Answer Me This . . . of Boggarts and Barbies (and Pageviews and Palm Sunday)

by | Apr 13, 2014 | Answer Me This, April, Liturgical Year | 15 comments

Updated! (now even MORE stuff at the bottom)

Welcome to Answer Me This, a new Sunday link-up here at Catholic All Year.

If you missed the big introduction post, here’s a quick recap of the rules: I ask you questions, you answer them. You can answer in the comments, or if you’ve got a blog, you can answer on your blog and link it up. The link-up will be live through Wednesday at 10am.

1. What time do you prefer to go to Mass?

I’ve been all over on this one. I spent some time as a 5:30pm Sunday happy clapper, then as a 7:30am Sunday, “I’ve got kids, can we just get this over-with-er.” But now, I’m a leisurely breakfast Sunday morning, then to 10:30am-type.

It’s been good for me to give over the hopes of accomplishing things on Sunday in favor of family time and focusing our day on the Mass.

2. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

I get cold very easily, and don’t like it. I much prefer hot weather.

The husband, of course, is the opposite. In the wintertime, he’ll go to sleep in shorts and a t-shirt, and I’ll be wearing a flannel granny nightgown and wool socks and I get the whole comforter, doubled over on my side. Because he doesn’t want it, but I do!

3. How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?

I have one lovely sister, three years my junior, who lives with her husband and two daughters in Ames, Iowa.

4. If you were faced with a boggart, what would it turn into?

Well, I really can’t imagine anything worse than what it does to Molly Weasley. But that’s not, um, any fun . . . soooooo . . . 

I’m scared of being lost, and of letting people down, but I can’t see how it would turn into that . . .

Let’s say labor and delivery nurses. Although, really I’m more infuriated than scared by them.

5. Barbie: thumbs up or thumbs down?

If we’re talking me as a child, thumbs up. Waaaaay up. Barbie was my thing. I had many, and a lovely three-story house that my dad built and my mom decorated. It had little photographs of my mom and dad and sister and I along the stairs, made from proof-sheets (remember those?). 

My sister liked to PLAY Barbies, but I really didn’t, I liked to carefully set them all up at a dinner party, or a wedding, or a barbecue, then stand guard lest my sister attempt to play with them.

For my daughters? Meh. It seems like when I was a kid, Barbie wanted to be a veterinarian, and the president, and get married. And these days she wants to be a “popstar” and a “fashionista,” and become a fairy mermaid.

Which doesn’t seem like progress.

Here is 90’s veterinarian Barbie on the left (Although my prime Barbie-dom was the 80s), next to her modern-day counterpart (who moonlights as a diner waitress, I guess?):

I don’t have much experience with vets. Is this how they’re dressing these days?

My girls have a great castle setup down at my parents’ house, and a fair number of Disney princess Barbies, along with their respective princes. But Betty really likes American Girl-type dolls the best, and Anita loves her baby dolls.

6. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say?

People ask me for advice all the time. But usually it’s pretty specific.

RANDOM advice? Not that’s fun.

I will share with you the best advice I have received from each of my grandmothers, and some excellent advice I received just today from a random pre-schooler at the park.

From MamaBet: “Never refuse a breath mint.”

We interrupt this post to point your attention to the sidebar ===>

That’s a lot of pageviews. Thanks guys. And now back to your regularly scheduled blog post . . . 

From Nini: “Buy jewelry on vacation instead of souvenirs, and you’ll be able to keep it for the rest of your life.”

From random pre-schooler running down the grassy hill at the park: “You better watch out for pooooooooop!”

—————————

Happy Palm Sunday!

Lacy at Catholic Icing has some ideas for what to do with your Blessed Palm.

And Tracy at A Slice of Smith Life burns hers, then GROWS EASTER GRASS on top of it. Brilliant. How cool would it be to grow real grass in Easter baskets?! 

We tend to go the Palm Frond = Lightsaber route around here. Then they get tucked someplace or other.

Just don’t throw them away. Because they are blessed.

———————————

The winner of Gus’ Confession Book giveaway (a signed copy of the book and a confession checklist notepad) is . . . 

Bethany Sonnier for
Two muffins are baking in an oven. One turns to the other and says “Wow, it’s getting hot in here.” The other one says “Ahhh! A talking muffin!” 
Congratulations on your first confession!

and honorable mentions (a confession checklist notepad) go to . . . 

Amelia Bentrup for
Gus: What animal cheats during tests?
– A cheetah! 🙂

and Betsy for
What kind of cheese isn’t yours?
Nacho cheese!

Send me an email with your address!

And thanks to everyone who participated! We LOVED all the jokes!

———————————

And here are the questions for next week, which, of course, is Easter Sunday. But you have until Wednesday to link up, so take your time.

1. What did you and your family wear to Mass on Easter Sunday?

2. Easter Bunny: thumbs up or thumbs down?

3. Do you prefer to celebrate holidays at your own house or at someone else’s house?

4. What is your favorite kind of candy?

5. Do you like video games?

6. Do you speak another language?

By the way, how do you feel about this time for the link-up to start? I thought I’d wait to open the link-up until late morning here in case anyone wants to include What I Wore Sunday, as I sometimes do. But do you prefer the Midnight central of 7QT? 


Arg. Even at 10am, I’m not going to get my WIRS photos up befoe Mass. So if you like that sort of thing, check back around 1pm Pacific.

———————————–


Here’s What I Wore Sunday!

and what we did with our palms . . .

now we’re off to burn last years’. 

Check our other Palm Sunday best at Fine Linen and Purple.

15 Comments

  1. Amelia Bentrup

    I like it when bloggers who host link-ups put them up the night before, so the link-up is ready whenever I finish my post. I usually finish my WIWS post sometime between 11-2 (depending on what time we go to Mass) and I like to just put everything up at once. But, it really doesn't matter, just do what's best for you. Although 1 PM Pacific is 4 PM for those of us in EST, but you should still do what works best for you.

  2. Erica Saint

    Yes, do what works best for you.
    I will probably combine AMT and WIWS, so I will not be able to post until afternoon on Sunday or Monday morning.

    I love your outfit! Very pretty! And Lulu is so cute!

    I do that with our palms, too. I have many years worth in our vase. It is getting full.
    🙂

  3. E

    Just putting my answers here:
    1. What time do you prefer to go to Mass? We prefer to go to 10 AM High Mass at our FSSP parish. But sometimes we go to our diocesan parish at 8 AM.

    2. Would you rather be too hot or too cold? Cold, I can bundle up and don't have that option when it is hot. 😉

    3. How many brothers and/or sisters do you have? 1 younger sister (by 18 months)

    4. If you were faced with a boggart, what would it turn into? A snake, they freak me out!

    5. Barbie: thumbs up or thumbs down? I played with them growing up, my sister was way more into them and my daughter doesn't have one yet unless you count the Rapunzel *look a like barbie* doll.

    6. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say?
    I'm having a hard time coming up with one piece which is surprising since I am usually so full of advice! Going along with the grandma advice, she says, "You can drink scotch all night and still be a lady." I haven't tried it but it worked for her. 😉

  4. Caron

    I was in Ames on Friday night to see a play. Hope your sister avoided the VEISHEA incidents on Tuesday.

  5. E

    I LOVE the advice for Nini. What a smart lady! Great post! 🙂

  6. Nanacamille

    I have used my mom Nini's advice and collected jewelry for years. It takes up very little room in your suitcase and my granddaughters are all set for the future. I especially like to buy it where you can bargain. You and Louise look lovely. We got all dressed up for mass any then came home and changed clothes to work in the yard on a beautiful day.

  7. Annery

    Ames is near my neck of the woods on the IL/IA border of the Mississippi 🙂 I love the jewelry advice!

  8. Anonymous

    Fun! I wouldn't mind it being available earlier. I actually had it finished on Saturday night, but never had the time on Sunday to finish attaching the links, etc. People can always update for WIWS. But whatever you decide will be dandy; I'm sure of it.

  9. Carolyn_Svellinger

    Ah I loved this post. I busted out laughing at Dr. Evil's meme (congratulations!), and I think the little saints print outs are adorable! Resourceful, friend. I'll keep yeh.

  10. Adrie @ A Little Wife's Happy Life

    My grandma does the "Palms into crosses" thing, and sends them to all the grandkids in our Easter cards. I always look forward to getting my Palm cross… maybe I should learn how to make them someday…

    So, my hubby has an app with a Bible verse of the day and Bible joke. Most of the time, the jokes are pretty terrible. Yesterday's was the best, though:

    What's the worst case of constipation in the Bible?
    In Revelation, it says Satan will be bound up for a thousand years!

    It's my favorite joke right now. Just saying.

  11. Carolyn_Svellinger

    AHAHA! I just now finally got a chance to check out the entirety of the saints print outs, and I fist pumped and hollered YES! when I saw BJPII. They're gonna have to change that in like 2 weeks though 🙂

Submit a Comment

Hi! I’m Kendra.

For twenty years now, I’ve been using food, prayer, and conversation based around the liturgical calendar to share the lives of the saints and the beautiful truths and traditions of our Catholic faith. My own ten children, our friends and neighbors, and people just like you have been on this journey with me.

If you’d like to learn more about what Catholics believe and why, and to be inspired by saints from every era all over the world, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of how to teach your kids about the faith in a way that’s true, engaging, and lasts a lifetime, we can help!

Contact me at helpdesk@catholicallyear.com

This blog contains affiliate links and sponsored posts, for which I receive a commission. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.