole weekend all cold, windy, and yes, snowy (I seem to remember folks sayin’ they wished it would snow, but I think they changed their tune when they figured that snow meant it was that cold).

See? Already this is getting boring. I am going to try to put my comments with the pictures, below. Maybe I can do that.

Gonzales Ranch Trip

I will say this: we had a lot of fun. In spite of the snow, we really enjoyed ourselves and had a great time. Hope to go back soon!

HONEY – I NEED TO GO TO THE RANCH!!!!!!!!

-PSH-

Update: Some pics still need captions, but PSH had to head for bed. They’ll be up tomorrow. ~Nettie~

Greenery

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Greenery

Surprise!

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

When the UPS guy unloaded a huge, heavy box into our front entry this afternoon, the children were very surprised. They were even more nonplussed when I wouldn’t tell them what was in it.

They didn’t have long to wait, however, since Paul got home at 2pm.

Springs

The kids were out there till 10:30 jumping by the light of the office window! This is it – the last item on our fire replacement list. Halleluiah!!

Abundant Blessings

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Well, as my husband was so gracious to inform everyone, I had a birthday last week. I apologize for not posting my usual photo-filled entry detailing our family festivities – but my my entire day was very low-key, which is just how I like it. I relaxed. My children took care of me. I took a birthday nap. We had a little supper at El Pollo Loco before going to mass for Holy Thursday. My wonderful part-birthday/part-insurance-replacement present arrived via Fed-Ex on Friday:

And of course the first thing I did was make a nice big batch of peanut butter.

Easter weekend was completely centered around worship. Friday afternoon we participated in the Good Friday mass, a moving commemoration of our crucified Lord. Saturday morning I picked up my candidate, Malinda, and brought her to the church for her final RCIA retreat. I’ve been with her at every class, but this last step of her journey I knew she needed to take on her own. After dropping her off, I picked up my girls and we did a little last minute shopping. Going vintage always pays off, and our trip to Value Village was a success – found a dressy blouse for myself, a brand new dress shirt for Jacob, a nearly-new pair of white pumps for Geneva and a pair of brand new extra high red knee socks for whichever girl wanted them (can’t recall) – for about $13.

After that, a little Easter dinner shopping at Wal-mart, and then home to drop off the girls, then go pick up Malinda. I remembered well my experience from last year, and was eager to hear about her time of final preparation. I am so very proud of her for the perseverance she has shown throughout this year, her determination in the face of opposition, the hard choices she has made, and so thankful for the evidence of the Holy Spirit in her as I’ve watched her grow spiritually. She’s come a long, long way from her juvenile delinquent days! What a blessing and honor to sponsor this lovely young woman as she came into the church!

Easter Vigil was rich and beautiful and filled with light and music, scripture and new life, with 28 baptisms and over 50 receiving the sacraments of confirmation and holy communion. I managed to get two photos, one Saturday night, of our friends the Jezeks at the reception following the vigil:

and this one on Easter Sunday morning, Malinda with little Jr. by the baptismal font and Paschal candle, showing some of the gorgeous floral arrangements decorating the altar:

Sunday morning came bright and early for everyone who attended the 5:30 sunrise mass (especially after attending the vigil the night before!). Mother and I slept in since we were singing at 9am, and the rest of the family came joyfully bounding in the door just before we were ready to leave. I left Laurent in charge of final preparations for lunch, and mother and I left, picking up Malinda and Jr. on the way. What a glorious Easter morning – complete with trumpet fanfares, along with violin and organ, and of course the pomp of a pontifical mass including the stately Knights of Columbus processing ahead of the Bishop, and oh! the Alleluia and the Gloria ringing out again after the solemnity of the Lenten season, celebrating our risen Christ!! So much joy!!

After our exultant morning of worship, it was back to Casa del Heidmann for a festive Easter Bar-b-que. And this time there were pics!

Easter 2012

Happy Birthday Nettie!

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Paul Heidmann

Today my dearest wife is 45 years old! Happy birthday Nettie, and thanks for sharing the past (almost) 19 years of your life with me!

– Psh

Palm Sunday

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Every year, as we follow the liturgical calendar, we look forward to the pageantry of Palm Sunday. Yesterday’s processional was glorious, with children carrying lofty palms before the crimson-vested Bishop, as the schola chanted
Hosánna fílio David:
benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini.
Rex Israël:
Hosánna in excélsis.

Hosanna to the Son of David,
the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

followed with the full congregation joining the choir, organ and violin as we sang “All Glory, Laud and Honor To Thee, Redeemer King!”

The Gospel reading of the passion narrative was dramatic and sobering, as we all participated in the words of the crowd, saying “Crucify him!”. Musical selections included

O Sacred Head, Surrounded By Crown of Piercing Thorn!
Adoramus te Christe – G. P. da Palestrina

“We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”
Pater,
si non potest hic calix transíre, nisi bibam illum :
fiat volúntas tua. **

Father,
if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink it,
thy will be done.
What Wondrous Love is This?
Vere languores – Tomas Luis de Victoria

“Truly, our failings he has taken upon himself and our sorrows he has borne. By his wounds we have been saved. O sweet wood, O sweet nails that bore this sweet burden which alone were worthy to support the King of heaven and Lord.”
Christus factus est – Zingarelli
Christus factus est pro nobis obediens
usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.
Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum et dedit illi nomen,
quod est super omne nomen.Christ became obedient for us unto death,
even to the death, death on the cross.
Therefore God exalted Him and gave Him a name
which is above all names.

I was additionally blessed to be able to see from my perch in the choir, that my friends, Jill and Glenn Dembroff, were sitting in the row in front of my children! We have been friends on line for years, and their visit here to Arizona on vacation gave us a chance to meet for the first time in person. What a joy!! After church, they came back to our place for a bar-b-que lunch.

We barely scratched the surface of all we would have loved to talk about!! I usually am on the job as chief photographer at such gatherings, but I was much too involved in conversation this time to think about it. I’m so happy I did get two great pics of these dear people – and am praying like crazy for God to prepare a way for them to move here!!

Irons in the fire…

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Believe it or not, we have had neither an iron nor an ironing board since the fire. That’s over 10 months of rumpled Heidmanns, and I’m here to tell you, for someone who actually loves ironing, it’s been quite the aggravation. Not that the family minded… kids will wear pretty much anything, and Paul has shared with me on a regular basis for the past 19 years his considered opinion that ironing is a waste of time. I, however, take the greatest delight in the process. It’s therapeutic, or something… I don’t know, I just like doing it.

You might be wondering why they weren’t replaced before now.

Yes, that’s a mystery to me too. With all the more substantial items we’ve had to replace, this “minor detail” somehow never made it to the top of my consciousness during a shopping trip, or even during the making of a shopping list! I typically remembered it on Sunday mornings when I ruefully observed my disheveled crew scurrying out the door for church.

Anyway, over the weekend I finally decided this was getting ridiculous. It helped that I had managed to think of buying an iron while I was actually IN a Wal-mart last week, and it was sitting on top of mom’s little fridge, in it’s box, just waiting to be used. So I hopped on the internet and found out that Bed, Bath and Beyond sold the same ironing board I had before the fire (I’m not a fan of the inexpensive models, I’ve had them tip over too many times, with babies and dogs in the house…not safe!).

I joyfully jumped in my van and took off for the nearest BB&B, 10 miles away in Avondale, and picked one up. Imagine, then my joy and anticipation as I was peeling off the shrink wrap, all a-tingle with pent-up wrinkle-removal-rapture. At last! At Last! AT LAST!!!

I swung it around, pulled the lever, the legs went down, and it wobbled. Not just a little. It was at least a two inch wobble. It was so significant, I knew that I couldn’t pay that much for it and not have it sit solidly. Which meant another drive to Avondale, and another umptidy gallons of gas.

This caused my husband to frown.

When I got there, I explained my problem at the counter, went back to retrieve a different board, and brought it up front and had her open it up so I could make sure it was stable before taking it home.

And that one had the SAME problem! My last ditch hope was the only remaining board they had, which was not even in a wrapper. I went back and grabbed it, noting as I did that it appeared to have been used, as there was a slight water stain on the cloth cover. Then as I was setting it up by the front counter, I noticed the feet were scuffed… this was not boding well.

To my everlasting delight, the legs went down, all four feet sat solidly on the floor at once, and the board didn’t wiggle even a smidge. I said, “Done. I’ll take it.” I didn’t even care about the stain or the scuffs, I was just so glad to find one that worked!

Call me crazy, call it futile, but oh, how I have missed ironing…

Iron

[img src=http://nettiesworld.com/wp-content/flagallery/iron/thumbs/thumbs_2012-03-27_1870-copy.jpg]
[img src=http://nettiesworld.com/wp-content/flagallery/iron/thumbs/thumbs_2012-03-27_1871-copy.jpg]
[img src=http://nettiesworld.com/wp-content/flagallery/iron/thumbs/thumbs_2012-03-27_1872-copy.jpg]

At the Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Yesterday, thousands of Americans stood up for restoring our constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom in rallies all across the country. Our family joined in by attending the rally in Phoenix, held in the plaza outside the Sandra Day O’Connor Federal Court Building. It was a gorgeous day, the crowd was enthusiastic, and the speakers, including Bishop Olmsted, Bishop Nevares,

many other priests from our diocese, and many other pastors from various Christian denominations, as well as political figures (whose names I couldn’t hear very well over the sound system), were there to encourage and pray with us. There was music interspersed as well, including our National Anthem, Amazing Grace, and concluding with the Battle Hymn of the Republic to send us on our way. The crowd sang along with gusto!

Here are my pics from the day. We were not able to get close enough to see the speakers (my thanks to Matthew Sprinkle for the great pic of our Bishops above), but these give you an idea of the event anyway. I hope you have a chance to look around at some of the non-MSM coverage of the events in your vicinity. (I say non-MSM because I’m pretty sure based on past experience, that it was barely covered, and if it was, the reporting was biased and inaccurate.)

Do They Know Who They’re Messing With? | Catholic Exchange

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

During a recent conversation about the HHS anti-conscience mandate, a friend who is neither Catholic nor particularly religious asked the following rhetorical question about the Obama administration:

Do these people know who they’re messing with?

Her point, of course, was that the Church has spent nearly two millennia crushing attempts by secular rulers to dictate the way it carries out its charitable ministries. Commanding Catholic hospitals to fund sterilizations, contraceptives, and abortifacients isn’t like twisting the arm of some round-heel congressman. It’s going to take more than the usual Chi-town chicanery to cow a venerable and well-funded organization that has brought more than one emperor to his knees.

The Church’s charitable work has been seen as a threat to the power of the state as far back as the reign of Julian the Apostate. Julian was the Roman Emperor who tried to drag his subjects back to the crumbling altars of the old state gods a half a century after his uncle, Constantine I, had legitimized Christianity by converting to the new faith. Julian’s project didn’t go well, and he complained in a letter to one of his high priests that the effort was failing because “the impious Galileans support not only their own poor but ours as well.” What’s an Emperor to do with opponents whose tactics include such dirty tricks as lending aid and comfort to all who need it, including people with religious and political views that differ from their own?

Julian tried to counter the effect of such “impious” tactics by restructuring the imperial administration in such a way that it could compete with the “Galileans” in good works and thereby erode the connection in the public consciousness between charity and the Church. In a move that eerily echoes the progressive vernacular of our own age, Julian issued the Tolerance Edict of 362. The purpose of this decree, like calls for tolerance from modern liberals, was precisely the opposite of its ostensible intent. It re-privileged the old pagan cults, rescinded religious freedoms recognized by Constantine and attempted to sow dissention among Christian ranks by reigniting long-resolved doctrinal controversies.

The Tolerance Edict and a variety of similar edicts flopped. And, after Julian’s short reign ended, his successors gave up his pagan revival project as a bad job. But the meaning of Julian’s failure has been lost on many subsequent rulers, and Barack Obama is among the slow learners who refuse to heed the lessons of history. The president, like Julian, wishes to “transform” his country into a place in which every aspect of the citizen’s life is connected to and controlled by the state. He wants the federal government to be seen as the ultimate arbiter and provider of the electorate’s needs. Obviously, however, this can’t be managed while large and influential institutions like the Catholic Church and its charitable ministries remain in place.

And, where health care is concerned, Catholic institutions are definitely a force to be reckoned with. For example, they provide care to one in six patients treated in the United States every year. During 2010, America’s more than 600 Catholic facilities treated well over 100 million patients, including 19 million emergency patients, and 5.5 million inpatients. And much of the care received by these patients was provided at a loss. Of the 5.5 million in-patients treated by these hospitals during 2010, 3.3 million were covered by Medicare or Medicaid, both of which pay less than the amount it costs to provide treatment. Of the 19 million emergency patients treated at Catholic hospitals, a large percentage paid nothing at all.

So, what happens if the Catholic hospitals simply refuse to abandon their principles and decide to get out of the health care business? ((…continued… Do They Know Who They’re Messing With? | Catholic Exchange.))

My Autistic Son’s Life: Not Less Valuable | BlogHer

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

Shannon Des Roches Rosa responds to the tragic murder-suicide of George Hodgins.

My Autistic Son’s Life: Not Less Valuable | BlogHer.

Stand Up for Religious Freedom

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Annette Heidmann

On March 23, thousands of faithful citizens will gather in prayer and public witness in
cities and towns all across the United States
to oppose the HHS Mandate.

Let’s make our voices heard!

Rally for Religious Freedom
Friday, March 23, Noon to 1pm
Sandra Day O’Connor Federal Court Building
401 W. Washington Street East Plaza

WHAT IS THE HHS MANDATE?

In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a mandate requiring all employer health plans to include free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections. Catholic universities and hospitals will be forced by the federal government to provide services that directly contradict Church teaching.

The HHS Mandate is an unprecedented assault on religious freedom and must be opposed!

The Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom is a joint project of the Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society.

Nettie's World

I Need to go to the Ranch!

The Road to Recovery

Honk Jr.

Honk Jr. II

Confirmation Day

Ending April with a “HONK!”

So Not-Paleo

Ranchin’ With the Gonzales-ez

Gonzales Ranch Trip

Greenery

Greenery

Surprise!

Springs

Abundant Blessings

Easter 2012

Happy Birthday Nettie!

Palm Sunday

Irons in the fire…

Iron

At the Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally

Do They Know Who They’re Messing With? | Catholic Exchange

My Autistic Son’s Life: Not Less Valuable | BlogHer

Stand Up for Religious Freedom

May 2012
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20	21	22	23	24	25	26
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