Obama Does it Again!!!

We don't have a President... we have a dictator.

Heil Obama!

My Very First Club

I recently realized that I've never blogged about the first club

I ever had. Well, now I'm going to share everything I remember

about it....which, admittedly, is not very much.

You see, I was very, very young at the time... not even six years old, and maybe not even five.

I don't remember the name or the purpose of the club after all

these years, but I do remember having regular meetings.

I've forgotten whether the club had any colors or other symbols; probably not. I'm almost positive that there was

no club song.

I was the one who formed the club, and I was the President.
And who were the other club members?

My imaginary friends!

New Book Group (I'm at it again!)

Once again, I've set up a book discussion group. 

I think of it as a club, but that is because I love clubs!

Childhood Favorites

Books Read In The Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with  a #

Books, (except Sunday books) are grouped by author, and not necessarily in the order read.

Sunday book(s)

"In A Great Tradition

Tribute to Dame Laurentia McLachlan,
Abbess of Stanbrook"
by The Benedictines of Stanbrook
( Rumer Godden wrote in "In This House of Brede": 
"All of the characters
in this book are imaginary, but many of the episodes
are based on fact; some are taken from the life and
sayings of Dame Laurentia McLachlan and Sister Mary
Ann McArdle of Stanbrook Abbey.")
I recognize some of the incidents.

"Hetty Gray-Nobody's Bairn" #
by Rosa Mulholland
[fiction]

This book is listed in Benziger's
"Catalog of Catholic Books in English",
but there was nothing Catholic mentioned
in it.  It wasn't even especially religious.

Weekday Books

"Longer Flight:

A Family Grows Up With Books"

by Annis Duff
[non-fiction]
{carried over from last week}

"The Story Girl"

by L. M. Montgomery

[fiction]

(free Kindle book)

{carried over from last week}

"Leave it to Beany!"

by Lenora Mattingly Weber

[YA fiction]
 this was my introduction to Lenora Mattingly Weber.  
The title was partially hidden, and I thought it said "Leave it to Beaver!"
(One of my all-time favorite TV shows!)

"So Not Okay: #
An Honest Look at Bullying
From the Bystander"
"You Can't Sit With Us" #
An Honest Look at Bullying
From the Victim"
by Nancy Rue
[children's/young teens' fiction,
Christian (Protestant) 
Mean Girls Makeover Series) ]
(Kindle book)
These books are NOT 
companion volumes.

"The Diary of a Frantic Kid Sister"
by Hila Colman
[children's fiction]
I hadn't read this one in years.

Umbrella #
by Taro Yashima
[picture book]
(openlibrary.org loan)

"Betsy-Tacy"

by Maud Hart Lovelace

(children's fiction)

I started re-reading the Betsy-Tacy books (and the three Deep Valley books in which Betsy is NOT the main character)  today, April 25th, the anniversary of the day "Betsy" and "Tacy" became friends. I will read just ONE book a week this time, using this schedule:

1st week in May
Winona's Pony Cart
2nd Week in May
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
3rd Week in May
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
4th Week in May
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
(skip month before starting Betsy-Tacy High School Books)
 1st week in July
Heaven to Betsy
2nd week in July
Betsy In Spite Of Herself
3rd week in July
Betsy Was A Junior
4th week in July
Betsy and Joe
2nd week in August
Carney's House Party
3rd week in August
Emily of Deep Valley
1st week in September
Betsy and the Great World
September 10th 
(starting date)
Betsy's Wedding

"Understanding Kim"
by Pelagie Doane
[children's fiction]
I loved this when I was a little girl, and
I was very thankful to find an affordable
copy.

{carrying over into next week}

A Book for Weekdays AND Sundays

"The Imitation of Christ"

by Thomas A Kempis

[Kindle book]

This Week's Fan Fiction

The Poem

an AU Waltons prequel.
Chapter 5 added.

Books Read In The Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with  a #

Books, (except Sunday books) are grouped by author, and not necessarily in the order read.

Sunday book(s)

"In A Great Tradition
Tribute to Dame Laurentia McLachlan,
Abbess of Stanbrook"
by The Benedictines of Stanbrook
( Rumer Godden wrote in "In This House of Brede": 
"All of the characters
in this book are imaginary, but many of the episodes
are based on fact; some are taken from the life and
sayings of Dame Laurentia McLachlan and Sister Mary
Ann McArdle of Stanbrook Abbey.")
I recognize some of the incidents.

Weekday Books

"Bird by Bird:
some instructions on writing and life" #
by Anne Lamott
[non-fiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)
good, but I could do without the
occasional bad language
{carried over from last week}

"Bequest of Wings:
A Family's Pleasures with Books"

{carried over from last week}

"Longer Flight:

A Family Grows Up With Books"
{carrying over into next week}

by Annis Duff
[non-fiction]


"Journey Cake, Ho!" #
by Ruth Sawyer
illustrated by Robert McCloskey
[picture book]
(openlibrary.org loan)
Ruth Sawyer and Robert McCloskey
were mother-in-law and son-in-law.

"The Story Girl"

by L. M. Montgomery

[fiction]

(free Kindle book)
{carrying over into next week}

"Well Done, The Naughtiest Girl"
"The Naughtiest Girl Wants to Win"
"The Naughtiest Girl Marches On"
by Anne Digby
[children's fiction]
  

"Portrait's of Little Women:
Meg's Story"
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
inspired by Louisa May
Alcott's "Little Women"
[children's fiction, prequel
to the original work]

"Julia's Magic"
"That Julia Redfern"
by Eleanor Cameron
[children's fiction]

A Book for Weekdays AND Sundays

"The Imitation of Christ"

by Thomas A Kempis

[Kindle book]

This Week's Fan Fiction

 Flowers for Cecily

a double drabble set after
L. M. Montgomery's "The

Golden Road"

The Last Letter
a three-part AU M*A*S*H
fic, now concluded.

Dante's Troubles
Another World fic.
New chapter added.

The Poem
an AU Waltons prequel.
Chapters 2-4 added.

All My Kittens: A Humorous Drabble
An All My Children parody.... or
should I say PURRODY!

The Dedication
inspired by a beloved
work by Charles Dickens.

Books Read In The Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with  a #

Books, (except Sunday books) are grouped by author, and not necessarily in the order read.

Sunday book(s)

"In A Great Tradition
Tribute to Dame Laurentia McLachlan,
Abbess of Stanbrook"
by The Benedictines of Stanbrook
( Rumer Godden wrote in "In This House of Brede": 
"All of the characters
in this book are imaginary, but many of the episodes
are based on fact; some are taken from the life and
sayings of Dame Laurentia McLachlan and Sister Mary
Ann McArdle of Stanbrook Abbey.")
I recognize some of the incidents.

Weekday Books

"Bird by Bird:
some instructions on writing and life" #
by Anne Lamott
[non-fiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)
good, but I could do without the
occasional bad language
{carried over from last week}

"The Quilt" #
by T. Davis Bunn
[fiction, Christian (Protestant) ]

{carried over from last week}

"The Cats in the Doll Shop" #

by Yona Zeldis McDonough

[children's fiction, historical]

"Meet the Malones"
"Beany Malone"
by Lenora Mattingly Weber
[teen fiction]

"Here's The NaughtiestGirl"
by Enid Blyton
"The Naughtiest Girl Keeps a Secret"
"The Naughtiest Girl Helps a Friend"
"The Naughtiest Girl Saves the Day"
by Anne Digby
[children's fiction]

"Donna Parker Takes a Giant Step"
by Marcia Martin
[children's/young teens' fiction]

(openlibrary.org loan)

"The Fairy Tale Friend"
"Sunflower Girl"
by Marcia Hoehne
[children's fiction. Christian, (Protestant, no
denomination specified.)

"The Tale of Benjamin Bunny"
"The Tale of  Two Bad Mice"
by Beatrix Potter
[picture books, in
"Beatrix Potter, The Complete Tales"]
(Kindle book)
original text and illustrations

"Bequest of Wings:
A Family's Pleasures with Books"
by Annis Duff
[non-fiction]
{carrying over into next week}


 

A Book for Weekdays AND Sundays

"The Imitation of Christ"

by Thomas A Kempis

[Kindle book]

This Week's Fan Fiction

Dante's Troubles

Another World fic.

Reworking of "False Alarm."

For a Bowlful of Beans

a slightly tongue-in-cheek

retelling of Genesis 25: 29-34.

Double Drabble

The Poem
An AU Waltons story set
about three years before the
first episode

A New Fanfic Double-Drabble

For a Bowlful of Beans

a partly humorous retelling

of Genesis 25: 29-34

Painting Added to Rosary Art Collection

I've just added a new painting to my Rosary Art Collection.

Books Read In The Past Week

 Books read for the first time are marked with  a #

Books, (except Sunday books) are grouped by author, and not necessarily in the order read.


Sunday books 

"In A Great Tradition
Tribute to Dame Laurentia McLachlan,
Abbess of Stanbrook" #
by The Benedictines of Stanbrook
( Rumer Godden wrote in "In This House of Brede": 
"All of the characters
in this book are imaginary, but many of the episodes
are based on fact; some are taken from the life and
sayings of Dame Laurentia McLachlan and Sister Mary
Ann McArdle of Stanbrook Abbey.")

"Lisbeth: the Story of a First Communion" #
by Mary Theresa Waggaman
[fiction]
(free online book)

Weekday Books

"Donna Parker

A Spring To Remember"
(physical copy)
"Donna Parker In Hollywood"
(openlibrary.org loan)
"Donna Parker
Mystery at Arawak"
(physical copy)
by Marcia Martin

[children's/young teens' fiction]

"Phoebe Snow"
"Stand Up, Lucy!"
[children's fiction, historical]
by Elizabeth Hall

"A Place of My Own"
"A Pocket in my Heart"
by Marcia Hoehne
(children's fiction, Christian, [Protestant], series )

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit"
"The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin"
by Beatrix Potter
[picture books]
(Beatrix Potter, the Complete Tales,
Kindle book)

"Bird by Bird:
some instructions on writing and life" #
by Anne Lamott
[non-fiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)
good, but I could do without the
occasional bad language
{carrying over into next week}

"The Quilt" #
by T. Davis Bunn
[fiction, Christian (Protestant) ]
{carrying over into next week}

"The Home Has A Heart"

by Thyra Ferre Bjorn
[non-fiction; Christian (Protestant) themes, recipes, 
anecdotes]
(April chapter only)

A Book for Weekdays AND Sundays
"The Imitation of Christ"
by Thomas A Kempis
[Kindle book]

This Week's Fan Fiction

Unsuited To Each Other

Chapter 5 is now up.

The Last Letter
Chapter 2 is now up.

23rd Precinct
Chapters 32 and 33 edited;
Chapter 34 added.

"Follow Your Heart"
an AU, multi-viewpoint Another World story

Waiting. [Old post, re-titled]

Waiting

This started out as a meditation, but turned into a story.

Writing Fan Fiction on Good Friday

I've just faced a rather ironic dilemma.   After weeks of struggling to get some new fan fiction
written, an idea for a new chapter came to me.  I had a decision to make, and I can only pray that
it was the right one.
Please bear in mind that I am a Catholic, and a writer.  I am a writer, and a Catholic.  I believe that
writing is a gift God has given to me.
So.... should I use the gift today?  In order to answer that, I needed to ask myself whether I would
write fan fiction on Sunday.  I decided that the answer is yes, especially if I've been struggling to
get a new chapter written.
The chapter in question has now been written, and posted.  Written, because I didn't want to lose it.
Posted, because to wait would have been to give the false impression that I waited until tomorrow
to write it.
 

Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?

[Old post, slightly modified, partly due to the date of Passover this year]

Tomorrow night, in countless Jewish homes, at countless Seders, the youngest son, or, if there was no son, the youngest daughter, (not counting babies, of course!) will ask the traditional Four Questions, beginning
"Why is this night different from all other nights?" 

(In my family, I was the one who asked those Questions.)

And now, for me, as a Jewish convert to Catholicism, these words have an even deeper meaning as a foreshadowing of the night of the Last Supper... the night on which Our Lord instituted the Eucharist.   That night was, indeed, different from all other nights.