one year and one week removed

It was one year and one week ago that I said good-bye to my family and friends and drove my little car, with all the possessions it could hold, across four states to what would become my new life.  I had no idea what lay before me, though I did have a few hopes and expectations.  Some of those hopes came to fruition much sooner than I anticipated, and while momentous they were also a bit anticlimactic.  A few expectations surprised me by shifting and adapting as I settled into the east coast lifestyle.  It has been quite a journey.

I just want to thank those who helped make my first year in New York incredibly wonderful:

The Temple Family (for their generosity and hospitality)

The Mastriano Family (I never would have survived without my beloved East Coast Family!)

Christopher Temple (for his expert “surviving the City” advice)

Michelle Kafel (my first NYC friend – click!)

Larisa Baron Amaya (a little Grand Rapids in the Big Apple)

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company (esp. Andrea Lujan & Lucy Ledezma Shiba)

The Plaza Family (I went from one great work family to another!)

Jeff Smith, Eric Wertenan, Tim Lykins (It’s nice knowing other Michiganders in the City.)

Fr. Agustino Torres (for his fueling the fire of my love for the arts)

Amparo Garcia (God had great timing for finding me a home and a fabulous roommate.)

The Schlegel Family (for welcoming me with open arms)

Fr. Geno Sylva (for his enthusiastic support)

The St. Paul Inside The Walls Family

The Quadrille Family

All my family and friends (for supporting me from home with phone calls and emails)

and most especially…

Karl Schlegel (for sweeping me off my feet)

guess who’s going to a ball?

Me!  That’s who!  Well, Karl will be there too.  Read here for more.

the joy of books and other tid-bits

Here are a couple of things on my mind today:

1. Lindsay of Young Married Mom told me about this video over the weekend.  ”You will love it!” she said.  Well, she was right – I do love it!  It makes me smile.  I hope it does the same for you:

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2. I read this story on Creative Minority Report this morning and then Rosario posted the link on Facebook.  It is the heartbreaking story of parents who were seeking a transplant for their beautiful daughter Amelia but were denied due to her being developmentally disabled.  The mother’s post ignited a fire of rage among the special needs community.  Read about the amazing support Amelia and her family have received.

This struck a chord with me as I immediately thought of Sam, who has Hallermann-Streiff Syndrome and his devoted family and everything they have fought for with regards to Sam’s care.

With the handsome Samuel

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3.  The Licensed Fool from On With The Motley posted about the Kindle Cloud Reader PC/Mac, which allows you to download books to be read on your laptop or PC.  There are a bunch of books available for free!  I don’t want to get a Kindle because I love books (see #1), but at least I can have access to some stories that aren’t easily found in book form.  My new library is stocked with books I’ve been aching to read by Elizabeth Gaskell, Baroness Orczy, Rafael Sabatini, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Alexandre Dumas, G.K. Chesterton, and many more!  I’m so excited I don’t know where to start!

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4. Speaking of vocations (The Licensed Fool is discerning his vocation – pray for him and all others in discernment), have you checked on the progress of this blog’s favorite seminarians recently?  My brother and his class are still on their pilgrimage in the Holy Land.  A different seminarian writes a reflection of their experiences each day.  The posts aren’t very long, but they are inspiring!  Check out their blog for your daily dose of inspiration.

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5. Speaking of inspiring men, here is another video that has been making the rounds:

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That’s all.

adventures of c & k: grand rapids jam session

While on our Christmas Holiday Tour, there were several opportunities for Karl to play his violin, which made our trip seem more tour-like.  These moments usually consisted of Karl delighting everyone with his expansive repertoire, but when we visited my beautiful and talented friend Amanda and her family, it was quickly determined that a jam session was in order.  Here is a video of what was produced in Amanda and David’s basement:

adventures of c & k: lost in cleveland

I don’t get lost.  I might get turned around, but I am almost never* lost.  My sense of direction is impeccable – it’s a blessing and a curse, really.  I can’t blame tardiness on getting lost because every one knows that doesn’t happen to me; I just run late.  But that is beside the point. The point is I have a super-human gift.  I can follow directions with great ease.  And if they are vague directions that need a little help – I can handle that too.  Just give me a map and it’s all good.

But Karl and I got lost on our way home from the Christmas Holiday Tour.  I don’t know what happened, but we somehow found ourselves in Cleveland.  Not sure where to go, we asked our patron St. Anthony to help us find our way, and he led us to the steps of St. Andrew’s Abbey.  Since we were there, I figured we might as well inquire after Br. Paul, even though he’s technically not supposed to have visitors for another six months.  Br. Paul’s superiors made an exception and allowed him to visit with us for a short time.

Ok, so Karl and I didn’t really get lost.  Br. Paul mentioned in an email that if we happened to “get lost on the way home and find ourselves at the abbey,” his novice master gave him permission to us, and then Br. Paul gave me directions.  I hadn’t seen my dear cousin in over a year, and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass us by.  I was determined, for the first time in my life, to get lost in Cleveland.

I was so excited to see Br. Paul in his habit for the first time and to actually call him by his new name in person and to introduce him to Karl.  When Br. Paul came through the parlor doors, my excitement and joy came out in tears.

Our visit was short, but well worth the detour.  Br. Paul showed us around the abbey and shared about his life inside its walls.  We talked and laughed as if no time had passed since our last meeting, and yet so much has happened to both of us since our last meeting.  Br. Paul entered the monastery one year ago, and I moved east a week or so later.  We spoke often before he entered about how our journeys paralleled each other.  The year had changed us significantly but we are closer than ever, my cousin and me.

I was ever-so-grateful to Br. Paul’s novice master for allowing him to see us and even more grateful that Karl was up for an adventure that required getting lost in a snowstorm.

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*Almost never takes into account those two very rare times I was legitimately lost and allows for possibility for future anomalies.

i couldn’t have said it any better

I wanted to comment on the latest YouTube sensation that has been shared all over Facebook regarding faith, love and hate.  But there are a couple of great commentaries already out there, so I’ll just quote and link to them since I couldn’t have said it any better myself. 

Marcel from Aggie Catholics and Marc Barnes from Bad Catholic both mention that there are good aspects of the video “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” (video can be viewed on the above mentioned blogs).  Marcel begins with a list of excellent points expressed in the video and Marc says, …in all seriousness, the last part of the video is awesome. It’s a darn good explanation of how Christ died for our sins, how we are saved not by our own merits, but by his Grace.  Still there are several issues with specific points that are made.  I will refer you to their posts for further exploration of these concerns: Marcel – Does Jesus Hate Religion? Should You? and Marc - Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus – The Smackdown. 

These are both excellent reads, so please check them out.  Below are a few sample quotes of what you will find:

Marcel: I can’t see how Jesus would hate a set of beliefs, a moral code or ritual observances, when he came to teach us these things. The sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, the parables, etc. all teach us these things. So, Jesus certainly doesn’t hate them.

Marcel: “Jesus certainly didn’t come to “abolish religion”. You might say he came to complete it, purify it, raise it up, etc. He certainly didn’t want to do away with it. You might remember Jesus saying “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.” -Matt 5:17″

Marc: “Why is it that following Christ while disdaining religion leads to the direct contradiction of Christ’s teachings? It’s a silliness of modern Christianity, to love Christ partially — “Ah yes, he saved me, died for me, opened the gates of Heaven for me, and I accept him as my personal Lord and Savior, but not what he said about that whole no divorce thing. That was just whack and unloving.”

And my favorite, which explains why I decided to share this information on my blog:

Marc: When a man gains immense popularity by making blanket statements stylistically, how likely is it that his followers will read a rebuttal making specific statements prosaically? I don’t know, but rebut I must, for it is the duty of the Catholic to resist fashion and fads, no matter how unfashionable he looks doing it.

waves at the beach 2012-ish

Waves at the Beach – a Schwartz Sister Tradition!  The 2012 edition of Waves at the Beach actually took place a couple of days before the year officially began, but being that it is our special tradition we can bend the rules as we see fit.  And we saw fit to stop by Lake Michigan while I was still in town in hopes that all four sisters would be able to participate in the annual tribute for the first time in its five year history.  Alas, Rita was not able to make it.

We also bent the rules in regards to location.  Instead of going to Grand Haven Beach as we have in years past, we went to Ludington since it is close to the cabin.  The 2012-ish edition was the shortest visit to the winter beach, but we still waved Grandma-style along the shore, hoping and praying she could see our greeting in heaven.

This March will mark the ninth year without our beloved Grandma Schwartz, but her memory is never far from our hearts.

Waves at the Beach - 2012 edition

The 2012 Wavers

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Read the history behind this annual tribute here: Waves At The Beach

Read about last year’s edition here: Waves At The Beach 2011

adventures of c & k: the amazing tour itinerary

I was amazed at how much we were able to squeeze into our itinerary for the Christmas Holiday Tour.  There is a delicate balance of utilizing every available minute in order to see as many people as possible while still allowing for sufficient quality time with each visit.  I’d have to say that Karl and I were pretty successful in this area.  We had a great time going from home to home, enjoying the hospitality of my dear friends. 

As you can see by the photos below, most of our tour stops included the joy and laughter of children.  It was great seeing those little familiar faces, ever-so-slightly older than they were six months ago.  They added a fantastic dimension of energy and excitement to our time in Michigan.  We enjoyed their parents’ company and conversation as well, but seriously – my friends have the best kids ever!

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adventures of c & k: g.r. eateries – part II

The only other local restaurant I included in our itinerary was Big O’ Cafe, in downtown Grand Rapids.  I frequented Big O’ when I worked up the street at the law firm.  It became one of my favorite places to eat out, though I sometimes picked up my favorite meal to go – Oil and Garlic Spaghetti with Poached Salmon and Spinach (the latter being my own delicious addition).  I crave the above mentioned dish way more often than I crave Yesterdog, so there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to eat there.  Plus I like supporting local businesses, especially when I know who I’m supporting.

There was no way Karl and I would be able to see all of my Grand Rapids friends with our limited schedule, so I invited them to join us at Big O’.  I knew not everyone would be able to come, but we had a decent turnout.  Bernie, the owner of Big O’ was a gracious host as always in accommodating our large party.  Although our acquaintanceship doesn’t go way back, it does go back a few years, so he was glad I stopped in to say hello.

I unfortunately didn’t take photos of all who came because I was distracted by the cutest member of our party: my goddaughter, Lucia.  Still, the food was amazing (esp. our dessert) and the conversation was fascinating.  Here are a few photos of our evening at Big O’ Cafe:

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Note: If any of you Grand Rapidians stop by Big O’ Cafe for one of their delicious Italian meals or their incredible pizza, please tell Bernie that I said hi.

adventures of c & k: for the love of wine

Karl and I both have a deep appreciation for good wine.  Naturally, I had to introduce him to my favorite vintner, and Grandpa was more than willing to pop open a bottle of his newest Merlot shortly after we arrived.  Plus he was really excited to show off his new toy: a wine aerator.

Oh man!  That grandpa of mine sure knows how to make a good merlot!  I didn’t think the aerator would make that much of a difference, but it did!   

I wish we had three extra days to spend with Grandpa and his wine cellar.  One evening is not enough time to sample the variety of his private reserve, but more importantly one evening is not nearly enough time to enjoy Grandpa’s stories, wit, wisdom, laughter and life.

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Bonus:  Here’s another photo of me and Karl enjoying some wine, though we usually prefer it in glasses not in unopened bottles. 

Wait… Whose fault?