Skirt Wars and My Skirt Phase

Anyone who knows me knows I love skirts. Long, full, swishy skirts are a delight and joy to wear.  Do I feel that skirts are extra-feminine?–yup; are skirts the ONLY clothing that is feminine?–nope. Do I feel skirts can be very modest?–yup; are skirts the only clothing that can be modest?–nope. My loving skirts does NOT mean I hate your jeans. Most clothing choices have modest versions but any of them can be made raunchy if you try hard enough. A person’s tastes and preferences in clothing vary over time.  I’ve had my pantsuit phase, my jeans and t-shirt phase, … Continue reading

Awesome Priests

I was browsing the internet for another post I plan to make and came across a comment about Catholic Priests who pray the prayers of exorcism outside of abortion clinics.  All I could think was COOL!!  Another blogger at the blog Coming Home quoted the article and there were some good comments on that blog: here. Although I found the initial reference on the blog Barefoot and Pregnant. These priests are awesome! Just sayin’ Here is something I pray for priests and bishops: Dear God, please give great strength to the guardian angels of all priests and bishops. Please give … Continue reading

I Have Met Supermom!!!

I have MET SUPERMOM! I recently read an article in the Texas Home School Coalition Review (August 2011, Vol. 15, Issue 3)* titled “Insights From a Supermom Wannabe” in which the author made the conclusion, “Supermom does not exist.” and my instant response was, “Yes she does and I know who she is!” This mother demonstrated utter faith in God, total obedience to God’s will, a deep humility in her own person, modesty in all her actions, dedication to her vocation, patience in adversity, kindness to others, and an eagerness to serve God no matter what it was going to … Continue reading

Learning to Dress Modestly

It can be done!  You can be dressed modestly and also be appropriate for the office.  You can be dressed modestly and avoid being frumpy.  Just think about the various styles that have existed over the history of clothing and realize that today there is a wider variety of styles in fashion than ever before– it can be very exciting and confusing. One delightful book about modest style is IT’S SO YOU by Mary Sheehan Warren, which is about finding your personal style and colors and being frugal and stylish by buying only what works for YOU;  another is THE … Continue reading

Modesty and Victorian Re-creations

“Victorian women were feminine, perhaps the most deliberately feminine females of history, and dressed and carried themselves to look the part. Steampunk lasts in part because the Steampunkettes dress in pseudo-Victorian costume, and it looks very cute and very female. It is refreshing change from the dull unisex monotony of modernity.”–John C Wright–A Salute to Steam-Powered Cuteness The attraction of steampunk clothing to the modern woman interested in feminine and modest clothing that delights her own creative nature is in the period of clothing from which it takes inspiration. John C. Wright, over at his blog, gets into the reasons … Continue reading

Home School or Not?

I am a traditional home school mom with leanings toward unschooling and a highly independent streak. My reasons for home schooling are based on academic, educational philosophy, and religious foundations. I highly value the autonomy that is the hallmark of home schooling and when that autonomy is sacrificed then what you have is no longer home school. I chose home school to get AWAY from a teacher trained for government schools telling me when and what to teach my kids.  I wanted autonomy and primacy in educational decisions. Day before yesterday, I read an article about the permutations of home … Continue reading

Restoring the Ancient Order of the Sacraments of Initiation

Bishop Aquila of Fargo wants to see the Sacraments of Initiation restored to their historic order.  I am very excited by this move because the main thing that has bothered me about the modern separation and re-ordering of the Sacraments of Initiation is that the historical reason for permitting the change no longer exists. Originally the Pope permitted Eucharist to be received even if Confirmation had not been because Confirmation required the presence of the Bishop and due to problems traveling some parishes might not see the Bishop except once in a decade or longer.  Rather than force people to … Continue reading

Pregnancies and Culturally Driven Comments

Pregnancy is one of those things about which EVERYBODY seems to feel they have right to make comments.  I don’t happen to agree.  I think pregnancy is a wonderful thing between the parents and everyone else needs to mind their own business. Over at A Woman’s Place Depends on Her Vocation, there is a good posting on comments made to her during her pregnancies: Appropriate Responses to Joyful Baby News. I’ve had some interesting comments over the years and I’ve a rather small family.  My young motherhood was spent in a college town and sometimes young college kids can be … Continue reading

Space shuttle and Apollo program

I remember the first moon landing.  It was a VERY big deal in our family since we are natives of the home town of the first man to walk on the mood.  Neil Armstrong grew up in our community and everybody was up watching the first landing on the moon. I remember that the arrival on the moon and the first moon walk impacted the mind of our culture in a way that nothing else in my short life had.  We were no longer a people who had never left the planet, we were suddenly a people who could someday … Continue reading

Community Building

Our Church is supposed to be a family and a community but so often it is simply the place where we go to Mass and then go home. One common solution to this is to attempt to turn the Mass into a social connecting time.  This is a serious error for this reason: Mass is for worshiping God and becoming closer to Christ through participation in the Liturgy of the Word and in receiving the Eucharist.  Our unity as a community comes through our unity with God and to change the Mass is to downplay this essential aspect.  Keep the … Continue reading