Things I have in Common with the new Japanese PM

He is Catholic and likes magna. 

I'm Catholic and have a small collection of magna. The story does not mention if he has a tendency to stay up waaaay to late on weekends trying to watch anime, though.

H/T: Mark Shea

I actually ( yes, I used the homeschool code word) find this very intriguing. We have been studying the reopening of Japan and Commodore Perry this month. To have a Catholic is office is remarkable, given how much Christian blood has been shed in Japan. St. Francis Xavier, missionary to the Samurai, pray for him.

HELP!!!

I am looking for a book, a classic novel, with the theme of forgiveness. I know should be able to come up with a few off the top of my head, but for some reason I cannot. Please give me suggestions, this is for a review I need to write for a parish newsletter, read by about 200 families and our Pastor. We are trying to not just discuss books that are exclusively religious, but classics that are good moral examples. I'll also take suggestions for book lists. 

New post over at L2L Movies

I review Nancy Drew, the movie.

Life's Chance Encounters

Recently I met a lovely older (to me at least) woman at my parish. She was serving soup at our Lenten Soup dinner. I was struck by her kindness and her perfectly manicured nails. Here she was serving soup, at a parish function, to mostly hyper children and their tired parents, and she looked so elegant. She smiled, and waited patiently on all of the children, happy to refill their bowls again and again. She served with joy. I did not know who she was, i had never seen her around before, but I remembered her.

A few months later she and I met at a committee meeting for Project Gabriel, a group that in parishes helps support women in crisis pregnancies. There she was, the head of the material goods committee. I was thrilled to finally meet her and more thrilled to work with her. 

I grew to know her a bit, she was witty and realistic, perfect for our work, which can be hard. She was full of great ideas and resources. Her husband was a Knight of Columbus and was very helpful in our work, rallying the older men to help our young, pregnant, homeless mother with her material needs, and gettting them to pray for her. Every time I saw her, she was joyful and greeted me with a warm smile. A good Catholic woman.

This morning I received a phone call to inform me she had suddenly died. I am deeply saddened. I am shocked, and I am better for this chance encounter with a wonderful woman who shared her time with so many, including me.

Our school year

We began a while ago, but this year, we have really hit a groove. So far, no crying, so thrown math books and no excuses. Everyone is happy, even the preschooler, who gets a bit ignored during the school day.

We have traveled to the Art Institute, The Museum of Science and Industry, and done a few hikes. Our study of history has given us the chance to read The Secret Garden, and use a companion cookbook. We have talked about our new favorite book, Around the World in 80 days and the Sepoy mutiny in India. The fiction gave the kids a better understanding of the history. Just today we talked about how Russia tried to gain power over a region near the Black Sea, in 1853, very near a region in the news, with Russia as part of the story. 

I think the biggest help this year is that daily Mass I like to go to is 15 minutes earlier, so the kids can come with, or I can at least get home early enough to eat and then start classes, rather than trying to do both at the same time. God is good, and I love homeschooling again.