First To Catch Up

Hello Everyone!

Looking at this blog, the last time I really sat down to publish a post was more than a year and a half ago. Maybe you missed this blog. Many times I did. Or, maybe this is a new discovery for you, in which case, welcome.

This past year and a half have been focused on reflection, on prayer, on growth, and on letting things that I wanted fizzle out, knowing that something much bigger, much more beautiful, and much more worthwhile was on the horizon.

And when I wasn’t looking, the sun rose.

I am honored to have a new job (well, “new” since more than a year and a half ago) as Stewardship Coordinator at Holy Spirit Church, my home parish for more than two decades. I have been in that position since October 2012. I get to share with my fellow Catholics the joy in recognizing that everything we have received is a gift from God, and that the best way to love Him is to give those gifts back to Him in the way that He desires from us. I get to chat with individual parishioners about my own experience of losing a job, of feeling a bit lost, of being unsure of how God could use me if I wasn’t being productive in the way the world values--but always getting to share how He desires us and that I am supposed to play a specific role in this world. I get to really dialogue with members of our faith community about how we can personally connect to support one another on this, our faith journey.

At work, we are beginning to focus on creating and growing a social media presence that is a reflection of our vibrant parish life. It’s very exciting work, and we are meeting with many parishes, individuals and organizations who have helped blaze the trail in this realm, including Lisa Hendey and Right to Life of Central California. And, of course, we are working on spreading the Gospel in the way that reaches how we communicate in the modern world while maintaining the truth and beauty of it. As our effort grows and develops, I am privileged to be part of it.

So much more to come in that arena. As for the rest of my life, stay tuned!

Return

I know I have been gone for quite a while, but I plan to return to a regular posting schedule here--with good content--very soon.

Please stay tuned, if you are so inclined.

Thanks, and God Bless!

 Jen

Lessons From Fencing Class

Hello blog reader people! Hope your day is going well so far. Man, this shorter week (because of Labor Day) has sure gone by a lot faster than I was prepared for. At least we are rushing toward Saturday--my dear friend is getting married then! Woo-hoo!

But, I figured before celebrating with champagne and ... uh ... champagne*, let's reflect. Weddings signal the beginning of a life united together and in Our Lord. I remember when planning my own wedding, it wasn't difficult to get carried away with things like decorations, or food, or the infamous dress. However, it is most important to remember that a wedding is about the marriage with that person you love very much.

Being married will be hard, challenging, frustrating, and, at times upsetting. But instead of fighting, abandoning each other, or taking to bad habits, you and your partner should always choose to work together to fix the problem.

Or, you could do what we do to keep the marriage going: sword fight.

That's right everybody! It's time for lessons (and a couple pics) from fencing class! Get excited!

LESSONS FROM FENCING CLASS:

-If you are thinking that you have run out of gift ideas, try something unexpected. I bought Stephen and I fencing lessons, and he totally loved it! I was the cool wife. I had everything going for me. Great anniversary idea, ladies.

-Wear clothes that you will want to keep outside afterwards. Fencing makes you an unusually powerful and deadly ratio of sweaty-to-smelly. Either do laundry immediately, or regret it.

-Fencing swords hurt. Not a lot, but just enough so that every time I said "oww" from anticipation of someone poking me, I lost a little bit of that "cool wife" thing. Don't do this. Wait to actually be poked before saying oww, and try to be in actual pain. And, definitely don't say oww when you are only trying to put the face mask on. You lose major cool points there.

-The fencing jackets have a built-in, thong-like adjustable strap. Make sure your fencing jacket fits just right or is a little big. I'll let you figure out why.

-Face masks: also surprisingly sweaty. Prepare yourself with a bandana, as you cannot wipe the sweat off your brow at any time without knocking the mask off. You especially cannot try doing this during a match.

-If you happen to have a young whipper-snapper of only 16 as your teacher, try not to take offense when he mocks that hardly anyone in the adult beginning fencing class can touch their toes. He is young. He has no idea what's coming.

-Chest protectors are VERY important. Don't forget to wear them.

-Chest protectors only protect the chest.

-Listen carefully to the type of sword you will be working with. It affects your fighting strategy. A foil is like the sword the Three Musketeers use, and is meant to poke people in the torso only. You also have what is called "priority," which means that once the person who makes the first move is blocked (or "perried"), they can't get a point until the other person tries to make a move and you defend yourself against them. Sabre is the second type of sword. It is like a pirate sword, and your arms and legs are a target. These fights tend to go faster, as it is more "free:" anyone can poke anybody else at any time. Lastly, an epee is a bigger (and heavier) foil, and is good for tall people like my husband to repeatedly win matches against smaller, weaker individuals that he might have to drive home with.

-Be aggressive. The best fighters seem to be.

-Take out all of your anger at fencing. You can barely see the other guy's face. Sticking your tongue out at him while fighting is a total possibility, and I would dare say encouraged.

-Footwork is crucial to staying balanced and moving in the most powerful way. It will also be the source of major leg cramping about 36 hours after your first class. Prepare yourself with ice and stretching.

-Enjoy your moment of shining glory when you beat your husband in a match. He will claim it is because of the type of sword and fighting, but you will know it is because you couldn't lose 'em all.

Posed picture time!


Where we took our class



Me, post match. You understand the sweat thing now.



Stephen and me at the end of class. Awwww.



These lessons are certain not advice for marriage or for working through problems, but it was definitely a lot of fun to share this experience with the man I love. We recommend it!

Plus, my husband can never take that win away from me.



*What else do you celebrate with, really?

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Spark My Pinterest

Just wanted to share a quick note about my favorite new site: Pinterest. I know I am not the first person to discover it, but I have to say it is really so cool. In the past, the way I tried to collect neat images online would include e-mailing a link to myself and writing cryptic notes that were impossible to decipher later ("DIY combed chair," really?). However, Pinterest works perfectly as my new bookmarking site for neat things I see, from home inspiration to delicious-looking treats. Plus, it lets me see what inspires others, too.

Are you on Pinterest? I would love to get a chance to follow you. Please lhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeave your link in the comments, or find me on Pinterest here.

Happy pinning!

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School's Back in Session

Hello out there! Apparently I went on an unplanned summer blog hiatus, as my last post was over two months ago. Like I'm guessing you had, I have had a very busy summer. Here's a bit of what I have been up to:

-It feels like every weekend had a birthday, party, or holiday, and I was finally able to visit my sister at her work in Disneyland. She is having a blast working in the happiest place on earth, and it wasn't too bad getting to spend a day in the park with her, either. My autumn weekends look like they will be just as busy, too. Good thing I have the work week to recover.

-I have been doing a lot of cooking lately (um, like always, actually). I have decided that I will be keeping a food diary of what I'm cooking with notes about what that food or recipe means to me. I will be sharing family memories, the special occasions at which we have this food, and anyone I cook with. This will be off the Internet, but I am thinking I will occasionally share the recipes as well as the notes here on the blog. Would you be interested in that?

-I have been taking some classes, including learning more about my faith at church, and I am about to start learning American Sign Language and taking another Bible study (super excited about both of these). And, this week Stephen and I finish up our introductory fencing lessons. That's right, fencing. Like with swords. I will have a larger post about what we have learned, and a bit of fencing humor for you guys in the next couple weeks, but I will tell you that it is just as fun as you expect it to be, and I highly recommend you make a "point" (eh? EH?) to try it for yourself! If you are in the Fresno-area, we went here, and recommend it very highly!

I plan to blog a bit more than I have been. I know you've heard this promise before, but I am ready (and really wanting to) get back into my writing routine. I miss writing and I miss the awesome feedback I get from anyone who reads about my crazy life.

See you very soon!

Learn From Me

Learn from me, the online shopper who has learned herself a valuable lesson:

I do love online shopping, but pressing "Submit" for that online traffic school and infraction total was a hard pill to swallow.

Guess I'm shopping bargain bins for at least...when is Christmas?

I guess there's always Ebay, an admittedly addictive lifeline for the bargain hunter, or a crazy bride.

The point is, do not wear your lead-filled shoes while driving, no matter how fabulous they look on top of those pedals.

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March? April? I Dunno...

I was just trotting along, living life, when all of a sudden, it was a month since I last wrote up anything on my blog.

There is no reason this should be the case, especially since I finished up school and have "tons of time on my hands" (or so one of my old professors claimed summer allowed).

Here's what's up:

-I went to go see Wicked in...March? April? I dunno. I was really good, and the actors are all very talented. Although I don't have pictures from the show (that's illegal, yo), I do have pictures of our seats.



Row six.

Jealous?

-I have started doing some work with my Dad, doing administrative and other work for his new accounting partnership. I started this in...March? April? I dunno. Anyway, I am still doing it and it's nice. I think we work well together, and I think I am helping him out in his new office. I also seem to be doing a lot of thinking, which is good because in summertime and 102-degree weather, I am notorious for not thinking.

-On June 1 (and 2), I had my first blogaversary. I totally forgot to get you anything. However, I'm gonna guess you forgot, too. How about as a gift, I write more? Yes, we like that? Cool. I also think I will be adding some new features to the blog, to keep it fresh for all of us. What? You double like that? Sweet.

-Stephen and I celebrated our own anniversary on May 1. We made it to our first of many more years of marriage. Woo! To celebrate, Stephen took me here.









Note: Several people have showed concern that for our anniversary my husband gave me weapon lessons, but I wanted to learn it, and to try something new. And you know what? Guns are terrifyingly loud and explode with a fireball out of the end when you fire them. Guns are real.*

-Oh, and my gift to Stephen for our anniversary was fencing lessons. Come August, we will be the best sword fighters this side of Pirates of the Caribbean.


*I am seriously not condoning or condemning gun use. This blog is neutral about pretty much all gun laws and in no way advocates having, not having, using, or not using a gun. Should you be around a gun, practice extreme caution. I do not recommend using a gun if not trained. Guns really can hurt and kill people, and neither of those is cool (or legal).**

**I figured this needed to be said.

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Fashion Friday Book Share

Hi there kids. It has been a crazy past couple of weeks for me (and probably for you, too--end of the school year, summer starting, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, shopping trips, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, summer food cravings, etc.). Here's what I have been up too:

-My Dad recently moved offices and started a new partnership. I have been helping him move and doing some office administrative work, with potential to help more during the summer. We've hit a few moving-related bumps ("Gee, I wonder what box that file is in), but nothing that can't be overcome with determination and comfy shoes. So far, I think things are going very well.

-And speaking of my folks, they are over in Ireland right now, hopefully having a great time. They told me they aren't going to kiss the Blarney Stone because they had heard from my grandma's brother (a.k.a. Uncle Tiny) that the janitors pee on it. Gross. Gross, yet, somehow, I still would want to do it to say that I did. On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird does that make me?

-I am in my last week of the paralegal program at Fresno City. The program is definitely set up and operated well, but right now the paralegal thing is not for me. I'm looking forward to a very nice summer.

-Amy, our guys, and myself went to Gilroy for our impromptu shopping trip, and were met with much success. Amy and her guy nabbed some accessories, while Stephen and I basically built up our wardrobe to a very solid level. We will definitely make it through a few summers.

-I had a very nice Easter and Mother's Day spent with Stephen's and my family. My weekends are starting (er, continuing) to fill up with birthdays, graduations, fundraisers, and other events. Right now, I am pretty much booked until mid-June. Are your weekends looking about the same? What fun activities will you be up to?

-And, in alignment with this post title, I have started a fabulous school-is-ending-so-let's-celebrate book called The Secret Lives of Dresses. It's fairly new and I'd heard some good things about it, so I thought I would give it a shot since I like clothes, vintage styling, and books with potential to become rom-com movies. I am only a couple chapters in, and it is everything I want it to be, and more. If you tend to wait until the movie to see such wonderful tales, I anticipate that you won't be waiting very long. Yeah, it is that good.

Happy weekend everyone!

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Garlic Jock Jams

Before you know it, it's been another week or so, and too long since I last posted something on this blog. With Easter coming, finishing up school assignments, and various other projects in the works, I am making less time for posting and more time for relaxing, eating dinner, and listening to songs that I call "Jock Jams"* on my newly-discovered, guilty-pleasure radio station, 103.7 FM.**

But today I am leaving it all behind (except maybe listening to Jock Jams) to head on a road trip. My best friend, Amy, and I (and maybe our guys) will be traveling to the Gilroy Outlets.

Now, many unfamiliar with Central California may not know this, but people from Fresno are single-handedly keeping all outlet centers with 3-4 hours operating.

It's true. Fresnans love taking trips to outlets, usually because you get to travel, end up in a cooler (in more ways than one) climate, and shop among good quality and cheap clothing. Since people from Fresno love all of these things, and since we have no outlet mall here, you can thank the prevention of complete economic collapse on Fresno.

And today, you can thank me and Amy.

Here are my items to look out for on the trip.

Need:
-Black pencil skirt
-Bermuda shorts that somehow don't look fitting for tourists
-Summer-style skirts for hot summer days (bonus points if they are twirly)
-Lighter-wash jeans
-New black pumps (I'm down to the nail on my current pair. Ouch!)
-Flat sandals that are not rubber, non-supportive flip flops
-Sonic New York Hot Dog

Want:
-Something yellow
-Vintage-looking scarves
-Brown, tortoise-shell sunglasses (polarized)
-Nude pumps
-The ever-allusive perfect red dress and/or cognac leather clutch

Will Probably Stumble Upon Anyway:
-Jeans that don't quite fit right
-A Starbucks
-Somebody I know from Fresno
-Garlic perfume

Put on your comfy shoes, pump your Jock Jams, and pop your lipstick, people: It's road trip time!




*If you grew up playing basketball on asphalt, finding the highest white socks you could to wear and keep up with tape, and listening to this music, thinking you were hot stuff, we might be the same person.

**Stephen informs me that this used to be the KRZR rock station, that played music that...well...wasn't my favorite. I am not sorry for your loss.

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What The Sell?

There are some combinations, some partnerships, that just feel right. Peanut butter and jelly. Abbott and Costello. Green eggs and ham.

And to me, antiques and sass.

I love antiques. I love items from different eras, whether they be clothing, furniture, housewares, or bigger pieces. I love walking through local shops, discovering interesting items, and learning an item's back story from the shop owner.

In general, antiques are a big ol' love fest for me. In fact, it may be too much of a love fest. My tiny apartment is beginning to show quite a collection of hand-me-down and new-to-me antiques, particularly with items that fit into my china cabinet.

I might have a problem.*

Naturally, when I heard of TLC's new show What The Sell?, that features three ladies and their antique store outside of Chicago, Illinois, I knew it would become my antique fix, since I probably shouldn't go out looking for anything else that could have me subconsciously opening my wallet and giving the nice people at the shop my dough.

Where does the sass come in on this partnership of love?

Meet Gloria.



One day I hope to be as sassy as Gloria. I think I will start on that now.

*My mom is nodding her head right now.

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