Wirz's Wheezes

2011 wrap, 2012, and WENDELL

2012-01-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

We should start with the most exciting news first. On Wednesday, 4 January 2012, my sister Sarah gave birth to her first child. Wendell David Fruit came into the world at 3:13pm, 19" long, weighing in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Wendell, Sarah, and Sean are doing well; Sarah and Wendell should come home from the hospital today. Thanks be to God!!!

2011 certainly had its high and low points. I was blessed to complete the Big Sur Marathon in May. I was offered and accepted my new job at Blossom Hill, removing a couple of hours off my commute each day. Alie and I witnessed the Solemn Vows of Br. Dominic David in April. I hit my goal for the Salinas Valley Half Marathon in August. The family sold more grapes than it did in 2010. Gabe came home from Afghanistan, and is in Monterey for the next year. I ran over 430 miles. All three of my kids are in good health, growing every day. We just had possibly the best Christmas season in recent memory. We had a great time with the family around, the kids had fun, and we had a good experience at Christmas Mass.

2011 had its crosses, too. We lost Jack, Alison's grandfather in March. I thought very highly of him; he was a good man, and one of the sharpest I have encountered. I had hoped that he would survive and enjoy a couple of good years after his wife, Vyn, passed in February of 2010. That was not to be. I lost a mentor in September, when Carol Thorup passed away. When I got my new position at Blossom Hill, I inherited her old office. I think about her everyday when I walk in to the office, some of her books on my shelf, and the picture of Thomas Jefferson on the wall.

I am looking forward to 2012. The twins will be five in May; Oliver will turn two in March. I am in training for the Napa Valley Marathon in March. I have my goals, and I think I will hit them. Bottom line is to break four hours. I plan on attending the ASEV (American Society for Enology and Viticulture) meeting in Portland in June. I may run the Salinas Valley Half again. My summer running will be dictated by how well I do at Napa.

I wrote the reading list for 2012 the other day; it includes over 10 books, and finally getting through Fr Reggie Foster's "First Experience". I am looking to be a bigger part of the team at Blossom Hill.

Pray for me, and as always, I pray for you. Happy Epiphany!
Donald

Now bring us a figgy pudding!

2011-12-25T14:07:00.000-08:00

I would like to take a moment to wish all you you a very Blessed and Merry Christmas!!!

Very early this morning, Dad, Heidi, Sarah, Krist, Sean and I attended Midnight Mass at Immaculate Conception in Tres Pinos for the first time in a very long time. It was a beautiful experience simply to be in the presence of my sisters in a place that has a tremendous place in the history of our family.

Christmas dinner is coming in a bit, so there will be photos to come, hopefully. God bless us all!

Happy Advent

2011-12-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

Well, campers, I'm still here. The news:

It is cold, well, for CA. We had 26F yesterday, and 24F this morning. Brrr.
The kids are huge. Joseph and Leo are reading more and more all the time. Their weekly preschool teacher thinks that Joseph is reading at the 2nd grade level. Wow!
Sarah (sister) is about 8 months pregnant with Child#1. The planned name will remain the surprise to you all.
The new windows we had in the house are working quite well. We had a 32F differential between the coldest part of the house and outside this morning. Yay!
I am in week #3 of training for the Napa Valley Marathon. I missed the registration window for Big Sur by 2 hours back in August. So, I signed up for Napa Valley. I plan on running 10 miles after mass today.
Speaking of Mass, I like the revised translation for the Mass. Our pastor has had us use the repsonses since mid summer, but hearing the new prayers is wonderful. A bit clunky at first, but we will get there. I plan on a larger post later.

More posts, more pictures coming along sometime soon.

Pax!

I'm still here, are you?

2011-10-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have not posted for awhile for several reasons: not enough hours in the day, spending too much of my online time either on Facebook or The Loop, but chief among them is that the prime reader of this blog passed away. I was contemplating not continuing Wheezes, as she was a great supporter and lover of the pictures that I used to post. In fact, she would often give me a hard time when I would seen her, and too much time had passed between photo posts.

So, Wheezes is still here, it is harvest, so I'm not sure about how many more posts you'll see in the near future, but oh well. The kids are getting BIG! Oliver is going to be our little bruiser. Leo and Joseph are reading (amazing!). Alie is doing ok, and I've taken the lab manager job at Blossom Hill (back to where I started).

Happy Harvest!

Photos for friends

2011-06-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be wondering, "Where are all of these kid pictures Donald keeps promising???". Well, here are some to keep you interested.
From Oliver's 1st birthday party (L to R: Joseph, Oliver, and Leo):

The birthday boy + cake...
Uh oh, kids just got up from nap, more photos to follow, again...

Big Sur Race Report

2011-05-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

I know that there have been scores of readers waiting with baited breath for this RR, so here it is, and what a doozy. On Friday, I got off of work early to go to the expo. I spent about an hour or so there; long enough to get my bib, tag, etc. I got a great deal on a new watch, swung by the RW booth where I got to briefly meet Tish Hamilton, Susan, and Bart Yasso. Forgot to get an autograph, whoops...

On Saturday, I got to take my last little shakedown run; 2.5 miles. It went really well, and then all H3!! broke loose. I get home and DW says that Boy#3 is congested and not feeling well. Boys #1 and 2 started getting sick, so between chasing/caring for kids, doing dinner, and so forth, I went to bed at midnight. Ugh.

I got up at 2:30am so I could get to Monterey and the bus (definately regretting the decision to not go for a hotel). The upshot to the drive was I got to listen to the Beatification Mass for John Paul II. JP2 was a big inspiration for me growing up, and I was very happy to listen to the ceremonies from Rome.

I eventually got on the bus, and was transported to the magical place that is Marathon Village. Yes, we were in a parking lot at 4am in Carmel. Let’s say that the most popular place was the Safeway near the staging area. I got to the official, sanctioned staging area soon enough, and munched my bagel and coffee.

We got the orders to go to the starting corrals, and I soon found myself at the back of Corral A. Since I had put down my ultimate goal of sub-4:00, I was in Corral A for possibly the only time in my running career. I chatted up a nice lady in the corral with me, and before we knew it we were off!

Mile 1: 10:10, a little slow, but a nice warmup. Up the first hill.

Miles 2-10: Magnificent. Up and down the hills of the Carmel Highlands, and out to Big Sur. it was clear, sunny, cool, just gorgeous! I even logged a 7:47 mile at one point. I was chatting with a few people, life was good. On pace for a 3:50ish finish.

Mile 11: Started to slow a bit, I took this a sign that I need to switch to an energy conservation mode, took GU, tucked in. (10:25)

Miles 12-13: not bad, but feeling tired. Hit the 13.1 turnaround mark at 1:57, still on pace for a sub four.

Miles 14-15: Not bad, feeling slower, but the miles are manageable 10:15, 10:26.

Miles 16-26.2: WALL! Noooooo! What is this thing??? I go to a walk to try to regroup. I started running again at mile 17, and did a run/walk mix to get to the finish.

Low point was at mile 23, in the middle of the Highlands; I stopped at a bridge, strectched my calves (they were like rocks), and leaned over the bridge. I decided that even though I felt horrible, I was going to finish this mess. I have done fence work on the ranch with a full pack on for six or seven miles, had trained for this race, and I was going to finish, even if I had to drag my inert carcass over the line. Resume the walk/jog.

Miles 24 and 25 were through Point Lobos State Reserve. if you are ever in the Monterey Bay Area, you must go there. It was just gorgeous, sunny, the water was sapphire blue and calm. It motivated me to run most of this stretch.

I got out of Pt. Lobos, and made it to the finish. The last 20 yards, I put my hands up in the air, closed my eyes, and went for it. Official time: 5:00:31. Dad was waiting for me at the finish line. Dad is not the most demonstrative person going, so hearing him say, “I’m proud of you,” made me very happy.

I went into his race with a few goals: I met two of them (finishing and beating my time of 5:27 from 2007). I did not beat the 3:59 of my friend, but I will have more chances. There is no point in going into some the mean, dark places my mind went for awhile. Mike probably would have smiled, told me not to worry, and ask if I wanted a beer. While I was on that bridge in the Highlands, I decided that this was not my last marathon. In fact, I want to do Big Sur agian next year. There are a couple of pikermis (half-marathons) in the area between now and then.

There are a couple of things that went wrong: 1) trying to do 26.2 miles on 2 hours sleep is not a good idea, 2) I should have gotten more than 1-17.5 miler as a long run, 3) I really need to drop about 20#. At any rate, it was a beautiful day on the Pacific Coast, and I will do better next time.

A couple of photos:
At about mile 8, don’t I look happy?

Finish line in sight, thank heavens!

Tomorrow is the day!

2011-04-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours, I will toe the line at the Big Sur Marathon. I am confident that I will finish the course, and do well. I went to the Expo in Monterey yesterday after work, and picked up my bib (number), timing tag, and other paraphenalia. I was a good little Donald and only got a couple of small items: a new watch ($12-amazing deal) and a copy of Going Long, a compilation of long essays from Runner's World magazine. I also met Bart Yasso and Tish Hamilton, both writers for RW. Both are really nice folks. Can you believe that Tish is doing the Boston to Big Sur Challenge. She ran the Boston Marathon 13 days ago, and is running the BSIM tomorrow.

My training did not go exactly as planned. My longest run was a 17.5 miler two weeks ago, but the backbone of my training was a lot of 8-10 mile runs, and even more 4-6 milers. When I did the 17.5 miler, I knew that I could run at least 20, but I didn't want to push it only two weeks out.

The goals:
"A" goal: Sub 4 hours, you know why.
"B" goal: Beat my 2005 SF marathon PR of 4:27.
"C" goal: Beat my 2007 BSIM debacle of ~5:25.

I'll be sure to post a race report either tomorrow evening or Monday. I hope you all have a great weekend.

tap, tap Is this thing on?

2011-03-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

So it has been a lot longer than I really like to pass between posts. I think that may be a theme for this blog. Apologies for those of you who still look at this from time to time. I think that all three of this blogs "followers" live within one mile of me.

At any rate, it is March in Cienega. The vineyard is being pruned, and as always, the mad rush to finish before budbreak is on. We have had a pretty mild and wet winter, but along the way, we have had the usual frost and a small snowfall.

The family is ok. Leo and Joseph are three (and ten months). Oliver will turn the big ONE this coming Friday. Sadly, that is the day we will lay Alie's grandfather to rest (see previous post).

Lent is here. This is the latest start to Lent in recent memory, with Easter coming on 24 April. I've given up Facebook, and am looking to read several books that have been on the shelf for far. I'm looking to re-read and finish Jesus of Nazareth, especially as Pope Benedict released the second installment (covering Holy Week) this past week. Perhaps the Holy Week book can be a Holy Week/Easter season read.

Running took a dive this week, especially with getting to watch the boys with Alie out of town.

I hope this is the beginning of more productive blogging, and that this finds all of you in the ether well.

Look below for a new Oliver photo (this one taken just before Christmas):

Prayer Request-URGENT

2011-03-09T23:45:00.000-08:00

Please offer prayers for Alie's grandfather, Dr. Jack Blackmon. He has suffered a massive heart attack, and will likely not survive the week. Pray for Alie and her family.

St. Joseph, patron of fathers, pray for us.
St. Joseph, patron of a happy death, pray for us.

***UPDATE: Jack passed away around 3am on Thursday (3/10) morning. Rest in peace, Jack.

Marathon training starts tomorrow

2011-01-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

My 16 weeks of fun starts tomorrow. Marathon training. I got in an interesting long run this afternoon. I ran from the church (Tres Pinots) to the San Benito River Bridge. Total: 9 miles, 1 hour, 25 min. Here we go!

Still here, folks!

2010-12-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

So I was just looking at the blog, and I noticed that I have only put up four posts this year. Thanks to all four or five of you who actually look at this thing. I'll be posting some photos of some fun things that have happened recently, like Ollie's baptism, decorating the grottoes (coming this Saturday), the vineyard, and general Wirz-boy shenanigans.

A followup to the the last post about Mike Ross. I have signed up to run Big Sur in May. I've done it once before; it is a challenge to put it mildly. I've started running again, which is really good. Come 2 January, I start formally training (actually running set distances each week). I'm looking at the race in several ways: a tribute to Mike (running Big Sur was actually something that one of our housemates in SLO and I had talked about doing), getting back into shape, getting back into running (I need a fixed goal to get my butt on the road), and simply, I like to run.

At this point, I'm looking to run the whole race without injuring myself. When I ran in 2007, I hurt my hip at mile 15. I was on pace for a 3:45 finish, but ended up walk/running the last 11 miles. I finished in about 5:20. I'd like to PR (my best time is 4:27), Mike ran San Diego in 3:59, so my pie-in-the-sky goal would be to run in under 3:50. This works out to about 8:45/mile. I can do this. Of course, I'll keep you posted.

Christmas is coming. We'll get the tree this weekend, if it isn't too rainy.

Thoughts on Mike Ross (1978-2010)

2010-10-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

I did something that gave me great pause a few weeks ago; I buried a brother. Mike Ross, whom I went to Cal Poly with, and lived with for a year, died in an airplane crash on Sept 7. He was flying with his father, Bob, also a pilot, over Arkansas when their plane crashed. They both died in the crash; Mike was 32.

I do not have a biological brother. I told my mother to take my youngest sister, Esther, back to the hospital when she was born. I was six, but I had always wanted a brother. By the time I finished my year at the Joe (St Joseph) House in 2002, I felt that I had gained three brothers and two sisters. I have stayed pretty close to one of the men and one of the women, but I had let my relationship with Mike slide pretty bad. I had not seen him in the flesh for at least two years, and had not spoke or emailed him in a long time. Now, the opportunity to talk or visit Mike this side of heaven is gone.

Mike was a man of action, while I am one of contemplation. I remember after praying the Rosary one night for house prayer night at the Joe House, he said he really did not enjoy praying the Rosary that much. On the other hand, he served. He was a regular fixture at the Newman Center’s turn at People’s Kitchen, where the homeless of San Luis Obispo were fed daily. He took part in nearly every single housebuilding trip to Tijuana. Now, after death, I found that he was working for La Mancha Media, a non-profit that created online videos for other non-profits. He was also doing housebuilding trips to Tijuana every month. Mike was a source of God’s love and light in the world.

Recently, the 100th birthday of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta came and passed. Her ethos was to follow the great command of Jesus in Luke 25. “Whatever you do to these, you do unto me,”. This, I believe, was Mike’s approach to living his faith and life ingeneral.

This makes me stop, think, and demands that I examine my life. I try to live an honorable and faithful life. I feel like the young rich man who tells Jesus that he follows the commandments and asks what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must sell all that he owns, leave his family, and follow. The young man cannot do this. At today’s dual memorial for Bob and Mike, no one talked about the the business that Bob ran or the job that Mike had. They talked about the kind of men that they were; men of love, integrity, and service. What kind of man am I, what kind of man or woman are you?

Some of the photos at Mike’s reception showed him running the 2008 San Diego Marathon. I am plan on running the 2011 Big Sur Marathon. Maybe I will beat his PR and mine. Maybe I’ll run for La Mancha Media. What will you do to the least of God’s children?

The Newest Little Runner

2010-03-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

Annuntio vobis gaudiam magnum, habemus snuffin! I announce to you a great joy, we have a snuffin! Oliver Michael Wirz was born last Thursday at 6:35pm, coming in at 6lbs 10oz, and 19" long. He was born about a month early, so his little lungs were not quite ready. He needed to go to a nicu, so in the wee hours on Friday, I got to chase an ambulance from Hollister to Good Samaritan in San Jose. I got to drive fast! There were a few complications, so he will be coming home tomorrow (hopefully). In the last week, his lung function has improved greatly. The little guy can cry, so I wonder what kind of a set of lungs he will end up with. He's long like Leo and Joseph. I wonder what kind of a runner he will be. I told him that he'd have to run with Daddy, and he gurgled, so either he like the idea, or it was gas...

Now, for the part that you are after, photos:

Just a few moments after birth, flexing the pipes.

Snoozing on Monday. Having him in the isolette is a bit like feeding a baby critter without influencing him. Now feed your baby condor...

Happy Ollie!!!

Leo and Joseph want Oliver to come home now. Hopefully, tomorrow all three Wirz boys will be under one roof!

Still Kickin'

2010-03-05T22:59:00.000-08:00

It has been a good long while since I posted anything. In case you are wondering; we are still here. Alie is due with Baby Boy on 4 April. We are not expecting for her to go full term; the boys were 2 weeks early, she had a couple of complications (everyone is ok) in January, and Baby Boy is very active. Getting a few things organized in the casa is an ongoing challenge. Alie is on a lifting restriction (better than the bed rest requirement in January), so the boys go to day care while I am at work. When I'm not working, I have two little shadows. Nana helps on Sundays so I can go to church.

I'm still working at the winery; most days are good. I have done enough VAs in the last two days to last quite some time. Degas, distill, titrate, repeat. Thankfully, I can say that I make wine, not vinegar.

It is spring in Cienega. We are at above average for our yearly rainfall (nearly 18" so far), and we have about 6 weeks left in our rainy season. Pruning is going slow this year; Dad is frustrated, moreso than ever. I see the green grass, the fillaree, and mustard; I feel sun and gentle rain; the ground is moist. The roses are starting to push, the plum tree has bloomed. Another year has begun. It is the middle of Lent; I am looking forward to Easter. I am hoping for an Easter baby. I am rambling; I am sober. I have realized that I will be 30 this year. March 15 marks 10 years that Alie and I have been together (married for 8 on 10 August). Leo and Joseph will be 3 in May. I would not mind loosing 10, 20, or even 30 pounds. I miss running on a daily basis (look above to see why I have not been). Some days, I miss working at Monster Winery. I loved the Winter Olympics, and am rooting for die Schwiez to do well at the World Cup.

Again, I am rambling. Maybe in the next four months, I can write a more coherent post.

New Year' Blessings

2010-01-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Lord bless and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! (Numbers 6:23-25)

I hope you all have a Happy and Blessed 2010!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, all. Below is a shot of what I am very thankful for. They were helping me drive the shopping cart last Sunday. They were driving nice and straight, until I broke out the camera. Three seconds after the photo was taken, they drove into the freezer case...

Seen today

2009-10-06T22:31:00.001-07:00

At the gas station mini mart next to the door for the soda/beer cooler: "Alcoholic Salesman only, soda salesman use second door".

On the rear license plate frame of a car, " Get out of my way... I'm late,".

Fathers' Day Card

2009-07-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

The boys "made" a card for me for Fathers' Day. The construction of the card: crayons, stickers, and stamps, oh my...

A little maternal guidance. Joseph found a use for some extra stickers.

Watch out, I have a crayon in here. I know how to use it!

Ooooh, a card just for me. Joseph is still wearing some of his stickers here.

Easter pics

2009-06-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

So I'm entirely out of the Easter Season. Oh well. The boys hunted for plastic eggs in the backyard. You know the convention. Leo is in green, Joseph is in blue. Enjoy the shots...

How to get past the bouncer

2009-04-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

I saw a link to this story the other day. Got a good laugh, now you can have one too.

By now it had started to rain. The band were feeling despondent, and they realised that the owner was not going to give way. But, ever resourceful, my brother had an idea.
He began to confidently intone the Credo III:“Credo in unum Deum…”

Msgr Thomas Morgan 1909-2009

2009-04-17T23:58:00.000-07:00

A Blessed and Happy Easter to you all. The boys had a lovely Easter; photos of egg hunting will follow in the next few days. It bothers me greatly to write this post. Msgr. Thomas Morgan, the priest that married my maternal grandparents, who baptised two of my sisters and I, who buried my paternal grandparents, has passed away. He was 99 years old.

Msgr Morgan, or Pappy Morgan, as my Poppa Don called him was a truly holy man. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt as his father, an Irishman in British Army, was stationed in Egypt. He studied for the priesthood in Ireland and Portugal. He came to California in 1939. He served in parishes in the Central Valley and in the Central Coast. After starting three parishes (in Hanford, Cambria, and Greenfield), he came to Tres Pinos in 1969. He was our pastor for fifteen years. He retired in 1984, and lived in Hollister until about 2000, when he moved to a retirement home.

He was the quintessenital Irish priest. He was loving, he cared for his parishoners, he had a great sense of humor, and of course, loved a round of golf. When Poppa Don passed away, who came and visited my grandmother? Father Morgan. I remember watering Grandma's roses, and Father Morgan came driving into the yard. I saw the tears in Grandma's eyes, and I knew that I needed to keep watering. When my Dad woke up from having surgery on his knee 11 years ago, who was standing over him? Father Morgan. He said something to the effect of, "Patrick, how are you feeling?". Dad said that seeing Father Morgan made him think that something had gone terribly wrong. No, Father Morgan was making his rounds, and saw Dad's name on the board. Mind you, Father was 89, and still visiting his old parishoners in the hospital! It wasn't that he was bored in retirement, he loved being a priest, he loved his people, and we all loved him.

When Grandma Gen passed away in 1999, Father Morgan was one of the priests who said the funeral Mass. He preached the homily, and Sarah and I were the altar servers. Before Mass started, Sarah took a huge box of Kleenex and put it next to our chairs. We both needed it. Both Grandma and Father Morgan golfed. He jokingly said that Grandma was at the gates of heaven, asking if the Virgin Mary would like to play a round. He figured that Grandma would win, as the only birdie our Blessed Mother knew was the Holy Spirit.

I looked up to Father Morgan as a model priest and gentleman. When I was discerning a vocation to the priesthood, I decided that if I was called to be a priest, I wanted to be like Father Morgan. One Sunday evening during my senior year of high school, I was asked to serve Mass. I was in confirmation class, and it was our practice to have half of the class, go to evening Mass, and then finish class. When I was asked to serve, we were in a rush. The priest tossed me an alb, the long white vestment that servers wear. Priests wear it under the stole and chasuble. Fr. Green, the priest saying Mass that evening said, "Yeah, you're about Tom Morgan's size, it'll fit.". I thought it was awesome, a sign that maybe I was called to be a priest, serving Mass wearing one of one of my heroes' vestments.

I am rambling a bit. I was planning on taking the boys to meet Father Morgan at his 100th birthday party in August. We will all meet up one day, God willing, it will be a long, long time off.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat ei.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him.

Opening Day 2009

2009-04-07T21:48:00.001-07:00

Giants 10, Brewers 6.

Tomorrow, Randy Johnson starts for the Giants. How weird is it to say that???

Hmmm baby!

Just wait 14 more years...

2009-04-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Two years old is coming quick. Pretty soon Leo's feet will be able to reach the pedals...

For now, they just have to work as a team. Whose turn is it to run the pedals anyway???

MNBS, 4th Sunday of Lent-Yr B

2009-03-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Remember what I wrote when I started this little project over a month ago; that I may not blog all of the MNBSs, or that Alie and I would not be doing it every week. So, here we are, in Lent. I know that not all of the half dozen or so people who read Wheezes is Catholic, so here is the quick version. Lent is a season in the Church's year, consisting of approximately forty days prior to Easter. It begins with Ash Wednesday, this year that was on 25 February. It is the Church's big season of penance and preparation. What are we preparing for? We are preparing to celebrate and commorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This is celebrated publicly on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, in 2009, this will be from 9 through 12 April. What are we doing penance for? Penance is an action that shows how a person wishes to be reconciled to God. Penance is not a person trying to earn favor or salvation from God. It is his effort to become closer to God.

We are halfway through this season. The Gospel for the week:

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

This is John 3:14-21. Most of us recognize verse 16; not just what the place kickers aim for after a touchdown. It is essentially the mission statement of Christianity. Why did Christ come into the world? To save it from its sinfulness. Alie said that one of her thoughts for Lent is along these lines: Why did Christ come and suffer? If it was for me, then I should respond by living the best way possible, to work and love as best as I can. If my response to Christ's love is nothing, then what does it matter that he suffered and died for me? My response, too, is that Christ's life, death, and resurrection do not depend on my response to their historical fact. This is not Bishop Berekely asking "Does a tree makes a noise falling if there is no one in the forest to hear it fall?". For myself, knowledge of these events in salvation history cry out for a response to live out a life of love and service. As Christians, our response is to live in the truth, and act. Catholics are called to live out Lent with increased prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In Christ, we have our model.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear them.

New photos

2009-02-17T21:59:00.001-08:00

For those who are not interested in MNBS, some new photos from today.

Top: Mommy and Joseph during a tickle fest.
Bottom: Leo walking in Daddy's boots.

MNBS, 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Yr B

2009-02-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

Hello folks, it is a Tuesday night study this week. Team Snuffin was a little fussy last night.

Fr. Kambitsch's homily on Sunday primarily examined Jesus' leper healing to a desire to unify the Jewish community. The first reading from last week described how lepers were outcast from the community. He extended the unification theme to Abraham Lincoln trying to heal the USA of a leprosy (i.e. slavery) and preserve unity. I took issue with his understanding of history, but it was an interesting tangent, as the last week was the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Note for reference, the Southern states did not secede because of the Emanicpation Proclamation. The EP was signed in 1863; the Civil War started in 1861. End of tangent.

This week's Gospel: (Mark 2:1-12)

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind
what they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk?'
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
—he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

Jesus is comfy at home; he may be having a cup of tea, and the people come. Think Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings. He preaches, someone amazes him with their faith in him, and he heals. At the time, some illnesses were thought to be the result of personal sin. He heals the paralytic interiorly by forgiving him of his sins. Instead of trying to hush up the recently healed, he reveals himself to the scribes, the authorities. Jesus is not just some internant preacher, not just some kind of physician. He is someone who behaves with divine authority, and this is manifested physically in healing.

To me, it seems that Jesus is done with trying to deny who he is. We believe that Jesus has two natures, He is both divine and human. I can imagine that this is his exposure of his divine nature in full. He has embraced his vocation; He has arrived.

Monday Night Bible Study

2009-02-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

One of the most formative things that I did when I was a student at Cal Poly was a bible study during my third year. There were about 15 of us. We were lead by two students, one of whom is now a budding philosophy professor in Texas. The general plan was to read and discuss the Gospel reading for the coming Sunday, and talk about what the priest preached on at Mass the previous day. Quick explanation: in the Catholic Church, the readings for each Sunday, with a few exceptions, are the same across the world. For most Sunday Masses, there are four readings: the First Reading is usually from the Old Testament, there is a Psalm (usually sung), the Second Reading is usually from one of the New Testament letters, and then the Gospel (from one of the four Gospels). If I went to Mass in Tres Pinos, London, Rome, or Barbados, the readings would be the same. The topic and delivery of the homily, or sermon, is entirely up to the priest or deacon preaching. It was interesting to play the "Did Father Mike get our notes or not game".

I was thinking about it the other day, and things like MNBS are some of the things that I really miss about being out of college, and one of the few Catholic "young adults" in the area. Way too old for a youth group, and the few study/discussion groups that the parish puts on are rarely at a conveinient time. So... here's the plan. Alie and I are going to start our own MNBS; a huge group of, well, two. We'll look at the coming week's readings, chat about them, and I'll put up my/our own reflection. Your comments are always welcome.

We will try to do this on Monday evenings. We will see how long this lasts. There may be a hiatus during harvest, or if a Snuffin is sick. I do not pretend to be the pope, or a theologian. While I am a pretty faithful and orthodox Catholic, I do not know it all. If you think that I have something wrong, let me know in the combox. Just be civil; I don't have time to moderate comments.

A few MNBS resources:

The Gospel for the coming week. Get a Bible. I'll post a link to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops site. They have links to each day's readings. Nifty.

Catechism of the Catholic Church: Think the Boy Scout Handbook, only for Catholic theology and doctrine. Very handy; lots of references, footnotes, and so forth.

Enough preliminary stuff. Let's get cracking!

Gospel for 15 Feb 2009 (Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time-Year B):

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
(Mark 1:40-45)

The Reflection: Again, Jesus heals someone. In last week's Gospel (Mk 1:29-39) Jesus heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law. He heals someone who was an outcast, a leper. On the healing, the leper believes that Jesus has the power to heal him and asks for healing. Applied to us, how many of us realize that we are broken, need healing, and have the guts to ask someone for help. How many of us recognize that there are people that are capable of helping us?

For Jesus' part, he feels pity for the leper. Doesn't this point to the human part of Jesus' nature; he is both divine and human? He tries to hide his identity, and it fails. He is found out, and the crowds following him are getting bigger and bigger. To a degree, it seems like Jesus is either avoiding his vocation or is a bit scared of the enormity of his mission.

Ok, now you have my $0.02. Let's do this again next week.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord.
Merry Christmas; the boys had a blast today!

Harvest Babies

2008-12-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

Alie just reorganized the photos, and look what I found!

Happy Repeal Day!!!

2008-12-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

75 years ago today, the Ignoble Experiment of Prohibition was repealed. Hoist a glass to FDR, Cheers!

Election 2008: History and Infamy

2008-11-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

The 2008 election has come and gone. Senator Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of these United States. He becomes the first African-American president in our country's history, and the first President elected from the Senate since John F. Kennedy in 1960. His running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, is the first Catholic Vice President. I wish them the best of luck and pray that the Holy Spirit illumine their minds as they lead our nation.

I did not vote for the Obama-Biden ticket. I found their support of the Freedom of Choice Act, and voting history supporting abortion to be deplorable. As a Catholic, I find that I cannot support a candidate for office who holds such views and acts on them while in office. I did not support the Obama tax scheme, which advocates a greater redistribution of wealth and increasing the estate/inheritance taxes. I felt that the lesser evil was to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. Not entirely pro-life (McCain supports embryonic stem cell research), but more pro-life than Obama. They support the continued hostilties in Iraq and Afganistan as a means of securing the Middle East for American interests. I say that the U.S. never should have invaded Iraq at all. American interests in the Middle East would have better been served by a stronger presence in Afghanistan, and if more efforts were taken to rebuild that nation. I digress.

Fr. Rob, at Thrown Back, has written a column that articulates my thoughts on the predicament of the Catholic voter more than I can. A sample:

Many of us are volunteering to cooperate with evil, because we see no way out of the dilemma of aligning ourselves with one party or the other. In essence, faithful Catholics are forced to accept whatever bones the major parties and candidates throw us: If we think the Democrats offer more compassionate social policies and the prospect of ending the war in Iraq, we must tolerate their embrace of abortion and same-sex unions. If we think the Republicans offer the best hope of eliminating abortion-on-demand and defending marriage, we have to be willing to tolerate their embrace of "preventive" war and so-called enhanced interrogation techniques. Catholics, it would seem, are being forced to make Faustian bargains every time they enter the voting booth.

My thoughts may not seem particularly cogent, yet to be quite honest, I am sick of being played by politicians. I am tired of the politics of fear put forth by the Republicans, and I am tired of being condescended to by the Democrats. I truly wish for a third party that I could vote for and truly feel that my vote is not wasted. It makes me wish that Teddy Roosevelt and the Bull Moose party were still around. The cynic in me says that the third party option will never take root in the U.S. The optimist says that there needs to be enough like-minded people willing to have the courage to work for a third-party to make it happen. On the other (third?) hand, I am beginning to think, like Adams and Washington, that the idea of political parties were evils that sullied purpose of representative government. They have no place in a true republic. Coalitions of like-minded representatives could get together on pieces of legislation for the good of the country, never mind the career-advancing advantages of partisan politics.

Two hundred years ago, the American Church expanded with the creation of the dioceses of New York, Bardstown (Louisville), Boston, and Philadelphia, and the archdiocese of Baltimore. John Carroll was the first bishop of Baltimore, and thus, one of the fathers of the American Church. From his Prayer for the Nation and Civil in 1791:

We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

Amen.

I am alive

2008-09-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't put anything up since Fathers' Day. I thought I would break my silence, in Angela form.

The twins are doing great. Fifteen months on Tuesday. Both are walking, can carry the balls, toy trucks, and Daddy's books off the shelf while toddling along.
I bought a new car in July. Green Mini Cooper with white roof and mirrors. His name is Winston, and he can go really fast...
My little sis Sarah got married a month ago. Husband's name is Sean. Now Sarah is a Fruit. No shortage of joke material between Dad and I. I think the first child should be named Tutti, the second, Juicy. The third will be Ripe.
My friend Mike got married last weekend. In Houston. Needless to say, candlelit mass. Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Policratus!

More to follow as always, now for Heidi, Sarah, Jackie, Mike, Angela, Carol, and maybe the other 2 of you who read this blog, this is what you have been waiting for:

Leo (up there) and Joseph (down there)

Fathers' Day

2008-06-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it is quite a bit belated, but a Happy Fathers' Day to all you fathers out there. Last year, the day didn't really resonate with me, because I was only about three weeks into fatherhood. This year, really, really meant something. I have gone through over a year of feeding, changing diapers, taking pictures, going to the doctor, sleeping in the boys' room, not sleeping while in the boys' room, and on and on.
Alie had to take a visit to Willits this past weekend, so I had the boys. We watered trees, took a trip to the grocery store (yikes), and played a lot. I got a really cool Father's Day present from Joseph. We were playing on Sunday evening, and I picked him up by the hands, and told him, "Walk!". The past couple weeks, the boys would start walking while having their hands held when we said, "Walk,". I left go of Joseph's hands. He fell on his butt. We tried again, and Joseph stood for a moment, then took THREE BIG STEPS, and flopped into my lap!!! Leo took a single step last Thursday, but three whole steps!!! I was so happy; Joesph was pretty thrilled too, of course, my cheering kind of scared Leo for a second. So, I had a pretty good Fathers' Day.
Below is a picture of my irrigation crew after a good long bit of telling me where to put the hose. Directing Daddy is hard work.
On another note, I simply pass up the past weekend without mentioning the passing of Tim Russert. Mr. Russert passed away last Friday of a sudden heart attack at age 58 (three years older than my folks). For my part, I usually watched his political coverage from NBC's Washington DC bureau, and Meet the Press as often as I could. I appreciated his ability to simplify complex issues without condescending. His style of questioning was tough, thorough, and quite fair. I watched the tribute show on Friday night. I did not know that he had written a book in tribute to his father, and men like him: post-WWII lower middle class, Irish-Catholic, hard-working men who gave their all, and I mean their all, for their kids. I didn't realize that Russert was a very strong Catholic, educated by the Jesuits, and was a very generous man. One of the best stories I heard was from Wolf Blitzer. After Pope Benedict's visit and address to Catholic University of America students in April, both Blitzer and Russert were part of a private audience with the Pope. The tough journalist Russert was not there, but instead was an excited schoolboy. He said, "Can you believe it Wolf? Two guys from Buffalo are going to meet the pope!". After listening to different journalists and politicians talk about Russert, these were not two distinct personalities, but rather the whole Russert package. This is why so many of his colleagues and admirers mourn his loss. Go with God, Mr. Russert.

The party!

2008-06-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

The boys had their first ever birthday party Saturday before last. We had it at Bolado Park, the local fairgrounds. About 20 of the the boys' friends and family showed up. I even barbequed (tri-tip, hot dogs, and VeggieBurgers), Of course, there was a camera.
Look at the cakes that Mommy made. Daddy did not have anything to do with making these.

Leo (in green shirt): "Dad made tri-tip, and he gives us melon salad? What's going on around here?"
Joseph: "Relax, I've seen the cakes, and I think the two little ones have our names on them! Why hasn't Daddy got the Baby speed reading dvd yet?"
Preparing for the carnage.
Money shot. Leo pulled the unlit candle out of the frosting, and shoved the frosted end in his mouth. Joseph just went for it. Perfect.
Daddy, Leo, Sofia, Natalie (Sophia's mom/Joseph's godmother), Joseph, and Nana. The hat didn't agree with Leo...
Joseph: "Nana said its my party and I can open whichever present I want, right Nana?"
Come back next year!

One Year On...

2008-05-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well, one year ago today, just about this time, the boys came into the world. I have such a hard time believing that the year has passed. They have grown so much. Born just shy of 6 pounds, they are close to 25. At night, sometimes they feel like 40#. They can both now stand for about 10 seconds before falling on their little diaper-clad butts.

In honor of one year of snuffins, here are a few favorite pictures. Some are making their Wheezes debut.Leo (orange), Joseph (black) at Sophia's 1st birthday party, April 2008.

Joseph, such a graceful eater.

Mommy and Leo, February.

Leo vs. cookie... Carnage followed.

Winemaker-in-training Leo at Christmas. Don't worry, not a lead foiler :)

Baptism in August. I held Joseph; Alie held Leo. Fr. Kambitsch is our parish priest.
Leo (l) and Joseph (r) just before New Year's.

Leo at 6 months with Nana.
Joseph at 6 months with Great-Grandma Barbara.

4 Months old. Leo on the left, Joseph on the right.

Leo at about 3 weeks.
1 day old.

PopeTrip '08

2008-04-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

By now, unless you live under a rock, you should know that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, has come to America. He came last Tuesday, arriving in Washington. He was greeted at the White House on Wednesday, left for NY on Friday where he addressed the UN, had Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral yesterday, met with youth and seminarians yesterday. He visited Ground Zero and celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium today.

I have been a fan of Joseph Ratzinger (B16) since I was a student at Cal Poly in 2001. I have read a few of his books, and liked what I read. What really made me pay attention was an interview he did with Raymond Arroyo, of EWTN, 2002 or 2003. What struck me was that here was a man of fearsome reputation and towering intellect, but on the radio, he had such a quiet and gentle voice. As I listened to what he had to say, I was struck that the man answered questions, not with a one-sentence answer, but he answered in paragraphs. He also had a wonderfully quick wit and dry sense of humor. I can get along with that!

I listened to a lot of the events on PopeTrip via Sirius satellite radio. They did a superb job. Not only did EWTN and The Catholic Channel provide wall to wall coverage, but The Catholic Channel got two more channels; a "Papal Playback" channel and a "Papal Archive" channel. The archive played parts from speeches and addresses from previous papal visits to the US. Paul VI intoning his famed "War no more, war never again" speech from the UN visit in 1965. JP2 speaking in a strong, clear voice sent shivers down my spine. The last time that I heard his voice was just before his final illness in 2005. They even dug out the oldest known voice recording of a pope: Pope Leo XIII singing the Ave Maria in 1903. The sound quality, and His Holiness' voice were not the best, but being able to hear something that old was a treat. I hope that they keep playing archived sound from the popes on the Catholic Channel in the future.

I think I will be quoting parts of B16's speeches and homilies for the next couple of months. I have the texts. Thank you Rocco! By the way, you must give Whispers a look. Rocco did an awesome job of covering this week for us all. Rocco rocks, what else can you say!!! I don't think I'll do much of that quoting now, save for this one quote from last night's youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers/Dunwoodie, NY.:

Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. -Benedict XVI, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers NY. 19 April 2008

Thank you so much for coming to be with us, Holy Father. Safe travels home, and God Bless You!

Break the mommy?

2008-04-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Alie and I have a theory that the boys have a game we call "break the mommy". We watch them either playing or in the high chairs after getting fed. They will talk to each other in their unitelligible (to us) twinspeak. They'll talk, look at us, laugh, and then talk more. We think that they are consipiring to "break the mommy and daddy". When Alie and I talk on the phone during the course of the day, I'll ask if they are playing break the mommy. They usually are. Alie has taken pictures of Leo and Joseph trying to subdue an adult.

Leo (in green shirt) and Joseph (in blue shirt) have spotted the mommy.

The boys want to play. Play with us, Mommy. Mommy decided to keep taking pictures.

Full court press. The boys want to play! End of baby attack. Mommy not broken. No snuffins (or mommies) were injured in the taking of these photos.

Babies at the gates

2008-04-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

We have a few baby gates in the house, one of which is at the door to their room.

Leo at the gate.

Close up of the teeth o'Leo.

We're cute (Joseph on the left), let us out!

Baby photos

2008-04-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

I know you have all been waiting with baited breath for this post, so prepare yourselves...

Going for the Easter basket. Plastic eggs with Cheerios for the boys, chocolate for Mommy. Okay, and Daddy.

Leo found a toy hippo in the basket!

Joseph found a colorful cow in the basket, too.

They had a good Easter; they even behaved at church.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

This is the day that the Lord has made, let all the earth rejoice! (Ps 118)

Happy Easter everyone! I hope this finds you well. Baby pics to come: they had a big time at Easter dinner today. It has been a big week; St. Patrick's Day, Holy Week, and the first week at the new job. I got a promotion to assistant winemaker at another winery on the Cenral Coast. Fun Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, here I come. Photos may follow.

He is Risen, alleluia!

Something else to pray for

2008-03-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

Some of you have heard by now, but the Archbishop of Mosul (Iraq) , His Excellency Faraj Rahho, was kidnapped nearly two weeks ago. He was abducted right after he left a church in Mosul. His driver and two other companions were killed. AsiaNews has it that another phone call between abductors and mediators was to take place tonight. Masses and prayers are being offered in Rome and Damascus, among other spots. The wife said, "Pray for an Easter miracle,". It may sound blithe, but that is just about all we can do (or hope for a search & rescue mission from the US armed forces...). Pray, pray, pray for His Excellency's recovery. He is in frail health, and is one of the most insightful minds in the country.

The original story in AsiaNews: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11657&size=A.
The update: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11702&size=A

UPDATE: Archbishop Rahho's body was found in a shallow grave outside of Mosul around the 15th of March.
Grant him, O Lord, eternal rest. May perpetual light shine upon him.

Baby Pics

2008-03-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so its been awhile since I put up baby pictures, and I know that all 3 of you readers out there are dying for some new ones...

Joseph with Great-Grandma Barbara about 3 weeks ago.

The boys ready to go pruning in the vineyard!

Ok, and one pic of the fuzzy one with my dad.
Enjoy!

Connection

2008-02-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

The (*$%#() internet connection is being really slow tonight. Baby, vineyard, and doggie pics to be uploaded tomorrow. Besides, it'll should be a lovely day tomorrow. Go out and play.

Papa Benny Quote of the Week...

2008-02-26T23:38:00.000-08:00

Thus, what we are ultimately praying for in this third petition of the Our Father (Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven) is that we come closer and closer to him, so that God's will can conquer the downward pull of our selfishness and make us capable of the lofty height to which we are called.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, pg. 150

Running and Lent

2008-02-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

I made it for a 2 mile run on Sunday evening, funny how dawn patrol gets in the way. So, I think I'll keep my Lenten plan to myself. Let's just say that it hits all three parts: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Happy Lent everyone. Sunday #2 is coming up! Oh yeah, Happy St. Valentine's Day!!!

Running again

2008-02-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night, I was able to run for the first time in about a month. I logged 2 miles (run up to Cienega School and back), and was chased in by the rain. On Thursday morning, I did the same run and cut 1:10 off of the time from last week. The plan now is to keep running a few times a week. I'm going to try my four mile ruoute tomorrow morning. Hey ho, here we go!

These 40 days

2008-02-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, Lent is on us. It's a bit early this year; it is suppossed to be the earliest Lent and Easter in over 150 years. A few scattered thoughts.
A lot of people treat Lent like the only thing that we do is to give up something, and to treat it like a New Year's Resolution that we are bound to break. Lent isn't supposed to be like that. We are preparing to celebarte the most wonderful thing ever; the passion, death, and RESURRECTION of Jesus. Just as we prepare for Christmas with four weeks of preparation, we prepare ourselves for Easter. It is a trifecta of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Giving something up is only 1/3 of our process for Lent.
We should focus equally on each of the three aspects to the Lenten journey. Good luck to all. I am still debating on letting you all in on my plans. I'm asking myself if that would be too much of a display or if it would be helpful to you, dear readers. Considering that the readership is probably me, myself, and I; this wouln't be too much of a display...

Babies' First Christmas

2008-01-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Leo and Joseph celebrated their first Christmas!!! Yay! Here are a few pics.

Opening some presents yes, they can rip paper :).

What did they get right out of the gate? More jammies!

Joesph, blankie; blankie, Joseph.

Leo getting in a little exercise before Christmas dinner.

This one has a story. I put the bottle of wine for Christmas dinner in the car seat with Leo when we went from the car to Mom and Dad's house. Leo was, um, curious. Chalk it up to starting the little guy out early.

Again, I hope you had a great Christmas season!!!

Crossing the Tiber

2007-12-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

I'm probably the millionth one to post on the topic, but in case you didn't know, Tony Blair, ex-PM of Great Britian, converted to the Roman Catholic Church yesterday. While a man's religion is his business, I feel a thrill at knowing that there is one more Catholic in England. While some may criticize Mr. Blair for his politics, I applaud him for converting, and I bid him a joyous welcome to the Catholic faith.

H/T: Whispers, of course!

Getting ready for Christmas...

2007-12-21T23:25:00.000-08:00

One of the things that our family does during late Advent is to decorate the grottos outside of our parish. They were built by my great-grandfather, Edward Matthews. They started as a tribute to my late grand-uncle, Martin, who died as a teenager. The grounds of the parish are dotted with outdoor shrines made from stones collected from our county. He started decorating the grottos for the Nativity, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St. Benedict in the 1950s. After he died, my grandmother kept up the tradition, pulling in my father and grandfather. Likewise, my sisters and I were pulled into decorating when we were kids.
Last Saturday, my parents, my sister Sarah, a couple of Matthews/Huntsman cousins, Alie and the twins decorated the grottos with the standard trees, lights, and poinsettias.

Sarah and I putting the lights on one of the trees.

Mom keeping an eye on Joseph.

The Nativity grotto decorated.

St. Benedict, patron of our county.

Family photo. Pics of the grottos lit at night to follow... Happy Advent, everyone. Only a few more days!

End of Dappled Things

2007-12-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

Alas poor Fr. Tucker, I knew him well. I didn't know Fr. Jim Tucker, of Dappled Things, well, but I really enjoyed his blog. He just announced that other endeavors are taking up his blogging time and energy. Arriverdici Don Giovanni!

More Pictures...

2007-12-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

So I haven't gotten any pictures with Alie yet, but here are a few that I took yesterday with my cell phone camera. Yes, my cell phone camera. I was watching the kids while Alie took a much needed break and did some errands in town. Enjoy!

First, a picture of the boys playing. (Joseph is in the saucer, I am holding Leo up from behind)

Next, Leo getting some saucer time.

Finally, a little bottle time after a big workout!

Six Months of Babies!!!

2007-11-24T00:19:00.001-08:00

Ok, so it was over about a half hour ago, but the took their time getting here. Happy half-birthday (yes, that one's for you Heidi and Angela) to Leo and Joseph. Here are a couple of recent photos to tide everyone over.

First pic: Joseph happy that he can grab things. Me not so happy it is my beard!

Second pic: Leo showing that he eats gracefully, like the little gent that he is ;)

Third pic: Daddy, Joseph, Leo, and Zoey (the fuzzy one). Next mission: get Mommy in a picture with both boys. I guess I should take some of the pictures :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T00:07:00.000-08:00

Give thanks to the Lord, who is good, whose love endures forever. Let the house of Israel say: God’s love endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say, God’s love endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord say, God’s love endures forever.
Ps 118:1-4 (NAB)

I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving, and that you are all well.

Funny photo

2007-11-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

I have been promising more baby photos, so here is another one. I am showing Joseph, back in June, the real way to use Mommy's nursing pillow. Be careful what you wish for!

Marathon Trials

2007-11-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

I missed seeing the quasi-live start to the US Men's Olympic Marathon Trials this morning. Sadly, one of the runners, 28-year old Ryan Shay, collapsed in the sixth mile. He did not regain consciousness, and died. I heard the news while working with Dad and Sarah (sister). I am still in shock. This is a professional athlete running what should be the race of his lifetime. I can understand a dehydrated, exhausted athlete collapsing at mile 20 or mile 25, but mile 5.5??? I feel so sorry for his new bride. Pray for her, and Ryan Shay's family.

The team for the Beijing games has been set. Ryan Hall ran a brilliant race, and won! Yay, California!!! Dathan Ritzenhein came in second, and my favorite, Brian Sell, the lunchpail Hansons-Brooks man came in third. Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, came in8th.

With this team, I think that the USA stands a decent chance of getting a medal in Beijing. Beat the Kenyans, sure, why not :).

Comments fixed, hopefully

2007-11-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

I enabled the comments boxes, I think. Sorry if you weren't able to comment on this spiffy blog before. Actually, the wife wanted to comment, and couldn't. It wasn't intentional, honest...

I'm back!

2007-11-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the end of the 2007 harvest for the Home Ranch. It was not the best, nor was it the worst of our efforts. The grapes were down quite a bit from last year. It didn’t help that we got hit right between the eyes with a frost in mid-April, and a poor rain year did not help us much either. Instead of a normal 16” or so, we got a paltry 11. Interestingly, nearly every other outfit in our little valley reported 8 to 9”. Did we get lucky? Maybe.
We are done crushing at Monster Winery. We had our end of the year BBQ/face feeding on Weds.. Now, all we have to do is finish the ferments, and get the wines that I want to behave, to behave. Likely most of the wines that really don’t need to behave, will, but the ones that must behave won’t. Seems like this happens a bit too much.
The boys are getting BIG! They are at 5 months, 1 week, and I think that we will be crawling by Thanksgiving, and maybe walking by New Year’s. God help us all! :) At any rate, they are doing well, and so is the wife.

Quote of the Week...

2007-09-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

"What we have seen in the Semon on the Mount is a hidden Christology. Behind the Sermon on the Mount stands the figure of Christ, the man who is God, but who, precisely because he is God, descends, empties himself, all the way to death on a cross. The saints, from Paul through Francis of Assisi down to Mother Teresa have lived out this option and have thereby shown us the correct image of man and his happiness."-Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, pg. 99

Now, you see why I was overjoyed when this wonderfully articulate Christian was elected Pope!

Enter into the joy...

2007-09-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday before last, the boys were baptized into the Church. They were baptized at our home parish. One of the neat things about coming home after going to university, and getting married, is the understanding that some things will be continued because of you. You see yourself more as a link in a chain. The big example: the boys were baptized in the same church, the same font as I, the same font and church as my father, grandmother, and great-grandmother. How often do you see that anymore? Not often.
Leo’s godparents are my Aunt Ellen and my good friend Andy Gulley. We were roommates together our first year at Cal Poly. That seems like an eternity ago, but it was only nine years ago. Joseph’s god parents are Jeff and Natalie Dyer, friends of mine and Alie’s from our days at Cal Poly and the Newman Center. Alie and I both feel fortunate and blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives.
After the ceremony, we had a small reception of cake and drinks on the lawn at the parish. Natalie took some photos, and I’ll be posting them soon. To satisfy the appetite, I have a picture of the boys from a couple of weeks ago. They are pretty excited in this picture. Enjoy.

Old Baby Picture

2007-08-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

Here are Leo and Joseph in their car seats getting ready to leave the hospital at 2 days old. They'll be 12 weeks tomorrow. More photos to follow!

5 Years On...

2007-08-14T23:27:00.001-07:00

Five years and three days ago, I wed my blushing (and slightly taller) bride! Five years down, and who knows how many more to go!!!

Let us begin

2007-08-04T10:41:00.001-07:00

Well, let's get started, shall we? I have been thinking of adding my voice to the blogging fray for the last couple of months. I'm Donald, an enologist working on the Central Coast of California. I have a lovely wife, and a pair of 10-week old twin boys. The wannabe professor in me wants to give an outline of the things I'll probably blog on:
Faith (Roman Catholic, and proud of it!)
Family
Winemaking and Wine-drinking (duh)
Running (I'm a marathoner)
Baseball
Reading

Let's give this a shot! St. Thomas Aquinas and Servant of God John Paul II, ora pro nobis!