RIP: Andy Williams

1927-2012

Andy Williams:  

Sunday afternoons in autumn, sitting on the brick front porch steps of our Virginia Dutch Colonial.  I'm nine years old; my brother Daniel, is a baby, my littlest brother (the seventh child) isn't even a twinkle yet.  My favorite pal and brother, Greggy, and I are discussing methods of actually flying in the next windstorm -- something having to do with black trash bags.  The smell of Sunday afternoon dinner wafts out the open living room window.  The oak and maple trees stretching way up over us are sifting red and orange leaves slowly down through their bony fingers...  

And this man's album is playing inside.  Strains of Moon River drift out with the smell of meatloaf and gravy... 

Andy Williams, God bless him, gave much that was good to the world.  May he rest in peace.

Novena to the The Little Flower

~ Day One Today ~

to end on the vigil of St. Therese's feast day;

Start tomorrow to end on her feast day, October 3rd.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ever consoling troubled souls with heavenly graces,

 in thine unfailing intercession I place my confident trust.

 From the heart of our Divine Savior, petition the blessings of which I stand in greatest need, especially….

 

(here mention your intentions)

 

Shower upon me thy promised roses of virtue and grace, dear St. Therese,

 so that swiftly advancing in sanctity and perfect love of neighbor,

 I may someday receive the crown of life eternal.

 

+ Amen

The Glory Be Novena to St. Therese

The Twenty-four "Glory be to the Father's" novena can be said at any time. However, the ninth to the seventeenth or the month is particularly recommended, for on those days the petitioner joins in prayer with all those making the novena.

The "Glory Be to the Father" praising the Holy Trinity is said twenty-four times each of the nine days in thanksgiving for all the blessings and favors given to Saint Theresa or the Child Jesus during the twenty-four years or her life. In addition, this or a similar prayer may be used:

Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, I thank Thee for all the blessings and favors Thou hast showered upon the soul of Thy servant Theresa of the Child Jesus, during the twenty-four years she spent here on earth, and in consideration of the merits of this Thy most beloved Saint, I beseech Thee to grant me this favor, if it is in accordance with Thy most Holy Will and is not an obstacle to my salvation."

After this Prayer, follow the twenty-four "Glory be to the Father's" between each of which may be included this short prayer:

"Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, pray for us.

ORIGIN OF THE NOVENA

Father Putigan, a Jesuit, began the Novena to Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus on December 3, 1925, asking the glorious Saint for one great favor. For nine days he recited the "Glory be to the Father" twenty-four times thanking the Holy Trinity for the favors and Graces showered on Saint Theresa during the twenty-four years of her life on earth. The priest asked Saint Theresa, that as a sign that his novena was heard he would receive from someone a freshly plucked rose. On the third day of the novena, an unknown person sought out Father Putigan and presented him with a beautiful rose. Father Putigan began the second novena on December 24 of the same year, and as a sign, asked for a white rose On the fourth day of this novena one of the Sister-nurses brought him a white rose saying:

"Saint Theresa sent you this."

Amazed, the priest asked: "Where did you get this?"

"I was in the chapel," said the Sister, "and as I was leaving I passed the altar above which hangs the beautiful picture of Saint Theresa. This rose fell at my feet. I wanted to put it back into the bouquet, but a thought came to me that I should bring it to you."

Father Putigan received the favors he had petitioned of the Little Flower of Jesus, and promised to spread the novena to increase devotion to, and bring her more honor. In this fashion, from the ninth to the seventeenth of each month, those who want to participate in the Twenty-four "Glory be to the Father's" novena, should add to those of their own, the intentions of all who are at that time making the novena, thus forming one great prayer in common. (This novena and explanation found here.)

Previous Posts on our sweet St. Therese.

Happy nameday, Theresa Philomena
And all other namesakes of St. Therese!

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Sweet.

101 Things to Catch Up On

The first couple dozen or so....

I need to make a list of my lists.  And, oh yeah: look at them occasionally.

This house has an unusual amount of floor space.
And it's all in need of a Mom cleaning. Ugh.

I have a closet full of ironing I've been ignoring.

There are a million things I'd like to research for our learning adventures
this year -- and I haven't corrected a word of Theresa's Jane Austen studies yet.

The girls cleaned their closet yesterday... but mine is a mess!

I mentioned the floors, right?

And the garage sale I'm not organized enough to make materialize?

And the 13-odd black kittens I need to sell, give away,
or convince to relocate?

Sleep would be good.

I need to hunt out a good music study for the kiddos' homeschooling.
Problem being, they're all more musical than I am, and I have to teach it
'cause we can't afford outside lessons at the moment... 

And as if all that isn't enough, I've been an awfully bad blogger lately,
 and have tons to catch up on right here...

Like how Paul is home safe and sound from Afghanistan --
and enjoying the California sunshine and green grass with his loving wife and baby, Gavin!
(Thank-you, dear God!)  And how he and the family were here for a good long visit, only just
leaving for home the end of last week.  And how he just found out that he has to go out on a
six week assignment in Jordan in November... (sigh....)

I've neglected to mention, also, how much I love cartoon grandma, Maxine, and how that is a really good thing because on October 1st she will be moving in with us  --  or at least
her real-life, funnier, Catholic counterpart, our 83-years-young  friend, June, will be moving
in with us and joining our family in October.   

 And I haven't shared the news about our Michelle-y who is currently visiting
a family in Austria, for whom she may be "nannying" next summer.  (We miss our Shelly!)
  

And I'm not sure I've blogged about how Dominic (here about 7 years old, but actually
turning nineteen next week!)  is home from the seminary for a while to recover from the effects
of Epstein Barr Virus...  

OH!  And did I mention the good news about Dan's job?  Like how it looks like he got one!

And the bad news about that -- which is:
 It's in Lost Vegas.
Snarl.
(We are not moving to Vegas.)

Sigh.

But, besides the blogging... Yeah.  Lots of Laundry to catch up on.
 Did I mention that already?

And inventory my pantry to tuck in for winter.

I really need to clean the fridges, too.  (Bleck.)

Gosh, it'd be nice to finish just one of the six
or eight books I've started since last spring...

And I'm always just on the verge of starting a diet and actually losing weight.

But it's all good. Things will shake out. And maybe eventually slow down, calm down, even out.   Like a good priest friend of ours says:  It's going to be alright in the end; if it's not alright, it's not the end.  And even at the most hectic, I sorta figure that, if in the midst of swimming through all the debris that I'm supposed to be organizing in my world, I can still: 

+ tickle William and get a good "jack-o-lantern" grin out of him

+ recognize the season by the bright colors -- and by the victory march of  awesome saints through the fall calendar

+ curl up with a good Mythbusters re-run on Netflix at bedtime and get a backrub from my ever-patient and loving husband (Even if it's only on weekends now that he'll be commuting to Nevada..).

+ get the tour of the latest Gabriel-built creation, or read the latest addition to Theresa's "Hen Tales" stories, or sample Cathy's baking forays, or listen to Anna's kitty adventures

+ pick the childrens voices out of the choir on Sunday

+ enjoy a good, strong cuppa Starbux freshly ground whole bean French Roast java fresh from the pot first thing in the morning

+ fenagle an excuse to get or make a pumpkin spice latte!.

+ tick off the beads of my special-made ladder rosary as each of my five littlest prays the Aves

+  get texts from my big boys and my sistah, and skype with Michelle on weekends

+ drive the kids crazy by closing the book at the end of a cliff-hanger chapter -- not to be continued until tomorrow...

+ drink in the beauty of this Colorado valley we get to live in,and know that God meant for it to soothe the soul

+ remember that I am in the palm of His Hand, even when I'm so distracted, I don't know He's there.

++++++++++++ 

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Check It Out: Women With Many Children Live Longer

"In a book on pregnancy science released last year, science writer Jena Pinctott outlined how fetal cells have been shown to penetrate a mother’s body, including stem cells that migrate to the mother’s injuries to spur healing, in a mechanism that strongly suggests a baby’s own cells repair and rejuvenate moms. The young cells are believed to stay with a mother for the rest of her life." * 

How do you like that?  I would never have guessed. I thought all these children were supposed to be the death of me -- and the environment and world peace and maybe even planetary alignment.

But I'm forty-eight years old today, and I was thrilled to come across this ear-perking information. Seriously.   I'm thinking that with eleven cell-repairing and rejuvenating contributors to my credit, I should surely have earned the healing powers of Wolverine and the lifespan of Crush the sea turtle.  I ought to be able to single-handedly save the universe, turn back the tide on global warming, and bring Ronald Reagan back from the grave...  Or, well -- Something Stupendous. 

Like -- holy cow!  How 'bout this for super powers?  Check out all these people who are here because of my birthday and God's goodness! Look at this dear and loving husband I somehow managed to snag!  Look at all these super neat people God has seen fit to bless us with -- amazing, productive, grace-filled, goofy souls who are swimming out into the world one-by-one as the years go by, bringing a bit of this middle-aged Mom's legacy (read that to mean: nagging and lecturing) with them.  It's amazing.  And it is world peace.  And saving the universe. And resurrecting the economy. Kinda-Sorta.  Or at least as close as this muddling, flawed, disorganized scatter-brain could ever have hoped to come. And maybe better real work toward improving the world than you hear about on the news.  If I do say so myself. (And all you moms out there can say so, too!)   The very idea is wondrously rejuvenating!

Turning forty-eight is not so bad. Getting here has been a walk on the beach. It really has.

 I've got sand in my shorts and seaweed in my sandals;  My nose is sunburned and I'm hoarse from calling children away from the riptide; my legs are tired from dragging through the sand and my eyes are permanently squinted -- but the views are great.  And I've loved the trip so far.  

Can't wait to see what's around the next bend.

First, you were like, whoa! And then we were like, WHOA! And then you were like, whoa.



*For more on the study, check out the article at LifeSiteNews, found here... 

September's Child

September's Child

September's skies are sapphire hue;
Blue gentians star the woods at morn
Near crystal pools in woodland aisles --
In this bright month a Queen was born.

No silver fanfare filled the air
As angel wings flashed round the child;
No crown was placed upon her head,
But at her halo, Heaven smiled.

October's trees wear rosaries
Of gold and scarlet, green and brown,
And as the west wind fingers them
The Ave-leaves drift slowly down.

May raises high her blossom-shrines
Where bird-choirs sing their wood-notes wild,
But both these months pay homage to
A blue-gowned queen -- September's child.

Makes My Sunday: Fishing on Grand Mesa...

But not with a pole. Anna caught this one with her hands this afternoon.

We now call her the "Fish Tickler."

Here they are: the bottom five (Cathy in back, then, l-r: Theresa, William, Gabe, and Anna),

on the shore of Island Lake on top of Grand Mesa.  It was a fun day.  We're trying to figure out if we can get together a camping trip up here before the weather turns!

On the Birthday of Our Blessed Mother

Sung by the Mater Dei Seminary and Men's Choir, with our sons, Dominic (Br Pius at that time), Jonathan (Br. Philip), and Kevin (the Magnificent ;0) participating.  This slideshow created by Theresa.

(*Sorry!  This is posted one day late...)

Against Blasphemy -- The Holy Name

In 1954, Pope Pius XII asked Catholics to offer up the days of September 8-11 to make reparation against the many blasphemies being committed. On the final day, the Holy Father recited the following prayer on the radio.

Prayer against Blasphemy O most August Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Who, though infinitely happy for all eternity in Yourself and by Yourself, deign to accept graciously the homage that rises from universal creation unto Your sublime throne, turn away, we beg You, Your eyes and ears of the unfortunate, or those blinded by passion, or pressured by evil influences, who horribly blaspheme Your name, of the most pure Virgin Mary and of the saints. Retract, O Lord, the arm of Your justice which could destroy those who dare to be guilty of so much impiety. Accept the glorious hymn that continually rises from all of nature: from the springs of water that flow clear and quiet to the stars that shine above from heaven and whose orbits are driven by immense love. Accept reparation from the many choruses of praise, as incense before altars, of so many holy souls who walk without deviating from the paths of Your law and try to soothe Your offended justice, through the assiduous efforts of charity and penance; listen to the song of so many noble souls who devote their lives to celebrate Your glory, with the endless praise that the Church addresses to You at all times and under the heavens. And we pray that one day that blasphemous hearts will be converted and all tongues and lips will together sing on earth the hymn echoed endlessly by the choirs of angels:"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory." Amen. (Extracted from the Italian text of A.A.S., XXXXVI, 1954, p. 501)