Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
Showered
Kasia November 15th, 2008
We had my bridal shower today. Well, my Detroit bridal shower - there’s going to be one in Chatham for the Canadian family and some of Mere de Canuque’s friends
I have to say, I never thought I would be one of those brides who would squeal over Sil-Pat baking mats and steel colanders, but apparently I misjudged myself. There was much squealing, and almost all of it originated with yours truly.
It was a lovely shower. I appreciated the effort and planning (and of course the gifts too!), and now need to pick out some purty thank-you notes to begin expressing my appreciation.
On an only-tangentially-related note, I’m still sorely tempted to buy this for the wedding. But I’m not sure I can bring myself to spend more than I spent on the dress for a cape that I’m unlikely to wear again…any thoughts? It is perfect for a winter wedding…but…
** UPDATE ** Or I could buy this (more pics here)…much less expensive, but DEFINITELY a single-occasion garment…
Oh, this is just embarrassing…
Kasia November 12th, 2008
…but I have to post it because it’s about right:
You Are Scooter |
 Brainy and knowledgeable, you are the perfect sidekick. You’re always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you’re the one who keeps things going. “15 seconds to showtime!” |
A curtsy and a resigned sigh to my dear Miss Jean, who apparently bears a striking resemblance to Keith Moon (she scored as Animal). I would have thought I was more Fozzie-like too, Jean…but I’m afraid Scooter is probably a more accurate result.
I am such a bad seester.
Kasia November 4th, 2008
Once you’ve gone and cast your ballot (assuming you’re an American citizen and registered to vote, of course), come on back and see how proud I am of my big seester! (Otherwise, look now!)
Incidentally, every precinct I drove past today was jammed. I know before work is a busy time of day, but wow. I myself stood in line for a good little while at my precinct, a few bodies back from the Friendly Neighborhood Canon Lawyer; but thanks to a redistributivist accident of the alphabet (apparently our part of the line was heavy on first part of the alphabet, and my surname is in the last half), I ended up voting ahead of him.
And finally, I just have to ask why I only just heard THIS MORNING on the news that Sarah Palin was cleared of wrongdoing in the so-called Troopergate mess by a state review board? Seems like too little, too late to me. At least it was before the polls opened, I suppose…
I am seriously ticked off at myself.
Kasia November 3rd, 2008
I’m not entirely sure, but I think my bag of summer clothes may have disappeared in one of my earlier Salvation Army runs. I am waiting until it is confirmed before I resort to a (mercifully very) rare use of the F-bomb and begin spending my oh-so-abundant spare time in resale shops, so as to replenish as cheaply as possible. (As little spare time as I have, I still probably have more time than I have money.)
In other news, a shower gift arrived today. I’m not sure of the etiquette, but it came wrapped; so I put it on the closet shelf to take and open at the shower. Along with the packing slip that says what it is. :-p At least there it should be safe from being accidentally taken to the Salvation Army as well…
** UPDATE ** Hallelujah - I found it. (big sigh of relief) I was not looking forward to undertaking the replacement of all those work clothes…
And just because I can say this to the world…
Kasia November 2nd, 2008
…I think I just spent one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting three hours of my life.
My father and stepmother came over to do an “assessment” and figure out how much help I need in getting my place ready for Canuck to move here. My stepmother, whom I love tremendously, is a five-foot-two bundle of opinions and energy. She ran me ragged. (My father sat and watched the Lions snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.)
So I now have an even bigger pile of Salvation Army donations, a sore neck (accidentally whacked it with a chair leg - don’t ask), and a to-do list a mile long. I’m really glad they came to help. I’m just going to spend the evening cuddled up in my afghan, watching Pride and Prejudice (the A&E version, not the BBC 1980s one) and eating raw cookie dough (and possibly ice cream). Mmm, self-pitying indulgence…
One other church note…
Kasia November 2nd, 2008
The cluster bulletin this week (apparently Fr. Daniel really has his work cut out for him in this cluster):
St. Agnes Advent Liturgical Dancers
Fortunately, in the same issue they also advertise the St. Agnes Blood Pressure Clinics…
Things you don’t expect to hear in church…
Kasia November 2nd, 2008
Paraphrased: “Would some of you PLEASE stop coming to Mass?”
OK, that’s not quite a fair paraphrase. But it’s not TOO far off. If you changed it to “to THIS Mass…and go to one of the other Masses instead,” it would be about right.
In Chatham, Canuck and I generally go to one of the two parishes that are closest to Chez Mere de Canuque: Blessed Sacrament or St. Agnes. The two were clustered together last summer under a new pastor, Father Daniel, who’s really good and has been a real breath of fresh air here.
However, with that event, they (naturally) had to collapse two parishes’ weekend Masses into a schedule one priest can manage. Apparently the Diocese of London only allows a priest to say three Masses in a twenty-four hour period. Maybe that’s a larger norm. I don’t know. Fr. Daniel is saying four: two vigil Masses and two Sunday Masses.
Still, the 9:30 Mass at Blessed Sacrament is always packed to the rafters. I suppose it’s a combination of early-Mass St. Agnes, early-Mass Blessed Sacrament, and other-Mass Blessed Sacrament-who-don’t-want-to-go-to-a-different-parish.
Apparently one or more parishioners called the city to complain about the crowds at the 9:30 Mass. Turns out it violates fire codes to (a) set up additional chairs, or (b) let people stand in the back.
Father Daniel, as the pastor, is the buck-stops-here guy. As such, he is liable to arrest if he lets it happen again.
So, with much regret (and it was pretty obvious that it was sincere regret), he asked if some of us could either go to a different Mass within the cluster, or go to another parish in town. He also joked that it was no wonder his hair is gray: the diocese says he doesn’t have enough people, and the city says he has too many.
I can’t fault the city - they’re acting on complaints made and are following the law. And the law is there for a reason. I will say I don’t understand why people can’t stand in the back. The chairs, I understand. But OK.
I can’t decide whether I’m more disgusted with the anonymous complainants for phoning it in to begin with, or the diocese for not giving him the flexibility to find another solution. I know there aren’t a lot of priests to go around, but why are you hamstringing the ones you do have and making their jobs even more stressful?
Sigh - it looks like we’re about to become Vigil Mass attendees.
Just plain wrong.
Kasia October 31st, 2008
This sort of thing is the main reason I oppose socialized medicine. If it didn’t have this unfortunate actuarial tendency, whereby human beings get reduced to cost-benefit analyses and the handicapped are seen as a burden rather than as human beings in their own right, I would probably be pretty keen on it. Well, and if governments weren’t so noted for being wasteful bureaucratic black holes, too; but the first reason is more than enough for me.
When I grow up, I want to be just like Paul Cat. Except a girl.
Kasia October 30th, 2008
That’s an overstatement, but it was inspired by this piece of disciplinary hilarity. What can I say - I’m a word nerd.
I especially love that the parents have to sign it. I can just imagine how thrilled my father would’ve been to see all my creative conjugations of the F-bomb as a detention essay. …actually, now that I think about it, being as he’s a retired English teacher, I think he might have appreciated this particular approach. But I still would’ve been an unhappy Clam for a couple of weeks of grounding…
