tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34832190782820970562024-03-18T23:05:50.742-04:00Sleeping Under God's WingsWandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-4176987601607239232014-02-07T23:13:00.003-05:002014-02-07T23:13:48.180-05:007 Quick Takes: The books I'm reading<div http:="" quick_takes_sm1.jpg="" style="text-align: center;" uploads="" wp-content="" www.conversiondiary.com="">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" height="195" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" title="7_quick_takes_sm" width="290" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt1"></a><b>~~ 1 ~~</b></div>
I am in the middle of a shockingly large number of books right now, so I've decided to make them this week's 7QT. It will almost certainly be more interesting than another post about how I need to go grocery shopping (I do) and I'm tired and disorganized (I am).
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt2"></a><b>~~ 2 ~~</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Far-From-Tree-Children-Identity/dp/0743236726/ref=cm_crt_pr_product_top" target="_blank">Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity"</a> by Andrew Solomon. This book investigates what happens when parents have children that are very different from the children the parents expected. Usually, Solomon says, children get "vertical identities" from their parents--black parents have black children, etc. But when a child has a "horizontal identity" that he doesn't share with his parents, it can be hard for his parents to deal with that. Solomon talks about different kinds of horizontal identities, such as autism, deafness, criminality, and transgender issues. What to change? What to accept? I've only read the first chapter or so, but am intrigued.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt3"></a><b>~~ 3 ~~</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Theology-Food-Eating-Eucharist/dp/0470674989/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391729549&sr=1-1&keywords=the+theology+of+food" target="_blank">The Theology of Food: Eating and the Eucharist</a> by Angel Mendez-Montoya (sorry, I don't know how to make accents in this text editor). This one is for a class. The topic is interesting: What do we learn about the Eucharist when we explore it as a food? What does how and what we (as humans) eat reveal about the Eucharist? There are some interesting insights here, but they are frequently buried underneath popular platitudes (for instance, about accepting differences--not that this is bad, but cliches aren't interesting theology). I may have more positive things to say when I'm done; there is, for instance, a chapter about transubstantiation that I haven't gotten to yet.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt4"></a><b>~~ 4 ~~</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Anorexia-Steven-Levenkron/dp/0393321010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391729954&sr=1-1&keywords=the+anatomy+of+anorexia" target="_blank">The Anatomy of Anorexia</a> by Steven Levenkrom. I bought this book for $1 at a bookstore because I had time to kill and it looked interesting. It is interesting. I don't know enough about it to know whether it is correct. He's talking a lot about societal and personal factors that lead to the development of anorexia, but so far he's said very little about what makes some girls actually succumb to this pressure while some are able to resist. Again, he may address this later.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt5"></a><b>~~ 5 ~~</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Purgatorio-Dante/dp/0385497008/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391829870&sr=1-1&keywords=purgatorio+hollander" target="_blank">Purgatorio</a> by Dante Alighieri, translated by Robert and Jean Hollander. Another book for class. I tried to read the Divine Comedy in high school (different translation), but became one of those people Dante scholars complain about who gets bored halfway through Purgatorio. This time I intend to make it all the way through! If nothing else, the pressure to not fail will force me to. In all seriousness, though, I am enjoying this. I can't comment on the translation, but the notes are generally helpful in providing historical and biographical background. They are woefully inadequate when it comes to the theology, unfortunately; for instance, some very obvious Biblical references are missing. But it reads smoothly and is (according to people who read Italian) a very accurate translation. Plus it has the Italian on the facing page, so I can use my Latin to pretend that I read Italian.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt6"></a><b>~~ 6 ~~</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Study-Bible-Publication-Translation/dp/0195297512/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391831848&sr=1-1&keywords=jewish+study+bible" target="_blank">The Jewish Study Bible</a>. Is this cheating? Don't know, don't care. I am reading it, even if not all the way through. Maybe I should have called this "Exodus and Leviticus." We are focusing on the construction of the Tabernacle. Interesting and helpful notes. Fascinating to read a Bible whose notes refer nearly exclusively to Jewish thinkers.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt7"></a><b>~~ 7 ~~</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brethren-Novel-John-Grisham/dp/0345531973/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391832225&sr=1-1&keywords=the+brethren+john+grisham" target="_blank">The Brethren</a> by John Grisham. Okay, this is definitely cheating. I read the first chapter so that I had a 7th book to include. I picked this up off one of the give-a-book-take-a-book shelves (to which I owe quite a few books by now...) because a friend of mine had mentioned he wanted to know what I thought of Grisham. So far I'm not impressed, but we'll see how it goes.
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For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></div>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-7592507678915630782013-12-13T17:43:00.000-05:002013-12-13T17:43:14.971-05:00Is it really Friday again already?<div http:="" quick_takes_sm1.jpg="" style="text-align: center;" uploads="" wp-content="" www.conversiondiary.com="">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" height="195" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" title="7_quick_takes_sm" width="290" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt1"></a><b>~~ 1 ~~</b></div>
In the last week, I've decided on and purchased all my Christmas presents except one. Yay for me! The other one is a joint present that I am still waiting for confirmation on before I buy it. (If you're reading this, and you know what I'm talking about, and you owe me an email, email me!)
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt2"></a><b>~~ 2 ~~</b></div>
A lot of my homework that I mentioned <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2013/12/im-not-dead-seven-quick-takes-to-prove.html#qt2" target="_blank">last week</a> has turned out to not be necessary: I don't have to turn in the first draft of my thesis, and I don't have to do more lab work. Yay! Of course, the reduced stress has caused me to procrastinate. But my current project (a play about John Keats, Ralph Waldo Emerson, creative genius, inspiration, and bipolar disorder) has captured my interest. I hope to have that finished tonight and focus on my 20-page paper over the weekend.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt3"></a><b>~~ 3 ~~</b></div>
I have been Facebook-less for about a week now. Do I miss it? Yes, and no. I find myself wanting my Facebook back when I am bored, procrastinating, or depressed. When I am happy or doing something worthwhile, I never even think about it. This just confirms my belief that Facebook isn't good for my soul, because I seem to use it as a sort of short-term narcotic. (I think of <i>soma</i> from <i>Brave New World</i>.)
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt4"></a><b>~~ 4 ~~</b></div>
One exception: I also wish I could post to Facebook when I read an article that I want to share with the world. I was a page admin on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhatWereReading" target="_blank">What We're Reading</a>, a page where we'd all post the cool articles we'd stumbled across. It was pretty cool. I just discovered when I went to look up the link that you can read this page without even having a Facebook account. So much for the little productivity I had left! But seriously, go check it out. We're all interested in different things so it's a fairly eclectic (that's the polite word for random, right?) bunch of stuff.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt5"></a><b>~~ 5 ~~</b></div>
I need to go to the grocery store....I decided not to go yesterday so I could go to a Mass in a language I don't speak with liturgical dancers. But it's supposed to snow tomorrow. I guess it will be a bus grocery store trip! I would wait for better weather, but looking at the weather forecast, I think I'd run out of food and starve before the weather got better. Also if I don't go before Sunday the flyer will change over and I will have to make a new shopping list. I hate making grocery lists, so this is good motivation.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt6"></a><b>~~ 6 ~~</b></div>
About that Mass, no, it's totally not my normal style. So why was I there? It was a Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe. My friend invited me to go with him. He tells me that Hispanic culture has a tradition of dancing as worship. I take his word on this; I'm not Hispanic. So I wanted to see what it was like. While I see that the style could be a form of worship, I think it was badly integrated into this particular Mass; they just stuck some dancing before the presentation of the gifts. Since it didn't accompany any actual liturgical action, it really felt like a performance. Disappointing. The music was also disappointing; the balance between singing and accompaniment was off and the microphones were terribly distorting.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt7"></a><b>~~ 7 ~~</b></div>
On a side note, I totally get now why some people don't like Mass in Latin. I've never been in a Mass where I had so little orientation as to what was happening. On the other hand, if I had had the text and translation, as well as a crash course in how to pronounce Spanish, I think it would've been fine.
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<div style="text-align: center;">
For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></div>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-9054945262882357552013-12-06T15:33:00.000-05:002013-12-06T15:33:09.320-05:00I'm not dead; Seven Quick Takes to prove it<div http:="" quick_takes_sm1.jpg="" style="text-align: center;" uploads="" wp-content="" www.conversiondiary.com="">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" height="195" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" title="7_quick_takes_sm" width="290" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt1"></a><b>~~ 1 ~~</b></div>
Hi. Sorry for the radio silence. I am not dead. I am busy and distracted. I've been thinking for a while about how scattered and disorganized my mind has become. This has resulted in the scattering and disorganization of my life. I'm thinking of writing a post about this. Maybe next week's 7QT will be 7 small steps towards simplicity. For now I leave you with this: <a href="http://theradicallife.org/the-real-reason-to-quit-facebook-and-10-what-ifs" target="_blank">The Real Reason to Quit Facebook (and 10 What-Ifs)</a>.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt2"></a><b>~~ 2 ~~</b></div>
I just noticed that my last 7QT post was all about how organized and responsible I'm going to be. Ha. Sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want it to. In my defense, I have a lot of papers to write: a draft of my thesis, which is supposed to be 50 pages long, and a 20 page paper, and a 10 (? I forget) page paper/play. And I have lab work, which isn't a paper but takes a lot of time.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt3"></a><b>~~ 3 ~~</b></div>
Have I talked about my thesis? I'm writing about autism and Thomas Aquinas, and the idea is that using Thomas Aquinas and his model of flourishing can help us choose treatment goals. It's interesting, but I'm basically at the point where I've thought enough that I have a good sense of what I want to say. So now I have no interest in actually writing the paper. I thought I liked writing, but usually I write and think simultaneously (which works much better than it sounds like it would). I guess I like thinking, not writing.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt4"></a><b>~~ 4 ~~</b></div>
Does anyone read this blog? Just leave me a comment and say hi. I feel like I'm talking to myself.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt5"></a><b>~~ 5 ~~</b></div>
I totally failed at the buying-Christmas-presents before Advent goal. Here it is almost week 2 and I haven't even decided for everyone. Fail! On the plus side, I'm going to make a Jesse tree with my CCD class. So I must get some bonus points. It seems like a Jesse tree is the ultimate Overachieving Pinterest Mom symbol and I don't even have kids.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt6"></a><b>~~ 6 ~~</b></div>
Kyle got a job in Chicago, so we'll be moving there when we graduate. All other details TBD, but we want to try to go to
<a href="http://www.cantius.org" target="_blank">this church</a>. Jealous? (If not, you probably have terrible liturgical taste. Just kidding. Except not really.)
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt7"></a><b>~~ 7 ~~</b></div>
Well that was a fairly unkind note to end this post on. But I can't think of anything better to say. I will try to post more in the future so people don't scold me for abandoning my blog (HI <a href="http://transfigurenature.blogspot.com" target="_blank">SOPHIE</a>).
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<div style="text-align: center;">
For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></div>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-26474863653958588012013-06-23T23:24:00.002-04:002013-06-23T23:24:43.104-04:00Becoming a grown upI've been living in my house for about two and a half weeks. It's been a great experience so far. My sister has been subletting from one of my roommates for the summer. She and I have been shopping and cooking together. (My other roommate has mostly been eating at her fiance's apartment.) I've made a price book (result: food is CHEAP here!) and a coupon folder and have signed up for rewards cards. So far, I've been enjoying this taste of adult life. We'll see whether I still like it a year from now!
<p>
My biggest hassle has been transportation. I don't have a car, so I've been riding my bicycle everywhere. I got a trailer so that I could carry a lot of stuff, so I've even been grocery shopping with my bike. This is fine, in theory, but there are two big problems: The first is that it's fairly warm here, and so I wind up covered in sweat. That's not great at work and it's no fun to get home and just need to collapse and dry off. The second, bigger problem is that I don't live in a very convenient place to do all my shopping and travel by bike. There are not a lot of sidewalks in places you'd want them to be (hello, the mall?). I need to investigate the bus a bit and see if that can make up for some of the missing sidewalks. There is still the problem that a lot of local drivers don't seem to realize that bikes can be part of traffic. I try to stick to sidewalks so I don't die. (Yes, I realize I'm enabling their bad driving. No, I don't care; when cars nearly run over a BABY TRAILER, I'm not sacrificing myself on the altar of a principle.)
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My plans for the next few days are to finish unpacking/organizing my room and to get some supplies to make jam. We don't have the right size pots, but I am going to try it anyway before I buy more because pots are expensive. I might be able to just make smaller batches. I'll keep you updated!Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-63663436446956680012013-05-24T00:30:00.000-04:002013-05-24T00:30:04.752-04:00Seven Quick Takes<div http:="" quick_takes_sm1.jpg="" style="text-align: center;" uploads="" wp-content="" www.conversiondiary.com="">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" height="195" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" title="7_quick_takes_sm" width="290" /></div>
<a href="http://teamstout.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-14-at-9-13-40-pm.png?w=625" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://teamstout.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-14-at-9-13-40-pm.png?w=625" width="173" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt1"></a><b>~~ 1 ~~</b></div>
Are you looking for a cool t-shirt and/or a way to help orphans? You can get one <a href="http://teamstout.wordpress.com/tshirt-page/" target="_blank">right here</a> from my friend Megan. She's running a fundraiser for orphanages in China, which you can read more about <a href="http://teamstout.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/chinese-orphanages/" target="_blank">here</a> or follow on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-3-Private-Orphanages-in-China/160122070832099" target="_blank">here</a>. The shirt pictured is the women's shirt; a unisex shirt will be available soon (by the time this is published, it may already be available.) Megan says that these are good-quality t-shirts and the printing is well-done. It's a t-shirt you could actually wear in public, not just something you'd have to use for pajamas.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt2"></a><b>~~ 2 ~~</b></div>
I got home on Tuesday just in time for my little brother's Confirmation on Tuesday night. He's so old. My little sister was his sponsor. He's taller than she is. I remember when he was born.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt3"></a><b>~~ 3 ~~</b></div>
A cousin that I thought was five made his first Communion this spring. All these little kids doing big-kid and grown-up things. I feel so old. :(
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt4"></a><b>~~ 4 ~~</b></div>
My mother is driving me to my house this summer so she can help me set up. I'm looking forward to this! It might be just the two of us. Road trip! K and M and G will be there that weekend to help too. (Legal, responsible) party time!
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt5"></a><b>~~ 5 ~~</b></div>
Packing up all my stuff in my dorm took longer than I thought it was going to. I rented a pickup truck and moved it all out to a storage locker. My sister and R also shoved some of their stuff in there. I think we'll need to make a couple trips to get it out. Sounds like fun right? Not.
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt6"></a><b>~~ 6 ~~</b></div>
I've been trying to pick up more knowledge about homeschooling and homemaking and budgeting wisely. I'm realizing that I'm a terribly disorganized person. If I could fix that, the rest of my life would be awesome. It really would. (For an example of disorganization, see this post.)
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt7"></a><b>~~ 7 ~~</b></div>
On that note, one of my main summer goals is to get more organized. I'm hoping to blog about progress. Watch this space. But not too closely, because I don't want to be embarrassed when I forget.
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<div style="text-align: center;">
For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></div>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-55225237073549296132013-04-26T21:59:00.000-04:002013-04-26T21:59:23.913-04:00Seven Quick Takes: Mostly Cooking and Cleaning<p style="text-align: center;><a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" title="7_quick_takes_sm" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="195" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt1"></a><strong>~~ 1 ~~</strong></p>
I take back <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2013/04/seven-quick-takes.html#qt6" target="_blank">what I said</a> about next semester being easy. I just put it all into an actual weekly calendar with colored in blocks (the only way schedules make sense to me) and there's a LOT of color and not very much white space. (Well, right now there's a lot of white space, but I know most of that is going to be colored in once I finish scheduling lab and work hours.) I guess I'll buy a crock pot and learn how to make crock pot meals that last for a week! Just kidding.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt2"></a><strong>~~ 2 ~~</strong></p>
Actually, speaking of cooking, I'm going to try going gluten free this summer and see what happens. My <a href="http://transfigurenature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">sister</a> has just gone gluten free and it's made a big difference to her overall health. That kind of stuff tends to run in families, we are (suspected identical) twins, and I have a lot of the same symptoms. For the record, I hope the experiment totally fails because I LOVE NOODLES and I don't want to stop eating them.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt3"></a><strong>~~ 3 ~~</strong></p>
I'm also on the lookout for recipes that are easy to make ahead of time and then pack. I'm lactose intolerant, so combined with the gluten experiment, my old strategy of cheese sandwich is going to need to be rethought, as will my "noodles and cheese" strategy. Suggestions welcome. Easy and cheap suggestions very welcome.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt4"></a><strong>~~ 4 ~~</strong></p>
I'm in the middle of tidying for move-out. For some reason that I don't quite get, our rooms are supposed to be ready for inspection (i.e., reasonably tidy and posters down) by Sunday night. Inspections are on Thursday. Are they just trying to make sure we get things done in time? I don't know. Whatever! Saves me some of the last minute rush to turn my disaster of a room into neatly stacked boxes. (Of course, I'll create a different last minute rush. That's just how I roll.)
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt5"></a><strong>~~ 5 ~~</strong></p>
Speaking of mess, packing, and rushing, what's the best organization book you've ever read? I have trouble staying organized and I finally figured out one big reason why: I like to have things where I can see them. If I can't see something, I won't remember it. So things that I need to remember to use on a regular basis, such as medication and toothbrushes, need to be visible. Something can only stay hidden if I only need it when I know I need it (e.g., Tylenol, spoons). But if I just set things around on top of tables and shelves, I start putting everything I have on there until my horizontal surfaces are piles of mess. Is anyone else like this? What do you do about it?
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt6"></a><strong>~~ 6 ~~</strong></p>
Did you see that the <a href="http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/MembershipStandards/Resolution/Resolution.aspx" target="_blank">Boy Scouts now allow gay boys to be scouts</a>? They still require leaders to be heterosexual. I will write a more in-depth post about this later, but I think this was a wise move pastorally.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt7"></a><strong>~~ 7 ~~</strong></p>
Lastly, in orphan news (you thought I would have a SQT without orphans, didn't you? Ha, not likely): Recent negotiations with Russia have not yielded any results, and Russia will not reopen to American adoption in the foreseeable future. (Of course, with international adoption, the future is always uncertain.) Because of this, Reece's Rainbow decided to give the grants of waiting Russian children to children in other countries. Because she was my Christmas child, I got to decide which child would receive <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/6050/aishak" target="_blank">Aisha</a>'s grant. I was asked to give her grant to a child with DS who was in greater need, and I chose <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/297/mark-latin-america" target="_blank">Mark</a> in Latin America. He already had a significant grant, so his adoption is now nearly half paid for. He needs a family quickly--he is an older boy, and he has leukemia as well as Down syndrome. I have absolutely no idea what conditions are like in his country; I hope he is getting treatment for his cancer. But he still needs a family.
<p style="text-align: center;">For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></p>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-8793120820597663612013-04-05T16:22:00.000-04:002013-04-05T21:51:42.949-04:00Seven Quick Takes<p style="text-align: center;><a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" title="7_quick_takes_sm" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="195" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt1"></a><strong>~~ 1 ~~</strong></p>
I am very sorry that I haven't posted recently. (Maybe I should make that the name of my blog. Somebody help me think of a catchy way to say "Sorry I haven't posted, but I am allergic to everything in the world and have a chronic sinus infection from it! Also I'm busy and lazy!")
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt2"></a><strong>~~ 2 ~~</strong></p>
<a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/56143/sponsorbiggs" target="_blank">Here</a>'s Kurt's family! Go check them out--they seem awesome to me. I am Facebook friends with his mother and he's going to have some adorable siblings. <b>ETA</b> <a href="http://holdingoutmyheart.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Here</a>'s their blog! They need to raise about $20,000! Please consider helping them out.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt3"></a><strong>~~ 3 ~~</strong></p>
Look at these adorable little girls: <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/51936/nadia-nancy" target="_blank">Nadia and Nancy</a>. I love them! I'm going to help Kurt's family home and then probably start advocating more heavily for these two. FAS and siblings both scare a lot of people, so they'll need a lot of exposure to find a family.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt4"></a><strong>~~ 4 ~~</strong></p>
Want more adorableness? <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/56504/bert-ernie" target="_blank">Bert and Ernie</a>. AWWW. Ernie looks like he could have been my fiance's brother. These two will also probably be on my list. Siblings and boys--another hard combination to overcome.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt5"></a><strong>~~ 5 ~~</strong></p>
I realized that so far, everyone I've advocated or fundraised for has gotten a family except for Aisha. (Her country's new rules, which you may have read about in the news, make the chances of her ever finding a family much lower. But I'm still hoping she'll get adopted by a domestic family or a non-US family.) I would like to say that I'm a great advocate, but truthfully I think I just tend to pick adorable kids with mild needs.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt6"></a><strong>~~ 6 ~~</strong></p>
I have figured out my schedule for next semester and it looks like I'll be taking 14 credits. This is unusual for me--a regular courseload is 15, and I have almost always had 16 or 17. I feel, however, that I have been spreading myself too thin, so I'm just going to take four courses plus my thesis and try to do a good job on less rather than a poor job on more. (Of course the danger is a poor job on less. Please pray that that doesn't happen.)
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt7"></a><strong>~~ 7 ~~</strong></p>
I'm sure you all (all two of you readers) are dying to know what my thesis topic is, now that I've mentioned I'm writing one. I haven't finalized yet, but the general topic is going to be autism from a Thomistic/Aristotelian perspective. How does autism limit or enhance flourishing? Can we talk about "autism" as a whole in this context or do we have to look at specific deficits and skills that come alongside autism? I'm hoping it will have broader applicability in the theology of disability field, but we'll see.
<p style="text-align: center;">For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></p>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-41800261822272512582013-03-16T00:32:00.002-04:002013-03-16T00:32:47.652-04:00A productive weekMy first announcement, unrelated to the topic of this post: Kurt has a family! Thank you, God! I will post more details as I learn them, if his family permits me.
<p>
I'm on spring break this week, so I've been home. A lot of this week has been spent relaxing and hanging out with my family. It's been nice. We've been doing a lot of the early, big-picture stages of wedding planning. (Due to my failure as a blogger, there was no official announcement, but yes, I'm engaged.) We have good leads on reception places, I've talked to a priest a little bit, and I've got a dress! (No, no pictures yet--K reads this blog. Sorry. Check back in June or July 2014.) <a href="http://filasewphie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sophie</a> and I have got some plans for bridesmaid dresses, which are also not at the publicly revealable stage.
<p>
J realized this week that my getting married means that I will be changing my last name and moving into a different house. Tears were narrowly averted. She's not the only one who's had to face some unpleasant news: in the last few days, I've suddenly realized that I have a LOT of stuff to sort out in between now and moving into my own real house. (I'm moving off campus next year, but that totally doesn't count, right? Right?) I have several drawers and shelves full of stuff. And wayyyy too many books I haven't read. (The solution, of course, is to read more, not get rid of books.)
<p>
In poking through some of my drawers to see exactly how bad things are, I found an old knitted skirt that I started my senior year of high school and never finished. This skirt had been languishing for years thanks to my mistaken belief that acrylic can't be blocked. I thought the poor thing was forever doomed to look like this:
<br> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-I13FM4k3Hi57bPasWHHJgXHceq9R2ZfuZ-Sq1OShd9LyOxTqyRdn1wet_7LxwKzDThkSRMOGVjoUuNfMsXesCi6-uveeNsB8nG54Hkll9HTpR4HgF59em67IiyMokQ9W6pJkPuUjwk-/s1600/103_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-I13FM4k3Hi57bPasWHHJgXHceq9R2ZfuZ-Sq1OShd9LyOxTqyRdn1wet_7LxwKzDThkSRMOGVjoUuNfMsXesCi6-uveeNsB8nG54Hkll9HTpR4HgF59em67IiyMokQ9W6pJkPuUjwk-/s320/103_0733.JPG" /></a> <br>
That's not really a skirt, of course. That's one of the swatches I made to test out a couple different ways of blocking. The skirt, the Luminarie skirt by Annie Modesitt, is made of entrelac blocks of that pattern. You can look at <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TagKnitter/luminarie-skirt" target="_blank">my project page on Ravelry</a>. It doesn't have photos up right now because I don't have any of the actual skirt. But rest assured it looks a lot like that picture, just bigger.
<p>
Anyway, so I recently discovered that acrylic can indeed be blocked. It just needs to be steamed, not wet blocked. I also discovered that you can "kill" or melt acrylic. So I knitted two little blocks. I steamed one and killed the other to see which I liked more. The result was clear, although the pictures don't show it very well.
<br> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQA57Gxrht7QQh-vlssGyv2nxWjbRiXe6QiorC2qQQOzxtGbXOKRo3l7s9jx7vI-wry5BpyfR_WwrV5_XI5jy-UQhGIV_ROFHPWPY92bFLdrw5DTh_RZaztCg2YmT2KgrfZAOOklL4XXaA/s1600/103_0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQA57Gxrht7QQh-vlssGyv2nxWjbRiXe6QiorC2qQQOzxtGbXOKRo3l7s9jx7vI-wry5BpyfR_WwrV5_XI5jy-UQhGIV_ROFHPWPY92bFLdrw5DTh_RZaztCg2YmT2KgrfZAOOklL4XXaA/s320/103_0735.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuob0k5_tYun3a9FR48tnG_KqZ4P6aYMPz5vrYXi5vsEEW4fveXDw_dUiPwdY2BgSr7ZHJZgv6ToWdiT8IIHPThvG61_hRlkRV-9RSP115HCohXAW3CLcHG7S1ssUmpT91RA4woHTKCO3e/s1600/103_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuob0k5_tYun3a9FR48tnG_KqZ4P6aYMPz5vrYXi5vsEEW4fveXDw_dUiPwdY2BgSr7ZHJZgv6ToWdiT8IIHPThvG61_hRlkRV-9RSP115HCohXAW3CLcHG7S1ssUmpT91RA4woHTKCO3e/s320/103_0736.JPG" /></a> <br>
See how the stitches of the one on the top (the killed one) have kind of blurred together? I don't like that as much as the regular steam blocked one (on the bottom), where each stitch retains its individuality and the texture stands out more. So I'll be steaming the actual skirt once I have done the crocheted border. (Side note, I had to buy a crochet hook, and I found six at JoAnn's for three dollars. Why aren't knitting needles that cheap?)
<p>
I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that these swatches are the first things I've ever blocked. One difficulty I was not aware of is that blocking really does shape your knitting. In those pictures, the knitting is pinned down, but both pieces retained the not-quite-rectangular shapes I had pinned them to even after the pins came out. When I block the real skirt, I'm going to have to be careful of the edges.
<p>
So this project is well on its way to completion. I will be home again briefly over Easter break, and before then I hope to have this skirt and Kurt's blanket completely done. That's one border, some finishing, and two blocking jobs in two weeks--eminently reasonable if I can keep myself disciplined. Of course, I also have two papers and a grant proposal due before then. Wish me luck!Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-63580081449749287762013-01-15T22:12:00.000-05:002013-01-15T22:12:45.982-05:00Teamwork Tuesday: Angelina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/angelinajuly2011-2-225x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="225" src="http://reecesrainbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/angelinajuly2011-2-225x300.jpg" /></a></div>
Sorry for the radio silence! I am still sick, but I'm slowly getting to a functional state.
<p>
Today's Teamwork Tuesday child is Angelina. Isn't she cute? She is five years old. This photo is from July 2011. She looks scared! She needs a loving family to let her hair grow out and give her a reason to smile.
<p>
Angelina has spina bifida. Her profile says she is delayed mentally and physically. There is almost $1500 in her adoption account! That is a good jump on fundraising. Angelina is in Eastern Europe, but NOT in the country that recently closed down to American adoptions.
<p>
Please consider whether Angelina is meant to be your daughter. Please share her face and donate to her grant. Thank you!Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-64662883237942922792012-12-21T12:19:00.001-05:002012-12-21T12:19:27.197-05:00Seven Quick Takes: My Random Sick Thoughts<p style="text-align: center;><a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" title="7_quick_takes_sm" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="195" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt1"></a><strong>~~ 1 ~~</strong></p>
I am sick, and I do not respond well to decongestants. This morning, I've already caught myself mixing up who's and whose and thinking that $456 + $4 = $500. So be warned, and be charitable. :p
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt2"></a><strong>~~ 2 ~~</strong></p>
If I were a better person, I would write a post about how my sickness is nothing compared to the suffering of waiting orphans, or the grief of families who have lost children, or something like that. But I'm me, so I'm just going to say boy, do I hate being sick.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt3"></a><strong>~~ 3 ~~</strong></p>
Aisha made it over her $1000 goal! Thanks so much to everyone who contributed! If you still want to contribute, you can do so, or you can pick one of the many children who are still far away from their goal. Donations can be made <a href="http://static.reecesrainbow.org/angeltree2012" target="_blank">here</a>. (Speaking of which, there's currently a bump match--for every child that gets bumped over $500, one child will get bumped over $1000, up to a total of $3000 donated.)
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt4"></a><strong>~~ 4 ~~</strong></p>
Still looking for Christmas presents? Look at <a href="http://sevenly.org" target="_blank">Sevenly.org</a>. They choose a different charity every week and sell clothing. $7 of every item sold goes to the chosen charity. This week's charity is Reece's Rainbow! The goal is to reach $25,000 raised by December 24th. The shirts are pretty cool-looking--I'd buy one if I weren't broke.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt5"></a><strong>~~ 5 ~~</strong></p>
I am home for Christmas, and it is good to be home. I have almost all my Christmas presents bought and wrapped.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt6"></a><strong>~~ 6 ~~</strong></p>
Speaking of presents, I stupidly left half the supplies I need to finish K's Christmas present in my dorm. Oh well. I will have at least a week to finish in between getting back to school and seeing him.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt7"></a><strong>~~ 7 ~~</strong></p>
Please pray that Russia does not finalize the ban on international adoption that they are working on passing right now. This would be devastating to so many people, most of all the orphans.
<p style="text-align: center;">For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></p>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-74233664581939195212012-12-14T18:08:00.001-05:002012-12-14T18:08:35.843-05:00Book review: Brief Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CQfzZcumCwYo0DPNhehr8JiOPGh9AgJv0t8QzEGARMeES07WxkoQmpOP4DMtA4a5mGOh-am33ZEAT7oRtviMV28QXYdWftqUpcmX57Hx4YxVfRFSOiXp5tKtlJJaO0VgzMhthw_SGl8/s640/+final+BL+photo+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CQfzZcumCwYo0DPNhehr8JiOPGh9AgJv0t8QzEGARMeES07WxkoQmpOP4DMtA4a5mGOh-am33ZEAT7oRtviMV28QXYdWftqUpcmX57Hx4YxVfRFSOiXp5tKtlJJaO0VgzMhthw_SGl8/s640/+final+BL+photo+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
An embarrassingly long time ago, I told my internet friend <a href="http://fineoldfamly.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sally Thomas</a> that I would trade a review of her new book for a free copy of it. (Do I have to put in some kind of legal disclaimer here? She did not pay me, but I get to keep the book. Unless she doesn't like this review, in which case she can ask for it back! Just kidding, she didn't say that.) The book is called <i>Brief Light: Sonnets and Other Small Poems</i> and you can buy it right <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/sally-thomas/brief-light-sonnets-and-other-small-poems/paperback/product-20433781.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
<p>
I warned her, and I'll warn you, that I don't really know anything about poetry. I can more or less check if something scans, and I can tell you whether or not I like something, but that's about it. Nor do I really know what a proper poetry review consists of.
<p>
Disclaimers over. I really liked this book. The first poem, "Choice," literally took my breath away. There were other poems like that, to which I had an immediate emotional reaction. (These were mostly the ones about kids. Or death. Not sure what that says about me.) Others I had to read a couple times to understand. And there are also some that, to be honest, I feel like I just didn't "get". This is a problem that I always have with poetry (and certain kinds of prose too). I have trouble getting past literal meanings. But I found <i>Brief Light</i> to be--I don't want it to sound like I think it's shallow, because that is NOT what I'm trying to say at all. But it did seem more accessible to me than a lot of the modern poetry I've read. Very few of the poems left me with that "What the heck was that about?" feeling.
<p>
So I recommend this book, even if you aren't much of a poetry person (I tend to like the kind of poetry whose meter is so strong you can bounce up and down to its rhythm, with a very predictable rhyme scheme, and this is not that kind of poetry). It is very cheap (less than $7.00) and has some very moving poems. It's definitely a book I want to keep and come back to.
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-37423752679744317812012-12-04T21:09:00.000-05:002012-12-04T21:09:03.688-05:00Teamwork Tuesday: Carter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Carter-14G-257x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="257" src="http://reecesrainbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Carter-14G-257x300.jpg" /></a></div>
I haven't been doing my Teamwork Tuesday posts recently....I am sorry! Unfortunately this will have to be a short one because I have a paper to write.
<p>
Little <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/19016/carter-14g" target="_blank">Carter</a> is five years old. He has Down syndrome and needs a family now. His profile says that he is "strong and attentive" and that he shows perseverance. He is learning to feed himself and can pull himself to standing. These are all behaviors that he will lose when he gets transferred to the mental institution. Someone needs to save him from that fate!
<p>
Carter is on the angel tree this year. His warrior, Kristi, has a giveaway for him. The top prize is a Samsung Galaxy tablet! Click <a href="http://onechildonevoice.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-for-carter-giveaway.html" target="_blank">here</a> to see the rest of the prizes and enter! Please pray for him and donate if you are able.Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-64534581938923023902012-11-29T21:56:00.001-05:002012-11-30T00:25:40.683-05:00In Memory of Henry (Link-up included)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiQOPB7ur-LNw_yS62sW7LoqKFr091uUnKtOC01-ZmaFXf-wZVW3CWRD3Jr1OX3vKRtbD45gnN7tD3lcPbw6eCnopA1Hh9WnZpRhzAXY7arIaGcyJy83zmHK3JALZiPJW1Ro-XmrqwKC1/s1600/23934_445962108785957_1716500936_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="184" width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiQOPB7ur-LNw_yS62sW7LoqKFr091uUnKtOC01-ZmaFXf-wZVW3CWRD3Jr1OX3vKRtbD45gnN7tD3lcPbw6eCnopA1Hh9WnZpRhzAXY7arIaGcyJy83zmHK3JALZiPJW1Ro-XmrqwKC1/s400/23934_445962108785957_1716500936_n.jpg" /></a></div>
(Image credit Colleen Novit)
<p>
It is with a simultaneously heavy and joyful heart that I share with those of you who have not heard that <a href="http://www.bringinghenryhome.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Henry Dobrovits</a> died on Wednesday of complications from surgery.
<p>
I went to Mass today with Henry's family as my intention. As I flipped through the hymnal before Mass, I discovered that all the music for that Mass was joyful. And oddly (or not), everything fit.
<p>
Our opening hymn. <i>"Have you not seen? All you have needed has been met by his gracious ordaining."</i> Henry "should" have died alone. He was only able to be registered for international adoption because his medical condition was misdiagnosed. And a family saw him, loved him, worked so hard to bring him home. Henry spent the last year of his life in a family. He experienced <a href="http://www.bringinghenryhome.blogspot.com/2012/08/one-year.html" target="_blank">so much love</a> in that year. It was the hand of God, graciously ordaining that Henry get everything he need.
<p>
The Scripture passages. The first reading: <i>"Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb."</i> Henry was called to that feast yesterday. He is blessed indeed. Our responsorial psalm: <i>"I will go in to the house of the Lord, singing my song of rejoicing."</i> How could Henry not rejoice as he entered into God's house?
<p>
And oh, the Communion hymn. <i>"Taste and see the goodness of the Lord."</i> Henry gets to taste and see that goodness in a way that we have never experienced. But I am sure that it is not an unfamiliar goodness. <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/rsva/1-john/4-16.html" target="_blank">God is love</a>, and because of his family, Henry learned what love is. As Henry's soul slipped from his body, he slipped into true love, the place where he is meant to be and for which his family was always <a href="http://www.bringinghenryhome.blogspot.com/2012/11/henry-is-finally-home.html" target="_blank">preparing him</a>.
<p>
Henry is in Heaven now, and all his pain is gone. But my heart is broken for his family. Henry was the youngest of seven. His parents and his siblings miss him terribly. They desperately need our prayers.
<p>
<b>A collection for Henry's medical and funeral expenses is being taken up via chip in in the top right corner of <a href="http://the-scenic-route-momto6kids.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">this blog</a>. I have created a link-up so that Henry's family has an easy job finding lots of posts for their child when they feel ready to read them. If you have a post about Henry, please feel free to add it here.</b> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/styles/default.css" /><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/loc_en.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/opt_defaults.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/misterlinky.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?mode=standard&owner=teresa91&postid=30Nov2012b"></script>Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-24303230693764742252012-11-15T00:54:00.001-05:002012-11-15T01:28:31.314-05:00Auction for Angels is live!Some of the other Angel Tree warriors and I have set up a joint fundraiser. We didn't have enough items to each have our own auction, so we clubbed together and made one big one. Here are the items that I'm selling for Aisha:
<p>
Hair clips that <a href="http://filasewphie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my sister</a> made. (Side note, my family is awesomely supportive of my <strike>obsession</strike> desire to help orphans.)
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Some baby booties, knitted by me.
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<br>
That <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2012/10/knitting-elephant-for-aisha-and-general.html" target="_blank">elephant</a>, of course.
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<br>
Some books.
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Click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ChristmasInJulyAuction" target="_blank">here</a> to view the auction! Place bids by commenting on the photo. If you don't have a Facebook account, comment on this post with your bid amount and a way to get in touch with you.
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-48491544955563126862012-11-02T09:40:00.001-04:002012-11-02T09:40:03.015-04:00Seven Quick Takes: Angel Tree Edition<p style="text-align: center;><a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" title="7_quick_takes_sm" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="195" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt1"></a><strong>~~ 1 ~~</strong></p>
Good morning and welcome! This week all my takes will be about the Angel Tree fundraiser, which has officially started! <i>(Don't know what Angel Tree is? Find out <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/p/aisha-kangel-tree.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i> The page where you can see running totals is UP. You can see it <a href="http://static.reecesrainbow.org/angeltree2012/">here</a>. It updates every 15 minutes. That's fine, I wasn't planning on getting any homework done for the next two months anyway.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt2"></a><strong>~~ 2 ~~</strong></p>
Please pray for success! I forget to say this sometimes, but it's actually the most important part of any fundraiser I do. Don't think that if you don't have money, you can't do anything. Praying helps more than donating money (although if you feel moved to do both, PLEASE FEEL FREE. Haha).
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt3"></a><strong>~~ 3 ~~</strong></p>
Donations made through the Angel Tree link, Aisha's profile page, or either of the boxes on the right side of this blog are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. Isn't that awesome? If you donate $35 or more, you can choose to receive a Christmas tree ornament with Aisha's face on it. Totally going to do this when I get paid. If I had $7500, I would buy one for each child on the Angel Tree. *sigh* Maybe after I marry my software engineer!
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt4"></a><strong>~~ 4 ~~</strong></p>
Don't want an ornament? Go check out my <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/p/how-you-can-help.html" target="_blank">fundraisers</a>! Most of them still have no purchases and I don't know why. These would make great Christmas gifts. And everyone knows someone who drinks fair-trade coffee, right?
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt5"></a><strong>~~ 5 ~~</strong></p>
Another way to help without money: Share! Everybody's got at least one friend who has money and would be willing to put it to a good cause like this one, or else a friend who wants something I'm selling. So please spread the word!
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt6"></a><strong>~~ 6 ~~</strong></p>
Keep your eyes peeled for an auction featuring handknit stuff by me. (I have it on good authority that the bidding for my <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2012/10/knitting-elephant-for-aisha-and-general.html" target="_blank">elephant</a> is going to be intense.) There will also be baby booties! And uh, I haven't decided what else. Haha. Stay tuned.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt7"></a><strong>~~ 7 ~~</strong></p>
I'm also working on getting enough stuff knit up to open a store in the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/RR-Christmas-Craft-Mall/317342238373546?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">Reece's Rainbow Christmas Craft Mall</a>. A lot of crafters have collaborated to make buying homemade gifts that support orphans easy. Go check it out! (I don't know if you need a Facebook account to see it. If you want to purchase something but don't have a Facebook account, leave me a comment!)
<p style="text-align: center;">For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></p>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-27161247404306612252012-10-31T21:17:00.000-04:002012-10-31T21:17:19.620-04:00Knitting: Elephant for Aisha! (and general fundraising)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdtC3yUBNRVb6yoJ3ZfSgys6Lj6olZ3BjraSKn9vZTaQY4jgghu-yjd3dziow_ccGESTzo7D3ICwqeOsZRfopMdp2vpn_2BqrOlHJsBUnCpAZ_lICaKC6-ZH7NI4psXTxaEMlcJgC4WMr/s1600/103_0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdtC3yUBNRVb6yoJ3ZfSgys6Lj6olZ3BjraSKn9vZTaQY4jgghu-yjd3dziow_ccGESTzo7D3ICwqeOsZRfopMdp2vpn_2BqrOlHJsBUnCpAZ_lICaKC6-ZH7NI4psXTxaEMlcJgC4WMr/s320/103_0635.JPG" /></a></div>
I just finished the stuffed elephant that I have been knitting to raise money for Aisha. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out! What do you think? More photos are available on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TagKnitter/elephant" target="_blank">Ravelry project page</a>. (If you knit or crochet and you aren't on Ravelry, you should be! Their pattern database is just about the most awesome thing the internet has to offer.)
<p>
I'm going to be selling this on a Facebook auction. I'll post the link here once it's up! My next project is also for this auction for Aisha--a set of baby booties. Stay tuned for those.
<p>
Random side notes: Happy Halloween! And go check out Gertie's family's blog. They have their first fundraiser: <a href="http://nuckollsandwich.blogspot.com/2012/10/lactation-cookies.html" target="_blank">Nursing Cookies and Running Cookies</a>. Don't know what those are? Neither did I. Go check it out.Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-21040672584909487172012-10-30T11:10:00.001-04:002012-10-30T11:10:47.916-04:00Teamwork Tuesday: Wesley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Wesley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="178" width="135" src="http://reecesrainbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Wesley.jpg" /></a></div>
I know, I know, I'm so bad at keeping up with these....some is better than none, right? Today's Teamwork Tuesday child is <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/41855/wesley-2" target="_blank">Wesley</a>.
<p>
Wesley is eleven or twelve. He has albinism and associated vision issues. Despite his disability, he likes playing outside, especially with cars and balls, watching cartoons, and listening to stories. Poor little guy needs a family now!
<p>
As always, pray, share, donate. Wesley's grant fund is <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/41855/wesley-2" target="_blank">here</a>. And Wesley's prayer warrior is holding a giveaway for him! If you donate, you can be entered to win some gorgeous jewelry <a href="http://trippingdifferently.com/2012/10/30/precious-one-giveaway-for-wesley/" target="_blank">here</a>.Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-35409931580770087722012-10-26T09:33:00.000-04:002012-10-26T09:33:42.606-04:007 Quick Takes, The I Don't Want To Do My Homework Edition<p style="text-align: center;><a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1387" title="7_quick_takes_sm" src="http://www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="195" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt1"></a><strong>~~ 1 ~~</strong></p>
Yes, this is just procrastination. No judging please. It's better than Facebook because at least I'm creating output.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt2"></a><strong>~~ 2 ~~</strong></p>
My current knitting project (an <a href="http://ravel.me/TagKnitter/e1" target="_blank">elephant</a> which I am going to sell for <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/p/aisha-kangel-tree.html" target="_blank">Aisha</a>) had stalled due to a lack of stuffing, but I went on an excursion with a friend to get some and I'm back in business. Body and two legs are stuffed and sewn. Pictures coming soon.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt3"></a><strong>~~ 3 ~~</strong></p>
With respect to that craft store excursion, it is not a good idea to make a non-time-sensitive trip off campus after lunch on the day of a 3:30pm football game for one of the most famous teams in college football when they are undefeated. Traffic patterns get changed and cops try to convince you to park in a field and tell you that they don't know what to say about the fact that you have an on-campus parking sticker and it might take you twice as long to complete the last 1/2 mile as it did the rest of the drive. Just saying for your edification. I of course would never try anything that stupid.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt4"></a><strong>~~ 4 ~~</strong></p>
Poor little <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/32387/kurt" target="_blank">Kurt</a> still needs his family. Someone please go get him so I don't have to find a social worker who will approve a homestudy for a newly-married 22-year-old couple to adopt a seven-year-old. And yes, if the time comes and he is still waiting I will do that. Please don't make him wait that long.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt5"></a><strong>~~ 5 ~~</strong></p>
Go check out my <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/p/how-you-can-help.html" target="_blank">fundraisers</a>! Most of them still have no purchases and I don't know why. These are all useful and would make great Christmas gifts. (I'm thinking of buying some pasta for my brothers, who like making pasta for breakfast...don't tell them!)
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt6"></a><strong>~~ 6 ~~</strong></p>
Wow, I got all the way to six before I ran out of stuff to say! This might be a record. Ummm...go give <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/48645/sponsornuckolls" target="_blank">Gertie's family</a> some money. They have $10 in their fund. Gertie had $215.86 in her grant, and Gianna had $100 in hers. That leaves about $29,675 still to raise. Even $5 will make a difference.
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;"><a name="qt7"></a><strong>~~ 7 ~~</strong></p>
Shoot, this is the last take. I guess I should go do my homework now.
<p style="text-align: center;">For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com" target="_blank">Conversion Diary!</a></p>
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-55723773459875604522012-10-23T18:45:00.002-04:002012-10-26T09:06:31.630-04:00Fundraiser: Fun Pasta!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.funpastafundraising.com/shop/includes/img_product.php?path=../products/PWP-music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://www.funpastafundraising.com/shop/includes/img_product.php?path=../products/PWP-music.jpg" /></a></div>
I've just started a new fundraiser with <a href="http://www.funpastafundraising.com/shop/reeces-rainbow" target="_blank">Fun Pasta Fundraising</a>. This is a company that makes pasta in all kinds of fun shapes. I've posted a picture of the music-themed pasta, but you can get pasta themed from everything from breast cancer support to your favorite college sports team. If you don't like making pasta, they also sell chili, soups, and cookies.
<p>
40% of your purchase will go to Aisha's fund. Please go check <a href="http://www.funpastafundraising.com/shop/reeces-rainbow" target="_blank">Fun Pasta Fundraising</a> out!
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-74554599358566358332012-10-18T21:45:00.000-04:002012-10-19T22:30:21.348-04:00GOOD NEWS!This might be the blog post I've been most excited to write. GERTIE IS ON MFFM! A FAMILY IS COMING FOR HER!
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Thanks be to God. That's all there is to say. Thanks be to God.
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<b>Update 10/19:</b> Gertie's family has a profile now! They are also adopting a little girl named Gianna. You can donate to help them <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/48645/sponsornuckolls" target="_blank">here</a>.
<p>Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-34476524107725819922012-10-04T14:53:00.000-04:002012-10-04T14:53:49.596-04:00Help Save a Life (or Two or Ten)A few requests today.
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The first is extremely quick. Reece's Rainbow is in a contest. If they get the most votes, they will get $50,000 to help save orphans' lives. Click <a href="http://www.cultivatewines.com/cause/49260/" target="_blank">here</a> to vote for Reece's Rainbow!(You must be 21 because it's a wine company.) Vote once a day, every day, until October 31st. (Some people have reported that their cookies allow them to vote more than once a day--please don't do that, because Cultivate Wines can check that kind of thing and they could disqualify RR.) Want to know which kids are going to receive the money in their grants if Reece's Rainbow wins? Click <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/cultivatewines" target="_blank">here</a>.
<p>
The second request: As you know, I'm an Angel Tree Warrior for <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/p/aisha-kangel-tree.html" target="_blank">Aisha K</a>. There are still many, many children who need warriors. Please consider signing up. This would be a great service project for a group if you don't think you can do it alone. <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/category/at-girls" target="_blank">Here</a> are the girls on the Angel Tree, and <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/category/at-boys" target="_blank">here</a> are the boys. (There may be more than one page of children.) Children who don't have a grey image with a starfish next to their info still need warriors. Click <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/christmaswarriorprogram" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more about the program and <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/christmaswarriorprogram#cwsignup" target="_blank">here</a> to sign up.
<p>
The Flesher family are adopting a child with Cornelia de Lange syndrome (also known as Babydoll Syndrome), a condition that causes mental and physical disabilities. They have been fundraising in their community, but they are in desperate need of funds. Mrs. Flesher also just got hurt. They currently have a matching grant: When their funds reach $2575 they will be given another $1100. Right now they are at $710. If they don't get this money, they may not be able to proceed with their adoption. Please help them out! If you can't donate, spread the word!
<p>
Lastly, if you've been participating in the <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2012/09/fundraiser-for-gertie.html" target="_blank">fundraiser for Gertie</a>, September's over! Please count up your electronic change and donate it. So far only three people have put money in, and one of them was me. (I do know that some of you are still fully intending to donate and are waiting on an external factor, so please don't feel insulted if you are one of those people.)
<p>
Thanks for reading! If you're sick of reading about money, hang tight--I'm planning out a post on a totally different topic.Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-81213777915058624632012-09-24T18:45:00.000-04:002012-09-24T21:16:51.633-04:00The End of the Story<div style="text-align: center;">
Aisha is cute and chubby. She really doesn't look like a child who needs to be saved.
<br>Saved from what exactly?
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Let me show you Aisha's past.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpMydY6CCzve_Z_0K-Q1VMHS_Hbjbx8tvtsTOiSiBPOxrJGKiDtgOUJMJZHbibUi50bNqGLNiKBXR3Y6aQZR8EFY-4rmb19Qs-uW3cLJQzj8BioRhDAhvu1uedNxbKkt1W7UZaAZM07Tb/s1600/Aisha1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpMydY6CCzve_Z_0K-Q1VMHS_Hbjbx8tvtsTOiSiBPOxrJGKiDtgOUJMJZHbibUi50bNqGLNiKBXR3Y6aQZR8EFY-4rmb19Qs-uW3cLJQzj8BioRhDAhvu1uedNxbKkt1W7UZaAZM07Tb/s320/Aisha1.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
Baby Aisha. Probably born to a mother who wanted her, but was told that she would be impossibly hard to care for because of her Down syndrome.
<p>So Aisha's mother left her in an orphanage, trying to give her newborn daughter a better life.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnQjfDhq_-MTGn5KJw-E5eanehOYpJjvg8I9J3FGnHxbYv3P2s99IQwBfG9TCtZYkdLtKeihalTsQ96W2GU_xNIhneC3tmbaCer7kBl9FAHdkw40RRBCo92E9AozycT6WKCDl2Mc3kgqy/s1600/1v27_AishaK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="284" width="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnQjfDhq_-MTGn5KJw-E5eanehOYpJjvg8I9J3FGnHxbYv3P2s99IQwBfG9TCtZYkdLtKeihalTsQ96W2GU_xNIhneC3tmbaCer7kBl9FAHdkw40RRBCo92E9AozycT6WKCDl2Mc3kgqy/s320/1v27_AishaK.jpg" /></a></div>
The baby grew. She turned one. She turned two.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlnp2QoE4oIoELAoLomKQ34ZPH3cketuSwn5PEIXvhZt6O9lM9YiuLkKt59buwhSBmb_di5wXdiEDPhL7kWlmCYjOSODBanjOYnkXXOcVRqH2bDg0wwUynuvOhShT_-sGgyY40AXlfhO9/s1600/AishaDec2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlnp2QoE4oIoELAoLomKQ34ZPH3cketuSwn5PEIXvhZt6O9lM9YiuLkKt59buwhSBmb_di5wXdiEDPhL7kWlmCYjOSODBanjOYnkXXOcVRqH2bDg0wwUynuvOhShT_-sGgyY40AXlfhO9/s320/AishaDec2011.jpg" /></a></div>
She turned three. She wasn't being starved or beaten. She had enough to eat. What she was missing was a family.
<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbmFlmttnqo7O6pKR2atbwZmL0I3GqQFILXsCu0d6XmZDfkZE84ejGu-a6FyW-lgtelC_j7V0v9yOjFIRqx3ykzoagWWgePehnjHfo3_oq-gP9iyL-0n38_V26gtk0ADEZUqJ5o63uqDs/s1600/Aisha+K+Aug+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="241" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbmFlmttnqo7O6pKR2atbwZmL0I3GqQFILXsCu0d6XmZDfkZE84ejGu-a6FyW-lgtelC_j7V0v9yOjFIRqx3ykzoagWWgePehnjHfo3_oq-gP9iyL-0n38_V26gtk0ADEZUqJ5o63uqDs/s320/Aisha+K+Aug+2012.jpg" /></a></div>
Now the baby is three and a half. This photo was taken in August, less than two months ago.
<p>
Shall we keep going? What is the end of the baby's story?
<p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtRpUDNNCen_ITrhmuNw-BvhBwea9PZbiZbzZ0TxDaB1ee4ZQBG94uY-iRRPh0KW-cTQDETWvRPI6ltaWhvv7ZVMQVpXvULhTXaa3dnkmsrgmS3Q9MVWjQQQqkkJC7OULoB801jUPhAlu/s1600/ksenia+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="316" width="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtRpUDNNCen_ITrhmuNw-BvhBwea9PZbiZbzZ0TxDaB1ee4ZQBG94uY-iRRPh0KW-cTQDETWvRPI6ltaWhvv7ZVMQVpXvULhTXaa3dnkmsrgmS3Q9MVWjQQQqkkJC7OULoB801jUPhAlu/s320/ksenia+before+and+after.jpg" /></a></div>
Meet Ksenia. Ksenia wasn't starving either. Then she got transferred to the adult mental institution.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTXXlAirureA6jz5lmIOIPtF2LE5Rqs7jaZifLUpg2fh0UAIe69D2-dKduF1KtWMjYkr7sdh-LYneSHufXZOwWrdOwl1KwQpg9xFYeQI4NUSU0_kGmyQCraLMX2hAKFQ_V2QcRLs9CK2l/s1600/ksenia+before+and+after-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="281" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTXXlAirureA6jz5lmIOIPtF2LE5Rqs7jaZifLUpg2fh0UAIe69D2-dKduF1KtWMjYkr7sdh-LYneSHufXZOwWrdOwl1KwQpg9xFYeQI4NUSU0_kGmyQCraLMX2hAKFQ_V2QcRLs9CK2l/s320/ksenia+before+and+after-001.jpg" /></a></div>
This is Ksenia too. This is what the mental institution does to children.
<p>
Maybe that was just that one institution? Maybe that's not a pattern?
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If only that were true.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRn8z8YpW9VVn5jNluam3xQxHMxr_ij-Fi-7gwFw5JVGE6Espu-nO02DkegYVHS-L7i8gEqypje6_ERwY_V_nTSuSSmHLFgLP29pYcy8NuiGdEvRQDQ_JWwg9AV3BKo0q-MSJY_bcaiRv4/s1600/nathan+16g.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="167" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRn8z8YpW9VVn5jNluam3xQxHMxr_ij-Fi-7gwFw5JVGE6Espu-nO02DkegYVHS-L7i8gEqypje6_ERwY_V_nTSuSSmHLFgLP29pYcy8NuiGdEvRQDQ_JWwg9AV3BKo0q-MSJY_bcaiRv4/s320/nathan+16g.png" /></a></div>
Meet Nathan.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRr0pqCpMstaAxUFSIAFbNTVv9agJ-DZfcliUk9n2g0PFLxXhL5wjQRjMtSgfU5LnY5rFmmozLlLZ_uqb8_uW-FCyJSDTnDHoNcrj3KuZU9MQHFF0aMPQFPacAWr9WkxQvegWxXUrSX2g/s1600/darina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="189" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRr0pqCpMstaAxUFSIAFbNTVv9agJ-DZfcliUk9n2g0PFLxXhL5wjQRjMtSgfU5LnY5rFmmozLlLZ_uqb8_uW-FCyJSDTnDHoNcrj3KuZU9MQHFF0aMPQFPacAWr9WkxQvegWxXUrSX2g/s320/darina.png" /></a></div>
Meet Darina.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIvWtpk6pwWjLQEvo8vHxYHy95C4swjYzlc4GjqfSq82ZCLqtaRRlnwrJh21fcPaImQ0yNoVJMOqx1vSCLLqdMf6cC-VBBZ7nUewTAItEipSBMcjS_dD9hPMDzt4GiaqvhHnHaeIAtGVV/s1600/sonny.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="210" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIvWtpk6pwWjLQEvo8vHxYHy95C4swjYzlc4GjqfSq82ZCLqtaRRlnwrJh21fcPaImQ0yNoVJMOqx1vSCLLqdMf6cC-VBBZ7nUewTAItEipSBMcjS_dD9hPMDzt4GiaqvhHnHaeIAtGVV/s320/sonny.png" /></a></div>
Meet Sonny.
<p>
So what will Aisha's future be? I don't want to see her turn into an example on someone else's post like this. If she is adopted, she will not be that example. Instead, she will be an example of how love and family save children.
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Help me save Aisha. Pray. Share. Contribute to one of our <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/p/how-you-can-help.html" target="_blank">current fundraisers</a>.
<p>
(Just to be perfectly clear, my early life history on Aisha is nothing more than an educated guess. I have no real information about her past.)
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<br />
Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-6584745629189419122012-09-20T22:04:00.002-04:002012-09-20T22:04:37.844-04:00Christmas Fundraiser: Tastefully SimpleLike to cook? Hate to cook? Either way, there's something here for you.
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<b>What it is:</b> I'm hosting an online party with Tastefully Simple, a company that sells, as the name implies, yummy easy food.
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<b>What you're getting:</b> There are too many options to list them all! Here are just a few: breads, serving dishes, spices, recipe books, cookies, drink mixes....and the list goes on.
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<b>How it works:</b> Click <a href="http://www.tastefullysimple.com/ConsultantWebPageLanding.aspx?name=alivingston1" target="_blank">here</a> to get to the page of the consultant who set up the party for me. Browse for items you'd like to buy and put them in your cart. At check out, click on "Find Host" and type in my name (Teresa Gorman). Then continue with your purchase. <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2012/09/here-she-isthe-big-reveal.html" target="_blank">Aisha</a> gets a cut from the purchase price.Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-36495192125384395102012-09-20T21:31:00.001-04:002012-09-20T21:55:20.727-04:00Christmas Fundraiser: Flower Power Fundraising<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/assets/images/products/product_119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="290" width="290" src="http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/assets/images/products/product_119.jpg" /></a></div>
Here's one for all you gardeners.
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<b>What is is:</b> I'm selling flower bulbs to help Aisha through a company called Flower Power Fundraising.
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<b>What you're getting:</b> Flower bulbs! Right now they're having a deal where anyone who spends $40 or more gets 10 miniature daffodil bulbs free.
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<b>How it works:</b> Click here <a href="http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/i/t/306155/ZNC6C19Bl3su" target=_blank">here</a> to go to my store page. Then choose your bulbs and check out. (There are more bulbs available than what's shown on the first page--just click on any one of those and you'll see six pages of options down at the bottom.) 50% of what you spend goes to <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2012/09/here-she-isthe-big-reveal.html" target="_blank">Aisha</a>.
<p>
The picture is the "Spring Garden Collection"--tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and irises!Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483219078282097056.post-4900794342885988842012-09-19T16:28:00.001-04:002012-09-19T16:28:57.775-04:00Christmas Fundraiser: Just Love CoffeeAre you a coffee addict? Do you know someone who is? Then this is a great fundraiser for you. <p>
<b>What it is:</b> I'm selling coffee through Just Love Coffee, a company that provides fundraising opportunities for adoptive families and those in orphan ministries.
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<b>What you're getting:</b> The coffee is organic, fair trade, and hand roasted. It comes from all over the world from sustainable and shade-grown conditions. There are many different types of coffee available, including some unroasted beans if you like roasting your own, and some samplers if you don't know what kind to try. They also sell a CD or two, some apparel, and coffee-related things like mugs, filters, scoops, and coffee makers.
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<b>How it works:</b> Click <a href="https://justlovecoffee.com/coffeefororphans" target="_blank">here</a> to get to my store info page. Then click on the button on the left that says "Shop & Support." Select your products, and check out as you would for a normal online purchase. It's that simple! <a href="http://sleepingundergodswings.blogspot.com/2012/09/here-she-isthe-big-reveal.html" target="_blank">Aisha</a> gets a cut from the purchase price, and 5% of your order also goes to an organization that provides clean water so that fewer children are orphaned in the first place.Wandering Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15611498546168017553noreply@blogger.com0