Five Favorites: Miscellanea (IV)

Five Favorites

Egy

Lipton Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea. I can finally get individual bottles of this at my local store. I am positively giddy with delight. It’s my “not Coke” drink of choice these days, especially as the Crystal Light version seems to have disappeared from my local store.

Lipton Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea

Kettö

Gloria Vanderbilt shorts. I got mine 3 years ago at a Kohl’s in southern California and I still love them. It’s been in the 80′s and 90′s here and these shorts are incredibly comfortable and allow me to be active with my son Daniel.

Gloria Vanderbilt shorts

Három

Bamboo Compost Pail. My parents have one of these in their kitchen and I wanted one so they told me where to go on Amazon.Com to find it. The interior is plastic and there’s a vent at the top with activated charcoal so it doesn’t stink up the kitchen or get moldy (at least in my experience).

Bamboo compost pail

Négy

My latest book. I’m reading cheapy fluffy murder mysteries these days with my spare time. I just read the book before this one in the series and I was constantly pondering who the killer was. It was definitely a good read and I’m expecting this one to be as well.

The Diva Digs Up the Dirt

Öt

The Big Bang Theory. As I was going through the folder of pictures, I realized that I showed this one last week. Oh well. It was a lovely episode though I’m bummed that Raj lost Lucy. On the other hand, having the relationship with her somehow re-wired Raj’s brain so that he can talk to women. That’s going to be interesting in the next season. I also wonder if they’ll do scenes of Leonard on the research vessel like they did of Howard in space.

Leonard's going away party

Go love up Hallie and the others. My thanks go to Hevel of Kosher Kola for help with the Hungarian numbers.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: May 13, 2013

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY May 13, 2013

Outside my window… sunny and hot. I do not approve of 90F before June 21st (or really at all).

I am thinking… about the things I would totally say on this blog if I didn’t have to self-censor for pastor’s wife reasons.

I am thankful… for getting so much sleep yesterday and for Jon getting me dinner at Subway.

In the kitchen… spinach salad.

I am wearing… brown t-shirt with a ruched collar and black running shorts.

I am creating… plot ideas for NaNoWriMo in November.

I am going… to have a pedicure on Wednesday morning. I can’t wait.

I am wondering… some really snarky things about people.

I am reading… Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke. I’m reading a bunch of silly murder mysteries these days and it’s giving me a break from my regular life.

I am hoping… it doesn’t hurt too much when they use the Dremel on the calluses on my feet. (I’m a discalced kind of girl.)

I am looking forward to… seeing my parents/evil twin/sister-in-law this weekend for the communal birthday celebration.

Around the house… next question!

I am pondering… why people like to call me a “lib” or a “liberal” as an insult but get so incredibly worked up when I call them a “fascist moron”. :)

A favorite quote for today… “…My idea of God is a not divine idea. It has to be shattered from time to time. He shatters it Himself. He is the great iconoclast. Could we not almost say that this shattering is one of the marks of His presence?..” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… Lipton Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Morning Prayer tomorrow, pedicure on Wednesday, autism team meeting on Thursday, and communal birthday celebration on Saturday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (II)

Five Favorites

Ko

Because “House M.D. is off the air… I am reading through the archives of Dr. Grumpy in the House. He’s a neurologist and talks about his more… interesting patients as well as reporting on boring medical symposiums, stupid criminals, and interesting war anecdotes.

Bi

Old Navy flip flops. I am a BAD pastor’s wife because I’ve worn these to church on a few (OK… MANY) occasions because I’m having to chase a 4 year old around. It’s also what I wear a lot of the time when I don’t have running shoes on and I can’t be barefoot. (I’m in a perpetually discalced state most days.)

Old Navy flip flops

Hiru

Louise Penny. I discovered one of her latest books randomly at the library and immediately checked it out to read. It takes place in a monastery where one of the monks has been killed over the chants they do every day as part of their daily prayers. Penny manages to write with a chiaroscuro-like view where you see both the inner darkness of the person as well as elements of light. It’s what makes her novels so excellent.

A Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

Lau

Frappucino love. Starbucks has a new frappucino or two out these days and I’m dying to try the Caramel Ribbon Crunch one. It’s one where it would have to be my breakfast because of the calories and the fact that it packs 3 meals worth of carbs. I must resist the temptation…

Caramel Ribbon Crunch frappucino

Bost

Arabic Easter song. A friend of mine who is an Orthodox deacon’s wife posted this on Facebook and I wanted to share it because it’s an amazing video. Lebanese Christians are effectively doing a flash mob to sing an Easter praise song which actually sounds less strange to my ears than much of the music coming out of the Antiochian Orthodox churches and the Coptic church. (Sorry Tasoni — I’m still getting used to your church’s music. It’s beautiful but it sounds… different to my Western ears.)

Go love up Grace and the others. Grace is hosting this week while entertains guests and enjoys the chrism scent on Mr. Charlie after his baptism.

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (I)

Five Favorites

Un

TED talk on PostSecret This is just awesome on many levels. Frank Warren talks about how PostSecret started and some of the postcards he received. If you’ve been a fan of it, I highly recommend you watch this.

Dous

Sergio Romo. He’s tied for #1 in the National League for saves. I wish I had a shirt with 54 on it for him because he is awesome.

That's what's up!

Tres

Litany Run. I have mad respect for Jenn for several reasons:

1.) She is dedicating her life to God.
2.) She is running a marathon. This is something I will probably never do given that I can’t run the length of my blog without dying.
3.) Her name is Jenn. That alone makes her awesome.

Jenn the potential Norbertine Cannoness

Y’all need to go sponsor her. Do it now.

Catro

Tostitos Multi-Grain Scoops. I told my IBS to take a hike because I wanted chips and salsa. These seemed like an OK compromise.

Tostitos Multi-Grain Scoops

Coupled with some decent salsa and cottage cheese, I’ve been able to enjoy my chips and salsa with the least amount of… G-I unpleasantness.

Cinco

NCIS. Is anyone who knows me surprised? Last night’s episode was pure awesomeness. Ziva is my homegirl. I heart Gibbs.

Gibbs
(HT: CBS)

My house panther has announced that I’m waaaaaaay up past my bedtime as well as hers. Go love up Hallie and the others.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: April 29, 2013

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY April 28, 2013

Outside my window… dark. It was in the 90′s today. I will be smacking the next person who denies climate change.

I am thinking… that in response to people posting about homeschooling their kids to keep them away from “godless liberals”, I totally want to respond by saying that I’m sending my kids to public schools to keep them away from the people saying those things. I almost want to get a shirt that says “I’m the godless liberal your parents warned you about.”

I am thankful… for the water fight and tickle fight I had with Daniel today and in general I’m thankful for his laugh.

In the kitchen… nothing from scratch. Must fix that.

I am wearing… blue v-neck shirt and capri sweats.

I am creating… nothing yarn-wise but always coming up with plot things for NaNoWriMo.

I am going… shopping tomorrow for toiletries and trying to figure out something to cook that I actually want to eat.

I am wondering… how to post something on Facebook calling out those who are posting partisan and factually incorrect things and telling me that I don’t know that I’m talking about because I give in to the “liberal media”. Riiiiight… the fact that I have a B.A. in Religious Studies focused around comparative religon and part of a Masters in Theology can’t mean that I actually know what I’m talking about, right? (Not to mention that one of the things that they’re making factual inaccuracies about is one of my areas of specialty.)

I am reading… Just finished The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny. She is amazing when it comes to the chiaroscuro of the human soul. Next book will be Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay or possibly taking Maphead by Ken Jennings back up.

I am hoping… my allergies/cold/crud is on its way out.

I am looking forward to… Ladies’ Night Out on Wednesday.

Around the house… clean thanks to having company on Saturday and a young mom in the congregation to come and clean for me. (I pay her well and she is the reason I’m functional.)

I am pondering… how someone could have gotten my debit card number when I’m fanatical about keeping it secret. Thank God I was checking my account online and caught the bogus charge.

A favorite quote for today… “Why I often find myself at such cross-purposes with the modern world: I have been a converted Pagan living among apostate Puritans.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… making a good play on Words With Friends.

A few plans for the rest of the week: shopping tomorrow and possibly filing a police report, Morning Prayer and NCIS/NCIS:LA on Tuesday, Ladies’ Night Out on Wednesday, watching the cinecast of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me on Thursday, and possibly a trip to San Jose this weekend.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

7 Quick Takes: Insane Fast Food Creations, Murder Mysteries, and the 2013 All-Star Game Ballot

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

20×20. If you know what In-n-Out Burger is, you know that you can get some rather interesting combinations on their “secret” menu. I know my brother ate an 8×8 (8 patties and 8 slices of cheese) once and I guess the most that has ever been allegedly ordered is a 100×100. I found an account of someone who bought (and ate) a 20×20. I was pondering the sheer number of calories in that so I looked up the nutritional information and by subtracting the calories in a regular cheeseburger (480) from the calories in a double-double (670), I came out with the number of calories per extra cheese/patty (190). I multiplied that by 19 (getting 3610) and added the calories in the cheeseburger (480) back in, getting a total of 4090. Given that the estimate I saw on the 100×100 from Eat This, Not That was 19100 calories, I think this is probably pretty close to accurate.

It’s also no longer possible to order something like this — they capped the limit at 4×4 because they were getting some really bizarre orders.

— 2 —

All-Star Game ballot. The ballot for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game is out. I thought I’d link it here so you can all go vote for San Francisco Giants players. In case you need help doing this, here’s a list:

1st Base: Brandon Belt
2nd Base: Marco Scutaro
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford
3rd Base: Pablo Sandoval
Catcher: Buster Posey
Outfield: Gregor Blanco, Hunter Pence, and Angel Pagan

— 3 —

More fun Amazon.Com reviews. Apparently, people haven’t seen enough hilarious Amazon.Com reviews because this one was shared on Facebook on Wednesday. Even better, the things that “other customers viewed” are other joke Amazon.Com reviews.

— 4 —

Contemporary Worship Humor. Priest’s Wife shared this on Twitter this week:

It’s hysterically funny because it’s so true. I could walk into Bayside Church or any of the other megachurches in Sacramento and I could find a copy of this.

— 5 —

Orphans. Do you see these adorable kids?

BrettKaia

Brett (on the left) needs a mama and Kaia (on the right) has a family who needs help raising the funds to bring her home. If you can help out at all, click on their pictures. Please and thank you!

— 6 —

Mysteries. I’m currently reading A Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny and it’s her normal excellence. It’s hard to find a suitable adjective for the feeling that her mysteries evoke. It’s “dark” in the way that dark chocolate (with a high percentage of cacao) and I guess “somber” is the other adjective. She’s a crime writer in real life and she does an excellent job of portraying the darkness of our souls. Is “chiaroscuristic” a word? That’s probably the best term.

— 7 —

Prayer request. I am in allergy hell at the moment because every freaking plant is reproducing and we’re having lots of wind which is blowing it around. I’m not sleeping well because my face is congested, I’m coughing up nasty looking things, and the congestion is giving me wicked headaches. Could you please pray for some relief from it for me? Thanks!

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: April 8, 2013

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY April 8, 2013

Outside my window… dark. We just got back from So Cal where it rained hard this morning, blew the car around going over the passes on I-5 between LA and Bakersfield. It was windy during most of the drive home and temperate when we rolled in around 7:45 p.m.

I am thinking… about way too many things right now which is why I’m blogging to empty my brain.

I am thankful… for our house sitter who shampooed our carpet in the living room. Can we say “going above and beyond the call of duty?”

In the kitchen… food brought home from my in-laws.

I am wearing… black Arabic “We will not be silent” shirt and navy blue “Left Behind” shorts.

I am creating… nothing at the moment.

I am going… to hope my packed week stays relatively quiet.

I am wondering… what my dreams will hold tonight.

I am reading… Maphead by Ken Jennings. I also finished a bunch of Mary Daheim “Alpine” murder mysteries this weekend.

I am hoping… for interesting dreams tonight.

I am looking forward to… my massage on Friday.

Around the house… unpacking to do.

I am pondering… too many things.

A favorite quote for today… “I must say my prayers today whether I feel devout or not; but that is only as I must learn my grammar if I am ever to read the poets.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… Coca Cola.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Morning Prayer/editing tomorrow, Daniel’s well-child appointment on Wednesday, WIC appointment on Thursday, eye appointment and massage on Friday, and Respite Night on Saturday night.

A peek into my day… My in-laws’ new cat Tony.

My in-laws' new cat Tony.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook