Hello everyone! I’ve only commented a few times before but it was big week for me, so here I am!
Treasures: getting my first dose of the Moderna Covid vaccine and having manageable side effects, getting really kind feedback from a couple of my professors (one that I love and one that I’m afraid of—not sure whose praise means more to me, haha!), and chatting with some people who connected through the We Got You Club about mental health diagnoses. Also, that NYTimes article counts as a treasure. I totally cried.
Turds: 3 near-all-nighters in 4 days (it’s the last week of class/beginning of finals at my university) and easing back into very limited social gatherings have me feeling awkward and out of sorts this week. The news continues to be horrible.
I’m taking a time-out tonight and I’m going to watch tv alone under my weighted blanket and eat dinner that I didn’t cook myself. My long-distance best friend, end-of-semester plans, and awesome boyfriend are all helping.
This week STARTED with us traveling 4 hours to Waco to stay at my Dad’s while my husband commuted to Dallas daily to see his brother in the VA hospital (basically for poisoning his body with alcohol over the last 25 years... he’s only 46). It got worse with my 9-month old niece (my sister’s daughter) having crazy symptoms after a fall (refused to open her eyes for almost 24 hours, super lethargic) that thankfully ended up being scratched corneas (from crying and rubbing her eyes after falling) & a cold. This week ENDED with my 3 year old puking into my hands this morning and having the worst diarrhea ever (TMI?)
Not to mention I had 6AM conference calls 3 days with European colleagues (who take literally coffee breaks in the middle of a meeting, lol)
I AM DONE 💀
We were supposed to head out of town to my cousin’s wedding this weekend but thankfully we are going to stay home and relax and hopefully nurse everyone back to health. I’m planning a book & a bath tonight and nothing else.
Ya'll, I have nothing cute to share, and really don't even have the mental space to read comments, but I had to come on here (for the first time in a month or more) and let you all know:
I SUBMITTED MY THESIS! It's for a Masters in Christian Studies, and had to be 25-30 pages. For some of you writers on here, that's a small amount, I know, but it's the longest project I've ever written. And IT'S DONE. God be praised. I can now go tackle my kitchen that looks, strangely, like no one has touched it in days and perhaps the kids have only eaten cereal:-)
The Lil Swipes have been a huge encouragement to me as I tackled life as a mom and wife and very part time online student, and I cannot thank you enough. I am sure I will have to make some minor revisions, but the biggest project of my school career is done! Hallelujah and Soli Deo Gloria! May each of your weekends have a little bit of joy, even when sadness is pressing down around us.
Hello. Turds: We had a surprise three day snow storm this week and my mental health was NOT here for it. Thankfully it should be gone by the end of the weekend (hopefully). My three kids are still living at my friends’ and my special needs daughter is still without supports. My heart breaks on the daily. Society is all pro adoption fundraising and supports etc but not so much when it comes to keeping existing families together. Anyway, sad/mad and that’s not changing anytime soon. Treasures: My mom got her vaccine and it didn’t kill her! She was so nervous, I’m so proud of her! I asked my friend if she would do the planning for my birthday and she said yes! I’m usually a huge planner, but I’m life weary and I just want to show up. So Sunday 25th, me and 11 friends are going roller skating! I’m going to laugh my head off at how bad I am at it and ignore real life for a couple of hours. I miss people. I miss fun and I can hardly wait. Erin, you reminded me of a book (The true confessions of Charlotte Doyle) I read a loooong time ago and borrowed it from the library. It was such a good read! Thanks for the reminder. We kept our youngest home from school today for a mental health day. So, I’m off to make a creative mess with her. Hope your spring is springy where you are.
On Tuesday, my four-year-old nephew was admitted to the hospital after a visit to the ER for difficulty breathing (he'd been running a fever for a couple of days). They thought he had covid at first because on that same day, my sister got a call that one of his classmates had tested positive. Both a PCR and a rapid test came back negative (thankfully), but it turns out he has pneumonia. He had a rough night/day at the hospital with breathing treatments, four failed attempts at a blood draw before a successful one, and not much sleep, but he's back home, on antibiotics, and slowly on the mend.
That same Tuesday, The Boy's mom was also admitted to a different hospital. After spending the last couple of months in and out of the ER for severe pain in her neck, a bad cough, and shortness of breath (and many negative covid tests) and being sent away by doctors telling her it was just a pinched nerve, she went to a different ER on Tuesday night and was finally able to get them to run some real tests. As it turns out, they discovered a very large mass in her neck, lung, and breast, and they admitted her that night. She had surgery yesterday to biopsy the mass. They're still waiting on results, but are starting radiation today. Basically, they're just waiting to determine what stage the cancer is in (likely 3 or 4 based on how large the mass is). This is on top of his grandpa being diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer a few months ago.
So. It's been a week. Lots of uncertainty and little sleep (both from stress and due to my dog getting spayed on Wednesday and having to make sure she didn't shimmy out of her cone or jump on/off the bed/couches and rip her stitches).
I do have a bridal shower tomorrow (outdoor, socially distanced, and most of us have been vaccinated), so I'm hoping that can bring a little joy to the week. Prayers are appreciated for Michael, his mom and grandpa, and my nephew.
I donated to Lake Street charities last summer after the loss of George Floyd and now this spring I am allocating funds to area nonprofits who assist the Brooklyn Center communities.
My sister lives a block from where this tragedy occurred.
Her children went back to school today.
She sat with her son at the bus stop seeing the vigil and those sitting in grief where Daunte's life was tragically taken. Standing with her own son, knowing a mother is grieving the loss of hers. Knowing a child will be fatherless.
Minnesota is feeling so many losses. The closing arguments for the Chauvin trial will be next week. The community will be bracing itself for the aftermath of that verdict.
But finding ways to give light.
To be a steward of kindness.
That is something we all can do...
I talked with my dad on Tuesday and he told me that he has been working on a community venture in his area in Northern Minnesota (he lives in Carlton county). He along with two other caterers will be doing pop up events in the county to each make 100 free meals to distribute. He is partnered with the local United Way and Loaves & Fishes to do these events. First they will be every 2 weeks, but the goal for the summer and fall will be weekly. Then the winter months they will convert to indoor events, but they have to wait to see how Covid Winter 2021 will be. I am so beyond proud of my dad for this initiative. He worked with his two other colleagues to obtain this grant and be able to provide this service. His county has less than 40,000 people but about 8-10% of the county is noted as being below the poverty line (depending on age) so there are issues with working poor. Knowing that his group will provide 300 meals. It's a fantastic start to something great. I'm so so so proud of him.
Hello, Friday Friends---it's been a few weeks. And when I say that, I mean it's been a few weeks since I last commented and it's.been.a.few.weeks.
My sweet girl Chance (24 year old with breast cancer) started her chemo and now has two rounds under her belt. She's already losing hair, and she has up days and down days. I'm so grateful for the way her job has been supportive of her and has promised to keep her working enough for her benefits to stay intact. But in the middle of trying to find the good/positive things, sometimes I just want to shake my fist and shout. I know that this world isn't perfect, and, in fact, is sort of a s*** show, but I just feel sad and angry that this girl who has already been through just about all the bad things you can imagine a person going through has to add this to the list. Please keep praying for Chance, especially that she would be able to weather the ups and downs of all she's going through.
In good---no, GREAT---news, my husband and I got our second Moderna shot this morning. Two weeks until hugs. I cannot wait. I feel so frustrated about where things are at in Michigan right now. We are as bad as we've ever been Covid-numbers-wise. I have zero issues with those who are doing their research and due diligence and come to the conclusion that they would rather wait on the vaccine. But I am really struggling to find grace for people who spout untruths, post poor research (or no research), and share unreliable anecdotes for why they aren't getting the vaccine. I used to teach high school English, and I never let kids cite Wikipedia for research papers. Not because Wikipedia is useless or a bad place to start, but because it wasn't vetted the same way that books and periodicals are. And I feel like the current landscape of how people are getting their vaccine information is the equivalent of citing Wikipedia in a research paper. I just want us to all be better critical thinkers than we are. All of us, myself included. I can already say that living through Covid has made me a better thinker, a better question asker. For that, I'm grateful.
That was a rant. Here's some things I've been reading/listening to lately that I've loved:
BOOKS...
--The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue --> Run, do not walk, to find this book for yourself. It's one of the best I've ever read, and I can't stop thinking about it.
--That Sounds Fun --> The section in this book about being an amateur really challenged me to change the way I think about learning something new. Maybe it's not for anything other than the pure enjoyment of it.
PODS...
--Escaping Nxivm --> About a woman's escape from a cult. A little soapy at times but also fascinating.
--Tom Brown's Body --> Small town politics abound.
--Boomtown --> About the oil industry in West Texas. There are two episodes in the middle about the sex work industry that also tends to boom during oil booms, and they were fascinating.
Hey Swipeys! It's snowing in Denver today, but thankfully the leaves haven't come out on the trees yet, so the potential for damage is low. And the ground is super warm, so the roads are clearing. Springtime in Colorado is always a wild ride.
Today is also our twins' 11th birthday. They are hilarious and annoying and inspiring and mystifying. We're like them a lot, especially the older they get. They argue more than they did when they were little, but on the other hand, they don't throw screaming tantrums anymore, so it balances out. Plus! These are the last few weeks of elementary school! Next fall, all three kids will be Big. I love it.
My treasure this week is that I've been working with the owner of my local yarn shop as she gets ready to move to a new location. My husband and my dad and I spent two days installing slat wall - that horizontal paneling that you slide pegs onto, and then you hang stuff on the pegs. It was a ton of work, but it's been very satisfying to get to combine my two favorite hobbies, woodworking/construction and knitting. And it's fun to have an inside scoop on the new yarn shop!
Who's kidding who here, if you know me, you know I talk-type a lot soooo....
My teenager Max tested positive for Covid. We got his results on Weds as we do weekly tests for both our kids since they are back in school and Max also plays baseball and is in Scouts.
When we got his results you could have knocked me over with a feather as he was not exhibiting any symptoms.
Add to this we got his results the same day as I went to get my 2nd dose of Pfizer. Here I was going through my day feeling Pfancy Pfree (see what I did there) only to get a big ol' bomb of crap blown up in my face that night.
So since then. His brother took a test that same afternoon and got the results yesterday (negative). My husband is taking a test today (he was negative last week). I took my test yesterday (am awaiting results) and Max is basically in his room minus when he goes to the bathroom which he announces to us all so we I can go in after he leaves it and spray down and wipe down everything.
If I have to go into his room, he doublemasks.
Darin, Linc and I are all wearing masks in our house until we receive word that all three of us are negative. Then we will only wear masks when around Max for any reason, again when he is doublemasked.
We are on this fun journey until Apr 24.
Or unless one of us tests positive which then sets the clock out.
I am sharing this here as my lil' Swipes and two other friends are the only people we have shared this without outside of all the protocol we had to do with teachers, coaches, schools and the lovely department of health.
There is still such a layer of shame and guilt and feeling like "what did we do wrong" attached to getting this diagnosis.
Because you guys. You all know I've been ON THIS. But know who hasn't been on it? Our local middle school. Max told us on Monday and Tuesday that more and more kids who were IN SCHOOL were being pulled right in front of him. It was almost half of his class by Weds. I actually called the school on Weds (pre diagnosis) asking why we haven't received more information about kids being sick or presumed sick in my son's section. The admin claimed they were following guidelines and my son was not in close contact so nothing more would be sent aside from the statements being sent about active cases.
Oh and the email about active cases. We got 2.
2 this week. So how can we only get 2 emails about cases in a school of thousands?
Oh because that ONE email can cover MULTIPLE students.
Great right? You have to read the use of person vs people and case vs cases....and lo and behold his school was now featured on what we call the Naughty List of schools that our state Dept of Health issues every week when there has been an uptick of cases.
Judging by the nearly empty bus this morning which passed by
Its been more than an uptick.
So
Finding the treasures.
Generous friends
Understanding ears
Amazing mail from Swiper Lauren
Kindness that is so unexpected that I cannot truly verbalize how it means so much to me
Grocery delivery
Meal delivery plans for the weekend
and working from home in soft pants for the next week unless anyone else tests positive
Max has been fever free and really his taste has been the only major issue thus far.
My work life this week and this morning has been "Do this fiddly little technology task that has approximately 825 steps. Then do it fifty more times. It will work correctly no more than 3 times. The other 47 times will be a different error every time." So I am taking a brain break to comment here before I wade back in.
Today my youngest is 10. Our last fingers-as-age year, which kind of slapped me in the face with how momentous that feels. No more "little kids" in this house, only giant double digits. The good news is, he is not too old to have birthday morning sleepy snuggles and laugh hysterically when you make his belly button sing happy birthday to him.
In addition to the database hell of this week, I am also wading through a never-ending hiring process for a position that's been open since December. It's been going on so long that one of the higher ups decided to casually throw more money at it. Like, a lot more. Like, a significant percentage of my salary. BTW, guess who has been doing a lot of the job in the vacancy? So, I had a conversation yesterday with my boss about all of the benefits I have been giving this department, how I have been going above and beyond my job duties routinely, we have not felt a significant gap in the interim because I have been the shock absorber. And that if we are throwing tens of thousands of dollars around like pocket change, could you try to get some of it thrown my way? He was very much on board, and while the decision doesn't lie with him, he will do his best to push that idea up the chain of command. I am a conflict-averse enneagram 9, so I probably wouldn't have had the courage for that conversation without the encouragement of several lovely ladies here cheering me on, so thank you thank you thank you. You all are the best people to have in my corner.
And lastly, my little family of four is going away this weekend to a little town in the mountains. We will visit a Harry Potter themed coffee shop adorably named The Muggles Mug, hike a gorgeous trail lined with rhododendrons, eat take out and have family game night, and we will do it all in a place other than our own house for the first time in over a year. I feel emotionally lighter just thinking about it.
Have a fabulous week, swipes! Wishing you all innumerable treasures!
A Treasure in the form of self-realization...So I am a teacher and this was testing week at my school. Of course today is a snow day with 5 inches coming so we have to finish up next week. The interesting that happened was my reaction to doing testing with these students. I started working at a Christian school in January 2020, after years in public education, and this is my first time doing testing in this new school. The testing Trauma is really guys. I couldn't believe how much my training came out in trying to do this with students this week. Not being state testing or even high stakes testing I didn't have to panic about everything the students did but I felt it welling up in me. Questions of who would walk by and would we be doing everything appropriately swirled in my head and those memory pathways were alive and well. I honestly just didn't realize how much that training had shaped me and it was visceral this week. So happy to spend the day building a snow man with my 2 year old and resetting for a week ahead.
Good morning, lovelies! My brain is mush because I'm trying to casually date and keep myself fed and pay bills and work a normal job and buy a house at the same time...but, I had to comment and tell you all that I LOVE YOU and thank you Erin for the gorgeous blue and white kitchen canisters for my new house and I hope everyone has the best weekend available to them! Oh! And my arm hurts like the dickens because I got my first vax shot yesterday! And then immediately booked a flight to NYC for this fall :) :) :) Happy Friday, everyone!
The Patio Lights tweet is about me and my wedding planning journey and honestly I feel seen. 😂
Good morning to everyone!!! I've been lurking only for a month now cause EMOTIONAL TANK DRAINED. But hellooooo friends and internet neighbors! This is my last interaction from my current job, as I GOT A NEW LIBRARY POSITION. I'm moving back to my home county this weekend and starting as assistant director at the last library I worked at. It was quite literally dropped in my lap after so much job disappointment, and I'm SO thankful!
Thats HUGE treasure - but it comes with the turd of being 2 hours from my beloved for the next three months. so praying one of his many job applications in Nashville comes to fruition soon.
UNRELATED to any of that- I've been deeeeeep down the Fundamentalist Christian rabbit hole for a month or so now, listening to podcasts that unpack the Independant Fundamentalist Baptist church sect, and some of the craziness that goes along with that. Preacher Boys has been a really interesting listen, especially since many of the people being interviewed have such amazing testimonies of grace after legalism. Its been good and challenging. (also I've found out just how close my upbringing came to that world - THANKful for my 8 dad who challenged that kind of thinking regularly)
FINALLY - ERIN. RE: the purity culture Faith Adjac episode.....
In packing to move this week, I found a manila envelope of "letters to be delivered to my Someone Someday" AKA, letters to my future husband. I took a note from your experience and will NOT be saving them to read on our honeymoon, but after cracking up reading through them, I did let James read some over dinner last night. I was an ERNEST, NAIVE, SWEET SUMMER CHILD when I wrote them, let me tell you. I touted my homemaking skills in one example. We had a delightful cackle together over it. it was soul bearing and vulnerability at its best and worst.
Any hoo.... packing up my desk now. Love you all. see ya in the comments!
Good morning Lil Swipes! My 6 year old commented yesterday "This has been a looooong week" and I couldn't agree more - it's just draaaaggggged on.
Turd of the week - my heart is starting to feel numb with all the chaos in the world, and I don't want it to be that way. Anyone have any tips to keep it soft?
Some treasures from this loooooonnnnnnggggg week:
1. 2nd shot! And so far just a sore arm. Praying it stays that way.
2. A friend of mine is starting a Dracula Daily newsletter that will take you through the book as though in real time. I've never had a desire to read Dracula until now! https://draculadaily.substack.com/p/coming-soon
3. Monday is our last week of official homeschool and I am excited to start planning our summer.
4. I started The Magicians by Lev Grossman this week and it is exactly the fiction book I needed to get me out of my reading slump. Thanks to Erin for putting it on my radar and thanks to Dana for the push on IG to move it up the reading list!
5. My 6 year old. Sometimes he's a turd, but this week he's been a treasure. He's been super creative, coming up with ways to make homemade slingshots and bows and arrows; he's offered to share without being prompted by me; and, after I pray for him at bedtime, he started asking if he could pray for ME. Which prompted his two brothers to ask the same. I just...cannot...
6. These photos of cells that Erin shared on IG and Twitter - just, gorgeous:
7. New podcast: Untangled Faith. https://www.instagram.com/untangledfaith/ I highly recommend it, especially if you are going through some deconstruction of faith. I worked with the host, Amy, in MN way back in the day. She's so gentle, thoughtful, and her heart is to help those who have experienced spiritual abuse know that they are not alone.
8. The Pour Over. I think it's been mentioned here before, but this is my favorite news source right now. They really do their best to be bipartisan on news stories, and are also encouraging at the end of some stories with scripture. It helps me not freak out about the state of the world all the time. https://www.thepourover.org/?grsf=f5vhry
That's all from me! I hope you all have the best weekend available to you!
I don't know whether to classify it as a turd or treasure (mostly I'm just so tired!) but my students finally came back in person this week. It was lovely to see them, but it was the week after Spring Break and the end of the 9 weeks, so it was really chaotic in many ways!
One major treasure, though, is that I had a job interview yesterday and I don't think I totally bombed it! It's for a position I would really love, and I'm trying to find the balance between being hopeful and not getting my hopes up, you know what I mean?? I found out I have an interview for another position next week too, so that is also exciting but adding to my anxiety.
Basically I'm realizing that I don't know how I feel about anything right now, and that pretty much sums up the week. I'm not alone in this feeling, right? Please encourage me!
Hello everyone! I’ve only commented a few times before but it was big week for me, so here I am!
Treasures: getting my first dose of the Moderna Covid vaccine and having manageable side effects, getting really kind feedback from a couple of my professors (one that I love and one that I’m afraid of—not sure whose praise means more to me, haha!), and chatting with some people who connected through the We Got You Club about mental health diagnoses. Also, that NYTimes article counts as a treasure. I totally cried.
Turds: 3 near-all-nighters in 4 days (it’s the last week of class/beginning of finals at my university) and easing back into very limited social gatherings have me feeling awkward and out of sorts this week. The news continues to be horrible.
I’m taking a time-out tonight and I’m going to watch tv alone under my weighted blanket and eat dinner that I didn’t cook myself. My long-distance best friend, end-of-semester plans, and awesome boyfriend are all helping.
I hope this weekend is good to all of you!
You guyssss.
This week STARTED with us traveling 4 hours to Waco to stay at my Dad’s while my husband commuted to Dallas daily to see his brother in the VA hospital (basically for poisoning his body with alcohol over the last 25 years... he’s only 46). It got worse with my 9-month old niece (my sister’s daughter) having crazy symptoms after a fall (refused to open her eyes for almost 24 hours, super lethargic) that thankfully ended up being scratched corneas (from crying and rubbing her eyes after falling) & a cold. This week ENDED with my 3 year old puking into my hands this morning and having the worst diarrhea ever (TMI?)
Not to mention I had 6AM conference calls 3 days with European colleagues (who take literally coffee breaks in the middle of a meeting, lol)
I AM DONE 💀
We were supposed to head out of town to my cousin’s wedding this weekend but thankfully we are going to stay home and relax and hopefully nurse everyone back to health. I’m planning a book & a bath tonight and nothing else.
Praying you have all had better weeks!
Ya'll, I have nothing cute to share, and really don't even have the mental space to read comments, but I had to come on here (for the first time in a month or more) and let you all know:
I SUBMITTED MY THESIS! It's for a Masters in Christian Studies, and had to be 25-30 pages. For some of you writers on here, that's a small amount, I know, but it's the longest project I've ever written. And IT'S DONE. God be praised. I can now go tackle my kitchen that looks, strangely, like no one has touched it in days and perhaps the kids have only eaten cereal:-)
The Lil Swipes have been a huge encouragement to me as I tackled life as a mom and wife and very part time online student, and I cannot thank you enough. I am sure I will have to make some minor revisions, but the biggest project of my school career is done! Hallelujah and Soli Deo Gloria! May each of your weekends have a little bit of joy, even when sadness is pressing down around us.
Hello. Turds: We had a surprise three day snow storm this week and my mental health was NOT here for it. Thankfully it should be gone by the end of the weekend (hopefully). My three kids are still living at my friends’ and my special needs daughter is still without supports. My heart breaks on the daily. Society is all pro adoption fundraising and supports etc but not so much when it comes to keeping existing families together. Anyway, sad/mad and that’s not changing anytime soon. Treasures: My mom got her vaccine and it didn’t kill her! She was so nervous, I’m so proud of her! I asked my friend if she would do the planning for my birthday and she said yes! I’m usually a huge planner, but I’m life weary and I just want to show up. So Sunday 25th, me and 11 friends are going roller skating! I’m going to laugh my head off at how bad I am at it and ignore real life for a couple of hours. I miss people. I miss fun and I can hardly wait. Erin, you reminded me of a book (The true confessions of Charlotte Doyle) I read a loooong time ago and borrowed it from the library. It was such a good read! Thanks for the reminder. We kept our youngest home from school today for a mental health day. So, I’m off to make a creative mess with her. Hope your spring is springy where you are.
Hi, friends. It has been...a week over here.
On Tuesday, my four-year-old nephew was admitted to the hospital after a visit to the ER for difficulty breathing (he'd been running a fever for a couple of days). They thought he had covid at first because on that same day, my sister got a call that one of his classmates had tested positive. Both a PCR and a rapid test came back negative (thankfully), but it turns out he has pneumonia. He had a rough night/day at the hospital with breathing treatments, four failed attempts at a blood draw before a successful one, and not much sleep, but he's back home, on antibiotics, and slowly on the mend.
That same Tuesday, The Boy's mom was also admitted to a different hospital. After spending the last couple of months in and out of the ER for severe pain in her neck, a bad cough, and shortness of breath (and many negative covid tests) and being sent away by doctors telling her it was just a pinched nerve, she went to a different ER on Tuesday night and was finally able to get them to run some real tests. As it turns out, they discovered a very large mass in her neck, lung, and breast, and they admitted her that night. She had surgery yesterday to biopsy the mass. They're still waiting on results, but are starting radiation today. Basically, they're just waiting to determine what stage the cancer is in (likely 3 or 4 based on how large the mass is). This is on top of his grandpa being diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer a few months ago.
So. It's been a week. Lots of uncertainty and little sleep (both from stress and due to my dog getting spayed on Wednesday and having to make sure she didn't shimmy out of her cone or jump on/off the bed/couches and rip her stitches).
I do have a bridal shower tomorrow (outdoor, socially distanced, and most of us have been vaccinated), so I'm hoping that can bring a little joy to the week. Prayers are appreciated for Michael, his mom and grandpa, and my nephew.
A few more thoughts from my week
For those who want to find ways to help the Brooklyn Center community in MN in the aftermath of the Daunte Wright tragedy...
https://sahanjournal.com/helping-out/how-to-help-brooklyn-center-daunte-wright/
I donated to Lake Street charities last summer after the loss of George Floyd and now this spring I am allocating funds to area nonprofits who assist the Brooklyn Center communities.
My sister lives a block from where this tragedy occurred.
Her children went back to school today.
She sat with her son at the bus stop seeing the vigil and those sitting in grief where Daunte's life was tragically taken. Standing with her own son, knowing a mother is grieving the loss of hers. Knowing a child will be fatherless.
Minnesota is feeling so many losses. The closing arguments for the Chauvin trial will be next week. The community will be bracing itself for the aftermath of that verdict.
But finding ways to give light.
To be a steward of kindness.
That is something we all can do...
I talked with my dad on Tuesday and he told me that he has been working on a community venture in his area in Northern Minnesota (he lives in Carlton county). He along with two other caterers will be doing pop up events in the county to each make 100 free meals to distribute. He is partnered with the local United Way and Loaves & Fishes to do these events. First they will be every 2 weeks, but the goal for the summer and fall will be weekly. Then the winter months they will convert to indoor events, but they have to wait to see how Covid Winter 2021 will be. I am so beyond proud of my dad for this initiative. He worked with his two other colleagues to obtain this grant and be able to provide this service. His county has less than 40,000 people but about 8-10% of the county is noted as being below the poverty line (depending on age) so there are issues with working poor. Knowing that his group will provide 300 meals. It's a fantastic start to something great. I'm so so so proud of him.
Hello, Friday Friends---it's been a few weeks. And when I say that, I mean it's been a few weeks since I last commented and it's.been.a.few.weeks.
My sweet girl Chance (24 year old with breast cancer) started her chemo and now has two rounds under her belt. She's already losing hair, and she has up days and down days. I'm so grateful for the way her job has been supportive of her and has promised to keep her working enough for her benefits to stay intact. But in the middle of trying to find the good/positive things, sometimes I just want to shake my fist and shout. I know that this world isn't perfect, and, in fact, is sort of a s*** show, but I just feel sad and angry that this girl who has already been through just about all the bad things you can imagine a person going through has to add this to the list. Please keep praying for Chance, especially that she would be able to weather the ups and downs of all she's going through.
In good---no, GREAT---news, my husband and I got our second Moderna shot this morning. Two weeks until hugs. I cannot wait. I feel so frustrated about where things are at in Michigan right now. We are as bad as we've ever been Covid-numbers-wise. I have zero issues with those who are doing their research and due diligence and come to the conclusion that they would rather wait on the vaccine. But I am really struggling to find grace for people who spout untruths, post poor research (or no research), and share unreliable anecdotes for why they aren't getting the vaccine. I used to teach high school English, and I never let kids cite Wikipedia for research papers. Not because Wikipedia is useless or a bad place to start, but because it wasn't vetted the same way that books and periodicals are. And I feel like the current landscape of how people are getting their vaccine information is the equivalent of citing Wikipedia in a research paper. I just want us to all be better critical thinkers than we are. All of us, myself included. I can already say that living through Covid has made me a better thinker, a better question asker. For that, I'm grateful.
That was a rant. Here's some things I've been reading/listening to lately that I've loved:
BOOKS...
--The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue --> Run, do not walk, to find this book for yourself. It's one of the best I've ever read, and I can't stop thinking about it.
--That Sounds Fun --> The section in this book about being an amateur really challenged me to change the way I think about learning something new. Maybe it's not for anything other than the pure enjoyment of it.
PODS...
--Escaping Nxivm --> About a woman's escape from a cult. A little soapy at times but also fascinating.
--Tom Brown's Body --> Small town politics abound.
--Boomtown --> About the oil industry in West Texas. There are two episodes in the middle about the sex work industry that also tends to boom during oil booms, and they were fascinating.
SHOWS...
--Broadchurch --> SO GOOD.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. :)
Hey Swipeys! It's snowing in Denver today, but thankfully the leaves haven't come out on the trees yet, so the potential for damage is low. And the ground is super warm, so the roads are clearing. Springtime in Colorado is always a wild ride.
Today is also our twins' 11th birthday. They are hilarious and annoying and inspiring and mystifying. We're like them a lot, especially the older they get. They argue more than they did when they were little, but on the other hand, they don't throw screaming tantrums anymore, so it balances out. Plus! These are the last few weeks of elementary school! Next fall, all three kids will be Big. I love it.
My treasure this week is that I've been working with the owner of my local yarn shop as she gets ready to move to a new location. My husband and my dad and I spent two days installing slat wall - that horizontal paneling that you slide pegs onto, and then you hang stuff on the pegs. It was a ton of work, but it's been very satisfying to get to combine my two favorite hobbies, woodworking/construction and knitting. And it's fun to have an inside scoop on the new yarn shop!
Soooooo....what a week.
Long story short.
Who's kidding who here, if you know me, you know I talk-type a lot soooo....
My teenager Max tested positive for Covid. We got his results on Weds as we do weekly tests for both our kids since they are back in school and Max also plays baseball and is in Scouts.
When we got his results you could have knocked me over with a feather as he was not exhibiting any symptoms.
Add to this we got his results the same day as I went to get my 2nd dose of Pfizer. Here I was going through my day feeling Pfancy Pfree (see what I did there) only to get a big ol' bomb of crap blown up in my face that night.
So since then. His brother took a test that same afternoon and got the results yesterday (negative). My husband is taking a test today (he was negative last week). I took my test yesterday (am awaiting results) and Max is basically in his room minus when he goes to the bathroom which he announces to us all so we I can go in after he leaves it and spray down and wipe down everything.
If I have to go into his room, he doublemasks.
Darin, Linc and I are all wearing masks in our house until we receive word that all three of us are negative. Then we will only wear masks when around Max for any reason, again when he is doublemasked.
We are on this fun journey until Apr 24.
Or unless one of us tests positive which then sets the clock out.
I am sharing this here as my lil' Swipes and two other friends are the only people we have shared this without outside of all the protocol we had to do with teachers, coaches, schools and the lovely department of health.
There is still such a layer of shame and guilt and feeling like "what did we do wrong" attached to getting this diagnosis.
Because you guys. You all know I've been ON THIS. But know who hasn't been on it? Our local middle school. Max told us on Monday and Tuesday that more and more kids who were IN SCHOOL were being pulled right in front of him. It was almost half of his class by Weds. I actually called the school on Weds (pre diagnosis) asking why we haven't received more information about kids being sick or presumed sick in my son's section. The admin claimed they were following guidelines and my son was not in close contact so nothing more would be sent aside from the statements being sent about active cases.
Oh and the email about active cases. We got 2.
2 this week. So how can we only get 2 emails about cases in a school of thousands?
Oh because that ONE email can cover MULTIPLE students.
Great right? You have to read the use of person vs people and case vs cases....and lo and behold his school was now featured on what we call the Naughty List of schools that our state Dept of Health issues every week when there has been an uptick of cases.
Judging by the nearly empty bus this morning which passed by
Its been more than an uptick.
So
Finding the treasures.
Generous friends
Understanding ears
Amazing mail from Swiper Lauren
Kindness that is so unexpected that I cannot truly verbalize how it means so much to me
Grocery delivery
Meal delivery plans for the weekend
and working from home in soft pants for the next week unless anyone else tests positive
Max has been fever free and really his taste has been the only major issue thus far.
Love to all
Mel
My work life this week and this morning has been "Do this fiddly little technology task that has approximately 825 steps. Then do it fifty more times. It will work correctly no more than 3 times. The other 47 times will be a different error every time." So I am taking a brain break to comment here before I wade back in.
Today my youngest is 10. Our last fingers-as-age year, which kind of slapped me in the face with how momentous that feels. No more "little kids" in this house, only giant double digits. The good news is, he is not too old to have birthday morning sleepy snuggles and laugh hysterically when you make his belly button sing happy birthday to him.
In addition to the database hell of this week, I am also wading through a never-ending hiring process for a position that's been open since December. It's been going on so long that one of the higher ups decided to casually throw more money at it. Like, a lot more. Like, a significant percentage of my salary. BTW, guess who has been doing a lot of the job in the vacancy? So, I had a conversation yesterday with my boss about all of the benefits I have been giving this department, how I have been going above and beyond my job duties routinely, we have not felt a significant gap in the interim because I have been the shock absorber. And that if we are throwing tens of thousands of dollars around like pocket change, could you try to get some of it thrown my way? He was very much on board, and while the decision doesn't lie with him, he will do his best to push that idea up the chain of command. I am a conflict-averse enneagram 9, so I probably wouldn't have had the courage for that conversation without the encouragement of several lovely ladies here cheering me on, so thank you thank you thank you. You all are the best people to have in my corner.
And lastly, my little family of four is going away this weekend to a little town in the mountains. We will visit a Harry Potter themed coffee shop adorably named The Muggles Mug, hike a gorgeous trail lined with rhododendrons, eat take out and have family game night, and we will do it all in a place other than our own house for the first time in over a year. I feel emotionally lighter just thinking about it.
Have a fabulous week, swipes! Wishing you all innumerable treasures!
A Treasure in the form of self-realization...So I am a teacher and this was testing week at my school. Of course today is a snow day with 5 inches coming so we have to finish up next week. The interesting that happened was my reaction to doing testing with these students. I started working at a Christian school in January 2020, after years in public education, and this is my first time doing testing in this new school. The testing Trauma is really guys. I couldn't believe how much my training came out in trying to do this with students this week. Not being state testing or even high stakes testing I didn't have to panic about everything the students did but I felt it welling up in me. Questions of who would walk by and would we be doing everything appropriately swirled in my head and those memory pathways were alive and well. I honestly just didn't realize how much that training had shaped me and it was visceral this week. So happy to spend the day building a snow man with my 2 year old and resetting for a week ahead.
Good morning, lovelies! My brain is mush because I'm trying to casually date and keep myself fed and pay bills and work a normal job and buy a house at the same time...but, I had to comment and tell you all that I LOVE YOU and thank you Erin for the gorgeous blue and white kitchen canisters for my new house and I hope everyone has the best weekend available to them! Oh! And my arm hurts like the dickens because I got my first vax shot yesterday! And then immediately booked a flight to NYC for this fall :) :) :) Happy Friday, everyone!
Erin, After that frog snake monstrosity I'm not sure we can be friends anymore, but I'll see your short & sweet and raise you random & disjointed.
This week = WOOF. That is truly all I have the capacity to say about that.
Let's normalize this. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNrGMn_g_SH/
Be like Braden❤ https://www.instagram.com/p/CNBk-CEnzWv/
It's the "cheeto dust" for me https://www.instagram.com/p/CLo1ahigYFM/
How awesome is this? https://www.facebook.com/SalvageSisterAndMister/photos/a.600449726665534/3993539194023220/
Shantay you stay
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeH2vfaC/
For Jamie B Golden
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeH2cBYf/
The Patio Lights tweet is about me and my wedding planning journey and honestly I feel seen. 😂
Good morning to everyone!!! I've been lurking only for a month now cause EMOTIONAL TANK DRAINED. But hellooooo friends and internet neighbors! This is my last interaction from my current job, as I GOT A NEW LIBRARY POSITION. I'm moving back to my home county this weekend and starting as assistant director at the last library I worked at. It was quite literally dropped in my lap after so much job disappointment, and I'm SO thankful!
Thats HUGE treasure - but it comes with the turd of being 2 hours from my beloved for the next three months. so praying one of his many job applications in Nashville comes to fruition soon.
UNRELATED to any of that- I've been deeeeeep down the Fundamentalist Christian rabbit hole for a month or so now, listening to podcasts that unpack the Independant Fundamentalist Baptist church sect, and some of the craziness that goes along with that. Preacher Boys has been a really interesting listen, especially since many of the people being interviewed have such amazing testimonies of grace after legalism. Its been good and challenging. (also I've found out just how close my upbringing came to that world - THANKful for my 8 dad who challenged that kind of thinking regularly)
FINALLY - ERIN. RE: the purity culture Faith Adjac episode.....
In packing to move this week, I found a manila envelope of "letters to be delivered to my Someone Someday" AKA, letters to my future husband. I took a note from your experience and will NOT be saving them to read on our honeymoon, but after cracking up reading through them, I did let James read some over dinner last night. I was an ERNEST, NAIVE, SWEET SUMMER CHILD when I wrote them, let me tell you. I touted my homemaking skills in one example. We had a delightful cackle together over it. it was soul bearing and vulnerability at its best and worst.
Any hoo.... packing up my desk now. Love you all. see ya in the comments!
Good morning Lil Swipes! My 6 year old commented yesterday "This has been a looooong week" and I couldn't agree more - it's just draaaaggggged on.
Turd of the week - my heart is starting to feel numb with all the chaos in the world, and I don't want it to be that way. Anyone have any tips to keep it soft?
Some treasures from this loooooonnnnnnggggg week:
1. 2nd shot! And so far just a sore arm. Praying it stays that way.
2. A friend of mine is starting a Dracula Daily newsletter that will take you through the book as though in real time. I've never had a desire to read Dracula until now! https://draculadaily.substack.com/p/coming-soon
3. Monday is our last week of official homeschool and I am excited to start planning our summer.
4. I started The Magicians by Lev Grossman this week and it is exactly the fiction book I needed to get me out of my reading slump. Thanks to Erin for putting it on my radar and thanks to Dana for the push on IG to move it up the reading list!
5. My 6 year old. Sometimes he's a turd, but this week he's been a treasure. He's been super creative, coming up with ways to make homemade slingshots and bows and arrows; he's offered to share without being prompted by me; and, after I pray for him at bedtime, he started asking if he could pray for ME. Which prompted his two brothers to ask the same. I just...cannot...
6. These photos of cells that Erin shared on IG and Twitter - just, gorgeous:
https://twitter.com/euvieivanova/status/1382402765004054528
7. New podcast: Untangled Faith. https://www.instagram.com/untangledfaith/ I highly recommend it, especially if you are going through some deconstruction of faith. I worked with the host, Amy, in MN way back in the day. She's so gentle, thoughtful, and her heart is to help those who have experienced spiritual abuse know that they are not alone.
8. The Pour Over. I think it's been mentioned here before, but this is my favorite news source right now. They really do their best to be bipartisan on news stories, and are also encouraging at the end of some stories with scripture. It helps me not freak out about the state of the world all the time. https://www.thepourover.org/?grsf=f5vhry
That's all from me! I hope you all have the best weekend available to you!
I don't know whether to classify it as a turd or treasure (mostly I'm just so tired!) but my students finally came back in person this week. It was lovely to see them, but it was the week after Spring Break and the end of the 9 weeks, so it was really chaotic in many ways!
One major treasure, though, is that I had a job interview yesterday and I don't think I totally bombed it! It's for a position I would really love, and I'm trying to find the balance between being hopeful and not getting my hopes up, you know what I mean?? I found out I have an interview for another position next week too, so that is also exciting but adding to my anxiety.
Basically I'm realizing that I don't know how I feel about anything right now, and that pretty much sums up the week. I'm not alone in this feeling, right? Please encourage me!