This was a comment

I made on anther blog. But I liked it so much I thought I would share it with you:

Halloween is not celebrating witches and demons (at least that's not how we do it here). It is All Hallows Eve-it is the eve of All Saints Day. I think that people focus on death because dying is how we become saints. You can't be a saint unless you die.

And that is scary--to everyone. So we dress up in death, and focus on spooky things (the changing of season seasons and the shortening of the day helps, too).

There is nothing demonic about death. In fact, Satan wants you to never think about death. But it is a fact that most folks who because saints, thought about their end a lot. Monks dig graves right outisde their from doors to remind themselves of this end. Satan would be happy if you never considered death--because then you would never really repent anything.

So we dress up and laugh, yes laugh at death--because it is terrifying. We laugh at death and say, "Christ has defeated you, Evil Scary Stuff, so we need not fear you. We cannot escape death, but we don't have to be afraid of it. Would you like a snikers?"

All Hallows Eve allows us to face our fear of the dark--and find out where it is sweet.

orange revolution

Although I do not vote for one side or the other in the politics, I cannot help but be in touch with current events. I feel a responsibility as a citizen of the world to try to understand what is happening. Most of the time I just feel this ache in my heart.
The attempted Orange Revolution in Burma reminds me of something Thomas Merton wrote in his journal, "Christ is where men are beaten and starved."

So I sit here, and watch these events unfold across the world as a stage, and I am usually left disheartened or muttering. I try to teach my children how to be have, and to be a moral agent in the world, only to turn on the radio ad hear about all of these powerful adults across cultures and timezones behaving like... selfish, evil, petty-- what is the word? I almost wrote animals, but that doesn't quite cast the image properly.

So although I listen to the events of the world, and try to make sense of them, I do not know where to begin to write about them. It mostly makes me sad.
And so I will end with a quote by Léon Bloy, hugely admired soul:

Man has places in his heart which do not yet exist, and into them he enters suffering in order that they may have existence.

Weed, Portland, Seattle, Portland, Weed

Our adventure to Portland and Seattle to see the lovely Ms. Goodwin wed Mr. Mike and become Mrs. and Mr. was grand. It was good to connect with all the peeps and figure out how to move closer to y'all.

But I just can't get the library in Seattle out of my mind. Wow.


This library has an entire theater just for children's stuff. And the books! The dood who was in ob designing the San Francisco public library though that books, physical books, would be replaced by digital media.

But libraries are even today more important because of they are full of books--one can browse and ready freely (without a credit card or social security number), in the face of all the other avenues of media (all of this digital stuff). Because no matter what, nothing will ever be as cool as a lovely book in the lap.

So I've just been meditating on the importance of free information, and youth services that have lots of books and good, natural lighting. I've also been reading this work, which makes me paranoid and also want to strive to protect culture even more.

I sent it all in

I had such fun mailing in my transcripts to SJSU yesterday. They were received at 4:27am today (thank you www.usps.com ). Now I wait...

And seek out daycare for 2 kids. Which is really difficult [for me]. I've decided that they have to go to the same place and that money is no object. I find a school I like that will take both kids, and then I discover that there is a 9 month waiting list. Fun.

I think I can wait though because I can perhaps get Mr. Bibliotecaria to watch the little ones on the few days I have to commute to school and do the work before/after the kids sleep. Coffee is my friend. Then there is summer...

And then I'll be ready for internship, or whatever adult endeavors my life brings me. I am terrified.

I think, what if there is a huge earthquake--how will I protect my children... and the list goes on and on... I guess it doesn't help that oldest son has had special drills for when the 'bad people' come to school, where they all have to hide in the cloakroom... life in the era of school shootings is .... I'm having trouble finding a different adjective other than terrifying.

So now I'll fill out the application for my kids' preschool. Which will, incidentally, cost a lot more than my M.L.I.S. program.