Category Archives: Health

7 Quick Takes: Responses to the Newsweek Article and Not Quite Seven Takes

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

The Newsweek article. If you’ve been living under a rock or have been taking care of sick kids lately (my life), you might not have heard about the Newsweek article by Kurt Eichenwald about the Bible and why it is so misunderstood. I could write about a years worth of posts addressing every inconsistency in his arguments and how completely skewed his information is but I have too much on my plate right now so… read the article and then read these commentaries by Peter Enns, Daniel B. Wallace, Rachel Held Evans, and Albert Mohler.

— 2 —

For those whose New Tear’s resolutions involve the gym… There were a couple of articles that piqued my curiosity. One was about the ten things that personal trainers don’t tell you and the other was on what you should be drinking when you work out.

— 3 —

My cuddlebug. Daniel is having a lot of coughing and a runny nose due to allergies so we’re having to do breathing treatments. Not feeling his best has made him extra cuddly and he actually fell asleep in my arms last night about 5 minutes after finishing the breathing treatment. When he is up, he has been a muted version of himself which is lovely but I can tell that he would like to be doing more. I’ve been praising the really good behavior that comes as part of his muted self in hopes that some of it might stick around.

— 4 —

Ending here. I have nothing left to say so I’m going to call this good and link up.

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

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (XXV)

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Five Favorites

Un

A quiet house. I’m the only one awake right now other than the cats. Everybody in the house (with the exception of Daniel) is going to have a wonky schedule tomorrow so most everyone is asleep and I’ve stayed up changing cleaning pads on the Mints. Once I get all this written, I’m heading to bed because I’ve got a meeting in San Dimas tomorrow for Daniel’s triennial IEP paperwork at 7:30 a.m. (Translation: they have to do some pretty extensive evaluations for students’ IEP’s every three years and I have to go sign the paperwork consenting to this. Oh yeah… IEP = “individualized education plan”.)

Deux

The various NCIS franchises. The original NCIS is still my favorite but I’ve also gotten into NCIS: New Orleans and I’ll watch NCIS: Los Angeles if I need something semi-brainless on while I crochet.

Trois

In-N-Out. I pity those who don’t live near an In-N-Out location (which would be most of the US). I’m kind of meh about their fries but their burgers are AWESOME. They also have a secret menu which is actually not really a secret as much as it is how they will gladly customize your burger, fries, or shake.

Quatre

Doing some form of exercise while Daniel is in school. I’m back to walking in the mornings after I get Daniel off to school and adding in some core work and weights every other day. I still get plenty of walks with him in the afternoon but the morning is “me time”. It’s also a way to try and neutralize the pound of See’s candy on my nightstand that I discovered when I got home from San Jose.

Cinq

Stalking my online orders on various shipping company websites. I used to work for an import brokerage owned by UPS so I get totally geeky about how my orders arrive at my house. 🙂 Currently, I’m awaiting the delivery of my copy of Kelly’s planner which should arrive tomorrow or Thursday. (Ahem… FedEx!)

Go love up Jenna and the others.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 5, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 5, 201

Outside my window… dark. It was pretty warm today — warm enough to wear short sleeves. *ducks the flying debris thrown at her from places in the country with windchill warnings around -40F*

I am thinking… about the silliness surrounding Kanye’s announcement of his collaboration with Paul McCartney. Generation gap, anyone?

I am thankful… for a good visit with my family and for Daniel going back to school today.

In the kitchen… the dishwasher is running.

I am wearing… plum-colored shirt and running shorts.

I am praying for… Mary Lenaburg, some special intentions, a call for Jon, and a few other things.

I am going… to have a full morning of meetings on Wednesday. Whee!

I am pondering… the comma in the first article of the Nicene Creed: “of all that is, seen and unseen” and the theological ramifications of most people skipping the pause it signifies. (I’m serious… it’s hard being a grammar nazi with 1.5 degrees in Religion and Theology!)

I am reading… Scorched Eggs by Laura Childs. I think I was the first one in the LA County library system to get to read it, given that I called up the main number and requested it before it was even officially listed on the website..

I am hoping… I don’t wake up with too much of a kink in my neck.

I am looking forward to… my mother-in-law’s Birman coming in so I can go to bed. (I offered to stay up and wait for him.)

I am hearing… the humming of the refrigerator and the Mint cleaning my bedroom floor. (If I’m going to be torturing myself with my yoga mat and Core ball tomorrow, I’d kind of like a clean floor on which to beat myself up whilst working out.)

Around the house… my mother-in-law and Jon moved the dining room and kitchen furniture around. I think it looks fabulous.

A favorite quote for today… “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” ? William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

(Wasn’t that line at the beginning of the Veggie Tales video on Esther?)

One of my favorite things… a quiet house.

A few plans for the rest of the week: walks with Daniel, working out for me, triennial IEP evaluation meeting and paperwork on Wednesday, choir practice on Wednesday, and a few phone calls and errands thrown in for good measure.

A peek into my day… So a few things came in for me at the library while I was in San Jose…

My library holds.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Three Days into Christmas…

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7 Quick Takes

Kelly is taking some time off of blogging for Christmas but I thought I’d do Quick Takes anyway.

— 1 —

Saint for 2015. I decided to do Jen Fulwiler’s Saint Generator to see who my patron saint should be for next year. When I first did it, I got St. Paul Chong Hasang, a Korean martyr. I did it one more tme and got St. Rita who is a little less obscure. We’ll see how 2015 unfolds and how these two figure into it.

— 2 —

Handel’s “Messiah” on Sunday. I had the blessing of being able to attend both performances of the You-Sing-It Messiah put on by the Claremont Symphony Orchestra. My mother-in-law, bless her, watched Daniel for us so we could go. I had a fabulous alto behind me for the first performance but had to hold my own for the second performance because the altos were scattered. (They had seating by vocal section and the altos were supposed to all be behind the sopranos instead of scattered.) My choir director is the conductor of the symphony and he pitched it to the choir members as a way of practicing for Christmas Eve. I got lots of practice and was able to firm up some sections that were giving me problems.

— 3 —

Handel’s “Messiah” on Tuesday. Our Christmas cantata on Christmas Eve was the Christmas section of the Messiah and we had an extra practice session on Tuesday because our regular choir night is Wednesday which was Christmas Eve. The awesome alto that was behind me on Sunday turned out to be the professional mezzo-soprano that was singing the “Messiah” with us. She was absolutely fabulous to work with and I appreciated hearing someone else singing who was on-key and not getting lost.

— 4 —

Handel’s “Messiah” on Wednesday. Ohmigosh… I can’t believe how completely amazing it was. I got to sing it with four opera singers from all around southern California who were so much fun to sing with and who sounded better than some of the professionals on the recordings that I own. We also had a bass player from the Claremont Symphony Orchestra joining us and the richness of his bass seriously rocked. Of course, the glue in all of this was my awesome choir director, Dr. Sage, who pulled all of this together. There is seriously nothing better than good church music sung by people who believe and affirm that about which they sing. Midnight Mass was wonderful and it took forever to get to sleep when I got home because of all the adrenaline. Our priest’s homily was fabulous (she preaches like an NPR commentator) and so incredibly relevant. Jon made it to church after the worship service he was part of and was able to join us for the Hallelujah Chorus during the Offertory.

— 5 —

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My sister-in-law Joanna, her husband Chris, and my incredibly cute nephew Patrick came up on the afternoon of Christmas Eve to hang out. They brought Daniel one of Patrick’s toys that is interactive and has doors and light switches. That kept him occupied pretty well that afternoon, evening, and the next day. 🙂 Patrick is in that stage that seems to occur around 18 months where kids flip out if a parent leaves the room so he was not a happy camper; but it’s all good — at least we got to see him.

On Christmas Day, I got to sleep in which was good — I’ve had a crazy week taking care of sick people and I needed the sleep. We opened presents in the late morning and Daniel got some books and craft stuff from various relatives. Jon and I went and had dinner with some family friends who also brought dinner over to my in-laws who were watching Daniel. It was nice to have a dinner with adult conversation.

— 6 —

In San Jose now. Yesterday, Daniel and I drove up to northern California to spend time with my parents. It was a vastly easier drive on I-5 than it had been at Thanksgiving. It’s good to see Mom and Dad again. We have no firm plans for the week other than church on Sunday and possibly having a coffee date with my friend (and Daniel’s godmother) Rebecca.

— 7 —

Sarah’s stockings. I am so glad I can finally share this story on this blog now! For those not in the know, my parents are University of Washington alums (as are some of my extended family and adopted family) and Sarah is at the OTHER school (Washington State University) where she plays in the marching band. The two teams play each other in the Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend and the family Facebook walls get pretty humorous during the week beforehand.

Anyway, we usually have a family gift drawing and as I usually organize it, I was going to cheat and give myself Sarah. The plan was to crochet two Christmas stockings, one in each team’s colors. I was going to stick the Washington State one into the University of Washington one along with some of Sarah’s favorite candy. The drawing didn’t end up happening but I had already made one of the stockings, so I just made the other one and my Mom used them to house Sarah’s present from her. Ironically, I finished them on the night of the Apple Cup… which the University of Washington won by a decent margin of 31-13 and Washington State didn’t even score until the 4th quarter. (It was pretty brutal.) My mom and my sister-in-law Jeanette had the idea to stage them on either side of the TV:

The stockings were hung by the TV with care, in hopes that an Apple Cup win would be there.

I had wondered if Sarah had liked them and saw this on my Facebook wall this morning:

Sarah and the stockings.

Had a wonderful Christmas with my family! I got some beautiful crocheted stockings from my cousin Jen! I’m just going to consider the purple one my high school stocking.

🙂 Whatever. Love you too, sweetie!

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 22, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 22, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It’s almost midnight.

I am thinking… about what I have to accomplish in the next few days. Daniel and I are heading up to be with my parents for a week or so and I’ll need to figure out what to take up with me.

I am thankful… for the opportunity to sing the Christmas section of Handel’s “Messiah” with the Claremont Symphony Orchestra yesterday.

In the kitchen… nothing as it’s past time to eat.

I am wearing… my Online Debate team shirt and capri-length sweats.

I am praying for… relief from my fibro flare, for Daniel to pleasepleasepleaseplease sleep in tomorrow, for Mary/Jerry/Jonathan, and for some special intentions.

I am going… to go to sleep as soon as this posts.

I am wondering… too many things to mention.

I am reading… Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton. I also just finished Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews

I am hoping… for sleep.

I am looking forward to… sleep. (Do you sense a theme here?)

I am hearing… my laptop fan.

Around the house… things are out away for the most part

One of my favorite things… ice chips! I gained an appreciation for them when Daniel was born.

A few plans for the rest of the week: PT for Daniel tomorrow, visit with family tomorrow and Wednesday, rehearsal for Messiah tomorrow night, Messiah concert and Christ Mass on Wednesday night, Christmas stuff on Thursday, and heading up to San Jose with Daniel on Friday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Things I Wish People Would Stop Saying to Me

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7 Quick Takes

T’is the season for me to become Scrooge-like as I’m being accosted with bad versions of Christmas carols and winter songs any time I leave the house. To deal with this, I decided to lay down some snark. So… here are 7 things that I wish people would stop saying to me.

— 1 —

*pointing at Daniel who is berzerking* “He has a lot of energy.” What was your first clue? That he runs everywhere instead of walking? That it’s only 11 a.m. and I’m already looking tired? That my pants are falling off because I’ve lost so much weight from chasing him?

— 2 —

(referring to my depression) “You should think happy thoughts and maybe you wouldn’t be so depressed.” Seriously, if that would make my depression go away, DON’T YOU THINK I’D BE DOING IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Now please go away while I retreat further into myself and curl up in a fetal position with the covers over my head.

— 3 —

“I heard your father-in-law has cancer. I saw something/read something/heard about this person who had cancer and was cured by [insert snake oil remedy].” No… just no. We believe in this amazing thing called “scientific research” which has *proven* ways to fight the cancer. By the way, those peach pits you were suggesting I give him? They’re full of cyanide. Just thought you should know!

— 4 —

“I heard that autism can be cured by a gluten-free diet. Maybe you should try that with Daniel.” Yeah, no. I already have a kid who is usually underweight and is in a picky eating phase. Trying the GAPS diet isn’t an option unless you’d like to come and cook for us because there aren’t enough hours in the day to take care of Daniel and mastermind what happens when.

There’s also the fact that every nutritionist I’ve talked to has rolled their eyes at the idea of being on a gluten-free diet if you aren’t sensitive to gluten or suffering from celiac disease.

— 5 —

“Have you tried [insert some homeopathic cure like essential oils] for your fibromyalgia? My neighbor’s cousin’s college roommate’s niece was cured from her fibromyalgia when she tried [insert homeopathic quackery].” *sighs* Why are you still here? You are not helping. Seriously, my Old Testament professor from seminary claims her fibro was cured by body talk and she has become a practitioner of it. I think it’s all just quackery.

— 6 —

*upon seeing my raccoonish eyes* “You need to take care of yourself.” OK… so would you like to drive me to the local nail place and babysit my kid so I can have a mani-pedi and some reading time? Please and thank you!

— 7 —

A prayer request. Mary Lenaburg of Passionate Perseverance and her family are dealing with the impending loss of their daughter Courtney. Please keep them in prayer as they’re trying to let go while being present with her in her last days.

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

7 Quick Takes: Things for Which I Am Thankful

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

I am thankful that I am not in the ER with Daniel. Let’s just say that Thanksgiving 2011 really stunk and leave it at that.

— 2 —

I am thankful for getting to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law. They are down from Tacoma for the holiday weekend and it has been good to see them for the first time in 6 months. Jeanette (my SIL) and I worked on making the various sides today and she has been a FABULOUS aunt for Daniel.

— 3 —

I am thankful for my in-laws. When I mention that we’re living with in-laws currently, people usually eye me suspiciously and ask how it’s going. The answer: we’re making it work. They’ve been my other set of parents for 14 years (12 of them legally) and I’m not sure I could share a house with anyone else. It takes LOTS of communication and apparently my mother-in-law and I are wired so similarly that people have a hard time believing that we’re not related by blood.

— 4 —

I am thankful for the adorable child sandwiched between Jon and I in the guest bed. He’s a miniature hot water bottle for me and he is a cuddlebug.

— 5 —

I’m thankful that I didn’t engage in any trash-talking with my extended family before the San Francisco-Seattle game today. I think the 49’ers sent in a junior high team against the Seahawks. It was pretty brutal. The next big sporting event for my family is on Saturday when the UW Huskies (my parents’ alma mater) take on the WSU Cougars (where my cousin Sarah goes to school and is in the marching band). It should be… interesting.

— 6 —

I am thankful that I am not homeschooling Daniel this year. I have all the tools to do it, not to mention a mother-in-law who homeschooled both kids from K-12. However, I really don’t have the patience to do it — my personality is like the one of a drill sergeant. When I want Daniel to do things, I want them done correctly the first time and I want immediate obedience. However, 5 year olds do not do well with this approach, especially Daniel. I am more than happy to leave the main part of his education to the professionals.

— 7 —

I am thankful to be done with this entry so I can go to sleep. Good night, y’all!

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