Oh man... Crossword Calamity

My Mom is usually pretty good with Biblical crossword clues, but tonight was a bit different.  I was a bit amused and somewhat surprised.

Mom: Is there a book in the Bible called Moses?

Me: No, he's in Exodus.

Mom:Well, is there a book of the Bible about a prophet?

Me:  About 16 or so...

Mom: Oh...Do any of them start with an M?

Me: Micah

Mom: Thanks

Photo of the day

Snapped on a recent trip to Delaware.

Ish and his nephew Owen in the midst of a soul shake (à la Pete & Pete)

Photo of the day

Taken on a recent trip to Delaware.

Ishmael and his newest nephew Simon.

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.  

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.   

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.

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.

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'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...

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.  

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.  

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!

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!

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.  

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.

Family day

Today was my cousin's First Holy Communion.  It was a lovely affair.  The priest gave a really good homily that I thought was really understandable for the children but applied just as much to the adults.  Colleen looked precious in her little white dress and veil.  After Mass, there was a luncheon at my aunt and uncle's house.  I got to meet my cousin Samantha for the first time (she is only 10 weeks old).  She is absolutely adorable, and looks like a clone of her big sister.  It was nice to see all of the other in-state relatives as well.  The little ones all looked so cute.  It was a nice day overall.

Vocation of a wife...

As I have started to prepare for the sacrament of Holy matrimony, I have been trying to discern what the true vocation and role of a wife is.  As a Catholic woman this is very important to me. Today I was reading a post in a blog by Kimberly, a Catholic wife and mother, that revealed to me what it means to follow God's calling to be a wife.  The explanation  is both beautiful and moving.  Women and men alike can gain wisdom from this post.  To those of you with feminist points of view, read with an open heart and an open mind.  God's plan for wifehood is full of sacrifice, but it is clearly the key to a fruitful marriage.  

Kimberly--Thank you for giving me permission to link to this post.  God bless you and your family.

No longer blind...

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. --Matthew 11:5

For the past few years my Nana has been blind in one eye.  She originally had an infection in that eye, and when the eye tried to heal itself, it left a calcium deposit that caused her to lose her vision in that eye.  Today she had surgery on her eye to try to scrape away the calcium deposit.  The surgery was successful, and her eyesight has been restored.  Praise the Lord!

Always a bridesmaid?

I am going to be a bridesmaid in my sisters wedding.  I am both pleased and excited.  Feel free to call me crazy for trying to plan a wedding and be in someone else's wedding at the same time.  Being engaged concurrently with my sister has been really nice.  We are constantly sending each other "Check this out" e-mails, and giving each other ideas.  It is a beautiful thing.