Saturday, November 29, 2014

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival


Come on over to RAnn's blog for Sunday Snippets, where Catholic bloggers like me share our posts.  I've found some wonderful blogs here.  How about sharing yours?

Semper Gaudete! : Changing a Tradition? Maybe

Semper Gaudete! : Obama Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Abortion Activist Meryl Streep

Semper Gaudete! : It Made Me Want To See The Movie!

Semper Gaudete! : Abortion Activist: All Babies Conceived Accidentally Should Be Aborted

Semper Gaudete! : A VERY Fitting Gospel

Semper Gaudete! : Books Read in the Past Week

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.


"Love God And Do What You Please"
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
adapted by M. J. Huber
[spiritual reading]
a favorite of mine; thank God it wasn't one
of the books lost when I moved.
"Blueberry Muffins"
by Colleen Spiro
[nonfiction, anecdotes, autobiographical]
(Kindle book)
"Bobby in Movieland"
"Claude Lightfoot or How The Problem Was Solved"by Fr. Francis J. Finn, S.J.
[children's fiction, Catholic]
(free online books)
"The Rosary
Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary"
by Karen Edmisten
{Sunday books}

A Book for Weekdays AND Sundays
"A 40-Day Spiritual Workout For Catholics"
by Bob Rice
(chapters 17-23)
one chapter a day

"A Grand Man"
by Catherine Cookson
[fiction]
(Kindle book)
{carried over from last week}
It's been years since I've read the "Mary Ann"
books, and I was delighted to find them on Kindle.
Some of the books are available for free on openlibrary.org.

"The Funny Guy"
by Grace Allen Hogarth

[children's fiction]
In Joan M. Lexau's "The Trouble With Terry,"
Terry reads a book that is both happy and sad
about a girl named Helen who "always doing things
wrong, just like Terry."
I wonder if that book was "The Funny Guy."
It definitely fits the description!

"The Middle Button"
by Kathryn Worth
[YA fiction, historical, based on her maternal ancestors]

"A Live Coal in The Sea" #
by Madeleine L'Engle
[fiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)
I'd been meaning to read this book
for a long time.

"The Book of Festivals and Holidays
the World Over"
by Maguerite Ickis
[children's non-fiction]




Thursday, November 27, 2014

A VERY Fitting Gospel

I found today's Gospel [Luke 17:11-19] especially fitting. 
Ten lepers were healed. One came back to give thanks. The other nine were turkeys!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

It Made Me Want To See The Movie!

When I was a kid, before movies began to be rated G, M (now PG), R, and X, there were four words that always made me want to see the movie they described.  Those four words would make me practically beg my mom to let me see that movie.
(It never worked.  Never.)
And what were those four enticing, tantalizing words?
Not recommended for children.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Obama Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Abortion Activist Meryl Streep

Obama Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Abortion Activist Meryl Streep

According to the article, this isn't the first time Obama has honored abortion activists.  For example, last year he awarded
this medal to Gloria Steinem.  I blogged about it at the time, and I'm going to repeat what I said then:
If he could, Obama would canonize Margaret Sanger!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Changing a Tradition? Maybe

Well, in one more week it will be Advent, and a new liturgical year will begin.
I'm seriously thinking about changing a time-honored tradition;
I might make my New Year's resolution at the start of the Liturgical year, instead of waiting until January 1st.
And I'm going to make one short-term resolution right now:
I resolve NOT to make too many resolutions for the coming year.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival


Come on over to Rann's blog for Sunday Snippets, where Catholic bloggers like me share our posts.  I've found some wonderful blogs here.  How about sharing yours?










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.


"Love God And Do What You Please"
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
adapted by M. J. Huber
[spiritual reading]
a favorite of mine; thank God it wasn't one
of the books lost when I moved.
"Blueberry Muffins"
by Colleen Spiro
[nonfiction, anecdotes, autobiographical]
(Kindle book)
Harry Dee 
or Making it Out"
("Working it Out" in the edition
published by TAN books)
"Bobby in Movieland"
by Fr. Francis J. Finn, S.J.
[children's fiction, Catholic]
(free online books)
{Sunday books}

A Book for Weekdays AND Sundays
"A 40-Day Spiritual Workout for Catholics"
by Bob Rice
Chapters 10-16 
one chapter a day


"The City Boy"
by Herman Wouk
[fiction]
{carrying over into next week}
one of my favorite books.

The S.W.F. Club" #

by Caroline E. Jacobs
[children's fiction]
(free Kindle book)
{carrying over into next week}

"Soup"
by Robert Newton Peck
[fiction,  partly autobiographical]

"Jughead With Archie Comic Digest No. 61"

"Squawk to the Moon, Little Goose"
by Edna Mitchell Preston
[picture book]
(openlibrary.org loan)

"The weed with an ill name"
Description:
Originally published in the 1800's by an unknown
author. Rewritten in children's language and modern
English by Triangle Press
[children's fiction, Christian, (Protestant), non-denominational)

"A Grand Man"
by Catherine Cookson
[fiction]
(Kindle book)
{carrying over into next week}
It's been years since I've read the "Mary Ann"
books, and I was delighted to find them on Kindle.
Some of the books are available for free on openlibrary.org.

Friday, November 21, 2014

The Sock and the Glove

Just a bit of nonsense.


The sock saw the glove
and fell in love;
The glove saw the sock
And was smitten.
Filled with desire,
They were wed in the dryer,
and became the parents of a mitten.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Book Covers

When I was in sixth grade, our teacher, Mrs. Harris, showed us two books, or rather two different copies of the same book.  One copy was old, with no dust jacket.  The other was new, with a beautiful dust jacket
Mrs. Harris said, "I'm sure you would all be more attracted to this copy," indicating the new book.
I raised my hand and said, "It depends."
 "Leave it to Rochelle to contradict," said Mrs. Harris.
"Well," I said, "if I were in a bookstore, I'd be attracted to the book with the dust jacket, but if I were in a library, I'd be more attracted to the book with the worn cover, because that would mean that a lot of people have read it, so it's probably a good book."
Years later, I read this passage in "An Old-Fashioned Girl"
and remembered that little incident.
Polly heard it, and instantly resolved to be as "raving and as tearing" as her means would allow, "just for one night," she said, as she peeped over the banisters, glad to see that the dance and the race had taken the "band-boxy" air out of Tom's elegant array.
I deeply regret being obliged to shock the eyes and ears of such of my readers as have a prejudice in favor of pure English, by expressions like the above; but, having rashly undertaken to write a little story about Young America, for Young America, I feel bound to depict my honored patrons as faithfully as my limited powers permit; otherwise, I must expect the crushing criticism, "Well, I dare say it's all very prim and proper, but it isn't a bit like us," and never hope to arrive at the distinction of finding the covers of "An Old-Fashioned Girl" the dirtiest in the library.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

A Comic Book Connection

I've always had a great fondness for Harvey Comics: Little Dot, Little Audrey, Little Lotta, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Richie Rich, to name just a few. I mentioned awhile ago that I'm a member of The Richie Rich Comics Fan Club.
Well, I've just learned that Alfred Harvey, the founder of Harvey Comics, grew up in Brighton Beach.... where I was born and lived until last year!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Five Posts in One

I said that I'd put up at least one post every day.  Today, I'm presenting five posts in one!












Saturday, November 15, 2014

If I Could Form An OFFLINE Club


I love my online Share-Care-Prayer Club; don't get me wrong on that. However, I'd also love to be able to form one of those clubs where people get together in person, but that isn't possible for me.  I'm unable to travel, or even walk outside (except on my porch) unless I hold onto somebody's arm, and my own attached house is too small to accommodate a group of people.
However, if I could form an offline club, it might be a reading club; these are quite popular.  Mine would be a Books and Tapes Club.   This would allow people with dyslexia, or with visual problems, to join if they wanted to.  Now and then, ALL
members would listen to a tape.  We would then discuss, not only the book itself, but how well or poorly it was read.
Then again, I might start a Sunday Night Lunch Club for fans of
Maud Hart Lovelace's "Betsy-Tacy" series.  The  SNLC would meet on Sunday evenings, preferably if the next day was a holiday.  Members would take turns hosting.  Sandwiches and coffee would be served, and, if available, songs from the Betsy-Tacy books would be played and/or sung. 

Or I might form a club for making rosaries; members would also pray the rosary at each meeting.

I said (wrote) that I can't have an offline club.  What I should have said is that I can't have an offline club at this time.  Perhaps someday I will be able to have one.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Incident In A Store

I was in a store quite a few years ago, and I went up to a saleslady and asked her where a certain item...I forget what... was.
She pointed.
"Could you please tell me in words?" I requested politely.  "I have a perceptual disability, and it's hard for me to tell just where you are pointing."
"Well, tough on you!" she snapped in a VERY nasty voice, and walked away.
I followed her, tapped her on her shoulder, and responded.  "You are right.  You're absolutely right.  It is tough having a handicap that people don't understand.  But do you know what makes things so much tougher for me?"  I looked right at her and answered my own question.  "People like you."


Thursday, November 13, 2014

Singing To Winky

Yes, I sing to my cat, and he seems to enjoy it.
Sometimes I'll sing the first part of the "Cat Duet."
Sometimes I sing the chorus to Do Wah Diddy, changing the
words to:
Mew, my kitty, kitty purr, kitty mew.
Every now and then I sing the "Meow Mix" jingle.
And every night, when Winky jumps onto the top of the couch
to go to sleep, I pet him and sing "Soft Kitty."

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Finding The Source of a Story

In the chapter in "Little Men" called Round the Fire, Jo tells a story called "The Suspected Boy," which she says was "written years ago by a dear old lady."
Well, I finally found out the source of the story.

The Internet is a wonderful way to research things.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

I Love Online Games, But....!!!

I love online games, but they can be a bit... make that a LOT... frustrating sometimes.
To give just one example:
I've been stuck on Level 312 of Pet Rescue Saga for almost two months now!

Monday, November 10, 2014

New Item In Break-Off Collection

I've just added a ceramic tile that came off of my kitchen floor to my break-off collection.  I found it on the living room carpet, but I wasn't sure what it was until I saw the empty space.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

New England Sunday, 1840s

In "The Story of A Bad Boy", Thomas Bailey Aldrich gives a rather grim description of how Sunday was observed when he was a boy.  I'll just share this little bit:



"People who were prosperous and natural and happy on Saturday became the most rueful of human beings in the brief space of twelve hours. I don't think there was any hypocrisy in this. It was merely the old Puritan austerity cropping out once a week. Many of these people were pure Christians every day in the seven -- excepting the seventh. Then they were decorous and solemn to the verge of moroseness. I should not like to be misunderstood on this point. Sunday is a blessed day, and therefore it should not be made a gloomy one. It is the Lord's day, and I do believe that cheerful hearts and faces are not unpleasant in His sight."

Of course, I agree with him!  



Friday, November 7, 2014

Sickening is An Understatement

Warning: This article is one of the most disturbing I've ever read.   I will NEVER understand how anybody could do such things, especially to a three-year-old and a six-year-old.
Scotty McMillan does not need our prayers; he is safe now; he will never hurt again.
It's his six-year-old brother who needs our prayers.  Pray that he will be healed, and go on to live a normal, happy life.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Bunk Beds.... Sort Of

I don't have a bed; I'm not comfortable in a bed.  I have a couch.  It's the same couch I slept on when I lived in Brooklyn.
So why did I give this post the heading Bunk Beds.... Sort Of?
Well, usually, after I'm settled for the night, Winky jumps onto the back/top of the couch, and goes to sleep.  Hence, bunk beds!

One Of The Most Moving Posts I've Ever Read

I Was There To Serve Them

I just HAD to share this.  Warning: You might need a few tissues.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Something I'd Like To Share

I don't drive, due to my perceptual disability and poor co-ordination, but I'd like to share a prayer from Thyra Ferre Bjorn's book, "Mama's Way."
"Father,
     Help me to drive so I won't endanger others,
 and others to drive so they won't endanger me.
 And take the wheel and drive with me, so I can
 feel completely protected."

I think that, if I were able to drive, I would offer that prayer before starting out.  At least, I hope I would.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Sibling Kitties

Before we had Winky, Mom and I had Heather, and before we had Heather, we had Ollie and Cleo, who were brother and sister... they really were siblings.  
Ollie was more talkative (meowative?) than Cleo.  Quite often, he would stand in front of  Mom and/or me and make a speech.
"Meow, meow, meow, meow," and so on.
When he finished, Cleo would give one single "Meow."
I used to say, "Ollie does the invocation and Cleo does the 'amen'. "

Monday, November 3, 2014

Part Of A Conversation

Once, during a discussion about abortion, I said, "There is never any good reason for an abortion.  It might be best, in some cases, for the mother to give the baby up for adoption, but abortion is never the answer."
"The trouble with you," my friend [yes, we were friends, but we drifted apart] said, "is that you allow your religion to influence your thinking."
I looked right at her and responded, "Well, if it didn't influence my thinking, it wouldn't be much of a religion, would it?"

Sunday, November 2, 2014

A Good Day To Be Sick

Today is a day of rest in a different sense... it's a day of BED rest.  I've got a cold. 
Headache... on and off.
Stuffed nose.
Coughing.
In a word... BLECH!
But in a way I'm ALMOST glad.  After all, today we pray in a special way for the Souls in Purgatory, and I can really help them by offering up my sickness.  So November 2nd is a good day to be sick!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival


Looking for some great Catholic blogs?  Want to share your own? Hop on over to RAnn's blog for  Sunday Snippets!



Semper Gaudete! : Reading an Entire Gospel in One Sitting





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.


"Love God And Do What You Please"
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
adapted by M. J. Huber
[spiritual reading]
a favorite of mine; thank God it wasn't one of the books
lost when I moved!
"Blueberry Muffins"
by Colleen Spiro
[nonfiction]
(Kindle Book)
{Sunday books}


Bible books read this week:
"Judges"
"Jonah"
"Titus"
"Ruth"
"Micah"
"The Gospel According to Matthew"
"The Gospel According to Mark"
"The Gospel According to Luke"


"Girls' Clubs
Their Organization and Management" #
by Helen Josephine Ferris
[nonfiction]
(free online book)
{carried over from last week}

"Elsie's Girlhood"
{carried over from last week}
by Martha Finley
[children's fiction, Christian, (Protestant)]


"The Taste of Spruce Gum" #
by Jacqueline Jackson
[children/YA fiction]
(openlibrary.org loan)
{carried over from last week}



"Papa's Wife"
"Papa's Daughter"
{carrying over into next week}
by Thyra Ferre Bjorn
[fiction, Christian (Protestant) themes]

"Love and Knishes
An Irrepressible Guide to Jewish Cooking"
by Sara Kasdan
[nonfiction, Jewish]
(openlibrary.org loan)



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...