Goodbye May Daybook!

Outside my windows, Our flowers are blooming. The crocuses, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, azaleas, and lilacs have faded. Roses, Our Lady’s pincushion (scabiosa ‘butterfly blue’), angel daisies, armeria, dianthus, peonies, and lupines are now in full bloom. I thoroughly enjoy spending time outside weeding because it gives me an opportunity to appreciate the beautiful flowers that…

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Busy September Daybook

Outside my window The sun is setting. Planes are flying overhead and the branches of the trees are swaying with the gentle breeze. I am wearing a denim skirt, a brown t-shirt, and a fleur-de-lis flexi clip. In the kitchen I am so thankful to a friend and fellow parishioner who has been giving us…

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Keeping the Company of the Saints: St. Francis de Sales

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew.”  ~ St. Francis de Sales ~ When I saw Meredith’s reminder about this week’s Keeping the Company of the Saints, St. Francis…

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Keeping the Company of the Saints: St. Bernadette Soubirous

 “Every moment that I live I shall spend in loving.” ~ St. Bernadette Soubirous ~ The Grotto at Lourdes The Bells of the Angelus  The bells of the Angelus, Call us to pray.  In sweet tones announcing the sacred Ave  Ave, Ave, Ave Maria.  Ave, Ave, Ave Maria.   An angel of mercy, led Bernadette’s…

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Weekends with Chesterton: Education

Over the years, I have read a number of books by G.K. Chesterton. However, since I am not currently reading anything by this great Catholic writer, I thought that I wouldn’t be joining Sarah for her Weekends with Chesterton. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s Children and Parents caused me to change my mind. In his book, Venerable…

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Keeping the Company of the Saints: St. John Bosco

“Only God knows the good that can come about by reading one good Catholic book.” ~ St. John Bosco ~ Several years ago, my second oldest daughter was baptized on the Feast of St. John Bosco. Up until this time, I didn’t know much about this saint aside from the fact that he was Italian,…

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Christmastide Daybook

Outside my window the sky is blue and the sun is shining. It is a beautiful day! In the kitchen, some of the children made a gingerbread train yesterday. We still need to make our gingerbread houses. We were going to make them when our assistant pastor came for dinner, but we didn’t have enough time…

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See, Amid The Winter’s Snow

  See, amid the winter’s snow, Born for us on Earth below, See, the tender Lamb appears, Promised from eternal years. Chorus: Hail, thou ever blessed morn, Hail redemption’s happy dawn, Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Lo, within a manger lies He who built the starry skies; He who, throned in…

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Happy Mother’s Day

The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral – a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body. “The Angels have not been blessed with such a…

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Eastertide Daybook

I hope that everyone had a joyous and blessed Easter. Outside my window… The sky is blue and it is supposed to be another beautiful day. I think that it was in the 70s on Easter Sunday.   We are on Easter vacation this week and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful weather. In the kitchen… Catherine…

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A Plea for Intolerance

America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance. It is not. It is suffering from tolerance: tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so much overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded. The man who can make up his mind in…

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But the men signed of the cross of Christ go gaily in the dark…

My friend, Peggy Sue, shared this with our homeschool group today. The Ballad of the White HorseBy Dale Ahlquist Chesterton may have considered The Ballad of the White Horse his greatest literary accomplishment. I have two reasons for saying that. First of all, it is a masterpiece. But it was the only one of his works that…

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