Small Success: A Better than Average Day

February 18, 2016February 17, 2016 franciscanmom2 Comments

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

Yesterday, one of the writers from CatholicMom concluded an email, “I hope you’re having a better than average Wednesday.”

And thinking about it, I was! It was a pretty good day and I’d gotten quite a bit done.

–I found our copy of Veritatis Splendor that a friend mentioned she was hoping to read and remembered to bring it to Mass to pass along to her.

–My trip to the thrift shop to search for costume pieces for TheKid for his upcoming show (he’s Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast) was a success! He needed brown dress pants and I also picked up a belt, because he can’t take his regular belt and leave it at the theatre for 3 weeks in his costume box. If he does, he’ll be out of uniform at school. I found both those items, and the pants had the Half-Price Tag Color of the Day, so for $5.50 I got two like-new items. And after the show, I’ll donate those pants back to Goodwill, since it’s not too likely that he’ll want to wear brown dress pants anywhere.

–I remembered to pick up the book TheKid had on reserve at the library before that hold expired.

–I fixed my guitar tuner (I think) after I didn’t put it away in the right place and a piece of the mount broke off. Hot-glue gun for the win–and plenty of motivation to put it back where it belongs next time.

–And on Monday, when I was booted offline thanks to a Comcast nationwide internet outage, I cleaned out a closet where we keep games no one plays. Some are trash, some will be donated to school and some (new in their shrink wrap) will be saved for Toys for Tots next Christmas. What did I do with the closet space? I put all the diabetes stuff in one place. We get 3 months of supplies at a time, and that takes up a lot of space. It’s good to have it all together and sorted out so that we use things in the correct order and don’t wind up with expired test strips.

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Small Success: Still Winter

February 11, 2016February 10, 2016 franciscanmom5 Comments

Has anybody else had enough of winter by now? Show of hands? Because, yeah, me? I’m done with it…as I sit here typing with fingerless gloves on. The heat’s on in the house but it’s 64 degrees here in my “corner office.” And my nose is cold.

The good news? Winter has less than 6 weeks to go in the round. We can do it!

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

I amazed my kid.

He tries to take over the radio, and sometimes I let him. But the other day it was playing something awful that was supposedly masquerading as music, and I told him to change the station.

“But Mom! This guy was born in Paterson, NJ! You have to like him!”

“I don’t like Fetty Wap. Turn it off.”

“How did you know that was Fetty Wap????????”

I know lots of stuff, including that I don’t like Fetty Wap, thankyouverymuch.

I was released from sneaker prison.

Yes, that’s right: I am allowed to wear Real Shoes now. I survived 6 weeks in a boot and 4 weeks wearing sneakers only (except for that one time when I sang at a funeral. I didn’t think sneakers, even black ones, were appropriate at funerals. But I wore the sneakers to church and changed there.)

My foot is mostly pain-free and I have invested in stepstools for the kitchen and my bedroom closet, because I’m not allowed, among other things, to reach. That’s a hard row to hoe when you’re vertically challenged. I am also not allowed to jump, climb ladders, walk on a treadmill, sprint or run.

Ever.

I made the mandatory appointments (well, half of them.)

This morning I have my mammogram scheduled. Next week, it’s the gynecologist (though why, as a hysterectomy patient, I have to be checked is beyond me.)

Still on the list of Dreaded Things to Schedule: that colonoscopy I’ve been putting off since my birthday (in July) and the dentist. There’s only so long I can milk the “I have to be continuously available for my diabetic teenager in case something goes wrong at school so I can’t sit in a dentist’s chair or do colonoscopy prep” excuse…

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Small Success: Pray First

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 franciscanmom2 Comments

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

ONE: I figured out part of what went wrong on Tuesday, when things were falling apart and I was falling apart along with them.

I hadn’t prayed first.

I’ve gotten into a bad habit of peeking at email before settling down to morning prayers.

Don’t try this at home.

On Tuesday, I let that email time get away from me, and then I had to shepherd TheKid through 2 insulin-pump-site changes and make his lunch and cook the bacon and and and…

“No worries,” I thought. “I’ll just bring my iPad to church, and leave a little early, and I can pray the Liturgy of the Hours there.”

Well, I did that, but the day had already gotten off to a bad start, and my response to everything that happened tells me, looking back at it, that I hadn’t started my day in the right place.

TWO: Tuesday’s fun continued that evening when I went to take TheKid to rehearsal–and found I had a flat tire. Hubs wasn’t home yet, but my friend who lives right behind us was, and she graciously drove to the theatre. Yes, I had to ask for help, which I hate to do.

Yesterday morning Hubs went to change my flat tire and spent half an hour getting the spare tire from its mount underneath the back end of the car. We’ve had that van 10 years and never knew the spare was on the outside. Then he was all set to change the tire and the jack that came with the van just collapsed. We are grateful for the free Roadside Assistance that our auto insurance provides. That guy brought a jack and had the tire changed in 3 minutes or less.

(It would have been nice if Roadside Assistance Guy had put the damaged tire into the back of the van. I didn’t notice that he’d just left it sitting in the driveway until he had gone. For the record, van tires are HEAVY.)

I steeled myself for a runaround at the tire shop, because they are notorious for that sort of thing, and then settled in with my laptop to do some editing work with “The Price is Right” blaring on the big TV in front of me.

The view from my office at the tire center, while I waited for my flat tire to be repaired.

Fortunately they were able to repair the tire; we’re planning on replacing that van soon and we didn’t want to have to invest a lot of money in fixing anything. $22 and I was on my way.

THREE: I stuck to my guns and got a refund from an Amazon third-party seller who sent me a knockoff product that was unbelievably bad. If I’d read the reviews, I’d have known not to buy this item. The seller wanted to refund only $1, but Amazon has an A-to-Z guarantee and as the item description clearly mentioned the name brand (and even said “check that the product is not fake”) I figured I had two legs to stand on, and it’s easier for me to be assertive via email and online forms than in person. Within an hour I was credited with the full purchase price.

FOUR: I gave this site a new look!

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Small Success: Little Things

January 21, 2016 franciscanmom2 Comments

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

A little tweak of the morning routine this week has made things much more peaceful for both me and TheKid. When I take steps to help things run smoothly, everyone is much calmer and the day gets off to a better start.

Just now, I dropped off TheKid’s scholarship application at the Catholic high school he plans to attend. It contains a DVD with a duet he performed in his most recent play: Into the Woods, Jr., where he played the role of Rapunzel’s Prince. There is also the required scholarship essay, his entire theatre resume (14 shows since spring 2011) and the program from a diabetes event last spring where he and I served as panelists to help families decide if a continuous glucose monitor would be a good way to help them manage diabetes.

Hopefully we’ll hear by this time next week whether he has won a scholarship award.

I don’t know why I keep buying laundry pretreaters. I finally got the French-onion-soup stains on Hubs’ NEW (from Christmas) golf shirt, which went through the dryer before I noticed the spots, out. My cheap and effective secret weapon? A generous dose of original Dawn dishwashing soap, scrubbed in with an old toothbrush. Hang to dry until you’re sure it’s stain-free.

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Small Success: Not on Thursday

January 15, 2016 franciscanmom5 Comments

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

This week has been a little extra busy, so it’s a good thing that the Small Success linkup isn’t limited to a single day.

I’m sort of managing to be sedentary. And by this I mean, the Christmas tree is down but all the other decorations in the house are still hanging around, and those are coming down little by little. There’s very little pain in my foot and I want to keep it that way.

The past couple of days, I’ve been drinking my coffee without sugar. Just cream. I’m not missing the sugar, either. Maybe it’s because I’m drinking good coffee and I’ve finally gotten the hang of the Aeropress I got for Christmas…

Also for Christmas, I got some shiny new cookware. That was a want, not a need, because most of the cookware I already had was serviceable (though there were a few nonstick pieces that had been badly scratched by utensils that are not nonstick-friendly). I took out all the old cookware, boxed up the pieces that were still good for Middle Sister to use next year when she has an on-campus apartment, and did not save the damaged cookware “just in case I might need it someday.” That’s a BIG step for me. My kitchen-equipment hoarding tendencies go way back.

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Small Success: Healing in Progress

January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 franciscanmom4 Comments

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

I used to count it a success if I made the time in the week to get to the gym for a walk on the treadmill, or to get outside for a good brisk walk (it’s 9/10 of a mile around my block, so with a little extra pass by the neighbor’s house, I can make it an easy mile).

And then I injured a tendon in my foot and was assigned, just before Thanksgiving, to wear a very stylish walking boot for six weeks—from morning ‘til night. No exceptions.

I told TheKid that if he caught me walking around without that boot, I’d pay him a dollar.

I wore the boot to Thankgiving dinner, Mass on Sundays and Christmas Day, a concert I was playing in (hey, it’s black, so it blended in with concert dress), and New Year’s Eve. I wore it all the time.

I couldn’t climb up and down stepladders and stools wearing this boot, so I had to let go of my own personal Christmastime point of pride: stringing 1500+ lights on the Christmas tree. My daughter did the lights. There are under 1000 lights on the tree this year but it still looks beautiful, and I’m happy that my daughter was willing and able to do the job I couldn’t do.

I couldn’t go to the mall and do the Christmas shopping, but that’s why I have Amazon Prime, and my husband and the kids picked up the slack and went to the store for me.

The other day, the doctor said I can transition out of the boot. I only need to wear it after lunch until bedtime, through Sunday, and then I can leave it off completely. However, I must wear good supportive sneakers at all times for 5 weeks.

Even to Mass on Sundays. That’ll look lovely.

Also, I’m supposed to be sedentary when I’m out of the boot, which is why I waited until after lunch to go grocery shopping yesterday.

This doctor is not a mom. He has no idea about what moms consider “sedentary.” For me, it means I sit when I’m not cooking, doing laundry, running errands, or cleaning—though I’ve farmed out a good deal of cleaning and lowered my standards there. I’m pretty sure my doctor does not intend for me to spend an hour or more on my feet each evening, cooking and then cleaning up afterward. I should probably plan some slow-cooker meals for next week.

I stuck with the boot for 6 weeks; I’m hoping to stick to sedentary-and-sneakers for 5. I’m avoiding foot surgery, and that’s a success. I’m accepting help from Hubs and the kids, which is hard for me to do, so that’s a success.

God did not send me a foot injury, but he did put me in a place where I can survive off my feet (sort of) for several weeks. My kids are older now; one teenager and two young adults (only one of whom lives here). And I’m not teaching, so I’m not standing all day as part of my job. (No, there will not be a standing desk in my future anytime soon.)

I’m healing. I’m delegating. And I’m letting things go. Success!

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Small Success: Slow Christmas

December 17, 2015December 17, 2015 franciscanmomLeave a comment

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

My house doesn’t look like Christmas yet, and I’m OK with that. I am not going to be climbing on things and hanging things up this year–my foot (and the boot that’s on it) won’t allow that. But I have a daughter who’s just home from college and looking for things to do, so I’ll show her where I keep the decoration boxes and leave her to it.

I’m even OK with the fact that I won’t be doing my traditional chore of putting lights on the Christmas tree (that job involves 4 hours, at least 3 folding chairs plus a stepstool, and much up-and-down. I’m vertically challenged.) The year this photo was taken, I hit my Personal Best of 1500+ lights and, I believe, at least 2 blown-out extension cords. I’m the Clark Griswold of Christmas-tree lights, and I’m not ashamed of that in the least. There were so many lights on that tree, who even needed ornaments?

But someone else will light up the tree this year, and I’m sure they won’t use as many lights as I do, but that’s OK because the doctor says my foot is healing well. I have to continue wearing this boot full-time until January 5, when I get to bring a shoe to the doctor’s office and wear the boot only half-days for another week.

At least this keeps me out of the mall, which is perfectly fine with me. I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping thanks to various free-shipping offers and my good friend Amazon Prime, and I’m here to tell you that Target’s “order online, pick up in store” is way, way, WAY better than Best Buy’s. (Place order. Wait for text message. Go to Customer Service and tell them you’re picking up. Hand them your driver’s license for verification, take your stuff and go. By the time you get home, your receipt will be in your email inbox. It’s THAT easy.) Using that service saved me a trek through the whole store. The less walking, the better.

I’ll have a couple of weeks off from work to celebrate Christmas, and I’ve got plans:

set up a gift-wrapping center in TheKid’s old room
start wrapping gifts and use my Super-Secret Gift-Numbering Method™ to keep snoopy people from snooping
2 beta reads and 1 (short) freelance editing job
spend some time with my Everything Notebook, doing some goal-setting, planning and dreaming

I wish I still had this sign to hang on the door to the room where I’ll be doing the gift wrapping. I should have kept it!

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Monday Recap: December 14, 2015

December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 franciscanmomLeave a comment

As I do each Monday, I’ve gathered up links to the work I’ve done in other spaces. There hasn’t been much this week. A lot of work has gotten done ahead of time for my job, so that there will be time off for Christmas! And this week I completed an outline for a possible book project; that was sent out today.

At CatholicMom.com

Benedicta: Chant in Honor of the Blessed Mother

Tech Talk: An App for the Year of Mercy

Monday Recap: December 7, 2015

December 7, 2015 franciscanmomLeave a comment

At CatholicMom.com

Meatless Friday: Fast Fish Tacos

Here’s a crowd-pleasing recipe for fish tacos that’s quick to put together. Don’t save this dish for summertime! Fish tacos make a quick, light meatless meal that you can enjoy all year ’round.

Book Notes: Roland West, Loner by Theresa Linden

I reviewed a novel that’s a perfect gift for the teen boys in your life: Roland West, Loner. This novel packs plenty of mystery and suspense, along with a healthy dose of the Communion of Saints.

Small Success: Still Walking

December 3, 2015December 3, 2015 franciscanmom3 Comments

Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!

I finally bit the bullet and completed the outline I was writing for a book project I’d been asked to participate in. I think the scariest part was actually OPENING THE FILE. Once I got going, it just flowed. Now I’m waiting for input from my cowriters, and then I’ll get it submitted.
I haven’t killed myself yet, walking around in this boot. I did discover that it works well to carry things in a basket with a handle that I can loop my arm through, since I’m a bit off balance in this thing.
I walked away and left my 19-year-old daughter to her own devices as she carved our post-Thanksgiving turkey on Saturday. When you’re carving poultry, there is no room for micromanagement. It wasn’t going to end well, so I had to just let go and leave her to it. While she did observe that she’ll probably never have a career as a surgeon, I think she did just fine (and the turkey was delicious.)

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FranciscanMom

Held together by the grace of God, coffee, and crazy glue

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Small Success: A Better than Average Day

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