Our Hearts Are Restless

Finally.  The French balcony windows are wide open, my wool coat has been retired to the closet, and sandals are on my feet.  Yesterday, after a busy weekend, I curled up on the sofa to feel the breeze and listen to the laughter and screams of kids playing outside. I never realized how claustrophobic I had felt over the winter.  At least at school, I was forced to walk wherever I wanted to go on campus, no matter how cold it was.  But for the last few months, the only times I experienced nature were the thirty-second walk from my car to the office or the apartment.   In about a month I'll probably get tired of the heat...but for now, it's time to enjoy the warm air, bare feet, and the tinge of new yellow-green leaves!

Photo credit CC0 Public Domain via Pixabay , Fancy stuff by moi via PicMonkey .

CCO via Pixabay, 2014

I'm still surprised I survived for three months without a library card!  Thankfully, I'm familiar enough with the city that I felt up to exploring the local branch of the Ann Arbor District Library last night. I'll have to poke around more in the daylight, because the building is very interestingly designed.  It's modern-art-y but in a fairly tasteful way; very open and brightly lit with big windows. I only had an hour, and a project to get finished, so unfortunately I didn't get the chance to look at their book selection.  I basically just found a comfy chair and used the wifi!  But happiness and joy, I can check out and return books interchangeably between branches; this location is just ten minutes from work, and there's another one close to my apartment.  So that makes life easier! It seems I'm officially a resident of Ann Arbor - had to show proof of residency to get the card.  And now that I have a library, I feel more at home in...

Vince Gatto was the grandfather I'd never had.  We got to know him when my family and his wife started the Spaghetti and Spirituality program at Holy Rosary - he'd spend the whole day in the church kitchen cooking the pasta sauce.  An old radio would play on the table while he'd tell us stories.   For his whole life, he lived behind Holy Rosary - Mother Superior at the Latin school would knock on his bedroom door when she needed a server for morning Mass.  As a young man in Korea, he was shot and left for dead, barely escaping with his life when the enemy soldiers nearly finished him off as he lay on the ground.  He was one of the first members of the Indianapolis police diving team.  That man had so many crazy tales to tell, it's a wonder he'd survived to be as old as he was! He'd always greet me with a smile, lighting up when I came over, with a gruff "Hey, sweetie!"  He'd kiss me on the cheek and hold my hand while he asked how I wa...

Photo credit: Lindsay Trapp Blarney Castle, Ireland

Photo credit:Rebecca Willen University of Dublin Library

[caption id="attachment_1665" align="alignnone" width="645"] This week, we made a visit to the Borghese Gallery, a villa which houses a number of amazing pieces of art. Unfortunately, they don't let you take pictures, so I don't have any photographic evidence of the Bernini sculptures and Raphael paintings. However, the Villa Borghese is situated in a large public park, which was a lovely opportunity to enjoy the green of spring without leaving the city. Here are some pictures from the gardens![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1670" align="alignnone" width="645"] Cat spotting![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1378" align="alignnone" width="645"] Things I have learned about packing for overseas travel. 1. I probably have too much stuff.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1377" align="alignnone" width="645"] 2. My dad is amazing.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1379" align="alignnone" width="645"] 3. My stuff will never fit into my suitcase this way again.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1380" align="alignnone" width="645"] 4. Lugging all this stuff around Rome and Ireland is going to either build muscle or knock me out.  Hey, at least it's pretty much done!  Mostly...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1127" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Apparently Alex is a cat person. We have a friendly little cat who was very interested in sitting on Alex's lap on Saturday.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1114" align="aligncenter" width="418"] Alex with a kitten! We have a lot of feral cats around that are basically campus pets. They're more friendly this year than in the past.  So glad I snapped this picture even though it's poor quality.  :)[/caption]

I can't believe I'm a junior... Anyway, that aside, I thought I'd post a few pics for family's sake of the first weekend here on campus. Kevin and Blaise were wonderful gentlemen and helped me carry all of my stuff from the car to the dorm room.  I am immensely grateful!  They managed to move a van load of stuff in an incredibly short amount of time. [caption id="attachment_1090" align="aligncenter" width="652"] My roommate, Ann, is working on her thesis. We have a lovely little room, complete with our own bathroom. The dorm is a little further away but it's really quite nice and quiet.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1094" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Liz, Mary, and Kaitlin - didn't realize I caught the sun like that in the corner! Three beautiful girls and good friends.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1095" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Kevin's brother A...