22 June 2014

A Wedding Toast

(or "A clear example of why Bridget should not be allowed to have a microphone to give a toast because this is what she would want to say")

I'd like to propose a toast to my aunt and her newlywed husband! I hope they have a lovely life together. Thankfully, we already know they will. How do we know this? Because we are the Argenti family. The Argenti family always does everything according to a precise pattern and in keeping with tradition. Everything, so far, has gone according to schedule, as it should. Innovation is not encouraged in this family.

We need a bit of family history to make the pattern clear to those outside. In 1987, Marilyn and Aldo's oldest daughter got married. She then had three children, two girls followed by a boy. Then there was a long period of stability in the Argenti family - three children, one son-in-law, three grandchildren.

In 2001, a change occurred. Marilyn and Aldo's youngest daughter got married. She then had two children, one girl followed by a boy. There had been no weddings for 14 years and no babies for 9 years - we were excited for the familial expansion. Following the expansion, there was another long period of stability in Marilyn and Aldo's family - three children, two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren.

Fast forward to the present day. 13 years have passed since the last wedding. Nearly 8 years have passed since the last baby was born. It must be time for another marriage. Now, in my perfectionist pattern-recognition brain, I wasn't really expecting the wedding until a year from June, but Craig doesn't apparently adhere to Argenti traditions as strictly as Chris and Aaron did. I pray every night that this breaking from tradition doesn't cause the earth to open under my feet. If it does, it's on you, Craig.

If the rest of the pattern holds true, though, we should expect this marriage to produce one child: a baby boy. Then there will be another period of stability, one that doesn't have any foreseeable disruption. Marilyn and Aldo's family will be established in a precise pattern: three daughters, three sons-in-law, three granddaughters, and three grandsons. It's the kind of symmetry that my grandmother would've wanted. It has occurred on a regular - although occasionally slightly rushed - schedule.

Welcome to the family, Craig. Welcome to the insane circus that is the Argenti family. We will hold you to a tight schedule of happiness and familial bliss.

Cheers!

21 June 2014

Big News

I should have some big & exciting news in the next week or two.... I'll keep you posted. :) In the meantime, have a photo or two from my crafty corner....



05 June 2014

Words


What words are you entertaining in your brain today?

It matters.

Believe me, I know.

We live in a world of poise and self-confidence. People strut and preen and boast. But how many honestly, actually, truly think they're worth it? I'd put money on this: not many. I sure don't.

I'm fat.

I'm ugly.

I'm stupid.

I'm broken.

I'm a mess.

I'm incompetent.

I'm unlovable.

I'm a failure.

I've had these thoughts. All of them. Repeatedly.

You think these things because you believe they're true. Maybe it didn't start out that way. Maybe you did have healthy self-confidence once. Maybe the first seed of doubt was planted by an unkind parent, a harsh teacher, or those demons that occupy your mind at three in the morning. Maybe they come from haunting memories of three men who molested you & had such a strong hold on your mind and heart that your world became so twisted for so long that it began to look straight to you. Your mind can become a place of elegantly constructed lies. They're so elegant that you can forget that they're lies. Words can hurt and haunt.

Those words that your brain accepts as true are the words your heart comes to live by. 

The heart isn't as easily changed as the head, but one thing that can change it is the repeated, relentless, bruising, breaking words that the mind thinks. It won't change by one harsh word or thought, but days, months, and years will establish heart-habits.

This is why the words that your mind thinks are so important. The head influences the heart. The heart, in turn, influences the head. These things - your intellect and your will - influence your life. The words that your mind thinks should be habitually positive and good.

Because your heart deserves a home that is good.

Words can heal and strengthen.

And where can you find better words for the mind to think than those that the Word Himself gave us?

As always, Ann Voskamp provides inspiration and practical tools to help us in these things. This post is the second in a series that provides free printables of Gospel verses. They're the words that your heart should build into its home. Because they're Truth.

I have been gifted with abundant life.

I will not perish.

I have been gifted with peace.

I am not afraid.

I have been gifted with joy.

I am blessed.

I have been gifted with love.

I abide in that Love.

And I - broken, messy, imperfect me - do have those things. They are all gifts from Him, but He has given them all to me.

These are the words that should fill my mind. These are the words that should be a home for my heart.

In order to live in Love, you must first think in Love.

God so loved the world - loved me and you - that He gave His only Son. He sent us His Son - gifted Him to us - so that we might not die. You and I won't die. You and I will live and live eternally through His perfect gift of Perfect Self.

The words your mind thinks become the home your heart lives in.  

Think the words that bring life so that your heart may revel in life.

I am made for two things: to love and to be loved.

The first can be so easy... the second can be so hard.

"Spiritual disciplines are not about getting God to love you — but about getting your heart in a place so you can hear Him say it." ~Ann Voskamp


Amen.







02 June 2014

Living with EDS - Swimsuit Edition

I've been living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome since birth. As a child, I was considered to resemble Gumby a little too closely, but it wasn't cause for real concern. As I've gotten older, it's presented a more serious set of problems, including chronic joint pain, fragile skin, and an inhibited ability to develop scar tissue.

A new issue, which reared its ugly head just this summer, is a less serious, but incredibly frustrating fashion issue: halter tops cause my neck joints to slide forward and push against my windpipe. I'm not even sure your neck joints can dislocate, but mine certainly seem to do so. The pressure of the band across the back of my neck causes this rather painful occurrence. I don't like it much. 

So what? I can't wear halter tops. Big deal.

BUT IT IS A BIG DEAL!

There are already so many rules that I have to follow regarding swimsuits. I like to keep my tummy and my derriere covered. I like to keep the cleavage to a minimum. Basically, I like to wear a cute suit that doesn't resemble a bridal shower gift. Pardon me.

I found an adorable swimsuit that met all these requirements this year. I was super excited. It was pretty much perfect. No cleavage, not too much back, not too much leg, no tummy. I put it on and tied the knot behind my neck.

Then POP went said neck.

Ow. Sigh. Owwwwww.

I went perusing websites again, searching for an alternative that didn't cost a ton (since I'd already invested a considerable amount in the offending suit) and didn't push my comfy modesty envelope. Every freaking swimsuit that I found is a halter top. Occasionally, I came across a racer back suit, but then the front was so low that I don't think I'd ever be able to leave the house while wearing it.

Another rule, another guideline, another hurdle for my life. Living with EDS isn't easy. It even affects my swim season. The swimsuits are trying to kill me, too.

01 June 2014

I Can Cant, Can You?

***WARNING!!! Rant post!!!!! Read at your own discretion. You need to exercise discretion because I am very emotional about this subject, not because it contains any foul language. This post is squeeeeeaky clean.***
 
Lemme just say, God might mount His throne to shouts of joy in general, but it was more like a dirge where I live.

Seriously.

I get it, there should be a certain solemnity to the music at Mass. I even understand that when chanting in a language that the majority of the world considers to be dead (Latin, donchaknow), a certain deadness is forgivable... even expected.

But for goodness' sake, the words are in ENGLISH here. You're singing, "God mounts His throne to shouts of JOY" repeatedly. It should evoke some, oh, I don't know, JOY, perhaps???

I couldn't bring myself to look at the cantor. I couldn't trust myself to look at anything except my missal, actually, which may have been millimeters from my face. Yes, I confess. I was hiding in my book. I was laughing hard and I feel terrible about it. One shouldn't laugh so hard at another person's solemnly solemn solemnness.

According to my sister, who has more self-control than me and could, therefore, look at the cantor, reports that the cantor looked quite joyful, even if she sounded horribly, tragically sad. While I'm glad she appeared more joyful than she sounded, it made me feel compelled to write this post to remind everyone that as a cantor, you're supposed to be assisting the prayers of the faithful through their auditory system, not their visual system.

I appreciate a well-dressed, dignified appearance, especially since the choir loft in our church isn't actually used as a choir loft, but a place from which someone can video choir concerts. If someone is going to be standing in front of the congregation, they should look dignified and understated. (Yes, this is a personal struggle of mine. I hope that if I wear nice enough clothes, I might be able to get away with the fact that I never look dignified. Sigh. Personal problem.) That said, there are some other things that a cantor should keep in mind with regard to the sounds coming out of his or her mouth, assaulting the ears of a captive audience.

1. Sound alive.
I cannot emphasize this enough. Before you get to any particular emotional conveyance, you need to sound alive. Please. Please,please,pleeeeease.

2. Match your emotions to the text.
So you sound alive? Good. Now convey the emotion that actually corresponds to the lyrics. Are we shouting for joy? Are we beseeching mercy? Well, then, do that thing. With your voice.

3. This is not a performance.
You are not a solo performer, this is not karaoke night. You are there to assist the faithful, not distract or amuse them. And, for the love of all that is holy, stay away from a Disney theme. There is a time and place for Disney. Mass? No. Just no. STOP.

End of rant.

(N.B. - this post is not intended to imply that I am a perfect or even a good cantor. When you guys give a bad review to a restaurant, it's because you feel like you have the right to call the kettle black, even though you yourself might be a pot. We must never stop striving for the right and perfect thing. For serious, guys.)