Sacred Monkeys of the Vatican

We All Scream for Ice Cream

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:36:36 +0000

These Haagen-Daz comercials found their way to my computer while I was watching The Office Finale. (The Office is over! Sniff.) Anyway, I loved them both! And now, thanks to the successful marketing of Haagen-Daz, not only do I want ice cream, I also want to go back to Rome, cook Italian food, and watch Swan Lake. Le sigh.

Where Did You Go Joe DiMaggio?

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:21:22 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram then you’ve already seen this picture and heard this story, but I thought I would share again. I went to the post office and asked the postmaster for some “pretty stamps” he obligingly reached behind the counter and put these in front of me.

These stamps remind me, I so excited for the Nationals this year! All the way to the series this time! Whoot!

Busy Bee

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:29:15 +0000

Okay, now that I have typed the phrase busy bee, all I can think of is that scene in Gladiator where Commodus has reached a-place-that-is-beyond-creepy and he calls Lucillia a busy bee. I always want to scream at Lucillia to just grab her kid and leave the palace.

But I wanted to pop in for a minute to once again apologize for not posting and to assure you that I am still alive and well! I’ve been in over my head in events, planning and projects. The picture above shows the sewing project I’ve been working on – 20+ Shakespearean shirts for a middle school production of Taming of the Shrew. Ooo, ooo, that Shakespearean rag. . .

And to add to the randomness of this post, here is a poem for you:

MORNING AT THE WINDOW

by: T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

THEY are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,

And along the trampled edges of the street

I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids

Sprouting despondently at area gates.

The brown waves of fog toss up to me

Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,

And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts

An aimless smile that hovers in the air

And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

Boot Stomp’n

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:45:53 +0000

So, remember how I had a picture of just my mismatched socks a post or two ago? This is how it started. My two-stepping fanatic of a roommate asked me to go out two-stepping and line dancing with her at a country bar. Fun right?

But, before you go two stepping you have to dress for the part, right? Line dancing in ballet flats just doesn’t work. Have a look at these adorable boots. Such a lovely color of suede. They aren’t mine, they are another roommate’s who couldn’t got out with us that night because she was at a gala or something.

Cute right? Oh, yes so cute. And deceitfully small. I was able to pull them on just fine.

But taking them off was another story. After the roomie and I got home, I sat down to take off my cute boots. The right boot came off just fine, but the left would. not. budge. My roommate had to tug, and pull, and tug some more to get that darned boot off. I was starting to worry. Would I have to cut the boot off? That seemed a little drastic. Would I have to sleep in it? Perhaps the dancing made my feet swell and if I slept with my foot elevated I could get the boot off in the morning (okay later that day, who are we kidding really? It’s like 2 a.m. here.). But I was determined that I was not going to sleep with one boot on. Diddle, diddle dumpling.

I asked dear roomie to try pulling it off one more time. And praise the Heavens, off it came! And I’ve never been so happy to see my mismatched socks in all my life!

The Highwayman

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:19:43 +0000

My roommate found this video produced by BBC. Apparently they have a whole series of Horrible Histories – I thought this one was particularly funny!

Two items of note: 1) Film above is the story of Dick Turpin which is romanticized by William Harrison Ainsworth in his novel Black Bess, of The Knight of the Road. 2) In case you were wondering, from what I can tell the poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes is based in Scotland, not England, on a generic highwayman character, not Dick Turpin, but I could be wrong.

P.S. Did you know that Alfred Noyes converted to Catholicism?

Liebster x 2

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:36:48 +0000

So I was nominated for the Liebster award a while ago, by Martha at Romancing Reilly, and then again by Joannie at Joan in Ordinary Time. So I’ll come clean and pass the mention on. Thanks girls, I am so flattered!

(You are probably wondering why I have a picture of my feet in mismatched socks. Well, that is how I feel about answering all these questions, a little awkward – like a pair mismatched socks. And, before you start worrying that I went out in public like that, I did have my socks hidden in a cute pair of boots – more on that later.)

How Liebster works:

Thank the person who nominated you and link your post to their blog.
List 11 facts about yourself then answer the 11 questions given to you.
Create 11 more questions for your 9 nominees, all of whom have 200 or less followers.
Comment on their blogs informing them of their Liebster Award nomination.

Eleven Facts About Myself :

1. I have ridiculously good distance vision.

2. Even though I am brunette, I was blonde as a child.

3. I wrote my undergrad thesis on fairy-tales.

4. My current perfume of choice is Chance by Chanel. (I am thinking of something lighter for the summer, suggestions?)

5. I’ve been to Ibiza, Spain, because of this song. In college my friends and I thought the refrain was “we’re going to eat pizza.” Well, I have now eaten pizza in Ibiza.

6. My great-grandmother, who came straight off the boat from Denmark, taught me how to crochet.

7. I have seven brothers and four sisters. (No, none of us are adopted. Yes, we all have the same two parents. No, none of us are twins. Yes, we love each other. No, I don’t wish I had been an only child. Yes, my parents are beyond awesome. Any more questions? No? Okay, moving on.)

8. I have a hard time picking favorite things. Seriously. Why pick just one? I choose all! (However, this makes life really difficult when I do actually have to make a choice about something. Sigh.)

9. Despite going to college in Virginia and now living in DC for almost four years, I have never been inside of the US Capitol. I plan to remedy this situation this summer.

10. I get sunburned easily, my friends are very aware of my obsession with sunscreen – they will tell you horror stories about how I almost asphyxiated us all with the spray on kind. And I put on more clothes to go to the beach than I wear on a normal day.

11. I love natural light, and even if there is only a few minutes of sunshine left when I get home from work, I’ll open up all the curtins for those few minutes. At work I hate using the flourescent overhead in my office and rely on the huge picture window.

22 Questions from Joannie and Martha (11 from each, it’s only fair):

Joannie’s Questions:

1. If you could be a fictional character for a day, who would you be? Lucy Pevensie

2. What is your favorite book of the Bible? Mmmm, maybe Wisdom? I like Esther too, and Tobit, and John. Do I really have to pick a favorite?

3. What is your favorite thing to cook or bake? Another favorite, again? Right now I am on a cinnamon roll kick.

4. What’s your favorite Christmas movie? It’s A Wonderful Life or White Christmas, depending on my mood. or The Santa Clause

5. Do you subscribe to any magazines? I just subscribed to the Washingtonian, I want a subscription to Verily and another to First Things, I just haven’t gotten around to it.

6. Mac or PC? Mac all the way.

7. What is your favorite city in the United States? Ooh, this one is hard. Again, what is with favorites? Each city in it’s own way. . . Rome, most definantly, Rome. Oh, wait US city. . . DC is pretty awesome.

8. What is your go-to meal for Fridays in Lent? A soft boiled egg on toast.

9. If you could spend the day with someone in history, what date in history would you spend with whom? Good question. . . I think I would have liked to have been there when Queen Victoria was told she was now the Queen of England.

10. If you could have a superpower, what would you want and why? I wish I could fly. Think of all the time and money I would save! Plus, I would be able to see family and friends a lot more!

11. Winter or Summer? Summer. Winter sucks the life out of me.

Martha’s Questions:

1. What was the last thing you ate? French toast.

2. List the three songs you are currently listening to the most. According to my iTunes, that would be Skyfall by Adele, Would You Go With Me by Josh Turner, Disappear by Judd and Maggie. Random.

3. What was your first concert? I don’t remember, I think it was Gaelic Storm.

4. Who is your favorite spiritual/faith figure? Um, I don’t really know. Is that bad? Right now I am on a St. Joseph kick. He is awesome.

5. Do you have a strange habit that you could divulge to the internet world? I can’t sleep without socks. My feet get really cold.

6. Why did you begin blogging? Because I’ve learned so many awesome and amazing things and I wanted to share!

7. Name a pet peeve. The ushers at Mass that let you know when you can leave your pew for Communion. I see no use for this. Americans know how to stand in a line, I don’t need you to tell me when the person in front of me has left their pew, I have eyes. Maybe if I was blind this would be helpful. But even blind people are pretty quick about stuff like that. And has anyone ever seen someone rush the altar in America?

8. Your first car. My Echo!

9. Where would you like to be on vacation right now? Somewhere warm and beachy. I think I would like Hawaii, never been there, but is sounds amazing.

10. What do you do when you can’t fall asleep? I read, or I think. Both are rather counter productive because then I can’t stop reading or thinking. I should really find a new method.

11. What luxury do you wish you could indulge in on a regular basis? Mani-pedis. I feel so much more put together when my nails look nice.

My Liebster Nominees (I know most of you have more than 200 followers for sure, but I couldn’t help myself. Plus because of Liebster I discovered that most of the blogs I read have more than 200 followers! You people are awesome!)

Laura – This Felicitous Life

Teresa – The Window to Love

Christina – The Evangelista

Lizzie – Dixie Grit

Josepha – Culture Smack

Maggie – Ten Thousand Places

Mabel and Virginia – Life In The Gap

Questions for my Nominees

1. Cherry blossoms or dogwood flowers?

2. What was the last book you read?

3. What was the last article you read?

4. Gin and Tonic or Whiskey and Ginger Ale?

5. If you could name your worst haircut ever, what would it be called?

6. Do you have a green thumb?

7. If you had to paint one thing in your house neon, what would it be?

8. The last song you heard.

9. What is the tallest mountain range you’ve been in?

10. Would you go skydiving?

11. Do you like butter?

Spring Has Sprung

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:58:15 +0000

These phots are a week late, but I thought I’d share them anyway. Last Wednesday I went to see the cherry blossoms on the day they peaked. If you ever have the chance to see them when they are in full bloom I highly recommend it! I think it looks like the branches are covered in fluffy, pink, cotton candy. It is always crowded, but it’s completely worth it.

RIP Maria Tallchief

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:20:21 +0000

Maria Tallchief passed away yesterday, she was an amazing ballet dancer, one of the first to put America on the map for Ballet. She was best known for her part as the Firebird. I found a movie with her commenting a little on the role. I am just amazed at her grace!

The Angel Gabriel

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Happy feast of the Annunciation! Today is the day we celebrate Christ’s incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary! The song I am about to share with you is technically a Christmas song, but I think it fits today’s feast! And it is one of my favorites!

I’ve included the lyrics because they are so beautiful, I don’t want you to miss a word. My favorite line is the very first: The angel Gabriel from heaven came His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame.

The angel Gabriel from heaven came His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame “All hail” said he “thou lowly maiden Mary, Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
“For know a blessed mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honor thee, Thy Son shall be Emanuel, by seers foretold Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head “To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said, “My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.” Most highly favored lady. Gloria!
Of her, Emanuel, the Christ was born In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say: “Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

Easter Friday – Rejoice!

sacredmonkeysofthevatican — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:33:05 +0000

Easter Friday! One of the few Fridays of the year that is completely free from any penitential acts, and, in fact, should be treated like a Sunday! Feast! Eat meat! Have dessert after every meal! The Lord has truly risen!

(And your probably wondering, “great, what is with the half-eaten croissant?” Well, I forgot to take a picture before I ate it, and the crumbs look so flaky, you get a better idea of how wonderful it was.)