Award winnning pumpkin carving

OK, I didn't grow up with Halloween and I have very little know-how on the busines of pumpkin carving... but it's my first American vote and what a crucial one! So I got to work and lo and behold-- at our All Saints's party earlier tonight my pumpkin received an award!

Novena for Life for upcoming Elections

Thanks to ScienceMom for sending this out... start today and it will end on Election Day! We will finish the month of October with the daily Rosary and switch to the Chaplet in November.

Novena for Life for upcoming Elections Novena for the Culture of Life

This year's election offers another opportunity to further the Culture of Life. Please join us in praying a novena for the victory of the Culture of Life at all levels in the upcoming elections, and in the Supreme Court decision on the federal Partial-Birth Abortion ban (hearing scheduled for Nov 8).

The novena begins on Monday, October 30, and ends election day, November 7, 2006. The suggested prayer is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, but feel free to substitute the Rosary, daily Mass, or another prayer of your choice.

Bishop Finn's quote, sent by Candise

My dearest friend Candise S. sent me this, and I had to post it. Cannot remember such a helpful and well phrased quote for Catholic homeschool families : how fitting for the first day of second quarter!

"Ask God to give you the fervor of St. Albert the Great for science, the joy of St. Cecilia in your music, the diligence of Jerome for translating, and the clarity of St. John in writing. Run and play with St. Don Bosco, debate and persuade with St. Catherine, and fish with Peter himself. Holy Mary, who taught our Lord Himself in the school of Nazareth, accompany us on our new school year. St. Joseph, headmaster and guide for the boy Jesus, lead us on a sure and safe path to Him."

Bishop Robert Finn, diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph

From the address given at Homeschool Mass September, 2006.

A Day in the Life... article

Written two years ago, but perhaps still my favorite of all of the ones I have written for Heart & Mind. I am re-visiting these before I add new ones to the archives. Read it here.

Three by Maria Rioux

My friend Maria Rioux has three pieces published here today: a review on Flight of Fancy Costumes ('tis the season of costumes!), one entitled The Blessings in Crosses and finally one she wrote when she was invited to speak on merging Charlotte Mason with Classic Education. Enjoy!

A new High School Online Journal

A place for publishing art and writings by the Saint Margaret Fellowship high school students.

Enjoy it here and check periodically, there is a lot more coming up! If you have loved the photos I have published here by A. T., don't miss it! Some of the SMF High School Monet projects will appear there as well.

Also, our own Number Two is publishing an interesting paper she wrote recently contrasting Shakespeare's King Lear with Akiro Kurosawa's film Ran.
Photo by A. T.

on Waugh and morals in world literature

Husband found this at a book sale recently, knowing all too well the difficulty I have with British authors. Waugh is an exception, of course. I like to know the person behind my favorite authors, so I am enjoying it greatly. As opposed to Flannery--my very favorite--whom I got to know first through The Habit of Being, Waugh first came to me through his fiction, namely Brideshead Revisited. It is exactly about Brideshead that he writes, from Dubrovnik, 1945:

I am beginning to get letters thanking for Brideshead Revisited. It seems to be a success and I think it should be. Unfortunately it is not to be published until April because of shortage of paper and the delays in proof correcting due to my sojourn abroad. This is a pity because it is a book for winter reading. Also, I hope, in April everyone's mind will be on great events in Europe rather than novels of the past. Bu I believe it will go on being read for many years. The general criticism is that it is religious propaganda. That shows how opinion has changed in 80 years. No on now thinks a book which totally excludes religion is atheist propaganda. 80 years ago every novel included religion as part of the normal life of the people.

Celebrating

Remember when Number One applied for that NASA Tech Scholarship during our camping trip to Michigan?

... He got it!

Library Thing!

Books... aren't they a consolation in this life? I finally decided to do it... I really like the Library Thing website, easy and simple to use. And it's fun to rediscover the books we own as I enter them into the list!

Carnival of Catholic Homeschooling

Submissions for the November edition due today... click here.

Have you blogged something of general interest recently? Send it in!

Two from Number Five

Check out Unity of Truth today-- it's been a little while since I had posted there.

Below is a collage made from photos of Number Five's gorgeous fall craft made at Co-op: Thank you, Mrs. S.! It hangs from our dining room chandelier.

...and another one from Number Five: never content to miss my co-op art projects, she took it to herself to do a little Monet as well: (I'd say with fabulous results).

I would like to add a post scriptum on our children's names: no, we do not, as I have heard asked, call them by their birth order number. (Although we do use a numeric roll call when loading the car to insure that all are onboard.) At home we call them by their beautiful baptismal names, stemming from the rich canon of saints of the Church, spanning centuries of history and geographical locations.

Our tomatoes, no longer green

As directed by good country neighbors, the tomatoes do ripen indoors... and go into delicious dishes such as homemade soup!

My little Monets

Yesterday I had the 3rd-4th grade class at Co-op: we watched the delightful Linnea in Monet's Garden and they created a delightful array of little Monets: study on the Japanese Bridge in Giverny.

Harvest season

I took these from the kitchen porch. One has to be so cautious driving the country roads in fall. These things are immense.

Learning Portuguese

We're going to Brazil for Volamino's birthday! He will be 80 years old in December. It will be a summer Christmas like the ones I grew up with...

Fall snow

Pretty outside, but Number One keeps warm inside with the Journal. (He hasn't done any homework yet).

Green tomatoes, but not fried

A country neighbor told me to bring them in and encourage them to ripen indoors-- so our living room has been taken by green tomatoes!

Fra Angelico shrine

Friend Susan P. sent a fascinating link to a mural painting/church renovation business in Illinois.
My Saint Margaret Fellowship Co-op art students who worked on Fra Angelico's Noli Tangere last year will surely appreciate this.

Number One at home for fall break

Here he is on his Baptism Day, held by his Brazilian grandmother Lucia who is also his Godmother.

Heritage Day

Our dear friends the M. family sent us this picture of heritage day... Mary, Claire, Catherine, Barb and Monica: you've never looked so good! Thanks!

Annamarie's senior portraits

Photographing Annamarie around our acreage was a pleasure!

Autumn leaves

I had to post these--can't get a red like this from my watercolors.

I registered to vote

A huge first for me.
The last time I voted was over 2o years ago, in Brazil. I became a citizen a little over a year ago...
I just had to post my prolife opinion on the upcoming abortion ban vote, and the corn field across the road is enjoying the attention.

I made the motivational poster using this site. Hat tip to Love2LearnMom.

(We actually do have some traffic daily).

Prayer for John Paul II

Our friend Brian sent this today... a beautiful prayer, thanks!

Prayer for John Paul II

O God, who in Thine ineffable providence wast pleased to number Thy servant John Paul amongst the sovereign pontiffs; grant, we beseech Thee, that he who reigned as the vicar of Thy Son on earth, may be joined in fellowship with Thy holy pontiffs for evermore. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

—Missale Romanum (1962), Collect for a Deceased Pope

(Photo source here)

My art class: high school

The variety of styles and colors produced by the students is amazing, all originated from a study of Fra Angelico's Madonna and the Christ Child.

My art class: middle school

I am fortunate to teach art to the delightful students at Saint Margaret's Fellowship Friday Coop. They are working on our first project of the year: Fra Angelico's Madonna and the Christ Child. Students are placing themselves in the presence of great holiness in great art by emulating the proportions, colors and serenity of one of Fra Angelico's beloved Madonnas. We studied a bit of how he glorified God through his talents in a life of service and humility. Fra Angelico was called Beato by the general public centuries before John Paul II ever beatified him!