Takin’ it quick-like

— 1 —

So, first of all, I’ve been going back and forth and back and forth about buying a particular dress:

IT’S SO CUTE, RIGHT? Plus: embroidery-kick for the yes. Plus: red. Plus: box pleats. Plus: POCKETS.
Don’t tell me I can rock it, I know, ya’ll.
At least, I think I do/ can.

Today I bit the bullet and ordered it. Let’s all cross our happy fingers that it’ll come in time for the wedding I specifically ordered it for. (Cross ’em good).

— 2 —

When I first saw that above-dress, I think I showed my dad one early, early morning before the sun had even risen (why? Why did I do this?) like, “Look at this dress I found, but I like these other ones, too, look at them, too…”

And it reminded me of this story he tells about how my mom was once going back and forth and back and forth about buying a dress before they were even engaged and he was like, “This is how she’s going to respond when I propose, too.”

I don’t know how that ended up in my thought-process, BUT, as far as romantic (cough) engagements go, I think my dad proposed to my mom on Devil’s night…if memory serves. BTW, “Devil’s Night” is the term for the night-prior-to-Halloween and I think it’s a Detroit-thing. It has been used as a day of mischief in the past, but, I don’t hear a lot about that anymore.

The take-away from this story is: my parents got engaged on Devil’s Night, and that’s probably the least-romantic/ meaningful holiday you could possibly chose, and that’s humorous to me. Pinterest-lovin’/ Vimeo-sharin’ times those were not.

— 3 —

Halloween today! Party for me? Eh, maybe not. But, maybe DANCING. Please and yes to dancing.

It occurs to me that I never revealed the costume I made on this here blahg, even thought that took time and energy away from this medium. So, internets, I was Madeline at a local fundraiser.

Indeed.

Highlights included…

Me: “What are you going to be for Halloween?”
Girl 1: “Madeline!”
Me: “Wow, that’s awesome! What about you?”
Girl 2: “The Eiffel Tower!”

That’s what you call upping the stakes, my friends.

Then a mom: “Hi, could you autograph this book for me?”
Me, out loud: “Why, of course!”
Me, mentally: “If I can remember how to spell my literary name…”

And, the girl who almost broke me out of character…

Me: “I have a dog, named Genevieve! Do you have any pets?”
Girl: “I have two guinea pigs.”
!! *conflicted Nell tries not to break character and talk about Kiwi and Franklin.*

— 4 —

Do we want to talk about Evangelii Gaudium and how close I’m getting to the end and how much I’m loving the part about Jesus, now that I’m getting to the end?

(We can also talk about how the transition from childhood literary characters to church teachings happened FAST AND FURIOUS).

…we forget that the Gospel responds to our deepest needs, since we were created for what the Gospel offers us: friendship with Jesus and love of our brothers and sisters.

Moved by [Jesus’] example, we want to enter fully into the fabric of society, sharing the lives of all, listening to their concerns, helping them materially and spiritually in their needs, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep; arm in arm with others, we are committed to building a new world.

But, all of the paragraphs in the fifth chapter, though!!

(Aside. Things that sound like fun: go to independent tea/ coffee/ warm drank places and talk about these paragraphs with people who are cooler/ wiser than me. Alternatively: spoken word night. Yeah, these are the kinds of directions I would like my life to go, please).

— 5 —

I wrote a bunch of words about young adults and ministry, but realized there were enough for a post in itself, so I did that, and I’d appreciate your thoughts if you’re into that life.

---

— 6 —

Do you want to talk about how I just made it not-fun and not-quick-takes with that last point? Oops.

Let’s talk instead about something my coworker asked today: “What was the worst thing you ever received for Halloween?”

I think his was a Jesus-tract, and while I remember receiving those, I don’t remember that they bothered me. I just set them to the side and ate candy.

My worst one was one year someone bought super cheap and crappy pencils and hot glued a singular tootsie roll to the top of every one. It was supposed to be cute, I think? Only, you couldn’t get the candy off, so that was wasted (plus: tootsie rolls in the first place…those fall a the bottom end of “favorite candies,” you know?), plus the eraser was out of commission due to the glued-on tootsie roll, so it was just a pointless, cheap pencil with awful lead. It was astounding to us as children that someone would take the time to buy crappy pencils and crappy candy and glue them together and pass them out now that neither could fulfill their purpose.

Ha! Worst-ever Halloween treat you’ve received? Oh, share.

— 7 —

Weeeeekend! My sister was like, “We are taking this weekend and using it to do work. Mark you calendar.”

OK, ninja-sister, because I need to go through my clothes and find ones to be reintroduced to the secondhand cycle (it’s like the water cycle) and do my laundry and vacuum my car. I’m not even mad.

PLUSSSSSSSSS maybe a concert with some cool cats? I say: YES.

Love to all!
-N
P.S. and also: WHAT ARE YOU BEING FOR HALLOWEEN?

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!