Category Archives: Faith

Pick Jen’s Lenten Discipline!

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It’s that time of year again!

What time of year is that, Jen?

It’s time to pick my Lenten discipline!

But why would I do that?

Because…

a.) It’s fun.

b.) I have no spiritual father to suggest one for me.

c.) It helps me grow.

d.) Why not?

So… here’s how it works: You go down below and click on the Rafflecopter. The only mandatory one is to leave me a blog comment with what you would pick for me. You also have the option of going and liking my Facebook page and doing a daily tweet about the giveaway. A winner is chosen on February 5th and has until noon PST on February 9th to give me my Lenten discipline.

A couple rules/requests though.

1.) Whatever you pick needs to be something possible for me to do.

2.) If you want to suggest something dietary for me, keep in mind that I’m pre-diabetic (*shakes fist at PCOS for making me insulin resistant*) so I *DO* need to eat at regular intervals and I can’t do a bread and water fast.

3.) I have a kiddo with sleep issues so please don’t make me give up coffee. That would be cruel and unusual punishment for me and for those who have to live with me and interact with me on a daily basis.

4.) If you want to assign me spiritual reading, please make sure that whatever you assign me is downloadable onto my NOOK. (Just go check to see if it’s a NOOK book on BarnesandNoble.Com.)

I look forward to seeing what y’all pick for me!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 Quick Takes: Trying to Come Up With These At 1 A.M.

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Temperature afghan update. I’ve gotten a few more stripes added. I’m still about 2 weeks behind but if I can get some sit-down time this weekend, I should be able to rectify that pretty quickly after my switch to straight double crochet. The big thing is remembering to get the high temperature off of Weather Underground daily!

The current state of the temperature afghan.

— 2 —

The sitch with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. Unlike what the Washington Post article said, the Episcopal Church did *NOT* get kicked out of the Anglican Communion. (The body who would decide that sort of thing was not meeting at the time. Seriously, what is it with the mainstream media and getting religious doctrine and polity issues wrong?) If you want a decent article that does a good job of addressing the nuances of what happened, read this one.

— 3 —

Srsly?!?!?!? When I went downtown on Wednesday to curate the exhibit file for Daniel’s SSI appeal, my file was locked in the office of someone who was out for the day so I had effectively wasted my time. I was standing on the light rail platform calling my mom to let her know I’d be home in about 30 minutes when a gentleman walked by and decided to comment on my sighing, chastising me for expressing my displeasure and telling me that God was here in that space at that time. When I told him that I believed in God, he responded that if I did, I wouldn’t be sighing.

….

OK… my belief in God is separate from the fact that the ODAR office downtown just wasted my time. Also, dude might not want to INTERRUPT A PHONE CALL next time he wants to correct someone’s religious beliefs.

— 4 —

It’s that time of year again! My “Pick Jen’s Lenten Discipline” competition will be starting tomorrow or Saturday or whenever I have the time to create the post and put up the Rafflecopter. I’ll update this take with the link as soon as I have it. It’s here.

— 5 —

Thing I’m Not Doing in 2016 #1 I am not giving up coffee for Lent. My kiddo is having sleep issues and I’m already puking from sleep deprivation.

— 6 —

Thing I’m Not Doing in 2016 #2 I am not reading the Bible over the course of a year. I did this last year and while I’m thankful I did, I’m happy to be able to switch around between a bunch of different devotional reading sources.

— 7 —

Thing I’m Not Doing in 2016 #3 I am not giving up gluten unless I actually have to do it on doctor’s orders for my health. I did this in October and had a heck of a time with it.

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

{five favorites}: Miscellanea (LVII)

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#5Faves

One

Days when I have enough time to crochet. I’m only 13 days behind right now and I’d probably be caught up already if I hadn’t started my temperature afghan in a stitch pattern that was time-consuming. #crocheterproblems #temperatureafghan

Two

This man. A Kenyan Muslim man who was shot while trying to protect Kenyan Christians in an attack on a bus by Al-Shabab died today from his injuries, a month after the attack. He was truly a hero and his family hopes that his death will inspire Kenyans to live as one community regardless of religion.

Three

Sleep. I am not getting enough of it these days due to a certain young man who has decided that 1 a.m. is a superb time to wake up, party, and demand milk or cheese. He also intensely dislikes hearing the words “no” and “go back to sleep”. Hmph!

Four

The idea of voting for the president in the style of the TV show Survivor. I broached this idea in a thread on the Facebook of one of my younger cousins. Basically, every candidate would be split into teams (let’s mix up members of the political parties for fun), live communally, participate in legislative challenges that would show whether or not they actually grasp basic governmental/legislative/judicial knowledge, and then the country gets to vote one off each week. Who knows? We might actually end up with a president that everybody likes and who actually knows what they’re doing. 😉 (And yes, I *LIKE* President Obama and I’m suggesting this… though it’s mostly to knock blowhards like Trump and Hillary out of the race.) #Bernie2016

Five

Pesto bagels with garlic shmear. This is my happy food from the local bagel shop. It doesn’t pair well with coffee but it makes an interesting lunch.

Go love up Ashley and the others.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 17, 2016

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 17, 2016

Outside my window… gray and rainy. According to Weather Underground, we topped off at 60F around noon. It was lovely.

I am thinking… about the SSI and legal stuff for Daniel I have to do this week.

I am thankful… for the creators of Legos. Their projects enabled me to get some crocheting done today by occupying Daniel while I worked.

In the kitchen… a frozen dinner. Not much appeals to me food-wise right now.

I am wearing… a charcoal v-neck shirt and black sweats. I’m waiting for the kiddo to go to sleep so I can shower.

I am going… to the store tomorrow to get more milk. Daniel wants some and is being irritable because I told him there was none left.

I am wondering… how much more rain we’ll get for this 3-day weekend.

I am reading… A Lesson in Hope by Phillip Gulley.

I am hoping… Daniel sleeps through tonight. I’m not happy at getting woken up at 1 a.m. for cheese or milk.

I am looking forward to… the kiddo going to sleep so I can shower, do the readings for today (I missed church), and go back to crocheting.

I am hearing… the rain on the roof.

A Daniel story for today… kiddo would build Lego creations today and then come and sit on my lap so I could disassemble them for him.

Around the house… silence. I am a fan of this.

One of my favorite things… sleep though I am not getting much of it these days.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Daniel is off of school tomorrow, SSI work at some point this week, possibly Knit Wits on Tuesday night, Bible study on Thursday, choir on Thursday, and singing for an ordination on Saturday.

A peek into my day… progress on the temperature afghan after frogging it and redoing it in straight double crochet. It has taken me the same amount of time to do almost 5 rows of double crochet as it took to do 1 1/2 rows of the pattern.

Current progress on the temperature afghan.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

{five favorites}: Miscellanea (LVI)

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#5Faves

One

My temperature afghan yarn. I finally have it in my hot little hands!!! *bouncebouncebounce* I’ve got the scheme worked out and I’m doing my least favorite part: chaining and the first row. My pattern involves stitch sets so I’m having to count off a specific number of stitches and put a safety pin to mark the stitches. Once I’ve gotten a couple rows in, it will be easier.

My yarn for my temperature afghan.

Two

Coffee. Given that it’s an El Niño winter, I’m waking up with a decent headache every morning. (Weather changes are one of my migraine triggers.) This is not making me happy but my daily coffee does.

Three

The Rose Ensemble. I have seriously fallen in love with this ensemble from the Twin Cities. So much pretty music! So much academic background! This is one of my loves right now:

(It’s a medieval hymn to St. James sung on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Campostella. #musicgeek)

Four

This bedtime checklist for toddlers. It also exists in our house except that it involves requests for cheese and milk. While I’m not a fan of negotiating with terrorists Daniel, giving in to that one means I don’t get woken up at 3 a.m. with requests for food… most of the time.

Five

Viperkeeper. This is probably the worst thing for me to watch to fall asleep because of my fear of snakes but it’s so darn entertaining!

Go love up Ashley and the others.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 10, 2016

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 10, 2016

Outside my window… gray and about 57F out right now according to Weather Underground. We had sun this morning and it started getting grey while Rebecca and I were having coffee.

I am thinking… about the things I have to get done this week and the places in downtown San Jose I have to go.

I am thankful… that we were able to get Daniel’s ADHD meds filled for one more month. It gives us a tiny bit of flexibility so we can get him to a specialist who can track him.

In the kitchen… my stomach is in knots so probably a frozen dinner, if anything tonight. I don’t much feel like cooking.

I am wearing… my Run for the Little Flowers shirt and jeans.

I am going… to bed early tonight if I can help it. I’m exhausted and it’s only 3 p.m.

I am wondering… if UPS will actually deliver my yarn this week without sending it on a surprise journey through some other states like they did with my Christmas card order from Shutterfly. It’s sitting in San Pablo right now and San Jose needs to be the next stop. I’m also waiting impatiently for my copy of Kelly’s planner.

I am reading… still Parchment and Old Lace by Laura Childs. I haven’t had a lot of sit down time without something else to do in the last week or so and that cuts into my reading time. Accidental Saints is still on hold until I get through my library backlog.

I am hoping… my stuff arrives on time because I *REALLY* want to be able to start my temperature blanket.

I am looking forward to… Bible study this week.

I am hearing… my dad watching TV and Daniel playing with Legos. It’s a perfect and calm afternoon, something I desperately need after this past week.

A Daniel story for today… he has a new sentence: “Mama bye!!!” Translation: “Mama, go away. I’m doing something you don’t want me to be doing and I don’t want you thwarting me.” When I left for a games night at a friend’s house last night, he was pushing me out the door and saying “BYE!” Apparently, he prefers my mom putting him to bed even though she is a drill sergeant when she does.

Around the house… paint fumes which will hopefully go away.

A favorite quote for today…

My thoughts on the Starbucks line this morning.

One of my favorite things… Cross-Stitch World on Facebook. It’s soothing.

A few plans for the rest of the week: dealing with various Daniel legal things, trying to get into a doctor up here for a refill on my thyroid meds, Bible study on Thursday morning, and choir on Thursday night.

Post Script…

These two songs have been stuck in my head for the last week.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Epiphanies This Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Paul Ryan and the Republicans’ attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. My thoughts are here. They are longer than a Quick Take so they are a separate post.

— 2 —

Prayer Request. My friend Amy has a rare and nasty pregnancy condition called placenta accreta. Tomorrow, they will be doing a c-section to deliver her baby boy as well as a hysterectomy to save her life because of the placenta issue. It’s a serious surgery and she is very much “standing in the need of prayer” as the old song says. Please pray for her safety in surgery, that they can make her comfortable during pre-op, and that her recovery goes well. Please also pray for her husband and four kids at home.

**UPDATE** They delivered her son at 9:07 a.m. CST and he was able to go straight to the nursery. They finished surgery 4-5 hours later and thankfully did not have to do any repair work to vital organs. She required 32 units of blood and they’re hoping to be able to get her off the ventilator, out of surgical ICU, and onto maternity soon. God willing, and she continues to recover well, she’ll be home in 3-4 days.

— 3 —

Twitter and the sitch in Oregon. Someone on Twitter came up with the hashtag #YallQaeda for the militia members holed up at the national park building in Oregon and some of the tweets regarding it just slay me. The tweets on them forgetting to pack in sufficient rations are even better.

— 4 —

Bhutanese refugees. Did you know that there are a number of Bhutanese refugees in Iowa? Yeah, neither did I. Apparently, more refugees came here from Bhutan in 2012 than any other country. (Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is the current leader.)

— 5 —

No more scampi for me. Apparently, indentured and enslaved workers fuel the Thai shrimp industry and the US imports half of the shrimp produced by Thailand. As much as I love my dad’s shrimp pasta, I’m going to have to either forgo it or find a source for peeled shrimp that meets my ethical standards.

— 6 —

Temperature blanket update. Herrschners finally shipped my yarn (stupid holiday weekend!) so God willing, I will have it by next Thursday and can start catching up on the blanket. I also need to do lovely things like calculate gauge so that will probably be a project over the long MLK Day weekend.

More ideas for patterns are here and here; and there is a tutorial for the whole temperature afghan concept here.

— 7 —

#OneWord2016 At Epiphany Eucharist on Wednesday, we were invited to select a decorative star from somewhere around the sanctuary and on the back was written one word. This word would be ours for purposes of prayer and meditation for this year and I’ll use mine for #OneWord2016 purposes. The word on the back of the star I chose: “direction”. For those who know me, this is a relevant word this year. Look for more posts on the subject once I’m done with SSI appeals and fighting with Medi-Cal.

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