Category Archives: Web Schtuff

7 Quick Takes: Thank God It’s Almost Friday!

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Because I *TOTALLY* want to start a battle on here today! Seriously, who has natural births these days? It’s, like, so primitive of people. [/snark]

BabyCenter: Why no one should ever throw shade at c-sections

Seriously, I hope y’all can have the birth experience you want and if you didn’t for whatever reason, it doesn’t make you any less of a mama. So please, for the love of all things holy, stop whining about how c-sections are so crappy and unnecessary and going off on how natural birth is *SO* much superior. My c-section was the best birth experience possible: mama lived and baby lived. End of story.

— 2 —

If you send a mom an email… Angie of The Jammie Girl had a delightful post about what happens if you send a mom an email. (It’s a parody of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.)

— 3 —

Getting Ella some wheels. There has been some crowdsourcing this week to try and get a sport wheelchair for the daughter of blogger Rebecca Frech. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas has been being buttheaded about approving an appropriate wheelchair for Ella and so some bloggers decided to do something about it. Since Rebecca gave up cursing for Lent, people created an online swear jar for the purpose of raising the $$$$ for Ella’s chair. Blue Cross/Blue Shield has since relented (after a brief Twitter campaign) and is working with Rebecca but if you’d like to help out, you can go here.

Kelly of This Ain’t The Lyceum put together a positively *LOVELY* video on the subject (being more than familiar with “negotiating” these things):

— 4 —

Update on the Lenten disciplines. I seriously almost cried yesterday morning because I had a late night on Tuesday night while working on taxes and had to be at Daniel’s school at 8 to meet with the school psychologist about some IEP-related things before heading to Bible study. A can of Coke would have been *REALLY* useful… but I promised Jesus not to consume any until April 5th at midnight. *grumbles* Instead, I stopped at the $tarbux inside one of the local grocery stores and got my iced vanilla latté with whole milk.

The offering up of my day on behalf of someone else has been a blessing as it’s allowing me to try and do something to benefit others even if I don’t have the time and resources to do it in person.

— 5 —

Good customer service. I had to go to Staples on Monday for a new “binder of fun” because the one I use for education was getting too full. When I was checking out, I was having to get my debit card out one-handed because my other hand was holding on to Daniel. The assistant manager took it upon herself to talk to him and try to entertain him while I was doing this. I thanked her for this and she told me that when I come in, he will always be treated like a person.

If you’re in the La Verne area, please go patronize them. 🙂

— 6 —

Plans for my 35th birthday. I turn 35 years old on May 19th and I decided to do a Promise Walk for Preeclampsia instead of getting a mid-life crisis tattoo. Details (and my SUPER-SECRET last name) are here.

And yes, I am *TOTALLY* taking a page from Kelly on this one. 😉

— 7 —

Love. As I was leaving Bible study on Wednesday, one of the women called after me that she hadn’t received her hug. Given that this woman is 94 years old and reminds me so incredibly much of my grandma, I definitely raced back to hug her. She kissed my cheek and told me that she loved me.

My day was totally made. 🙂

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

7 Quick Takes: An End to an Intense Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

The color of the dress. There was a debate online today about the color of the dress that someone posted on Tumblr. (Here’s a link to one of the articles on it for those who are interested.) The answer: it’s blue/black or white/gold depending on the light and angle at which you are viewing the picture.

— 2 —

Thank you. Thank you to those who have emailed or messaged me on Facebook over the last few days to express your condolences on the deaths of Trail Kitty and Cullen. It means a great deal to me. I think I’m dealing better with Cullen’s death than Jon is because I was present for it and I know he didn’t suffer. It was also the humane thing to do because apparently, he was having problems moving.

I am eternally grateful to Audrey, the woman who adopted my boys, because she’s given them a wonderful retirement home as they are now retired church cats. She lives in a retirement community for church workers so it is definitely fitting.

— 3 —

Midweek Lenten Soup Suppers. For those of my readership who are Catholic or Orthodox, a number of liturgical Protestant denominations have midweek Lenten soup suppers where people sign up to bring soup and other people bring salads and desserts. (My husband’s internship supervisor commented on Ash Wednesday 2003 that “Catholics fast, Lutherans eat.” At my Episcopal church, 4-5 people sign up to bring soup (homemade or store-bought — both are acceptable), 2 people bring salads, 2 people bring bread, and 2 people bring cookies. Last night, we had four options: egg drop, tomato bisque, chicken tortilla soup, and goulash. I went with the goulash as I’m allergic to eggs and the tomato base of the other two doesn’t sit well with my stomach. It was different than the goulash I was picturing — it was macaroni, ground beef, tomato paste, and a little bit of cheese to hold it together. I definitely needed some comfort food and it did not disappoint! We also do “Lenten interest groups” and mine is on prayer, so that was pretty fun.

— 4 —

A “liberal” reason to hate Susan G. Komen. Some of my Catholic friends are against Susan G. Komen because they get funds from Planned Parenthood. Well… now there’s a “liberal” reason to hate them: they’re partnered with Baker Hughes, a fracking company. They made a $100,000 donation to Komen and are passing out pink drill bits to their fracking sites.

If you’re disgusted by this (especially as 25% of the more than 700 chemicals used in fracking are carcinogenic), sign this petition.

— 5 —

An update on the whole “read the Bible in a year” thing. I just got through Leviticus in the Old Testament which was pretty dry and I’m in Numbers right now which is only marginally better. This is probably why my AP English teacher told us to to read Exodus but not take note of all the specs for the ark of the covenant unless we wanted to build one. 🙂 I continue to be introduced to some wonderful Psalms (strangely, there are some I haven’t read before even though there’s at least one in the lectionary every Sunday) and I’m now into Luke’s Gospel in the New Testament.

— 6 —

Update on Lenten disciplines. When my mother-in-law saw me opening the last can of Coke in the house on Sunday, I may or may not have said something along the lines of “Yes, this is a can of Coke. Sundays are mini-Easters. Don’t judge me!!!!” Yeah… I’m doing just *SO* well at my abstaining of Coke for Lent. 🙂 Otherwise, my prayers are at least happening and I’m getting the extra reading done daily.

— 7 —

Keeping myself sane. Megan at Clearing the Sill of the World introduced me to the wonderfulness that is Tim Hawkins 3 Lents ago and I’m re-posting his “hedge of protection” sketch because it’s one of my go-to YouTube videos when I need some levity.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: February 15, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY February 15, 2015

Outside my window… warm. Weather.Com is saying it’s 75F outside at 5:22 p.m. and I believe them. I know everyone on the eastern seaboard is going to throw things at me (especially any readers around Boston) but I miss living in places with snow. I actually had to shave my legs last night!!!! (I don’t usually have to in the winter.)

I am thinking… about my camera that bit the dust just now. Oh well… it served me well for 12 years.

I am thankful… that Daniel can (usually) entertain himself while I shower.

In the kitchen… teryaki chicken and potatoes. (Eating a combination of leftovers.)

I am wearing… Run for the Little Flowers 5K shirt and khaki shorts.

I am praying for… sanity (like that’s going to happen!), a good night’s sleep, a call for Jon, and a bunch of special intentions.

I am going… to be wearing flip-flops for the next few days until the top of my right foot stops hurting from the burns. (I burned it checking Daniel’s bathwater.)

I am wondering… what the 50 Shades of Grey junkies thought when they realized they were watching full-on pr0n.

I am reading… the Bible. I finished Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews this morning during my pedicure.

I am hoping… Daniel goes down without too much of a fight tonight.

I am looking forward to… Daniel having normal school weeks and not having Mondays off for holidays.

I am hearing… Daniel playing with his tablet.

Around the house… laundry cycling and various cleaning robots working.

One of my favorite things… Coca Cola. It is disappearing for Lent though.

A few plans for the rest of the week: tea on Tuesday afternoon with a family friend, pancakes at church on Tuesday night, Ash Wednesday things on Wednesday, and whatever else the week holds for me.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

Blogs That You May Not Be Reading, But You Should Be: A Link-Up

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Erica at Saint Affairs had the idea of featuring “under-appreciated” blogs during the Sheenazing Awards. As many of the people in my Bloglovin are not big-time bloggers, I thought I’d share and give a few of them a shout-out.

Blogs That You May Not Be Reading, But You Should Be

Fear Not Little Flock: Priest’s Wife and I have been friends for four years and we comiserate frequently about life as a clergy spouse. Her husband is a Byzantine Catholic priest (hence the reason he is allowed to be married) and she writes quite a bit on Eastern Catholicism. I recommend her post on what her weekend looks like.

Laughing Joyously: I got to know Claire through the 7 Quick Takes when it was still over at ConversionDiary.Com. I find her commentary on politics and ethics to be well-reasoned and it’s hard to believe sometimes that she is only a freshman in college. I recommend her post on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, the autoimmune disease she has.

Keeping It Real: Diary of a Not-Very Indian Girl is pretty interesting. Sue talks about Catholicism from an Indian perspective and she tends to read American mommy bloggers which means that she’s keeping some strange company. 🙂 She wrote an amazing piece on Christian persecution in India today.

Restless Until I Rest in Thee: Agnes is a pharmacy student who blogs about her studies, her marriage, and her cat. 🙂 She’s looking at being a pediatric pharmacist in a hospital which warms my heart — I’ve dealt with some wonderful ones.

Go see the others featured in this link-up!

New Year’s Questions!

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Beth Anne tagged me for this meme (that she procrastinated in filling out). I have no desire to tag anyone so I’m just doing this for fun and to have something to do while icing a swollen foot.

Four names that people call me:

1. Jen

2. Jenni

3. Lepicat (college email address)

4. Jenni-fur (mother-in-law)

Four jobs I have had:

1. Camp counselor

2. Library Assistant

3. Bookseller (Barnes & Noble)

4. Administrative assistant for an import brokerage owned by UPS

Four movies I have seen more than once:

1. Forrest Gump

2. The Princess Bride

3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

4. The Birdcage

Four books I’d recommend:

1. Surprised by Joy

2. What’s So Amazing about Grace?

3. A Year of Biblical Womanhood

4. The Chronicles of Narnia

Four Places I’ve Lived:

1. Santa Cruz, CA

2. Bexley, OH

3. Madison, MN

4. Galata, MT

Four Places I Have Been:

1. Dublin, Ireland

2. Lethbridge, Alberta

3. London, England

4. Salt Lake City, UT (Not Mormon but I seriously love SLC!)

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:

1. A redwood forest

2. Asleep

3. Seattle

4. Not staring at laundry to be put away

Four Things I Don’t Eat:

1. Broccoli

2. Spam

3. Thai food

4. Mexican food

Four of My Favorite Foods:

1. Sushi

2. Lamb gyros

3. Lamb kebab

4. My mother-in-law’s chocolate peppermint vegan cupcakes

Four Things I’m Looking Forward to This Year:

1. Making healthier choices

2. Possibly getting my mid-life crisis tattoo

3. Seeing what God has in store for me 🙂

4. Daniel hopefully starting to talk more.

Four Things I’m Saying:

1. “Seriously?!?!?!?!?”

2. “Yeah… no.”

3. “What the fur?!?!?!?!?” (I live in a house of cat-punsters.)

4. “Gentle hands!”

Four People I’m tagging:

Nobody. 🙂

7 Quick Takes: NFC Championship Game, Police Lip-Syncing, and

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

NFC Championship Game. I was watching the game in Seattle with my extended family which was pretty entertaining because Green Bay was shutting out Seattle until almost the 4th Quarter… and then came back to win in OT. I think it’s probably for the best that my long-suffering sister-in-law (she’s married to my evil twin) wasn’t watching the game with us — she’s a Green Bay fan and there would have been some good-natured abuse directed at her.

— 2 —

Crocheting. The yarn for Daniel’s big boy blanket arrived just as I was leaving on Friday so I stuffed a couple skeins into my laptop bag and started the blanket while flying to Seattle. I’m almost two skeins in and had to order more because I’m pretty sure that the 5 skeins I have are not enough. Oh well… I’ve got about 2.5 months to get this done and I can catch-up on all my TV stuff while I work on it.

— 3 —

Apparently, some people think I’m “sheenazing”. Click on the image to vote for me in the “Best Blog by a Non-Papist” category. Please and thank you. 🙂

I'm Sheenazing.

While you’re voting, I’d really appreciate your votes for Mary of Passionate Perseverance in the “Most Inspiring Blog” and the “Miss Congeniality” categories. She deserves to win both this year purely because of how much encouragement she gave to us other moms of special needs kids while she was watching her daughter Courtney slowly die. She is honestly a bright spot in the Catholic blogosphere.

— 4 —

Totes amused. I have relatives who are in law enforcement so I’m finding this pretty awesome. 🙂

I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I know a Taylor Swift song…

— 5 —

This is pretty cool. A Massachusetts teacher won $150,000 and donated it all back to the school. Ellen had her on the show and gave her a few surprises. This video seriously restores some of my faith in humanity and it also makes me love Target even more.

— 6 —

Coming attractions. I tried writing the post on being a Titus 2 woman last night but fell asleep. I’m going to try and get it up this weekend.

— 7 —

New Year’s resolution updates. Today’s plank time was 3 minutes. I am having some bursitis issues so I’m having to do a modified version of it. I tried being up for the whole 3 minutes but had to quit halfway because Jon needed to get into our room to get ready for pastoral meetings. (I was doing the plank on the floor of our bedroom.) Oh well… I can try for the whole 3 minutes tomorrow!

The Bible reading is on track and I’m really enjoying it.

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

#5Faves: Miscellanea (XXVI)

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#5Faves

One

Kelly. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t gone to read This Ain’t The Lyceum, you need to hurry as fast as your browser can load to do so. She has a wonderful post up today about the Sheenazing awards. Girlfriend also created a planner which is made of awesome.

Two

Stalking my possessions. This week’s installment of “where is Jen’s stuff” involves a shipment of yarn for a blankie that I will be crocheting for Daniel’s birthday in April. The last record of it was leaving Illinois on the 12th and I’m hoping it arrives on Friday before I have to leave for the airport so I can take some of it to Washington with me when I fly up that evening.

Three

Nights when Daniel stays in his own bed. It’s a bit unnerving to wake up and find one more body on the bed than there was when you went to sleep. I don’t know why he is waking up at midnight but that’s when he usually climbs into bed with us. Right now, he’s in a bit of an awkward position so I’m going to have to move him when I’m done with this post.

Four

Fernando Ortega. His music brings me closer to God. What I especially love about his music, especially when he covers older hymns, is that he leaves the verses about the Cross intact. The Cross is so central to our faith as Christians and I love that he gets that.

Five

Family. I will get to see my 94 year old grandma this weekend (I haven’t seen her in 4 years) and various other family members. I am so excited!

Go love up Jenna and the others.