The Hall Cottage

Too long a stranger...

2011-12-02T10:40:00.000-05:00

Is there anyone out there besides a certain seamstress who remembers I once had a blog?! I haven't posted in a year so I am sure all my "cyber-friends" have forgotten I exist and that's okay. A friend of mine refers to her internet circle as her "imaginary friends." But I think of those of you who held my virtual hand when I suffered a year and a half ago... Nori, Kimberlee, Abigail, the

The Holy Father on St. Joseph

2010-12-21T15:02:00.000-05:00

In St. Joseph, the Pope said, the believing world can see the “emergence of the new man, who looks with trust and courage to the future, who does not follow his own plans but entrusts himself entirely to the infinite mercy of the One Who fulfills the prophecies, the One Who opens the time of salvation." (quoted from Catholic Culture) I am a big fan of St. Joseph. He is invoked regularly

Please pay a visit...

2010-12-20T16:09:00.000-05:00

My eldest, Goldie (14), was given permission to start her own blog on her birthday earlier this month. Please stop by and visit her at The Road Goes Ever On!

St. Nicholas Day 2010

2010-12-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! This is a great feast to celebrate if you have children in the house. Set them straight about the so-called Santa at the mall, and then start a new tradition. You can say without a qualm, "Of course St. Nicholas is real. The Church and history tell us so." When I found out that Santa wasn't real I kicked the neighbor girl who told me. Think of all the trouble

From out of the past...

2010-12-03T16:44:00.001-05:00

This is something I wrote five years ago, B.C. (Before Catholicism). We went to a small, "family-integrated" church at the time, in which some of the families did not celebrate Christmas. It got rather uncomfortable during those after-church discussions, so of course to process it all I chose my favorite therapy, writing. I remember one Sunday a visiting preacher came and gave a great sermon

Inquiring Minds Want to Know...

2010-12-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

I would like to know why a spent cigarette tossed into a trashcan has the ability to burn down a thirty-story apartment building, turning it into a towering inferno, but I, armed with kindling, a propane torch, matches, paper, cardboard and other flammable items, spent over an hour this morning getting the fire started. Just wondering.

A Feast of Fat Things

2010-11-30T10:45:00.001-05:00

Jessica has posted what I would call "The Ultimate Book List for Advent and Christmas for Your Domestic Church" on her blog. It is a feast of ideas for meaningful gifts. Our Christmas book collection is a sad little stack compared to what you will find on Jessica's list, but oh, if I had the money... Books are the perfect gift when you have a lot of kids because someone always likes them, no

Advent Daybook

2010-11-28T18:15:00.000-05:00

FOR TODAY... as Advent begins... Outside my window... Lots of wood has found its way to the front porch over the past week. Thanks to my parents for sharing their downed trees, and to Tim and the older kids for getting it stacked. I am thankful for... so very much... food and clothes and shelter and the rhythm of the Church Year. I am praying for... for peace to prevail in my home From the

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a blessed week as you prepare for Thanksgiving.Make happy memories and don't worry too much about details.(I'll try if you will.)

St. Ignatius on the Church

2010-11-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

I have therefore hastened to exhort you to set yourselves in harmony with the mind of God. For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable Life, is the Mind of the Father, as also the bishops, established in the furthest quarters, are in the mind of Jesus Christ. Hence it is fitting for you to set yourselves in harmony with the mind of the bishop, as indeed you do. For your noble presbytery, worthy of God

Putting the Fun in Fundamentalism

2010-11-18T11:34:00.001-05:00

We have a Baptist church right up the road from our parish that puts up messages on its board that are so anti-Catholic, anti-priesthood, that they make my face burn and my heart pound. The city council has actually asked our priest on one occasion if he wanted them to try to put a stop to it, it was so bad. But this sign (which I shamelessly stole from Fr. Z's blog), from a church in the Dallas

So said Miss Mason

2010-11-12T15:41:00.000-05:00

The Essence of Christianity is Loyalty to a Person.--Christ, our King. Here is a thought to unseal the fountains of love and loyalty, the treasures of faith and imagination, bound up in the child. The very essence of Christianity is personal loyalty, passionate loyalty to our adorable Chief. We have laid other foundations--regeneration, sacraments, justification, works, faith, the Bible--any one

From Catholic Answers...

2010-11-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

Q: How do we know that the Bible is not the sole rule of faith? A: The Bible does not claim to be the sole rule of faith. Paul wrote, "What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). And he instructed, "Hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2

Always the Last to Know...

2010-11-08T13:21:00.000-05:00

I just discovered that Karen Andreola, author of A Charlotte Mason Companion, Pocketful of Pinecones and Lessons at Blackberry Inn (among other things) started a blog last spring called "Moments with Mother Culture." Just as in her books, she is warm and sympathetic as she gently shares thoughts and ideas for nurturing our souls as mothers so we have more to share with our children. Here is a

A Powerful Quote from Padre Pio

2010-11-06T17:50:00.000-04:00

My wish for all of you is to die on the cross with Christ in defense of your family's holiness and purity. So I read this quote in the normal circuitous route. I read this at Totus Tuus Family and linked to the original article at the Catholic Phoenix. I then scrolled through the comments, where this quote was found. As always, Padre Pio hits the nail on the head and no mistaking it. I have

First Friday Adoration

2010-11-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

On the first Friday of the month, the kids and I begin our day with Mass and Adoration, followed by a little gathering for homeschoolers. I am looking forward to our activities building being completed over the next several months so the kids will not be such a source of noise to the people upstairs praying in the church, or to the people working in the office. I am hoping to go back tonight

White Ribbon Week

2010-11-03T17:14:00.000-04:00

White Ribbon Against Pornography From LifeSiteNews: [John Henry] Westen quoted Matthew 5, where Christ says: "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery in his heart." "We've got to confront this monster," insisted Westen, noting that it is a particular problem for men. "There are very few men on this earth who have no problem with this,

Captain Jim and Me

2010-11-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

On the morning after the election Captain Jim dropped in at the little house to tell the news. So virulent is the microbe of party politics, even in a peaceable old man, that Captain Jim's cheeks were flushed and his eyes were flashing with all his old-time fire. "Mistress Blythe, the Liberals are in with a sweeping majority. After eighteen years of Tory mismanagement this down-trodden

Three Touchy Topics

2010-11-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and The Great Pumpkin." -Linus van Pelt

Please pray...

2010-10-26T17:27:00.001-04:00

I can't believe my post about this didn't work last week! I just assumed and didn't check on it... A week ago on Monday I took most of the kids to a local parish to see Jim and Mary Cowan. My dad's cousin goes to that parish so we sat together and had fun catching up before the concert. The priest at the parish, Fr. Lewnau, was extremely reverent as he brought Our Lord to the altar for a time

Trusting God...

2010-10-26T13:47:00.002-04:00

A couple by the names of Colin and Nancy Campbell have been working in Christian ministry for at least forty years, in their native New Zealand, then the Gold Coast of Australia, and since the early 90s in the US. Two of their sons are the owners of the Christian band, The Newsboys, who I listened to almost constantly at college because they were the only group my roommate and I both liked. (I

The Party Matters

2010-10-26T08:06:00.000-04:00

by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life The Party MattersWhen deciding on the candidate for whom you cast your vote in an election, a number of moral principles have to be considered. As I have often written in the past, the position of the candidate him/herself on the most important issues is of key importance, because by putting that person in a position to vote on legislation, you help to move

In pursuit of St. Joseph...

2010-10-24T20:51:00.002-04:00

A certain young man in my family asked the other day, "When Father invokes the saints at Adoration, why does he say, 'St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse'? Who was chasing him?" :D

Thoughts from another one-issue voter...

2010-10-24T20:30:00.000-04:00

"In the fights in politics, all sides cannot win. It is either going to be the way of evil or the way of truth. You must engage it as an ambassador for Christ and not as an agent of the devil. God is life. Jesus is King. Christians are citizens of the kingdom sharing in life, the mission of God to promote it constantly in every forum." -Fr. Richard Perozich, a priest of the Diocese of San Diego

Just a little hello...

2010-10-24T20:17:00.000-04:00

To say I experience technical difficulties is a vast understatement. My internet connection is compromised by all my pesky trees and the metal roof over part of my house. Here in God's Country we don't have cable TV and the internet service that comes with it; we are beholden to satellite dishes and data cards, and since the wind blows and there are the occasional clouds or rainstorms... well,

Simple Woman's Daybook October 4, 2010

2010-10-04T13:47:00.000-04:00

FOR TODAY... Feast of St. Francis Outside my window... The weather is definitely fallish. The nights are getting cold and I hear rumors of frost coming. We have a maple tree next to our mailbox across the road (I guess it's really the neighbor's) that turns violent orange before all the other trees around. It is so gorgeous. I am thankful for... this. I was unable to go down to Detroit to

The Perfect Storm...

2010-09-29T13:14:00.000-04:00

Picture credit: SmashingApps.com "Moms with large families are in the eye of the storm. A great, wonderful, loving, adventure storm - but a storm." (Quoted from Catholic Heritage Curricula's Mom-to-Mom online support.)

Do I dare?

2010-09-28T09:02:00.000-04:00

So there's this ugly rehashing of the pants/skirts debate doing damage in Catholic blog world. It is icky and gross and as a feminine female I don't like things that are icky and gross. I also don't like getting picked on, so I generally bow out of these kerfuffles. I am not going to link to the posts that really fanned the flame, either, because some of the comments are not worth repeating.

Vocations and vegetables...

2010-09-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

I came across this article on our Archdiocese Website, written by the former auxiliary bishop of our vicariate (he has since been transfered to Texas.) It is about nurturing vocations in our children (a downloadable guide can also be found here) and I thought it was excellent. One little story about Bishop Flores: When he was given the news that he was being sent to his native Texas, his first

7 Quick Takes, September 24, 2010

2010-09-24T08:52:00.001-04:00

Oh, that I were a leetle more faithful to participate in 7 Quick Takes... I believe I once jokingly said that it was only every 7 months that I remembered to post one... and here I am again, almost 7 months later. :( 1. There is a notice on my refrigerator that reads: "Knights Needed. Apply at Lord Percival's Office." I have not been able to find his lordship's office, but if that isn't

Feast of St. Matthew

2010-09-21T10:14:00.001-04:00

"The apostles, those who all as one and each in particular possessed the Good News of God, went to the ends of the earth proclaiming the news of all the blessings God sends us and announcing heaven's peace towards men. Specifically, Matthew produced a written form of the gospel for the Hebrews in their own language , while Peter and Paul evangelised Rome and founded the Church there. After their

Little Gems from LifeSite News

2010-09-21T08:09:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows I love reading the LifeSiteNews emails, probably because I am either posting their stories here or forwarding them with a little note that begins, "I hardly ever forward anything..." Today's batch of stories were just plain good---inspiring and challenging. Here are a few little quotes... The USCCB on government requirements that contraception and sterilization be covered by

Capuchin(o) Muffins

2010-09-20T15:40:00.000-04:00

Thursday is the memorial for St. Padre Pio. He is a fascinating saint, although I can admit that my timid soul would be nervous to find him on the other side of the confessional! I was once spoken to sternly during a confession, and I was a bit of a shambles (interiorly) for the next few days. Padre Pio was a stigmatist, "bearing in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Galatians 6:17) and

Wednesday Tea Time

2010-09-15T16:43:00.001-04:00

I mentioned having a birthday party for Mary last week while talking with a friend on the phone and she said, "Why didn't you put it up on your blog?" To quote Charlie Brown in conversation with Peppermint Patty, "Well, I uh...." It didn't occur to me because there are Other People who post such things and their results are always much more professional looking than mine. But I think I will

Mother of Sorrows

2010-09-15T09:53:00.000-04:00

This morning's homily at Mass was of course about Our Lady's sorrows and suffering, and on ours as well. It seems if God knows I will be at Mass He tells the priest to preach about suffering. Today Father M., in his lovely Polish inflections, said, "Suffering is our every day's bread." He is one who knows what it is to suffer in all the aspects people can suffer, from acute health problems to

Simple Woman's Daybook September 13, 2010

2010-09-13T11:17:00.001-04:00

FOR TODAY... Feels like Fall Outside my window... The vegetables are slowing down. The corn and soybean fields surrounding us are gold and gorgeous I am thankful for... a new week I am praying for... for just a little courage. It is no fun being a chicken. Even as I carry crosses I am afraid of them... It is silly in a way; obviously I am able to do what I must but I wish I could carry

So said John Bosco

2010-09-10T12:30:00.000-04:00

"Frequent Confession, frequent Communion, daily Mass: these are the pillars which should sustain the whole edifice of education." -St. John Bosco

Hostile Environment

2010-09-10T09:15:00.000-04:00

I was talking with my girls the other day about the mistaken notion some silly grown-ups have about "peer leaders," that somehow one good kid in a roomful of bad kids will be able to have a tremendous influence and convert them all to goodness. Oh, and that the good kid will be impervious to the influence of the other kids by some superhuman power. Ain't gonna happen. My kids are known as "

St. Alphonsus... again

2010-09-07T08:23:00.000-04:00

We should most confidently abandon ourselves to all the dispositions of divine providence, since they are for our own good. -St. Alphonsus Liguori, 18th century

Waking Rose: A Review

2010-09-03T20:40:00.004-04:00

, so

So said Samwise

2010-04-10T10:38:00.004-04:00

We were talking about the happy day that Samwise was born almost four years ago and looking at pictures of my long, drawn-out home birth. After being in labor for so long, the delivery was very quick, and the highlight of the story is always that Sam cried and hollered when only his head and shoulders were out. (Most of my babies have needed encouragement for that first cry.)As I told the story

Rest in Peace, Pietro Molla

2010-04-07T17:46:00.003-04:00

On Saturday we watched a documentary about St. Gianna Beretta Molla called Love is a Choice. It was excellent, though Hamfast had us in stitches because he kept saying, "This is a problem---I can't read much and I'm not from Italy!" (The interviews were in Italian with subtitles.) I just learned that on the very same day we were watching it, St. Gianna's husband, Pietro Molla, passed away at

Forty Bags Revisited

2010-04-07T14:05:00.004-04:00

Before Holy Week I wrote a post about getting my forty bags of stuff put together. I did not publish it for some reason... I suspect I had trouble with the satellite and gave up on it. I re-read what I wrote this morning and decided that rather than post it retroactively, I would just delete and simplify what I had to say.It was difficult for me to get forty bags together for several reasons.It

Good Friday

2010-04-02T19:14:00.002-04:00

"Veneration of the Cross" by Gustave Dore"We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You,because by Your Holy CrossYou have redeemed the world."One of the most moving parts of the Good Friday Liturgy is the Veneration of the Cross. It is almost overwhelming to file past the crucifix, kissing His Holy Wounds and thanking Him for laying down His life. Today in his homily Father reminded us that it

Maundy Thursday

2010-03-31T14:36:00.009-04:00

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. (John 13)"We must wash one another's feetin the mutual daily service of love.But we must also wash one another'sfeet in the sense that we must forgiveone another ever anew."~Pope Benedict XVI

Spiritual Bouquet for the Holy Father

2010-03-31T10:29:00.002-04:00

The Cardinal Newman Society is inviting Catholics to join an Eastertide Prayer Campaign over the fifty days of Easter. Pope Benedict is facing so many attacks right now, both from outside the Church and inside. The CNS website has this prayer posted: Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to your shepherd Benedict a spirit of courage and right

"The Celebration"

2010-03-31T09:25:00.002-04:00

(From Presentation Ministries)"I am to celebrate the Passover with My disciples in your house." —Matthew26:18Jesus states His intention to celebrate the Passover and the whole Paschalmystery in our houses, families, communities, and lives. We must preparefor the celebration of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and thefifty-day Easter season. We prepare by: * doing what Jesus orders (Mt

Family life in reality

2010-03-30T14:34:00.008-04:00

I sent an email to some mother friends asking them to say a prayer for the soul of a dear lady at church who passed away last weekend, Mrs. M. She was always encouraging to be around, someone who always made me feel I had made the right choice by bringing my noisy children to Mass, when I was thinking to myself that everyone must be wishing I had stayed home. She was a mother of six boys whose

Pray for Pope Benedict

2010-03-29T08:42:00.001-04:00

"My dear friends –at this moment I can only say:pray for me,that I may learn to love the Lord more and more.Pray for me, that I may learn to love his flock more and more– in other words, you, the holy Church,each one of you and all of you together.Pray for me,that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.Let us pray for one another,that the Lord will carry usand that we will learn to carry one

"Catholic by Providence"

2010-03-27T10:06:00.005-04:00

I was asked to share a brief testimony at church last night during the "Living" Stations of the Cross, and will again on Good Friday. A couple people have asked me to put it up here so they can read it. I am not a "public speaker" by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love to write and I was really happy for a chance to share publicly what Jesus has done in my life. Before you read my

Pray for The Church today

2010-03-23T18:09:00.002-04:00

This is certainly rife with controversy, but it is a call to prayer. Our Church needs prayer. Our country needs prayer. Thank God for my parish, for my priest, for God's guidance in our lives.

Feast of St. Joseph

2010-03-19T09:54:00.003-04:00

I love this hymn in honor of St. Joseph, written by Fr. Frederick Faber. The children's CD "Songs of Praise" by Danny Schneible (available from Seton) has a charming version of it; the catchy tune gets stuck in my head every time. I am an admirer of Fr. Faber, who was a convert to the Catholic Faith during the Oxford movement, along with John Henry Newman and Robert Wilberforce (William