Life's a Beach!

Kevin and I are flying to Culebra, Puerto Rico for a few days of R&R. Culebra is a little island about 30 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico's main island. There are at least six beautiful beaches, a little town, and great snorkeling. I can feel the sun even now!

It's been a long snowy winter. We just got 6 more inches of snow yesterday and it's still coming down and blowing around today. Time for a tropical escape!

Here are pictures of Culebra's famous Flamenco Beach.





The only thing missing is Kevin and me with frozen drinks. Mmmmm...











Aerial view of Flamenco Beach. Beauteous!








Pics and update to follow our return next Wednesday!

Thought of the Day for You

The title of this blog post is also the title of a little note that Kevin wrote to me while we were studying in college, before we even started dating. I had recently broken up with my boyfriend, who happened to be his good friend. Knowing I was feeling down about the situation, Kevin wrote me a note with that title, and this Shakespeare quote from a A Midsummer Night's Dream:

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

Little did he know how loaded that note really was! A few months later we started to date. Nearly three years later, we were married.

And our love story continues...

Ugh!

Today is just one of "those" days.

Phone Frenzy: I'm on one phone line reviewing printing order details with Printer Guy. My colleague is on another line placing a supply order for said printing order with Supply Guy. Printer Guy tells me I can get supplies cheaper through them. I put Printer Guy on hold and book it over to Colleague. She puts Supply Guy on hold, and I tell her to cancel the supply order. She picks up a line and attempts to cancel the order. I run back over to my phone and pick up the other line, which is actually Supply Guy. So Colleague thinks she's talking to Supply Guy but she actually just told Printer Guy to cancel the 38,000 envelope printing order. I then put Supply Guy back on hold, tell Colleague what happened and call Printer Guy back to say the order is back on and we'll get the supplies from them.

Parking: I work downtown and parking is a beast. I call myself a Parking Shark, as I spend part of each morning stalking around town for the prey: a perfect parking space less than a mile from my office door. Today, I did not feel like "sharking" right away, so I parked at a meter that I need to start feeding in an hour. Above Printer/Supply situation comes up and I lose any recollection of meter-parked car. I walk out of the building to go to noon mass and what do I see but my little Civ sitting right in front of my building with a $40 ticket blowing in the breeze under the windshield wiper. I was so flustered I skipped mass and moved my car to a non-meter spot right away.

As much as I want to do this, I know there is hope. As Anne Shirley said,

Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.

If I were a Narnian...

Click on the banner below to take the quiz. Once you answer the questions, you're matched to a character from The Chronicles of Narnia.

I'd be Tirian, who is a character in The Last Battle.



As Tirian, you are valiant, brave and loyal. While you may have a silly name, you help others in the face of adversity and always uphold what is right.

A pretty tall order...at least I'd have a silly name!

You're one in a million, Valentine

What says "I love you" more than sweets and flowers on Valentine's Day?

Well, I'm sure there are other things that say I love you, but hey, is Valentine's Day for sugar and beautiful blooms, or what?

Retraction!

I am happy to say that this post is no longer relevant! We have tickets to the papal mass at Yankee Stadium! The tickets came through an unlikely source: Kevin's parents. Kevin's mother spotted an announcement in their church bulletin about their diocese having an allotment of tickets to the mass and anyone interested should contact the diocese. My mother in law called to ask about the tickets, but got word that they were all gone. A couple days later, the diocese called and said someone canceled and there were four tickets available. She snagged them and now not only do Kevin and I get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the mass, his parents will have the chance to attend as well! God is so great!!

Papa Ben, we're looking forward it!

Not so "fast"

Yesterday was only more evidence that I am a terrible faster. Seriously. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are a struggle, and I relish that one "normal" meal. Yesterday I made a fish dinner, like many Catholics, but some of my lenten zeal was crushed when Kevin commented on the superfluous amounts of food I made. At first, I was really offended! I spent time cooking this tasty meal and he's giving me grief! Well, after surveying my plate and the serving dishes, I realized I had gone a bit ape. I could barely finish my ginormous plate of food.

The Menu
8 oz. Margarita Salmon Filets
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Organic Multigrain Rolls
Fresh Green Salad

Oh well. I'll try harder next time! To the desert...(I really do mean the sandy hot place, and not the sweet treat...I swear...)

Dust Thou Art, and to Dust Thou Shall Return

These are haunting and beautiful words: haunting because they remind us of our mortality; the death we will all face. They are beautiful because they are indicative of the supernatural love and compassion God shows us. He knit us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13); he is with us always, even when we return to dust (Romans 8:37-39). And we hope against hope we will be with Him in paradise on the last day (Hebrews 10:23).

And that is what lent is all about, preparing ourselves for the last day; the day when we will meet Christ. So let us rend our hearts in prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor. For when we make ourselves available to God, he makes his love and changing grace available to us. And in that, we are truly blessed.

Super Tuesday

For those of you in (deep breath) Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Utah, then it's your day to go to the polls and have a say as to who the next presidential candidates are going to be.

Please vote and vote wisely. Our country needs a committed, strong, political and moral leader. Check out this guide for clarifying the life issues at stake. Check out this site for help in deciding on the candidate that will truly defend our civil rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Update

No Yankee Stadium papal mass tix for us! Bummer.









Here's a sweet pic of Papa Ben. Movie-star-esque, don't you think?

Out on the Streets

This weekend Kevin and I took a trek down to New York City for the Catholic Underground, an apostolate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. The Catholic Underground is an event that brings prayer, eucharistic adoration, and the arts together for the community. The first part of the evening is Eucharistic adoration with chanted prayer, music, and priests, available for confession. The second part showcases Catholic artists, an experience of the new evangelization-faith and culture coming together as a witness to the gospel. Check out the friars in musical action:



For me, the Friars are a reminder that life is not about being comfortable and rich in possessions; it is about being in love with the One who created life and sharing that love with others.

“Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops. Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern 'metropolis.' It is you who must 'go out into the by-roads' and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father.”(Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day '93)