Monthly Archives: November 2014

7 Quick Takes: Things for Which I Am Thankful

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

I am thankful that I am not in the ER with Daniel. Let’s just say that Thanksgiving 2011 really stunk and leave it at that.

— 2 —

I am thankful for getting to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law. They are down from Tacoma for the holiday weekend and it has been good to see them for the first time in 6 months. Jeanette (my SIL) and I worked on making the various sides today and she has been a FABULOUS aunt for Daniel.

— 3 —

I am thankful for my in-laws. When I mention that we’re living with in-laws currently, people usually eye me suspiciously and ask how it’s going. The answer: we’re making it work. They’ve been my other set of parents for 14 years (12 of them legally) and I’m not sure I could share a house with anyone else. It takes LOTS of communication and apparently my mother-in-law and I are wired so similarly that people have a hard time believing that we’re not related by blood.

— 4 —

I am thankful for the adorable child sandwiched between Jon and I in the guest bed. He’s a miniature hot water bottle for me and he is a cuddlebug.

— 5 —

I’m thankful that I didn’t engage in any trash-talking with my extended family before the San Francisco-Seattle game today. I think the 49’ers sent in a junior high team against the Seahawks. It was pretty brutal. The next big sporting event for my family is on Saturday when the UW Huskies (my parents’ alma mater) take on the WSU Cougars (where my cousin Sarah goes to school and is in the marching band). It should be… interesting.

— 6 —

I am thankful that I am not homeschooling Daniel this year. I have all the tools to do it, not to mention a mother-in-law who homeschooled both kids from K-12. However, I really don’t have the patience to do it — my personality is like the one of a drill sergeant. When I want Daniel to do things, I want them done correctly the first time and I want immediate obedience. However, 5 year olds do not do well with this approach, especially Daniel. I am more than happy to leave the main part of his education to the professionals.

— 7 —

I am thankful to be done with this entry so I can go to sleep. Good night, y’all!

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: November 23, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY November 23, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It was maybe in the 60’s today. I’m actually blogging earlier than usual as I’m trying to get Daniel to go to sleep (without breaking out the Samuel L. Jackson book) and he won’t go to sleep unless one of us is present. *sigh*

I am thinking… about how much I love the liturgical year and about today being Christ the King Sunday for me as a Lutheran. I’m kind of bummed I missed church this morning because some of my favorite hymns were being sung. (I was having a fibro flare and as Jon had a wedding this afternoon, I needed to rest to have my A game on for Daniel.)

I am thankful… for Gabapentin which helps with the pain. (It’s nerve pain so painkillers like Tylenol and Aleve are useless. And yes, I get asked that frequently.)

In the kitchen… Daniel’s dishes to toss in the dishwasher. I haven’t had dinner yet — I’ll make it after Jon finishes cat chores and takes over putting Daniel down. (We’re in hour 2 of “put-Daniel-to-bed”.)

I am wearing… light gray v-neck shirt and jeans.

I am praying for… closure about Edda (still missing after almost 2 weeks), for finances, for a call for Jon, and for various special intentions regarding family members.

I am going… to go to IKEA with Daniel sometime in the next two days. I haven’t been in 4 years and it would be something to do other than the worksheets that his teacher sent home for this week. Also, I’m puzzling over the fact that she said that she wouldn’t send homework home like that if the parents didn’t want it. Seriously, we could probably get all of them done in about an hour… and that’s with my child who has no attention span. It’s not like this is putting us out at all and I remember always having stuff like that over vacation even in kindergarten. What is with parents these days?!?!?!? (I’m under the assumption that her statement is because parents have complained about actually having to do something with their kid… like read to them.)

I am wondering… what happened to Edda. I miss my lovey little house panther very much.

I am reading… Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton. It’s another in the series of murder mysteries about a woman in Colorado. I also read all of The Chocolate Clown Corpse by Joanna Carl and part of French Pastry Murder by Leslie Meier before I put the latter down due to it failing to keep my attention.

I am hoping… to get the two Christmas stockings done by the time we leave San Jose on Sunday.

I am looking forward to… seeing my family on Wednesday.

I am hearing… Jon feeding cats.

Around the house… cat chores being done and laundry to be folded once Daniel is down and I’ve had a chance to shower.

A favorite quote for today… “I quit church, stopped reading my Bible, gave up on any real semblance of a prayer life — and you know what? He was big enough to take it. His feelings weren’t hurt when I spoke words of doubt instead of faith. He didn’t mind when I cried rather than worshipped. He is God enough to handle this human heart of mine. He didn’t scold me; He didn’t heap “shoulds” or shame on me; He didn’t tell me to let go and let Him. He just sat in The Great Sadness with me.” — Alece Ronzino over at Deeper Story. (Read the rest of it here. HT: Rachel Held Evans.)

One of my favorite things… In-n-Out cheeseburgers with spread and pickles only, fries, and a Coke.

A few plans for the rest of the week: IKEA trip with Daniel, errands, crocheting, driving up to San Jose on Wednesday, and bonding with my family.

A peek into my day… Instead of a picture, I’m going to share an interesting link that I got from Rachel Held Evans.

Gate A-4

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Sad Prayer Requests, Lots of Church Music, and The Big Bang Theory

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Update on my Edda. My princess has been gone for over a week now. The not knowing is the hardest part. I wish we knew if there was any hope of her returning — it would allow me to grieve and get some closure.

— 2 —

Sad prayer request. Please keep Caitlin of Savor His Goodness and her family in prayer. They found out this week that their second baby has no heartbeat.

— 3 —

The Big Bang Theory. I’m trying to get some Christmas crocheting done so I turned on The Big Bang Theory to have something to watch during the brainless parts of the crocheting. I just finished watching the prom episode and am on the one where Leonard has the septoplasty (the surgery to fix his deviated septum). I know I should suspend my disbelief but… they don’t have the gauze on Leonard’s nose the correct way. After a septoplasty, it’s taped *UNDER* the nose to catch the blood dripping out. How do I know this? I had the same surgery in July of 2008.

— 4 —

Church music fun. I’ve been blessed to be part of a choir that has the ability to sing some pretty fabulous music even though we’re a pretty small group (6-7 of us on a Sunday usually).

We did a piece based on a Haydn chorale on November 5th:

This past Sunday, we did a piece by Heinrich Schu?tz (the English translation of it):

This Sunday, we have something more conventional:

Our Christmas Eve music will be the Christmas section of Handel’s “Messiah”. It’s the first time I’ve performed it in 12 years though I definitely have sung along to my CD of it enough times on long car trips. I used to do it with the San Jose Symphonic Choir in high school and college when they’d have their annual “You-Sing-It Messiah” at Christmas and it’s a work I know pretty well.

— 5 —

Regarding “quiet times”. I can’t remember if I’ve shared this link or not but I read a fabulous article on why “quiet times” shouldn’t happen alone. (For non-evangelicals, one’s “quiet time” is one’s personal time for prayer and devotions.) It’s one of the reasons I love being part of a church with a set lectionary — any Scripture I’m reading on my own is read on Sunday mornings in community and it gives everyone a chance to hear and digest it within the parameters of the community so that there is less of a chance of misinterpretation.

— 6 —

I am Scrooge. This is the time of year that makes me more Scrooge-y than usual because I despise the consumerist attitudes that hijack Christmas and make it more about buying stuff and giving the perfect gift rather than it being about the gift of God dwelling amongst us. The signs are already on the street in the Village in Claremont and most stores have all their Christmas signs and decorations up… and it’s only November 21st. We haven’t even had Christ the King Sunday yet, not to mention all of Advent! /rant

— 7 —

I can’t believe it has been a year. A year ago, I was sitting in the sanctuary of Twin Lakes Church in Aptos for the funeral of Gordon Smith, one of the leaders of the college group at the church I attended during most of college. It was great to see people that I hadn’t seen in 12-13 years but I wish it had been a more joyous event. The mother/son duo accused of murdering him goes on trial next March and I still wish they could understand that the man they shot was someone who had given them more chances than humanly possible and who would give them the shirt of his back during a blizzard if they were cold. He chose to work with middle schoolers and college students, two groups where identities are being developed and who need a lot of love. I know he and his wife Joan loved me and stood with me through some of the toughest times in my life and I can hear both his infectious laugh and his very down-to-earth way of telling about the faith he had in Jesus Christ.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: November 17, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY November 17, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It’s almost midnight and as usual, I’m doing this late at night while everyone else sleeps.

I am thinking… about Edda and wondering where she is. (For those not in the know, my black cat Edda disappeared last Wednesday night.)

I am thankful… for my mother-in-law getting Daniel off the bus so I could pull the covers over my head and hide from life for a few hours.

In the kitchen… clean now but various things were made today.

I am wearing… green shirt and black sweats.

I am praying for… Edda to come home or for the grace to come to terms with her being gone, for a call for Jon, and for a number of other intentions.

I am going… to do some more flyering tomorrow to see if we can’t get some information on where Edda is.

I am wondering… what happened to her. (Do you see a theme here?)

I am reading… A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton. I’ve gotten into her murder mysteries big time. I also read and finished my Miss Julia book by Ann B. Ross last week.

I am hoping… Edda does eventually come home.

I am looking forward to… maybe getting a pedicure this week. I need one pretty badly given how cracked and dried out my feet are these days.

I am hearing… Jon snore and Arthur (my in-laws’ citrus cat who is snuggled up at my feet) purring like a Harley Davidson.

Around the house… silence except for Jon and Arthur.

A favorite quote for today… “It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence. Of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the differences between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.

This third Person is called, in technical language, the Holy Ghost or the “spirit” of God. Do not be worried or surprised if you find it (or Him) rather vaguer or more shadowy in your mind than the other two. I think there is a reason why that must be so. In the Christian life you are not usually looking at Him: He is always acting through you. If you think of the Father as something “out there,” in front of you, and of the Son as someone standing at your side, helping you to pray, trying to turn you into another son, then you have to think of the third Person as something inside you, or behind you. Perhaps some people might find it easier to begin with the third Person and work backwards. God is love, and that love works through men – especially through the whole community of Christians. But this spirit of love is, from all eternity, a love going on between the Father and Son.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… playing a good word in Words with Friends on Facebook.

A few plans for the rest of the week: flyering the neighborhood, choir practice on Wednesday, and Date Night at some point. Oh yes… also trying to get the Christmas cards ordered.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Random and Wow!

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Prayer request. Edda, my black cat, didn’t come home last night and we’re worried sick so I’d really appreciate it if you’d pray that she would make her way home. Please and thank you. 🙂

— 2 —

Things to donate this season. My mom shared this top 10 list of things food banks need but won’t ask for and I thought it was good enough to share. This is usually the season when needs increase exponentially so if you can donate any of those items, I’m sure your food bank will thank you profusely.

— 3 —

The required Quick Take about weather now that baseball season is over. It’s been overcast and cool here for the last few days. As a native northern Californian transplanted to the desert, I am positively giddy. I miss living in a place with 4 distinct seasons — something that southern California lacks.

— 4 —

Christmas Eve music. My church choir is talking about doing the Christmas section of Handel’s “Messiah” on Christmas Eve and I’m incredibly excited. I haven’t performed it in 12 years and I’ve missed it. I used to do the “You-Sing-It” Messiah with my mom almost every year in high school and college so I know the music quite well. There’s also a community Messiah sing with the orchestra that my church choir director conducts for and I’m pretty sure I’ll be singing at one of those performances. (There are two of them.)

— 5 —

Death marches. The weather is cool enough here that Daniel and I can take walks in the afternoon — a good thing because my mutant death cold is wiping me out enough that I’m going back to sleep as soon as I get Daniel on the school bus. It wears Daniel out to be walking 2-3 miles and it clears my head. I referred to the walk jokingly as a death march once and my mother-in-law perpetuated the name. Oh well…

— 6 —

New series of murder mysteries. Someone donated a bag of books to the Little Free Library that my mother-in-law runs and in it was all of the murder mysteries by Maggie Sefton. They center around a yarn shop in the fictitious town of Fort Conner, Colorado. (I’m totally aware that “Fort Conner” = “Fort Collins”.) I read the first one in the period of a couple days and am into the second one.

— 7 —

“Say ‘good night’, Gracie.” My eyes are crossing so I need to sign off. Have a lovely weekend, y’all.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly (our guest-hostess-with-the-mostest) at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (XXIV)

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Five Favorites

One

My mother-in-law. In the last 24 hours alone, she has watched Daniel for me, made me some gingerbread to help with my nausea, and made me some comfort food for my lunch. It’s those little things that make her so awesome.

Two

The cooler weather. I hate heat which is why it makes no logical sense that I live in a desert. (Then again, I really didn’t have a choice in the matter and nothing in my life has ever made logical sense.) It’s been chilly in the mornings and it’s supposed to be in the low 70’s for the next 10 days. I am positively giddy.

Three

Sleep. I’ve been having to go back to bed while Daniel is in school this week due to my mutant death cold. I’m not sleeping well at night because I will start coughing if I’m flat on my back. Eventually, I’ll catch up, right?

Four

Reading. I’ve discovered a new series that takes place in a fictional town in Colorado and involves a yarn shop. I believe the author is Maggie Sefton?

Five

The hoodie my mom found for me at Costco. It has polyester fur on the inside and keeps me nice and toasty when I’m helping Daniel put out books in the morning or waiting for the bus to pick him up.

Go love up Jenna and the others.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: November 10, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY November 10, 2014

Outside my window… dark. I’m writing late at night as usual

I am thinking… about who the protagonist in the Miss Julia books reminds me of in my life.

I am thankful… for the life of my former co-worker Karen. One of my favorite memories of her took place in the fall of 2009 when we were sitting and eating lunch with a few other people. The other young 20something woman at the table and I were discussing pregnancy and breastfeeding and I mentioned the things we’d be doing with my next baby. Karen, who had watched my horrific pregnancy with Daniel, interrupted me and exclaimed, “You mean they’re letting you get pregnant again?!?!?!?!?” Believe me, nobody laughed harder than I did because she had a way of speaking whatever was on her mind and doing it in a humorous way.

In the kitchen… my mother-in-law made some fabulous pizza.

I am wearing… green shirt and running shorts.

I am praying for… a call for Jon, healing from cancer for one of my brother’s Boy Scout friends, safety for some friends in Israel right now, and some other special intentions.

I am going… to have to find things to do with Daniel tomorrow which should be interesting because my mother-in-law is probably going to veto him leaving the house after the pukesplosion he had tonight.

I am reading… Miss Julia’s Marvelous Makeover by Ann B. Ross. I finished the latest Jan Karon book this past weekend.

I am hoping… for decent sleep tonight.

I am looking forward to… choir practice on Wednesday.

I am hearing… Jon in the kitchen eating dinner.

Around the house… quiet other than the sounds from the kitchen.

One of my favorite things… ice. It’s horrible for my teeth to chew it but it’s helping with my water intake.

A few plans for the rest of the week: choir practice and whatever comes up otherwise.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.