On looking at the dingy, grungy, threadbare kitchen towels we own, my husband remarked, "Darling, it's really time we get a bunch of new ones."
I vigorously nodded my head in delighted agreement. "Because it would make the kitchen look fresh, cheery, clean, and bright again?"
Somewhat guiltily, "Um, yeah... that too... and they would dry dishes better."
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Maybe I Could be a Martyr After All
I had to get some routine blood work done today. I call it "routine" because there's nothing wrong with me, not because I'm in the routine of doing it all the time.
As I turned the key in my car to head to the lab, I mentally reviewed the last time I had blood drawn. They couldn't find a vein, poked me a half-dozen times, used three different "fail proof" needles, and tied that blue stretchy thing tighter and tighter around my arm before they started menacingly eyeing my jugular.
Wanting to avoid an encore presentation of that dramatic saga, I'd looked up some free advice on Google. "Drink lots of water, keep your hands warm, move your arms..."
Quart of water chugged: check.
Hands warm? I blasted the heater in my car, but only frigid air swirled round my blue fingers. I started to panic as I got nearer my destination and my hands were frozen in an icy grip around the steering wheel.
"Move your arms!" I was driving! So I started flapping my elbows, hoping it would have the same effect.
I arrived at my destination at last. Once inside, I commenced blowing hot air into my hands, flapping my elbows, and doing the, "I just guzzled a quart of water" dance. It was quite a sight, and quite a workout, let me tell you.
The nurse looked up, utterly unfazed. I'm sure she sees this sort of thing all the time.
Within two minutes I was sitting in the sterile room. A nurse was sterilizing my hand. I'd already warned her that my veins were impossible to find. She gave me a sterile smile and said, "Don't think about it. Think of puppies and Christmas."
I almost fainted at the thought of the cold steel about to be plunged into my frozen flesh. I closed my eyes and prayed for courage. I'd offer my acute suffering, meritoriously, for those suffering worse than I. I would be...
"All done."
"Wait, what? You already did it?"
"Yep."
What do you know? My heater was toasty warm on the drive home.
As I turned the key in my car to head to the lab, I mentally reviewed the last time I had blood drawn. They couldn't find a vein, poked me a half-dozen times, used three different "fail proof" needles, and tied that blue stretchy thing tighter and tighter around my arm before they started menacingly eyeing my jugular.
Wanting to avoid an encore presentation of that dramatic saga, I'd looked up some free advice on Google. "Drink lots of water, keep your hands warm, move your arms..."
Quart of water chugged: check.
Hands warm? I blasted the heater in my car, but only frigid air swirled round my blue fingers. I started to panic as I got nearer my destination and my hands were frozen in an icy grip around the steering wheel.
"Move your arms!" I was driving! So I started flapping my elbows, hoping it would have the same effect.
I arrived at my destination at last. Once inside, I commenced blowing hot air into my hands, flapping my elbows, and doing the, "I just guzzled a quart of water" dance. It was quite a sight, and quite a workout, let me tell you.
The nurse looked up, utterly unfazed. I'm sure she sees this sort of thing all the time.
Within two minutes I was sitting in the sterile room. A nurse was sterilizing my hand. I'd already warned her that my veins were impossible to find. She gave me a sterile smile and said, "Don't think about it. Think of puppies and Christmas."
I almost fainted at the thought of the cold steel about to be plunged into my frozen flesh. I closed my eyes and prayed for courage. I'd offer my acute suffering, meritoriously, for those suffering worse than I. I would be...
"All done."
"Wait, what? You already did it?"
"Yep."
What do you know? My heater was toasty warm on the drive home.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like... House Building
It's been 18 months since we bought a 5 acre parcel of land, and until very recently I didn't have the boldness to hope we would actually build a house within my lifetime the next five years.
But we just got the go-ahead from a local bank to build our own house, which these days is almost impossible to come by! I don't mean being our own general contractors, which is difficult enough though possible... I mean hammer-in-hand, drywall-mud-on-clothes, aching-back do-it-ourselves builders.
The timeline is still sketchy, no papers have been signed, we haven't even picked out a floorplan. But a go-ahead from the bank was (until we start drywalling) the biggest hurdle to building.
I spend my spare time these days watching things like this, and this, and this.
Oh happy day!
But we just got the go-ahead from a local bank to build our own house, which these days is almost impossible to come by! I don't mean being our own general contractors, which is difficult enough though possible... I mean hammer-in-hand, drywall-mud-on-clothes, aching-back do-it-ourselves builders.
The timeline is still sketchy, no papers have been signed, we haven't even picked out a floorplan. But a go-ahead from the bank was (until we start drywalling) the biggest hurdle to building.
I spend my spare time these days watching things like this, and this, and this.
Oh happy day!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Halloween, Last Year
I got a big bag of Milky Ways last year to pass out to the neighborhood kiddies on Halloween.
It was the first bag of candy I've ever bought in my whole life.
Seriously.
It simply never occurs to me to buy candy, even though I like the stuff as much as anyone.
I've bought some candy bars in my lifetime, but never a whole bag of it. It seemed so indulgent! "It's for the kids," I reminded myself.
When my husband got home his eyes widened to saucers. "Where did this come from?"
"I bought it."
"Really??"
"Yes, but it's not for us, it's for the Trick-or-Treaters."
His eyes pouted slightly, but he seemed resigned.
I relented. "Well, I guess we could have a piece or two."
"Just to see if it's any good, right?" he reasoned, thoughtfully.
"Exactly."
...
...
Wrappers flew. Our candy gorging knew no restraint.
...
...
We turned off the front porch light before a single Trick-or-Treater came by.
Yes, dear readers, the stash was gone.
To stave off a repeat performance, this year I'm vacillating between buying either two bags or none at all.
What do you hand out for Halloween?
It was the first bag of candy I've ever bought in my whole life.
Seriously.
It simply never occurs to me to buy candy, even though I like the stuff as much as anyone. I've bought some candy bars in my lifetime, but never a whole bag of it. It seemed so indulgent! "It's for the kids," I reminded myself.
When my husband got home his eyes widened to saucers. "Where did this come from?"
"I bought it."
"Really??"
"Yes, but it's not for us, it's for the Trick-or-Treaters."
His eyes pouted slightly, but he seemed resigned.
I relented. "Well, I guess we could have a piece or two."
"Just to see if it's any good, right?" he reasoned, thoughtfully.
"Exactly."
...
...
Wrappers flew. Our candy gorging knew no restraint.
...
...
We turned off the front porch light before a single Trick-or-Treater came by.
Yes, dear readers, the stash was gone.
To stave off a repeat performance, this year I'm vacillating between buying either two bags or none at all.
What do you hand out for Halloween?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Year of Faith Resources
I am so excited for the Year of Faith!! It starts today and goes until November 24th, 2013, Feast of Christ the King.
October 11th is the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the 2nd Vatican Council, and is also the 20th Anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict has asked Catholics, this year, to read, meditate upon, and prayerfully study the documents of the Council and the CCC. He's made tons of plenary indulgences available for the whole year. This is going to be such a year of grace!
If you want to participate fully, there are several great resources available:
Free:
1) FlockNote will e-mail or text you a little section of the CCC each morning throughout the Year of Faith to help you read the whole document in one year.
2) Coming Home Network has a breakdown of both the Bible and the CCC so you can read both in one year. This would be especially wonderful if you could gather a small group of friends to meet once a week to discuss the Scriptures and articles of the Catechism you've read -- for accountability, to strengthen your faith, and build community.
3) The Vatican Website has all of the documents of Vatican 2 available online for free.
4) The USCCB has the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church online for free.
5) CatholicWeb has another breakdown of the CCC to complete it in one year, but this one divides it so that you read a little bit from each section of the Catechism each week. That way, you're not reading solely from Part I for months on end.
Not Free:
1) Fr. Mitch Pacwa has written an excellent book just for the occasion: The Year of Faith: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics
. If you don't want to "go it alone" when reading the Scripture, this is a wonderful guide tailored specifically for this year, drawing from the Pope's Motu Proprio, Porta Fidei, the Apostolic Letter which called for this Year of Faith. It doesn't go through the entire Bible, but it's a wonderful start. $9.952) The Magnificat has a little Companion book of daily meditations, prayers, essays, and devotionals for the Year of Faith. $6.95
So I hope you will delve deeply into the richness of the Faith this year. Do you have any plans for this year, or additional resources?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)