Out for a Walk

Way off topic (before I start this topic), the kids were just asking when the new Narnia movie is coming out.  This is a disappointment (read HERE).

The idea was to go out all of us for a nice walk on this gorgeous albeit windy day.  However after a number of shoes could not be found, it just ended up being whoever had 2 shoes.... welcome to my world.

 A couple views of our biggest pumpkin.

 Not so big as last year, but not so small as the year before (when we didn't have any pumpkins... haha)

 Pippin was smashing this one and I hear him talking to himself "He said to enjoy!"

 On the walk back Sam so kindly brought me this.  How thoughtful, how loving....

 pippin was thrilled.

 I don't know, this was just too funny. Merry and Pippin carrying that *thing* together.

 And we wonder why we cannot find shoes. 

Lawn Ornament Games

I wasn't able to get blogger video upload to work so I thought I'd try uploading to youtube.

Weird

Willie Wonka says it all.

 Weird.

 That's just weird.

That's just really weird.

NB:  No... for those who are checking up.... these kinds of "bandit" race cars do not cost much money, they are practically worthless unless you happen to like to go around in little circles at great speeds.  Unless of course you put a nice company logo on the side ... who will give you lots of money to advertise their name.  I'm sure no one would advertise on the side of this, except maybe Julie's Stuff hahaha.  I'm just trying to find the funny side of this.  *chuckle?*

Kitties

St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church

I truly could not resist writing a little about St. Jerome whose full name was Eusebius Hieronymous (Heirom hence Jerome) Sophronius. Something great is bound to come from a name like that. And truly something did!  Or many somethings.

 Here he is translating the Bible... the whole thing... into the Latin Vulgate, from which my beloved Duoay Rhiems Bible is translated from.  I know, I know... somewhat archaeic in lingo but that's alright by-eth me, because it behooves me to admit-eth that most of the prayers I doth say-eth art archaeic-ish. (*giggle*)

 That's not Androcles but St. Jerome and since lions seem prone to thorns in their paws, here St. Jerome is removing a thorn.  The thorn of course representing sin, like the Crown of Thorns.  The removal of course being to banish the beast so to speak.  Perhaps this is all allegorical but it's a sweet story just the same.
                                                  
 The lion was rather grateful for this merciful act and took up residence in the monastery where St. Jerome resided.  Here the lion even had his own duties, one which was to tend to the donkey and guard him.  One evening while he slept some dishonest merchants came and stole the donkey.  The monks of course decided that the lion had eaten the donkey (and had never thought about the fact that he had never eaten a pudgy tastey monk...).  The lion's punishment was then to take up the duties of a donkey.  Imagine a great lion taking up the duties of the servant donkey.  Christ-like.  When the lion saw the return of the merchant caravan with the donkey he roared to alert the monks.  And they retrieved their lost donkey. Read more here about this legend.

                                                             
 What a thrill it would have been to stand between these 2 great men, St. Jerome and St. Augustine! *swoon*  I plan to do that in Heaven.  I love the stories of the saint who knew saints.

St. Jerome was a passionate man, wild and tempermental in his day.  He spent much time in the wilderness doing penance and died at a ripe old age.  He was initially buried at the Church of the Nativity but was transferred to the Sistine Chapel.  There is a ton of interesting facts here  

Falling in Love

If you would like to fall in love with Love (that is God) and have trouble making that kinda-sorta blindish true leap, for whatever reason, try falling in love with the Saints first.  

"Tolle lege" (take up and read) as the child-like voice said to the Great St. Augustine of Hippo.  My next post in on St. Jerome... speaking of a new-found love to fire the spirit and kerwhollop the heart.  I've got lots and lots of people I cannot wait to see in Heaven. 

Try them, the saints are wild, dashing, amazing, funny, spiritual.... human and real!  Hm, that sounded like a commercial for something charismatic. Oh well, I can't help it, the saints are truly awesome.

Feast of St. Michael

Apocalypse 12:7, "And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon."

Personality Differences

In Art Class the 3 school-age littles have been "studying" the art cards from "Mommy Its a Renoir"  (Child-sized Masterpieces is the alternate name).  So on this particular day the child was to choose a picture, learn the title and artist and do their own rendition of drawing it.  I let the 3 of them pick out there own.  This turned out to be a something that showed the differences in personality.

 Eleanor chose the sweet little girl. 
                                         
 Merry chose George Washington on a horse. 
                                               
 Then there is Pippin.  He starting jumping up and down and shouting, "I want to do this! I want to do this!"

Go figures.

Neat-o Blog-o

A friend of mine peaked my interest in this snapshot view of my blog.  I totally live in the 20th century... not the 21st. Actually I guess if the truth be told... I actually live in the 19th century by desire. *chuckle*

Powerful Image

I ran across this incredible icon. What drew me to it was that on the left hand corner the mother is carrying a cross.  It reminded me of our marriage prep classes with Fr. Kunz (may he rest in Peace).  He had said that every woman who walks up that aisle should carry a cross.  Sobering.

Further explanation of this incredible image is that it is an Orthodox Abortion Icon.  To the left we see family life as it should be:  Mother, Father, children... mother carrying her cross since child-rearing (not just bearing) is meant to be a struggle (thanks to the Fall).    How beautiful (though rather daunting) that a mother gets to daily pick up her cross to follow Our Lord!  Sobering.

At the top we have Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus and  Saint Stylianos who set up care centers for (neglected?) children. 

Then to the right we have the most horrific and horrifying...  tribulation to which those who have abortions suffer. (Let's not forget that God is merciful and has provided priests to forgive even this sin in His Name.)  In this picture the mothers are going to the "new" Herodias who is depicted as a queen with snakes in her hair (King Herod was the one who killed all the baby boys under 2 in the attempt to destroy Christ)  The doctor brutally tends to the baby and further feed the baby to the Evil One in the form of a dragon.    And then there is the woman who laments the loss of her baby.

Truly heart breaking.  Let's pray even one beautiful Hail Mary for those who suffer from the sin of abortion that they may find God' Mercy.  And praise God for His Love and Mercy.  One of the greatest blessings, next to the Body and Blood of the Lord, God has given us is the Sacrament of Penance (Confession).  No matter how rotten we have been, no matter how rotten we are.... God's arms are open.  Find yourself a priest, your Eternal Life depends on it!

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Fulton Sheen is the one I remember very fondly from my childhood. It seemed that every time we got in the car there was Fulton Sheen in the tape deck.  I remember being rather rebellious and trying very hard not to like him or what he said. But it didn't work, he was so funny and captivating.  One of my SILS sent me this awesome (in the real sense of the word) article that brought tears to my eyes!  I just had to share.

Here are some of his quotes to ponder:

♥ Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.

♥ There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.

♥ To tell a woman who is forty, "You look like sixteen," is boloney. The blarney way of saying it is "Tell me how old you are, I should like to know at what age women are the most beautiful."

♥ Any book which inspires us to lead a better life is a good book.




♥ If you don't behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.

♥ For a woman, love is its own reason. "I love you because I love you."
 
♥ “Many married women who have deliberately spurned the "hour" of childbearing are unhappy and frustrated. They never discovered the joys of marriage because they refused to surrender to the obligation of their state. In saving themselves, they lost themselves!”




Ok, I'll stop there, he's so good!

Work Ethics

My children's work ethic is that all work falls under child labor laws so if there is work involved it has to be made into a game. So what would have taken me 3 minutes to pick up was a 30 minute ... very intricate... game for the littles.... albeit, very creative. I watched this process for a while before I had to ask for an explanation. It was getting clean but truly, it took explanation to understand how. I will try to re-enact...

Merry, person #1 collects the loot that needs to be put away and while sitting on one little chair, drives around the second chair with the loot, like a small bucket tractor perhaps.  He drives this to person #2.

Pippin is person #2.  He drives the cart loaded with the loot all the way around  the littles school table to person #3.

Eleanor is person #3.  She drives a similar double chair lift as Merry but her job was to unlaod the loot in it's proper place, which was mostly about 2 feet from where it was initially picked up.

Amazing. 

St. Isaac Jogues & Companions

St. Jean de Brebeuf (1649), St. Noel Chabanel (1649), St. Antoine Daniel (1648), St. Charles Garnier (1649), St. Rene Goupil (1642), St. Isaac Jogues (1646), St. Jean de Lalande (1646), and St. Gabriel Lallemant (1649).

I love these martyrs! 

St. Isaac Jogues had his fingers chewed off by a savage Indian but received special permission to say Mass due to his intense holiness.

AWESOME audio CD

Baby Shower

 4 of us threw a baby shower for a long awaited 6th baby. 

Need I say Poppy helped with the bread?