And you thought you knew "cold"

In honour of finally giving in and wearing my winter coat for the first time, I thought I'd try to put it into perspective by reminding myself what "cold" really looks like! This is a picture of Niagara Falls completely frozen in 1911. Can you imagine how cold it had to be?! Makes me shiver just looking at it!

So, I should be studying but...

I'm notorious for getting distracted. I stole this from afuntanilla. Lemme know if you play!
Ciao! :)

1. Dated outside your race? Yep
2. Singing in the shower? Yep, and everywhere else :P
3. Spit in someone’s drink? Not yet, but don't make me mad
4. Played with Barbies? Does ripping their heads off count?
5. Made someone cry? Shamefully, yes
6. Opened your Christmas presents early? Every year!
7. Lied to a friend? Yes, unfortunately
8. Watched and cried while watching a soap opera? Cried-no. LMAO-yes!
9. Played a computer game for more than 5 hours? Close but not quite
10. Ran through the sprinklers naked? But of course, doesn't everybody?!
11. Ate food that fell on the floor? 5 second rule baby!
12. Went outside naked? Yes (I tend to like naked!)
13. Been on stage? Oh yes...
14. Been on stage naked or close to it? Actually...not sure...does the black slip with no bra count? (while doing a love scene--I sure felt naked!)
15. Been in a parade? Life's a parade, so yep
16. Been in a school play? Endlessly
17. Drank beer? Where there's pizza there's beer
18. Gotten detention? Duh
19. Been on a cruise? Several
20. Broken into a house? Other than my own? Don't think...oops yep--in my youth
21. Gotten a tattoo? No yet
22. Gotten piercings? Just in the usual places
23. Gotten into a fist fight? Grade 8-yep
24. Gotten into a shouting match? Welcome to my teenage years
25. Swallowed sea/pool water? Yep
26. Spun yourself in circles to get dizzy on purpose? Yep (I'm a curious child!)
27. Laughed so hard it hurt? Oh yes--anyone ever seen Dame Edna live?!!
28. Tripped on your own feet? Frequently
29. Cried yourself to sleep? Yep
30. Cried in public? Yep
31. Thrown up in public? If a restaurant bathroom counts, then yep
32. Lied to your parents? Who hasn't (just kiddin' Mom!)
33. Skipped class? Oh yes
34. Cried so hard you threw up? Nope
35. Had a one night stand? Nope
36. Left restaurant without paying tab? Nope
37. Been Fired from a job? Yep
38. Wanted to make out with your massage therapist, therapist OR hairldresser? Nope
39. Had a drink "sent" to a stranger at a bar? Nope - but been on the other end ;)
40. Been winked at and loved it? Yep

Calgon Take Me Away!

Don't really have anything to say -- mostly because there's too much to say. My internal landscape has been subject to some violent winds lately as I try to navigate forward. But for all my planning, worrying, and angst it still comes down to taking one step at a time, doesn't it?

I liked this picture because it's somewhere I'd like to be right now. Or maybe somewhere I'd like to just carry around inside me. Don't get me wrong, life is good, it's just feeling very intense at the moment.

I promise to be more coherent and consistant as soon as my heart calms down.
Hugs!

Epiphany #1

Just got back from Chicago. Went to visit the first of 4 seminaries that I’ve been charged with considering for the fall. I had a really wonderful time talking to the faculty and students. I sat in on one class that set my heart and mind aflame; ate dinner in the refectory, slept in the dorm, and attended 3 services in the chapel. Also had a mini-epiphany about this becoming a priest business (the first of many, I’m sure!!!)

And here it is:
To go away to school means having to actually leave!

I know - duh! It just hadn’t hit me before. I left my family and home to come to NYC 18 ½ years ago. I have connections here that I treasure and depend upon to keep me grounded and now I’m looking at walking away from that and starting all over again. And not only that but this life I’m in training for, is actually characterized by such beginnings.

To say that I’m experiencing a whole range of rather intense emotions right now would be an understatement. And to think the journey’s just begun…

(wanders off humming "The Long and Winding Road")

The Subway—My Spiritual Barometer

I love a lot of things about this city. One of them is NOT the public transit system. Don’t get me wrong, I like being able to get from point A to point B without driving but the fact that I have to share it with a million other people really does not work for me.

Take yesterday for example. I nearly cussed (out loud) the man in front of me at the turnstile because he wasn’t swiping his fare card fast enough. He was interrupting my flow! Now if that hadn’t happened I might not have been aware that my knickers were in a knot, so to speak. And let’s face it, did my knickers really need to be in a knot? I don’t think so.

So, this morning in recognition of my guaranteed irritation and impatience with those who bump me, jostle me, invade my space, and generally do not behave in ways I want them to while on the bus or subway, I spent some extra time in quietness and prayer. And I’m happy to report that it worked—no homicides were committed on my morning commute (at least not by me!).

Who knew that public transportation would be the catalyst for concentrated refocusing of my spiritual disciplines?!

Feeling Blessed

Been very preoccupied lately but didn't want to be completely out of touch.

The above picture is a gift that was made for me by my blogger friend GF. I am often completely overwhelmed by the kindess of my online friends--this is definitely one of those times! They are Anglican prayer beads (a little different from Catholic Rosary beads) and the picture completely fails to capture how beautiful they are! Typically the prayers I say when using these, are words written by Julian of Norwich, "All shall be well, all shall be well, all manner of thing shall be well."

And indeed, all manner of thing is well for me. I do the first of my prospective student visits this next weekend to seminaries and my journey is progressing. I had a great weekend touring the city and enjoying the company of a dear friend of the heart. Last night watched one of my favourite movies "Strictly Ballroom." I'll leave you with this line from the movie:

A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.

Wishing us all fully lived lives!