The Christian Wife

"The Christian wife must be a woman of sound piety towards God, an angel of peace in the family, dignified and pleasant towards others." - St. Padre Pio

Bedtime Story by Arthur John Elsley 

The Four Temperants

This is an informative video on the four temperaments and how they relate to your predominant fault.  If the start seems a bit dry, stay with it because it really picks up.

In my family, we have all four temperaments  :)

Reason of Our Existence

"The woman is the heart of the home.  Let us pray that we women realise the reason of our existence:  to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in this world" - Mother Teresa

Boris Kustodiev,  On the Terrace, 1906

Mary

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your descendants and her Descendant. He will crush your head, and you will bruise His heel.”. - Genesis 3:15

"Hail full of grace.  The Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou amongst women" - Angel to Mary, Luke 1:26

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" - Elizabeth to Mary, Luke 1:42

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden.  Henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed."  - Luke 1:46

"Do whatever He tells you," - John 2:5

"Behold your mother," - John 19:26

Madonna and Child with St. Anne by Caravaggio

The Little Flower

St. Therese of Lisieux - The Little Flower

'Therese intensely disliked one of her fellow nuns, ...  whom Therese described, without identifying her, as "a Sister who has the faculty of displeasing me in everything, in her ways, her words, her character."  Instead of avoiding her, Theresa sought out this nun at every turn and treated her "as if I loved her best of all" - so successfully that this sister once asked Therese, "Would you tell me ... what attracts you so much toward me; every time you look at me, I see your smile?".
'...  It's a little thing, of course, but anyone who has ever suffered from a whiny coworker, a narcissistic roommate, or interfering in-laws can appreciate the heavenly virtue that befriending such a person would require.'  -  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

The Silent Life  by Dora Noyes

Silence

"The librarian regarded her hostess with interest.  The editor of the San Ireneo Gazette had the indefinable charm of someone who said little but thought much.  Miss Prim had always felt that such people were at a marked advantage.  They never said anything tactless, never spouted nonsense, never had cause to regret their words or justify themselves.  She had always tried to behave like this, tried not to say anything that might hurt other people or herself, but it wasn't easy." - The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera

"Afternoon Tea" by William Henry Margetson 1861-1940

Smile

“When something painful or disagreeable happens to me, instead of a melancholy look, I answer by a smile. At first I did not always succeed, but now it has become a habit which I am glad to have acquired.” 
― Thérèse de Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

A Young Girl Writing a Letter - Etienne Adolphe Piot

Fr. Gregory Jordan, SJ, RIP

Fr. Gregory Jordan SJ, RIP

Please pray for Fr Jordan who died today.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, 
and let perpetual light shine upon him. 
May he rest in peace.

Amen.

Devil of a Job - Interview with an Exorcist (Fr. Jordan)

Feminine Wives

"The old critics assumed that because Lady Macbeth obviously ruled her husband she must have been a masculine woman.  The whole inference of course is false.  Masculine women may rule the Borough Council, but they never rule their husbands.  The women who rule their husbands are the feminine women." Brave New Family by G.K. Chesterton

Love

"Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house... let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting." - Blessed Mother Teresa

Mother and Daughter by George Goodwin Kilburne

Civilized Pleasures

"'How is it that everyone here is such a good host - always coming up with delicious sweets, cakes and roast meats, a warm fire and good company?'

'Civilized pleasures from an earlier era, Prudencia.'" - The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera

Tasha Tudor

Christian Home

"Every Christian home should be a haven of peace and serenity.  In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there together with a deep rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith put into practice." - St. Josemaria Escriva

"Mother Reading With Two Girls" by Lee Lufkin Kaula

Noble

“We become like that which we love. If we love what is base, we become base; but if we love what is noble, we become noble.” 
― Fulton J. Sheen, Life Is Worth Living

Emile Munier (1840-1895)

Compost

Just watched a Vasili's Garden on Channel 31 (for those in Australia) and found out how to recognise the best soil.  Just pick up a handful, clench your fist, open your fist flat, and the dirt should have compacted.  Then poke the dirt with a finger on your other hand and the dirt should crumble.

Another thing I've recently learnt, is how to compost easily.  I've had a tumble compost thingy for years and it's been a waste of time and energy.  However, I now know how to trench compost.  I gather all the kitchen scraps over a week/two weeks in a bowl in the fridge, put it through the blender, dig a hole in my veggie patch and put the scraps in and cover it up with dirt.  My veggie patch has nothing growing in it at the moment.  I did this for the first time three weeks ago and just turned over the ground and only the egg shells are intact (next time I'll crush the egg shell with the veggies).  The next time, I dug a little further along and added the compost.  I don't add meat, dairy or onions.

I did find, however, fat wriggly worms that are great for my garden.

My mother said that when she was growing up, they lived in the country and had no rubbish collection so everything had to be composted.  Her father had three composts going at the same time.

Brighter Garden - Tasha Tudor's illustrated book of Emily Dickinson poems.

St. Michael

St. Michael the Archangel, 

defend us in battle. 

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, 

and do thou, 

O Prince of the heavenly hosts, 

by the power of God, 

thrust into hell Satan, 

and all the evil spirits, 

who prowl about the world 

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..

Love Our Neighbour

"Do not waste time deciding whether you love your neighbour; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him." -  A Year with C.S. Lewis by C.S. Lewis

The Charitable Gift-Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller

Heads and Hearts

"The man is the head of the house, while the woman is the heart of the house." - Brave New Family by G.K. Chesterton

Norman Rockwell

Good Friday

Isaiah 53:

"Who has given credence to what we have heard? And who has seen in it a revelation of Yahweh's arm?

2 Like a sapling he grew up before him, like a root in arid ground. He had no form or charm to attract us, no beauty to win our hearts;

3 he was despised, the lowest of men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering, one from whom, as it were, we averted our gaze, despised, for whom we had no regard.

4 Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying, while we thought of him as someone being punished and struck with affliction by God;

5 whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on him, and we have been healed by his bruises.

6 We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion of all of us to bear on him.

7 Ill-treated and afflicted, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep dumb before its shearers he never opened his mouth.

8 Forcibly, after sentence, he was taken. Which of his contemporaries was concerned at his having been cut off from the land of the living, at his having been struck dead for his people's rebellion?

9 He was given a grave with the wicked, and his tomb is with the rich, although he had done no violence, had spoken no deceit.

10 It was Yahweh's good pleasure to crush him with pain; if he gives his life is a sin offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his life, and through him Yahweh's good pleasure will be done.

11 After the ordeal he has endured, he will see the light and be content. By his knowledge, the upright one, my servant will justify many by taking their guilt on himself.

12 Hence I shall give him a portion with the many, and he will share the booty with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death and for being counted as one of the rebellious, whereas he was bearing the sin of many and interceding for the rebellious."

Santo Cristo de la Universidad de Córdoba, Juan Manuel Miñarro Feito conforme o Cristo do Santo Sudário

Mornings

When I wake up in the morning, I usually say good morning to God.  After that, I get dressed, wash my face, quickly put on some tinted moisturiser, mascara and brush my hair.  It only takes five minutes but then I feel that I'm ready for the rest of the day.

Lady Lilith by Rossetti

Mondays

"A well cared-for, organised, beautiful home helps to keep life humming along so much more smoothly and happily, leaving space for fun, relaxation and friends." - French Ties.  Love, Life & Recipes by Jane Webster

The Wind in the Willows - Inga Moore