Pumpkin picking with Krissy and Chris

We had a great time a few weeks ago, heading out to Helen's Flower Farm in Aquebogue for some pumpkins and a relaxing walk around the farm. here are some photos

Compo Beach, westport, Ct

So I know I haven't blogged in over a year, in over two really. I guess that is what leaving a stressful career, getting married, and moving- three times- will do to you!

James and I are still getting settled in our new town house in New Canaan, Connecticut

It has been an adventure, we moved one day after our first anniversary. James gave me this amazing camera and got me two classes, one on how to use it and another at the local art guild studying lighting, setting, and composition.

I recently had minor surgery and still have stitches and can't swim yet, but still we thought it would be a great way to spend a summers day at the beach. No swimming means I took about a hundred pictures. I'm thinking of turning this into a photography blog as I study more and try to develop my 'chops'.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the day:

obama-care

Universal health care is a issue of social justice...true social justice comes from compassion and understanding of the individual, not from laws being passed by governemnts over the governed. Washington is snowing everybody... I truly feel this bill had very little to do with health care and everything to do with stirring up emotional politics of the left and right and satisfying the special interests. I am neither left nor right, I am a constitutionalist. I am as appauled by this health care bill as I was at the patriot act. Has anyone actually read the 2300+ pages of this bill? I have read a lot of it today...they don't want yout o read it...and its disturbing and sets precedent for the government to continue to take over every remaning free market system in the country. Big Brother is growing bigger and bigger...They now have the banks, the auto industry, housing, and health...where does it end? Perhaps in a utopian society universal healthcare would be a beauitiful thing, but America is far from a utopian society..it is the great experiment.... a country based on freedom of the individual as much as America is, and there were specefic provisions made in the constitution to prevent universal ANYTHING so that people would remain free without the government controling aspects of their lives...what starts as a percieved aid, becomes control. This bill is unconstitutional and there is a clear reason why no president has been able to pass it since Woodrow Wilson first brought up the issue in 1912. A government big enough to give you what you want is big enough to take it away. What about the fact that taxes will increase for 4 years before coverage is effected...or that 500 billion in medicaid and medicare benefits will be cut to provide healthcare to the uninsured? I work in healthcare for the geriatric community and as a professional I have my own views on reform being needed more than new law. According to the wording in the bill, 65% of the funding for the elderly patients I tend to will eventually be "phased out" and "re-evaluated" I have very strong opinions about that, which I will vote my conscious on in the future...Everyone has an opinion, its my opinion that it is unjust that, should I not like the government plan, my private plan I now work and pay for will go up in price by an estimated 200% ... that is unjust ... Its further my opinion that it is not freedom that if I shoud not choose to then be supported by the governent plan, should I SO CHOOSE to not have insurance...I will then be fined and possibly incarcerated should I be unable to pay my fine. This does not feel like freedom to me... These feels like Washington saying "this is what we came up with and it may not be better than what you had and I'm certainly not going to use it but everyone else has to because a lot of people didn't have anything"...and you all have no choice but to sign up or pay the piper...that is not freedom in my humble opnion...READ THE BILL ...The FACT is that more lobbists and pharmacutical and insurance companies were involved in writing this legislation than were elected officials and that has been hidden from the publlic, as it always is whether it is a republican or a democrat in power...Lobbists and the corporatins they work for are the real problem here. It is very important to READ everything both sides have to say and find the cloudy ugly truth that is dissapointing to both sides...the truth is ussually in the middle somwhere. If you could see anything from the past administration it is that executive orders are no way to get lthe laws you want passed by congress...

I have a feeling I'll be having headaches reading all the information for awhile to be truly informed.

Peace and happy reading...

insomnia- secondhand serenade...

So I had a really long day and have not been able to sleep much tonight. I'm really excited to be going to Minnesota for Nikki's wedding in two days,and spend time with her adn FINALLY meet Josh adn jsut celebrate love... but I still have so much to do at work and with packing and missy's 40th birthday party today....and just all those little mundane things like trying to figure out when to visit people in the cities while I'm in St. paul..and getting rides places, and getting to the bank tomorrow..and packig, did I mention packing???

Thankfully today Elissa and I had a bit of a road trip and the dress is finally perfect for next Saturday...after the road trip I hung out with her and Rica and got my laundry done without a sketchy laundromat... YAY...

Tomorrow is absolutely INSANE and I have a meeting with Fr. Michael before I leave which I hope goes well...

I am kind of angst filled and sad that James cannot come out to the wedding with me. I am really going to miss seeing him, just having time together and missing him. It has been amazing spending the summer with him. Everything is fun, and relaxed and new and better when we are together. I never thought being in love would be like this...I feel so cliche because everyone has always said, "you will meet someone" or "when you meet the right person you will know" and I have always thought "whatever, that is stupid and NO and Oh God pleas shut them up..." but after meeting James and being in love, truly on the same page on every level with someone, and wanting to always be with them and caring about even every major as well as stupid little thing that goes on ine each others life...yeah I have happily joined the ranks of cliche. And am totally beyond crushing on my soulmate... he bought me a garment bag for my trip so my dresses don't get wrinkled...where did God find this man??? it started with the fans for teh Steubenville dorm rooms and it has not stopped...I truly believe he is the most thoughtful person ever.

Even after such a short time...we have a favorite song...its quite...something ha

Seconhand serenade "your call"

the lyrics are:

Waiting for your call, I'm sick, call I'm angry
call I'm desperate for your voice
Listening to the song we used to sing
In the car, do you remember
Butterfly, Early Summer
It's playing on repeat, Just like when we would meet
Like when we would meet

Cause I was born to tell you I love you
and I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine
Stay with me tonight

Stripped and polished, I am new, I am fresh
I am feeling so ambitious, you and me, flesh to flesh
Cause every breath that you will take
when you are sitting next to me
will bring life into my deepest hopes, What's your fantasy?
(What's your, what's your, what's your...)

Cause I was born to tell you I love you
and I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine
Stay with me tonight

And I'm tired of being all alone, and this solitary moment makes me want to come back home

I know everything you wanted isn't anything you have

Cause I was born to tell you I love you
and I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine
Stay with me tonight

Cause I was born to tell you I love you
and I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine
Stay with me tonight



Cheesy right? well I know but its 5 am and I haven't slept because of all the craziness in my brain about this trip and work - so I thought I would update and be sappy....and there are probably a lot f mistakes and idc- I am not proofing this at this hour..that would be as ridiculous as ...well as blogging at 5 am...

July has been the craziest month of my life

July has been busy...lots of work, travel, adventure, love, and good old fashioned FUN

I feel like I've been afraid of so much and that fear is melting away...
afraid of really growing up, of dissapointing anyone, of standing up for my principles at work...but I;ve found a new strength through being faithful to God and have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel...
It was a good idea to not go to peru, as much as it was bittersweet to miss the action, I know I can be parto fit again in the future and needed the breakt hat I took.

I met a great man and we started dating. If I had gone to Peru, I never would have really given James a chance because I would have been waaaaaayyyyy to busy...and that would not be good because he is so much fun, well that is an understatement...but yeah. He is amazingly funny, kind, smart and generous. I have never met anyone quite like him and I feel beyond blessed to have him in my life, and truly happy and looking forward to the future. Being with him makes everything more fun, and I never thought I'd meet someone who not only would be willing to go to daily mass with me and say the rosary, but enjoys it as well and wants to be there...and wants to just be with me, genuinely and honestly...so not going to Peru was a good thing!

I also have been very tired and recovering from Lyme's disease so that has been a rough road...I get so tired so easily...it can be frustrating when I want and need to do things and just can't seem to get it done...I'm not used to slowing down so it has been a lesson indeed.

Last weekend was the Steubenville conference. The chaperones were amazing, the kids were really good - innocent adn sweet for a change :) and it was just a refrshing thing to witness and be a part of. The music was absolutely incredible. I love Ben Walther...his band is so talented...This year the venue was changed from LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, Ma to the University of RHode Island...I had my reservations chaperoning 27 kids on a college campus that I am unfamiliar with...my brothers may be eagle scouts but I could not read the map they gave us if my life depended on it...

But the dorms were a nice change from sleeping in circus tenst in the middle of thunderstorms and heat waves...and there can not be enough said about electric outlets and indoor showers!!! James got us a plug in cooler for the room so Joy Denyse, and MaryPat and I didn't have to eat the retreat food, and he also gave us little fans for our rooms...it was very thoughtful and much needed ad appreciated...

All in all the weekend was absolutely wonderful with some adventures... our bus was 2 hours late picking us up on Sunday and teh ac was broken and then we got stuck in traffic on I-95...not fun! but we endured adn arrived at St. Mary's at 4:45...just barely in time to set up the band for 5 pm mass!! after mass the parents had put together a pot luck and we had a lot of fun telling stories fromt he conference and plannning new escapades...

Steuebnville weekend is my favorite weekend of the year and a great time to be a youth minister...I feel reinvigorated in my spirit for the year to come...oh I'm physcially and emotionally exhausted but man was that weekend awesome!
Can;t wait fro what comes next!!!! Life is getting interesting :) :) :)

Lamentable Day ...sad June

Boys are crazy...not getting into it...

So I'm here at my desk on an ABSOLUTELY gorgeous day and making all of the final arrangements for the Peru Mission trip and hand writing luggage tags for all of the extra bags of clothes and supplies that will be going down there with the group next week. This will be the first time since these trips started 3 years ago, that I won't be joining the group. I know it is for the best and I need to get better and deal with this stupid disease right now, but part of my soul is so depressed...to not see those faces of the orphans, to not be in the mountains of Peru in June...I don't know what to do with myself...Digging ditches is my specialty. i will miss the comradarie within the group, especially the teens that go for this life changing experience. I have made so many lifelong friends, American and Peruvian...and even Austrailian and Croatian aquantainces along the way...thank goodness for Facebook to keep in touch!!!
I will miss the long walks in the Plaza de Armas at night when it is all lit up, and the ruins of Macchu Picchu. I will miss the masses in the hotel and at the orphange. I will miss the Maximo Nivel staff and seeing my friends Paul, Irina, Heidi, Eliza, Ramone, Alcides, and Vanessa. I will even miss bargaining with the shop keepers at the artisenal and 'sketchy mart'. But mostly I will miss the children at Azul Wasi orphanage in Orapesa. That place holds such a place in my heart. I am forever changed for having worked and lived there the past few summers.
Fr. Michael said, "You can bring your medicine and we can check with more doctors if you still want to come." But I know I have to stay home this time. My ticket CAN be used in the future and I need to be at least at half strength when we go to Steubenville in July for the teen conference.

So, to avoid feeling sad about not being where the action is...I am making a list of things I will NOT miss about this trip.
1. the 29 hour travel days there and back
2. the lost luggage
3. the travel clinic with used needles, exploding space heaters, and thinking I am going to die in South America
4. the Altitude
5. Cuy for dinner (roast guinea pig)
6. the smell of roasting llama
7. getting stuff lifted by grifters
8. taxi drivers of death
9. the smell on the bus
10. the smell at the llama farm
11. cold showers or no showers
12. spending money
13. teenagers misbehaving :(
14. no sleep


Ah well though...I still wish I was going....

Life Support

Every Month Life Teen International sends out Life Support boxes to all Life Teen youth Minsiters in over 134 countries...

They help us plan our years...they include curriculum guides, magazines, Liturgical guides, copies of teachings, books, DVDs with clips that fit into the teachings and support you during your meetings...and always..something silly ridiculous really and a usually a few CDs of the most recent music that is out...

Life Support Box day is always exciting :) :) at least for me...it helps me feel connected to something greater going on within this ministry worldwide that I am a tiny part of when it comes to the big picture..and everyone loves free stuff...Well the church pays for it..but the music goes on my mp3 :) :)

Last Quarter was a pretty good box..the toy was a fold up Frisbee type thing that says HEROIC VIRTUE on it when you open it up...its been flung around my office many times...

This month's toy is so bizarre and I love it and have had much fun so far...it is this yellow ball and when you open it up there is a white board inside...a pen sticks into the ball and there is an eraser on the end...basically you can write a message..close the ball reinsert the pen...and throw your note across the room...YAY

That explanation is silly...look at the pictures...








I also got the new Chris Tomlin album..he is one of my favorite Christian Musicians...and I just downloaded the sheet music to play this song, "I Will Rise" for this coming Sunday's Baccalaureate Mass :)


Basically- Today was my first day back to work in a while..like really on full steam...and "Life Support" was needed and arrived :)

Sometimes God isn't so subtle...sometimes he just bangs you over the head with what you need :)