Catholic Homeschool Carnival: Advent and Christmas Edition

Please stop by and enjoy the December edition of the Catholic Homeschool Carnival at O Night Divine, and be sure to thank Mary Ellen for her great work!

"The Riddles of the Gospel" (The Everlasting Man, Part II, Ch. 2)

I'm going to breeze through these last chapters a little more quickly than with "The God in the Cave." Otherwise it'll take me another year to finish the book! It's a shame, though, because there's so much wonderful "stuff" here, but it can't be summed up easily.

Relatively speaking, it is the Gospel that has the mysticism and the Church that has the rationalism. As I should put it, of course, it is the Gospel that is the riddle and the Church that is the answer. But whatever be the answer, the Gospel as it stands is almost a book of riddles.

On the whole, he tries to show us the story of the Gospel from the outside - as if someone had never read it before. He looks at all kinds of assumptions and accusations people make regarding the Gospels and shows quite convincingly that the Gospels can't be pinned down to such narrow views. This is not the stuff of platitudes, or madness or writings that are only relevant to people of that time.

Whatever else is true, it is emphatically not true that the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth were suitable to his time, but are no longer suitable to our time. Exactly how suitable they were to his time is perhaps suggested in the end of the story.

(I love his understated style here.)

He never used a phrase that made his philosophy depend even upon the very existence of the social order in which he lived. He spoke as one conscious that everything was ephemeral, including the things that Aristotle thought eternal. By that time the Roman Empire had come to be merely the orbis terrarum, another name for the world. But he never made his morality dependent on the existence of the Roman Empire or even on the existence of the world. 'Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away.'

The truth is that when critics have spoken of the local limitations of the Galilean, it has always been a case of the local limitations of the critics. He did undoubtedly believe in certain things that one particular modern sect of materialists do not believe. But they were not things particularly peculiar to his time. It would be nearer the truth to say that the denial of them is quite particular to our time.

One last zinger from this chapter...

Now each of these explanations in itself seems to me singularly inadequate; but taken together they do suggest something of the very mystery which they miss. There must surely have been something not only mysterious but many-sided about Christ if so many smaller Christs can be carved out of him. If the Christian Scientist is satisfied with him as a spiritual healer and the Christian Socialist is satisfied with him as a social reformer, so satisfied that they do not even expect him to be anything else, it looks as if he really covered rather more ground than they could be expected to expect.

Marian Songs for Advent

Revised and updated in November 2009 (particularly with YouTube videos) from my original post in 2006.

It seems to me that it would be appropriate to emphasize Our Lady during Advent and hymns about her fiat and her pregnancy are most appropriate. (I did notice that "Castle of the Immaculate" has a post about a Marian theme for Advent). Here are a few of our favorite songs (still hope to find a few more resources to make these more accessible, I'll add them when/if I find them)...

Maria Walks Amid the Thorn

Lyrics and a midi file can be found here.

Beautiful listening:





The Angel Gabriel

Lyrics and a midi file can be found here.



This is the version Sting performed about 20 years ago which re-popularized the song. I like the music, but not so much the video:



A more traditional rendition:




Alma Redemptoris Mater
(Marian antiphon for Advent)

Click to enlarge the music to this chant:
Here's a decent way to learn the traditional chant:



Palestrina's gorgeous polyphonic version:



More about Marian antiphons here

You may find this article from First Things interesting and relevant.

Ha!

You paid attention during 100% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Yep! You'd be surprised at what my homeschool/high school transcript looked like. It was anything but conventional.

The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On

Wow! I just finished this new release by Dawn Eden and it's quite powerful.

First, let me preface that this is a book about chastity aimed especially at twenty-something women who have previously fallen for the "casual sex" dating game. In other words, this isn't one to hand to your young teenage daughter unsupervised.

If you want to receive the love for which you hunger, the first step is to admit to yourself that you have that hunger, with everything it entails - weakness, vulnerability, the feeling of an empty space inside. To tell yourself simply, "I'll be happy once I have a boyfriend," is to deny the depth and seriousness of your longing. It turns the hunger into a superficial desire for flesh and blood when what we really want is someone to share divine love with us - to be for us God with skin on. (pg. 28)

With grace, good humor and a surprisingly upbeat style, Dawn, a 30-something New York journalist, shares the story of her conversion to chastity and her vision of the liberating power of the faith.

I spent many years of my life being single. I have nothing to show for it except the ability to toss my hair fetchingly and a mental catalog of a thousand banal things to say to fill the awkward, unbearably lonely moments between having sex and putting my clothes back on. You never see those moments in TV or movies, because they strike to the heart of the black hole that casual sex can never fill. (pg. 25)

She presents a compelling (and quite readable) account of the shortcomings of modern dating and the fulfilment to be found in a chaste lifestyle.

The idea of love as a presence and not a passion is tantalizingly similar to the definition of faith given to us in Hebrews: "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". It gives love a tangibility and a certainty that we normally do not feel in everyday life, save for the moments when we contemplate those dearest to us. More than that, love as a presence suggests something that's inescapable, without form - something that could conceivably fill everything. (pg. 90)

So what if you're not a woman in your 20s and you have lived chastely? Is this book for anyone other than this particular category?

I would say yes and for very particular reasons. Whether you're interested in better understanding those who fall into traps of modern culture (in order to help them) or you want to pass good attitudes about sex and marriage on to your children, this book is a great read.

First of all, naturally, she's "been there" - she offers amazing insights into the insecure and often depressing world of the "modern" single woman. Her answers aren't preachy, they draw from her experience and her faith in a loving and gentle way.

Taking my complaint very seriously, Mom advised me to read up on what Christians call spiritual warfare - especially Paul's words in 2 Corinthians, where he distinguishes between physical enemies and spiritual enemies: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

Bringing every thought into captivity means being the master of one's thoughts and passions instead of being mastered by them. It made sense to me; that was what I needed to do. If Paul knew what he was talking about, then I needed help - because I was locked, however unwillingly, in a spiritual battle. (pgs. 171-172)

The other piece, though, is that she goes way beyond arguing against this unhealthy lifestyle and a sense of opposing what is wrong. She opens up a complete vision of what is good and how to go about living "the good" in the modern world.

Instead of passive resignation, one must commit to active resolution: the determination to never miss an opportunity to share His grace with others.

This is something that can be done every minute of every day. God's grace may be found in every experience, whether it's a happy or painful one. We discover His grace by stepping out in faith - realizing our dependence on the Lord, and allowing ourselves to risk disappointment, so that we might be open to every blessing He has in store for us. (pg. 195)

Though this isn't for young teens, there's so much good in it, that I plan on sharing it with my daughters some day. Perhaps we'll read it together before they go off to college.

If your light shines through everything you do, from the greatest thing to the smallest, then it will be impossible for anyone to miss it. This is why the self-advertisement encouraged by the singles industry is counterproductive. When you focus the spotlight on yourself, no one can see how beautifully your light illuminates those around you.

It took me years to learn that lesson. (pg. 108)

Available from your local bookstore.
W Publishing Group, 212 pages, softcover, copyight 2006

Waiting for Christmas

It seems that the most significant aspect of our Advent celebrations is to hold back the tide of music, lights, presents and parties so that we can make a distinction between preparing for and celebrating Christmas. It's so much more enjoyable and special (and less stressful - really!) that way. Here's a little tour of what Advent looks like in our house, with a little room for natural variations from year to year.

(By the way, our favorite book about Advent is Advent and Christmas in the Christian Family by Teresa Zepeda and Laurie Navar Gill - we bought this when Ria was two years old and it's had a big impact)

Pre-Advent Projects:

Long before Advent starts, we get ready for one of our favorite Christmas projects which, unfortunately, we missed out on this year. Sometime in October, our parish has sign-up sheets for their "giving tree". We sign up a pregnancy help center in Milwaukee (almost) every year for several car seats, several port-a-cribs and a variety of baby clothes, diaper bags, etc. We pick these up the first week of December (they're all wrapped and decorated) and John delivers them to the very grateful volunteers in downtown Milwaukee. This is the first year we've missed it since we started doing it about five years ago. :(

On the other side of things (also before Advent starts) we generally pick an ornament from the giving tree as one of our projects. We generally pick a "food needed" ornament for a family around the size of our own. We do a big shopping trip both at the local grocery store and Sam's Club and let the kids pick out some things (including lots of practical, but also some fun and celebratory foods).

The past two years we've put together the local public Library's "Holiday Tree" too. Though this hasn't been particularly religious in nature, it's still a small bow in the direction of Christmas, it's a worthwhile work of service and it's been an opportunity for some in our community to get to know some homeschoolers. It's also turned into an opportunity to suggest some worthwhile books to the library.

First Sunday of Advent:

I don't think I've ever purchased my Advent candles more than two or three days before the first day of Advent. Usually one of our local grocery or discount stores will have some sort of purple and pink candles that will do. This year we have "pillar" candles with pink and purple ribbons (it was either that or really compromise on what constituted purple and pink).

One of my favorite things about Advent is that, because of the Advent wreath, we almost always eat dinner around the dining room table instead of around the kitchen counter (as we usually do). We have an artificial wreath (an inexpensive wreath wrapped around with additional greenery and little bunches of holly) and two different pairs of glass candlesticks - one set is taller than the other). We also keep a candle snuffer by the wreath and the kids scrupulously take turns snuffing out the candles after dinner. Before we eat, we light the appropriate number of candles and sing a verse or two of O Come, O Come Emmanuel (usually a verse in English and a verse in Latin, if I remember right - these details tend to be "dictated" by the kids).

In the beginning of Advent we usually start reading from the Old Testament a little each night at dinner, loosely basing it on the Jesse Tree readings. Our Jesse Trees have varied from year to year. Last year we put up our Christmas tree quite early since John was heading to Taiwan right in the middle of Advent. For awhile at least, the kids each made an ornament for each of the Jesse Tree readings and put them on the Christmas tree. This year, I'm hoping to find some small wooden blocks to try something like Alice's idea, but without the tree in the background. I think it would work well for us to build the blocks up into pyramids on the mantle - perhaps more representative of "roots" than a "tree". We don't usually manage to keep the readings up as faithfully as the Advent wreath - especially since John seems to have to travel every Advent. Still, it's always worth trying again!

My father-in-law made each of his children's families a beautiful nearly-life-sized manger a number of years ago. A baby doll plays the role of Baby Jesus on Christmas morning. Throughout Advent, the children place pieces of yellow construction paper "straw" in the manger when they do a good deed of some sort (finishing their school, going to Mass, helping one of their siblings, etc. all count). That way, on Christmas, Jesus has a nice soft bed to lie in.

Often, but not always, we make advent chains out of purple and pink paper - one for each day of Advent - a chain for each child. These are hung around the room and the kids love to watch them get smaller and smaller as they get closer to Christmas. Some years I've written little "Advent tasks" on each one - a prayer to say, a good work to do, etc. Unfortunately, last year, most of them fell off the wall (haven't found a great way to secure them) and were eaten by the dog (last year was our first Christmas with a dog and she presented a number of challenges).

Christmas Cards:

I love it that the Christmas season has become a traditional time to keep in touch with friends and family. I love Christmas cards and hearing from old friends. We string our cards on colored-yarn across a large doorway and hang all the photos on our fridge. I get Christmas Cards out most years, but don't usually make it all the way through my "list".

St. Andrew's Day (November 30):

This falls before the first Sunday of Advent this year. We like the Christmas novena which begins on this day.

St. Nicholas Day (December 6):

In the Milwaukee area, the tradition has endured for generations to celebrate St. Nicholas Day by hanging stockings on St. Nicholas Eve. Neighbors, friends and people out on the street are actually preparing for this in common. It's kind of neat! Our kids generally leave a Christmas wish list in their stocking, along with a list of what they will try to do to prepare for Baby Jesus' Birthday. We like to emphasize the traditional roots of Santa Claus through "old-fashioned" Santa decorations, stories, and some neat Santa paper dolls from Dover Publications.

We also take out our Nativity set stable (this was handmade by my husband out of scrap wood from a discarded futon bed a number of years ago) with some animals and shepherds for St. Nicholas Day. Mary and Joseph appear on the other side of the house, beginning their journey. We have a Roman Soldier reading a proclamation near their starting point. The whole family joins in the process of moving Mary and Joseph appropriately around the house throughout the season. Unfortunately, they do "lose their way" on occasion.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8):

Holy Day of Obligation and usually a day to celebrate with a cake, at least. We have some lovely Marian children's books I like to take out at this time too, such as Tomie de Paola's Mary the Mother of God. We've recently welcomed a large statue of Our Lady of Fatima into our home. I'm hoping to start a new tradition of a little Marian procession (with singing of course) for Marian feast days.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12):

This is a particularly special day we always remember (partly because of our California roots, I suppose). We try to make it to Mass and we always read Tomie de Paola's The Lady of Guadalupe. We have a large picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the living room. My sister-in-law brought it back from Mexico a number of years ago and John built a hand-made frame for it.

St. Lucy's Feast Day (Decmeber 13):

We've only officially made St. Lucy's Day Buns once (though it was particularly memorable). Rumor has it that plans are afoot for some real baking again this year. We've certainly got enough girls (and lovers-of-baking) to manage it.

Christmas Decorations:

Somewhere in the middle of Advent, depending somewhat on the weather, we start decorating the house (a little inside and a little outside) with Christmas lights. The deck railing in back and some smaller trees in front are the main projects to tackle. Last year (the first year we had roses, which we take inside each winter) we decorated the rose bushes with lights and a few bulbs.

Our "standard" day to get a Christmas tree is on the third Sunday of Advent. We try not to do it early, but don't want to make things too much of a rush on Christmas eve, so we just hold off pretty much as long as we can. We always get a live tree (though they are significantly drier and less expensive by this point). Once John puts the tree up (oops, we need a new stand this year - he accidentally melted it in the fire pit in back last year) and I put up the lights, we let the kids at it, one category of ornaments at a time. First, plain red bulbs (and try to spread them out), then candycanes (no, you can't eat any yet!), cardboard angel ornaments (actually quite pretty) then various homemade and purchased ornaments of all sorts. 99% of our ornaments are unbreakable, and it's really nice. The kids LOVE helping and it really works out pretty well.

Books and Music:

Most of our favorite books are listed here.

We make an effort to sing Advent songs throughout Advent, but also take out our Christmas CDs somewhere in the middle of the season. Here are a few of our favorite Christmas albums:

The Bells of Dublin (The Chieftains)
Handel's Messiah
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite (my kids also love the movie version with Macaulay Culkin as the Nutcracker)
The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole)
Kings College Choir: O Come All Ye Faithful (Musical Heritage Society)

This year, a friend of mine and I are "adopting" the Christmas Eve over-flow mass in our parish gym. We sang for this last year and realized that it was sadly neglected. There is only one Mass down there and decorations were sadly minimal (two poinsettia plants and two very sad-looking Christmas trees). I'll be bringing a team of our co-op teens over to help decorate a few days before and hope to secure a number of trees inexpensively beforehand (I think live ones - very much on the dry side by that point, but suitable for one night's use - might be the ticket). As it happens, since we've been doing the Library tree too, we were able secure some of their discarded ornaments - including dozens and dozens of bulbs. The library has switched over to all unbreakable bulbs (so nice with little ones running around), but these should be very suitable for our needs.

I expect to be adding to this over the coming weeks.

The Swing

The Swing,
originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Here's another picture I liked from our Thanksgiving break. Grandad made a wonderful swing in Aunt Sharon's basement that was the big hit of the trip (a timer was necessary for keeping track of turns). Contrary to appearances, Kate wasn't falling off the swing here. (photo by Gus)

Little Hands

Hands,
originally uploaded by Chez VH.

I love this picture Ria took of Frank washing his hands.

Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power by Josef Pieper

This is an interesting and hard-hitting little book (about 50 pages long) about the significance and dangers of the manipulation of language. It is deeply rooted in Plato's thoughts on rhetoric and the true purpose of communication. Written in German in 1974, the English translation was published by Ignatius Press in 1992. Here are a few interesting quotes:

So writes John Wild, the American scholar and expert on Plato: "The Sophist appears as a true philosopher, more so than the philosopher himself." (pg. 29)

"Is it not obvious", he wonders in his dialogue Phaedrus, "that even those who have a genuine message of truth and reality must first court the favor of the people so they will listen at all? Is there not such a thing as seduction to the truth?"

Be this as it may - this much remains true: wherever the main purpose of speech is flattery, there the word becomes corrupted and necessarily so. And instead of genuine communication, there will exist something for which domination is too benign a term; more appropriately we should speak of tyranny, of despotism.

Public discourse, the moment it becomes basically neutralized with regard to a strict standard of truth, stands by its nature ready to serve as an instrument in the hands of any ruler to pursue all kinds of power schemes. Public discourse itself, separated from the standard of truth, creates on its part, the more it prevails, an atmosphere of epidemic proneness and vulnerability to the reign of the tyrant.

The abuse of political power is fundamentally connected with the sophistic abuse of the word.

Consequently, one may be entirely knowledgeable about a thousand details and nevertheless, because of ignorance regarding the core of the matter, remain without basic insight. This is a phenomenon in itself already quite astonishing and disturbing. Arnold Gehlen labeled it "a fundamental ignorance, created by technology and nourished by information."

Perspective

A little thought I heard on Relevant Radio from Milwaukee's Archbishop Dolan:

"Church history gives you remarkable serenity."

Prayer for the Holy Father's Trip to Turkey

We just returned from out-of-state where we were celebrating Thanksgiving and helping my parents move. The parish where we went to Mass yesterday had this prayer for the Holy Father's safety during his trip to Turkey from November 28 - December 1:

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey - a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son's true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich with history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and the events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.

We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason and love. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

I'm Thankful for...

(The packing-and-only-have-a-minute Edition)

1. Ibuprofen (SERIOUSLY!!!)

2. our cat, who caught three mice last night in the basement!

3. washer & dryer

4. disposable diapers

5. washable felt pens

6. Blogger

7. Thinsulate

8. Lands' End All Weather Mocs

9. home insulation

10. music

11. Thanksgiving at my sister's and my brother-in-law who loves to cook for a crowd

12. great neighbors who take care of things at home

That's all for now. Prayers for a safe trip are most appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Library Tree

Library Tree,
originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Here's a real picture of the Library Tree. I brought all the kids in to see it earlier today and take pictures. The librarians got a pretty big kick out of our invasion.

Not much time for "real" blogging just now, though I've had some wonderful books to keep me company lately. I got stuck for several hours this afternoon with Mike Aquilina's Fathers of the Church (Our Sunday Visitor) at the brake shop. Poor me. :)

I'm also plugging through Josef Pieper's Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power. I love returning to Plato again after so many years (we studied a number of his dialogues Freshman year at TAC). This makes me think it would be worth tackling one or two with our co-op teens some day.

What American Accent Do You Have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Catholic Homeschool Carnival Reminder

The deadline for submissions to our December carnival, is fast-approaching. Please send in those Advent and Christmas ideas, stories, reviews etc. (prayer requests are also welcome) by November 26th. This carnival will be hosted by O Night Divine: A Blog Devoted to the Celebration of Christmas on December 1st!

Library Project

Library Ornament Project,
originally uploaded by Chez VH.

We finished the library tree tonight and I think it looks beautiful. Unfortunately, the only picture I have so far (my digital camera has been a bit unreliable lately) is from this first stage of creating the ornaments (Gus and Bernie are pointing out some favorite titles). I used the photo setting on our computer to make these come out so clearly.

I hope to get a picture of the tree up later.

A new word Bernie used today

(and I want to remember)

... halfhazardly

:)

Please Pray...

for Lorrie and her family

Interesting Tidbits from ALL Over

(some of these I really had to dig for since Bloglines has been on the fritz)

St. Peter Claver Latin School for Boys (Amy Welborn)

Carnival of Little Feet (Babylove)

Learning Patience the Hard Way (Danielle Bean)

Minnesota Mom's Rule of Six

"Entertaining Angels" by Suzanne Temple (I know, this one's already been out for a few days, but it's a winner and, besides, Ria hasn't read it yet.

This sort of falls under "thankfulness" too - especially during Thanksgiving week - and that's everyone's favorite Catholic homeschooling cranberry farmers. :) Here's a neat picture of the farming process. Jen's Cranberry Pecan Pie recipe looks fabulous!

It's going to be an interesting, but busy week. After the Library Holiday Tree is done, our Thanksgiving preparations involve bundling everyone up in our mega-van for a drive across Wisconsin to my sister's house. Kind of like Little House in the Big Woods, only different.

Polling for Zombies

Here are two questions I had on a recent Zogby online poll. I often get stuck with the ridiculous option of "not sure" because they don't provide any reasonable options...

The networks use sex and violence in their daily programming. Are you offended or are you not offended by the use of sex and violence in TV programming?

Offended
Not offended
Not sure

Nothing about whether the violence is gratuitous or graphic or how loaded a particular movie is with it, whether it's aimed at children, whether it is "glamorized" or used to show the consequences of sin, etc. Give me a break!!!

Do you agree or disagree that it is time for a woman president?

Agree
Disagree
Not sure

What about an option for those who would have never hesitated to vote for a woman if they thought she was the best candidate???


As my husband likes to say, "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

Great Gift Ideas for Homeschoolers

Melissa Wiley is putting together a mini-carnival on gift ideas for homeschoolers. Check it out at the Lilting House.

Frankly Speaking: Sherlock Holmes Edition

Gus has been reading Sherlock Holmes lately. His softcover copy of the book has a picture of the famous detective on the front. I just had to share with you what Frank (nearly 3 years old) had to say about Mr. Holmes as he pointed at the picture (as dictated to me by Gus):

"He good guy. He get bad guys. He not have sword. He have pockets!"

Thanks for Thursdays

Continuing with the weekly carnival, hosted this week at The Journey of a Mother's Heart.

I heard Dawn Eden was working on a list of a thousand things she's grateful for. Wow! I'll just stick with ten more to share here this week. :)

I'm grateful for...

1. For the IHM nuns (of the Philadelphia variety) who taught me in grade school.

2. For my own homeschool years and for my family, friends and mentors who had such an impact on my high school years.

3. For my husband's employer (going on 10 years now) who have been mostly steady and solid (except for that one time after 9/11 when he got laid off with his whole department - for a day - and then rehired to work in a different department - still thankful for that especially since I was 7 months pregnant with Kate at the time) and who have been very good about his migraines, his need to call in to conference calls from home on occasion, etc. etc.

4. For great publishers like Bethlehem Books whose books have made an enormous impact on our family.

5. For wonderful authors like G.K. Chesterton, Hilda Van Stockum, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Constance Savery, Carol Ryrie Brink, Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope John Paul II, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Rumer Godden, Regina Doman, Danielle Bean, Melissa Wiley and so many, many, many others.

6. For all the other Catholic homeschool moms who blog and share their ideas, resources, joys and sorrows with others. Yes, blogging has its ups and downs, but I think there is a lot of good going on.

7. For those who comment on my blog and my children's blogs. You don't know how much you are appreciated.

8. For Pope John Paul the Great and Mother Teresa who were beacons of faith, hope and charity during my formative years.

9. For living in a country where we are able to freely live our faith and raise and educate our children according to our beliefs.

10. For all those people whose sacrifices and hard work have made #9 true.

And while we're on the topic of thankfulness, The Headmistress/Zookeeper found what experts have to say about making lists of things you're thankful for.

Book List for the Library Tree

Kind of a "short order" list, but I'm pretty happy with it (we need to get the tree up before Thanksgiving):

Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft

Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Esbensen

Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber

What's In a Shell? by Kathleen Zoehfeld

Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro

How Do Birds Find Their Way? by Roma Gans

The Moon Seems to Change by Frankly Branley

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro

What Makes Day and Night? by Franklyn Branley

Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll by Franklyn Branley

Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker

The Man Who Made Time Travel by Kathryn Lasky

The Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht

William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki

The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster

Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons

Journey into Amazing Caves (IMAX DVD)

This is America Charlie Brown (DVD)

NOVA: To the Moon (DVD)

Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey

D'Aulaire's Greek Myths

Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Jones

Leonardo da Vinci for Kids by Janis Herbert

World War II for Kids by Richard Panchyk

Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle

Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy

Merry Go Round: A Book About Nouns by Ruth Heller

Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives by Ruth Heller

Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain by Deborah Ray

Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu by Ted Levin

The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Giblin

The Great Art Scandal: Solve the Crime, Save the Show! by Anna Nilsen

DK Space Encyclopedia by Nigel Henbest

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! by Lynne Truss

Montessori Play And Learn: A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six

The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects by Mario Salvadori

Guess What?

I get to pick the books (and some DVDs) for our public Library's "Holiday Tree" (where people pick a book "ornament" to buy for the library in someone's name, as a gift). Last year was the first year we put together the tree (as a family project), but getting to pick the books was a big surprise! :) The theme is junior non-fiction (yippee!) and the head librarian liked all my choices so far. What fun!!!

I've been the secretary for our Library Friends board for awhile and that's how the project came up.

Here are a few of the titles slated for the project:

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
This is America Charlie Brown (DVDs - thanks Lissa!)
A bunch of the "Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science" Series

I still have to come up with some others, make sure the library doesn't already have them and make sure they're still in print.

A Lovely Book Meme

I found this at Big A Little A and I added one of my own questions too.

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?

I honestly don't remember. I'm pretty sure I learned to read before I started school - I remember cruising through old Dick and Jane type books that were hanging around the house.

2. Did you own any books as a child? If so, what’s the first one that you remember owning? If not, do you recall any of the first titles that you borrowed from the library?

I remember getting a Frances Hodgson Burnett collection as a Christmas present from my sister when I was in middle grade school. Most of our books were family books. I read a lot of books from our Catholic grade school library over my eight years there. In the first grade I fell in love with the Daughters of St. Paul illustrated saint stories.

3. What's your oldest memory of a story?

I have a very faint memory of listening to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when I was quite small. I think my mom was reading it aloud to my older siblings (who are 9-13 years older than me). I can picture them all sitting around the table. I suspect I was merely playing nearby and that this one part caught my attention. The part I remember is when the mice were knawing the ropes to free Aslan from the Stone Table.

4. What’s the first book that you bought with your own money?

I distinctly remember buying my own set of Narnian Tales. I think there were some earlier, though, because I remember buying some books from the Scholastic flyers at school, but don't recall any of the titles off-hand. Hmmm. I'm pretty sure there was at least one Little House book purchased there.

5. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, which book did you re-read most often?

Definitely. Little House, Narnia, Little Women, A Little Princess, The Phantom Tollbooth.

6. What’s the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?

Probably Animal Farm which I read in 7th grade.

7. Are there children’s books that you passed by as a child that you have learned to love as an adult? Which ones?

Anne of Green Gables and Farmer Boy

You are officially invited to do this meme. Please comment if you do.

Every Tortoise Has His Day...

It took him 83 games to get his average that high (up to 87% - he had a couple bummer scores early on), but Gus (a.k.a. geofreak) has gotten himself up to #11 on the U.S. Leaderboard in the Geography Cup!

Geography World Cup

The United Kingdom has challenged the United States to a Geography showdown. You can participate here. Each household can only participate 3 times per day to count for their country's score, but you can practice as many times as you like.

For a short while last night, Gus and I both made it on to the U.S. Leaderboard, but before you are too impressed, I have to admit that it took us an embarassingly large number of games to get up there. :)

The Anglican/Euthanasia Flap or the Importance of Precise Discourse

I thought there was something wrong in the articles I read about the Anglican Church apparently approving the killing of severely disabled infants. It sounded suspiciously like a typical media twisting of loosely related events (after all, shock sells). The British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecology is promoting the active killing of severely disabled infants. The Anglican Church, as far as I am able to discern, was only reconfirming that severely disabled infants don't need to be kept alive through extraordinary medical means at all costs. Amy Welborn has details here.

It does look like some additional clarity on the part of the Anglican Church on such an important matter (and where others are pushing a completely different and even abhorent concept) might very well have helped, however the newspaper that made this report has had a history of seriously misconstruing church related issues in the past.

More prayers needed for TAC chaplain Fr. Borden

Fellow alumna Mrs. Bear has an update indicating that he is quite sick and much in need of prayers. Along with problems from the serious stroke, he's contracted pneumonia. I've never met Fr. Borden (he arrived on campus a few years after I graduated), but I've heard wonderful things about him.

The Loveliness of Homemade Gifts

is a fair, just in time for those Christmas projects, hosted by Dawn of By Sun and Candlelight.

The Monsters

After,
originally uploaded by Chez VH.

They're a little imposing (before we put books on the "doors", they sort of looked like they were going to fall on you), but I like them. Having the lovely book covers displayed sure has made them attractive to all of the kids.

Don't look at it from the other side of the room, though. That end is a total mess unfinished. More work for another day.

Old Mess

Before,
originally uploaded by Chez VH.

This is one half of our library/living room (the other half is almost as packed with books).

"You Never Know Who's Reading"

Et Tu Jen, "The Diary of a Former Atheist" makes a compelling case for charitable and courteous debate even on tough (and often emotional) issues. It's really worth a read and serves as a powerful reminder of how the tone of a discussion can affect those lurking in the background.

Speaking of Veterans...

I always remember seeing the World War I vets in special functions for Memorial Day and Veterans Day and such when I was growing up (I specifically remember meeting a few when I gave a speech as part of a VFW contest at a VFW chapter in Napa, California in the late 80s). Today I saw a figure that there are a dozen World War I vets (in the U.S. I believe) alive today, God bless 'em.

So Much Going On...

I haven't had time to blog about a lot of things we've been up to lately. A week ago Friday we had our second teen discussion night. This month's book was Refuting the Attack on Mary by Father Mateo (published by Catholic Answers). This is a fascinating book, even though it gets a bit challenging in the second and third chapters (it gets a little easier again after that). Fr. Mateo argues against the writings of a particular Protestant organization that was attacking Catholic teaching on Mary. He covers topics like the Assumption, Mary's Perpetual Virginity and her unique motherhood for all mankind as shown in her relationship with St. John the Evangelist. One of the most interesting things he shows is that this anti-Mary position is not something that is traditionally Protestant. He shows through the writings of Martin Luther and others that a devotion to Mary isn't reserved only for Catholics. What a neat way to reach out and "open doors" to others. Lots of memorable tidbits and good humor round out a nicely concise text.

By the way, I discovered you can read some of the book on the Catholic Answers website. Here is the first chapter.

The discussion was quite a bit different from our Phantom Tollbooth one partly because there were so many people. We had six teens for that first discussion and one extra mom listening in. This time there were more like 13 teens and 5 moms participating. We didn't stick to the text quite as much but had some great discussions. The teens are going to follow up by summarizing a chapter each on their not-yet-regularly-active blog.

Tonight we had our first Shakespeare reading in over a year. We did Hamlet. Everyone who wanted to had a part (many had two) and it was a lot of fun. John and I were the gravediggers. Ria was Rosencranz (or was it Guildenstern?) and Gus was the Doctor of Divinity. Grandpa VH was the ghost (great sound effects!). Boy, it's a long play though.

Somewhere in between all that we've been remodeling our bookshelves. Today John picked up six massive bookcases that were being discarded from the company library (circa 1965!). Most were magazine shelving in a former life. They sport a wood veneer with huge doors on which you can rest a magazine or, of course, a picture book (that lift up to reach the cavernous shelves hidden behind). I think it will be a neat way to display (and strew) favorite books for the little ones as well as identifying the general subject area for each shelf. They're pretty imposing edifices, though. I think they may take some getting used to. Also, the shelves are so big that we ended up losing a few shelves in the process (our old cheap-o need-to-be-nailed-together variety were absolutely packed with shelves (and books!); I may or may not get around to posting before and after pictures at some point.) Oh yeah, the clincher was that these old monsters were being sold for $5 apiece. Who could resist?

Remembering Our Veterans

I was talking with a former student of mine (from my one year of teaching in a "real" school) this week. He's a newlywed and in the Reserves and will be deployed soon (within the U.S.) for 18 months. We were talking about other friends and acquaintances being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and he said something that really struck me even though it was quite a simple thought.

He said, "I don't think many people realize how much is being sacrificed in this war."

I think this is also true of veterans of other wars and of their families at home. They deserve our prayers and our respect more than I can say.

Parades (and processions) any Time at All

By the time we moved into our first house, we were expecting our third child and had been apartment dwellers for five years. The very first thing that Ria (then 4), Gus (then 2) and I did after the papers were signed on that house (and John had to go back to work for the afternoon, so we weren't really "doing" anything yet), was march around the table and sing as loud as we could. It felt so good to be able to make a little noise.

Ever since then parades and processions have been staples in our home - especially that first home which was quite small and had a basement that wasn't any good for playing in during long Wisconsin winters.

So I realized how completely inadequate my post about the "ologies" song was. This is a song about some of the "ology" words relating to the human body; like biology, ophthalmology, hematology, dermatology and cardiology. It's sung to the music of "Jamaican Farewell". This now has its own special dance step for parading around the house. I don't know how to explain it but it's a lot of fun, it keeps the kids fully concentrating and it's pretty good exercise.

I know, we're a little weird. :)

Trader Joe's comes to Milwaukee!

We California transplants have been waiting for this for a LONG time. For the last 10 years we've been stocking up on our very occasional visits to the West Coast and begging and pleading with friends and family coming from California to bring a stock of all our essential items. It's funny because while putting together my all-things-mom binder, I actually made a Trader Joe's shopping list for those rare occasions.

And speaking of Californians living in Wisconsin, I had to drive home from co-op today - along many miles of country roads - through the worst slush and sleet (with plenty of lightning to keep things interesting) I've ever driven through. It was 65 degrees two days ago and suddenly we're down to 34 degrees and weather alternating between rain and ice. Ugh.

Our New Favorite Song is...

the "Ologies" song from Lyrical Life Science Volume 3.

Kate sings...

while spinning in circles with Frank...

Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man.
Yes I know the muffin man, fleece is white as snow.

One More Thanks for Good Measure

(see previous post)

That the funky little church in our neighborhood was not turned into a massive condominium project called Primrose Glen (I am not making this up) even though it is now run by a funky little church group that advertises services with themes like "Beware of Dogma", "Embracing Absurdity" and "No Creed Required." (I am not making this up).

Thankfulness Thursdays

Lisa at a Joyful Chaos is hosting a "Thankfulness Carnival" every Thursday during the month of November. I like it.

10 things I'm thankful for.

1. The Catholic Faith.

2. Being alive. I'm a 5th child born in the early 70s. Thanks Mom.

3. The man of my dreams, who, most fortunately, asked me to marry him about 15 years ago. It's so neat to have married someone similar in faith, education and interest in learning and knowing (not to mention willing to put up with me!). Life is never short on laughter, conversation, music and learning.

4. Family and family and more family. Six kids, six siblings, countless in-laws, 36 nieces and nephews, etc. etc. Never a dull moment.

5. Our homeschool co-op, which has really turned into a small faith and learning community for us. Latin classes, science experiments at the river, Shakespeare readings, apologetics discussions; friendship and camraderie - SO much to be grateful for.

6. Thomas Aquinas College - hardly a day goes by when I'm not grateful for what I received there. I was strongly reminded of that last night when John and I attended a local function for the college in Milwaukee. It was such a pleasure to see the president of the college, Dr. Dillon, and his wife again. They're such terrific people - so humble, so faithful, so dedicated.

7. All of the amazing people God has brought into my life.

8. The printing press.

9. The internet.

10. My dishwasher. :)

Real Santa Claus indeed personified the spirit of love

I know this seems really out of place. I'm still cleaning out the basement and other spots (still looking for that St. John Vianney relic) and came across this letter to the editor I had published in the North County Times (San Diego) on December 17, 1996. Posting it here means I can throw away the newspaper clipping!

Real Santa Claus indeed personified the spirit of love

Yes, there really is a Santa Claus. I'm responding to B.W. Tarwater's letter of Dec. 10 about the origin of Santa Claus.

B.W. wrote: "Someone apparently had the idea that the best way to explain (love) to little children would be to create an imaginary person who would personify the spirit of love." Tarwater is on the right track about the true spirit of Santa Claus, but seems unfamiliar with the origin of this tradition.

The name "Santa Claus" is actually Dutch for Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a Bishop of Myra, Turkey, in the fourth century A.D. This much we know about him. The rest is legend, but I think you'll recognize a bit of our modern tradition in the stories.

The most famous story associated with him is about the three daughters of a poor man who, because they had no dowries in order to be married, were to be sold into prostitution. Nicholas heard of their plight and threw a bag of gold for each of them down the chimney where (according to some of the stories) they landed in the girls' stocknigs hung on the fireplace to dry.

The real Santa Claus certainly "would personify the spirit of love." We would do well to follow the example of the real Santa Claus by sharing our material blessing with those less fortunate than ourselves, particularly during the Christmas season. And what better way to teach the meaning of love to little children than by involving them in charitable activities and showing them how we can help those in need.

Alicia Van Hecke
Poway

Please Pray for...

... Fr. Borden, one of the chaplains at Thomas Aquinas College who suffered a serious stroke yesterday.

...a family whose oldest son died unexpectedly earlier this week.

Chesterton on Patriotism

I thought this was an interesting thought on election day (particularly when some of the races make it SO hard to vote for either side!).

This is from his book Charles Dickens: the Last of the Great Men, in a chapter entitled "Dickens and America." Dickens was apparently frustrated by a false sense of patriotism in America at the time, a blind sort of patriotism that wants to ignore faults - he wrote a book called Martin Chuzzlewit that caricatures some of his frustrations with this. What Chesterton has to say about this (written in 1906) is interesting...

America may be a caricture of England. But in the gravest college, in the quietest country house of England, there is the seed of the same essential madness that fills Dickens's book, like an asylum, with brawling Chollops and raving Jefferson Bricks. That essential madness is the idea that the good patriot is the man who feels at ease about his country. This notion of patriotism was unknown in the little pagan republics where our European patriotism began. It was unknown in the Middle Ages. In the eighteenth century, in the making of modern politics, a "patriot" meant a discontented man. It was opposed to the word "courtier," which meant an upholder of the status quo. In all other modern countries, especially in countries like France and Ireland, where real difficulties have been faced, the word "patriot" means something like a political pessimist. This view and these countries have exaggerations and dangers of their own...

The thing which is rather foolishly called the Anglo-Saxon civilization is at present soaked through with a weak pride. It uses great masses of men not to procure discussion but to procure the pleasure of unanimity; it uses masses like bolsters. It uses its organs of public opinion not to warn the public, but to soothe it. It really succeeds not only in ignoring the rest of the world, but actually in forgetting it...

Martin Chuzzlewit's America is a mad-house: but it is a mad-house we are all on the road to. For completeness and even comfort are almost definitions of insanity. The lunatic is the man who lives in a small world but thinks it is a large one: he is the man who lives in a tenth of the truth, and thinks it is the whole. The madman cannot conceive any cosmos outside a ceratin tale or conspiracy or vision. Hence the more clearly we see the world divided into Saxons and non-Saxons, into our splendid selves and the rest, the more certain we may be that we are slowly and quietly going mad. The more plain and satisfying our state appears, the more we may know that we are living in an unreal world. For the real world is not satisfying. The more clear become the colours and facts of Anglo-Saxon superiority, the more surely we may know we are in a dream. For the real world is not clear or plain. The real world is full of bracing bewilderments and brutal surprises. Comfort is the blessing and the curse of the English, and of Americans of the Pogram type also. With them it is a loud comfort, a wild comfort, a screaming and capering comfort; but comfort at bottom still. For there is but an inch of diference between the cushioned chamber and the padded cell.

Please Remember in Prayer

my nephew Ruben who died a year ago today.

Voting Time

Some stuff to think about and pray about...

Wisconsin...

Homily from a nearby parish
Vote Yes for Marriage
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - on the Marriage Amendment

Around the Country...

Yes on 85 (California)
No on 2 (Missouri)
Vote Yes for Life (South Dakota)
Protect Our Teen Daughers (Oregon)

Homeschoolers and Word Confusion

I think the "socialization" myth has been overblown for years. Most homeschoolers I've known (and I've known a LOT in more than 22 years since I first became a homeschooler) are very well-adjusted and get along with homeschooled and non-homeschooled peers very well.

Once in awhile, you do get funny little glitches, though. Not serious, just funny. For example, as a high school student who did most of my studies independently, I had a few occasions of embarassment when I didn't have a clue about how to pronounce a word or name. The most striking example was during the time I was attending classes at Kolbe Academy once a week and doing the rest of my studies on my own at home. (Kolbe Academy was about a two hour drive for us each way, including a drive through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge). At that time, a music professor from the University of San Francisco, Maestro Golfredo Corradetti (I hope I got the spelling right) was teaching a music appreciation class at Kolbe. He was a wonderful teacher and had fabulous stories to tell. Anyway, one day we were studying Richard Wagner. All I can say in my defense is, how was I supposed to know that his name was pronounced Reekard Vogner??? (heehee)

I was quite amused to read awhile back on Melissa Wiley's blog about how her children didn't understand the coloquial meaning of the word "duck". I happened to notice this summer that at least one of my kids (Terri) had the same problem. I said, "duck" and she looked around, asking, "where?"

I'm still laughing about this one, though... Yesterday I said something silly about going home after church and "dressing like slobs". Ria and Gus both thought I said, "dressing like Slavs."

The God in the Cave part IX (final)

...the purpose in this place is merely to sum up the combination of ideas that make up the Christian and Catholic idea, and to note that all of them are already crystallised in the first Christmas story. They are three distinct and commonly contrasted things which are nevertheless one thing; but this is the only thing which can make them one.

1. "the human instinct for a heaven that shall be as literal and almost as local as a home"

2. "a philosophy larger than other philosophies"

3. "while it is local enough for poetry and larger than any other philosophy, it is also a challenge and a fight"

It gets every kind of man to fight for it, it gets every kind of weapon to fight with, it widens its knowledge of the things that are fought for and against with every art of curiosity or sympathy; but it never forgets that it is fighting. It proclaims peace on earth and neer forgets why there was war in heaven.

This is the trinity of truth symbolised here by the three types in the old Christmas story; the shepherds and the kings and that other king who warred upon the children. It is simply not true to say that other religions and philosophies are in this respect its rivals. It is not true to say that any one of them combines these characters; it is not true to say that any one of them pretends to combine them.

No other birth of a god or childhood of a sage seems to us to be Christmas or anything like Christmas. It is either too cold or too frivolous, or too formal and classical, or too simple and savage, or too occult and complicated. Not one of us, whatever his opinions, would ever go to such a scene with the sense that he was home. He might admire it because it was poetical, or because it was philosophical, or any number of other things in separation; but not because it was itself. The truth is that there is a quite peculiar and individual character about the hold of this story on human nature; it is not in its psychological substance at all like a mere legend or the life of a great man.

It does not exactly in the ordinary sense turn our minds to greatness; to those extensions and exaggerations of humanity which are turned into gods and heroes, even by the healthiest sort of hero-worship. It does not exactly work outwards, adventurously, to the wonders to be found at the ends of the earth. It is rather something that surprises us from behind, from the hidden and personal part of our being; like that which can sometimes take us off our guard int he pathos of small objects or the blind pieties of the poor. It is rather as if a man had found an inner room in the very heart of his own house, which he had never suspected; and seen a light from within. It is as if he found something at the back of his own heart that betrayed him into good.

It is not made of what the world would call strong materials; or rather it is made of materials whose strength is in that winged levity with which they brush us and pass. It is all that is in us but a brief tenderness that is there made eternal; all that means no more than a momentary softening that is in some strange fashion become a strengthening and a repose; it is the broken speech and the lost word that are made positive and suspended unbroken; as the strange kings fade into a far country and the mountains resound no more with the feet of the shepherds; and only the night and the cavern lie in fold upon fold over something more human than humanity.

Laughing Babies

Submit a Condolence to Hilda Van Stockum's Family

You can send a note of condolence to Hilda Van Stockum's family through a guest book at this link.

I really like DVDs, but...

I love DVDs because I really like movies. I love captions (so many movies are watched at night when little ones are sleeping, so we can't have the volume up too loud). I love watching a movie and then going back and watching it with commentary to see what the writer, producer, actors, etc. thought about it. I like making-ofs, bloopers and the whole bit.

But there's one thing I really don't understand.

Why do so few DVDs have an extra audio track with "descriptive video" for the blind?

It seems so simple, so easy and so obvious.

Hilda Van Stockum and G.K. Chesterton

Isn't it wonderful that there's a direct connection between Hilda Van Stockum and G.K. Chesterton? I discovered on her website obituary while piecing together the Catholic Homeschool Carnival that Hilda Van Stockum "converted to Catholicism in 1939, influenced primarily by such leading Catholic writers and intellectuals of her day as G.K. Chesterton and Monsignor Ronald Knox."

This makes SO much sense to me! Hilda Van Stockum was a major lifeline that helped me get through the tougher earlier years of raising a large family, homeschooling, dealing with massive home projects, the frustrations and challenges of working with some children with "special needs", a husband with a large commute, years with only one car, long winters in a teeny house, financial stress, the pressures of others who thought we were crazy and didn't understand and all the rest. There was a LOT of joy too, of course, but we had our share of tough days. Her book Friendly Gables, especially, was one that I ended up pulling out to read to the kids when we were having a bad day. It worked such wonders for me and for the kids! This experience firmly convinced me of the value of good children's books for parents to read!

In a lot of ways we're busier now - more commitments, more projects, more life buzzing around. But in general I'm more at peace with myself after working through questions of doubt and issues about how to do things. I have a daughter who babysits! The larger house we live in now makes long winters MUCH more enjoyable. Financial pressures and self-doubt are always present in some degree, but getting to experience some of the results of all those crazy efforts of the past through the kids starting to grow up and seeing their enthusiasm for life and learning develop has made a huge difference.

Now the big questions for me (and I do worry myself over these) run more along the lines of how to try and help beginning homeschoolers who are overwhelmed with all the choices and possibilities and decisions to get a good start through my work on the web and homeschool workshops; to make sure I don't over-universalize my own personal experience; and things like that. Last summer when I was trying to finish up two talks on homeschooling and kept running into mental blocks or self-doubts it was Chesterton that I turned to. I finished both Heretics and Orthodoxy in the two or three weeks before the Minnesota Conference and they were *just* what I needed.

Both of these authors have a way (and an often humorous and delightful way) of putting things back into perspective for me when my head was "out-of-whack"; to help me not take myself so seriously; to "see" more clearly and to remember what really matters.

So, hurray for my two favorite authors (Hmmm, did I really mean to say that so strongly? I think so.) and the previously unknown (to me) connection between the two!!!

The God in the Cave VIII (from GKC's Everlasting Man)

I'm still anxiously awaiting the move to the new blogger (I seem to be stuck in limbo because I own several "team" blogs and they aren't quite ready for those yet). The Everlasting Man will definitely have its own category in the sidebar.

This sense that the world had been conquered by the great usurper, and was in his possession, has been much deplored or derided by those optimists who identify enlightenment with ease. But it was responsible for all that thrill of defiance and a beautiful danger that made the good news seem to be really both good and new. It was in truth against a huge unconscious usurpation that it raised a revolt, and originally so obscure a revolt. Olympus still occupied the sky like a motionless cloud moulded into many mighty forms; philosophy still sat in the high places and even on the thrones of the kings, when Christ was born in the cave and Christianity in the catacombs.

In both cases we may remark the same paradox of revolution; the sense of something despised and of something feared. The cave in one aspect is only a hole or corner into which the outcasts are swept like rubbish; yet in the other aspect it is a hiding-place of something valuable which the tyrants are seeking like treasure. In one sense they are there because the innkeeper would not even remeber them, and in another because the king can never forget them.

We have already noted that this paradox appeared also in the treatment of the early Church. It was important while it was still insignificant, and certainly while it was still impotent. It was important solely because it was intolerable; and in that sense it is true to say that it was intolerable because it was intolerant. It was resented, because, in its own still and almost secret way, it had declared war. It had risen out of the gorund to wreck the heaven and earth of heathenism. It did not try to destroy all that creation of gold and marble; but it contemplated a world without it. It dared to look right through it as though the gold and marble had been glass.

Those who charged the Christians with burning down Rome with firebrands were slanderers; but they were at least far nearer to the nature of Christianity than those among the moderns who tell us that the Christians were a sort of ethical society, being martyred in a languid fashion for telling men they had a duty to their neighbors, and only mildly disliked because they were meek and mild.

Refuting the Attack on Mary and the Simpsons

We're studying Refuting the Attack on Mary by Father Mateo (published by Catholic Answers) for tonight's teen discussion. The book is responding to The Christian Research Journals attacks on Catholic belief regarding Mary.

One particular segment could have inspired the Simpsons' Heaven spoof that follows...

Now we come to the blunt accusation that Catholics are sinners and idolaters because of our devotion to Mary...John de Satge - much of whose work I admire - also mourns "the impression which Anglo-Saxons gain from visits to Catholic churches during holidays in Latin countries or in Ireland." As CRI complains of our "excessive devotion," de Satge winces at our "debased devotion" in paintings, hymns, and prayers, which he suggests are "sentimental."...On the whole, I would say to you, that if Latin sentiment seems treacly sentimentality to you, that is your problem. It is not ours. I believe that Protestantism itself unavoidably shows its Northern European origins. We can respect these, but dourness and a stiff upper lip are simply not our Catholic style. Why should they be? To supercilious and racist remarks about the Catholic Irish and the Catholic peoples of Southern Europe and Latin America, I say, give me a break!

Link to video here (takes too long to load otherwise)

Hilda Van Stockum (1908-2006)

My friend Ana informed me today of the passing of Hilda Van Stockum, beloved author, yesterday at the age of 98. My tribute to her for now is found within the Catholic Homeschool Carnival (check out all the links that are embedded into her mini-bio). May she rest in peace. So many are so grateful to her for her influence on our families through her wonderful books.

Catholic Homeschool Carnival #2

is up at Love2learn Blog. The theme is "Saints and Scholars Around the World". Enjoy!

"It's All Good"

John and I recently went out for drinks with some of his high school classmates - they are celebrating their 20th reunion this year and have had several informal get-togethers. An outspoken now-lawyer from his class (who loves to tell stories) has a favorite phrase that kept coming up - "It's all good."

We both really liked this phrase and picked it up for our own. It reminded me of the passage from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans: "We know that all things work for good for those who love God." I think that's one of the most beautiful and comforting passages from the Bible. I've been thinking about it a lot over the past few weeks. The last few days have brought it to mind in a striking way.

I drove with several friends on the night of All Saints Day to the funeral of the four year old son of a mutual friend who died quite suddenly last weekend. He had the stomach flu and suffocated during the night. When he went to sleep their daughter (I think she's under two years old) said "I'm going to miss Sammy, but God will take care of him." The same day Sammy died, his mother stood up as a confirmation sponsor. Wow.

"It's all good" and the passage from Romans both came up in conversation on the way there - everyone was wondering how someone could handle such a loss. We didn't realize until afterwards how much this funeral was a blessing for us - other moms who had never felt such loss, who really can't understand what it's like, but are nevertheless hurting for the family and for the painful reminder that we're not really in control. One of the first things I noticed as I paged through the program before Mass, was that the passage from Romans "We know that all things work for good for those who love God." was chosen as one of the readings. This was a family who had always turned to God and in their greatest sorrow God responded with abundant grace. We thought we were there to comfort and support the family, but grace and selflessness prevailed in a truly awesome way - they were also there to comfort us and to let us know how God was helping them and what a gift Sammy's life was to them.

It's really hard to describe what an overwhelming experience attending this funeral was. I'd have to say that it was a privilege to be there, it was a comfort to be there, it was good to be there, though there was not a dry eye in the place (I was certainly clinging to my kleenex the whole time). I've since talked to a number of others who were there and they had similar reactions. Sammy's Mom is a very out-going faith-filled woman and her presence there was so very genuine. At the funeral she was there to say goodbye to Sammy, but that she was also there to praise God for Sammy's life. I've never seen anything like it. It was particularly hard for her when they closed the casket. There were a lot of tears and hugs, but then she called out from the pew "Thank you, Jesus, for Sammy's life!" God's grace was shining in her and it was an incredible witness of His love.

The Mass was so beautiful. The sermon brought tears, but also much comfort. Father started by saying, "Would that we were here for any other reason than this." This was not what any of us wanted. Sammy will be sorely missed and grieved. The pain must be incredible and I can't imagine how hard it is for his four siblings. Father went on to share anecdotes about Sammy and to tie in themes of the Body of Christ and God's sacrifice of His only Son to redeem the world. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were particularly struck by the story of Sammy's request for his birthday cake on his 4th birthday - about a month before he died. He wanted a picture of Jesus on his cake and the words "Jesus and Me 4+Ever". Father concluded the sermon with a comparison to Samuel of the Old Testament being called by God during the night and Samuel responding "Here I am Lord."

I had never seen in quite this way how comforting and healing the funeral mass can be. My friend and I saw Sammy's Mom very briefly afterwards and what she said to us (through more hugs and tears, of course) was "God is doing such wonderful things with Sammy's life!"

To me, God made abundantly clear through Sammy and his family that passage from Romans:

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God."

I've just heard that the Paypal donation link for this family through the Greater Milwaukee Catholic Home Educators will be running through the end of the week.