St. Dominic pray for me

Today was my interview for my first promises (used to be called vows) for the Lay Dominican St. Catherine of Siena Chapter. I have been waiting for this moment for a long while and cannot wait for December to roll around.

These interviews are really a great reflection for me. Not only to I let them know how being a part of the Dominican Family has a great influence on me, but in turn I learn what they have seen in me with their own observations. One of the major things I have learned within the Dominican family is a great joy in loving the Lord through all trials in my life and the most important apostolic work is those that deal with family.

Speaking about family just a few moments ago I called my Granny and she informed me on the condition of my Great-Uncle, who was sent back to the hospital, they found he has an infection and he is being cared for. I am really at a lost with this, but ask for many prayers for him and the family. Guess I need to find a way up there to the hospital in the few days before I leave for Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Why to Ann Arbor, Michigan? For the great reason that there professions of first and final vows for the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist (Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist ). I know the Sisters who are going to be professing their first vows. It is so exciting to experience their vows. I know they will be happy to see not only me, but Camille as well.

Anyways, back to today so after my interview, my dear friend and sister in the Lay Dominicans, Emily took me to lunch at a new place called Milestone 229 and what a place. It has a great selection of food, wonderful service and a nice view of the new park that has a water fountains that you can walk through and get wet. It would be fun if I wasn't going to be going anywhere else. :) The prices for this place were actually reasonable and nice servings too. We got a desert and on my word, what a cake. We got a LARGE slice (see below this paragraph) and small jug of milk. Emily and I agree it is for four people to eat, not two. We had left overs of the cake and I had left overs from my pizza.

After lunch Emily and I went to the Saint Joseph's Catholic Bookstore that was going out of business and so there are many good sales. It is sad to see it leave, but sometimes little selection and not much word of mouth maybe the cause for its downfall because I know many still thought the bookstore was in the basement of the Cathedral. I got three Holy Cards and a Navy Military Cross for JR. I wish I had more money cause I would gotten more. So, where did we go next well, Emily wanted me to have an experience of a good book store.

She drove us to German Village to a book store called "The Book Loft" (The Book Loft). It is a bookstore that has thirty-six rooms (for it used to be an actually family home) with nothing, but all types of books. I would really recommend if anyone comes to Columbus, Ohio to please check this place out for not only do they have 5% off the book price (or more for some books), but it is just assorted and there are many odds and ends there too, like journals, bookmarks, puzzles, and games. I wanted to get a few books, but with no money (only what I need for dinner and movie tonight) I was unable to get them.

The books I wanted to purchase was a hard copy (no e-book) of "Just Like Heaven" by Julia Quinn, and then a few books by Georgette Heyer (1902-1974), who I can say sadly I did not know her name, but certainly I want to read her books. I wonder if the library has some of her books. Maybe, but still I would like to read her books and even better I did not know how long ago her books were written.

Well that is all. God Bless.

Nikita 

How long has it been.

I think it has been far too long since my last entry, but there were reasons and just every time I felt the urge to write the entry, I would lose the words and unable to think how to explain what was going on. I mean I started six entries and deleted them all. It was just a difficult time for me, and my family really.

So, question is, what happened in those two months that caused the hiatus with writing? Well, on May 13th was going to his doctor's appointment and the doctor told him to go to the hospital because there should no reason for him to this sick. So that day my uncle was take to the hospital ER.

To put a long story short, my uncle is really bad off his bowel has explored and he was so low in nutrition he bad was shutting down. So, for the past two months he went from SICU to specialty wing to a nursing home. There are many details I am refusing to post on here because I do not have permission from my uncle and since we feel there is a Mal-practice the less amount of information posted online the better.

The worst part of it was watching him go through all this, and watching my great-grandmother cry constantly because she could nothing to be by her son as much as she wanted.

There were conflicts with his "friends" and us the family, which never helped Granny or I emotionally or mentally. I do thank God for helping me through those points of this whole event, because I really do believe I could never do this alone.

A lot of prayers were done and I think my uncle and Granny were glad I was the prayerful family member for I would pray the rosary when he was not conscience and would offer to call one of the priests I know to do the anointing the sick and help the family with prayers.

Though there are many in my family who thought I was believing he was dying, that is not true, that is not the point, but I can say that my uncle might get baptized because he wants to, but is afraid at the same time. I understand and I told him that I will do whatever he wishes, and pray for him. He cries a lot around me because I stick with him and stay all day with him (except today he wanted me to spend the day at the fair and be myself) and never gave up on him.

There were other tragedies in my life, a little two year old that I prayed for passed away July 11th, 2011. Lucas Benjamin Gibney was a little boy who I old met once, but I knew about him after he was born. He has many medical problems and his grandfather (friend of my uncle's) explained to me that the doctors really did not think he would last a year. He stuck around smiling, laughing, and learning to crawl and talk. He went through transplant surgery to only have those organs be rejected and then he got ill.

But, the most interesting thing was the day before they were going to take him off the support, he went on his own. He is now with Jesus and Mary, but what life he lived and I am ever happy to know he was alive and given us a chance to meet this happy boy, I called "Baby Luke". Obituary of Baby Luke's

These past few months I have got to do other things that had a happy note to them. I went hiking with Camille, my best friend and JR, my love and future husband. Camille and I went are own path trail and JR went his way. Camille and I got caught in the down pour rain, but it was worth it, I hiked close to ten miles that whole weekend, which was GREAT!

Another great thing was went to Cincinnati, Ohio to my anniversary with JR. It has been a tradition and I hope that every year we are able to go back. We went to the Hyde Park Blast (it is a block party with a bike race) and then the next day went to Mass at St. Gertrude's (that is where Fr. LaCasse, OP is pastor, he was my pastor at St. Patrick's) and then went to King's Island (which I LOVE riding THE BEAST, I am really my Daddy's girl). The best part of the whole weekend was being with JR.

Fourth of July events were different, because I was unable to go to my hometown fireworks (had to work) and that upset me, but I got to see them from the parking lot of my work. I did go to Red, White, and BOOM with JR, Camille, Sean (Camille's brother), Kiya, Triston, Amber, Jessica, Katelynn, Mom, Aunt Tina, Uncle Terry, and other family members. It was great, but hot as hell.

Speaking of heat, have I ever wrote how much I cannot stand summer heat? Well I do and when I was at the Franklin County Fair I was so unhappy for it was SO HOT! I mean it got up to 96 but felt like 100. I get sick, boy how sick I got afterwards, but I go to the fairs cause they are really one of the few things I would go to in the summer.

What else have I done, well I did finally experience the Summer Film Series by CAPA

Well, that should be it for now, I just wanted to write a summary of what went on. Hopefully I will be more detailed and hopefully I will write more often.

God Bless,
Nikita

20s Group: Bowling Night (Thursday)

On Thursday the dynamitic trio was back in action and how great it was to experience that again. JR, Camille, and I went to bowling alley that the 20s Group was meeting up at for our meeting (because the Bishop was at our parish for Confirmations, so literally the Bishop kicked us out, no kidding). We decided to go there early because we knew would not be able to stay after 9pm, so we got there around 5:44pm.


This bowling alley was great; they had a great deal where you can play for three hours plus rentals for $15 a person, which I consider a great bundle. We three decided that was a good choice for us. I need to let everyone know that I was never good at bowling, but knew how to bowl due to my grandparents who were in a bowling league at one time and so I remembered something of how to bowl well.

That night I shined for the first time because for three hours the three of us played six games and I got seven strikes and seven spares, which was pretty good for the girl who always got the gutter balls. I think possibly the best thing for me was the atmosphere between Camille, JR, and I. I had not felt like for awhile. I felt like laughing and having a good time and teasing more so then I have as well. I think both JR and Camille both noticed this.

The only thing bad was that even though I thought more of the 20s Group members would be there, there were only six of us that came. But, that is alright I guess because it gave me time to spend it with my godmother/best friend and fiancé/ best friend. JR did best both Camille and I in a combine six game score though and he had the least of strikes and spares.

Thinking way to much keeps you from sleeping, no joke

The last time I wrote I believe I wrote something to effect that I have an awful time trying to sleep because I think absolutely too much. Well here I am around 4:30am and I am still awake. There are just too many thoughts in my mind and I cannot get them to go away. So, I am going to listen to a friend’s advice and write them down.


The first thing that pops into my mind is something that happened in the past twelve hours. I was at work and I was checking out this customer who was holding her little son (who I think was at least three, maybe) and she mentioned something about how she was going to make sure her son will be the perfect gentlemen and etc.

But, what furthers my interest was she something about having him going to St. Andrew’s and teaching him the love of God. I said something that I have always said when I know someone is Catholic, “you never know he might one day want to devote himself totally to God and become a priest” and you should have seen the look on her face when I said that. “That is going too far,” she said, “I want grandkids.”

It was in that moment that a memory came back to me. “I always thought it was interesting that married Catholics would pray for vocations, but always at the end of their prayer they would say ‘just not my kids’” that was a quote by a Dominican Friar who I am admire quite well and that woman was that example.

It might sound cruel of me, but I find that woman very selfish. I would never do that to my children, for I want them to discern what God wishes them to do in His Church. I will not hinder their devotion to God under my selfish act of wanting grandchildren. I will not hinder the love that they wish to show unto Jesus and His Church because I want them always able to be with me.

That woman and young boy are going to be in my prayers.

Second thing, you all have heard the term, “sticks and stones may break my bones” right? Well I heard this saying randomly as I was walking home from work today around 12:30am. When I mediated on the words, I began to think how these words seem to reflect the martyrs. For was it not true that sticks, stones, fires, animals, scourges, gas chambers, gunshots, swords, and etc was what the martyrs endured for Truth that was Jesus Christ? How true that saying goes, that “sticks and stones may break my bones” but as the martyrs did they prayed for those who harm them, for “they do not know what they are doing”.

In my humble opinion if I wanted to say something about those who hate my faith, the teachings of the Church, or anything that is Truth I would say: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but never will that stop my prayers for you”.

Jesus had said, “To love thy neighbor” but also “to love thy enemies” how true would it not be that I should pray for those who would stab my faith, stomp on it and constantly scourge me, for they just do not know how they in the end are hurting themselves and they exposing their flaws, their sorrows, their anger, and I am not the one that is the problem it is their unhappiness. I must pray for them always, no matter how much they harm me.