Blessed

Announcing the birth of my daughter (pictured above with her big sister who has waited through 4 brothers to finally have a baby sister)
Zelie Pia Therese.

Deo Gratias. Safe delivery, mom and baby are well and we are settling in our new home just in time. Even the Ridgeback is adjusting to her new charge.

A New Beginning

So Lent is upon us. After much thought and prayer since Septuagesima Sunday, our family has an action plan. It may well be one that finds us on Easter Sunday as a different family than we are today. We've tossed this around quite a bit over the years and I admit that I'm the weak link here. What are we giving up finally as a family this lent? Television.

I've been advised by a number of people that it is a decision they never regretted. That it's best done "cold turkey" which lent provides a sharp opportunity for.

I also have many things I want to do both with the kids and for my kids and family, and have found TV to be a colossal waste of time. But as they say, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

So, taking Drew's advice as a classical homeschooling family, I will be starting a serious study of Latin and Ancient Greek. That will be a daily exercise for me. So, I've got the Henle set ordered, will be carrying my flash cards around at all times, and will try to put the new found time to constructive use. As for the Greek, I took a chance on a text that seemed very friendly to an adult learner looking to self teach. Probably the only positive residue from my fraternity time is that I know the greek alphabet so that's a bit of a headstart. Hopefully over the years I can not only take in the classics in the original tongue, but also help with that part of our homeschooling.

So, there will also be strict adherence (for me) to the 1962 guidelines for the lenten fast. Dani is escaping once again because child number six is on the way. How's that for sneaking some good news in there.

So, moving at my usual geologic speed some decisions were arrived at. This spring we are ditching the tube, and putting the house up for sale. So we are moving. We are looking to find a bit of land somewhere and definitely a bigger house. A basement would be nice. And, oddly, I've decided to return to the blog after a hiatus. I think the focus on our classical homeschooling, and other related adventures of our growing family will find expression here from time to time. A fruitful lent to all and happy fat Tuesday.

Preparing for lent

Also, check out this excellent post from Tony at Benedictus Deus for some more about preparing yourself for lent.

As Lent Begins

I'll be doing some light blogging throughout lent highlighting what life is like at our little chapel during lent as well as my personal experiences during this penitential season. No beard this year however...
My wife and I will be keeping the traditional lenten practices and do not take this commitment lightly which makes it a bit daunting. That is the point of this exercise however, and we do need to give much of ourselves almost to the point where we give up things that are quite dear to us and that might even scare us a bit to think about going without. Detachment is the name of the game. We need to detach ourselves from the desires of the flesh and join ourselves to the cross.

Having said that. Here is a recipe that will likely become a staple at our home this lent. You had me at garlic... Courtesy of the ignorant redneck.

Garlic Soup:

To serve six adults:

3 Bulbs Garlic
3 white onions
3 potatoes
2 leeks
olive oil
salt
pepper
2-3 qts water, vegitable broth or bullion.

Mince or crush the garlic, (a garlic crusher helps!) and chop the onions thin. Place them in a pot with enough olive oil to keep them srom sticking and brown them as you would for onion soup--about 25-30 mins. Stir often enough to prevent burning. You want them a light brown or golden colour. While this is happening, slice the white portion of the leeks thin, about 1/8" or less, (depending on your knife, really) The thinner the better. Dice the potatoes to about 1/2".

When the onions and garlic are browned add the liquid and the 'taters. Poke the leeks so that they are circles and add them also, boil sharply for about 20 mins, until the 'taters are done.
Salt and pepper to taste. sneak up on the salt, it takes more than you might think, but to much ruins it quick.

Serve over Giant Croutons:

Slice french bread, whole wheat or multigrain is best, about 1/2"-3/4" thick. (Some prefer thicker--but it's a fast day) Dry them in the oven at about 175 deg. When they are getting hard, top with swiss, chedder or other cheese--something that melts well, and strong flavours work well here. When the chees is melted and begins to brown, remove and cool a little--so they can be handled.

Put the giant croutons into a bowl, ladel the soup over them and eat.

The mortification begins when you realize you can't have seconds!

Merry Christmas All

Many blessings to you all this Christmas. I am looking forward to a week and a half off with the family, with no where particular to go, and nothing particular to do. The kids are now snug in there beds as it were, and we just enjoyed an astounding Christmas Eve dinner at my mother and father's. Scallops, shrimp, crab legs, mussels, clams, filet mignon. I know they think I was flattering them, but it was possibly the best dinner I've ever had. It's been a wonderful tradition spending Christmas eve as we have, and we are off to midnight mass shortly. My father will be sitting with the kids, but we all long for the day when he is sitting in the pew with us.

So Merry Christmas again, and as the light soon shines in the darkness may that light that is the peace and truth of Christ shine in you all year.

God Bless....

Congratulations are in order

Congratulations to the Culbreath Family on the birth of their daughter Anne! Prayers also for mom if you'd be so kind.

Summorum Pontificum

Tony at Benedictus Deus has created a great pamphlet that he is offering to spread word about Summorum Pontificum which took effect on Friday. Please pass the word as you need or see fit.

We had some great enthusiasm in the diocese here as one priest offered his first mass at Midnight Friday morning, others occured throughout the weekend and we had a couple of guest priests at Mater Ecclesiae on Saturday morning and Sunday. Our good Fathers who have been deprived as well from their rightful vocation as fathers who feed their flock can now offer the "most beautiful thing this side of heaven".

Go see how Father Johansen celebrated. I myself kicked back when I got home and raised a pint of Guinness to our Holy Father who has made clear that we are entitled to the mass of the ages and despite what decades of hippies, heretics and modernists have claimed it is not evil nor has it been banned. If fact, almost two thousand years of holy saints and martyrs would give evidence to the contrary. Now, let places begin to flourish around the Extraordinary Form. Let's stop with the parish closings, including places like our diocese where they will be closed because of an agenda and not because of financial difficulties. Find refuge in the timelessness and glimpse of eternity at the mass and separate yourself from the world. Where there were inverted Lifeteen masses, let there now be the extraordinary form celebrated. Give the kids something to live and die for. Give them the doctrine of the Church and not a watered down catechism. Let them know without a doubt what the truth is so they can clearly decide before they leave the church after their confirmation what they are really doing. Rant complete...though I will be back shortly with the photos of the baptism I had been promising. Sorry, I've been a busy Dad lately. Homeschooling started this week, I've been giving some first fruits of my labor to the church by painting the classrooms for Catechism classes for the kids, and moving my lab at work. That with bathtime, dinnertime and the occasional backyard rugby match with the kids and there hasn't been much time for blogging.

Ronan Michael's Baptism Part 1

Here is a little video of Ronan's Godmother (my sister) holding Ronan as Father Pasley Baptizes him yesterday morning. There will be many more photos to follow. Maybe some more video as well. It was a beautiful day, and we are so grateful to our family and many friends from Mater Ecclesiae who came to celebrate the day with us.