... to enjoy the March Madness Sale at Bethlehem Books! I just purchased four titles for my birthday girl!
If you have traveled by airplane recently you may have noticed how all pieces of luggage seem to look exactly alike! My grandmother used to make red pompoms for all of our luggage... yesterday as Husband brought home a new piece of luggage for his upcoming travels we worked on a marker for his own. We used left over natural fiber yarn I used to make scarves for Number Two and A. T. for Christmas, and doesn't it look nice on his now very distinguishable luggage?
We had a guest teacher from the parish's Rosary Guild
and the teens worked hard creating beautiful samples! 
The girls have been enjoying this set of CDs in the car... we go back and forth to town repeating the elegant French phrases... where is the metro station to go to the Louvre Museum? Could you please point me the nearest bakery? :-)
This Tongue
This tongue that talks,
and at times does mock.
This tongue that spews
out unnecessary thought.
This tongue that lies,
and catches flies.
This tongue that gossips,
and stirs up worships.
This tongue of slander, ridicule,
and wickedness is very much viperous.
Let’s turn the tide on this misguide,
and provide a chant of a different slant.
From this tongue shall come praise
that will amaze.
From this tongue let’s speak of prayer
that is fair.
From this tongue shall come witness,
to the One that brought His goodness.
The girls and I spent a long time admiring each stitch on each page in this adorable new book yesterday:
We know the Rollings for many years. Ken was Number Three's tutor with a group of boys back in Nebraska during grade school, and they worked on many different subjects: Lit, Logic, Geography, and the list goes on! Both Number Three, and Number Four who was a student of Ken online this past year via Homeschool Connections, love the Rollings as tutors!
Number Six and her team just won First Place at their Quiz Bowl earlier this evening! Congratulations the four members of her young Middle School team, who competed and won against teams of several area schools, mostly made of kids older than them!One of the difficulties in talking about the subject of evolution is that the term "evolution" can mean more than one thing, and when those meanings are not distinguished, confusion arises. As a purely scientific concept to explain the origin of species, there is nothing inherently contradictory between the theory of evolution and Catholic belief in God and His Providence. The purpose of the creation accounts in Genesis is not to make scientific claims, but to make theological ones: that ultimately, God is the creator who created everything out of nothing and with a certain hierarchy in creation with man at the pinnacle. It *may* have been that God used evolution for the development of the various species of life on earth.
The problems with evolution arise more from those atheists who attempt to use the theory of evolution to make larger philosophical (metaphysical) claims about the nature of reality. But these attempts are faulty on both the philosophical and scientific levels.
The Church has explicitly allowed for the possibility of the truth of evolution; Pope Pius XII did so in 1950 in Humani Generis and Pope John Paul II did more recently in an address he gave.
With regard to the human being, the Church allows for the possibility that the material aspect of the human person (the body) may have been the product of evolution, but the Church explicitly teaches that at some point, God infused a rational, immortal soul into *something* (dust, an animal form, etc.), and the first human being was created (followed, of course, by his wife). That is, God did directly "intervene" to create the immortal human person at some point.
I'd recommend two articles in the magazine First Things by Stephen Barr, a particle physicist who is a solid, orthodox Catholic as well. Both are available online here
(http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007/01/the-design-of- ) and here (http://www.firstthings.com/evolution-22 article/2007/01/the-miracle- ).of-evolution---4
Those are a few thoughts.
Chris
Husband and I went to the feast day mass at a gorgeous parish... and it was a gorgeous liturgy as well! I was just asked to sub the religion education class at our country parish, and I decided to tell them about Saint Joseph! I found a beautiful old holy card in Spanish (translation: There was never a grace asked of Saint Joseph that hasn't been obtained), and I developed a simple coloring sheet for my young first graders to color while I read the story of the dear saint to them. Thanks to two great blogs!
SPRING 2011 MAINSTAGE- The Wakefield Cycle
March 30- April 4, The University of Dallas Drama Department will present the Wakefield Cycle in a massive outdoor production at the base of its iconic bell tower.
Originating in the mid-fifteenth century, The Wakefield Cycle was used as a way of celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi. These plays would take place outside on temporary stages with performers drawn from various town guilds – nearly everyone participated. This collection of raucous, moving and sometimes irreverent religious mystery plays depicts the salvation of mankind beginning with the creation of the universe and ending with the last judgment. In our production, led by Stefan Novinski, a cast of 30 performers, large theatrical puppets and live music will bring to life the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, and the entire passion of Christ.
The cast includes Justin Blan, Matt Wisnoski, Nick Catanese, Tim Maher, Skyler Patton, Matt Pierick, Alex Treviño, Brian Vallone, Elaine Stenson, Monica Arbery, Joe Hrbacek, Vallery Bergez, Allie Cohill, Dylan Key, Thomas Sorensen, Blake Ballard, Tommy Riordon, Edward Wambsganss, Melissa Farris, Gus Braga-Henebry, Billy Amorella, Harrison Denn, Erin Kleiber, Roger Porres, Matthew Quinn, Josh Spencer, Amanda Werley, Jonny Wilder, and Jesse Beagan. It is directed by Stefan Novinski. The assistant to the director is Phil Cerroni. The production stage manager is Jessica Fowler and the assistant stage managers are Domenica Russo, Josh Hernandez and Dolores Hernandez. The period costumes are designed by Susan Cox and Tristan Decker designed the sets, lights and sound.
Akimbo and the Elephants, Akimbo and the Lions, Akimbo and the Crocodile Man, Akimbo and the Snakes, Akimbo and the Baboons, by Alexander McCall Smith, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, Bloomsbury USA Childrens' Books, 2005-2008
The illustrations are wonderful! We stopped at each illustrated page and made comments about how good they were. I am including one here that shows the amount of expression on young Akimbo's face as he tells the head ranger of what he just discovered...
I don't quite trust it yet, but yesterday afternoon there were signs of the winter losing its hold on nature. Number Six had to think a little before crossing a half-slushy driveway, and Numbers Five and Seven decided to do a Spring Dance. The creek is way beyond its normal level--and that little tree had been buried in snow all winter long!
Of the Portuguese Queen of England, that is.
I couldn't help devoting a page of my workbook to the deathbed conversion of a King whose life certainly needed God's forgiveness! I'd say the patient and constant love of his wife was his saving grace. The whole struggle in England between Catholic Church and the Church of England, when one studies History, seems so unbelievable. That so many died for it. My prayer is that, with the Pope's visit to England last year, and the beatification of Cardinal Newman, God will allow that we are united under one Church again.
I have always loved history and never as much as now, as I finish the writing of the second workbook for the Catholic Textbook Project. Today the book mentioned the queen consort of Charles II during England's Restoration period:On May 21, 1662, Charles married Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess, first in a secret Catholic ceremony and then in a public Protestant one. Catherine, a deeply devout Catholic, was also charming and goodnatured. Charles permitted her to have a Catholic chaplain and private Masses in her apartments. But Charles was not a faithful spouse, and Catherine suffered greatly on account of the king’s infidelity. Still, she was faithful and devoted to him.
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