Blessings all! 

This month of October is the Month of the Holy Rosary, and so I thought it was appropriate that my first faith-based post in months should be dedicated to this devotion. 

As much as I love the Rosary, it does feel quite...trite at times. Rote, even. And that is something that is not *supposed* to happen. I mean, I have heard the meditative aspects of the Rosary described in many ways (most recently, being like a photo album sitting on Mother Mary's lap, which I find quite beautiful), but have never really *gotten* it. I've tried Rosary books with meditations and it only works for a few seconds before my mind is off again into La-La-Land (and not the musical either). 

So I've started this project in which to find little bite-sized meditations to consume before each prayer. What inspired this project was a practice that my brother would sometimes do for the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery and announce the first 10 Stations of the Cross before each Hail Mary. I found that it was super helpful to keep me focused. As many of the mysteries are based on Scripture, I decided to try one line or two lines of Scripture per Hail Mary. 

In this post, I'll be giving "a verse, a prayer" meditations for the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. By far, these were the easiest set of mysteries, as the Bible verses lined up one right after the other and they were already in a nice narrative format. 

All Bible quotations are taken directly from the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible. I should also add a disclaimer that the verses were chosen and curated by me (a single laywoman with no formal theological training). This does not have any official Imprimatur but is simply intended for private devotion only.  

First Mystery: The Annunciation

Our Father. 

"And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth." (Luke 1:26). Hail Mary. 

"To a virgin espoused to a man who name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary." (Luke 1:27). Hail Mary. 

"And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." (Luke 1:28). Hail Mary. 

"Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be." (Luke 1:29). Hail Mary. 

"And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God." (Luke 1:30). Hail Mary. 

"Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus." (Luke 1:31). Hail Mary. 

"And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?" (Luke 1:34). Hail Mary. 

"And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35). Hail Mary. 

"And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to the thy word." (Luke 1:38). Hail Mary. 

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us..." (John 1:14). Hail Mary. 

Glory Be 

Fatima Prayer

Second Mystery: The Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin Elizabeth

Our Father

"And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren." (Luke 1:36). Hail Mary. 

"And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda." (Luke 1:39). Hail Mary. 

"And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth." (Luke 1:40). Hail Mary. 

"And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost." (Luke 1:41). Hail Mary. 

"And she cried out with a loud voice and said: Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (Luke 1:42). Hail Mary. 

"And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43). Hail Mary. 

"For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy." (Luke 1:44). Hail Mary. 

"And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Luke 1:46-47). Hail Mary. 

"Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48). Hail Mary. 

"And Mary abode with her about three months. And she returned to her own house." (Luke 1: 56). Hail Mary. 

Glory Be. 

Fatima Prayer.

Third Mystery: The Nativity of Our Lord

Our Father

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem: because he was was of the house and family of David. To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child." (Luke 2:4-5). Hail Mary. 

"And it came to pass that when they were there, her days were accomplished that she should be delivered." (Luke 2:6). Hail Mary. 

"And she brought forth her first-born son and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7). Hail Mary. 

"And there were in the same country shepherds watching and keeping their night watches over their flock." (Luke 2:8). Hail Mary. 

"And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them and the brightness of God shone round them: and they feared with a great fear. (Luke 2:9). Hail Mary. 

"And the angel said to them: Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that shall be to all the people. (Luke 2:10). Hail Mary. 

"For, this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David." (Luke 2:11). Hail Mary. 

"And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." (Luke 2:12). Hail Mary. 

"And they came with haste: and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manager. (Luke 2:16). Hail Mary. 

"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told to them. (Luke 2:20). Hail Mary. 

Glory Be

Fatima Prayer

Fourth Mystery: The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Our Father

"And after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called Jesus, which was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb." (Luke 2:21). Hail Mary. 

"And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord." (Luke 2:22). Hail Mary. 

"As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord." (Luke 2:23). Hail Mary. 

"And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon: and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel." (Luke 2:25). Hail Mary. 

"And when his parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he also took him into his arms and blessed God." (Luke 2:27-28). Hail Mary. 

"Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace, because my eyes have seen thy salvation." (Luke 2:29-30). Hail Mary. 

"And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him." (Luke 2:33). Hail Mary. 

"And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted." (Luke 2:34). Hail Mary. 

"And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed." (Luke 2:35). Hail Mary. 

"And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their city Nazareth." (Luke 2:39). Hail Mary. 

Glory Be. 

Fatima Prayer.

"The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple" by Giovanni Bellini

Fifth Mystery: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

Our Father

"And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast." (Luke 2:42). Hail Mary. 

"And having fulfilled the days when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and his parents knew it not." (Luke 2:43). Hail Mary. 

"And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey and sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance." (Luke 2:44). Hail Mary. 

"And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him." (Luke 2:45). Hail Mary. 

"And it came to pass that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing the and asking them questions." (Luke 2:46). Hail Mary. 

"And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers." (Luke 2:47). Hail Mary. 

"And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold they father and I have sought thee sorrowing." (Luke 2:48). Hail Mary.  

"And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? Did you know I must be about my father's business?" (Luke 2:49). Hail Mary. 

"And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them." (Luke 2:50). Hail Mary. 

"And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them." (Luke 2:51). Hail Mary. 

Glory Be

Fatima Prayer

And that finishes the Joyful Mysteries! I hope to publish the Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries soon!  

Old-fashionably yours, 

Catherine

Hello all!

Our society celebrates "the Christmas season" from the end of Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. Christmas decorations are going up and of course, shopping.

But for some of us, it can get a little awkward especially in the beginning of the season as Christmas music, which is increasingly becoming more and more secular as time goes on, is played on the stereos.

I personally do not participate in the full "secular" Christmas season. I did as a child. But as I grow more in my Faith, I now celebrate Advent, which is the liturgical preparation for Christmas. Part of that, and the most obvious, is that I refuse to listen to Christmas music until the 4th week of Advent.

But does that mean that I only listen to 6 versions of "O Come O Come Emmanuel"?

(Well, I do have 6 covers of O Come O Come Emmanuel in my Advent playlist, but that is neither here nor there. There are much more Advent hymns that exist, and for anyone who wants recommendations on Advent music, feel free to contact me.)

The answer is no!

When I initially developed my Advent playlist two years ago, I thought that it could only be made of hymns. What secular music would be appropriate as most was celebrating Christmas before it was even here?

It wasn't until I was developing my Christmas playlists that I found several songs that were either appropriate for winter or spoke to the longing and preparation that makes up the Advent season.


And today, I'm going to share what those songs are! For the sake of convenience, I've only included "mainstream" music hits. I've not put up any Christmas Pop songs either, most of which I find have a lustful undertone that I find offensive.



"Silver Bells" - The line "Soon it will be Christmas Day" is what started my search for secular Christmas music appropriate for Advent. If there was one, there had to be more?


"Sleigh Ride" - This is more of a winter carol than a Christmas one, but since snow often falls in Advent, I don't see much problem with it.


"I Want a Hippopotomus for Christmas" - This is one of my "radio favorites" that I listened to growing up. I highly recommend looking up the backstory of this song :)


"It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas" - Another traditional radio favorite, this song speaks of society preparing for Christmas.


"I'll be Home for Christmas" - A wartime song, it speaks of the longing to be home for Christmas.


"Jingle Bells" - This is more of a winter carol than a Christmas one, but since snow often falls in Advent, I don't see much problem with it.


"You're A Mean One, Mister Grinch" - This is only if you like the Grinch or not. I personally do :)


"Let it Snow" - This is more of a winter carol than a Christmas one, but since snow often falls in Advent, I don't see much problem with it.


"Winter Wonderland" - This is more of a winter carol than a Christmas one, but since snow often falls in Advent, I don't see much problem with it.


"White Christmas" - The longing tone is definitely present especially in "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas".


"Jingle Bell Rock" - This is more of a winter carol than a Christmas one, falling in similar vein to the traditional "Jingle Bells".


"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - Since this song speaks of Santa's preparations, I view it as appropriate for Advent (if you believe in Santa, of course).


"Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup" - similar vein to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" except it's a humorous banter between Alvin and the Chipmunks and country music star Alan Jackson.


"Deck the Halls" - This is more appropriate closer to Christmas (I would say closer to end of the Third Week of Advent). It's one of my favorite carols to sing to as I'm decorating the house for Christmas.


"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" - This is more appropriate closer to Christmas (I would say closer to end of the Third Week of Advent). Christmas wishes are already being passed along...


I'm sure that there are a few obscure ones out there that didn't make this list, but that should give you an idea of what music to search up if you're looking for a little shot of Christmas to get you through Advent :)

If you celebrate Advent, how do you celebrate it? When do you start listening to Christmas music? 

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

A blessed day to you, dear reader!

I warn you ahead of time, that this post is quite lengthy and is most likely to stir up controversy. However, it is a topic that is well worth talking about, especially with the recent resurgence in veiling among young Catholic women.

One of the practices that drew me into the traditional rite, was the veiling of women. Even before I officially converted into the Catholic Church, I had decided to take up veiling after seeing the examples of women around me. It wasn't until after I converted that I began to study the reasons behind head covering.

Women have always worn some sort of head covering in every culture and religion. In fact, until around the 20th century, women wouldn't have been caught dead without something on their heads.

Wearing something on the head can be very practical. For one, it keeps the hair much cleaner - keeping the bugs, dirt, and dust away. For another, it protects the tender scalp on the head from sunburning (yes, that is a thing. I've had it happen. It hurts). But is there a spiritual reason why we should cover our heads?

The interpretations of 1 Corinthians 11:5 have been many and varied. Some take the letter of the law and cover their heads all the time. Some view it as the hair being the only covering that they need. Some only cover their head in religious ceremonies. Some wear it as a sign of submission - to their husband or to God.

What is the true practice?

The Catholic Church has made it very clear through tradition (and St. Paul) that women should be veiled when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, or in the church sanctuary.

There are many spiritual reasons why this is. One is the tradition that sacred objects in the Catholic Church are veiled (the Tabernacle, the Chalice, the Altar, etc.), and the fact that the women also veil reveals their sacred status in the Church. A second reason is that as Catholic women, we imitate The Blessed Virgin Mary, who always covered her hair. Another reason is that the veil is an outer sign of humility and submission to the Lord.

However, for veiling outside of church, it reverts to the custom of the people. From my understanding, it is acceptable to uncover the head for the husband, as it is revealing the beauty of the woman (St. Paul does command that wives make themselves beautiful for their husbands!). As far as I can find, there is no real definitive stance from the Church's perspective on veiling all the time, leaving me to conclude that it is a pious practice that women may take up on their own accord as they wish.



How much should the hair be covered (in church or out)?

Some cultures say all. Some (such as Anabaptist and Quaker sects) cover the bulk of the hair, which is piled into a bun and covered by a cap. Others say that the head should be covered, but the hair that covers the back can be left uncovered.

The general consensus (for there are no set guidelines, unlike modesty in dress) for Catholic women is that at least the "crown" of the head should be covered during Mass. The "crown" is the top portion of the head, where a hat would normally sit. This leaves women considerable freedom of styles of "headcovering" to choose from.

Outside of Mass, it is up to the woman's own convictions and the local custom. For us American women who have no current local custom for a head-covering, we can cover as much or as little as we please. However, when we travel (especially in the Middle East) we should check the local custom to avoid harassment. Remember, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." (but exercise caution - see below)



What should we use to veil? 

For Mass, we can veil our heads with a variety of coverings.

We can go with the traditional lace mantilla.




We can use a large scarf.




We can use a pretty hat.





We can use a lace cap. 





There used to be a tradition in which unmarried women would wear white mantillas and married women would wear black. Some girls would also assume the black veil after they received Confirmation. Now, it is a case of personal preference - especially now that colored veils have gained popularity.

Should we want to cover our heads outside of Mass, we can use a variety of cloth veils, bandanas, headscarves, headbands, and hats.



Some Examples:










The only note of caution is that we should avoid imitating another religious sect's style of headcovering (hijabs, Jews, etc.) or have a veil tied in the same way as a nun's. The reason is that we don't want to deceive others to think that we are what we are not.

Headcoverings, in a more direct way than modest clothing does, is also rather conspicious, so be wary of being ostentatious or standing out - as this is counterproductive to modesty! 


What I Will Do to Veil:

I will always veil for any Mass. It doesn't matter if I'm attending a Norvus Ordo Mass or a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form. The veil goes on my head because HE is there in all of His Glory, which is being manifested on the altar and my "glory" (which is my hair) is nothing in comparison. The veil also, in a small way, deflects some of the distractions and helps me concentrate a little better.

I have several different veils: 3 white lace veils, 1 black fabric "veil", 1 black lace veil, and 1 bright purple scarf. During most of the year, I'll wear one of my white lace veils, keeping to the old tradition. I'll wear a black veil for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and I'll wear my purple scarf during Advent and Lent - simply to match the liturgical season.

I'm one of those women who prefers to have most of the hair to be covered, taking the Blessed Virgin's example in this matter. Wide headbands don't cut it for me, although they can help cover the "crown" section of my head in case my veil slips (my purple headscarf tends to do that. A lot. Drives me nuts). I typically go for more of the scarf style of veil, which covers pretty much all of my hair, all the way down to my waist.

Outside of Mass, I typically won't cover my head. I'll sometimes wear bandanas on my head when I'm in a domestic kind of mood. I'll wear my sweatshirt hoods frequently. When I was a historical reenactor up in New England, I wore a cotton cap and sunbonnet while I worked. The cap I didn't mind as much as the sunbonnet....the lack of visibility really got annoying after a while. I did also wear a headband when I worked at the dairy to help keep my hair cleaner.

However, for some religious things out of Mass, I'll cover my head. I'll sometimes cover my head during the family Rosary. I used to also cover my head when I read Holy Scripture. For that, I'll use an old piece of blue fabric with painted flowers - which, in my youth, was meant as a beach wrap. Sometimes, I'll also cover my head as an act of penance during Lent.

I have toyed with the idea of veiling all the time, but have decided at this point not to pursue it. Maybe once I'm out on my own, or if I ever work on a farm again, I shall give it more consideration. I don't feel it to be necessary at this point in my life either.

And thus I conclude for now. I must be off, there is much to be done today!

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine



P.S. For anyone who is curious and wishes to learn more, I have included the following links:

Veils by Lily. This is probably the most comprehensive of all the FAQs regarding veiling.
Unam Sanctam Catholicam. This page explains a lot of the scriptural meanings of veiling.
"Why Do Women Cover Their Heads in Church?", The Remnant. This particular article by John Salza is a very in-depth analysis of some of the passages from 1 Corinthians.
Fish Eaters. This article explains the traditions of veiling.
One Peter Five. Written by a contemporary woman in everyday laymen's english, it demolishes some of the liberal misconceptions.
Sensus Fidelium has a few video sermons on the subject, two of which are HERE and HERE.

Hello all,

As I've mentioned before, I'm an old-fashioned type of girl. For years, I used to claim that I was born in the wrong century - a sentiment that has been fanned by six months of working in living history. I'm greatly interested in all things vintage - even to the point of trying activities like hand-spinning and driving horses!

So, would it surprise people to know that I have a hope chest hidden somewhere in my house?

For those who have read a lot of classic girls' novels, such as Little House on the Prairie, the term "hope chest" may seem familiar.

Hope chests are one of those things that come from the shrouds of antiquity. It is born of the human sentiment to save things for a later date. In this case, it is things like dishes, linens, kitchen tools, and other small housewares that help jump-start a young maidens' journey into the domestic life.




I started my own hope chest sometime in high school...I think when I was about 16 or 17. I think what inspired me was re-reading some of the Little House on the Prairie books.
At that point, I was also "collecting" various items that I wanted to use in my future home; which included towels to embroider, crocheted hot pads, some small scrubbers, that sort of thing. Some came from family members, some came as gifts, and others....just showed up.

The ironic thing is that I didn't put these items in an actual chest - but in a cardboard box. Over the years, I put things like candles, a doily or two,  a few dishes and crocheted rugs in there...as well as a few other household items. It was kept on this small scale until I was about 21.

My original "Hope Chest" - the Organic Milk box.

The original box's since grown to 4 tubs and 2 cardboard boxes! When I was in my junior year of college, I moved out of the dorms into one of the campus apartments. So in the months before, I greatly expanded my housewares collection so I would be able to cook properly.

In addition to the stuff in the first picture, this stack comprises the rest of my hope chest!

Even now I don't have an actual cedar chest. At least not yet.... the plan is that I'm going to be getting my mother's chest as soon as my grandmother's chest is handed down to her. (My maternal family has a strict generational hand-me-down system for heirloom housewares....). From what I understand, they are rather hard to source nowadays....

But what does that matter if the "chest" is a cardboard box or a tub? The idea is still the same. So don't let the difficulty of finding a good quality wooden chest dissuade you from following this long-practiced tradition. 

In case you ever start a hope chest of your own, here's some suggestions on how to fill it:

1. Start at home! Look through the basements and attics of your family's homes to see if there are any useful articles that have been stored away. I got a lot of things that way.

2. Raid about 30 thrift stores, over a few states or so. I'm serious!
Each thrift store has different items, and they are really good places to find old kitchen devices, dishes, and other little things. And the best part about it - is that everything is cheap! (Obviously, you have to watch the quality; but most stores inspect and test the items before they put them out to sell).

3. Stop and shop at yard sales. You have no idea what kind of gems have been hiding in people's homes!

4. If you're a knitter, crocheter, or seamstress - try hand making things like towels, washcloths, tablecloths, and other linens. And if you are not any of the above, why not try it?

5. Try to store all the items together if you can - and if you can't afford the old-fashioned cedar chest, go with the more contemporary cardboard box/plastic tub! And obviously, keep them away from water and other damaging things.


I would love to see this tradition revived, especially as the domestic arts and vintage traditions are starting to have a comeback in the younger generations.

Will you join me?

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine


Sites Referenced: 

https://www.amishoutletstore.com/blog/your-guide-to-understanding-and-filling-a-hope-chest/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_chest

This cloth is folded in half - and it almost completely stretches across my parent's king size bed! Man....I knew this cloth was long but my goodness....

It's cut!!

off to the races!

I'm back, and much more coherent this time (I hope).

For those of you got lost in my last post, I'll give you a quick run-down:

I got a job from my priest to divide an altar cloth in half last week. But I have to be careful, because the ends have to be matched a certain way.



It had been on a side altar table for quite a bit. This poor little linen cloth looked like it hadn't been washed in....well, let's just say, it's been a while.

It had soot stains, water stains, and a few others stains that I have no idea what they were. The cloth, which like I mentioned before, should have been white. But with so many stains on it, it looked a little on the yellow side.

Needless to say, it needed to be washed. BADLY.

This is about the best "before" picture I've got.

So, after dumping about a quarter of a bottle of stain remover on it, it got dumped into the washing machine.



After the washer finished with it, I set up the ironing board and heated up the iron to the highest setting. Linen is a rather stiff cloth, despite the fact that it wrinkles faster than I can say Jack Robinson. Grabbing the wet cloth, I then proceeded to iron out all the wrinkles that the washer put into the cloth.

Yes, you read that right.

I'll tell you a big secret of the trade ladies:

If you ever have to iron a linen tablecloth or you ever iron church linens yourself....

Iron it while it's wet. And keep ironing it until it's dry. 

Believe it or not, a priest taught me that trick when he taught me how the altar linens should be ironed. He learned to do it that way in seminary, in case anyone was wondering. And yes, priests are taught to iron linens in seminary. Cause SOMEBODY's gotta teach the ladies the correct way....

Believe me, if you iron it while it's wet, or at least damp, the wrinkles come out SO MUCH EASIER. And you don't have to mess with putting a gazillion gallons of water in that teensy-weesy water tank. Ironing linen takes a lot of steam to do, so why not have it practically ready made?

So much ironing....

I think it took me only 2 hours to iron this cloth completely (it was very long, twice my arm span). If I had dried it in the dryer, I guarantee you I would have been there for 3 times that long. And the ironing job would not have lasted that long - maybe a half hour. After ironing it dry, it still hasn't wrinkled. And for anyone that has worked with linen, you know that it only takes a weird look to make it wrinkle. No joke.

Because this cloth was so long, it had to drape on the ground.  So, to protect it from the dirty floor, I put a towel down to catch it.

Now that this cloth is clean and smooth again, I can get started with the actual sewing part! Stay tuned for part 3!!

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

Soooooo.......

I happen to casually mention to my priest that I used to repair linens and vestments for the church.

Little did I know that he had a job lined up for me the week afterwards...LOL.

(How did that happen???)

Last week, Father let a couple of us into the church so we could go to choir practice.

He pulls me aside and says "Catherine, have you got a minute?"

Of course, I did. The women didn't start rehearsing until 30 minutes after the men anyway. (And you don't refuse a priest if you can avoid it. *nods sagely*)

So Father tells me to follow him. Which I did. (Though, in hindsight, I should have put my stuff down somewhere beforehand. Oh well. Minor details.)

We go into the sacristy, and Father goes to the circuit board and flips a couple of switches.

Odd, I thought to myself, normally any repair jobs are kept in the sacristy.

Now, Father goes past me and opens the door to the sanctuary. Again he tells me to follow him.

I thought to myself, Okay......what in the world......as I *quickly* scramble to put my headscarf back over my head (I have a teal fleece headscarf that I wear in the wintertime and I had pushed down when I was inside the door)

(I should point out right here, that no woman, unless accompanied by priest or under special permission is allowed to go into the sanctuary proper (you know, the chancel, behind the communion rail, etc.). Especially through the sacristy door.) 

Anyway, we go into the sanctuary, genuflect before the Tabernacle, and go over to the Epistle side of the Altar (which is the right side, in case you didn't know). We stop in front of a small table where there is a white (or what should have been white on closer examination) cloth was draped over.

(I should point out here also, that this is the table where the cruets, the patens, and the Lavabo dish and pitcher are placed during Mass, just to orient you girls to where we were.)

Father looks at me and says, "This is a cloth."

"Yes, Father." (kid you not, girls, he really said that)

"It's about twice as long as it needs to be."

Okay! I got it now. From there it was a small discussion on what exactly he wanted done to it (a simple case of cut, hem, and make sure it matches the other side, oh and please wash it, it's a little filthy) No problem!! (or so I thought)

During the rest of the men's practice, I took the time to examine the ends that I supposed to match.

I found out that it was going to be slightly more complicated than I had anticipated.

For some reason, the edge was cut, serged and partially French-seamed to make a flat finish, and then hemmed with a two inch hem (embroidery matched to boot).

The edge is on the left,  it's really hard to see but there is a double layer there. And you can see where the hem goes right up that IHS embroidery.

Well, that raises the stakes just a tad....Oh well, just going to have to be a lot more careful and get this edge right. No pressure. (Now I understand why Father said it might be a bit of a bear...)

But before I do anything to this cloth, it's going in ze washing machine. And then the ironing board. But that's a story for another day.

WHEW. Did I lose anyone in that mess? I apologize, it came out much MUCH more rambly than I had anticipated. I promise Part Two will be more coherent (I hope...) 

Hope you enjoyed the post!! Have you (or your mom) ever taken care of your church's linens? Chat with me in the comments! 

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

Hey y'all,

Just be warned, the following images may frighten some people.

So....on Friday (12/1), I was in my hall bathroom (never mind why) and I hear this really loud angry buzzing noise.

Thinking it was a big housefly, I looked around to find it. I moved the curtain and.....

Turns out there was a yellow jacket on the window. Inside.

Needless to say, I beat feet out of there. I'm not dealing with anything with stingers, thank you very much.

Several hours pass, and we discover this had happened: The yellow jacket, interested in the heater on the floor, had wound up in a spider's web. Well entrapped, I must say.

But what struck me was the spider itself.....