RenovationGirl

Call to Worship

Shortly after I posted last night's post, Builder Boy began screaming in his bed.  Racing up the stairs, I anticipated the latest in a string of emergencies...crooked socks, a lost toy, the forgotten cup of water.  When I reached him, he was sobbing his heart out, kneeling by his bed. 

"Buddy," I said kneeling next to him, "What's the matter????"

"Mama, YOU forgot to go to church in the night!!!!"

Yes, folks, we did not go to church this weekend.  After four days of a nasty sinus infection, insomnia and daylight savings, Mama was not fit to go to church.  Builder Boy, a normally energetic and spirited child (please read this as a politically correct way of saying what a huge nightmare he is in church), does not like going to church.  I have long given up attempting to get him "dressed up" for church.  If we can wrestle him into a pair of khaki army pants, it's a good day.  I allow him to take a quiet toy and I always have fruit snacks in my purse.  While I generally disapprove of these things in church, it's either that or we don't go for awhile.  So, toys and snacks it is.  When Builder Boy realized on Sunday that we were not going to church, he was very upset.  We told him that if we were feeling up to it, we might try our Sunday evening mass, but that did not happen.  Initially, we thought he was upset  was because our Sunday mass is always followed with breakfast out, usually at Crac.ker Bar.rel and it's large selection of toys. 

But last night, as I calmed him down, he told me he missed the stories that "that guy sings."  What?!  You mean you were listening?  Whoa!!! So, with promises of bible stories that following night, he went off to sleep.

I am one proud, albeit surprised, Mama!

Crowded

Do you ever find your mind so crowded with thoughts that you can't quite sort them out?  I find that most mornings on my hour's commute to work, my mind races in a million different directions.  Thinking of what to make from dinner spurs me to think about a book I read recently which makes me consider ways to organize my life better which makes me question my profession which makes me ponder a new business opportunity...it goes on and on.  What I like about this drive (and trust me, there is little to like...) is that while my mind races, it races peacefully.  It's as if my mind is trying to organize itself before the day begins. 

Often, I find myself thinking, "Oh, that would make a great post" only to find that by the time I get to a computer, the thoughts have left.  This doesn't frustrate me...I'm trusting that whatever I was considering has either been taken care of or will present itself again. It's been freeing.

One crowded issue in my mind today is the start of Lent.  Pray, fast, and give alms.  This is the mission during Lent.  I'm not very traditional in how I do this.  I believe that we shouldn't just "give alms" during Lent, just like I think that charitable giving shouldn't just be done at the holidays.  Imagine if we all gave alms all the time?  What an incredible community we would be!  And while I will fast in the traditional sense, so, too, will I fast daily in a different way...what a better time to eat more healthfully, to fast from things that are toxic to the body or eaten over-abundantly.  For years I have not given something up; instead, I have added something to my life...pray more thoughtfully, spend more quality time with my family, become more involved in my church, provide even more support for my friends.  Doing without can be good, but not if it's meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Another aspect that I need to work on during Lent is letting go.  I need to let go of this burden I put on myself each day in dealing with infertility.  I need to trust that this path I am on is the right path.  I need to allow myself to feel joy in others' pregnancies and births.  I need to find joy merely in the beauty of these occurrences instead just feeling my own pain.  I guess I need to practice selflessness instead of selfishness. 

Yes, my mind is crowded, but hopefully, the peace I feel during my morning's drive will work itself into the rest of my day as well.  It seems like a great to time to instill more peace into my life.

Coming Out of the Conservative Closet

Hi.  My name is Renovation Girl and I'm a conservative.  I didn't start this blog to discuss either politics or religion, but I am feeling compelled to come clean to my readers.  Why?  It's simple, really.  Most of the blogs I read are writers whose views are much more liberal than mine.  This is fine.  I like their blogs.  I like these writers.  Some of my best friends in real life are liberals.  And naturally (at least for me), I will continue to read even though I don't agree with their politics.  (As I hope you will continue to read my blog even if you don't agree with my politics.)  But in light of the fact that most bloggers I read are liberals, I felt as if I was lying to you if I avoided politics all together.  I felt my conservative side needed to have a voice, too.

I'm not sure why it feels like so many more bloggers are liberal than conservative.  Maybe I just haven't found those conservative bloggers. Maybe writing, like acting and other creative pursuits, comes more often to those with more liberal views.  Regardless, here I am in all my conservative glory. 

I wasn't always a conservative...until a few elections ago, I was a registered democrat.  I did what any good Pittsburgher with ties to the steel mills would do-I registered Democrat.  My grandfather worked the mills.  My father worked corporately for the mills.  My grandparents had a lighted shrine to JFK above their bar.  But then I started to pay attention to  politics and began to educate myself.  I realized that I was not, in fact, a Democrat.  For the most part, I was a Republican.

I'm certainly not an extreme conservative. There are things about the Republican party which I do not agree.  I personally feel there are very few people who subscribe to every single thing a party stands for...I think many of us fall somewhere in the middle of the two parties.  Centrists.  But we all have our specific issues that cause us to vote one way or another. 

So, yes, I am supporting the McCain/Palin ticket and proudly doing so.  I respect whichever ticket you support, so long as you are voting something this election.  Please don't get all nasty in the comments section attempting to sway me to your side if you believe something different...it won't work and I certainly won't post anything here thinking I will change your mind.  It's all about playing nice here.  If you don't like a certain post, do what I do: take a deep breath and move onto the next blog you read.  Trust me, I've been doing this for years now of blog reading and it works out just fine.

Oh, and since I am making confessions here, you should also know that I am Roman Catholic because I want to be, not because I was born into it...but that's a post for another day when I am feeling brave again.