My cooking is simple, ordinary, and I seldom follow recipes. But one recipe I have gone back to again and again is the Four-Egg Cake in A Continual Feast cookbook by Evelyn Birge Vitz. That is a wonderful sacrament cake--First Holy Communions, Confirmations, Baptisms, Weddings-- I have made it again and again, for over twelve years, and have had consistent, excellent results! The recipe is a wonderful from-scratch experience, and the kids love to help as each step progresses towards a marvelous tasting result! Vitz' book is much more than a cookbook, it is a lesson in Catholic traditions in the kitchen.... I have recommended it for so many years!

Here is a geology text that assumes no conflict between Christianity and science and is faithful to Church teaching. This book covers basic topics in geology, including the Earth's age and composition, the dynamics of continental plate motion, classification of rocks and soil, effects of glaciers, radiometric dating, and more. The illustrations are lovely and hand-drawn – not what you would expect in a textbook. However, I prefer a few glossy photographs as well, but you can find these on the internet. I was unfamiliar with many of the geologic terms so I learned a lot along side my 12-year-old daughter. I especially appreciated the author's explanation of evolution in the appendix and Chapter 11 on the geologic column in the Williston Basin.

I allotted 18 weeks to finish this book, but it took 22 weeks, rushing a bit. The book has suggested research activities at the end of most chapters, but we did not do very many of them. (I had already ”planned” one semester of chemistry to follow one semester of geology.) The last chapter consists of short biographies of mostly Catholic scientists. There is also a suggested reading list at the end of the book. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter - lots of crosswords, matching, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, etc. There are also poems interspersed throughout the text to aid in memorization. If we had done more research activities and added supplemental reading, this book would expanded into a full-year course. There were no tests included so it was necessary to make some to reinforce the material.

Mary Daly mostly separates scientific considerations from philosophical ones. She sticks her opinions in the appendices. However, the one exception is in the first chapter when she explains charitably that Young Earth Creationism is inconsistent with scientific evidence.

Here are some of the ideas (as far as I can understand) that really distinguish this book from most geology texts aimed at the home school market:

• The text is consistent with our Catholic Faith.
• Radiometric dating of rocks shows that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old.
• While we are all descended from two first parents, the fossil record points to a single "family tree of life" of which we are a part.
• Evolution of new species by natural selection is an incomplete explanation of the fossil record. In an appendix, the author suggests that additional mechanism is needed to account for the sudden appearance of new species in the fossil record. John Davison, a professor of zoology, developed a semi-meiotic hypothesis as just this sort of mechanism. I found this very intriguing since it is compatible with what is observed and is testable. Mary Daly also suggests that some paleontologists have a philosophical bias that prevents them from considering other scientific explanations.
• The geologic record does not support a worldwide flood. Mary Daly explains there is not enough water on Earth to do this. She suggests that Noah's flood was probably a catastrophic flood that affected the part of the world known to the inspired writer.

Overall, I think A Doorway of Amethyst is a very good, well-written geology text. I am grateful that Mary Daly took the time to write it. I recommend it and plan to use it again. Next time, I would want to write cumulative quizzes for each chapter, allow more time for supplemental reading, and incorporate more projects and writing assignments. (I can dream, anyway.)

You can view sample pages at the end of this document on the author's Hedge School website.

On January 21, my children and I were visiting my mother for her birthday when a dreadful thing happened. Just as my eight-year-old daughter was leaning over to give her a kiss, Mom began to have a violent seizure. The staff of the rehabilitation center where she was already fighting back from a stroke ushered us out of the room, rushing her immediately to Good Samaritan Hospital. The very next day, January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, A Grace Given by Kent Gilges arrived in my mailbox. Never was a book more aptly named because that is precisely what it became for me during those following weeks of uncertainty and turmoil. A Grace Given tells the story of Elizabeth Nyanga Gilges (“Elie”), an infant diagnosed with a brain tumor at seven months of age. Recounted with unspeakable tenderness by her father Kent, Elie’s tale unfolds before us so that we are swept up in the beauty, fragility, dignity, and inestimable worth of her life. Throughout his personal narrative, Elie’s father contemplates the question of human suffering with authenticity and wisdom, so that the book is somehow at once both heartrending and uplifting — yet never for an instant depressing. It has been said that a great book should be read three times in life: once in childhood, once in early adulthood, and again in old age. I would venture to say that A Grace Given deserves to be read at least three times: once at the outset of marriage, once in the middle of life, and again in old age. It should be required reading for couples about to be married because it illustrates better than any book I have ever read how the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage unites a man and wife, drawing them closer, even in the midst of life’s heaviest crosses. As I read their story, Kent, his wife Liz, and baby Elie became for me a reflection of the Holy Family on the flight into Egypt, calling to mind the strength and devotion of St. Joseph, Our Lady’s faith and obedience to God’s will, and the Christ Child’s tender innocence. In this age of throw-away marriages, Kent and Liz show what Our Lord intended when He said, “And the two shall become one flesh.” We recognize plainly that, throughout her many sufferings, little Elie was blessed because her parents’ deep love for one another surrounded her always. It should be read again in middle age, when one’s parents are aging or sick. The book became (and continues to be) a balm to my soul as I witnessed all my mother has endured these many months, helping me to understand that sorrow draws us closer to God, and the gift of life is always worth celebrating, even in its darkest hours. It should be read again in old age, when its lessons on strength in suffering and relief in selflessness are no doubt best understood. My favorite person in the book is Liz, and I found myself not only identifying with her as a mother, but wishing I could be more like her. She is strong and loving in the face of adversity, endlessly devoted to her child, and completely trusting in God’s care. She turns to the rosary, prayer, and the sacraments in her time of need, so that she becomes a model for all parents, particularly those who suffer greatly. One of the most touching scenes in the book takes place when Elie is in the hospital after major surgery. Even in the midst of pain and fears, Liz quietly ministers to other mothers of desperately ill children, cheering them with words of hope and faith. Liz’s sanctity and kindness become a shining light for her husband, child, and everyone around her. A Grace Given is a uniquely “Long Island” story with much of the action taking place in Port Washington and Manhasset, making it a particularly interesting read. It details a husband’s journey from skepticism toward religion in a way that will leave you feeling grateful for the gift of the Catholic faith. Above all, it is a testament to the exquisite beauty of family life that is as deep and abiding as a father’s heart. Read it, and you will never be the same. Originally published in the Long Island Catholic. (used with permission)

Sophia Institute Press has reprinted another gem! In an easy conversational manner, Marigold Hunt tells the story of the Life of Christ. She begins by spending one chapter on the time before Christ, the promise, and the prophets. Then she tells of his birth and young life, his preaching and miracles, and his death and resurrection. The last chapter, His Kingdom is the Church, tells of the Pentecost.

The pictures make this edition really special. There are thirty, done in an almost icon-like style. I have two favorites. The first is of the storm on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus sleeps and the apostles panic. The view is from above. The second is a picture that has a small drawing of each apostle with some symbol to represent who he is. The spot for Judas is darkened. My children had a fun time deciding the name of each apostle based on the symbols. Another interesting detail is that the artist is a homeschooling dad!

When I first saw the book, I wondered at the need of it. If you wanted your children to know the story of Christ, I thought, why not read the Bible. But as I read it I saw that the way Mrs. Hunt tells the story makes a big difference. She claims that she is not telling everything that is in the bible, but a little, so that the children understand and can someday read the bible themselves. It is almost like a conversation she is having, with stops for explaining things, just as I would tell my children about something. For example when she talks about the coming of the Messiah, she explains why He is called the Messiah and the Christ and the King. I thought the storytelling fashion, the second person manner of writing, must be what it was like in the early days of the Church when the story of Christ passed to people by word of mouth, or like in later ages when not everyone read, but yet knew the story of Christ. For this reason I think it would make a great read aloud.