"Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start"
And so, as Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC so appropriately instructs, all things have a beginning; to know the whole story, one must start there. In keeping with that, here is an account of my early days.
I was born into a wonderful Catholic Italian family in 1952. The only drawback: we weren't solid, practicing Catholics. Yes, I received my Sacraments. Yes, my parents taught me right from wrong. But as far as day-to-day living it out, it just wasn't there. Don't get me wrong. My parents were very strong Catholics in their character, but we didn't pray together, and Dad barely ever went to Mass. Mom, being a non-driver, only went marginally. And after my Confirmation Formation Classes, it went down to seldom. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
My strongest Catholic formation came at an early age from my Nana (Sicilian grandmother.) I loved staying with her, which I did for many days each year. She and I would walk 14 long city blocks in San Jose to St. Joseph's Cathedral for Mass on Sunday and at least one other day mid-week. Every night after supper, I would know to be quiet as Nana said her Rosary in the big, overstuffed chair in the front room. She was generous to neighbors and family, gentle and loving, and made life so much fun for a little girl.
The only problem: she spoke very little English.
Even so, my Nana became the role model I look to even today for what a Catholic woman should be. In fact, in the 4th Grade, I made an announcement to a teacher regarding that. My teacher was on yard duty, quizzing all the girls who circled around like bees to honey, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I listened intently to each girl's answer. Then it was my turn.
"So, Karen, what about you?"
"I want to be a nun," I smiled happily and said.
An outburst of laughter hit my ears...from my beloved teacher!
"Oh, Karen," she replied, "you'll never be a nun!"
Needless to say, I was crushed. I truly think that this one incident began a series of doubts in my young heart (which is one reason I encourage ALL Christians and loving families to homeschool.) Of course, there were other isolated incidents in early childhood that may have contributed; however, this one remains prominent in the squelching of my faith during my childhood.
So that's how it all began for me. Be sure to watch for my next post, which will be on my teen years.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Sunday, May 22, 2011
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"
THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS IN THIS POST, SO READ FREELY.....
On Friday, we took our 14-year-old to do something he has been begging to do: we took him to the first show on the first day of the new PIRATES movie. O.K., it wasn't exactly the first show, since some theatres had a midnight showing. But the thought of staying up until 2 a.m. while Johhny Depp swash buckled his way across the screen was a little more than I thought I could handle. At any rate, we braved the theatre as a team of three at 10 a.m.
For those of you die-hard Pirates fans, as myself and our son are, this installment was as exciting as the others, though without some of the key players. And for those of you who couldn't quite get into some of the first PIRATES movies, such as my husband, this was a HUGE surprise! He loved it!
Jack Sparrow was pretty much himself. His latest adventure, as you remember from the foreshadowing in the last film, is to find the elusive Fountain of Youth. Some of the usual characters came along, with a few newbies. Barbossa has a key role, swaggering and as smarmy as ever. But Penelope Cruz, as Angelica, was excellent in this film. She was a perfect match for Depp's snappy comments. You're never quite sure if she is conning him, or if she is in love. And actually, from an aesthetic viewpoint, they look pretty good together!
As far as what to expect from this PG-13, it isn't as bad as you might think. I have been extremely shocked at times by how far some of them can go. But this was a breath of fresh air. Sexual content is at a minimum, with a few scenes showing Ms. Cruz' cleavage. But there is very little that would cause concern. There are a few curse words, but again they are minimal. Even the 'violence' is on the light side. Our family has noticed that most Jerry Bruckheimer films are fairly safe if they are listed as PG-13 (all the Pirates films, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Prince of Persia, National Treasure, to name a few).
Overall, I recommend this film to families looking for a fun outing. Adventure, light romance, pirates...what else could anyone want?
And did I tell you...there's a new story line or two where this could go in the next installment? But I for one am hoping Elizabeth Turner will have Will's (her husband of one night) child. Then when Will turns up for his Once-Every-10-Years Day Ashore, he's introduced as "Daddy!"
On Friday, we took our 14-year-old to do something he has been begging to do: we took him to the first show on the first day of the new PIRATES movie. O.K., it wasn't exactly the first show, since some theatres had a midnight showing. But the thought of staying up until 2 a.m. while Johhny Depp swash buckled his way across the screen was a little more than I thought I could handle. At any rate, we braved the theatre as a team of three at 10 a.m.
For those of you die-hard Pirates fans, as myself and our son are, this installment was as exciting as the others, though without some of the key players. And for those of you who couldn't quite get into some of the first PIRATES movies, such as my husband, this was a HUGE surprise! He loved it!
Jack Sparrow was pretty much himself. His latest adventure, as you remember from the foreshadowing in the last film, is to find the elusive Fountain of Youth. Some of the usual characters came along, with a few newbies. Barbossa has a key role, swaggering and as smarmy as ever. But Penelope Cruz, as Angelica, was excellent in this film. She was a perfect match for Depp's snappy comments. You're never quite sure if she is conning him, or if she is in love. And actually, from an aesthetic viewpoint, they look pretty good together!
As far as what to expect from this PG-13, it isn't as bad as you might think. I have been extremely shocked at times by how far some of them can go. But this was a breath of fresh air. Sexual content is at a minimum, with a few scenes showing Ms. Cruz' cleavage. But there is very little that would cause concern. There are a few curse words, but again they are minimal. Even the 'violence' is on the light side. Our family has noticed that most Jerry Bruckheimer films are fairly safe if they are listed as PG-13 (all the Pirates films, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Prince of Persia, National Treasure, to name a few).
Overall, I recommend this film to families looking for a fun outing. Adventure, light romance, pirates...what else could anyone want?
And did I tell you...there's a new story line or two where this could go in the next installment? But I for one am hoping Elizabeth Turner will have Will's (her husband of one night) child. Then when Will turns up for his Once-Every-10-Years Day Ashore, he's introduced as "Daddy!"
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