Monthly Archives: December 2016

Highlights of 2016

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It has admittedly been a tough year for me in my personal life and in the life of our country but I thought I’d end this year with my highlights.

[+] The Warriors had the best record in the NBA and made it to the NBA Championships AGAIN!!!

[+] CLEVELAND LOST THE WORLD SERIES!!! (For those who aren’t aware, hating on Ohio sports teams is one of my core values after living in central Ohio for 2 1/2 years and dealing with Ohio sports fans hating on my teams.) My Warriors have been avenged!!!

[+] The Cubs had one of the biggest gatherings in human history for their victory parade. Not to mention, the Cubs winning the Series is so much of a BETTER ending than it would be if Cleveland had won because the Cubs have had the longer drought and were a much better team.

[+] I achieved one of my dreams of living in Washington when I moved up here in June 2016.

[+] Hillary Clinton was the first female to win the nomination of a major political party and won the popular vote.

[+] I was able to go back to school this fall, discovered a deep love of Accounting, and had a 4.0 for my first quarter!

[+] My Huskies made it to the semi-final game against Alabama!

[+] My Giants made it to the play-offs.

[+] THE DODGERS SUCKED IN THE NLCS!!!!

[+] MY NINERS HAVE A BETTER RECORD THAN THE CLEVELAND BROWNS! (Granted, they have the second worst record in the NFL but at least they’re better than the Browns.)

[+] I rocked the Write 31 Days challenge!

[+] I got a Fitbit (finally!!!!) and won a few challenges.

[+] I got to introduce my little beach boy to snow!

[+] I discovered that my school district here in Washington had a YUGE team ready to work with Daniel when we arrived. TWELVE PEOPLE were at the IEP meeting SPECIFICALLY for Daniel. His PT and OT were at his parent-teacher conference and are positively smitten with my little monster. 🙂

[+] I joined a FABULOUS parish up here. I’m seriously still being sustained by the joy from the Christ Mass on Christmas Eve night.

[+] Daniel WILLINGLY takes his ADHD meds without us having to restrain him. He just asked for peanut butter and meds. 🙂 (Granted, he asked for M&M’s two seconds after getting his meds but I’ll allow that.)

I’m looking forward to a FABULOUS 2017!

7 Quick Takes: Things I Resolve To Do in 2017

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Make healthier choices. I’ll be doing a plank challenge with some friends starting on January 1st and I’ll be trying to hit my college’s gym once I get over this stupid cold. I’m also going to try and cook more of my own food from scratch.

— 2 —

Annoy the crap out of T-Rump and his administration. I have the freedom to petition and I plan on making good use of it. 🙂 All of my favorite petition sites are locked and loaded and I have plans to attend a few protest marches.

— 3 —

Fill out a boatload of scholarship applications. I don’t qualify for grant-based aid because I already have a B.A. and I’d like to get as much of my Accounting program paid for without having to take out loans.

— 4 —

Get through as much of my Accounting program as I can. I am soooo excited for classes to start next week!!! I’m taking the second classes in my Practical Accounting series, a class on records management, and a class on Microsoft Word. The class on Word should be easy but I’ll appreciate that with two other classes.

— 5 —

Participate in Write 31 Days again. I have had so much fun in the last two years of participating in the challenge that I’d really like to do it again.

— 6 —

Finish some crocheting projects. I’d like to start some new projects but that means finishing some other ones first! First on the list to finish: my mom’s Christmas socks from last year.

— 7 —

Not eat any yellow paint. This one is a tribute to my friend Rick. He passed away four years ago and he used to resolve not to eat any [insert color] paint every year.

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 25, 2016

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For Today… December 25, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. We still have some of the snow we got on Friday.

I am thinking… about the coming week and what we’ll be doing with Daniel at home.

I am thankful… for an amazing Christmas Eve Eucharist last night. I definitely arrived home filled with joy at the birth of Christ.

One of my favorite things… NCIS reruns.

I am wearing… jammies. Clothes for today were a long-sleeved black shirt from Lands’ End and jeans from Kohl’s.

I am creating… some socks for my mom.

I am watching… an NCIS rerun where Gibbs returns to his hometown for the first time since he left to join the Marines. I heart Gibbs and Abby.

I am hoping… the pharmacy is open tomorrow so I can get my Effexor refilled.

I am learning… that Patons Kroy Socks Yarn is a pain to unravel.

In my kitchen… shrimp pasta, salad, garlic bread, a homemade gingerbread stout cake, and maple ice cream.

In the school room… Daniel is off until the 3rd.

Post Script… this piece on defeating terrorists with religious extremism is amazing.

Shared Quote… “The movement in our relationship to God is always from God to us. Always. We can’t, through our piety or goodness, move closer to God. God is always coming near to us. Most especially in the Eucharist and in the stranger.” — Nadia Bolz-Weber in Pastorix

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: The Holidays Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Yeah… no. A friend of mine posted a 1930’s marital test on Facebook. Let’s just say that I would not have been good housewife material then and I’m quite OK with that!

My score: a -3.

— 2 —

Prerequisite sacred music take. We’re doing this for Christmas Eve and then this and this in the next few weeks. I’m excited!

— 3 —

O Antiphons. As part of my parish’s Advent Game, I’ve been reading the O antiphons on the USCCB page for the last few days. They’ve been good but I think I might just read verses of “O Come Emmanuel” next year as they touch on the same things and I can actually sing them.

— 4 —

Festivus. I’ve submitted my grievances for Festivus tomorrow. Have you?

Also, go google “Festivus” and see what you get for the results page.

— 5 —

One of the better ways to celebrate Christmas Eve. This may be what I do after church on Saturday night.

Happy Christmas Book Flood!

— 6 —

Plans. We’re having a family dinner at my cousin’s house tomorrow. On Saturday, we’ll have my uncle and grandmother over for dinner and I have church in the evening. On Christmas morning, my uncle and aunt (and possibly grandmother) will join us to open presents and we’ll spend the day together. We’ll miss my brother and his wife but they’ll be with her family in Arizona. (We get them for Thanksgiving.)

— 7 —

Kelly. Our intrepid hostess Kelly is answering questions about hosting orphans this Christmas through Project 143. Go surf on over and read what she has to say!

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

{five favourites}: Things Keeping Me From Getting Too Grinchy

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#5Faves

Those who know me in real life know that I really don’t *LIKE* December very much. I hate the materialistic aspect of Christmas, decorating the house is ONE MORE THING TO DO (probably why I haven’t decorated on my own in years and usually delegated it to Jon), I loathe secular Christmas music, and besides, IT’S FREAKING ADVENT, PEOPLE!!! CHRISTMAS DOESN’T START UNTIL THE 24TH.

Having said all that, here are some of the things that are keeping me from being *TOO* grinchy this holiday season.

One

My Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar. If you don’t know about Jacquie Lawson, you need to surf over RIGHT NOW! She does interactive cards with beautiful artwork and music. Every year, she puts out an amazing Advent calendar which is under $5 to download onto your computer. This year, it’s a seaside Christmas and I know I’m always excited to see what I’ll be opening every morning. She also has an ornament smashing game which is great when I need to think something through but need to be doing something brainless to do it.

Two

My church’s “Advent game”. On the first Sunday of Advent, they were handing out envelopes with slips of paper in them. The game is simple: take out one slip of paper each day and do that activity with your family or on your own. There are ideas for prayer, suggestions for things like building a fire and roasting marshmallows, writing a letter to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, read the O Antiphons, etc. Even though I missed a few days (OK… more like a week), it’s given me an interesting Advent.

Three

My Advent playlist. It’s nice having music that fits the season and what we’re focusing on in church.

Four

Family gatherings. With the amount of pain that has happened in my family this year (not just my divorce but other things), it has been really helpful to gather for things like celebrating my cousin’s graduation. We have a Christmas dinner we’re not having to host on Friday and it will be good to see everyone.

Five

Getting to write the prayers we’re using for Christmas. My priest asked if I wanted to write the prayers being used for Christmas worship. This should be fun and definitely will help me get into the spirit of what the season is all about.

Go love up Bonnie, DeBalino, and the others.

Pretty Floored

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I heard about the electoral college news when a friend posted a screenshot of what Catholic Vote had sent out.

Proof that the election was won by ignorant rednecks.

My friend (a Republican until this travesty of an election) commented at how irritatingly giddy they were.

I would agree.

We’re getting a president with no actual governmental experience who is appointing his cronies to positions for which they are probably the least qualified person ever to hold them. I fear for the state of this country.

I’m just going to come out and say it:

The ignorant, uneducated, women-hating, racist people belonging in a basket of deplorables won. And if you voted for T-Rump (as a friend of mine has christened him), I hope your life falls apart irreparably in the next 4 years because of your dumb@$$ mistake. May God have mercy on your soul for the clusterf*ck you have unleashed on this country.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 18, 2016

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For Today… December 18, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. The wind is howling and it’s in the 30’s. We’ve still got some snow on the ground and we’re hoping that the rain doesn’t freeze and turn to ice as that would make driving even more treacherous.

I am thinking… one of my church kids from Montana who is in a position of having to wait to have her baby because of ITP and platelet issues. I may or may not be in overprotective big sister mode.

I am thankful… for my church choir. Our director/organist couldn’t make it this morning due to the roads being bad so we ended up leading the service and singing everything (including our anthem) acapella. Every member of the choir could be the main soloist in a regular church choir and to have ten such people in the same choir means that we can do some pretty amazing things.

One of my favorite things… episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

I am wearing… jammies. Church clothes were a burgundy shirt, black slacks, and my black boots because of the snow. After church, I switched out the black slacks with jeans.

I am creating… nothing at the moment.

I am listening to… the rain on the windows and the wind outside.

I am hoping… the roads are better tomorrow. I have errands to do and I’d prefer to not be slipping and sliding on the road.

I am learning… my limits.

In my kitchen… scavenging for dinner. We had a gathering for my cousin Sarah on Friday so we decided to just do our own thing for dinner tonight. In my case, it was mac n’ cheese.

Me with Sarah.

In the school room… my kiddo is on break for two weeks.

Post Script… apparently, there is a problem with moose licking salt off of cars in Alberta’s parks.

Shared Quote… “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” — C.S. Lewis

A moment from my day…

My beach boy frolicking in the snow.
FIguring out mittens.
Parka selfie!

Hosted by The Simple Woman.