Feast of St. Barbara

It is once again the feast of St. Barbara! And we have lots of sparkling, fluffy snow again this year!  Go back and read last year's post here. If you forgot to pick your branches (like we ALMOST did,) I would go ahead and pick them tomorrow - it is so neat having them blooming for Christmas.
Some of you may be wondering...what ever happened with our branches last year?  Well, my two younger sisters and I all went out and picked cherry, apple, plum, and lilac branches.  One sister's cherry branches bloomed right away - within a couple of weeks.  Another didn't bloom until closer to New Years.  The last sister's DID bloom on Christmas Eve day.  None, however, are married or engaged, so only St. Barbara knows what it all means.... :)  Besides, aren't there still a few days left of the year? ;)  Regardless, we were happy to be blessed with beautiful blossoms for Christmas, and hope it goes as well this year.  Oh, and the lilacs were the only ones that really didn't work, although I have heard that people have been able to force them, too.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Part 1

I hope to have part two up before the feast day, but I don't have my sources with me at the moment with the devotions related to this feast.  I do want to make sure that this is posted so that you have an opportunity to share in the Novena.  This one starts on November 29th and goes through the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception.  Other Novenas are (or perhaps this one could be said) from November 30th (starting the same day as the Christmas Novena) to December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.


If you read my Thanksgiving post, you know that the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States of America.  This feast is also important in light of the disregard for life in this country and around the world.  Today, many believe that child doesn't need to be acknowledged as being alive, human, and important until it is born. Yet this feast celebrates our Blessed Mother not in her motherhood, or her holy childhood, or even in her birth, but in the very moment of her conception. Please join me in adding the intention of the protection and respect for the unborn to your other intentions in this novena. 


Novena to the Immaculate Conception
Say once a day for nine days, starting on November 29 and ending on December 7 

Immaculate Virgin! Mary, conceived without sin! Remember, thou wert miraculously preserved from even the shadow of sin, because thou wert destined to become not only the Mother of God, but also the mother, the refuge, and the advocate of man; penetrated therefore, with the most lively confidence in thy never-failing intercession, we most humbly implore thee to look with favor upon the intentions of this novena, and to obtain for us the graces and the favors we request. Thou knowest, O Mary, how often our hearts are the sanctuaries of God, Who abhors iniquity. Obtain for us, then, than angelic purity which was thy favorite virtue, that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone, and that purity of intention which will consecrate every thought, word, and action to His greater glory. Obtain also for us a constant spirit of prayer and self-denial, that we many recover by penance that innocence which we have lost by sin, and at length attain safety to that blessed abode of the saints, where nothing defiled can enter. 

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. 

V. Thou are all fair, O Mary.
R. Thou art all fair, O Mary. 
V. And the original stain is not in thee. 
R. And the original stain is not in thee.
V. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem.
R. Thou art the joy of Israel 
V. Thou art the honor of our people.
R. Thou art the advocate of sinners.
V. O Mary.
R. O Mary.
V. Virgin, most prudent.
R. Mother, most tender.
V. Pray for us.
R. Intercede for us with Jesus our Lord.
V. In thy conception, Holy Virgin, thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father Whose Son thou didst bring forth.
V. O Lady! aid my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.

Let us pray

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and mistress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one, look upon me, O Lady! with an eye of pity, and entreat for me of thy beloved Son the forgiveness of all my sins; that, as I now celebrate, with devout affection, thy holy and immaculate conception, so, hereafter I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ Our Lord: Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, in perfect Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.

Christmas Anticipation Prayer

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.


Above is the most beautiful prayer of the Christmas Novena, aka the Christmas Anticipation Prayer, aka the St. Andrew Novena.  The mathematically inclined will point out that it is not really a novena, because it is not a multiple of nine, as it is said 15 times a day for 25 days (November 30th, the feast of St. Andrew, to Christmas Eve,) for a total of 375 times prayed.  I assure you, however, that can still be considered a novena, as the term has historically been used for other devotions that last multiple days. It is a beautiful - and simple - Advent devotion.  And it starts Wednesday!  I love this prayer because it is so simple, yet draws the mind to the whole point of Christmas: That hour, that moment, when Christ was born.  I've tried to find the history of this Novena, but in my half-hour or so of internet searching, I came up with nothing - not even on fisheaters.com!

I did, however, find the text for another novena, to be prayed from November 29th through the vigil of the Immaculate Conception on December 7th. I decided to put it into a separate post here.

There are so many ways we prepare for Christmas.  We buy gifts, bake cookies, and decorate.  Let's not forget to prepare our souls, too! There are many devotions, like the two above, and the Jesse Tree and the Advent Wreath.  There are so many fun little feasts, too, like St. Barbara (I'll update last year's post!) and St. Nicholas.  Have a Blessed Advent!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! A friend sent me a lovely email yesterday, and graciously gave me permission to share it with you all. Enjoy!

God Bless,
Rae

Dear friends and family,

With Thanksgiving just to come, I thought I'd share one of the beautiful traditions we had at the convent.  We would use the occasion of Thanksgiving, which reminds us of our heritage, as an opportunity to entrust our country to the Immaculate Conception, our patroness.  Before sitting down for our Thanksgiving meal we had a little prayer time.  An image of the Immaculate Conception was adorned on the mantle of the fireplace.  The lights were off and only the candles on the table and before her image lit the room.  We would read a sheet with a brief history of Thanksgiving, what it meant for Americans, and a little history about the Consecration to the Immaculate Conception.  Then we would all pray the prayer below.  Finally, we'd finish with a few hymns to Our Lady (in English!) like "Sing a Maiden" and "Hail Holy Queen".  Then we'd say the Benedicite and bless the table.

I thought maybe you might like to hear of this, and maybe do something similar.  Or maybe you have your own traditions already in place.  Either way I pray you a most blessed Thanksgiving-tide.

Deanna

Prayer for Renewal of Consecration
to Our Patroness of the United States of America, the Immaculate Conception
 

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore Your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners — on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your sorrowful and immaculate heart. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon, save us from degeneration, disaster and war. Protect us from all harm. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your Son in the depths of your heart, be our advocate. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the will of your divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen. 
 http://www.tldm.org/News9/USConsecratedToOurLady.htm

Short history:

On May 13 1846, (exactly seventy-one years, to the day, before the Fatima apparitions), the Catholic bishops of the United States, who were gathered for the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, adopted a decree by which they chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as Patroness of the United States.

This decree, translated from Latin into English, is as follows:

With enthusiastic acclaim and with unanimous approval and consent, the Fathers [of the Council] have chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as the Patroness of the United States of America; without, however, adding the obligation of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile work on the feast of the Conception of Blessed Mary. And, therefore, they decided that the Supreme Pontiff be humbly asked to transfer the solemnity, unless the feast fall on a Sunday, to the nearest Sunday, on which both private and solemn Masses may be celebrated of the feast thus transferred, and the vesper office of the same feast may be recited.

The choice of Our Lady, in her Immaculate Conception, as Patroness of the United States was approved by Pope Pius IX in an audience on Feb. 7, 1847; and this approval was announced in a decree of Propaganda dated July 2, the same year. Both of these decrees of Propaganda have the signature of Cardinal Fransoni.

http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-lady-of-america-immaculate.html

The consecration was renewed in 1959 and 2006 with bishops present.  

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=21945 

Litany of the Infant Jesus

© Octavio Ocampo

I came across this litany in my iPieta app this morning, and thought it was beautiful.  God Bless!

Litany of the Infant Jesus

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, 

Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, 

Lord have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

Infant Jesus, hear us, 

Infant Jesus, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Infant Jesus, have mercy on us.

Infant, very God, have mercy on us.

Infant, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.

Infant, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.

Infant, begotten before the morning star, have mercy on us.

Infant, Word made flesh, have mercy on us.

Infant, Wisdom of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Purity of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, only Son of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, First-Born of you mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Image of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Creator of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Splendor of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Honor of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, equal to your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, subject to your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Joy of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Riches of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Gift of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Offering of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, precious fruit of a virgin, have mercy on us.

Infant, Creator of man, have mercy on us.

Infant, Power of God, have mercy on us.

Infant, our God, have mercy on us.

Infant, our Brother, have mercy on us.

Infant, perfect Man from your conception, have mercy on us.

Infant, ancient in wisdom from your childhood, have mercy on us.

Infant, Father of ages, have mercy on us.

Infant, of days, have mercy on us.

Infant, giving life, and nourished at the breast, have mercy on us.

Infant, Eternal Word, and making yourself dumb, have mercy on us.

Infant, weeping in the crib, have mercy on us.

Infant, thundering in heaven, have mercy on us.

Infant, terror of hell, have mercy on us.

Infant, Joy of Paradise, have mercy on us.

Infant, dreaded by tyrants, have mercy on us.

Infant, desired by the Magi, have mercy on us.

Infant, exiled from your people, have mercy on us.

Infant, King in exile, have mercy on us.

Infant, Destroyer of idols, have mercy on us.

Infant, Vindicator of the glory of God, have mercy on us.

Infant, strong in weakness, have mercy on us.

Infant, powerful in abasement, have mercy on us.

Infant, Treasure of Grace, have mercy on us.

Infant, Fountain of Love, have mercy on us.

Infant, Author of the blessings of heaven, have mercy on us.

Infant, Repairer of the evils of earth, have mercy on us.

Infant, Head of the angels, have mercy on us.

Infant, Stem of the patriarchs, have mercy on us.

Infant, Word of the prophets, have mercy on us.

Infant, Expectation of nations, have mercy on us.

Infant, Joy of the shepherds, have mercy on us.

Infant, Light of the Magi, have mercy on us.

Infant, Salvation of children, have mercy on us.

Infant, Hope of the just, have mercy on us.

Infant, Teacher of doctors, have mercy on us.

Infant, First-fruits of the saints, have mercy on us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Infant Jesus.

Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.

From the bondage of the children of Adam, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the slavery of the devil, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the corruption of the world, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the lust of the flesh, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the pride of life, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the immoderate desire of knowledge, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the blindness of mind, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the perversity of will, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From our sins, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

Through your most pure conception, deliver us.

Through your most humble birth, deliver us.

Through your tears, deliver us.

Through your most painful circumcision, deliver us.

Through your most glorious epiphany, deliver us.

Through your most devout presentation, deliver us.

Through your most innocent conversation in the world, deliver us.

Through your most holy life, deliver us.

Through your poverty, deliver us.

Through your sorrows, deliver us.

Through your labors and travails. deliver us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Infant Jesus.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Infant Jesus.

Infant Jesus, hear us, Infant Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray:

O Lord Jesus, who allowed the greatness of your incarnate divinity and most sacred humanity to be born in time, to become a little child, and to suffer bitter death, grant that we may acknowledge infinite wisdom in the silence of a child, power in weakness, majesty in abasement, so that adoring your humility and littleness on earth we may contemplate your glories in heaven. We ask this of you, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns God, forever and ever. Amen

I'm Back! With Video of Max :)

I know, I know.  I've been sorely neglecting my blogging duties.  What can I say?  It's been a busy fall.  Even now, I must keep this short, but I thought I'd introduce you to our new pet, Max.  Or is it Maxine?  I don't know for sure, I suppose we'll find out if she lays an egg.  The kids love it- they give him a bath every morning and let it run around while they milk and do chores.

Oh yes, and Sophie is doing well, too.  She has learned quite a few commands already, although we're still working on the fact that she has to obey EVERY time I tell her :) I'm proud of her :D.  She knows sit, down, high-five, drop, leave it (so helpful!) fetch, and come.  Still a long ways to go, but she's a darling.
Till next time,
Rae


Updated 11-6-11
Well, Max laid an egg yesterday, so it's Maxine after all!

Yes, it has been awhile....

and I really have no good excuse.  Except maybe this one:

Meet Sophie.  She is a five month old female Newfie.  Ain't she just the sweetest thing?

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

We took a bowl of these yummy pickles to a dance last night, and I got lots of recipe requests.  I told everyone I'd post the recipe on my blog, so here it is!

Refrigerator Dills

1 gallon Cucumbers, cut into chunks

4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced (you can use any hot pepper you like, just be reasonable.  You could      also skip this ingredient for a milder pickle.)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin

2 1/2 Tbl. dried dill weed (good)
or
5-6 heads of fresh dill (better)

2 red onions, sliced (I don't add them, because I think they loose the "classic" dill pickle taste, but some may like them)

Brine
1 cup Cider Vinegar

1/3 cup pickling salt

4 cups water

1. Pack vegetables into a gallon (or two half gallon, or whatever) jar in layers with the dill and garlic.
2. Bring the brine ingredients to a boil and pour over the veggies in the jar (make sure it covers all of the cukes!)
3. Let stand at room temperature until cool, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours (48 is better, but who can wait!)  Store refrigerated.

These are the best homemade dill pickles EVER.  They are crunchy, and sour, and not too salty.  People say they remind them of Claussen Dill Pickles.  Enjoy!

Home again, home again, jiggity jog...

Wow, what a week!  So much for a nice, quiet, summer!  It's been a fun one, though.  Last week, I had the privilege of chaperoning for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest Girl's Youth Camp in Wisconsin.  It was wonderful - and exhausting.
I went into this experience entirely unsure of what to expect.  Also, I might add, everything my siblings told me to expect was wrong.  I was told (by my siblings) that chaperones got to sleep in the house.  Not true.  I was also told that the mothers and legal-age chaperones got wine after hours.  Also not true.  Actually, the disappointment of the truth in these matters was greatly lessoned by the fact that the chaperones were allowed to use the indoor bathrooms, unlike the poor campers who had to use porta-pottys.  Ah, the simple things in life!
As I said, it was a wonderful week.  Things were a little different this year, or so I understand.  The group of 90 girls was divided into 8 teams, and each team had its own chaperone.  I got the green team, which was pretty much an awesome group of girls.  My biggest regret is that I wasn't able to get to know them all better, as we were very busy with things like olympics and silly olympics and talks, and drying out our tents.
Yes, we got rained on Monday night and Tuesday morning.  Actually, it was more like poured on.  I don't think there was a single dry tent in the place.  I was lucky - only my blankets got wet.  Many girls had there bags soaked, as well as sleeping bags and pillows.  I didn't hear any complaints, though - other than those tempered with laughter.  A couple of wonderful volunteers spend the day Tuesday drying everyone's things out, enabling dry beds by Tuesday night.
Activities of the week included Olympics, with competitions like a soccer relay and tug of war (green won the tug of war!) Silly Olympics, with a sack race,  horseback riding, and a cooking contest.  I did get to help with the cooking contest, and had a blast.  Iron Chef, here I come!  My team, as I said before, was awesome.  We didn't win the cooking contest, but everyone made a good effort.  Next time we'll get it!
The best part of the week was the talks.  Everyday we had Mass in the morning, with a homily, and there was a formation talk after breakfast.  We were constantly reminded of the dignity and importance of women, and how much we can teach the world.  We are all called to be mothers, sometimes spiritually, sometimes physically.
One of the talks was on Our Lady of Guadeloupe.  There is so much symbolism in the image that I never knew about!  For example, did you know that the color of her veil was a color reserved for the Emperor, under pain of death?  Or that the angel below her was one of the Aztec gods?  I would go over all of it, but I think it may be better kept for another blog post :)
One of the greatest gifts of the week, I hope received by all, was the gift of good, true, friendships.  I made new friends, got to see some "old" friends (who I met last month at the Sursum Corda camp,) and was blessed to be able to reconnect with a very old friend, whom I had not seen in about six years.  I made some young friends, and some older friends, and the best part is knowing that these are people who will pray for me, (and who I will pray for,) and who I will hopefully meet again - if not here, than in heaven.
This is a prayer that one of my fellow chaperones shared:

Morning Prayer

Grant, O Lord, that none may love Thee less this day because of me;

That never one word or act of mine may turn one soul from Thee;

And ever daring yet one more grace would I implore: 

That many souls this day, because of me, may love Thee more. Amen

A fleeting post....

Yikes!  It's been crazy busy around here (more than usual.)  This weekend is our first show, so I've been working on flyers and websites and pretty much everything.  Just 24 hours 'til set up!  Say a prayer for us!
The show is running Friday through Sunday (see more details at http://thelaundryduchess.blogspot.com/ ,) then on Monday morning I leave for camp!  I'll be chaperoning a girls camp next week, until Friday :D :D I'm excited.  This will be real camp, complete with dirt.
But where does that leave you, my loyal and new and sometimes readers?  Without anything to read, I suppose.  Well, check the list of blogs I follow, and I'm sure you'll find something.  Just remember to come back to me!
In the mean time, I thought I'd share this video.  It's so beautiful!  Enjoy!

Sursum Corda Young Adults Camp - Part Three

Finally, we get to the actual camp!  I wonder if I have been putting this post off.  If so, it is partly out of a fear of being unable to do the wonderful weekend justice, and partly out of a “homesick” feeling, missing everyone and everything.  

  With a few exceptions it was a perfectly wonderful weekend.  I can’t decide if it was more retreat or more camp.  It certainly didn’t have the “roughing it” aspect of camp, but it was far too social to be considered a retreat.  All things considered, it was a lovely vacation.  I didn’t even check the weather while I was there, let alone email.  

  We stayed at Francis de Sales Seminary, in St. Francis, WI.  For all intents and purposes, it was Milwaukee.  I didn’t enjoy driving there, but we made it.  I am NOT a city driver.  Naturally, the route I chose to AVOID major traffic resulted in detours.  Thank goodness for GPS, or who knows when - or if - we would have gotten there!

  Our rooms were simple - bed, chair, and closet, basically.  My little group was split up, which was great, because we all got perfect roommates.  All of the rooms had an air conditioner (definitely not roughing it!) and most had a bathroom.  

    The first thing on the schedule was Mass, then a welcome.  I’m wishing now, of course, that I had taken more notes over the course of the weekend!  Of course, if it takes notes to remember, was it really learned?  Actually, in my case, yes, because I remember more with notes.  But I digress.  I’m sure we each came away from the weekend with something different, yet important for us.  For me, the important thing was the necessity of good friendships.  

So many times in my life I have found myself feeling more or less friendless.  For one reason or another, through one trial or another, my friends have been distant - either geographically, personally, or both.  I’ve questioned whether or not friendship really was an important part of a Catholic life.  After all, if we have family and faith, maybe friends are just one of those nice luxuries we sometimes just have to live without.  I don’t know if I’ve ever actually believed that, but I’m sure the thought provided some sort of consolation during long weeks when it seemed like I never talked to anyone outside my family!  I’ll be the first to admit that I am horribly shy, until I really get to know someone.  On top of that, I’m terrible at small talk.  I like discussions more than conversations, I think.  Am I starting to ramble?  Sorry.  Back to camp. It was awesome to not only hear about the importance of good Catholic friendships, but to also have people around looking for the same thing! 

  I’m not going to mention any names in this blog, partly because I don’t want to spell anyone’s name wrong or misquote them, and partly because you never know how much people will want about them on the internet.  So from now on, I shall refer to the brilliant individual who put the weekend together as Master of Ceremonies, or MC.  WE know who he is, and HE knows who he is.  I’m sure I could get enough out of this weekend to write a whole book, but most wouldn’t be true, so don’t take me too seriously - now or ever.  If or when I do write the book, I shall have to put in a disclaimer to the effect of “all people, places, and events in this book are fictional, unless proven otherwise.  Any resemblance to real people, places, or events is purely incidental and born of the overactive imagination of the author.”  Of course this is a blog account, therefore I shall portray things as accurately and vaguely as I can recall.  Please don’t hold me entirely responsible.  It just isn’t fair.  

  After Mass and the welcoming speeches by MC and Fr., we had about an hour before dinner.  MC had mentioned a grotto, so a few of us set out in search of it.  I was especially interested, due to a project at church.  We wandered around the grounds a bit, venturing into the woods and out again, but we searched in vain.  Some of us were of the opinion that the grotto was perhaps a myth, contrived by MC to get us all out of his hair for a bit before dinner, plus to allow us to get to know each other a bit.  This theory was proven wrong the next day, of course, but it was fun while it lasted.  

  After dinner, we had ice cream and a nice ice-breaker.  We had a sheet of paper with 20 questions, and had to find people who could answer “yes” to the questions.  And each question had to be answered by a different person.  Looking at this now, I can put a face to nearly all of the names (there were 28 of us,) when at the time I know next to no one.  I came in handy for question 6: Find someone who makes rosaries. :)  Actually, I could answer yes to 5 out of 20 questions, and could have made a couple more (like owning both a black and white Mantilla) at another time in my life.  Lots of fun. 

  With another couple hours of free time (perhaps the last of the weekend!) a group of us walked down to the lake, just across from the seminary.  It was so beautiful at sunset!  I love the water, be it stream, river, lake, or ocean.  The sailboats are always so neat to see.  Ever since reading Swallows and Amazons I have wished I could go sailing.  Someday.  

  The day ended with evening prayers.  I think everyone was pretty tired Friday night, after the long drives most of us had.  I for one was in bed early. 

 

Mass was at 7:30 the next morning.  Did I mention how nice daily Mass was?  I should also mention that it was the Extraordinary Form (aka Latin or Tridentine) Mass.  After Mass, of course, was breakfast, then a conference by Mr. and Mrs. Chaperone (still not using real names, to protect the innocent.)  After their excellent talk on marriage, myself and two others set off to find the elusive grotto.  My friend had been there the night before with the MC, so we actually found it this time.  It was tucked away in the woods, near the cemetery.  Although the mosquitos insisted on biting us, both were lovely.  There were many priests and nuns in the cemetery, with some stones dating back to the 1800’s.  We weren’t able to stay there as long as we wanted, however, because my friend got a call from the MC saying we had to come back for volleyball.   

 

Add caption

 I could go through a play-by-play of the weekend, but I won’t.  Our adventures included volleyball (which I not only hate, but am apparently allergic to,) a boat ride out on the lake, a delicious grilled dinner, a square dance (which was awesome because for once I didn’t feel like the only one hopelessly behind,) rosary in the beautiful seminary chapel, an unexpected tour of the seminary, including a late-night bit of bowling, an hour long walk after Mass on Sunday (at a rather brisk pace, I might add,) a couple of hours at Milwaukee Public Museum (the coolest museum I’ve ever been to,) delicious Pizza, an awesome talent show, and lots of great times with great people.  Oh, and some really good conferences, too.   Did I mention the great people?  

National Ice Cream Day!

  I just found out that today is National Ice Cream Day!  So I have decided to take a break from chronicling my travels to post a couple of our favorite ice cream recipes, and to finally post a review on our AWESOME ice cream maker.
  Since the birth of our sweet little heifer, Eulalia, we have had lots of milk and cream to enjoy.  And what better treat to make with cream than ice cream?  Especially in this soupy weather we're having right now.  It's 91º outside, but with the humidity it feels like 105º!
  We bought our ice cream maker just before Easter, and absolutely LOVE it.  It is a Cuisinart ICE-30BC, and makes about 2 qts. of ice cream per batch.  We also bought an extra freeze bowl, so we can make more than one batch of ice cream at a time.

Chocolate Ice Cream
  The book that came with the ice cream maker has some really great recipes, including this super simple chocolate ice cream.  I have been looking for YEARS to find a chocolate ice cream recipe that didn't taste bland or burnt.  This is it.  

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2/3 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
dash of salt
1 1/2 c. whole milk
3 1/4 c. heavy cream
1 T. vanilla

Mix cocoa powder, sugars, and salt until well combined (no cocoa lumps.)  Add milk, cream, and vanilla.  Freeze in ice cream maker 25-35 minutes.  Ripen 2 hours in freezer, if desired (keeps it from melting so fast.)


Surprise Sandwich Ice Cream
For those a little more adventurous, and who love peanut butter as much as I do, there is this recipe.  You can leave out the marshmallows and chocolate, and just have peanut butter ice cream, but what's the fun in that?  The name comes from the yummy "Surprise sandwiches" my mom used to make when I was little.  She would take and spread peanut butter on bread, sprinkle it with chocolate chips and marshmallows, and put the sandwich in the oven until the marshmallows toasted.  Yum!  I recommend letting this recipe freeze a couple of days to let the marshmallows soften.  Just make sure you take it out about 15 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop!


Ice Cream:
2 c. heavy cream
2 c. milk
1 c. white sugar
1/2 T. vanilla
dash of salt
1 c. creamy peanut butter

Additional ingredients:
1 1/12 c. mini marshmallows
Chocolate Swirl (recipe below)

Mix cream, milk, and sugar until sugar dissolves.  In a separate bowl, mix vanilla, salt, and peanut butter.  Add cream mixture into peanut butter a little at a time, until well combined (or use an electric mixer.)  Freeze in ice cream maker for about 25 minutes, or until done. Add additional ingredients and allow ice cream maker to mix them for a couple of minutes to combine.

Chocolate swirl:
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 regular size hershey's milk chocolate bar
1/4 c. cream
dash of salt

In a double boiler, melt the chocolates without stirring until they are shiny.  Stir and add cream and salt.  Drop by tablespoons full when ice cream is done, but while ice cream maker is still running.  Don't over mix!

P.S.
The Chocolate Swirl tastes very much like the chocolate in moose tracks ice cream :)

Sursum Corda young Adults Camp - Part Two

Holy Hill.

The second part of our journey was a trip to The Shrine of Our Lady, Help of Christians on Holy Hill, about a half-hour north east of Milwaukee.  I have wanted to return to Holy Hill since my last visit, about nine years ago.  I was with a church group, and didn’t have half the time I would have liked, then.  This trip we STILL didn’t have enough time, but I think we got to see much more than before.  

  If you ever get the chance to visit Holy Hill, jump at it.  It is gorgeous.  There is so much natural beauty in the area, and the craftsmanship throughout the Shrine is so beautiful, I cannot describe it.  It lifts the mind to God and to Heaven.  We cannot imagine the splendors of heaven in our ordinary surroundings.  In these extraordinary surroundings, we see enough of a glimmer of that splendor to realize just how amazing it must be.  I could do a full post on each section of the shrine, but there are other things I want to get to, as far as the weekend goes.  Perhaps another time.  For now, here are the highlights.

 I love the statues in the St. Therese chapel.  They are done in white, with gold trim, and the detail is magnificent on each.  Note the mirroring pieces of marble on the high alter, with the (I think) inlayed mosaic flowers.  There were so many mosaics EVERYWHERE we went!  It was so neat to see the detail in them!

  After the St. Therese chapel, we climbed the 170-some stairs to the tower.  Talk about a long way up!  The view was definitely worth it, but I admit I was shaking by the time we got back down again.  Who needs roller coasters with a thrill like that?

    Our next stop was the main church.  What little breath I had left after our climb was taken away by the beauty of it.  The mosaic above the high alter is unbelievable, and strips of marble radiate from it like heavenly rays.

  This technique is mirrored in the side chapel, where Our Lady, Help of Christians is being crowned.  It is in this chapel that I light my candles.  

  

We were only able to see one of the Stations of the Cross, due to our limited time.  I hope I will be able to go back someday soon to make the full half-mile journey.  

  Our last stop was the Lourdes Grotto.  Of the three grottos we saw, this was the largest.  Holy water runs down the face of the rock and into a pool, and there are spigots on each side to fill holy water bottles.  

  This is just a small part of Holy Hill (we took over 200 pictures!)  Everyone says to come back in the fall, when the leaves are changing.  I recommend allowing far more than two or three hours to really enjoy it - and be sure to bring your camera!   

Sursum Corda Young Adults Camp - Part One

Yes, I survived the weekend - even the driving.  It was glorious.  We even had perfect weather.
Between my sister and I, we took LOTS of pictures - 1161, to be exact.  Of course, not all of them turned out, but I'm sure I can find a few to post ;).

Our journey started with a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, just outside of Green Bay, WI.  It is the site of a Marian apparition in 1859, which has been recently approved by the Church - the only approved site in the United States.

Mary asked Adele to teach the children "their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments." Adele started a school and a chapel. 

  The candles were in the crypt below the chapel, built on the site of the apparitions.

There was also this beautiful pieta statue.  If you look closely, you can see crutches in the background, from those who have had favors granted.











As promised, I lit a candle for my family, friends, and readers.

We happened to be visiting on the feast day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, making these statues in the main chapel even more meaningful...and a bit of a surprise!

The main alter has a beautiful statue of Mary and the Child Jesus.  On one side of the chapel there is a display with a statue given to Sr. Adele for processions (and still used today!) and two reliquaries.  One (center) contains wood from the trees Mary appeared on, and the other (right) a piece of the Blessed Virgin's veil.

Outside, they have a field with the Stations of the Cross in the center, and the mysteries of the rosary around the outside.  I really liked the way they did the rosary.  There were five banners, and on one side would be the first mysteries (for example,) and the other side had the fifth, so it didn't matter which side you started on.  Between the mysteries there were a couple of shrines and benches to stop and pray, such as this small grotto.

Another beautiful little spot was this Fatima shrine.  The statues are just gorgeous!

So concludes the first stop on our journey.  We had to drive a few hours south to our hotel, and we did a little shopping for some lavender lotion.  The mosquitos were very healthy - and hungry - in Wisconsin!  I also bought some awesome sandals :)

Packing...

...for my weekend of pilgrimage/retreat/camp!  I can't believe how quickly time has passed - it's already July!  I will be gone for the next 5 days, with no access to a computer, save my handy-dandy iPod touch, so I won't be able to post anything along the way, as much as I would like to.  But rest assured I WILL have my camera with, and I WILL take pictures, and I WILL post about our journey!

St. Raphael, guide us in our travels

In the mean time, all of my readers are in my prayers, as well as all of the intentions on my prayer wall- feel free to leave your intention, please!  We will be going to at least two pilgrimage sites this weekend, and I believe there will be daily Mass starting Friday.  I can't wait!  God Bless!

Avonlea Blues

Sigh. I fear that modern clothing has forever been spoiled for me.  My wardrobe seems dull and unattractive, and what is in the stores appears even worse, to my spoiled eyes.  I recently watched the "Anne of Green Gables" movies, and clothing will never appear the same again.
Do you realize that what we pass as "clothes" today, would look like indecent rags back then?  Oh, I love my jeans, I admit, and I would doubtless roast to death in what they used to wear all summer...but everything was so elegant and beautiful, and just plain smart!  Well, not everything - but the possibilities were there.  Nowadays, if you try to look like a lady, you tend to be horribly out of place!  And trying to find modest clothes that don't make you look 60?  Next to impossible!
 I suppose it's been the same in every age - that struggle between modesty and fashion.  It seems especially difficult today, when it isn't a bit of ankle that is showing - it is something else altogether.  I wonder if we are wrong now to show our ankles- I know it would have been wrong then, because it wasn't done.  Some say we become accustomed to styles, that what was immodest at one point, isn't at another.  Actually, this argument makes sense, because that is how it started with Adam and Eve.  It was their thoughts that made their lack of clothing immodest, and so it is today.  Unfortunately, modesty and purity are not valued today as they once were.  How far must we go to prevent impure thoughts in ourselves and others?  Do we need to go back to floor length skirts, long sleeves, and high collars?  Maybe eventually. For the record, the best sunblock is clothing.  My policy for modest clothing is fairly simple - short sleeves, necklines that don't go lower than a couple of inches below the collar bone, skirt or pants at least to the knee, and nothing too tight.  Some, I know, will disagree with me, but these are my policies.
I admit, my size probably has something to do with it my clothes shopping problems.  As Dianna Barry would say, I shall probably always be something of a dumpling - a fact that only really bothers me when I'm trying to find something decent to buy.  It also doesn't help that I HATE shopping when I actually have to find something.  If I'm just browsing for the fun of it, I'll find lots of things I love, and generally at magnificent prices.  But the moment I actually have a deadline and a list -- POOF!  The clothes and low prices disappear into the wind.  I suppose if I convinced myself that I don't NEED anything new, that it would just be nice, I might find something - but I still have to fight with today's fashions.
 
Maybe it's because I don't have my own style, or rather that I'm not sure of it right now.  It's always that struggle between the cowgirl and the lady.  Bluejeans and pearls, that's me.  Wishing for a touch of sophistication...but maybe not quite blending into it.