Seven Quick Takes--Authenticity, Book Signings, Etc.

linking up with Kelly!

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From the blog this week:

“Quote Me” podcast and book signing on Saturday!

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So, authenticity.

In one of my interviews for Living Memento Mori, I was asked if it was hard to be so open about my health in the book.

“No.” I said. I didn’t even have to think about this. To me, it wasn’t hard, it was necessary. For me to be real, to really reach the reader, I had to be authentic. And that meant showing what really goes on.

I don’t show everything in the book. The book is limited in scope, to an extent, and so not everything is there, and not everything ever will be. There are things that are private.

But for the most part, I wanted to share how I really feel. I do yell at God. I get mad. I get angry. I throw things. Sometimes I act like a five year old. Like last night.

There were a lot of nit-picky things going on. I had whiffed an interview question. It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m single. And I really really really didn’t want to be a pincushion last night. I didn’t want to test my blood sugar before I went to bed. I didn’t want to shoot insulin into myself with crappy pen needles. I just did not want to.

I grouched a bit. I cried some. And then I did it. And I shared how I felt on Twitter.

Why?

Not for pity or sympathy of whatever. But because I want to be authentic with people. I want to be real. And while I do, generally, handle things with some degree of aplomb, sometimes I am just done. Sometimes, in the words of the musical Side Show, “I want to be like everyone else.”

I’m not.

So every so often, I have a breakdown, but then I just do it again. I feel a lot better today.

But I always want to be honest with my readers. I don’t want you to think I just sail along on a boat of Saint-like acceptance and Oh, everything is wonderful all the time!

It’s not. And that’s just fine. It’s OK to get angry. The key is to do it and then pick up again.

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OK, so, whew, got that done. :)

BOOK SIGNING TOMORROW! Catholic Women’s Conference here in town! YES, you can get tickets at the door!

I am signing during the breakfast break after Mass at the Ave Maria Press table, which is usually right by the eating area. Come say hi! I would love to meet you and sign your book!

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Next week I think two things happen—my Girlfriends interview with Danielle Bean goes live, and I think an interview for Aleteia (Catholic news/lifestyle website) goes up. I will link to them here and on SM and on the media page when they do!

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If you would like a signed book, email me and we’ll do it! They’re $20 and that includes shipping!

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OUTLANDER is back!

I love Outlander. It’s my favorite. I flew threw the series when I was having all my heart thythm issues in 2010—so much so that the clerk at the local B&N told my dad, “Does she know that this is the last one?” when I got to the (then) last installment.

The TV series airs on Starz and season 5 starts on Sunday—but if you have the Starz app, like I do, you can watch the season premiere now! Yay!

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Normal reminders to buy the book, sign up for the newsletter, etc. And please leave a review on Amazon if you’ve read the book! Thank you thank you!

Easter notes

Happy Easter Octave! Yup, that's right--Easter, like Christmas, has an octave. We are going to celebrate intensely for at least eight days. So get out the party hats. Eat the chocolate. He is Risen!

So just a few notes from around here, vis-a-vis Holy Week and other things that Happened on My Week Off: 

• There is something about Holy Hour that is just so calming. No matter how I go into it, once I've spent any amount of time in front of the monstrance/tabernacle, I just feel soothed. This Holy Week was a little crazier than usual, due to getting spots removed from my skin, and my basement flooding over the weekend, so workmen in and out to fix that....but I did get my Holy Week adoration period on Wednesday. Whew. I needed it. Felt a lot better after that. :) 
   
• Claire in Outlander talks about this: when she's before the Blessed Sacrament in the first book, praying for Jamie, she goes to leave, and a monk is coming in (you can't leave the Sacrament alone during perpetual adoration). She says that she was alone, and the monk said, were you? Claire thought about it. No, she wasn't alone. It's like that. (It's at the end of the first book--don't have it to hand for the references at the moment.)
   
• (And yes, I will be doing a post about Outlander and Catholicism later this month!)
   
• Holy Thursday is probably my favorite Mass of the year. It's just gorgeous, we get to chant the Pange Lingua, which I've always loved, and which was written by a Dominican (St. Thomas Aquinas). If you haven't heard it, "educate yourself!" Really. Sublimity. 

'Pange lingua ... corporis', the Gregorian vespers hymn for Corpus Christi. Animated score to accompany singing by the Auckland Catholic Music Schola ( http://www.schola.org.nz ). Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium, Sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium Fructus ventris generosi, Rex effudit gentium.

• There's a solemn procession to the Altar of Repose, and then silent adoration until midnight. This year, you could've heard a pin drop during adoration. Seriously, when I put my rosary back in its plastic case, it sounded loud (and I was being careful!). It's indescribable, really, but just so heavy with solemnity and prayer. Love it. 
   
• My favorite part of Good Friday is the veneration of the cross. I know some people think it's weird. But getting to kiss the cross (or bow/genuflect to it, whatever you choose to do) is such a small thing, but it feels so significant. Here's some more about it, if you're curious.
   
• The Vigil, on Saturday night, is always happy, because we welcome new members into the church. But it's also sort of nerve-wracking because: CANDLES. FIRE. Small children! This year the woman in front of me had a Big Issue--the paper wax-catcher thing around the candle actually caught fire! Yikes! Fortunately she was able to put it out before the pew caught on fire. :) 

How was your Holy Week and Easter? Do you or your family do anything special? 

 

Seven Quick Takes No. 104

I. 

Well, Winter has finally shown up here in Ohio. It's going to be three for a low this weekend. Brrrrr. Glad I have lots of warm socks and boots and a heavy coat that's good for clearing off the car. 

II. 

I'm learning Italian! I'm using the Duolingo app and I have to say it's really fun, although there's some weird Italian grammar things that do not exist in French or English. For example, the word "dinner" (cena) can mean the noun, dinner, or  "eating dinner." So if you want to say I'm having dinner, It's "Io cena." IT IS WEIRD. In French, it would be Je mange diner. You need a verb! Not in Italian! 

Also, their possessives are sort of tricky. I'm working on it. But learning Italian is something I've been wanting to do for a long time, so I'm glad I'm finally getting on it. 

III. 

Lent has begun, but you can still join Restore! It's not too late. 

IV. 

I'm taking my first Barre3 class next week. I will hopefully survive. ;-) Cristina loves them, and I've taken similar classes before, so I think I'll survive.....It's only an hour! One can do anything for an hour! (Right?)

V. 

One of the great things about winter is that I get to experiment with my cooking. When it's summer and gorgeous I don't want to be working with a hot oven. But tonight is perfect for something like Tuscan marinated chicken and couscous with feta and lemon. It's warm and filling and really easy! 

VI. 

Fasting is something I didn't have to do for the first 23 years of my life. And now that I have to, it's HARD. Man, I was GRUMPTASTIC Wednesday night, and I also inhaled my dinner like there was no tomorrow. 

VII. 

Outlander season 2 premieres on my birthday! (April 9) Happy birthday to me! I can't wait for Season 2 with my favorite time travelers.