Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas Vacation!!

Well, we are now officially on Christmas vacation. We took the cats to the kennel this afternoon. Now we are tidying and packing. Hopefully our plane will get off tomorrow without too much trouble. We are getting hit with snow here in Halifax, but it doesn't seem to be that much. The airport has stayed open during the height of the storm, so I'm not too worried about it. The big fun will be getting into Dulles. Right now they are busting their behinds to get everything reopened. As of 6:30est, they had 2 out of 4 runways open. Since we don't land until 4:00 tomorrow afternoon, and since flights have been able to land at Dulles today, we should be fine.

I felt bad taking the cats to the kennel. Mavy was not impressed. Daisy cried the whole way there. Of course, it was a 30 minute drive, so that was fun. lol The room isn't all that big, but it's better than some of the ones I've seen where they are in a cage. They have a window, and a couple ledges to go up on to look out. Hopefully the lady in charge will take them out to play with and things. Luckily we aren't gone for too awfully long. A few times we've gone for 18 days to VA. This time is only 10. We are hoping that we will have some time when we get back to do some work on the kitchen cabinets. I'll be looking forward to picking up the kitties on the 1st. :D

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Projects

I have been working on a bunch of knitting projects lately, and I'm really enjoying it. I made myself an afghan, almost finished a cable knit sweater, have made some shawls, and bunch of other stuff. I want to keep going with the knitting and crocheting, but of course I have one hurdle. What do I do with everything I make?

So, I came up with 2 ideas. Idea 1 is that I will make a bunch of afghans and towels, etc, and sell them at a craft fair. Idea 2 is that I will try to also make baby blankets, baby hats and mitts, and donate them to the local hospital. That way, I can keep on knitting and things, and have a purpose behind them. It seems better that way. I hate to spend my time doing this stuff, only to feel like it is frivolous.

Once I get finished with the items for Christmas, I have to finish Joe's blanket that I promised him, finish my sweater, and then I am good to go on the new projects. :D

What a week!

Goodness, this has been one terrible week. lol It all started last Tuesday, when I fell on the stairs. I didn't fall down the stairs, but it was bad enough. I banged up my right leg a fair bit, hurt my right wrist, and hurt my tail bone and spine. My leg is healing, but my wrist is taking a while. It helps support so much of my weight at times, that it's hard for it to heal. I didn't realize just how bad my back was, until I went for my massage yesterday. My spine hurts to have anything touching it. And sitting, as you can imagine, is an interesting premise. It's easier to say I put my back out, but it's not quite that. In some ways, it is like my muscles are pulling on my spine, but it's more that my spine actually just hurts. It feels bruised. Sleeping last night was terrible. My back is so cramped and sore that my stomach and legs are cramped and sore. Blech! I kept dreaming last night, and every dream involved my sore back. *sigh*

So, I'm home from school again today. Thank goodness we are at the end of the semester, and only doing review for Greek. I am going to do my own review here at home, to see how I do. If I get really confused or have anything I'm just not getting, I can always send off an email to the Prof. He's awesome about that.

Other than boatloads of studying, I am still trying to pump out the stuff for Mom and Dad's Christmas presents. I don't think they read this blog, but I will hold off saying what I'm doing, in case they do read it. hehe Let's just say, I have a lot to do before I get this sent off. I decided on what to get them for Christmas, a bit late in the game. hehe I did manage to get Grammie's present finished though. Yay! We gave that to her on Sunday. Luckily I enjoy what I am doing, so that helps. :D Well, on that note, I should get back to it. hehe

Monday, November 23, 2009

The semester is winding down!

Yay! It's almost the end of the semester. Phew! I've had such a hard time getting into the swing of things this year. But, now the biggest crunch times are over, so I can breathe easy for a while. Everything is arranged for Christmas, in terms of travel arrangements and boarding for the cats, so I don't have to think about that anymore. Now all I have to do is push out one more essay for Monday, then onto exams. I'm even starting to get caught up on house cleaning. I've just felt terrible since August. I didn't actually recover from the Trimmer Bash. I wasn't doing well because of all the walking and things, and then when we got home, it wasn't long before I got sick. It has been a rough few months to say the least. But, now I'm feeling much better.

I'm still have issues with Depression type symptoms. Although, I really do hate to use the term depressed. This is a very real condition for many people, and I'm not at that state yet. I guess I would call it more of feeling down. It could lead to depression, and I have the physical symptoms, but my mental state is still hanging in there, kind of. I was not doing well last night. My brain just gets into these modes where it has to sacrifice what I am doing somehow. Last night it manifested itself in the form of the other D word...Disability. The idea of being disabled at times is really difficult for me. Other times, it's not that bad. Last night, it was bad. I started thinking that if I didn't know what was wrong with me, then I would have to be disabled. The logic was lost a bit there, I think. lol Just because I couldn't name what was wrong before didn't change my physical abilities. I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't do the genetic tests, then I wouldn't know. But, as Joe logically pointed out, the genetic test means crap. We already know what's wrong. I have Muscular Dystrophy, end of story. The only thing the genetic tests mean is that if there is a treatment for the specific type of MD I have, then maybe I can start to feel better. That should be a good thing! But, my brain likes to flip things. I have a much better outlook on things today though. *phew*

On the TTC front, there is nothing new right now. I managed to finally find the Soy, so next month that will be the method. But, that means I'll also have to temp next month. That will be fine until we have to leave for Virginia on the 21st. So, that means I can pinpoint ovulation, but then the thermometer goes away, and I can obsess in peace. :)

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Christmas is close

Wow, I can't believe it's so close to Christmas! It's time to bring out our Advent candles, already! It's going to be a very busy Christmas season. I think it was last year that Christmas fell on a Sunday, so we got away easy on Mass. lol This year, not so easy. :D So, we will spend a fair bit of time at church when down in Virginia. :) It's always great to see everyone there. We don't get to see them often enough.

So, we have a few things planned while we are down there. We promised 4 of our friends kids that we would take them out for dinner while we are down there. Since the car we will be driving will only seat Joe and I and 2 others, we have to split up our dinners. I believe M was delighted over the idea of Five Guys. lol I'm up for pretty much anything, so whatever they want, works for me. hehe

Joe found out today that our Deacon, who teaches at the local Baptist university, is now in charge of the permanent deaconate program. This particular Deacon really doesn't follow much of the church teachings anymore. Let's say he is smitten with the protestant teachings. Bodes well for the deaconate program. *sigh* Joe asked what the Deacon thought about the recent approved changes that the US Bishops just voted on regarding the new Roman Missal. His response that we have been using this Missal in Canada for years. Umm...I thought this was all being done at the request of the Pope. And therefore, was about having new proper translations. Now, I will give him credit for the fact, that we do in fact have more accurate translations in Canada. We use the Apostles creed, etc, which is more accurate with the "I Believe" as opposed to the "We Believe" translation for the word credo. Although, even though we use the word believe for Credo, it is actually a blending of two words, one means heart and one means give...so I give my heart, would be a better way of saying it. But, normal translations, and dictionaries alike, say that Credo means I Believe.

Because we are entering a new liturgical year, this would be a great place to start my bible studies again. I have been intending to spend time each day prayer, or reading the bible, something. It's been very hard to put this in my routine. I don't know why. But, it's just one of those things that sometimes happens. It seems easier to not change the routine, even when it's something that desperately needs changing.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Ahh the weekend arriveth!

Goodness, I am so glad that it is finally the weekend! The last two weeks have been rough. Joe and I have been sick. We are finally over the last of it, but we had a hefty push with classes this week. Poor Joe was up until around 3 am working on his paper. He managed to finish it, and was pleased with how it turned out, but I felt so bad. He was less than thrilled when the alarm went off this morning. hehe

So, I can't get something out of my head. It's an interesting topic, and yet one that is frustrating at the same time. It's of course spurred on by the fact that I am taking a European History course, and we just went through talking about the reformation, and we are now on the topic of how countries came out of that. I'm finding it interesting how Catholics have been regarded, and in a lot of ways are still regarded. It's like the Pope is the anti-Christ somehow. When Joe was in seminary he said people had asked him on occasion whether he was learning to be a pedophile yet. I mean, seriously! I was quite impressed that the recent USCCB conference actually dealt with the idea of the pedophiles, and just general safety of our children within the church. They are undertaking a huge effort to make sure that they are safe. They are looking hard at not only the Priests, Bishops, etc, but also those people in charge of the Sunday School, nursery schools, etc.

When I decided to convert to Catholicism 3 years ago, I had to deal with some interesting conversations. One of my friends is Protestant. I can't write which branch, because honestly, I have no idea. She church hops. *sigh* But, that's another story. But, I was called a heathen for thinking of being Catholic. I mean, this can't possibly be the right thing, afterall the Baptist church is the oldest church in existence, and using the oldest version of the Bible! *brakes squeal* Alrighty...let's think about this. Alright. The Baptist religion came about during the reformation when Martin Luther broke from the Catholic church. Oh..wait...in order to branch off, then the Catholic church had to already be there. Oops..I'm sorry...that doesn't fit with that statement at all! Also, she uses the King James version of the Bible. Unfortunately, the last time I checked, King James wasn't here when Jesus was born. But, I could be wrong.

The things that people think about Catholics can be appalling! And of course, they are so upset that we are unchanging. But, you know what, if you want women priests, or gays and lesbians, there are plenty of other places you can go to worship. For me, I prefer things as they are. There are no women priests...period. Will there ever be? I don't know...it's not for me to decide. Would I want there to be? No! Plain and simple. There is no room for feminism here. Take that somewhere else. Just because you think you have to do everything a man does, and have to take everything from a man, makes no difference to me. But, keep it to yourself. I go to church to worship God. And yes, God is a he. Jesus was a he....and was more than just a good man.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Procrastination is an Art

It really is. And I am a master! Case in point..I am studying for a test right now...while taking some time out to write this. hehe And as a guy in my class pointed out, I have study fever. Every time I go to study, somehow Facebook pops up. How does that happen?! lol I can't help it. My brain is just so ADD lately. It is trying to constantly move to something else. So far my solution has been to let it. So, I'll study a bit, then go on Facebook, then maybe knit a little, and maybe even go clean something in the house. lol In all honesty, the method actually works for me. As long as I am faithful enough to actually return to the studying.

So, how do I return. Well, I have begun to set limits on my brains wanderings. I give it a 5 minute break on the internet, or perhaps I knit 2-3 rows. Something to divert it for a few minutes. And to my surprise, when I come back to the studying, I am actually retaining what I am trying to remember. My brain sort of puts it into the background to be something to distract it from what it's now focused on. A bit of a cool trick for my head. :D hehe

On the TTC front, well, it's another relaxed month. I have left the thermometer away again. I took my temperature on CD1 to make sure it was low..and it was super low. Good. :D So, everything is clear. Now if I can avoid having that cyst come back, I'll be good. We figure that was the problem last month. I had a bunch of issues. But, all seems well now. I couldn't find the soy, so that will wait until I can find it. It will probably be something I look for when we go to Virginia for Christmas.

I almost have my sweater finished. Yay! The afghan was finished a couple days ago, and I love it. All I have left on the sweater is one sleeve, the other sleeve is 80% done. Then, assembly, and knitting the neck portion. :) I might be done by the end of the weekend. Woo!

Alright, that is my 5 minute break. Time to get back to my Greek studying. :D

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Minor setback, or motivator?

I've been dealing with what has seemed like depression lately. And I say seemed like, because I was symptomatic, but not mentally depressed, if that makes sense. I don't want to get out of bed, I don't want to go to class, I don't want to clean the house..nothing...nada. However, after a little chat today with Joe, we were wondering if maybe I'm not depressed at all, but just a bit lost. The past few months have been rough for me. In August I was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, after 27 years of trying to figure out what in the world was wrong. Then in September I got sick with the flu, and just haven't gotten better. I also injured my foot, and same thing, it's not getting better. But, even though I was really feeling blah, I was happy. My outlook on life and everything around me was positive.

So, we started to wonder...was it school? Was I just not happy with what I was doing, or taking? Part of it is that I am not allowing myself to get excited about anything. I have become a bit stone faced. I would say something didn't bother me, when you could tell just by my body language, that it really did. I enjoy taking languages in school. It's great! But, I haven't let myself get excited about what I am taking. Honestly, the history classes bore the snot out of me! That's not helping. But, as we talked, I found I did start getting excited about doing some translating and I started thinking about books from Loeb in Latin and Greek that I could put on my Christmas list. I felt a bit better after that. So, maybe instead of this being a bigger issue of actual depression, maybe this could be a motivator for me to get going and get interested. :)

Friday, November 13, 2009

TTC

So often now days I see women struggling with infertility. It comes in so many ranges and colours, but the struggle is the same. It really seems like there are so many women now with PCOS. But, where did it all of a sudden come from? I know that the medical community knows more now, but this is so common, that it's scary. Is it a hormone issue from something we've eaten? Is it from something that our parents passed down to us? People don't really seem like they know. I am also seeing women struggle with undiagnosed infertility. This is also the category that I find myself stuck into.

What is undiagnosed infertility? It's simply what it says. You can't get pregnant, and they don't know why. Medically they have found nothing wrong with me. But, they insist on doing more tests, because there obviously must be something wrong with me, if I can't get pregnant. How many probes do they expect me to allow them to shove up there? Honestly, I'm done with the tests. I'm done with being stuck with needles. After all, where do these tests lead? Well, if they discover something miraculously that they didn't see the first 5 times, then they treat it. If they don't find anything, well, I keep going as is. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will put me on fertility meds.

Somehow I have to let go of it all. Such an easy statement to write. But, what in the world does it mean? I wish I could answer my own question. lol Honestly, I don't know what it means, but I think it will be time for me to start chronicling that journey. The journey will begin with my relationship with God. I am going to work on being closer to God, and listening to Him. What is it that God wants me to do? For now, no tests...no bloodwork...no anything being shoved where it isn't supposed to be. Because I'm not willing to advance through the treatments like the doctors want me to. There is no IVF or IUI for us. So, why start a journey down a path that we refuse to walk? It's pointless. The path we are willing to walk is with God, and that is the path we now begin to walk anew.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Interesting discussions

I'm part of a forum that is a bunch of women talking about their successes and failures of trying to conceive. One group that I am part of is called Christian Wives. It's a great group of ladies. We are from various faiths. It's super interesting to see the variety of thoughts and things, and yet the similarities between us all. I find it very interesting to learn how these ladies view things in the world.

We had an interesting topic for discussion, actually a few hehe, about the idea of the gifts given to us by God, and the punishments. Sometimes we go through times that we will read a passage in the bible that hits us particularly hard. In this case, it was a Psalm that talked about children being a reward. My concern for this was that this particular woman was very concerned about being punished for how she lived her life when she was younger. We all tend to have moments when we put our own earthly views on how God will treat us. Since God is God, he doesn't hold a grudge like we do. While he can be vengeful, which we see in many parts of the bible, we all have the free will of showing our remorse for things we have done.

I have been thinking a lot lately, about faith, live, prayer, and everything else. lol I find that I am a bit overwhelmed. There are so many things that I don't understand. And some of it is so simple, or I think it should be. hehe There are two main problems right now. 1) We weren't told of the importance of prayer in RCIA. We would pray at the beginning and end of the class, but we didn't really talk about the types of prayer, the Rosary for example, or anything about what we should consider for prayer life. 2) the other thing that was glazed over in RCIA was confession. Slightly important? Well, not according to the Priest running the class. He actually lead me to believe that the whole idea of starting with "bless me father, for I have sinned", was something that was only in the movies. So, I really have been struggling with various things in terms of my prayer life, and faith in general. But, I have a huge thirst for knowledge, and I'm trying to satisfy that with various books. hehe I have a bunch on the go right now. :D

Speaking of knowledge, tomorrow is the start of classes. I actually can't wait. I'm so out of sorts with such a long break, that I've become a lethargic lump. lol It will be nice to be forced to have structure again. lol My big problem is this foot of mine. Goodness...I'm not sure what I've done, but it's pretty sore. I'm waiting for the x-rays to come back, and I'm hoping that it's not broken. I think it's probably just a matter of some sort of muscular pain that I'll just have to cope with for a bit longer. I hope. lol Classes should be fun, although hectic. I have 2 history classes, and I'm learning Greek. I have a bit of a jump start, because I've been working on learning the Greek alphabet ahead of time. hehe Anything to get me going quicker is good to me. :D

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Peace

Yes...I said it. I actually have some peace. And it feels magnificent! As of today, I have cut back my wow gaming to 2 days a week. And in the off days, I get the things done around the house I need to. Also, I am crocheting an afghan. That has been so relaxing, it's wonderful. To be able to make something that I can see growing right there as I do it, feels like I have accomplished something. And it doesn't matter if I work on it for 5 minutes or 5 hours. :D It is just relaxing me so much. I really needed that!

The afghan has healing properties. lol Well, not really, but in a way it does help. Not only do I feel more at peace, but I can sit there and have a great conversation with Joe at the same time, plus I don't snack or drink as much pop as I'm working on it. Result? 10 pounds down in just a matter of a week. Wow! I just find that to get awesome. :D And yes, I can be easily excited. hehe

On a different note...this also means that I can snuggle up with the cat more. He has been seeming a bit out of it lately, like he's wanting extra attention. We lock him out of the bedroom at night, because he'll keep us up. But, when we do, he'll poop on whatever is around...carpet, couch, chair, whatever...he's not fussy. Maybe with a little extra attention, he'll settle down a bit. :D Here's hoping!! Either way, I am enjoying this.

Since I can't take this with us to Virginia, because it's too big, I have another project that I am taking. It's a knit shoulder wrap. It's really cute. :) That should be compact enough to work on down there. hehe I wish I could take it on the plane, but they might frown on sharp pointy knitting needles. So, just in case, I'll pack it in my suitcase. :D

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Early Life Crisis

Okay, so it's not really a crisis. hehe But, it's something. Joe and I have been sitting here beating our heads against the wall. There is just no motivation to get things done. For me, I had been playing a ton of WOW, and I have zero or less than zero interest in playing. But, what do we do instead? That's the problem. There are millions of other things to do, but since there is so much, we are overwhelmed.

1) Prayer time. This is a biggy for us. We have no time for prayer. And by no time, I don't mean that we are so busy, I mean that we just don't make time..plain and simple. Solution? Simple...make the time. Easy right? Sure..kind of. lol We don't have the same prayer time likes, so using Liturgy of the Hours isn't going to work for us together, unless one of us sucks it up and we just sit down together during the day to do that. Joe likes late night prayer, which is terrific, and I support it 100%, but I am so exhausted by that time, that I just can't do anything. So, for me, it's morning or really anytime other than late evening.

2) Exercise time. Same problem as above, but of course less pressing. It's not like my soul depends at all on whether I exercise. But, I know my health does, as does the idea of treating my body like a temple. I really don't do that. I let things go, I don't eat properly, etc etc etc. Solution? Start eating right and exercising regularily. The solutions are all so simple. lol This is going to require some mental work on my part. My overall ability is limited, so I have to just find something that works. Otherwise, I over do it and hurt myself. My plan is to start using the exercise bike every day, with extra workouts in there too. And the big thing is to start eating regular meals.

3) Work on the house. I've been so darned tired, that this has fallen flat. But, the kitchen just absolutely must get done before the end of August. If we want to make our deadline to get the house on the market, these things must get done.

4) School/extra learning stuff. Well...where to go here. I have some books that I need to get through before classes start. Getting through them will determine whether I take the classes I have signed up for or not. I have calculus books that I have to be able to get my head wrapped around before December comes, because if I can't, then there is no point in taking the class. The Latin is only in my spare time to keep my skill up, because I'm not taking a Latin class this year.

I hate just sitting at my desk all the time. It just makes me feel so lazy! Especially when I have other things I could be doing. One plus will be that we're heading to Virginia in 9 days. I'll be taking a bunch of books and things with me, and we have no plans on playing WOW, so I'll have time to do some reading and stuff. We'll have a few days in there for the Trimmer Bash, which should be lots of fun. I'm quite looking forward to seeing people I haven't seen in quite some time.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

A summer's journey

Even though we get to have an unusually long summer vacation, which started at the end of April, the summer has flown by. My parents came to visit for 2 weeks, and are already here and gone. I've been refinishing the cabinets, in what I thought was a fast pace for a bit, but it came to a screeching halt, and isn't even half done yet. It really is amazing how much time can be lost in the blink of an eye.

Part of my time has been spent at doctor visits, or planning doctor visits. I finally saw an OBGYN, who has me lined up for tons of tests. The bloodwork was no biggy, but an ultrasound to rule out any problems I might have, has a 2-3 month waiting list. So, I'll try to get a referral to get that done in the US. I'm already going to see a neurologist down there, so what's one more appointment. lol Thank goodness my cycle's might be cooperating, so that I can actually get the ultrasound done.

I had high hopes for the summer. We were going to do some exploring around the province, I was going to get at least the kitchen reno done, and I was going to finish a couple books that I have been reading to get ready for the upcoming school year. So far, none of that has been accomplished. I'm only half way through one of the instructional books on Calculus, and only on the first selection to translate for Latin...that, and I don't think we've even left the Halifax area all summer. Why is that? Well, there are tons of reasons, read excuses, but no good ones. It's so easy to come up with other things that need doing. Friday we have planned to go see the Tall Ships though, which will be nice. I think we are both planners, because if we don't plan to do something, we won't do it. It doesn't have to be elaborately planned of we'll be here at 9, do this at 9:30...but more of we'll do this on Tuesday. Then we'll wing it once we are on the road, and enjoy ourselves.We have been planning to visit a friend of Joe's in Antigonish...and haven't even gotten there yet.

Sometimes our best laid plans can get overshadowed by such mundain things. I'm reading Prayer Primer, and do you think I've been putting it into practice yet? No, of course not. Same problem. I seem to always run out of time in the day. I think that my prayer life needs the same devotion as anything else, of planning when to do it. If it gets a dedicated time, it becomes an integral part of my day. Once that gets set in place, then it can be extended, modified, and grow. What would I like from my prayer life? I hope to be able to follow the example of St. Theresa of Avila. She is a huge inspiration to me, and is my confirmation Saint. Can I live up to her example, no, probably not. I don't have that kind of ego to think that I can be as devote as she. Will I give it my best try, you bet. For me, going to church on Sunday is not the end all and be all to my religious life. There are other parts to it. Prayer is one, my relationship with God is a big one, my relationship to those around me is another, and of course my relationship with my husband. It's just a matter of me kicking myself in the behind, and starting to get myself going.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Politics

Politics can be a huge issue with people. Now we all have the added problem of this recession. So..what do the politicians do? The biggest crier in all of this is the auto industry and the banks. Since they cried the lowest, they get the money. In Canada, the government bought back the 25% of all the mortgages that CMAC covers. Alright, so that opens up some credit for the banks. That still doesn't solve the problem. The banks were giving out loans to people for more than they could afford when the interest rate was low. Suddenly the rates go up and your lovely monthly mortgage goes from $800 a month to $13-1500 per month. Uh oh. Bet your income didn't increase by that much! The banks got the bailout money, not you, and the banks keep going and give out those same mortgages again.

Problem number 2 in Canada is the EI. I love the idea of having EI, I really do. I've used it before, as have many people in my family. It's great in these times. Now, in this type of recession, it puts a big drain on the EI system, but that's what it's there for, right? Only problem, is that you always had a 2 week waiting period before things got going, then another 2 weeks before you got any money. That was best case scenario. It could have been upwards of a total 6 weeks before you got money. Bills would be almost doubled up by then, and groceries would have run out. Ignatieff becomes head of the Liberal party and decides that's not good enough. Fair enough. You cut out the 2 week waiting period. Well, he's now complaining that it still isn't fast enough. No shit sherlock! He has forgotten 2 very crucial pieces to this puzzle. First, employers have 2 weeks to get your Record of Employment to you. Second, the processing time varies because of a lack of workers to do it. What does that mean? If your employer doesn't give it to you as soon as you walk out on your last day of work, you end up still having to wait about 4-6 weeks for your first check. Nothing has changed. It's only in an idea situation that you can file the day after you finish work, and have an EI cheque in the mail 2 weeks later. To not have a break in money would be wonderful, but not realistic.

What do we all do? We are all forced to sit here and wait for yet another election to spend even more government money during a recession. And we are forced to take it. Ignatieff is forcing an election that is going to see his party fail miserably. The Liberals have no money and need to be PM to give their party a boost. I hope that this doesn't happen. I think that people will be forced to vote PC again just because Iggy is a moron and called an election that was completely unnecessary.