Wish I was there.

Today is the World Day of Prayer for Priests. You should be praying for priests everyday, but make a special effort today.

Prayer for Priests (by St. Therese of Lisieux)

O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the sacred wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests: who as a pledge of Thine own most tender love will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.

May Thy priests be faithful guardians of Thy Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught by this loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother’s care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the Gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.

Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.

Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for Thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love.

Also, I've been informed (by voicemail and text message and IM and email) that EWTN is broadcasting the FSSP ordinations, which are undoubtedly pretty sweet. Alas, I will be trapped at the front desk until around 9:00, but according to EWTN's website, the Mass will be rebroadcast at midnight tonight.

Random thoughts at 8:00 am

• I don't know who exactly thought it was a good idea to put the classes of '68 and '63 in PE & PW, but that really should be rethought. None of these buildings were here when these guys were, and they have absolutely no sense of direction.
• Also, while I'm glad they're working on the chapel, I think I may be driven to desperate measures by the noise today. Did they have to choose today to knock down a wall (and for that matter, to start at 7:00)? I should have more pictures to put up in the next few days. I'm still trying to get a peek at the plans...
  
• Random reslife trivia learned during staff training: during the last 3 weeks of classes, ResLife dealt with 85 cases of students who had been contacted by the recording industry re: illegal downloading.
• Construction dust set off our fire alarms yesterday afternoon. There were two of us working the front desk at the time, and we followed the emergency protocol, which was to go to the alarm system display board, which supposedly would tell us where the alarm had been triggered (we were then supposed to go to that spot and determine whether there was an actual fire). Well, we went to the display, which gave us a nonsensical (to us, at least) string of numbers. So much for that.
• My Ravelry invitation came through yesterday. What an addicting site! It's a good thing I just don't have that much spare time, or I'd spend all day looking at patterns and knitting. I'm about an inch and a half done with one sock, and as I mentioned, I think there'll be a lot of trial-and-error involved with this pattern, so it should keep me occupied for a while.

I think that's all I've got for now, but given that I'm on-duty at the desk until 1:00, I'm pretty sure my idleness will lead to more thoughts.

I recently finished my first non-scarf knitting project: a teddy bear. All in all, it turned out to be really easy and I'm guessing it only took me a total of 4 or 5 hours to knit. I hit a snag when I got to the cassock (I'm adapting the sweater pattern that was with the bear, and I cannot figure it out). Luckily, the biretta was easy enough (18 rounds on size 2 dpns, and then pinched together and sewn at the top), so at least he's got that. Now he just needs a name...

Finally saw Juno. I'm pretty sure I'm the last person in the world to see it, so I'm not going to bother giving a review of any kind, except to say that I thought it was tremendous. I just have one question that's been burning in my mind since I saw it: What is with that soundtrack?

I don't even really know what genre that is; kinda teenage-girl coffee shop music, I guess. The words don't rhyme, and some of it's not even that creative musically. It's completely unlike anything else I listen to, and yet...I have this strange urge to buy it. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about, or am I completely crazy in this case?

O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are lead by our anxious uncertainty
in our search for and attainment of what is true and good, invoking
Thee by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel. We beseech Thee
to come to our assistance, when, along the road of this life, the
darkness of error and of evil conspires towards our ruin by leading
our minds and our hearts astray.

Do Thou, O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the doubtful
and the erring, that they be not seduced by the false appearances of
good; render them steadfast in the race of the hostile and corrupting
influences of passion and of sin.

O Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from Thy Divine Son a great
love of virtue,and, in the hour of uncertainty and trial, the strength to
embrace the way that leads to our salvation. If thy hand sustains us,
we shall walk unmolested along the path indicated to us by the life
and words of Jesus our redeemer, and having followed freely and
securely, even in the midst of this world's strife, the Sun of Truth
and Justice under they maternal star, we shall come to the enjoyment
of full and eternal peace with Thee in the haven of salvation.
Amen

~Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel,
Pius XII

Candle lit this evening for special intentions.

FOR TODAY May 27...

Outside My Window... darkness. I did notice, though, that the accursed masonry work they're doing on this building seems to be making progress. For some reason, they have to replace a 3-brick-high section of the wall all around the building, and the concrete dust means that we have to shut our AC off from 9-5 and cover the vents with these cumbersome plastic shields.

I am thinking... that actually going out running on three consecutive days is a new personal record.

I am thankful for... roommates with whom I get along well. I'll use that one tomorrow; as I was writing, the hall director came in with a room/front door key for me.

From the kitchen... because we had staff training this evening, ORLH paid for us to eat in the dining hall. Well, the roommates and I are pretty sure that we built up a tolerance to DH food, and it's completely gone now.

I am wearing... sweats and a t-shirt, having just gone for a run.

I am creating... a pair of socks. It's a big experiment, and I'm sure I'll end up tearing it out more than once.

I am going... to spend tomorrow in staff training, learning that there's no "i" in "team".

I am reading... a book I found while browsing in the library over the weekend: "The Catholic Youth's Guide to Life and Love". Published in 1960, it's pretty interesting, actually; I'll probably end up writing a post on it later this week.

I am hoping... that Alumni Reunion weekend (which actually runs Thursday-Saturday) isn't as much of a headache as it sounds like it's going to be. 240 members of the class of '68 in our dorm. Between the three staff members, we need to cover the front desk from 8:00am-midnight every day.

I am hearing... the air coming out of the vents next to me. The clicking of my keyboard.

Around the house... I'm not expecting to be in my room a lot this week, so I'm going to have to try not to just toss stuff on the floor when I pop in and out.

One of my favorite things... free food.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Staff training tomorrow, reunion weekend

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

A few pictures from the weekend...

FOR TODAY May 26...

Outside My Window... caution tape and the tires of a cherry picker (I'm in the kitchen, where the window is at ground level).

I am thinking... that I really need to get used to metal handles on saucepans, before I burn myself again.

I am thankful for... air conditioning.

From the kitchen... pasta boiling on the stove, ready to become tuna salad for dinner. I baked biscuits for breakfast yesterday and have some left over.

I am wearing... earth tones.

I am creating... hmm...I put a face on my teddy bear yesterday. Does that count?

I am going... to get some work done this afternoon.

I am reading... same old, same old.

I am hoping... that the pollen miraculously goes away.

I am hearing... water boiling. It's actually kind of a strange sound when you stop and listen to it.

Around the house... I'm very glad for AC.

One of my favorite things... a warm bed.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Staff training tomorrow and Wednesday, and then it's alumni reunion weekend, so I'll probably be pretty busy.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Props to whomever wrote the headline for this week's issue of Today's Catholic:

"In Genoa, pope fights battle for the soul of Italy, all of Europe".

I am quite convinced that were it not for my guardian angel, I would sleep through far more things than I do now. This morning, I needed to pick Kim up at 6:30 so that we could make it to 7:00 Mass. Since I haven't exactly been an early bird this week, I decided to finally plug in my alarm clock last night (I had just been using my cell phone's alarm, but it's far too easy to push "off" rather than "snooze"). So, after stringing an extension cord halfway across the room (which has a sad lack of outlets), I set my alarm. I had a headache, and was having sort of a brain-disconnected-from-head-and-body evening, so I was very deliberate in setting it. I double-checked the time, and the fact that it was indeed set, and then, as an afterthought, checked to make sure that the alarm was set for AM. All was well. Why then, you ask, did I wake up at 6:27, in a panic? Well, in my careful checking of the alarm's setting, I forgot to make sure that the clock itself was on AM. Whoops. Needless to say, I attribute the fact that I woke up (more or less) on time to something besides myself.

(In case you're wondering, I am very proud to say that I got dressed, got to my car, and made it across campus in exactly 10 minutes. And we were still early for Mass.)

FOR TODAY May 24...

Outside My Window... is the great unknown. My shades are drawn and I'm done with the outside world for the day.

I am thinking... that I accomplished something good today.

I am thankful for... a hot cup of tea.

From the kitchen... the aforementioned tea. Cinnamon stick, in this case.

I am wearing... my pajamas: flannel pants and a sweatshirt.

I am creating... the perfect environment for a good night's sleep.

I am going... to 7:00 Mass in the morning.

I am reading... the same book I've been working on.

I am hoping... that I get a room key soon so that I can come and go from the building with the knowledge that I'll be able to get back in.

I am hearing... the season finale of House. Thank you, Mom!

Around the house... I have a bit of a headache, which isn't helped by the fact that my roommate got bored and decided to dye her hair. Ach, that smell!

One of my favorite things... a warm bed.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Work, work, lay outside in the sun and read a book.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

As I mentioned before, I've been working through season 1 of "The Muppet Show", and I just watched this little gem that I'd like to dedicate to...well, you all know who you are.

FOR TODAY May 23...

Outside My Window... in the hallway, there's a line for the bathroom. A line! After a week of having it almost to myself, I'm going to have to adjust my shower schedule...

I am thinking... that I don't want to make a career out of desk clerking.

I am thankful for... a place to which I can escape at the end of a long day.

From the kitchen... I'm just finally eating dinner, even though it's 10:00 (I'm been working since noon). Just rice, milk, and cinnamon/sugar. Not much, but I'm tired, and it only took me 10 minutes.

I am wearing... a skirt, blouse, and nifty Staff ID badge.

I am creating... a reading list for the summer.

I am going... to wake up early and do something useful.

I am reading... David Copperfield, although I made significant progress today.

I am hoping... that I don't feel quite so brain-dead in the morning.

I am hearing... the canasta party out in the lounge.

Around the house... same old, same old

One of my favorite things... the chance to read a good book without interruption.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I'd don't actually have any plans for tomorrow. At some point, I'd like to venture out to the Farmers' Market...

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Friendship: It Can't Hurt

One of my favorite things about being Catholic is being backed up by 2,000 years of traditions and Magisterium. I just love finding something that I struggled to articulate, put so perfectly by someone far wiser than myself. For example, I recently spent four hours in conversation trying to articulate why exactly, in complicated relationship situations, it's far better - even if not easier - to err on the side of friendship, which helps ensure one of two possibilities: 1) circumstances will change and eventually lead to marriage, in which case the time devoted to pursuing friendship will have built a strong foundation for the relationship, or 2) if it never leads to anything beyond friendship, then at least that will have been preserved. Anyway, this is a long build-up to something that I found in the Catechism while working on a research project yesterday. After spending so long trying to figure out how to articulate what seemed right, and getting frustrated with my inability to word it well, I found the following:

The virtue of chastity blooms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and imitate him who has chosen us as his friends, who has given himself totally to us and allows us to participate in his divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality. Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with one's neighbor. Whether it develops between persons of the same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to spiritual communion. (CCC 2347)

Ha! "A great good for all"! I knew it! Thank you, Catechism!

FOR TODAY May 22...

Outside My Window... is dark, except for lights on in a room on the other half of the building. Since we're the only occupied room right now, that's a little weird...

I am thinking... about what wonderfully useful things I'm going to do tomorrow.

I am thankful for... the Catechism, wherein I find things so clearly stated, that I spent hours trying to articulate (more on that later).

From the kitchen... pizza during a staff meeting. Really, though, I do cook! I made up something with rice, chicken, lemon juice, and basil yesterday, and it was quite edible.

I am wearing... jeans and a sweater. I can't wait until Monday, when it's supposed to get up to 75 degrees and stay there.

I am creating... a cassock for my teddy bear (pictures to come when he's finished).

I am going... to go crazy if I don't get a key soon. As it is, my ID doesn't work in the door, and I don't have a key for my room or the front door, so I take my chances every time I leave the building.

I am reading... David Copperfield (yes, still. It's a long book.)

I am hoping... that I can get back into a normal sleep pattern (by which I mean up by 7:30). Circumstances seem to be conspiring against me, though.

I am hearing... chatting with my roommate. From her accent, I would've guessed she was from Chicago, but it turns out she's from Southern Michigan.

Around the house... found my shoes today!

One of my favorite things... really cold grapefruit juice. Is it strange that that's one of my favorite drinks? It's part of my top-secret, stay-up-until-4:00, finals-week ritual.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Actually start work tomorrow. Our first conference comes in at noon. It's the Medjugorie conference; the average attendee age is 80.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

"Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." (Exodus 25:9)

When I found out that I'd be staying in PE for the summer, one of the things I was most excited about (besides the dorm's sentimental value and air conditioning) was the chance to witness firsthand the chapel renovation. This chapel was the unfortunate victim of '80's architecture and a pantsuit-nun rector, and featured such lovely furnishings as the "Birdcage Tabernacle" and lots of pillows (Mary Liz and Em - I don't have any pictures of the chapel at the height of it's sadness; do you?). According to the hall manager, this summer the chapel will see $800,000 of renovations, including stained glass, getting rid of the pillars, and knocking down walls. Below are pictures of the chapel as it is today, with the altar and everything else moved out and the "bulldozing" (the rector's word) having just begun. I'm planning to post updates as often as something significant happens. While I'm sure that the space won't turn into sometime magnificent, I'm hopeful that something good will happen.

FOR TODAY May 21...

Outside My Window... is the ever-present florescent light in the hallway that never.turns.off. Given that we're in a converted study lounge, there are lots of windows facing the hallway, and they're covered by woefully inadequate curtains. We now understand why the previous occupants of the room had their wardrobes against the windows.

I am thinking... about doing something productive today.

I am thankful for... this website, plus left-over print quota, plus a nice color printer.

From the kitchen... I just figured out this morning that the fridge wasn't turned on. Whoops.

I am wearing... a blue flowered skirt and blue shirt.

I am creating... a homey little corner for myself.

I am going... to meet Kim at Mass soon, and then taking her grocery shopping. I really hope she doesn't need too much, because my car is quite full with my surplus stuff.

I am reading... David Copperfield (yes, still. It's a long book.)

I am hoping... that the next few weeks go by quickly.

I am hearing... The Muppet Show on my computer. Netflix rocks.

Around the house... things are beginning to get sorted out.

One of my favorite things... a good cup of coffee.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Work tomorrow, getting some useful things done.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Home Sweet Crappy Dorm Room

50 Worst Album Covers. Slightly terrifying, yet hilarious.

(WARNING: Ventriloquist dummies. Forgot to warn *someone* about that.)

Move-in, Day 3

Well, I think I've managed to find all the really important stuff. Now to find places for it... If this room weren't ridiculously small (or if they would've given us individual rooms like they said they would), I'd be fine, but as it is, I've got precisely one corner of the room in which to arrange my life. I really just want to go through all my stuff and get rid of 80% of it, but I don't know that that will happen anytime soon. Ah, to be a Carthusian...

FOR TODAY May 20...
Outside My Window... it still looks like it's going to rain. Lovely view of Flanner and Grace, though.
I am thinking... about how on earth I'm going to make my stuff fit in this room.
I am thankful for... having my bed cleaned off and sheets on it last night.
From the kitchen... going out to lunch with the Hall Staff.
I am wearing... jeans and my Right to Life hoodie. It's cold out and I don't feel like putting a lot of effort into being cute today.
I am creating... a little bit of art.
I am going... to go on a (mostly unnecessary) tour of the building at noon, and then to lunch.
I am reading... only when I accomplish some unpacking today.
I am hoping... that I find a few things (my cardstock and allergy meds, mostly) soon.
I am hearing... one of my roommates un-pack. Probably what I should be doing.
Around the house... I can actually sit at my desk, so I suppose that's something.
One of my favorite things... having an orderly space in which to work.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: more unpacking, more settling in.
Here is picture I'm sharing...

FOR TODAY May 19...
Outside My Window... it looks like it might rain soon. The whole university is quiet.
I am thinking... that I didn't appreciate this past year enough while it was here.
I am thankful for... uncountable blessings that have made themselves manifest in the last little while.
From the kitchen... crackers and granola bars that happened to be on top of my bags of food.
I am wearing... the same clothes I wore yesterday. I haven't really had a chance to unpack all my clothes yet.
I am creating... a cozy little corner in my too-small dorm room.
I am going... to get as much unpacking done as possible before I collapse into bed.
I am reading... nothing too substantial today. I read a bit of "David Copperfield" when I woke up at 4:15 and couldn't get back to sleep.
I am hoping... that I'll be able to fit everything into the aforementioned tiny room.
I am hearing... birds outside, and whatever comes up randomly on iTunes. It keeps playing really melancholic songs. Not helping my general mood right now.
Around the house... too much stuff, not enough space.
One of my favorite things... a good night's sleep.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: unpack, settle in
Here is picture I'm sharing...

Technical Difficulties

Aaaahhhh! I went to edit my Current Reading list, and something terrible happened to my template; namely, all the cute is gone. I'm not exactly sure what happened, and I can't seem to fix it easily, so I'll have to screw around with it a bit and see if I can revive it.

How I propose to to do this...

I'd like to get into the habit of posting more regularly, and I recently found a fun idea that I think will give me a little motivation/content for a daily post: The Simple Woman's Daybook. I think the concept itself is obvious enough that I don't need to explain it, so here goes:

FOR TODAY May 18...

Outside My Window... is dark, but I know that there's a large construction project going on.

I am thinking... about moving all my stuff into my new room tomorrow.

I am thankful for... an amazing friend who has made this the best year of my life.

From the kitchen... there isn't much, since I haven't started cooking for myself yet (that'll come tomorrow or Tuesday).

I am wearing... the clothes that I set out for myself when I went to bed at 5:15 after packing all night.

I am creating... a blog post. I'm too tired to do much else right now.

I am going... to miss Mary Liz.

I am reading... the last sentence I wrote. (In my spare time, David Copperfield).

I am hoping... that tomorrow's move goes off without a hitch.

I am hearing... the few other people who are using the library computers.

Around the house... my life is in boxes.

One of my favorite things... polyphony and other choral music. After an intense week of choir rehearsals and concerts, I can't get the music out of my head (which is okay).

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Tomorrow: move into my summer room; say goodbye to Mary Liz. Rest of the Week: Settle in, work on some random projects, start my real job.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Yeah, yeah...

I realize it's been months and months since I've posted, and even my own mother doesn't read this anymore. However, given the prospect of facing a relatively quiet (read: boring) summer at school, taking classes and sitting behind the front desk of a dorm, I thought I'd revive this little ol' blog, if for no other reason than my own amusement. So, while I can't guarantee anything regular or substantial, I will be making an effort to post more often.