From Kathleen's Kindle, THE ROSARY: A Book Review

I just finished reading a wonderful love story, and it's free on Kindle. It's how I spent much of the heatwave, after weeding and watering the garden in the early morning hours and cleaning the house before the temperatures spiked. And it was good reading!

The Rosary by Florence Louisa  Barclay is a Victorian love story that stands the test of time. Beautifully written and thought-out, it is indeed a page turner. Now, I am not a reader of romance novels. A Harlequin Romance title has never crossed my threshold. But this story is unique.

Barclay relates falling in love with the Rosary, how each moment can be like praying the beads, holding the beads of joy in your hands and giving away your heart. The story also invokes patience and deep abiding love. It depicts too characters of opposite demeanor learning to carefully consider the needs of the other--something we rarely read in romance novels.

I truly believe that-- in the way Barclay uncovers the love and how the two lovers, Jane and Garth, live out the callings that were implanted in their hearts and souls-- the author has left us with a remarkable and timeless primer of how to love best.

Garth declares to Jane, "You have lifted the veil, and I am entering in!"  However, Jane is overwhelmed by this surprise declaration from her lifelong friend, and she makes a decision she later struggles to undo, praying that she will not have to live with the regret for the rest of her life. Garth's condition, both physical and spiritually, will chip away at your heart, as Jane secretively brings him back to life with her selfless and thoughtful actions.

Even though the novel is Victorian, it is still very readable and enjoyable today. It just might be a great story to read with your teenage daughter.

If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a free app for your laptop, iPhone, etc. Just visit Amazon, click on the Kindle Store, and check out the sidebar on the left. Everything you need is there. Kindle has a large selection of free literature that is in the public domain--everything from cookbooks and knitting instructions to classic literature and Boy Scout campfire stories. You'll never know what you'll find. There are three more free titles from Mrs. Barclay, all novels. I hope you enjoy a little reading during these hot August days.

God bless!

My Rosary Workout--Setbacks and Revelations

by Kathleen Blease

A single decade Rosary I fashioned out of twine--great for
Rosary walks. You can learn how to make a knotted Rosary
by visiting Rosary Army or Life is a Prayer.



In The Rosary Workout, author Peggy Bowes explains how to combine exercise with one of the Church's most beautiful prayers, the Rosary.

It works best with repetitive type exercises, such as walking. So last spring, I began to walk and pray. You might remember my post, called The Walking Rosary, or Oh! The Adolescent Male!

In my efforts, I've had a few set backs. I do believe I must have the worse knees a young woman could have, and feet that flair up in pain over the littlest amount of work. I've always been that way, despite trying different kinds of sneakers and workouts, but over the years the problem has become bigger. So, I have to approach a repetitive-type workout with care. As much as I'd like to "feel the burn," that's just not a good idea anymore. Of course, I didn't listen to my own instincts last Spring, and I couldn't resist the temptation to pump it up and really get going. It felt great! But a few workouts later, I regretted it. Easy does it, Kathleen! I am still learning about myself.

I remain a big fan of Peggy's Rosary Workout. After all, what a great way to be in touch with our Creator, to feel what He has created in us and to see His world all around us along the way. Entering into Mary's school through the Rosary is a great way, too, to discover who we are both physically and spiritually!

Many years ago, I approached working out in a completely different yet common way. I used to power walk every day, then I turned to swimming laps three times a week. This was shortly after I served as the fitness book editor at Rodale Press, working with outside authors and the editors of Bicycling Magazine and Runner's World. It was a common idea that exercise was a great way to relieve stress by "letting it all out," releasing your grievances, and putting all that negative energy into your workout. In other words, the idea was that you would use your frustrations as a source of energy. I practiced this for several years, and it appeared to be working as I rarely tipped the scale over 110 pounds, at five-foot-five.

 Then one day it dawned on me what really happened. It was a revelation. In fact, what this method did for me was ramp up my frustrations even more. By the end of each workout, my adrenaline was high and I had pinpointed and aligned each and every issue of my grievances, making them seem that much more important in my life--surely a path to being self-centered. This was a common method of relieving stress through exercise, and well-lauded in the secular fitness book industry, yet it's easy to see that it took me somewhere that was hardly a place of wonderment, thanksgiving, and the peace of Christ!

So, having said all that, little by little I will continue with the workout and take my Rosary along with me. I'll set my walking pace more carefully and stay on flat surfaces and enjoy each little Hail Mary I can offer to Heaven. And despite my own setbacks, I will happily and joyfully continue to endorse Peggy's book.

But before I sign off, let me tell you that I also enjoyed reading--not just using--Peggy's workout guide. She provides a wonderful overview of the history of the Rosary and its humble origins, a section of the book you will want to share with your children. And she explains in detail how to use the Rosary as a way of creating a workout schedule that builds your stamina. Did you ever think that a fitness agenda can be specially tailored to Our Lady and her prayer? I never thought of it, and Peggy explains exactly how to do that, improving and advancing both your fitness level and your spiritual attachment to Heaven and Our Blessed Mother.

I'm not at all disheartened by my lack of heartiness, at least in my joints. Maybe this is just another way Our Dear Lord will teach me patience and some self-control, keeping my goals small, sincere, and reachable. As I'm writing this, it also occurs to me that this could be His way, too, of teaching me how to say No to all those summertime goodies, like ice cream and Italian ice, since I won't have the excuse, "I'll just work it off tomorrow."

Have fun and stay fit--physically and spiritually!

God bless!

The Walking Rosary or Oh, The Adolescent Male!

by Kathleen Blease

He has a big heart. He is adorable and is the spitting image of his father, the man I'm absolutely in love with. Creative. Funny. Strong. Adventurous. Hard working. And he's driving me loony!

I feel guilty for saying it, but it's true. My thirteen-year-old is constant. Chatter. Eating. Chatter. Jumping. Chatter. Elbows and heels always moving about and looking for excitement. Chatter. Objects are flipped in the air—remote controls, pens, phones, pocket knives. Up, down. Up, down. Chatter. And his brain is constantly conjuring up inventions—usually right in the middle of Math. Oh, the adolescent male! His big brother doesn't make it easier with his untimely input. If you've got two boys, you know what I mean by “the little brother/big brother reaction factor.” Grrr.


I thought I'd take a break. A brisk walk in the cool spring air was in order. I slid my cell phone into my back pocket and called out to the boys, “Call me if you need me.” Translation: I want to be alone.

I took along a decade rosary I fashioned out of twine and knots and decided to follow the advice of Peggy Bowes and her Rosary Workout. This would be a good time to pray the mystery of The Visitation and to reflect on Mary's journey on foot (while pregnant) to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. I thought about that. I crossed over the creek's bridge and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Then I thought about how tired I was. How my foot hurt and my knee cracked. How my back was sore. Did Mary feel all these things, too? Of course. And the trees. The long row of trees to my right—the smell of the pine, the cool breeze, the feel of the road under my feet. Little stones. Pine cones. Twigs.

Here was Mary's path. Mary's school. I was entering in and becoming acutely aware that the Blessed Mother was surrounded by the very same dirt, fresh breeze, and noise of the birds, although two millenia ago and a world away. But these tiny pieces of Our Father's creation today are just the same.

I was in the mode. Peace. Ah, yes, peace....

And then...

“THERE you are! I ran across the woods, over the creek. Look, I got the bottom of my jeans dirty, but I hopped a few stones and got over the creek, then I ran over the field and now I've found you! Oh, here's a stone. Check this out! Oops. Mom, look. Mom, look. Maybe a pine cone would work better. Mom, watch, I'm gonna punt it. Oops. Wait, wait. Mom, look. Mom, look. Watch, watch. I'll try again. Yes! I was wondering if I would find you.”

I don't know why he wondered. I always walk on the same road.

Okay, I decided I would focus on my prayers by hook or by crook. Peggy said so. Here we go.

Hail Mary, full of grace....

Another knot finished. On to the next and then the next. And my son was still chattering. But now he was in front of me, kicking another pine cone down the road. Kick. Scramble, scramble. Kick. Scramble, scramble.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Third knot finished. His elbows flew in the air. Whack! His heel kicked up high behind him.

Right about then, my eyes were changing. I saw something. I didn't see it before.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Another knot. And then it became a little clearer.

Our Lord was just about my son's age when he left his parents to teach in the Temple. I thought about that. And then I thought about the fact that Christ, too, was a teen. What was he like at 13 years old? Exuberant, I'm sure. He must have loved his friends. How many games did he play with them? Can you imagine Him playing some ancient form of soccer, laughing and challenging His friends? All those boys: elbows and heels.

I watched my son in front of me as I prayed. Another knot. Then another. I could feel a unique bond forming first between my Holy Mother and me and then between my son and me. I could hear Mary saying, “Yes, He was like him in many ways when He was a boy. Happy. He was happy.”

We turned the corner and I said to Max, “I'm ready to pray the Hail Holy Queen. Wanna join me?”

“Here? Out loud?” He shrugged and put his arm across my shoulder in his happy-go-lucky way. We began. Out loud, as we walked down road. “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our hope. To you do we cry....”

Max walked next to me, but his steps were zippy next to my heavy ones. The cinders popped out from under his feet as we recited the prayer.

I continued on. “....Pray for us, Mother of God.”

My son was quiet. (Quiet!)

“Do you remember this part?”

He shrugged, then said, “That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Then cinders flew as he ran up the driveway toward the pond. Elbows in the air.

That's my boy!

First Holy Communion and Confirmation Gift Suggestion for Girls AND Boys

one of Sarah's clay rosaries

A special young lady or young man in your life is about to receive First Holy Communion or is going to be Confirmed, and you might be wondering what kind of gift will be enjoyed now and cherished for years to come. There are lots of prayer books, bibles, rosaries, little statues, water fonts, and picture frames to choose from. All wonderful choices. But this time you're looking for something extra, extra special and unique. I know. I've been there as I sorted through the usuals. I wish I had known about Sarah Harkins' clay rosaries when my nieces and nephews were receiving their sacraments.

But that hasn't stopped me from enjoying Sarah's handmade rosaries, chaplets, and jewelry. Last  Christmas, I had the joy of giving my mother one of her unique rosaries, and it was beautiful. I also like to wear her Lamb of God necklace. But back to your gift-giving....

a boy's clay rosary

 I think you'll enjoy visiting The Clay Rosary Girl, Sarah's blog, and her online store. Take note! You will also find rosaries and chaplets for boys as well.

The beads are fashioned in such detail that it seems impossible that they are made of clay. Click here to see how she makes them by hand.

I hope you enjoy. And may God bless your family and friends who are receiving the sacraments during the beautiful Easter season.

An Edifying Reflection on Abortion and The Rosary's Sorrowful Mysteries

Catholic author Peggy Bowes is devoted to the Rosary and all its Mysteries. At her blog, Don't Know Much About the Rosary?, and in her book, The Rosary Workout, she illustrates how the Mysteries of the Rosary apply to our every day lives.

Sadly, abortion is a fact of our nation's daily life. Peggy has posted an excellent article at Catholic Lane.

Just what do the Sorrowful Mysteries have to do with abortion? How does Christ respond? Click here to read The Sorrowful Mysteries at Planned Parenthood.

God bless!

Rosary Giveaway Link

Lamb of God beads handmade by Clay Rosary Girl, Sarah.

Another great link today...a rosary giveaway from two great blogs!

Clay Rosary Girl is giving away one handmade rosary to a lucky follower of Catholic Icing. Check it out and find out how to enter. Click here.  I purchased Sarah's Lamb of God choker necklace, and the details are amazing. Have fun! And good luck!

Handmade Clay Rosaries

I thought you might enjoy this blog by Sarah, a stay-at-home mom who makes gorgeous clay rosaries. To visit The Clay Rosary Girl, click here. I've also listed Sarah's blog on my page Catholic Links for the Family, where you can find lots of resources about living the Catholic life, including homeschooling curriculum, Catholic radio, and even adult catechism on video by Fr. Barron.

Lamb of God beads from The Clay Rosary Girl