bad stuff

I've got a kid who's working for another hour and a half and then has an hour long drive, and my brain is swarming with all kinds of crazy, so here I am to get some of it out.  Recently I was at something at church, a specific event for people to help each other in their Christian walk, and there was this older woman going on and on about all of the bad stuff in the world (persecution of Christians, dangerous storms...) this end of the world stuff is not common in the Catholic church.  This particular woman doesn't even go to my church, and I think she's got some senility issues (and more), but was basically on a tirade..."what are you doing about this?"  kind of thing.  It was awkward and uncomfortable.  I kind of asked myself what am I doing about that?  Praying!  That's about all I can do about A LOT of the terrible things that are going on in the world.  More recently a similar thing happened on my facebook page.  Someone more or less criticized me for not doing anything about a bad situation that has happened locally.  Like the loud woman at the church, this person clearly has her own baggage, but sheesh!  I am not a fan of confrontation.  So often confrontation just comes up out of nowhere.  In this case I was totally blindsided.  I really don't want to come across hypocritically so I really analyze these kinds of accusations even when they are completely unfounded.  How can I sleep at night when there are people being beheaded?  When there are kids being abused?  When there are wars?  When there is so much suffering? etc etc and WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT?  Well like I said, praying.  At least most of the time I'm praying, sometimes, like today it's more of a whiney fist shaking conversation with God.  Sometimes you have to put your own oxygen mask on first.  After that you have to put the masks on those loved ones who are closest to you.  Sometimes that uses up all you have and you just have to pray that the rest of the world gets their oxygen mask.  It cannot all depend on me.  Tomorrow I am going to a funeral and a dermatology appointment.  Jake and Madi  are going to hand out food at a local food pantry.  Tomorrow night I will teach religious education to 9th graders, while my three kids will be volunteering at the theatre (well one of them might be getting paid).  On Thursday I am taking a dear dear friend for cancer treatment.  On Thursday I will also be praying for my parents who are going up to CT to be with my brother (who I pray for constantly).  Am I tooting my own horn?  Maybe, but my point is, my dance card (or prayer card or service card or whatever) is a little full.  If most of my day is spent tending to things like this, I'm kind of thrown for a loop when people accuse me of not doing more.  Maybe there is more I could do.  Maybe writing this is not the absolute best use of my time.  Maybe instead of watching reruns of comedies before bed I could do something more worthy.  But maybe those comedies are helping me to function or I'd be able to do even less than I'm doing now. 


PS I've lost track of how many times I've cried today, sometimes THAT is all you can do.

Photo dump and brain drain

I drank poison (aka diet coke) twice today so I'm awake in a quiet hotel room at almost 1am.  The funny coffee story about tracking down Night of Joy tickets after they were sold out involved only finding tickets for last night.  Even though we didn't order tickets in a timely manner (the no job thing) we did reserve a hotel room for two nights (the free points thing and new job means some traveling and more points so we don't have to hoard the ones we have).  Thus tonight I find myself in a quiet hotel room where Jake and Mike are sleeping.  Madi is sleeping at home (where Grandma is also still sleeping), and Jonathan is still working crowd control at the tomorrowland galaxy stage for another 17 minutes, then should have about a 15 minute trip to his car and 25ish minute drive to this quiet free hotel room.  By the time that transpires the diet coke will hopefully have worn off and I can get some sleep.  In the meantime, I'm making use of my wakefulness by loading all my phone pics onto my computer and maybe transferring some of them to this (maybe resurrected?) blog.  In doing so I might also clear some of the thoughts from my head, we'll see.

Madi got to play a lead-ish role in the final production of Legally Blonde way back in July.  Here's a glimpse.  (Incidentally, she rocked it!!)

 

Then there was Aladdin (or Jafar as it may be).

and an old favorite from Jake's first Aladdin

Jonathan had some pretty fun hands on projects for two of his summer classes Weasley twin fever fudge for his Harry Potter class and the Globe Theatre for his Renaissance class.  (he got As in both) (the projects and the classes)

A little more instagramed Jafar.

 

A prayer shawl made for me by a special lady at church.  Also known as the before hairdo.

 

The current hairdo, disregard the wideness of me.

Couples at the Dolly Awards.

The Dolly girls!

Jake's world cake for week 2 of exploring countries and cultures.

A chemistry matter experiment for the first day of school.

 

Jake made delicious corn chowder for week 3 of exploring countries and cultures recipe from that book.  No filter my phone, camera lens is actually missing and this is as clean as I can get the nonlens part so dirt is the filter.

Jake and Joe's first bookclub discussion for this book.

Tiffany's right, that's what Thursday was.

 

Which brings us essentially to the present.  Jonathan has texted that he's left and should get here in give or take 20 minutes.  I did a fair job of photo dumping, but was a little weak on the brain drain.  I'm guessing the diet coke is wearing off because I'm getting a little sleepy.

 

Madi bought a car (not sure if I said that already).  She may or maynot have had a date-ish thing with a (Catholic) boy I haven't met yet at Starbucks.  (she also might read this)

 

Jake is running lights for two weeks of a mainstage show.  Everyone in charge trusts him.  He still has this terribly annoying sniffing tick that he can't seem to stop.  Before that there was the blinking tick, and before that the weird faces, not to mention the licking of his lips (and half his face) with his monstrous tongue.  I've joked (or half joked) that it's Tourette's.  He even told kids in school last year that he had Tourette's (when they asked about the tick du jour).  Our pediatrician who I trust immensely doesn't think that's what it is.  He doesn't do the sniffing in his sleep and he had it checked out at his physical (no sinus infection or anything), but eastern air tea and natural silver shield and western nasal spray have not touched it.  And my screaming about it doesn't seem to do much good either.  This is a long way of saying I'm concerned about his sniffing in the tech booth carrying down to the patrons who pay $21 to see this show.  That and he's my kid so I'm concerned in general.  (A tick like that might be spelled tic, I don't know, but it's technically tomorrow morning already so I'm not going to look into it right now.)

 

 

 

 

In a dark quiet hotel room my computer screen is exceptionally bright.  I'm not sure how to adjust it.

 

I think I'm out of things to talk about.  Thanks for keeping me company in my dark quiet hotel room.  Goodnight!

 

I "published" this at 1:30 am so it is technically Sept 7 and my godson's 13th birthday, but blogger thinks it is only 10:30 and still the 6th.  Maybe it had too much diet coke too.

7 QTs that should deserve their own post

Years ago I posted one specific week in July that felt full enough to be a Christmas letter (I've used the blog as a Christmas letter analogy many times).  These days we've found ways to cheat on a Christmas letter by writing a short poem and finding picture cards that have a little space for a short short write up.  I guess I do a lot of cheating in the blogging division as well.  Sometimes living life is so full it's hard to take time out to chronicle it.  Anyway one week in the summer years ago it felt like we had a whole Christmas letter's worth of material, first mission trip for the kids, first exchange students, new car for Mike and probably more that I am forgetting, I'm sure there was a show thrown in there somehow.  Well this week could likely be considered one of those weeks as well.  for starters..

1. Mike got a job!!  Technically he got offered two jobs this week after a very slow summer in the job availability department. 

2. We have gone to Disney's Night of Joy for the last 6 years.  We had all intentions of going this year as well, and Mike's brother from Connecticut was even going to be joining us with his new girlfriend.  They bought their tickets weeks ago.  We did not.  Between no job etc, we knew at least some of us would go but hadn't gotten around to buying tickets.  Plus Jonathan works there so there was the whole should he pick up shifts for that night?  Does he get in free?  etc...etc... anyway... he picked up support shifts which means he should be working near one of the tomorrowland stages and maybe meet some performers...cool!  We didn't attempt to buy our tickets until the 2 job offers were on the table and guess what...sold out!!!  EEnyway... we have connections (and a funny coffee story for you, Ann Marie!) and we got tickets at least for tonight.  In the meantime here's a little stroll down memory lane...

NOJ 2008

NOJ 2009

 

NOJ 2011

 

3. Why do I always blog when it's almost time to get Jake to band?  Time to speed things up a bit.

 

4. Rob has been doing so much better on his new treatment, but this week has been really rough, he's had a fever and had to go off the treatment for a few days.  Prayers are always appreciated.

 

5. We had two awesome weeks of school and then this week happened.  The first job offer (the one he is not taking) brought me and Mike to Atlanta on Monday-Tuesday which meant less school happened without mom.  Then Wednesday Jake and Madi joined other homeschooled youth from our parish for some food pantry work...better than school, but still leaves school undone.

Thursday was I don't even know what and today Madi and her coworkers took their boss out to lunch.  We won't fall behind, we won't fall behind...say it with me.

 

6. I have big plans of at least documenting some of our homeschool year on here, but time is running low so that won't be today.

 

7. "Grandma" (Mike's mother) moved down here last month (she bought a house down here two years ago), her house is getting all kinds of fixed up (tile, paint...), but we are on day 36 of her sleeping at our house... 'nuff said.

 

Join Jen who's going to have her own show on The Catholic Channel for more takes.