Patron Saint of...

Larry D tagged me in a fun meme contest. 

This idea evolved from a blog about a blog about a blog. 

Jeff Miller, blogger extraordinaire more famously known as The Curt Jester, published a clever post earlier today called "Saintly Planning" - advice on the things you need to do to become a saint. Here's an excerpt:

Plus I think you really want to figure out what you are going to be the patron saint of ahead of time. Otherwise you might get one of those ironic patronages the Church seems to love so much. Pick wisely because you will be doing it for eternity or else you might get put in charge of the lost and found like St. Anthony.


This passage inspired another blogger, Puff at Puff's Blog About Stuff, to start a meme:


What would your patronage be?

And then, I got tagged.
Here are the rules:

For this meme, you must name your patronage.
and then tag 5 other people who would like to play along.

Linking your answer to your nominator's post would make it easier to get your answers.

Since I'm a known rule-bender (non-doctrinal ones, at least), I'm changing the meme slightly. I'm asking you, faithful and friendly reader, to choose my patronage that will be assigned to me, upon the moment of my achieving sainthood. I'm much too humble to even consider what my own patronage would be, even more so regarding my impending certain sainthood... Notice I said "friendly."

Now I've frequented Acts of Apostasy for a while so I considered his possible saintly qualities: snarky humor, doctrinal clarity, loathing of liturgical dancing.  Then I considered what job he might enjoy using as a means of dispensing grace to those still struggling to make it into Heaven. 

Now humor as a gift is precious because it can be used to heal.  When it is pure snark, it is simply cruel.  When it is satire, it is used to instruct. When it lacks substance, it is simply silly.  On his blog, Larry D skates upon that point, between satire, snark and silly depending upon his mood. 

But, perfected, Larry would be able to intercede for all those of the blogosphere who seek to amuse, instruct and delight while still evoking smiles and laughter.  He would be the patron saint of blogger's block, combining his love of the modern means of communication with the capacity to spread the faith through a goodly dash of chuckles; a saint who smiles easily.

Oh - by the way - the following future saints have been tagged:

Now, to invite others into the game: 
Danny of http://adanslife.blogspot.com/
Sarah of My Wonderful Life
The Ironic Catholic
Jill at Pundit and Pundette
and brother bloggers, Matt and Patrick at Creative Minority Report.

 Also, to everyone not tagged, feel free to leave your suggestions in the combox if you want to play along.
Oh, ...and I'm the patron saint of the disorganized, procrastinating and heavily caffinated. 

Top Ten Things I Did that Scare the Hell Out of Me

Larry D over at Acts of the Apostasy tagged me in what is only my second meme ever.  I liked the concept, though I discovered, my ability to use good judgment goes way down when not in the presence of others; and now, Ten things I did that scare the hell out of me, and probably my Mom.

10) Rode on a motorcycle sans a helmet on my 20th birthday up and down the Beaumont freeway.  (I know, I'm pretty tame but it was scary and cool to me and also if Mom is reading, yes I know, very stupid). 

9) Doing lots of flips, back dives and back flips off the High Tower (25 feet up) at the YMCA. 

8) I volunteered to have an elective tracheotomy under local anesthesia the day before my first child was born to ensure his and my safety. (I wore head phones, so to this day, the Blue Danube brings back flashbacks of that surgery).

7) Taking 8 children to the March for Life by myself.

6) In 1991, I was living alone for six weeks in New York City finishing out my contract with NYC public schools and the "Mother of all Parades" happened.  I wanted to see it so I parked myself on the Brooklyn bridge with dinner and stayed for the fireworks.  It was great until I realized, when the show was over, I had to take the subway back to Astor Place in Greenich Village and go through the park to get back to my apartment and it was after 1 am.

5) While living in Houston, I found a man standing on the ledge of our third story apartment with a long drop to hard concrete below just outside our door.  After calling 911, I talked to the guy who was strung out on something until help arrived.  It still gives me shivers.

4) I did stand up comedy at the Erma Bombeck Conference in 2008 and now, it's permanently on Youtube.

3) While in Paris, I climbed on top of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and onto the roof of a spire to pose as a Gargoyle for a picture. 

2)  I used sign language to persuade the Swiss Guards to let me go into the special area for guests when I was in Rome and at the Vatican, allowing me to get a picture of Pope John Paul just three feet away.

1) I have caught a 20 pound shark in the surf.   (And cut it up to eat, very tasty). 

Hmmm.....perhaps this should have been at least in part, ten stupid things I've done....Now, five bloggers I need to tag.  Let's see...

Haus Frau over at Cheaper by the Half Dozen
Violin Mama over at Rosey School
Heidi over at Extraordinary Moms
Simcha over at I Have to Sit Down
Munchesmom over at Four Blessings Academy

Summer Meme

I was never good at tag as a kid.  I never caught anyone.   So if I got tagged, the game was essentially over.   However, in blog tags, I'd never yet been tagged so today, I'm happy to say, "I'm it!" 

The Ironic Catholic tagged me at her post today. 

My five favorite devotions are: 

1) Saint Bridgette's devotion --fifteen Our Fathers and fifteen Hail Mary's, every day for a year.  It is for all the souls in purgatory but it is also my daily reminder to pray and because it is daily, I do find myself doing it during laundry or dishes or taking out the garbage.  It means that any activity I do can become mindful and for that, I am very grateful.

2) Saint Louis de Montfort's Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary:  This has been an ongoing pleasure and challenge for the past (it's hard to believe it has been this long), seven years.   When we have the days where we're doing the litany and the rosary and still have to keep up with Saint Bridgette's, you sometimes feel like you are marathon praying and in truth, you are. 

3) The Divine Mercy devotion:  This was something I said while sitting at the hospital with Paul; it gave me great comfort.  I use it when I'm stressed out; when the Holy Spirit wants me to focus on mercy because I am becoming to harsh or too hard or too sad. 

4) The Rosary:  The rosary always surprises me with how much I love it.  Mary's devotion is my go to when I can't figure out anything to do prayer.  She provides me with my everyone needs to be quiet because everyone is fighting and I want to hit the reset button prayer. Mary also stands ready when I this more often prayer.

can't sleep, I can't cope, or even worse, I don't want to cope prayer.   She is always my why don't I pray
5)  Adoration:  I have loved it whenever I have gone; I have felt pierced and fed whenever I have gone.  Like the rosary, I know it is always there and always possible.  (There's a perpetual adoration chapel just a mile and a half from me).  Yet like the rosary, I do not avail myself of its riches as often as I could or should.  You have to know there are no coincidences with God and the fact that I was thinking only yesterday of how I should go and today, I get a reminder via a blog meme, that this is something I will have to simply schedule and go do. 

Now I get to tag five other bloggers to consider how the devotions they cherish feed them and invite them to share. 
My Wonderful Life
Cheeky Pink Girl
Adrienne's Corner
Violin Mama
Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering

And I realize what a relief it was to never catch anyone because I now sit here thinking of all the other bloggers I could have tagged but didn't.   Ah well.  In the meantime, tag! You're it!