February Status Report

Status Report, February

Sitting...in my comfy leather chair

Wishing...my house was clean and my grocery shopping done

Hoping...I can keep all the balls in the air

Baking...nothing today but I did make some wicked good biscuits for dinner last night.

Realizing...that a full work schedule is a mixed blessing--I'm excited for the work and love doing it, but the house still needs cleaned, the laundry and shopping still needs to be done (washed, dried, folded AND put away!), and studying and family time can't slide.  Finding the time for it all sometimes feels like a highwire act.

Glancing...at the dust on the coffee table and thinking someone should invent a device that continually sucks the dust out of the air before it has a chance to settle on every flat surface.

Reading...The Shallows:  What the internet is doing to our brains by Nicholas Carr.  Listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  I'm bogging down at the Ministry of Magic/Deatheaters/Voldemort shows up section.  I think Jo needed a editor at that point in the story.  Thinking of skipping to Dumbledore's arrival at the ministry. . .

Enjoying...learning a new, flourishy, ornate font:  Belluccia

Thinking...that I need to get off the computer and back to work!

Looking...forward to Prayer meeting tonight and dinner with my nephew and niece-in-law and their friend tomorrow night.  Groundhog Day Dinner party--sounds fun, eh?

Heading...back to the vacuum and swiffers.  Begone foul dust!

HT:  my friend, Lisa, at Lisa Writes

December Status report

It's been a long time since I've done one of Lisa's Status Reports!

Sitting...in my studio. Not working.  Noodling around on the computer.

 
Stressing...for a while this morning because a group of keys on my laptop (t,g,h,v) wouldn’t work and I couldn’t log into my computer because I needed a ‘t’ in my password.

Double stressing because I typed up the notes I planned on using to navigate through this morning’s Bible study in Acts 3 and hadn’t printed them yet. 

Relieved . . .that closing the lid and re-opening it has seemed to fix the problem.

Decorating...is all done except the poor old Charlie Brown-ish tree on the front porch.  Sam’s job—it may  never get decorated this year, but the lights are still pretty.

Listening...to Ivy digging around with the couch pillows in the living room, making a nest.

Wondering... what I'm wondering about.  Nothing comes to mind.

Thankful...that my computer isn’t disabled.

Reading…believe it or not, I’m not actively reading anything at present.  I am listening to World Without End on my iPod.

Thinking...We better eat that leftover chicken for lunch today.

Closing...soon to be closing the books on business year 2011.  Only one more job on the calendar this year.  It’s been a very good year!

Feeling...tired of just thinking of all the things coming up in the next few weeks at this busy time of year!

Anticipating...Sam’s upcoming college graduation and Open House.

Walking...Ivy would love me to walk her today but I don’t think I’ll get to it until after supper.  Poor girl.
 

Wishing...I wasn’t so forgetful.

Coming out of retirement

I think it's time.  Lately, I've been thinking of things I'd blog about if I were still blogging.  

Hello, Hiraeth!  I've missed you!

Blog status

You poor old blog.  How neglected you have been!  Forgotten and ignored for weeks at a time.  

It hasn't always been this way.  There was a time when you were fresh and new each day; happily chatty, filled with photos and small observations of life in Chicagoland.  I'm sorry for you.  I wonder if you can be brought out of silence and obscurity.

I think I'll spend more time with you this week and see how it goes.  You never know; there just might be some life in you yet!

When you think about it, my old friend, what have you got to lose?  You don't have (m)any readers anymore, so who is there to know if it ends up that you remain sluggish and reticent after all?

Wake up, old friend! Bestir yourself and get ready to shake off the cobwebs.

Good times with an old friend

Have you ever looked forward to something for a long, long time?  Of course you have.  You plan and plan and imagine what the day will be like.  And if you're like me, sometimes the thing you looked forward to was, well, disappointing or not at all what you thought it would be.

Well, I've been looking forward to meeting my long time blogging friend, Kim, for years (always knew we'd get together sometime/somehow!) and anticipating our time together this past Thursday for months and I can tell you that this was NOT one of those times, although it did not end up entirely as planned!

Meeting Kim was not really like meeting someone new.  It was like greeting an old, dear friend that you hadn't seen for a long time.  We chatted as if we were making up for lost time, and in a way, we were.  The time flew by so fast--that was the only bad thing about it!  I wish we had had more time.  I wish we lived closer.

There were a few stressful moments leading up to our visit.  I had left it until Thursday to clean the house--a formidable chore as I've been fully booked with work and the house suffers when I'm holed up in my studio.  I'd gotten most of the food ready by 11 am, when Jake came into the kitchen to take his medication.  He had been suffering from a headache for a few days, which we attributed to a new medication he just started on, but when I looked at him I noticed that he had some slight swelling around his eye and cheek.  Fearing an abcess or infection of some sort,  I called his local cardiologist right away.  With his reconstructed heart, I knew that infection that got into the bloodstream was potential life threatening if it lodged in his heart.  So, after a flurry of phone calls, we were off to the emergency room.  Turns out he has a sinus infection and they got him on an antibiotic right away.  The whole thing was wrapped up by three o' clock.  Four hours lost and I had everything planned down to the minute.

In the meantime, I had made alternate plans with Dorothy to have her be at my house to meet Kim and Neil by 4 and had decided that if I didn't get home in time to finish preparing dinner, we'd order a couple of pizzas and eat the salad.  And if things became even MORE complicated (as they can sometimes end up being with Jake's health) Dorothy would take the Shays and the salad over to her house and order pizza over there.

Now, I'm used to fixing big meals.  They don't make me nervous, but that's because I always have things timed down to when I pull the last thing out of the oven.  I'm a planner and when my plans are disrupted, I can get really stressed.  And the more important the event, the more stressed I would normally be. But in all this, I never once felt stressed.  As soon as I knew Jake was sick, I didn't worry about anything else. 

Long story short, the house wasn't perfect and I forgot the croutons for the salad, and we had the most wonderful visit together!

I promised a picture, so here goes!

(Ivy had to get into the act, as usual.)

Jake is getting better, too, by the way.  God is good!

Company's Comin'

I've been looking forward to this day for a long, long time!

My long time blogging friend, Kim (of The Upward Call) and her husband, Neil, are coming for a visit this afternoon after the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago winds down.  Kim and I have never laid eyes on each other before, but we have been like-minded friends for years.  I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to today!  (I woke up at 4:20, realized what day it was and couldn't go back to sleep!)

My dearest 'real life' friend, Dorothy, and her husband Andy will be joining us for dinner tonight.  My first time ever blogger's get together.  (Now, if we could just teach Rebecca how to Apparate. . . )

Pictures tomorrow.  (And, yes, I will post pictures of myself, even though I really, really, REALLY don't like having my picture taken!)

I used to be a blogger

I realized that fact this weekend.  I used to be a blogger.

Now I'm a hymn poster and online quote collector.

It makes me feel sad because I really did enjoy blogging but times change, I guess.  I'm busy with my business and I'm thankful for that.  I really love my job and I am so very blessed to be making a go of it in this economic downturn. 

I'm busy with Bible study and family and being a wife and mom and grandma.  Life is full and life is good--it just doesn't end up getting posted with pictures on the blog.

I've thought of just retiring this blog--sending it off into the ethernet--but I used to be a blogger.  There's a lot of my life on the pages of this blog and even though it feels like a waste of money to keep it going, I'm just not ready to let go of it yet.

So here it sits, neglected.  Forgotten for days at a time.  And when I do think of it, I feel guilty.  

Because the truth is, I don't miss it enough to do anything about it.  I just wish I did sometimes.

December again

It's December and I'll be taking my annual break from blogging and reading blogs between now and the first of the year.  I want to simplify my life as much as possible this month to keep the focus on faith and family during the Christmas season.  I may post occasionally if there's anything I want to chronicle for the family, but other than that, I expect the blog will be quiet.

I'll be checking email, so I won't be completely unreachable!

I hope that your Christmas season is full of faith and family, peace and joy, and the joyful anticipation of Christ's second coming as we reflect upon the miracle of His advent!

November of Thanksgiving 2010

I'm sad to see the November of Thanksgiving come to a close for another year.  As always, I am grateful for this past month; for the awareness of God's greatness and His mercies, His loving-kindness and His provision.

I'm thankful, too, for Rebecca who gives so  much of her time each year to organize and round up all the thankful posts.

As I reflect on the past month, I realize that there were many, many things for which I was thankful that never made it to the blog; some things are just personal.  The daily practice of giving thanks certainly made me so much more aware of God's presence in my life and helped me to give thanks in some difficult situations.  How much better it is to give thanks instead of expressing worry or discontented feelings!

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to accept some things I cannot change and to be thankful, not 'in spite of' but 'because of!'

September Status Report

It's the first day of the month so I'm joining Lisa in filing a quick status report:

Sitting...in the living room, watching Sponge Bob’s boating lessons with Elliott.

Drinking...filtered water.

Finishing...this post (hopefully) before Sponge Bob is over.

Reading...Les Mis (it’s going to be on my list for some time—it’s a long book and I don’t

have much time to read.)

Glad that I finally gave up and shelved my new translation of Les Mis and went back to my old favorite.  Sigh. . .all is right with the world.

Listening to Gone with the Wind on my IPod.

Loving... that it is finally September. I can’t wait until the weather cools down and the leaves turn.

Thinking...that Maddie went down for her nap much easier than Elliott ever has!

Pondering...how I am going to finish a commissioned piece I'm working on on time.  It’s going slower than I thought it would.

Remaining...[can’t think of a thing to plug in here]
Fighting...sin.

Waiting for the day that sin will be no more.
Lingering...on this post, hoping I’ll think of something I am ‘remaining’ about!



I did it!

I posted every day this week.

That feels like quite an accomplishment after these many months of intermittent, half-hearted blogging.

Let's see if it served to break my writer's block.

We'll see.

I Write Like:

Saw this at Rebecca's and thought I'd give it a go:

I write like
David Foster Wallace

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

(I had to look Mr. Wallace up on Wikipedia.) . . .I'm not sure how I should feel about this. . . : D

Another busy day

The days have been full--full of Bible study, reading, working, envelopes, housework--living!

I'm determined to try to post every day this week but I really have nothing interesting to blog about.  Weird how that happens, isn't it?  My life is full and happy and busy but not particularly bloggable.

But I'll try.

Studying:  I'm studing Hebrews 11:11, 12 so I'm dipping in and out of Genesis, too.  I love studying this book of the Bible.  I am so torn inside--I can't wait to finish it (we've been at it almost three years!) but I feel sad to think that someday this particular study will come to an end.  My love of that book will never end, though!

Reading:  I'm reading Les Miserables, my favorite novel.  This is a new translation by Julie Rose.  So far I'm liking it, but I'm not sure if it will surpass my favorite translation from the Everyman's Library.

Working:  My business really seems to be taking off right now.  I just finished working on envelopes for an October wedding this week, I'm waiting for the delivery of envelopes for my next job which will start next week, and I've got a large seating chart and 4 framed pieces to do before the end of August.

Housework:  I cleaned three cupboards yesterday and plan on cleaning under the kitchen sink and organizing my tupperware tomorrow.  How's that for exciting?

Listening:  I listen to Renewing Your Mind every day.  I listen while I'm working or when I sit down for a cup of coffee.  If I get distracted and miss it I HAVE to catch up!  It's a big part of my day.

Watching:  I've been watching 'The Next Food Network Star' and I was so glad Paul was sent home last episode.  I'm pulling for Aarti but Tom is starting to grow on me.

I've also started watching old re-runs of the French Chef with Julia Child.  What a hoot! 

Gardening:  I need to dead head the flower beds.  Not a bad job, really.  I'd enjoy it if it weren't for the mosquitos in the mornings and evenings and the heat and humidity during the day.

So that's what I've been up to.  Nothing exciting but life is good. 

How about you?

July Status Report

Sitting…in my comfy leather chair, not reading--yet.

Drinking…nothing. Too late for coffee, to early for my glass of wine before bed.  I'm thinking of a cup of Earl Grey but I'm too tired to get up and make it.

Missing…my old indefatigable energy.

Returning…to my favorite novel, Les Miserables, as soon as my new translation by Julie Rose comes in the mail.

Reading…William the Baptist by James M. Chaney, The Overton Window by Glenn Beck, and Genesis (ESV)

Also reading…Eight Short Stories for the Summer from Daily Lit.  The first story is A Doctor's Visit by Anton Chekov and it's delivered to my inbox every morning.

Loving…the flowers in my window boxes this year.

Pretending…that now that I've got the flower beds and yard all weeded they will stay that way.

Wondering…whether Jake will be able to tolerate his new medication.

Watching…Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (actually, Sam's watching, I'm looking up when Jack Sparrow's on).

Anticipating…Deathly Hallows Part One

Stressing…about Jake's health.

Praying…for Jake to adjust to his new medication and start feeling better so he can get back to work.

Remembering…that God has been so incredibly gracious to Jake and to us throughout all these years full of doctors and hospitals, operations and procedures, and scary times.

Realizing…that God is Sovereign and His lovingkindness endures forever.

Hoping. . .I'll start blogging again soon.

Joining Lisa and others.  (Thanks, Lisa, for helping push me out of my writing doldrums)

On Writers Block and Writers; Life and Work

All you have to do is scan down and compare the monthly tallies of posts in my side bar to see that I have serious writers block.  I have ideas for posts.  I write them in my head.  I even take photos to go along with them but somehow, they never make it to the blog.  Not sure what is going on other than busy-ness, business, and serious writers block.  I don't know how to snap out of it but I feel sure I will someday.

Thankfully, I don't have 'readers block!'  I've been doing a lot of reading and by the size of the stack of unread books beside my comfy leather reading chair, I'll be doing a lot more of it!  Most of the reading I've been doing is the good old-fashioned sitting in a chair, holding a book variety but I still do some reading online.

This morning I read a really wonderful article on The American Scholar: Life and Work by William Zinsser.  I love his views on life and work, particularly the last paragraph; they echo my own.  I considered adding that paragraph here to punch up this post and whet your appetite but, no; I want you to go and read the entire article.

Let me know what you think.  Does he speak for you?

Who needs a kick in the pants?

Apparently, I do.  This week I have been forced to face (yet again!) how sadly neglected my poor blog has become. A quote on Saturday, a hymn on Sunday, a recipe and a picture here and there.  Compared to the first three years or so when I happily blogged nearly every day, this blog has gone very quiet.

There are many reasons for this.  Over the past few weeks, I've been preparing for my first Bridal Fair to promote my fledgling business, The Constant Scribe.  Between preparing for that, a crop of June wedding envelopes I just finished, and a few other calligraphy projects on top of my regular house-wifely chores, spring yard clean up, and Bible study, I just haven't had time to sit down and blog.  Or read blogs, for that matter.

Lately, though, I've been longing to return to blogging and I've been intending to 'get back to it' once things 'slow down a little bit.'  A quick look at my sitemeter this week tells me that I've lost nearly all my regular readers--I guess I'm not surprised at that but it was a bit of a wake-up call. 

However, something infinitely more positive was the real 'kick in the pants' I needed!  This week, my Google Alert incorrectly identified another blog, Hiraeth in the Hurt Locker, with mine and sent me an alert to a post over there.  Being the curious person I am, I checked it out and OH!, what a great blog!  It's written by a 'new' Christian, Dai' G Bear, just a year old in the faith.  His posts are insightful, challenging, and inspiring.  Talk about making my own blog seem stale and uninteresting!  It's far and away one of the best blogs I've ever read.  I hope you'll stop over sometime soon and visit with Dai' G Bear.  I'd subscribe if I were you!

(Oh, and I don't know about you, but I had to look up the definition of hurt locker --noun. a period of immense, inescapable physical or emotional pain--it makes perfect sense to me when wedded to the meaning of hiraeth--a fit description of the Christian life reminiscent of Paul's dilemna in Romans 7: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!)

Lost and Found

This morning I rediscovered an old blogging friend.  She had taken a rest from blogging and I lost her.  This morning, a series of seredipitous clicks led me back to my old friend.

Shanna has a new blog, devoted to food--and everything else.  If you're a foodie, or even if you're not, why don't you hop over to Shanna's blog, Food Loves Writing, and say hello.  Tell her Kim sent you.

I think you'll be hooked.

Status Report

Well, why not?  All the cool kids are doing it!  (Lisa, Rebecca, Kim, and Jules and probably others) 

Sitting...in my comfy leather reading chair.

Drinking… coffee.

Thinking… I really need to go out and chisel up frozen dog poo but it's COLD out there!

Loving… John Calvin's Institutes.

Anticipating… Book One, Chapter Four tomorrow.

Dreading… going out to chisel dog poo.

Starting… to think about what I'm going to fix for dinner.

Reading… several things, as usual.  I'm reading Calvin's Institutes, Matthew's Gospel, Revelation, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, and I'm listening to the Fellowship of the Ring on my Ipod.

Liking… Brit Hume.

Ordering… nothing at present.  Just got a new calligraphy book in the mail on Saturday--finished it before I went to bed Saturday night.

Nervous… about undergoing some medical tests next week.

Planning… my Hebrews Bible study lesson for this Thursday.

Pouring… a glass of Malbec with dinner. 

Dear Blog,

Hello!  Remember me?  I hope you're enjoying December without me.  I promise not to forget you entirely and I'll be back in a few weeks. 

Merry Christmas!

Me

December Blog break

It's December and I'll be taking a break from blogging and reading blogs between now and the first of the year.  I want to simplify my life as much as possible this month to keep the focus on faith and family during the Christmas season.  I may post occasionally if there's anything I want to chronicle for the family, but other than that, I expect the blog will be quiet.

I'll be checking email, so I won't be completely unreachable!

I hope that your Christmas season is full of faith and family, peace and joy, and the joyful anticipation of Christ's second coming as we reflect upon the miracle of His advent!