Category Archives: Books/Magazines

Rachel Held Evans

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I got word from Sarah Bessey, one of the organizers of Rachel’s GoFundMe, that Rachel died early this morning. According to the updates her husband Dan had been posting on her blog:

Rachel was slowly weaned from the coma medication. Her seizures returned but at a reduced rate. There were periods of time where she didn’t have seizures at all. Rachel did not return to an alert state during this process. The hospital team worked to diagnose the primary cause of her seizures and proactively treated for some known possible causes for which diagnostics were not immediately available due to physical limitations.

Early Thursday morning, May 2, Rachel experienced sudden and extreme changes in her vitals. The team at the hospital discovered extensive swelling of her brain and took emergency action to stabilize her. The team worked until Friday afternoon to the best of their ability to save her. This swelling event caused severe damage and ultimately was not survivable.

Rachel died early Saturday morning, May 4, 2019.

This entire experience is surreal. I keep hoping it’s a nightmare from which I’ll awake. I feel like I’m telling someone else’s story. I cannot express how much the support means to me and our kids. To everyone who has prayed, called, texted, driven, flown, given of themselves physically and financially to help ease this burden: Thank you. We are privileged. Rachel’s presence in this world was a gift to us all and her work will long survive her.

I am profoundly sad to hear this news. Her blog and her writing were part of how I sustained my faith during a really hard part of my life, and they spawned the Proverbs 31 Project here on this blog. I feel sad for her husband Dan, their two small children, her parents Peter and Robin, her sister Amanda, and the rest of her family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Rachel. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: April 28, 2019

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For Today… April 28, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny and in the low 50’s.

I am thinking… about my Document Production homework. Bleh.

I am thankful… for my amazing church and worship today. After spending a period of time sitting in church and wanting to be anywhere else but there, it’s wonderful to be excited to go to church again. (That period ended when I returned to the Episcopal Church in 2014.)

One of my favorite things… calmness and quiet. I have it temporarily.

I am wearing… black fitted tee from Old Navy and jeans capris. Church clothes were a t-shirt dress from Old Navy, a cardigan from Kohl’s and my black flats

I am creating… documents for my homework. Woo.

I am reading… Inspired by Rachel Held Evans who remains in a medically-induced coma while doctors try to figure out what the heck is causing her seizures. Please pray for her and her family.

I am hoping… to get some database work done for church.

I am learning… tutor skills. (I’m listening to training right now.)

In my kitchen… probably leftover ham and spinach salad.

In the school room… Daniel is loving school still. His IEP meeting was fabulous this year.

Post Script… my priest’s website is here.

Shared Quote… “The apostles remembered what many modern Christians tend to forget—that what makes the gospel offensive isn’t who it keeps out but who it lets in.” — Rachel Held Evans

A moment from my day… this was our Communion hymn.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: If I Had Not Given Up My Blog for Lent Edition

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7 Quick Takes

Lent is over, it’s Bright Week, and I am back to blogging. (OK… some of you may have noticed that I cheated a little bit by changing the YouTube video on my time off page.) I have been meaning to write this post for a few days, but work and homework have been crazy. There will be 7 +/- blurbs, so I am counting this as my Quick Takes.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… about how weirdly calm I am about Grandma’s passing. It might be because I wasn’t the one cleaning out her room at the assisted living facility and her bedroom back at her house. My mom and her siblings have been dealing with all of this, and I have been figuring out burial service things. We got her ashes back around March 11 (she was supposed to be cremated on March 6… which was Ash Wednesday — because I am a horrible human being, I actually found humor in that), and part of them will be interred at my church in Mount Vernon. My uncle is making a plain cedar box for that, and I am glad to have that figured out so that biodegradable cremation urns stop being in my ads on Reddit. In the meantime, I am incredibly thankful for my church and how they jumped in to support us after her passing. They sent food home with me on Shrove Tuesday, sent emails and cards with condolences for our family, and I got hugged within an inch of my life on Shrove Tuesday.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… we got a last-minute appointment with a psychiatrist at the Autism Center. Daniel was badly-behaved (which is actually a benefit in this case) and the psych made the comment that until we improve his nutrition, none of the other meds he could prescribe would be of any benefit. So… he changed Daniel from his Adderall XR (which is also used as an appetite suppressant) to Concerta, and we’re titrating up on it. So far, the only change has been that kiddo is not sleeping well and is having what seems to be a worse time in the evenings until his evening meds kick in. He’s also waking up in the middle of the night or at 6 a.m., which is not making my life wonderful. We start the next highest dose this weekend, and I am praying like hell that it helps. Please send Starbucks.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… my iron is back to normal (thank you, weekly bloodwork and a boatload of iron pills), but my clotting factors are funky. Shark Week (a.k.a. my period) hit me like a ton of bricks in March… and also happened during finals of course. An appointment was made with my ob/gyn to talk about a hysterectomy… and I missed it today because my body decided that tachycardia sounded like a good plan this morning. So… I get to wait until June to see her… which happens to be on the day I graduate and Daniel is off school. This month’s Shark Week happened during Holy Week, and it was not quite as bad as March, but still crappy. I see Hematology next Friday. Woo.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… that this quarter started on April 9th and is kicking my butt. I am the only tutor in my department and I can’t work enough hours to meet all the need that exists at the moment because this is the quarter everyone seems to be taking QuickBooks. The book they’re using for it is crappy (I had it last year), and it’s especially crappy for my English language learners who are having to figure it out in their second or third language. I had to close my one-on-one schedule this week, and I’m still getting requests for tutoring that I’m having to turn away. (I also have a couple students who I have had to tell that I will help them once they stop mouthing off at me or trying to have an existential argument about the class material.) Additionally, my Document Production class is hateful at the moment. We are docked 10% of our grade per mistake on every assignment, and we don’t know from week to week if we’re going to get any of those points back because the website isn’t fabulous on correcting formatting. I’m sure it will be better next week as I know now where my mistakes are coming from and can avoid them, but it is stressing me out right now.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… that I finally joined Phi Theta Kappa (my school’s honor society that I was invited to join in September 2017) in March. I’m going to have my induction ceremony in the next few weeks and I might have a lovely stole along with my honor cords when I graduate.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… about Daniel’s sedated ABR on March 29 with the audiologist we like and our amazing anesthesiologist from his g-tube placement last August. It turns out that our favorite audiologist got an almost perfect result last July, and she adjusted his hearing aids accordingly after the procedure.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… that the Lenten devotional booklet I put together for my church was highly complimented, and that having it go out over email turned out to be one of the best moves as it was easier for people to access. The project was actually a blessing as I was putting the finishing touches on it while Grandma was dying, and it gave me something into which I could pour my nervous energy.

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… that the French version of the Hail Mary sung by French Catholics outside of Notre Dame got stuck in my head. I largely avoided watching footage of it burning because I couldn’t deal with the sadness. (Also… what the actual [expletive], 45?!?!? Suggesting that French firefighters use an air tanker on the cathedral and that they should get on it is not an appropriate sentiment for a world leader to suggest while the symbol of a country’s faith is burning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

If I hadn’t given up blogging for Lent I would have told you… about the insight I had on Maundy Thursday about Jesus praying in the garden and how it means that God understands and is with me in those liminal times when I am scared about what is coming next. Seriously, it was amazing for my faith as was Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, where I got verklempt during the reading about the Pieta.

Last thing: Rachel Held Evans, my favorite author, is currently in a medically-induced coma while doctors try to figure out why her brain is experiencing constant seizures. She ended up in the hospital with a combination of flu and a UTI, and she had a severe allergic reaction to her antibiotics. This is distressing me greatly because she is very much me with a southern accent, and her books have been part of what kept my faith going for the last ten years as I dealt with times where I would go to church and want to be anywhere else but there. (This thankfully changed when I got away from Jon’s churches and went back to the Episcopal Church.) Updates on her health are here and a GoFundMe for her medical expenses here. Please keep her, her husband Dan, and their two kids in your prayers.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 15, 2019

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For Today… January 15, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. It was not bad today — not warm but sunny.

I am thinking… about the design project for my Publisher class on which I am procrastinating by creating this blog post.

I am thankful… for a good start to tutoring this quarter.

One of my favorite things… this song. (I am spoofing it for my design project.)

I am wearing… jammies. It’s only 5:30 p.m., but I’m fighting a cold and it’s been a long day.

I am creating… this blog post. 😉

I am reading… Nailed It by Anne Kennedy.

I am hoping… that people get all the Jennifer/Jenni puns in my design project.

I am learning… about alignment and proximity.

In my kitchen… salad tonight. My cold is making swallowing painful, so it was a chore to find something I actually wanted to eat.

Post Script… this blog. Because her book was AWESOME.

Shared Quote… “‘NO’ is a complete sentence.” — me on Sunday when asking people to write devotions for me this Lent.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Dr. Sears Is A Moron Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Schadenfreude. I was incredibly happy to see that the State of California temporarily revoked the medical license of Dr. Bob Sears, the idiotic southern California pediatrician whose vaccine book has been denounced by every pediatrician I know (and I hang with some of the best in the nation).

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, Dr. Sears.

— 2 —

And just a head’s up… the position of this blog is that Dr. Andrew Wakefield is an unethical quack, Dr. Sears should have had his license permanently revoked, and vaccines don’t cause autism. This is not up for debate as their positions have been shown to be both inaccurate and dangerous.

If you want to argue with me about this, please click the lovely little “x” at the top righthand corner of your screen, and go somewhere else. Nobody is paying you to read this blog.

Science, bitches!

— 3 —

My bed. My bedframe was bowing out, and I was having to fix the slats multiple times a day (and night). My dad had plans for a tightening system with wires, and my mom rolled her eyes at him before telling me to go shopping for a new one. I went to a local furniture store, and they delivered it today.

If any of y’all are Skagit County peeps, I really recommend Hansen’s Furniture highly.

— 4 —

School. School started again for me this week, and I am taking a class on Microsoft Publisher this quarter. My instructor is an overachiever, so the website and much of the first half of the course was up this past weekend. This also the instructor who believes in building community, so we always have a fun Introduction discussion board assignment with icebreaker questions.

One thing I’m having to do is save junk mail and take pictures of fliers and posters for design analysis. If any of you see some horribly-designed posters or fliers and want to contribute, let me know. 🙂

— 5 —

Tutoring. I had only one tutoring session this week, and it was quieter than I expected. (The insanity will be next week when everyone is past their introductory week and syllabus quizzes.) I had a couple of truly delightful people who are getting used to their laptops and the whole “online class” thing. It was a nice way to ease back into the quarter.

— 6 —

Climate change. It’s an El Nino year, which I guess means a warmer winter up here… but it’s January with no snow. Srsly?

— 7 —

Prerequisite Minion take. My little black beast has a new nickname. My dad “hates” cats (uh huh… riiiiiiiight…) and jokingly threatened to shave Minion so that instead of being “ferocious”, he’d just be “rocious”. Well… my mom and I thought Rocious would have been a good name for him, so we’re calling him that jokingly.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 1, 2019

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For Today… January 1, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… clear and chilly (at least to me) with temps in the 30’s F.

I am thinking… about this coming year.

I am thankful… for Daniel going back to school tomorrow. He’s been chomping at the bit for a few days.

One of my favorite things… ice chips.

I am wearing… long-sleeved blue-green shirt and capris. (I’m home doing a ton of laundry.)

I am creating… things for the parish Lenten devotional book.

I am watching… Daniel play Legos.

I am hoping… Washington beats Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. (The evil team is leading at the moment.)

I am learning… some interesting plays on Words with Friends.

In my kitchen… probably Hot Pockets tonight. Comfort food is bomb.

In the school room… Daniel starts back tomorrow.

Post Script… Svaha: dresses with pockets FTW!

Shared Quote… “Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of holy living and send that person out to tell others about him. He always sent stumblers and sinners. I find that comforting.” — Nadia Bolz-Weber, Accidental Saints

Closing Notes:

Word of the Year: “Faith”
Saint for the Year: St. Joseph of Cupertino

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: One Word Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Pumpkins. I got to go with Daniel’s class to the pumpkin patch again this year and it was fun. We did not get many pictures of kiddo smiling per se, but he was engaging more. Minion was very interested in the pumpkin that Daniel brought home.

— 2 —

Prayer. As I’ve been mentioning for a while, my prayer life has been craptastic at best. I have no excuse as Daniel goes to sleep before I do. This week, I’ve actually grabbed prayer time on three consecutive days. When I got my new-to-me phone a few weeks ago, I put the Sacred Space and Pray As You Go apps on it. I did Pray As You Go on Tuesday night; and this morning, I wanted to put it on while I was driving to the pumpkin patch, but I didn’t know how it would mesh with Google Maps giving me directions. I couldn’t wait to put it on and listen to it on my drive between the pumpkin patch and school. I’m definitely rediscovering why I was a fan of it ten years ago when I’d listen to it on my commute to work in Montana.

— 3 —

Rain. It threatened to rain while we were at the pumpkin patch today (it did rain last year) but it held off until tonight. I’m hoping for a decent pouring rain and windstorm tonight so I can turn off the lights and enjoy the sight and sound of it hitting the windows.

— 4 —

Book. Kendra Tierney is having a launch party for her book and her Instagram had video of the dishes she is making for it. The most interesting one: turducken for Trinity Sunday.

— 5 —

Internship. I finally got to start doing internship work this week and it’s been fun thus far. I’ve been reading through my instructor’s book and creating an answer key for it. The hard part is that Sharepoint wasn’t working for my email address so I had to manually enter a lot of the numbers into Excel. Oh well… it’s good practice.

— 6 —

House. Kelly (our hostess with the mostest) is talking about their old house on her Quick Takes this week.

— 7 —

Happy. My therapist said last week that this is the happiest she has ever seen me. I have to agree that overall, I am much happier than I have been in years. Having school/work as a change from being a stay-at-home mom is a good thing for me.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.