Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  

Google-heads

Thanks to one of Ish's sisters, I have had this song stuck in my head since 

Super-Thanksgiving. It is a great children's song.

Impending neglect a possibility

I have just started a long-term sub position in math.  While I get myself settled, I may be neglecting the blogosphere for a bit.  We shall see.

Daily, Daily Sing to Mary

Daily Daily Sing to Mary

Sing my soul her praises due

All her feasts her actions worship

With the heart's  devotion true

Lost in wond'ring contemplation

Be her Majesty confess'd

Call her Mother, call her Virgin

Happy Mother Virgin Blest

She is mighty to deliver

Call her trust her lovingly

When the tempest rages round thee

She will calm the troubled sea

Gifts of heaven she has given

Noble Lady to our race

She the Queen who decks her subject

With the light of God's own grace. 

I thought that in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I would share with you the lyrics of one of my favorite Marian hymns.  I hope you all had a blessed feast day.

Mary Brigit Poppleton is Writing a Memoir

Last night I had the opportunity to see CCRI's production of Madeline Walter's Mary Brigit Poppleton is Writing a Memoir.  I went to see my cousin Elle perform in the role of Mary Brigit, and was simply excited to get a chance to see her perform.  It was a real bonus that the show was written in a way that it was both raw and polished at the same time.  The show follows the misadventures of 17 year old Mary Brigit who is both writing a memoir and struggling to get her family to pay even an inkling of attention to her.  In a moment of dinner table insanity, Mary Brigit both gets the attention of her family and finds a way to "fictionalize" her life in order to have fodder for her memoir--she tells her family she is pregnant.  The turmoil and hilarity that ensues is both side-splitting and gut-wrenching.  The cast did a phenomenal job at sucking me into the story in a very real way.  The talk-back session after the play was wonderful.  We, the audience, got to hear from the actors, the director, and even the playwright.  I honestly wish I had seen it earlier this week so that I would have had the chance to see it a few times.  

Messiah

On Friday night, Ishmael and I went to see Handel's Messiah.  I had never heard much less seen the entirety of this famous work.  I was pleasantly surprised to find just how much I enjoyed it.   I was pleased to find that the words were printed out in the program, and the scripture passages they came from were noted at the end of each section.  I can only hope that the Word of God transmitted to the audience through music was transformative to all of us watching and listening.  Handel's Messiah is unique in that it is a piece of music based in scripture  and its lyrics are in English; not only that, but it brings in many  non-believing audience members each Advent--I pray it has helped in turning at least one person to God this Advent.

Think about it...

America is at war overseas, but many Americans still live their day to day lives with no appreciation for what this means.  Many men and women from all over the US are serving in the armed forces in order to protect us.  Whether you think the war in the Middle-East is right or wrong, truth remains--these men and women are putting their lives on the line for us.  How do we choose to thank them? Honestly, most of us don't.   Next time you see a marine, a soldier, a sailor or an airman, please thank him or her.  Support our troops.

Anyone have any miracle cures for the common cold?  I have been fighting a cold for almost 2 weeks and the symptoms are lingering much stronger and far longer than they usually do (minus that time I had a cold for an entire semester).  Blech!

The Wedding Box

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have created what I have dubbed the wedding box. The wedding box is simply something I have been working on to eliminate some of the craziness that will surround settling into married life.  Since Ish and I will be moving to Delaware immediately following our Honeymoon, things are going to be a little bit crazy come early August.  One of the things that I tend to hate doing when things are nuts is taking care of necessities.  Since clearly I can't avoid grocery shopping, the possibility of knocking that off of the to-do list is out of the question.  I can, however, avoid having to purchase a good deal of necessities--with the proper preparations of course!  I have been purchasing different necessities (toilet paper, laundry detergent, medications, toothpaste etc.) when they are on sale and putting them in a box.  Ideally what ends up in this box will last for the first 1-3 months of marriage helping to eliminate some of the stress that will come with moving, starting new jobs, and of course entering into our new vocation as a married couple.  Although having things doesn't equate to any sort of happiness, I am also aware that having certain necessities taken care of can alleviate many everyday burdens.  Doing things this way will also save a lot of money as I can stock items when they are on sale as opposed to when I need them right away.

CVS savings

I like to save money; who doesn't?  Lately I have been planning my shopping excursions for necessities or gifts so that sales work for me.  CVS has been a great aid in this.  I am starting to learn to use Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) to my advantage.  I had some major purchases to make this week as I had run out of a lot of hygiene and medical products that I normally use and need.  I really hate when I run out of everything at once.  I managed to get $120 worth of merchandise for $63.  Almost everything I bought was on sale minus more cough drops, but they were a necessity.  I am always amazed how much one can save if they try.  I was able to stock up on a few things that are too much when not on sale (I refuse to buy body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion not on sale).  I also was able add to what I am dubbing the "wedding box" (more about that in a future post).  

Quick note: Pursuing rain-checks  is so totally worth the time.

Of dragons and cave trolls...

This weekend has been incredibly refreshing thus far, and I have really enjoyed its length as well.  My brothers both came home for Thanksgiving which made for a wonderful holiday.  For once, dinner went off without a hitch.  Everything was ready on time.  After dinner we headed over to my grandmothers for dessert and a few rounds of Scrabble.

Friday I spent the afternoon and early evening with Meghan.  It was so good to spend time and words over a cup of tea and later a bowl of soup.  It just reinforced just how much I missed her over the past few months.  Clearly the two of us need to hang out more often (if only schedules would allow).

Yesterday was great.  I had a quiet morning working on my knitting and chatting with my mom.  I am working on a baby blanket with no intended owner (as of yet).  If nobody I know is pregnant by the time I finish, I will probably donate it to a Birthright Center or a women's shelter.  Ish and I had lunch together--there is no better lunch than Thanksgiving leftovers.  Last night was spent catching up with friends who were home for the weekend.  Genevieve, Sara, Sara's boyfriend Luke, Ish and I had a boardgame night.  After escaping from dragon's, stealing gold, and mostly failing at Trivial Pursuit, our night came to an end. 

This weekend has served to remind me how important staying connected with friends and family truly is.   

New word...

I was singing hymns tonight, and Ish started to fall asleep. When he came to, he coined a new word.  I was not singing hymns; apparently, I was singing lullahymns.

lull⋅a⋅hymn (lŭl'ə-hĭm) n. 

1. A song of praise or thanksgiving to God used to lull a child to sleep

Origin: [Obsolete lulla, word used in lullabies (from Middle English lullai, from lullen, to lull; see lull) + Middle English imne, from Old French ymne, from Latin hymnus,song of praise, from Greek humnos.]

Another fallen blue hen...

Every so often I still check the University of Delaware homepage.  I like to see what students and faculty are up to at my alma mater.  The other day I checked the website and was greatly saddened--another blue hen student has died.  Currently the causes of the freshman student's death is unknown, but it is known that alcohol played a part in the events surrounding his death.  Officials are awaiting toxicity reports. 

If his death was the result of alcohol poisoning, I can only hope that it will serve as a lesson to others on the dangers that alcohol can present when used irresponsibly. 

Regardless of the cause of death, please pray for Brett Griffin, his family, and his friends.  Also, please pray for the staff and faculty at UD that they may bring Christ's healing light to all of those affected by this tragedy.

"Requiem aeternam dona ei, 

Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei . 

Requiescat in pace. Amen."

Food for thought

"The truth is not always the same as the majority decision."

--Pope John Paul II

Democrats for Life of America

I have been recently introduced to the existence of a group called Democrats for Life of America.  Honestly, I like a lot of what I see.  It also gives me hope that if the current pro-life democrats  break down party lines in the coming months FOCA will not be passed.  What a triumph for life that would be.

Welcome to November...

It has been raining all day.  The sidewalks are awash with golden and crimson leaves, and the wind makes my umbrella useless. I don't really mind though.  In fact, I like this kind of weather in November for a few reasons, but mostly I like it because it is not snowing.  I am thankful that I probably have couple more weeks before I have to worry about snow at all.  Of course being in New England, that could be a false hope, but I can live with that.  Weather like this also makes me not feel guilty for buying a coffee after work today to enjoy on the bus ride home.

Sainthood pending...

Incase you were wondering, the little boy this is about is my future nephew and the ringbearer in my wedding.  He is incredibly precious, and the fact that he is alive is miraculous.  He was born with severe brain damage and wasn't expected to live.  He was released from the hospital on hospice--they thought he might die within days.  His grandmom asked many friends and her fellow Pauline Cooperators to pray for the intercession of Blessed Fr. Giacuomo Alberione.  Today Owen is 2 1/2 and an absolute joy of a toddler.  He is also a perfectly normal toddler, well minus the fact that he can throw a frisbee a good 40 feet.  His recovery is being looked into as part of Fr. Alberione's cause for sainthood. Earlier this week, a postulator from the Vatican visited the Vatican to investigate and determine whether this is a true miracle. Read the accompanying article here.

Waiting Game

I voted this afternoon, and now the waiting game commences.  

Faith driven voting.

The next person who tells me that not voting for Obama is racist better be ready for an earful.  I am not in any way voting based on race.  My vote is one that is faith driven.  There is no possible way I could vote for Obama; he does not promote a culture of life.  I could not in good conscience vote for him and then present myself to receive the Eucharist.  I am not fooled by his choice for VP candidate.  Joe Biden is a dissenting Catholic--why would his being on the ballot persuade me?  He is right up there with Nancy Pelosi when it comes to theology.

I am sure there are people out there who won't vote for Obama because of his race; I am not one of those people.  I am sure there are people who won't vote for McCain because his running-mate is a woman.  I think it may just be easier for people to attack me based on false claims than it is for them to debate the real issues at hand.

My blog got a facelift...

I decided that I was bored with my blog layout, and needed a change.  I hunted around a bit and decided to use a free blog background.  I am not totally contented yet, but it's a start.  

You made a difference award

The "You Made a Difference Award" is something that Leigh (my HD from my 2nd and 3rd years of RAing) instituted.  Each week at our meetings, a staff member would receive this award from the previous weeks recipient.  I really enjoyed this process because it made me remember to really appreciate all the little and big things my fellow staff members did for me and for others.  It was generally a morale lift for me.  

The other day I was thinking of instituting a modified rendition of this award on my blog (no string-bean clip art included--sorry Leigh!).  I will be trying to, once a week or thereabouts, acknowledge someone who has made a difference in my life.  I by no means intend this as one of those blog meme tagging hurrahs that circulate, I do however encourage recipients to try and thank someone who has made a difference in their life if they wish to do so.  

Without further ado,  the first You Made A Difference Award(blog edition) goes to Leigh.  I decided to give it to Leigh, not only because he introduced me to the You Made A Difference Award (ResLife Edition), but because he made a profound difference in my life on many occasions.  As one of his only introverted RAs , I definitely had different needs than some of my staff members.  Leigh helped me to find a voice in the often times overwhelming amount of extroverted energy.  He also taught me the importance of taking care of myself  so that I could be there for residents and co-workers.  Leigh was constantly challenging me and my co-workers to reflect on how we thought about a multitude of important issues.  Through out my time as one of his RAs, he really helped me to challenge myself and to grow while still respecting my boundaries.  He also cared enough to drive me to the emergency room when I stapled my thumb one night.  He went from being one of my supervisors to being a friend.  So Leigh, if you are reading this, thank you for taking the time to make a difference.  You are a rock star!

5 things I love about Fall

(in no particular order)

1. Foliage- I am a  New England girl.  Fall foliage hear in MA is a vibrant canvas of colors.  It is hard to explain the wonder and amazement this transformation has on me each year.

2. Apples- Apples happen to be 10 gazillion times better in the fall than at any other time of the year.  They are so crisp and a perfect balance between tart and sweet.  Fall apples also make the best pies and apple crisps.

3. Pumpkin- I have a strange love for foods containing pumpkin.  These foods are featured all over the place in the fall.  I do not, however, like pumpkin pie.

4. Sweater Tights- Fall is  a great time to pull out these warm, soft, thick tights. Since I am generally freezing and I pretty much have made the switch to wearing only skirts and dresses these tights are high on my list of seasonal favorites.

5. Post-season Baseball- Post-season baseball is great.  It is baseball at its finest.  Too bad the Red Sox didn't win the ALCS this year.

HBTRS?

And the ALCS will continue...Woot!

If you know what the letters in the title of this post stand for, congratulations.

Word of the day....

(actually it's 2 words and a very small fraction of the Word)

Jesus wept 

--John 11:35

This verse always makes me marvel at the perfect humanity of my Saviour.  It also always seems to cause me to ponder what other things Jesus did.  Think of the many simple things you do through out a day.  You eat.  You sleep.  Perhaps you talk to your mother or your friends.  Jesus did these things too. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.  God loves us so much that he became man.*  He lived life here on earth.  He felt pain, sorrow, joy, and love.  He laughed and he cried.  Pretty amazing, huh?

*note that God became man.  Man cannot become God.

Yea!

I have kindergarten all day friday. Woohoo!!! :-)

No circulation
Icy cold fingers and toes
I am turning blue

Feeling accomplished...

So today has been a productive day. Aside from getting some laundry done, I made an appointment to get my wedding dress; contacted a few florists; and started contacting DJs. It is amazing how getting little bits of work done can really get things moving in the right direction. This makes me feel like I can rest a little going into the weekend. 9 months and 8 days....

When you can't sleep write a haiku!

I can't get to sleep
Weary eyes refuse to close
Insomnia wins

I was bored...

...so I found an online quiz on political identity.

What is your inner political identity? Bible-Thumper Well, only if Jesus says so...

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Psalm 150 for Post 150

 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy sanctuary; give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.

Give praise for his mighty deeds, praise him for his great majesty.

Give praise with blasts upon the horn, praise him with harp and lyre.

Give praise with tambourines and dance, praise him with flutes and strings.

Give praise with crashing cymbals, praise him with sounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah!

--Psalm 150 (NAB)

This is my 150th post so I thought I would post the 150th psalm.  It is a beautiful song of praise.  It has on more than one occasion been a reminder to me to praise God.  I am often much better at remembering to praise when things are wonderful, but I often forget to give the Lord the glory and honor He deserves in those times when life brings me to my knees. 

Here is a video that includes the song "Let Everything That Has Breath" by Matt Redman.  This song seems to be a reflection on Psalm 150; it also seems to be an invitation to join in the praise.

Against the death penalty?

   I have come to find an interesting contradiction.  I have started to realize that many people who are against the death penalty are for abortion.  I am pro-life from conception until natural death, but I find it interesting that so many people would rather allow an guilty person to live than an innocent child.  What is more concerning to me is the claim that said death-row inmate shouldn't be executed because he might actually be innocent.  How hypocritical!  So many people can't allow the government to execute a man because he might be innocent, and yet it is perfectly okay to continue the genocide against the unborn?  Why not simply protest the killing/execution/murder of all human beings? That totally boggles my mind.

Verse of the Day

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.--John 3:16

This is potentially the most well known Bible verse.  It is one of the few verses I knew before I ever considered memorizing scripture.   This verse pretty much sums up why God humbled himself and became man.  I find it is a good verse to have written on my mind and heart; it reminds me that I will not and cannot ever achieve eternal life of my own accord.  

Stepping up on my soap box...

Obama and Biden make me sick.  They call themselves Christians, heck Biden calls himself a Catholic, yet they support abortion.  Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?  If America does not start embracing a culture of life, we are going to be in big trouble.  I cannot vote for a man who thinks that it is okay to take an innocent and defenseless life.  John McCain said he would be a pro-life president.  He is ready support and celebrate a culture of life.  This election has become an issue of life and death.  Which will you choose?

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. --Mother Teresa

Verse of the Day

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of God,

Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills,

Delivers your life from the pit, surrounds you with love and compassion,

Fills your days with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

I am running a pretty high fever right now so I don't think i am going to expound on my choice for today.  

October is here...

...which means post-season baseball!

Red Sox won 4-1 against the Angels tonight in Game 1 of the ALDS.  My choice for MVP of tonight's game is a toss up between Jason Bay who gave us the lead with his 2 run homer and Jacoby Ellsbury who played well offensively and defensively--multiple hits, 2 stolen bases, and an amazing catch that made me fear that he may have gotten a good mouthful of dirt in the process.  Pitching wise, Jon Lester really showed the Angels what he was made of--lots of good pitches and 7 strike outs to boot!  Did I mention that the Sox pretty much stunk against LA all season ?  They lost 8 out of 9 games against them in the regular season.  I believe they can win the ALDS.  Go Red Sox!  

Random Note:  I can't watch a full post-season Red Sox game without knitting. Well I suppose I could, but my anxiety levels might go through the roof.  The post-season is a great time to make Christmas gifts.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through my first post-season knitting project of this year. 

Accessorizing the Verse of the day...

When I was reflecting on I Samuel 2:2, I remembered this song, particularly the line that says "I'll take a shack on a rock over a castle in the sand". It is just a really good song and a reminder that we aren't here to further our own personal kingdoms, but to further the Kingdom of God.

Verse of the Day

There is no Holy One like the LORD;

there is no Rock like our God.

I Samuel 2:2 (NAB)

Background

    This verse is a portion of Hannah's prayer of praise to the Lord.  She was barren for many years and it pretty much made her miserable.  She prayed fervently one day at the temple promising to dedicate her child to the Lord if only God would give her a son; her praying was so intense that the priest at the temple thought her to be drunk.  She told the priest of her plight and he assures her that God will remember her.

   The next time Hannah and her husband Elkanah have relations with each other, Hannah concieves Samuel.  When Samuel has been born and subsequently weaned, Hannah brings him to the temple, dedicates him to the Lord, and leaves him to be trained up as a priest.  It is during this visit to the temple that Hannah takes the time to thank the Lord for his blessing her with a child and praising him for all that he is.

Personal Relevance

   Recently I have realized a depletion in my trust in the Lord.  I have been looking to the world and others to help be my stability.  Thankfully I have a wonderful fiancé who reminds me that when the going gets tough, I need to take an honest look at my prayer life and adjust as needed.  This verse serves as a good reminder to me that God is my rock, and if I want to be on solid ground I should stop relying on things with foundations made of sand.  I am not saying a perfect prayer life will eradicate all woes and hardships, but it will make them manageable.  Also since Hannah experienced great grief and then through prayer found her relief and found great joy, this verse gives me a measure of hope when I am in doubt.  Hannah also dedicates her joy to the Lord by offering up Samuel to his service.  It reminds me to be thankful and to offer up my joys and successes for the glory of the Lord.

Verse of the Day...

For the month of October my running thread is going to be Verse of the Day where I will share a verse from Scripture and possibly reflect on it or something of the sort.  I would like to also put in another running thread, but I have yet to figure out what it will be.

Blessed Michaelmas!

A Mormon Doctor's View of Humanae Vitae

I found this article about a Mormon Dr.'s view on Humanae Vitae .  It is definitely worth reading.

Latin Mass...

Ishmael and I have been attending Latin Mass most weekends.  At first we both had an incredibly difficult time following everything.  Today I felt like for the first time I really understood what was going on enough so that I wasn't panicked when I lost my place in the missal.  

On a related note, it is so nice to be at Mass with other women who wear chapel veils and dresses/skirts.  I am beginning to appreciate modesty at Mass more than ever.  Modesty is pretty much the norm at the church we have been attending.  It makes it really shocking to return to Novus Ordo Mass where women and girls are dressed in short shorts and spaghetti strap tanks or  hooded sweatshirts and ratty jeans now that fall weather has hit.

Pork extravaganza...

So my brother brought out a pork loin to be defrosted and cooked a couple days ago.  As is often the case we got side tracked so had to make a last ditch effort to cook it tonight so we didn't lose six pounds of pork.  My mom and I diligently worked to rescue the pork from it's impending doom.  The results?  3 separate pork loin dishes.  Tonight's dinner of roasted pork with roasted apples and sweet potatoes shaken up with apple cider, cinnamon, and ginger (yum!).  A basic mustard rubbed pork loin to be delivered to Nana.  Still cooking, there is the pork with green peppers, onions, pineapple chunks, and dried cranberries.  I wonder if I will still care for pork at the end of this week.

Bad ideas...

--having caffeine after 6PM when you have to be up early for a doctor's appointment

--scheduling an early morning doctor's appointment

--not wearing socks on a fall evening when you don't have the heat on in your house 

And it begins...

The school year starts for me on Monday.  Such is the life of a substitute teacher.  You get a few extra few weeks before your school year starts (generally speaking).  I have 4th graders all day Monday.  Hopefully the teacher leaves a sub folder.  I'll probably bring a bag of tricks with me just in case.  There is nothing quite like having a classroom full of children with nothing to do.

Old-fashioned tools...

I haven't really been writing on this very much lately, but I have actually been writing up a storm otherwise.  I have been a sucker for good old fashioned pen and paper lately.  Maybe some day I will get up the nerve to type some of my more interesting writings up.  I  think sometimes sharing what I think or how I feel is difficult for me in the blogosphere, but it is a totally different story when I am armed with my trustworthy  all-purpose notebook and a LePen in any of a variety of colors--currently I favor grey.  

My boots...

I have a new pair of boots.  They make me taller, if only temporarily.  They also make me feel invincible--odd, I know.  Maybe it is the grown-upness of it all.  The only other boots I have owned are Little House on the Prairie style boots in 4th grade and rain/snow boots.  Although I appreciate my yellow rain boots, there is something different about these new boots....

....I suppose the invincibility factor faded a bit when I tripped on the stairs...

....twice.

"Mary in a half shell"

In the free section on craigslist today someone listed a statue of Our Lady however the ad had one major mistake. The advertisement reads:

If you are into collecting concrete lawn statues, or you just plain, love Mary Magdalene, then PLEASE, come get this thing out of our yard!

I have a feeling these people aren't very well versed in scripture.  I think I may write to them.

Quick note...

Does anyone else who lives in an intensely democrat state feel as though their republican vote doesn't count?  I get that awful sense here in Massachusetts.

Labor Day Road Trip

Ish and I went to Delaware for Labor Day weekend.  It was a whirlwind event.  We got to see all sorts of wonderful people in a very short span of time.  I didn't realize how much I missed the folks at the Oratory and the New School crowd.  Thankfully we had plenty of time for visits with both.  We got a chance to hang out with Ish's family on various occasions, including a gathering for pizza and playing with the Wii.  We also got the chance to hang out with Reet and the kids.  Owen can now say my name; I am no longer a banana.  I was able to get some really good pictures of the kids.  Here is my favorite:

...And to top things off, we got to visit Livia on the way back to Massachusetts!  :-)

I am getting really bad at blogging.  I never claimed to be good at it, but I can definitely proclaim that I am rather horrible at it lately.  

I'm on my way... (In a little over a day!)

I am going to be in Delaware for the weekend.  The best part of the trip with out a doubt will be seeing these kids...

Ruth...

Wade...Owen...

Creation's revealing Your majesty...

“If you begin to live life looking for the God that is all around you, every moment becomes a prayer.”--Frank Bianco

This quote always reminds me that appreciating creation 

is a good way to follow I Thessalonians 5:17.   Here are some of the parts of cre

ation I am thankful for today...

Flowers...

Ishmael (and my future nephew Owen who I get to see next week!)

Friends...

The Roman Catholic Church... don't consider it part of God's creation?  Look in the Bible...

The title for this post comes from the lyrics of Chris Tomlin's song Indescribable

Man a year goes by fast....

My cousin Owen turns 1 today! It is hard to believe he has only been around a year.

Wedding Plans

Ish and I decided to create a calendar to help us find good days to work on wedding plans. I feel as I should label the calendar insanity prevention. I am getting revved up to be ridiculously busy for the next 11 months (actually a little less than that!) Anyone who has tips on remaining sane through out the next year please feel free to dispense you advice.

Blog neglect!!! ahh!

I have been neglecting this blog for the majority of this month. The reason being that I was helping my mom at theater camp and thus have been spending my free time in other places (like watching the Red Sox and spending time with Ishmael). I shall return smetime this week with real posting. I promise.

Olympics!

I am really enjoying the Olympics this year. I always enjoy them it seems, but this year it feels extra-special. It is fun to see all of these sights of China, and know that I have been there. I feel like I am sharing in something different from years past--something more personal.

Not much to write..

I am hitting sort of a road block in terms of thngs to write about. I have a post I am working on about somehing really mportant to me but it might be another week or two before I post it. Until then I will try to think of stuff to write about.

Theme for August?

I really enjoyed putting together my Lost and Found photos in July, and was wondering if maybe a theme for August would be a good idea.  Any thoughts?  Theme suggestions welcome!

What a game!

Jason Bay just proved his colors as a true Red Sox player!  It was hard to see the powerful bat of Ramirez go to the Dodgers, but Bay scored both runs of the night during his first game on the team!  The spirits of the Red Sox were higher than I've seen them in a while.  It was great to see such a battle of pitching tonight--I think Ishmael finally gets what I mean when I say a pitching battle is exciting.  My heart was in my throat from the 8th until the last hit in the bottom of the 12th  (Ish finally gave me cards to shuffle as I was so antsy--there were a couple of I can't look moments).  What a game!

Last episode of lost and found photos

                                   Chicago, IL--January 1,2006

Lost and found...

This photo was taken in Newark, DE in May 2006.  10 points if you can guess where this stone is located on campus!

Cleaning is the name of the game

Today has been a cleaning day.  I have gotten a lot of junk out of my room.  This is going to probably take a couple of days of non-stop effort to bring me back to square 1.  I am taking a break for tea, and then back I go!

Lost and found...

The lost and found photo of the day is dedicated to Andie.  Despite the oddity that this photo presents, Andie, although indeed weird, is one of those people who touches lives wherever she goes.  I got the opportunity to see her interacting with her students during her mission year--if those children never know God in their daily lives, they certainly got more than a glimpse of Him working through this remarkable woman during the last year.

Terracotta Warriors--These Really Were Lost and Found

Terracotta Warriors--Xi'an, China--January 2007

Some people help you grow closer to God...

               February 2006-- Cape May Point, New Jersey                   

In a life time, a person is blessed when they find a handful of people who help lead them on their spiritual journey.  I have been blessed beyond measure when it comes to finding these people.  The photo above is of all the leaders from the DOCS 2006 retreat.  These are people who have served in leading me closer to Jesus in so many ways.  I have seen God work through these individuals on countless occasions, and I thank God that I have had the distinct pleasure of calling them friends.

Wordless Wednesday...

05/2007

Lost and found

Foxboro, MA--October 2004

Secondary Blog

I have started a secondary blog to talk about my creative endeavors.  Currently, it only has the obligatory introductory post, but soon it will hold photos and blurbs about what I am knitting, collaging, sewing, etc.   Check out Sine Wave Creations.

One of my favorite things....

                                   Boston,MA (taken in Quincy, MA)--August 9, 2004

Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea...

Galway, July 2007

Lost and found continues...

I thought I'd continue my lost and found photo theme with this picture of 2 people who have had a profound impact on my life.  Msgr. Szupper was the Catholic priest for the University of Delaware for 42 years.  He is currently UD's Chaplain Emeritus.  His kind heart and endless hospitality helped make my return to the Catholic church a much smoother path.  Kim is the Catholic Campus Minister at the Oratory (Catholic Chapel at UD).  With her help I was able to take a leadership role at the Oratory when I was a student.  She is an amazing woman and I am pretty convinced that she works more than she sleeps.  Her dedication to students has never ceased to amaze me.  Kim and Monsignor have provided me and many others with an excellent example of what it means to live a life of faith.

Adding memories...

Livia's visit to Boston has come to an end.  Many memories were made.  It was so nice to spend time together cultivating our friendship, and just enjoying the time we spent together.  We spent a lot of time knitting, which gave me the kick I needed to work on some of the gifts I am making currently.  Livia is making an awesome pair of very long socks; I am ready to give sock-knitting another go.  Between knitting, walking through the treetops, and candlepin bowling, I would say it was a wonderful time.

So I didn't take this one, but I'm in it...

This picture is of me as a baby.  Today I read the newspaper instead of eating it.  Notice that this is the paper from when the Challenger exploded.

Things to be thankful for...

--Ish

--Miraculously healed blisters

--Livia coming to visit tomorrow!!!!

Lost and found in China

Todays photo comes to you from the lovely albeit polluted country of China.  I took this photo from a courtyard inside the city-wall of Xi'an.  The gaurds at the wall are decked out in somewhat medieval looking garb.  I was struck that looking out the exit you could see the modern city of Xi'an, but out in that modern mess a man was isolated in a different time period.  I also like that he turned as I took the photo so it looked as though he was trying to go back to the era from which his clothing came--inside the safety of an ancient wall.  

Photo of the day

This is a photo of my friend Tony and me.  Tony and I took a walk with our cameras one day at the end of Spring semester in 2006.  I decided to take a picture of our shadows, but as I am a good head and a half shorter than Tony, I stood on the wall for this picture.  It was a fun time, and afterward we went and helped make dinner at the Oratory if I recall correctly.  Observe the shadow puppets...

Today's photo!

This photo was taken in Kildare, Ireland in July of 2006.  My sister and I had just spent a day in Dublin together and I took this at the rail station when we arrived back in Kildare.  That day is one that I remember fondly.  My sister and I don't do a ton of things just the two of us, and at that point in time it had been a while since we had last spent a whole day hanging out together. It was a wonderful sunset to end a wonderful day.  

Today's lost and found picture

As I didn't get a chance to do a 4th of July post due to the hectic nature of the day, I thought I would post this lost & found photo today.  This photo was taken at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX.  I took it at Michael's graduation from basic training back in October 2007.  Thank you to all the men and woman serving this country so we can live in freedom.

Lost and found photo of the day

I have been sifting through some of my old photos, and have decided to start posting a find a day for the month of July.  This photo is from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.; it was taken on a 1 day Marian Pilgrimage in October 2005.

Quickly approaching...

The 4th is quickly approaching, which means the impending chaos is about to erupt.   A massive 4th of July party is a family is a longstanding family tradition.  My neighborhood has a wonderful parade (and has done so for 98 years...99 if you count this year).  This makes for a perfect excuse to invite over the whole family.  My mom is 1 of 13 so even with out all of the out of town relatives present, you can imagine how hoppin' things can get around here.  The party is always wonderful, but the chaos of cleaning, cooking, and setting up is not something I look forward to.  I am not looking forward to the 4th as much as I usually do;my brother is in the Air Force and had originally been planning to take leave during this time, but that is no longer happening--it kind of puts a damper on the day.  I should really make an effort to go visit him as soon as I can afford to.  

Productive day!

Yesterday was a very productive day.  Ishmael helped me to organize the majority of my book stock.  There are only about 90 books left to sort out of over 400.  This will hopefully make a big difference in how smoothly my business can run--excitement!

Prayer request...

I have a job interview next week for a position as a Catholic campus minister at a local college.  Please pray for me and for the ears and hearts of those who will be interviewing me.  

Wedding Celebration

Ishmael and I went down to Delaware this weekend for Em and Scott's wedding celebration. It was quite the joyous occasion; in fact, most of the guests were jumping for joy.

The happy couple

Ruth and Owen jump on to the scene

Even the adults decide to jump in!

What an exciting day!

To Delaware!

I am off to the grand state of Delaware for the weekend for Em and Scott's wedding celebration. Maybe I'll be a better updater when I return!

What is freedom really?

Check out the webcast of Cardinal Arinze to find out. The first few minutes are an intro to what he will be discussing.

Woohoo!

I received my Massachusetts Educator's license in the mail today!  I am now eligible to teach 5-12 grade English.  This calls for celebration!

Prayers please..

I have a job interview on Thursday.  Please keep me in your prayers.

Oops...

I have been pretty bad about posting to my blog as of late.  Of course I was in Delaware for 2 weeks, but now I am back in Massachusetts and haven't posted at all.  Ishmael is all moved in and I am incredibly happy to know he is so close by now.  I get more time with him, and I seriously could not be more thrilled.  An added bonus to all of this?  No more long distance wedding planning! 

Yesterday we spent all day with relatives.  We got to play with Livio all day.  He is such a bundle of energy; he is just bursting with life.  That is why 2 yearolds are great.  In the late afternoon we got to hang out with the girls (3 5 yearolds and an 8 yearold) over at the pool.  I was thrilled to finally get to hold Owen and not have him scream and cry.  He is crawling now and is oh so cute.  Ish got to hold Samantha.  We had dinner with Uncle Ted's family, and  afterwards Ishmael and I visited my grandmother for tea and brownies.  I love visiting her.  She has great stories and she is a beautiful example of a good Catholic woman.  It was a lovely day!

Sleep walking?

I didn't think I was going to post from Delaware, but the odd occurrences of the last half hour or so deem it worthwhile.

Ishmael and I were watching Ratatouille when apparently I turned around and belly flopped on him and told him "I'm gonna throw". He asked me if I wanted him to get me a bowl and I said "No, I want you get me some food". He stood up and walked into the kitchen and I apparently stayed on the couch and said "Hey, Ish." He responded "what?"; I told him that I loved him. After that I stood up from the couch and followed him into the kitchen. He asked me what I wanted, and I said "I want a new stomach". We explored food options. He tried out the bread that his sister gave us today and I took a bite of his slice; I informed him that I liked the bread; I wandered into the dining room and crawled under the table and curled up. Ish says that he walked into the dining room and asked if I was awake, and I did not respond. Whiler Ishmael was making the executive decision that we were eating pasta for dinner, I made the while sleeping decision to eat the leg of one of the dining room chairs...or at least to gnaw it a bit. Ish removed the chair from my mouth (thankfully!). Afterwards, I slept some more and
made sounds that indicated to Ishmael that I was probably in pain....

A bit later, I awoke under the dining room table, totally spooked, having no clue where I was or how I got there. The last thing I remembered doing when I woke up was watching Ratatouille. I have no recollection of any of the events inbetween. Apparently I appeared quite coherent during all of the interactions that happened between the couch and waking up under the table. Ish says my eyes were open and I appeared totally alert. Oh and when I woke up my stomach felt fine and I don't remember it hurting before I went to sleep either. Is it possible to sleep walk while appearing totally awake and coherently interacting with others? I am totally weirded out...

Monty python lego remix

Recommendations?

I am looking for some good books to read.  Please, if you have read anything worth recommending leave a comment with the title and author.  Thanks!

uhh..

So I have been doing a pretty poor job at posting lately.  I will try and make an effort to remedy that during this week.  Be warned that I will be away for a few weeks after that, so blog updates probably won't happen from 5/25-6/10.

Mission Accomplished

So i have officially applied for my Massachusetts Educator License in both High School and Middle School English.  There is something incredibly uplifting about that.  

China Earthquake

As some of you may know my uncle and cousin are in China right now.  My aunt e-mailed today to let us know that they were not near the earthquake when it happened; praise the Lord.  I do have a feeling they won't be going to Chengdu anymore though.  Please pray for all those in China and who have family in China who were affected by the earthquake.  

Postage Price Change

Public Service Announcement:  The price of mailing a letter went up 1 cent today.  If you have "Forever" stamps, you do not need to worry about this change.  Otherwise the price of a first class stamp is 42 cents.

Exciting revelation!

As I wrote about before, I have found a church that celebrates the Extraordinary Rite or Latin Mass here in the Boston area,  What I did not realize before is that it is totally accessible by public transportation!  Mind you I realized a little bit late for this week, but I know where I'll be next Sunday!  Sweet deal.

How I feel right now

3 days to go...

I have my next round of MTELs on Saturday.  I am planning on locking myself in the library for several hours today so I can continue studying.  Oh the joys of teaching tests...blaaaaaah.

Fire...

I have a bizarre attraction to the beauty of fire.  I do not tend to like to handle fire as the potential of burning myself is not one that seems worth it.  I will light a match so I can light a candle, but it took me a while to not be totally skittish about the whole procedure.  I don't mind holding a lit candle at all; despite it's ability to go from innocuous to devastatingly harmful in a matter of seconds, I find candles to be beautiful.  One of my favorite types of fire to observe is the campfire.  There is something awe-inspiring about the containment of something so completely harmful yet so wonderfully useful.  

How Dungeons and Dragons is going to pay for our honeymoon...

As many of you may already know, my wonderful fiance Ishmael is a big Dungeons & Dragons nerd.  He his no longer playing D&D, but he does play other role-playing games.   As a way to finance our honey moon he has graciously decided to sell a lot of his old D&D books.  When he visited in mid April we listed them on Amazon at my bookstore, and today we had our first honeymoon funding sale.  So for all of you who think D&D is not worth your time, remember that one day it may pay for your honeymoon.  Thanks Gary Gygax!

Sore feet haiku

My feet are sore. Ouch!

I have walked too much today.

It's time to relax.

Site meter an google search amusement.

I have a site meter on my blog.  It tracks how many visitors I get, how they were referred to my page, and their general location.  Every so often i check how people are being referred to my site as the location that shows up is one in which I don't know anybody.  I have realized that the majority of my traffic outside of friends happens to be from people searching for worksheets on haikus.  I am actually the 5th hit that shows up on google if you type in haiku worksheet.  Hopefully people are at least finding it useful.  

Quote of the Day

" I say, if we can believe someone can be saved by a blister, is it really too hard to believe that bread and wine can become Jesus Christ in the flesh?"--Mickey Addison,Saturday Morning Catechesis 

There is something really unique to my neighborhood.  Even though I live in a city, my neighborhood has no traffic lights.  There are a few businesses in it--a convenience store, a deli, an auto body shop, a barber, a real estate agent, and a sail maker.  We also have an elementary school and two churches.  We are attached to the rest of the city via a causeway.  You can imagine the hilarity when the causeway is having work done on it and the construction crew puts up the signs stating "Under Construction.  Please seek alternate routes".  Umm...what alternate route?   I can pretty much get to water in 5 minutes or less on foot in every direction from my house. This has led to sunset and sunrise being my two favorite times of day.  I love sunsets over the water. 

Click!

Ish came up to Boston yesterday so we could meet with a photographer.  We have decided to have her shoot the photos for our wedding.  Check out some of her work.

Ruth's Hula Hoop Routine

Here is a video of my future niece Ruth doing her Hula Hoop routine. She has got some pretty neat tricks. She'll be performing at the wedding reception.

Owen and the Frisbee

This is a video of my future nephew Owen throwing a frisbee.  

He is only 2 and I am pretty sure he can throw it a greater distance than I can.  

He is also the ring bearer in Ish's and my wedding.