I’ve been reading Brideshead Revisited lately. It’s one of those ubiquitous novels that everyone carried around and fawned over at the university I attended, and that I consequently refused to read or even acknowledge as literature. I wasn’t Catholic then, after all, and even after I became Catholic it took me a while to realize that most Catholics actually have a true appreciation for art. At least at UD, it wasn’t like being in Evangelical circles where the latest book... Read more

Hello! Sorry for the silencio this week…it’s remarkable how little I’ve gotten unpacked, for someone who’s spent every day “unpacking”. I suspect I’ve devoted a large portion of the day to “procrastination and staring out the window watching the alligators”. Maybe. Yeah, there really are alligators in the canal behind our house. RIGHT behind our house. Usually you can only see their little snouts raise up a tiny bit out of the water, but the other day I saw a... Read more

First things first. A while back someone asked me what I got the Ogre for Christmas, and since I made such a big deal over the choosing of it and all, I figured I’d tell you. I got him this: He’s recently developed a taste for Scotch, so I decided to get him a nice one that he could enjoy and offer to guests. My sister-in-law coordinated with me and got him Scotch glasses. It went over pretty well. I... Read more

I’m just going to come out and say it: the French Revolution frakked everything up. It’s obvious that nothing good can come of this I’m not saying the old aristocratic system was fair, nor am I saying that abuses didn’t happen regularly. They did, I’m sure. But after watching so much Downton Abbey, I’m more convinced than ever that there was something to the idea of the “nobility” after all. People like the Earl of Grantham took their position seriously.... Read more

I must unpack. I promised Sienna she could watch a movie in 8 minutes, and furthermore I must unpack. But I wanted to get a quick post up. This is what we did this morning: The female minions had their first ballet classes here in Ave Maria. They loved them! And were, I’m told, very respectful and obedient. Score 1 for this month’s parenting tactics! This is what we’re doing tonight: I really have to hand it to Ave Maria.... Read more

  It’s Friday. Glorious Friday. The Feast Day of the Epiphany. The sun is shining brightly outside, one of the definite benefits of living in Florida, the kids are fighting merrily, the Ogre is snoring loudly, and I’m sipping strong, strong coffee gratefully, thanks to a certain neighbor who took pity on us in our coffee-pot-less state.  #7 Unpacking Why yes, I do unpack in black and white is coming along  much more slowly than I remember it happening in... Read more

Hahaha! Guess what I’m not doing? I’m not organizing and unpacking the closet like I should be. Despite the fact that I can’t find any of my clothes and neither can the Ogre and also despite the fact that all I have to wear is an oversized and extremely wrinkled Groundhog t-shirt and pajama pants, I cannot resist the siren song of the internet. I guess you want to hear about the move. Here’s the thing, though. I cannot relive... Read more

And I’m really really sorry that I haven’t posted. We’ve been moving and all, and weren’t able to get our internet hooked up until today. I have been feeling extremely bereft and disconnected. But now we have internet! Hallelujah! I have spent the last three days working like a dog to get us settled into our new house. (Yes, it is a real house, with real rooms and no one above or below us and a back yard with grass... Read more

We’re watching Die Hard right now, a Christmas tradition, and I’m supposed to be wrapping presents but I’m worried I won’t have time to write my post tomorrow so I’m writing it now. Oh, and speaking of Die Hard, guess who the Ogre struck up a friendship with during his long months of solitude in Las Vegas? Theo, my favorite character aside from Alan Rickman’s phenomenal Hans Gruber also known as… Jimmy Trivette These days, he’s better known as Professor... Read more

At the risk of invoking the wrath of Simcha, I’m putting this song up here. This is the last day of my favorite but not most favorite Christmas song series, and this song makes me cry. No, it really does. This song is right up there with The Clown of God for me, in terms of “getting it right” about Christmas. Last night I was hysterical. My bread wasn’t rising. Like, not at all. I had spent about two hours... Read more