7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 4

Click here to read the original post at ConversionDiary.com

*1*

See if you can guess my pattern here.

*2*

Here we go, once again... Just as the leaves took forever to turn rusty colors... my inevitable autumn sickness took forever to turn its ugly head. I don't want to siphon all the blame onto my 1st graders...but they are probably the Mary to my Typhoid. Watch out people, the stomach flu is out there and it is kicking and screaming all the way home.

*3*

Home handcuffed me to the sick bed and I managed to keep that stomach flu to myself! No one in my family got sick, which is a true miracle. You know who you are and I love you, but some people in my family pick up more colds and flus than mess around the house.... I guess I could be pointing that at all members of my lovely family. Family, forgive me for this.

*4*

This is the weekend. I am going to conquer this digital stack of graduate school applications and I'm going to conquer it good. Call me Joan of Arc, my weapon is my keyboard.

*5*

Keyboard (more likely a piano), guitar, drums, base, and a beautiful voice. Those are the weapons of choice for many a talented musician. I am in awe of anyone with musical talent, but one of my favorite Christian musicians is Phil Wickham. Tis the season and this wonderful man just released his Christmas CD! This is a CHRISTmas CD, so check it out! It's almost Christmas!!

*6*

Christmas movies are really failing us. How many new Christmas movies, versus "holiday" movies, have you seen lately? This is one of those typical complaints that is easy to make and easy to get people to agree with, but why can't we come up with another movie that makes us feel the way It's a Wonderful Life makes us feel? How hard can that be?

*7*

Be merry and full of turkey, mashtayders, caohrn, peeaz, cRANburry sawce, rolls, ham biskuhts (if you're lucky enough to be from Virginia), pAAHHHHH, and family in one week!

(Did you catch the pattern?)

"The Jeweler's Shop" By Karol Wojtyla

If that name sounds familiar, you get a gold star on the Catholic chart. That's right, our very own Venerable Holy Father John Paul II was an accomplished playwright before he came to sit at The Holy See!

The Jeweler's Shop: A Meditation on the Sacrament of Matrimony, Passing on Occasion into a Drama, or Przed sklepem jubilera in Polish, is a three-act play to be performed for the first time in years in the United States at James Madison University's new Forbes Center.


* Saturday, November 13, 2010 -- 2:00 pm 

* Sunday, November 14, 2010 -- 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm 

* Monday, November 15, 2010 -- 8:00 pm

* Tuesday, November 16, 2010 -- 8:00 pm

* Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -- 8:00 pm


I am intimately connected to this play because my sister Christine is the director. She and her lovely co-director, also a devout Catholic, have faced more than a dozen major road bumps in the process of bringing this play to JMU. All the hiccups were unrelated, detrimental and would have tempted directors of weaker faith to give up. These two beautiful ladies persevered, with the help of prayer and a mutual faith, and the play hits the stage in 9 days.

If you're within driving distance of Harrisonburg, VA, this play will refresh your views about marriage, as God intended it. The play is $6 per person ("WHAT?! I PAID TWICE THAT BOTH TIMES I SAW INCEPTION!") and need to be purchased in advance. We will be happy to reserve tickets for you, just email me (this is my own jewelry shop's email address, pun intended) with your party number and date.

Christine and Dora will need the consolation and intercession of a few more decades of the Rosary before the stress cloud passes, but they hope you can join them for a night of true passion.

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 1

Click here to see Conversion Diary's original post!

*1*

First, I want to welcome anyone who is visiting my blog. There are a TON of excited Catholics out there and it's really wonderful to read all of the advice-filled, God-directed and loving material on Catholic blogs. If you found mine, I'm really honored you stopped by to read the 7 Quick Takes!

*2*

As this is my first 7 Quick Takes on my young blog, I want to thank Jennifer Fulweiler, though she doesn't know me from Eve. I've been reading her blog for more than a year and following her entertaining tweets (Yaya, oh Yaya) for longer. Just the other week, I made it a priority to brag to everyone with whom I spoke (that is such a snooty English rule) that THE Jennifer Fulweiler tweeted to me. She tweeted to ME (and MatthewWarner, PatrickMadrid, DiannaKennedy, MaryChapman). That was a good day.

*3*

I got some very exciting news yesterday, but I have to keep it to myself for a few reasons... let's just say that God may have opened an opportunity for me to do His work and grow closer to him in one fell swoop. Woot!

*4*

My younger sister, next in line for the crown, the mid-kid, the cool one, the tall beauty... my sister is almost in the clear after the semester from you-know-where. Thesis, part-time job, another part-time job as music minister for the Catholic Campus Ministry, directing a play at a medium-large sized university, applying for a Fulbright, applying for jobs an internships to follow her December graduation, and let's not forget that she's still taking classes: this is just another year in the over-achiever's repertoire. She usually handles stress well, but her patience has been put through the battering ram with a year-old back injury. 

The great news is that she already got an internship offer! Otherwise, her thesis is due right before the play opens and the Fulbright process climaxes at some point in the near future. I guess stress will peak soon, but on the other side is nothing but graduation and relaxation... right? Prayers would be appreciated :).

*5*

Today I listened to the Catholic Guy Show for the first time. I know, where did I find a rock big enough to hide my attention from that show? No excuses, I've followed Lino on Twitter for a while, I just never got around to listening to him. If you haven't checked it out yet, I feel better, but you should take an hour to hear from a group of really funny Catholics with grounded perspectives.

*6*

To the weather in Virginia: please make up your mind. I know it is your way; you're a big tease. But I am starting to freeze when it drops below 70 degrees and that makes people laugh at me. Pick a season and stick to it.

*7*

Speaking of weather, I would like to remind anyone that it is about that time to make sure your coat will make it through the winter. I've had the same coat for years. It's purple, which I LOVED, but it's very unflattering. I justified spending a little extra on my new coat with the old "I'll keep it forever" standby. Not such a shabby excuse to fall back on, considering how long I've had the Barney the Dinosaur coat. I'll just spend a little time this weekend cleaning out our coat closets and give the Barney and other warm wear to those who need it more than my closet.