Harry

December 7, 2013
December 7, 2013
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Rich Enough To Have An Indoor Bathroom

OuthouseIn March 1990, I interviewed my grandmother, Cecilia LaHood (Grandma Ceil), for an article I was going to write and distribute at an upcoming 80th birthday party her children were planning for her.  Grandma Ceil’s date of birth was April 15, 1910.  During the interview, Grandma told me that her family lived in three different houses during the first six years of her life.  None of those houses had electricity or hot water.  I recorded the interview and later transcribed what Grandma said.  Here’s what she told me about their fourth home:

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December 6, 2013
December 6, 2013
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Do Catholics Have to Settle for Rags?

Rags To RichesA couple of weeks ago in an article titled “The Danger of Riches,” after considering the words of Jesus that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,” I asked the question, How do you define the word “rich”?

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December 1, 2013
December 1, 2013
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MEDITATIONS FOR ADVENT

Holy FamilyAdvent is now upon us. What is Advent? It’s a time of waiting, a time of preparation — spiritual preparation for the anniversary of the coming of Jesus Christ. Instead of making spiritual preparations during Advent, many of us get caught up in the demands of everyday living. Any extra time that we have is spent on the material preparations that have become an annual tradition, such as buying gifts, decorating our homes and work areas, planning parties, and baking treats.

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November 23, 2013
November 23, 2013
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Protection From A Tornado

TornadoThe recent tornado that ripped through Washington, Illinois, destroyed the home of my office manager, Kenna.  When she heard the sirens and realized what was going on, she barely had enough time to wake her daughter and get her out of bed to run down to the basement of their house.  As soon as they got down the stairs, the tornado took out her daughter’s bedroom and then tore through the rest of the house.  If Kenna had delayed her decision to get her daughter out of bed by five seconds, neither one of them would be alive today.

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November 23, 2013
November 23, 2013
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The Danger of Riches

Monopoly MoneyAt about 1:30 on a Friday afternoon 13 years ago, I took a break from work and sat down to eat a quick lunch.  While I was eating, I glanced through a multipage sales letter I had received from a company I had never heard of.  The owner of the company claimed that he was a multimillionaire, and he was promoting a three-day conference in Las Vegas, where (he promised) he would teach the “secrets” of how to become wealthy.

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November 10, 2013
November 10, 2013
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The New Notre Dame Sports Complex

Sports Complex

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November 2, 2013
November 2, 2013
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Relationships, Familiarity, and Contempt

ContemptAbout 10 years ago, an adorer called our home to let us know that he and his wife were not going to be able to cover their holy hour.  (For the purpose of this article, I’m going to call him Frank.)  At the time of the call, Frank and his wife were in their late 70s.  Since no one was home to answer the telephone, Frank left a message on our answering machine.

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October 30, 2013
October 30, 2013
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Going Shopping At The Nut House

The Nut HouseThere’s a business on Main Street in downtown Peoria, across the street from the courthouse, called The Nut House.  The inside of the business consists of a tiny storeroom that is lined with glass display cases along three sides.  Inside the display cases are numerous trays and jars that contain different types of candy and nuts.  On top of the display cases and on shelves attached to the walls are decorative jars that are also filled with candy and nuts.  There are at least 200 different items on display that a customer can choose from.

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October 26, 2013
October 26, 2013
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The Loss of a Unique Football Coach

Bum PhillipsHave you ever heard of Bum Phillips?  He was the football coach who built the Houston Oilers into one of the top NFL teams in the late 1970s.  Phillips was best known for his larger-than-life, no-nonsense character.  He referred to himself as a “coach, cowboy, and Christian,” and customarily dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, a work shirt, and a white Stetson hat.

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