A happy Father's Day for my dad would have included the following:
Fishing
Hostess chocolate doughnuts and a Kwik Trip Coffee
Lunch - probably some kind of ham sandwich, made with butter - NOT mayo
Nap
Reading the paper
Sports TV - golf would probably be it.
Grilling
Burgers
Baked beans
Ruffles Chips
A beer - Michelob Light
Dinner with his wife and 2 daughters
Law & Order
and/or
a winning Twins game on TV
Talking about all sorts of things
Laughing
Hugs
No arguing between his two daughters for a day
Kisses from Mom
A good night's sleep
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
TTC T: Facebook 1
This is called Facebook 1, mainly because I'm confident that I'll have other posts about Facebook in the future.
Anyway, it's hard going on Facebook when you're trying to conceive,
particularly when you find out that a friend is having a baby.
It could be his or her first,
second,
third,
fourth,
fifth,
....
that's about the top number I can remember for the amount of kids any of my friends have.
So, it's easy to become jealous, bitter, and calloused toward these friends.
It's also even easier to become jealous, bitter, and calloused toward God.
Finally, it's easiest to become sad, discouraged, and dismayed - none of which are bad, but
none of which are actually good.
So I've learned to
a. say "congrats!"
and
b. avoid FB in the daytime
Why?
a. babies are wonderful, they are gifts from God, and they are worth celebrating!
b. moms post more in the daytime, and my work productivity tanks and my thighs start to spread when I get sad.
It's true.
Anyway, it's hard going on Facebook when you're trying to conceive,
particularly when you find out that a friend is having a baby.
It could be his or her first,
second,
third,
fourth,
fifth,
....
that's about the top number I can remember for the amount of kids any of my friends have.
So, it's easy to become jealous, bitter, and calloused toward these friends.
It's also even easier to become jealous, bitter, and calloused toward God.
Finally, it's easiest to become sad, discouraged, and dismayed - none of which are bad, but
none of which are actually good.
So I've learned to
a. say "congrats!"
and
b. avoid FB in the daytime
Why?
a. babies are wonderful, they are gifts from God, and they are worth celebrating!
b. moms post more in the daytime, and my work productivity tanks and my thighs start to spread when I get sad.
It's true.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Where I would be
I have today off, and I've done just about
NOTHING
so far!
Well, I have washed two loads of laundry and
dried one,
so I'm getting somewhere but nowhere fast.
So,
let's just say I had the following:
a. no obligations
and
b. a good wad of cash
With such things, I would take
a. my husband
and
b. myself
to somewhere warm
somewhere tropical,
somewhere with a beach,
and somewhere my expired passport wouldn't matter.
I'd go to any of these places:
That is where I would be.
NOTHING
so far!
Well, I have washed two loads of laundry and
dried one,
so I'm getting somewhere but nowhere fast.
So,
let's just say I had the following:
a. no obligations
and
b. a good wad of cash
With such things, I would take
a. my husband
and
b. myself
to somewhere warm
somewhere tropical,
somewhere with a beach,
and somewhere my expired passport wouldn't matter.
I'd go to any of these places:
 | |||||
| San Juan, Puerto Rico |
 |
| The U.S. Virgin Islands |
 |
| Hawaii! |
That is where I would be.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Favorites.2
I was looking over my blogs from the last 3 years, and boy,
writing was a lot easier way back when, huh?!
I don't know what really to write, and I
am dealing with this thing where I just don't feel like going to bed even though I'm so,
dang tired!
Meh, perfect time for rambling, huh??? :)
Here's some favorites of mine lately, in a "as it comes to me" order:
- helping my husband run for the grad. student VP of Student Life position at TIU - so fun!
- daffodils popping up everywhere
- leaf buds (whenever those things show up)
- classy and feminine dresses
- lace [almost] anything
- Contemplating Arminianism
- "Rick Steves Europe"
- "Keeping Up Appearances" (on Amazon Prime/PBS/interwebs?)
- Spring, when it happens
- "The Amazing Race"
- Violets
- Safron flowers
- Trinity Wives Fellowship
- seeing babies smile
- conversations with kids
- not moving (residences, that is)!
- vacation
- Genesis, I & II Samuel, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Matthew, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Philippians, James, Revelation. No, I'm not reading all of those right now...actually, I've been in Mark this semester and not much else. Thanks TWF leadership!
- Haircuts at Aveda
- $20 coupons at Aveda
- Rivers
- Gardening
- Sporadic capitalization in lists
- Dragonflies
- fresh sheets
- letters
- fonts
- Our Victoria Secret shopping bag-patterned couch. Yes, it's a real thing.
- The faithfulness of God
- the afghan my Grandma B. made me long ago
- good lip balm
- the games Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, and Agricola
- the games of football, baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, competitive swimming, running...etc.
- chocolate
- dry wine
- the beach
- seeing friends
- seeing family
- home
- love
- Love.
writing was a lot easier way back when, huh?!
I don't know what really to write, and I
am dealing with this thing where I just don't feel like going to bed even though I'm so,
dang tired!
Meh, perfect time for rambling, huh??? :)
Here's some favorites of mine lately, in a "as it comes to me" order:
- helping my husband run for the grad. student VP of Student Life position at TIU - so fun!
- daffodils popping up everywhere
- leaf buds (whenever those things show up)
- classy and feminine dresses
- lace [almost] anything
- Contemplating Arminianism
- "Rick Steves Europe"
- "Keeping Up Appearances" (on Amazon Prime/PBS/interwebs?)
- Spring, when it happens
- "The Amazing Race"
- Violets
- Safron flowers
- Trinity Wives Fellowship
- seeing babies smile
- conversations with kids
- not moving (residences, that is)!
- vacation
- Genesis, I & II Samuel, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Matthew, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Philippians, James, Revelation. No, I'm not reading all of those right now...actually, I've been in Mark this semester and not much else. Thanks TWF leadership!
- Haircuts at Aveda
- $20 coupons at Aveda
- Rivers
- Gardening
- Sporadic capitalization in lists
- Dragonflies
- fresh sheets
- letters
- fonts
- Our Victoria Secret shopping bag-patterned couch. Yes, it's a real thing.
- The faithfulness of God
- the afghan my Grandma B. made me long ago
- good lip balm
- the games Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, and Agricola
- the games of football, baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, competitive swimming, running...etc.
- chocolate
- dry wine
- the beach
- seeing friends
- seeing family
- home
- love
- Love.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
TTC T: National Infertility Awareness Week
It is rough being infertile.
Second only to the pain caused to both me and my husband when we are sans baby is the feeling of being totally and utterly alone.
"Oh, you're not alone."
Of course I know we're not actually alone, but try to comfortably explain your feelings to a room of beaming new moms. That's what alone feels like, to be sure, regardless of your or anyone else's intentions.
Try explaining your feelings if you're in a room of beaming new and 2nd-or-more time moms, especially if you've already had one baby, and boy oh boy, prepare for looks of total confusion!
But check this out, it's National Infertility Awareness Week.
Call me a hermit when it comes to publicly talking about this, but I had no clue that
this whole kind of week existed.
So, if you're out there, and I do mean this to
the few people who stumble upon this blog by habit,
let me know if what you think about this week, if you know anything about it at all!
And no - that is not some idle invitation. :) Say something if you want!
Second only to the pain caused to both me and my husband when we are sans baby is the feeling of being totally and utterly alone.
"Oh, you're not alone."
Of course I know we're not actually alone, but try to comfortably explain your feelings to a room of beaming new moms. That's what alone feels like, to be sure, regardless of your or anyone else's intentions.
Try explaining your feelings if you're in a room of beaming new and 2nd-or-more time moms, especially if you've already had one baby, and boy oh boy, prepare for looks of total confusion!
But check this out, it's National Infertility Awareness Week.
Call me a hermit when it comes to publicly talking about this, but I had no clue that
this whole kind of week existed.
So, if you're out there, and I do mean this to
the few people who stumble upon this blog by habit,
let me know if what you think about this week, if you know anything about it at all!
And no - that is not some idle invitation. :) Say something if you want!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Yum 1 - Baked Eggs
Baked Eggs. It's savory, simple, and scrumptious.
Before I post this recipe, I just wanted to say that I'm considering shifting completely back to Feisty - Like I ought to be. My blog isn't uploading to other people's lists so easily, as far as I can tell from the bit of research I've done. Additionally, there is already another "warrior wives" blog, and while they do not talk at all about military things, fighting against the hurt cause by experiencing infertility, or most of which I want to write about, I know that our blogs could get confused and I want to find a respectful way to make us distinct. Also, I'm going through a lot of "blogger's block" right now, so that doesn't help.
Anyway, here goes this recipe!
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, because I didn't have enough people for the full recipe (4-6) or leafy greens (1.5 pounds!).
Baked Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce - Serves 2
This is super easy, guys, and even if you've never maid hollandaise (I hadn't!), you will be able to whip this up, no problem.
Baked Eggs
2. Rinse the spinach and then throw half of it it into a pan, wet, on medium-high to wilt it. If you use baby spinach, this will take about 2 minutes, 4 or 5 with regular.
3. Once it's wilted, take it off the heat and get rid of the excess liquid that is in the spinach. I did this by putting it into a small strainer and pressed it with a spatula.
4. Chop the onion, melt the 1 Tb. of butter in a pan on medium, and sautee the onions until they are soft and golden brown, stirring frequently.
5. Add the garlic to the onions and stir for just under a minute, then add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir again until all incorporated.
6. Add the spinach and mix it with the onions, et. al. Add the milk/cream and mix together completely. Remove from the heat.
Note - if you're using milk, let it thicken.
7.Heat your oven to 375.
8. Put half of your mix into one buttered baking dish. This could be a ramekin, but I also have some high-lipped, flat bottom bowls that I used. After the mix is in the two ramekins and flattened out, crack 1 or 2 eggs over each. My bowls are pretty wide and flat, so 2 worked perfectly.
9. Add a little salt and pepper to the top if you like.
10. Put these both into the oven on the middle rack for 15-18 minutes until the whites are just set but the yokes are still soft.
Hollandaise
1. While the eggs bake, melt the butter for about 20 seconds on full power in the microwave (I did this in a small liquid measuring cup for easy pouring). When the time is up, take the butter out and stir it until it is all melted. Don't let this boil.
2. Crack 1 egg and separate it from the yoke. Put the yoke in a blender with the lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a dash of hot sauce.
3. Start the blender on the lowest speed. Slowly pour in a teaspoon of butter, then a little more than that, and then a steady stream until the sauce is thick and creamy.
4. Pour the sauce into a serving dish and keep warm. I did this by putting the serving dish into a little water bath. No worries if it gets a little solid - just stir it again.
5. As soon as the eggs are done, pour about half of the sauce onto each egg dish, or as much as you would like.
Serve with toasted bread (I toasted a sliced-up bun in the oven while the eggs were baking).
Enjoy!
Before I post this recipe, I just wanted to say that I'm considering shifting completely back to Feisty - Like I ought to be. My blog isn't uploading to other people's lists so easily, as far as I can tell from the bit of research I've done. Additionally, there is already another "warrior wives" blog, and while they do not talk at all about military things, fighting against the hurt cause by experiencing infertility, or most of which I want to write about, I know that our blogs could get confused and I want to find a respectful way to make us distinct. Also, I'm going through a lot of "blogger's block" right now, so that doesn't help.
Anyway, here goes this recipe!
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, because I didn't have enough people for the full recipe (4-6) or leafy greens (1.5 pounds!).
Baked Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce - Serves 2
This is super easy, guys, and even if you've never maid hollandaise (I hadn't!), you will be able to whip this up, no problem.
Baked Eggs
- 3 oz or a half-bag of baby spinach
- 1 small onion
- 1 T. of Butter, plus more for baking dishes
- 1 clove minced garlic
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Dash of nutmeg
- 1/4 c. 2% or whole milk, or 2 T. of half & half or heavy cream
- 4 eggs
- 5 Tb melted (but not very hot) butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2 t. lemon juice
- a little salt and pepper (not sure if this is usually included, but it happened)
- Dash of hot sauce, or, if you don't have that, a good pinch of cayenne if you don't have
2. Rinse the spinach and then throw half of it it into a pan, wet, on medium-high to wilt it. If you use baby spinach, this will take about 2 minutes, 4 or 5 with regular.
3. Once it's wilted, take it off the heat and get rid of the excess liquid that is in the spinach. I did this by putting it into a small strainer and pressed it with a spatula.
4. Chop the onion, melt the 1 Tb. of butter in a pan on medium, and sautee the onions until they are soft and golden brown, stirring frequently.
5. Add the garlic to the onions and stir for just under a minute, then add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir again until all incorporated.
6. Add the spinach and mix it with the onions, et. al. Add the milk/cream and mix together completely. Remove from the heat.
Note - if you're using milk, let it thicken.
7.Heat your oven to 375.
8. Put half of your mix into one buttered baking dish. This could be a ramekin, but I also have some high-lipped, flat bottom bowls that I used. After the mix is in the two ramekins and flattened out, crack 1 or 2 eggs over each. My bowls are pretty wide and flat, so 2 worked perfectly.
9. Add a little salt and pepper to the top if you like.
10. Put these both into the oven on the middle rack for 15-18 minutes until the whites are just set but the yokes are still soft.
Hollandaise
1. While the eggs bake, melt the butter for about 20 seconds on full power in the microwave (I did this in a small liquid measuring cup for easy pouring). When the time is up, take the butter out and stir it until it is all melted. Don't let this boil.
2. Crack 1 egg and separate it from the yoke. Put the yoke in a blender with the lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a dash of hot sauce.
3. Start the blender on the lowest speed. Slowly pour in a teaspoon of butter, then a little more than that, and then a steady stream until the sauce is thick and creamy.
4. Pour the sauce into a serving dish and keep warm. I did this by putting the serving dish into a little water bath. No worries if it gets a little solid - just stir it again.
5. As soon as the eggs are done, pour about half of the sauce onto each egg dish, or as much as you would like.
Serve with toasted bread (I toasted a sliced-up bun in the oven while the eggs were baking).
Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
TTC T - Wheatgrass
 |
| from: Wikipedia Commons |
Wheatgrass -
a super food and fertility booster?
Ah, super foods.
Really, what is a superfood, anyway?
and who decides what foods get the elevation to the status of "super?"
While you go and Wikipedia that for me,
let's consider wheatgrass.
For someone trying to conceive (TTC), there are likely no shortage of suggestions you've heard before.
I have a natural-food, natural-meds, natural-almost-everything-loving mom-in-law.
She read once that wheatgrass may help boost fertility, and I paid attention to the suggestion but never acted on it.
It's pretty clear that a plant so pungent, brightly green, and...interesting-tasting must be good for you, right? That, and all of the nutrients in it must help with overall health, including restoring the body's pH balance. For more information, check out the two articles below:
Live Strong Article | E-How Article
I'm thinking of taking the plunge myself, particularly because it is so good for you more so that it might boost fertility. I say that because I think that it may be better to approach this with overall health in mind rather than some kind of quick-cure for the mystery that is infertility.
So here's my question to all you google-searching people who've landed here:
If you've tried wheatgrass before, what was your experience? Would you ever try it?
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
TTC T: Why can't I get pregnant?
When you search the words
"Why can't I" in a
Google search bar,
the first completed sentence that comes up is
"Why can't I get pregnant?"
Such a painful, piercing question.
It almost left my vocabulary entirely, that is
until I was a week late.
Once you allow the thermometer to accompany you
an the charting to measure you
and the cycles to define you (or, really, your uterus -
but sometimes,
you),
you tend to know what's happening when and
what shouldn't
happen.
Instead of dealing with the same pain the same way each month,
I developed a numbness,
a denial, in a way, that allowed me to
acknowledge that something I have
is the signal for
something I do not, but that it is
a normal,
expected,
unfortunate,
yet simple thing.
Well, when the unexpected happens and they
signal a
confusion, then
concern, then
fear, then
wonder, then
anticipation, then
Hope!
I haven't tangibly felt hope in a very long time,
and it was fleeting.
The old questions crept back,
Why
can't
I
get
pregnant?
It doesn't feel that great to hear one big
empty, silent answer.
Regardless how that feels,
I have faith
and plenty of reason to believe,
as hard and sometimes impossible as it is,
that there's hope.
"Why can't I" in a
Google search bar,
the first completed sentence that comes up is
"Why can't I get pregnant?"
Such a painful, piercing question.
It almost left my vocabulary entirely, that is
until I was a week late.
Once you allow the thermometer to accompany you
an the charting to measure you
and the cycles to define you (or, really, your uterus -
but sometimes,
you),
you tend to know what's happening when and
what shouldn't
happen.
Instead of dealing with the same pain the same way each month,
I developed a numbness,
a denial, in a way, that allowed me to
acknowledge that something I have
is the signal for
something I do not, but that it is
a normal,
expected,
unfortunate,
yet simple thing.
Well, when the unexpected happens and they
signal a
confusion, then
concern, then
fear, then
wonder, then
anticipation, then
Hope!
I haven't tangibly felt hope in a very long time,
and it was fleeting.
The old questions crept back,
Why
can't
I
get
pregnant?
It doesn't feel that great to hear one big
empty, silent answer.
Regardless how that feels,
I have faith
and plenty of reason to believe,
as hard and sometimes impossible as it is,
that there's hope.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Fixing Skinny Fat
I hope you all enjoy this little venture into and out of the
confusing thoughts I tend to have
when it comes to health.
I'm all about healthy eating, and I'm
all about being active and working out,
and I'm all about maintaining a positive outlook on life.
Yes, I'm all about those things, except for when it comes to myself.
I'm about the same weight I've been for the last 5 years,
the same size in outer- and under-garments, and
pretty much look about the same in the face.
Well, I'll tell you what (and it takes a lot for me to put this out here):
skinny-fat is what I am, and it's been taking the effort
to move a mountain to get me from being that way.
What's skinny-fat? Well, while most people would find my
height, weight, size, stature desirable (except for when it comes to clothes shopping),
my health is probably worse than many of those who outweigh me by 20 or 30 lbs
yet possess strength and muscle development.
It's hard for some people to understand why
being the size I am isn't always a "godsend,"
and it's also hard for some people
(some of whom have practically called me a liar!)
to believe that I did struggle with weight at one point in my life.
Please note that I am sensitive to those with
genetic difficulties and food additions and physical limitations.
This is not a comparison to those who are in a medically difficult situation.
Freshmen year of college did me many favors -
great friends, a great school, great college ministry.
Where I screwed up immensely was with my eating habits.
Long story short, I worked that following summer to get back to my
pre-college size and health.
Longer story short, I've learned that calories in + calories out = weight maintenance.
What has taken me longer (much, much longer) to do is to actually
change my eating and working-out lifestyle to one that helps my
overall health, not just my weight. You'd think I'd learn that given
my dad's struggle with health during the last 21 years of his life,
but food has become something I only wanted to eat in the easiest way possible.
I'll tell ya - I'd have 100+ more posts about food on here if I
actually cooked as much as I need to, but when I don't want to cook,
we - me and my hubs - go for something easy, cheap(ish...not really), and typically crappy.
Granted, we do make good choices from time to time, but
being lethargic about food has usurped all of that.
SO, that was the round-about-way of letting you all know how
I've come to this place in my life where I know I need to make
a change for my health. Oh, but one more detail:
my jeans are getting annoyingly tight, and I hate it.
No, I don't have as far to go as someone on "The Biggest Loser,"
but my life has all the makings for ending up on that show
5, 10, 20 years down the road.
I don't want that to happen, so I'm using these
tight jeans of mine that weren't tight when I bought them
as a sign. It's a sign, simple and "minor" as it is, that I need
to get my butt into gear (literally) and
make a permanent change in my life.
So, instead of going to the cafeteria and buying something that's
crappy for me, I am going to say no to my lazy self and
yes to eating these clementines I brought to work.
Yes, this post was inspired by that - choosing to eat clementines, a very easy thing to eat,
when I'd rather just eat a bagel. Hopefully these incredibly
simple steps along with developing a sustainable work-out plan
will help me make bigger, more
important commitments for future steps toward a healthier life.
confusing thoughts I tend to have
when it comes to health.
I'm all about healthy eating, and I'm
all about being active and working out,
and I'm all about maintaining a positive outlook on life.
Yes, I'm all about those things, except for when it comes to myself.
I'm about the same weight I've been for the last 5 years,
the same size in outer- and under-garments, and
pretty much look about the same in the face.
Well, I'll tell you what (and it takes a lot for me to put this out here):
skinny-fat is what I am, and it's been taking the effort
to move a mountain to get me from being that way.
What's skinny-fat? Well, while most people would find my
height, weight, size, stature desirable (except for when it comes to clothes shopping),
my health is probably worse than many of those who outweigh me by 20 or 30 lbs
yet possess strength and muscle development.
It's hard for some people to understand why
being the size I am isn't always a "godsend,"
and it's also hard for some people
(some of whom have practically called me a liar!)
to believe that I did struggle with weight at one point in my life.
Please note that I am sensitive to those with
genetic difficulties and food additions and physical limitations.
This is not a comparison to those who are in a medically difficult situation.
Freshmen year of college did me many favors -
great friends, a great school, great college ministry.
Where I screwed up immensely was with my eating habits.
Long story short, I worked that following summer to get back to my
pre-college size and health.
Longer story short, I've learned that calories in + calories out = weight maintenance.
What has taken me longer (much, much longer) to do is to actually
change my eating and working-out lifestyle to one that helps my
overall health, not just my weight. You'd think I'd learn that given
my dad's struggle with health during the last 21 years of his life,
but food has become something I only wanted to eat in the easiest way possible.
I'll tell ya - I'd have 100+ more posts about food on here if I
actually cooked as much as I need to, but when I don't want to cook,
we - me and my hubs - go for something easy, cheap(ish...not really), and typically crappy.
Granted, we do make good choices from time to time, but
being lethargic about food has usurped all of that.
SO, that was the round-about-way of letting you all know how
I've come to this place in my life where I know I need to make
a change for my health. Oh, but one more detail:
my jeans are getting annoyingly tight, and I hate it.
No, I don't have as far to go as someone on "The Biggest Loser,"
but my life has all the makings for ending up on that show
5, 10, 20 years down the road.
I don't want that to happen, so I'm using these
tight jeans of mine that weren't tight when I bought them
as a sign. It's a sign, simple and "minor" as it is, that I need
to get my butt into gear (literally) and
make a permanent change in my life.
So, instead of going to the cafeteria and buying something that's
crappy for me, I am going to say no to my lazy self and
yes to eating these clementines I brought to work.
Yes, this post was inspired by that - choosing to eat clementines, a very easy thing to eat,
when I'd rather just eat a bagel. Hopefully these incredibly
simple steps along with developing a sustainable work-out plan
will help me make bigger, more
important commitments for future steps toward a healthier life.
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