Cottage Blessings

Cottage Nursery Rhyme

Little Bo Peep

Has lost her sheep

And can't tell where to find her.

Leave her alone,

And she'll come home,

Wagging her tail

Behind her!

[Eileen, age 2, Maureen, age 4]

Book Signing

Mariamante, my favorite religious goods store in the world, hosted a Haystack Full of Needles talk and book signing early in November.

Huntington's Renaissance Gourmet made an absolutely beautiful setting:

And the continental breakfast was lovely:

There is nothing like speaking before a friendly audience (sorry for the blurry photos—I neglected to turn on the flash):

One of the highlights for me was seeing Josephine Nobisso, author of The Weight of a Mass and the new book Take it to the Queen, in the audience! She is as charming and gracious as you can imagine (and homeschooled her daughter all the way through high school).

Irene, the owner of Mariamante, introduces me. Note my blank expression and clasped hands. Not exactly nerves of steel there!

Many thanks to Irene for having me and to all those who attended! It was a great morning I will not soon forget!

Sad

The Washington Times: Planned Parenthood offers gift vouchers

Visions of Recycling Plants Danced in Their Heads

The Dallas branch of Neiman Marcus department store has unveiled its Children's-Dreams-of-Saving-the-Environment display, made up of "59 rotating translucent globes filled with crushed up aluminum cans, diapers, rolled newspapers and the like arranged in the shape of a tree."

The news report goes on to say:

"Some of the globes also teach a lesson. The one holding the diapers, for instance, carries the statement: 'A typical baby will use about 10,000 diapers.'"

My first thought upon reading this is that the Babe in the manger never used any. I also can't help wondering what the bottom line of the "lesson" for children is meant to be.

My next was a question of simple mathematics. According to my calculations, a child potty-trained at age two would need to go through almost 14 diapers a day every day of his life to get to the stated "typical" use of 10,000. A child potty-trained at age three would need to use 9 or more diapers a day to reach the norm.

Does this figure sound right to you?

O Night Divine

After an evening spent watching my children rehearse for our parish's upcoming Christmas Pageant, I was especially in the mood to check out Mary Ellen's "O Night Divine" Advent and Christmas blog. Please do not miss her "Lapbooks for Catholics Give Away!"

And good luck!

I guess they won't be reading "Haystack"

If you can get through a six-minute conversation about cats, you will see Joy Behar, participant in the popular television show "The View," opine that homeschooled children are "demented." [Beginning minute 6:16 or so.]

Now if, by "demented," she means intelligent, independent, informed, respectful of parents, humorous, considerate, content, and loving, I would have to agree. Otherwise, I would say Joy Behar needs to get out and meet a few homeschooled children.

Perhaps I should send a copy of Haystack Full of Needles to the set of The View?

Then again, my guess is that its Catholic, religious tone would put me squarely within Behar's definition of "demented."

A Dream About St. Thomas Aquinas

From the Catholic News Agency: Champion of Abortion Becomes Defender of Life.

HT: My friend Lorraine

Life

"'A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.'"

Matthew 2: 18.

Please consider printing out this Daily prayer to end abortion from Priests for Life.