Making lists

I remember when my older brother first started college and I was a junior in high school. During one of his breaks, maybe Christmas or summer break, he was telling us about these extracurricular goals that some of his friends had. I don't remember particulars; perhaps it was a list of books they wanted to read, or new skills that they wanted to learn. In any case, I rolled my eyes and said, completely baffled, "You college students. Why do you always have to have all these random goals?" In my mind, I thought that when on break, you should just take a break.

I will say that as a college student, I definitely did just that. When I wasn't waitressing and earning money for school, I was definitely apt to "take a break" versus embark on some other educational or personal goal. Yet, now that I am done with my undergraduate education as well as my graduate education (at least for now), I have found myself eager to fill the void of having specific course projects and following course syllabi with goals for me own personal edification, in the form of lists.

I didn't set out to create these lists on purpose, per se. They just kind of happened as songs came on the radio that I wanted to remember, or books that I found out about on a blog. My two main lists right now are of songs that I enjoy (and want to download or eventually see performed live) and books that I want to read. I am most excited about my additions to my music list of classical pieces. While working, I often listen to the local classic station, WETA. It's exciting to listen to selections and hear pieces that I really enjoy the sound, style, complexity, and performance of.
Growing up, perhaps in my musical naivety, I often thought that pretty much all classical music sounded the same. It's neat to be able to recognize the different musical styles and complexities within a given classical piece and satisfying to begin to better appreciate the uniqueness of each composer. A goal related to this list? Being able to recognize more classical pieces, as gain a deeper understanding of the styles of specific composers. One of my favorite latest discoveries is the piece, "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Moddest Mussorgsky. I'm pretty sure that it's a famous piece, but I was excited to match a title and composer with a piece.

So I will continue to add to my lists because it's exciting to be able to expand my repertoire of culture, whether through music, books, or other art forms, and making lists helps me to keep track of new things I have discovered, and new things that I want to explore. Call it a lifelong learning approach. As a librarian, that's what we're all about, so personally endorse it I do!

For the beauty of the earth

"For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise."


Some photos from yesterday's excursion to Brookside Gardens.
An afternoon spent enjoying the loveliness of His creation.

Run so as to win

I ran 10 miles this Sunday morning. 10 miles. The occasion? The Cherry Blossom 10-miler race in Washington, D.C. It was my third and longest race, following two 10k races in which I participated over the past year. A year and a half ago, I would have laughed in your face if someone would have asked if I would ever consider running races. Let alone long distance races like 10 miles. I'm sure I would have thought that I would never be able to run a race that far, let alone enjoy or be interested in running races in general. But life brings new adventures, the kind that we least expect, and suddenly we find ourselves becoming passionate about things that at one point never would have crossed our radar -- reaching for goals that we never would have dreamed of having.

My running shoes...with the exciting race time chip attached!

I am not an athlete, I never have been one. I played volleyball in middle school and high school, but that was about the extent of my athletic participation. I enjoyed it a lot, but other than volleyball, I never had much of a pension for being athletic for the sake of being athletic, or working out for the sake of working out. Anything that involved physical activity beyond the realm of taking leisurely walks and hiking sounded so boring to me. So how did I start to love running, and participating in these racing events?

It's funny how God works, because at some moments His grace is more elusive, threading through the aspects of your life with veiled mystery, and other times, working so tangibly in an answer to your prayer of that very moment. My introduction to running was an example of the latter. I was preparing to move in with a house of 4 other girls last year, only one of whom I had known beforehand. In a conversation with my sister about my desire to achieve a more disciplined exercise regimen, I remember saying, "Hopefully one of my new housemates is really into working out. It's always more motivational when you live with someone who is really committed to and excited about that." I found out the day I moved in my new house that one of my new housemates fit that bill exactly: she was a marathon runner who was very enthused about running, working out, and being healthy in one of the most holistic ways that I have encountered. As a woman living in our modern culture, it is so difficult to sort through the messages of health, beauty, diet, and exercise that we are given. It's difficult to view our physical health and fitness in the authentic way that Our Maker calls us to. It's easy to be swayed by the message of the world which says that we are only as good as our blemish-free appearance; but also to fall prey to discouragement that we can never attain that supermodel ideal, so why bother.

Anyways, my housemate continually inspired me by her commitment to working out and being healthy that it is so important to nurture our bodies and care for them in the way that God intended because we are temples of the Holy Spirit. By participating in a consistent exercise routine, we help our WHOLE person to flourish -- body, mind, and spirit.

So my housemate would get up early in the morning for her daily runs, and set aside large chunks of time each weekend for her long distance runs. I was very impressed, but honestly thought "Hey, good for her." When she asked if we wanted to come to one of her races that fall, the Marine Corp Marathon, the rest of my housemates and I agreed to come cheer her on. I remember her saying something about how fun it is to see the race culture and be a part of the event, but I wasn't really expecting much. Little did I know, I would get drawn in.

It was a sunny October day, and I just remember how impressed I was watching the people in the race run to the finish line. Almost all of them had smiles on their faces after they finished. They were expressions of triumph, accomplishment, joy, and satisfaction. I didn't know what roadblocks and setbacks each of them faced in their daily training, but it was clear that the finishers were filled with a deep sense of accomplishment at reaching their goal. It was a joy that was infectious. Sure, some of it was the natural endorphin-fueled runner's high, but even more than that it was a deep seated experience of triumph within the human heart. My housemate was right. The experience of seeing the elated runners that day left a great impression on me. As us girls were leaving the race grounds, my housemate was telling us how we should try and run a race (an idea that she proposed many times in the future as well) because it was such a neat experience. There was something in me that was warming up to the idea, thinking "maybe so." Two months late, my New Years Resolution? Signing up for a 10k race. And the rest was history.

The power of the Resurrection

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." ~ Matthew 28:6

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Although it has been a quiet and contemplative Easter for me since I was unable to go home and spend the holiday with my family, my celebration of the triduum has been rich with His grace. I was able to attend a beautiful Easter Vigil Mass at the Dominican House of Studies last night. We all processed out into the cloister courtyard before Mass began, and stood waiting in silent anticipation with the dark night sky above us and the cool spring air surrounding us. The friars and brothers (probably about 30 of them) were dressed in their white cassocks and black Lenten capes. With the strike on two tiny matches, one of the friars lit the Easter fire, and it was soon ablaze. The light of His triumph was kindled. After the prayers outside, we all processed through the cloister halls, back into the Church, as the priest sang "Christ Our Light," and we answered in chant, "Thanks be to God."

The liturgy proceeded as we listened to all seven readings in the dark Church. After the final Old Testament reading, the resounding Gloria began, with a triumphant organ prelude, bells, and joyous song. Christ, Our Lord, has risen!

Throughout last night's Vigil Mass and especially at the Easter Sunday Mass this morning, I have been reflecting a lot on the Resurrection, and what it means for my life. I have to say that for me, and maybe for all Christians it is often a temptation to take the Resurrection for granted. We know the story, we know the course of events. We know that it is the foundational event for our faith, but it is so easy to think of Christ's Resurrection as simply an abstract event, long ago in history.

In the priest's homily this morning, he encouraged the congregation to realize that Christ's Resurrection was not just simply an event that happened 2000 years ago; Christ's Resurrection continues to touch our lives today. And so I began to reflect. What does Christ's Resurrection mean in my life, today, right now? Why should it be important to me? Was it just some far off, miraculous event that we commemorate each year and profess in faith?

No. It is infinitely meaningful for my life, and in your life. Because Christ wants to shatter the darkness in each and everyone's lives. He came to free us from the bounds of sin and death. Christ wants to bring resurrection to our lives, in a thousand different ways. He wants to bring Resurrection to all of the hurting, broken parts of our hearts; to bring Resurrection to the fears that bind us; to bring Resurrection when we fall down; to bring resurrection to the sins that hold us captive; to bring resurrection to our boredom, our frustrations, our discouragement, our lack of faith. We only have to invite Him to come into those places, those situations, and those struggles, and He is ready to bring resurrection to every corner and crevice of our life.

He lives, Alleluia! May the light of His Resurrection bring abundant joy and peace to our hearts, for "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." ~ John 1:4-5

The Widow's Mite

Structuring and achieving an active spiritual life as a young professional can be very difficult at times. I have felt this frustration very keenly over the past few months. Perhaps this is not simply because the duties of working keep me busy for the greater part of the week, but because without a car, I am at the mercy of the (often unreliable) and inflexible schedule of public transportation. I would love to be able to hop in my car after work and go to the adoration chapel for a half an hour in the evenings sometime. Or have a Church close enough to my work that I could go to Mass on my lunch break. The reality is though, due to the location of my work, a relatively unflexible schedule, and the inability to just hop in my car and catch an evening Mass or night adoration, it's difficult for me to incorporate these spiritual events into my daily routine.

As someone who went to two vibrant Catholic colleges, with a plethora of daily Mass options and Eucharistic chapels right down the hall, it's disappointing not to be able to make these things part of my day everyday. These were definitely aspects of college life that I took for granted, and didn't realize how difficult it would be at times to get to daily Mass or adoration on a 8:30-5pm schedule as a young professional. Last week, I was particularly frustrated that I am seemingly a "slacker" in the spiritual life compared to many of my friends who are able to get to daily Mass and adoration on a much more regular basis. Yet as I was bemoaning my state, I felt the Lord say to me very clearly, "remember the widows mite".

Mark 12:42-44 says,

"But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

As I recalled this story, I felt the Lord encouraging me in my desire to give Him His due honor, worship, and praise. Sure, I could accomplish a lot more spiritual activities if I had a more flexible means of transportation, or more flexible schedule. But that is not how my life is structured right now. Right now, all He is asking of me is to give out of my poverty, and offer what I can to Him. Even if that just means being faithful to reading my Magnificat prayers each morning as I ride into work when I would rather be daydreaming or reading a novel. For those of us who aren't able to attend daily Mass or adoration, He is asking us to give Him our hearts, in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass; our desire to be with Him and to know Him more deeply in itself will bring Him great glory and honor. He merely asks us to give what we've got. He's not asking us to give what our friend has got, what our neightbor has got, or what or aunt has got. He is asking us to give what we have got. It could be a wide open schedule full of time to fit in multiple spiritual devotions a day, or it could be making it a priority to pray in the very midst of the hustle and bustle.

I remember vividly a talk that a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville gave to a group of Communication Arts students my senior year. She was talking about her job as a film producer and the integration of her spiritual life within that hectic schedule. She was reminding us that we were not always going to have the luxury of having the time or means to attend daily Mass, adoration, or prayer groups. Depending on what God was asking us to do in our lives and the circumstances that He places us in, it would most likely be a lot harder to find structured time to pray. I remember her saying that sometimes her spiritual life consisted, at the end of the day, a desperate prayer to the Lord, "Jesus, I need your help."

So I pray for the grace to give Him my fraction of a penny. May I give it with a zealous, sincere, and loving heart, in whatever way He asks.

Greek Spinach Balls

I have been recently trying different recipes in the "Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites" cookbook, and found a winning recipe the other day for Greek Spinach Balls. These health-filled balls were relatively simple to make, and tasted delicious! They were great to bring with me for lunch, and I imagine they would also be a great appetizer to bring to a potluck or dinner. I did not use bread crumbs because I try to eat a low-gluten diet, but they were just fine without the bread crumbs.

Greek Spinach Balls

2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and large stems removed
1 cup chopped scallions (I didn't have scallions so I used chives instead)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (2 teaspoons dried)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup feta cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup plain or herbed bread crumbs

In a large covered pot, steam the spinach in the water that clings to the leaves until just wilted, 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and chp the spinach and set it aside. In another pan, lightly saute the scallions in the oil for about 5 minutes or until softened and slightly browned. (I did not saute the chives, I just added them into the rice mixture fresh).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, scallions, rice, cheese, dill, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, mashing the rice mixture against the sides of teh bowl with the back of a large spoon until the mixture holds together.


Prepare a baking sheet or large baking dish with cooking spray or a very light coating of vegetable oil. With dampened hands, back a heaping 1/4 cup of the rice mixture into a firm, round ball (like making a snowball). Roll the ball in the bread crumbs and place it on the baking sheet. Continue making balls until all of the rice mixture is used, arranging the balls on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the balls are heated through and crsip on the outside.

Makes about 24 ping-pong sized rice balls.

Cooking -- my story

One of the best things about having more free time after finishing grad school is having more time and energy to cook. I must say, I do not miss the days of unhealthy, unappetizing cafeteria food, or grabbing sugar or caffeine-laden food for late night brain sustenance. Perhaps it is because my mom was a foods and nutrition major, or because I have several friends passionate about organic eating and cooking that this has become a great area of interest to me. I find it challenging and fun to find nourishing recipes that are both tasty and healthful, and then try them out in my kitchen. My theory is, who wants to eat healthy food if it's bland and boring, right? But trying new recipes with unusual ingredients, fresh spices, and lots of flavor provides an outlet for culinary creativity that I very much enjoy. It's very satisfying to be able to discover recipes that are both healthy and delicious. One of my approaches to exploratory cooking is to find one or two new recipes each time I make a weekly shopping trip to try. I figure that now is the best time for me to begin experimenting with recipes, since I am generally only cooking for myself, and don't have to incorporate multiple food likes/dislikes/allergies as many wives and mothers do. This way I can learn how to become a better cook and hopefully develop skills that I can use if/when I am cooking for others in the future.

Of course, even now it is most fun to be able to share my dishes with family and friends at brunches, potlucks, and dinners. Many of my friends also enjoy cooking, and it's lovely when they share their delicious new recipes at these events, and then we end up swapping recipes and all expanding our culinary repertoires. Home cooking is a wonderful gift to be able to share with those you love!

So, in recognition of the important place that cooking has in my life, I would like to share my favorite recipes here as I discover them.