– Verdi is our “Composer of the Month” for September, and this is a perfect rabbit trail book — the illustrations are just beautiful. I have a newfound appreciation of Aida. The drama of a love triangle may not be entirely suitable for the younger set [...]]]> – cute, but kind of pointless

– Verdi is our “Composer of the Month” for September, and this is a perfect rabbit trail book — the illustrations are just beautiful. I have a newfound appreciation of Aida. The drama of a love triangle may not be entirely suitable for the younger set though — my kids read it, but didn’t really like it.

– studying more Shakespeare this year. 13-yo has read/listened to Macbeth. We’ll be watching the movie soon. This is a gentler intro or re-intro to the Bard, for the younger ones.

– another cute book, about Chinese culture and imagination… not much substance though, or maybe I just missed it

– get this book! if just for the artwork. Lovely!! One word of caution: there is a page where Michelangelo is dissecting a cadaver. It’s not particularly gory or indecent, but probably not for sensitive or very young children. This one’s a read aloud aimed at older kids.

– an okay book, for kids who either don’t know what a library is or have no appreciation of it yet

– I’m not usually a fan of books that remind me of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (link to the book here), but this one really won me over. It highlights the grandpa-grandchild relationship and is just endearing and sweet. I highly recommend it, esp. as a gift to Grandpa. Totally heartwarming.

– classic book to teach your kids about good stewardship of the earth — if you like/love this book, perhaps you’ll like/love the next one as well. It’s also ecology, but more fantasy-style. I love the realism of the Kapok tree book, but something about the Florentine art in the other just captures and holds my affection.

– This book, of course, would be more suitably read in February, but we are on a Clyde Robert Bulla kick these days. I love that this book goes into the different legends/origins of Valentine’s Day, and doesn’t neglect the Catholic POV. Not really a fictional book per se, but entertaining and colorful enough to hold a little one’s attention.

– I *love* this book! Sooo sweet, but not saccharine sweet. Very very respectful and honest about sibling relationships and the rivalry that sometimes may come with it, balanced with a gentle (but non-preachy) emphasis on generosity and sharing. A great gift for a new big sister. Also a great reminder for parents to be sensitive to the needs of an older child when a new sibling joins the family.

– Very nicely done retelling of Russian folklore on the seasons of the year. I like books that present basic facts in a creative manner, and asks questions of the reader, or prompts them to ask questions, and come up with their own answers. The pastel drawings would be great for an art lesson or two!

– a pity the artwork isn’t available on Amazon. It’s a rather quaint book, with a myriad of characters all taken from well-known and common nursery rhymes and Mother Goose stories. Perfect lead in to many rabbit trails…. or use as the perfect ending to tie up and finish a collection of classic read alouds. Reminds me of Jolly Postman books.

– great bio of Anna May Wong, written for kids. She was heretofore unkonwn to me. Every now and then it’s good to see new authors and illustrators tackling previously unknown subjects. Great springboard for discussing the film genre, stereotypes, racism, etc.

So I don’t understand, but I will hope right along with you. I will have faith, the same faith I’ve always had, not a new one brought about by this one human man. I [...]]]> I have no words of my own, as my heart is still too full to speak, but I echo Jennifer’s:

So I don’t understand, but I will hope right along with you. I will have faith, the same faith I’ve always had, not a new one brought about by this one human man. I will teach my children to pray. I will teach my children to cherish and protect the newest of lives and those that are not so new, but just as precious. I will teach them to conserve, starting with our own backyard and our own consumption. I will educate my children. I will teach them to love one another [snip]. My family and I will financially support those in the world who live in poverty, just as we always have.

More Catholic than the Pope … it’s almost funny.

Biden and Pelosi vs. the US Bishops.

I don’t get it. Church teaching is church teaching. There are things that are non-negs. This is one of them. You either follow the Magisterium or you’re basically [...]]]> Sounds like kids bickering, doesn’t it? Quite familiar with that here in our home… however, this time it’s

Biden and Pelosi vs. the US Bishops.

I don’t get it. Church teaching is church teaching. There are things that are non-negs. This is one of them. You either follow the Magisterium or you’re basically your own pope. Why are they insisting that they’re right on this one? Reminds me of the arguments some people have made. I don’t know why people cling to the Catholic name when they could just renounce Catholicism (not that we want them to, but that they COULD if they really wanted to) so they don’t have to follow its teachings….

The one good thing I can see about this, is that things are brought to light that may not have been brought to light had this not happened. Perhaps other people are benefiting from the very vocal response from the Bishops. Perhaps people who have wondered before about why the Church teaches what She teaches, or what it all means, or how Catholics should really think and act are now getting quite an education. Maybe Biden and Pelosi are the catalysts for something bigger coming…. For a long time it’s been disheartening just how many people don’t get what the Catholic Church is all about. And many of them hate what they don’t know. The biggest blessing that could come out of this IMO is that people who didn’t know before may now have a greater understanding of why we believe what we believe. Whether that brings them to the fold or not is up to God’s grace, but I for one am happy that there’s clarification. Surely something good will come out of this.

Portuguese
armory
entertaining
magistrate
beautiful
laughter
doublet
fierce
flourishing
Saracens
ancestor
possessions
murmured
accounts
cathedral
question
courtyard
roused
attention
deceived

Thank you for your prayers, everyone. The ER trip yesterday was short and sweet (3 1/2 hours, including waiting time!) — thank goodness I was not confined; just given 2 [...]]]> I’ve just been away for a few days from my reader, and now I’m back there is a ton of catch-up reading to do.

Thank you for your prayers, everyone. The ER trip yesterday was short and sweet (3 1/2 hours, including waiting time!) — thank goodness I was not confined; just given 2 bags of fluids and sugar to give me a boost, and 2 prescriptions that already have helped tremendously. I’m still experiencing nausea, but more tolerable than the past 5 days. At least I’m able to fight it off better. It also helps that my fabulous mom is here to help out.

So anyway, enough about me… I’m here to share some links:

For Aisa, who I believe is still reading Fabiola:
from Tea at Trianon

Why Men Don’t Court Women Anymore
Comment: Southern men (US, I mean) and properly-trained Filipinos — seem to be the last remaining bastion of chivalry. I am very thankful courtship was still very much alive when dh courted me, or at least in our generation it seemed that way. In our small group of friends which included 3 other Filipino men, ALL of them courted their would-be wives. Maybe one of these days I’ll write how it was to be courted Filipino-style in modern-day America.

I am so tempted to print out copies of this and leave them anonymously all over our Parish…. (on dressing modestly for Mass)

When do we get one of these here in Ohio? Methinks a looooong while, as it’s a bit too progressive here. My response to the complainers: What, don’t you have enough anti-life pharmacies to begrudge the pro-life folks their own??? It’s not like you couldn’t drive down a few blocks to the nearest one. From what I can tell online, Chantilly, VA isn’t exactly the boondocks.

So many great crafty ideas!!! I followed the link from Kim who originally got it from Amy. Now that I have hope of having more than a few minutes each day of feeling good enough to drive and go around, a trip to Michael’s to finally stock up on summer crafty things should be just the thing to combat the kids’ summer boredom. (Tho’ not Aisa’s, who’s hoping to finish all her requirements to graduate from high school in August!!)

LOL. I clicked because I thought it was a recipe — Domenico Bettinelli is a fellow foodie — and I’m looking for some salads to round up Aisa’s graduation party menu in a few months. I got a cute story instead .

He also wonders if one can copyright a recipe. Since this is an issue several Filipino food bloggers have had to contend with including myself — too many that we even had to put up a one-time blogging event to call attention to the problem back in ’05 — I put in my .02.

Oh, so, so true. (on clutter)

Why Communion on the Tongue?