Bucket of Parts--the transplant blog

Blogging into the Future

2010-05-18T11:47:00.000-04:00

OK so...
as much fun as I've had with the Bucket, I think the time has come to try a new platform.
I've been using A Gibson Girl, on the tumblr platform, for about a week, and I really like it. It's easy to upload web stories, photos, text, quotes--all the stuff I love. Plus the format is much cleaner.
So--I will be moving my blogging over there. If you've got me bookmarked, change it to http://agibsongirl.tumblr.com.
Don't worry, the email (janeandessie@gmail.com) and this blog will remain, although this blog will be mostly for archival purposes. Not sure what I'm going to do with CPG yet.
I'm so glad that y'all have been reading and following my post-tx adventures. There is more to come, so jump over to the new blog, won't ya?

Sunday

2010-05-16T22:02:00.000-04:00

Wrote about it over here.

New blog

2010-05-13T20:30:00.002-04:00

I know, I have so many....
but check this out.

Retreat Journal #4

2010-05-12T19:48:00.002-04:00

Up over here
(I'm not abandoning you, really, I've got a bunch of ideas, just no time to write!)

All In The Family

2010-05-09T21:57:00.000-04:00

Me and my godson

Me with Belle (Courtney) and her older sister, Molly (who was in Godspell last year at this school)

L to R: Kelly, Jack, Ryan, Paige, Me, Courtney, Brendan, grandma. :)

The 'Burgh

2010-05-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

Today was busy:
1) Lunch, Barnes and Noble and shopping w/ my cousin Kelly
2) Mass and dinner w/ the fam
3) seeing my cousin Courtney's theatrical debut in Beauty and the Beast, Jr., at her school.

Busy, but really fantastic! Here are the books Kelly recommended I get:
1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (we're gonna read this together)
2) The Bean Trees

Pics of the play coming tomorrow (don't have cord here).
Oh, and the Pens won. Series 3-2 Pens. Going back to Montreal on Monday.

Ain't That a Kick In The Head?

2010-05-08T10:02:00.000-04:00

This book (see left).
Yeah, that one. It gave me a big kick in the head the first time I read it. I wanted what those women had so badly.
And then a little voice said, "Well, why don't you try to get it?"
So I asked certain orders if they'd take me.
Nope. I'm too weird.
So I gave up on the idea.
Until recently, when I tried again with these ladies.
And...we're going to give it a whirl!
I'm going to visit them in September for a weekend. (Weekend to be decided. Might not even be in September, might be later int he fall.)

And I re-read this book several times this week. :)
So this might be dangerous reading. But oh is it good.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--May 3, 2010

2010-05-03T19:07:00.000-04:00

Outside my window:

A very nice spring evening--low 70s, perfect. Might go sit outside and read after this.

I am wearing:

my Boden dress in blueberry batik print. My last birthday present from my parents. It was a popular pattern so we have to wait for it to be re-ordered.

I am thankful for:

my friends

I am reading:

The King's Good Servant But God's First, The Eternal Woman

The Diary of Anne Frank

From the kitchen:

Onion and Proscuitto pizza (made last night), Spinach Salad

I am thinking:

That it is so beautiful outside!!

I am creating:

A clean apartment: vacuuming, mopping, running the dishwasher.

Toward rhythm and beauty:

Daily prayer; spiritual reading (currently Gospel of Luke)

To Live the Liturgy:

see above

I am hoping and praying:

for my grandfather; my family members in purgatory; a friend of mine who is about to try his vocation as a Dominican friar.

Around the House:

See above. :) But the bathroom is pretty clean! Woo!

One of my favorite things:

Time with my friends.

A few plans for the week:

T: Voting day

W: Choir

Th: Voice

Friday-Sun: Pittsburgh to see the family

A picture I'm sharing:

me and my siblings (Melanie, center, Bryan, right)

Clinic update

2010-05-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

I had my regular clinic appointment last Monday, and all was well. The wrap:

New needles for port access; mom got it on the first go when she accessed me a few weeks ago with the 1" needle. Apparently port likes 1" needle now, the 3/4" needle is a bit wishy-washy. Besides the fact that the 1" needle looks super-scary when being inserted, it actually lays under the dressing quite nicely and goes in very well. So that's a plus.
CXR looks excellent.
PFTs also excellent. 62/57, if you're a number person. If not, um...I can't explain what they mean. I think they mean this: the 62% is how much volume I blow out in 1 second, and the 57% is my lung capacity. Course they could be reversed. Either way, much better than pre-tx!
Some med changes: I asked for my celexa to be knocked back to 10 mg. We upped it in 2006/2007, when I was in and out of the hospital and we thought it would be better at 20 mg. Which was fine then, but we never knocked it back down. Now I'm back to 10, and liking it so far. Drs. A &K also want to knock down the vfend from 200 mg to 100 mg. Vfend is a strange little drug that very few people take--I get a lot of 'huhs?' when I put it on med lists. It's a pre-tx antibiotic (meaning, I've been on it since, oh 2002? God prescribed it.). I guess since I"m about to hit 5 years, the chance of the bug coming back to cause problems is lessened, so we can knock it down to 100 mg. This makes me happy--the fewer drugs I'm on, the more I like--but it also can affect my tac level, so on the 14th I need to have a blood draw to check all that. Obviously we do not want the tac (one of the anti-rejection meds) messed with. I can't imagine it going any lower, since I'm only on 0.5 mg now, but I guess it could go up. Or maybe nothing will happen and my body parts and systems will all get along!
Nothing special planned for the five year, just the normal testing. So sometime in June I get to spend 1 1/2-2 days at Children's being a guinea pig. :) It's not so bad. I get to catch up on my reading and my children's television.

Breakfast time!

2010-05-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

OK, if you know me, you know that I am not really a morning person. Sleep is my friend. So that means breakfast is usually a very simple affair--sometimes as simple as coffee and toast.
But this morning, I decided to get a bi creative, and I made these.
These are very, very good. And they take, oh, five minutes. Not kidding.
So, here we are:

Huevos Hyacinth
From The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook

For one:
1 slice ham (thinly sliced)
1 tomato slice, or picante sauce
1 egg
cheese of your liking (I used mexican blend, to fit the theme, but Ree likes crumbly goat cheese)

Turn on the broiler and butter one ramekin.
Place the slice of ham in the ramekin and top with tomato slices or picante.
Gently crack one egg on top.
Sprinkle with cheese. (OK I did more than sprinkle. I gave it a nice covering.)
Place the ramekin on a baking sheet and slide under broiler. Broil for 4-6 minutes, or until egg yolk is slightly set. If you want it more set (as in, you don't like runny egg), broil for another minute or two.
Eat. :)

Saturday Evening Blog Post--March and April

2010-05-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth is doing a twofer this month--March and April. Here are mine: For April, The Easter Pics, and for March, the Wonder of the Guinness Cake (really, I can't link to this enough. )

For more, or to link your own favorite posts, go to Elizabeth's.

Food

2010-04-29T16:32:00.002-04:00

Tonight's dinner
And...retreat journal #3 (which definitely deals with food).

Retreat Journal #2

2010-04-27T21:18:00.001-04:00

Is here.

Retreat Journal #1

2010-04-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

Wondering where I was this weekend?
Retreating!
I'll post more as I write more...so keep checking CPG, or here. I'll cross-link.

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. XXI

2010-04-23T11:40:00.000-04:00

This edition of 7QT brought to you by Caribou Coffee wi-fi. :) (mmm Northern Lite Latte!)

II.

It has been a slooow week. I don't mean it's gone slow, I mean I've felt slow, like I'm moving through syrup. I think the ridiculously high pollen count might have something to do with that, even though I'm not technically allergic to anything. Claritin has been my friend this week.

III.

No blogging this weekend--I'm going here for a silent retreat. (You may remember I've done one before.) The weather is looking sort of blah, which is too bad, because the grounds are beautiful, but I"m sure it will be a fruitful weekend nonetheless.

IV.

I really do like the silence. If you know me, you may find this hard to believe. But it's so wonderful to take a break from computers, phones, television--noise in general--and attempt to listen to that still small voice.

Books of 2010: No Time To Wave Goodbye (really good), A Thousand Tomorrows (very, very bad). Mother Angelica's advice book, and her book on the scriptures. Also reading Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer, The Eternal Woman (bringing this on retreat) and The King's Good Servant.

VI.

Great music stuff this week. I'm singing "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" and "Stranger to the Rain" at an open mic event next week. And I joined St. Pat's choir! First up--singing for Confirmation on Sunday.

VII.

A housekeeping note: I do update the tabs on the top of the page, from time to time, so check it out! My vocal repertoire (under 'theater') gets the most updates, but I've also added video and stories about my transplant to the transplant tag.

CF bookshelf: A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury

2010-04-21T16:37:00.001-04:00

In general, if I see a book has a CF angle, I try to avoid it.

Usually it's milked for maximum trauma and tragedy, and bears little to no resemblance to actual CF life. This was especially the case with the Lurlene McDaniel books that were so popular when I was in high school. If any of my friends read the ones with the CF characters, I cringed. The biology books were bad enough (so outdated!)--did fiction writers need to make life harder, too?

However, I am always open to being surprised. And I have been--once--with the book A Little Love Story. Not only is it a great novel, but CF is portrayed realistically! And some of the proceeds from book sales go to the CFF, so if you haven't bought it, um, do so.

So that brings me to the book in question, "A Thousand Tomorrows." I was randomly searching the Columbus Metropolitan Library database for CF books, and this popped up.

I general avoid her books, because, based on the plot synopses alone, they are treacly books just a step above the Romance Novel category, meaning we get stock characters doing stock character things (also known as--where Nicholas Sparks' novels are heading). But since CF was in this one, and I was going to the library anyway to check out the Oliver! score, I thought I'd pick it up.

Oh, I was so correct. Not only is it treacly to top all treacly novels, but there is so much tha tis just flat out wrong. The book was published in 2005--the year I got my transplant. So yeah, transplant technology at that time is something I'm pretty familiar with.

The author says in her notes that the inspiration for the book was a little boy on her husband's softball team. She says she talked to families about CF, and she gives information on the CFF. So that's all good.

What's not good is what's in her story. Essentially, the character with CF is used as a redemption device for the real protagonist, Cody, a pissed-off bull rider who's mad that his dad walked out on their family when he was a kid. He has a brother with Downs Syndrome, which is the reason his father left--the typical 'I can't handle it' excuse.

So Cody meets Ali, who rides in rodeos. Of course, this is supposed to be The Worst Thing Ever for her CF. Actually, any sort of physical exertion is good for CF patients; having taken riding lessons right before my diagnosis, I can attest to this! Ali doesn't breathe when she's in the arena because the dust and hay and all that can hurt her lungs. Um, if she was breathing, and exerting herself that way, she'd cough and that would be good. (And, most CF patients who are on the transplant list cannot hold their breath for 18 seconds, like Ali can in the book. Um, no.)

So Ali is admitted to a hospital in Denver after a rodeo, and her doctor springs the transplant discussion on her. Ali is, of course, shocked. Now, OK, in fairness, I was shocked too the first time my docs mentioned it. But Kingsbury's writing just makes this painful to read. Ali needs to be listed for a transplant ASAP. And of course she needs to stop riding. (If you're being listed for a transplant, most everyday things are out of the question. There's NO WAY she could've been riding. NONE.)

Well Ali wants a 'single lung' transplant, which CFers don't even get. What Kingsbury means is a "living lobe transplant", which is where two separate living donors are used to replace two lung lobes. This is generally not a permanent treatment--CFers require double lung transplants. That's a fact. The lobes will just get infected with the bugs from the 'native' lungs.

So after all this medical mumbo jumbo the reader has to digest, we get back to Cody, who loves Ali, who hasn't told anyone about her CF (this is actually accurate). They're in love. Cody wants to be a donor. Cody is a match! (Cue the inspirational music.)

Of course at this point, the story must mention how expensive all this is, how insurance won't cover it , yada yada yada. When you're listed for transplant, you meet with a financial person who works through all your options with you. Most insurance companies have some sort of transplant coverage. Is it capped? Yes (sometimes). Are your options limited,in some cases, as to center? Yes. But there is usually some sort of coverage. This is 2005, not 1985. Transplants are not exactly groundbreaking treatments here. Of course all we get here is the trite father pronoucement that "we will do everything we can to pay for it." (eye roll here)

So anyway. Ali gets her lobes (from Cody and her father). Of course we get the gloom and doom predicitions--only three years! (ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE THESE!) And she's talking, immediately after surgery? Um, no. You're on a ventilator for a few days. Hence, no talky.

And, of course, Ali's lobes reject and she dies. But at least Cody reconciled with his family! Which is really the entire point!

This book made me angry to read. If you've even considered reading it, don't. If you have read it, I'm very sorry you had to endure it. There are so many wrong, wrong, WRONG things in it. Even the terminology is wrong. Ali has a "compression vest", --she means the thAIRpy vest, which she doesn't describe accurately. She talks about Ali having four inhalers but never mentions an aerosol machine, which is what most CF patients use regularly. Inhalers are like a quicky treatment. Honestly, she treats CF more like asthma. Ali's mom does PT on her at one point, and Cody FREAKS OUT, like Ali's being abused or something. I taught one of my pre-tx boyfriends how to do my chest PT for when we spent the weekends at his parents' and I couldn't lug the vest (mine was one of the first ones, and it weighed about 1500 pounds...). It's not that scary, it's not even gross to watch! It's not like Ali's mom was inserting a chest tube.

The whole thing is just DRENCHED in melodrama. And Ali isn't even very likable! She's really bitter about having CF. Of course her sister, Anna, had it too, and of course, Anna died, so Ali is SUPER bitter. I'm not denying that you can get bitter. Heck, it's probably normal. But Ali is of the "ignore it and it doesn't exist" school.

It's so cliche, and so awfully written, that no one should ever, ever pick this up. Instead of doing a service to people with CF, like A Little Love Story does, by protraying us and our lives realistically and truthfully, Kingsbury makes Ali a stock character whose medical drama serves only as a plot point.

If you are interested in GOOD CF books, this is what I can recommend:
A Little Love Story
Breathing For A Living
Cystic Fibrosis: A Guide for Patient and Family (Hardcover)

Or, you can shoot me questions at janeandessie@gmail.com

Fashion Note

2010-04-21T16:35:00.001-04:00

Spring is upon us in many parts of the country. That means--flip flops are back.
I sort of hate these shoes.They're good for very few things in life: the pool, the beach, the locker room shower, taking out the trash, or running very brief (like getting gas) errands.

They are NOT appropriate in the office. Ever. At all. Let us all wear real shoes to work, please. These consist of a proper sole and foot covering that's more than a mere thong between toes. Even the most strappy sandals have a heel, and a real, honest-to-god sole.

And if you are walking to work, wear running/walking shoes! Flip flops provide no support, hence the "flip flop" name. But then the Nikes come off when you are at your desk!

Let's make this simple: If you can wear it in the gym shower, you cannot wear it in the office. 'Nuff said.

(oh, and I don't care how bedazzled and bejeweled they are. They. Are. Not. Shoes.)

Recipe The First: Herbal Iced Tea

2010-04-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

4 bags Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea
4 bags C.S. Raspberry Zinger tea
4 cups pure apple juice (I used healthy balance since it's lower in sugar)

Place the tea bags in a pitcher. Boil a kettle of water and pour 4 cups boiling water over the teabags. Let seep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
Add 4 cups apple juice. Chill. Serve over ice.

(Note: In BC's book, she uses regular apple juice, so she doesn't have to add sugar. I thought I'd use the lower sugar apple juice, and if it needs sugar later, I'll add it.)

Belated Birthday Party

2010-04-17T13:17:00.000-04:00

I usually celebrate my birthday with my friends the week after my actual birthday, since sometimes my birthday is during Easter or Holy Week, and there's just no time. Normally we go out to eat and then come back to my place for cake and The Birthday Game (sort of like Cranium, but incorporates questions about the Birthday Person).
This year, we're mixing it up. My friend Aaron (the food guru who introduced me to Mezzo) suggested we have a pizza party, where we make our own pizzas.
I thought this was a very good idea. So that's what we're doing. Everyone's coming to my place and we shall make pizza.
I'm also making:

the Ever Wonderful Guinness Cake,
Barefoot Contessa's Herbal Iced Tea, which uses Celestial Seasonings tea bags and apple juice,
Tennis Team Salsa (recipe to follow)
and this pizza.

Currently the cake is in the oven and water is heating for the tea. The salsa I make right before I serve it, so that can wait. I am cleaning while things bake/cool/chill out.
Pictures and recipes to come...

Organ Donation Editorial

2010-04-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

April is Donate Life Month, y'know.
So, if you're not an organ donor, maybe you should ponder it?
(Because you're only reading this fantastic blog because of an organ donor...)

Today's Columbus Dispatch has an editorial about donation. Worth checking out.
And if you want to be an organ donor, you can sign up here.

Better Late Than Never...

2010-04-15T19:42:00.000-04:00

I have discovered The Pioneer Woman!
And her cookbook!
You have to read the story of how she met and married her husband. I love it!

I Only Know What I Know

2010-04-14T21:49:00.009-04:00

On my facebook page I've been posting a bit about the Oliver! soundtrack. Auditions for a production of the show are in May. Before, oh, a few months ago, I didn't know a whole lot about this show. I knew Consider Yourself and a bit of Food, Glorious Food, but that was it. I learned "As Long As He Needs Me" as a potential audition piece, but I didn't know how it was set within the context of the musical.

Anyway, now having watched the movie several times, listening to the soundtrack, and working on the vocal selections book, I have a pretty good grasp of the music.

Today's weather was really nice, so I posted "Who Will Buy This Beautiful Morning" as one of my status messages (just that line). This lead to a discussion about the song, and a friend being surprised that I wasn't familiar with Oliver! until fairly recently.

So here's a list of shows I could sing in my sleep: (bold type indicates I've seen it live, italic means I've been in it)

Phantom of the Opera
Les Miz
Jekyll and Hyde
Parade
Miss Saigon
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Secret Garden
Ragtime
Side Show
Beauty and the Beast
The Lion King
Avenue Q
Titanic
Gypsy
Jesus Christ Superstar
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
Sunset Boulevard
Evita
Into the Woods
Wicked
Children of Eden
Annie
Annie Get Your Gun
Cinderella
The Producers
Spamalot
The Music Man
Fiddler on the Roof
Aida

Ones I know fairly well:

Oklahoma
The Light in the Piazza
The Pirate Queen
Carousel
Allegro
Guys and Dolls
Chicago
Company
Working
Love Never Dies (still working on this one)
State Fair
South Pacific (I know almost all of the songs except for ones like Dites-Moi. Know the title, not the tune.)
The King and I
West Side Story

Ones I'm familiar with (as in, I can sing a few of the big songs, but that's it)

Kiss Me, Kate ("Another Op'ning", "I Hate Men", "Brush Up..."
Flower Drum Song (The ABHORRENT "I enjoy being a girl")
Martin Guerre ("How Many Tears?", etc.)
Cats ("Memory", that's it, sorry.)
The Little Mermaid (this, and Mary Poppins--I know the movie songs)
Mary Poppins
A Little Night Music ("Send In the Clowns")
Camelot ("The Simple Joys of Maidenhood", "Before I Gaze...", "If Ever...", "Camelot")
Little Shop of Horrors
The Fantastiks (Who DOESN'T know "Try to Remember"?)
Finnegan's Rainbow
Brigadoon! ("Waiting for My Dearie")
42nd Street ("Lullaby of Broadway", "42nd Street")
Chess ("Someone Else's Story")
A Little Princess ("Live Out Loud")
A Christmas Carol
Street Scene (which could be considered more opera...)
A Chorus Line ("One", "What I Did For Love", "Nothing")
1776 ("Sit Down, John"...I would like to know this one better. On the list...)
Hello, Dolly! ("Hello, Dolly!", "Ribbons Down My Back", "Until the Parade Passes By" )

A short list of ones I know nothing or almost nothing about:

Swing!
Contact
Steel Pier
Spring Awakening
The Woman In White
The Beautiful Game
Little Women
Merrily We Roll Along
50 percent
The Apple Tree
The Putnam County Spelling Bee (yeah I know, I shortened the Title)
Mamma Mia
Jersey Boys
Stop the World, I Want To Get Off
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (I know "comedy tonight")
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Two By Two
Zorba

I know I'm missing some. But really, there's a fair amount of musical theater--especially from the 50s, 60s and 70s--that I know NOTHING about. Any big dance shows are not my thing, because my dancing skills are limited. And any shows without decent alto parts--also limited. So that eliminates a lot of early musical theater.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--April 12, 2010

2010-04-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

Outside my window:

Bright and sunny--low 70s. Perfect. My office went out to lunch in honor of my birthday and we ate outside! I could get used to all this al fresco dining.

I am wearing:

gray scoop neck top, a gray heather skirt, and I have kicked off my red flats. :) Oh, and my Tiffany key necklace.

I am thankful for:

my friends

I am reading:

The Last Lecture

From the kitchen:

Quesadillas (tonight), spaghetti (tomorrow), burgers (W). Not sure about the remainder of the week.

I am thinking:

That it is so beautiful outside!!

I am creating:

A clean apartment.

On my iPod:

Oliver!

Toward rhythm and beauty:

Cleaning the tub and bathroom mirror; sweeping/mopping kitchen floor.

To Live the Liturgy:

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!!

I am hoping and praying:

for my grandfather. (still)

Around the House:

See above. :)

One of my favorite things:

Spring!!!!!!

A few plans for the week:

Th: Voice

Sat.: Birthday dinner w/ my friends!

A picture I'm sharing:

The communications office at lunch today.

My birthday

2010-04-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

Part One: A beautiful day for a symphony concert

At the Ohio Theater

The CSO warming up

Part Two: Tiff and I at dinner in Gahanna

Jeni's ice cream? I think so!

Divine Mercy Sunday

2010-04-11T11:01:00.001-04:00

Over at CPG.

Spring bookshelf

2010-04-10T11:35:00.000-04:00

('ere we go...)

This is actually a very nice edition; both stories are included, with a nice introduction that explores Dodgson's life and deeper themes in the Alice stories. The illustrations are from the original. I have to say the cover is what lead me to get this copy, as opposed to the millions of other re-issues that are flying about now. I enjoyed Through the Looking Glass more than Adventures in Wonderland, and the recent Tim Burton movie takes its inspiration more from Looking Glass.

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. I just love her stuff. It always makes me want to go out and write, or put on classical music, bake, and then get in a huge bubble bath. (Read The Year of Pleasures, or Until the Real Thing Comes Along or Talk Before Sleep...you get the idea.) This one is about five different high school classmates who are attending their 40th high school reunion. Although some of the characters are repellent (Dorothy!), it's an enjoyable book--classic Berg.

I love Richard Paul Evans. I read his first book, The Christmas Box, when I was in seventh grade, and fell in love. His stories are always well-written, and probing. They are almost always love stories, but adult love stories--love stories that require sacrifice, stories about grown-up love (one of the reasons I love them). He's written two series before: The Christmas Box series, which consists of the titular novel, as well as The Timepiece and The Letter; and The Locket series, which consists of The Locket, The Looking Glass (one of my favorite novels), and The Carousel.
The Walk is different--it's the first of a five-part series, with each installment to be released in April (the next is due April 11). Alan Christofferson had everything--and lost it. Now the only thing he can see to do is walk cross-country--from Seattle to Key West, Florida. The Walk series will chronicle his journey and the people he meets along the way.
The first installment was good, although does anyone know a person actually named McKay? A very strange name for Alan's wife. Alan's struggle is conveyed through journal entries, as well as through conversation with the people he meets along the way. I'm really interested to see how his walk turns out.

This one I'm still working on. I love Jane, as we know. I love good bound books. The new Penguin Classics hardcover has them all. I'm reading it rather slowly, partially because Emma is my least favorite novel, and partially because I like to enjoy Jane, even when I don't particularly like her characters. In my opinion, the novel doesn't pick up until Mrs. Elton comes into the picture. Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice are also available in these hard cover editions.

Over at CPG

2010-04-10T11:12:00.000-04:00

Fr. Z analyzes a Newsweek article on clergy sexual abuse. Definitely worth reading.

Quick Takes?

2010-04-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

Over at Catholic Poster Girl this week... shake things up. :)

For my grandpa--"Song for Athene"

2010-04-08T21:39:00.001-04:00

I sang this piece as part of the 2000 Ohio All-State Choir. My grandparents had a copy of this CD.
This song is best known as the recessional for Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.

Update--unexpected trip

2010-04-07T08:35:00.000-04:00

I'm writing this from my family's hotel room in the 'Burgh.
My grandfather, who was diagnosed with cancer in October, died on Monday (which is also one of my aunt's birthdays.).
There are two visitation days--today and tomorrow--and the funeral is on Friday afternoon.
The hotel has wi-fi, which makes it easier for me to keep ahold of my email, but I probably won't be blogging too terribly much.

BalletMet: American Legends rounds out the 2009-2010 season

2010-04-06T10:46:00.000-04:00

COLUMBUS, OH—BalletMet Columbus closes its 32nd season with the soulful triple bill of American Legends: Johnny, Sammy, Stevie, April 23-May 1, 2010, at the Capitol Theatre, 77 S. High St. Three of North America’s most renowned choreographers offer three world premiere works set to the music of country music royalty, a Rat Pack crooner and a Motown superstar. The visionary James Kudelka sets his work to the music of Johnny Cash. Rising star Darrell Grand Moultrie pays tribute to the music of Sammy Davis, Jr. And famed star of stage and screen Maurice Hines presents a new work to the music of Stevie Wonder.

The choreographers, legends in their own right, were inspired by the musical genius of three musicians who shaped their musical genres and the history of American music and culture; they overcame adversity and personal struggles to inspire generations of fans and aspiring musicians and other artists. Their songs commemorate American life and the dance works in American Legends emulate that, creating an entertaining and engaging revue. Each of the three choreographers will return to Columbus in March and April to work with the company.

“I am thrilled to close our season with this lively premiere that honors the timeless music of three American icons,” said BalletMet’s Artistic Director Gerard Charles. “The dancers have enjoyed working with these incredible choreographers and performing a variety of dance styles. The energy in the studios is palpable. You can’t help but sing along!”

THE MAN IN BLACK (Music: Johnny Cash; Choreography: James Kudelka)

The BalletMet dancers trade their pointe shoes for cowboy boots in James Kudelka’s new work, The Man in Black. Kudelka felt that Johnny Cash’s songs—country music infused with touches of rockabilly, rock and roll, blues and folk—offered themselves to such iconic costuming and fitting movement style, celebrating the American spirit and ‘the working man’ with both humor and sentiment. “The songs tell stories and we are respectful of that,” Kudelka said. Most of the songs Kudelka selected for the work were recorded late in Cash’s life. “I liked the seasoned quality of his voice on these recordings,” Kudelka said.

SIMPLY SAMMY (Music: Sammy Davis, Jr.; Choreography: Darrell Grand Moultrie)

“It’s a dance tribute to the music of Sammy Davis, Jr., arguably one of the most talented entertainers of his generation,” said choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie of his work, Simply Sammy. “His music is infectious.” Moultrie’s work pays homage to Davis, Jr.’s extensive and varied songbook that spans six decades, featuring nine songs ranging from the reflective Mr. Bojangles to the playful Lady is a Tramp to the sorrowful What Kind of Fool am I. “It’s a rollercoaster ride of excitement and emotions,” Moultrie said. In honor of Sammy Davis, Jr.’s tap dance legacy, a tap dancer will join BalletMet dancers on stage. Tap dancer Marshall L. Davis, Jr., based in New York City, is a professor of tap at Queens College and is performing in the touring production of Savion Glover’s Bare Soundz.

WONDERFUL (Music: Stevie Wonder; Choreography: Maurice Hines)

When Maurice Hines met with Stevie Wonder in 2009, he told Wonder about his new work for BalletMet, Wonderful. Wonder was blown away, remarking with astonishment “ballerinas are dancing to my music?” Indeed, BalletMet dancers are celebrating Wonder’s joyful songs and his significance to American music history through Hines’ theatrical movement. “This is a celebration of what [Stevie Wonder] means to me,” Hines said. “There is such positivity in his music and the world needs that right now.” As for working with the BalletMet dancers again, following his work High C for Jazz Moves Take 2, a 2009 collaboration between BalletMet and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the distinguished Hines said “they are wonderful, inspiring. They make me better than I am.”

PERFORMANCES and Tickets

American Legends performance schedule is as follows: 8pm Friday, April 23; 8pm Saturday, April 24; 2pm Sunday, April 25; 7:30pm Thursday, April 29; 8pm Friday, April 30; 8pm Saturday, May 1. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased through CAPA (614.469.0939), Ticketmaster (800.982.2787, ticketmaster.com) or balletmet.org. College students with ID can purchase $15 Student Rush tickets at the theater beginning two hours prior to show time.

ABOUT BALLETMET COLUMBUS: BalletMet Columbus, renowned for its versatility and innovative repertory, ranks among the nation’s largest dance companies, and its Dance Academy ranks among the largest professional dance-training centers. Since its inception in 1978, BalletMet has added 152 Company premieres to its repertoire and produced 124 world premieres. It has also developed DanceReach, a series of educational and outreach programs that serve nearly 30,000 people annually; through DanceReach, up to 70 scholarships each year give access to talented youth, many from minority and underserved groups, who cannot otherwise participate.

SPONSOR SUPPORT: American Legends presented with support from American Electric Power. Support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Media partners are The Columbus Dispatch, alive!, TV One, Magic 98.9, Power 107.5 and Joy 106.3. Senior Dress Rehearsal sponsor is WMNI. BalletMet Columbus receives support for its annual performance season from The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Ohio Arts Council, Classical 89.7 WOSU-FM and Time Warner Cable.

FOR ARTIST INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.BALLETMET.ORG

The Simple Woman's Daybook--April 5, 2010

2010-04-05T16:02:00.000-04:00

Outside my window:

Bright and sunny--upper 70s!

I am wearing:

coral t-shirt dress, a string of peals, brown BR heels

I am thankful for:

my siblings

I am reading:

God and the World . But have also read: House Rules, Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian, The Hour I First Believed. (Bookshelves coming later, I promise)

From the kitchen:

Not sure. Going to the parents' for dinner. I need to make out my menu tonight.

I am thinking:

That I do not want it to snow on my birthday! (Friday. And yes, it's a possibility.)

I am creating:

A clean apartment.

On my iPod:

Oliver!

Toward rhythm and beauty:

Vaccuming. Possible window cleaning.

To Live the Liturgy:

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!!

I am hoping and praying:

for my grandfather.

Around the House:

The vaccuming, dishes, dusting. Stuff like that.

One of my favorite things:

Spring; Holy Week

A few plans for the week:

Th: Voice

Friday: My birthday!!!!!

Sunday: LOTS of LOOP stuff. More on that later.

A picture I'm sharing:

Mel and I at brunch yesterday.

Easter

2010-04-04T20:41:00.000-04:00

Bryan and Mel in St. Pat's courtyard before Mass

The altar. Sooo much better than the emptiness of Good Friday!

Flowers by the St. Joseph altar. Hydrangeas, lilacs, tulips...smelled wonderful!

After Mass

I know, I know...

2010-04-01T16:53:00.000-04:00

I say no more, BUT the triduum hasn't started yet (technically!) so I can still blog.
I had some testing today at children's--a thyroid ultrasound and blood work. The ultrasound was fine, at least fine in the sense of 'the tech didn't see anything large and scary that warranted immediate attention' fine.
The bloodwork went easier than usual--only two sticks--but now I'm going to have matching bruises in the crooks of my arms for about a week. Beautiful.

Just one more...

2010-04-01T16:22:00.000-04:00

William Blake's Holy Thursday poems (scroll down a bit)

(And a revival of Poetry Thursday!)

Quiet on the Western Front

2010-04-01T07:51:00.001-04:00

It's the triduum....so I'll see you after Easter!

An Education

2010-03-30T16:08:00.000-04:00

So on Saturday, it was a really pretty day. I was driving around, doing errands, and singing along to my voice lesson tape.
Now, when I'm driving through a residential or slow-speed area, and I want to sing, I put the windows up. I like my voice, but the rest of the world might not. And while I think Broadway cast recordings of GOOD shows should be required listening, I realize (alas) that everyone does not feel that way.
So, I was driving home from getting groceries. I turned onto my street and put up my windows so I could sing a bit of French aria. I really like this piece, was greatly enjoying singing it in the sunshine.
A few neighbors were out, including a guy who has a woodworking shop in one of the garages.
I pulled into a parking spot--and realized my sunroof had been open.
The neighborhood had indeed been treated to some French aria.
Whoops.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 29, 2010

2010-03-29T16:38:00.000-04:00

Outside my window:

Wee bit cloudy. The daffodils are up in their glory and the tulips are appearing!

I am wearing:

gray pants, Talbots' top

I am thankful for:

my siblings

I am reading:

The King's Good Servant But God's First

From the kitchen:

Pasta from Jamie's Food Revolution tonight. The stew last night was great!!!

I am thinking:

That I hope my mom is doing OK. (see the prayers section...)

I am creating:

I'm moving ahead well on the novel.

On my iPod:

"Woman" and other voice stuff

Toward rhythm and beauty:

Since it's Holy Week, that equals--big cleaning.

To Live the Liturgy:

Daily Mass, hopefully some Holy Week adoration and Vespers. Then Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday 7 last words and MOPS (Mass of the Pre-Sanctified--I LOVE that phrase), and then.....Easter!

I am hoping and praying:

for my grandfather. He's being moved into hospice today/tomorrow, and my mom is up in Pittsburgh with her siblings and her mom making this stuff happen. Dad and I are down here trying to get the troops ready for any sort of funeral things we have to do.

My grandfather is a truly wonderful person. He has lived a wonderful, rich life. He has eight children, 25 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren! He has perfect pitch, does crossword puzzles and sudoku and used to carry tic tacs in his pocket. He hates dogs. He sings in the church choir and has his own music company! He is a great and holy man.

Around the House:

The vaccuming, dishes, dusting. Stuff like that.

One of my favorite things:

Spring; Holy Week

A few plans for the week:

T: Mass, Vespers

W: Voice

Th: Thyroid ultrasound and blood work; Holy Thursday Mass

Friday: Good Friday

Got confession?

2010-03-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

Tips and hints over at CPG.
As far as things to read, Lord Have Mercy is the best book I have ever read on Confession. It also includes a great examination of conscience in the back.

ASL

2010-03-27T11:26:00.000-04:00

From today's Dispatch--an article about ASL classes.
I took ASL in high school--as well as French--and let me tell you, it was one of the best things I ever did. When I began to lose my hearing, I used ASL to communicate in some situations, and my little sister took ASL in high school, too, so she can 'translate' for me, if the need arises.
It's a fun, rewarding language--and the way everyone's blaring iPods and yapping on cellphones, we might all need it, sooner or later!
(Even with the CI--there are times I can't use it, like when I go to the beach. So it's nice to have the ASL option.)

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. XX

2010-03-26T16:20:00.001-04:00

It snowed this morning. Snowed! And there was ice! Fortunately now it's about 50 degrees so both problems are taken care of. But I was not happy.

II.

Things that make me happy--St. Pat's fish fry! Tonight I'm going with one of my old college buddies. He has a hankering for fish fry, but he's not Catholic, so I am provided the Catholic creds. :) I, too, love a good fish fry, so I'm excited.

III.

And continuing in the theme of food--I am excited to watch this tonight. I have Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals, and I'll write up my first experience with it later. It involved whisky and avocado. Good stories.

IV.

Sorry it's been such a slow blogging week. I think I might have finally caught up with the DST clock. I promise more posting in the future.

How's your bracket? Mine is OK. Half of my final four still in, so I'll take it.

VI.

Books: The Law of Similars , The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo (this is such a good novel. If you've never read it, you should.)

VII.

Had a fantastic voice lesson on Wednesday. I was happy, Robin was happy, the music was happy. Gotta love days like that.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen!

Well, thanks

2010-03-21T22:56:00.001-04:00

So we have "health care."
I've written a lot about it on this blog. I'll try to go through the archives and pull the most relevant stuff over the next day or so. But if you're a long-time reader, you know this isn't good for kids with CF, or really any chronic disease. I am NOT happy with this decision on multiple levels, but mostly because this will negatively impact the CF population.
We don't live that long to begin with. We don't need Congress making our lives even shorter.

UPDATE:
we can start here, with CF in Ireland.
And in Australia.

Weekend reading

2010-03-21T21:21:00.000-04:00

All of these are fantastic, by the way. Second Glance is a totally different Jodi Picoult book--a ghost story and mystery; The Breakdown Lane is just great, and The Blood of the Lamb is funny, but the ending is so sad.

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. XIX

2010-03-19T16:09:00.000-04:00

(we'll see how long I can keep up those roman numerals...)

I.
The Madness has begun! Do you have a bracket? At this moment, the Panthers (my favorite college team) are playing Oakland in Milwaukee, and winning right before the half. Let's hope this remains true. They were scaring me a bit in the beginning.

II.

Spring, spring, spring! Are you happy? I am!

III.

Things that make me not happy--this health care debate. I've got a post on it over at CPG.

Nothing this big has ever been passed in single-party fashion. Nothing. That makes me very, very nervous.

IV.

Voice yesterday was great; Robin was very pleased. And when the teacher is pleased, I am pleased. I'm working on "Woman" from The Pirate Queen, "Live Out Loud" from A Little Princess, "Where Is Love?" from Oliver! and an Italian arietta. All of them are fantastic pieces.

What I'm reading: Finished The Scarlet and the Black: The True Story of Monsignor Hugh O Flaherty, Hero of the Vatican Undergroundand Song for Nagasaki. Both very good, S&B better than SFN. Also both WWII books. So I guess I'm on a kick there. Especially since I read Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife earlier this week. Definite trend. The Anne Frank book was good, but really only if you're familiar with the diary editions, the plays, and the movies. Otherwise it can be too nit-picky and specialized.

VI.

St. Patrick's Day at St. Pat's was awesome! Read about it here.

VII.

Don't have a seven. So it's a six. :) Enjoy the weekend!

Head over to Jen's for more quick takes!

Catholics and Health Care

2010-03-18T16:34:00.002-04:00

I give you a quick roundup over at CPG.

Just for the record...

2010-03-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

I don't control which ads come up, but know that if it's Michael Moore, I am NOT supporting you buying that )(&%#)_&@#%*. (your choice of word)
Just a note. In case you were curious about where I stood on that.

Erin Go Bragh!

2010-03-16T21:37:00.002-04:00

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at....St. Pat's. :)

Get Moooving March--week 2

2010-03-15T16:09:00.000-04:00

So, last week....

I worked out twice--once my outdoor walk, and then a weights session. (WOW, hard!) Both were harder than I thought. Which is good because...I lost two pounds! Woooo!
That made me really excited. Today I've got Housecleaning on the Agenda (which counts as "workout" in my Self Challenge, heck yes.) With no session this week, I can go to the gym for sure on Wednesday. And there's dancing tomorrow at the Irish Tea Party, so I'm hoping someone in particular will ask me to dance. :)

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T16:06:00.000-04:00

Outside my window:
Snow is essentially GONE. YAY! A little rain, a little gray, but that's spring in Ohio. I'm seeing little flowers pop up their stems!

I am wearing:

jeans, socks, an ocean blue top

I am thankful for:
My Lay Dominican chapter

I am reading:

Master and Margarita (hope to finish this week)

From the kitchen:

Pasta tonight. Not sure what kind.

The Guinness Cake is sitting on my counter, waiting to be devoured.

I am thinking:
That it was a good weekend and promises to be a good week!

I am creating:
Learning the music from Love Never Dies. Because I am a nerd like that. And working on voice lessons stuff.

On my iPod:
Love Never Dies (I'm OBSESSED, I tell you!)

Toward rhythm and beauty:

A menu, regular prayer times--like Fr. Blau told us yesterday, "we just have to be faithful. It doesn't have to be beautiful every time."

To Live the Liturgy:

Daily Mass (as often as possible), Magnificat, my Lent books.

I am hoping and praying:
for my grandfather; for Meg; for Liz's mom.

Around the House:
The vaccuming, the dishes. That's about it.

One of my favorite things:

Spring!

A few plans for the week:

T: St. Patrick's Day Mass (at St. Pat's, appropriately!), and tea and food afterwards.

Th: Voice

A picture thought I am sharing:

St. Patrick's Day Food: Chocolate Guinness Cake

2010-03-14T19:37:00.001-04:00

OK, I am pretty sure that St. Patrick didn't eat this cake. But I'm also sure he'd approve.
It is, bar none, my favorite cake to make. It's easy (one pot!), and the icing is good, easy, and OPTIONAL.
(This is from Nigella Lawson's Feast: Food to Celebrate Life)

1 c. Guinness (I use extra stout, but you can use whatever kind you want)
1 stick plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. sour cream (I use light, and the cake works fine)
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the topping (optional): 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese; 1 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar; 1/2 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper (the bottom only).

Pour the Guineess into a large wide saucepan or pot, and add the butter in slices. Heat until the butter's melted (about medium heat). Then whisk in cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and then pour into the pan. Finally, whisk in flour and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in pan on cooling rack, as it is a quite a damp cake. (REALLY damp!)

When's the cake's cold, sit on a flat platter or cake stand and frost.

Frosting/Topping: Whip the cream cheese lightly until smooth. Sift over the confectioners' sugar and then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Living at the Hospital

2010-03-13T10:54:00.001-05:00

A touching story from today's Cincy Enquirer.

New blog stuff

2010-03-12T18:40:00.000-05:00

OK, so, I guess I've sold out--I've added AdSense to the blog, so there are ads now.
(This blog post brought to you by...)
So far, they are small and mostly inconspicuous. But if you feel the urge to click, go right ahead.
The Amazon stuff (see post below) is more obvious. Yeah, OK, it's part of an ad program, but I talk so much about books/movies/CDs, and link so often to Amazon, that I might as well have the cool Amazon things here. And if you use the Amazon search box, I get money. :) (And no, it's not like a Google search, it's like if you're looking for something on Amazon.)
A little pocket money never hurt anyone, so I might as well...
Thus ends the commercial. :)

This is gonna make my Friday

2010-03-12T18:28:00.001-05:00

What can be better than Phantom?
MORE Phantom. (And yeah, the lineup is funny, I'm just now experimenting with these Amazon buttons.)

Popcorn: Theory: Jason Retiman's films

2010-03-10T17:46:00.000-05:00

I've seen all of Jason Reitman's major films, two of them Oscar nominees for Best Picture:

Thank You for Smoking
Juno
Up in the Air

And I have to say, he's got the makings of a Hollywood Conservative.
Think about it. First, Thank You is based on humorist Christopher Buckley's (son of William F. Buckley) novel, and is about good parenting and being honest (well, as honest as a lobbyist can be...). Juno is about a pregnant teen who was going to abort her baby, but decides to give it up for adoption. Up in the Air's Natalie wants to be driving a Grand Cherokee full of kids, and scolds Ryan for his lack of personal connections.

Really, what these characters are first considering aren't bad. The lobbyist is just doing his job, and he's good at it. Doesn't matter if lying is involved, or that he never sees his son, or that he sleeps around.
Juno is a teenager. She could abort her baby. Lots of girls do. She doesn't need to be pregnant. (OK, yes, what she's considering is bad. Very bad. But not in some parts of society.)
Ryan has a good life. Doesn't matter that he doesn't have a real home, or a close family, or someone with which to share his life, or any real friends. He thinks he doesn't need those things.

But then..these characters change. They realize what they were missing, or what they would be missing if they'd continued doing what they were doing.

The lobbyist gets a better relationship with his son.
Juno has a relationship with the baby's adoptive mother, and she realizes how much she really loves Paulie.
Ryan becomes less self-centered. He realizes that he wants to be closer to his family (he transfers a million miles to his sister and her husband so they can have a honeymoon). Natalie had an impact on him.

(Sorry, haven't seen Thank You for awhile, so I'm missing names.)

These are normal people. Juno's life is a lot like any high-schoolers. Ryan could be the corporate everyman, living for the job.

In all of Reitman's movies, there's redemption of a sort. And it's usually a swing back to something more traditional that other people around the character have rejected (the other lobbyists, some of Juno's peers, Alex--even with her husband and family, she still wants "the escape.").

The changes all the characters make are appalling to the others--at first. But then we see the reconciliation and acceptance. Juno's father and stepmother help her with the baby, and she falls in love with Paulie. The lobbyist is an outcast, but then is invited back. Ryan is heartbroken, but emerges with a new appreciation for Natalie and his "goofy" family.

I don't know if that's compelling evidence that Reitman is a Hollywood Conservative. But I think there's a definite theme in his works, and it's one I like.

Writing a blog entry every day for a month

2010-03-10T17:37:00.002-05:00

It’s easier said than done…I had to search a bit for topics, and sometimes all I ‘wrote’ were links with a few comments. But all I wanted to do was have a blog entry. I didn’t have a word limit, so as long as something was written (other than the text for the link), it counted.

See more progress on: blog every day for one month.

Popcorn: Oscar Nominee--Up in the Air

2010-03-10T17:07:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know the Oscars have been awarded. Yes, I know my prognostication was right. But I'm still watching the nominated movies as they come out on DVD, and posting what I thought.)

The Best Picture Nominees for 2009 were: Up, Up in the Air, Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, Inglorious Basterds, District 9, A Serious Man, An Education and The Blind Side. This is the third in a series of 2009 Oscar reviews.

Up in the Air is the fourth of the 10 nominees for Best Picture that I've seen. I had previously thought that this would the film that beat out Avatar for best picture, but after watching it, and The Hurt Locker, I would place it third in my list of four movies (after Precious, but before Up).
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney, in another Oscar nominated role) is, for lack of a better term, a corporate firer. He goes and fires people when the bosses are too chicken to do it themselves. He's good at what he does, and he enjoys the constant travel that is part of his job. It's his secret goal to be the seventh person ever to hit 10 million frequent flier miles--"more people have walked on the moon," he tells his young colleague Natalie (a great Anna Kendrick), than flown 10 million miles.
But Natalie's got a new plan--a computer interface that would allow Ryan and his compatriots to fire people via webcam. A new Cornell graduate, Natalie's plan wins over the boss. Ryan asks if he can continue his vagabond life and show Natalie why firing people in person is a much better process than her soulless internet proposal.
Natalie travels around the country with him, eventually firing people herself. She obviously doesn't have his panache, but, with her new program, that will be irrelevant. Everything will be very clinical.
Natalie, however, is human, compared to Ryan's "no commitment" philosophy (the backpack philosophy--take as little as possible--is his topic at business seminars.). She's moved to Omaha to follow her boyfriend, who took a job with ConAgra. She's in love with him. Ryan has an attractive neighbor in his apartment building, but, since he's almost never home, she's started dating someone else. And a one-night stand in a hotel with Alex (the radiant Vera Farmiga) seems to prove that he doesn't need commitment in his life--he can get everything he needs without the messy entanglements.
Alex travels just as much as Ryan, and they share a passion for it. But when they meet in Miami (with Natalie tagging along), Ryan begins to realize that's he's falling for Alex. Although he vehemently denies it to an incredulous Natalie ("you're a twelve-year old!" she screams at him), he's lying to himself. He invites her to his younger sister's wedding as his guest. In the middle of the 'backpack speech' at a big Las Vegas convention, he stops his speech, and goes to see Alex at her home in Chicago--where he discovers that Alex is married, and has two kids. Ryan, to her, is the "escape". Ryan wanted her in his "real life." He goes back to Omaha without Alex, and without (he thinks) the traveling he loves; Natalie's program has been implemented by the company.
On the flight back to Omaha, Ryan reaches the mythical 10 million mile mark. There is champagne and the presentation of the graphite card with his name on it. While Ryan talks to the pilot, he says he's rehearsed this moment over and over, and now doesn't know what to say.
Upon his return, with his only life goal fulfilled, he finds that Natalie's program has been abandoned, and that Natalie has quit her job. One of the women she fired in St. Louis killed herself, after threatening to that day in the office. Ryan has dismissed Natalie's concerns about the woman.
His boss sends him out again--"wherever the wind takes you, send us a postcard when you get there"--and the movie ends with Ryan staring at the departure and arrivals board.
George Clooney does a great job (as always), and carries the movie beautifully. He's surrounded by the massively talented Kendrick and Farmiga, who are equal to the verbal sparring the script gives them (Kendrick, especially is great at this). They are more than equals to Clooney. The supporting cast is also excellent, especially J.K Simmons as one of the fired workers that Ryan and Natalie fire in tandem. (I think J.K. Simmons must be a feature in all of Retiman's films, like Hector Elizando is in Gary Marshall's films)
The thing I found really interesting about the movie is how conservative Natalie is. She's a go-getter, she graduated from Cornell near the top of her class, but what she wants is a husband and kids. "I should be driving a Grand Cherokee by now," she says. When she pictures twenty-three, she pictured a husband and a family. She says to Ryan and Alex, "I appreciate all your generation did for me," ("No problem", they reply), but what she wants is closer to what her grandmother had than the life Alex is leading. When she leaves Omaha, it's for a much better job in San Francisco--the job she was originally offered, and almost took, before following her boyfriend. She's learned to be more independent (not following your boyfriend is usually a good idea), but she taught Ryan something important: that the best moments in life are ones you spend with other people. Ryan's spent his entire life away from his family ("we never see you", one sister says), but when he takes Alex back to his hometown in Wisconsin, he is excited to show her his old high school, his trophies, and his pictures in the school hallways. He's proud of these connections.
Retiman does a great job with this incredible cast, and they tell a universal story--that you cannot opt-out of interaction with life. Because then you're opting out of life itself.

Popcorn: Oscar Nominee--Precious

2010-03-10T16:30:00.002-05:00

(Yes, I know the Oscars have been awarded. Yes, I know my prognostication was right. But I'm still watching the nominated movies as they come out on DVD, and posting what I thought.)

The Best Picture Nominees for 2009 were: Up, Up in the Air, Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, Inglorious Basterds, District 9, A Serious Man, An Education and The Blind Side. This is second in a series of 2009 Oscar reviews. To see my review of The Hurt Locker, go here.

I really wanted to see this movie, and I have no idea why. I'd read the reviews, knew what it was about, and, to a lot of people, it probably sounded appalling. Why would anyone want to see a movie about an obese, illiterate, sexually, physically and verbally abused teen living in 1987 Harlem?

I did. (yeah, I'm weird.) But keep in mind--The Hours, which opens with a suicide, is my favorite movie.

I purchased the DVD yesterday and, as part of my quest to see all the Best Picture nominees for 2009, sat down to watch and review.

The basic plot is well-known: Precious is sexually abused by her father, has one baby by him (who is raised by her maternal grandmother), and is pregnant with a second. Her mother hates her for 'stealing her man', and verbally, physically and sexually (although we don't see that) abuses her 16 year old daughter.

Precious is still in junior high, although she's 16. Her school principal suspends her for being pregnant (Precious won't tell her how she got pregnant) and suggests she enroll at Each One Teach One, a nearby alternative school, where she can prepare to take her GED. At the school, a tough but kind teacher, Miss Rain, leads Precious and her classmates into academics.

There are a lot of hard scenes in this movie. There's horrific abuse, awful language, and frequent despair. But the toughest scene for me was watching Precious be unable to read the title of a children's book-- A Day at the Shore. She couldn't read any of it. And she was 16. I can't imagine living in a place where basic things like reading are seen as useless (her mother, Mary, sees school as a waste of time). It's heartbreaking to see her struggle so hard.

But she does learn to read. Ms. Rain has each student keep a journal, which is turned in daily for the teacher's comments and feedback. Slowly, Precious decides she will make a better life for herself.

After the birth of her second child, she reluctantly returns to her mother's apartment. But when Mary purposefully drops the baby and begins to abuse her daughter, Precious has had enough. She grabs the baby and escapes the apartment, eventually ending up in a half-way house, where baby Abdul is looked after while she continues her studies.

Her mother finds her and tells her that her father is dead, and that he was HIV positive. Abdul is fine, but Precious is not. She has the virus. In the 1980s, this was a death sentence. But the movie doesn't end in despair; it ends in hope, with Precious and her two children heading to a better life.

The cast is roundly excellent. Mo'Nique is hideously vile as Mary, and her Oscar was extremely well-deserved. Mariah Carey does a nice job in her role as a seen-it-all social worker, with the best acting coming in the denoument between Carey, Mo'Nique and Gabourney Sibidie (Precious) in the social worker's office. For the first time, we hear Mary talk about Precious' child hood and Mary's hatred of her daughter. It's chilling and terrifying.

It is a hard movie to watch, although I didn't think it was unbearable. It is hard to believe that there are actually people like this, that are truly that vile. But there are. It's supposed to be hard to watch.

If you have small children in your house, or even young teens, I wouldn't recommend them watching it. It is definitely a 'R' rated film, and the language, violence and overall tone are definitely not appropriate for kids or even teens. Even very sensitive adults will probably not be able to stomach the movie. But for those who can, it's a revelation of personal triumph in the midst of unimaginable circumstances.

It wasn't as good as The Hurt Locker, in my opinion, but better than Up. Not that Up was bad, but Up was nice. That's all. It was a nice film. It was a gorgeous film. Heck, it was a Pixar film, which is almost shorthand for quality filmmaking. But it wasn't Best Picture material. Precious is.

And..

2010-03-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

It's Monday, soo...

Last week's progress:

Great day at the gym on Tuesday--a new level on the hill program, 35 minute workout, fastest I've ever gone..I was happy.
Sick Th-Friday so no workout.

Sat. morning, went to gym, did 30 minutes of level 3 on the hill program. Not as intense as Monday, but not bad, either. Then I went home and cleaned for 90 minutes--HARD cleaning. So lots of working out that day.

Also did some strength training and seated yoga poses.

No fast food! Lots of cooking!

So not a bad week, over all.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 8, 2010

2010-03-08T16:33:00.000-05:00

Outside my window:
It is 55! Snow is melting! The windows are open! Spring is here!!!! (Yes, I am really excited)

I am wearing:

a yellow 3/4 length sleeve spring sweater, jeans, gray socks

I am thankful for:
My New Book

I am reading:

Midwives, Master and Margarita

From the kitchen:
Last night: sloppy joes (really good!)

Tonight: I think Margherita Pizza, or pasta in general.

I've got Alaska burgers and carbonara on the menu this week as well.

I am thinking:
How happy I am to see my friend, Spring.

I am creating:
Editing the short story.

On my iPod:
Sarah McLachlin, Mirrorball

Toward rhythm and beauty:

A menu, regular prayer times

To Live the Liturgy:

Daily Mass (as often as possible), Magnificat, my Lent books.

I am hoping and praying:
for a good week; for my grandfather

Around the House:
Did massive cleaning on Saturday--really vacuumed, mopped, etc. Now it's the little things--cleaning the bookshelves, dusting off the top of my dresser (which gets dirty in record time, thanks make-up)

One of my favorite things:

Spring!

A few plans for the week:

T: Senate Session

Th: Voice

F: Dinner and movie w/ my brother

Sat.: Hair cut

A picture thought I am sharing:

pretty spring flowers!!!

The gift

2010-03-08T16:04:00.002-05:00

of a new book (halfway through Lent). Read about it here.

The Saturday Evening Blog Post--February Edition

2010-03-06T10:27:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! The lovely Elizabeth is hosting the Saturday Evening Blog Post, where you post your favorite blog entry of the past month. Here's mine.

To read more, head over to Elizabeth's!

Culture Cat: Carmina Burana

2010-03-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

If I said to you, "Hey, let's go spend our Friday night watching a ballet based on the poetry of monks!" You'd probably look at me like I was crazy.
Too bad. You would've missed a great show.
BalletMet's penultimate performance of the 2009-2010 season, Carmina Burana is, indeed, a ballet based on the poetry of monks, set to the music of Carl Orff. But these aren't your typical monks; these guys wrote about love, passion, drunkeness, and all that other stuff monks aren't supposed to know anything about it. BalletMet's stupendous company exuded eroticism and passion as they performed the bravura, almost hour long work.
BalletMet hasn't performed Dwight Rhoden's intense, epic piece in six years, and it's easy to see why. The company is onstage practically every moment, and not in the neat postures of classical ballet's corps. These dancers jumped, spun, leaped, and climbed on and over the set, the stage, and prop benches (sometimes even doing pirouettes on the benches.). Lead by the duo of Olivia Clark and Jimmy Orrante (whose pas de deux to In truitina--in the balance-- was magnificient), the featured pairs and a corps of women lead the audience on a never-to-be-forgotten romp through love, passion, debauchery, death, gluttony and excess--in short, the gallery of life.
All of the dancers did superb work, but meriting special mention are Emily Gotschall, Adrienne Benz, Jackson Sarver, Andres Estevez, Bethany Lee, Austin Finley, Andrew Notarile and Annie Mallonnee. Gotschall, Benz, Sarver, and Estevez seem to have instant spotlights on them whenever they are onstage, and they delivered fantastic performances tonight. And Clarke and Orrante were pitch perfect as the leaders of this romp, with Clark being especially seductive and entrancing.

Carmina, however, was the second great piece of the evening. The night opened with a world premier by company dancer Jimmy Orrante (The Great Gatsby), entitled "Coming Into View". Eight dancers--Olivia Clark, Emily Gotschall, Annie Mallonee, Christine Mangia, Kerri Riccardi, Jon Drake, Andres Estevez and Gabriel Smith--performed this contemporary work about relationships, interconnectedness and individuality, set to the music of Rene Aubry and Gabriel Smith (yes, he also performed in this work. Multi-talented, for sure.). The contemporary costumes--khakis and polos for the men, and flowing dance dresses for the women (who also wore flat technique shoes) perfectly matched the tone of the piece. The section for all women, and the lovely pas and male solo, are worth special mention.

This night of passion, athleticism and artistry is a perfect bill. Don't miss it.
Carmina Burana, with "Coming Into View", will be performed through March 13 at the Riffe Center in downtown Columbus. Tickets can be purchased at www.balletmet.org

Second Friday of Lent

2010-03-05T12:27:00.002-05:00

thoughts up at CPG.

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. XVIII

2010-03-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

I .

It's March, and the snow is melting! It's supposed to be almost 50 this weekend. I am very excited about that.

II.

Today is my best friend Branden's birthday. We've known each other since we were in pre-school! Happy birthday, Sir!

Christmas 2009--I'm next to Branden.

III.

OK, yes I have a lot of best friends. But Branden is my best male friend. And Andrea's birthday is tomorrow (she's in the gray and white sweater in the pic above). So two birthdays back to back. Then Tiff's fiance's birthday later this month, and then mine.

IV.

A thing with me is love of birthdays. I love them, everything about them--the cards, the cake, the presents. Birthdays rock my world.

What does not rock my world? My third cold this winter (and I've gotten every one from the same person, who shall remain nameless.). I might have nipped this one in the bud, since I don't feel too horrible today, just sleepy. But with immuno-compromised me, colds (anything, almost) should be Handled With Care.

VI.

I want to feel better by tonight, since tonight is opening night of BalletMet's Carmina Burana! I am really looking forward to this show. Tickets are still avaiable at the Riffe Center box office prior to the show, or I bet you could get them for later in the run from the online box office (link above). This should be a great performance.

VII.

And we'll wrap with some books of 2010: The Covenant, The Betrayal, The Sacrifice, The Prodigal, The Revelation, Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I want to finish Master and Margarita today, too.

Oh, and did you hear? I finished a story! A real story, with a beginning, middle, and end! I think I might revise it a bit today too. Once I've got it (pretty much) to my satisfaction, I'll post some. Maybe.;-)

For more quick takes, go to Jen's!

Into the Ether

2010-03-04T20:18:00.001-05:00

It is a strange thing to know people read your blog.
You hope people do. I hate to think of my words just flying off into the ether, never to be read by a single soul but me. Usually, if you're writing a blog, it's because you have a desire to share something (hopefully brilliant/insightful/at the very least funny) with mankind. Or your kind relatives and friends that humor you and bump up your stats counter.
So it's very strange to see people (strangers!) not just reading, but linking to your blog.
(How did I get here? I'll tell you...)
I was playing one of my favorite time-wasting games, "Six degrees of me", on Facebook. What I do is click on a friend, then click on one of their friends, and so on, just to see if anyone knows anyone super cool (like Christian Bale, or whatever) personally. (Or as "personally" as one can on facebook.)
While doing this, I noticed that one BalletMet dancer had posted a link to my entry on A Midsummer Night's Dream on another dancer's page.
Seeing this made me promptly scurry back and read the review, and then sigh when I realized that I had said nice (in one case, rather adoring) things about the dancers.
I know that people read this blog. I don't have thousands of family and friends. And I definitely don't have any that live anywhere near Tibet.
But it's still weird to see your post posted on someone else's wall, by someone you don't know.
And in a way....strangely gratifying.

Gyming

2010-03-02T20:30:00.001-05:00

My first "Real" day of this:

**35 minutes on the treadmill. Hill program level 4 (highest yet). Really felt good to do a proper workout, instead of the short ones I've been doing because people were waiting for machines.

**Seated yoga poses (because, according to one of my PTs, I have the 'tightest hamstrings in the world.' since then, I've stretched them a LOT and have gained much flexibility. But they still get uber cranky when not given sufficient attention.)

And, I use the following tools: An Ultimate Workout Log, and the Self Challenge (link for the Challenge on the page). I've done parts of the Challenge before (usually the strength training stuff) and this year's looks pretty sweet. Plus you win cool prizes just by logging workouts and meals! That's some motivation.

"Big News!"

2010-03-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

Another week goes by...in Atlanta.... (sorry, couldn't help it!)

I have finally, at last, and for the first time (excepting my creative writing class where it was for a grade) finished a piece of fiction.
It is done. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
I want to edit it now, go over it for dialogue and details and minor revisions. So I won't post anything (not even a teaser) until that's done.
It is 17 pages long.
I am pretty proud of it.

Books of 2010: March 1st edition

2010-03-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

A Great and Terrible Beauty
Fallen Angels
The Sweet Far Thing
The Mozart Season
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

(yeah, this is the YA edition.)

The PERFECT blog post

2010-02-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

The “Austen Hermeneutic”: Old Mass v New Mass

CATEGORY: Lighter fare, SESSIUNCULA — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 5:08 pm

There is a fun post over at St. Louis Catholic:

If today’s faithful Catholic is represented by Elizabeth Bennet, bright, hopeful and coming of age, then the liturgical forms would have to be represented by Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.

Mr. Wickham is immediately accessible, loves to talk—especially about how bad ol’ Darcy is—has some initial minor flash but soon proves to be tedious and unreliable.

Mr. Darcy at first glance looks stuffy and condescending, but proves over time to be noble, true, of high quality and charitable.

The ordinary and the extraordinary.
_____________

Yes, I actually thought this, and then typed it, and therefore I am a loser. [No… people who can’t refer to Austen are the losers.]

P.S. Mrs. Bennet would represent Marek Bozek. Just sayin’. [LOL]

Beach Countdown

2010-02-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

Jane's doing this...I might as well join...

See, I've got two big things happening in August:

--Duck vacay (read: swimsuit)

--Tiff's wedding (read: photos that will be on walls forever)

So, here's the plan:
1. No fast food

2. Exercise at least 3 times a week

3. Post progress

Three times a week is TOTALLY doable. Let's be real here. I have DVDs at home, the gym's not that far. It can be done.

Starting...tomorrow.

Transfiguration

2010-02-28T15:21:00.002-05:00

Up at CPG.

What makes you happy?

2010-02-28T15:09:00.000-05:00

Got this great idea from Jane! I'm going to tag ALL of you! (That blog that is.)

You have to write 10 things that make you happy. (And that picture? That is one of them. Love it.)

So, here are mine:

My parish
Time w/ my family. The four of us (Mel is in Chicago) had lunch at Mohawk in German Village after Mass today, and it was so fun. A perfect day so far.
Hockey! Watching the gold medal game now.
The snow is melting, and tomorrow is March 1! Spring nears.
beaches
Good books
Jane Austen movies (watched the new BBC Emma and Sense and Sensibility yesterday)
Babies (such a cutie in front of us at Mass!)
Yankee candles
Soft, warm blankets to snuggle under while watching hockey.

What makes you happy? Share in the combox!

Popcorn Oscar Special: Top 10 Best Picture Winners

2010-02-27T12:48:00.003-05:00

Spoilers may be ahead--so...tread with caution.

Gone With The Wind: I’ve been watching this since I was about 7 years old (my sister is named Melanie, for pete’s sake.). Like Scarlett or not (and I do like her), the best picture of Hollywood’s Golden Age (1939) is worth seeing just for the history behind it, the 17 screen writers, different directors, and the hype surrounding Vivien Leigh’s casting. Yes, it gets a bit long at the end, but it redeems itself.
The Sound of Music (1965): The hills are alive…in this improved version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical classic. Songs are added and set within the gorgeous setting of Salzburg. Julie Andrews is a wonder.
A Man For All Seasons (1966): The story of Thomas More’s martyrdom. A brilliant ensemble cast makes the story come to life.
Schindler’s List (1993): The Holocaust film. Liam Neeson, Embeth Davidtz, and Ralph Fiennes lead the stellar cast. An artistic and technical marvel.
Braveheart (1995): OK, the history is suspect, but I like seeing Braveheart and Isabelle get together. J Exotic settings and believable characters make it more than another war film.
The English Patient (1996): Kristin Scott Thomas, Ralph Fiennes (again), Colin Firth, Juliette Binoche and Willem Dafoe star in director Anthony Minghella’s World War II desert tale. Loyalty, love, and personal choices define the epic film.
Shakespeare In Love (1998): Tom Stoppard and the Bard= a winning writing combination. The all-star cast takes on the (supposed) back story behind Romeo and Juliet. The cast alone makes this worth seeing: Gwyneth Paltrow (as Shakespeare’s muse, Viola—she won her Oscar for this role); Joseph Fiennes (yes, brother of Ralph, as Shakespeare); Colin Firth (as Viola’s fiancé) ; Judi Dench (in an Oscar-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth I); Geoffrey Rush (Shakespeare’s manager), and Ben Affleck (as an egotistical actor). Watch and try to catch all the Shakespearian allusions (English Major Drinking Game!)
A Beautiful Mind (2001): Ron Howard’s tour de force direction leads the viewers down the same path of paranoia as John Nash—until all is revealed about an hour in. James Newton Howard’s delicate and haunting score provides a great thematic backdrop for Russell Crowe (Nash), Jennifer Connolly (as his wife, Alicia), Paul Betany (as Charles), Christopher Plummer, and Ed Harris.
LOTR: The Return of the King (2003): My favorite of the three LOTR movies—a fitting end to an epic series.
Million Dollar Baby (2004): A film about finding family. A bunch of loners (Hillary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman) come together to make each other whole, and face the devastating choices we must make in the name of love.

If I Never Knew You

2010-02-24T16:45:00.002-05:00

If I never knew you

I'd have lived my whole life through

Empty as the sky

Never knowing why

Lost forever

If I never knew you.

--If I Never Knew You, Stephen Schwartz

How do you convince people that life is better than no life at all?
That all lives are worth living, no matter how painful?

For some people...you can't.

I've written about this a few times here. But today brought it into a painful and stark perspective. There are people out there who think my life, and that of hundreds of thousands of others, is not worth living.

Today's Dispatch held this example. I'm posting the whole letter instead of linking to it.

My emphases in bold:

Pre-birth testing foe needs context

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 2:51 AM

I respond to the Friday letter "Hitler would approve of pre-birth testing" from Thomas R. Marco. He references the killing of babies and asks "is reducing the statistical percentage of abnormalities worth such horrific acts?"
My answer is: You better believe it's worth it. Before others judge, they should know a little more about the "abnormalities." My daughter was born with Tay Sachs. My wife and I watched her suffer for just under three years.
We watched her slowly die and live a difficult and very uncomfortable life.
We watched and listened to her scream in pain and frustration for hours at a time. We watched her as she lost the ability to sit, to eat, to hear, to see, to do anything but suffer. Then we watched her die while she was in my arms. I carried her out to the hearse.
If any child can be spared that by pre-birth testing, then I am all for it.
Better yet, parents should have genetic testing prior to trying to conceive so that everyone's moral sensibilities can be assuaged.
Until Marco has spent a minute with a child whose short life is filled with suffering, I suggest he be more careful with his Adolf Hitler references.
KEVIN LEVINE
Bexley

So--his daughter's life wasn't worth living?
He would have 'spared her' by not allowing her to be born at all.

This is MY letter to the editor. I sent it this morning, not sure if it will be published. But I want to share it with you anyway.
***
To the editor:
I was disturbed by Kevin Levine's "Pre-birth testing foe needs context" (Letters, Feb. 24, 2010). He states that "...if any child can be spared [suffering] by pre-birth testing, then I am all for it." I am sorry for the death of his child, and the pain that his family endured. But his logic is simply faulty.

Mr. Levine is essentially saying that I should not have been born, because that's the only way I would've been "spared." I am twenty-seven years old, and was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) when I was 11. Since then, I have spent months in the hospital, had a two-week visit to the ICU, undergone countless tests, and, at the age of twenty-three, had a double lung transplant. Before my transplant, most of my days were spent sleeping. I hadn't the energy to do anything else. Even simple tasks such as brushing my teeth took enormous energy. I was in almost constant pain from the lung infections and scar tissue that are part and parcel with CF.

But I have never considered my life not worth living. I love my life. I am a college graduate, am working on a Master's Degree, and have a good job. I have wonderful family and friends and an 11-year old godson. I have been under the care of brilliant doctors and nurses who have worked tirelessly to save my life. If I had not been born, I would have certainly spared myself and my family much suffering. But the joys of life would not have been mine, either.

My CF has made me who I am today, and I'd like to think that's a good thing. No matter what the challenges my life may have handed--and continue to hand--me, nothing is more precious than the gift of life.

Suffering cannot be avoided in any life. It's part of being human. Just because a person has to suffer doesn't mean that her life is not worth living. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Life does not consist in getting a good hand, but in learning to play a bad hand well."
***

How can anyone--especially a parent--say that someone's life was so filled with suffering and tragedy that it wasn't worth living? How is that not monstrous?
My parents have watched all those things too, Mr. Levine. And I'm pretty sure I'll die before they will. They've had 26 years of it.
Would I have saved my family money if I'd not be born? For sure.
Would I have saved them lots of emotional pain? Definitely
Would my brother and sister have gotten more attention? Absolutely.

Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be that, in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. Oh, God! To hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!

--Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

But...

Would they be better if I hadn't been born?
I can't answer that. If you never knew someone, how do you know what you're missing?

But I know--and no matter what price I have to pay, it was worth it. The entirety of it.

I realize then that we never have children, we receive them. And sometimes it's not for quite as long as we would have expected or hoped. But it is still far better than never having had those children at all. 'Kate,' I confess. 'I'm so sorry.'
She pushes back from me, until she can look me in the eye. 'Don't be,' she says fiercely. 'Because I'm not.' She tries to smile, tries so damn hard. 'It was a good one, Mom, wasn't it?'
I bite my lip, feel the heaviness of tears. 'It was the best,' I answer."
--Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

The Simple Woman's Daybook--February 23, 2010

2010-02-23T16:45:00.000-05:00

Outside My Window::
38 degrees, sort of sunny, the snow is melting! I can see my porch again!

I am wearing ::
jeans, a lavender t-shirt

I am Thankful For::
A fruitful Lent, thus far

I am Reading:
Just finished In This House of Brede (again), and am reading Master and Margarita (it's so good, so far!)

From the Kitchen::
Not sure. Made chicken curry last night, so might be a sandwich night around here.

I am Thinking:
how glad I am that the snow is going away!

I am Creating::
a short story. It's almost finished!

On my iPod::
My gym soundtrack

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:
Still keeping the gym log. The food log is a LOT harder!

To Live the Liturgy:
Lent at St. Pat's is beautiful and solemn. Today is the Feast of St. Polycarp. I went to Mass and heard Fr. Blau give a great sermon on the meaning of the Our Father and meaningful repetition vrs. just repetition. So great.

I am Hoping and Praying:
For some friends who are making big decisions.

Around the House:
Always--the kitchen table. Vacuuming. (Are you surprised?) a little bathroom cleaning, too.

One of My Favorite Things:
Daily Mass

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:
Th: Voice lesson

Books of 2010 cont.

2010-02-20T19:54:00.001-05:00

On Being Catholic
Inside the Passion
He Leadeth Me
Evangelical Is Not Enough
Secrets of Eden
Lead, Kindly Light
The Blood of the Lamb (SOOOO good)
As I Lay Dying
These Happy Golden Years
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief
The Winter's Tale
Failure is Not An Option

Radioactivity

2010-02-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

So besides awesome Olympic watching last week, I got to spend two days at Riverside Hospital on the northwest side for an iodine scan.
As we recall--in October I had a thyroid biospy after a CT scan revealed a nodule on my thyroid. Prior to this, I wasn't even sure where my thyroid gland was. The biopsy was benign, so no thyroid cancer (which is fairly common for women my age, apparently), but I was sent to an endocrinologist at Riverside to investigate other thyroid issues that may be occuring. Part of that was the scheduling of an iodine scan, to see how my thryoid reacted to it. Apparently this will tell if I have an underactive or overactive thyroid, each with its own set of problems.
So, on Wednesday I went to Riverside's Nuclear Medicine Department at 7:30. Riverside is a very nice hospital, very clean and quite pretty. There are lounges scattered about with couches and tables and such, so you can read or work. There's also WiFi, but I didn't bring my laptop to take advantage.
After doing the registration paperwork at the desk (and forking over a $100 fee, wasn't expecting that), I sat down to wait. I didn't have to wait long. The tech, Lisa, came back for me and took me to the exam room. We went over my meds, and then she explained the procedure. I had to swallow two capsules, which contained a tracer so that when we took the pictures later, we'd be able to see certain things more clearly. I took those. 90 minutes later, I could eat, and 4 hours later (around 11:30), I was to come back to the exam room so we could take three sets of pictures and take some measurements.
After I swallowed the pills, I went to one of the lounges to read, write in my journal, things like that. This one had a fireplace, which was super nice.
At 9:30 (I was STARVING), I headed to the cafeteria to get a snack. It was Ash Wednesday, so fasting was involved--no meat, no snacks--but I hadn't eaten yet so I needed some sort of food. I bought a snack pack of cheese and crackers, and a USA Today. I did the crossword puzzle in an half hour and watched some of the Olympics on the television. The cafeteria was a nice departure from the usual sterile, institutional atmosphere most places have (yes, Children's, your cafeteria counts. Sorry.).
After that, I returned to my lounge to read Signs of Life, the Scott Hahn book I'd be wanting for finish for months, and to write some more in my journal (I was so behind). I also bought a Better Homes and Gardens from the gift shop.
At 11:30 I headed back to the exam room and hopped up on the table. Lisa inserted the table into the scanner. It was sort of like a VQ scan, where the plate comes very close to the part it's scanning, so that the radiation doesn't just fly all over the room. Since it was my neck, and not my chest, I wasn't as claustrophobic as usual. I actually fell asleep during the second and third sets.
Then the tech took some measurements of my leg (no idea why, I guess some sort of baseline thing) and then my thyroid. These took two minutes each. After that, I was free to go, but not free to hang out with people. Gotta love being radioactive.
The next day I headed back around 9:30, did the two-minutes-each measurements again, and was gone. The instructions said to take two days off of work, so I did, but I wish they would've told me WHY for the second day. I guess timing had something to do with it. Oh well.
I should get the results sometime next week. We'll see what craziness my thyroid is up to (if any) then.

Evan wins gold!!!!!!!!

2010-02-19T00:07:00.002-05:00

He beat Plushenko by a point. GOLD MEDAL USA!
And Frank Carroll finally has a n Olympic gold medalist.

Lent and Percy Jackson

2010-02-18T16:41:00.001-05:00

Here.

Housekeeping

2010-02-17T16:47:00.001-05:00

The "My transplant story" tab has been updated with video! So you can get the quick gist of the blog by reading that (if you're new), or, if you're an old hand, you can see the videos. One is the longer (5 minute) spot for the Children's Miracle Network show. The other (1 minute) is a TV spot that aired on our local CBS affiliate.

(oh, and just for the record: I do not have bangs anymore. Bad look for me. And I do not normally wear gym pants in non-gym settings. It's just that no pants fit me. I weighed 83 pounds. My jeans were about "2 sizes too small." )

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T13:52:00.002-05:00

At CPG.

Figure Skating

2010-02-16T23:37:00.001-05:00

I am in love with Evan Lysacek. That is all.
Did you see that Program? Did you see it? If you didn't, go to www.nbcolympics.com or YouTube and WATCH IT. It was perfection. True, beautiful, glorious perfection, to the "Firebird Suite."
Right now he's in second place, right behind Plushenko. Great position going into the long.
I would marry him right now. As would probably every woman in America.
Here's the NBC wrap-up.

Lenten media

2010-02-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

My suggestions are up at CPG.
(Just a note: Most, if not all, of my Lenten reflections will be up on CPG. I will cross-link them here, for ease of reading, but I move them over there so that the people who ONLY read CPG have something to read, and so that the readers over here who aren't Catholic/Christian can have the option of not reading my Lenten pondering, if they so choose.)

What I'm Giving Up For Lent...

2010-02-15T17:33:00.002-05:00

Over here.

Winter Cooking

2010-02-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

Most days when I cook, it's in the middle of a rush--the TV is on, I've just gotten home, and I'm hungry. Baking is another story; that's more meditative. I do it when I have time (or a chocolate craving). But cooking has a sense of urgency to it in my kitchen.
Today, with the snow falling, I took my time. I scrubbed the potatoes and cut them into dice. I peeled the onion, and sliced it carefully, thinly. I slid them into the oil-slick pan, and cooked them slowly, for 30 minutes, letting them caramelize.
There is no TV. There is no music. There's just the quiet sizzling of the vegetables in the pan.

Nigella's Onion and Potato Hash
from Feast

1 small onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups all purpose potatoes (one regular sized spud) cut into 1/2" dice with skin on
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I didn't have any, so used red pepper flakes very generously)
1 egg

Peel and halve the onion and slice finely into half moons. Heat the oil in a rying pan, add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat with a sprinkle of salt to stop it catching. Scrub but do not peel the potato, cut into 1/2" dice and add to the onion in the pan, sprinkling over the cayenne pepper.
Turn the heat down to low and keeping moving the onions and potatoes about every now and then as you want them to caramelize rather than darken in color. Cook them slowly like this for about 30 minutes or until the potato is tender. Turn the heat up and push the potato and onion hash to one side of the pan. Crack in the egg in the other half, and when it is cooked spoon the onions and potatoes on to a plate and top with the fried egg.

Culture Cat: BalletMet's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

2010-02-12T23:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight I saw BalletMet's Valentine-themed program at the Riffe's Center's Capitol Theater. The double bill featured former Artistic Director David Nixon's one act adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", as well as a premiere by choreographer Ma Cong, entitled "Temporal." As usual, the program was technically brilliant and artistically superb, which is what I have come to expect from BalletMet.

"Temporal" featured 10 dancers--five pairs of men and women. Choreographer Cong, named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch", notes that the piece was inspired by Mediterranean life and culture, and is a "study of love and spirituality and speaks sensually about he human condition." Set to vocals and electric jazz, the piece showcases the both the athletic and sensitive sides of dance.

Adrienne Benz (also one of Dance's "25 to watch") and David Tlaiye were the number's featured couple--their elegant pas de deux formed the center of the piece, which was made up of five segments. Since Benz's beautiful performance as Juliet two seasons ago, I have greatly enjoyed watching her dance. She brings a rare combination of strength, athleticism and sensitivity to her dancing, which was showcased to great effect here. Benz seems to have a spotlight on her whenever she's onstage. Tlaiye partnered her perfectly, showing her off to her best advantage. As a partner and a soloist, he shines. (In fact, all of BalletMet's male dancers are uncommonly good. We're spoiled.) The two of them seemed very comfortable dancing together, which made their duets a pleasure to watch.

Other notable dancers in "Temporal" were Jackson Sarver and Adam Hundt, who partnered Annie Mallonee and Courtney Muscroft, respectively.

Bottom and Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

The second act was Nixon's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", a streamlined version of Shakespeare's play that focuses on Oberon and Titania and the two pairs of crossed human lovers, Demetrius and Helena and Lysander and Hermia. Hermia's father is forcing her to marry Demetrius, but she's in love with Lysander. Helena is in love with Demetrius, who only has eyes for Hermia. When Oberon sends his sprite servant Puck into the woods with the nectar of love, hilarity ensues. Puck also puts the spell on Titania, Oberon's wife and Queen of the Fairies, so she falls in love with the first person she sees upon awakening--in this case, the actor Bottom, who has been transformed into a donkey.

Emily Gotschall was a radiant Titania; petulant and teasing in the beginning, when she refuses to share her changeling child with her husband, she falls head over heels in love with Bottom midway through the piece. After Oberon poitns out her mistake, she apologizes, presents the changeling to her husband, and all is well again. I had not seen Gotschall in a major role before, and she danced Titania wonderfully, with grace and spirit. Her husband was danced by Bryan Jenkins, whose commanding presence and scheming ways are a delight to watch. He doesn't have much to do after the beginning--he mostly watches the antics of the lovers from a suspended swing--but his final pas with Gotschall were technically sound and artistically sensitive. Both of them are fine actors, as well as excellent dancers.

Dustin James, as Puck, provided a lot of laughs with his athletic and comedic dancing. You could tell he loved getting to play this part. With elf-like ears and glitter in his hair, he was truly spritely as he pranced about the stage wreaking havoc.

Most of the havoc is felt by poor Helena, danced by Emily Ramirez. A brilliant actress and comedienne, she plays the love lorn Helena to perfection. At first, all she wants is Demetrius to pay attention to her (David Tlaiye, in his second major role of the night), but he continually (and hysterically) rebuffs her. She goes from having no suitors, to having two, when Puck accidentally puts the nectar on Lysander's (Adam Hundt's) and Demetrius' eyes--now she has two suitors, who literally toss and pull her back and forth as if she's a rope in a tug of war.

Her more refined counterpart, Hermia (Annie Mallonee), wants nothing but Lysander's love, and early on, she seems to have it. In fact, she has to rebuff his too amorous advances during their pas de deux. But after a brief sleep, she awakens to find that both men are in love with her best friend, making her furious. An amusing, hair-puling fight between the two women ensues as the men look for weapons with which to duel.

In the midst of all this, Titania and her fairies (Peaseblossom [Jessica Brown], Mustarseed [Carrie West], Cobweb [Emma Misner] and Moth [Olivia Clark]) are doting on Bottom (Andrew Notarile). When Titania announces her new love to her fairies, their expressions range from pure shock (Brown's hysterical Peaseblossom) to shrugs of acceptance (West's Mustarseed). Soon they are bedecking him with flowers, and placing him in Titania's bower.

Oberon finally straightens out the mismatched lovers, and all is well. With Titania and Oberon reunited, the Royal Couple heads to Titania's bower, as Puck brings down the curtain.

The dancing is not just technically involved (as is usual with Nixon's ballets), but requires superb acting ability from every dancer. This challenge is well met with this cast. The facial expressions and choreography convey the comedy splendidly.

"Midsummer" also featured the company's trainees as Titania's Fairies. Monica Giragosian, Kerri Riccardi and Emily Loscocco were in tonight's cast (they were joined by Company member Courtney Muscroft), and all performed admirably. You couldn't tell the seasoned members from the trainees in this case. The Academy was also represented, with student Connie Yuan playing Titania's Changeling Child. Bottom's theatrical comrades were well danced by Austin Finley and Emilio Lugo (also a trainee). It's great to see so much comedic talent in the company. Technically sound dancers are great to have, and provide the strong foundation. But artistry, timing, interpretation and comedy are skills that cannot be taught. These intangibles BalletMet has in abundance. Passion, laughter and love make this a Valentine's Day program to remember.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" runs through Sunday at the Capitol Theater in the Riffe Center. The next two programs for BalletMet are "Carmina Burana", opening March 5, and "American Legends", which opens in late April. Go to www.balletmet.org for ticket information.

All photos: Will Shively

And a random neat note: This program didn't require all the Company dancers to be involved. But I still saw dancer Andres Estevez and his wife, dancer Zoica Tovar, in attendance. Unfortunately I forgot to ask them to sign my program!

Seven Quick Takes Friday Vol. XXIII

2010-02-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

(I'm going to try to be like Margaret and see if I can do this in 20 minutes!)

I am not a Saints fan--I am a Steelers fan.

That said, the Saints might just have become my favorite NFC. I love Drew Brees and his adorable child. That picture post-game? Priceless.

II.

Snow, snow and more snow--and now icicles. At least now I am beginning to see more pavement in my parking lot, and even a few parking spot lines! So this is progress. Slush is better than snow, which is better than ice. There is hierarchy here.

III.

Weekend plans (for the long weekend--Monday off!): BalletMet's A Midsummer Night's Dream Tonight, at the Riffe Center; tomorrow, dentist in the AM and stuff with Tiffany; Sunday, Lay Dominicans after Noon Mass, and Monday? Just hanging out. Whew.

IV.

I'm back to blogging at CPG. I sort of neglected it while I tried to do 30 posts in 30 days over here, during the month of January (check the archives--totally achieved that goal!). With Lent starting next week (can you BELIEVE it?), that will be the place for all things Lent.

Books of 2010 update: Death On a Friday Afternoon, Brava, Valentine, Lucia, Lucia.

VI.

Blog housekeeping: Noticed those tabs up above? I really love them. They will be evolving, so keep an eye out. If you have any comments/suggestions/questions, click the contact me tab and shoot me an email, or just leave one in the com box. I do read (and respond to!) every email and comment from the blog.

VII.

I do not have a Valentine this year; I did, however, send my godson an e-card. And Nigella Lawson's Feast has a recipe for a single Valentine's Day meal. I'll be making that tomorrow (or Sunday) and posting the results here. Probably making it Sunday--on actual Valentine's Day.

(And my godson? He lives in Pittsburgh, and hasn't had school all week. I bet my Aunt is going stir crazy with two teenage (well, almost teenage, in Ryan's case) boys around all week.

(7 minutes! I rule!)

Check out more quick takes over at Jen's!

Popcorn: Oscar Special--Top 20 Best Picture Nominees

2010-02-12T00:21:00.001-05:00

From the ones that didn’t win, my favorites:

The Wizard of Oz: This doesn’t need explanation, does it?
Roman Holiday(1953): Audrey Hepburn’s first starring role as a foreign princess. Beautiful.
The 10 Commandments (1956): Perhaps Charlton Heston’s most iconic role. “Behold His mighty hand!” Yul Brynner also makes a great pharaoh.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959): Love the play, love the movie.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962): Pitch perfect, from the opening credits onward. Robert Duvall’s first film role.
Children of a Lesser God (1986): Love the sign language, the Maine setting, and the tension between the lovers.
Beauty and the Beast (1991): My favorite Disney movie. The animation is brilliant. Early use of CGI, as well.
A Few Good Men (1992): Some of the best dialogue ever in a film.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): It’s Jane with Kate Winslet! Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Greg Wise play the tempest-tossed suitors.
As Good As It Gets (1997): James L. Brooks at his comedic best.
Life Is Beautiful (1998): Pathos, baby. Pathos.
The Green Mile (1999): Disturbing and touching.
Chocolat (2000): Beautiful food, beautiful clothes, great characters. And a fantastic score by Rachel Portman.
The Hours (2002): My second favorite movie of all time. There is no such thing as an ordinary day. Nicole Kidman is brilliant.
Master and Commander (2003): high seas adventure with great actors.
Mystic River (2003): A punch to the gut. Sean Penn in the performance of his career.
Finding Neverland (2004): A gentle film about friendship and writing.
Juno (2006): laugh out loud funny. Ellen Page and Jennifer Garner play off each other so well.
Michael Clayton (2006): A legal thriller with razor-sharp acting.
The Reader (2008): Kate Winslet finally wins an Oscar, and Ralph Fiennes isn’t a psychopath! Two reasons to see it.

Popcorn Oscar Edition: The Hurt Locker

2010-02-10T20:21:00.002-05:00

The Best Picture Nominees for 2010 are: Up, Up in the Air, Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, Inglorious Basterds, District 9, A Serious Man, An Education and The Blind Side. I'm trying to see as many of the nominees as I can before the awards are announced on March 7th.

The Hurt Locker is the second Best Picture nominee I've seen since the list was a nnounced a few weeks ago. At that time, I had no clear Best Picture winner in mind, although I was thinking Up In The Air might beat out Avatar.

I was wrong. The clear winner in this race is The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow's stunning film about a three-man IED detonating team in Iraq.

The film is real, immediate, and vivid. I had to check the case several times to make sure this wasn't a documentary. Screenwriter Mark Boal was an embed with an IED unit in Iraq; that's why the dialogue and the situations are so realistic. Shot in Jordan, the film follows Army Sergeant William James (a brilliant Jeremy Renner)and his team as they move through the final days of thier deployment with Bravo Company at Camp Victory in Baghdad. Their mission--to find IEDs and disarm them before they disarm and kill anyone else.

The premise is simple, the acting crystal-clear. It may be one of the most perfect movies I have ever seen, except that you keep forgetting it's a movie. There's no Hollywood touches--no glam costumes, no artful battle scenes. During one particularly long stand-off sequence, sand accumulates on the men and flies settle on their bodies. The camera zooms in on the eyes, the lashes coated in sand, but still intent on their target across the desert.

This is a movie you experience. You live every second with these men. Jeremy Renner is a shoe-in for Best Actor. No one can touch his performance in this film (sorry George. Maybe next year.). He's pitch perfect as the Staff Sergeant who's a bit unconventional, but the best at what he does. Ralph Fiennes makes a brief appearance as a British force leader.

After seeing this movie, I can't believe that something like Avatar, which exists primarily on special effects, is even in the same contest. While it tells the story of fantasy world of the future, The Hurt Locker is a gripping look at the here and now, yet it also transcends the time and place of its setting. There is no slant, and no agenda--there are just three men, doing their jobs, knowing that any second, their lives could be over. When it's over, you can almost feel the sand on your face and the sun on your back.

Yes, this is only the second Best Picture nominee I've seen, and I've got at least one (Inglorious Basterds) lined up for the weekend. But I can't imagine how any other movie can touch the brilliance and deep-seated reality of The Hurt Locker.

What I learned from the Super Bowl

2010-02-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

Ben R. > Peyton M.
Even if the Steelers were down 14 points, Ben would've gotten a TD with that last drive. Heck, he would've run it in himself.
So I do not want to hear anymore "Peyton is better than Ben" crap.
That is all.

Nature Kicks My Butt

2010-02-07T11:41:00.000-05:00

So, I was going to Mass today. The snow didn't look that bad, and the plows had even cleared the main thruway of the apartment complex. So I was going out.
Um...not.
I should've known it would be hard when I could walk on the snow. My car's front was pretty buried, as was the back wheel on the right side. And this was hard, packed snow. It wasn't going anywhere without a shovel. Kicking so did not work.
I tried brushing/scraping off the car. For the windows I had to chip it off in large chunks. The end result is the sides of my car, and the hood, are somewhat visible. The windshield, back window, and top are not. The snow was like salt crust on a fish. It was not going anywhere.
And, about 5 minutes in, my herart was racing. So I came back in, checked my sats with my little monitor. My sats were fine--97--but my heart rate was 150. So, yeah. I'm not going anywhere today. My dad and brother will attempt to free my car (they have shovels, I do not--need to fix that) later today.
So Mass will be here, with my LOH, and Magnificat. Sigh.

Second Day of Great Snow

2010-02-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

The tally:

Music: Brahms for Book Lovers, Beethoven for your Beloved, Bach for Breakfast. (I'm just about done with the "B" section...)
Books: Little Town on the Prairie, The Amish Cook's Baking Book, Sailing the Wine Dark Sea (FINALLY done!), began The Winter's Tale (which I think is very appropriate)
Movies: Oliver Twist, the beginning of Sleeping Beauty
Food: Cowgirl Cornbread, pasta, and PIE! I am so excited about the pie. I will post pics tomorrow.

Snow Day Pie

2010-02-06T20:19:00.001-05:00

I have made my first pie--successfully!
The filing I wasn't too worried about. It was the crust. I used a pat-a-pan crust recipe, where you actually mix the dough in the pie plate, then pour in the appropriate filing. It can't be used for double-crust pies (like peach or apple), but I'm not there yet anyway.
The pie was fantastic. It's like a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie--so rich I only had one piece. With cold milk, it's divine.

So, here's the recipe, from The Amish Cook's Baking Book

Snow Day Pie
For the crust:
Pat-A-Pan pie crust
makes one single 9-inch crust (no overhang)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. cold milk

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a 9" pie pan and mix with your fingertips until evenly blended. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat until creamy. Pour all over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completed moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers, first at the sides of the plate then across the bottom. Flute the edges.

The shell is now ready to be filled. (If you are preparing a shell to fill later, or your recipe requires a pre-baked crust, preheat over to 425 degrees. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Check often and prick more if needed.)

Chocolate Chip Pie

Pat-a-pan pie crust (above)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour; stir in eggs and butter until the batter is well-blended and smooth. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract; mix until smooth and the chips are evenly distributed. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool on wire rack or windowsill until pie is firm, about 45 minutes. Store any leftovers in a sealed cake safe. The pie will keep for about five days.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

Susie's Cowgirl Cornbread

2010-02-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

(From Bon Appetit, January 2008)
As we know, today is Susie's first birthday. As we also know, it is a snowy mess in Ohio (although a plow has come through my complex several times, yay!). So I thought that I would make a "birthday dinner" for Susie, and a nice dinner for myself, since I'm snowbound.
The first dish is what I'm calling "Susie's Cowgirl Cornbread." It's actual title is "Texas Buttermilk Cornbread", which is what made me think of making it. But I like my title better.
Rounding out the meal will be pasta in marinara, and...chocolate chip pie. Yes. I am going to attempt pie making. That recipe will be posted once I try the pie!

But first, here's the cornbread that any cowgirl will appreciate.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 c. yellow cornmeal
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400. Brush an 8X8X2 baking dish with two tablespoons of the melted butter. Place dish in oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk and remaining butter. Stir batter until evenly moistened--do not over blend.

Transfer cornbread batter to hot dish and spread evenly. Bake cornmeal until crusty on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cornbread cool at least 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Happy birthday, Susie! (part II)

2010-02-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Suze,
I cannot believe that you are a year old today! You are an adorable little girl, full of fun and cuddliness (if we can catch you!). I wish I could be with you to celebrate, especially since you're walking now!
Have a wonderful birthday, and many, many more.
Love,
Your Cousin, Emily

I made that blanket for Susie! The other side has girl and boy rubber duckies.

Susie's first trip to Galveston--and a beach, period

Susie and her parents. Aren't they a good looking family?

Me and Suze at the Houston Museum of Natural Science's butterfly exhibit.

In Pittsburgh over Christmas.

The First Day of the Great Snow

2010-02-06T10:14:00.001-05:00

Brought:

Books: By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Molto Mario, The Olive and the Caper, Jesus, Teach Us to Pray.
Music: Bach for Book Lovers, Beethoven for Book Lovers
Exercise: Seated yoga poses (whoa did I need those)
Movies: A wee bit of Oliver Twist
Food: Made Pampered Chef Fiesta Party dip (yum!)

The snow is over thus far--more is coming. So staying in.

The Saturday Evening (blog) post--Vol. 2 (for me)

2010-02-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

IT's that time again! On the first Saturday of the Month, Elizabeth Esther hosts The Saturday Evening Blog Post over at her blog. Pick your favorite post of the previous month, and join in! Rules and linkage instructions are on her website.

I chose this one.

Happy Birthday, Susie!

2010-02-06T04:25:00.002-05:00

The night before her first birthday, Di's daughter Susie took her first steps!

SEven Quick Takes Friday Vol. XXII

2010-02-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

OK, going to start w/ the complaints and then move on. PLEASE, in snow, with low visibility, put on your lights, and don't tailgate! Also use your turn signal!

II.

OK, done with that. Whew. The snow, thus far, is very big (one of my co-workers said the snowflakes were as 'big as potato chips'), and very fluffy and wet. So it isn't really packed down. I hear this will change as it gets colder. The weather guy, at this moment, is saying 5-8", which isn't as bad as a foot, or the THIRTY INCHES DC is predicted to get. Yowzers.

III.

So, from now until Sunday AM, I am not leaving my house. That means--books, food, and movies. Not necessarily in that order.

IV.

I exercised THREE days this week so far! And the snow will not deter me--I have a pilates DVD and a Shape workout DVD (which is insanely hard, but...oh well).

On the movie front, I have a ton to watch. (500) Days of Summer, Oliver Twist, Season 4 of House...I'm well prepared. I also have my biblical studies lectures to keep me busy. The next one is on the books of Chronicles.

VI.

Books of 2010: Into Thin Air and The Olive and the Caper, a Greek cookbook. It is a GREAT cookbook to curl up with and read, and provides lots of great recipes and menus.

I also started Jesus, Teach Us to Pray. Lent is upon us soon, so I think it's time to dive into some Lenten reading. I'll have more books on that when we get closer.

VII.

Still nothing on Titanic. But in voice I'm working on some Linda Eder pieces, including her arrangement of the classic "I'll Be Seeing You". It's a lot of fun.

For more quick takes, head over to Jen's.

Stay warm!

A Clouded Constellation

2010-02-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Corner has this to say about the Obama Administration's proposed canceling of the Constellation space shuttle program. This is one of the things in the budget I'm a little disappointed about.

For one thing, space is cool. I loved studying space and astronomy as a kid, and really, it's one of the few places where I could see clear (and AWESOME) applications for higher math. I'm an Ohioan, so flight and space are big--we have the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, and NASA Glenn research center in Cleveland.

Over the summer, I visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was a world-class museum, offering something for everyone at rock-bottom ticket prices. I got to touch a moon rock, visit Historic Mission Control, see the Saturn V rocket, and learn that we've figured out how humans could survive on the Moon. It was so neat. If I was a kid, this might have motivated me to work harder in math and science!

Growing plants on the Moon

Space is part of the national consciousness. Star Wars, Star Trek, Apollo 13, and the Challenger explosion are easy examples of space-themed things in our culture. My Tempurpedic bed is (supposedly) based on NASA science.

Sure, it's a government agency, so it's bloated and inefficient. But it does need consistent funding if we're going to reach the Moon again, or Mars. I've been reading Man and the Moon, by Andrew Chakin, about the space program. These moon trips were complicated research missions-- a lot of science was involved, as was the taking of samples and other experiments. It wasn't just, "hey, let's beat the Russians to the Moon."

I don't think exploration can come with set standards. Christopher Columbus wanted to find China; he found Hispanola instead. Alexander the Great wept when he saw there was no more to conquer. Magellean found the way through the treacherous strait that bears his name. Every terrestrial has added to our knowledge about this planet, her people, and her life. (Let's save the arguments about why it wasn't so great for another time.) Why can't extraterrestrial exploration do the same thing? Astronauts are today's Columbuses and Magelleans. They give us license to dream.