Contraception, Abortion, Population Control, and Laudato Si’
From Laudato Si': 50. Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance...
Living “The Benedict Option”
What made me smile today: Seeing all the recent posts on living "The Benedict Option", which I first saw Rod Dreher write about in 2009 (a post which I consider rather prophetic; just the title alone is enough to give you pause, in light of what's happening today). I...
My Selfish Reasons for Staying Catholic
[In response to Elizabeth's question.] Why am I still Catholic? First and foremost reason before any other is the Eucharist, where my Savior is fully present: body, blood, soul, and divinity. No other Church can offer me what my Savior, the One who died for ME (and...
Dear Bruce, You Need the Almighty, Not Caitlyn
Celebrities aren't my thing. I've just never been interested enough to keep track of what they do with their lives. But Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn, kept showing up on my network yesterday . So I'll play amateur armchair psychologist here and theorize. What really...
Living Spiritually in a Material World
One of the biggest challenges for families today is how to pursue happiness while at the same time develop the virtue of holy detachment. It’s the job of a lifetime for us, as individuals and as parents. With such easy access to one-click ordering and other conveniences, it can get difficult to maintain a spirit of simplicity and poverty. The ability to go without doesn’t get much press these days.
Sex Education in the Homeschool
A homeschooling mom friend asked how we do sex ed in our homeschool, so I'm listing some suggestions: Until age 10 or so, sex ed is pretty much "go with the flow" around here. Children are naturally curious and ask LOTS of questions related to bodies and nature, so we...
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Fresh Figs
Was getting a bit tired of our usual veggie salads, and needed more vegetarian ideas, specifically those with more of a Mediterranean bent, so I got me Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook. I cannot wait to try ALL the recipes. Okay, maybe 99%. I’m not a leg-o-lamb...
Where Dandelions Grow
Formal landscaping has never been quite my cup of tea, though I enjoy seeing them in period movies -- those pristine swaths of green, controlled and controlling, dotted with the dutifully pruned perennials and shrubs here and there. Our family seems to prefer a...
Anthony Esolen’s Life Under Compulsion
This is my favorite time of year: it's curriculum planning time! And Anthony Esolen's new book came just in time as my 9th-grader-to-be and I discuss what we're doing for Fall 2015. She'll be joining a homeschooling co-op for the first time and picking her own...
Consecration to Jesus Through Mary: A Rite of Passage
My mom has been a Marian devotee since she was a little girl. She would stand in front of the Mary statue at Church and mutter made-up prayers because she didn't know any "official" ones. She was so enamored with Mama Mary's face and just knew that someone who looks...
Prune Me, O Lord
Yard work occupies much of our time these days, trying to make up for the years when we neglected the garden because of homeschooling or babies or travel. I meant to prune our roses in February or March but it just didn't work out. And now I need to do it before...
John Lillis and Lifeboat Coffee
Typing this on a (still!) chilly spring morning while sipping John Lillis' Lifeboat Coffee. Yum!! I first heard about Lifeboat Coffee through Facebook friends, and as we're always on the look-out for pro-life businesses to support, I added Lifeboat to my shopping...
No To Divorce (A Guest Blog Post)
[This is a blog post from Veronica Cleofe-Alejar. Nikka is wife to Dong Alejar, and mother to four, two girls and two boys ages 2 to 10. She gave up her broadcasting career after the Lord converted her, but continues to use her skills and talents in the service of the...
A 2nd Grade Curriculum
Posting the 2nd Grade Curriculum I'm planning for our youngest at the request of homeschooling friends. (And as always, this is subject to change at any time for any reason.) Religion: Faith and Life 2 Baltimore Catechism First Communion A Life of Our Lord for...
“Catholic” Marriage in the Philippines
The conversation on legalizing divorce in the Philippines continues unabated in my circles, and last night's discussion led me to an AHA! moment. It is common knowledge that the Philippines is "a Catholic country". However, lately it's become clearer that many...