Wow! Go canoing for a weekend and look what happens! Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement. I must admit that I'm not quite as well versed at how to maneuver my way around yet as I wish I was. Some of you asked questions, and if you had a link to your own blog with an email I tried to respond - although I havent completed that yet.

As much as I understand my brothers (Mark- You Duped me Lord) reasoning for his fast from blogging I miss it as much as the rest of you. He is a busy world traveler and his blog is a way that family can not only keep track of him, but feel involved in his amazing adventures. It also never hurts to procure some advise from your big brother. I know he talked about singing to the choir - but even the choir needs a positive tune on occasion to keep it in synch. Anyway I have confidence a balance will be found. So much for those of us who do not adapt well to change.

Some of your questions were about my journey as chatechist. I must admit that my methods are a little non-traditional - being a mother of 4 and a teachers aide in Kindergarten classroom for 21 has given me a lot of time for trial and error when teaching children. As most teachers of young children will tell you, the key to teaching the young is adapting to them - not attempting to adapt them to you. I bring this with me in public school academics and in catechesis. You would be amazed at how a simple experience can be converted to a catechal lesson if you only grasp the opportunity - some day I will have to tell you about the earthworm we found outside, and where that lead us. As for books - Benzinger has some good workbooks for Sacrament - but I must admit I simply used them as a guide and reference to share with parents - most of my class lessons were hands on (no not just coloring) experiences I adapted from my own knowledge base - and from taking cues from them. Our Parish currently uses a program called "Loreto", a three year cycle program that focuses on Church, Scripture and Creed. It was created by a Catechal board within our doicese - Again, I follow - use most of the materiels but adapt the lessons to the current group - how they learn and where I find there interests.

One of my more challenging older students - you all know him - or her- was finally showing interest when we spoke in class about Martyrs - he initially wanted to know how they put some of the martyrs to death - I obliged him - asked him to do an online search for me - he wanted to know if anyone was ever martyred by guilotine- a little morbid I must admit but not the end of the story - Riley can know tell me about many of the Saints - and not just about the ways in which they passed from this world - but what they did - and why they were worthy enough to be called Saint. I have learned to grab any thread available and run with it - get them involved first hand.

Anyway - thanks again for all your encouragement - I would love some advise on how to change the template of my blog - Ive seen some really nice stuff and would love to personalize mine a bit. I will leave you with a print of my other brother and his daughter - this was carved on hard linoleum and printed in multiple registration. I sketched the design from a photo my brother sent me - enjoy

Be Well
Bernadette