Vinegar

I buy white vinegar in huge plastic jugs. Cheap. And I'm always finding new ways to use it. Today, via Lew Rockwell, I read these vinegar tips. Some of them I already knew, but I sure didn't know about MOLD!

Recently I heard a handyman explain how he uses vinegar in dishwashers to clean up mineral deposits in the working parts of the machine. I've been using vinegar for the same purpose in my drip coffeemaker for years, but this I had never heard of. Since I have to use a rinse agent in my dishwasher anyway, I decided to just fill that receptacle with vinegar. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. After all, the method of cleaning windows with vinegar and newspaper is effective and has been around forever, it seems.

My laminate countertops stain easily. A swipe with a vinegar-soaked cloth takes the stains out.

On Friday, Emma brought in several eggs that one of our Barred Rocks had abandoned after two chicks hatched. They were rotten and left an overpowering odor in the half bath that Emma uses as her candling room. I cleaned the countertop with straight vinegar where she had set the eggs, and the smell disappeared.

The Ascension

My brethren, let us follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes; let us follow Him suffering with patience; let us follow Him rising; let us follow Him still more eagerly when He ascends to heaven; and let us raise up our hearts to God the Father, in whom His glory reigns.--St. Bernard

I was reading my husband's missal this morning after Mass. He has the 1962 published by Angelus Press. I came across a section in the introduction that speaks to man's Ascension toward God and the part the Mass plays in it:

The Mass is the means whereby we may become the prolongation of Christ.

Through the offering of ourselves with Christ

Through the consecration of ourselves through Christ

Through the communion in Christ

to the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity and the sanctification of our souls. The Mass reminds us at one and the same time of God's CONdescension toward man, and of man's Ascension toward God! For the Mass sums up the twin mysteries of the Incarnation and the Redemption, at the same time that it applies to us their fruits. Crib and Cross manifest to mankind God's love for all; whereas the Mass stresses His love for the individual.

One ought, then, to look on the Mass as the sum total of man's ascensions toward God, because it presupposes and completes them. The sinner derives from it abundant graces of conversion. The just man finds fervor in it--outstripping himself from one Consecration to another. Through the Mass man offers to God praise that is worthy of Him.

This, then, is the place that the Mass occupies in God's plan. Like Christ, it is at the center: as a sun to bring light and warmth, to transform and uplift all creation and bring it back to its Creator in a hymn of thanksgiving.

Fortitude, Part 1

From A Tour of the Summa, by Msgr. Paul J. Glenn, which, according to the editor, is "a complete, chapter-by-chapter restatement of St. Thomas' work, intended to expose readers to the totality of St. Thomas' thought, and yet be brief enough to fit into one volume."

This book was recommended to me by Fr. Stephen Zigrang. I have never read it all the way through. Instead, it seems to be one of those books that I am content to sample as the need arises, but when it does, it is so helpful. I read about "fortitude" this morning and thought it so appropriate to our times.

The explanation of fortitude is not divided into two parts in the book. That division is my own editing. There are six more statements. I first posted this with the intent of completing 7-12 tomorrow. I've re-thought that, though, and instead recommend that you buy the book. It's published by TAN and sells for $22.50. The link above will take you to the book on Amazon.


123. THE VIRTUE OF FORTITUDE

1. We speak of fortitude as a virtue. In another place we shall discuss the gift of the Holy Ghost which has the same name. Fortitude is the virtue which enables a person to withstand the greatest difficulties that block him from attaining his true goal.

2. It is the special business of fortitude to stand up to grave difficulties and dangers. Since it it has a special business, a special aim and purpose, it serves good in a special way, and is a special virtue. This means that fortitude is specifically distinct from other virtues, and is a clear-cut virtue on its own account.

3. Fortitude puts down the paralysis of fear that would keep a person from facing up to danger. On the other hand, it moderates daring or courage which, without it, might lead a man to wildly impulsive and ineffective action.

4. In strictest interpretation of its meaning, fortitude is the virtue of bravely facing the danger of death. A man capable of meeting with fortitude this greatest of dangers is not daunted by lesser perils.

5. Therefore, fortitude is a soldierly virtue which faces danger of death in defense of a just cause, whether in actual war, or in the warring we wage in daily life against the enemies of our soul and its salvation. Fortitude is the hero's virtue, the martyr's virtue; it faces death bravely in spite of inner fears. Fortitude strengthens the soldier in war; fortitude helps a man practice religion in the face of of derision and persecution; fortitude enables a person to care for the sick or to bury the dead in spite of the serious risk of deadly infection.

6. The chief act of fortitude is is that of enduring, of bearing up, of seeing the business through. It is not alone the virtue of coming to grips with danger; it is also the holding on.

Honoring the "Abortionist-in-Chief"

John Vennari explains how we got to this point in his Catholic Family News article, "Obama, Notre Dame, and the Counter Syllabus".

A Chic(k) Hairdo

Mickey sent two bantam Aracauna chicks home with Herb on Sunday. One of them was sick, and Mickey was hoping that Dr. Emma could save it. Unfortunately, it died before Emma made rounds. The remaining chick was so lonesome it was running around chirping frantically and would not stop. Late last night, Emma finally took it to bed with her, and it went to sleep. Needless to say, we were eager to find it a home with other young chicks. Since Emma had given Anna three chicks the same age just last week, we arranged to give this one to her as well. Anna came over this afternoon to bring it home. She was sitting on the couch holding the chick when it climbed up her neck and burrowed into her hair. It was content at last, though Anna became slightly agitated.

Need a Graduation or Wedding Present?

Thanks to New Liturgical Movement for bringing this to my attention:

Catholic artist Daniel Mitsui is selling prints at reduced prices to pay hospital expenses related to his wife's difficult delivery of their first child. Here is a link to the page that features his Crucifixion print, which can be purchased for $135. Of special interest is the link he provides to a separate page that explains the rich symbolism contained in the work.

Minor Rogation Days

We seem to have had many reminders of the power of natural disasters lately. Some people are still dealing with the after effects of Hurricane Ike, and a new hurricane season will soon be here. The Rogation Days are another way that the Church assists us in dealing with the realities of life. These little yield signs along the road of the liturgical year remind me of a friend's remark years ago, "Our faith is a beautiful faith." It truly is. These three Minor Rogation days lead us to Ascension Thursday, a holy day of obligation. Our parish will celebrate each Rogation day with mass and a procession to bless the fields.

From fisheaters.com:

"Rogation" comes from the Latin "rogare," which means "to ask," and "Rogation Days" are days during which we seek to ask God's mercy, appease His anger, avert His chastisements manifest through natural disasters, and ask for His blessings, particularly with regard to farming, gardening, and other agricultural pursuits. They are set aside to remind us how radically dependent we are on Mother Earth, and how prayer can help protect us from nature's often cruel ways. Read the entire article here.

The Catholic State and Religious Liberty

Bishop Williamson explains traditional Catholic teaching on religious liberty here. I think most people, including Catholics, believe that in a Catholic state, non-Catholics would be forced to convert. His Excellency clears up this mistaken idea.

The subject of religious liberty is one that I have pondered a great deal, as I have seen how giving all religions equal respect under the law has helped lead this country to the brink of destruction. In my mind, religious liberty leads to the worship of the state, as the state appears to be above the fray of competing religions. It also leads to the promotion of diversity in general, a major problem, as history shows that homogeneity best supports stable cultures. Then there is the resulting relativism, the mistaken idea that there are no absolutes. I could go on and on.

However, I know that nothing is perfect in this world, and Catholics like King Henry VIII and Martin Luther can upset the Church's best plans for leading us to heaven.

The St. Benedict Solution

It was refreshing (and surprising) to read on The American Conservative website, Rod Dreher's excellent take on dealing with the barbarian crisis. He is not looking for a political solution but instead calls us to a new era of contemplation. I really like that, because he is getting to the root of the problem instead of fighting all the symptoms of it. I have read it two days in a row and recommend it highly.

Dinner and a Movie

It looks like opera night started something. Mickey has invited us to his house on Pentecost Sunday for Greek Night! He is going to prepare a Greek meal, and we are going to watch "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

Serious Volunteer Work

Herb and Nathaniel left early this morning to work on a house for Rebuild Together Houston. I thought they looked cute in their matching shirts, but they just wanted to get on with it already, as you can see by their expressions.

Cute Buns

The ugly meat rabbit babies have turned into adorable bunnies. Emma calls them her "buns".

Look at those ears! Awww!

At this point, they are still sleeping a lot, but they have already learned how to hop. Three of them hopped all around the game room yesterday afternoon.

My Ecumenical Activities

Rorate-Caeli provides background on a Presbyterian review of the new movie, Angels and Demons. I have not paid the least attention to the movie, so I will be visiting the site. At present, though, I am more interested in Rorate-Caeli's background information.

It is very interesting to me, as I am good friends with a Presbyterian, and we have had wonderful, deep discussions about the differences between what Presbyterians and Catholics believe. Thankfully, we can do that without burning one another at the stake or drawing and quartering! She recognizes that what most Protestants refer to as the "Ancient Church" is, in fact, the Catholic Church. I have many other Protestant friends whose company I enjoy tremendously, but the details of the Faith are never discussed. This may be why we are still friends! No, seriously, I think that as homeschoolers we have many other things in common which naturally come to the forefront in conversation. My children and I have been very blessed by their friendship, and I am grateful for their generous acceptance of us, the only Catholics in the group. We would indeed be lonely (and bitter) without them.

Tasteful Labels

When I was shopping for wine for opera night, the grocery store's wine manager assisted me. He is quite knowledgeable and does not snub inexpensive wines if they are comparable to the more pricey ones. From previous confession, he knows that my wine knowledge is minimal, so like a good professor, he tries to broaden my education whenever I enlist his help.

In this regard, he confided to me that he was shocked to discover that some people choose wine based on the label artwork.

"Really?" I asked incredulously. Then I shyly showed him a bottle that I had already stashed in my cart; I'm sure you have already guessed how I chose it. He approved the selection, and I happily tucked it back in amongst the arugula, kale, and romaine.

The label proved to be a good history and art research lesson for me. This is what I learned: It features a detail from a fresco painted by Pinturicchio for the Piccolomini Library in Siena. It is one of ten depicting significant events in the life of Pope Pius II that were commissioned in 1502 by Cardinal Francisco Piccolomini.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia: "These frescoes are fifteenth-century tableaux vivants in which people of all conditions are represented." In the one used on my wine bottle, Pope Pius II is introducing Emperor Frederick III to Princess Eleanor of Portugal. This site has pictures of all ten frescoes.

And the connection between the artwork and the wine? The description on the back of the bottle says that "This historic painting shares its Tuscan heritage with the wine of the region, Chianti Classico."

What Would the Monks Say?

My husband told me that last night at schola practice a question came up about a "hold" in one part of the propers that they were practicing. He has all the Schola Bellarmine liturgical year CDs downloaded on his iPhone, so he immediately whipped it out, selected the Eastertide CD, found the track, and played it. The "hold" question was resolved, but the bigger question of how much Catholics can utilize technology and still have enough "quiet" to listen to God--that question still stands.

Cavalleria Rusticana

Here is the beautiful procession scene from Zeffirelli's DVD production. Though our opera night was wonderful, it did not go as planned, and this was actually the only part of the opera that I got to see.

Opera Night at our House

Long anticipated, the big day is finally here! Champagne and Chianti are chilling in the refrigerator. Live Basil scents the air. Fresh flowers beautify the table. Everything is ready.

This afternoon our friend Anselm will don his chef's cap and prepare an Italian meal with Nathaniel, Emma, and Anna. Our friend Mickey is bringing two operas on DVD: Cavalleria Rusticana and Tosca. The tentative plan is to dine first, then watch Cavalleria Rusticana, then adjourn to the living room for some waltzing, then watch Tosca and finish the evening with dessert and espresso.

I'll update with pictures late tonight or tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to especially thank the mothers of large families in my parish for being such inspiring role models.

Pointing the Way to More Good Books

UPDATE 5/9/09: Please read Stephanie A. Mann's comment to this post. She has changed her site to make it easier to get to the book list.

Stephanie A. Mann, author of Supremacy and Survival , suggested in a comment to my English Monasteries and Music post that I might enjoy reading The Last Divine Office. She directed me to her website for more information. In addition to The Last Divine Office, there are several other books described there that I look forward to reading, especially A Daughter's Love: Thomas More and His Dearest Meg. This one and The Divine Office have links to Mann's reviews on Amazon.

To get to her site, go to SupremacyandSurvival.com.

A Few Good Atheists

A friend told me that when her son went to National Guard boot camp, they confiscated his Rosary. They attempted to take his scapular as well, but he somehow managed to keep it.

Chuck Baldwin expresses my concerns about the military in this column: Can Christians Serve in the New World Army? Here's an excerpt:

When we have federal police agents, with no justification or authority, brutally beating an innocent pastor; when FBI agents use the Patriot Act to seize an obviously innocent teen-age boy from his home, and then afford him no constitutional rights; when U.S. military personnel are required to wear U.N. blue and take orders from foreign commanders; when U.S. military personnel are used as international policemen; when military chaplains are ordered to not pray in Jesus' name and to confiscate and destroy Bibles; and when soldiers are commanded to not witness for Christ or share their faith; then it is apparent that the role of both the U.S. military and law enforcement are being dramatically altered--and not for the better.

It is for good reason that many Christians (and non-Christians, for that matter) are looking twice at modern military service. In fact, a retired high-ranking military officer (whose name I will not divulge) recently told me, "Chuck, there is no way I could recommend that anyone volunteer in the U.S. military today."

San Jacinto Community College North Presents Spring Choral Concert

Director Edgar Moore recognizes soloist Kelli Mikeska, but my eyes are on my son Nathaniel, back row, last one on the left.

Heads turned and faces brightened last night when the audience was surprised by a quartet that sang from the back of the hall with the San Jacinto College North Chorale on stage. This exciting opener to the Spring Concert was Haec est dies by Jacob Handl. Director Edgar Moore beamed as he turned to direct the quartet. Clearly, he enjoyed the surprise as much as the audience.

Joining the other singers on stage, the chorale sang a traditional French Christmas carol, Quelle est cette odeur agreable? and O How Amiable by R. Vaughan Williams.

The San Jacinto College North Chamber Singers then took the stage to sing two songs by Felix Mendelssohn, Es fiel ein Reif and Holder Lenz du bist da hin and one by Robert Schumann, Herbstlied. Der Tanz, by Franz Schubert, completed their program.

Special guests, the Sons of Orpheus Men's Chorus, sang an inspired rendition of Rise Up O Men of God. Their varied selections included I Himmeln, sung in Norwegian, Spaseniye Sodelal, sung in Russian, and two passages from The Testament of Freedom by Randall Thompson.

For the finale, the Chorale, joined by the Camerata Chamber Ensemble and soprano soloist Kelli Mikeska, performed Franz Josef Haydn's Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo. It was fabulous and the perfect closure to a wonderful concert.

English Monasteries and Music: Mourning their Loss

I have owned and enjoyed "An English Ladymass" for many years. I read the program notes when I first purchased the CD, but they really didn't make that much of an impression on me. I was not even Catholic then. All I remembered of the information was that much of the music of the 13th and 14th centuries was lost. I didn't find that surprising.

I have read many accounts of the destruction of Catholic art during the Reformation, but I never realized that music was destroyed as well. Then, on a recommendation by E. M. Vidal at Tea at Trianon, I read Supremacy and Survival: How Catholics Endured the English Reformation by Stephanie A. Mann. Discussing the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, Mann says, "Among the great losses were the libraries. Hundreds of manuscripts were destroyed. Of all the great polyphonic choir books of the late medieval era, only three remain. The choir book from Eton contains the only music we have by certain composers, and it is not complete." She says that so much medieval polyphonic music was destroyed that King Henry VIII had to hire Thomas Tallis to compose new music for court services.

I immediately remembered "An English Ladymass" and re-read the program notes. Here is an excerpt:

The fragmentary and scattered state of 13th- and 14th-century English polyphonic sources makes the creation of an edition a daunting task. There exists not even one substantial intact manuscript source from which to work. Instead, there are hundreds of strips, scraps, pastedowns, and flyleaves to be found, matched, deciphered, and transcribed. Reconstructions, ranging from a few notes to an entire voice part, are often necessary. Imaginative scholarship as well as subtle musical grace were apparent in all of Ernest Sanders’ transcriptions and restorations in the editions from which we drew these polyphonic works for our Ladymass. It has been a pleasure to bring them to life.

There is no mention of how these works were lost, but naturally I have my suspicions.

Rosary Crusade Chart

A handy tally sheet is available here for keeping track of your Rosaries. It also provides explanation of how to count (five decades counts as one), the mailing address to which you should send the form when it is complete, and the reminder that Bishop Fellay is asking for an equal number of sacrifices drawn from our duty of state.

Beauty in the Kitchen

Emma and her friend Scarlett spent Friday afternoon baking chocolate meringue pies and making little apple tarts for the Keepers at Home picnic. Emma thought I should photograph the egg yolks and the meringue because they were so beautiful. You can't tell it from the photo, but she said that the meringue shimmered like mother of pearl.

The SSPX Rosary Crusade

This notice ran in our church bulletin this morning:

Our Superior General, Bishop Fellay, on behalf of our religious order is instituting a new Rosary Crusade which will end on March 25th of next year. He is asking for 12 million Rosaries to be offered and penances performed to bring about the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Her triumph. It is a bold request! But let us with all our hearts participate in this new endeavor. The prayers of the Faithful in the last two Crusades have brought many blessings over the last two years. Let us have a great Faith that these prayers will also bring many blessings.

This is the third Rosary Crusade Bishop Fellay has called. The intention of the first one was to free the traditional Mass and was answered by Pope Benedict's motu proprio, "Summorum Pontificum". The second one resulted in the removal of the excommunications of the four society bishops.

Keepers at Home Finish the Year with Family Picnic

Yesterday was a lovely day. It started with games: A three-legged race and

pass the sponge and an

egg toss.

Then we unpacked our picnic baskets and visited and ate. We never seem to get enough of each other's company.

We all brought desserts to share. Then the leaders presented badges.

Abbi shows off hers.

The senior girls earned cooking and sewing badges. They enjoyed each other's company this year, and their friendships seemed to blossom.

High Impact Art

When my husband lived in Alexandria, LA, as a boy, he attended St. Francis Xavier Academy. (photo above) Although he was enrolled for just third and fourth grades (1966-67, 1967-68), the nuns made a huge impact on him.

He vividly remembers looking at art masterpieces on glass slides in the attic. Additionally, the nuns would pass out art prints, and each student would have to write a story to go along with the picture. Herb liked one of the prints so much, he took it home and showed it to his mother. He asked her to paint one like it for him, and she did.



While Herb was in Amsterdam last week, he visited the Rijksmuseum. He was overwhelmed by Rembrandt's "The Night Watch", mesmerized by Vermeer's "The Milkmaid", and haunted by Hals's "The Merry Drinker"--haunted because it reminded him of something he had seen before but could not place. He finally realized that it reminded him of the picture that he had asked his mother to duplicate for him. After some quick research, he found that the artist is the same. The painting he had loved as a boy at St. Francis Xavier was Hals's "Jester with a Lute".

A Real Page Turner

I am finally making progress in my reading of In This House of Brede. I don't know why I've had such a hard time, but now that it's getting really interesting--some secrets are being revealed--I am forced to hunt and flip pages because this section of the book is all mis-bound. What a bother! Thankfully, Emma warned me about the situation or I might have been hopelessly lost.

May-Day Ideas

Ho! the merrie first of Maie
Bryngs the daunce and blossoms gaie,
To make of lyfe a holiday.

Here are two ideas that I was not familiar with until Emma got The American Girl's Handy Book by Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard

There was, at one time, a very pretty custom observed in Merrie England of fastening bunches of flowering shrubs and branches of sycamore and hawthorn upon the doors of those neighbors whose good lives and kindly habits were thus recognized by their friends. . .

The maids and matrons of England formerly had a way of their own of observing the day. On the first of May they would all go trooping out with the earliest rays of the morning sun, to bathe their faces in the magic dew, which glistened upon the grass once a year only, and was supposed to render the features moistened with it beautiful for the the next twelve months.

For Catholics, honoring Mary is the pleasantest of May activities. She is the true Queen of the May.

Most people are familiar with the May-pole dance. Last year Emma and I attended our first.

A beautiful Marian hymn:

Bring Flow'rs of the Rarest


Bring flow'rs of the fairest,
Bring flow'rs of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and vale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest
Rose of the vale.

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

O Virgin most tender,
Our homage we render,
Thy love and protection,
Sweet Mother, to win;
In danger defend us,
In sorrow befriend us,
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin.

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Of Mothers the dearest,
Oh, wilt thou be nearest,
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete?
Forsake us, O never!
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet.

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.