Some Quick Takes about Me

I discovered a new podcast and then thought, “I haven’t actually written about me and my life on my blog in a while, these people must be clambering for an update.”

So here goes … quick takes style.

1. I discovered a brand new to me podcast and I’m half-way through the 3rd episode (it’s 7:27pm and I started at 5:30pm). It’s called A Single Serving Podcast by one of my favorite writers on the internet regarding single life.

Shani has such a delightful outlook on the single life and today’s favorite was about Being Single and Shame … stop shaming single women because their single – I know you aren’t doing it on purpose, but you’re doing it.

2. Even sharing about this with other single people is hard because they come back and say “well I don’t experience that.” It’s fine that you don’t experience it, but it doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with me because I’m feeling it. It’s not something that I have to work through before I magically met a man and he decides I’m now worthy to get married.

3. I making a tomato pie for dinner from a recipe I found in a magazine, and it’s making me super happy. I think it even looks like the cover – except my top is all tomatoes and theirs includes onions on top – they’re there, I promise!

4. I haven’t done much reading at all this week because I’ve been binge watching Poldark. It’s A-MAZ-ING … I might have texted the friend who introduced me to the series “I AM SO MAD AT ROSS RIGHT NOW!!!” Even with that anger, I think you should all start watching! Ross, the main man, comes home to Britain from the American Revolution after being missing for 2 years to his girl 2 weeks away from marrying his cousin and his father is dead. Now we see how he adapts to the new life that he never expected.

5. My tomato pie is done and it’s a little ‘explosive’! But it still looks and smells amazing!

6. I think I’m going to paint the inside of my front door this pink/fuchsia color just because.

I’m not allowed to paint the outside, but there are no rules about the inside, so I’m just going to live it up.

7. I also might ask Lowe’s if they have a kitchen sink installation person who can come give me a new kitchen sink because my garbage disposal can get a little gross and the back of the sink is coming apart a little bit.

Seriously y’all, that’s a little gross … and it’s as ‘clean’ as it gets!

Well, that’s about it y’all. Off to watch the series 2 finale of Poldark and then read the book I’m still only 75 pages into called The Farm which is excellent, just not more exciting that Poldark. I tell you about it when I finish!

Oh Sounds in Public Places

I’ll admit that I’m someone who has a fair amount of pet peeves. I’m trying to control my need for control, but being a recovering control freak is a bit of a difficult personality. I’ve been able to lessen my annoyment of things like drivers not “continuing when getting on the on-ramp or off-ramp when they have their own lane” … okay – the need to bold that last part might be evidence that I haven’t curbed this particular annoyance.

Let’s try another one … give me a second … I’m thinking. Alright, there are a lot of things that annoy me, but I’m not annoyed if you do them when I’m not around – which doesn’t seem like much, but that’s some serious growth.

The event that precipitated this post happened on a small plane from Pittsburgh to Charlotte today. There’s a older couple in the seats in the row in front of me to my right who are watching a movie … not annoying in and of itself … without headphones.

What?

I mean, WHAT?

If you’re a little kid and having a screen in front of you during a flight keeps you from being upset and crying – ok, parents, please, hand over the device. Did you forget the headphones? Okay. Does your two-year old not know how to used headphones? Okay. Your child is not a rational human being yet and we are all for here for anything that keeps them a happy flyer.

But anyone over the age of, let’s say, 10 who isn’t using headphones in a public space to watch a movie, listen to music, or have a telephone call. I’m not asking you to be perfectly quiet in a public space … but noise coming from your device does not need to enter into my ears. This isn’t a group event.

I was just sitting here trying to read – unsuccessfully because I’m tired and also all I can hear is your movie. Planes aren’t the only places where this happens, I think of the subway in New York.

I’m reminding of something my brother and SIL always say when that happens, “I’m jealous of their confidence in their musical style choices that they’d think we’d also all enjoy it.”

Spoiler Alert: we’re not all enjoying your music, movie, phone call, YouTube video, etc.

Letter to My Younger Self

Someone shared this article with me a few weeks back, and I loved it!

Read It Yourself

It got me thinking about what I would tell my younger self, or even my current self if I had a chance to go back. What would I tell this little girl?

That’s me and my grandparents when I was just a wee babe!

or this one:

me, my brother, and my baby doll at my aunt’s log cabin

or this one:

I mean, I was a cute kid! Look at that hair: amazing bangs & super cute pig tails!

So what would I tell my younger self? (or even remind my today self):

Just be who you are, that person is enough, is lovable, and is needed in the world. Without you the world wouldn’t be the same, so love big, laugh a lot, pray deeply, and find joy in the little things. Being able to see the small joys of a new frame to hang up or seeing a random hallmark of American life on the road or the funny twist in the midst of a hardship isn’t some ‘substitute for living a super interesting life’ … it’s a perspective that many people don’t have and it makes you unique. All of those things are the things to make you who you are … an unrepeatable, daughter of the King of the Universe … don’t hide it, share it with the world!

Questions I Don’t Like Being Asked

Are you seeing anybody?

How’s your love life?

Have you tried Online Dating?

So, what do you think about the Church Scandal?

Are you a pet person?

That last one is one of the worst ones for me. People think that’s going to be their common ground when they’re trying to find some … but for me, the answer is “no, I don’t even have a pet fish.”

I stayed at my aunt’s in Connecticut this past week and she has three cats (one is hers, two are my cousin’s who are hanging out there for a while). So after I stayed two nights and I was putting on my coat to leave she asked “are you a pet person?”

I felt a little guilty to say “no, actually I’m allergic and I don’t really like them either,” but to say anything else would be a lie that I’d have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life.

The thing about not being a pet person is that people don’t understand why you aren’t. Now I love a cute cat video or a puppy as much as anyone else, but videos and pictures are quite enough for me.

It’s true that I am allergic. My parents sent me to get allergy shots twice a week for years because it came out that I was allergic to dogs (a lot) and we had one they weren’t willing to get rid of (and honestly, I wasn’t willing to send it away either). Then when I was a freshman in high school I was holding our new puppy over in my neighbor’s yard and my neighbor’s big dog jumped up and went after the dog but he got my forearm.

With dogs I don’t know I can be a little scared of what they might do. I also, for certain, don’t want a strange or familiar dog running toward me. When people say “oh, don’t worry he’s friendly.” Is he? My neighbor’s dog was too, and he still bit me so hard I had to go to the emergency room.

I haven nothing against pets or people having pets. I do have an issue with the ‘therapy pet phenomenon’ that’s happening right now. I’m also not a fan of your dog sitting next to me on a plane.

And pets have no problem with me. Every dog or cat at a home I visit or stay in loves me, they can’t get enough of me, and they want to make me love them. Even cats … which isn’t really a thing that cats do very often. It’s like they can tell that I’m not their best friend and they just cannot let me leave without converting me.

Does this really matter in the end? Probably not. If I marry a man who loves dogs, will there be one in my house in the future? Probably so. Will I be the one who cleans up the yard? Definitely not. Am I still allergic? Yes, but because I’m allergic to the outside world including the flowers, pollen, and trees as well as dust and mold inside, I’m on all the allergy medicine anyway, so no worries there.

Living a Paradox

I really appreciated this post from my friend Laura last year – “I am a political orphan.”

I’ve been thinking about that and also working through how I would classify myself in the current political climate. I feel like a paradox.

I want equal rights for woman so that makes me a bit of a feminist.

I believe every child has a right to life so that makes me part of the Pro-Life movement.

I don’t want big government which makes me a Republican.

I think our current administration is off their rocker when it comes to immigration which  makes me a Democrat.

Politically I think that puts me right in the Independent camp, which is where I’m registered. I can’t be all in on a party that includes abortion as part of it’s platform (ie: Democrats) nor can I call myself part of a party that would say “Donald J Trump is our best choice” (ie: Republicans).

Ideologically the feminists won’t claim me because I don’t subscribe to on-demand abortion for everyone all the time. Many in the pro-life movement won’t claim me because I believe in incremental laws.

I listen to Clare over at The Catholic Feminist Podcast and am on board 100%. I also listen to the guys at Pod Save America and think “you’ve got some amazing points.”

I believe we need some sort of boarder control (hello Republicans) but do not for a hot second think we should be arresting people as they cross and separating children from their parents (hello Democrats).

I didn’t want Hillary Clinton to be president (hello Republicans), but could not believe people thought Donald J Trump was the right move (hello Democrats).

Isn’t there supposed to be something in between all of these things? I wonder if that something is Catholic. We are both feminist and pro-life. We believe both Democrats and Republics have some valid points. We are both the left and the right. We believe Jesus was both God and Man. We know the Eucharist is both bread and His Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity.

Maybe I just need to take a step back and not try to fit myself into any of these boxes.

What’s in a Name?

A few weeks ago I saw on a internet friend’s Instagram (@katereadsbooks_) an explanation of the name Kate and who a Kate is. I asked her, “Do you think those apply to ‘Katie’s’ too?” She said they came from Urban Dictionary, so I figured I go and take a look at the definitions of “Katie’s” for a fun treat.

So who’s a “Katie” according to UD? Well, she’s pretty great. My favorite qualities are:

• Katie’s the total package.
• Smart, funny, crazy (?), beautiful eyes, nice
• She doesn’t let people walk all over her.
• She doesn’t care what others think of her.
• Katie is amazing.
• Everyone loves her and her incredible flawless personality so she has a lot of friends.
• She is amazingly kind, drop dead gorgeous and last but not least, absolutely perfect. So love her while you can.
• Has an extraordinary singing voice. Tells ‘hilarious’ jokes. Can keep secrets as she is sooooooo trustworthy. Has a stalker side.
• A firm individual, a Katie will never follow the crowd.
• She’s proud, confident and cheerful on the outside, but a lot more sensitive underneath.
• Almost invariably stunningly beautiful, though she will probably never notice.
• She is old fashioned and will not chase guys but lucky is the guy who pursues her and wins her heart.

I mean, it’s just Urban Dictionary, but I’m feeling pretty good about myself with all of these compliments for Katie!

Although some might think the internet’s definition of who they are is the ‘be all, end all,’ we all know that the saints are better to emulate than Urban Dictionary. These ‘Katie’s’ are pretty fantastic and worth additional study, especially by me. Looking toward them as guides, models, and friends brings out the best in me.

Useless Efficiency

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” ~Peter Drucker

I have this great extension on Chrome called Momentum (get it here). I installed it a few months ago from a list of “great chrome extensions you should have list” from somewhere on the internet and I really love it. It’s a simple “good morning” or “good evening” with my name, the time, a beautiful background image and a quote. The image and quote change a few times throughout the day.

I love it because it gives me a really great image to look at as my page is loading and the quotes are usually really fantastic. This afternoon’s was particularly great. (it’s above)

Basically, you didn’t do it efficiently if you never should have done it in the first place. It reminds me of something I’ve said to a friend more than once. “It’s not a deal if you didn’t need to buy it in the first place. You didn’t save any money at all – you actually spent more than you would originally.” She had just finished telling me about she and her husband-to-be had just purchased all of these great serving spoons at Kohl’s and that she now “had more serving spoons than she knew what to do with.” My answer was simple, “don’t buy so many spoons.” BUT they got such a great deal!!

It’s not a deal if you didn’t need it!

Just like today’s quote – I’m all for efficiencies – but if the action doesn’t need doing, then who cares how efficiently you did it. It would be more efficient to have ignored it completely! Today’s wisdom!