Category: faithful

creative · delicious · faithful · fun · healthy

Minutes – September 24

Angela Pea7 Comments

::faithful

Praying for

  • The Tatum Family…my coworker Tommy Tatum died yesterday evening after complications from surgery.  Please hold his wife and daughters up in prayer.
  • The Rodriguez Family…my friend Katy lost her husband last week. They had just celebrated their 25th anniversary at mass a few weeks ago.  Please remember Katy and their four children.
  • My sister and brother in law, for safe travels to Europe
Grateful for
  • My own family, that they are healthy and strong
  • opportunities for play this past weekend instead of doing nothing but chores.  Yes, I rode my bicycle over that!!  Managed it just great, thank you, then promptly clipped a tree a half mile down the trail and went flying into the brush. *sigh*

::healthy

A few bike rides this week, [more] veggies at the dinner table, getting hydrated because it’s hot again!

::creative

I set aside my scarf to work on knitting a Christmas present for my Mom. It’s so pretty!  If you’re reading this, Mom, that’s all the clues you’re getting.  It’s knitted and pretty.

DirtBike is almost finished that V-22 model for his history fair project.  Mercy.  I’ll never understand how a boy can be so messy when it comes to his room and belongings, but can paint the finest, tiniest details that are perfectly neat, authentic and impressive!

The Architect has been working on a popsicle stick crane for his Engineering class.  This is version 2.0…his team is hoping to support many equivalent tons of weight today.

This is so Clever!!  And practical!!  And  it’s recycled!!  Off road biking is fun, but really, REALLY hard on innertubes.  (The Architect has gone “tubeless” for racing.)  I saw this and I would like to make one. It’s a rubber computer bag, made from recycled bike tubes.  The only issue would  be finding a commercial strength machine that could sew easily through the tubes.

::delicious

It’s hot again.  (Hello?  Weather Maker?  It’s officially autumn now. Please, can we cool off a bit?  Thanking you in advance…)

  • Moroccan Chicken over Couscous and Broccoli
  • Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw
  • Fish Tacos with Black Beans and Guacamole
  • Hamburgers with Grilled Zucchini
  • Leftovers (yeah!)
  • Bean Burritos, Roasted Corn Salad
  • Pizzas on the Grill, Spinach Salad

::fun

Okay.  One of my kids – can’t remember which one – sent this to me, and I have giggled every time I look at it.

::looking ahead

Tree trimming, speaking at a leadership conference tomorrow about Effective Presentations and Overcoming Stage Fright, my Mom coming to Texas for a few weeks (she’s staying with my nieces while Sis and BIL take that trip to Europe), Fall Festival, more fall races for The Architect.

Linking up at Suscipio – come join us!

 Record the Minutes.  Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea

creative · delicious · faithful · fun · healthy

Minutes – September 10

Angela Pea7 Comments

::faithful

Praying for

  • calm and rest in this busy time of year
Grateful for
  • Cold Front!! Oh the sweet joy of being able to go outside and not feel like my lungs are being scorched!
  • the amazing biking community that as a whole is so welcoming and encouraging to beginners
  • continued progress in Clearing the Decks
  • The Architect’s amazing biking skills!  He placed second at the Sansom Park Fall Series ride.  This trail is mean:  full of rocks, hard climbs loose gravel and sand traps.  He finished without incident – no blood dripping crossing the finish line! (Seriously – I won’t ride this trail – it’s expert rated, sort of like a black diamond ski run.) 

::healthy

More biking scheduled this week, as well as a few good long walks with Max the Dog.  I also intend to keep up with getting more rest.

::creative

The uniform pants are finally hemmed!  Yeah!  I’ve started knitting a new scarf for myself from some gorgeous cashmere yarn.

DirtBike is halfway through a V-22 model for his history fair project, and it’s looking grand.  He also brought me a sketch of how he would like to have his room repainted.  It involves splattering electric yellow, green and cobalt blue paint on one wall.  I like the idea!  Of course, it’s sad to see the little boy army camo paint theme go away.

::delicious

Yeah!  Still under the century mark for temperatures, so I’m still cooking!

  • Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Salad
  • Dirty Rice, Green Beans and Tossed Salad
  • Barbeque Dinner –  for the Stephen Breen Foundation.  The boys will be waiters…
  • Shrimp Gumbo
  • Turkey Sandwiches
  • Hamburgers
  • Blackened Tilapia, Zucchini and Corn

::fun

Weekly ride with the Mayor of Fort Worth, mountain biking on a local trail with a friend who is new to off road biking,

::looking ahead

Facilities Committee meeting for The Architect’s school, Stephen Breen dinner, teacher conferences, knitting, cooking, laundry, work, and cutting down a few dead trees.

Linking up at Suscipio – come join us!

 Record the Minutes.  Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea

faithful

For Amber – TheToad Story

Angela Pea3 Comments

Originally posted in October 2009.

Ahem. The Toad Story in all Its Gory Detail….don’t read if you’re squeamish.

My youngest son has always had a propensity for stashing stuff in his pockets. From the time he was big enough to stuff those chubby little fingers into a square of fabric, his pockets have been an unending source of unusual things – sprockets, odd inkpen parts, legos, nuts, bolts, acorns, matchbox cars, pieces of string, contraband gum and candy, snacks for later, dogfood kibble, screwdrivers and wrenches, sunglasses, homework, spare shirts, balls, transformers, trading cards…all the trappings of little-boyhood. The fact that I thought cargo pants with those over-sized patchy pockets were just too cute when he was little didn’t help with the pocket stuffing situation.

My youngest son also liked bugs and creepy crawlies, and tended to stuff THOSE in his pockets as well, regardless of their willingness to be carried along. I’ve found geckos, lizards, mice, snakes and innumerable unidentified insects in his pockets as I’ve prepped clothing for the wash cycle over the years. Three summers ago, there was toad in the cargo pocket, and I missed it on the way into the washing machine. Toads are definitely not wash and wear. The poor thing probably made it through the wash cycle, since we have a front loader that uses a minimum amount of water. The spin cycle, however, proved to be too much for his warty little self, and all his innards sort of came out his mouth. Gross. Youngest son and his older brother were amazed and impressed with the array of toad organs, and spent a long time examining them while I tried to be nonchalant, pretending that I was not actually allowing my sons to poke around in toad guts. (Honestly, how often do little boys get an opportunity to see the inside of a toad out side of high school biology lab?)

We buried Mr. Toad in the back yard, and I washed the clothes all over again.

EMail Anglea Pea