What the heck are they doing????

Ok – so some days are better than others. This is one of those good days. It’s been raining like a car wash here today – heavy gushing rain, cleaning off the dust of way too many 90F degree days. Everything is clean and fresh and even the spiders outside my windows at work are happy they have nice clean webs to strut around in.

Simon and I have been making plans for his visit, plans for our wedding, plans for our life. So far we know we will have a tremendous amount of things to do when he is here in December. Visit with Fr. Liberty, visit with the reception location and do a tasting with the chef to choose our menu, go to the bridal place to order my dress, go to the tux place or suit store to decide what he will wear, to the stationary store to choose invitations…and somewhere in there we will spend some time with just us and with family and friends. He will be here for 18 days – not nearly enough for me, but once I’m there with him we will have the rest of our lives together.

Which brings me to the rest of our lives. There are many out there, very probably everyone, who think we are crazy or are rushing things, or are making poor decisions. We both can understand why, from the outside appearance of things, most people would think something like that.
Well – I’m here to tell you a little more about us and what this all means to us.

Simon and I met under very unorthodox circumstances, and continue our engagement in the same place. We didn’t meet in a bar, or at a restaurant, or the grocery store, or church. We didn’t meet through friends or at work or on a blind date. We met in a place where we were discussing topics related to the teachings and practices of our Faith. We all talk about stuff like politicians and Communion, Confession, the Saints, the homeless, and even what blood type did Christ have. It’s a lively place with over 7000 members. We laugh, talk, tease, get angry, and just generally have a good time. Oh – did I mention that this place only exists on a server someplace in the middle of the Internet? That’s where we met. That’s how I got to know him before I ever “spoke” to him for the first time. I got to see how he responded to discussions, what he had to say in general about things that are very important to me. Then, one year ago this week, I decided to drop him an email. And we have taken off from there.

How in the world can two people have a relationship when they are thousands of miles apart? Well – very carefully, thanks to technology. We are in constant communication with each other. What that means is that during the day we are sending messages to each other while we are working, in the evening we are on the phone for my drive home, and then we are on the computer talking over Skype to finish out our day and say good night. On the weekend we spend time on the webcam so we can see each other, and just see our smiles. No – we can’t go on dates, but we sometimes have “phone dates” where we will read to each other or listen to music, or on the computer shopping on eBay for stuff and sending links back and forth.

We talk about EVERYTHING! You name it – we have talked/laughed/argued about it!! Food, house keeping, children, going on vacations, grocery shopping, laundry, sex, family, our Faith, work, I could go on an on. We have known each other a year now, and I can guarantee you that we have talked about more things than most couples do in the first year of marriage. Ok – so what - you say. You still don’t “KNOW” each other. Not in the sense of day to day being together.

But think about this. Is the person you are with today the same person you met so many years ago? Did you know everything about that person when you married them? Will you ever know everything? Would you even want to? How boring that would be!!

No – we don’t have the benefit of starting our marriage with that knowledge most people have by spending time together, and living together would never be an option for us regardless of our circumstances. But those who start marriages with that benefit don’t have our advantage of being forced to communicate and REALLY getting to know each other that we have. Which way is better? Who knows. Personally I think they both have their pros and cons. Of course we would prefer to be together, but that’s not how things are for us, and so we are making the very best of our situation and growing as a couple along the way.

So, when you worry about us doing this crazy thing, and wondering what the hell has happened to Liza to make her do such a wild thing as leaving everything she has ever known, moving her entire life to another country and way of life, just remember…it’s not really that different than the leap anyone makes when they make that life changing decision to be married. Only the geography is different.

And so we plan. We continue to make our plans, change them, talk about them, and plan them over again. It’s all part of the growing together and preparing ourselves for a life together. Something we are both very much looking forward to.

~Liza

Plans, you just can't plan them

Good thing I didn't write this yesterday. It's not been easy for me to get to where I am right now. It was a very long (and hot) night of thinking about this and how I will choose to handle it. I was feeling very sorry for myself yesterday, still am a bit, but it's my nature to beat myself up from time to time. But Simon said so many things last night that make so much sense to me, and help to put this into perspective. We are indeed so very blessed in our lives. We have never known suffering or loss to any great extent. We have good jobs, we have homes, we have family and friends. We have each other. In spite of this set back, we still have each other. We will be together again, and eventually for the rest of our lives.

I have thought about whether or not all this is worth it. Is it really worth all the time, distance, money, stress, having to move away from home and family and country? Then I hear his voice. And I am reminded again why I love him so very much. And I realize that it's all worth it, he's worth it- and then some. "When love calls your name, there's no saying no, you follow your heart....to the ends of the earth."

Since I first met Simon, I've been very conscious about giving this whole thing up to God and letting Him handle it. I've managed to screw things up in the past, so I figured I'd let a professional handle my life this time. He's done a pretty good job so far. I have to remember this and accept that whatever happens to us is happening for a reason. Doesn't mean I understand the reason or even that I like it. But it all comes down to trust and faith. Simon signs all his posts on our message board with the closing: Deus Vult. It is Latin for "God Wills It". Not long after we met I had a silver heart engraved with this and I wear it around my neck, every day. It is there to remind me that no matter what happens, God wills it. Good or bad, whether I like it or not, God wills it. Simon reminded me of this yesterday.

He will be my better half, he already is.

~Liza

Of Mice and Men

The best laid plans of both, and all that . . .

Owing to extreme busy-ness at work, we are presented with a less-than-ideal situation; it will be hard for me to guarantee a trip to the States in September and December . . .

So, we have taken the hard choice - we have booked Christmas and neglected September.

There are possibilities - other options, other avenues. Things can be done, but . . .

This makes this i) complicated and ii) depressing.

Between you, me and the fence post, I'm having to be the strong one here as Liza is very upset about not seeing me.

Between you, me and the fence post again, I'm not overly happy about having to be the strong one . . .

Never mind - such things are sent to try us. Holiday and flights are booked for Christmas. Other avenues may open. We have to remember that getting any additional time off is a bonus and more than expected . . .

But it's still a bit of a downer.

Darknight

A very sad day for England

Today, some very desperate and evil people coordinated a terrorist attack on London, killing at least 40 people and wounding hundreds.

Simon is well, and I am so grateful for this. But my heart still breaks for those who have been effected by this in so many direct and indirect ways. Even those who did not personally loose a loved one or were injured themselves, are still hurt by this. I pray for them all.

This sort of event impacts all of us. Not only those in England and the UK, but all of us. As long as there are people in this world who will do such horrible acts, we are all impacted and we are all responsible for making it stop. Will we end terrorism and violence, ever? No, I don't believe that is possible. But we can continue to fight the good fight and try our best to make the world as safe as we possibly can.

I've already adopted England as my second home. This day has hurt me as much as 9/11 did. But I also am learning that the English are a very resilient people. It will be business as usual tomorrow in London, I'm sure of it. The Underground may be closed, at least partially, but they will still find a way to keep with their daily activity. And I like that attitude. It tells the beasts who did this that no matter what they do, no matter how hard they try, they can't stop us. They can't stop those who belive in what is good and right. They can't bend the world to their twisted ways.

We will never give up the good fight.

~Liza

t3h h0dg3b3457 15 1337!!!!11111

Suzi T. Hodgebeast and The Hodgebeast wish to announce the birth of their two children. Hodgebeast Jr. and Petunia T. Hodgebeast.

The Hodges wish to thank the Smooth One, Liza Papich, for assistance in the birth of the Hodgehiglets.

Hodgebeast Jr. is expressing a great curiosity about the world and appears to be following in the little fliddy footsteps of his father and is trying to annex the United States.

Petunia is excessively cute, and knows it. She has very big ears, but Liza thinks she will "grow into them."

A baptism of Hodgebeast Jr. and Petunia T. Hodgebeast will occur during the visit of the Hodges (and DK) to the United States. Fr. Hodgebadger will celebrate.

Deacon Smallbadger

When in Rome

Let us begin - as anyone of learning but no appreciation does - with numbers.

Shrine seats 3000. We are having roughly 60 guests.

18 of those are Catholic.

30%

Even allowing for additions such as Campbell and Gadol who will know or learn the liturgy, we are still left with a third of the people there who are going to know the responses.

On a more significant level, this is 0.6% of the total number of people who can fit in the Church actually saying what they are supposed to say.

Never an ideal situation.

The solution presents itself in a rather cunning way; Mass 101. It is my duty - some time before the wedding - to write a little handbook for the non-Catholics (pursuit the Council of Trent and The Second Vatican Council I have to refer to these people as Separated Brethren rather than Protestants - which I find puzzling at best) which explains what we are doing.

And not just in terms of "Say 'And also with you' now" - no, in terms of what each bit means, why it is there, where it came from, what it forms in the Mass.

An interesting document.

We are presented with the opportunity to have a collective worship with a unique community, a community gathered specifically to see us get married (which is an event which is really of no importance; the actual marriage is infinitely more important than the wedding). It would be criminal - not to mention silent - to miss such an opportunity to allow for an understanding of such things.

So, this is a brief heads-up - the Mass 101 document will be published in the future. The draft copy will go to Liza who will cut it down to something that can be carried in the hand. The actual real one - the one with appendices concerning the doctrine of the Real Presence and Apostolic Succession etc. - will be made available elsewhere.

Just so you know. We are going to get this right; the document is designed so you can too.

Darknight