Category Archives: Music

7 Quick Takes: Things I Wish I Had Crossed Off My Bucket List Before the Mayan Apocalypse

Posted on by

7 Quick Takes

We pretty much know already that the world isn’t ending tomorrow as New Zealand and Australia are OK. However, I’m doing these tongue-in-cheek Quick Takes anyway as a way of getting my mind off of Daniel who ended up in the pediatric ER at UCD Medical Center last night with a febrile seizure. From what we can tell, it’s the flu. I’m vaccinated against it but he isn’t. (I’m not anti-vax by any stretch of the imagination — I just completely dropped the ball this year.)

— 1 —

Finding Kaia a mommy. See this cute little girl? She needs a mama.

Miss Kaia

Click on her picture to be taken over to her profile on Reece’s Rainbow. If you’re in the mood to do some charitable giving this Christmas, her adoption grant would be a lovely cause.

— 2 —

Getting certified to scuba-dive. My evil twin and his fiancée are PADI-certified and it’s been on “my list” forever. My college’s chapter of Intervarsity used to have our Chapter Retreats on Catalina Island and one of the things I loved doing was snorkeling. I’d like to actually be able to dive under the water someday.

— 3 —

See Loreena McKennitt live in concert again. I saw her in concert in 1994 and again in 2007. At the concert in 2007, I actually *met* her, got a hug from her, and got her autograph. She’s toured in Europe and eastern Canada so I’m hoping 2013 is going to be a U.S. tour year as she put out a new album two years ago.

— 4 —

Have Daniel develop speech. I fully believe this will happen someday — it just hasn’t happened yet. He’s great with his PECS book and we’ve got some sign language worked out. Still, it would be wonderful if he could learn to speak. It would definitely make my life easier.

— 5 —

Go on all the cool rides at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I actually went to college in Santa Cruz and only went to the Boardwalk once during that time, something I’ve regretted for a long time because I love amusement park rides. Daniel is too young for most of the rides (and too short) so I may have a while to wait for this one.

— 6 —

Sing Bach’s Mass in B minor with a choir. I’m a huge fan of Bach and this is an amazing work of art. It’s complex enough to challenge me and it’s the reason why it’s my bucket list piece. (I started singing Handel’s Messiah when I was 15 though performing the work in its entirety is also on the list.)

— 7 —

Publish a novel started during NaNoWriMo. Granted, the years I’ve “won” by getting 50,000 words written during that month were years when I needed to kill people off to vent some anger but it would be kind of cool to actually “win” again and turn what I write into a novel that I can sell to a publisher.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com. In the meantime, enjoy the tsunamis, earthquakes, and fire falling from the sky!

The Connecticut Shooting

Posted on by

The second I saw the words “elementary school shooting” and “2 dead” on the screen, I turned the TV off yesterday. There are some things that just should not be broadcast on an endless loop and our media has the idiotic idea that it’s proper to interview kids in those situations.

I had already been sick for two weeks, seriously ill for three of them, not sleeping for three nights, and when I happened to see something about 26 people dead on Facebook, I completely lost it. Even better, I had to deal with Medi-Cal who completely… screwed up. (I’m trying not to drop gratuitous amounts of f-bombs like I did on Twitter yesterday while having to fix everything with Medi-Cal.) Yesterday was not a good day. (By the way, Daniel is fine in case you heard via Facebook or Twitter that we were having to get him in to urgent care to make sure he doesn’t have what I have.)

Do I have to even say how broken am I over the shooting? Someone posted the names of everyone killed and I started sobbing. I’ve had to hide status updates with the names of all the kids because the thought of kids just a few years older than Daniel dying is more than I can handle. I don’t think it’s a “mother” thing as much as I don’t think it would be so hard on me personally if I wasn’t a mother and if I hadn’t been through almost losing Daniel twice.

To the pro-life morons who decided to comment on how “20 kids died today but 2000 babies are aborted daily”: Did you ever consider that messages like that are why people ignore you and mock you? I’m totally pro-life here (unless the mom’s life is in danger or in cases of rape/incest) and seeing comments like that makes me want to vomit. Yes, it is tragic that 2000 babies are aborted daily (or whatever the statistic is) but 20 KIDS WERE MOWED DOWN BY A GUNMAN, ALL OF THEM SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES. These are actual human beings, not an excuse to advance your political cause. SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!

To Mike Huckabee: I’m almost ashamed to call myself a Christian after seeing your remarks about how this happened because we took God out of school. Actually, this happened because our country lacks adequate access to mental health, sufficient gun control, and our world is broken due to sin. I hope Fox News takes you off the air due to your insensitive remarks.

To everyone who has sent me a gun control petition in the last 24 hours: I agree 100% that we need better gun control and that the NRA are a bunch of right-wing nut jobs. However, THIS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE TIME. Let the families bury their kids, let me stop sobbing every time I see the story mentioned, and then I’ll be more than happy to sign petitions, protest at the Capitol building in Sacramento, or do whatever I can for the cause.

To Westboro Baptist Church: I can honestly say that if you try to protest at *ANY* of the funerals/vigils/memorial services, there will be much pain on your part because folks do not take kindly to your crap when it comes to kids.

And because I honestly can’t string coherent thoughts together, I’ll just leave you with the song that’s been in my head since I first saw the news story yesterday:

December 11: Favorite Holiday Song

Posted on by

I’m choosing this one because there are too many religious Christmas songs I love and I avoid secular Christmas music at all costs. It’s catchy and while it’s somewhat sad at the end, it’s also happy because the two are united again.

Yes, I also realize that it’s a YouTube video and not a picture but it’s a fixed image on which text is projected.

7 Quick Takes: Writing, Voting, and Interesting Office Supply Products

Posted on by

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

I VOTED!!!! *cue confetti and balloons* I’m in California so we have all the normal slate of candidates in addition to a bunch of ballot measures so the envelope to mail back the ballots requires extra postage. I also wish that there was an “I voted!” sticker included in my absentee ballot because there might be merchants who give perks for those who voted like free coffee or something. Oh well… Jon just dropped his absentee ballot off at our town hall and they were giving out “I voted!” stickers so I have one on the fridge so that I can get any perks offered by merchants for having one on Election Day.

— 2 —

I’m doing NaNoWriMo again. I *might* actually win given that I do have some more spare time than I’ve had in the last few years with Daniel in school. I’m recycling my characters from last year and altering a few of them. My main character is a pastor’s wife — what can I say? I write about what I know. It’s either that or write about import brokerage stuff and a cross-border murder.

— 3 —

I was taking a drive when I heard this song. Daniel had woken up grumpy and we were driving around when this song came on. After CSI was over tonight, I started looking for it online and was having a heck of a time finding it. It turns out that it’s probably just been released to radio stations and the album isn’t due until January. Still… I found it on YouTube! Boo yah!

— 4 —

Cardinal Dolan said something awesome on his Twitter today. His remark: “If I only sat down with people who agreed with me, and I with them, or with those who were saints, I??d be taking all my meals alone.” I think it’s relevant in our politically-polarized country where one side is claiming that the media is on the side of the other and there is so much back-biting. I have readers on this blog who agree with me politically and readers who think I’ve lost my mind for backing the candidates I back. Somehow, we all manage to find common ground and I’d readily break bread (or a gluten-free alternative) with any of them.

— 5 —

OMG NLCS baseball!!! We swept the Reds *in* Cincinnati and we’re currently playing Game 4 in St. Louis. I’m thinking of Kathleen Basi and Grace Patton as I’m watching. I have no idea if Grace is a Cardinals fan (or if she’s even all that concerned with baseball) but I remember talking about the World Series with Kathleen last year and now our teams are playing each other in the NLCS! As much as I’m a Giants fan, I do like the Cardinals and I’d totally root for them if they prevailed and made it to the World Series to play Detroit.

— 6 —

For those who read all the interesting comments on the BIC for Her pens, there’s now a new office product sensation. Yes, I totally realize that Romney’s “binders full of women” are binders full of women’s resumés. Yes, I would totally be mentioning this if Obama or Biden had said it. No, I didn’t watch the debate — I was too busy being righteously indignant over NCIS being pre-empted. I had also already filled out my ballot on Sunday night so the debate wasn’t going to change anything for me.

— 7 —

My grandma turns 92 tomorrow. She was the first college graduate on my mom’s side of the family. (My grandfather didn’t finish because Pearl Harbor happened.) She and my grandfather just missed making it 63 years when he passed away in 2006. She still lives at home and gardens a little bit. She also plays bridge twice a week. Happy birthday, Grandma! I love you!

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: September 3, 2012

Posted on by

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY September 3, 2012

Outside my window… sunny. Not too bad in terms of temperature — DEFINITELY better than triple digits!

I am thinking… about the devotions I’m editing and prettying up for a devotional book being put together by a friend of the family.

I am thankful… for Jon home today to watch Daniel while I ran errands.

In the kitchen… orzo with pesto, feta, and kalamata olives. (Going to go put the water on. Be back in a minute.)

I am wearing… Old Navy flag shirt and my Left Behind shorts.

I am creating… food and devotions.

I am going… to possibly take Daniel to the Sacramento Zoo tomorrow morning.

I am wondering… when our next rainstorm will be. (I love rain even if my body doesn’t.)

I am reading… Bossypants by Tina Fey.

I am hoping… tomorrow goes well and Daniel’s regressive behaviors cease.

I am looking forward to… Morning Prayer on Wednesday.

I am learning not to try and edit stuff once I’m exhausted.

Around the house… *puts fingers in ears* Lalalalalalalala… I can’t hear you!

A favorite quote for today… “My own experience is that when I first became a Christian, about fourteen years ago, I thought that I could do it on my own, by retiring to my rooms and reading theology, and I wouldn’t go to the churches and Gospel Halls; and then later I found that it was the only way of flying your flag; and, of course, I found that this meant being a target. It is extraordinary how inconvenient to your family it becomes for you to get up early to go to Church. It doesn’t matter so much if you get up early for anything else, but if you get up early to go to Church it’s very selfish of you and you upset the house. If there is anything in the teaching of the New Testament which is in the nature of a command, it is that you are obliged to take the Sacrament, and you can’t do it without going to Church. I disliked very much their hymns, which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the great merit of it. I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off. I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren’t fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit.” — C.S. Lewis on hymns. (I had a portion of it on my mind earlier today.)

One of my favorite things… decent and authentic Greek food. Jon and I took Daniel to the Sacramento Greek Festival yesterday and it was awesome. Jon had some tiropita and I had an amazing gyro along with buying a dozen pieces of baklava which were the biggest I’ve ever seen. Daniel enjoyed parts of both the tiropita and gyro. He is developing good taste in cuisine even if he wasn’t impressed by the baklava. (Who doesn’t like baklava?!?!?!?!? Seriously!)

A few plans for the rest of the week: doing whatever tomorrow with Daniel, Morning Prayer on Wednesday and Thursday, breakfast date with Jon on Friday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

7 Quick Takes: Camp Songs, Road Trips, and Speed Reading

Posted on by

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

It’s Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Someone posted this video of “Baby Shark” in honor of Shark Week and as it’s a camp song and as a former camp counselor, I think these songs need to be shared. This video is from a Boy Scout camp in Connecticut and as usual, the Boy Scouts know how to do these songs well.

— 2 —

I think we need to add The Penguin Song for good measure. It’s another camp song that I learned from some members of my Bible study in college who learned it as YMCA camp counselors. I have memories of standing outside Marianne’s (an awesome ice cream parlor in Santa Cruz) singing it. I’m pretty sure it would have been banned in the Girl Scouts because it looks like you’re mocking people with mental disabilities.

— 3 —

OK… throwing a question out to my readers. What were your favorite camp songs? They can be from whatever camps you attended — Girl Scout, Boy Scout, church, CYO, whatever.

— 4 —

By the time you read this, I’ll be down in southern California with Jon, Daniel, and my in-laws. Jon’s birthday is Saturday and he wants to take a weekend off. Since he hasn’t actually had one in like… a year, we’re doing it! He has a few surprises waiting for him on this trip so hopefully it will be enjoyable for him.

— 5 —

I got a few books read on the way down. No, I wasn’t the one driving. I finished The Wurst Is Yet to Come by Mary Daheim, read The Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin (a.k.a Andrew Shaffer — it’s a parody of THAT OTHER BOOK, stop judging me!) before starting/finishing The Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke, and starting on Clergy Killers by G. Lloyd Rediger. Yes, I do read that fast.

— 6 —

My in-laws are the only people I know with more cats than me. I think the current count is 5 or 6? My mother-in-law is seriously deserving of the hashtag #crazycatlady that I bat around the Twitter. My sister-in-law has three chihuahuas but we don’t talk about it.

— 7 —

Why yes, I’m aware that I’m not #1 this week in posting my Quick Takes. I’ve been busy taking care of my kid and attempting to be social with my in-laws? Oh yes… also catching up on Twitter and Facebook because I didn’t get a chance to be online until tonight.

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