"We Don't Like Her So Much...." (The Story of an Amazing Pilgrimage to Andalusia Farm)

"... she's too dark."

That's what a kindly old man in Milledgeville, Georgia told a tiny band of writers about Flannery O'Connor after they'd explained to him why they were visiting his charming little town.

These three women* were on a pilgrimage, you see -- to walk the same paths trod by O'Connor, to take in the air of Andalusia Farm, where Flannery wrote -- with stops along the way to experience the place Thomas Merton prayed and wrote, too.

To read more about this journey, you can visit the pages of the pilgrims:

Christina Novak, who first imagine and then organized the trip -- check her blog under the labels Flannery O'Connor,  Andalusia Farm, pilgrimage.

Roxane Salonen: See Finding Flannery and Andalusia Farm.

Karen Mahoney: Pilgrimage, Flannery O'Connor.

~~~~~

* I know them through an online Catholic writers' group that we all belong to, and know Roxane Salonen best. Roxane contributed a story to my book, After Miscarriage, and we have chatted on the radio several times.

The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems

The title of the book says it all. 

The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems is a gorgeous book, a complete treat for devotees of Emily Dickinson (or just devotees of minimalist beauty.)

It's pricey, yes, but what's stopping you from running to the library for a look inside?

Go.

Now.

~~~~~

The Poetry Friday round up is at Buffy's Blog.

~~~~~

Edited to add: An abundance of Emily today!  

Visit the following for more: 

Author Amok 

(and see this post to congratulate Laura on her great news!)

Tamara Will Wissinger 

It's Old But It's Good (Vintage Ramona and Austin Next Month)

I'm sitting here looking for a specific reference to writing with my daughters because next month -- at the Catholic Family Educators of Central Texas Convention, July 12th at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church) -- I'll be presenting a session on teaching writing in your homeschool.

So, I was scrolling through some posts on my blog and found this one from the fall of 2007, when Ramona was five years old:

You know you're a writing mom when ...

... writing "when the kids don't need me" makes prime-writing-time fall between one and six a.m. 

... you think of your computer as one your best friends (and yet you long to trade your best friend in for a newer, sleeker model.) 

... coffee is your favorite food group.  

... your kids regularly tell you, "Don't write that down!"

... your kids regularly tell you, "Mom! Write this down!"

... your five-year-old says, "Mommy, today I played my heart out. No ... I played my energy out. No ... 'played my heart out.' Yes. That sounds better. 'Today I played my heart out.' Yes. That's it."

~~~~~~~~~~

If you'll be anywhere near Austin in the middle of July and would like to stop by, registration information for the CFE Conference can be found here, and contact information is here.

A complete schedule of the day can be found here. I'll be delivering the keynote address at 11:30 a.m., and will present the writing session at 2:45 p.m.

I hope I see you there!

Sometimes, I Just Think That Being Catholic Is the Weirdest Thing Ever.

But in a good way.

Well, that's what I think now. Let me back up a bit.

Long ago, in the galaxy of my life that is far, far away, I didn't want to be Catholic because I thought Catholicism was simply too weird. 

So many things put me off: the chanting, droning sounds of the responses at Mass (which served only to reinforce my idea that Catholics were sheep who, having happily checked their brains at the door, now followed the leader), the statues, the kissing of the Cross on Good Friday (I remember the first time my friend, Jack, told me about that one. "You kissed it? A piece of wood? You mean, you kissed it ... with your lips?")

It's hard to satisfactorily explain to those who have been Catholic their entire lives exactly how foreign and shocking and incomprehensible some practices and traditions are -- how strange they look and sound, seem and feel, when you are first exposed to them.

The idea of a Corpus Christi procession was once alien to me, to put it mildly. But as I walked through the streets of my town yesterday -- holding hands with my husband, praying for people we know and people we've never met, singing, thinking -- I was struck by how perfectly normal the whole thing seemed to me. Strangely normal. Comforting, touching and stirring.

I felt, all in the same moment, tethered to earth and ready to fly.

It's the weirdest -- and best -- feeling ever.

A Serious Request

Can you all please pray for the people in our neighboring communities?

One of my husband's colleagues lost her home in the double-tornadoes that came through our area on Monday, the people of Pilger had their town demolished, and another huge tornado touched down in Coleridge. As far as I know, at least two people died in these storms. I don't need to post pictures -- you've probably all seen the devastation and the unbelievable twisters on the news.

These communities are practically in our backyard, and we are feeling heart-heavy for all those affected. Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

Edited to add:
If you are able to help and would like to make a donation you can head over to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Omaha. There is a link (under "Recent News -- Stanton County Tornado Disaster Relief") to a Paypal donation page. Thank you, and thanks for your prayers.

Oh, Twitter, You Scamp

You just can't be trusted.

2. Jun 18

   Brad Pitt followed you

   1. 

Really, Spammer?

And also? If a real celebrity was really going to follow me I would really not choose Brad Pitt. Silly spammers.

You should know that Brad Pitt is not a book-geek magnet.

Bits and Pieces of Our Days (In Which Betsy Turns 18, Dons a Cap and Gown, and Her Godfather Gets the Flu)

Last week felt a little frantic.

* Monday: 

We needed to drive to Omaha for Betsy's graduation rehearsal. (Yes, we already celebrated her graduation with the big party, but we also like to participate in a ceremony with the regional Catholic homeschool group.) The only problem was that we still had two vehicles with broken windshields, blah, blah, blah. (I'm tired of talking about the hail storm and you're probably tired of hearing about it, right? But some of it figures into this story, so I'll try not to bore you.)

We did have at our disposal The Clunker, also known as the girls' car.  It's old and it sometimes seems a little rickety, but it runs. And it has a windshield! And it ran us to Omaha for the rehearsal without breaking down. Hurray! We spent a little time chatting with Jack, my kids' godfather, who was slated to be the master of ceremonies at Friday night's graduation. We then grabbed some dinner and drove home. The Clunker made it home, too! Hurray!

We got home, went to pick up the van, and lo and behold, it had a shiny new windshield and a new back passenger window. Hurray!

* Tuesday: 

Lovely live interview with the lovely Roxane Salonen on Real Presence radio. I love talking with Roxane -- I think she must rank somewhere in the top five sweetest people in the world.

Then -- another windshield fixed. Bam! Take that, hail. Safelite is my new hero. Anne and Betsy thought the guy who came to the house looked like Charlie Pace but I didn't notice anything like that. I was just in awe that -- once they actually made it to the house, several days after the storm because they've been so swamped -- those guys could slap a new windshield in so fast.

* Wednesday 

Betsy turned 18! Betsy turned 18?! Betsy turned 18. She really did. We celebrated. There was much chocolate.

* Wednesday and Thursday

Eye appointments for everyone! Ramona is getting glasses! They are purple! They are worthy of all these exclamation points!

Also? Clean the house! I must clean the house! Friends coming for dinner Thursday night!

I think there was water park stuff in there somewhere, too.

* Thursday 

Lovely, quick interview with the crew at Spirit Catholic Radio. Can you believe that Jen Brown had never heard of anyone screeching, "Jesus, I trust in Thee!"? I know, right?

Friends came over for dinner. Friends who then moved away on Saturday. My friends always move. This has been happening for longer than I care to think about. Anyway.... we had a great evening, with beautiful friends whom I will miss so much.

* Late Thursday Night 

Heaved a heavy sigh.

* Friday 

Graduation!

Our dented van with its incongruously beautiful new windshield spirited us to Omaha for the big graduation Mass and ceremony. I hadn't had time to bake anything for the reception so I picked up some of those sugar wafer cookie thingies that are full of artificial colors and flavors. You know the things I mean? Not real food. They were inhaled. Remind me to never bake for an event again. This stuff works.

On the downside, someone who ate no cookies that night was Jack. Jack, you see, along with his entire family, was too busy having stomach flu to venture out of the house.

Jack is better now, but it goes without saying that he did not emcee the ceremony. Poor Jack and poor Jack's entire family, and poor us, because we did not get to see any of them.

* Saturday 

A book store.
Trader Joe's.
Headed home.

* Sunday 

Happy Father's Day to Atticus! We took him out for a Reuben sandwich (we tried a new place, and the Reuben was only so-so) and a couple of beers and we all laughed a lot over dinner and generally felt grateful and happy to be together. He told me later that despite the so-so sandwich, the company was excellent and it was one of the best Father's Days he's ever had.

* This week? 

I plan to recover from last week.

Can You Come to Austin in July?

That's where I'll be!

I'm speaking at the Catholic Family Educators Convention on Saturday, July 12th, at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church. (Registration information can be found here, and contact information is here.)

I'll be delivering the keynote address and doing one workshop on teaching kids to write.

If you're anywhere near Austin next month, I'd love to meet you, keynote at you, and talk to you about kids and writing.

So excited!

The Good, the Bad, and the Hail-ish Aftermath

I keep thinking that there's more to say about the recent hail storm, but I'm not sure there is, other than the fact that I'm grateful we're okay.

I prayed (loudly ... ask the two daughters who were with me ... I don't think we've ever screamed Hail Marys before and "Jesus, I trust in Thee" has a nice ring to it when one is screeching the words) that we would all be kept safe. 

I see now I should have been more specific ("Please, God, keep us safe, and the van, too." Ah, well.) 

Here's a photo that illustrates why I keep picturing my very dedicated guardian angel plastered up against my driver's side window as we drove through the storm:

More of the same below the arrow (out of sight, because I'm a terrible photographer. )

Still dealing, of course, with insurance, and repairs, and estimates, and claims adjusters, and not looking forward to having the roof replaced for the second time in two years, but -- again -- I'm grateful.

It's been quite a year, as repairs and headaches go. In January, we had a huge plumbing issue crop up. It wasn't fully resolved until the end of March, and the mess of mud formerly known as our yard (do you know what a yard looks like after it's been dug up to replace a sewer pipe? It looks ... a little sad) is still feeling the wound. But such are the never-ending joys of home ownership, no?

Still, I'm grateful.

I think a lot about detachment. I spend a lot of time trying to be detached. But God keeps showing me all the things I'm still attached to: reliable indoor plumbing, the use of a vehicle with a windshield, a schedule. Control.

He keeps taking things away, sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently, and showing me that nothing -- nothing -- in this world is more important than He is.

I often wish He would find more amiable ways to treat His friends, but He's still the best friend I've got.

And for that? Grateful. 

Poetry Friday ... From the Telephone

This five-line poem feels right on so many levels, after the last few days, when we are all feeling so grateful for safety, reconnection, and each other. 

"From the Telephone" by Florence Ripley Mastin, is at Poets.org.

~~~~~

The Poetry Friday round up is at Carol's Corner.

I Was Going to Blog ... Then the Baseball-Sized Hail Hit ....

It sounds somehow poetic, but really ... the sky should not be turquoise ....

We think it was baseball size, but it felt like a cannonball on the van. 

Anne-with-an-e and Ramona and I were out driving when it hit us. Kind of terrifying.  Betsy was out with a friend, and made it safely to her friend's house. 

So thankful those didn't break through the windshield while we were moving. 

This one was parked at home. 

No one was hurt! So grateful! 

Lots of phone calls and scheduling with insurance people the last couple of days. 

More soon .... 

Recent (Eclectic) Reading

The latest stack of stuff on my bedside table (or piled in the living room, or on Kindle, or wherever....)

~~~~~

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

This is a charming little novel that my friend, D., recommended. It's about a brilliant scientist who appears to have Asperger's syndrome (read here and here for more from the author about how he approached that and why.) He embarks on a project to find a wife who is perfect for him, convinced he can do so using a perfectly designed questionnaire. The fact that Don Tillman doesn't know he is a fine candidate for a diagnosis of Asperger's (not even after he delivers a lecture on the subject) makes for first person narration that is touching, amusing and insightful. Parts of the story veered into territory I'd not predicted, and I'm happy to report I was happy with the book's twists and turns, both expected and unexpected.

Angels and Saints: A Biblical Guide to Friendship with God's Holy Ones by Scott Hahn

I received a review copy of Scott Hahn's latest from Image Books. It's a beautiful book that is a reminder that we are really -- truly, madly, deeply --  surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who care about us, and that our relationships with them are personal and peculiar, unique and intimate. Just like family should be, no?

Best part? The story about Assisi.

That's what it's all about.

(Image has a blog tour going on this week -- some of the hosts are doing giveaways, so be sure to check out the line-up.)

Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage by Molly Wizenberg

My friend D. recommends the best stuff. She's the one who introduced me to A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table (which introduced me to THE CHOCOLATE CAKE) and my love for that book led me to order my own Mother's Day present read this one, too.

Delancey is a memoir recounting the creation and opening of a pizza dream -- namely, Wizenberg's husband's restaurant. Initially, it was to be his restaurant, but it inevitably and painfully became a joint effort. The book delves -- but does not delve too deeply -- into the friction that the business generated in Brandon and Molly's marriage. But to be honest? I'm kind of glad it didn't delve any deeper. The points were made -- subtly and gently but honestly -- that marriage can be hard, that enormous changes early in a marriage (such as opening the type of business that has a frighteningly high failure rate) can be terrifying and stressful. I've read a couple of reviews of the book that criticize Wizenberg for not going into more detail ("Marriage is in the title! We're entitled to the dirt!") but I say hurray for Molly for not putting brutal honesty above her most important relationship. There is plenty of humility and personal revelation but I don't need every detail. (Memoirs are funny and tricky, I think. When I consider writing a memoir -- about my conversion, what Atticus and I have gone through ... I usually just ... shudder. Too many hurtful, painful things in the past. Anyway....)

I loved reading about the process of opening the restaurant. It fascinated me -- Brandon's obsessive investigation into pizza, his road trips to test pie here and there and everywhere. I loved that when he and Molly first dated, he took her to his favorite pizza place and confided that he'd once taken a date there and decided he could never have a relationship with that woman because she'd hated the place, she just didn't get him. (I find that incredibly cute.) Molly, however, got it.

I was also interested in seeing an intriguing and kind of sad dynamic at work: two people who love to cook, had loved cooking together at home, open a restaurant and find that they have lost (because they are too consumed by the business, and by cooking at work!) one of the things they've shared and cherished, one of the things that brought them together. I'm not sure that was (or ever will be, as long as they remain restaurateurs) resolved, but it must be working out, as Delancey is still thriving in Seattle.

But that's just sort of the way life works, isn't it? None of us seem to end up becoming the thing we once thought we'd be.

Which leads me to my next recent read....

Jennifer Fulwiler's Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It 

Yeah, I can relate.

Grew up atheist? Check.
Circuitously ended up on a quest for the truth about existence? Check.
Horrified to find that quest pointing to Christianity? Check.
Quoting C.S. Lewis? Check.
Even more horrified to find the quest dragging one in the direction of Catholicism? A hundred-thousand checks.

I had to laugh at the opening -- so great, because I, too, had an altar call-ish sort of experience in childhood (Jen's was at summer camp, mine involved a friend in seventh grade repeatedly dropping notes in my locker that read, "Jesus Loves You!" I was annoyed -- with my friend and with Jesus.) The parallels outwardly end there, as we had vastly different experiences before conversion, but many inward parallels remain and had me nodding my head: endless questions, intellectual struggles, wrestling with doctrine, embarrassment at the possible outcome of the hunt, dismay (for better or for worse) at explanations and answers about the Catholic faith and all of its implications. And finally? Assent and sweet relief.

If you've ever read Jen's blog, you know that her book went through several incarnations before this -- its final, poignant, lovely, and funny form -- and I think it's clear that she found the story arc of her life.


And finally...

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman


I'm only halfway through this one and I'm having troubling staying focused on it. I keep getting distrac

Nah, not really.


I love reading about how our minds work, and the many, many things that interest me about this book will probably require a separate post.