A Gaggle of Friends meme

CT and I made it up!

Rules:
Answer the questions! You can give a reason for the answer if you like. As for tagging people, you tag as many as you want or as little...minimum of one. There's no obligation to play.
Last of all, have fun!


1.First Saint you "met"?
Saint Francis of Assisi
(from watching Brother Sun and Sister Moon since Mom and Dad loved it so much)

2. Favorite Saint(s)?
Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint Francis of Assisi

3. Patron saint for the year?
Saint Saturninus

4. Favorite book by a saint?
ack, why did we make it so hard!? Too many choices!!
Actually, I've yet to find one
CT's read more of them than I have

5. Saint book you are reading now?
Lots
The Interior Castle By Saint Teresa of Avila
Spiritual Childhood by Vernon Johnson
Confessions by Saint Augustine
The Story of a Soul by Saint Therese
and Saint Faustina's diary

6. Favorite movie of a saint?
Therese

7. Favorite Autobiography/Biography of a saint?
Haven't finished reading one yet :-(

8. Favorite novel/book of a saint?
The Joyful Beggar by Louis de Wohl

9. Saint (besides your favorites) you'd want to meet?
Saint Faustina

10. Saint you look to for help?
Saint Therese for advice in taking care of siblings and simplicity
Saint Paul for help in writing
and just any saint to talk to...

11.Favorite saint quote?
Several actually...but:
"He must increase, but I must decrease"
-Saint John


12. Favorite Holy Card?

Found Here!

Reminds me that Saint Therese knew what it was like to be our age.

13. Favorite story of a saint?
When Saint Therese was cleaning the choir, she saw something she really didn't like. A spider had made its home in the window sill...and she was supposed to clean it. Poor Therese, she didn't want to do it. Spiders...kind of creepy up close...crawly...and they have eight legs!?! Taking a deep breath, she swept the spider off the sill, dusted it across the floor as fast as she could, opened the door of the choir, swept it out, and quickly shut the door. Whew.

14. If you could go anywhere on a pilgrimage to a saint's homeland, where would it be?
Assisi

15. Any Blesseds or Venerables that you would like to become canonized?
hmmm....
Blessed Damien
Blessed Mother Marianne
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Blessed James
Venerable Thecla


Now the ever hardest part.
tagging...
Mom
Kaila
Joey
...and anyone else who is on the sidebar or elsewhere and wants to do it!!

Book meme

Oh dear, sorry, you have to click on the pic to see it better...

One of the best kinds of memes there are, a book meme!

Thanks Aunty Esther!!! :-D

1) Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Anne of Green Gables

sorry...

2) If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Probably not hobbits if the event had food!

Frodo, Lucy Pevensie, and Cornflower to that musical thing friday since they seem to like music

or, at least I thought they did

3) (Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

A book attempting to teach me math. :P

4) Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

Actually, I really haven't...

there are a lot of books unfinished though :-(

5) You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP).

I'm horrible at advising

Pueo does a much better job, she'll most likely get the position :-)

6) A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Latin, so school will be much easier and all those nice old texts will be scoured!!!

7) A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

She already came!

LOTR

8) I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

Nothing much actually...

or maybe new books from reading other's book meme answers?

9) That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

Ok, ready?

The children’s room downstairs would be a good deal large. The carpet would have to be dark blue, it being the children’s room and all. In the middle would sprout a replica of a redwood tree, its base lined five feet high with bookshelves of new books. All around would contain shelves of adventures both classic and modern. The smaller children’s book shelves eventually progressing into taller ones as you walk clockwise around the room. In places not occupied with shelves, posters would be placed. Posters of book characters or scenes, and quotes of authors and books. In defiance to libraries that forbid swirly chairs, this one would have! Moreover, twirling in them would not be prohibited. Well, of course there would have to be tables, only these would be carved with familiar fairy tale scenes. In the last corner, would be set some more replicas of redwoods, only this time you could get inside. Once inside, a stairway would lead you into a small yet comfortable reading world of velvet “leaves” and paintings.
A room connecting would be lesser in size, but no less wonderful. Set to match all the containing books, I guess like an 18th century wealthy house would it be decorated. Yes, it’s the classic book’s room! Shelves would contain books fairly worn. As most worn books add to the effect their stories hold, they would have to be carefully handled. From high adventures on the sea, to the woe-begotten tales of drama, not one good classic would be left out. Big comfortable chairs provided, but no decorative vases, unfortunately. (the children’s room is next door!)
For all you manga lovers, (hahaha) there would be another room. Well, you’d have to fill it up to your liking, because I don’t know much about manga L (sorry)
The adult section would be to all adult’s liking and a coffee corner complete with spill-proof cups. (…and since most grown up bloggers already did this meme, no more can be said.)
Upstairs (yes, it has an upstairs!!) would be another three rooms. The non-fiction room would have its walls full of knowledge. Since the shelves would reach the roof, a side sliding ladder (wheee!!) would be included. A map containing the dewy decimal system explained in full would hang in an unoccupied wall. Otherwise, the room would be plainly filled with shelves and benches. Now up here, decorative vases can be placed.
The next, smaller room is also non-fiction, but contains CT’s and Mom’s favorite books. (guess what they are?) This room wouldn’t be complete without the proper paintings of friends and the above. Shelves would have carvings of famous scenes relating to the books. Oh, and the books would be bought from the Pauline Bookstore.
Last of all, would be the media room. It would have marble flooring and hard wood shelves of good songs of all kinds. DVDs and videos could be watched behind a secret panel. Finally, a piano would rest in one place, filling the rest of the room with sweet melodic sounds.
A library wouldn’t be complete without the ever helpful computers!
As for borrowing books, there’s no limit, and a month till the due date.
Library hours: Mon-Sat 6am to 9pm. Sundays closed
…and yes, you still need a library card.

All book lovers are henceforth tagged!

(there's another one later so...)

Caught napping!

Finally...

Mahalo nui loa, Kaila!! :-D


The rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…


Let's see...um...
Family and friends in the middle of the ocean : 7 (just in case you don't want to be named)
Newhousenewjob
Ms. Micki
Mrs. Bonnie

sorry if you've been nominated already....

Feastday!

Happy Feastday of Blessed Marianne!

Her feastday is merrily celebrated here because she is one of our only two known saints. (she isn't a saint yet, but...)

CT posted more about her, and the Catholic Herald here has an article.

Picture found here!

Pro-Life March yesterday

Some people from yesterday :-)

Last person to post something about yesterday.

To see pictures of the event, see Mom's or Aunty Esther's posts!

There's a line in Dr. Seuss' book, Horton Hears a Who!

"A person's a person, no matter how small."

Well, to me it sounded like: a life is a life, no matter how small.

Mahalo nui loa to Aunty Esther, Kaila, and Mom!!

k, now I'll nominate...

All my homeschooled blogging buddies in the middle of the ocean! :-D

Guess what week it is?

Picture from Patron Saint's Index! Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori is the patron of vocations

It's National Vocations Awareness week...and being one day late in posting, more than likely you know already! :-)
Well, the suggestions by our Director of Vocations (and you can find this here) were:

1. Pray for priests, deacons, and religious sisters and brothers.
Head on over to A Tribute to Our Priests for more and various links.
The Catholic Blog Directory has many many blogs by religious, more than 20 in fact!

2. Send a thank you card to a priest or consecrated person.
If you live over here, that wouldn't be too hard. Over here, we have the Daughters of St. Paul, Dominicans, Franciscans, Sisters of Saint Francis, Benedictines, and Carmelites. Those are only the only ones we've met, but there are sure to be much more!

3. Invite one of them to dinner.

4. Pray for more vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life

5. Consider a religious vocation for yourself

For the last one, Holy Vocations is a good blog to visit.

bit of an update...CT has some prayers on vocation, so please check them out too!

Baptism Day

Picture from Patron Saint's Index

Father asked a simple question during his homily. "Do you know when your baptism day is?"

He was disappointed that only 6 (um, not including us...) people raised their hands.

So Father gave us an assignment. If you don't know when your baptism day is, find out!

We know when our birthdays are and we remember other special dates. We ought to remember a most important date though, the day of our baptism. The day we were free from original sin and members of the Church.

'Till the next Christmas season...

Picture found here!

Oh well, going to miss it...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season

A meme with only 49 questions

Thanks Aunty Esther!!

1. Do you wear a name tag at work?
No...work here means cleaning the house. Anyway the birds would probably just chew it to shreads.

2. What kind of car do you drive?
A remote control car

3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell?
Haven't been there in a looooong time

4. Have you ever had a garage sale?
Oh, yes! We used the money for...well, CT posted that

5. What color is your iPod?
blue, white, grey, there are three colors on it

6. What kind of dog do you have?
A cyberspace pixlized one! See?
(the pic is from Wikipedia)
Well, she doesn't look like that but..

7. What's for dinner tonight?
Food

8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had?
Never had any... :P

9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone?
No cell phone here

10. Last time you were sick?
Last year

11. How long is your hair?
Past my shoulders

12. Are you happy right now?
Of course!!

13. What did you say last?
Oops, can't remember...

14. Who came over last?
Grandma :-)

15. Do you drink beer?
How come #8 and 15 are the same?

16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted?
No

17. What is your favorite key chain on your keys?
You can't put a key chain on a piano key

18. What did you get for graduation?
What graduation?

19. Whats in your pocket?
ummm...fluff

20. Who introduced you to Dane Cook?
Who's he?
Wikipedia to the rescue...

21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear?
No, and after reading Joey's blog, I'd stop them immediately!!!

22. What DVD is in your DVD player?
Same as CT's

23. What's something fun you did today?
Read a book, read a book, and go to Mass

24. Who is/was the principal of your high school?
Mom...or Dad

25. Has your house ever been TP'd?
We don't know because we just moved here

26.What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"?
Keep away from my birds!!!!!

27. What are you listening to right now?
Younger siblings playing, birds munching, and some person singing outside

28. Drinking?
? Don't really get this one either...
You're not supposed to drink near a computer

29. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart?
Electronics :-)
(different from CT's)
They don't sell very good books

30. When is your mom's birthday?
Some day

31. When is your birthday?
Another day

32. What's the area code for your cell phone?
A complex number
...besides that, I don't have one

33. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now?
Our aunt bought it at the mall

34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror?
Mom's has some thing...

35. How many states in the US have you been to?
a grand total of 3!

36. What kind of milk do you drink?
2%, soymilk, and chocolate milk! I wish we had strawberry...

37. What are you going to do after this?
Do the blogging rounds
(visit all the other blogs)

38. Who was the last person you went shopping with?
No shopping for me please

39. What is your favorite fruit?
Mango (like Aunty Esther and Mom)

40. What about your favorite dessert?
Not too sweet ice cream!

41. What is something you need to go shopping for?
Nothing really...
or maybe more books

42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives?
No

43. What kind of car does one of your siblings drive?
The same remote control car :-)
It's really my brother's

44. Do you like pickles?
no

45. How about olives?
Only on pizza

46. What is your favorite kind of gum?
None

47. What is your favorite kind of juice?
Mango juice

48. Do you have any tan lines?
No

49. What hospital were you born in?
I can't remember, I was only a baby.

I tag
Otakuboy
and Cookie
and whoever else wants to be it!

we should probably make it an even number...
50. If you could go anywhere in a book, where would it be?
The Shire

hahahaha, you don't have to include that one :-)

Saint Saturninus

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse was sent by the Pope to evangelize in the West, which then meant Gaul, Spain, etc. He was consecrated bishop, and with his companion, Saint Papulus, they traveled to southern Gaul. All the way to their destination, they preached. Upon reaching Toulouse, in which idols were worshiped, they immediately instructed, cured the ill, and baptized those ready. He gathered together a small church. Idols were silent when Saint Satruninus passed, enraging many. Angered by his response when told to sacrifice to their idols, they battered him relentlessly. They tied his feet to a bull which ran down a hill. Saint Satruninus' skull was broken, but it no longer mattered, he had gained the most wondrous reward. Two good women gathered his remains, and hid them in a ditch. In honor of the martyr, a church was built upon the spot where the bull stopped, some years later.

Sources here
and here
here too!

Patron for the year 2008

My Patron for the year 2008 is Saint Saturninus!! (thank you for choosing me)

Thank you Aunty Esther :-)

For an explanation on this devotion, CLICK HERE!

There are two Saint Saruninus' on November 29.

One was as martyr working in Toulouse.

The other was also martyred, but in Rome.

Patron Saint's Index has more information

...and I'll be scouring the internet and saint books for even more! :-D

Christmas and Saints

Now I feel guilty for having a meme for the first post of the year
I forgot to post this earlier :-(
At least it's still Christmas!

Christmas


God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.
-Saint Augustine

For it is in giving that we receive.
- Saint Francis of Assisi

Teach us to give and not to count the cost.
-Saint Ignatius

Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and He who is mighty came and in his compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall.
-Saint Patrick

The Word of God, incorporeal, incorruptible, and immaterial, entered our world. Out of his loving-kindness for us he came to us, and we see this in the way he revealed himself openly to us. Taking pity on mankind's weakness, and moved by our corruption, he could not stand aside and see death have the mastery over us. He did not want creation to perish and his Father's work in fashioning man to be in vain. He therefore took to himself a body, no different from our own, for he did not wish simply to be in a body or only to be seen. By dying for others, he immediately banished death for all mankind. The corruption of death no longer holds any power over mankind, thanks to the Word, who has come to dwell among us through his one body.
-Saint Athanasius

May those who witness the miracle be confirmed in their faith, and may you and your idols be forever disgraced!
-Saint Stephen

Let us love the Child of Bethlehem. Come souls and love a God who has become a Child, poor and so lovable, in need of our tender love, who has come down from heaven to give Himself entirely to you. If we but ask for pardon and salvation, He has come to pardon us and to save us.
- St. Francis of Assisi

And the first post in the new year...

...is a meme! Hip Hip Hurray! Tagged by Pueo!!

1. WHO WERE YOU NAMED AFTER?
Simon of Cyrene

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Don't remember

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Ummm...I guess

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
For sandwiching? Roast beef

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No. We have 5 birds though

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
If I ever got around to talking to myself?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?
Just a bit

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Noooooooooo.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey Nut Cherioes. Unfortunately, it's everyone else's favorite too, so the box only lasts until the end of the week.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No, my feet are small enough to slip in and out easily

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Compared to everyone else I know, not really

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM ?
Chocolate Chip Mint!

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
If they're smiling

15. RED OR PINK?
Neither, if there's blue, I'll take it! :-D

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOU?
I have a hard time talking to people

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Sister Ludy who's at the Philippines...sniff...(whoops, guess that answers the crying question!)

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm wearing shorts. No shoes either. Hahaha, it's not really cold here!

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Some kind of wafer thingy...with seaweed in it...

2o. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Silence
Younger siblings are outside

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Aqua blue

22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
My Dad's cooking!! :-D

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Actually, I can't remember the last time I was on the phone...
I try to avoid the phone

24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Of course!!

25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Tennis

26. HAIR COLOR?
Dark brown

27. EYE COLOR?
Dark brown

28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No

29. FAVORITE FOOD?
Italian. Odd for someone who lives in the middle of the ocean.

30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings after a well written story!

31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Spiderman 3. You really have to pay attention to understand that movie...

32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Grey. All the blue shirts are in the hamper

33. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Both

34. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Ice Cream!!

36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
None, but we're going to the library tomorrow!

37. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
we don't have one

38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Football. We lost :'(

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Music

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Neither

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Arizona. That was a long long time ago...

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
um, do I?

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Somewhere not in the middle of the ocean :-D


Now I tag
Aunty Esther
and CT!
Sunny loves getting hugs