Category Archives: Creativity

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 3, 2016

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 3, 2016

Outside my window… dark and showering a little bit. It was sunny and 61F when I went to church and $tarbux with Rebecca today. It got grey later on when the storms started rolling in and we ended up getting some sprinkles. The fun is supposed to be Monday night into Tuesday. Bring it, El Niño!

I am thinking… about the temperature blanket I’ve planned to do. Herrschners hasn’t shipped my yarn yet so I might have quite a bit to make up when it finally does arrive! I’m thinking I’ll do either this pattern or this pattern as I’ll have 366 rows plus edging to do!.

I am thankful… that my kiddo went to sleep around 7 and has largely stayed asleep. It meant that I could get my mom’s help in getting the fleece cut for my dad’s Christmas present which will be tied on Tuesday while I’m sitting and meeting with someone.

In the kitchen… I’m feeling so crummy from this mutant death cold and fibro flare (because nasal congestion is just so much more enhanced with moving fibro pain, right?) that I just heated up some frozen pizza. Thankfully, I didn’t have any eating resolutions for the New Year!

I am wearing… my Run for the Little Flowers shirt and black sweats. (They’re my jammies tonight.)

I am going… to go back to watching Viperkeeper videos when I finish this post. Well… it’s either that or draft one on Titus 2 women.

I am wondering… if I’ll be able to make the necessary appointments for Daniel and I this week or if I’ll have to take the kiddo to Urgent Care to get more Adderall. (Our insurance changed and I spent the afternoon of the 31st working out who our doctors will be because all the ones near me or admit to my local hospital that are on Santa Clara Family Health Plan aren’t taking new patients.)

I am reading… Parchment and Old Lace by Laura Childs. After that, I’ll tackle A Lesson in Hope by Phillip Gulley. Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber is on hold until I get through all the stuff from the library. Thankfully, it’s mostly essays so it’s OK. *pets my e-reader*

I am hoping… I win at least extra stars in the Starbucks for Life contest.

I am looking forward to… Bible study with my ladies on Thursday and the Eucharists for Epiphany on Wednesday.

I am hearing… silence as Daniel is asleep, my mom is asleep (though her TV is on), and Dad is at the other end of the house watching something on PBS.

A Daniel story for today… When the kiddo wakes up after falling asleep on the heating vent, he’ll crawl into bed with me; and for some odd reason, his feet have to be touching me for him to sleep… and they’re usually cold! As a result, I’ve been having to make kind of a blanket fortress to protect myself and keep myself warm.

Around the house… the painting continues. Mom got her bedroom closet done this weekend.

A favorite quote for today… “Praise youth and it will prosper.” — Irish proverb that I think is very true, especially after hearing some of my husband’s former parishioners grousing about “young people” in his last parish. (The “young people” in question were 50-60 years old!)

One of my favorite things… uninterrupted sleep. I rarely get it these days.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Target and errands tomorrow, long drive for a meeting on Tuesday and possibly Knit Wits, Epiphany worship on Wednesday, Bible study and choir on Thursday, doctor’s appointments at some time during the week, and a games night with friends on Saturday. Oh yes… the kid goes back to school on Tuesday which is a good thing — he needs more structure than I can give him, especially when I’m this sick and barely able to adult on my own.

A peek into my day… Daniel asleep on me right before our trip to Washington for Christmas

Daniel sleeping on me.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Some New Year’s Musings

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Appropriate music. Rather than find a new and cool version “Auld Lang Syne” (which I think I have maybe sung once in my life, if at all), here’s a beautiful song for the New Year sung by Golden Bough, one of my favorite Celtic ensembles in northern California. You’re welcome. 🙂

— 2 —

Final update on resolutions. If my sweet angel decides to sleep tonight, I’ll be reading the last chapter of Zechariah and all of Malachi tonight. I recommend reading the Bible in a year and two good programs for that are here and here.

**UPDATE** Finished at 11:45 p.m. Boo yah!

My planking challenges were craptastic at best. Not to mention, who the heck does planks for fun?!?!?!?!?

— 3 —

Another Golden Bough song. This one is the song I associate with Golden Bough. The ensemble has been around since the time of my birth. My parents used to hear them perform at an Irish pub in Campbell. Enjoy!

— 4 —

Book suggestions for 2016. Kelly asked for book suggestions for 2016. My suggestions: anything by Rachel Held Evans (I read Searching for Sunday by her this year and loved it), Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson, and Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber if you can deal with the profanity. (Nadia is nothing if not fluent in cursing like a sailor.) For murder mysteries that are completely absurd, check out Donna Andrews.

— 5 —

Resolutions for 2016. Here are some resolutions for 2016:

-Make a temperature afghan. Thankfully, Herrschners has good sales because my local Michael’s is sub-par and my ethics don’t allow me to shop at Hobby Lobby.

-Potty-train the munchkin. Because autism and living skills.

-Finish the various yarn things on my plate and make my parents their Christmas presents. I’ve got sock yarn for my mom’s striped socks and fleece to tie for my dad’s John Deere blankie. (My dad is a retired mechanical engineer and loves farm equipment so I get him all manner of John Deere things.) I also need to finish a stuffed animal for a friend who had a baby last year (aiming for the kiddo’s 1st birthday because I’ve managed to miss their birth and 6 month birthdays) and finish the munchkin’s big boy blankie.

-Get my prayer life back on track.

There are some others but I can’t talk about them yet.

— 6 —

Coming up on the blog. I’d like to do a series on parenting kids with special needs and get some guest posts (*coughcoughcough* Kelly *coughcoughcough* Kathleen) on the subject as well.

— 7 —

My plans for the evening. Dinner will be served as soon as I hit “publish”. Dad grilled up some steak and there are tater tots and Caesar salad. Dessert are some double chocolate Magnum bars. There’s a party and dancing at church tonight but I’m kind of looking forward to a quiet evening at home. If I beg hard enough, Dad might even make me a fire in the fireplace. I’ll be up at midnight but no champagne — I can’t drink.

**UPDATE** Dad fell asleep in his recliner early so little Miss Gold Award Girl Scout here tried to build her own fire, the first one in 17 years… and failed. I uttered the magic word (“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!!!”) and he woke up, shook his head at me, and opened a secret case that had special aged tinder used to start a fire. Thankfully, he did not comment on how I should know how to do this.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 28, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 28, 2015

Outside my window… gray. Daniel and I walked to the library earlier and Mom and I did a Target/Costco run; but it looks like anything else will require a car, headlights, and windshield wipers. Bring it, El Niño!

I am thinking… about things I have to get done this week, emails I need to write, and calls I need to make. Thankfully, Daniel is being quiet right now so I can get things done.

I am thankful… for getting to eat pizza with my parents in front of a fire in the fireplace last night while Daniel played in the living room and eventually fell asleep next to me. Good times.

In the kitchen… probably a frozen dinner so I can get caught up from being gone for 5 days and not have to think about food.

I am wearing… black shirt and jeans. I’m discalced as usual.

I am going… back to Target later to drop off my prescription.

I am wondering… why the Saint’s Name Generator gave me Josemaria Escriva for 2016.

I am reading… the last part of Zechariah and all of Malachi this week in my read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan. I’ll probably be starting Parchment and Old Lace by Laura Childs this week as well.

I am hoping… to have a peaceful New Year’s Eve at home.

I am looking forward to… Daniel going back to school on the 5th.

I am hearing… the fish tank behind me.

A Daniel story for today… kiddo has been falling asleep on the heating vent in our room and gravitates there any time the furnace is on, especially in the morning.

Around the house… fairly quiet as my dad is in his office and my mom is watching TV in her room with the cats. Daniel is in a closet in Mom’s office playing.

One of my favorite things… being home.

A few plans for the rest of the week: errands with the kid and whatever comes up.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 21, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 21, 2015

Outside my window… drizzly and in the 50’s. I’m loving it.

I am thinking… about what I need to do in the next few days.

I am thankful… for a warm and sheltered place to be during the rain. Dad made a fire in the fireplace last night and Daniel fell asleep snuggled up against me watching it.

In the kitchen… probably a frozen dinner of some nature. It’s about time for me to figure all of that out for today.

I am wearing… charcoal shirt from Old Navy and jeans from Kohl’s. I’m fairly simple in terms of my fashion tastes.

I am going… to the post office either tomorrow or Wednesday to drop Christmas cards into the mail.

I am wondering… how easily Daniel will go to bed tonight. I’m hoping he’s not too much of a live wire. I’m exhausted from sleeping badly last night.

I am reading… nothing but my read the Bible in a year program at the moment. I read and finished A Place Called Hope by Phillip Gulley last week. It felt a little too close to home but it was still pretty good.

I am hoping… my Shutterfly cards arrive today. *shakes an achy fist at UPS for sending my package to Kalispell and back by way of Helena, Salt Lake City, and San Pablo*

I am looking forward to… seeing my extended family.

I am hearing… a Celtic Christmas CD that Daniel likes. He is currently curled up in my mom’s lap listening.

A Daniel story for today… when I got home on Wednesday from Daniel’s 30-Day IEP meeting, Daniel was sitting on the love seat listening to the Celtic Christmas CD. He then pulled Mom and I onto the love seat with him and just wanted to be cuddled and have his hair stroked. We’re wondering if it was related to it being the first time that I hadn’t met his bus here. (Mom met his bus because I was at the meeting.)

Around the house… the kitchen is almost done being redone. All we need is the tile which will arrive tomorrow.

A favorite quote for today… “In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukkah’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukkah!’ or (to the atheists) ‘Look out for the wall!” — Dave Barry

One of my favorite things… S’mores ice cream.

A few plans for the rest of the week: getting out of the house tomorrow for the time when the contractor is putting up the tile, doing some last minute shopping at Target,

A peek into my day… A flashback to 6 years ago!

Grandma with Daniel at Christmas 2009.

Post Script… There is an app on Facebook called Cross-Stitch World where you can complete cross-stitch patterns with your mouse. It sounds like a weird thing but I find it very soothing. Go check it out!

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

How I Do My Christmas Cards Every Year

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I was having an email conversation with Laura of Coptic Dad and Mom about various things and we got on the subject of Christmas cards. She was saying that she’d love to have a card tradition and while I was telling her about how I do mine, I realized that this might be a good blog post. I’m not quite as amazing at writing these posts as Kathryn of Team Whitaker is, but I’ll give it a try. 🙂

The Cards: My hand gets crampy when I do a lot of writing (*shakes aching fist at fibromyalgia*) so I mainly stick to photo cards. I normally use Shutterfly because I’ve gotten great deals from them and I can get a chunk of my cards free because of Pampers Rewards points. If I don’t use those points, Shutterfly usually gives codes for sales and stuff that actually knock my purchase price down a bit. They also tend to fill orders pretty quickly. Another good alternative is the Costco Photo Center which has very reasonable prices. Had I not had the Pampers Rewards points, I probably would have gone with them because of the price. With both Costco Photo Center and Shutterfly, you can pick a template, insert photos, and customize your message. This part saves my aching hands from having to sign cards and write all the messages as well as providing the photo that shows your kiddos or your cats off to your family and friends.

If you love to write cards, Moo might be a good option for you. You can personalize the insides to say whatever you want them to say.

Address Labels: I have a BIG Excel file with all my addresses in it which I store on my cloud. It’s useful other times of the year as well when I need an address for a card or a baby shower present or whatever. Avery makes templates that you can download to create your address labels and I generally do that, sticking as close as I can to the design of my card. (Shutterfly offers matching address labels but they’re too pricey for the amount I need.) In order to make the labels, I go into Word and do a mail merge which is not all that hard to do if you know where everything is supposed to go. Thankfully, there’s a wizard that talks you through all of it. Once labels are made, I print them

Postage: It’s a necessary evil. Some post offices have kiosks where you can buy stamps from a machine or make shipping labels for a package. Take full advantage of those as they are usually not busy and the line to get to the counter moves at a glacial pace.

Assembling: Once I have the stamps, the cards, and the labels, I put it together assembly-line style. I aim to do this when Daniel is at school or otherwise occupied. If I have any choice in the matter, I take the whole thing to $tarbux and put on YouTube videos or a movie from Netflix that I have always wanted to see to have something to watch while I work. One indispensable product is an envelope moistener for sealing the envelopes. I got one at Staples two years ago and it was the best $1.25 I have ever spent. Once the envelopes are stuffed, labels attached, and everything has postage, I walk around the corner to the post office and dump them in the bin.

So that’s how I do it. If you want to get cards out and are stuck, email me — I’d be happy to help. I’m jen (at) grace-filled (dot) net.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 6, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY… December 6, 2015

Outside my window… dark. It was in the 60’s earlier when I got out of church. (Granted, it’s technically 1 a.m. on the 7th as I’m writing this.)

I am thinking… that Daniel really needs to be going back to sleep. *looks at the small child who is finding new and creative ways to fall asleep while touching me*

I am thankful… that Daniel was a complete angel today. He snuggled with my mom, focused on his Legos and engaged in focused play, and went to sleep with no drama tonight. The current round of wakefulness is mostly due to me daring to get out of bed to use the bathroom and disturbing his sleeping position (his head on my stomach and the rest of him contorted around me).

I am wearing… charcoal shirt and black capri sweats — my jammies.

I am creating… this entry. 🙂 Also a big boy blanket for my wee bairn.

I am going… to try and find a provider who will see my kiddo on straight Medi-Cal so I can avoid having to deal with the county hospital’s pediatric urgent care. Kiddo runs out of Adderall on Wednesday and I don’t want him missing any days as we’re seeing some serious improvement with him on it.

I am wondering… when I’ll be able to do some Christmas shopping.

I am reading… a bunch of Jessica Beck murder mysteries. I also have Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber on my e-reader for the time when I run out of library books.

I am hoping… my kiddo goes back to sleep and stops balancing on his elbow on my leg. It’s causing me a bit of discomfort. *gives the kid a sideglance*

I am learning… to back up my data lest I have to take my laptop to Best Buy again to have them extract all my data.

In my kitchen… Dad made steak for dinner. Yum.

A favorite quote for today… “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… Definitely this list of fabulous Christmas carols. Someone even made a playlist of all the YouTube videos she mentioned:

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Blog.

7 Quick Takes: Reflections on Things I Read This Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Thank you notes. I had to laugh when I saw how this kid wrote thank-you notes for his graduation presents. It’s the polite thing to do when someone gives you a present but they’re pretty tedious to write.

— 2 —

Interesting Podcasts. I resonated with this list of 17 podcasts for people who are spiritually curious and I’m glad that On Being (formerly “Speaking of Faith”) is #2 on the list. If it were me, I would also add the ones from SQPN to the list .

— 3 —

Prerequisite cat video. If you’re on Facebook with me, you know that I’m kind of a cat person. Well… I saw this video and just had to share the link!

— 4 —

Wow. I didn’t know these still existed. A Texan man is one of 10 people in the world to live in an iron lung. He contracted it during one of the last polio epidemics to sweep the USA. We thankfully have a vaccine for this so for the most part, we never see this in the United States… which means that all the people who aren’t vaccinating their kids against it are raising the chances that we might see it again. Seriously folks, I have family members who were affected by it. It’s not pretty. VACCINATE YOUR KIDS!!!

— 5 —

More $tarbux cup commentary. Someone sent me a link to this interview in which the moron who put the video up on the Internet about $tarbux refusing to acknowledge Christmas with their new Christmas cups gets pwned. (By the way, our country was not founded on Judeo-Christian principles — we were founded on Enlightenment principles and the Founding Fathers were Deists.)

I actually have asked my barista about if people are actually putting their name as “Merry Christmas” and she said there have been lots of them and that there is nothing that prevents her and her fellow baristas from saying “Merry Christmas”… except that it’s not even Advent yet!

— 6 —

#FirstWorldProblems. Here are some fairly comical #FirstWorldProblems. I can honestly say that I’ve never had any of them.

— 7 —

Reminder. The Nativity Fast starts on November 15th. Here is how many Byzantine Catholics celebrate this time. (HT: priest’s wife)

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