Category Archives: Food/Drink

7 Quick Takes: Why I’m Helping At VBS Edition

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7 Quick Takes

It’s week 1 of VBS at the Spanish-speaking mission attached to my congregation. We had a team from multiple churches in the diocese doing it this week as a mission trip, and I volunteered to help them in the kitchen. I’m not volunteering tomorrow (Daniel is off of school), so I thought I’d talk about WHY I’m helping this week.

Also, if you’d like to help refugees and give me some help in reaching my Camp NaNoWriMo word goals, my fundraiser for RAICES is here.

— 1 —

Because I have nothing better to do. My demon child has started ESY and I have four hours to myself. Why not go spend time on my sore feet in a steamy kitchen?

— 2 —

Because my First Aid skills needed a thorough retest. Apparently, I do know what to do if some idiot tosses 180F water on themselves… especially when *I* am that idiot. (The answer: strip every affected piece of clothing off and douse in cold water, except for my shirt because I didn’t want to be standing in the kitchen in my bra.)

— 3 —

Because I have fiendish plans for global domination by teaching everyone on earth the “Penguin Song”. Actually… I kind of do! (Not to mention, everyone loved it and it will now probably be sung at diocesan youth gatherings.)

— 4 —

Because the steam from the industrial dishwasher is a great facial. My skin is better this week, even if I’ve had to work without my glasses on to keep myself from being bat blind for several hours.

— 5 —

Because I get fed. I was going to be snarky about this one, but I’ve enjoyed having other people make me breakfast. It’s nice not having to make my own bacon… and I never make bacon for myself!

— 6 —

Because we had an amazing team putting on VBS this week. Last year, some of this group came in to do the food while next week’s team was doing the program. This year, it’s youth and adults from four different churches combining for the first week, and the bigger church coming and doing it next week. The combined group has been SO. MUCH. FUN! They all get into doing the Penguin Song with me, we brainstormed verses for “Boom-Chicka-Boom” today, and they have been super flexible with making things work for the kids.

— 7 —

Because these are the coolest kids in the world. I wish I could share pictures of the kids from this week because they are so precious. They are so happy to see me, they enjoy having fun, they say “please” and “thank you”, and some of them patiently taught me my colors and numbers in Spanish two years ago while playing UNO. It really saddens me that these are the kids who would be in the horrible conditions on the southern border, and they are one of the reasons I’m being so utterly vocal about the issue.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 11, 2019

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For Today… June 11, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny and in the 70’s. I was working on homework, so I was inside all day.

I am thinking… about my assignment due as well as my final for Document Production.

I am thankful… that I will be done with school completely as soon as this final is over. As much as I love my program and classes, I am ready to be done with my degrees and to find work.

One of my favorite things… club soda. It is helping to deal with avoiding Coca-Cola.

I am wearing… charcoal heather shirt from Old Navy and capri pajama bottoms from Target.

I am creating… formatted documents.

I am watching… Forged in Fire reruns on On Demand.

I am hoping… Daniel sleeps through the night tonight. He’s been having issues going to sleep and/or waking up super early.

I am learning… about the Mediterranean diet. I’ll probably move toward meal-planning it through this summer.

In my kitchen… pesto quinoa.

In the school room… Daniel has six days left.

Post Script… Captain Awkward, an interesting advice column.

Shared Quote… “Jesus did not simply die to save us from our sins; Jesus lived to save us from our sins. His life and teachings show us the way to liberation. But you can’t fit all that on a bumper sticker. So we try to boil it down to a formula. Four steps. The “Romans Road.” John 3:16. And yet the gospel itself, in its eternal scope and scandalous particularity, defies reduction.” — Rachel Held Evans

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: May 27, 2019

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For Today… May 27, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny. Daniel and I might head to the park later while we’re doing errands.

I am thinking… about job-hunting.

I am thankful… for the men and woman who have sacrificed their lives while serving this country.

One of my favorite things… quiet. Unfortunately, Daniel is home today and in a cranky mood, so he is yelling right now. (Autism is fun.)

I am wearing… black fitted tee from Old Navy and capris from Kohl’s

I am creating… forms and documents for my Document Production class.

I am watching… reruns of Forged in Fire. Thank goodness for On Demand!

I am hoping… Daniel settles down. He had a crappy night last night where he was unable to get to sleep easily, and he’s a pill today as a result. The rest of us are feeling similar and trying to stay out of the way of each other.

I am learning… where my trouble spots are in putting together business reports. It’s frustrating because the things I’m missing are opinion things in the mind of the computer program.

In my kitchen… hot dogs last night. I don’t know if Dad wants to do anything special tonight for Memorial Day.

In the school room… Daniel has a few weeks of school to go. We’re going to work on reading this summer during his daytime feeds.

Post Script… this is a very sweet story.

Shared Quote… “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” — Neil Gaiman, Coraline

A moment from my day… Thinking of Grandpa today.

My grandfather's memorial marker

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: April 28, 2019

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For Today… April 28, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny and in the low 50’s.

I am thinking… about my Document Production homework. Bleh.

I am thankful… for my amazing church and worship today. After spending a period of time sitting in church and wanting to be anywhere else but there, it’s wonderful to be excited to go to church again. (That period ended when I returned to the Episcopal Church in 2014.)

One of my favorite things… calmness and quiet. I have it temporarily.

I am wearing… black fitted tee from Old Navy and jeans capris. Church clothes were a t-shirt dress from Old Navy, a cardigan from Kohl’s and my black flats

I am creating… documents for my homework. Woo.

I am reading… Inspired by Rachel Held Evans who remains in a medically-induced coma while doctors try to figure out what the heck is causing her seizures. Please pray for her and her family.

I am hoping… to get some database work done for church.

I am learning… tutor skills. (I’m listening to training right now.)

In my kitchen… probably leftover ham and spinach salad.

In the school room… Daniel is loving school still. His IEP meeting was fabulous this year.

Post Script… my priest’s website is here.

Shared Quote… “The apostles remembered what many modern Christians tend to forget—that what makes the gospel offensive isn’t who it keeps out but who it lets in.” — Rachel Held Evans

A moment from my day… this was our Communion hymn.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: February 12, 2019

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For Today… February 12, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… 34F and snowing.

I am thinking… about my design project for this week for my Publisher class.

I am thankful… to not have to go out today unless I want to.

One of my favorite things… quiet.

I am wearing… charcoal-colored shirt and khaki capris as I am in the house.

I am creating… business sets for Publisher

I am listening to… classical music coming from another part of the house.

I am hoping… we don’t have another snow day or 2-hour delay tomorrow. Today is my third snow day in two weeks and my paycheck will suffer as a result.

I am learning… design principles.

In my kitchen… defrosting something later.

Post Script… some fun stories to read.

Shared Quote… “I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn’t.” — Marilyn Monroe

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: February 3, 2019

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For Today… February 3, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… It’s in the low to mid 30’s F, and we are getting our first snowfall of the year. Woo.

I am thinking… about my design homework for my Publisher class.

I am thankful… that Target had stuff to melt the driveway. I hate my local Target (it’s filthy, there is no pharmacy, and they rarely if ever staff their checkout stands appropriately), but I don’t have rednecks trying to pick fights with me like I’ve had when I’ve gone to Walmart in desperation. I think I’d rather slip and break a hip than brave Walmart.

One of my favorite things… watching the snow from inside rather than being out in it.

I am wearing… jammies. I finally got a shower.

I am creating… Publisher projects and my church’s Lenten devotional.

I am listening to… classical music coming from my room.

I am hoping… Tom Brady has been badly pounded into the field at least once. (It’s part of my sports philosophy — I always root against Tom Brady even when I am cheering for neither team because the teams violate other parts of my beliefs like not rooting for Cleveland or LA teams because they are eternal losers.)

I am learning… about the color wheel in designing publications. I just wish the demo mailer I’m working through in the book wasn’t so bleedingly ugly.

In my kitchen… probably some stacked eggplant parmesan or something.

Post Script… if you need nature pictures, go here.

Shared Quote… “The ego is incapable of seeing the world as anything but a zero-sum equation where if something good happens to you I have somehow missed out. The Spirit of God will always call our ego’s bluff.” – Father Paul (my priest)

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 15, 2019

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For Today… January 15, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. It was not bad today — not warm but sunny.

I am thinking… about the design project for my Publisher class on which I am procrastinating by creating this blog post.

I am thankful… for a good start to tutoring this quarter.

One of my favorite things… this song. (I am spoofing it for my design project.)

I am wearing… jammies. It’s only 5:30 p.m., but I’m fighting a cold and it’s been a long day.

I am creating… this blog post. 😉

I am reading… Nailed It by Anne Kennedy.

I am hoping… that people get all the Jennifer/Jenni puns in my design project.

I am learning… about alignment and proximity.

In my kitchen… salad tonight. My cold is making swallowing painful, so it was a chore to find something I actually wanted to eat.

Post Script… this blog. Because her book was AWESOME.

Shared Quote… “‘NO’ is a complete sentence.” — me on Sunday when asking people to write devotions for me this Lent.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.