Gitz Bits: Week 14

Monday, April 4, 2011

When Janella and Ron came to visit last weekend, we had said goodbye and then she ran back in because she forgot she had made something for me on their way here. She knitted me a washcloth on the drive over – just "whipped one up" were her words, I think.

The creativity of people never ceases to blow my mind. Look at those tiny stitches [do you call them stitches when knitting?]… anyway, that's a lot of stitches for a quick road trip. And although she assured me it was sturdy and meant to be used for a washcloth, I think it's too pretty and too much time was put in to get it wet.

I know, I'm kind of ridiculous.

So I'm using it on my bedside table to set the camera on so it doesn't get scratched. It seemed like a more important job for the work put into it than washing dishes. :)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Dawn was here cleaning on Tuesday when she ran back into my room saying, "Did you see that crazy man in that thing?" Which made no sense to me until I looked out the window.

Because that is a thing. Some may call it a car but I'm pretty sure half a windshield held together with duct tape and what looks like a bird's nest in the back seat doesn't qualify. However, she swore to me that someone drove the thing… that it is a car that actually starts… and parked it right there in front of my house. And she swore he was a normal looking, well dressed man and it made no sense…

…until I remembered that my neighbor Dave sometimes buys junk cars and restores them. And then I breathed a sigh of relief because I'm really not convinced that thing should be allowed on the road. :)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

But I would probably believe anything Dawn told me at this point, because the woman told me of this miracle.

A miracle called Golden Oreos. Did you all know this existed? And if so, WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE TELL ME????

Finally… after becoming allergic to cocoa I have a way around it to still eat that Oreo filling.

Apparently God loves me more than I realized. :)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

I told him to give the camera some love and this is what he came up with.

Friday, April 8, 2011

This little treasure is hanging on my closet door. Nicole's daughter Sophia made it for Riley when they were here… the girls had made me quite a few drawings and they wanted to make sure Riley didn't feel left out when they were gone.

Can you say sweet?

She was pretty proud of her spelling when I figured out right away that she was sounding out the word "love" – I think the fancy bubble letters may have gotten in the way of the order, but she definitely captured the pup's love of carrots on the side. :)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

It's proud Auntie time. :)

My Nie Nie had a dance competition this weekend and I was absolutely blown away when they sent along this picture. Yes, the one trophy is taller than her little sister!

Shannon told me they bought the DVD of her solo performance, so I'm waiting on pins and needles to see it myself. Considering she got first place in her age division, first place for her Junior solo AND first place in the overall competition, I'm preparing myself for quite a dance.

The thing I'm most proud of though? This kid's heart. She knows that she dances because she has a gift from God and that using it brings Him glory. And she's not afraid to tell you that very thing.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Janella had brought me a couple of canned goodies from her garden last weekend, and I was about to move them to the counter to take a nice photo of them when I realized you're probably more interested in how they really look before I pose them.

Sitting on my poor, cluttered dining room table next to some unopened mail, recent cards in the center bowl and random syringes my nurse left for later.

Welcome to real life. :)

Thanks for once again sharing my week with me! Click on the button below if you want to go to Jessica’s site and check out the other participants showing off their weekly photos as well:

5 minutes: if you met me

Since I missed it on Friday, I thought today I'd give Lisa-Jo's 5 minute prompt a go today. 

To refresh your memory, she chooses a topic and writes for five minutes.

Only five minutes.

And the rule is that whatever she writes about in that five minutes is what she posts. No editing her thoughts.

Today, her topic choice is "If you met me…"

So I'm going to set the timer, write some thoughts, and then I'm going to stop.

Ready? Set. Go.

::

If you met me, I honestly don't know what you'd think. Mostly because I don't know what you'd expect.

Would you expect me to wax poetically about God and life? Or be sarcastic and funny? Would you expect me to be loud or quiet? Would you expect me to sound like I write?

Which makes me wonder if I *do* sound like I write. I think so, but I don't think I'm probably the best judge of that. I always said I should have Susie guest post on here and give you guys the chance to ask her questions about me, because she'd be able to tell you about me better than I can. :)

I think I'm not always the best judge because I still think I am who I used to be. And I'm not entirely. I still think of myself as the loud girl who livens up a party and is the first one on the dance floor.

And considering my breathing doesn't allow enough air for me to be loud and my body doesn't allow me enough movement to dance, neither of those is true.

But if you met me, I think the essence of that girl would still be there. I would still be thrilled to see you. I'd be thrilled to talk with you and find out what makes you happy and sad … what makes you tick. I wouldn't care what we talked about. You could brag about your kids or tell me about a show you just saw or tell me your deepest, darkest secret and I would be equally interested because it would be what you needed to talk about in that moment.

And that's what would matter to me.

Mostly, if you met me… if you came here to the condo I affectionately term "Gitzapalooza"… I would want to make sure you came feeling welcomed and loved. And that you left feeling more filled up than when you came.

How that happens doesn't matter so much to me. What we talk about or do to make that happen doesn't matter so much to me. It just matters that you're filled.

Flashback Friday: Revealing Gold

Do you want to know what's worse than fighting an infection in your lungs? What the month's worth of antibiotics does to your stomach.

Not to be a big baby complainer or anything, but let's just say I'm not going to be sad when I'm done with this round and I stop throwing up everything I eat. Seriously.

Ahhh… Who said venting doesn't make a girl feel better? I feel better already!!!

:)

Truly, though, the best thing that has kept me occupied the last few days has been praying for your requests in Wednesday's comment section. Thank you SO MUCH for trusting me and each other with what you need. Praying for you is an honor I don't take lightly. I'm wondering if that's something we should do here once a month to keep in touch with what we need from each other. What do you think?

Let me know if you want me to do that in the comments and I'll follow up with you on it.

Ok, so on to today's post. The 5 minute Friday topic doesn't get put up until 11pm CST, and there is no way I'm going to make it until then tonight, so I'm pulling an old "Flashback Friday" on us today and hoping by next Friday I'll be back to my 5 minute ramblings.

Hope you enjoy. :)

::

{ORIGINALLY POSTED: SEPTEMBER 3, 2008}
Revealing Gold

I subscribe to an email that provides daily inspirational quotes. In all honesty, most of them aren't that inspirational or are so abstract it takes half a day to figure out what in the world they mean. It reminds me of when I took a course in college about Chaucer where my professor didn't teach us about Chaucer's works as much as he stood up in front of the room and read to us aloud in Old English.

I got a lot of napping done in that class. And it was one of those times when having the ability to write abstractly about nothing and make it sound convincing came in handy.

Today, though, my email quote was one that made me stop before I hit the delete button. I liked it. It's this quote by Tolstoy:

"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold."

I've spent a lot of time in my life looking at ways to grow, be that in my relationships with other people, in my faith, in my career or in my every day life. There are so many books out there that talk about pursuing dreams, enriching your marriage and growing in your spirituality. There are ways to educate your mind and increase your value both financially and personally. And none of those are bad things.

But sometimes I think the more I read about how to work toward things, the further away I get from the truth of who I already am. It's like the walls in my Grandpa Joe and Grandma Florence's old farm house. When we went back to see it before it was going to be torn down Mom and I stood in the dining room and she talked about all of the different wallpapers she remembered being in that house. We took a corner and peeled back a bit of the paper to reveal another underneath. And another. And another.

I can't imagine how many layers must have been there because instead of taking down the old paper when it got worn, Grandma just added a layer. And I think a lot of us do that with who we are.

Sometimes it's life that adds the layers on us. We have grief that we don't know what to do with so we put it on and wear it until it becomes comfortable. We have jobs that have to be done with work that we can't seem to leave at the office, so we add a layer. We have to make sure our families are fed and happy and cared for, that our kids have every opportunity and make it to every activity. We worry and rush and worry some more. And we add a layer for each.

Sometimes, like those strips of wallpaper on the drafty walls of an old farm house, the layers add a little insulation. There have been many times in my life when I've been scared or overwhelmed or unsure of myself, and the layers came in handy. A new wallpaper over my worn self-esteem kept everyone thinking that I had it all together. I remember starting college and thinking that people would only want to be around me if I was confident and self-assured.

But when I insulated myself from appearing scared or unsure I also could have insulated myself from people who, as it turns out, love me at my weakest as well as my strongest. I'm just lucky that at some point my layers peeled away enough for me to make that discovery.

And that's why I like this quote. Truth is like gold. It is unchanging. The truth is that we are born into this world and we are loved by God before we've done a single thing to earn it. In a lot of our growing and searching, what we are often searching for is a way to be good enough for people to love and accept us. Sometimes I think we'd accomplish that easier if we'd stop searching for ways to be better and peel away the layers first. If we would just stop and wipe away all that isn't gold, we'd see the truth that who we are is already loved. And always has been loved since before we were born.

We just have to stop long enough to make the discovery.

The Good and the Beautiful

Sometimes, when life gets crazy or redundant or just too much, I have to remind myself that I get to shift my perspective.

Even when circumstances can't be changed, how we look at them can be. Always.

Because I think we humans tend to look at life as black or white. Good or bad. Beautiful or ugly.

We all love to share the beautiful parts. We all love celebrating with each other and announcing our good news from the rooftops, but it's harder to look at the hard things, the seemingly ugly things, and shout those to everyone around us.

It's harder because we feel like we're burdening people with our burdens. We feel like our problems are probably small next to theirs, and it's not fun to look at the ugly things, and it's not easy to ask for prayer because we feel self-centered and selfish over the bad and the ugly.

I was online with some friends the other night when someone asked for prayer requests and within moments they were flooding in. Everyone felt safe with each other in that community, and I realized how blessed I was when everyone stated their needs without hesitation. And I wondered why we don't do that more often.

Why we don't just say what we need.

Because when we do, our burden is lightened. Our perspective can change. We know we're not going through this life alone.

Life is meant to be shared. The good, the bad and the ugly... which I think is really just the good and the beautiful to Him, you know. Things are hard for us, bad for us, ugly to us, but to Him it’s all just the pattern of life that brings us closer to Him. And there is beauty in that.

The good, the bad and the ugly... God can see ahead to the beauty that comes from the ugly. He's knows the beauty in the ugly pain that we can’t yet see. Our perspective shifts when we trust that He will bring beauty from our pain. That He will carry us as we carry our burdens.

And we can be Christ to each other as we help each other carry those burdens.

So I want to offer that to you today. A place where you can say what you need from us and we can pray for each other. Write your request in the comment, and pray for the person who commented before you.

Let's take the perspective of the good and the beautiful today in everything that's in front of us, let's make it beautiful by sharing it together.

How can we pray for you?

Gitz Bits: Week 13

Monday, March 28, 2011

So, now that I've posted this I realize you can't really see what it says. Basically, it says that my friend Mandy stood on the corner of Cool and Awesome and made recordings for me of the first few chapters of Ree the Pioneer Woman's new book so I could listen.

Nothing like having your friend make you an audio book when an audio book is not in existence.

R.O.C.K.S.T.A.R.

 

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

This is the photo where you all get to laugh at me and tell me I'm a dork.

So, I take A LOT of pills. I have four "day of the week" pill containers that I use each day. These should not be confused with the ever popular "days of the week" underwear.

I haven't had those since fourth grade.

Anyway, a couple of my dispensers aren't locking shut as tight so I ordered a couple new ones from drugstore.com, and thought I'd better get the jumbo size since I have up to 12 pills in a compartment.

Dude. THIS is jumbo size. WHO USES THESE? CRIPPLED GIANTS???

Needless to say, the only thing this will be holding is large quantities of my laughter. Because this is not a pill holder. It's more like an enormous ice cube tray or a way to make Jell-O shots for a sick chick party.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I heard sounds of Spring the other day, and they sounded like a lawn mower.

Turns out it wasn't a lawn mower. Instead it was the contraption that is in this picture, which I assume has something to do with lawn care.

Here's the thing: the kid is wearing warm clothes and a hat, but it's not a snow removal machine so that is Spring enough for me…

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Speaking of Spring, which is all about new life and such, there is a town near here that has a pair of eagles hatching their eggs. There is a camera on them 24/7 and I have been OBSESSED. [http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles]

The mom and dad eagles take turns sitting on the eggs and protecting them… so I took some screen shots so you can see them, too. Two of the eggs have now hatched and they are the cutest little white fuzzy animals you've ever seen. [Don't tell Riley.]

Since my energy has been low, I spend most of my time listening instead of watching. There is nothing better than laying in bed with my eyes closed while I listen to the sounds that come out of the computer… I can hear the wind blow and birds chirp and cars drive by… I can almost convince myself I have the windows open.

Friday, April 1, 2011

My brother Steve and sister-in-law Patience sent me this photo of heaven as they were flying from vacation in Florida back to Wisconsin.

I couldn't stop staring at it and wondered if this is what the "walk on water" feeling must have been like.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Now he's sulking. Ok. I take it back. Riley is the cutest white fuzzy animal on the planet…

Sunday, April 3, 2011

How much do you love those happy smiles?

I happen to love them a lot. This is my Aunt Janella, my dad's baby sister, and her husband Ron. They came to visit after attending the 20 year celebration at St. Stephen's yesterday… Janella is my godmother and worked at the student center during my first year of college. I was so blessed to have her there when I was branching out into college life.

I'm going to suggest that St. Stephen's has a yearly celebration instead of once every 20 years, because I sure liked the excuse of having them in town. :)

For the record, yes, Janella is wrapped up in a blanket. I SWEAR it's not that cold in my house, but everyone else seems to disagree with me…

Thanks for once again sharing my week with me! Click on the button below if you want to go to Jessica’s site and check out the other participants showing off their weekly photos as well:

Remembering.

This past weekend there was a celebration in my community that brought a lot of people back home to our Catholic student center on campus. Twenty years ago, just a short while before I came to the University to school, St. Stephen's celebrated its first Mass in the new building so many worked so hard to make a reality.

They had a dinner after Mass this Sunday for those who could come back and celebrate, and one of the organizers asked me if I would write something for them to read about my memories of the building that not only housed our chapel, but the offices and classrooms and lounge and cafeteria. The building that housed so many of us over the years who needed a place to pray or study or escape or just generally goof off.

So I wrote about it and am putting it on here today for all of those past members of that community who I know come here to read but couldn't come home for the party…

I can close my eyes and remember it still.

The way the air changes when you walk into the building… all bricks and mortar, but so much more.

It’s the closeness of the Spirit.

It’s the communion of saints… the community of people who embody the true meaning of being home and being family.

I can close my eyes and feel myself to the right of the altar, saying a prayer silently before stepping up to the microphone to open my heart and sing. It helped me to remember, with each filling breath, that it wasn’t about me.

It wasn’t about the priest who presided or the lector who spoke. It wasn’t about the singer at the microphone or the minister who handed you the Eucharist. It was about the Spirit that filled each word and breath and message. It was about being a vessel… an extension of the building and the Mass and the words and the song… a vessel for the Spirit to touch another soul.

Just as much as this building was filled with the Mass and the songs of Sunday, it was filled with the laughter of kids – because we were all just kids – as we found our way into a strange and freedom-filled world. It was about the quiet corners for homework and loud letting off of steam in the lounge. It was Wednesday night Mass and popcorn socials and finding a family that treasured your tears as much as your laughter.

I was never known to be quiet in the corner, I’m afraid. I discovered quickly that my voice carried from the baptismal font to the front of the chapel… but I was always met by the community with accepting smiles and warm hugs. St. Stephen’s was a place to touch base and remember who we were in a world that sometimes, oftentimes, wanted to change us.

That quiet trickle of the font… the same one that haunted us on Good Friday would be filled with praise on the Easter vigil. The Spirit always came and met us where we stood. Or knelt. Or praised. Or grieved. The Spirit that manifested itself in the community, that welcomed then and welcomes still, all who travel through on their journey to become who God intended them to be.

It has been a privilege to be a part of it. To have walked through those doors and felt the air heavy with the Spirit welcoming all who came. I won’t walk through the doors again, but because of you – the community of believers – there will always be a place in me that calls St. Stephen’s home.

5 minutes: favorite things

Today I'm linking up to Lisa-Jo aka gypsy mama, who chooses a topic every Friday and writes for five minutes.

Only five minutes.

And the rule is that whatever she writes about in that five minutes is what she posts. No editing her thoughts.

Today, her topic choice is "A few of my favorite things…"

So I'm going to set the timer, write some thoughts, and then I'm going to stop.

Ready? Set. Go.

::

"A few of my favorite things…"

Oh, please tell me you are all singing the song in your head right now… the strong voice of Julie Andrews that I pretended to have as I pretended to be her while singing along. We watched it every year, that and The Wizard of Oz, around the holidays. Dad said it was his favorite and he could listen to Edelweiss over and over.

He couldn't sing worth anything, but I think he imagined he could sing that song.

I'm not a person who is very good at picking favorites… I can never choose just one thing. I couldn't even choose a favorite stuffed animal when I was little [although Sugar the Bear really was at the top of the heap] because I was so afraid I'd hurt the feelings of the other stuffed menagerie that filled my bed. Favorites are hard when you assign emotions to even the most inanimate of objects.

My favorites now are still as plentiful. It's Riley laying his head on my arm and letting out a sigh of contentment, reminding me I am his only concern. It's the two rings of the phone before hanging up that Susie does to let me know she's calling and I should call her back if I feel well enough. It's the doorbell sound of the texting machine alerting me to a friend checking in, and the ding of the iPad saying another email from one of you is awaiting me when I'm ready.

It's Skyping with Shan so I can catch up with her in between Nie Nie telling me the latest and Yodi  displaying her missing tooth. It's Tyler standing outside my window so I can see his Taekwondo kick or Miss Anna crying to her mom that she feels like she belongs here at the condo and never wants to leave. It's a nephew emailing that he loves me around the world and back and it's my sister doing whatever it takes to make me feel like I'm a part of their world, no matter how far away they are.

It's the moments.

So, I guess I can choose. Moments are my favorite things. Moments can't be taken away or broken or replaced. They can only be given. Moments are now officially my favorite things.

I guess it just took a few moments of writing to figure that out. :)