A new closet for $7.99

Posted by DariaSockey in Homemaking on Friday, February 10, 2012 2:00 PM

Since our marriage in 1980, Bill and I have lived in 8 different homes. Only once did we have the luxury of a walk-in closet. Because both our budgets and our architectural whims run to vintage farmhouses, we’ve often had to share some very small closets. That’s the case in our current home as well, where our garments have hung in a mere 3 and one half foot space. True, there is a large hall closet where some of the overflow goes, joining the famlies’ winter coats and overflow from our children,... READ MORE

"Being Catholic means 'paying a price'"

Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Friday, February 10, 2012 10:00 AM

“What we bring is not an onerous burden – we bring a liberation. And people may not know they do want this good news from Jesus but it really is what they’re looking for.”

That’s a quote from Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit, interviewed during a recent visit to the Vatican. I’m proud that he’s local to here. He’s a great man, and it’s a great interview, full of truth.

Read the whole thing at the Catholic News Agency website - it’s well worth your time.

School Daze

Posted by Danielle Bean in Family on Friday, February 10, 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!

Are you pinning?

Posted by Lisa Hendey in Just me on Thursday, February 09, 2012 2:00 PM

If you’re online much, you’ve probably heard about Pinterest, one of the hottest new social networking properties around these days. Launched in beta in March of 2010, the site is now welcoming over 11 million visits per week and seems to be all the rage among many of my geek friends—especially those of the female persuasion.

What is Pinterest all about? Here’s an overview from the site’s “About” page:

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things... READ MORE

Home-schoolers Want to Play

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, February 09, 2012 11:51 AM

Home-schoolers in Virginia wanting to play on public high school sports teams are getting closer to their goal—the Virginia House of Delegates passed the “Tim Tebow” law, as it’s being called, and the vote will now go before the Senate.

Our friend and colleague Elizabeth Foss was front and center in the debate—that’s her son pictured (this picture also ran front page at the New York Times coverage of the debate and vote).

Is there any reason to oppose this measure? The argument is that home-schooling... READ MORE

Whither Weather?

Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:00 AM

On Groundhog’s Day my husband joked that the little guy came out of his hole and declared that winter had already been over for six weeks.

Anyone else feel like the season is missing this year? Here in Michigan, we usually get buried by at least a couple snowstorms each year, and have a week or two of single-digit temperatures. Those things have not happened this winter. We’ve had rain instead, and the average temps seem to be in the mid-30s. This is not a typical Michigan winter.

My husband, who... READ MORE

Just the Two of You

Posted by Danielle Bean in Marriage on Thursday, February 09, 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!

The Church Was Right on Birth Control

Posted by DariaSockey in News on Wednesday, February 08, 2012 9:18 PM

It’s been a good week to be a believing Catholic in the United States. Tumultuous, but good. It’s a cause of legitimate pride to see our Bishops taking a bold stand against the HHS contraception sterilization mandate.  It’s been gratifying to see so many non-Catholics joining us in protest. Whatever they think of the Church’s teaching on contraception—and we can assume most of them disagree with it—they are standing with us in support of freedom of religion. I think this is partly because they see... READ MORE