Small Success: Flying Solo (Again)

franciscanmom6 Comments

Small Success dark blue outline 800x800Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

Today ends Week 4 of a series of business trips Hubs is taking to Kansas. I try not to complain too much about it, because if he’s going on business trips, that means he has a job. But still. It wears on you.

Concentrating on the Good Things is keeping me going. Here are a few:

-1-

I mowed the lawn on Sunday. For the very first time. Actually, it wasn’t that bad. It’s a pretty gratifying task. I wish the mower had a padded handle, though. I might repurpose a pool noodle for that next time. (And I know that Father M gave a homily a few weeks back on “no unnecessary servile work” on Sundays, but I needed to do it while Hubs was around to show me how AND it had to get done before it rained on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday.)

-2-

Little Brother’s Confirmation prep meeting was last night. Hubs wasn’t around to go, so I had to cancel choir practice. BUT I didn’t have any social-anxiety issues AND I managed to convince Little Brother that they had given him a Bible because he was required to read it twice before Confirmation.

He actually believes me.

I even made up a fake “Bible reading log” and slipped it into his folder of Confirmation papers.

He’ll probably find out at school today that I made the whole thing up, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing to encourage the kids to read the Bible. Why else would they give them out at the Confirmation meeting?

(It’s a nice Bible, too. Nice and big. No 0.5-point font.)

-3-

I managed to figure out why, when I sent documents to the printer, nothing would ever print. Turns out I have a “ghost printer” in the system someplace, and somehow that got set as the default. Everything prints very nicely now, thankyouverymuch.

-4-

2015-04-18 19.16.56Come on over! The pool’s open! Actually, this is not MY success. It’s all Hubs, who opened the pool on Saturday when it was 80 degrees out.

Yes, kids were in it.

Yes, I am already picking up wet beach towels in the yard, and on the porch, and in the family room. In April. In New Jersey.

It beats picking up abandoned gloves and snow boots.

Share your Small Successes at CatholicMom.com by joining the linkup in the bottom of today’s post. No blog? List yours in the comments box!

© 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz

Ten Minutes a Day

franciscanmom1 Comment

write a novel at 10 minutes a dayI’m not writing a novel.

But I need this book.

Author Katharine Grubb took a break after drafting her third novel to write a nonfiction book, Write a Novel in Ten Minutes a Day.

But the subtitle is where the action is: “Because your dreams are worth 10 minutes.”

In addition to detailing all the things an author needs to think about when crafting a novel (and there are a lot of things), Katharine has included 9 chapters of advice that any writer, regardless of genre, can use.

This is a writer’s workshop in book form. And it’s useful to any writer with a book in her heart.

Part One is the part I need to concentrate on the most right now:  “Arranging your writing around your life.” As Katharine Grubb observes in chapter one,

I knew that if I looked for big chunks of time or perfect conditions, they would never come. My theory was that ten minutes were better than none at all. And if I did this six times in one day, I would have written for an hour. An hour devoted to writing seemed like a luxury. (p. 5-6)

Want to learn why Katharine considers the party game “Two Truths and a Lie” an important soul-searching exercise?

Want to know the time-management strategies she employed while writing a novel as a homeschooling mom of 5?

Want to know how to write a book when you don’t have a private island, a year at a writer’s retreat, or even a garret?

You’ll find all this–and more–in the first 3 chapters of this very thorough guidebook.

I’ll be working through Chapter 2, “Organizing Your Time,” in great detail. Because my dreams are worth 10 minutes.

Full disclosure: I was privileged to read this entire book in unfinished form, as a “beta reader” for Katharine Grubb, in exchange for my honest feedback. I’m amazed that she asked me to read the book, because she knows that while I read loads of fiction, it’s not what I write.

Links to Write a Novel in Ten Minutes a Day in this post are  affiliate links. That means that if you purchase this book through my affiliate link, you don’t pay extra, but there’s a little cha-ching that goes toward my blog hosting costs.

Monday Recap 4/20

franciscanmom2 Comments

Recap logo Most of the writing I’ve done this past week has been right here! To sum it up:

A short review of Cravings, which I’m working through in an attempt to eat–and be–a little more healthy.

Worth Revisiting is a fun link-up, and I submitted “Be Not Afraid” this past Wednesday.

On Thursdays, I link up at CatholicMom.com’s Small Success. Don’t miss the cupcake recipe!

I joined in the Catholic Writers Guild’s book blast for Jean Heimann’s Seven Saints for Seven Virtues.

And just for fun, a little riff on razors.

At Cook and Count:

turtle cupcake 3Salted Caramel Turtle Cupcakes–sticky, but so worth it.

Orzo with Garlic, Onions and Thyme–one of my favorite side dishes ever. Just hand me a spoon.

The Razor Department: Where Fools and Their Money are Soon Parted

franciscanmom3 Comments

Home from college for a few hours, Middle Sister grabbed a few grocery items and tossed them into a plastic bag, asking, “Do you have any of my razors?”

linen closet AFTER
It had to be in there SOMEWHERE…but no. The right kind was not in stock.

I started rummaging around in the linen closet, where I keep those things, to see what was in stock. I found refills for a few varieties of razors–none of which were her preferred brand.

She likes the ones that come surrounded by their very own strip of lotion or soap or something that turns gooey when it’s exposed to water for very long.

You pay extra for that. It’s a feature.

K T Cat examined the 2-blade versus 5-blade men’s razor. But men’s razors have nothing on women’s razors, which are really just men’s razors with glitter.

I have a pink razor handle but I’m using a men’s razor refill on it, because those refills fit the handle, and I got them on sale, with a coupon. They were still expensive.

venus olay
There is a sucker born every minute. $1 per blade for these razors.

Yesterday I was at ShopRite, and I had a coupon for $6 off Middle Sister’s favorite brand of razor refills. I texted her to make sure I was picking up the exact variety she likes the best.

You know the razor refills are going to be expensive when there’s a $6 coupon. And they were! They were on sale for $19.99.

4 in the box. For $19.99.

And it turns out that my coupon was only good on boxes of 6 or 8. So I didn’t get to use that coupon.

That’s a $5 razor blade right there. $1 per blade. And she’ll toss them as soon as the gooey lotion runs out, which is well before the blade goes dull.

But, you know, they’re named after a goddess. So there’s that.

My cheapie razors contain only 3 blades, and they might or might not do as great a job as the ones my daughter prefers. And maybe if I was 19 and beautiful and athletic and had great legs like Middle Sister, I’d care about that. But I’m none of those things, so 3 blades do me just fine. I don’t need that built-in lotion. This is how I use up that bottle of conditioner nobody likes, but that smells really good.

Note: this post contains an Amazon affiliate link for Middle Sister’s favorite razor blades, in case they happen to be your favorite too. If you buy razors through my affiliate link, I get a little bonus in the change jar that will go toward my website expenses, or my next purchase of razor blades for Middle Sister.

Book Blast: Seven Saints for Seven Virtues

franciscanmom1 Comment

Once a month, the Catholic Writers Guild hosts a Book Blast where members  provide social-media publicity for a randomly-chosen book written by a CWG member.

7 saints 7 virtues bookThis month’s selection is a favorite of mine, by one of my favorite bloggers: Jean Heimann’s Seven Saints for Seven Virtues!

I’ve followed Jean’s blog, Catholic Fire, for years; the same careful scholarship and fervent faith she shows in the blog is revealed in this book. This book examines seven saints of the Church in association with a virtue for which each one is known.

Read my full review here.

Your purchase of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues through my Amazon affiliate link helps to offset the costs of my website! Thanks!

Small Success and Cupcakes Too!

franciscanmom4 Comments

Small Success dark blue outline 800x800Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

I’m coming to the end of the third week in a row of Hubs’ business trips to Kansas. I’ll find out later today if this is the end of it for a while. I sure hope so!

-1-

I got the chipped windshield on Hubs’ car fixed–for free! Turns out our insurance company covers those repairs with no deductible. A friend of mine recommended a good auto glass shop, so Monday morning I headed over there and sat in the Wi-Fi-equipped waiting room, helping an elderly Filipino couple navigate the Keurig machine and getting an interesting glimpse of human nature while watching Let’s Make a Deal.

It beats The View, anyway, which is what’s usually on when I’m stuck in waiting rooms.

-2-

I’m a little sleep-deprived this morning (3 glucose alarms last night, requiring 12 oz. of apple juice and a Double Stuf Oreo. I think the cookie did the trick) but I managed not to lose my mind and yell when The Kid missed the bus. His sleep was interrupted too–by me, yelling at him to wake up so he could drink juice. He’s really hard to wake up when his sugar goes low.

So I drove him to school, then swung by Wawa to get a roll for my lunch (I have leftover meatballs in the fridge) and a free cup of coffee, because today is Wawa Day. I’m grateful for the caffeine.

turtle cupcake 2-3-

I baked. Last night at folk group practice we celebrated two birthdays. We can celebrate in style because we practice in my living room, so it’s perfectly OK to have treats after we’re done singing. My creation for last night’s treats: Salted Caramel Turtle Cupcakes.

They’re good. Really good.

Share your Small Successes at CatholicMom.com by joining the linkup in the bottom of today’s post. No blog? List yours in the comments box!

© 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz

#WorthRevisit: Be Not Afraid

franciscanmom5 Comments

Since it’s the Easter Season and all, I thought I’d reprise a post from an Easter long ago.

Be Not Afraid (originally posted 04/21/2006)

calvin hobbes mandibles of death

I never thought of myself as the “fearful” type. I am a worrier, to be sure. I fret, and stew, and use a lot of time, effort and energy on the “what ifs.” And I’ll freely admit to being afraid of heights, bridges, tunnels, and certain insects, big ones with mandibles of death, as “Calvin and Hobbes” would say. Surely I’m not alone there.

Then the Holy Fool published this piece on fear. He reminded me that

We fear for what we will lose.
And that fear deprives us of joy. It pillages us of peace. It shatters our confidence in life. It erodes our trust in God–our very Faith.

That was a revelation to me: fear is actually a lack of faith. And I’m not talking about bugs here–but all those “what ifs” that I worry over.

Part of the miracle of Easter is that Jesus showed us that we need not fear so much. How many times in Scripture do we see the words, “Be not afraid”–even when those times seem to be times when fear is a natural response? Even Easter, a joyful event, must have inspired fear in the disciples and others. Yet at Easter Christ won the victory for us! As the Psalmist wrote, “Cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will sustain you” (Ps. 55:22)

Sometimes it’s easier to hang onto the fears, even though they are uncomfortable, because they are familiar, than to let go and let the Lord take over. But that is exactly what we are called to do.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

Image source

Aptly Titled: Cravings

franciscanmom2 Comments

Over at Reconciled to You, Allison Gingras has started a book discussion on Mary deTurris Poust’s Cravings.

cravingsPoust knew what she was doing when she titled that book. I battle cravings all the time.

Usually I lose.

When I lose, my health suffers and my waistline expands.

When I lose, I feel guilty that I’m not displaying the kind of self-discipline my diabetic child has to employ every minute of every day.

When I feel guilty, I self-medicate by giving in to more of the same cravings that I’m already feeling bad about giving in to.

This book is about health, and mental health, and spiritual health, because those all go hand in hand. I’m still resisting the suggestion that I keep a food journal, because I know what embarrassment would result if I do–even if no one sees it but me. But the author of this book has my number, and I need to find other ways of dealing with my feelings–ways that don’t involve feeding them chocolate.

I didn’t gain this weight overnight, but right now I think I weigh more than I did just before TheKid was born. I know it will take me time to lose it, and I’m going to go for manageable chunks here. I’m hoping I can drop 15 pounds by my birthday in late July. It’s a significant birthday, so it would be great to celebrate it a little lighter and a little healthier and with a better relationship to cookies, gelato and Milky Ways.

Join the discussion at Reconciled to You.

Please note that this post contains an affiliate link to the book. If you purchase it using my link, it helps defray my web-hosting expenses. Thanks!

Monday Recap 4/13

franciscanmomLeave a comment

Recap logo Maybe I should change my graphic. It’s not morning–not here, anyway. But it’s Monday, so that means it’s time for a Monday Recap!

You can tell it’s spring, because two out of my three articles are on the subject of gardening. Yes, this Black-Thumbed Girl has found some success in that department!

CatholicMomcom-Contributor-blue-outlineAt CatholicMom.com:

I reviewed Margaret Rose Realy’s new book, A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac.

My Tech Talk takes a look at a few Chrome tools that make my job easier (and a little more fun!)

real housekeeping

At Real Housekeeping:

This unlikely gardener shares how to grow an herb garden in a vintage red wagon, including a great gardening resource.

 

Small Success: Flying Solo Edition

franciscanmom5 Comments

Small Success dark blue outline 800x800Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

Hubs had a business trip this week, so it’s just been me and The Kid (formerly known as Little Brother. He’s almost as tall as me now, which he loves to remind me about, and The Kid is shorter for tweeting purposes, so he’s been renamed.)

I’m sleepless in NJ this morning (it was a bad diabetic night…4 juice runs and one desperation cookie…his sugar just would not stay up) and I’m getting a cold. There will be no NyQuil until Friday night, when Hubs will be home, however, so I just have to tough it out.

joe cool coffee cup
My favorite mug, because who doesn’t love Joe Cool? Photo copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

I gave up homemade lattes for Lent, and I won’t be having one today–time to just stick to tea in my mug. It feels good on the throat.

Here’s what DID work this week, so far:

1. We enjoyed our Easter dinner with all 3 kids on Saturday, because Hubs had to be at the airport before dinnertime Sunday (and he spent the rest of the day with the younger 2 kids, visiting his mom at the nursing home)

2. Big Brother brought his new octave mandolin and played with the folk group for Easter Mass. I miss having him here to play with us every Sunday!

3. Big Brother dropped Hubs off at the airport on his way back home.

4. I took The Kid up to the Great White North and we stayed with my parents for 2 days. We got to see my brother’s family and my great-aunt, who taught all the kids a card game that she plays with the other seniors at her apartment complex.

micke-corner-workstation-brown__0208687_PE362524_S4
Micke Desk: Ikea

5. We got home yesterday in plenty of time for folk group practice. Today will be spent at my Adoration hour and assembling some kit furniture: a new desk for The Kid. The 20+-year-old desk he was using is falling apart. He is excited to have a new desk that he chose for himself. We got it at Ikea. The back of the hutch is a magnetic whiteboard, which I think is a great feature. I can write his chore list every day on there <insert evil laughter>

Shall we take bets on how long it’ll take me to put this bad boy together?

Share your Small Successes at CatholicMom.com by joining the linkup in the bottom of today’s post. No blog? List yours in the comments box!

© 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz