Category Archives: Daily Life

7 Quick Takes: Introducing Kaia, Starching Snowflakes, and Cats Playing with Ribbons

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Brett now OFFICIALLY has a mama and papa. You know my Reece’s Rainbow kid Brett? Court was held on Monday in his region and his parents’ adoption request was granted. There’s a 10-day waiting period so the verdict can be recorded (this is Eastern Europe — things move slowly) and then they can spring him. Meanwhile, they’re preparing to go to court for his adopted sister Delilah. So… prayers answered!!!

— 2 —

As Brett is now taken care of and will be in the States in a few weeks, I asked to be allowed to have another child for whom I could advocate as a Guardian Angel. I had seen Kaia mentioned in the Reece’s Rainbow group on Facebook and her picture stuck with me as did the words in her profile:


Kaia has pretty green eyes, what a little dolly! She should be heading to kindergarten next year, not the institution.

She is the beautiful little china doll on my sidebar. Her adoption grant is currently only $5.00 — can we increase it this week? Please and thank you. (As of midnight on 12/8, her grant is now at $15. My deepest thanks to whoever donated to do that.)

— 3 —

My snowflakes were a hit last night. I starched them on Tuesday using this method and as they weren’t completely dry by Wednesday afternoon, I spent some time with a blowdryer on them while exhorting them to stiffen. The blowdrying worked and the person who received them in the ornament/decoration exchange loved them. She’s a fellow crocheter so I’ll be sticking the pattern and starching instructions in her box on Sunday.

— 4 —

At the same ornament/decoration exchange during Ladies’ Night Out, I got a beautiful ceramic angel. It was wrapped beautifully and had a long green ribbon which immediately went into my purse. All my crazy cat ladies can probably guess the rest of the story: Edda and her siblings got extra playtime last night. It was comical to see Freya (our little butterball gremlin) going absolutely crazy and Finian (my fluffybutt) was also pretty funny.

— 5 —

I’m “occupying Advent”. I decided to take on blogging as an Advent discipline and am following Beth Anne’s tasks as my subjects. You can find other people’s efforts using the hashtag #AdventPhotoADay.

— 6 —

This is disturbing. My mom sent me a video from the Today Show about a trick thieves are using to get into hotel rooms. It disturbs me that the makers of the locks used by most hotel rooms has known since July and is suggesting band-aid solutions and not upgrading the locks free of charge. Hotels are also feigning ignorance which irritates me.

— 7 —

Who’s up for meatless Fridays? Thomas of Identified Catholic is hosting a link-up of what people are eating on Fridays as an effort to do communal penance during Advent. The USCCB is pondering a return to the practice and I’m participating during Advent in solidarity with my Catholic friends who are taking it on.

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

December 4: My Favorite Cross

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My favorite cross

My task today was to show my favorite Cross. The obvious answer is “the one Jesus died on” but I don’t happen to have any relics of the True Cross on hand, so we’ll go with this one. 🙂

The Irish-American in me is partial to Celtic crosses and this is one that I picked up at the Tapestry and Talent street fair in 1996. My mom gave me the chain and I think it’s been one of the few of mine that hasn’t broken. (I’m vicious on chains.) I love it because of the intricate knotwork on it that includes flowers.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 4, 2012

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 4th, 2012

Outside my window… dark. It’s just past midnight here.

I am thinking… about what I need to get done tomorrow. It totally makes sense that I’m up crocheting and blogging, right?

I am thankful… that I finished ornaments yesterday. I just need to starch them tomorrow. Also, I’m immensely thankful that Brett’s parents prevailed when court was held yesterday and he is now officially theirs.

In the kitchen… dishes to do.

I am wearing… Old Navy shirt and fleece pajama bottoms.

I am creating… stockings for two adorable kids.

I am going… nowhere if I can help it.

I am wondering… which kid to take on as a Guardian Angel once Brett is home. Possibly Kaia?

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’ve gotten through the introduction and first chapter and I’m loving it.

I am hoping… tomorrow goes well.

I am learning how to starch my snowflakes.

Around the house… *places fingers in ears* I can’t hear you!!!!

I am pondering… too many things to list.

A favorite quote for today… ??The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things — praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts — not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.?? ? C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… simple double crochet.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Ladies’ Night Out on Wednesday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

December 3: Advent Wreath

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The Advent wreath at Metanoia

The task for today is the Advent wreath. As we don’t have one at home (3 year old + fire is not a good thing), I bugged Jon to get a picture of the one at Metanoia (his parish) for me. It’s a pretty one.

For those who don’t know, the wreath is part of Christian tradition. There are 4 candles (3 blue/purple and 1 rose) and the center white candle is the Christ candle. You light a blue/purple candle on the first two Sundays, the rose one on the 3rd Sunday, the last blue/purple candle on the last Sunday (closest to Christmas Eve) and the white candle in the middle on Christmas.

December 2: Something I Made

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I'm a special little snowflake.

Beth Anne’s task for today is something I made. In the spirit of winter and Advent, I decided to use a picture of my latest crocheting project for this. We have an ornament exchange at my church’s Ladies’ Night Out this month and rather than support the economy of a repressive regime with forced abortions and human rights abuses China, I decided to make a couple crocheted snowflakes and get some pretty ribbon to use to hang them. I’m heading to JoAnn Fabrics tomorrow to get the ribbon and some spray starch to see if I can get them to flatten out.

I’m also a bit worried that one of my “special” people at the church is going to criticize my snowflakes if she gets them because she’s a bit of a drama queen that way. Still… it’s the thought that counts and I also wanted something that’s different from something everyone else is going to have.

OK… this isn’t faith-related but it has to do with ethics?

Occupying Advent

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Advent starts in a few days and I’ve decided to do some faith blogging as an Advent discipline. It’s a penitential season of sorts but it’s all about waiting and anticipating as well. Since our commercial celebration of Christmas in this country turns me into the Grinch, I’m hoping that doing this will temper that a bit.

My friend Beth Anne has a photo contest going and I think I’ll probably do that and blog about the pictures I post. It should at least focus me on something other than grumping every time a secular Christmas song comes on when I’m at the store.