Grace Harriet's Baptism

Grace Harriet was baptized on November 30 at 11 a.m. in Our Lord Christ the King Catholic Church, the same church Will and I were married in, and by the same priest, Fr. Ed Smith. (It was so lovely having her baptized at home, surrounded by our large family!)

Almost everyone was there to celebrate! (Grace's godmother, my dear friend Heather, is currently studying art history in Scotland. My sister Marianne was her proxy.)

My brother John is her godfather.

"Grace Harriet Baldwin, the Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross. I now trace the cross on your forehead, and invite your parents and godparents to do the same."
(The Rite of Baptism)

"God calls each one by name. Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person." (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2158)

"Receive the light of Christ! Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. She is to walk always as a child of the light. May she keep the flame of faith alive in her heart. When the Lord comes, may she go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom."
(The Rite of Baptism)

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is."
(1 John 3:1-2)

"When words are inadequate, people speak in gestures and signs: a hug, a touch, a gift.The language of ritual enables people to share events words cannot express. 

God's action is no more limited to sacramental actions than the whole of married love is lived out in the marriage bed. But the sacraments, like lovemaking, are moments of intensified encounter. 

In any such exchange, the more expressive the gestures and symbols, the more eloquent the communication. The More meaning you intend a gift to convey, the more carefully you choose or make it. 

Baptism speaks with water and light, oil and white garment, song, and sometimes even welcoming applause. The ride can speak as expressively as a tender embrace or as perfunctiorialy as a routine good-bye peck. Routine and tender moments both nourish love, but not the same way. One speaks of minimums, the other of possibilities. The options offered in the Rite of Baptism let you express the meanings you have discovered in the sacraments in a very personal way."  -- Carol Luebering, Handing on the Faith

Welcome, Grace Harriet!

WWYPDD: What Would Your Prom Date Do?

Happy Chapter 12!

one

Things I like about my family: they keep it real. My collegiate brother posted this as part of his Valentine's Day status: "And for all the people who see today as singles awareness day, just remember that the guy this holiday was named after was beaten to death, so today isn't that bad for you."

Or whenever I don't feel like running, I check out the Desert Nuns running in full habit:

Ahh, gotta love keeping perspective in life.

Oh, sNOw!

Here's to hoping Phil was right about an early Spring...

"Winter Remembered" by John Crowe Ransom

Two evils, monstrous either one apart,

Possessed me, and were long and loath at going:

A cry of Absence, Absence, in the heart,

And in the wood the furious winter blowing.

Think not, when fire was bright upon my bricks,
And past the tight boards hardly a wind could enter,
I glowed like them, the simple burning sticks,
Far from my cause, my proper heat and center.

Better to walk forth in the frozen air
And wash my wound in the snows; that would be healing;

Because my heart would throb less painful there,

Being caked with cold, and past the smart of feeling.

And where I walked, the murderous winter blast

Would have this body bowed, these eyeballs streaming,

And though I think this heart’s blood froze not fast

It ran too small to spare one drop for dreaming.

Dear love, these fingers that had known your touch,

And tied our separate forces first together,

Were ten poor idiot fingers not worth much,

Ten frozen parsnips hanging in the weather.

The Wind it was Howlin’ and the Snow was Outrageous

Everyone and their cousin Bob has today off in the Midwest, except for Cincinnati, which had ice yesterday and a bit of a snow flurry today.

Here's my contribution- The White Stripes' cover of Bob Dylan's song "Isis," which is where the title of this post comes from:



Enjoy!

Today is also Candlemas and Groundhog's Day. Punxsutawney Phil says... early spring! Hooray!

ADVENTure is out there!

Let me begin by saying my car is old. Let me follow this fact by saying how much I love my car. My father bought it many years ago with the intention of letting me drive it when I got my license at age 16 and, thus, buying himself a chauffeur to carpool his five younger children around.

I drove it for two years in high school and then left it at home for college, taking it back with me only two of my eight semesters. Once when my sister was driving it, a little gravel flew up and hit the windshield while she and my brother were leaving the boat house after practice. The front window now has a nice scar across the lower part of the window. I think it gives it character. When I graduated college, my parents gave it to me as a graduation gift since I was not living at home at the time and would need transportation for my reporting job.

Today is Day 2 of my car being completely frozen shut. Not only am I not amused, but I am sad. I miss my car. I have to drive to work with my Dad, which I don't mind, but on Thursday he is going to Illinois for business and then I will need my car to open sesame or else ...I may not be able to get myself to work! I don't mind snow or cold but ice is a whole nother monster. I had to salt the back steps last night after work because I didn't want my mother coming home from work at the hospital only to return as a patient. (Or anyone, for that matter!)

Today is the feast day of St. John of the Cross, a mystic and Doctor of the Church, who came from poverty and suffering, learning to love God through hardship, and thus finding beauty and knowledge. His most famous book is Dark Night of the Soul, is a Christian classic for good reason. It is the treatise he wrote based on a poem he also wrote, of the same title, about faith in God when one is feeling loneliness, despair and spiritual dryness. St. John of the Cross argues that it is the very hardships one experiences that brings one closer to God and helps one grow in spiritual maturity. In it, he wrote, "Spiritual persons suffer great trials from the fear of being lost on the road and that God has abandoned them… Their soul was taking pleasure in being in that quietness and ease, instead of working with its faculties."

Well, I can relate. I am not going through a "dark night of the soul" by any means, but it is the third week of Advent and I am feeling a lull. Perhaps it is because I am always cold. Perhaps it is because I now have a cold. Or perhaps this is what it feels like no longer living like I am trying to do all my work in a 24 hour period.

Either way, I am learning more and more in these post-college days not to rely on only myself and my abilities. I come from a family who values independence and I've lately been worried I find more certitude in me than God. St. Augustine said to "pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you." I've struggled to trust God these past few weeks. I'm leaning more towards him now, but perhaps too eagerly, trying to discern his will. I am still puzzled at the clues. And that's okay. I don't really want to know, it's more a curiosity. I like praying for all possibility to delight me. Like learning a foreign language, patience and persistence is key with prayer.

Betsy and Zach, Sittin' in a Tree

For all college friends who couldn't make it to the wedding, and all other gentle readers, here is the missus and the mister, post-wedding ceremony:

Kappas at the cake and punch reception:

Sight-seeing between the reception and dinner:

I definitely sat at the cool table:

All the Kappas!

We're so excited! And we just can't hide it!

Bonus picture: action shot of Heidi licking Muffy's face after she got back from her last performance of The Sound of Music; so adorable.



Today is one of those miserable days in which I am literally bursting to write 16 different articles and must instead content myself to one topic, the one being actual work I get paid for... oh well. Happy Monday!

Volume One! (not the book store in downtown Hillsdale)

On Wednesday, I was sitting at my desktop reading and editing work stuff when I needed a break. Whenever I need a break from reading work stuff, I go read something else.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I usually find some neat things, which presents me with a dilemma: how best to share. I am a big believer in sharing. (I'm the oldest of six kids; sharing is second nature.) Sometimes I post it to FB or my Buzz; sometimes I e-mail a couple friends; other times, I'll just add it at the end of a post. I try not to over-share, though, because life is more than updating the interwebz.

I have come up with a solution to my problem of wanting share all the cool stuff I find: I follow a blog called Conversion Diary, which is written by a woman named Jennifer. She was an Atheist her entire life; then she and her husband started exploring Christianity, decided to look at every Christian church EXCEPT the Roman Catholic Church and so, because God has a wonderful sense of humor, found themselves increasingly drawn to it and became orthodox Catholics. Every Friday, she does a 7 Quick Take Fridays and invites her readers to join in too. I enjoy reading hers but it always seemed a little bit more of a time investment than I was willing to give. I already do the Poem of the Week, which is very enjoyable, but I do not like commiting to something and then not follow through. Life, remember, happens outside.

Nonetheless, today is my inaugural post. I am stoked. I hope you are too! And, in the spirit of sharing, if you my dearest readers decide to do this too, please leave me a link to your post in the comment box. It'll be like a giant game of leap frog and tag at the same time!

1. On Tuesday, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York was elected President of the U.S. Catholic Council of Bishops (USCCB). This is very exciting because Dolan is the second Archbishop not to have first served as VP before being elected President. It is also fantastic news because, as Greg Erlandson wrote at Our Sunday Visitor,

"Archbishop Dolan is, of course, highly popular among his brother bishops, and is recognized as a genial conservative with a strong sense of Catholic identity and a willingness to engage robustly in the issues of the day."

These are important times for the Church, especially with the increasing hostility towards the sanctity of marriage and human life, and it is a blessing to have Dolan in leadership. (Bishops, by the way, have jurisdictions over their Priests and are under Cardinals, and thus answer directly for their diocese to the Pope.)

2. Lis made Cuppy and myself a Thuper Three Homecoming cd and I've been listening to it fairly consistently the past two weeks. This is one of my favorite songs on it: "What I Wouldn't Do" by A Fine Frenzy

It starts, "If we were children I would bake you a mud pie/ Warm and brown beneath the sun/ Never learned to climb a tree but I would try/ Just to show you what I'd done..."

3. My friend Bess is livin' it up in fancy NYC, nannying and blogging about being an [aspiring] writer. She is giving away two moleskins in a CONTEST! Seriously, check it out. Why would you not want a moleskin notebook? They are the bestest!

4. My little sister Muffy is in her high school's production of The Sound of Music. We saw it last night and, of course, she was amazing and hilarious! She is playing Sr. Berthe, the nun who hates Maria. Maybe I am biased, but they needed a whole lot more Muff. I can't wait till her Shakespeare production in March!

5. SHAMELESS JULIE PLUG: my first guest post on The Imaginative Conservative, "Even in Ordinary Times, We Are Not Ordinary," was published and well-recieved, which just tickles me. If you read it, I'd love to hear what y'all think.

6. Today is the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, whom I picked as my Confirmation Name (which goes after my first and middle name and before my last, thus making my initials JMER). When Catholics enter the Church as an adult (usually in the 7th-8th grade), we take the name of a cannonized saint. We pick the name by praying for the Holy Spirit to guide us to a saint whose life we'd like to live in imitation of; Catholic children read about the lives of saints starting when they are very small, so by the time I was 13, I had read about hundreds of saints but always felt especially drawn to St. Elizabeth.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a Hungarian princess who married King Ludwig IV of Thuringia at age 14. They had a very happy marriage, but he died in the Crusades when she was 20. The rest of her life was given to service of the poor, much to her in-laws dismay. They tried to stop her, forbidding her from leaving the castle, etc. Once, when she was taking bread to the poor, a soldier ordered her to open her cloak and when she did, roses fell out instead of the bread she had stowed away! She gave away her wealth to the poor, built hospital and is a symbol of Christian charity. She is the patron saint of bakers, brides, charitable societies, hospitals, homeless people, people in exile, people ridiculed for their piety and nursing homes.

7. Tomorrow is Betsy and Zach's wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED. I was helping Betsy and her parents with programs on Tuesday night and we were just rolling laughing over stories from college. Bets graciously gives me a little credit in her relationship with her soon-to-be husband; for example, my good friend Will and I were study buddies our senior year of college, and as Zach was Will's roommate and Betsy is such a close friend of mine, we provided them ample opportunity to spend time together and have enjoyably productive study sessions. :)

The wedding is going to be a huge reunion of wonderful people. Betsy put me in charge of the Kappa wedding song tradition, too. We'll be singing "Sweetheart" to Zach. I know, I know; they're trusting me not to give a speech... but it is going to be a fabulous time! My family is also hosting eight Hillsdale people stay at our house over the course of the weekend, so I've been preparing for that. We're happy to have them, but it has made for a busy week of cleaning!

Also, this is apparently "Post a Picture of Betsy, Zach and You as Your Profile Picture Week" and I did not, for a number of reasons-- the biggest one being that the picture I would have chosen does not look good small. I'll share it here, though, because it is hands down my favorite picture from senior year (fall break; our scavenger hunt team!):

Photo credit to Will!

I am having a frame engraved with Psalm 27:17 and putting this picture inside, as part of their wedding and house warming gift. (The other half is dinner made by moi and monogrammed notecards for the newlyweds!)

Happy Friday, y'all!

Some Things Never Change

Because it is Friday:

(From Hannah's tumblr; H/T DF)

A classic-- "The Wild Rover" performed by The Dubliners:



Then The Dubliners and "The Irish Rover":




Don't forget to clap along! :)

Today is Friday, the day I plan to finish the draft of my what-is-to-be my most widely read paper-- a white paper, to be exact. A white paper is a position paper. What am I taking a position on? Oh you'll never guess. I can't think if I've ever mentioned it before...

1031 EXCHANGES.

Oh yes. Please, contain your excitement. Although, really, I am excited. This paper is forcing me to write completely for a different audience: people who own trucking companies. Not academics. Not 10 second attention span news readers. My readers will be thousands of businessmen who do not fiddle faddle with politics and the he-said, she-said. They just want to know how the new laws and regulations are going to affect them. They want to sustain their business and be successful in the short and long-term. 

The trucking industry is getting hit hard these days, especially by the EPA. Do you know the trucking industry is the third largest employer of people in the country? And do you know that 7 percent of trucking companies have gone bankrupt in the past three years? And do you further know that if companies do 1031 exchanges, they do not have to pay one cent in taxes on their like-kind exchanged goods? 1031 exchanges have been around since 1921 but when the economy is good, people are not always looking for ways to save. And that's where my white paper comes in; it's going to be issued to thousands of trucking company owners and their financial advisers, giving them the ins and outs of 1031 exchanges, which is better known in real estate circles.

So that's what I've been working on the past month.

I've also been listening and watching things like this: I love, love, love how this little kid conducting Beethoven-- he gets so excited! (And sometimes stays on beat, too):





Also, the testimony of these two collegians is so encouraging and beautiful:



St. Mary's - College Station, TX from OneBillionStories.com on Vimeo.


(H/Ts to Aggie Catholic)


Today marks one week and a day until half a Baker's Dozen Hillsdale people descend on my house for B and Z's wedding...! I've been dress shopping, because I have another Kappa wedding in December, so DF and I have been pursuing the good and the beautiful at J.Crew. The colors we like best are "spiced wine" and "vintage blue." Something like this:

or this:

Not terribly exciting, I know, but decisions, decisions...

Happy Friday!

Oh, It's Love

I heard Train's "If It's Love" on the radio yesterday while driving home from work and have since decided that this is the most realistically pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-real love song currently in mainstream music. Don't believe me? Listen to it!

And here's a few favorite stanzas, just for kicks:

"I confess you are the best thing in my life/ But I'm afraid when I hear stories/ About a husband and wife/ There's no happy endings/ No Henry Lee/ But you are the greatest thing about me"

Chorus: "If it's love/ And we decide that it's forever/ No one else could do it better/ If it's love/ And we're two birds of a feather/ Then the rest is just whenever/ And if I'm addicted to loving you/ And you're addicted to my love too/ We can be them two birds of a feather/ That flock together/ Love, love/ Got to have something to keep us together/ Love, Love/ That's enough for me"

"We can travel to Spain where the rain falls/ Mainly on the plain side and sing/ sounds insane 'cause it is/ we can laugh, we can sing/ Have ten kids and give them everything"

Living with my family again makes me appreciate realistic and traditional relationships like my parents' (who celebrated their 25th anniversary this past summer) in these times when people attempt to re-define marriage without any regard to gender and the role it plays in society or consequences of actions. 

Life has not been rainbows and bunnies, but it has been the good life. My dad does his utmost best for my mom and us kids. My mom turned down med school on her own volition because she wanted to raise a lot of kids (she still works, still has the white lab coat- just an alternate role). My parents are very different people, but they have a solid working relationship, keep the faith, and put their kids first. I'm definitely lucky; there is a comfort in knowing my parents will never separate, even when issues arise, and that has taught me a lot.

My family in Michigan, Summer 2007

People who do not have many kids are really missing out. I mean that. Having a big family is hard, fun, challenging and provides more unconditional love than I know what to do with. My siblings and I joke about how we can always tell when people are only children. They might as well have a neon sign over their head, because their interrelating skills makes them a prime example of why people having more kids really would make this world a better place.*

My big family (nuclear and extended) makes me think about others and focus my energy on giving to them as they give to me. Relationships are a lot about compromise and so is love. Not compromising values, but priorities- I'd rather read a book than empty the dishwasher, for example, or sleep in than take a sibling to school early in the morning, but the latters help the family and the formers help me.

A lot of my friends have moved out of town and are having adventures elsewhere. They don't know if they'll come back. My college friends are dispersing too. But, like my mom, I made a choice too. I've moved back to my hometown. Life is a series of choices and consequences. I was offered a fellowship in DC for post-college employment, but when I got the phone call, I saw my future life flash before my eyes: I would work all the time. I would be paid to write about politics. Life would seriously be the bomb-diggity. I wouldn't know how to leave.

That's when it hit me. I didn't want that life. My former boss told a co-worker and I once that we shouldn't have kids until much later in life because our life would stop. All we'd do is take care of the kids. We wouldn't be able to travel or have any fun anymore, essentially. 

I completely disagree. People who don't think kids are fun are bores. Kids will put their little bodies in sleeping bags and propel themselves down steep steps. Kids can color for hours. Kids make intricate plots involving the same Barbies/ Play mobiles/ Legos and use different voices for different characters to boot. Kids are little sponges and actually want to learn and grow into little humans. At least, that's what my experience has been, and was my childhood.

Your mother probably warned you about us.

Today is an exciting day! First off, today is Founders Day for my sorority, which was founded 140 years ago today. Secondly, it is Margaret Thatcher's 85th birthday. Finally and most importantly, it is my sister's 21st birthday! Yes, she is still this cool:

Have a great day!

*Trent posted an article from the Weekly Standard entitled "America's One-Child Policy" that is worth a read.

Working Wednesdays

Today was my first day of work for my second post-collegiate job. I am technically still in my last week of my first job, but it was decided last night that I was going to start work today. I would have preferred next week, since I am currently in the epic process of cleaning up-and-out my old room.

My room at home is yellow, my favorite color. The three impressionists (two Monets and a Van Gogh) on the wall are being joined by two framed ballet prints; the walls are in the process of being stripped of all non-framed pictures, photography and school paraphanalia. Another bookcase is being added to support my ever-growing library (although a small stack of books are in the giving away pile, which lessens my guilt somehow of owning so many).

The furniture has been re-arranged. The room is absolutely trashed, but in an organized fashion. I removed all the books from the bookcases to move them into the alcove and my boxes from the move are stacked and waiting to be unpacked, which cannot happen till I re-load the bookcases and empty out my closet, which is currently filled with my siblings' clothes. Vivy has suggested creating a reading nook roo, which is such a lovely idea, I am only sorry I didn't think of it first!

Oh, and I need new curtains. I have no clue where my curtains went.


So I have, as you can see, a lot to do. I haven't actually lived full-time at home since I was in high school or even part-time since my sophomore year of college. My living space has thus been serving as a family storage space. But Dad says, No time like the present! So I re-enter the work force, again.


Today was an orientation day. The major dynamics of the exchange business were discussed and explained. There is a lot of potential and the company is pretty cutting edge and innovative. I've always had an idea what exchanges are, but now that I am being versed, I like the way the company approaches and does them. This is a completely new field (for me) and it is so interesting connecting and comparing it to the newspaper industry. Both, for the most part, are still being run the same way they were run 10-20 years ago, before current and major changes in law and technology. Ergo, both need to change their staple business model or risk filing for Chapter 13 in the near future.


I won't fatigue you with the history and evolution of 1031 exchanges, but they've been around since 1921 and should be more basic parts of industry as a tax and money-saving expenditure, but people don't take the time to learn about their long-term effects when buying and selling, especially in terms of equiptment. Exchanges done right will end with paying less in taxes and on interest overall, which could be anywhere from thousands to billions of dollars, depending on the company and its size.


I have three huge binders I am currently reading through. One is Policy and Procedures (my favorite line is "No, the typewriter is not an urban legend and is not extinct. When certain forms have to be used that cannot run through our printers or when you have forms with duplicate/ triplicate copies, this is the machine to use."); one is 30 tabbed sections breaking down 1031 exchanges; the third, a slimmer binder, is current marketing. Plus another stack of papers. People like to scoff at my liberal arts education but look! It's helping me again! I know to digest, understand and analytically think about huge amounts of information. Yeah!


Today is also the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, who, along with the rest of the faithful angels, battled Lucifer and his followers in defense of Heaven. Catholic Encyclopedia says, according to Scripture, St. Michael has four purposes: to fight against Satan; to rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death; to be the champion of God's people; and to call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment.

Pope Leo XIII (the 257th pope, from 1878-1903) wrote a prayer for St. Michael's intercession after being given a vision after celebrating the mass. He saw evil spirits from Hell and their efforts to destroy the Church. But, in the midst of their malice, St. Michael the Archangel appeared and cast Satan and his minions back into Hell. The Pope therefore ordered to have the prayer recited after all low masses, which it happened until, unfortunately, it was lost in the wake of Vatican II. It is said most commonly now at the end of the rosary, but I do wish more parishes would say it after mass. St. Mary's, the parish I attended in Old Town two summers ago, did and it was such a powerful reminder about the reality of evil in the world and our purpose of guiding souls to God.

The prayer is Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

All in all: it is so good to be under one roof with my whole family again, and the nightly walks with Heidi are fabuloso. I'm even glad to be around the cats again! It's also most likely a good thing that I am at work today because my sister bought four seasons of Doctor Who (9th and 10th Doctors) off eBay and they arrived yesterday... one guess on what I would have been listening to/ watching while cleaning my room?





Oh, and fun fact of the day: if you ever wondered why the federal government now requires all businesses to report all purchases over $600, it's because of 1031 exchanges (passed in the country's latest and largest health care bill, of all places). Thanks, IRS!

Oh, That Just Hit The Fan...

"O human race born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou fall." -Dante

I am a firm believer in the small things. Actions people carelessly do can be just as telling as their calculated ones. The way people use words matters, as does how a person treats another who can do them absolutely no good in terms of societal and/ or business advancement. Et cetera.

Last week, I had a brush with reality. My office mate and I both did, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. Fortunately for us, we had perspective and a clean conscious to work with, which makes the entire episode almost comical. I apologize for the vagueness with which I am writing, but here are my top three take-aways:

1. Stand by your man.

Not just a funny old country song- it's the value of a good person, and being a good person. By good person, I mean a person of character. It can be easy to make decisions under the pressure, when the iron strikes the fire, but I think it takes more gumption to avoid succumbing to the fire. Last week, gossip in the office took precedence over directly verifying facts. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Moreover, a good person may become an unlikely good friend and ally. If there is one thing my OM and I will take away from this, it is a lifelong bond and promise to be there for the other person, even when life takes us down separate roads.

2. A sense of decorum.

The standard for professionalism is losing its touch. Last week I blogged on dress codes, and this week I push the need to watch what one says. My OM and I have been witness of late to casual conversations in which personal stories about friends and family were told. We- and most norms of conversation etiquette- found it quite distasteful. Not that all personal stories can be bad; relating the story of when I cut off all my sister's hair when we were younger during a game of "The Parent Trap" isn't terribly telling to a general audience, for instance. Family drama, on the other hand, should not be brought up. Experiences in the past few weeks with individuals who lack certain values has been a big push for me to return southward.

3. Vocational Charades is coming to a halt!

Life is so short; and my time at this job?- the same. I love journalism, but it's not enough. I want to keep writing, but I want to do more. In the undisclosed future, I recently decided I'll be moving home, working for the family business and pursuing my Master's. The third decision was one I always knew I'd do eventually, but the first two are ones I've really wrestled with for the past couple years. In high school, I always saw myself leaving home for the non-discript "somewhere else." In college, I went out-of-state. After college, I came back in-state but not back home. I reason: if I'm going to do good work, I might as well give back to my family and hometown, who gave to me first.

More details later, but God is definitely pointing me through these trials. I love having more direction in my life, even if the variables are still a-plenty.

Here's an excerpt from an excellent piece I read today, which applies to many things occurring at present:

"There will always be a fringe, living in its own private madhouse, that will never accept truth regardless of how it is presented. There are three primary motivations at work in such individuals. The first part of this unholiest of trinities is blinding pride, an inability to accept anything other than ones own perception as truth no matter how flawed are the conclusions drawn from same. The second descends from this, that being a mixture of validation and ego gratification by convincing others to join in the crusade. Finally, there is the third element, which is also a result of the first: if you work it right, personal madness pays."

Also, last week I had two nerdy achievements:

1. On Tuesday, I got retweeted by The Atlantic. If you don't know why this is exciting, don't worry about it.

2. On Thursday, one of my articles got picked up by National Review Online.Yeah!

My current goal of the week: I am trying to not be idle and to do good in all things little. God tests us not in big ways, but small, and it is in our smallness that we can best be faithful to Him. It isn't easy, but I do love a good challenge! As Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. said, "Why is it the ship beats the waves when the waves are so many and the ship is one? The reason is that the ship has a purpose."
 (He was President Teddy Roosevelt's son, not the President himself.)

In other news, I am thoroughly enjoying The Chieftains station on Pandora. Blessings on your Monday!

Support the Kids. Buy Local.

Yesterday, my friend Chuck drove through my hometown on his way from Hotlanta (he's interning at the Foundation for Economic Education this summer) to his own home farther north, so we met up for lunch. On my way home, I passed two little kids bouncing up and down with their "Lemonade For Sale!" signs. I was going the other direction and kept driving, every minute feeling horrible that I didn't have the common courtesy to patronize a local business of little capitalistic entrepreneurs-to-be.

So, I turned around and pulled up to the curb to two little boys, now jumping excitedly up and down. They charged 25 cents for a cup of lemonade, so I paid in full, complimented their lemonade and gave them a 400% tip ($1) to encourage them on the rather warm day. My parents are really big on buying local and supporting small businesses, and I too think it's important to do the same, especially with the smallest businesses of all. They acted really shy when I was around them, but I still loved and remember the huge smiles on their face that I stopped at their stand.

Today, of course, is the Fourth of July! What a stupendous day. This time next year, one of my little brothers will be in the military. Here's a few words from Calvin Coolidge, my favorite president:

"It was the fact that our Declaration of Independence containing these immortal truths was the political action of a duly authorized and constituted representative public body in its sovereign capacity, supported by the force of general opinion and by the armies of Washington already in the field, which makes it the most important civil document in the world."

The poem "High Flight" from a short film showed on t.v. stations in the 1960s before they signed-off for the night (h/t to Jim Robbins, an editorial writer at The Washington Times) seems appropriate to share today:



Mom and Dad are at the swim club with Meg, who is running interference for Kato, Muff, John and me while we work on their anniversary video. We have about an hour before they get back for dinner, then we'll watch fireworks up at the park and stop by my good friend Sarah's grandmother's house (who lives up the street from us), where her uncle Michael will set off more fireworks and we'll eat popsicles.

Happy Independence Day!! Today is the perfect day to catch up on your American prose, especially the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Always good to read, as well as being the purpose and foundation for this country. :)

James Otis, found!

James Otis was the man whose four-five hour oration to the Massachusetts General Assembly is perhaps the very reason for the American Revolution. I wrote my research paper on him for the Founding of the American Republic class, so Matt and I have a fun, competitive spirit over Otis since he thought it would be unfair to have Otis on the midterm/ final as an ID since I wrote 15 pages on him and his contribution to the Revolution from the English common law. Matt is in Boston right now, potentially getting a job (fingers crossed!) and he found Otis' grave and sent me the picture. Isn't it fantastic?! Otis is a man more Americans should know about, he is a fantastic example of a pre-patriot American.

Today was filled with apartment-hunting and writing my honors seminar final. I watched 'The Young Victoria' with my cousin and sisters, got my crackberry fixed, talked to my parents, attempted to convince our housekeeper why she should make me food after I move away from home, and spent a lovely amount of time with Heidi and the siblings. J'adore home!

SNOWMAGGEDON!!

Today was a snow day for Pacelli, Walnut and St. X. Cincinnatians freak out about snow. They called it "Snow Death" on the news, which really ticked Dad off because he grew up on a farm in NE Ohio near PA and he experienced serious snow. Hillsdale would not give this snow a second thought, but people here in town go to the store and buy enough food to last them the winter. It's a little funny.

Need to get back to packing. Dad and I just got home from visiting my aunt at the hospital. Back to school tomorrow. I can't believe it! I feel like I just got home, only more rested. Heidi is sitting on everything clean. Supposed to see Beslini again tonight, but she lives a little far to drive in this weather. I have a Waugh short story I want to finish reading too, and some more edits to more finish. Let's not immanentize the eschaton, here! Kate and I are leaving at 8 am-ish (too early). My last formal Rush starts Saturday. I'm officially a second semester senior once I pay off my library fines from last semester. Yeah!

I'm thinking about dubbing Thursday as poetry sharing day. (Lame title, I know. I'll think of a better one soon, promises.) Not that other days won't necessarily have it, but Thursday will be set aside and dedicated mostly to iambic pentameter and otherwise this semester. To kick it off, I'll share two I read recently:

"Guinea Pig" by Julie Cadwallader-Staub

As if your cancer weren't enough,
the guinea pig is dying.
The kids brought him to me
wrapped in a bath towel
‘Do something, Mom.
Save his life.'

I'm a good mom.
I took time from work,
drove him to the vet,
paid $77.00 for his antibiotics.

Now, after the kids rush off to school,
you and I sit on the bed.
I hold the guinea pig, since he bites.
You fill the syringe.
We administer the foul smelling medicine,
hoping the little fellow will live.

admitting to each other:
if he doesn't,
it'll be good practice.

and

"Looking at Pictures to Be Put Away" by Gary Snyder

Who was this girl
In her white night gown
Clutching a pair of jeans

On a foggy redwood deck.
She looks up at me tender,
Calm, surprised,

What will we remember
Bodied thick with food and lovers
After twenty years.

Happy Thursday!

I started writing a self-reflective blog post and then thought, screw it. Fare thee well, 2009!

To recap: 2009 started out pretty out baller, with a trip to Washington, D.C. for the annual March For Life. (Okay, fine, it actually started at an epic New Year's Eve party at Ohio State and then formal Rush, but that's another story.) Julia and I became inseparable after this trip, if Civil War first semester with Dr. Birzer had not already made us besties. Mass that morning at the Verizon Center with 30,000 fellow Catholics was especially amazing. The homily was beautiful too, with an interesting comparison between eating a hotdog to eating the Eucharist: when you eat a hotdog, it becomes part of you. When you eat the Eucharist, you become part of Jesus. I think it's a great analogy, but it did make Julia and I craved hotdogs for the rest of the trip. We're a bit bleary-eyed and completely sleep-deprived in this picture, but the pilgrimage was unforgettable.

CPAC 2009! I stayed with my friend Hunter (he goes to GWU) and got to meet a few of his friends. His friend Pat introduced us to Ron Paul, which was absolutely awesome. My dad and siblings were uber-jealous. My only regret about the trip was that I never made it to the zoo.

This past summer, I worked for The Washington Times in the Books section. It was the best job I ever held, ranked on the factors that 1) I loved my work, 2) I loved my boss and 3) I loved most of the people I worked with (I'm still in contact with a few of them). The other great thing about being in D.C. was that you couldn't turn a corner and not run into a fellow Hillsdalian. I was blessed to live with two Kappa sisters, Rachel and Katie, as well as a few streets away from my grandbig Geneva and her husband Neal, and was two metro stops away from Amanda. Matt and Will, two of my really close friends from school, worked close enough to meet up for drinks after work occasionally as well as hang out--I also got to know Zach and Dakota better, which continues wonderful. There were always a number of classmates to catch up with at Hillsdale events, including this one, where we had the opportunity to meet Justice Thomas. He is a phenomenal speaker and his worthiness to be on the Supreme Court is not lost on anyone who interacts with him.

Betsy and Amanda live across the hall from Heather and I. They are also from Cincinnati, as well as being Kappas. We like to prank and tease them, but they are two dear friends of ours. I can't imagine living in Kappa or 2009 without either of them. They help me represent the 5-1-3 well, and are womanly and true, not to mention hilarious.

Okay, so the fair comes to Hillsdale every fall. But not just any fair. The Most Popular Fair on Earth. I kid you not, this is what Hillsdale, MI natives call it. Out a complete lack of interest, I had never gone to the Hillsdale fair before this fall. I had been to the fair two summers ago when I worked for the Wilmington News Journal and covered the fair. (At the end of that very long week of my life, I wrote a op-ed called "Confessions of a City Slicker.") Kate (the girl in the middle) was flabbergasted when she heard this. I don't know why she was; Kate and I went to high school together. Nonetheless, she demanded I come with her and Marisa (girl on left) and I did, with a smile on my face and a promise that I would not be forced to eat any fair food. (See my "Confessions" if you wonder why.) It was a fun experience overall: we ran into my friend Will taking pictures for the school paper; rode the ferris wheel even though I am petrified of heights; ran into other friends from the college; got hit on by the European men working the fair; looked at the animals and exhibits. It's definitely a culture I am not well-versed it, but I enjoyed the experience.

Here's more of the best of 2009:
-American Order and Disorder with Dr. Birzer was hands down the best class I ever took, forever changing my perception of humanity and its relationship to the world. Also, sitting in the back row next to Kathryn and slipping into class with a minute to spare every M-W-F was a hoot. (Then, of course, I stayed in that same classroom for the next two hours--History of the American Identity and Colonial America--only moving to hop forward a row.)
-turning 21 and dancing to Jaimie Cullum's “Twenty-Something” with Heather and Lizzy at midnight while drinking mini-bottles of wine
-picking up my Little, Danielle
-being invited to debate on the future of conservatism for Fairfield Society and owning half the table in arguments (the other half agreed with me!).
-roadtripping to Laurel’s wedding with Kate and Heather (and, of course, the actual wedding and reception was lovely as well. Note to all: photobooths are always a great idea.)
-late night walks with Vivian around campus
-continuing to ride my bike through all seasons and weather throughout the semester (snow and ice not excluded)
-Fall Break in Cincinnati and the scavenger hunt downtown with the Betsy, Zach, Will, Ben and other Hillsdalians, etc.

2009 was a great year. I have not even touched on all the wonderful things that have happened throughout the past year in this blog post, mostly because most of them can't be fully explained. How does one explain friendships? Why would one tell of talk of ends? What can be said of inner change? I couldn't even begin to list everything I've read. Or of walking on the beach, which I did many, many times while in Florida: my feet on the sand, the salt water splashing around my ankles and calves, the sun on my face. I love taking walks, but on the beach is particular favorite. It is always in nature that I see tangible evidence of God’s goodness, which reassures me and my human ways. I like watching the sailboats and speedboats, the white caps and waves, and always the birds. The birds as they stand, as they fly and swoop, as they race up to the water’s edge and then back when the wave comes pouring in over the sand. I like how the sandpipers’ legs move so fast, the lone pelican dive bombing into the water, and how seagulls will stand on one foot, looking like a peg leg, but they really just have the other leg tucked up underneath.

It always seems like one appreciates things best at the end of an epoch. I feel old at 21 (less than 3 months to 22!), but I know life is just on the cusp of really happening. What I’m feeling is my childhood ending, if it hasn’t already. I pay for my own schooling, I’m researching and applying for jobs outside Cincinnati and in a few months, I won’t be living with or around the people I’ve spent my most formative years with.

2010 will bring many things and I am excited at its potential. I feel a drive in me and know it may be time to finally try something a little more risky than going to college, like proving myself worth employing. This next week-ish till I go back to school, I’ll continue looking into grad schools, missionary opportunities, internships, fellowships and jobs. I’m starting to write my thesis. I’ll hang out with the siblings, talk to my parents and walk my dog. I’ve given up trying to sleep well, so I’ll do it when I can.

Happy Year of our Lord 2010! I hope you rang in the new year loudly and with joy in your heart :) I wish for all of you to be more content in 2010, and to realize how much you already have.

January 1st, by the way, is also the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, and J.D. Salinger’s birthday. If you’ve never read Nine Stories, a collection of nine fantastic Salinger short stories (mostly about the Glass family), I recommend you do so in this next coming year, especially “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” “For Esme, with Love and Squalor” and “Down at the Dinghy.”Oh, and tonight is the Sugar Bowl: GO UC BEARCATS!!

A few reasons I'm glad I'm home