#'we used to have yearly celebrations tied to the cycles of seasons and faith'

[fictionadventurer]

Top 5 tropes, top 5 dog breeds, top 5 saints

Tropes

I have forgotten every single trope, and can't decide exactly what counts as a trope, so I'm just going to list five story elements that usually capture my interest.

The tension between idealism and practicality

Morally upright heroes

Trickster heroes who use their powers for good

Time travel (specifically when time travel is explored as a story element, rather than just as a means to get to another time)

Arranged marriage romances

Dog Breeds

Mostly listing types of dogs I've known personally and had good experiences with

Collie

Black lab

Golden retriever

German shepherd

Basset hound

Saints

Since I've made this list a few times before, I'm going to list some saints who have captured my attention lately.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Mentions of him kept popping up in my life, and Chesterton's bio of him made me love him as a person. Plus, some prayers by him have become important parts of my prayer routine lately.

St. Frances de Sales: I read only the first part of his very first book of apologetics before it went back to the library, but since then, I think about it at least on a weekly, if not a daily basis.

St. Michael: He's always been a presence in my family's devotions (several family members have him as a patron, and he's patron of a local parish), but looking up Michaelmas traditions this week drew me to him in a much more personal way.

St. Mary Magdalene: I've always liked her, but lately I've been drawn to her in a more unique way

St. Theresa of Calcutta: I saw a documentary about her that felt very relevant to my life and work, so I've felt a new closeness to her since then.