Food for Thought: Julie Beck and the role of women

While browsing the other day I ran across an article by Julie Beck. She talked about how the world tries so hard to make women esp. wives and mothers feel the need for more "Me" time. Not the me time we all should take during the day for personal fitness, scriptures and hobbies, but it seemed this Me time she was talking about was something more along the lines of ditching family duty, responsibility, and work to be me, more of the time.I will quote her, because when I try to explain what I read and how it affected me, I seem to get it wrong.

" A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently."
Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.” 


I have been getting this feeling lately and I am glad to have someone on my side reminding me of who I am and that personal revelation is the key. And that means that each of us will have a different "to do" list even if we have  a similar situation.


I am so grateful for inspired women with inspired words. How do so many other people live without inspired words?

A cricket's life

Today I envied a cricket's life.

 His name wasn't Jiminy..

 The first time I saw him by the wall, I was tempted to crush him. I hate, hate the irritating chirp they make. I have been known to cricket hunt at 3 am. Yet,  I guess I just didn't have the energy to squash him today. So after drinking 52 oz of water, and seem him two times in the teachers' bathroom and decieded that at this point in time, life would be so much more simple as a little, black cricket in the ladies room.  I was jealous of his little life. A black,  little run-of-the-mill variety kind-he was not special or anything, but he was at peace- obvlious of my hate or desire to squish him.

I teach school and it is 9 days until the end and I have an endless stream of freshmen in panic mode.

Easter and Water

I am a home body and love to spend time at home. Yet, this Easter I could not figure a way out of going to Mesa for Easter. I tried "the feeling sorry for hubs at work", and the "candy doesn't ride well" and "I am a homebody". Nope.

So we went. It was ok for me and I am sure great for my kids. Contracted a UTI (yahoo :( ,  but thank goodness for a PA bro-in-law). Saw the Easter pageant for the first time. Went to church, ate too much and gained 5 lbs, literally.

So, glad to be home. My Easter gift was city water while we were gone. Was hooked up on Monday. Hello endless supply of worry free water.

Spring Break starts off with a windy bang

I sat on Monday morning planning our week: burning weeds, moving rocks, picking up trash, small painting and sewing projects and getting back on track with working out.

Yesterday the following got done:
working out 2 hours
all the dishes 3 times
dinner
a movie
Wii time
yard work, in the wind-1.5 hours
paperwork for school, mail and talking to friends
scripture study and stuff
making an aerobic's workout for my girls at school
eating right
listening to the many tattles of Kelsey. talking has been very important when you need to tattle
2 batches of laundry


Today:

You can't see it well, but this thing is full from yesterday's hard work. Hopefully we get something done today besides fighting over the remote...

St. Pat's Day and real meat

How can you truly celebrate this day if you're not Irish? Oh, well it didn't stop me from cooking my first ever homemade, not from the can corn beef Irish dinner, sans the green dye. 

We had real corned beef (on sale for 1.27 lb) and I was in heaven- thinking now that my genealogy IS a little Irish.

I could eat that all. the. time. I wonder if it is on sale other times of the year, because I love it. It was so so good. I wonder why I was ever afraid of buy and cooking it before? In my mind it was a long and drawn out process, with no guarantee of success on my part.

Cabbage, carrots and fried potatoes rounded out the meal. If I was a stay at home, I would have done Irish soda bread ( with store bought bread and butter as a back up, cause like Scott says "even when you follow a recipe each time, Ginee, it always turns out differently" )

We had enough left over the next night to make burritos out of the rest. I know, huh, ? !  Mexican Irish burritos. Scott was scared, but ate one anyway,'cause he is good like that.Guess what? my crazy idea was really good with cheese.... Ha I say. Cheese and tortilla are good with lots of things.

My poor Kennedy fretted all the previous evening about not owning green. The next morning, I dutifully fixed her hair with every green ribbon, Barret, and hair tie we owned. Then,  I dug through her drawers and found that she owned green, just not a solid green. Wes wore his all green pjs. ( oh to be 6 again). I even wore a tan with black and green flowered skirt with paired with black and pearls. I didn't want it to look like I didn't plan on wearing green on St. Pat's day.  After all, I am not Irish.... :) even though that corned beef was so good.

What is wrong with NOT wanting a flu shot?

During the mass sickness in the school district, it found it's way into our home via the sitter's home. Kelsey, as usual, got it the worst. I called the oh so helpful and lovely local dr's office one Friday to be told to go to urgent care. We did't b/c all I wanted was a strep culture. I know how long those take and I would have done it myself if I had the stuff. SO,
the next Friday I called and asked if we could be seen THAT Friday, now b/c Kelsey had been running a fever for 5 days straight. Amazingly they were available in minutes. I just can't figure out how an empty parking lot means a full office...

In the office visit they asked if we had the flu shots this year. I said nicely "No, and we never do. I know they are most effective for last year's flu strain. We are so health, we never have gotten the flu. We are good without them."

I got the the disgusted face from the staff. I hate that face. We are not  bad parents b/c we don't give our kids every shot known to man. In fact, I am uncomfortable being the first generation to get any new shots. I want my shots tried and tested for generations.  Especially when they are shots for things that are not deadly. My sister in law is on a modified immunity shot schedule and her dr. thinks she is an idiot.

We don't have health issues, we are not chronically sick, we don't have compromised immunities. I can tell you the last time I was really really stay home from school as a teacher sick was my first year of teaching.  I lost my voice for a week- but was not down in bed dizzy sick. I think I am managing and would like some non disgusted responses when I decline the flu shots.

Am I crazy? Is common courtesy too much to ask for? Not that I will change, but should we get every shot out there just in case?

I smell a conspiricy.

I have a wonderful vac that I have not used in a year. The belts don't exist anymore. And so I have been suffering with our shop vac.

I finally found a place on 17th and Van Buren to sell them. AT. A. STEAL. $.39 each. Wow. but really the shipping and the small order fee is keeping from pressing the "complete my order" button.

What do I do?