7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 1

Many thanks to Jen over at Conversion Diary for hosting...and this is my first time, so I'll try to learn to be "quick."

-1- 

Growing up, I found my name horrifically embarrassing and old-fashioned. It had no cool nickname that I knew of to go with it (only after my Grammy died when I was in grad school was a I bequeathed her nickname, Marti, which I love). All of my friends were named cute things like Nicole or Jessica, making me surrounded by "Nikki"s and "Jess"s. So, in our search for a baby name, I've decided I want to make my child's name also a cross that they bear unwillingly as a young child, but then grow to embrace as an adult. 

I'm very happy now that my name is Martha, both for its Biblical significance and for the fact that I could sit on the Supreme Court and no one would giggle (except at my ridiculous credentials). I would really like to give my kids a crazy Old Testament name, just to remind them that the Christian connection to Judaism is very real and should be honored. So far, Tom is not onboard with Adah, Bildad, or Enoch (real names, I'm not kidding). 

-2-

From time to time, I assist my husband in his work by singing a funeral. My voice is passable and when our regular cantor can't make it, I step in. When I first started doing this back in August, I would get so nervous my vocal chords would collapse and you could hear the deceased's family moaning, "the only thing worse than losing Grandpa is listening to this broad sing!" Now that I have actually attended a couple of Catholic funerals and know what is expected of me, I am not so horrible. 

Today, however, is the funeral for a woman who was quit prominent in Catholic-Jewish dialogue. For this reason, several rabbis will be in attendance and our Bishop. What? Yeah, that's right - OUR BISHOP. I get nervous singing in front of our pastor, but the Bishop? He frightens me! He wears better hats than I do! And his white hair is so distinguished! And my lung capacity has been reduced by 20% because of this baby! 

So please send out some prayers that I don't hyperventilate and pass out, during a funeral, in front of our Bishop, and pastor, and some rabbis. 

-3-

In case anyone ever wants to talk about how horrible it is that lawyers make so much money, I would like to point out to you that I went to the cheapest Tier 1 law school in the country and the total cost of attendance for three years is $60K, before books and everything else, and you sign a form for the first year that says you won't work. Also, the bar preparation course that everyone has to take because law school doesn't actually teach you to practice law (little known fact!), is $4,000! I would know because I just wrote a check for that! And then taking the Bar itself costs $1500! 

My point is, after all that, we still have to hang out with other lawyers!! And that can be a real drag... So don't begrudge us our $175 an hour! (and that's a cheap going rate) 

-4-

I started my baby registries, at the behest of my shower planner. And I realized that registering is a) scary, and b) a public airing of your parenting choices. Do you register for cloth or disposable diapers? Formula or (gag) nipple butter? A crib, or one of those side-along sleeper things? Just a stroller or a Moby wrap, or both? Seriously, you're basically just telling everybody everything right there. All I have to do is create a custom registry site that says "WE WANT TO HOMESCHOOL" in a banner on top and I can complete my TMI  life-choice sharing. 

The thing is, the closer this babe comes to making his or her entrance, the more I really don't want to talk about these things. I have a sense of how we're going to try parenting, but I always have an inkling that it probably won't work out perfectly and we'll end up doing some sort of hybrid approach that works for us, and I'm okay with that. I have zero interest in all the uber-opinionated people that materialize out of the woodwork when you get pregnant and scream at you about what you're eating or reading, and how you're birthing, feeding, sleeping, or schooling. It makes me want to grab a Coke slurpee and a nap! Zzzzzzz. 

-5-

Bar studying is supposed to start on Monday. I don't know how I feel about that, but I do know I need prayers because this 12-month break from studying has made me a major slacker! 

-6-

For those of you who don't know, I have been a youth minister for the past several months while our parish searched for a new one. Well we just hired a new one! This is exciting...but also makes me realize that I should have been praying all this time about what God wants me to do with my (professional) life in the near future. In praying about this lately (and rather frantically), I suddenly realize that I enjoy teaching. Why is it that all the things I swore off as a young girl I am now coming to desire? 

-7-

This morning while getting ready for work, my husband was singing "Beauty and the Beast" to our confused dog, letting me sing the Belle parts, and doing his best Gaston eyebrow. I love this trait in Mr. Oram. God knew exactly what I wanted in life - a husband who has the ability to sing, knows musicals and Disney movies very well, and isn't gay. I finally have someone to sing the boy parts! God is very, very Good!! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!