Please excuse me while I have a blogging fan-girl moment. This marks my first time actively participating in 7 Quick Takes, and let’s just say, there is much rejoicing and celebratory SQUEEEE-ing going on over here. Thank you ConversionDiary.com for hosting!
1. It’s official!
My best friend Eli, and I breached the new relational horizons of Facebook-officialness. This is a big deal when you’re as pathologically introverted as we are. I requested that he call my father and introduce himself (remnants of my borderline fundamentalist I-kissed-dating-good-bye awkward homeschooler days, leave me alone). My dear, sweet Californian/Brazilian beau felt it necessary to inform me that I did NOT adequately prepare him for the sheer level of stereo-typical Texas Man-Beast he was going to encounter when my father picked up the other line. #iaminnocent
2. I’m writing again.
I was on a personal writing hiatus for a really ridiculously lengthy amount of time for various not-so-convincing reasons, that all mainly boiled down to sheer laziness. I confess. I’m toying around with the idea of attempting National Novel Writing Month for the umpteenth time in my life.
3. Libraries don’t have a witness protection program.
This week I discovered that a book I checked out at my hometown library the very first day of summer break is nestled safely. . .in a purse in the back of my trunk. This revelation came to me as I was digging around my car for the Tulsa library card that, after consulting a librarian three hours later, was determined I never posessed in the first place. I just knew there was some kind of secret Library-credit-score hanging over my head that signified reprehensible stewardship skills.
4. I have not had a drop of coffee all week.
Hot Earl Grey tea with heavy whipping cream and absolutely sinful amounts of sugar are my new culinary lover.
5. I remember why I love J.R.R. Tolkien.
I was one of the thousands sucked into watching the entire trilogy play out on TV Sunday. I was one of THOSE Tolkien fans – the kind who read the Silmarillion multiple times and could pretty much quote The Hobbit verbatim when I was 10. I thought there was nothing new the movie trilogy could offer me. But I watched the trilogy as a Conversion, of sorts, and my world was blown.
6. The Credo from Vaughan Williams Mass in g Minor is worthy of drooling.
I’m a full-time nanny to two children, 3 and 5. I try to expose them to all kinds of music (more for my sanity than the development of their musical appreciation), and I feel rather accomplished. Their play-list of choice is Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring by J.S. Bach, Credo by Vaughan Williams, Lizstomania by Phoenix, and Rock My Boat by Dntel. Cultured kids, if I do say so myself.
7. I’m definitely a fan of lectio divina.
I’m taking a lectio divina class through the Diocese of Tulsa’s Pastoral Studies Institute, and HOLY COW BATMAN. All my years in the heart of the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement of the 90’s has absolutely nothing on this.
Secret Vatican Spy 
HI Kassie
Just stumbled on your blog via Conversion Diary 7 Quick Takes. Congrats on your 1st 7 Quick Takes:)
Also read your conversion story, oh wow! Welcome home:)
About #3: I hate when that happens! It’s even worse if you tell the library that you returned the book, you just know you did – and then you find it under your bed.
Haha – moments of shame!! I’m almost positive that the only safe job for me would be as a librarian – anything to keep me from checking books out for myself.
Found your blog from conversion diary. It looks great! Keep up the good work! Can’t wait to read more.
Whoa! I don’t know where to begin commenting. First, I’m delighted to find you on 7 Quick Takes today! Let see…
NANO–I’ve never done this, and I’m tempted this year b/c I’m working on a new novel (after finally swearing off, emphasis on swearing, uh, never mind, my last one)… except that I’m working on this pesky book of Lenten activities for Liguori, and I’m just not sure I can set everything else aside for that month. But I’m thinking about it. Maybe if I get off my little behind and get a draft done of the Lent book, I can indulge. Or self-torment. Or something. 🙂
LOTR–seriously, am I reading this right? Had you never seen the movies? You poor thing! I admit, I’m not quite the Tolkein aficianado that you are…I still have trouble with the Silmarillion, and I have finally forgiven myself for not reading the long Elvish songs. LOL…I have only recently ceased an annual tour of Hobbit/LotR. My book is falling apart.
But the movies are something else. Although I’ve watched them too many times (extended versions), and I’m starting to see things that bug me. Time to leave them on the shelf for a while. 🙂
As for the calling your dad thing–I love it!
Think of it as penance for writing procrastination in the past! That’s how I’m viewing, it anyway. I want to make sure I have a steady supply of suffering to offer Jesus and all. 😉
No, I’ve seen the movies. To give you an idea of my level of nerdiness, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Aragorn were my first and only “celebrity” crushes. I had an all-in-one-edition that I lugged around everywhere, cluthing it like security blanket, on trips to China, trips to the mall, and rides down the road to the pharmacy. My mother, grandmother, and myself made yearly Christmas pilgrimages to the movies when they were coming out. It’s just been years since I actually sat down and watched all of them, all the way through. There was just something about this weekend that was like watching them for the very first time again. Regarding the music, the song that Liv Tyler recorded that plays while Eowyn is in the Houses of Healing has been a regular feature in my subconcious since I first watched the extended edition of Return of the King. 😀
I had to come back and add a postscript to my comment. On the topic of LotR…it’s the music. It is SO the music. I just perked up from the e-world to realize that what was stirring my soul was the music of the lighting of the beacons from RotK, coming out of my stereo. 🙂
Kassie
You mentioned “I Kiss Dating Goodbye” I’d be really interested in the Catholic perspective of dating vs Protestant. More and more I see young Catholic’s influenced by Protestant books on courtship and it doesn’t sit quite right with me. I really need to do more research as my dd is 17, so far I’ve just discussed viewpoints and left it at that. I’m assuming you looked at the Catholic perspective I’d love to hear more about your findings:)
Hi Erin!
That’s actually a great question. Give me some time to synthesize my thoughts, and I’ll get back with you.
Oh I’m so glad it’s socially acceptable to use hashtags outside of twitter! How liberating!
I love your blog! and just subscribed. 🙂
I too have some awkwardness left over from I Kissed Dating Goodbye (probably because I went to the conference and took that pledge when I was all of eleven years old, haha). My now-husband and I wouldn’t even hold hands the first like six months we were dating. Haha.
And YAY for Nanowrimo! 🙂 I’m a writer too (and just finished a novel, but it took me four years, not the month of November) and my best friend spent a while last year working as an intern for the org that runs Nanowrimo and he made it sound so awesome.
And finally, I too am a huge fangirl of Conversion Diaries, and yay for 7 quick takes! 🙂 Looking forward to reading more from you!
Just now getting a chance to catch up on my blog reading. I loved reading these — and thanks so much for the kind words!
Also, I want to hear more about #7. I’ve tried LD a bunch of times and just can’t stick with it. I’d love to hear any tips or insights!