Seven random things

Conversion Diary, a blog I always look forward to reading, does a weekly 7 Quick Takes on Friday. I thought I'd try for seven random things:

1) On my way to work (at the crack of dawn) I often see a tattood lady on a bike. Not remarkable in itself, right? She looks a pretty professional sort of person: corporate-acceptable length walking shorts, conservative hairstyle...and tattoos completely covering her legs from the knees down, except for one bare patch on the side of one calf. The first time I saw her, I thought she was wearing socks, but nope - tattoos.

2) Also on my way to work, I pass a sign which reads: Walk in dentist. Are they directing dentists to walk in? Do they take dentists off the street?

3) I am blogging by candlelight. Due to an unfortunate toilet paper experiment conducted by a curious two year old, much water found its way to places water shouldn't ever be, such as light fixtures and other electrical things. As a result, several areas of the house have had the electrics switched off, my room being one of them. The battery of my laptop was fading fast, and I thought I was done for the night, but I discovered one outlet is still active. The laptop cord reaches, but the lamp does not. I feel like a time-traveling Jane Austen.

4) Among the best books I have read is the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy by Sigrid Undset. Set in Norway during the Middle Ages, they tell the story of faith, repentance, forgiveness, love...life. Undset, a convert to Catholicism, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The importance of her faith, and the clear-eyed honesty with which she portrays humanity in need of mercy and redemption are vividly present in her writing. I highly recommend these books...and realise I should read them again myself!

5) June. I have itchy feet (feeling restless, like it's time to move again). While it happens every year at this time, I'm never really prepared for the symptoms. As someone who also likes to stay close to home, am I a frustrated wanderer, or a frustrated homebody?

6) World Cup qualifiers this weekend. Hoorah! Let's hear it for Germany! And now that the European league season is at an end, transfer rumours will begin to fly. Will Cristiano Ronaldo stay at Manchester United? Does it matter? I almost wish he would move to Real Madrid, and we could focus on the team again, rather than his drama. Footballers, I tell ya! Sheesh.

7) Living with 5 small nephews is a delight I am deeply grateful for. I am struggling with the challenge, however, of making a time and place for the quiet I need for prayer and writing. I need to establish a routine that will foster both, especially as Fall approaches and I go back to school. I wonder if The Cone of Silence is a commercial product? I should check ebay.