Saturday, December 28, 2013

Sunday Snippets-- A Catholic Carnival

Come one, come all, to Sunday Snippets!  Thanks to RAnn for hosting.   I've discovered some wonderful blogs here.




Books Read in the Past Two Weeks

Books read for the first time are marked with a # 

"St. Francis of Assisi" #
by G. K. Chesterton
"Around the Year With the Trapp Family"
by Maria Augusta von Trapp
(openlibrary.org loan)
"How to  Converse Continually and
Familiarly With God"

by St. Alphonsus Liguori
translated by Fr. L. X. Aubin, C.SS.R
{Sunday books} 

"The Imitation of Mary #
In Four Books"
by Alexander De Rouville 
Revised and Edited by Matthew J. O'Connell
[devotional reading, Catholic]
(one chapter a day; more on Sunday)

"Jo to the Rescue"
"The Mystery at the Chalet School"

by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
"A Chalet School Headmistress"
by Helen Barber
(fill-in)
"Tom Tackles the Chalet School"
"The Chalet School and Rosalie"
by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
[children's fiction, Chalet School series]

"Eight Cousins"
by Louisa May Alcott
[fiction]


"The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out"
by Neta Jackson
[Religious fiction, series, Protestant, multi-denominational and non-denominational]


"Jerry's Charge Account"
by Hazel Wilson
[children's fiction]


"A Christmas Carol"
by Charles Dickens
[fiction]
{my yearly December 24th tradition}
(I read this book for the first time in 1962,
after the first broadcast of Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.
Since then, I've read it every year around Christmas, but I don't
remember when I decided to make December 24th my day to read this
book.)

My copy of this book was one of the items lost when I moved,
so thank God for free online books!



"Mary Erskine"
by Jacob Abbott
[children's fiction, Franconia series]
(free Google e-book)

"The Cloister Walk"
by Kathleen Norris
(non-fiction, autobiographical, Catholic themes [Protestant author]) 
{Two uses of the "F" word (in quoted conversations,
and NOT in any monastic settings.)}
(I could have done without the "F" word, but this
is still a lovely book.)

"Copycat"
by Leah Subar
[children's fiction, Judaica]



"A Lemon and a Star"
by E.C. Spykman
[children's fiction, historical]

(openlibrary.org loan)


"Botany" #
by Taylor R. Alexander, R. Will Burnett,
and Herbert S. Zim
[nonfiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)
"Woman's Life in Colonial Days" #
by Carl Holliday
[nonfiction]
(online Google book)
"Higher Lessons In English" #
by Alonzo Reed, A. M.
and Brainerd Kellogg, L. L. D.
[nonfiction, 1896 Edition, revised]
(online Kindle book)

This Week's Fan Fiction

Christmas at the 2-3


new chapter added

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Adding to my Decorative Magnet Collection

I've just ordered the cutest set of magnets for my
collection.


Throwback Thursday

Yep! When I was a kid, my friends and I loved going to the dentist. His office was right on my block, so I went at least once a week, sometimes by myself, sometimes with one or more of my friends. Either way, I always had a great time there.
You see, Dr. Kopel (that was his name, but after all these years I'm not sure I'm spelling it right) had a storeroom full, and I mean FULL, of comic books, including many that the corner candy store didn't carry, and he didn't care how much
time his young friends spent reading them.
So I really enjoyed going to the dentist... except when I had to go to the dentist!


Originally posted on April 11th, 2011

Christmas is Over (repost)

Thank God, our Christmas season has just begun! However, for many who celebrate only the secular aspect, it was over as soon as the last present was unwrapped, the Christmas dinner was eaten, and the last belch was belched!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Joy To The World!!!


I'd just like to take a moment to wish everyone a very blessed

Christmas, and to share some pictures from my Rosary Art Collection.
And to quote from a book I read every December 24th:
God bless us, every one!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Sunday Snippets--- A Catholic Carnival

Come one, come all to Sunday Snippets!  Thanks to RAnn for hosting.  I've discovered some wonderful blogs here.

Semper Gaudete!: Computer Issues

This Week's Fan Fiction

False Alarm
New chapter added.

Truncated Version of "Silent Night"


References to Jesus removed in performance of "Silent Night."

I grew up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, and I never knew ANYBODY who was offended by Christians singing "Silent Night." 

Computer Issues

I've been offline due to computer problems.  I couldn't access anything online OR offline.
The problem has been fixed (as you must have guessed!)
and I am back in action.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival


Come one, come all to Sunday Snippets!  Thanks to RAnn for hosting!  I've
discovered some wonderful blogs here.




Books Read in the Past Two Weeks

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

"St. Francis of Assisi" #
by G. K. Chesterton
{Sunday book} 

"The Imitation of Mary #
In Four Books"
by Alexander De Rouville 
Revised and Edited by Matthew J. O'Connell
[devotional reading, Catholic]
(one chapter a day; more on Sunday)

"Welcome, Stranger"
"Pick a New Dream"
by Lenora Mattingly Weber
[YA fiction]

"Little Grey Gown" #
by Mabel Leigh Hunt
[children's fiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)

"The Home Has A Heart"
by Thyra Ferre Bjorn
[non-fiction; Christian (Protestant) themes, recipes, 
anecdotes]
(December chapter only)

"The Chalet School In Exile"
"The Chalet School at War"
{Original title: "The Chalet School Goes To It"}
by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
"The Chalet School And Robin"
{fill-in}
by Caroline German
"The Highland Twins at The Chalet School"
"Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School"
by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

(children's fiction, Chalet School series)


"Wallace"
"Mary Erskine"
{carrying over into next week}
by Jacob Abbott
[children's fiction, Franconia series]
(free Google e-book)

"The Cloister Walk"
by Kathleen Norris
(non-fiction, autobiographical, Catholic themes [Protestant author]) 
{Two uses of the "F" word (in quoted conversations,
and NOT in any monastic settings.)}
(I could have done without the "F" word, but this
is still a lovely book.)
{carrying over into next week}


Fan Fiction Published in the Past Two Weeks

 Revealed Relationships 
Chapter 4 is now available

Egg
An "As The World Turns" nanofiction/sillyfic

Unconstitutional
A "West Wing" fic.

Writer and Character
An "Another World" story
in which I poke fun at one
of my recurring themes.

It Was NOT My Fault This Time
A "Josie in Trouble" story
written by Josie herself!

At It Again!

Every little (or not so little!) while, I get ambitious and decide to do some studying.  Not that
it is NECESSARY, but simply to keep my mind just that much more occupied.  Well, as the
title of this post says, I'm at it again!
So what am I studying at this time?

Social Studies/History
American Colonial period

English Grammar
(always a favorite subject of mine)

Math
Elementary Algebra

Science and Nature
Botany

Foreign Languages
French
(I studied French in high school,
but I'd like to refresh my memory
and then advance.)
Latin
(classical Latin)

English Literature
"Pride and Prejudice"
(a complete list of the books
I'm using may be found at the
end of my book list.)

I know that this seems like a long list, but I'm being
careful not to overdo it.  I'm spreading my studies
out over the course of each day, and allowing
myself long breaks between subjects.


Thursday, December 12, 2013

Throwback Thursday

I am a Catholic, 24/7, awake or asleep. Whatever I do, I do as a Catholic. Of course, not all activities are in themselves Catholic per se. Eating, for example, is not predominately Catholic; it is a universal, and universally necessary activity.  Making the Sign of the Cross and saying the "Bless us, O Lord" prayer before eating, and the "We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits" prayer after is Catholic.
Reading, in itself, is not Catholic. Reading the Holy Bible [I prefer the Revised Standard Version], books by or about Saints, or any Catholic devotional and/or instructional book is Catholic.

 Watching TV is another activity not Catholic in and of itself, unless the programming is Catholic, for example, everything on EWTN. Saying a few Hail Mary's or some other prayer while I fast-forward through the commercials and/or scenes I don't care to watch on the secular programs [and thank God for tapes, DVRs, and fast-forward!]is Catholic.
Just one or two more examples.        
Being on my computer is not particularly Catholic; visiting Catholic websites is.
Singing, just plain singing, is not especially Catholic. Singing something like "Hail, Holy Queen", however.... aw, you know!
In other words, whatever I do, I do as a Catholic, but there are certain things I do specifically because I am a Catholic.
If I have to separate something in my life from the fact that I am a Catholic, then
that thing does not belong in my life.

Originally posted on July 22nd, 201o

Friday, December 6, 2013

St. Nicholas (Repost)

I find it wonderfully appropriate that we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas, known and loved by so many children as "Santa Claus", during Advent. It is as if the saint were telling us, "Remember why I come with presents on Christmas. It is to celebrate the birth of Our Lord."

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Throwback Thursday

This post was originally published on December 30, 2010.

December Birdsong


Sometimes, when I hear a bird singing in December, I
repeat to myself this poem by Oliver Herford.

I Heard a Bird Sing

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

Monday, December 2, 2013

The Exact Number

Statistics cannot keep up the exact number of babies who have been aborted over the years.
I can, however, give you one unchanging statistic.  I can tell you the EXACT number of

babies who CHOSE to be aborted.
ZERO!

Encouraging news about EWTN's Fr. Anthony

Fr. Anthony hopes to be back on the air in the near future.  Oh, HOW I'm praying for that to happen! https://franciscanmissionaries.c...