In Praise of Dates

...Girl Dates, that is. A what? Yes, you heard me. Girl. Date. It's when two women go out and have dinner at a place their boyfriends or husbands don't want to or will not go. It's great fun, and I just got back from one with my sweet friend from church. It's also a reminder that despite our culture's emphasis on pair bonding, one person can never fulfill every need we have.

Pictured above is a be-yooo-tiful french martini from the restaurant. It was truly a thing of beauty, unlike the ugly church I went to yesterday for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. 

I rarely make it to my parish for holy days of obligation since I work longer hours across town. This parish is fairly large, but the architecture is ugly. It reminds me of a boxy, arena style Protestant church. There's quilted tapestries that are straight out of the 1990s style church decor, along with carpeting and pews a certain shade of green that was ubiquitous in that era. I kid you not, I've walked into many different churches that had the same. shade. of. green. The congregation looks down at the altar. As I was telling my friend at dinner, I can't lift up my heart in that environment when the ugliness is pulling my heart into the abyss. In contrast, my parish is the Cathedral, a beautiful neo-gothic place where vaulted ceilings soar. It points to transcendence, and makes it easy to lift up my heart. The architecture has meaning. Yes, I know that it's not everything, but this poor sinner needs all the aid she can get.

Original of the Species

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I'm a convert.  As with many Protestants, I was very uncomfortable with the idea of all the attention shown Mary. Why issue two ex cathedra statements regarding her?

It was a slow change to Catholicism for me. So slow that I once thought that my conversion was pretty quick. It wasn't until years later that I realized how far back the seeds were planted, and how slowly they grew. When I converted, I didn't know anyone who was Catholic. Even after conversion I was a bit uncomfortable with the Marian dogmas. It's taken time, but I have found a relationship with the Holy Mother.

Through Christ's grace, she was preserved from Original Sin. Here was something new under the sun. Here was an original of the species.

7 Quick Takes

1

Welcome back! I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. I had a great one, even though the time with family was short. I cooked the turkey, some of the sides, and TWO pumpkin pies. Alas! I did not get a picture of my bea-YOO-ti-ful turkey before it was all carved up.

2

What I'm currently reading:
Elena Maria Vidal
The Night's Dark Shade

I believe this is the author's first work of fiction. Vidal previously wrote fictionalized biographies of Marie Antoinette and her daughter. (The history is true, but Vidal takes us inside their minds.)

3

What I previously read:
Elena Maria Vidal
The Paradise Tree

I quite enjoyed this novel, and it deserves it's own review. This is a fictionalized account of the author's Irish immigrants to Canada in an era where Irish "Need Not Apply."

4

It seems that humans have been making carvings far longer than thought.

5

Evidence that women's fashion has always been crazy.

This is Catherine the Great's wedding dress. What a tiny waist! It's nearly 17 inches. To put this in perspective, a size zero is usually 24/25 inches. Combine that with panniers that require a woman to walk through doorways sideways, and I'm glad to be living in the 21st century.
Via Tiny Librarian

6

I love these decorated mailboxes from Victoria Magazine.Too bad that I don't have a mailbox of my own to decorate! It's one of the down sides of living in a high rise.

7

I need to get another cat after the holidays are over and I'm not traveling as much. It is becoming apparent that my Siamese is very lonely since Lily the bunny passed away. This is the third day in a row I've come across this.

This was all neatly in one bag when I left in the morning

And now the cat says it's time to quit!

WWII and Mass Market Paperbacks

This fascinating bit of news over at Tea at Trianon hit all the right spots... The WWII history, books, and an idea that changed the publishing industry.

From the WSJ article:

A decade after the Nazis’ 1933 book burnings, the U.S. War Department and the publishing industry did the opposite, printing 120 million miniature, lightweight paperbacks for U.S. troops to carry in their pockets across Europe, North Africa and the Pacific.


The books were Armed Services Editions, printed by a coalition of publishers with
funding from the government and shipped by the Army and Navy. The largest of them were only three-quarters of an inch thick—thin enough to fit in the pocket of a soldier’s pants. Soldiers read them on transport ships, in camps and in foxholes. Wounded and waiting for medics, men turned to them on Omaha Beach, propped against the base of the cliffs. Others were buried with a book tucked in a pocket.


“When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II” by Molly
Guptill Manning tells the story of the Armed Services Editions. To be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on Dec. 2, the book reveals how the special editions sparked correspondence between soldiers and authors, lifted “The Great Gatsby” from obscurity, and created a new audience of readers back home.

For the link to the full WSJ article or a longer excerpt, go check out Elena Maria Vidal's post over at Tea at Trianon.

Tea at Trianon: Paperback Books and the War Effort

Advent

I returned from Mass with the hauntingly beautiful O Antiphons still ringing in my ears. May you, dear reader, have a lovely and contemplative Advent season.

Back

Hello everyone! I'm back from seeing family this Thanksgiving, and checking my blogroll to catch up.

This Single's Bingo from the Orthogals definitely caught my eye. Turn all that agony over nosy relative's questions into a game instead.

via Orthogals

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello friends,

Things have been very busy around here as I've been getting ready for the holidays. My family is celebrating Christmas at Thanksgiving since my sister is moving to Australia the first week of December. That means that I've had to complete 90% of my Christmas shopping very early, on top of wrapping up a busy work week. Whew! It's done, thankfully.

I expect blogging this week to be light. (No 7QT for this week or next week.) I hope to have a few things up, but no promises. :-)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Sunday Morning!

We have the first snowfall of the year, so I will see if it clears up to go to Sunday evening Mass.

In the meantime this cracked me up!

On Loss- 5 Quick Takes

1.

Some days are tough. I had to say goodbye to my sweet bunny yesterday after 9 1/2 years. I'll miss you, sweet friend. You were loved by all my friends, not just me.

2. 

I'll never forget how I got out of a traffic ticket because you were in the car with me. The state trooper saw your cage covered in a sheet and was instantly suspicious. I always wondered what he thought I had. Drugs, probably. Instead he saw your cute fluffiness and your floppy ears. He let me off with a warning.

3.

You never were afraid of the cat. And chased the dog around. They both remember their bunny friend and wonder where you've gone.

4. 

Greedy and mischievous you were. We could never walk through the room without paying our toll of treats. You repaid us by eating the carpet, then looking up innocently as the bits stuck on your whiskers.

5.

November is a month of loss. All Saints and Souls and the lost in war. You too, dear one. Yet I'm so thankful I turned around and brought you home.

Veteran's Day

via http://friendak.com/1112/Red_poppies_1280x1024_wallpaper.jpg

Happy Veteran's Day to my veterans. Boyfriend, grandfather, uncles, and friends. Since becoming Catholic I've always found it appropriate that Veteran's Day is right after All Soul's Day. It's a nice couple weeks to care for my dead. Although I'm too far away from the graves to tend them, I still pray for their souls.

If WWI Was a Bar Fight

Via Tickld:

7 Quick Takes

1. 

Well, it's been a tiring week.Dealing with stupid cattiness can be draining. I also got to deal with a tax issue that consumed most of my day.  But thank you internet for this awesomeness! This is becoming my theme song for the next bit.

2. 

I love this movie! It's turning 25.
http://www.today.com/popculture/steel-magnolias-turns-25-13-things-you-didnt-know-about-1D80257300

3.

Early detection of cancer is becoming an issue in South Korea. Ignorance is bliss? Well, I can see that some cancers might be very slow moving and never impact a person's life. Sometimes the benefits do not outweigh the costs. From the story.

An epidemic of diagnosis is not good for anyone’s health. Resources are needlessly diverted; people are needlessly scared. But the biggest problem is that it begets an epidemic of treatment.

 4. 

Oh please. The solution isn't married priests... it's loyalty to a vow.
Sure, I know that attractions happen between priests and women. Priests are human. The reality is that the priests make a vow, just like a man who gets married makes a vow. I seriously doubt that these women would be petitioning the Vatican to allow them to have extramarital relationships with anyone they pleased.

There's certainly room to discuss the possibility of allowing Roman rite priests to marry without the crass emotionalism. There is no denying that celibacy is a long tradition with incredibly strong theological roots.

The rest of the story here: In Love with a Priest

5.

Hahaha! Speaking of celibacy, thanks for the laugh, Babes in Babylon! Here's a list of the stereotypical chastity speakers that come though youth groups across the country.

She’s glamorous in an 80s kind of way, all big, blown out blonde hair and red skirt suit. She may or may not hold a beauty pageant title. She tells a tale of woe that would make the ancient mariner sit up straight and reach for the popcorn.

 It's good to have talks with youth about chastity, I just think it often backfires. The kids are often either scared of having sex ever, or premarital sex winds up sounding unintentionally glamorous.

6. 

I haven't forgotten about the review of Ceremony of Innocence I've just been overwhelmed.

7. 

Happy Bunday!Via cute overload

 and here are some pics of my bun!

St. Salk

Okay, so he's not a Catholic Saint, but he greatly relieved suffering.

Small-Town Michigan, 1951. An energetic seven year old boy named Michael experiences flu-like symptoms and headaches. They don’t go away. Within a week, he is feeble, lethargic, severely aching all over. His mother prays as his father notices his stiffness, his slowing reflexes, and they both know they must rush him to the doctor.

Via Rational Catholic

Perspective

   Today I went through the day annoyed at a catty coworker. The complaint is warranted, as this person repeatedly tries to present me in the worst light possible. It's mean, immature, and unwarranted behavior from the coworker.

  This evening has put today in perspective. While it's quite annoying to deal with hostile coworkers, there are much bigger things in life to worry about. My dear friend is pregnant after a heartbreaking miscarriage, and just found out that her ultrasound is abnormal. I don't know details, but St. Gerard, pray for her.

   There are also people who have been falsely accused in Pakistan, and have just lost their lives because they were Christian. From the story:

The two victims, Shahzad Masih and Shama Masih, who had four children and were believed to be in their mid-20s, both worked as laborers at a local brick kiln. The accusations against them began after burned pages of the Quran were said to have been found in their trash.

And to think that I was upset by cattiness! May God have mercy on the souls of this couple, and console their young children.

7QT!

1. Yes, Saturday

Okay, I know it's Saturday, not Friday... Friday just didn't turn out as expected, so was short on blog time. Which brings me to...

2. Vampires

I had a doctor appointment at on Thursday, so I went down to the lab to get the routine blood work. When lo! The fire alarm started ringing, which meant I had to come back on Friday to get it done instead. Thankfully the phlebotomist wasn't dressed as a vampire. While very appropriate, I don't think I could have gone through with it if she had been dressed as a vampire.

3. Parking Garages

While parking in the parking garage to get to the lab appointment, I was thinking of my sister's misadventures in cooking. She recently thought that a rice cooker and a crock pot were the same thing. (In case you don't know, they are NOT.) She's smart, but certain common sense parts of life are things that she has had to learn, they don't come naturally to her. I chuckled to myself, parked the car, and took care of the blood work.

I came back out to the same level I had left, and I couldn't find the car. I kept my cool and decided to nonchalantly walk down the ramp, certain my car would be there. I couldn't find it, so I walked down the other ramp with a rising sense of panic. This parking garage is huge! Fast forward 20 minutes. I go inside, up the elevator to the ramp above, and start walking down again, wondering how I can call a security guard to help me find the car. I get to the end of the ramp, no car. I turn around to go call for help, and THERE IS MY CAR!

As I got in, I noticed that the parking garage spaces are numbered. Duh. Remember, pride goeth before a fall... and sometimes that fall is wandering around cold parking garages.

4. Girls Night!

This Halloween I had girl's night. It didn't start out that way, but when the one other guy that was coming got free tickets to a hockey game, boyfriend decided that 3 women and a chick flick was not his scene. Smart man. We had a great time, complete with white chicken chili I made, and apple cider.

5. Roast Chicken

I've realized that I have spent too much money on food, so I've decided to roast a chicken once a week and make separate meals out of it. So far I've gotten 5 meals from the chicken, and have at least 4 more. Since I'm cooking for 1 person normally, I will probably do this every 2 weeks instead of every week. If I made my own lunch I would finish the chicken in one week, but I go out to eat with boyfriend during the week.

6. Happy Hallowe'en!

I didn't dress up this year, but hope that everyone had fun! I did get lots of candy, which certainly isn't helping the diet.

7. Happy All Saint's Day!

In honor of All Saint's Day, here's the Patron Saint Generator from Jennifer Fulwiler. Edit: Here's the link: Saint Name Generator Tell me who your patron saint is!

My saint was St. John of God. He's the patron saint of booksellers, which is perfect for a blog called Papyrus and Parchment. He sounds like quite an interesting guy!

7QT- Will Be Up Soon

I'll have the 7QT post up soon...

7 Quick Takes

 

1. TGIF!

Seriously... thank God. It's been a hectic, hectic couple of weeks. In the past two weeks I have spent the weekend with my family and with the boyfriend's family, and coordinated a dinner for 60+ people that had a former mayor, a former Secretary of State of Oklahoma, and a former ambassador as guests. Whew... all I can say is that I'm glad I don't have to work tomorrow!

2. Dieting

I keep telling myself that I'm going to lose some weight before Christmas... I'll start tomorrow... Ahahaha! My coworkers and I have a contest, and whoever wins gets a massage at a spa. So far no one's doing a great job, so I'm still in the race.

Seriously, this is really about being healthy, like eating healthy food and exercising.

3. Meal Planning

Related to the  second topic, I realized that I eat out way too much. To be quite frank, it's a convenience thing. I work long hours, and when I get home the last thing I want to do is spend thirty minutes to an hour cooking. I like cooking, but I'm just tired. I'm going to experiment with meal plans that work for me. It needs to be simple, tasty, and it has to be a 1 person serving. The one person serving is probably the most challenging, as I don't like leftovers. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

4. Cuteness for Your Friday

5. What the Hey... More Cuteness

And proof that a tiger cub is just a really big house cat.

6. For Halloween

WHY have I never seen this before?
I'm not sure of the original source, but I found this via Tiny Librarian

7. Faithful

It's hard to believe how different my life is from a year ago. A year ago I was in a full back brace, barely able to walk short distances. It has been just over a year since my second hospitalization. Now I just got done dancing at a wedding, driving cross-country, and running around with a busy life. Life happens, and it is easy to forget how far I have come in the last year. God has surely been faithful to me.

7 Quick Takes

1. Craziness!

I just realized that I forgot to schedule a photographer for the event I have this Tuesday! Ack. I normally don't do this. Fortunately it's not a wedding or anything like that, but we were hoping to get some good shots to use for promotional use throughout the year. It's times like these that I hate living so far away from family. I have a cousin and an aunt that both do wedding photography, and would have been able to help me in a snap. Unfortunately, they are both in the great North, so are unavailable. My friend who does photography is taking a round the world trip with her 1 year old and husband. That's a different kind of craziness altogether.

2. Prost!

 

I went with the boyfriend to Octoberfest on Wednesday. I mentioned I love fall, and the weather was really perfect for it. They actually had some German bands playing. It was a great night, and the crowd wasn't nearly as rowdy as the weekends.

3. Alabama Snow

For those of you that don't know, this is what we call Alabama snow. Confused? Here's a closeup.

That's right, y'all! It's cotton!

4. Weddings

I went to Alabama this past weekend to go to my sister's wedding. It was a pretty wedding, and my sister looked lovely in her dress. I also got to meet my brother-in-law for the first time. I should probably explain that my brother-in-law is from Australia, and it was a whirlwind courtship, so I never met him before the wedding. It was a fun weekend, and he BIL has a wonderful extended family. I also got to hang out with my far-flung family, so it was nice.

Fortunately, there was not too much of the question "When are you getting married?"

5. Things Not to Ask Women

Number 4. brings me to questions that are better left un-asked.

First, don't ask a woman when she is getting married. Do you see an engagement ring on her finger? If not, don't ask. If you do, chances are she will tell YOU. Otherwise, it goes over like a lead balloon. I know that the question is well meant, but really it just puts pressure on the single person to explain why she isn't married yet.

Second, don't ask if she's pregnant. Enough said. You will know soon enough.

Third, don't ask if she's a mother, then go on about how awesome it is to have kids after she says no. You never know what someone is going through, and people tend to be very private about things relating to infertility, miscarriages etc. In this case one coworker said this to another coworker, unaware that she desperately wants children, but her husband is determined to get a vasectomy. I felt so bad for her, because the male coworker rubbed salt into a very tender wound, and had no clue he was doing so.

6. Road Trips

 

I've just been to Alabama for a family wedding, now I'm off to go visit the boyfriend's family. I plan to have more posts up soon, but I've been on the road!

7. Book Review

I have read the book, but will have a review of it up on this blog soon. 

 

Back

Hello- Just got back from my sister's wedding and a cross-country drive. I'll have more posts up soon.

Six Word Saturday

I've decided to try some blog prompts: today's is Describe your current life in six words.

Cool Weather State Fair Fried Food

Seven Quick Takes!

1. It's Been a Week!

The blog is now a week old! Things are still under development regarding the focus of the blog, and I would like to use it as a way to hone my writing. I'm certainly having fun!

2. I Need a New Show...

I've realized that most of the shows I've watched ended last season. I need something to replace How I Met Your Mother. Recommendations?

3. I've Said It Before...

But I love fall! Of course, it was mid 80's here in Oklahoma, but a cold snap is right around the corner. I can't wait to plant some of these gorgeous mums. I have a small balcony, so these are perfect for planters.

4. It's Also Wedding Season!

October has become a very popular month to get married. Two of my dear friends got married in October, and now my younger sister is getting married next weekend! A road trip to Alabama is in the future!

5. Who Knew Dolphins Were so Aggressive?

I distinctly remember going fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, and running into a pod of playful dolphins. I also remember long afternoons of watching "Flipper" re-runs. Apparently this Irish dolphin did not watch the show.

6. There's Still Hope!

I still love you, Pluto! You may even get the recognition you deserve.

Eight years after being reduced to a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union in 2006, our far distant cousin is finally getting some real push to be upgraded back to the ninth "planet" in our solar system.

7. It's late...

But the cat says hi!

The White Lady of the Hapsburgs

She reportedly appears before one of the Hapsburg dynasty died. Via Tiny Librarian:

Banned Books

Banned Books Week was last week, and often it's presented as the enlightened looking back on a more ignorant age. Not so. The totalitarian mindset is alive and well. A California charter school recently banned The Hiding Place, the story of Corrie ten Boom and her family hiding Jews during WWII. The problem? The ten Boom's were Christians, and they were audacious enough to pray and share their faith while in a concentration camp. This has caused a minor dust up in the blogosphere, but what is most appalling is the ignorance, and an unwillingness to read the book in question by someone who is reportedly a librarian. The quote below is from a Library Journal blogger:

I was unfamiliar with Corrie ten Boom or her book The Hiding Place, but if the Wikipedia entries are accurate, it does seem like the book is pretty Christian. Supposedly, the entire time she and her sister were in a German concentration camp, they “used a hidden Bible to teach their fellow prisoners about Jesus,” because not enough people had told the Jewish prisoners that they were wrong to be Jewish.

Really? Never mind that  the ten Boom's are honored with the title "Righteous Gentiles" by Yad Vashem. The same title was given to Oskar Schindler of "Schindler's List" fame. The Holocaust was horrific, and should never be forgotten. Simply stating that the kids should read The Diary of Anne Frank instead is a cop out. Six million people died during that time period; we need more than one first person account.

It's hard to tell exactly what happened at the school, because it appears that the "eye witness" accounts are anonymous at the moment. Details of the case can be found here.

Before I get accused of being a "right wing hater" let me just say that I know conservatives have done similar things. The argument "they do it too!" is flawed. Sure, I haven't written about right wing ridiculousness, but the blog is young.

Heartbreak May Be Just That...

It's a physically real thing.

But I could feel my heartbeat flicker erratically. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't normal, so after work I asked my husband to take me to the emergency room. A burly nurse with a tattooed neck joked during the electrocardiogram. But his expression changed as he looked at the screen. With breathtaking speed I was hoisted onto a gurney, stripped, wrapped in a hospital gown, had an IV jammed in each arm and was pumped full of heparin.
Somebody told me I was having a heart attack.

Excerpted from NPR

Winging It

Sometimes life goes absolutely crazy. Some of them are out of control, like covering while a coworker is out, when it's already going to be a very busy week. Some of them are much more of my fault. I have a bad habit of taking on  everything at once. For example, I volunteered to plan the major dinner for 100+ people for my non-profit. (I'm on the board, not actually in charge, thankfully!) This dinner takes place the weekend after my sister's wedding, which entails travel to Alabama. I did all of this before realizing that I'd set myself up for a very busy October. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who does this!

I'd also like to say hello to everyone from Conversion Diary! This blog isn't even a week old, and I've had hits from Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK. It's good to know someone is reading. :-)

7 Quick Takes

1. And We're Off!

Of course, what kind of blog would this be if I didn't link to Jen Fulwiler's blog over at Conversion Diary. Ideas for the blog are still evolving, but I expect to have a variety of things posted.

2. Is There Love (Life) in Space?

It looks like they've found an exoplanet with water vapor in the atmosphere similar to Earth.

Water vapor has been spotted in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, roughly the size of Neptune. The alien world lies 124 light years from the Earth, and is the smallest planet ever observed with the vapor in its gaseous outer layer.

More here.

3. A Prisoner of War Speaks

The longest held American POW, from the Korean War. He was held for 20 years. I can't comprehend what he went through. The story of John T. Downey is here.

4. Moving on from the News... to Fall!

I love fall. I  don't get a whole lot of color change here in eastern Oklahoma. Usually the leaves go from green to dead and brown in a matter of days. Since a weekend trip up to New England isn't feasible at the moment, the next best thing is a live foliage map!

5. Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Pumpkin!

 

Similar to Lorelai Gilmore's "Coffee!Coffee!Coffee!" One of my favorite recipes was for white chocolate pumpkin scones, but alas! I have lost the recipe. Here's a close approximation of the recipe, via Creations by Kara. I can't wait to make these.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
Milk
Cinnamon sugar mixture

Click the link to get the instructions.

6. Chick Flicks and the Perfect Food Pairing

Brilliant! I will have to try some of these. Via Cupcakes and Cashmere

7. Lots of Links

Okay, so Seven Quick Takes turned into Seven Links instead. I promise to have more up soon!

Richard Lionheart

While waiting for everything on the blog to get set up, here's an interesting story of Richard the Lionheart of the Robin Hood legend fame.

From the Medievalists:

In April 1199, the French King, Philip II, thanked God for the providential death of his great rival: Richard I. Ever since the English king was freed from his prison in Austria in 1194, he had turned his war machine on the French, reclaiming the lands and castles that were taken while he was captive. Had he continued his relentless campaign, Richard might well have conquered the whole of France, and medieval history would have turned out quite differently.

Starting Out

Hello there,

I plan on having a real post up soon. Until then, welcome!

Mari