Fran's Blog

Thoughts Before A Three Day Weekend...!!!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:49:12 -0500

WARNING: These thoughts are somewhat tempered by the fact that my grandson, Zach, is visiting my blogging launch pad, and sitting right next to me and my computer, while playing his PSP and shooting an annoying question or two when bored...!!!

Zach is my oldest grandchild, son of my oldest child, Kelly Ann, and her husband Gil, who is our director of operations...!!!

You can tell Zach is the son of our director of operations by his desire to know everything about everything in fifteen minutes or less...!!!

Patience is a virtue, but rarely found in the Gaspari family...we all seem to have a 'need to know' everything...and pronto...!!!

Anyhow, back to the weekend...

In line with our President's constant call for 'transparency', and feeling the need to act rather than provide mere 'lip service', here's what we are looking forward to this fourth of July weekend...

***The Holley family (Zach, Madison, Mikaela, and the crew) are going to the National Aquarium in Baltimore...

***The rest of the Gaspari family will be mowing grass, felling a large but dead tree, burning our huge twig and debris pile, cooking out, flag flying, catching some fireworks, and assorted other fourth of July freedom celerbrating activities...

***Hopefully we'll all spend at least a few minutes in solidarity with the many tea parties occurring throughout our nation by engaging in prayers of thanksgiving for the great nation that God has bestowed upon us...!!!

Happy Fourth of July Weekend to all...left, right, liberal, conservative, democrat, republican, and any other true blooded patriotic American or freedom loving citizen...!!!

Whatever Has Become Of The Generation Gap...???

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:48:54 -0500

Whatever has become of the 'Generation Gap'...???

I first heard the term in the seventies, 'The Generation Gap', and it basically referred to the differences in musical tastes, fashion preferences, hair styles, and colloquial conversation between the generations...

Unlike the days when everyone in the family 'worked' the farm, and families, including grandparents, interacted daily with one another, society has created a comfort zone of isolation, which has served to widen the 'generation gap'...until today we no longer experience a 'generation gap'...but, in fact, a 'generation chasm'...

A WE generation has become a ME generation...

In fact, this chasm has become so wide, that over half of all marriages fail, children are seen to have extremely small if any attention spans, and family members spend little time developing social skills with one another...

Now, lest you think I am pointing fingers from inside my glass house, let me reassure you that I and my family have not been immune to this social disease...it exists, alive and well, in my family and social circles...

Let me cut to the chase and relieve my brain from the thought that is nagging to get out of it...

And that is this: LOVE is an action...not a noun nor a reaction...but a real honest to goodness action...a real honest to goodness DECISION...and it has one source, and one source only...

WE NEED TO BE SPREADERS OF THAT LOVE AND DOERS...

The love of God is accessible to every man, woman, and child...He is Our Father, and since He is Perfect, unlike us earthlings, He cannot refuse His Love to anyone of His children who ask...

When we figure all this out, we must then begin to use this gift of LOVE, not only to eliminate the generational chasm, nor only to shrink the generation gap, but to BEGIN TO BUILD solid relationships with one another...

After all, if we call God, Our Father, indeed then, we are all brothers and sisters...

I, for one, need to be about restoring all things in Christ...that is my mission...that is my focus...!!!

Spend some time with your kids this weekend...have a great day, and a great fourth of July weekend...!!!

President Obama...Let's Go Out For An Ice Cream...!!!

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:29:06 -0500

As a 'convert' to conservatism, and a patriotic American believing in highly respecting the office of President, and firmly convinced that all 'legitimate' authority comes from God, it has taken me quite some time to dissect the mind of our President to come up with an understanding of the direction in which he plans to take us...

And all this is not without much prayer, tolerance, study, reflection, and insight...!!!

First of all, Scripture is clear, "...by their fruits you shall know them..."

In other words, lemons come from lemon trees, oranges from orange trees, acorns from oak trees, apples from apple trees, milk from cows, wool from sheep, etc...

In fact, for the person of faith, it is relatively easy to judge another's actions by observing this time tested formula...!!!

And since I am very fond of analogies, I'll give you a simple one...one that places into some perspective, President Obama and his somewhat hidden, if not clandestine, agenda...

First, a word about CAPITALISM...all societies and civilizations thrive on CAPITALISM...it isn't a dirty word...it merely suggests that in order to acquire any material goods, including food, shelter, and clothing, you must either work, barter, or pay for them...even if they were to be graciously given to you (material goods) without cost, someone would have had to 'pay' for them...

Now back to our analogy...

Now, pay close attention...this will come quickly...!!!

My favorite ice cream flavor is Butter Pecan, with Chocolate a close second...in fact, if I'm really in the mood, I like a generous dip of each on a sturdy cone...

Baskin Robbins caters to ice cream lovers...they offer more than 31 flavors...true artistic capitalism and merchandising in action...virtually everyone can find a flavor they enjoy there...!!!

My father, when he was alive, would only eat Vanilla ice cream...period...!!!

If President Obama controlled the ice cream industry, he would offer no more than four flavors...Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Butter Almond...suggesting that four is plenty to choose from, and 31 would be extravagantly wasteful...!!!

The Obama/Biden model is just the opposite of The Baskin Robbins model...

You see, it is not 'freedom' that is the goal, but conformity to a predetermined set of standards agreed on by a select few 'intellectuals'...

*******END OF ANALOGY*******

For those who wish to dive further into this topic...read this, written nearly a century ago, but very apropos to our present times:

"We sit by and watch the Barbarian, we tolerate him; in the long stretches of peace we are not afraid. We are tickled by his irreverence, his comic inversion of our old certitudes and our fixed creeds refreshes us; we laugh. But as we laugh we are watched by large and awful faces from beyond; and on these faces there is no smile..."

"Upon dissecting it we discover the "Modern Mind" to contain three main ingredients and to combine them through the force of one principle. Its three ingredients are pride, ignorance, and intellectual sloth; their unifying principle is a blind acceptance of authority not based on reason.

Pride causes those who suffer from this disease to regard whatever they think they have learned, whatever they have absorbed, through no matter how absurd a channel, as absolute and sufficient.

Ignorance forbids them to know with any thoroughness what men have discovered about these things in the past, and how certainly.

Intellectual sloth forbids them to examine an argument, or even to appreciate the implications of their own assertions."

-Hillaire Belloc Survivals and New Arrivals

Monday Weekend Wrap Up...Mother Nature Strikes Amity...!!!

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:10:37 -0500

Most of my neighbors in Amity Township spent the weekend cleaning up the damage caused by an intense storm which swept through our area on Friday evening around the dinner hour...

According to the weather 'experts' no tornado was seen to touch down by local radar...

Except Amity is literally within a valley surrounded on all sides by substantial hills...in fact, I'm always kidding my children by saying we live in a former volcano or a large meteorite-caused crater... and lest I'm mistaken, radar, is only able to detect line of sight occurrences, and the damage to our area was focused mainly on low lying areas, particularly those in heavily clustered treed areas and densely wooded areas along creeks and gullies...

Hence the term 'flying under the radar' typically applies to this one hour duration, mile and a half wide, catastrophic storm...

Our home suffered a screen panel torn off our french doors and two major limbs brought down on two trees...even though our Star Spangled Banner continued to wave atop its twenty foot mast, unmolested by the ravages of Mother Nature, attesting further that we live in the home of the brave...

Only by the Grace of God were lives spared and damage to residences kept to an unbelievable minimum...

In any case, tornado or no, Amity residences are counting our blessings, and thanking God that the powerful winds and bigger than golf-ball sized hail didn't damage our most precious possessions...our family members...!!!

In just a few days, no one but us will know that anything unusual and so devastating occurred in our resilient and lovely neighborhood...!!!

Amity lives...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Freedom From Fear...!!!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:50:00 -0500

It was odd that yesterday's post, dealing with my self proclaimed wish to become the King of Gotcha, occurred on the same day that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, passed away...!!!

Michael was certainly an American, if not an international, icon...

His contributions to pop music, pop culture, and pop dance can never go unacknowledged...His signature 'moon walk' will always be a classic way to relate to him...

Hollywood itself has suffered several losses in just a few days...a sure sign that even our celebrity heroes and heroines are extremely human and mortal...as are our other political, literary, scientific, educational, and social mentors...

In the final analysis, our faith in God is the only thing that lasts, and the only thing that cannot let us down...

I guess The Bank of Heaven is the only investment house that doesn't need 'tarp' money or bailout help...!!!

Have an enjoyable 'faith-filled' weekend...!!!

King Of Gotcha...What I Want To Be When I Grow Up...!!!

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:30:28 -0500

For some odd reason, all my life I have aspired to be funny...!!! To be applauded by the masses as a great practical joker...or a great stand up comic...or the witty businessman....

I'm not sure whether I have been driven by my need for acceptance or my desire to be famous...or a combination of both, but all I know is I almost always try to see the lighter side of things...after all...

Sometimes, life is too serious, or maybe it's not 'life' that's too serious, but the way we choose to live life...

So, I ask you, is comedy just another way to disguise reality, to mask the truth, or is it a genuine gift to be used to defuse tense situations...

I suggest that we cultivate this virtue, but moderate it in such a way that it becomes USEFUL, IN GOOD TASTE, and MANNERLY, and in no way becomes offensive or degrading or abusive...

Think back on some of the funniest humor you rolled over on the floor laughing at...wasn't it about real life and real life situations...and how to see the humorous side to an otherwise serious topic...

Yes, there is also debasing humor...which serves no good purpose except to demean and tear down either a particular person, ethnic background, race, gender, or other group...

When I get this type of humor in e-mail, I usually delete it, so it ends with me and doesn't perpetuate itself...

You see, I still want to be the King Of Gotcha...but I want to rule as a good king...!!!

Wordy Wednesday...One Title Man's Wish List...!!!

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:08:40 -0500

We live in a world that supports and votes for a candidate that espouses CHANGE...even change that is unspecified and intolerable at times...

Fact is, as a society, we are just never satisfied with the status quo...the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence...

Soooo...in keeping with the 'American Way'...I too felt it necessary to develop a list of things with which I am dissatisfied, in the hope that someone somewhere will bring about CHANGE...

In fact, in keeping with our 'Wordless Wednesday' theme, I'll keep the list short.......

***I would like to see peace everywhere in the world

***I would like to see an end to abortion

***I would like to see prosperity for everyone

***I would like to see people helping people instead of full scale selfishness

***I would like to see all politicians, no matter what party affiliation, speak the truth

There you have it...!!!

You know...on second thought, maybe I'll accept things just the way they are and give thanks to God for the green grass he places in my life right here, right now...!!!

THE AMERICAN WAY:

THE CONSEQUENCE...???

I'm wordlessspeechless...!!!

Have a pleasant Wednesday...!!!

Denial...The Taproot Of Bitterness...!!!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:43:44 -0500

Late Sunday I was compelled to post a video concerning abortion as seen through the eyes and mind of a twelve year old young lady...

If you are at all interested in learning more about the atrocity we call abortion click here...!!!

If you think that the abortion issue is at the periphery of politics and is just a 'passioned side issue'...YOU ARE GREATLY MISTAKEN AND ALREADY IN DENIAL...

Abortion is at the very heart of all that ails this nation...!!!

On that post and subsequent comment thread you will find an open and honest discussion about the subject of abortion...!

In fact, I have been so touched by the comments and responses, both against and in favor of abortion, that my heart and soul have been moved to sadness, such that I am incapable of posting another post at this time...

Do not be overly concerned, however, I will again be posting just as fervently and regularly as before, but my spirit needs additional time to mourn and process the great and diverse proliferation of feelings affecting it...!!!

I live in a world where some seriously deny the Holocaust...an event which took place in my lifetime...that reality causes me to greatly question history and historians themselves...and...

Lest...history continue to be unfair and biased in favor of progressive liberalism...

Let it be known by this post and this blogger that the extermination of 6 million Jews will not go unheeded or unnoticed...and...

The same evil root which was at the heart of that Holocaust has brought about another holocaust, not as historical, nor written about, but nevertheless, just as savage and brutal...

And that is the holocaust of abortion...

You see, the taproots of evil run deep and are hard to exterminate, and they keep sending out offshoots which crop up all around us...

To ignore their existence is to be in denial...and being in denial prevents us from positively dealing with the crisis...

Just some thoughts I wished to share with you today...!!!

Thanks for stopping by...!!!

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes...What Life Is All About...!!!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:56:13 -0500

In my life experience, WISDOM usually comes with age, however, if we are not open to WISDOM, from wherever and whomever it comes, we ourselves become foolish and unwise...!!!

There are certain fundamental eternally tested truths which in our day and age have become eroded by modern day progressive thinking...

Listen closely to this twelve year old, and make up your own mind...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Fair Or Foul...???

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:49:27 -0500

Don't be mislead by the title to this post...it's far from being about baseball...!!!

In fact, baseball can be heavily impacted by the content of this post! It's all about the weather...game or no game...!!!

Not whether or not, but weather, as in rain or shine...

If you've lived in Pennsylvania this Spring, you are no stranger to RAIN...all kinds...light showers, thunderstorms, downpours, deluges, and even hail...

Who would have thought that, in North Jersey, our neighbor to the east, in the middle of June, they would be shoveling snow...4 to 6 inches of the white stuff, in fact...

Nevertheless, we can't change the weather...it is what it is...and so...

Looking at the long term 7 day forecast, I saw very little sunshine or summer weather...but...hey...everything is as green as can be, the flowers and gardens are well hydrated, and when the sun finally appears...June will be busting out all over...

And another thing...the weatherman is only right half the time...

So, there is still great cause for HOPE...

When Are 40 to 1 Great Odds...???

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:54:19 -0500

When are 40 to 1 great odds...???

The answer will be found below...!!!

Forty to one in most betting situations is lousy odds...in horse racing they consider 40 to 1 a longshot...

But today is a special day in the Gaspari fold...

Today, June 18th, is the first birthday of our youngest grandchild, Marin Rachel...!!!

Actually, this is her second 'birthday', as she was 'born' a year ago today...!!!

What about the 40 to 1 odds being great odds...???

Answer: When they describe the ages of our children and grandchildren...!!!

All 9 children and 4 grandchildren...going all the way from age 40 to age 1...!!!

If you've read even a small number of my posts on this blog you would know that I continually refer to our children and grandchildren as our greatest assets...in the final analysis, they may be our only assets...!!!

Yes, a true baker's dozen of wonderful gifts from a loving and caring God...!!!

On this First Birthday for Marin Rachel, may all the Gaspari family be blessed in participating in the greatest miracle on Earth...the birth of a child...!!!

What cause to celebrate and be thankful...!!!

Wordless Wednesday...Too Busy To Post...!!!

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:10:24 -0500

Preserve Touchy Feely...Embrace The Hug...!!!

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:16:35 -0500

In our day and age when everyone's personal space is highly valued and guarded, public hugs and kisses are verboten, especially in our school culture...!!!

Yes, gone are the days when teacher and student could exchange innocent hugs like mother and child or father and child...and students could be comforted physically as well as mentally by a caring and reassuring teacher/mentor...

As a child being raised in a typical Italian/American household with several generations living under one roof...touchy feely was easy and practiced freely and routinely...

The same was true in our Catholic School, where loving nuns gathered children around them at recess, and distributed, to many, hugs and warm wishes which further reinforced our home values...!!!

Like most things in our culture that we find outdated, we usually throw out the baby with the bath water...that is, we tend to be an overcompensating culture...

This post isn't going to change hearts, minds, or attitudes, but maybe it will get some of us to begin to reinforce positive values and practices in our homes...

On a recent radio program a study was underlined that asserted that by merely hugging 5 times a day we could become a much happier and fulfilled person...

Since God has given me 9 beautiful children, 5 still living at home, it should be easier for me to get in my 5 hugs...BUT...

You know what...I, like many others, take much for granted...and so many days go buy in which I squander that opportunity and fail to hug a single person...!!! Shame on me!

I am going to resolve today, right now, to at least begin a daily practice of hugging each of my at home children at least once a day...

And if I include my lovely wife, Benita, and our loyal dog, Daisy...that'll give me 7...my favorite number and 2 to spare...!!!

Happy Hugging...!!!

It's Not About Income Or Cash Flow...It's About Net Worth And Wealth...!!!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:28:10 -0500

We sometimes get confused by terms, many of which are thrown around by a media and politicians that have no clue about which they speak...!!!

First of all, WEALTH is necessary...BEFORE it can be taxed, redistributed, or reapportioned, it must exist, it must be created, and it must be accumulated...

You need to digest every word of that last sentence if you are to understand the concept I am trying to explain...!

Wealth isn't only money, personal belongings, or tangible assets...NO...WEALTH can be our TIME, TALENTS, and TREASURES...

In Scripture, the parable of the rich man describes how a certain 'rich' man is judged, not so much by how much he had, but by how well he used it...!

And that concept is key to a real understanding of the concept of wealth...

Ultimately WEALTH is truly a gift from God, and the man who rejoices in the fact that he is self made is truly foolish since no man has ever discovered how to take 'IT' with him...

Now, if you're reading this and you're looking for a formula to measure your own NET WORTH...it is simple...

Excluding your primary residence or principal home, total the monetary worth of everything you own, real and personal property...subtract from that figure the total of all your indebtedness (mortgages, loan balances, credit card balances, etc.)...The resulting figure is your NET WORTH...

So, you see, it's not how much you earn, or the amount of your cash flow, but how much you have managed to save...

Of course, outside the realm of FINANCE, and related from the standpoint of a Christian brother, The true Joy of the Lord is measured only by HIM, while it is experienced in its fullness by US...!!!

Whether poor or rich, Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say Rejoice...and again, seek first the Kingdom of God...and all else will be added unto you...!!!

In essence, it's not about the god of wealth, it is about the Wealth Of God...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Foie Gras...Food Or Foolishness...!!!

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:30:31 -0500

This morning's radio debate revolved around the French Cuisine dish Foie Gras, a duck type specialty which I've never tasted...!!!

Actually the controversy isn't so much about the 'meat or no meat' aspect, but rather the manner in which the duck is fed prior to being used in the preparation of the Foie Gras...!!!

Some consider the dish inhumane treatment of animals, and think the dish should be banned from all menus in public restaurants...

I myself think the whole debate is ludicrous in light of the fact that we live in a nation that makes abortion legal and stands by as millions of unborn babies are slaughtered...

Where's the public outcry over equality of sexes inasmuch as the majority of abortions performed are on female preborn babies...and where is the public outcry over racism inasmuch as a disproportionate number of aborted babies are black and hispanic...and where is the public outcry by the PRO CHOICE sector inasmuch as every single aborted baby has been denied his or her freedom of choice...!!!

Yes, let's waste more time debating whether or not an exotic dish served in only the most exclusive dining establishments and selected very rarely by only a selected few discriminating diners...

As for me...I refuse to order duck when dining out...I'm afraid I might get stuck with the bill...!!!

The Choices We Make...Can We Live With Them...???

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:43:43 -0500

Almost 2000 years ago the people were given a choice by the powers to be...They could have chosen Jesus...or they could have chosen a notorious prisoner, robber, and scoundrel to be set free...

They chose the scoundrel, Barabbas...

People were given the power by God over life and death...The Author of Life itself was condemned by the people to die a horrendous death...

Some things never change!

The people are still making the wrong choices...listening to man instead of God...

That choice of Barabbas over Jesus ultimately led to the salvation of all mankind for those who were ready to accept it...

I wonder where the People's Choice will lead us this time...???

Wordless Wednesday...New Administration Job Opportunities...!!!

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:55:40 -0500

After the present administration is through with taking over the banking industry, the auto industry, the media, the educational sector, the health care sector, and the three branches of government, the carnival and circus industry will be next...SO...

Get your job applications in early for this great job opportunity...!!! Don't pass this up...!!!

Titillating Tuesday...Who Really Is Smarter...It's About Time!!!

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:22:44 -0500

Now that we have decided which sex is smarter through yesterday's post and comment debate, we can move on to more important topics...like solving some of the world's current problems...

Supply and demand works...it just needs time and a free market economy...

We in real estate know that existing home sale inventory must be reduced in order for new construction to get moving...that's the real signal that our economy is on its way to being healed...this too takes time...

Signs are already evident that the 'worm has turned'...not because of present administration fiscal policy...BUT...in spite of it...time will tell...

World wide...those Americans who were sentenced to 11 years at hard labor in N. Korea...immediately send commandos in to GET THEM OUT...this will take very little time...

Finally...schools out for my crew...how long will it take for my kids to realize they have a responsibility to help out with chores and duties around OUR home...WITHOUT being asked...???

I guess it's all about TIME...!!!

AND YOU CAN'T PUT IT IN A BOTTLE...!!!

Women Smarter Than Men...??? Monday Morning Minutia...!!!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:38:19 -0500

Are women smarter than men...???

On one of the local soft rock radio stations they have a weekly contest where they ask a question, and if the caller answers it right, they receive a monetary reward...

This morning's question: What do women do that renders them perceived by both sexes as being more intelligent than men...???

I'll give you a little time to think about the question before I reveal the answer...!!!

Some possible answers running through my mind were 'truck driving' and 'handling the family checkbook'...

Now, I'm not sure how they derived the answer or even who did the study...BUT...

The correct answer was 'cut their hair short'...

I'm pretty sure 'long haired' women are perceived by most men as sexy...but I've always been attracted to 'short haired' women...

I've always felt women (short hair or long) were generally more intelligent than men...I think my rationale was that women had 'more' hair than men...men generally get bald...and thus the antennae needed to 'receive' smart signals were greater among women...(Fran's reasoning...unscientific)

Hey, maybe that's where the term 'short wave' derived it's meaning...!!!

So, let the debate begin...that's the long and short of it...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...National Doughnut Day...!!!

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:45:56 -0500

I just read somewhere that today is National Doughnut Day...

Now, who is it that proclaims such events...and is 'stimulating doughnut sales' part of the stimulus package designed to get our economy rolling again...???

Well, doughnuts are round, and round is generally conducive to 'rolling'...

A stretch, huh...???

Maybe the intention is to get the doughnut industry going so that they can purchase GM or one of the other failing automobile companies...after all, tires resemble doughnuts and there are five on every car, including the spare...hence the connection...!!!

Seriously folks, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the news lately depicting the US as a nation with its tail between its legs...

We are a nation of caring people, who for centuries have shared our wealth gratuitously with the rest of the world...not only our material wealth and natural resources, but our family members themselves have given their lives in the cause of freedom worldwide...!!!

Yankee ingenuity is still alive and well, and I, for one, intend to keep the flame of patriotism burning...

Jesus is the light of the world, and the light of patriotism in our Country is part of the light Jesus has bestowed on us and our citizens...and that light was not intended to be extinguished...

Fan the flame in your hearts, and pass it on to your neighbors, business asociates, and the rest of humanity!

Oh, as a Catholic I know full well about the need for forgiveness and reparation and reconciliation...

I also know that we are building the City Of God, and as citizens of that city we are to be beacons of light...We must set our lanterns high and remove them from under the bushel baskets that all might see and understand that we are the chidren of the light and proclaim the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as King Of The World...!!!

Happy National Doughnut Day...!!!

June...A Time For Juggling...???

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:51:26 -0500

From time to time I see my life as a juggling act...

Trying to BALANCE and PRIORITIZE events and situations and even my philosophy of life...

Remember, I have responsibilities as a FATHER and a HUSBAND and a BUSINESS OWNER and a PRACTICING CATHOLIC...among others...

When all is right and these responsibilities are all in harmony, all is right with the world and there is peace...!!!

That doesn't happen very frequently, but the challenge is to be at peace even when these priorities are encroaching on one another and the lines between them become blurred...!!! A common occurrence through life's journey...!!!

So how do I handle these situations...since I've never mastered the art of JUGGLING...???

Let me give you an analogy...!

As a PRACTICING CATHOLIC, I'm responsible to set and lead a good example...this comes under the heading of EVANGELIZATION...SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS...but there are many things within my CHURCH (the universal one, not the local one to which I belong) which bother me...case in point...I see many liberal, left leaning factions operating as 'Catholic' which, to me, seem to present a confusing example, a somewhat marginal life of christian values, and a poor source of evangelization at best, even downright apostasy at times...

I have a responsibility to correct my brethren when I see such anti Christian activity, yet, as a Catholic I know and accept that the Bishops are the appointed and official teachers of doctrine and proper behavior, and so, in a spirit of brotherhood, fraternity, and charity (LOVE), I defer to that authority...

After all, one of the FOUR MARKS of the Church is UNITY...remember from our catechism the four marks of the Church are ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC or UNIVERSAL, and APOSTOLIC...and so I always defer to FAITH...and it has never let me down...

Oh, don't misunderstand, there are plenty of 'Catholics' who have let me down, and there will be many in the future who will disappoint me and the Church to which they claim to belong...

But that's God's problem, not mine...He promised He would remain with the Church until the end of time...That's where we get our ONENESS, not from the members...

It's HIS CHURCH...He is the head...I am merely a member...a proud one, but nevertheless a weak one, YET STILL PRACTICING TO GET IT RIGHT...!!!

And that's how I handle the JUGGLING...I trust in God, my hope...!!!

Wordless Wednesday...Unchained...!!!

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:24:22 -0500

Although I have been very busy with details of operating a Title Insurance Agency and Wordless Wednesday seemed to be an easy way out of posting on my 'daily' blog, nevertheless I couldn't resist jotting something down...

It's my way of 'getting over the hump' on Wednesdays...!

And so in the spirit of Active Rain dedicated blogging, and in keeping with the Wordless Wednesday theme...

I would like to put in a plug for my 'Fran's Friday Forum'...

Come and join me on Fridays to discuss anything that is bothering you, gnawing away at you, bugging the heck out of you, or just plain annoying you...

That's what Fran's Friday Forum is all about...

A place to call home, away from home, and to safely get things off your chest...!!!

Total transparency in an Active Rain friendly way...!!!

I'm Flying On A Jet Plane...A 747...!!!

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:55:14 -0500

According to Active Rain and their fabulous statistics, I have written 747 posts...

Of course I have written more that, but some I have wisely chosen to delete before publication...

This is thanks to Sister Mary Whatsername by whom I was privileged to have been taught...!!! She taught us never to put anything in writing that we would be ashamed of later...!

We learned a lot from those kind Sisters, Servants of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, more popularly known as the IHM...and I for one, will forever be indebted to them...both the ones I liked the most, and the ones who I didn't quite like so much...!!!

This is what LEARNING is all about...and this is how you get your wings...

A very timid Italian American boy throughout my school days, I never forgot the spirit that was instilled in me by those nuns...!!!

You can do anything you put your mind to...nothing is impossible...and SO...

Not so many years later I found myself thrust into a career in sales...Not logical for someone timid to end up in sales, but fortunate for someone ambitious enough to give it a try...and rewarding to any who stick with it and ardently develop its skills...

And so, let me encourage any readers of this post, that with desire, perseverance, and diligence, you too can step out of your own personality and achieve a goal...you won't change who you are, but you'll change who you are becoming...

Be at peace, and fly high...!!!

JUNE: A Time For Brides, Grads, Fathers, Flags, Fishing, Findings...And Fiscal Year Endings...!!!

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:49:18 -0500

Now that May has quickly gone by and June is thrust upon us, it is time to settle into our 'SUMMER MODE'...

Practically all of us fit into one of the title categories listed...so all of us should have at least some reason to celebrate this month...!

I, for one, am looking forward to getting in some fishing, and of course Father's Day gives me the opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for all my ASSETS...!!!

My yougest son, Jared, had a three for three game on Saturday and ended May with a bang by driving in the two runs needed to tie the score in the last inning...WOW, did he turn on that ball and double it into left field...I just had to get that in...!!!

June is traditionally a good settlement month...I guess what with school ending and summer beginning...! This June is shaping up well judging by the title applications coming in!

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The Pennsylvania Insurance Department and The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office are attempting to come up with a fair solution to the latest changes in Title Insurance regs and rates...

We need a raise and the consumer needs to be protected...

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If they're interested I have prepared a list of items needing consideration...this list is by no means all inclusive, exhaustive, nor prioritized...!!!

There was a public informational hearing on Thursday, May 28, 2009, scheduled by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, to consider the full scope of issues currently under consideration before The Department.

Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. is a full service Title Insurance Agency currently operating in Limerick, Pennsylvania.

We have been a small independent title insurance agent since 1996. Prior to that date, principals of Patriot Land had been involved in other agency operations dating back to the early 1970s. With over 40 years of combined Title Insurance experience we would like to offer the following observations for your consideration. For purposes of clarity and transparency, and a high respect for the 'consumer' element in every real estate transaction, our comments will be intentionally anecdotal and brief, but with little effort can be expanded and evidenced.

*All Real Estate is LOCAL by definition, and as such, should be bound by local law and custom.

*Every individual is a CONSUMER, so any system which truly benefits the consumer should benefit ALL.

*There are many PLAYERS in a Real Estate transaction...Real Estate Broker(s), Lender(s), Loan Officer, Mortgage Broker, Sellers, Buyers, Home Inspectors, Appraisers, Insurance Agent(s), Taxing Authorities, County Records Department(s), other municipal authorities, and possible community associations.

*For the CONSUMER to have a positive, fair, and understandable real estate transaction, the transaction must be 'conducted' in a manner as seamless as possible, and this role has traditionally been adopted by the Title Company or Title Agent.

*There is no way to short circuit or short cut the process if the consumer is to be best served, and this means time consumption which translates to dollars out of the consumer's pocket. A large percentage of Title Agent income is spent on payroll (60% to 70%).

*I have personally witnessed Title Insurance in Pennsylvania with and without a Title Insurance Rating Bureau...Life for all, including the consumer, was best served with a Rating Bureau. That industry which 'polices' itself polices best.

*Problems inevitably occur when parties to a real estate transaction attempt to wear 'multiple hats', i.e. Broker/Lender, Broker/Title Company, Lender/Title Company, Broker/Lender/Title Company, etc.

*Conflicts of interest always hurt the consumer...'One Stop Shopping' permitted with conditions under RESPA has not proven to be cost effective...in fact many times these 'One Stop Shops' add to closing costs.

*Disclosures provided to consumers to explain 'affiliations' are confusing at best and misrepresenting in many cases.

*The Rating Bureau eliminates the need for the consumer to shop 'rates'...competition should be for services and other conveniences.

*More than half of all matters we process require some type of 'fixing'...editorial, clerical, or technical...most often these 'glitches' are corrected with little or no fanfare and at little or no cost to the consumer!

Lots of food on the plate...ENJOY...!!!

A Birthday Present For All...!!!

Sun, 31 May 2009 23:45:48 -0500

TODAY we celebrated Pentecost Sunday!

It's been 50 days since our Easter celebration!

Pentecost is the Birthday of the Church!

The body of Christ, the Church, received from Jesus its founder many gifts on that day...!!!

Peace, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Courage, and Immortality...among others...!

These gifts shall last until the end of time...Jesus promised...!!!

Happy Birthday, Church...!!!