Seven Quick Takes

 

--- 1 --- 

It's St. Valentine's Day, so let's listen to some sappy music, shall we?

--- 2 ---

Thank you to all of you for not freaking out over my blog rant last week.  I was just venting about the weirdness of (typically) one sided online communication like this.  Thank you so much to those of you who commented with how you got connected with this blog and what you have found here that has been useful for you.  I appreciate your encouragement more than you know.

And as promised, my rant had a bribe.  After putting the names of all those that commented or new followers last week into a hat (it actually was a plastic cup) I pulled out the winner...

...

and...

it...

was...

GRETE!  Grete is a in-real-life friend who I work with on the Behold Conference!  I am so glad that she won.  Grete will get to visit my friends' and my little business venture [un]common workbasket and spend $25 on something pretty for herself.  Congrats Grete!

--- 3 ---

My apartment is filling up with boxes.

And, no I am not moving.  No way.  Long time readers may be reminded of this post from two years ago.  I am slowly but surely gathering up all of the donation that will go in the gift bags for the Behold Conference.  Our Catholic Women's Conference will be held on March 1st in East Peoria, IL, and there is still time to register. Speakers, food, ladies, and lots of beautiful touches to make the day special.  The gift bags are going to be lovely, my favorite from all of the conferences so far.  Not only is it a nice bag, but it will be filled with all kinds of awesome things. 

--- 4 ---

I won't give all of the contents away, but I will share a few of the highlights.

My favorite?  This box of many colors of Sharpies.  Lots of Sharpies.  In a rainbow of beautiful colors.  They are gorgeous.  Who doesn't love Sharpies?

These particular Sharpies have been personalized by our local Catholic radio station, 94.3 WPMJ. Brilliant advertising, if you ask me.  But I also happen to be a little obsessed with Sharpies.

We also have copies of Magnificat and MagnifiKid! for all of the attendees.

And an assortment of holy cards and pamphlets, including these lovely ones introducing our co-patrons for 2014 St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and St. Joan of Arc.  And there's Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, just for good measure.

--- 5 ---

And did I menti

on Sharpies?

--- 6 ---

Sharpies may not seem enough reason to come to the conference, but trust me when I say that you would love it.  Mother Assumpta Long, Jeremy Rivera, Diedre Folley and Mary Rice Hasson.
Marie Miller will be performing once again.  Bishop Daniel Jenky will be celebrating Mass with us.  Adoration and Confession are available all day.  What more could you want!  Go register!

--- 7 ---

On a non Behold note, here is a cute student story.

They were working on an art project, music playing in the background, talking at a reasonable level in their groups around the room.  I sat in the back grading papers and monitoring their progress on the Valentine's project.  Sometimes in situations like this, they forget that I am there, and the conversations that I overhear...are... interesting.  

After hearing one such "interesting" comment between Student A and Student B, 

without looking up, I pointedly said, "I heard that."

(Let them assume what that means.)

Student A said, "She heard that!?!"

Still grading papers, I said, "I hear everything. I just don't always care to comment."

Student B said, "What are you, a wizard? Can you read our thoughts, too?"
Across the room, Student C said, 

"Well, she does have eyes in the back of her head, so you never know."

I see that I have taught them well.

Happy Friday!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!