James Quinby

I put Rayuela down, probably for good. I’m…sort of bored with it, and my language skills are probably not where they need to be to pick up on the subtleties. I started re-reading a collection of Phillip K. Dick’s short stories wh... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/09/05/i-put-rayuela-down-probably.html

When life gives you leftovers, turn them into tacos.

Baudrillard’s 4 stages of simulacra applied to pumpkin spice Stage one (next to picture of pumpkin): Initially the sign (image or representation) is a reflection of basic reality Stage two (next to picture of pumpkin pie): the sign masks a basic reality. The image becomes a distortion of reality Stage three (next to Starbucks pumpkin spice latte): the sign marks the absence of basic reality. The image calls into question what the reality is and if it even exists Stage four (next to jug of pumpkin spice flavored coffee mate): the sign bears no relation to any reality whatsoever; it is it’s own pure simulacrum

Don’t know who made this but thank you

This one hits hard every year.

Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"With Christians, a poetical view of things is a duty. We are bid to color all things with hues of faith, to see a divine meaning in every event.
— St. John Henry Cardinal Newman"

OCIA begins tonight. Last I heard, we had 36... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/08/26/with-christians-a-poetical-view.html

The August formation weekend is behind us, and for my cohort, that amounted to just Saturday, which was nice. We spent the day preaching to each other and going over the finer points of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony With... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/08/25/the-august-formation-weekend-is.html

Catechism of the Catholic Church Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church online Online Version FAQs about the Catechism In reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church we can...

There are a couple of things I avoid writing about. I avoid, if I can, any discussions of work. I like having clear boundaries, and would just rather not get into work-stuff. The other topic I stay away from is politics. This one is ve... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/08/18/there-are-a-couple-of.html

I didn’t get a chance to deliver the reflection I mentioned below, but I did have a chance to try again yesterday and I am in definite need of more practice. I tried to cover too much in 3 minutes and forgot the advice about having “One... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/08/14/i-didnt-get-a-chance.html

Stinging rose moth caterpillar

Our pastor is out of town for awhile, so one of the associates (who knows I regularly serve on Wedesnday mornings before work) asked if I wanted to practice giving some brief reflections on the readings. We can’t call them homilies, but... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/08/05/our-pastor-is-out-of.html

Rayuela

Currently reading: Rayuela by Julio Cortázar 📚

Encountering Artificial Intelligence

Currently reading: Encountering Artificial Intelligence by Matthew J. Gaudet 📚

Yesterday, as part of preparation for ordination, I made a general confession. I had been thinking about it for awhile and my spiritual director encouraged me to continue meditating and praying about it. De Sales’s Introduc... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/07/24/yesterday-as-part-of-preparation.html

Luna moth

Botanic Garden, Oxford

La invención de Morel / The Invention of Morel

Currently reading: La invención de Morel / The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares 📚

Six small peat pots, each with a tiny cutting from a lavender plant in the middle.

Lavender cuttings. Let’s see how this whole propagation thing goes.

So I managed to remove most of the hydrangea. It was…colossal, and I ended up transplanting an offshoot in a different spot where it’s free to get as crazy-big as it wants to. What’s left is bits of the stump which I’ve painted with a... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/07/14/so-i-managed-to-remove.html

We visited a couple of botanic gardens on our trip and I’ve been fully won over to the cottage style, particularly in borders. Gardening has always been a mixed bag for us. We’ve generally done pretty well with container vegetables an... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/07/10/we-visited-a-couple-of.html

On one of our walking tours in the UK, we stopped at a 16th century mausoleum that had some interesting carvings and whatnot on the outside, including lots of skulls and crossbones. Our tour guide pointed them out to us and then explai... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/07/09/on-one-of-our-walking.html

John Southworth (martyr) - Wikipedia

As you probably guessed from all the pictures, we recently visited the UK. We wanted to take in the sights, of course, but also sought out places associated with favorite writers. What we didn’t necessarily plan were all the enc... https://www.jquinby.com/2025/07/05/as-you-probably-guessed-from.html

Codex Sinaiticus, British Library

Fairy Pools, skye

Closeup of stained glass depicting Margaret of Scotland taken in a chapel at Edinburgh Castle.

St. Margaret of Scotland

Close in Edinburgh with a sign above reading "Boswell's Court"

European robin

Lake Windermere

Magdelen College, from the Botanic Garden

Train idling near a school platform