7 Quick Takes: Kelly’s Lobster, A Mama for Brett, and a Plug for the Promise Walk

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7 Quick Takes

Kelly got a Liebster Award and tagged everyone with a last name between G and P. Both my legal and married names count so…

— 1 —

Favorite creamer for your coffee. If I use one at all, it’s probably vanilla-flavored. I need my coffee to taste like ice cream.

— 2 —

Favorite cartoon show from your childhood. Easy. The Smurfs. My parents transferred all of our tapes of them over to DVD a few years back.

— 3 —

Your go to meal on Fridays in Lent. These days I’m having problems eating because of stress so my big meal for the day is usually clam chowder in a bread bowl from Panera. Otherwise, it’s a simple salad, apples with peanut butter, or Greek yogurt.

— 4 —

Blogger you’d like to meet in person (besides Kelly, obviously.) My friend @katerintree on Twitter and any of the #Cathsorority chicas.

— 5 —

A book everyone else raves about that you can’t stand. The Promise-Driven Life by Rick Warren — I think I threw the book against the wall at least 5 times daily while attempting to read it.

— 6 —

Orphans. Do you see this handsome boy?

Brett

Brett needs a mama. Are you his mama? Click on his picture for more information.

— 7 —

Promise Walk for Preeclampsia. I’m the survivor chosen to speak this year and I would greatly appreciate it if you would sponsor me.

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

Lenten Music Monday: All My Hope on God Is Founded

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Next week will be the last Lenten Music Monday until next year. I thankfully had a choice for hymns this week based on the readings and I went with “All My Hope on God Is Founded”. The writer of the words, Joachim Neander, is one of my favorite hymn writers (and yes, I’m geeky enough to have a few) and the music is by one of my favorite British composers.

Here are the words:

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew,
me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.

Pride of man and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
tower and temple fall to dust.
But God’s power,
hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.

God’s great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendor, light and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
newborn worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth the almighty Giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ, his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.

Here is the choir of King’s College Cambridge singing it:

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: April 7, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY April 7, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It was in the 80’s today.

I am thinking… about stuff I need to get done this week.

I am thankful… for Daniel’s 5th birthday today.

In the kitchen… dishes to do. *sighs*

I am wearing… Online Debate Team t-shirt and black running shorts.

I am praying for… my knee to heal, about how to handle Daniel being defiant, for a special intention, for the ability to forgive…

I am going… to try and get some writing and copy-editing done tomorrow.

I am wondering… when PG&E is going to fix the cement they knocked out in the backyard.

I am reading… The Alpine Yeoman by Mary Daheim. I finished Killer Physique by G.A. McKevett this weekend and Jesus: A Pilgrimage by Fr. Jim Martin is still on hold until I get through all the murder mysteries that showed up for me all of a sudden. I’m also still reading through A Season for the Spirit by Fr. Martin Smith as part of my Lenten discipline.

I am hoping… I’m not having to rest my knee for too long — Daniel is on Spring Break next week and I don’t want to be limping after him.

I am looking forward to… my massage on Friday.

I am hearing a podcast by Frederica Mathewes-Green on “toxic charity”.

Around the house… dishes to do, laundry to fold, and vacuuming to do.

I am pondering… too many things at the moment.

One of my favorite things… iced tea/lemonade from Trader Joe’s.

A few plans for the rest of the week: ABA therapy every afternoon this week, haircut on Thursday, counseling on Friday morning, and massage on Friday afternoon.

A peek into my day… This was the first time I got to hold Daniel in April 2009.

Me holding Daniel for the first time in April 2009.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

The Reason for My Lack of Posting Lately

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I’ve gotten a couple Facebook messages and emails asking if I’m OK because I haven’t posted in about a week or so.

The answer: sort of.

As many of you who have been around my blog for a while are aware, I’m a survivor of HELLP Syndrome and my son Daniel was born at 29.5 weeks in an attempt to save both of our lives. As a way of healing from what happened, I got involved with the Preeclampsia Foundation and I’ve been involved with the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia since 2011. This year, I’m the survivor speaker and they needed my speech last week because they’re using it for promotional materials. It was a really hard speech for me to write because it involved going back into a very dark place. I did get it written though and if you want to read it, click on “continue reading”.

If you want to sponsor me, click here.

Continue reading →

Lenten Music Monday: Per Crucem

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It’s late, I’m singularly unfocused at the moment, and I’ve decided to delve into Taizé prayer for this purpose. It’s Lent so “Per Crucem” seemed fitting.

The words are:

Per crucem et passionem tuam
Libera nos Domine, libera nos Domine, libera nos Domine, Domine

Per crucem et passionem tuam
Libera nos Domine, libera nos Domine, libera nos Domine, Domine

Per sanctam resurrectionem tuam
Libera nos Domine, libera nos Domine, libera nos Domine, Domine

Here’s a recording of it sung in canon.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: March 30, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY March 30, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It was nice today though — in the 60’s.

I am thinking… about everything on my plate this week.

I am thankful… that my trip to see my parents yesterday went well and that I was able to see my evil twin.

In the kitchen… apples and peanut butter for dinner. Food is still icky at the moment.

I am wearing… Online Debate Team t-shirt and black sweats.

I am praying for… the strength to get through unpleasant things between now and Friday, for discernment, for the ability to forgive, and for various people.

I am going… to try and get my taxes done tomorrow.

I am wondering… what the heck is with Brian Wilson’s hair! He also totally blew the save tonight against San Diego! #BeatLA

I am reading… Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James Martin, S.J. (which is on hold for a couple days), A Season for the Spirit by Fr. Martin Smith, and assorted murder mysteries from the library that have been on hold for me. I finished Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke yesterday on the way down to San Jose and got partway into The Chocolate Book Bandit by Joanna Carl.

I am hoping… that either Daniel’s eye appointment or the PTM on Wednesday get cancelled and unable to be rescheduled because I’m not feeling like dealing with either one. I’m probably out of luck on both counts though.

I am looking forward to… Date Night on Saturday.

I am hearing the Roomba.

Around the house… dishes to do, laundry to do and fold, and a kitchen to clean.

A favorite quote for today… “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.” — Douglas Adams
One of my favorite things…

A few plans for the rest of the week: doing taxes tomorrow, eye appointment for Daniel on Tuesday, PTM on Wednesday, possibly Ladies’ Night Out on Thursday, counseling and (possibly) massage on Friday, and Date Night on Saturday. Oh yes… and ABA therapy every afternoon from Tuesday to Friday.

A peek into my day… When we were down with my parents yesterday, my mom asked me to hold on to Daniel so she could take something out of the oven and not have him get burned. I decided to hold him… upside down.

Me holding Daniel so that Mom can take something out of the oven.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

7 Quick Takes: Only Six This Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Posting later than usual. I usually have these written on Thursday night to post as soon as the link-up page goes up. (I’m on the West Coast so it’s 10 p.m. PDT for me.) Last night, however, my mind was a little too scattered so I decided to just skip this week. Then, I was awoken this morning by my clowder (the word for a collective of cats) who apparently can see the bottom of their food dish and felt that 5 a.m. was an appropriate time to tell me. (Cats, you are SOL. Go wake up the other adult human.) So… here we go!

— 2 —

Orphans. Do you see this handsome boy?

Brett

Brett needs a mama. Are you his mama? Click on his picture for more information.

— 3 —

Prayer request #1. I’ve been chosen to speak at the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia in San Jose this year. (My fundraising page will be public soon.) They’d like to use my 5-7 minute spiel as a fundraising piece so I’m having to get it written by this weekend. Could y’all pray that I can do this? I have no fear of public speaking but I do need to get this written. Please and thank-you.

— 4 —

Prayer request #2. I know I’ve been really vague about my special intention for the last two weeks and I appreciate everyone who has been praying for it. Could you please continue praying for discernment for those involved, that I would be able to forgive, and that I would have consolation and peace in the midst of the waiting game that is going on? Thanks!

— 5 —

A good definition of ABA. For those who read my Simple Woman’s Daybook posts, you probably see me mention ABA therapy every week. This is a good explanation of what it is. For those who don’t have time to read the article, it’s a methodology for working with autistic kids where you achieve the behavior desired through reinforcing it and you modify the behavior by modifying the antecedent (what comes before the behavior).

— 6 —

Stopping here. I honestly don’t have anything else this week so I’m stopping here. Have a lovely weekend!

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