Beauty in the Ordinary
One of my objectives this summer is to explore education starting with a wide, panoramic view, and walking down to the fine detail of the application of education with a view toward supporting those of you that may be new to, or veterans of, homeschooling. I’ve shared and written on the topic of home education here for many years. What… Read More
Several years ago, when my children were still quite young and I was eager to find any connection I could to the rich treasures I knew to be woven into the liturgical year, a dear friend of mine shared her knowledge of a resource which illuminated so much of my path, Around The Year with the von Trapp Family by Maria August Trapp. Maria!!! Whom I fell… Read More
Oh goodness! I didn’t mean to be away for quite this long! In fact, I started drafting this post on December 4, but life and then Advent and then we have multiple birthdays and my anniversary all at the beginning of January on the heels of Christmas. It has been a wonderful month, but it has kept my focus away… Read More
This is the 3rd in a series of reading, discussing and applying ideas from Thomas Howard’s book which is available under two different names: Splendor In the Ordinary and Hallowed Be This House. If you’re new to the series, start at the Index Post discussing The Household for more explanation and a trail of breadcrumbs to the other posts in the series. Each post contains an… Read More
This is the 2nd in a series of reading, discussing and applying ideas from Thomas Howard’s book which is available under two different names: Splendor In the Ordinary and Hallowed Be This House. If you’re new to the series, start at the Index Post discussing The Household for more explanation and a trail of breadcrumbs to the other posts in the series…. Read More
Have you ever heard the phrase, “bloom where you are planted?” I suppose that applies to us moderns, planted squarely in the 21st century with all of its technology, activity, and constant going and getting and coming back from. I don’t eschew technology, nor activity, nor going and getting, but they do begin to overshadow days when they’re not guarded…. Read More
If you’ve read here for any amount of time you know that almost 12 years ago, homeschooling my young but growing children, I sought to provide a common point in our day with what I coined, the Morning Basket – a simple collection of worthy books that lived in…a basket…and we read from each…morning. Thus, the Morning Basket came to be. (You can read all… Read More
With the upcoming canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa on September 4, 2016, I wanted to share a bit about how this Saint has provided influence in my own life. This article was originally published in 2009 in mater et magistra magazine. It is republished here with slight editing to update. The vocation of home education is beautiful, but like all… Read More
Our parish was blessed to host a Celebration of Life baby shower for six moms who were expecting a new little one, or who just had a baby. These baby showers are a delight to attend and support because being a mom these days is hard work. And not popular. And what about being a Catholic mom that is open to… Read More
Edited: This post was edited February 16, 2018 to reflect current links and dates for Lent 2018. Another Lent begins! Ash Wednesday marks the start of 40 days of Lent as we work toward spiritual growth and encourage that growth in our children. It is described in different ways – a holy quarantine, a long retreat, an “acceptable time” of holy joy,… Read More
I’ve been re-working my seasonal Advent plans and I’m eager to share the plans with you. It is completely free to download, print and share. Non nobis – Ad majorem Dei gloriam! As always, this booklet contains: The rich liturgical history of the season of Advent. A week by week planner which contains a daily listing of the liturgical feasts and… Read More
Feasts Reach Them All “ …people are instructed in the truths of the faith and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectively by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts… Read More
October is the month of the Holy Rosary, and the Rosary is such a strong anchor for families – a powerful weapon in this battle we’re in the middle of – that any efforts to rebuild culture will be futile without it. I thought I’d share some ideas for praying the Rosary as a family because…I know that it’s challenging… Read More
I’ve been doing some bigger picture thinking – you know the kind I mean? When you “zoom out” with your vision in light of everything, taking it all in while keeping your own family in focus. It has been hard for me not to default into this wider scope or focus of thought with all that is going on in… Read More
Life has been challenging lately. I struggle between doing enough for the children and trying to keep up with the daily duty which seems overwhelming when routine cannot offer its hand in helping to keep days in order. Just when I thought life would be settling because Cricket was here and we were done with our high risk pregnancy, a… Read More
Suzanne at Gladdest Hours is hosting a carnival of Everyday Summer Skirts and Dresses and I had a couple of thoughts to share after checking it out. I am every day astonished by the great gift of feminine dressing. The way we dress is so intimately linked with our idea of self. I have been contemplating that for a long… Read More
