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.

A Time To Remember

Just watched "A Time To Remember" on EWTN.
The movie was filmed in Deposit, New York.
My family spent several weeks there every summer
for many years; we had our own place outside of town
on Old Plank Road.
St Joseph's, the Church seen in the movie, is where I went to Mass.

Somehow, I've always missed the broadcasts of the movie from one year to the next, so I'm glad I finally got to see it. And, for the first time, my Mom watched EWTN!
Seeing the town, or, I should say, the Village of Deposit on film brought back so many memories for us.
"A Time To Remember", indeed!

Books Read in the Past Week

"Looking in Junk Shops"
by John Bedford
{started last week, finished on Thursday}
[non-fiction]

"The Chalet School and Jo"
{started last week, finished on Monday}
"The Chalet Girls in Camp"
{read on Monday }
"The Exploits of the Chalet Girls"
{started on Monday, finished on Wednesday}
"The Chalet School and the Lintons"
{started on Wednesday, finished on Thursday}
[children's fiction]
by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer


"A Short History of the Honey Bee: Humans, Flowers, and Bees in the Eternal Chase for Honey"
{started on Tuesday. E-book}
by E. Readicker-Henderson (author)
and Ilona McCarty (photographer)
[non-fiction]

"Chris Turner, Magician"
by James T. Brady
{read on Thursday}
[children's fiction]

"A Christmas Carol"
by Charles Dickens
{read on Friday; my annual December 24th reading}
[fiction]

"Bequest of Wings:
A Family's Pleasures with Books"
by Annis Duff
{started on Friday}
[non-fiction]

"Little Women"
by Louisa May Alcott
{started on Saturday}
[fiction]
(I'm reading this book both off-line and
online. I have an oversized illustrated edition)

I'm reading LMA's books in order of publication,
just one a week in order to stretch them out.
Also, I am reading "Little Women" as it was
originally published, that is, as two separate
books.

Great post from Karen Edmisten

I

Communicating with a Canadian Cat

This post is taken, slightly modified, from one of my old blogs.
More than 20 years ago, my mother, stepfather, grandmother, stepniece and I spent a few days in Toronto. On the first night, we saw a cat lying in a yard relaxing, not unlike the American kitties. Being a catlover, I greeted the cat, "Kitty kitty". The cat ignored me. I used all the usual terms of endearment people address to cats; no response. Finally it occurred to me that we were in Canada, and I said, "Meowez-vous français?"
And the cat looked up and meowed!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

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



Semper Gaudete!: My Collections

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Week of December 12-18, 2010

Books Read in the Past Week

Week of December 12-18, 2010

"Fifth Chinese Daughter"
{started last week, finished on Sunday}
"No Chinese Stranger"
{started on Sunday, finished on Wednesday}
[non-fiction; autobiography]
by Jade Snow Wong

"Scenarios 1:Truth or Dare"
by Nicole O'Dell
{read on Thursday}
[Christian fiction, (Protestant) teenagers]
(e-book)

"Looking in Junk Shops"
by John Bedford
{started on Thursday}
[non-fiction]

"The Trouble With Terry"
by Joan Lexau
{started on Friday, finished on Saturday}
[children's fiction]
(one of my childhood favorites)

"The Chalet School and Jo"
by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
{started on Saturday}
[children's fiction]