This week's 'must have' gift . . .

A well-known female blogger is in need of cheering up, I hear. Now, I think we females all realise that when we're feeling down there's nothing like a little bit of 'retail therapy' to lift our spirits. Even if it only involves window shopping.

Thanks to Fr Roderick for drawing attention to this little number . . .

If only . . .

From a wife's perspective . . .

I wanted to write a few words about the news buzzing around the blogosphere at the moment that not one, but two Anglican clergymen have recently decided that they are ready to 'come home' to the Catholic Church. What a courageous decision they've both made.

The inimitable Mac has beaten me to it but I too had noticed the existence of the marvellous blog I have a snail in my pocket by the already-Catholic wife of one the clergyman - Robin Farrow.

To give up so much for your faith is a very courageous thing indeed. We don't often hear much about the wives of the clergymen in these situations. It must be very difficult for them too and if their husbands eventually become Catholic priests, they are also among a very small minority. Catholic priests with wives and children are still something of a rarity whilst the role of 'Vicar's wife' is something we are all familiar with even though I'm sure there is no such thing as a typical Vicar's wife. As a former Anglican myself, I know that each of the wives of the vicars I have known have each interpreted their role differently as in any other walk of life.

I realise I've been rambling on a bit. The main thing I wanted to say was a very warm welcome to both Robin Farrow (read more here) and Giles Pinnock (more here) and be assured of prayerful support from all your Catholic friends.

Happy Feast Day! . . .

Happy Feast Day everyone!

I'm just off to Mass to celebrate Our Lady's Birthday. I hope to catch up with blogging later today as it's my day off.

Meanwhile, enjoy . . .

Friday funnies . . .

If you're getting a bit fed up with pondering on 'the meaning of life, the universe and everything' you might like to consider some of the following philosophical questions I've just received from Sr Anastasia.

I'm surprised to find she has time for such weighty matters as my sources tell me she's currently participating in a national convention on Liturgy and the Eucharist chaired by a certain well-known Archbishop somewhere in the Indian sub-continent - the only woman on the steering committee, no less! Well, I'm impressed anyway.

To more serious matters . . . .

1. Is it good if a vacuum cleaner really sucks?

2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?

3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?

4. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

5. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?

6. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

7. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?

8. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?

9. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?

10. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

11. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

12. How come abbreviated is such a long word?

13. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?

14. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

15. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?

16. Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat chocolate out of your socks?

St Gregory the Great . . .

I'm going to get in early with tomorrow's feast day - St Gregory the Great.

Here's a potted biography for those of you who, like me, know very little about this great Apostle of the English . . .

No wonder he turned out so well. With both his mother, St Silvia, and two aunts St Tarsilla and St Æmiliana, being canonised he was obviously surrounded by excellent role models.

He was born in Rome, the son of Gordianus, a wealthy senator, who later became one of the seven deacons of Rome. He was well educated and was appointed magistrate.

After the death of his father, he built six monasteries in Sicily and established a seventh in his own house in Rome, which became the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew. He lived here as a monk from 575 when he was 35 years old.

St. Gregory was chosen Pope by the unanimous consent of priests and people. He is known above all for his great contributions to the Liturgy of the Mass and Office. (Hence Gregorian Chant, I imagine.) He is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. He died in 604 and is the Patron Saint of teachers.

Thanks to New Advent and Catholic Online for the information. More information may be found on their web sites here and here.

What day is it? . . .

I know I'm not the only one who finds Bank Holidays quite disorientating. It usually takes me until the Friday of the week following a Bank Holiday Monday to realise which day it is. Add to that the change of month and the end of the Summer holidays for the schools and I'm fast approaching chaos.

It's amazing how just turning the calendar over a page can make such a difference. August has passed at a wonderfully leisurely pace on the whole but today was busy, busy, busy; beginning with the extra traffic on the roads this morning.

I had wanted to write a few lines about some of the recent feast days but I'm afraid I've missed the boat.

Mac over at Mulier Fortis has an interesting post on Saint Anne Line whom she has taken as her Patron Saint.

It always makes me smile when I read in the ordo ' Sts Margaret Clitherow and Anne Line, married women . . . . , Martyrs.' It's almost as if being a married woman is a cause for canonisation and even martyrdom. I know sometimes some of us married women might agree with the sentiment! (Just joking, Dearest).

Belated Bank Holiday post . . .

I've been really struggling with our Internet connection lately hence the tardiness of this post which I began on Monday!

I thought as I'd given myself such a tough time putting together the slide show, I was going to inflict it on you anyway even though it is old news.

It was a lovely day as it turned out although we had decided that we'd go and visit Nymans regardless of the weather. 'Have kagoule, will travel' is one of my many mottos.

I know the soundtrack is rather 'cheesy' but I was having such a struggle uploading the slide show for some reason, I gave up trawling through my music library for a better choice.

Hope you enjoy the 'bootiful' flowers anyway.