On the Bookshelf: How Cartoon Network got me to read Dante

Happy Easter Wednesday, everyone! As I sit here enjoying my morning coffee, I thought I'd run through a couple of books that I've read over the past few months, since I haven't done a literature-focused post in a while. Today's post has a mixture of Dante, personal stories, novels, and a little bit of gardening. If you have any books that you recommend, I'd love to hear 'em, since I'm always on the lookout for more reading material of any genre! 

3 Reasons Why the Oklahoma Catholic Women’s Conference 2016 Will be Awesome

It’s coming soon: The Oklahoma Catholic Women’s Conference 2016! 

Taking place in the Oklahoma City metro area on Saturday, April 16, this fabulous event will inspire, empower, and reach out to women from Oklahoma and the surrounding states. Yes, that’s right—you don’t have to be from Oklahoma to attend. So, for those of you in Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, or any other states, I want you to know that you are very welcome to come :) 

But what is the Oklahoma Catholic Women’s Conference? And why should we consider attending this event? Let’s break it down.

“It is our hope that these conferences will give the women of Oklahoma a more extensive knowledge of their Catholic faith as well as encourage them to receive the many graces available through frequent reception of the Sacraments and the study of Sacred Scripture in conjunction with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We recognize the Blessed Mother as the model for living a faithful, Christ-centered life as a woman, wife and/or mother and encourage devotion to her in a journey as women in the Church.” ~from the Conference Mission Statement 

Daredevil & Holy Week

My husband and I are making our way through the second season of Dardevil, and last night we watched the third episode, "New York's Finest." While this episode thrilled me on many levels (talk about some great moments from Matt's friends!), I was particularly gripped by a lengthy conversation that occurs between Dardevil and the main villain of this season, Punisher. Without dipping too far into spoiler territory, I can say that watching this episode during Holy Week seems especially appropriate. Furthermore, since it is Spy Wednesday, the day that we commemorate Judas bargaining with the high priest to betray Jesus, I think it's particularly timely to briefly reflect on this episode.

As Matt Murdock (Daredevil) speaks with Punisher (whom Matt discovers is named Frank), they discuss justice from the viewpoint of a vigilante. Matt does not kill people, and battles crime in the streets of Hell's Kitchen to help keep people safe, preserve their welfare, and seek justice. Frank, however, sees it as his mission to eradicate corruption by killing evildoers in order to keep them from harming others. 

Let's Make Holy Week Epic

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope that you all had a splendid weekend. I certainly did-my husband and I played at a Catan tournament, met awesome people, celebrated Palm Sunday at our parish, and we watched the first two episodes of Daredevil season 2!!!!!! So much craziness in the show already, and I'm dying to watch the next episode. So, not watching it while my husband is at work is a good sacrifice to make! 

This week is especially good for sacrifices and prayers because it is Holy Week. 

When the Flour Runs Out on St. Patrick's Day (and other non-related things)

Happy Friday, everyone! This has been a really unpredictable-yet wonderful-week over here. Events that I had planned on did not happen, and unplanned events did happen, and God kept surprising me right and left! Thankfully, Kelly is so gracious as to host 7 Quick Takes, which is a great way for bloggers to share completely random happenings with y'all. So, let's begin by discussing flour. 

In Defense of Rice & Beans

Occasionally, in a conversation about food, I'll hear someone make a comment regarding rice and beans. Here are a couple of statements that I have heard: 

Oh, we don't really do rice and beans. 

If you're having rice and beans, I will buy you food sometime! 

I do not believe that these-or similar statements-are spoken with any ill intent. However, words are very powerful and can carry a lot of meaning, both in what is and is not said. In both of the phrases I heard regarding rice and beans, I was led to gain a few particular perceptions. Perhaps I'm reading too much into these words, but I think that what was said naturally leads to what was unsaid. 

Fezzik, Pregnancy Hacks, and Lent (7QT)

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. I have been thinking some deepish thoughts lately that I'll probably blog about someday, but in the meantime, I figured I'd share some not-so-deep thoughts and life updates with y'all! Don't forget to visit Kelly's blog for some other takes from the internet's great bloggers!

How I Learned to Talk with my Husband

Growing up, I always thought that I was fairly good at communicating. Two of my literary heroines, who I sought to emulate, are Anne Shirley, from Anne of Green Gables, and Elizabeth Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice. Spirited and convicted, these two women are not afraid to speak up for themselves. In a similar way, I often thought that I did a fairly good job speaking up for myself and my beliefs. As I matured and grew, I tried harder to temper everything with love and compassion, while still being my straightforward self. With many solid friendships among men and women, I thought that I was excellent at communication. 

However, when I first began dating the man who is now my husband, I discovered what a horrible communicator I really was.

"Can she climb up a tree? Yes she can, easily." Why I love The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (and why you may, too!)

I never grew up reading comic books, aside from borrowing the occasional Tintin from friends. So, I am not well-versed in the realm of comic book lore. I do own a very small collection of comic books now (which mainly consists of Batman '66), and I enjoy perusing comic book stores. When I recently heard about The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl from a friend, I grew very intrigued, and wanted to learn more. I found that Squirrel Girl is a Marvel superhero who was introduced in the 1990s with the Great Lakes Avengers (she also worked as a nanny for Luke Cage & Jessica Jones' child). 

However, in 2014, a new series dedicated to Squirrel Girl was announced! I had birthday money to spend, and I was excited to learn more about this hero, so I eagerly ordered Volume 1 (Squirrel Power). After speeding through Volumes 1 and 2 (inter-library loan of Volume 2 from the library for the win!), I've decided to share a couple thoughts with all of you. I think everyone needs to hear about this awesome superhero! 

[Keep in mind that I am not even close to being literate in the language of "comic book," so my grasp of this hero is coming solely from the two volumes that I have read.]