7 Quick Takes Friday

1.  New Year's Eve - one of my favorite days of the year.  We'll see out the old and bring in the new with good friends who we've shared much with this past year.  We'll eat too much, maybe a few of us will drink too much, laugh, and be thankful we have each other.

2.  Our exchange student has gone home to The Netherlands.  It was a good experience and one that will help her in the future.  Our friends welcomed her and it was fun to go places we haven't been in so long, like Disneyworld.  Overall, I would say, if you have room and children of that age, an exchange student is a good idea. 

3.  My parents are coming down for the winter soon, next week I have to get the house ready for them.  Not a big deal, but it will involve getting a repair man for the bathroom sink as the hot water valve/pipe leaks when you turn on the hot water.

4.  My dear friend is starting a double blind drug trial for ovarian cancer.  She has been battling this disease for 3 years and 3 months, and each time it comes back with more vengeance than before.  Of course, we have no way of knowing if she will get the drug or not, but she will have the base chemo for 15 weeks straight, which is awful in and of itself.  Pray for her and her family.  Medically this is her last chance, but God doesn't care about medically!

5.  I found out 3 weeks ago that the pain in my knee is from a torn meniscus.  Since I have not been at work much with the holidays, my knee does not hurt anywhere near as much as it did.  Now, I have to try and figure that out; it makes no sense to me at all!

6.  I really enjoy getting Christmas cards with all my family and friends photos' on them.  What I am I supposed to do with them after Christmas?  Throwing them away seems wrong, but shoving putting them in a box is pointless since I am the mother with adult children who have no baby books!  Thoughts?

7.  My husband is in the kitchen making limoncello for the party tonight.  Yes he is! 

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Year in Review

I went back to my goals for 2010 and took a look at how I did.  If I had to give myself a grade, I'd say Fair, which is not really very good at all!

1. I'd like to learn to take photographs. My husband bought me a simple digital camera for my birthday and I want to use it. I don't do well taking pictures of people, but scenery, flowers, things that are still. Hopefully, you'll see some of my efforts soon.
I have learned to take pictures, even of people.  I'm not great, but have a few decent photos.  I've even used some in our parish newsletter, which I would not do unless they looked good.


2. Dedicate time each day to being alone. This should not be a problem since I have no children living here, no pets, just one husband. I can pray, think, journal or do nothing, but I have found that I really need alone time to decompress and process.
Hm, this has been hit or miss, though I have been attending Mass on weekdays which is a huge benefit in my spiritual walk. 

3. Make a quilt, which I will of course take pictures of so you can see the progress.
I did make a quilt, for our exchange student, but never took a picture of it and now she is back in The Netherlands, along with the quilt. It was pink and white, dime size (10") squares with a white backing.  The quilting was stitch in the ditch. 

4. Learn to take care of myself. This is a tough one, but I must do it.
Fail, EPIC FAIL!

5. Spend time writing at home, not at work. Even though I am writing for work, the interruptions make it very difficult to write anything more than announcements of meetings and the like. Real writing, where I use facts, reflect on scripture and teach tenets of the faith needs to be done at home.
Hit or miss, really tried to stop working so much as it was taking a tool on my mental and physical health.  So, when I was home, I tried to relax and not work.

6. Research PhD programs available online. and decide on a focus of study.
Not even a glance made in this direction.

7. De-clutter my house, room by room. This is a scary one, but it needs to be done. We've lived in this house 8 1/2 years, which is close to the longest we have lived in any house before moving. So, we've collected things and some of it needs to go. We are having two events at church though, which will help me along. A book sale and a rummage sale, so I can clean and help the building fund at the same time. Good deal!
I'd say 2/3 of the house was done.  Now, the problem is getting our son to take his stuff out of our closets and into his.  All of the children's things are in bins waiting in the closet for a new home.  Wonder how this will work out?

8. Make photo albums for my children. I never did baby books for them, so I think I should do something.
Hahahaha
 
Now, I have to think about the plan for 2011. 

Reading List

On my Christmas list this year were a few books and, brat that I am, I received them all.  So, in the next few weeks I will be reading about St. Ignatius Loyola as well as the The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything by Fr. James Martin.  After that, I'll tackle Catherine of Siena's Dialogue.  I have a review copy of the study guide to The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin from the Catholic Company so I went ahead and bought the book for myself as a birthday gift.  I can't wait to start reading and learning all sorts of new things. 

Two Sets of Jones' - Official Music Video

A good song to listen to on this feast of the Holy Family. We need to keep Jesus at the center of our lives.

Happy Christmas Adam!

One day, many years ago, when there were young children in my house, one of them decided that the day before Christmas Eve should be called Christmas Adam.  And so, on Christmas Adam, we do something fun.  I would like the term to go viral, but I don't know how to make that happen.
Anyway, do something fun today.  We are having girls' night.

Christmas Craft

I made only one thing this season, a paper star/snowflake that my husband dutifully hung on our bedroom door.  I followed the instructions in the video and here it is!

What do you Want?

I usually start asking the family in November for a list of what they want for Christmas.  It takes a while and some prodding before it materializes.  I also send a list, mostly of books;asking for diamonds always seems like poor taste.So, this year I have my lists and did quite a bit on-line.  Then, I did the stockings. But I still feel like I don't have the wow gift, the one not on the list, that will surprise and delight.  And you know what, it is not going to happen.
Last week I spent days fielding requests for help with Christmas dinners and presents from people who have very little.  One woman in particular stood out and I cannot forget her.  She is a single mom, three children, works at a minimum wage job.  She called and I was able to put together gifts for her children, but I didn't have any clothes.  She came to pick up the items and we started talking; no one else was in the office.  She works at a dry cleaner and recently started getting food stamps so she no longer came to our food pantry for food.  She said she was grateful for the job she had, since so many people are out of work.  Her landlord told her she had to move out in January because her daughter was moving back and needs the apartment.  What her kids really needed were warm clothes, since it is much cooler than usual, so I gave her a gift card she could shop.  I felt so bad for her and thought that my response was so inadequate, a band-aid on a severed artery.  And that is why I just can't shop for those wow gifts.  My family has an overabundance, beginning with warm clothes and no worries about finding a place to live that we can afford and ending with jobs that support us comfortably every day.
So, what do I want?  I want to figure out how to help this woman, her family and all the other people who come to us for help.  But not with band-aids.

7 Quick Takes

1.  I am home on a sick day.  Very little sleep the last few nights, feeling overall yucky and my knee hurts. I wonder of if it hurts because I now know there is an actual reason for the pain.
2.  The pain in my knee?  Oh, I guess it's going on almost two months, very sharp pain on the inside of my right knee.  I had a MRI (they are very loud) and yesterday found out that my meniscus is torn.  I can have surgery to correct or live with the pain and limited mobility.  I also can't kneel, since holding my knee at a 90* angle is bad enough but when you add weight on, well, it hurts.  I'll really need to think about this though.
3.  I am almost done shopping for Christmas, in fact, I may just decide to be done!  I do need to mail cards to my nieces and nephews, I think I can muster up enough strength to do that today.
4.  Our daughter is coming home today and she will be making her delicious chocolate cake for my birthday Sunday.  I also have a breakfast date with our son, just the two of us, on Saturday morning.  I really love my adult children.  Not because they do nice things for me, but because they are such a joy. 
5.  I have off next week, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses.  Lots of sewing to do.  A dress and top for our exchange student, dress for daughter and then alter two of my skirts so I have something to wear for Christmas. 
6.  I need to make some time for an Advent confession.  Our penance services are next week, but I'm not sure if we have any visiting priests coming to help.  It is just not possible for me to go to confession to a priest I work with in the office.  I suppose if I were dying, I'd do it, but otherwise...I'll have to check other parishes.
7.  I love lists and usually rely on them to keep me organized, especially when things are very busy.  I have made one list for gifts and gave my husband the week's (incomplete) calendar and that's all.  So, I find myself spending lots of time wondering what I need to do or buy and also putting us in two places at once.  So, today, I am going to work on making my lists so I can get myself together.

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Baby Confusion

First of all, no, I'm not having a baby.  I have been shopping for baby stuff and occasionally read posts by moms about baby stuff that really baffles me!
I went shopping for strollers and was faced with this whole system thing.  I don't want a system, I want a stroller.  A stroller, you put the baby in, click the strap, and push.  Not any more you don't.  And lest you think I was in some high end baby store, I wasn't; I was in Wal-mart!  Finally I find one that seems to be what I need, ask the clerk to get two for me and go off into the girl's department to shop for something pink in a size 7.  Well, I don;t get any stroller, but I do get the clothes.  I get home and go on diapers.com (which, even to my 'old' mom eyes, seems very reasonably priced)  and buy two strollers and four car seats for moms/babies in need.  I spent $300 for all six items.
Then, I stumble upon this car seat check you should do before you bring your baby home.  As in,  you go and get it checked by a professional to make sure you are using it correctly.  I had no idea. 
All I know is that I rode around in my parents' car in a car bed, with one little strap holding me in to this bed wedged between the back of the front seat and the front of the back seat.  Yes, my children used car seats, I'm not crazy, but I really wonder in our quest to keep everyone safe if we are teaching people to no longer use common sense. And then,  if you don't use your common sense, you lose it. 
I think all this craziness began with boy and girl diapers.  Yep, that's what I think. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 12 is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Though it was on a Sunday this year, we celebrated it in many of the ways we usually celebrate this feast.  At 5 am, a large group of people and a mariachi band woke Mary up by singing songs to her.  There was a procession to the Church where the Knights of Columbus led the group into the Church.  White roses decorated the sanctuary and adorned the pews.  It looked and smelled beautiful.
During the offertory procession, children in native dress danced with bells attached to their ankles making a joyful noise.  They were led by two women holding bowls of incense.  While this was very interesting to watch, what moved me the most was a common ritual for many Hispanic people.  After the gifts were placed on the Altar, parent came forward with their infants who, one by one,  were gently taken from them by our priest and held up above his head as he faced the altar, tabernacle, and crucifix.  Then, he kissed them and handed them back.  I cried.  I thought, in particular, about my daughter, whose name, Elisa, comes from Elizabeth, which means consecrated to God.  Father was consecrating these babies to God, reminding all of us that our children do not belong to us at all, but are gifts from God. 
Our Lady of Guadalupe was carrying the greatest gift God has ever given us when she appeared to Juan Diego.  Let us remember to thank him.