Friday, Friday...so good to me,
Friday, Friday...will you be all I hope you can be?
Welcome to 7 Quick Takes at And I'll Raise You 5. Please visit our lovely host at
Conversion Diary for the original
7 Quick Takes. Take a moment to congratulate her on expecting Baby #5! And check out the links to other Quick Takers playing along this week.
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Today's recommended reading:
The Epic of Gilgamesh. One of the oldest stories in the world, Gilgamesh tells the story of a cruel king and the friendship that teaches him to be kind. Rick used to teach this story in his English classes, and it has always been a favorite of his. The kids and I are listening to
The Story of the World these days, and this week we heard a retelling of this ancient story that comes to us from 3000 (ish) BC Mesopotamia.
Before Gilgamesh meets Enkidu, he is a cruel and tyrannical king, enslaving his people and taking anything he wants for himself. Everyone fears him. Enkidu is the first to stand up to him by fighting him ferociously when Gilgamesh attempts to steal a bride right from her wedding banquet. They fight almost to the death, but just before they annihilate each other, Gilgamesh realizes that he has met his match. He recognizes that this half man/half animal has saved him from his own viciousness and decides they should be friends. Power and weakness, justice and cruelty, life and death: Gilgamesh has it all. Go forth and read.
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Today's evidence that I am a bad mother: On this cold, dreary, wet morning, I made everyone a piping hot oatmeal breakfast, generously mixed with applesauce and amply smothered with cinnamon sugar. It's like eating warm apple pie in a bowl, and it was received with animosity.
Hmmm, what to do for homeschooling today...that's right, I have
no plan. I do believe Netflix's "Watch Instantly" feature was created just for me! Today's educative activity will be to watch George C. Scott in A Christmas Carol. Thank you, Netflix! (Note: I am not paid to promote Netflix.)
Today's real evidence that I am a bad mother: I'm trying to force my 4 year old to watch TV instead of saying yes to her repeated requests that I read to her. Too much to do!
Think I'll regret this in 10 years when I get a call from the police department, telling me that my distraught 14 year old girl has just set off a bomb in her school library, screaming about how her mommy won't read any books to her and all books suck and her mommy sucks and WORDS ARE EVIL?
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I am being defeated by the paper piles in my home. Any suggestions for getting the upper hand in this area will be greatly appreciated. Probably ultimately ignored, but appreciated in the short term at least.
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Today's confession: Just like Jen at Conversion Diary, I have not purchased one, single, solitary Christmas gift yet. Nothing. Nada. Nilch. The next two weeks are going to be a bumpy ride.
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Instead of getting out there and shopping, I've been doing a whole lot of Advent-ish waiting* and getting ready. We are using Christmas dinner as our excuse to fix things up around here, painting some rooms, conquering paper piles, and re-purposing our mish-mash of shelves in more efficient and aesthetically pleasing ways. The house doesn't look incredibly Christmas-y yet, but in our own way, we are celebrating Advent by preparing our home for Christmas guests, the ones we will feed and the One who will feed us. And I'm thinking about how to be a sign of hope in the world. Because that's what this season is truly about, HOPE.
"Advent is the spiritual season of hope par excellence, and in this season the whole Church is called to be hope, for itself and for the world. The whole spiritual organism of the mystical body assumes, as it were, the 'color' of hope."
~ Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily at the celebration of first vespers in St. Peter's Basilica, on Saturday, November 28, 2008
So you're not Christian or Catholic? No matter! Perhaps you can still agree that the world could use "hope par excellence" today. For us, we are trying to infuse our home with the color of hope, and perhaps we can take that color out into the world and fling it around a little bit. I've never seen hope on a retail shop shelf, so regardless of the shopping I have not done, I'm happy with how we are getting ready for Christmas this year.
*thank you, KP, for this phrase, which I stole from your FB status. :)
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4 comments:
They are philistines. I'm not all that fond of oatmeal, and even *I* think that sounds luscious. How about you come make breakfast for me? I will not greet it with animosity. Approbation, definitely. Adoration, quite possibly.
As for gifts? The Intarwebz are your friend. I think I have purchased a grand total of three actual gifts from stores. I'm not counting stocking stuffers, of course. And the lovely brown packages that arrive each day! It makes me happy.
I'm a bad daddy because rather than arguing, I decided gold fish, cheese sticks and cookies were a fine lunch. And I really liked 30 or so tales to tell.
ditto on the christmas shopping...although I did pick up a set of AC/DC beer pints from Target that I think my beer making, AC/DC tattooed, close girlfriend will love.
nothing for the kids yet....but alas, it's the santa sale this week...I'm sure I'll be getting more crap than I need in the house.
In terms of the piles of papers, I am always there, but I just recently straightened up. Let yourself have a little room and time, and just start to go through them all, putting them into piles. Yes, I realize they are already in piles. But perhaps try new piles? Like, what needs to be done now, what can be read later, etc.-- then make a list and post it up so you are reminded to retackle the piles of paper, but on a more consistent basis. Maybe wait until after Christmas, though, if you have too much to do! Good luck! And nice choice on Gilgamesh!
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