Category Archives: Travel

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 11, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 11, 2015

Outside my window… dark. We got some wonderful rain today which was so needed (California is in a severe drought) even if it gave me a migraine and I spent the morning with the covers pulled over my head.

I am thinking… about what I have to get done tomorrow.

I am thankful… for the rain and for a quiet house.

In the kitchen… just put dishes in the dishwasher.

I am wearing… my Run for the Little Flowers shirt and black sweatpants.

I am praying for… a call for Jon, healing for my neck, and some special intentions.

I am going… to drop Daniel’s IEP paperwork off at his school tomorrow morning. I’ll probably wait unti after my walk and core workout so I don’t have to deal with rush-hour traffic.

I am wondering… what 2015 holds for me.

I am reading… Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews. I’m working my way through her body of work which might take me a while so there might be some things read intermittently.

I am hoping… Daniel stays in his own room tonight.

I am looking forward to… seeing my extended family this coming weekend in Seattle. I haven’t been up there in 4 years (since my grandmother’s 90th birthday party) and I’m looking forward to seeing her and some other people I haven’t gotten to see for a very long time.

I am hearing… the springs moving on the bed.

Around the house… dead quiet except for my typing.

A favorite quote for today… “So when a little girl asks her father where the moon came from, he might tell her that the moon circles around the earth and reflects light from the sun. He might tell her that the moon likes to play hide-and-seek with the sun, so sometimes the moon looks like it’s peeking out from behind a black curtain; sometimes all you can see is the top of its head, and sometimes you can’t even see it at all! He might tell her about how the moon has invisible arms that can pull the oceans back and forth, making tides rise and fall. He might tell her that astronauts have walked on the moon and played golf on the moon and collected rocks from the moon. He might tell her that the moon has dimples and craters and basins that we can see only with a telescope and that there’s a special place on the moon called the Sea of Tranquility that isn’t really a sea. Then the father might take the little girl outside, hoist her up onto his shoulders, and let her stare at the moon for a while. He might recite a poem about a cow jumping over the moon or sing a song about a dreamy-eyed kid slow-dancing with it. Soon the little girl will become so lost in her father’s beautiful stories that she will forget she ever had a question to begin with.” — Rachel Held Evans, Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions

One of my favorite things… the feeling I get after working out incredibly hard.

A few plans for the rest of the week: whatever happens to come up in the next few days and flying to Seattle on Friday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

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.

7 Quick Takes: Zero to Car in 4 Minutes

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7 Quick Takes

OK… these are actually hosted by the incredibly awesome Kelly of This Ain’t The Lyceum but she doesn’t have a super cool picture yet for this meme so we’re sticking with the old one. Got it? Good.

These takes are inspired by a remark my mother-in-law made last Christmas visit about how I can go from “zero to car in 4 minutes”. It’s not usually *THAT* fast (though I can totally do it) but I thought I’d share my tips for getting out of the house quickly in the mornings, especially with kids.

— 1 —

I shower at night. I find that it works better for getting out of the house in the morning if I shower the night before. My hair actually looks better after I have slept on it. Not showering when I get up cuts down on time in the mornings, not to mention it eliminates the possibility of my hair freezing solid if I happen to be living in colder climates. (Not that this happened…)

— 2 —

I have a hairstyle that doesn’t require a lot of work. My hair is very fine and usually at a length somewhere between chin-length and shoulder-length. All it generally takes in the morning is a wet comb to make it presentable.

— 3 —

I generally have some idea of what I plan to wear ahead of time. I live in jeans and t-shirts — those are easy. If it’s a formal occasion (i.e. church or a concert), I have a section of my closet for that and I’ve usually made sure that whatever I plan to wear is clean and pressed.

— 4 —

My shoes are always in a condition where I can just slip them on and go. I finally tossed my Old Navy flip-flops last week but those were my go-to shoes for a good chunk of this year. (I live in southern California so I can get away with that.) Unfortunately, I’m constantly on my feet chasing Daniel so I started having problems with my right foot. Switching to running shoes helped that (as did athletic tape) and my running shoes are always tied in such a way that I can just slip them on and go. My flats are also easy to slip on for more formal occasions. (I seriously own maybe 5 pairs of shoes total.)

— 5 —

My purse/keys/phone are always in the same place. Not having to search for my stuff means that I can focus my time on getting Daniel ready to go (if he is coming with me) and making sure I have everything I need.

— 6 —

Daniel goes in the car barefoot. Again, I live in California and we’re in the middle of a drought so it’s not like I’m asking him to venture out barefoot in snow or any kind of inclement weather. Socks and shoes can theoretically wait until we get to our destination and usually by that time, he’s jonesing to GET OUT OF THE CAR AND GO (!!!!!) so he doesn’t dawdle in getting them on.

— 7 —

I prep all of Daniel’s stuff the night before. His school has a uniform (more or less) so that part is easy. We lay clothes out the night before and he knows how to dress himself. (The issue is usually him farting around instead of getting dressed.) If food needs to be taken, I will have prepped it and/or packed it the night before so we can grab it and go. He has a couple “car cups” and I will take one or more of those and stock them with juice ahead of time. If there is paperwork, I make sure it is filled out the night before and put it in/next to my purse.

— Bonus —

I have a “go bag” in the car that has spare clothes for Daniel, training pants, wipes, snacks, etc. I go through it regularly to make sure the clothes still fit, the snacks haven’t hit their expiry date, and that I have enough training pants. Keeping it in the car means that I always have access to it on the go and I don’t have to worry about what to stuff in my purse. (My purse is actually pretty small for the simple reason that it keeps me from acquiring junk.)

For more Quick Takes, go love up Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: November 23, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY November 23, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It was maybe in the 60’s today. I’m actually blogging earlier than usual as I’m trying to get Daniel to go to sleep (without breaking out the Samuel L. Jackson book) and he won’t go to sleep unless one of us is present. *sigh*

I am thinking… about how much I love the liturgical year and about today being Christ the King Sunday for me as a Lutheran. I’m kind of bummed I missed church this morning because some of my favorite hymns were being sung. (I was having a fibro flare and as Jon had a wedding this afternoon, I needed to rest to have my A game on for Daniel.)

I am thankful… for Gabapentin which helps with the pain. (It’s nerve pain so painkillers like Tylenol and Aleve are useless. And yes, I get asked that frequently.)

In the kitchen… Daniel’s dishes to toss in the dishwasher. I haven’t had dinner yet — I’ll make it after Jon finishes cat chores and takes over putting Daniel down. (We’re in hour 2 of “put-Daniel-to-bed”.)

I am wearing… light gray v-neck shirt and jeans.

I am praying for… closure about Edda (still missing after almost 2 weeks), for finances, for a call for Jon, and for various special intentions regarding family members.

I am going… to go to IKEA with Daniel sometime in the next two days. I haven’t been in 4 years and it would be something to do other than the worksheets that his teacher sent home for this week. Also, I’m puzzling over the fact that she said that she wouldn’t send homework home like that if the parents didn’t want it. Seriously, we could probably get all of them done in about an hour… and that’s with my child who has no attention span. It’s not like this is putting us out at all and I remember always having stuff like that over vacation even in kindergarten. What is with parents these days?!?!?!? (I’m under the assumption that her statement is because parents have complained about actually having to do something with their kid… like read to them.)

I am wondering… what happened to Edda. I miss my lovey little house panther very much.

I am reading… Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton. It’s another in the series of murder mysteries about a woman in Colorado. I also read all of The Chocolate Clown Corpse by Joanna Carl and part of French Pastry Murder by Leslie Meier before I put the latter down due to it failing to keep my attention.

I am hoping… to get the two Christmas stockings done by the time we leave San Jose on Sunday.

I am looking forward to… seeing my family on Wednesday.

I am hearing… Jon feeding cats.

Around the house… cat chores being done and laundry to be folded once Daniel is down and I’ve had a chance to shower.

A favorite quote for today… “I quit church, stopped reading my Bible, gave up on any real semblance of a prayer life — and you know what? He was big enough to take it. His feelings weren’t hurt when I spoke words of doubt instead of faith. He didn’t mind when I cried rather than worshipped. He is God enough to handle this human heart of mine. He didn’t scold me; He didn’t heap “shoulds” or shame on me; He didn’t tell me to let go and let Him. He just sat in The Great Sadness with me.” — Alece Ronzino over at Deeper Story. (Read the rest of it here. HT: Rachel Held Evans.)

One of my favorite things… In-n-Out cheeseburgers with spread and pickles only, fries, and a Coke.

A few plans for the rest of the week: IKEA trip with Daniel, errands, crocheting, driving up to San Jose on Wednesday, and bonding with my family.

A peek into my day… Instead of a picture, I’m going to share an interesting link that I got from Rachel Held Evans.

Gate A-4

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Momcation Recap

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

You know you’re loved when you walk into church on Sunday and the acting music director hugs you and tells you that you should have shown up earlier so you could have sung with the choir. Before June, I hadn’t been back to the church for 11.5 years and in the two times I’ve been home since, I’ve gotten recruited for music the next Sunday. (I’m not THAT good — the music director has known me since high school and knows that I can sightread vocal music passably on my first try.) This Sunday, the anthem is “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” with organ and violin. I haven’t sung soprano in 16 years… but I’ll be trying to help the section on Sunday and practice went really well tonight. Thankfully, it’s a piece I know backwards and forwards.

— 2 —

Coffee dates. I got coffee with my friend Rebecca twice while I was home. It’s hard to do, given that I usually come up here with Daniel, so it was good to see her. She also came to church with me on Sunday which was lovely.

— 3 —

World Series. I’m kind of bummed that the Series is tied at 1 game apiece because I was hoping the Giants would sweep and I’d get to see all the games. (I don’t have access to TV in southern California and I’ll also be driving home during the game on Sunday.) Still, Game 1 was glorious and I’m glad that Blanco got a lead-off homer in Game 2.

— 4 —

I’m (almost) caught up on all the TV I usually watch. My parents have “On Demand” so I’ve been able to catch up with all the CBS stuff I usually watch but haven’t this fall because I don’t have much online time and that makes watching my shows online hard. I haven’t watched the new NCIS spin-off yet and I may not just because it’s another couple hours of stuff to watch.

— 5 —

I’ve gotten some fabulous walks in. I’ve taken some walks on the trail by Los Alamitos Creek and they’ve been really nice. It’s a good setting for getting in some prayer time because while there are people around, it’s also pretty quiet.

— 6 —

I’ve unfortunately had to watch political ads. “On Demand” usually protects me from them but I’ve had to put up with them if I’ve wanted to watch baseball. It’s kind of scary how normal people don’t actually look to see who has paid for the ads… because it is really quite telling. I also wish there was something that killed all the ads, mailings, etc. if you have already voted. (I’m a permanent absentee ballot voter so I voted about a week and a half ago.)

Thankfully, the only really contentious races this year for us in California are the House ones and some of the ballot measures. Neither of our Senators is up for re-election and our Democratic governor is about 20 percentage points ahead of the Republican challenger. (He’s so far ahead that I think the GOP in California has given up on the challenger because I haven’t seen *ANYTHING* about that particular race since the primaries in June.)

— 7 —

I’ve gotten to see rain for the first time in months. We got some rain on Monday. It was glorious.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: October 19, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 19, 2014

Outside my window… sunny and in the 80’s. We might see some rain tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.

I am thinking… about many many things that I’ll journal out later after I do the watering and shower.

I am thankful… that I got to be present for Rev. Kate’s last Sunday at the Episcopal Church in Almaden, the church that loved me as I was a teenaged convert trying to figure out my salvation with fear and trembling.

In the kitchen… Jimmy chicken, a family recipe. I made a normal batch for myself so I’d have a few days of dinners.

I am wearing… my Reclaim Hope shirt and running shorts.

I am praying for… a call for Jon, for a few intentions for people in my life, and for discernment as I’m kind of in a crossroads of my life.

I am going… for lots of walks this week.

I am wondering… where my parents’ Maine Coon cat is.

I am reading… Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans. It’s a re-read.

I am hoping… for rain tomorrow.

I am looking forward to… more quiet time and maybe even coffee with Rebecca later this week.

I am hearing… the whirring of the fan on my computer.

Around the house… cat fur.

One of my favorite things… solitude.

A few plans for the rest of the week: walks, taebo, prayer, journalling, and resting.

A peek into my day… Here is the picture I submitted for the Run for the Little Flowers Virtual 5K.

Me after my 5K walk.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.