Let The Buyer Beware!

Remember those ads in the back of comic books? Back in the 1960s
I saw one for pieces of cloth cut from hotel sheets, and pillowcases used by The Beatles while they were touring America.
I did NOT buy one of those pieces of cloth, for several reasons.
1: I had no proof that these articles were authentic. Proof, to me, would have been actually
seeing a Beatle using the object in question.
2: A little piece of cloth could disappear very easily.
3: (My main reason) I'd MUCH rather spend my money on their RECORDS than on a piece of cloth!

Another time, my friend Jack (who was almost two years younger than I was) and I came across an ad, again at the back of a comic book, for "Hit Songs". Jack wanted to send for it, but I said,
"It says "Hit Songs", but it doesn't say "By the original artists." For all we know, it could be a bunch of recordings by some kindergarten band."
So neither of us sent for that record.
Of course, the offers may have been perfectly legit.. but then again...!!

Treasures I Found While Looking For The Trapp Family Singers on YouTube

I'm reading (not for the first time) "The Story of The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp, and so I decided to see if I could find any of their performances on YouTube. I do have some of their recordings stored on my computer, but I wanted something that I could share on this blog.
Well, during my search, I discovered that "The Sound of Music" was NOT the first movie about them. There was an earlier German movie, "The Trapp Family In America".
However, I wanted to find something by the real Trapp Family, not by actors portraying them, no matter how beautifully.
Well, I found a little gem!



And as if this weren't enough, I also came across, as a wonderful bonus, two clips of
Maria Augusta Trapp with Julia Andrews! And yes, they sing together!

Part 1


Part 2

Books I USED to Love

There are several books I used to love, and I mean absolutely LOVE, but I'm not going to read them again. These were books on astrology, reincarnation, and crystals; all subjects which fascinated me back in my New Age days.
Now, if I want to read about the stars, I'll read a book on astronomy. If I want to read about crystals, I'll read a book about mineralogy. And of course, I now believe in the resurrection of the body, NOT the reincarnation of the soul.
But don't get me wrong. I still believe very strongly in the New Age, and I always will. After all, it's what happens on every birthday, unless, of course, one chooses to emulate Jack Benny!

Books I'm Planning to Re-Read

Sometime in the near future, I plan to re-read:
Books in the series I'm already reading
The "Anne of Green Gables" series
(This time, I will use "The Annotated Anne of Green Gables"
when I read the first book)
The "Emily of New Moon" series
"The Story Girl"
"The Golden Road"
"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" and "New Chronicles of Rebecca"
Louisa May Alcott's books.
(And there will be a post about two, maybe three, things I
do NOT agree with in "Little Women")
"The Moffats" series
The "Melendy Family" series
The "Joshua Cobb" books
The "Yada Yada Prayer Group" books
The "Ellie's People" series
The "Great Brain" books
The "Bruno and Boots" series
The "Penrod" books
(I love "Penrod", but I'm planning a post about the
racism in the books.)
{I may write those posts before I re-read those books!}
The "Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries" by Tamar Myers
(More for the humor than for the mysteries!)
[and there are some books in this series that I
haven't read yet.]
"Heidi"
"Heidi Grows Up"
"Heidi's Children"
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
"How Green Was My Valley"
Enid Blyton's
"Naughtiest Girl"
(Again, I'm planning a post
about the first book in this series!)
"St. Clare's"
and "Malory Towers" books.
(That last is NOT a series about a girl
named Malory Towers. It's about a school by that name.
There have been additions, by other authors, to these three series;
maybe someday we'll see a book called "Mallory Towers at Malory Towers"!
Did I say "Near Future"??? Make that "Within the next six months!"
I could add even more books to this list, but instead I'll just say
"Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!"

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

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

I'm giving this post top priority.
Semper Gaudete!: Help Keep Fr. Frank on the Virtual Road

Semper Gaudete!: Getting A Bit Ahead of Myself


Semper Gaudete!: Re-discovering a Serial from my Childhood


Semper Gaudete!:
Juggling Series

Semper Gaudete!: New Picture in my Collection

Semper Gaudete!: Mixed Feelings

Semper Gaudete!: Pro-Abortion Priest

Semper Gaudete!: An Artist I've Just Discovered

Semper Gaudete!: Not COMPLETE, But.....

Semper Gaudete!: Blessed John Paul II and the Luminous Mysteries


Semper Gaudete!: Not COMPLETE, But.....

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

Books Read in the Past Week

[Books read for the first time are marked with a #]

"jazz off-key"
"storm warning"
{"Blog On" series}
by Dandi Daley Mackall
(children's fiction, Christian [Protestant])

"Little Rhody"
"Somebody Special"#
"Secret Friend"#
by Neta Lohnes Frazier
(children's fiction, historical)

"Beany Has a Secret Life"
by Lenora Mattingly Weber
(teen fiction)

Blessed John Paul II and the Luminous Mysteries

In honor of the feast of Blessed John Paul II, and the month of the Holy Rosary, I am presenting this post, adapted and modified from a longer post in one of my old blogs.

When Blessed John Paul the Great added the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary in 2002, I was delighted, absolutely delighted. I had felt for a long time that there was too great a gap between the Fifth Joyful Mystery and the First Sorrowful Mystery. A BIG chunk of Our Lord's life on Earth was missing from our Rosary meditations.
Of course, many choose not to pray the Luminous Mysteries, preferring to stick to the traditional form, and that is their right. I, personally, believe that there will be a time when people will be surprised to learn that the Luminous Mysteries weren't always a part of the Rosary; they fit in so perfectly!