Pondered In My Heart

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - Busy April Edition

 ~ {pretty, happy, funny, real} ~

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

We've had lots of excitements in the everyday life of April. Look who's got four eyes (like the rest of us)! She was just a little excited on the ride home from getting her new glasses-

We celebrated someone's birthday on the 155th anniversary of the First Battle of Fort Sumter-

And then a week later we celebrated Kateri's tenth (!) birthday-

Lydia decorated the prettiest birthday chair ever for her-
That, in spite of the fact that she and I were up a bit late the night before, 'cramming' as it were-

In preparation for the arrival of Lydia's birthday present to herself-

A new puppy!

And life has been quite filled up with nonstop pretty-funny-happy-real of the canine sort ever since.

She has the sweetest little face and velvety black ears, funny little spotted paws and an ever-wagging white-tipped tail. Having been born on February 22nd, the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, she is named Petrina Jane, sometimes called Janie (as in Moffat) for short. Alternatively called Good Girl, Bad Puppy, Nut Job and Petrinka (a combination of Petrina and Filipinka), which suits her well. She has Lydia on a charming wake-up-at-6 every morning schedule and cares not tuppence for sleeping in, not even on the weekend. We still look at each other in amazement sometimes and wonder aloud, how did we come to have a dog in the house? She varies from lovey-dovey sweetheart to maniacal looney-tune. She has funny habits like sleeping half-in and half-out of her bed with her eyes half-open while she talks in her sleep.
One minute she is fearlessly attacking and savagely subduing a great menacing milk jug, while the next she might be barking in fear and trembling in terror at something truly frightening - like a hair brush. She snatches and runs away with toys and dolls and socks and shoes and anything she can get her little chompers on, even going so far as to attack my new skein of Madelinetosh (that was Real alarming, to say the least).

But inevitably she settles down again, pleasantly reverting back into a lovable, snoozable, cuddlable puppy. And all is well.

Visit Like, Mother, Like, Daughter for more {p,h,f,r}.

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - Springy edition

 

 ~ {pretty, happy, funny, real} ~

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

We've been having some super springy weather here this past week! The temperatures have been much higher than average and we've been outside every day. The first tree swallow was spotted this week and this morning I saw a Mrs. Bluebird inside a nest box with her Mr. looking on fondly. Yesterday we spotted the first crocus and the cheery rhubarbs are poking their curly red heads out of the ground. I just look at them and see coffee cake and crisp. I've got my raspberries pruned already which is quite early for me.

My indoor starts are sprouting left and right and we're using up my stash of 'planters' sowing lots more seeds. I've kind of switched from knitting during school time to seed starting alongside my students. (Don't you plant seeds at the school table too?) I planted my salad tables this week too and we're looking forward to the first greens to pop up.

It's so warm I could even get my peas in before St. Patrick's Day but first I have to get out there with my spade and clean up the beds. There's always so much to do all of a sudden when it gets warm and we gardeners get excited by all of it. The enthusiasm wears off eventually of course, but in March pulling weeds and getting dirt under your fingernails is positively thrilling! Goodbye cold, snowy, grey winter and hello spring!

Lydia noted in the book that the first ground hog of the season was spotted this week as well.

Josiah even put the screen door in for us. Never mind that we just around to putting the storm door in like a month ago, ahem. Time to let the breezes in!

Sunshine at the breakfast table with a fresh batch of granola, the teapot full, and bread dough rising makes me happy. Kateri said we should call these posts {pretty, funny, happy, real, yummy}. We've been enjoying our traditional Lenten snacks like Leila's Lenten Cookies and our own Ma's Peanut Butter Penance Potato Mashers. They're pretty much regular peanut butter cookies made with whole wheat flour and honey, but you have to smash them with a potato masher instead of the fork tines to signify that they're Lenten. We're all about creative cookery nomenclature here. This year's joke is that we learn all these recipes watching a new cooking show called Penance Chef. Ditch that white flour and sugar, grab your purple apron, and get cooking!

With all the baking we do I wanted to lay in a good supply of my favorite King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour. The grocery store doesn't always have it. I sent somebody to the store across town whose website listed it as 'in stock' only to have him get there and find they didn't have any. So I figured I'd just go ahead and order some online. But when the box arrived and the UPS man left a little trail...

I realized that might not have been such a good idea?!

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more {p,h,f,r}!

{p,h,f,r} - settling into Lent (with a little Valentining) edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  ~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~  

Linking up with Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}.

{pretty}

Lovely morning sunlight makes even Lenten fare look pretty. Yesterday morning Eliza declared she wanted cinna-buns for breakfast; her siblings took up the cry and encouraged me to make a suitable Lenten version. Not one to ignore such a challenge I came up with the above pictured 'penance-buns' as we called them. Using standard biscuit dough (I often make a quick cinna-bun with biscuit dough instead of yeasted), made with white whole wheat flour and extra butter, rolled out and spread with butter, cinnamon, pecans and a drizzle of honey. As with most things during Lent, they were delicious. ;-)

Also pictured are these Fruit Nut toaster Cakes and Mary's (at Better then Eden) whole wheat bread.
Being a carpenter's daughter I always think wood is pretty, such as Josiah's shawl pins he's making on his new lathe. I think these rings are so cool.
And some pretty shots of Eliza  - this one is called 'girl kepi-wearer with dog' (with the great kepi Anna made her for Christmas)

 
while this one features a floral hair band in the style of Mary Todd (patriotic skirt also by Anna).

{happy}

 

Wasn't that delightful, in this year of an extra early Lent, having St. Valentine's Day fall on a Sunday?! We all enjoyed a very Happy Valentine's Day.

And here's a happy Kateri catching snowflakes on black velvet, like her brother long ago.

{funny}

This Northern Mockingbird is a funny fellow with a very diverse appetite. He has been known snitch cat food off the front porch, noodles out of the compost bin, and here he is having a grand time with a piece of leftover carrot.

And here's Josiah having a little fun in a photo shoot of shop goods. Because you're never too old to play dress up. :-)

{real}

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed by the mercy of God, rest in peace.

 

A beautiful, personal story about Justice Scalia is here. He will be so sorely missed.

 

How's your first week of Lent been?

{pretty, happy, funny, real} -

Linking up with Leila for some {pretty, happy, funny, real} in the New Year. (Also trying to remember how to write a blog post-Josiah had to come and point out the handy dandy 'restore content' button when I accidentally deleted it all...)

{pretty}

A pretty little goldfinch enjoyed a lengthy feast of crepe myrtle seeds.

Winter sunlight is so lovely and cheery. I have determined that I am solar powered - nothing lifts my spirits and energy level like sunshine does, especially in winter. Strawberry jam on Kateri's hot cream tea scones is a pretty sight as well, I must say.

We still have an occasional Christmas Fairy around here, and we do tend to keep our tree up until Candlemas. It's pretty as long as you don't look to closely. ;-)

{happy}

January happy is seeing folks enjoying their Christmas gifts-

Kateri was delighted to receive this charming horse from Anna for Christmas, and Flapjacks is now  happily stabled under the sideboard. She pretends to pump him fresh water every day but thankfully no mucking out is required...

Josiah is having fun learning to use his marvelous new toy - a lathe! Every day we hear it zip and whirr and then he comes up from the cellar with some new cool thing he's made.

And Eliza is so happy to have a new book about Abraham Lincoln to add to her vast collection - Lincoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells. It's also illustrated by P.J. Lynch, one of our very favorite illustrators, and thus has been enjoyed by all.

{funny/wonderful}

Eliza had asked Lydia for a 'patriotic notebook for her helicopter data' and Lydia was all to happy to oblige. She found the perfect red blank book and added the blue ribbon for a closure, and Lydia has also passed on her love of data to her little sister. Whenever she hears a helicopter Eliza runs outside and checks her watch to mark the time - Black Hawks, Life Lions, Apaches, Chinooks, she's learning them all.

My dear husband happened to come across a reference to hexaflexagons in his scientific reading and sent us a link to a video about them, telling us 'If I had seen this video before Christmas, you would have all gotten one of these in your stocking.' Thus hexaflexagons have become a bit of a thing around here lately - half the fun is in decorating them of course. Can you tell whose are whose? (mine are the viney ones, Kateri's have flowers, and Lydia's have birds. She also made that flame-y one portraying heaven, hell and purgatory on the three sides...) They are fun to make and fun to play with. We hope to master the hexa-hexaflexagons next.

{real}

Here we have the binder brigade stuffing pages and pages of music for his students...

Jonathan is teaching Gregorian chant to a newly formed group of young choristers at our church. I get to watch him in action and try to learn along too.

Even Eliza is learning solfège and can sign ut, re, and mi! :-)

Do visit Leila and friends for more {p,h,f,r}. Happy January!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - Christmas Eve edition

Linking up with Leila for a Christmas Eve edition of {pretty, funny, happy, real}.

The pretty, happy, funny and real are all rather mixed up, as that's how life is on Christmas Eve. Hope your final preparations are merry and bright!

(28th and 4th Division badges, naturally)

"...the best ginger-snap mold we have is a pig..."

This day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us: and in the morning you shall see His glory. Exodus 16: 6,7

Alleluia, alleluia. To-morrow shall the iniquity of the earth be abolished: and the Saviour of the world shall reign over us. Alleluia.

(excerpt from the Gradual and Alleluia, Vigil of the Nativity)

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - Eliza edition

{pretty}

Pretty is Eliza in the early morning sunlight! Here she is posing with her crayons and a bunch of WWII themed coloring pages her sisters made for children to color at that recent event. Dad had done the scanning the night before and left the pages spread out on the table, and Eliza came down in the morning and thought they were all set up ready for her. So I had to take a picture. :)

{happy}

Happy is finding a whole box full of Cornerstone of Freedom books at the thrift shop! These vintage picture books are always popular with young folks, and there are books about all of Eliza's favorite topics. Stories of the Boston Tea Party, the Gettysburg Address, The Star Spangled Banner, Old Glory, and so many more, oh my!

 

Happy is finding the ancient packet of presidents cards that I knew we had somewhere in the house. I think Nana gave these to my boys a couple of decades ago; Josiah used them to learn the presidents and I can still picture him going round and round a tree reciting them all when he was four years old. Eliza is very happy to have them now.

She has been writing lists of the presidents on loose leaf paper, but she wanted to 'type them into the computer' like her sisters do with important things. She had been moping and pining for a day and a half because we wouldn't let her use a computer by herself. Then it finally occurred to me to let her use the typewriter!

As you can see, she is beyond happy and downright thrilled to be typing away on Grammy's old Smith Corona!
She sits with her President and First Lady books and types away with great joy.

She had a little trouble with the spacing at first, but she's improving. ;-)

{funny}

This girl's sense of humor always keeps us laughing, and her quick wit often amazes me. The other day the cake rack was sitting on the table, and quick as a wink she grabbed it and held it up in front of her face, folded her hands and declared, "I'm a nun!"

 

The cloistered nuns at the local Carmelite Monastery usually remain unseen behind the enclosure, but on special occasions we are able to see a sister and exchange greetings at the grill. We have visited on several occasions when there has been a profession of vows or receiving of the habit and Eliza is always enthralled by the joyful sisters, parking herself right in front of the grill to visit as long as she can. Apparently she remembers those times well!

{real}

Here is Eliza reading to her beloved cat King. Naturally she always chooses appropriate books to read to the cat, such as Pickles, or That Bad, Bad Cat, and of course Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat.

Sadly, we also had to say goodbye to the very elderly King last week. It's nice she has the typewriter and all those new books and presidents to keep her happy in spite of her sorrow.

Visit Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter for more {p,h,f,r}, and have a wonderful weekend!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - last bits of May

{pretty}

Pretty is a lovey bouquet sent by a friend who knows how I love flowers! Roses, peonies, bleeding heart all from her yard - such wonderful fragrance! And in a quaint jelly jar to boot.

{happy}

getting an autograph from a real live Marine

standing to salute the flags

waving flags and catching candy

vintage hearse

 WWII veteran paratrooper!

Happy is celebrating Memorial Day properly with small town parades and services honoring veterans, including an early-morning symbolic wreath laying in the river by the Marines and a memorial service at the cemetery.

{funny}

We went to a graduation party at a park and I believe this was the first time in our nearly three decades of marriage that my dear husband and I have ridden a see saw together! Every time I thought I was safe for a minute Whoop! up in the air he would suddenly send me, leaving me helplessly airborne and laughing like quite a fool. Then he pulled a camera out of his pocket! Very funny! You should try it sometime. :-)

And in case you were wondering what happened to us in between Josiah's graduation and Memorial Day...

{real}

Five of us were struck with a nasty, no good, very bad GI bug (viral gastroenteritis of the worst kind). After ten days we are mostly back to normal with just a few lingering symptoms. I can finally climb a flight of stairs without it feeling like ten and I am able to resume most of my household duties. Can you believe I haven't had a cup of tea in over a week!?!

Eliza listening to stories about her beloved Abraham Lincoln

and singing along with this oldie but goodie.

Kateri convalesces with some Snap Circuits couch science

while Mary Rose takes her mind off her tummy with a little Wodehouse.

Thankful for Clorox and Librivox, cozy nests on kitchen couches and coconut water,  bleachable rosary and bleachable shoes, and especially for our return to good health.

PS It's not too late to join the Art for Our Lady - Marian artwork trading card swap! Make and trade miniature artwork honoring Our Lady! All ages invited! If you haven't signed up yet, there's still time. Just send me an email and I'll give you the details.

Visit Leila for more {pretty, happy, funny, real} at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - the handmade Christmas gifts

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

As any long time readers here well know, it is a deeply entrenched part of our family culture for the kids to exchange fabulous handmade gifts. Every year we are quite amazed with the unique, thoughtful, clever things they make each other, and how perfectly suited for the recipient each gift is. Siblings know each other so well, thus knowing so well how to please and delight each other, and likewise how to thoroughly amuse each other. Here are some of this year's creations.

{pretty}

Josiah made these two Pretty 'side altars' to go with the peg dolls and altar he made for his littlest sisters last year.

Father is well served by his faithful acolytes (nicknamed Pious and Bored, but don't ask me who's who).

Lydia made these pretty little wool bonnets for the little girls' babies.

Eliza was so happy to receive her own 'Poochie Bag' from Mary Rose.

Mary Rose has made a bunch of these in the past, and for Christmas gifted Anna, Eliza and me with our very own. I'm so happy to finally have one of Mary's bags, and Anna uses hers almost every day. (The pattern doesn't seem to be online for free anymore, but here is a link to the tutorial for a miniature Poochie bag. The full size bag uses three fat quarters.)

I was delighted with these sweet needle felted hummingbirds from Lydia, a Rufous and a Ruby throated. She carved their delicate beaks from bits of twigs.

{happy}

Josiah made Mary Rose very Happy by making her a wool jeep cap.

I didn't even know what a jeep cap was, but my kids all did, and Josiah knew how much his sister would love one. Here she is on KP, all in OD.

Keeping with the hat theme, Josiah also made Lydia this handsome wool Tam o'Shanter

and a wonderful carrying bag for slinging that miniature harp on her back.

And Anna is Very Happy with her Donald Duck hat!

Her favorite WWII veteran served in the Navy, and I got the dearest picture of the two of them, with Anna in her new hat. (She frequently makes him cookies, so the fondness is kind of mutal.) She makes a spiffing picture herself all decked out in navy wool.

Josiah also made Mary Rose a handy haversack,

and I was happy to get a brush holder from him. Jonathan also made me happy with this mini clipboard - an inexpensive craft store find but made so lovely with woodburned vines. He knows me well.

Kateri and Eliza were thrilled with their Medic Bags from Josiah!

So many clever goodies to discover tucked inside. Now Eliza likes to lie on the couch with the bandage 'round her head playing 'poor, sick GI' while Kateri stands above her with the bottle of 'blood plasma.'

And on to some{funny}

Josiah made gaiters for his three sisters! (That's him with the tea-dyed pair he made himself a while back.)

He fashioned this cool wood tank and jeep for the little girls peg dolls,

and Mary Rose made them a coffee and donut stand, complete with Red Cross lady and brave fighter pilot. See his little white silk scarf?

Mary Rose also gifted Lydia with this graphite drawing of characters from her WWII NaNoWriMo novel, along with a fictitious but highly entertaining 'letter home' to go with it.

Mary Rose made Josiah this passel of German soldier paper dolls (love all their names)

while her dad got Winston Churchill himself. Very fitting as he's reading Churchill now.

And Josiah made these perfect little leather saddle bags for Anna's dear little army donkey. His name is Aluminum Overcast, and he is actually named after a B-17, but I digress.

The prize for the funniest Funny just might go to the gift Mary Rose made Jonathan. We had found some Bill Mauldin, famous WWII cartoonist extraordinaire, at a book sale a while back and the kids got a big kick out of them. Apparently there's a story in Up Front where Mauldin is asked to draw his signature GI characters 'Willie and Joe' on plywood circles to black out the port holes in the officers' club. Clearly Jonathan got the joke as he (and everyone else) cracked up opening these painted wooden rounds of Willie and Joe!

Mary Rose did a great job - they look just like them!

{real}

Mary Rose does serious work of Real people too. She did this little Papa John Paul II for her Dad, and this picture of Saint Barbara and two soldiers for Lydia. Apparently Saint Barbara is the patroness of artillerymen; the Civil War artilleryman on the left is Alonzo H. Cushing who was recently(!) awarded the Medal of Honor. The WWII artilleryman on the right is my uncle.

And this last one was a gift for Mary Rose on the one year anniversary of her Confirmation. Lydia, her godmother, painted this beautiful St. Edmund Campion, whom you may remember Mary Rose was quite excited to choose as her patron.

The pretty little flowers are White Campion, also known in England as Grave Flower. The rope and knife are of course the implements of St. Edmund's hideous martyrdom.

Do visit Rosie and the other ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter for more {pretty, happy, funny, real}!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - Advent Edition

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty}

The blooms on the cactus my mother gave me for my birthday last month are so pretty just now, the way they open in clusters on the ends of the leaves. Kateri tucked a little statue of Our Lady in amongst the flowers, as flowers are sparse around here this time of year.

Josiah, the professional candle straightener, pouring in a little beeswax to secure them.

This is my nightly pretty/happy sight. And so it is Advent! It seems like time has been whooshing past this fall at a rapid pace. It's true what they say, as you get older and life gets more complicated time really does seem to fly. I love how the Church directs our time, and the prayers and colors and music of Advent serve so well to plunge us in and allow us to steep in this season of anticipation and preparation. It's like the wreath and the purple just grab my sometimes-tending-to-spin head and heart and wham! I have no choice but to focus on preparing our minds and hearts and souls for the coming of Our Savior. It kind of reminds me of a palantir that rivets your focus and forces you to look, look! who is coming. Soon the Infant will be here, in that stable in Bethlehem, and here in our hearts. Get your heart ready now, it seems to say. That's what matters most.

We are reading Come, Lord Jesus once again, as the meditations are that good. And once again the soundtrack of the season in our home is Advent at Ephesus.

{happy}

Happy is St. Nicholas day in the morning.

Happy is my patch-er-watic girl, with her red, white and blue toothbrushes she got at the dentist the other day. Yes, we have the nicest dentist ever, and he let her keep the three (!) she picked out. V for Victory!

Happy is this girl doing puzzles. Working this beautiful Holy Family puzzle has become a new Advent tradition, and Eliza is so happy to have folks help her with puzzles.

And happy is shopping from the comfort of my own living room.

Such practical gifts to be had at Kateri's Bead Shop, and the prices can't be beat!

{funny}

We'll just call this one "Like Father, Like Son." Don't your menfolk like to balance chairs together in the kitchen?

{real}

We were quite thrilled to be able to attend the Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony at the Capitol.

We sat right behind the four veterans present who were Pearl Harbor survivors. Those who were able stood and saluted through the Parading of the Colors and the National Anthem.

So moving to watch their careworn, frail, aged hands saluting so proudly still.

Hearts beat fast and eyes glistened as taps was played from the balcony.

The keynote address was given by a Rear Admiral who spoke so warmly and eloquently of the courage and sacrifice made by all those involved with the conflict. He poignantly recounted the memories of what each of the four veterans was doing exactly when the attack occurred. (And the girls were duly impressed by all of the 'fruit salad' and 'scrambled eggs' they saw in attendance.)

They were honored to get four more autographs for their collection.

Mary Rose even got her picture in the paper! As I explained to the photojournalist, I tell my kids they'll be able to take their kids to see B-17's and re-enactors and all that stuff, but the waning opportunity for us to meet and greet and stand in the presence of these surviving veterans is not to be missed.

Don't forget to visit Leila for more {pretty, happy, funny, real} and a peek at her lovely Advent bedecked home!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - a visit to Grammy's

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty}

We took a little trip east this week! Michael had a talk to give at a conference in Rhode Island and it was the perfect opportunity to go and visit my mother and family in Connecticut as well. We were surprised at the beauty of the fall colors as we traveled northeast, as most of the trees in our area have already gone grey and bare. The morning sunlight on the trees in my mother's back yard was just gorgeous. And so many memories in this dear old place. You can see the little house on the left that my father built as a first home for my sister when she got married, and his garages on the right. The back-to-back two garages never actually held cars in my day, but were my father's workshops and storage areas for his many tools, building supplies and the most unique mishmash of salvaged anything and everything. He also built the charming fireplace in the middle, the site of countless picnics and family gatherings over the decades. (Sigh.)

{happy}

We were happy to picnic in the historic Roger Williams Park in Providence. The weather was sunny and mild, the trees were beautifully colorful, and there were many sights and scenes to explore. The park was named for the Separatist minister, banished from his Massachusetts colony for his support of religious freedom, and in exile he went on to found the colony at Providence. His belief in the importance of allowing people to worship as they chose made Rhode Island one of the few colonies where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was not outlawed.

Also noteworthy was a large and exciting monument of Casimir Pulaski, Father of the American Cavalry, with whom my (slightly Polish) daughters were particularly enamored. It did look thrilling to stand beneath the courageous charging Pulaski mounted upon his thunderous terrifying horse.

We also saw a statue of Abraham Lincoln, charmingly erected by a devoted husband in memory of his obviously loyal and patriotic wife. We attest that Mr. Harvey's memorial is indeed effective, and we contemplated much loyalty and patriotism as we partook of rest and recreation. Such is the beauty of a love of history.

The Providence Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul was magnificent to behold both outside and in. Sadly, so much destruction of the 'renovations' of (when else?) 1968 were clearly seen on the interior, such as the Tabernacle removed to a side altar and what looked like a gigantic One Ring suspended over a green marble freestanding altar emblazoned with golden fish (?). The Cathedral's website shows many pictures of what it looked like in its proper glory in bygone days. The glorious main architecture remains the same of course, and one can only hope and pray the Tabernacle will one day be restored to its rightful central location, as done by our good bishop in our diocese some years ago.

We proceeded to cheer ourselves up with a lengthy visit to a most fabulous used bookstore.

And we might have celebrated someone's Happy Birthday while visiting family as well.

 {funny}

 

Unfortunately the boys were unable to join us on our travels. Josiah did send us off in style by parading with our Papal standard as we left. They later posed for a funny but forlorn picture of the two lonely bachelors eating soup.

{real}

A very real highlight of the trip was my cousin's sharing of a box of memorabilia from her father's military service during World War II. So many, many treasures contained in that plain brown box.

His tiny pocket crucifix carried throughout the war.

His well-worn pocket missal.

This program from Christmas Eve services 1944 in New Guinea. The back page lists the clergy serving for the Midnight Mass.

 

So many photographs.

And this old Army Song book, containing so very many of our favorite songs we listen to and sing and play just about every day in our house.

There were also letters, documents, passes, ribbons, personal artifacts, prayer books, holy cards and much more. There was a novena holy card of 'Mary's Kneeling Army', signed by a lady who prayed specifically for my uncle, and I marveled at how the prayers of a Mrs. C. Wirth were among the many that doubtless led to my uncle's returning home safe and sound. Needless to say, we could have spent a week poring over the contents of that dear box. We were thankful for the hours that we did have, and especially honored with the packet of letters and pictures (and wonder-of-wonders, my uncle's Brown Scapular!) that we were allotted to keep(!). The rest will go to his direct descendants.

I found this little gem particularly moving:

I like how all of the excellent advice to Catholics is still perfectly true and relevant, and sorely needed, still today. We would all do well to always remember: A man whose eyes are fixed on God as his Last End has no temptation to seek his heaven on earth.

P.S. Hope you plan to join in our All Saints Artist Trading Card Swap!  (See post for details.)

 

Visit the ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter for more everyday contentment!