My parents have these friends who, for a long time, were pretty much just like the other couples my parents were friends with. Then their unborn baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, and everything changed. Baby Stephen died after only 8 days, and the Peifers moved to Kenya in the middle of a famine. I was really young when this happened, but as I grew up I’d hear my parents’ updates on them with something like disbelief. First, they were... Read more

This post has been a long time coming. It’s actually been well over 2 months since the Homerathon, and my original intent was to write this post the day after the Homerathon, but alas. Various circumstances of life intervened. All those various circumstances don’t account for the long, long time that elapsed, though. Here’s what that procrastination boils down to: I’m not a huge fan of Homer. It’s a total English major faux pas for me to admit this, but... Read more

I’m glad I had to step away from the blog for a few days. It’s allowed me some time to watch things unfold, through Facebook and Twitter, without jumping in. The first night Pope Francis was our Pope, I clicked over to Rorate Caeli and read the combox with horror, shock, nausea, anger, etc. I wasn’t happy. I was so pissed at those rad-trads I couldn’t see straight. I’ve learned my lesson about blogging when angry, though. I didn’t want... Read more

A few days ago, I expressed my affection for Cardinal O’Malley on facebook. The Anchoress replied that I loved him so much because there was something “very Franciscan” about me. I didn’t really understand what she meant, because I’ve had a completely unreasonable bias against St. Francis for years now, since he always seemed to me to be the first ever PETA member and I can’t get behind not eating delicious animals. And now our Pope is Francis. And yesterday... Read more

Black smoke yesterday, black smoke today. Not time to get concerned by a long shot, but some people are getting anxious. In the past weeks since Benedict announced his resignation, I have seen no shortage of articles and blog posts about the terrible abuses of power in the Vatican. The secular side is appalled by the male hierarchy, the sexual abuse scandal, and the continued stance against contraception, among others. The religious side, particularly those faithful Catholics to whom this... Read more

Last time I attempted a haiku, a very nice person over on Twitter politely informed me that those were not haikus. I tried to defend myself after having my husband count the syllables, just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, but the very nice person on Twitter said that the problem was that a linked poem like that is a renga. That rang a dim bell in the archived “Poetry” part of my brain, and I felt both sheepish and... Read more

  The Ogre: “Let’s have a family movie night.” Me: “Ooooh yeah, let’s watch Back to the Future!” The Ogre: “Really? I was thinking Ladyhawke.” Me, internally: Oh kill me now. The Ogre: “Don’t you think they’ll be a little….I dunno…bored with Back to the Future?” Me, externally: “Are you serious? As opposed to Ladyhawke?!?” The Ogre: “Ladyhawke has knights and magic and stuff.” Me: “Babe, I was bored watching Ladyhawke.” The Ogre: “That’s because you have no taste.” Me:... Read more

Just popping in on a Sunday morning to say late coffee and oranges in a sunny chair are great and all, but this is so much better. It is but one of the gazillion reasons I have an umbilical-cord-like attachment to my alma mater. It gives me life. I love it so. Also, Dr. Osborn FTW!!!!!!!!!!! Read more

#7 Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. I have no idea why I just said that, it just seemed like the thing to say. But rum, yummy. I love my new ASUS laptop, most of all because it allows me to post and post and post no matter where I am. Right now I’m watching Lincoln chew on the corner of a rug in between bouts of accidentally bashing his head into the hardwood floor. The windows are... Read more

  Charlotte came home from ballet on Wednesday with a pack of smarties she had earned for listening and actually attempting to practice their dance for the recital. She immediately offered to share with Liam, and to save one for Sienna. After about three minutes, she had shared her smarties freely with Liam, and all were gone save the one yellow smarty she had set aside for Sienna. She held it carefully as she and Liam sat cross-legged on the... Read more