Family in Feast and Feria

I'm probably the last person in the 4Real Community who hasn't bought Melissa Wiley's Little House books (Charlotte and Martha years). Since I had a son who couldn't read yet, I thought I would wait and use my money in other ways. But I was getting nervous, because the books were being abridged, some were out of print, and when searching in my used book spots I could never find a copy. And the 4Real Learning boards made it worse, because some people were searching for so long for certain titles.

So when I caught her recent post about Two More Places to buy her unabridged versions, I took the plunge and bought them all.

I now can breathe more easily...my quest is over. They aren't hardback, sigh...but at least I'll have a complete collection.

Now I hope this baby is a girl for all those girl books I've been collecting...and I hope dh understands. ;-)

I'll start this post with a confession. Frankly, I'm overwhelmed. I don't know how you moms do it!, like Theresa at Lapaz Farm and Maryan are coming to mind right now, but I know there are many others! I really want to implement more presentations of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, but there's so much prep work involved. And then Montessori activities...well, I won't go there today. If only I was made of money, I would buy all the materials ready-made if I could! I just get overwhelmed...I need to think in smaller, workable chunks for my son. I know it's my fault--lack of organization, selfishness, laziness. All of you mothers have much more on your plate, but you're prioritizing much better than I!

Holy Week is upon us and I haven't anything for presentations for this week. I'm hoping to get my Crucifixion and Resurrection Fontanini scene before Good Friday (a wonderful gift), as that will help. No Last Supper scene this year unless I can whip up some paper figures in time...which I will try to do.

I am preparing in one area, but it's not found in the COGS. At the beginning of Lent I pulled out all the books for the feast days and the pertinent Bible Stories to prepare for Easter. I was thinking about the Easter Vigil, the Old Testament, and the types of Christ.

Two of the books are by one of our favorite illustrators, Peter Spier. The first is Noah's Ark, his Caldecott Award book (did you read the article in this month's Faith and Family?) and the second is the other children's favorite, The Book of Jonah. (Note that the reviews mention that the 2001 version of this book is not the Biblical passages, but a fictionalized version. We are using the 1985 version.)

My son was immediately captivated by the story of Jonah, the odd names of Nineveh and Tarshish, and that wonderfully big fish. I wondered at first if he understood the whole story, as it was the exact reading from the Bible. This week he showed it to two of his cousins, and was explaining the whole story, from Tarshish to the ship, to staying in the Fish for 3 days and 3 nights until the fish "spitted him out", until back to Nineveh with the sackcloth and ashes. Spier's illustrations capture the story well, and his cousins were enthralled. Not to worry, ds had it down pat.

In discussing Jonah, I pointed out how he was in the fish for 3 days, just as Christ was in the tomb. And we put ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday to show repentance and change.

I then remembered a project from The Year and Our Children written by Mary Reed Newland, called A Jonas Project, with the tie-in discussion of Christ, Jonah and Holy Week. So I have decided to incorporate this project. The illustrations from the books aren't exactly templates, so I'm creating my own pattern and will transfer it to cardstock and create the tray. If I get them done in time I'll make a .pdf file of my patterns and post them...but it's all pretty simple and straightforward. I showed ds today and he's thrilled. He couldn't wait to have the figures...in fact, he took my sketches and starting acting them out immediately.

May you have a blessed Holy Week.

I love bookplates, and I enjoyed this WSJ Opinion Piece Still Stuck: After all these years, some of us still appreciate bookplates by Joanne Kaufman. She mentions Bookplate Ink in her article, although I had to search for the website. The prices are reasonable. Now how to personalize? "The Miller Family"?

I still have a few bookplates leftover from my childhood. These were the kind that had that famous Girl Reading by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and I would write my name in the blank spot provided. It would be nice to have some preprinted with our name. Maybe someday.

I did some Googling. Read all about Bookplates and see an exceptional gallery of historical ones. I didn't realize there was a whole collector's world of bookplates!

Bookplates.com has a "deal" of 250 for $90. I don't think so! I have over a thousand books, so the cost would add up quickly. And I could buy more books with that kind of money! I think I'll stick with Bookplate Ink.

Here you can print out some blank plates for free. Have to love that price!

Do you use bookplates? Did you make your own? What kind of glue did you use? Any recommendations? I'd love to hear if there are fellow bookplate lovers...

On Monday I read about Kristina's great experience Meeting Tomie at a booksigning. She encouraged checking Tomie's Calendar to see if he'll be coming to store nearby.

I was so tired, that at first when I read October 25 in Middleburg, I thought "Darn, I missed it." Then I looked at the calendar and realized that was THIS Wednesday and I could make it. And he was coming to my favorite historic, quaint town of Middleburg which wasn't exactly next door, but it would be a beautiful scenic drive through rolling hills of horse country with the mountains in the background and the beautiful fall colors...Oh, I thought, I definitely have to do this!

My son is three, but a huge fan of Tomie dePaola. We've read many of his books, including of course, Strega Nona, many of his Christmas themed books, his saint books, his books about Mary, his humorous books...the list is long. One of the highlights of course is to search for the heart signature in the pictures. We've only met one book that he doesn't enjoy, and that's Pancakes for Breakfast. The reason: he dislikes the disaster page...it's upsetting to him.

The books he loves the most are the stories that get me all choked up when I read, like Now One Foot, Now the Other, and the autobiographical picture books Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs (the perfect book we read when my grandmother died last year) and The Art Lesson (which has inspired him to color and paint all the time).

But when I asked which is his favorite Tomie book and The Baby Sister came his most definite reply, every time I asked. I know he enjoys it because of the relationship between Tomie and his mother, but he also wants a baby sister...and prays just like Tomie in this book. Shall I say from his mouth to God's ear, please?

But to share this moment with other Tomie fans would make the day even more perfect, so one of my sisters and two friends, Rachel and Mary Chris, whom I've met from 4RealLearning Forums all joined up to meet Tomie. There were 14 children and 5 adults.

Most of us arrived early, and entered the vine covered, tiny but adorable book shop, bought our books and walked over to an adorable cafe for a snack while we waited for the arrival of our author. When we sent a few of the boys on a scouting mission to see if there was a line forming, the answer came back negative. We were puzzled, because we were sure this was going to be a jam-packed, overflowing crowd. So we walked back around the corner to sit in front of the bookshop until the time came, but Tomie was already there and he was starting early!

Mr. dePaola is so great to meet in person. He's just so gracious and unassuming and he just fills the room. He's warm and welcoming, and offered to pose for pictures...nothing was too much to ask. He even stood and posed for a 4Real group picture.

He was surprised at how young my son was for his enthusiasm for his books. (Caught my son at a bad blink in the picture.) My son was being shy, so I told him his favorite book, and what else we enjoyed, and thanked him for sharing his gift. I told him the story of my mother reading The Clown of God while babysitting my niece and nephew. My sister came home and found my mother was just sobbing with the kids on her lap. He loved the story and said that's the effect he's going for. BTW, his publicist said that The Clown of God was her favorite book.

The time with him wasn't long enough (is it ever)? I spent last night thinking of things I wanted to tell him. I think I need to write to him...I have some suggestions for saint picture books. ;-) But I digress.

After walking past the historic Red Fox Inn, to show an actual place where "George Washington slept here", we went to the local school playground for some play time. The children had a blast climbing on the equipment, and all got along really well.

It was a lovely memory-making day. I'm so grateful to have seen one of our favorite authors and to share the joy with my son, family and friends.


Our 4Real Group Picture, Rachel, Mary Chris and Jenn, our children and Tomie! It's not completely focused, my apologies! But you can still see those happy faces!

During which we go Bohemian...or at least delve into the patron saint of Bohemia.

September 28 is the Optional Memorial of St. Wenceslas, martyr, otherwise known at Christmastime as "Good King Wenceslas." This feast is usually overlooked because of several reasons, one being that understanding how he died is hard for little ones, let alone grown-ups. Another reason, the following day is the big Feast of the Archangels, and then soon after St. Therese the Little Flower, the Guardian Angels and St. Francis of Assisi -- some big feasts that overshadow this memorial.

But St. Wenceslas gives a little peek into Christmas time. Last year we had one picture book that had the words to the carol "Good King Wenceslas." My son loved it, wanted to sing it all the time and by Christmas he knew all the words to all the verses -- quite a feat considering he was only 2 at the time and I still stumble over some of the words. So before the hustle and bustle of Advent and Christmas preparation, it's nice to isolate a Christmas carol and delve in a little deeper into our Church's history. And, if St. Stephen happens to be a family member's patron saint, that's a perfect reason for finding out more about St. Wenceslas!

There's another reason why I enjoy Wenceslas and connect Christmas with this saint. When Pope John Paul II came to Czestochowa, Poland in 1991 for the World Youth Day, my sister and I joined a group pilgrimage. One of our stops along the way to Poland was in the city of Prague. I hope to go back someday -- this city is just too wonderful for words -- I think it's been called the Rome of the East? Some of the sights to see, the Charles River and Charles Bridge, the Infant of Prague and the St. Vitus Cathedral, which includes the Chapel of Wenceslas and houses his relics. One of my favorite impressions at the Cathedral was to see near one of the doors the markings of 19 + C + M + B + 91. Our family has always marked our house every Epiphany, so it was a welcome sight to see the same tradition miles away from home. Dawn had just written a delightful post on this tradition. See? I'm not the only one with Christmas on the mind.

The difficulty with St. Wenceslas is his story. It's not a charming bedtime story for children. The harshness of his reality could be hard for younger ears. He was born around the year 907, he was from Bohemia, which later became Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia and the Czech Republic. His country was filled with people who did not believe in God. His grandmother, St. Ludmilla, taught him his faith. When his mother, who was not a faithful Christian, wanted him to renounce his Christianity, he wouldn't. But she thought killing her mother-in-law would help, so Ludmilla died a martyr for her faith. Then later, Wenceslas lived a Cain and Abel story, where his younger brother Boleslav killed him because of his faith. But there is a happy ending, as Boleslav repented and converted and followed in Wenceslas footsteps to bring his country to the fullness of Christianity. Ludmilla and Wenceslas did not die in vain. And these are two saints to invoke when grandparents are helping raise their grandchildren, particularly in the Faith.

So, dwelling on the Christmas carol, and talking about Wenceslas' good works is a way to introduce St. Wenceslas to younger children. John Neale wrote the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" because the feast of St. Stephen, December 26, was traditionally Boxing Day in England, a day money and gifts were given to poor and servants. Wenceslas' good deeds for the poor were perfect examples of Boxing Day, and so a carol was born. As the children get older we can help them understand the history and culture. But even as an adult it's hard to comprehend the harshness of this different culture and time.

We've been enjoying these books this week, preparing for his feast day. To add these to your own personal library means these books play double duty -- bringing them out September 28 and at the Christmas season, particularly on the feast of St. Stephen, December 26. Most of these were at my local library, and I know that there are many more versions of picture books that use the lyrics of the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" (or Wenceslaus) by John Mason Neale as the text. Wenceslas was not a King, but a Duke, but it doesn't ruin the storyline. The text was set to the tune of the thirteenth-century air "Tempus adest floridum," which celebrated the flowers of spring. this site gives wonderful information about this Christmas carol.

Good King Wenceslas: A Legend in Music and Pictures by Mary Reed Newland. We began with this book last year. I'm a fan of Mary Reed Newland, so I found this out-of-print version to add to my collection. She illustrates it with beautiful black and white scratch drawings, and the calligraphy is done by Anita Karl. She begins her book with a historical introduction of the carol and the life of Wenceslas. It's not elementary reading, but it's great information. Here's a tidbit:

People in Czechoslovakia and many other places, too, have always remembered Wenceslas. It was written of him that he "kept the faith, helping the wretched, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, protecting widows and orphans, ransoming prisoners, and loving and caring for the rich and poor alike." When John Mason Neale set out to write a carol for the feast of St. Stephen which falls on December 26 his thoughts immediately went to Wenceslas. The feast of St. Stephen is the day when people in Neale's country, England, give gifts to the poor. And he saw other similarities between the two saints. So John Mason Neale, writing in in the year 1853, created a new legend of Wenceslas in his lovely carol and helped keep the young ruler's example fresh for the people of our day.

Mrs. Newland in her newly reprinted A Year with Our Children tells the story of St. Wenceslas in a different way, but you can get more flavor of her storytelling.

Good King Wenceslas by Pauline Baynes, the same illustrator of the Chronicles of Narnia. This is a short biography of Saint Wenceslas.. The text is simple, a little too advanced for my 3 yos, but fine for elementary age. This is the only picture book that I've found (in-print) that gives a larger picture of his life. It also includes the music and text of the carol. Life in Bohemia and this era was a bit harsh, so decide beforehand that you want to talk about mean mothers who kill their mother-in-law, and brother killing brother. It's how martyrs are made, but sometimes hard to discuss. Baynes incorporates different legends that illustrate Wenceslas' virtues. It's a short, small book, but the illustrations and text are wonderful. If you need one book about St. Wenceslas (that's in print), I'd recommend this one. This is also the one book that tells us that the page's name was Poidevin.

Good King Wenceslas illustrated by Tim Ladwig. This one starts in the City of Prague, showing the statue of St. Wenceslas in the town square, and relates the text from the Carol in pictures. Watercolor, liquid acrylic, and oil on paper. Includes a dog as the page's companion.

Good King Wenceslas illustrated by Christopher Manson, worth finding for the unique artwork. The illustrations are woodcuts, painted with watercolor and the text was hand lettered and cut in wood.

Good King Wencelas illustrated by Jamichael Henterly. It's a shame this is out-of-print, as this is the my favorite of the carol books. There are little touches throughout this book that illustrate Wenceslas' faith, such as crucifixes, and a little St. Agnes shrine by the fountain. The opening pages show Wenceslas looking out the window, and his page sleeping next to a table with an open illuminated manuscript, the page showing the Nativity scene with the three wise men. The final scene in the book the page and Wenceslas are in the home of the peasant. The mother is holding the illuminated manuscript and her children surround her, looking in awe. I like the idea that not only does St. Wenceslas feed them and provide warmth, but he also brings food for the soul and mind. A book is a wonderful gift! Another point of the illustrations is when Wenceslas and his page are trudging through the snow, Wenceslas' image is reminiscent of Advent and Christmas images -- St. Nicholas? Father Christmas?

Elizabeth suggested another picture book entitled Stephen's Feast
by Jean Richardson, illustrated by Alice Englander. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but it is a great one to add to the list. It tells the story of Stephen, the king's youngest page, who was celebrating his birthday on the feast of St. Stephen. King Wenceslas asks him to assist him to help the peasant. Stephen doesn't want to miss the revelry and celebration back at the castle, but helping the poor family teaches him a lesson of Christian virtue. The storyline and pictures are wonderful. This book is perfect for those named after St. Stephen.

Wenceslas by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by Christian Birmingham. I have not seen this book, but it has found rave reviews.

A non-picture biography on St. Wenceslas that is hard-to-find, is A King Without a Crown by Brother Roberto, C.S.C., (although this says Bro. Ernst), one of the Dujarie Press titles.

Joan Windham has a nice little story for St. Wenceslas which I found in Story Library of the Saints. Email me at jennifergmillernospam@gmail.com (remove "no spam") if you would like me to mail you a Word document of the text.

From Religion in the Home for a Preschooler comes the suggestion to act out St. Wenceslas' story.

Reading about St. Wenceslas shouldn't just stop at his story, but expand and learn more about his country and particularly the city of Prague. Most Catholics have heard or seen the devotion to the Infant of Prague (more information here), housed in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague. More sites: Prague Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, and St. Vitus Cathedral, Jewish Cemetery and Quarter to name a few.

The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis is a wonderful picture book to give a glimpse of Prague. I chanced upon this book at a used book store...I had never heard of it before, but thrilled to find out the subject matter. The author grew up in Prague and tries to recapture his lost childhood and celebrates the wonderful cultural heritage of the city. He includes different legends tied into the city. The pictures are haunting but yet captivating, even capturing a young 3-year-old's interest. After reading this book, track down photos of the architecture to compare the picture book with reality.

For further info, see Travel for Kids in the Czech Republic.

For more on St. Wenceslas, see:
Patron Saints Index Wenceslaus
Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Wenceslas, from Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

If you've made it this far, I thought I should mention that Wenceslas is the patron of brewers. Pilsener (or pilsner) is a pale lager that first originated in the city of Pilsen of western Bohemia (now Czech Republic). So for Wenceslas' feast, raise a glass of pilsner in the saint's name (for the adults, of course!).

St. Wenceslas, pray for us.

My son enjoys books illustrated by Simms Taback. Our first introduction was Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, both the book and Scholastic Video.

Recently we acquired There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly and watched the Scholastic Video also. Ds has been singing the song day and night, and adding in extra animals and verses.

But I think he's gone too far. Last night we had steak and mashed potatoes for dinner. To our surprise, he kept asking for more steak. He was singing "I know an Old Lady who swallowed a fly" and eating away. It wasn't until the third helping that he asked "More flies, please" that I realized he was playing that the little pieces of steak were flies!

After posting yesterday on the blessing of extra towels...and before my extra towels were even put away I find myself ankle deep in water--AGAIN! The third day with a flood related incident! This one is the biggest this week. Our washer drains into a utility tub, and a towel blocked the drain and...well, it's too gruesome to describe. Let's just summarize and say it's wet, wet, wet in my basement.

The thoughts that run through your head while you're trying to soak up gallons of water: Try to remain calm; Offer it up (that's my mother's voice, for sure); Meditate on symbolisms of water, like Baptism, Noah's Ark. But the most pervasive thoughts: Do I have enough towels? Will this be the last time this week? Is God preparing me for a Flood or something?

Memories flood (sorry!) my mind...how the house I lived in Houston as a young girl for 6 years would flood at every rain. And I really mean flood. The stress of cleanup and the lingering smell of wet carpet is not a fond memory.

I do have a favorite memory about stomping on wet spills on the carpet. We used to sing "Alouette" but my younger brother one day asked why were we singing about "jumping on the wet"? He though the words to the song were "On the wet-ta, jumping on the wet-ta, on the wet-ta, jumping on the wet." So now when I am stomping on towels, those are the words to the song I hear.

All the thoughts on water did bring to mind a phrase, "O ye Seas and Floods, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever." This is from the Canticle from Daniel, Song of the Three Holy Children, in Latin, Benedicite Omnia Opera. When I looked in my Breviary, the word "flood" was no where mentioned in that translation. So why am I thinking FLOOD? Why did that word and prayer pop into my mind?

And of course the answer is that it's from a picture book I'm remembering. Pauline Baynes (illustrator of Chronicles of Narnia) has a wonderful book called The Song of the Three Holy Children. It's out-of-print, but I easily found a copy. The illustrations are vibrant, reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts. The translation is from the Book of Common Prayer, so the text is a bit awkward to modern day. But my son and I love it.

And it's so nice to have words and beautiful illustration of a Canticle fill your mind while stomping on towels.

O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord:
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

September 19 marks the Optional Memorial of St. Januarius and Our Lady of La Salette. For most this day doesn't have great significance. After all, do you know any English children named after Januarius? Drop me a line if you do. I know Januarius is greatly loved in Italy (known as San Gennaro), especially in Naples. La Salette apparitions happened in 1846 in France, and is probably one of the lesser known approved apparitions.

But both of today's celebrations remind me of the importance of family reading, of owning and displaying books, of witnessing my parents' reading, talking about books, and having books read aoud. The day reminds me that I pursued my own rabbit trails and did independent reading from a young age. Sound like a stretch? Well, when I was about 11 or so, I thought I could start reading books on my mother's shelves. She had quite a good religious book collection. I would look at the spines and titles, ask her about them. If she thought it was appropriate or easy enough for me to read, she'd recommend it. It was through perusing her bookshelves that I found material La Salette and St. Januarius.

The story of St. Januarius the person is short -- in fact, there's not much we know except that he was an Italian bishop in the 4th century and martyred for his faith. It's his relics that have attracted so much attention since the 14th century in Naples.

On my mother's bookshelf was the book entitled The Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati by Joan Carroll Cruz.
There's something quite fascinating, although I admit a bit macabre, on seeing bodies or parts of bodies that have remained untouched by decomposition. When a saint's body has been found incorrupt through miraculous means, it's like a signal from God to look at this person's life. What is the significance? Why draw our eyes to this person's life?

Having enjoyed that book so much, when Joan Cruz's next book on Relics was published, I bought my own copy....I have my name and address from 1983 written inside my book. And that is where I got the most information about the blood of St. Januarius. In the past, blood was collected in vials after the death of a holy person as a devotional item. There are vials of blood of St. Januarius, as well as his bones and his head are encased in reliquaries. From Relics:

The recurring miracle of the liquefaction of his blood 18 times a year is often reported in the secular as well as the religious press, and is the occasion of great gatherings in the Cathedral of Naples. Here the people pray fervently while the resident cardinal, who usually presides over the ceremony, holds the vials of blood. The miracle occurs when the bust reliquary containing the head of the saint is brought near. When the liquefaction is accomplished in full view of the spectators, the cardinal announces, "The miracle has happened," words that cause great rejoicing and the chanting of the Te Deum....

The blood has failed to liquefy several times, each time coinciding with the outbreak of disease, famine, war or political suppression. It is the for this reason that Neapolitans rejoice at each liquefaction.

The book continues with more historical explanation and discussion about the analysis and examinings of this miracle. It's interesting reading. Carol Field in her Celebrating Italy describes the scene in Naples on this day:

At the famous Feast of San Gennaro swarms of the faithful gather in tense crowds to wait for the annual miracle in which the saint's blood liquefies. In Naples the event is dizzying and claustrophic, but a smaller, less dramatic feast in the saint's honor takes place in Praiano, on the Amalfi Drive, just down the coast from Naples, where people eat maccheroni with eggplant and peppers and coniglio in umido, braised rabbit.

In Little Italy in New York City you can find The Festival of San Gennaro in New York City. The Shrine of the Holy Whapping has some pictures and descriptions of this wonderful festival.

I had two posts on Our Lady of La Salette and Sunday and More on La Salette.Be sure to click on Mary G.'s link in the first post for her description of her visit to the actual shrine. Helen at Castle of the Immaculate also has a post on this feast day, and the importance of personal prayer...one of the messages from Our Lady. Father Z also talks about the message of Our Lady. For more, see:

Catholic Encyclopedia
Mary Pages
Missionaries of La Salette
Shrine of La Salette. At the bottom of this page are further links to the actual shrine, but the site is only in French.

I don't have any books for younger children on this apparition, although I know that Mary Fabyan Windeatt has two titles, Our Lady of La Salette and The Children Of La Salette. It would be lovely to have a picture book to relate the story to my son.

For older I have two books I can recommend, one A Woman Clothed with the Sun edited by John Delaney, which is the book I took off my mother's shelf. Second is an OOP book from Lumen Books, The Story of La Salette by James P. O'Reilly, M.S.

Now both the miracles of the relics and also the private revelation of Our Lady of La Salette are not truths-with-a-capital-T that must believed by a Catholic, but optional. We may believe, but must also have a balance. We must ensure that believing in these that it doesn't detract from the Truths and Tradition our Catholic Faith that we Must believe and love.

For me, these feasts also remind me of the value of good books and reading in the family.

I love symbolism. I love to use graphic symbols to explain or illustrate our faith. I posted yesterday a graphic by Ade Bethune, who used symbolism for her illustrations. (For more, try to find a copy of her Clip Art Book.) One small illustration, even a simple line drawing, can teach volumes. Children respond well to "reading" symbols, too.

Here is one website of some Christian Symbols drawn by Rudolf Koch (1876-1934) that can be used without permission. Hat tip to Catholic Faith Education Blog.

My extended family uses lots of symbol books and ideas for our elaborate Easter egg decorating. We love poring over all the symbol books for ideas. And many of these books are helpful throughout the year in celebrating feast days and saints days. Many times the symbol of a saint can unfold stories and legends about the saint.

Here is a list of the symbol books in my library, and also some websites with Christian symbols. Be aware that not all of these are Catholic publications, but most of the symbols are from Catholic roots.

Websites:
Christian Symbols & Articles

Gallery of Christian Symbols

Christian Symbols

Symbols in Christian Art and Architecture

Books:

Bethune, Ade Eye Contact With God Through Pictures: A Clip Book of Pictures from the Ade Bethune Collection, Sheed and Ward, 1986.

Bradner, John. Symbols of Church Seasons and Days. Morehouse-Barlow Company, 1977.

Dilasser, Maurice. The Symbols of the Church, Liturgical Press, 1999.

Ferguson, George. Signs & Symbols in Christian Art by George Ferguson, Oxford University Press.

Guardini, Romano Sacred Signs, Pio Decimo Press, 1956.

Griffith, Helen Stuart. Sign Language of Our Faith: Learning to Read the Message of Christian Symbols, Copyright 1939.

Parsch, Pius. The Church's Year of Grace, 5 volumes. Liturgical Press, 1962.

Pfeiffer, S.J. The Catholic Picture Dictionary, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1948.

Post, W. Ellwood. Saints, Signs and Symbols, Morehouse Publishing, 1974.

Rest, Friedrich. Our Christian Symbols, Christian Education Press, 1959.

Schmidt, Clemens. Clip Art for the Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Press, 1988.

Strasser, Rev. Bernard Strasser, O.S.B. With Christ Through the Year: The Liturgical Year in Word and Symbols, Bruce Publishing, 1947.

Stuckenschneider, Placid More Clip Art for the Liturgical Year and Even More Clip Art for the Liturgical Year. Liturgical Press.

Trapp, Maria von. Around the Year with the Trapp Family, Pantheon Press, 1955.

Webber, F. R. Church Symbolism, 1938, 1971.

Wetzler, Robert P. Seasons and Symbols: a Handbook on the Church Year. Augsburg Publishing House, 1962.

Whittemore, Carroll E. Symbols of the Church together with Saints and their Emblems. Whittemore Associates, 1959.

At 4Real Learning Forums "Rabbit Trails" is a common expression. Rabbit Trails are various tangents off a main unit of study, such as learning more about calligraphy when studying the Middle Ages. In a smaller way, a rabbit trail can be exploring a little deeper on a subject covered in a book whether briefly or in depth, such as gardening or the moors when reading The Secret Garden. For more examples and explanations, read What Are Rabbit Trails?.

Today's Wall Street Journal had a front page article on Prairie Dogs. Unfortunately, I can't link to the article, as it is for paying subscribers only, but it's a current events article on the plight of the prairie dogs, and how Boulder County, Colorado is building a fifteen mile fence to enclose them IN to save them.

Seeing the picture of the cute rodent on the paper, my mind traced back to where I read about prairie dogs first and was inspired to read more about them. Where was it? Of course, The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

That got me to thinking of how often when some little piece of information comes my way, I trace back my steps to where the original information came from. Growing up there were some of those influential reads, such as the Little House books, Chronicles of Narnia, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Lord of the Rings, The Velvet Room, Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away...those are key in my mind, but there were others.

In reading these books, I had my own rabbit trails, small as they were. For example, Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away piqued my interest about antiques and old houses. The Velvet Room inspired me to try to keep a diary and to taste apricots and learn more about Spanish architecture and history in the US, and learn more about the Dustbowl and the Depression. The Little House series had so many trails I can't even begin to count.

As I'm getting older, can't remember all the trails I took in detail. But they stick with me...and it's fun to have that memory flash and hop on back to my original hiding hole. And I'm looking forward to starting a few rabbit trails with my son as we embark on our learning journey together...and then tracing back to the beginning.