Notes - clean up / ML / definition issues

         Early in the afternoon. Carol is putting away the Christmas tree decorations – lots of small original storage boxes – this is a slow, deliberate after Xmas (mostly private) ritual for her. Before noon you began your mostly daily exercises of forty minutes or more. Fitbit digitally congratulated you for doing an extra exercise beyond your initial call for five to six this week.

         Later, 1337 hours. The tree is lit and no decorations are left on the tree. Carol has two ream boxes plus packed until late in the year. Later still – the tree and all of its aspects have been put away until December. (1414)

         Mid-afternoon. Carol is still in the process of cleaning, now it’s the dining room and the old Asian trunk in the corner. – Amorella

         1536 hours. Jill was just here the other day, but Carol gets a notion to clean a very nice, relatively large, wicker trunk with brass handles and latch that who-knows-how-long has not been opened. I helped a little then returned to the living room so she can work more efficiently.

         1645 hours. The living room is now clean with no evidence of the Xmas tree, decorations, etc. I should have known this was going to take longer than it appeared.

         Moving towards dusk and Saturday evening and you are indifferent in the moment. – Amorella

         1654 hours. We did have Papa John’s pizza for lunch; most excellent and made locally by Homer himself. Neither of us was ready to go out today (except me for pizza). I’m tired and I’m sure Carol is. Linda just rang and the two are talking. It is a good break for her. She called Gayle and talked this morning. I really don’t know what she and her sisters have to talk about but they come up with something – same was true of Mary Lou too of course. ML called Carol the most often. I miss Carol talking to Mary Lou; she was closer to Carol as they were closer in age – ML was only two years younger and was fun family to be around. She used kid me by saying I was her favorite sister-in-law. She was right. I miss her. When Kim was younger the five of us would drive down to Florida together in the summer. Sharon is the closest Kim has to a sister, genetically at least. The five of us were always traveling together and staying together in their younger days. I always drove (chauffeured) and the four girls would have a good time while traveling together. Sorry you are not here Mary Lou, but like you said more than once, in the cemetery we’ll all be close enough.

         Post. - Amorella

         1823 hours. I just finished reading the December issue of National Geographic. The main article is on “Mary, The Most Powerful Woman in the World”. The subject of “miracles” comes up several times and my curiosity rises on the Catholic Churches’ vetting process to define that a miracle has taken place. On a map within the article –

** **

“Seeing Mary. Starting in the 16^th century, the Roman Catholic Church instituted a strict vetting process for miracles like the 2,000 sightings of the Virgin Mary claimed since AD 40. To be worthy of belief and church support, apparitions must be deemed miraculous with a high degree of certainty and in line with church doctrine, and found to have had a positive impact.”

         [The first of four categories presented: ]

Supernatural – The local bishop or the Vatican finds evidence of the supernatural (the occurrence of a miracle). “

National Geographic, “Mary”, December 2015, p. 40

** **

         1843 hours. How does one come to a high degree of certainty that a miracle is to be accepted with a high degree of factuality?

         Later. – Amorella

         You and Carol watched the fifth episode of “The Man in the High Castle” then watched a BBC production on PBS focusing on “The Queen’s Jubilee”, on the sixtieth year of the reign of Elizabeth II.

         2319 hours. I am neither a theologian nor a Catholic. I have read the definition of “miracle” in the Catholic Encyclopedia. The definition is far too lengthy for my use.

         Use the short definition found in your online Oxford/American. – Amorella

** **

miracle – noun

a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency: the miracle of rising from the grave.

Selected and edited from the Oxford/American software

** **

         2330 hours. My problem here is that I do not know all  natural or scientific law (no one does in my mind) therefore I cannot honestly make a decision on what is the work of a divine agency or not.

         All for tonight, boy. Post. - Amorella