Daybook No. 112

Outside my window::

Cloudy, a marked contrast from yesterday's blue skies and sun, but since It's going to be in the 60s, I'll take it. Especially since....gulp.....snow might in the future! 

Wearing::

My PJs--I just got up (it's 8 AM as I'm writing this) 

Reading::

North and South, Mockingjay, Rising Strong,  and The Betrothed. I really like North and South--Margaret Hale is a great character. I'm late to the Rising Strong party, but better late than never, and I also have Daring Greatly to read.

In the CD player::

Fun Home and Hamilton. No Christmas music until at least after Thanksgiving!

Living the Liturgy::

Today is Lucy Pevensie's feast day! And since she's my Dominican patron, I get to party all day. 

Around the House::

Doing the deep cleaning to get ready for decorating> I don't have much to do--the tree, a few baubles, and my Fontanini creche (one of the best Christmas gifts I have ever received, ever). The Baby Jesus doesn't go in the creche until Christmas Eve, and the Magi make their way into the set proper by Epiphany. If you're looking for a Nativity set, I highly recommend this one. The figures are made of a type of plastic that means kids can chew on them, play with them, etc., and they won't break!

Speaking of Catholic households, this is a good article from Our Sunday Visitor that's worth a ponder. 

I'm also in the last stages of Tidying Up. I took three bags of books to Half Price books yesterday, so I'm still looking for the book/CD/DVD "click point" that Kondo talks about. I'm sure I'll find it--eventually. :) Until then, I just keep taking books to HPB. 

Creativity::

I have "won" NaNo--but the book's not done. Oh no. I'm going to write a sequel. (I can't believe it either!) Nothing about this book has gone the way I thought it would, but it's been in a great way. My friend Andrea says the "muse has inhabited me", and while that may or may not be true, it sure is fun. I will officially "win" NaNo on the 20th, when you can start verifying word counts. 

So I have to put an ending on this guy (a cliff-hanger, of course), and then start the new document for book two, maybe do some outlining--and then touch nothing until January. This is what usually happens with my NaNo books--I finish them in November and then don't touch them until January. That gives them, and me, a nice break before I begin revising/editing. 

And I can purl! You'll see the proof tomorrow in the Yarn Along. 

Pondering::

In light of the attacks on Paris, this is an excellent read. It's long, but it's well-worth the time it takes. 

There are so many problems in our world that are new, and all colliding at once--fighting a war against an enemy we can't see (as Judi Dench said in Skyfall), the Syrian refugees, elections, earthquakes in Mexico and Japan....

The only solution I can see to it is to pray more intensely. 

Plans for the week::

Not much, which is nice. CCD on Sunday, when we'll talk about Jesus' birthday (we talked about Advent last week). And then it's Thanksgiving week, and then we're into December! Holy cow!

This Week's Question: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving in your family? 

Seven Quick Takes No. 101

I. 

First an addition to the Daybook from earlier this week. I don't know what happened to the text, but I'd written a bunch about Hamilton that inexplicably disappeared after I hit 'publish'. So, I'm rewriting it here. :) 

Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), and Renee Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schulyer Church) in a scene from Hamilton. 

This musical has been getting a lot of positive press, and at first I was skeptical, because: rap? hip-hop? Whaaaa. No. Emily doesn't like that sort of music. But surprisingly, it works really well here, to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton. Most of us know Hamilton because of one of three things: he died in a duel with Aaron Burr; he's on the $10 bill, or he wrote a lot of the Federalist Papers. But he did a lot more than that. He found the New York Post, was the first Secretary of the Treasury, and served with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. 

The musical is sung-through (I think) and covers his life from his arrival in America as a young man, his graduation from Princeton, involvement in the Revolution, marriage to Eliza Schuyler, birth of his son, rise in Washington's administration, and then his political downfall and death. The musical was written and composed by its star, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Some of my favorite tracks are "Helpless", "Burn", "My Shot", "The Room Where It Happens", "You'll Be Back" (a hilarious song for King George III, played by Jonathan Groff), and "It's Quiet Uptown". 

Anyway, all this to say--give it a whirl. It's probably going to kill it at the Tonys and there's even talk of a Pulitzer Prize win. 

II.

I won NaNo! Yes, it's only the second week of November, but I'm over 50K, and I think there might be a sequel to this novel, because I don't think I can do the story justice in one setting. How crazy is that? These characters haven't stuck with the plan at all, but I've never written anything so fast, and as long as what the characters want works with the plot, then I'm fine with them dictating things to me. 

Right now I'm imagining them as YA novels. But of course anyone can read them. 

III. 

The Confirmation last weekend went well. I was proud of my cousin, and glad she picked a real saint--some of the kids just picked their middle names or something. (I know this because I asked one kid who her saint was--I'd never heard of this--and she said "it's my middle name." Eyeroll. Now, I'm sure there is a saint with that name, but come on, guys!)

IV. 

My Christmas cards are  done! Yay! I always love doing the Christmas cards. I usually start sending them out the first week in December, because some of my friends are in school and go home for the holidays, and I want them to get it before that happens. And I also love sending real mail to people. 

V.

I also binge watched Starz's Flesh and Bone this week. I wish the ending would've been more concrete, since the series isn't being renewed, but I guess it was probably shot before that decision was made? I love anything that has to do with ballet, so this series, which focuses on a fictional ballet company, was something that's like catnip to me. There were several great plot lines. (And also several tired plot lines--crazy artistic director, back-stabbing catty corps dancers, etc. )

VI. 

I'm moving on in Sketchbook Skool, too. Right now we're doing continuous line drawing ,which is something that I definitely need to work on, because my drawings looks crazy right now. Our assignment is to do one, two, and three objects this way, and then do one three object drawing and watercolor it. I'm a little afraid of that assignment. 

VII.

How are you guys doing on your holiday shopping/preparation? When do you put up your decorations? I Usually start the day of the OSU-Michigan game, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

Yarn Along No. 37

It's back!

So my Excellent Crafty Friend Sarah is going to help me with my knit/purl troubles. I can do both stitches, but when I have to combine them, it's not good. Bad things happen. So I'm hoping being Sarah's padawan leaner will help me out here. 

Here's the first few rows: this yarn is called "fairy tale", and it's one of my favorite colors. 

The book I'm reading is one I've been meaning to get to for awhile--Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, which describes the class conflict between Margaret Hale, a minister's daughter who was raised in and around London, and her new surroundings in the working-class North and the people she meets there. 

Daybook No. 111

Outside my window::

Gray and rainy, sort of windy. The last few leaves are clinging to the trees and it really feels like fall out there. Not that I mind. I'm ready for it, because I do love my sweaters, tea, books, and blankets. As long as it's not snowing (heaven forbid), I'm fine. 

(It's actually not my window. I'm at Starbucks, writing and getting lots of stuff done with a Peppermint Mocha to hand.) 

Wearing::

jeans, navy blue flats, fake diamond studs, and a sweater from Lands End that's "vicuna" (that's what they call this sort of creamy khaki color) and black stripped. It's super cozy and perfect for today. 

Reading::

North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell; The Betrothed for Facebook Catholic Ladies' Book Club; The Fiery Cross (again). I've also got one more Neapolitan novel to read, but I think I'm going to wait to pick that one up. It's the last one, so savoring is appropriate. I'm also re-dedicating myself to finishing City of God sometime in the near future. It's just sitting on my "to read" pile and mocking me. 

Writing::

So, NaNoWriMo is still off and running, and man, I am writing fast, but the book has changed a lot from my initial conception. I've changed the title, I've changed the plot--basically, the characters have told me that they want this story. Forgiveness is a major theme. I'm wondering if this should even be--gasp--a series. Because it might be too long for just one book. I can certainly write them as two. 

Julie (My protagonist) is a fascinating character to write, because she's really not like me, and that's a first. Most of my protagonists, up until now, have had some basis in myself. But not Julie. This is also a YA novel, and I've never purposefully written one of those before. 

I'm really excited about this project, which is funny, because at first I wasn't sure if I was going to Do NaNo at all--but now I've got characters that are really clicking, and a long-winding plot that might go for two books. I should hit the "winning" total- 50K- by the end of this week. 

Creativity In Other Areas::

My friend Sarah is going to help me master the art of knitting and purling in the same project! So we're going to hopefully have a yarn along update for you guys tomorrow! I'm also working on a bunch of new blog post ideas, including the return of the Food Stories posts. 

Quick Movie Review::

I saw Spectre with my brother last night, and it was better than I thought it would be. I don't know if it was as good as Skyfall, but it's really close, in my opinion. I love how the writers drew all of the Daniel Craig Bond plots together into a cohesive web. I don't know if we needed the car chase through Rome, but "reason not the need", as Lear says. Daniel Craig is great as Bond, and I love Ralph Fiennes as M (although I miss Judi Dench!). 

The ending was a bit abrupt and left me wondering what the next movie will be like. Speculation on the Interwebs is saying that movie will be out in 2017, so I guess I don't have too long to wait. 

(Although, one thing--can we stop with the efforts to dismantle the 00 Program, please? I mean, how many movies do we need before the British Government realizes that it's a very bad idea to do away with Bond and his ilk? Come on, guys!) 

(I also now feel the urge to watch all the Craig Bonds in succession. Maybe I'll do that after I finish writing today.) 

Tidying Up::

I have just about reached the end of the categories! The next step in the book is "finding a place for everything", and that might take some time. I'm going to re-read that section and try to get an idea of a game plan. 

Kondo talks about a "click point"--as in, you'll know when you're reached the optimal number of things you need in a category. I don't think I've hit it yet with my books or DVDs, so I'm going to keep culling. 

Listening To:

Daybook No. 109

Outside my window::

Cloudy and potentially rainy. I wouldn't mind that. Stay inside with books and tea and fireplace on? Excellent idea. 

Wearing::

An asymmetrical hem skirt, a blue v-neck top (Eddie Bauer), a scarf a friend made me, and my watch. I'll put on my boots for the firs time this autumn when I go out. 

Reading::

A Wind In The Door (I'm re-reading Madeline L'Engle's books, and the Time Quintet is the last one in my re-read. I realize I sort of went about this out of order. I did the Austins, then Polly's books, and now Meg), Crossing the Threshold of Hope, and The Comedy of Errors for an audition on Saturday. I've never read the play before, and it's funny, but it's also got some good reflections on the nature of marriage in it. 

Creativity/NaNo::

NaNo starts on Sunday and I've begun to think about the novel's structure and make notes about it in my notebook devoted to this. I need to have a dedicated notebook to scribble down all the names, places, and ideas I have for each piece. 

I'm also still in my "seeing" class at Sketchbook Skool. 

Tidying Up:: 

Still in the throws of the "komono" category, but I'm making progress there. I want to finish it by the end of the month so I just have the rest of this week to do it. This is a hard category because it's not so much about things that "spark joy" as much as things I use or don't use, need or don't need. But looseleaf paper? Where can I put that? In a folder? In a binder? And then hope I don't forget about it? I can probably put it in a file folder in my office, because I'll remember it's there. 

After the Komono category there's only--praise Jesus!--two things left--sentimental items and photographs. 

Around the house::

Other than Tidying Up, there's the general cleaning things. I did wash a few of the windows last week when we had lovely weather, so that they can be cleaner before winter gets here and they get all messy again. Since I'm a small person, I can't reach the top of the outside of the windows, but that's OK. 

Cooking::

Fall is a great time to cook because you don't have to worry about the house getting too hot! I've got a stew on the menu this week (yes, another try at a new recipe) and a tomato bisque. I'm also making one of Rachael Ray's leek-y chicken recipes, because I've got leftover leeks from the last stew recipe, and I want to use them. 

Plans for the rest of the week::

An audition on Saturday, as I talked about earlier, and CCD on Sunday--the kids are doing saint "report" this week. Basically they find a few facts about a saint we assigned them, and they come up and tell the class about it. I have an eye doctor appointment today and then dinner with my parents after that. I'm actually home this weekend--yay! Next weekend, though, I'll been in Pittsburgh for my cousin's confirmation, but that's never a bad thing. 

What's your passion?

“The biggest thing for me is the passion that I’ve always had for hockey. I remember growing up, no matter what I did in life, my parents always told me to try to do my best at it and be my best. I can say going through different things that that passion is the most important part. It’s not skills or talent or any of that stuff.
”

— Sidney Crosby

What are you passionate about? 

Is that a strange question? 

I don't think it should be. I think it should be something we ask people all the time. Instead of "what do you do", it should be, "What are you passionate about?" 

What we do doesn't really tell us a lot about a person. "I'm a manager at Widget Co." "I'm a speechwriter." "I'm a teacher." Sure, it can help us find some common ground. But when people used to ask me what I did, I told them, and they thought it was the coolest thing in the world. In truth, after doing it for about five years, it wasn't nearly so cool to me anymore. I worked to live, I didn't live to work--but I knew people who did, in my workplace. 

My passions have always been writing, music, theater, reading, cooking, hockey....I could keep going. I have a lot of passions. :) Some of them are dependent on other people, like theater. If I don't get cast in a show, then obviously I won't be doing a show. But that doesn't stop my love of it. 

Being good at something isn't the same thing as being passionate about it. You can be good at something and hate it. You can love something and be rubbish at it. (Like people who love music, but are tone-deaf) I love hockey, but let me tell you, I'd never be able to actually play it. I recognize my limitations. 

A great thing is when passion and work coincide. Now, for artists, it might never happen. It's hard to make a living from art. Everyone knows that. Some people are very lucky, and they succeed in that area, but not all of us do. But I think a mark of passion is doing it for free. I've done theater where I'm paid for my work. I've done more theater where I do it without any pay. And really, the enjoyment I get out of both is about the same. Sure, I like and Appreciate the money I get from doing paid shows. But it's not a requirement for me. If I hate the show, I'm going to hate it whether or not I'm making money from it. I put in the same amount of preparation and approach it the same way, money or no. When I'm drawing, I know I'm not going to get any money for it. I'm doing it because it's fun. 

It isn't always fun. There are times when the words aren't coming, when the scene's not jelling, when the lines on the paper look absolutely terrible. And that happens in anything. Sports teams lose. Plays flop. Books are panned in the New York Times. But people keep playing, acting, writing. 

“We work in the dark - we do what we can - we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.
”

— Henry James

God made each of us for a unique reason. No other person can bring to the world what each of us can bring to it. Part of that is our passion. What do we love? What skills and talents has God given us to bring His beauty and truth to the world? Because that's part of what good art does, incidentally. It makes us think about the world and our place in it, and our relationships. 

If artists don't make much money off of their love, then those who love God "for a living" really don't. Nuns are often told that their lives are "wasted" in service to God. "What, you want to pray all day? What is that about?" But they love God and His people so much that they're going to give their entire lives to the service of them. 

God loved us so much he sent his only son to die for us. That's passion. That's love. 

A passion can really be anything. Crossword puzzles, Tudor history, football, politics, knitting, housekeeping, cooking, math, mystery novels, fishing, quilting, travel, oil painting, fossils--whatever. What do you love to do? Our lives need passion. We weren't designed to just do utilitarian things. We need passion in our lives. 

Find your passion, and dedicate work to it. It takes hard work to be good at something. Passion ensures that the work is enjoyable, even when it's really not. If you've seen the movie Miracle, you know about the scene where the players are skating back and forth across the ice in endless drills as Herb Brooks barks, "again!" That was not fun. But that's what's needed, to be really good at what you do. Hard work serves the desire. If you hate playing the piano, it doesn't matter how great you might be at it. You might be blessed with long fingers and great technique. But that's not any good if you hate it. 

Find a passion, and work at it. Enjoy it. They make life a lot more fun, and they serve the special gifts that God has given only you to have and perfect. 

What's your passion? What makes you excited to get up in the morning? 

Seven Quick Takes No. 100

I. 
Yes, It's a long time I've been doing these guys, and if I was on Top of Blogging Life, I would've had some giveaway today. But no. Sorry! I'm thinking about having another giveaway soon, though. 

II. 

NaNoWriMo 2015 is upon us! I really love NaNo time, even though this year it took me a long, long time to decide what I wanted to write about. I have now decided, and I'm ready to go come November 1! I'm hoping to use some of the 9 hours I'll be in the car this weekend to do some brainstorming for my characters, but we'll see what happens. (I'm going to an out of state wedding) If the brainstorming doesn't happen in the car, it can always happen in the comfort of my hotel room (maybe with Room Service? Girl can dream.)

I will try to post regular NaNo updates here, so you can keep track. Previous "finished" novels (meaning I got to 50K words and "won) are listed above in  the Writing menu. 

III. 

Yes, Indiana is the third stop of Emily's Crazy October Tour. Boston, retreat, and now, Indiana. I've been to Indiana before, but only to Indianapolis and Richmond, so it'll be a chance for me to see more of this state. 

IV. 

I was back to my CCD kids for the first time in a few weeks last week, and I missed them! They learned a lot of stuff while I was gone. Last week we talked about Adam and Eve, and this week my co-catechist is going to take them through Noah, Abraham, and Moses. You know, nothing difficult or important. ;-) I'm sad I'll be missing 10 commandments week, because I love teaching the kids about that. Explaining adultery to first graders is always  a lot of fun. (I'm kidding. Their faces, though, are a lot of fun--they always look like, 'why would anyone want to do that?!')

V. 

So, ST. John Paul II's feast day was yesterday, so Quick Takes V, VI and VII are just gonna be JPII quotes. You ready? :) 

Yarn Along No. 36

It's been awhile since we've had a Yarn Along here, but now it's back! 

So this is another bookmark that's going in my gift stash--don't you love this yarn? The book is the third in the Neapolitan series of novels--there's four, in total, so I'm more than halfway through. These are very different that contemporary American fiction, but that's not stopping me from enjoying it. 

Daybook 108

Outside my window::

It's really gorgeous; that perfect fall blue of the sky, a little breeze, and sun. The trees are all at peak color, or will be, shortly, so driving around is a visual feast, especially on days like this, when the sky provides such a nice backdrop.

Wearing::

Jeans, a v-neck royal blue top, and navy flats (or at least, I had the flats on when I was running errands. Now I'm barefoot.)

Reading::

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay; Fire Within, about St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, and Daring Greatly. 

In the CD player::

The 25th anniversary cast of hantom of the Opera.

Creativity::

NaNo starts in just under two weeks, so I'm thinking about what I want to write. I think I'm going to stick with my original idea, which is a re-telling of Carousel--sort of moving it into the 21st century, and possibly with dual narrators, although that might not work. We'll see. I've done a dually-narrated novel before, and it worked well for that piece, but I don't think it works for everything. 

I'm still taking Sketchbook Skool classes. I'm two weeks into their Seeing course, and if you're looking for a place to learn to draw/create art, I highly recommend SBS. 

Two of my latests sketches/painting/drawings. 

For the top one, I used pencil, pen, and watercolors; the duck is just a Uni-ball pen. (In case you want to know.)

From the Kitchen::

I've got one new recipe up this week that I'm making tonight: Fish tacos from Outlander Kitchen. Tomorrow and Thursday I'm having dinner with my mom, and Wednesday night I'm making a really quick Italian chicken recipe. I'm all for quick chicken recipes--well, quick anything recipes, right? 

Tidying Up:

Still in the komono category. I want to finish this by the end of the month, but we'll see if that happens. This is the category with all the little things in it, so it's not as straightforward as "clothes", "Books", etc. But I'm making progress. Some of the categories, like "electronics and appliances", don't really pertain to me, because I don't have any appliances I can get rid of. I rent. :) Electronics work, or they don't. If they don't work, they got thrown out a long time ago. Everything that's here, and that's electronic (my computer, my phone, my iPad, my CD player [yes, I still have a CD player], TV, etc.), is earning its keep. Also things like "Household supplies": I have what I need, and that's it. I don't have room for ten bottles of countertop cleaner, or 8 boxes of Swiffer dusting pads. 

round the house, otherwise::

Still working on the office, which was tossed about so much pre-exterminator visit, that I decided to do some deep cleaning while it was a mess, anyway. So today I vacuumed the floor, and began to put things back, like the magazine boxes that are stored next to the book shelves. I have to decide what to do with a few random books that have been stored there--do I want to keep them, or are they donate-worthy? 

Plans for the week::

An out-of-state wedding, so I have to pack for that. My month of travel continues. Fortunately, I get the following weekend "off", and then we're going to Pittsburgh for my cousin's Confirmation, which really isn't travel, in a sense. It's the easiest trip of the entire bunch! And I always love seeing my family. 

Seven Quick Takes No. 99

I. 

As I talked about yesterday, last weekend I went on retreat, which has led to a few days of radio silence around here. Part of that, of course, is the post-retreat time, where I try to assimilate the things I learned over the weekend into my daily life, and part of it is this is the first week all month where I've been home all week--meaning, I'm not going anywhere this weekend, so there's no frenetic reason to hurry up and pack! Of course, next weekend is an out-of-state wedding, but that should be easy, because I don't have to do anything, like I did in Boston or last weekend. I just have to show up and be happy for the couple, which will be easy. 

II.

Most of the time when I'm on retreat, I don't have to "do" anything, either, but this time I was one of the cantors for the weekend, which meant I was involved in the music prep for all three Masses, and each of the Hours of the Office (Liturgy of the Hours)--Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. I was a little worried about how the Mass music would come off, since it was all chant (with the exception of a closing hymn), but I'm glad to say it all came off really well. Thank you , St. Cecilia! 

It took me a little while to adjust to having so much to do; I was worried I wouldn't be able to spend as much time in prayer as I usually do on retreat. But it all worked out. 

III. 

I'm back to CCD this week, for the first time all month, which makes me so happy, because I've missed the kids! I hope I haven't forgotten all their names in the past two weeks. 

IV. 

Since this week had a lot of downtime, I used it to try some new recipes, which had about a 50/50 success rate. When I say new recipes, I don't mean that I came up with them. I mean someone else wrote them and I cooked them for the first time. Out of the three, there was one winner, one that was just OK, and one that failed hugely based on the recipe itself. I think it I tweak the cooking instructions a bit though, the last one could be saved. But I really hate recipes that involve a long cooking time (this was a stew) and then have a bad result. Really, recipe writers? REALLY? Don't make me hurt you. 

(And yes, I read the recipe. Several times. This wasn't like Julianne Moore and her cake in The Hours.) 

V. 

On Facebook earlier this week there was a thread on Simcha Fisher's page about underrated movies. Allow me to give you some of mine: 

--Mr. Mom (SERIOUSLY, everyone needs to know this movie.)

-- The Village (same as above. Why does this get no love? It's a GREAT MOVIE!)

--Babette's Feast (Do not fear the subtitles!)

--Interstellar (again, more people need to love this movie)

I'm sure I'm missing some, but these, especially The Village, are what immediately came to mind. So show these some love this weekend. 

VI. 

The kids around here have today off because it's "Fair Day"--the county fair. Now, I have to tell you, when I first came to this district (it's my home school district) from parochial school, and saw "fair day" in the student planner, I went, "What is fair day?" But then I had friends who were part of farming families, and who actually had 4-H projects, and all that, and realized that the County Fair is a big deal in a state where its biggest industry is still agriculture. So, go County Fair Day! (Maybe watch Charlotte's Web to really get into the spirit of this, if you do not live in a place where there are county fairs. Or listen to the Bridges of Madison County Cast Recording, especially "State Route 21")

VII. 

My last quick take is a photo. 

I take prayer intercession seriously, especially when I go on retreat. So if you asked me for prayers last weekend, you got three rosaries, three Masses, and a candle!

That purple one is all yours, prayer askers! 

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

Blessed Is She Linkup: God's Timing

When I saw today's Blessed is She  prompt, I knew I had to write about it. 

I am one of the least-patient persons in creation. I'm working on it--having to wait 40 some days for a transplant helped in that regard--but I am still really impatient. I tend to not enjoy waiting.

The thing I enjoy least about waiting isn't the "inconvenience"--I don't really mind traffic jams or lines at the grocery store. A traffic jam was to be pretty bad for me to get mad about it. The thing I enjoy least is not knowing. 

I don't like waiting for something that may or may not happen. If I know something is going to happen, I can wait for it to come (like Christmas, as a kid). I might not wait very patiently, but it won't drive me crazy. 

Right now, I've been feeling like I'm waiting for someone special to come along. I know. I don't often right about love here. But I really don't enjoy being single. I don't mind it. Living alone isn't something I actively dislike. I mean, right now? I've got dinner on the stove, Diet Coke in the fridge, and a stash of chocolate no one can eat but me. ;-) I watch what I want to watch on TV, I read what I want to read, and I have people over when I want them. 

But I always thought I'd be married. I've always wanted to be a wife. And while I was engaged (many moons ago now), I've never been married--and I want to be married. I want to have someone to spend my life with. I want to have a partner. I want to have someone to love like that. 

I've prayed about it, but it still hasn't happened. And I don't know if it ever will. God's timing is perfect, right? Well.....right. But that doesn't mean that I like waiting on His timing. As I've said before, I like a burning bush. And I don't like the unknown. Maybe God is trying to teach me something here. But waiting for his timing in this instance has been something I'm not precisely patient about. In fact, it's starting to bug me. I'm not getting any younger, here. I'm not old, and I don't have a hang up about my age. But most of my friends are married now, and I'm sort of tired of waiting for it to happen. 

I don't know if God's got something in mind for me in this area. He might, he might not.  What drives me crazy is not knowing whether or not this is ever going to happen. 

I know a woman can be fulfilled without a man; today's the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila, who, as a nun, was a Bride of Christ, but who never was "married" to a physical man. Plenty of women are single.

St. Therese wrote in The Story of a Soul that God doesn't give you desires he won't fulfill. So I guess I should just wait on His timing? No matter how much I really really REALLY dislike it? 

God's Timing is perfect...but I wish he'd let me in on the timeline, sometimes. 

{P, F, H, R} 7: Retreat time!

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter. 

{Pretty, Happy, Real}

 I spent last weekend in retreat. It was the annual Lay Dominican retreat, which is held every October, either here in Columbus or in Cincinnati, and chapter members from four states come and spend the weekend together. I've been to St. Therese's (this retreat house) many times for silent retreats, but never for our Lay Dominican Regional Retreat. I'm going to write more about the retreat experience tomorrow, but here are some of the photos from the weekend. 

Our Lady of Lourdes in the retreat house grotto. 

St. Therese Reliquary off the main chapel. 

The chapel before vespers. 

Back wall of the chapel 

Food Stories--Grilling in Houston

Two weeks ago, I briefly mentioned my cousin Diane and her take on Mexican food. Since she lives in Houston, she knows of what she speaks. But she's also a good cook in her own right, and I got to experience that when I visited her a few years back. 

She and her husband, Matt, now have three children (and two cats), but at the time, she only had one, her oldest daughter. I spent a week with them in mid-July (July in Houston? Was I crazy? Maybe.), and one night for dinner, Di and Matt served grilled chicken, butter beans, and brownies, which were delicious. It was simple, yes but sitting around the table with some of my favorite people made it more than just the food on the plates. 

Diane and I have always been close--we're only six months apart in age. While we're different personalities, and have different gifts (she can do higher-level math, for one), we always enjoy seeing each other and talking when we get the chance (which is hard to find, because you know, three kids, two cats--she's busy!). But we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. 

Diane and I with her youngest, Frank. 

That's one of the great things about food. It has a power to bring back memories and people when you can't physically be together. So while we had a lot of good food on my trip there (steak! Real Mexican! Seafood by the Gulf!), this is a meal I can easily recreate when I want to be back in Houston. 

Houston Dinner

These recipes are all from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2--which I'd gotten Di as a shower gift before her wedding. 

Honey Mustard Barbecued Chicken

Sauce: 

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar 

1 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. prepared honey mustard

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. curry powder

CHICKEN

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

vegetable oil

salt and pepper

Preheat grill pan or griddle over medium-high heat. 

Add vegetable oil to a small saucepan over moderate heat. Add red onion and saute, 3-5 minutes. Add vinegar and reduce by half, one minute or two. Add brown sugar and cook one minute. Whisk in stock and honey mustard, allspice, and curry powder. Bring sauce to bubble and reduce heat to lowest setting. 

Coat chicken with a drizzle of oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken on hot grill and cook 4-5 minutes, then turn. Baste chicken liberally with sauce and grill another 5 minutes. Turn once again and baste. Cook 2-3 minutes more, than transfer chicken to a platter and serve.

Butter Bean Salad

2 15 oz. cans butter beans, rinsed and drained 

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 red onion, chopped (use the rest of the red onion from the chicken!)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tbsp. EVOO

the juice of one large lemon

coarse salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat beans and vegetables evenly in dressing. 

Corn on the Cob with Chili and Lime

4 ears sweet corn, shucked and cleaned

1 lime, cut into wedges

1/3 stick butter, cut into pats

chili powder, for sprikling

salt, to taste

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil and simmer corn, 3-5 minutes. Drain and arrange the ears on a shallow plat in a single row. Squeeze lime juice liberally over all the corn. Nest pats of butter into paper towels, and rub lime doused hot corn with butter. Season with sprinkle of chili powder and salt and serve immediately. 

Fluffernutter Brownies

1 package chocolate brownie mix, prepared to package directions

1 c. peanut butter chops

softened butter, to grease baking dish

2 oz. chopped nuts

1 c. mini-marshmallows

Preheat over to 425 degrees. 

To mixed brownie batter, stir in peanut butter chips. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with softened butter and spread the brownie mixture into an even layer in the dish. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and bake 20-22 minutes total, removing to scatter marshmallows on top for the last 3-5 minutes of baking time. Remove from oven and cut into pieces. 

Seven Quick Takes No. 89

I. 

So, a few more pieces of Boston ephemera for you. 

Did you know they have a state and city children's book? It's Make Way for Ducklings, and the book is everywhere in Boston--in every shop, for sure.

My Duckling sketch. 

II. 

Also, the Boston Tea Party ships have names. I know, right, why don't we learn this stuff in school? They're the Beaver, the Dartmouth, and the Eleanor. And yes, that was a million dollar question on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? --so now you know the answer! The Beaver and Dartmouth were whalers, and the Eleanor was a "full rigged" ship, whatever that means. I don't speak boat. 

III. 

In the Jeopardy! try out, one of the big things you learn is how to use the buzzer, or the "Signaling Device", as it's officially known. This is hard to get used to, because you want to buzz in right away. But you have to wait for the yellow lights on the side of the game board (these aren't visible to the TV audience) to light up--then you can buzz in. If you buzz in before this, you're locked out for a few seconds, which isn't that long in most places, but it's a long time on the show.  

IV.

You're also supposed to keep pressing the button once the lights are on, in case the first person misses the question. So there's a lot of frantic pushing. 

V. 

There are five episodes of the show taped a day--so basically, a week's worth, in one day. Your brain has to be tired by the end of that, right? But it's probably the most efficient way to do it. 

VI. 

This--and theater--are the two places where I don't need to be told to be loud. Some people SHOUT, and that's really annoying. Don't shout, guys. You're going to kill your voice. Project! as Eleanor says in Brave. But DO NOT SHOUT. Geezy pete. There is a difference between projecting and shouting. I know, it's a fine distinction. :) But it's there. (Ask Italians. "We're not arguing! We're talking!")

VII. 

I'm going on a retreat this weekend--got any prayer requests? Leave 'em in the combox! 

{P,F,H,R} 6: Boston

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter. 

{Pretty}

The view of Boston Harbor from our hotel room. 

Our Lady of Fatima in the North End. 

The lights in Cantina Italiana, where we had Sunday lunch. Love them!

{Funny}

Les Miserables for babies? Why not? 

Downton Abbey Tea.....above Boston Tea Party Tea. 

{Happy}

Dinner at Legal Sea Foods Long Wharf on Saturday night. 

{Real}

Heading home with my trusty Vera carryons. :) 

Our Lady of the Rosary

Or: Today is the Day that the Rosary Saved Europe. 

Don't believe me? Read about it here.