Month: January 2010

Variety Pack

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Just because!

–tonight I’m heading to watch Middle Sister play basketball. I haven’t seen a game since mid-December. To tell the truth, I’m not looking forward to this, because I have to drive 25 minutes each way and then sit on bleachers. It’s not going to be a comfortable night.

–Why didn’t I have TheDad take her to the game? Well, he’s spending the evening in Purgatory, AKA the “FunPlex” at a birthday party with Little Brother and 12 second-grade boys. The party will last almost 3 hours. The migraine will last much longer.

–How to amuse two teenagers: Leave a “Dr. Leonard’s Presents Carol Wright Gifts” catalog on the dining-room table. I don’t normally keep any catalogs in the house, since everything in them can be found faster on the internet, but this one is just too funny to toss.

–I’ve been whipping through Angela’s Ashes, which I cannot believe I’ve never read before. I know the book is terribly tragic, but I’m also finding it quite funny. No one tells a story like the Irish, and Frank McCourt surely has a gift.

–One of these days I will once again be able to wear pants that are not sweatpants or yoga pants. Hopefully that will be soon.

An Exercise in Patience

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I got to daily Mass today for the first time since my surgery. I’m moving slowly (as I told a friend the other day, I’m definitely the “tortoise” rather than the “hare” these days) but I get there.

After church I was hungry and really wanted some Chick-Fil-A breakfast. So I headed over there and ordered my Chicken Minis and a sweet tea in the drive-through. In no time at all, I thought, I’d be home munching on chicken.

But the car ahead of me took a long time. I felt kind of impatient until I started paying attention to the occupant of that car. It was an older woman with a handicapped tag dangling from her rear-view mirror and a “Conquer Cancer” license plate. A store employee repeatedly poked her head out of the drive-through window to speak with the customer, offered her a daily newspaper, and generally spent some extra time making sure everything was taken care of. The whole time, she had a smile on her face.

Needless to say, once I’d observed a little bit about who was ahead of me, I was ashamed of my own impatience.

When it was my turn, a different employee handed me my food and apologized for the long wait. “It was not a problem,” I told her.

I’m impressed with the level of service that was provided to the woman ahead of me in line. I’m not surprised, because this is Chick-Fil-A, and that restaurant never fails to exceed expectations in terms of service, cleanliness, and food quality. The employees are unfailingly helpful and polite.

Today I will take the time to contact the Chick-Fil-A manager and compliment his employees. And I will take the time to pray for the woman ahead of me in that drive-through line. You never know what someone else’s needs and cares truly are; you never know their circumstances; and sometimes you are kept waiting for a very good reason.

Sacramentality

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We’re getting busy with sacraments around here!

Middle Sister and I attended the mandatory “student and parent” Confirmation retreat on Tuesday. Despite the fact that her class had made a Confirmation retreat in December, the DRE required this one as well. There was a Mass (nice!) and then a craft project. May I rant? What a waste of time! They had to compose a prayer, as a group, then make it into a banner. OK, prayers are good. Let each student compose one. We don’t need markers, glue and foam stickers on felt banners. The kids felt like this was for little kids, not for them.

Sometime between now and February 8, she has to decorate a candle as well. Why is it that some people believe that you can’t have a sacrament without an accompanying art project?

More importantly, is she ready for the sacrament? Who knows? Certainly nothing at the retreat indicated whether anyone was or was not ready. She’s curious–but not committed. And one of her friends is not being confirmed; she is Baptist. Middle Sister wanted to know if this friend would be confirmed, and I replied that I thought she wouldn’t have something called “Confirmation” but instead would have to publicly accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. “Do we do that?” Middle Sister wondered.

“Every time we go to Communion,” I informed her.

Meanwhile, Little Brother is having his “practice confession” today in preparation for Saturday’s First Reconciliation. It should be interesting to hear what he has to say about today’s events.

Overheard at the Pancake House

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Little Brother and TheDad made pancakes this morning. They do this at least once every weekend. It’s their special tradition.

I ate breakfast already, so they’re enjoying their pancakes by themselves.

“I have the cutting knife,” Little Brother called out.

“Isn’t every knife a cutting knife?” I wondered.

“No, Mom,” Little Brother patiently explained. “In pancakes, you have a cutting knife and a butter knife. That’s the rules.”

I had no idea that breakfast silverware could be so complicated.

Best Thing I Ever Heard at a Funeral

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On Thursday, TheDad and I attended the funeral for our friend (and neighbor’s) father. He had passed away on Monday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, and his wife and daughters had worked tirelessly to honor his request to remain at home through his illness.

During the homily, the priest mentioned that funerals are sacred times. They take you out of your daily routine. And as you take the time to pray for the soul of the deceased person, you also take the time to remember how that person blessed your life–and how you blessed theirs.

How have you blessed someone’s life today?

"Yeah. You blend."

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Name the movie!

Little Brother just walked downstairs wearing a green camo t-shirt and gray camo cargo pants. He doesn’t blend in ANYWHERE.

Baby Blue Laces for Life

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I just heard about this on the Catholics Next Door radio show on Sirius/XM. Baby Blue Laces for Life supports pro-life nonprofit organizations. It’s a prolife awareness campaign. Switch out your shoelaces for the Baby Blue Laces; add the Baby Blue Wristband if you like. Someone will ask you why the blue laces–and there’s your opportunity to change a mind, and possibly save a life.

The tips of the laces read “Laces for Life.”

They’re only $3 a pair plus a very reasonable 64-cent shipping fee.  We’ll be lacing up around here very soon!

Simple witness is good. Prayerful witness is better. Stop by the Baby Blue Laces Prayer page as well!

Still hanging in

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This is the first day since Wednesday of last week that I’ve had (or even wanted) coffee. Breakfast will be a little later. I’m off the evil antibiotics and feeling better about that.

Hoping the hot flashes will settle down!

Not as well as I’d like to be

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18 years ago today my oldest son was born. There were complications. I was in the hospital 5 days (and it was not a c-section.)

Two days ago, on my 19th anniversary, my teenage son drive me to the gynecologist’s office because I was experiencing a fever after Friday’s surgery. The “kick-butt” antibiotics he gave me (3 different ones) really did kick my butt. More precisely, they’ve kicked me in the gut.

Today the doctor gave me an antinausea medication and told me to stop everything else but Tylenol and liquids until 6 PM when he will call me to see how things go. This is a doctor who gives out his personal cell phone number and calls on his day off. My goal is not to have a fever and not to throw up. He told me to stay in bed and stay hydrated. If this doesn’t work out, it’s back to the hospital.

I am super-grateful to my local neighbors and friends who have brought casseroles, comfort and Girl Scout Cookies. And to my mom, who returned home today, who didn’t have to cook much because of that, so she scrubbed my floors on her hands and knees in between bringing me tea and Jello.

I’m grateful in advance for your prayers. I cannot make a nice birthday dinner for Big Brother today, never mind a cake. I don’t want to land in the hospital tonight too.

Recovering

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I’ve been recovering here at home since late Saturday. The surgery was involved; I had a lot of scar tissue from endometriosis and the doctor wound up removing one ovary and tube after finding it twisted around the intestine. Sunday night I stopped taking the Percocet in favor of ibuprofen, because I was feeling so foggy and weird. My mom is here taking charge of my house for the week. People have been by to visit and drop off meals.
And now, it’s naptime.