Our Hearts Are Restless

I love being a liberal arts student.  Also I love it when random thoughts come to me in the shower...I now understand Archimedes and that whole "Eureka"-in-the-bath moment! This evening, my parents, a dear college friend who is visiting for a few days, and I were watching Tangled.   My parents had not seen the movie before, and frequently commented on the ridiculous, improbable things that happened throughout the movie.  As I was watching their reactions, I started thinking about the phrase that literature teachers will use, "willful suspension of disbelief."  This "suspension of disbelief" is essential for reading or watching a fairy tale, because that level of improbability is exactly what makes a story a fairy tale.  Without the fantastic and the amazing, a story is just a use of words or images to play with the reality we already know and experience day by day. We know that it is possible to suspend our disbelief in the fantastic, that it is possible t...

I am taking a cue from my dear friend the Theological-Librarian  and giving myself a writing challenge.  As I discovered while trying to answer all these questions, it is tougher than it looks!  It's becoming an excellent mind and writing exercise. 1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before? Worked backstage on costuming for 2 plays,  Nicholas Nickleby  and  Lady Windermere's Fan.  Including sewing curtains on the stage when they tore on the set pieces!  Also working at my first real jobs, IT Compliance and waitressing. 2. Did you keep your New Year's resolution, and will you make more for 2013 ? I can't remember what resolution I made, so I guess not!  See my earlier post around New Year's Day for my current resolutions. 3. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? A strong, consistent spiritual life. 4. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? December 8, the day I made the Total Consecration to Jesus t...

Here is a collection of a few Epiphany poems and paintings I have found!  Happy Twelfth Night, by the way - here ends the most solemn celebration of Christmas, although the season lasts until Candlemas on February 2.  [caption id="" align="alignright" width="414"] Adoration of the Magi ~ Quentin Massys[/caption] THE WISE MEN ~ G.K. CHESTERTON Step softly, under snow or rain,     To find the place where men can pray; The way is all so very plain     That we may lose the way. Oh, we have learnt to peer and pore     On tortured puzzles from our youth, We know all labyrinthine lore, We are the three wise men of yore,     And we know all things but the truth. We have gone round and round the hill     And lost the wood among the trees, And learnt long names for every ill, And served the mad gods, naming still     The furies the Eumenides. The gods of violence took the veil     Of vision and philosophy, The Serpent that brought all men bale, He bites his own acc...

The Twelve Days are well-nigh over, for another year.  I didn't get nearly as many posts as I would have liked, but my time has been spent at work or with family.  My sister's bridesmaids and I found our dresses for her June wedding - only 5 months away!  The dresses we found are absolutely gorgeous, though, so we are happy about that.  My parents and I have done almost all of the preparation for our annual Epiphany Open House - the list of cookies is almost endless and the guest list extensive.  I was able to spend New Year's Day with very dear friends, getting a good long "catch-up" session and a healthy dose of "college talk".  Attended a funeral today for a church acquaintance and Knight of Columbus.  I enjoyed hearing visitors compliment our lovely parish!  It will be hard to say goodbye to Holy Rosary next weekend.  I miss La Chiesa Del Santo Rosario and Father Magiera while I am at school.  A pretty chapel and fairly conservative Masses don't ...

A new year has come again, as it does every three hundred sixty-five and one-quarter days, another cycle around the sun, another unit of life ahead.  And that most dreaded of things: New Year's Resolutions.  If I had the ability to write the word "resolution" in 'Chiller' font I would.  We dread them so much but we make them anyway!  And the reason is that hope springs eternal.  Man knows there is always a chance for redemption, always a chance to remake himself, to put off the old man. So, in the spirit of things, I'll record here a few resolutions I've made.  Also, a few things I'm looking forward to in this coming year! Resolved, firstly: To revive my old habit of reading Scripture and a spiritual book every day. Resolved, secondly: To be a better Legionary and officer of the Legion of Mary. Resolved, thirdly: To learn how to live for others and ignore myself, especially to set aside my own desires and preferences for those who need me. Resolved, fo...