Coming Soon: A Review of Ascension Press's "Altaration" DVD Series

Back in April, I did a brief blog review of the trailer for Ascension Press's "Altaration" DVD series.  Not too long afterward, the generous folks at Ascension Press sent me the whole DVD set for review.  My husband and I thought the trailer was extremely powerful, and we were anxious to watch the rest of the series together.

But time got away from us...

We had a lot going on in May, including a trip out to Notre Dame for the college graduation of our youngest son.   In June, we were on the road out to the Midwest once again, visiting with our oldest son and his wife and our four precious granddaughters.

At the end of June, we headed up to Plattsburgh, NY, where we both grew up, to spend most of the summer.  A beloved niece was getting married in late July, and we planned to stay at least through the wedding festivities before heading back to NH at the end of the month.  My husband never used to take all of his vacation weeks in one lump when our boys were growing up; but now that we're empty-nesters, he thought it would be relaxing for us to spend an extended amount of time in his beloved boyhood home on the shore of Lake Champlain.

We thought that once we got settled up there in early July, we would be able to give "Altaration" our full attention.  Plus, as an added bonus, we realized that in Plattsburgh, we had nieces and nephews who were just the right ages to be impacted by the series (some of them are in junior high, some are in high school, and a few of them are soon-to-be college freshmen), and who were staying there most of the summer, too. What a perfect opportunity to get some feedback from the target audience of this wonderful evangelization tool!  (Most of these kids attend Catholic schools, and they were able to compare the merits of "Altaration" with other Catholic teaching tools to which they've been  exposed--but more about that in a future post, which will be coming soon.)

I meant to snap some pictures of these truly extraordinary kids while they were in the family's so-called "fun room" one night in early July, watching Sessions 1 and 2 of the series on a 60-inch screen.  But having neglected to have my Nikon camera (or even my iPhone) at the ready that night, I'm going to show you some random photos of them instead.

These are absolutely phenomenal kids (no bias from this aunt, I swear), and I'm anxious to share their thoughts with you, along with those of my husband and myself.

Our nieces and nephews never did get to watch Sessions 3 through 5, because my husband and I got a bit sidetracked by a series of unexpected events--and before we knew it, our summer vacation with them was over.  If you come here often, you know that my husband got ill in July and wound up in the hospital, and then my parents needed some help when my mother started to suffer some health crises of her own.  So many things ended up on the back burner, and I'm so sorry that finishing the "Altaration" series was one of them!

But I wanted to let you know that my husband and I are watching the rest of the series now, so I'll be back soon with a comprehensive review.  And I'll give you a little teaser: one of my nephews (who will be attending Catholic University in the fall) said he thought that the way the material in Sessions 1 and 2 was presented made it very "relatable."

Stay tuned for more.

(P.S.: Don't forget the Goodreads giveaway.  Enter before August 15 to win one of two signed copies of Erin's Ring!)

Signs

A cowboy tests out the waters.

Now that's what I call a view!

My husband and I aren't excited at all about the house on Lake Champlain that we're in the process of buying.  No, not at all.

We aren't even close to closing on it yet, but we've already made a trip to Sam's to buy stacks of oversized, fluffy, Marriott-style white bath towels to stock the house with for all the guests we hope will be staying there. We've also ordered three queen-sized white sheet sets, three queen-sized white duvet cover/pillow sham sets, trimmed simply along the borders with stripes of black ribbon, and three down alternative comforters to fill the duvets (all from Overstock.com).  We don't have beds yet...but we have bedding!

We were at our home in NH last week, for a brief spell between travels (we're in VA now, staying at G-Man's house!).  While we were there, I took a trip to Just the Thing--a favorite downtown Dover haunt of mine, where they sell used items, antiques, and handcrafted gifts of all kinds--and I picked up two signs that I thought might work well with the décor I have planned for the new house by the lake.

Then we arrived here yesterday, after spending a few days with son #2 and his wife in the DC area (where I received that pair of awesome ornaments, hand-painted by my son, remember?).  And lo and behold, son #3 and his wife had a belated birthday gift waiting for me, too--another hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind present made with love and talent.  A sign!  For the new house!

The ones I bought in Dover are nice; but this sign truly is just the thing! 
It is perfect!  Such a thoughtful gift.

Preciosa made this sign using her new Cameo gizmo, with which she is learning to fashion all sorts of terrific stuff--super-creative items she'll be selling in her Little Lads & Ladies Etsy shop (see sidebar).

I can hardly wait to start decorating the lake house and getting it ready to post on VRBO!  I want it to be cozy and whimsical and fun.  And I already know exactly where I'm going to hang these new signs.  

Gifts, Hand-Made with Love (and Talent!)

My sons are quite artistic.  No, they're very artistic.

When they were boys, they all spent many, many hours producing intricately detailed pencil drawings of dinosaurs, animals, sea creatures, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on large pieces of computer paper that their Papa gave us in reams.

I'm talking about old-school 80's-era computer paper.  It looked like this.

They filled countless sheets of this stuff.  If I had kept every drawing they ever did, I would need a special room just to house that collection.

I've blogged about my boys' talent before.  If you go into the archives under the title "art," you'll find a series called "T-Rex Week" that showcases boyhood drawings by all five.  Then there's "Crazy Creatures Week," which features the extraordinary creativity of son #4.  I've shown you the character cakes that my oldest son has made for his girls' birthdays, bringing Pooh, Piglet, and Elmo to life in colored frosting.   I guess I like to brag about my progeny, let's just put it that way.

Son #2 has always been extremely talented artistically.  As he got older, he went many years without putting pencil to paper, though; and then he took a drawing class in college and it was evident that although he hadn't used it, he sure hadn't lose'd it.  He did some incredible, very frame-worthy pieces while taking that class, all in charcoal.

Our boys choose names out of a hat to find out who they have for Christmas, and each of them gets a gift for one of his brothers.  Last Christmas, son #2 chose son #5, and he hand-painted two ornaments for him (one of which he's showing off in this photo).

I was so impressed, and I told him that he should always make rather than buy gifts for the family.  As you will see, he took that advice to heart--and I'm so glad he did!

We are visiting son #2 and his expectant wife, Ginger, right now.  We flew in last night, and after we arrived my husband and I were both given some belated birthday/Mother's Day/Father's Day gifts from those two sweet kids.  I thought mine were extra-extra special and extra-extra thoughtful.  I mean, look at the hand-painted ornaments my boy made for me!

I must tell you that my daughter-in-law Ginger gets some credit for these one-of-a-kind gifts, too, because she suggested to my son that he should create an ornament for each of his mom's books.

I'm thinking...if I write another book (a big if!), perhaps I should employ one of my talented boys to do the cover.  What say you?

Saying Yes to Mom's/Grandma's Heirloom Dress

I promised a Part 2 to yesterday's post, so here it is.

When my dear departed mother-in-law was a college undergrad double-majoring in English and French, she was voted Rose Queen by her classmates at the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY.  She was a beautiful, talented, and vivacious coed who held other titles as well, but this one was very important--because she had to purchase a bridal-style dress to wear as St. Rose royalty, and that same dress would become her wedding dress not too many years later.

The dress Mom chose is utterly magnificent.  It is made of champagne-colored satin, with a layer of soft tulle over it to soften the sheen.  It is actually very simple and unfussy, except for the illusion bodice bordered with cutwork, intricate beading, and tiny seed pearl embellishments.  The epic train on this gown is cathedral-length.

For her role as Rose Queen in the early 50's, Mom wore a crown with her glorious satin stunner, and she carried a bouquet of white roses.

For her role as bride, when she married my father-in-law in 1956, she wore a veil and carried a bouquet of calla lilies.

Mom had the foresight to have her Rose Queen/wedding dress professionally cleaned and preserved, and it was stored carefully wrapped up in blue tissue paper in a large box, under a bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms at my husband's childhood home.  When the oldest of his sisters got married in 1983, the box was opened and she wore it.  And then the three younger Pearl sisters also wore their mother's dress when they were married in 1993, 1994, and 2005.  All four Pearl daughters not only exchanged their vows in Mom's heirloom dress; they danced the night away in it at their receptions as well.  By the time the last two sisters used it, it was starting to show a little wear.  Ripped tulle and lost buttons had to be replaced, and some of the beading had to be redone.  At this point, the dress was already more than 50 years old--technically an antique.  But after each wedding, my husband's oldest sister has taken on the responsibility of making sure that it is professionally cleaned again and properly stored, ensuring that it would endure for decades to come.

The next generation of Pearl girls first used Mom's dress when one of her granddaughters (a daughter of the oldest Pearl sister) was married in it in 2010.  However, it was determined that in order to preserve the aging gown for any of Mom's other granddaughters who might also want to wear it in the future, the bride would change after the ceremony (and subsequent photo shoot) into a second bridal gown of her own choosing for the reception.  Although the satin on Mom's old beauty has held up very well, the seams are a bit fragile and a night of dancing would be a little rough on it.

A little over a week ago, Mom's dress--now more than 60 years old--was used again, by another daughter of my husband's older sister.  What amazes me about this dress fashioned way back in the 1950's is that not only it is so classically styled and tailored that it never looks tired or out-of-date, but so many different Pearls--with different coloring, heights, and body types--have worn it, and each one has looked stunningly beautiful in it.  It is a dress in which a bride truly does glow and shine.  A dress fit for a princess (or a Rose Queen).



 

Before my niece's recent wedding, I was tasked with closing up a pair of inch-or-so-long rips that had formed on the armhole seams of Mom's dress, one on each side, due to the disintegration of the old thread.  I did them by hand, worried that if I dragged the heavy dress over to my sewing machine and tried to maneuver it that way, I might damage it somehow.  So I hand-stitched very carefully, and when I was done, I ever-so-gently pulled on one of the newly-sewn seams to make sure it would hold...and rrriiiippp!  Ohhhhhh noooooo!  The repair job I'd just finished was fine; but suddenly there was a brand new six-inch gaping hole, where the seam had broken apart from just above the armpit down the side of the dress.

 

At that point, I began to shake.  This dress was more than a mere dress; it was a piece of Pearl history--a piece of Mom.  "Mom, help me out here!" I whispered desperately.  She always liked to sew--it's something we had in common--and talking to her really did make me feel confident that with her heavenly help, I wouldn't end up destroying that precious dress.  Well, thanks be to God (and to Mom, too!), I was able to repair the seam, using my machine this time to ensure that it would hold strong throughout the ceremony.

 

So!  Crisis averted!  But I think perhaps it's time to take Mom's dress to a professional seamstress (who wouldn't be me!) to have all the fragile seams reinforced.

 

Okay then, let's have some fun.  Do you have an heirloom wedding dress in your family?  Did you wear your Mom's or your grandmother's bridal gown when you got married?  I love these sorts of stories, so do share if you have one!

Saying Yes to the Dress--and to Flo Rida!

During Christmas vacation in 1979, in the middle of my senior year at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, MA, I was home with my family in Plattsburgh, NY.  It was during that break, sometime around New Year's, that my longtime boyfriend and I took each set of parents out for a drink, separately, to break the news that we were going to get married (and that it would probably happen the following December, since he would be in flight school after graduation and Christmas was the only sure time he would be able to take leave).

There was no diamond ring involved (we were two poor college students!), no getting down on one knee, no hoopla.  We had been dating since the summer following our freshman year in high school when we were both 15, with a couple of brief, mutually agreed upon "breaks" to make sure that we weren't holding each other back; at this point the two of us had been privately planning our future together for about two solid years.  By the time we broke the big news to our folks, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion--so nobody was gasping with surprise when they heard about it.

Once the engagement was announced, my mom and I thought it would be fun if I tried on her wedding gown, especially since I thought that if it suited me, I might decide to wear it for my big day. This grainy snapshot is the only proof I have that I did try it on that winter, and that it actually fit me.  (My 57-year-old middle section is jealous of my 21-year-old waistline, I'll tell you that.)

I love that a picture of my mom wearing the dress is visible in this shot, too.

I'm glad I tried it on; but I didn't say yes to my mother's dress.

I ultimately decided that although Mom's wedding gown was lovely, it was too "Scarlett O'Hara" for me, with its big hoop skirt, and that I might prefer something long-sleeved for a winter wedding.  I didn't try on many dresses before I found "the one" that made me say yes; but I discovered during that short hunting process that I didn't like the way I looked in pure white.  As soon as I put on the antique white (or champagne)-colored gown that I ended up buying, it made me feel like a beautiful bride.  I knew immediately that it was the dress for me, and I never looked back.  It was on a clearance rack for $90, but it made me feel like a million bucks.

Or maybe it was that handsome groom by my side that made me feel like a million bucks.

Yeah, that's it.  That's the ticket.

Our first dance, to...??????

Neither my husband nor I (nor any family member or guest who was there that day) can remember which song we chose for our first dance as husband and wife.  I think it MIGHT have been Chicago's "Just You and Me," because that was the theme song for the junior prom we attended together in high school.  But I really can't remember at all!  I suspect that the band made a suggestion for something that was traditionally chosen by couples, and we didn't care one way or the other because after 7 and 1/2 years of dating, we just wanted to get married--and we both said, "Sure, whatever!"

But I do really wish I could remember what was playing when the photo above was snapped!  Some of my sisters-in-law have tried to rectify this situation for us, so that we can dance to "our" first dance song at family weddings.  The song they chose for us is "Wild Ones" by Flo Rida.  It's so us.  If you don't believe me, check out these rap-tastic lyrics:

Hey I heard you were a wild one
Oooh

If I took you home
It'd be a home run
Show me how you do

I want to shut down the club
With you
Hey I heard you like the wild ones
Oooh

I like crazy, foolish, stupid
Party going wild, fist pumping
Music, I might lose it
Blast to the roof, that's how we do'z it

etc.

Flo Rida?  I think?

Yikes!!  Let me just say that when it comes to my traditional, conservative husband and myself, that's NOT how we do'z it.  But that's what makes this ridiculous song such a funny choice, and why the humorous Pearl family loves to see us get up and boogie to it when the DJ plays it at wedding receptions.

Here we are, a couple of wild ones cutting a rug to "our" song at son #4's wedding to Braveheart in February of 2014.

Now back to talking about dresses!  I really want to tell you about my mother-in-law's gorgeous satin wedding gown.  It's 60 years old now and has been worn by all four of her daughters and two of her granddaughters (so far).  The niece I wrote about in yesterday's post is the most recent bride to wear it.  But this post is getting long, so I'll save that for tomorrow!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Saying Yes to the Dress"--it's going to be so much better than the TLC show with a similar name, I guarantee it.  ;)

Still Here (and Have I Got News for You!)

I'm still here, in spite of evidence to the contrary!  My poor little blog has been a very neglected baby as of late.  My "IRL" life has been a tad too hectic to allow much room for having much of an Internet life.  But I've missed blogging.  As a person who thinks and expresses herself better on paper (or make that on computer screen) than in person, I've come to believe that I sort of need this daily writing exercise to maintain my emotional and psychological health.  As weird as that sounds...

Anyhoo, there are many legitimate excuses for my Internet absence the past few weeks.  For one thing, there was that health scare of my husband's not too long ago, which I told you about.  But praise God, he's fine now--not quite back to normal yet, but his platelet count is rising steadily and he's able to do just about everything he wants to do...except go back to work.  But he's still on vacation anyway.  And if that vacation happens to be extended for reasons beyond his control...well, we'll enjoy our extra time together.

Aside from that unexpected sojourn at the hospital, there was also a big family wedding to celebrate.  All of my husband's seven siblings and their families gathered on the shore of Lake Champlain for the happy occasion.  Two of our boys--#3 and #4, with their wives Precisosa and Braveheart--were able to make it.  And let's not forget our sweet grandson G-Man!

As one dear old friend put it in a Facebook comment, after having spied him at church: "He is one chunk of cuteness!"  He is indeed.  And Papa and I were thrilled to spend some time with our little buddy.

Our beautiful young niece was married to her college sweetheart, by an archbishop who is the uncle of her new husband.  (They call him "Uncle Father Charlie."  Isn't that the best?)  This particular archbishop is the papal nuncio to Ireland, and having him come to the church in Plattsburgh where so many Irish Pearls have been married (my hubby and myself included) to say the Mass was a big thrill for all in attendance.

This girl is utterly beautiful, inside and out. 
And her hubby's not too shabby, either.

I must also mention that the archbishop (a truly humble, down-to-earth man with a wonderful sense of humor) gave the most beautiful, moving, spot-on homily about marriage that I have ever heard.  I wish I had it on tape so that I could play it for anyone who tried to tell me that traditional marriage (as in: the sacred union of a man and a woman in Holy Matrimony, as ordained by God) is no longer relevant.  I wish you'd been there, dear readers, to hear this holy man describe in the most succinct and perfect way just how sacred, how important, how relevant marriage is.

After the magnificent nuptial Mass, the wedding party and their guests made a pit-stop at the Old Stone Barracks in Plattsburgh, NY, an historic 19th-century building that once housed Civil War soldiers behind its thick stone walls.

My husband's older sister (the oldest of the eight Pearl siblings and the mother of that lovely bride in the photos) and her husband are in the process of restoring and renovating this breathtaking and iconic piece of Plattsburgh history, and turning the historic landmark into a thriving brewery/tasting room/event center/bed & breakfast.  With all the excitement being generated in the North Country with regard to their project, my sister-in-law marvels that Valcour Brewing Company has made the front page of the paper numerous times and has been the subject of several local TV news stories and PBS shows, yet they haven't had to spend one penny on advertising so far.  (Look for a future post, where I'll tell you more about this amazing dream project that my sister-in-law and her man-with-a-vision--a dynamic duo if there ever was one--have undertaken.)

But back to the wedding festivities: after the brewery stop, we all headed over to the reception, where somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 of us ate, drank, and danced the night away.  It was just a fantastic event, filled with family and friends, and bursting with so much love and joy. 

My husband enjoyed some local brews with two of his boys (not up to Valcour Brewery standards taste-wise, but at least the collector's bottles were cool-looking!).

 And he got to dance a daddy-daughter dance with two of his girls.

It was a magical night.  I only wish our other three boys could have made it, along with daughters-in-law Regina and Ginger, and our four precious granddaughters.

Now for our exciting news!  As if this summer wasn't crazy enough already, my husband and I have decided to take on an ambitious project of our own.  We are purchasing a house on the lake, just 3.5 miles away from the house where my husband grew up.  The two of us met and began dating in Plattsburgh, when we were only 15 years old, so it seems fitting that we should retire there and spend our golden years where we got our start--in the Adirondack region that we both love, with family nearby.  We love our home in NH; but with our boys all moving away, getting married, and establishing themselves in different parts of the country, Dover doesn't seem as much like home as it once did. 

We're not in a hurry, though.  We'd hate to sell the house that's been home to us for a quarter of a century, the house where we raised our five sons, and then have one or two of them move back to this area.  Plus, with my husband still working it would be tougher to commute from Plattsburgh than it is from here.  So...for the time being, we are looking at the house on the lake as a retirement investment for us, and we plan to put it on VRBO and rent it out for weeks at a time.  And perhaps we'll block off a week or two every summer for our own personal use, and hopefully the kids and grandkids will visit us there.  Then eventually, we'll probably sell the NH house and reside there full-time (when we aren't flying hither and yon to visit our far-flung brood).

So if you know anyone who's looking for a sweet spot to take a vacation, where they'll have the run of a house with 4 bedrooms, 2 and 1/2 baths, a gourmet kitchen, a large patio with a hot tub and a fire pit, a football field-sized grassy back yard, and 253 feet of lakefront (with a glorious private beach and spectacular views of Valcour Island, "Gunboat Island," and the mountains of VT), we might have just the ticket when we're up and running next spring.  And hey, at cocktail hour they could head on down the road to the Old Stone Barracks for a nice cold glass of Copper Nails, or one of Valcour's other trademark brews.   ;)

Okay, I think that pretty much brings you up to speed on what's been happening in my life.  I'll be back soon, I'm sure.  But before I go, don't forget about the giveaway over at Goodreads.  You could win a signed copy of Erin's Ring--for free, so what have you got to lose?!  The contest ends August 15, so don't delay.

I hope you're enjoying your summer!

Win a Copy of Erin's Ring

I am giving away two signed copies of Erin's Ring.  The contest starts tomorrow (July 15) and runs through August 15.  This book would make great summer reading for your pre-teen or teen--or dare I say, even for you!

Book Giveaway For Erin's Ring

Erin's Ring
by Laura H. Pearl (Goodreads Author)

I am giving away two signed copies of my Catholic YA novel, Erin's Ring. Published in 2014 by Bezalel Books, Erin's Ring is part historical fiction, p…more

[close] I am giving away two signed copies of my Catholic YA novel, Erin's Ring. Published in 2014 by Bezalel Books, Erin's Ring is part historical fiction, part modern coming-of-age tale, and it tells the story of the brave 19th-century Irish immigrants who were responsible for building the first Catholic church in a small New England town. [close]

Enter Giveaway

Giveaway dates: Jul 15 - Aug 15, 2015

2 copies available     

Countries available: US 

 

Okay, String of Pearls readers, if you're interested you can head on over to Goodreads and enter to win:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/144678-erin-s-ring