What to get for the graduate who has everything...

Beef Jerky Business Cards

By the time this publishes, we'll be well on our way to Omaha for Jon's graduation. The whole family is meeting up, including his two big brothers and Dan's parents. One more joyous milestone! You'd think it'd get to be old hat, but it always somehow takes me by surprise.

Goodness. Three down, seven to go!

If you have a moment, will you pray us in safe? We're remembering all the families traveling to graduations all over the country this weekend, too.

Hope everyone's weekend is blessed!

Mary, Queen of May

Oh Mary, Queen of May,
Thee May has come to greet;
Oh bless this vernal day,
And us here at thy feet.



THE SEVEN BLESSINGS OF THE ROSARY


"The Rosary recited with meditation on the mysteries brings about the following marvelous results:

1. It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ;

2. It purifies our souls, washing away sin;

3. It gives us victory over all our enemies;

4. It makes it easy for us to practice virtue;

5. It sets us on fire with love of Our Blessed Lord;

6. It enriches us with graces and merits;

7. It supplies us with what is needed to pay all our debts to God and to our fellow men, and finally, it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God."

--------St. Louis De Montfort


Go here for the full text of the traditional Rosary Novena

This is the little boy...

... who wasn't tired ~ and didn't want to take a nap.

I love how he covered himself up and made a little bed for his toy spider.

(There's a whole other post in this, isn't there ~ all about the toy preferences of boys vs. girls...)

Our Lady of Montallegro

I was named for St. Bernadette, so I've grown up with the story of the "Beautiful Lady's" visit to Lourdes, and I think I know the stories of Fatima, and Our Lady of Guadalupe inside and out. The drama, the mystery, the beauty and messages of each is imprinted in my mind, and I hope in my soul. But, in the last few years, I've come across many other true stories of the Blessed Mother, apparitions approved by the Church, which are no less special, no less important, just lesser known. It's fascinating history of our Faith; I love learning about it. So in the interest of study ~ and sharing ~ during the remainder of the month, I plan to search out various more obscure or "hidden" visits the Queen of Heaven has made to earth. Here's the first, a new one to me: The Apparition of Our Lady of Montallegro

The text was taken, in its entirety, from Miraculous Images of Our Lady, by Joan Carroll Cruz:

Meaning "Happy Mount," this shrine of Our Lady is situationed on a mountain overlooking the resort town of Rapallo and its gulf. Approximately 15 miles southesast of the great port city of Genoa, Rapallo's gulf also opens into the Ligurian Sea. But unlike the many shrines of Our Lady located on the shores of Italy which are consecrated to the Queen of hte Sea, that of Montallegro has a different dedication.

The shrine owes its origin to one Giovanni Chichizola, who was making his way home through the moutains behind Rapallo on July 2, 1557. Coming upon a cool, shady spot, he paused for his noonday rest. The sound of a sweet voice calling his name startled him to alertness. There, standing close beside him, was a beautiful lady surrounded by an intense light. With a reassuring smile the vision addressed Giovanni with the words: "Do not fear, Giovanni. I am Mary, the Mother of God. Go and tell the people of Rapallo of my appearance." The vision then directed his attention to a small picture propped against one of the rocks where he had been resting.

"Tell the people that this picture was brought here from Greece by the angels. I leave it here in token of my love for them. Fast on Saturday." The vision then disappeared as if carried away in a cloud.

Giovanni was filled with happiness as he looked upon the painting. His first reaction was to pick up the picture and carry it to Rapallo, but he found it impossible to remove the picture from the rock. Giovanni then called to other peasants who were nearby to come see his treasure. While he told them his wondrous story, they discovered that a trickle of water was starting to flow from the same rock against which the picture stood -- a place which until that moment had been perfectly dry.

Giovanni left the blessed picture in the charge of his friends while he ran to the city. The priests to whom he told his story were skeptical, but because of Giovanni's excitement they reluctantly followed him to the place of the apparition. There they saw the picture which none of the peasants could lift, and the spring which had mysteriously appeared.

One of the priests raised the portrait without difficulty and carried it in processin to the parish church, where it was carefully locked up pending further investigation.

The next day the painting was missing from its locked enclosure, but was found on the mountainside at the place where Giovanni had originally found it. This could mean but one thing: Our Lady wantd her image to remain on the mountain, and that it should be protected by a chapel.

The people at once began to plan for a chapel and more permanent church that would come later. A herculean task confronted them, since hundreds of tons of solid rock had to be removed to provide a level place for construction, and building materials had to be dragged up the mountain to a height of some 1,900 feet. Nevertheless, a year after Our Lady's apparition, the church was ready for consecration.

Painted on wood, the miraculous picture measures 6 1/2 by 5 inches, with the upper part slightly rounded. Our Lady is shown lying on a bier which is covered with a red pall and surrounded by a number of small flowers. Our Lady is clothed in a brown robe. Her feet are bare, and her head is surrounded by a halo. Behind the bier is a figure representing the Blessed Trinity. A large aureole represents the Beatific Glory into which Mary was admitted. St. Peter, vested in Greek episcopal vestments, stands at Our Lady's head, while at her feet a group of saints linger in a mournful attitude. Archangels Michael and Gabriel are also depicted.

In the basilica which replaced the original chapel, the celebrated picture is enshrined in a pavilion behind the high altar.

Preserved in the State Archives of Genoa are important documents relating to the inquiry made in 1558. Given before Msgr. Falceta, the Archbishop's Vicar-General, the documents pertain to the questions asked of Giovanni Chichizola and the observations of Msgr. Falceta.

Records also reveal that Our Lady's intervention brought about deliverance from the plague in 1579, 1590 and 1630. On these and other occasions, the people saw to it that Our Lady was thanked by means of votive plaques, hundreds of which still hang in the basilica. The ex-votos became so numerous that galleries were built to accomodate them. These additions to the sancturary soon proved inadequate, since the plaques multiplied to such an extent that even the cloister and sacristy were covered with them.

The Sacred Congregation of Rites, in 1739, granted the plea of the city of Rapallo to name Our Lady of Montallegro as its patroness. Once again the shrine found acceptance with the Vatican when Our Lady of Montallegro was crowned in solemn ceremonies on July 7, 1767 by the Bishop of Ajaccio, Corsica.

And what became of the rock upon which the miraculous picture rested at the time of the apparition? It is found almost concealed at one side of the altar. And what of the water from the miraculous spring? A white marble trough with a faucet is provided for those who want to drink the water or collect it in bottles. Just above the faucet is a small door through which the rock is visible. Also seen here is the small cavity which is the actual source of the water.

** Unfortunately, I couldn't find a reproducible image of Our Lady of Montallegro to post (The painting at top is of Our Lady of Mercy), but you can go here for the image of the icon of Our Lady of Montallegro.

** The landscape painting, above, is by Roelandt Roghman; it's called 'Valley with Travellers,' and was painted in the 1660s.

The Lilacs are Blooming...

The trick is finding creative vases for all the offerings the children bring in.

Did I say Blooming? Make that Blowing!

First Celebrity Casualty of Swine Flu

And we all know who gave it to him...

H/T: Nicole

(Smiling and waving, Nicole!)

Meet the girls

Theresa chatting with Miss Marple

a wyandott

who lays brown eggs

Cathy's got Miss Persnickety

a barred rock
who lays brown eggs

Michelle with Victoria ("The Clydesdale Chicken")
A cochin
who lays brown eggs
and intimidates all the children, except Michelle

Cathy, about to lose Penny

we're not sure of her breed, but think she's a brown leghorn

who is not laying yet

Theresa with Tricki Woo

a brown barred rock

who is laying brown eggs

William and BooBoo Chicken

a white leghorn

who is not laying yet, but will lay white eggs

Gabe and either Maple or Opal (I can't tell them apart...)
a brown leghorn (we think)
who is not laying yet, but should have white eggs soon

Anna with Maple if the picture above is Opal, or vice versa

another brown leghorn, like her sister, above.

William with Tinkerbell

a silver laced wyandotte

who should be laying brown eggs soon

Pictured below, Miss Persnickety,

an Easter Egger,

the hardest-to-catch hen

who lays light pink eggs

*~*~*~*

Whatcha doin' Yuyum?

says I

I'm watching Miss Persnickety so I can catch her,

says he.

You see her hiding under there? ,

says he.

I'm coming to get you, Miss Persnickety!

In your dreams,

says she.

Almost gotcha!

says he

(Psst! Hey, Tricki, go distract him for me, will ya?)

Ha! I threw him!

says she

I gived up,

says he.

The Rosary

The Rosary

Not on the lute, nor harp of many strings

Shall all men praise the Master of all song.

Our life is brief, one saith, and art is long;

And skilled must be the laureates of kings.

Silent, O lips that utter foolish things!

Rest, awkward fingers striking all notes wrong!

How from your toil shall issue, white and strong,

Music like that God's chosen poet sings?



There is one harp that any hand can play,

And from its strings what harmonies arise!

There is one song that any mouth can say,

--A song that lingers when all singing dies.

When on their beads our Mother's children pray

Immortal music charms the grateful skies.



Joyce Kilmer

Simple Woman's Daybook, May 11th

What I've been thinking... I'm looking forward to having Jon and Dominic home from school next week. We'll have eight of our children home under one roof, and one right across town. =sigh= Only Paul won't be close at hand. But, I'm sure we'll get to see lots of him an Nicole this summer, as they'll be working hard on their wedding plans in the Denver area.

I am hearing... a wagon being pulled outside on the patio, children coming and going out the door, Alice in Wonderland playing in the background and nobody watching it... (What's with that?)

I am reading... Actually, I haven't had much time to read, but I'm still working on The Endless Knot, by William L. Biersach -- in little leftover oases of time. So, for instance, while I drink my breakfast smoothie, I have time to read a paragraph about how the priest-sleuth's sidekick, Martin, is getting into a jeep to go somewhere to track down a clue ~ and then, by lunchtime the next day I read the next paragraph to find out where he's going. The action loses a little bit in the protracted reading thereof...

I am hoping... the wind dies down today so I can get some more bedding plants in the ground and hang some clothes on the line.

What I'm wearing... blue capris, red cable knit pullover with a white hoodie sweater over it. (It's chilly here this morning!)

From the Learning Rooms... We're going to Omaha this weekend for Jon's graduation from high school! (I can't believe my little boy could possibly be old enough to graduate from high school....)

From the kitchen... Trying to think of a crockpot dinner to prepare to take over to my Dad tomorrow. My Mom and sis, Nina, are in North Carolina visiting family, and Dad is home alone, so we gotta feed him well! I'm thinking of seeing if I can find a crockpot version of a Reuben. Does that sound weird? (I think he'd like something like that, though.)

I am creating... Our Mary Garden. Here's the start of it:

(Don't ya love pansies? They're so cheerful!)

I 'm thankful for... a lovely, simple Mother's Day yesterday with Dan and seven of the children. Dan and the kids made me a wonderful dinner of all my favorite foods, then I got to have a nice nap and went on a drive around the countryside with Dan. A very relaxed, very pleasant day.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Getting ready for the Omaha trip Saturday and Sunday. Then getting ready for Dan's and my anniversary vacation next week. But today we're jaunting over to the foothills to take a look at another dairy goat that we may buy. This one is currently milking, so I'll have to gear up my dairy supplies if we get her.

One of my favorite things... being caught up on laundry. Which I'm not. Over the last three days I think every person in this family has somehow managed to dirty every item of clothing they own. How on earth do they do that?

Here are a few picture thoughts I'm sharing...

Our five youngest at the light rail station getting ready for their first-ever train ride Friday.

Here comes the train...

Two little commuters, Gabe and Anna

Gabe and Anna loved the ride. William wasn't impressed.

At the Rockies game!

An opportunity for Cathy and Theresa to socialize and eat peanuts...

Serious business to Kevvy...

But, Anna thinks it's boring.

Did I mention it was cold?

It would have been more fun if it had been warmer. We call this phenomena the Dan/Lisa baseball curse. We can't go to a game together unless it's frigid or raining or both. But everyone did have a good time. It was an adventure and a new experience for the Littles and fun for us to experience it with them!

** For more Simple Women's Daybooks, visit Peggy this morning!

A Mothers' Day List

Twenty things that warm my heart...

Today:

1. The tabletop filled with Mothers' Day cards this morning, including...

2. Michelle's poem and promise in her home-made card:

Since my hand isn't moving and my mind just went
I decided, with much dismay
Not to write the usual sentiment
You get on Mother's Day.

Instead, I thought it would prove more
If I did an action or two ~
A simple task or menial chore ~
To show how much I love you.

(This card is worth ten jobs of your choice
to be done cheerfully and without complaint!)

3. A dear and holy priest who can't give a sermon on the Blessed Mother because he gets choked up too much.

4. The chorus of "Happy Mothers' Day!" greetings all over the vestibule and church hall after Mass.

5. The venti mocha frapuccino Dan got me on the way home this morning.

6. Happy Mothers' Day greetings waiting for me in my combox and e-mail.

7. Little girls who hop-to-it to tidy the house and help Daddy make a special lunch for Mothers' Day.

8. Shrimp and coctail sauce!

In General:

9. That my almost-fourteen-year-old daughter doesn't hesitate to hug her Mom hello and goodbye, even when she's with a gaggle of girlfriends.

10. The times over the past few months that every one of my big boys has told me independently how much each of them admires and respects his father.

11. How important it is to our oldest son, Paul, to have a Nuptial High Mass when he marries.

12. My future daughter-in-law's confidences and affection ~ and her warm smile.

13. When my piano-playing son, Jon, plays a certain tune just because he knows I like it.

14. All my Little Ones' I love you, Mommy drawings.

15. The million little things that Cathy (8) and Theresa (10) do for me just because they're sweet.

16. When William (3) says, "You know what?" and I say, "What?" and he says, "I love you, Mommy!"

17. When my fifteen-year-old son, Dominic, calls just to chat.

18. To hear my twenty-year-old son, Kevvy, tell how he took his Granddad shopping at Walmart and spent the whole afternoon patiently helping him remember what they were there to buy.

19. How this same son recently announced that he will be entering the seminary in September.

20. The overwhelming goodness of God in the multitude of blessings He's showered on us through the years.