Because We All Know If I Try to Write This On An Actual FRIDAY It Will Take Three More Weeks To Post.

That said, let's have a little bit of Tuesday Quick Takes, shall we?

ITEM ONE:

Lent starts tomorrow. Hmm. Let's talk about that tomorrow.

ITEM TWO:

I have been promising this recipe to people left and right, but never actually giving it to them. So, FINALLY, here it is: Italian Sausage Soup. (Oh Yes. It Is Delicious.)

2 cans chicken broth (low sodium)
2 cans stewed or diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion
2-3 zucchinis 
1 lb Italian sausage (spicier the better) sauteed (buy the uncooked kind, remove the skin & Saute in a little olive oil)
Few cloves of garlic
Some basil or Italian seasoning
1ish cup pasta or barley

1. Brown your meat, drain fat
2. Saute all the veggies & spices
3. Throw all in pot & let simmer at least 1 hr
4. Add pasta last 20mins or so

I just made another pot tonight and I LOVE THIS SOUP. it's definitely better with some kick, though. I've found that using a mild sausage makes it just kind of meh.

ITEM THREE:

Have you ever heard of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots? Me either. Well, not until recently, that is. You should check her out.  I have been appealing to her in prayer over the last couple of weeks for some "stuff" that has been weighing me down, and you know what? She is a powerful pray-er, that Mother of God. Go read about her. Ask her to pray for you.  No one is closer to the Son than his Mother.

ITEM FOUR:

Speaking of things "weighing me down," (or not, in this case) Biggest Blogging Loser is racing toward its final weeks. I think we only have three to go. Thus, the Month Two Update: (Month One Update here.)

Jan 3, 2011                     Feb 3, 2011 (-17.2lbs)                               Mar 3, 2011 (-28.2lbs)

ITEM FIVE:

I have been a little, shall we say, irked lately with some of these social networking sites. No. Excuse me. It's not the websites that I have a problem with. It's the people who use them.  Facebook. Twitter. Comment boards. Let's just say this: just because you have a forum wherein you can say ANYTHING publicly does not mean that you SHOULD. Some conversations are meant to be private! Remember that "All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten" poster? It's one of those kinds of things. You would think that being kind and courteous and sensitive to the feelings of others is common sense, and yet the fact remains, common sense just isn't so common anymore.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you..." (Mt 18:15)

ITEM SIX:

The other day, when I went to pick up Chris from preschool, I stood outside the door to wait until I could hear that the teacher was at a break in the lesson. They were talking about the weather. It was a cold, rainy day. So, they were talking about the rain and about what happens in places where it's even colder than it was here, and Miss Bonnie asked if anyone had ever been to the snow. And then. Then! Do you know what I heard then? MY SON raised his hand and told a whole story about how he went to Tahoe to the snow. MY CHILD. VOLUNTEERED TO SPEAK. This is the child who has to be forced to say hello and goodbye to the kids in his class each day. I was so proud of him. So. Proud.

ITEM SEVEN:

So. I'm ten days away from finishing the 30 Day Shred entirely. This is deserving of its very own post, which it will get in due time, but in the meantime....what should I do next?  The original plan was to start up with Couch To 5k, but I would LOVE some recommendations for something that I can better work into my schedule. (These days, said schedule means "after all of the boys are asleep, in the comfort of my own family room.") Thanks!