Cottage Blessings

A Homeschooling Thespian

One of my dearest local friends has a new blog, and it is such a valuable resource, I can't resist passing along the link. Be sure to visit A Homeschooling Thespian for arts education plans and suggestions by a musician, drama teacher, and homeschooler extraordinaire—not to mention the loveliest person you could ever meet!

Here is a sample of her simple and do-able plans for studying Vivaldi. I can't wait to call my children to breakfast tomorrow to the strains of The Four Seasons!

Closing the Cottage

for the month of February--except for prayer requests or important announcements.

May you and your family have a blessed Feast of Candlemas today.

The Road to Lancaster

                   

Our San Francisco adventure kept me away from the 4Real Conference, but The Family-Centered Learning Conference will be here before we know it, promising to be a memorable and faith-filled event. Michele Quigley was kind enough to ask me to speak, and, when you see the line-up, you will know what a joy it is to be in the company of some of my favorite home educating mothers.

My talk is called A Garden Well Tended: Living the Liturgical Year in the Catholic Home:

"Following the pattern set out for the year by our beautiful Mother Church, parents are like gardeners sowing seeds of faith in the fertile hearts of children.  This talk will show how prayer, family tradition, and happy memories take root during childhood, blossoming into a deep and lifelong love for our Faith."

This will be my first time speaking at a conference, and I thank Michele for the opportunity.

I hope to meet many of you there!

Now I have seen everything!

I am here on Long Island posting about the construction of cone-shaped baskets while Kimberlee's children are doing this!!! Truly amazing! I think Kimberlee has a few future Academy Award winners for best costume and stage design in her house!

BTW, Agnes was reading over my shoulder admiring the centaur and said, "That's one of the kids?! I thought it was a photo from the movie!"

Cozy

Who better than our darling Jennifer to host the Loveliness of Gardens Fair? Thanks to her eloquence and eye for beauty, we are all feeling just As Cozy as Spring today.

Many thanks

I have been remiss in not writing an enormous thank you to those of you who participated in this year's Homeschool Blog Awards. You would have heard from me sooner, but I couldn't bring myself to take The Timeline of Mercy off the top spot. (Many thanks to those of you who wrote to Brigid. Beautiful friend that she is, Brigid is Cottage Blessings' most devoted reader and was deeply grateful for your prayerful comments. Hi B!]

Thanks to you mothers, not to mention the loving support of friends and family, Cottage Blessings received awards for "Best Live-What-You-Believe Blog," "Best Encourager," and "Best Crafts, Plans, and Projects Blog." While I know I fall far short of being the best in anything, least of all those wonderful categories, I am grateful for every vote and the kind hearts beating behind them.

Congratulations to the dear friends and fellow bloggers who won awards, and many thanks to Laura, Heather, and Sprittibee, and the other mothers who graciously give of their time to host the Homeschool Blog Awards each year. A special thank you and hearty congratulations to Mary Ellen Barrett, who allowed me to participate in "O Night Divine," winner of the award for "Best Family or Group Blog."

More important than anything else, please pray for Heather, a young mother and coordinator of the blog awards, diagnosed with a brain tumor this week. May God hold her and her family in the palm of His hand.

*******
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, particularly these friends:

Lissa, The Lilting House, Best Unschooling or Eclectic

Theresa, Lapaz Farm Home Learning, Best Unschooling or Eclectic, first runner up

Karen Edmisten, Best Cyber-Buddy

Dawn, By Sun and Candlelight, Best Super Homeschooler

Mary Ellen, O Night Divine, Best Group or Family Blog

Elizabeth, Real Learning, Best Mom Blog *and* Best Business and Curriculum

Love2Learn Blog, first runner up, Best Group or Family Blog

Suzanne, Blessed Among Men, Best New Blog

Cay, Cajun Cottage, Best Nitty Gritty Blog, first runner up

Danielle, Danielle Daily, Best Humorous

Jennifer, S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen, Best Geographical

Congratulations to all the nominees as well!

Giving it the old Cottage try

[Voting has ended! Thank you so very much!]

Today is the last day to vote in the Homeschool Blog Awards, and I would *very much appreciate* any last minute votes you might be willing to send my way. Here are the five direct links:

Best Mom Blog

Crafts, Plans and Projects Blog

Best Encourager

Live What You Believe Blog

There is no way I could adequately express my appreciation for the support already received there. You have been kind and generous beyond my wildest dreams. Whatever the results at the end of the day, I feel loved!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Everyone needs a cyber-buddy

As those following the homeschool blog awards know, today is the last day to vote. There is one race that is so close at the moment, I cannot help but call it to your attention. Karen Edmisten is, as I type this, tied for second place in the category "Best Cyber-Buddy Blogger."

Now, normally, I would not bring this up, particularly when two women I am crazy about--Jennifer (As Cozy as Spring) and Cheryl (My Thoughtful Spot) are competing in the same category, but we are coming toward the end, and, it seems to me, at this point, it wouldn't take much to put Karen over the top.

When I first heard the title "best cyber-buddy," I didn't really get it, wondering what it even meant. Then I read the description:

"A blogger that you haven’t met, but you think you would enjoy meeting and hanging out with. She/he is a person that you would love to co-op with or live next door to. Who knows, maybe one day we will get together somewhere at one of these bloggy meetings I hear about. I’m so jealous!"

Oh, how I would love to have Karen next door!

Of course, I would also love Jennifer and Cheryl--in my dreams, we would have a regular cul-de-sac of cyber-buddies!

But with Karen so close--so painfully close--to the top of that category, couldn't we please just give her one nice last push today? If you haven't yet voted in the Cyber-Buddy category, please take a moment to put Karen Edmisten over the top:

Best Cyber-Buddy Blogger

And, because they are such dear women, I am confident Jennifer and Cheryl will agree with me!

Blog Awards: Calling all Lissa and Elizabeth Fans

Dear Friends,

If you haven't yet voted in the Best Mom Blog category, here is a voter's guide:

1. Lissa, being talented and wonderful in every way, has been nominated for both of her blogs--Here in the Bonny Glen and The Lilting House. Essentially, she is competing against herself. If you are hoping to vote for Lissa, please cast your vote for The Lilting House (her homeschooling blog) to keep the Lissa votes in one place.

2. If you were surprised not to find Elizabeth Foss on the Best Mom blog category, that is because there's been a bit of a glitch. At the moment, "Van Goal," her teenage son's blog remains on the Mom blog list instead of Real Learning. If you are an Elizabeth Foss fan (and, come on now, who isn't?), please wait until later on in the week to vote. I am sure it will all be sorted out eventually. Or, perhaps you should vote for Van Goal. After all, having a wonderful, faithful teenage son says more about being the "Best Mom" than anything else!

3. And, if you are the person who nominated Cottage Blessings in the Best Mom category (or in any category), know that a Memorare is going up for you right now! : ) : ) : ) If you vote[d] for Cottage Blessings in this or any other category, many, many thanks!

*******
10 pm: Edited to say that the Van Goal/Real Learning Glitch has been fixed! Elizabeth fans, the wait is over!

Homeschool Blog Awards

Dear Friends,

I wish I could express my appreciation, joy, and *surprise* over having Cottage Blessings nominated for a number of Homeschool Blog Awards. It is no exaggeration to say that seeing the name of this blog included on those lists gave me goosebumps and put a smile on my face that has lasted a week already. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you who nominated me and the readers kind enough to visit here.

Thanks to your generosity, Cottage Blessings appears in the following categories: Best Homeschool Mom Blog, Best Crafts, Plans and Projects Blog, Best Encourager, "Live-What-You-Believe" Homeschool Blog, and--amazingly considering how old this blog feels to me--Best NEW Homeschool Blog. (It was begun in 2006, after all!)

Many of my dearest friends and cyber neighbors are also on those lists including last year's Best Mom blog winner, Lissa (Here in the Bonny Glen), Lissa (The Lilting House), Karen (Karen Edmisten), Margaret (Minnesota Mom), Elizabeth (Real Learning), Mary Ellen (O Night Divine), Dawn (By Sun and Candlelight), Jennifer (As Cozy and Spring), Suzanne (Blessed Among Men), Jennifer (s/v Mari Hal-o-Jen), Ann (Mozart & Mud Pies), Leonie (Living Without School), Diane (The Journey of a Mother's Heart), Theresa (Lapaz Farm Home Learning), Danielle (Danielle Daily), Cheryl (My Thoughtful Spot), Love2Learn Blog, Maureen Wittmann, Amy (Among Women), Cay (Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks), Nina (Painted Rainbows and Chamomile Tea), Lindsey (Enjoy the Journey), Elena (My Domestic Church), Higher Up and Further In, Semicolon, ChesterTeens, and Michael Foss (Van Goal). [Forgive me for not including links to these wonderful blogs, but I'm running out of computer time! If you are unfamiliar with any of these, you may find the links on the nominations page: Who Has Been Nominated? Final List! Now, I am petrified that I might have missed someone!]

Please vote here.

Our angel, revealed!

Our brand new globe was a gift from my beautiful cousin Therese!!! (Not too surprising, is it Aunt Robertine?) Thank you, thank you, thank you dearest Therese!

Leave it to the Dunns!

: ) : ) : )

Would the dear angel please stand up?

Yesterday morning, the children noticed a large package poised tantalizingly on the front steps. After tearing it open (in a scene reminiscent of Christmas morning), we found this:

Clearly, one of you darling friends saw our saturated (and brand new, I might add) GeoSafari Talking Globe and came to the rescue! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am overwhelmed and deeply moved.

Now the question is: WHO? : ) : ) : )

Would the thoughtful darling please stand up?

This must be finals week

You are a 100% traditional Catholic!

 

Congratulations! You are more knowlegeable than most modern theologians! You have achieved mastery over the most important doctrines of the Catholic Faith! You should share your incredible understanding with others!

Do You Know Your Baltimore Catechism?
Make Your Own Quiz

HT: MacBeth and Dawn

As you know, I only post quizzes with flattering results

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

HT: Elena

This was a fun quiz--thank you, Elena!

Ten Things I Love that Begin with the Letter S

The delightful Dawn, who needs no introduction, passed along this lively alphabet meme. Here are the ten things I love beginning with the letter S, the perfect letter for a Saturday night, and, yes, I am sipping sweet tea as I type this:

1. The Blessed Sacrament;

2. Saints, all of them;

3. Springtime and Summer;

4. Swallows and Amazons;

5. Sunshine and showers;

6. School at home;

7. Starting a new year;

8. Seven children;

9. Sitting with my husband at the end of the day; and, of course,

10. By Sun and Candlelight, Dawn's wonderful web log (Thanks again for this meme, Dawn, it was fun!)

ZuZu's Petals

We have talked about the leaves of friendship here at Cottage Blessings before, but over in the Bonny Glen this morning, you will find a regular primordial forest of friendship, green and growing and stretching on forever.

As most of you know, I have a bug on my computer that has been preventing me from commenting on Typepad blogs for a little while now, so this post is meant as an enormous thanks and grateful comment to Lissa on today's unbelievable gesture of friendship toward me:

Lissa, I love you. You have made me a much, much, much better mother since the day we met, and your influence on my spirit has been a blessing, not only to me, but to my children. What a gift your post is on the anniversary of this blog that was inspired completely by *you and the Bonny Glen*--I am overwhelmed continually by your generosity, your kindness, and your incredible writing talent. There aren't words to live up to your post, and anything I can say will fall short by miles and miles and miles. Still, I think I hear bells ringing from here to California because you, Lissa, are an angel!

Bonny Blue Baby and a Bevy of Carnivals

It looks as if the feminine half of the Bonny Blue Babies is on the mend. Take a look at this buoyant clip! (I need to get one of those for Eileen.)

Perhaps little Brigid is bouncing for joy after hearing about Helen's moving Loveliness of Motherhood Fair or Mary Ellen's memorable Loveliness of Christmas.

I know how you feel, Brigid--Helen and your Mommy have been having that effect on me for years!

December 17: "O Wisdom"

Five weeks ago, while planning our Advent Cubes project, I was surprised to notice something that had eluded me before. Seeing that the O Antiphon for December 17th is "O Wisdom," I could not help smiling to myself and contemplating what a perfect day it would be to celebrate the birthday of my best friend, Lissa.

If you were to ask for one word to characterize Lissa during our decade of friendship, I think "wisdom" would be the perfect choice. Her example of wisdom as a wife and mother--through times of joy and times of trial--has been a blessing to me and countless others. This year, the date has an added significance--Gaudete Sunday, the most joyful day of Advent, for a woman whose very life is a song of joy!

And so, dear Lissa, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We will be three hours into our celebration here on the east coast by the time the Pacific catches up!

[Oh, and I have a funny story to tell about Lissa, but exhaustion dictates that it wait until tomorrow!]

Little Known Facts

I had the honor of being tagged by my dear friends, The Bookworm and Plainsong, for the ten Random Facts Meme. Here is my list, and I sincerely hope it will not be too tedious with all those I's in every single sentence!

1. Like my friends, Rebecca and Kim, I am an only child. (My husband is one of eleven!)

2. I am one of those people who has never quite mastered my right from my left. (Trivia question: Did any of you notice the glaring mistake in my original posting of "The Heart of the Priesthood"?)

3. I have been a lector for 25 years without ever taking a hiatus (beginning in grammar school--I mention this because I don't want you twenty-something moms to think I am a hundred!)

4. I was the valedictorian of the graduating class in the last school I attended. (Sorry to be vague. I am trying not to give away too much information on the internet.)

5. I did not learn to drive until the age of thirty. (And, no, driving school is not the school mentioned in number 4, although that would be pretty funny.)

6. My granduncle, Joseph Dunn, was a victim of the Matawan Maneater. My grandfather, Michael, pulled him from the shark's jaws.

7. In December of 1980, a picture of me mourning for John Lennon outside the Dakota appeared on the cover of New York Newsday.

8. When this woman first told me her plan to home educate, I was surprised because I had never heard of anyone doing such a thing. While on vacation that summer (1996), with her plan fresh in my mind, I had an instantaneous and irrevocable "conversion experience" watching the home education episode of The Abundant Life with Johnnette Benkovic on EWTN. The show made me see that home education was not only a good idea, but my clear calling in life. Two weeks later, I met this woman at a local bakery. Do you think God was trying to reinforce my decision, or what?

9. My name, Alice, has been passed down for at least two hundred years on my mother's side of the family.

10. Some of you sharp readers may already know that Beyond the Heather Hills by Melissa Wiley is dedicated to my four oldest daughters and me. (Run and check your shelves now!) You may not know that the girls and I helped name the book. Lissa asked us to choose between "Beyond the Heather Hills" and "Fair City by the Tay." I hope you like our pick!

Tag:

Time-Really-Does-Fly

Family in Feast and Feria

Mozart & Mudpies

A Living Education

The Journey of a Mother's Heart

Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother

Mousey Trails

Cottage Blushings

I have always loved The Bookworm, and now I love her even more!

THANK YOU!

Happy Birthday

to a very dear friend of mine!

I'm looking forward to living next door to Dawn

because, like her, I belong in Dublin!

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

******
Now, winding up in an Irish city does not surprise me, but being called "the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl" does! Even my college friends would take issue with that one. LOL!

And speaking of Ireland, please do not miss Grace, a beautiful post at Every Waking Hour, examining one of my favorite Irish songs, introducing a little known Irish Catholic poet, and pondering the meaning of pain in our lives.

The information keeps trickling in.

Lissa's new baby girl was 8 pounds 3 ounces, the exact same weight as our most recent addition, Catherine!

A Blessing for the Bonny Glen!!!

April 14th, 10:14 a.m. Eastern Standard Time:

Jane just called to tell me that Lissa's little girl is here! At Jane's direction, I managed to reach the happy mother on her cell phone, although we were cut off before I could get details about size and weight. Lissa said the labor was a bit long, but happy, and all is going well. Not surprisingly, the new little one looks like her sister, Rose! The 3-D sonogram did not lie!

As I learn more, I will let you know!

*******

April 14th, 10:28 a.m. Eastern Standard Time:

Baby has not stopped nursing long enough to be weighed, but she was born at 9:12 am!

I don't believe it!

I was up last night until two in the morning, and one of the things on my mind was Lissa and her bonny wee bairn. When, I kept wondering, with our new little one make an appearance?

Now I wake to find a message in my inbox saying that, at exactly 2 a.m., Lissa was heading to the hospital!

Please check here throughout the day for updates! In the meantime, let's pray that she is having a wonderful delivery!!! Elizabeth has posted a beautiful Novena for Lissa at the Real Learning webog.

******
8:30 am, Eastern Standard Time, April 14, 2006:

I just spoke to big sister Jane in the Bonny Glen. She was joyous beyond words, but said that Dad just called with the update, "Baby still hasn't made her debut yet." I will be updating this post the minute I hear more!