Hi. I'm Leah, and I'm a recovering librarian. I am addicted to theoretical organization and order, but in reality, my stuff is everywhere. And I'm ok with that.
My dad, upon learning that his first child was on the way, decided that Obadiah would be a swell name. My mom decided that it would be wiser to get a dog, call him Obadiah, and nip that one in the bud. I don't *think* Dad would've pressed for naming rights when it was discovered that I am a girl, but... Nope. Leah. My mom says they liked the sound of my name. Leah Rebekah. That's me.
Nope. Leah. I don't recall having any positive or negative associations with my name until I heard the account of Leah from the Old Testament. I always identified myself with characters in books. I wanted to be like the demure, beautiful princesses who seemed to float through life in their flowing dresses, gentle curls softly drifting behind them, tiny toes peeking beneath ruffled hems as they danced through meadows, singing with the wildlife. Never angry, never clutzy, always saying the right thing and charming the cufflinks off passing princes, and never, ever sad except in a beautiful, somber way that would cause all the woodland creatures to dry their pearlescent tears with bushy tails. That was who I wanted to be. Nope. Leah.
The Leah of the Bible wasn't beautiful. She charmed the cufflinks very much ON the man who came to live with her family for seven years. It was her younger sister, Rachel, who had mice and birds to dress her in the morning. It was Rachel who had the grace and the beauty, and who won the heart of Jacob. It was Rachel who was worth seven years of farm work. But, at the end of the wedding... Nope. Alas, it was Leah. Alas... Leah. I realized that I wasn't the graceful princess; I was more like the oafish, temperamental, crass scullery maid, from whom the woodland creatures would run and hide. If I tried to dance in a meadow, the flowers would wilt. If I tried to sing with the birds, squirrels would throw things. And the news must've gotten out to the princes, for none of them were passing by, regardless of cufflinks. Nope. Leah.
I always tried to get sick when my story was on the docket in school. Naturally, when a classmate's name is mentioned, everybody turns to look at them, and that classmate prays that they're the good guy in the story, not the one who eats the three little pigs or steals the protagonist's kickball, because you're GONNA hear about it at recess. But I always knew what was coming when my story was told. Leah was unloved. Unlovable. The pictures didn't help. You never had to ask which one was Leah and which was Rachel. The Leah in the pictures and I were actually pretty similar - stick-straight hair that wouldn't hold a curl to save it's life (I wonder if the Biblical Leah endured two home perms that did absolutely nothing, despite going to McDonalds with her hair in rollers?), a large nose (covered in blackheads, no doubt), plain, boring, out-of-fashion clothes (I truly believed red sweatsuits with black Scottie dogs embroidered on them were perfectly fine school wear until 7th grade), and unremarkable features (including eyebrows that could conceal several woodland creatures). Overall, I felt we both had better focus on developing "wonderful personalities."
I'm not saying none of this would have been an issue if I'd had a different name; in high school there were a number of Leahs who seemed complex-free. I wanted my name to conjure the images theirs did: Leah, the self-confident, artistic and cute; Leah, the petite, beautiful and trendy; Leah, the tall, lean and athletic. But I was Leah, the nerdy (this was before "nerdy" became "hipster"... or at least, it never did that for me), quiet, and slightly sweaty.
It wasn't until college that a teacher revealed the other side of the story: Leah's husband never favored her, but God did. God saw that she wasn't loved, and he gave her children. Ah, she thought, NOW my husband will love me more. Nope. *sigh* Leah. More kids? Yay! Now...? It was as if God were saying, "Nope. Leah. I love you. Jacob's an idiot." And that would have to be "enough" for her.
To further engrain The Leah Complex into my psychological development, right around the time this other side of the story was revealed to me, I was falling in love for the first time. I was wary, very wary, because I knew I wasn't the princess with the beautiful hair and perfect manners... or perfect anything. I knew that I was surrounded by stunning young women, who had actual wonderful personalities to boot instead of the crippling insecurities I thought MUST be visible to everyone who saw me. But for some reason, he chose to date me. I was petrified in his presence. I was afraid he'd see the woodland creatures scatter before me. So I didn't let myself out. I tried to be demure and perfect and I denied the existence of anything about myself that didn't fit my idea of ideal. The relationship was crap. He wasn't getting to know me at all. He could sense that something was amiss and therefore couldn't be himself either. So, inevitably, The Worst Thing that could happen to my guarded, walled-off heart happened. We broke up. I loved him, but I couldn't let him know that, not until I was a beautiful princess because I thought that was what he wanted and deserved. And, to top it all off, he started dating another girl, whose name was... Rachel. She was cute. She had great fashion sense. Her hair did what she told it to.
I struggled. A lot. For a year. Until one day I thought about Leah. Unloved by Jacob, loved greatly by God - not because of how she looked or acted, but because of grace. And shouldn't that be enough for me, too? Some days, no, it definitely wasn't. But God still loved me through my "scatter the woodland creatures" moods. He loved me as I made peace with my eyebrows, learned to be comfortable in my skin (and less-than-desirable fashion sense), called a cease-fire on the perms, and even grew into my nose. It took two years, but I gradually came to be comfortable with me as I was made to be, not the me I thought would be most attractive to the world. I had to throw my shoulders back and jut out my chin to say it sometimes, but God loved me, and that was more than I could ever ask for or deserve. I still had to cling to God when I saw That Guy walking arm-in-arm with Rachel. I still had to physically remove myself from windows so I wouldn't be tempted to time them when I knew they were headed out on a walk. I still had to make myself sit in the front of chapel so I wouldn't spend the whole service spying to see if they were holding hands or sharing a hymnal. And I still had to pray for forgiveness and contentment. A lot.
In God's inscrutable time, when I was ready to be Leah, everything changed. I've been married to That Guy for three years now. Our son is waking up in the next room, currently. My husband tells me every day how beautiful I am - and he's always looking in my eyes when he says it, not at my body. I know he thinks I'm physically beautiful, too, but the important thing is that he knows me better than that; he knows who I really, truly am... and he still loves me. The grace of God is reflected in my marriage. I'm a lot like the Biblical Leah: nobody's going to put me on a magazine cover or ask me where I got my shoes; but I am deeply, dearly loved. It's undeserved and sometimes underappreciated, but regardless of whatever other names I might have in this life, I get to carry God's name eternally.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
BUDGET madness.
Like many new parents, we knew there would be financial ramifications to starting a family. Also like many new parents, we didn't know exactly what these ramifications would include. So we saved as much as we could and paid off the credit cards in anticipation of Jr.'s arrival and planned to deal with the rest as it came. Well, it's here. We would have had enough saved to cover the standard medical bills surrounding a relatively uncomplicated delivery... but, of course, the car suddenly needed $500 worth of brake work done and our beautiful baby boy had some issues that required monthly specialist visits and EKGs. (Those issues seem to be resolving themselves and we're now going once every six months.) So, by the time the last hospital bill came, we were pretty close to tapped out and had to charge it. Long story short, some friends suggested looking into Dave Ramsey's financial advice. I read his seven baby steps and used a calculator tool to get a general idea of where we needed to start. We tweaked and adjusted to find a manageable plan that, with luck, will help us reach our financial goals (1. Pay off debt. 2. Not starve. 3. Retire before 95 years old.). Here follows our method:
The Envelope Method: Simply put, this method uses a cash-based approach to ensure you don't overspend. (We were using mint.com, which tracks spending in categories really well and will alert you if you're going over by automatically connecting with your credit card companies and banks. This worked well for us for a year or two, but our current bank doesn't play well with mint's software, so we had to find a different way of accounting for spending.) You take one envelope for each category in your budget and withdraw the allotted amount of cash for that category on a schedule. That's all you have for that category until your next withdraw date. (We withdraw twice a month. We're paid twice a month and I don't want to carry a full month's worth of cash. I withdraw one day after the first pay day of the month so there's time for the check to be solidly in our account and 15 days later, so my cash periods are evenly spaced.)
I didn't think the envelope method would work for us at first because we pay most of our bills online. This is a time- and sanity-saver because I can sign up for alerts and reminders, the payments go through quickly, I get email receipts, and my track record with the whole getting-it-in-the-mailbox thing is not great. But, when drawing up our budget, I realized that most of those bills are pretty similar, if not exactly the same from month to month. Mr. Ramsey has some forms to help you get started, but I realized that our needs are so different from those templates that I created my own. I have three categories: Predictable (for those amounts that don't change, like our church offerings, car insurance, student loan payments, etc.), Variable (for bills that fluctuate, like water, power, gas, etc.), and Till it's gone (TIG) (food, gas, clothes, etc.). We pay the first two categories online or by check, and the last section is my true envelope-ly budgeted area.
Breaking it down: Dave's calculator tool breaks this down very well and provides explanations. His recommendations will be italicized and what we do and why will be in regular print. . Your goal is to account for every dollar.
Church/charity: 10-15% (Predictable) We spend 10% on church offerings. This works out to different amounts per week over four weeks or five weeks. I write checks and fill the church envelopes at the beginning of the month so I don't have to remember whether we're in a 4-week or 5-week month on Sunday mornings.
Utilities: 5-10% (Variable) This one is a thorn in my side. You can't really control the percentage of your income this will take up; it is what it is. Yes, you can do things to conserve, but your house HAS to be heated in winter and you NEED those fans or A/C in the summer. We average out what we spend per year and hope it will all come out in the wash. We budget 8% of our income for this category, which includes water (and trash pickup), power, gas, and cell phones. Our church pays for our landline and internet since they're used mostly for church business, but most people's would fall in this category too.
Transportation: 10-15% (Predictable & TIG [Till It's Gone]) Our car insurance (and car payments, if applicable) are predictable. Gas and service are TIG. We have budgeted 10%, with cash per pay period for gas and service and an online payment per month for insurance. In the last month we've switched car insurance carriers, so now it's less, but I haven't redone the budget yet to reflect that. The savings is currently just being rolled back into our checking account.
Health and Medical: 5-10% (TIG, though we don't take cash out for this category, since those bills are paid by check.) We budget 5%. This covers those lingering medical bills, contacts, etc. It's kind of weird right now, as we've met our deductible and we're waiting on reimbursement from insurance for out-of-network eye exams. But this is how we can tell if I can afford to go to the chiropractor again this month, or if I need to wait to get a new retainer.
Recreation: 5-10% (TIG) We do 5%. This is kind of our slush section. We've used it to pay for camping and we're saving now to fix up our bikes, get a trailer for the baby next summer, and renew our community center membership this fall. It's also for movies, dinners out, etc. Technically dinners out should be "Food," but if that budget gets tight or I feel I can't justify a special edible item, it comes from the Rec envelope.
Personal 5-10%, Clothing 2-7%, and Housing 25-35%: (TIG) We wrap these all into one since we live in a parsonage (no rent or mortgage) and we don't buy clothes often. Our budget is 18%. This pays for pretty much every incidental item that's not food. Dave's explanation of each section is good; go read it. :) Right now the %age that should be going to housing is paying off debt. In the next few months that should be gone, and the money will go toward amping up our savings to someday buy a house.
Food: 5-15% (TIG) We budget 10%. We are also on WIC, which has been very helpful in this category as well as Health, since it's free to stop by for breastfeeding or weird rash help from their nurses. The food we get from WIC is stuff I buy anyway (except the canned salmon. Eww.) and it saves us an average of $20 per week on food.
Savings: 5-10% (Predictable) We officially save 5% per month. Again, we are currently working mostly on debt reduction so that number will go up substantially in the next few months. And the first month's savings amount went to start an account for the baby. Still can't decide if that was the best move, since we don't have a technical savings account ourselves yet.
Debt reduction: 5-10% (Predictable) We budget 13% since we don't have housing expenses. Once the credit cards are paid off, we plan to budget 5% toward student loans and put the other 8% into savings.
Taxes: Dave doesn't have a percentage for this since most people pay taxes automatically. My husband is self-employed for tax purposes, however, so we have to make quarterly payments. It's 16% of our income. We leave it in checking, because that's where it will come from on Tax Day.
The Wrenches: Of course, there are problems with this system. My husband, who is a pastor, will buy something for church and sometimes forget to tell me when that money is spent or when he's reimbursed. (We're looking in to having church get a credit card so those expenses don't have to come near our family budget.) We'll sell some books or stuff online and that's unexpected income. The car will need work or our water bill will be high for some reason. Hubby gets paid outside his regular salary for weddings and funerals. And then there are the budgetary nightmares that are childbirth and Christmas. Crazy unexpected expenses, crazy unexpected gifts. And the tax return. And cash that's leftover in the envelopes on withdrawl days. Dave recommends a $1000 emergency fund for those expenses. We're still working on that. When we get unexpected income or gifts, we will usually put a small portion toward a treat or special project we're saving for (minivan, what?) and put the rest into the bank.
We've also started backup envelopes for the leftovers. We often have money to spare in the gas section, but we're planning a trip to Wisconsin next summer that will cost an estimated $350 in gas. We write our goals on the Extras envelopes in pencil, along with what we estimate each item will cost, then we continue to save for those things. Extra food money will go toward Gingerpalooza 2013 and holiday meals. Our Personal cash is being saved for an imminent car seat purchase, Christmas gifts, and a grill. The car seat could come out of the regular personal budget or even the Emergency or Savings funds because it's something we simply have to have, but since we've got a little time before that purchase needs to happen, we're choosing to save for it instead.
A few opinions on credit cards: As freeing as the iconic snipping-of-the-plastic may be, we find credit cards to be a mixed blessing but overall very useful. If used wisely and paid off in a timely and complete manner, they are essential to building credit and useful for tracking expenses with little effort. We use Capital One and they have excellent rewards; you can easily apply rewards directly to your balance. We've saved over $200 on payments simply through their rewards program. I have not been as impressed by Citi's incentives; they're not as useful to me since we don't stay at hotels or shop at their rewards retailers. We also find that until we get our emergency fund up to scratch, our credit cards are a safety net. We only use them for online purchases right now, and those are few and far between. They are actually preferable for online transactions, though, because if you're scammed or you need to make a return, you haven't actually paid for whatever it is yet. If you paid with a bank card, that money comes directly out of your account and it's much harder to get it back for any reason. Credit card companies are set up to do that kind of thing and are much more likely to sort things out for you because it's their money in limbo if you haven't paid off that purchase yet. So, in short, we are not using our credit cards often but we do intend to keep them active.
All in all, this budgetary makeover has been a rewarding experience, financially as well as emotionally since we now feel we have a better handle on our cash flow. We hope that if you're in a sticky spot in the monetary department, this information will help you regain your footing. :)
The Envelope Method: Simply put, this method uses a cash-based approach to ensure you don't overspend. (We were using mint.com, which tracks spending in categories really well and will alert you if you're going over by automatically connecting with your credit card companies and banks. This worked well for us for a year or two, but our current bank doesn't play well with mint's software, so we had to find a different way of accounting for spending.) You take one envelope for each category in your budget and withdraw the allotted amount of cash for that category on a schedule. That's all you have for that category until your next withdraw date. (We withdraw twice a month. We're paid twice a month and I don't want to carry a full month's worth of cash. I withdraw one day after the first pay day of the month so there's time for the check to be solidly in our account and 15 days later, so my cash periods are evenly spaced.)
I didn't think the envelope method would work for us at first because we pay most of our bills online. This is a time- and sanity-saver because I can sign up for alerts and reminders, the payments go through quickly, I get email receipts, and my track record with the whole getting-it-in-the-mailbox thing is not great. But, when drawing up our budget, I realized that most of those bills are pretty similar, if not exactly the same from month to month. Mr. Ramsey has some forms to help you get started, but I realized that our needs are so different from those templates that I created my own. I have three categories: Predictable (for those amounts that don't change, like our church offerings, car insurance, student loan payments, etc.), Variable (for bills that fluctuate, like water, power, gas, etc.), and Till it's gone (TIG) (food, gas, clothes, etc.). We pay the first two categories online or by check, and the last section is my true envelope-ly budgeted area.
Church/charity: 10-15% (Predictable) We spend 10% on church offerings. This works out to different amounts per week over four weeks or five weeks. I write checks and fill the church envelopes at the beginning of the month so I don't have to remember whether we're in a 4-week or 5-week month on Sunday mornings.
Utilities: 5-10% (Variable) This one is a thorn in my side. You can't really control the percentage of your income this will take up; it is what it is. Yes, you can do things to conserve, but your house HAS to be heated in winter and you NEED those fans or A/C in the summer. We average out what we spend per year and hope it will all come out in the wash. We budget 8% of our income for this category, which includes water (and trash pickup), power, gas, and cell phones. Our church pays for our landline and internet since they're used mostly for church business, but most people's would fall in this category too.
Transportation: 10-15% (Predictable & TIG [Till It's Gone]) Our car insurance (and car payments, if applicable) are predictable. Gas and service are TIG. We have budgeted 10%, with cash per pay period for gas and service and an online payment per month for insurance. In the last month we've switched car insurance carriers, so now it's less, but I haven't redone the budget yet to reflect that. The savings is currently just being rolled back into our checking account.
Health and Medical: 5-10% (TIG, though we don't take cash out for this category, since those bills are paid by check.) We budget 5%. This covers those lingering medical bills, contacts, etc. It's kind of weird right now, as we've met our deductible and we're waiting on reimbursement from insurance for out-of-network eye exams. But this is how we can tell if I can afford to go to the chiropractor again this month, or if I need to wait to get a new retainer.
Recreation: 5-10% (TIG) We do 5%. This is kind of our slush section. We've used it to pay for camping and we're saving now to fix up our bikes, get a trailer for the baby next summer, and renew our community center membership this fall. It's also for movies, dinners out, etc. Technically dinners out should be "Food," but if that budget gets tight or I feel I can't justify a special edible item, it comes from the Rec envelope.
Personal 5-10%, Clothing 2-7%, and Housing 25-35%: (TIG) We wrap these all into one since we live in a parsonage (no rent or mortgage) and we don't buy clothes often. Our budget is 18%. This pays for pretty much every incidental item that's not food. Dave's explanation of each section is good; go read it. :) Right now the %age that should be going to housing is paying off debt. In the next few months that should be gone, and the money will go toward amping up our savings to someday buy a house.
Food: 5-15% (TIG) We budget 10%. We are also on WIC, which has been very helpful in this category as well as Health, since it's free to stop by for breastfeeding or weird rash help from their nurses. The food we get from WIC is stuff I buy anyway (except the canned salmon. Eww.) and it saves us an average of $20 per week on food.
Savings: 5-10% (Predictable) We officially save 5% per month. Again, we are currently working mostly on debt reduction so that number will go up substantially in the next few months. And the first month's savings amount went to start an account for the baby. Still can't decide if that was the best move, since we don't have a technical savings account ourselves yet.
Debt reduction: 5-10% (Predictable) We budget 13% since we don't have housing expenses. Once the credit cards are paid off, we plan to budget 5% toward student loans and put the other 8% into savings.
Taxes: Dave doesn't have a percentage for this since most people pay taxes automatically. My husband is self-employed for tax purposes, however, so we have to make quarterly payments. It's 16% of our income. We leave it in checking, because that's where it will come from on Tax Day.
The Wrenches: Of course, there are problems with this system. My husband, who is a pastor, will buy something for church and sometimes forget to tell me when that money is spent or when he's reimbursed. (We're looking in to having church get a credit card so those expenses don't have to come near our family budget.) We'll sell some books or stuff online and that's unexpected income. The car will need work or our water bill will be high for some reason. Hubby gets paid outside his regular salary for weddings and funerals. And then there are the budgetary nightmares that are childbirth and Christmas. Crazy unexpected expenses, crazy unexpected gifts. And the tax return. And cash that's leftover in the envelopes on withdrawl days. Dave recommends a $1000 emergency fund for those expenses. We're still working on that. When we get unexpected income or gifts, we will usually put a small portion toward a treat or special project we're saving for (minivan, what?) and put the rest into the bank.
We've also started backup envelopes for the leftovers. We often have money to spare in the gas section, but we're planning a trip to Wisconsin next summer that will cost an estimated $350 in gas. We write our goals on the Extras envelopes in pencil, along with what we estimate each item will cost, then we continue to save for those things. Extra food money will go toward Gingerpalooza 2013 and holiday meals. Our Personal cash is being saved for an imminent car seat purchase, Christmas gifts, and a grill. The car seat could come out of the regular personal budget or even the Emergency or Savings funds because it's something we simply have to have, but since we've got a little time before that purchase needs to happen, we're choosing to save for it instead.
A few opinions on credit cards: As freeing as the iconic snipping-of-the-plastic may be, we find credit cards to be a mixed blessing but overall very useful. If used wisely and paid off in a timely and complete manner, they are essential to building credit and useful for tracking expenses with little effort. We use Capital One and they have excellent rewards; you can easily apply rewards directly to your balance. We've saved over $200 on payments simply through their rewards program. I have not been as impressed by Citi's incentives; they're not as useful to me since we don't stay at hotels or shop at their rewards retailers. We also find that until we get our emergency fund up to scratch, our credit cards are a safety net. We only use them for online purchases right now, and those are few and far between. They are actually preferable for online transactions, though, because if you're scammed or you need to make a return, you haven't actually paid for whatever it is yet. If you paid with a bank card, that money comes directly out of your account and it's much harder to get it back for any reason. Credit card companies are set up to do that kind of thing and are much more likely to sort things out for you because it's their money in limbo if you haven't paid off that purchase yet. So, in short, we are not using our credit cards often but we do intend to keep them active.
All in all, this budgetary makeover has been a rewarding experience, financially as well as emotionally since we now feel we have a better handle on our cash flow. We hope that if you're in a sticky spot in the monetary department, this information will help you regain your footing. :)
Monday, February 4, 2013
Cunning Baby Hat
Oh, we do love Firefly.
After being commissioned to knit a Cunning Hat for a friend's brother's Christmas gift, I decided to try to make a tiny version since said friend's brother and his wife are expecting a baby this spring.
This hat ended up being about 17" in circumference with room to stretch. I don't know how that translates into baby sizes, but it fits our large stuffed goose.
Needles: four US size 6 DPNs (because DEATH to SEAMS)
Yarn: gold, orange, and maroon/burgundy Red Heart (Walmart) worsted weight. One skein of each is WAY more than you need for one little hat (WAY more than one adult and one little hat, actually), but Red Heart (and Walmart) doesn't really do little portions.
Gauge: 16 sts in stockinette = 4 inches on size 6 needles
1. Cast on 60 stitches in ORANGE using the Twisted German cast on method. This will result in a looser, more stretchy start than a normal cast on.
2. Distribute stitches evenly among three needles and join first round, being careful not to twist (this is the trickiest part of the DPNs (how to join and knit on DPNs)). Work 6 rounds in 2x2 ribbing.
3. Switch to stockinette stitch (knit all rounds), increasing 6 stitches evenly over the first round. 66 stitches total. Work 6 more rounds in stockinette. (13 rounds since cast on.)
4. Switch to GOLD yarn. Work two rounds in stockinette stitch. (15 rounds total.)
5. On 16th round, begin to shape the crown. *K9, K2tog* and repeat ** across. On next round, *K8, K2tog* and repeat. Continue to decrease the number of knit stitches by one each round until 6 sts remain. Cut a tail of about 6 inches and use a tapestry needle or a crochet hook to bring the tail through the active stitches in the direction you would knit another round, sliding needles out as you go. Pull tail tight and tie off.
6. For earflaps, pick up 14 stitches from the bottom edge of the hat with RED yarn using one DPN. With the outside of the hat facing you and upside down, tie the red yarn onto the first stitch on the right hand side of the needle. Knit first row, flip hat over. Knit second row (wrong side) and flip hat again. Row 3: Knit. Row 4: Purl. For remaining rows, knit in stockinette (knit on right side, purl on wrong side), and knit (or purl) last two stitches of each row together until 3 sts remain. Bind off.
7. Weave any loose ends into the inside of the hat. Make and attach a red pompom to the top. (low-tech pom pom creation There are more sophisticated methods that turn out nicer, more even pom poms, but by the time I get to the embellishment stage, I'm done being finicky.)
After being commissioned to knit a Cunning Hat for a friend's brother's Christmas gift, I decided to try to make a tiny version since said friend's brother and his wife are expecting a baby this spring.
Needles: four US size 6 DPNs (because DEATH to SEAMS)
Yarn: gold, orange, and maroon/burgundy Red Heart (Walmart) worsted weight. One skein of each is WAY more than you need for one little hat (WAY more than one adult and one little hat, actually), but Red Heart (and Walmart) doesn't really do little portions.
Gauge: 16 sts in stockinette = 4 inches on size 6 needles
1. Cast on 60 stitches in ORANGE using the Twisted German cast on method. This will result in a looser, more stretchy start than a normal cast on.
2. Distribute stitches evenly among three needles and join first round, being careful not to twist (this is the trickiest part of the DPNs (how to join and knit on DPNs)). Work 6 rounds in 2x2 ribbing.
3. Switch to stockinette stitch (knit all rounds), increasing 6 stitches evenly over the first round. 66 stitches total. Work 6 more rounds in stockinette. (13 rounds since cast on.)
4. Switch to GOLD yarn. Work two rounds in stockinette stitch. (15 rounds total.)
5. On 16th round, begin to shape the crown. *K9, K2tog* and repeat ** across. On next round, *K8, K2tog* and repeat. Continue to decrease the number of knit stitches by one each round until 6 sts remain. Cut a tail of about 6 inches and use a tapestry needle or a crochet hook to bring the tail through the active stitches in the direction you would knit another round, sliding needles out as you go. Pull tail tight and tie off.
6. For earflaps, pick up 14 stitches from the bottom edge of the hat with RED yarn using one DPN. With the outside of the hat facing you and upside down, tie the red yarn onto the first stitch on the right hand side of the needle. Knit first row, flip hat over. Knit second row (wrong side) and flip hat again. Row 3: Knit. Row 4: Purl. For remaining rows, knit in stockinette (knit on right side, purl on wrong side), and knit (or purl) last two stitches of each row together until 3 sts remain. Bind off.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
*BLARGH* Third Trimester *BLARGH*
We are hoping and praying that today is not an indication of the next sevenish weeks. Oy.
After a blessed, energetic second trimester and, up until this weekend, start of the third, it seems the fact that I am Montsrously Pregnant has finally caught up with me. Yesterday I decided to Rearrange All the Things! and immediately after the bed (yes. Oops. Bad future mommy.) was in its new position, I was seized with guilt and worry that I had hurt the baby and needed to go to bed. Unfortunately, I had a lunch date with ladies from church and grocery shopping to do after that. Lunch was delightful, but I hardly made it through Walmart afterwards and by the time I got home at 3, I was ready to collapse. That would not have happened two weeks ago. I would've come home and probably done dishes and practiced piano and built a bomb shelter and filed our taxes... before snack.
Sooo... fatigue: 1; Leah: 0.
Today I decided to relax. I got laundry folded, made soup and grilled cheese for lunch, and got crockpot chili started for dinner. Of course, by the time we got to dinner, I had completely lost all interest in anything with beans, hamburger, and... chili. Apart from that, I pretty much lived on the couch. Although there was one minor adventure...
Basic Foot Maintenance in the Third Trimester
If you've never attempted to clip your toenails beyond the Shoelaces Are Evil epiphany of pregnancy, you can attempt to replicate the experience with this simple experiment:
1. Take a carton of eggs, which is actually smaller than your baby at this point, and sandwich it among roughly a dozen filled water balloons. (Note: your baby is better protected than the eggs - and significantly more durable - but of course, as a first-timer, there's no way you'd believe this.)
2. Place the egg baby under your shirt in roughly pregnant-belly position. Secure with tape or large pants.
3. Now try to grab your feet and trim those nails with a sharp, pointy object.
Nick has volunteered to help me with the foot-related tasks, and while I totally trust him, it is not fair that he should suddenly be subjected to both dish duty and my feet. One foot is cute, or at least mostly normal. The other... is not. Grossness. Incarnate in foot form. I would not even pay someone without a medical degree to take on that task. Anyway, I did eventually get all ten toenails clipped to non-sock-murdering lengths.
Next time on Things You Never Wanted to Know About: Shaving when you can't see your feet (Or: Why I will try to never be Monstrously Pregnant in shorts season).
After a blessed, energetic second trimester and, up until this weekend, start of the third, it seems the fact that I am Montsrously Pregnant has finally caught up with me. Yesterday I decided to Rearrange All the Things! and immediately after the bed (yes. Oops. Bad future mommy.) was in its new position, I was seized with guilt and worry that I had hurt the baby and needed to go to bed. Unfortunately, I had a lunch date with ladies from church and grocery shopping to do after that. Lunch was delightful, but I hardly made it through Walmart afterwards and by the time I got home at 3, I was ready to collapse. That would not have happened two weeks ago. I would've come home and probably done dishes and practiced piano and built a bomb shelter and filed our taxes... before snack.
Sooo... fatigue: 1; Leah: 0.
Today I decided to relax. I got laundry folded, made soup and grilled cheese for lunch, and got crockpot chili started for dinner. Of course, by the time we got to dinner, I had completely lost all interest in anything with beans, hamburger, and... chili. Apart from that, I pretty much lived on the couch. Although there was one minor adventure...
Basic Foot Maintenance in the Third Trimester
If you've never attempted to clip your toenails beyond the Shoelaces Are Evil epiphany of pregnancy, you can attempt to replicate the experience with this simple experiment:
1. Take a carton of eggs, which is actually smaller than your baby at this point, and sandwich it among roughly a dozen filled water balloons. (Note: your baby is better protected than the eggs - and significantly more durable - but of course, as a first-timer, there's no way you'd believe this.)
2. Place the egg baby under your shirt in roughly pregnant-belly position. Secure with tape or large pants.
3. Now try to grab your feet and trim those nails with a sharp, pointy object.
Nick has volunteered to help me with the foot-related tasks, and while I totally trust him, it is not fair that he should suddenly be subjected to both dish duty and my feet. One foot is cute, or at least mostly normal. The other... is not. Grossness. Incarnate in foot form. I would not even pay someone without a medical degree to take on that task. Anyway, I did eventually get all ten toenails clipped to non-sock-murdering lengths.
Next time on Things You Never Wanted to Know About: Shaving when you can't see your feet (Or: Why I will try to never be Monstrously Pregnant in shorts season).
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Our life in the last two weeks
The Christmas decorations are still up in our house. Nick and I are hosting our circuit's Epiphany party (late, of course) next Friday, and I figured that was as good an excuse as any to leave everything where it is. Especially because I know taking the tree down will leave a gaping hole in our living room feng shui and the goddess of inspiration is not my best friend at the moment. She thinks I took her for granted when I made a mobile for the baby's room. Anyway, I was all set to leave the decorations up until after the party, but I'm starting to get sick of them. Never thought that would happen. I love Christmas decorations. And Nick wouldn't let me put them up until well into December, so it's not like they've been around since Halloween. But they come down today. Or maybe Sunday. We'll see how it goes. But once they come down, WHAT WILL WE DO FOR AMBIANCE? We have three lamps in the entire house. We are not stylish people. We have recessed lighting on a dimmer switch in the living room, so I suppose that will help, and the only other dim-able lighting is in the baby's room. Great for midnight diaper changes, sure, but when trying to be elegant hosts? "Come! Enjoy your dessert in the nursery! The lighting is perfect!"
Perhaps I need to stop reading interior decorating magazines. Then all will be well.
In other news, The Belly Grows. I thought I was brilliant a couple weeks ago when I purchased a pack of men's "beaters" from Walmart. Maternity camis are easily $15 each, which is a ridiculous price to pay for an UNDERSHIRT. Men's beaters are $12 for a pack of five or six, and they're long and stretchy enough to cover the ever-expanding middle that is my month eight figure. (Seven months done, in the eighth month, for those of you playing along at home and completely bamboozled by the insanity that is pregnancy math.) What I didn't count on, however, was the ribbing. It helps make them super stretchy and comfy, of course, but it also kind of clings to the shirt on top of it, so unless the beater is tucked into the pants, everything still follows the path of least resistance and winds up around the belly button. Still not popped out, btw. Now mostly just flat. Nick is adjusting.
I have three pairs of maternity pants that I wear regularly. They are rotated with the three pairs of sweatpants that are the uniform of a soon-to-be Stay At Home Mom. A pair of high-banded gray corduroys (my favorite), a pair of flare-legged, high-banded but a little snug jeans, and a pair of tapered jeans with a low, thick elastic waist. The last pair of jeans is the most versatile, since they're a) denim (in the loosest sense; stretchy maternity "denim," which is probably mostly spandex or lycra or some synthetic blend) and b) not prone to falling down. The problem is that this baby has never liked things pressing on him. He tries to get away from the doctor every time she tries to find his heartbeat. He pouts whenever my stomach gets too full or I become selfish enough to take a deep breath, only assuring me that he is, in fact, alive when I've digested enough to make his little acrobatics possible again. He's kind of territorial, it seems. Anyway, when I wear said jeans, he spends most of his day kicking at the waist band. I enjoy feeling his movements more regularly, but he has found one specific spot, and those of you who have been pregnant might know which spot this is, that actually hurts when pummeled. Not fun, little one.
Finally, Nick and I were discussing our dreams over breakfast this morning. I've been having vivid pregnancy dreams for months now, none of which are appropriate for this blog. Last night Nick had what I would call a sympathetic pregnancy dream. Vivid. Weird. But totally blog-appropriate. He said he came into the living room and was apparently not surprised to find two of me watching tv. One of me was in a nest of pillows on the floor and the other was on the couch. The big dilemma in this dream was deciding which of me to cuddle. He picked one and as soon as we touched, the two of me became one of me. Psychologically speaking, I surmise that this dream had something to do with the whole me-having-another-person-growing-inside thing, but Nick insists it was just a "more of you to love" thing.
That's all from our neck of the woods! Have a lovely weekend (almost)!
Perhaps I need to stop reading interior decorating magazines. Then all will be well.
In other news, The Belly Grows. I thought I was brilliant a couple weeks ago when I purchased a pack of men's "beaters" from Walmart. Maternity camis are easily $15 each, which is a ridiculous price to pay for an UNDERSHIRT. Men's beaters are $12 for a pack of five or six, and they're long and stretchy enough to cover the ever-expanding middle that is my month eight figure. (Seven months done, in the eighth month, for those of you playing along at home and completely bamboozled by the insanity that is pregnancy math.) What I didn't count on, however, was the ribbing. It helps make them super stretchy and comfy, of course, but it also kind of clings to the shirt on top of it, so unless the beater is tucked into the pants, everything still follows the path of least resistance and winds up around the belly button. Still not popped out, btw. Now mostly just flat. Nick is adjusting.
I have three pairs of maternity pants that I wear regularly. They are rotated with the three pairs of sweatpants that are the uniform of a soon-to-be Stay At Home Mom. A pair of high-banded gray corduroys (my favorite), a pair of flare-legged, high-banded but a little snug jeans, and a pair of tapered jeans with a low, thick elastic waist. The last pair of jeans is the most versatile, since they're a) denim (in the loosest sense; stretchy maternity "denim," which is probably mostly spandex or lycra or some synthetic blend) and b) not prone to falling down. The problem is that this baby has never liked things pressing on him. He tries to get away from the doctor every time she tries to find his heartbeat. He pouts whenever my stomach gets too full or I become selfish enough to take a deep breath, only assuring me that he is, in fact, alive when I've digested enough to make his little acrobatics possible again. He's kind of territorial, it seems. Anyway, when I wear said jeans, he spends most of his day kicking at the waist band. I enjoy feeling his movements more regularly, but he has found one specific spot, and those of you who have been pregnant might know which spot this is, that actually hurts when pummeled. Not fun, little one.
Finally, Nick and I were discussing our dreams over breakfast this morning. I've been having vivid pregnancy dreams for months now, none of which are appropriate for this blog. Last night Nick had what I would call a sympathetic pregnancy dream. Vivid. Weird. But totally blog-appropriate. He said he came into the living room and was apparently not surprised to find two of me watching tv. One of me was in a nest of pillows on the floor and the other was on the couch. The big dilemma in this dream was deciding which of me to cuddle. He picked one and as soon as we touched, the two of me became one of me. Psychologically speaking, I surmise that this dream had something to do with the whole me-having-another-person-growing-inside thing, but Nick insists it was just a "more of you to love" thing.
That's all from our neck of the woods! Have a lovely weekend (almost)!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Seamless Mobius Cowl
1. I hate seams. I hate making them, weaving in their ends, and looking at them. So, while knitting something so large in the round is sometimes kind of a drag, I still prefer it to working flat and having more finishing to do.
**I cast on 255 stitches to create a cowl that was 5 feet in circumference with the given gauge, worked in seed stitch. Or was supposed to. The math was correct, but the finished cowl was 6 feet in circumference. Now attempting 210 stitches in basket weave. Adjust number cast on to reflect your gauge and your desired circumference. ([How big around you want your cowl to be in inches] divided by [4]. Take that number and multiply it by [how many stitches it takes in your yarn and chosen pattern to make 4 inches].) For seed stitch, cast on an odd number of stitches. For a basket weave, cast on a number that is divisible by 6.
2. This particular cowl is for a friend who happens to be a math teacher, so I thought the Mobius idea would be good. It is achieved by making sure the cast on row has a twist in it before beginning the first row of knitting. Somehow, I ended up with a double twist. Dunno how that happened. It looked like a single twist before I bound off...
3. I like the look and texture of seed stitch, but I think next time I'll do it in a basket weave stitch. Could also be done with cables or more decorative elements, but if you're looking for something easy to do with minimal concentration, I think seed or basket weave is the way to go.
4. The yarn and needle info is just what I used; use smaller needles and thinner yarn for a tighter knit. Adjust number of stitches accordingly.
Yarn: bulky weight, in this case self-striping. (If using worsted weight and a solid color, I'd recommend doubling strands as it will speed things up considerably.)
Needles: US 10 circular needles, in this case two cables together for a total cable circumference of about 36 inches.
Gauge: 17 stitches on US size 10 needles = 4" in seed stitch.
Cast 255** stitches onto size 10 circular needles. I placed a marker every 100 stitches (and at the end of the round) to make counting faster and to break up the seemingly endless rounds, but markers are not strictly necessary.
Straighten out cable before joining and make sure there is one twist in the cast on row. (Still somehow ended up with a double twist. >-<) Carefully pick up and join, starting with a knit stitch.
FOR SEED STITCH: *K1, p1*, repeat ** around. On second row, begin with a purl stitch. *P1. k1*, repeat around. Alternate rounds, knitting above stitches that were purled on the row before and vice versa.
FOR BASKET WEAVE: *K3, P3*, repeat between **s around. Repeat round for a total of three rounds. On fourth round, *P3, K3*, repeat between **s around. Repeat for two more rounds. Alternate every three rounds; 3 rounds K3, P3; 3 rounds P3, K3.
When work has reached desired width, cast off in pattern. Weave in loose ends.
 |
| Seed stitch *accidental double* Möbius cowl. And a bit of my hair. Front-facing cameras are tough. |
 |
| Cowl on me. Gotta love the tye-dyed T. If it fits in the 3rd trimester... |
Saturday, December 29, 2012
*MORE* Signs you're in the Third Trimester
11. Your hips, once thought to be strong and mighty, have turned into huge sissies. They start to ache just because you're lying on them. Really, hips? Really? I have been fortifying you for years with delicious carbs just to have you crap out on me now? I know that physiologically speaking they're aching because of a perfect storm of hormones that are loosening their joints, the sudden presence of a bowling ball-sized belly to support all day, and probably some less-than-perfectly-aligned sleeping positions at night. But I thought we were above all that.
11b. Your husband tells you that while he loves you and is super proud of the extra load you're carrying, he might start sleeping on the couch because, quite frankly, it's hard to get a good night's sleep when one's bed buddy is rolling around every hour, and not as quietly as she'd like to think.
11c. While feeling badly that It Has Come to This.... you can see the silver lining. I'm thinking bedside snacking, something I would never do next to sleeping hubby.
12. The baby can now reach your ribs and deliver super strong pummels to your bladder. Sometimes simultaneously. This prompts you to calmly remind your precious angel that Mommy Is Not a Jungle Gym and consider entering "Mommy's bladder" in the baby book where it asks what baby's first toy was.
13. There are lots of holiday goodies around and you want... ants on a log? Seriously? ...Did we mention how important fiber is at this point?
14. Is it really that important that you get the same exact brand of prenatal vitamins/toilet paper/curtains that you had before, even if it means searching every store in town (and, in South Dakota, several surrounding towns)? YES. HOW IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION. DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW THIS WORKS YET?
15. TMI filter not withstanding, you do not feel that casual acquaintances should need to seek revenge by telling you their personal birthing stories. Ever. Unless you ask. And don't.
15b. "Are you going to have an epidural?" has apparently become polite cocktail conversation. And checkout line conversation. And gas pump conversation. New t-shirt idea: "Due March 11. Boy. No name picked yet. How he's getting out is between me, my OB, and the Lord."
16. Your husband knows the baby will be coming into the world sometime soon. He has a general knowledge of how that's going to happen. And that's all he wants to know. He will "listen" supportively when you confide your labor and delivery fears, and he'll be there with you the whole time, but he's secretly wishing he could also get an epidural and just pass out in a chair until everything has been cleaned, stitched, covered, and generally de-goo'd. Want to see something funny? Ask if he'd like to cut the cord.
11b. Your husband tells you that while he loves you and is super proud of the extra load you're carrying, he might start sleeping on the couch because, quite frankly, it's hard to get a good night's sleep when one's bed buddy is rolling around every hour, and not as quietly as she'd like to think.
11c. While feeling badly that It Has Come to This.... you can see the silver lining. I'm thinking bedside snacking, something I would never do next to sleeping hubby.
12. The baby can now reach your ribs and deliver super strong pummels to your bladder. Sometimes simultaneously. This prompts you to calmly remind your precious angel that Mommy Is Not a Jungle Gym and consider entering "Mommy's bladder" in the baby book where it asks what baby's first toy was.
13. There are lots of holiday goodies around and you want... ants on a log? Seriously? ...Did we mention how important fiber is at this point?
14. Is it really that important that you get the same exact brand of prenatal vitamins/toilet paper/curtains that you had before, even if it means searching every store in town (and, in South Dakota, several surrounding towns)? YES. HOW IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION. DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW THIS WORKS YET?
15. TMI filter not withstanding, you do not feel that casual acquaintances should need to seek revenge by telling you their personal birthing stories. Ever. Unless you ask. And don't.
15b. "Are you going to have an epidural?" has apparently become polite cocktail conversation. And checkout line conversation. And gas pump conversation. New t-shirt idea: "Due March 11. Boy. No name picked yet. How he's getting out is between me, my OB, and the Lord."
16. Your husband knows the baby will be coming into the world sometime soon. He has a general knowledge of how that's going to happen. And that's all he wants to know. He will "listen" supportively when you confide your labor and delivery fears, and he'll be there with you the whole time, but he's secretly wishing he could also get an epidural and just pass out in a chair until everything has been cleaned, stitched, covered, and generally de-goo'd. Want to see something funny? Ask if he'd like to cut the cord.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Feeding the [Post-] College Student
For Christmas this year, one of my brothers wanted kitchen essentials. He's a college student living off-campus and responsible for his own nourishment for the first time. This is a difficult time nutritionally... and bugetarially. I lived on PB&J, mac&cheese, and scrambled eggs for far longer than I'd like to admit once I left the cozy cafeteria. There are still days when, two years into marriage, my poor husband has to make himself a sandwich or fry up an omelette for dinner, so we are by no means experts. I thought, however, with more of my siblings heading out on their own and even well-established cooks looking for new ideas, that it might be a good idea to post some practical, modern survival-cooking tips and recipes.
Cookware Essentials (all ideal for housewarming and showers)(assuming possession of stove, microwave, and fridge/freezer)
Non-essentials, but super nice to have:
Pantry Essentials (things to ALWAYS have on hand)
Non-Perishable/Long-lasting
Perishable
Having these items on-hand provides for most of our quick, easy lunches and weeknight meals. Planning those meals once a week (or month) means fewer trips to the store and a well-stocked pantry and can save a lot. For example, there will often be bags of salad or just spinach marked down to $1 because they expire within a day or two. If you have planned your meals to use the more fragile grocery items sooner, you can get the clearance salad and use it before it goes bad. I do our grocery shopping on Mondays, so Monday night might be tacos with the fresh lettuce and still-thawed hamburger; then Tuesday would be taco salad to use up some more of that lettuce and the leftover meat. We love chicken parmesan; we'll have that one night and I'll make enough to have leftovers to put on homemade pizza the next night.
Read labels! We use turkey bacon and turkey pepperoni because a) it's healthier, and b) it's usually pre-cooked so it lasts longer.
When you try a recipe and like it, copy it out onto an index card and file it in an index card holder. That way your favorites are easily accessible and easy to prop up and cook from.
A few helpful links
Cookware Essentials (all ideal for housewarming and showers)(assuming possession of stove, microwave, and fridge/freezer)
- Basic bakeware (cookie sheet, bread pan, muffin pan, pie plate, 9x13" nonstick metal and glass casserole)
- Basic stoveware (small and large saucepans with lids, small and large frying pans with lids, and flat griddle)
- colander/strainer
- measuring cups (for liquid and dry ingredients)
- measuring spoons (recommend 2 sets)
- can opener
- pizza cutter
- silicone whisk and spatula
- plastic (nonstick-safe) flippers (spatulas, technically)(recommend 2) slotted and non-slotted spoons
- wooden spoons (2)
- knives (two paring, one santoku-type, and one bread)
- slow cooker
- glass leftover dishes with lids (safe for oven, microwave, dishwasher and freezer)(the dishes; lids can't go in oven)
- wooden chopsticks or nonstick-safe tongs
Non-essentials, but super nice to have:
- rice cooker
- toaster/toaster oven
- chopperchopper (the thing that you put onion or garlic in and whack repeatedly to chop)
- hand and stand mixers
- blender
Pantry Essentials (things to ALWAYS have on hand)
Non-Perishable/Long-lasting
- parchment paper
- Ziploc bags (quart and gallon size)
- flour (keep in airtight containers or freeze)(sacks from store are NOT airtight)
- sugar
- rice
- olive, vegetable, and/or canola oil
- Crisco
- pasta
- garlic and onion powder (so useful that we buy the large canisters)
- oregano
- salt and pepper
- baking powder and soda
- vanilla
- plain bread crumbs
- seasoning salt
- Italian/garlic salt blends (we like garlic blends for bread and Chef Paul Prudhomme's Herbal Pizza & Pasta Magic)
- potatoes
- garlic
- onion
- peanut butter
- marinara sauce (we like Francesco Rinaldi, the No Salt Added variety. Cheaper and healthier than most.)
- pesto
- 2 cans of favorite condensed soup
- active dry yeast
Perishable
- butter
- eggs
- milk
- chicken breasts (buy a lot when they're on sale, then bag individually in Ziplocs and freeze up to 3 months)
- hamburger (ditto; bag in individual pounds and freeze)
- favorite salad dressing
- bread (we prefer to make our own; it disturbs me that a loaf from the store can last a month in the fridge)
- healthy (ie, high-protein/fiber, low-sodium) snacks (we always have yogurt, almonds, whole-wheat crackers, cheese, and fruit)
- shredded cheddar
- shredded mozzarella
- Parmesan cheese (grated)
- green peppers
- baby carrots
- favorite cheese in sliced form for sandwiches
- lunchmeat
- fresh cilantro (freeze)
Having these items on-hand provides for most of our quick, easy lunches and weeknight meals. Planning those meals once a week (or month) means fewer trips to the store and a well-stocked pantry and can save a lot. For example, there will often be bags of salad or just spinach marked down to $1 because they expire within a day or two. If you have planned your meals to use the more fragile grocery items sooner, you can get the clearance salad and use it before it goes bad. I do our grocery shopping on Mondays, so Monday night might be tacos with the fresh lettuce and still-thawed hamburger; then Tuesday would be taco salad to use up some more of that lettuce and the leftover meat. We love chicken parmesan; we'll have that one night and I'll make enough to have leftovers to put on homemade pizza the next night.
Read labels! We use turkey bacon and turkey pepperoni because a) it's healthier, and b) it's usually pre-cooked so it lasts longer.
When you try a recipe and like it, copy it out onto an index card and file it in an index card holder. That way your favorites are easily accessible and easy to prop up and cook from.
A few helpful links
- USDA fact sheets on safe food handling and freezing: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FACTSheets/index.asp
- Awesome recipe-search service: allrecipes.com (I like the comments and ratings; makes it easy to find tasty food fast)
- Great tips on cooking for one or two: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/easy-coooking-for-one-or-two-recipies-and-tips
- A word on Pinterest: we've had about 50% success with Pinterest recipes. People rarely try a recipe out before repinning. Some look amazing but taste awful. Be adventurous, but be warned.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Driving St. Nick Up the Chimney
An ode to my wonderful and long-suffering spouse.
I'm carrying his baby.
I'm doing this for "free."
But as the fine print clearly states,
For nine months, he carries ME.
He brings my plate of dinner
To my nest of soft repose
Yet if he asks, "Will that be all?"
He'll get it in the nose.
I try to keep the kitchen clean,
And make (most of) the meals;
I'll gladly get the laundry done,
And yet at times it feels
As though I can't pull all my weight.
(It's a substantial sum.)
Perhaps it is in true support
The reckoning must come.
I tried to call insurance
One sunny afternoon
To get deliv'ry clearance
For our precious little goon.
After 20 minutes on the phone
I'd yet to get a person.
I started to cry and smacked the phone,
Then quickly got to cursin'.
I knew it was irrational
To get so darn dramatic
And yet I found I did not care,
Though bats had stormed my attic.
And he must deal with this same wife
Who was so calm at lunch
Yet now has inexplic'bly turned
And got her undies in a bunch.
And those undies are enormous;
She weeps about that fact.
And though he swears "It's more to love!"
He's liable to get smack'd...
Or smooched...
Depends upon the day.
Same guy, same girl, same phrase of note,
And yet sometimes he'll pay.
He built a nest of pillows
So I can sleep unpained.
He gave up more than half the bed
Yet his patience is unstrained.
But as I waddled back to bed
From bathroom dark as pitch
I had a grand idea
To help me with my sitch.
Instead of wriggling to and fro
To find my comfy place
I'll vault over the pillows!
Well ...I landed on his face.
He happened to be wide awake
Before the aerial assault
He hugged me and he giggled
That it wasn't just my fault.
In fact - no fault at all, he said
And hugged me to his chest.
"I love you, dear, and all your quirks."
My man, he is the best.
"You're pregnant and I love to see
The changes children bring -
the belly and the craziness -
'Cause I promised with that ring
To hold you up in spirit
Even from across the wall
Of hormones that divides us."
He loves me. After all.
I'm carrying his baby.
I'm doing this for "free."
But as the fine print clearly states,
For nine months, he carries ME.
He brings my plate of dinner
To my nest of soft repose
Yet if he asks, "Will that be all?"
He'll get it in the nose.
I try to keep the kitchen clean,
And make (most of) the meals;
I'll gladly get the laundry done,
And yet at times it feels
As though I can't pull all my weight.
(It's a substantial sum.)
Perhaps it is in true support
The reckoning must come.
I tried to call insurance
One sunny afternoon
To get deliv'ry clearance
For our precious little goon.
After 20 minutes on the phone
I'd yet to get a person.
I started to cry and smacked the phone,
Then quickly got to cursin'.
I knew it was irrational
To get so darn dramatic
And yet I found I did not care,
Though bats had stormed my attic.
And he must deal with this same wifeWho was so calm at lunch
Yet now has inexplic'bly turned
And got her undies in a bunch.
And those undies are enormous;
She weeps about that fact.
And though he swears "It's more to love!"
He's liable to get smack'd...
Or smooched...
Depends upon the day.
Same guy, same girl, same phrase of note,
And yet sometimes he'll pay.
He built a nest of pillows
So I can sleep unpained.
He gave up more than half the bed
Yet his patience is unstrained.
But as I waddled back to bed
From bathroom dark as pitch
I had a grand idea
To help me with my sitch.
Instead of wriggling to and fro
To find my comfy place
I'll vault over the pillows!
Well ...I landed on his face.
He happened to be wide awake
Before the aerial assault
He hugged me and he giggled
That it wasn't just my fault.
In fact - no fault at all, he said
And hugged me to his chest.
"I love you, dear, and all your quirks."
My man, he is the best.
"You're pregnant and I love to see
The changes children bring -
the belly and the craziness -
'Cause I promised with that ring
To hold you up in spirit
Even from across the wall
Of hormones that divides us."
He loves me. After all.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Gingerpalooza 2012
 |
| Ginger Bag End, 2011 |
It was very simple; we just baked a slab of gingerbread over two glass bowls and attached the front later. Nick created Gandalf and Frodo out of marzipan supported by pretzel rods and "clothed" in colored royal icing.
 |
| Nick's first attempt |
This year, we settled on Tom Bombadil's house from The Fellowship of the Ring. It was either that or a dalek. We figured we'd be able to bake a slab over a glass bowl with a smaller bowl on top. We planned to add dormers afterward. However, I found two gingerbread recipes in my archives and couldn't remember which one was the architecturally awesome recipe and which was the one that expanded alarmingly and remained soft after baking. I went with the one that didn't call for nine cups of flour and more molasses than I had on hand.
 |
| Nick constructs Old Man Willow around a thin vase. |
 |
| [[Can't... flip... grrr...]] Old Man Willow before the oven. |
Unfortunately, I picked the wrong recipe. We give you... GingerBoob. It threatened to envelope everything else on the baking sheet, as you can see by the poor little gingerbread peoples' legs as the GingerBoob ate them.
 |
| GingerBoob. |
Sooooo, after a new batch of *the correct* dough was whipped up, we revised our design so it could be cooked flat and assembled later.
 |
| Pieces prepared to be assembled. |
Unfortunately, at this point the camera got buried under the decorations so there is no photographic record of assembly. Basically, we connected the four rectangles to the four window sections and the half-parallelogram roof pieces and left them to dry overnight. Nick created Tom and Goldberry out of marzipan and decorated them. This afternoon I assembled the octagonal base and four-dormer'd roof while Nick made the four Hobbits.
 |
| Tom's house from the front. |
 |
| Marzipan hobbits. Frodo is the one with the gold ring near his neck. |
 |
| Tom and Goldberry. |
 |
| "Thatched" roof and such. |
Gingerbread for Eating, NOT building (gets very puffy; does not hold shapes super well)
1 C butter
1 1/2 C white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp orange zest
2 T dark corn syrup
3 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves.
1/2 tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Mix in orange zest and corn syrup. Separately combine remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly with wet mixture. Chill at least two hours. Preheat oven to 375F. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick, cut out cookies. Bake AT LEAST one inch apart for 10-12 minutes until firm and lightly toasted on edges.
Gingerbread for Building (still tasty, but very hard)(we used half this recipe and had the perfect amount for our house) (From Ask.com)
1 1/2 C whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
2 T baking soda
1 T ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 C molasses
9 C flour
Whip the cream and vanilla. Whisk the sugar, soda, ginger, and cinnamon separately, then add to wet mixture with molasses. Add flour gradually while mixing. **This killed my stand mixer last year. Plan to stir the last few (maybe even half) cups by hand. Preheat oven to 275F. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch and cut shapes. Bake 1 and 3/4 hours, removing after 30 minute to refine shapes, as dough will have expanded slightly, then continue baking.
Royal Icing (from Ask.com)
1 pound confectioner's sugar (about half the larger bag)
3 lg egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar.
Whip egg whites and cream of tartar. Add sugar slowly until icing reaches desired consistency.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
10 Signs you're in the early 3rd Trimester
Unless you're wildly out-of-touch with your body, by 27ish weeks you know you're pregnant. Your family knows you're pregnant. Anyone who has seen you in the past month knows you're pregnant. And no one knows you're pregnant (and your symptoms) better than your internet browser history. And if, like most moms-to-be, you've known since right around week 5, you also KNOW you're in the third trimester. So you know all this. None of this is a revelation. But still.
1. You know exactly where the restroom is in every establishment you've patronized in the past three months. Grocery stores, gas stations, libraries, the dentist... You plan your errands around those stores with the most accessible and hygienic facilities. Perhaps you've recently decided to go for Walmart Stall Bingo.
2. The queen-sized bed that felt impossibly enormous when it was just you is now a little snug when expected to contain hubby, ever-expanding you, and the nest of pillows required to keep your little gummy bear's current digs comfy for each of the evening's hourly rollings-over. That was a terrible sentence.
3. Regardless of how many pregnant friends you've had and how many articles you've read, new and freakish symptoms still send you running to The Book or Google at least once a week. Most recent on our list: super itchy hands. Turned out my new Avon lotion didn't jive with the dish soap I'd just used, but for a good ten minutes of terror I was sure my gallbladder was failing.
4. The pictures of expansion are starting to get less fun, since by now the belly isn't the only thing that's bigger.
4b. What? I can outgrow maternity clothes?? Is that even legal?
5. The chiropractor is your best friend. I look forward to my OB visits because I like knowing that everything is going well on the inside and getting some of my weirder questions answered, but I always know exactly how many days until my next chiro appointment. And how many days since my last one. I move so much better, have fewer Braxton-Hicks contractions and back complaints, and have way more energy for the week following my last visit. Cannot recommend enough.
6. Offers for help with physical tasks are more welcomed and much less patronizing than they seemed a month ago. It's amazing the psychological roadblock being unable to reach your feet sets up.
7. Your TMI filter clearly needs changing. It's amazing what slips through there. Perhaps it is not realistic to assume that anyone who asks how you're doing is interested in the frequency and consistency of your bowel movements.
7b. And on that topic - Holy. Cow. Good thing you can't access my browser history from there.
8. "When will this be OVER?" is conquered only by the terror of visiting and then visualizing yourself in the delivery room during your L&D hospital tour. Yikes. Nope. We're good. Not thinking about that yet.
9. It is normal, though not at all enjoyable, to go from perfectly awesome to tears with the slightest provocation. You know you're overreacting. But you still power through that second box of Kleenex. Oh, joyous return of the pregnancy hormone imbalances and borderline-bipolar symptoms they create.
10. Feeling the baby move is still awesome, but more akin to gestating an extremely squirmy ferret than the sleepy newborn you've been picturing. Kid rocks out. Especially at bedtime and about an hour before you have to get up in the morning. Except that you do have to get up now because Jr. loves nothing so much as bouncing on your bladder. Well played, short stack. Well played.
1. You know exactly where the restroom is in every establishment you've patronized in the past three months. Grocery stores, gas stations, libraries, the dentist... You plan your errands around those stores with the most accessible and hygienic facilities. Perhaps you've recently decided to go for Walmart Stall Bingo.
2. The queen-sized bed that felt impossibly enormous when it was just you is now a little snug when expected to contain hubby, ever-expanding you, and the nest of pillows required to keep your little gummy bear's current digs comfy for each of the evening's hourly rollings-over. That was a terrible sentence.
3. Regardless of how many pregnant friends you've had and how many articles you've read, new and freakish symptoms still send you running to The Book or Google at least once a week. Most recent on our list: super itchy hands. Turned out my new Avon lotion didn't jive with the dish soap I'd just used, but for a good ten minutes of terror I was sure my gallbladder was failing.
4. The pictures of expansion are starting to get less fun, since by now the belly isn't the only thing that's bigger.
4b. What? I can outgrow maternity clothes?? Is that even legal?
5. The chiropractor is your best friend. I look forward to my OB visits because I like knowing that everything is going well on the inside and getting some of my weirder questions answered, but I always know exactly how many days until my next chiro appointment. And how many days since my last one. I move so much better, have fewer Braxton-Hicks contractions and back complaints, and have way more energy for the week following my last visit. Cannot recommend enough.
6. Offers for help with physical tasks are more welcomed and much less patronizing than they seemed a month ago. It's amazing the psychological roadblock being unable to reach your feet sets up.
7. Your TMI filter clearly needs changing. It's amazing what slips through there. Perhaps it is not realistic to assume that anyone who asks how you're doing is interested in the frequency and consistency of your bowel movements.
7b. And on that topic - Holy. Cow. Good thing you can't access my browser history from there.
8. "When will this be OVER?" is conquered only by the terror of visiting and then visualizing yourself in the delivery room during your L&D hospital tour. Yikes. Nope. We're good. Not thinking about that yet.
9. It is normal, though not at all enjoyable, to go from perfectly awesome to tears with the slightest provocation. You know you're overreacting. But you still power through that second box of Kleenex. Oh, joyous return of the pregnancy hormone imbalances and borderline-bipolar symptoms they create.
10. Feeling the baby move is still awesome, but more akin to gestating an extremely squirmy ferret than the sleepy newborn you've been picturing. Kid rocks out. Especially at bedtime and about an hour before you have to get up in the morning. Except that you do have to get up now because Jr. loves nothing so much as bouncing on your bladder. Well played, short stack. Well played.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Baby worries
As we enter into the final few weeks of the second trimester, it has become clear to me that my darling husband and I are not always on the same page where our offspring is concerned. He has browsed the pregnancy book and oooh'd and awwww'd over the tiny clothes and new color of the nursery, and he has comforted me when I randomly burst into tears and cooked and cleaned when I have had no desire to get off the couch. We are virtually identical in beliefs, values, and family goals. But while I'm fretting over preterm labor, gestational diabetes, and the intervals between and intensity of Jr.'s movements, my husband is primarily concerned with... my belly button.
When Nick was a little boy, his older brother told him that if you pushed your belly button hard enough, your legs would fall off. This led the dear man to become extremely unsettled by the idea of "outie" navels. After all, most of us are protected from the horror of watching our legs fall off by our innies, which would have to be actively sought out and pressed. An outie could initiate a self-destruct sequence just by leaning up against a counter. Therefore, in his mind, innie = safe, outie = sudden loss of legs.
Fast forward 23 years to about a month ago, when I, having heard the legend of the belly button many times but never having realized the terror with which my husband has lived, showed him my much shallower navel and informed him that it might pop out before the baby arrives. My pregnancy so far has been pretty easy. Maybe three total days of nausea, a few minor backaches, some fatigue in the first trimester. Nick has handled the food aversions, complaints of dry, itchy skin, unspeakable bathroom-related issues, and general physical expansion like a pro. He has valiantly stood by my side in the Target baby section, holding the scan gun while I dithered over bedding colors and travel systems not once, but at least three times. But, at the prospect of my innie being outed, the poor guy went ashen.
His brother's myth, while no longer believed, is still "a contributing factor" in my husband's belly button psyche. While he does not believe my legs are in any danger, he is afraid that if my belly button pops out, it might get accidentally sheared off, which would unravel my whole internal arrangement and result in all my internal organs spilling out onto the floor. He realizes this is at least highly unlikely and probably impossible. Until the Mythbusters test it, however, he will remain concerned.
Right now, directly behind my navel is a placenta and a sealed-up uterus. But what if my belly button pops out and doesn't go back in after the baby comes? Will my weakened abdominal muscles herniate out, the leaders in a charge soon to be followed by my spleen and whatever else is lurking in there? I read the section in What to Expect that assures the worried parents-to-be that "your belly button should revert back to its regular position a few months after delivery". The book even suggests Band-Aid-ing it down if its outward appearance truly bothers you. Nick was relieved; he had been thinking tape and I caught him eyeing the stapler the other day. But then... "Should? Should revert?" He has two questions for the doctor at my appointment today: 1. Will it go back after the baby comes? and 2. If it doesn't, is surgery an option?
I, on the other hand, am fascinated by this pregnancy symptom, as it is one of the few that is not painful, scary, or gas-inducing. I discovered last night that if I press lightly above and below my navel, it pops out like those googly-eyed stress balls and then immediately shoots back in. I was thoroughly enjoying this new toy, and, forgetting Nick's phobia, went to show him my new trick, as he usually is enraptured by such things. He shrieked and hid under a pillow, yelling, "No! No! Put it back!" He looked rather sheepish when he came back out of his pillow fort and insisted on checking that things were back to normal before he would go to sleep.
In short, I have a wonderfully supportive husband with whom I am greatly anticipating parenthood. I'm just not sure he's going to go near the baby until the cord dries up and falls off. And in the meantime, we pray the baby has an innie, or his father will be sheathing it in bubble wrap every day of the poor kid's life.
When Nick was a little boy, his older brother told him that if you pushed your belly button hard enough, your legs would fall off. This led the dear man to become extremely unsettled by the idea of "outie" navels. After all, most of us are protected from the horror of watching our legs fall off by our innies, which would have to be actively sought out and pressed. An outie could initiate a self-destruct sequence just by leaning up against a counter. Therefore, in his mind, innie = safe, outie = sudden loss of legs.
Fast forward 23 years to about a month ago, when I, having heard the legend of the belly button many times but never having realized the terror with which my husband has lived, showed him my much shallower navel and informed him that it might pop out before the baby arrives. My pregnancy so far has been pretty easy. Maybe three total days of nausea, a few minor backaches, some fatigue in the first trimester. Nick has handled the food aversions, complaints of dry, itchy skin, unspeakable bathroom-related issues, and general physical expansion like a pro. He has valiantly stood by my side in the Target baby section, holding the scan gun while I dithered over bedding colors and travel systems not once, but at least three times. But, at the prospect of my innie being outed, the poor guy went ashen.
His brother's myth, while no longer believed, is still "a contributing factor" in my husband's belly button psyche. While he does not believe my legs are in any danger, he is afraid that if my belly button pops out, it might get accidentally sheared off, which would unravel my whole internal arrangement and result in all my internal organs spilling out onto the floor. He realizes this is at least highly unlikely and probably impossible. Until the Mythbusters test it, however, he will remain concerned.
Right now, directly behind my navel is a placenta and a sealed-up uterus. But what if my belly button pops out and doesn't go back in after the baby comes? Will my weakened abdominal muscles herniate out, the leaders in a charge soon to be followed by my spleen and whatever else is lurking in there? I read the section in What to Expect that assures the worried parents-to-be that "your belly button should revert back to its regular position a few months after delivery". The book even suggests Band-Aid-ing it down if its outward appearance truly bothers you. Nick was relieved; he had been thinking tape and I caught him eyeing the stapler the other day. But then... "Should? Should revert?" He has two questions for the doctor at my appointment today: 1. Will it go back after the baby comes? and 2. If it doesn't, is surgery an option?
I, on the other hand, am fascinated by this pregnancy symptom, as it is one of the few that is not painful, scary, or gas-inducing. I discovered last night that if I press lightly above and below my navel, it pops out like those googly-eyed stress balls and then immediately shoots back in. I was thoroughly enjoying this new toy, and, forgetting Nick's phobia, went to show him my new trick, as he usually is enraptured by such things. He shrieked and hid under a pillow, yelling, "No! No! Put it back!" He looked rather sheepish when he came back out of his pillow fort and insisted on checking that things were back to normal before he would go to sleep.
In short, I have a wonderfully supportive husband with whom I am greatly anticipating parenthood. I'm just not sure he's going to go near the baby until the cord dries up and falls off. And in the meantime, we pray the baby has an innie, or his father will be sheathing it in bubble wrap every day of the poor kid's life.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Advent Devotions - The Jesse Tree
Isaiah 11:1 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
This [no longer in print] set of devotions for the season of Advent stems [hee hee] from those words of Isaiah. The series of 29 Bible readings (designed for the longest-possible season of Advent) begins with Creation and goes up through the Nativity, focusing on God's promise of a Savior in prophecy and the lives of OT heroes of faith. We have often doubled up on some of the shorter stories to accommodate a season shorter than 29 days, and it is also possible to simply reference one story in another if time is very short (ie, in a classroom).
Each daily devotion has a Bible reference, a hymn suggestion, and a specific symbol to portray the story. My family has little felt ornaments for each symbol (pictured below), but you can print off pictures or omit the symbols entirely and still be edified by the journey from sin to Savior. The series is designed to start on the first Sunday in Advent and continue through Christmas Day.
1. (First Sunday) The Jesse Tree 1 Sam. 16:1-13; Isaiah 11:1. Hymn 23. Symbol: Jesse Tree banner or stump.
2. The Birth of Life Gen. 1:24-28. Hymn 237. Symbol: world
3. Adam and Eve Gen. 3:1-24. Hymn 378. Symbol: apple and snake
4. Noah and the Flood Gen. 6:11-22; 8:6-12. Hymn 429. Symbol: ark
5. Father Abraham Gen. 12:1-7; 13:2-18. Hymn 439. Symbol: tent and camel
6. Isaac and the Ram Gen. 22:1-14. Hymn 435. Symbol: agnus Dei (lamb)
7. Jacob and his Dream Gen. 27:41-28:22. Hymn 589. Symbol: Jacob's ladder
8. (Second Sunday) Symbol of Prophecy Isaiah 9:2-7. Hymn 47. Symbol: (advent) rose
9. Joseph and his Coat Gen. 37:1-36. Hymn 17. Symbol: coat of many colors
10. Moses and the Law Exodus 20:1-17. Hymn 286. Symbol: Ten Commandments
11. Blessing of Aaron Numbers 6:22-27. Hymn 332. Symbol: hand of benediction (two fingers)
12. Samuel and the Word of the Lord 1 Sam. 3:1-21. Hymn 283. Symbol: oil lamp
13. David 1 Sam. 16:14-23. Hymn 360. Symbol: harp
14. Symbol of Shepherds Psalm 23. Hymn 436. Symbol: shepherd's staff
15. (Third Sunday) Wisdom of Solomon 1 Kings 3:3-28. Hymn 4. Symbol: crown
16. Elijah and the Raven 1 Kings 17:1-16. Hymn 414. Symbol: raven
17. Elisha and Healing 2 Kings 5:1-27. Hymn 564. Symbol: hand of blessing (hand with dove)
18. Isaiah Isaiah 6:1-8. Hymn 11. Symbol: scroll
19. Jeremiah Jer. 31:31-34. Hymn 279. Symbol: Bible in heart
20. Nehemiah the Builder Nehemiah 13:10-22. Hymn 9. Symbol: church
21. Angels Hebrews 1:1-14. Hymn 35. Symbol: angel with candle
22. (Fourth Sunday) Zechariah and Elizabeth Luke 1:5-25. Hymn 13. Symbol: altar
23. Virgin Mary Luke 1:26-38. Hymn 24. Symbol: lily
24. Magnificat Luke 1:39-56. Song of Mary, p. 57. Symbol: Mary
25. Birth of John the Baptist Luke 1:57-80. Hymn 16. Symbol: baptismal shell
26. Joseph of Nazareth Matt. 1:18-25. Hymn 14. Symbol: carpenter's tools
27. Symbol of Bethlehem Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:1-12 Hymn 66. Symbol: Star of David
28. (Christmas Eve) Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-20. Hymn 54. Symbol: manger
29. (Christmas Day) Christ our Lord John 1:1-8. Hymn 47. Symbol: Chi Rho
This [no longer in print] set of devotions for the season of Advent stems [hee hee] from those words of Isaiah. The series of 29 Bible readings (designed for the longest-possible season of Advent) begins with Creation and goes up through the Nativity, focusing on God's promise of a Savior in prophecy and the lives of OT heroes of faith. We have often doubled up on some of the shorter stories to accommodate a season shorter than 29 days, and it is also possible to simply reference one story in another if time is very short (ie, in a classroom).
Each daily devotion has a Bible reference, a hymn suggestion, and a specific symbol to portray the story. My family has little felt ornaments for each symbol (pictured below), but you can print off pictures or omit the symbols entirely and still be edified by the journey from sin to Savior. The series is designed to start on the first Sunday in Advent and continue through Christmas Day.
 |
| Our Jesse Tree, with ornaments |
2. The Birth of Life Gen. 1:24-28. Hymn 237. Symbol: world
3. Adam and Eve Gen. 3:1-24. Hymn 378. Symbol: apple and snake
4. Noah and the Flood Gen. 6:11-22; 8:6-12. Hymn 429. Symbol: ark
5. Father Abraham Gen. 12:1-7; 13:2-18. Hymn 439. Symbol: tent and camel
6. Isaac and the Ram Gen. 22:1-14. Hymn 435. Symbol: agnus Dei (lamb)
7. Jacob and his Dream Gen. 27:41-28:22. Hymn 589. Symbol: Jacob's ladder
8. (Second Sunday) Symbol of Prophecy Isaiah 9:2-7. Hymn 47. Symbol: (advent) rose
9. Joseph and his Coat Gen. 37:1-36. Hymn 17. Symbol: coat of many colors
10. Moses and the Law Exodus 20:1-17. Hymn 286. Symbol: Ten Commandments
11. Blessing of Aaron Numbers 6:22-27. Hymn 332. Symbol: hand of benediction (two fingers)
12. Samuel and the Word of the Lord 1 Sam. 3:1-21. Hymn 283. Symbol: oil lamp
13. David 1 Sam. 16:14-23. Hymn 360. Symbol: harp
14. Symbol of Shepherds Psalm 23. Hymn 436. Symbol: shepherd's staff
15. (Third Sunday) Wisdom of Solomon 1 Kings 3:3-28. Hymn 4. Symbol: crown
16. Elijah and the Raven 1 Kings 17:1-16. Hymn 414. Symbol: raven
17. Elisha and Healing 2 Kings 5:1-27. Hymn 564. Symbol: hand of blessing (hand with dove)
18. Isaiah Isaiah 6:1-8. Hymn 11. Symbol: scroll
19. Jeremiah Jer. 31:31-34. Hymn 279. Symbol: Bible in heart
20. Nehemiah the Builder Nehemiah 13:10-22. Hymn 9. Symbol: church
21. Angels Hebrews 1:1-14. Hymn 35. Symbol: angel with candle
22. (Fourth Sunday) Zechariah and Elizabeth Luke 1:5-25. Hymn 13. Symbol: altar
23. Virgin Mary Luke 1:26-38. Hymn 24. Symbol: lily
24. Magnificat Luke 1:39-56. Song of Mary, p. 57. Symbol: Mary
25. Birth of John the Baptist Luke 1:57-80. Hymn 16. Symbol: baptismal shell
26. Joseph of Nazareth Matt. 1:18-25. Hymn 14. Symbol: carpenter's tools
27. Symbol of Bethlehem Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:1-12 Hymn 66. Symbol: Star of David
28. (Christmas Eve) Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-20. Hymn 54. Symbol: manger
29. (Christmas Day) Christ our Lord John 1:1-8. Hymn 47. Symbol: Chi Rho
Back to the blogosphere...
Apparently the last time I had anything to share with the wide and wonderful world of the web was October of 2009. Since that last post on cpl-ish.blogspot.com, I've gotten married, held four different jobs in three different states, and joined the throngs of similarly-lived friends who are currently or recently expecting babies. Nope. Nothing of note.
Google is adverse to the idea of letting me use my new (as of two years ago) email address on the old blog and is similarly disenchanted with letting me simply delete those ramblings of angsty, college-me. Maybe someday I'll be glad to have that electronic diary. But it is not this day. Since everything in my life has changed so radically down to my corrective lens prescription in the last three years, perhaps the time has come for a new attempt at blogging. Meh. We'll see.
Google is adverse to the idea of letting me use my new (as of two years ago) email address on the old blog and is similarly disenchanted with letting me simply delete those ramblings of angsty, college-me. Maybe someday I'll be glad to have that electronic diary. But it is not this day. Since everything in my life has changed so radically down to my corrective lens prescription in the last three years, perhaps the time has come for a new attempt at blogging. Meh. We'll see.
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