I ordered our garden seeds!

Upon my friend Margie's recommendation, we ordered from Nichols Garden Nursery this year.

Husband in Nature

He may lose to me in Scrabble sometimes, but he does get published in Nature... we are proud of him. 

Email if you want to read it all.

Picture book of the week

Look! Seeing the Light in Art by Gillian Wolfe, 2006 Frances Lincoln's Children Books (UK), 45 pages

I found this quite accidentally when browsing the art shelves in the non-fiction children books section at our library system's main branch last week.

Mind you, I am always carting around mountains of books in huge, oversize bags, and I am thankful for strong, teen sons, and for downtown ballet and piano classes allowing me the time to browse at the library.

At the library, I try to throw in the bag only what looks promising, and I still end up bringing home volumes that go directly back into the return bag, almost unopened. So what I post here is truly the cream of the crop-- at least the cream of my own random crop!

Back to Wolfe's marvelous book: she is from the UK and has received awards for her art books for children. I would give her an award as well! (I have just requested the two other titles in this series from Inter Library Loan). I like the paintings she chooses to show her artistic points-- in this volume, the effect of light onto works of art-- and I like the language she uses to talk about them. The book is for children and yet it doesn't talk down or use patronizing language. Art should be talked about simply, clearly-- and she does just that, as she discusses the use of light in different aspects using 18 great works of art as examples. In fact, I am taking this book to take to my art students at co-op on Friday, and my teens at home approve!

The only negative thing I would say is that I would have chosen another of the many art works depicted in the book for the cover. Alas, that may be a very insignificant point, but it is one that could mean a lot to a visual person like me, who had to bet on the stunning art wok inside the book when the cover shows a very boring Picasso.

To close, another positive: Wolfe is not afraid to acknowledge that it is impossible to talk about art without discussing sacred art. Indeed her book opens with the gorgeous Conversion of Saint Paul by Caravaggio (so timely for the Year of Saint Paul!), and it closes with a discussion on "Heavenly Light", using Blessed Fra Angelico's version of Paradise from The Last Judgement.

Turn your oven to auto clean

It's what I do on Ash Wednesday... to remind my senses of the profound meaning of this day!

A chance for a free subscription!

mater et magistra is sponsoring Maureen's upcoming talk: 

How to Teach Art and Music Appreciation with Real Books Wednesday March 4th at 7:00 Pm CST

We will be giving away TWO subscriptions to the magazine at the end of the talk to registered attendees.

Webinars are online seminars where you can interact with the speaker in the privacy of your own home. You can see and hear the speaker, see visual aids such as Power Point presentations, as well as chat with the speaker and other participants. This new technology is both fun and informative. Check http://tinyurl.com/bezefc 

Literature isn't just for reading! You can teach math, science, language arts, and more using living books. This is the second in a series of three talks on the topic of teaching through real books.   

Do you have a love for beautiful art and music? Would you like to share that love with your children? Would you like to learn about all of the beautiful books available for children and young adults? Do you yearn for uplifting books that not only teach but help to create a joy for learning? If so, this is the talk for you.  Maureen will bring lots of books with her for show and tell. You'll leave this online seminar loaded with book titles, fresh ideas, and practical tips. You won't want to miss it!   

Maureen is the author of For the Love of Literature published by Ecce Homo Press, available from http://hillsideeducation.com/.

Preparing for the National Exploratory Latin Exam

Number Six and friends worked on their study booklets for weeks... and have been quizzing each other. Good students are a gift.

Anatomy of a game

In which Wife beats Husband.

Co-op Art!

Our Color Wheel Experiment

Thanks to Mrs. B., our girls have a weekly science class using the Usborne book  (pictured) as a spine. Inspired by what they learned this week, we worked on a spinning color wheel at home.  

After drawing and coloring the wheel with Number Six, we tried unsuccessfully to spin it on a pencil. 

 

We then secured it with plenty of tape to a ...power drill bit!  

Our Color Wheel experiment, final

So... here are Number Three's hands noisily powering our most successful results! Yes! The seven colors of the rainbow, when all spun together, turn into the full spectrum white light!

And more good news

We just don't get news like this everyday: 

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict, underscoring the Vatican's ruling on an issue that divides Americans, told U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday that Catholic politicians and legislators cannot back abortion rights.

Pelosi, a powerful U.S. politician who is Catholic and pro-choice, has been accused by U.S. bishops in the past of misrepresenting Church teachings on abortion.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural and moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death ..." a Vatican statement said.

Good news!

I read Damien the Leper by Farrow a long time ago-- actually I believe I read it under the title Damiao, o Leproso, as I found it on my parents' shelves. The unforgettable true story of the Belgian priest who chose to live in Hawaiian leper colony--loving, organizing, building and reminding the inhabitants of their God-given dignity-- made a huge impression on me. Interestingly, it was written by Mia Farrow's father.

The good news is that the blessed priest of Molokai who lived with the lepers will be canonized! Read about it here. What a beautiful, inspiring example of a life given to the Neighbor!

Looking for a picture of him, I found this beautiful Belgique stamp. And I also put the recent film about him on our Netflix queue!

Our Valentine tulips bloom

Thank you, Caitilin! Number Seven took the photo. They bring so much light and beauty into the room! 

...and Number Five's!

She worked on one of the projects from Ralph Masiello's Ancient Egypt Drawing Book!

 

Visuals of a good game

Aah, the sweet taste of high scores. 

Number Six does Art as well

Dolphins on the Sand by Jim Arnosky, 2008 Putnam, 32 pages.

I confess I picked it up for weekly art class we do with my friend Nancy and her talented girls... but the story of the community helping the stranded dolphins turned out to be nice as well.

Number Six worked on a oil pastel composition based on one of the illustrations... it was a good exercise with pretty results!

Number Seven does Art

Well, she takes it up a notch... her art book is Seton's Art 2... we love it. 

My sister Margot and I

She and I shared a room all of our lives... and, different as sisters can be, we loved each other dearly during those wonderful years.

Thank you to our youngest sister Marta who is sending us these photos from Mother's family albuns!

Birthday Aprons!

Now here is a lovely group of young ladies sporting their newest craft: birthday aprons! Thanks to hostess Nancy and birthday girl Nicole; and to Grandma who sent fabric crayons for Christmas to Numbers Six and Seven and gave us the idea! Watch for a reunion with aprons in five years or so.

St. Valentine's Day

Numbers Three (16) and Six (9) and some Saint Valentine's sibling love.

A fun poem about the Russian Czars

My friend Shannon gave me permission to publish this poem written by her daughter, 13, after reading about czarist Russia in All Ye Lands... Thanks!

Russian Czars

By R. S.

Czar number one is Ivan the Great.

He was one whom people did not hate.

His people spoke a common tongue,

And they resisted Mongol oppression.

This Czar was responsible for the consolidation of Muscovy,

This made him "Great", yes-sir-ree!

The second in line is Ivan the Terrible

Whose portrait is, oh, so scareable!

He tried to eliminate the boyars

And was even successful!

Queen Elizabeth I he did marry,

But that business was very hairy!

In his later years he lost his mind,

And falling from his throne is how he died!

The third czar to come,

Was Ivan's idiot son.

After fourteen years he died childless,

And his family line ended, more or less.

After him came a Romanov named Michael

Who started a new cycle

Of a Russian family line.

He rule was very fine.

Under the rule of Michael's son, Alexis,

Things got a little bit hectic,

Because he tried to change religious things

People started to dislike this king.

A lot of people and things went bad,

And the history of Russia was a bit sad.

Until things got a neater

Under the rule of great Peter!

Peter brought over Western technology and thought,

Though many people fought to keep it the same.

Peter had St. Petersburg built,

(and I can't find an appropriate word to rhyme with built).

After Peter came Alexander II.

This czar abolished serfdom

In his vast kingdom.

He was killed and then his boy, Nicholas II took over control.

He was a family man with a true Christian role.

This concludes my tale about the Russian Czars

And even though they seem as old as the stars,

It is awfully neat

To learn about their feats!

Another Great audio resource

Our library owns a number of Modern Scholar audio sets... and we have been enjoying Masterpieces of Medieval Literature. The series has some great titles, including several by Peter Kreeft and Prof. Madden of St. Louis University. 

Number Three is delighted as he's been driving under the spell of Icelandic Sagas, Bewoulf and company, King Arthur and more.

Number Seven celebrates the above freezing days

She took pictures of the snow melting on the driveway, and... of the sun, who seems so powerful these day! And then she found something... green!
We will take each of these days as a gift!

O. L. Lourdes Feastday

h/t: Saint Mary Magdalen

My godson visits Loch Ness and its monster!

My godson Marcos is working on his PhD under a scholarship in Scotland and I love it when he sends pictures! (Did I mention he is single too?) He says this is the best photograph of the monster he could capture... and then he posed in front of the castle by the lake: Urquhart Castle, or what is left of it.

And one more.

My dear husband gave me the new Mariza CD. Outstanding! My parents loved the fado and we learned to love it also at home-- the traditional Portuguese music. Mariza is the new star with a crisp, powerful voice.

Thank you, love, for bringing joy and great music into my life!

Special gifts

...from a good friend. The fresh rolls were in an S shape for my birthday saint--Saint Scholastica. Thank you, Mary! I cannot imagine the hours behind the knitting of the socks... you are so kind.

To complete the day, God graced us with sunshine and 43 F warmth! I am grateful beyond measure.

A priceless birthday gift

My little sister has been going through Mamae's photograph albums, and sent me this... a priceless gift.

Anti-FOCA post-card campaign

We are proud to help our parish participate in this national effort!

Sheila's quiche

Her quiche this morning was delicious... but she will not give me the recipe. Perhaps when she is back in Nebraska tonight and reads this she will let us have it!

Winter mornings

The sun streams color and warmth through the large windows...

...and shines on Tinker Toys-trebuchet-making and on flowers given by Husband to brighten our days at home.