Category Archives: Family

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 6, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 6, 2015

Outside my window… dark. It was a warm day today but I was in jeans because it was gray in the morning when I was having to go to the vet with my mother-in-law to get her Birman’s abcess drained.

I am thinking… about the various articles I’ve read on St. Maria Goretti today (her feast day) and how divergent Simcha Fisher’s article is from the others which totally stress how she died to protect her purity and OMG-teens-today-need-serious-help-keeping-their-virginity. Simcha’s point is that she was concerned about *HER ATTACKER* and his eternal salvation more than she was concerned about staying pure. I tend to agree as one hallmark of a saint is their selflessness

I am thankful… for my naps the last few days. VBS was awesome but it drained me as did the festivities of Saturday. Add in not sleeping well for whatever reason and I ended up with a pretty bad headache on Sunday morning that meant me skipping church because I was feeling so wretched.

In the kitchen… my mother-in-law just made a batch of peach jam.

I am wearing… black v-neck shirt and blue/white striped pajama bottoms.

I am praying for… a call for Jon, good MRI results for a friend’s baby, and a number of special intentions.

I am going… to try and get a walk in tomorrow, hopefully a long one.

I am wondering… why I watch Viperkeeper videos before going to sleep as I’m so incredibly terrified of snakes.

I am reading… The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows. It was on a site of 25 recommended reads for the summer. I also finished Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs today.

I am hoping… they finish the body repairs on my car this week. As much as I like my rental (which is now a Ford Fusion as the Jetta had an oil leak), I really need my car bad as I’m heading up to San Jose this weekend and don’t want to have to pay extra to extend the rental when my insurance is footing the bill.

I am looking forward to… my physical therapist massaging out my neck tomorrow.

I am hearing… silence. It is lovely.

Crocheting… same old, same old — Daniel blankie and amigurumi stuffie.

Around the house… silence.

A favorite quote for today… “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” — Douglas Adams

One of my favorite things… being able to get the #1 spot on a waiting list for a book at a library.

A few plans for the rest of the week: PT tomorrow morning, various errands and things throughbout the week, meeting with the Social Security Administration on Friday afternoon (please pray for my ability to control my temper and not use words that will make baby Jesus cry because I am seriously aggravated with them for losing paperwork and being generally incomptetent), and heading to San Jose on Saturday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Seriously Wanting Friday to Come Soon!

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Sadness. We had to put my in-laws’ cat Nicholas to sleep today. We brought him into the vet for what we thought would be an antibiotic shot and they found a tumor in his abdomen. Given that he had lost something like 2 lbs in the last month and was very noticably in pain, it was actually not a hard decision. I am sad for my in-laws though and we seem to lose at least 1 cat per year and the rest of the cats in the house are relatively young — I think the oldest one now is maybe 13 years old and the second oldest is 12 with the rest being between the ages of 6-8. (Nick was 15.5 years old.)

— 2 —

Seriously?!?!?!?!? We were leaving the $tarbux parking lot today when my battery light flashed on and I couldn’t restart the car. Daniel commenced having a meltdown as I tried to find a tow truck company that we could afford. (Thankfully, my auto insurance comes with Roadside Assistance so we didn’t have to mortgage anything to get towed to my mechanic.) Jon came and got Daniel and I settled in to wait for the towing company. Apparently, I was blocking the way for a delivery driver because he told me he was going to give me a push aside. Well, I was suddenly in the bushes in the parking lot of the Chevron station next door. The delivery driver didn’t speak much English and I had to tell him to leave me alone to keep him from pushing me out and messing my bumper up more. Thankfully, I managed to get the information off of his truck while he was making deliveries so my insurance company is pursuing the claim and I will have a rental car while they fix mine. (I’m pretty sure the underside of my car has some damage as a result of the push and my bumper has a new dent.) Not the best day by far!

— 3 —

A good reason for the rules prohibiting the marriage of two people if one (or both) are intoxicated. A few people here know that my husband is a pastor who performs weddings as a way of paying the bills. When I saw this article, I had to send it to him. I don’t think either the bride or groom was intoxicated while the wedding was performed but they sure were after! It’s probably not a good thing to leave your wedding in police-issued handcuffs or in an ambulance to the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

— 4 —

Joy joy joy! My in-laws have been singing “I’ve Got the Joy Joy Joy” to Daniel every day to teach him about God (because his mother totally doesn’t listen to *ANY* Christian music in the car EVER) and a few days ago, he said “joy joy joy!” so they sang to him. He now requests the song every day and I told him that we would sing it at VBS next week… which led to him starting to sing it (or at least try). It was seriously cute but that’s normal for my seriously cute boy.

— 5 —

Daniel and VBS. At the VBS meeting on Monday, I asked my priest if there was any way that Daniel could attend because we’d need someone to shadow him and I didn’t know if we had enough people. It turns out that one of the dads can do it… and the woman running VBS is also willing to have him be her “helper” if need be. (Daniel likes to help.) I also have some church members who are former special ed teachers who will be there and others who are totally excited about finally meeting Daniel. (He goes to a church closer to the house for Sunday school because my mother-in-law is the one who takes him most of the time.) I am so thankful to be part of a church which really wants to make it so that EVERYONE can participate and has clergy who absolutely love my kiddo.

— 6 —

We are family. Some of Jon’s relatives on his dad’s side are in town for a wedding this weekend (including his aunt who reads my blog — HI AUNT JANICE!!!!! *waves*) so we all had lunch on Wednesday. It was the first time meeting a couple of them for Daniel and the first time seeing others in a few years. He came home to a house with 10 people when he got off the bus and he did extremely well at eating at the table (better than many adults) and he was pretty calm the whole time. He did love it when we sang “I’ve Got the Joy Joy Joy” to him and started banging the table in rhythm.

— 7 —

Prayer request. If you could pray for a special intention for Jon and me, I would greatly appreciate it. Please and thank you!

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 22, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY June 22, 2015

Outside my window… dark. It’s after midnight but I’m finally getting around to blogging. It was in the 90’s today and I’m guessing it will be similar tomorrow.

I am thinking… about new songs for VBS because we just changed the Bible stories that we’re using.

I am thankful… for my church which is committed to making Daniel welcome and who has found a way for him to attend VBS with me this year. One of the dads is going to be doing one-on-one with him and we’ll find more things with which he can help.

In the kitchen… eating leftovers from the barbecue on Sunday.

I am wearing… green shirt and black capri sweats.

I am praying for… a call for Jon and a bunch of special intentions.

I am going… to be practicing all of my hand motions for VBS during my mornings without Daniel this week.

I am wondering… about the timing of some financial things. It’s unnerving me to say the least.

I am reading… A Bad Egg by Jessica Beck. I’m working through her Diner series.

I am hoping… I can go grocery shopping at some point.

I am looking forward to… Bible study on Wednesday.

I am hearing… silly songs that I’m trying to collect for VBS.

Crocheting… same stuff as last week — Daniel’s big boy blankie and the amigurumi stuffed animal.

Around the house… silence.

A favorite quote for today… “I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” — Phillip Yancey

One of my favorite things… sleep.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Daniel’s rescheduled dentist appointment on Thursday and whatever else comes up.

A peek into my day… The Hippo Song which I am learning.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

Answer Me This: Father’s Day Edition

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I’ve got a bunch of blogger friends who participate in this so I decided to give it a try!

Answer Me This from CatholicAllYear.Com

1. What’s the best thing about your dad?

My dad can figure out how to make things from scratch. It might be his engineering mind but he can seriously build whatever is needed.

2. If you’ve got kids, what’s the best thing about THEIR dad? (If you don’t, feel free to substitute your grandfather or another father figure.)

Jon is a little more adventurous than I am which is why he does things like take hikes to the park with Daniel instead of my sissy self who drives to the park. He is also able to have a good rapport with all the high school he has had in 12 years of ministry (internship and parish).

3. What’s the best advice your dad ever gave you?

Choose the battles that make your heart sing.

4. What’s something you have in common with your dad?

We have the same build. (Thank you, PCOS, for making me built like a linebacker intead of a woman.) We somehow become interested in the same things though approaching them from different angles and it makes for interesting dinner conversation when I visit them and vice versa. I also have his temper and I’m slightly better at controlling mine than he is (but only slightly).

5. What’s the manliest thing you know how to do?

I know how to change a tire and assemble just about anything that doesn’t require a blow torch.

6. Who is your favorite fictional dad?

This is a really hard one because most of the TV I watch is forensics dramas on CBS(not a lot of family interaction) and I read a lot of murder mysteries which involve females as the protagonist. I think I’m going to echo Mary on this and go with Frank Reagan of Blue Bloods as one of my favorites. I’m also a fan of Tim Taylor of Home Improvement, Gibbs from NCIS (he is paternal to Abby and some of the people involved in a case), and Dwayne Pride from NCIS: New Orleans.

This is all I’ve got. Go see Kendra for more people’s answers!

7 Quick Takes: More on Water Restrictions, House Fires, and Hobbes’ Adventures in Tampa

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a7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Apparently, the rich are different. For those who came back this week after my snarky post on the drought and water restrictions, I have a somewhat funny story for you: after Gov. Jerry Brown (all hail!) called for serious water restrictions, usage in the rich enclave of Rancho Santa Fe actually went *UP*. The reason: residents are of the opinion that “we’re not all equal when it comes to water.” I find it funny in a “you can’t make this up” way, not in a humorous way. The joke is on them, however, because serious water restrictions will be enforced on them starting on July 1st. I think I’ll have to grab a cooler, some snacks from Trader Joe’s, an iced vanilla latté, and go watch peoples’ heads explode when they realize how much water they have to cut that day. And because I’m going to have to turn in my liberal ID card if I don’t post this [/sarcasm], here’s an opinion on this from the Daily Kos.

— 2 —

Excuse me while I puke. Rick Santorum used the shooting in Charleston to try and score some political points. I’ve heard a few people excuse it saying that he was speaking broadly about assaults on religious liberty in this country but I’m not buying it unless he wants to add on shootings at a Sikh temple and a mosque onto it. Besides, the gunman very clearly made statements to the people in the church about how it was aimed toward them as African-Americans.

Seriously, co-opting this to score “religious liberty” points sickens me. It’s highly inappropriate and it devalues the deaths to the family members.

— 3 —

Hot weather food. As I’m sitting here eating my sushi from Trader Joe’s because it’s too hot to cook, I’m wondering what y’all do for “hot weather food”. Mind sharing in the comments? Please and thank you. 🙂

— 4 —

Hobbes tours Tampa’s airport without Calvin. A boy accidentally left his stuffed tiger at the Tampa airport and the airport staff took it on an adventure.

— 5 —

I swear that I am not making this up. Last Monday, a house around the corner from my parents caught on fire and when I was googling the link to send to my in-laws, I found this story. The title (“No Joke: Doctors, Realtor, Pastor Go For a Run, Extinguish House Fire”) sounds like the opening to a joke but it’s legit.

— 6 —

Because I am a COPS junkie! During that house fire in my parents’ neighborhood, various streets were blocked off (including the entrance to ours) due to the fire trucks present and this meant that people couldn’t get between two major streets. (The street with the fire goes between them and a lot of people take it at warp speed to shave off a few minutes. It’s why there are a ton of traffic cameras and speed traps on it, considering that it’s a pretty quiet residential street otherwise.) Anyway, a woman tried to shoot between two fire trucks and got pulled over. She then decided to argue with the cop. My mom was standing on the corner with some neighbors watching the fire and happened to catch this exchange and she told me that said cop took his sweet time running all of her information and getting back to her. I’m kind of bummed to have missed it because I would probably have been sitting there with some granola (it apparently took place around 8 a.m.) and watched the drama unfold. Then again, it’s probably better that I wasn’t there because Daniel would have been with me and both of our lungs would have been pretty irritated by the smoke. (We took a walk after the fire was out and I realized halfway through that I needed my inhaler pretty badly… because I have absolutely no common sense. Mr. Preemie Reactive Airway, thankfully, was fine)

— 7 —

Prayer request. Could you please pray for a special intention? Please and thank you!

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 14, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY June 14, 2015

Outside my window… dark. It was foggy this morning and got up to 84F this afternoon which is not too bad.

I am thinking… that the takeaway messages from my church’s VBS later this month are going to be that God created hippos and penguins drink tea.

I am thankful… for the awesome food at the Practice the Tithe picnic today.

In the kitchen… leftover brisket that was thawed out.

I am wearing… charcoal v-neck from Old Navy and black capri sweats from Target.

I am praying for… many many things.

I am going… to the dentist with Daniel tomorrow. Denti-Cal is refusing to just give me a peds dental consult for Daniel so we have to see a regular dentist first. I’m really not thinking this will end well.

I am wondering… if I have a sinus infection or if this is just allergies.

I am reading… A Chili Death by Jessica Beck. Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey is still on hold.

I am hoping… to sleep well tonight because I have to get up at 6:40 tomorrow morning to get Daniel off to ESY.

I am looking forward to… my massage and TENS machine time on Tuesday.

I am hearing… stuff from Mission Bible Class that I’m doing for VBS.

Crocheting… all the same stuff as before — Daniel’s big boy blankie and an amugurumi stuffie for a friend’s baby.

Around the house… silence as everyone else is asleep.

A favorite quote for today… “Prayer is not a means of removing the unknown and predictable elements in life, but rather a way of including the unknown and unpredictable in the outworking of the grace of God in our lives.” — Philip Yancey

One of my favorite things… Vacation Bible School. I’ve missed helping with it. (It’s been 8 years since the last time I got to help.)

A few plans for the rest of the week: Daniel’s dentist appointment and ESY on Monday, PT on Tuesday, whatever errands come up the rest of the week, and possibly dinner with my parents on Saturday night.

A peek into my day… Here’s the rainbow that came with the apocalyptic storm that welcomed me back to southern California last week.

The rainbow that welcomed me home.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

#FiveFaves: Miscellanea (XXXVII)

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#5Faves

One

Air-conditioning. It was 98F at my parents’ house in San Jose yesterday… and they don’t have A/C. Can we say “working off time in Purgatory”? We were getting the remnants of a hurricane from Baja California today so it thankfully cooled down almost 20 degrees.

Two

Physical therapy. I’m missing my TENS machine time, heating pad, and massage this week. Given that I’ve woken up with neck pain for two mornings, I’m seriously looking forward to it next week.

Three

My Bible study ladies. I haven’t been to Bible study since May 20th and I miss my women. I’m always the youngest and most of them are old enough to be my mother or (in some cases) my grandmother; but they are a group of wonderful, wise, and strong women who fuss over me.

Four

The man at Safeway. Mom and I walked with Daniel to Safeway today and while we were walking through the shopping center, Daniel got ahead of us. I called out, “sweetie, stop!” and both Daniel and an older man in front of us froze. I apologized profusely and the man was really nice about it, explaining that he had been well-trained. My mom’s comment: “You definitely obeyed better than the kid did.”

Five

TV. I’m catching up on all my shows while I’m up here. I will probably end up watching a bunch of them online but it has given me something to do while putting Daniel to bed.

Go love up Jenna and the others.