Secret birthday gifts, the finches go to the Oscars, and a butter bunny (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

My niece Elise will turn 15 this week, so I’ve been assembling a package to ship to her in time for her birthday. I wish I could tell you what I’m sending, but she’s an enthusiastic 7 Quick Takes reader, so I’ll have to fill you in later. But I will tell you I sent something sweet, something small and cuddly, something creative, something to read, and something llama-themed.

Isn’t giving gifts so much fun? It brings me so much joy.

~2~

My sister Shaileen had a birthday this weekend, and at first, I wasn’t sure what we could give her. Then I remembered that she seemed happy when I gave her tiny pasta once before. So, I filled a gift bag with boxes of pastina and chamomile tea and a fun blank book and a pretty umbrella that’s designed like a flower and closes inside-out.

I wonder what I gave Shai for her 15^th birthday. It might have been something similar to what I sent our niece, likely something to read and maybe something cuddly. Fifteen is such a terrific age.

~3~

I don’t typically watch the Academy Awards because I see so few movies, but my friend Christina goes to volunteer and takes such fun photos there—and then posts them to Instagram. She is back at the Oscars this year, after a pandemic hiatus, and I was excited for her to have that experience.

I decided that, just for fun, I would send the finches to the Oscars on their Instagram feed and add red carpet stickers to their photos. If you can’t be a little whimsical, what’s the point of Instagram?

The finches themselves wouldn’t care for the Oscars because they don’t like anything new, though they are supposed to like red. Still, I had a good time, and they didn’t even have to leave their cages.

~4~

Every morning we pull a name out of our Lenten prayer basket, and it always feels like a bit of an unveiling. This week, on the anniversary of the day we were matched to adopt our son, he pulled out the slip of paper to pray for the people at his orphanage in China. The fact that he picked that, by chance, on that day made me smile. God has a magnificent and wondrous plan that is so vast, but He is so very much in the details, too.

~5~

Earlier this week, I had the honor to serve on a panel of women speaking about working in Jesuit higher education during our Loyola’s Mission Week. I had been thinking about what I would say for a while, but I hadn’t been able to prepare as much as I wanted to. Still, the Holy Spirit truly showed up and inspired this amazing discussion. I learned so much from my fellow panelists.

Speaking in public is not something I seek out, but sometimes it’s clear to me that I should say, “Yes,” and it made sense to me that the panel happened during the week of the Feast of the Annunciation when we celebrate such an extraordinary “Yes” that changed history.

~6~

Back when John and I were first getting to know each other, many of our dates were day trips to used bookstores. Last weekend, when we drove to visit my father-in-law on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we decided to make a side trip to the Unicorn Bookshop in Trappe, Maryland. We hadn’t been there in so long—at least 13 years because I know we hadn’t gone since we have become parents. It brought back so many memories.

There aren’t nearly as many used bookstores these days. I just love spending time in rooms lined with bookshelves.

~7~

Spring can start anytime now. We had some lovely, warmer days, but now I’m back to wearing sweaters and my winter coat. On Saturday, we even had hail. I am so ready for spring! But we can be confident that spring is coming, just as we know that Easter is coming. The forsythia is still blooming even though it feels more like November than the end of March.

I have my eye on warmer weather, April, and Easter. I was so happy to find a butter bunny this week. He’s tucked safely away in the refrigerator.

It’s important to remember what this journey is leading us toward. I hope these last few weeks of Lent are good ones for you. And if you’re the kind of person who wants a butter bunny, I hope you find one soon.

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