Your good news

Do you have any good news for us?

For my part, in the instant gratification column, I have a splendid mug of excellent coffee as I write.   Sometimes its the small things.   In the medium range column, I have had a tremendous number of nice notes from people lately and the donations of PROTEST were very welcome.  I have continued to take names and the next Mass for benefactors is Wednesday morning.  In the longer term column, I am zeroing in on a project for the blog which may take it in a slightly different direction.  Also a health concern is coming under control.

Other than watching the Twins die in the bottom of the 9th last night, things are going smoothly (touch wood).  That’s not bad.

Now if I could only figure out how to get a web cam to the Oriole feeders.   Or… perhaps bring the feeders to the cam?  On that ornithological note I had my first hummingbird of the spring yesterday.  Too fast for a photo.

Otherwise… Non nobis.

UPDATE:

I put a few slices of orange on the fly-through feeder next to the webcam.  Hopefully the Orioles will find them soon and you can see them on the Z-Cam (I don’t control the stupid ads that could pop up).

UPDATE:

THAT didn’t take long!

Oriole

UPDATE:

If there is one, there will soon be another.  How they squabble!  It seems almost like the combox.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Lighter fare, SESSIUNCULA, The Feeder Feed and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

47 Comments

  1. Phil_NL says:

    We have a new bishop, announced this afternoon! (though it’s a translation, so it’s a neighbouring diocese’s loss: http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bvdhen.html).

    While it remains to be seen how Bp Van den Hende will manage his new see, I think there is some reason for guarded optimism. He’s getting critisied for being old-fashioned and strict. Even though in Bp Muskens old see of Breda such critism is easily incurred, I count that as a point in the bishop’s favor.

  2. Philangelus says:

    There’s a robin nest on my deck beam under the deck, and this year the robins haven’t abandoned their eggs, so I’m hopeful. If I get down and peer through the slats, I can just make out three tiny eggs in the nest. This makes me ridiculously happy, and I can’t wait for baby birds. :-)

    In other goodish news, I may be able to reprint my out-of-print book, and I’ve also got a theological conundrum to occupy my brain: if I used my husband’s paypal account to donate to your protest fund, Father Z, you’ve got his name rather than mine on your Mass intention list, so does God give the grace to him because you’re naming him, or me because I donated, or does God just decide we’re both too silly and give the grace to some deserving soul elsewhere? :-) :-) :-)

  3. jilly4ski says:

    I graduate law school on Friday.
    But the best news is that I am moving back to Minnesota a week from today!!!

  4. Henry Edwards says:

    After a longtime weekly diet of Gregorian chant at Sunday Mass, I am looking forward to hearing Palestrina polyphony on Pentecost.

  5. Cath says:

    A dear friend will be ordained to the priesthood this Friday, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

  6. Patti Day says:

    Hope my tea order from Mystic Monks arrives today. It’s the Earl Gray. A nice cuppa always makes things better. Shall I put the kettle on?

    We have two bluebird couples, one raising four and the other five fledglings. Male hummers have been coming to the feeder for two weeks now. The females can’t be far behind. No orioles, but I think I hear them in the neighboring orchard.

    Father, it’s a wonderful feeling to know that you are praying for us by name. My prayers today will include thanks that your health concern is coming under control.

  7. Patti: Thanks for ordering tea from the Mystic Monks in Wyoming. They depend on sales for their living and the building of their new monastery.

    ALL: you can order TEA from the Carmelites of coffee fame by going HERE. Like Earl Grey?

    Mystic Monk Coffee remains swell.

  8. JaneC says:

    Mystic Monk Pascha Java is currently brewing in my coffee pot (which is always good news), [Good stuff?]
    but for those days when we really need to go out for coffee, we’ve found a local coffee shop that’s pretty awesome: good ambiance, plenty of comfortable seating, tasty pastries, and none of the oppressive guilt of Starbucks.

  9. Liz says:

    There is something fun about drinking MM coffee and reading about it at the same time. Actually, I opened my 5-pound bag of Ethiopian coffee the other day and it brought me right back to the land of the birth of two of our dear children. I could just see the ladies doing the coffee ceremony that they do. Yum. It is especially good!

    Our soon-to-be adopted baby girl is due to born one month from today. Please pray that it actually happens this time! We are so excited.

    I found out that the bagels I used to buy are 14.25 ounces instead of 16. That means when I make them at home I am saving even more money than I thought. That made my morning!

  10. AnAmericanMother says:

    Well, this may not SOUND like good news . . . . but . . . .

    My dogs are under 45-day quarantine because a sick raccoon that turned up in our back yard Monday morning tested positive for rabies.

    The good news is that the chance that they were actually exposed is relatively small – they are well trained and (usually) don’t pick up anything except on command, and the animal control officer found no bites, scratches or saliva on any of them. But Animal Control/Epidemiology is being very cautious because we’ve had some high profile human exposures this year, and I couldn’t honestly say I had the dogs in sight the entire time they were in the back yard.

    The dogs’ vaccinations were all current, and they have been re-vaccinated with the 3-year vaccine which is considered better and more effective by our vet. But they already have a bad case of cabin fever in less than a week (these are dogs that routinely run 100-200-yard retrieves at top speed).

    Any stray prayers would be appreciated . . . .

  11. I am enjoying watching eight orioles at the jelly feeders in my yard. Warblers are in the lilacs and White-throated and Harris’s Sparrows are on the ground under the seed feeders.

  12. APX says:

    I got a job, and here’s the best part…They’re actually willing to give me Sundays off! It’s so hard to find an employer who will hire someone not willing to work Sundays.

  13. irishgirl says:

    Nothing ‘good’ is happening to me right now-just went to the bank to get money for gas, and I have only three dollars left to my name. May have to hock my late mother’s first wedding ring to get money for food….
    I’m just ‘surviving’ for the time being….not ‘living…
    AnAmericanMother-I hope your dogs will come out okay from their quarantine….

  14. Flambeaux says:

    Mystic Monk Coffee in my mug. Busy day ahead of me at work. All in good health.

    Homeschooling going well.

    Oldest child making his first Confession in the next few days and a date has been set for his First Communion.

    Reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to the kids at bedtime.

    Very grateful for all the excellent priests in our life. Thank you.

  15. dans0622 says:

    Some things are starting to grow in the garden. There are lots of little pears on the pear tree. The peach tree…looks rather sickly but we’ll see.

    Regarding the orioles and hummingbirds, should I even bother to try to attract them to the urban, central Ohio area in which I live? I had a hummingbird feeder out last year, didn’t see anything. Put some oranges out last week, nothing.

  16. benedetta says:

    Well the good news is that I have considered the fantasy/hope/request that I and folks similarly situated just shut up and go away, and, having thus considered that wish, contrary to these hopes, I have decided that I won’t be able to accommodate it. Call me the temple police, send out a goon squad to come after me and force to undergo re-indoctrination training…I’ll be around, you know, to, resist, the culture of the death, with, every fiber of my being…

    “The flesh of Jesus is the flesh of Mary.” St. Augustine

  17. MJ says:

    My aunt and I had lunch at a Pho restaurant yesterday!

  18. wanda says:

    Shazaam! It didn’t take long at all for the Oriole to show up. That’s an awesome sight. Thanks for sharing the beautiful birdz who hang out at your place.

  19. Scott W. says:

    In case you have not covered it, my good news was hearing that Notre Dame finally dropped the charges against the ND88

  20. Paulo says:

    The summer term started, and my first classes of the season went on flawlessly. Although I have been teaching chemistry at the college level for a while now, the first day of classes still gives me the butterflies!

  21. GirlCanChant says:

    A friend of mine is home and recovering after a rather scary car crash last week. Prayers would be greatly appreciated.

  22. Banjo pickin girl says:

    dans0622, maybe not orioles but hummers are plentiful around my butterfly bushes in Grovetucky. Keep trying.

  23. Banjo pickin girl says:

    American Mother, your dogs will be okay. the rabies vaccine works very well I hear.

  24. Sandmama says:

    My son is recovering well from brain surgery and it would appear that our insurance will actually pay for a whole lot more of it than they originally said they would! Deo Gratias!

  25. Brian K says:

    My oldest son, 18, is flying out of Pittsburgh tomorrow morning for a week long visit with the Norbertines at St. Michaels Abby in Silverado CA. He has discerned a vocation and is very interested in the Norbertines. He’ll be starting at Christendom College this fall.

  26. Centristian says:

    My good news: I resisted the temptation, yesterday, to haul off and deck liberal Catholic who told me if I liked traditional liturgy so much I ought to leave the Catholic Church and become an Episcopalian.

    That, and Father Z is not dead.

  27. Fr Tim Edgar says:

    Good News – ordered a copy of the new Missal today

  28. priests wife says:

    since we seem to be on good news for the animals in our lives:

    My niece’s cat gave birth to one still-born kitten on Mother’s day :( but I just got a call that one live kitten was just born…any stray prayers would be appreciated- my niece is the sweetest girl and she deserves a little kitten

  29. wanda says:

    I just saw the 1st Hummingbird of the season! Only put the feeder out yesterday! They must use the net or facebook or something. Also, put out today a feeder to try for Orioles. There is a spot for jelly and an area for nectar. I will shop for oranges if they don’t cost an arm and a leg.

  30. rsalie says:

    My oldest son (he will be 10 in June) starts training to be an altar boy on Sunday. He also asked me to take him to confession on Saturday “because he wants to make sure he is in a state of grace before he serves the Lord”…So the really good news is the home catechism took!! (The children’s catechist at our parish told the kids that they did not have to go to confession until just before Easter next year.I was not in the room at the time or I would have corrected that notion on the spot. )

  31. Martial Artist says:

    Just two small bright spots:

    1. Today was the first dry day since last year with morning temperatures above 42°F, allowing me to resume bicycle commuting after a roughly 16 month hiatus. As the first ride following a long break, it combined bus and bicycle (enabling me to lose some excess weight); and,

    2. My wife and I are looking forward to attending our third concert by the Tudor Choir at our parish in Seattle on Saturday evening preceded by dinner with the couple who were our sponsors to the Church and with a Professor of Old Testament from SPU who re-introduced me to Fr. Richard John Neuhaus and First Things (and who is also a non-stipendiary Episcopal priest) and his wife. All six of us will be enjoying the concert of sacred music by Tallis, Byrd, Sheppard, and Mundy and all wrtten for England’s Chapel Royal during the reigns of Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I. titled All The Queen’s Men.

  32. DT says:

    @ irishgirl-

    I’m sorry to hear about your current circumstance! I will add you to my prayer list today.

  33. tmjost says:

    Our homeschool group had an “Adoration Campout” last Thursday night. It began with Mass at 7:00pm on Thursday evening. Then it was off to the camp sight (the beach) for smores’, a fire and some fun. Throughout the night, each child and all who camped went to adoration. In the morning we awoke early, and headed back to Mass at 8:00am. The boys served Mass a little stinkier than normal, but Fr didn’t mind. What Joy it must have brought our Lord to see the little ones there to visit through the night. Our group consisted of roughly 4 families and 13 kids. We are truly blessed!

  34. ladykathryn says:

    I received two Mystic Monk teas for Mother’s Day: Peaceful Monk and Mystic Monk Blend.

    Not-so-good-news: the cats cornered a mouse in the house yesterday afternoon! I was able to get it outside into the yard and it didn’t look harmed–just scared to death.

    The Peaceful Monk tea I had after that experience was very soothing!

  35. kelleyb says:

    The RODENT is back…(what is his name?? ) I enjoyed watching him before he was “sent off”. He probably been back for months and this is the first day I noticed.
    My good news: I get to spend the day with my two year old lil grand. We are off the the Post Office in a few minutes.

  36. The priest who offers the TLM in our diocese confirmed rumors on Sunday that His Excellency John LeVoir, ordinary of the Diocese of New Ulm, MN has given his permission for the TLM to be offered EVERY SUNDAY in the diocese, with possible future expansion with another location in the western part of the diocese. This same priest will also be assigned to my home parish to be closer to the church where the TLM is offered, so I have a feeling I will be serving some private Masses for him as well in the future. Deo Gratias! [With all respect to H.E. Bp. LeVoir, whom I have known for many years and like very much, there is a 2007 document called Summorum Pontificum. Pastors do not need the permission of the diocesan bishop to have the Extraordinary Form in their parishes. However, I am glad to know that he is not objecting.]

  37. I just received the new American Missal, a reprint of the Anglican use and Western Orthodox Mass. Beautiful binding and a magnificent Crucifixion scene before the Canon. Will use it tomorrow for the first time, using a votive Mass for the Eucharistic Heart of Christ. Does anyone know of a source for altar missal page tabs? I have had no luck finding any. Let me know if you havef a source.

  38. I think Bishop LeVoir is well aware of the provisions of Summorum Pontificum, Father. In fact, about a month and a half ago or so, he Confirmed a young man in the Traditional Rite. Just one! We are still a small (but stable) group! However, I think that says something about His Excellency. The priest who is in charge of the TLM in the Diocese of New Ulm is not the pastor of the parish where he says it, nor will he be when he is transferred on July 1. Right now he is the Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral parish in New Ulm. On July 1, he will become the Parochial Vicar of St. Mary’s in Sleepy Eye, in order to be closer to the church where the TLM is offered. Indeed, that parish is under the jurisdiction (they call it an “Area Faith Community”) of St. Mary’s in Sleepy Eye, as it is the largest parish in that cluster. This may have been asked before, but does he need permission from the pastor to say a private Mass in a different church of the cluster?

  39. EWTN Rocks says:

    Fr. Z, your blog keeps getting better every day, and I love seeing the zcam pictures of the beautiful birds (with commentary)! That’s actually my good news. This week is not turning out so great for me personally and professionally, although a few more doses of humility might help. Pray that I take my medicine well!

  40. fieldsparrow says:

    Recycled a bit from my blog post, but my greatest news is that I have the opportunity to attend a silent retreat on the Spiritual Exercises led by the priests of Miles Christi at the end of this month. A few days ago it was an impossible dream, but now it’s officially happening!

    We also have two men from our parish being ordained permanent deacons in June.

    Pretty great stuff :)

  41. dans0622 says:

    Banjo pickin girl,

    Had to look “Grovetucky” up. Haven’t been around here long enough to have heard that one before. I’ll give it another try…

  42. marthawrites says:

    This afternoon a new granddaughter was born. We drove to our daughter’s home thinking to pick up her three little ones and bring them to our house for a couple of days and while we were on the way little Sophia Gianna came into the world–the shortest labor by far our daughter has ever had. This happens to be the first birthday of another granddaughter, so celebrations in two households will be the future norm. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

  43. liz says:

    My sweet daughter received first holy communion this weekend. She was so excited and joyful.

  44. JoAnna says:

    I had an ultrasound today, and we saw our sweet baby (6th pregnancy, 4th here on earth) waving his/her little arms. S/he was measuring spot-on (eight weeks, four days) and had a strong, beautiful heartbeat. It was a wonderful sight and filled us with such joy!

  45. Archicantor says:

    My wife just secured, today, permanent employment in the Public Service of Canada. This is the realization of a long-standing ambition and the conclusion of an agonizing 17-month hiring process — though her director said her case was actually the fastest hire the department had ever seen! Not a day too soon, as it happens, because we’ve just found out there’s another baby on the way (number 3), and she’ll now have the six months’ continuous employment required for her to qualify for a year’s maternity leave with full pay. That’s going to be a new experience for us: babies 1 and 2 were born when she was running her own business, which meant that she was filling orders from her hospital bed the day after…

  46. Stephen Matthew says:

    I had a very good meeting/interview yesterday, which I will perhaps be able to post more about in the future, but now isn’t the time.

  47. i just finished viewing the movie THERE BE DRAGONS. It is one of the finest movies that I have ever seen. Would not recommend it for the “faint of heart” nor for minors. Certainly shows Dan Brown up to be the fool that he really is.

Comments are closed.