People-watching in church. My B.A. in Religious Studies was focused around history and practice of various religions which fit into the fact that I love people-watching. I’ve found that my spot in the choir allows me to watch everyone and see what they do at various times in the liturgy. It’s pretty moving to watch a dad kneeling to light a candle with his 3 year old daughter or to see the guitarist I work with for the Contemporary Service kneeling and praying if he gets to church late. (I also love him because he kneels during all the parts I kneel for and it’s nice not to be the only one searching for a kneeler during the prayers.)
Two
“Hiding in plain sight”. A friend of mine coined this term to describe me sitting at Starbux by myself, listening to my iTunes, and just blocking out the outside world for a bit. It’s something I do on my Wednesdays off.
Three
Coca Cola. I gave it up for Lent but it’s St. Patrick’s Day today and a number of people I know usually relax their Lenten fast today. I ended up getting a Coke while I was out with my mother-in-law because I had a splitting headache from all the atmospheric pressure changes. (Weather-change migraines bite!)
Four
Donna Andrews. I’m reading her Meg Langslow murder mysteries and I am very hopelessly addicted. All of the titles have something to do with birds and the later ones usually involve some play on a saying or the title of an old movie. I’m currently reading We’ll Always Have Parrots.
Five
This Guinness commercial. When I visted Ireland almost 17 years ago, Guinness signs welcomed us into just about every town. I’m not a fan of it but the rest of my family are.
Go love up Melody (our hostess this week while Jenna loves on her behbeh) and the others.
Outside my window… dark. I wasn’t outside today but Accuweather said there was a high of 86F today. It feels like June, not March. I miss rain.
I am thinking… about how I’m going to make it through various things tomorrow if I’m still stuck in bed with the flu.
I am thankful… for the opportunity to see an amazing concert on Sunday when I accompanied my father-in-law to the Claremont Symphony Orchestra concert. The BIG piece was Shostakovich’s Symphony #5 we also were blessed to hear Pärt’s “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten” and Sibelius’ “Karelia Suite”. I love having a symphony that amazing nearby and getting to attend that quality of concert for free.
In the kitchen… nothing. I’ve been sick all day.
I am wearing… green shirt and running shorts.
I am praying for… a call for Jon, various people per my Lenten discipline, and a bunch of special intentions.
I am going… to sleep in my own bed tonight. (Daniel had my flu over the weekend so I was sleeping in his room to take care of him at night and to keep Jon from getting sick.)
I am wondering… how to deal with people who leave comments on one’s Facebook wall that are incredibly inflammatory and inappropriate for civil discussion. I’m fine with people disagreeing with me but seriously, attempt to be civil.
I am reading…We’ll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews. I finished Crouching Buzzard, Laughing Loon and also got through Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos by her as well.
I am hoping… for decent sleep tonight. I’m at the point where my sleep debt would take years to fix.
I am looking forward to… Wednesday when I get to go do projects and errands on my own.
I am hearing… Jon snoring and also whatever he is listening to.
Around the house… my mother-in-law deep-cleaned it today.
A favorite quote for today… “Get off my shoulders. There’s work to be done!” — 104-year-old Selma marcher Amelia Robinson, when told by younger people that they stand on her shoulders.
One of my favorite things… getting caught up in a good book.
A few plans for the rest of the week: no big plans other than getting out and about on Wednesday.
Seriously, I hope y’all can have the birth experience you want and if you didn’t for whatever reason, it doesn’t make you any less of a mama. So please, for the love of all things holy, stop whining about how c-sections are so crappy and unnecessary and going off on how natural birth is *SO* much superior. My c-section was the best birth experience possible: mama lived and baby lived. End of story.
Getting Ella some wheels. There has been some crowdsourcing this week to try and get a sport wheelchair for the daughter of blogger Rebecca Frech. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas has been being buttheaded about approving an appropriate wheelchair for Ella and so some bloggers decided to do something about it. Since Rebecca gave up cursing for Lent, people created an online swear jar for the purpose of raising the $$$$ for Ella’s chair. Blue Cross/Blue Shield has since relented (after a brief Twitter campaign) and is working with Rebecca but if you’d like to help out, you can go here.
Kelly of This Ain’t The Lyceum put together a positively *LOVELY* video on the subject (being more than familiar with “negotiating” these things):
Update on the Lenten disciplines. I seriously almost cried yesterday morning because I had a late night on Tuesday night while working on taxes and had to be at Daniel’s school at 8 to meet with the school psychologist about some IEP-related things before heading to Bible study. A can of Coke would have been *REALLY* useful… but I promised Jesus not to consume any until April 5th at midnight. *grumbles* Instead, I stopped at the $tarbux inside one of the local grocery stores and got my iced vanilla latté with whole milk.
The offering up of my day on behalf of someone else has been a blessing as it’s allowing me to try and do something to benefit others even if I don’t have the time and resources to do it in person.
Good customer service. I had to go to Staples on Monday for a new “binder of fun” because the one I use for education was getting too full. When I was checking out, I was having to get my debit card out one-handed because my other hand was holding on to Daniel. The assistant manager took it upon herself to talk to him and try to entertain him while I was doing this. I thanked her for this and she told me that when I come in, he will always be treated like a person.
If you’re in the La Verne area, please go patronize them. 🙂
Plans for my 35th birthday. I turn 35 years old on May 19th and I decided to do a Promise Walk for Preeclampsia instead of getting a mid-life crisis tattoo. Details (and my SUPER-SECRET last name) are here.
And yes, I am *TOTALLY* taking a page from Kelly on this one. 😉
Love. As I was leaving Bible study on Wednesday, one of the women called after me that she hadn’t received her hug. Given that this woman is 94 years old and reminds me so incredibly much of my grandma, I definitely raced back to hug her. She kissed my cheek and told me that she loved me.
Outside my window… dark. As usual, I’m blogging after midnight. My excuse this time: working on taxes.
I am thinking… about what tomorrow has in store for me.
I am thankful… for the Turbo Tax Home/Business and how it saves me at least $100 every year from not having to pay someone to do my taxes and being able to get my refund immediately (or at least know what I have to render unto Caesar).
In the kitchen… chicken over quinoa tonight.
I am wearing… light grey v-neck shirt and black capri sweats.
I am praying for… a call for Jon, various people per one of my Lenten disciplines, and for a bunch of special intentions.
I am going… to Target in the next few days. It’s probably good I get all the 5% pharmacy reward cards from them for refilling my legion of prescriptions because I give them a healthy chunk of change every week.
I am wondering… how long it will be until Daniel sleeps through the whole night in his own bed without one of us bunking with him.
I am reading…Crouching Buzzard, Laughing Loon by Donna Andrews. I read and finished The Penguin Who Knew Too Much this past weekend.
I am hoping… to be able to sleep soon. I just made myself some peanut butter and bananas and I’m hoping it makes my hunger pangs go away.
I am looking forward to… seeing what people bring for midweek Lenten soup supper on Wednesday night.
I am hearing… Daniel snoring softly.
Around the house… silence as everyone is asleep other than me.
A favorite quote for today… “Christ, who came on earth to teach the ways of sanctity and prayer, could have surrounded himself with ascetics who starved themselves to death and terrified the people with strange antics. But his apostles were workers, fishers, publicans who made themselves conspicuous only by their disregard for most of the intricate network of devotions, ceremonial practices and moral gymnastics of the professionally holy. The surest asceticism is the bitter insecurity and labor of the poor. ” — Thomas Merton
One of my favorite things… peanut butter and bananas.
A few plans for the rest of the week: taking my father-in-law to chemo tomorrow (today?), church stuff on Wednesday, a meeting with the school psych at Daniel’s school on Wednesday morning, and whatever else comes up.
“Immanuel” recorded by David Wesley. I am seriously addicted to this song by Stuart Townsend and I love how David sets it.
Three
Midweek Lenten soup suppers. I never turn down food that I don’t have to make myself. (Actually, I *did* make the cookies for it tonight, but I think y’all know what I mean.) The fact that it also means being able to hang out with my very awesome fellow parishioners is bonus.
Four
My local Trader Joe’s. If any of you are anywhere near Claremont, please go and shop at the Trader Joe’s there. Daniel is a person to them and they addres Continue reading →
Outside my window… dark. It’s technically past midnight and officially March 2nd but I’m doing this for March 1st.
I am thinking… about some discussions I’ve been having with people on Facebook.
I am thankful… for so many things today but mostly that I have a church that supports me and who loves me because I am “Jen”, not because I’m “Jen the pastor’s wife”.
In the kitchen… nothing at the moment as we’re all in bed. I’ll be baking more cookies this week for the Lenten soup supper on Wednesday.
I am praying for… a full-time call for Jon, discernment for me, various special intentions,
and how to balance out our finances.
I am going… to hopefully get to sleep soon.
I am wondering… what this week will hold for me.
I am reading…The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews.
I am hoping… to finish my amigurumi project this week and get it mailed off to the person for whom it is a gift.
I am looking forward to… Wednesday night when we have midweek Lenten stuff.
I am hearing… The Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox church of Antioch. It’s relaxing to listen to it.
Around the house… silence. dead quiet. It’s lovely.
A favorite quote for today… “Before I became a Christian I do not think I fully realized that one’s life, after conversion, would inevitably consist in doing most of the same things one had been doing before, one hopes, in a new spirit, but still the same things.” — C.S. Lewis
One of my favorite things… my in-laws’ cat Felicity who is a tiny little fluffball.
A few plans for the rest of the week: work on taxes, church stuff on Wednesday, Daniel’s IEP on Thursday, BYOF day at IKEA on Saturday, and whatever else comes up.
The color of the dress. There was a debate online today about the color of the dress that someone posted on Tumblr. (Here’s a link to one of the articles on it for those who are interested.) The answer: it’s blue/black or white/gold depending on the light and angle at which you are viewing the picture.
Thank you. Thank you to those who have emailed or messaged me on Facebook over the last few days to express your condolences on the deaths of Trail Kitty and Cullen. It means a great deal to me. I think I’m dealing better with Cullen’s death than Jon is because I was present for it and I know he didn’t suffer. It was also the humane thing to do because apparently, he was having problems moving.
I am eternally grateful to Audrey, the woman who adopted my boys, because she’s given them a wonderful retirement home as they are now retired church cats. She lives in a retirement community for church workers so it is definitely fitting.
Midweek Lenten Soup Suppers. For those of my readership who are Catholic or Orthodox, a number of liturgical Protestant denominations have midweek Lenten soup suppers where people sign up to bring soup and other people bring salads and desserts. (My husband’s internship supervisor commented on Ash Wednesday 2003 that “Catholics fast, Lutherans eat.” At my Episcopal church, 4-5 people sign up to bring soup (homemade or store-bought — both are acceptable), 2 people bring salads, 2 people bring bread, and 2 people bring cookies. Last night, we had four options: egg drop, tomato bisque, chicken tortilla soup, and goulash. I went with the goulash as I’m allergic to eggs and the tomato base of the other two doesn’t sit well with my stomach. It was different than the goulash I was picturing — it was macaroni, ground beef, tomato paste, and a little bit of cheese to hold it together. I definitely needed some comfort food and it did not disappoint! We also do “Lenten interest groups” and mine is on prayer, so that was pretty fun.
A “liberal” reason to hate Susan G. Komen. Some of my Catholic friends are against Susan G. Komen because they get funds from Planned Parenthood. Well… now there’s a “liberal” reason to hate them: they’re partnered with Baker Hughes, a fracking company. They made a $100,000 donation to Komen and are passing out pink drill bits to their fracking sites.
If you’re disgusted by this (especially as 25% of the more than 700 chemicals used in fracking are carcinogenic), sign this petition.
An update on the whole “read the Bible in a year” thing. I just got through Leviticus in the Old Testament which was pretty dry and I’m in Numbers right now which is only marginally better. This is probably why my AP English teacher told us to to read Exodus but not take note of all the specs for the ark of the covenant unless we wanted to build one. 🙂 I continue to be introduced to some wonderful Psalms (strangely, there are some I haven’t read before even though there’s at least one in the lectionary every Sunday) and I’m now into Luke’s Gospel in the New Testament.
Update on Lenten disciplines. When my mother-in-law saw me opening the last can of Coke in the house on Sunday, I may or may not have said something along the lines of “Yes, this is a can of Coke. Sundays are mini-Easters. Don’t judge me!!!!” Yeah… I’m doing just *SO* well at my abstaining of Coke for Lent. 🙂 Otherwise, my prayers are at least happening and I’m getting the extra reading done daily.
Keeping myself sane. Megan at Clearing the Sill of the World introduced me to the wonderfulness that is Tim Hawkins 3 Lents ago and I’m re-posting his “hedge of protection” sketch because it’s one of my go-to YouTube videos when I need some levity.
