Ten on Tuesday: January 31st

1. What’s your variety of apple?
       Winesaps, Cortlands,  most actually!

2. Do you prefer Long-English or Field cucumbers?
      Long-English


3. Tomatoes – Delicious or disgusting?
        DELICIOUS!!

4. What’s one fruit or vegetable that you can’t stand and why is that?
      Waxed beans, and Lima Beans ~ too dry and mushy tasting.

5. What’s your favourite way to prepare veggies? (Grilled, boiled, roasted, sautéed, etc.)
       Grilled in the summer, roasted in the fall & winter.

6. Sweet potato pie: Love it or hate it?
       Love it!!

7. What’s your favourite “style” of French fry? Wedges, shoelace, curly, crinkle-cut or other?
      Shoelace, and sweet potato whenever possible.

8. What’s your favourite fruit-pie filling?
       Mixed berries or apple

9. When you were a kid did your parents make you sit at the table until all your veggies were eaten off your plate?
       Yup, mostly of them.

10. Do you drink veggie & fruit juice blends (such as V8, etc.) or make them yourself?
         Make or buy fruit smoothies, don't drink any vegetable juices.


Please visit Roots and Rings to enjoy others answers to these Ten Questions.

Quick Takes #99

1. Liam's  walking!! Not all the time but more and more, and so proud of himself!!!
2. And in the 'when it rains, it pour category' just as we are adjusting to my new work schedule we are simultaneous repairing some water damage from a roof leak, which has three rooms in total disarray (well four if you count the dining room which where a ton of stuff got moved)!
3. Will try and get a picture post together soon, but so far I'm liking the changes we've made.  An accent wall in our office, and we had to choose a new border for the family room due to the old one being discontinued.
4. We are currently paused as we wait for some stuff for the bathroom to come in, and I'm enjoying not having workmen (nice as they have been) in my house everyday.
5. 2-3 inches of snow is wonderful, enough to allow for making snowballs and snow angels yet not too troublesome from the whole shoveling, digging out perspective.
6. The positive power of bloggers/commenters to keep the record straight!!
7. When everyone is a little tired and out-of-sorts cause Daddy has been working and away a lot, watching Little Bear can be a lovely way to start an otherwise grey and rainy day.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Please head over to Conversion Diary and enjoy the rest of this week's Quick Takes!

Thankful Thursday: January 26th

1. This amazing blogging community that I've gotten be a part of for the past three years
2. Snowstorms which drop just enough snow for snowball fights and snow angels, but aren't that difficult to shovel out or clean up from.
3. Students enthusiastic to learn and floor nurses eager to teach!
4. Found moments of grace and prayer

What are you thankful for today, please visit The Road Home and share.

Blog-aversary ~ 3 years later!

So three years ago when I started this blog, the little person I shared my world with

was about this size, 

she has gained a buddy, and he too has brought his own rhythm and moves to the dance of our days 

so much of which has been recorded here as I have sought out a place of community and discernment.

Thank you for your support, comments and wisdom.

Your own blogs inspire me and your readership honors me.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Ps 30:5

Of Two Minds

   This month I'm returning to the workplace for the first time since Liam was born and to say I am of divided mind would be a definite understatement:

   One part of me, the professional part, is so excited about this wonderful opportunity to return to teaching, I truly enjoy it ~ sharing my experience and knowledge base, spending time with nurses as they begin their careers, and luckily I have been told that I have a talent for it.  This job is also a nice career jump as it has me going from teaching for a hospital school to being adjunct clinical faculty at a university.

   Another part, the personal part, happy to focus wholly on my vocation as wife and mother somewhat resents having to return to work.  It is very apparent that my charism is caring and so perhaps that is why directing that energy and skill set towards my family and friends I have not much missed being in the workplace.  Part of that frustration is the fact that the job requires weekend time, key family time given my husband's hours.  This of course means less time the kids will be with a sitter, but I'm sure going to miss our Sunday morning Dunkin tradition this semester.  The rest of the frustration lies in how glad some friends and family are now that I will again, as one said, "be using my brain".  Ha, believe me ~ keeping up with growing, dynamic, curious children I've been using my brain plenty!!

Reality: The medical & healthcare field changes at a pace which would not allow me to leave for 5-7 years and return without in some way maintaining my skills ~ and this job is most likely a wonderful opportunity to keep a foothold for the future in my profession.



But I'm of two minds.

Wondering Wednesday: A border question

As I wrote about here, we are having to choose a new border for our family room because of water damage from a roof leak; and have it narrowed down to these two:

wallpaper border #1: Closest to what we have now but smaller (7in versus 9 in) 

http://www.wallpapermore.com/aai08101bpage280.aspx

Wallpaper border: The right size and nautical but lacking the old New England town feel we have now

http://www.stevesblindsandwallpaper.com/Wallpaper/ProductDetailPricing.aspx?pn=XBGUHPG7H5&ctg=593

What do you think?  BTW the room is painted a sort of beige/taupe.

Quick Takes #98

1. The "why's" who have previously been a polite guest occasionally seeking my attention has in the last couple of weeks become very insistent, persistent and on occasion loud.  Hoping its stay with us is coming to an end soon.
2. Still have not decide on my word for the year (nothing seems quite right yet) have really enjoyed read posts such as this, this and this.
3. Our lovely host's Saint Selector selected St. Louis for me. Don't know much about him despite having been confirmed in a parish bearing his name.  When I then tried again with the intention of my children and my parenting St. Therese de Lisieux came up, she I know.
4. Our family room needs to be repainted due to water damage from a roof leak and our contractor just  told me that he can't match the border and to select a new one.  I'm trying to view this a chance for a nice change ~ but I really like border.  Can't decide whether to look for something close or make a clean break.
5. Happy Epiphany!  Due to C.'s schedule King's Cake will most likely wait for the weekend.  Another tradition I know get to share with my littles.
6. The answer to the question "Will Liam walk by Christmas/New Years?" is no, but given the interest he is now showing in being up on his feet and with only one of our hands for support, I'm thinking any day now.
7. Plans for the weekend: Putting the Christmas boxes back in the shed and trying to restore some order before the construction craziness starts.  Have a good one!

PLease visit Conversion Diary and enjoy the rest of this week's Quick Takes.

Thankful Thursday: January 5th

1. Safe travel over the Christmas/New Year holidays
2. Time with family
3. The opportunity to keep a foothold in my profession while primarily focusing on my vocation at home.
4. Savings to deal with some unexpected repairs.

Please visit The Road Home and share what you are thankful for.