Friday, February 5, 2016

Seven Quick Takes vol. 137




Joining the great takers again this week -- head to Kelly's for the best of the best!


{one}



February. Whew. 
This week was fine. My kids have gotten over a bit of sickness that knocked us over last week, the weather has been pleasant, we made appointments and activities, but man, oh man, it feels like tough going somehow. I mean, I looooveee routine, but even I am getting weary of the same thing day after day. Or so it feels. I think it's a February effect. It can feel tough doing the same thing day in, day out, and to wonder to yourself, "What am I even doing everyday??" I feel frustrated in my creativity and thinking and can't seem to pinpoint what it is that needs to change or happen. There it is!



{two}

Lent is right around the corner! I hope that maybe focusing on Lent and the aspects of battening down and focusing on sacrifice help me a little bit. I think it'll be good to readjust my focus off of me,myself, and I-stuck-in-the-mud, and on to more prayer and God-focused-ness....yes, I can't describe what I'm going for at all... 
I'm still trying to decide what to give up/do/read! I might have to try out several things and try to come up with things that might be more challenging for me that I can do for others. There are so many great options out there for reading as well that I'm going to try and pray and see if there's anything I should focus on. Kelly recently had a great collection of spiritual reading recommendations, and I've written a post here about good things to read in Lent if you're still looking around.



{three}





I bought a couple rare books from Britain a few weeks ago that I was happy to receive this week and in the package was the bookstore's brochure of their brick and mortar store in Northern England. It is located in an old railway station, has thousands upon thousands of books, and is the place where the original "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign was found! I'm just in love with it! In my daydreams I'm just flying off to England to get lost for a while...




{four}

I'm currently reading new biography on Frances Chesterton which I'm really enjoying. It's giving the perfect insight to the importance and beauty of what wives do behind the scenes of famous husbands. I know it's very antifeminist to think that wives were actually quite important to their husbands work when they did small things like make sure they ate everyday, made it to all their appointments, and had their hats, but it is something so beautiful about it that I just love learning about. Doing important work usually is more work than just one person. It's so difficult to maintain a home, a balanced and healthy life, let alone a myriad of outside duties and tasks without someone supporting you, even if that means getting the nitty-gritty non-glamourous stuff done. Frances of course had her own brilliance and creativity, and they fed each others work to a great degree. I just love the interconnectedness of wives and husbands working together that we just never hear about. 



{five}

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Superbowl. I'm officially cheering for the Broncos because I love Peyton Manning with a deep, abiding love. But Carolina I don't hate and they're really, really good. I'm also craving stuffed potato skins, and possibly mini-hotdogs...
I also will love Coldplay until the day I die, and if you haven't watched this yet you're in for a giant treat!



{six}



We had a great podcast episode this week with our guest Meg Hunter-Kilmer talking all about Lent. Meg is really encouraging and really got me in a great positive mindset for Lent this year. I hope you all can listen. 



I was also a guest on the lovely Erin's podcast The Right Heart this week. We chatted about how moms can make time for themselves when it's tough and it was a really fun conversation!



{seven}

This is what crafts make me want to do!!


Who's the patron saint of mom's who hate to do crafts? Because I need their intercession! I can't even do Valentine's without losing my mind!! It takes over an hour to just help people write names on the store-bought variety and I just lose the will. I'm documenting this so that my children will one day look back upon this blog and realize the source of all their problems. I honestly need to find someone who just wants to craft with them. 

Anyway! My coffee is cold and I'm off to give someone their fifth apple of the day...and after that I'll probably need to go grocery shopping....again. Happy weekend!





follow along:

facebook ~ instagram ~ pinterest

12 comments:

  1. That bookstore looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, I really want to go sit in there or search for books for days on end. So magical! Good luck figuring out Lent-stuff! I know what you mean-there are so many great books and devotions out there, it can be hard to figure out what we should each do! Recently, I was told about the book "A Call to a Deeper Love," which is the love letters of Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin, and on an impulse (because I love them-married saints!) I bought the book. So I'm gonna give that a read this Lent, and I'm pretty excited :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I feel like I need to read the Catechism for Lent after reading Mary's book recommendation, but I want to add that Frances Chesterton bio to the list too, sounds so good!

    And I would meet you for coffee in that amazing bookshoppe in a heartbeat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is it me or is the link to the Frances Chesterton book not working? I haven't heard of this, and because commenting is easier thank googling (so lazy! Yes...winter...blah!) Can you share title?

    ReplyDelete
  4. You're not alone ... I hate crafts too. I love doing them MYSELF but gosh, I hate doing them with kids!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah!! Number 3 is so very "84 Charing Cross Road"! And how fun about that sign!
    Also, whenever I try to be nice and attempt anything remotely crafty with my girls I just end up committing ten sins in the process, so they might be doomed to a home art life of mere crayons and colored pencils forever. :-/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Frustrated in your creativity eh? Two words..

    Peg
    Dolls
    !!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. How about we trade? I hate teaching kids to read but I actually like crafts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, deal! There are way better step by step curriculum for learning how to read, than teaching a mom to enjoy crafts! ;)

      Delete
  8. That bookstore! All the heart eyes. I'm still kind of in denial that Lent is starting this week(!) and have no idea what I'm going to do. It'll probably be giving up desserts as a family so the kids are getting involved (though of course Sophie's birthday is the day after Ash Wednesday). The book about Frances Chesterton sound really interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So excited to see the photo of Barter Books in Alnwick. It's less than than an hour up the Northumberland Coast from where I live in the North of England! I haven't been for such a long time; I think a trip there & a stop off at Alnwick Castle (where lots of the Harry Potter exteriors were filmed) may be in order for half term.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah!! I'm so excited that I have readers who live near it! It looks really magical, but I do have very magical leanings towards the British countryside - and I thought that the bookstore itself, how it was built in an old train station -- looked like something out of Harry Potter. I love that Harry was filmed nearby! Please go and have cuppa there for me!

      Delete
  10. I'm DEFINITELY going to that bookshop in the near future! It's not too far from where I live and it looks soooo worth the trip... thanks for the tipoff! :-D

    ReplyDelete

Imagine we're having a coffee together and let me know what you think --
I love comments almost as much as coffee!

(And please check to make sure your email address is connected to your profile, I'd love to email you a reply.)

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...