f (L) = 1 / f (B)

I theorize that fun in my life is inversely proportional to fun on my blog. Which is to say the reason I haven't been blogging is that too much was going on, and that's the reason I won't be blogging at all for the next eight days, and heck, blogging will probably be very sparse for a while after that too. You might as well just forget the address of this place. :P

But first, O my family, friends, and strangers, here's a brief summary of what's been happening!

After Corpus Christi I went on a four-day Come and See retreat with Carmelite sisters in Alhambra. What a good time that was, in more ways than one. I really ought to blog it.

Then there was a gathering to go to which involved a cake that was decorated with this picture of the Pope. Now that's how you know it's a good party.

I had a job interview which came of posting my resume online, but I don't think the position will work out. (They don't know the source of the human placentas from which they'd want me to extract DNA, and I'd need to be sure none of them come from abortions-- did you know there's trafficking in baby body parts in this country? It's the bottom story.)

Then an indicator light in my car threatened me by turning on, so I bribed it $400 to turn off. (A skilled mechanic who did actual stuff to the engine was involved at some point.)

Then I had my last catechism class of the year. Dear fifth-graders of mine, you taught me to pray more fervently than before. For the inadequacy of my own attempts to instill knowledge and foster devotion in your little hearts caused me to beg all the more of God Himself to keep you in His arms as you grow and face all the stupid stuff this messed-up world will be pushing on you!

Then the thirtieth anniversary of the day of my birth approached (note how smoothly I avoid the phrase "30 years old") and I began to hear from various friends and family who all made much of me. If any of you are reading this, thank you so much for the calls/cards/movie/dinner/concert/tea/presents/Masses said for me. You made me feel loved, and I am blessed by each and every one of you who count me as a friend!

Early tomorrow (Monday) I begin an eight-day silent retreat based on the exercises of St. Ignatius, which I briefly blogged about once before. Here's a friend of mine blogging more extensively on last year's version of the same retreat. Mine will be just like this except that we'll do the Hours and Rosary by ourselves, the reason being that former retreatants found that meeting at set times to do those things interrupted their meditations just when they were getting good. I'm really looking forward to the retreat. Really really. I need a good long time with God.

When I get back I'll be moving into an apartment with a friend of mine. I'm glad this worked out for us, though I'll have to buy lots of stuff first. I've been renting rooms in others' houses, and now I'll need my own furniture.

Then I'll be off to Yosemite, one of my family's favorite places in the world, for a much-too-short trip. My cousin will be getting married on Glacier Point with a dinner the night before at the Wawona Hotel, and a reception after the wedding at the Ahwahnee Hotel. When we were younger, I used to envision doing that myself, and I discussed it with my sister and girl cousins, but it turns out it's one of my male cousins who's going to live the dream. He and his fiancee will be married by a great-uncle of ours who was a missionary doctor for many years and saw wild times in Cambodia. By "wild times" I mean he and my great-aunt built a hospital to serve the impoverished population, and then had to flee in the 1970's to escape the Khmer Rogue, and then returned after the massacre of a third of the population to find that their hospital had been used as a torture facility, and then got right back to work. I wish I knew these awesome relatives of mine better, but they live on the opposite coast so I rarely see them.

And that takes us almost to the end of June. Pray for me, dear reader, and may you have a wonderful month!