That's a THING, Thursday

Perhaps you've heard this phrase uttered from the cool kids, lately:

So (or apparently), this is a THING now...

Or perhaps:

So, that's not a THING anymore...

I'm still deciding if I love or hate this phrase. Well, to be honest, I hate the phrase because of it's inability to express anything and the fact that our youth have so willingly embraced the ambiguity of this phrase. But also to be honest, I have used this phrase in the classroom. Because, to be honest, I want my students to listen to me - and using their vernacular is key to this. And also because, to be honest, I want them to think that I'm a cool, "older" person.

Anyway, I am going to institute "That's a Thing Thursday," here on the blog.

This week's TATT: pronunciation.

 

Tomato, tomato: [toe-MAE-toe, toe-MAH-toe...] 

Acapulco, Acapulco.

 

Dear Iowans,

Apparently, we have been pronouncing a city in Mexico wrong my entire life.

 

See that little "gem" of a city - the one that is on the west coast, found toward the lower third of the coastline?

 

Not sure which coastal gem, I refer to? I spent Spring Break 2001 here:

You know, Acapulco.

 

Oh, did you think it was pronounced - Ah-cah- POH-coh?

 

Well, it's not.

 

It's Ah-cah-POOL-coh.

 

Pretty much just how it's spelled. Emphasis on the "ool."

 

Pronouncing words just how they're spelled. Apparently, that's a thing now.

 

 

Weekly Run-down

One of my friends does a weekly run-down of what's been happening in their household for the past week. I love it. I'm pretty sure that it causes me to dream about her & her kids every so often. So, I thought that I should start a little run-down of what happens in our lives on a weekly basis.

Well...we worked.



[It's not as cute when you don't have kids running around your household to take pictures of them, and let the grandparents know what's happening in their lives and the cute things they say/do.]

But seriously...in the last week, we returned to working after a nice winter's nap (aka Winter Closure). During winter closure, the University shuts down for the week between Christmas and New Year's. No one works - except Dan. He has his first livestock judging contest of the 'new year' during that time (Arizona National). This year, we spent a week in Iowa right after the new year.

Highlights of the past week:
1) My bike came! Dan bought me this lil gem for Christmas:

Soon, my neighborhood will see me cruisin' around this lovely lady. It's pretty flashy, so I hope I don't fall off. That would be TOTES embarrassing.

2) My New Year's goal is to increase my physical activity. So far, in the past week I've gone on 3 rosary runs and 3 walks...and I even 'lifted weights' (with my handhelds). I got hit on while on my 'rosary run' Tuesday. That was...interesting.

3) School started. I had so much fun teaching my 2 classes on Wednesday.

4) National Western Stock Show in Denver is happening. Dan has been traveling with his team. Yesterday, one of his students had a great day in the contest - only dropping 28 points!

5) With Dan gone, I have decided to tackle his ironing. Ironing is one of my least favorite things to do, yet, Dan love to have all of his shirts crisply starched and ironed. I hate paying for the dry-cleaner to do the ironing more than I hate ironing...so, I won't let him take them to the cleaners. This week, I think I have ironed 15 shirts. I have 15 more to go. Maybe one of my New Year's goals should be to not let the ironing pile up so much....


The lows of the week:
1) My bike didn't come with all of the necessary parts. So, I haven't ridden it around yet.

January 14: Christmas?

In the Church, Christmas starts on December 24 eve and lasts through the baptism of Jesus - which was celebrated this past Sunday. So, technically, I have through this past weekend to leave my décor up, right?

Yes, I say! Yes! My friend Paige calls it laziness...I think I'll call it liturgical. A rose by any other name still smells as sweet, right?

This year was a little weird for Christmas decorating. 1) We didn't spend Christmas eve/day/or Days 2 & 3 in our house. 2) We didn't spend Christmas Days 5 & 6 in our house. 3) We didn't spend Christmas Days 9, 10, 11, 12 and beyond in our house. So, we didn't see any reason to buy a real tree - and because we'd like to buy real Christmas trees now that we can - we really didn't see any reason to shell out $100 on a fake tree. So, all of that effort on Black Friday to make Christmas ornaments was just pre-planning for next year.

I did get our Advent wreath up on the first day of Advent. I didn't get candles until the next weekend...and who would've imagined that the Christian bookstore would be OUT of Advent candles? Not this girl. So, I made do with some lavender scented tea lights for this year. On December 22, I found Advent candles at JoAnn's for 70% off - I am so ready for you 2014!

I finally made stockings on...like...December 21? 22? I don't know. It was late in the year. I made them narrow - so they are really, truly St. Nicholas stockings (meaning only some nuts, oranges, chocolates, and enough gold pieces to pay for our daughter's dowry will fit). [See what my friend Lisa does with her family's stockings.] Whatev - they are cute, and they will work. We try not to go overly-gifty, so these really are great for our Christmas plans.

Also, on December 21, I busted out our Nativity scene. Our original set was in the trailer that got carted off on February 1, 2013. Our insurance replaced it! So, the Willow Tree set made it's way from Nazareth all the way to Tucson.

...and...all of that stuff is still up.

Maybe this week I'll put it away. It is, after all, back to Ordinary Time. I can no longer call my laziness, liturgical. :)

Spread Joy–2013 Christmas Card

I present to you our 2013 Christmas card text (written by yours truly):

'Twas the night before finals and all through the house,

not a creature was stirring - we were all tuckered out.

With Dan in his bow tie, and I in my snazzy top,

we toasted 2013 - and just couldn't stop.

The papers were graded - presentations, too!

Students gave reasons till their faces were blue.

 

It's been quite a year, two-zero-one-three.

We bought a house; Dan started his PhD.

With a new home, there's lots of projects to do,

like keeping the grass green and the pool aqua blue.

Jessica dreams up DIY projects galore:

a headboard, a mantle, a bar -- and there's more?!

Yes, thanks to Pinterest, she has many plans for this nest.

 

Though this year has had trials, we are more than blessed.

We even snuck away for awhile; we don't mean to brag -

a day up in Mackinaw and a weekend to Flag.

 

In 2014, if you need to relax or just rest your head,

we've got a pool and a comfy guest bed!

So, raise your glasses, loved ones far and near:

Merry Christmas to you and a Blessed New Year!

 

 

34 Thankful Things

 

Another year begins! [Note to readers: this list was written on my birthday – almost 2 months ago; it’s just taken me awhile to post this list. A friend of mine started this tradition on her mom’s 50th birthday – and it’s a good exercise to count our blessings on our birthdays.]

As I celebrate the start of my 34th year of life, let’s count out 34 things that I have been so grateful for this year:

1) Dan

2) Marriage to Dan – thankful for the calling to be husband and wife

3) My parents

4) My in-laws (in-love)

5) My brother

6) My siblings-in-love, and my nephews and niece

7) God’s abundant and gracious goodness

8) My faith – being Catholic and the lesson of “both/and”

9) St. Thomas More/Newman Center

10) Ministry opportunities

11) My job

12) Dan’s job

13) My preceptors – past, present, and future

14) Anne Marie

15) Michaela

16) Dan’s students (judging team kids)

17) God’s provision of our house

18) Jerry – our neighbor, knowledgeable about everything, second-dad

19) Rosary Runs

20) God’s faithfulness to never give up on me

21) Sister Elizabeth

22) Father Don

23) Barb, Steve, and Joe

24) Quiet afternoons in the sunshine

25) My co-workers – that my co-workers are my friends

26) Pool parties

27) Lisa, Jina and Lindsay

28) Amy, Jason and the Z-boys

29) Larry & PJ

30) My aunts, uncles and cousins

31) My foundation of faith: Jesus, ancestors, my grandparents, my parents and the tree I’m grafted into and their faith

32) Good conversations with students!

33) Inquiry & Jerry Meyer

34) Dan and our life in Tucson – our Tucson friends, his co-workers, and our growing community

 

As you see, this year definitely has a Tucson bend to it. One of the recurring themes from Inquiry (a session that I help lead for people with questions about Catholicism) that Jerry, our leader, continually mentions is that in many areas, Catholicism is “both/and” – not either/or, and usually not black or white. This approach to “both/and” has really helped me embrace life here in Tucson in the past year.

I don’t know that it’s in any secret that I didn’t love it here. We moved 2,000 miles from most of my family (so thankful to have an aunt, here!) and friends…into a foreign land. Sure, it’s still the USA – but spend 3-4 weeks here and you’ll know this is not Iowa, or the Midwest, anymore, Toto. Everything is different. A year after we’d lived here, I travelled back to the Minneapolis/River Falls, WI area for a conference in late June. About 20 miles outside of the Minneapolis airport, I was bawling hysterically. I had gotten used to the landscape of Arizona – the brown mountains, the expanse of light brown dirt/scrubby trees. Suddenly, my senses were affronted with the green and I remembered just how far from home I was.

This year, I have embraced the “both/and” of life. I realize that January can be both 68 and –8. I realize that fall can be pumpkin patches/apple orchards…and quiet rejoicing for temps in the upper 80s instead of the upper 90s while the season SLOWLY and SUBTLELY enters. …and, really, I realize that “home” can be both Iowa, Michigan, and Arizona. Being happy in one place does not mean that I have rejected the other.

So, these are my lessons learned from year 33/year 2013. Here’s to seeing what 2014 will bring!

Enough

This post is not glamorous, but, honest. I'm thankful for my German heritage and to come from 2 lines of folks who managed their money, valued hard work, and living within their means. They may not have had much, but they had enough. I am thankful to have enough. I am thankful to have a spirit of self-discipline to say 'no' and to keep my wants in check. I am thankful for Dave Ramsey for writing 'Total Money Makeover' and making money management seem do-able - not complicated or too time-consuming. I am thankful to serve my family with this 'gift.'

I heard a few weeks ago about Germans' hatred of debt, having an innate desire to be free from debt and not burden another. This has been instilled into generations of Germans that it is considered a national trait. When I heard this, I thought, "Oh! That makes so much sense!"

Furthermore, a couple of weeks ago, I read an editorial about the cycle of poverty. It has been documented that generational poverty actually impedes the ability to plan long-term. Those who have lived in poverty for generations, paycheck-to-paycheck, simply focus on the immediate needs - never thinking about planning for the what-ifs in life. Again, I thought, "Oh! This makes so much sense."

My second reaction was one of gratitude. My grandfathers are both German. They were savers. They were planners. They were disciplined. As I said, they didn't always have a lot, but they always had enough. Because my grandpa Herman was such a planner and saver, what he left for my Gramma Faye has been enough to sustain her for the last 23 years - and allow her to be a generous giver. I consider this a great legacy.

When I got my first "real job," I realized that I needed to start being responsible with my money. ...but I didn't know how. When I asked my dad about budgeting, he said, "Just keep track of how much you spend each month - and there's your budget." Fair...but, not what I needed. I didn't need to know what I was spending my money on; I needed to know how to spend my money; how to save it.

Enter Dave Ramsey's, Total Money Makeover. This book changed my life. He gave a recommended percentage to spend each month on necessities, showing me how to live within my means. He recommended how much to save; how much to give - encouraging generosity. Within a year, I had enough money saved in my emergency fund to off-set a month where I didn't get paid (paperwork mishap; my contract ended and no one knew it). Because I had planned, I didn't freak out. While I did the 'dirty work,' I looked at this provision as a gift from God - because He laid it on my heart to be responsible and also the spirit to say 'no.' (self-discipline)

The budget became such a routine that I just kind of forgot about it. ...and then I got married.
Enter two different approaches to money management. Enter two people who thought the other one would take care of the details. Enter two different expectations. ...enter chaos.

I am one who lives by expectations - especially others'. My example prior to marriage was that the man handles the money. My dad was a great money manager; my mom spent it. :) My grandfathers managed the money. The married people in my life who talked about marriage were an example of the same pattern: man manages; woman spends. I thought that to have a marriage that lived up to others' expectations; that 'honored God', ours would have to look like this.

Conversely, Dan's mom managed the money - so he expected that I would to. I remember going out to dinner and he'd sign for the check, then give me the receipt. I balked. WHAT was he doing? WHY would I want that? I don't want to carry around his receipt! Why is this MY problem?

A year into our marriage, we were still having this 'discussion' of responsibility. [Downton Abbey quote-time: Cora, "Oh, I hope that we aren't having a disagreement in here." Violet (Dowager Countess), "Oh, is that what you Americans call having a discussion?"] My friend Heather mentioned that Dan must thinking highly of my ability to ask me to take on such a role. This completely changed my perspective. I could use my ability to serve my husband and our family...or I could be a wretch about it. Hmm...which choice would be more loving and honor God the most?

So, I'm thankful for God sending us His Spirit - his power - to change our hearts, attitudes and perspectives. I'm thankful for the ability to see beyond the immediate and have a long-term, and eternal perspective. I'm thankful for the corrective teaching and conversations.

...but really, as I completed my weekly/bi-monthly duty of balancing the budget, I'm really quite thankful that we have enough.

Ordinary Time

Yesterday, I was thankful for an 'ordinary' day; a slower, quiet day, where I can enjoy my conversations with my co-worker/friend.

Thursday was a good day, but it was ordinary. You know? Nothing spectacular; nothing earth-shattering...it just was. Being able to be thankful for the ordinary - for the quiet, for the 'typical'...is not something easy for me. I have an expectant heart; I am always looking for the big thing (especially when I was single!), the next life event. I am learning to be thankful in 'ordinary time'...which is good since 'ordinary time' makes up so much of our lives.

November Rain

1) I am thankful for rain in November!
2) I am thankful for gray days in November.
3) I am thankful that I grew up in Iowa and know how to drive in rain, snow, and sleet (ish), and do not find Tucson November rainy-day driving "crazy" or "stressful" or "hard" or "day-ruiners" like some of my students do. [additionally: I'm thankful that it's not a "cold" November rain; 66 degrees, baby!]

...and also, I am thankful to Guns & Roses for writing an awesome song about November Rain, which is now playing in my head.

For your viewing pleasure. :)

Networking

Today, I am thankful for connections. I am thankful to have worked with great people while at ISU, and that I connect those great people with my current students. Today, I landed one of my UA students a job at ISU next semester while he is participating in National Student Exchange.

This is pretty self-explanatory, however, there are many days and multiple occasions that cause me to be SO grateful for my time at Iowa State as a student and a staff member. I am sure that my love of and gratitude to Iowa State did influence my student to spend his semester away at ISU. We spent a lot of time talking about possibilities, and I spent a lot of time gushing about ISU. To think, I could influence someone to spend 2-3 months in an Iowa winter instead of Arizona!

Birthday Week: Monday night through Thursday

I know you're dying for the details of birthday week!

On Monday night, after our marathon shopping spell at IKEA, we headed home for a dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. Dan grilled steaks & ribs; I made brussel sprouts (sorry Dad - I'll make them for you when you come next) with mushrooms and bacon, and a kale/honeycrisp apple salad - with a maple vinaigrette. For dessert, we had Trader Joe's pumpkin bread pudding (soooo good) with my mom's homemade whipped cream (with a dash of cinnamon).

On Tuesday, Lisa, Mom, and I headed to Sabino Canyon for a hike. I have no pictures. I was with two terrific photographers, so...maybe, if you're my friend on facebook, you'll see the pics, IF they post them. :)

I had grand designs of a 5-mile hike, but after our narrated ride to the trailhead pointing out all the places where mountain lions have been seen, we were a little uneasy. Our uneasiness was compounded when we were the only ones who got off to go hiking. So, here we were - alone, among lots of craggy rocks where the kitties like to hang out (though not typically in late afternoon), and we hiked about half a mile. Was it beautiful, yes? Would I go back? Yes...but maybe get off on a different trailhead...



Can you tell we're related? Didn't even plan the fact that we were wearing the same shirt...the day before, we almost dressed alike....

 

After that, we hit up a Salvation Army on the way home to find my 'costume' for our annual Christmas photos. We had dinner with Dan on campus. He had a retreat at church. We hit up Nordstrom Rack.

 



We found these gems. I put them on (for fun); she posed with them and got quite the response on Facebook!

 

On Wednesday, we headed to Tubac - a former fort in territorial Arizona for the Spanish. I had never been, but had heard about it and thought it'd be fun to check out. It was definitely an experience! Lots of unique shops and we didn't hit most of them. I did get to teach Lisa about Sacred Heart Jesus...or Super-hero Jesus, as she called him. :)

 

We got our toes done on the way back to Tucson.

 

 

That night, we had DELICIOUS desserts from Café a la C'art for my birthday. There are pictures that exist of the dessert, the candles, and the family bonding, but they are not in my possession.  Also that night, we took our Christmas pictures. We're trying to get them sent early, so that you all know our address - and then we can get your cards at our new house!

 

Thursday morning, we headed to Frank's for a birthday breakfast.  Lisa and Mom, thank you so much for coming and making the week a great one! It was such a great time!