My latest book...

My latest book is "The Great Brain". The Great Brain is actually a series of seven books. They are about a Catholic family named the Fitzgeralds they live in a small town in Utah called Adenville. There are three brothers John  ( the author), Tom  (the main character) and Sweyn (he is at school in Pennsylvania during most of the books). It's based in the mid to late 1880's and their true stories. Tom is 12 years old and he is richer than all the kids in Adenville and some of the adults. "How does he get so rich?" you may ask... well Tom is also one of the smartest people in Adenville (except for his father... the only one in the town who went to college).Tom, by one means or another, gets things from people (by trading or any of his other tricks) and than sometimes sells them to other kids who don't have one. Sometimes Tom will make bets that other kids are almost positive he will lose, so they bet money, but he ends up winning just about always.

        In one of my favorite chapters one of the kids (Parley Benson) gets a quarter horse for his eleventh birthday (in the time of the chapter he was 14) and every year at the annual 4th of July parade he races all the other mustangs, mares, quarter horses, and saddle horses against his horse in a quarter mile race and he always wins. Than one year after he continues to boast about winning Tom tells John that he just can't stand Parley's boasting any more and he is going to put a stop to it. So he suggest that he is going to race his mustang, Dusty, against Parley's quarter horse, Blaze. Of course Tom's mustang wins, but Tom says that he will race on Parley's quarter horse and Parley will ride Dusty, but Tom says he will beat the mustang in a mile long race... That is just what he did! When they raced the next Saturday Tom did win! The way he did it was that he ran Blaze around the track one time (the track once around was a quarter of a mile) than after the first time around he slowed him down to a walk than just as the mustang was catching up he broke him back out into a run. Tom ended up winning by ten yards.

This and many other chapters are waiting in the books for someone else to read them. I definitely (needless to say) recomend these books. My older brother very much enjoyed them and I really like them too. They are one of the few  real laugh-out-loud-books that I've read. I would call the series VERY enjoyable!

Favorite Poem Friday...

Well, technically I made it up while I was coming home from my Grandmom's but I think that it may work...

   The Last Few Hours Before
                           As we wait
                           The last few hours before
                           The celebration of the birth
                           Of the Almighty King by the eternal shore
                           As we wait to celebrate
                           The coming of the Lord to earth
                           We begin to think of miracles
                           That happened because of his birth
                           As we think of presents
                           We may get this year
                           We will also think of the presents
                           We will give the Lord when He arrives down here
                           As we begin to thank God
                           In every single way
                           We say to those on earth
                          "Merry Christmas Day"

A Poem for the Month of October

This is one of my favorite poems that I've ever learned and it's for the month of October. The verses I wrote are just 4 out of 8 and I don't know the other 4.

October's Bright Blue Weather

by Helen Hunt Jackson

O suns and skies and clouds of June
And flowers of June together

Ye cannot rival for one hour

October's bright blue weather

When on the ground red apples lie,

Like piles of jewels shining,

But redder still on old stone walls

Are the leaves of the woodbine twining

When comrades seek sweet country haunts

In two by twos together,

And count like misers hour by hour

October's bright blue weather

O suns and skies and flowers of June

Count all your boasts together,

But ye cannot rival for one hour

October's bright blue weather!

Feast of St. Philomena

We don't actually know all that much about the life of Saint Philomena. She was a Grecian princess and she was very beautiful. St. Philomena had a great love for God.

Sometime in the early 300's Diocletian wanted to start a war so St. Philomena's father said that they would go to Rome and see if they could do anything to keep peace.

When they got to Rome Diocletian fell in love with St.Philomena. But Diocletian already had a wife so when he asked St. Philomena to marry him she said she would rather die than to commit the sin of marrying someone who was already married and besides that, she had promised herself to God when she was very young. Diocletian was so angry at this that he ordered his men to have St. Philomena scourged. On the night after her scourging, as she was lying in her cell she saw an apparition of Our Lady. Our Lady said to have strength for what was to come and to always keep her faith in God, all the way to the end.

The next morning when Diocletian came to propose marriage once again to St. Philomena he found that every scar that had been there the night before was completely gone and that now she had more faith than ever in God. So Diocletian ordered that St. Philomena was to be tied to an anchor and thrown into a lake. This too was a failure because, before there was time enough for her to actually drown, angels lifted her out of the water and brought her safely to land.

Diocletian was so annoyed at this that he ordered that she was to be pierced with arrows. But every time an arrow came close to her it turned around and pierced the soldier that sent it. After this Diocletian decided to do something that would not fail. He said that she would be beheaded.

After her beheading St. Philomena's soul went straight to God.

In the 1800's some men who were looking in all the old catacombs found one that said " Fi tecum pax Lumena" But when the words were all put together correctly it said "Pax tecum Filumena" which means "Peace be to you Philomena". Next to the inscription were pictures of an anchor, an arrow, and a lily. This meant that she was a martyr. Later she was taken to Mugnano and is still there.

Her feast is August 11,
She is the patron saint of youth.



~by Theresa

Wordless Wednesday...

These are a few anonymous pictures that William helped me pick out:

Was there ever a boy with such varying tastes?

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

These are my favorite pictures:
Silly:

Cool:

Religious:

Puppies!!!

On May 31, Cathy spotted our dog Brigid's second litter of puppies. Her first litter was a little brown dog that we named Ella and a little black black dog we named Meme. We think the Daddy was a stray black lab that would stop by our house every once in a while. In the end we ended up giving away Ella to the church and Meme to some friends who lived close by.

This time (as you see in the pictures) she had a little black and white one and one that's grey, white, and black. The black and white one is a girl and the grey, black, and white one is a boy. We haven't decided on names yet. We think that the Daddy is an abandoned shelty that wanders around the town. But we don't know for sure yet!!


















~by Theresa

What Vegetable Is It? Quiz

Trivia!!!!

Who can guess what vegetable this is?!

Is it an apple?

Is it a radish?

Or is it a tomato?

~by Theresa

Guess who we found!

Yesterday we found a small orange fluff-ball-of-a-kitten lying on the floor of the chicken house. We put her back where we thought she had gone and this morning when we went back we found the mama had moved her, but just a few minutes ago we saw our cat walking up to our door with another black furball! We think the orange kitten is a girl and the black one is a boy so we decided to call them Bede (after St. Bede who's feast day is coming up), and Nilla (after St. Petronilla who's feast day is also coming up quickly). They're adorable!!! We've fallen in love with them already! I'll have some pictures as soon as we find the orange fluff ball.





~by Theresa

The Story of St. Louis de Montfort...

St. Louis De Montfort was born on January 31, 1673. He was one of eighteen children of a lawyer in Montfort, France. He was always very holy, even when he was so young that most people at his age were just learning to read! He used to teach other children, younger and older than himself catechism.

He was also very dedicated to the Blessed Mother and the Holy Rosary. He would kneel by his bedside by the age of six and say the entire rosary. When he was twelve he entered a Jesuit college, where in the first year he was entrusted with the care of the infirm and the poor that came to the door asking for alms. Here he began his penances of scourging himself, wearing hairshirts, and very strict fastings. Here he also received his vocation as a priest.

After becoming a priest, he completely devoted himself to Jesus through Mary. He never had a single personal possession. When he set out to the Seminary of Saint Sulpice he gave all the money he had to a beggar on the street and traded in his brand new suit for some beggar clothes. Then he decided to walk the seven-hundred-mile journey from Paris to the seminary! He even begged for his food! He completely gave up the world.

At the seminary many doubted he had true devotion and thought he had only spiritual pride. They thought this because of his talks with Our Lady when he passed a statue of her and his visits to the chapel before and after his classes. His superiors tried to make him stop with every kind of humiliation but never succeeded. From all this St. Louis never gave one complaint!

St. Louis' favorite saying of Our Lord's was: "If anyone should follow Me then let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" So, he thought it his job to enjoy mockeries and those who made fun of him throughout the 16 years from his ordination to his death.

The devil never stopped trying to make him fail. Once he was heard saying, while upon his hands and knees, "Mary Mother of God help me!" The devil would go to St. Louis' room and torment him. But he never could he make St. Louis stop trusting in God.

St. Louis then went to Poitiers. Where the people there begged the bishop to give him a more definite job that would give him more time to stay there. Soon a daughter of a very rich man decided to become one of the first nuns in St. Louis' Daughters of Wisdom convent. The community and her family made such a riot about it that the bishop said that St. Louis could no longer offer Mass! So, he moved on.

Wherever the holy man went he left behind cures, miracles, and fervent devotions. He was rewarded with mockery and scorn.

So, St. Louis left for a hospital in Paris where he took care of both the physical and spiritual needs of his patients. One day when coming to dinner he found a dismissal paper on his plate (who knows why). So he left.

He was allowed to preach in far off towns where the sight of a priest tended to cause much anger and hatred. Soon, St. Louis completely converted one of the villages where it was the worst. There he taught devotion to the Holy Rosary, had nightly processions and bonfires for burning impure books. He turned saloons into places of prayer, and restored churches. Goodness became a part of everyday life!

After trying a life devoted to the poor and a life converting small villages, receiving no help and only hindrance from his superiors, he decided to ask the pope for advice. He walked one thousand miles to Rome. The pope said there were many more positions in France for a priest and he appointed him an Apostolic Missioner.

He soon joined Fr. Leuduger who was also an Apostolic Missioner. Soon trouble arose and through a misunderstanding Fr. Leuduger soon dismissed St. Louis.

So, St. Louis was on his own with only a few priests to join him in the Company of Mary. He was sometimes assisted by other missionary priests. His successful work continued in Saint Malo until a heretical bishop sent him out.

At a town called Pontchateau St. Louis built an imitation of Mount Calvary that covered 300,000 feet of ground! Then came one of the biggest disappointments of St. Louis' life. One of St. Louis' few enemies thought that the Mount Calvary imitation might be a good shelter for the enemies of France. So the day before the blessing it was announced that it must be destroyed (although St. Louis had foreseen that it would have to be destroyed twice before it would successfully be able to stay).

St. Louis was hated for his conversions. Many times he was almost killed. Once a large dose of poison was put in to his food and he did not notice until after having a spoonful. It did not kill him right away but it did deteriorate his once perfect health and he slowly began to die.

He still went wherever he could to preach even with his failing health. It was getting to the year 1716 and his death was very near. By this time his nuns had almost a full convent. On his deathbed his confessor insisted on him removing the straw and rock bed he had had since he became a priest and replace it with a mattress and pillow.

Just before he died the Devil tried one last time to make St. Louis fail. In one last effort against the Devil St. Louis cried aloud "You attack me in vain. I stand between Jesus and Mary. I shall sin no more!" With that his soul was finally able to go to it's true home - Heaven.

His feast is April 28th,

He is the author of the famous book The Secret of Mary, and he is known for founding the devotion called Total Consecration to Mary.

He is the patron saint of travellers.

~by Theresa

Simple Girl Tuesday...

Outside my window... it's a little cloudy and windy but it's still beautiful.

I am thinking about... the goat we are going to see later on (she' s a neubian).

From the kitchen... we're going to be making granola!

I am creating... finishing up the goat pen incase we buy the goat.

I am reading... still David Copperfield and I've started Madeleine Takes Command.

I am hoping... we can go to Spokane this summer.

Around the house... we have gotten 11 eggs in the first 3 days the chickens have been here.

Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...we maybe going to the pool.

Recipe Monday...

This week's recipe is: French Toast!

L'ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 10 to 12 slices white bread
• butter
• maple syrup or other syrup
  

Preparation:

1. Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork.
2. Stir in sugar, salt, and milk.
3. Over medium-low heat, heat griddle or skillet coated with a thin layer of butter or margarine.
4. Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate, letting slices soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side. Soak/coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time.
5. Transfer bread slices to griddle or skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown.
6. Turn and brown the other side. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup.

Recipe for French toast serves 4.

~by Theresa

An Update On What's Going on Here...

We just got 10 pretty hens on Saturday! They are all different breeds. We named them Victoria, Henrietta, Miss Persnicketty (or Persy), Tricky Wu, Miss Marple, Tink, Penny, Maple, Opal, and BooBoo Chicken.

Here are pictures of all of them (I think). The first picture is of Penny, Tink, Henrietta, and of Maple. The second is of Miss Marple and Tricky Wu. The third is of Maple and Opal. The fourth is of Miss Persnicketty (or Persy). The fifth is of BooBoo Chicken. The last is of Victoria, our Clydesdale chicken.

We have gotten 6 eggs the first 2 days that they have been here!

~by Theresa

Wordless Wednesday...

Last time I did this I chose pictures I thought were cute or I just plain old liked. This time here are the ones I think are funny.

These are my favorites out of our pictures. I thought they were so funny!

~ by Theresa

Simple Girl Tuesday...

Outside my window... It's a bright sunny day and it's supposed to get up to 80 degrees later on.

I am thinking about... The chickens we may be getting soon.

From the kitchen... we'll be drying apples and tomorrow we will make Granola.

I am creating... fixing up the hen house for our chickens.

I am reading... David Copperfield (a very long book which I've only just started).

I am hoping... we can go to Spokane this summer.

I am hearing... Mommy and Kevin talking.

Around the house... we sold every single one of our puppies except for our sweet Grigio who we are keeping.

Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... well fixing up our barn and hen house and hopefully getting our chickens on Saturday.

Recipe Monday...

This week is: Oreo Pops!

What you will need:

• 20 popsicle or lollipop sticks


• 20 Oreo cookies


• 1 12-ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips or 12 ounces white chocolate bark (like we used)


• 1 T. vegetable oil
• Chopped nuts,


• colored sprinkles ( optional)
  

Directions:

1. To form Oreo Pops, insert popsicle sticks into the cream center of each cookie. Set aside.


2. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine chocolate and oil until melted and smooth, stirring constantly.


3. Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, coating evenly.
4. Place dipped cookies on waxed paper and decorate with chopped nuts, sprinkles or candies.


5. Leave cookies on waxed paper until completely set, then wrap in plastic wrap and tie with a bow for gift-giving.
   

Makes 20 Oreo® Pops


(Can be doubled)