Friday, January 17, 2014

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 2

 
 
 
 
     I just want to say......that sometimes I feel very wistful about some stuff..........and I just want to tell all of you stay-at-home moms, just in case you needed a reminder......to give thanks to that opportunity.  I have pretty much always worked a little to part-time..........since my second was born 23 years ago. For about twelve years in the middle of that.......I was able to only work about 0-6 days a month, but in October of 2012, I began working full-time.  I really miss having the ability to be with my kids, both physically (on the days I am gone) and mentally (on the days I am recovering form work), I hate missing their sports and other outings, I miss traveling with them whenever we wanted, I miss trying to keep up the house (not that I was ever all that great, but I was always trying), I miss cooking for my kids, and being in more service to them and our home than I feel I can do at this moment, and I really regret that I cannot write a blog post when I want.....or improve myself in reading more, and then more books.  I am not really much of a complainer.......Pollyanna, that I am.....but these feelings are so strong these days, I just wanted to admit them.  Who else has to work outside the home?  I would love to know so that I can pray for you!


     I did my Very Hard Thing this week........having some oral surgery that involved an extraction.  It actually went extremely well, thanks to Saint Apollonia and my Facebook friends who were praying for me.  I never needed pain medicine.....I hardly bled......I did not get that bad complication he said I was at risk for getting.........and my oral surgeon gave me flowers! I have posted my Facebook conversation below......to keep for my memory's sake. You can skip that part......



Chari Goldman Bryan  14 January near Grenada, CA
Looking for Saint Apollonia prayers this morning please? Offering this up for your intentions. God bless!

Like ·14 like this.


 
     I have a tea cupboard......it takes up a whole cabinet.  Three shelves.  Please feel free to drop by for tea. anytime. boiling water is always at the ready.




 
      It has been such a lovely January.  I am enjoying the temperatures near 60*.  Our nights are pretty cold right now, many times in the teens.  I ate lunch outside in the sunshine yesterday. In January!  And here is the hard part.........to be a good sport, I must be praying for snow, or at least rain.  We are used to having several feet of snow by now.  Maybe even several times, already.  January is our wettest month. I am a little nervous.......sometimes our driest Januaries are followed by our wettest Marches.  So far, since July.....we have not even had 4 inches of precipitation.  That puts us about 75% below normal.  We got snow once, in early December, just about 5 inches. Our ski park has yet to open.  That sadly means that lots of locals are not making money.......no ski park employees, no hotels, no restaurants......no snow really, really hurts the economy here.  And.......the water here feeds into most of the state of California......sooooo......receiving lots more water is a very. huge. deal.  Thus, I am being a good sport.  I am praying for precip, with a bit of a pouty face.  But like my friend Franny keeps praying for:  SAFE precip.  We are used to the mountain being bare in September, October, maybe.  But never, ever in January.




      This photo of The Mountain was taken in November, after it had received a dusting of that blessed snow.  It eventually became much more bare.......in January!

      I simply cannot stop eyeing my calendar, looking for the perfect day to make Those Blessed Cinnamon Rolls. After the Christmas celebrations have passed, I find that I did not quite get the usual satisfaction of having had enough cinnamon rolls.  When I verbalized this, I found that my offspring are feeling the same.  They are encouraging me to make another batch or so........Mmmmmm.


 

       So, after years of reading reviews and testimonials on these Purple Rags of Flylady's.........I thought that I should get them and see how well they live up to the wonderful words people have used to describe them.  And, for my husband who cares not for gifts, these would make a perfectly and practical Christmas present.

       So far, I just love them......and my windows are so clean that at night, they look like mirrors, and in the daylight, it looks like there is no glass....just air.  That alone has made it worth to purchase these rags. Nothing else I have ever used has cleaned my windows this well. I have great views......so I  love my windows to be crystal-clear-clean. I know that other Microfiber cloths can be purchased elsewhere.......but many of the testimonials are from people stating that these are better than other Microfiber cloths that had used in the past. Either way.......I am definitely satisfied every time I use them....
        I enjoy looking at the key searchwords for the blog on the stats page.......how people get here from Google.  Last week there was a sweet one: 

                      Pope Benedict praying the Rosary while walking.

Isn't that so sweet a visual? Let's see what I find when I put it into Google myself.......in images, I find these:


                    



– When does Benedict XVI say the rosary?
– In summer, after introducing the summer time the Pope begins the rosary prayer at 6.45pm everyday – he prays with his personal secretary prelate priest George Ganswein, walking in the Vatican Gardens, near the cave from Lourdes. Apart from the summer time, when days are shorter, the Pope goes to the Gardens for a prayer earlier at 4.15pm, whereas in his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, prays, walking in the alley, in the shadow of green oak-trees, and at the end he stops at the figure of Our Lady standing near a pond with fish. When the weather is bad, the rosary is said in the Apostolic Palace.
 
I am pretty sure that they ended up at this blog post of Willa's:
  Running (or walking or working) with the Rosary
 
 
 


 
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

 

 Winter Blessings,
 
                   Chari

 

6 comments:

  1. I'm so glad your dentist ordeal is past. How sweet of your dentist to give you flowers.

    I reflected on my recent root canal experience and laugh when the endodontist exclaimed just as she was about to start' "Well, good luck to you and me!" And then gave me a hug when it was over. It's good to be reminded they do this to help us... and are good people. lol

    I'll have to try those purple rags. Thanks!

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    1. Thank, Mary! I wish my dental ordeal was over......just that one is completed. I still have three more to do.....one of which is tricky. Ugh. I still need to get brave enough to make that appt. I should just go do it now.......sigh.

      They are good people. most of the time. I have had my fair share of dental offices or dentists who I could never recommend.

      I am loving these purple rags. My husband has said at least once a week since Christmas after I cleaned the window in my room: That window sure is clean! And I have only cleaned one side of it so far.......

      I want to get some more to keep one in each car. Water is all you need!

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  2. Chari,

    I am a real coward when it comes to teeth. I don't even like sitting in the chair for my regular check-ups. So glad to hear your procedure went well. It sounds like your surgeon has a wonderful manner as well as having excellent dental skills.

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    1. Oh, his manner was fair......but the flowers lovely!

      I am so sorry it is so hard for you. I get that. :/

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  3. Chari, I too wish I could be home more as I work full time these days. My kids are small so I don't miss so many "events", but I hate not being with them as they grow up. My homemaking suffers greatly and I am not naturally good at keeping house, so it tends to be a pigsty around here and that makes me sad for my family. And another thing that I lose is the opportunity to pursue friendships with women in my community that I really like and admire and I know would encourage me in following God and being a wife and mother--I'm an introvert and work uses up pretty much all my social energy, never mind most of my time. Praying for you and I appreciate your prayers as well! And "sometime" I'd love to have a cup of tea with you!

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    Replies
    1. I so get that, Harmony! Work uses up so much of my social energy that, sad as it is.....I feel too wiped out to even be social with the people that live in my house. It is like I need to be a hermit for at least one day after I work.

      I would love to share a cup of tea with you.......I had Shawna give me your phone number......someday I will contact you. :)

      I am hoping to bring some feral cats in next week.......maybe I will see you ;)

      Keeping you in my prayers! And thank you for yours!

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