Testing 123

No heat? Fire up the oven!

Please ignore the mess that is our cook top!

This morning, for the second morning in a row, our heat stopped working. Ish called the front office of our apartment complex and they sent Mr. Maintenance Man out to take a look at it. While we were waiting, the temperature in our apartment continued to drop. As I do not deal well with being cold and I actually had some energy this morning (it’s a first trimester miracle!), I decided to bake some pumpkin spice muffins using a recipe my aunt had given me. Our apartment warmed up to a comfortable 70 degrees by the time Mr. Maintenance Man finished fixing our heat thanks to the oven being on. We also now have about 32 muffins left after eating breakfast. I think we might deliver some to Ish’s parents and one of his sisters.

Menu Plan Monday--11/30-12/6 (Dinner Only!)

Planning meals is something I’ve never been particularly good at doing on the fly. Thus, I like to plan my meals for the week. Lately the exhaustion and nausea that accompanies early pregnancy has me finding myself really lax in completing this once a week task. Today, I got myself back on track and actually planned a menu! As I told Ish, these plans may not come to fruition; morning sickness isn’t really a predictable thing.

Menu Plan:

Monday- Scrambled eggs and oven fries (the “we just got back from vacation and haven’t grocery shopped yet” dinner)

Tuesday- BBQ chicken, Cheesy broccoli and rice, pineapple

Wednesday- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork, brown rice, cucumber slices

Thursday-Cheesy bean burritos with salsa, carrot sticks, brown rice

Friday- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili, tortilla chips, guacamole

Saturday- Pasta, tomato sauce, carrot sticks

Sunday-Manager’s Special (aka Ish’s day to cook)

For more menu plans, head over to I’m an Organizing Junkie.

1000 Gifts- 21-40

This week has been one of illness here at Chestnut Hollow, but there is still so much to be thankful for.

Thanks be to God for…

21. A delightful visit with my mother-in-law—reading translations of Miltonic sonnets and a hot cup of tea included.

22. Weekly afternoon visits with one of Ish’s sisters and her son.

23. A facebook post from my brother letting me know he made it to the Middle East safely.

24. The many military men and women sacrificing their lives for their country. May God keep them safe.

25. The time spent with Ish’s family on Friday.

26. A cold that made me remember to be thankful for my health.

27. My dear friend Livia.

28. The prayers of friends and family.

29. Steaming hot homemade soups.

30. Amusing e-mails from my mother.

31. Working hot water.

32. Cookies and milk after Mass.

33. Afternoon naps.

34. Our Brita pitcher (Unfiltered Newark water makes me quite nauseous)

35. 3 blissful months of marriage!

36. The beautiful sunset on the way to Mass yesterday.

37. The sweet quiet time spent decorating for Halloween with Ish.

38. The passing of my headache that I had for almost 5 days.

39. Joyful news.

40. My husband who so kindly made me lunch this afternoon

1000 Gifts- 1-20

I have decided to join the Gratitude Community at Holy Experience in appreciating and recording the many gifts that God has bestowed upon my life. I will be posting 20 gifts I am thankful for each week. Thanks be to God for…

1. My wonderful husband who has been lovingly caring for me while I am sick.

2. My nieces and nephews who never cease to entertain me.

3. Chicken soup and hot chocolate.

4. My mom.

5. Colorful leaves and the brisk fall breeze.

6. Warm sweaters.

7. All the summer veggies preserved in my freezer.

8. The Rosary.

9. Snail mail from friends far away.

10. The squirrels that visit my patio door each day.

11. The beautiful sacrament of marriage.

12. The way my nephew Simon makes these cute little squeaky noises that sound like he is asking a question

13. This past Saturday’s indoor picnic with a couple of dear friends.

14. Homemade pizza on Fridays at Ish’s parents’ home.

15. Having the time I need to rest and recover from being ill.

16. Hand knit/crocheted afghans to keep me warm.

17. Clean laundry.

18. Modest skirts and thick tights.

19. Sunday night stir-fry.

20. Getting to enjoy my morning coffee with my husband

Fall is for freezing!

Autumn has finally arrived in Delaware; the leaves are changing colors, and the squirrels are burying nuts in the soil in front of Chestnut Hollow. The cooler weather is a welcomed change, but I know that I will soon miss the sunny fresh taste of summer vegetables.

Last week, in order to preserve a tiny bit of summer, Ish and I went to the Farmer’s Market to buy an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. I spent several days preparing the vegetables to be frozen. My Tuesday was spent making a double batch of roasted vegetables; admittedly, we ate half the batch in different meals through out the week, but the other half is sealed in a freezer bag ready to be pulled out for a midwinter treat. Wednesday morning I spent making several batches of pesto—some regular and some with basil and mint. I froze the pesto using my muffin tins and some saran wrap; I’m sure glad my mom taught me this trick. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, I dedicated myself to chopping a rainbow of bell peppers. I now have about a quart each of red, green, yellow, and orange peppers in the freezer. This is not only more cost effective than buying peppers in the middle of winter (in season vegetables are much less expensive), but summer peppers, even after being frozen and defrosted, taste much better than those found in the grocery store midwinter.

This week I am looking forward to preparing a few more vegetables for freezing as well as making a batch or two of homemade applesauce. What is brewing in your kitchen this week?

Obama's cameo on Dragnet

My husbands uncle made this video.

Blessing the rain...

Happy Feast Day!

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Most appropriately I stumbled on this quote from the beloved author J.R. R. Tolkien:

"All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady."

Happy Feast Day!

Never forget.

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “
- President George W. Bush

Forays in Fiber!

Hi all! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am back to posting over at Forays in Fiber, the knitting/crocheting blog that Meg and I started earlier this year. Feel free to stop by and check out my current knitting project.

This blog will be back to regular updates by the end of this month. I am trying to create a more solid vision of what I want The Bantering Bookworm to be.

Notable Quotable

“If God were to take away all His blessings, health, physical fitness, wealth, intelligence, and leave me but one gift, I would ask for faith – for with faith in Him and His goodness, mercy, love for me, and belief in everlasting life, I believe I could suffer the loss of my other gifts and still be happy – trustful, leaving all to His inscrutable Providence.”

--Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Story of Owen

I wanted to share the video my mother-in-law made to tell the story of the miraculous healing of my nephew Owen. Please take the time to watch this.

July Reading List

I have been meaning to start this feature on my blog for some time now. It is inspired by Anna and Miriam over at Maidens of Worth who keep track of what books they read each month and post mini-reviews for each one.

Since the past year and a half or so has been filled with wedding planning and for a chunk of time teaching eight grade mathematics, I have not read nearly as much as I would have like to for quite a while. 3 weeks ago, Ish and I were married, and shortly thereafter I was able to finish 2 books.

My July reading list:


The Air Between Us by Deborah Johnson
This novel takes place in a small town in Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement. The book was a captivating in-depth character study. It did not have a very driving plot but instead several micro-plots expertly woven together. I would recommend this book for readers over the age of 16 as it deals with some disturbing subject matter that may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A mixture of both historical and contemporary fiction, this novel is set in modern day France as well as during WWII. Sarah's Key intertwines the story of Sarah, a young Jewish girl who was part of the Vel d'Hiv roundup in Paris on July 16th, 1942, and the story of Julia, an expatriot journalist writing an article on the 60th anniversary of the horrific Vel d'Hiv. This skillfully crafted novel will bring you to tears--it is by no means a light read. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16, as it deals with many heavy topics. If you are an adult, this book is a must read. Just don't forget your box of tissues.

Currently Reading:

The Art of Civilized Conversation by Margaret Shephard with Sharon Hogan.

Zinnias and Cucumbers

Yesterday evening, after helping to move a couch into our apartment, a dear friend of mine and Ish's invited us to visit the farm he and another good friend of ours started this growing season. Having spent the past several days shuttling back and forth between our apartment, Ish's parents' house, and various shops, our friend's invitation was received warmly and with much excitement.

After a short yet scenic drive, we arrived at the farm. Despite vacationing on a farm throughout my childhood, I have never seen anything quite like this. Even with a tough year weather wise, their endeavor is doing quite well. It was a joy to taste and see the fruit of our friends' labor.

They had an abundance of cucumbers in many varieties, some extra lettuce, and parsley. We were blessed to receive portions of them as well as a beautiful bouquet of freshly cut zinnias. Hopefully next summer Ish and I will be able to help them in the field.

An Answered Prayer

Ish and I recently moved [back] to Delaware with no furniture aside from a few bookcases and a small tray table to our names. As we began our search for furniture, a clear dilemma arose; what were we going to do for a bed? We had managed to secure some nice secondhand furniture in short order, but finding a bed would not be so easy.

As someone with allergies, the chances of finding used mattresses that I won't have a reaction to are very slim, but buying brand new mattresses, even at a discounted price, would not have been a sound financial decision for us. As is very typical of me, I started to get worried about it--What in the world were we going to do? Then, I began to pray,"Lord, please find us a bed that we can afford and won't give me allergy problems."

Over the period of a few days, Ish and I continued to search for a bed via craigslist. We found a bed that was one and a half years old (boxspring and mattress included). Ish promptly e-mailed the seller to inquire about his asking price--it worked with our budget. In a followup e-mail, Ish assesed the allergy situation and found out that the mattress was coming from a pet free home (score!).

Yesterday, Ish went to check out our potential bed. Meanwhile I was at our apartment hoping and praying that this bed would be the answer to our prayers. Ish called me when he was on his way home to let me know that God had delivered. We had a bed!

When Ish came home, the boxspring was still in its original plastic which the previous owner had never removed in the year in a half he had owned it. Ish had then informed me that this bed was clearly sent from God since not only had the boxspring been enclosed in plastic but the top mattress had been encased in a plastic "allergy-proof" cover as well!

Engagement photos

The photographer for our wedding posted some of our engagement photos on her blog today.  Check them out at: http://kellysullivanblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/sine-ish-engagement-session.html

Weathering the storm...

I know that nobody likes a blog post about weather. I do, however, feel the need to at least comment on the fact that I have not seen the moon in a couple of weeks and most days when I eave my house there is a high likelihood that I will end up getting wet.  I hope the sun returns soon.

Oh man... Crossword Calamity

My Mom is usually pretty good with Biblical crossword clues, but tonight was a bit different.  I was a bit amused and somewhat surprised.

Mom: Is there a book in the Bible called Moses?

Me: No, he's in Exodus.

Mom:Well, is there a book of the Bible about a prophet?

Me:  About 16 or so...

Mom: Oh...Do any of them start with an M?

Me: Micah

Mom: Thanks

It has begun...

...the packing that is.

Ish and I will be married in less than a month. It is really hard to believe since we have been engaged for so long (over 19 months). In the moments between the craziness of wedding planning, I have begun to pack (it is no easy feat!). It seems I am bad at informing people of my plans in life (a possible side effect of being introverted).So here it is:

We're moving back to Delaware.

Consider yourself informed.  That being said, please pray for us as we prepare for many transitions at once.  We are both excited to be moving back.  I do have a sort of sadness to be leaving Massachusetts though as I will be moving away from my family.  I will also miss several of the advantages that living near Boston has to offer (particularly the amazing public transportation system--DART doesn't even begin to compare).  

When is a toothpick not a toothpick? When it's turned into a city.

Confessions of a mommyblogaholic

I love mommy-blogs.  I seek them out, and I probably add a handful of them to my Google Reader each month.  This probably wouldn't be so strange if I were a mom, but I'm not.  I am a woman one month away from being married; shouldn't I be obsessing over wedding blogs or something?  No, I just love me a good Mom blog.  

Good mommy-blogs carry certain characteristics.  Being a mom who blogs does not earn you a spot in my blog reading list.  If your blog consists of mostly give-aways, there is no way you make the cut.  If you have more than two children and you homeschool them your chance of passing my quality control tests are much higher (extra points if you are Catholic and celebrate lots of feast days!)  I also enjoy reading the blogs of moms of multiples.  Let's face it; being a mom of multiples cannot be easy by any stretch of the imagination, which automatically ups the interest-factor.  One of the biggest requirements, however, is that you must be able to write in a way that hooks me.

One might question why I spend so much time reading these blogs.  Over the past few months, I have begun to wonder the same thing.  I have come to a few conclusions.  The first one is probably pretty obvious; kids do amazing things and no one can relay that amazingness better that the people who brought them into this world.  Another possibility, and probably the most accurate conclusion, is that I want to be a mom; I pray that God blesses my upcoming marriage that it may be fruitful.  I love children and cannot think of a greater blessing than to get to parent one or many with the love of my life by my side.  Most other conclusions I have come to pale in comparison to this one so I think I'll leave it at that.

The Mary month of May

May is the month dedicated to the Most Blessed Mother, and in her honor, I will be posting various Marian hymns throughout the rest of the month.

On this Day, O Beautiful Mother.

On this day, O beautiful Mother,
On this day we give thee our love.
Near the, Madonna, fondly we hover,
Trusting thy gentle care to prove.

On this day we ask to share,
Dearest Mother, thy sweet care;
Aid us ere our feet astray
Waner from thy guiding way.

Queen of angels, deign to hear
Lisping children's humble prayer;
Young hearts gain, O virgin pure,
Sweetly to thyself allure.

Rose of Sharon, Lovely flow'r,
Beauteous bud of eden's bow'r;
Cherished lily of the vale,
Virgin Mother' Queen we hail.

In-vain the flow'rs of love we bring,
In-vain sweet music's note we sing,
If-contrite heart and lowly prayer,
Guide-not our gifts to thy bright sphere.

Fast our days of life we run,
Soon the night of death will come;
Tower of strength in that dread hour,
Come with all thy gentle power.

Twitter?

Would anyone care to explain the allure of Twitter to me?  I have read a few articles about it on CNN and heard about it on the news.  I know some people describe it as "micro-blogging" and others describe it as an alternative to updating their facebook status.  I just don't understand why I should be interested in the fact that you are brushing your teeth or that you are eating dry Cheerios with chopsticks.  Now I can't say that I am totally immune to the allure of micro-blog-esque activities--I do update my facebook status.  The thing is that I would never update my facebook status to tell people that I was washing my face or twiddling my thumbs.  From what I have read about twitter, people do "tweet" those sorts of activities.  Perhaps one day I will be less put off by the realm of Twitter, but for today, I just want someone to explain its draw on the masses.

On writing...

For someone who fancies herself a writer, I don't get around to writing very often.  I think a lot about all the things I could write--the things I should write, and yet I never seem to get around to writing any of them.  That inability to push myself from the idea to the actual writing is incredibly constricting.  Sometimes I feel like I am stuck in a trunk or a chest, and my ideas are slowly suffocating me.  To say the least, it is frustrating.

This past year I have read a few books and articles on writing in hopes that they might inspire me to put my ideas down on paper, but instead of being inspirational and motivating, they have left me with the idea that I still don't know enough about writing to actually write something worthwhile. I still think of myself as a writer, but perhaps in reality I am a coward without enough guts to put into words what I really think and believe for fear of ridicule and rejection.

I suppose this revelation has been good for me. Once one admits to her cowardice, she can take steps to overcome it, and that is what I plan to do.  I made a goal for myself today; I have committed to writing something each and every day.  It needn't be long, and it needn't be a masterpiece--it just needs to be something.  With that said, I don't promise to share everything that I write, but I will leave it open as a possibility.

Hilarious Commercial

This commercial cracks me up. Especially because Goliath is wearing pinstripes.

Photo of the day

I took this photo at the National Museum of China.  It is amazing how in a country whose policies do not emulate many of the teachings of the Church, a beautiful image such as this can be found in their National Museum.  I got chills when I first saw it.

Photo of the day

Diaper boxes were a great hideout back in the day.  

Photo of the day- An oldie but a goodie edition.

This photo of Andie and me was taken a few years ago on UD's campus.  I used to joke with people that I was going to start giving tours of all the bizarre art on campus.  I do believe on that night I introduced some people to "Ode to Joy" infront of  the library and that awful statue of the boy reading and the girl feeding a squirrel.  By the by, the nubian goats featured here are named Chloe and Lucinda.

Photo of the day

Despite my allergies, flowers are one of my favorite parts of creation.  Ish brought me this bouquet a couple weeks ago and I couldn't help but snap a picture of this fantastic daisy; it is just so sun-shiny and beautiful.  

Photo of the day

Snapped on a recent trip to Delaware.

Ish and his nephew Owen in the midst of a soul shake (à la Pete & Pete)

Dear Red Sox...

Dear Red Sox,

   Please stop scaring me like that.  

Love

me

PS-- Jonathan Van Every, thank you for saving your team from another pathetic loss.

Photo of the day

Taken on a recent trip to Delaware.

Ishmael and his newest nephew Simon.

Marriage preparation...

I came across this quote today and thought it was a good affirmation to remember as I prepare for marriage.  I also thought those who are also preparing for marriage or are already married might benefit from reading this as well.

"I will remember always that marriage, like life, is a journey - not a destination - and that its treasures are found not just at the end but all along the way"--Anonymous

Photo of the day

Ishmael and I spotted this cute little church on our way back fro Rhode Island last weekend.  It was absolutely adorable.

Don't forget to check out the photo of the day contest from yesterday, and make your best guess!

Pysanky

During the 3 weeks preceding Easter, I took a Ukrainian Egg Decorating class. After 3 weeks of writing pysanky, I in no way consider myself good at this art, but I definitely enjoyed myself and wanted to share the fruits of my labor.

My first attempt--on a bantam egg!

My second attempt--On a chicken egg

My second egg from a different angle.

I made a third egg--a goose egg--but I forgot to take a photo of it before giving it to my sister as a gift.  

Photo of the day--contest

If you are the first person to guess what this photo is of I will knit or crochet you some sort of prize.  Leave a comment with your guess.

Photo of the day

My overweight allergy inducing friend.  This is my 15 yearold cat Frisky.  The only frisky thing she does anymore is eat carpenter ants after batting them around the floor.

Off to Delaware

Ish and I are off to Delaware tomorrow.  I am very excited for this lovely break and for a visit with so many wonderful people.  We will also be celebrating Ish's birthday while we are there, since my sister is getting married on his actual birthday, and that way he will get to celebrate with family and friends back home too.

I hope everyone has a wonderfully relaxing weekend.  Ciao.

It is the little things that count...

Today I woke up with a sore throat and pain in my ears. It was not a pleasant way to wake up to say the least. After a cup of hot tea and a shower I was still feeling pretty gross and kind of down. Then, I signed into my e-mail--usually a haven of a lot of useless advertising mixed with wedding related correspondence--to find a message from my dear friend Andie. It was a short but sweet message that put a smile on my face. Receiving this e-mail reminded me of how much the little things we do can change a person's mood, feelings, and/or outlook.

Want to hear from the women who made my day today? Check out her blog Theophany All Over.

Quote to ponder...

"Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is." -- Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

Post-Lenten Reflection 2009

I decided for Lent in 2009 to not talk about my fast here on blogger until after celebrating Easter. I decided this mostly because posting what ones fast is at the beginning of lent doesn't leave much to say. It is a post that says "I am fasting from this. THE END." Now that we are celebrating Eastertide,I think it is due time for me to discuss my Lenten happenings.

This Lent I gave up pants with the exception of pajama pants in the privacy of my own home. Now, giving up pants may seem like a strange sacrifice, but in the past year and a half I have come to the realization that modesty is a necessary part of a Catholic woman's life;pants are not meant to be women's clothing and when worn by women, they are not modest. Despite having attempted to be pants free for almost a year, I have run into my own human nature on several occasions. I often found myself wearing pants because they were more comfortable or better protection from the cold. I kept coming up with excuses as to why I was wearing pants instead of choosing modesty and feminity. As Ash Wednesday rolled in the Lenten season this year, I was in a pants wearing slump choosing them over modest skirts and dresses most days of the week. God would understand me wearing immodest clothing and being an occasion of sin for others so I wouldn't be so cold waiting for my bus in the morning--that was my rationalization for my sin. Wearing modest clothing as my Lenten sacrifice this year was an obvious choice as I found myself constantly making excuses for my immodesty.

Do I think it was a worthwhile sacrifice? Yes. Not wearing pants was an incredibly difficult choice for me in a harsh New England winter, but each morning as I pulled on my skirt, I felt as though God's call for women to return to feminity in a culture rattled by "feminists" telling us to objectify ourselves before men get the chance became ever clearer. Cold mornings were not easy, but they were a lesson in how following God's will is not always easy. In this case it meant physical discomfort and often pain as having cold legs causes shooting pains in from my ankles up to my shoulders. This pain often led me to long for the warmth and comfort of pants.

This Lent led me on a journey to be pants-free from now on. To anyone reading this who feels led to dig deeper into what it means to dress modestly, I highly recommend Colleen Hammond's book Dressing With Dignity. This book has had a profound impact on my life. May it help you on your path to a more modest existence.

Stephen Colbert on the Divinity of Christ

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bart Ehrman
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Quotation to ponder...

"It is better to be the child of God than king of the whole world. "

-- St. Aloysius Gonzaga

April Showers...

April has started, and we have rain showers which reminds me of this:

April showers bring May flowers, and Mayflowers bring pilgrims!

Yes, it is ridiculous, but it makes me smile.

just a note...

I really do not enjoy when people are singing Christmas carols in the middle of Lent.  Just thought I'd share.

Spring Cleaning

It must be something about spring having started, but I have had an intense desire to do housework for the past 2 days.  I have been doing laundry,which, as many people know, is one of my least favorite things to do--I'd rather clean  toilets.  I have been ironing so I don't need to worry about it in the morning during the week.  I have also been cleaning my room, which at the moment looks like a bomb went off in it.  What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday!

A life lived to the fullest.

My 99 year old neighbor Jim passed away today.  If you were to imagine a 99 year old man, you might think of someone who uses a cane or a wheelchair, perhaps someone with  a failing memory, or even some one who is bedridden.  Up until this past month none of these depictions would come close to describing Jim.  At 99, Jim still went dancing with his eighty-something girlfriend, went for a run most days, and in the summer he would swim a mile on every day that the weather allowed it.  Jim never got old; he just got older.  

Jim was one of a kind. When he was 93 yearsold, we were both at a benefit for a mutual friend who was battling cancer.  Jim asked me to dance.  At the time I was attending ballet classes and rehearsals for hours each day--I was unquestionably in shape.  Jim, however, managed to wind me.  He was an amazing ballroom partner and at 93 had far more stamina than I did as at 17.

Jim brought joy to all who knew him, and showed us all how to get older with out ever getting old.  Please as you say your prayers tonight, remember Jim.  

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei . Requiescat in pace. Amen.

Something to be thankful for...

I got a new prescription for my glasses today. As my lovely astigmatized near-sighted eyes have needed a new prescription for about a year, this is cause for rejoicing for me. My glasses prescription will not be filled until next week, but I also got contact lenses today and despite all the eye poking, I am very glad to have some sort of lenses that match my needs (even if they don't correct my astigmatism). Deo gratia for the ability to see once more.

Just in case you needed a laugh....

Reasons my students think I am ancient...

...I remember when computers were not common place in households.

...I have actually used an abacus before

...I remember when the Austin Powers movies came out in theaters 

...I can remember 9/11/01

...I remember watching Bill Clinton's 1st inauguration

...I went to high school with other teachers that they think are ancient

...I say things like "thems the berries" 

Joy in the little things...

3 little things that made my day just a little bit better today:

--Helping a little girl find her mother after Mass.  Really, it was the huge smile on both faces when they were reunited.

--The new altar boy at church whose feet don't touch the ground when he sits in his chair.

-- Hot chocolate after a trip to the grocery store.

Food for thought.

Please take the time to watch this incredibly well-spoken 12 year old.  Even if you do not agree with her, she is guaranteed to make you think.  Thanks to Andie for sharing this video.

Progress

So I am learning to crochet.  My tension is awful, but I am starting to get the hang of it and not going so cross-eyed.  I do still prefer knitting, but that is probably because I am better at that.

Snow day for work and class...

Today the school system I work in had a snow day.  We didn't actually get too much snow, but the predictions of a nasty wintry mix were enough for over 500 closings in the state of Massachusetts.  My crochet class was also cancelled tonight (thankfully the class will be made up at the end of the course.  So what have I done with my snow day? I went to Panera Bread for free coffee day, and otherwise I have given myself permission to relax some.   I also registered for a class to learn to make Pysanky [Ukranian Easter Eggs].   

What have you done today?

Snow...blech

I am sure there are plenty of people who love snow, but I am not really one of them.  I admit that it is pretty to look at, but I really do not enjoy being out in it.  Massachusetts has been really snowy this winter.  We have had 1 snow day, 1 early release due to impending storms, and 1 2hr delay for school already--hopefully there will be no need for another.  Another, downside to all of this snow is I haven't been able to make it to Tridentine Mass every week.  I don't mind the Novus Ordo Mass every now and again, but 2 weeks in a row is a little much.

Feeding my spirit...

I have come to the conclusion over the past several weeks that living life as a pattern of going to work, coming home, eating dinner , and then crashing is really draining to me.  I decided I needed something purely for me that would be both relaxing and challenging.  Thus, I registered for a beginning crochet class.  My class starts next week, so I will do my best to keep everyone updated on my progress.  I think this will be good for both my brain as well as being some food for my spirit.