Beach Update

The local slow internet connection is letting me upload a couple of shots, so I'll provide some captions as they come up.

We hung around the casita during the chilly rain this AM, then went out to stimulate the local outlet economy. Yesterday we provided work for the waitressing sector of the local economy, today we helped support postal clerks and outlet mall cashiers and clothing restockers. Oh, and we patronized one entirely locally owned business, which Izzy had discovered and I was tickled pink to visit.



First things first: Saturday, upon our arrival, I made a pie while Izzy did some shopping.

Chess. Yummy.


Out on our SC/NC bike ride yesterday.


Back from the ride, bike is on the back deck.


Non skin cancer boy at North Myrtle.


Sunset beginning over the Atlantic. Un-edited pic. Be sure and view this one in large size.


Pretty amazing sand castle/civilization. Also worth checking out in a larger size (this shot doesn't do it full justice, but the interweb connection isn't strong enough to upload the truly amzing shots right now.)


Sunset over the Atlantic, almost done. (Random couple)


What I'm having a slice of next, plus low carb cappuchino. Life is pretty good, overall.

Random Notes from the Beach

Izzy and I took a nice couple-hour motorcycle ride this afternoon through some of the SC/NC countryside. We've got the intercom helmet set-up, which allows conversations such as this one:

• Me (as we pass a sign for Portrait Homes): I wonder if Portrait homes have picture windows?
• Izzy: Nope, I think they're frame houses.
• Me (pausing): I'm trying to think of a response, but nothing is developing.
• Izzy: This just came to me in a flash.

(It went on...)
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We're back at the little beach house that a crowd of our friends gathered at least New Years. It's quieter here this year without the crowd, but the cat seems to like the chance to come on vacation with us (as in yea, right -- although, once she came out from under the beds, she did bravely sit in a window.) There is intermittent, low-low speed interweb in the neighborhood, so I'll upload pics if/when we make a foray to the local wifi hotspot.
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Mass this AM in a church filled with retired New Yorkers. With my 2-inch heels, I felt absolutely gigantic, towering over the seniors around us. The Lector, who had apparently never seen either of the terms "revered" or "reviled", announced the 2nd reading "from the letter of Saint Puuu-ahhhl..." in a great NY accent.

I was glad to see that, even on the movable feast of the Holy Family, that the Holy Innocents weren't overlooked. Just before Mass, the choir sang the Coventry Carol. It was a lovely moving arrangement, and I'm so glad I got to hear it.

Mass concluded with a strong plea/encouragement/exhortation to pray for vocations for the Diocese of Charleston. Seems we've lost one of the 10 seminarians we had in formation. Fr. aimed his words at families ("you mothers and grandmother -- be like Mary and give your sons to God") and to the young men of the Parish. Very nice to see this matter addressed very directly at Mass.
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Final random note for this PM:
I was looking at my flickr pics and discovered that I could see what searches had led folks to a particular shot. Following a typical interweb bunny trail from the search term "tetouan jew" (which went to our Moroccan sets from 2007), I chanced upon this page:

Jews for Allah: Accepting the Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) - without the Christian Theology.

Gotta be some kinda interweb weirdness award for that one.
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Time to curl up before dinner and see whatever happened to Harry Potter and his friends. I've read about 10 pages in the last book, so NO SPOILERS!
Besides, Izzy tells me the next (post-Potter) volume will be called Hermione Weasley and the Unplanned Pregnancy.
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Since it made us both laugh...

... I'll share this LOL cat pic that set Izzy to giggling.
It's strangely appropos of a late evening discussion we had with a friend last night about women's footwear.


Merry last week before Christmas!

English Teacher's Nightmare

From Bizarro, a comic whose sense of humor closely matches the one here at the House of Chez Casa.



BTW: We once met Dan Pirarro, and asked him about what we thought we familiar landmarks in some of his drawings. Turns out we'd been neighbors in Old Oak Cliff. (Link for Izzy: the park that was just behind our little Oak Cliff Love Nest.)

View Larger Map


(The Google Map embed doesn't seem to be working. Click the words "View Larger Map" for an interactive map if you'd like to see how much the street has changed, and not changed. It will take a second to load the somewhat familiar view of the 1990-1992 HCC.)

Baby Eliza

NC friends from our previous church and a teacher colleague of Izzy's just had the experience no one should ever have: Their little daughter died this morning.

Eliza had been terminally ill since her birth nearly three years ago. Izzy and I were blessed to attend her first birthday party, which was cause for a community-sized celebration of God's goodness and faithfulness to her family. I no longer ask why some children are born with terrible health problems or limited lifespans. Instead, I understand that God has His reasons for making all of us the way we are. In His providence, some of these babies are placed "on loan" to families like the "DixieJax," whose grace and trust and impassioned fierce love show us a glimpse of the love the Father has for all of us.

Click the link above or in the sidebar to read Eliza's entire story (have a hankie handy.)

Then say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Baby Eliza. I have no doubt that angels are already quickly winging her to her rest.

Done

Five minutes ago, I submitted my final assignment for this semester. (yay!) I read it over a couple times, even ran spell check (ever tried that on SAS output? Very interesting...) and decided I wouldn't improve it any by spending another day checking the results. Time to be done.

The course is listed as Pass-Fail. I need to score an 11 (actually 10.2) on this exam (20% of the course grade) in order to get an 80% for the course and thus pass. That, my friends is an example of the serious statistical analysis I've done this semester. I learned more about stats and SAS and research, but even now I can feel it all leaving my sleep-deprived brain.

Off to bed now. Time to celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Our Blessed Mother, and begin seriously keeping Advent.

BTW for those from our fair city or its environs: Our priest lost his father late Friday/early Saturday. He learned of the death just before time to celebrate a wedding Saturday afternoon. He flew back home Sunday afternoon. Prayers for him, his family and the repose of the soul of his father will be most appropriate.

OMGoodness, it's December 2 already!

I have two more assignments left. An essay on the role of the DNP and a stats test. Almost done, with semi-normal bedtimes looming in a week. The blackboard program will be down from the 20th of December to the 5th of January. There won't be any way to get bogged down in preparations for next semester over the Christmas break. What a great gift!

I experienced grade inflation this week, I think. I completely could not answer half of one of the 5 questions on the stats homework from two weeks ago. I even commented on the paper that I just didn't understand it. Got a 96 on the assignment. I don't think it's theft, so I don't think I have to confess it.

Speaking of such, I wanted to blog just before I headed off to bed so I'd recall the date. I went to confession this past evening at our little tiny parish. There was a small crowd at the beginning of the communal penance service. I noticed a few folks arriving to join the lines after the service part was over. Kinda nice to see kids coming out for confession.

There had been some tension on a class project earlier, and that actually helped me put a lot into perspective before I went to confession. Doing the examination of conscience and talking with my confessor gave me ideas to frame an apology email, which I hadn't originally thought I would need to write.

I hear it over and over that we should avail ourselves of the sacrament of reconciliation more often. I believe it, I just don't often act on it. Maybe that's the new year's resolution I have some hope of keeping. I'll keep you posted.