Author Archives: Jen

About Jen

Jen isn't quite sure when she lost her mind, but it is probably documented here on Meditatio. She blogs because the world needs her snark at all hours of the night... and she probably can't sleep anyway.

#5Faves: Miscellanea (XLIX)

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#5Faves

One

la harpe de melodie. This is the YouTube channel of a woman who is a fabulous harpist and vocalist. From what I can tell of her channel, she does Celtic music and early/medieval/renaissance music which are two of my favorite genres. Here are two songs I am liking after discovering her only 15 minutes ago.

Two

My mom. She made sure I got some down time to watch NCIS and crochet this weekend as well as backing me up with Daniel when needed.

Three

This piece on the Rosary. This piece in America magazine resonates with me though I am more introverted when I pray. I have a full Catholic rosary in my purse from Sara, a chaplet from Rebecca that I use on my walks when I pray, and a couple Anglican rosaries from my priest and from a class I took at church during Lent. I find that the beads help me to focus and pray when I need to not be distracted. I am using the Jesus Prayer more often than the Rosary these days but both provide me with words for prayer when I have none.

Four

Sara Groves. I first heard of her on Valentine’s Day 2008 when I was driving to work and listening to Your Network of Praise. It seems like every time I find a new song that seems to describe my life, she is singing it. She has also teamed up with International Justice Mission, one of my favorite charities for advocacy purposes. Her website is here.

Five

Words with Friends. It’s brainless enough to let me think through things while I play and I enjoy trying to put together fabulous moves.

Go love up Jenna and the others.

31 Days of Gluten-Free Life: In Back of the Bread

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31 Days of Gluten-Free Life

When I went to Girl Scout camp as a camper, CIT, and then counselor, there was a grace we used to sing:

In back of the bread is the flour.
In back of the flour is the mill.
In back of the mill is the wind and the rain
And the Father’s will.

There’s even a YouTube video of it:

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about Jon’s parishioners in Montana who were wheat and barley farmers. With all the crap going around the Internet about the dangers of eating wheat and how gluten-free life is superior, I think about them because the way I’m eating at the moment would mean the loss of livelihood if people gave up eating wheat on a larger scale. It’s why I haven’t read all the Wheatbelly stuff which smacks of new-agey Oprahesque science — cutting carbs is all well and good but there are people who raise organic wheat out there (I know many of them!) and aren’t dousing their field with pesticides. The Wheatbelly craze has the potential to affect them negatively and I’m not chill with that.

And again, I find the Wheatbelly stuff to be good medicine inasmuch as the quack Dr. Oz is good medicine, which is to say. NOT AT ALL.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: October 12, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 12, 2015

Outside my window… dark. I have no idea what temperatures were here because I was gone from Friday morning until tonight but I heard something about triple digits. Yuck!

I am thinking… about whether I would have stood up and proclaimed my Christian faith had I been in the room with the Umpqua Community College shooter. I probably would have done so… which I’m pretty sure would scare the pants off my non-believer parents.

I am thankful… for Promise FM. I’m in the midst of making some hard decisions and it was really helpful to have songs outlining God’s promises for my life while I was driving through central California today!

In the kitchen… didn’t cook today but probably some gluten-free mac n’ cheese tomorrow.

I am wearing… green shirt and capri sweats.

I am going… to be playing “catch up” tomorrow after being gone for four days.

I am wondering… about a lot of things right now.

I am reading… Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson.

I am hoping… school goes well for Daniel tomorrow.

I am looking forward to… Bible study on Wednesday!

I am hearing… nothing.

A Daniel story for today… Mr. Boy usually comes and crawls onto my bed around 11 pm or midnight and he even tucked himself in tonight.

Around the house… silence — everyone but me is asleep.

A favorite quote for today… “Do one thing every day that scares you.” — Eleanor Roosevelt. I chose this one because my mom quotes it to me frequently. (Dealing with social service agencies is not for the faint-hearted!)

One of my favorite things… discovering new artists or lesser known works by established artists of the musical variety.

A few plans for the rest of the week: catching up on errands and paperwork tomorrow, Bible study and probably a quiet service on Wednesday, soccer practice on Thursday, and Matt’s Run on Saturday before Daniel’s soccer game.

A peek into my day… Some of the new songs I heard this weekend:

“This Little Light of Mine” by Addison Road

“Painting Pictures of Egypt” by Sara Groves

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

31 Days of Gluten-Free Life: Attempting to Make Smart Decisions

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31 Days of Gluten-Free Life

I was half-craving Arby’s today and saw one I could go through while I was on I-5 heading home. I was all prepared to go through, order 2 Jr. Roast Beef sandwiches to dissect and remove the beef when I saw that they only served Pepsi products. As a Coke drinker, this is blasphemy and besides… Pepsi tastes like chemicals!!!

I was feeling all good about myself for feeling mindful of my eating and not wasting food until I ended up at Carl’s Jr. for dinner… and ended up dissecting the lettuce wrap they made me because I hate lettuce and could not stomach the thought of using it as a bun. Yeah Jen… way to not waste food!

Anyway, my adventures in *NOT* eating gluten have made me aware of what I *could* be eating on the road and why I should be avoiding it. Now to put it into practice…

31 Days of Gluten-Free Life: Craving Bread

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31 Days of Gluten-Free Life

One of the serious cravings I am having at the moment is for bread. It’s funny because I normally don’t eat much of it but I think the fact that I can’t have it is making me want it more. It’s severe enough that I almost mugged my mom for her sandwich yesterday!

The bread products I am missing are…

sourdough bread
potato bread
tortillas
buns (for fast food)

I head home from northern California tomorrow and I’m trying to come up with ideas for fast food on the road that don’t involve bread. Easier said than done!