Thanksgiving

So, having relished the poetry -- and I invite you to keep doing that, the words have a real potency to them (and as I didn't get to post other bits over the weekend, I'll use them in my examples in the days to come) -- let's talk a little bit about how the eucharistic prayer is set up.

There are 10 eucharistic prayers in the sacramentary. And it's a little like having 4 gospels, in that they don't all do things the same way, or in exactly the same order, and it's all good. The diversity is a value, not a problem to be fixed. So, while I'm going to talk about the major dynamics of the eucharistic prayer, how each prayer concretely works them out can be different.

The eucharistic prayer has three main parts: thanksgiving, the institution narrative and petition. You could even say that it has two main parts, thanksgiving and petition, and in the institution narrative a bridge that serves as both thanksgiving and petition.

Today, the first part: Thanksgiving. In a number of the eucharistic prayers, especially the ones we tend to hear (prayers II & III) the first section of the prayer recalls how God has been good to us.

From Mass of Reconciliation I:

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do always and everywhere to give you thanks and praise.
You never cease to call us to a new and more abundant life.

God of love and mercy,
you are always ready to forgive;
we are sinners,
and you invite us to trust in your mercy.

Time and again
we broke your covenant,
but you did not abandon us.
Instead, through your Son, Jesus our Lord,
you bound yourself even more closely to the human family
by a bond that can never be broken.

God has called us to a better life, he has forgiven us, he has not abandoned us, he has bound himself closely to us. These are the deeds we recall. For them we are thankful.

Eucharistic Prayer III has no first part of its own; instead it allows us to choose from a variety of prefaces, each which has its own particular thrust. Some prefaces recall Jesus' birth, others his resurrection, others such things as Pentecost, Jesus overcoming temptation, the Annunciation, the Sacred Heart, marriage, death, the example of the saints and apostles, creation. Every major feast of the church or sacramental event in our lives has a special preface written for it, as do major figures of the church like Mary, Joseph, Peter and Paul, John the Baptist. Countries will have special prefaces for national holidays as well; so in the U.S. we have a preface for Thanksgiving and Independence Day. I'm sure someone somewhere has a preface for St. Patrick's Day (although one of the prefaces for holy men and women would probably suffice).

Why have all of these additional texts? Well, because thanksgiving is specific. Our sense of who God is and what we can expect from him emerges from very specific experiences, both in scripture and in our lives. If you want an analogy, think of your relationship with someone else that's important to you, perhaps your parents or a partner. Your gratitude for them is grounded in seriously concrete moments, isn't it? My dad worked three jobs at one point to help put me and my siblings through school, and my mom took on another one in addition to driving us around and providing for us at home. When I turned 40, my sister made a book filled with photographs and letters from friends from all parts of my life. In October I spent a day with my aunt Kathleen and Uncle Stan wandering around where our ancestors are buried.

And when I was home at Christmas, I got to see where my brother works and hang out with him, and I got to go back and sit quietly in the theater where he and I used to be in plays. I also got to go to a movie and lunch with my nephew Jimmy, I got to paint ornaments with two of my nieces, I got to spend time playing with my other nephew and nieces and hold my littlest nephew, I got to have lunch with one of my aunts and see my cousin get married... When I think of how I love all of them, it's concrete moments like these, like literally sitting and watching each of my nieces paint an ornament, or the smell of the theater, that come to mind.

So, that's the first major beat you'll find in the eucharistic prayers (although sometimes not in the first section) -- remembrance and thanksgiving. God has been good to us, and so we offer our thanks. It's a little like what we do at the dinner table -- before we eat, we give thanks. Sometimes I even encourage people, if you get distracted during the early part of the prayer, offer up some concrete event or person that you're grateful for right now.

Tomorrow: Petition, and then we'll go back and talk about the institution.

TS Orthodontics Reaching Out

Over Halloween 2009 Dr. Scanlan and his Team orchestrated a candy buy-back.

What is a buy back?

As every parent knows, when Halloween hits, candy is everywhere!! .........Dr. Scanlan wants it. In fact, Dr. Scanlan was rewarding his patients with Tokens from his rewards program for every pound of candy.

Where is Doctor Scanlan sending all this candy?

Having been in the military for four years himself, Dr. Scanlan knows there are children in underdeveloped countries who have been orphaned. These children know very little about what goes on outside of their country. Some of these children are told the U.S. is the reason they are orphaned. Dr. Scanlan sends candy to these children with the message that we care....

To the TS Orthodontics kids: See these kids? You have made their day :-)

Dr. Scanlan and TS Orthodontics plans to continue this kind of giving

Color Rhythm To the Rescue!

Have you ever purchased a piece of upholstered furniture and placed it into a room and it seemed lost? This happened to a friend of mine.  She had a beautiful oriental rug on the floor of her living room which had reds, blues, greens, and tans in it.  She needed a chair and went out and purchased an upholstered chair in a red fabric thinking it would look magnificent in this room.  She asked me to come to her home and showed me the chair and said, "I love the chair but it doesn't look right in this room.  What's wrong?" 

I looked around the room and had to agree that the chair looked lost.  What my friend needed to do to incorporate the chair into the room was to add more touches of red as an accent color randomly throughout the room without overpowering it.  By doing so the chair easily became part of the room as there now was a sense of balance and harmony. Try this if you have something of color which you want to blend into a room. Take one of the colors in a piece of fabric, art work, or a rug and use it as your primary accent color.  Use accent pieces in this color and intersperse them throughout the room.  You'll be amazed at the effect you have created.  Take a look at the following pictures from House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, and Coastal Living which depict color rhythm.

Good rhythming of the yellow

I think this yellow overpowers!

" Color is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment!" - Claude Monet

                                                                                 

The Domain, The Architecture of Bathing (Theme Day: Wood)

This mostly wooden artwork on the shore of Woolloomooloo Bay at the Domain is known as the The Architecture of Bathing by Robyn Decker, created in 1999. The monument reflects upon the cultural attitudes towards bathing in Sydney and also signifies tidal movements and the naval presence across the bay. It is located near the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool and opposite the Woolloomooloo wharf and Garden Island dockyards. A bathing machine was part of the attraction of the first ladies' baths which opened in this area in 1833 by Mrs Biggs, who was the wife of Governor Macquarie's coachman. The plaque reads: "The Woolloomooloo Bay shoreline has a long association with bathing. It is reported to have been used by the Cattigal people prior to and after European settlement and it is along this shore that Sydney's first baths were built. The Woolloomooloo baths nurtured some of Australia's greatest national and Olympic swimming champions. Between 1833 and 1955 this area of the Bay was the site of four separate ladies’ bathing establishments - Mrs Biggs’ Ladies Baths, Robertson's Ladies Floating Baths, the Corporation Ladies Baths and finally the Domain Baths for Ladies. This artwork traces the perimeter of the former Domain Baths for Ladies. The elements form a collage ... a floating jetty evokes the memory of the boardwalk and marks tidal changes ... a concrete path defines the poolside deck and changing cubicles ... a bathing machine is evoked by the stair, cage and portal frame to represent the closeted space of expected modesty associated with the early days of bathing...the portal frame of the bathing machine signals across the bay via the obsolete language of Morse code".
The message flashed in morse code and in print on the deck is: "Mrs Biggs even had a bathing machine to attract ladies".

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants of this theme day

What do you do when you can't pay your bills

Life has hit many of my friends and even us. My husband has not had a job since November 7, 2008, and we are still standing, making it as we go along.

Here are some things that have helped us:

Cut Budget (big time cut)
We have drastically cut our budget to only our needs and gotten rid of our wants. I know you are all thinking internet you still have it. To that I reply we do, it is our only entertainment and my husband goes to school online so we have to keep it. It is also good for job searching and our children with their school work. It would probably be one of the last items we would ever cut.

Prioritize your bills
Oh I don't care to write that at all because all bills should be a priority but the reality for some is that they just can not make the payment on all of them every month. If that is the case please get a hold of the bill holder and let them know. I have heard some of them are really generous and will work with you as long as you keep whatever arrangements are made to catch the bills up.

Increase money coming in
This is sometimes hard to do and I am the first one to agree with that. I am a homeschooling mom who has the pleasure of looking after other people's children while they are working outside the home. I do this to help my family and because I love the children and it allows me to homeschool my own child while blessing others. I know this line of work is not for everyone but I do find it very rewarding.

Baby it's cold outside!

Here are some random pictures from my Saturday....

Our razorback welcoming visitors has a slight drooling problem....


My mother-in-law threw out birdseed because it is hard for the birds to find food when everything freezes over. It was fun to watch the birds.


I started decorating my bedroom a bit. Here is a sneak peek:


I've been spending the day with this handsome guy:


Happy Saturday night!

Location:Southwind Cove,Haskell,United States

The Domain, Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool

The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool is a swimming pool in the Domain, located alongside Wolloomooloo Bay in Sydney Harbour. This is the oldest site featuring continuous bathing facilities in Sydney and once known as the Sydney Domain Baths. The baths were rebuilt in 1968 and renamed after Andrew Charlton, known as Boy Charlton, a world champion swimmer and Olympic gold medallist in 1924 and 1932. This pool is one of the places that Sydney's beautiful people come to swim and be seen by other beautiful people. The pool provides spectacular scenic views of Wolloomooloo Bay, Sydney Harbour, Potts Point, Garden Island dockyard and Wolloomooloo wharf.

Click here to view all participants of Scenic Sunday

Snow Day!

The Governor cancelled work for state employees today! I literally jumped on the bed when I saw it on the news reel this morning. Snow dayyyyyy! In high school that meant we drove around in some guy friend's truck, sled down the country club's hills and had way too much fun! As a grown up a snow day means I stay inside, COOK, watch movies, and snuggle with Captain Jack.


I made a spinach, mushroom, onion & cheese quiche. The crust was even flakey.... YUM!



Being lazy for day and getting paid to do it without using a vacation day!

I hope everyone in Arkansas is staying warm and has power! I'm off to make those yummy salmon cakes for dinner.

Location:Southwind Cove,Haskell,United States

Video Tour of the New Kitchen!

"After being closed for three weeks due to construction of the new kitchen, we are up and running again. The kitchen looks fantastic, bright and shiny. We have new appliances, a new dishwasher and a lot more space to work in! All the construction workers did a fantastic job in a short amount of time and we are forever grateful for their hard work. Now we are starting to look forward, anxiously anticipating the restaurant expansion, which will take place once the current Country Store is vacated in July. We can't hardly wait to open these new doors to our customers this coming September!" - Jean, Restaurant Manager

What would a new kitchen be without some new menu items? Beginning in Feburary, we will be offering lunch specials that are as squeaky new as everything else in the kitchen:

Fried Egg and Bacon Sandwich - two fried eggs, thick sliced bacon, lettuce, tomato and American cheese, served on freshly baked sourdough toast.

West Coast Rueben - Boar's Head Ovengold Turkey and Tavern Ham, Swiss cheese and house made coleslaw served on toasted rye bread.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich - A grilled chicken breast topped with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, sweet vinaigrette and pesto mayo.

French Dip Au Jus - Tender roast beef served on a fresh baguette with a side of Au Jus.

Bottomless Bowl of Soup - Thaw out your appetite with homemade soup that keeps coming and coming.

In addition to the new lunch specials, we are also offering daily Construction Deals, available to you, as well as the construction crew:

Mondays - FREE Drink with Lunch Special

Tuesdays - $1 Appetizer with Meal

Wednesdays - $1 Dessert with Meal

Thursdays - FREE Soup or Salad with Lunch Special

Fridays - FREE Drink with Lunch Special

Keeping true to Eckert tradition, the Country Restaurant isn't just about dining, but creating memories, which is why we offer various special events:

February 8th and 22nd - Bunko at 6:30pm

February 12th - Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at 6pm (reservations required)

February 14th - Valentine's Breakfast with Your Sweetheart

If you have any questions or would like to make reservations, please call the Country Restaurant at (618) 233-0513 x3. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!

Bring this posting to the Country Restaurant and receive a FREE entree, when you purchase an entree at regular menu price. Offer valid through January 31, 2010. Not valid with any other offer. Limit one coupon per customer per table.

The Domain, Sydney Festival

This stage at the Domain is set up for various events during the Sydney Festival held annualy in January. It looks a bit quiet here on a weekday but on weekends the stage comes alive with performers and the place is absolutely buzzing with crowds attending free concert events such as Symphony in the Domain, Opera in the Domain and Jazz in the Domain.

The Stage Is Set!

 

My associate, Sandra Millis from Southern Comfort Redesign and Home Staging, and I  completed our Orange Park, Fl. staging today. Our challenge was to bring this 1980 condo into 2010 design. We had asked the seller to leave us one old Queen Ann - style chair and the bottom chests of two old bookcases and to remove the old couch, tables, and lamps.  It's always good to leave some furniture behind so you don't have to purchase it. As you can see from the before and after shots, we transformed the old chair with a rich brown colored  throw draped over it and a pillow perched in the center to disguise how badly worn the chair was.  We used two trunks as a side table to create a "different" look.  The screen behind the chair creates interest by adding an unexpected "pop" of black.  It grounds the room. The small area rug under the chair further defines the look.  In the far corner, a large fica tree enhances the ambience of the vignette. 

On the other side of the living room, we pushed the two old chests together and arranged a brown table scarf with light turquoise designs over them.  A piece of artwork with a hint of animal print was placed on the wall.  We then added a large glass vase with rocks to the chests.  To really pop it, we accented the animal print in the artwork with animal print candlesticks holding teal candles.  Look at all of the different textures we added to this room - wool, wood, glass, greenery, rocks.  To enhance the candles I even went back and added some Spanish moss underneath them.  We used animal prints and the colors brown and teal to bring the room into 2010 since these colors and prints are reflective of this year's trends.  The old tv, and table, and cork board were removed.

What do you think of this transformation?  Did we meet our challenge?

Eucharistic Prayer as Poetry, Friday TwoFer

For Friday, two options to choose from. Here's the end of Eucharistic Prayer II:

Remember our brothers and sisters
who have gone to their rest
in the hope of rising again;
bring them and all the departed
into the light of your presence.
Have mercy on us all;
make us worthy to share eternal life
with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God,
with the apostles, and with all the saints
who have done your will throughout the ages.
May we praise you in union with them,
and give you glory
through your Son, Jesus Christ.

And here's a lovely version of this section used in Masses of the dead from Eucharistic Prayer III:

Remember ____.
In baptism, he/she died with Christ:
may he/she also share his resurrection,
when Christ will raise our mortal bodies
and make them like his own in glory.

Welcome into your kingdom our departed brothers and sisters,
and all who have left this world in your friendship.
There we hope to share in your glory
when every tear will be wiped away.
On that day we shall see you, our God, as you are.

We shall become like you
and praise you for ever through Christ our Lord,
from whom all good things come.

Isn't that nice?

Over the weekend I'm going to post a couple parts of Eucharistic Prayer III that I skipped. And as we go forward, I'll try to insert little bits from other Eucharistic prayers at the bottom of posts. Hope it's been rewarding to sit and pray with them a little bit.

Motivate Me Please!

Need some motivation to eat healthy and work out?

Fit Sugar has it all. I love this quote they had up the other day:

"I don't love broccoli, and I don't love the treadmill,

 but I love the way I feel when I'm healthy and strong.

It empowers me in all facets of my life. So remember,

that although something may not be fun in the moment,

remind yourself of the ultimate reward, and allow that

to motivate you through the tough times. "

-Jillian Michaels

I check it everyday. Because I need a smidge of encouragement to go to the gym, sweat as much as possible and not eat the free donut in the break room.

Opera House and Harbour Bridge

The Opera House and Harbour Bridge are the two best recognised and most photographed landmarks in Sydney. I captured them here last week as I was walking along the foreshore of Sydney Harbour beside the Royal Botanical Gardens, near Mrs Macquaries Point. It was a beautiful sunny day with only a hint of clouds in the sky.

Click here to view all participants of Skywatch Friday

Afghanistan conference eyes Taliban plan

London plays host Thursday to a crucial day-long international conference to chart the future of war-torn Afghanistan.

A central focus of the summit is a $500 million pay-for-peace proposal to bring Taliban fighters into the civilian fold if they promise to renounce violence.

The conference, which gathers more than 60 countries and organizations, reflects the urgency of international powers to find ways to strengthen the Afghan government in the face of a persistent Taliban and al Qaeda insurgency.

It is co-hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Sworn in after a fraud-marred presidential election last year, Karzai vowed to tackle corruption and said he expected the country's security to be wholly in the hands of Afghan army and police by 2014.

The United States has said it wants to start bringing American troops home by 2011.

"Tomorrow's conference on Afghanistan comes at a critical moment," Ban told reporters Wednesday at U.N. headquarters in New York before leaving for London.

"The Afghan people want a larger say in their future. ... At the same time, Afghans need to know that the international community will support them, over the long term, in building their institutions of government."

Ban has named a veteran Swedish diplomat, Staffan de Mistura, as the new top U.N. official in Afghanistan. De Mistura, who begins his stint on March 1, was a former U.N. representative in Iraq.

At Thursday's summit, Karzai is expected to ask for $500 million for an initiative to offer jobs and homes to moderate Taliban fighters, helping them return to civilian life.

Ban has said he supports the plan, and Afghanistan's major international donors are expected to pledge the money.

A "thing to watch is whether or not President Karzai and we can come up with a program for reintegration of those lower-level Taliban, which will chip away at the power of the Taliban and help to support the efforts of the Afghan security forces," said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat from Michigan and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who just returned from Afghanistan.

U.S. commanders acknowledge the need to bring at least some lower-level Taliban leaders into the political and social fabric of Afghanistan.

When asked whether the Taliban could play a role in the future of Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander there, said, "I think any Afghans can play a role if they focus on the future, and not the past."

U.S. military intelligence estimates that the Taliban now has shadow governments in 33 of 34 provinces, raising questions about whether insurgents will be motivated to reintegrate.

In a statement addressing the conference, the Taliban said the West has held conferences in the past to discuss Afghanistan's future, but there is only one solution to end the conflict: withdrawal.

"It is a matter of great sorrow that the invaders led by U.S.A. are bent on sticking to the military approach of the issue," the statement said.

"We want to say clearly, if the invaders want to save themselves from further financial and life losses, they should not deceive their people by illusory plans and strategies, nor they should waste time on them, or make our people face further sufferings and problems. They should accept the solution put forward by the Islamic Emirate, which is the full withdrawal of the invading forces from our country."

A second major gathering is expected to take place in a few months in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.

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Eucharistic Prayer as Poetry, Day Three

[For Losties: At Pop Culture Priest today, a tongue-in-cheek Lost timeline.]

I'm going to skip the institution narrative for now -- and the reason I do is because by and large this is the part of the eucharistic prayer that stands out. It's got a story, there's choreography, it's liturgically very significant -- you might not be able to recite the words from memory, but you could tell me exactly what's happening there.

So we'll come back to that later. Here's what follows the institution narrative -- and this time, I'm drawing on Eucharistic Prayer 1 (I thought I'd mix it up a bit, just to give a taste of a different version.)

In memory of his death and resurrection,
we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread,
this saving cup.
We thank you for counting us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ
be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, remember your church throughout the world;
make us grow in love,
together with ___ our Pope,
___ our bishop, and all the clergy.

Every time I read this section what touches me most deeply is that hunger that we all might be one in some way, that our divisions won't defeat us, and that together we might grow in love. Above all I love that phrase -- "make us grow in love."

Try reading it to yourself a bit, see what affects you.

Why should it be always Eagles and Maple Leaves?

My last two investments on bullion market didn’t yield the desired results but still, that was my desire only whereas the result was as expected and predicted by gold investment experts.

My husband has strictly instructed me to keep buying gold coins whenever there is a slump in the gold bullion market price. Even when there was a boom in the oil market, he advised me strongly against investing in it or in any other commodity.

What would a typically obedient Indian wife do but to curb her instincts and obey the lord of the house?

But again, like all other ladies, I too stood to gain by not exercising my freedom. After all, the lord of my house has been proving his wisdom in financial matters of my house.

The one thing that I want to add to my collection of gold coins (hey, I have only a fistful; don’t imagine otherwise) is Chinese Gold Panda, that is sold slightly higher than the other gold coins.

Why should it be always Eagles and Maple Leaves?

Outfit Post

Trish asked where I got this outfit... You really wanna know? Okay...

The animal print top is actually a dress. However, I don't think I should wear it as a dress. Enuf said! Actually I buy "dresses" a lot and wear them as tunic-shirts just by putting a belt with it. Either I have a very long torso or they are making clothes for short people these days. Maybe both! And I'm not even that tall.

The pants are the best thing ever. I paid about $120 for them 2 years ago because I had a gift card to Dillards. They are "DKNY Jeans" brand, but they're not jeans. They are that spandexy, work pant material. But they STRETCH!!!! I wear them a lot. Mostly because they make my fat legs look half way presentable.

Here are the pants again today with a sweaterish tunic and flats:

 I keep my clothes FOREVER [as my friends can atest to]. Since my body doesn't really change in size anymore, I know that if I spend $120 on a pair of pants I will still have them in 2 years. And  because life is darn expensive I am pretty frugale with my clothing purchases! I better really like something to spend my grocery money it! haha. Just kidding Kent. I've never done that...  

Working 9 to 5

Or in my case, working 7:30 to 4. I spend a lot of time at work, so I thought it would be fun to show you what my office looks like. I loved when my friend Amber showed us her work space the other day. You know how you have a picture in your mind of what someone's work looks like? But you never really know what it actually looks like? Well, get ready, you get my work space AND ME! haha.

I work at the Capitol... everyone knows what that looks like [I hope!].

Where I sit:

Where other people sit when they come visit me:

My view of Little Rock:

And that's it.

Woolloomooloo, wharf

The Wolloomooloo Wharf, also known as the Finger Wharf, was originally completed in 1915. Situated in Wolloomooloo Bay, it was a working wharf until the 1970s when container ports and airports reduced the need for wharves. In the 1990s it was redeveloped into a hotel, apartments, restaurants and a marina. Additional apartments built at the end of the wharf are some of the most expensive in Sydney. The name Woolloomooloo was adopted from an old homestead located here but there is some dispute about which Aboriginal word the name was derived from, Wallamullah meaning 'place of plenty' or Wallabahmullah meaning a 'young black kangaroo'.

Sri Lankan president leads in early results

Sri Lanka's president took a strong lead in early returns on Wednesday, but his main challenger said he feared arrest after troops surrounded the hotel where he and other opposition leaders were staying.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa led with 1.51 million votes against 983,022 for his former army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, with results from about a quarter of the votes cast in Sri Lanka's first post-war presidential poll officially released.

The two war victors turned to foes in a bloody campaign that culminated in a largely peaceful election on Tuesday, with independent observers putting turnout at between 70 and 80 percent of the Indian Ocean island's 14 million registered voters.

Fonseka, a political neophyte, delivered an election day shock by admitting he was not registered to vote. Rajapaksa's camp said it would challenge his eligibility after the Election Commission said that it did not disqualify him.

"The legal people are looking at it, but it may be only of academic interest if he loses," Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal told Reuters.

As the results came in, Rajapaksa's supporters lit celebratory firecrackers in the capital, Colombo.

The military intrigue built after a surprisingly close and bitter contest between two estranged allies who led Sri Lanka to victory over the Tamil Tiger separatists in May, after a 25-year civil war many had deemed unwinnable.

HOTEL SURROUNDED

Early on Wednesday, Fonseka said soldiers had surrounded the Cinnamon Lakeside hotel in Colombo where he was staying with former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the official opposition leader, and other opposition party heads.

"These people have surrounded the hotel with military and threatened my security people," Fonseka told Reuters by phone. "They had a plan to surround us and take us into custody and I don't know if this is that phase of that particular operation."

A Reuters reporter saw several hundred soldiers including commandos posted outside the hotel after blocking the road in front.

A military spokesman had no comment, but a senior military source and a top presidential aide said Fonseka had been put under watch to ensure he did not attempt to organise a coup with loyalists from an army he commanded just eight months ago. Fonseka in the final days of the campaign said the government had plans to either steal the vote or arrest him should he win. The government laughed it off, saying Rajapaksa would win the race cleanly and had no need to cheat.

The general on Tuesday said he expected to win by a million votes, but he did not even win his home electorate of Ambalangoda, tallying just 35.9 percent to Rajapaksa's 62.7 percent.

Rajapaksa called the poll two years early, hoping to capitalise on his post-war popularity to win a second six-year term to cement his legacy.

Fonseka as army commander ran a relentless counterinsurgency campaign to crush the Tigers, while Rajapaksa deflected an international push for a ceasefire and criticism over civilian deaths that prompted calls for a war crimes probe.

Whoever wins will take the reins of a $40 billion economy which has enjoyed a partial peace dividend, and is on the path to recovery with big Chinese and Indian investments into infrastructure and plans to put $4 billion into development.

Foreign investors have put more than $1.5 billion into government securities, and the Colombo Stock Exchange .CSE, turned in one of 2009's best returns at 125 percent.

Both Rajapaksa and Fonseka have pledged to dole out costly subsidies and public sector pay rises, which economists say will make it hard for Sri Lanka to meet its cost-cutting obligations under a $2.6 billion International Monetary Fund loan.

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Spice up your dining room decor with stylish dining set!!

Whether you are entertaining your guests or simply enjoying a meal with your family, you will definitely need a dining set. Your dining room decor should be attractive and welcoming. A dining table set can either be placed in kitchen or dining room. Usually a set will come with two to eight chairs and a table.

There are many types and styles of dining sets available in market. The most common styles are square, rectangular, round or oval. If you are going for a more modern look, then you should buy fresh recent designs, like metal or glass table. All time favorite type is wood. You can find a huge variety of home furniture, when you shop on Internet. If you are buying your dining set online, be sure to see that your set is of right quality before you buy. Always compare prices between sites you browse, so that you can find a reasonable price.

Ponderosa Dining Set: Its durable wood construction ensures you a endless use. Upholstered seat cushions and crisscross back slats offer constant comfort. This 7-piece set includes one table & 6 chairs. Measurement of Table is 30"H x 42"W x 42"D. Table is made of wood and chairs used wood/cotton/polyurethane materials. Removable table leaf accommodates various party sizes. You can buy this piece for $974.99 at Kohls.com.

One major change seen in recent times is increased use of glass furniture. Glass adds glamor and sophistication to room. The main benefit of glass furniture is ease of cleaning and almost spotless performance year after year.

Purchasing right dining sets requires careful research and proper comparisons between many products. Online shopping can save your time and money, as well as provide you with most appropriate dining sets for your home.

The Eucharistic Prayer as Poetry: Day Two

After the preface, Eucharistic Prayer III begins with creation praising God, and God gathering.

Father, you are holy indeed,
and all creation rightly gives you praise.
All life, all holiness comes from you
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit.
From age to age you gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting
a perfect offering may be made
to the glory of your name.

All creation giving God praise is a great example of an abstract image that invites you to make it concrete and personal. For me, praise entails not only offers conscious thanks to God, but living your life to the fullest, savoring the world in all its wonders, laughing, playing, striving. I imagine sitting before the ocean on a red sand beach; watching my nieces paint ornaments at Christmas; listening to the song of birds as the sun sets; dinner with friends; a Verdi or Puccini opera; celebrating Mass; working hard; writing stories.

What does "the praise of creation" look like to you? If you have some time today, take a few moments to recall a few of those experiences and savor them once again.

7 Days to LOST!

Ok, we interrupt this blog to inform you that the final season of LOST begins in 7 days. If you're into LOST, check out my pop culture blog (Pop Culture Priest) for some musings on the coming final season...

Valentine

Valentine

Valentine Day