I've now traversed 1/10th of the 600 miles we're driving today for a wedding, putting me 60+ miles away from the camera on the coffee table.

Lizzie and the Magister, like Good King Wenceslaus, looked out on the Feast of Stephen, [to] where the snow lay roundabout deep and crisp and even.

RIP Elizabeth Edwards. One hopes your example of courage will long outlive the memories of the painful portions of your life.

has the Gamecocks and Auburn on the TV, Duke and Butler on the iMac, and absolutely no homework on any of the computers. Go Devils! Go Cocks!

The Meeting Place in Pelion, SC. Smoke free dining , tasty comfort food, a real find.

The server at the pub called my laptop "a dinosaur." Of course, she' s correct, but the truth hurts.

It's Friday night, just after 9 PM, and I'm doing homework while watching Monk. Seems like order has been restored to my weekend universe.

This is what makes me happy.

I'm so glad the Magister was able to oversee the repairs & restoration of our computer.

More equestrian time at the fair.

Now we're up and ready to ride. Just waiting on our group to be called

Afternoon at the Fair

Waiting on my equestrian niece's group to go on at the Fair. She'll be doing barrel runs. It's 3 and she's been waiting since 8...

Do not write in cement.

Miss Marple said that good advice was seldom heeded, but that was no reason not to give it.

Tea Leaves

Reading tea leaves in my office: it's easy when they are this size.

Sounds of Pertussis Video Campaign

Embedding for showing in work presentation.

's flowerbeds are bereft of flowers. Appear that the squirrels ate the marigolds & some of the herbs. Also, the skull is missing.

RT @jmccyoung: Big election in Britain today. Have not followed closely, but I'm rooting for Gryffindor. They just seem nicer.

Evening beverages at the House of Chez Casa

The Magister makes a mean cappuchino!

home after the Easter Vigil, and we've just watched the tape of the Duke-WVa game. We're very happy here at the House of Chez Casa!

Palm Sunday Vigil Mass @St. Thomas More Ctr in Chapel Hill. Incense, palms, handbells,& red everywhere! Hosanna, Filio David!

is having a blast watching Duke vs. Purdue w/friends @Satisfactions in Durham. Wow, I miss this town. C'mon Devils!

Why I'm less than happy

Satellite has CBS Blocked!

just ordered spinach salad & tomato soup @Elmo's Diner. Perfect meal for a chilly, drizzly evening in Durham.

is headed to Augusta GA to hear the AGMC (& Eric Watts) perform. Riding w/Karen Shevenell (yay, not driving in the rain!).

Quoting the Magister, "There is no joy in Bracketville." Mine is certainly busted up - really, Univ Northern Iowa? Gotta love March Madness.

is enjoying Friday night roundball, 1st round of the Big Dance, watching Duke take care of some Arkansans.

has a homemade blueberry pie baking (blue for Duke and pie for Pi Day) and is settled in to watch the ACC Championship.

Outside, rain & chill. Inside, a quiet Friday in front of the fire, as the Magister uploads Italy pics and I enjoy his Italian cooking.

just finished the taxes & discovered we can't e-file with the 1st-time homebuyer's credit. How did I miss this? 4-8 weeks' wait for refund.

Sunday naps and an Oscar evening spent in front of our cozy, warm fireplace is over. Back to our regularly scheduled lives tomorrow.

is delighted to have the Magister, in his weary, fatigued state, home from Italy. Time for salads & roundball!

has been tracking the Magister's flight on the web and SMS - they've landed in the ATL. Now for customs & airline cuisine for flying to CAE.

Office Baby Episode!

nearly walked into Earth Fare carrying a Diet Mountain Dew, but thought better of it.

just dropped the Magister off for his trip to Italy. Hoping he has a fantastic time!

The Light Princess

Light Princess
from the album "Knowledge and Innocence"Words and Music by Terry Taylor
©1986 SnellSongs (ASCAP)

Hand to teary eyes
Brush shadows (I see it now)
Much to my surprise
A light grows (I see it now)

No, I could not hold
This child in my arms
So I let her go and she

Floated to Heaven
She's up in Heaven
A loss, a gain
God knows her name
'Cos she's up in Heaven

A gift taken away
From my world (I see it now)
No, she could not stay
In this world (I see it now)

I have few answers
I quit asking "Why"
Since she's lighter than air and she's

Floating to Heaven
She's up in Heaven
So near, so far
Another star
That shines up in Heaven

Mmmmmmmm........
I see it now, I see it now

No, I could not hold
This child in my arms
So I let her go and she

Floated to Heaven
She's up in Heaven
A father gives
The Father takes
A father gives
The Father takes
Her on up to heaven

Mmmmmmmm........

18 Days

Our friends on Facebook are already aware, as are friends from church, and our families, but I haven't yet posted here of our loss.

On Monday the 15th of February, just six hours or so after we met our child, saw her heart cells fluttering and gasped with joy, she was gone from us. We had 18 days to know that we had a child, that our love had created another soul.

Lots of consolation is offered and we appreciate it. It is hard, though, to hear story after story of "my sister had 1,2,3, some number of miscarriages and now she has 1,2,3, more healthy children." We are old enough to know that this hope isn't one we can hold, not one we can keep trying for (though, try we will, continuing to open our hearts and our bodies to the transmission of life). This may have been it, our only foray into parenthood.

I'm going to collect what we wrote and some of what was written to us to hold here.

I received a delivery of hypoallergenic roses. How wonderful! I also learned that they were arranged by one of the Magister's students.

(Update: turn out the card said hypo-allergenic. Izzy meant that the small arrangement of just roses and baby's breath and a few ferns, was unlikely to set off my allergies. He was correct, of course.)

wishes Coach K a Happy 63rd Bday and a great 1000th career game @Duke, and hopes scheduling Maryland for this auspicious day wasn't hubris.

just heard the ESPN announcer say: Goodnight from Chapel Hill, where Duke just beat UNC. I could listen to that a few more times!

& the Magister are headed out to view Part 3 of Jane Austen's "Emma" on PBS w/friends. Super Sunday w/no football, doritos or beer. Imagine.

wonders who actually composes the interminable, insufferable "lite jazz" one hears while waiting for a conference call to start.

What to Worry About when you're expecting

Thanks to Google's Auto-Complete feature, I can quickly ascertain the wisdom of the masses, and discover what others are worried about in early pregnancy.

This is actually a "good thing", as it narrows the focus of concerns. Even better than a Magic 8 Ball (R), it guesses what I want to know and supplies a portal for the knowledge.

Gotta review the soft cheeses info.

Very Advanced Maternal Age

Lizzie O'Cayce and the Magister feel a bit like Abraham and Sarah, and we look forward to meeting this little soul that God has entrusted to us.

cannnot believe that USC just beat UK (1st win over #1 ranked team)! Go Cocks! (It'll be worth the fine for storming the court.)

is at yet another kiddo bday party in the park. Today is 62 and sunny, perfect weather to celebrate a 9 year old!

loves Sunday Night Duke hoops on the big screen (despite missing the chance to watch Masterpiece Theatre costume dramas w/the Magister).

can't stop reading updates from Haiti (http://www.familyhm.org/). We are praying that the Fondwa sisters & orphans are safe.

Situation report for Haiti on WHO website: http://www.who.int/hac/crises/hti/en/index.html

What a night! Lebanese w/some of our oldest friends (middle & high school), Duke trounces Boston College and the Heels lose to Clemson.

enjoyed the leftover rice dish at lunch, but thinks she needs to add a pepper grinder to the "kitchen area" of her office.

Larry is giving a cheerleading speech before the start of The Messenger @ the Nickelodeon. Full-service movies we got here!

Early Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany; now double feature of _It's Complicated_ and _Invinctus_.

Eaelyy Mass for the Epiphany. Now