The Very Little Miracles

After I have said a quick prayer-

~I was finally able to pull a particularly difficult bed sheet out from where it was stuck
~someone stopped on a quite busy street to let me cross
~we made it to Mass with a few minutes to spare before hand, when that did not seem at all possible
~and all the others that I have forgotten

They happen everyday, they aren't always life changing (although many definitely are), they are usually not accompanied by a bolt of lightning, they're just little reminders that Someone's up there and He loves you.

Red Falcons of Tremoine By Hendry Peart

At fifteen Leo, living at the Abbey of St. Michael in England in the 13th century, knows nothing about his past or parentage. The Abbot of the said Abbey alone knows the boy's history but tells him nothing until the heir of the house of Wardlock is killed in the crusades. Then after receiving permission from Sir Maurice (the current lord of Wardlock) the Abbot tells Leo that he is the heir not only to the house of Wardlock but also the heir to their traditional enemy the house of Tremoine. He is the child of a Romeo and Juliet sort of marriage, his father killed by his brother in law, Rolf and his mother dead soon after entrusting her son to the care of the Abbott. Much excited by this news, Leo leaves the Abbey and goes to live with his kind grandparents, Sir Maurice of Wardlock and his wife. Several happy months pass in the company of his grandparents. Then Leo visits the Abbey. Finding the Abbot absent he travels on to the place where his parents were married. There he is forcefully captured by his Uncle Rolf and forced to become heir to the lands of Tremoine. The Tremoine Temper is strong in both Leo and Rolf and clashes of will are frequent. Yet Leo's gentle side, prominent when not provoked, soon makes him friends among the castle residents and perhaps it is softening Rolf as well. In Rolf's castle unfolds an engaging tale of courage and forgiveness.

Unsharpened Colored Pencils can accomplish a good deal

I really enjoy "impromptu" or "lazy" colored pencil drawings. I have sat down at a table or at the top of the stairs and found within a very short distance (since I was to lazy to go search for better materials) hardly sharpened pencils and paper already drawn on on one side but the results are often better then some others I have drawn with much more preparation. The other day I did such a "lazy" drawing, and it turned out pretty well considering.

More Acrylics

I did an acrylic painting in art class of the chapel we visited last June when we went to the Minnesota Homeschool conference. I am posting both the picture I copied from and my acrylic so that you can compare the two. There are many flaws and differences from the original in my acrylic, but it was fun to do and I learned a lot in the process.

Back to Liber, Parma or whatever you want to call a book

Well I finally got myself into Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott and finished it rapidly, enjoying every minute of the time spent on it. This delightful story chronicles the entrance (and the time of about a year following it) of a shy orphan, Rose, into her large extended family, whom she had had virtually no contact with in her past life. The family she soon becomes acquainted with includes six lovable and attentive aunts, three kind uncles and seven delightful and rather rowdy boy cousins. After several weeks of unsuccessful attempts by the aunts to cheer up the downcast Rose, her uncle, Dr. Alec arrives. His prescription is many fold but includes no pills, but rather plenty of exercise and other unladylike activities. However odd it seemed to the aunts his method bore increasingly marked and marvelous results, including a wonderful story which I highly recommend.

Thus her health increases rapidly as does her good character. From sacrificing a day of fun for the pleasure of a maid or her precious earrings in order to keep her cousins from bad habits to being peacemaker and encourager to the seven boys Rose's adventures are sure to be interesting, amusing, touching, teaching or any mix of the above. A number of thought-provoking ideas and theories are held within the 200 and more pages in the form of very quotable utterances of the characters or commentary on the scene. To illustrate my point I quote "... in helping seven lads you are unconsciously doing much to improve one lass... "

Okay, enough blabbering for now... I don't want to bore you too badly.