Merry Christmas!

 A very merry Christmas from Our family to yours!  we would have sent you a Christmas card, if we could be bothered to send Christmas cards anymore. We stopped when I was about ten, mostly because in America you put a picture of your family on your card, and, let's be honest, we haven't taken a good family picture in years. So instead of looking at pictures of my family, why don't you just listen to the King's College Choir, so much better anyway. 

7 Quick Takes (Because it's Tuesday Night or Wednesday Morning)

1

I'm sorry for not keeping you all updated on this, but baby Caroline is now a healthy six week old! She had surgery almost immediately after she was born, but it all went well and she was able to go home much earlier than originally anticipated! I now shamelessly creep on her parents' facebooks because she is such a cutie! Thank you all so much for your prayers, and if you are at all able please donate to the Caroline Reedy Fund, which will help defray the cost of all her medical care!

2

Motivation is running awfully low here at Bag End after our Thanksgiving break. We're currently justifying our utter sloth by having a who-can-put-up-the-most-Christmas-decorations contest with the boys next door. They may have lights on their porch, but dadgum we have a pine tree scented candle and an advent calendar with milk chocolate behind every door! 

3

I have two research papers due in a week, and I've even started one of them! Words on a page is progress, and, they're even real words! I didn't just whack my head repeatedly on my keyboard. Hey, at this point in the semester this is a real accomplishment. 

4

Recently I've really been missing the Pope. Not Rome. Not Italy. Not even Gelato. Just the Pope. Everytime I get on twitter and see the papal tweets (in three languages, for some reason I can't figure out), I get super weepy and emotional, and if someone even mentions Pope Benedict, I'm gone. This is probably the most bizarre case of "homesickness" I've ever had.

5

The weather is Texas is more indecisive than a bipolar pregnant lady. It was freezing for two weeks: absolutely freezing, and I had no winter clothes. So I spent two weeks shivering and miserable, but when I finally go home and get all my winter clothes what happens? Texas decides to have a week of 70 degree weather. Thanks, Texas. 

6

 My favorite part of the fall semester, intramural softball, is over. Not that I play or anything. I've had far too many accidents with these so-called sports to get anywhere close to those bats, but I am a great groupie. I really love going to watch all my friends play, and no matter what the score is, they're still may favorite team. (Okay, let's be real, I go to the games to socialize with my other non-athletic friends, but the game is a good excuse to, oh, I don't know, not write papers...)

7

I started making a books-I would-really-really-like-for-Christmas list, and shall we say it's getting a little long. As in, it may or may not be longer than the afore mentioned research paper. I have this great plan for getting a ton of reading done over break, but if previous breaks are any indicator, we'll just have to see what happens. 

The Blues, Thanksgiving, and Advent

I've really had the blues lately. No, I haven't been depressed; I, um, well, I don't know how to put this. I managed to dye myself blue. You may well be wondering how I managed to perform such a tremendous feat. You know all those tags on new, dark wash jeans that say the dye may rub off on lighter surfaces? You know how gingers have notoriously pale legs? Yep. I was that lighter surface. My legs are blue, and I'm not exactly sure what to do about it. I'll get back to you on this one.

Before I dyed myself an unnatural shade, I had a really great Thanksgiving with my family. I flew from TX to TN, and maybe I'm the only person who feels this way, but whenever I'm in an airport, surrounded by hundreds of people I'll never see again, I am always tempted to pretend my life is about seven hundred times more interesting than it is. I'm so tempted to pick up my phone and pretend that I'm talking to, oh, you know, my personal assistant because I obviously started a huge company in my dorm room. Or to tell some utter sob story about how unfortunate my life is. Am I the only person who feels this way? Please tell me, I am not the only person who desperately wants to tell horrendous lies to total strangers just to see what it would be like to have a different life? But I digress...

Anyway, I had a really awesome time with my family. We ate a lot and watched a lot of football, which is the most American thing I can think of. I have to admit that until this weekend, I had absolutely no idea how football worked. I mean, there are big dudes with an egg-shaped ball; I got that far. But have you ever watched football? They stop every other minute, and the announcer says something like, "74th and down at the 43rd and a 1/2 yard line," and you're just like, "Uh, huh. Okay. Sure." I never saw the appeal of football until I spent about eight straight hours watching it with my grandma, and by the end I was the hardest core football fan you'd ever seen. I was yelling at the TV, for Pete's sake, like I actually had a clue what was going on. I'm not quite sure what happened to me...

But actually the best part of Thanksgiving was having my entire family together for the first time in a very long time. Not only were the cousins I hadn't seen in ages there, but we also got to facetime with my cousin who is currently deployed. I'm not usually one to get all emotional about things, but that was probably one of the top ten best moments of my life. Rarely have I been so grateful for all the things I have: all the things that people have died to protect. I was so grateful for the sacrifices people make so that our country can be free, and I'm so thankful that I've never had to be so far removed from all my loved ones.

This break was also a good chance for me to reevaluate what I'm doing with my life, or at least what I think I'm doing with my life, and what with the start of Advent, now seems like a good time to refocus on the things that are really important in my life. Firstly, I'm definitely trying to get my spiritual life back on track, so I'm going to be reading the Bible and saying a rosary everyday this Advent. I'm also going to procrastinate less on my school and housework, and finally I'm going to be more active in achieving my goals (you want to be a writer, maybe you should update your blog). We'll see how all this goes; I mean, if I can't buy pants without severe mishap something tells me that this is going to be a long process.

Miscellaneous Happiness (For a Sick-ish Weekend)

My new theme song. It makes me so utterly happy and drives my roommates utterly nutty, but if anything can make your day better, it's this song.

Being reunited with these lovely ladies after a year apart. As much as they loved being in Rome last fall, and I loved being in Rome last spring, we are all so very happy to be back together.

Finding recordings of my Project Poet. There's absolutely nothing like hearing these poems read by the poet.

Exquisite Texan sunsets. This is the view from my balcony, sure there's a tree in the way, but we have front row seats for the sunsets.

Happy and hilarious Rome memories. Why were we posing like this while a thunderstorm was rolling in? Do you remember how we had to sprint for shelter right after this photo was taken? Do you remember...? 

My newest Icon. On my last day of work at the Catholic bookshop this summer, we unpacked an entire crate of Russian Icons, and this one (Our Lady of Vladmir) was a going away present from my bosses. She now is in a place of honor (my nightstand) in our apartment. 

Roommate silliness. Very rarely do I let all my goofiness loose, and my poor roommates didn't know what they were getting themselves into.But they are holding up remarkably well, as I do and say the silliest things with very little provocation. 

  

This music video. Because what could possibly be happier, than the happiness of two claymation monsters? I mean, really?

Day 17

Dear Diary,
I've been stranded in this wasteland for 17 days now with no sign of rescue. The monsoon season is coming, and I have developed a cold. My only hope for recovery lies in a potion that one of the locals gave me. It is a startling shade of blue, and apparently, if taken in excess can kill you. One of the natives has undertaken it to teach me their poetry. Today, he tried to teach me about the meter of their poems, but in my weakened state I could barely understand him. I am, however, eager to learn and am trying my best to scan one of their native laments. I hope someday to write an intelligent essay on the matter. Perhaps, if I make it through this ordeal alive, I can have it published.
I have also moved my living quarters and am now installed in a tiny wooden box measuring about three feet by three feet, with room only for a small wooden table on which I spread my books. It is neither large nor comfortable, but I must stay here until the period of final examination, by the natives' calendar, has past. Sleep is irrelevant and nourishment unnecessary. If you find my bones here, commend my soul to the Lord and give me a proper burial. 

Apparently, I wrote this the other day, while sitting in the library. It worries me somewhat that I have only vague memories of this event.

Life at Bag End, Among Other Things

Well, we're finally settled into our apartment, and the semester is in full swing. We've christened our apartment Bag End, which really makes no sense because we live on the second floor and our front door is decidedly rectangular, but we needed a name for our wifi, so after rejecting "The Wardrobe", "Narnia", and other such names we decided that Bag End seemed dorky and literary enough for our home. Little did we know what repercussions our seemingly innocent wifi naming would have. Now we all have Hobbit names: I'm Merry because apparently he was the youngest hobbit in the fellowship.

We're still working on decorating the rest of the apartment, but I've definitely got my room all sorted out. Sure, it's basically the same as last year, but our apartment is cute that I just have to share it. I absolutely love the window above my bed! I doubt you can see it, but there's a tree right outside, so it's like our room is in a tree house! As you can see Little Miss Sunshine is still around, and what's even scarier, after a year in storage her batteries still work, which is utterly terrifying when, oh you know, you sit on her in the middle of the night, and suddenly a cheery voice says, "Hooray for everybody!" Terrifying I tell you.

I'm also doing a pretty good job keeping myself well fed. My roommates are always chopping vegetables and stuff, like they're gourmet ninja's or something, while I'm dumping things out of cans on to frozen chicken. But all in all I feel pretty satisfied with myself.

This is one of my favorite "quick fixes" from last week. Basically what I did was brown some ground turkey in a frying pan with some olive oil and other spices, then I added it to a jar of Prego pasta sauce. Sure, not the most original recipe ever, but it's a good way to add some protein to basic pasta.

As far as classes go, my schedule is pretty weird: I have classes at 10 or 11, and then my next one won't be until about 3 in the afternoon. I really hate afternoon classes because if I've spent my day studying, the last thing I want to do is go sit in a classroom for an hour. I really prefer to get my classes over with as early as possible, so I can work all afternoon and then, occasionally, have the evening to do my own thing. On the up side, I really do like all my classes, so it's worth the goofy schedule.

I did decide to drop down to twelve credits this semester, which does feel like kind of a cop out, but I am taking four upper level English classes, so I need the extra time just to get all my reading done. I had originally thought about auditing an intensive German class, but I'm already taking Old English this semester, and I really just don't have time to learn another language. Unfortunately, because the German language is absolutely beautiful. Ah, well, perhaps Senior year.

Speaking of English classes, I am really excited about my major now. This semester I'm focusing heavily on poetry, what with the Junior Poetry project as well as Medieval Lit., and we're even translating a lot of Anglo-Saxon poetry in Old English! I have studied poetry before, but never as intensely as we are this semester. I have a feeling that soon I'll be spouting lyric out of my ears.

Even though I'm not getting to spend this semester without one of the loves of my life (German), I am getting to spend a lot of time with my other one- the Anglo-Saxons. I don't know what it is about those lovely tribes, but I absolutely love them. I was a little wary about Old English at first, but when I got the syllabus, and realized that the first class was entitled "Getting in Touch with your Inner Anglo-Saxon", I knew that I was in the right place. The first poem we worked on- Caedmon's Hymn, is one of my favorites, and I actually translated it out of Medieval Latin when I was in high school, so I was super excited to get to read it in the language in which it was composed. The Anglo-Saxon history class I took last semester is also helping me out a lot both in Old English as well as Medieval Lit., which is really nice because I already done most of the reading for both classes.

Anyway, I'm supposed to be working on the Wife's Lament!

Back at School!

I am finally back at school, and, let me tell you, it is absolutely awesome to be back! Because of Rome, my class has been split in half for the last year, and there are a lot of people I haven't seen in ages, so it is wonderful to catch up with them. I had a lot of great friends from freshman year who I haven't seen in nine months, but we're able to meld back together right away. It's also been really fun meeting the people in my class who I didn't get to know freshman year.

Moving into my apartment has been a lot of fun.  Even with our lovely view of the dumpster, we really love it. It's nice that everyone can have at least a little bit of space to themselves, albeit a very tiny bit of space, but space none the less. Yesterday we went to the thrift store, and found some pretty rad decor. There will be pictures soon, I promise.

 Going to the grocery store, however, proved to be a lot less fun. Nothing says stressful like the knowledge that you have to keep yourself alive for the next four months. So we galloped around Wal-mart trying to figure out what we knew how to cook and what we needed to make it. So we now have the most random assortment of food items, but at least we won't starve to death within the first week.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes, and then the real fun begins. I've been looking forward to starting classes all summer, but looking at my schedule is making me rethink all my life decisions. Signing up for classes while in Rome is just a bad idea. I mean, there you are, in Rome, having the time of your life, feeling like anything is possible, and then you sign up for, oh, four upper level English classes. Then you get back to Texas, and all you can think is, "Anything is not possible- like surviving this semester." But we'll see how it goes, but right now, sheer panic.

Domestic Goddessing

After my Elizabeth Bishop brownie catastrophe, I felt a bit down in the dumps about this whole cooking thing. There's nothing like standing over your almond-y, greasy brownies and remembering that you have to keep yourself alive for the next four months. But today, the parental units were going out to dinner, and I was presented with a pack of frozen pork chops, instead of the pizza I was anticipating. And, hey presto, I made a pretty good dinner, if I do say so myself.

I covered the pork chops with, olive oil, salt, pepper, a little lemon pepper (because it was there), and oregano. Then I put it in the oven until it was cooked through. I also stewed some peaches to go with it. This past week mum bought a huge box of rock-solid peaches, so I cut about four up and put them in a covered saucepan with a little water and honey. I think the water may have been overkill because the peaches gave off a lot of juice, but I was afraid that they would burn to the pan at first. Then for desert I made brownies from this recipe. I thought that the raspberries were a nice touch, and they even turned out great. The only problem was that it took absolute ages to cook, but once they were done, they were
delicious!

Yummy brownies in the making!

In other news, I'm finally packing up to go back to school. It seems that all my clothes have been breeding in the back of the closet for the past couple months, and I'm having quite a time trying to shove them into my duffle. Sometimes I wonder why on earth clothes are so important. Why can't we all can't just be nudists? It would make life so much easier. Anyway, I've decided that this is not the semester to experiment with such things, so I've got a bulging suitcase that looks like it's packed for the end of the world.

Fortunately all my bedding and other random dormhold (like household, but more primitive) items are in storage in Texas, so I don't have to worry about bringing those down. I'm moving into a flat this semester with three friends, and we're having an interesting time figuring out what we're going to do about about cookware and what not. Personally, I own three plates, four mugs, a lot of spoons, and an electric kettle. I also picked up two pyrex dishes with plastic lids, which I am very pleased with, especially since I picked them up for $6 a piece. Gotta love T.J. Maxx!

Siiiigh.

I also have to admit that I'm cramming to finish all the seasons of my new favorite old show via amazon prime, As Time Goes By. Mum introduced it to me at the beginning of the summer, and we were watching it together, until I was gone for most of July and got way ahead. Now I'm forging through season 7 (of 9), while she and dad are still somewhere in season 4. I don't actually watch it all that much though, I usually just put it on while I work on blog posts and various other things. There's something really soothing about just listening to British TV. Maybe it's just because I grew up there, but I just like background noise with familiar accents. In honor of this bizarre quirk, here's a photo from my post-Rome trip to the UK. You're welcome.

Update on Baby Caroline

Sorry for not keeping you up to date on baby Caroline's situation, but your prayers have definitely helped! Last week Caroline and her mom under went what is called fetal intervention (basically unborn baby heart surgery). Obviously it was a pretty nerve-wracking experience, but it went well, and miss Caroline's chances of developing further heart problems have been lessened! Thank you so much for your prayers, and please continue to pray for a safe delivery for her!

The Room Saga Continues

I finally finished the great room redecoration of 2013! Although the start was unpromising, I'm very happy with the end result. I had a lot of random pictures hanging around, so I decided to try my hand at a picture collage on the wall above my bed. 

I'm really happy with the results. I was excited to finally hang my icon from Greece, as well as my picture of St. Hedwig, which I got from Salzburg. For awhile it looked like the collage would be a lopsided disaster, but then I found that awesome round frame under my parents' bed. They keep asking me what I'm planning to put in it, but I think it looks cool on its own. Here's the whole picture:

I've had the pillow I made on my bed for a while now, and I love how it looks. I've also got some plans for the wall above my bookshelf; my sister Viola painted a really incredible picture, which I bought from her for a milkshake. Viola is a terrific artist, and I absolutely love this piece!

Sorry about the carabiner, I had to find something to hold it flat while I took the picture. 

So, as you can see, I'm getting it together here. I still need another bookcase to house my suddenly massive library, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far.

Brownies and Elizabeth Bishop

I knew that my life had reached an all time low today, when I went up to my mother and said, "Mom, all my friends are either engaged or have chosen their poets for the project." Obviously there's not a lot I can do about the latter, but I decided that today was the day that I finally chose a poet for my Junior poetry project. So off I went to the coffee shop armed with my new satchel and my ever trusty copy of the Norton Anthology of Poetry.

Originally my plan had been to read every poet on the list, and then chose one, but eventually I just ran out of poets than interest me. What with the semester being only 3 weeks away, I figured I had better get a move on, so I went back and reread the poets I had really liked. And several hours later I decided on Elizabeth Bishop! You have no idea how happy I was about this decision. I mean, I couldn't stop smiling. If I can't be engaged, this is obviously the next best thing, obviously.

Then, after Mass, I decided to throw health to the winds and bake brownies rather than going for a run. Who needs health anyway? I used this recipe, but I substituted almond extract for vanilla, not because I'm artsy or anything, we were just out of vanilla extract. I also tried to substitute shortening for oil, which somehow didn't work out. Then just when you think I've messed up enough, I decided to make these celebratory brownies. After all, it isn't everyday you pick your junior poet, so I found some writing frosting in the cabinet and frosted "Bishop" in very amateur writing. The writing started out okay, but I ran out of room, so the last three letters were all squished together. So we ate greasy, almond-y brownies, bad decoration and all. Yep, Elizabeth, they were a disaster (and they didn't just look like it).

Lazy Sunday

You'll be glad to know that my room is finally clean enough for me to reach the door and that I have actually been able to open it, since I last blogged. So now I'm just relaxing in the midst of a not-so-bad mess and enjoying my Sunday coffee.

Wouldn't you like to come have Sunday brunch with us?

Dire and Dusty Situations

We finally finished painting the last segment of our house, this past week, which means that yours truly now has a nice shiny bedroom (just in time for me to move out, wouldn't you know). The painting caused utter havoc to my nicely feng shui'd room, so naturally I just had to rearrange everything. Which, in and of itself, caused even more chaos. About this time last night, I was sitting on a nest made of my rolled-up rug and a large strip of cork board, facebook-ing furiously in an attempt to ignore the war-like state of my once-pristine room (Don't laugh, we all know that it was pristine at least once... A very long time ago).

But as we all know, when you start rearranging furniture, you then have to start purging your closets. Do you know how much random garbage I've been hiding in my closet for the past five years? Well, let me just say that there are now three goodwill bags cluttering up the floor I'm trying to clean. Who knew all that stuff was there? Seriously, I just found a pith helmet in the way back of my closet and am completely bewildered as to its origins. I am also realizing that sentimentality comes at a price; keep all the shirts you wore in middle school or have room for your new ones.  Anyway, there's definitely something therapeutic about throwing things away (or into bags to donate to goodwill).

Several Days Later:

I started this post on Tuesday, and there has been no visible improvement, in fact the situation is deteriorating rapidly, but the ground troops (me) are still working tirelessly to prevent total meltdown. Originally I planned to have a lot of before and after pictures to perhaps inspire you to clean, but at the moment I'm too ashamed to (I am also unable to get out the door to get my camera). If you want to know how I feel right now, see below. If I can't have a clean room, at least I can feel epic while weeding through dusty craft supplies.

I suppose the upside to this dire (and incredibly dusty) situation is that I am no longer bored.

Summer Reading and Kiddie Poetry

Summer boredom has officially set in. Well, it set in in June, then took a break while I had a blast at nerd camp and with my grandmothers during the month of July, but now its back in full force. I also deleted by pinterest account (no more mindless pinning. No more wasting my life), so now I'm trying to remember what worthwhile things we did before we pinned.

Today I read a book. It has been an embarrassingly long time since I read a book for fun (The Norton Anthology of Poetry doesn't count). Okay, it's been like a month, but I'm an English major, so the bar is pretty high. Yeah, because English majors are that snobby (sarcasm). Anyway, at the moment I am giggling my way through my first every Terry Pratchett book. That man is a genius. I suppose my pinterest addiction had led me away from intelligent humor, but my goodness, Pratchett is hilarious. I've also realized that my summer reading list has been... eclectic to say the least. So far I have read The Moviegoer by Walker Percy, My Anthonia by Willa Cather,  Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym, and Good Omens by the aforementioned Mr. Prachett. I'm not sure what's next on my list, but I am considering another Pratchett book, possibly Going Postal.

On a more juvenile note, I have been desperately seeking the audiobook of Michael Rosen's You Wait Till I'm Older Than You. We checked it out from the library when my brother, Cole, and I were but wee tots, and those poems have been part of our family vocabulary ever since. Unfortunately, the audiobook is not to be found (I've found a million copies of the book). This is a bit of a catastrophe because yesterday when I turned to my sister and said, "I know that now, but how do I get the car out of the ditch?" She had no idea what I was talking about. Right about now you're probably wondering why I think this is such a catastrophe:

Now do you understand? This man is genius, genius I tell you, but I still can't find him reading my favorite poems. Michael Rosen, if you ever ever read this, there are poor, deprived children in America who have never experienced the pure hilarity that is You Wait Till I'm Older Than You.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Wow, it's hard to believe that Nerd Camp was already over a week ago. It seems like only yesterday (Sniff, sentimental tear). Yet somehow I think I'll survive, especially since I'm now gearing up for my favorite time of year: Back to school time! Nothing like the smell of new books, the sound of squeaky new erasers, and the beautiful, beautiful sight of all my friends back together after a very long summer apart!

I've already done some back to school shopping which means I am now the proud owner of probably too many sundresses (but I love them all), a new laptop charger because I managed to loose mine at Nerd Camp, and soon I will receive in the mail the satchel to end all satchels. That last one was a total splurge which I justify by telling myself a) "But, Pip, you didn't buy a leather bag in Florence like the rest of your classmates, and b)"You're just stimulating the economy in your 'hometown'," all of which are really dumb excuses, but goodness me I like this bag. In addition to these larger purchases I also have a planner and two rolls of scotch tape. Oh, and all the pens that my Nerd Campers left behind. Thanks, guys, now I'm ready for the school year.

This year I'm especially excited because I'm moving into an on-campus apartment with three friends! Oh, and I got two spatulas for the apartment. That too. Being in an apartment means being off the meal plan, which is super exciting after eating three meals a day in the cafeteria for the past two years. It's also going to be a lot cheaper and, hopefully, healthier, if I can just stay away from all the junk food I love. The downside is, I'm not going to be seeing people in the cafeteria, so I'm going to have to make sure to actually leave the library and my apartment sometime. The apartment is also one more step closer to being an actual adult. It means that I'll have more than just my cell phone bill to pay every month, and it also means that I'm going to have to budget and plan my meals, which I've never had to do before. Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but it's kind of a daunting prospect, especially as I roll into my Junior year of college.

Speaking of Junior year, isn't that just a little terrifying? Don't get me wrong, we're going to have a ton of fun this year, but reaching the half way point in college is a little weird. I'm taking four upper level English classes this year, including my lovely Junior Poetry Project. Basically what you do is pick one poet, read all their works, read a ton of criticism, and then be reviewed by a panel of professors. I've been told that it's not as scary as a lot of people make it sound, but its still a big deal, so I want it to go well. I've also been a little annoyed about my schedule this year because our German department is now only offering 5 days-a-week, intensive German classes which count for 6 credits, rather than the normal 3 credit, 3 hour classes. Obviously the 5 days-a-week thing is a little difficult for any schedule, but the class managed to conflict with Poetry Project on Tuesdays. Only on Tuesdays, but I still can't take German, and I'm really disappointed about this because I absolutely fell in love with the German language in my last class. I was also hoping to get a minor in German, but now that plan has been blown out of the water. Oh well, I guess I'll console myself by taking Old English instead.

If you can't tell I'm totally geared up to go back to school, which would be a great thing, if I didn't have three weeks until the start of the semester. Yes, three whole weeks! I'm not sure whose brilliant idea this late start was, but may I just say, it's killing some of us. I had planned to spend these last three weeks moping around the house, but instead I got my late summer must-cram-everything-in mood, so I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to make up for all the working out, reading, and violin playing I didn't do all summer. Maybe the time will go by faster this way. 

Nerd Camp 2013

John Paul and myself on Mount Olympus, reigning over the mere mortals. Because what else are you going to do at nerd camp (Photo cred: Bernadette). 

for the long silence! I spent the past two weeks in Texas, working as an RA for a high school summer program run by Ye Olde Institution of Higher Learning. It was an absolute blast, and I even think the students may have had some fun (I kid, I kid. They had fun too). I did the program myself, way back in the day (ish), so it was a nice trip down memory lane, as well as a terrific summer job.

Working with 30+  high school students is about a million times easier than trying to corral 10 eight year olds- just to compare my two summer jobs. High school students don't have to be taken to the loo every 10 seconds, they can get their own drinks of water... On the other hand I'd forgotten just how much drama you can squash into two weeks. But in all seriousness, it was the most rewarding and fun experience I've had in a very long time. My two coworkers, Bernadette and John Paul, are possibly the coolest people ever, and we had a ton of fun hanging out after the students were supposed to be in bed. Mostly John Paul would tell random stories or play guitar for us, which was amazing. That guy has been everywhere and done the craziest things. Bernadette and I have known each other since we did the program ages ago (well, sort of ages ago), so we both re-bonded over our copies of the Norton Anthology of Poetry, as we desperately try to figure out our upcoming Junior Poetry Projects.

Sure, we had our ups and downs, like when the fire alarm went off at some ungodly hour of the morning, and I had to shoo twenty terrified girls outside, all the while wearing a ridiculous pair of pajama pants printed with large, blue cats. And, of course, it turned out that someone's hairspray, yes, hairspray had set the darn thing off to begin with. When we were finally allowed back inside, the girls were asking, "Who was using hairspray?" To which John Paul sleepily replied, "It was I." Then we had the day where everyone dropped the ball, and I had to run all over creation before I'd had my coffee, which is imperative for brain function if you had, oh, I don't know, stayed up until three listening to John Paul's crazy stories. Despite all the goof-ups we really did have a wonderful time. The three RA's made a great team, and somehow we managed to pull off some really impressive stunts. When it rained the whole first week, we had to improvise all our activities, so we had a sock war, a Plato's Cave building competition (it's a nerdy school, okay!), and, of course, played a ridiculous amount of foosball. But our proudest accomplishment was making the talent show un-awkward. Admittedly, it was at the expense of our own dignity, and I never ever ever want to see John Paul in Bernadette's clothes again, but it was hilarious.

But all too soon it was all over. I don't think I've ever been so depressed in my life, watching all the kids leave was absolutely heart-rending. We spent last Saturday desultorily cleaning the dorm, pausing now and again to sigh deeply and moan about how purposeless our lives were. Then the time came when we no longer had an excuse to stick around, and I had to bid farewell to my fellow RA's. I'm going to be completely mushy here and say that since we all split up, I have missed them terribly. Fortunately, this being such a small Catholic world, I'm sure we'll all meet again someday. 

Girls with Curls

It's been a pretty depressing couple of weeks for me, what with the news about baby Caroline and some other things that have been going on recently. I've been trying to think of something cheerful to post about, so when Amanda posted, asking for curly hair advice, I decided to give it a go.

You've all seen the pinterest idea of what curls look like. Flawless, shiny, bouncy... yeah, wipe that picture out of your mind right now. Curly hair is beautiful, but like most things in life, natural curls don't look anything like what you see in the magazines. Each head of curls is totally unique and beautiful. Curls can be a blessing and a curse,plus they require a lot of maintenance. Curly hair is totally different from straight hair, and therefore, they require different kinds of care.

Enter the curly girl method. So what is the curly girl method? Put simply, the curly girl method is: don't treat your hair like it's straight. Curly hair needs a lot of moisture to prevent frizz and other nasty hair ailments. Here's the problem, shampoo dries your hair out. "So what should I do?" The curly girl wails, "Just not use it?" Yep. Before you get grossed out, let me explain. Most curly girls, myself included, use conditioner to scrub our scalps. It has a lot of the same cleaning properties as shampoo, but it won't dehydrate your hair. If you start the curly girl method, give your hair time to adjust. It will be kind of gross and oily for awhile, but once your hair gets more moisture from the conditioner, it will realize that it doesn't have to produce so much oil, and the yuckiness will go away. However you may not want to start the curly girl method the week of your senior pictures (experience talking here).

The first step in the curly girl method is figuring out what kind of products to use on your hair. Shampoos, and even conditioners, containing sulfates and silicones tend to make your hair frizzier. So you first want to find a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. A good rule of thumb is "No fates, no cones," that is, if anything on the ingredients list ends in -fate or -cone, it's not for you. This also applies to hairsprays, gels, and mousses. Personally, I use TRESemme Naturals conditioner.

So, how do you start the curly girl method? First, wash your hair with the sulfate-free shampoo, which you have purchased from your favorite grocery store. This will get all the nasty stuff from your old products out and leave you with clean hair. Then condition with your brand-new sulfate-free conditioner. A lot of people recommend that you bun your hair in a bun before you wash out the conditioner, so that it soaks in. You can use this time to wash behind your ears and scrub between your toes. Then wash the conditioner out.

There are several schools of thought about what you should do after you get out of the shower. Some people recommend that you don't wash out all the conditioner. Some people recommend that you wash out all the conditioner but apply a leave-in. Some people don't need to do either (like me). You just have to experiment with this step and figure out what works best for you. But everyone agrees that you absolutely, positively should never ever ever use a hair brush on your curly hair. Always use a comb and never comb your hair when it's dry. You can comb in the shower or out but just make sure your hair is wet enough (think sopping).

Then you should apply hair products of your choice:  mousses, gels, sprays, whatever works best for your hair. Personally, I use Garnier Moroccan Oil. It works as a leave-in conditioner and reduces frizz. But, again, you're going to have to experiment with a lot of different sulfate-free products to find what is best for your hair. Make sure that you "scrunch" rather than rub the product into your hair. This will allow your natural curl pattern to form. Also, make sure you don't put too much product close to your scalp because this can get icky.

Then you should dry your hair (because, chances are, you are currently standing in your bathroom with dripping hair trying to balance your laptop on the sink). Once again, there are many different schools of thought on how you should dry your hair. There are the low-heat-and-diffuser people. There are the air-dry people, but everyone agrees that you should not use your towel to dry your hair. Why? Because all those little nubs combined with the vigorous rubbing motion we all know you're going to employ, is one massive recipe for frizz. One of the best ways to dry curly hair is to use a T-shirt. Yep, just a plain, ol' T-shirt. Use it to squeeze the water from the bottom of your hair or use it as a turban. It really does cut down on frizz. Make sure that you don't touch your hair too much while it's drying because this will break up the curls and cause, you guessed it, frizz.

Okay, this is a lot of information at once, I know, and, believe it or not, it's only a rough summary of the curly girl method, but don't be put off! I've been doing this for over three years, and it's super easy once it becomes part of your routine. Sure, it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what is best for your hair, but your hair will look so much better! Mine looked much better only a week into it (thank goodness, because then I had my senior pictures taken). So, give it a try, chances are, you'll love it!

St. Gerard Novena: Day Nine

Almighty and Eternal God,

we thank You for the gift of St. Gerard

and the example of his life. 

Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in You,

You blessed him with great powers of help and healing.

Through him, You showed your loving concern

for all those who suffered or were in need.

You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf.

Today, through Saint Gerard's powerful intercession,

You continue to show you love

for all those who place their trust in You.

And so, Father, full of faith and confidence,

and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things

You have done for us,

we place ourselves before You today.

Through the intercession of St. Gerard,

hear our prayers and petitions,

and if it is your Holy Will,

Please grant them in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.

Amen

Day Nine: Saint Gerard, most favorite child of heaven, to whom Mary gave the Infant Jesus in the day of thy childhood, to whom she sweetly came before thou didst close thine eyes In death, obtain for me I beseech thee, so to seek and love my Blessed Mother during life, that she may be my joy and consolation in this valley of tears, until with thee, before the throne of God, I may praise her goodness for all eternity. Amen. Pray nine Hail Marys. 


Thank you all so much for your prayers for baby Caroline. Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers during the next several months!

St. Gerard Novena: Day Eight

Almighty and Eternal God,

we thank You for the gift of St. Gerard

and the example of his life. 

Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in You,

You blessed him with great powers of help and healing.

Through him, You showed your loving concern

for all those who suffered or were in need.

You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf.

Today, through Saint Gerard's powerful intercession,

You continue to show you love

for all those who place their trust in You.

And so, Father, full of faith and confidence,

and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things

You have done for us,

we place ourselves before You today.

Through the intercession of St. Gerard,

hear our prayers and petitions,

and if it is your Holy Will,

Please grant them in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.

Amen

Day Eight: Saint Gerard, true lover of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, do thou who didst kneel long hours before the Tabernacle, and there didst taste the joys of paradise, obtain for me an undying love for the Most Holy Sacrament, that thus receiving frequently the Body and Blood of Jesus, I may daily grow in His holy love and merit the priceless grace of loving Him even to the end. Nine Hail Marys

St. Gerard Novena: Day Seven

Ryan and Ellen announced today that they have chosen a name for their baby, so now we can pray for baby Caroline! 

Almighty and Eternal God,

we thank You for the gift of St. Gerard

and the example of his life. 

Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in You,

You blessed him with great powers of help and healing.

Through him, You showed your loving concern

for all those who suffered or were in need.

You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf.

Today, through Saint Gerard's powerful intercession,

You continue to show you love

for all those who place their trust in You.

And so, Father, full of faith and confidence,

and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things

You have done for us,

we place ourselves before You today.

Through the intercession of St. Gerard,

hear our prayers and petitions,

and if it is your Holy Will,

Please grant them in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.

Amen

Day Seven: Saint Gerard, unconquered hero, most patient in suffering, you who did glory in infirmity, and under slander and most cruel ignominy did rejoice to suffer with Christ, obtain for me patience and resignation in my sorrows, that I may bravely bear the cross that is to gain for me the crown of everlasting glory. Pray nine Hail Marys. 

St. Gerard Novena: Days Five and Six

Apologies for not posting the novena yesterday; My family is currently on vacation, and we spent most of yesterday in the car, but I hope that you all took the time to say any kind of prayer for the Rome Baby.

Almighty and Eternal God,

we thank You for the gift of St. Gerard

and the example of his life. 

Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in You,

You blessed him with great powers of help and healing.

Through him, You showed your loving concern

for all those who suffered or were in need.

You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf.

Today, through Saint Gerard's powerful intercession,

You continue to show you love

for all those who place their trust in You.

And so, Father, full of faith and confidence,

and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things

You have done for us,

we place ourselves before You today.

Through the intercession of St. Gerard,

hear our prayers and petitions,

and if it is your Holy Will,

Please grant them in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.

Amen

Day Five: Saint Gerard, model of holy obedience, throughout your life you heroically submitted your judgement to those who represented Jesus Christ to you, thereby sanctifying your lowliest actions.

Please obtain for me from God cheerful submission to His Holy Will and the virtue of perfect obedience, that I may be conformable to Jesus, my Model, who was obedient even to death. Pray nine Hail Marys.

Day Six: Saint Gerard, most perfect imitator of Jesus Our Redeemer, your greatest glory was to be humble and lowly.

Please obtain that I too, knowing my littleness in God's sight, may be found worthy to enter the kingdom that is promised to the humble and lowly of heart. Pray nine Hail Marys. 

Rome sickness

I've been feeling really homesick lately, except not for home but for Rome. I cannot tell you how much I miss Italy. Okay, there are a lot of things I don't miss about Italy, but the things I do miss, man oh man. A picture of St. Peter's in my Boss's house almost brought me to tears the other day. So in honor of my Rome sickness, I will give you my top ten favorite things to do in the Eternal City

1.Go to the Borghese Gardens at sunset. Well, you should go to the Borghese gardens anyway, they are absolutely gorgeous (beware scantily clad, sunbathing Italians), but the view of the city at sunset is utterly breathtaking.

2. Go to the Villa Borghese. I mean, as long as you're in the gardens, you might as well drop into my absolute favorite museum ever. Why is it so great you ask? One word: Bernini. The Borghese houses two of Bernini's most beautiful statues, the Rape of Persephone and Apollo and Daphne,  which are probably two of the most amazing statues in the world. Michelangelo's David is just lame in comparison. There's also a great collection of Carravagio's work, including my favorite work ever- Sick Bacchhus.

3. Go church hopping. There are so many great churches in Rome; even the ones that aren't famous are absolutely beautiful, so just have a day where you stop in every church you pass. Sure, you probably won't get very far, but you get a good feel of Rome this way.

4 . Go to Piazza Navona when the sun is shining. It is the most colorful place, filled with art vendors and, of course, scarf sellers. There is also a fantastic fountain, designed by, your guessed it, Bernini. 

5. Get gelato and coffee near the Pantheon. The Pantheon is probably the coolest building ever. I mean, it was a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods (possibly designed by the emperor Hadrian), but it was taken by the Christians and turned into a church. It's absolutely spectacular. It also helps that the Pantheon is located near some of the absolute best cappuccino and gelato shops in all of Rome. 

6. Climb the Cupola of St. Peter's. True, it's a lot of stairs, but it is one of the most breath-taking experiences you will ever have. There are two levels, first you are inside the dome itself, with a stunning view of the high altar and the baldacchino. Then you climb some more stairs, and suddenly you're on top of the dome, looking out over Rome. This was one of the first things I did in Rome, and I have never regretted it (it's much easier the second time). 

7. Go to the Colosseum at night. Sure the scarf/rose/light-up-toy salesmen won't leave you alone, but the beautiful view will be worth it. It is such a cool building, and when it's illuminated, it has an eery beauty to it. And since you're so close, you should walk over to the Roman Forum at night. 

8. Go to the Trevi Fountain. Okay, so it's nearly impossible to find, and it's not exactly the greatest piece of art ever, but it's worth the trek just to have that Lizzie Mcguire moment. Just a warning- not all the wishes you make come true: I wished for a handsome Italian boyfriend with no results. 

9. Eat eat eat! Italian food is amazing! So you should go out on a limb and try everything. Even foods that are gross in American are delicious in Italy. For example, I spent four months living off of egg plant and zucchini. You should also try Pasta Carbonara; It is my absolute favorite, and I guarantee you will love it too! Oh, and, of course, you have to drink a lot of wine with every meal. It's just the way this works. 

10. Wander! Just soak in the city. Every town has its own vibe, and the best way to discover it is simply to be there. You don't have to rush from museum to museum or try to see every single famous site. The most important thing is that you come away 

St. Gerard Novena: Day Four

Almighty and Eternal God,

we thank You for the gift of St. Gerard

and the example of his life. 

Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in You,

You blessed him with great powers of help and healing.

Through him, You showed your loving concern

for all those who suffered or were in need.

You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf.

Today, through Saint Gerard's powerful intercession,

You continue to show you love

for all those who place their trust in You.

And so, Father, full of faith and confidence,

and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things

You have done for us,

we place ourselves before You today.

Through the intercession of St. Gerard,

hear our prayers and petitions,

and if it is your Holy Will,

Please grant them in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.

Amen

Day Four: Saint Gerard, spotless lily of purity, by the angelic virtue and wonderful innocence of your life you received from the Infant Jesus and His Immaculate Mother, sweet pledges of tender love.

Grant, I beg you, that I may ever strive courageously in my lifelong fight, and therefore win the crown that awaits the brave and the true. Pray nine Hail Marys. 

St. Gerard Novena: Day 3

Almighty and Eternal God,

we thank You for the gift of St. Gerard

and the example of his life. 

Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in You,

You blessed him with great powers of help and healing.

Through him, You showed your loving concern

for all those who suffered or were in need.

You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf.

Today, through Saint Gerard's powerful intercession,

You continue to show you love

for all those who place their trust in You.

And so, Father, full of faith and confidence,

and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things

You have done for us,

we place ourselves before You today.

Through the intercession of St. Gerard,

hear our prayers and petitions,

and if it is your Holy Will,

Please grant them in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.

Amen

Day Three: Saint Gerard, Bright seraph of love, who despising all earthly love, consecrated your life to the service of God and your neighbor, promoting God's glory in your lowly state, and ever ready to assist the distressed and console the sorrowful, obtain for me, I beg you, that loving God, the only good, and my neighbor for His sake, I may be hereafter united to Him forever in glory. Pray nine Hail Marys.