Happy birthday America and to my mother! Only a mere 243 years ago our nation was born. As an American history teacher, it is our job to educate our students of all the milestones of America. We are such a young country. July 4th 1776 is a huge deal for us as Americans. ...

Losing our Religion Happy summer students! Even though it's summer I am still reading and studying. Each day I read about what's going on in the world today and my devotionals. Yesterday I came across that article that talked about the Post-Christian Era specifically in the United States. ...

Life has been pretty relaxed at the Alley Casa. We Catholic Christians officially finished up Easter two Sundays ago. Our last day of Easter is called Pentecost Sunday. Living in the deep South when you hear the word Pentecost you think of the Penecostal denomination. ...

Happy week six of Easter. This week I hit a milestone. I turned 50. Crazy! I made it to half a century. Today I read about Paul leaving some of his converts. They knew they would never see him again. He told them to hold on to the faith, to build up each other, and to keep a relationship with their heavenly Father. ...

Happy 6th week of Easter! Today's reading was about the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1 39:56 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? The baby that Elizabeth carried leaped when Mary spoke to her. ...

Today we Catholics are marching into the 5th week of Easter. Today, I read about Paul being rejected and stoned. He was cast outside of the gate to the city and left for dead. The people thought he would die. He did not; he rose, dusted himself off, and headed to the next city to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. ...

Good morning students! The sun is shining; it is going to be a beautiful day. Believe it or not we Catholics are still celebrating Easter. This is our fourth week of celebrating. Today I read in the Gospel of John when Jesus told the disciples, "I have called you friends." Friends are such a vital part of a happy life. They are the people that cry with you in sad times, pray with you in bad times, and celebrate with you in the best times. Friends are truly gifts from above...

40 days with Sal It is day 30 students! Where do I begin? Since I last wrote I have had a liver biopsy, a baptismal reception for my littlest grandson, severe pain, a stay in the hospital, visiting with a dear friend contemplating what this life is all about, and a hibernation at home to try to recuperate. ...

40 days with Sal Day 29 Students, I really don't know where to begin. I have had so much turmoil the past week that it was hard to focus on anything. Do you have weeks like that? I'm sure you do. Sometimes we call it getting on the pity pot. ...

We are in the middle of our octave of Easter. This is the eight days following Easter Sunday. It is celebrated in the Catholic Church. Today's readings were about the crippled man by the beautiful gate. He had been crippled from birth. He sat there every day of his life begging for help. ...

Happy Easter students! We are still partying for Easter. Today's readings really "slapped" as my daughter would say. Today was the day Mary Magdalene went to the grave site and Jesus was gone. There were two angels there. They were saying, "Why are you weeping?" Then this strange Gardener guy came up and asked, "Why are you weeping?" When Mary looks closely at the Gardener guy and hears him say Mary she realizes who he is. ...

Wow! Easter is here! Yesterday was full of celebrating as a family. Each holiday when our family comes together it is a day of love and fellowship. I love these days. Easter has always been special day for our family. We have always gathered to share a meal and to have a big Easter egg hunt for the children. ...

Happy Good Friday! It is truly the happiest day in history. Jesus died on the cross this Good Friday. My whole life I knew that Jesus had died for us all the cross. But today as I read I realized he died with us. He died to defeat death and to give us eternity with him. ...

Happy Holy Thursday students! Today as I finished my readings, I imagined Jesus washing my feet. Why did he do this? Why did he, the son of God, wash the feet of his disciples? Peter resisted. Jesus told him unless he was allowed to wash his feet then he could not truly follow Jesus. ...

Here we are students at Holy Week! Tomorrow we'll begin our most sacred days of the year: The Triduum(Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday.) I really love how our church walks the path that was created with the death of our savior. Tomorrow as we go to church we will relive The Last Supper. ...

Hello students! No we are not going back to the future but I did not put the correct day on the last blog. So I am covering my tracks. This past week has been Uber crazy! My husband has been very sick and still is. I have had doctor's appointments and had to go to Memphis to the ALS Clinic. ...

Last Friday was a special day students. It is the birthday of my last child, Abbey. As a mother every child you have bears a special place in your heart. Each one's birthday is a special day. We have an Independence Day baby, Labor Day baby, Christmas baby, a Mother's Day baby, and Easter baby. ...

Looking back over our classes together, we have been very busy! We have covered so many virtues. We have tried to put so much goodness out into the world. Remember this is ongoing assignment. I don't want you to stop after we reach our forty days together...

Oh my students! Ms. Alley has been suffering from a fever these last few days. Spring fever! I have spent the last two days outside until dark. Monday was chilly but God had provided me with help to visit my favorite plant nursery and then gave me two days of cleaning and planting in my yard. If you know me very well, you understand what a gift of Charity from God this is to me...

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 7:23-28 This is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord God. Life happened again yesterday. I had too many obligations and not enough time. I hope you are staying strong and practicing your virtues. ...