Seven Quick Takes--Let's Talk Lent

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Hello friends!

From the blog this week: Yarn Along with progress!

Also speaking of yarn, I’ve started this Whatever the Weather knit along from Wonderland Yarns, and I LOVE IT. Essentially you take the low/high/average temp (whichever you choose) of the day, and that correlates to a yarn color. So you can see the temperatures of the year in yarn!

Here’s January—I chose the daily highs.

It’s a “mystery” knit along because we get a new “clue” every month. I think that every month is going to have a different stitch pattern, bordered by garter stitch rows (at the top of the bit here, you can see the rows) . But that’s just my guess. And I love working with these yarns—they’re so buttery and squishy!

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OK let’s talk Lent.

First, get a copy of my book. Please and thank you. :) If you would like to choose your retailer, here is a list of places you can get the book. You can also get it from your local Catholic bookstore!

Really, though, every sale means so much to me. My publisher has goals for sales, and I want to meet them so I can write another book! This really is a team effort. So thank you!

(also please leave an Amazon review if you haven’t.)

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I will be praying the Stations of the Cross, using the Living Memento Mori reflections, every Friday during Lent (except Good Friday), on my Facebook page. Check the events tab for all the dates! (If you like my page then you’ll get updates and you’ll know when I’m going live, so that’s another option to following along!)

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Since I can’t give up anything food related for Lent, and I am also VEHEMENTLY TOLD NOT TO FAST, I’ll be giving up social media usage except for book related and Stations related things. Also no yarn buying. :) Normally I give up buying books during Lent, but given that I’m still sort of stuck in my hobbit hole until I get the vaccine, I’m letting myself buy books.

I want to use SM as a force for good—hence doing stations on FB—but I also have to use it mindfully. I’ve found a lot of good on social media—I’ve made wonderful friends and connections. But, gotta use it mindfully, just like any other tool or “thing”. This is also a very Dominican thing—things aren’t bad in and of themselves, it’s how we use them. And as preachers of truth, we want to use media! That’s how we get the Word (and the word) out!

I’ll also be doing the Consecration to St. Joseph again, as well as 33 Days to Greater Glory. Last Lent I read about St. John of the Cross and then I read his Dark Night of the Soul. Not entirely sure what I will read this Lent. Probably more of the books I have stock piled here? :)

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It is probably not likely that I will receive both doses of the vaccine before Easter. However I am VERY much hoping to get to Mass during the Easter season and then be back to normal Mass going and sacramental life!

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Next week is clear but then I have three doctor appointments to round out February: eye doctor, ENT, and then transplant clinic. I hope everything goes well but I will keep you updated.

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And finally, here’s your weekly Patty. She cut her first tooth this week!

Seven Quick Takes--What a Week!

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Oh my goodness what a week around here!

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On Sunday I celebrated the birthday of my book! So that was a nice start to the week (or end of the week, depending on how you count the weeks!).

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Monday was…OK? I mean my body was still being sort of silly and my sleep was nuts, but it was all right.

Tuesday, however…..no bueno.

It began with finding an email saying that one of my favorite flower companies supports Planned Parenthood. This makes me sad and angry on several levels. One, that the lie that PP is for “women’s health” continues to have traction, whether or not people believe it or if they’re just parroting something that sounds good. Second, that people still think that being able to murder your babies is an OK thing. And third, that politics has to be in everything, even flowers!

Endo kept calling my parent about check in stuff and we couldn’t get ahold of them. (More on endo in a bit). THEN it was port access day, and my port decided not to work.

via GIPHY

“Work” in this case means—get blood return. Really quickly: When you access a port, you put in the port needle, with a syringe full of saline attached (used to flush the line) and if the needle in the port, when you pull back on the syringe, blood will come out.

No blood came out. We tried several times.

So, this means that either 1) there is some sort of issue in the line that needs professional help, or 2)the port is broken. The port is 16 years old, so that’s pretty likely. They don’t last forever, sadly.

So I had to email Kim, my transplant coordinator, and see what’s up.

And then both my hockey teams lost in OT.

Tuesday was not good.

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Wednesday.

Kim gets back to me and asks me if I want to see what happens with my port when I come in for blood work on 2/22. I say, yes, let’s do that. If the nurses can’t get it, then we will try a dye study to see if the port is really broken. And if it is, then surgery to remove the old one and put in a new one, which I hope fervently will be a POWER PORT! A power port means that I can get CT contrast through that line! Yayyyyyy!

So, OK, one issue dealt with. The port doesn’t hurt me, so the fact that it’s not currently working isn’t a huge deal.

I have an endocrinology appointment so my parents have to play phone tag with endo and I wail about how the fact that they won’t email me is just insane. Sigh.

So, the office is crazy, but my doctor is good, and I really like her. My appointment with her goes really well; my A1c has dropped two percentage points since last year, so that’s great. She’s “not worried about me” and is pleased with my progress. (I really like it when I don’t worry my doctors.) We make a few little insulin tweaks and set up some more appointments, including an education appointment. So I’m really glad that endo went well.

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And I was so glad that endo went well, and I was all dressed and pretty, so I went to the local yarn store! I had emailed them earlier in the week about stopping in for some help and the owners graciously said yes! (Knit ins aren’t happening right now, obviously, but this was OK.) So with the help of one of the wonderful owners, I finally have figured out how to pick up stitches for my cardigan collar! Huzzah! The end is near!

And then Ince I was there I had to get more yarn, right? So I did. Firstly because the woman had given me her time—she really had, she sat by me until I said I was comfortable doing it!—and also because…..YARN.

Behold the pretty—this is all Wonderland Yarn from Frabjous Fibers in the Mary Ann fingering base. Tonals: the bright turquoise, called Seaography; variegated: Biscotti, from the Tea Time Collection (the cream/gold/sienna speckle), and then the last two are from their De-Stitch Nation special collection: Jerusalem and Egypt.

Right now I’m thinking about doing a Free Your Fade shawl with Seaography, Egypt, and Jerusalem. Biscotti is a great neutral that will work with anything and makes me really happy.

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The other issue is vaccine roll out here. I am in group “1b” , but that’s been a group that’s been subject to a lot of political pandering. I might not get the vaccine until February 15 because, while I have lots of health issues that are in this group, I don’t have intellectual impairments. I’m not sure how that affects your immune system, but…..the state has decreed it so. Sigh.

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So yes it’s been a busy sort of insane week. But there are good things in it, as always. Like Patty!

She’s scooting now and it’s so cute—her mom video called me to show me. I just adore this child. And check that dimple!

As soon as I get vaccinated I am RUNNING to see her.

Happy Birthday, Living Memento Mori!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, little book! :)

Living Memento Mori is officially one year old and I am so happy about that.
It’s sort of mind-boggling to think that she’s been out in the world for a whole year, that people have read her and left reviews and asked for signed copies…that people do seem to like it.

When I wrote LMM, all I wanted was to share my story and give people some hope. If I’ve done that, then I’ve succeeded.

So a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and the book!

If you would like a copy, you can get one at your retailer of choice here. (scroll down a little bit to see the retailer links). If you would like a signed copy, email me.

It’s been….weird?….releasing a book during a pandemic. Fortunately I was able to attend the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference to do a book signing, and there were some big conferences before the nationwide shutdowns started, so that helped sales. (I always hate to talk about money and sales, but it’s part of the book world, so here we are). The truth is that authors need to sell books if they want to keep writing, so your support is invaluable to me. Really, it is! Leaving reviews on Amazon is so important (as is adding the book to your shelves on Goodreads and reviewing it there).

I’d also like to know—what would you like me to write about? What are you interested in reading from me? Please let me know! Leave a comment or use the blog contact form to tell me. Your input really does matter—I want to write things that you want to read!

Thank you thank you thank you for your support of Living Memento Mori. It means so much to me, because with you, no book! Authors exist because people read them.

Here’s to year two!

WIN a Signed Copy of Living Memento Mori!

In honor of Living Memento Mori turning one on the 24th, I’m doing a giveaway!

I’m giving away two signed copies of my book, which includes a prayer card and bookmark specially designed for the book. So there are two winners!

I will inscribe the book to you, a friend, a relative—whoever. So if you already have a copy and you win, you can give this one to someone you love! It makes perfect reading for Lent! (Really, anytime, but especially Lent!)

So, here you go! Winner will be announced in a blog post, so keep your eyes peeled!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

Seven Quick Takes--January 15, 2021

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Hello, all! Welcome to the Friday Quick Takes. :) Glad you’re here.

We’ll start with some Patty, per usual….

No, I did not make that really cute sweater, her grandma (my Aunt Sue) did. :) She’s almost 7 months old!

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We could talk about politics. But the thing is, I’d rather not, because I spent so much of my life in it. And at this point I am glad I am out of it. I will, however, repost something I wrote over the summer about how we deal with current events. Here you go.

I really do think that we have to think about what we say, pray about what we say, pray about what God is calling us to do. Not all of us are called to be big shaking world changers. Food for thought.

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Sort of attached….I know a lot of people are talking about leaving social media. I can understand that. If you want to stay in touch with me and the blog—which means you get all the posts, the giveaways (one next week!), notifications, and news—please sign up for my mailing list. I do not send spam. :) You get blog posts and my newsletter sent to your inbox, and you also get subscriber goodies!
And also, publishers look at the “engagement” authors have with their audience. So a healthy email list is something I can show publishing houses to say that people actually, you know, read what I write?

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My Book’s Birthday is on Jan. 24, and I’ve got giveaways! On Monday the first one will go, and then I’ll be doing another which is more Lent focused in February. I’m excited.

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In other news, I’m really happy because one, hockey is back (even if the Pens did lose to Philly last night) and two because I’m sleeping again, yay body! It’s so nice to have energy!

In other health news, my “group” of people here in Ohio is set to begin receiving the COVID vaccine on January 25. I’m registered with my local health department and OSU (Ohio State) is also setting up a site for their patients, so I’m not sure where I’ll get it or which one it will be . I guess it’ll be whoever calls me first. I you are in Ohio and want more information on the vaccination process, you can read it here.

What I’m hearing is that we (meaning immunocompromised folk) might not get as much protection as the rest of you from it, because we’ve broken our immune systems on purpose. But even some protection is better than none.

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Some books I’ve read lately and really liked: Miss Austen, Piranesi, and The Exiles. If you want some good fiction reading, I highly recommend these!

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My tree is still up, yup. I try to keep it up until Candlemas, which used to be the end of the Christmas Season. We’ll see how long it stay up. :) But some of the other things can start to come down. I don’t have too many Christmas decorations but some things like the pillows can move back into storage until next year.

How about you? Is your tree or nativity still up, or have then been packed up?

Seven Quick Takes--A Word for 2021

Hi everyone! This is going to be a sort of different 7QT today, but I will start off with a link to the first yarn along of the year, in case you missed it. :)

So today I’m writing about my word of the year for 2021. When I’m doing Power Sheets prep in November and December, this comes up—what do I want my word to be for 2021? Last year it was “discipline”—trying to create rhythm of life in my work and in housekeeping and things like that. Well, rhythm sort of went out the window in 2020, didn’t it? :)

In 2021, my word is LISTEN. Listen to God, listen to my body, and listen to my gut.

Listen to God is sort of easy, right? I want to listen to what He wants from me, so that means I have to make time to be quiet in prayer and give time to Him in deepening our relationship.

Listening to my body is harder. As I write this (Thursday), I don’t really have any energy. I didn’t sleep for most of the month of December. What I mean by that is that I’d fall asleep around 3 AM after taking something to help me fall asleep, because I’d be trying to fall asleep for the past three hours, and the I’d force myself up seven hours later. I need nine hours of sleep a night. I was getting less than that, on a regular basis and the sleep I was getting was crappy, really hard sleep ( you know what I mean?). At 5 AM on Christmas morning my phone alerted me to a low glucose reading so I went down to my parents’ kitchen to give myself some orange juice, and then I realized that part of the sleep problem was probably that I was giving myself too much insulin. I was giving myself insulin around 8/9 :00 with my evening meds (because I eat with them) and then more when I went to bed. I didn’t need that much, and I’d been seeing low morning glucose numbers for awhile—not really low, but low-ish. I thought that was OK. But then I’d looked back over the night and seen that I was dipping to the low “danger range” more often than I’d like.

So for the past two weeks I’ve tried not having the snack insulin dose (which was something I had suggested to my team, not the other way around so I didn’t feel bad skipping it.) For the first few nights I slept hard and had really vivid dreams. I’ve been sleeping better, but I’ve also been low in energy meaning that I think my insulin is off—again—because I’m running high at night now. So today I finally sent an email to my nurse asking if she had any suggestions.

I clearly need to listen to my body. It’s tired. It doesn’t have a lot of reserves. It needs to sleep, to sit, to recuperate and recover from whatever. (No, I do not have COVID. :) ) And I’m trying not to listen to it because I have stuff that needs to be done that’s bugging me, like laundry and dishes and putting sodas in the fridge (Diet only. :) ). I’m falling asleep earlier, but I’m still sleeping 12 hours a night and I hate that—even though I know my body needs it.

So listening to my body? Yeah. I need to get better at it, especially when it’s yelling at me like it is right now. I need to stop thinking I need to get everything done and realize that my body does not, at this moment, have the capacity to do things like HIIT workouts or even a lot of puttery housework. It needs water, naps, and recovery, and easy workouts like stretching and slow, yin yoga. Nothing hard or intense.

Listening to my gut means that I stop doing things that I don’t really want to do or think I’m not suited for because I want to be “nice.” I want to not let someone down, I want to be a team player, I want to be reliable. My body, first off, doesn’t always let me do that (see above!). And second, if I’m forcing myself to do something, am I doing my best work? I don’t mean skipping out on things that I have to do based on previous commitments. I mean taking on new things new work, new commitments. Do I really want to? Am I excited about it? Do I have the margin to do it?

Right now, my body is saying, “Emily, you have no margin. You need to take care of ME.” And if my body isn’t happy then I can’t do anything anyway, because it won’t let me!

So, as frustrated as I am right now, I know that listening to my body will pay off. I just have to do it. I have to listen to God and see what He wants from me. And I have to listen to my gut, to see what I’m feeling about projects.

That’s my word for 2021. What’s yours? Do you pick a word of the year?

(Oh, and also: cute Patty for you:

Seven Quick Takes: Third Friday of Advent

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ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMASSSSSS!!!!!!!!

WOO WOOOOO!

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OK with that said…I wrote an Advent reflection for Dec. 14 on my friend Elizabeth’s Joyful Momentum blog.

I also have a whole post on Christmas movies and Christmas Books for Grown-Ups! (Well, two whole posts. They’re linked in the link above!)

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Have you heard about the Year of St. Joseph? And did you know you can get plenary indulgences during the year?! Here’s how!

I am really happy about this because St. Joseph needs some love, y’all! If you haven’t read the Consecration to St. Joseph, I HIGHLY recommend it!

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It was Jane Austen’s 245th birthday on Wednesday! PARTY!

Basically, party like Patty…..

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In the “awesome stories abut saints” category: THIS.

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Quick Health Note: One of the annoying things about being diabetic is that sometimes you want to do things and your body goes NOPE! I mean, CF did this too, but it wasn’t quite as dramatic. I started exercising and then felt like I was going to throw up. Checked my BGL. Oh it’s LOW! OK then. Time for some orange juice and no more workout. Oh well. I guess some workout is better than NO workout, right?

It’s GOOD TIMES! :)

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What are you guys doing for Christmas? Share your plans in the comments!

Seven Quick Takes--First Friday of Advent

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Hellooooo everyone! :) How are you? How’s your Advent going? We had our first real snow this week!

One of my goals for December is to listen to no news, or read any news, because I don’t need to hear it. So I check a local news station’s website once or twice a day to scan the headlines, and then I click off. Because I do not need to know, you know? I need some peace and quiet.

If “the world is too much with you”, maybe you can try the same thing?

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From the blog this week:

The Find Your Fade Shawl is almost done!

Post-Turkey Quick Takes

Find Your Fade!

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My ebook, Catholic 101, is on sale through today! You can get it for $4, which is a buck less than I normally sell it for. Check it out! These sales give me some extra money which is always nice to have and helps keep the lights on around here. The book is printable, readable on any screen/device, and is also gift-able—just enter the recipient’s email and off it goes! Go get it!

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If you would like a signed copy of Living Memento Mori for the holidays, email me. They’re $20 and that includes shipping and a specially designed bookmark and prayer card! The last day for shipping this holiday season is Dec. 17. So you have some time, but…..order early. :)

If you would like a ‘regular’ copy, you can get them at all sorts of places! Here’s the link to my book at the retailer of your choice! (Scroll down a bit to find it.)

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If you’re still looking for an Advent devotional, I wrote two essays in this one. My friend and fellow Ave Author Elizabeth Tomlin put it together and I think it’s lovely! And it’s free!

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For some reason, Christmas is the time for the Harry Potter Movie Marathon. Not sure why. :) But I’m on the third movie now, Prisoner of Azkaban, and I’m also re-reading the books at the same time, so I’m also on that book.

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If you want to support your local Catholic authors, here’s a big list of Catholic authors and their books that I put together!

Seven Quick Takes--Post Turkey

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Happy Post-Thanksgiving! I hope you had a lovely Turkey Day!

Patty certainly had a good day.

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We had Buca di Beppo. They had the normal menu (well, a smaller menu, as is usual these days) an then Thanksgiving meal which was very good. I really liked the stuffing, which had Italian sausage in it—WINNER. It was a little different than regular stuffing (or dressing, as some of you say), but I really liked it!

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OK time for business!

OK first: my ebook, Catholic 101, is on sale for FOUR DOLLARS. If you are a blog subscriber, you get even MORE off with your special coupon code! So if you aren’t a subscriber, sign up now and get the code!

This book is based on my experiences as a first grade CCD—as I was teaching the kids things, I noticed that parents and other adults didn’t know the stuff I was teaching the kids! So I decided to write an ebook about it.

The ebook is gift-able—you can email it to people!—printable, and also readable on any screen.

The sale runs through next Friday (Dec. 4), at midnight. You don't need a code or anything. Just go buy it. :)

Second, Ave Maria Press’s Black Friday deal is on. Using the code BLACK20 to get 30% off and FREE SHIPPING PLUS an Advent booklet (while supplies last) for free! You can get Living Memento Mori here.

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I got my first Christmas gift today from Tiff (aka Billy’s mom)—three books that I will probably spend the rest of the day devouring. That and also digging out in Orchard House—it’s a disaster. One of the biggest issues with not going out to shop is that I get so many BOXES AND BAGS delivered on a weekly basis. So they pile up fully quickly! So today I’ll be making several trips to the bulk trash and trash compactor.

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Normally I put my tree up tomorrow during the OSU/ Michigan game. But….that game is now next week, so my schedule is all off. :) So I might not get the tree up until next week but it’s all good, right? I would like to get the nativity set out this weekend.

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In what has become a Thanksgiving tradition, I watched Miracle on 34th Street (the original) last night while I worked on my Find Your Fade Shawl. It’s actually quite a lovely tradition, if I do say so myself.

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And speaking of knitting, this weekend I will start picking up the stitches for the cardigan collar! Wish me luck. :)

Black Friday at Ave Maria Press!

Starting TODAY (Wednesday), and going through Sunday (11/29), Ave Maria Press is offering 30% off PLUS free shipping with the code BLACK20. So if you need copies of Living Memento Mori, go get them! This sale gets you a copy of the book for under $10—that’s a GREAT deal.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Seven Quick Takes--a bunch of random

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We’ll start with some Patty for ya….

FINGERS ARE YUMMY!

( I seriously could just post photos of her all day…..)

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In really good news, I’ve gotten to talk to Patty! Well, not really talking, more baby talk and gurgles and baby voices. But her mom (my cousin Diane) has video called me twice lately, and it’s been so great to see Patty and her brother, Johnny (who is too young for school yet) and also catch up with Di! Normally I’d have been in Houston for the baptism in September, but….not this year. Sigh. So video calls are what we do, which is still a good substitute. At least Patty can see my face and hear my voice! And I like seeing Di’s new house, too (well it’s new to me. I haven’t visited them there yet.) Johnny is not in school yet, so that’s why I get to see him while the other three are in school. (There are five kids in total, three girls and two boys.) It’s great to be able to catch up this way, even if I can’t actually snuggle the baby yet. I can make weird faces! :)

I am also going to get her several Baby Lit books for Christmas. :)

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Speaking of Christmas shopping, get copies of Living Memento Mori for Christmas! Pregame your Lent! :)

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As my cardigan project nears its completion, I’m thinking about other things I can knit! One of the things I like is the idea of a capsule knitted wardrobe. I like the idea of “slow fashion” (ie, things made with care, not as cheap as possible and things that last), and I also like the idea of making pieces that will go with a lot of other things. So right now, that means I have to get better at knitting in the round, so I can make hats and sweaters with a top-down construction.

In order to practice, I’ve got two patterns coming up. One is a cowl I’ve done before. After this is this hat, done in Quince and Co’s Lark yarn in Peacock.

Why peacock? When I was in the hospital last year for pancreatitis and gallbladder issues, I got a magazine with the model wearing a peacock colored beret on the cover, and I WANTED IT. Also, it has sort of a Mrs. Weasley-ish vibe that I liked. :)

So after I’ve done a hat (or two—probably two!), I will move on to this sweater, called Leslie, from the same book as my cardigan project:

Leslie is knit in pieces, like my cardigan, and then seamed. It uses Quince and Co’s Osprey yarn. Not sure what color I’ll pick yet, but to fit in with the “capsule” idea, it’ll probably be on that will go with a lot of what I wear!

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Yes, I am watching The Crown. To me it seems like this is the first season where the queen is not…totally likable. I also wish they’d given Maggie T a little more credit, especially in the South Africa episode, but whatever.

Also, the queen’s sons sure are special!

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What are you doing for Thanksgiving? If our restaurants stay open we’ll be going out. But things are sort of….tenuous right now, so no one really knows what’s going to be coming down from the state government….we’ll see!

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I’m also working on my goals for 2021, using Lara Casey’s power sheets, which I absolutely love and highly recommend. :) Look for a post on 2021 goals soon! :)

If you’d like to support my writing, become a Patreon member! Memberships range from $1-$20 a month. Thank you! Your support keeps me creating!

Seven Quick Takes--Only Treats!

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Helloooooo everyone!

Let’s start your day with some Patty, shall we?

Gosh I LOVE this kid.

Patty is four months old today!!!! :)

Also, here is her Halloween costume:

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From the blog this week:

The Brave New Us podcast is live!!!—I had a really fun time doing this one, since it’s about genetics!

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The cardigan is taking a break right now. The next step is to pick up stitches and knit the collar, which I don’t know how to do, so I am going to practice on the swatch.

In the mean time I’ve been working on this shawl. Ravelry notes here. It’s the sail-away shawl from Modern Daily Knitting’s “ease” issue, and it is easy! The yarn was actually a birthday gift and I’d completely forgotten about it during all the Big Projects I’ve been knitting.

The yarn is Sincere Sheep’s sport in Hathor’s Gem (the blue) and Suerte (the green). This yarn is magical. It’s so much fun to work with and the shawl is SO SQUISHY.

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My book, Catholic 101, turns three this weekend! Do you have a copy? It’s FIVE BUCKS, and if you’re a subscriber to the blog, you get an additional 15% off!

You can read it on any computer or e-reader, and it’s both PRINTABLE and GIFT-ABLE. So knock some folks off your Christmas list! :)

In that vein….

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Signed copies of Living Memento Mori are available! They are $20, and that includes shipping and a custom bookmark and prayer card that the Ave Maria Press marketing department made for the book! Fancy! I can dedicate the book to anyone you want! If you want a copy, email me. Buy some Christmas gifts and/or think ahead for Lent! :)

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Do we even want to talk about the election? How about not? :-D

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Next week I’ll have two new blog posts out for sure….the first one being about the second book, which is really exciting, and the second one being about health stuff, I think. No, nothing is going on that’s new, but I like to keep y’all informed about my life and health, so I’ll be writing a post about how things are going there!

Enjoyed this post? Consider becoming a Patreon member to support my writing!

The "Brave New Us" Podcast Interview is Live!

I was so privileged to be interviewed by Samantha Stephenson for her Brave New Us podcast! This episode is about genetic illness and genetic manipulation: Should we do it? Why or why not? I had a great time talking to Samantha and I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can listen here.

Seven Quick Takes: A Tea Break Weekend

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Hello, folks!

Jean Charles Cazin, October Day, 1894,

From the blog this week—and last, since I didn’t do 7QT last week!:

Amazon Prime Day: The Big Catholic Creative List!

Yarn Along #102: Blanket, shawl, cardigan….

My First Royalty Statement! (Buy copies!)

Future Janeite

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These arrived yesterday…

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Seaming the cardigan has begun! This is actually a fairly long process…..yesterday was the “pre-seam”, where I used stitch markers to piece three pieces together.

So in the photo above, I’ve laid out the five pieces of the cardi—the back, two sleeves, and two “front” pieces.

I decided to start work on the right side first, since I don’t have enough stitch markers to put everything together at once!

I’m pinning fairly close together using the “lightbulb'“ shaped removable stitch markers. I don’t have any plastic ones, which would’ve been GREAT for this.

More pre-seaming—this is the sleeve insert section so the sleeve is attached to both the sweater back and the front piece. You can also see the sweater back and the front piece pinned together for the side seam on the bottom of the photo.

This has been really interesting, because it’s a 3-D object—not a flat piece! So I had to visualize how things, like the sleeves, would actually become….sleeves! So what I figured is that it is attached in two places, but then I will seam the sleeve itself to make it into a tube. Whew!

This is the first piece i’ve seamed so I’m not sure how long it will take. But even after the seaming, there is a shawl collar that’s picked up and knitted in garter stitch.

The finish line is sort of in sight! My goal when I cast on was to wear it this fall/winter, and that will definitely happen!

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So, "tea break” in the headline, what’s that?

One thing I’ve really enjoyed during the pandemic (YES ENJOYED) is that my parents and I have been having monthly tea dates. There’s a local tea house that has a loveeeely tea, and they’re taking so many precautions to keep things safe, that we feel comfortable going there once a month for lunch and then going to the local Catholic bookshop. It’s the one thing every month that I really look forward to (I think my parents do too….at least I hope they do!).

(Just so you know—we’re really safe, in general. Dad works from home. I don’t go out all that often. My mom doesn’t either. So we’re basically staying home except for things like groceries and doctor appointments. So this is our “treat.” And honestly, it helps keep me sane!)

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I’m going to vote on Monday, too—yay early voting! I really love voting on Election Day, but this year….probably best to do it early. So we’re going to the county Board of Elections to do that on Monday.

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Some business: If you’d like a signed copy of the book as a Christmas gift, LET ME KNOW NOW. Email me! The books are $20 and that includes shipping and a specially designed bookmark and prayer card. I can dedicate the book to whomever you like, or I can just sign it—your call.

You can also get copies of my ebook, Catholic 101—you DO NOT need an e-reader to read it! You can read it on your regular computer! You can print it out! The ebook is FIVE BUCKS. Yup. Five dollars.

And finally, if you like what I’m writing, and want to support me, check out my patreon page! Memberships start at a buck a month (yes, a buck) and go up to $20/month. I am working on adding video, but that’s something else I have to pay for so I have to check the budget. :) Patreon support helps me do fun things like video! :)

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And finally…..adorable Patty.

My First Royalty Statement! (And....buy copies!)

So, today I got my First Royalty Statement!

Yay!!!

The way my publisher does this is that the royalty periods run from January-June, and then July-December. So the royalty statement I got today shows how many books I’ve sold from January to June.

And it did pretty well! Thank you for buying copies!!!! :)

It’s broken down into USA, Canada, and “Foreign” sales—there were two foreign sales, not sure who those were, but THANK YOU! :) I can also see ebook sales—there were 44 of those.

You might not know this, but authors don’t get paid royalties until they’ve paid back their advance. I am almost halfway to that goal, so yay. THANK YOU! :) Once I pay back my advance, then I actually start getting royalty checks. (As in: MONEY.)

And that brings me to…..buying copies for Christmas gifts! :)

Lent starts February 17, 2021, so you could even buy a copy of the book as a Valentine’s Day present! (Come on, it’s a good idea!) But, buying for Christmas is also a good idea, because then you’re ready for Lent with Lenten reading! :)

So you can buy a copy, or you can email me for a signed copy. Those are $20 and include a prayer card, a book mark, and shipping!

I should get my next royalty statement in March, and hopefully I’ll have made even more progress toward the repayment of the advance! :)

So, thank you for buying my book and supporting my writing! I appreciate every book sold.

Like what you’re reading? Consider supporting my writing by joining my Patreon!

Seven Quick Takes, St. Therese Edition!

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St. Therese’s feast day was yesterday!!!!

I love this, and I post it every year. Bless whoever made this!

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St. Therese was my confirmation saint. If you want to learn about how I picked her—or she picked me—go here.

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Some St. Therese books? THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER ASK!

I love this edition of Story of a Soul, because it has an introduction by my friend Elizabeth Foss!

My FAVORITE book about St. Therese: I Believe In Love. Seriously. Desert island book, folks.

Want some St. Therese every day? Then you want Mornings With St. Therese.

And this one: 33 Days to Merciful Love. (also, that image of St. Therese is my favorite, and you can get it here.)

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Want a movie? Here you go.

Or AWESOME ST. THERESE SOCKS?

OR A STICKER or a MUG…..OR A KEYCHAIN?????

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My parish has a lovely St. Therese shrine….

(Use the arrow keys to scroll through it!)

A parishioner carved that. Can you believe that? I can’t.

There’s a relic of St. Therese, and it’s just such a beautiful place to pray. It’s so beautiful that you often have to wait! :)

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Right now I’m really missing the ST. Therese retreat center. This weekend would’ve bee the Women’s Silent Retreat weekend for the fall, and I almost always went to this one. Sigh.

If you know of places near Ohio that have silent retreat opportunities, please let me know? I MISS THEM!

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And to leave you this week—Anne Shirley. :)

Like what you’ve read? Then consider supporting my writing on Patreon!

Seven Quick Takes--Welcome, Fall!

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Welcome, Fall!

I’ve always been a big fan of fall. I like the sense of new beginnings, of school starting, of football….and I love that the weather has cooled down and I can walk outside and not burn up! Yay!!!!

The leaves are looking really lovely this year too. And I love lighting candles in my house again and wearing my sweaters and fun socks!

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This week on the blog:

The new Take Up and Read Study is out! Essential Holiness is perfect for fall!

A Rock Solid Clinic

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I’m glad my eye has healed up although my doctor said I might be developing cataracts and to be honest I’m freaked about this because I depend so much on my eyes. So if you could pray for them I’d appreciate it. My next appointment is in February so I could worry for, um, months, and I really don’t want to do that! :)

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Lace knitting is happening….slowly. It has to be done slowly or you end up ripping it all out. At least you do if you’re me. :) I’m also reading the History of the Lord of the Rings series, which is JRR Tolkien’s original writings and drafts compiled by his son, Christopher. So it’s a great look into a writer’s process and the evolution of the story. If you’re a Tolkien nerd, they’re great. If you’re not, they’re probably really boring. But since I’m in the former category, I love them! The first one I read was Return of the Shadow, which goes until the fellowship reaches the Mines of Moria; next up is The Treason of Isengard.

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Some new Patty photos? YES PLEASE.

Patty with the stuffed lamb I got her for her baptism.

Patty with her brother, Johnny.

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Since it’s officially three months to Christmas….

If you want a signed book, email me . They’re $20 and that includes the signature, shipping, and the bookmark and prayer card! I can also inscribe it to the recipient, just let me know!

I also have Catholic 101, my ebook, for $5. You DO NOT need an e-reader to read it! You can read it on your laptop or desktop!

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I am really glad football’s back. I am also glad that both Pitt and the Steelers are 2-0. We’ll see if they’re still undefeated come Monday morning…

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Seven Quick Takes--The eye is healed up!

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Hi everyone! We’re back!

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So I saw my eye doctor yesterday and my corneal abrasion has healed, yayyyyy! I can wear contacts again! Double yay! He wants me to use eye drops for the next week which is fine, just to add some extra lubrication to my eye, no big deal. I’m very glad that it has healed up because I need my eyes to function! (As in, more than the average bear, because of the ears not working, ha!)

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If you need a cuteness pick-me-up, presenting….Adso! (AKA, the Outlander cat)

And if you need more cute, here’s Patty:

On her baptism say. She looks…..unsure. :) My godson, however, was baptized while he was having a bottle! :)

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Business: There’s a patreon. Check it out! Trying to build another income stream and I am so grateful for all my readers and patrons! Once you’re a writer that doesn’t mean you’re rolling in dough. I get my royalty checks once a year (September and March), and I do have to pay taxes (25%!!!!) on my royalties. So. More income streams are good! Thanks for considering.

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Pro tip: Don’t try to knit anything when you don’t normally wear glasses and you’re suddenly wearing them all the time. I’ll be so glad to get back to my knitting ASAP!

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The gallbladder is healing very well, my surgeon is quite pleased. :) I see my transplant clinic folk onMonday so let’s hope all is well there….I will update you when I get back.

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One of my favorite Marian devotions is the Seven Sorrows Chaplet. Have you heard of it? Read about it and pray it, especially since September is devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows!

If you would like a seven sorrows chaplet, this is where I got mine (she’s a local lady who does beautiful work!)

25% OFF LIVING MEMENTO MORI (and free shipping!)

Just wanted to let you know that the book is on sale at Ave Maria Press!

They just launched a new website so if you use the code NEWSITE, you get 25% off AND free shipping! :)

So go shop! This would be a good time to get copies to give out as early Lent gifts—aka, Christmas presents! :

Seven Quick Takes--COVID test, Patreon, and more!

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On the blog this week:

Meal trains rollin’ (Or: why don’t more churches do this?)

My Patreon is live!

Quick note abut the Patreon post—it explains why I have on and what the money will be used for. I’m also doing a Patreon OPEN HOUSE through Monday (8/31), which means that you can see a preview of the content I’ll be sharing with patrons before you sign up.

If you are a member at the Meg ($10) or Jo ($20) level, you also get your name on the patron page here on the site!

OK that’s it. This has been a commercial advertisement. :)

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So I’m having gallbladder removal surgery on Thursday (9/3), and so before that, I have to have a COVID test! What joy what rapture! Given that my nasal passages are often assaulted with long objects (ENT, thanks!), this shouldn’t be too bad. The hardest part will be checking in because you have to call, but they also have a parking lot where you can just park and they’ll come out to you. So that will be on Monday.

After the test I am not allowed to leave my house or see anyone, which sort of makes things interesting…can I get my mail? I mean is that an issue? WHO KNOWS????

Also there probably won’t be a 7QT next week because, surgery. :) But I’ll post on SM to let everyone know I’m alive. :)

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In the time I’ll have to be in my house, though, I can probably make great strides on Patty’s baby blanket!

Here’s Miss Patty….she will be baptized on September 6!

LOOK at that gorgeous hair!!!

And here’s her blanket:

So you can see the whole color scheme now, and I really like it, so yay! I was sort of worried about the mauve and pink next to each other but it has all worked out and I really love these colors. I hope Miss Patty does too!

More details on the blanket in next week’s Yarn Along. :)

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I had an endo telehealth appointment this week yesterday. It was…OK. A big note has been placed in my chart telling people not to call me anymore, so that’s helpful, I hope people FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. :)

I got a lot of my questions answered. Things like, how close is too close together for insulin doses, do we want to change the evening long-acting insulin dose, and other things like that. Also, I now know—or have a better idea—of what constitutes a “bad thing” in diabetes world. With CF and transplant, I know. With diabetes, I had no idea. But now I have an idea of what to watch out for so that’s good.

There are still some questions that will get addressed when I have my education class(es—I think it’s two?) next month.

And since I’m Super Special, there were even questions that made the nurse go, “Hmm, I have to think about that.” So yes. I am so weird.

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Also the cardigan keeps chugging on, in knitting world. I’m really close to finishing the second sleeve and then I get to put all the pieces together! Squee!!!!

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Reading. Whooo boy do I have a lot of books right now. Some of them are for post-surgery recovery reading, because we know how that goes—this is a laparoscopic surgery, so it shouldn’t be that bad in terms of recovery, but with my body, who knows, so I’m prepared to take at least a week “off” and just laze around reading. I have The Good Earth, The Confession Club, Writers and Lovers, and The Story of Arthur Truluv. I’ve also got a bunch of Renee Fleming CDs to listen to.

What are you reading right now?

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And finally, speaking of books, Living Memento Mori has 30 Amazon reviews now! Yay! Those help so much in getting word out about a book, so thank you! Please keep reading and reviewing! (And also, do so on Goodreads!)

Like what you read here? Want to support my writing? Come check out my patreon!