11 TLMs, books, Dutch stuff & ordinations!

Alrighty... It's about time I posted properly... So you'll now have the pleasure of "listening" to me ramble on about what I've been up to over the last wee while!

Okay, so, about a week and a half ago, I had the pleasure of attending the TLM in St Audoen's Church in Dublin, where the Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso sang Mozart's Coronation Mass. Great stuff altogether... It was really beautiful, and it didn't feel at all like just a performance or anything like that... A little piece of heaven. :-)

Oh! And I couldn't possibly let the opportunity pass without mentioning that the day before I was in probably the best bookshop in Ireland... Though I will have to go back again, as it was the wrong side of payday and so I had to resist the incredible temptation to buy, well, practically everything in sight... sigh...

I'm so proud of myself, that I actually did manage to leave the shop without buying anything... (we'll just not talk about the books I bought in the other bookshops that day...)

Then, this past weekend, I was in Holland, visiting a good friend of mine (who never updates her blog, but we'll forgive her!) in Aarle-Rixtel, a wee village in the south of Holland. Anyway, we had a great time chilling out, catching up, saying a wee prayer (or three) in the "Mariakapel", watching some great movies, and came home with a suitcase full of stroopwafels (which, for the most part, have already been demolished by the lads in work), speculaas, and hopjes (yaay! hopjes!) and have had to leave the poffertjes for my next visit (though to pacify me, I have had promises of waffles when I visit Norway next month)... Of course, I have unfortunately been denied the opportunity to have any of these yet, having stupidly booked a dentist appointment for a root canal yesterday morning... In hindsight, not one of my cleverest moves, considering the ridiculously late night thanks to delayed flights. (And flights! I will not even START on those! And the obscene price I paid for a bottle of WATER on my way home!!!)

Anyway. While I was away, there was something very important happening back in Ireland... (Well, apart from Fr Owen celebrating 5 years as a priest!) Yep, at the weekend, Deacon John Egan became FATHER John Egan!

Carole has written more about that over on her blog, if you're interested.

We have another ordination coming up this weekend, too... Deacon Philip Kemmy... if you could maybe keep him in your prayers. :-)

Anyway... I'll shut up now before I bore you all to tears... ;-)


P.S. I really wish I hadn't forgotten the majority of my HTML programming from uni... Tis really frustrating when the formatting won't behave itself! :-(
P.P.S. Mind you, I'm probably the only person who'd be annoyed by such things...
P.P.P.S Not to mention the fact that my blog has, what, three readers?!
P.P.P.P.S I really am going to stop with the P.S.'s now...
P.P.P.P.P.S Or maybe now!

3 While I've been threatening to find the time...

... to post another "proper" post one of these days, I couldn't resist sharing this joke I got in an email today...

A blonde, wanting to earn some extra money, decided to hire herself out as a "handy-woman" and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighbourhood.

She went to the front door of the first house, and asked the owner if he had any odd jobs for her to do.

"Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint my porch," he said, "How much will you charge me?"

The blonde quickly responded, "How about £50?"

The man agreed and told her that the paint and everything she would need was in the garage.

The man's wife, hearing the conversation, said to her husband, "Does she realize that our porch goes all the way around the house?"

He responded, "That's a bit cynical, isn't it?"

The wife replied, "You're right. I guess I'm starting to believe all those dumb blonde jokes we've been getting by e-mail lately."

A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.

You're finished already?" the husband asked.

"Yes," the blonde replied, "and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats."

Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the £50.00 and handed it to her.

"And by the way," the blonde added, "it's not a Porch, it's a Lexus"

11 Bork bork bork

In order to congratulate Joakim on becoming a Catholic, I was going to make banana(nanana) split, or some cake, or even some "chocolate moose"... But seeing as I can't cook to save my life, I thought I'd settle for some coffee...



Congratulations, Joakim!

3 Semi serious post, for a change...

Well, Wednesday past was the first anniversary of my aunt's death. A strange old day, altogether... It's very hard to believe that it's been a whole year since Kathleen passed away -- in many ways it has been the fastest year EVER! Of course it's got me thinking of all the things that have happened in the last year... I'm in a very different place now from where I was 12 months ago... (although I've only moved 5 minutes round the corner, hehe!)

For starters, I'm almost 3 stone lighter, as I've managed to tackle some of the hangups I've had about my weight since, well, forever... Quit smoking, which I have been putting off doing forever... Then there's the swimming lessons, which have helped get rid of -- or at least lessen -- that phobia of water that hand been hanging around since, well, forever! As far as faith is concerned, a year ago, I don't think I'd even heard of the Tridentine Mass, let alone actually BEEN to one... let alone purchased the oh-so-wonderful "Baronius Missile", or even thought about driving in the not-quite-Dublin-city-centre... and, well, I could go on about some of the other wonderful things that have happened, but you get the point... ;-)

But over the last year, when things have happened, I've always felt a little sad that Kathleen wasn't here to see them - to see me fit into her really cool purple cords (which are now actually getting too big), or looking smashing at the Youth 2000 ball, wearing her jewellery and all dressed up and looking girly for a change, with not a baggy t-shirt in sight! (Though I do think she may have disapproved ever so slightly at my change of footwear halfway through the evening... from "nice girly heels" to much more comfy trainers... but hey, at least they matched the dress...) At the same time, I wonder would any of these things happened had Kathleen not died? She must be putting in a good word for me or something....

And how much has changed since this photo was taken of her with her little sister...

Many times throughout the last year I have had cause to think about one of the lines from one of the Prefaces for Lent... "You teach us to live in this passing world with our hearts set on the world that will never end..."

It also reminds me of a great prayer I have discovered recently, about Complete Trust in God...

Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong will in His love enable you to profit by them. He has guided you thus far in life.

Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in His arms. Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father who takes care of you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace then, and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations.

~ Saint Francis de Sales

3 My abseil

Well, I just did that abseil on Saturday, for Marie Curie Cancer Care, down the amazingly scary 205ft building that is the BT Tower...!! Two words.... SCARY BICCIES!!!!!

(I was going to say, ah no, it wasn't really THAT bad... but... well... actually... ummm... yeah... I'll maybe shut up now.....!)

Anyway, I posted about it over on DCF, and included some photos that were emailed to me today by my brother... I should be getting one sent to me in the next week or two, that was taken from the top, so I will be sure to pass that on once it arrives.

Of course, it was amazing having all the support on the day of some great people who came to watch, but thanks to all of you who sponsored me (both online and off), for helping me raise money for such a great charity, and in memory of such a great woman.

Kathleen... Rest in Peace



13th May 1950 - 6th June 2006

3 Okay, so, apparently I'm Catholic...

... Didn't see THAT one coming....!

~~~~~

You scored as Roman Catholic, You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you. Roman Catholic 100% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 75% Neo orthodox 71% Emergent/Postmodern 57% Classical Liberal 39% Charismatic/Pentecostal 29% Modern Liberal 25% Reformed Evangelical 21% Fundamentalist 18% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com