• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

Cicada fun, fashion questions, baby bunnies, and more (7 Quick Takes)

May 15, 2021
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Cicadas, Commentary, Open Window

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

~1~

I’ve been joking that I wanted to find a cicada swatter to add to my flyswatter collection during the visit from Brood X. I haven’t seen one yet. But our friends Nick and Quinn stopped by this morning to deliver cupcakes with candy cicadas and flyswatters on them.

The cupcakes are from Cake, which makes incredible cupcakes, so I would have been excited enough about that alone. But the swatters on top had me absolutely giddy. Apparently, the cupcakes were only available for one day with advance orders. I’m thrilled. They’re the icing on the cake of a historic cicada visit that is just barely starting.

~2~

We know the cicadas are coming, but we haven’t seen any yet in our yard. I’ve offered each of our boys $5 for the first cicada or cicada shell they find. I don’t know how soon they’ll find one, but it won’t be for lack of trying.

~3~

I got new glasses this week! I didn’t need a new prescription, though I know it’s coming since I’ll be 45 this summer, and I’ve had glasses for 40 years.

“They make you look like a librarian,” my younger son told me.

“Thank you!” I said.

He seemed confused. Apparently, it wasn’t really meant as a compliment. But it worked for me.

It reminded me of the scene in The Office where Pam is wearing glasses and Kevin asks her to say, “These are due back Thursday.”

~4~

When you are temporarily removing your mask, do you take it off, push it down to your chin, or dangle it from your ear? I hate the feel of it on my chin, so I always dangle it from my ear, but I don’t see many people doing that. It makes me wonder whether not everyone’s ears are designed to hold a mask well.

These aren’t the questions that keep me up at night, but I do wonder.

~5~

We seem to have a family of rabbits living under our deck.

The baby bunnies are growing quickly, and they are starting to get more independent and adventure out into the yard on their own. I’m hoping the hawks and cats stay away so they will survive and thrive. We’ve been keeping an eye out for the cats that are stalking the deck, but I am not going to be faster than a hawk.

But I love seeing the bunnies around the yard. Spring is such a beautiful time of year.

~6~

I’ve been working remotely since March of last year, but every now and then I get to see colleagues in person—and it’s always so much fun. I saw one on a trip to M&T Bank Stadium earlier this week as we’re preparing for our Commencement ceremony, and I saw another for a meeting on my deck yesterday afternoon.

Zoom is wonderful, and I’m grateful that it exists. It’s made so much possible over the past 15 months. And, in many ways, it’s more efficient than meeting in person. But nothing beats sitting in the sunshine and having a real in-person conversation while the birds fly by and the baby bunnies explore the yard.

I’m looking forward to seeing people in real life this spring and summer.

~7~

We celebrated Mother’s Day with a day off from cooking for me and a trip to pick out a hanging basket. That has become our annual Mother’s Day tradition, and it works well for us. It requires a simple, achievable family outing, and we end up with a hanging basket we’ll enjoy all summer.

Last year a couple of house wrens moved in and raised a family of babies in our hanging basket. That may have indirectly led to our acquiring finches.

This year, I’m hoping the basket leads to nothing in particular but a summer enjoying a beautiful basket.

Find more quick takes on Kelly’s blog, This Ain’t the Lyceum, and enjoy a beautiful weekend!

Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Rita Buettner

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Images of Mary: Can we find the Blessed Mother in the Old Testament?

How public opinion can influence migration policies

Reckoning with empire: A Catholic critique of American foreign policy in a nuclear age

Wide shot of a sunrise on the beach, with a figure standing toward the left watching the light come into the sky

We’re at the beach. Let’s go see the sunrise

The ‘both/and’ pope

| Recent Local News |

Gun buyback exceeds expectations, previous totals

Radio Interview: The situation in Gaza with Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Patrick Brice sentenced to home detention for attacks on elderly pro-life supporters

Notre Dame of Maryland University joins with Milwaukee college to address teacher shortage

Sister Agnese Neumann dies at 95

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • For Gazans, the deep silence of hunger has replaced noise of daily life
  • Hope is knowing God is always ready to forgive, pope says at audience
  • Images of Mary: Can we find the Blessed Mother in the Old Testament?
  • Report: Christian church attacks down, but recent totals still higher than 2018-2022
  • How public opinion can influence migration policies
  • Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon
  • Petition filed at Supreme Court seeks overturn of landmark same-sex marriage ruling
  • Head of Spanish political party criticizes Catholic Church’s defense of Muslim community
  • At 80th anniversary Mass in Nagasaki, people urged to bring Christ’s love, peace to world

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en