December 12: Favorite Picture of Mary

A view of Mary

Two years ago, my father-in-law (who is active in ecumenical affairs) was invited to a reception for newly-appointed Archbishop José Gomez. Recently diagnosed with cancer, he wasn’t feeling up to driving so he asked if Jon and I could take him to the Cathedral for it. Always eager to check out the local cathedral, we jumped in the car and drove down the 10 to downtown L.A. While my father-in-law was rubbing elbows with amazing people, Jon and I were able to explore. I have beautiful pictures of the tapestries in the main part of the sanctuary (?) as well as the various altars. During the time we were there, there was an exhibition of various interpretations of Mary including one of her in Japanese dress. This picture was my favorite because it shows her being both pensive and joyful.

If you ever have opportunity to visit the cathedral, I recommend it. It’s a magnificent building, a very peaceful space, and the crypt is even more interesting — Gregory Peck is buried there among others.

December 11: Favorite Holiday Song

I’m choosing this one because there are too many religious Christmas songs I love and I avoid secular Christmas music at all costs. It’s catchy and while it’s somewhat sad at the end, it’s also happy because the two are united again.

Yes, I also realize that it’s a YouTube video and not a picture but it’s a fixed image on which text is projected.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 10, 2012

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 10, 2012

Outside my window… dark. It was decent today though I was indoors for most of it being sick and taking care of a sick bear.

I am thinking… nasal congestion is the pits.

I am thankful… Jon stayed home today so I could sleep.

In the kitchen… apples and peanut butter.

I am wearing… white v-neck and plaid shorts. (I’m doing laundry, OK?)

I am creating… snowflakes and Christmas shopping.

I am going… to try and take care of errands tomorrow.

I am wondering… if I will ever be able to eat normally again.

I am reading… A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband “Master” by Rachel Held Evans.

I am hoping… my face decongests.

I am looking forward to… working on stockings tonight.

I am learning that I can actually read crochet patterns.

Around the house… *sticks fingers in ears* I can’t hear youuuuuuu!!!!

A favorite quote for today… ??Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning…?? ? C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… Coke — it’s so bad for me but it’s my comfort substance.

A few plans for the rest of the week: finishing stockings, WIC tomorrow, and hopefully not much else.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

December 10: Bells Ringing

Bell at Mission San Juan Capistrano

I was trying to figure out what to do for this one as I haven’t been out of the house with my camera since Friday. I was on Yahoo News trying to find some ideas when it hit me to use this picture. It’s of a bell at Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. The bell isn’t ringing per se but it could.

December 9: The View from Your Pew

The view from my chair in the back of the church.

This was obviously not taken today because the color of the paraments and banners are wrong. I didn’t make it to church this morning because I was up most of the night with a sick little bear. He has a cold and I probably should have gone in and gotten him at 1:00 a.m. but didn’t think of it. Cue a 3:00 cough-to-vomit on his blankets, me having to change linens, and give him a breathing treatment because I couldn’t find his inhaler and St. Anthony obviously had better things to do than listen to my pleading as to where to find it. The breathing treatment ended up being the better thing because Daniel would consent to curl up with me and watch “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” while the nebulizer was going instead of me having to restrain a screaming toddler who did *NOT* want his inhaler.

December 8: Favorite Saint or Angel

St. Gianna Beretta Molla
(Picture c/o Catholic.Org)

Lutherans view saints as people who we should emulate as examples in the faith and for this reason, I have a number of saints I love. My most recent favorite has been St. Gianna Beretta Molla because she gave her life for her daughter, something I don’t think I could do. If I were to get pregnant again, I would be a really high-risk mama and I think I’d be asking my Catholic friends to pray to her on my behalf.

December 7: What I Ate on Friday

The USCCB is pondering re-instituting the Friday abstinence of meat and my friend Thomas decided to organize a number of people to do meatless Fridays this Advent. He is hosting a “What I Ate on Friday” link-up and as today is a free day for the #AdventPhotoADay peeps, I decided to use this post for both.

I ended up sleeping all morning so my first meal was lunch. Wanting a chance to go someplace and read, I headed to Panera because I needed to head to Elk Grove for errands and I figured they’d have something in a bread bowl that I’d love.

Clam chowder in a bread bowl.

I opted for the clam chowder in a sourdough boule (I am from the San Francisco Bay Area after all) and it was lovely. The penitential part came when I remembered midway through the meal that I hadn’t taken any Bentyl or Lactaid. Yeah… I ended up pretty sick from it as a result. (Thank you IBS!)

My second meal was apples and cheese, figuring that it would probably sit well on my incredibly irritated stomach.

Apples and string cheese;

The string cheese doesn’t bug my stomach for some reason and provides some protein.