7-Quick Takes

Join the other Quicktakers at This Ain’t the Lyceum.

1. I’ve been binge watching Jane Fonda’s new series on Netflix, Grace and Frankie.  The premise isn’t all that interesting, although it’s nice to see Lilly Tomlin again. But what fascinates me is a show with two  70+ year old women on screen, playing characters with vibrant lives and interests.  Jane Fonda makes getting old look easy, and her sense of style is impeccable.  As a 50-something, I’m learning a lot from her (although I still dislike her politics!)

2.  Calvin seems to be thriving in his new job. One of his fellow paramedics posts pictures almost daily and when I told him I was Calvin’s mom, he friended me on Facebook – so I’ll be able to see what Calvin’s up with more regularity. Looks like they got to drive the state-of-the art ambulance rigs this week!

3.  Noah started spiritual direction this week as he gets ready for his senior year and starts to discern whether he will go to the seminary or not.  Father V. asked him when he first thought he might have a calling to the priesthood, so Noah shared his story with him.  Then he told me too. Apparently, in Sunday School (PSR) one week, when he was getting ready for first communion, the class saw a picture of a priest consecrating the host, and Noah got the feeling that he could do that! I’ve know for a long time that  Noah felt called to the priesthood from a young age, but I did not know that PSR played a part in it. I think his father (who has been teaching in the PSR program now for 15 years) was happy to hear that!

Father Lew via Flickr licensed cc

4.  Rosie ran in a meet against some high schoolers this week, which turned out to not be as challenging as I thought it would be. Only three girls ran in the 1600 – a 6th grader, a high school student and then Rosie. Rosie came in second, (the 6th grader won) but I don’t have their times. Later Rosie told me she was surprised that when she passed the high school student, “she didn’t even put up a fight mom!”  Indeed.

By the way, Rosie is going to get to run with the high school boys team this summer – I think she’s going to have an awesome cross country season!

5.  I have been feeling soooo tired in the afternoons lately.  to the point that I just had to lie down around 2:30 and rest for half an hour or more. Then on Mother’s Day, I was taken out for breakfast, had a big lunch and a substantial dinner and felt great – I think I’m not eating enough calories during the weekdays!  So I’ve added a little dark chocolate in the afternoons and that seems to help – but I might have to start eating a bigger breakfast to keep my energy up! Metabolism is a tricky thing!

6.

 I am going to a Blogging conference – it’s really close to me and I have never done anything really aimed specifically at my blogging before. Plus it’s for Catholic women so that makes sense to go; but I do have a few qualms.

The organizers posted a list of the attendees so far. Let’s just say that I could take any two of the attendees listed at random, add their ages together and I ‘d still have lived longer!  I could probably add the ages of their blogs together and have more years of that too – so I’m feeling a little long in the tooth.  Will I fit in? They all seem to be juggling babies and homeschooling kindergarten, and I’m planning a wedding, watching my granddaughter, and preparing high school courses!

I hope I won’t be the square peg in the round hole – but I’m also hoping to meet some nice like minded ladies, so if they can accept me as I am, gray hair and all, it should be a great conference.

7. When I was a little girl, my great uncles all sold World Book Encyclopedia. One of the divisions of World Book was called Childcraft.  All of my relatives had a set of World Books and Childcraft books.

One of the perks of getting the Childcraft set was getting his nifty farm scene for your wall.  We had this in our playroom when I was growing up.  It’s about 4 feet by 2 feet and took up a good deal of the wall, but I remembered looking at the scene and thinking it was just perfect – just the ideal picture of life.

After I got married and the farm was sold, I kept that picture folded up square and stuffed into my cedar chest.  It was in there for over 30 years.  A few weeks ago, I was going through the chest and found it again. I showed Mr. Pete and my kids and told them what I remembered of it.  Then I folded it up back up and put it in the chest.

On Mother’s Day, Mr. Pete presented it to me, dry mounted and framed!  It’s beautiful!  And that dear man let me hang it in our bedroom, so when I wake up, the sun is shining on it and it’s the first thing I see.

Of course, jokester that he is, Mr. Pete’s cell phone alarm is a rooster crowing – so it seems appropriate!