7 Quick Takes, Volume 13

— 1 —

The day is almost upon us! Tomorrow I plan to complete the Hartford Half-Marathon for the 7th time. Every year that goes by I get a little busier and train a little less, and feel less and less prepared going into the race. The great thing about a half-marathon, as opposed to a longer race, is that in a few hours it’s over, whether it goes well or not. It has become a nice tradition to go to this race with my mother, so I don’t want to quit doing it. Also, this time last year I put one of those 13.1 stickers on my car, so I feel like I have to run at least one a year to keep me honest.— 2 —

I have written at length about the profound effects that running has had on me. Just click on the “running” link in the category list for more on that. What is stuck in my mind today is the delightful frivolousness of running. When the race ends I will be utterly exhausted and utterly satisfied. In the eyes of the world I will have accomplished nothing, and something at the same time.

— 3 —

Yesterday I made yet another demo recording of some opera and oratorio arias. I haven’t decided yet which of the pieces I will make public, but I’ll be sure to direct you to the audio page of my website when they’re up.

— 4 —

There’s a popular promotion going on right now about reading the Catechism for the Year of Faith (at least I think that’s what it’s for. Correct me if I’m wrong.) Not that there is anything wrong with the Catechism, but that doesn’t sound thrilling to me. I find the Catechism quite fascinating and remember scrutinizing it when the new one was first promulgated, but if you had asked me how to promote faith, or what I would encourage other Catholics to do, that would have been near the bottom of my list. Hey, if that’s your thing, go for it.

— 5 —

Like any good anxious Italian, I ground my teeth a lot in my early adulthood and had one of those alluring bite guards to wear overnight. A few years ago, after not having needed it for years and watching it collect dust (picture something that goes in your mouth collecting dust) I got rid of it. Lo and behold, I’ve started grinding my teeth again.

— 6 —

This week’s farm share was THE BOMB. I made a fantastic butternut squash soup, have had kale in my smoothies, and have lots of sweet potatoes that I’m looking forward to using. I have to decide if I want to continue through the winter. It’s still a big commitment and I worry about the food I can’t get through.

— 7 —

Which brings me back to the half-marathon. The Hartford Half has some of the best food I’ve ever had at a race. Maybe instead of deep insights about my soul brought on by the race, on Monday I’ll just post about the food.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!