Echoes of Creation

2012-02-02T09:41:00.001-06:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More nicu

An amazing art tutorial

2012-02-01T18:15:00.003-06:00

I found this while I was browsing --- if you like this style of art, then check it out ...

Trumpetvine Travels: How I Sketch: Part Two, Demonstration

Our little bundle of cuteness

2012-01-19T17:47:00.002-06:00

We are so blessed to have such a beautiful and precious baby. Just wanted to share a little of our joy

The Baptism of our son, Patrick Scott

2012-01-16T15:17:00.003-06:00

IMG_2217, a photo by mystical_rose84 on Flickr.

From left to right: The happy mother, the proud father, the God-parents holding the newly-baptized soul, and our dedicated parish priest.

My little brother is married!

2011-12-12T10:49:00.003-06:00

My brother and his new bride ....

They are making their honeymoon in Europe now and I look forward to their return here as our new neighbors.

------

I was reminded of so many good memories from our wedding just earlier this year in April. Here we are with the Best Man and Maid of Honor.

Baby is due at the beginning of February! Please keep us all in your prayers.

Button Tai

2011-09-15T15:01:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine is now making these amazing baby carriers to sell. If you know of any mothers looking for practical, cute and affordable baby carriers this one is great. I am saving up to get one too!

Button Tai Etsy Shop

Button Tai Blog

From her blog:

A VISION

I am so excited to be on this journey with all the amazing moms, dads, sisters, brothers, parents and friends of the lucky babies who will spend some of the most formative periods of their early lives being worn! As a mother to two young children (and hopefully many more!), I quickly came to realize the invaluable gift babywearing is. My passion is to share that gift with others. I discovered the Mei Tai carrier with my second child and thought, "This is the perfect carrier. If only I had known about it sooner!" The Button Tai is my adaptation of this style of carrier. I hope it meets your needs as well as it has met (and continues to meet) mine

Oklahoma Snow

2011-02-05T17:12:00.002-06:00

The sunshine was beautiful today as it sparkled off the melting snow. I must say that this last week was quite eventful. Monday was crazy in the city as people madly bought everything off the store shelves in a desperate attempt to prepare for the upcoming storm, everyone running to and fro -- I breathed a sigh of relief when I was back home. The blizzard came and we were happy to have a large supply of firewood on hand. Unfortunatly one by one different members of the family got sick and so we had to shuffle the farm chores to those of the family who were well. After the fierce weather died down and sun came out the whole world was in a big, fluffy white blanket. But more snow is on the way. Here is an article from the Tulsa World ... I guess we are in for some more snow.

Inspiration and beautiful work by EZ

2010-11-05T10:29:00.003-05:00

Here is a beautiful online magazine that was put together by the sister of a dear friend of mine. I love her choice of colors and design. I hope that you enjoy it to.

From the website www.creaturecomfortsblog.com:
Hello everyone! I'm so delighted today to finally introduce you to Gifted Magazine! What a whirlwind of inspiration, collaboration, fun and hard work these past few months have been. Inside the magazine you will discover incredible projects and freebies dreamed up by an amazing team of contributors, interviews with some of my favorite online friends and of course heaps of gift giving ideas. As you browse through each virtual page my hope is that you will feel a sense of excitement for the Holidays come over you and that any stress over seasonal shopping/crafting will be whisked away.

Of course Gifted Magazine would not have been possible without each amazing contributor, you (my lovely blog readers), the support of the blogging community, and my amazing friends and family. I am overwhelmed with gratitude! Thank you for helping me to make Gifted Magazine a reality!

Now...get reading! xo Ez

Open publication - Free publishing - More christmas

Natural Dyes

2010-09-28T21:42:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, the Tahlequah Farmers Market hosted a class on using natural dyes in Oklahoma. We gathered together in the center of the farmers market to listen and watch as Gina, a traditional fiber artist, walked us through the steps of making our own dyes at home using the resources available around us in nature. It was amazing how the simplest of resources (ie: onion skins) can be used to make very rich colors.

Here is a list of natural dyes from plants http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html

The simple concept behind using natural dyes is to make a strong infusion from the plant of choice and use that as the dye bath. The material needs a mordant to help the color hold to the fabric, and throwing in a few pennies can achieve this. The material can sit in the dye for hours or days depending on how saturated of a color is desired. I am excited to begin playing with natural dyes ... I think I will begin the red onion skins since they make a beautiful green dye.

Soil Survey Online

2010-09-28T21:19:00.002-05:00

We stopped into the local OSU Agriculture dept office in Tahlequah and talked with Rodger about living off the land and what we can grow in our area. He directed us to an online soil survey site that has a very detailed map of the different soil types in each area. It is easy to use and very fascinating to learn what types of soil are available.

Here is the site: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm

Have fun exploring your area!

Natural Building in Clear Creek

2010-09-14T17:49:00.003-05:00

I am back from a workshop in Oregon and ready to begin putting our Oklahoma dirt to work. My friend and I will be building a small cob cottage using the local resources we have around our area ... dirt, sand, straw, and lots of rocks. We also have a large forest of cedar trees which will be used primarily for the rafters and roofing. For those not familiar with cob, it is similar to adobe. Click here to learn more about Cob

We completed The $1000 House! A complete Cob 17 day intensive

course at the Cob Cottage Company in Oregon. Here is a picture of one of the example buildings -- super cute!

I plan to post our progress and share the joy of building with our hands.

Coloring Page - Jesus and the children

2010-03-08T11:58:00.005-06:00

Here is some artwork I sketched for Mother Teresa's sisters down in Texas where they have a home for pregnant women. It is based off the colored picture at the top by Vogel Von Vogelstein. My time visiting the sisters for a few days was wonderful and I am sure I will return in the future to volunteer again. I thought some of you may enjoy the picture as a coloring page for children. You can click on either image to see a full size version. Also, I apologize for the poor quality ... I took a photo of the sketch and then tried to fix it up a bit in Photoshop.

Celtic Spring on Clear Creek

2010-03-03T10:06:00.002-06:00

My dad found this post on the Celtic Spring blog from back during their visit to Clear Creek about a year ago. I had fun reading over it and thought I would pass it along to those who like reading about the happenings here.

http://www.celticspringband.com/index.htm?inc=59&blog_id=3460&page_id=14067

From Dallas we drove on to Oklahoma, where we would be performing on St. Patrick’s Day. We were performing in the small town of Pryor, about 45 minutes east of Tulsa, and also about 45 minutes north of one of our favorite monasteries in the United States, Clear Creek Monastery. (Are you, reader, detecting that we like monasteries?) Clear Creek is another Benedictine Monastery that has a very interesting and very recent history. About 40years ago, a wonderful man, John Senior, started the Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas. He loved the “Great Books,” and his love was infectious. After studying under him throughout college, a group of young men embraced the Catholic faith and then went in search of the heart of Benedictine Monasticism at the 1000 year old Monastery of Fongombault in France. The Benedictines follow the rule of its founder St. Benedict, whose motto for his monks is Ora et Labora, Prayer and Work.

In 1999,the American monks at Fontgombault were asked to bring their Benedictine spirituality to the United States and they began to build a monastery in the wilds of eastern Oklahoma, a huge undertaking. We had the pleasure of visiting them early on and even performing for them in a rugged clearing next to the creek with a large fallen tree for their seating, and then performed later in Tulsa for one of their fund raisers. Our first visit Mass was said in metal roofed shed-like buildings. We had heard that they had since built their residence, and also the crypt for their , Church. They have had to become rugged pioneers, clearing rocky, tree covered hilly land to grow their own food to provide for themselves. Families have begun to buy land in the surrounding countyside and are also taking on “pioneering.” We knew one of the families, the Lawless family, who had moved from Southern California and we had it on our itinerary to also visit them. Greg and I have also held on to a dream of buying land out in the country near a monastery and attempting self-sufficiency, and we are awed by families that have done this.

Our soundcheck was scheduled for late afternoon and we were grateful to have a morning and afternoon to go to the Monastery. We got directions from Tim Lawless, the dad, and our first stop would be his house. From there we would go to the Monastery for 11:00 Mass. Because the Benedictines have hospitality written into their rule, Mass is at a very civilized hour. Of course the monks rise very early in the morning for prayer.

We drove for about forty minutes, taking all kinds of turns off various highways until we finally turned on to a road that very soon became a gravel road. We traversed this road for a long while before making several turns at odd roadmarks. The road got rougher and rougher and we bumped more and more with our big black St. Michael van (just washed right before our CA departure), finally arriving at a very rugged property with a big house, quickly emptying of a lot of happy faces of all ages. We were re- introduced to Tim and Teresa Lawless, and met seven of their eight children. (We had met the family once after Mass in San Diego, and our girls had gone to college with the oldest son.) We were graciously welcomed by the whole family. The children went off to meet the horse and cows, Greg went off with Tim to hear about their country life, and I visited with Teresa. Tim and Teresa were both native Californians and seemed quite happy in their rugged OK life. The land looked quite harsh to me--- all tree covered and rocky. Spring had not yet come, so everything looked dead and bleak. (This made California look like a tropical paradise!) I measure a land’s viability by whether roses could thrive. I am not sure one could even dig a hole to plant a rose in this place, Teresa showed me her new wooden planting boxes where she would plant herbs. It seemed that every project there was labor intensive--- but families were moving there and some were further along in actually being able to farm--- the Lawless family hoped to clear land to raise cattle. Suddenly we realized that it was past time to leave for Mass. As the crow flies, the Lawless family was about three miles from the Mastery, but by the rough roads it was nine miles. With Michelle Lawless as guide we sped our way through the nine miles of bumps and pot-holes, and made Mass just in time. (I was beginning to feel very sorry for our St. Michael van--- he was not used to these OK country roads.)

The Mass was awesome--- the monks chant the Tridentine Mass in Latin. Even the readings were chanted in Latin. I was following along in a missal and for the first time was deeply moved by that particular liturgy. I was too young to remember the Tridentine Mass from childhood and we have attended several since Pope Benedict made it accessible to all. My children have complained that they had had a difficult time following, but I am sure that all is needed is more familiarity. The missal explained the significance of every action of the priest and there was a richness that has been diminished in the Post Vatican II liturgy.

There seemed to be many monks--- about 40, and Elizabeth recognized young men from Thomas Aquinas College. After Mass, Fr. Bethel gave us a little tour. He explained that there are many vocations but not enough money to build fast enough. There are not even enough rooms for all the monks, so some live in shed like buildings next to the monks residence. Fr. Bethel explained that a hardship of building a monastery in the modern world is that funds have to be in place for the building of the church, instead of just being able to build one stone at a time, and take 100 years if necessary. It is either all or nothing--- well not exactly nothing. The crypt is built and that is where Mass and prayers are sung. But these beautiful and worthy monks need a church--- so if any of our dear readers feel so inclined, please remember these monks in your generosity. www.clearcreekmonks.org Fr. Bethel took the male folk of our family into the residence, and the girls and I visited with Fr. Bachman, a wonderful monk from Canada that I had known when he was student at Thomas Aquinas College more than 25 years ago. I remember when he was a senior and telling me about his vocation to be a monk at Fontgombault. I do not think he ever imagined what God had in store for him. But his countenance reveals nothing but joy and acceptance of the Divine Will. He always looked to me like an angel, fair skinned and blue eyed, and somewhat frail, now he is tanned, rugged and hearty looking from the manual labor at Clear Creek: clearing forests, raising goats, farming.

We made a hasty visit to the bookstore, bought a stack of books, including John Senior’s Restoration of Christian Culture, which we have loved! Greg, always eager for the next meal, was worried that we were overstaying our monastery visit, and compromising our time for lunch with the Lawless family. So we made a mad dash of the nine bumpy miles back to their home. Michaela Lawless, a cousin whose family had first moved out and bought land near the monastery, made a feast of a lunch--- real California Mexican food, including a pile of freshly cut avocadoes. (They must have come at a dear price to the wilds of OK) We ate more than our fill---which proved to be propitious as we were at the door of our misadventure. Again, a sad time had come. It was forty five minutes to our sound check in Pryor, and again we had to rush off. Back to another death-defying dash over bumps and holes towards our destination.

We were almost off the gravel roads when the girls announced that there was an odd sound underneath their side of the car. Our van is so long, that we could not hear it, but the car was beginning to feel strange. Greg pulled over to investigate. We had a flat on our right rear tire--- not just a flat but a completely torn up tire. So much for all those speedy rides... I was just marvelling the day before how with 75,000 miles of travel with St. Michael in two years we have been very blessed to have had no breakdowns, and little problems. (If you remember, a semi backed up into us on an exit ramp off a freeway at 3:00 a.m. as we were crossing into Canada, but at least we did not have to at a soundcheck.) I think these troubles happen to just remind us to not take anything for granted. Each day and moment is a blessing that is not owed to us.

We had never changed a flat on this van, and found the jack, which did not look quite up to the task for our very long and large vehicle. We called Tim Lawless thinking that we might need some help and he might have a heftier jack. Greg and the boys set to work, and Tim soon joined. I called AAA knowing that if we needed help, we were miles from anywhere, and they would take a long while to get to us. All seemed to be going fine, so I cancelled the AAA request. As the men were tightening down the lug bolts on the spare, they were not all tightening properly. Something did not seem quite right, but three seemed very secure, so we though we could at least get to our sound check and deal with the tire the next day. We piled in and Greg proceeded to drive, but the van would not move. OH NO!!! IT was hard not to PANIC. We have never missed a show--- we nearly did recently fighting LA traffic this past Christmas Eve, but even then, we managed to get there in time.
Furthermore, this was a rather important show, on St. Patrick’s day and well promoted. (We even saw a video of us on a large marquee, when we arrived at the hotel the night before.)
We called the presenter and explained the situation, but assured her that we would arrive and still have time to do the sound check and perform. I called back AAA and asked them to send a tow truck. We knew the situation was rather bleak, as the nearest Dodge dealership was an hour away in Tulsa. Furthermore,we had to be performing “Live” on cable TV in Birmingham two days later. Tim, most kind and gracious, piled us into his large van somehow fitting in all of our equipment, the floor, keyboard, instruments, and all of us except Greg. We would go on to Pryor, and he would deal with the van and the tow truck. We had never had to set up and sound check before without Greg. But you do what you have to do. (The band had left Sean and me behind one time, when Sean had a ruptured appendix and was hospitalized for two weeks.)

We were able to successfully set up and sound check, and Greg showed up far earlier than we ever expected him. (I would have been satisfied if he showed up just in time for the show.) Most kind and gracious Teresa Lawless and Michelle took Greg in another car as soon as the tow truck showed up. So all went well that night, and that crowd celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in fine style. We were happy to meet other families from the Monastery “neighborhood” that had come out for the show. The presenter, Kim Risner, was a very gracious woman also, taking all the stress in stride and having a lovely vegetarian dinner for us just to our tastes. Since we were still car-less, all of our equipment was very kindly delivered to our hotel by the mayor of Pryor. The Lawless family invited our children back to their home and the plan seemed fine, seeing that we were not going anywhere until we at best went to Tulsa to pick up the van the next day. Tim and Teresa left us their little car and piled all their 7 children and our six into their van. We now had two empty hotel rooms and our room full of all the equipment. I felt rather homeless, because our Sprinter van, St. Michael, is like our home when we are on the road. I could only imagine how much running around we would have to do the next day, and Greg mentioned the unimaginable scenario that the van might not be repairable in one day, and we still had to be in Birmingham on the 19th, with an eight hour drive before us.

We received the dreaded news that next morning. Greg and I decided to head to Tulsa for Mass at the Cathedral, since we knew we would have to pick up the van there. On the way I received the phone call that we had put in the wrong sized lugbolts on the spare tire and we had ruined the axle and the brakes, and the nearest axle replacement was in Michigan, The job would be finished on Monday or Tuesday. (We had obligations in California on Monday.) I explained the situation and asked if the axle could be flown from Michigan. I was told that that was a possibility. The soonest the car could be ready if the part arrived by Friday morning via plane was Friday afternoon. We still had to be in Birmingham what was now the next day.

To explain the lugbolts... we had in the usual manner put the original lugbolts on the spare tire. I was told that we were supposed to use new bolts which were shorter on the spare. That info came 12 hours too late. Where was the warning on the spare tire??? I am in friendly negotiations with Sprinter/Dodge Headquarters about this $1000. repair bill and $700. van rental bill.

After Mass we began to pursue van rentals. That is not usually a problem, but it was spring break and every large van was rented, and most companies did not even have mini-vans. The only three mini-vans we found were three times as costly as usual--- supply and demand economics at work. At this point I called our contact at EWTN cable TV, thinking that maybe Michael Masney would have some ideas. Maybe EWTN had access to cheap flights and we could fly to Birmingham from Tulsa. I must have scared him as well, because we learned later that he had told Doug Barry, the show co-host, that the show was cancelled. We would never not show up, but Michael did not know what stuff we are made of. Our main purpose for this tour was our invitation from EWTN that we received immediately after being on EWTN at this time last year, and we would be there. We drove to the Tulsa airport to rent the van for $230. per day for three days. There was a fellow renting a mini-van at the same AVIS counter at the same moment renting a nicer van for $69. per day. He had just made a reservation earlier.

We left the airport with the van and returned to Pryor where we now had to store our floor and keyboard, and everything that was not essential for the TV show. We had to fit eight people and instruments and sound equipment in the mini-van. We called the Harrison Library in Pryor, who had co-sponsored our show along with the OK Arts Council, to see if we could store our extra equipment there. More graciousness, as we were told that that was fine. We loaded up the mini-van with all the equipment, and it did fit, with seats down and no extra bodies. We unloaded at the library, again feeling quite homeless and humble---these folk had never seen our spiffy, shiny, black, Mercedes-made Sprinter van.
I did not want to drive on those horrible roads again, but our children were still happily at the Lawless family’s home. (They had wanted to spend more time with the family, so they got their wish fulfilled!) So back out again to the wilds of the monastery “neighborhood” where we were reunited with our children. We departed for the nine hour drive to Birmingham at 7:00 p.m. It was going to be a long night and I knew who would be driving into the wee hours.

The children entertained us with tales of their day. The girls had gone to the cousins’ home and were happy to tell us that their place looked much less intimidating with regard to ,
farming. This other Lawless family had bought an already working farm and had cattle,goats, and chickens. They were able to do much for themselves and the older children were already buying land from the parents on which to someday farm themselves. Our younger children had spent the day riding horses and exploring. They told us that upon arriving back at the Lawless home at 11:00 p.m., the cow still had to be milked and the job belonged to 16 year old Katie who went out to the animal enclosure with a big knife and the two German Shephard dogs, because there were many eyes to be seen glowing in the forest... probably just deer, but intimidating nonetheless. My young people learned the definition of “redneck” during their stay. The Lawless family says, with much humor, they are “rednecks” because they have three cars that don't move and a house that does. I think half our gang thought homesteading in rural OK to be the life, and the other half prefer the civilities of paved roads and towns nearby with health food stores and cafes. I just want to be able to grow roses and to be near a monastery, and have a milk cow, and a forest for wood, and a large field for a garden. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know???

Liturgical Year Online

2010-02-18T07:33:00.002-06:00

I was excited to find this morning the entire text online for THE LITURGICAL YEAR BY THE VERY REV. DOM PROSPER GUÉRANGER, ABBOT OF SOLESMES. We have the entire set of books and have found them very helpful to keeping in step with the Liturgy of the monks of Clear Creek. I would very much recommend if you are looking for some good reading material to help set a good tone for lent to read Chapter 3 on the practice of Lent : http://www.liturgialatina.org/lityear/lent/lent3.htm

Online articles on Clear Creek Monastery

2010-02-14T10:27:00.002-06:00

Into Lesser Silence: http://catholicinformation.aquinasandmore.com/2009/11/17/into-lesser-silence-part-i/

Worshiping God for His own sake:http://www.thomasaquinas.edu/news/newsletter/2010/Winter/09%20Worshiping%20God%20for%20His%20Own%20Sake.html

*Hat tip to my friend Mr. KK and a long time friend to the monks of Clear Creek

Sacred Arts Academy

2010-02-02T16:01:00.003-06:00

http://www.sacredartsacademy.org/

The Sacred Arts Academy was founded in 2009 in an effort to respond to the call of the Second Vatican council to establish a place of learning for Catholic artist to be trained. The goal is for the Academy to be located in the United Sates, and offer a wide range of programs focusing on both figurative and decorative arts in several media. It exists not only to teach technical expertise but also to foster in studying artists an understanding of art's quest, its deepest purpose and its promise.

"Art, in all its forms, at the point where it encounters the great questions of our existence,
the fundamental themes that give life its meaning, can take on a religious quality, thereby
turning into a path of profound inner reflection and spirituality."

HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address to Artists
November 21, 2009 - Sistine Chapel

In its very humble beginnings the Sacred Arts Academy offers an intensive drawing and painting workshop in Florence with an emphasis both on the specific study of the human figure as well as that great artistic tradition which flourished to extraordinary heights precisely within the Catholic context. Here we will also investigate the means by which theology can be expressed in art and strive to impart insight into the intimate relationship between art and the Liturgy.

"We need you [artists]...and if we were deprived of your assistance our ministry would become faltering
and uncertain, and a special effort would be needed, one might say, to make it artistic,
even prophetic. In order to scale the heights of lyrical expression of intuitive beauty,
priesthood would have to coincide with art."

HIS HOLINESS POPE PAUL VI, addressing artists
May 7th, 1964

Parish Christmas Decorations

2010-01-21T20:01:00.003-06:00

I had said that I would try to post a picture from the Christmas decorations that the youth put together for the Christmas day mass in Clear Creek --- and here it is. I guess it is better late than never (lol). A friend and I made the wreaths from cedar branches on our property, and some of the girls sewed the tapestry behind out lady and the center crucifix. I wish we had a picture of the suspended candle holders that lined either side of the church -- it really added an extra touch. It was very special to be able work with friends to prepare the church for the Christ child. Picture credit goes to a fellow Clear Creek friend :-)

Tulsa March For Life

2010-01-13T16:58:00.005-06:00

Abortion was legalized in the United States 37 years ago this month. Since then over 50 million babies have lost their lives to abortion. Pray for an end to abortion and join Most Rev. Bishop Edward J. Slattery who will celebrate the Mass for Life at Holy Family Cathedral at 5:00pm on January 22, 2010. After Mass join Bishop Edward J. Slattery and participate in the 1st Tulsa March for Life. The March starts at Holy Family Cathedral and ends at 6th & Boston at the new Chapman Centennial Green where a rally will take place. A rally will be held approximately 30 minutes long with three speakers. Dr. Kevin Donovan will speak on when life begins, Cynthia Carney will share her testimony of having an abortion and Dr. McCutchens from Mount Zion Baptist Church will speak how abortion has impacted the black community.

I am enclosing a pdf file of the 'official' poster for our first-ever Tulsa March for Life. Please feel free to download and print out a many copies as you need to:

post this weekend around your church campus

ask people to bring one home

ask volunteers to post them in coffee shops, food stores, and other community bulletin boards.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or go to our blog at tulsamarchforlife.wordpress.com. Thank you for your time.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and Natural Family Planning

tracy[dot]callicoat[at]dioceseoftulsa[dot]org

Mes Aïeux - Dégénération (English Subtitles)

2010-01-10T18:32:00.009-06:00

Here is the link for a good 'back to the basics' song. It is in Canadian French with English subtitles.

Youtube: Mes Aïeux - Dégénération (English Subtitles)

Here are the lyrics:

Mes Aïeux
Album : Tire-Toi Une Bûche

Ton arrière-arrière-grand-père, il a défriché la terre
Ton arrière-grand-père, il a labouré la terre
Et pis ton grand-père a rentabilisé la terre
Pis ton père, il l’a vendue pour devenir fonctionnaire

Et pis toi, mon p’tit gars, tu l’sais pus c’que tu vas faire
Dans ton p’tit trois et demi bien trop cher, frette en hiver
Il te vient des envies de devenir propriétaire
Et tu rêves la nuit d’avoir ton petit lopin de terre

Ton arrière-arrière-grand-mère, elle a eu quatorze enfants
Ton arrière-grand-mère en a eu quasiment autant
Et pis ta grand-mère en a eu trois c’tait suffisant
Pis ta mère en voulait pas ; toi t’étais un accident

Et pis toi, ma p’tite fille, tu changes de partenaire tout l’temps
Quand tu fais des conneries, tu t’en sauves en avortant
Mais y’a des matins, tu te réveilles en pleurant
Quand tu rêves la nuit d’une grande table entourée d’enfants

Ton arrière-arrière-grand-père a vécu la grosse misère
Ton arrière-grand-père, il ramassait les cennes noires
Et pis ton grand-père – miracle ! – est devenu millionnaire
Ton père en a hérité, il l’a tout mis dans ses RÉERs

Et pis toi, p’tite jeunesse, tu dois ton cul au ministère
Pas moyen d’avoir un prêt dans une institution bancaire
Pour calmer tes envies de hold-uper la caissière
Tu lis des livres qui parlent de simplicité volontaire

Tes arrière-arrière-grands-parents, ils savaient comment fêter
Tes arrière-grands-parents, ça swignait fort dans les veillées
Pis tes grands-parents ont connu l’époque yé-yé
Tes parents, c’tait les discos ; c’est là qu’ils se sont rencontrés

Et pis toi, mon ami, qu’est-ce que tu fais de ta soirée ?
Éteins donc ta tivi ; faut pas rester encabané
Heureusement que dans’ vie certaines choses refusent de changer
Enfile tes plus beaux habits car nous allons ce soir danser…

Ars Gratis Artis or Ars Gratis Hominis?

2010-01-07T07:59:00.004-06:00

by Thomas Storck

My friend sent me a link to this article on art and culture.

I found it very intriguing. Enjoy!

Entire Article:

http://www.caelumetterra.com/cet_backissues/article.cfm?ID=18

Some highlights from the article:

The fact that objects originally intended for use, in this case to accompany worship, are now in museums instead of in churches is a significant fact that reveals something of the great cultural changes that the West has undergone in the past three centuries. For our civilization has taken art out of life and placed it in special institutions, such as museums or concert halls, to be viewed or listened to at special times, away from our normal lives.

Now at the same time that artists were growing apart from the rest of society, the rest of society was being robbed of its best art. Much of the great religious art was carted off to museums, and few contemporary composers wrote liturgical music really suitable for use in church. Of course this did not mean that there was no music or art in churches, simply that what there was too often not of a caliber to lift anyone's soul to God.

The average person does not visit art museums or listen to classical music, but his average ancestor of our Western culture worshipped in churches containing the best art in the world and heard the best music, whether it was simple plainchant or the complexities of the Baroque. In some degree, the average modern man has been taught to regard good art and music as alien to him.

The remedy instead lies in all of us submitting to the yoke of Christ, in cultural as in all other matters, and being willing to jettison both the sophisticated pornography of the elite as well as the false sentimentality of the masses. Only in this way can our culture be unified and the social reign of Jesus Christ the King commence once more.

Returning to America - leaving France

2009-12-01T14:32:00.004-06:00

Well, my time in France is now drawing to a close ... it is sad to leave such a charming, quaint country full of so much tradition and history. A part of my heart will stay here (I am sure) and I will take back with me many beautiful memories and stories that I will keep with me forever. Au revoir France!

St. Therese and the Requiem Mass for Father de Feydeau

2009-11-24T16:29:00.003-06:00

From the blog : How can I keep from singing

November 18th : Preached this morning from the requiem by the Prior, Father Anderson - who on Saturday buried his own mother.

+ Requiem Mass
The Reverend Father Dom Francois de Feydeau de Saint-Christophe November 17, 2009

For unto thy faithful, O Lord, life is changed, not taken away: and the abode of this earthly sojourn being dissolved, an eternal dwelling is prepared in heaven (Preface of the Dead)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;
My very dear Brother Monks,

The words just quoted from the Preface for the Requiem Mass express the Faith of the Church that shines in the face of the darkest trial that assails the human heart—that is to say the sad reality of death.
Rooted in the Most Precious Blood and water that poured forth from the side of the Savior on Calvary, the Faith comes to our aid in this moment of sorrow, reminding us of Christ’s eternal victory over sin, the world and the “enemy death that shall be destroyed last, until he hath put all his enemies under his feet”. (I Cor. 15:26)

Sharing in this same Faith and making it “earn interest” like the good servant of the parable, that great Theologian of the Little Way, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus of Lisieux gives us her particular insight into the reality of bodily death. As she neared her own end at the age of twenty-four this young Doctor of the Church made the boldest of
affirmations: “I die not; I enter into life.” When a man or a woman--in particular a religious--comes to that crucial moment of the great passage to the other side of things, the truth comes forth without pretention. Saint Therese affirms her belief in eternal life, not in order simply to comfort us, but rather because it is the truth.

Of course, the Saint of Lisieux did not mean to dismiss the possibility of Hell or Purgatory, but having made her great discovery concerning the Merciful Love of God, to which she consecrated herself as a victim of Divine Mercy, she simply was beyond doubting that the Judge of Heaven and Earth would forgive her every fault if she only remained small--very small--with the trust of a little child. And lest we be tempted to think that it was on her merits as a Carmelite nun that she felt so bold in presenting herself to the just Judge, she affirms categorically that she will appear before Him with “empty hands”, that is to say without the merits any good works to speak of--save her childlike confidence itself.

Saint Therese liked to quote the line from that other great doctor of Carmel, Saint John of the Cross, who said that “on the evening of this life it is on love that we will be judged”. Although she felt quite incapable of performing the feats of asceticism that we so admire in the great Saints, she knew for a fact that there was immense love in her heart—better yet, she knew that her vocation was to be the love in the heart of her mother the Church.

As we prepare to commit the mortal remains of a beloved monk to the earth, to that very earth from which the first man was taken, we do well not to forget the luminous path traced by so many saints—from Our Blessed Father Saint Benedict to Saint Therese of Lisieux--that have illumined the world and transfigured the experience of death. Above all we must not forget what Our Lord said about the need for the grain of wheat to die, in order that it not remain sterile but produce much fruit. If we cannot help feeling the bitter grief of seeing a father and brother stolen away from the visible plane of our existence, we must not act like the pagans of yesterday and today, who live without real love in this world and without hope for the next.

May Our Lady of a Happy Dying, Notre-Dame du Bien Mourir, so venerated at Fontgombault Abbey, our mother-house in France, who manifestly helped our brother through the narrow passage of his last days, obtain for us all to die so well. Thus having followed the path of our monastic spirituality, in imitation of the Ecce, Fiat of the Virgin of Nazareth, may we all come to take our places in the eternal liturgical celebrations of Heaven in the presence of God and of the Lamb. Amen.

Article by Father Prior

2009-11-24T15:08:00.007-06:00

There have been some interesting finds about Clear Creek lately during some of my searches on the internet --- Like this:

Article here

From June 2009 issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic -- see article on page 14.

Pope Benedict to Artists

2009-11-24T10:04:00.005-06:00

art by James Langley

MEETING WITH ARTISTS

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Sistine Chapel
Saturday, 21 November 2009l

Here are some of my favorite lines from the speech:

“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart, and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration. And all this through the work of your hands . . . Remember that you are the custodians of beauty in the world.”

"The experience of beauty does not remove us from reality, on the contrary, it leads to a direct encounter with the daily reality of our lives, liberating it from darkness, transfiguring it, making it radiant and beautiful."

"Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence”

Simone Weil wrote in this regard: “In all that awakens within us the pure and authentic sentiment of beauty, there, truly, is the presence of God. There is a kind of incarnation of God in the world, of which beauty is the sign."

Link to speech on vatican website here

*Hat-tip to Genevieve at http://www.goldenbooklist.blogspot.com/

Talk about the prayer of petition

2009-11-20T03:08:00.008-06:00

PRAYER OF PETITION
This was a talk that one of the monks gave awhile ago to a group of young people who made a pilgrimage to Clear Creek Monastery on behalf of Father de Feydeau before his passing. The words are beautiful and even though it was not God's will that Fr. de Feydeau stay in this world with us I think the talk below put everything in perspective and gave all of us who love Fr. de Feydeau the right frame of mind during his illness. Thank you God for Father de Feydeau!

----

you can view the talk here

From the EOC : Article on Fr. de Feydeau

2009-11-19T15:37:00.004-06:00

From Eastern Oklahoma Catholic website: http://www.dioceseoftulsa.org/article.asp?nID=1266

-----

Clear Creek’s Subprior, Father de Feydeau, Dies at 57

11/16/2009 - EOC Staff

The Requiem Mass and Funeral for the Rev. Father Dom Francois de Feydeau, subprior of Clear Creek Monastery, was held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the Benedictine monastery located near Hulbert.

Father de Feydeau was a priest and monk of Our Lady of Fontgombault Abbey, France, of the Congregation of Solesmes, of the Order of St. Benedict. He was among the founding members of the Clear Creek Monastery. He died Nov. 15 at 57 and was in his 33rd year of monastic profession and 27th year of his priesthood. For some months, Father de Feydeau had suffered a brain tumor.

“May his soul and those of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God and the intersession of Our Lady, rest in peace, Father Philip Anderson, Clear Creek’s prior said in an email notifying Bishop Edward J. Slattery and the Diocese of Father de Feydeau’s death. Bishop Slattery was in Baltimore for the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Father François de Feydeau was born on March 16, 1953 to French parents of noble extraction living in Bizerte, Tunisia, where Mr. de Feydeau worked for a time as an engineer. The family later returned to France, where François grew up near the town of Versailles.

Always interested in sailing, he joined the French Sea Scouts and after preparatory school was admitted to the French Naval Academy, from which he graduated at the top of his class. Shortly after being commissioned an officer and sailing around the world in the Naval Academy ship the Jeanne d’Arc, he found himself free to pursue the vocation he had felt from a very early age and entered the novitiate of the Benedictine Abbey, Notre-Dame de Fontgombault.

He pronounced his perpetual vows as a monk in 1980 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1983. After having several important jobs at the abbey, including that of assistant novice-master, he was chosen to be among the founders of Our Lady of Clear Creek Monastery, arriving in Oklahoma in August 1999.

At Clear Creek Father de Feydeau was named sub-prior, cellarer (in charge of the daily work of the monks and all business matters) and master of ceremonies. He later became master of the students and taught moral theology.

He also served as spiritual director for many of the monks. His capacity for work and exquisite charity amazed all who knew him, both inside and outside the monastery.

On May 21st Father de Feydeau was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. After many weeks of suffering during which he displayed the utmost patience and abandonment to God’s will, he rendered his soul to God early in the morning of Nov. 15th and was buried at the monastery on Nov. 17th.

High Mass in Clear Creek

2009-11-17T01:41:00.003-06:00

Here is a high mass from awhile ago at Clear Creek Monastery with Dom Antione Forgeot, Abbot of Fontgombault. Note: Father de Feydeau is serving as Master of ceremonies in black and white.

*hat tip to gitlancee

Father de Feydeau R.I.P.

2009-11-16T06:41:00.002-06:00

Fr. de Feydeau in foreground in black and white

On November 15, 2009, strengthened by the sacraments of our Holy Mother Church,

Dom Francois de FEYDEAU DE SAINT-CHRISTOPHE

a priest and monk of Our Lady of Fontgombault Abbey, of the Congregation of Solesmes, of the Order of Saint Benedict, rendered his soul to God in Our Lady of Clear Creek Priory.

He was in the 57th year of his age, the 33rd of his monastic profession, and the 27th of his priesthood.

May his soul and those of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God and the intercession of Our Lady, rest in peace.

----------

Father Benedict Groeschel

2009-11-12T01:36:00.002-06:00

This is a beautiful video about the founder of an absolutely beautiful order. I encountered some of Fr. Benedict's monks during the Crossroad's Prolife walk last year and they were so full of life and love.

Hat tip to American Papist

a blue treasure

2009-10-31T17:54:00.002-05:00

During my explorations of nearby small French villages I came across this proud little door which proclaimed it's originality with bright blue accents --- I was fascinated and thought you all might enjoy this little French jewel as well.

Fontgombault

2009-10-15T10:47:00.003-05:00

IMG_3036
Originally uploaded by mystical_rose84

I spent last weekend in Fontgombaultwhich is the mother house of Clear Creek Monastery. Not only was it amazingly beautiful but it was like being home again for me. I have some more pictures posted on flickr.

I went to the vespers of Saturday and then the low mass and the high mass on Sunday. I bought two small plates in their pottery shop and some good monk beer and chocolate at the small monastery shop. We stayed in one of the little guest cottages (st Pierre I think).

My trip back to Paris was not the most pleasant experience - I missed the train in tours and ended up not getting to Paris till around 10pm. I made it home safe but very exhausted.

Here is a video about Fontgombault. The video footage is great but if you want to understand the narration I hope you understand french (lol)

What I will be doing this summer ...

2009-10-14T00:43:00.005-05:00

When I return from France my sister and I will begin construction of an earthbag building which will be used as a temporary living quarters and my art studio. It is called the 'Honey house' because the shape is similar to the old fashioned bee hives. I thought you might enjoy seeing what is going on with my plans for the near future.

Also I am very interested in survival and bushcraft. My siblings and I have all been studying it together through a series of youtube videos from 'Wilderness Outfitters'. If you find this interesting you can follow this link : http://www.youtube.com/user/wildernessoutfitters

I am writing more on this subject (and related ones) on the group blog 'Notes of a Country Girl' http://www.youtube.com/user/wildernessoutfitters

The text below is copy and pasted from :http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/honey.html

The Honey House
KAKI HUNTER and DONI KIFFMEYER

After a hands-on workshop taught by architect Nader Khalili, we returned home inspired to build our first earthbag project. We started with simple, linear, buttressed exterior walls, graduated to serpentine garden walls, progressed to a small dome and are now finishing a larger dome with a vaulted entry way and big sunny arched windows. This last project turned into a casual workshop inviting people to learn "Flexible Form Rammed Earth," A term we now use that we feel best describes this construction method.

"Flexible Form Rammed Earth (F.F.R.E.)" is a free-form version of rammed earth construction. Since the bags act as a flexible form, it allows the architectural design of curvaceous, sensual structures. We have the ability to mold, bend, writhe and swoop sculptural forms inspired by nature's artistic freedom, while providing structural integrity. Hence, a whole house from foundation to walls to roof can be built using the "Flexible Form Rammed Earth" technique.

Our personal education began when we adopted the FQSS stamp of approval – Fun, Quick, Simple and Solid! By following this criteria, we made the ease of the construction process our priority. As long as the work was Fun and Simple, it went Quickly and the results were Solid. When the work became in any way awkward, FQSS deteriorated into Frustrating, Quarrelsome, Slow and Stupid, prompting us to stop, change tactics or blow the whole thing off and have lunch. (Returning refreshed often spontaneously resolved the problem, resuming FQSS approval.)

THE BASIC PROCEDURE is simple. The bags or tubes are filled with a suitable pre-moistened dirt right on the foundation, laid in a mason-style "running bond." We use #10 coffee cans for scooping and filling. This eliminates any heavy lifting. After a row of bags has been laid, the row is compacted with hand tampers. We lay two strands of long-barbed 4-point barbed wire between every course which acts as a "Velcro mortar" cinching the bags in place. This also provides tensile strength while allowing for the rows to be stepped in to create self-supporting corbelled domes [there is realistic concern about saturation and collapse of unstabilized materials in wet climates –ed] and other unusual shapes. Round structures are guided by the use of a revolving compass. Arched openings are incorporated with the use of removable plywood forms until the "keystone" bags are tamped into place.

An average of four people working 5-6 hours per day moved 40 tons of earth with coffee cans to complete the "bag work" of the Honey House, a 16-ft corbelled dome, in 19 days. In another 7 days, we moved 7 tons more in the form of cob onto the roof.

The material we used in our bags is called "reject sand," obtainable from most gravel yards. Reject sand is the by-product of the process that separates sand and "clay fines" from the gravel being produced at these facilities. This reject material often has the best ratio of clay to sand (approximately 25% clay to 75% sand) for rammed earth construction. And... it is dirt cheap! We paid $1.00 per ton plus delivery.

The bags we used for our construction are woven polypropylene "misprints." The companies that manufacture these bags sometimes have imperfections or mistakes in the printing process that render them unsuitable to their clients. Rather than throw these bags away, the manufacturers will sell them at a reduced cost. A comprehensive list of bag manufacturers can be found in the Thomas Register at your local library. Our favorite manufacturer has been Cady Industries in East Memphis, TN.

Exterior and interior finishes of these structures are open to many options suitable to the climate and design of the building. Wall plasters range from a variety of natural adobe to stabilized earth to lime/cement stucco. Since a corbelled F.F.R.E. roof is exceptionally strong they can easily be bermed into a hillside, or carry the weight of a 9-inch-thick living roof, or a hefty layer of sculpted adobe. Terra cotta tiles, mortared slab stone or slate shingles as well as wood or asphalt shingles are also suitable roofing materials. In warm, frost- free climates, lime/cement stucco can be appropriate.

Thermal performance of earthen structures offer a level of comfort expressed by a long history of world-wide experience. 50% of the current world population live in earthen dwellings from climates as diverse as China, Australia, Africa, Europe, and throughout the US. Dense materials such as adobe, and rammed earth have R- values roughly equivalent to 0.25 per inch... yet despite this low R-value, earthen walls function as an absorbent mass that is able to store warmth and return it to the living spaces as it is needed. This has been documented as the thermal flywheel effect and is referred to as the K-value. This substantiates the common experience people feel that an adobe house is "warm in the winter and cool in the summer." [The "effective R-value" discussion depends enormously on climate and the thickness of the mass. –ed.]

The merits of "Flexible Form Rammed Earth" are in its use of cost-effective materials, simple construction methods and the durable resistance to the ravages of fires, hurricanes, flooding, termites and, as Nader Khalili has proven in Southern California, earthquakes. This makes this type of architecture capable of surviving as long as its 500-1000 year old rammed earth relatives around the world.

Costs for do-it-ourselves construction of the Honey House before windows and doors:

Home made tools (compass, stands, pounders, etc.)	$175
Plywood arch forms (reusable)	$150
Chicken wire	$120
Professional backhoe excavation (2ft. deep x 16ft. diam.)	$150
Straw for plaster/cob (20 bales)	$135
4-point barbed wire (2 rolls)	$190
40 tons reject sand (delivered)	$150
1000 bags (delivered)	$250
TOTAL	$920

* Tools of the the "dirt bag" trade. To comply with the FQSS theory, we adopted techniques and developed a few specialized tools that enhanced the precision and quality of the construction, Equipped with the latest tools of the "dirt bag trade" a new jargon of bag talk has been born: bag stands, sliders, diddling, tube chutes, full pounders, quarter pounders, sliding compass, fans, halos, chicken-wire cradles, can tossing, contouring, hard-ass bags, and a huge breakthrough in bag technology, "scooching." These simple additions to the repertoire of FFRE construction have turned an awesome job into a friendly task.

We are currently involved in documenting material for a "How to" manual and inspirational video on F.F.R.E construction (go ahead, pronounce it free construction!). We offer workshops in design and hands-on construction techniques utilizing Flexible Form Rammed Earth architecture as an aid to creating affordable and earth-friendly housing. For more information, consultation or workshop schedules contact: Kaki Hunter & Doni Kiffmeyer, OK OK OK Productions, 256 East 100 South, Moab UT 84532;okokok@lasal.net.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

2009-10-08T00:41:00.003-05:00

From today's readings : "If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?" --- Luke 11:13

Here is a beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit that was on the back of a prayer card that was given to me by a sweet fellow pilgrim I met in Lisieux during my pilgrimage last Thursday.

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit

That my thoughts may all be holy,

Act in me, O Holy Spirit,

That my work too, may be holy,

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,

That I love but what is holy,

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,

To defend all that is holy,

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,

That I always may be Holy.

-St Augustine

Some pictures from my visit to Lisieux

2009-10-06T08:12:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful visit to Lisieux! I would love to dedicate more time to do a long post on the trip but since I am short of time I will at least post a few pictures. The top pic is the basilica of St. Therese which is at the top of a hill overlooking Lisieux (you can see it very well from the train station). The next picture is the inside of the basilica and the bottom pic is the sanctuary of the cript of the basilica. Enjoy!

Happy Feast of St Therese

2009-10-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Feast day (according to the new saints calender)! I am going to Lisieux today! Yah! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be praying for all you too! I feel so honored to be able to visit Therese's home place on her feast day.

Happy Feast of St. Michael

2009-09-29T10:44:00.004-05:00

Happy Feast of St. Michael!! What a wonderful saint to have as my patron and protector. And Happy feast day to the best dad in the world - I love you!

Here is the St. Michael Chaplet which is a wonderful prayer. The above picture is an icon from the Louvre.

2009-09-27T17:50:00.003-05:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmartre

I just back from a day in Paris and a night spent at Sacre Coeur. The sisters who care for the basilica offer a place to sleep for 5 euro so you can participate in the night adoration. I was so amazed that the Basilica has had perpetual adoration for over 150 years! - and I felt so blessed to be a part of that.

Ember Wednesday in September - Memory of Padre Pio

2009-09-23T01:19:00.005-05:00

I was surprised at 7am mass this morning (as St. Germain's in Le Chesnay) to see the collect, secret, and post-communion in honor of St. Padre Pio. As soon as I got home I jumped online to see the Clear Creek monastery liturgy for the day -- and saw that they also were celebrating Ember Wednesday with a memory of Padre Pio. Did a little more looking around and found this letter from Padre Pio to the Holy Father where he expresses his whole-hearted devotion to Holy Church and her vicar - I thought is was very beautiful and should be an inspiration for all children of Holy Mother Church. Blessed feast day!

San Giovanni Rotondo
September 12, 1968

Your Holiness,

I unite myself with my brothers and present at your feet my affectionate respect, all my devotion to your august person in an act of faith, love and obedience to the dignity of him whom you are representing on this earth. The Capuchin Order has always been in the first line in love, fidelity, obedience and devotion to the Holy See; I pray to God that it may remain thus and continue in its tradition of religious seriousness and austerity, evangelical poverty and faithful observance of the Rule and Constitution, certainly renewing itself in the vitality and in the inner spirit, according to the guides of the Second Vatican Council, in order to be always ready to attend to the necessities of Mother Church under the rule of your Holiness.

I know that your heart is suffering much these days in the interest of the Church, for the peace of the world, for the innumerable necessities of the people of the world, but above all, for the lack of obedience of some, even Catholics, to the high teaching that you, assisted by the Holy Spirit and in the name of God, are giving us. I offer you my prayers and daily sufferings as a small but sincere contribution on the part of the least of your sons in order that God may give you comfort with his Grace to follow the straight and painful way in the defense of eternal truth, which never changes with the passing of the years. Also, in the name of my spiritual children and the Prayer Groups, I thank you for your clear and decisive words that you especially pronounced in the last encyclical "Humanae Vitae"; and I reaffirm my faith, my unconditional obedience to your illuminated directions.

May God grant victory to the truth, peace to his Church, tranquility to the world, health and prosperity to your Holiness so that, once these fleeting doubts are dissipated, the Kingdom of God may triumph in all hearts, guided by your apostolic work as Supreme Pastor of all Christianity.

Prostrate at your feet, I beg you to bless me in the company of my brothers in religion, my spiritual children, the Prayer Groups, my sick ones and also to bless all our good endeavours which we are trying to fulfill under your protection in the name of Jesus.

Humbly yours,

P. Pio, Capuchin

Padre Pio letter to the Holy Father

New video on Clear Creek Monastery

2009-09-19T16:44:00.004-05:00

I was delighted to find this new video of the progress of Clear Creek Monastery. Please keep all the monks in your prayers especially Fr. Subprior who is seriously ill with cancer. more ...

Blessed Feast of Our Lady of Sorrow - Notre-Dame des Douleurs

2009-09-15T01:16:00.002-05:00

A blessed feast to you all. Here is a video clip of the Boys choir in Warsaw singing the Stabat Mater Dolorosa by Pergolesi

1st Day at the Louvre!

2009-09-08T08:26:00.001-05:00

IMG_2277
Originally uploaded by mystical_rose84

I spent most of Sunday gazing at the vast collections of art in the Louvre. The had an audio tour that was really helpful (though I wish it had more info on it). Here is a picture of me in front of the pyramid. You take stairs down into the pyramid and then you have three different directions you can go - and each one is bigger than any of the museums back at home! I enjoyed the old religious statues the most ... I took a lot of pictures. The roman marble statues were totally amazing. I want very much to go back with my sketch book and spend more time in one particular area. This time was just getting myself comfortable with the place and checking out what there was to see - and there was alot! Enjoy the pictures.

A safe return to Versailles

2009-09-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

Thank you for all the prayers being said for my safe travels. I made it back to Versailles without much incident - which was a suprise compared with my other recent travel experiences. My brother drove me to the Dallas airport with plenty of time to get through security. I flew with Lufthansa since my past experience with United was very difficult. I arrived in Frankfurt and had a 2 hour wait for my plane to Paris. I landed in Paris safetly and then began the long process of getting from the airport to versailles ... nothing went wrong but everything took as long it seems as was possible. I waited at the baggage claim for nearly 30 min. Then after crossing to the other side of the airport I had to wait another 30 min in a line to buy a train ticket (I could have bought it at the machine if I'd have had some pocket change). Then the train had a 30 min delay at one of the stops - I can't say why because I could not understand what was being said over the speakers. In those sort of situations I just observe the other people and usually go along with the flow. I transfered from the train to the RER C at the San Michelle metro and from there until Versailles I just relaxed and watched out the window at the familiar Paris landscape. It brought back memories of my first train ride when everything had seemed so strange and foreign - this time it was all so familiar and much easier. I heaved my luggage out of the train at Versailles Rive Gouche and walked out of the station just as the bus was arriving. I already had several tickets with me so I could just step in. The drive along main street was wonderful and I was reminded of just how much I had grown fond of Versailles. The market, the pattiseries, the people on bikes, the flowers in pots on the windows, the little cars and little streets. I had a short walk from the bus stop to the house where I was warmly greeted by the family I am staying with. I had missed them all very much during my month home and it is wonderful now to be back for a time. Now I just am catching up on sleep and getting back into a routine.

Clear Creek Pilgrimage

2009-08-20T09:37:00.003-05:00

The young people of Clear Creek did a three mile pilgrimage a few days ago for the intentions of one of the monks who is ill with cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.

Video from Chartres Pilgrimage 2009

2009-08-14T21:59:00.002-05:00

Here is a video from this years pilgrimage. It was wonderful to watch and remember the good friends and the sore feet (lol). And interestingly enough - I am the girl to the far left in the picture above (before you press the play button).

Illustrations

2009-07-25T10:43:00.004-05:00

If you would like to see my latest art project you can jump over to smallpax to see my Maria Goretti illustrations Post (I just removed the images for the present time since the book is about to be published)

Me and Mont San Michel

2009-07-11T09:55:00.001-05:00

IMG_1183
Originally uploaded by mystical_rose84

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint-Michel

We stopped by Mont San Michel for a few minutes on the way from Normandy to Britany. I certainly want to return and climb the mountain to the church - it looked so beautiful!

Collection of resources that I use daily

2009-06-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

Here is a collection of websites that I use daily - especially when I am going over the daily readings for the mass in French. I have the french 'Magnificat' with me at mass, but first I spend some time in the morning with the readings online in French and English:

English for mass readings : catholic calender

French Bible online : La Bible en ligne

Meanwhile I have two translation pages open (one for whole phrases and one for individual words). Translation website : http://translation2.paralink.com/

Here is a good site that I reference for grammer topics : http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/French/Grammar/index.html

Here is a list of the most commonly used French words

And last but not least is the google webpage translation tool : http://www.google.ca/language_tools?hl=en

You copy and paste the url into the box under 'translate a webpage' and then select the language. This comes in very handy when I am trying to find information from a French site and I have a difficult time navigating around.

I don't imagine that many of you will find this very relevent for your lives but it has been very helpful for me and hopefully it will interest at least some of you.

Prayer of Petition

2009-06-20T09:04:00.001-05:00

Thank you for coming to pray with us for Fr. Subprior. Thank you for helping him and all of us with your prayer.

I thought it would be fitting to speak to you of the prayer of petition. We divide prayer into various types, but they all very linked in fact. When I ask for something I am glorifying God. When I adore Him, I am opening up to His graces. The Our Father is a list of petitions, but the first one is "May Thy Name be sanctified."

It was normal, with this personal God Who revealed Himself to them and acted in their lives, that the Israelites prayed a lot. The Old Testament is indeed full of prayer. There are some big scenes, such as Abraham intervening for the sinning cities that the Lord planned to destroy.

Moses is a major intercessory figure. We see him praying on the hill while the Israelites battle on the plain. He prays for the healing of his sister. And especially when he was up on Mt. Sinai, and the people began worshipping false gods, and God decided to destroy them, promising to raise up a new people, Moses "turned away His wrath."

David considered it part of his mission as king to represent and pray for His people. The prophets also officially prayed for the people. Elijah prayed to bring a child back to life etc. Of course the psalms are the main prayers, and they are largely made up of petitions. They are wonderful—simple, direct, spontaneous earnest ["help me! hear me! turn towards me! I'm afraid! simple.

Let me read you a little of Ps 24/1-7,16-22

Since you are on a pilgrimage, I might mention the series of psalms around 121 that were sung on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, for example 124/1-2; let me quote 131 also.

Our Lord gave a fair amount of teaching about the prayer of petition. There are especially the two rather amazing parables: the importunate widow whom the iniquitous judge did not want to help, but to get her off his back, he did what she wanted. Then the importunate friend in St Luke 11/5-8 Christ really insists on this certitude of help (verses 9-13),

He is not saying that God does not care for us, but that we must insist and persevere. He encourages us greatly. He wants us to storm Heaven and trust in our Father.

So the Christians went forward in this line. Paul always promises his prayers and asks his faithful to help him in his ministry by their prayer. And he says not to be anxious but put all our requests before the Lord: Phil 4/5.

Likewise all through the centuries. There are the famous intercessors— St Monica's years of praying for her wayward son, then
being heard beyond her wildest dreams. St Catherine of Siena's prayers to save her sons going to the execution. The rosary and Lepanto. And St Therese of the Child Jesus' "first child" who converted at the guillotine. And then all the miracles of healing from prayer.

So, the essential role of prayer of petition in our life is a fact. It remains mysterious. However one might ask two questions here to help us understand better:

1) we cannot change God, make Him change His mind. And when we pray Fiat voluntas tua--but of course His Will will be done. He is all powerful! And He loves this sinner more than I do, wants his good. He doesn't need our information as our Lord Himself told us: "don't speak a lot of your words, Your Father knows what you need before you ask." Mtt8/6

Certainly, God does not need our prayer but He wants it. He takes it into His providential designs. In His eternal plan He wants this or that good, but He also wants to work it out in time through this or that means, notably by prayer. Saints, so attuned to the Holy Ghost, know that when they want and pray for something intensely, it is because God wants to give it.

Prayer is thus one very fitting way for us to cooperate in His work. It is indeed fitting, for several reasons easy to see.

First it makes us turn to Him, take up contact with Him. Prayer helps us recognize that we are creatures, that we are not the masters of our life. It teaches us to be children, to rely on God. It helps us to desire more; it disposes us, it opens us up to His action.

It also links us to one another. We will see in Heaven all the little ties brought about by prayer, the graces we owe to one another. After WWII, Russia placed a puppet ruler over Poland. Cardinal Wyszynski hardly knew him but had always prayed for him. This man later lost favor and was called back to Moscow, and the Cardinal pretty much forgot about him. Then one night he had a dream and this man was calling out to him—"Cardinal Wyszynski, pray for me." The next day, the Cardinal read in the newspaper that the man had died during the night. That shows these mysterious and powerful ties woven by prayer.

2) Second question: why doesn't prayer seem to work as much as promised?

First, there is a certain hierarchy in prayer. Certain intentions are absolute—grace, salvation, conversion. Others are not absolutely necessary—I want to succeed in my exams, that is a good thing, but I can go to Heaven and be eternally happy without it. God might not hear me about my exams for some greater good.

Also, they say that we must distinguish between asking for self and another. When I ask I am already opening myself to God, but with another that person's free will intervenes. Nevertheless, no prayer is in vain. When I pray for someone God is going to help that person all the more. Then obviously it is not so simple. There are big intentions we must battle for—abortion, the conversion of our country, of the Jews, of the Muslims. Perhaps a St. Catherine of Siena could obtain that all alone, but for us it is a continual war.

Then there is the condition of perseverance— that was the very point of the parables of the importunate friend and widow. And we must indeed battle. When the disciples could not exorcise a demon, Christ told them such demons can't be expelled except through prayer and fasting. So it's not so easy.

There are also dispositions we must bring to prayer if we are to be heard. Faith, first of all. Our Lord pushed away the Canaanite woman harshly, yet she persevered and He praised her for her faith. The parable about the publican, a public sinner who was heard instead of the pharisee who obeyed the law, teaches about the necessary humility to address God. We also must do God's will. St. John tells us we are heard in our prayer, "because we do what pleases God." [Jn 3/22] James likewise: James 1/5-8. And he encourages us with the fact that Elijah was heard, but because he was a righteous man. We all realize we ask holy people to pray for us. It's not those who say Lord Lord who will be heard but those who do the Father's will.

Also we must be reconciled with our brethren. Our Lord tells us to leave our offering there and go be reconciled with a brother who has something against you; then you can make the offering. And in the Our Father, we ask to have our sins forgiven but our Lord tells us we must forgive others if we are going to be forgiven.

Finally, we have to work too, on our side. While Moses prayed the army really fought. If I want to succeed in the exams I have to study too.

Prayer is a trial of faith. Benedict XVI wrote in his first encyclical of the necessity of prayer in our charitable actions. Then
he came to the temptation of doubting prayer since there are so many miseries in this world.

"Often we cannot understand why God refrains from intervening. Yet he does not prevent us from crying out, like Jesus on the Cross: "My god, my god, why have you forsaken me?" We should continue asking this question in prayerful dialogue before His face: 'Lord, holy and true, how long will it be?' (Rev 6/10). … Our protest is not meant to challenge God, or to suggest that error, weakness or indifference can be found in Him .. Instead, our crying out is, as it was for Jesus on the Cross, the deepest and most radical way of affirming our faith in His sovereign power. Even in their bewilderment and failure to understand the world around them, Christians continue to believe in the goodness and loving kindness of God. Immersed like everyone else in the dramatic complexities of historical events, they remain unshakably certain that God is our Father and loves us, even when his silence remains incomprehensible. "

Now we can kind of put it all together in a little synthesis on our prayer of petition. First of all God takes the initiative in
Christian life. He calls on us. Prayer is part of our response, it is the reciprocal call. It is always first in our response, because we
rely on grace. "Without me you can do nothing." This is especially true in the order of grace, the supernatural order. So, we must come to God like children to their father, with faith, hope, trust. We can do so only in Christ. Grafted in Him by baptism, we can approach the Father as His sons. This also puts us in communion one with another. "When two of you ask anything together in My Name, you will be heard."

It is especially in the official prayer of the Church that we pray in Christ and with one another. Especially at Mass where all our prayers are lifted up with Christ in His passage to the Father. And then we must persevere courageously in our prayer, and work to be faithful in our life.

All our life indeed should be a prayer. We can do nothing in the supernatural order, so our acts themselves are mainly a beseeching, an offering. So, one good way to pray, and do penance, is to go on pilgrimage. That activity puts the petition in our bones and muscles, makes it concrete, more real. It increases our desires. It's good to go to a holy place, a source of graces, where God likes to intensify His action. A monastery, a place of prayer, a sanctuary is a good place to go for graces. And Clear Creek is the house of Our Lady.

God likes us to pray to the saints. We thus knit ties with members of the Mystical Body on the other side. That too is in service of God's plan. This is especially true of Mary, our heavenly Mother.

Now we can turn to Fr. de Feydeau for a last word. "Tout est grace," all is grace - some harder than others. Often we have to be cornered to make us open up to big graces. This is a grace for Fr de Feydeau, a deepening of his spiritual life; perhaps a last purification if God takes him. It's a grace for us in many ways. This illness wakes us up to the fact that we cannot install ourselves here below. It wakes us up to reality. And Fr. de Feydeau is very edifying, a great example with his good humor, his realistic, natural attitude of someone who is probably about to pass from this life to the next, to the real life. He could say like St. Paul in Philippians 1/20-24.

He is a strong soul. He was a naval officer and likes challenges.

This is a chance for fraternal charity also. Fr. de Feydeau doesn't come on recreation. So, last Sunday he drew a cartoon. We see him sitting on a pillow with another one behind his head and one under each arm. He's on the phone and we see Fr Andrews on the other end [you have to know Fr. Andrews...] saying: "I'm on my way, I thought you might need a fifth pillow." We see Br. Michael cleaning up Fr. de Feydeau's cell, Br. Martin at the door with a snack, Br. Anthony perhaps with Fr. de Feydeau's shoes all polished, Br. Isidore next door carving a staff for him!

God may want to take a soul that is ready. But let's pray for his healing, we must want him to stay with us. Padre Pio of course was very high in grace, very advanced in holiness. Nevertheless when his parents died, he could hardly bear it - he couldn't celebrate mass for two or three days. We don't want to be without Fr. de Feydeau and we need him. Maybe God wants to work a miracle. maybe He wants to put us through this and then give him back. But all prayers must end, "Thy will be done." Father de Feydeau will help us in Heaven as well. Also, help Father along the way with your prayers. He deserves them. Pray also for Fr. Prior. Pray for Br. Martin [Markey, the infirmarian] who has consecrated himself to serving Fr. de Feydeau day and night.

So let's entrust Father to Mary. Let me close by quoting some stanzas of St Therese of the Child Jesus' poem on the Blessed Virgin. Her sister asked her to write out her thoughts on our heavenly Mother. This was the last poem she wrote, near her death. The theme is that she wants the Virgin Mary to be close to us, then she can imitate her, trust her. She expresses that in the first two stanzas:

Oh! I would like to sing, Mary, why I love you,
Why your sweet name thrills my heart,
And why the thought of your supreme greatness
Could not bring fear to my soul.
If I gazed on you in your sublime glory,
Surpassing the splendor of all the blessed,
I could not believe that I am your child.
O Mary! before you I would lower my eyes!

If a child is to cherish his mother,
She has to cry with him and share his sorrows.
O my dearest Mother, on this foreign shore
How many tears you shed to draw me to you!
In pondering your life in the holy Gospels,
I dare look at you and come near you.
It's not difficult for me to believe I'm your child,
For I see you human and suffering like me.

Then she grows through Mary's life. And comes to the moving, final stanza evoking the time when the statue of Mary smiled at the little Therese on her sickbed and healed her:

Soon I'll hear that sweet harmony.
Soon I'll go to beautiful Heaven to see you.
You who came to smile at me in the morning of my life,
Come smile at me again, Mother, it's evening now!
I no longer fear the splendor of your supreme glory.
With you I've suffered, and now I want
To sing on your lap, Mary, why I love you,
And go on saying that I am your child!

Amen.

Prayer of Petition

2009-06-20T09:04:00.000-05:00

Thank you for coming to pray with us for Fr. Subprior. Thank you for helping him and all of us with your prayer.

I thought it would be fitting to speak to you of the prayer of petition. We divide prayer into various types, but they all very linked in fact. When I ask for something I am glorifying God. When I adore Him, I am opening up to His graces. The Our Father is a list of petitions, but the first one is "May Thy Name be sanctified."

It was normal, with this personal God Who revealed Himself to them and acted in their lives, that the Israelites prayed a lot. The Old Testament is indeed full of prayer. There are some big scenes, such as Abraham intervening for the sinning cities that the Lord planned to destroy.

Moses is a major intercessory figure. We see him praying on the hill while the Israelites battle on the plain. He prays for the healing of his sister. And especially when he was up on Mt. Sinai, and the people began worshipping false gods, and God decided to destroy them, promising to raise up a new people, Moses "turned away His wrath."

David considered it part of his mission as king to represent and pray for His people. The prophets also officially prayed for the people. Elijah prayed to bring a child back to life etc. Of course the psalms are the main prayers, and they are largely made up of petitions. They are wonderful—simple, direct, spontaneous earnest ["help me! hear me! turn towards me! I'm afraid! simple.

Let me read you a little of Ps 24/1-7,16-22

Since you are on a pilgrimage, I might mention the series of psalms around 121 that were sung on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, for example 124/1-2; let me quote 131 also.

He is not saying that God does not care for us, but that we must insist and persevere. He encourages us greatly. He wants us to storm Heaven and trust in our Father.

So the Christians went forward in this line. Paul always promises his prayers and asks his faithful to help him in his ministry by their prayer. And he says not to be anxious but put all our requests before the Lord: Phil 4/5.

Likewise all through the centuries. There are the famous intercessors— St Monica's years of praying for her wayward son, then
being heard beyond her wildest dreams. St Catherine of Siena's prayers to save her sons going to the execution. The rosary and Lepanto. And St Therese of the Child Jesus' "first child" who converted at the guillotine. And then all the miracles of healing from prayer.

So, the essential role of prayer of petition in our life is a fact. It remains mysterious. However one might ask two questions here to help us understand better:

1) we cannot change God, make Him change His mind. And when we pray Fiat voluntas tua--but of course His Will will be done. He is all powerful! And He loves this sinner more than I do, wants his good. He doesn't need our information as our Lord Himself told us: "don't speak a lot of your words, Your Father knows what you need before you ask." Mtt8/6

Certainly, God does not need our prayer but He wants it. He takes it into His providential designs. In His eternal plan He wants this or that good, but He also wants to work it out in time through this or that means, notably by prayer. Saints, so attuned to the Holy Ghost, know that when they want and pray for something intensely, it is because God wants to give it.

Prayer is thus one very fitting way for us to cooperate in His work. It is indeed fitting, for several reasons easy to see.

First it makes us turn to Him, take up contact with Him. Prayer helps us recognize that we are creatures, that we are not the masters of our life. It teaches us to be children, to rely on God. It helps us to desire more; it disposes us, it opens us up to His action.

It also links us to one another. We will see in Heaven all the little ties brought about by prayer, the graces we owe to one another. After WWII, Russia placed a puppet ruler over Poland. Cardinal Wyszynski hardly knew him but had always prayed for him. This man later lost favor and was called back to Moscow, and the Cardinal pretty much forgot about him. Then one night he had a dream and this man was calling out to him—"Cardinal Wyszynski, pray for me." The next day, the Cardinal read in the newspaper that the man had died during the night. That shows these mysterious and powerful ties woven by prayer.

2) Second question: why doesn't prayer seem to work as much as promised?

First, there is a certain hierarchy in prayer. Certain intentions are absolute—grace, salvation, conversion. Others are not absolutely necessary—I want to succeed in my exams, that is a good thing, but I can go to Heaven and be eternally happy without it. God might not hear me about my exams for some greater good.

Also, they say that we must distinguish between asking for self and another. When I ask I am already opening myself to God, but with another that person's free will intervenes. Nevertheless, no prayer is in vain. When I pray for someone God is going to help that person all the more. Then obviously it is not so simple. There are big intentions we must battle for—abortion, the conversion of our country, of the Jews, of the Muslims. Perhaps a St. Catherine of Siena could obtain that all alone, but for us it is a continual war.

Then there is the condition of perseverance— that was the very point of the parables of the importunate friend and widow. And we must indeed battle. When the disciples could not exorcise a demon, Christ told them such demons can't be expelled except through prayer and fasting. So it's not so easy.

There are also dispositions we must bring to prayer if we are to be heard. Faith, first of all. Our Lord pushed away the Canaanite woman harshly, yet she persevered and He praised her for her faith. The parable about the publican, a public sinner who was heard instead of the pharisee who obeyed the law, teaches about the necessary humility to address God. We also must do God's will. St. John tells us we are heard in our prayer, "because we do what pleases God." [Jn 3/22] James likewise: James 1/5-8. And he encourages us with the fact that Elijah was heard, but because he was a righteous man. We all realize we ask holy people to pray for us. It's not those who say Lord Lord who will be heard but those who do the Father's will.

Also we must be reconciled with our brethren. Our Lord tells us to leave our offering there and go be reconciled with a brother who has something against you; then you can make the offering. And in the Our Father, we ask to have our sins forgiven but our Lord tells us we must forgive others if we are going to be forgiven.

Finally, we have to work too, on our side. While Moses prayed the army really fought. If I want to succeed in the exams I have to study too.

Prayer is a trial of faith. Benedict XVI wrote in his first encyclical of the necessity of prayer in our charitable actions. Then
he came to the temptation of doubting prayer since there are so many miseries in this world.

"Often we cannot understand why God refrains from intervening. Yet he does not prevent us from crying out, like Jesus on the Cross: "My god, my god, why have you forsaken me?" We should continue asking this question in prayerful dialogue before His face: 'Lord, holy and true, how long will it be?' (Rev 6/10). … Our protest is not meant to challenge God, or to suggest that error, weakness or indifference can be found in Him .. Instead, our crying out is, as it was for Jesus on the Cross, the deepest and most radical way of affirming our faith in His sovereign power. Even in their bewilderment and failure to understand the world around them, Christians continue to believe in the goodness and loving kindness of God. Immersed like everyone else in the dramatic complexities of historical events, they remain unshakably certain that God is our Father and loves us, even when his silence remains incomprehensible. "

Now we can kind of put it all together in a little synthesis on our prayer of petition. First of all God takes the initiative in
Christian life. He calls on us. Prayer is part of our response, it is the reciprocal call. It is always first in our response, because we
rely on grace. "Without me you can do nothing." This is especially true in the order of grace, the supernatural order. So, we must come to God like children to their father, with faith, hope, trust. We can do so only in Christ. Grafted in Him by baptism, we can approach the Father as His sons. This also puts us in communion one with another. "When two of you ask anything together in My Name, you will be heard."

It is especially in the official prayer of the Church that we pray in Christ and with one another. Especially at Mass where all our prayers are lifted up with Christ in His passage to the Father. And then we must persevere courageously in our prayer, and work to be faithful in our life.

All our life indeed should be a prayer. We can do nothing in the supernatural order, so our acts themselves are mainly a beseeching, an offering. So, one good way to pray, and do penance, is to go on pilgrimage. That activity puts the petition in our bones and muscles, makes it concrete, more real. It increases our desires. It's good to go to a holy place, a source of graces, where God likes to intensify His action. A monastery, a place of prayer, a sanctuary is a good place to go for graces. And Clear Creek is the house of Our Lady.

God likes us to pray to the saints. We thus knit ties with members of the Mystical Body on the other side. That too is in service of God's plan. This is especially true of Mary, our heavenly Mother.

Now we can turn to Fr. de Feydeau for a last word. "Tout est grace," all is grace - some harder than others. Often we have to be cornered to make us open up to big graces. This is a grace for Fr de Feydeau, a deepening of his spiritual life; perhaps a last purification if God takes him. It's a grace for us in many ways. This illness wakes us up to the fact that we cannot install ourselves here below. It wakes us up to reality. And Fr. de Feydeau is very edifying, a great example with his good humor, his realistic, natural attitude of someone who is probably about to pass from this life to the next, to the real life. He could say like St. Paul in Philippians 1/20-24.

He is a strong soul. He was a naval officer and likes challenges.

This is a chance for fraternal charity also. Fr. de Feydeau doesn't come on recreation. So, last Sunday he drew a cartoon. We see him sitting on a pillow with another one behind his head and one under each arm. He's on the phone and we see Fr Andrews on the other end [you have to know Fr. Andrews...] saying: "I'm on my way, I thought you might need a fifth pillow." We see Br. Michael cleaning up Fr. de Feydeau's cell, Br. Martin at the door with a snack, Br. Anthony perhaps with Fr. de Feydeau's shoes all polished, Br. Isidore next door carving a staff for him!

God may want to take a soul that is ready. But let's pray for his healing, we must want him to stay with us. Padre Pio of course was very high in grace, very advanced in holiness. Nevertheless when his parents died, he could hardly bear it - he couldn't celebrate mass for two or three days. We don't want to be without Fr. de Feydeau and we need him. Maybe God wants to work a miracle. maybe He wants to put us through this and then give him back. But all prayers must end, "Thy will be done." Father de Feydeau will help us in Heaven as well. Also, help Father along the way with your prayers. He deserves them. Pray also for Fr. Prior. Pray for Br. Martin [Markey, the infirmarian] who has consecrated himself to serving Fr. de Feydeau day and night.

So let's entrust Father to Mary. Let me close by quoting some stanzas of St Therese of the Child Jesus' poem on the Blessed Virgin. Her sister asked her to write out her thoughts on our heavenly Mother. This was the last poem she wrote, near her death. The theme is that she wants the Virgin Mary to be close to us, then she can imitate her, trust her. She expresses that in the first two stanzas:

Oh! I would like to sing, Mary, why I love you,
Why your sweet name thrills my heart,
And why the thought of your supreme greatness
Could not bring fear to my soul.
If I gazed on you in your sublime glory,
Surpassing the splendor of all the blessed,
I could not believe that I am your child.
O Mary! before you I would lower my eyes!

If a child is to cherish his mother,
She has to cry with him and share his sorrows.
O my dearest Mother, on this foreign shore
How many tears you shed to draw me to you!
In pondering your life in the holy Gospels,
I dare look at you and come near you.
It's not difficult for me to believe I'm your child,
For I see you human and suffering like me.

Then she grows through Mary's life. And comes to the moving, final stanza evoking the time when the statue of Mary smiled at the little Therese on her sickbed and healed her:

Soon I'll hear that sweet harmony.
Soon I'll go to beautiful Heaven to see you.
You who came to smile at me in the morning of my life,
Come smile at me again, Mother, it's evening now!
I no longer fear the splendor of your supreme glory.
With you I've suffered, and now I want
To sing on your lap, Mary, why I love you,
And go on saying that I am your child!

Amen.

Feast of the Sacred Heart and a New Year for Priests

2009-06-19T16:26:00.004-05:00

Today is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Pope Benedict the XVI has declared this day the beginning of a year for priests : From the vatican website

Reading material for the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Picture above is similar to the one here in Versailles at the church of st Antoine - I will try to take a picture of it tomorrow so I can post it. In the meantime this one will do. Update: Here is the new photo from st Antoine (above)

The Lindy Hop

2009-06-16T01:01:00.003-05:00

I think this must be my favorite dance. I first fell in love watching some TAC students dancing this step. My grandma sent me the link to this video last night and I thought is was a perfect timing since just the other night I was at a Versailles party of young adults who were doing dancing similar to this (flips and all). They don't call is swing though ... they call it 'rock-n-roll' (yeh I thought that was funny). I don't have much practice personally but I think it looks like so much fun!

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi!

2009-06-12T08:02:00.002-05:00

I hope that you all had a wonderful feast day yesterday. The people of Versailles celebrated the day with a long Eucharistic procession from St. Josephs (the video below) to St. Jean d'Arc. It was beautiful and reminded me in some ways of the procession they have at Clear Creek on the feast of Corpus Christi. I think there were a few hundred people total.

A new priest at Clear Creek Monastery!

2009-06-09T08:31:00.003-05:00

I was so happy to hear that one of the brothers at the monastery was just ordained a few days ago by the bishop! My parents told me that the ceremony was beautiful. They also got to receive first blessings - I am sad to have missed it. There are more pictures here. Please keep Clear Creek's newest priest in your prayers. The picture above is from the monks picasa site. You can also see more about the monastery at http://www.clearcreekmonks.org/

A quick portfolio update

2009-06-05T03:42:00.003-05:00

I put together this portfolio slideshow very quickly the other day. Eventually I will get a better one together. Most of the art contained in the video I have already had on my blog at one point or another so it should be rather familiar to many of you. I hope you enjoy it!

Chartres 2009!

2009-06-01T16:32:00.003-05:00

The pilgrimage was an amazing adventure! It was worth every painful, aching step! And even though I am happy to be back (where I can now take a much needed shower) I am sad that it is over and I look forward to doing it again next year. Thanks so much for all your prayers! Pictured above is our group - one very few Americans in the midst of thousands of Europeans.

My cousin and I at the Eiffel Tower

2009-05-25T15:01:00.002-05:00

credit goes to my aunt - http://clairitys-place.blogspot.com/

We had an awesome day! Did alot of walking and sightseeing. See more photos from my aunt http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairity/

First impressions of Versailles and Paris

2009-05-17T13:10:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow marks my one week anniversary of being in Versailles. So much has been packed into one week that is almost a staggering job to do one post on a whole week packed full of new experiences and stories.

Beginning where I left off would bring me back to my first time driving in the car with Mrs. P to the house. It amazed me how narrow the streets are and the tiny cars that occupy them. I immediately chuckled at the thought of our family excursion trying to navigate the narrow streets (I don’t think we would get very far). Once we had completed our short but complicated drive we pulled up the most quaint street lined with beautiful stone houses adorned with colorful foliage which reminded me of something out of a book. My first walk through the little courtyard and then into the P. house revealed a cheerful, well-kept home where every corner was being put to good use. Yellow is one of my favorite colors for the interiors of houses, and the soft yellows of the P. house spoke happy thoughts of what was in store. Over the course of that first day I met each of the family members. I had memorized their names and had heard stories that I could put with each face as we exchanged greetings. It was so exciting to set my bags down in the room that I was to call me own, for it was a marking point that I had made it – laying my stake in the ground – I had a place to call my own in France.

After a very comfortable night’s rest (in a bed that was a million times better than trying to sleep sprawled across two plane seats) I began after breakfast my first day of helping around the house. I had a stack of laundry that had piled up from several days waiting to be ironed. Now, I will say that ironing is something that I had never learned to do, other than lay the clothing down as flat as possible and iron away until you get as many wrinkles out as you can. I was very open with Mrs. P that I wanted to learn how to do it properly and she demonstrated each step. For shirts it was one way, for pants another. While I was left to put into practice my first lesson I found that the steam (which was coming out at an alarming rate) would not stop. I had the sensation of a person holding a machine gun that would'nt stop shooting. The youngest daughter, little F. was nearby and I begged her assistance by hand gestures since she does not know English and I don’t know French. She easily turned off the explosion of steam and then I realized that I had just bumped the wrong button. It is funny looking back since now, at the end of my first week the iron has become one of my most familiar acquaintances.

By the time lunch was drawing close I began my next lesson - learning to set the table ... the proper way. Mrs. P is a very good teacher and patiently walks me through each detail of how things are to be done. Plate in the center, napkin folded on the right with the knife (each person has their own personal colored cloth napkin), fork on the left and dessert spoon horizontal above the plate with a glass just above that. We had a simple meal but everything was well prepared and served in courses. I helped with putting away left-overs and cleaning up the dishes.

When the older members of the family are speaking to me, they speak in English (most of which I can easily understand) but amongst themselves they speak French - so at meals I usually don’t have a clue what is being talked about unless of course I hear my name (which makes me wonder. Lol.) As the week progresses I find myself beginning to pick out words that I know and each day there are more. I am curious to see how much I will have learned by the end of July.

My first few days I spent just learning the basics and getting accustomed to the new family and setting. On Wednesday morning I accompanied Mrs. P to the nearby Church, St. Antoine, where mass was celebrated. At first we were going to ride bikes but since I was not prepared for this mode of transportation and had come dressed that morning in a long straight skirt Mrs. Poulnais decided to take a car. The church was only a few block away up on the hill. It is a massive, old building adorned with grand carving. It looks straight out of the middle ages but when we walked inside the center piece above the altar was a classic interpretation of the modern crucifix. Since mass was in French (and French still just sounded like babble) Mrs. P had a French ‘Magnificat’ that I was able to read along and at least get a better handle on pronunciation. It is amazing how different French sounds from the way it is written. Unlike Latin where every letter is gets its due sound, in French, is seems at first as though half of the letters are completely skipped over. I know eventually it will all make sense and I will see reason behind it all.

The following day I wanted to go to mass again, even though I would have to go alone. I equipped myself with my map (which I had already looked over many times) and set out for my first time on the streets of Versailles by myself. Usually I have a very good sense of direction but for some reason for the first few days I always felt completely turned around. It was not until that Thursday, out and walking, that I began to calibrate my internal compass. I had walked out the front gate with only 15 min to make it to mass, which was a possible distance to cover only if the walk was very brisk. So I set out with all the confidence I could muster and tried to look as ‘normal’ as possible. I did not want to look like I was really nervous (even though I was) being surrounded by a completely different landscape and people who speak french where I cannot easily just ask a question. Back in the states my standard mode of operation was: get a general sense from a map, if in doubt ask someone to point you in the right direction and once very close ask someone for confirmation (I always ask for confirmation at each major step because it is so much easier than trying to undo something you got wrong). So I was really nervous when I first stepped out onto Versailles streets, but the farther I went the more the town’s charm began to soften my fears and by the time I got to the church I was very much at ease. I found the church, but then at first could only find the adoration chapel. I watched some people walk into a side door and followed them into the crypt of the church where mass was was being celebrated. It is so wonderful to have mass because there I can pour out my heart to someone who completely understands what I am trying to express. Even though the P. family and others around can speak some English it is not the same type of communication. This helps me to turn to God to open my heart.

I was very hungry and since I had a good walk back (well really only about a mile) I decided to drop into a little shop and buy a pastry. I think the patisserie shops are one of the most beautiful things ever. They are warm and inviting and looking through all the delicious baked goods just makes my mouth water thinking about it. After deciding on an inviting raisin pastry I pulled out my wallet to make my first payment in Euros. I asked for the price and quickly realized that I needed to learn numbers in French since the only answer I was getting was the same French babble sound. The lady helped me count out the change and I set out with the best tasting pastry I had ever had. Yum! The walk back was very enjoyable, as you can imagine, and I could tell that walking around Versailles was not going to be difficult at all (as I had been wondering).

Another funny story. As the week was coming to an end and I was becoming more comfortable with Le Chesnay and Versailles I was walking along and double checking my map when I a man pulled over in his car to (what I presumed was) offer help with directions. I said in my best French accent the name of the street I was looking for. The man shook his head and said as he was beginning to drive off, that he did not speak French and was not from the area (in what I guessed was a Australian accent). It took me a minute to realize that we had both thought the other was French, oh well!

I did most of my walking on Friday when I walked to the mall to try to get a cell phone. The mall which is relatively close was like stepping back into American culture. It was strange to go from the quaint European cobblestones and beautiful gardens into the air-conditioned plastic paradise packed with ads and pop music. I found a store and after waiting for several min talked with an employee who knew a little English. As it turned out to get a new phone and the most basic plan for 3 months was going to cost me in the realm of 90euro. I was not too excited about the price and decided to think about it before making any decisions. I found another store but got the same answer. So with unpromising brochures from both stores I headed back into the streets of Versailles through the light rain.

The weather this whole week has been unusually cold for this time of year – or so I have been told. I was beginning to think I should have packed clothing for a different climate. If I have been enjoying Versailles even with the wet weather I have even more to look forward too.

Today was my first day in Paris. Early this morning I walked to the Rive Gauche station (a 25 min walk) and took the RER C to the St. Michelle station. I was late for the 10am mass at Notre Dame and so I was ready to run as soon as the train came to a stop. As I ran up the stairs and the light of day and the gentle rain hit me so did the impressive view of the steeples of Notre Dame de Paris. My first thought was wow! There it is! And my second was, I am late! I had to wait for a little while in a line of tourists to get into the church and while thus occupied I took in the ornate carvings and figures all over the face of the church. Once inside the massive interior and awe inspiring architecture had me distracted as I searched to find a seat. I wanted to see the altar and so I walked up a side isle and then paced a bit looking for a place in the crowd. A kind woman sitting on the end motioned to me and let me into the seat next to her. After thanking her I could see that I had an awesome view of the altar. We had Gregorian chant for the mass – though much different the chant at the monastery back home. The mass was beautiful and it reminded me even more how much there is to be proud of in the traditions of our Church. It was a bit distracting having tourist going all around the perimeter of the church the whole time taking pictures (with flash of course) and that many people attending mass did not seem to know what was going on. When it came time for communion though all that seemed to not matter since I was able to go up to the front and receive our Lord. When I was kneeling in thanksgiving I was so happy to be able to appreciate the depth of the place, but most especially what this great place contained: the precious body and blood of Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar now come into my heart and into the hearts of those who were around me.

After mass I found my friend Rebekah and we rendezvoused with two other girls - an old friend and her friend. After a bit of walking we found a patisserie (my new favorite place) and had a bit to eat while we chatted away about life it Paris. Myself and one of the girls had only been in Paris for less than a week while the other two were seasoned veterans who could give advice and encouragement. We had a goodtime and after exchanging contact info went our separate ways. Rebecca and I stuck together and visited until I was ready to head back to Versailles. On the train ride home, as I was resting my head against the glass window of the train and looking out at the houses and small gardens as they went whizzing by I just couldn’t help being in awe. I was in France, I was having an amazing time, and it was all just so perfect. God is so good. I think the expression is true that all good things come in time to those who wait on the Lord. I have always dreamed of living in Europe, but now I can say that it is a 'dream come true'.

I hope you enjoyed theses accounts. If you read this whole thing you must be a very patient person. Please keep me in your prayers.

The adventures of my arrival in Paris!

2009-05-12T15:27:00.002-05:00

Warning: The account below is a detailed version of the joys and stresses of travel. If reading about other peoples stress is stressful then forgo reading and just know that I made it safe to Paris ;-)

Excitement and anticipation mixed with the sorrow of departure as I said my goodbyes to my brothers and sisters - though no tears were shed the heartfelt love was intense. The drive in the car with mom and dad was peaceful even though we saw shortly ahead the imminent goodbye at the airport. These thoughts and emotions however were interrupted when I received a call from my friend who was waiting for me at the airport … I will say that I was very touched by the effort to drive the three hours from Kansas to see me off. Upon arrival at the airport, and after a very big hug from the afore mentioned I proceeded to check in. To my initial dismay the flight from Tulsa to Dallas had been cancelled – thus making the following flight from Dallas to Paris uncertain. I became more concerned when I called the customer service and they could not locate my information. However my fears were relieved when after more searching they found my information under the correct name of “Lawless” rather than the more common “Wallace”. My bags being checked in, I had then only to wait some three hours for my flight after saying my goodbye to the most wonderful and caring parents in the world. Mom cried but still managed a smile through it all.
The lines were long and it seemed to take forever to load up the masses of people into the Dallas bound flight. My time was divided between thoughts of catching my next flight in Dallas and awareness of the tension of many people surrounding me while waiting to cram into the plane (since I was not the only one who had schedule issues). Once inside and seated I tried to stay calm and relax a little but when the plane came to land the pilot took a sudden change and turned the plane upward once more as it had at take-off. I still don’t know what the cause was but I know that it added quite some extra time to circle Dallas and go through the landing process again.
I tried to remain calm and composed as I walked briskly along the corridor from the plane to the airport. Which terminal? Do I get my bags? Ask a person or just look at the screens? Efficiency. Find the most fast route. Do I need to run? Is there even a chance I can make it? So many thoughts were running through my head while quick prayers were silently flying up to God. I leapt onto a small rail car which I thought was heading to Gate 37 and as the doors closed behind I heard from a fellow passenger that I was on the wrong car. The intensity reached a peak as I could not move out of the car and the sense that time was ticking that I did not have to spend in unnecessary travel was making me break out in a sweat. As the car began rolling another passenger asked me which terminal I was looking for and then much to my relief he informed me and the other passenger that I was going the right way. Big sigh of relief. But only for a moment for as soon as the doors opened I was off running down the large hall and down the escalators. I heard my name as over the loud speaker they were doing last calls for flight 48 and I waved at the speaker as I soon as my gate was in site. "Mission accomplished" were the primary words running through me head as I slowed to a walk down the otherwise empty ramp to the plane. I slept most of the 9 hour flight, waking every few hours to adjust to a new position. I found just about every possible way to sleep on two seats without sticking out into the walkway – it was fortunate that the flight was not full and so the extra seats were available.
As morning dawned and the plane began descending into Paris I could feel the butterflies in my chest … I was about to set foot in Europe, the place of so many stories and so much history. As I swung my back-pack behind me and adjusted the straps on my shoulder to prepare to leave the plane my mind was already gearing up for the real part of the adventure. What had already passed was in my mind the ‘easy part’ and I had yet to tackle the French metro system and get across Paris. But first order was to get my bags. I stood watching all the other passengers get their bags off the conveyor belt until only a few bags were left, but of my luggage there was none to be found. At the baggage service counter I filled out a form for missing baggage while the very helpful and kind assistant told me I could expect my bags to be delievered the next day. Though most people would probably be very annoyed at the inconvenience of being without their stuff for a day I was so happy to not half to bring two very heavy bags across Paris with me. Instead I just have to be without my stuff for one day and I get free delivery. God is so good and sometimes it takes a little while later to see it clearly.
It hit me as soon as I passed under the exit sign and into the common area of the airport - everyone was speaking French and all writing was in French. What was otherwise a no different scene than the one I had just left in Tulsa, was completely transformed by these most distinct changes. I found myself a map, exchanged my US currency for the flashy Euro paper currency and then headed across the airport and to the RER train. After a few min waiting in line a very helpful ticket man walked me through the steps to get to Versailles while completing the purchase of my ticket. His was my first sincere welcome to France.
Down more stairs (still thinking how happy not to have more bags than the two I already had) and then more waiting for the train. Once I sat down and observed the inside of the train I saw that it was so very much like the DC metro, and then only a moment later I also observed a sharply dressed middle age man came and sate directly opposite me. I was a bit uncomfortable the next 15 min even though he spoke on his cell in alternating fluent Italian and the French. But the angels surrounded me while I prayed and I still felt protected as I got up at my destination Gare du Nord. Step out – look around – find the magenta line. A ha! Once I had found the pink E with a circle around it I just had to follow the signs down a long crowded runway and then down several flights of stairs (so glad to not have those bags). The train was getting ready to depart and as I was about to jump aboard when I asked if it was bound for Saint Lazare from a young woman similar in age to me. No, she said to go back and get on the other train. So back up the stairs and then and down and around and then I found the right one. It was only a hop, skip, and jump to St. Lazare and I got off and onto the next train without any incident. As the train went rolling along through Paris I caught glimpses of the Eiffel tower and the crowded skyline. It was fascinating to see so much city and yet on a detailed level so much beauty in the architecture and adornments. Final destination for both me and the train was Versailles River Droit and I was the only one waiting for the doors of the car to open. I was bewildered when the doors refused to open by themselves (as the metro doors in DC do) and a kind gentleman on the outside just gave a nudge and the doors opened. All the little things that can make life hard but then give others a chance to help – it’s just life. I walked out of the station and then down to house #45. I had memorized the route from the station to the house from Google maps and it was like relieving a dream since I had never been there but already felt that I knew it. I rang the bell and the waited with eager expectation. I was not disappointed when a very friendly and caring face of the middle age woman greeted me with a bonjour and asked if I was Michaela. How wonderful to hear my name in greeting and then to be brought into the safety of a home. I spoke a little with the woman and her daughters while I had a glass of water. It was a very pleasant conversation though it was short since it took only a few min for Madame P to arrive to pick me up. So now I am here and the real adventure of living in France begins.

Holy Cross Decorations follow-up

2009-04-28T21:05:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting this picture of the completed decorations of Holy Cross. There were a number of mishaps during the setup but somehow it still managed to pull itself together. The picture is not the best but it was the only one I could find.

Je vais en France

2009-04-23T09:37:00.005-05:00

Well, it's official. I have my ticket and I am departing for France in only a few weeks. I will be living and working with a catholic family in a suburb of Paris. During my stay I will make the Chartres Pilgrimage (map) which many of my dear friends have tread before me (including several of the monks prior to their entrance to the monastery).

There are several reason for my upcoming voyage – for one I will fulfill my dream to live and travel at leisure in Europe instead of madly rushing around in attempt to see everything in typical tourist fashion. I will learn one of the beautiful romance languages. It is important that the situation be safe and since my friend has already worked with the family I have a fairly good idea of what to expect. I will spend most of the week helping the family (I imagine they will need to help me a bit with my French) and during my free time on the weekends see myself spending quite a bit of time at the Louvre art museum.

It is rather funny - this image is below is one that I have had framed on my wall every since our move to Oklahoma several years ago. All these years it has been only a distant dream to imagine myself as the girl in the picture - and now it seems that it is about to become a reality.

Some of the places I hope to visit include : Rome, Assisi, Fatima, Ireland, England, Germany, Austria, Lisieux, Lourdes .... the list goes on. We will see how many I actually get to. Once in Europe I will get a better idea of the travel situation and see what is realistically possible with schedule and finances.

I will come back to the states for a short time at the beginning of August - two very special weddings and a big family reunion. After what I am sure will be a very busy few weeks I will return to France to complete my year abroad. I am still working out all the logistics but so far I have mostly been sitting back a watching God take care of everything. The situation literally "fell in my lap" when my friend came back and told me about her time as an au pair, and all the paperwork for the visa has been going much more smoothly than I could ever have expected.

Please keep me in your prayers during my time abroad. And I would imagine I will have quite a bit to blog about this next year (lol)

Getting ready to decorate for Easter

2009-04-08T16:45:00.010-05:00

This a quick sketch of my plan to decorate our parish church for easter - I know it is probably hard to visualize it from my messy scribble (click on the image to enlarge). I am posting this just for fun and more pictures will follow once the decorations are up so that you can compare the sketch to what happens in real life. I spent a good part of today intalling light bulbs in the lower part of the fans you can see in the picture below ... I don't think the light fixtures had ever been used before. I had wanted to use these lights for Christmas but never got around to getting way up there on a ladder. Below is a picture I found on the internet of the church.

See decorations from last Christmas

My brother the builder

2009-04-08T16:23:00.006-05:00

My brother has been helping to build a log home for some friends of ours the next property over. Here are some pictures of their progress. It is going to be beautiful!

He is very careful about his measurements ;-)

Schedule for Holy Week

2009-04-07T09:29:00.004-05:00

Clear Creek Monastery Holy Week Schedule '09

Chartres Pilgrimage - 2009

2009-04-05T22:14:00.004-05:00

This is so cool and I am hoping to go myself if I can work it out.

From the official pilgrimage site :

The Association “Notre-Dame de Chrétienté” organizes every year at Pentecost a pilgrimage from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres (France): three days to live and build the Christianity of the third millennium. Covering within three days a distance of approximately 65 miles, the pilgrims walk in chapters. The pilgrimage has about 150 chapters each comprising around fifty pilgrims from all over France and even abroad (USA, Great Britain, Poland, Canada, Spain, etc. ...). Each year, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 pilgrims, walk to the Marian shrine of Chartres, expressing the condition of Christian life which is to be a long pilgrimage and a long walk to paradise...

Check out this photo gallery from the 2008 pilgrimage.

And for fun here is a short video one of the pilgrims put together.

After walking across the United States with Crossroads I would be so excited to get to do this walk in France! God's will be done.

My Type of Beauty

2009-03-14T10:28:00.004-05:00

There is such a variety of beauty in this world ... some types of beauty appeal to some people while others feel attracted to a different sort. Well in case you wonder what really pulls my heart strings take a look through Twig Hutchisons portfolio. I felt enveloped in soft and mellow clouds of bliss while flipping through her classic website.
See here: Twig Hutchison Stylist

Monastery Work Day 2009

2009-03-10T12:57:00.005-05:00

The Clear Creek Monastery annual work day last Saturday was a great success and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. There were several hundred volunteers from all over (many familiar faces and many new faces). Both my brothers and my dad were leaders - they had many groups stationed all over the monks very large property doing fence and repair work. I helped mostly in the kitchen where we had a large group of women and girls preparing food to feed the masses. Here are some photos from the monks picasa site: See photos

Celtic Spring Band in Pryor OK

2009-03-09T22:17:00.005-05:00

Celtic Spring is an amazing family who do irish dance and irish music ... and often at the same time. They are preforming at the Pryor High School in Pryor OK on March 17th at 6:45pm, and I am so excited to be able to see a live performance of theirs! I know of the Elizabeth and her family through Thomas Aquinas College and common friends there. See Celtic Spring Band Tours Tickets are now sold out.

To see a performance : check out this youtube

From the Celtic Spring website : Celtic Spring. A burst of energy. Driving music. Riveting dancing. Youthful exuberance. Unparalleled talent all in one family.
Celtic Spring is six siblings who play the fiddle and step-dance, backed by their mom on the keyboard and their dad on percussion.

Celtic Spring is: Elizabeth (23)-fiddle, step dance, octave fiddle
Deirdre (21)-fiddle, step dance, vocal
Sean (19)-octave mandolin, fiddle, step dance, octave fiddle
Patrick (17)-octave fiddle, fiddle, step dance
Maire (13)-fiddle, step dance
Aidan (8)-step dance, fiddle
Mary (mom) keyboards
Greg (dad)-bodhran, percussion

Earthen Oven

2009-02-21T10:45:00.003-06:00

I found a great site for the construction of a cob/earthen oven. The image above is one of many from this site which has fairly detailed information: http://www.geocities.com/mosesrocket/index.html
As soon as the weather warms up a bit I hope to build one very similar to this with my sister. I think every family would benefit from having one in the backyard. One of these would have been very useful when we had the ice storm a few year back and lost electricity for 2 weeks (I cooked most things on our barbecue). You can cook bread, pizza (yum!) and almost anything you would cook in a regular oven. The way it works: You build a fire in the cavity and once very hot the fire is put out (and removed) -- the cob keeps the heat and cooks the food which is put in the oven after the coals are removed and then the door is closed to keep the heat in (door is not shown in the picture above).
There are so many variations of the cob oven but this is the design I like the most.
Here is a more elaborate cob oven
and another cob oven

Letter from Fr. Berg to Regnum Christi

2009-02-11T20:47:00.003-06:00

Though this is a very difficult and sad situation I am so grateful to God that healing can now begin out in the daylight where before the infection of sin was being allowed to grow in hiding and denial. Here is the letter.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=788

A song from the soul

2009-02-05T13:02:00.002-06:00

Danielle Rose, a catholic vocal artist, sings a farewell song at her last concert. A friend introduced me to this video and I was impressed and inspired by her song and the heart and soul that she put into it. She recently joined a religious order. See http://www.catholic.org/prwire/headline.php?ID=4109

Here is the youtube of her song "See you in the Eucharist" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv1G4-H87qo

Artists and Sculptors

2009-02-03T15:26:00.002-06:00

List of Artists! I was very excited to find this list and wanted to share the joy! I am going to have such a blast exploring.

http://www.thesacredarts.org/artists2.html

Trader Joe's

2009-01-24T11:08:00.003-06:00

Do you love Trader Joe's and want to see one in the Tulsa area? If you do click the link below to add your request. You will need to give your name, email, and city. There is a space for comments also. I have no idea how much chance there is of one opening, but I thought I would give it a try.

Trader Joe's Request Location Page

Freedom for Life

2009-01-20T10:01:00.006-06:00

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire." - Schindler's List

The beautiful theme for Mr.Obama's Presidential Inauguration is taken from Abraham Lincoln, "A New Birth of Freedom". Lincoln had some very compelling things to say about Freedom.
"Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."
He also said: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."
The freedom to live is the most fundamental freedom, without which we could have no other freedoms. And thus a new birth of freedom in our country needs to be broad enough to include and protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us; most notably the disabled, the elderly, and the unborn.

Please join us in celebrating this year's beautiful inaugural theme in this more complete way:On Inauguration Day, January 20th, please use these images to encourage others to remember the important connections between life and freedom. Images can be used to replace profile pictures [ on Facebook, on Flickr, on Twitter, etc.] or to highlight the theme on your blog via sidebar picture or background image. Please pass it along by linking back to this page.

See images here

"Sweeter even than to have had the joy of caring for children of my own has it been to me to help bring about a better state of things for mothers generally, so that their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them." - Susan B. Anthony

March For Life 2009

2009-01-13T16:28:00.004-06:00

I am getting ready for my trip out to DC for the March for Life on the 22nd. I am so grateful to be able to participate in this noble demonstration against the outrage of the last 35 years that has seen the deaths of so many - including peers of mine who I will never have the chance to know. This will be history in the making since the march is only 2 days after the inaguration of Obama - the most openly pro-death president we will have ever had! We need a strong showing this year more than ever! Please pray for our country - May many hearts change as a result of this march for life!

David's Colorado Trip

2009-01-10T10:05:00.001-06:00

Colorado Trip 09 223
Originally uploaded by mystical_rose84

My brother (far left) and some friends took a trip out to Denver to pick up a large cookstove for the cabin that my brother is helping to build for the family of these friends. They took a little time to do some sightseeing and are pictured here on the way up Pike's Peak. My brother is back home safe now - and I am sure glad to have him home again.

Please pray for Philip

2009-01-07T14:16:00.003-06:00

Please pray for this awesome individual who is fighting brain cancer. His name is Philip Gerard Johnson and here are his words from his blog: http://philipgerardjohnson.blogspot.com/

On October 15, 2008, after two years as an officer in the Navy, my life changed when I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Putting my concerns in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary and my trust in Our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that I may be faithful to the Holy Catholic Faith and serve the Church for the rest of my life.

He is a friend of a friend and after reading about his condition, his compete desire only for the will of God, and his eagerness to serve the church I can only hope and pray that God will allow him to stay with us for a bit longer. As Philip has requested please pray especially through the intercession of Fr. Thomas Frederick Price. See more info on Fr. Thomas Price

*I am adding Philip's blog to the side bar.

An Amazing Catholic Artist

2009-01-06T22:29:00.006-06:00

ANTHONY VISCO - Atelier for the Sacred Arts in Philadelphia.

Here is an awesome Catholic Artist who's works I admire very much. Not only is the art that he produces wonderful and beautiful, but his writings on the subject are so insightful and inspiring. I hope to someday be half as good as Anthony, and to help in a similar way restore the beautiful artistic traditions of the Catholic faith in the churches of our country.

ANTHONY VISCO is the founder and director of The Atelier for the Sacred Arts in Philadelphia where he does commission works and offers professional services as devotional art consultant. Upon graduation from the University of the Arts, formerly, Philadelphia College of Art, he was the recipient of the Fullbright–Hayes Grant to travel and study in Italy, where he attended studios at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Florence. In 1975, he was awarded the Elizabeth T. Greensheilds Grant for figurative sculpture and has received the coveted Arthur Ross Award twice for sculpture in an architectural setting.
Known for his work in relief sculpture, his panels depicting the Stations of the Cross can be seen at St. Joseph’s National Shrine in Old Philadelphia as well as hisi large relief sculpture entitled, “Religious Freedom”, done for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the same church. At the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Mr. Visco has sculpted three bronze panels depicting “Baptism, Eucharist and The Word” designed for the raredose in the Catherine Pew Memorial Chapel there. In 1997 he completed two bronze reliefs of the Eleven Blessed of Novgrodech and Mother Foundress for Holy Family College Chapel.
In 1999 he began his work for Saint Rita National Shrine in Philadelphia where his reliefs, sculpture and mural paintings combine to make a most unique devotional environment. His commissions include “St. Thomas of Villanova, Father of the Poor”, a life sized group of bronze figures for Villanova Province and a bronze statue of St. Norbert for the Norbertine Community at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, PA.
Since 2004 he has performed as fine arts coordinator for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI. His current commissions there include bronze Stations of the Cross, a series of porcelain murals for the Rosary Walk, the Four Pendentives murals depicting The Doctors of the Church, the Baldicchino Angels, and the Narthex ceiling mural of “The Visions of Guadalupe.”
His lectures include:
Saint Francis of Assisi and the Renaissance ImaginationThe Art of DevotionNuditas: The Theology of the Body in Sacred Art
I love this particular writing from his website:
"To make sacred art is to wed one’s faith with one’s esthetics in hopes to bring even closer, “the created” to our Creator, to shorten the real or imagined gap between “the called” with the Caller. When the artist answers, when this invitation is met successfully, a covenant is formed; the work is sanctified. This covenant is then extended from God to artist and from artist to fellow believers and finally back to God again. It is this covenant that we wish to explore here. As faith and aesthetic works combine, the work in turn is employed to reflect those beliefs. As culture becomes infused with and by our trust and hope in God, sacred art becomes an indeterminate good, a means by which we may come together and witness the meeting of heaven and earth. Thus, sacred art can not ever be the same give and take between artist and society as secular art."
- From "The Anatomy of Sacred Art" by Anthony Visco
Please visit: http://www.anthonyvisco.org/index.html to see many of his amazing pieces. Also I added a link in the side-bar under 'Art'

Midnight Mass at Holy Cross

2009-01-05T22:59:00.004-06:00

Friends and family came together to decorate our parish* for the midnight mass. We lit everything with only candle-light and back lighting from the stained-glass windows - we has about a 1000 candles. We spent a few days making cedar garlands and wreaths from trees from our property. We had candles everywhere - hanging, suspended from the ceiling, in window sills, and everywhere we could put them. We also put 3 live cedar trees up front. I found yards of gorgeous fabric at a bargain $30 (fabric cascades down both sides from the cross). Parishioners donated 30 poinsettia plants which added so much color. It is amazing how much lighting can change the whole feel of a place and the feel of the atmosphere at midnight was one of wonder, awe, and reverence.

**
* Many families who live near the monastery are parishoners at Holy Cross Parish.
**Added photo at reader's request ;-)

Recent Mural project

2008-12-10T15:30:00.002-06:00

Over the course of several weeks I completed a mural for the Sisters at the Monastery of St. Joseph in Tulsa. They were very hospitable and took me in when I needed a place to stay during my time working in Tulsa this fall. I worked on it somewhat sporadically between other things. You can see a progression in these photos from soon after I had the bulk colors on the wall, to the finished picture a few days ago. The only thing waiting is for a shelf to be built onto the wall to hold the statue of the Sacred Heart centered in the gazebo (I am holding the statue in place in the last photo).

The mural is based from an old photo of the gazebo from the sister's mother house which enshrined a life-size statue of the Sacred Heart. Many of the older sisters would come watch me as I was painting and tell me stories of when they were younger and would go place flowers at the feet of the statue (the mural really brought back beautiful memories for them and made their history more real for me).

Guarding the tomb of the unkown soldier

2008-12-08T23:47:00.003-06:00

Here is a video clip on MSNBC about the guards who keep perpetual watch over the tomb of the unknown soldier. My friend Adam from Clear Creek is featured in this video clip towards the end - he talks about instilling in the men he trains a desire for this duty and to consider it an honor.
MSNBC Video

Arlington National Cemetary Link
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tombofun.htm
Another Video about the Tomb guards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XiuZRb_4UU

This is one crazy election year!

2008-10-27T13:19:00.002-05:00

I had heard rumors about this and a friend sent me a video with the info. Frankly I think this is really bizarre ; that something as simple as proving natural citizenship should have happened a long time ago. Why is this issue unresolved weeks before election?

Video clip of interest

2008-10-11T17:28:00.003-05:00

For my friend Carlos especially -

OK for Life : Q&A from candidates

2008-10-07T08:14:00.002-05:00

To see the Newsletter with Federal Candidate Survey : http://www.okforlife.org/resources/OCT2008NL.pdf

Vol. 33, No. 2 www.OkForLife.org October 2008
State Senate Key to Unborn Child’s Future;
Republicans Consistently Defend Life

As pro-life Republican U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe is
defending his seat in Congress against pro-abortion
Democrat Andrew Rice, a simultaneous battle rages for
majority control of the Oklahoma state Senate, currently
split 24-24 between Republicans and Democrats.
The state Senate contest has serious ramifications for
the unborn child. All 24 Republicans are pro-life; of the
24 Democrats, about one-third are pro-life, one-third are
pro-abortion, and one-third have mixed voting records.
The majority party will set the legislative agenda, name
the committee chairmen, and organize and run the Senate.
In major races, pro-life Republican Dan Newberry
is opposing incumbent Democrat Nancy Riley of Tulsa
(on eight key Senate votes the past two years, Senator
Riley voted pro-abortion four times [see p. 2], pro-life
three times, and was absent once, when she was the only
senator missing [votes at www.OkForLife.org]); pro-life
Republican Dr. Jim Halligan, former OSU president, is
running for a Stillwater seat long held by Democrats; and
pro-life Republican Kenny Sherrill of McAlester is
challenging pro-abortion Democrat Richard Lerblance for
Democrat Gene Stipe’s former seat. On eight key Senate
votes the past two years, Senator Lerblance has compiled
a 100% pro-abortion voting record (www.OkForLife.org).
_______________________________________________
October 10 Deadline to
Register to Vote:
Go to our website, www.OkForLife.org
______________________________________________
All four of Oklahoma’s Republican members of the
U. S. House of Representatives – John Sullivan, Frank
Lucas, Tom Cole, and Mary Fallin – have 100% pro-life
voting records; Democratic Congressman Dan Boren has
a 67% pro-life voting record.
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s been a strong pro-life leader
and outspoken advocate for the unborn child throughout
his career in public service. Senator Inhofe has compiled
a 100% pro-life voting record through his 22 years in
the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. On eight key votes in
the state Senate the past two years, his opponent,
Democratic state Senator Andrew Rice, has compiled a
100% pro-abortion voting record (http://www.okforlife.org/).

Parties Adopt Platforms: Democrats Pro-Abortion, Republicans Pro-Life
The platform adopted in August by the Democratic
National Convention states that the Democratic Party
"strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and
a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion,
regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all
efforts to weaken or undermine that right."
The party platform adopted in September by the
Republican National Convention states that the
Republican Party “affirm[s] that the unborn child has a
fundamental individual right to life which cannot be
infringed.… We support the appointment of judges who
respect traditional family values and the sanctity and
dignity of innocent human life.”
For voting records of pro-abortion Barack Obama
and pro-life John McCain, go to www.OkForLife.org
and click on Presidential Candidates.
Email-Alert Sign Up www.OkForLife.org

40 Days for Life in Tulsa!

2008-08-29T08:26:00.003-05:00

Here is something that I hope to do and would encourage anyone who can, to come help make a difference :-)

From the website:

http://www.40daysforlife.com/Tulsa/ :

This fall, from September 24 - November 2, our community will be one of more than 170 cities in 45 states joining together for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history -- the 40 Days for Life campaign.

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:
40 days of prayer and fasting
40 days of peaceful vigil
40 days of community outreach

We are praying that, with God's help, this groundbreaking effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city -- and throughout America.

Take a stand for life
While all aspects of 40 Days for Life are crucial in our effort to end abortion, the most visible component is the peaceful prayer vigil outside the local abortion (or Planned Parenthood) facility.

You can help make a life-saving impact by joining our local vigil at:
The property directly across from:

Reproductive Services6136 E. 32nd PlaceTulsa, OK

This property is owned by the Diocese of Tulsa.Sign up to participate in our local 40 Days for Life vigil by clicking the "Vigil Schedule" link at the top of this page.

Contact us To learn more, sign up for specific vigil hours, or let us know how you feel called to serve God in this effort, please contact the local 40 Days for Life leadership team:

Erick Bell & Tracy Callicoat 918-307-4939

familylife.office@dioceseoftulsa.org

Get the latest updates
Be sure to sign-up for updates and prayer requests using the form at the top right of this page, and browse through the rest of this site to find out how YOU can help make a lifesaving impact as part of our local 40 Days for Life campaign.
Learn more about the national 40 Days for Life campaign.

Wrapping up the summer

2008-08-20T09:31:00.004-05:00

As most of you know I have spent my summer walking across the United States with Crossroads. Our mission was to change hearts and save lives by bringing the pro-life message out to the streets.

Crossroads was started by a group of students from Franciscan University of Stuebenville who took John Paul II's challenge seriously to bring the pro-life message to the highways and byways of our country. In 1995 those students travelled to San Francisco and began walking across the US.

This was Crossroads 14th summer and there were 3 walks that began May 24th : a northern beginning in Seattle, the central beginning in San Francisco and a southern beginning in Los Angeles. I walked the central walk beginning in San Francisco and continuing through, Sacramento, Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, North Platte, Omaha/Lincoln, Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbus, Indianapolis, Pittsburg and finally to Washington DC.

We walked Monday through Friday around the clock with half the group walking days and the other walking nights (otherwise known as the 'batman shift'). We had an RV for the shift on break and a support vehicle with the shift out walking. Each person walked about 15 miles a day, each shift covered at least 30 miles and so every 24 hours we travelled 60 miles. On the weekends we would stop in the major cities: Saturday mornings were spent praying outside of abortion mills and saturday night/sunday mornings were spent speaking after masses to the parishes that invited us.

We would ask those we spoke with to get involved with the pro-life movement in anyway they could - example: to pray outside of abortion mills, pray for a culture of life with their families, or even come and walk with Crossroads. We asked for financial support. And we asked for their prayers to help us continue our mission. The difficulty with Crossroads was not so much the blisters, the hours and hours walking under the hot sun or stumbling down the highway at 3am when you wish you were sleeping, or even being in a small RV with 8-10 other people ... It was the spiritual battle where satan tried all sorts of things to keep the message from being spread. We were on the forefront of a spiritual battle ground and as much as we Satan lashing out we also saw God preforming miracles daily to keep us going. People would after mass write down prayer intentions in a book which we would keep with us to pray for them - at daily mass, morning and evening prayer and during the 20 decades of the rosary we said as we walked each day.

I fly home on Sunday and I am very much looking forward to seeing my family again. This summer has been an amazing one that was filled with as much learning, adventure, and spiritual-growth as I could ask for over several years. But it has also left me more ready to begin whatever God has in store for me next!

Movie : home is where my heart is

2008-08-20T09:17:00.002-05:00

Here is a slide show I made before my summer away from home. It is about my family, our farm, the monastery and the community around us. It is a little too fast so if you miss something just play is again ;-) While away it has been a reminder of how much I miss my home as well as a glimpse for those I meet of what a special place Clear Creek is.

Crossroads group blog

2008-06-28T02:46:00.002-05:00

Check out http://crossroadswalk.blogspot.com

I am posting on this official Crossroads Blog and here is the most recent post which I actually did quite awhile ago:

http://crossroadswalk.blogspot.com/2008/06/central-walk-2008.html

Crossroads group shot in the Rocky Mountains

2008-06-28T02:42:00.001-05:00

High in the Rocky Mountains

2008-06-28T02:13:00.002-05:00

Life on the Rock : Crossroads Interview

2008-06-23T23:02:00.005-05:00

Catch-up time ...

In Salt Lake City Utah I was able to meet up with my dad who was on a business trip. He met me at mass and then took me out to eat at a beautiful place overlooking the whole of dowtown of Salt Lake City with aview of the snow-capped mountains behind. It was there that I told him that I was being flown out to Birmingham AL later that week for an interview with EWTN's 'Life on the Rock. He was very jazzed about that, but even more we both had a wonderful time being together after so long and catching up on what was happening both on Crossroads and back at the Lawless Ranch. We hit the road monday morning and headed into the mountains. That evening we got lost on a dirt road in the mountains but then eventually found our way back to the RV. Wednesday night our walk leader dropped my fellow walker Catie and I at a hotel in Denver and the next morning I took the shuttle to the airport and flew to Alabama. It was so neat to see EWTN's studio and meet the whole crew. The interview went very well and our hosts made us feel very at home and comfortable. Hopefully this link will work so you can see the Crossroads interview. Enjoy!:

Life on the Rock

Pro-Life Rosary

2008-06-11T18:45:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday our Crossroads group along with a whole crowd from Reno prayed the rosary together outside of an abortion clinic. We were really 'together' since we were all praying on the same rosary. You can sort of see the rosary in the picture above - in the bottom, center you can see one of the large wooden beads (it is about the size of a soft-ball) and the man on the far right is holding the crucifix at the end of the rosary. What a wonderful idea and an amazing symbol of our unity as we beseech our Blessed Mother for her intersession in the battle against the culture of death!

Central Pro-Life Team

2008-06-09T00:27:00.001-05:00

IMG_0694
Originally uploaded by mystical_rose84

Left to right: Jeff, Carlos, Matthew, Anne, John, Katie, Trish, and me.

Nevada

2008-06-06T22:15:00.003-05:00

Our team made it through the Sierra Nevada mountains by the end of last week and then drove back into Sacramento for the weekend. After being cramped all week in an RV with eight other people I found it particularly nice to stay the weekend at Rose of Lima parish. We were given use of one of the buildings next to the church which used to be an orphanage. All the girls camped in the larger of several rooms on the second floor which boasted a beautiful set of stained glass windows. Saturday night I opened one of the windows to check out an accident across the street - A car had crashed into the thrift store and the whole street was full of fire-engines and police cars.

Saturday morning we prayed for about an hour outside a nearby Planned Parenthood clinic. It is hard to describe the intensity of standing in one place, praying near a building where babies are murdered - and that is what it is and you almost feel you can see through the bricks to what is going on inside. It is so different for me than when I just prayed at home for an end to abortion.

Sunday I was stationed at St. Stephen's Fraternity Parish in Sacramento to share with the parishoners what we are doing on Crossroads. It had been quite awhile since I had been to a Tridentine mass and what a beautiful mass it was! I realized how much I had missed it. I met many wonderful families that reminded me even more how much I miss my family too.

Monday we were on the road again and we have spent this whole past week walking across the Nevada desert. I was stationed on night crew and so the whole week was spent in peaceful darkness out under the stars. Well at least the last few nights were. The first night the clouds covered everything in complete darkness and it was rather depressing but the next several nights made up for it. There is nothing to compare to praying the rosary while walking down a dessert road at night without another living thing (besides your walking companion and the support vehicle a few miles ahead) for hundreds of miles around, underneath a glorious night sky with no other lights to diminish the brightness of the stars of the Milky Way. The stars formed what looked like a cloud stretching from one end of the night sky to the other like a rainbow. It was amazing to say the least. As of this morning we had made it just outside of Eureka NV (about half-way across the state). And now we are back in Reno for the weekend. Tomorrow we will pray outside of the abortion clinic and Sunday we will speak after several masses.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Lake Tahoe

2008-05-30T16:06:00.004-05:00

Our Crossroads central group is now up in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe and we should be over the state line by the end of the week. Yesterday the day-shift (my shift) began around 3,000 ft elevation in the morning and by evening we were up to 6,500 ft elelvation. My legs were really feeling the steep climb. A few walkers who were not used to higher altitudes became slightly light-headed but everything worked out fine and the views were amazing! For miles and miles there was nothing but pine trees on the mountains and a blue sky ... I was just soaking in the scenery the entire time. The air was so fresh and cool. The redwood trees surrounding us were very tall and thick. I have pictures but they are not uploaded yet (I will post them when I can). This weekend we will be back in Sacramento to talk after masses on Sunday (I will probably get stationed at one church and talk after all the masses). It is not my favorite part on Crossroads, but when people come up after mass so grateful for what we are doing I find my embarrasment in speaking to the Sunday mass crowd a small price to pay for the hope we bring to others. Today we recieved a package of letters from children thanking us for walking - I felt like a celebrity:-) Our group read them out loud and laughed often, especially at the funny ones. One little boy said he was amazed that we were able to run all the way across America and that he could never do that. We just busted up laughing. Us running? it is as much as we can handle just walking up those steep hills ;-) But it brought smiles to all of our faces. I also realized that I had never appreciated a spa the way I did last night. My legs and feet were sore from walking all day in the mountains and when I stepped down into the steamy spa with jets to massage those muscles I was in heaven. My fellow Crossroad walkers are amazing people and last night as we were all enjoying the spa together and talking I realized that each day that goes by I am more and more grateful for the time I have spent getting to know them.

Set Sail across America!

2008-05-28T15:59:00.002-05:00

A statue near the Golden Gate Bridge

In Sacramento!

2008-05-28T15:49:00.003-05:00

We are now in Sacramento. I am at a public library since I am on break while the next shift takes their turn. The last 4 miles through the downtown section of the city was very beautiful (my favorite being all the cute little stores). We will continue on and hopefully get into Nevada next week. Thanks for all the prayers - I am using all of them. We stoped last night at a KOA and tonight we will just camp out somewhere in the city. We spent yesterday walking through Nappa Valley - Just georgeous! I have to go back and do some wine tasting!

CROSSROADS: Central Walk 2008 !!!

2008-05-24T02:32:00.003-05:00

After a crazy, yet wonderful two weeks of visiting friends and travelling all across the state of California I begin the Crossroads central walk across the Golden Gate bridge tomorrow at 11am! Our group of 7 just arrived in San Francisco this evening after the long drive from San Bernadino where we had a training session at a cabin next to Lake Arrowhead. I slept for most of the drive which is why I am still up and blogging this post. We have such a wonderful group of young adults and we have had so much fun talking about our adventure and how we want to make it as memorable as possible. I will try to give updates on our trip as often as I can. Also we could use some more walkers (since some were not able to make it) so if any of you are looking for a way to spend your summer helping others, seeing our beautiful country, and getting lots of excerise come and join us! For those who are not able please pray for us!

Maria

2008-04-28T22:39:00.002-05:00

Here is my finished sculpture: I call it 'Maria' since it was inspired by our Blessed Mother out admiring God's creation. If you can't tell from the picture she is carrying a sack of roses on her back. The statue is clay (it never dries) and was built on a 20 in armature. The lighting changes the appearance quite a bit from picture to picture. I also have these pictures posted on Small Pax : http://smallpax.blogspot.com/

What I will be doing this summer ...

2008-04-27T21:43:00.003-05:00

This summer I will be walking with the prolife group 'Crossroads'. I hope to blog the experience and maybe post some pictures too. Please keep me and the mission of crossroads in your prayers!

Learn More : See http://www.crossroadswalk.com/

Opening Day of Tahlequah Farmers Market!!

2008-04-27T21:32:00.003-05:00

Date: Saturday, May 3rd 2008
Time: 6am - Noon

Location: First Lutheran Church (Across the street from Wal-Mart, and behind Reasors) 2111 Mahaney AvenueTahlequah, OK 74464-5761 918-456-5070 http://www.firstlutherantahlequah.org/

Directions : See Map

List of local farmers markets (see page 2)

...from the Tahlequah Daily Press, and see Agritourism the next big thing

See you at the market!

Also see http://www.tahlequahfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/