Just Reflecting
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Television at my parents' house
My sister's wedding is in less than a week. Wow time flies! Lots of people from both sides of the family will be here to visit for the wedding. There's alot to think about for the wedding.

I've been keeping busy sewing buttons onto one of the scrubs that I have to wear for work. I like wearing things that are different so I will embroider, sew on iron-on decals, buttons, and color with fabric crayons. I really love being crafty.

I also spend some time reflecting on the story of Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, the nun that was martyred in Brazil a little more than a year ago. Here's a link to The Student The Nun and the Amazon about Sister Dorothy that was recorded before she was murdered. I've seen that video that they are selling on the website and it's a really good one.

Also I've been reflecting about the community of Sisters that I want to join. I want to do more with them so that I can really get to know them better.

Wedding Countdown
Now Playing: What if I Stumble? DC TALK
Well, there's officially only nine more days until my sister's wedding. It's unbelievable. I never pictured my sister as married, though I knew she'd get married eventually. Strange eh? Well, my boss helped me get a present for the wedding and I'm waiting for it to be delivered. She nearly strangled me for worrying about it though.

If any of you are curious, my sister and her fiancee have a website where you can read about them and see some pictures. Their engagement pictures are on the site and they're pretty nice.
Here's the site: Nate and Megs

I got a new fish, not sure if I wrote about this fish in here yet, but her name is Ginevra. I named her after Ginevra Weasley of Harry Potter fame (Ginny Weasley's full name is Ginevra Molly Weasley). I call my fish Ginny for short. Now, this name is not to be confused with that of my spiritual director who is also called Ginny. Her name is actually Virginia. But anyways, Ginny (the fish) is a female Beta fish and she's really pretty. She is blue and green and purplish. The only sad thing is that she's got a little hole in her tail...I hope she's ok.

Excited!
Mood:  celebratory
Well, I had the talk with the vocation director and she gave me some excellent news. I'm soooo excited, but am going to still take things as they come and try not to over-react. She hasn't talked this over with the provincial, but she plans to propose this to her: I might be able to move into a house of discernment starting in January and live with the sisters for a semester. I'm not really sure how long that is because I've always dealt with things in quarters.

She said if that goes well, that perhaps I could enter the community as early as June of next year. I'm not going to think that far ahead. I need to focus on just doing things a day at a time.

Anyways, I must have had a look of nervousness on my face because the vocation director kept asking me if something was wrong. I told her that it all sounded really good.

Mourning
Mood:  sad
Now Playing: Voice of Mother Afrika -- Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heratige Choir
Well, last night my beloved pet fish (named after Liza Minnelli) passed away into that fishy heaven in the sky. I've had Liza for at least a half a year. I already miss her. I want to get another fish, but I already know that I've spent over budget, so I guess I'll have to wait and maybe ask for one for Christmas.

Fun time!
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Do your Chain Hang Low? Young Jibbs
Today I had dinner and played Bingo with a group of the Sisters. It was really nice. There was supposed to be a boat ride with it, but it rained. Oh well. I really liked it anyways. I even won a Bingo game.

I sat across from my boss and the provincial sat next to me. The provincial announced to the group that I was discerning with the community. A few of the Sisters came and talked with me. I had a really good time.

Curlers and all
Mood:  d'oh
Now Playing: absolutely nothing!
Today's another one of my sister's bridal showers. This one requires alot of travel as we'll be going up to Lima, OH to attend. It's being put on by my sister's fiancee's mother and sister. I'm sitting here this morning in curlers because my mother decided that I'd look alot better with curls (though, I've got a perm already) EEK! I take care of my hair, but I think that curlers are overkill. I also think that make-up is overkill too. I'm not really looking forward to the time when I have to sit and get made up for the wedding.

I made my sister a cross to hang on her wall. I hope that she likes it. I painted it green and am waiting for it to dry at the moment. It's not anything big or anything. It's got a stone in it from the Giving Voice conference that I attended last summer. I can't believe that it's been a year. Wow, time flies. When it dries, I'll be able to put the ribbon through it to hang it and then I can put it in the little gift bag that I have for it.

The kids at work were crazy these past few days. I wonder if there's a full moon.

Just Reflecting
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: listening to the sound of my fish tank
The chat room that the vocation director asked me to make is out there (in cyberspace), but she won't be able to connect to it for a few more months. That's dissappointing, but if it's meant to be, all will be ok. It's in God's hands. Oh well.

The Children's Home is having their annual Flea Market. If you're anywhere near the area, please support them by going!
Saturday, August 5, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, August 6, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Grounds of the Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home
75 Orphanage Road
Ft. Mitchell, KY

Still haven't heard anything from the provincial. Guess that the vocation director will let me know by next time I meet her if she's had the chance to sit down and talk with her. That's also in God's hands. All of my trust is in God, I can only hope that this is His will. The good God is so very good. I know that He will take care of me.

My friend Renee and I are planning a road trip up to Chardon (near Cleveland) to visit one of the novices. This promises to be an awesome trip. We're gonna rent a car and drive up. It's about a 5 to 6 hour trip. I can't wait to meet Sr Sandy! The trip will be in a month or so, and we have to finalize plans.

Starting the Wedding Frenzy
Mood:  d'oh
Now Playing: Listening to the TV at my parents' house
It's the start of the wedding frenzy... Eeeeek! This afternoon, I have to go with my mom and sister to one of the bridal showers that is being thrown for my sister. There's a total of about three or four of them...then there's the bachelorette party and then the whole wedding thing. I know a wedding is a happy occasion, but why all the parties? Can't they all be thrown into like one or two parties? And do I have to take a gift to each one? I think if I do, my budget's gonna be blown.

Yes, don't get me wrong. I'm happy for my sister and her fiancee, but um, like I said before, why can't they just combine all of the celebrating into one or two parties?

My sister's wedding is in September. I have plenty of time to prepare for the day that I have to be attacked with make-up and have my hair done at the beauty parlor. Then I have to wear a dress that cuts way too low in the bust area for my preference. I am NOT looking forward to that day. But it's what my sister wants.... I'll just have to put up with it for a day.

I wonder when I'll hear back from the provincial as to if I can move in with some of the Sisters. I think it might be awhile.

My friend Renee and I are planning a road trip up to Chardon to go see our friend Sister Sandy sometime in September. We're planning on renting a car and driving. It's about a five or six hour drive. We're thinking about asking Sister Judith if she'd like to join us. That would be really fun!

We Live We Love
Now Playing: We Live we Love -- Superchick
Here's a good song to reflect on. I just downloaded it. It's by a group called Superchick.

"We Live"

There's a cross on the side of the road
Where a mother lost her son
How could she know that the morning he left
Would be the last she'd trade with for a little more time
(so she could say she loved him one last time)
And hold him tight
But with life we never know when we're coming up to the end of the road
So what do we do then
With tradegy around the bend

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

There's a man who waits for the tests to
See if the cancer had spread yet
And now he asks why did i wait to live til it was time to die
If i could have the time back, how i'd live
Life is such a gift
So how does the story end?
Well, this is your story and it all depends
So don't let it become true
Get out and do what we were meant to do

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

Waking up to another dark morning
People are mourning
The weather in life outside is stormin
But what would it take for the clouds to break
For us to realize each day
Is a gift somehow, someway
And get our heads up out of this darkness
And spark this new mindset and start on with life cuz it ain't gone yet
And tragedy's a reminder to take off the blinders and wake up
(to live the life)
We're supposed to take up
(moving forward)
With all our heads up
Cuz life is worth living

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

Jesus in my Pocket
Now Playing: nothing--too late for music!
I carry a rosary in my pocket. Not exactly sure why I do that, but I've done it for as long as I can remember (it started sometime after highschool when I started discerning)... I don't know, is that one of those funky nun things or what? Do any of you all carry around rosaries in your pockets or purses? I have a really cool one from Jerusalem. It smells like roses. I would like to get one that's made from real rose petals, like the ones that are attributed to Saint Therese, the Little Flower.

Anyways, one of the toddlers that I work with found out that I carry a rosary. She was looking at the necklace that I wear and noticed that there is no Jesus on the cross that I wear. (I wear a cross that was given to me when my grandfather died, a miraculous medal, and a medal of Saint Julie Billiart).
She asked me where Jesus was, and I told her that he wasn't on my cross necklace, but I showed her the rosary that I carry (one of the plastic ones) and showed her that Jesus was on it. Now every time I see her, she asks to see the Jesus in my pocket. LOL -- Out of the mouths of babes.