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I had to do this for one of my classes, so I thought I'd share :)

Saint Barbara Branches

I love Advent.  Besides the beautiful weather (you have to admit that 6" of fresh, fluffy snow is beautiful,) but it is mostly because of the many fun little traditions -- as well as more somber ones -- my family has during this month-long period of preparation.  I hope to be able post about each, but I know the end of the semester will be hectic, so I make no guarantees.
In the next week there are three "major" advent feasts for my family: The feast of St. Barbara today, Dec. 4th,  the feast of St. Nicholas on Monday, Dec. 6th, and the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday, Dec. 8th.
The story of St. Barbara is like a fairy tale.  Her father locked her in a tower to protect her from the outside world, especially the numerous unsavory suitors attracted by her great beauty.  Unknown to her father, Barbara converted to Christianity and consecrated herself to God as a virgin.  Long story short, her father found out about her conversion when Barbara ordered a third window constructed in honor of the Blessed Trinity. He ordered her death, and struck the killing blow himself.  He was struck by lightning and killed for his evil deed.  Legend has it that Saint Barbara had a twig from a cherry tree that she watered while locked up in her tower.  The twig bloomed, cheering her lonely quarters.  Another legend says that the twig was caught in her gown and bloomed when she died. And so came the tradition of cutting cherry branches on St. Barbara's feast day of December 4th.  Apple and plum also work, and I've heard that lilac does as well.  The simple way to do it is to cut the branches, then recut the ends under running water, either at an angle or with a slit up the stem a couple of inches.  Keep the branches in clean water and they will bloom by Christmas.  They say that whoever's branch has the most blossoms on it by Christmas is Mary's favorite.  Another traditions says that if the unmarried maidens cut a branch and their branch blooms on Christmas Eve, the girl will be married the following year.  My sisters and I will be trying that this year- I'll let you know how it goes!
If you want a more specific way of cutting and forcing the branches, click here.

St. Andrew Novena

I fully intended to do some research and write up a nice little history and such on this, but I ran out of time. So here's the short version. Also, I realize that it is a little late.

The St. Andrew Novena is to be recited 15 times a day from the Feast of St. Andrew on November 30th (yes, I know that is today, and that it is almost over,) to Christmas Eve.




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.


(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur
+MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897

For more info, wait until next year or visit

http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent7.html (Fisheaters is one of my favorite sources for Catholic Tradition Info!)

http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/qt/Andrew_Novena.htm

http://www.4marks.com/articles/details.html?article_id=5851 (Probably the best out of these three for information on the St. Andrew Novena)

My family and I have been praying this Novena for the last few years, and I also find it to be a wonderful meditation for the Advent season.  I believe I have also had some favorable results in obtaining favors.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!  I hope everyone has a nice long list of things to be thankful for this year!
I was asked to email this recipe to my sister this morning, so I thought that since I had it on the computer, I would share it with the rest of the world.  I cannot take credit for this recipe, although I slightly modified the amounts to fit into a larger pan.  It is a Taste of Home Recipe, originally titled "Mom's Sweet Potato Bake." I don't know what year it came out, but it has been a favorite at our house since we first made it.  It is good hot, cold, and in between.  It is an excellent side dish, and also a good desert.  I think I've had the leftovers for breakfast a few times, too.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients

• 4 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (40 oz. can or cooked prepared without milk or butter)
• 1 ⅓ cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 
  TOPPING:
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 teaspoons cold butter (2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a greased 9”x13” baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160º or a knife comes out clean;.

The original recipe can be found here: Mom's Sweet Potato Bake Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

Adoro te Devote: I Am the Dog, Baby

Here is an interesting -- and relevant -- rant by an excellent blogger:
Adoro te Devote: I Am the Dog, Baby

I go back and forth with facebook. Sometimes, I really enjoy it. I have a few friends who are excellent posters. They post the funny little events and details in their lives, and give me a glimpse into a world outside my own. They bring a smile on a dreary day, and I am thankful for that. But facebook, and other social networks, have a dark side, too.
The downside of facebook is the ease with which a person can hurt another person. Sometimes this is done intentionally, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes the hurt seems to be the fact that so-and-so found out on facebook. Big news or small, complaint or triumph, I have seen many people post things that they should have told people personally (whether that be phone, email, letter, or face-to-face) instead of blabbing it to everyone on their friends list. I have been guilty this myself. You get caught up in the moment and it doesn't take long to hit that post button. Sometimes my home feed feels more like a supermarket tabloid because of this! Then, we see it on facebook, and have to comment. Pretty soon we are sure we know the whole story. It's like a party line with hundreds of people listening in, yet so many don't seem to care.
I like the way people are able to connect on facebook, I really do. I like the way great aunt Mary can watch little Joe take his first steps and how cousin Len in Australia can see all the pictures from the Christmas party hours after. I like how I can pray for friends who I know need it, and I like how the words of wisdom from a three-year-old can be passed on to hundreds who need to hear them. But these are only good things if we remember to stay closer to those who are closer to us. Pick up the phone and CALL your mom, your sister, and your best friend. Then think about posting it, and remember that EVERYONE is listening in.

Stop in and Say Hi...

Hi all!
Yes, it is 1 am, and yes, I should be sleeping.  I just finished a history assignment and figured a few more minutes awake wouldn't hurt, right?
Anyhow, I just looked at the stats on my blog, and found out that I've been getting a lot more traffic than I thought!  Either that or there's a glitch in the system and my computer is lying to me.  Who knows.  Either way, I'd love to see who's out there, if anyone, reading my blog....shoot.  I just saw a mouse run under my desk.  Got to go.
God Bless,
Rae
P.S.
Any comments will be posted directly if anyone wants to say hi and where they are from, or how they got here, or whatever.  :)

Taxes

Taxes.  That inevitable force in life, right next to death.  Funny, we seem to avoid both, don't we?  If you ask me, too much of either isn't very healthy.  Taxes have come up two of my classes the past couple of weeks.  First was in my Business Plan Developement Class.  If you have a business, you really can't legally avoid taxes.  If anyone knows a way around that without running into the risk of liability, let me know.  The other class that has prompted ponderings is my U.S. History class.  We are studying the events leading up to the American Revolution.  I shan't get into details, but apperently taxes had something to do with it.  It was something about the British raising taxes to pay for things that America neither wanted nor needed, and America not having a say in things like the rest of England. I guess I'd be pretty irritated too, if my government was taking my hard earned cash and using it to pay for things that I didn't think it should be paying for.  Especially if I was loosing out in other ways.  What would really bug me would be if I knew that the majority voted one way and the government still insisted on doing things another way.
Now, I do know that taxes are in many ways a necissary evil.  After all, taxes pay for things like roads and these community college classes I'm taking.  But it seems like that money goes for many things that I really don't see the benefit of, too.  Such as bike trails that people drive their SUVs to to get exercise.  I could probably go on all night.  But when it comes down to it, grandpa says it best.  This is a video clip from one of my favorite movies, You Can't Take it With You.