SERIOUS BUSINESS

Ok, AD asked us to think about ideas for food for the legendary Strayer Christmas Party. Her & I have talked about this idea and we love it - we're making it happen!!

La Familia de Strayer Fiesta de lo Navidad! (my attempt at Espanol). For all you mono-linguals, that means Strayer Family Christmas Party in Spanish!

THAT'S RIGHT - WE'RE TAKING THIS YEAR'S PARTY SOUTH OF THE BORDER!

Stevie, Brianna, Q, Chelsea & I will be making all participants T-shirts this year to celebrate the Hispanic Theme. If you have a sombrero or something to add to the flavor, please wear it!

The menu will be as follows:

• Taco Bar (chicken, beef, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, cheese, jalapenos!!)
• Mexican Lasagna - delicious!!
• Taquitos & mini tacos
• Lots of HOT SAUCE!!
• Rice & Beans (con pollo?...es verdad!!!)
• Flan!

And whatever else you want to bring! We can't wait to see everyone so let's start hearing the chatter now. If you read this...YOU'D BETTER LEAVE A COMMENT. That means you specifically, Brianna & Angela!!

Love you all, miss you all. OLE!

Hello Everybody!

Hello everyone! Well it's been way too long since I've blogged anything so I thought I'd touch base. It's been pretty busy! Dave, me, Jenn and Mike had a good time in St. Augustine. The ghost tour was pretty lame but the rest of the weekend was fun. Who knows where our next venture will be! Angela and Jonas are still doing great...getting sleep whenever they can now that they have Addison. Addison of course is an angel but...she can be a handful and loves to have the attention. I wonder who she takes after? Anyway, she was over the other night and she was laughing with Dave (Papa). It was fun to watch her and I didn't realize it was a first. I should have gotten it on film but didn't. Angela and Jonas are still trying to get her to laugh so they can see it but she's not cooperating. I think she needs to come back here; that should do it.

Her feet don't reach the floor and I had to prop her up with a blanket, but other than that she loved trying out her new walker!

There's a mirror above her and she is fascinating with seeing herself in it. I think she takes after her mom, or is it Aunt Jenn??

She LOVES her Papa!

TV Time!!

I don't know how many of you watch The Office..but you ALL should!! My Uncle U turned us on to it and we are forever grateful. It took my dad a little bit to get into it, but now he and my mom can be seen dancing to the intro music! The new season starts tomorrow!



For you die hard 24 fans, I just read that Tony Almeida is coming back this season! Not sure whether he will help Jack or if the tribulations he has been through will make him the new villain. Either way I am excited to see him back!



I was so sad to see Kristen Bell go when Veronica Mars was canceled. She now narrates the show Gossip Girl but I'm trying to cut back on "High School" drama. Then when she turned down the role on Lost, I thought she was Broadway bound. But then news came that she was joining the cast of Heroes!! I'm not sure when she will show up but I think she is doing a 13 episode arc. BTW (By the way - for the non-texting folk), the premiere of Hero's did not disappoint. I was jumping out of my chair hooting and hollering by the end!!

E-A-G-L-E-S!!!!

Breaking News!

Hi Everybody,

I have two important news flashes for you today.

The first is regarding Sr. Gerardine's father. He is home now, getting stronger and so happy to have a little longer chance at life. Gerardine is still at home but if her Dad continues to get stronger, she may return to Issoudun in the next few weeks.

Secondly, October 21st of this year is the 100th anniversary of the death of the founder of our religious congregation - Jules Chevalier, MSC. We are preparing gihugic celebrations for the event here including a 3-week Cor Novum program beginning October 1st, with speakers and participants from all over the world. Here is a photo of the old man Chevalier as he was being forced out of the rectory on Jan. 21st 1907 by French Government officials after all Church property in France was consficated. He died nine months later at the ripe old age of 83 after founding 3 religious congregations; being pastor of the local parish for 35 years and turning around the town of Issoudun that was noted in France for its indifference to God; sending Missionaries abroad to Papua New Guinea and the Gilbert Islands, as well as making foundations in many other European countries, Australia and in the USA; writing 25 books on subjects ranging from "The Sacred Heart" and "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart" to a "History of Issoudun"; writing 3000 letters to those needing his counsel (we still have the letters); undertaking major building constructions - a Basilica, a Monastery for the MSC Community and a Convent for the Sisters, a Seminary, an Apostolic School, major renovations on the parish Church - and all during a time of serious religious persecution in France. He was a man with a mission. Today, 5000 of us vowed religious and several hundred lay associates try to carry on his message and mission of helping people to know and experience God's Love.

That's all for now.

Have a good week y'all,

Aunt Linda

Retro, yo!

Ok, since you all seem to love the pics I scanned a few more into my computer this morning.

Before I show them to you, however, I want to say one thing. I'm sure you can all tell how very much I value our family; I love all of you so much it's hard to find accurate words to show it. However, when I look through these old photos, there is one person who seems to pierce my heart with her perfect smile, who mesmirizes my eyes with her gaze, who fills my heart beyond its capacity. It's one person who I am so, so, so proud to be related to.

I love you, Mom.

Nevertheless - I still love you all more than I can define, and here's some old school photos for you all to feel some nostalgia to.....

PICTURE OF THE DAY:

Look at the bottom of the picture - Sept 57....that was fifty years ago THIS MONTH. And it looks like these three little ladies brought out their favorite dolly for the picture!!!

Great Work Valerie!! Love Ya.

Check out this awesome video. This man paints
a picture of Jesus Christ with his hands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M4_IlbaZHA

Family Shrub

I have to call this a family shrub because by no means is it complete. But I'm off today (I'm actually off until Sept 19th - how about THAT!) and I felt the need to drum up early morning nostalgia. I haven't even had coffee yet!!

Let's take a look at some of the mug shots over the years....

Couple number one (note - in this sense the term "couple" reinforces the fact that no Strayer sister managed to have a child out of turn of another. Ex - Kathy had Dayna & Debbie....done! Next Gin-Gin has Valerie & Stevie....done! and etc...you know the rest. If you don't, you are Andrea - the lady I work with who loves our family site - and I will school you on our tree in between meetings one day!!) Wow. That was a big "note". Ok, back to business ----

Couple number one:

Look at those smiles! While Debbie's is fairly sincere, Dayna's is rather suspicious. I think she just got done doing something she maybe shouldn't have!! I also love how Dayna resembles Molly Ringwald in "Sixteen Candles". But in all fairness these girls are both in that "awkward" stage of life, so we can't be too hard on these glamour shots. And Debbie - let us all know when you finally grow out of that awkward stage, OK? We'll throw you a party, haha!!

Couple number two:

Ok - how precious is that buck-toothed beauty on the top???!!! Lovin the locket. And of course, never to be outdone by ANYONE, the perfect gentleman that he is (with his always perfect teeth) looks absolutely stunning in his circa 1922 ragtime bowtie. To this day Stevie spends more time getting ready than his sister....and now his wife, too!

Couple number three:

Are these girls too cute or what??? Matching white bows - totally an Aunt Reenie idea. And the curls are (as they still are today) to die for.

And gee - more good teeth.

I will have to talk to my mother about my jacked up bucks, since we know it's NOT from my father!!! I'd have NO two front teeth if I took after him!! I love my dad.

Anyway - yes, the Cardona girls are wicked precious and they still are today.

Couple number four (still with me??)

Has Q lost his baby face - NO!! And he will never. However, I found this picture of Brianna from like two years ago and I almost fell out of my chair because WOW - she does NOT look 14!! Brianna may end up to be the family supermodel. America's Next Top Model, here she comes - AND.....she's rockin one leg! (Note - inside joke that only me, Brianna, Stevie & Chelsea will get. We love SNL!!!)

THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE!!!

First of all - notice any similarities to any other cousins? I do - Pauly has that same, suspicious smile that Dayna has!!! Hmmmm - how fitting that these two look like they were just up to something! And I love how he's the lone ranger - makes him mysterious.

He's so cute!!!

Last but not least - couple number five!


To answer your question, yes...this WAS taken on a day when Allie had blue hair and yes...this was the same day that Ted showed up with human hair taped to his armpits. Gotta love these two - they truly personify the quirkiness of a "Strayer" and fittingly so since these are the only two cousins that can boast the family name on legal documents!

I wanted to be done, but I have to throw a shout out to the lady who made this post possible - without birthing me, who would add such fun to a Thursday on the Strayer Blog!! Certainly not stalker Brianna - who reads it ALL THE TIME but never puts up a post. COME ON, BRI!!!


Check out this dollface:

What a hot momma!! She'll kill me for putting up an old school pick, but I don't care. I think she's BEAUTIFUL!!! Love you, Mom!!!

And to insure you leave this post with a gut splitting laugher erupting through the room:

Prayers needed for Sr. Gerardine's Dad

Dear Everyone,

This is just to ask for your prayers for Sr. Gerardine's Dad who is back in the hospital. He had one leg amputated about 2 years ago and now the other is going. He also has a bad lung infection and suffered a mild heart attack. Gerardine left the General Conference of our sisters that she was attending in Brazil to go to Australia to be with her Dad as he was very bad. He's a bit better now but still needs prayers.

Lots of love,
Linda

Back from Tarzan Country

Hi Everybody,

Have you missed me? We had a very good session in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After landing in Kinshasa we took a plane the next day to Mbandakar and then drove to our session site at our convent in Iyonda (about 15 miles drive from Mdandakar.) We were very careful and didn't venture outside the convent premesis too much (not that we had much spare time- because our session was short, it was intensive). The sisters treated us very well and it was a great joy for us to be with so many young and enthusiastic young sisters from Cameroun, Congo, Senegal and Burkina Faso - 18 total. Here are some photos. The country itself is much poorer than South Africa and even Papua New Guinea - many of their houses are in a state of collapse and disrepair and the state of some of the cars and trucks on the road is outrageous. It is a country that is just beginning to get back on its feet after years of war and it will take a long time for it to really build a good economy.

1) This first photo was the view from our session room. It kinda looks like Florida doesn't it?

2)This is a little house where outside cooking is done as well as pounding cooking banannas into a paste with a mallet in a large wooden drum.

3)Our daily diet was bread, rice, fish (or sometimes meat), a cooked green vegitable that looked like spinach, banannas and maniunk (some some of putrid root that I only got a wif of and that was enough). The cooking was good.

4)This is our session room which doubled as our dining room during the session. You can see the kitchen through the porthole at the back.

5)This a the group photo of Joannès, myself, a translator and 18 young sisters, taken in front of our session site.

6)Before beginning our session, 5 of our sister participants made their first vows in the Cathedrale next to the convent. The Mass took 5 hours! Lots of songs and dancing.

7)Me sitting in the sisters garden at Kinshasa, relaxing and waiting to take to plane in the evening back to France.

PHOTO OP!

All this talk about Aunt Arden I thought it was appropriate to pay homage to her.

RIP AA!

Look at Grandmom's big hair - that is obviously where Gin-Gin and Aunt Donna get it!

GO EAGLES!!