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How cute is today’s Google Doodle? Happy Birthday Mark Twain!
I wish I was able to take a better picture of the wreath, but with the lighting and where it is hung in the room, its hard to get all of it. The candles are a little crooked because it fell from the ceiling the night before last (it scared me to death too), I had to re-glue them last night and now they don’t stand up straight. No worries, I bought a sturdier hook to hand it on and it hasn’t come down since.
No, I didn’t use the traditional colors, simply because I couldn’t find candles or ribbon that weren’t bubble-gum pink and grape-candy purple. So I just used creams and red (for Gaudet Sunday). I would have used pink roses for Gaudet Sunday, but the pink roses look really, really fake. The red were more lifelike.
It’s already the first Sunday of Advent again! Below is the St. Andrew Christmas Prayer to be prayed from the feast of St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) until Christmas. I thought I would post it today just so as not to forget. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to start it a few days early either.
Say 15 times a day from St. Andrew’s Day (30 November) until Christmas.
Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment at which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin at a stable at midnight in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, to hear my prayers and grant my desires. (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.
Picture Source Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men
I have such a weird sense of humor. 
In honor of the feast of St. Cecilia I give you Stefano Maderno’s masterpiece!
The statue is modeled after the body of St. Cecilia herself when her body was exhumed 1599. Stefano Maderno was commissioned to carve this statue of St. Cecilia depicting how she was found lying in her tomb. She was incorrupt, her neck nearly severed by the executioners blows, and her hands and fingers placed to show that she died believing in the Triune God (three Persons in one God). The statue can be found under the high altar in the church of St. Cecilia in Rome, Italy.
St. Cecilia is the patroness of music. She also has an amazing sense of humor. Once I cantored a Mass a capella and without sheet music. I was supposed to sing Faith of Our Fathers as the processional song, I was sure I knew the melody. So I said a quick prayer to St. Cecilia and started right on in. Apparently that melody is only a few notes away in the beginning measures from the melody for Jesus My Lord My God and My All and I got horribly mixed up. So I ended up singing Faith of Our Fathers to the melody of Jesus My Lord My God and My All. Thanks to St. Cecilia the words and the melody matched perfectly. I remember singing and thinking, “this really shouldn’t be working, what on earth am I singing? It sounds alright, but I know this isn’t the melody to Faith of Our Fathers.” The sensation of singing without recognizing the melody that was coming out of one’s mouth is surreal. But knowing at the same time that the tune was 1) in tune 2) didn’t sound bad, was the most peculiar experience ever. It wasn’t until after Mass that I was told what melody I was using and then I recognized what had happened.
I decided that I am going to start posting famous monograms and cyphers (can also be spelled cipher according to my OED). I think they are beautiful and I wish more people would use monograms and cyphers. They are like tiny pieces of art that can be very useful in everyday life.
What is the difference between a monogram and a cypher? A cypher is a person’s initials. A monogram is a person’s initials intertwined in some fashion. Some people use one or the other. Some people use both. Some people (they usually rule countries and what-not) have several for different purposes: public affairs, private affairs, laundry, etc.
For example, this is the official cypher of Queen Elizabeth II of England:
The lettering stands for Elizabeth II–Royal. And if you were still in doubt that this might be a royal cypher, there is a bejeweled crown to help you out.
This is the official monogram of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (she has another for private use):
The lettering here stands for M -Margrethe, 2-II, R-Royal. See how the M is intertwined with the 2 and the R and how it is different from the cypher above? And once again, if your were too daft to get that this is a royal monogram, there is the crown.
Aren’t they neat?
What would Grace Kelly do? I ask myself this question when I find myself in interesting situations. It usually works like a charm. I just picture Princess Grace in my mind, what she would do, what she would say. Not everone can bridge the gap between American and Princess of another country almost flawlessly –I figure she is a good role model for behavior.
There was a beautiful moon out last night night, and while I was looking at it I realized that I’ve never actually been able to see the man-in-the-moon. I remember being little and having the man-in-the-moon pointed out to me, but I never really got it. I have always seen a lady’s head. So I googled man-in-the-moon and I found a whole series of things people through the ages have seen, and the lady is there too! And now for the first time ever, I see the man-in-the-moon!
Starting from the top you can see 1) a man carrying sticks, 2) a rabbit, 3) first man-in-the-moon face 4) second man-in-the-moon face, 5) lady in the moon.
I know this clip has been around the proverbial internet block a few times, but I was watching it the other night with some friends and laughed until tears ran down my cheeks. It’s so cute! And funny!
