+ bleu clair rhapsody et la symphonie de [crickets] +

Congratulations to Grammy winner Eric Whitacre!

2012-02-13T21:20:00.002-05:00

Whose Light and Gold CD won "Best Choral Performance."

And for his next project with Virtual Choir 3, they received 3746 videos from 2945 people in 73 countries; read more about Water Night, here.

On their way...

2012-02-08T15:24:00.004-05:00

for St. Valentine's Day!

In Time for St. Valentine's Day

2012-02-08T02:16:00.000-05:00

Rendezvous

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

When Himself's behind his paper and
the childer sleepin' sound,
And the moon's a winkin' lantern
throwin' shadows all around,
Forsakin' fire and hearthstone, down
the Way of Dreams I start
To meet my darlin' truelove in a
corner of my heart.

His voice is like the west-wind when
it whispers low and sweet,
His words are like the poppies that be
growin' in the wheat.
I forget the bangin' shutters and the
candle's sleepy stare,
When I meet my laughin' truelove where
he's waitin' for me there.

When Himself has grown a-weary
in the cozy evening tide,
A ghost it is that follows him and
settles at his side.
I'll be so true and faithful that he'll
never know, shall he,
I go to meet the laughin' lad, the
lad he used to be!

A Little Known Treasure

2012-02-08T02:11:00.000-05:00

I found out about in time for Valentine's Day =)

The book Happy Animal Families,
by Ernestine Cobern Beyer.

Thanks as always to Ernestine's daughter Barbara Beyer Malley from Tears and Laughter at 90, for the info.

If you click on the link to Amazon, check out the customer images - they're two ever-so-slightly different covers...

New Site to the Right

2012-01-24T07:47:00.010-05:00

Thanx to Theresa! =D

Dynamic Catholic

New Year's Blessings to All!

2012-01-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

"Times Square"
by Ylli. (link)

Info for Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 3

2011-12-23T19:55:00.008-05:00

Water Night

is now available. =D

Merry Christmas-Canon With Lyrics

2011-12-23T19:55:00.006-05:00

"O Holy Night" Ernie Ford and Gordon MacRae

2011-12-23T19:07:00.000-05:00

Madonna and Child

2011-12-23T02:10:00.000-05:00

by Renaissance artist
Bernardino Luini
(1480-1532)

Originally posted 12/1/07

Joseph Pearce videos online

2011-12-06T23:47:00.001-05:00

************************************************

Originally posted 12/10/10

O Holy Night - Il Divo

2011-12-06T16:14:00.000-05:00

From an email

2011-12-06T15:42:00.000-05:00

AMAZING GRACE Sung by Il Divo

Information regarding Eric Whitacre's

2011-12-06T15:12:00.000-05:00

next project, Virtual Choir 3, should be released soon...

Reposted from 4/8/11

Il Divo - Hallelujah (Alelujah)

2011-12-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Joseph Pearce's Conversion, clip 1

2011-12-06T07:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the
Rochester Chesterton Society,

& an excellent tip from Peter,

who commented over @

The Blog of the American Chesterton Society.

Originally published 11/9/07.

YouTube - Joseph Pearce's Conversion - clip 2

2011-12-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to the
Rochester Chesterton Society,

for their excellent work:-)

Originally published 11/9/07.

The Annunciation

2011-09-26T22:07:00.000-05:00

by Wislawa Kwiatkowska. (link)

Turn the sound off, and sync this...

2011-09-26T19:37:00.000-05:00

& "X" out the ads...

with this.

2011-09-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

Michael Crawford singing, O Holy Night (1993,1999)

Which I found while looking for this

2011-09-26T19:02:00.000-05:00

Some videos from the 1955 classic, Oklahoma, starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Eddie Albert, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, and Rod Steiger.

Gordon MacRae & Shirley Jones

2011-09-26T19:01:00.000-05:00

from Oklahoma (1955)

More of...

2011-09-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

Ylli's work.

Pie Jesu - Celtic Woman

2011-09-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

Madonna of the Mountains

2011-09-26T14:34:00.000-05:00

by artist Wislawa
Kwiatkowska.

More of her work, entitled
Polish Madonnas in Art and
Poetry-
can be seen here.

Reposted from 12/18/07.

Amazing Feat!

2011-09-26T13:12:00.000-05:00

***** EXTRA! EXTRA! *****

Read all about how author (&
dear friend=) Barbara "Bird
Woman" Beyer Malley celebrated
her 90th birthday this year!

From The Boston Globe:

Soaring into the sky at 90

O Holy Night,

2011-09-26T12:57:00.000-05:00

by Celtic Woman.

From Silhouette Artist Dan Paulos

2011-09-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

The Presentation print
available @ Trinity Stores.

Originally posted 11/14/05

Pie Jesu by Angelica (live)

2011-09-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

Venerable Pierre Toussaint

2011-09-26T06:23:00.002-05:00

1766-1853

(from Catholic Heritage
Curricula)

"Pierre was born into
slavery on the island of Haiti.
His master, Jean Berard,
encouraged the young Pierre
to learn to read and write.
Pierre was a house slave so
he escaped the brutality and
harsh work of the fields.
Pierre's mother and grand-
mother were devout Catholics
who passed their faith on to
Pierre and his younger sister,
Rosalie."

Read more about this charitable
man, who chose to remain with
& care for his former master's
poverty-stricken household...
here.

(Update: This post is from my
archives- & I'm sorry but the
old link isn't working... please
try this link instead)...

Update: 1/28/12

Here's another excellent link:
on Pierre Toussaint, from EWTN.

Found Philosophical questions

2011-09-26T05:34:00.000-05:00

regarding the Catholic Faith, answered by Dr. Richard Geraghty online: Faith: Catholic Q & A... Via EWTN's Q & A index

Cartoonist John Ewing

2011-09-26T04:38:00.000-05:00

is a gentleman I recently learned about
through friend & author Barbara Beyer
Malley, as she has been looking for an
illustrator for the next published work of
her mother's poetry. I haven't , however,
been successful at copying & pasting (or
posting), the drawings Barbara has sent,
as I wanted to attempt & post at least a
page from a copy of his book:

The Cessna, The Sky....and the Cartoonist.

From Barbara:

"I discovered John Ewing... while looking
for an artist to illustrate my next series.
Noticing in his bio that he had a passion
for flying, I contacted him and sent him a
couple of my flying articles. He mailed me
a copy of his self-published book,
The Cessna, The Sky....and the Cartoonist.
The drawings and the text are both hilarious...

...In a section called "In Gratitude," John
ends with this: 'Being a Christian introduces
another element in my gratitude, too, for I
am aware that it is God who, as so often in
my past, provided the opportunities and
wherewithal to pursue this wonderful sport.
He was with me in it all the way. I am grateful
to Him.' "

Barbara also writes that John lives with his
wife Jenny in New Zealand, and worked for years
for Walt Disney as an animator. So as soon as I
can figure out how to do it, & with Mr. Ewing's
permission, I will happily post a copy of his work
here...

& my many thanks to Barbara for sharing the info!

Originally posted 7/30/09.

Irish flute music

2011-09-26T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Corrs

Originally posted 11/9/10

Almost-Phantom Hugh Jackman

2011-09-10T18:57:00.000-05:00

played Curly, as well as Patrick (Raoul de Chagny) Wilson:

And Patrick Wilson

2011-09-10T18:22:00.000-05:00

Who played Vicomte Raoul de Chagny in The Phantom of the Opera (2004) and Curly in an Oklahoma revival on Broadway, sings God Bless America at a Yankee game, last year.

Happy Birthday, Barbara Beyer Malley!

2011-08-17T00:02:00.000-05:00

Six years ago, in October of 2005, I received a comment on a post about my favorite childhood poem, The Laughing Willow, by Ernestine Cobern Beyer. I was thrilled to find that Ernestine's daughter Barbara had written - and so began a friendship that, technically, due to technology, is a reality today.

A Very Happy 90th Birthday, Barbara!!

And please comment (or email) on how your flight went yesterday, when you have the chance...

Too, visit Barbara's blog: Tears and Laughter at 90,

and her daughter, Dr. Kathleen Malley-Morrison's website:
Engaging Peace, for interesting, edifying, and entertaining insights from this very dear and gifted family.

FYI

2011-08-13T20:05:00.001-05:00

Sheesh!

I cannot post on most blogs anymore - just sometimes anonymously, but not while I'm logged in...

Anybody know what's going on?

billie joe in green day's american idiot

2011-02-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

Last week.

By Joe LeClerc

2010-11-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

The White Rose Knighted

Perfervia was the Queen

.........who knighted a white rose

.............................dressed in a garland

.....................................of pear garden green

and rose became man

........who crossed morphine and milk

.......,,,,,,,.......fawn drank the potion

..................................that made fawn dream a dryad

................................................whose garment was silk

and the silk nymph rambled

............and robbed monkeys and men

.........................till a tear tossed a turn-key

...........................................that opened a gaol. then

the bottom of heaven

...........dropped from the skies

..............................and the ear descent light

blinded nymph's eyes

.....nymph fell through a hole

..........in Swiss fromage skies

............and dropped to a place where breath whispered flames

....................................................flicker and die

Originally posted 8/22/07

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

2010-11-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

Amazing...

Enjoy this actual, virtual choir, from Eric Whitacre.

And many thanks to fellow Phantom phan, liveforlife2494, from YouTube, for the tip. =)

Got the Barnes & Noble

2010-11-09T07:58:00.000-05:00

for my b'day earlier this year, but was told

to wait as they were coming out with newer models...

I'm not sorry I didn't wait, but they do have one now
that has a color screen - just in time for Christmas =)

I'm really likin' mine. Plus, this is the cover I got,
with its quote from G. K. Chesterton: "Literature is a
luxury; fiction is a necessity."

Thanks to Anna

2010-11-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

Revelation Song, Mercy Seat, Resurrection, The Passion from YouTube.

Common sense

2010-11-07T09:04:00.004-05:00

ways to make a difference in our economy
locally, by using our $$$ wisely...

Read: Voting With Our Wallets,

by Joseph Pearce at the

Ink Desk.

On Hope for

2010-11-03T14:34:00.004-05:00

Moscow Churches,

By Pavel Chichikov.

From: The Ink Desk

@

O Towering Pillars of Freedom!

2010-10-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

by silhouette artist
Dan Paulos, whose
work is available at
Trinity Stores (link
to the right).

Originally published 2/7/06

The Right Way to Live: Plato's Republic for Catholic Students

2010-10-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

by Richard Geraghty
is what I'm waiting on from
Amazon.

I've seen Dr. Geraghty on EWTN's very
interesting shorts: Moral Philosophy 101,
and am looking forward to reading his - and
Plato's - work.

*By Joe LeClerc

2010-10-03T07:41:00.000-05:00

*This is the archived version
of this poem, originally published
in the 'future' on June 22, 2007...

M. LeClerc requested an easily-read
plain text type, available here. (link)

Although I had another request to

retain the pink version...

The White Rose Knighted

Perfervia was the Queen

.........who knighted a white rose

.............................dressed in a garland

.....................................of pear garden green

and rose became man

........who crossed morphine and milk

.......,,,,,,,.......fawn drank the potion

..................................that made fawn dream a dryad

.................................................whose garment was silk

and the silk nymph rambled

............and robbed monkeys and men

.........................till a tear tossed a turn-key

...........................................that opened a gaol. then

the bottom of heaven

...........dropped from the skies

..............................and the ear descent light

blinded nymph's eyes

.....nymph fell through a hole

..........in Swiss fromage skies

............and dropped to a place where breath whispered
flames

....................................................flicker and die

What I'm doing in a few...

2010-08-26T00:04:00.001-05:00

V V Brown's "Shark in the Water", and the cast of Degrassi From YouTube.

Originally posted 10/9/10.

Let me know if

2010-07-12T04:35:00.000-05:00

the colors hurt your eyes.

When in Rome - The Promise

2010-06-28T06:16:00.006-05:00

I don't remember this at all from the '80's...

Originally posted 5/28/10

A Treat for Phantom Phans

2010-05-02T19:26:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of:

Gaston Leroux,

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joel Schumacher,

Susan Boyle,

liveforlife2494,

&

Joseph Pearce from the Ink Desk.

Wasn't it G. K . Chesterton who said that
there's no such thing as a different subject?

Originally posted 3/1/10

Hey googlebot!

2010-05-02T07:05:00.007-05:00

from Mountain View, CA...

Thanks for the hugs!

Merçi beaucoup, mon ami.

Oh, and backatcha, as well!

Links...

2010-04-17T23:05:00.000-05:00

...extraordinaire, to:

The Bible, and

Scripture Catholic, which provides
Scriptural evidence for the teachings
of the Catholic Faith.

Poetry for Holy Week

2010-03-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Tree of Heaven
(an Easter Ballad)

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

The trees flung up their branches
And in the dark they cried:
"On one of us long, long ago,
The Lord was crucified!"

A weeping sapling murmured:
"Alas, how can I grow?
On one of us the Savior died.
I would I did not know!"

And all night long a sighing
Became a brimming flood;
Petals fell like teardrops,
And sap ran forth like blood.

Until at dawn of morning
From whirling clouds of flame,
A Voice consoled the forest
And comforted its shame.

"Blame not, O trees, your brother,
For this I say to you:
The tree that was to be the cross
Knew not for what it grew.

"It loved the sun, the starlight;
It sheltered nesting birds.
Its boughs were stirred with music,
It sang with leaves for words.

"In innocence and beauty
It grew from day to day,
And in its peaceful shadow
I often knelt to pray.

"Then came that grievous morning--
The day men did the Wrong.
They stripped me of my garments,
The tree, of leaf and song.

"I died. I rose to heaven
Where cherubim shone bright
And stood in dazzled wonder
Before the Glory Light.

"And while the angels gathered
To welcome me and sing,
I bade the tree to Paradise
And God's eternal spring.

Beneath its boughs the cherubs
New-come to Heaven play
Until their eyes, grown stronger,
Can bear the Glory Ray.

"So harken, tossing branches!
Let every tree adore
The Cross that is the symbol
Of love forevermore."

Then cried the little sapling:
"Sing out that all is well.
Ye twinkle-footed rivers,
Run 'round the earth and tell.

"Rejoice, rejoice, my brothers!
Come praise with windy lute
The Tree that bore the Savior.
(O blest and piteous fruit!)
Praise, praise the Tree of Heaven
Nor let one leaf be mute!"

Andrew Lloyd Webber's

2010-03-01T12:47:00.002-05:00

Love Never Dies
(opening in London March 9th), stars Ramin Karimloo
as the Phantom, and co-starring Sierra Boggess
as Christine.

This guy has got an amazing voice. In the 2004 movie
he played Christine's father, and he has already played
the role of Erik onstage in the original ALW version...

There's a bit of controversy surrounding this sequel -
most fans do not like the novel it's loosely based on.
I have read it (and reviewed it on Amazon), and found
it interesting enough, although it's not the way I would
have continued this story.

That said, I think Andrew Lloyd Webber could turn
the phone book into a hit musical.

I confess...

2010-02-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

If I had Facebook, I would
definitely be a member.

Thanks to Barbara Beyer Malley

2010-01-20T21:03:00.003-05:00

A Desperate Ode to Snow

Bees and buds and birds inspire
Arpeggios on my lyric lyre;
But snow, so pure, so fair to see,
Strikes no responsive chord in me!
No!

My heart's a sentimental thing
That simply loves to think of spring,
But snow and slush just rust its string.
It doesn't give a single ping
For snow!

Yet if I sing of spring in winter
Surely I'd confuse the printer!
Thus my cheerful lyre begins
To sing of frost and biting winds . . .
O-o-oh!

Snow make a palace of a hovel
(While you struggle with the shovel!)
Snow gems the trees and crowns the hills --
And piles up heaps of heating bills!
Snow!

Snow flutters softly in the air.
Snow hides all scars (I've read somewhere).
Snow is beautiful though clammy --
I am going to Miami!
Ho!

Snow is something to be pleased at
(Though it's often simply sneezed at!)
I love the snow! I do, forsooth!
Expect a lyre to tell the truth?
Snow!

Ernestine Cobern Beyer

Received these beautiful gifts...

2010-01-03T20:14:00.010-05:00

...ordered from one of three
GetN2Give Programs at Trinity Stores;
these products benefitting the families of the
women who make these lovely and useful items.

From Ignatius Insight Scoop

2009-12-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

an article by Taylor Caldwell I read over
thirty-five years ago, about a young couple
and unexpected aid they received during
a dangerous escape:

The Miracle at the Berlin Wall.

Originally posted 1/20/09

The Priests

2009-12-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

Singing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu

From Barbara Beyer Malley

2009-12-16T05:21:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Mix-up

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

One bright Christmas Eve, years ago, I believe,
Santa felt feverish all day.
He was sick in his bed with a cold in his head,
And couldn't go out in his sleigh.
Mrs. Santa came in with a comforting grin.
"Now, just you rest cozy, my dear!
Yes, Santy, it's late, but don't worry your pate.
l'll deliver the presents this year!"

The good lady fled to the sled in the shed,
And patting the shoulder of Blitzen,
She mounted the seat, well-polished and neat
That Santa Claus usually sits in.
Then off and away went the little red sleigh!
Swiftly and surely it rose,
As above her abode Mrs. Santa Claus rode,
Cleaving the clouds with her nose.
Bursting with pride, she continued to ride,
Till carried by sure-footed hoof,
She at last settled down in a faraway town,
And nimbly stepped out on a roof.
But alas and alack! When she opened her pack
Full of Santa's bright playthings and games,
She found she'd mislaid the list he had made--
His list of addresses and names.

Well, Christmas, that year, was a mix-up, I hear.
The folks who liked puppies got kittens.
Babies looked wise wearing jackets and ties.
While their daddies got bootees and mittens!
A zoo-keeper got a geranium pot,
Quite useless, but charmingly painted.
While his gift, a bear, was delivered somewhere
To a nervous old lady who fainted.

But just about dawn when her gifts were all gone
Mrs. Santa flew home through the sky,
And she thought, knowing not of the havoc she'd wrought:
"What a blessing to Santa am I!"

*
Ernestine's original poem had ended here, but
the magazine editor thought young readers would
feel sad for all the disappointed children; they
asked her to give the poem a happier ending. She
sat down and with the greatest of ease came up with
the following verses. She also had to change, "Go sit
on an icicle, Bill," which didn't pass the censors.
She complained that "iceberg" spoiled the meter.

But when Christmas was past, and Santa, at last
Was belatedly reading his mail,
He discovered with shame that the gist of the same
Was an angry or sorrowful wail.
"Dear Santy," (I quote from one brief little note),
"Thanks for the dress with the frill,
And thanks for the doll and the pink parasol--
Go sit on an iceberg . . . Bill."
Santa, no dunce, understanding at once
What had happened, ran out of the house,
Determined to fix up the terrible mix-up
Caused by his blundering spouse.

With his list in his hand he flew over the land,
And never a moment he rested
Till each girl and boy had gotten the toy
Which had been so politely requested.

Then homeward he went, well pleased and content,
And he gave Mrs. Santa three kisses,
But the muddle she made when she offered her aid,
He tactfully kept from the missus!
And that lady, forsooth, unaware of the truth,
Was happy, and quite satisfied.
She was full of good cheer that lasted all year,
Because of her Christmas ride.

Uh-oh...

2009-12-16T01:57:00.000-05:00

Reindeer Trouble

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

Santa Claus, just a bit late, I believe
Was taking his usual trip, Christmas Eve,
When all of a sudden he uttered a shout
As his little red sled started lurching about.
Something had happened to startle the reindeer.
Donner, the leader, a very well-trained deer,
Had sighted a comet. (He had, on my honor . . . .)
And the comet was rapidly heading for Donner!

"Whoa!" shouted Santa--then grabbed at his cap,
But he might just as well have commanded: "Giddap!"
For Donner was dashing away in the sky,
Going so fast and so far and so high
That he very soon came to that place far away
Which angels reserve for small cherubs at play.

Alarmed at the sight of the runaway sled,
Some dove into mist-banks, heels over head;
One of them happily strumming his harp,
Showed his excitement by striking a sharp!

Another so hastily fled through the blue
That he tumbled his little gold halo askew!
"Whoa, Donner, whoa!" Santa loudly repeated,
Bouncing so high he was nearly unseated!
But rolling his eyeballs and snorting aloud,
Panicky Donner just fled for a cloud,
And reaching it, tunneled it hopefully through--
Only to find that the comet had, too!
Santa, poor fellow, was wearing a frown,
For by now he was riding along upside-down.

Then Donner swerved sharply, thus righting the sled,
And tailed by the comet, went plunging ahead
'Til he presently met, looming up in his track,
A rain-swollen cloud of a thunderous black.
Towering awesomely there in the skies,
This cloud was so very enormous in size
That when it uncorked its spectacular spout,
"Glug!" said the comet--and meekly went out.

Greatly relieved, Santa straightened his cap,
Slapped at the reins, and once more cried "Giddap!"
He waved at the cherubs and winked a bright eye
As Donner turned 'round and descended the sky.
And so, just as midnight was starting to chime,
He arrived at your rooftop exactly on time!

With thanks to:

Barbara Beyer Malley

Kathie Malley-Morrison

*K*

From Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera

2009-11-13T23:56:00.001-05:00

While Floating High Above.

Happy Birthday Monsieur Gerard!

2009-11-13T07:28:00.008-05:00

Gerard Butler, aka the Phantom, that is! =)

Screencap from

Screenmusings.

An extraordinary offering from EWTN:

2009-11-13T04:20:00.000-05:00

Available from their Audio Library:

The Quest for Shakespeare, with Joseph Pearce. (link)

If you haven't caught the program on tv, here's your
chance to listen in.

Originally posted: 4/22/09

Am waiting on

2009-11-08T04:53:00.005-05:00

Chosen:
How Christ Sent Twenty-three
Surprised Converts to Replant
His Vineyard

just released from Ignatius Press...

Can't wait!

(Shhh! One's a Christmas present=)

Congratulations to PhatCatholic!

2009-11-08T04:08:00.004-05:00

and his new bride!

There's a beautiful video (with
great music!), posted from their
wedding day, too...

Best wishes always and
God bless you both!

2009-10-13T20:52:00.000-05:00

Thank you to whoever translated
this blog into (what I believe is)...

Greek. =)

Originally posted 9/16/09 =)

Best wishes and many blessings...

2009-10-13T19:35:00.000-05:00

to Dawn Eden!

Catholic convert, prolife champion, and
blogger extraordinaire since 2002. She's
also the author of:

The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment
While Keeping Your Clothes On,

(this edition, one of which is a happy addition
to my library shelf)...

and is also available in a Spanish language
version - both permanently linked on the right-
hand side under "Books", for your convenience.

Dawn has discontinued her blog,
The Dawn Patrol, after seven years of blogging,
much of which not only detailed her conversion to
Catholicism from Judaism, and her work in the
world of rock journalism, but chronicled her
intensively concentrated pro-life work and exposes
of the pro-abortion agenda. Also quite amazing,
was the conversion of her pro-life ally and some-
times-poster The Raving Atheist, to
The Raving Theist, thanks be to God!

My thanks too, to Dawn for stopping by and
commenting here - and for being one of the first
to link to my blog, (and for keeping it linked, too!)

Dawn's blog will remain linked here as well; her
contribution to the pro-life cause has been ex-
tensive, and her work has been used as a ref-
erence many times over the years.

God bless you, Dawn, in your continued service
to our dear Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Speaking of authors

2009-08-12T22:58:00.005-05:00

I was blessed to have had the opportunity
to see biographer Joseph Pearce this past
weekend, at a talk given by the C. S. Lewis
Society...

I missed hearing Dr. Pearce speak, but was
delighted to have the chance to speak with
him. After having to miss seeing him and
Dale Ahlquist last year at a local chapter of
the G. K. Chesterton Society's Chesterton
conference, I was thrilled and thankful to
be able to attend.

It was a whole lotta fun, and now I have
a bunch more books to add to my wish list!

Anne Rice, author

2009-08-12T22:21:00.007-05:00

has joined an Amazon discussion
in the Christianity Community entitled:

Are Catholics Saved?

I was posting as "Faith", but left the discussion
as my patience with the repetitive insults was
wearing thin...

God bless those with the patience of saints,
who have answered intelligently while doing
His will -

And may the Holy Spirit touch those that are
blind to the truth, that their eyes might be
opened and clearly see that Catholics are
Christians, too -

Amen.

Joseph Pearce is writing

2009-08-12T05:59:00.000-05:00

a second book on William Shakespeare -

Read all about it at the

Ink Desk.

Originally posted 5/09

Dear Barbara,

2009-08-12T01:40:00.000-05:00

Just in case you stop by here again,
I received your note - I sent you two
emails this past week from my other
account as well, so I guess you didn't
get them either...

I will write, but just wanted to let you
know ASAP that I think your idea is an
excellent one! Your mom and her work
were honored in D.C. back in 1972 -
there's no reason her enchanting poetry
shouldn't be delighting the children who
reside there now...

I will write to you soon - please keep
me apprised, too!

Originally posted in the "future" on 8/30/09

Thinkin' of linkin'

2009-07-30T06:22:00.005-05:00

this excellent
Concordance to the Bible,
in my sidebar...

With many thanks to:

PhatCatholic Apologetics,

for the excellent references
in theirs!

Anybody know...

2009-07-23T07:21:00.000-05:00

if there's any truth to the story
that Steven Spielberg owns the rights
to Susan Kay's Phantom?

I was not aware that he was a phan of
the story. Have read a bit of Phantom
fic since having seen the 2004 movie
this past year, & wrote a couple of reviews
over at Amazon, although not for all of
the books that I've read. My favorite is
Deception: A Phantom of the Opera Novel,
by Shirley Yoshinaka. I haven't read
much fiction lately, but was drawn to
the story & the character of Erik, who
actually has a Wikipedia write up.

A few years ago a blogger wrote quite
extensively on the similarities of a
different character and his Christian
values, although it was not a story
that dealt directly with Christianity.

More to come on the subject...

From the Carmelite Nuns...

2009-07-23T07:04:00.000-05:00

of Japan.

Japanese Madonnas

Originally posted 2/11/06

Saw them this weekend...

2009-07-22T15:09:00.000-05:00

Boys Like Girls, Never Shout Never, &

The Ready Set.

Originally posted 7/20/09

Haunting...

2009-07-22T07:27:00.000-05:00

From G. K. Chesterton: ILNA 29 Oct 1921

2009-07-22T04:26:00.000-05:00

Bolshevism and Big Business
are very much alike; they are
both built on the truth that
everything is easy and simple
if once you eliminate liberty...

Very neat drawing

2009-07-09T06:22:00.000-05:00

of Saint Michael the Archangel,

who looks strikingly familiar...

From:

The Art of David Myers.

Here's another from Gilbert Keith...

2009-06-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

Chesterton (ILNA 15 July 1922):

Art is born when the temporary touches
the eternal; the shock of beauty is when the
irresistible force hits the immovable post...

Too

2009-06-28T07:37:00.002-05:00

true...

I don't usually post political
commentary, but I thought
I'd state the obvious anyway.

Thanks to CC @ The Crescat
for the link.

What I'm reading

2009-06-28T03:42:00.000-05:00

The Evidential Power of Beauty:
Science and Theology Meet,
by Thomas Dubay.

An apt presentation of the subject & its
many sub-categories, from our Creator's
tangible imaginings -

At least those He's let us know a bit about.

Click on the image

2009-06-23T21:44:00.000-05:00

to read more about a puzzle
that tells tales by "Old Salte"
puzzle-cutter, Ted Malley...

Originally posted on 2/5/09

*More of the wonderful art

2009-06-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

of "Titanic" proportions...

By portrait artist Ylli, from
his eBay Store.

*And yes, he does family
portraits from photos, too.

Some of my favorite things

2009-06-23T05:48:00.012-05:00

I received for my b'day this year:

1) A poem:

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer,
written for her daughters, sent to me by
her daughter Barbara (Beyer Malley),
my new adopted sister! :D

Heritage

In love's most secret alchemy, divine,

I bore you. You are mine—and yet not mine.

Ancestral patterns blending with the new

Designed the special pattern that is You.

So did the present and the past devise

Your fair young face, your tender, laughing eyes!

Amazed, I look upon your grace and mirth

As might at some sweet flower the marveling earth.

Barbara is currently working on another
book of her mother's poetry, which I've loved
since I was a child. Then...

2) a link:

From Thomas - coincidentally, to the very
same poem of Ernestine's that I read when I
was a kid, called The Laughing Willow.
Thomas, I got more hits off that one link
than I have all year! XD

...a

3) Halo :

by Beyoncé.
It's not easy, but I'm working on it:)

& forgive my unintentional omission,
but I also got...

4) a visit from dear
Saint Nick:D

Caught

2009-06-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

Moral Philosophy 101
with Dr. Richard Geraghty (link)
(on EWTN) recently...

Monday & Tuesday @ about
7:50 A.M; "class" lasts for about
ten minutes...

Will post more, especially if
I find him on YouTube...

Originally posted 2/9/09

Got mine!

2009-05-30T07:26:00.000-05:00

from Ignatius Press...

Dear and Glorious Physician,
by Taylor Caldwell -

H/T: Mom:-)

Growing up, this book, (one
of my mother's favorites) - about
St. Luke, was practically required
reading.

It has been out-of-print for a while
now, so it's great to see Ignatius Press
making it available again.

Originally posted 8/2/08

From: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA:

2009-05-30T07:21:00.000-05:00

THE MOVIE LIBRETTO

Interesting question posed

2009-05-30T06:13:00.007-05:00

from my Chesterton Yahoo group:

Why haven't Catholic pro-choice
politicians, like Joe Biden, been
excommunicated? The questioner
includes the fact that the Church has
historically been reluctant to take such
action.

Understanding that the Church is not a
democracy, my opinion is that they cer-
tainly should do so. Having not been
originally married in the Catholic Church,
I was unable to receive Communion for
many years. So, I went to Mass & sang
in the choir, but did not receive. Thank-
fully, that problem was resolved. The
Eucharist is not to be taken lightly, & God
is not just some far-away entity that is to
be appeased on Sundays & forgotten about
the rest of the week. His Words are to be
given great deliberation, & applied to our
lives, which definitely includes what we
stand for, & how we vote.

Prolife abortion counters

2009-05-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

can be found here. (link)

Hat tip:

Catholic Fire. (link)

2009-04-10T07:09:00.000-05:00

The Pieta

2009-04-10T06:02:00.000-05:00

The beautiful papercut-
ting of silhouette artist
Sister Mary Jean Dorcy

Originally posted 2/5/06

Pieta

2009-04-10T05:28:00.001-05:00

by Dan Paulos.

Print available

@Trinity Stores.

Originally posted 11/17/05

2009-04-10T02:58:00.001-05:00

Thy Will Be Done
by Danny Hahlbolm

A reminder of His
love for us.

This artist's work
can be found at
AllPosters, linked
on the right (or click
on the picture above).

Interesting interview

2009-02-18T17:28:00.000-05:00

posted by Carl Olson @

Insight Scoop, of Fr. Joseph

Fessio & biographer Joseph

Pearce, taped earlier this week,

on the Catholicism of William
Shakespeare...

Which happens to be the

subject of Pearce's latest bio,
The Quest for Shakespeare:
The Bard of Avon and the
Church of Rome...

The links to

the critique which

prompted this video

response, can be found

here.

Yet another

2009-02-18T16:33:00.004-05:00

from G. K. Chesterton (ILNA 8 July 1922):

It is human to err; and the only final and
deadly error, among all our errors, is denying
that we have ever erred.

Bravo!

2009-02-18T08:30:00.001-05:00

Awesome job... &

Bonne idée...

2009-02-09T09:17:00.005-05:00

n'est-ce pas? (link:)

Two classics from YouTube...

2009-01-28T08:11:00.000-05:00

One old, one new(er)...

Dancing Queen, & Sorry, (Blame It on Me)

Originally posted 1/26/09