Final Call on Free Books from Love2Learn

You have until 10 a.m. Pacific time to enter the final giveaway at Love2Learn, so head over, scroll down and leave a comment on any of the posts about some great science science books from Ye Hedge School. Good luck!

Just overheard

Anne-with-an-e, to her sisters:

"Okay, but you're not going to do anything that'll hurt me, are you? Or annoy me?"

(I'm still debating about whether or not I should go
check on this ....)

Ramona agrees: I am ancient

Ramona just dropped off Mr. Potato Head, neatly planted in one of the cooking pots from her play kitchen.

"This is for my elderly neighbor," she said sweetly.

"Oh -- I'll be sure to see that she gets it!" I replied cheerfully.

"No, Mommy," she said, looking a bit confused. "You're the elderly neighbor."

It's Catholic Schools Week

If you're Catholic ...
and you homeschool ...

you're

A Catholic School!.

Celebrate!

You are doing all that you can to give your child an authentic Catholic education. That's worth celebrating.

Personally, I think chocolate should be involved, but follow your own instincts. If your celebration is particularly interesting (with or without chocolate) drop me a line and let me know what you're doing.

(Custom image thanks to ImageChef.com)

A good kind of broken record

More free books.

Check in today with Love2Learn. There will be books available from Ye Hedge School.

Go.
Go.
Go.
Go.

(That's the broken record ... did you get it? Am I ancient to remember what that sounds like? I suddenly feel ancient. Groan. Moan. Creak.)

To the person who recently Googled for "M & Ms Nutrition Info"

and ended up at my blog:

I like you already.

And, I suppose what you found was
this depressing post.

I'm so sorry.

Everywhere you look ... free books!

Stay in touch with Love2Learn to find out who won yesterday's books. The winners will be announced about noon.

Update: You have until 10 a.m. Pacific time to enter for yesterday's drawing, too!

Then, get the details on another Love2Learn giveaway today -- more great stuff from Bethlehem Books!

And, keep an eye out today for Cay Gibson's latest BookWalk details. Read more here -- if you've purchased A Picture Perfect Childhood, you're already entered!

Happy Anniversary, Atticus

We've been married for 24 years -- we're practically silver!

In honor of rerunning our love for 24 years, I'm rerunning a meme about our marriage. I've updated it from a post I did last summer.

Happy Anniversary, Atticus! I love you with all my heart.

1. Where/How did you meet?

In college -- i.e., in a previous life.

Don't believe in reincarnation? I do -- it's just that it happens during this life, not after. It's called redemption. In other words -- the people we met back then? Not the people we are now.

2. How long have you known each other?
28 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating?

I knew Atticus only vaguely when I was a freshman. He was an ex-Marine who scared me. My best friend said he had the handwriting of an axe murderer.

I found out later that Atticus saw me in a play that year (I played the part of an 80-year-old woman dying of cancer) and said to himself, "I'm going to marry her." I was relieved to find out that he based this on my picture in the program rather than on how I looked onstage (although, it was a truly awful picture, proving that he's always had quirky taste in women.)

A couple of years later, he was in a play, and I thought he looked dashing rather than scary. I made my move.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged?

That depends on what you mean by date and by engaged.

5. How long was your engagement?

About three weeks. I said, "Hey, my parents will be in town for my sister's wedding. Should we get married that weekend, too?" He said okay.

I'm not kidding.

6. How long have you been married?

24 years, to everyone's surprise.

7. What is your anniversary?

The feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas (though clearly we had no idea at the time.)

8. How many people came to your wedding reception?

About 15.

9. What kind of cake did you serve?

One that served 15.

10. Where was your wedding?

In the courthouse. We were married by a judge (a valid marriage in the eyes of the Church, by the way, as neither of us was Catholic nor had we been raised Catholic. The marriage became a sacramental one six years later, when I was baptized; Atticus had been baptized in the Lutheran church as an infant. We didn't have to "do anything" about our marriage when I, and later Atticus, became Catholic.)

11. What did you serve for your meal?

Everyone ordered his or her own meal at a restaurant.

12. How many people were in your bridal party?
Two -- the matron of honor and the best man.

13. Are you still friends with them all?

My sister is still my friend, thank goodness. And, yes, we still stay in touch with the best man, who was a former college professor.

I almost had my best friend, Jack, act as my "man of honor" but ended up deciding on my sister.( I was, however, the "best woman" at Jack's wedding.)

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?

I don't think so.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day?

Realizing I was actually married, that I was actually Mrs. Edmisten (although, I didn't change my name for seven or eight years.)

16. Any funny moments?

No -- unless you count our entire way of doing things.

17. Any big disasters?

No -- unless you count our entire way of doing things.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We didn't go anywhere right away, but went to Florida about six months later.

19. How long were you gone?

Long enough to get a really bad sunburn, eat a lot of shrimp, and go to Disney World.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
On the one hand, everything. I've sometimes wondered what a normal wedding would have been like.

On the other hand, nothing. God took the raw material of who and what we were, and here we are today, by His grace. Can I improve upon His handiwork?

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

The side children always seem to show up on.

22. What size is your bed?

Big enough for both of us, a cat, and sometimes a child, though I sleep better without a small child's feet in my face.

23. Greatest strength as a couple?

That we both really love being home together, we both really love being parents, and we -- finally -- share our faith.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple?

Agreeing on the date night video.

25. Who literally pays the bills?

I sit down to do the paperwork, overflowing with gratitude that Atticus supports the mission of a stay-at-home mom.

26. What is your song?

Nat King Cole singing, The Christmas Song. Very sweet story behind it.

(Updated to include the story:)

We hadn't been married very long. We were on an *extremely* tight budget. It was Christmas time. I'd told Atticus that I thought Nat King Cole's silky voice singing The Christmas Song might possibly qualify as "perfect." He wanted to buy it for me, but the budget was so tight that even a new cassette tape (remember cassette tapes?) wasn't in the budget.

It was Christmas Eve, and I had to work. When I got home that night, I walked into a candlelit room, to the sound of my beloved Nat crooning to me about chestnuts and the season. My beloved Atticus had listened to the radio all day while he cooked our dinner ... waiting to hear that song ... and when he did, he hit the "record" button on the tape player. He had captured it. And me.

27. What did you dance your first dance to?

At our wedding? Or ever? If it's "ever" it's probably something that involved pogoing.

28. Describe your wedding dress:

It was a simple dress, probably not worth describing to those who enjoy such things ... I've never been good at describing much of anything about clothing. Most of the time, my eyes glaze over and I'm lost when it comes to talking fabrics, beads and accessories.

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?

At the time, I was sort of the same way about flowers that I was about dresses and fabrics.

But, if I were to marry Atticus again, I would want just a few roses, to thank St. Therese for her intercession over the years.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved?

No. They're simple, plain gold bands. I didn't want an engagement ring, either, because we didn't really do the whole engagement thing and I've never cared much about diamonds.

But, I treasure my plain, gold band. It's been through a lot with us.



Happy Anniversary, Sweetie. Oh, did I say that already? Well ... here's hoping I get to say it for many, many more years to come.

Recent Reading: The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity

Feeling burnout?
Are you exhausted?
Feeling used up?
Overworked and underpaid?
Underappreciated and overextended?

I was feeling it all. So I asked Atticus for this book for Christmas. It was the medicine I needed.

If you're suffering from any of the above symptoms, I'm prescribing The Mission of Motherhood, by Sally Clarkson.

Take the entire book, and call me in the morning.

Then we'll talk, with renewed joy, about our vocations.

Recent Reading: Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

I'm not sure what of value I can say about Left to Tell.

Immaculee Ilibagiza lived through a horror I cannot quite grasp: the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. She hid for three months in a tiny bathroom -- a bathroom -- with seven other women. And, though Imaculee already had faith in God, while she was in hiding she learned to pray. She prayed and meditated, with the aid of her father's Rosary, often for fifteen to twenty hours a day.

I guess you could argue that when you're closed up in a bathroom with seven other women 24/7, there wouldn't be much to do but pray. On the other hand, there's the option of going insane, which is what I picture myself doing.

But, she didn't do that.

She prayed.

So, the other day, when I was lamenting the week I was having (clogged toilets, a car with a dead battery on the day I needed to cart six children to choir in sub-zero temps, a broken surge protector that prompted me to jerry-rig plugs and cords into a working configuration that probably violated 17 different fire codes, yet another doctor bill ... you know ... the little frustrations of my middle-class life ...) I thought of Immaculee, whose story I had just finished reading.

Who was I to whine about my clogged toilet when Immaculee had been squeezed in next to one, not to mention all those other bodies, for months? Who was I to bemoan a lost internet connection, for Pete's sake, when this woman had heard the voices of her would-be killers outside the bathroom window, calling her name?

Who was I to fret about my little so-called problems in my little life when this woman had lived through a surreal and unimaginable horror?

Who was I, really, to whine when I could be praying?

I prayed. For perspective.

And Left to Tell is a book that will certainly reinforce one's perspective.

But, then, there's also this very interesting little passage, and it made me think. This comes after Immaculee has made her way to safety, and is looking for a job, while living in a house with a friend and a number of other refugees:

I dreaded going back to Aloise's without a job, so I wandered the battered streets of our Kigali neighborhood feeling sorry for myself. I wanted to sit in quiet communication with God to focus my energies, but Aloise's house was too noisy for me to meditate. Believe it or not, I actually longed for the days in the pastor's bathroom, when I could talk to God for hours without interruption. I remembered the joy and peace He filled my heart with during those long stretches of silent prayer, along with the mental clarity I enjoyed afterward.

And, I felt grateful to Immaculee for pointing out that noise of our lives can and does drown out the joyful noise of God sometimes. I felt grateful that this woman, who has experienced more horror but also a deeper level of immersion into prayer than I will ever know, would comfort us with the knowledge that even she could struggle with her return to "the everyday." Even a middle-class, midwestern mom, whose life is sometimes so noisy it seems there's no room for rich prayer, can identify with that.

Life is noisy, but He is still there. Above, beyond and behind it all, next to us, with us ... He is there.

And that, finally, is the message of Left to Tell. God's abiding presence, which led Immaculee Ilibagiza to forgive the men who killed her family, is really the only thing worth clinging to.

God was with Immaculee throughout her ordeal and He is with her still.

She was left to tell us about Him.

And she tells it well indeed.

Poetry Friday: Readers, fame and crushes

Writers sometimes have tortured relationships with their readers.

A couple of weeks ago, TadMack had an interesting poem by Charles Bukowski. His "Fame" ruminates on what it is to be known, to be read. Ultimately, Bukowski is dismissive of and condescending to his readers, calling them an "afterthought, the placenta, an accident." Jama mentioned in the comments that she didn't fully believe him. I don't either. While it's true that fame would be, in my opinion, pretty unpleasant, that doesn't mean the reader can be so arrogantly discarded. Writers like to be read.

And, a bit of Bukowski's ignorance comes through. Does he realize just how life-giving the placenta is as he casually bundles it with afterthoughts and accidents? He thinks of it as something that's simply expelled, like so much garbage, after the birth, rather than grasping that it's the thing that nurtured that growing life in the first place.

Without readers, a writer is only half alive.

"But I would write no matter what!" you protest, as Bukowski did.

I know.

So would I.

But isn't it pleasant when someone picks up your writing and says with a sigh, "Oh. How did she know?"

Billy Collins has a different approach.

In The Flight of the Reader, from Sailing Alone Around the Room, he muses about the relationship, tentative though it may be at times, and unbalanced.

Sometimes it's the reader who has fallen head over heels, and sometimes it's the writer, as the last stanza acknowledges with a blush:

It’s not like I have a crush on you
and instead of writing the five paragraph essay
I am sailing paper airplanes across the room at you –
It’s not that I can’t wait for the lunch bell
to see your face again.

It’s not like that. Not exactly.

Read the complete poem here.

And, did you know that you can go to this site and get free downloads of Billy Collins reading 34 of his poems?

Poetry Friday is being hosted today at Mentor Texts, Read Alouds & More. Find the whole round-up here.

And, next week, I'll be hosting. See you here next Friday morning.

Speaking of saints ....

You have a chance to win a new book about them!

The Catholic Saints Prayer Book: Moments of Inspiration from Your Favorite Saints, by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle will be published in March, and Donna is running a fun contest. Check out the details here.

Feast of St. Francis de Sales

I love St. Francis de Sales.

That's why I'm rerunning the same quotes I've run the last two years on his feast day. And updating with some new ones, too.

He is a Doctor of the Church and patron saint of authors, journalists, and the deaf.

Have a blessed day as you celebrate, and seek to imitate, the holiness of this saint.

"Oh what remorse we shall feel at the end of our lives, when we look back upon the great number of instructions and examples afforded by God and the Saints for our perfection, and so carelessly received by us! If this end were to come to you today, how would you be pleased with the life you have led this year?"

Prayer of St. Francis de Sales

Lord, I am yours,
and I must belong to no one but you.
My soul is yours,
and must live only by you.
My will is yours,
and must love only for you.
I must love you as my first cause,
since I am from you.
I must love you as my end and rest,
since I am for you.
I must love you more than my own being,
since my being subsists by you.
I must love you more than myself,
since I am all yours and all in you. Amen.

"Every moment comes to us pregnant with a command from God, only to pass on and plunge into eternity, there to remain forever what we have made of it."

"Anxiety comes from an irregulated desire to be delivered from the evil we experience. Therefore, above all else, calm and compose your mind. Gently and quietly pursue your aim."

Jennifer loves him, too, and has posted a number of great quotes. I can't find them all so I just Googled for them from her blog and came up with this page for you.

Jen at Et tu? has also posted about him, here.

And one more quote, which I was reminded of thanks to a Catholic writers' list that I'm on:

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."

Ramona does a commercial

Ramona likes to pretend she is starring in a commercial.

See what homeschooling can do? Doesn't that make you want to homeschool? Yes, you too can raise children who aspire to be Billy Mays. But, wait! Homeschool now, and we'll double the offer! Begin homeschooling right now, and your children will want to be Billy Mays, and a game show host! But you must act now!

The other day, Ramona presented this commercial to me:

"Are you tired of having a messy face? Well, just try the new Mr. Magic Face Erase Face Cleaner. Just clean your face with it and -- voila -- no more food anywhere!"

And you thought homeschooling was only good for socialization.

Love2Learn's Book Giveaway this week

Lots of great stuff!

Visit Love2Learn for
the current giveaway,
which Alicia tells us features:

"Little Acts of Grace by Rosemarie Gortler (2 copies - donated by Adoremus Books)

Friendly Defenders by Matt Pinto and Katherine Andes (2 copies - donated by Adoremus Books)
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton (2 copies - donated by Adoremus Books)

And last, but certainly not least, we have a special Cottage Care Package from our friends at Cottage Blessings. One lucky winner will receive the following set of four beautiful books: The Cottage at Bantry Bay by Hilda Van Stockum, Francie on the Run by Hilda Van Stockum, Pegeen by Hilda Van Stockum, Maiden and Mother: Prayers, Hymns, Songs and Devotions to Honour the Blessed Virgin Mary."

The Omnipresent Meme

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? I was named after my sister, who was born three years before I was. (Anne didn't get that joke. Maybe I shouldn't try to answer memes before 10 a.m. UPDATE: I'm changing this to "I was named three years after my older sister was named" so that no one else things my sister died!)

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last week. Don't pry.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes. If I could write this meme to you, I would.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Huh? Lunch meat? Are you also going to ask what's on my lunchbox?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Ummm ... hello?! They're all over this blog.

6. WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so. Except when I'm being sarcastic.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Ummm ... hello?!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No. And what an odd question.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Ummm ... hello?! I'm a middle-aged mom. (So, why am I doing high school memes anyway?)

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Wheaties-or-something-like-them on a good day, Cocoa Krispies on a bad one.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes. I must have fat feet.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? It depends. Physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? When it comes to Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk?

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Ummm ... helloo?! Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Whether or not they like Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk. And whether or not they are sarcastic. And what kind of lunchbox they have.

15. RED OR PINK? It depends. Room? Couch? Food? Blog?

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? The way I can't answer a straight question.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Okay, I'll be serious for a moment. I miss -- very, very much -- my dear friends who have moved away. That includes my sister as well as people in New York, Florida, Milford/other parts of Nebraska, Chicago .... the recurring theme of my life is this: If you want to move on to a new place, or get a better job, become my friend. You will move away.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Are you planning a photo shoot?

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A piece of chocolate. Yes, it's still morning here. Don't pry.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The sound of Betsy scraping the last of her breakfast out of a bowl.

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Betsy and Anne say, "Pink, I think." But, I'm thinking, "Really? Pink? Or red? And what's pink or red? Why are these memes so enigmatic?"

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee. Chocolate. A baby's head.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A homeschooling friend.

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? This question confuses me. This question implies that I like to watch many sports and must choose one. This is not the case.

25. HAIR COLOR? Hellooo?! It's brown. There's a picture in the profile.

26. EYE COLOR? Blue.

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? About half the time.

28. FAVORITE FOOD? See favorite smells, but leave out the baby's head.

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, of course, and nothing involving babies' heads.

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Phantom of the Opera.

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White. Dull, boring white. Because I'm a dull, boring middle-aged mom who doesn't bungee jump. And no photo shoot, please.

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? It depends. Summer or winter for what? Stop being so enigmatic. Summer is better for hot weather and winter is better for cold weather. But what does that have to do with my favorite season, which is autumn?

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." (Jordan, in The Great Gatsby)

33. HUGS OR KISSES? It depends -- helloo?! -- on who is delivering them.

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Anything chocolate, with a cup of coffee. Or just anything chocolate. Or just coffee. Or just chocolate coffee.

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? A few are in progress: The Mission of Motherhood, by Sally Clarkson, Island of the World, by Michael O'Brien, Left to Tell, by Imaculee Ilibagiza, and a book of poetry by Billy Collins.

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? My mouse. Oh ... you mean the design of the mousepad, don't you? Please be more specific. It's a Pooh-bear mouse pad that my parents gave to the kids. Darn enigmatic questions.

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Silence. Rain. Bach. The voices of the people I love. The voices of the people I love silenced by rain and Bach playing softly in the background.

39. BEATLES OR ROLLING STONES? I've never been a huge fan of either one, but I love the Beatles singing, "Here Comes the Sun" (which has a nice little memory from my spiritual journey attached to it) and the Stones singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" which does not have an especially nice memory attached to it, but reminds me that I can't always get what I want but I will get what I need. Who knew that Mick was so spiritual?

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? I've lived in Massachusetts, Washington state, Alaska, Florida and Nebraska. I like to cover all the bases.

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Ummm ... hellooo?! I can answer memes, can't I? If that's not a special talent, I don't know what is.

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Buzzard's Bay. Really. It sounds awful, doesn't it? So, we'll be more general and say "Cape Cod" which is also true. Cape Cod sounds much more appealing than Buzzard's Bay, so let's begin again. I was born on Cape Cod, and now you know the rest. Except for the spots where I was being enigmatic. Or sarcastic.

Hellooo?! It's time to say good-bye. This meme is all over the place, so consider yourself tagged if you have a few minutes to waste.

The Post Office in the Hedge

Read Lesley's post about blogs and what they are, what we want them to be, or what they can be, here.

We have a little box in our house, labeled "The Post Office of the Little Women" and it's a place where my daughters and I leave each other little notes (Atticus can use it, too, but he forgets ... the fun of secretive little missives is enjoyed mostly, I think, by us girls.)

I do think that's what my favorite blogs are ... a place where I leave a note for someone I love, someone whom I hope will leave a note for me, too. But, I had never consciously connected such communication to that lovely little portion of Little Women, or to our little Post Office here at home, and I love that Lesley made that connection for me.

So, if you have ever thought of leaving me a note in this little post office in the hedge, I hope that you will.

No pressure, of course. The best letters are surprises that arrive when we least expect them.

And perhaps you'll leave a note for Lesley, too, as she muses on what she wants her blog to be.

Poetry Friday: Poems for two voices

I'm often quite selfish on Poetry Friday. I post about things and poets that I revel in and want to read.

Today, I'm thinking of the kids. We're going to do a bit of rhythmic reading today.

Joyful Noise, by Paul Fleischman, is a fun little book of poetry, designed for recitation. The poems -- all about insects -- are laid out on the page for easy reading, easy assignment of parts, and easy "performance." The resulting lyrical rhythm is a delight to hear.

Go hereto take a look inside, and get a taste of what this book is all about.


Poetry Friday is hosted today by Becky at Farm School.

It's not you, it's me

Sometimes I want to break up with every blog I know, just because I can't get through the word verification.

This morning, in an attempt to catch up with bloggish friends rather than do my own blogging, I was bouncing around the internet, leaving comments here and there.

I know that I entered all of those word verifications correctly, and still, Blogger made me repeat myself. It made me stutter and try again, and feel like a blundering idiot.

So, hey, wait a minute. It's not me. It's you, Blogger. I don't want to walk out on this relationship, so shape up, buddy.

Yes ... free books again

Rev up ... the giveaways are back.

Love2Learn is sharing the love of learning, and is giving away books by Danielle Bean, Elizabeth Foss and a planner from Michele Quigley. Scroll down and leave individual comments for each book you'd like to win.

Hurry!

With New Eyes

During Advent and the Christmas season, I watched as Ramona, time and again, widened her eyes, glowed, and said things like, "Ooooh!" or, "That was such a fun show, Mommy!" or, "I love this! Can we do it again next year?"

"Why is she shushing us during Rudolph?" I wondered and then realized that she did not know how it turned out. Whoosh. How quickly an old mommy forgets.

And it was that way all season long -- wonder and enchantment over things that I think of as the same old stuff. Not that I don't love our same old stuff -- I really do -- but, it's still, well, you know. It's the same old stuff.

But not to a five-year-old who is just awakening in new and thrilling ways to the world around her.

It's intoxicating. To her. To me. To everyone. It's contagious.

It no longer feels like the same old stuff.

Also recently, whenever I read a post at Jennifer's Et tu? I am struck by a similar feeling. If you don't read Et tu? , then you must! Go there. Now.

Jennifer, like me, is a former atheist. Jennifer, like me, is now a Catholic. Jennifer chronicled her conversion, and is now chronicling her life as a new Catholic. It's all new to her, and it's all sublime. Sometimes when I read one of her posts, such as this one (written on Christmas Eve and full of all the anticipation of a bride on the night before her wedding) or this one (written after Christmas Eve and full of the reality of sleep deprivation and crabbiness being redeemed by the One True Thing), I just weep. I weep at her discoveries, her faith, her gratitude. I love that she is so real, so intelligent, and so willing to share what she has found and still struggles to find on this new path.

I remember when it was all new to me, too. And I'm thankful for fresh looks and fresh starts.

And so.

God, A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Eucharist, gingerbread houses, lights on a tree and the Light of the world ....

May I always have the grace to see it all as it were the first time, to see with new and wondering eyes.

Love2Learn Continues the Celebration

With what else? More free books!

Visit the Love2Learn Blog for details on how to win books by Maureen Wittmann, Nancy Brown, and Cay Gibson.

To enter, you must leave comments (at Love2Learn, not here) on the individual posts which describe the books .

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, January 16th. Good luck!

And, if you don't win this round, enter again on Wednesday for a chance to win something from Danielle Bean, Elizabeth Foss or Michele Quigley.

Another Book Giveaway

Don't miss
Cay's Bookwalk this week
for a chance to win one of her books.

Recent Reading: The Shadow of the Bear

I ordered this book, by Regina Doman, for my girls for Christmas.

Then, I gave myself the gift of reading it.

I loved it.

It is thoughtful, intelligent and compelling.

And can I just say how delightful it is to hand your daughters a novel in which the characters speak of Chesterton, poetry, chastity and their faith, and yet remain real, flawed and lovable?

How delightful it is.

The recommended age for this book is 14-and-up, and I concur. Betsy is only 11 -- I did allow her to read it after my preview, but she skipped certain parts that I thought were too mature or disturbing (late in the book, one of the heroines is in grave danger and the method by which she is nearly killed would have been too strong an image for Betsy.)

Betsy's summary? She said, "I couldn't put it down! Mom, when are you going to order the next one?"

I guess I know what our next book purchase will be. (Anne just picked it up ... I'll get back to you on her reaction.)

[UPDATE: Anne: Read it! Loved it! Wants the next book!]

And, speaking of Regina Doman, Ramona has lately fallen for the only other experience we had previously had with this author. Angel in the Waters is a magical book, one we've had around for awhile, but Ramona recently fell in love with it. She's been asking for it again and again.

(She's also been asking for a new baby sister. Are you listening God?)

I'm off to order a sequel (book, not sibling -- ah, if only it were that easy, eh?)

I want Alice to homeschool me

Who wouldn't want to be a part of this beautiful circle of homeschooling friends?

I'm proud of myself for keeping the tree up through the Epiphany, getting the wise men to the stable, and making King's bread (and eating loads of it and calling that a celebration.)

But ... someday, I want "Buche de Noel" to be a part of my Christmas season vocabulary.

If you are a Catholic author (or a reader of such)

Then you must read this post at Maureen Wittman.

Disclaimer: I am not linking to Maureen Wittmann today just because she recently wrote a very sweet post about me. Actually, I had somehow missed that post the other day, and found it just this morning when I headed over there to get the link for this post. So, just in case this looks like a case of a mutual admiration society, well, it is ... but never mind that. That's not what's behind this post. Behind my admiration for Maureen is a solid case of awe. She's the homeschooling mom of seven, and she still manages to do things like this.

And, she finds time to write books and share her sound advice on buying and selling them. That's what this post is about.

Thanks again, Maureen.

Ramona Reveals Her Secrets

(Recently whispered):

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"I have a secret to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I wish Daddy would make more fudge."

"Ah, yes. Well, I have a secret for you."

"What is it?"

"There's more of Daddy's fudge in the freezer."

(Eyes: wide. Smile: luminous. She has my genes.)

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"I have another secret."

"What is it?"

(With nose wrinkled, head shaking, and apologetic tone): "I've never liked pumpkin pie."

"That's okay. I won't ever make you eat it."

(Expression: relieved.)

"Ummm, Mommy?"

"Do you have another secret?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"I want a hedgehog."

(Mother: speechless.)

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"I have one more secret to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Ramona."

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Can we have that fudge now?"

Poetry Friday : (My daughter) The Writer

Because everyone with a writing daughter should read Richard Wilbur's The Writer.

(And apparently, I think it should be read every four months ... I first posted it about eight months ago, then mentioned it again four months later. And again now. I didn't realize I had this poem on a schedule, but clearly I do.)

Because my daughter wrote our Christmas letter this year.

Because I love to hear her voice on paper.

Because my second daughter, my poet, writes too.

Because Ramona says things like, "Exclaimed the mommy in the blue shirt."

Because each of my daughters will "batter against the brilliance" but finally beat that "smooth course for the right window."

Because when they have flown, I will remember the way they looked, hunched over a keyboard, frowning and driven, tapping out their dreams and searching hard for who they are.


The Writer

by Richard Wilbur

In her room at the prow of the house
Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden,
My daughter is writing a story.

I pause in the stairwell, hearing
From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys
Like a chain hauled over a gunwale.

Young as she is, the stuff
Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy:
I wish her a lucky passage.

But now it is she who pauses,
As if to reject my thought and its easy figure.
A stillness greatens, in which

The whole house seems to be thinking,
And then she is at it again with a bunched clamor
Of strokes, and again is silent.

I remember the dazed starling
Which was trapped in that very room, two years ago;
How we stole in, lifted a sash

And retreated, not to affright it;
And how for a helpless hour, through the crack of the door,
We watched the sleek, wild, dark

And iridescent creature
Batter against the brilliance, drop like a glove
To the hard floor, or the desk-top

....

(read the rest of the poem here ... listen to it here.)

The entire Poetry Friday round-up can be found at The Book Mine Set.

I still don't like parades, but ...

... I like everything else this dad says. As he points out, becoming a parent changes us into something and someone we don't always recognize.

But, in most of our cases, that's a good thing, isn't it?

(h/t to Kelly, at Big A little a)

Recent Reading: Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

Ramona.
Loves.
Pascual.

Run! More Free Books!

At Love2Learn today.

You've got until midnight to enter the drawings for Angel in the Waters and An Alphabet of Catholic Saints.

Hurry! They're worth the side cramp.

Technically, she's wrong, but ...

... I'll overlook it because she's so unspeakably cute.

"Technically, Mommy," Ramona said, "I'm practically nine."

"Really?" I asked. "How do you figure?"

"Well," she said, "I'm five, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. So ... five, then there's six, seven, eight and then there's nine. So, technically, I'm almost nine."

I nodded. "You know, you're right. Technically, nine will be here before we know it."

And technically, I'll look back and wonder how it arrived with just the blink of an eye.

Recent Reading: For the Love of Literature

Maureen Wittmann's For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with Literature was part of my needed refueling this Christmas break.

Karen Andreola, coined the term "Mother Culture" to refer to activities and interests that will revive a tired, busy mom. And, while one might argue that reading about homeschooling isn't exactly what a homeschooling mother on break should do, it is exactly one of the things I needed.

It did revive me. I felt encouraged by the tone and the reassurance of things I already knew -- that extraordinary amounts of learning happen through literature -- and I know it's a resource I will go back to time and again.

It offers over 950 titles -- living books arranged by subject and age appropriateness.

That much literature should get us through at least the next few months. And, thank you Maureen, for adding to my fuel to my homeschooling fire.

Recent Reading: The Father Brown Reader

Nancy Brown's The Father Brown Reader is a delightful book. I'm not usually an advocate of condensed or abridged books, so why am I so enthusiastic about this? Because I think it's an excellent introduction to Chesterton for children, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, too.

I have to admit that I haven't read the original Fr. Brown mysteries, as I'm not much of a mystery buff (though the fact that Chesterton wrote them has always had me curious about them.)

But, my kids do enjoy mysteries, and this was no exception.

We read it together (we love our read-alouds) and the girls truly enjoyed the intrigue and the subtle humor. Even Ramona was paying attention and remarked on what a silly club those gentlemen had (you'll have to read the book to find out what I mean.)

And, there are lovely talking points about the faith, such as this remark from Fr. Brown (after revealing that he knew someone was not what he said he was) : "You attacked reason," said Fr. Brown. "It's bad theology." Now there's some fodder for conversation with the kids.

And (in case you're wondering) not one of the stories is a murder mystery, so they're appropriate for the younger set as well as for your older kids.

Enjoy!

And congratulations, Nancy, on bringing Chesterton to a whole new audience!

Maureen is still giving books away, too

Go visit her and get in on the treasures.

New Year! New Love2Learn! New book giveaway!

It's a fresh start for Love2Learn!

What was already a great resource and book review site is now technically even greater, after a complete technical overhaul (about which I understand nothing.)

Alicia Van Hecke, Suchi Myjak and other techno-geniuses have made the site more comprehensive, easier to navigate, and otherwise, in laymen's terms, "very cool."

How cool.

Alicia is planning a month-long celebration of the new site, and what better way to celebrate than to give away books?

Visit the Love2Learn blog here for full details.

For individual posts on today's drawings, go here for a chance to win Behold and See.

Here for a chance at A Family Journal: A Homeschooling Mother's Companion.

Here for chance at A Catholic How-to-Draw (my kids and I love this book.)

Keep an eye on the Love2Learn blog all week -- winners will be announced on Wednesday, and there will be another drawing later this week.

And, don't forget to visit the new prayer request section of Love2Learn -- what a beautiful addition!

Now we can call it King's Bread

Remember that St. Lucia bread?

Of course you do. Because you copied down that recipe, and you made that delectable treat sometime in December, didn't you?

What? No? You let the yeast bully you? Well, it's time to assert yourself. You can conquer that dough.

You now have another chance. Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Make that bread, dub it "King's Bread" and eat every last bite of the stuff before Ordinary Time begins. Eileen called it "Easy! Fun! Indestructible! Delicious!" and her kids all gave it the thumbs up.

You owe it to yourself. C'mon. It's food fit for a king. For three kings, actually.

And for you.

Have a blessed Feast!

Sometimes I love to look out my kitchen window

This photo is actually a week or two old.
The trees are no longer dipped in crystal.
But it's still cold,
still white,
and still quite still.

Poetry Friday: Looking ahead

What I love about this poem is its sense of what is essential.

What am I holding onto that could be crackling in the fire?


Burning the Old Year
by Naomi Shihab Nye

Letters swallow themselves in seconds.
Notes friends tied to the doorknob,
transparent scarlet paper,
sizzle like moth wings,
marry the air.

So much of any year is flammable,
lists of vegetables, partial poems.
Orange swirling flame of days,
so little is a stone.

(Read the rest of the poem here, at the Poetry Foundation.)

Find the whole Poetry Friday round-up here, at A Year of Reading. And don't miss all the fun Poetry Friday trivia they've posted, such as this great list of all the Poetry Friday links from 2006 and 2007, courtesy of Susan Writes.

Kindness

Quite awhile back, I said I had lots of thoughts brewing about kindness, and that I'd post about those thoughts when I had time to write a real post.

But, thanks to Alicia at Studeo, the thoughts have been perfectly summed up in the following quote.

Thanks, Alicia. (You are too kind.)

"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."

~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thoughts on the 10th day of Christmas

Here's an idea:

When you find water dripping into the basement, and you trace it to the cupboard under the kitchen sink, which is full of water, and so it's clearly a kitchen sink leak, and so you oh-so-dutifully call the plumber immediately, because this-is-our-home-and-that's-water-damage-we're-talking-about ... and, so-let's-not-mess-around-and-think-we-can-solve-this-ourselves ... because-of-course-we-can't...

Well, not so fast, missy. Before you incur that $60 plumbing bill, like some people might have done, why don't you check those gallon jugs of water that you had under the sink? What? One of them leaked? Problem solved. All by yourself. And now you can congratulate yourself on being much smarter than I am.

**********

New Year's Resolution:

Lose a few pounds.

Strategy:

Stop eating all the stuff that I've been shoveling in for the last week-and-a-half.

Preparation:

Eat it all right now so that it won't tempt me later.

Uh-huh. I think it makes sense.

**********

Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

In reviewing last year's post on this day, I see that I totally ignored my resolution to stop posting the previous year's posts.

Ah, well. I shall not make that mistake again this year. This year, I resolve not to resolve anything about reposting because, let's face it, an old post is always a new post to someone out there, and therefore, there's no reason to resolve a thing. And so, I now present a post that is in its third incarnation, with the hope that it will be of use to someone, because revisiting this post is so useful to me each year.

Have a blessed feast day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(from January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2006 ... and the infatuation continues ....) :

New year's resolution: Stop posting last year's posts.

Note to self: Don't start that resolution until after Epiphany.

Note to readers: This was first posted last year on this day.

I dislike comparing myself to Mary, because it's akin to holding my Sculpey creations next to Michelangelo's Pieta and asking what kind of artist I am. The differences are glaring, apparent, painful to see and ultimately laughable. But, I do it anyway, because it's good spiritual exercise.

Mary was a wife and mother, as am I. Mary cooked meals, cleaned house, and did laundry, as do I. There the comparisons end.

I imagine home life with Mary and I envision peacefulness, a serene atmosphere pervading all, because she knew that the mundane tasks of each moment were a necessary part of the whole. The meal of the day, the washing, the tidying and the clean-up of dishes ... everything had import and was approached as such. She simply did it because that is part of what the mother of Jesus needed to do.

This year, I will strive to be more Mary-like in my household tasks, approaching them with greater serenity and acceptance, knowing that all things have import and that my duties as a mother and a keeper of our home are a necessary part of the whole.

I imagine affection, warmth and laughter in the home of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. (I loved the scene in The Passion of the Christ in which Mary and Jesus are joking and laughing about tables and chairs.)

This year, I'll thank God for all the laughter in our home, knowing He is the author of such joy, and I'll strive to find and hold on to the humor in those inevitable homeschooling days that crop up (you know ... the ones that will not, at first glance, seem to hold any humor.)

Mary's faith was bare and heroic, as Romano Guardini writes in this amazing article, reprinted at Godspy. Again and again, she had to endure pain and separation and yet her faith did not, could not, waver.

This year, in my life and walk with God, when I feel distance from Him, though I can't resolve to have such faith (as only God can grant it) I can resolve to pray for it, to ask to be more like Mary in my faith.

I doubt that Mary would have blogged ... she would have pondered my mostly pitiable musings in her heart, rather than blabbing them to the world. She pondered, she prayed, she listened.

This year, though I'm not sure I can resolve not to blog (or blab, as it were) since I'm still in the throes of infatuation with this stuff, I can resolve to continue pondering things in my heart, and ask the Lord to make the answers to my ponderings clearer to me. If God however, asked me to quit blogging, I would. He'd have to be very loud and clear about it, though.

Like Mary, I pray I'll be listening.

(Painting: Polish Madonna)