Two (Possibly) Helpful Tips for Dealing with Flies or Mosquitoes

Being as how we live in Texas we've got more than our fair share of these pests.

Tom had been wondering why a local restaurant has these bags of water hanging above their outdoor waiting area. Aha! They repel flies.


I saw the mosquitoes link in the post and that prompted Tom to look further where he found a homemade mosquito trap that we are going to try out. If this works it is brilliant in its simplicity.

"beatification of the great British convert and scholar, Cardinal John Henry Newman, is 'imminent."

Being as how I know I have at least two people who get their Catholic news from this blog (scary, right?), one of whom just told me that and made me feel guilty for not including more breaking Catholic news ... I feel it incumbent upon me to mention this news.

In an interview to be published on Wednesday in the daily Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Saraiva said that among the most important personalities to be beatified "soon" is "the case of Cardinal Newman, a relevant intellectual, and an emblematic figure of conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism."

Read the news release here.

Insanely Busy and Trying Not to Go Insane

Therefore I beg your indulgence on light posting. I have a post or two that I did over the weekend and other than that ... well, I have lots I'd like to write about. But it shall wait until my work and Beyond Cana retreat obligations get sorted out. Oh, right, and bill paying and suchlike.

Not wanting to be the only Catholic blog neglecting the Holy Father's latest encyclical ...

... I direct your attention to Caritas In Veritate, aka Charity in Truth. "Charity is at the heart of the Church's social doctrine" says Pope Benedict in the second paragraph and I am looking forward to reading what he has to say on the subject.

Also, I see that Maureen is working her way through this which I am saving to read until after I have read it. I did see that she says:

Also, it’s pretty clear that Professor Ratzinger expects you to read Populorum Progressio as a key to his encyclical. So here’s a link to that. The year is 1967.

Aaargh. Isn't that just like the dear prof? First the homework. Then the encyclical!

Tradition and Revolution I

Our Catholic women's book club read New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton over Lent. Obviously I am very late in sharing some of it with you. Overall, the book was interesting because I'd never been able to get through one of Merton's books before. This one, a series of essays, which Merton wrote for himself as much as anything, contemplates what holiness means for each of us. Oh, as well as contemplation. That too.

I did not always agree with everything Merton said. Although many tend to view him as a saint, I remind us all that he was not. An interesting writer, yes. Striving for holiness, yes. A saint, no. Infallible, no.

That said, I really enjoyed the way that he was able to set examples forth in defense of Catholicism much of the time. This is something that I believe some who enjoy reading Merton may not realize, considering that when I see him quoted it is often to make an edgy point about orthodoxy in the Church.

I have wanted to share this with y'all for some time and perhaps now is the right time since I am finally getting around to it. I think it is definitely an essay that needs to be read in the times in which we are living.

Tradition and Revolution

The biggest paradox about the Church is that she is at the same time essentially traditional and essentially revolutionary. But that is not as much of a paradox as it seems, because Christian tradition, unlike all others, is a living and perpetual revolution.

Human traditions all tend toward stagnation and decay. They try to perpetuate things that cannot be perpetuated. They cling to objects and values which time destroys without mercy. They are bound up with a contingent and material order of things -- customs, fashions, styles and attitudes -- which inevitably change and give way to something else.

The presence of a strong element of human conservatism in the church should not obscure the fact that Christian tradition, supernatural in its source, is something absolutely opposed to human traditionalism.

The living tradition of Catholicism is like the breath of a physical body. It renews life by repelling stagnation. It is a constant, quiet, peaceful revolution against death.

As the physical act of breathing keeps the spiritual soul united to a material body whose very matter ends always to corrupt and decay, so Catholic tradition keeps the Church alive under the material and social and human elements which will be encrusted upon as long as it is in the world.

The reason why Catholic tradition is a tradition is because there is only one living doctrine in Christianity. The whole truth of Christianity has been fully revealed. It has not yet been fully understood or fully lived. The life of the Church is the Truth of God Himself, breathed out into the Church by His Spirit, and there cannot be any other truth to supersede and replace it.

The only thing that can replace such intense life is a lesser life, a kind of death. The constant human tendency away from God and away from this living tradition can only be counteracted by a return to tradition, a renewal and a deepening of the one unchanging life that was infused into the Church at the beginning.

And yet this tradition must always be a revolution because by its very nature it denies the values and standards to which human passion is so powerfully attached. To those who love money and pleasure and reputation and power this tradition says: "Be poor, go down into the far end of society, take the last place among men, live with those who are despised, love other men and serve them instead of making them serve you. Do not fight them when they push you around, but pray for those that hurt you. Do not look for pleasure, but turn away from things that satisfy your senses and your mind and look for God in hunger and thirst and darkness, through deserts of the spirit in which it seems to be madness to travel. Take upon yourself the burden of Christ's Cross, that is, Christ's humility and poverty and obedience and renunciation, and you will find peace for your souls.

This is the most complete revolution that has ever been preached; in fact, it is the only true revolution, because all the others demand the extermination of somebody else, but this one means the death of the man who, for all practical purposes, you have come to think of as your own self.

New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton

Part II is here.

Joshua: Why Total Destruction of the Enemy?

Getting back to my basics, I have begun reading Joshua. It was when I was recommending the Navarre Bibles to a friend for their excellent commentary that I realized I had forgotten to read them myself lately. At one time, Rose was reading through the Old Testament using them which gave me the required excuse to purchase a volume here and a volume there. However, I never delved into them myself. I love how the commentaries not only cover the Jewish point of view but also what the Church Fathers have seen as a logical forerunner for Christ and Christian living.

I am supplementing this with my Archaeological Study Bible (which has an adamant "yay Protestant Biblical books choice!" cheering section of the introduction) which I know is deficient in some ways. However, their practically pure archaeological take on things is also eye opening. One must just keep in mind that they may fall short when it comes to Catholic teachings if they happen to comment on those things (which I haven't seen happen yet other than in their stern comments about which books should be in the Bible).

I'll be sharing some eye opening bits with y'all as I go along.

So let's start with this, which suddenly helped me understand the reasoning behind God's orders to raze conquered cities to the ground. Not to mention requiring every person and animal be slaughtered. Never could figure that out and although our weekly scripture studies have gone a long way toward making me see that a loving, merciful God is shown throughout the Old Testament, this issue never squared with that. Certainly I never thought about how that policy might have an inner meaning for me.

But, read on ... for naturally I just wasn't thinking deeply enough. I have italicized the parts that spoke to me but am quoting the entire commentary on this particular verse.

Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 25-26, 13:13-19 and particularly 20:16-18 lays down detailed instructions about the policy of utter destruction (anathema or "ban); Israel is told to obey these instructions to the letter, to avoid being contaminated by the idolatry of the Canaanites. A policy which to us seems quite incomprehensible, savage and inhuman, it needs to be seen inn its historical context and to be set in the framework of the gradual development of divine revelation. Total destruction of the enemy was common practice in antiquity, but the biblical laws about it were very strict; it could actually deter people from ungodly war: if all booty must be destroyed (treasure, livestock, or persons who could be turned into servants or slaves), then there is no point in embarking on war out of greed or for aggrandizement. Even so, we need to bear in mind that this was a temporary law, for that time only, so neither this nor any other passage of Holy Scripture can be used to justify the use of violence or criminal behavior. God's revelation to man was a gradual process culminating in the Incarnation of the Word. The preaching of Jesus is the true reference-point as regards respect for life and for the lawfully held property of others. In the sermon on the mount our Lord said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you maybe sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt 5:44-45).

In mystical writing we find allegorical interpretations of this commandment to the effect that the soul needs to be detached from everything in order to draw closer to God. Thus. St. John of the Cross comments that this order about total destruction is given "so that we may understand that to enter into union with the divine, everything that lives in the soul must die, what is great and small, of much worth or of little, and the soul must remain without lust for it all" (Ascent of Mount Carmel, 1, 11, 8).

Joshua 6:21
The Navarre Bible, Joshua - Kings

Worth a Thousand Words

Civil War Women
from Old Picture of the Day

This makes me soooo grateful for modern conveniences like plumbing, stoves, and air conditioning.

Skeptoid: Sarah Palin is Not Stupid ... and He Sticks Up For Bill Maher Too

Skeptoid points out some of the main problems with an ad hominem attack on those you disagree with. Here's a bit. You can listen to this podcast at the link or read the transcript.

Today we're going to delve into the minds of those who actively promote misinformation, political oppression, terror, conspiracies, and anything else that detracts from the public good. What drives them to do so? Are they right in their own minds, or do they know that what they do is wrong? More importantly, what should we know and understand about these people? I'm going to go out on a limb and start with a concept that may seem shockingly politically incorrect to some: I'm going to disagree with the popular perception that Sarah Palin is nuts.

Let me tell you something about Sarah Palin, but first with the understanding that I don't know any more about her than you do; I've never met her either; and I didn't vote for her. Stupid people don't tend to attract contributors, managers, supporters, and electorates. ...

Update
Coincidentally, The Anchoress discusses "Why Do They Hate Sarah Palin?"

Catholic Bible Dictionary, edited by Scott Hahn

INK Ancient forms of ink were made from wood, ivory, or other materials burned to create carbon that was then suspended in a gum or glue solution. Ink is mentioned specifically only in Jer 36:18; 2 Cor 3:3; 2 John 12; and 3 John 13.

I don't know about you, but flipping across this reference had me going to my Bible to find these ink references. This one small entry contains not only Biblical references but archeological information that sent me mentally back to those long ago days. I had never thought about ink, imagined what it would take to make it, or pictured those scribes refilling their supplies. Until I read that entry by chance while looking for something else.

Such is the power of a good reference book. We all know the enjoyable pursuit of idly following one reference to another, having our eye caught and then beginning on a new trail. These days with search engines we find those habits almost lost. However, this Biblical dictionary has been both informing me and provoking thought about faith and the word of God. As well, it has been a valuable reference. I learned all about Ezekiel (and his book) in preparing for attending scripture study on the readings for next Sunday's Mass. I looked into the excellent entry on the Ten Commandments for something I was writing for our church bulletin, as well as delving into the issue of covenant in a related set of writings. This has proven to be an invaluable resource in merely one week of having it in my hands.

There are over 5,000 entries which include key information about books of the Bible, archaeological information, language and imagery, ancient civilizations, sociological info about Biblical life and times, people and places, Church teachings and theology, and detailed maps. Information about books of the Bible always include thorough coverage of an overview, authorship and date, contents, and purpose and themes. These entries may cover many pages but are always clear and easy to understand, within the context of how difficult the subject matter may be.

The layout is easy to read and follow. There are clear sets of subheads to help follow the reasoning presented as well as make it easy to find a particular topic within each entry. The cross-indexing is excellent. I have never failed to find something I was looking for. The scriptural references, as one would expect, are thorough. It is easy to track the reasoning for the entries through the Bible and the Catechism. As well, the book itself is handsome. The jacket image is actually printed on the hardback cover, which impressed me. This is a book that is designed to last and be useful.

In short, this is an impressive reference designed for frequent, easy use. I highly recommend it.

I will leave you with another short entry. Notice how much information is packed into it while still keeping it easy to understand. Especially take note of the last sentence which provides us with good food for thought in considering Jesus' sacrificial role.

HYSSOP A plant noted for its dense leaves and its habit of grown on walls (1 Kgs 4:33; cf. Lev 14:6; Num 19:6; Heb 9:19). Scholars believe that the hyssop in Scripture was the herb we call marjoram. hyssop was used especially in liturgical rites for sprinkling the blood of the Passover on the doorposts in Egypt (Exod 12:21-22; cf Num 19:18; Heb 9:19). Hyssop was used also in the purification of lepers (Lev 14;4-6) and the house of a leper (Lev 14:49-52). John (John 19:29; cf. Matt 27:48; Mark 15:36) makes mention of a branch of hyssop used to offer Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar. This is probably an allusion to the use of hyssop in the Passover, dipped in the blood of the Paschal lamb.

Envoy Magazine - They Found the Beef

At the conference, we were all given a free Envoy magazine. I used to be a faithful subscriber and then they went away for a while. Upon returning, they sent me a copy and looking through it I thought it was too "basic" for my reading needs. Still good, but I was just past needing that Catholic 101 info.

Imagine my pleased surprise upon looking through this latest edition and finding it seems to be more substantial, "beefier" if you will, than before. It is changing from bimonthly to quarterly but if that means material like that I have been reading then I welcome it.

Although, that layout. Really guys? What if we didn't love Peter Kreeft so much that we would risk eyestrain to read his writing? Please. Help us out here.

Of course, regular readers know that layout is something I'm sensitive to...

It's All Downhill from Here

A little midweek humor from the 2009 winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.

"Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the "Ellie May," a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests."

David McKenzie
Federal Way, WA

For those not in the know ...

An international literary parody contest, the competition honors the memory (if not the reputation) of Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). The goal of the contest is childishly simple: entrants are challenged to submit bad opening sentences to imaginary novels. ... Bulwer-Lytton opened his novel Paul Clifford (1830) with the immortal words that the "Peanuts" beagle Snoopy plagiarized for years, "It was a dark and stormy night."

Go read all the winners and runners up in various categories. Via the always alert Anchoress.

First Martyrs of Rome ... and a new series the family can enjoy together

I want to give this a longer and better review, however as I'm working on a large-ish project for the rest of the week I didn't want to miss directing your attention to a very good series that is a natural tie-in with the Church's remembrance today of the first martyrs of Rome.

Suffice it to say that I was surprised by the quality of story-telling in this animated tale of St. Perpetua (and yes Felicity is there too). I meant to watch a couple of minutes and wound up engrossed in watching almost all of it ... until pulled away by two young Boxers chewing up sticks in the living room.

The animation is similar to that which I remember from the long-ago Gargoyles series (and I don't know why I keep thinking of that in comparison to this; I just do).

You can see more here about the Perpetua dvd I sampled.

Here is what the series is about in a nutshell:

Catholic Heroes of the Faith - dvd series

“Catholic Heroes of the Faith” is a new, animated DVD series which presents true stories of people who have made a lasting impression on others by their example of service to Christ and His Church.

These heroes have lived truly great lives—lives marked by moral depth, strength of character, physical courage, and an unswerving commitment to Christ and His Church.

By seeing how they struggled to serve Christ and his Church, and how they succeeded so gloriously, we are all challenged to live lives like theirs. Pope Benedict XVI has said of the saints, that we look to their “shining example to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family. And this is the vocation of us all.”

Geared primarily to children ages 8-12, each episode uses traditional animation to entertain and inspire children and their parents and anyone who wants to know about the great Catholics of the past.

Each DVD also features:

* Activity guide for church, school or home use
* Parent’s and teacher’s guide for church, school or home use

This animated series is an excellent resource for parochial schools, CCD classes and home schooling.

And don’t forget to check out our documentary section! A great resource for Catholic high school religion classes and RCIA programs.

Catholic New Media Awards

I have just been reminded by The Curt Jester:

By the way this is the last day of voting in the Catholic New Media Awards, so vote for your favorite blog, website, podcast.

Sheez. That means I've got to pay bill and do the payroll too! Deadlines, deeadlines, deadlines ...

Ancient illusions and hokey philosophies are no match for a barbarian horde at the gate, kid.

I already have part 1 of the BBC's The Last Days of Shandakor on my iPod (thanks to Radio Downloader ... love it!).

But that cleverness from Free SF Reader made me both laugh and move it to the top of my queue.

Worth a Thousand Words

Found at Catholic Eye Candy

On the way out the door, I also met the director of the little choir that could ...

We are the little choir that COULD! From three members who stood up once a month at Mass, in vestments, singing in two parts, to traveling America with this great group of young adults, it's been a journey of hope and inspiration...Cantate Domino! ...

The St. Richard Youth Choir was founded in 2003 by three seventh-grade girls, and has since grown to fifteen members. While traveling to Pueri Cantores Festival Masses across the Unites States, the choir serves as ambassadors for Jackson, Miss. on the national stage. Known for hard work and raising their own operating budget every year, the members put in countless hours in the pursuit of excellence in service and music.

I heard an inspirational story of kids from Mississipi with no resources but enormous talent and dedication. They're fund raising to try to attend the International Congress of Pueri Cantores in Rome to sing with 6,000 children from all over the world at a special Papal Mass with Benedict XVI.

If you're in Chicago, they'll be there July 3-7 to sing at the invitation-only Pueri Cantores Evening Prayer Festival at the beginning of the National Pastoral Musicians Conference.

You can hear samples at their website here and also find out how to contribute to their effort if you are moved to do so.

Are You Catholic? There's an App for That.

This was shown at the convention. That Paul Camarata ... what a creative guy!

The Public Sinner

This is a repost from 2006, but the subject is timeless. It came up in conversation at the meet-and-greet on Friday night at the conference (that being the sort of crowd that we were). I remembered this post and thought y'all might appreciate it as well. (If there were any comments from the original post they will show up as well.)

--------------------

Women in the Bible For Dummies has a very interesting theory discussing the speculation about the identity of the mysterious female whose story begins in Luke 7:37. She washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then anointed them with costly perfume. The women is never named. Then why would tradition name her as Mary Magdalene?

Frankly, I always thought that Mary Magdalene got a raw deal when she was never named as a harlot but that label was put on her anyway. I was fascinated to see that when the various Gospel stories of this event are compared there actually was another Mary who fits the bill and is actually named in one of the stories.

This is a Mary I never would have thought it of but, you know, it kinda makes sense.

This is a lengthy excerpt but I was so interested that I thought maybe some of you might like it as well.

John's Gospel (12:3) relates another account of a woman anointing Jesus' feet with expensive aromatic ointment and drying them with her hair. John identifies this woman as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. (Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, tell similar stories about a woman anointing the feet of Jesus from costly perfume in an alabaster jar, but again this woman remains nameless.) Only John identifies the woman as Mary, the sister of Martha, but only Luke classifies the woman as a public sinner. (In addition, Luke 7:37-50, which outlines the story of the public sinner and washing of feet, later mentions Mary Magdalene by name in the very chapter along with Joanna, Susanna, and Chuza.

Could more than one woman have anointed the feet of Christ? Possible, but somewhat improbable. The humble act of drying someone's feet with one's own hair and then anointing those same feet with costly oil isn't a common practice. In fact, it's so rare, uncommon, and unusual that all four Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) mention it. The mystery of why the woman is nameless in three Gospels and called Mary only in John remains. Washing feet was a humble act in itself, but having a woman touch a man, especially a rabbi, and having her dry his feet with her hair and then anoint them with expensive perfume is so extraordinary that it is improbably (but not impossible) that his happened more than once.

If all the stories involve one particular woman, the next question is, could this other Mary, the sister of Martha, also be the same unidentified public sinner that Luke mentions? If so, the latter Mary had been a very naughty girl, at least at one time. If she were the forgiven sinner, it would explain why she was so attentive and entranced when Jesus came to visit their home, even to the extent of annoying her sister, Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Ahh, yet another theory to ponder.

Because John's Gospel names the woman who washes the feet of Jesus as being Mary and this act takes place in the home of Martha and Lazarus, one could assume it was Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus and not another Mary who did it. the nameless woman in Luke's Gospel is identified as a "public sinner." So either there were two women who separately anointed the feet of Jesus in the same unusual and unique way, or the public sinner and Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus are one and the same.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Back from the Catholic New Media Conference in San Antonio. It figures that summer really hit its stride this weekend. Temperatures were always hovering around 105 and then let's throw in some of that humidity that San Antonio does so well. Which meant that no matter where one went there was extreme heat or frigid cold as Texans set air conditioners low, low, low to offset outside conditions. However, that's pretty much the norm around here.

For me the weekend was more about community and putting faces with names than anything else. That was definitely the most satisfying aspect as it turned out. So many email or blogging voices turned into real people ... imagine that! One of the most delightful was a person who I had filled out a survey for in preparation for her presentation ... Lisa Hendey who blogs at Catholic Mom and also podcasts at Catholic Moments. Such a gracious, charming person who is so warm and welcoming. Also a complete surprise to meet, but a delight, was Heidi Saxton whose books I have seen but never expected to meet in person. We clicked right away.

Naturally, there were too many people for me to properly acknowledge but who were so enjoyable to speak with: Sister Anne from nunblog, Danielle Bean, Pat Gohn from Among Women podcast, Catholic Matriarch (fresh from her time at A&M so we had that to talk about for sure!), Chris from The Catholic Company, Ian from Aquinas and More ... as well as those from my favorite Catholic podcasts: Jeff from Catholic Foodie, Father Seraphim from Catholic Under the Hood, Paul Camatara from Saintcast.

Then there is Patrick Madrid who thought he was simply taking the elevator to his car and found himself in the elevator with Tom and me. It was my chance to thank him for three books that I have found extremely helpful over the years, Why is That in Tradition, Where is That in the Bible, and Search and Rescue. His talk was excellent and I especially appreciated the fact that he took it to heart enough to not simply do a regular talk but to specifically warn us as Catholics and techies about the danger of letting technological toys becoming a false god. A surprise to hear him speaking about it but definitely something that I think it is good to keep in mind during a conference that is chock full of technology lovers. This reminded me also of his three-day conference coming up, Answering Atheism. Three days, name speakers and a very reasonable price. My schedule doesn't allow it or I would definitely go. Maybe next year ... and I can get the audio tapes of this year's conference (so he assured me).

Naturally there were many others ... for one thing, I was surprised to meet so many people who were just thinking about getting into blogging or podcasting. Although I would say this to those who said they had a blog or wanted to podcast, "but I don't know about what." Those things are simply tools. If you don't have a passion to share some writing or spoken subject with people then your ministry might follow a different path. It is better to passionately blog about the soccer team you play on than to be casting around for something to say about your faith. Your faith will shine through in your passion, no matter what it is that you are talking about, as those who listen to my Forgotten Classics podcast have found, possibly to their dismay.

I also enjoyed Father Dave Dwyer's talk which opened the conference. As the Pauline year was ending, he did a good comparison of St. Paul to today's Catholic podcasters and bloggers. As well, to anyone who has ever heard the Busted Halo podcast, which I also enjoy a lot, you know he mixed in a good deal of entertainment with the serious conversation.

I would say that the most problematic area for me was the seminars. Although I enjoyed Father Roderick's audio talk and Lisa Hendey's blogging talk, there seemed to be too little time alloted for people to properly cover their topics. As well, since there was a time problem the socialization times were cut short. I completely understand this dilemma since we run into it routinely ourselves in the Beyond Cana Marriage Retreats we do semi-annually. However, as many of the talks were somewhat unfocussed, not seeming sure whether to address complete newbies or go for the more advanced listener or, indeed, to go off topic altogether (Catholic Cloud guy, I'm lookin' at you ... I actually wanted to hear Twitter discussed not dropped to talk about the next big thing), this was a problem for speakers who were having to trim time. Perhaps next time they'll have fewer talks but let them be covered more thoroughly. As well, although I realize that SQPN is a mostly audio group, there was only one talk given about blogging. Though we are all looking forward, it is a mistake to not give blogs more attention as that is what a lot of the public is just beginning to become aware of. It doesn't seem like it from our vantagepoint of being at the cutting edge of technology, but it is all too true if you talk to your friends or fellow parishioners. Believe me, I know. If one was only a blogger and not a podcaster, this left many possibly floundering in a technology that didn't apply.

Don't think that I didn't get a great deal out of the conference. These are intended as constructive criticisms only. I think that a great many people may have gotten more from the talks than Tom and I did. As well, I valued a great deal the community gathering.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the weekend, was the relatively impromptu add-on of stopping in Austin on the way home to join the Darwins and the Fulwilers (Jen/Conversion Diary) for Mass and lunch afterward. For one thing, St. William is a really gorgeous church. I wouldn't have believed a new church would have been built with such care, beauty and attention. The photo on their main page simply does not do it justice. Built in Spanish style on the outside, the inside is graced with beautiful old German stained glass rescued from an orphanage, German or Czech style ornamental stenciled designs, a painting behind the crucifix that invites reflection and prayer, and many other features that you really should stop to see if you are ever near Round Rock (just north of Austin). Best of all though was getting to see the Darwins again after spending time with them several years ago. I'd forgotten just how much fun they are in person. As well, it was a pure pleasure meeting Jen and her family. I am a big admirer of Jen's blog. She's a writer that I simply can't equal and that reflects her thoughtful spiritual life and sparkling personality (its not all spiritual, after all ... just think of her scorpion stories!). Two hours was just not long enough to even begin to enjoy all the conversation. We had to literally tear ourselves away from the Darwin homestead (nice garden in back, too) and face the drive home.

It was an extra pleasant homecoming, as Hannah had thought about how to make it welcoming by vacuuming, sweeping, and having pizza ready for us eat. What a kid!

"One had always read. Only these days one is reading more."

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Queen Elizabeth II chases after her runaway corgis and happens upon the library book-mobile that comes to the palace every Wednesday. Originally selecting a book merely to be polite, she soon finds herself drawn into fascination with books. It is a fascination that causes no end of problems for Her Majesty's staff as they have trouble keeping her on time for appointments and no longer know exactly how to prep members of the public for likely questions when they meet the queen. And what to do when she runs into a Dickens' lover and goes over the scheduled time because of their animated conversation?

On another level, this book looks at the joys of reading and allowing one's mind to expand. Soon the way that the world is viewed becomes colored with the literature one has read and that can lead to its own kind of trouble. The kind of trouble that comes with becoming a writer as well as a reader.

I found Bennett to be kind to both those expanding their minds and the queen. He acknowledges that much of her personality has had to express itself within the perimeters of her job which leaves no time for hobbies such as reading.

This is a short novella, easy to read, and highly recommended.