Do you ever rewatch old shows? I turn to Parks and Rec when I need a nice happy escape. Alternatively my husband and I are really into The Traitors (UK! Which is full of ordinary Brits, Not US, which is full of reality TV stars.) I don’t know if you can get the British one over there- you might need a VPN.
Haha, I've been rewatching Frasier! And I started watching The Traitors UK when I was in the hospital with my daughter and needed something to do at night when I couldn't sleep, but I can only watch it over here through an annoying site that I can't figure out how to put on my tv, I won't bore you with my ineptitude, but you know what I mean. Parks and Rec though is always A+ when you just need a pick-me-up!
Christy, reading about your daughter's surgery had me just about to head out the door with soup, but then I remembered we don't actually live in the same country. (Details). Sending love and prayers in the aftermath of surgery. I like to cling to my illusions of control, too - you're one brave mom, and she's a brave kiddo.
All Creatures - for any residual February vibes, I HIGHLY recommend getting yourself a St. Nicholas statue like Mrs. H keeps in the entry way.
(Also I have to laugh at myself, that I'm SO excited about that statue that I don't even know who I've told. 😅 Part of my mission to make this world a bit more like All Creatures, haha)
A few days after I’d picked my Lenten penances and practises, I kind of felt God saying, well that’s all very well and good but you are still trying to control your path to holiness… try just surrendering control when the opportunity arises.
So I stuck with my original things but clearly God wasn’t going to let me off the hook and I’ve had lots of opportunities to surrender control so far this Lent 🥴
One of those things has been the sudden onset of some strange symptoms in my oldest, which could be nothing or something. Lots of appointments and tests coming up. No idea what’s going on.
Anyway, I would appreciate prayers for all that, and I will keep praying for your daughter and family during her recovery.
Prayers for that for sure! I went super simple this lent in that I just stopped having sugar. I'm not addicted or anything so it hasn't been too hard, but it has made me notice so many times where I just want to cope with whatever or treat myself with a little treat. And my younger daughter has been on a baking kick to make my recovering daughter cookies most afternoons and it has added to the struggle!
And we're over the halfway point in lent now, so it's all down hill from here! Or at least, let's hope it's just downhill and no more uphills, because there have been so many.
Just reading your words made me feel the weight of your struggles. When children suffer it is intensely painful, especially if we are helpless to remove their pain (physical or emotional). God will keep you through it all.
As for shows, if you have never seen Downton Abbey, it will keep you pleasantly busy for a while...
My daughter and I were watching Downton Abbey before and during the immediate days after the surgery, and I think she was having reactions to coming off the myriad variety of drugs she was on during the days in hospital because for the week following she had very vivid, almost nightmarish dreams about the characters from Downton Abbey. So we've had to take a break for a while, but she and I both really like it!
Re: Intellectual pursuits as a busy mother-I read far too many articles that frames busy family life as the main obstacle. I think it’s time we write one about how an obscene quantity of the time we could otherwise be reading is wasted on hold with medical schedulers. So much of my life as a parent involves being tortured by an endless spiral of phone menus. If all these places would just wise up and start using public domain recordings of long classical pieces (e.g., a whole symphony or Ravel’s Bolero) instead of endless 2-minute clips of mind-numbing Muzak as hold music, I might actually feel slightly cultured after being on hold for 30 minutes or more.
Hahaha, this is so true! And I laugh only because I have three kids in braces, a kid with a serious medical issue that requires a several specialists, and just five kids in general. Keeping up with the appointments alone is a part time job. I honestly don't think I could work full time with the amount of appointments I have to get kids to. And I was just complaining publicly on instagram a month or so ago about how awful receptionists can be. I hate that the act like it's my job and not theirs to be on the phone for hours with them, or calling at exactly the right moment seven weeks from now!
I hope that God brings you all peace in those struggles. That sounds like a lot to deal with! As for shows, I don't watch much, but recently my husband and I checked out a new-to-us anime that was a lot of fun, if you're into anime at all: Spy x Family (it's about a spy who has to pose as a family man, and he doesn't know it but the woman posing as his wife is an assassin...and neither of them realize that their "daughter" is a telepathic little girl). It's really fun, has some great dark humor, and also some good themes about marriage and family life.
😂😂😂freezingly yours! We’ve had a cold snap here this week and I’m with you, folks need to check their spring temp privilege around me until I start to thaw
Kdramas are always my go-to but I also recently enjoyed Artful Dodger (on Hulu in the U.S.) -- funny retelling if Dodger from Oliver Twist went to Australia/became a doctor in the Royal Navy. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is a really convincing Dodger, I'm hopeful they get season 2!!!
I can't find it anywhere here in Canada! Or at least anywhere on the seven services I currently subscribe to. I just am so annoyed that streaming has just turned into cable and I now have to spend a million dollars for the five shows I want to watch. It feels like too much. IT IS TOO MUCH.
it really is SO ANNOYING. I finally canceled stupid Netflix because it wouldn't let us share with my siblings anymore, and I *still* have too many options. Bummer that you can't find it though!
I always go back to The West Wing and The Newsroom!
I hope your daughter's recovery continues to go well! Sounds a lot like my own spinal fusion recovery as a teen-- turned the family unit upside down for a bit but we all learned a lot!
West Wing and The Newsroom are both on the one service I don't have! I'm telling you, too many services.
She did have spinal fusion surgery! I have heard from so many people now who have had this surgery, which you just don't know until you suddenly are dealing with it with someone in your family. A family friend told us last week that they had the surgery and it was the most pain he's ever experienced, and I said later, I hope it's the most pain he's ever experienced! And my son overheard me and said, I guess he's never been shot. He thought he was so funny!
Thanks for the link, Christy!
Do you ever rewatch old shows? I turn to Parks and Rec when I need a nice happy escape. Alternatively my husband and I are really into The Traitors (UK! Which is full of ordinary Brits, Not US, which is full of reality TV stars.) I don’t know if you can get the British one over there- you might need a VPN.
Haha, I've been rewatching Frasier! And I started watching The Traitors UK when I was in the hospital with my daughter and needed something to do at night when I couldn't sleep, but I can only watch it over here through an annoying site that I can't figure out how to put on my tv, I won't bore you with my ineptitude, but you know what I mean. Parks and Rec though is always A+ when you just need a pick-me-up!
Christy, reading about your daughter's surgery had me just about to head out the door with soup, but then I remembered we don't actually live in the same country. (Details). Sending love and prayers in the aftermath of surgery. I like to cling to my illusions of control, too - you're one brave mom, and she's a brave kiddo.
All Creatures - for any residual February vibes, I HIGHLY recommend getting yourself a St. Nicholas statue like Mrs. H keeps in the entry way.
Thank you Kristin!
Haha, I still keep meaning to buy that St. Nicholas! I do I have a little St Joseph in my kitchen though, does that count??
I'll consider it and let you know my verdict ⚖️
(Also I have to laugh at myself, that I'm SO excited about that statue that I don't even know who I've told. 😅 Part of my mission to make this world a bit more like All Creatures, haha)
A few days after I’d picked my Lenten penances and practises, I kind of felt God saying, well that’s all very well and good but you are still trying to control your path to holiness… try just surrendering control when the opportunity arises.
So I stuck with my original things but clearly God wasn’t going to let me off the hook and I’ve had lots of opportunities to surrender control so far this Lent 🥴
One of those things has been the sudden onset of some strange symptoms in my oldest, which could be nothing or something. Lots of appointments and tests coming up. No idea what’s going on.
Anyway, I would appreciate prayers for all that, and I will keep praying for your daughter and family during her recovery.
Prayers for that for sure! I went super simple this lent in that I just stopped having sugar. I'm not addicted or anything so it hasn't been too hard, but it has made me notice so many times where I just want to cope with whatever or treat myself with a little treat. And my younger daughter has been on a baking kick to make my recovering daughter cookies most afternoons and it has added to the struggle!
And we're over the halfway point in lent now, so it's all down hill from here! Or at least, let's hope it's just downhill and no more uphills, because there have been so many.
Have you watched Shtisel? So, so good.
Also, the portrait of you with your geranium - stunning and classic what can I say.
'freezingly yours' - seasonal sign offs and terms of endearment from the canadian tundra. here for it.
Omg that show was so good. I remember taking a couple weeks to recover from it. So well done!
Just reading your words made me feel the weight of your struggles. When children suffer it is intensely painful, especially if we are helpless to remove their pain (physical or emotional). God will keep you through it all.
As for shows, if you have never seen Downton Abbey, it will keep you pleasantly busy for a while...
Thanks also for the mention:)
Oh thank you, Ruth!
My daughter and I were watching Downton Abbey before and during the immediate days after the surgery, and I think she was having reactions to coming off the myriad variety of drugs she was on during the days in hospital because for the week following she had very vivid, almost nightmarish dreams about the characters from Downton Abbey. So we've had to take a break for a while, but she and I both really like it!
Re: Intellectual pursuits as a busy mother-I read far too many articles that frames busy family life as the main obstacle. I think it’s time we write one about how an obscene quantity of the time we could otherwise be reading is wasted on hold with medical schedulers. So much of my life as a parent involves being tortured by an endless spiral of phone menus. If all these places would just wise up and start using public domain recordings of long classical pieces (e.g., a whole symphony or Ravel’s Bolero) instead of endless 2-minute clips of mind-numbing Muzak as hold music, I might actually feel slightly cultured after being on hold for 30 minutes or more.
Hahaha, this is so true! And I laugh only because I have three kids in braces, a kid with a serious medical issue that requires a several specialists, and just five kids in general. Keeping up with the appointments alone is a part time job. I honestly don't think I could work full time with the amount of appointments I have to get kids to. And I was just complaining publicly on instagram a month or so ago about how awful receptionists can be. I hate that the act like it's my job and not theirs to be on the phone for hours with them, or calling at exactly the right moment seven weeks from now!
I hope that God brings you all peace in those struggles. That sounds like a lot to deal with! As for shows, I don't watch much, but recently my husband and I checked out a new-to-us anime that was a lot of fun, if you're into anime at all: Spy x Family (it's about a spy who has to pose as a family man, and he doesn't know it but the woman posing as his wife is an assassin...and neither of them realize that their "daughter" is a telepathic little girl). It's really fun, has some great dark humor, and also some good themes about marriage and family life.
Oh that sounds cool, I'll check it out!
😂😂😂freezingly yours! We’ve had a cold snap here this week and I’m with you, folks need to check their spring temp privilege around me until I start to thaw
So painful. People talking about wearing sandals can just take a flying leap.
Kdramas are always my go-to but I also recently enjoyed Artful Dodger (on Hulu in the U.S.) -- funny retelling if Dodger from Oliver Twist went to Australia/became a doctor in the Royal Navy. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is a really convincing Dodger, I'm hopeful they get season 2!!!
I can't find it anywhere here in Canada! Or at least anywhere on the seven services I currently subscribe to. I just am so annoyed that streaming has just turned into cable and I now have to spend a million dollars for the five shows I want to watch. It feels like too much. IT IS TOO MUCH.
it really is SO ANNOYING. I finally canceled stupid Netflix because it wouldn't let us share with my siblings anymore, and I *still* have too many options. Bummer that you can't find it though!
I always go back to The West Wing and The Newsroom!
I hope your daughter's recovery continues to go well! Sounds a lot like my own spinal fusion recovery as a teen-- turned the family unit upside down for a bit but we all learned a lot!
West Wing and The Newsroom are both on the one service I don't have! I'm telling you, too many services.
She did have spinal fusion surgery! I have heard from so many people now who have had this surgery, which you just don't know until you suddenly are dealing with it with someone in your family. A family friend told us last week that they had the surgery and it was the most pain he's ever experienced, and I said later, I hope it's the most pain he's ever experienced! And my son overheard me and said, I guess he's never been shot. He thought he was so funny!
Did you watch Ex-Pats with Nicole Kidman on Prime? It wasn’t perfect but kept my attention and thinking about grief.
No I haven't watched it yet, but I'm tempted! I'll try it tonight!