October - My favorite month!

I love October!  Don't you?  This is my absolute favorite time of year!  Here in Florida, we don't get much of a fall and our winter only lasts about two weeks....but that doesn't usually start until February.  Still, the weather here in Jacksonville has been THE BEST these past few days!  I'm not kidding....they've been the "open all the windows" kind of days!  This morning, it was 51 degrees outside!  Nathan and Amelia whined about needing a jacket to go to school.  My little Olivia, who is just like her momma, said she didn't need a coat!

On Saturday, the girls played outside ALL DAY!  They built a fort, played on the swing set, chased the cats, picked pecans and tried to hide from the fire ants!  I aired out the house by opening all the windows!  It felt so good!  I watched the cats chase butterflies and lounge in the shade of the trees.  Dan brought out the hammock from the garage and took a nap!  I ran around the house, cleaning, folding laundry, changing beds, put beef stew in the crock pot and enjoyed the energy that the cooler weather brought!  The kids decided they wanted to have a "camp out", so my hubby put up the tent and made popcorn.  Olivia came in the house about 10:00pm complaining of being scared....but the rest of them slept outside all night!  I enjoyed the cool weather from the comfort of my bed (I'm not really a camper).

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.  A dear friend has sent me some wonderful hand made items to give away in honor of this special month!  You'll be hearing more about that in the days to come!  I must admit though, I'm tired of the pink and all the talk about "awareness".  I think, for the most part, everyone is "aware" of breast cancer.  Heck, most people have been personally affected by it...either themselves or someone they know!  I think we should begin to move away from the "awareness" aspect of the disease and start doing more for research or helping those with the disease to cope better on a daily basis.  I've got lots of ideas I'd love to pass by you...stay tuned!

We also celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary this month!  I love the rosary!  Sometimes, as I sit and ponder all the evil in the world today, I begin to realize more and more that one of the greatest weapons we have against the enemy is the rosary!  This is from "The Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis De Monfort....from The Seventeenth Rose...."The heretics, all of whom are children of the devil and clearly bear the sign of God's reprobation, have a horror of the Hail Mary.  They still say the Our Father but never the Hail Mary; they would rather wear a poisonous snake around their necks than wear a scapular or carry a rosary".  All the more reason to make saying the rosary a part of our daily prayer time! 

There are lots of other Feast Days this month.....St. Francis of Assisi (4th), St. Faustina (5th),  St. Gerard (16th) and Blessed John Paul II (22nd) just to name a few!  Why not take a few minutes each day and read about each Saint, ask for their protection and favor!

Enjoy your October!

How do you know when......

.......there is a breast cancer survivor living in your household?

Answer:  When you offer to help your kids clean up the play dough and you notice that your 6 year old has made the breast cancer symbol.....perfectly! 

A Winner!

Congratulations to Jill from A Long Way to Sainthood as she has won the Pink Prayer Book!  Jill, please email me your address and I'll get this out to you ASAP.

As you go about your day today, please take a few moments to remember all the souls lost to breast cancer and for all of those who work so diligently to find a cure!

The Story and History of Saint Agatha (and a Giveaway)!

Agatha (Virgin and Martyr) was born in Sicily, of rich and noble parents - a child of benediction from the first, for she was promised to her parents before her birth, and consecrated from her earliest infancy to God. In the midst of dangers and temptations she served Christ in purity of body and soul, and she died for the love of chastity. Quintanus, who governed Sicily under the Emperor Decius, had heard the rumor of her beauty and wealth, and he made the laws against the Christians a pretext for summoning her from Palermo to Catania, where he was at the time. "O Jesus Christ!" she cried, as she set out on this dreaded journey, "all that I am is Thine; preserve me against the tyrant."
And Our Lord did indeed preserve one who had given herself so utterly to Him. He kept her pure and undefiled while she was imprisoned for a whole month under charge of an evil woman. He gave her strength to reply to the offer of her life and safety, if she would but consent to sin, "Christ alone is my life and my salvation." When Quintanus turned from passion to cruelty, and cut off her breasts, Our Lord sent the Prince of His apostles to heal her. And when, after she had been rolled naked upon potsherds, she asked that her torments might be ended, her Spouse heard her prayer and took her to Himself. She died in 251. Her feast day is February 5th.

Saint Agatha is the patron of Sufferers from diseases of the breast and she is also protector against fire. Why is Saint Agatha is the patron of Sufferers from diseases of the breast and protector against fire? St. Agatha is invoked by sufferers from diseases of the breast, because her breast was ordered to be torn by two slaves with iron shears. She is protector, also, against fire, from the particular mode of her martyrdom, her body being exposed to the flames, although, to increase the torture, she was not permitted to be burned to death, but taken back to her dungeon to die in agony. A year after her martyrdom, when Mount Etna was in eruption, the terrified inhabitants of Catania, in the district, took refuge at her shrine, and finding there her veil, they stuck it on a lance and marched towards the mountain, invoking her intercession, with a result that the fire was at once put out.

It is helpful to be able to recognise Saint Agatha in paintings, stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, architecture and other forms of Christian art. The artistic representations reflect the life or death of saints, or an aspect of life with which the person is most closely associated. Saint Agatha is represented in Christian Art wearing a long veil. The veil of St. Agatha was drawn tightly round her lacerated bosom when, by God's command, St. Peter came into her dungeon to heal it with precious ointments. Hence she is usually represented wearing a long veil. The shears are always in evidence, either in her hand or lying beside her. Sometimes she has a dish or salver containing a female breast. (Information Source: http://www.catholic-saints.info/)



I have always been intrigued with St. Agatha. However, it wasn't until I was diagnosed with breast cancer in mid 2008, that I thought it would be a good idea for she and I to get to know each other a little better! If the truth be told, some images of this virgin-martyr really creep me out! I mean, I realize that she was brutally tortured and she died a very painful death, but seeing her breasts lying on a tray (as if they were newly baked loaves of bread) is almost too disturbing for a newly diagnosed patient to see. It was as though I could almost visualize my breast being sliced off and put upon a tray for all to see. I know that probably seems weird to you but it was very scary and very depressing. Here are a couple of images that I find particularly alarming:

See what I mean?

And this! Well, this is just frightening!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I'd like to host a giveaway for this Pink Prayer Book! I think all of us have been touched by breast cancer in some way. Either personally or by a family member or a friend. This is a wonderful little book of encouragement and I'm sure you know someone who would love to receive such a blessing. If you want to enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment or send me an email. I will choose the winner on November 2nd in honor of all the souls lost to breast cancer!

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away." Rev. 21:4

You can find more information about St. Agatha at Life of St. Agatha.



Dancing for the cause....

I know that October was Breast Cancer Awareness month...so this is a little late, however, I saw this video and I couldn't resist. VERY cute!

Pink Prayer Book

Recently Dan and I took a trip down to St. Augustine to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of LeLeche. The grounds there are so lovely...so peaceful! We love it there! Anyway, they have an absolutely fabulous gift shop! As I was browsing....I came across this little booklet. What a great gift this would make for someone dealing with breast cancer!

On the back of the book:

Inspired and written by breast cancer patients and survivors and their mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, PINK Prayer BOOK is universally evocative. Prayers, Scripture, and quotations offer support for women moving through diagnosis and treatment toward recovery and the hope of lasting remission. The joyous voices in PINK Prayer BOOK lift hearts as they ask for God's healing and never-ending love.

Edited by Diana Losciale and with personal reflections by Patricia Corrigan--author and breast cancer survivor--this collection represents the heartfelt thoughts and deeply personal prayers of women whose strength and faith can inspire each of us.

It's been a little over one year since my diagnosis and yet it seems like yesterday! The whole reason behind "treatment" is to survive cancer.....to be "cancer free"....to live. There's much literature on treating cancer....but not enough about surviving. How do you live with cancer in your past? How do you live with the possibility of a recurrence? How do you cope with the emotional baggage that is now a permanent fixture in your life? I think the title of this book PINK Prayer BOOK/Coping, Healing, Surviving , Thriving is a glimpse into how to do that! THRIVING....now there's a term I hadn't thought much about before finding this book. However, THRIVING will be my focus as I begin my second year of SURVIVING!!

If you're interested in this book....visit http://www.liguori.org/ and order a copy.....it's also available in Spanish!

Prayer to St. Agatha

Oh St. Agatha, who withstood the unwelcome advances from unwanted suitors,

and suffered pain and torture for her devotion to Our Lord, we celebrate your

faith, dignity and martyrdom.

Protect us against rape and other violations, guard us against breast cancer and other

afflictions of women, and inspire us to overcome adversity.

Oh St. Agatha, virgin and martyr, mercifully grant that we who venerate your sacrifice,

may receive your intercession. Amen.

I am so thankful for our Catholic Faith and the Communion of Saints! Last week, we spent one day in St. Augustine at the Shrine Bookstore (one of my very favorite places!). There I found this lovely prayer card for St. Agatha. Along with it they had a very simple pink candle. They both were calling my name....so I bought them! Today, as I struggle with all the after effects of the breast cancer, chemo and surgeries, I am comforted and humbled by St. Agatha's story. It's such a blessing to know that there are Saints in heaven interceding for us!

The Artfull Bras Project....

You have GOT to see these!!!!