May 15 2013

The Year of Many Weddings

Category: Life — Lindsay @ 6:44 pm

I have so many friends getting married this year! I have been invited to five weddings in 2013. Five! It is nice to feel popular, but I’m also a little overwhelmed. I’m using only one of the couple’s names here for less Google-ability.

Wedding #1

Memorial Day Weekend: Kat, one of my oldest friends, is marrying her fiancé in northern Indiana. I am delighted to be a bridesmaid. It will be my first time in a Catholic wedding party, my second time being a bridesmaid, and my third Catholic wedding ever. Unfortunately, the last time I reunited with this group of friends, I was also unemployed. I am looking forward to being able to meet or re-meet people when I can just say what I do.

Wedding #2

End of June: Robert, a friend of mine here in Austin, is marrying another friend in town. God bless them. It’s also at the church closest to where I live, the one where I do my weekly holy hour. Robert tried to call me his patron saint, but I pointed out that to be a saint, you have to be dead, and I don’t think he wishes death on me! Then he called me his spiritual director, but I protested because that’s a real thing you can be trained for and certified in. We settled on “holiness coach.” It’s like a life coach, except for eternity.

Wedding #3

End of July: Kristi, my playgoing friend, is marrying her fiancé just outside of town. That parish is a really solid and incredibly beautiful one. I’m excited to be able to go to Mass there. The wedding color is purple, so I even have an excuse to get a new dress in my favorite color!

Wedding #4

Early August: James, who also has DC-area connections, is marrying his fiancée, whose name is almost the same as mine. Their wedding will be at the local Maronite church and will probably be my first Maronite liturgy ever, so that’s exciting. I’ll be in a Catholic church, yet I will be relying heavily on the program to help me know what’s going on. It will be humbling, at the very least.

Wedding #5

November: Katharine and her fiancé, who are both brilliant and quirky, are getting married in Minnesota. I’m not sure yet if I will be able to attend, but I’m probably never going to have a reason to go to Minnesota ever again, so I’m going to try hard.

Bonus Wedding Fun

So many invitations has led to so many reply cards. The first time I had to fill one out, I Googled it. I did again recently, to make sure I’ve been getting it right all this time, and I stumbled across this gem:

I laughed so hard! There's a fine line between fancy-formal and direct, and then there's just getting down to business.

I laughed so hard! There’s a fine line between fancy-formal and direct, and then there’s just getting down to business.

If only!

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Jan 02 2013

Year in Review: 2012

Category: Life — Lindsay @ 1:11 am

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I have not given up on this blog. If my two years of teaching stress didn’t stop me altogether, then I don’t think anything will. I’m not going to declare myself to be “back” again, though. Today will just be another post and just happen to be my annual recap. I’ll make a good effort at Booking Through Thursday this week, and we’ll see how it goes from there.

I only drew this in the cards of people I knew were Christians (and some of the ones for my friends with new babies, tee hee).

I only drew this in the cards of people I knew were Christians (and some of the ones for my friends with new babies, tee hee).

When I sent out my Christmas cards last month (happy octave day of Christmas, by the way), I couldn’t decide how to personalize them. Last year, I drew Christmas-themed decorations in each card with sparkly gel pens. (That inspired the baby Jesus from last year’s Ash Wednesday commentary.) This year, I had originally thought about writing a Christmas letter. My life feels boring and average, but I knew it couldn’t actually be that boring, so I went through my Google calendar month by month to see what had happened to me that was exciting.

You’ll only know what my top seven items were if you got my card, but the full list follows here.

January: I went to my friend Jess’s wedding at Notre Dame. It was a fantastic opportunity to see my friends from my second year of teaching, have a friend date with the lovely Sarah, and attend my very first Catholic wedding. (I know, right?) My blogging was definitely weak, and I hadn’t yet latched on to 7QT to help me keep track of my week.

February: At work, one of my coworkers and I formed a subcommittee to redevelop an old position into a new one. We hired someone just before we closed for Christmas, which is exciting. I also attended the Rite of Election as the RCIA director. It was such a blessing to see all our RCIA catechumens and candidates taking that step. Here at Lindsay Loves, I reflected on my initial experiences with the revised translation of the Mass, which remains one of my most popular posts (because of Catholic Ryan Gosling, I think). Come to think of it, I ought to update that reflection. It’s been over a year. I have a few different thoughts now.

The flowers were pretty, I really liked my outfit, and I wanted a good #lookingdown shot. Did I get it?

The flowers were pretty, I really liked my outfit, and I wanted a good #lookingdown shot. Did I get it?

March: I went on my annual work mission trip again, to Nicaragua, where I got my first ever sunburn. (Review that story in parts one and two.) I picked up a few old “to blog” articles (on moral relativism and Glee), and I gave blood for the last time before going to Nicaragua put me on the deferral list.

April: It was Easter, finally! I heard Lino Rulli, the Catholic Guy, speak at the local Catholic Charities luncheon. I took notes and planned to blog about it, but you know how that goes with me. At work, I started shadowing marriage preparation, and I hosted Dr. Ed Shirley for what was probably his last ever “Harry Potter and Christianity” presentation, because he died suddenly in August.

May: I saw see Twelfth Night at Zilker Park with some friends to kick off the Zilker summer. I reported for jury duty, but I didn’t have to serve! That was a sweet break. My friend Theresa invited me to the Paramount for the first time; we saw a restored print of To Kill a Mockingbird, and it was amazing, of course. Here on the blog, I reviewed October Baby. At work, I officially started saving for retirement. That’s not exciting, but it’ll pay off in the long run, I hope.

June: Sarah came to visit! It is always good to see her. I don’t really like traveling, but I do like hosting (or at least hosting her, I guess). I started the Great Adventure Quick Journey Through the Bible, which was incredibly eye-opening. I love Bible study. On the blog, I listened to and reviewed Vice Re-Verses, and I also unfortunately had to attend a funeral for a child.

I was cold, but it was so worth it! (For comparison, Google an image of Pocohontas from the Disney movie.)

I was cold, but it was so worth it! (For comparison, Google an image of Pocohontas from the Disney movie.)

July: I watched Independence Day fireworks with friends at Auditorium Shores, which was delightful even though I was hot and dusty all evening. I went back to Zilker for The Sound of Music, and I started working with my first couple for marriage prep. Here on the blog, I finally remembered to share my love of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (It’s still going strong at nearly 80 episodes, and Lydia has taken off. It’s about to get real!) I had one of my most popular posts ever, about my favorite love songs, thanks to jumping in on Hallie‘s link-up right when it started.

August: I went on my annual retreat; that is, the one I get to participate in rather than running in some way. I got new glasses, and at work, I started preparing people to be godparents.

September: I shared a fantastic prayer method, and then I fell off the blogging wagon again. At the end of the month, my friend Sabrina got married, and I was invited to the wedding. I can now say I have even been to a Catholic wedding in town.

October: I went to what I think was my third football game ever (all on the high school level), and for Halloween, I dressed up as Hipster Pocohontas. My costume went very well with my new glasses.

November: I was invited to speak at a youth group retreat at Holy Cross Parish across town, which validated my public speaking skills and general knowledge of campus ministry. I was finally able to actually do some volunteering with Pure Fashion, and I had a quiet Friendsgiving in Austin.

December: As a great follow-up to my summer Bible study, I attended the “Psalms in a Day” seminar presented by Jeff Cavins. We got off schedule, but I had a good time, and then I attended a friend’s birthday movie marathon. It turns out that Newsies really is delightful. To be honest, though, I rang in the new year hoping that next year, things will be different. I don’t know what’s to come, but I hope it’ll be amazing.

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Dec 08 2012

Catholic Calendar 2013

Category: Catholicism,General,Life — Lindsay @ 11:15 am

It seems like it’s past time to post this! If you are one of the bazillion people who visited last year’s post and subscribed to that Google calendar, you are all set, because I added the dates through 2013 way back in the summer. I put those in by hand, too! (Thanks to Romcal for the 2011 and 2012 files and the inspiration for my Google calendar.)

Take note of such fun liturgical twists as the Solemnity of the Annunciation in 2013 (April 8, the first available day to move it to since March 25 is the Monday of Holy Week) and that St. Kateri’s first memorial as a saint is unfortunately a Sunday (July 14), so it’s not technically her day. Who says being a Catholic doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat?

If you are not subscribed and you use Google Calendar (or another program that accepts the iCal format), you can download the .ics file and upload it. For Google Calendar, I used this method:

  1. On the left-hand side of the screen, click the small arrow next to “My calendars,” then choose “Create new calendar.” Mine is unsurprisingly named “Catholic Calendar.” You can fill out the other information if you want to, but it’s not necessary. Click the “Create calendar” button.
  2. Farther down on the left-hand side, click the small arrow next to “Other calendars” and choose “Import new calendar.” Find the .ics file you downloaded and upload the events to Catholic Calendar. (You can upload them to your main calendar if you want, but I prefer to be able to turn the Catholic Calendar off quickly and easily by keeping it separate.)
  3. All the U.S. Catholic holidays for 2011, 2012, and 2013 should be visible now as all-day events. If you click the name of each event, you can see the color of vestments and the rank of the day in the description. For more on ranking, see the Table of Liturgical Days.

Alternatively, you can visit the online version of the calendar and bookmark that or click the button in the bottom left-hand corner to add it to your Google Calendar. Clicking that button will add the events to your primary Google Calendar. I can’t remember if you have to confirm it first, so click with caution.

Happy worshiping, and happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception! Salve Regina!

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Sep 13 2012

The Best Way to Pray Spontaneously As a Catholic

Category: Catholicism,Life — Lindsay @ 11:55 pm

I work for the Catholic Church. One of our goals is to help students develop their faith lives, so we try to expose them to different prayers, types of prayer, and ways to pray.

But let me tell you: Modeling spontaneous prayer is tough. It’s hard enough to speak in public without vocal fillers, let alone when you’re also praying and trying to help other people pray. I’m always looking for ways to get better at my job, so I was delighted to find the method the Church uses for liturgical prayer distilled down into one simple method.

It’s called You-Who-Do-Through. Joe Paprocki of Catechist’s Journey lays out the details in three posts. First, you direct your prayer toward God or any specific member of the Trinity by any of many titles: Father, God of all creation, Lord of life, and so on.

Next, you “remind” God of something he has done or does now. These can be events from the Bible or less specific: who led the Israelites out of slavery, who is the only just judge, who loves us unconditionally, who called Mary your servant to be the mother of Jesus.

Then comes what is often the longest part of the prayer: you tell God what you want him to do. Bless this meeting and us your servants; fill us with hope; heal all those afflicted with cancer, mental illness, or other disabilities.

Finally, end with an intercession, the person through whom you make your prayer. That’s usually Jesus (“Through Christ our Lord”), but it can also be through Mary or one of the other saints. It never hurts to give your prayers a little extra boost!

Jonathan F. Sullivan created a great handout that summarizes the method [PDF link], but it’s easy enough to commit to memory pretty quickly. I wound up sharing it with my students spontaneously (which, in retrospect, is appropriate for teaching spontaneous prayer), and they took to it very quickly. One of my boss priests even commented positively on it. The students challenged me to model it on the spot, and I totally did it. Give it a try!

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Sep 12 2012

My Accidental Hiatus

Category: Catholicism,Life — Lindsay @ 11:16 pm

You know what is new? My frequency of posting here. I’m not quite sure how I slid into my serious lack of posting, but I am declaring it to be over now. As with Hallie, sometimes parts of my life get in the way of other parts, but I’ve decided I’m not letting that happen anymore.

So, what’s been going on since my last non-book review post?

  • I still haven’t read 50 Shades of Grey, nor will I ever. Just in case you were wondering.
  • My regular schedule resumed at work, which leaves me with substantially less free time, but many more fun students to hang out with. Long hours are icky, but being employed (and for the Church I love, at that) is better than the alternative.
  • I taught some of our student leaders a new prayer method, and they produced some great results with it. I’ve been intentionally applying it more myself, and I like it. I have just started a draft of a separate post on that topic, so look for it tomorrow.
  • I registered half a dozen people for RCIA, which is super exciting. Even just getting their information and hearing their stories is awesome. I’m even more excited to actually start classes on Monday. (It helps that they’re the kind of classes I don’t have to take and have no papers to grade.)
  • I started using my new intro at work: “Hi, I’m Lindsay. I work here, and I am not a student.” Maybe leading with that will help avoid some of the confusion. They already have to wrap their heads around a Texas resident who is Catholic but neither white nor apparently (or actually) Mexican.
  • I had a great conversation with a brand-new campus minister elsewhere in Texas. It was nice to reflect on how much I’ve settled in even after just two short years, and it was awesome to get to give the “what I wish I’d known then” speech.
  • Now that I’m looking at my calendar (which is how I write these life recaps), I’m realizing that I worked extra-late every night last week and on Friday, so I forgive myself for not posting. I was tired! I am tired!

Now that I’ve written all of that out, I’m going to have to be way more creative than usual for 7 Quick Takes Friday. Brace yourselves, readers.

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Aug 25 2012

7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 186

Category: 7 Quick Takes Friday,Catholicism,Life,Memes — Lindsay @ 12:16 am

— 1 —

As per my pattern, I’ll start with a video. I came across this video posted by the always insightful Mr. Nod. This company made the social media Nativity story, too, I think. And it will make you think.

— 2 —

I accidentally incited a Facebook debate on my timeline today. I posted a link to Teresa Tomeo’s editorial about the awful 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon. I’ve gotten a hailstorm of comments on things before, but it’s never been filled with so many ten-dollar words and near-essays before. I ought to add my anti-50 Shades manifesto to the Big List of Posts I Meant to Write.

— 3 —

I finally finished that salvation history Bible study I’ve been doing all summer. It was so great to finally go from “here are all the parts of the Old Testament that point to Jesus” to “here’s Jesus in the New Testament fulfilling all these signs from the Old Testament.” I’ve been feeling the effects for weeks. Now I finally get what all the prophets are talking about and why they keep saying Israel and Judah as though they’re separate things (because they were, for a while). I know why the books of Kings and Judges are so long and intricate but have basically the same message (trust God). I wish I had time to do the 24-week study, but I’m never going to have that kind of week-to-week stability with my job. Maybe someday they’ll offer it online. I would totally pay for that!

— 4 —

In secular news, I got my hair done today. I am always running late for my appointments somehow (as I am for my weekly holy hour), but I felt a little less awful this time since the salon moved to a new location. My stylist is still incredible, though, and now my hair is extra shiny and split-end free. If only I could detach my arms and see my head from the back, I might be able to work some of that Erica magic. For now, I’m just so glad I found her.

— 5 —

That’s all I’ve got for this week. It was extra busy and I was extra tired. This does not bode well for the coming school semester, since summer is usually my less-busy, relaxing, refreshing time of year. If that was relaxation, this semester might do me in. Hmm.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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Aug 18 2012

7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 185

Category: 7 Quick Takes Friday,Life,Memes — Lindsay @ 8:05 pm

— 1 —

This week was another huge meme/blogging fail. At least I knew last week that this week would be busy instead of being surprised halfway through. I started off with a full day of meetings, continued into an all-day off-site staff retreat, had a lunch meeting after Mass for the Assumption on Wednesday, and then had a meeting in the morning on Thursday before working until 9. Work-wise, I feel like I’m still on last week!

— 2 —

In addition to being on the staff retreat on Tuesday, I was on a personal retreat over the weekend with my non-work-related Catholic friends. It wasn’t quite what I’d expected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I got to use up one of the many vacation days that pile up because I work a lot, and I got to spend some quality time with old friends and make some new ones. And it’s always nice to realize how much you value privacy when you go from living alone to sharing a roomful of bunk beds and two showers with a dozen other women. I was humbled.

— 3 —

I greatly enjoyed the Assumption this week. I was able to lead a “Bible study” on the readings on Monday night, so I was extra prepared for Mass. I was, however, supremely disappointed at our low attendance. We did have our only Mass in the middle of the day, when most people are at work or school and can’t necessarily get away (although work should be wary of not letting them off for religious reasons), but that never seems to stop the Ash Wednesday procession of penitents. Granted, the Assumption was also not a Holy Day of Obligation last year since it was on a Monday, but it breaks my heart to think of how many people might not realize that missing Wednesday was as serious as missing a Sunday. If they were aware; so be it. Either way, there’s always forgiveness for those who seek it.

— 4 —

Last night, I stumbled across one of the best ads I’ve ever seen. As the bloggers note, it’s so great because it creates an intense emotional response, it is effective, and it uses the technological capabilities of the iPad to great effect. Please be warned that the ad concerns domestic violence and may be especially disturbing if you or someone you love has experienced domestic violence.

— 5 —

My summer Bible study is almost over! We finished the Old Testament this week, which leads up to our final session, the sole one on the New Testament. I make it a point when I teach RCIA that most of “the Bible” is the Old Testament, but somehow it sneaked up on me in this study. It’s salvation history; of course it’s going to end right after we get to Jesus. I’m already experiencing the positive effects of doing this study, but that deserves its own blog post after we finish.

— 6 —

Also this week was Fr. Bob Scott‘s memorial Mass at work. His official Mass of Christian Burial was back in July just after he died, but since he spent so many of his last years in Texas (more than I’ve been alive!) and had so many friends and admirers here, we decided to hold a joint Mass with St. Austin in his memory and for his soul. We had a packed house, a special guest in Bishop McCarthy (who I’d never actually seen before in person), and a lovely time honoring Fr. Bob. May the Best Stop treat him well.

— 7 —

That’s all I’ve got this week. School is starting soon, and my summer is slipping away. I have to relish these last few days, but will probably do so by just sitting around.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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Jul 06 2012

7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 179

Category: 7 Quick Takes Friday,Catholicism,Entertainment,Life,Memes — Lindsay @ 12:47 pm

— 1 —

Nickelodeon has rebooted Figure It Out. This sounds like a good idea, except that they’ve apparently done the same thing CTW did to Sesame Street. I haven’t watched Sesame Street since I was about seven, but I’ve heard that the old-school “How to Get to Sesame Street” song has been changed to a ten-second spree of colors and a super-fast song.

Among the problems:

  • I am definitely old, because I have no idea who most of the panelists are. I want Danny Tamberelli and Amanda Bynes back, man.
  • There is a definite lack of Summer Sanders.
  • Each round is supposed to be the same length. It’s not fun if the panelists don’t win every now and then; it just seems fixed. I want kids to win prizes, but I also want to watch a good game.
  • The set is so busy. There are colors and funky shapes all over the place. Bring back Billy the Answer Head!
  • The prize announcer and sound effects are loud, and the kids aren’t super interesting.

I know I’m not their target market, but if you’re going to reboot a classic, at least do a good job. The 90′s Are All That has been so successful! Maybe Figure It Out just needs to be hosted by Stick Stickly.

— 2 —

To celebrate Independence Day, I went with some friends down to Auditorium Shores to watch fireworks against the skyline. There was an amazing reflection off the mirrored windows of the closest skyscraper. I didn’t take any photos of the fireworks themselves, because no camera is as good as my eyes (with glasses), but I had a great time hanging out with friends and getting a bit of fresh air and sunshine.

This blue color was incredible!

— 3 —

On a related Instagram note, IG has redesigned the individual photo pages. They are much more useful now. Check out the page for that skyline photo, and if you’re on Instagram, follow me!

— 4 —

This probably should have been number 1, but today is the feast day of St. Maria Goretti! She is my favorite saint for a number of reasons. I wear holy medals every day, and the only one with an individual saint (besides Mary and Jesus) is one of her. I pray four novenas every year, and I just finished the one to her yesterday afternoon. (I missed a day somewhere, but I caught up, which is my usual novena pattern anyway.) If you’ve never heard of her, you’re missing out. She is one to know for chastity advocates everywhere.

— 5 —

I discovered this week that two of my real-life friends who I didn’t know had blogs… well, do. Brittany at Miss Communication writes about her life as a slightly sarcastic but very lovable counseling professional (the lovable is my assessment, not hers, but it is still true. Pomeranian Catholic writes about the life of faith and his experiences training to become a Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate and as a young adult Catholic living with disability.

— 6 —

I would like to second Jen’s observation that midweek holidays are disconcerting and toss in a vote for weekly Wednesday holidays. Unfortunately, I also have to add the bad news that Halloween is already scheduled to fall on Wednesday. Which weekend do you throw your party: the one that’s clearly too soon or one that will feel too late because it’s several days into November?

Furthermore, Christmas Day is on a Tuesday. UT final exams end exactly one week earlier. When should I plan to fly home? If you’re a Christmas Eve pageant Massgoer, do you go two days in a row (the Fourth Sunday of Advent and then the very next day)? If you go to an actual Midnight Mass at midnight, does it feel like Christmas lasts for three days? (It actually lasts for eight, but that’s a different deal.) If you wait until Christmas Day, what do you do with that odd Monday in the middle?

This bunny and I have similar expressions when our wonderfully comforting patterns get disrupted.
(photo by sgrace)

Leap Day, you are a cute novelty, but why did you ruin the calendar for the rest of the year?

— 7 —

I participated in Hallie’s love song linkup, and then I realized that, aside from admitting to “Love You Like a Love Song,” I left out any other silly choices. Although I’m not big on “Silly Love Songs,” by Wings, I do like silly love songs. I also like some of the super-angsty ones like “Iris,” by the Goo Goo Dolls, even though that will always be associated with someone from my past. This sounds like a follow-up post to me!

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Jun 30 2012

Friday Five: Crushes

Category: Friday Five,Life,Memes — Lindsay @ 7:28 pm

Crush by Jennifer Paige on Grooveshark

  1. Do you remember your first crush? Did you tell them? I don’t think I remember the first one, but even before I saw this week’s F5 topic, I was thinking about some early ones. Fifth grade is the earliest I can remember: a Filipino boy named Rolando (maybe Ronaldo) and a blonde one named Ryan (I think). I have absolutely no idea what happened to them since then—consequences of being a military brat.
  2. Did you have a crush on a teacher? Which one? No, never, and I’m glad no student ever had one on me! I have had hours of training and reminders about not dating students, though.
  3. Do you still have crushes? Do you ever tell them? I do (or have, I suppose; no one currently). I told the last two, and it was disastrous both times. My roommate Maura told the first of those for me, which is not what I wanted, but at least I knew for sure that he wasn’t interested and I could move on. I told the last one myself, under less than ideal circumstances. Again, I was glad to be able to move on.
  4. What is your opinion of someone telling your crush object you have a crush? See the previous question. She thought she was being helpful, but I resented not being able to move on my own time (and his). I told her because I wanted advice, support, and maybe encouragement. I did not tell her because I wanted her to tell. Requesting that a friend act as a messenger is one thing; telling someone’s secrets is another thing.
  5. What does “having a crush” mean to you? Shouldn’t this question have come first, or at least second? To me, “having a crush” means having a distinct romantic attraction to someone who doesn’t know that you’re interested and hasn’t (or doesn’t) respond. Some crushes are the kind you never actually tell the other person about, but since that’s terrifically unproductive, the natural next step is to tell. Then it’s not a crush anymore; it’s being attracted to someone. If they’re not interested or already taken, you have to move on. Crush over.

Sad, but usually true. Crushes “crush” you.
(photo by Jodi)

This is the only good kind of crush.
(photo by R.J. Schmidt)

Whether you have a crush or not, as long as someone loves you, you’re golden.
(photo by Doug Focht)

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May 26 2012

7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 173

Category: 7 Quick Takes Friday,Entertainment,Life,Memes — Lindsay @ 11:43 am

— 1 —

While viewing a blog post on a serious topic, I was invited to watch this cover of “Somebody That I Used to Know,” a song that grew on me once I started listening to the the lyrics. (I originally just liked the main singer’s vocal range and use of xylophone.) I think this is one of the best covers I’ve ever heard, period. It’s got five people playing a single guitar. This might be better than OK Go.

Although I must say that it is a strange world we live in when, because of this, I am no longer impressed by the video I saw a while ago of two people playing one guitar. The bar has been raised.

— 2 —

I watched the House series finale on my DVR this week. I loved the retrospective they aired before it, even if only to hear Hugh Laurie’s native accent. We’ve had a couple of Australian exchange students at work this year, and I wonder if they’d sound like him if they tried to fake an American accent.

I thought the finale was fantastic. I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t see it coming. The only thing that would have made it perfect was if Cuddy had shown up again. I know she left because of contract negotiations, but I hate when storytellers can’t recover from real-world circumstances. Perhaps it was the House version of “Once More with Feeling”: the bright spot after Buffy had been struggling in its post-cancellation/new network/Buffy’s not dead anymore life. If you’ve never seen House, it is syndicated on multiple channels. And if you have, a great way to look back is to relive eight awesome seasons of Patients of the Week.

Now let’s see if How I Met Your Mother will end as gracefully next spring. (It’s not official, but I don’t think it can last through a ninth season, and I want the ending to be legendary.)

— 3 —

Speaking of House‘s Patients of the Week, I was intrigued earlier this season when Chase had an encounter with a novice. As a Catholic, my ears are always tuned for representations of Catholicism in the media, which are usually inaccurate. In brief, the episode presents the POTW as a woman about to take her first profession in a brown-habited religious order. (I noted that no one on House’s team seems to realize that you can still “get out of it,” so to speak, even after first vows. That’s why they’re first.) Chase, the Australian doctor who went to Catholic school (that magic bullet that gives everyone instant theological expertise!) notices that she is very pretty and is clearly attracted to her. But she’s taken. By God. The episode is titled “Chase,” though, so that’s not the end of it.

The wrinkle is that the woman is also attracted to Chase and shows up at his apartment one night claiming to have given up on religious life. She eventually returns to her order, leaving Chase hurt and confused. I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Now that I’ve viewed that POTW slideshow, I’m guessing the writers needed a nun this season to parallel the one from the first season and to continue to explore House’s (false) science-vs-faith dichotomy. Since the woman is just the POTW, though, we don’t get to see how she moves on from her fling with Chase. I think it was useful to portray that doubting one’s beliefs and choices can confirm them, and that God always forgives. We don’t see a lot of that on TV; we mostly get the leaving and the relief at having given up on past beliefs.

— 4 —

I have been so popular this week. It was my bonus week off from work, so that would usually have spelled disaster in the form of sitting around and not doing much. Instead, I had an outing every single day:

  • a graduation/birthday party on Sunday between Masses,
  • a visit to a philosophy-based apologetics series on Monday, featuring a UT professor and 7QT host Mrs. Fulwiler herself),
  • jury duty on Tuesday morning, during which I didn’t have to actually serve,
  • my morality discussion group on Tuesday night, which I led for a change,
  • a friend’s community orchestra concert on Wednesday,
  • To Kill a Mockingbird at the Paramount with a friend on Thursday, which was still a fantastic movie despite the loud and oddly-timed laughter of many of the other patrons (TKAM is not a funny movie),
  • a prayer service for the communal effects of abortion last night, which was co-organized by a friend and diocesan colleague of mine and a friend-of-a-friend I met last Saturday,
  • and trivia night tonight.

Next week looks so sad in comparison.

— 5 —

I miss Harry Potter. I know it hasn’t gone anywhere, per se, and I just started tiptoeing back into Pottermore, so that’s been delightful. But I miss being part of the fandom at FictionAlley and reading fanfiction and getting to know other fans online and all that jazz. I have currently just rejoined a LiveJournal community centered around Potter-related activities, and I hope that will help. And there’s still a good dozen chapters of Pottermore.

I also plan to actually set up a summer-long slow marathon of all eight movies with a friend of mine. I refuse to watch either part of Deathly Hallows on its own anymore now that they’re both out, though, so that one might require an actual marathon.

— 6 —

I have a video this week, so I’m not as much in need of a picture as usual. I will note, though, that I found a way to brighten up my Booking Through Thursday posts. I turned to Google Images to find a nice big header, and then I asked the creator for permission via email. It felt so old-school to be using an email address instead of a contact form, but it worked out very nicely, and now I can use this:

Many thanks to Jamie!

— 7 —

In her Quick Takes, Jen lamented that other participants have themes for theirs and she doesn’t. I like not having a theme. I see 7QT as my weekly opportunity to dump seven bits of information that aren’t big enough for individual posts. This is the way I used to blog in college. I look at my calendar and think “what happened this week?” And then I write about it. Done and done.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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