Heartfelt prayers

The news is sad this week. My prayers continue to go out to those in Oslo who lost family or friends on Friday.  How shocking, this brutal act of violence in a peaceful country.  May God bring comfort somehow as mourners remember those they've lost.

Also, to the family of Amy Winehouse, prayers for you in your loss.  Tragic to lose such a gifted young person, for any reason. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Locals Cook Up Texas Barbeque!

You wouldn't expect to find Texas barbeque in Massachusetts, but The Texas BBQ Company in Northborough is the real thing!  I should know, as my husband and I are both native Texans who have been eating barbeque all our lives.  Turns out the owners of Texas BBQ are from Texas as well, and they know what they're doing in the kitchen.

Lots of people think of ribs when they think "barbeque," but I've always felt the real test of a barbeque joint is how they do with a Chopped Beef Sandwich.  This a Texas staple, made from smoked beef brisket, finely chopped and covered with a rich barbeque sauce. Back home, we add onions, pickles and jalapenos for the ultimate in barbeque flavor.  The folks at Texas BBQ are highly accomodating, and will gladly bring the trimmings upon request.  The potato salad is outstanding, and the BBQ sauce is perfect.  Not too sweet, but thick enough to stay on a bun, and seasoned with just the right amount of Texas spices.  And guess what, the ribs are pretty great too!  All in all, it's just the ticket if you're craving Southern barbeque tonight!

The Texas BBQ Company is at 309 Main Street in Northborough.  Enjoy, y'all!

No Man Is an Island

I know I'm a little behind, but last night I watched The Social Network for the first time.  Like everyone else, I was struck by the unbelievable selfishness and arrogance of the main character.  The constant over-the-top partying also got wore thin, but it's what people tend to do when their lives have no meaning.  I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg, but if so, I can only pity him.  Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook.  He's now a billionare, and and famous the world over.  Time Magazine awarded him Man of the Year.  He has everything one could want.  Except people to share his life with. True, he was (is) brilliant, but his ego and ambition took up every frame of the film.  He drove away every friend he had except those who were using him.  Relationships are what matter, and he screwed over every person in his life in his rise to the top.  I wonder if he'd change anything if he had it to do over. 

The film ends with a scene of him sitting alone in an office, friending his former girlfriend over and over, a request which we know will be ignored.  It's the saddest movie I've seen in a long time.

New Day, New Blog

Life in a Body.  Is there any other way? Everything we experience -- joy, happiness, love, pain, passion -- happens to us in and through a body.  Including our spirituality.

For years I thought my spiritual life should be on a higher plane, separate from my ordinary, daily life. What I didn't see was that my day to day, messy life had much to teach me about faith.

If I have a favorite quote, it's this:  "God comes to us, disguised as our life." -- Paula D'Arcy

I only hope I have eyes to see.