on happiness

i have been reading Josef Pieper "for my thesis," and the latest one is happiness and contemplation.  in this little book, which is in fact a royal treasury, he says,

"The meaning of [St. Thomas's] statement is not solely that God is happy.  The intention and the words [of the Summa] are:  "He is His happiness."  Indeed, "God and happiness are the same."  Any human being who is happy shares in a happiness that is not of himself."

whenever we are happy, then, it is because we are participating in God's happiness.  conversely, whenever we are unhappy, it is because we are failing to participate in God's happiness for us in the situation in which He has placed us.  whether we want it or not, He does, and we must find His will--His happiness--in this place and time, without wasting a moment on our unhappiness.

note on thesis:  i have a plan!  a new advisor, who is devising a no-nonsense plan that will get me through this, and she likes my topic!  can life get any better?  right at this very moment, with renewed Thesis vigor, my amazing husband, and even a little chill in the air . . . i submit that it cannot.

barack obama makes me angry!

seriously angry, not just sort of angry.  i lost several hours of sleep stewing over the "freedom of choice act," which is really the "socialist government taking away more freedom for your morally-formed conscience act."  Our Lady of Lepanto, Our Lady of Guadelupe, Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!

Ex Tempore

why can i write nothing but doggeral?

my desires are noble and notable

but all i can say in the poetry way

is less than a rabbled crowd's cry.

a poem:  a collection of words,

nothing more; yet somehow

the right writing and rhyming

and timing eludes me;

i'll stay most assuredly

in anonymous obscurity

for want of selection and surety.

some good tunes

musician danny schneible has created an album of praise songs for children that are quite commendable. so, i commend them to all my friends with children--or those with child-like hearts.

more ramblin' ways

the weather has been heating up again.  i miss seasons, especially autumn, like some people miss sunshine.  it hurts my heart a bit to be deprived of the cycles--the gradual changing of summer ripeness to the beauty of dying autumn.  it reminds me that, not only is death beautiful, but the way to death is beautiful.  i also love how seasons mirror the seasons of the Church--as the Earth moves towards its temporary death, the Church moves to the close of the year and the beginning of the new:  preparation for the winter that the world was in before the coming of our Lord.

 i have been thinking a lot recently about children, and have come to the conclusion that they play a different role in every marriage.  i do not know when God will deign to entrust us with human souls, but i pray i can be ready.  is it even possible to be ready for such a thing?  i say i am a muddler, and i do mean it!  who isn't, though, i suppose?  in the meantime, here is Artemis with a bottle cap on her head.

Autumn Update

it has been in the 80s most days, with occasional dips into the 70s, and even a couple into the 60s!  i keep trying to make it be autumn, anyway. here are some of those attempts:  baked apples, "apple cider" and "spice cake" candles, fall flora, pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin pie, and coziness.  unfortunately, sounds and smells do not photograph.  here they are anyway:

i wish kids would stop cheating.  it's very time consuming, and just annoying in general.

i gave my writing students an article on bob dylan from Paste magazine to practice analysis.  i'm excited about it.  it makes my life more interesting, too.  i think my esl students might have trouble with it, though.

in valiant attempts to work on Thesis, only about 2 pages have emerged, and most of that is jeremy bentham's nonsense.

here is a new blog! that i made to chronicle thoughts about Thesis, and to discuss beauty in general.

the hatkes are returning from italy soon, and i am excited to have them on the same continent as me.  maybe this way i can meet julia, at long last.