Gifts of 2010

A year ago, spending the first few moments of January 1, 2010 in the candle-lit chapel, praying and singing with my sister and our friends, asking God to sustain us in the new year.

Many days (and nights) of ice-skating on the pond with my family - racing, jumping, misusing hockey sticks, spinning, falling, and laughing.

Passing by the Church every day after class, often stopping and encountering the supernatural graces of adoration.

Enjoying chapters of Moby Dick every night (for a goodly time), being awed, amused, and better educated on whaling ships. Enjoying Martin Chuzzlewit after that and getting my much-loved annual dose of Dickens.

A Lent without music. A Holy Thursday Mass and constant adoration with my father and sister until midnight. A fervent and glorious Easter Vigil.

High school graduation, 18th birthday, first job. The opportunity to increase my solidarity with humanity by working a cash register and a drive-thru. Praising God that I could find a job in the employment wasteland of my hometown.

Sitting in the heat and light of the sun on the community college lawn, closing my eyes to the music and choosing Deas Vail every single time.

Meeting a Dominican sister in the Dairy Queen. A few months later, getting a letter from halfway across the country, explaining that she had met a friend of mine who gave her my address. Beginning a treasured correspondence.

Taking a roadtrip with my sister, listening to (m)orning by Mae as we drove into a sunrising sky. Meeting our family at the campgrounds, getting caught hiking in the rain to find shelter in a cleft and pray a rosary.

Stargazing late into the night with Future of Forestry's Traveler's Song repeating on my iPod.

Picnicking for my sister's birthday. Picknicking with my cousins. Picknicking often on the college campus with newly made friends.

Making use of the school's tucked away meditation room and rediscovering the mysteries of the Gospel with what became a daily rosary.

Eating Swiss cheese, talking to fish, watching childrens' movies, burning popcorn, playing outdated board games, re-enacting ET, and swaying in unison with my first roommate in the freshman dorm.

A global issues class that blew my mind twice a week.

A Psalter's concert that brought Psalms to my lips for weeks afterward.

Moongazing with a stranger on the campus lawn and talking theology for hours into the night, losing favor with campus security. Having the widest range of philosophical discussions I've ever had in any one semester of school.

Watching my little siblings get older. Conversing with the 2-year-old whose default answer to any question was "applesauce." Playing and laughing with them.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of both sets of grandparents! Savoring reunions and reminiscences and thanking God for my rare family heritage!

And the biggest gift of all: meeting my sister Maria on Christmas Day.

The Advantages of Skirts

They are feminine.

What better way is there to say, "I like being a lady"?

They are unique to females.

There are only two types of men in our society who can wear robes - judges & priests. Pretty significant, don't you think? Women can wear them every day; why not take advantage of it?

They are pretty.

Most feminine things are :)

They have variety.

Wearing jeans every day is so boring. Skirts & dresses come in every shape and color.

They are comfortable.

They have such a lovely, free, open feeling! Plus, many of them are much softer than pants. [Miniskirts & those with the slits up to the thighs aren't so comfy.]

They are easy to shop for.

Pants have to fit in 100 places whereas skirts really only have to fit in the waist. Plus, they're generally cheaper if you shop in the right places.

They are flattering.

People don't have to see those 100 places. A dress will just flow right over them.

They are old-fashioned.

The vast majority of women over the vast majority of history always wore dresses and I like feeling a connection to the women who came before me when I dress like them.

They are classy.

I always feel so much nicer & more ladylike when I'm in a skirt. I'm also generally more productive when I take the time to dress nicely in the morning. Staying in my jogging clothes or sweatpants makes me feel lazy.

They are fun to spin in.

It's true :D

They are romantic.

Okay, I have a way to kill the balcony scene in Romeo & Juliet. Put Juliet in breeches.

They add mystique.

An alluring aura of mystery hangs about a girl who doesn't bare all.

They catch the wind.

They catch the eye.

A miniskirt or painted on jeans might catch the eye in one way, but a lady dressed with dignity catches it in quite another.

You can wear awesome leggings with them.

Okay, maybe that's just a personal quirk, but it is a fun trend to wear (especially now in the fall & winter)!

They are elegant

They have this cool flowy thing going on.

But perhaps the greatest reason why I love dressing this way is because of the beautiful, holy lady that I have in my mind as a model for Christ-filled women (literally):

Experiences I Never Want to Forget

I feel as fortunate as a queen to have been able to see some of the most phenomenal landscapes in the States on a western family trip these past 2 weeks!

Walking through the Badlands was almost like walking on the moon.

The formations in Jewel Cave were just as unearthly.

And I'd never dreamed of anything like the Needles of the Black Hills!

There's no way that I could even describe the vast beauty of Yellowstone.


I'd seen pictures, but experiencing it in real life was stunning. Half the time I felt like I was just looking at a postcard.

Now it feels to me like the world has infinite facets that I haven't even begun to see...

...unfathomable things...

We got to make beautiful family memories like stopping for lunch at a lake in the Grand Tetons, skipping rocks, playing in the water, and enjoying the sunshine & unforgettable view.

The long driving hours were just as scenic as the stops. Whenever I looked out the window at the enormous Wyoming & Colorado plains I saw in my mind's eye dusty covered wagons crawling slowly across.

And thanks to modern roads & automobiles, I got to see what so few other people in the world are privileged to see from the top of Pike's Peak.

But the best part of the trip by far was definitely this.

Thanks for the memories :)