Catholic in a Small Town

Our old friend Zina stops in for an afternoon, Max continues to slow down, The fam watches an 80's classic, and Katherine waxes nostalgic for fathers. Movies & TV: Stand By Me (Prime) The Way Way Back Albert Brooks Defending My Life (Max)   Sam & Mena's registry   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Pacem in Terris Retreat Center Picnic Blanket Restoration of Chris...

Jude is back in the nest after an exiting camping adventure involving breakdowns, bears, and too much teenage boy stuff. We finally see Godzilla Minus One, Backdraft is better and worse than you remember and Katherine finds a passage about the Our Lady and female virtue.   Movies & TV: Godzilla Minus One (Netflix) Backdraft (MGM+)   Sam & Mena's registry   Ben's short film: Something's Out There  ...

CST 718: Everything Annoys Mac and Katherine Mac and Katherine are on the road, they have uncomfortable conversations about prayer, and Furiosa is amazing but also really weird?   Movies & TV: Furiosa Sugar - Apple TV French Girl   Games: We're Not Really Strangers: couple's edition Sam & Mena's registry   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Pacem in Terris Retreat...

Audio issues, Max's gross bump, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and more Tombstone talk than you can shake a six-shooter at.   Movies & TV: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes The Idea of You Clarkson's Farm Tombstone Sam & Mena's registry   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Pacem in Terris Retreat Center Picnic Blanket Restoration of Christian Culture from Our...

Camping trips, seeing Jude, Mother's Day, The Fall Guy is the best!, and we lament about not plugging into the community.   Movies & TV: The Fall Guy The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare No Country for Old Men The Boys on the Boat Books: Jayber Crow by Wendyl Berry   State Parks: Claytor Lake State Park   Sam & Mena's registry   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like:...

In the first episode of Sam and Mena's podcast, they introduce themselves and tell their love story so far. Stay tuned! More episodes of Engaged at 18

Car issues, raised bed gardening, and a never-ending tennis season consume our week. We consume Civil War and Fallout as we ponder the profundity of knowing who made the world.   Movies & TV: Civil War (in theaters now) Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)   Books: A History of the Island by Eustice Plough   Sam & Mina's registry   Ben's short film: Something's Out There Other great stuff we like: Sam's I...

After almost three weeks, we regale you with wasabi accidents, low canine platelet counts, and an abundance of leaf-blowers. We've watched lots of stuff to various levels of enjoyment and Katherine reads a book about mothers that hits a hopeful (and emotional) note.   Movies & TV: 3 Body Problem (Netflix) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Musica (Hulu) Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)   Books: Hannah's Chil...

Jude is home! The table has left the building! Kat & Jennifer go camping, Supercell is very "B", Manhunt isn't as good as everyone says and Brideshead Revisited deserves attention.   Movies & TV: Supercell Manhunt Anatomy of a Murder Books: Brideshead Revisited   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris Retreat Center Picnic Blanket Resto...

Jude turns 15 and gets a visit from Ben, Katherine has a tea with the book club ladies, American Fiction is super sharp but problematic, and A Severe Mercy deserves a reread every decade or so.   Movies & TV: American Fiction Resident Alien   Books: The Ferryman by Justin Cronin   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris Retreat Center Pi...

Katherine is getting a little better, we get an unexpected update on Jude, Dune Part 2 is worth the trip to the theater and we talk about the importance of thinking about the next step.   Movies & TV: Dune Part 2 Mr. Holmes The Awful Truth   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris Retreat Center Picnic Blanket Restoration of Christian Cu...

The Barrons travel to Scranton to visit Jude, Kat is sick, and SAM GETS ENGAGED! We talk about True Grit, Miss Potter, and an abundance of English regency-era entertainment. For Catholic Stuff we talk about True Grit and Merchant of Venice as a double feature on looking at Justice and Mercy.   Movies & TV: True Grit Emma (movie with Gweneth Paltrow) Emma (BBC series) Miss Potter Merchant of Venice...

Mac suffers the grind and the tickle (not a euphemism), Sam is back in town, Argyl is not worth your time, but Self-Reliance and The Guard are, and we wax nostalgic over how great (and peppered with faith) the show ER was.   Movies & TV: Argyl Self-Reliance The Guard ER   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris retreat center Picnic Blan...

Kat takes Jude back to Scranton. We live the empty-nester's life with the food subscription service to prove it. We show Jude what everyone compares his school to (Dead Poets Society), and we lament how modern society frowns upon early marriage…also we complain a lot about Monarch.   Movies & TV: Dead Poets Society Monarch Season 1 Role Play Regarding Henry The Big Sleep Northern Exposure   Ben's...

Sam becomes a working man, Mac & Kat take off to the mountains, Maggie Moore(s) is pretty dark, and we catch up on lots of emails from you, good people of CSTonia.   Movies & TV: Maggie Moore(s) The Italian Job (2003)   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris retreat center Picnic Blanket Restoration of Christian Culture from Our Lady of...

Our week is bookended by parties, Die Hard+Towering Inferno = Skyscraper and Kat has thoughts…lots of thoughts… on Barbie.   Movies & TV: Skyscraper Godzilla (2014) Barbie Macbeth Twelfth Night   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris retreat center Picnic Blanket Restoration of Christian Culture from Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey Resto...

Barron Christmas recap, Last Night in Soho is disappointing, Shakespeare in Love is more problematic that we remember, but just as entertaining as ever, and we look back over the past year and hope (with a little help from St. Teresa) for the new one.   Movies & TV: Last Night in Soho Shakespeare in Love Airplane Klaus Gremlins   RosaryArmy.com/donate Regina Doman's Substack   Ben's short film: So...

We get Jude home, despite his best efforts, Tristan & Cheyenne's party was a delight, Fred Claus was not, Leaving the World Behind gets top marks for style and tension, but not for a satisfying resolution, and Regina Doman reminds us how to incrementally take our advents to a more traditional level.   Movies & TV: Fred Claus Love Actually Leaving the World Behind   RosaryArmy.com/donate Regina Dom...

Kat is disappointed with a rug purchase but is super-proud of our clean blinds, Mac revisits Die Hard 35 years after his first viewing, Four Christmases is pretty good, Kat recommends two older movies and we try to untangle a knot of issues revolving around feminism in the modern world.   Movies & TV: Die Hard Four Christmases The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream Home  ...

Kat is going to a chiropractor, we are treated to breakfast with some great listeners, Ben is almost all moved out, Lady Ballers is a throw-back silly comedy, and Katherine ties her reading and watching together for a knot of insanity. Also, Rosary Army needs your support.   Movies & TV: Lady Ballers The Women Love Has Won   RosaryArmy.com/donate Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other gre...

The Barrons head to Swainsboro for a huge Thanksgiving. Jude is back in PA, Sam is driving a little red truck, Ben is moving out, and Mac is sporting new rims! Kat liked Penny Serenade, Philadelphia Story is a mixed bag, and Escape from New York is such an 80s time capsule. No mail, but we go on and on about a eucharistic procession and preparing for advent.   Movies & TV: Penny Serenade The Phila...

Kat takes the camper to pick up Jude from St. Greg's, Ben signs a lease, Mac installs dust collection in the shop, Monarch is disappointing, and Robin Hood is lots of fun. Finally, we talk about the connection between formality and proper worship.    Movies & TV: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters   Books: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle   Ben's short film: Something's Out There   Other...

Kat keeps busy with work and executor duties and still finds time for camper-backing questions. Dreamin' Wild is disappointing, and we talk about despair versus hope with current events in our church.   Movies & TV: Dreamin' Wild Penny Serenade Runaway Bride   Blog mentioned: Article by Kevin Wells: https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/bishop-strickland-becomes-a-victim-for-the-church-he-loves   Oth...

We wrap up the annual GLS State Park camping trip where we got to show off our new teardrop. We watch the classic Aliens with the boys, make a case for The Conjuring as the perfect horror movie, and discuss catholic themes in Bram Stoker's proto-vampire classic, Dracula.   Movies & TV: Aliens The Conjuring   Books: Dracula   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris retreat center...

Kat & Sam go visit Jude, Mac is knee deep in paper-writing, Spooky Buddies gets a little theological, and we talk through our anxieties about Jude at boarding school.   Movies & TV: Spooky Buddies Hocus Pocus Terminator Salvation   Books: True Grit   Other great stuff we like: Sam's Instagram Pacem in Terris retreat center Picnic Blanket Restoration of Christian Culture from Our Lady of Clear Cree...