Weekend Joke: Texas State Trooper

Two guys are speeding through Texas when a state trooper pulls them over. The trooper walks up to the driver's side of the car, gets out his billy club and smacks the driver across the face. Stunned, the driver asks, "Why did you do that?"

The trooper responds, "You're in Texas now son, you have that license out and ready around here!"

"I apologize sir, I'm not from around here."

The trooper then walks to the passenger side of the car, and taps on the window. The passenger rolls down his window and the trooper takes out his club and smacks the passenger across the face.

"What was that for?" asked the passenger.

"I know your kind," says the trooper, "About two miles down the road you would have looked at your buddy and said 'I wish he would have tried that crap with me!'"

If I Had My Way ...

I don't watch many videos, glad I stopped for this one. I never heard of Robert Randolph but my brother says of this, "Old time revival by a modern man. Robert Randolph is great. Period."

I concur.

Robert Randolph "If I Had My Way" by RadarMusicVideos

Murray Leinster Collection

Murray Leinster Collection: The Pirates of Ersatz/The Aliens/Operation Terror by Murray Leinster

13 Hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Speculative!, Brilliance Audio
Published: 2013
Themes: / Science Fiction / space pirates / aliens /
Contains: “The Pirates of Ersatz” / “The Aliens” / “Operation Terror”

This is a really wonderful selection that represents the many facets of Murray Leinster's work. There's a little comedy, a little straight adventure, and tale of terror.

The Pirates of Ersatz: Bron Hodon's homeworld has one occupation - space piracy. His dream, naturally, is to be an electrical engineer. Whether he tries to ply his trade on a sophisticated world or a barbarian one, no one seems interested in engineers. He winds up bouncing from one problem (and adventure) to another, leaning on advice that his grandfather, a sage space pirate, gave him long ago. This is a great example of Leinster's trademark tongue-in-cheek humor.

The Aliens: This is a much shorter story than the other two. It tells of humanity's first contact with an alien race. Evidence of The Plumies has been found on distant planets but humans have never seen one. When the two races finally meet, amidst disaster in space, will it be war or peace?

Operation Terror: A mysterious spacecraft lands in Boulder Lake Colorado. The one report that gets out is of alien creatures. They have a "terror ray" that incapacitates anyone upon whom it is used. Can Lockley and the girl he loves escape and warn the government of what he's learned?

A common feature for all of these stories is an ingenious hero who notices details, thinks outside the box, and tries to solve problems rather than giving up when the going gets tough. Whether humorous or serious, I really enjoyed each of these tales. They give the reader credit for intelligence and the ability to keep up with the hero, while telling a rattling good yarn. Operation Terror in particular had me on the edge of my seat wondering, along with Lockley, what precisely are these aliens and how can they ever escape?

Unfortunately, the narration in this collection is very uneven. Ran Alan Ricard is brilliant narrating The Aliens. I could listen to him read the phone book and be entertained. Unfortunately Jim Roberts, who narrates the other two, longer tales, comes nowhwere near Ricard's abilities. I am not sure how his reading managed to be both boring and annoying but that is how it struck me. In fact, the combined power of the stories and annoyance of his narration was such that I finally went to LibriVox and downloaded The Pirates of Ersatz and Operation Terror so I could find out what happened.

I simply can't recommend this collection due to Roberts' poor narration. However, I highly recommend you get Murray Leinster's stories from LibriVox and enjoy them that way.

This review is from SFFaudio whence came the review audiobook.

Worth a Thousand Words: Bookplate

Bookplate, 1902. Robert Hall, an avid collector of Kemscott Press books.
Via Books and Art

Doesn't this look like a little slice of Heaven?

This is a bookplate personalized to reflect Robert Hall's own library. Which also sounds rather Heavenly, doesn't it?

Click through the link above to read more about the books pictured.

Lagniappe: "When one thinks of all the most peculiar things that happened in the Bible..."

From my quote journal.

"Whatever the exigencies of my circumstances," she said tearfully, "I should prefer to live in utter penury than to remain where I am not wanted, however comfortable this house may be, which indeed it is, not to say luxurious, for Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith! Even though I am not at all partial to herbs, except for a little parsley in a sauce, and I have never been able to understand how anyone, even a Biblical person, could possibly live on herbs. However, times change, and when one thinks of all the most peculiar things that happened in the Bible, well, it makes one positively thankful one didn't live in those days! Bushes catching on fire, and ladders coming down out of the sky, and people being swallowed up by whales, and not being a penny the worse for it--well, I should find that sort of thing most disconcerting! Manna, too! I've never been able to discover what kind of food that was, but I am persuaded I shouldn't like it, even if I were starving, and it was suddenly dropped on me, which I think extremely unlikely. But," she continued, fixing Miss Wychwood with a reproachful gaze, "I would make a push to like it if you wish to set Another in my place!"

Georgette Heyer, Lady of Quality

Worth a Thousand Words: A Very Rainy Day

A Very Rainy Day
by Edward B. Gordon

We have had many rainy days lately, often sheets of rain accompanied by multiple tornado warnings. I prefer this charming picture which makes me think of a light drizzle.

Lagniappe: Vampires and the Roman Catholic Church

From my quote journal.

When it comes to fighting vampires and performing exorcisms, the Roman Catholic Church has the heavy artillery. Your other religions are good for everyday theological tasks, like steering their members into heaven, but when the undead lunge up out of their graves, you want a priest on the case. As a product of Catholic schools, I take a certain pride in this pre-eminence.

Roger Ebert, review of John Carpenter's Vampires

Well, well, well, Forming Intentional Disciples ... we meet again.

Head's up for anyone interested in evangelism and discipleship - Our Sunday Visitor is offering Sherry Weddell's _Forming Intentional Disciples_ for $10, free shipping, from now until May 31st. This is an incredible discount on a very worthwhile book.

This is conjunction with CatholicMom.com's Lawn Chair Catechism book club.

Saw this notice on Facebook from Jen Fitz.

A feeling of doom ... or perhaps one might be more polite and say fate ... swept over me.

I have seen this book mentioned again and again by bloggers I trust implicitly. The most recent was Melanie Bettinelli at The Wine Dark Sea.

Go.

Read.

It may not hit you the way it did me, but my heart was wrung thinking of this:

Nearly a third of self-identified Catholics believe in an impersonal God.[. . .] only 48 percent of Catholics were absolutely certain that the God they believed in was a God with whom they could have a personal relationship.

That's a heart breaker.

Now, why do I feel I need to read this book? Is it my job to form intentional disciples?

I don't know. I really don't.

But I don't think it can hurt to understand that a lot of folks aren't coming from the same place that I am, one of knowing God is intensely personal.

Plus, I can push it on my pastor and various other Church leaders. Because pushing things is what I'm all about, as we all know.

So I haven't read it, but I am passing along the news about the great savings in case you're interested. I can always push a good sale.

Worth a Thousand Words: The Four-Footed Lovers

The Four-Footed Lovers. Frank Albertsen. Lizbeth Bullock Humphrey (Illustrator), 1875.
Via Books and Art

They just don't make book covers the way they used to. This is splendid.

In which Doan discovers murder ... and becomes Captain Perona's target.

Yep, more of Doan and Carstairs in Mexico ... at Forgotten Classics.

What I'm Reading: Zombies, Asteroids, Murder, and John Quincy Adams

Two irresistible books showed up in the mail yesterday. I think I've overindulged in review books (again!) and am going to have to have a serious sorting session to focus on just one (or two) at a time. That partly accounts for the fact that I have far too many books partially finished. But when you've looked through these, I think you can see why I have a hard time settling on just one!

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is my 3rd reading of World War Z, this time via the new unabridged audiobook version (review copy from SFFaudio, God bless 'em!). I had the previous audio version but never could make myself listen to it because I knew it was abridged.

I wondered how the documentary-style story would hold up with so many different voices taking up the tale in turn. Thus far, on chapter 3, the answer is that I now admire even more Max Brooks' talent in weaving these voices together to make a suspenseful story. I didn't think I could admire the book more, actually. But I am happy to be proven wrong.

I've heard that Max Brooks' answer when asked to comment on the upcoming World War Z movie is something like, "Well, they have the same name." I, for one, am grateful for the movie since it prompted this unabridged version. And I hold out hope for the movie since I was among the few who enjoyed I, Robot the movie, just as much as I, Robot the book. They are just different animals. Fingers crossed, that WWZ is the same.


Countdown City by Ben H. Winters

What does it say that my first act upon opening this book was to look for a date? What month is it? How close is the asteroid? Obviously, I've opted into Ben H. Winters' trilogy which began with The Last Policeman.

Just getting started, but the book grabbed my attention with a highly atypical sort of detail that communicated a lot to me, as a Catholic, about the wife.

Hung above the dresser is a small tasteful painting of Christ crucified. On the wall of the bathroom, next to the mirror, is a slogan in neat block all-capital letters: If you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze!

"Saint Catherine," says Martha, appearing beside me in the mirror, tracing the words with her forefinger. "Isn't it beautiful?"

[...]

"This may seem like an obvious question," I say, when I'm done writing down her answers. "But what do you think he might be doing?"

Martha worries at the nail of her pinky. "I've thought about it so much, believe me. I mean, it sounds silly, but something good. He wouldn't be off bungee jumping or shooting heroin or whatever."...

"He'd be doing something, like, noble," Martha concludes. "Something he thought was noble"

I smooth the edges of my mustache. Something noble. A powerful thing to think about one's husband, especially one who's just disappeared without explanation.

It not only tells us about Martha and her trust in her husband, it sets us up to fear that he won't live up to that perfect faith. All done in less than a page. Nicely done.

Also, the author wasn't condescending about it. That is refreshing.

An Amazon Vine book, review copy.


American Phoenix: John Quincy and Louisa Adams, the War of 1812, and the Exile That Saved American Independence by Jane Hampton Cook

I told myself I wouldn't accept any more review books. Then I made the fatal error of downloading the Kindle sample. Aaargh! It grabbed me right away.

I realize that I somehow got this Adams couple confused with the elder Adams couple, since John and Abigail's correspondence was famous. However, I have an interest in John Quincy that I wouldn't have otherwise, except that William Bennett's take on him was very sympathetic in America: The Last Best Hope, vol. 1. And the author's style is that of a good historical fiction author, at least in the first few pages. I am anxiously wondering what will happen with the untrustworthy servant, the horrendous murder down the road, and the frozen roads in Russia. What will Louisa do?

A review book from Booksneeze.


The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty

This isn't strictly a review book, but it is coming out a chapter a week as an audiobook on iTunes as a podcast. The print version comes out very soon. If you want to hear this audiobook don't wait to download it. Mur Lafferty's agreement with the publisher is that she can only leave the audiofiles up for a week after she finishes all the chapters on the podcast. So get it while the getting is good.

So far I am enjoying this a lot. It is not another of those "the world is covered with zombies and we're all just trying to survive" books. The supernatural world is existing camouflaged alongside ours, as we can anticipate from watching our heroine try to get a job writing travel guides.

I enjoyed Lafferty's Playing for Keeps which was a light take on superhero adventures, which were all the craze at the time. Shambling Guide seems like a similar take on the current zombie craze in literature so I look forward to seeing what sort of adventure tale is spun.

I'll update this as the book goes along, but am posting this early on in response to Mur's plea for reviews at Goodreads to help sales out.

So far, this seems like a light, fun read that I would give to my mother or sister (who do not delve quite as deeply as I do into urban fantasy). And, depending on where the story goes, I might even pick it up for my own shelves.


Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Meditations on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew by Erasmo Leiva Merikakis

UPDATE
I mentioned this book before but have been trying to figure out how to describe this treasure as I continue working my way through it.

It makes me eager for afternoon prayer and, I'm sorry to admit, that is a rare thing ... to be eager for prayer. To think, "Woohoo! I get to read another section of Fire of Mercy!" So there's that.

Will Duquette says it best. We may recall he turned me onto this book so he's further ahead.

All of my hopes for Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis’ book Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word. I’ve been getting up early every day to spend time in study ever since Easter Tuesday (including Saturdays and Sundays!), and I’m regularly astonished by the blindingly obvious things he pulls out of each line of the text—blindingly obvious after you’ve seen them—that I had never noticed before. I’m keeping notes of my reflections; some of them may appear here in the future. (As some kind of indication of the depth of Erasmo’s writing…50 days after Easter, I’m not quite to the end of the third chapter of Matthew’s gospel.)

Yes, being hit by blindingly obvious that regularly surprises me too while it simultaneously enlightens me. I'm feeling dumber by the page and yet I don't mind because I'm so blown away that I have food for thought for the rest of the day.

The Basics: Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Somehow I got out of the habit of posting prayer requests. I myself would pray but just not share it. And I am sorry about that neglect because there is something to sharing prayer here that is good not only for those being prayed for, but for us as well. 

So I pick myself up and begin again. Let us pray ...

Breton Girls at Prayer
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1904
via French Painters

Thanks and gratitude for:

• Beyond Cana discernment of roles for the next retreat. I had a calm about it and the Lord supplied our every need. Plus He gave us a new energy about our upcoming gatherings. I love the way the Holy Spirit not only anticipates needs but surpasses them.
• Will's son David is going to be confirmed on Friday, 31 May, at 7PM. We rejoice for David and for all those celebrating the sacrament of confirmation when the Holy Spirit is "activated" in a big way.

Lord, hear our prayers for:

• The tornado victims in Oklahoma City
• My friend Christen's mother, recovering from cancer surgery
• Amy's father
• Danusha's sister

Continual prayer intentions ...

• For our government officials to have a change of heart and uphold our right to religious liberty
• An end to abortion and a reverence for life in all stages of age and health.
• Our priests and for vocations
• Abortion providers, Lord open their eyes and hearts
• Strength, joy and peace for oppressed Christians in China, Asia, and the Middle East. Also that their oppressors may have their eyes opened to the truth. And for all those oppressed, actually.

Worth a Thousand Words: Girl With a Guitar (Daydreams)

Girl with a Guitar (Daydreams), 1916-17. Richard E. Miller (American, Impressionism, 1875-1943).
Via Books and Art

Newbery Medal Winners Meme

From Mrs. Darwin, purveyor of so many good book-ish things, comes this meme. I'll just say that I have a special place in my heart for Newbery Medal winning books. Why? My great-grandfather's book won this award in 1925.

Keep in mind that my kids haven't been small enough to pay attention to this category of book for a while. So I have less exposure to the new ones than I'd like. Unless they're by Neil Gaiman because c'mon. It's a book by Neil Gaiman.

Bold means I've read it

Italics means I haven't read it but STILL have an opinion. You know that's how I roll.

** means I love it enough to own it (or loved it enough when I was a kid to own it and then hang onto it long enough to push on my own kids ... Dr. Doolittle, I'm lookin' at you here.)

• 2013: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins Children's Books)
• 2012: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (Farrar Straus Giroux)
• 2011: Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books)
• 2010: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books)
• 2009: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Dave McKean (HarperCollins) -- loved it! **
• 2008: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)
• 2007: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, illus. by Matt Phelan (Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson)
• 2006: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins)
• 2005: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster)
• 2004: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press)
• 2003: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Hyperion Books for Children) 
• 2002: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park(Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin)
• 2001: A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (Dial)
• 2000: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (Delacorte)
• 1999: Holes by Louis Sachar (Frances Foster) My kids had to read this one and I avoided it like the plague after hearing their reactions.
• 1998: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (Scholastic)
• 1997: The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg (Jean Karl/Atheneum)
• 1996: The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman (Clarion)
• 1995: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins)
• 1994: The Giver by Lois Lowry (Houghton) liked it well enough
• 1993: Missing May by Cynthia Rylant (Jackson/Orchard)
• 1992: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Atheneum)
• 1991: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown)
• 1990: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Houghton)
• 1989: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (Harper)
• 1988: Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Clarion)
• 1987: The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (Greenwillow)
• 1986: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (Harper) Ok - this is how important book covers are. I took one look at that cover and swore I'd never read it.
• 1985: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (Greenwillow)**  Not my favorite McKinley, but The Blue Sword which was written before this, remains a favorite. 
• 1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (Morrow)
• 1983: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt (Atheneum)
• 1982: A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (Harcourt)
• 1981: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (Crowell)
• 1980: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 by Joan W. Blos (Scribner)
• 1979: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (Dutton) Began it ... never got further than two chapters in
• 1978: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (Crowell) 
• 1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (Dial)
• 1976: The Grey King by Susan Cooper (McElderry/Atheneum) Listened to the audiobook and liked it well enough.
• 1975: M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton (Macmillan)
• 1974: The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox (Bradbury)
• 1973: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (Harper) (I think I've read this.)
• 1972: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (Atheneum)
• 1971: Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (Viking)
• 1970: Sounder by William H. Armstrong (Harper)
• 1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander (Holt)
• 1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum)
• 1967: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt (Follett)
• 1966: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino (Farrar) 
• 1965: Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska (Atheneum)
• 1964: It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville (Harper)
• 1963: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar) ** A classic for good reason. Are there households that don't have a copy of this book?
• 1962: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (Houghton)
• 1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (Houghton) 
• 1960: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold (Crowell)
• 1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Houghton) I know I read this but I recall nothing of it. Which speaks for itself.
• 1958: Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith (Crowell)
• 1957: Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen (Harcourt)
• 1956: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (Houghton)
• 1955: The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong (Harper)
• 1954: ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (Crowell)
• 1953: Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark (Viking)
• 1952: Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (Harcourt)
• 1951: Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (Dutton)
• 1950: The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (Doubleday)
• 1949: King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (Rand McNally) Oh, Scholastic Book Club, where would I be without the many fine books you lured me into buying and reading? This was one and I still recall a lot of it.
• 1948: The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois (Viking) 
• 1947: Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (Viking) 
• 1946: Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (Lippincott) 
• 1945: Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson (Viking) I know I read it. But that's all I know about this book.
• 1944: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (Houghton) This may well be the book that began my love of historical fiction. A damn fine book.
• 1943: Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (Viking)
• 1942: The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds (Dodd) 
• 1941: Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry (Macmillan)
• 1940: Daniel Boone by James Daugherty (Viking)
• 1939: Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright (Rinehart)
• 1938: The White Stag by Kate Seredy (Viking)
• 1937: Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer (Viking)
• 1936: Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (Macmillan) I seem to recall this as a different sort of "Little House" book. And Laura Ingalls Wilder owned that category for me. So this book was just annoying.
• 1935: Dobry by Monica Shannon (Viking)
• 1934: Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs (Little, Brown)
• 1933: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis (Winston)
• 1932: Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer (Longmans)
• 1931: The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth (Macmillan) 
• 1930: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (Macmillan)
• 1929: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly (Macmillan) 
• 1928: Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji (Dutton)
• 1927: Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James (Scribner)
• 1926: Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman (Dutton)
• 1925: Tales from Silver Lands by Charles Finger (Doubleday)** Not the easiest read these days because the language is old fashioned. But still we all dutifully read the stories when I was a kid since he was a relative ... and they weren't half bad! In fact, I read a couple of them on Forgotten Classics.
• 1924: The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes (Little, Brown)
• 1923: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (Stokes) ** How I laughed at the Pushmepullyou ... and all the various adventures the doctor had.
• 1922: The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon (Liveright)

The Last Policeman by Ben Winters: Why Investigate a Murder If the World is Ending?

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The date that everybody knows is October 3, six months and eleven days from today, when a 6.5-kilometer-diameter ball of carbon and silicates will collide with Earth.

Reading this book, I mused that perhaps all this science is not the best thing for us. Surely the dinosaurs were just living life as usual right up to the last moment before that meteor hit. I'd rather have that be the case than have horrific scenes of doom from outer space hanging over my head for months.

As one might predict, some people are led to religion, some are led to anarchy, and many are led to self destruction. Among the great majority simply trying to go on living their lives is homicide detective Hank Palace. When an obvious suicide scene seems a little off, he begins investigating.

What's the point of investigating a possible murder when the world is ending in a few months? Palace isn't able to answer that question easily but, as we see a few other focused, balanced individuals appear throughout this narrative, an answer does emerge.

"One thing we can learn from Shakespeare, Hen, is that every action has a motive."

I'm looking at him, holding this drooping sandwich bag full of ice to my bruised forehead.

"Do you see it, son? Anybody does anything, I don't care what it is, there's a reason for it. No action comes divorced from motive, neither in art nor in life."

"For heaven's sake, dear," says my mother, squatting before me peering into my pupils to eliminate the possibility of concussion. "A bully is a bully."

"Ah, yes," Father says, pats me on the head, wanders out of the kitchen. "But, wherefore doth he become a bully?"

This is a murder mystery, a novel of self discovery, a pre-apocalyptic scenario, and it works on all those levels. I read in one evening and, needless to say, I really enjoyed it. Certainly I was surprised by the solution, which is in the best tradition of murder mysteries.

This is the first of a trilogy and I'm looking forward to the second book.

Pentecost: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Missel Franciscain Colombe Du Saint Esprit

The coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was not an isolated event in the Church's life. The Paraclete sanctifies it continually as He also sanctifies every soul. This He does through all the innumerable inspirations which are all the attractions, motions, rebukes and interior compunctions, lights and intuitions which God works in us. So He strengthens our heart with his blessings, with his care and fatherly love, so as to arouse us, move us, impel us and draw us to holy virtues, to heavenly love, to good resolutions: in short, to all that leads us to our eternal life. (St. Francis de Sales) His action in the soul is gentle and mild ... He comes to save, to cure, to enlighten. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem)

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

Our priest said once in a scripture study class that God loves us so much that He went to the trouble of plugging a translator right into our hearts. If we take the time and trouble to listen for that whisper, we hear the Holy Spirit there within us ... and He is there to help us speak to God in turn. What a fantastic image and it is one that I think of often. Talk about going the extra mile! God has done everything that one could imagine to help us get the point, to communicate, to talk to Him and be in relationship with Him.

I also like the way that same point is said by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household:

When the Holy Spirit takes possession of a heart, a change comes about. If before there was a "secret rancor against God" in the depths of a man's heart now the Spirit comes to him from God and attests that God is truly favorable and benign, that he is his ally and not his enemy. He opens his eyes to all that God has been capable of doing for him and to the fact that he did not spare his only Son for him. The Spirit puts "God's love" into man's heart (see Rom 5:5). In this way he makes him a new man who loves God and who willingly does what God asks of him. God, in fact, no longer limits himself to telling man what he should do or not do, but he himself does it with him and in him. The new law, the Spirit, is much more than an indication of a will; it is an action, a living and active principle. The new law is new life. That is why it is more often called grace than law: "You are not under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14).

Amen ... I can testify to that!

 Pentecost -- The Cry of Release from Meditations on the Passion
Under copyright by Iain McKillip and used by permission