I have come to fall in love with teaching in Catholic schools. What are YOU in love with?...

"Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything." - Pedro Arrupe

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Thank goodness for Thanksgiving!

When the school year starts each August, it becomes easy to fall into the daily grind, often causing us to lose sight of the important people and things in our lives. As day follows day and week follows week, it's a constant struggle to just stay afloat. This is just one reason I am especially thankful for Thanksgiving - it's a chance to slow down (not counting the actual turkey trot, where it was necessary to speed up) and relax with family and friends. 

I was lucky enough to visit with my parents and sister (and her fiance) in Michigan. We had a simple Thanksgiving - the annual "Mighty Gobbler" turkey trot in the morning followed by a late lunch/dinner (with my aunt and uncle joining us) around the table. My personal favorite part of the meal was the pumpkin pie. Mmm... 



Also, my sister and I spent part of Thanksgiving afternoon making the traditional family turkey apples. (We just didn't have the cloves for the eyes.)



We spent most of the day after Thanksgiving visiting our great aunt and my grandpa's best friends (who are as close to family as you can get). We shared a lot of good stories and laughs. I love the holidays. :)

My mom and I went to see the movie "Wonder" on Saturday. It stayed pretty true to the book (from what I can recall - I read it over 5 years ago), and it brought a number of tears to my eyes. I'd recommend seeing it.



Before heading out, my parents put up the Christmas tree and hung the lights. My dad even made a new tree topper for it. Then he started playing Christmas music on his guitar. It was then that I realized that I couldn't escape from all things Christmas - the time had come to give in...so I did. I downloaded Leslie Odom Jr's new holiday album for the drive home, and when I got home I wrote out and addressed Christmas cards. (I'm waiting a few days to actually send them, though.) Let the Christmas carols play and the lights shine brightly - it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And I'm okay with that.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

I left my heart in San Francisco...

My (mini) San Francisco vacation in photos:

at the airport (11/18) - a little early for Christmas, just saying...

Two great reads from my trip - I highly recommend them!

My friend/host is the best - she had water waiting for me!

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge!

It was a picture-perfect day in San Francisco!

Pretty as a postcard...

Bridge Selfie

Enjoy the views

The skyline

Sunset view

So many smiles - good times! Love these people...

Representing ACE Phoenix - SJV love

Wine tasting on Sunday with my hosts



We also tasted (and purchased) cheese

more wine photos


"Is this the 'That was good!' photo?"


The ferry building

Coit Tower from below

We didn't count the stairs...but my dad told me there were 400+...I believe it...




Views from the top of Coit Tower

Panorama-style

We saw Alcatraz from afar

Views from the top of Coit Tower

Lombard Street! (Walk down it, not up it...)



Chinatown dim sum

They folded the fortune cookies right in front of us!

Old Saint Mary's Church

Chinatown entrance

We visited our classmate's school in Chinatown!

So great to tour and catch up...

Gift from my hosts :)

Great pit stop :) Free samples

A perk from an early morning flight

Gotta have a good snack on a 3 1/2+ hour flight

These were just a sampling of photos - pictures could really not do this part of our country justice. I can see why there's even a song about how you can leave your heart in San Francisco...

Who's Ernie?


This name tag now is plastered on the outside of my phone case.

But why?

Well, it was "Name Tag Sunday" of course, at the church I visited last Sunday. It turns out this is a once a month event. We were invited to write our first names on a name tag before entering the main church, and after Communion we were asked to exchange name tags with someone we did not know in order to pray for them for the next month. (Well, that was an easy one for me!) It was then that an older gentlemen seated in front of me gave me his name tag, and he introduced himself as Ernie. And that's when I put the name tag on my phone case. I can tell you it's hard to forget to pray for him with his name looking up at me every time I reach for my phone! (I haven't tried to take it off yet, but I hesitate to do so because it might be permanently stuck...)

I personally think Name Tag Sunday is a wonderful idea, and I encouraged my parents to consider bringing the idea to their church back home. I can see it going over well there! And who knows? It might be something to tell my own pastor about...