Little Ones Who Live

Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Friday, January 27, 2012 12:00 PM

Did you know that when Roe v. Wade was issued, it said that a woman has a right to an abortion only until the baby is viable outside the womb? The Supreme Court later rejected this, but I find that in discussions about abortion, few people are willing to defend the practice of aborting after the viability point.

But it’s interesting: the Roe v. Wade decision says that viability “is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks.” As I understand it (statistics... READ MORE

Virtual Cookie Swap

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Friday, January 27, 2012 9:00 AM

Welcome to my cookie swap! Thanks for coming! Do you have a favorite (easy!) cookie recipe to share? Leave it here for others to enjoy!

Here’s my offering, our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe featuring Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chunks. Very, very good.

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie
10 ounce(s) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
2 1/4 cup(s) unsifted flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) teaspoon salt
1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup(s) sugar
3/4 cup(s) packed brown... READ MORE

School Rules

Posted by Danielle Bean in Family on Friday, January 27, 2012 7:00 AM

(Join each day’s Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Homemaking)

Whether your children attend school or are homeschooled, this is the spot to ask questions about curricula, religious education, parent-teacher relationships, or academic concerns of any kind.

Please join us!

Stuff Parents Say

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:13 PM

A few years ago, when my babies suddenly got a little older, I found myself having to answer that age-old question: why?

“Why can’t we watch this?”

“Why can’t I go there?”

“Why can’t I stay up past nine o’clock?”

These and a million other inquiries started making the room spin and I felt I was always working on a small thesis to explain to my children the reasoning for our decisions. I’d launch into how I didn’t like a particular show because (insert long, complicated analysis of how the children... READ MORE

Anything but Ordinary

Posted by Lisa Hendey in Faith on Thursday, January 26, 2012 12:00 PM

Recently, I was chatting with a friend who told me that she was headed home to take down her Christmas tree. She hated doing it, she shared. I congratulated her on truly understanding and appreciating our liturgical calendar, chiding myself for the fact that my tree was down and put away shortly after New Years.

But the truth of the matter is this: the older I get, the more I find myself appreciating “Ordinary Time”. It used to be that the sign of green liturgical vestments and the absence of the... READ MORE

The Accessible Pope

Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Thursday, January 26, 2012 10:00 AM

I sometimes hear from people who say they’d like to read Pope Benedict more, but they’re afraid he’s too difficult for them.

Here’s a bit of useless information to encourage them.

You need only the reading level of a 16-year-old to follow his typical homilies.

With that to spur us, here’s a recent papal document of interest:

In his Message for World Communications Day, His Holiness reflects on the relationship

between silence and word, noting that communication requires both. Nothing can be understood... READ MORE

Together Forever

Posted by Danielle Bean in Marriage on Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:00 AM

(Join each day’s Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Homemaking)

Struggling in your marriage? Have some relationship advice to share? Have a marriage success story to share? Have a man/woman question? This weekly thread is the place to do it.

Come on in and join the conversation!

Conversion of Paul

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 3:30 PM

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the day when God knocked Saul off his horse, took away his sight and miraculously created a new man on fire to serve the Lord.

This is a painting by Caravaggio, Conversion on the Way to Damascus; a few years ago a good friend gave us a print of this for our home. I love how the artist keeps the focus on Paul, there on the ground arms extended to the heavens. The horse and the man looking on are visible, but the artist uses light to keep... READ MORE