I've been
...reading regularly for my weekly hour-long personal finance radio show.
...going for a snack with the Communion and Liberation group weekly.
...visiting Beatrice and Snowball when my schedule allows.
...getting into folkdance as my hips allow.
...singing weekly with the St. Paul Cathedral choir.
...volunteering for PAMS and PNR events.
...preparing for our annual alumnae meeting.
...getting ready to visit some friends whom I haven't seen for AGES!
...preparing lists of items for my voyages this summer.
...preparing for workshops with Donna this summer.
...slowly---yes, SLOWLY---cleaning my home.
Yes, I've been one BUSY person!
Labels: Beatrice, Choir, cleaning, dance, family, friends, international culture, Mass, medical mission, Philippines, philosophical, Pilipino culture, PNR, singing, St. Paul Cathedral, Wellesley
Memorial Day 2007 and last Ceili May 2007
On Memorial Day Jonathan, Judi, and I drove up to Babs for a cookout. We had spinach bacon salad (w/ homemade dressing), potato egg salad, watermelon, chips with dips, cheesy breadsticks, and ribs off the grill. Dessert was Judi's raspberry brownies w/ chocolate ganache. We played bocce lawn boWL, and our team of Babs and I were doing okay for a while. We decided to inform the lawn maintenance crew next time we were to play bocce...kinda similar to shuffleboard.
~~~~~
Last night I went to the ceili and met up with some of my friends there.
I danced the first three dances,
Rakes of Mallow
Fermanagh Set
Two Hand Reel;
as well as
the High Cauled Cap.
Joyce and I talked about her work, and I decided I would volunteer there before the summer is over.
Labels: dance, friends, international culture, Ireland
I AM A SUPERHERO!!!
My results are in the table below:
You are Superman
| Superman |
| 85% |
| Supergirl |
| 80% |
| Robin |
| 70% |
| Wonder Woman |
| 70% |
| Spider-Man |
| 65% |
| The Flash |
| 55% |
| Iron Man |
| 55% |
| Green Lantern |
| 45% |
| Hulk |
| 40% |
| Batman |
| 30% |
| Catwoman |
| 30% |
|
You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.
 |
You, too, can take the quiz....
Click here to take the Superhero Personality QuizI remember when we were all home from school my brother turned to the rest of us siblings and said, "If you could be a superhero, which one would you be?" To which my lil brane replied,"WHut?!" and I said, "
I don't know!" William then prompted us, "You know, some superheroes can be invisible, and some can save cities,..." at which point my lil brane decided, "This type of question must be a guy thing! It MUST be..."
Labels: family, philosophical
PAMS booth--51st Annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival 2007
Sunday, 27 May 2007 18:30
Yesterday, Titas Josie C., Bening B. and her sister, and Lydia N. and I volunteered for the PAMS information and fundraiser booth at the 51st Annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival. Our booth was within eyesight of the Main Stage, too. I ran into friends Lisa H. with her mom and sister, Dorothy (from the Oratory, who performed with the Italian troupe), Daphne A., and Jo-Anne (from choir), in addition to all my FAAP and PAMS friends.
After hearing a wonderful choir perform, I greeted some backpack- and T shirt-labelled college students with "Marietta! Marietta! Are you folks from Marietta?" after which a discussion ensued, recounting our commonalities revolving around Marietta College. I found that one of my professors, M., is still teaching there with her husband.
I tried Thailand's Pad Thai, soft lumpia w/ sauce, and langka; Croatia's chicken soup, (raspberry) crepes, nut roll dessert, and hazelnut candy topped in chocolate ganache; Philippines' BBQ chicken, and mango ice cream. What a delicious, nutritious, educational, entertaining, and inspiring trip around the world.
~~
Today was Pentecost (I indicated to Nancy C. that I had concocted an ASL sign for the holiday). I LOVE the music we sing for this holiday. I had invited Babs to lunch with some choir-tons after Mass. Ornella, Stacy, Jonathan, Nancy, and I dined and were joined by Babs' and Renee's presence. Some could not stay, but those of us who did stay walked to the Indian market for snacks and sweets afterwards.
What a wonderful day filled with moments with friends.
Labels: Choir, Church, dance, friends, international culture, Marietta, medical mission, Philippines, Pilipino culture, Pittsburgh, singing, St. Paul Cathedral
Auntie Mimang
is an institution. She cared for all of us cousins on my Mom's American side of the family when we were born. Some of my cousins consider her to be their second mom.
I just googled her formal, full name, and it asked me "do you mean [a more common spelling of her first name]?"
Sure, everything can be found on the internet, but you cannot find the innocent love of young children for their aunties.
I told my mom today that I had a chat with Auntie Mimang last weekend and she sounds better than ever since her stroke. "But," Mom noted, "her physical therapy" is not something she is following closely. "Yes," I indicated that one of her caretakers indicated that she is "hardheaded" about not participating fully in her therapy. *sigh* Mom said that it will be detrimental in the long run. Until it's banned, I'm going to keep having my conversations with my aunt. We talk and laugh, and carry on about our lives to each other.
Labels: children, family, honor
(seeming) self-control
Wednesday afternoon I met my birder friend for dinner and Rita's frozen custard. I passed (for the time being) on the Rita's frozen delight. She was greatly surprised at my (seeming) self-control.
I explained that our group meeting from the Newman Center would most likely go for ice cream afterwards. "Delayed gratification," she duly noted.
There are very few things that I like so much as Rita's. Except maybe
1. the process of finding the best smoothie in my neighborhood
2. Eating the best smoothie in my neighborhood
3. Eating the best smoothie in my neighborhood on a regular basis.
ICE CREAM STORIES
~I actually used to bike all the way into Cambridge to a little family-owned gelateria to get gelato while a student at Wellesley. (MUST GET gelato!)
~Then there is the student legend of the alumna who donated ice cream to the dining halls....I heard it as a pre-frosh touring the campus from my tour guide, Robin...There must be some truth to it!
~When I was in graduate school I gathered a specific phrase about ice cream in as many languages as I could. (My lil "ice breaker" sentence.)
~I am sure that I will have ice cream when I am in the Boston area for reunion shortly.
Labels: ice cream, international culture, languages, Wellesley
Irish Tea
After reading sacred Scripture at Mass this morning, Don gave me some pointers on lectoring. And I gave him Irish tea, instructing him carefully as to how to prepare it, and to give a bag each to the folks at the Rectory who will be going on the choral tour of Ireland. "A taste of Ireland!" I sang out in a lilting brogue.
I am really excited about having a guest lecture/demo by my friend, Kelly, who will teach interested Ireland choral tourists simple Irish dances, such as the Siege of Ennis. I'm all for learning about the culture of the locals before going overseas.
Labels: Church, dance, friends, international culture, Ireland, lector, Mass, read, Wellesley
Almodovar--Todo sobre mi madre/ All About My Mother
22:15, Thursday 24 May 2007
So, I received an email this week from Ornella entitled "What to do on a Thursday night when there is no choir practice." The email body highlighted the films of Spaniard, Pedro Almodovar. I have only seen one movie directed by him in the theater--Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios/Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which I enjoyed many years ago. Tonight, I screened Todo sobre mi madre/ All About My Mother.
The movie was a tragicomedy of a nurse's life after a personal tragedy and her journey back to Madrid, to find her son's father. While in Madrid she comes in contact with the social work of the Church, and with the demimonde. The threads which link her present to her past are the theater (specifically A Streetcar Named Desire), the cinema (specifically All About Eve), and her former lover and son's father. Filled with the artifice of the theater and of the demimonde, as well as emotions running false and true, this movie moves us deeply while touching on pressing social issues. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film in early 2000, best directed film in Cannes, and "a slew of other awards," as the graduate student introducing the film reminded us. Too bad Ornella could not have attended.
Labels: Almodovar, cinema
Boys
What is wrong with (most/some) boys?
Don't know how to mind-read us! (as in, whoever cooks dinner does not clean up; whoever cleans up does not have to cook)
Are girl-crazee-blind to the point of distraction from what you are saying topically (see real reasons post).
And Where are the Nice ones?
(PLease see the List post)
Why do I meet weirdos?!
Labels: list, philosophical
Workshop--Dr. Christine Jordanoff
Yesterday, after spending time with Marissa and Beatrice (at the park in the swing watching the child care group of big kids play, Jonathan and I caught a bus to Duquesne University. We arrived early for the workshop with Dr. Christine Jordanoff, and chatted with Justin and Doug, also from our choir group. We found ourselves giving directions to the workshop to increasing amounts of people, so we decided to head back to the choir room.
The workshop, hosted by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, was entitled "Vocal Skills in Action," and she shared ways to prepare our posture, breathing, tone, etc. for singing. She discussed the anatomy of singing, which we all found useful. Then, we sang a few familiar liturgical tunes. Don accompanied the group, composed of singers from various choirs in the area. I saw Mary Beth there, whom I've missed for some time now.
Amy and I stopped at Victor's restaurant for snacks and a drink. We talked about our long-time friends, keeping friendships going, smoking in restaurants, and our poor addicted, smoking friends. The warm, clear night welcomed us as we exited the Indian restaurant.
Labels: Choir, Church, Jordanoff, singing
Visiting Priest
Monsignior Crispin Benarte is visiting Pittsburgh this week from the Philippines and is familiar with the PAMS of southwest Pennsylvania group, which visited his region of the Philippines several years ago...I believe he said morning Mass for the medical missionaries that year.
Yesterday, Ken, our associate organist, and I approached him about liturgical music from the Philippines--specifically Ama Namin, the version with which I'm familiar. Msgr. Cris graciously offered to send Ken a hymnal with sheet music, too.
Msgr. Cris will travel on to Chicago and St. Louis later this week.
Labels: Mass, medical mission, music, Philippines, Pilipino culture, Pittsburgh, prayer
Organizing Life
with Jen is fun. This Monday we made scrambled egg, English muffin, and "Fakin' bacon" sandwiches after morning Mass and before getting down to "organizing" business. I showed her my list of things to do and monthly budget template, as well as my list for my trips. We discussed Jen's semester overseas, where I will visit this summer! I organized my existing baskets of correspondence, and we vowed to get baskets to organize next time we meet. I am thankful that I have a patient friend such as she.
Labels: cleaning, friends, list, organizing, thankfulness
Radio Information Service--Taping Shows
This Monday, I taped two hours of my personal finance show, as well as the feature spots for the special episodes on "Internet Security for the Blind and Print-impaired" and "Identity Theft: Case Studies" for the Radio Information Service the weeks of June 8th and June 15th.
The station won an award for "Celebrate the Season," by Marilyn Egan, an RIS volunteer. "RIS is lucky to have a volunteer of Marilyn’s caliber,” said Deborah Weppelman, Program Director/Executive Director. “She brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm to her volunteer work, and I was thrilled to accept this award on her behalf.”
Founded in 1976, Radio Information Service is a nonprofit radio station that provides current information 24 hours a day for thousands of listeners who are blind, visually impaired, or who cannot access print materials. More than 260 volunteers read daily newspapers, magazines, and books, as well as provide specialized programming for this audience. Broadcasting on sub carriers of WDUQ-FM and WQED-FM, the RIS private signal is available by subscription through special receivers, a telephone dial-in system, the RIS website, and the Comcast Cable system. RIS is a service of WDUQ-FM. For more information, contact RIS at 412-488-3944 or www.readingservice.org For over 30 years, RIS has promoted Independence through Information.
My friends Joe and Tina were instrumental in getting the concept of RIS off the ground in Pittsburgh. I am honored to count them among my circle of friends.
Labels: honor, personal finance, read, RIS
Ceili--All Ireland Athletic Club Annual Dance 2007
Sunday 10:52 AM, 20 May 2007
Last night Elaine J., Mary R., and I went to the All Ireland Athletic Club Ceili Dance. The Annual Spring Dance brought lots of my friends from ceili dancing: Dutch, Michael and Joyce, Peggy, Rusty, Maureen, Kelly M., and many more. Nellie M. had reserved tickets for us, and we enjoyed the sounds of Matt Cunningham's band, which hails from the Emerald Isle. Many dances were played; some with simple steps such as the waltzes (in Viennese time), to the complex Connemara Set. None of the dances were called, so I chose to dance the simpler ones:
the Siege of Ennis (with Elaine to my right)
High Cauled Cap (with Peggy to my left)
Keel Row (with Michael and Joyce)
Shoe the Donkey (with Michael)
There was a short break mid-evening for a display of talent from audience members, and Jessica McH. step-danced, followed by the band's drummer step-dancing. Mike Connelly of Cleveland whistled a tune---he had won a competition 58 years earlier---and I swear that he whistled in chords!
The evening was great fun; now I remember why I used to attend ceilis on a weekly basis!
Labels: Church, international culture, Ireland
Main Squeeze Orchestra
Here are two pics of the current Main Squeeze Orchestra of Manhattan. In the B/W photo my sister Kel is to the director's right; in the color photo, she is on the right in pink. Ain't they a foxy group of chicks?
They have a gig coming up on the East side tonight!
Labels: family, MSO
May Market 2007
Yesterday evening William, Marissa, Beatrice, and I visited May Market in Mellon Park. We had the deeelish mushroom sandwiches that my birder friend recommended. We admired the plants and crafts; and we were dutifully booted out of the antiques hall right after closing time.
Marissa took a few pics with William & Beatrice and I as she marvelled at the leaves of a tree.
William noted earlier that evening that she has started to "track" with her eyes--follow as he points out and explains features of their backyard, for example. As her mommy says, she is getting to be a "smartie."
We enjoyed Pancakes Parawawa after our little outing.
Labels: Beatrice, Phipps, Pittsburgh
Formula and flowers
I stopped by William, Marissa, and B3's yesterday to drop off baby formula as well as flowers from the plant sale this weekend. William and I stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up staples, and made a quick pit stop at McDonald's for some fries. I ordered the large fry, which is about 1/3 of total daily caloric intake. William had a medium fry, and commented that I had the most cost-effective purchase of calories. We enjoyed pasta carbonara, prepared by Marissa.
After dinner, we walked to the park so that William and Marissa could vote in the primary. Beatrice accompanied William in her baby carrier. We returned home, where my hosts quickly tired out and I took leave on the warm 80+ Fahrenheit day.
Labels: Beatrice, family, weather
Identity Theft II
Yesterday I met with Tim, who is an information security professional who had some ideas for my listening audience at Radio Information Service. I will be interviewing him for my show at RIS, and he will be a guest for two shows: One on Internet Security for the Blind, and another show which will feature case studies of breaches of secure information. He is obviously passionately interested in empowering individuals to keep their personal information secure. I look forward to interviewing him for two mid-summer shows and to sharing his expertise with my listening audience.
~~
This week I joined Joe and Tina for breakfast at Camille's. We discussed a wide variety of topics, including whom to interview regarding Internet Security for the Blind. They recommended Bill N., who subsequently agreed to be interviewed. I am happy that I've got some great people for those two shows in mid-June.
Labels: friends, personal finance, RIS
Flowers and Cookies
Flowers and cookies were the theme of Saturday night and Sunday for a Choir Mother's Day plant and bake sale. I helped out with the plant sale for Mother's Day: Boston ferns, calibrachoa (million bells), three varieties of impatiens, and fuschia. Our committee had selected several colors of each plant, and I had made up (with Jess's help) trifold posters of the flowers for the various entrances at Church.
After noon Mass on Sunday William, Marissa, and La Filipiniana (a.k.a. William's Sweet Basil) went to A restaurant for lunch, the young lady danced in her baby carrier during the meal, and Marissa enjoyed Pop Rocks ice cream afterwards.
Labels: Beatrice, Choir, family, Ireland
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra--Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
After a delicious dinner at Ali Baba's, Judi and I enjoyed an evening at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, with Yan Pascal Tortelier conducting, and the PSO playing Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye, Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra, and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.3, with Garrick Ohlsson at piano. We saw Sara before the concert. We discussed how diverse the program was at intermission: The Mother Goose Suite was gentle, and Lutoslawski's piece reflected the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II. Ohlsson was agile at the piano forte, giving the virtuosic piece its due measure. He played Chopin (Op. 64, No. 2) as an encore to the standing-ovation audience, familiar to classical ballet students for floor exercises. Pittsburgh was pleased with the program.
Labels: PSO, Rachmaninoff
A relaxing day
After morning Mass yesterday I met up with Jen and Bri for breakfast at Pamela's diner. We enjoyed plates of crepe/pancakes drenched in syrup, scrambled eggs with Lyonnaise potatoes and toast. Then for a walk to the copy shop for the GraceMeister to "make copies." They took care of some telephone business while we made our way to the tent at Schenley Plaza, where Brian enjoyed his lunch before his appointment and we all enjoyed the music of Brad Yoder. Jen and I organized some of my space, where I revealed the REAL reason I don't have a husband--there is NO SPACE for him anywhere in my suite! We then met up Brian after his appointment, which went well. I saw them off at the bus stop.
Labels: friends, list, Mass, Pittsburgh
Monday Blues
This Monday Marissa called me through her gastric funk. I hurried over, and while she recuperated; Beatrice and I had a couple of bottles of formula, rice cereal, played in her baby gym, and hung out on the porch (where we had an opportunity to greet the mailman). Some real quality time with the "B3."
Labels: Beatrice
Pittsburgh Wellesley Club VP
This past week we revealed this year's board of the general Pittsburgh Wellesley Club to the general membership. My friends Kelly and Natalie are serving alongside me; this is my first year serving as Veep.
I met this noon to lunch with Kelly and to gel the newsletter content. I found out that she competed as an Irish stepdancer into her early 20's!
What little we know of our friends until we scratch the surface!
Labels: philosophical, Pittsburgh, Wellesley
Miranda's School
Miranda's farm school, which I visited last June, has been written up by the Palo Alto News as an alternative magnet school. I personally enjoyed my visit to the school, which has each class maintaining their own plot, in addition to the laying hens and goats. It's the only farm school I know of in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I'm sure William is interested in the educational philosophy angle of the school.
Labels: children, school
Altar Boyz
Yep, after dinner at the Oyster House (during the one-day ban on smoking in restaurants), William and I went last night to see Altar Boyz at the Byham Theater, Pittsburgh. Matthew (Mitch Dean), Mark (Ryan J. Ratliff), Luke (Jesse JP Johnson), and Juan (Jay Garcia) and Abraham (Ryan Strand) were the Altar Boyz. The premise of this boy band was that they met as altar boys and their friend when they created their first song. LIsa P. had raved about the show, and the clean mix of cultural, religious, and musical influences was fun to listen to and to watch. An audience member was led onstage and serenaded as one of the Boyz's love interest. The theater was full to the gallery, and the Pittsburgh (i.e., mostly Catholic) audience greatly appreciated the songs, choreography, and antics of the Boyz. What a great way to end our subscription to the Pittsburgh Broadway season.
Labels: Broadway, Church
