All Else Confusion

I've finally caught up with all my school work, so now I have time again to post! I'm heading out to my brother's to help with my nieces for Halloween this weekend. My sister-in-law is trying to convince both my nieces to dress as saints, so I'm bringing out some the pieces of the costumes we used in the saints skits for Vacation Bible School this summer. I have a blue veil with little golden stars on it that we used for an Our Lady of Guadalupe costume that I'm hoping my oldest niece will like for her costume. I can't wait to see the girls dressed up!

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Congratulations to Sister Agnes Marie of the Eternal High Priest of the Carmelite Sisters of Buffalo who made her Final Profession this past Saturday. I knew Sister Agnes Marie 8 years ago in Worcester, right after she had graduated from Christendom College. At the time she was Teresa Gallagher and was working for some other Christendom graduates in the area. I had just moved back to the area after living in Europe. Together, with a small group of friends, we started the first Young Adult group at St. Paul's Cathedral. I'm so happy to see her looking so radiant and joyful!

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This year I got one of the best birthday presents - a beautiful arrangement of flowers delivered to my office. I love being sent flowers! It gives you a great feeling that someone thinks of you enough to send them. And while they last it's so exciting to come home to beautiful flowers - they just add so much to a room. I always find it sad to throw them away though, even when they really don't look too good anymore. So, I had a poignant moment tonight when I finally threw away my birthday flowers. That beautiful gift is all gone.

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After nearly a month and a half of job searching, I was finally offered a position in the Religious Education Office of a local parish. I'd been wanting to find a job either teaching in a Catholic school or working in religious education, so I'm pretty happy about it.

It's been quite an experience adjusting Catholic life in Northern Virginia. The parishes, for example, are much larger than the parishes at home. Most parishes here seem to have thousands of families and several hundred children in CCD. Yesterday, I met the Director of Religious Education for a parish that has over a thousand children in CCD!

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Well, the big move happened on Monday and I am now a Virginia resident. The issue of how to get myself, my car, and all my stuff to my new home was nicely fixed by my father who very generously drove a rented cargo van from Massachusetts to Virginia on Monday and then drove it back again on Tuesday and then proceeded to use the van to transport my furniture from my house to my parents' house. What a father!

All in all, it was a smooth trip, though we had to pack the van around the guys who showed up to finish replacing my front door that was damaged in the robbery back in January. Unloading was a cinch as several friends and my roommate were there to help. I've spent the last couple of days unpacking and am happy to find that almost everything fits in my room. I had a little trouble with my clothes - it's tough going from a huge walk in closet to a closet with about a quarter of the space - but it's not too bad. Today I spent some time on the phone with the router company and got the wireless set up before heading out to explore. I now know where Target, Safeway (the grocery store), the Post Office, and CVS are. It's a start. Though there are still a lot of issues to be dealt with - like finding a job and a renter for my house - it's nice to finally be here and to be getting settled in.

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I remember when I moved into my house almost 4 years ago. I had just bought the house and my sister and I were moving from smaller rented space. On the day of the move, my parents came over along with some friends and we proceded to drive back and forth across the city all day with truck loads of stuff. How we had so much stuff, I have no idea! I vowed then that I was staying where I was forever. No more packing and moving!

Turned out to be a short forever. Now, not quite 4 years later I am sorting through my things and preparing to move again. The difference this time is that I won't be taking everything I own with me. There isn't space in my tiny Virginia apartment. Still the rest of my things need to be packed and stored. Or maybe I'll just give them away; it would certainly help the next time I have to move. If only I could reconcile myself to getting rid of a box or two of books - or movies!

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Five days until I leave for Virginia. Things are crazy around here, so I won't have much time for blogging. Hopefully, I'll find some time once I get to Virginia.

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I finally made the decision - it's time to go to Virginia. Last summer, I had a wonderful time being a student. I loved studying, and I even loved it when I came back home and had to write papers (despite all the complaining!). So, I decided that I wanted to be able to go to school all year round - not just for a few weeks during the summer. But, in order to do that, I have to move to Virginia. This was not an easy decision - it means leaving a job that I've held for almost 7 years (not necessarily a bad thing, but it's comfortable) and figuing out what to do with my house as well as leaving my family and friends here in Massachusetts. And, of course, it means the dreaded job hunting in Virginia. So, while I'm very excited about all these changes about to happen in my life, I'm a little nervous too.

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Congratulations to Thursday and Friday! At about 7:45 this morning they welcomed their daughter in the world. She weighed 6lbs, 8 ozs and scored a perfect 10 on the Apgar scale. According to Friday, she has reddish brown hair. Thursday was there for the birth, getting in around midnight. Mother and child are both doing well.

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I haven't heard anything from the police about the investigation into the robbery at my house last week. In fact, I've left two messages asking for follow-up information and have yet to receive all call back. I'm sure that the police have a lot of cases to investigate, and that mine is pretty small. But it's huge to me, and I'd like to know that the men who are sworn to protect me and my property are doing something. I want the person who walked into my house and helped himself to my things behind bars.

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I know, I know. It's been a month since the last time I posted. But, I've been really busy. Really. 2 illnesses, a brother and sister visiting (with children), Christmas, and a man will do that to you. Now I've recovered from the illnesses, my brother and sister have gone home and the busy part of Christmas will be over after my party this weekend. So, look for more blogging soon.

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So, I finally had time to post at the end of last week - and blogger decided to do maintenance. I felt like the proverbial girl - all dressed up and no where to go.

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When I first started my current job, we would go out for Chinese food every so often. I once got this fortune which has been sitting on my desk ever since: You are a lover of words, someday you will write a book.

I haven't been doing much writing in the years since I received that fortune, but it's still on my desk.

I like to think that it will come true. One day I will write a book. But not today.

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