Polls, Princesses and Polyglots!

Princess Aniela Radziwill

Our last poll was about Disney Princesses.  Voting was split evenly between Cinderella, Merida and Elsa (with one each).  I think I forgot to vote.  I vote, Jasmine.

I hope this next poll gets a bit more action than the princesses did, so to speak.  I'm taking a different tack entirely.  How many of you out there speak any languages besides English?

If you are capable of having a light conversation with someone or at least ordering food entirely in that language it counts.  You don't have to be a UN translator, but just taking it in high school for two years probably doesn't count.

FYI, the photo is from a Princess Poll (or rather a Pole Princess as in Polish).  According to Arrayed in Gold, Princess Aniela Radziwill was born on 3 October 1781 in Vienna, the eldest daughter of prominent Polish-Lithuanian nobleman Michał Hieronim Radziwiłł and Helena Przeździecka.  I'll bet she was a polyglot.

Καλό Μήνα, Λιοντάρι

Not Simba nor Nala

Happy new month, lion.

March is in like a lamb, out like a lion.  I've also heard, in like a lion, our like a lamb.  This is the lionest March 1st that I can remember.

Our last poll was what kind of Christmas tree do you have.  3 respondents said inorganic (aka artificial), 1 said organic (sometimes known as live even though it is cut down and dead) and 1 said other.  Since I also had a "None" choice I'm guessing the "Other" was a holy-gram or something else virtual.

My new post is based on something that one of my daughters pointed out to me, a video about the Disney Princesses.  I posted my opinion about the video, but here I thought I'd ask, in the name of my three Mundelein Princesses, who is your favorite Disney Princess?

(Possibly) First Ever Flowers of Mundelein Poll!

Kicked to the curb

I don't remember ever doing a poll here before so this may be the very first.

We are struggling to get Christmas packed up here at our house (in fact that's what I should be doing rather than writing this blog post).

It got me to thinking, what kind of trees do ya'll use (I think, "Ya'll" is a perfectly good word to use that helps distinguish between you (singular) and you (plural) and I support its use, even north of the Mason Dixon line)?

You can answer in the poll over on the right column.  If you want to talk about it, you can add a comment to this lil' ole post (grr, I gots to talkin' in Southern n' I jus' kent stop muself).

Enjoy!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Almost all the flowers got together on the actual Turkey Day to celebrate Thanksgiving and for Petunia's Christening.

Gardenia and I went shopping Friday. Then all the Mundelein Flowers went to Uncle Sweet Pea's annual After Thanksgiving Pancake Breakfast.

Sunday and today we are putting up Christmas decorations. Everything is going according to plan except it started snowing yesterday and it's still snowing. I can't put up the outside decorations. Curses!

This is the place you can comment on my poll. What is your favorite Christmas Movie. Mine's It's a Wonderful Life.

What Did You Give Up for Lent?

What did you give up for Lent? I have a poll going with some of the more common and more unusual things. Please vote and leave a comment.

When I was in Afghanistan, I figured I had already given up enough so I just made a commitment to go to Mass every Friday. Trouble was the priest wasn't available for most of Lent so I satisfied myself with doing a rosary each Friday. I had just learned to do the rosary while in Afghanistan anyway.

I was going to do the same thing this year, but I'm pretty sure the priest will be available this time. I got a late start because Greek Easter this year is 27 April, more than a month after "regular" Easter (23 March) and I'm all messed up. My Fridays have been messed up as well so I've decided to read the mass readings everyday instead.

What are you giving up or doing extra?

I've recently heard a lot of people who are trying to do something extra instead of giving something up.

Do you think abstaining from something or making an extra effort is better? Is the whole thing a waste of time?

I think it's useful either way. It makes you stop and think, which is; I believe the real value in not eating meat on Fridays during Lent. It makes you alter your regular daily routine and examine what you are doing and why. It gets to psyche and who we are really. I think it's valuable even for non-Catholics.

The Greek Orthodox and presumably all Eastern Orthodox observe Lent slightly differently. Firstly, it starts on a Sunday, not a Wednesday. Also, they abstain from all meat AND dairy products on Wednesdays and Fridays for all of Lent. They call this abstinence, "fasting." During Holy Week (the week from Palm Sunday until Easter) they "fast" every day. They don't give up anything else, but I think the reminder and the chance to think about things greater than the everyday is still there.

For those of you who don't know, Catholics start Lent on Ash Wednesday and it runs until Easter. You are supposed to give something up (traditionally) and you are required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. You are also required to fast (as in not eat more than one meal) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

I would be very interested in unusual Lenten observations (like giving up dancing at clubs, which an employee of mine vows each year and then can't seem to keep it) and the number of people that choose what I think are the most common items to give up. Please leave comments and vote on the poll.

Schools Back, Soon

I've been quiet here, but soon school will begin again and I should have loads to talk about.

That's what the new poll is about, Christmas break and the impending resumption of school.

Our last poll only got two votes for what you got for Christmas. Come on, we can do better than that!

New Christmas Poll

Our last poll ended with four votes for photo cards and one vote for other (I wonder what the other was).

Our new poll is about Christmas gifts. I think the poll is pretty self-explanitory, but if you have any questions just drop us a comment here.

I have put the deadline after the new year, becasue Granny Begonia is holding "Christmas" on New Year's Day this year.

You can chose more than one.

Ice? Day and New Poll

No school, no concert, no nothing today. It was all called off because of the ice storm they expected that never really came.

We had work of course, that never changes, we always have work.

The Christmas wish list poll is over. Only three people voted. Electronics got three votes and everything else got one vote each. I hope everybody gets what they want.

New poll, what do you send out at Christmas time?

Granny Begonia (I gotta call you Granny, I'm calling Dad Pansy) sends out a typed letter (same one to everyone) along with a photo of sister Lavender.

My sister-in-law Daffodil's parents send out a similar letter with no photo.

We from Mundelein send out a photo card and have this little ole blog.

What do you send out?