Our Hearts Are Restless

I haven't written for so long, either here or on Restless Independent, in part because I couldn't figure out where to put the book blogging.  OHAR is going to turn into a lit blog, though.  I like talking about books and so help me I'm not going to stop writing about books just because I'm having writer's block elsewhere. :P One of the really fun bits about being part of the Catholic Writers' Guild is watching new Catholic fiction pop up.  And then, of course, getting to review said new Catholic fiction.  Today's gem is a piece of young adult fiction, Rightfully Ours , by Pennsylvania author Carolyn Astfalk . It's not too many years since I was a voraciously-reading teenager, so YA fiction still holds a special place in my heart.  Add that to the fact that I wrote my thesis on the bildungsroman  (coming-of-age) genre, and you'll know why I get excited over a well-written teen coming-of-age novel. If you've got older teens (or at leas...

Sully had known love but never true love.  True love wasn't defined as being willing to die for the one you loved.  That was part of it, but the smaller part.  Hell, he had been willing to die for the women he loved, for women he didn't love, and even for a few dreadful women he disliked, which was how he ended up with one eye, one ear, and one hand.   True  love meant being willing to  live for the woman who was the other chamber of your heart, to work yourself threadbare for her if necessary, to know her mind as you knew your own, to love her as you loved yourself, to cherish her above all earthly things unto the end of your years.   There was the valiant and exhilarating life, more thrilling than ten thousand expeditions up ten thousand Amazons! ~  The Dead Town , Dean Koontz, p. 375

It's time to get back into the swing of things!  Writing prompts help me a lot, so here goes for this week's edition of Small Success Thursdsay, hosted by CatholicMom. After a year's worth of planning and preparing, my friends' wedding was successfully pulled off.  The end result was remarkably smooth, thanks to a large crew of friends and family who put so much time and effort into the day!  There were so very many little pieces that all had to "click" in order for the big pieces to happen...and they did, thanks be to God.  But there were always the problems that come up, large or small, which led to some very grateful praises of Divine Providence when they were all solved in time.  So here's to the workings of God for which I was not responsible! Disclaimer: the wedding was held in Virginia; I am from Indiana, the groom is from Texas, and the bride was from Ohio.  Which means that this entire event was long distance and engineered from hotel rooms...

Four years ago, I remember passing by the Christendom chapel one evening and observing a young man and woman standing outside, chatting.  Today, those two are getting married - my dear friends, Brian and Lindsay.  I wrote this while still in the last few weeks of wedding prep, but it's scheduled to post at the time their wedding Mass begins in that same Christendom chapel. I've been with these two the whole way. Brian and I teased and pranked each other freshman year, mutually adopted each other sophomore year, went on double dates junior year, tolerated each other in Rome, and grew a solid friendship senior year. I gave him the big sister speech the day he took Lindsay out for their first official date. I sat next to them as they held hands in the dark at the school play. I helped him comfort Lindsay when her grandfather died - at the Marian overlook where Brian would later propose to her. I watched him grow in his love for and devotion to Lindsay, and I know how joy...

In honor of all of my friends getting married this year. Photo: wedding of Ryan and Sarah Kiel, photo credit unknown.

So I thought about celebrating Thanksgiving by reading "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" - because the holiday is all about the Puritan pilgrims, right?  So what better way to remember their legacy?  Okay, fine, I've decided I should celebrate like a good Catholic. Ergo,  Deo gratias!   Thanks be to God!  Thanksgiving doesn't make much sense in this secularized culture; we have to realize Who we are saying thanks to.   Deo gratias , then, for all of the gifts and talents that we have been blessed with. This semester has hammered home to me the many things for which I need to be grateful.  I've been blessed with a slap of reality in so many ways! Deo gratias for my faith, and the hope that it gives me. Deo gratias  for my deeply supportive friends, and for the graces to accept their help in my weakness. Deo gratias  for my family, always around for a text or a call when I need a few words of honest wisdom. Deo gratias for a few true gentlemen who have proven...

I feel the need to post this poem.  Probably should have been consistently re-reading it these past few weeks, but I did finally rediscover it.  Kipling basically describes where I am right now - at least the way I'm attempting to face life! If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think –and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same: If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;...

I mentioned in my Epiphany post for O Night Divine  that my family, following the customs of a number of religious orders, chooses at random a particular saint and virtue for the New Year.  Both are opportunities to learn, to imitate, and to grow.  This year, I have St. Bonaventure to take as my model and invoke, and I was given the virtue of continence to foster. St. Bonaventure, Doctor of th e Church, feast day July 15 - Known as the “Seraphic Doctor”. - Born A.D 1231, at Bagnorea in Tuscany, he entered, at the age of twenty, the Order of Saint Francis. He studied and afterwards taught at Paris, in company of Saint Thomas Aquinas. After being General of his Order, he was created by Pope Gregory X Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He died during the General Council of Lyons (A.D. 1274), and was canonised two hundred years later, becoming a Doctor of the Church a century later. - Besides noble Commentaries on Holy Scripture and on the work of the Master of Sentences (the theological and philo...

2013 was quite the year, in retrospect. Kevin and I began a solid relationship when he called my father to ask permission to court me - a relationship which has been a wonderful adventure.  He, and our relationship, has consistently been the best part of this year.  We were able to meet each others families, too!  I know I've loved getting to know his family . I made it through my fourth and fifth semesters at Christendom College .  They've been tough, intense, gruelling, and generally pretty awesome!  Keeping and strengthening friendships, as well as creating new ones has been a tangible gift from God.  I survived a semester as president of the Legion of Mary; or rather, I spent a semester learning how to open myself to Mary working through me.  Kevin and I discovered the joy of praying together, saying a daily Rosary as much as possible and consecrating ourselves to Jesus through Mary. Said goodbye to the seniors in May and greeted them - and other old friends - as alumnae in...

I suppose that every blogger and his brother are posting on the exact same topic today, so I may as well jump on the bandwagon.  I must give thanks for so many things today. 1. My family.  Granny is off of dialysis!  The whole family was home for Thanksgiving this year - it hasn't been like that for four years.  We had an hour's rousing battle of Nerts (don't ask - an extremely fast-paced card game, which can get a little vicious), lots of good food, much laughter, and our annual tradition of watching Holiday Inn .  It's the closest you can get to a Thanksgiving movie besides  Miracle on 34th Street .  Despite my father forgetting to turn the oven on for the turkey, dinner was amazing.  I got to make the cranberry salad myself, not that that means I get a special claim on the leftovers of my favorite food!  At any rate, it is good to have the family safe and healthy.  I'm still praying hard for both of my sisters, but today was a pretty good day.  Deo gratias! [capt...

I had the wonderful opportunity of being able to host Kevin's sister Monica this weekend!  It was great to play big sister for a few days, an unusual experience for both of us.  The guys were so excited to see her!  I promised pictures to her mother, so here goes - they're mostly of the surprise party we threw for her birthday .  I know it was hard for the family to send her away for a birthday, but I'm so happy and thankful that she came.  We had a wonderful four days - I wish she could have stayed longer! [caption id="attachment_1223" align="aligncenter" width="652"] In the computer lab at the library before I dragged her away for the party.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1204" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Cecily, Gloria, Lindsay and...Minion. Yes, that's Minion. I'm going to miss her![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1206" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Monica, ...

The Way Of A Maid - Francis Thompson The lover whose soul shaken is In some decuman billow of bliss, Who feels his gradual-wading feet Sink in some sudden hollow of sweet, And 'mid love's us-ed converse comes Sharp on a mood which all joy sums-- An instant's fine compendium of The liberal-leav-ed writ of love; His abashed pulses beating thick At the exigent joy and quick, Is dumbed, by aiming utterance great Up to the miracle of his fate. The wise girl, such Icarian fall Saved by her confidence that she's small,-- As what no kindred word will fit Is uttered best by opposite, Love in the tongue of hate exprest, And deepest anguish in a jest,-- Feeling the infinite must be Best said by triviality, Speaks, where expression bates its wings, Just happy, alien, little things; What of all words is in excess Implies in a sweet nothingness, With dailiest babble shows her sense That full speech were full impotence; And while she feels the heavens lie bare, She only talks about he...

Here's a bit of a scrapbook post! Last week Friday:  I finally got my Indiana driver's license.  Yes, I know it's four years later than most young people, but that's the way it is.  After much struggle, I can check that off my bucket list! Last weekend:  My parents and I spent a lovely, relaxing weekend at a campground in northwestern Ohio.  We took our little RV and had gorgeous weather.  It was great to be able to have some quiet time with my parents before heading back to school.  We also visited the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio!  That pilgrimage was made even more epic by the fact that my boyfriend's family met us for the day!  Mrs. G. has pictures on her blog, here .  I lit candles for several special intentions.  That shrine is probably one of my favorite churches in the U.S.  It is so beautiful, and the reality of the miraculous is so clear and vividly seen, in the devotion of the pilgrims, the vases and baskets full...

One should not watch more than one chick flick at a time unless separated by a good Indiana Jones or perhaps an episode of MacGyver.  I made the mistake of watching  Stardust and  27 Dresses two nights in a row.  I then made the nearly fatal attempt to watch  The Devil Wears Prada  immediately after  27 Dresses .  I only made it through about 10 minutes of that last one.  I warn you, for the sake of your own mental safety, never repeat my mistake.  If these kinds of movies, and worse, are what teenage girls are watching nowadays...I understand why society is so messed up. Okay, all or most of you, my readers (I assume you exist because I apparently do get people visiting my blog at least once) probably know exactly what I'm going to tell you.  However, I will also remind you that you, my female readers, will also pop a chick flick in the computer or tv every now and then...just when you want something "brainless" or something "romantic" or something "just...

One of the blogs I occasionally read is Catholic Young Woman, written by and for girls trying to be feminine and faithful.  A couple of the authors are Christendom people, which is fun!  I hadn't caught up with it for a while, but when I did go over yesterday I found an awesome article by Clare Asper that not only rang true for me, but I thought might be useful for some of y'all who (I think) read my blog.  The full article is here  but I thought I'd add a few things that particularly struck me.  Now, obviously, I'm at the beginning of a courtship, and this is written by a newly-married woman.  But still, there are a few things that make me happy, because it makes me feel like Kevin and I are doing something right!  Okay, I basically put in the whole article.  But I highlighted in purple the especially relevant parts.  :)  Not that they exactly line up, but just that it is good to know how other people do things too. 1. Why you did court rather than date? Right up front...