2011 Cannonball Catholic Blog Awards - nominations open

It's time again for my favorite blog awards, the kind that don't take themselves too seriously but yet provide me with many wonderful new blogs to read.

It's a Blog Award for all us under appreciated types, and you are strictly forbidden from nominating anyone that has written a book... and that Peters guy. And fanciful cooking bird watching priests. And anybody else who has a blog better than me. So good luck with that.

So just when I thought that I had a chance of being nominated for something, she had to throw in that book thing. Ah well ... does it help if it is a very small, under-appreciated book?

I love the categories ... some are the usual, but some ... well, it's in the way it's said. As a sampling below shows.

More Catholic Than The Pope

Best Blog By A Heretic

Best Bat Shit Crazy

Best Popery of Potpourri

Snarkiest Catholic Blog

Most Hifreakinlarious

I will be dropping in there soon to nominate my own under-appreciated favorites. Go thou and do likewise!

An Apology to Reckon With ... Andy Levy is My New Hero

Via The Anchoress.

Weekend Joke

One Friday a traffic policeman stops a Maisie and asks to see her driving licence.

"Lady, it says here that you should be wearing glasses when driving."

"Well," replies Maisie, "I have contacts."

"Lady, I don't care who you know, you're still going to get a ticket."

10 Signs It's Hot Outside: Catholic Edition

Shamelessly lifted from the creative and funny Alive and Young.

10 Catholic Signs It Is Hot HOt HOT Outside.

1. You understand the meaning of "Psalms 32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer"
2. The Nuns are baking the communion wafers/hosts on the dash of their parked car.
3. At the sign of peace, no one touches; instead, everyone waves quickly in attempts to create a breeze in the church.
4. You repeat the line from Matthew 20 "Borne the burden and heat of the day." over and over again as a sign of repentance.
5. You start wondering if it is liturgically appropriate to administer the blood of Christ chilled.
6. Noah's flood isn't sounding too bad right about now.
7. The Newly baptized ask Father for 15 more minutes in the baptismal immersion font.
8. The discalced carmelites actually put shoes on.
9. Gehenna, Shemehenna.
10. For the homily, the Priest takes to the ambo and says, "You think it's hot as hell. It's not." then steps down and continues with Mass.

Talking with Leo Brown on Real Life Radio This Afternoon

It's that time again! The third Thursday of the month when I get a chance to chat with Leo Brown at Real Life Radio. I'll be on at 4:00 p.m. Kentucky time (that's 3:00 Dallas / Central time).

We're going to talk about Now I Walk on Death Row ... and I wonder if Leo likes to read those personal inspirational stories?

Did Jesus Really Mean What He Said? Reviewing "Now I Walk on Death Row"

This book is like a ticking time bomb. It should come with a label: "Warning: asking God to show you the world as he sees it and yourself as he sees you may cause disorientation and soul searching. Read with caution."

Why did I put Now I Walk on Death Row by Dale S. Recinella in my review books pile? Death row ministry and an endorsement by Sister Helen Prejean smack of bleeding hearts and that's not really my cup of tea. Nevertheless, there it was when I looked for something new to read.

I always evaluate every book I receive by reading the first chapter. What had I seen in this one that earned it a place in the stack?

I'll tell you ... in my A Free Mind column at Patheos where I review Now I Walk on Death Row, which I read in under 24 hours. (And not because it was short, y'all!)

Cooks, Gluttons, and Gourmets

Cooks, Gluttons and Gourmets by Betty Wason

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a charming history of cooking. I was interested to see from the introduction that the author went to considerable trouble back in 1962 to unearth much of the information in the book ... including finding a Chinese translator to read a 14th century Chinese cooking text. She writes in a personable way that makes you feel as if you have found a new friend.

FINAL
This is a fairly comprehensive overview of the history of cooking from cavemen to Asia to Europe to New Orleans to 1962 ... and much more. A lifetime of reading food writing and history (especially the Time Life Foods of the World series) meant that little of the information was actually new to me. However, Wason tended to focus upon personalities to carry her histories forward and that is whence issued much of the book's charm. Many of the little anecdotes on the way were new and I very much enjoyed reading the history overall because of them.

How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver in 6 Different Situations

I had to do the Heimlich to Tom once long ago when we were eating lunch at work. Talk about a terrifying moment.

I'm printing this one out ... read it at The Art of Manliness.

How could people do this?

The Deacon's Bench tells about the shocking practice of aborting one twin. I am not kidding when I say that I am struggling to keep from crying right now.

How could you look at your child for his or her entire life, knowing that you deliberately killed their twin? That but for the choice before birth, you would have murdered that very person who you love so much?

It absolutely breaks my heart.

Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?

Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.

Isaiah 49:15

Our nation has so much innocent blood on its hands. God help us.

He Knows When a Sparrow Falls ... and Also a "Pinkie" Squirrel

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. (Matt. 10:29)

I was reading outside when I heard something that sounded like a really loud, shrill bird's call. As I found, when standing to look at the tree, three of our dogs were gathered around something on the ground, with the excited concentration of a group of kids waiting to poke something. Clearing them away I saw a naked pink baby ... but what was it? It looked like a rat, but a rat that big would have been old enough to have fur. And that long tail. It almost looked like a puppy, but no puppy ever looked like that. That long tail, curling ... yes, it had to be a squirrel.

I called Hannah out and she confirmed it and then scooped the poor thing up. It had ants all over and a bit of blood on the muzzle. She cleaned him up and Tom found a squirrel distress call on the laptop. They went to the back yard and then the front, but no mother squirrel ever came. Luckily, Hannah knows who to call (911 Wildlife) and they gave her the info for the Dallas animal rehabber who has the best luck with "pinkies." (Cute name, right?) The rehabber was at work until evening so we had the baby all day with the heating pad and Gatorade for nourishment.

Here's a 1 week old and here's a 3 week old. Ours had gray in places but no fur yet. And he slept with the baby abandon of that 3-week-old in the photo.

 By evening he was much stronger and crawling all over the place unless we held him. He was so small that he could curl into a perfect oval in my palm.

I have to admit that at one point I thought, "it is just another of a zillion baby squirrels" and then thought, "if God knows when a sparrow falls, then he knows that this little guy fell too and he cares." By the end of the day Hannah and I were telling each other how strong he was and how quickly he recovered after a little Gatorade. There is nothing like carrying a tiny pink baby with eyes not open yet curled up in the palm of your hand for getting a new appreciation of loving life in general. And getting a tiny glimpse of God's heart.

UPDATE
The rehabber told Hannah that our little guy was in good shape and a good size. He said that about 75% of the babies live. He has 700 animals a year come through his place (where they live in his back yard or second floor of the house). She gave him a donation, which wouldn't have occurred to me. If you have reason to encounter an animal rehabilitation person, consider giving them something to use toward food or other expenses. They usually do it with their own money and resources, for the love of the animals themselves.

Meet Reggie, the cutest little Buffalito Dog around

My review of Buffalito Destiny is up at SFFaudio, where you can discover just what the heck a Buffalito Dog is.

He had me at "joy" -- Catholicism series to air on PBS

I have liked what I've read by Father Robert Barron and the few times I've had time to watch his video commentaries they've been good. (If he put his audio out in podcast format, I'd probably listen to every single one ... I don't need to "see" him talking ... hint, hint ...).

So I was pleased to hear about his new book, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith.

I also was intrigued to see that its publication accompanies a 4-part PBS series carried on WTTW in Chicago. I was even more interested to find out that those are just 4 of 10 actual episodes. Naturally, when I was sent the trailer, I had to watch.



Wow. Looks fantastic!

Read about the episodes at Word on Fire. Read more about the series in CNA's story. Contact your local PBS station to see if it is carrying the series.

Catholic New Media Awards

Now here is a big surprise!

The Catholic New Media Awards have evidently been accepting nominations and I just found out. Guess I don't hang out in the right places anymore ... or something. Nominations are closed and voting has begun.

Anyway, I must not be the only one because there is a dearth of the "usual suspects" nominated. That is  all to the good, in my opinion. The "usual suspects" are already known. There are a lot of blogs and podcasts and suchlike nominated that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise. Which I think was the point of the awards when they were begun way back when. And it definitely keeps the voting lists shorter.

Go take a look around and see what you discover.

And, of course, vote!

I have to say that I wish I'd have known so I could have included A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast, where Scott Danielson and I talk about books, movies, and the faith. I am really fond and proud of that little baby and would have liked to let more Catholics know about it.

But, c'est la vie. Every baby is most beautiful to its own parents, right?

Weekend Joke: Art

From Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine.

Putting a Human Face on Abuse: Reviewing Restoring Sanctuary

For one long period, my idea of going to Sunday Mass involved parking near a church while Mass was underway inside, imagining sorrowfully the ritual by reading from a missal I kept in my glove compartment. I faithfully attended daily Mass, hoping it and “parking lot” attendance could somehow be calculated into a second‐class holiness. In truth, nothing could have made me feel worthy of Mass attendance: I was sure I was at fault for all that had transpired in my childhood.

These words are from a reflection that author T. Pitt Green wrote. Although not in the book, I found them when poking around on the author's site before agreeing to look at the book for review. Suddenly I identified a bit more with the emptiness and anxiety that a victim of abuse feels, especially if their abuser was a predator with a Catholic priest's collar.

Restoring Sanctuary languished in my review stack, pushed aside by the heaviness of the subject and by more immediate promises for columns or podcasts. Then my oldest daughter and I were talking about someone who left the Church because of a priest's extreme insensitivity, but who still longed for the Eucharist. She said, "Remember that lady you told me about who would sit outside the church during Mass and follow along outside?"

Indeed I did. And went to pull this book out of the stack.

Teresa Pitt Green suffered sexual abuse as a child from her parish priest. She later discovered that her mother had also been abused similarly long ago. On her deathbed, Green's mother asked her to write their story.

This unusual book chronicles an abuse victim's journey back to the Catholic Church but without details that might traumatize readers. We see her struggle to find a therapist who doesn't have an additional agenda, with the lack of response from the diocese, with illnesses like brain tumors, and from a physical attack as an adult.

The story is not all dark, however. Green tells also of inspired moments, one in particular after her mother died. She meets people who understand and provide support. Not least of all, she acquires a puppy who becomes her friend and protector. Underlying every experience, whether good or bad, Green is never without faith in Jesus Christ as the word speaking to her, the good shepherd guiding her recovery, and her savior.

It was Green's acquisition of McGee, a second puppy, that sparked a bit of true insight for me. I have had a very easy life by comparison. Although I empathized as I would with anyone who has suffered, it was without a personal frame of reference until reading about McGee. He was a rescued dog and became so afraid when Green brushed her hair that he went into seizures. I suddenly thought of our oldest daughter's dogs, both at least half feral when they were rescued and came to live with us. One in particular, a gentle Staffordshire Terrier named Kif, had over 50 birdshot under his skin when he was x-rayed. He would cower and quake if I reached up to open a cupboard. We had to be extremely gentle with him in order to teach him to trust people, a process that is still underway. I mean no disrespect, but I was able to see Teresa as a mirror image of Kif, who had been so victimized. Suddenly Teresa and her struggles became more real to me as I read the rest of her story. When she discovered a diocese victims program that cared more about the victims than the system and so allowed Teresa as much time and patience as she needed without judgment, I felt like cheering.

The fact that Green is able to communicate all this without revealing identities, going into details, and traumatizing the reader is extraordinary. We understand her struggles but are not pulled to the brink with her. This leaves readers like me who have never suffered in such a way with insight into the pain caused by predator priests and unresponsive bishops.

More importantly, it shows not only the anguish which such abuse leaves behind but looks at the problem of sexual predators with clear eyed reality. This reality accepts the fact that predators can be married or single, that their desire is ultimately domination no matter what means they use to achieve it, that they come from all walks of life, and that those who enable them are collaborating in evil. She does not condemn the Catholic Church as a whole, which is refreshing, but targets abusers and those whose behavior allows them to prey on others.

Green weaves the details of her recovery together with a larger call to action. She asks us to know the truth about how predators act, to be vigilant, and to act on behalf of the weak. She knows that there is not one easy answer. There is not a list of steps or a plan provided in how to do this. Green asks each of us to learn the truth, know it well, and to act upon it in our own way. In that, she seems to me to be mirroring Jesus, who gave his disciples the truth and then sent them out to act upon it wholeheartedly in the ways that worked with their personalities.

Highly recommended.

His Yoke is Easy: A Wonderful Conversion Story

I used to be the kind of person that considers her limits sacred territory. "This is who I am", I would say, "and there is nothing I can do about it". This attitude led me to some wrongdoing, even towards my own mother. Before moving to the US with my husband and son, we stayed with my parents for a while. My mother was incontinent, but I refused to deal with this problem, leaving the burden of assisting her to my siblings. She didn't mind, but after my conversion I felt the desire to overcome my weakness. I wanted to make it up to her, but I would never have the chance because she had passed away while I was here.

And so I was glad when I was offered the possibility of redeeming myself. I took a two-week job as a caregiver, taking care of a 92 year old woman. I knew it would have been hard for me, but I dedicated my effort to my mother. Well, when I went back home after the first day of work, my son said to me:

"You have an expression on your face like someone who has seen things so terrible that she will never be the same again!"

And this was not an exaggeration. I was actually distraught. But when I returned to work the following day the little old lady was still in bed, because nobody in the house was willing to bathe her and dress her up. She said to me:

"I was worried about you! I thought you might not come back."

At that moment my heart opened up to her. She needed me, and I was happy to help her. She was very sweet, and although she hated to be so dependent on someone else, she kept a sense of humor about her situation, which I thought was remarkable. She even laughed when I struggled to drag her into bed at night because she was too heavy for me! I still think of her with great affection.

None of this would have been possible without Christ. I was surprised by the love He generated inside of me. I expected to struggle with myself for the entire time I had to be on the job, but instead I had completely overcome my problems by the third day! Why couldn't I do the same for my mother? Because no matter how much I loved her, I was unable to see her as a creature of God. I did not believe that she had a soul. I looked at her as a body more than as a person. I thought that I loved her, but true love has the power to move the heart.

This is just a bit of Antonella's conversion story, which you must go to On the Road to Jerusalem and read. The wonderful thing about conversion stories is that we can look at them and remember our own conversions while seeing another facet of how much Jesus loves each and every one of us. I especially resonated with Antonella's conversion beginning with books ... and not in the way you might think. Via Riparians at the Gate.

Snapshot: New Additions to My "Faves" Playlist

All thanks to Rose who had a soundtrack playlist I was checking out.

• Cutting Bracken - The Killdares
• Peggy Sussed - Underworld
• Comptine d'Une Autre Ete - L'Apres-Midi - from Amelie

LOL

And I also laughed out loud. (Just like Ironic Catholic, which is where I found this.)

Reviewing: A Biblical Walk Through the Mass

Lead us not into temptation: This petition is not so much a prayer to avoid all trials and temptations in life. The biblical words express a request that God not allow us to enter into temptation in the sense of giving in to it. It is a prayer that God would strengthen us to overcome the temptations we face. Pope Benedict XVI taught that in this petition, it is as if we are saying to God, "I know that I need trials so that my nature can be purified. When you decide to send me those trials ... then please remember that my strength only goes so far. Don't overestimate my capacity. Don't set too wide the boundaries within which I may be tempted, and be close to me with your protecting hand when it becomes too much for me." As St. Paul said, "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor 10:13).

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass by Edward Sri is full of moments like the one above where a line from the Our Father is considered. Familiar phrases that may flow unthinkingly from our lips are  brought to new life. We are reminded how they apply to our own lives and perhaps given a new understanding.

Sri brings this depth and thoughtfulness to his explanation of the entire liturgy. Some places feature more biblical background, others instead contain thoughts from authorities like popes and Church fathers, but all are illuminated with Sri's own enthusiasm and love for the liturgy itself. One cannot read this without catching a spark that makes pages turn a bit more quickly or having some of that beauty splash onto the Mass the next time one attends. That has been my experience after reading this book.

In my opinion, one of the best unintended side effects of the new liturgy has been the recent spate of books covering the changes. We have gotten a variety of approaches and Sri's is one of the best. It is extremely accessible and helps us meet God personally in the liturgy. Highly recommended.

Ironic Catholic's Review of Happy Catholic: "The God and Culture Thang"

So when I read Julie's book, full of meditations and reflections on snippets of books, TV shows, movies, etc., I rejoiced!, because...she cut through all the dreck for me! These are great little insights, all the more appealing because they popped up out of a swamp. It's like you can't keep God, and human longing for God, down. He always rises to the top, like cream.

Ironic Catholic brings up a question I hadn't considered ... can someone who has completely given up television enjoy reading Happy Catholic?

We know that Happy Catholic is chock-full of television references. So I was very pleased to find that Ironic Catholic appreciated the good stuff being skimmed off the top and presented without the need for using a tv screen.

It is a very generous review and I am most appreciative.

It's Two, Two, Two Books in One: Reviewing "What Would Madame Defarge Knit?

It's is a set of essays reflecting on classic literature.

It's a knitting pattern book.

 Perhaps surprisingly, it functions beautifully as both.

It takes a special group of book-loving knitters to latch onto A Tale of Two Cities and ask, "Just what was Madame Defarge knitting? Is there a pattern? Let's make one!" What makes the book work ultimately is that editor and writer Heather Ordover pulls it all together and imbues it with the joy of curiosity, discovery, and whimsy.

Ordover is best known to book-loving knitters as the host of the CraftLit* podcast where literature and knitting gracefully combine. As much as I love the podcast, I would have thought it impossible to get it into a book. I would have been wrong.

The literature ranges from A Tale of Two Cities to The Wizard of Oz to Lysistrata to The Call of Cthulhu. The essays are thoughtful pieces divided into three groups: What I Did for Love, Song of the Sea, and Women of Valor. A variety of approaches  contemplative, some are analytical, some humorous, and some are resigned to loving tentacles wherever they appear, but all mirror the same passion for story.

Is there such a thing as a book report done in knitting? The patterns which accompany each essay range from simple to complex and reflect the literature very well. Projects range from Hyde's Hooded Sweater to an Ancient Mariner Watch Cap to Not-So-Ruby Slippers to Madame Defarge's Stole (and thus we discover what Madame Defarge was knitting). If you don't knit, there are other crafts included. I especially liked the Mermaid's Lagoon shadow puppets which included the crocodile.

Food and drink are available also, albeit via links to the book's website. Tips are scattered throughout to help with such challenges as crisp stripes, cabling without a cable needle, and attaching LED neckbolts (a tip that everyone will be sure to appreciate). I also liked the appendix that showed every time Jane Eyre mentioned a shawl. (There are a surprising number of times.)

It is not a perfect book but the problems are those that most readers probably will not mind as much as I do. Yes, my crochety side is emerging. As a design professional, I found the book layout a touch problematic but I won't harp on that since it was done by a small, independent press and I'm inclined to give them a pass and salute the effort that allows books like this to see the light of day. (I do mention it because ... I'm crochety!) As a knitter, however, I do wish there was better formatting of instructions. Glancing at other knitting books or even magazines would give a hint of how to help the eye catch lines of instruction without wasting space. It also would have been nice to have the author of each essay featured after the title. I continually found myself flipping to the end of the piece to see who was speaking before I began reading.

Another problem is that many items are found online rather than included in the book. This includes food and drink recipes, photographs, and some other features. To be fair, some readers love this, or so I have read on Ravelry. Others, like me, would prefer it all in one place. The reason for the on-line portions was to keep the book affordable. However, I would have preferred to pay more and have everything included in the book. I am not going to stop reading and look online. Just ain't gonna happen. Also, I think of what happens if my girls inherit this book and thirty years from now are paging through, looking for just how the back of that Jane Eyre shawl knits up. Will formats have changed, CraftLit no longer be with us (sob), and the times have moved on past when anyone would look online? (La, dear, how archaic!) The book is incomplete without all the trimmings in my opinion.

That said, those trimmings are just that ... extra bits. We can find recipes elsewhere and the charming wood cut illustrations do give some hint of how the overall piece should look. As to the other details, well that's where creativity will reign.

In other words, don't let my carping keep you from buying this wonderful book.

What Would Madame Defarge Knit gives us a wide variety of voices all mirroring the same love of literature, crafts, friendship, and creativity. It is an unlikely combination, but it works. You'll have a long reading list and a long knitting/crafts list to work from when you're done reading it. Highly recommended.

Note: I received a review pdf so that my blurb could be on the back cover, but I bought a hold-in-my-hands copy because I needed the real thing.

Second Note: For a review which also comments thoughtfully upon the small publishing world and a nonknitter's perspective, read this one at Pink Slip.

*It is an interesting age we live in where there are communities formed around a blog or podcast. Such is the case with CraftLit, "a podcast for crafters who like books." It provides classic literature in audio form so that listeners can do crafts and get a good story at the same time. Heather Ordover took this concept and enriched it by providing excellent information about authors, writing styles, time periods, and overarching literary themes. Essentially, CraftLit is the most enjoyable literature class you ever dreamed of.

Heather also talks about the crafts she's been doing with heavy emphasis on knitting, recommends other podcasts, and includes a lot of listener comments. The unique combination of knitting and literature has formed a large, supportive community.

Snapshot: The Fluffiest, Most Absorbent Towels I've Ever Used

I suddenly noticed that our towels were ragged. Really ragged.

When did this happen? And how? I mean, they were only ... wait, let me add ... only 15 years old? How did that happen? When did 15 years whisk by?

Anyway, I went looking for hotel towels. They always seem to me to be the softest. I suppose it does depend on which sort of hotel you are staying at. I had in mind those from the time we wound up unexpectedly staying in the luxurious Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield, Illinois.

When I went looking, there was nothing obvious, but eventually I wound up at this selection from Towel King, which  is supported handily by Amazon's payment system.

I washed them when they showed up and was astounded at the fluffiness that emerged from our drier. These washcloths and towels make showering a real luxury. So much so that I have two extra sets en route so I can kick some more of those ragged bath towels to other service (drying dogs, drying cars, tossed over muddy car seats so a person can safely sit on them...).

Worth a Thousand Words: Bonus Edition

Chipmunk

Photo by Doug Cadmus, Creative Commons license

Via Next Door Nature where you really should go to read the accompanying article. I don't know of anyone who writes more charmingly about nature while conveying lots of facts. I love that blog. Here's a sample to lure you into reading it all for yourself.

As the small face in front of me grew wider, I began to doubt that it would fit back through a 2” opening without leaving behind some of the payload. I forgot that by this time of year, even a young’un would be an old hand at this. She dove into the entrance without a second’s hesitation… and me right on her heels, having conveniently shrunk down to chipmunk size (in my mind, that is—there weren’t any bottles labeled “Drink Me” at hand).

Special Edition Papal Toilet Paper

Renova, a Portuguese paper company, is celebrating Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming trip to Madrid by releasing special edition Papal toilet paper. The yellow and white rolls–representing the colors of the Papal flag–are being released for World Youth Day. The product’s description on Renova’s website calls them “streamers,” yet they come in the same packaging as their toilet paper and can only be found in the toilet paper section of their site. Don’t be bashful, for Renova asks you to “Open your windows to celebrate!” when the Pope comes to Madrid.

Via The Curt Jester who says he now knows what to use when he TPs the Vatican. That I wanna see ...

"After all, all he did was string together a lot of old, well-known quotations."

H.L. Mencken was joking about Shakespeare when he said that.

We all know that I have a predilection for quotes myself.  This blog puts up a quote a day and Happy Catholic (the book) shares a lot of quotes.

I have a guest post up at American Catholic Blog featuring some new quotes and sources I have found that would make me beg and plead for a few more pages to include them in the book. There are 10 good 'uns and I'm fairly sure you haven't seen them all here yet. So check it out!

American Catholic Blog is the St. Anthony Messenger Press's blog. They own Servant Books, which is my publisher. It has been a bonus for me that not only have I gotten to know the Servant Books folks, but now am getting to chat more with the St. Anthony Messenger Press people. What a nice bunch they are! I'm looking forward to getting to meet some of them at their exhibit at the UDMC Catholic Conference that will be here in Dallas this October.

Dragged Kicking and Screaming Into the Promised Land

You know who that's about, right?

Yep! Me!

My encounter with East of Eden by John Steinbeck is the subject of my A Free Mind column at Patheos.

Finally ... Someone Who Liked Cowboys and Aliens

OK, here's the deal. When you're talking about a movie called “Cowboys and Aliens,” you'll do well not to overthink it.

I'm glad I hadn't read some of the reviews I've read today, before I went to see the film last night. Because I had a great time. I don't think I've sat in a theater seat and enjoyed myself so much since I saw “Taken.” When you're talking summer movies, it doesn't get much better than this, if you're asking me.

Lars Walker, my hero. Which must say something about how influenced I am by the critics' comments, in that I need someone's enjoyment to watch it.

On the other hand, movies ain't cheap these days.

Snapshot: How I Know I Was Super Distracted This Morning

Because walking down the hall to work, I realized I didn't do that thing where you mismatch socks.

I wasn't wearing socks.

But I mismatched my shoes.

True story.

One ballet flat.

One black sandal.

*sigh*

And now?

I'm barefoot. Until it is time to slink out of the building and go home.

Straight home.

No stops on the way.

It's Like He Read My Mind: the Pope on vacation and summer reading

Appearing on the balcony overlooking the square, the Pope said "each of us needs time and space for meditation, reflection and calm ... Thank God it's so! In fact, this requirement tells us that we are not made only for work but also to think, reflect, or simply to follow a story with our minds and hearts, a story that we can connect with, in a sense 'get lost' in to then find ourselves enriched."

Of course, Pope Benedict is talking about reading the Bible, especially those books that you might not have read before. I've gotta agree on that subject too. Ruth, Esther, and Tobit are some of my favorites and I'm always surprised at how few people have read them.

I'd also encourage investigation of Robert Alter's many excellent translations of the Old Testament. He is scrupulously accurate and yet makes the text really come alive.

Thanks to Scott Danielson for the link!

If God Had a Blog

UPDATE: Pretty pleased with what I’ve come up with in just six days. Going to take tomorrow off. Feel free to check out what I’ve done so far. Suggestions and criticism (constructive, please!) more than welcome. God out.

The comments are priceless ... my favorite, the one about the dodo. Read it all at The New Yorker. Via The Deacon's Bench. (Note: language warning)

Happy Birthday, Dear Mom!

I was just on the phone with Mom, having a delightful conversation, and she mentioned making an orange cake.

Now, she was talking about a bundt cake infused with orange glaze, but perhaps this sort of cake* has that same glaze between the layers, eh? It might ... and so we will imagine it!

It sounds as if she has had a great day so far which is just going to get better with an Italian meal planned for tonight. And presents! Always with presents!

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

* Cake photo from Bayshore Cakes. I'm not in Salt Lake City, but if I were, that bakery would tempt me to try way too many cakes!

Snapshot: I'm spending the morning crying

I'm writing a Lenten devotional booklet and have arrived at Holy Week.

The gospel music has been on high and I've been singing along sometimes.

I've been digging into symbolism and getting blown away.

You simply cannot write about Holy Week without crying. The glorious thing at this moment though is that my tears are those of joy.

I have been realizing that under the sadness of the necessity for his glorious obedience and sacrifice, there is a deep strain of joy at finishing the race triumphantly.

My thankfulness and gratitude will never be enough.

I've known it before, of course. Felt it before, of course.

But at this moment, I am overcome with joy and love for Jesus, himself.

(I can only imagine how red my eyes are at this moment. Should make going to work ... interesting.)

Two Good WSJ Editorials That Are Pro-Baby

There is nothing so heartening as reading this sort of editorial with my morning coffee!

Life and Faith in Hell's Kitchen
William McGowan writes about the Sisters of Life and their ministry to help unwed mothers in NYC.

Safe, legal and rare" has long been the pro-choice mantra, but these days it applies less and less to the reality of abortion. In New York City, officials reported this year that 41% of pregnancies end in abortion—double the national rate. In the black community, the figure is 60%.

Numbers like these motivate the Sisters of Life, a small order of nuns celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. The sisters take traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but they also take a fourth vow "to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life." According to Archbishop Timothy Dolan, once the sisters connect with unwed pregnant women in need, "the battle is half over."

Of Beckhams and Babies

Shortly after Mrs. Beckham gave birth [to her fourth child] this month, Mr. Ross [the chief executive of the British nonprofit group Population Matters] told Britain's Observer that "The Beckhams, and others like London Mayor Boris Johnson, are very bad role models with their large families. There's no point in people trying to reduce their carbon emissions and then increasing them 100% by having another child."

This Review & Outlook editorial is brief but positive about putting Mr. Ross in his place.

Note: if the links turn out to go to stories for subscribers only, try finding the article in Google (the headlines are those of the editorials). It should let you in through the Google link. That's how I found 'em.

Bloggurgatory ... or ... Purgatory for Catholic Bloggers

Acts of the Apostasy began it.

Maybe Catholic bloggers will have to endure sufferings that are a bit more...I don't know, personal. Custom-fit.

And carried on with an amusing list of tailor-made purifications for the likes of:

Fr Z - drink instant coffee while blogging on a 386...with a dial-up connection.

The Curt Jester picked up that baton and ran with it (what a shock!) and came up with one of my actual fears.

Fr. Phillip Neri Powell, OP His purgatory would be something like being trapped in a gigantic library with no books on the shelves.  Kind of like the Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough at Last” where book lover Burgess Merideth and ends with a gigantic pile of books around him and his glasses broken.  In fact that would be my Purgatory also – or perhaps Hell.  This would also be purgatory for Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor, and Happy Catholic.

Although I actually always saw Purgatory as a place filled with books that are super-old and I always managed to avoid, but now find that had information that would have turned me into a saint if only I had read those people's take on holiness. (St. Faustina's diary is among my special fears. I'm into the divine mercy and all, I just don't want to have to read her book about it.)

So do yourself a favor. Go see what they've dreamed up. You will laugh and maybe it will scare you straight ... straight into holiness!  (Be sure to read Ironic Catholic's purgatory ... that is my other fear.)

St. Martha's Feast Day: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things."

Today is St. Martha's feast day. Depending on the source you check, she's the patron saint of housewives, cooks, and servants.

She is also my patron saint.

I was looking over a list of saints before I was confirmed and saw that she was the patron saint of housewives. I love being at home and cooking (though not cleaning). That aside, I figured that was as good a reason as any. Also the main story I knew (the one we all think of) made me think of her as a little sassy. That fit too.


Little did I know that, once again, God was being sneaky in pairing me up with the perfect “big sister” to help me get through some of my worst tendencies. As I looked into her story more, I saw someone who had a unique friendship with Jesus and whose faith journey is clearly traced for us.

I have the privilege of presenting St. Martha to a wider audience at Patheos today, on her special day ... in my A Free Mind column. Please do go read about my dear Martha there.

What Do You Get When You Mix a Snoring Scholar and a Happy Catholic?

What do you find is the most compelling part of your story as more people read your book and you share your story with them?


If this doesn’t sound too presumptuous, it is that I get to see a little of how the Holy Spirit works. Honestly, I am very often humbled by what people say that God shows them when reading the book. Very little of what they have found is what I put in there, if that makes sense. They are getting messages that I didn’t specifically write. That is God at work.

[...]

The lovely, charming, sweet, and popular blogger, Sarah Reinhard (aka Snoring Scholar) interviewed me via email.

Click through on the link to read it and while you're there be sure to look around. For one thing, Sarah reads all sorts of books that I wouldn't think to try. Often I find myself adding to my list after visiting her place. And her sunny personality and love of her faith is everywhere.

UDMC Catholic Conference 2011

Evidently they've been having this great conference here for several years ... and I just found out about it.

This is actually titled a Ministry Conference, but many of the talks are more general than that. They say:

If you are interested in participating in the conference as a Catholic parishioner, we encourage you to check out the following tracks, which are relevant to every Catholic. They feature talks that discuss family life, marriage, parenting, social justice, faith formation, Scripture, and Christian spirituality.

John Allen will be giving two talks and Lisa Hendey also will be giving two talks. I met Lisa a couple of years ago in San Antonio at the Catholic New Media Conference. What a sweetheart!

Also, I have an early copy of her new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, and I'm just going to say, you need a copy. Don't let the "Moms" on the cover fool you. This is for anyone in a family ... wives, husbands, grown children ... it is simply fantastic. I'd tell you all about it but I've promised that "mum's the word" until the official publishing date. It. is. amazing. Trust me on this.

Ahem ... now, what was I saying?

Oh, right. So Tom and I are going to the UDMC in late October. It is surprisingly inexpensive. Check it out if you live near enough to make it for the weekend.

A Big Story in the Big Valley Discussing Some Big Ideas ...

East of Eden is up for discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast, where I eat crow with surprising grace (I think) considering how hard I was screaming about having to read Steinbeck.

The 2011 Bulwer-Lytton Contest Winners Are Here!

What is the Bulwer-Lytton Contest?

Since 1982 the English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels. The contest was the brainchild of Professor Scott Rice, whose graduate school excavations unearthed the source of the line "It was a dark and stormy night." ...

My favorites from this year's roundup are:

Runner Up

As I stood among the ransacked ruin that had been my home, surveying the aftermath of the senseless horrors and atrocities that had been perpetrated on my family and everything I hold dear, I swore to myself that no matter where I had to go, no matter what I had to do or endure, I would find the man who did this . . . and when I did, when I did, oh, there would be words.

Rodney Reed

Ooltewah, TN

Winner: Adventure

From the limbs of ancient live oaks moccasins hung like fat black sausages -- which are sometimes called boudin noir, black pudding or blood pudding, though why anyone would refer to a sausage as pudding is hard to understand and it is even more difficult to divine why a person would knowingly eat something made from dried blood in the first place -- but be that as it may, our tale is of voodoo and foul murder, not disgusting food.

Jack Barry

Ancient Arabia, Djinn, and Two Improbable Heroes: reviewing The Desert of Souls

The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The glittering tradition of sword-and-sorcery sweeps into the sands of ancient Arabia with the heart-stopping speed of a whirling dervish in this thrilling debut novel from new talent Howard Andrew Jones

In 8th century Baghdad, a stranger pleads with the vizier to safeguard the bejeweled tablet he carries, but he is murdered before he can explain. Charged with solving the puzzle, the scholar Dabir soon realizes that the tablet may unlock secrets hidden within the lost city of Ubar, the Atlantis of the sands. When the tablet is stolen from his care, Dabir and Captain Asim are sent after it, and into a life and death chase through the ancient Middle East.

This was an easy and exciting read and I finished it quickly, partially because I was flipping the pages so fast.

Asim and Dabir somewhat remind me of Number Ten Ox and Master Li from Barry Hughart's stories of a China that never was. Asim is not as dim as Number Ten Ox and Dabir is not as wise (or old) as Master Li, but it is a classic pairing of brawn and brains, which can lead to misunderstandings that are sometimes comic but which can endanger everything if both do not learn to trust one another. By the end of the book we are fond of both characters, as, indeed, they are of each other.

The adventure itself is multi-faceted and highly inventive, while still remaining true to form in what feels like a factually based universe. In fact, Jones has taken great care to keep the historical facts true to form with Jaffar and the caliph being based on the actual historical people. In this, he must have been highly influenced by the stories of Harold Lamb, several volumes of which he collected into anthologies before writing his own novel.

Room was clearly left for more adventures and I hope that Jones is at work on the next. I can't wait to see what Asim and Dabir must tangle with next.

Most of my reviews are posted on this Book Reviews page.

The Church and New Media

This week I have completed nine years of blogging and so I can say that I have some perspective on the growth of the so-called Catholic “New Media.” Nine years ago I could pretty much read every post in the Catholic blogosphere during a short lunch. Catholic audio on the internet was extremely limited and podcasting was still a couple more years into the future. The growth of new media for Catholics has been quite an interesting thing to watch.

Bearing that in mind I was quite happy to review the new book by blogger Brandon Vogt The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet. ...

The Curt Jester has a great review which I was very interested to read. I am having trouble keeping my head above water just at the moment so won't be reviewing it ... so please do go check out Jeff's review. I've been reading his blog almost as long as he's been writing it and I trust him.

The Con is On ... Again ...

My review of Red Glove, book 2 in the series that began with White Cat, is up at SFFaudio.

Vi sørger med deg, Norge. (We grieve with thee, Norway.)

Kan dine barn hvile i fred. (May thy children rest in peace.)*

One of the problems with getting practically all your news from a printed newspaper and with not reading blogs (or at least many of them) over the weekend, is that the television, the blogosphere, and all that other new media move so fast past any big news story.

I was horrified to read about the massacres in Norway.

As *Maureen says so well, we grieve with you and pray for you.

Weekend Joke

Ok, I know it is the wrong time of year for this, but I just couldn't help it. You've got to have this joke!

I was driving down a lonely country road one cold winter day when it began to sleet pretty heavily. My windows were getting icy and my wiper blades were badly worn and quickly fell apart under the strain.

Unable to drive any further because of the ice building up on my front window I suddenly had a great idea. I stopped and began to overturn large rocks until I located two very lethargic hibernating rattle snakes. I grabbed them up, straightened them out flat and installed them on my blades and they worked just fine.

What! You've never heard of . . . wind chilled vipers?

Audio: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, narrated by Jim Dale

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Everyone knows this story.

I read this aloud to the girls, long ago, when it first came out. In fact, it was handy having the series coming out as it did. We read along with each book. Harry's world got more complex as he grew older and the girls grew older just at the right time to enjoy each one. We must have read at least the first three or four books in the series that way. Then we'd get the new one and pass it around, reading at break-neck speed and steadfastly refusing to discuss it until the last person had finished.

With the last movie coming out, I began thinking about rereading the books but already have too much reading on my plate. So I got the audio for the first book from the library.

What a treat!

Jim Dale is such an accomplished narrator that the book is taking on new life. Not only am I rediscovering what a wonderful book it is, but his voicing of the characters is giving each of them new depth and life as well.

That is what the really good audiobooks do, though, is make a book into a new experience. It also becomes more immediate, more personal, if you will. (I discovered that listening to East of Eden, when I had to switch to the regular printed book in order to distance myself from the bad people Steinbeck was writing about.)


My Goodreads reviews. For my older reviews, see the Books page on this blog.

Snapshot: I got into Google+ ...

... it echoes in there.

It's strange to be a place that is essentially Facebook but with so few people.

Kind of nice though. Like just having moved into a house, before you get all the furniture.

And the "circles" idea is good. Though I haven't done much with any of it yet.

Not that I do much with Facebook either, though.

The Good Wife: great summer TV

The seemingly endless days of high Texas temperatures have sapped my interest in talking about books. I'd recommend a movie but brainless summer movies like Transformers 3 or Zookeeper sap my energy even more.

What is a free mind that loves good stories to do? Turn to television, of course!

Allow me to recommend "The Good Wife," an addictive pleasure worth a lazy summer's evening. Part legal drama, part political commentary, and part soap opera, "The Good Wife" is intelligent, brilliantly nuanced, riveting entertainment. This show doesn't veer away from discussing faith and true human nature in authentic terms.

My latest A Free Mind column at Patheos ... read it all there!

Kate Wicker's review of Happy Catholic: " ... even pop culture can’t escape the wisdom of God."

... whether I’m reading something out of the mouth of a great theologian or an animated superhero from The Incredibles, I’m getting a glimpse of God and how He can be found everywhere – in humor, in sorrow, in the tabernacle, in a secular world, in the most quotidian particulars of life.

So much of our faith is found in living it, and it’s difficult to live our faith if we only feel God is nearby when we’re at church or when we’re participating in formal prayer. What I love about Julie’s approach to spirituality and religion is that there’s always an opportunity for growth and reflection no matter what you find yourself doing, seeing, reading, experiencing, or feeling.

That's not all Kate Wicker has to say in her really nice review of Happy Catholic (the book) ... including a special confession about the special place she goes to read it. I'm not tellin', I'm just sayin' you have to go read it for yourself.

While you're there, take a look around at Kate's blog. She's got her own new book out, Weightless, and you can see from her blog that she's another who sees God all around her. I especially liked "Why I Love My Grandma" (and no, it isn't as sappy as it sounds ... but you're used to that from being around here, right? Right!).

My interview on Christopher Closeup ...

... or how I discovered that it really is the interviewer who makes the interview good.

From my point of view anyway. I guess if you listen and don't like the interview, then we know who to blame ... and it ain't Tony Rossi.

I had exchanged emails with Tony for years but it was a real pleasure to get to talk to him in person. What a swell guy! He really is a fitting representative for a great group like The Christophers.

The podcast is now online at The Christophers.

If you like Catholic radio instead of podcasts, the show will air on:

• Sirius-XM’s The Catholic Channel (Channel 129) this Sunday July 24 at 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central).
• Relevant Radio the same day at 2:30 p.m. Eastern (1:30 p.m. Central).

Potatoes, Basil, and Creativity

There's a certain sense of accomplishment I feel when I am getting dinner ready, realizing that somehow I should be working in disparate ingredients from the CSA cooler. It's like being on one of those cooking shows, handed a box of odd ingredients and told to make dinner with it.

Certainly it pushes me out of my comfort zone and into inspiration. And sometimes ... every so often ... it pushes me into a place where my family is delighted with the inspiration.

Yesterday, for example, I was making Baked Salmon with Horseradish Sauce. I had picked up some fresh green beans at the store last weekend but was wondering what starch to have with the meal. Then I remembered the red potatoes from the CSA, some of them were fairly small. I could have potatoes and green beans.


Read the rest at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

John Carter of Mars Trailer

I could never get into the books (and oh how I've tried) but I could definitely get into this movie.

Directed by Andrew Stanton. Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and now this live action movie. I'm ready.

Via Scott at Rivets and Trees.

UPDATED
I forgot to say ... the music, oh the music! I am ready to buy that soundtrack now ...

For Better, For Worse, For God: the book every married couple should read - together

I have seen two different bloggers lately talk about the efforts they are making to reconnect with spouses. And I've gotten emails from two people that have mentioned the same problem.

We're talking "well-marriage" connections, which are an ever-present struggle for every couple, all the time. Let's just get that out there and think about it. All the time. Every couple.


This book really is like a marriage retreat in a book. I first reviewed this book back in 2009 and think that is it time to remind everyone about this great resource. I give it to newlyweds and it probably seems like an odd gift at the time. I hope that they crack the cover open later and delve into the goodness. There is much inside to help "well-marriages" get even better.

With that, let's rerun the review ...

For Better, for Worse, for God: Exploring the Holy Mystery of Marriage

... becoming one flesh means more than a physical union. Genesis says that God created man and woman to become one body. The Hebrew word for body or "flesh," refers to the physical body for sure, but it encompasses much more. Body includes the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. We're called to be united with our spouse physically, emotionally, and spiritually while retaining our unique individuality. God's design for this partnership is that it nurtures our lives and in so doing gives life to the world.

Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus--John Gray and his publishers picked a great title for his bestselling book on marriage. It has become a popular shorthand way of saying that men and women are profoundly different. They are so different that it often seems they live on different planets.

In addition to the obvious anatomical differences, men and women are "wired" differently in their communication styles, emotional makeup, and sexual responses. You and your spouse differ as individuals. Your temperaments are different. You come into marriage with dissimilar expectations, desires, hopes and approaches to problem solving. And while you don't really live on different planets, you come from different places. You were raised in different families. Your family of origin gave you ideas about marriage, child rearing, sex roles, and family values that are different from your spouse's. Some marriage experts say that incompatibility was never a valid reaon for divorce becuase all couples are incompatible to some extent.

Creating an "us" in the face of these differences is a challenging dimension of the vocation of marriage. to become "one," partners must understand the many ways in which they differ from each other and recognize how their differences can work in their favor in terms of their partnership. They also need to learn to manage these differences without hurting each other.

First, becoming an "us" is a realistic goal. The differences between men and women are great, but the desire to achieve unity is even greater. Men and women deeply desire each other; most men and women want to share their lives with a partner of the opposite sex. ... If God created us this way, we can be assured that he gives us the grace to achieve the union we desire.

Second, the work of becoming an "us" is spiritual work, and it requires spiritual disciplines, as already mentioned. Each vocation has its distinctive challenges, and becoming one with a particular other person for life is the unique challenge of marriage; the spiritual disciplines of marriage are the tools we use to achieve it. The disciplines we practice within marriage may seem mundane, such as counting to ten before returning an angry response, or waiting patiently for a spouse who is slow, but they accomplish something remarkable. They allow us to live in communion with someone who feels, perceives, reacts, responds, and loves differently from us.

Living in communion is holy because the conjugal life both mirrors and provides the world with an experience of belonging and acceptance God desires with us. Like the "communion" we experience in the sacraments of the Eucharist, marriage can provide the opportunity to "be one in Christ," the goal for all baptized believers.

Someone who has attended one of the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreats that Tom and I help to present may recognize many, if not all, of the principles above. Members of the presentation team definitely will. After working on these retreats for several years, I can tell you that I was blown away by Mary Jo Pederson's book. She consistently took the concepts that Tom and I have learned and practiced in that retreat and expanded upon them in knowledgeable, practical, spiritual, and even humorous ways.

If I included all the pieces that I read aloud to Tom, only to hear him say, "Wow. That is so true. This author is really good!" then we'd be here all day. This is the book I will be buying for newly weds, friends who wish they could make it to a retreat, and for our girls when they are getting married. It can't replace a retreat but it surely is a good supplement and a great grounding in reality for any married couple. Highest recommendations on this one.

Driveby Review: Two Brainless Movies

I rented these knowing that they required no brain and that I was going "off list" and that they hadn't really received critical acclaim.

I was going for summer blockbuster silliness. And we got it. Oh brotha, we got it.

Spoilers included because you've likely heard of these and they each had one point that annoyed me like crazy. As always, good reminders not to get your theology from Hollywood.

The A-Team
I suspended disbelief and so all was very well until we got to the part where Mr. T took up nonviolence. Actually, all was very well after that for some time because I was surprised and pleased that they would play with the action movie template in such an unexpected way.

Where I was annoyed was when Mr. T is pushed to give up his renunciation of his gangsta ways by using Gandi's quotes against him. Now, I get it. Obviously there's the set up so that Mr. T must choose to save his buddy from secondary villain. I was hoping that he would cleverly find a way to do it without killing him. Which would have shown Liam Neeson's character that he didn't know everything (btw, Liam looked like a wimpy grandpa amongst the macho guys in this film - he's no George Peppard ... I'm just sayin'). Wrong. When he pulled off his helmet to sport that gangsta/hood mohawk, I was so disappointed. Hannah said, "The worst thing is, most of the audiences probably saw this as positive character development." Ouch. That hurt even worse.

I'm not even gonna get into the "what were they thinking" comments we had about Jessica Biel's casting. No personality, an uptight character, and no chemistry with Bradley Cooper (who's got chemistry and to spare ... am I right, ladies?). Oh, I guess I did get into it.

Overall: not horrible if you are going for brainless action movie. Just not as good as it could have been. On the other hand, it was no Transformers movie, so it's got that going for it. What the heck. Rent it.


The Adjustment Bureau
If only I had known that it was based on a story by Philip K. Dick, I'd have expected the lack of free will nonsense being shown throughout the movie. Now, I haven't read the story but I'd bet it didn't have the nice, happy ending that they put in this. I'd bet there was memory erasure going at high speed. As for that "you can have free will if you're willing to fight for it" line ... that was pretty much nonsense if you look at all the trouble they went to hunting down Matt Damon and also freezing and adjusting people who got out of line with "the Chairman's plan." They weren't angels and the Chairman was a creepy vision of God. I was pulling for them to be fallen angels with the Chairman down under, if you know what I mean. However, stupid theology aside, the plot holes are big enough to drive a bus through.

Avoid this one.

Today We Saw the Face of God: trailer for the documentary Rose is editing

The team treated their last patient, gathered their supplies and set off towards their sleeping quarters.

And then the ground began to shake violently.

Instead of winging their way home from Haiti, the team of 23 volunteers found themselves the slender thread for survival as panic stricken Haitians thronged to their medical facility. They were suddenly first responders in an unprecedented medical crisis.

Today We Saw the Face of God is a true testament to the power of human connection in the face of unimaginable suffering.

Watch the trailer for Today We Saw the Face of God.

You can see Rose on the crew page (including her photo, which she blessedly did not put through Instagram ... the latest cause of fist-shaking in my codger-ish world).

Weekend Joke:

A very wealthy lawyer retreated for several weeks each year to his summer home in the backwoods of Maine. Every summer, he would invite one friend or another to stay with him there for a week or two.

One summer he invited a Czechoslovakian friend to visit him. The friend, happy to get anything free from a lawyer, eagerly agreed. When the time came, they spent a wonderful time, getting up early every morning and enjoying the great outdoors.

One morning, as the lawyer and his Czechoslovakian friend were picking raspberries and blueberries for their breakfast, they were approached by two huge bears~~a male and a female.

The lawyer noticed them in time to run for cover. His friend, however, was not so lucky. The male bear reached him and swallowed him whole.

Seeing this, the lawyer ran back to his Mercedes and raced for the nearest town to get the local sheriff. The sheriff grabbed his high~powered rifle and raced back to the berry area with the lawyer. All the while, the lawyer was plagued by visions of lawsuit from his friend's family. He just had to save his friend.

Luckily, the bears were still there.

"He's in THAT one!" cried the lawyer, pointing to the male. The sheriff looked at the bears, leveled his gun, took careful aim, and shot the female.

"What did you do that for?!" exclaimed the lawyer, "I said he was in the other bear!"

"Exactly," replied the sheriff. "Would you believe a lawyer who told you that the Czech was in the male?"

This 'N' That on the HC Homestead

An Arborist in the Family

The company Hannah works at was downsizing and in the "last hired, first fired" action, she lost her job. However, less than a week later, she has been hired by a tree company. She couldn't be more pleased. She loves animals but she loves trees just as much (I don't understand it, I just nod and smile). We're all thrilled at the news though and I, personally, feel that this was so easy, with so many components being set in the perfect place, that God wants Hannah's next job to be as an arborist. She begins studying for the test soon ...

Last Car Payment!

I just mailed off the very last car payment for our Ford Freestyle. Woohoo! So we now have no car payments. Not that we don't have other things to sock that payment into, but still, it feels good to have two cars, no payments. Now to drive them until they just won't drive no more!

When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along

Thanks to BirdNote podcast, I knew when I saw robins enjoying the sprinkler in a neighbor's yard on this morning's walk, that a lot of them probably had spotted breasts instead of red ones. I stopped my walk and began counting. There were twelve on the ground, with more in the trees. Sure enough, over half sported spotted breasts just tinged with a bit of red on the sides near their wings. They were watching the adults with some of them pecking at the ground in a desultory way. It didn't take long for every robin in the yard to soon fix me with an icy eye. You could see the wheels turning. "Do you eat robins?" they were all asking themselves. Taking no chances, after a minute they zoomed to the trees. Just a vignette of what happens when you keep your eyes open, even in a crowded suburb near downtown.

Flocks of Parrots Flying By

Lately both Tom and I have seen flocks of parrots flying overhead. Ten to fifteen large-ish birds whoosh together in and out of trees, flying pretty fast. These may be the legendary Quaker Parrots/Monk Parakeets of Dallas (I'm not kidding). If they are parakeets then they are much larger than that name implies. Noisy, green and ... really fast. It makes watering the lawn into a real birdwatching adventure.

Blogging Around: Why So Serious?

So many serious topics, sprinkled with something less so. All well written and worth taking a look at.

A Quality Of Irresponsibility Peculiar To This Century, Known Sometimes As Modernism

For Philip Larkin, the baleful influence of "modernism" on 20th century culture was embodied in "the three Ps": Pound, Picasso, and Parker (Charlie). Of course, we should bear in mind that Larkin was wont to play the role of reactionary Philistine in order to get a rise out of people (particularly interviewers). But he was entirely serious. And he was entirely correct.

Read it at First Known When Lost.

Heresy is Rare and Everywhere

We have a rule in our family: you may disagree and argue with someone on any topic as long as you can first state your opponent’s position to his satisfaction. Most folks cannot state the Catholic position on birth control, gay marriage, abortion or divorce with any understanding beyond crude bumperstickerspeak and caricature. They may say “the church hates abortion and gay marriage” but they won’t be able to articulate an understanding as to why. In this case, the heresy may be rooted in an ignorance that distorts intention, and the fault of their ignorance lies with all of us. In that case, if there is heresy, then we all of us have contributed to it, either by refusing to learn, refusing to teach, or teaching in a manner so off-putting as to foment resistance or dismissal.

An excellent rule of life which is in an excellent piece by The Anchoress.

Even Our Sissypants Wonk Patsies are Hardcore

What a prince Bill Keller is. In reviewing John Julius Norwich’s Absolute Monarchs, he warns that this “rollicking narrative” featuring “265 popes (plus various usurpers and anti­popes), feral hordes of Vandals, Huns and Visigoths, expansionist emperors, Byzantine intriguers, Borgias and Medicis, heretic zealots, conspiring clerics, bestial inquisitors and more” might not appeal to “devout Catholics.”

It’s a nice little warning label: The following history contains scenes that might shock or upset readers. Not recommended for expectant mothers or members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

I have one question for Keller: son, just who the hell do you think you’re talking to? ...

There’s real pride to be taken in knowing that even our screw-ups are epic and spectacular.

Max Lindenman ... he cracks me up. He's in the same territory as Harry Crocker III's Catholic Church history, Triumph ... if you're gonna glory in the church, go all the way!

Seven with John Desjarlais

Today, in celebration of the release of John Desjarlais‘s latest book, Viper, Sarah Reinhard brings you the man himself! I loved his first book in the series, Bleeder. I also loved Viper, though I haven't written the review yet. Go meet the man behind the mysteries.

Playing for Bob Dylan, Christina Aguilera, and God

Ray Hermann is a devout Catholic who's rubbed elbows with the biggies in his music career. The Deacon's Bench has the scoop.

In China, "It's a War"

For all the local difficulties that could easily keep the Vatican brass up at night, by far, one situation likely trumps all the rest these days.

That distinction belongs to the state of the beleaguered church in China, where recent months have witnessed a spike of tensions that've served to further roil an already tenuous balance between the state-sanctioned "official" church and the "underground" faithful who clandestinely maintain communion with Rome.

A really good piece from Whispers in the Loggia for those who don't know how the church is continually attacked by the Chinese authorities.

Shaun the Sheep: the Hedge Maze

Just go look. Simply amazing. State of Play has the maze pic and the original Shaun so you can compare them.

Snapshot: Tank the Boxer

At dinner last night, Hannah looked over at Zoe the Boxer and remarked that there was a fine young male Boxer who had the identical scars on his leg for cancer removal that she does.

Which led me to say how much I loved the name "Tank" for a Boxer.

Hannah then said, "What makes it even better is that he has two little girls in his family. When he came in for surgery his front toenails were painted pink and his back toenails were painted violet."

She added that when he left, sporting a brand new E-collar to keep him from worrying his healing leg, one of the vet techs had said, "Tank, I'm sorry you have to wear a lampshade on your head but at least you already had your nails done."

His owner laughed and said, "I forgot about that. That's nothing. They day they painted his nails, he was also wearing a tutu."

What a good dog.

A good, good dog.

Snapshot: East of Eden

East of Eden by John Steinbeck




I'm reading this for A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast ... we'll discuss it in a couple of weeks.


How ironic.

After years of steadfastly avoiding Steinbeck (after an unfortunate encounter with The Red Pony in school), I now read it because Scott loves it. No truer love hath a friend than to read a 600 page Steinbeck book, I always say.

Although it is about the book of Genesis, so there is that as well.

I am not going to feel one bit guilty when I make him read Jane Eyre. And it will happen, my friends. It will happen. (evil laugh, fade out)

What Do You Think of Georgette Heyer?

That is the question posed by Hope in Brazil at Worthwhile Books.

Now that I have recovered from being knocked out of my chair in being included with Michael Dirda as one of her two influences in trying a Heyer book ... I must report sadly that Hope didn't think much of the book she chose, The Talisman Ring.

She's asking whether Heyer is just not for her or whether she read the wrong book.

I, myself, like the Talisman Ring just fine but it is not my favorite. That honor goes to The Grand Sophy. I also would recommend Cotillion, Sprig Muslin, and something else that I can't remember now.

Honestly, I could have named ten others.

If you have an opinion about Georgette Heyer, click through and let Hope know. And possibly by then my comment will be approved and we can see which of my other favorites made the cut for my comment!

Snapshot: An Old-Style Way to Spend the Time

I have a friend coming over this afternoon.

We were going to have coffee but it is so blinking hot outside that we will be having iced tea. (And maybe some of those lighter-than-air, handmade crackers from The Central Market that our family enjoys during weekend happy hours ... but that is beside the point.)

She's coming over just so we can chat.

Now, when is the last time you did anything like that? Not as part of a book club, or kids playing, or whatever excuse we come up with?

I, myself, was feeling slightly guilty about not using that time "wisely."

Then it came to me.

What better use of time is there, if one has it available, than spending time talking with a dear friend?

None, really.

My Review of Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

A short review for a short but very enjoyable book. The review is up at SFFaudio ... check it out.

A Conversation at the Gates ... or evidence that it is possible to have heart and soul in Hollywood

Sherwood Schwartz, famed 1970's television show producer of Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, wanted The Hollywood Reporter to publish his farewell letter after he died.

It is an account of what he expects to find when he reaches heaven.

I'm still wiping the tears from my eyes. Gratitude is a rare gift. No wonder I loved his television shows so much.

Go and read.


Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord
And let perpetual light shune upon him
Amen

I wondered what Hannah looked like in her aerial silks class

Thanks to JC at Pound by Pound, I need wonder no longer.

Hannah's been rock climbing so long that she's got the upper body strength necessary to soar at this silks class ... though it looks as if she's a natural on pointing her feet. I don't think that's needed in rock climbing.

For more on both rock climbing and aerial silks, check out Pound by Pound.

Brief Review: Truth & Life New Testament audio Bible

I was fascinated by the fact that the Truth & Life New Testament has an imprimatur from the Vatican and wanted a way to listen to the Bible on the way to work in snippets, a chapter at a time.

This was the perfect answer, as I discovered, and money well spent. I listened to Mark and then went on to some of Paul's letters. I just finished Thessalonians and am beginning Timothy. It gives me the perfect bit for meditation later.

I found the music beds under the readings to be good at amplifying meaning without being overwrought. Also, I appreciate the fact that the producers foresaw that people would be using this a chapter at a time. Each is segued with a bit of background noise like a cough, a door opening, a fire crackling, water being poured, etc., so that the listener doesn't feel as if they have been plopped down in the middle of an ongoing speech. Very well done indeed.

The readers are uniformly excellent, thus far. Except, I am sorry to say, for Jesus. This is strictly my opinion, of course, but he has the problem that I found in Jesus of Nazareth (movie) where every single sentence is pronounced with equal emphasis, almost demanding awe. Never does he just have a sentence where he is curiously asking a question, etc. This isn't huge, but when listening to long speeches, it did wear on me after a while.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants an audio version of the New Testament. I'm hoping they will also put out an Old Testament production.

Snapshot: True Grit

I rented the most recent version of True Grit this weekend (Jeff Bridges, Mat Damon) and was most impressed by it.

I didn't expect it to be so funny in addition to the grittiness.

Check today's quote in the sidebar for what I mean.

Anyway, I was intrigued enough to now want to watch the first version to compare John Wayne to Jeff Bridges. And also read the book to see how well the movie stacks up to it. For me to be interested enough to even consider doing all that, it means I was well and truly riveted.

I also liked the way that any long shots (for the guns) were equaled by long shots from the camera, showing just how very difficult it was to see anything at the ranges being spoken of.

Recommended, though there are a couple of spots where the violence was truly horrific, albeit brief.

Aperol, St. Germaine, and Mrs. 404

What does that mean?

It means we've been enjoying our new hobby ... again.

Check it out at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

"Faith isn't leaping from Point A to Point B. It's leaping from Point A."

What was holding me back was knowing that getting sober meant that everything would change, and I had absolutely no idea what that meant. I could imagine what an alcohol-free life would look like. I saw no friends. I saw loneliness. Mostly, I saw a huge emptiness and felt the fear.

DL at Step Zero has begun a blog to try to offer "a little help for those trying to take that first step away from addiction."

He begins by telling a bit of his own story.

I have known DL via email for sometime and have been privileged to know about some of his struggles. Honest, sincere, and a dedicated Catholic, I believe that DL is going to offer a good resource.

I have always been very thankful that my own addictions are to much less harmful substances than alcohol or drugs. That said, I think we all struggle with our disordered desires and I think that this site will have something to say to everyone. Certainly the first post speaks to me about something I've been wrestling with lately.

Go by, check it out, and welcome DL to the blogosphere!

Weekend Joke

I love this ... thanks to Tom K. for sending it!

Sister Mary Grace and Sister Judith were shopping in the neighborhood market one hot July day. Walking by the cooler case, Sister Mary Grace said, "Goodness, a cold beer would really hit the spot today, but what would the owner say?"

"Leave it to me," Sister Judith said.

She took a six-pack to the counter and, when the owner looked up, said, "We use the beer to shampoo our hair." Without missing a beat, the owner grabbed a bag of pretzel sticks and put them on the counter next to the beer.

"Sister," he said, "the curlers are on me!"

The Words Aren't the Only Things Changing in the New Liturgy

I have been meaning to mention this since the classes our parish has been giving on the new liturgy have brought it up more than once ... the music is getting a do-over also.

I’m happy to report that the legislative ground has just shifted, and dramatically so. The new translation of the General Instruction removes the discretion from the music team to sing pretty much whatever it wants. The new text, which pertains to the new translation of the Missal that comes into effect on Advent this year, makes it clear beyond any doubt: the music of the Mass is the chanted propers of the Mass. There are options but these options all exist within the universe of the primary normative chant. There can be no more making up some random text, setting it to music, and singing it as the entrance, offertory, or communion.

Jeffrey Tucker, The Chant Cafe

This isn't a big deal for our parish, or at least for most of the Masses at our parish. Heck, the Saturday vigil has a men's choir already doing chant. Although I could foresee a weaning process for our 9 a.m. Sunday family mass. It is all very tastefully done, but it has the most "modern" music.

Read more at The Chant Cafe where they have a comparison of the old and new as well as some commentary. (Via New Advent.)