Fonticulus Fides

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Thanks be to God!!!

My in-laws were in the car, driving to the appointment to receive their first rabies shots this morning, when they got a long-distance call on their cell phone: the bat tested negative for rabies! So, no shots, and they are very grateful. Hurray!

--Sparki

P.S. to the Lord God Almighty: Ummmm...we still need somebody to buy our old house. In case there's another prayer from us You want to answer today...

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Please pray for my possibly rabid in-laws...

Okay, I really shouldn't joke about this. My in-laws, whom I love dearly, awoke to a bat in their room the other night. Groggy with sleep, my father-in-law made the heroic but poor choice to save his wife by waving his t-shirt at the air to scare the bat out of the room. This made the bat fly lower and lower (to get away from the t-shirt), and my father-in-law ended up battling it and killing it, but not before getting bit on the hand.

The corpse has been sent in for testing, as 10% of bats prove to be rabid. However, my in-laws' physician has recommended them to start rabies shots anyway. Yes, both of them. Bats can leave small bites that aren't felt by a sleeping person.

They are miserable at the prospects of getting these notoriously painful shots. And their pocketbooks are groaning as well, since the shot series costs something like $2,800 per person. Hopefully, the bat will test negative for rabies and they won't have to complete the entire series, but still.

By the way, if you ever awaken to a bat in your bedroom, or if you come across a bat in your home, here's the protocol.

1. Don't swing anything at the bat, because it will scare the animal into flying at a lower altitude. Not a pillow, not a net, not a bat, not your t-shirt, not anything.

2. Quickly close off the windows, closets and doors, exiting the room. Stuff the crack under the door with a towel so the bat can't get out.

3. Immediately call animal control to have somebody fetch the bat. Where I live, they'll come out even if the office is official closed because of the potential for rabies.

4. If you or anybody else was asleep in the room, there is a chance the bat bit, so the bat MUST be tested for rabies. The duration of time this takes varies -- here in Lincoln, the bats have to be sent to Kansas City, so it can take up to a week, maybe even two. Your physician, like my in-laws', may recommend beginning the shots prior to receiving the test results if it's a long wait, but better safe than sorry.

5. If you can't get anybody to come out quickly enough and you feel brave, you can more than likely catch the bat yourself. But only if you don heavy leather gloves, as bats cannot bite through those. No, your Isotoners don't count. You'll also need a plastic container with a secure lid, or a coffee can or something like that. Here's what you do. Put on your gloves, grab your container, and slip carefully, quietly and quickly into the room. Close the door securely behind you. Remain motionless and watch the bat. Bats usually fly in the exact same circular pattern around the room. Just watch it for a minute. If nothing disturbs the bat, it will fly slower and slower. Eventually, when you are confident and the bat is flying slowly enough, you can simply reach up and catch its body as it flies past you. Slip it into the container and secure the lid. Take the container outside and weight down the lid with a heavy object so the bat can't get out. Be sure to turn it into authorities, rather than catching-and-releasing. Or at least ask the authorities what you should do with it. Please do NOT attempt this unless you are the brave sort. It's not something you want to mess around with, or you'll wind up like my father-in-law with a bite on the hand.

Meanwhile, please pray for them!

--Sparki

Deadly Patch

Amy Welborn has the latest on claims that the birth control patch harms women. I knew this was going to happen. Please spread the word to your female friends & relatives. Women need to know the risk, and they're not getting straight information from the manufacturer. Even my own doctor's partner wears a patch (at least she used to). It's DANGEROUS, ladies...

--Sparki

Friday, November 10, 2006

Busy-ness...

Well, last Friday, my husband pulled down the living room ceiling on the new house. It was a nasty dropped ceiling and part of it was droopy, so I don't mind much. The drywaller was in today putting up a new one. Zooey had a stomach ailment yesterday. Tonight it Edyn's preschool "family potluck" and I still have no idea what veggies I am going to be bringing.

There's a lot of painting and moving to do, although we aren't completely changing households this week. Maybe Thanksgiving weekend? I still have yet to open a can of primer, much to my chagrin! So much to do...

I guess it's okay that we haven't had any bids on our old house yet. Two people are CLOSE and one guy said he'd have bought it that minute but he needs to show it to his girlfriend next.

Ack! Look at the time! I'd better run to the grocery store and score some veggies...

--Sparki

Monday, November 06, 2006

The right kind of picky eater

Cousin M, the babysitter, tried to treat the kids to Burger King for lunch last week. My oldest and youngest succumbed to temptation, but Edyn (age 4) steadfastly refused and held out for a late lunch at home.

An indignant Cousin M told me that Edyn had claimed Burger King was made out of camels! So we had to get that worked out.

Mom: Who told you that Burger King had camels in it?

Edyn: Daddy.

Mom: (Glares at Daddy.)

Dad: I never said that! (Thinks for a minute.) Oh, chemicals. She means chemicals.

Mom: Oh! Okay, I can run with that. (Mom explains the difference between camels and chemicals. Has Edyn repeat the word "chemicals" a few times to make sure she can say it. Decides to rehearse this a few more times at given intervals, just in case.)

Sunday afternoon...


Mom: Edyn, why don't you like Burger King food?

Edyn: Because it has chemicals in it.

Mom: Yep, chemicals.

Dad: (Trying to expand the lesson) Why don't you like McDonald's food?

Edyn: Because it's poisonous.

Mom & Dad: (Unsuccessfully attempt to smother their laughter)

Dad: We can't let her go around saying that, because it's not true.

Mom: I dunno...I might be able to make a case for it...


--Sparki

Thursday, November 02, 2006

May God Bless the Poor Souls in Purgatory!

Remember to pray for any of your deceased relatives today, and also for all the poor souls in purgatory who have been forgotten and have nobody to aid them with prayer on their journeys toward heaven.

There is a quaint tradition of preparing a fine meal for supper, setting an extra place setting in remembrance of loved ones passed on, and lighting a candle for each deceased relative you are remembering today. As you light the candles, tell your kids about each one of these relatives, and show them a photo if you have one handy. Then close out your meal with the Prayer after Meals, mentioning each of these relatives by name.

Homeowner x 2

We closed on the new house today, so yes, we now have two homes. A summer home and a winter home, perhaps? Well, we still want to sell the old house as quickly as possible so we only have one, like normal people. The deadline for this (before we fall into dire financial straights) is January 1. So please, God, send us a buyer soon, somebody who wants to move into a new house by Christmas! If they are Catholic, I may even be persuaded to leave my stained glass nativity that fits perfectly into the oval window of the front door...

--Sparki