Why Some Items DON'T Get Added to My Collections

I really enjoy looking for new items to add to my Rosary Art
and Vintage Media collections. Of course, not everything I find gets collected!
For example, a picture that is too small will not make it into my Rosary Art Collection,
nor will a film or recording of poor quality make it into my Vintage Media Collection.
Today I came across a silent film version of Alice in Wonderland from 1903.
I would have liked... no, I would have LOVED to place this short movie in my Vintage
Media Collection, but the film, even though restored, was barely watchable.
Every collector, I'm sure, faces similar disappointments every now and then.

How Far Might the Culture of Death Take Us?

How far might the culture of death take America? Could our government someday limit the number of children a family is allowed to have? The Chinese government has already done so.
Will assisted suicide and euthanasia be taken further?  Might we, sometime in the future, have mandatory life limits? Will only those without physical, mental, or emotional problems be allowed to live? Could "retirement at age 65" take on a whole new, evil meaning? Will the only choice be how one dies?
Right now, of course, this is only speculation. I pray that it never becomes fact, for if it does, then the second sentence in the Declaration of Independence will need to be revised and edited to read:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they {have} certain Rights, that among these are Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

A New Picture in My Collection

I've just added this picture to my Rosary Art Collection.
The first time I ever heard of the artist was in this sentence from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer:
"How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize two thousand verses, even for a Dore' Bible?"
Incidentally, it's been quite awhile since I read Tom Sawyer, and there was a time when
I read that book over and over.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Join me and other Catholic bloggers at Sunday Snippets. Thanks to RAnn for hosting. I've discovered some wonderful blogs here.

Semper Gaudete!: Dear Mom . . .

Semper Gaudete!: As the new year starts, Father John Corapi vanishes off the radar screen

Semper Gaudete!: New Pictures, and Something I Learned

Semper Gaudete!: Homily 2012-01-25 - Fr Joseph Mary MFVA - The Conversion of St. Paul - Apostle

Semper Gaudete!: New Video in my Vintage Media Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Commercial Added to my Vintage Media Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Newly Discovered Book

Semper Gaudete!: New Picture in my Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"Claudine at St Clare's"
by Enid Blyton
[children's fiction, England, school stories, series]
{carried over from last week}

"Where Do I Go?
"A Yada-Yada House of Hope Novel"
by Neta Jackson
[fiction, Christian, Protestant, several denominations, marital problems, homeless shelters, series, spin-off]
"Harry Bentley's Second Chance #
a Yada Yada Brothers novel"
by Dave Jackson
[fiction, Christian, Protestant, series]

"Veronica Ganz"
"Peter and Veronica"
by Marilyn Sachs
[children's fiction, 1940s]
{series, spin-off}
"The Truth About Mary Rose"
by Marilyn Sachs
(children's fiction, 1970s, first person)
{carrying over into next week}

As the new year starts, Father John Corapi vanishes off the radar screen

As the new year starts, Father John Corapi vanishes off the radar screen
How did I miss this post?
I pray for Fr. Corapi every day. And yes, I still think of him as Father John Corapi. Ordination to the priesthood leaves an
indelible character on the soul, as do baptism and confirmation.

New Picture in my Collection

I've just added a new picture ofThe Annunciation to my collection.
Note the modern dress!
Also, it is interesting to compare the plant in this painting with those in
Carl Bloch's painting of The Visitation.

Newly Discovered Book

Although Madeleine L'Engle wrote this book in the 1940s, it was published only a few years ago. It was not until today that I discovered that this book exists.
It did not, however, take me very long to order a copy!
I'm really looking forward to reading this novel, and I expect my enjoyment
to be enhanced by the introduction by Madeleine L'Engle's granddaughter.

Commercial Added to my Vintage Media Collection

This animated commercial was shown in movie theaters in the 1940s.
I wonder how many people were tapping their toes and smiling, and how many left the theater
humming the jingle.

Homily 2012-01-25 - Fr Joseph Mary MFVA - The Conversion of St. Paul - Apostle

Fr. Joseph hits a home run with this homily!

Dear Mom . . .

Dear Mom . . .
I just had to share this post from Patrick Madrid's blog.
The worst part is that, unless we change course, this could actually happen someday.

New Video in my Vintage Media Collection

I've just added a new video to my Vintage Media Collection.
It is very brief, not really entertaining, but historically important as the first television commercial ever made.

New Pictures, and Something I Learned

I've added two more pictures to my Rosary Art Collection.
The first depicts Our Lord's Ascension,
and the second shows Our Lady's Assumption.
I found these pictures in a little book called "The Rosary of Pope John Paul II:
The 20 Mysteries." I then looked for them online.
This book is also where I found this picture which I blogged about on January 14th.
I've since learned that the artist referred to as Tiziano Vecellio in the book is better
known, in English, as Titian.

Lake County Right to Life Blog: Schrizophenic Women Forced to Be Aborted and Steri...

Lake County Right to Life Blog: Schrizophenic Women Forced to Be Aborted and Steri...: Ok, this one is personal! A 32 yr. old woman, whom we will name Jane Doe, and who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder and...

This is a beautiful, eloquent post.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Join me and other Catholic bloggers at Sunday Snippets. Thanks to RAnn for hosting!

Semper Gaudete!: Obama administration refuses to change contraception mandate :: EWTN News

Semper Gaudete!: Lake County Right to Life Blog: Schrizophenic Women Forced to Be Aborted and Steri...

Semper Gaudete!: And My Rosary Art Collection Keeps Growing!

Semper Gaudete!: New Game Site, New Page

Semper Gaudete!: A Review I'd Like To Share

Semper Gaudete!: An Unexpected Gift

Semper Gaudete!: Great Post from the Catholic Cartoon Blog

Semper Gaudete!: Can Someone Tell Me Who Painted This?

Semper Gaudete!: I Would Have Liked to Recommend This Book

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"Laura's Luck"
by Marilyn Sachs
[children's fiction, series, summer camp, friendship, 1940s]
"Amy and Laura"
by Marilyn Sachs
[children's fiction, family problems, 1940s]

"Triumph Clear"
by Lorraine Beim
[young adult fiction, polio, Warm Springs]
"Sunshine and Shadow"
by Lorraine and Jerrold Beim
[young adult fiction, college, people with disabilities]
{Lorraine Beim died in an automobile accident while she
was working on this book. Her husband, with whom she had discussed
the novel, finished it.}
This is the dedication Jerrold Beim wrote.
"FOR LORRAINE

with the hope that this book
is near ... what she wanted it to be."

"Italian Pleasures" #
by David Leavitt and Mark Mitchell
[essays, Italy]
{first an essay by one author, then one
by the other, with excerpts from the works
of other writers.}
(I really enjoyed this book, until
one essay near the end ruined it for me.)

"Claudine at St Clare's"
by Enid Blyton
[children's fiction, England, school stories, series]
{carrying over into next week}

I Would Have Liked to Recommend This Book

A few hours ago, I finished reading "Italian Pleasures,"
by David Leavitt and Mark Mitchell. This is a collection of essays, first by one author,
then by the other. It also has excerpts from other people's writings.
I have to admit that I was enjoying this book very much. Note that I said that
I was enjoying the book, not that I enjoyed it.
Most of the essays are gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. MOST. But then, towards the
end of the book, there is an essay called "Ashes," which has some nasty comments about the Pope, and about the Catholic Church. I will not repeat these remarks, and not only because "No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher."
But, aside from that horrible essay, do I recommend this book?
I'm trying to be objective, but it's not easy.
Yes, the other essays in the book are beautiful, but will I be able to read
them without remembering that one nasty essay? Probably not for a long time.
Imagine listening to someone with a beautiful, clear, operatic voice singing a lovely
song. At the end, the singer sings a vulgar word. Which do you remember, the beautiful
song, or the vulgar word?
Again, suppose that you are eating a scrumptious, fruit-filled, whipped-cream covered cake.
Suddenly, you bite into a piece of rotten fruit. Can you still taste the scrumptiousness
that came before?
Or if you see a magnificent painting with an ugly blotch, which do you notice more, the painting, or the blotch?
So what do I recommend? If you want to read, and really enjoy, this book, I would suggest that
you look for it in a library, or a used-book store. And then, skip the essay called "Ashes." Because otherwise, the book may be spoiled for you as, at least for now, it is for me.

Obama administration refuses to change contraception mandate :: EWTN News

Obama administration refuses to change contraception mandate :: EWTN News
God help America!

Can Someone Tell Me Who Painted This?

I've just added this painting to my
Rosary Art Collection.
I would love to know who painted it.

Great Post from the Catholic Cartoon Blog

To read the post, click here.
Incidentally, the Missalette we used to use in my parish, the line
"Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee"
in the hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy"
was changed to "Bowed in adoration now, we lift our hearts to Thee."
Which version do I sing? Well, it depends on what time of the day
it is!
Oh, and as for the "politically correct" changes:
Amen?
Awoman?
Aperson?

An Unexpected Gift

Years ago, I got a nice surprise at my local library. It happened when I found a paperback copy of Lois Lenski's "Prairie School" in the children's room. Unfortunately, at least it seemed unfortunate at the time, the book had no front cover, and there were no other copies available.
I went to check out my books. The librarian said that they would have to discard that copy of "Prairie School," and she gave it to me for free.
"Oh, thank you very much," I said.
I took the book home, and covered the front with several layers of strong tape, the kind
of tape that looks like paper.
I still have the book, and plan to re-read it in the not-too-distant future.

A Review I'd Like To Share

This is one of the most insightful book reviews I've ever come across.
Amy Moves In is one of my favorite books. The hardcover original is best; there are
some annoying, unnecessary changes in the paperback edition.
I will blog about those changes in a future post.

New Game Site, New Page

Here is another game site I'd like to share.
My username here is Pro_Lifer_Chelle.
I've also added a Games and Puzzles page to this blog.

And My Rosary Art Collection Keeps Growing!

To see the latest picture in my collection,
click HERE.
To see the entire collection, click HERE

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Join me and other Catholics bloggers at Sunday Snippets. Thanks to RAnn for hosting!

Semper Gaudete!: Novena of Reparation

Semper Gaudete!: Enigma Device

Semper Gaudete!: I HAVE to Share This

Semper Gaudete!: A New Tradition?

Semper Gaudete!: Homily 2012-01-11 - Fr Joseph Mary MFVA

Semper Gaudete!: Shopping For Old Books

Semper Gaudete!: Picture Added to Collect

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"Home in the Hills"
by Letha Boyer
[fiction, series, teacher, family, Ozarks]
{carried over from last week}

"Wendy's Private Life"
by Ruth Langland Holberg
[children's fiction]

"Pippi Longstocking's After-Christmas Party"#
by Astrid Lindgren
[children's fiction, Sweden, holidays, picture book]

"Judy's Journey"#
by Lois Lenski
[children's fiction, family, migratory workers]
(Google e-book)
{Judy's horizons are stretched, and so are the reader's.}


"Amy Moves In"
by Marilyn Sachs
[children's fiction, city life, New York]
{this book takes place in 1936 and 1937. I was
able to ascertain this because Amy's birthday was
on April 24th, a Saturday in 1937. All I needed to do was
Google a few old calendars.}

"Of These Contented Hills"
by Letha Boyer
[fiction, series, teacher, family, Ozarks]

Picture Added to Collect

I've just added a new picture
to my Rosary Art collection.
I love the rays in this one!

Shopping For Old Books

Usually, when I shop for an old book, the first thing I
do is try to find a free online copy. More often than not,
the book I want is, indeed, available online for free. And, quite often, a physical
copy of that book would have cost me a beautiful buck. (I know the expression is
"a pretty penny," but what with inflation...)
If the book isn't available for free, I look for the least expensive copy, whether it
is an e-book or a physical, hold-in-my-hands book book.
Of course, I don't always find an affordable copy, and sometimes I don't find the book
at all, including on Open Library.
I love old books, and the format doesn't really matter all that much.
I love ordering e-books and getting them right away. Then again, I also
love looking forward to getting books in the mail.
Of course, the best part is actually READING the book!

Novena of Reparation

Please join me in praying this Novena
in reparation for Roe V. Wade.
And let's also pray that we will soon be offering prayers of THANKSGIVING for
the REVERSAL of that horrible decision!

Homily 2012-01-11 - Fr Joseph Mary MFVA

Football, overcoming obstacles, and two books I'm definitely buying!

A New Tradition?

A few weeks ago, I learned that there is a "Pippi Longstocking" book that I had never heard of before, a picture book called Pippi Longstocking's After-Christmas Party. It was published in Sweden in 1950, but didn't become available here until the 1990s.
As soon as I became aware of the book's existence, I just HAD to order a copy.
When the book arrived, I put it aside to read after Christmas. That seemed
appropriate!
As I said, the book is a picture book, just one short story. But it was, to me, as
enjoyable as the full-length Pippi books.
I think I will read this book every year, at the beginning of Ordinary Time.

I HAVE to Share This

Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Verdi is my nephew-in-law. My niece is bragging about this
on Facebook. Can't say that I blame her; I'd be crowing like a rooster and
strutting like a peacock!

Enigma Device

This is another website I enjoy. I don't,
however, always agree with the quotations.
I'm thinking of adding a GAMES AND PUZZLES page to this blog.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Join me and a growing group of Catholic bloggers at Sunday Snippets. Thanks to RAnn for hosting.

Semper Gaudete!: Fake Facebook Message

Semper Gaudete!: Changes to my Sunday Reading

Semper Gaudete!: Friday/Fryday

Semper Gaudete!: Another Adoration Site

Semper Gaudete!: Great Homily from Fr. Wade Menezes CPM

Semper Gaudete!: Homily 2012-01-05 - Fr Wade Menezes CPM - St John Neumann - Bishop

Semper Gaudete!: The Name Was The Same


Semper Gaudete!: New Picture Added to Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"Olivia and the Little Way"#
by Nancy Belanger
[children's fiction, religious, Catholic]
{Sunday book}

Little Clearing in the Woods"
"On Top of Concord Hill"
by Maria D. Wilkes
[children's fiction, series, historical, biographical, family]

"The Peddler's Clock"#
by Mabel Leigh Hunt
[children's fiction, historical, family]
(Open Library loan)
{This turned out to be a picture book, very quickly read.}

"A Little Girl of Nineteen Hundred"
by Lois Lenski
[children's fiction, historical, probably autobiographical]
{the last time I read this was years ago, in the Children's Reference Room at the Donnell
Library Center.}

"Home in the Hills"
by Letha Boyer
[fiction, series, teacher, family, Ozarks]
{carrying over into next week}

New Picture Added to Collection

I've just added a new picture to my
Rosary Art Collection.
I'm going to look for some more works by Da Vinci. I already have his painting of
The Last Supper.

The Name Was The Same

There was something that puzzled me, and I mean greatly puzzled me, when I was little. In order to understand my confusion, you need to know that my maternal grandfather's first name was Nathan.
Every now and then, my family would go to

for a meal. Baba preferred to sit down to eat, so we'd go inside and enjoy table service.
My usual meal was a hot dog or a hamburger (I was crazy about their hamburgers!) a chocolate shake or a cup of hot chocolate, sometimes corn on the cob. There was one item I invariably
ordered: French fries.
So where does the confusion come in?
Remember, my grandfather's first name was Nathan.
The place was called Nathan's.
We've established these two facts.
I could never understand why we had to pay for our meals, since it was quite
obvious to me that my Grandpa owned the place!

Homily 2012-01-05 - Fr Wade Menezes CPM - St John Neumann - Bishop

Fr. Wade began today's homily by sharing some young children's definition of "love." When he told us the one about the coffee, I said under my breath, "Right." A second later, Fr. Wade said, "Right."
And those present at the Mass, and, I'm sure, many watching at home, laughed.

New Picture in my Collection

I actually came across this picture
while searching for a different one by Veronese!

Great Homily from Fr. Wade Menezes CPM

Fr. Wade gives us some great advice in this homily.

Fake Facebook Message

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS NOTICE TO YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CONTACTS!
In the coming days, you should be aware.....Do not open any message with an attachment called: Invitation FACEBOOK, regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an OlympIc torch that burns the whole hard disc C of your computer.
This virus will be received from someone you had in your address book. That's why you should send this message to all your contacts. It is better to receive this email 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
If you receive an email called: Invitation FACEBOOK, though sent by a friend, do not open it and delete it immediately. It is the worst virus announced by CNN. A new virus has been discovered recently that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.
It is a Trojan Horse that asks you to install an adobe flash plug-in. Once you install it, it's all over.. And there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information of their function is saved.
SNOPES SAYS THIS IS TRUE............
......http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/youtube.asp
I went to Snopes and checked this out. The warning is indeed TRUE.

Another Adoration Site

I've found another online Adoration site.
Meanwhile, I've been looking for one in Australia that I used to visit. I've forgotten
the name of the parish, and the url to the website.

Friday/Fryday

When I was a kid, I used to love the little calendars
we got from the bank, and the ones in the classroom. Each Friday was marked with
a little picture of a fish, even though these were NOT religious calendars.
This made me think that "Friday" was just another way of spelling "FRY-day."
In other words, I thought the day was named "Friday" because it was the day
on which my Catholic neighbors would fry fish!

Changes to my Sunday Reading

This post contains excerpts from an older post, slightly edited, with new material added.  
On Sundays, (and that means from Evening Prayer 1 to Evening Prayer 2), I put aside whatever non-Catholic book or books I may be reading. On Sunday, I read only Catholic books from Catholic publishers, (or the Catholic imprints of mainstream publishers.)
The book can be fiction or non-fiction, but it absolutely MUST be something I'll want to carry into the next week. Dull, dry books are not welcome!
This will not change. Sunday, especially, is not a day for reading dull, dry books!
This may seem like a restriction, but it is actually an enhancement of the most beautiful, precious day of the week. And, as a bonus, I find that I enjoy the non-Catholic books all the more for having put them aside for those 24 hours.
I've discovered, however, that by limiting my Sunday reading to books from Catholic publishers,
I was eliminating some very lovely Catholic books.  To give just one example, my copy of The Little Flowers of St. Francis is from a mainstream, not a Catholic, publisher.  However, the material is very much suited to my ideas of Sunday reading! 
So from now on, although my Sunday reading will still consist of Catholic books only, it will
no longer be restricted to books from Catholic publishers.
And, after all, the beginning of the year is a good time for changes! 

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Join me and a growing group of Catholic bloggers at Sunday Snippets. Thanks to RAnn for hosting!

Semper Gaudete!: Joy To The World!!!

Semper Gaudete!: Christmas is Over

Semper Gaudete!: The Great Train Robbery

Semper Gaudete!: Holy Innocents

Semper Gaudete!: Jigsaw Puzzle Site

Semper Gaudete!: Great Homily by Fr. Anthony

Semper Gaudete!: Only ONE for 2012

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week