The Cards Rock

Thank you Linda and Chuck for opening up your home to us Card's fans so we could watch the game last night. What great fun. I felt bad for your loss, but I'm confident you'll be seeing the Tigers in the World Series again soon.

Now, for a little sports commentary from Rob:

Wow, what an incredible ride by the Cardinals! How sweet it is to have beaten the Tigers! As improbable a World Series victory as any in history. In fact, the Cards won with the worst regular season record of any team in history. One can say it only shows the parity or mediocrity in baseball now, but it certainly shows how the revised playoff format allows a good team that suffered an inordinate number of regular season injuries a chance to heal in time for the big games. And that the Cardinals did, getting solid performances from Eckstein, Rolen and Edmonds, all of whom had serious injury problems fairly late in the season. But the biggest surprises of them all were (1) how a very young, mostly rookie bullpen rose to the occasion, especially Adam Wainwright who was still rotating through the minors as of July and didn't become the closer until September when Isringhausen's arthritic hip took him out, and (2) Yadier Molina's spectacular hitting, given he batted .216 in the regular season and had only 6 homers. IMHO Yadier deserved the MVP in both the NLCS and the World Series. He's just a totally unpretentious kid with loads of talent, who better to have won the MVP? His game seven, top of the ninth, two-run tie-breaking homer against the Mets stands out as the best memory of the playoffs for the Cardinals, followed of course by Adam Wainwright's game seven, bottom-of-the-ninth, two-outs, bases-loaded no-swing strikeout of Cardinals' killer Carlos Beltran. It doesn't get any better than the Cardinals-Mets 7-game NLCS series, especially that game 7.

Oh well, it goes without saying that the Cards benefitted inordinately in the World Series from shoddy defensive play by the Tigers, but the biggest key for the team was all the post-season experience it has piled up in the last 4-5 years, especially the memory of the 4-0 thumping by the Red Sox in 2004, that really left this team with a maturity level in the World Series far above what Detroit had. Understandable given that Detroit hadn't been in the playoffs in 19 years and was just 3 years removed from a 119-loss season.

In the end, St. Louis can only revel in its 10th World Series, second only to the Yankees. A great baseball tradition continues to be written!

Cardinal Fans in Enemy Territory

Here's a picture taken by Rob's friend Warren at the game Saturday. It's a great picture, even if I don't look my usual ravishingly beautiful self. It was taken before the game started. I like that you can see a couple of the Cardinal players on the field, the Tigers' scoreboard to the left, and the foul post to the right.

God Bless Jeff Suppan

St. Louis Cardinal's pitcher goes to bat for embryos, along with Jim Caviezal and Patricia Heaton. Pray for this Missouri election. The ramifications of its outcome will be huge.

We Went to the World Series!

Some weeks ago, Rob's boss in Detroit told us if the Cards ended up in the World Series with the Tigers, he would give us his season tickets to one of the games. He is a man of his word. Thank you Barry!

If you are a Cardinals fan attending a World Series game in Detroit . . .

. . . you will make lots of new friends.
. . . people will yell incredibly stupid stuff at you like, "Pujols is fat" and "McGwire does steroids."
. . . you better wear gloves, thermal socks, long johns, two sweatshirts, a coat, and a rain poncho because it'll be 45 degrees and sleeting.
. . . and you call your dad to tell him that you're at the game, the first thing he'll say to you is, "Do you have warm boots on?"
. . . and you spot another Cards fan, you'll feel compelled to run up and give her big hug!

It's been a decade since I've been to a Cardinals game. I forgot how much I enjoyed them. It is especially fun to attend a Cards game in Detroit when the stakes are high. Incredibly high.

Detroit Catholic Women's Conference

Saturday, I attended the Diocese of Detroit's Annual Women's Conference. I had no plans to attend as I'm just too busy. So busy, I had no choice but to go.

My girlfriends kept asking me to go. A fellow parishioner, whose name I don't even know, asked if I was going. It was in our homeschool newsletter. I received several emails. This conference was in my face, but I denied it. I'm too busy. I don't have time. I can't go.

Then, just 36 hours before the conference started, my friend Mary Jo asked me to go again. I was about to start into my litany of reasons, but before I could say a word, Mary Jo added, "I have a free ticket." Okay God, I get the message. I went to the conference.

In fact, I went along with 17 other women, most from my homeschool group. We caravaned in three minivans. A two-hour drive to Detroit insured lots of girl talk. Even at 6:30 in the morning, there's nothing like girl talk. Especially when it's uninterrupted by littles. After the conference we stopped for dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant for even more girl talk.

In between all the girl talk, was an awesome conference with awesome speakers. Alice Von Hildebrand was an absolute hoot. She never cracked a smile, but the audience was in stitches. She spoke on the supernatural strength that lies in femininity. A serious topic, yes, but sometimes delivery is everything.

Dr. Janet Smith also managed to combine high ideals with humor. She spoke on Humane Vitae. She filled her talk with personal stories that lightened up the heavy subject. It's always a joy to hear Dr. Smith.

Coleen (yes, only one "l") is the originator of the Sex Respect Program, but her talk had nothing to do with sexual abstinence programs. She spoke about getting into the heart of Jesus. She is very inventive - she used a large blowup showing the intricacies of the human heart. She then used biology to explore the spiritual. She taught us to pray intimately, work diligently, suffer courageously, and to love generously. That's how we get into the heart of Jesus.

The high point of the entire day was a talk given by Ellen Salter. My eyes well up just thinking about it. She shared the story of her four-year-old daughter Meghan. Meghan has an undiagnosed medical condition. She is so weak that she requires life support to breathe and a feeding tube to eat. Ellen did not give us a story of sad suffering, but a story of love and hope. Every mention of her little girl's name brought a joyful smile to her face. You have to hear her story. Last I heard, videos will be available of all the conference talks at dignityofwoman@aol.com. I highly recommend getting the video of Ellen and sharing it with everyone you know.

There was Confession available throughout the entire conference and the day ended with Eucharistic Adoration and Mass.

And, that is how I spent my Saturday.

Misc. Business

The past three days have been a whirlwind. Saturday, I went to the Catholic Women's Conference in Detroit. Sunday, Rob and I went to the World Series game, also in Detroit. And yesterday was the Lansing Right to Life Banquet with Alan Keyes. I'll post about each event as I can find time over the next day or two.

The Catholic Homeschool Blog Carnival NEEDS YOU! Deadline for submissions is tomorrow. Post them here.

If you live anywhere near Chicago or Milwaukee, check this out.

It Really Works

Got an email that my public library is ordering Saints Behaving Badly and The Authentic Catholic Woman. Go to your library's website now, and make some requests!

Politics and Baseball

The governor's race in Michigan is too close to call. The outcome may come down to who wins the World Series. For real.

As reported on the radio, Governor Jennifer Granholm's poll numbers went up considerably when the Tigers won the pennant. Apparently, when people feel good, they vote for the incumbent.

Never mind researching the issues and looking at character. What matters is: Do you feel good?

Gov. Granholm is a Catholic, a convert to the faith. This has been cause for scandal, as she is also pro-choice, supporter of embryonic stem cell research, and recipient of Emily's List funds. Her opponent, Dick DeVos, is pro-life and pro-family.

Pro-lifers everywhere need to start praying for the Cardinals' win.

We're Going to the World Series

The St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets tonight, which means we're going to the World Series. The cool thing is the Cards will be playing the Detroit Tigers. Rob and I already have seats for one of the World Series games. We'll get to see our St. Louis team here in Michigan. Life is good.

The Thrifty Homeschooler

Over the years, I've watched a number of homeschooling friends put their children in school so Mom can work fulltime outside the home, even though Mom truly feels called to homeschool. Sometimes, this happens due to catastrophic events beyond anyone's control. Other times, it's completely avoidable. Either way, it breaks my heart.

For this reason I gave a talk at the NACHE conference many, many years ago called "The Thrifty Homeschooler." I received such positive feedback on the topic I went on to start a Yahoo Group by the same name and made the commentment to write a regular column. More recently, I started a blog.

I've decided to write a book on the topic of thrift, not just for homeschoolers, but for all families. My plan is twofold: Give practical advice and also delve into the spiritual benefits of thrift. It'll be some months before I lay pen to paper. In the meantime, I plan to immerse myself in reading about the spirituality of poverty. I'll begin, of course, with St. Francis. Please, if you have specific book titles you think I absolutely must read, leave a note for me in the combox.

Thataholics' Anonymous

My friend Mary Jo helped me out today and edited a writing project for me. Knowing I use the word "that" much too often, I was careful to go through the 20-page manuscript and removed all unnecessary "thats." Or, so I thought. Mary Jo deleted 18 more.

I've entered a 12-step program for "that" addiction.

Did you notice I didn't say, "Knowing THAT I use the word" or "Did you notice THAT I didn't say"? I'm getting better. I'm working the program.

The key is to stay clear of other thataholics. I was doing pretty well getting the "thats" out of my writing, having gone cold turkey, but then I read an article in Writers' Digest about how it's all wrong to take out the thats. The author stated that that is a much needed word for clear writing. He urged other writers to get the thats back in their writing.

It was all too tempting, I bellied up next to the author at the "that" bar and went on a nasty binge. It was ugly, but I've managed to pull myself out of the abyss.

I still have a long way to go, but with friends like Mary Jo, I can do it. I can beat the thats!

Rocking Baby Boomers

Last night we went to a Christian rock concert in Plymouth and we had a great time. Rob came straight from work in Detroit and I drove from Lansing with my friends Linda and Chuck.

About 10 minutes into the concert, my falling arches were already getting to me so I slipped off my shoes. Because the music was loud, the floor was shaking, so I got a foot massage as a bonus. It was quite nice.

The music was really pumping and I was tempted to climb up on my seat and dance, but I have arthritis and I couldn't quite make it up there.

Rob still had his business suit on when he met us, but he took off his tie. About half way through the concert, he unbuttoned his jacket. I'm married to a wild man.

The beat was getting to me and I felt the urge to do the bump with Linda, but I suddenly remembered that it isn't the 80's anymore. I'm sure Linda is very happy that I didn't give into my primal urge.

Everyone had their arms up clapping. I joined in for a minute but then my arms got tired. Later, the lead singer got everyone waving their arms high in the air and, having regained my energy, I joined in, but I almost knocked out Linda so I stopped.

At the end, I went to pull out my lighter but then I realized that I haven't owned a lighter in 20 years. Rob got in the groove and held up his cell phone, but it's an older model, kind of like him, and the light was a bit dim.

After the concert we all went out for a nightcap -- hot fudge sundaes at McDonald's.

Yep, we're some rock 'n rollin' boomers!

Biblical Passage and the Trivium

"Whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
Isaiah 28: 9-10

The Lost Tools of Learning: Rhetoric Stage

I've updated this article, originally published in 2002:

Living Literature: High School
The Lost Tools of Learning
Reviewed by Maureen Wittmann

In 1947 at Oxford University Dorothy Sayers, an English writer and scholar, stepped up to the lectern and presented her speech, The Lost Tools of Learning. Then in 1977 her speech was published in National Review magazine. Since that time, The Lost Tools of Learning has been republished countless times.

The “lost tools” that Miss Sayers spoke of in her speech were the tools of a classical education. A classical education is based on the Trivium, which is made up of three stages.

The Grammar Stage (ages eight to eleven) builds a foundation by memorizing facts. The Dialectic, sometimes referred to as the Logic Stage (ages twelve to fourteen) develops analytical skills in students. Finally, the Rhetoric Stage (ages fourteen to sixteen) pulls the first two stages together and teaches students the art of articulation

The Trivium is not a modern approach to education, it was developed in the Middle Ages and widely used for centuries. One might even say that the Trivium is biblically supported. In Proverbs 2:6 we read: “For the Lord gives wisdom: From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom sound much like grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. The Trivium recognizes basic human development. It recognizes how God formed our intellect.

Children taught using the classical model have received the lost tools that Miss Sayers speaks of so eloquently in her speech. When students reach high school they have mastered the tools of memorizing facts and of analyzing those facts. Now they are ready to engage in the art of expression and in the science of communication. As Miss Sayers states, “The doors of the storehouse of knowledge should now be thrown open for them to browse about as they will. The things once learned by rote will be seen in new contexts.”

It is during the Rhetoric Stage that teens begin to develop their world view. Self-expression is at its peak. This is not the time to let one’s child go, but to continue helping him flower, guiding him gently. Challenge his thinking skills during this stage and make him defend his intellectual and religious positions.

The Lost Tools of Learning also tells us that “subjects” cannot be divorced from one another. It is especially during the Rhetoric Stage that we as parents and teachers should point out that all subjects are related to one another in some way.

Let us discuss briefly how a parent may apply the lost tools with a teen in the Rhetoric Stage.

Theology
High school is the perfect time to teach apologetics. Teach him to use his Bible facts and apply them to reasoned debate. Study the Early Church Fathers, how their leadership formed the way we worship today, and how the books of the Bible were determined.

History
In A Vote of Thanks to Cyrus, Dorothy Sayers relates that as a child she discovered the Cyrus mentioned in her Bible was the very same Cyrus found in her history text. Teens can recognize that Bible stories are not simply tales to entertain, but in fact history. Talk about Jesus Christ as a historical figure and the impact that Christianity has had in shaping world events.

Also go beyond your textbook and explore primary documents: autobiographies, documents, letters, etc. Give the high school student an opportunity to see how the turns of history occured through first-hand accounts.

Science
Look for the historical and biblical perspectives in studying science. Study the ethical ramifications in scientific research. Relevant topics for today may include stem cell research, fetal tissue transplants, and cloning.

Math
The more advanced math disciplines, such as algebra, geometry, and calculus, can be introduced. Study discoveries in historical perspective by reading biographies of mathematicians. Math studies can be tied into science.

Writing
This is the time for students to determine their own style. They can use Elements of Style or Chicago Manual of Style as references in writing. They should learn to prune their arguments and make their point without overdoing it.

Reading
Reading can move from narrative stories to challenging debates, critiques, and primary documents.

Latin
Latin can now be studied more deeply or dropped to make time for the modern languages.

Activities:
Read The Lost Tools of Learning. Study more deeply the Trivium and learn about the Quadrivium.

Search out other writings of Dorothy Sayers. She wrote a series of popular detective novels as well as many scholarly pieces.

Go to an online concordance and enter these three words: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Look up the Scriptures that the concordance returns. How do you think that these words correspond to grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric?

Learning rests upon truth. Ask yourself: “What is truth?” Does the classical model of education lend itself to the discovery of God’s truth?

Resources
Books:
Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education (Ignatius Press) by Laura Berquist

A Catholic Homeschool Treasury: Developing Children’s Love for Learning (out of print) by Rachel Mackson and Maureen Wittmann, eds. Contains an excellent essay that explains Dorothy Sayers’ speech and classical education, written by Rachel Mackson.

The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (W.W. Norton & Company) by Jesse Wise and Susan Wise Bauer

Magazine:
Heart and Mind magazine has a regular column on classical education written by Laura Berquist.

Mail Order Companies:
Emmanuel Books
Carries The Lost Tools of Learning plus most of the resources recommended in Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum.

Memoria Press
Latin and classical materials.

Trivium Pursuit
Website contains much more than their catalog. Lots of articles and resources for Christian classical education.

Home Study Schools
Angelicum Academy
Online Catholic academy – liberal arts education based on the classic great books of Western civilization.

Kolbe Academy
Classical education – Ignation method.

Mother of Divine Grace
Catholic classical home study founded by Laura Berquist.

Regina Coeli Academy
An online college preparatory program using a Catholic classical curriculum.

Discussion Group
Catholic Classical Education

Website:
Classical Christian Homeschooling

Prayer Request

My cousin Laura passes on this prayer request on behalf of her friends. Please pray for 2-year-old Libby who has leukemia. This little girl is the youngest of 5 children. The family is so strong in their faith but this kind of thing can't help but take it's toll on all of them. Libby is in and out of the hospital, can’t walk any more. A bone marrow trnasplant is a possibility. Let's all of us raise this precious child and her family up in prayer.

St. Gerard, who, like our Savior, Jesus Christ, loved the little children so tenderly and by your prayers freed many from disease and even death, listen to us who are pleading for Libby. We thank God for the great gift of Libby and ask Him to restore this child to health. This favor, we beg of you through your love for all children and mothers. Amen.

PopeStNick5: The Authentic Catholic Woman

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: The Authentic Catholic Woman
Author: Genevieve Kineke, foreword by Christopher West
Publisher: Servant Publications
Date Published: June 2006
ISBN: 0867167688
Price: $13.99, paperback
Comments: The author has a blog: Feminine Genius

You'll find a review at Catholic Exchange.

Harry Potter Documentary

I borrowed a video from the library last week: Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter. Talk about the secular world getting HP all wrong. It was a total waste of time to watch. It approached HP from the point of view that sends good Christian folks running for the hills when they hear the words, Harry Potter.

What I'd love to see is a video about the Harry Potter series from a Catholic point of view. It would have interviews with Amy Welborn, Regina Domain, Mark Shea, and most definitely Nancy Brown.

It could present all Catholic viewpoints and include the concerns of Steve Wood, Michael O'Brien, and Toni Collins.

I'd love to hear from Catholic teens who read the books and their take on whether the books promote Christianity or Wicca, or neither. It's possible that they're just plain enjoyable reads.

And maybe John Granger could be squeezed in there. He's not Catholic, but he has some great insights into the Christian symbolism found in the books.

It would be a perfect project to begin work on now with the last HP book coming out in 2007.

Any filmmakers out there?

Is it Maureen Whitman? Wittman? Whatman?

People have a hard time spelling my last name. Once, when Rob was quoted in our local newspaper, our last name was spelled three different ways in one article, Whitman, Witmann, Whittman.

The original cover art for A Catholic Homeschool Treasury had my name spelled wrong: Maureen Wittman. Fortunately, it was caught in time.

Here's how you remember the spelling: it's the opposite of Walt's last name. No h, 2 t's, and 2 n's. Wittmann.

Beautiful Homeschooled Kids

The kids are participating in the Science Olympiad this year. Last week we had a meeting at a local coffee shop, following Socrates Cafe, to work out all the particulars. We must have had at least 30 kids there.

Part way through the meeting, I had to excuse myself from the table to talk to a homeschool dad about some business. On my way out, a stranger stopped me to ask who all these kids were. I told her that they were the Homeschool Science Olympiad Team, made up of middle school and high school students. She told me, with excitement in her voice, "I just had to ask. I've never seen such beautiful kids before."

If this all sounds familiar, it should. I had a very similar experience, at a different coffee house, some time ago. There must be something to this homeschool/beautiful kid thing.

Catholic Homeschooling Carnival, Month One

The first ever Catholic Homeschooling Blog Carnival is up and running. Go check it out at the Love2Learn blog.

Please leave comments and let the bloggers know what you think. It's so helpful, and encouraging, to read your comments!

If you'd like to contribute to next month's carnival then go here. The more, the merrier. If you don't blog yourself, but come across a great blog post, you can submit the link yourself. Just let the blogger know.

The Blessing of the Rats

Being in a Franciscan parish, we had the blessing of the animals this last Sunday. It's an event that we attend every year and this year was no different.

Teen Daughter didn't want to go as she was afraid of being embarrassed, with good reason. But she was a good sport and went anyway.

When we arrived a few minutes early there were already about ten of our fellow parishioners there. All with dogs.

We pulled up in our blood-red, full-sized van, children poring out of every door, each with a different pet in tow. Rabbits, mice, hamsters, rats. Some in carrying cages, some in plastic balls, and others simply in hand.

As we approached the blessing area, one of the elderly parishioners exclaimed, "Oh my God, they have rats!" She and her puppy moved quickly away from us. In fact, about half of the parishioners shied away from us. I don't think that these folks will ever look at the Wittmann family the same again. We've gone from the nice big family to the kooks with rats.

It probably wouldn't have been so bad, except that the boys removed their rats from their carrying cages and let them crawl all over their shirts. I would've scolded them, but it was Rob, the Rat King, who put them up to it.

The rats and other wee animals were sprinkled with holy water and blessed by Father. I can't say that their new holy state has warmed my heart to the rodents -- I still keep a safe distance from them. But it made the children happy.

Well, except for Teen Daughter, who, along with her rabbit, was terribly embarrassed.

Happy Feast of St. Francis

Today is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi.

As a child I was taught by Franciscan nuns, from K to 7th grade.

When Rob and I lived up north we lived in a small (50 families) Franciscan parish.

Here in Lansing, we've lived in a Franciscan parish for more than 12 years.

I think St. Francis is trying to tell me something.

To truly celebrate Francis' feast, send a St. Francis greeting card at Catholic Greetings.
To learn about St. Francis, see a bio at Catholic Online or an article at Catholic Encyclopedia.

Colleges Love Us

In the news today:

Colleges Coveting Home-Schooled Students

Thanks Linda for sending the link.

Confessions of a Homeschooler

I've mentioned here before that my friend Mary Jo Thayer has a super weekly column called Confessions of a Homeschooler. Check it out at Mary Jo's website, Mom With a Message. I think you'll really enjoy it!

Short Story Contest

One great way to get kids writing is to add a little competition to the mix. Here is a writing contest from Arx Publishing.

2006 Short Story Contest
Get Published — Win $50!

The Tarpeian Rock has sponsored writing contests for older kids and teens ages 12 through 18—a poetry contest in 2003 and a short story contest in 2004. The winners of these contests had their pieces published in The Tarpeian Rock and won $50 besides. If you would like to read them, please feel free to request sample copies of the 2004 and/or 2005 issues.

Our humorous essay contest in 2005 didn't go over as well as we would have liked, so this year, we have decided to go back to a genre which attracted considerable interest before: the short story. To qualify, the following criteria must be met:

* The author of the story must be between the ages of 12 and 18 as of December 31, 2006.
* The story must be 2,000 words or less.
* The story must be an original previously unpublished work.
* The setting of the story must be an event or incident from one of the following:

* The Peloponnesian War (431 BC to 401 BC).
* The Roman persecution of the early Christians (AD 40 to AD 306).
* The life of the Emperor Heraclius (AD 575 to AD 641).
* The life of Charlemagne (AD 742 to AD 814).
* The life of St. Dominic de Guzmán (AD 1170 to AD 1221).
* The life of St. Francis Xavier (AD 1506 to AD 1552).
* The local history of your town or state before 1800.

* Stories will be judged on theme, style, creativity and adherence to the rules. Those stories will be rated highest which demostrate a flair for language, appropriate use of wit or humor, and an understanding of traditional Western virtues, such as piety, honor, loyalty, hope, faith, charity, fortitude, devotion to family, etc.

* Stories which contain gross vulgarity, obscenity, or attacks on Judeo-Christian belief or morality will be disqualified.

The editors of The Tarpeian Rock will choose one (1) winner. The winner will receive a $50 award and the story will be published in the 2007 edition of The Tarpeian Rock.

All selections will be final and not subject to appeal. Friends and family of Arx Publishing and its members are ineligible to participate.
Entry Deadline:
Entries should be sent to the address below no later than December 31, 2006. The winner and honorable mention authors will be notified on or before March 15, 2007.
Arx Publishing, LLC
Attn: Tarpeian Rock Contest
PO Box 1333
Merchantville NJ 08109-0333, USA

This Week's Homeschool Carnival

The 39th Homeschool Carnival is up and running over at The Palmtree Pundit. Go check it out.

More TV's Than People

Anyone else find this incredibly sad:

More TV's Than People in Average Home

St. Catherine Catholic Lending Library

There's a new Yahoo Group in town. This looks like a cool one. Here is the description from the group's home:

Do you love reading edifying Catholic literature and history? Does your public library suffer from a deficiency in solid Catholic books? Is your budget such that you can't purchase all of the Catholic books and resources you'd like? Do you wish there were a Catholic lending library at hand to fill the gap?

This purpose of this email group is to connect Catholics who own good Catholic books with others who would like to read them. Once your membership is accepted, you will be invited to post any books you wish to share in the database section. Browse around at what others are offering.

When a borrower sees a book they would like, they email the lender and request it. The lender and borrower work out the loan period between them. The lender mails the book to the borrower via Media Mail at the lender's expense. The borrower enjoys the book, then returns it to the lender via Media Mail at the borrower's expense.

Because of the expense of international mail, we are limiting ourselves to US residents only (or those with military addresses capable of receiving Media Mail.) Please feel free to start a similar group for your own country if you are so inspired!

St. Catherine of Alexandria is a Catholic saint and patroness of libraries and librarians. We put this cooperative enterprise under her protection.

This group is not meant to be a discussion or prayer list. All members and all posts to the group will be moderated.

PopeStNick5: Saints Behaving Badly

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil Worshippers Who Became Saints
Author: Thomas J. Craughwell
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: September 19, 2006
ISBN: 0385517203
Price: 15.95, hardcover
Comments: How could a librarian resist a title like that? How could any library patron for that matter?

Click here for and online review from Church Fathers' expert and author Mike Aquilina.

Click here to read editorial reviews, the author's bio, and an excerpt at amazon.com.

More on the Catholic Homeschool Carnival

There are several people to thank in putting together the upcoming Catholic Homeschool Carnival. First to Mary Ann Bernard and Ana Braga-Henebry for initiating it. Also to the Love2Learn Review Board who jumped in to help out. And finally to Esther in Hawaii for creating this beautiful graphic (Esther is the queen of beautiful graphics!). You all are the best!

For those of you wondering what in the world a blog carnival is, here is a synopsis. It's when you link to a bunch of blog posts from various blogs, based on a common theme. The common theme here is Catholic homeschooling.

To see an example of a carnival, check out this homeschool carnival from a few weeks ago.

Catholic Homeschool Carnival

I have exciting news to share! The first ever Catholic Homeschool Carnival is being pulled together.

If you're a Catholic homeschooler and a blogger then don't miss this opportunity to take part in this historic event.

The Catholic Homeschool Carnival will take place once a month, on the first Friday. The deadline to get your favorite post(s) in is the 25th of each month.

Click here to submit your post. And make sure to tell all your friends!

It would be extra cool if some talented Catholic homeschooler out there came up with a nifty graphic or two to use in promoting the carnival.

I Support the Pope Banners

Get yours here.

Congrats!

Congatulations to Danielle Bean and family on the birth and baptism of their beautiful new baby boy Daniel!

Discount on The Companion

If you've been wanting to purchase The Catholic Homeschool Companion, now is the time. It's available for 20% off the list price at my website. This offer is good through the end of September.

The website takes Paypal, including credit cards. If you prefer to pay by check or money order, please email me.

All books are autographed. If you'd like a book personalized, just leave a comment when you order.

The 38th Homeschool Carnival

The new homeschool carnival is up and running over at The Thinking Mother. Check it out to explore the What, Why, When, How, Where, and Why of homeschooling.

Prayer Request

Please pray for the Martin family who tragically lost their father and daughter this last weekend.

The newspaper article can be found here.

If you've attended the NACHE conference, you may remember them as the family who headed up hospitality.

Michael Dubruiel's Website

Speaking of Catholic author websites, my web design guy did a complete redesign of Michael Dubruiel's website. It's gorgeous. Make sure to check it out.

Catholic Author Webpage

Catholic Mom has a webpage at her site with links to Catholic author websites. Cool.

History Links Bulletin Board

Got this from Barb Little earlier today:

In the past, you expressed an interest in History Links. Because of this, I would like to invite you to join me on my journey: History at my house.

Because I WRITE History Links, I seldom get to actually DO History Links. I usually write the units while I am doing them. So, my kids get all the mistakes. They get all the projects that don’t work out. They get things in a confused order and then we straighten things out when we prepare the units for publishing.

That has been the norm for our schooling with the older kids, but this year I realized that I haven’t really done the beginning of history with the younger kids. So, this year I finally get to use my completed units on my own kids. This is one of the few times I have been able to do that. So, I thought, “Why not record this experience for others?” It might be fun for people to come along on our journey.

So, if you are interested in seeing how History Links works at
my house visit me at: http://historylinks.info/discussion/

You will be able to read the beginning entries without registering, but in order to post or read later entries you will need to register.

Please feel free to share this invitation with members of your homeschool group or email lists. And . . .

Happy Homeschooling!
Barb Little

History Links—Integrated Learning for Catholic Families Featured in Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum Full Spectrum Learning—History Links Division

PO Box 411
Dickinson, ND 58602
Phone: 701-260-2599
Fax: 701-483-5548
woolylamb@wa-net.com
www.historylinks.info

Chesterton Helps for Homeschoolers

Nancy Brown has great news to share at her blog. She's received the go-ahead from Hillside Education to write a study guide to G. K. Chesterton's St. Francis of Assisi. This will be a great help to us homeschoolers with high school students.

Even more exciting is that she is writing adaptations of the Father Brown mysteries for 8- to 10-year olds. Wow, imagine introducing grade school kids to Chesterton! The mind boggles.

I hope that lots of people buy Nancy's books so that she can write loads more!

Laura Berquist's English Literature List

I recently came across Laura Berquist's syllabus for British literature (for 12th grade I believe) in the latest Emmanuel Books catalog. She has a few titles we missed in our recent high school literature discussion.

Here is her list:
Beowulf
Ivanhoe (Scott)
Emma (Austin)
Henry V (Shakespeare)
Helena (Waugh)
Sir Gawain the Green Knight (Tolkien)
Midsummer's Night Dream (Shakespeare)
Vicar of Wakefield (Goldsmith)
David Copperfield (Dickens)
Space Trilogy (Lewis)

Other options:
Kenilworth (Scott)
Macbeth (Shakespeare)
Othello (shakespeare)
Gulliver's Travels
The Woman in White (Collins)
The Warden (Trollope)
The Everlasting Man (Chesterton)
Brideshead Revisited (Waugh)

The Rat Skyscraper

As soon as the Fed Ex guy delivered the rat skyscraper, the kids were on the phone to Dad. He took his lunch hour and came home to put it together. This cage is truly a skyscraper. It would be like a 6,000 sq. ft. house to you and me. These rats are living in luxury.

The funny thing is how the kids, and Rob, love these rats. Rob has been dubbed the Rat King and the boys, the Rat Princes. Even sweet little Princess Rose loves cuddling with the rodents. Ick. I suppose I've been prejudiced by those rat movies of my youth: Willard and Ben. Then there's the icky Templeton of Charlotte's Web. And all the examples of real live vermin. Double ick.

But I'm told domesticated rats are nothing like their vermin counterparts. In fact, I'm also told, that if you're going to have small animals, domesticated rats are the way to go. They're smart, trainable, and very social.

Maybe someday I'll come around. I don't think I have choice.

We Have Rodents!

Pet rodents that is. It all started when we were visiting in St. Louis some months ago. My sister offered one of the family hamsters to Tween Daughter, who in turned begged me to let her bring the hamster home with us. Taking the easy way out, I told her to call Daddy. I knew that Rob would tell her absolutely "NO." After all, following the death of our last parakeet, he put his foot down and said no more small animals. He was tired of burying parakeets and flushing fish.

We came home with a new hamster.

Lesson learned: Don't take the easy way out.

Back to my story. After six weeks or so, Hamster Wamster passed onto hamster heaven. Again, Rob put down his foot. No more small animals. We already have a cat and two rabbits (all live outside) and that's enough.

Yeah right.

Somehow, Buster talked Dad into letting him have a rat. Yes, a rat - eek. Sparky then jumped into the fray. If his big brother got a rat, then he should have a rat too. After all, rats are social animals and are happier with a friend - ick. So, off to the pet store they go. Tween Daughter and her friend Toyota (not her real name) tag along. Toyota got permission from her grandma to get a pet mouse while at the pet store. Then TD talks Dad into letting her replace Hamster Wamster with a new hamster.

Are you still with me? They came home with 2 rats, a dwarf hamster, and a mouse. After a day, the mouse came to live at my house. Toyota's grandpa came home from his fishing trip, saw the pet mouse and said, "No way Jose!"

Oh, there goes the doorbell . . . it's the FedEx man with our new Rat Skyscraper. I'm so excited.

Grab a Ticket for the Homeschool Carnival

This week's Homeschool Carnival is up and running. Go check it out at Principled Homeschooling. You'll discover lots of neat homeschool blogs and great blog posts. For example, I enjoyed reading about Elitist Homeschoolers this morning. Sit back and enjoy, you've got a whole week to get through the links until the next carnival.

Almost 1,000 Books!

Still putting final touches on For the Love of Literature. I just finished an alphabetical list of all the books for the index. I had guessed that I describe about 500 books. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the actual number is 968! And that number doesn't include the textbooks, encyclicals, and other little resources I mention. No wonder it's taken me so long to complete this project.

Catholicizing Harry Potter?

If you want to learn how to baptize the Harry Potter books, head over to Nancy Brown's blog. She's been on the subject for several weeks now and makes some amazing observations.

Quote of the Day

A book is like a present that you can open again and again.

Seven Dumb Homeschooling Mistakes

Instead of the 7 Highly Effective Habits here are the 7 Dumb Mistakes Smart People Make When They Homeschool And How to Avoid Them.

Homeschool Carnival Needs You

Are you a homeschooling blogger? If so, then how about sharing your blog with the rest of the homeschooling world.

Just pick out your favorite post (it doesn't have to be recent) and send the url here: Blog Carnival.

I really encourage you to do this. Not only will it increase the traffic on your blog, it will help the homeschooling community.

Dr. Phil on Homeschooling

How would you like to be on the Dr. Phil Show? Well, here's your chance. Go to http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=10527 to tell Dr. Phil why he should invite you to be on his show about homeschooling.

Note: Blogger is acting funny and won't let me put in any direct links.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Awesome Italian Pasta Sauce

My Italian neighbor has been delighting my family for ten years with his delicious pasta sauce. I've been perstering him for years to share his recipe with me, but he always insists that there is no recipe. It's a little different each time. Finally, I cornered him with a recipe card and pen in my hand. Here's what I got out of him:

tomatoes - pressed through a food mill
LOTS of fresh herbs: oregano, basil, bayleaf
garlic
brown sugar
chicken or vegetable boullion
worchestershire sauce
fresh ground pepper
(skip the salt, the boullion is already salty)
chopped onions
green peppers
mushrooms
ground Italian sausage

Simmer tomatoes, herbs, garlic, sugar, boullion, worchestershire, pepper, and onions for 4 hours. Add peppers and mushrooms. Brown Italian sausage and add. Simmer about 4 more hours.


I had a full bushel of tomatoes yesterday and used this recipe. Because there aren't exact measurements I had to guess, and taste, a lot. I skipped the Italian sausage because I'm canning the sauce - I'll add the sausage when I open the jar.

It's still simmering on the stove as I type and my whole house smells awesome. Mmmm, and it tastes great! Best sauce I've ever made.

I've never added boullion or worchestershire to pasta sauce before. I never even thought to do such a thing before. But, I think that's what makes the sauce so delish.

Addendum: My neighbor came by this morning with loads of fresh basil to share from his garden. He says only use a wee amount of worchestershire (oops). He also says that it's way better to substitute good wine for the boullion. (Don't use cooking wine -- if you wouldn't drink it from a glass it won't be good in your sauce.)

Raspberry Sweet Tea

First I had to give up my beloved coffee, even decaf. Then the doctor tells me that I can't have regular tea, only herbal tea as long as there's no mint in it.

This was hard news on a girl who loves her sweet tea. It was suggested that I just make sweet tea with herbal tea, but I knew that it would be sacrilege to do such a thing so I suffered, in silence, for months.

Well, today I joined the ranks of the heretics and made sweet tea with raspberry tea bags. I couldn't help myself, a pseudo cup of sweet tea is better than none at all.

And, I have to admit, it wasn't too bad. In fact, it was pretty good. Here's the recipe that I came up with:

Put 10 raspberry tea bags into a two-quart pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil. Do not continue to boil. Turn off the stove and let the tea steep about ten minutes or so. Remove the tea bags. Fill a one-gallon pitcher about a quarter to halfway with ice. Pour a cup of sugar over the ice and then pour the warm tea over the sugar. Stir well. Fill to the top with cool water and give a little stir.

What About Socialization???

The Lansing State Journal ran an op-ed piece last Sunday on homeschooling written by a 17-year-old homeschooled student.

Dr. Ray in Dayton

Got this yesterday:

The Dayton Catholic Homeschool Network is pleased to announce that Dr. Ray Guarendi will be speaking at our Catholic homeschool conference in Huber Heights, Ohio, May 18 & 19. His talks will be given on Saturday May 19th, schedule to be announced. For more information on our conference please visit Daytonhomeschool.com. For more information on Dr. Ray please visit http://www.drray.com/. Dr. Ray will be coming thanks to the generosity of a homeschooling family in Dayton.

If you ever have the opportunity to hear Dr. Ray Guarendi speak, GO! In fact, take all your friends and relatives. And if they can't go with you, give them a Dr. Ray video for Christmas. Really.

Not only does he give some great parenting advice, he is hysterically funny. Rob and I saw him at the Michigan conference some years age and never laughed so hard in our lives. We had tears running down our faces. Then we went home and applied his advice.

Note, don't take the kids with you. You don't want them learning all of the parenting techniques that you're going to use on them.

BTW, I'll be a the Dayton conference too, along with Dr. Mary Kay Clark and Kevin Schmiesing (from Acton Institute). Make sure to check it out if you're within driving distance. This is a very reasonably priced conference with some excellent speakers and vendors.

Hoodwinked

Yesterday we borrowed Hoodwinked from the library. I really enjoyed it and thought it a well written story. It's a different take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Completely different. All the kids liked it too, even the big ones. To read a review, click here.

CathSwap and Other Used Book Resources

Of course, the first place to go for buying and selling used curricula and books is CathSwap.

Other resources for used books and texts:
Bookfinder
Homeschool Swap
Home Schooling Unlimited's Free Classifieds
Homeschool Used Curriculum Sites
Schoolbookauction.com.
Homeschoolbid.com

Addendum: Mary Margaret reports that amazon.com's policy is similar to eBays: "Solutions manuals. Manuals or teacher's editions that provide answer keys to student textbook editions are prohibited."
I think that our best bet is to stay with the homeschool exchanges.

One Last Hurrah

Shooting sports are over for the year. Teen Son and Teen Daughter had their final competition this last weekend. And it was a big one. The one that they work so hard for this past year.

It was the MYHEC (MI Youth Hunter Education Challenge) competition, a two-day event. Each of the 180 kids from all over Michigan had to compete in eight disciplines: 3-D archery, shotgun, rifle, muzzleloding, wildlife identification, orienteering, hunter safety trail, and hunter safety exam.

They had loads of fun competing alongside their teammates. The most fun for me was seeing all of their hard work pay off. Teen Son came home with two medals and Teen Daughter came home with a whopping seven medals. Their teammates did equally well. In fact, the senior team took away the gold as the overall best team.

Now I'm going to sit back, relax, and enjoy my last week of summer before we start school.

Used Textbooks at amazon.com

Since eBay has put the nix on buying and selling textbooks, maybe amazon.com is a source to be explored:

The Amazon.com Books team is gearing up for another successful Textbooks season. This will be our biggest back-to-school season yet!

New Textbooks:

* From now through October 7th, customers can save up to 20% off campus bookstore prices on new textbooks sold by Amazon.com.

* In addition, customers can also save an extra $15 when they spend over $150 on new textbooks sold by Amazon.com.

Used Textbooks:

* Through our extensive network of third party sellers, we are able to offer customers millions of used textbooks at up to 90% off list prices.

Addendum: The ban at eBay is on teachers' editions and answer keys. See the link in the blog entry below (August 27th).

Free Catholic CD's

I received the following email recently from Catholicity:

RE: Free Catholic CDs from the Mary Foundation

Have you heard about the easiest way to improve your spiritual life, help convert a friend, or reach souls in your parish?

In a matter of minutes, you can have FREE life-changing talks by America's most dynamic Catholic speakers speeding to your doorstep direct from the world's largest producer of Catholic CDs and audio tapes. You can order online right now:

Secure Ordering

THE BEST CATHOLIC SPEAKERS
Our speakers include the beloved Scott Hahn, Father Corapi, Christopher West, and Marcus Grodi. Our talks include "The Mass Explained", "Marriage and the Eucharist", and the world's most popular "everyday" Rosary CD. For a description of each recording or to read what listeners are saying, visit:

Audiotapes.html

AVAILABLE EVERY DAY ONLINE OR BY MAIL
This is not a "special" offer. The Mary Foundation offers these CDs every day, no strings attached, with free same-day shipping. All we ask for is a nominal donation to support expedited online handling, but you can easily avoid this fee by mailing in your request using this simple print-out form:

Requestform.html

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
For the past fifteen years, regular folks like you have done the real work of the Mary Foundation by personally helping us give away millions upon millions of Catholic tapes and CDs all over the world.

These CDs could easily cost more than $10 each, but we use a creative approach, the latest technology, and huge production volumes to make it effortless and affordable for you to change your life and the lives of the people you love most--your family, friends, co-workers, and fellow parishioners.

So your life will indeed change if you take less than five minutes to order online or mail in your request today:

Secure Ordering

May the Mother of God, Mary, our namesake, guide you as you make what may turn out to be the most important evangelization decision of your life. Thanks for taking the time to read this message.

With Christ,

Timothy Harrison
Managing Director
The Mary Foundation

Teacher Manuals Banned on eBay

eBay prohibits textbooks for homeschool teachers

PopeStNick5 - Theology of the Body: A New Translation

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: The Theology of the Body: A New Translation Based on the John Paul II Archives
Author: Pope John Paul II, translated by Dr. Michael M. Waldstein
Publisher: Pauline Books and Media
Date Published: August 2006
ISBN: 0819874213
Price: $29.95 (available September 2006)
Comments: See Catholic Press Wire to read about the new discovery that lead to this translation.


From the publisher:
John Paul II
Translated and introduced by Michael M. Waldstein

In this new critical translation of Pope John Paul II’s magnum opus, internationally renowned biblical scholar Michael Waldstein presents John Paul II’s magnificent vision of the human person with meticulous scholarship and profound insight.

In this vision, John Paul II presents a catechesis centered on the human person, understood within the mystery of Christ. Going back to the biblical “beginning” as recorded in Genesis, the pope discusses the bodily dimension of human personhood, sexuality, and marriage and celibacy in the light of biblical revelation.

Complete with a new introduction and new footnotes, this edition has been crafted with a penetrating eye to the past twenty years of study since John Paul II gave his Theology of the Body talks.

TRANSLATOR PROFILE
MICHAEL WALDSTEIN is Chancellor and Francis of Assisi Professor of New Testament at the International Theological Institute, Austria. Together with his wife, Susie, he is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Prof. Waldstein earned a B.A. at Thomas Aquinas College, California, a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Dallas, an S.S.L. in Scripture from the Biblicum in Rome, and a Th.D. in New Testament and Christian origins at Harvard Divinity School. Before his present appointment, he was Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife have eight children.

KEY FEATURES

A foreword by Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna.
A preface by Christopher West.
The catecheses of Song of Songs and Tobit: a comparison between the delivered text and the longer original pre-Papal text.
A comprehensive index of words and phrases.
A scriptural index.
A reference table for other versions of the papal texts

Babe: The Gallant Pig

Speaking of English literature, Sparky and I are currently reading Babe: The Gallant Pig. Babe gets out of being Christmas dinner by becoming a sheep-pig. Too funny. But it goes way beyond that. It's a sweet story of a character who is brave and loyal to the bone. He doesn't hesitate in obeying his master or in honoring his foster mother. He doesn't stop to think of himself when he rescues the sheep from rustlers or from wild dogs. What a joy to share this with Sparky.

High School Literature Course

A lot of great suggestions were left in the comments when I asked what you would include in an American/English high school literature course. Make sure that you check out the comments here. Marcia Neill, director of St. Michael the Archangel Academy, came in late with an excellent list. I was happy to see that my two high schoolers have already read several of the suggested books.

Below is what I came up with for my teen daughter and teen son. Teen Daughter is 9th grade, so her list is for 9th and 10th grade. Teen Son's list is for 11th and 12th grade. I haven't worked out the order that they will be read yet. There are 9 books for each school year - one per month. During the summer they can choose their own reading. Both teens are avid readers and make good choices on their own.


Daughter, 9th and 10th grade:

Huck Finn by Mark Twain
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Short Stories of O'Henry
Beowulf by Anonymous
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Little Flowers of St. Francis
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Love Poems by Emily Dickinson
Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson
Withering Heights by Bronte
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Emma by Jane Austin
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Son, Grades 11 and 12

The Iliad by Homer (Lattimore translation)
Apology by Plato (Rouse translation)
Confessions by St. Augustine (Pine-Coffin translation)
Inferno by Dante (Sayers translation)
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Elliot
Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton
Edgar Allen Poe: selected stories and poems
Collected Stories by Flannery O'Connor
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Here Comes Civilization by William Ten
The Quest for St. Aquin by Anthony Boucher
Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I'll also give them a few math and science titles in addition to the above. I haven't decided on those yet. In the upcoming days . . .

Danny's Novena, Day Nine

Click here for the prayer.

Pro-Life T-Shirts

American Life League has cool T-shirts for only $7.95 to commemorate its second annual Pro-Life Memorial Day (Monday, October 2nd). Shirts can be ordered through September 20, 2006. Note that the shipping and handling charges are a bit high, but still a deal. Shirts, hoodies, and hats that we've ordered in the past were well made.

Danny's Novena, Day Eight

Click here for the prayer.

Starry Sky Ranch

My friend Kim has a great blog and I just realized that it's not in my blogroll. Oops, sorry Kim! Go check out Starry Sky Ranch. If you like scrapbooking, or want to learn more about scrapbooking, go immediately to Starry Sky Ranch. Kim has a whole primer on the subject, just scroll down to August 21. Kim also likes to blog about lapbooking, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, and her great kids.

Danny's Novena, Day Seven

Click here for the prayer.

The Danny Davis Foundation

When choosing a college to attend, Franciscan University in Steubenville was Danny's top choice. Unfortunately, it was just out of his reach financially. After scholarships, loans, grants, savings, he was still $2,000 short. In the end, he chose to attend Michigan State University instead.

I know in my heart of hearts that if Danny had attended FU he would still be alive today. For this reason, I plan to start a scholarship fund in Danny's name that would award $2,000 scholarships to financially strapped FU students.

This is still in the dream stage. It'll be a few years before I can pull it together, but it will happen.

Danny's Novena, Day Six

Click here for the prayer.

Holy Hormones Batman!

You may be middle age and peri-menopausal/menopausal if:

When you see your best friend you say, "Hey Stranger" or "Hi Dear" because you can't remember what the heck her name is.

You wear layers of clothes so you won't embarrass yourself when you start stripping in a hot flash.

You say things like, "Put the trash down the hamper" and "Bring the dog in from the oven."

You buy pregnancy tests by the gross.

You've plucked a long black hair from your chin or nose recently.

Your girlfriends and you debate the value of HRT versus tofu.

You're not sure what your hair color is this week.

You wear Birkenstocks, not because they're fashionable but because they're good for falling arches.

You're losing your nouns and find yourself saying things like, "Honey could you get that thing in the shed for me? You know, the thing that's red with wheels."

You know what progressive lenses are.

Your husband never knows if he's going to wake up to Dr. Jekyll or Mrs. Hyde.

You're so emotional that you sob everytime a long-distance commercial comes on.

You subscribe to the Minnie Pauz newsletter.

You clip coupons for Poise pads.

Your kids have asked you, "Mom, are you getting shorter?"

You get in the car and then can't remember where you're going.

You not only know what "the big squeeze" is, you've had it done to you.

You've taken to wearing pantsuits.

You keep your underclothes in the freezer.

Your favorite CD is Menopause the Musical.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry, you're no where near menopause. Just go about your life blissfully, it'll come soon enough.

Danny's Novena, Day Five

Click here for the prayer.

Dannys Novena, Day Four

Click here for the prayer.

The Sloan Ranger

Our dear old friend Lloyd Sloan is a bit of a radio personality in St. Louis. He even has his own merchandise. Very cool. You can buy it here. You can listen to him here, from 5 to 7 P.M. Central, Mon. through Fri. In fact, give him a call. His is a call-in show and the more the merrier! Local callers: 314-454-0400. Toll free: 1-877-920-WGNU (9468).

Seven Habits

Head over to the other Maureen's blog, Trinity Prep School, to help her hash out the Seven Habits of Highly Effective New School Years. What do you do to make sure that your new school year is effective?

Along the same lines, Joan Stromberg wrote an excellent cover article for Heart and Mind magazine: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Homeschoolers. It was quite inspiring. I have some back issues left over from conferences if anyone is interested. Or you can check Heart and Mind's website.

Danny's Novena, Day Three

Click here for the prayer.

Talking While Eating

I think that the stress at work must be getting to my husband. Last night he scolded Buster, "Stop chewing with food in your mouth!"

Danny's Novena, Day Two

Click here for the prayer.

Teen Party

Imagine 25 teenagers converging in your backyard ready for food, drink, and a good time. That was my house last night. The kids from our Teen Wednesday club were invited for a We're Not Going Back to School party, and it was a blast.

Our friend Chuck grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and tended the bonfire. The kids brought pop, snacks, and dessert, as well as music. They played Red Rover and held a Twister tournament. (They somehow convinced me to join the Red Rover game - I know some of you would pay good money to see that.) Marshmallows were roasted and the conversation flowed. There were also a few teenager antics - stealing hats, girls chasing boys with the whip cream intended for the pie. All in all the kids were great.

It's refreshing to sit back and watch teens have good, clean fun.

Danny's Novena, Day One

NOVENA TO GOD THE FATHER

(pray for 9 days or 9 hours straight)

God, my heavenly Father, I adore You, and I count myself as nothing before Your Divine Majesty. You alone are Being, Life, Truth, and Goodness. Helpless and unworthy as I AM, I honor You, I praise You, I thank You, and I love You in union with Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior and our Brother, in the merciful kindness of His Heart and through His infinite merits. I desire to serve You, to please You, to obey You, and to love You always in union with Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother. I also desire to love and serve my neighbor for the love of You.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me Your child in Baptism. With childlike confidence I ask You for this special favor:

I come to you humbly with all my love. Please use all the love in my heart, and the Love of Your Most Sacred Heart to have mercy on Danny and lead him to Your Divine Kingdom. I pray all of this in Jesus’ Most Holy Name. Please have Mercy on my family and all of the families of the individuals who are joining in on this awesome gift of prayer You have given to us.

I ask that Your Will may be done. Give me what You know to be best for my soul, and for the souls of those for whom I pray.

Please give me Your Holy Spirit to enlighten me, to correct me, and to guide me in the way of Your commandments and holiness, while I strive for the happiness of heaven where I hope to glorify You forever. Amen

Novena for Danny

August 22nd will mark the third anniversary of the death of my nephew Danny. He had just turned 22 when he died of a heroin overdose.

Danny was like a son to Rob and me. Rob was very much a father figure to Danny. The day Danny died was the hardest, saddest day of our lives. I remember receiving the news. I remember gasping for air and struggling to breath. But I don't remember much after that, including the drive from Michigan to Missouri to attend the wake and funeral. I couldn't tell you if we left right away and stopped in Indy to spend the night, or if we left the next morning to drive straight through. It's as though God gave me amnesia to protect me from the sadness of the day.

The hardest part was, and continues to be, sharing the news with my children. Danny was like a brother to them as he lived with us during his sophomore year of college, as well as vacationing with us over many summers. One night, weeks after the funeral, I found myself at 2:00 A.M. holding my sleepless, 9-year-old daughter in my lap as she sobbed uncontrollably over the loss of her beloved Danny. I found myself angry with Danny for his overdose, wanting to shake my fist and scream out, "You knew how much she loved you. She was your favorite. How could you do this to her?"

We had no clue that Danny suffered from addiction. This was a young man who attended Mass with us, who joined the March for Life in Washington, DC, who was in the middle of George Weigel's biography of Pope John Paul II when he died. In fact, my last email from Danny, just days before his death, expressed how much he loved the book and loved JP2.

Let this child's death be a lesson to us all. As parents we can never sit on our laurels, we must forever keep vigil. Even the best kids can fall into the deepest pits. We can do everything right and still lose them to the world.

Danny was introduced to heroin by someone who called himself a friend. It only took that one experiment to create an addict.

I'd like to ask you to join me in a novena for Danny's soul. This request comes from Danny's mom, Sue. I'll post a reminder each day beginning in the morning. And please also pray for Sue. A mother's loss is unimaginable.

Shooting for the Gold

The state 4-H shoot in Port Huron went great. Teen Daughter came home with a bronze medal in muzzle loading and Tween Daughter got a bronze in 3-D archery. Teen Son did his personal best in 3-D archery and would've easily aced a gold medal in the county shoot with his score. However, the competition is a lot tougher at the state level. I'm proud of them all.

The best part was camping with all the other 4-H'ers. I've yet to meet a bad 4-H kid or parent. I'm sure there must be one or two out there, but they haven't crossed my path.

From the Mouths of Babes

Some years ago, when Tween Daughter was Toddler Daughter, I would whisper in her ear during Mass, "Listen for the bells, Jesus is coming."

I thought myself genius. After all, not only was this effective in quieting her down during the consecration, but I was teaching her a deep theological point -- that bread and wine become Jesus' Body and Blood.

However, God in His infinate wisdom always humbles me.

One day we went to a different church. It was a holy day and we couldn't get to Mass at our own church. This particular church didn't ring the bells during the consecration.

Toddler Daughter caught this and took it upon herself to let the rest of the congregation know that Jesus was there. As Father elevated the Body, she exclaimed, loudly for everyone to hear, "One Jesus down, One to go!"

Yet More Reading Lists

First an administrative note. I'm leaving later today for the state 4-H shoot. So if you leave a comment, it may take a day or two to show up.

Now to those lists:

MacBeth's Opinion This is one of my favorite online reading lists. Actually, it's more like an online bookstore. She links to amazon.com which I like so that I can read the reviews. Then I head over to my library website to put the books on hold. (Don't worry, I've talked to MacBeth about this and she doesn't mind at all.)

4Real Learning Preschool through 8th grade.

Living Math This is similar to MacBeth's website except that it focuses solely on living math books. Click on the sidebar to find the many booklists. I highly recommend looking into using math literature in your homes.

Tip of the Day

If your four-year old shoves a bead up his nose, for no apparent reason, a toothpick works nicely for getting it out.

I know this because that's what I used last night. In the past (yes, sadly, this was not the first, or even the second or third time, I've had to do this), I learned quickly that a tweezer only sends the bead higher up into the nose. With a toothpick, I could slide it into the hole of the bead and then maneuver it out.

This is what I went to college for.

Even More Online Reading Lists

Even more online reading lists. Keep in mind that these are not Catholic lists, so use your good judgement.

Five in a Row Great reading list for grade school, whether you use the Five in a Row curriculum or not.

Before Five in a Row Literature list for preschool.

Beyond Five in a Row For upper grade school years.

Sonlight Books and The Well Trained Mind Sonlight books arranged by TWTM's four-year history cycles.

Tomorrow, I'll have yet more online reading lists.

Quote of the Day

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
—Marcus Aurelius

More Online Reading Lists

More cool reading lists online:

100 Good Book List Reading list for adults. Provided by the Classical Christian Education Support Loop.

1000 Good Book List John Senior's reading list for primary school through high school. Provided by the Classical Christian Education Support Loop.

A Child's Reading List Provided by Eagle Forum. Sorted by reading level within genre.

Reading Your Way through History Alicia Van Hecke's terrific chronological reading list. A must see for Catholic homeschoolers! (Note: This website is currently under some serious construction and may be down momentarily.)

Seton Home Study School Seton's list of great books, for K to 8th grade, to supplement their Catholic home study school. Scroll down and click on "reading lists."

I'll have even more for you tomorrow.

Mom With a Message

My friend Mary Jo has a new website: Mom With a Message. If you ever need a speaker on the topic of chastity, contact Mary Jo.

Online Reading Lists

Continuing this thread on books, here are a couple of online reading lists that you all may enjoy:

The Ultimate Reading List – Classics That Endure
June 1997 Education Reporter.

Ten Books Every Student Should Read in College

One Book Meme, Part 2

Mike also tagged his son Michael III. However, Michael doesn't have a blog. So, for today, Michael is a guest blogger:

1. One book that changed your life.
Algebra for Dummies by Mary Jane Sterling

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
My freshman algebra textbook (read it my freshman year, my sophomore year, my junior year...)

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
How to Build Wooden Boats: With 16 Small-Boat Designs by Edwin Monk

4. One book that made you laugh:
One of the top 10 best books ever written (after the Bible), Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs

5. One book that made you cry:
My sophomore algebra textbook

6. One book that you wish had been written:
How to get into college when you Don't Know Math

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
My Geometry I textbook

8. One book you’re currently reading:
Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It by Jane B. Burka, Ph.D. and Lenora M. Yuen, Ph.D.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
Said freshman algebra textbook... (see Question 8)

One Book Meme

Mike Aquilina is making me fill out this blog meme thing. I'm afraid that mine won't be nearly as heady as his survey. The last seventeen years have been spent reading children's books. In fact, last night I sat down to read Augustine's Confessions when Princess Rose sat on my lap and begged me to read Miss Spider's Tea Party. It wasn't long before other children were begging for their own books to be read. I suppose Augustine will have to wait another decade or two.

1. One book that changed your life.
The Bible.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once.
The Spear by Louis de Wohl. I try to read it every Lent. That is, if I can hide away long enough from little children who have their own agendas.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island.
The Survivor's Handbook.

4. One book that made you laugh.
Winnie the Pooh. That Winnie is just a hoot!

5. One book that made you cry.
The Magic Treehouse series. I breaks my heart knowing that publishers allow such dribble to be put into print. Sad.

6. One book that you wish had been written.
How to Learn Latin While Sleeping.

7. One book that you wish had never been written.
Barney's Special Day. Is it not enough that we have to tolerate Barney on video? We have to read about him too?

8. One book you’re currently reading.
Miss Spider's Tea Party.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read.
Confessions by St. Augustine.


Okay, now I'm suppose to tag some other bloggers. So, I tag all the bloggers at Love2Learn, except for Nancy. She hates memes (I can't blame her).

What Your Eighteen-Year Old Needs to Know

Along the lines of our high school lit discussion, here is a great post from Catholic Darwin.

High School Literature

Someone emailed me almost a month ago and asked:

What you recommend for a high school English/American literature reading list? I have my own ideas and I would definitely drop a few I had to read. I remember being assigned Truman Capote's In Cold Blood during my senior year English class. I just didn't even read it. I didn't think I could bear the violence of it. What would be your top 10 books for the high school list?

I hate to admit that I haven't responded to her query as of yet. Every time I try to come up with a top-ten list, I make additions or deletions. The thing is that I need to come up with some sort of list for my own homeschool.

Teen Son is heading into his Junior year and I can't have him graduating from high school without having read such greats as Plato's Apology, or Augustine's Confessions, or The Iliad. But then those aren't really American or English literature.

How important is it to read American and English authors? And what time period? I remember Anne Carroll once saying that there aren't any 20th-century authors worth reading. But that would include Flannery O'Connor and quite a few others that I'm partial to.

Would you include any of the popular school fare? Titles such as The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, East of Eden, etc.

So, help me out here. What are your thoughts? What titles should absolutely be on a list of American/English literature for high school?

Farewell to Lambs

Teen Son and I were out at the fairground this morning feeding the sheep, Mario and Luigi, one last time before they're picked up by their new owners. As I patted their heads and told them goodbye, a sad feeling came over me. Perhaps you shouldn't name animals intended for the dinner table.

Day Three At the Fair

Another great day at the fair. Sparky showed a sheep in the pee wee division (5 to 8 years old). They don't place, but instead everyone gets a participation ribbon. The idea is to get them use to showing in the arena and being judged. They were all so cute and the judges so sweet in helping them present their sheep. The amazing thing is that none of the sheep got loose, a first I think. Usually, there are several sheep running around the ring with little children chasing after them. Actually, I'm a little disappointed that we missed the comedy of the sheep this year.

Teen Son showed his sheep in the senior division. It was his first year and he was up against kids who have been showing their whole lives. Yet, he did pretty good. He struggled during the showmanship portion when Mario (or was it Luigi) just didn't want to behave. In true 4-H fashion, the judge offered some words of wisdom to help him out. The sheep behaved better in the market class and placed 4th and 7th. Today they'll be auctioned off and hopefully Teen Son will make a little profit on the sheep project.

Princess Rose participated in the fashion revue in the evening. The little 5 to 8 year olds were so cute up on the stage. Princess Rose had practiced walking the stage at home. Then right before stepping on the stage, the teen girl, who was helping the little girls, told Princess to make sure to stand in the center so the judges could see her. Well, that's what Princess did, she stood the whole time in the center and didn't walk a step. It was so funny. I think she really enjoyed watching the older girls model their sewing creations as much as participating.

Today, we take a break and stay home. It's been raining off and on all morning and hopefully that'll cool things off for tomorrow. No competitions tomorrow, just enjoying the rides.

Day Two At the Fair

Today is a complete blur, but from what I remember it was a good day. Here are some tips if you have to be out in the 100 degree heat for 8 hours. Put some ice in a baggie, wrap it in a bandana and then tie it around the back of your neck. Works great. Also bring a spray bottle with water. Not only does it feel good, it's fun to spritz your friends.

My parents along with my sister and her kids came up from St. Louis today. So that was the highlight of the day of course. They skipped the fair -- a bit too much after 9 hours of driving -- but we still got to visit after getting home and have the rest of the week to enjoy one another's company.

The kids came home with loads of medals and ribbons for shooting sports. I'm really proud of all of them.

Tomorrow is sheep. Yep, these city folk are showing sheep. Teen Son has a friend who raises sheep for 4-H and was invited to join him this year. This has meant lots of chauffeuring to and from the country for working with the sheep. But I think that it has been worth it. Teen Son has had loads of fun and learned quite a bit. He's also worked with his little brother Sparky. Sparky is to young to officially show sheep, but he can participate in the Pee Wee division. It'll be interesting to see tomorrow how it all works out.