The Rhythm of Lent

The weather warms slightly. It’s light outside a little later in theday. The vestments turn to purple. Fast and abstinence become oft-repeated kitchen words. My children know. They know that spring is on its way and the journey to Easter has begun.

They know because this has been their experience every late winter and early spring of their lives. They know because they live the rhythm of the Church year and there is deep and personal meaning in the repetition.Please read the rest here.

Favorite Baby Toy Ever

Several of you have written to ask about the saint dolls that seem to be present in almost every picture of Sarah Annie lately. They are Catholic Folk Toys and they are, far and away, her favorite toys. She spends her days lining them up on the windowsills, taking them for rides in her walker, putting them in baskets and giving them kisses. Lots of kisses. Truth be told, I bought these dolls for me--Sarah's birthday bash was just a good excuse;-). So, I'm really tickled that she loves them all so much. I've corresponded with their creator recently and she's up and running and ready to take your orders. Think Easter baskets, ladies!

Mantel Letters

The purpose of this post is to help along the search process here in the Heart of my Home. I can't count the number of ladies who have written to me frustrated that they have searched and searched for "mantle letters" but they can't find all the posts--the ones telling how to make them or the ones that tell which words I've chosen for which month.Indeed, "mantle letters" is up there among the most popular in the Lijit cloud on the righthand sidebar.

When  you search "mantle letters," you only get two posts. That's because those are the two posts when I spelled "mantel" wrong and hit publish before I corrected it. If you spell "Mantel" correctly, you get lots and lots of hits. And now, even if you spell it wrong, this post will pop up and save me from the awkward situation of correcting someone's spelling when they write to ask:-)

What about the words? How did I choose the words? I'm glad you asked! Now, I can give you the whole answer. For the most part, the words change every month. 

January: Joy

February: Simplicity

March: Simplicity is replaced with Repent on Ash Wednesday

April: Alleluia appears on Easter morning

May: Grace

June: Gentleness

July: Humility

August: Charity

September: Diligence

October: Patience

November: Gratitude (the letters actually say "Grateful.")

December: We have Prepare for the first three weeks of Advent and then we replace it with Joy on Gaudete Sunday.

Our new book is a collection of doable daily devotions. Each month's devotion is organized around a virtue. And the virtues for each month look very much like the ones in the list above:-). In the book, March is Sacrifice and April is Courage and December is Peace. There is a study guide to go with the book. There, you will find an essay on each virtue and some questions and thoughts that will lead a contemplative mom on her own or a whole group of moms studying together. There is also a section in the study guide that contains the Lenten meditations. So, with the study guide, a group of local ladies could gather once a month, talk about the virtues, see what God's word has to say, make some resolutions to encourage each other to grow, and then go home and use the devotional for daily reinforcement from the saints.

And you can paint some letters and put them on your mantle mantel to remind you all month long:-)

Past due Pp Post

We took our time on Pp week and now I've taken my time Posting all the Particulars. I don't always Post all we do along the Alphabet Path, but Pp was Particularly Packed and Pleased the People in my house enough to make it worth recording for Posterity.

Pp is for Packages delivered by Post.

~

We don't know who sent it, or even the Place from where it came. Perfect Present for these little girls (and some brothers, too)! They so enjoyed making Paper dolls. Thank you to the Present Person!

Pp is for Pellets.

Nicky is studying birds and, with Stephen's help (and not a little Persuasion), he dissected owl Pellets and reconstructed a mole skeleton.

Pp is for Peter!

Karoline was so taken with Peter in a Snowy Day that we read a few more Peter stories for Pp week:

Peter's Chair

Whistle for Willie

Pet Show!

and we brought a Peter doll into our home to love.

Pp is for Painted Pebbles

 

We painted stones a la Egyptian scarab stones, an activity in Global Art.

Pp is for Pope

Lolek: The boy Who Became Pope

This book truly deserves its own Post. Nicholas has read it countless times since he got if for Epiphany. And I've read it aloud to everyone several more times. I can't say enough about the sensitivity with which it's written. Clearly the author-illustrator team has a deep love for John Paul II. I find the illustrations utterly charming and Nicholas was quite taken with finding the whisper-printed "Totus Tuus" in every illustration. Just a perfect, perfect picture book! Check out the website here.

Warning: it has ignited in my children a Passion for Polish Pottery;-)

Pp is for a Pink Princess Party

 

Pretty, Pretty Pretzels. The Pink Princess book was also a present, from those Alphabet Path Pals across the country. Nothing like kindred spirits, is there girls?

Pp is for Popcorn Balls

We love to make and eat these and now, we think they might have magical Powers;-).

Pp is for Patricia Polacco

The Lemonade Club

Thank You/ Mr. Falker

Ginger and Petunia

When Lightning Comes in a Jar

The Keeping Quilt

I Can Hear the Sun

Thunder Cake

Rechenka's Eggs

For the Love of Autumn

Chicken Sunday

Pink and Say

The Trees of the Dancing Goats

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair

Mommies Say Shh!

Luba and Wren

Nearly every Post on the Alphabet Path has its own Author Study now. We are enjoying becoming intimately acquainted with each author.

Pp is for Pedestrian

Sarah Annie, always the dramatic one with timing milestones, has a Pp Post of her own

And, of course Pp is for St. Patrick, but we're Procrastinating a bit and we'll get to that next week.

Podcast Notes and Spring Cleaning Inspiration

We're chatting about Cleaning and Simplifying today at the Faith and Family Livecast!

Podcast Notes:

Simplicity Parenting. At last, this is my favorite parenting book. I have never had a favorite before this book. It's not Catholic, but it's just good, plain common sense. Combine it with Lifeline, for a complete parenting library. Very simple;-).

CrazyBusy, Overstretched, Overbooked and About to Snap! This is lifestyle simplification for adults.

Simplifying Your Domestic Church a beautiful, thoroughly Catholic guide to bringing simplification principles to your environment.

Keep it Simple: The Busy Catholic's guide to growing closer to God. This is simplicity for your prayer life.

Homemaking Prayers

More Links to inspire your springtime clean-sweeping:

My Not So Simple Life

More on simplicity

Rhythm and Prayer

On Being Intentional and Making Lists

Why Bother with Cleaning? (But then, be sure to read this one and this one, too;-)

Laundry, Linens and Love

Homemaking Companion Notebook (with lots of forms to use, if you like)

More Home Management Notebook Links  (look to the righthand sidebar for lots of links)