You just got to forward this

A lady I used to work with is a master at forwarding all sorts of e-mails.  You know the kind - things to inspire you, make you laugh, warn you of the latest scam, remind you to watch for a particular health issue, look at this pretty thing, and on and on and on.  I have a separate folder for all her e-mail, about 350 in the last four months. 

DH found this Weird Al Yankovic video that just made me crack up.  It's so true!

So after I watched it, I went and checked my e-mail from said co-worker.  I found this video which, actually, I thought was cute.  See if you can figure out what they're advertising before the end. 

Happy feet

A while back my sister and her husband gave me gift cards to a local spa.  Many, many months later I decided I had better use them before they expire.  I don't like wearing shoes, so lately I've been living in sandals when necessary and barefeet the rest of the time.  My feet have taken a beating, so what better spa treatment to indulge in than a pedicure!  

This was only the second time I've had one, and all I can say is "Ahhhh!".  It was wonderful.  And that is coming from a girl who used to hate having anyone touch her feet. 

There's still some money left on the gift card.  I may just have to do this again!

Uggh!

How did I sleep through this?

Quick Takes (11)

- 1-

The veggie garden is doing well this year.  And as I write this, I realized I forgot to turn the hose on.  It won't be doing well for long if it doesn't get water!  It's not a big garden, but we have a nice variety of plants. 


romaine lettuce

peas

  

tomatoes

- 2 -

I think I mentioned the Goodreads website once before.  On the explore tab, they have drawings for books.  I just won my 14th!  I certainly have a lot of reading to do.  I've won mostly fiction and am looking forward to checking out new authors.

- 3 -

A friend recently started his own blog.  I've know Michael for over twenty years and we've seen each other go through a lot of life changes.  He's a talented writer with a funny sense of humor.  If you're looking for something very different from the Catholic/infertility/faith blog scene, check him out. 

- 4 -

Who knows about your blogs?  Have you told family or friends about them?  Only DH and one friend, who also deals with IF, knows about it.  I struggle with wanting to share it and keeping it my thing.  How did you decide whom to tell?

- 5 -

I was looking for something in the basement a couple of weeks ago and came upon this lovely lady - my first baby doll.  I think she's so ugly she's cute.  Notice the missing hair.  Apparently I found the hair pretty tasty and often ate it as a baby.  Mom had proof positive that's what was happening when she changed my diaper! 

 - 6 -

The mulch still isn't done.  Will it ever be???  Where, oh where, are the mulch fairies?

- 7 -

“There are only two kinds of people, those who accept dogmas and know it, and those who accept dogmas and don’t know it.”

– GK Chesterton, The Mercy of Mr. Arnold Bennett, Fancies vs. Fads 

Don't forget to check out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Have a great weekend!



Jack of all trades, master of some . . .

. . .or, what I like to do for fun. 

I can never quite figure when people say they have no hobbies.  What do they do with all their time?  Okay, the moms I understand.  But others?  Those that don't want to retire because they wouldn't know what to do with their time?  Not me.  There's just not enough hours in the day.

I’m not the most athletic person, so not many of my activities fall in that area any more.  Although, I do have to say I’ve tried a few.  My sister and I took golf lessons a number of years back.  DH gave me his old set of clubs and bought me a new driver, bag and cart.  It was fun, but nine holes is about three too many for me.  My attention span just isn’t that long.  How do people play 18???

I used to run.  A lot.  I did many, many charity road races, mostly 5k, 5 miles, and 10k, and had the t-shirts to prove it.  I did do a half marathon once and trained for a whole marathon.  I did my 20 mile training run about six weeks before race day and then got bronchitis.  It’s hard to run when you can’t breathe!

So now I do more (mostly) sedate activities.  I love to garden.  And if you haven’t guessed, I really enjoy photography.  And reading, sewing, quilting, glass etching, fabric painting, counted cross stitch, jewelry making, cooking, bread baking.  I'm not sure, I may have missed a few. 

I'm not very musical, but I have had lessons in guitar, flute and french horn.  All those were back in grade school.  We borrowed the french horn from my music instructor.  It was over 100 years old and looked every bit of it.  It had bits of black electrical tape over a few holes.  I have a hammer dulcimer that I inherited from my mom.  Someday I really want to learn how to play it.

I’d really like to try my hand at spinning wool, then dying and weaving it.  I wouldn’t mind learning to knit.  I'm open to suggestions. 

Critical mass

Sometimes the mirror lies to me.  Photos have been known to tell me sweet, little nothings.  Even my clothes do.  But more and more, the truth is coming out.  My pants are snug.  Some don’t fit at all.  I've burst a button or two on blouses.  A double chin has been making a more frequent appearance in pictures.  But the scale doesn’t lie.  And I really don't like what I see.  Even more, I don't like how I feel.  I get out of breath easily.  My back and knees often ache.  I'm tired and feel like a slug.

Truth be told, I really should lose about eighty-five pounds.  Ouch!  That’s the size of a whole other person – a teenager or even a small adult. 

I’ve been inspired by this sweet lady’s success.  I need to make changes, and since I need to start sometime, I've decided there's no time like the present.  I want to make myself accountable, so I'm starting Weigh in Wednesday.  I’m not going to tell you what I weigh, but I will account for what I’ve gained, or God willing, lost.

Wish me luck!

Major bummer

Something ate our baby bluebirds last night.  I am sad and disappointed.

Something to celebrate

This weekend our parish celebrated its 125th anniversary.  We've had different events throughout the year, but since Friday, July 1st was the feast of the Sacred Heart, we had our big Mass and party on Sunday.  The bishop was the main celebrant at Mass, assisted by four other priests, including our pastor, and our two deacons.  With the choir in full voice, it was a joyful celebration.

Our parish may be 125 year old, but it's a young, vibrant, growing church and the first time we went there we knew we were home.  We are blessed we an awesome pastor who is truly Catholic, in every sense of the word, and is not afraid to preach the Truth. 

May God continue to bless Sacred Heart of Jesus Church!

Four little mouths to feed

All hatched and looking for food!

Quick Takes (10)

- 1-

I think God has a funny sense of humor.  We had been planning on having a big family picnic this weekend but cancelled it due to some family health issues.  I thought I was going to have all this extra time to finish up weeding and mulching my gardens.  Ha!  The next day I found out I needed to provide some extra decorations for our parish’s 125^th celebration this weekend.  So. . .I’ve been inside sewing most of the week. 

- 2 -

Our neighbors got a new puppy this past Christmas, a red coon hound, Lucy.  She’s everything I love but don’t miss about puppies – tons of energy, playful, curious, friendly, oh, and did I mention, tons of energy.  Jack is amused by her, DH calms her, and I just watch.

- 3 -

Our veggie garden is doing great this year.  I am so looking forward to fresh, real tomatoes, unlike those ones grown in hot houses.  Can’t wait to make BLTs with the bacon we got down in Amish country.

- 4 -

Speaking of food (we were, weren’t we?), I think I’m going to make some homemade breakfast sausage and bread this weekend.  I’m feeling domestic.  I started making our own sausage this year, even grinding the pork myself, since we really didn’t like the quality of anything we found in the grocery stores.  It’s so easy and so good.  And, if we’re having sausage, we should have French toast with it.  My favorite is made with the egg bread I make.  Sunday morning breakfast is going to be good!

 

- 5 -

I’ve been feeling a bit ADD lately.  Focus has been hard to find.  I’m not sure if the weather, PMS, too much to do, too little

- 6 -

I’ve been “talking” with my mom a lot lately, asking her for help, guidance and just a feeling of her presence.  When I was sewing last night I had my iTunes “bouncy” playlist blasting and Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline came on.   It reminded me of when we went to his concert many years ago.  My parents bought tickets for them, my sister and me as an anniversary gift to themselves.  It was in the summer, on a Friday evening, and the closer the concert got the less I wanted to go.  I guess I thought going out drinking with my friends would have been more fun.  But I went.  And the concert was awesome.  One of mom’s, and all of ours, favorites songs was “Sweet Caroline”, since her middle name was Caroline.  So, last night, while I was sewing on her machine, listening to her song, I felt her hug me.  Smile!

- 7 -

“It is a good sign in a nation when things are done badly. It shows that all the people are doing them. And it is bad sign in a nation when such things are done very well, for it shows that only a few experts and eccentrics are doing them, and that the nation is merely looking on.”

– Patriotism and Sport, All Things Considered, GK Chesterton

Don't forget to check out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Have a great Independence Day!