Bravest Thing (He Ever Did)

My town made the news two days ago. Apparently COVID cases are "through the roof" here. Health authorities want everyone in masks again. School start-up might be delayed. The media is saying many nasty things about the un-vaxxed. As one person commented as he entered a store the other day and noticed the fear escalating: "I see we're getting all covidy again." Can we just press Pause for a second? Let's look at some honest stats from the government website regarding cases in my area: - My entire North East area has a population of 41,560. - Since March 2020 there have been 27,001 COVID tests administered. - 1812 people have tested positive. This means 4% of the population in the past year-and-a-half have caught COVID here. - 13 people have died of (or with) COVID during this time. This is for all ages. It is for all the 96-year-old grandmas, 57-year-olds morbidly overweight, 62-year-olds with stage 4 cancer, 36-year-olds with asthma... it is for everyone.

"…and thus was ever on their lips the countryman’s perpetual lament, so reasonable to the ear, but which recurs unfailingly: ‘Had it only been an ordinary year!’” – Louis Hemon (from Maria Chapdelaine , p. 124) * * * Harvest has arrived early this year. The massive - and massively expensive - combines are working around-the-clock as farmers take to gathering their crops. Where did the summer go? Soon it will be another eight months of snow and lockdowns. The familiar smell of wheat and dust mixed with a deliciously cool freshness - the usual autumn treasure - seems stale this year. It is not an enjoyable crisp scent this harvest, but one simply composed of dust and heat. The harvest is a disaster. The wheat appears half its usual size. The summer drought, which was no doubt caused by our sins against the climate – at least if you ask a politician, or Pope Francis - has crushed the spirits of farmers. The heartfelt lament of the farmer is spoken once again: Had it only been

Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and His Legacy Charles A. Coulombe TAN Books (also available on Amazon ) 388 Pages In a dromocratic world where everything we do must be up-to-the-millisecond, why write a review of a book that came out *gasp* last year? Still more, why write a review for a book on the last Holy Emperor, as though a Catholic monarchy were, begrudgingly, anything more than a pipe dream in our current democratic - rule of the mob - days of Trudeau and Biden? A few thoughts on this: 1) I initially ignored this book. However, people just wouldn't stop talking about it, and so I finally read it. 2) I can see now why people have continued to talk about this book. It clearly is of immense quality, and it deserves to be enjoyed by many others. 3) Though signaling the end of an era, the life of Blessed Charles, as you will see, is most applicable to our own lives, and in our own times. Blessed Charles of Austria begins with a mini-history lesson on the Holy Roman

A perfect follow-up to my recent observations on Olympic Equality come from the inestimable Anthony Esolen. The issue with sports runs far deeper than Simone Biles' "twisties", and I believe Esolen has truly hit on reality. A snippet: " We need only consider what women must do to keep fit to compete for their teams. Their bodies must look more male than female. They must not put themselves in danger of becoming pregnant, and that means either that they do not take up with men, or that they use contraception regularly; otherwise, the team could not rely on them. How many abortions does a women’s soccer team represent? If the women are runners, they commonly lose so much body fat that the body thinks it is starving and does not ovulate. And males are not sexually attracted to females whose bodies look male, or barren.   Women’s sports have long been a political counter for feminists , and that puts a few dozen bottoms in the stands. Mostly they are entertainment for p

For friends and family who are unaware, I have compiled my "Pics and Thoughts" from our summer vacation. They can be found over at our family blog. Part 1: Click Here Part 2: Click Here

Packing camping supplies seems surreal after a year-and-a-half of COVID insanity. Is it still possible to take a family trip to the mountains in 2021? I thought faithful Catholics were facing persecution and martyrdom at every turn. Not yet anyway. As I hauled up the tent and sleeping bags for our vacation, my wife innocently commented, “I hope the Church doesn’t fall apart like during the last trip we took.” She needs to stop saying such things. During the last family trip, the ex-Cardinal McCarrick scandal blew up. We came home to a Church shaken, battered, and not to be trusted (I speak mainly, though not exclusively, of the hierarchy). But it was for the best. Now what on earth could go wrong this trip? The trip itself was invigorating. If the good Lord has created a more stunning place on earth than the Rocky Mountains, I am not aware of it. However, it seems that other Canadians needed to get out of their homes and visit these mountains as well. Campsites and attractions