Changing over the winter clothes. It’s not just a matter of scooping up the cold-weather clothes out of their drawers and replacing them with hot-weather clothes, or even a matter of making a million little emotional decisions, like, “Do I throw away this ratty but beloved shirt while no one’s looking?” or “Do I pack away this baby sweater in case there is ever another baby?” It’s a matter of going up into the little girls’ room, which is unaffectionately... Read more
Michael J. Lichens contributes a guest post to The Catholic Gentleman: Black Dog Days: How to Deal With Depression. It’s sympathetic but not squishy, practical, realistic, and humble. Great read for anyone who is suffering through depression. An excerpt: Prayer is very hard when you are depressed. I, for one, have nagging doubts when I go through my black dog days. God seems silent and I wonder where He is and what He’s doing. All the same, I do pray,... Read more
I am thinking of going through (and dragging my older kids through) the home drawing course outlined in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Here’s the blurb: Translated into more than seventeen languages, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is the world’s most widely used drawing instruction book. Whether you are drawing as a professional artist, as an artist in training, or as a hobby, this book will give you greater confidence in your ability and deepen your... Read more
PIC snake eating itself When we are tempted to fall into chronic worry, free-falling anxiety, brooding, endless guilt, and despair, we are falling for a lie. We are turning our hearts over to a false lover, an abuser who wants to control us and make us whimper, make us pay. There are things to worry about. There are reasons to fear, reasons to dread. These things are true, and there’s no point in telling myself, “There is nothing... Read more
No reason, just curious! We really wanted “I Walk the Line,” but with a music budget of zero, and in those dark pre-internet days, I couldn’t find a copy of it in time. It would have been a good pick, though. My husband told his friends that we were planning to dance to “Under My Thumb” (and it’s possible that it even made it into the local newspaper’s wedding page this way. It also said that we honeymooned at the... Read more
I’ve seen this picture here and there online, and I like it. I like it a lot. Of course, this would only work with kids who can read. Or, let’s face it, this would only work with kids who are not actively campaigning to drive you out of your gourd. But it should work. It’s a good idea in theory, and some days, that is the best you can get. However, it needs expanding. For instance, here is a... Read more
The Bishop reminded the confirmandi that it wasn’t that long ago that they received a cross of ashes on their foreheads, signifying to them that this day is fleeting, this life is fleeting. We will all someday die. Then he reminded them to take note of the new cross that was on their foreheads as he spoke. This was cross made of sweet, spicy chrism, a shining cross which has something new to say: You were not made for death. Oh,... Read more
It would be hard to overstate how much Looney Tunes means to me. When that WB logo blossoms out of the void, it’s like a flower of joy blooming in my heart. That’s what it’s like, okay? We all have our favorite scenes from Looney Tunes, and the kids can recite long swaths of dialogue by heart. But some phrases have actually worked their way into our everyday speech, to the point where we don’t even realize we’re quoting, say,... Read more
Journalism shmournalism. This stuff is easy. Read more
Why would he do it? What message is he sending? PIC prodigal son icon Read more
I Have to Sit Down
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