Monday, January 5, 2015

It's the First Monday of 2015!!!!!!!!

Happy Monday! I hope y'all are doing awesome and having a great start to the year 2015. I usually don't get that excited about the whole "New Year's celebrations" thing (I mean, it's also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, which is way cooler) but it's still exciting that we have put 2014 behind us and have a whole new year, laid before us as a blank slate, waiting to be filled. I've noticed that everyone seems to fill the internet with reflections of 2014, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to jump on the bandwagon. So how about I just provide a random smattering of thoughts and events from this Christmas break? 
  • First off, Merry Christmas! Yes, I know what you may be thinking: "Dude, the Epiphany was so yesterday. Christmas is over!" Actually, Ordinary Time doesn't start up again until one week from today (the day after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord) so keep up the Christmas music, parties, and music!! 
  • You know what's really cool (though at times, confusing) about Catholicism? Living with a foot in each world sometimes. Or at least, that's what it can feel like. On Saturday evening, Jacob and I rearranged our nativity set, so that the Wise Men were with the Holy Family. On Sunday morning, I woke up and prayed Morning Prayer for the Epiphany. And then Jacob and I went to Low Mass, where we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (the Epiphany is celebrated in the Extraordinary Form on January 6). It was another one of those times where I do feel that I have a foot in each world. But we're Catholic--we're universal! It's exciting to take in all the rich awesomeness of the Faith!
    Photo is from imbd.com
  • You know what an amazing movie is? "The Hundred Foot Journey." Just watch it. But don't read the book. I only made it to Chapter 4 or so of the book, then threw it down because of all of the graphic, gratuitous sex references and scenes. But the movie is awesome. It blends Indian culture, amazing food, romance, rivalries, deep themes like discrimination, and family into a beautiful, timeless film! And it's completely appropriate for the whole family. How cool is that? 




  • Speaking of food, my husband made me the coolest present ever for Christmas: A giant peanut butter cup!!! I'm not kidding, it weighed a couple of pounds. He used about two bags of chocolate chips, half a bag of powdered sugar (I think it was a 2 pound bag) and a whole jar of peanut butter! We've been eating a little of it each day, and we've only eaten about half of it so far. 
Right after I opened it!
  • Games are awesome. Despite the fact that for the first few days of Christmas I continually lost and failed at games, I now am at the point where I've been winning bunches, which makes it all more exciting. More on the topic of games will come at a later date. Until then, look up "Innovation." It's an awesome game. 
  • Our Epiphany/Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus celebrations yesterday were fun, involving many great things! The Muppet version of "A Christmas Carol" is wonderful. I can't believe that yesterday was only the second or third time in my life to watch it. Such a great movie! Beignets are delicious, fairy tales are great, and Celtic Woman and Seraphic Fire both have fabulous Christmas albums. 
  • My husband and I jokingly talk about how there's only cold weather when non-commuter students are in town. Towards the end of the semester, it got really cold. As soon as students left, we had about a month of flip flop weather (seriously, it felt like Fall for December and the beginning of January!). But now that students are coming back, the weather's gotten cold again. And for the first time since the end of November or beginning of December, I'm wearing socks and shoes. Oh well, I guess it's redemptive suffering? : ) 


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