New blog, new look (Home Run Derby info, too!)

I have not posted lately because I did not particularly want to pay Google $5 for more photo space.

I have moved my blog to:

mothercrab.wordpress.com

or, you can click here GREATEST BLOG IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE and it may link to my blog. Or, you may end up on StLouisCatholic. Or Spoonlighting. Take your chances!

Saying good-bye to friends

Blogger decided it hated me and wouldn't let me post any more photos as I had reached my limit (as in 14 schnitzengruben is my limit kind of limit). Hence, my lack of posting. I am better with pictures than with words.

However, in the course of one month I will have said good-bye to 3 very dear friends who are moving on to new adventures. It is always difficult to say good-bye, especially when one of the farewells may be forever. I have regrets that I didn't spend more time with these people, that I didn't do more for them. But, what can I do now? I suppose all I can do is pray, spend quality time with the friends who are still here, and scour the web for friendship quotations...

In human life nothing holier can be desired, nothing more useful sought after, nothing is harder to find, nothing sweeter to experience, nothing more fruitful to possess than friendship. For it bears fruit both in this life and the next, showing forth all virtues in its sweetness and in its strength destroying vice. It softens the blows of adversity and moderates elation in prosperity.

Without friendship there can be hardly any happiness among humans; they may well be compared to animals if they have no one to rejoice with them in good fortune or sympathize with them in sorrow, no one to whom they can unburden themselves in time of trouble, or with whom they can share some especially uplifting or inspiring insight.

Alas for anyone who is alone and has no one to lift him up when he falls. Without a friend one is indeed alone. But what joy it is, what security, what a delight to have someone to whom you dare to speak as to another self; to whom you are not afraid to admit that you have done something wrong, or shy of revealing some spiritual progress you have made; someone to whom you can entrust all the secrets of your heart and with whom you can share your plans.

St. Aelred of Rievaulx

Blessed

Now it's perfect.

Life With Boys - 3 thumbs

My daughter made dinner last night and that same son who says things like "thrice" looked at her and said, "You know what I would do if I had 3 thumbs?" "Uh, no, what?" "I would wish for another so I could give your food 4 thumbs up!"

Life With Boys

My kids were milling about the house. Exasperated, I looked at them and said, "Kids, go play and use your imagination!" My engineer-ish son looked at me and said, "I used my imagination twice today and it got me nowhere."

Happy Birthday to my favorite radio personality

You are in our prayers on this special day. May your day end with Kakao chocolate!

Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at St. Francis de Sales Oratory

For your listening pleasure I am providing a link to the music from the Easter mass at St. Francis de Sales Oratory on April 8, 2012.  What you will hear is a beautiful rendition of Haydn's Mass in D Minor, also called the Lord Nelson Mass, under the direction of Mr. Nick Botkins. 

Haydn's Mass in D Minor: Lord Nelson Mass

We were blessed in St. Louis with a perfect day.  The weather was just gorgeous and this was a fantastic start to the day!  All I ask is that you pretend that the video is just as good as the audio.  I have found that this will sound even better if you attach external speakers to your computer.

Happy Easter!!

Holy Thursday

Can you tell I haven't had much to say lately?  I am suffering from Blogger's Block.  However, I would like to revisit the post from last year where I taught you a thing or two about Holy Thursday!

I received another tidbit via email:
On Holy Thursday the kiss of peace is not given at the Solemn High Mass because Holy Mother Church wants to prevent using the sign with which Judas betrayed the Lord on the evening of this day.
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Mother Crab now. That last tidbit led me to look in Dom Gueranger's The Liturgical Year. There I read a couple of more interesting things about Thursday's liturgy.

The Mass of Maundy Thursday is one of the most solemn of the year; and although the feast of Corpus Christi is the day for solemnly honouring the mystery of the holy Eucharist, still, the Church, would have the anniversary of the last Supper to be celebrated with all possible splendour. The colour of the vestments is white, as it is for Christmas day and Easter Sunday; the decorations of the altar and sanctuary all bespeak joy, and yet, there are several ceremonies during this Mas which show that the holy bride of Christ has not forgotten the Passion of her Jesus, and that this joy is but transient. The priest entones the angelic hymn, Glory be to God in the hightest! and the bells ring forth a joyous peal, which continues during the whole of the heavenly canticle: but from that moment they remain silent, and their long silence produces, in every heart, a sentiment of holy mournfulness. But why does the Church deprive us, for so many hours of, the grand melody of these sweet bells, whose voices cheer us during the rest of the year? It is to show us that this world lost all its melody and joy when its Saviour suffered and was crucified. Moreover, she would hereby remind us, how the apostles (who were the heralds of Christ, and are figured by the bells, whose ringing summons the faithful to the house of God), fled from their divine Master and left Him a prey to His enemies.

The holy Sacrifice continues as usual; but at the solemn moment of the elevation of the holy Host and the Chalice of salvation, the bell is silent, and outside the the church there is not given to the neighbourhood the usual signal of the descent of Jesus upon the altar...

Another rite peculiar to to-day, is the consecration of two Hosts during the Mass. One of these the priest receives in Communion; the other he reserves, and reverently places it in a chalice, which he covers with a veil. The reason of this is that to-morrow the Church suspends the daily Sacrifice. Such is the impression produced by the anniversary of our Saviour's death, that the Church dares not to renew upon her altars the immolation which was then offered on Calvary; or rather, her renewal of it will be by fixing all her thoughts on the terrible scene of that Friday noon. The Host reserved from to-day's Mass, will be her morrow's participation. This rite is called the Mass of the Presanctified, because, in it, the priest does not consecrate, but only receives the Host consecrated on the previous day...

In every church is prepared a richly ornamented side-chapel or pavilion, where, after to-day's Mass, the Church places the Body of her divine Lord. Though veiled from their view, the faithful will visit Him in this His holy resting-place, pay Him their most humble adorations, and present Him their most fervent supplications.

If you are learning all of this for the first second time, welcome to my club.

The Institute of Christ the King in Gabon

Canon Michael Stein was recently installed as the new Curé of his parish in Libreville, Gabon! You can see the photos of the Solemn Pontifical mass with Archbishop Basile Mvé here. And, even better, you can see our dear Msgr. Schmitz with a beard.

My son said to Canon Stein, "Let's take a picture feeling our beards!"
Voila.

Book Club

I am in a bookclub simply because it makes me read books.  Otherwise I would remain the pseudo-reader that I became after majoring in English.  I suffered from major burn-out and then, well, life got in the way. We just read Sword of Honour by Evelyn Waugh and most of us enjoyed it.  There is a great part in the book where the main character, who is Catholic, doesn't speak the language of the local priest so they converse in Latin. Awesome. And, yes, I even understood it! (How? It's a dead language! Phhhttt!)

I think this is the book we need to read next:



Hi.lar.i.ous.



His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke at St. Francis de Sales Oratory

Tonight at St. Francis de Sales Oratory we had the pleasure of a visit from Cardinal Burke complete with Solemn Benediction and a wonderful reception.  I took 235 photos and only have 6 to show you...

The Arrival of His Eminence

Vesting

Military escort



Benediction

Cappa Magna



Reception.



Thank you, Cardinal Burke for visiting us at St. Francis de Sales.

Thank you for all  you do for The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

Thank you for your dedication to Holy Mother Church.

Preparation and Anticipation

Things are definitely in the works for the visit of our beloved Cardinal Burke tomorrow.  I sneaked into the church and snapped a couple of pictures of people building and arranging things. I also included a photo of the angel by the St. Joseph Altar just because I think it's beautiful.



Now THAT'S a torchbearer!



I don't think the ladder will be there tomorrow.
Or will it?

Some people have a way with flowers.
Other people, oh, not have way.



Pontifical Solemn High Mass with His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

Look at all of those beautiful side altars.
I'm not sure if they are used any longer.

Thanks to the ever-resourceful JJR, I have photos from today's Pontifical Solemn High Mass with Cardinal Burke!

The glorious event took place at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO with the Institute of Christ the King (which is obvious when you see the blue cassocks worn by our servers!).

We shall see Cardinal Burke again on January 31st where he will visit us at St. Francis de Sales just as he did last year!



Procession



At the altar!

I think I see another blogger on here.



Notice the Cappa Magna.



Blue Cassocks and Awesome Abbes!

7 Lies About Homeschoolers.

My siblings are my bestest friends.

PW Pizza

There is a restaurant attached to Vin de Set called PW's Pizza and they offer gluten-free pizza.  Their crust isn't as good as this one, but 1) I don't have to make it and 2) I get out of the house.  Yay!

The beer (Zwickel lager) is from the local Urban Chestnut Brewery.
Yum.

 From their website:

Zwickel, Reverence Series #1:
Our flagship lager, pronounced ‘zv-ick-el’, is an unfiltered, unpasteurized, German classic that finishes as a smooth-drinking, vitamin rich (from the yeast), naturally cloudy bier. Hops: Hallertau Malts: Two-Row & Pilsner ABV- 5.1%, IBU’s- 19, OG – 11.5 Plato

Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper

The Popeye and Olive Oil Pizza.
roasted garlic olive oil, spinach, roasted red pepper & goat cheese
It was outstanding. (This one wasn't gluten-free).

Yum

I had an outstanding meal 10 days ago.  I took photos, but I forgot to post them, so here we are...

Anyway, I wanted to show these photos because the food was exquisite AND delicious AND beautiful AND AND AND.  The company and ambiance were wonderful.  Really, it was a great evening.

Perhaps we can do this again soon?  (Hint, hint!)

I am seriously disappointed to see only 20 glasses on the table.



Is that a chip I see in the water pitcher?



Where are the handmade dough ornaments?

Gaudete Benefit Gala  - next year.

Awwwww.

Fortunately for us the only ingredient not in this is salmonella.



Good ol' St. Nick.  :)



Life with Boys

My very young son who is finally putting sentences together settled into his bathtub tonight and said,

"Ah, this is all I need. A boat, a cup, and my duck."

Oh Christmas Tree

Sometimes a person goes out of town and other people have keys to said person's house. And sometimes those people decorate that person's house with pictures of themselves.

Confused?  That's why I rarely write and post pictures instead.  I talk better through a lens.



Hey, I recognize this tree. But, it's different somehow.
Oh! It has lots of new angels!



Oh my! This angel doesn't look very pleased!



That's better. We must have practiced.

What could that be up there?



Hi-ya! Take that tambourines and guitars!



Taking chops out of liturgical music abuses!



Really, I'm an angel!



Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis, MO

Yesterday I took a handful of kids to Laumeier Sculpture Park as it was 55 degrees! In January!

This beautiful park contains some very impressive works, and some are just downright huge.

We're off to see the Wizard...



This sculpture is enormous. Some might say ginormous.



Timman, they're watching you!!!



Do not be anxious...

I have a friend whom I've been praying for. 

I hope she sees this...

Philippians 4:6-7

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.'

Bless this House. No, really.

I was privy to a beautiful house blessing the other night. You can read all about the tradition here, but you can see actual photos HERE! On this blog!  The photos were taken with my phone - so I apologize for their grainy quality.  The out of focus ones are because I had already had a glass of wine.