I have a few very early childhood memories. I grew up in Chicago on Greenbay Avenue right in front of the Marblehead Lime Company. Anyone who grew up there will remember the days when everything was coated in a film of white powder. It’s probably why I have asthma now that I think about it. That’s not a very good memory, let’s skip that.
One thing that I remember very fondly was my transistor radio. In my mind, I think it was in a white leather case, much like this brown one here.
Mine was white
My Transistor Radio
I LOVED that thing. I was probably 4 or 5 years old when I had it. It was my most prized possession, other than my dolls probably. I was the kind of kid that could play in my room alone for hours. That radio was my go to comfort in the evenings or at nap time. I remember pulling up the antenna and turning the dial to find whatever I wanted to listen to. I remember listening to baseball games, music, and stories read over the radio. I think that was my favorite. I listened to funny stories, adventure stories, and I even liked to listen to scary stories! My older brother would listen to the scary stories with me sometimes. He had his own transistor radio, but it was fun to listen together.
I was reading by 3 years old (I went to school with my older brother because my mom was a teacher aide, so I learned to read with him). So listening to stories was just an extension of reading for me I think. I still love to read and I still love to listen to stories while I am busy creating things (crochet, painting or otherwise crafting). I just got an Audible account on my kindle and I love listening to the stories.
What is your earliest memory? Let me know in the comments!
When I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes approximately 2 years ago, I was devastated. I had fasting blood glucoses that were very high and my first A1C was 12.7! The first trip to the grocery store was extremely overwhelming as I looked at all of the labels of the food I usually bought and saw how tiny a serving size was and how many carbohydrates each serving had in it. I literally cried in the store that day. I had no idea what I could or should eat. My doctor had just told me to watch my sugars and the websites I visited said to eat a low carb diet. It really wasn’t very helpful at all.
A few months later, I found a diabetic education class that met once a week or 4 weeks in a town about an hour away from where I live. It was the best thing I could do. I also joined the American Diabetes Association forums – click here to see the site (and subscribed to the magazine) and the support and advice I got from both of those groups was amazing. I learned what I could eat and how to test my blood sugars to get to the optimal ranges. I learned daily exercise is important (though I admit I am terrible at this). I was also put on Metformin. I could only tolerate a low dose, but luckily for me it really worked for me as I worked to control my numbers through my diet (and occasional exercise). I lost weight (25-30 lbs since diagnosis – that 5 pounds keeps fluctuating). Things continued to get better. My A1C decreased to 7 by the first time it was retaken! By last summer it was down to the 6’s.
How far have I come with my Type 2 Diabetes.
My A1C was drawn a couple weeks ago. Last week I got the great news that it was now 5.8! WOW. I actually thought it would be higher because I did a lot of cheating over the holidays. My doctor took me off of the metformin and I now have to do it all (control my blood glucose) through diet and exercise.
It’s been less than a week since I am trying this and it has not been easy. My numbers have been high to low…I am having trouble getting things into the range I really want (they aren’r ridiculously high, but the lows are troubling because they happen quickly with just a little bit of exercise). I think I need to go back to the diabetic counselors and get things figured out so I can do this right. It’s a little scary being off of the medication, but it’s also exciting. I don’t want the chemicals in my body unless I absolutely need them. Pray for me or send good vibes my way. With God’s help I know I can do this! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! – Phillipians 4:13.
Question for you.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, how are you controlling your blood glucose numbers? What advice would you give me?
Remember that song? There’s a new song out too, you can search for it on YouTube if you’d like. It’s a little dark for my liking but I relate none-the-less! Who hasn’t thrown their very own pity party at least once in a while?
Pity parties are one of my least favorite types of parties, but there are just times in your life that you just want, no need to, throw yourself one. There are all sorts of reasons and I get into that a little later but first we need to define what a pity party is.
So, what is a pity party. I think the Urban Dictionary has a great definition that you really need to read here. But in short, it says a pity party is a “way of experiences grief, in which you spend your time feeling sorry for yourself and whining endlessly about how crappy your life is…” To be clear, I am not talking about the way you experience grief after a major life event. View the stages of loss and grief here. I’m talking about the feeling sorry for yourself & whining type of pity party. You’re with me on that right?
Why do we throw a pity party?
We have many reasons or excuses to have a pity party. Perhaps we think we were treated unfairly at work or school. Maybe there was a break up or suddenly our BFF was a complete jerk out of the blue. Many times we can have a pity party because of the cards we were dealt in relation to our health or wealth!
As the mom of a child with several chronic illnesses, I have had my own pity parties when I am overwhelmed by it all. Why my kid? Why don’t the doctors understand and fix her? Where did all my “leave” go (doctor appointments, staying home to support her when she’s too sick)? Why can’t I have a big vacation (no money, no leave)? And on and on. These pity parties don’t take too long. I cry it out in the shower, then dry off and put my big girl panties on and deal with it. I love my children and this is what a mom does.
As the mom of a teenage mom (other daughter now 21 and a mom of 2), I know I have had many pity parties related to this whole situation. Again, why my kid? Didn’t I teach her better than that? People are going to think I am a terrible mother! Ha! I’m now raising her oldest child while she is finishing cosmetology school. Some might say I am enabling her to use me. But in reality I am enabling her to do well in her life and be able to get a decent job to help raise her kids. But I digress, this is about me and my pity parties. I can have some because this is a time in my life when both of my girls are older (the younger one is 15) and I should have a little time to myself right? Not so much with a four year old. I get feelings of selfishness once in a while and whine about it. But I cry it out, create some art or crochet something and get over it.
My husbands aunt shared with me how she and her daughter (then a teen) would occasionally throw themselves a pity party when the daughter was in a serious car wreck and hospitalized for some time. They would have cake and ice cream and a good cry during their pity parties. And why not, it sucks recovering from injuries in a hospital! But they would have their pity party and then get on with the business of healing.
I think a pity party can be a healthy thing. Not necessarily eating the cake and whole tub of ice cream, but letting your emotions out is very healthy mentally. Sometimes we just need a good cry. Sometimes we need to vent.
But I’m of the belief that we shouldn’t hold long pity parties and I don’t think we should invite too many people to the party. You know when someone is having one and they want to invite you in because they are posting about it on social media. I’m all about giving a hug or an ear where it’s needed but please, don’t drag me into a rage or depression over what has got you down. Let’s keep it to sympathy or empathy! It can’t get ugly destructive when the wrong folks come to your pity party – what if all of you were having a pity party at the same time about different things and you all just added to each others piles. Not cool, especially if you can’t end your pity parties when they need to be ended.
Pity parties that last too long can turn into depression. If you have trouble ending your pity party you should probably seek help. Talk to a trusted friend about why you are feeling this way and ask them to help you! Go to your pastor if you are religious, pray about things and give it over to God, ask for help. Go to a psychologist or other counselor and get help. There’s even online help (Here’s one potential source of help).
So go ahead and have your pity party. Cry, scream, eat a tub of ice cream if you want. But then say a little prayer, count your blessings, and blow out those candles on that party cake. Now go have some fun.
My taxes are done! I e-filed today! I have “rendered unto Caesar the things that are Caesars..” (Matthew 22:21). “Caesar” also gets to give me a little back.
That part is always nice. A little refund is welcome to me. If it weren’t for our “little deductions” (and the big ones too (house)), we’d probably owe taxes. We’ll have to re-figure our W-4’s once the little guy starts school full time and child care costs diminish.
A Hot Topic.
Taxes are such a heated topic among politicians and those who like to discuss politics (I’m really not one of those folks). We are hearing plenty of talk on the subject by the political candidates right now though the debates and political ads. Our tax dollars fund a lot of things and you should probably look up how that money is spent. Go straight to the source here. There are many good government programs and some that maybe aren’t. My point here is not to get into a political debate, rather I am just pointing you to some facts on where our tax dollars are really spent, instead of believing potentially misleading commercials or statements. You should also look up all of the candidates plans for taxes and their tax voting record.
Catholic Viewpoint on Taxes & Voting
I’m not an expert in this subject at all. A few years ago (2008), Archbishop Charles J. Chaput authored a book for Catholics (and anyone else) facing a U.S. election year, called “Render Unto Ceasar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life” (Find book on Amazon). It may be a great time for you to read the book for the first time (or again), especially if you are Catholic, and are struggling to pick a candidate to endorse (as I am). You can also read the transcript of a talk the Archbishop gave on the same subject here.
Paying taxes is a civic duty we must all engage in; as is voting in our elections. I have participated in my tax duties and will vote this year. Will you?
Do you have your taxes done? Let me know in the comments.
Lent is a time when many Catholics “give up” something for 40 days. It’s a way to hopefully discipline ourselves – taking away something that we’ve become addicted to or spend too much time doing. Some people choose to “take on” something that will help them grow spiritually. Those practices could include going to mass daily instead of just on Sunday, helping at a soup kitchen weekly, going to do the Stations of the Cross on Fridays, or taking on the reading of spiritual books. See my recent post for more.
Books that are geared towards spiritual growth are plentiful. You can even listen to audio books as well. Here’s a list of books that I have enjoyed reading over the years or that I am looking forward to reading this Lent (in no real order).
My Top 10 Books to Read for Lent
10. Memorize the Faith by Kevin Vost. I read this book in chunks. There are a lot of things to memorize in the Catholic religion! The system used in this book is built upon the mnemonic system of St. Thomas Aquinas. If you need help memorizing the Ten Commandments, the Stations of the Cross, the Books of the Bible, and many other Catholic things, this is the book for you.
9. A Guide to the Passion, 100 Questions About the Passion of the Christ by the Editors of Catholic Exchange. I know many people will watch Mel Gibson’s movie every Lent. This guide is a great companion to the movie.
8. Spirituality You Can Live With – Stronger in Faith in 30 Days by Chris Padgett.( Find his book here.) There are 40 days in Lent, but once you get through the 30 chapters with questions for reflection you will have achieved some spiritual growth. I really liked this book.
7. The Cross and the Beatitudes by Fulton J. Sheen. This 92 page book is one I read (or at least read parts of) every Lent since I got the book. It really speaks to me. With lessons on mercy, purity, poverty, zeal, peace, and mourning, I am sure you will find something that speaks to your heart as well.
6. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I have never gotten through this book but this Lent, I am going to do it. Probably through the audio book.
5. Scripture, Nourished by the Word by Margaret Nutting Ralph, PhD. This is a great book if you are looking to learn about the meanings of the storied in the Bible in short format.
4. Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice A guide for Spiritual Survival by Rev. Joseph F. Classen. I love this book! The writer, Fr. Classen, is an outdoors man who loves hunting and fishing. Much of his spiritual story telling is gleaned from his experiences of God’s creation. In these ways, he speaks to my heart. Many of his stories are set in the Midwest too and it’s fun reading about his experiences at places I’ve been.
3. Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. My pastor at St. John Vianney Church, Fr. Scott Mansfield, recommended this book. If you are looking to better understand virtues and live a more virtuous life, this book is for you.
2. Living Lent With Mercy – Encouragement & Daily Prayer by Pope Francis. Obviously his book just came out for Lent this year. I just downloaded it onto my Kindle.
The Holy Bible. l don’t think anyone could go wrong reading a bit from the Bible daily.
What books would you recommend reading for spiritual growth this Lent? Leave me a note in the comments with your favorites.
Can you believe Lent is here already? Wasn’t it just Christmas?! It seems like it got here in a hurry this year. Ash Wednesday is February 10th – that’s this coming Wednesday. Did you know Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation? It isn’t, but going to mass on Ash Wednesday and receiving ashes on your forehead is a good way to start the Lenten season. Lent is a time for reflection, repentance and spiritual growth.
This year Pope Francis asks us to remember the importance of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. If you’ve forgotten what those are, fear not, I have it covered!
Many people give up things like Cheetos and chocolate for Lent. Some may even give up things like Facebook. These practices are all fine, if done with the right intentions. But how about we give up things like pride, greed, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and laziness (the seven deadly sins)?
Let’s strive to grow in the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance; and the Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Or how about growing in self-control, compassion, responsibility, patience, a sense of duty, self-discipline and restraint, honesty, loyalty, friendship, courage, and persistence?
Matt Linton (See the article at Busted Halo) summed up Lent beautifully, “…Lent is as much about quitting the obligations that clutter our life as it is about learning to dedicate ourselves to more eternal tasks…”
This Lent, I’m not going to give up Cheetos or chocolate or even Facebook as I have done in the past. But I am going to work on self-discipline and restraint. I am going to work on controlling my Type 2 Diabetes through exercise and diet. I need work on other areas as well in the same category. Patience is also an area I can use some growth in. All of the virtues could use growth if I am really honest with myself. I’ll be reading some books, including the Bible, to help my spiritual journey (look for a post coming really soon). I’ll also be looking for opportunities to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy and to grow in virtue.
Please share your ideas for spiritual growth in the comments. Let’s help each other grow this Lent.
Have you ever imagined spending a day with someone from the past? Who would that person be? In Chris Padgett’s book, “Wholly Mary, Mother of God,” Chris invites the reader to imagine spending a day with Mary. Jesus’ mom. I’ve been wanting to learn more about Mary and why she may be important in my life so I picked up this book. I am glad I did. This invitation caught my eye. It was just a sentence on a page filled with the Good News of the Gospel, but it struck me and now you get to read about my imaginary day with Mary. ( I hope you don’t think I am nuts).
Goodness, if I really had this opportunity to take a time machine and spend a day with Mary, I think I would be a nervous wreck. What would I wear? Would she care? Would she know I don’t say the rosary very often and when I do, I usually fall asleep doing so? I’m probably overthinking things and I think she would be happy just to see me. At least that is what I am going to imagine, happy Mary. Motherly Mary, loving Mary.
Here we are on the big day. I arrive at Mary’s house. I don’t know why, but I am picturing an adobe type house (is that realistic? I’m not doing period research so bear with me). I’m dressed nicely, but not in formal wear or anything. No heels, I just can’t walk in them, I have weak ankles. I quickly forget about all that. Mary is beautiful, the kind of beauty that radiates from the inside out. She welcomes me and offers an embrace that feels so good, warm, loving. The kind you get from your grandma or your own mom when you haven’t seen them in a while. You know you are loved in that embrace.
She is happy to see me. She’s been waiting for me to visit for a long time. She knows I have lots of questions for her, but she offers me a cup of tea first. As we sit, I almost don’t know where to start. So I guess I’ll start at the beginning.
“What was it like being told by the angel that God had chosen you to be the mother of Jesus?” (Luke 1:26-38). That has to be my first question. I would be scared to death at age 14 and such a big mission! I imaging she laughs a little and then gets a nostalgic look on her face and begins telling me about that day. She goes on to tell me about how Joseph reacted as well. What a good man he was to believe and accept the news when he easily could have left her. I am sure the story is a beautiful one and a hard one as well, we all know from the bible the essential parts of that story.
Manger scene
My next question would be, “how was Jesus as a baby and a boy?” I am still raising kids and grandkids so the insight could be valuable. The Bible says very little about His childhood. What mom wouldn’t want to know if she had to get after Him to clean up his toys or help out at dinner? The Bible does tell us that He was obedient to his parents (Luke 2:51). She laughs, I imagine, and assures me that He was a little boy after all…
“How did you know Jesus could and would change water into wine at that wedding party (John 2:1-12)?” The boldness of Mary amazes me. His response is classic kid to mom response – you know the story – but Jesus is obedient to her even then and performs his first miracle. She just knew, she had faith in HIM. It was also the best “party trick” ever, she laughs.
I have to ask her to tell me about Joseph. The Bible says so little about him. He was a faithful Jew and a carpenter. She tells me about his firm, calloused but loving hands, I imagine, and how he helped her to teach Jesus.
We finish our tea and head outside to continue as we walk. I imagine she loves God’s creation (nature) as I do. His paintbrush always amazes me.
We walk and talk about getting to know the disciples and how Jesus ministry grew. We talk about how her role in His life changed as time went on, but she was always there praying for Him. When Jesus was gone in the dessert for 40 days (Luke 4:1-13), I imagine she tells me that she prayed so hard for him, “like you must do for your children. For they will be tempted too, but Jesus will win them over.”
The next question is so hard. When I was a child I would cry hearing the Passion story acted out at Mass. I could never shout “crucify him,” I wanted to stop the dramatic reading and say, “don’t you know who HE is?” I ask, “How did you handle that awful time?” I can’t stand my own child’s pain, must less the passion and death of Jesus. We both shed a tear, and it pierced her heart like a sword. But she also knew it was God’s will and that His death would save us all. “He gave me to you (and John and everyone) as your mother (John 19:26-27).” “Come to me any time you need me to pray for you, my son listens to his mama,” I imagine her saying.
It’s time for me to go home, but I get another warm embrace and I know I will spend more time with Mother Mary.
If you had the chance to go back in time and talk to someone, who would it be and how would it go? Let me know in the comments or on my facebook page.
I’ve challenged myself to read more in 2016 and I am off to a pretty good start. I really enjoy reading all kinds of books and my list will show some of that diversity. My list will certainly grow as I borrow and buy new books pretty regularly (time to start reading them all). Here is my initial booklist that I’ve already read this year, am currently reading, or books that are waiting to be read.
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs (the 3rd book in the Peculiar Children Series). I have to admit I didn’t like this book as much as the first two. The story line was only held together by the pictures especially in the beginning. It finished better than it started and I did like the ending. I won’t ruin it for you if you decide to read it.
Wholly Mary, Mother of God by Chris Padgett. I’m almost done reading this one and it’s has sparked an idea for a blog post which I am working on. It’s also sparked a closer relationship with Mary. Love it, love Chris’s writing.
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. I assigned this as reading to my daughter and I happen to have two copies of the book, so I thought I’d read it too. I haven’t read it since I was a kid.
The Sassy Way to Starting a Successful Blog When You Have No Clue by G. Gabrielle. This is a kindle book and it’s how I am building this blog. Good book. Recommend it. I also contacted the author via email (which she provides in the book) and she got back to me with the answer to my question!
The Art of Spiritual Writing by Vinita Hampton Wright. I’ve read only one chapter of this book. I hope it is as good as the reviews!
The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom. Looks like a great book!
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This one comes highly recommended by several people.
WordPress Bootcamp by David Maxwell. Another Kindle book I just downloaded. I have lots to learn on WordPress.
What are you reading? Do you have a favorite booklist? Let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page!
Make prayer a priority, not an after thought. Make it to confession (I’m Catholic) monthly – make an appointment if necessary! I also need to be more of a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.
Make family a priority. Not that they never were, but I spend too much time on Facebook, need to tame that beast.
Be creative everyday. Do a coloring page, crochet, paint, or do any of the crafts I like – just do something. It’s my outlet.
Blog at least once a month, but work towards once a week). I have things I want to say, so I am going to say them.
Get organized. The house needs it, my life needs it. I already have two new binders to help organize my life. Getting more…
Read more! Doing the 2016 Book Challenge. I love reading but often read FB instead…going to quit that habit and read a book before bed instead.
Exercise everyday and eat healthy (plan meals)! Health is a gift – I need to quit wasting it away.
Mid- January Update:
It’s half way into this month. I’m doing well with almost all of my goals, except the exercise. I’m about to get serious about that however, with an upcoming challenge at work. I will not let my team down. Let’s pray my hip holds up! My blog is changing…if you have been following me on my free WordPress Blog, you can switch to follow me here. I’m not savvy enough to figure out how to move all that old stuff over, so I am starting fresh! TheBattyOwl.com is so much fun. I am so glad the domain name was available. It just fits me. I will be working on making this website amazing over the next few weeks/months and I hope you enjoy it.
Please let me know what you think about the site so far!
February 2, 2016 Update:
Prayer has definitely made it’s way back to the top of my priority list. I’ll be scheduling reconciliation soon! Family is a priority of course but goodness, sometimes time gets away from me and I can’t do all I’d like too. Organization wise, some things have improved, others – not so much. It’s a work in progress. Becoming debt free – seems like a joke. Our clothes dryer is going to need to be replaced very soon. It’s taking several cycles to dry a load and that’s not energy efficient at all. If you know of a quick, cheap fix for an LG dryer give me a call (or email or text). I am reading a lot more. See my post on that (I need to learn how to link to that here!). I admit I am not exercising everyday but I am eating much healthier. We got a Ninja blender and it makes lots of green smoothies and other yummy healthy stuff!
How are you doing with your life goals? It’s not easy to stay on track but I am not giving up and I hope you aren’t either.
