Category Archives: Faith

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: October 27, 2019

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For Today… October 27, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny. It’s deceptive because it looks warm while it is a bit chilly–about 46F.

I am thinking… about all those affected by the wildfires in California.

I am thankful… to not be in California right now with the fires and power outages. PG&E should be facing criminal charges for the crap their horrible equipment is creating. If they had actually maintained their equipment appropriately and updated safety measures, California wouldn’t be facing this problem.

One of my favorite things… crocheting while watching YouTube.

I am wearing… blue long-sleeved shirt and black khaki-type pants. As usual, I am barefoot.

I am creating… a charcoal-colored ribbed hat.

I am watching… various things on YouTube.

I am hoping… for a good resolution to a situation on my mind. (I’d talk about it, but that would violate some privacy policies and put me at risk of litigation.)

I am learning… that I really need to read EVERY part of a pattern.

In my kitchen… yet to be determined for dinner tonight.

Shared Quote… “Crowley had always known that he would be around when the world ended, because he was immortal and wouldn’t have any alternative. But he hoped it was a long way off. Because he rather liked people. It was major failing in a demon. Oh, he did his best to make their short lives miserable, because that was his job, but nothing he could think up was half as bad as the stuff they thought up themselves. They seemed to have a talent for it. It was built into the design, somehow. They were born into a world that was against them in a thousand little ways, and then devoted most of their energies to making it worse. Over the years Crowley had found it increasingly difficult to find anything demonic to do which showed up against the natural background of generalized nastiness. There had been times, over the past millennium, when he’d felt like sending a message back Below saying, Look we may as well give up right now, we might as well shut down Dis and Pandemonium and everywhere and move up here, there’s nothing we can do to them that they don’t do to themselves and they do things we’ve never even thought of, often involving electrodes. They’ve got what we lack. They’ve got imagination. And electricity, of course. One of them had written it, hadn’t he… ‘Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.'”
? Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

A moment from my day… A lot of churches are celebrating Reformation Day today and my former priest posted this today. I’m kind of dying of laughter while watching this…

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Things on My Mind Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Why do cats pick the most inconvenient place to sleep? Currently, my prince of darkness is curled up on my feet, which is not the most comfortable place to have him. CATS!

— 2 —

My post-op appointment on Tuesday. My lovely Ukrainian OB/GYN showed me pictures of my insides at my appointment on Tuesday. Apparently, my adhesions were more serious than they expected and they were also taken aback by the vascularity they found, so my surgery took longer than expected. It was strange to see pictures of my ovaries–I expected them to look a bit different. In any case, he was happy with the progress of my healing and took the time to answer my questions. He has a very dry sense of humor, and it was good to see it come out. If I need any further treatment, I will request him specifically.

— 3 —

My students. I have several students who are receiving Accounting help from me and one who is getting general computer help. My mind is pondering ways to help them as well as the predicament one is in. (I just sent that student a “pep talk”.)

— 4 —

My CPAP mask. My old one was irritating me, so I decided to try a new one. I think it might grow on me after I get through this first adjustment period.

— 5 —

My crocheting. I made a fatal mistake in a crocheting project and had to frog the whole thing… twice. I’m on try #3 and it just might work out for me. I need to just do that at home and bring my nephew’s baby/big boy blankie when I work with students as that one is more brainless crocheting.

— 6 —

Daniel’s 22q clinic appointment. It’s a “clinic” appointment, so we’re going to be there for HOURS while specialists come in and out of the room.

— 7 —

Local elections. We have an unqualified outsider seeking to unseat our mayor… who was qualified BEFORE she was elected, has gone back to school and achieved MORE qualifications in her two terms as mayor, and who is supported by the town police and firefighters. I’ve lived in Mount Vernon for longer than our mayor’s challenger and *I* am more qualified for the office than she is, so I can’t understand why she is bothering to run.

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

7 Quick Takes: Hysterical Hysterectomy Prep

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

The cleanse. Daniel and I survived the cleanse with most of the layers of the skin of my hands intact. (Picture rotavirus on steroids and the cleaning of hands involved. That was my weekend.) Thank God for nitrile gloves! (Kiddo is not potty-trained.)

— 2 —

Hysterectomy Take #1. So, surgery is on Tuesday the 8th at 7:15 a.m. PDT. I’m guessing it will be 1.5-2 hours but I could be wrong. We’re trying to figure out who is taking me to the hospital and when my parents will switch off because someone (my mommy) needs to feed my child and get him on the bus. A woman from church might be sitting with me and keeping vigil until Mom gets back to the hospital unless Dad wants to bite the bullet and endure several hours of girl stuff. I won’t make him paint my nails though… except that he’s an engineer so they might look better than they do when I paint them! (Just kidding… nail polish isn’t allowed in surgery.)

— 3 —

Hysterectomy Take #2. Since I’ll be in the hospital all day Tuesday and possibly into the rest of the week (depending on if there are complications), Mom is having to learn how to do Daniel’s tube feeds and give him his Metamucil and Miralax. She is doing really well at placing the feeding peg and will probably have the art of tube feeding mastered by this weekend. She started dosing Daniel with the Miralax and Metamucil today, and she is also doing that well. I think she’ll be OK.

— 4 —

Hysterectomy Take #3. Daniel’s school schedule just changed and he’s getting home an hour later. This is good in that it gives me an extra hour to work and do errands, but it also means that I have one less hour to squeeze in all of Daniel’s wonderful feeds and fluids unless I want to send stuff to school with him. (The answer to that is “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” because while I trust Daniel’s teacher to follow my instructions to the letter, the school nurse doesn’t have the sense God gave geese and does not understand the words “DON’T TOUCH THE [EXPLETIVE] FEEDING TUBE IF IT COMES OUT!”) So… once I’m not about to have surgery, we’ll figure out another dosing schedule.

— 5 —

Hysterectomy Take #4. I went back to work at the college this week because I need something to do with my life and they need an Office and Business tutor. I already put in 6 hours this week, and I’ll have two hours on Monday of next week before I’m off for four days for surgery and recovery. I’ve told them that if all goes well, I will be back on Monday the 14th scooting around on an office chair. If there are complications, it might be a few days (or weeks). I think I’ve ensured that EVERYONE will be praying for me. I’ve also told my drop-in students that their instructors have these amazing things called OFFICE HOURS and that they should take FULL advantage of them.

I was also told by one of my students today that I am annoyingly cheerful. Mission accomplished! #squadgoals #maryFREAKINGsunshine

— 6 —

Hysterectomy Take #5. As much as I have been begging for a hysterectomy for 5 years, I’m getting surprisingly emotional about it. It’s either my uterus realizing that its days are numbered and flooding me with extra hormones, or it’s the fact that it’s a hard realization that one’s childbearing years are being cut short a little earlier than expected. I definitely have been TTA for the last 10 years (since we realized that something wasn’t right with Daniel and that my chances of reoccurrence of the HELLP Syndrome are astronomically higher than normal), but that doesn’t mean this is a happy thing in the slightest.

— 7 —

Hysterectomy Take #6. So… please keep me in prayer. I don’t think Quick Takes will happen next week (or maybe I’ll throw something up in between naps), but I’ll be back the week after.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: September 23, 2019

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For Today… September 23, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… grey. We had a rainy day today, and it was lovely.

I am thinking… about things related to my pre-op appointment and how to deal with getting my family information if both of my parents need to be home with Daniel on surgery day, leaving me at the hospital alone. (The surgery isn’t until October 8th.)

I am thankful… that my pre-op appointment went well and there was no pelvic exam involved!

One of my favorite things… quiet. It’s not happening for another two hours given Daniel being sick with the cold going around his class and me having to give him fluids in small doses every 30 minutes so he doesn’t cough his meds up. #gtubekidproblems

I am wearing… jammies. Clothes today were a long-sleeved blue shirt and jeans.

I am creating… letters and an Advent devotional booklet. Oh… I’m also making lovely progress on my nephew’s baby/big boy blankie.

I am reading… Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It’s delightful, so much so that I really don’t want to watch the TV series.

I am hoping… Daniel doesn’t puke up anything tomorrow morning and make me miss my doctor’s appointment.

I am learning… that I really need to practice better sleep hygiene. (Sleep hygiene is defined as turning off electronics and doing things to create a better sleeping environment.)

In my kitchen… defrosting some pesto and tomato linguine from Trader Joe’s.

In the school room… Daniel is happy to be back at school after being out sick on Friday.

Post Script… this is the apple cake I made for church on Sunday.

Shared Quote… “[describing Crowley] An Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards.” – Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

A moment from my day… Duuuuuuude…

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: September 17, 2019

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For Today…

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. We’ve been having a lot of rain lately. We even had a serious thunder and lightning storm a week and a half ago.

I am thinking… about the Advent devotional book I’m putting together for church. I’m trying to put together the instruction sheet and ask letter.

I am thankful… for the overpayment of a bill 5-6 years ago that was sent to me this week. It is helping out.

One of my favorite things… sleep.

I am wearing… my jammies as it is 12:30 a.m.

I am creating… devotion examples for the ask letter.

I am reading… Nailed It by Anne Kennedy.

I am hoping… to be productive this week.

I am learning… about bullet journals and what spreads work for me.

In my kitchen… scampi linguine.

In the school room… Daniel is loving school being back in session.

Post Script… the rules for posting about a death on social media.

Shared Quote… “It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.” –Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Random Songs Edition

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7 Quick Takes

Jon is here visiting this week, and we have just gotten back from one of Daniel’s appointments at the Autism Center in Seattle. My brain isn’t putting together coherent thoughts, so here are 7 songs that are in my head right now.

— 1 —

“The Boxer” with Shawn Colvin, Alison Kraus, and Jerry Douglas.

— 2 —

“Kyrie Eleison” by Mr. Mister.

— 3 —

“Stella splendens” by Llibre Vermell.

— 4 —

“Yet Not I But Christ Through Me” by City Alight.

— 5 —

“How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Fernando Ortega.

— 6 —

“It Is Well With My Soul” by Audrey Assad.

— 7 —

“I Shall Not Want” by Audrey Assad.

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

7 Quick Takes: Choosing to Find Joy Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Prayer request. My friend Bekah had her son Declan at 28 weeks due to preeclampsia. She and Declan are doing OK, but Mr. D is going to be in the NICU for a bit. Prayers would be appreciated.

Please and thank you! 😀

— 2 —

So I was thinking… I was looking over some entries from 13 years ago, and I used to be a more whiny and negative person than I am today. Granted, there was a lot that wasn’t going well at the time, but a lot of stuff used to derail my day pretty easily. This changed a lot with my pregnancy with Daniel.

— 3 —

Sickness. It was hard a lot of the time. I didn’t know when I got pneumonia in October 2008 that I was pregnant at the time, and that definitely would have changed the treatment I sought for it. Thankfully, none of what I took hurt Daniel that we know of. I also got some pretty serious colds, and I was very much limited in what I could take.

— 4 —

Something about Mary. I started thinking about the Virgin Mary that December when it was -20F for weeks at a time, and I would be driving into work with gloves on with socks over them, trying to keep my hands warm and to keep them from aching. It struck me one day how hard her last few months of pregnancy must have been, especially the journey to Bethlehem.

— 5 —

Daniel’s birth. The traumatic experience of Daniel’s birth and the shock it gave me in so many ways changed how I approached each day. That first week, I was so shell-shocked that it seemed like things were getting worse by the day, but my little creature held on. Despite everything getting thrown at him, he was able to persevere through. One of the nurses told me to start finding those little joys in each day because we were in for a marathon with him. Her advice proved helpful as it gave me something on which I could focus to hold onto hope that he would eventually make it home, given that it took a month before I could even form the words to pray, and I had to work through A LOT of anger.

— 6 —

10 years later… I have held onto that practice of seeking out the joy in every day, even when we went through Daniel’s epic hospitalization 8 1/2 years ago, and that joy was sometimes that he didn’t die that day. It has stayed with me through more hospitalizations, Daniel’s autism diagnosis, the end of my marriage, and the divorce process that took two years. Even on the worst days, I choose to seek out some small joy in something. I don’t know that I would have survived if I could not do this.

— 7 —

New music. I heard this song last night and thought I’d share.

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