Just Thinkin'
Mood:  a-ok

Well, I managed to be the only one who signed up for Covington's Stretch Your Heart service week.  I went to Cleveland last year and helped out up there.  It was awesome from what I can remember, but the vocation director got a little camera-happy.  Glad to see that none of the pictures of me showed up on anything that I know of.  I'm shy about that...oh well, guess I'd better get used to it.

 Anyways, I'm in charge of learning the motions to the music provided and then trying to teach them to the two vocation directors who are running this thing.  We're going to help out with Bible School up in Dayton, OH.  So...do any of you know anyone who might want to come help?  Don't quote me on this, but I think the "Stretch Your Heart" program is one of the "vocations"-run programs.  Doesn't it defeat the purpose when someone who is a candidate signs up for it and no one else does?  I thought that they're trying to attract people... I'm already attracted...  LOL!

Tomorrow is my meeting with the vocation director.  Pray for me that it goes ok.  Last time didn't go too well because I was not prepared.  That and something else was going on at work.  I feel prepared this time around.

Sr J will be making her first vows in a few more weeks.  I'm excited to see that!  That would be the second SND vow ceremony that I've witnessed...the first being Sr SM's up in Chardon.  That was awesome in itself!  I hear that all of the women who were novices together will be coming down for Sr J's ceremony, so I can't wait to see them again!  Escpecially Sr SM.

God is good!

The Past Few Days
Mood:  silly

Well.  July 4th was our big celebration at the Heights.  I was alot of fun!  I got to work a couple of the booths.  First my friend Renee and I started out in the Club 13 booth, but all the tickets got sold out, so we went to the Fruit booth.  We then helped to close that one down as well.  We had a blast!

Then the provincial came over to the house for a game of dominoes.  I won that game!  I was sooo excited, but I didn't rub it in.  I also got something cleared up that I was a little concerned about.  I'm glad that's off my chest.

One of the Sisters up in Toledo (I think she's in Toledo?) sent me some recipes that I'm going to try out for my cooking... Today I just bought a pizza and cooked it.  (Cheating, I know...but oh well.).  Sr ML came over to eat and play dominoes with us.  Sr MN won, though.  Sr MSuz is out of town and I already miss her.

In a couple of weeks, I'll be going up to Dayton to help out with the Stretch Your Heart service opportunity that the Sisters are doing up there.  I'm looking forward to it, but so far, I'm the only one signed up for it.  I think that it defeats that purpose that I'm the only one signed up because I think it's a vocation thing...and I'm already a candidate...so it's not attracting me...  I wish there were someone else!

Well, going to close for now.  I can't seem to get into my blog at work anymore, so I might not be able to post as often.  Sad...

At My Parents' House
Mood:  chillin'

Well, cooking went well.  The hamburgers were good...as far as I know they were...that's what the vocation director told me.  I'm glad she liked my cooking.  I also served some leftovers from the week or so before.  That was good too!  Even reheated it was good.  It was a Greek pasta bowl dish.

I put out my new candle.  It's in a sunflower candle holder and smells like lavendar.  Most of the Sisters who smelled it said that they couldn't smell much at all.  I thought it smelled nice.  Oh well.  I still like it.  The light from the candle shines through the glass around it and the sunflowers are painted on the glass.  It's really pretty.

Well, I'm spending the weekend with my dad.  My mom's in Maryland, so my dad needs lots of help.  I miss my Sisters while I'm away.  Sr MN is the only one there right now because Sr MSuz is on retreat and Sr BC is at the Heights for the Summer.  It's just her and Prince (the dog).  Hope the dog survives...LOL...

We're having a July 4th celebration at the Heights from 2-7.  Please come if you're able.  It's a BIG fundraiser for the Sisters.  I might work in one of the booths..just don't know if I am going to or not, and which booth...  It'll be interesting to see if I've been signed up to work one or not.

Well, take care and God bless.

So Today, I'll Cook...
Mood:  don't ask
Well, I'll be making hamburgers tonight... Eek! And mashed potatoes don't go with hamburgers...so I've been told. So, I'll bake them. Problem solved.

Work's been a bother. We have way too many kids.

Cook-out time!
Mood:  not sure
Ok, so I'm cooking tomorrow. Hamburgers...something I've never cooked before... Sr MN suggested hamburgers...we'll see how they turn out. I just hope that they'll be ok. Sr JM, the vocation director, and her local community will be coming over to eat. So will my friend Renee. I'm excited!

I wonder if one can serve mashed potatoes with hamburgers? Sr JM is bringing baked beans...but does mashed potatoes go with hamburgers and baked beans? There are lots of potatoes that are going bad in our closet. I think I should do something with them. Mashing seems to be the easiest option. We're running low on milk though...eeek! Why does cooking have to be sooooo hard. Not my favorite past-time. I tolerate cooking and will cook until the Sisters can no longer tolerate my cooking. I don't think that will ever happen though.

I made a good dish with noodles a week ago. There are still some left-overs in the fridge. Sr MN is reluctant to try them... LOL. It was one of my better dishes...she just wasn't there to try it the first time around. If she doesn't finish it, then I'm putting it out for supper tomorrow.

We're also gonna play dominoes. I'm excited about that, though I'm not sure that I can convince the Sisters to play the slow way. I have a chance to win the slow way.

Peace!

Dominoe Tourny!
Mood:  energetic
Sr MSuz and I have started a week-long dominoe tournament. So far, she's beat me royally. We have this book that the winner gets to sign and my name has only been in it once (if that). So, I'm hoping to get to sign it a few more times. But.... Sr MSuz is really good at the game...so this is going to be challenging.

Thursday my friend Renee is coming over and perhaps she'll play too. Then we may have an old fashioned pj party if she can stay the night. That will be fun.

Party!
Mood:  silly



Today I did lots of things. First, I got my hair cut super short. All the Sisters said that they liked it. I even got a compliment from the provincial. Then I spent two hours at the Heights with the sister who is in charge of the archives. I love learning about the history of the Sisters of Notre Dame. It's very interesting. After that, I came back home and Sr Suz and Sr BC went out for a party...we were celebrating Sr R's birthday. A few of the other Sisters were there...including the Sisters from ND Academy and Sr M, our provincial. Srs D and S were goofing off and I was joining them a little in that, until the provicial said that they were teaching me bad manners... LOL! It was great fun though! I had a blast. Sr R was celebrating her 90th birthday. The place where we ate had steaks and you had to cook your own on an open grill over a charcoal fire. That was the first time I'd ever cooked my own steak before. Sr M congratulated me and announced it to the whole group... LOL.
Then we came home and Sr Suz and I played dominoes until about 11:00 pm. She won.

Don't Fly
Mood:  a-ok
I hate airplane flights that are delayed beyond recognition and then cancelled. I flew to Philadelphia to visit my friend Sister Carol, and my flight there AND back were both delayed and then cancelled. Sheesh... I must have a bad luck streak in flights. Or at least in picking days to fly. At least tonight when I left PA they were able to actually get off the runway for a change. The flight I got on on Friday didn't even leave the runway...had to reschedule it to Sunday. So, I lost some of the travel time that I could have spent with Sister Carol, and gained a headache. Then I almost wasn't able to leave today to come home.
It's midnight....so I'm going to bed... I'll write more about my adventures in Philly later.

Airport Blues
Mood:  blue
I was supposed to be in Philadelphia this past Friday, but there was some sort of blackout at one of the crew towers that was supposed to direct traffic...therefore I didn't leave the airport. They told everyone that it was weather related...and therefore we can't get any compensation for the lost days... I'm a little peeved.

Here's the letter that I wrote the airlines and the company that booked my flight:

I was supposed to travel to Philadelphia on Friday, but due to the fact that one of the travel towers lost power, all flights into Philadelphia were rescheduled to Sunday. Therefore, I lost two days. Additionally, I now have to pay for airport parking because there is no one to drop me off at the airport. If I would have flown out on Friday, as I was scheduled to do, I wouldn't have the need to pay to park.
My airplane ticket was nearly 500 dollars. Now I have to pay an additional amount of money just to park my car.
I would appreciate some sort of compensation for the 2 travel days that I lost so that I can cover the money to pay for airport parking.


Do I have the right to ask for this? I mean, I would have never had to bring my car the second time around if I had left on Friday....

Anyways, I'm going to see if I can go today...one more try.

What's on the SND Kentucky Website
Mood:  celebratory
Here's what the Sisters posted on their site about me:

New Sisters of Notre Dame Candidate
Alyson Utterback was welcomed as a Candidate with the Sisters of Notre Dame in a simple ceremony on Sunday, May 27, in the Provincial House chapel. She is pictured with Sister Marla Monahan, Provincial (left) and Sister Jean Marie Hoffman, Vocation Director (right). As a Candidate, Alyson will enter into deeper discernment with the community regarding her vocation. Alyson has "lived in" with three Sisters of Notre Dame at St. John's convent in Covington, Kentucky for the past several months. She will continue her residence there during her time of candidacy. Alyson is currently working at Holy Trinity Child Development Center in Newport, Kentucky, which is administered by the Sisters of Notre Dame.


I'll post more later!