Recuperating

I have very little voice today. As in sometimes I talk and there are holes in my sentences from where my vocal chords just go, "Nope, we aren't saying that word right now." That's what comes from too much coughing, I guess. Luckily one doesn't need vocal chords to blog, so ...!


1. Happy Feast of the Assumption! (Yesterday, that is--I'm assuming y'all went to Mass, right? ;) ) We went to Mass with my parents at the Oratory. It had been a while since I'd been to daily Mass there; it was so peaceful, and I was glad. Then my parents came over and we had pizza for dinner. I made tiramisu for dessert, for no particular reason except that I had a container of mascarpone in the fridge and Caitlin posted a recipe on her blog, so it seemed meant to be. I'd been meaning to try my hand at it for a while. I didn't use proper ladyfingers, but these margherite cookies, since that was what our grocery store had, and the internet said they were an appropriate substitute. But they didn't soak in the coffee well enough, which made for a weird texture. It tasted good though!  


2. Christine hosted an Assumption playdate at her house, but Michael and I didn't go because we were(/are) sick. (My definition of what a sick day entails is very different than Michael's. Sigh.) It looks like it was beautiful and a lot of fun, so I'm pretty disappointed we weren't there. But I think the other moms wouldn't have appreciated us hacking up a lung around their kids ...


3. My friend Lucas has just launched his new website, Catholicism Has the Answer. It is a great resource and I highly encourage you to check it out! Lucas is one of the most knowledgeable people about the faith that I know; he's the one I email when faced with a thorny, confusing, or otherwise difficult question about liturgy or Tradition or Church history. And he has an intense love for Our Lord and and His Mother. So ... check out his site. :)


4. Colleen at Modern Catholic Momnma was super sweet and passed on a Liebster award for my little blog. That was almost two weeks ago ... and I still haven't posted for it! That post is coming up this weekend. Promise. Thank you Colleen!


5. I mentioned my trip to L&D in my last post. Yesterday I had a follow-up appointment with my OB and everything is okay with the twins. No signs of "irritable uterus" or anything like that. Good to know!


6. Things are moving apace on the house-buying front. Which means slowly. But still, moving. In the meantime we've been researching about our future neighborhood and finding out its history and interesting quirks. For example, when you call the borough for pest management, someone can come and shoot that rabid raccoon with a gun ... or, if you prefer, they will show up with a bow and arrow. Your choice.


7. After hearing several friends talk highly of it for a while now, Jen's post about Breaking Bad has finally pushed me over the edge. I started watching yesterday when I was feeling tired and congested and wanted to do nothing but lay around on the couch. And that's probably what I'll keep doing once I finish this blog post, since Michael is kindly napping and I feel icky and I really would rather not face the mountain of yesterday's dishes in the sink just yet.

For more quick takes, check out Conversion Diary!

Blogs You Should Read: "Philokalia" and "No More Than Pen and Ink"

I need to add links to the sidebar at some point; but in any case, one of the things I'd like to do here is share awesome things online. Maybe a little bit like tumbl'r, only perhaps more thoughtfully. (I refuse to get a tumbl'r account because it would kill my time, oh yes it would. But I do understand the appeal.)

Philokalia.

This blog is run by Fr. David Abernathy of the Pittsburgh Oratory. He will be leading a study of this book, starting in September, which I'm looking forward to attending, classes permitting. It consists of his own reflections on the Philokalia, a collection of texts by the Eastern Fathers. "Philokalia" means "love of the beautiful," and thus, "a love for everything of God, beauty’s source."

I've only read a few posts on here, but they are amazing. For example, the latest is about the Eternal Beauty that Saves the World.

And also, Father David is a wonderful priest. So you should read his blog. :)



No More Than Pen and Ink

Here Marlin Klingensmith shares his work and, more recently, posts reflections on writing. His stories are always a smart and enjoyable read--the worlds he creates of words are tangible enough to taste the air of them.

Actually, I've always loved reading most anything Lyn writes. His voice draws you in and keeps you reading, whether fiction or regular prose. So you should read it. (And comment. He posts more when people comment.)